9.119 - Padawhatsits.

[Zeke]

The Saska family hadn't been on The Wheel long. They were quartered on one of the Wheel's smaller ships, owing to the fact that neither Cassandra nor Carol were Jedi. Cassie had been upset at being discriminated against, but the smaller ship seemed to suit Carol fine.

"You're about all the Jedi I can take right now, babe," she'd called apologetically from the bedroom on their first night's stay. Zeke stood at the mirror, shaving by telekinesis to test his precision. Carol had come around the corner and leaned in the door frame with a non-plussed look. "Exactly," she said, a little smile bubbling up in spite of herself. Zeke grinned and took the razor in his hand, completing the rest of his shave manually.

"I know you say that, but I need to take a Padawan," he'd replied. "They tell me we've got a pile of them and hardly any Knights or Masters to train them.

"A Padawhatsit?" Carol had asked, her voice edging back to disapproval.

"Exactly," Zeke had said absently, unwilling to fight her about it when they were so tired. The family took a few days to settle in and decompress. Various shipworkers were in and out, bringing them supplies and zooming about on routine maintenance. On the ninth day, Zeke stepped out of his room and into the hall, stopping a little mouse droid with his boot by accident. It spun madly in place, seeking an escape, when Zeke stooped to pick it up. He straightened and locked eyes with a young lady who gave him a distinct impression of Force-sensitivity. He offered her the droid.

"Is this your droid? He seems to be upset over something."

[Siyndacha Aerin]

If that man hadn’t stepped almost right into the path of the mouse droid, he would likely have heard a clamour of feet pounding right by his quarters in pursuit of the droid. Instead, since he had gotten in her path at a most… well, opportune or inopportune moment, depending on how you looked at it, the short, white-blonde pixie skidded to a halt and then backpedaled to compensate before she became in danger of falling flat on her nose. Staring wide-eyed at the man and breathing heavily, she tried at first to explain but the words just didn’t come out very well with the gulps of air coming in and all that could be seen from that was her lips frantically flapping open and closed.

“I... that…”

She thrust a finger in the general direction of the mouse droid, which was suspended in front of her face by his hand, and wagged her finger at the altogether innocent little droid. Her other hand produced a tool and some form of lubricant.

“…this is all a big misunderstanding! Just because it’s a mouse droid doesn’t mean it’s supposed to squeak like that! And it’s not mine, but…”

Her eyes darted to the door the man had appeared from, back to the man, then the mouse droid, the door, then the man again. The look on his face changed her entire expression in a flash. She looked again at the droid and tucked the tool and lubricant in her pocket before placing her hands gently on the mouse droid. A flurry of squeaks issued from the little thing and Sindy grimaced.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Mousey Droid.” Sindy blew out a large breath. “Maybe I should have asked if I could take a look at you instead of trying to just pounce on you. But… there’s a squeak coming from you that isn’t programmed.”

Slowly, she took the small droid into her possession, smoothing a hand reassuringly over its body and assuring the little droid that she really did mean to help and not hurt. Then she looked back up at the man who was certainly not as short as she was and a vaguely confused look materialized on her face.

“You’re new. Where’d you come from?”

[Zeke]

Zeke blinked once, slowly. It was his only reaction through the whole of her verbal deluge. And did she just calm that droid by petting it?

"I, um, ships. I came from a series of ships. I owned one that I used to haul freight, then I was outed as a Jedi and my ship was captured. I caught up with Ben Merasska and his Albatross, who took me to a Rebel ship called Novgorod, then I arrived here on the Wheel." The info-dump seemed to satisfy some sense of fairness in Zeke's mind. "My name's Ezekiel Saska, and I'm a Jedi Knight of the Old Republic. Who are you?"

[Siyndacha Aerin]

There were two, nay three things that this ‘Ezekiel Saska’ mentioned that made Sindy’s face light up like a Life Day tree – altogether more important than her name or his, though she could recall some mention of him in her knowledge of the history of the Old Order if she thought in that direction for half a second.

“You know Ben? The Novgorod! Did you see my… um… you said you’re of the Old Republic? Did you know Marezius Aerin? He was my Papa, my grandfather, a Jedi Master!”

Sindy sucked in her bottom lip for a second, willing to stop, as difficult as it was. She pinned her gaze back up to the Jedi’s face and looked rather sheepish, at that. Her mind just latched on to all the ultimately important pieces of information first and went at it with wild abandon, without fail – except in the rare case when she was ‘ahead of the game’, so to speak.

“Sorry. I don’t mean to…”

She shook her head and tucked the mouse droid under one arm, at which the droid seemed to have nothing to say in the way of protest (except with her excited outbursts, at which the droid emitted a low, reproachful squeak) and the nineteen-year-old girl and the last member of what was once a Code-skirting male lineage of Aerin Jedi stood up straight and properly offered her hand for shaking to Ezekiel Saska.

“…I’m Siyndacha Karolle Aerin. But you can call me Sindy if you like. You know, if you can’t wrap your tongue around my name, or something.”

Her lips pursed and for a moment she seemed to be considering something, then the thoughtfulness cleared.

“And I’m pleased to make your acquaintance… um, maybe.”

[Zeke]

Zeke blinked again. "Excuse me?" His tone was part affront, part amusement. He looked at her, seeing her, and through her, and studying her presence in the Force. It was a long, quiet moment in time. "I'll tell you what, Padawan Aerin," he said at last. "Come with me. There's a quiet room that I need for us to sit in for a moment."

He walked past her down the hall and turned a corner just ahead, trusting that she was following. He took a few more twists and turns and arrived at a medium-sized room which stood empty but for a supply locker on the wall across from the door. He turned and knelt on the hard steel floor and looked to the door to see if she was there.

[Siyndacha Aerin]

Sindy blinked, her reaction to his reaction, then suddenly feeling very awkward about the fact that he didn’t get why she was only maybe pleased about making his acquaintance. Sometimes she just felt it utterly useless to explain herself and this was definitely one of those times because he just went right on his way. It took a few moments after he walked right past her for everything to click, for Sindy to set aside the mouse droid with promises to find the mechanical creature later and walk quickly to tail the more experienced practitioner of the Jedi arts. He zigged, he zagged and she entirely lost her orientation with respect to her mental mapping of the ship’s modest tangle of corridors.

Even with the new confusion as to her position within the Whaladon, Sindy still followed along as requested where, soon enough, she found herself face to space until she looked down and saw Zeke kneeling there, watching the doorway.

This is awwwwkwaaaaaaaard.

“So, um, what are you…”

Then the possibilities from her mental catalogue of reference filled in and she paused, but any one of them could suit the Jedi’s current pose and she was left at a loss as to what to say or how to act next.

“…sorry, but what is the point of this? Wait, should I copy you?”

[Zeke]

"Catching on, already, that's good. Yes, please." He waited for her to comply, then continued. "I'm sure that you're learned enough in the lore of our old ways that I don't need to teach you the Jedi Code. Jedi of the Old Republic valued detachment, peace, and self-control, because control of the self begets control of all other aspects of your life. In a fight, control of the self is control of the battlefield. Control of the self begets inner peace, which allows the Force to fill your body and empower you with the Light to do its will. I'm going to teach you now how to breathe and meditate, to silence your mind and heart and let the Force flow through you freely. It, uh..." Now Zeke looked a little abashed, grinning in spite of himself. "You may also find this helps you get a clamp on your motor-mouth."

[Siyndacha Aerin]

His mention of her ‘motormouth’ made her rouge from her cheeks right up to the tips of her ears and the ensuing embarassment at being singled out like that ultimately shocked her overactive mental faculties into silence and compliance for the forseeable future.

“Oh, right.”

And all that other stuff he mentioned was pretty good stuff, too. Sindy shifted uncomfortably in the position she had taken up, mirroring the far more experienced Jedi’s stance, until she found the ‘just-so’ spot to make the whole thing comfortable.

“So, how do you suggest I go about this, then?”

She could probably make a very educated guess, but for the sake of the fact that she had the whole attention of a knight to herself, it was very much in her best interests to go along with it all to the best of her ability and not act like she already might know what she was doing, which was the impression she could so easily give off on a knowledge basis alone… despite the void in practical experience.

[Zeke]

"Take a slow breath, deep as you like, in through the nose and out through the mouth." He demonstrated, his hands rising and falling as visual aid in mimicry of his diaphragm. "As you breathe out, clear your mind. You don't have to empty it entirely, only filter out everything that's of no use to you. In meditation, an empty mind is best, but if you're problem-solving, you'll want to go a step at a time and clear the clutter. Say, your mouse droid problem. You'll breathe in..." He did so. "...and out..." He exhaled. "...and push from your mind concerns about the coming meal at midday. And again, and release concern for lessons in the Force. And as you breathe out the junk, breathe in the relevant. You need tools to fix the droid. You might need lubricant if there are parts that aren't moving smoothly. If it's a problem in its speakers you might need to replace that. And once you're focused, you can begin."

[Siyndacha Aerin]

“Okay.”

Sindy’s eyes slid shut and she gave a moment or two for them to adjust to the absence of direct light and the sights that were in her vision mere seconds before and started by willing away the picture of what she was physically surrounded by before beginning to attempt to put the brakes on the thought grav-trains that moved at an unrelenting and constant speed through her mind. The hardest ones to hold up always pertained to the situation immediately at hand, but at the same time they were inherently necessary to the potential success of the task at hand, as she was but a novice in the practice. As each item was heaved out of the path of calm, she breathed in and out, slowly…

I wonder if Mr. Saska is watching.

And promptly her eyes snapped open at the thought, the light of the surrounding area hitting her eyes and her head whipped around to look at her instructor-at-present. Every thought in the thousands on thousands hopped back on her mental tracks all at once and resumed speeding along. She looked away and leaned forward, pressed her palms into her eyes and groaned, shaking her head profusely.

“Tch, that does not feel good!”

[Zeke]

She'd been close...closer than he thought the hyperdrive she called a brain could come to stopping on its first try. He frowned and sighed through his nose, clasping his hands and thinking through his old experiences...and his fresher ones. He wanted to encourage her, but he also wanted her to understand how critical this exercise would be to her career as a Jedi.

"That's okay. If you need to later on, you can do this in your quarters in the dark. It will be enough--for now--to be able to clear your mind in an empty room or even with only a few people around sitting quietly. However, it is one you absolutely must master. The ability to clear your mind and quiet your emotions is a key ability that all Jedi must learn to use, no matter the situation. If you are unable to maintain calm and control your thoughts and emotions, you will be at a loss in the chaos of a battlefield or in a dogfight, or even a simple lightsaber duel. The ability to meditate can save your life." He sobered a little, his smile shrinking to a third of its full breadth. "It saved me only a few short days ago."

[Siyndacha Aerin]

The thought of her on a battlefield was a thought she couldn't quite wrap any connecting tendrils around, but the thought of actually using a lightsaber instead of taking them apart and putting them back together like it was nothing more than replacing the powerpak on a child's favourite toy garnered much more interest.

Sindy disengaged her hands from her head and looked on the older man once again.

"I already know how to not injure myself with a lightsaber."

A sheepish look crossed her face, a small yet sincere smile happening upon her lips.

"I'll keep at it, diligently, with dedication, to cover this crucial step. Um, the 'clearing my mind' thing, I mean. Do you want me to try again right now?"

[Zeke]

"Yes, but instead of trying to clear your mind, let's try using this technique to focus your thoughts on a task. Tell me what you've learned so far as a Padawan, and what you'd like to learn on your journey to becoming a Knight. If you have any unique skills, I'd like to know about them, too. If you're to become my Padawan, I'll need to know how best to teach you and where to focus your training to enhance your strengths and eliminate your weaknesses."

Maybe it was too soon to be taking a Padawan, but Zeke was determined to throw himself into the business of being a Jedi head-first. Besides, Cassie would appreciate some company, he was sure.

[Siyndacha Aerin]

"Um, well..."

She nipped back her lower lip, letting go and nipping it back again in a form that was almost like idly picking at scab, without much thought at all. Her brow creased and her eyes flicked sidewards, as if the information he requested, the same which she very much sought to give him, was difficult to find.

In reality, she was likely just attempting to construct how to present the information without being too overwhelming. That was always an issue and she knew it. He knew it. There was no bantha in the room, breathing down her neck. For once.

Oddly, the absence felt distinctly awkward.

"...I know so much about the history of the order up until the Purge that I were I able to be integrated into a computer system, I would be a repository, a valuable resource."

This wasn't bragging. Sindy was, if anything, brutally honest.

"I am, for lack of a better term, a technomancer. Augh, that term is so archaic, though!"

Her eyes tracked back to find the elder Jedi's face. She squinted, quizically.

"You saw me with the mouse-droid. What I mean is that my talking to that droid... I don't do it because I think doing so is 'cute'..."

She made air quotes around the word 'cute', then promptly dropped her hands.

"...but because the droid talks back. Well, in a sense, if you want to get technical about it. Oh, and I have a deep theoretical understanding of how the Force works and the ways in which it is used, both under the terrms of 'good' and 'bad' or, rather, 'dark' and 'light'. I've had a little speck of practise at healing with Master Laran. And I already know how to take apart a lightsaber and put it back together again, fix it... so in theory, I could build one - but I don't know how to use it, not in detail, not yet."

Again, she gnawed at her lip, before gasping as if something fantastic came to mind.

"Oh, and my technical acuity is amazing. I really should have been born a Verpine. Really really."

A pause. She blinked, looking utterly sincere.

"That all wasn't too vague, was it? I could go into more detail if you need me to."

[Zeke]

Good that she knew the history. Zeke had been a terrible scholar of the subject himself. During the Clone War his unused historical knowledge had dwindled so terribly that he couldn't even name the date of the Order's founding.

Her ability to speak to droids interested him. He'd have loved to have had her back when he'd still owned the Curvy Lady. She had to be truly skilled; nobody compared themselves to Verpines lightly. Theoretical knowledge of the rest of the Force might make practical training easier, and he could always loan her a lightsaber for drilling.

"That was fine. Good focus. I can teach you the broader, skill set that we Jedi were made famous for, and I have two lightsabers so you can practice combat with me. If we ever can acquire components, I'll allow you to make your own the very second you get them."

Zeke ran a hand through his short hair, feeling suddenly at a wall. He remembered why he didn't like impromptu anything; without prep time, his lessons and meetings were often scattered and disorganized.

"Right. Well, Padawan Aerin, I'll go and inform that Council that you've got a Master soon enough. I'll also need you to meet my family and do your best to get along with them. Especially my daughter. She could use a friend about now."

[Siyndacha Aerin]

"Well, I have both of Papa's old lightsabers. They're well-cared for and..." She blinked, Zeke's words finally impacting her. Her eyes flicked to his face once again and she lit up like a Life Day tree.

"Noway... no-no-no-way." She said in an excitable hush, that escalated, culminating in a squeak. "A Master, really? Wow.. and... but... your family?"

Her face reconfigured, scrunching slightly. Her vocal volume reduced for the second time in under a minute. "Are they nice?"

Sindy cleared her throat and spoke up a little. "I mean, I've ascertained that you're nice, but that doesn't necessarily in any way speak for..."

And promptly, her hands clamped over her mouth. Her eyebrows shot upward and her cheeks filled in with the colour of cerise.

"Rude! That was so rude!" She exclaimed from behind her hands, before lowering them and curling them into fists against her chin. "I'm sorry!"

[Zeke]

"No, no," he said, trying to wave her down into something resembling calm. He took his breath; he hoped she'd catch on. "I'm starting to get an idea about how your brain works. Anyway, yes, they're nice. You don't have to go meet them right away. They're still settling and I want them to get comfortable first. You need to practice this meditation at least once a day, for an hour or so, all right?" A sudden thought occurred to him; he snapped his fingers to catch it and pointed as he put it in the air. "Do you exercise at all?"

[Siyndacha Aerin]

Sindy rubbed her hands over her face, vigorously, before removing them from the vicinity of her face entirely.

"Meditation?" She breathed out, not quite settled yet again, but mostly so. She nodded. "Okay, I can do that."

She watched Zeke, almost feeling that she could see something trying to spark in his brain. Almost with a pure fascination, she watched, until words came suddenly out of him again. She squeaked and went wide-eyed.

"Ah, exercise...?" Her brow furrowed as she reigned in her mouth, firmly closing it. After a moment, she shook her head, the mop of white-blonde hair shifting softly to and fro. "No, not... not per se."

[Zeke]

"You need to start. My main lightsaber style is Ataru, and you'll need agility and endurance for that. Do whatever you can on your own. I'll have a regimen written up for you within the week. Right now, we each have other business to attend to. I'm going to go tell the Council that you're my Padawan and get all that squared away. You need to fix your droid, meditate, and work out. Next time we train, it'll be on the Whaladon. I'll get in touch with you when I work out precisely what room that will happen in. Any questions before you're dismissed, Padawan?"

[Siyndacha Aerin]

Sindy started to shake her head, but then stopped, thinking of something.

"Well, if it helps any, I used to go climbing and hiking with my cousin Ordon. Up until I came here, I guess. And it does take some strength to yank machines apart, sometimes. I've never really made a point of running or anything, unless something or someone is chasing after me. Though come to think of it, the last time that happened, it was a military mech and..."

She stopped, blinking, and blushing up to her ears. This time, she definitely shook her head.

"No, nothing, no questions yet, Mr. Sas -- um, I mean, Master Saska."

She grinned. It felt strangely awesome to say that, with all it meant.

[Zeke]

Zeke grinned, too. He sensed a lot of long, rambling stories in this young woman, and he was looking forward to hearing them.

"That's good. One last lesson before you leave. It's customary to bow when greeting and leaving your Jedi Master. Your Master then bows to you, and you go about your business. We can wait for it next time, though. See you in about a week."

He shook his head and rubbed his eyes as Sindy left. Lesson planning...what to do? Basics. Exercise and Boosting, to begin. "PT makes me sexy..." he mumbled to himself, putting together the drills in his mind as he returned to quarters. Five days later, he was dressed for exercise in a sparring room on the Whaladon, wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and running shoes. Sindy was due to arrive soon. He checked the chrono on the wall. "Better not be late," he admonished the empty room.

[Siyndacha Aerin]

Five days later, that darned mouse droid was chittering at her, scolding her, she almost thought as she scrubbed her face clean after rushing out her grubby-looking, greasedstained work jumper into capris, a comfortably loose ribbed tanktop and the cross-trainers Ordon had got her that she hadn't bothered wearing yet on account of being entirely too attached to her workboots.

"Yes, I know, I know!" She exclaimed, not exactly placating the mouse droid. "I did say I'd think of a name for you but... it just slipped my mind and I've been busy - well, not the usual busy, but busy enough I guess - and ohhhh I'll just..."

She nabbed a hoodie off the back of a chair, almost started squirming into it, then abruptly changed her mind and threw the piece of clothing on her rack and gave the little droid a stern look.

"...I know you don't like being called 'mouse droid' like a nobody all the time, but be patient! I'll think about it, you know... later!"

With that, she left the mouse droid to its chittering and scurried off to the designated location in quite a hurry. Someone - she wasn't certain who it was when she thought about it later - tried to tell her to slow down, but she just didn't because otherwise she would be late!

Well, thank goodness she wasn't, slipping into the sparring room, while trying almost in vain to catch her breath.

"I almost think..."

Breath in, and out, and in.

"...that it's hardly nice..."

In and out and in.

"...that the quarters are on the other side of the ship from here."

She was about to say something else, but a certain few words from five days before came to her and she promptly clapped her trap shut and bowed toward her new master.

"Hi, Master Saska...." She greeted, standing up mostly straight again. "...sorry I'm..."

She looked at the wall chrono, relief spreading over her face.

"...oh, I guess I'm not late, then."

[Zeke]

Zeke had a few theories on why the dormitories were far from the training areas, but chose not to voice them as he returned the bow. "No, but it was close," he said with a light grin. "At least I know now that you can run fast. However, we have some mental training to do before we begin the rest of your physical training. Center yourself in the Force. Let it fill you. If you've been practicing diligently, this shouldn't take too long."

[Siyndacha Aerin]

"Okay." She said, nodding, then ceasing the nodding. "Ah... I mean, yes, Master Saska."

First, she shuddered a little, quickly shaking out her body in an honest attempt to slough off the feeling from the adrenaline of booting it across the vessel so fast. In and out, she breathed, remembering how Ordon had taught her to breath in through her nose for a deeper breath, and out through her mouth, slowly. The action of this breathing had a cleansing effect that helped her mind to release its hold on the churning torrent of thoughts, suppositions, and the like, allowing the Force to take precedence in her mind, body, and senses. It was a thing that had taken many attempts to do, allowing this strong foothold that the Force now had in her being, and not letting the quick, unyielding force that was the brilliance of her mind supplant it so quickly. It had taken many of her hours in the intervening days since she had been accepted as a padawan, as well as attempts to better balance what she agreed to do as her other existing skills allowed with what she was seeking to become.

There was more to it than the pure desire and fascination of becoming a Jedi. It was that she was Aerin, and the name 'Jedi' was in her blood. Even one so detached from the emotional trappings of interpersonal relationships, nostalgia, and family as she had a great deal of understanding for what this meant.

There was a different swirling here - unlike the one that had always been ever-present in her mind. A swirling that wasn't so much a swirling as a symphonic dance of the life around her, organic and synthetic, a dance, that was also a calm ebb and flow in the same instant. It was something she, in the short time since she had begun to apply her focus to it, had come to appreciate for its own unique mechanics.

Opening her eyes, not quite realizing that she had closed them to begin with, she looked across at her master, and feeling rather unmistaken that she could feel him there, too. See him, rather, with something other than her eyes.

"Will this suffice?"

[Zeke]

"It will," he answered. In a single breath he calmed his mind and let the Force flow through him. Now, to see if she could maintain this through the coming explanation and exercise. "The Force will allow you to do many extraordinary things. You've already discovered a few of them. You can talk to droids, and understand them in turn. You can no doubt sense my presence in the Force as well. The Force will also allow you to enhance the physical capabilities of your body. We'll now do exercise to teach you this skill. The first thing we'll do is the Hundred Meter Ceiling Touch Kick."

He spread his legs to shoulder-width and crouched a bit, body leaning slightly forward, his arms online with his torso. "The starting position is as such. On the first count, you will jump. On the second count, you will touch the ceiling with your hands. On the third, you'll snap your lower body up, kick the ceiling, then land in a crouch. I'll demonstrate. One."

Zeke bent his legs and leapt straight up. "Two!" he called as his fingertips brushed the ceiling. He brought his legs up and braced his toes on the ceiling. For the briefest moment, he appeared crouched upside down on it. "Three!" He landed and resumed the starting position. "One Hundred Meter Ceiling Touch Kick. Ready to try it?"