Padawan Preparation.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei Wu Wei led Katina to the quatermaster's building. A few minutes later, Katina had everything she needed to start out as a Padawan of the Jedi Order.

1) Jedi Robes of Appropriate Size
2) Jedi Boots of Appropriate Size
3) Datapad with Basic Introduction to Jedi Philosophy and Culture
4) Standard Commlink Containing all Emergency Jedi Frequencies.

Next, Katina received her room assignment and keycard for her room.

"Get settled in. You need to make a list of items you will need from your old place. We will also need to know who we need to contact regarding your career as a Jedi. Anyone who might be family, friends, debt collectors, old jobs, and so on. The forms are in the datapad under: Transition Forms. I am going to finalize your enrollment: you will receive a message on your comm when that is finished, along with my frequency. When you are finished, call me, and we will start your formal training."

He smiled at her and inclined his head. "If you have any questions, there is usually someone at the lobby desk that can help you fill out the forms. See you in a short while."

[Katina Milor]

Katina smiled as the man moved back into the hallway and left. It had all happened so fast, that now, in her room alone, the reality set in. She was to be trained as a Jedi!

She closed the door and sat on her bed surveying her room. It was simple but it was hers alone. The bed, small chest, wardrobe, chair and table seemed in perfect proportions to one another as if the furniture had been set in place and the room built around it just to fit it perfectly. She had a small bath to the side just big enough to contain a tiny shower, toilet and sink. There was nothing else there, and apparently no need. She guessed there was some sort of dining hall, since her room boasted no cooking top or implement of any kind. And since she didn't see a holo projector, her guess what there was either never going to be time, or there was a common room like other educational institutions. The last thing she imagined she would have to hunt down is a library or archive of some kind. Surely there were things she could look up on her own to further herself.

She placed the new items and her own possessions from the small carry case in the proper places and set down to the paperwork that every new adventure seemed to begin with. Her list of wanted items was small. A few more clothes, some personal data sticks and the small holo collection that included her family. As to who to contact, her parents were all she could think of, and perhaps the factory. She had the feint feeling that by the time she had been sitting on the grass facing Master Wei, that those words had already traversed the expanse of space and were even now being pushed aside as disappointment and resignation fell into play. She only hoped her father's position wouldn't suffer because of her abandonment.

Once it was all set and done, she sent the file where it had dictated and moved to the bed. She was laying back, glancing at the sky out the window when she dozed off. She was so tired that she never heard the comm beep telling her that a message had been incoming. Anyone coming in to check on her would find her curled up on the bed with her shoes kicked off in her sleep. One was on the floor, the other at the foot of the bed, not quite pushed off all the way in the haste to be rid of them.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei noticed when his holocall went unanswered. He went back to the Padawan Dormitory and found his new student asleep on her bed. "A natural born sleeper, I see," he chuckled to himself. He took her gently by the big toe and shook her. The sine wave traveled along her body, shaking her about. Wei's chuckle became a happy laugh. "Wake up, sleeping beauty! Time to take the tour!"

[Katina Milor]

Katina startled as she felt her foot shake. Scrambling back from the hand as sleep left her slowly, she realized her new Master and shook her head to clear it finally. "Master Wei, I am so sorry. I didn't realize I had dozed off." She sat up and quickly put her boots back on again. They were fairly easy to take on and off and she was mortified she had not only fallen asleep, but kicked them off in the process.

"I did everything you asked. I am sorry for falling asleep. I am ready." She stood up and bit her lip wondering if she was going to be punished straight out the gate. She felt mortified she had missed the first assignment she had been given. Wait for the comm, and contact him. It wasn't like flying a Star Destroyer. She shouldn't have had to be fetched.

[Wei Wu Wei]

It didn't take much for Wei to pick up on people's body language. Katina practically flew out of bed and stood there chewing her lip. She was embarrassed. He chuckled. "I fell asleep on my first day too. I also soiled myself, and cried about it afterwards." He winked and gave her a big smile. He stepped out of the new Padawan's room, shaking his head and trying not to laugh too hard at his own joke.

Katina already had seen the quartermaster's office and warehouse, the dormitories, and the spaceport. After some consideration, Wei decided to show his new student the Council Chambers, the gymnasium, and the dining hall. "So, while we walk, what do you know about the Jedi already?"

[Katina Milor]

She laughed and relaxed. "I highly doubt that, but thank you for the attempt anyway." She knew he certainly hadn't soiled himself and cried, but the affect, her smile and relaxing, was probably the point anyway.

Falling easily into step with him, she shook her head and shrugged. "The usual I guess. I have seen the healers around and I know many are negotiators that work with the factory and the government to see that things between here and there run smoothly. Ambassadors, I guess they would be called." She smiled. "Other than that and that they can use The Force to help boost whatever ability they have, I don't know anything else."

She hated to admit not knowing something, it rankled her to the core sometimes. She was well aware she could never know everything about everything, but knowing about things she should, that was something she hated shrugging off with ignorance.

As they walked she seemed to memorize where they were going. Every once in a while murmuring the left, right and doorway patterns they had already traversed.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"That's actually quite a bit," Wei told his Padawan. "The Jedi have a Council. As a member of that Council, I'm required to spend much of my time here doing things like setting policy on how we deal with other governments and factions in the galaxy, how we recruit new Padawans, how they are trained, and the criteria for promoting them. We also decide which requests for aid we can fulfill, who we can send, and such as that. If you can't find me, and need me for something extremely important, check here first."

Wei beckoned her on to the gymnasium. "As your teacher, I will be holding one-on-one classes with you, but I will also be enrolling you in some group classes too. My background in many Force techniques is quite limited: owing to my handicap, I am more of a Guardian, to borrow an ancient sub-classification of Jedi Knights. My skills are martial in nature. I can teach you to improve your natural strength, speed, and stamina, and will personally teach you lightsaber combat. We will start with Form I: Shii-Cho. After that, I will teach you one more lightsaber form out of forms I through VI. Form VII is off limits to anyone without extensive testing." He his tone made it clear he would not budge on that last point.

[Katina Milor]

She was glad that while her knowledge was limited, in her eyes, he didn't think so.

She had heard the rest of his talk. The Council was something she would definitely strive for. No point in not having a goal, right? The idea of learning to use a lightsaber wasn't something she had considered. She obviously knew they used them, and had them. Had even seen them. But to be told she would wield one as well... that seemed a bit daunting to the young woman. She laughed at the idea and shook her head. "That will be interesting. I haven't wielded anything more intimidating than a simple work knife." She wasn't already defeating herself, but she wanted him to know she was going to be starting out raw in the knowledge of that.

At his mention of a handicap, she couldn't help it. She listened to him finish speaking then turned and asked him, "What handicap?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

"It's...an unusual condition. Basically, I'm only Force Sensitive when I am in the presence of a clear tone. It's odd, but the hum of a lightsaber's electromagnetic field works, too. After a while, you'll be able to use the Force to sense the presence of others. When you master that skill, you'll notice that sometimes I'm a faint presence, and other times I'm a large presence. Back during the Clone Wars, I specialized in lightsaber combat because lightsabers were my only practical connection to the Force, and as Jedi we spent most of our time fighting the Trade Federation. I rankled Count Dooku and his apprentice, Asaaj Ventress quite a bit by hiding myself and springing up where Jedi were not expected. And so, I continue the tradition by fighting the Imperial Knights."

Wei gestured towards a large building surrounded by chairs and tables. A savory smell met them as they approached. "The dining hall is here. Let's see what there is and we can have a more detailed conversation about the Jedi Code.

[Katina Milor]

Katina listened as he spoke of needing a pure tone to feel the Force and draw from it. She didn't say anything, but she wondered if her own singing would help. It seemed to just pop into her head, and cause of it, it suddenly seemed a ridiculous idea. She stifled a small giggle and nodded when he continued. "So you are a fighter? I guess I never thought a peace keeper or emissary of the Republic training to fight. Though I can't imagine all that you do being all talk and negotiations."

When he mentioned the cafeteria, it dawned on her she hadn't eaten since before they landed earlier that morning. Her stomach seemed to respond before she could and another smile lit her face. "I think that sounds good to me." And then she remembered his comment about the Code. "I don't know anything about the Jedi Code, though. So you may have to start at the beginning on that lesson." She smiled and wondered absently to herself how she incorporate her singing into a lesson later in the future and maybe help augment his ability. Surely pulling out a light saber every time he needed to do something was not the easiest or best thing.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Let's get a bite and we can talk it over."

Wei decided he could fold in her question about being a fighter into the lesson on the Jedi Code. His position as one of the foremost experts on lightsaber combat also placed him at the forefront of Jedi martial philosophy. Wei relied on the Jedi Code during the worst time of his life, and managed to pull himself from despair and the Dark Side. It kept him grounded. The Force Cripple turned over the old memories as he made his plate, grabbed a spare bowl, a shaker of seasoning, and two more glasses of water than he needed.

The pair found a pair of empty seats at the end of a long table.

"Ok," he said as he sat with a grunt, "Let's get the Code pulled up on a datapad." Wei took his out and brought up the document.

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.


"Get settled, give it a read, then we'll talk."

[Katina Milor]

Katina watched as he moved about the cafeteria. She was familiar with such places, but nothing this grand nor bustling. It was interesting to see the play of older and younger folks around. Hard to tell who was who, though, as far as student and teacher went. Bits of conversations as they passed made her realize that it wasn't age that brought promotion here, or knowledge, it was study, hard work and the desire to learn, fail and learn some more.

She followed his lead, made her plate, though in smaller portions, got a drink of water, and one of juice, then trailed him to the table. Once settled, she took a bite of food, hummed softly in contentment and watched him remove his data pad.

She read the Code he set before her, twice. It seemed simple. Almost too simple. “It almost seems like you desire, or rather, the Code desires a near Utopia. How can there be no no emotion, no chaos, no passion?” She frowned slightly, sure she was missing something. “Aren't thoset hings that bring change? I mean passion can be a good or bad thing, I am sure. But isn't it a fire that burns the heart, regardless? The thing that drives us to be better. No emotion, no chaos. It doesn't make sense how you can want one thing, but not have the thing that makes the goal possible.” She was lost, and she knew it. She had blurted out her own ignorance without even thinking.

She bit her lip and took a bite of food to cover the heat that rose on her cheeks. It wasn't the blush of a maiden, but the crimson of a girl. One who had spoken up ridiculously when she should have merely said 'I don't understand'.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei smiled and held up his glass. "Water doesn't desire to join the ocean. It simply flows with gravity until it reaches its destination. Along the way, it cuts rivulets in dirt, provides nourishment to plants and sentient beings of all kinds. It changes the face of the land it travels, but does not have a passion for changing that land. In a similar way, the suns of every solar system in the galaxy changes the planets that orbit them. They bring about warmth and light, sustain life, and due to the axial tilt of those planets, provides them with seasons throughout their cycles. This change is not chaotic. It is a rhythm--the natural order that ensures life at the most fundamental level continues without cause for worry. The Force is like water, or the heat of the sun: powerful, pervasive, and so critical to the proper functioning of the galaxy that most people wouldn't notice it until things go horribly wrong."

Wei set down the glass and took up the datapad. "Jedi maintain the balance of the Force. We help it flow, so that the galaxy can continue as it was meant to. The Jedi Code helps us to be facilitators of that change. Placid, determined, as inevitable and irresistible as the turning of worlds. The Jedi Code keeps us honest and disciplined when the power we wield becomes burdensome. It's all too easy to imagine that the galaxy as we imagine it should be the galaxy in reality. So, let's discuss the Jedi Code. It will be the bedrock from which you will grow, the standard by which you are measured, and the anchor that will keep you moored in the Light when you find yourself teetering over the precipice and looking down into Darkness."

The Jedi Knight ran a finger over the first line, highlighting it. "There is no emotion; there is peace. You have already had a lesson on this, when we tested you. That emptiness you felt earlier today was peace. Peace--true peace--doesn't mean we never feel. We are not droids. Sooner or later, you'll get angry, or sad, or scared, or excited. A Jedi must learn how to step back and assess their emotions. They must understand themselves and their moods. They need to know how to find the source of their feelings, work through it, and then let go to return to that peaceful place. The breathing exercise I taught you will help. As your training continues, we will return to this time and time again."

Wei prepared a forkful of the noodles. "Am I making sense so far?"

[Katina Milor]

Katina listened as Wei explained the Code. "So it isn't so much that there really isn't emotion, but rather, ignore the emotion, find peace. Don't worry about the chaos, it has order, it just needs to be seen?" If it was a guide, rather than an absolute, that made more sense to her.

She nodded when he asked if he was making sense. "I understand, I think." She smiled slightly. "When the Code tells us there is not one thing, there is the other, it is not saying that thing isn't there. It is telling us that to remain centered, focused and Jedi, we must be the other. So when you are in a given situation, you find out what kind of situation you are dealing with. Is it emotional, chaotic, is death involved? Then you focus on the balance aspect in order to remain true to the Code, and let that guide you to the solution." She was unraveling it in her head, she just hoped her own translation came out of her lips.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei mulled over Katina's thoughts as he chewed his food. After he swallowed the morsel, he acknowledged her. "Well, yes, actually. Though I will say that ignoring your feelings doesn't help. Keep them bottled up and you end up like Anakin Skywalker--volatile, prone to outbursts of anger, and if you're very unlucky, you fall to the Dark Side. Acknowledge, understand, and let go. As for 'There is no chaos; there is harmony," I have always taken the view that things that seem random or erractic often have a logical explanation, or are part of a pattern that stretches farther than what is easily seen. Finding the harmony where most only see chaos helps bring balance to the Force because we are able to see the bigger picture."

Wei picked up his glass with his left hand and highlighted the second line of the Code with his right. ​There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. "You don't seem to need me to hold your hand through the Code. Consider this line and tell me what you think it means."

[Katina Milor]

"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge..." She half whispered the words to herself and leaned back, her food half eaten, now also half forgotten.

"My thought would be there is no real ignorance. It's merely not knowing what something is." She bit her lip as she reasoned it out out loud rather than in her head. "So when you are in a situation, you aren't ignorant if you don't know about something, you merely don't have that knowledge yet. So you have to take the knowledge you do have and make it work for the situation." She looked at him with concern, wondering if she was somehow getting this wrong. "I'm guessing not every Jedi knows everything so we all have to pool our knowledge when in a situation so we can guide one another, and the outcome, to the best of what the Force desires."

She bit her lip and fell silent. She had tried her whole life to live 'right' but knowing there was a code to follow, and thinking that somewhere in her mind it was coming out backwards, made her realize she was going to need to study extra hard if she wanted to become a woman worthy of being called a Jedi.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei nodded. "Yes. Someone somewhere usually knows something that will help you make the best decision. Of course, the Force is everywhere, and permeates every living thing and creature. When you open your mind to it, it will tell you things. Give you insight into how to manage the people you're dealing with, or when something is wrong that isn't readily apparent. Maintaining that peaceful mind we talked about earlier will let you glean this knowledge from the Force."

"So, next we have 'There is no passion; there is serenity.' What do you make of that?"

[Katina Milor]

OOC: Sorry, been sick...

Katina thought for a moment. The Code wasn't so much a list of what there wasn't so much as a guide of what there was. "Well, if this isn't a list of what should be, and rather a guide to what if best for balance, my guess is that if you can move past the harsh swing of passion, you can find serenity. Passion is a deep feeling on both ends of the spectrum, love and hate. But if you can calm yourself and find that middle ground, then you can be clear headed, serene and focused. Right?" She wasn't sure if she was getting it, but it was starting to make more sense than it had when first reading it.

Passion was hard one because in the heat of the moment, passion is what fueled the fires of survival. Passionate love, passionate hate, even a passion that drives and protects. But passion made someone irrational and she knew, from what little she had been taught so far, that without a clear mind, Jedi couldn't focus on what was best in a given moment. So one had to learn to quiet the passion and find a balance in serenity in the middle.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei nodded, and took another mouthful of noodles while Katina gave her impression. "Yeth," he said around lo mein (even though he knew better). The Jedi Knight swallowed. "Passion is deep feeling. It's what drives attachment. Love is warm. You feel it in degrees depending on the people involved. Passion, though, tells you that you can't possibly live without that person. The one with the hair like night and eyes like starlight. The one that smells like wildflowers and has hands so soft everything else feels like duracrete. If she died, well, you may as well not live. You ought to just go away and hide. Drown yourself in anything that knocks the heart out of you, and if you're really really lucky, it'll knock you down so hard you don't get up again. Passion kills you but leaves you alive because no matter what the galaxy looks like, you can't see past the nose on your face."

Wei took a long drink of water and then took special care to set the glass down gently. "Passion wounds and leaves deep scars."

The Force Cripple highlighted the last line. There is no death: there is the Force.

"This is the last line. The last word that seals it all."

[Katina Milor]

His description of passion made her believe, with no doubt, that he had had that at some point. Perhaps it was that loss that sealed what he called his 'weakness' in the Force. "I can only imagine. I have never felt a love like that. There was a young man once, but it was merely friendship on my side, despite him wanting claiming there was more." She felt embarrassed she wasn't able to relate. Surely at her age, even a broken heart was something most people knew. But she had delved so deeply into work that she had never given herself the time for anyone to get too close.

When he mentioned the last line, and that the word 'Force' was what sealed it all, she smiled slightly. "In glancing over the other lines, and the final one, I would guess the guide is that if you can overcome the obstacles, Passion, ignorance, chaos and the rest, then you can focus on the Force and use it to guide you in what you need to do." She wasn't sure if that made sense or not, but in the first line being a guide, it made sense the rest of it would follow suit.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei filed away her story for later, and took in her first impressions of the final line of the Code. "Well, yes. Mastery of the self through the previous lines does allow the Force to guide you. It guides you to this final truth, stated simply. There is no death; there is the Force." Wei paraphrased Master Yoda. "The Force is our ally. Life creates it. Makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us, and binds us. We are luminous beings--not just these bodies. Where there is the Force, there is life. Where there is life, there is the Force. So there is no death. We simply re-join the Force after a time. One day we will all face the moment when we transform into the Force. A fully trained Jedi Knight meets that moment as she might meet a new day--without fear or expectation, but confident in the knowledge of what must be done to best serve the Force."

Wei began to twist up another mouthful of his meal. "Bear these teachings in mind each day. Stay aware of your feelings. Learn. Understand. Put aside what you think you know and trust the Force. It is your greatest, most powerful ally."

The Jedi Knight looked at his plate, speared some chicken as a sort of stopper to keep the noodles from sliding off, and ate. He watched his student to gauge her body language.

[Katina Milor]

Katina listened and nodded. "I will remember, Sir." She took the time to take a few bites of her own meal. The cycle of life was something she hadn't considered till now. It was nice to know that death wasn't the end of her usefulness.

"So in controlling our emotions, we can get stronger?" She mulled that over a moment then frowned. "Does that mean we can't fall in love, or care for someone?" The idea of having to stifle that made her stomach lurch. She already saw someone she liked in Wei. But if she had to set it aside, and never consider it again, she would do it. She wouldn't like it, and probably find a way to integrate it into her life again without hampering whatever training she got.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Well, before the Clone Wars, Jedi were trained from infancy and all forms of attachment were strictly forbidden. But even so, we had friends. We formed bonds. We cared about each other. Now, we take Padawans at any age. It has been up for discussion several times within the Council." Wei folded his hands and rested his chin on the backs of his hands. "I suppose all I would say is this: make friends, if you find love, then enjoy it. But understand it. Separate yourself from it once in a while and see how it is affecting your thinking and your training in the moment, and how it might affect your training in the future. Also, if you do form an attachment to someone or something, take some serious time out to consider what you might do if you had to be without them. Make sure you deal with that grief and have a plan. If you cannot resolve to carry on, be proactive in the face of your grief and continue to serve the Force as a Jedi, then don't continue that attachment. Fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side."

Wei shrugged. "When you are deciding about the kinds of attachments you want to form, take your time. Consider it carefully. Work it through as many scenarios and consequences as you can--the good consequences and the bad ones, too. It'll help you stay true to the Light in the end."

The Jedi Knight gathered his dirty dishes. "So, you ready to get a practice saber?"

[Katina Milor]

Katina listened as the man told her about traditions and the fact that a lover, or attachment, could be the downfall of a Jedi. She understood how that could be. There were people in her life she would die for. In the course of a Jedi's life, that liability could mean the difference between Jedi and Sith winning a battle. She didn't want her own weakness to be the cause of death and destruction. When he finished telling her to be weary of the attachments she made, and aware of their affect on her, she nodded, "Yes, Sir... I understand." It was a hard thing to think of, not falling in love. But since she never had been, she supposed it was no greater sacrifice than what she already had. She had to force her eyes back down to her plate realizing that no matter what she thought of him, or it seemed anyone else, nothing in her life would lead to a permanent companionship.

As she slid the last piece of fruit into her mouth, he asked if she was ready for a practice saber. The fruit nearly choked her as her eyes widened. "Sure... WAIT! ...A light saber? NOW?" While she was all for learning, she was horrible with anything in her hands. In stick ball she played score keeper because she had nearly knocked a guy out once. It was a great game, she just realized that swinging things around hurt those around. "I mean... isn't it a bit soon to be handing me a weapon?" She rose to remove her tray and dishes with him, but the surprise and fear were evident in her voice.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Well, not a real one. We'll start with a practice one. After all, I held my first lightsaber when I was four." Wei chuckled. "Besides, lightsaber combat is more or less my one and only strength. I can teach you the theory behind most of the other Force techniques, but you'll probably take classes with your fellow Padawans to get your practical experience."

Wei walked them back to the gymnasium, entered the practice area where some other Padawans were already practicing basic stances. They paused as Wei Wu Wei entered and bowed in acknowledgement. Wei inclined his head. "Back to your lesson, Padawans."

It was an intermediate Shii-Cho class. The students were in pairs. One attacked in a sequence, and the other blocked with a similar sequence. Each cut and block was meant to hit or protect one of five target zones. Wei led his charge past the rows of students, reached the large locker where the practice sabers were kept.

"How tall are you?" Wei asked as he looked over the boxes of weapons.

[Katina Milor]

Katina followed Wei to the gym and listened. "At the age of four?" She was at a real loss of picturing a child lifting a weapon. The only thing she remembered of being that age was playing and laughing with her parents.

She glanced at the others practicing and she felt herself wringing her hands and quickly clasped them before her. "You said you can't teach me much of anything else? Is that because you said you needed a pure tone to call the Force? If so, maybe, I mean... I can sing. Perhaps..." She bit her lip wondering if she was sounding ridiculous. She was worried about learning fighting to begin with. She would rather find a way for Wei to teach her, since she was already comfortable around him.

When he asked her size, she gave it and wondered why he was curious. Then she caught the idea as she looked at the metallic cylinders he was gazing at. "Oh, so when the blade is lit, it's not too long. I understand."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei nodded. "It's too crowded in here, and I need to check on the Forge. It's not far out from the main compound, so we'll walk. Then we can see about this singing business. I'm not entirely sure which frequency works best, only that Lightsabers work as a low tone, and this singing bowl I have works on the higher end."

He found a lightsaber he thought would work well for Katina's height and handed it to her. "Hold it so the red button is right under your thumb. It's the best way to be sure the emitter is facing away from you. Keep it with you at all times. You're responsible for this saber until your promotion to Jedi Knight."

Wei gave his student a little room. "Just real quick, go ahead and activate it. Just so you get a good grasp of what you're dealing with."

[Katina Milor]

She wasn't sure her tone would work, but if it could, perhaps she could be a help for him in his work and not just as a student. "I understand." She listened as he described how to hold the cylinder and she easily rolled it in her hand till the button was in reach. Tapping lightly she felt the hum as it kicked on and she realized the lit end had no weight. She was expecting more weight to balance it like a long pole. But in her mind she chided herself. It was energy and weight. She tilted her wrist down then up slightly. It was a weight and reach she wasn't used to. Keying it off, she nodded. "I will take care of it, Sir. I promise."

She followed him as he moved off. She wanted to get in the open to swing it. her mind told her she would have to aim and target with her finger tips but the reach was well beyond that. Would take a bit of getting used to. She saw a small clip on the handle and clipped it to her pocket on the front right and moved off beside Wei to see what the Forge was. She delivered things here several times, but had no clue what they were used for. It was a privilege and a treat to finally get to see that. A small hop added the half pace she had fallen behind and she was soon matching his stride. "When I make Knight, I will get a real one?" She figured that was what it meant but she was always wanting clarification. It was part of who she was and she couldn't stop being that now.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Actually, depending on how quickly you get the hang of the first style of lightsaber combat, you will probably get a real one much sooner. But when you make Knight, you will get to build your own, not just use one that I give to you." Wei shrugged. "Back during the days of the Old Republic, Padawans didn't get a cutting lightsaber until they were promoted to Knight. As time went on, that rule was relaxed as the Jedi Council found that giving a Padawan a cutting weapon to wield out in the galaxy was helpful. When I was a Padawan, I received a cutting weapon when I was assigned a Jedi Knight to be my teacher. As I said before, I was a Jedi during the Clone Wars, and Jedi spent a great deal of time back then on the battlefield." Wei smiled wistfully. "It was a good time to be a young Jedi who couldn't sense the Force without a lightsaber."

They stepped away from the compound. "I'll be a good 20 minute walk to the Forge through the woods. I have nothing else to do today, so we can take our time. So, let's hear you hold a good long note, and we'll see if my senses can touch the Force."

[Katina Milor]

Katina quickly and easily fell into step with her new Master and smiled. It was a pleasant enough day to walk, and she was not out of shape in any way. She was glad, now, that she had kept up her work outs even when on the long space hauls. "Building a light saber? That would be amazing." She loved the idea of making something that powerful that would be hers individually and not shared with others. "I'm guessing those war like times aren't what we are going to be starting in? I mean, I can understand a trial by fire, but is that really what we will do?"

As he spoke of the tone, she nodded and bit her lip. Where to begin. Knowing the saber was a tone he could work with, she paused just long enough to flick the saber on and hear the note. "Well, We can start at the tone we know you can use. Then we can go from there." Flicking it off, she turned to catch up then took a deep breath and parted her lips in a soft oh and let out the tone of the light saber to see if it would work. If it was just the tone, and not the saber itself, it should work. It was a harder note than any other she had done, and hopefully wasn't the one he needed. But it was a good place to start.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei could sort of feel the Force. It kind of felt...fuzzy. "Try something higher. Let's see..." He got his commlink and pressed a button. A short recording of his singing bowl played. "Can you hit this note?"

The commlink shut off and along with it, Wei's Force Sense. He waited to see what his Padawan would do next.

[Katina Milor]

Katina frowned a moment. Part of her had wanted instant success. But then again, it was a particularly hard note to hold. So perhaps it was a good thing that it didn't hit him right.

When she saw and then heard the comm link go off, her chest rumbled the note softly. And then, as he said to try it on her own. She took a deep breath, refastened the saber on her hip and opened her mouth in a perfect replication of the higher note. It was closer to her regular range and rang out clearer than the saber note had been. And, she realized as she felt the note deflating her lungs, there was plenty of comfortable range above and below this tone to play with if he wanted.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei nodded. His senses were expanding without any of the odd fuzziness that went with it. "That's much better. This may come in handy in a pinch, so we'll hold on to that."

The Forge was visible on the top of its hill. "As we approach, I'll gain my Force Sensitivity. The Forge is a focus for the Force; it pulls the Force to it and allows it to flow in a way that empowers the Jedi working within it. There's some sort of resonance that takes place in its structure that helps me. Perhaps its that I used a singing bowl when I built it. But whatever the case, since I won't need a lightsaber or a singing bowl there, a lot of our training will take place here. It's a somewhat secluded place, since I discourage people from coming out here if they're not making a delivery or forging a lightsaber. I'll try not to keep you out here all day, though, so that way you can get to know your fellow Jedi."

[Katina Milor]

Katina smiled seeing the Forge. It was as formidable a place as she imagined. It was nice to finally see where her deliveries the last couple cycles had been going, as well. "If the Force is tied to all things, as you say, I imagine creating it using the bowl and your own Force link are what tied them together. Seems that might be helpful in other places as well. Perhaps in a home, or a ship or even another weapon you create. Resonating that link between you and the object." She was thinking out loud, she realized and bit her lip. "Sorry, I tend to see things a bit more oddly than others. It is a magnificent place, that's for sure. And I don't mind being secluded. Meeting the others, I am sure, is a necessity, since we will probably be practicing together and such. And in time certainly working together. But please, don't feel you are turning me into a hermit by keeping me out here. If you stay here the most, I would rather be with you, anyway."


She watched as they came upon the forge and she was able to get a better look. The pallets she had brought with her were coming in by small launches, even as they arrived. She was amazed the efficiency at the landing pad was extended to here as well.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei smiled. Katina paid attention. And who knows? She may even be right. In fact, the Force Cripple had never even considered the concepts his Padawan was proposing. It would bear some investigation later. Well, there have been stories about Masters and Padawans sharing a bond through the Force that allowed them to sense the general location and emotional state of the other. Wei decided to save that bit of information for later.

"Ok, let's climb the steps to the Forge itself, and we will hold your first lesson."

At the top of the steps, there was a landing a few meters wide that allowed 3 or 4 people to stand in a group just in front of the door. "We will use this space to practice the basic stance for Form I: Shii-Cho. Shii-Cho is the first style of lightsaber combat ever created, back when lightsabers had to be powered by a big battery pack that attached to a cable. This restricted a Jedi's movements somewhat, so all the techniques were very simple and efficient. As such, the basic stance is meant to provide a foundation from which a Jedi can attack his opponent or defend himself without fear of entanglement or overreach."

Wei activated his saber and took the stance. The Jedi Knight started by placing his feet about shoulder width apart. He put his left foot forward, pointing towards his opponent. His back foot stood under his body, sharing about half his weight with the other and pointing parallel to the right foot. He gripped the saber with his left thumb on the emitter and right hand gripping the hilt just under his left hand. "Give each of your legs about half your weight," he told his Padawan. hold the saber so the pommel points at your belly button and the tip of the blade points at your opponent's nose."

The Jedi Knight held the stance until his Padawan could get herself arranged.

[Katina Milor]

Katina smiled. She was happy she had made him smile in return. She tended to ramble sometimes, especially when thinking, and was glad she wasn't reprimanded. "I'm ready." She nodded and followed him up the steps.

The top had an amazing view which she glanced only a moment before Wei began instructing. Once more, she was all ears. Moving beside him, she noted the stance and placed herself in exact match to him about two arm lengths away. Enough room for him to swing towards her but not strike her. She settled her feet, pulled the saber from her belt and keyed it on. The power that hummed throbbed up her arms and filled her with a sense of comfort. She wasn't sure why, but it felt 'right' in her arms. Dismissing the thought for now, filing it away to test a theory on it later, she looked to her new Master. "So this is Form I... how many forms are there of Shii-Cho?" She asked as he checked her stance and balance with a glance.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei stepped out of the stance to better appraise his Padawan. "Well, there's really only this one stance. As for the numbered forms, well, like I said before, there are seven in total. Shii-Cho is the first. Makashi is the second. It specializes in fighting other lightsaber-wielders. Form three is Soresu, which is extremely defensive and meant to combat blasters. Ataru is acrobatic, and relies on speed to be effective. Form five is a a combination of two forms, Djem-So, which requires a great deal of strength, and Shien, which is a variant on Soresu. Form VI is called Niman, and is a sort of combination of the previous 5. The last one is Vapaad (if you're a Jedi), or Juyo if you are Sith. Form VII requires you to be able to be in touch with your Dark Side, but not fall to it. I personally restrict instruction of Vapaad to experienced Jedi, since there have been Jedi in the past that have fallen to the Dark Side trying to master it. Not every Jedi treats Vapaad like I do, and I would be very grateful to see it restricted, with permission granted by the Jedi Council after rigorous trials."

Wei had been circling Katina during this time. "Pretty good, but we need to square up your hips and shoulders a little more. You may feel some stretching in your back leg, but that's ok. Bring that foot closer to you if necessary."

He took up the stance next to her. "The shin bone of your front leg should be perpendicular to the ground. If you can glance down and see your toes, you know you're doing it right."

[Katina Milor]

Katina listened as Wei described the various forms. "So each basically builds on the former one. That makes sense. You'd create a form then alter it as circumstances arose. Perhaps in time, if something more produced itself from the galaxy, you may create a new form." She smiled as Wei came to investigate hey stance. "And I can understand the fear of losing students to dark powers. I can't imagine what it's like, but if the form allows more ability to the wielder, people might use it more and more and get lost in it. Like a bad drug."

The young woman felt Wei help adjust her and got into the proper stance. "That actually feels better, too. But more natural." She smiled as he took his place beside her once more. She glanced at her feet as he mentioned them and saw the positioning. Nodding to herself she smiled back at him. "Ok...ready."

Something told her those were the two most loaded syllables she'd ever utter in her life.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Good. Hold that stance until I say. A solid stance is of the utmost importance. Your body needs to memorize how that feels. To do that, it needs time. While you settle into that posture, I want you breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Use your diaphragm, not your chest muscles. Your rib cage shouldn't move, but your belly should move in and out in time with your breathing. Recite the Jedi Code as you breathe. Recite the first half of each line on your inward breath, and then recite the second half on the outward breath. I am going to make sure things were put where I want them. I will come to check on you. Don't lower your lightsaber, and don't shift yourself. Stay facing forward. After you can hold the stance, we will continue."

[Katina Milor]

"Yes, Sir." The woman responded and closed her eyes a moment as she heard him move off.

She made a quick 'feel' of her body and how it was positioned then opened her eyes. She watched the view off the lofty perch as she focused on each part of her body. How her feet felt on the plascrete, the weight distributed across the balls of her feet. She saw and felt how her legs were sitting. She could almost see the profile of her position and the set of her legs. Her torso was not straight up, but in a balanced position that allowed for her to move in any given direction at any moment. Forward or back, left or right, she knew if she had to move, she was in a place to do just that without having to reposition.

She breathed in and out and focused each individual breath, drawing it into her and pressing it down into each limb in turn so she could sense how it affected her.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei watched them unload and open the crates, then he dismissed the workers. He would put the supplies away himself. He probably could have used some help, but that would involve training someone, and he didn't really have time at the moment. He'd probably teach Katina later. In this place, free of the burden of his disability, he could sense the Padawan breathing, mind placid. Nearly every Padawan he'd ever met--including himself--hated holding stances on the first day. They always wanted to learn to slash and cut and thrust. Wei had put it aside quickly, but only because lightsaber combat was going to be his lifeblood. He had known, even at that young age, to pay close attention and trust entirely in his instructors' wisdom.

It had worked. By the end of the Clone Wars, Wei's Shi-Cho form was nearly as good as Kit Fisto's, and his Soresu technique was improving rapidly.

He put away the things. Then he went to check on his Padawan. "How does it feel?"

[Katina Milor]

She had her eyes closed, her body relaxed and her senses trying to listen for things she hadn't considered listening for in the past. She could hear people moving away as Wei dismissed them. Then she heard other things... his movements behind her on occasion when he was closer to the door... the sounds of the landing station in the near distance.... the wind moving in and around her in the odd shape of the landing. All of it made her relax in a way she didn't know she could. She had thought sitting still with a cup of stim caf, reading over shipping lists had been relaxing. But this was something she hadn't anticipated.

When Wei spoke, she had heard him approach just before hand so it hadn't startled her. But she wasn't good enough to be a judge of distance and would have failed miserably if suddenly she had to whirl and defend herself against him in a training attack. For that much, she was grateful for. She slowly opened her eyes and glanced towards his voice though didn't move her body. "It's interesting. I thought being like this would be tiring and I would want to give up. But in relaxing, I found I could also concentrate and hear things further away than I thought." There was a wonder to her voice like a child on birthing day discovering more presents than they thought they were getting. She bounced slightly on her legs to test. "And I thought I would be stiff, as well. But I can't explain how, though I'm not."

She was surprised she hadn't been upset or felt abandoned by his instructions to remain in one position and not move. Like a lesson without purpose, she had let that thought slip away after a moment of hearing his footsteps depart. There was a reason, she just had to find it. And she half wondered if the relaxing, the senses being stretched and the realization that if she had to remain in one position she could, were the actual lessons to his instruction.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"The Force helps with the muscle tension. It aids your body in breaking down lactic acid, and making your muscles more efficient. When you learn to truly use the Force, you can learn to further boost your strength, speed, and reflexes well beyond human levels."

Wei stood next to her and resumed the Shii-Cho stance. "Ok, then. Let's focus on movement. The starting movements are circular. Shift your weight off the leg you want to move." Wei shifted his weight to his forward foot.

"When you move your foot, let the ball of your foot graze the ground. Move it in a crescent from outside to inside. Your feet almost come together as you make the arc. As you move your leg, keep the knee bent so your head doesn't bob up and down. Truthfully, the head bob thing is probably the hardest part." The Force Cripple slid his back foot in an arc that traveled underneath him until that foot was forward, creating a mirror image of his original stance.

"It might feel odd at first, but this sort of sliding, sweeping crescent maneuver keeps you from stepping on things that might puncture your boots, or slip out from under you, and things of that nature."

Wei stood back to watch Katina's first attempt.

[Katina Milor]

The young Padawan shifted her weight, as he did, but realized it was too much, as she watched his movement. Giving a slight nod when he said to try it, Katina moved her foot as he had.

It wasn't perfect, her motion pausing at one moment to catch her balance. But she finished the move with only a slight rise to her body that caused her head to move as he had. A slight smile played across her lips as she absently whispered to herself, "Have to definitely work on that one..."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei smiled. "Bitter before sweet, as one of my teachers once told me," he replied. "You'll get there."

"For today, just practice the footwork. I want to be sure you have a solid foundation. Combat is where a Jedi's mind is most sorely tested. If your training is high quality, it will ease that burden somewhat when the time comes."

The Force Cripple resumed the training. "When you sweep your back foot forward, push forward with your front leg. Try to avoid pushing up, like you do when you're walking."

[Katina Milor]

Katina continued to follow the steps her Master showed her. When her mind whispered that it was like an intricate dance, her body relaxed and she improved considerably. While she hadn't been good enough for public performances, she had been passable enough in dance in primary trainings to gain the smiles of her teachers. Thinking of this as a style of dance, made learning how to tie the various steps together a much easier thing.

She moved half a second behind him as he swept his feet thru the Kata. She had relaxed enough after a bit to keep from making obvious mistakes. She'd still need practice, but the base he set down was getting more solid by the moment.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Stance and movement are everything in lightsaber combat--no matter what lightsaber form you're using," Wei said. "If your stance is bad, it affects your technique. All the speed or muscle in the galaxy won't help you if your stance is bad. Be prepared to do a lot of standing and stepping."

Wei stopped his own practice to watch Katina. She was already improving considerably. All the same, it wouldn't do to rush.

*********

Hours later, they took a break. Wei brought his Padawan some water and invited her to sit on the stone steps of the Forge with him.

"You did well on your first lesson. Continue like this, and you'll be a good fighter."

[Katina Milor]

Once Katina began thinking of the kata as a dance, the lesson progressed a bit easier. Growing up in a physically demanding job made the work out from Wei a bit easier than it would have been had she been behind a desk the last few years. Still, by the time she was offered a drink and sit down, she was grateful.

"I can see where you need to memorize the motions and steps before chaos distracts you. I will keep working on it." She smiled and took another drink of the water.

After several minutes, when her breathing and heartrate had slowed, she looked to her new Master. "Why did you become a Jedi? I mean, I know why 'I' would want to be one." She laughed slightly. "Learning how to help people in ways no one else can is probably the easiest reason I can think of. It's one of the reasons I asked for this parts run. It was my way of helping, I guess."

[Wei Wu Wei]

"I was raised a Jedi from birth," Wei said. "I suppose I didn't really know anything else until after the Clone War. Then I knew what most people knew: a job, money, bills, a family. I returned to my life as a Jedi in part because of my father, and also in part because of a small band of tenacious Jedi Masters from my past. It's...a long story."

Wei gestured at the distant compound. "Now I attend meetings of the Jedi Council, set policy, promote Padawans, and teach classes. I also manage and maintain this forge. I help the Jedi Order achieve Balance in the Force."

[Katina Milor]

Kat listened as he spoke. "I can't imagine being raised this way. It much had been trying but incredible. To know, even as a child, the abilities you could harness someday...." The idea was out of her comprehension. She had done things, small things, as a child. But it was always when upset or in distress. It had easily been marked down to adrenalin and coincidence. To find out, even at this late age, that she had abilities like a Jedi... she was blown away still.

"I am sure the Council is better for your insight and experience." She said a moment later. She glanced at the Forge and smiled. "Perhaps I can learn about the Forge as well. It's been more of a guessing game than anything with the parts and such that we bring you. I have no idea what they are for, or how the machine, as a whole, works." She, like everyone else on the regular shipping route, dreamt up amazing and fascinating ideas of what the parts and processes were their items were being used for. No one truly knew and those who did, the Jedi that rode with them on occasion, always smiled and said it was a secret.

Being on the other side now, the idea of one day being privy to that secret was an amazing thing on its own merit.