Private To Be Jedi

[Kahlil Noble]

Things rarely ever went to plan. That's what Kahlil had learned in his life. He didn't end up the Sith he planned to be. He didn't become the Jedi he planned to be. Didn't stop his father. His family was completely unplanned. But it made him happy. This life, this path that he'd stumbled upon instead of reached towards was better then what he could've ever planned. Maybe it'd be the same for Rhemti Totriddiam . The two had met by chance, ending poorly for the young Nautolan and his ability to stay home. Perhaps it was the will of the Force, though, as Kahlil soon learned of the boys sensitivity to the Force, and had begun training him as a Jedi.

After weeks, it'd reached a turning point. Teaching him how to feel the Force and use it was just enough to keep Rhemti from becoming a danger to himself. The next step would take him down the path of truly becoming a Jedi. Kahlil stood in the courtyard of the Ossus temple, gazing out at the forest close by. Two lightsabers rested in his hands. One, his own borrowed. The other, a training saber for the boy to use. Much as he had been already. For now, he waited.

They had much to discuss.

 

[Rhemti Totriddiam]

"Morning, Kahlil Noble !" Came the young Nautolan's voice as he came down the steps from the temple, raising one red hand as he waved in greeting to his Master. That trademark Rhemti goofy smile was plastered across his two toned face, a clear aura of calm joy exuding from him all the way, even as he stopped beside the older man. "What's the plan for today?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Lightsaber training." Kahlil offered a smile before tossing the training saber Rhemti Totriddiam 's way. No warning, more testing his reflexes. Either way, he motioned to a spot in front of him. "You've been reading up on a lot of what it means to be a Jedi. Do you know what the Lightsaber means to them?"

 

[Rhemti Totriddiam]

Rhemti stumbled, leaning off on one foot to catch the training saber in time, nearly fumbling it to the ground before he finally settled, regaining his balance as well as still holding onto the saber. His composure was lost for a moment, concern on his face as he was worried he might have lost it, but it returned shortly after with a more sheepish smile as he stood up straight, taking up his place to where Kahlil Noble had instructed.

"Ah no. I understand its a tool, which if used or applied properly is more an extension of oneself.. And I understand its a weapon? That's the extent of it for right now." Truth be told, the reading was interesting where he hadn't taken a ton of time to do it at home, but he preferred to learn by physical example rather than reading, so if he had read over what the lightsaber meant to the Jedi, he unfortunately didn't remember it at that moment.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"All technically correct. You can do all sorts of things with it. Cut yourself out of rubble or through a door. Heat a meal if you're adventurous enough. Certainly can use it as a weapon." Kahlil lifted up his blade, turning on the green energy. He held the blade out between them, letting the plasma hum in the air. "Some Jedi will view it as a sword to cut down evil. In this day and age with the Sith and the Maw, it's a valid belief. But, I've always seen it as a shield." He flipped the blade around in his palm before taking a rather neutral stance with it, both hands calmly holding the blade in front of him.

"Follow my stance. Feel the Force around you. Breath."

 

[Rhemti Totriddiam]

A shield? Rhemti blinked in surprise then nodded, the only break in his expression really as that smile was still there and wide as ever. He looked down at the training saber in his hands, then back over to Kahlil Noble , doing his best to match his masters stance. The goofy smile dissolved as Rhemti closed his eyes, taking slow deep breaths as he focused, expanding on his senses, trying to draw on the force that dwelled within him, to form it sort of around himself given, well, Kahlil said to feel it around him; Rhemti took it a bit literally.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think." Kahlil lowered his blade, now more focused on Rhemti Totriddiam and how he was standing. The larger man would step over, reaching out to move the Nautolan's form to perfect. A relaxed stance. "You don't need to search the Force. Open your mind. Listen. Trust your instincts. The Force is always there. It's not a power you need to activate or turn on. Breath." He was just trying to guide the boy, for the moment.

When he was sure Rhemti was at that point where he could hear the Force, he struck out. A light bap meant to hit his forehead. Both sabers had been turned down to the training setting, making it so there'd be no danger behind the blow. Just mild discomfort. All to test if he would react.

 

[Rhemti Totriddiam]

Trust your instincts. Alright. Rhemti relaxed more into his stance, making it easy for Kahlil Noble to adjust or move the Nautolans' form however he wished, to better reach the perfect, relaxed stance. He ignored his thoughts, keeping his mind open, listening for the feel of the force in everything around him, in himself, all the while still breathing though he'd not taken the breath as deeply this time.

It was.. interesting. Weird. Not a bad weird, but different. He'd not spent all that long connecting with the force, but it was certainly enough at this point that he found himself a bit more comfortable in the cloud, the lull of force, almost like the waves, a current from the seas of Glee Anselm. He could feel it, calm, enveloping him, his eyes still closed as he breathed and focused on it, and then it.. moved?

It condensed, swirling, and he had the urge to move, to raise his arms, the lightsaber. Why..? But.. Kahlil said to trust his instincts; before he realized it he'd moved his hands, raising the training saber up to block the strike, only opening his eyes in surprise when he felt the resistance and heard the hum of the sabers against one another.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Good." Kahlil smiled brightly as Rhemti Totriddiam caught the strike. Just as intended. "You felt it. The rising wave in a storm. What I'm teaching you is about becoming the eye of such a storm. Perfect calm. A shield with your lightsaber. You won't learn how to attack people, only defend. That's the path of Soresu." His own preferred stance of lightsaber combat. Never be the aggressor. Protect, defend.

"We'll be working with some classics. Remember what I told you. Feel, don't think." He waved a hand, pulling over one of such 'classics'. A blindfold that he'd hand over to the Nautolan. Then clicked on a button. A single training remote came to life, whirling over to to float around them both. "This is going to shoot you. Don't worry, it's only mildly uncomfortable. Trust your instincts and deflect the shots. Be the calm in the storm."

 

[Rhemti Totriddiam]

"Eye of the storm. Shield. Get shot. Deflect shot. Calm. Got it." Rhemti nodded, summing up everything Kahlil Noble had just said but in his own words, before he took and adorned himself with the blindfold, making sure absolutely no light could get in before returning back to the relaxed stance from before.

The male Nautolan stood in almost complete silence, his breathing slow and quiet as he relaxed into the calm lull of the force once more, barely audible as he let everything go to just exist, calm, in the moment. Knowing that something might happen this time, versus being in the dark prior, did make it a little more difficult for him to not think, though every time he realized he was thinking he then tried to calm himself and let it go. This would happen a few times throughout the training.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

The droid activated, spinning through the air. Floating around Rhemti Totriddiam to fire at him. Random angles. Random patterns. Slow at first, but gradually, as Rhemti Totriddiam got deeper into the 'zone', it'd speed up. Pushing the young man to his limits. Kahlil watched, for the most part. Offering assistance here and there by way of advice but nothing more than that. This wasn't something that could be taught through a lesson.

Only by feeling it.

 

[Rhemti Totriddiam]

There was one or two times when Rhemti didn't react fast enough, was focusing too much on his own thoughts and trying to die them down; it was those small moments when the droid got him. The Nautolan only slightly grimaced through the uncomfortable feeling, but he kept quiet, using that feeling as a reminder that he needed to remain calm and allow his senses to accept the 'storm' that was around him.

By the end of it all Rhemti felt rather pleased. Not proud, just... happy. He'd not failed, not disappointed his Master he hoped, and knew he still had room for improvement and to grow. Knowing that fact made him all the more encouraged to continue, to grown more as a Padawan and learn how to become a Jedi, someone who could help others in need, not because it felt good but because it was the right thing to do.

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Learning a feeling through doing. Sometimes there was no easier way to learn something, but Kahlil was starting to get the sense that Rhemti Totriddiam learned best through just that. He smiled as he watched, offering advice where needed. But mostly, the Padawan did it on his own. Found that feeling. Understood it. Made it his own. By the end Kahlil had his own grin before clicking off the remote.

"Good! Keep working on this, at least once a day or so. When I feel you're good enough, we can start heading out on missions. Sound fun?"

 

[Rhemti Totriddiam]

"You have a weird definition of fun, Boss." Rhemti squinted at Kahlil Noble as he removed the blindfold, as if judging his master silently before that trademark grin came back. "Glad to know I'll fit in well." He nodded thankfully to his Master, feeling as if he was walking on air, all of it glee at just how much he'd learned and progressed that day.

"I look forward to proving my abilities, Boss, so I can do my part out there and help. Thank you again for the opportunity to do so."