Tatooine

[Ob Ordeena]

A spherical patrol droid glides across the desert. It has been hours since the droid has picked up anything ”“ the desert is quiet today, too quiet. Once again, two receivers extend from the patrol droid's top. Once again, the droid doesn't sense anything. As the patrol droid turns around to head off in a different direction, it does sense a couple creatures moving about in the distance. The patrol droid immediately zooms off in the direction of the Jedi.

[Toster]

Having heard and understood his master, Toster began to run in the direction of the mountains. By way of judgment, he concluded that they were atleast 10 miles distance away from him. He would never be able to run 10 miles in the pace at which his master was moving, especially not under the scorching heat of Tatooine's twin suns. "I must focus, or I'll die of exhaustion.", Toster thought to himself as he tried to keep up with his master's long strides.

After a few minutes he began to feel an intense heat coming over his body. "Focus.", he thought once again. As he started to channel the force through his legs he began to feel a wave a relief. He used the force to move his legs up, than forward, than down. Although this took some effort, it saved his leg muscles from fatigue, and increased his speed considerably. He continued to run alongside his master, hoping that the Jedi Master wouldn't begin to accelerate.

[Keiran]

*The Strife III exited hyperspace over the planet Tatooine. Keiran flew the ship towards a random location in the desert and touched down. Keiran and Ben'a exited the ship, Keiran then spoke.*

 

"Well, we've arrived. Secluded, open, and sunny, perfect place for you to learn how to handle your lightsaber. Now I know you recieved basic training on Hoth while the majority of the jedi were at Nghathul, did that training include saber training?"

[Goodwood]

*As Ben'a walked down the exit ramp of the Strife III, he had to shield his eyes against the glaring sun...Tatooine was indeed what everyone thought it to be. The Padawan regarded his Master as the question of his training was posed.*

 

"Yes, Master, I did recieve basic saber training. I was able to observe two practice duels of quite different styles, as well as engage in one of my own."

 

*The Padawan smiled wryly, contemplating the deactivated weapon held in his hand...*

 

"I don't think I need to tell you the result of that contest, but I feel that I have learned more since then..."

[Keiran]

*Keiran stared out at the horizon, thinking, finally he spoke again.*

 

"Well every jedi's lightsaber handling is different, everybody has a unique style, which you will develop in time. Since you've already had basic training with a lightsaber, I think the only logical way for me to help you in that aspect is to have a duel and give you advice afterwards... Are you ready?"

[Goodwood]

A duel, huh...?

 

*Ben'a nodded at his Master as he fiddled with the saber hilt in his hand, adjusting the power setting of the blade. The Padawan knew this might be a possibility, so he had included this function in its construction. When his saber was ready, Ben'a nodded again to his Master.*

 

"Yes Master, I am ready...

 

*Ben'a then activated his saber, again the emerald blade gave a snap-hiss! and extended as the Padawan assumed the classic neutral stance.*

[Keiran]

"Good"

 

*Keiran reached to his belt and grabbed his lightsaber. Adjusting the power level, Keiran set the blade so it would mildly hurt, not cut through flesh outright. Keiran then pressed the activation switch and the brilliant white blade extended out, Keiran then bowed.*

 

"Good luck"

 

*Keiran, holding the hilt loosely in his hand, stepped forward and swung quickly and lightly to Ben'a's chest...*

[Goodwood]

*The blow was easily blocked by the Padawan with an upward jab of his own saber. With a twist, Ben'a pushed the white blade aside, and with a quick sidestep to his right, sent his own slash right at his master's legs, the blow catching the Jedi Knight almost by surprise as it was deftly blocked.*

 

Be aggressive, Ben'a thought as he recalled the blind teacher's words back on Hoth...

 

*Yanking his saber up, the Padawan backed up several feet, and then lunged at his Master again. But this time, holding his saber high, he slid into the ground with his foot out, sending sand into the face of his Master.*

[Keiran]

*Keiran jumped backwards, holding his saber in a defensive stance. Keiran held his eyes shut due to the sand that had filled them.*

"Nice move Ben'a, distractions are always a plus, though you don't always require your eyes to fight."

*Keiran opened himself to the force and allowed himself to be controlled by it.*

 

"Though you do require the force"

 

*Keiran took one step forward and jabbed at Ben'a with his saber. The thrust was easily blocked. Keiran held his saber locked against Ben'a's as the two sabers pushed against each other.*

[Goodwood]

*With his and his master's sabers locked, Ben'a took the advice and opened himself to the Force, letting it guide him as well as his blade. The energy beams continued to push against eachother when suddenly, the Padawan at once swung his saber back around, and took yet another quick sidestep to avoid the sudden momentum of his master's weapon. The two Jedi stood there, in the sand, barely two meters apart...both deep in the Force...*

 

Feel, don't think...

 

*Again, the Padawan lunged at his Master, closing his eyes as he let the Force take over his actions. Ben'a could feel as his master brought his weapon up in defense, could feel his master preparing to block, but just as easily, he could see what might happen.... With a speed that surprised even Ben'a, who knew he was doing it, his emerald blade gave slash after slash in rapid succession. Master Keiran managed to block most of the attacks...*

[Keiran]

"He's learning quickly..."

 

*Keiran blocked another of Ben'a's attacks but changed the pace, immediately after the block, Keiran lunged forward and stabbed at Ben'a. Without waiting to see if he had struck, Keiran pulled the saber back, pirhouetted 360 degrees and swung at Ben'a's head but stopped the saber halfway and twisted his wrist, causing the saber to rotate and come up at Ben'a's chin from below. *

[Goodwood]

"Holy Correlli, he's fast!"

 

*The Padawan had managed to avoid the forward stab, but what his master did next surprised him quite thoroughly. As the white saber of his Master hummed at his throat, Ben'a chastised himself for letting his own speed surprise him -- if it hadn't, he might have connected -- but Ben'a knew that his master had him this time...or did he? The Force was still with him...*

 

"You've got me, Master..."

 

*The Padawan said this matter-of-factly, but as soon as the words were out, Ben'a did a back-flip, knocking away the saber with his own on the leap. The Padawan's feet were on the ground for barely a milisecond before he took off at a run, hoping his master would follow...*

[Keiran]

*Keiran smiled as Ben'a began running*

 

"I regret to inform you Ben'a, that you cannot run from me"

 

*Keiran pulled a piece of wire out from his utility belt, the wire had two weights on either end, the wire was a small tool from Keiran's bounty hunting days. Keiran held the wire by one weight and spun it in the air for a couple seconds, he then let go of the wire and used the force to guide the weights towards Ben'a's legs. The weights hit the ground in front of Ben'a and the wire caught onto the padawan's foot, causing Ben'a to trip and fall face first into the sand. Keiran smiled and began walking towards Ben'a, saber in hand.*

[Goodwood]

"Aaah, sithspit!"

 

*Ben'a continued to lay facedown in the sand, awaiting his master's approach. The Padawan hadn't forseen the bolas, but he smiled to himself as he thought of how this could work for him. Furtively, and without using the Force, he loosened the wire caught on his foot, so that by the time Master Keiran was about to reach him, he was free... Ben'a feigned a cough as he heard the footsteps of his Master.*

 

"That's a good trick, Master."

 

*Without warning or the Force, Ben'a quickly rolled out of the shadow of his Master, bringing his saber up as he himself got up from the swirling sand. Again, as he assumed the neutral stance, the Padawan sank back into the Force, this time waiting for his Master's attack...*

[Keiran]

*Keiran stood and watched as Ben'a fell into a defensive stance and opened himself to the force.*

 

"Excellent work, I know that you have the force as your ally, however I advise you not to use the force as a crutch..."

 

*Keiran closed himself from the force*

 

"Most people in this galaxy do not use the force, how do they survive? They use their own body's abilities."

 

*Keiran ran forward, saber in hand, Keiran pirhouetted to add momentum to his swing as he put everything he had into one, giant swing. Ben'a easily blocked the blow however the blow knocked the lightsabers away from both jedi. Keiran smiled and punched Ben'a in the face.*

 

"You must be versatile Ben'a, sometimes you may not have a lightsaber to use, so it's always a good thing to know what to do without one."

[Goodwood]

*Hearing his master's advice as he recovered from the blow to his face, the Padawan closed himself off from the Force as the elder Jedi had done. Ben'a then assumed the stance he had been taught back on Correllia a decade ago...*

 

"But isn't it some sort of Jedi rule to always have one's lightsaber with you?" the Padawan asked.

 

*Ben'a betrayed no emotion in his words; only simple curiosity. But he figured he knew his Master's response already, judging from the practicality of his lessons thus far. And with a nod, the Padawan lunged at his Master, catching the Jedi off-guard, and with two quick jabs and a lash of Ben'a's head-tail, the master was pushed back, now sporting an angry welt on his cheek.*

 

"I've had that little trick up my sleeve for years, Master..." Ben'a said with a small smile.

[Keiran]

*Keiran smiled*

 

"Yes, it is optimal for a jedi to have his lightsaber with him at all times, but hardly any situations are optimal."

 

*Keiran stepped foward and performed a roundhouse kick, which Ben'a blocked, upon putting his forward leg back on the ground, Keiran spun 360 degrees and backhanded Ben'a across the face.*

[Goodwood]

*His master was taunting him, that much was clear to Ben'a.*

 

"Pimp-slapping your Padawan? You have no class, Master," Ben'a said with a grin.

 

*The Padawan could see that this could only end when one of the two combatants was knocked out...but it remained to be seen which one would go down. Ben'a did a quick two-step before lunging forward once again, again with a flurry of jabs, finishing off with a massive left hook to the gut that was followed in a twirl by another smack of the Padawan's head-tail. The sheer momentum of the attack forced Keiran off of his feet; he landed on the sand right on his bum amidst a cloud of sand.*

 

"Well that was fun," Ben'a teased, bracing for the retaliatory strike that was sure to come.

[Keiran]

*Keiran opened and closed his eyes a few times.*

 

"That really did hurt..."

*Keiran opened his eyes and tucked his knees into his chest. He stayed in that position for a few seconds before kicking his feet up and planting both of them deep into Ben'a's knees. Knocked over by the sheer force of both feet into his knees, Ben'a and Keiran lay on the sand across from each other.*

 

"Well, that was interesting"

[Goodwood]

*Ben'a smiled at his master through the pain in his knees; the fight had indeed taken an interesting turn, once the Force and their lightsabers had been put aside. Yet, the Padawan could tell there was a lesson in all this.*

 

"Well it seems we both fight pretty good without the Force, Master. Is it true that there are certain creatures that block the Force and its use? If so, then this exercise definately had merit..."

 

*Ben'a smiled again as he sat facing his Master, the fight clearly over for now. He could tell that Master Keiran had definately seen his share of adventure and excitement, both before and during his days as a Jedi Knight. Again, the wisdom of these practical lessons in the harsh universe outside of the Jedi Temples of the galaxy made itself known to the yound Padawan...*

 

"Well Master, what shall we learn next?"

[Keiran]

*Keiran lay on the sand, looking up at Tatooine's twin suns*

"Yes, I've heard of a certain creature called a Ysalimari that negates the force. The only place I've encountered them is at the Last Call on Coruscnat, where the management does not allow violence. In the meantime however, I think we should return to Hoth and touch base with what's going on. Maybe we can also inform HJP as to the situation at Coruscant. What do you think? Do you want to go back or go somewhere else?"

[Goodwood]

*Ben'a thought about this creature his Master mentioned. It didn't quite make sense to the Padawan that, if the Force flows through all living things and non-living things alike, that there could be something that would negate the Force... But there were more pressing issues at hand.*

 

"Yes Master, we probably should return to Hoth... if there is anything the Jedi Council would have us do, we should try and find out. And if there is time, I would like to be able to train a little on my own -- but I doubt that would be possible..."

[Keiran]

*Keiran nodded*

 

"Yes, it is time to return to Hoth, we need a break."

 

*Keiran and Ben'a stepped onboard the Strife III, Keiran sat in the pilot's seat and prepped the ship for takeoff.*

 

"Once we arrive, I'll talk to HJP or, if BC has arrived then I'll take to him, you can do whatever you wish until I'm done"

 

*The Strife III lifted off the desert dunes of Tatooine and blasted off into space.*

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*At first, K'munee ran ahead of his padawan with considerable distance. Occasionally he would quickly glance over his shoulder to check on Toster. The look his padwan's face was one of exhaustion and determination. There was one instant were Toster pushed himself to the point of falling out of the exercise. As his master was about to turn and aid him, Toster opened himself to the force and let its' energies flow into him, replenishing his strength. DJK gradually slowed his pace to give the young man something to work for. If he could catch up to his master it might inspire him to keep up. He guessed, misery really did love company?*

 

*The run was a long one. It seemed like they had ran forever before reaching their desired destination. The twin suns had left K'munee darker than he usually was and the sunburned skin on his back felt like leather. He guided Toster to a shaded area, then took a seat on the ground. He tried his hardest to appear like he was not hurting from the run, but he knew his padawan was no fool. Besides, the speed at which he fell to the ground kinda gave it away.*

 

 

"You did good Toster. Not many pass this exercise on their first try. Not only is this a good workout, but the intense heat causes hallucinations or visions. These visions are glimpses into the "livng force". Through the force you can see all things. The longer we train you will begin to know my presence in the force. The same will happen with any other force sensitive individual you come across. This ability will help you to recognize friend or foe. We will rest here until the suns set, then we will run backto our camp and work on deveolping your offensive and defensive force techniques."

[Toster]

*Drained from the exercise, Toster drops to the ground next to his master, who seems to also be suffering from exhuastion, although not as much as himself. He listens to his master speak, while still trying to control his rapid breathing.

After a few hours of rest shade, after the sun has dropped beyond the horizon Toster gets up, and begins to run towards camp. He quickly finds that this time around, running was much easier, especially without the scorching twin suns beating on his back.*

[Ob Ordeena]

The patrol droid followed the two Jedi as they ran, and now circles the area as the Jedi take a break. As the droid circles the area, it transmits a still image of the two Jedi back to the desert citadel so identification check can be run.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*The run back had been a long one. As soon as they made it back to their base camp, DJK passed his padawan a nutrition bar and a quart of water. He instructed Toster to take in his meal in moderation. Consuming too much, too quickly could cause nausea and cramps. After the light dinner, K'munee instructed his padawan to turn in for the night. Toster nodded and disappeared into his tent, leaving his master outside. K'munee watched the sky, along with the surrounding area. He felt as though something wasn't quite right. Tatooine had a way of making someone feel that way. He had been a prisnor of the Hutts here a long time ago.The scars on his back began to ache as the memories of his captivity flooded back into his mind. He turned to enter his tent, but paused at the entrance. Looking back over his shoulder he gaved into the dark desert night, then waved with a slight smirk on his face. He entered his tent and soon after the lights inside went out.*

 

These hills seem to have eyes. I must be getting paranoid in my old age?

 

*The next morning K'munee awoke early. He stretched his body under the dimmly lit sky in perparation for the days activities. Once he was done he reached into his weapons back to retrieve a blaster rifle and a training saber. He placed them on a nearby rock and stood patiently waitng for his padawan to rise. Two hours had passed and still his padawan slept. The master decided his young pupil needed help waking up. He stood outside Toster's tent and gently lifted him from his bed using the force. Toster floated out of the tent. K'munee raised him high into the air and sent him a mental wake up call. When Toster awoke he was startled to find he wasin mid air looking down at his smiling master.*

 

"Good morning! I was thinking we could start with some basic weapons training. How about it?"

 

*K'munee lowered him to the ground, then tossed him the training lightsaber. He picked up the blaster, then reached into his pocket and pull out a small comm unit. K'munee instructed his ship to activate forward shields.*

 

"This will exercise will help you with blaster bolt deflection and redirection. I am going to fire a bolt at you, then I want you to bounce it off the shields as many times as you can. Be mindful of the direction of the bolt. The blaster has been powered down to nonlethal level, though a hit will sting like hell. During the exercise, do not watch the direction of the bolt. Try to feel where it will go, to anticipate it. Let's begin."

[Toster]

*Looking at the training saber in his hand Toster was surprised to find that he would begin his combate training so early. He had already used a training saber several times in the training facility but he had never really been taught how to deflect blaster shots. He looks at his master hesitantly.

 

"Very well then Master. I am ready."

 

*Toster raised his training saber, holding it in what he thought was a defensive position. He didn't really know what to expect at first and so he waited for the first shot. "Ouch!", he shouted as he was hit by the bolt in the ribs. Assuming once again a defensive position, Toster this time tried to focus the force through the lightsaber not really paying attention to his master's finger on the blaster's trigger. He was hit once again, this time in the stomache, but he tried not to show signs of pain. He again prepared for his master's next move, focusing this time not only on his lightsaber, but on his hands, and the muscles in his arms. He concentrated on himself and the saber in his hands, using the force as a sort of glue, connecting his inner self to the training saber, as they became one single entity.

The next time his master fired, Toster almost didn't even notice that he had deflected the bolt torwards one of Tatooine's twin suns. It was as if his muscles had moved instinctivly in an automatic reaction.

 

Toster continued to train with his master, occasionally feeling the bitter sting of a blaster bolt in his side. The more mentally exhuasted he became, the less effective were his blocks, and so after deciding that he could train no more for today, Toster fell to the hot, coarse, desert floor. He looked up at his master, wiping the sweat off his face with his sleave.

 

"I believe that is all I can take for now master. Although I will continue to train if you wish."

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*K'munee could sense the frustration in his padawan. It was apparent from his facial expression. This exercise was not one to be taken lightly. Many of the adbersaries would potentially face would be ones theat wield blasters instead of lightsabers. There were still many NFU's who felt like the Jedi were as bad as the Sith.*

 

"Toster! That is enough for now. Take a moment to drink some water. We will continue when you are ready. I noticed you were having difficulty with your block of instruction. Here are some of my observations:

 

You aren't feeling the force you fully. You are only tapping into it partially. You must open yourself completely. Let the force consume and control your actions.

 

The other thing I noticed was you were trying to block the bolts by watching them. Yours eyes can deceive you my padawan. This goes back to my first observation. Don't think............know.

 

Outside of that I think you are off to a promising start. Next up we will work on some basic force powers. We will focus on mental projection. This is where you temporarily implant and image on the minds of another being. This can be used to hide your presence or my personal favorite, make to opponents battle each other under the preception they are battling you. To start you have to concentrate ona mental picture. See it feel it smell it until it seems to manifest itself physically, then through the force project it into my mind."

[Guest]

so this is tatooine eh?

 

i am looking for Fuzzy ewok

 

a myterious bond seem happen between us

 

and it leads me to this sand planet