Before the Saga The continuing, continuing, continuing saga of the Ultra-Stressed Jedi Students

Great post for Theo. T'lor is great as well.

~
Eiko didn't know precisely what to expect as she joined the lightsaber class.

As a group of students entered, one of them approached her. He had warm, friendly eyes.

“Hi, my name is Theo.” He stuck his hand out. She took it and gave it a shake.

“Hi Theo. I’m Eiko.”

“I didn’t see you in culinary class yesterday.”

“There was an issue getting checked in. I didn’t make it to that class.”

One of the girls with a Padawan braid approached Eiko and Theo. “I don’t want to interrupt, but you guys should probably find a spot. Master Fisto likes us to be ready to start immediately. I’m T’lor.”
“Eiko.” she supplied with a smile.

After a parting pleasantry, T'Lor left for a good vantage point, as the instruction began.

The first combatants were a Twi'lek who was blatantly rude and a girl who moved with agility and snarked as good or better than she got, Eiko thought.

The girl made short and quick work of the Twi'lek. Eiko had all she could do not to applaud.

She made her way over. "That was great! I'm Eiko, by the way."

 

Yay @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha! Mine follows on right from yours

*

Kirsh stood to one side and watched the proceedings with interest. His partner was one of the exchange students who had moved to one side to watch Kellmaura and Rujeno battle it out. Kirsh watched too and was surprised when Kells made short work of the Twi’lek. He frowned to himself. Rujeno was a good swordsman, so the fact that Kells had gotten the better of him so quickly spoke to her good swordsmanship but, Kirsh mused his frown deepening, also definitely to Rujeno underestimating all of the exchange students. It was unlikely, Kirsh knew from experience, that the Twi’lek would make the same mistake again and even though it was doubtful that he would take his anger out on Kells, it didn’t mean the rest of the exchange students would get away free.

He took two steps towards her as the fight finished but the girl was already down and talking to Kells and congratulating her on her fight. Kirsh supressed a groan, the enthusiasm on his duelling partner’s face was admirable but the scowl that Rujeno was doing a terrible job at hiding, meant that she was now in the firing line too.

“Are you waiting for any particular reason Padawan Aleski?” Master Fisto’s said quietly behind him.

“Uh, no Master. My partner is congratulating Kellmaura and I am waiting for her to finish. My Master has always told me that it is rude to interrupt a conversation.”

“It’s also rude to not do as your teacher asks,” Master Fisto reminded him. Kirsh nodded his head in understanding. Wincing at being caught doing nothing, he made his way towards where the girl was standing with Kells.

Rujeno bristled as he came near. “You ready to be shown what “real fighting” is like?” He asked, “Come for a beating like the last one I gave you?”

“I’m here to spar with my partner, same as you Rujeno,” Kirsh said trying to keep his voice even.

“Ahh, someone whose finally on your level? A novice with no experience then.”

“Like I said, same as you. Although I plan on teaching my partner, not getting schooled by her.” Kirsh was surprised by his tone. The Twi’lek hissed between his teeth and Kirsh straightened using his whole height to great effect as his hand came down to rest on the hilt of his lightsabre. The Twi’lek’s eyes narrowed and he turned and stalked away.

Kirsh sighed heavily and then bowed towards the Noorian girl whom Master Fisto had paired him with. She was shorter than he was, but then everyone was, and her gold striped eyes seem to be eyeing up his physical size with a look of trepidation.

“I’m Kirsh,” he said trying to keep his voice soft and wishing, not for the first time in his life, that he wasn’t quite as tall or as broad shouldered. It had been necessary to get Rujeno to back off, but he hated having to use his size to give him an advantage.

“Eiko,” the girl replied smiling back and giving her own bow.

“Have you ever done anything like this?” He asked. Two days ago he wouldn’t have asked but just assumed that outside of the temple no-one really ever fought with swords anymore. Kellmaura had put paid to that idea pretty quick. Eiko shook her head.

“If it was a paintbrush or something like that then sure, but nothing like this.” She turned the sabre around in her hands. Kirsh’s eyes widened and he gently reached forward and took the sabre hilt out of her hands. He spun it round so that a different end was pointing at her chest and gave it back to her.

“Don’t hold it like that,” he warned, “that’s a good way to die if you turn it on.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks?” Eiko gave him a rather wan looking smile.

“I mean it’s a training sabre so you won’t die,” Kirsh said quickly trying to make the girl feel better, “but it’d be a nasty burn. I mean there are lots of stories of people doing similar things with lightsabres so you wouldn’t be the only one and I like I said it is a training sabre but…”

“It’s okay,” Eiko interjected, “open end away from body. I can do that.”

Kirsh nodded and then glanced over to where Jazz was practicing with Theo to see what he was doing. Jazz was getting Theo to go through each kata and practicing the counter attacks. The Felacatian made it all look so easy in a way that Kirsh had never mastered. So easy in fact, that the way Theo seemed to be gliding through the katas in response to Jazz’s guidance was impressive. “Do you want to try a couple of basic katas?” Kirsh asked dragging his attention back to the here and now.

“I would love to,” Eiko said, “can you make me as good as Kellmaura?” She grinned at him and beside her Kells grinned too.

Kirsh smiled in reply, “I don’t think I could make you that good in one lesson, but as long as you point the open end away from your body and try to kill me instead I’ll give it a red hot try.”

 

Darn double post

 

Absolutely wonderful - how Kirsh is so warm.
~
Kirsh'of Aleski was broad-shouldered and tall, taller than practically everyone in the room, Eiko thought, but rather than being intimidating or brusque or a bully he was warm and eager to put her at her ease, as this exchange amply demonstrated:

“Don’t hold it like that,” he warned, “that’s a good way to die if you turn it on.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks?”

“I mean it’s a training sabre so you won’t die,” Kirsh said quickly trying to make the girl feel better, “but it’d be a nasty burn. I mean there are lots of stories of people doing similar things with lightsabres so you wouldn’t be the only one and I like I said it is a training sabre but…”

“It’s okay,” Eiko interjected, “open end away from body. I can do that.”

Eiko tested the balance of the saber in her hands. It wasn't overwieldy thankfully.

“Do you want to try a couple of basic katas?” Kirsh asked.

“I would love to,” Eiko said, “can you make me as good as Kellmaura?” She grinned at him

Kirsh smiled in reply, “I don’t think I could make you that good in one lesson, but as long as you point the open end away from your body and try to kill me instead I’ll give it a red hot try.”

Eiko mirrored Kirsh's movements and also tried to complement them as well. He moved with astonishing fluidity for one his size.

She observed, "Everyone I've met so far has been so wonderfully courteous and welcoming. The only one who seems to have a perpetual grump is that Rujeno fellow."

Kirsh grimaced. "Yeah, it's something we've all gotten used to. Stand up to him is all you need to do."

"Yes, I figured that out." She smirked.

 

I gotta say my favorite part of this was the exchange between Kirsh and Rujeno.

"You're supposed to teach your partner, not get schooled by them."

Like, yeah, Kells totally schooled him, and everybody knows it.

 

Can't say I'm happy with the end of this scene and it's definitely weird writing a teenage Kit as an adult but here we go.

***
Eena stared at the lightsabre in her hands. She had to admit that she’d been a little better than when she’d started yesterday. The long hours last night with Master Zahalin had paid off in the sense that she hadn’t, so far – her brain corrected her, tripped over or made a complete fool of herself. That was all about to change though. With the lightsabre in her hands there was a multitude of things that could go dreadfully, dreadfully wrong.

“You’ve got this,” T’Lor said comfortingly. She gently repositioned the lightsabre in Eena’s hands. Eena raised an eyebrow, how had she managed to stuff up how to hold what was essentially a tube. T’Lor must have noticed the look that Eena was giving the training sabre. “It’s not like you’ve done this before,” T’Lor noted, “unless of course they often use light sabres on your home world.”

Eena laughed scrunching up her nose as she did so. “I think my brothers would love it if they did but no, we don’t exactly use weaponry like this where I come from. In fact if it wasn’t for the holovids I wouldn’t even know what a lightsabre was.”

T’Lor smiled, “so then don’t judge yourself harshly. I’m not about to do it. This isn’t, as you might have guessed by what Jazz was going on about before, exactly my forte. Just go through each kata and I’ll help you.”

Eena nodded and started back into the first position. She tried to glide gracefully into the second position, remembering exactly where to place her feet and hands. She misjudged a step and faulted almost smashing into T’Lor.

“Sorry. Sorry. I almost hit you. Sorry.”

“I’m fine. Just stop thinking so much,” the younger Jedi advised pulling her tunic back into shape, “it doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to flow.”

Eena nodded biting her lower lip in frustration. It was just hard not to think about everything at the same time. She looked around the room to where Jazz and Theo were practicing. How did they make it look so effortless? Her eyes were drawn to where Kells was taking on Rujeno. Kells’ wielded her metal sword like it was as weightless as the lightsabres. Eena watched Rujeno’s face go from a cocky smile to quickly hidden anger as Kells easily got the upper hand. Beside Eena T’Lor was watching her eyes fixed on the match. Kells easily overpowered the twi’lek as the boy tumbled to the floor and the red haired girl held her sword to his throat. Next to her T’Lor snorted softly.

“That’s not going to end well.” She said turning away, “Let’s get back to it shall we?”

“But she beat him,” Eena said going back into first position and trying to remember the Jedi’s advice about not having to be perfect. “Won’t that be the end of it?”

T’Lor shook her head matching Eena’s position, “not with Rujeno. He’s too underhanded, to sneaky and far too vengeful for that. You are right, he won’t take on Kells. She’s shown him that she’s too strong, but there are plenty of other exchange students. He might not be so open about his behaviour from now on, but he will have his revenge. Just watch yourself Eena, okay? Let me know if he does anything.”

Eena thought about the twi’lek’s snide comments as she tried to get her foot work right for the final transition steps and her heart sank. She wasn’t a Jedi or a skilled swordswoman like Kells so how exactly was she going to get the twi’lek off her back if he sought revenge on her?

She was just getting the hang of the second kata when there was movement at the door. She glanced up to see a short, blonde haired padawan standing awkwardly in the entrance way. Her padawan cut was slightly longer than most of the others and she hopped slightly from foot to foot as she waited. Her hand was bandaged and even from a distance Eena could see bruises on her face. Eena frowned at the distraction trying not to overbalance through the tricky kata. T’Lor slowed at her stumbled and glanced at the door.

“Kit!” T’Lor hissed excitedly.

“Where?” Kirsh asked pausing midstrike. His momentary distraction meant that his partner landed a blow on his unprotected arm and Kirsh yelped loudly.

“Padawan Aleski, are you maintaining your focus?” Master Fisto voice cut over the class as others stopped to see what the commotion was about.

“No Master Fisto, I am definitely maintaining my focus.” Kirsh said through gritted teeth. Eena could see him trying to massage his arm as his partner apologised profusely.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Master Fisto said walking towards the door and never even bothering to glance Kirsh’s way.

“Yep that me,” Eena heard Kirsh mutter, “focusing with all my focus. Nothing but focus. Totally focusing Jedi, me.”

Eena looked back at T’Lor who was making a show of examining her lightsabre’s calibration settings so she could hear what Master Fisto was talking about.

“Isn’t Kit Master Zahalin’s padawan?” She asked softly, not wanting to draw attention, “didn’t she have a run in with a pole yesterday?”

“Yep,” T’lor said turning a couple of buttons and trying to make it look she knew what she was doing, “she banged herself up pretty bad. Last I heard she’s dislocated her shoulder and cracked a couple of ribs.”

“Then how come she’s out of hospital so quickly?” Eena asked puzzled. On her home planet an injury like that would mean that you’d be in bed for weeks. Long enough for the grandmothers to fuss over you until you felt like screaming.

“Bacta,” T’lor whispered looking up quickly, “it’s a miracle thing – literally heals anything. Without bacta and copious bone knitters I don’t think Kit, or any of us really, would have made it this far in life.”

“Oh,” Eena fell silent waiting for the other padawan to finish making a show of ‘fixing’ her lightsabre. Over the hum of the lightsabres she could hear Master Fisto quizzing the padawan at the door.

“I thought,” Master Fisto said, “that you wouldn’t be out until tomorrow Rinani.”

The girl smiled balancing her weight on one leg, “Master An-Paj let me go early Master Fisto. Said I was all better.”

“Did he now.” Even at a distance Eena could hear the resignation in the Jedi Master’s voice. “and so what did he say you could do?”

“Anything Master Fisto,” the girl’s smile widened to almost a saccharine sweetness, “I’m keen to get back to my studies.”

“I see. Did Master An-Paj give you any paperwork?”

“Uh,” a few moments of muffled patting and some crumpled paperwork was produced and shoved towards Master Fisto. He took it gingerly and uncrumpled it. He read a few lines and frowned slightly.

“It says here light duties.”

“Yes, Master Fisto. Like I said, I’m keen to rejoin my peers and continue my studies.”

Master Fisto sighed heavily and offered the papers back to the girl.

“You can warm up and go through the katas but gently. No sparring, no handstands and definitely no sliding down bannisters.”

The girl nodded almost bouncing on the spot. Eena watched her until T’lor tapped her on the arm.

“Look busy. We can’t be seen to have been staring. I don't want to scrub floors today.”

Eena refocused and tried to remember the starting position of the fourth kata. The girl passed them giving a tiny wave at T’lor as she made her way to the back of the gym. She was almost skipping and Eena couldn’t help but notice how she wiggled as she finally found a spot and started stretching.

“So that’s Kit,” she said trying to reconcile the image of stately and still Jedi and the ball of energy that had just passed them.

“That’s Kit,” T’lor confirmed, “she’s a bit different to the rest of us and sometimes a bit of a handful but you’ll like her, I promise.”

Eena frowned again. The Jedi were already so different to everything else. What were you like as a person if even the Jedi called you a handful?

 

It's been so long!

***

By the time they’d finished Eena had managed to master at least the first four katas. T’Lor had turned out to be a very good and extremely patient teacher. Eena didn’t see herself ever being as good as any of the Jedi, they made it all look so effortless. They cooled down with stretches and then Master Fisto called them all to the front of the room. Eena flopped down on the floor with the other padawans as Master Fisto waited patiently for the last few to gather their stuff. She saw T’Lor talking to Kit and the two girls were laughing at something. Eena had a sudden worried thought that maybe it was her that they were laughing at. She quickly turned back to face the front of the class. A few moments later she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see the blonde haired girl grinning at her with T’Lor next to her.

“You must be Eena,” she said smiling as she talked a thousand parsecs a minute, “I’m Kit, Master Zahalin’s padawan. I saw your picture and stuff on the paperwork. I thought you did really well today. I hope that we –“ her rapid fire speech was cut short by a noise from Master Fisto.

“You still have energy to burn off I see padawan Rinani,” he admonished one eyebrow raised. Eena watched with almost horror as instead of being embarrassed the girl just grinned at the young Jedi Master. Eena noticed that Kit didn’t stop fidgeting as she spoke, her fingers tapping some sort of beat that only she could hear.

“You know me, Master Fisto,” she said, “full of beans.”

“Well,” Master Fisto said making a display of looking at his chrono, “how about we burn off some of those beans with a short display for our new exchange students.”

The girl waved her bandaged wrist in the air, “Light duties, remember?” Eena winced. She couldn’t imagine speaking to an adult, let alone a teacher like that. The Grandmothers would skin her alive if she’d ever thought to open her mouth like that.

Master Fisto shrugged, “A Jedi often has to fight when they are injured. I thought you would be up for the challenge.”

Kit laughed and sprang to her feet, “well if you put it like that. You know I could never back away from a challenge.”

“Yeah, like picking a fight with a pole,” Eena heard Rujeno’s voice across the crowd. She saw Kit roll her eyes.

“I just hope if it’s partnered I don’t have to fight padawan Hisbana, I don’t think he could take being beaten twice in one day.” The girl smiled at Master Fisto, ignoring the hiss and groans around the class.

“No partners, just remotes. Shall we say twelve?” Master Fisto was unpacking a crate of small balls.

Beside her T’Lor hissed. She grabbed Kit’s robes pulling her down towards the floor.

“Don’t be an idiot. Twelve remotes are a lot and you got out of the Healer’s ward less than an hour ago.”

“So it’ll be a surprise when I’m back there again.” Kit shrugged, “I’ll be fine T’Lor. These robes are old, I’ve got burn cream in the fridge and I’ve been bored all morning. I need to move.”

T’Lor shook her head. “It’s your funeral Rinani.”

The girl shrugged and smiled again, “help me with the blindfold and I’ll be fine.”

Eena watched as T’Lor took a blindfold off one of the benches and tied it over the girl’s eyes. Kirsh was up a second later securing Kit’s bad hand to her chest and obviously also trying to convince his friend that this was a very bad idea. Around her the other padawans were standing and making their way to the stands making sure that there was a clear space on the floor. As she rose to follow them Eena heard the chattering around her increase and suddenly realised the other padawans were taking bets on how many times Kit would get hit, how fast she would end up back in the healer’s ward and how many remotes she could take down before the final blow. T’Lor finished counselling her friend and sat back down next to Eena as Master Fisto finished switching on the droids.

“They are taking bets,” Eena whispered to her, Kells, Jazz and another girl who had joined them in the stands. “Is this normal? Do you normally take bets on how long it will be until someone gets injured?”

T’Lor opened her mouth to answer but Master Fisto was holding up a hand for silence. Around him the others fell silent.

“A Jedi is trained to fight from a young age purely by using the force. This morning you have all practiced training against another fighter, or for some learning the katas for the first time. Now you will see what happens when a Jedi goes up against a ranged combatant be it a droid or someone with a blaster. Are you ready Rinani?”

The girl nodded and Eena noticed that that the padawan, who had been a bundle of movement and energy only moments before, was suddenly still. The small remotes suddenly buzzed taking to the air and forming a swirling vortex around the blindfolded padawan. Master Fisto took two steps to the side so that the floor was clear, “Then let’s begin.”

 

Eiko watched as the lightsaber demos /drills continued. A new arrival, Padawan Rinani, was tasked to take on remotes, blindfolded! And reportedly she was just out of the Healers' Ward. Eiko was on the edge of her seat...

 

This is really getting fun.

 

This has just gotten better and better since I last checked in! Thrilled to see that the round robin part of things is taking off with more from @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha and @Cowgirl Jedi 1701, and @K'Tai qel Letta-Tanku joining the party!

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha, I really like Eiko's approach to the exchange program. She definitely approaches things with a spirit of openness to learning and goodwill that I think will serve her well. And it's really fun that she's impressed with Kells's fighting skills -- I sure would be too, in her place!

@Cowgirl Jedi 1701, it's so fun to see a character that doesn't come from any of the Force traditions but still manages to wipe the floor with Rude-jeno! Though she herself has a mouth like an Intergalactic Space Princess too. But he did start it, mostly. Definitely looking forward to more of Kellmaura, who seems to have some interesting hobbies. Ones involving swords.

@K'Tai qel Letta-Tanku, it's fun to see the dynamic with Theo settling into life with T'lor and Gi'den. It makes sense that there would be some difficulties with figuring out the new routine, even if in a way having a student from another Force tradition (I mean, he flies to meditate -- can't learn that overnight) gives them some common values too. Theo is undoubtedly used to working hard and being responsible and such, but there's always going to be a culture shock with something like this. It's good that T'lor has his back, even if she maybe went a little overboard!

@Kit', I really liked how you did the saber lesson with Kirsh and Eiko; he's kind of a perfect student mentor for her with his kindness and patience. And she's very courageously willing to step out of her comfort zone -- even realizing she had the wrong end of the lightsaber. That takes some serious determination, training saber or no!

Definitely off to a good start!

And Eena and T'lor are a good match for training, too, as we see in their section. I like how T'lor is kind of keeping a weather eye on Rujeno with regards to the new students -- and makes sure Eena knows to be cautious. Unfortunate that he's such a nerfherder, but knowing that he is it's only practical.

She'll soon see, I'm sure!

 

Oh, I have some fun plans for her.

 

This is much longer than I thought it would be. I've also worked out that maybe I've written two or three fight scenes (if that) in my life so making the action work was really hard. Hopefully I got all the characterisations right and as always feedback is very, very, very (exceptionally) welcome.

***
Twelve

Kit listened to the hum of the remotes as they took off. It didn’t seem like much really, not when you had your eyes open and you had both hands free. Battling remotes was something she’d been doing since she was a child. It was Master Zahalin’s favourite exercise when Kit couldn’t find her inner calm. You had to be calm when you were fighting and you had to listen to the force. If you didn’t it was burn cream and An-Paj and mending robes late into the night.

She breathed out and let her mind go blank. The hum and melody of the living force filled every part of her, a distinct song that directed her movements, that showed her the rhythm and heartbeat of the universe. She smiled underneath the blindfold as the remotes picked up their pace. The snap hiss of her lightsabre was merely part of the percussion playing in tune with the ping of a remote blaster. She let the force take over and her mind and body danced to the music that only she could hear. She pirouetted and felt the brush burn of a bolt slide past her arm. One. There was a gasp from the audience but she ignored it instead listening to the directions of the music. Then, as if the sabre was an extension of the dance, she felt her free arm come up and her lightsabre make contact with the edge of a remote.

//This is where the fun begins//

She smiled again and she danced.



Eleven.



“Idiot,” T’Lor shook her head crossly at her friend. She’d heard the thought loud and clear across the bond that they all shared. She almost wanted to sink her head into her hands right there. T’Lor wasn’t sure why Kit, who hated sitting still for any length of time, was so determined to end up back in the Healer’s ward.

“Why? Why is she an idiot?” Eena’s voice interrupted her mental cursing.

“Because this is apparently fun to her or at least that’s what she said.” Jazz said from behind them. T’Lor looked up at the Felacatian’s concerned face. On the training floor the young, blonde Jedi twisted in mid-air and brought her sabre down to send two blaster shots ricocheting into the opposite wall. The drones circled overhead, looking for an opening.

“But she didn’t say anything.” Eena looked puzzled, “how can she when she’s out fighting those remote things.”

“Over the bond,” T’Lor explained, “we, that is the three of us, can hear her when she broadcasts her thoughts.”

Eena’s face went from one of consternation to shock to almost anger. The brown skinned girl rounded on Jazz.

“You said that you couldn’t hear thoughts,” she hissed angrily, “so how can you hear her?”

“I…you…I didn’t…” Jazz stumbled under Eena’s fiery glare. T’Lor found herself surprised by Eena’s outburst and the way the normally meek and rather anxious girl was glaring at Jazz. It was almost bemusing to see Jazz, who could wriggle his way out of anything, looking somewhat alarmed. T’Lor reached up and patted Eena on the shoulder trying to get her focus away from Jazz and back onto the practice match before Master Fisto noticed.

“I’m sure Jaxxon had a good reason to tell you what he did,” T’Lor muttered using Jazz’s hated name to make him squirm even more, “but whatever it was I’m sure I can explain it after class. Just watch what Kit does okay and concentrate on the here and now.”

Eena nodded dragging her gaze away from Jazz and back onto the floor. T’Lor repressed a sigh as she returned to watching Kit. She had to admit to herself that she was a little bit jealous of her friend’s innate skill. Kit wielded the lightsabre as if it was an extension of herself and made every twist and turn look like it was effortless in a way that T’Lor could only dream of matching. However, when it came to risks T’Lor knew that, while she might take big ones, Kit’s risk taking went above and beyond the normal Jedi mantra. One day it was going to get her into a lot of trouble that she wouldn’t be able to get out of.

Below them Kit pirouetted, stabbed upwards and sent the bolt from one remote skittering off in another direction where it hit the control panel of another deactivating it. The deactivated remote plummeted to the ground rolled across the floor towards the stands while Kit dropped back into a fighting stance.



Ten



As Eena turned back to watch the fight, Jazz felt himself unfurl. He didn’t know what it was but when she’d glared at him it’d taken all of his human heritage to try and control the inner felacatian who simply wanted to flee to higher ground. He tried not to wince as T’Lor used his hated name, knowing it was a sign that she was going to have it out with him later. T’Lor, he reflected sorrowfully, might not be the best at sabre but she would probably smash him verbally when she heard what Eena had to say. He hadn’t really meant to lie, he reflected, it was just that sometimes bending the truth was easier. How could you possibly explain to someone outside the order what you could do without either terrifying them?

He glanced across at Kirsh to see his reaction, but his friend was watching the fight intensely with a grimace on his face and one hand resting on the seat to propel himself forward at the first sight of injury. Jazz didn’t blame him. He knew how hard Kirsh had worked over the last twenty-four hours to set Kit’s shoulder back to rights and now watching her out on the floor seemed like a kick in the teeth that all that work was for nothing. He’d visited Kit in the healing halls when she was still unconscious. She hadn’t been his patient but he’d watched Master Leona and Kirsh pour all their effort into speeding up Kit’s healing. All he could hope was that she didn’t do something truly stupid to undo everything. He wondered if he would be able to convince Kirsh to swap shifts with him so that he didn’t have to be in the hall when Leona found out what Kit had done.

Jazz dragged his attention back to the fight. He watched his friend jump, using the force to propel herself high into the air before somersaulting back down to land gracefully on the other side of where the flock of droids were hovering, sabre extended. A flurry of blaster bolts flew past her and she spun on one leg, using her momentum and speed to block or redirect the bolts. She nearly had all of them but one slipped past catching her on the thigh. Jazz grimaced baring his sharp, fang like teeth. Two. To her credit though she didn’t stop, instead jumping again before twisting mid-air to bat a remote out of the air and send it crashing into the wall. Jazz let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. Maybe his friend would be okay.



Nine



Eiko realised that she was watching open mouthed as the young Jedi apprentice battled the remotes. She leaned across and nudged Kirsh who was grimacing as Kit dove under one remote and came up behind another one.

“Are you okay?” She asked quietly trying not to disturb the others.

“Why doesn’t she think?” Kirsh muttered. Eiko got the sense that he, like T’Lor, was mostly talking to himself. He gave a tiny shake of his head and looked down at Eiko, “I’m okay, just watching all my hard work get ruined.”

“How does it end?” Eiko asked not sure what Kirsh meant by his last sentence.

“Either she deactivates all twelve remotes, or she gets hit six times, or she slides into something and knocks herself out.”

“Is that likely?” Eiko asked somewhat alarmed at Kirsh’s prediction.

“Unlikely,” Kirsh reassured her, “she’s exceptionally good but you never know.”

Eiko nodded. The way that the girl was moving through the air and across the training mats it seemed like nothing could touch her. Eiko winced as Kit tumbled forward and, momentarily off balance, failed to dodge a blaster bolt. Three. Kirsh hissed between clenched teeth and Eiko momentarily caught a flash of scorched fabric before the girl deactivated her lightsabre and rolled forward through the flurry of blaster bolts. The next second she was up, throwing her lightsabre high into the air as she flung her hand towards a remote. The tiny metal sphere skidded off and crashed against the wall as if it had been thrown by an invisible hand. Kit caught and reactivated the lightsabre and smiled wolfishly at the rest of the remotes.



Eight



Theo watched the tricked with the lightsabre and leaned forward to tap T’Lor on the shoulder.

“Can you do that?” He asked. In front of him T’Lor was sitting with her hands over her mouth watching intently

“I wish,” she said quietly, “I can do that in my dreams but I’ve never been able to do anything close to that.”

Theo sat back in his chair and watched closely. He’d enjoyed sparring with Jazz, the back and forth of the movements and the katas had seemed easy and almost meditative in some ways but this was different. This was a flurry of calculated, fluid movement. It was almost like watching a dance in some ways. Albeit a dance in which you could hurriedly end up dying if you weren’t too careful and on the wrong side.

Below them Kit twisted, stabbed and another remote came crashing down.



Six



Rujeno watched trying not to let his emotions play on his face. It was him who should be out there on the floor battling the remotes, not Kithera. The battle earlier with that girl had been rigged. It wasn’t possibly fair that she was allowed to battle with a metal sword. How had he been expected to compete against that? He’d been so worried about breaking the sword and getting into trouble for hurting one of the oh so precious exchange students that he hadn’t even really been trying. If he had been trying then he would have beaten her easily. He glanced sideways at where that girl was sitting amongst the other exchange students and T’Lor. He would get his revenge. She might think that she’d bested him but she wasn’t the only exchange student. It was like his Master had said, the exchange was a waste to time, money and resources. Maybe if he helped convince the other exchange students that the temple was too scary a place for normals then it could all go back to how it used to be.

He scowled out at the floor where Kit was fighting the six remaining droids. She somersaulted through the air her lightsabre a blur of movement and another remote tumbled from the sky. Rujeno’s scowl deepened – and once the exchange students were gone then he could work on sorting out T’Lor, Kithera and the rest of their little coiterie.



Five



74 paces to the door. Check. Burn cream in first aid kit. Check. Three minute walk/run to the healers. Check. Do have a neck brace? Do we need a neck brace? Is she going to do something stupid enough for a neck brace?

“Kirsh,” Jazz’s voice interrupted his train of thought, “calm your nerf farm. It’s coming off you in waves.”

Kirsh stared at his friend taking a moment to register what he’d actually said.

“I’m sorry. I just don’t want her to get hurt. We put so much time in and now she’s doing stupid things again.”

“It’s Kit,” Jazz reminded him, “she’s the queen of the stupid things.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to answer to Master Leona. She scares me when she’s grumpy.”

“She scares everyone when she’s grumpy.”

“Yeah, but you won’t get the lecture about how I should have stopped Kit doing the stupid things.”

“How exactly where you going to stop her? Tie her to a chair? Body slam her into the ground? Take away her lightsabre? I mean you do have the size, I’m pretty sure you could hold her entirely off the ground with one hand.”

Kirsh shook his head feeling worried and anxious all over again despite Jazz’s teasing.

“I don’t know, I just wish there was something I could do to make this better.”

“You could be quiet,” T’Lor said rounding on them, “quiet is good. Don’t distract her.”

Kirsh sighed and sunk back into his seat unable to shake the feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong. It was okay for the rest, they wouldn’t have to answer to an angry Leona. It wasn’t like she was his Master or anything but while Master Skydres was away she was looking after him and he really didn’t want to have to go home to a grumpy Master Healer. The older padawans liked to point out that they could do things to you and make it look like an accident.

He watched as Kit blocked an incoming bolt and then, almost lazily spun her lightsabre the other way so that the next bolt was sent back the way it came. The droid that it hit thunked noisily into the floor.



Four



She twisted the remote in her hands. It had rolled towards her half way through the fight when that stupid girl had managed to deactivate it was a stray blaster bolt. It hadn’t been hard to nudge it towards herself with the force and she’d made it look as casual and unassuming as could when she’d picked it up and held it. Almost as if she was waiting to give it back to Master Fisto when the class ended. She’d waited until the class’ attention had been fixed back on the fight before she’d started deliberately playing with the buttons. Luckily the remote hadn’t been hard to fix and nobody had noticed when she’d flicked the power settings from mild to medium. She adjusted a few more settings until she was satisfied with the result. This would teach Rinani for being a show off. Maybe this time she wouldn’t be so luckily in being able to walk away from the stupid decisions she constantly made. Her eyes narrowed slightly. The fact was simply that Rinani should never have been chosen to be a Jedi. Rinani was too impulsive, too loud, too disorganised to ever bring benefit to the Order. The only thing, she mused, that had kept her safe for so long was the influence of her Master and the so-called friends that she surrounded herself with. She shot a glance at the gaggle of tense faces in the top most seating section and shook her head slightly. That wouldn’t last though. One day they’d see through it and Rinani, and her Master, would come crashing down.

She waited until everyone’s attention was on Rinani as she did a ludicrous, and quite unnecessary flip into the air and she quietly threw the remote out onto the floor. The little droid burbled before flying up to re-join its few remaining companions.



Five



Master Fisto checked the chrono on his datapad. He had to admit to being a bit surprised by the fact that Kit had made it this far at all given her injuries. He liked the girl even though she sometimes drove him insane with her constant need to move and chat. He glanced up from his data pad to see that she was incorporating some of the steps he’d taught last lesson. Well, that showed she did listen even if it never looked like it. If she continued this way, he mused, he’d still have time to give out the homework before dismissing the class. He might even be able to get to the refectory a few minutes early today. He glanced at the balls in the air and frowned. He was sure that she had taken down eight remotes and that should only leave four but he could still see five. Fisto glanced across at the class but they all seemed to be intently watching the fight. He gave a small shrug. He must have been wrong.

Out on the floor Kit somersaulted. She managed to deflect one bolt into another remote and then brought her sabre down on the remote that was hovering to her left. The two remotes dropped to the floor and lay still.



Three



Kells raised one eyebrow as Kit somersaulted again through the air. She could see in the girl’s movements a mash up of so many martial arts styles that it almost hurt to try and decipher them all. To be doing that one handed and blindfolded almost defied belief. Kells ran her fingers through her long, red hair and bit her bottom lip in contemplation. If she was going to get that good she had get Kit to teach her.

Kit dove sideways to avoid one bolt only to be hit by another. Four. There was a groan from the audience as she slid sideways along the floor hampered by only having one hand. A moment later she was up, bringing her sabre down on a remote that moved just an inch too close.


Two


Eena watched the padawan fight the tiny droid things but her mind was elsewhere. If Jazz had lied that meant that he could read her thoughts and if the Jedi could read her thoughts then her sister was in mortal danger and if she was in danger then Eena needed to warn her. She couldn’t lose her sister. She dropped her head into her hands as she felt her chest tighten. Why had she done this? Why had she taken such a stupid risk to come to the Jedi Temple and put them both in so much danger? She’d been here for only 24 hours, how much did the Jedi know? Where they already contacting her home world? What if they talked to the grandmothers? She felt her breath come in gasps as the thoughts raced faster and faster through her mind. She yelped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was T’Lor looking across at her, a rather concerned expression on her face.

“She’ll be okay,” she said reassuringly. Eena nodded taking a moment to realise that the Jedi padawan was talking about Kit and not about her sister. The girl’s thumb stroked her shoulder and Eena felt her body suddenly calm and relax.

“What are you doing to me?” she asked worriedly. What were these Jedi capable of?

“Nothing, just trying to get you to relax,” T’Lor said frowning slightly, “If you are worried about what Jazz said then don’t fear. I’ll happily answer all your questions truthfully at the end of class, I promise. Just don’t think about it now. Just focus on the fight.”

Eena nodded her body relaxing further under the soft, even tempo of T'Lor's thumb strokes even as her mind screamed. She turned back to the fight, T’Lor’s hand still resting on her shoulder. She watched as Kit leapt of the beams and other equipment that had been left on the floor slowly making her way towards the classroom ceiling. There were only two balls now. One flashing red lights and the other blue. She felt T’Lor’s thumb suddenly stop mid-stroke and the padawan cocked her head on one side.

“That isn’t right,” she murmured staring at the two balls. Around her Kirsh and Jazz shifted forwards in their seats craning to look at the two little remotes. Above them Kit jumped almost impossibly high from one of the little mezzanine levels that were dotted about the walls. She turned in the air, swatting another droid from the sky and reaching her one good hand towards the ropes that were suspended from the ceiling. The little blue flashing remote, the only one left, fired. Its bolt coursed through the air hitting Kithera right between her shoulder blades. The girl’s body spasmed mid-air and she dropped her lightsabre missing the rope and going from graceful fluidity to a panicked rush of flailing limbs. Eena felt her breath catch in the back of her throat the Kit tumbled awkwardly towards the floor.


One


The pain rippled through her back like fire. She felt the lightsabre rattle through her fingers as her free hand reached towards a rope that wasn’t there. In her head there was sudden and jolting silence. She scrabbled for anything to hang onto, to stop her smashing into the floor. Her fingertips caught the edge of something rough and she closed her hand around it, hoping it would be enough. The pain from her back rippled into her shoulder as it took the brunt of the impact. She skidded down the rope feeling it burn between her fingers. A second later she stopped. Breathing deeply, she tried to get her thoughts and feelings under control. She had expected the blasters to sting - they always did - but that had been something different. She flexed her shoulders and felt the pain radiate outwards again. Below her she heard her friends shouting and Master Fisto quieting them. For a second she was worried that he was going to call the match off. She had only been hit five times, and there was only one remote left. She could hear it buzzing to her left and knew it would fire soon. She had nothing to protect herself. Her lightsabre was on the ground. Her one useful hand was holding onto the rope and the music had gone. She breathed deeply and carefully, listening to her heart beat. The Force flowed through her and she was part of the Force. She slowed her thoughts and the music slowly returned linking itself to the hammering of her heart. She smiled underneath the blindfold as she listened to the music sing out a plan. The whirring buzz of the droid increased letting her know that it would soon fire again.


Then she let go of the rope.


Half way down she caught her lightsabre as it came up to meet her. She spun in the air so she was facing the ceiling and threw her lightsabre activating it as it spun upward. There was a satisfying noise as lightsabre met remote and she spun again in time to land awkwardly on the floor. She stood trying to ignore the pain in her back and pulled the blindfold from her eyes. She grinned at her friends and gave a graceful bow to the the assembled class before collapsing into an undignified heap of giggles on the ground. Her lightsabre and what remained of the remote clattered down beside her.


NONE.

 

@Kit' whew! That was terrific!! Very close there at the end!

 

Thank you! I have always found that holding the deadly weapon the right way around is an important life tip.

Yeah, I wanted to get the suspense right which turned out to be harder than I had first thought. Now onto a swim in the room of a thousand waterfalls to cool and calm down (and more angst - always more angst!)

Yeah Kirsh is a gigantic teddy bear. All softness and kindness in one gigantic body. I hope he ends up developing a much closer friendship with some of the other exchange students and also becoming a bit more comfortable with his gigantic size. Also writing with other talented authors is a lot of fun as well and all the characters are great which makes it really easy.

Thank you all so much for reading it too, I really appreciate all the feedback I get

 

Master Fisto looked at the padawan laughing on the floor. "Well done, Padawan Rinani,” he said. Turning to the rest of the class, he continued, “That is all for today. You are dismissed.”

Kirsch and Jazz were out of their seats and racing down to the floor, the exchange students slowly following them. T’lor hung back, scanning the dojo. There was something fishy about the end of the demonstration. The Shadow extended her senses into the Force, looking for the echo of what had happened, but Kit’s euphoria overwhelmed everything. She sighed. If there had been something there, it wasn’t there anymore.

“Are you ok?” Eeena asked. The exchange student had hung back to talk to her.

T’lor gave her head a shake and turned back to Eeena. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m relieved that Kit’s latest escapade went as well as it did.”

Eena’s eyes shifted back to Kit, who was now being tended by both Jazz and Kirsch. “Does she do that a lot?”

“Do what a lot?”

Eena shrugged. “Show off like that?”

T’lor chuckled and rolled her eyes. “She wasn’t showing off. Kit is just that good. And yes, she shows the rest of us how far we have to go on a regular basis.” She saw Eena’s brow furrow a bit. “She doesn’t do it to be mean. She’s just being true to who she is.”

“Oh.” Eena shifted a little. After that display she was feeling a bit intimidated by her roommate.

“Don’t worry. She’s insanely talented but she’s also kind and accepting of the diversity of the gifts everyone has.”

Eena tensed. T’lor had read her like an open book. “How’d you know…”

T’lor sat down and patted the seat beside her, indicating Eena sit. Eena sat down reluctantly. “Educated guess. You are visibly on edge, and I can pick up a general unease in your signature in the Force. I know how much Kit intimidates me at times. I can only imagine what seeing that performance might make you feel.”

Eena took in T’lor’s words, not quite sure what to make of them. T’lor was sounding like Jazz, but they had said that they could hear Kit’s thoughts. It didn’t make sense, and it was vital that she figure out just what they could and couldn’t do if she was going to keep her sister safe.

“So you didn’t read my mind?” she asked.

T’lor answered. “No. I can sense your emotions in the Force, but not your thoughts.”

“Jazz said when we first met that most of what Jedi did wasn’t reading thoughts but being really observant and putting together a lot of different things to arrive at highly accurate guesses. But then he said you could read Kit’s thoughts during the demonstration. So which is it?”

“Both.” T’lor paused, trying to figure out how to explain what had happened during the match. “All of life is connected through the Force. A Jedi has a stronger connection to the Force than most and therefore is more aware of those links, but everyone registers them on some level, even you. When someone expresses a strong emotion, no matter what it is, it comes across in the Force. If you combine that with being observant about someone’s behavior, you can usually make a good guess at why they are acting the way they are. Are you with me so far?”

Eena nodded. “I think so.”

T’lor continued, “Jedi who know each other well share a more intimate connection in the Force. Those connections are generally called bonds. They are most common among masters and their padawans, but they exist among friends as well. Bonds can vary in strength, from barely there to very strong. When there is a bond, then a Jedi can sense more than just emotion and do it over a greater distance. Jedi learn at an early age to shield their thoughts and emotions, both to maintain privacy as well as just general courtesy. The creche rooms are bonkers at times because the initiates at those young ages haven’t learned how to keep things to themselves. One kid has a bad dream and soon all of them are in tears.

“Kit, Jazz, Kirsch and I are good friends, so we have a reasonably strong bond. If we don’t actively keep our emotions to ourselves, the others can feel it. If we project thoughts, the others can sense them, but it isn’t like me talking to you. It’s more like an impression. The bond isn’t strong enough for it to be more than that. Kit projected that she was having fun. That’s what we picked up on.

“My bond with my master is much stronger. I can ‘talk’ to him across it as long as we are within a kilometer or so of each other. My bond with Rani Veko, another padawan, is even stronger. I can feel her even when she is off planet, and if we both concentrate, we can sometimes communicate at that distance.”

Eena gawked at her. This was terrifying. “You can read someone’s thoughts across the galaxy?” she squeaked.

“Only Rani, and again I’m not reading her mind. She has to project her thoughts across our bond.” T’lor reached out and put her hand on Eena’s arm. “Eena, your private thoughts are just that, YOUR private thoughts. None of us can sense them. We can only sense the emotions you feel from them.”

Eena was unconvinced. “I’ve heard stories about Jedi reading thoughts during interrogations. How can I know you won’t do the same to me?”

T’lor sighed. “Eena, I took an oath to serve the Light, just like every other Jedi. While I am capable of invading your mind, I could never do it without you knowing. No Jedi could. The technique is only used during an interrogation when other techniques have failed and only if there is a very good reason to do it, like say suspecting someone of plotting to kill millions of people. To invade someone’s mind without their permission in any other circumstance would be such a horrible violation of their person that a Jedi who committed such an act would be summarily banished from the Order.”

Eena was silent. T’lor had just admitted that she could in fact read Eena’s thoughts if she wanted to. The fact that T’lor said she wouldn’t because it was wrong didn’t ease her fear much. While she trusted T’lor as much as she trusted any of the Jedi, there were other Jedi like Rujeno that gave her pause. Her heart raced. She didn’t know what to think.

T’lor felt Eena's turmoil. She reached out and grabbed both of the girl’s hands. “Eena, do you trust me?”

Eena startled. “I guess.”

T’lor took a deep breath. If this went wrong she was going to get it from Master Dway, but she didn’t know how else to convince Eena that she was telling the truth. “If you want, I’m willing to try to let you see my thoughts. You can determine for yourself whether or not I am telling the truth.”

“You will what??” Eena pulled back, horrified. “I’m not a Jedi. I couldn’t possibly…”

“Eena, calm down. You don’t have to do this. Honestly, I will probably get in a heap of trouble for letting you. But, I’m game if it will help you feel better about being among us.”

Eena took a deep breath and tried the exercise that Jazz had showed her. She felt herself calming down, and with it her mind thinking better. “You are willing to get into trouble just so I feel ok with being in the Temple?”

T’lor nodded. “Yes. If it will help, I will use the Force to try to establish a connection between us. If all goes well, I will then let you enter my mind. I’m not guaranteeing anything though. I’ve just starting learning how to do this, and I’ve never tried it with someone who isn’t Force-sensitive. We could both end up with splitting headaches and nothing to show for it.”

“You won’t read my thoughts?”

“Not intentionally, no. But if you broadcast them, I won’t be able to block them.”

Eena was silent. That T’lor would offer to do something so intimate and fraught with danger took her by surprise. It also made her believe that T’lor was telling the truth. Eena couldn’t imagine someone making such an offer and it being a lie. Then there was the risk of T’lor finding out about her sister. Eena wasn’t confident that she could keep her mind away from the situation. That was a risk Eena couldn’t take. She took another deep breath.

“Thank you for the offer, but I think I’ll pass.”

T’lor’s shoulders visibly relaxed in relief. “In that case, let’s go join the others.”

 

I know I told you the same over pm but I really love this. T’Lor is so kind and gentle (just what what needs) Eena and definitely a calm point in the maelstrom of teenage emotions. Great characterisation of Eena too!

Bring on the swim!!!


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Eena was still trying to process what T’Lor had told her when Kithera came bouncing over. The girl beamed at them as she tried to tug her now ruined robe back into shape.

“Do you have togs?” She asked Eena. Eena blinked owlishly at her, “Togs? Swimmers? Bathing suit? Something that one gets into water in. That sort of thing.”

“Slow down Kit,” T’Lor warned softly, “you’re going too fast.”

There was a drawn out pause as Eena tried to make sense of what the girl was talking about. It didn’t help that Kit talked a mile a minute her hands moving rapidly as she spoke to accentuate what she was talking about.

“Sorry, I’m just hot and sweaty and Theo and Kells haven’t seen the Waterfalls yet, so I figured we have two hours before maths, let’s swim.”

Kit waved a hand back to where Jazz, Kirsh, Kells and Theo were talking quietly. Jazz had his lightsabre out and was pointing to various sections as if he was demonstrating something.

“So? Togs? If you don’t have them that’s okay. I’m sure I can find some, or lend you some-“

“Kit. Stop.” T’Lor’s voice was more insistent. “You just literally fought twelve remotes and one of them nearly felled you. You need to slow down now.”

Kit drew in a deep breath but T’Lor held up one hand, “Seriously. Stop.” The tiny blonde haired Jedi let the breath go slowly and her moves became less rambunctious and far calmer. She wrinkled her nose.

“Yeah, that bolt was weird.” She said after a moment, “It hurt and Kirsh says it’s a first degree burn. There was something wrong with that remote but I put my lightsabre the whole way through it so I can’t exactly find out.”

“Maybe it malfunctioned,” Eiko said quietly from the side. Three pairs of eyes turned to her direction and the girl shrugged, “it’s the most obvious answer. I mean from what I’ve seen it’s unlikely that someone would have tampered with it.”

There was another drawn out pause as everyone considered this idea and then, eventually, Kit shrugged. “Nothing I can do about it,” she said the grin returning, “but a swim would certainly cool me down and I really want to show all our new friends the Waterfalls. So swim?”

T’Lor nodded and Eena felt herself reluctantly agreeing. She definitely had togs stashed somewhere in her bag. Her sisters had almost tried to pack her entire wardrobe in there just in case. Maybe going for a swim would help her to think through what Jazz and T’Lor had told her.

Kit’s grin widened. She reached down and grabbed Eena and Eiko by their hands pulling them upright. She wiggled and danced on the spot grinning joyfully at them both. Eena found herself grinning back, the happiness was infectious.

“Let’s go!” Kit called to the others, “back to rooms and then changed and then waterfalls. First ones there get to dunk Jazz in the water!”

“Hey!” Jazz pretended to throw something at them but Kit merely poked her tongue out as she dragged the others from the hall.

 

Eiko laughed and felt herself inexorably drawn to Kithera's bubbliness. "The waterfalls sound wonderful." Where this girl got all the energy after fighting remotes with such effortless grace and after being in the Healer's Wing ...? It was a marvel!

Eiko was glad that the tension and edginess surrounding Rujeno's actions from earlier had completely dissipated, and she had a feeling the swim would definitely put a capper on the relaxed feels.

"Maths?" Eiko suddenly asked. "Yikes, do the exchange students have to join that? I was always rather lame at the whole abstract numbers and formulas thing."

 

*sing-song* The fun has arrived!

Hopping over to our PM thread, cuz I have ideas we need to discuss.

 

I wrote a very short challenge fit set a long, long time before USJS (in any incarnation) but based on Namia as a teen. It's called Dis Dress and you can find it here

Also can't wait for USJS to kick back in! Yay for swimming!

 

And the adventure continues! Made a couple edits, but nothing world shattering. Just formatting changes for emphasis in a couple places.

-------

If Kells hadn't been casually watching the others, she would have been thoroughly surprised when the blonde Jedi who'd just beaten all those training remotes bounced up to her.

"Hi! I'm Kithera, but you can call me Kit. You must be Kells! Is that your whole name or is it a nickname? I hear you just totally trounced Rujeno! He is not gonna like that! Too bad I missed seeing it! A bunch of us are gonna go swimming. You wanna come? Hey, can I get a closer look at your sword?"

The barrage of questions came so fast that by the time Kells could have opened her mouth to begin answering one, two more had been asked, so she didn't even try. Finally, Kithera paused for breath, and Kells decided to answer the last question first.

"Yes, you can look at it, but only if you stop bouncing so much. Bouncing and sharp objects don't usually mix well."

Kithera managed to stand relatively still while Kells carefully unsheathed her sword and held it up for Kithera's inspection, though she still practically vibrated with enthusiasm.

"A Damascus blade! It's beautiful! And this is the sword you used in your duel with Rujeno? There's not a mark on it!"

Kells inspected her blade with a critical eye. "Well, actually, the edge is a bit scorched in a couple of places, but it's not too big a deal. Beskar is tough. Once I sharpen this, it'll be just like new. And to answer your other questions, I'd love to go swimming with you, and Kells is a nickname. It's short for Kellmaura."

"Awesome! I can't wait! I have to introduce you to all my friends! Especially Kirsten. She's gonna love you!"

 

Love it! Captured Kit perfectly!!! Also yay for swim time


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Into the water we go!

***

*

Kit leapt into the hair and tumbled meeting the water with a splash. She laughed as she came to the surface at the sheer joy of it and then swam far enough away so that Kirsh could leap from the rocks after her. The tunic that she’d worn over her togs floated around her dragged her backwards and Kit wrestled with the weight of it. She wouldn’t have normally worn anything over her swimming costume but when she’d seen Eena sheepishly emerge from the ‘fresher wearing the largest tunic she could find she’d quickly grabbed one. She didn’t quite understand the other girls’ feelings of worry and anxious fear that flickered through the music that surrounded her. It was just swimming and they were all friends. No-one was going to really care what you wore. Kit splashed Kirsh as he emerge and he grinned at her shaking his shaggy pale blonde hair at her. He swam towards her and she squealed in mock horror and tried to beat a hasty retreat but the floating tunic got in the way, wrapping itself around her arms like seaweed and dragging her down. The next second Kirsh was underneath her, barrelling upwards to toss her into the air. Kithera grinned as she left the water. Whooping, she somersaulted through the air to land with a splash on the other side of the lake. She surfaced again breathless with excitement. She shoulder told her that she’d gone too far again. Kithera grinned at Kirsh who was paddling over to meet her and turned lazily onto her back, floating and watching the patterns of light stream amongst the trees.

“How’s your shoulder?” Kirsh asked as he reached her, “I probably shouldn’t have tossed you.”

“It’s fine,” Kit lied shifting so she was upright and treading water beside him. “The water is cool on my back and that’s what I’m more concerned about. It’s a nasty burn.”

“You’re telling me,” Kirsh said reached out a hand, “I think the whole fight was a really bad idea.”

“I don’t know,” Kit said softly, “it was nice to be moving again. I beat all the droids.”

“But winning isn’t the point Kit, not of being a Jedi.”

“But proving myself is.” Kit said softly. Kirsh was one of the few people in the temple that she felt she could talk to honestly.

“Why do you need to prove yourself? You’re one of the best combatants in our cohort. You don’t need to prove yourself to anyone.”

Kit shook her head sightly and frowned at her friend. “Kit, why won’t you pay attention. Padawan Rinani why are you losing stuff all the time. I don’t know why Master Zahalin picked you. Why can’t you sit still? Why can’t you focus? Why can’t you…why can’t…” she trailed away, clenching both hands and staring at the water. Kirsh didn’t say anything just reached out and gathered her closer so that she was floating while he kept them both upright. “I hear them Kirsh,” Kit continued, “even when they think I’m not paying attention. I hear the comments and that’s why I need to prove them wrong. Lightsabre is the only thing I’m good at and so I need it to make sure that everyone knows that I deserve to be a Jedi, just like them.”

Kirsh sighed and stretched back in the water, holding Kit so that her head nestled in his arm while they floated together using the force to keep them buoyant.

“I believe in you,” he said after a few moments, “and I don’t care what anyone says and I don’t think you should either.”

Kit smiled although she didn’t feel it. They floated together in silence both staring up as the wind tossed the leaves in the trees far above them and the light flicked and played.

 

Kit leapt into the hair and tumbled meeting the water with a splash. She laughed as she came to the surface at the sheer joy of it and then swam far enough away so that Kirsh could leap from the rocks after her. The tunic that she’d worn over her togs floated around her dragged her backwards and Kit wrestled with the weight of it. She wouldn’t have normally worn anything over her swimming costume but when she’d seen Eena sheepishly emerge from the ‘fresher wearing the largest tunic she could find she’d quickly grabbed one. She didn’t quite understand the other girls’ feelings of worry and anxious fear that flickered through the music that surrounded her. It was just swimming and they were all friends. No-one was going to really care what you wore. Kit splashed Kirsh as he emerge and he grinned at her shaking his shaggy pale blonde hair at her. He swam towards her and she squealed in mock horror and tried to beat a hasty retreat but the floating tunic got in the way, wrapping itself around her arms like seaweed and dragging her down. The next second Kirsh was underneath her, barrelling upwards to toss her into the air. Kithera grinned as she left the water. Whooping, she somersaulted through the air to land with a splash on the other side of the lake. She surfaced again breathless with excitement. She shoulder told her that she’d gone too far again. Kithera grinned at Kirsh who was paddling over to meet her and turned lazily onto her back, floating and watching the patterns of light stream amongst the trees.

“How’s your shoulder?” Kirsh asked as he reached her, “I probably shouldn’t have tossed you.”

“It’s fine,” Kit lied shifting so she was upright and treading water beside him. “The water is cool on my back and that’s what I’m more concerned about. It’s a nasty burn.”

“You’re telling me,” Kirsh said reached out a hand, “I think the whole fight was a really bad idea.”

“I don’t know,” Kit said softly, “it was nice to be moving again. I beat all the droids.”

“But winning isn’t the point Kit, not of being a Jedi.”

“But proving myself is.” Kit said softly. Kirsh was one of the few people in the temple that she felt she could talk to honestly.

“Why do you need to prove yourself? You’re one of the best combatants in our cohort. You don’t need to prove yourself to anyone.”

Kit shook her head sightly and frowned at her friend. “Kit, why won’t you pay attention. Padawan Rinani why are you losing stuff all the time. I don’t know why Master Zahalin picked you. Why can’t you sit still? Why can’t you focus? Why can’t you…why can’t…” she trailed away, clenching both hands and staring at the water. Kirsh didn’t say anything just reached out and gathered her closer so that she was floating while he kept them both upright. “I hear them Kirsh,” Kit continued, “even when they think I’m not paying attention. I hear the comments and that’s why I need to prove them wrong. Lightsabre is the only thing I’m good at and so I need it to make sure that everyone knows that I deserve to be a Jedi, just like them.”

Kirsh sighed and stretched back in the water, holding Kit so that her head nestled in his arm while they floated together using the force to keep them buoyant.

“I believe in you,” he said after a few moments, “and I don’t care what anyone says and I don’t think you should either.”

Kit smiled although she didn’t feel it. They floated together in silence both staring up as the wind tossed the leaves in the trees far above them and the light flicked and played.
----
Just wanna hug Kirsh for his support and Kit for her self-doubts.

**

Eiko was wearing a turquoise bathing outfit. She loved the serene feel of the pool area.

It had been a long time since she'd swam in the lakes of home; last spring/summer before she went off to the Academy.

Eiko loved the feel of the cool water and noticed Kit and Kirsh having a serious discussion, so she let them be for the moment.

She swam leisurely for a few laps.