The Jungle Is A Cruel Place

[Rhane Varless]

Rhane Varless crossed two of his arms as he stood rigid just outside the landing zone. Jedi Padawan Tutoro Veeto had found another potential initiate for the Silver Jedi Order to train up. She had called for a transport in order to move the initiate to Kashyyyk a densely wooded planet, but importantly, home to the main Jedi Temple, Silver Rest. The transport the initiate would be riding was carrying foodstuffs and other accommodations not found on Kashyyyk that had to be called in.

Rhane had a set of brown robes draped over one of his arms and a pile of books in the other. The robes were standard Silver Jedi Order robes offered to every student, Rhane had picked brown for the initiate because he himself wore brown. The books were copies of Jedi texts on lightsaber forms and basic Force powers. A keycard to a single dormitory served as a temporary bookmark for the top book.

Somewhere around the horizon, a small black dot appeared.

Rhane watched the transport close in all the way. As it landed it screeched and hissed, letting out all sorts of foreign gasses. The door to the transport opened....

[member="Novos Kolski"]

 

[Novos Kolski]

...to reveal an absolute monster of a man standing not far from where the small shuttle had touched down. Four arms - two of which were crossed and two of which held what the young Pantoran briskly stepping off the shuttle assumed were his primers to the Jedi Order - a stern expression, and standing almost half a torso above him. Novan Kolski could scarcely believe his eyes. Behind the massive Jedi was a lush forest, somehow even greener and more vibrant than it had been when he'd seen it from orbit. Novan could still scarcely believe that he was still entire kilometers away from Kashyyyk's forest floor, as even up here everything was so densely packed. Densely packed and, as his senses kicked in, teeming with all manner of life.

Stepping off of the shuttle's ramp, Novan wasn't much to look at; a rough brown shirt over rough brown pants, carrying little more than a small knapsack. Beyond his vibrant blue skin, which stood in stark contrast to just about everything around him, the only thing of note on the Padawan-hopeful's person was a brilliant green kyber crystal laced around his neck. But even its brilliance seemed to pale in comparison to the endless forest around, above, and below him.

Novan strode forward confidently, eager to meet the man he'd been instructed to make contact with. The liaisons with the so-called Silver Jedi weren't especially thorough in their descriptions or in their intentions, but who else could this man be but his potential instructor?

"Hi!" Novan said, smiling eagerly and extending his right hand, "I'm Novan Kolski! Nice to meet you!"

[member="Rhane Varless"]

 

[Rhane Varless]

The initiate descended the loading ramp, walked up to Rhane and introduced himself. A large warm smile crept over Rhane's face. Rhane squatted down to eye-level with the blue man.

''Hello Novan, my name is Rhane Varless. Welcome to the beautiful world of Kashyyyk.'' Rhane shook the Padawan's hand, almost eclipsing the average size hand with his colossal one.

''I'm the Jedi Knight that will be training you.'' Rhane was about to stand back up when he noticed something around Novan's neck. He reached out, grabbed, and delicately examined the emerald green kyber crystal. He grunted in satisfaction.

''Well it appears you're ahead of the game. I'd advise you take these to your dormitory. These are your first set of robes, if you go to the cleaning and clothing bay in the basement you can take as many as you need. The books here are copies of ancient texts, they'll start you out with simple concepts and abilities. Just take these to your dormitory, it's on the third floor, number 317-5. I can take you there or we can meet back up at the training grounds outside. Your choice.'' He offered the books and robe to the Padawan.


[member="Novos Kolski"]

 

[Novos Kolski]

Novan had reflexively jerked away from the mountainous Jedi as he reached for the green crystal. He also had to swallow back the bile that came up as the Jedi Knight gingerly held it. The young Pantoran was sure that it held great significance to his new trainer; it was a kyber crystal after all, and it was the crucial component in a Jedi's lightsaber as he understood it. But whatever importance it held to Rhane was entirely eclipsed by the importance that Novan placed on it. The crystal he wore had been in his family for thousands of years, and it had been passed down from parent to child for just as long. It was his family heirloom. His birthright. And if there was one thing Pantorans held dear, it was their heritage. Had he not explicitly been there to train and learn, Novan suspected that there would have been a fight.

Nevertheless, Novan knew it was more a matter of cultural ignorance than any kind of intended insult on Rhane's part. He'd bring it up later if he still felt angry about it.

Eagerly taking the robe and books provided, Novan's brisk smile re-emerged on his face. "Oh, great! I'm ready to get started, Master Varless! I'm...I..."

Novan had turned around to see the entrance to the training facility, blinking.

"...I have no idea how to get there. Think you could help me out there?"

[member="Rhane Varless"]

 

[Rhane Varless]

Rhane handed off the books and robes the the Padawan. He twisted around, cracking his back and popping several joints in his arms and legs. The landing platform they were currently at was positioned at the far end of the temple, attached to a cliffside, only used for cargo transportations. Rhane pointed over towards an area to the right of the landing platform. A set of beautiful white stairs was brightly lit by in-ground lights of some variety, they led up several dozen feet directly to a side entrance to the temple.

''These set of stairs lead up to a secondary entrance.''

He then pointed straight ahead to a cutout in the side of the earth.

''This is a cargo elevator that will also take you to the same area. Or...'' Rhane suddenly appeared very agile as he leapt up and grasped hold of several rocks jutting out of the side of the earth.

''You can take the fun way!'' Rhane's muscles twisted and turned as he scaled the rock with ease and efficiency, finding rocks as if he had done this several times before. His large frame seemed to effortlessly glide up, hardly stopping. About half way up he turned around.

''Hurry up! I don't want to have to wait too long!'' He laughed so loud it seemed as if he could be heard all over the temple grounds.

[member="Novos Kolski"]

 

[Novos Kolski]

The awe on Novan's face couldn't be clearer if there had been a bright neon sign indicating it. Rhane was an incredibly large being, one large enough that he had absolutely no business whatsoever bounding from the jutting rock face as easily as a dancer maneuvered around a stage. Yet there he was, barely ten seconds gone and already halfway up the cliff, not even seeming to be out of breath. But once the magnificence of the feat had settled into his mind, the realization of what it meant quickly followed. Rhane had just done it; that meant that, ultimately, Novan himself was every bit as capable of the same. The wide grin he hadn't yet been able to wipe away softened into a challenging smirk.

He had this.

Clutching the heavy robes and heavier tomes tightly, Novan crouched down. Closing his eyes, he tried to feel what he'd felt when he'd had his little escapade on Tython. The excitement. The thrill. The almost unnerving sense of peace and oneness despite both. A small laugh escaped him as the Pantoran suddenly jumped upward.

The Pantoran Padawan, just as suddenly, realized he had made it a whopping two meters off the ground and maybe one meter forward before moment and gravity saw him land on his back, loudly smacking against the platform.

[member="Rhane Varless"]

 

[Rhane Varless]

Rhane reached the top of the cliff in less than half a minute. He spun around just in time to see his new Padawan meagerly jump forward, contort himself in the air, and then crash back down. Scaling the wall was considered a right-of-passage among the Padawans in the academy, to enter the Silver Jedi Order programm having already scaled the wall would have boosted the prestige of Novos among the other students. Rhane chuckled and then squatted down at the edge of the precipice to offer some advice.

''The Force can enhance your abilities, your agility and strength, but let it also guide your movements. Reach out and let The Force guide your hands.'' Rhane Force pulled up the books and set of robes to allow Novos' hands to be free to scale the wall.

Rhane stood back up, holding the books and robes, and awaited his new Padawan's attempt.

[member="Novos Kolski"]

 

[Novos Kolski]

Reach out? Did the Force have tentacles now?

Groaning as he pushed himself to his feet, Novan's frustration was short-lived. The spectacle of his books and robes floating against gravity's now-obvious wishes and towards Rhane quashed most of it, distracting him from his famously-quick temper with the sheer impossibility of its happening. But the killing blow was struck by his own realization; he had jumped almost his entire height. Novan probably could have cleared an obstacle that tall before, but he would have had to bend his body around it, and even on his best day would have only barely made it over. This was different. This was him maintaining his vertical position. This was him easily clearing such a distance, almost stacking a meter on top of it. This, Novan realized to his utter delight, was the Force at work.

He could do this.

No, Novan thought as he gritted his teeth, ...I can do better.

The blue Padawan took three sharp, shallow breaths and broke into a sprint towards the cliff. As he approached the stone wall, Novan launched himself upward once again. His jump wasn't quite as high as his last one, but this leap also wasn't a failure; taking his teacher's advice literally, Novan reached out with both hands, gripping a pair of outcroppings on the cliffside. He had made it.

Novan's sharp yellow eyes charted a path up the wall; an outcropping here, a root there, thick wroshyr branches occasionally littering the way. And when the plan was formed several seconds later, Novan pulled himself up along the cliff. His hands followed the path his eyes had laid out as he inched up the cliff face, slower than his trainer, but never losing any ground gained. His eyes never fell on where his hands would be, always looking up to the next handhold or jutting stone. If he scaled this wall even before his training began in earnest, then perhaps he'd accelerate through the ranks! Perhaps he could be the one to hold the record for fastest graduation!

His elation turned to shock as the hands he'd sloppily placed on a branch - or what he'd thought had been a branch in his hastily-charted path up the wall, with reality's opinion being that the "branch" would generously be called a twig by any objective measure - cracked and splintered the thin wood in their grasp. Gravity once again took hold over Novan's body, and the youth plummeted towards the platform once more. Only sheer instinct gave Novan the presence of mind to reach out and grab one of the outcroppings he'd marked as a foothold, stopping him from hitting the platform again some eight meters up the cliff wall.

[member="Rhane Varless"]

 

[Rhane Varless]

Rhane's first experience with his Padawan was, so far, a success. Novos mentally prepared himself to scale the wall, and that made all the difference. Mental preparedness was in fact more important than physical preparedness, a lesson he was trying to imbue into his pupil. Rhane smiled as the Padawan scaled still higher using rocks, branches, and roots Rhane had never even considered using before. Slowly, but surely, the Padawan progressed up the cliff. He was almost three-quarters up the cliff when, grasping a weak twig, he lost his grip and fell back down.

Rhane mentally prepared himself to use The Force in order to catch his Padawan should he not regain his footing, but as soon as he had made up his mind the Padawan did regain his footing and starting climbing again. The Padwan was surprising Rhane with his determination along with his physical and mental preparedness. Those immediate characteristics alone would take him far in the Order.

''Determined,'' Rhane thought to himself, ''a good trait to have.''

''You're doing well! Do not lose your focus! Remain calm and focus on the immediate objective, the hear-and-now. ''

[member="Novos Kolski"]

 

[Novos Kolski]

Sure, let's see you try this bare-handed.

Novan gritted his teeth and glared upwards. The aches and the pains of his exertion - and, more importantly, his not-insignificant fall - were beginning to take their toll on his body. Sweat was now rolling off of him. A few scratches started to sting at him. If the Pantoran didn't know any better he'd swear a finger had been dislocated. Still breathing sharply, Novan tried to recapture what he'd had on Tython, running through untold stretches of jungle with barely a bead of sweat, propelled forward by the will and power of the Force. That power now seemed distant, little more than a memory; the very delusion that the vast majority of the galaxy held the Force itself to be. Had he not been to Tython, had he not seen the power for himself, and had he not seen Rhane do this same thing just moments before, Novan would have likely joined them. Focus on the immediate objective? Concentrate on the here and now? Wasn't that what he'd been doing?!

The Pantoran's growing exasperation distracted him from the rock in his hand dislodging, and Novan Kolski - proud Jedi Padawan - fell the remaining eight meters to the platform, narrowly avoiding crashing his head into it.

"You know," Novan groaned after a few moments, "I think I'm taking the stairs..."

[member="Rhane Varless"]

 

[Rhane Varless]

Such promise, such potential, so far...but as most did, Novan had fallen back down. Rhane grabbed the books and robe and paced back to the stairway. He stood at the top and watched his Padwan trot up the stairs, defeated physically but not mentally. When he was close enough to hear, Rhane spoke up.

''Few reach the top on their first try. Do not be discouraged.'' Rhane patted the Padawan's shoulder as he reached the top.

Not speaking for just a moment, he allowed Novan to catch his breath and gaze at the temple.

''Welcome, to Silver Rest.'' he gestured outwardly at the temple with two of his hands.

''This is your home. This is all of our home.''

''I'll show you to your dormitory and then we'll head towards the lightsaber training grounds to practice combat. What training in sword combat do you have?'' Rhane ducked through the doorway, started off towards the dorms, and awaited any questions the Padwan might have.

[member="Novos Kolski"]

 

[Novos Kolski]

"Swo-wha? I mean...I think I held one. Once."

Novan could barely believe it. Whether it was the view - even with a growing headache, the Pantoran had to admit that Silver Rest was a phenomenal sight to behold - or the increasingly painful aches in his body, Novan was struggling to recognize the training regimen here. He'd been an athlete in his schooling days; hard workouts were nothing new for him, nor was the pain that came with exercise. But even on his hardest training days, the newly-minted Padawan knew to take a bit of rest in between sets. Novan had also read some of the tales of the Jedi Order, and the battles they'd partaken in. Malachor. Ruusan. Geonosis. It wasn't all mediation and meditation; sometimes a lightsaber just had to be drawn for the good of the galaxy, and Novan accepted that. What he was having trouble with was the rationale. There he walked, trudging behind Rhane like he hadn't just gotten his blue butt handed to him by a damned cliff, and now he was to demonstrate his skills with a weapon he'd never used before? It was insanity. Fun insanity, of course, the kind of challenge the Pantoran lad reveled in, but madness all the same.

In a flash of panic, instantly fuming at his own carelessness, the lad clutched at his neck. The fury and shame immediately gave way to relief; his green crystal was still where it belonged.

"So, uh, Rhane," Novan began, trying to ignore the aches, "say, hypothetically, that I haven't held a sword before. Like, ever. You're not gonna stick me in with the little baby Jedi, are you?"

[member="Rhane Varless"]

 

[Rhane Varless]

''The younglings? Of course not!'' Rhane exclaimed as they trotted through the vast hallways and rooms of Silver Rest.

''From what I saw of your file, you are a 20 year old man...putting you with children would be a waste of your talent and would only slow you down. With me, you'll be on an accelerated learning course. You'll learn in a year what takes them a decade...that is if all goes according to plan.'' Rhane stopped by the doorway to a large open courtyard. The yard was beautiful, letting in all the gorgeous jungle landscapes while still protected by the walls of the building.

''Welcome to the courtyard, this is where we'll primarily train...'' Rhane gestured them over towards an empty dueling arena he had called to be prepared before Novan landed.

''...and this is a lightsaber!'' Rhane picked up a smooth shiny, metallic, plain cylinder from a nearby rack. A blue blazing pillar of energy emanated from it once activated. Rhane flimsily gestured it around for a moment before using the force to attract a loose branch from one of the trees. He held the lightsaber straight in the air while rapidly pulling the branch towards himself. The lightsaber split the branch in two without showing even a symptom of flickering.

''It will kill you faster than a blaster, starship, or even rancor will. This is not a stun baton. This is not a toy. This is the Jedi's chief weapon for thousands of generations. If you handle it with respect and care, while practicing daily with it, it will protect you as long as you live. '' Rhane said, in a rare, solemn tone.

''You will practice with this one until you construct your own personal one. Pick it make. Make sure to hold it correctly and pointing outwards. When you're ready, press the circular button on the side. We're going to practice stances and forms.''

[member="Novos Kolski"]

 

[Novos Kolski]

Novan studied the hilt of the weapon he'd been handed, but there wasn't much to study. It was a training saber. It was not meant to be his constant companion. It was not meant to be an extension of himself, an expression of his personality. It was merely the vehicle that would get him to the point where he could build - and wield effectively - a weapon that would. But while Novan recognized it as "merely" a training tool, he could still admire the elegant simplicity of its construction. And, if he listened, he could still hear the kyber crystal hum from within, even if it didn't sing as clearly or as brilliantly as his own.

While he felt it fairly obvious that he shouldn't point the emitter towards himself, Novan wasn't about to assume anything. The aching of his muscles were a clear and present reminder of his failure at the cliff face. If he was to make any progress here, Novan realized, he had to forget everything he thought he knew. After all, he thought he could make it up the cliff, and had barely survived the attempt. He had to forget. Unlearn.

Adopting a wide stance, mimicking what little he'd read about lightsaber combat, Novan gripped his training saber with two hands; firmly with his right hand, and gingerly with his left. With a single, deep breath, Novan did as Rhane instructed and pressed the button. The blue blade cascaded from the silver hilt, humming with the almost impossible energy contained within the blade. The Padawan's eyes were fixated on the weapon's brilliance. So fixated that his pain was entirely forgotten. So entranced the loose, free way in which he carried himself switched in an instant to standing stock still.

So wildly, insanely in love with the glow that Novan couldn't feel the smile breaking on his face.

[member="Rhane Varless"]

 

[Rhane Varless]

''Good...very good.'' Rhane said, noticing the smile on the Padawan's face. He too had had such a reaction, almost 18 years ago when he was brought into the order. Rhane drew one of his two double-bladed lightsabers. He stepped over to the other side of the dueling circle and ignited one end of the blue double-bladed lightsaber. He held it in an upright position.

''We're going to practice stances now. We'll work on simple two-handed stances, not all sabers have enough hilt room to use both hands on, but that practice saber does. Always hold your saber with your dominant hand closest to the top and your other hand closest to the bottom.'' Rhane demonstrated so with his top set of hands.

''Alright, there on four simple two handed stances. Let's start with the first.'' Rhane held the saber out to the right of his body in a rigid, upright position.

''This is your dominant stance, it's when your hold your saber on the side of your body that has your dominant hand. And if you hold it on the other side of your body, that is the second stance, offside stance. The second stance is the least favorable, since it forces you to work on the awkward side of you body.'' Rhane allowed his Padawan enough time to follow along.

''The third and fourth stances are extremely favorable when facing larger or smaller opponents. The third stance is the overhead stance. Make sure you are actually holding the blade above your head and not your shoulder. If you place it over your shoulder, you'll cut your ear off. This stance it is favorable for facing shorter opponents or when you want to be extremely aggressive.'' Rhane held the saber over his head as if he was about to strike downward on top of an invisible opponent.

''Lastly, the defensive stance.'' Rhane squatted down and held his saber horizontally and significantly outward and upward from his head and torso.

''This stance is favorable when you're facing an aggressive opponent or a taller one, like me. Go ahead and run through each of these a few times.''

[member="Novan Kolski"]

 

[Novos Kolski]

The urge to just start swinging the thing wildly was almost too strong for Novan to control. But while his fantasies of saving the damsel and slaying the evil despot ran through his mind on a loop, the Padawan kept them in check. Years of athleticism had taught him the value of not sacrificing form for speed. Life on a ranch, even on a world as tame as Naboo, had impressed upon him the importance of basic weapons safety, which - even if in a training form - a lightsaber very much was. And if his ego flared up, one of the Pantoran's fresh new bruises would flare up in equal measure to remind him of the cliff; of the obstacle he'd spectacularly failed to surmount.

Novan assumed the stance directed and slowly moved the blade to the first position Rhane had indicated. As it carved through the air, the hum of the blue blade changed, almost as if it was cutting through the air as much as it would anything else. It was slow - painfully slow, in fact - but the Pantoran youth eventually got the blade to the first position. With an equally glacial pace, he moved the weapon towards the second, grinning once again as the blade passed in front of his eyes. With a deep breath, forcing himself to feel every muscle move with deliberation, Novan pulled the weapon skyward, eventually coming to land in the third stance. Even with the dominant-sided nature of the first stance he'd been shown, Novan couldn't help but feel this stance better than the previous two. Something about this stance just felt natural. Not just natural, but right. And if what Rhane had said was true - that this stance was best suited towards aggressive combat - then perhaps Novan would move to study those styles on his own.

Holding the third stance noticeably longer than the other two, Novan slowly bent his knees and lowered his body before swiveling the lightsaber down to cross his line of sight. He held this pose for a moment as well, getting a feel for the reactions in his legs and the curious new position of the weapon in his hands. When the sensation settled in, Novan stood and pulled the weapon back into the first stance...

...slightly faster than he had before.

[member="Rhane Varless"]

 

[Rhane Varless]

''Good, these are the fundamental stances every Jedi must master. I want you to come out here, first thing every morning, and practice your stances for an hour. I also want you to practice...'' Rhane pulled over a metal sphere. He gently released it into the air where it stayed, floating. Suddenly, the sphere emanated a blue aura. Out of the aura appeared an old, hand drawn picture of a female human Jedi wearing black and white robes wielding a green lightsaber.

''The fundamental marks of contact.'' several places across the woman's body were dashed lines with names beside them. Rhane deactivated his lightsaber and began to gesture with his top right hand.

''Mou Kei'' he gestured to the line across the woman's lower legs. ''A highly situational move. I would advise only using this against taller opponents or when your opponents jumps in the air. The ancient Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi used this move against Darth Vader during the Battle of Mustafar. That's why he wore the metallic suit.''

''Sun Djem.'' he pointed to the line across the lightsaber. ''A slash to your opponents lightsaber. More and more Sith are using lightsaber-resistant materials when building their sabers, so this move might be out-dated. But, keep in mind if they used such materials it will likely slow their strikes down.''

''Sai Tok.'' he traced the line across the woman's torso, a few inches above her waistline. ''The art of splitting your opponent in two. At it's worse, it renders your opponent completely incapacitated, at it's best, they'll be dead in a few seconds.''

''Shiim'' he pointed out the bright red gash across the woman's right hand. ''A surface level gash makes it extremely uncomfortable to hold a lightsaber, or anything. A deeper cut will sever your opponents fingers.''

''Cho Mai, Cho Mok and Cho Sun'' he moved between both arms showing off three different lines. ''Cho Mai is a cut through the wrist. Cho Mok is a cut at or below the elbow to the wrist. Cho Sun is a cut through anywhere between elbow and shoulder. Cho Mai is a favorite move of mine. When you and your opponent have your sabers locked, a quick spin of your saber will almost always produced results.''

''We will study the other two moves in a later lesson.'' Suddenly, the image of the woman disappeared and a life-size and lifelike Zabrak in dark clothes appeared.

''Now, practice the horizontal cuts from the first form and the vertical ones from the third form.'' Rhane stepped back out of the ring and observed.

[member="Novan Kolski"] http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lightsaber_combat/Legends?file=MeatDiagram.jpg