Where I Belong
By: Swissalo
Chapter 3
xXx
Jedi Master Reg Briggs paced between the six-year-old initiates as he observed their attempts to keep a ball afloat with the Force. A few were only able to get the ball to float a few inches from the ground while others; his giggling group of three, were able to manage about a foot or two. Staring at the three boys who were able to complete the assignment he dropped three large rocks at the feet of the boys. Of the trio only green and blue eyes stared at him in glee, the terrible twosome, Hadrian Potter and Obi-Wan Kenobi. If only the boys weren't so gifted in their usage of the Force; then maybe they wouldn't get by with as much. Many harmless pranks and jokes were thought up by that pair along with Garen Muln who was even more free-spirited than the two before him. Though the boys did seem to feed off each others accomplishments, in a healthy competition, neither ever out doing the other. It was something that was missing in the Order, where most Jedi worked alone and liked it, sentient creatures were not created for solitary lives. Beings needed more than just basic interaction to survive and thrive; he really hoped that this little group was able to stay together.
Watching the balls slowly drop to the ground, Briggs could tell that they were tempted to just let them drop and bounce. Something he too, would have done as a youngling, but they were mindful of their classmates. Glancing between the boys he watched the silent conversation being had as they seemed to be daring each other to complete their new mission first. He was going to have to move them to another class, with as advanced as their control was.
"I want to see progress boys." Briggs told them as he walked towards the front of the class, going over to Bruck who was having difficulty maintaining a steady altitude with his ball. The thing would fluctuate every few minutes outside of the normal ranges. He was going to have to request extra time with this one, the boy was too hard on himself. Placing his hand on the boy's shoulder he felt the child's fluctuating emotions as he tried to keep up with the class. He wanted to keep up with the other boys wanted to be the best that there was. It wasn't somethings Briggs could at this time see as a bad thing; he just needed to help Bruck the child was trying to force the Force into action rather than ask for the manipulation to happen.
X
"Why aren't you doing anything?" Obi-Wan asked as he stared at Hadrian, his friend was currently poking one of the rocks Master Briggs had set before them. The green-eyed boy just looked up at Obi-Wan from his seated position and sighed nosily as he turned back to the grey rock before him. Lifting the thing up to get a feel for its weight, he dropped the rock before closing his eyes.
"I'm studying it." Hadrian muttered while Obi-Wan and Reeft rolled their eyes, they should be use to their friend's odd responses to any of his actions.
"Why?" Reeft asked as he stared at the boy next to him, he'd known Hadrian the longest out of their group, but he certainly didn't understand him. Glancing over at Obi-Wan he watched as the other boy just shook his head before turning his attention back to Hadrian. Reeft only sighed before peering around the room watching as his peers attempted to keep their balls afloat on the currents of the Force. He was happy to have such a supportive group of friends who made sure he didn't fall behind in his studies. Looking around the room he watched as Master Briggs assisted Bruck with his control before turning back to his assignment.
"Know thy enemy." Hadrian responded as he put his hand over the rock and began to manipulate the Force around the rock requesting that it would lift the rock to his palm. The thing responded by rocking back and forth for a moment but did nothing else.
"Further than anything we got." Obi-Wan replied as he watched the rock finish moving, receiving a glare from Hadrian as the dark-haired boy jumped up from his seated position on the floor to stand before his friends. The chime was going to sound, releasing them from their Force training class for the hour, it would be lunch followed by a group meditation.
"So what's the progress boys?" Master Briggs asked as he walked up to the boys after finishing the lesson for the rest of the initiates, watching the three chatter on as their rocks sat lifelessly on the floor he wordlessly floated the rocks to the back table. Eyes followed the movement before turning back to their instructor.
"Not a thing." Hadrian responded as he gathered his supplies just as the chime rang signifying that class was over, Master Briggs just watched the boys leave he'd seen Hadrian move the rock, but it certainly didn't baffled him that the boy would claim he'd done nothing. The boy was nothing but stubborn, he'd never claim to be better than the worst response of the group. Though moving a rock at his age was a significant feat as most younglings didn't have the control necessary to even manage shaking it. Studying the empty room for a moment, Briggs walked out the door after the last of his students making sure that there were no scuffles in the hall as the different clans merged together in one mass blob of hungry children.
xXx
"I can't believe you lied to a Master." Obi-Wan hissed as he followed after Hadrian to the meditation gardens where their clan took their group meditation. The pair was alone as Reeft had stayed behind with Garen and Bant trying to mooch some food off the other two before lunch was over.
"I didn't lie." Hadrian responded as he turned to face Obi-Wan, his friend was such a stickler for honesty. "Nothing really happened, who's to say I even moved the rock. It could have been something or someone else. Until I get it off the floor nothing happened."
Obi-Wan just stared at Hadrian for a moment before nodding, he'd get nothing out of his friend, the walking contradiction as some of the older padawan's liked to call him when they came in for crèche duty. Not that they really understood why a lot of them said that, and they certainly weren't going to ask anyone lest they get laughed at. Walking into the mediation garden they bowed to Docent Vant before going off to their normal spots: Hadrian by the windows facing the city and Obi-Wan next to a small crystal fountain, they knew better than to even attempt to sit by one another. Both sat waiting for the rest of their clan to enter the room, while settling into the flows of the Living Force that ran through the room.
Settling on one of the meditation mats Hadrian stared out at the city, watching as the speeders and freighters zoomed through the sky lanes. The sight of the vehicles was something that always calmed him, bring back feelings of his life before the Temple and the Jedi. They were only impressions of memories as he had been to young to truly recall anything from his life before. But watching the vehicles fly across the city's skyline before him; he'd flown before, on something like a speeder though it made a lot more noise from its motor than any speeder he'd ever heard. It wasn't good to dwell on the past, Master Yoda always said, just be mindful of the future and not to ignore the now. Hearing the wind chimes Hadrian focused on the tings of the bars as he sunk into a light meditation; focus, clear his mind of external noise, release all thought and then just float in the power of the Force. It was the same technique he used to fall asleep with, so he had to be mindful to not go to deep although he failed at that more than he succeeded something most young initiates did. He could feel the currents of the Force around him, a gentle hand something he'd grown to love and respect for it was always there something he could always turn to when he couldn't go to someone else.
xXx
"What's this? Getting move up in Force Study?" Garen asked as he plopped down next to his friends after spending all day in one of the training salles. Tired eyes looked at him in contempt before Obi-Wan propped himself up to look over at Garen, he was after all closer to the other boy than the rest of the group.
"What are you talking about? We haven't even lifted the rocks up yet." Obi-Wan fired back, he wasn't ready for any games that Garen might want to play. He was tired and sore after taking a through beating from Bruck Chun during their physical training. He wasn't sure how he was going to move for the rest of the night, he wasn't sure he liked this odd man out number in their group of friends.
"That's when you know you're getting moved up, when Briggs gives you a rock. It's his way of testing eligibility to move to the advanced classes." Garen explained as he studied the trio beside him. He wasn't sure why they weren't excited to be advancing to the harder Force Training classes, where instead of practicing on inanimate objects they were allowed to practice on a droid. It was the beginning of battle training, for when negotiations failed.
"Does he know what he's getting into?" Reeft asked as he sat up, looking over at Garen before glancing over at Hadrian who was being oddly silent throughout this conversation. He didn't think he'd hit him that hard earlier while they were training, Hadrian hadn't called for the match to end.
"You alive over there Hadrian?" Garen asked as he followed Reeft's gaze to the still boy. His arrival usually always got the other boy to react, normally coming up with an idea for a prank or joke or at least some sarcastic quip. Hadrian only rolled his eyes in response before turning his head to look over at his friends, rubbing his hand over his face while pointing one finger in the direction of their eavesdropper. The others looked in the direction indicated watched as Bruck Chun stormed out the room with Aalto following after him.
"You have uncanny senses." Garen told him as he stared at the other boy, Hadrian only shrugged his shoulders before standing up, his gaze stormy as he looked at the door that Bruck had walked out. He wasn't sure what to make of Bruck, except that for whatever reason his instincts screamed that the boy wasn't friend. He'd relied on those instincts for so long, and had been encouraged by Master Yoda to keep honing them. That they'd help him in the long run when he was older.
"We've never gotten along." Hadrian muttered as he gathered his outer robes from one of the benches, the next clan was going to be coming in soon and he wasn't in any mood to be scolded at by Docent Altrez.