Jhoren Zeur

Jhoren eyed the pack in the distance, sensing every movement that came from it. The hounds in the larger group had in fact either heard ”“ or seen ”“ Jhoren cut down the two beasts resting underneath the tree. One of them started circling the tree in the distance, as if egging him on to go over to it and challenge it to a fight. He knew that it was normal for Kath Hounds to do this. It was more of a defense mechanism than anything, as far as he knew. Kath Hounds ”“ excluding Horned Kath Hounds ”“, when provoked were unpredictable. They did not hesitate to attack those who they deemed a threat to the rest of their group. ”œI think we should attack the pair to the right of the tree,”

Jhoren went on ahead, the lightsaber that Kirana had given him earlier still not yet ignited. He would wait until the last minute to activate the blade, as to preserve the all-important element of surprise. He made sure to avoid the taller grass surrounding the tree. Kath Hounds were known for having keen hearing, whether they were sleeping or not. He knew that it didn't take much to render one awake. He probably wouldn't be able to come in arm's length of either one, so he would have to move swiftly, and be precise with his movements to strike them both down without having to chase either one down. He made his way to the tree, and crouched down low to remain hidden. All the while, he remained on alert in case there were other hounds near by. He did sense another group - a larger group - a good distance away from the tree, so he knew that he'd have enough time to kill the two animals on the other side of the tree, rendevous with Kirana, and move on to deal with the remaining pack. He pressed a hand against the tree, and slowly started to work his way around it. He held his hilt out in front of him, should one of the hounds become aware of his presence and decide to attack him. He kept his thumb on the ignition button, and finally made his move. He leapt forward, and before either hound could react, the blade of his lightsaber was ignited, and had already cut through the middle of one of them. The other one sprang to its feet and lunged at him, but before it reached him, he quickly spun to his side and plunged the blade into the right side of its body. It snarled in pain, collapsed to the ground and stayed still. Finally, he deactivated his weapon, his senses still on high alert. He could sense that the larger group of Kath Hounds had been alerted to something happening nearby, though as far as he could tell, they weren't running away or coming to the tree to investigate what had happened. He made his way over to Kirana again, and jerked a thumb over his shoulder, towards a much larger tree in the distance. ”œThere's a larger group of them back there,”

Doing as he was told, Jhoren reached out with the Force to see if any Kath Hounds were near - or tried to. He recalled what he had done during his training exercise with Kirana. He'd been able to move the bamboo pole with the Force, and had even managed to hold up against his master during their short - yet all the more grueling - sparring match. So why wasn't he able to tell if there were any other life forms nearby? He sighed, then shook his head to clear his thoughts. He remembered doing that back at the temple, when he had first moved the pole. He closed his eyes, and, concentrating as hard as he could, was able to expand his senses over a fairly large distance. What he saw - or thought he saw - were a couple of Kath Hounds resting on the other side of the tree. They appeared to be oblivious to the fact that there were two Jedi nearby, for he didn't sense any sudden alertness from the pair. He opened his eyes, and almost immediately, the vision of the two Hounds vanished. He looked back up at Kirana, his hand already moving to his lightsaber. He quickly brought it from his belt, but did not yet ignite it. ”œThere are two of them,”

Jhoren shook his head. "No," he replied. "I'm ready." He was anxious, though, about this. After all, if it hadn't been for Kirana, he would have become Kath Hound meat when he met her for the first time. However, he felt more confident in his fighting abilities, so he didn't think that a couple of Hounds would prove to be of any real challenge to him now.

Jhoren took the datapad from Kirana and slid it into his pocket. He'd read the information that she had stored there, after he was given a bit of downtime. He stood up from his chair as well, and followed her as she proceeded to make her way out of the library. His head was still spinning, regarding all of the information that he had taken in while studying at the terminal. There was, without a doubt, more for him to learn about in the archives. However, that would have to wait. They had exited the temple and were now outside. There was a gentle breeze blowing, though that didn't change the seventy-five degree weather that Khoonda was now experiencing. However, the warm temperature aside, it was a fairly nice day. ”œWhere are we going?”

Doing as he was told, Jhoren went back to his terminal and sat down again. Once again, he brought the machine to life, and browsed through the various topics until he found the one he was looking for. It read: ::Lightsaber Crystals:: It was, obviously, the exact thing he was looking for. He selected it, and was met with an entire paragraph explaining what lightsaber crystals did, what they were used for, and the different varieties of them that had already been discovered all over the galaxy. -- It took him several minutes to fully understand the purpose of lightsaber crystals. After he had finished reading all of the text, he looked back up at Kirana again, over the top of his screen. ”œIt says that they're used in the construction of lightsabers,”

"The Jedi Guardian class looks interesting," he said, seeing Kirana look up from her monitor and at him. He took one last look at the other classes that were listed on the screen, but he didn't go back to re-read them. The Guardian class appealed to him more than the other ones did, so he shut the terminal off. He pushed his chair back and stood up, then walked over to Kirana to see what she was doing. He set one hand on the back of her chair, and, seeing the datapad relaying some of the information from her own terminal. He assumed that it was for him, and that she'd give it to him after they were finished in the library. His eyes scanned the screen of her terminal, to see what it was that she was going to have him learn about. "Lightsaber combat," he stated, reading the text. "Lightsaber crystals. "What are lightsaber crystals?" he asked her, shifting his eyes from the screen to her.

Jhoren sat down at one of the open consoles, which was across from Kirana. He pulled his chair in closer to the system, then activated it. Almost immediately, it shimmered to life. He scanned the text quickly, remembering what Kirana had told him earlier about the six Jedi classes that he was to choose from. What he saw on the screen was: ::Jedi Guardian:: ::Jedi Sentinel:: ::Jedi Consular:: ::Jedi Ace:: ::Jedi Naturalist:: ::Jedi Exorcist:: He moved the cursor over the ”˜Jedi Guardian' option and clicked on it. Several lines of text replaced the list of the classes, and now, read: ::A Jedi Guardian is the name given to a Jedi whose skills and talents lay in battle, a light side mirror of the Sith Warrior. They often concentrate on martial training and combat and are usually engaged in combat more than any other Jedi, though they are no less skilled at diplomacy. Like all Jedi, they are keepers of the peace, acting as a kind of special police force for the Galactic Republic. Guardians traditionally wield blue lightsabers, though this is not a rule. Once a Guardian attains the rank of Jedi Master, they are given the honorific title of Warrior Master. According to legend, it was two Warrior Masters along with the two Sage Masters who constructed the Jedi Temple on the galactic capital of Coruscant.:: After reading the description on Jedi Guardians, Jhoren peered over the top of his console to see what Kirana was doing. The Guardian class appealed to him, but he would discuss this with Kirana, to better decide what his true path should be... ((OOC: Credit to Wookieepedia for the information.))

Seeing Kirana motion for him to sit down, Jhoren did as such. He sat down across from her, watching her as she ate her meal, and listened to what she had to say to him. He found it interesting that one could sense the presence of another by using the Force; he was eager to try that himself. He bowed his head, then shut his eyes. He tried to picture the cafeteria in his mind. The metal tables and chairs... the patrons - Jedi, every single one of them - dining around them. He excluded the other thoughts that were pushed to the back of his mind, and concentrated on his surroundings. He squeezed his eyes shut even further, as a mental picture of the cafeteria suddenly flashed into his mind. His eyes weren't open, that much he was sure of. However, something was happening that allowed him to... see... what was going on around him. He could sense the two Jedi Knights sitting at the table next to them, sharing the tales of their journeys with one another. He delved even further, and sensed a group of Jedi Younglings sitting near the opposite end of the room, separate from the rest of the higher-in-rank Jedi Padawans, Knights, and Masters. Whether or not this was a choice that they made, he didn't know. He reached out as far as he could, and felt other presences approaching the room. They were obviously powerful; they gave off, he figured, a certain kind of Force presence that made them easy to detect. This was incredible. Before today, he had absolutely no idea that he could tell if others were near, simply by reaching out with the Force. He found himself becoming more intrigued by the second. Who knew what other surprises Kirana had up her sleeve? He didn't know, yet he yearned to know. He wanted to know what he could do; he wanted to test this newfound power, and find out all that he could about it. What he could do with it, what he couldn't... that sort of thing. Slowly, he opened his eyes. His eyes met Kirana's once more, and what was the faintest hint of a smile, turned into a broad, bright grin.

It was only a couple of minutes after Jhoren had finished his meal, when Kirana came into the cafeteria, as well. He looked up as she came in, then excused himself from his table. He walked over to where Kirana was sitting, seeing the food and juice on her tray. He didn't know if she wanted to eat by herself or not, so he waved a hand at the chair opposite her. "Do you mind if I sit down?" he asked her.

Jhoren continued to eat his meal, listening in to the conversation that two other young Jedi were having near the end of his table. He wondered where Kirana was; perhaps she was still talking to her friend who had stopped by? As he ate, he mulled over everything that he had learned so far. From how to use and manipulate the force to his liking, and how to wield a lightsaber. It was amazing, really; he had learned so much already, and in less than a day. He was just about done with his meal, and when he was, he'd go looking for Kirana again.

Jhoren deactivated his training saber, and clipped the hilt back onto his belt. He gave Kirana an enthusiastic, yet forced smile, and made his way out of the sparring chamber, bidding his temporary farewell to the other three who were in the room, as well. He wandered through the Jedi temple, passing the other men and women who were part of the Order. He was able to find the cafeteria easily enough. There were dozens of other people there already, eating their meals and conversing between themselves. The room wasn't very noisy, which surprised him. Everybody here ”“ the Younglings and Padawans included ”“ were all very well disciplined. There was no shouting, or calling out from anybody there. Despite this, everyone seemed to be both happy, and friendly. Jhoren was given a tray with a plate of food on it, as well as a glass of Blue Milk, and was allowed to choose which table to sit down at. He sat down with at the end of one of the tables with a couple of younger students, all of whom greeted him with ”˜Hello's' and friendly smiles. He started on his meal, joining in the conversation that the other students at his table were having.

Jhoren, still in shock by what he had just seen, had to take a couple of moments to process what it was that Kirana was saying to him. He honestly didn't know if he'd even learned anything; perhaps he had taken the next step in using the Force to aid him in combat? He certainly felt something while dueling against that hologram. He felt stronger... more proficent with his training saber, even. "I-I don't know," he stammered, looking at her. "I guess..." He paused. "I felt something, Kirana," he said. "I felt stronger, in a way, as I was dueling against the hologram. I can't explain it, really... but I've felt it before. What is it?"

Jhoren no longer paid any attention to the holographic image of himself. He focused on the lightsaber instead, watching the hologram as it hurled the weapon towards him. His right arm shot out in front of him, almost at the same time as the lightsaber left his opponent's hand. He called upon the Force, summoning whatever power he could into his hand. His eyes narrowed, and he brought his hand over so that his palm was facing the weapon. He slammed his right foot down on the ground, in front of his other one, and used the Force to push the weapon back to where it had come from; at the hologram. The eyes of his ”˜mirror image' widened, clearly caught off guard by this sudden decision. Before it could make any move of its own, the blade of its lightsaber flew over its left shoulder, leaving an ugly gash near the side of its neck. Jhoren didn't stop there. He charged forward, bringing his arm back behind him as he ran. His opponent glanced up, seeing him coming. For the first time, it seemed to think that doom was imminent for itself. It started to slowly back away from him, but even that didn't help it. Jhoren swung, with all of his might, towards the hologram, and felt the blade connect with its side. The sound of lightsaber blade upon materialized flesh ”“ along with the agonic scream that left the hologram's lips ”“ echoed throughout the sparring chamber. The image of the seventeen-year-old Sith flickered once, before it shut down, bringing the scream to an abrupt, yet welcomed silence. Jhoren stood there, breathing heavily. He couldn't shake the image of the hologram's ”“ his ”“ eyes filled with terror. It had underestimated Jhoren, though even he was amazed that he had made it through the fight without being too badly injured. A dull ache had replaced the searing pain that he first felt when its lightsaber hit him, but even that was starting to go away. He slowly turned back to Kirana, his eyes wide, showing almost the exact same thing that the hologram's had shown, and that was fright. ((3; didn't have alot to go off of, since I was dueling against myself. I'll let whoever else wants to post next, post.))

The holographic image knocked Jhoren's blade away, and managed to barely scrape his hip with its own, crimson blade. He felt as if somebody had taken a knife to his side; the pain was that intense. However, it was gone almost as quickly as it came. He glanced down to his robe, but to his surprise, he didn't see any tear in the fabric. It appeared to be unscathed, though he didn't have the time to find out for sure. He was forced to dodge around the next couple of moves that the hologram performed, all the while, feeling the Force as it flowed through his veins, providing him with the strength and willpower he needed in this fight. He ducked the following attack brought on by the hologram, which was aimed for his cranium. He countered it with a swift jab to his opponent's leg, but was unsuccessful, for it managed to spin away from his blade. He brought the blade back up, and to his surprise, the saber grazed the hologram's chest. It let out a pained, yet vicious cry, unlike anything that Jhoren had ever heard before. It sounded like an animal, really. It was obviously upset that it hadn't been able to strike Jhoren down yet. Both he and the hologram were putting up a decent fight. The only mistake that it had made so far, though, was losing its temper. Its attacks were becoming wilder and more inaccurate than before, which threw off its aim and balance. It was forcing itself to the edge, and it was only a matter of time before Jhoren would try to deliver the final blow. The hologram's lightsaber suddenly left its hand. It cut through the air, soaring towards Jhoren's neck. It would - he was sure - injure him in some way that would put him out of the fight. ((2))

To his surprise, the holographic image that now stood before him, was”¦ him. The image was obviously him, but its skin was white”¦ and its eyes bright red. It stood there, smirking at him. It had its lightsaber in its hand, though the weapon was not yet ignited. He knew that the hologram expected him to ignite his lightsaber first, but he couldn't bring himself around to do so. It was obvious to the other four who were watching that he was still in a state of shock. He couldn't help but think that if he were to defeat this”¦ thing, he would be killing himself. "Aren't you going to do anything?”

Jhoren set the bamboo pole on the ground and walked over to Kirana. She set his hand on his shoulder, and introduced him to Xen-Que Poleb. He gave the man a polite nod, and said: ”œIt's nice to meet you, Master Poleb.”

Jhoren didn't expect Kirana to swing the pole at his legs, so he was forced to leap out of the way. He felt the end of it brush against his ankle, but luckily, it didn't catch his legs full-on. As soon as he landed on the floor, he gripped the pole with both hands and paused. He knew that he would have to pull something extraordinary off to catch Kirana off guard ”“ which he knew he wouldn't be able to do; not yet, anyway ”“ and, hopefully, use the pole to make contact with her. Before he made his next move, Jhoren was able to calm himself down. He was eagerly anticipating any move that his master would make, but he hadn't taken his time to pace himself, or attempt to use the Force to aid him in this fight. Now, he opened his mind, as if to give the Force ”˜permission' to flow through his veins and give him that extra ”˜boost' he needed to duel against Kirana. He sent the end of the pole around, then jabbed forward with it. He quickly brought it back up, intent on disarming her instead of trying to hit her again.

Jhoren stepped forward, still holding the pole with both hands. He held it down by his side so the end of it touched the ground, his gaze meeting his master's. He watched her as she circled him, and grittied his teeth. He anticipated the moment when their weapons would lock, at which time, he would attempt to turn the tables on her. He set his right foot in front of his left, and raised the end of the pole up, off of the ground. His eyes never left Kirana's, even as he brought the weapon down, intent on making contact with her left side.

Doing as he was told, Jhoren picked one of the bamboo poles up for himself, and positioned his feet so he was in a combat-ready stance. As before, he opened his mind, making sure to relinquish all thought, and concentrated on the task at hand. He was going to duel against Kirana, a Jedi Master. He knew that he probably wouldn't stand a chance against her. Nonetheless, he decided to go along with what she wanted him to do, and readied the bamboo pole, gripping it with both of hands. He swung one end of it down, so it touched the floor, and anticipated the moment when his master would strike. ”œI'm ready,”

Jhoren listened to Kirana's story, intrigued. He could understand Nomi's hesitance of using a lightsaber, despite him having never been put into a situation like that before. Her story made him curious as to what his grandfather experienced while he was part of the Jedi Order. Had he ever permitted himself from using a lightsaber? What kind of things had he seen? What wars had he partook in? Jhoren was sure that there was some way to find all of this out. He would have to remember to ask Kirana all of this later. Before he could ask her any other questions, she turned her attention to Malin. As she started to speak to him, Jhoren made his way over to the training remote and picked it up from the ground. He set it on the highest shelf of the rack that held the other equipment, and clipped his lightsaber back onto his belt. After securing it in place, he made his way back over to Kirana.

Jhoren did as he was told. Forcing all of the negative, nagging thoughts out of his mind ”“ which proved to be difficult ”“, he turned back to where the remote was. He lowered the blindfold back over his eyes, and once again, swung the lightsaber up in front of him, gripping the handle with both hands. Despite the fact that he couldn't see anything due to the blindfold, he still closed his eyes, as if to permit his mind to enter a meditative state. Recalling ever positive memory that he could remember, he was ready to, once again, face off against the remote. The first shot rang out. As if on instinct, the blade of Jhoren's training saber cut through the air, and caught the bolt before it hit him. The sound of the deflected energy bolt motivated him to press on with this exercise, regardless of whether or not the following bolts hit him. He took two steps back, swung the lightsaber down to his side, then back out in front of him, warding off three more shots in the process. He was feeling stronger, and his reflexes were quickening after every bolt he blocked. The remote circled around him now, and, once again, fired pot shots at him. He wasn't able to deflect every single one, though the ones he was able to block were deliberate, and carefully aimed. One of them caught his left knee, though the following series of six energy bolts were deflected with a single, swift swing of his saber. He couldn't explain it, but as he continued to ward the energy bolts off with his lightsaber, he could have sworn that he could actually see the remote, and where it was in front of him. He could almost sense its presence, in a way ”“ he could hear the metallic whirring of its innermost mechanical makeup. Was that what was enabling him to ”˜see' it? Finally, after having blocked at least a dozen more energy bolts, he deactivated his lightsaber. He was relieved to see that the remote had shut itself down, as well. He pulled the blindfold off and turned back to Kirana, his smile as bright as it had been when he moved the bamboo pole for the first time. ”œI”¦ I saw something,”

Observing the example that Kirana had set for him using the blindfold, Jhoren found it hard to believe that he would be able to ”˜see' without actually using his sense of vision to know where the remote was. He was hesitant with using the blindfold, but he trusted Kirana's judgement. He did as she asked and turned around to let her tie the material in place around his head. Surrounded by nothing but darkness now, she turned him around to face her. He couldn't see what she was doing, nor could he see Malin or Kenshi. This exercise would certainly prove to be a challenge for him, or so he thought. He nodded. ”œI'm ready,”

"This will get you started while we work out a few things. This training remote won't hurt you but it will deliver a sting if it hits. Use the lightsaber to deflect the laser bolts, use the Force, trust it. Let it guide your movements." ”œAlright.”

As soon as Malin had started to speak, Jhoren deactivated the weapon and, seeing where both he and Kirana kept their own lightsabers, clipped it onto his own belt. He listened to the Jedi Master carefully, refraining from speaking until after Kirana had spoken, as well. It was interesting how one could look back into the history of their family like she had, and learn more about their ancestors, who they were, and what they did. That made him curious as to whether or not his parents were Jedi; his grandfather had never really gone into detail about what they did when they were alive. All he had been told was that his father was a bartender, and his mother stayed at home to take care of him. They weren't poor by any means; they had a home, and his father made a surprisingly good living bartending at one of the cantinas in the lower levels of Courscant. ”œI understand,”