Private Training Wheels

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

Kass was making her way down the aisles of the Temple archives, gently pushing the books forward with her pseudopods until they all lined up perfectly along the edge of the shelf. It was shortly before closing time, and the only other people in the library were a handful of students sitting at the tables, poring over study materials.

Well, except for one boy who seemed to be browsing. She kept an eye on him, noticing how uncertain and meandering his movements through the library were. Usually she could keep track of the archive regulars, but she didn't recognize this kid. Must've been new. She watched him for a little while longer, until she came to the end of the straightened shelf. He was still wandering around aimlessly.

Kass approached him carefully, not wanting to startle the boy with her sudden appearance. "Excuse me," she said. "Young man, are you looking for something?"

Aedric​

 

[Aedric]

Despite his curiosity and a genuine enjoyment for learning, archives and libraries were far from Aedric's natural habitat. They were almost intimidating with the shear amount of books available, and the Jedi archive was certainly no exception. As he entered the archives, he almost forgot what he was even looking for, unable to think where to begin searching.

He began aimlessly strolling down isles, occasionally glancing around confusedly. He should probably ask for help, but what would he even ask for? He wanted to better understand how to utilise the force, but he'd probably be told almost everything in here would help for that. If he could think of some specific technique, or something, that'd likely help. However, a sudden voice behind him interrupted his train of thought. "Yeah, I am, bu-." He turned to face her as he spoke, his voice cutting off as he took in her appearance. His face flashed through a series of emotions, momentary shock, then confusion, then an attempt at appearing unphased.

"But, I'm not really sure what to gee honest. I wanted to read about how to use the force better, and stuff, but there's just a lot." He continued, glancing around. "Do you know where I should look? Or even if it's worth me trying to practice this way?"

Kassogtha Cthylla

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

"Yeah, I am, bu-."

Kass waited, her numerous eyes widening slightly in a Pylantian expression of expectation. Thankfully the boy seemed to handle himself pretty well, his pause brief before he recovered his senses.

"But, I'm not really sure what to gee honest. I wanted to read about how to use the Force better, and stuff, but there's just a lot. Do you know where I should look? Or even if it's worth me trying to practice this way?"

"It certainly is worthwhile," she replied, her tone rather dignified. "Though you would probably have better luck narrowing down your search. What are you currently studying in your classes? Or are you looking for a book about meditation, strengthening your connection...?"

Aedric

 

[Aedric]

"Uh, I think we did some telekinesis stuff last?" Aedric replied with a small frown, taking a few more moments to think. He should probably work on that, try and get ahead with his classes, but despite what the logical part of him wanted, he truly just wanted to learn something he'd deem as cool. The issue? He didn't really know what he thought was cool with the force, as it was so broad and unknown to him.

"I guess strengthening my connection would make sense, that'd be useful. Maybe I'm just not doing it right, but I'm not convinced by the whole meditating thing yet.. I'd rather do something more active." He shrugged.

"I think what I really want is just to learn how to do something new with the force, something like, uh.. I dunno, maybe helping me in a fight somehow? Helping me to move around, or make me faster?"

Kassogtha Cthylla

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

"Uh, I think we did some telekinesis stuff last?"

Kass waited for more elaboration, but the boy didn't seem to remember anything other than that.

"I guess strengthening my connection would make sense, that'd be useful. Maybe I'm just not doing it right, but I'm not convinced by the whole meditating thing yet.. I'd rather do something more active."

"Most students would agree with that sentiment," Kass said, with a hint of smile. "I didn't like it at first either, I thought it was boring and I was restless. But it can be nice to stop and clear your mind every once in a while."

"I think what I really want is just to learn how to do something new with the Force, something like, uh.. I dunno, maybe helping me in a fight somehow? Helping me to move around, or make me faster?"

"Well, we do have some materials available on the Art of Movement," she said, stretching a pseudopod up to a shelf high above the young man's head and plucking a particular holobook from it. "This one is on the basics. The rest on this shelf are more advanced. And if you need help with your current lessons, our telekinesis collection is over here..."

Kass' amorphous body moved in a fluid way; her flesh gleamed as if it were slimy or oily, though she left no residue on the floor or the objects she touched. She grabbed a couple more books, stacking them on top of each other, before handing them over to the boy.

"And here's a copy of 25 Chambers," she added. "Just something for you to consider. If I may ask, have you been assigned a master yet?"

Aedric​

 

[Aedric]

"I guess I just haven't really ever had any need to clear my mind yet." He shrugged, not yet having any real understanding as to why someone might want to do so. "I don't really get why it'd clear your mind either, I think I'd just accidentally start thinking more."

He reached out to take the holobooks from the older Jedi, nodding his thanks. He took a few moments to skim read the start of the holobook, before looking up with a small grin on his face. "This definitely seems along the lines of what I was looking for, thank you. Doesn't sound too hard to pick up either unless I'm massively overestimating my own abilities."

"25 chambers?" He asked, briefly flicking through the holobook. "Do you recommend following this.. Is it a training manual, or just a philosophy or an idea of how training should be done?"

"No, I haven't been assigned a master yet. How long do you think that usually takes?"

Kassogtha Cthylla

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

"I don't really get why it'd clear your mind either, I think I'd just accidentally start thinking more."

Kass giggled at that. "That's why part of the process of meditation is offering up all the things which are troubling you, so that they won't bother you anymore."

He thanked her for the books. "You're welcome."

"Do you recommend following this.. Is it a training manual, or just a philosophy or an idea of how training should be done?"

"A bit of both. Which is why I think it will help you." He seemed a little uncertain about how to go about his training and studies.

"No, I haven't been assigned a master yet. How long do you think that usually takes?"

"Well, in the olden days a youngling had to be chosen by a master by the time they turned thirteen. Nowadays things are a lot more lenient, since many students start their training much later than they used to. A Jedi over the age of thirteen is automatically considered a Padawan, and even if they never have an assigned master, they can still attend classes and eventually become a Knight." She wasn't overly fond of this style of training, which felt a little too much like an assembly line. But since the war had ended, and they were now in a period of relative peace, Kass had seen a resurgence in the more traditional methods of pairing masters with apprentices for a more personalized, one-on-one training experience. "If you work hard and distinguish yourself from your peers, it may happen faster. But you may still be waiting a while."

Aedric​

 

[Aedric]

"I'll give it a read then." He nodded, as she explained the 25 chambers, setting it down with the other holobooks. "Definitely will help to have some direction.." He hesitated for a moment, as if not entirely sure of his own wording. ".. Or guidance, maybe is a better word, to my training."

Thirteen didn't sound too bad of an age, considering it hadn't been a particularly long time since he had turned thirteen. Although, despite it being a possibility, the idea of someone progressing to knight without having been assigned a master seemed like a flawed system to Aedric. "I don't mind waiting, like you said, there's classes and stuff but would a knight who never had a master not be like.. Incomplete maybe? I feel like having a master would be a much more rounded training than what classes could offer."

"How do you think someone should distinguish themselves? Just try and impress in classes, and volunteer for as much as possible?"

Kassogtha Cthylla

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

"I don't mind waiting, like you said, there's classes and stuff but would a knight who never had a master not be like.. Incomplete maybe? I feel like having a master would be a much more rounded training than what classes could offer."

"Yes," Kass said, with a hint of begrudging resignation. "Unfortunately, there simply aren't enough masters available to train all of the padawans. The wars of the past few decades have taken their toll on the Jedi."

Though she was only an archivist, Kass was quite familiar with the carnage leveled against the Jedi. She had been there when anti-Jedi terrorists bombed the original Silver Rest, killing hundreds of students and teachers. Within her lifetime alone, dozens of Jedi enclaves, academies, temples, and shrines had been targeted. Their vaults were plundered, their buildings destroyed—and their inhabitants slaughtered. Whole generations of Jedi had been lost. It was a wonder that they were able to survive at all.

"How do you think someone should distinguish themselves? Just try and impress in classes, and volunteer for as much as possible?"

The boy's question jolted her from the dark turn her thoughts had taken. "Yes, that's a good place to start. Get yourself out there as much as you can, so people know your name and have heard of your exploits. Special assignments such as pilgrimages and relief work are a good place to start. Then you can work your way up to more dangerous missions—but only if you think you're ready. It can also be a matter of who you know. Talk to some of the knights and masters, ask for their help and mentorship. I recommend Masters Valery Noble and Kahlil Noble , as well as Knights Jasper Kai'el and Amani Serys ."

Aedric

 

[Aedric]

"Makes sense." He nodded as she mentioned the wars.

While he was far from the most educated on the subject, even someone who had been as sheltered as he had throughout his childhood, had heard of ongoing wars, mainly through overhearing hushed conversations between his parents.

"People becoming knights without teachers probably helps there, I suppose.. More people able to take padawans, even if they potentially weren't ready to be knights themselves, if that makes sense?"

Aedric took a mental note of the masters name, only recognising one of the names. "If I meet any, I'll definitely ask for some training or something. These'll be a good start, I think though, thanks." He patted the pile of holobooks. "I forgot to actually ask you your name, I'm sorry. I'm Aedric." He half extended his hand, before looking down at it confusedly. Would her pods be able to shake his hand? After a few moments deliberation, and starting at his own hand, he eventually extended it fully.

Kassogtha Cthylla

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

"People becoming knights without teachers probably helps there, I suppose.. More people able to take padawans, even if they potentially weren't ready to be knights themselves, if that makes sense?"

"Pretty much."

"I forgot to actually ask you your name, I'm sorry. I'm Aedric."

Kass saw the boy hesitate before eventually extending his hand. She carefully curled a pseudopod around it, giving it a little jiggle. Her skin was smooth and slightly slippery, but not wet. She was warm to the touch. "Kassogtha Cthylla. Most people just call me Kass."

Releasing his hand, she turned an eye to the chrono. "Your next class period will be starting soon. Better skip to it."

Aedric​

 

[Aedric]

The pseudopod's texture felt quite different to Aedric, as he had expected a certain wetness to it, and was pleasantly surprised when he withdrew his hand and it was completely dry.

"Oh, probably." He nodded, glancing over towards the clock also. He grabbed ahold of the holobooks, backing off slowly. "Nice to meet you, Kassogtha. I'll return these once I've got my head around it all, thanks!" He gave a small wave, before rushing off for his class.

Kassogtha Cthylla