Can't Live Until You Die (Yuri Training)

[Cade Mercer]

Silence. That is all that was heard in the misted over clearing of the forest. Utter Silence. The clearing was empty except for a few rocks and stones here and there. It was early in the morning. The sky had only just started to grow lighter. Not that you could see the sky through all the mist in the clearing. But the slight glow reflected off of the fog, sending an eerie glow through the clearing. This was the setting.

Suddenly, the mist moved... no, someone in the mists moved. A single figure made its way out of the mists into the clearing. It slowly and silently walked to the middle of the clearing and knelt there. The cloaked and hooded figure continued to kneel there, waiting. Waiting for its new apprentice.


* * *

She could see him, sleeping in his bed. Almost as if she was standing there. His dark haired head lay on a pillow in the dark jedi's academy. She whispered into his mind. 'Yuri...' He could hear it echo in his mind over and over. In his dreams, he saw the clearing. He could see the figure kneeling there, waiting. He watched, helpless, as his feet dragged him towards the figure. The figure turned it's head slightly in his direction. He could barely see the face of the figure. Pale skinned and small. A dark blue eye looked apon him out of the corner of it's socket. He could see the tiny slivers of red working their way through the blue of the eye.

"Yuri... Come..." He heard her say, but he did not see her lips move.


* * *

Cade broke the connection she had to his dream and looked at the ground infront of her again. Now, she just had to wait... He knew how to find her.

[Yuri Thrice]

Yuri awakened, startled, as he fell off of his bunk, landing on the cold, durasteel floor with a thud. Rubbing his aching face, he stood. He was on his ship, laying in the bunk asleep. Despite the welcome, Yuri found himself ill at ease not to sleep in his ship. It was practially his home away from home, one of his places of comfort.

He had been dreaming. Dreaming that he was sleeping in the academy, when he felt himself begin to dream within the dream, being mentally drug from his bed and to the clearing, where the hooded figure he knew as Cade waited. He could feel her still waiting, waiting for him. Yuri went for his closet, to dress. He reached for the brown holster belt, where his Westars rested, then decided against it. He was already good with them; if he needed training with anything, it would be his lightsaber technique, among other things. Yuri plucked the black-finished, double-bladed lightsaber out from it's resting place in a hidden compartment near his bed. Yuri adjusted the light, Mandalorian-made beskar vest underneath his shirt, loosening the holster on the small of his back. He slid the elegant weapon into the holster, feeling the 'saber come to rest in the small of his back, completely concealed from view. He finished fastening the belt on his black trousers and pulled the loose, black tunic over his armor vest and the underlay that prevented light, stabbing weapons from piercing his chest, Yuri fastened his black boots. Reaching for his coat and slinging it over his shoulder, he exited his ship.

As Yuri stepped from the landing bay, Yuri found himself putting on the spacer's duster. The dark brown leather coat flowed in the mist, swirling the cold mist and air about as Yuri reached in the pocket for the close-fitting, leather gloves. Pulling them on as he walked, Yuri instinctively made his way through the misty forest.

In what seemed like hours making his way through the forest, he found a clearing, where the hooded figure that was Cade sat at it's center. Yuri made his way toward her.

[Cade Mercer]

Cade's mind had left while he traveled. Her thoughts went into the past. Visions of a past she had forgotten long ago traveled quickly across her conciousness. When Yuri approached, her eyes were still closed. She had watched him approach through the force and knew he was there, but her trance had yet to break.

Her voice suddenly broke into his mind. 'Leave your weapons in the hollow tree...' Instantly, an image appeared in his mind, showing him a hollow tree just off to his right, outside of the clearing. 'You will not need those for now...'

Finally, her eyes open. She stood slowly and turned to face him. Her dark eyes looked him up and down. Her cloak was wrapped loosly around her, hood pulled over her head. Her voice came out quietly, the first thing in hours that he has heard with his actual ears.

"We have much work to do."

[Yuri Thrice]

As Yuri sniffed the air, taking in the wetland's scent and stench, he unfastened the lightsaber from its hilt on the small of his back, just underneath his tunic. A slight flutter of black cloth before it was produced in his gloved hand, a foot-long cylinder of black and silver metal. Taking a few steps forward, he shook his head before sitting the 'saber in the knot-hole. Sighing at the thought of not training with the 'saber, Yuri strode forward, his boots squashing the soft ground underneath them as he made his way to the sitting figure that was Cade.

"Yes, I would think so....Ms. Mercer."

Yuri didn't feel comfortable calling her Cade yet. Nor would he ever call her, or Jeseth, or any other by the title of master. He didn't call anyone master simply because no man ruled him. He was not a subject, but the subject. He would show respect nonetheless, but to call a being master was to be subjugated to them, and Yuri would never do such.

[Cade Mercer]

Cade steps to the side. Behind where she had just stood was a stack of smooth, round rocks, perfectly balanced. Five rocks in total, going from largest at the bottom to smallest on the top. She motions to them and once his eyes are drawn to them, she kicks them, causing them to topple over. She watches his reaction then takes a few steps back.

"Stack them back up..."

She pauses a moment, waiting for acknowledgement.

"Without using the force..."

[Yuri Thrice]

As the rocks hit the ground with a clatter and a series of thuds, Yuri watched intently. When the rocks landed on the soft, green grass, a series of depressions were made in the impact areas. Upon hearing Cade's words, Yuri nodded, and began to stack them back up, with little difficulty. The rocks weren't that heavy. After all, if someone could kick them over, then they wouldn't be that heavy. As he finished, stacking the rocks up from largest at the bottom, to the smallest at the top, Yuri straightened his back, and turned to Cade.

"I'm not sure if I could stack them with the Force....I'm not that good yet..."

[Cade Mercer]

She stood back and watched him as he stacked the rocks. It was a simple task, the rocks were fairly even in balance. He quickly managed to stack them up nicely. She nods slightly then motions to another pile of rocks, heavier and a bit more uneven.

"Now stack those backwards. Smallest on the bottom, largest on top."

There were 8 rocks in total on the pile. She stood back, watching and waiting for him to get to work.

[Yuri Thrice]

It took more patience.....a lot more patience....probably more than Yuri ever possessed. But somehow, every time the frustration mounted, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused on the task at hand. This was just like repairing a badly damaged weapon, or simply creating a new one from the base components. Only, it's a bunch of damn rocks, Yuri thought to himself.

After the better part of an hour, Yuri's blue eyes sparkled as he eyed the stack; smallest at the bottom, largest at the top. And it was very precariously stacked. One wrong move, and it would all fall. But it was somehow done. Yuri craned his neck from his sitting position on the grass, looking up at the shrouded Cade.

"What's next?"

[Cade Mercer]

Cade had paced around him sense he started stacking the rocks. She watched his every move. Ever facial expression, judgeing how well he was doing. She could sense the frustration, not only through the force, but on his face. She never once said a word in the near hour it took him to stack them. She was a very patient creature. She could sense the potential within this boy. The force had gifted him, yes. But that potential was useless without the correct training.

"Good. Tell me. Do you understand why I am having you stack these without the attempt at using the force to do it?"

She turns and begins to walk away from him to the edge of the clearing. She could still clearly hear him though. She started to inspect a tree that stood at the edge of the clearing, running her hand down it's trunk and across some of the lower branches, waiting for his response.

[Yuri Thrice]

Yuri looked at Cade, watching her small figure walk away, to inspect a tree, seeming perhaps disinterested. Or was that the point? To be showing him how to multitask perhaps? Yuri's blue eyes snapped about as he scanned his surroundings, answering her.

"Um, nah, Ms. Cade. I'm not sure I get it at all....unless you're trying to teach me patience...Maybe you've not had the opportunity to work on a scrapped blaster. It's an incredibly long process, and takes patience in itself. Of course, that's only if this lesson's about patience. If it isn't.....then I'm lost. Feel free to catch me up..."

[Cade Mercer]

She remains quiet for a moment, seeming to consider the tree. She suddenly jumps up and kicks a branch in the tree, causing it to break and fall off the tree. She watches it hit the ground before she kicks it back up into the air and, in mid air, kicks it towards the center of the clearing. She begins to walk back over to him. She points at a larger rock, approximately a foot in diameter.

"Place the branch on that rock then stand on it, perfectly balanced. Once you find the balance point of the branch, remain balanced for atleast five minutes without useing the force."

She begins to walk around him, continueing to speak, not alowing him time to protest.

"The points of these exercises are many. Patience, yes, is one. I wish to test your patience, see how far it goes. Physical Capabilitys. How well can you preform a task without useing the force. Your mental capabilitys. How quickly do you learn that trying something the exact same way with the exact same failed results is not the answer, no matter how stubborn you are."

She looks at the two piles of rocks then back to the rock and branch.

"You shall train first Mentally, then Physically. You must master your mind and your body before we shall even start on how to master the Force. Too many Jedi and Sith rely on the force to accomplish tasks. They rely on the force to live. They use the force as a crutch. You shall learn to rely on yourself first. You shall Know how something work before you alow the force to Tell you how it work."

She pauses a moment and considers his face.

"You remove the force from many of these sith and jedi around here, and they are lost. Hopeless as a child lost in the jungles of Yavin 4. I refuse to have a padawan that relys on the force to live.

"To add to that, you shall also be trained first in open hand combat. A Jedi that relys on their lightsaber for every battle is like a jedi that relys on the force to live. When your lightsaber is removed, you loose your weapon. Unless your hands and feet are weapons as well. Do you understand?"

She pauses and looks at him.

[Yuri Thrice]

Yuri listened intently. It all made sense to a degree. With her training, he would never be devoid of a weapon. Nor would he ever be truly helpless in a situation. Taking up the branch, Yuri sat the branch across the rock, and walked up it, much like one would a seesaw from the playgrounds of his childhood. Once there, Yuri used his impeccable dexterity to remain there, perfectly balanced.

It was fairly simple to keep his balance, so Yuri merely looked over to Cade.

"So its mental training, then physical training, then the aspects of the Force? Sounds like a plan, at least."

[Cade Mercer]

She nods and backs up a few paces, slowly lowering herself into a seated position. She picked up a small handful of pebbles. For several long moments, she just sat and watched him, waiting to see if he would show any signs of unbalance.

"Yes.. A plan. Just remember. Don't fall."

Suddenly, she starts flicking the pebbles at him. Her cold stare showed nothing of when she would flick another one. The pebbles were small, but big enough to where he could feel them. Ontop of that, her aim was empecable. Each hit struck him at a precise point in the body to cause the most feeling from it. One to the side of the neck, another to his wrist, one at his temple. She repeated this motion at random intervals, and would continue until he tipped over, either from the distractions and loosing his balance, or from exaustion.

[Yuri Thrice]

"Wha....OW!"

The first hit caused him some surprise, but when he looked at Cade, while maintaining focus to keep his balance, Yuri noted that this was all part of it. He mustn't lose his balance. He focused his mind, not even bother to dodge the bothersome pebbles. What was the point? They were just pebbles...

[Cade Mercer]

The longer it took, the larger the pebbles and the more painful the strikes. Cade was patient. She knew, eventually, everyone's body would give out. A mortal body can only handle so much strain. She was willing to wait days if that is how long it took for his. This was not to prove a point to him. This was to show her the exact ammount of stamina her student had. More so than that, she wished to know what would give out first. His mind, or his body.

"Tell me the Jedi Code..."

[Yuri Thrice]

Yuri looked over, gritting his teeth and grunting as he continued to be pelted by the rocks.

"Sorry, I don't know the Code. I was never a Jedi. So it's easy to renounce what you never knew...And my home.....was far from ever being in Jedi influence..."

He stood fast, holding his body still, only wavering to maintain balance.

[Cade Mercer]

"Then try your hand at the sith code."

Her eyes were still cold and emotionless. As she picked up pebbles about the side of the end of one's thumb, she changed how she flicked them at him. She continued to randomly hit him in specific places, but now she would also hit the tree branch he is balanced on, causing it to wobble a bit under him, forcing him to focus on keeping it still. The hits were slow for now, but they still happened enough and randomly to where he had to keep constant attention at everything around him.

[Yuri Thrice]

Yuri growled, keeping his focus. He couldn't fail. Not now....and the Sith Code? Yuri knew even less of it.

"Sorry, I act by my Code. That one I know. The Sith Code? The Jedi Code? I don't know them...."

As the branch wobbled underneath him, he began to lose his balance. He took a sharp breath, and focused, attempting to keep control. It worked, but for how much longer, Yuri didn't know....

[Cade Mercer]

She stands and begins to walk around him, continueing her work with the pebbles. Her voice remains even and unwavering. Her eyes barely even fall apon him. For the most part, she remains vigilant in watching the ground.

"Focus on my words and know them. For these are the codes of those around you. Know their code, and you know them. You must first know what is in a man's heart and mind before in his body if you are to fight him. Know his strength. Know his weakness. Once you have mastered that, then no mortal creature can best you. Now, know these codes.

"The Jedi's Code
There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force."

Her eyes raise momentarily to look at him, judgeing his reaction. She then continues.

"The Sith's Code
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me."

She takes a step back and looks up at him again.

"Now... Repeat them."

[Yuri Thrice]

Yuri looked up at Cade, once he was certain he had maintained his balance.

"You wish for me to repeat them? I hope you don't confuse repeating them and believing in them. 'Cause I don't..."

Taking a deep breath, Yuri recited the Jedi Code slowly.

"There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force."

Once done, Yuri took another breath, maintaining his focus, and then repeated the Sith Code.

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me."

Yuri then took another breath, focusing on his balance.

"Now I know them."

[Cade Mercer]

She smiles slightly and nods.

"Good. Then you know the way that a Jedi and a Sith's minds work. They live by those codes."

She starts on a new round of larger pebbles, some of them actually small stones. She turns back to him. Her face is emotionless again.

"Now what do they mean. What do those codes tell you about the people who live by them."

Another stone to the tree branch and one to the inside of his leg.

[Yuri Thrice]

Yuri grunted and almost completely lost his balance. But somehow, perhaps through luck alone, he maintained some balance.

"It simply means that one is controlled, and one is not. One is calm, one is quick to anger. One has to be tempted to fall, the other has to be agitated to lose focus. The Jedi are the epitome of defense and control, while the Sith are the epitome of strength within emotion and the use of uncoventional methods. These ends can be exploited if needed to overcome them."

Yuri felt his body beginning to weaken, but continued to ignore it, only focusing on his wits and his balance.

[Cade Mercer]

Cade looks up at the sky. It had been rather overcast the entire time they had been out there. A wind had picked up a moment ago, threatening rain. Only now, though, had it really started to show true signs of a storm. Small droplets of water had begun to fall from the sky. She looks back at Yuri and takes a few steps back, continueing her onslaught of stones as the rain slowly began to pick up. She pulls her hood up over her head again to protect herself from the rain. For now, she stands there... waiting to see how long he would last.

[Yuri Thrice]

With the rocks being hurled at him, coupled with the rain, Yuri couldn't take it any longer. When one particularly nasty rock caught him above the eye, his footing slipped. He slid backwards off the branch, it and the rocks tumbling into the fast forming mud and soft earth. Yuri himself landed with a thud and a squish, the water flying.

He groaned. His body ached, but it was nothing to a boy who grew up in a bad neighborhood. He slowly picked himself back up, wiping the grime of mud from his fine-featured face.

[Cade Mercer]

Cade nods. He had lasted much longer and through much more stress then she had predicted. She walked over to him and offered him her hand. Training was done for the day. She was a harsh teacher, but she was not so cruel. It was time for a break.

"Come with me."


* * *


She had led him back into the compound and into her living quarters after having him retreive his lightsaber. They were rather spares quarters, mearly a sleeping mat, a trunk in one corner and a meditation area. She motioned for him to sit on the sleeping mat before walking over to the small kitchen area and fixing two cups of some warm, pale green liquid. She walks back over to him and offers him the mug.

[Yuri Thrice]

Yuri wondered if he should sit, being smeared with mud and soaked to nearly the bone. But, upon seeing that she didn't seem to care, or was more than aware of just how dirty he was, Yuri sat, and took the pro-offered beverage. He sipped on it lightly, letting the warmth flow through him. It felt nice in comparison to the icy cold of the rains outside.

"Thanks, Ms. Cade."

[Cade Mercer]

Cade knelt down on the cushion infront of the meditation area, watching him. For a long time, she sat, considering him and sipping at her drink. Her eyes watched his posture and movements, as if studieing him like a book. Every little detail, she took into her mind and stored it there. He looked like he was around her physical age, which made instructing him a bit awkward. It is difficult to teach someone that sees you as a peer to them.

"You can call me Cade..."

She places her cup on the ground infront of her, her eyes drifting down to the liquid within it.

"Tell me about yourself. Why are you here?"

[Yuri Thrice]

Yuri took a sip, wetting his lips and throat.

"Well, I am a weapons technician from Corellia. I got into BlasTech Industries when I was fresh in high school, and became head of their Custom Weapons divison. It payed good, but not enough to open my own shop. So, I took to some merc work. It fortunately paid enough, and so I opened up a shop on Coruscant. That's pretty much it..."

Yuri took another sip.

"As to why I'm here, well, I got approached by Jeseth, and he told me of my potential, and offered me land for exchange of some Imperial-issue arms. So, with that said, I'm here for the potential, and for the land. Maybe open up somethin' here, or just live here, and have my shop ran in Coruscant, while I train to learn just what I'm capable of...."

[Cade Mercer]

She nods quietly, her eyes unfocused on the cup before her. She remained quiet for a long moment before her lips finally parted again and she began to speak again.

"So... you are here for power.. wealth. Nothing more."

She raises her eyes to look at him.

"Is this a correct assumption?"

[Yuri Thrice]

Yuri nodded a bit, almost uneasy the way he sounded to Cade.

"Well, the view here is nice. Lovely women. Lovely environment. And not to mention....it's like a whole new way of life here. Something a Core Planet boy like me has never seen before. Its' a new experience, and I'm all for new experiences. You could say I'm broadening my horizons...Though the power and wealth are important, there are far better things that those...Like good, pleasurable company, learning new things. You know, livin' the life."