Serenity Through Solitary [Talon]

[Lief]

Eli had been amongst the Jedi for as long as he could remember. For a while he had known companionship in the form of his fellow students and those who would teach them the basics of what they needed to know. But now he was the last of his group, he had been training for eleven years and amongst the Jedi for longer. And in many ways he felt as though he was failing in his purpose. His time was spent in solitary training, in personal research, in the hopes that he would be permitted time to assist the people of the Galaxy instead of focusing purely on his training.

In the courtyard of Tython's Temple he meditated, surrounded by greenery and in the hearing of a small waterfall in the side of a nearby hill. Rather than sat in the lotus position, or facing constant movement, he continued to practise the technique he had been taught, focusing on his strength, endurance and specifically his balance by taking to differing positions. Presently he was successfully holding his place, balancing upon a single hand while his body was positioned to be straightly postured. Serenity spread through his body, emanating from him in calming waves.

He was subtly aware of the fact that others were heading towards classrooms and training areas at the guidance of the Jedi Masters of the Temple. For whatever reason he decided to remain where he was, deepening his trance and focus in the Force until the sounds were gone and serenity fell back over him.

@[member='Talon Vosra']

 

[Talon Vosra]

[member="Eli Koreve"]

Talon's eyes remained closed as he meditated. Slow deliberate movements flowed from one to another as he focused on the force. His saber hilt as yet unlit in his hand as he moved from one stance to the next. The subtle breeze stirred the trees as well as his hair while he focused on deepening his connection to the force that surrounded everything and penetrated to his very core. He had lost track in times past of the values that had drawn him to the Jedi's steps and it was time he focused on the basic tenants of what it meant to be a Jedi and Master.

Slowly he increased speed as he continued the moving meditation. It was said that a complete oneness could be attained in this fashion where the force guided a Jedi completely, but as yet Talon had not achieved such a perfect state. He heard the call for many to return to their classes and slowly brought his meditation to an end for now. How long had he been there, minutes perhaps hours? He hooked his hilt to its place on his utility belt and walked to gather his cloak before noticing the Mirialan still meditating.

Talon slowly walked to within speaking distance and sat on a rock with his cloak draped over his crossed arms. He would not interrupt as meditation was a cornerstone of successful Padawans but he would take the opportunity to meet the young man whilst he could. Perhaps the Force had its reasons for them being in the same area seeking the same thing, Serenity.

 

[Lief]

Eli knew that he could remain in a meditative state for hours on end if he permitted it, and while the Force would sustain him in doing so he was aware of how detrimental that could be despite the benefits it held. With all the assistance of the Force, he was still a being who required sustenance, after all, and leaving his trance after so long could have left him drained. As such he was hesitant to fully test his limits, and slowly began to reawaken from his state. Upon doing so he was once again aware of a presence nearby, and wondered how much time had actually passed since he first entered this courtyard when the sun had barely lifted from the horizon.

The first thing he noted was how his arm ached, not the one his body balanced upon but that which was outspread to keep Eli himself balanced. For now he did not lower it, however, and instead his eyes began to open as he welcomed back his senses one by one.The scent of dew and grass, of mud and slightly salted water from the riverbed. The feel of the breeze brushing against his exposed torso, threatening to knock him down and off balance. The sound of water rushing and bird call in the trees around the Enclave. And finally the sight of a Jedi sat across from where he was balancing, set upon a rock. If Eli was surprised he failed to show it, keeping his emotions tightly under wraps.

Finally he began to lower himself down, bending his legs as they neared the ground and slowly standing upon doing so. His head swam a little, and for a second he took the time to re-orientate himself to the new shift in gravity against his body. When that moment passed his body dipped into a low bow of respect towards the Jedi Master before him. "Master Jedi" he began, by way of greeting; the man before him was not one he had met before, but there were often new faces to be seen around the Temple, even in those who had been Jedi long before he had even been born. When he rose back up he was distinctly aware that his body was exposed, save for the training garments upon his lower body.

If he was embarrassed by such then he showed it about as much as he showed his surprise. Instead he stepped softly to one side to retrieve his training tunic, refusing to use the Force to do such a menial task as he had seen many other students lower themselves to do. Such went against many of the ideals he had been raised to follow as a Traditionalist; the Force was not a tool, it was not a resource to be wasted. The Force was the core of every man's being. The core of the Galaxy. "I trust that you are well, Master?" He inquired, asking after his well being rather than his present state of emotion.

[member="Talon Vosra"]

 

[Talon Vosra]

[member="Eli Koreve"]

Talon waited as the birds sang their songs in the trees. Their voices adding a simplistic tranquility to the clearing by the cool stream. He watched as the Padawan slowly came out of his meditative trance and lowered his feet to the soft ground. He had the look of lightheadedness but that would clear soon when the blood pressure adjusted and his circulation made up for the change in orientation. Emerald eyes met those of the younger man as he put on his training tunic and walked over and asked after the Masters wellbeing.

"I am well padawan." Talon said, "You know, if you sit for a moment when you finish your meditation you will feel less of the lightheadedness."

Talon remembered his days training when he was younger and had nothing but mistakes to his name. He didn't know if he learn more from his failures or his successes, but he certainly had enough of the former. Talon squinted for a moment as he looked at the padawan and wondered who had been training him.

"Have you a Master yet?" Talon asked, "Someone overseeing your training?"

 

[Lief]

A small smile appeared upon his lips, lighting up his face - specifically his eyes - before he inclined his head once more. "I am aware, Master; I thought it rude to sit before greeting one who stood before me, however." And he didn't just say this because the man was a Master in the Force, but instead because of the life which flowed through his veins and his place within the Force itself. Such would have been the same for any who stood there, or sat as the man before him did. "And it is good that you are well." More often than not, Jedi who were not well or had sustained taxing damage refused to have themselves seen to by the healers; this was, he knew, a mistake on their part. A Jedi who was unwell or too injured was unfit for duty, and by attempting to undermine this they could bring more harm than good both to themselves and those they sought to help.

The next question had the boy cock his head to one side in thought. "I have no set Master, no - I was training as part of a group, Master, but now I am the only one left." With a very careful shrug of his shoulders he gestured around. "Now that Instructor has younger students to train, thus I expand on my own knowledge and training independently." He wondered why the man would ask such, but figured it was another duty of a Jedi - especially a Master - to ensure that students were being educated. Truthfully, Eli did not mind the solitary position he had been put into; he was sixteen years of age, a man grown within the culture of his people, he could not be clinging onto the sleeve of another like a babe in arm for all eternity. Thus he had to adapt to the situation.

[member="Talon Vosra"]

 

[Talon Vosra]

[member="Eli Koreve"]

Talon listened to the young Mirialan and offered a smile in response to his explanation. The young man was well spoken and respectful two thing that were important for a padawan. The Zelosian jedi stood his dark hair pulled back by a simple leatheris band. The darker clothes he wore suited him as a Shadow but that was a fact only the Council knew for a certainty. He nodded at the response about a Master and wondered if the young one had been put in a sport for agricorps or if he had been only just finished with his previous group. The notion crossed his mind that he could do with a Master to train him in the basics at least and perhaps the finer points in walking on the lightside of the force.

"I see," Talon responded putting his hand on his chin and considering whether he should train the young man, "let me ask you a question."

Talon stopped raised his chin and stood straight as he looked at the padawan.

"Tell me what is a lightsaber?"

 

[Lief]

If the silence between them bothered the young Padawan then he failed to show it, instead he respectfully waited to see if the Jedi Master had anything further to say. His head remained a little inclined as he waited. Yet when the man began to speak once again he had no choice but to lift his head and respectfully meet his gaze; it was rude not to look at someone who was talking to you, after all. The question took him mildly by surprise, but Eli had been raised amongst the Jedi, he had been taught their philosophy long before he was given even a training lightsaber to wield.

He knew that there were two distinctly different ways to explain it, and first opted for the more physical and literal response. "A lightsaber is a near-weightless energy weapon, Master, whose blade is enhanced by an assembly of two to three crystals, in the case of a Jedi these crystals are naturally formed. A Jedi constructs their first lightsaber under the watch of their Master once they are deemed ready to do so, usually when nearing the end of their training - although depending on the era this has differed. It is a sign of responsibility, of self-discipline, and is the symbol of our Order. One lightsaber and the power cell contained within it should potentially last the entire life of a Jedi, as a lightsaber should be the last resort to any situation following the correct use of Form Zero."

For a moment he stopped, already getting into more metaphysical waters with his explanation. "However a Lightsaber is more than this; it is an extension of our very being, the crystals within help in our connection to the Force, and this is reflected through the Crystal Code. A Jedi should not see it as merely another tool in their arsenal, although it may be useful in similar ways throughout a Jedi's life. It is a way for the Jedi to defend those who require it, to uphold peace in the Galaxy and to bring with it justice. A Jedi should never ignite their lightsaber if they are not prepared to take a life, and this is perhaps one of the biggest responsibilities we can face as an Order."

Slowly he exhaled, each and every word having come from the core of his being; he was not simply reiterating what he had been taught, the words he spoke rang true within him also, he believed each word of it despite not owning one of his own. "A Jedi can centre themselves with their lightsaber, enabling them to be the calm they seek to reflect upon the Galaxy: the peace in the face of unrestrained emotion, the serenity in the face of chaos. This I believe to be so." When he finished he inclined his head and waited, dimly aware of the fact that he had, in many ways, rambled on when there was likely a much shorter answer to be had.

[member="Talon Vosra"]

 

[Talon Vosra]

[member="Eli Koreve"]

Talon raised a dark eyebrow as the young man spoke. His animation and well spoken response a proof of a quick mind and studious amount of reasoning on the subject. It was a credit to both his instructors and himself to give such a response so young.

"A tool, a symbol, and a responsibility." Talon said in response, "the near weightlessness is misleading as the weight of the galaxy should be felt when its held. As a jedi you can no longer live for yourself but for others. A Jedi has power but it is not his own. A Jedi's power belongs to the weak, the oppressed, those in need, the rush to learn more abilities that is common is wasted unless it is used for the benefit of others and not held aloft on a list of accomplishments. Is that a life you can hold to? A life of self sacrifice of toil without hope of visible rewards, of giving your all and asking nothing in return? Do you truly wish to be a Jedi, young padawan?"


Talon watched as he spoke from his heart and his experience as a jedi. He spoke firmly but with care as he hoped the young man could accept the burden of the life offered to him. So many had lost sight of what it was to be Jedi and had fallen...Talon would not see it happen to the young as well.

 

[Lief]

He listened humbly to the Master's collective response and kept his head respectfully bowed. Humility was not a negative trait to adhere to if used correctly, and for a Jedi it could sometimes be the tipping point between a successful and unsuccessful diplomatic mission. "As I have learnt through study of our Code, There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge also means knowing when to draw upon knowledge and being able to use it to benefit those we work to protect, rather than to horde it. Knowledge for the sake of knowledge becomes borderline passion, it becomes a negative trait." For a moment he pondered on his own words, and in turn the Master's before him. The man referred to him as a Padawan, but Eli was no such thing. Merely a student who would, within the next few months or years depending, be sent off to join one of the various Corps to aid the Republic in another way. Still through the Force, but not as a Jedi.

Even if he were resigned to such a fate, Eli knew he would adhere to it and do his piece for the Galaxy. Thus, without further hesitation, he had his answer. "I believe it to be so, Master; to live in selfishness to benefit others will be no easy task, but it is more worthwhile than the alternative. I have known no other life, Master, but I do know that this is my purpose. If the Force deems me able to learn under the Jedi Order and the Force itself then that is what I shall do, forever serving the Ashla. If it feels I would be more suited to the Corps then so be that also. I trust in the Force, Master, in the Light." Throughout he had kept his head slightly bowed.

[member="Talon Vosra"]