10]
The ceiling was once again sparkling clean with the help of a ladder Kat had been unable to find by herself. Her father wasn't angry about the mess, but he wasn't exactly friendly with her either. Maybe he was just the strong, silent type. At least until the cleaning was finished and he stepped back into the common room.
"I'm going to take you down to the training sallé to assess your skills," he announced, causing Kat's heart rate to speed up.
"Lightsaber?" she squeaked, immediately clearing her throat.
"You should have studied with one by now," the Knight assumed, cocking one brow upward. "Haven't you been attending Master Yoda's Drills classes?"
"I've been there," she answered aloud. 'Once,' she said to herself.
"There shouldn't be any problem then," he said, obviously sensing her hesitance. "I need to know where to start with you and how much work we have ahead of us."
What he'd said made perfect sense - if she were an actual Jedi padawan!
Kat silently followed her father down the hall which passed by the bank of lifts, and turned left to enter a large, empty gymnasium. She thanked the gods for that. She wasn't exactly looking forward to this, and would prefer not to have an audience.
The Jedi Knight stepped over to a wall displaying a variety of weapons including battle sticks and practice 'sabers, as well as a couple of real lightsabers. Kat held her breath, and gratefully released it when her father chose a practice sword.
He handed it to her as they met on the closest mat.
"Show me form one," he commanded, and Kat thought frantically. She should know this, since it was the same one Master Yoda had her practice in his class, but she was so nervous! After another deep breath, Kat stepped forward and performed the maneuver slowly, but accurately as far as she could tell.
"Not bad," the Knight commented, bringing her much relief.
"Now, two."
This was the one where she flung the lightsaber out the window, wasn't it?
Kat gripped the handle tightly and reenacted the moves without dropping her sword. She gazed up her father with a triumphant smile; an expression which was not reflected. He wasn't even impressed!
"All right, you know the basics. Let's see how you do defending yourself."
The Knight stepped forward and took a similar stance Kat had used, and then brought up a practice weapon in front of his face. Suddenly, and without warning, he came at her. Instinctively, Kat blocked the blow with her 'saber, but stumbled back.
"Widen your stance," he advised.
She did as he had instructed and he immediately attacked her again, this time, backing her up with each blow until she stepped completely off the mat.
Kat couldn't tell by the look on his face whether he was pleased or not. He wasn't speaking either, but simply took away her weapon, walked back to the wall, and much to her horror, chose one of the silver cylinders.
He returned, and handed her the sword which seemed to weigh a ton in her hand. The other lightsaber, his own, he produced from his belt, its blue light shimmering quite close to her face.
Her palms were sweating, her heart was racing. "Master Yoda just recently started teaching us the use of real lightsabers," she informed him nervously, hoping he'd change his mind.
"Then show me what he taught you," he replied, dashing her hopes.
Kat stared at the handle and its fearful red button.
"Come on now, we don't have all night." Her father encouraged.
She pushed it. Or at least thought she did. She heard the hum, but she'd closed her eyes and couldn't see it.
"Keep your eyes open," he commanded. "Now, form one again, this time with a parry maneuver."
This one was simple, and she performed it without error.
"Next form," her father insisted, and Kat stepped back.
"I can't." she uttered.
"You will try," he insisted.
"What if I hurt you?"
The comment brought a smile to his face, which caused the skin around his eyes to wrinkle. It also caused an adorable dimple to appear in his cheek. Why hadn't she inherited that?
"Let's try it and see what happens."
"All right," she said timidly, taking her stance.
The first part went flawlessly. The second? Pretty much the same as in the classroom, only there was no window.
Kat turned slowly to find her lightsaber on the opposite side of the room, literally sticking out of the gymnasium wall. She turned back to gaze at her father, whose eyes had doubled in size as he observed the rather disturbing scene.
"We're done for today," he announced before gathering all the weapons, calling forward the one in the wall with his hand alone.
They returned to the apartment, after which he excused himself. Kat silently watched him leave the common room and go out to the small balcony outside, where he knelt upon a worn-out rug.
Kat waited and watched him, unsure of what to do. What she wanted to do was talk to him; to explain everything. Apparently he wasn't in the mood for talking though, and she went to gather the supplies he had brought back and went into her own room.
The new sheets were clean but stiff, and the blanket wasn't nearly as nice and comfy as the one she had at home, but it didn't matter. It was going to be a long time before she fell asleep.
Surely, there was something she could do to make things right! What would he appreciate most? Kat thought and thought. She had a few chore assignments back home. One of them was dusting. Surely, she could dust without screwing something up! Perhaps if she showed him she was willing to do anything to be helpful, he would give her a chance.
Her mind made up, she waited a long while, staring up at the passing traffic lights dancing across the ceiling. She heard her father come inside, walk across the common room toward her door, and then apparently change his mind and turn back around. The footsteps retreated and then his own bedroom closed.
It was too early to go to bed, but he obviously didn't want to talk yet. That was okay. She'd wait. When he fell asleep, she would tidy up his place, and then in the morning, he would see how nice and clean everything was, and then things would be better. They would have to be, because they couldn't get any worse!