Jedi Academy: Chapter 1 - Boundless

Zatee walks down the ramp and notices his Padawan talking to the others. He stops halfway down a calls out to him, "Ah, Ian there you are. You missed check in you know... I would have thought someone so eager to leave Coruscant would have been the first to check in. He turns back up the ramp, "come, let's get you checked in so we can depart."

The droids finish out their sad, little dance routine for another half minute before it runs its course and they go back to work. The one that Lark was working on ends the performance a little earlier thanks to his efforts and the younger Padawan can tell that the code will have no lasting effect.

As Zatee calls out, Ian rolls his eyes before turning back towards Alyx a moment. "Please. If I literally took on a Sith Lord, by myself, an kept'im from eatin' a bunch'a babies they wouldn' make me'a Knight." He gives the Zabrak girl a playful wink as he lowers his sunglasses for a moment, "Nice thought, though, Captain Shale. Keep up'the good work."

Spinning on his heels to head towards the Boundless, he raises his voice loudly enough for the other Padawans and even Zatee to hear him. "Place yer bets, ladies'n gentlemen. How long b'fore Knight Ros gives up on'is Padawan. House is bettin'a a week." He wears a pleasant smile on his way up towards the corvette. He seems totally at ease with having been caught disrupting the departure of the Boundless from Coruscant.

When he catches up to the older Togruta, Ian offers him a small bow, overly flourished and unconcerned. "I must apologize Master Ros." He pauses a beat, like he's a stand-up comedian. "There was another two verses that I'm afraid you'll never get ta see performed, now."

Errad's jaw dropped. After all of that, this delinquent did not even get chastised by his Master?! What was the Jedi Order coming to that they would let someone like that train to become a Jedi Knight?

Errad collected himself with an effort. The calming and centering exercise he'd learned at the Temple barely did the job, but after a moment he had regained his composure. He remembered the younger boy who had been so enthralled with the capering droids had greeted him. Well, he didn't want to be rude. That was a mark of weakness.

Errad walked over to Lark. He was still tinkering with the now inactive droid. Errad took a deep breath and cleared his throat.

"Forgive me for being rude earlier, uh, padawan" ,Errad said, trying to sound sincere, "I'm Errad and we did not meet earlier because I came here directly from the Temple. I can't believe they are letting that guy stay in the Order. His Master must have the patience of a stone. Uh, do you know who your Master is yet? The Council did not tell me. They just told me to report here."

Merrick followed Master Zatee on to the ramp. He took in the scene before him. Droids arranged in a dancing array, holos, music, and a swinging padawan to boot; this kid had talent. Merrick stifled a snicker as Master Zatee lightly chided his padawan without losing an inch of his serenity. Zatee definitely had the skills to handle difficult padawans; much like Merrick's own Master Sahren Fel, though Master Fel preferred silence over gentle coaxing.

Merrick checked his datapad. He had been assigned a young Togruta named Zambar. The Council had been vague, but they suggested that Zambar was more accustomed to study rather than action.

Merrick sighed. Leave it to the Council to assign him a padawan exactly the opposite of himself. He scanned the platform and found Zambar. The boy was exactly as the Council had described him: 15 standard, lithe frame, and his nose in a book.

He finished walking down the ramp as Master Zatee and Ian passed him. The young Togruta had not moved from his reading. Merrick closed the distance between them and looked down at his padawan.

"You are Zambar, I take it" ,Merrick said, "I'm Merrick Durn. It seems you got stuck with me as your teacher. I'll be up front with you, kid, I've never done this before, but since we're both here, we might as well make the best of it. Deal?"

Merrick allowed a small smile. Perhaps the kid might work out. Time would tell.

"I don't know what the Temple prepared you for, Zambar, but I can guarantee you are not going to find it on your datapad or a flimsiplast. My own Master believed that experience was the best teacher for a Jedi. I hope the work we do on Arcania will be a good proving ground for you, but that will only be the beginning. Before I present you for the Trials, you will be ready for the calling of Knighthood.

I spent many years among the worst dregs of galactic society. I know better than most what you will be facing when you are on your own in the wider galaxy. Your training will not be easy. At times, you may hate me. That is fine as long as you embrace what I teach you.

I may make mistakes. So will you. We will both learn from them and become better for them. The important thing is we learn from them.

I expect you to be ready at all times. Your robes will be neat and well-cared for. You will learn how to take care of your equipment. You will keep it in top working order.

We will both meditate and exercise daily. I expect you to be equally diligent in training your body as you are in deepening your connection to the Force. They are both interrelated and if one suffers, they both suffer.

During our time together, you will be expected to learn a great deal. Your Masters at the Temple speak highly of your scholarly abilities. I expect you to be better. If you are to learn all that you must to be knighted, prepare to be overwhelmed.

I know this sounds daunting and it should, but I believe you will do well if you apply yourself. Do you have any questions?"

Errad smiled nervously at Lark. The younger padawan's optimism was growing on him. Maybe this assignment won't be the black hole he thought it would be.

"I don't know who my Master is yet" ,Errad said, "The Council did not tell me before sending me here. I would very much like to see the ship. Hopefully, whomever my Master is, they have more information than I do. I'm not accustomed to not knowing what to expect."

Errad began walking up the ramp into the Boundless.

Lillian slowly stands up from behind one of the crates in the docking area. Removing her fingers from her ears she asks, "is it over?" Looking around she sees that the robots have stopped acting strange and makes her way towards the ramp. As she passes the others she says in a soft voice, "I'm going to have a look around the ship."

He glances at Ian when he catches up. "I'm very disappointed Ian..." he pauses a moment to see his reaction. "I didn't even get to hear your performance. He acts as if he is lost in thought then suddenly, "I've got it. Why don't you sing for us all in the mess hall at dinner. We can have everyone give you constructive criticism afterwards, and if it goes well we can have you sing every night. He smiles to himself as he continues walking towards a steward to get Ian checked in.

Dynnyana steps outside, robe tied around her waist and her datapad in one hand. She moves to one side, as she has not been assigned a padawan. It's possible she never will be, but she is fine with that. Instead, she smiles as she watches the padawans meet their masters. She sees Kaine holding back, and nudges him in the shoulder. "Your padawan destroyed property. Are you going to punish her?" She smirks, assuming that this paradox is what has him befuddled.

Alyx looks around, a bit lost with all of the socializing. Holding her data pad close to her chest, she watches Ian's new master actually talking calmly and - if possible - casually, with Ian, and she smiles a little. Looking over the crowd again, she sees Kaine waving to her where he hadn't been before. Looking down at her datapad again: 'Master: Knight Kaine,' she starts pushing through the couples. "Excuse me," she murmurs, using her slight height and slender build to slip through the chatting Jedi.

She finally gets past and breathes a bit easier in the clear, and smiles a bit nervously up to knight Kaine. "Master." She winces and wonders if he will mention how she destroyed a bunch of electrical cords and wires. I really hope Ian brought those himself instead of stealing them from the hanger bay . . .

As he was walking up the ramp with Lark, Errad noticed a middle-aged man looking around the platform. He had the look of a Jedi, but what was he looking for? Errad excused himself to Lark and walked back down the ramp.

"Excuse me, sir" ,Errad said, hoping not to offend bu not using a title, "are you lost? Is there somewhere I can help you get to? My time is a little limited it seems, but I am happy to help if I can."

Errad was taken aback.

"Forgive me, Master. The Council did not tell me who was to be my Master when I met with them this morning. If I am being honest, I was a bit surprised to be assigned to this mission considering my performance at the Temple. I expected something a bit less, uh, menial. My research skills and insights were praised highly by the Masters at the Temple. I assumed I would be continuing to do the work I had done there when I was paired with a
Master. I have to say that going off into the wilderness to homestead was not what I had in mind."

On her way up, Lillian encounters a young woman in grey robes who honestly only appears to be about nineteen or so. Her smile is kind and warm and her clasped hands make her look even more sweet and innocent. Long, white hair cascades loosely down her shoulders, "Lillian Heeks? I'm Knight Kaapel. I'm really excited to meet you. I looked up all your test scores and I'm really happy to have you as my first Padawan." When Knight Kaapel speaks the tone is almost syrupy sweet. There's no hint of condescension, she just really seems to be treating Lillian like she's eight instead of fifteen. It's especially ironic since she only appears a few years older than Lillian herself.

"As you say, Master."

Errad followed Steef back into the Boundless with more questions then he'd had when he arrived. His new Master was nothing like he'd expected. Master Steef seemed very down to earth and balanced. On the one hand, Errad appreciated that. He did not want a Master who was a hot head or a warmonger.

On the other hand, though Errad could be wrong, Mastef Steef did not seem particularly scholarly; none of the Masters he'd seen so far from the Boundless seemed especially so. The one who had been assigned to the Togruta seemed particularly thick. He definitely thinks with his lightsaber, Errad thought to himself smiling.

The Boundless appeared clean and well-maintained to Errad. He did not know much about ships beyond the basics taught at the Temple. He hoped it would be a long and boring trip to Arcania. He had plenty to think about and even more to sort regarding his new life as a padawan.

Merrick laughed to himself. Zambar might be more reserved, but he had spirit. Merrick appreciated that.

"It seems that patience will be your first lesson, padawan" ,Merrick said with a mischievous sparkle in his eye, "your first task will be to get to know the ship as well as you know that datafile you are reading. You will start in lower engineering and you will memorize its exact layout down to the last bolt. You will memorize it so well that you will be able to recreate it visually in a three dimensional map, verbally by describing it perfectly in a speech before the other Masters and padawan, and physically by walking the entire section blindfolded. Each of these tasks you will complete with perfect memory in addition to your other lessons and duties. When you have completed this task to my satisfaction, you will move to the next deck above it and perform the same task. By the end of this exercise, you will know the Boundless better than your childhood sleeping quarters. I would like you to complete this assignment by the time we reach Arkania. If you have no further questions, padawan, I suggest you get hopping."

"If it is all the same to you, Master" ,Errad said, "I am curious about the direction of my training. I will catch up with Padawan Lark later. My specialties are Jedi Lore and Republic History and Law. I have made an exhaustive study of both. I hope it will prove useful once we get to Arkania. How do you plan to direct my studies going forward, Master?"

"As you say, Master. I look forward to getting started."

Merrick watched his new padawan set off on his task. Merrick felt a little bad for setting the bar as high as he did for Zambar, but then he remembered Master Fel's first lesson to him about patience. Merrick had wanted to strangle the old Wee'quay.

Master Fel had sat Merrick in a bare room with nothing but a bottle. He instructed Merrick to evacuate the oxygen from the bottle molecule by molecule until it was a vacuum inside the bottle. Once he completed that, he was expected to refill the bottle with oxygen; again, molecule by molecule.

He'd spent the first day climbing the walls and screaming. The second day was much the same; and the third. By the fourth day, hunger began to become an issue. Merrick was forced to employ Jedi meditation to deal with the pains wracking his gut.

This led him to find his center. By the fifth day, he'd begun sorting out how to focus on the oxygen molecules in the room and how they interacted with one another and the other elements in the air. By day six, he had begun the exercise.

By Day 10, he had managed to empty the bottle. It took him another three days to fill it back up. When he had placed the last molecule in the bottle, Master Fel entered the room and graced Merrick with one of his rare smiles.

"Well done, padawan" ,Master Fel said, "what took you so long?"

Merrick had laughed and laughed until he passed out...

Merricks thoughts returned to the present. Zambar was not him. The togruta already seemed to have a well-disciplined mind. The challenge for him, Merrick thought, would be awareness.

The task he had set for Zambar was difficult but not impossible. If he really applied himself, he would be able to have a complete picture of the ship burned into his mind. That was the foundation of the skill set Merrick wanted to build in Zambar to start. Being able to take a complete mental snapshot of an area with perfect memory allowed one to use any environment to one's advantage.

Merrick's thoughts moved to another subject: Dynnyana. Seeing her in the conference room was completely unexpected. The last time they had seen one another was on Nal Hutta.

Merrick had been working for a Hutt named Baga in loss prevention which was a nice way of saying "leg breaker." Dynnyana had been working as a mercenary. After they had worked a few jobs together, Merrick began to notice her connection to the Force.

Slowly at first, Merrick began to coax Dynnyana into awareness of what she could do. When they parted company, she had said she was getting out of the merc business and going to find the Jedi. It would seem she was as good as her word.

Merrick decided now was as good a time as any to catch up.

Errad returned Steef's gaze evenly.

"Please forgive me, but I was raised in the Temple. I am not used to being informal. I find the training schedule acceptable, Mas...please, how should I refer to you?"

"Well, that's right kindly of ya. I just didn' wanna be rude 'cause y'seem like a alright guy." He glances into the room, turns on the lights and on the bed is a collection of bags and . . . luggage? Jedi are not supposed to have material possessions but this Padawan seems ready to move into a college dorm. "Well, here's hopin' y'just quietly give up. I am -not- emotionally prepared for'a repeat'a my last master." He looks away but his features darken in irritation. His presence in the Force couldn't be said to darken so much as 'complain', like a cat being forced to take a bath.

Errad brightened.

"Very well, Master Steef. Shall we begin?"

Errad looked at Steef with a quizzical expression. Relying on his hearing? What did he mean by that?

"I am intrigued, Master. Please go on."

"That sounds fascinating, Master. How would you like me to train that?"

Errad covered his eyes with the leather strap. After a moment, he felt completely out of his element. He had not realized how much he relied on his eyes.

Errad took a few calming breaths. He ran through the centering exercises he had learned at the Temple. He could do this; he would do this.

Once he had found his center, a new world began to unfold. Slowly at first, he began to hear the sounds of the ship. He could hear the sounds of the engines going through their final checks before preparing for take off. The subtle movements of the ship settling on its docking struts whispered into his awareness. He could hear Master Steef's slow, calm breathing.

The sounds began to paint a picture in his mind and he took a hesitant step forward and then another. Errad threw his hands out to make sure he did not lose his balance. All the new sensory input was a bit overwhelming.

"Master" ,Errad said in amazement, "it is beyond explanation! I don't know if I will be able to get around like this, though..."

Giving her a warm smile, Veria reaches out to pat her shoulder, "Don't worry, you'll do fine. I know you're nervous but there's a lot to go over. I'm preparing a presentation for the group on the history of Arkania and I could really use some help with the last parts of my research." Straightening her grey robes, the Echani woman lowers her voice, "And there'll be cookies, too. But don't tell anyone or the other Padawans will want some."

Alyx blushes, biting her lip. "Yeah . . . I guess I could have unplugged them. But . . . Ian . . ." She is ashamed that the other padawan tends to rouse her anger, when the Jedi are supposed to be above that. "Anyway. I hope that I don't disappoint you, Master." It's harder for Alyx to admit, however - even to herself - that Ian also brought out her concern. Seeing him speaking so openly to his new master before they head into the ship gives her some relief.

Alyx walks with Kaine onto the ship, nodding goodbye to Knight Catalia with a tiny smile. "I guess so. Talking to him has never done much. The only way to effect him seems to be nipping his behavior in the bud." She clearly has more inside of her, as her expression is torn, but she tries to hold back, having trouble meeting Kaine's eyes. "Everyone talks like he's a lost cause. I don't think giving up on people is very Jedi-like."

Seijin strides onto the ship, looking around quietly.
He heads to the bridge, where he hopes he can find the other masters.

Ah! Made it!
Eliza exclaims as she pants, resting on her knees as she caught her breath.
That was close....
She murmured as she wiped her sweat, looking around.