Writing Exercise: The Padawan's Blade

[Malles]

I decided to dust off my writing skills by typing up a coming-of-age story with combat scenarios told through flashback. As of typing this, it's very late and I have to be awake for work in three hours, so I'll work on the rest tomorrow.

 

Some of the scenarios detail techniques I was taught and used myself through US Army MACP training in order to try and make them more realistic. But anyone who's picked up any MACP manual can tell you detailing those moves in writing does jack diddly for visualization, so apologies in advance if it sucks monkey nuts.

 

 

The Jedi Code was one of if not the first of many things taught to aspiring students of the Jedi Order. The first line of the code was always at the surface of Jen'sin's mind, shown to her and placed there by Jedi Master Keyol Jem. There is no passion; there is peace. A Jedi is always calm and in a state of ease. A Jedi does not feel emotion. Emotion leads to many unwanted things. Emotion clouds the mind and hinders proper judgement.

 

But Jen'sin was not calm. Jen'sin was not at ease. Jen'sin was a whirling storm of emotion. Excitement burned through her body like a fire as the young Twi'lek sprinted through the Tython forest. She passed by wildlife predatory and non, all of which noticed her passing and all of which were unnoticed by here. Jen'sin had one thing on her mind at that moment, one thing that overrode the beauty of the planet around her or the thrill of pure, joy-filled exertion done just for enjoyment.

 

Today, Jen'sin would craft her lightsaber.

 

Master Keyol had waken her early, early that morning, in the midnight hours of the morning. Jen'sin expected another grueling training exercise from the hardened Master, but Keyol only leaned against the far bedroom wall and crossed her arms, her usual body posture for lectures.

 

"You have come far in the years you have been with me, Padawan."

 

Padawan. That term, once a title Jen'sin had been proud of, was now hated. Excuse me, Jen'sin though. Master Keyol always said that the word "hate" should never be in a Jedi's vocabularly. Jen'sin severely disliked being called a Padawan. Padawan was now a title for a failure; a normal Padawan went through between ten to fifteen years of training, not counting the training they had to complete to even become a Padawan, before their Master allowed them to take the Jedi Trials. Jen'sin came to Tython when she was six. She was now approaching her twenty-third birthday. And was still a Padawan.

 

Jen'sin genuinely liked and respected Master Keyol. Master Keyol was a Jedi Blademaster; a Jedi who was considered among the Order as having an unusual amount of skill in lightsaber combat. Master Keyol was a master and user of Juyo, Soresu, and Shii-Cho, and knew the techniques and forms well enough to instruct others, such as Jen'sin. This alone was an achievement, as Master Keyol was blind.

 

Jen'sin cried out as the training staff struck her, once, twice, then three times. A powerful pressure flung itself into her chest and sent the Twi'lek bowling head over heels along the padded floor. She rolled twice and came to rest on her back. She glared at the ceiling while fighting back tears of frustration, more angry than hurt.

 

"You truly thought that was going to work, didn't you?

 

Master Keyol paced in front of her, training staff held loosely behind her. Master Keyol favored the double-bladed lightsaber over the normal single-blade variant, so during training she used a simple cortosis staff. Unlike the floor, it was not padded. Jen'sin's body bore welts and bruises from Master Keyol's strikes, and more than once she'd been sent to the infirmary's kolto tank to patch broken limbs and ribs. Master Keyol believed that if Jen'sin experienced pain during training, she'd fare much better during true combat situations.

 

Master Keyol wasn't even breathing hard. That made Jen'sin madder. Jen'sin crawled to a kneeling position and thrust out her palm, launching a Force Push at Master Keyol. It hit the Jedi Master, ruffled her robes and hair, and that was it.

 

"Your temper betrayed you again, Padawan.

 

Jen'sin spent her first two years of training seriously doubting Master Keyol was blind. She thought it was yet another training exercise, though for what purpose she couldn't fathom. It was only after other Masters confirmed that the Jedi had lost her sight in battle during the war with the Sith. Master Keyol fought better than most Jedi with sight. Probably every Jedi with sight. Jen'sin had yet to see her lose. Granted, those were exhibition matches, but still.

 

Jen'sin climbed shakily to her feet. Her scalp was bleeding. However, Jen'sin was a lady. She bowed before her Master, acknowledging her defeat. "I apologize, Master."

 

"For what, Padawan? Master Keyol's face was expressionless. Or what was left of it. A burlap cloth covered most of the Jedi's brow, and what parts of her head were visible were heavily scarred. "You did not fail me, Jen'sin, you failed yourself. Apologies do not fix mistakes, they only excuse them. And no one accepts excuses."

 

Jen'sin sulked. "I am improving, Master."

 

"Your form is passable. You've learned enough of Shii-Cho to benefit more from your own experience than mine. But your technique is sloppy." Master Keyol tossed her weapon aside. Jen'sin followed suit. "And you know it. That is where your frustration comes from."

 

"None of the moves you've shown me can pass your guard, Master!" Jen'sin protested. "Teach me the next set, I'm more than ready - "

 

"There are no more sets, Jen'sin." Master Keyol turned to leave, leaving Jen'sin glaring at the back of her head. "I have taught you everything you need to know to become competent. If you wish to see your Trials, you must work on your failures by yourself. Dismissed.

 

And so she had. Jen'sin reflected on her training as she vaulted a wall and ducked through a small set of ruins. Jen'sin spent the next several months sparring repeatedly with Mastey Keyol.

 

Both Master and Padawan had discovered early during Jen'sin training that Jen'sin's talents were far more suited for the body than the mind. Try as she might, Jen'sin could not move so much as a dirt clod with the Force. She could not heal wounds and she did not possess Force vision. Undaunted, Master Keyol focused Jen'sin's training on Force techniques to strengthen the body, to turn Jen'sin's own natural gifts into powerful weapons. The first form of combat Jen'sin mastered was the Echani martial art, a basic form taught to members of the Republic special forces. Jen'sin liked Echani; the Echani themselves believed that fighting someone was the only way to truly get to know somebody. Combat brought out a sentient's emotions and base desires as the combatants went to further and further lengths to win. This could provide opponents an up-close view of a person's personality. Jen'sin learned a lot about herself while mastering Echani, and used those lessons to greatly improve her weapons training.

 

Jen'sin thrust forward towards Master Keyol's chest, but the Blademaster had a defense for that as well. Her hands adjusted along the staff and brought it up to deflect the blow. Jen'sin rode with it, allowing her weapon to be deflected, and directed its momentum towards Keyol's left arm. But as if she could truly see the blade, Keyol lowered her arm and directed her own weapon towards Jen'sin's knees. Jen'sin found herself having to jump back away from the slash and turn her own attack into a block to defend against a surprise overhand chop Keyol aimed at her shoulder.

 

One of these days Jen'sin was going to have to remember Keyol's weapon had two blades instead of one. Jen'sin shoved Keyol away and backed up, rethinking her strategy.

 

"No! No, Padawan!" Keyol cried. An unseen hand gripped Jen'sin's legs and yanked them out from under her, sending Jen'sin into a faceplant. Jen'sin groaned. "Never back away from your enemy! Come, again!"

 

Jen'sin got mad. She got back up, gripped her pole with both hands, and Force Leaped into the air. Jen'sin launched herself about five feet off the ground and slammed her weapon onto Keyol. Or tried to. Keyol sidestepped the blow and struck back. Jen'sin ducked under Keyol's staff and winced. Once again her temper had gotten the better of her. She turned her head and prepared herself for the finishing blow -

 

Jen'sin's mind only took have a second to register that Master Keyol's knee was within arms reach. Jen'sin's left arm extended, gripped the back of Keyol's knee, and yanked. As Master Keyol stumbled forward Jen'sin fell onto her back and wrapped her legs around Keyol's waist, holding her tight. Jen'sin noticed Master Keyol had thrown out her sword arm to catch herself and that it was on the ground. Jen'sin reacted quickly, dropping her own weapon to achieve control over Keyol's sword arm. She sat up, reached around Keyol's back to grip her sword wrist with Jen'sin's right hand, and quickly forced Keyol into a reverse bent arm bar.

 

The entire move from start to finish was executed within three seconds. Master Keyol seemed surprised. The blind Jedi paused, then turned her mask towards Jen'sin.

 

"Well done, Padawan."

 

Jen'sin blinked. "But, you can still get free, Master. I have no counter against Force attacks from this position - "

 

"Padawan, you successfully penetrated a Soresu master's defenses and incapacitated her without major bodily arm or through a killing blow. This is not a feat many Jedi would consider and even less would use. You have completed your combat training." Master Keyol grunted. "Now release me."