Chapter 3

Stass Allie sat, eyes closed, on a stool in the small Dojo. Unlike the class dojo from the day before, this one was only about four metres squared, designed for one-on-one lessons. In the corner, a small water fountain sat, the trickle of water calming her body and mind. Her eyes flicked open as the door of the dojo burst open. In front of her stood the nervous figure of her padawan.

Her Padawan. It felt strange to say even now.

She frowned at him, "You are late, little one".

Caloc glanced up at the sun, visible through the window. He swallowed, nervous. "You said to be here at dawn. I thought that meant now."

Indeed, the sun was just rising through the buildings outside, leaving an impression of knives painted against the skyline. Stass glanced up at the window, then back at her padawan. She chuckled lightly. "Believe it or not Caloc, I am just as new at this as you are. You are my first Padawan. If you're nervous, believe me, I am too."

Caloc straightened up slightly, "I'm not nervous. Just… curious, Master."

Stass raised an eyebrow in disbelief. She studied the boy now. A tanned face, probably from his first few years on Menach, near the heat of the desert and the magma, was visible under a shaggy mop of brownish blonde hair. A thin braid made its way down over his shoulder, the mark of a Jedi learner. A single bronze bread sat proudly on the end of the braid. As the years progressed, more would be added. Caloc's usual cheeky grin was missing from the face, but she still saw the spark of mischief in his blue eyes. He had relaxed a little, and she saw his lightsabre hung from his waist. It was a basic hilt with a leather grip, although it had several designs etched into the metal, including the symbol of the Jedi Order on the base. His boots were covered in dry mud, and she assumed he hadn't washed them since his swim in the lake yesterday. She was amused to see he had attached the Mylarian sabre to the side of his right boot.

She sighed, pretending to be exasperated, "You know, you don't have to be so formal, Caloc. I'm not just your Master. I'm your teacher, your friend and your mentor. Master is just a title that I have been given."

"So then, what do I call you?", Caloc asked, confused.

"I would prepare for you to use my name.", Stass grinned. "That's what I plan to use when I address you. If there's another Jedi around, call me Master."

Caloc nodded slowly, "Understood… Stass."

"That sounds better.", her grin widened, "But I think it's time for your first lesson as my pupil."

Grabbing a small rubber ball from beside her, she tossed it at him, "What is my purpose here, Caloc?"

Taken by surprise, he barely grabbed the incoming projectile. "Um, I don't understand the question."

Stass waved her arms in the air, "Why am I training you? I assume that you know the history of the Jedi, the basic Forms, the techniques used in combat and meditation. I assume you know the difference between the light and the dark. So why am I here?"

"To train me?", Caloc's voice was still uncertain.

"Wrong!", She gestured for him to throw the ball back to her. "You already know the basics. Everything that you have been taught is taught to every Jedi before you. But every Jedi is unique. It is my job to hone your natural abilities. To find what makes you special, find why the Force chose you.", she paused, "and to protect you while you do."

Caloc looked at the ground. "Protect me?"

"There are dangers out there, Caloc.", Stass bounced the ball beside her, "I assume you know of Eldra Kaitis?"

"The missing." It was a statement, not a question. Everyone knew of Padawan Kaitis. She had disappeared from the galaxy one day, and had never been seen again. But there was no fear in his voice. Not like yesterday, after his dip in the lake. Stass smiled. This boy was not fearful of combat.

"I hope that we never have to see what she saw.", she admitted, "But that is why we are here. To make sure that you are prepared for whatever you face.", Caloc watched expectantly as she stood up, pulling her lightsabre from where it lay beside her. "You know the Forms, I assume?", she asked.

Caloc nodded. Every youngling learned the six forms of lightsabre combat, but he always found them monotonous and boring. Stass had noticed yesterday how Caloc had used his lightsabre without form, focusing on his opponent and using their attacks against them. She had first seen the unorthodox style when he had fought Mace Windu and managed to throw him across the room. Now, she wanted to test those skills. She walked over to the wall and opened a drawer, pulling out a training drone. The circular ball hovered above her hand. She quickly reached behind it and set the difficulty setting to level 4. The drone shuddered for a moment, then launched a volley of low powered blaster bolts at Caloc. Stass watched as he reacted without thinking. He leapt back and twisted out of the way of the bolts, using his natural dexterity to avoid being hit. Grabbing his lightsabre from his belt, he activated the blade. The blue energy swung quickly to deflect the next volley, and the drone moved out of the way as its bolts were directed back at it. Stass activated another drone, setting it to Level 5, and watched as Caloc deflected the rapidly fired stun bolts. The two randomised settings kept Caloc from guessing where the next attack would come from. He jumped up and pushed off the wall, just missing a bolt as it hit where he had been standing. It left a black mark against the padding, she noticed. He spun the sabre in a circle and blocked a bolt behind his back, deflecting it straight into the other drone as it hovered nearby. Now fighting only one drone, Caloc ducked under the next volley, rolling forward and coming up just underneath the hovering sphere. Kicking up, he pushed the drone into the ceiling, where the device powered down with a groaning hum. Stass was admittedly impressed.

"Unorthodox, for sure.", she commented as he turned to face her, "You fight recklessly, Caloc. When one focusses too much on the Forms, they can become dependent on them. But you have the opposite problem. You need to rely on them more. With the right training, you might even be able to take down Master Kenobi."

Caloc was breathing heavily. He glanced up at her words and smiled weakly. The attack had taken more out of him then he thought.

"Alas, you do not have the right training. Come with me", ordered Stass.

She walked away, not bothering to see if he was following. If he was puffed after one session, then they needed to work on his endurance. She knew just where to start.

Stass next saw Caloc in the Mess Hall, situated in the west end of the Temple, near the Jedi living quarters. She was happily munching on a Meloorun, slurping the delectable fruit from inside it when her apprentice sat down next to her. The spark was gone from his eye. He was clearly exhausted. Stass hid her grin. She had put him in charge of organising the munitions and supplies in the hanger. He had been lifting and pushing crates for about four hours. She handed her padawan a glass of milk and watched as he drank greedily. She was going to enjoy having a padawan, she thought to herself.

"Meet me in the Garden of Tranquillity when you've finished eating. One last lesson before we relax for the day.", she paused, "Master Zao himself made this for you. Special request."

Caloc just groaned at the thought of more 'training', but dug in to the plate before him.

Stass had set up two logs, facing each other. They sat on the old, worn stumps of cut down trees located on a high, hidden bluff. Her Master, Pantoran Jedi Yeltr Tress, had once set this same exercise up for her when she began training. She was just finishing rubbing a thick layer of grease on the log when Caloc arrived. She smiled at him, and gestured for him to climb onto one of the greasy wooden stumps. She took place beside the other. Both master and apprentice faced the lake as Stass spoke.

"You have shown a surprising amount of character today Caloc. You've shown both skill and endurance. However, there is a reckless streak in you. It is my job as your Master to hone your skills and to teach you that the Jedi's main function is peace, not war. But before I can teach you, we must understand each other."

She could see that she had lost him. "Caloc, what is your preferred Form?"

Caloc shrugged, "I alternate between all of them during combat."

Stass grinned, "Yes, you do. But you also do not. Do you know why you lost your battle yesterday?". He glanced up, suddenly interested, and she continued, "It is because you allowed yourself to become distracted by your emotions. Even I felt your dislike for Lozzan, and I am a very young and inexperienced knight."

Caloc glanced around, "So because I lost control of my temper, I lost the battle?"

Stass nodded. She gestured to the log below her, "I was similar in my early apprenticeship. My master set up this exercise so that I could exercise patience and hone my skills at the same time. The key to doing this exercise is to remain calm. Now do as I do."

She moved to stand on one of the logs and watched as Caloc mimicked her motions. Reaching for their lightsabres, Master and apprentice began to move through the Forms. Beginning with Form 1, she moved her sabre into the ready position and waited until Caloc had his at a similar angle. As blue and green blade's moved in perfect sync, Caloc began to get overconfident. Around the forth motion of Form 3, she watched as Caloc over extended and slipped, the log rolling out from under him. Stass caught him before he could roll off the bluff, but he was obviously frustrated. He tried to regain his balance, but it was obvious that he was struggling to keep his anger in check. He fell three more times, each a shorter time length from the one before. Finally, Stass told him to take a break.

"Caloc, you need to calm down. You've done better than I did on my first try. However, your frustrations are making you concentrate on the log, and not the Forms. This is making you lose balance. Forget the log. Think in your mind that you are on the ground. The limbs will react to where you believe you are. If you can master this technique, you can battle almost anywhere with ease."

Caloc looked up at his Master, "Anywhere?"

Stass frowned at his uncertainty, "What? You don't trust me yet?"

In a huff, she turned and walked away, calling over her shoulder, "You can go and complain about me if you want now. Just meet me in the dojo at dawn again tomorrow."

It was late in the night, but Master Yoda had only just finished his duties in the Council chamber. As he walked the corridors, he heard a thud, followed by a loud grunt. Peering through the doors of the Tranquillity Gardens, he watched Caloc climbed back on top of the greasy log and began the Forms again. Smiling, Yoda continued down the hall.