Dark Vs. Light (Kale - Closed)

[Oriadin]

Although Oriadin instructed his Padawan to take a break and relax from their training earlier that day, Oriadin himself did no such thing. As soon as he got back to his living quarters he busied himself by looking through books and making notes on his data pad.

After completing that he made his way to the Jedi archives, stopping on the way to pick up some boots for Kale. The archives were pretty much empty. They usually were this time of day. Most Jedi were out to lunch, or on assignments at this time. Oriadin downloaded some more information onto his datapad before continuing on to the Bar and Grill.

Once there he ordered a nice cool glass of ice water and found a seat next to the window. There he waited for the arrival of his padawan who he guessed shouldnt be long now.

[Kale]

Kale had taken a light doze, then taken a quick walk in the streets around the LQ grounds. Most people wouldn't find a stroll in the pre-noon traffic of uptown Coruscant very relaxing, no matter how many fountains and arbors crowded the lane, but for Kale, it was his natural element. The air that cycled through the Jedi temple was a bit stale and sterile to his tastes. The pungent smell of industrial smog and spent repulsor fuel somehow helped to clear his mind.

He was wearing his new Jedi robes as Oriadin had asked; fortunately, he hadn't forgotten that detail. They felt somewhat encumbering--not that there was a problem with the size. Oriadin had chosen his Padawan's robes well, leaving just enough room for him to grow without tripping him up now. But even after the day's training session, Kale felt odd wearing the uniform of a Jedi.

He heard a distant clock chime pound out the three-quarter hour over the skyline and realized he needed to head for Yog's Bar and Grill. Making an about-face, he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his robe and threaded his way through the crowd.

He arrived around noon under the neon sign that marked the Jedi establishment. The NRSF guard gave him the obligatory weapons check signal, and Kale showed him the only weapon-like thing he had--a broken-off jackknife blade. The guard chuckled and said, "I think we can let that one through, kid."

Kale gave him a wry, humorless nod, then stuffed the blade back into his pocket and looked around for Oriadin. It turned out his master was almost right behind him at a window booth.

"Oh, hi there, Master. How do you expect me to find you when you're hidin' right next to the door like that?" Kale quirked an eyebrow and slid into the booth across from his master. "Good thing you beat the lunch crowd," he added, glancing around at the other tables. "So... what are we talkin' about?"

[Oriadin]

Oriadin smiled. Pleased that Kale seemed to be finding his way around the order easily enough.

--First things first young Kale!--

Oriadin handed him a menu that he'd concealed from his Padawan for no reason in particular.

--Pick something for us both. Anything and as much as you like. You look like you need a decent meal inside you!--

He joked and laughed lightly.

--Oh, and these are for you.--

Oriadin, as promised handed over the boots. Again, a perfect match in size.

[Kale]

When Oriadin had mentioned that his Padawan would need boots, Kale hadn't been too thrilled about it--he'd somehow been thinking of the reinforced work boots the miners wore on Kuwaruk Re, or at least something clunky and clumsier than his sneakers. But this was a much friendlier-looking type of footwear. The boots were sturdy, but pliable in the right places to give plenty of freedom for movement. And the soles looked like they'd walk just as quietly as his own sneakers.

"Nice," he said appreciatively. He pulled his sneakers off and found that the boots slipped on and tightened fairly easily. Now, if only they came in a different color...

The menu brought his mind to more important things. He was used to reading prices first, and anything over four credits was a splurge for him. He didn't know what half of the items were--roast womprat, plomeek soup, haggis--so he looked for something a little more familiar.

Hmm... 18-oz. porterhouse steak with a side of mashed potatoes and coleslaw... He'd never had a porterhouse before, but he knew what steak was, and eighteen ounces of it had to be a good thing.

He pointed the item out to Oriadin, who gave an affirmative nod. As luck would have it, their waiter was the same dome-top droid that had served Kale his first day in the B&G. The droid set a glass of ice water in front of Kale and glibly asked for his order.

"Two eighteen-ounce porterhouses with the mashed potatoes," he replied. "Uh, and a rootbeer for me."

The droid took the menus, and Kale could have sworn he heard it snickering under its ventilation fans.

Kale shook his head. "I swear that droid has programming issues."

[Oriadin]

Oriadin simply laughed as the droid rolled away to get the order sorted.

--eighteen-ounce porterhouse eh? You must be even more hungry than I thought. I doubt i'll manage to finish mine. It will be extreamly impressive if somone of your size manages it I must say.--

Oriadin sipped on his ice watter, using the time as a pause so he could begin his second lesson for his young padawan.

--Kale, during our first lesson, you heard me mention the sith. As well as the dark side of the force. Before we can go much further I think it would be wise to explain who the sith are and what the dark side is exactly.

Do you know anything of either of these?--

[Kale]

Kale returned his master's laugh with a smirk. "Well, you did say you were buyin'. And if nothing else, I can stretch it out into two meals."

He took a small sip of his own ice water, winced as it hit a sensitive spot on one of his teeth, then took a moment to catch up with what Oriadin was talking about.

"Uh... no, not much," he replied. "I know they're the bad guys in all the Jedi movies. You said something about the Dark Side bein' when a Jedi uses the Force for his own gain, right? I don't quite understand that."

He thought of the encounter he had with Blade Ice, and the offer he'd been given, but he thought that was the sort of thing he should probably keep to himself. After all, he didn't know Blade was in with the Sith.

[Oriadin]

Oriadin nodded. At least that gave somewhere for Oriadin to start.

--The sith were an ancient order of force practitioners devoted to the dark side and determined to destroy the Jedi and their ways. They focused on the negative energies of the force, such as hate and anger. They used the force to gain power and control. As you can imagine, this caused problems. They began to fight each other and eventually, their numbers dwindled. One had the cunning to survive however. Darth Bane. He reorganised the sith so that there could only ever be two. A master and an apprentice. The master would train the apprentice to take their place, and when they did so they would then get their own apprentice. The remained like that for centuries. Hidden from the Jedi until the arrival of Darth Sidious and his apprentice, Darth Maul.

Until that point it was belived by all that the Sith had become extinct. An attack on the Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn by Darth Maul brought revealed the Sith to the Jedi. They were very much back.

Maul was killed by a young Obi Wan Kenobi and so the dark lord had to take a new apprentice. Anakin Skywalker. A fallen Jedi and perhaps the most famous to have ever lived. He became known as Darth Vader. In the end, it was Anakins son Luke, who managed to turn him back to the light side of the force and enabled him to defeat Darth Sidious.

Again, for many years the sith were thought to be extinct but then there was life bread into the movement. Its returned to the days of old where you have many many sith, fighting the Jedi, causing havok and still, fighting themselves.--

Oriadin paused to take a breather. Hoping he hadnt over loaded his padawans mind with so much history. He'd tried to keep it brief but the story of the sith was a long and very complicated one.

--Jedi are peacefull. They dont want or need, they simply are. They seek nothing for personal gain other than knowledge and wisdom. We are teachers, advisers, negotiators. Our sole purpose in life is to serve the galaxy and promote peace and life.

The sith are hell bent on destroying the Jedi. The focus on all the negative energies of the force. Fear, anger, hate and try to bend it to their advantage. They seek power.

You also have dark Jedi. They seek nothing more than to seek havok. Sometimes they can be far more deadly than the sith.

Perhaps you are wondering if the dark side is stronger than the light? Its not. Its easier and quicker to learn, but its not stronger. Always remember that a Jedi's life is not an easy one and that you have to be disaplined, in control and focused. If you ever feel angry, or afraid or anything like that, stop, compose yourself. Take a few deep breaths and stay in control. Dont let your emotions control you.--

Oriaidn had been talking that long that the droid swung by with the food Kale had ordered. They were sizzling with steam rising from them. They smelt lovely.

[Kale]

Kale didn't have much experience in any kind of education, and most of the historical references in Oriadin's lesson went straight over his head. But he still listened intently. One of the many lessons he'd learned growing up was that knowing your enemies was at least as important as knowing your friends. He didn't know whether that translated directly into the Jedi way of doing things, but it was what he knew.

It was a lot of new information to process, and Kale tried to take it slowly. He understood rival factions well enough that he'd always tried never to get involved, but at least he could understand the motivations of a street gang. The conflict Oriadin was talking about was a great deal more idealistic than anything Kale had heard of before.

But then, he was only getting one side of the story. Maybe he ought to look up Blade Ice again sometime. He didn't understand the divide between the Light Side and Dark Side. For the present, the Jedi were treating him just fine.

Before he could ask any questions, the food had arrived. Kale felt his mouth water at the sight of the thick, juicy slabs of beef, seasoned with a little black pepper and garlic. His stomach growled noisily as he reached for his fork and knife, but he didn't bother to excuse himself before diving right into his meal.

Fortunately, the chef knew that cooking such a lovely specimen well done would be a little short of a blasphemy, so the meat was still tender, red, and rich. Kale had stuffed his mouth full before he thought about swallowing; the flavor of the steak had dramatically boosted his appetite.

"Frmell, Fi'ff neffuh fad a pfiece off meatf thiff gfoofd," he muffled through a copious mouthful. "Ouffa eatf flike thiff morf--'Scuse me. Oughta eat like this more often."

Kale took a swig of his rootbeer and began to slow his pace a bit. "You said the Sith want to kill off all the Jedi," he recalled. "Why? What do they want that we have? Everybody's got to have an agenda. I don't see why a bunch of people would get together and say, "Let's go bust heads with the only people in the galaxy who can probably kill us.'"

[Oriadin]

Oriadin washed his mouthfull down with a swig of his water. He raised his napkin and dabbed his mouth gently. Being a little more civilised that young Kale. He was very pleased to see his young padawan enjoying his meal though.

--Its simple really. The Sith are force sensitve and use it to their advantage. They use their skills to take, never to give. Sometimes it may look as though they are trying to help, but belive me, there is something in it for them. As Jedi, we swear to protect the galaxy and to promote peace. The opposite of what the sith want. We are really the only ones who can stand up to the sith, even then it is extreamly dangerous. Thats why they want us out the way. Without the likes of you and me, they would be free to do as they please, whenever they liked.--

Oriadin fell silent as he continued on with his meal. His compliments would be headed in the direction of the kitchen after he'd done.

[Kale]

OOC: Sorry for the dearth of posting; I've been busy, and I've had a bit of writer's block. Also, my senior trip starts tomorrow, and I'll be gone from then until Saturday afternoon. On an unrelated note, this is my 100th post.

Kale licked a spot of juice off his lower lip, then washed another mouthful down with a shot of rootbeer as he listened to Oriadin's explanation. A power struggle he could understand. He'd never known anyone who fought over principles unless they had something to get out of it. Morality was cheap on the streets.

"I've seen plenty of fights before," he said. "Everything from drunken sots fightin' over an insult to gang members blastin' at each other across the street. I've always tried to keep away from that sort of thing myself. Aren't there any... force users like that? You know... Jedi who just stay neutral? Would that really be a bad thing?"

Kale quickly added, "Not that I'm considering... or anything... but, you know. I was just wondering."

[Oriadin]

For himself, Oriadin always saw the Force in black and white, good and bad. Although his knowledge was pretty good he was still relatively new to the Jedi Order compared with most of the other Knights. He still had much to learn.

--Kale, ive come to learn in recent times that everything is not in black and white, as I had once thought. There are some very powerfull and very respected Jedi who flirt on the edge of the dark side. Some who kill more freely than others. Shoot, ask questions later.

Im afraid there is no line that can be drawn at what is good and what is evil. Sometimes, harsh actions may have to be taken for the good in a situation to come out in the end. I dont think there was ever a single Jedi who ever willingly fell to the darkside. They were tempted, drawn in and were on the dark side before they knew it.

It'll take time for you to work out what kind of Jedi you will be. You can only do what you have been trained to do, and what you feel in your heart is right.--

Oriadin stuffed another piece of juicy steak into his mouth before washing it down with a mouthfull of water.

--It was once thought that no one could return from the dark side once they had fallen, but that was proven wrong after Anakin was brought back by his son Luke Skywalker. It is extreamly difficult however, hence why it was thought impossible. The dark side is easier, its tempting and in some cases more attractive, but in the end it just causes pain and suffering.--

[Kale]

For Kale, good and evil meant what was good for him and what was bad for him. It had to be good for a credit-honking tourist to lose his souvenir money so Kale could eat. And for a constable to persecute him for doing what he had to do to survive, well, that had to be bad. So it was difficult to see what was inherently bad about helping himself out with the Force now and then as long as he wasn't hurting anyone else.

And if Oriadin was right in saying that there was no real definable line between good and evil, that reasoning ought to hold.

"I think I'm gettin' your meaning," Kale said. "It'll just take me a while to sort it all out, like you said. I ain't interested in superpowers; I just want to get by, and maybe make somethin' of myself on the way. I may not know much about the Sith, but I've seen what power craze can do to a person on the streets. It scared me. I guess that's why I stuck to small-time jobs."

He laughed ironically. "Besides, what kinda Sith lord would an ex-pickpocket make?"

[Oriadin]

--You'd be suprised, my young padawan. Your life before joining the order is irelevent. It makes no difference if you were a pickpocket living on the street, or a wealthy prince who lived in a palace. In some ways, a lot of ways, you have the advantage.--

Oriadin stopped to take a few more bites of his meal. Kale looked up suprised at that last comment. The Jedi Knight noticed the suprised look and smiled.

--A Prince would have been raised with everything given to them. They would be used to taking things the easy way, things being done for them.

You have the advantage because you have to work for everything. You appreciate things and you know what it is to feel pain.--

[Kale]

Kale was surprised. Oriadin had already hinted that it was easier to adapt to the Jedi lifestyle from poverty than from riches, but Kale hadn't been expecting a Jedi to acknowledge that he had been working for what he got--it might have been illegal work, but it was work, nonetheless.

He'd thought of himself as nobody for so long that it was difficult to believe that anyone could see him differently.

"Some kind of advantage," he said quietly. It was his bitterness talking, trying to keep him from saying something that would leave him vulnerable. Part of him didn't want to believe it could work. Part of him wanted to go back to what he knew and spite fate.

Kale swallowed another morsel of beef. "I coulda been worse off," he mumbled, thinking out loud. "It usually wasn't that people were trying to make me miserable, they just never cared. Even Malborn was like that."

The young padawan met his master's eyes. "Is that an advantage, Master Oriadin?" he asked. "Bein' nobody? Sure, it comes in handy when people are huntin' for your life... but after a while, you start to wonder if anyone else is really who they say they are. You wonder if anybody's really somebody."

[Oriadin]

Oriadin sent the boy a sympathetic look across the table. He wouldnt say that he knew how he felt, because that would have been a lie. Oriadin knew nothing of his life before the order, which meant he'd always felt a part of something for as long as he could remember.

--Thats something we are going to have to work on. Being a Jedi also means working on your own, but as a team. We all have to pull together and we have to work with the people we try to protect. When your a padawan you strike up a team with your Master, then when your a master, you strike up a team with your padawan.

Something you may find difficult, comming from your background is learning to trust. Using your instincts to tell who's good or bad. First, we have to install a little self confidence in you. It my opinion that anyone can be as great as they want to be. They just have to push for it. I see an ambition in you to become someone Kale, and I belive you can become a real someone. Im just here as your guide to make sure you dont wonder off the path.--

Oriadins look of sympathy changed to a warm, friendly and reasuring smile.

[Kale]

Kale fiddled with his fork as he mulled over what Oriadin had told him. Thought patterns rarely changed overnight, or even over two weeks; he was still thinking more like a street thief than a Jedi. But even as a thief, he'd known he was on a dead-end street. You couldn't make a living on pocketbooks forever. He'd always dreamed of some way out, some way he could come out better than he went in.

The Jedi Order had never really been under his consideration, but he couldn't afford to be too picky. In his memory, no one had ever shown him the kind of concern Oriadin was showing him now. Kale found himself wanting to trust him. He wanted to believe he had a chance.

Kale opened his palm, his fork lying across it, and focused on it. It wobbled a little--at least, he thought it did. Could've been his hand shaking.

Looking back to his Master, Kale swallowed his doubt, at least for now, and said, "I'll do my best. What else can you teach me?"

[Oriadin]

He smiled. Knowing that in time Kale would learn to see his potential. He'd started down the path already.

--Well, first we have to get you to think like a Jedi, and not like someone off the street. You will have to learn patience, control and calm. You'll learn the things you can and cant do, although chances are you'll pick that up with experience as I take you on missions with me.

After you've learnt to behave like a Jedi, I'll train you to fight like one, and to move like one. I'll teach you force moves which youve no doubt seen others do around the place. Like you did with that there spoon a few moments ago.--

Oriadin smiled.

--Your probably not too far off your first field trip now!--

He struggled another few mouth fulls, then pushed his plate to the side. There was probably about half left.

--Very nice, but a bit too much for me.--

[Kale]

Kale drained the last of his root beer, then stifled a mild belch under his hand. Even with all the hard thinking, he'd found he had quite an appetite. Most of his steak was gone, and about half the mashed potatoes.

Seeing his Master was finished as well, Kale leaned back, then stifled a belch under his hand. "Best meal I've had in a while," he said with a smile. "Well... I've got a lot of work to do, I guess."

There was something nagging at the back of his mind: his conversation with Blade Ice. The way the Dark Jedi had talked, it had sounded like the Jedi and their enemies were just two sides of a dispute, like any petty gang war. Oriadin had certainly presented a different side of the story, but, somehow, he just wanted a little more confirmation that Blade had been lying to him.

"Master," he said reluctantly, "have you ever... talked to a Darksider? You know... has one ever tried to get you to switch sides?"

[Oriadin]

It seemed obvious to Oriadin that Kale was leading to something with his questions, so for the time being, he went along with it.

--Ive talked with a darksider, although no one has ever tried to get me to switch sides. Well, not yet and not that I know of. Whats on your mind?--

[Kale]

"Uh..." Kale didn't know whether he ought to give voice to the doubt Blade Ice had planted; it made him feel a bit guilty in light of the conversation. "There was one in here the other day. He just gave me his sales pitch, and that was that. It's nothin'."

[Oriadin]

--Ah, Mr Blade Ice--

He replied calmly as if he already knew.

[Kale]

Kale's eyes popped. "Y-you knew about it? How?"

[Oriadin]

He replied with a cunning little smile to begin with. He could see Kale's interest draw in and so he explained.

--The newest of learners are the easiest to turn in most cases. Im keen to keep an eye on you Kale, and there is very little I miss around the order these days.

If I thought you were in any trouble, I would have come in to help, but some things are better left to personal experiences. I was interested to see how you'd cope when given the option, even this early into your training.--

[Kale]

Kale's brow crimped. "You... you've been watchin' me? But how--"

How didn't really matter. Even though Oriadin had meant it for the best, Kale couldn't help feeling a little resentful, especially after what his Master had said about trust.

"How often do you do that?" Kale asked with a little bite in his voice. "I know you've got another Padawan. Do you watch him, too?"

[Oriadin]

--I havent been watching you, but when you've been around the order as long as I have you have friends all over. Obviously they know who you are and they hear things that were perhaps meant to be kept private.

You were in a Jedi bar afterall.--

Oriadin head dipped down toward the table as he thought of Anthony, his other Padawan.

--Anthony is somewhat harder to keep an eye on. He's become influenced by the darkside already. A family member, which only serves to make it more diffiult to help him. He's been spending a lot of time with the Shrine of the Damned. He is becoming a classic case of someone who is being turned without them realising it. I cant help him either, as he never seems to be here to help.--

Oriadin looked saddened, although he kept his emotions in check.

--I am going to fail him, I can sense it already. That is why im taking steps to look out for you.

The dark side is hard to see. It has a power over the light side that somehow blocks us from seeing it coming. Depending on the skill of the dark force user, you can sometimes tell by the feeling you get around them. Mostly, you have to follow what you think is right.--

[Kale]

Kale's momentary anger fizzled out. He really didn't know Anthony--he barely knew anyone else at the order, for that matter. And seeing how concerned Oriadin was for the wellbeing of both his Padawans, Kale felt kind of bad for snapping at him the way he had.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Didn't realize..."

He left it there and set his fork back down on his plate. Something Oriadin had said didn't seem to click. He'd said that Anthony was turning without realizing it, so he must have been deceived. Then he said that the best way to avoid the Dark Side was to follow what you think is right. But didn't deception mean making someone think what's wrong is right?

Maybe he was thinking too hard. In any case, he'd turned down Blade's offer, even if it hadn't been for the noblest of reasons.

"I always used to keep from taking sides," he said. "It's usually safer that way. But the Sith haven't impressed me so far. I left the streets to get away from pointless gang fights."

[Oriadin]

--Perhaps the Jedi have only impressed you because we got in first? We were the first ones to offer you shelter and food, but would things have been different if they had come to you before we did?

I dont like to think of the Jedi or the Sith as sides of a gang. Its more a question of where you stand in the galaxy. We belive our skills are gifts, and that we should use them to do good. To help others who are less fortunate. To help the galaxy be at peace. In that respect, we have come to be like the police of the galaxy.

The sith on the other hand think that we are weak. They see thier powers as a way of being in control. They can do as they please with very few who have the ability to stand in their way. They use the force to rule.--

[Kale]

That gave Kale pause for a moment--why would Oriadin be arguing for the side of his enemies? Then he realized it was probably a test to make sure he had his mind made up.

He shook his head. "That's not what I meant. You said all the Sith are after is power. I've never given power much thought, mainly 'cause I never thought I'd have a chance to get it. And now that I've got a chance, well... I can't really say the idea isn't appealin'. But I've seen that sort of mind at work on the streets. Even the small-time gangs tear each other apart just for a few hundred square meters of real estate. And I've heard all I want to about what goes on in the big syndicates.

"What you said about the Sith, how they fight everybody else and even each other, that sounds to me like it's the same deal, only on a different scale with some different names. And frankly, well... I ain't got the stomach for that kind of feeding frenzy.

"Besides," he added after a pause, "I know what it's like to have people dominatin' you because you're weaker than they are. I'd like to think there's somethin' more to this universe than survival of the fittest. Half of me thinks the other half's a fool for sayin' this, but I think I'd rather help people out for a change... take a shot at bein' the good guy."

He scratched the back of his head. "Maybe things would've been different if it'd been a Sith who found me instead of a Jedi. I dunno. But I gotta play the hand I've got, right?"

[Oriadin]

--Indeed. In your situation you had to do what you had to do to survive.--

Oriadin looked as if he were searching for the right words as he finished off his glass of water.

--You are now in a position of strength Kale. You have to learn to think things through. All the way through. Your actions from here on in could save lives.

Playing the hand youve got is no longer an option. You'll have choices of which cards to keep, and which to throw away. Your not always going to make the right choice, no one ever does. I can see you've got heart though kid, and a lot of spirit. These will set you in the right direction.--

[Kale]

Kale idled with his straw, then smiled quirkishly. "I'll have to play you in poker sometime, Master," he said.

He looked down at the remainder of his lunch. It would make a good meal later if he could find a kitchenette with a speed cooker. Heck, he probably could eat it cold.

"Thanks," he said after a pause. "For the meal, that is, uh, and for explainin' all that to me. I still got a lot of ground to cover, but that's a good start."

[Oriadin]

A warm smile appeared across Oriadins face. He'd enjoyed his time with Kale. Not just today, but ever since the two had met. Although he didnt want Kale to know it, Oriadin had high hopes and a lot of faith in his Padawan. It would take a lot of work, but the Jedi Knight felt that Kale would go on to become a great and wise Jedi some day.

--Thankyou for you company Kale. The best thing to do is to be patient. Things will come in time as and when they are meant to. You've already made excellent progress.--

You could tell by the tone of the conversation that this meeting was all but over. A lot of the theory had been covered today, perhaps it was time for a little more practical.

--Im planning a trip to Couruscant within the next couple of days. Id like you to join me. Im not clear on what the mission is exactly but I doubt it'll be anything too taxing. Im due to meet with the council tomorrow about it. I'll let you know more after then.--

[Kale]

Kale's eyes popped at the mention of a mission. Inner-city Coruscant was familiar territory to him, but any kind of official Jedi business was a new frontier.

"Uh, did you say mission?" he asked tentatively. "I, uh... Okay. What part of Coruscant?"

[Oriadin]

--That, I wont know until I meet with the council. I suspect it will be low levels. Thats usually the really rough areas that tend to be neglected.--

[Kale]

"Uh-huh," Kale replied diminuitively with a comprehending nod. He'd been to ground level once or twice, and that had been enough to convince him to stay in the midlevels. There were parts down there that weren't terrible, except for their proximity to the parts that were, but, as a rule, lower Coruscant was a trap for paupers, drunks, and druggers, and practically the only way to make money was over someone else's dead body.

Of course, he felt he had the street savvy to deal with it, as long as Oriadin did.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," he said. "Anythin' I should do in the meantime?"

[Oriadin]

The boy was keen, he had to give him that.

--You could find your way to the Jedi archives and read up on some old Jedi Stories. If I've ever got some free time I usually spend it in there reading.

Get to know people. Council members if they have time but anyone really. Any friends you make are allies. We try to work as a team here, so the more friends you have the better your chances of getting out of difficulty.--

[Kale]

Kale furrowed his brow; he really hadn't made many acquaintances in the order yet, but he could see he'd need to. That'd be a change. He was used to working alone. But this definitely wasn't the same kind of work.

On top of that, he wasn't used to reading much of anything longer than a street sign. Maybe he'd have to change that, too.

"I'll see what I can do," he said.

The dome-topped droid bumped by again and gave a surly bleep.

"Uh... two take-out boxes, I guess," Kale said, gesturing toward both his and Oriadin's plates.

A compartment opened on the droid's body, and it spat two styrofoam boxes onto the table. Then a robotic arm snaked out and dropped the check on the closest of the two boxes, and the little droid wheeled away.

[Oriadin]

Oriadin picked up the bill before Kale got the chance to see it. He took a quick glance. His eyes then darted over towards his padawan.

--I will see to this, unless you feel like doing some washing up!--

He joked, before standing up.

--After my meeting with the council, I will inform you of whats occuring. Im not sure how soon they will want us to leave, but I imagine it will probably be some time soon.--

[Kale]

Kale hadn't even made a move toward the bill; he couldn't pay it, and he didn't want to try. He was perfectly willing to let Oriadin be generous.

He stood as well and set about packing the remains of his meal. "Sounds fine to me," he said noncommittally. He still was a little flustered at the idea of going on a mission, but at least it would be in surroundings that were familiar to him. Besides, he figured they wouldn't send a rookie on anything dangerous... Would they?

Kale scooped up his carry-out. "So... I guess I'll see you later, Master."