New Beginnings

[WelshPsych]

Yuroic stepped into the Temple, this seemed like an entirely new world to him. Such a different atmosphere than that he had experience nearly all his life. He realised he stood out like a sore thumb, almost all everyone he past was freshly washed, dressed in clean clothing and didn't look as grubby as Yuroic did.

His nerves started getting the better of him until he past a training courtyard. He saw several Jedi practising various forms, his eyes took in each twirl, jump and swing of their blade. He was entranced by the fighting, that was what he wanted to learn. To become better, to fight better.

Where does one start? He stood there in simple casual robes, black grease marks streaked over the pale robes and dirt patches scattered around his trousers. His face had dirt and grease stains, he had to do some work to be able to afford a trip here. Meant climbing through some very dirty vents, never got a chance to clean afterwards, not that the water on Nar Shaddaa's Refugee Sect was clean.

 

[WelshPsych]

Yuroic's fingers touched the walls of the Temple as he looked closely at them, they were made from different materials than he had seen before. The Temple felt old, older than anything he had seen before, the idea sent a shiver down his spine. He returned to watching the Jedi practising, waving their sticks in the artful manner that he had heard about. He moved into the training courtyard and sat on a bench to watch them closer, studying their moves and the way they held themselves. There seemed to be an air of confidence, strength that Yuroic had never achieved within himself.

He swallowed hard, nerves had been kept in check up until this point but he was starting to get a sense of how real this all was. How different his life could be if he really did have Force powers, would be one of those Jedi practising their techniques when another newcomer enters? Would be off on dangerous missions fighting enemies of the Jedi. He had heard there was another faction of Force users called Sith, they prided themselves on strength and often fought amongst themselves for even more power. While he need somewhere where he could get stronger, the idea of being killed by another person who was training to be the best didn't sound exactly inviting.

He took a deep breath and looked around, no one had really noticed him yet. That was a skill he had developed from childhood, blending in the shadows meant that gangs didn't notice you and shopkeepers couldn't stop you taking their food if you weren't noticed. He tried wiping the grease marks on his clothes but it didn't improve their condition, he had been wearing these for weeks now without a chance to clean them so they weren't smelling fresh. But that was another reason to escape his old life, he needed some place to finally feel welcomed and fit in. Being alone for so long starts messing with one's mind.

[member="Arisa Yune"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

Seemingly by coincidence, Arisa would be strolling through the halls that morning on her way to the dining hall. As she walked, she would be greeted here and there by her fellow Jedi, always giving them a warm greeting in return. It hadn't been too long ago that all of them had been strangers to her when she had arrived at these halls as a weary Padawan from the Republic seeking respite the horrors of war. In her last days, she had practically been alone as one of the few remaining Jedi of the Republic, so it was nice to be welcomed among her own again.

So she was quite familiar with the look of someone being quite lost, having had the expression on her face many times in her early days at the temple. She saw it on a young man as she nearly passed in the halls. Just about as soon as she laid eyes on him, she was hit with a particularly pungent odor emanating from the man, who she noticed was looking quite grubby. It was pretty strong, but she remained composed, used to worse smells out in the field of battle. It was just out of place here in the spotless temple.

"Hello there," she said stopping before the man. "May I help you?"

She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward just slightly with a small smile growing on her face. Unlike most of her peers, the young Artisan was dressed in casual street clothes like a normal inhabitant of the Core. Those deaf to the Force would have a hard time picking her out of the crowds as a Jedi Master.

[member="Yuroic Xeraic"]

 

[WelshPsych]

His gaze lifted from the training circles and looked upon the Jedi Master before him. He studied her closely, having never met a Jedi before he was curious what about her gave off an impression of power, yet balance and serenity. He could feel a slight emit of a connection they shared, which he assumed was the Force but he couldn't be certain. Instead of trying to search for something more linked between them he thought of what he wanted to say, wanted to gain from becoming a Jedi.

I'm... I'm here to learn? His voice was unsteady, he hadn't really planned on actually what to say at this point, it was kind of difficult to find the right words. I... I don't know what I'm looking for, it's just... I'm lost and I have no idea where to go.

Yuroic sighed, he felt a slight relief from opening up a little but he was still holding back so much, his thoughts were a mess of worry about his abilities and if he would ever fit in as a Jedi being so different, starting from nowhere. He leaned forward and held his head in his hands as he rubs his temples slowly. He tried stopping his racing thoughts but he could find the beginnings of panic attack, breathing shortening.

[member="Arisa Yune"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

"Well then, you've come to the right place, welcome to Voss Academy."

At the entrance of the temple, there used to be an automated holoprojector that would spring up with a recording of the first Grandmaster of the Silver Order, Thurion Heavenshield, providing a brief introduction to the Academy for all visitors. She might look into getting that recording updated now.

Standing there with him, she could feel him in the Force, clumsily reaching for her presence like a newborn. It was clear he had some potential Force. It was also clear that he appeared to be on the verge of hyperventilating. That definitely wouldn't do.

"It's fine, you can relax now," she said as she unclasped her hands to reach out to touch him on the shoulder.

At the same time, she touched his mind through the Force in a gentle manner, trying to help bring a sense calm with the spread of positive vibes.

"My name Arisa. How about yours?"

[member="Yuroic Xeraic"]

 

[WelshPsych]

He took a deep gulp of air when she gently touch his shoulder and felt the calm presence through the Force. It made he wince involuntarily as well, much like any physically contact did since his former slave days, but something about Arisa brought a sense of calm and gentleness he had not found in others. He found himself instantly bonding with her in a way he hadn't with other people since he was five. He licked his lips and thought carefully about what to say, he was still being guarded because deep down he knew he was just the scared orphaned boy he had always been.

Yurioc, Yuroic Xeraic. He replied as he lifted his head up and looked at her, his face turned to face her but his eyes were darted away, not ready to look at her. I'm from Nar Shaddaa, I think I was born there but I don't know. He confessed before letting a sigh out.

What do you do here? Are you a teacher or something? His curiosity about the Order started to pour out, he had no knowledge of who the Jedi really were or what they did. They were almost mythical from where he was from. Who would believe that there were people who were selfless, decent and cared for the lives of others with dangerous weapons and skills beyond a normal person's wildest dreams? It was like a tale for him when he was younger, something to hope would happen, a Jedi to find him and take him away from the rough life he lived.

[member="Arisa Yune"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

The man had calmed down considerably, but was still seemed quite skittish. When he revealed himself to be a native of Nar Shadda, she gained a clue onto white. Growing up as a street urchin herself, those experiences tended to leave one a little paranoid, especially in strange places.

"Nice to meet you Yuroic. I am something of an instructor here, I guess you could say. As a Jedi Master, one of my duties is to guide our more junior members on their path to becoming a Jedi."

She had initially skirted around the fact that she was a Jedi Master, as she liked to come off as less intimidating to inititates and prospective students, but as he had asked her directly she felt obliged to answer. With his disposition, she hoped the revelation wouldn't put him over the edge.

[member="Yuroic Xeraic"]

 

[WelshPsych]

He nodded his head as he listened to what she had to say. Master, it brought back memories of when his slave days, having to call his smuggler owner master all the time. He turned his face away from her, he wasn't intimidated but he was being cautious. He had interacted with so-called masters before. He needed to be careful of what he said to her.

Master... How many slaves do you own then? Yuroic asked wearily, perhaps the Jedi were not as holy and peaceful as he had been lead to believe. Maybe exaggeration had taken planet over time.They are just people to begin with.

His body language was colder, no longer shy but less open. He had learned enough in his mind, if the Jedi had slaves then he needed to figure a way out of the Temple before he found himself owned by one of these Jedi Masters.

[member="Arisa Yune"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

Upon uttering the words Jedi Master, Yuroic would tense up. Without knowledge of the man's background, she was left slightly confused by his response to her revelation, especially considering as he had reached to the Silver Jedi on his own.

However, realization dawned upon her as he asked a fairly awkward (and somewhat humorous) question about the slaves she owned. If she were to guess, he had been a slave himself.

"Oh goodness, not that kind of master, my friend." she said shaking her head furiously while trying to hold back a giggle. "I am a Master of the Order of the Silver Jedi. It is the highest rank bestowed upon Jedi, denoting their skill and dedication as they follow the Jedi Path. In other words, in this context, Master means mastery of one's craft, which would be the Jedi path. Not at all unlike the ranking systems used in conventional Martial Arts courses."

"Does that make sense?"

She hoped it did, or she imagined they were about to have some problems as the prospective initiative didn't seem very knowledgeable about even basic facts about the Jedi. Well, that was one of her jobs as a Jedi Master, to teach. And teach she would.

[member="Yuroic Xeraic"]

 

[WelshPsych]

Yuroic felt a deep blush of embarrassment as he listened to Arisa explain that a Jedi Master was not a slaver. He looked over at her, scratching the back of his head as he thought of what to say. I... I'm sorry that I called you a slaver... I just, I've never seen or heard of Jedi before. A smuggler told me that I might have some Force power or something. I'm not really sure.

This was more than new, it was bizarre and complicated. He had no clue whether or not he could even become a Jedi, just assumed he had a chance. He looked away slightly, realising that he likely humiliated himself in front of this Jedi.

Is there some test I have to perform to be a Jedi? Yuroic asked as he rubbed the back of his neck, nerves kicking in but nothing he could not handle. He just wanted this to go right. It had been too long for him living the wrong life and now he was hoping he would start with the right foot forward.

[member="Arisa Yune"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

She felt his embarrassment as he accepted her clarification, and then relax a little as he explained his confusion. One hurdle cleared, it would have been a shame to see Yuroic walk away from Voss after they had just met.

"It's alright!" she exclaimed with a small nod. "Please don't feel embarrassed. There's a lot of misinformation out there about the Jedi out there. Sometimes I feel like half of my job is making corrections."

"Well, on the topic of tests, we do have some to testing those with latent abilities, but for the most part, it's really easy to tell just by being in contact with another Force Sensitive. When we first met, I could feel your mind against mind through the Force. It's clear that you have the potential to become aJedi, or a trained Force User, at least. Whether or not you decide to stick with the Jedi path, I would recommend that you at least stay with us to get a grip on your abilities and learn how to wield them responsibly."

Some Jedi Orders, like the original one of the First Republic, absolutely refused to teach Force Sensitives without also proselytizing, but Arisa and most Silver Jedi believed that every Force Sensitive had the right to knowledge to become competent in their abilities, and could be taught to function fine in society even without adhering to the more strict tenants of the Jedi code.

[member="Yuroic Xeraic"]

 

[WelshPsych]

Yuroic gave a sigh of relief as he listened to what Arisa had to say. So the Jedi were mysterious to many, not just himself, that was a small comfort to him. He remained silent for a moment, soaking in the information and thinking on what he wanted, what drove him to being a Jedi? Yuroic scratched the back of his head as looked over to Arisa.

So what will be required from me? Will I have a teacher like you? Yuroic asked as he felt curiosity building up deep inside him.

[member="Arisa Yune"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

"Walk with me," she said, motioning with an outstretched hand. "I'll give you a little tour of the Academy while we speak."

She started walking, assuming that Yuroic would follow beside her down the wide halls. All sorts of characters would pass by on their way to their respective destinations, from other students to full Masters like Arisa. Every so often, a grey-cloaked Temple guard could be seen, quietly monitoring the halls for any sign of trouble, trained to quickly subdue other Force Users with a myriad of lethal and non-lethal methods.

"As Jedi, we operate under a few core tenants that guide our actions: Self-discipline, tolerance, compassion, harmony, and peaceful exploration or knowledge seeking. If there is anything required of you as a Jedi, or even just a student of Voss academy, it is to follow said tenants."

"For initiates like yourself, we usually like to begin everyone in group sessions designed to immerse you all in the culture of the Silver Jedi, and to figure out where you need help. From there, if there's a Knight or Master available for more personal instruction, they may take on an initiate as their apprentice - a Padawan."

The education structure of the Silver Jedi, and most other modern organizations operated under this loose structure to remain flexible and help develop well rounded Jedi Knights. Masters may take on multiple apprentices, or students have several masters.

[member="Yuroic Xeraic"]

 

[WelshPsych]

As Arisa stood and gestured for them to walk, Yuroic hesitated. He wasn't scared she would hurt him nor was he afraid of what was going to happen. He was just cautious, it was a skill he had gained from past scars, to blindly follow someone could lead to danger. However, he could somehow tell that she was not a threat to him, at least, not going to harm him in the near future. So he felt more relaxed as he rose and followed her.

His eyes were wide as he looked around, taking in all the temple as much as he could. Nar Shaddaa was so completely different to this place. The biggest difference that struck him was how clean it was. How clean everyone was. Made him more self conscious that he was not that clean. However, he shook his head and carried on following Arisa. He was trying to listen and understand what she was saying, there were beginners like him and they started training in a group then someone more skilled would pick them as their Padawan. It was strange way to teach, but accepted it. He had never learnt a way to teach so he guessed all ways could come across as strange.

So, you won't be the one teaching me? And who would the other initiates be? What if the person who picks me ends up not working well with me? Am I allowed to leave them or am I trapped? Are there certain Jedi? Like I've seen different coloured lightsabers when people have been training. Is that just a colour preference or does it mean something? What if my Master dies? Do I have to start over? Is a Jedi allowed to be intimate? I heard they were castrated, well the men were. I rather not be castrated.

His tone was informal and he rapid fired his questions as they all came pouring out of his mind. He wanted to take in so much, so quickly. He had heard so much and knowing that there were false rumours had him buzzing at trying to see if what he knew was true.

[member="Arisa Yune"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

It appeared a dam that was Yurioic's social anxiety had been burst, at least for a time. He promptly proceeded to bombard her with a flurry of questions as they walked, and she couldn't help but giggle at his enthusiasm.

"Actually, it may very well be me teaching you in the initial group sessions. It's something I've always enjoyed doing, even as a Padawan. I can't say who the other initiates will be, other than that they'll probably be at about a similar proficiency level as you when it comes to the Force. However, we do get a few cases of some trained Force users from other organizations joining our ranks from time to time."

"From there, you may choose to seek out a master for more personal instruction. This is encouraged, but completely optional. Many students study with several different masters during their course to reach full Knighthood. In the event you pair off with a master, but later find out things don't work, then either you are free to break off and you can proceed to look for another master. It happens sometimes, no one will look down on you or anything."

"Jedi will often focus their attention on certain aspects and become specialists. You may see Jedi more into frontline duty leading military operations, more inquisitive types working in the library or exploring, investigators working with local authorities solving crime, etc. There are all sorts of specializations for Jedi, which you will learn about in detail later."

"In the past, different colors were used to signify positions, but now it's really just a matter of personal preference. However, today red lightsabers are still closely associated with the Sith and other Dark Siders, so it's a rare sight to see a Jedi wielding a lightsaber with such a color."

She about cracked up when he came on questions about the Silver Jedi's attitudes on romance. She was aware that many people still thought of the Jedi to be celibate, but she had never heard of someone suspecting them of engaging in the practice of neutering.

"Ah, romantic relations are allowed here. The Silver Jedi are family friendly, with our first Grandmaster, Thurion Heavenshield having a family of his own with another prominent member of the Silver Jedi Order. I'll explain the reasoning why romantic relationships were previously frowned upon or outright banned in some periods of the Jedi Orders of the past. I mentioned before the core tenants of the Jedi Order. Compassion and tolerance. This is something we try to extend to all groups, even the Sith to some degree. Some Jedi felt that engaging in romantic relations would lead to prejudice and discrimination as there would be an obvious bias created. The general thought upon personal relationships now is that they're fine so long as it doesn't interfere with one's duties as a Jedi. In short, we placing more faith in each individual to act responsibly."

Arisa herself was currently in no relationship outside the occasional fling. Out of fear of getting the ones she loved hurt by attracting the attention of her enemies looking for weakspots, she held them at bay.

[member="Yuroic Xeraic"]

 

[WelshPsych]

Yuroic nodded his head as he listened to the Master, he was going to be training with people at his level. That was a big weight off his shoulders as he had feared he would be less skilled than others when he arrived here. The Jedi Master answered all his questions well and he listened to her with great interest. He wasn't going to be careless with this process as there was still so much that he had to learn about the Jedi Order and the Jedi themselves. He studied the way that Arisa held herself, he pondered on what her lightsaber looked like.

He was curious on the Jedi weapon in general. It was quite the legendary weapon. One of the most powerful weapons a person could carry some would argue. To have a blade that could cut through anything and kill a person in a single blow. It was quite something. He wondered how long he would have to wait till he received his own. Probably till he could prove how capable he was in fighting, otherwise there would be risk of endangering oneself.

The topic of romance was interesting. So there use to be a taboo but no longer. He let a relaxing sigh after she said that they didn't perform castrations. He looked around the hall and saw the other Jedi moving around then turned his attention back to Arisa.

Do you have a romantic partner then? It was a forward and personal question but it popped into his head quite uncontrollably. Sorry, I realise that might be too personal. Just this is so new, never had anyone really be welcoming to me. Is everyone here like this? Don't you ever get angry or aggressive with someone? Haven't you wished someone dead? Not even an enemy?

He wondered if he would act that peaceful and calm. It seemed so unlikely. He wanted to kill his former slaver and the family that sold him like meat. There were many people he wished dead, like the gang leaders of Nar Shaddaa who made him fight other kids for fun. He clenched his jaw whenever he thought of all the people who made not just him or others like him suffer.

[member="Arisa Yune"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

"No, it's fine that you asked. I don't," she replied, shaking her head. "Unfortunately for me, work keeps me busy, but it's all worth it making sure that everything within the Order runs well."

"We try to be welcoming and inconclusive here within the Silver Jedi Order. Here, we like to think of ourselves as a family and strive to treat each other as such."

Yuroic's next series of questions were some that hit home for her, as she had grappled with the issues of emotional control and hatred, especially as it related to warfare.

"Even Jedi anger, or feel other emotions that we may typically classify as negative, like envy or sadness. I've had all those kinds of thoughts, but it's not a bad thing in itself to have them. The object here isn't to try to suppress emotions, but learn not to let them dictate your actions. Running purely off impulse is a dangerous thing for anyone, which leads to poor decision making and actions that one will often regret."

Emotion, yet peace.
Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Passion, yet serenity.
Chaos, yet harmony.
Death, yet the Force.

[member="Yuroic Xeraic"]

 

[WelshPsych]

He nodded his head, listening closely to Arisa, especially as she spoke about the emotions part. It seemed that he could do this, it didn't seem too difficult in a way. If he learnt to control his feelings then there was a chance that he could become a Jedi. Though in his mind, he had a great control of his emotions. Bottling them up for most of his life, for fear of appearing weak in front of others.

Thank you for answering my questions. Has given me a lot to think about but I definitely think this is where I am meant to be now. I just don't know where to go from here? He felt slightly foolish but he was ready to commit but how does one commit to the Order.

Was there an official ritual that he had to partake in or was he now a member already? He didn't want to ask as he had given enough questions to Arisa but he was ready for the next step into the Jedi Order. It felt right to become a Jedi. It felt like he had found a home after years of wandering and being lost.

[member="Arisa Yune"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

It looked like question time was done, the last one being what was next for Yuroic at the Silver Temple. It was going to start with soap and water.

There walk had ended, and they now stood in front of the office of the personnel department, where initiates were processed so they could receive permanent lodging within the temple.

"I'm going to have you check in for inprocessing so that we may get you set up with a room today. Then you can rest, explore, talk with me some more, whatever you like. If you're ready to begin learning more about the Force, I can get you set up for a class as tomorrow."

That was pretty much all there was to it. Voss Temple was a fairly relaxed atmosphere, where people came and went as they pleased, so long as they weren't starting any trouble.

((After your next post, I'm going to time skip us to a personal training session.))

[member="Yuroic Xeraic"]

 

[WelshPsych]

Yuroic nodded his head as he listened, it was going to be time to actually register as a Jedi. He felt nerves bubbling in the pit of his stomach but he felt it was good to be nervous. He walked up to where others were lined, joining the Order. After a slight wait, Yuroic had registered as an Initiate. He was truly on the path to becoming a Jedi.

For the rest of the day he spent alone, gathering his thoughts. It was a new life he would be leading. He was able to have a proper shower for the first time in years. He also wore clean clothes, robes similar to other Initiates he saw. However, he knew these would not remain clean. There was still much to explore in the Temple.

[member="Arisa Yune"]