The main thing Tera wanted to overhaul drastically with Kyle was his lightsaber skills. He lacked discipline and frequently would alter between one fighting form to the next without even the knowledge of doing so. "How a Jedi fights is an extension of themself. You have to fight like you." This sort of advance boiled Kyle's blood, Tera could sense it. "You don't believe me?"
"I do, Master, but... I don't know how." He confesses. "I don't know what you're talking about." Tera sighs. It seems they've hit a wall. To combat this she could tell Kyle to read up on the Jedi forms, although this could cause him to check out entirely and despise the practice all together. She remembered when her master initially encountered her student struggling with combat. Tera felt her master overworked her to the brink of mental collapse. It did make her the accomplished Jedi Master she is today...
"Go to the Jedi Archives, read up on these three forms of lightsaber combat, Makashi, Soresu and Ataru. Those fit your personality in unique ways." She tells him.
"Can't you just tell me which form to practice?" Kyle really didn't want to waste time reading about lightsaber combat forms.
"That is for you to you to decide."
This all struck Kyle as incredibly boring. What use is all this history to him? His eyes glazed over the computer screen, his head propped up by his hand to keep him from falling asleep. Keyon sat next to him, apparently he was given his own assignment.
"Hey." Kyle mumbles a greeting in return. "Whatcha doing?"
"My Master told me to study lightsaber combat forms to better understand them so i can better choose one."
"Sounds overly complicated." Keyon diagnosed.
"It is." Kyle paid Keyon no mind, staring intently at his assignment, silently hoping Keyon would go away.
"You're still mad about what I said?" He asks.
"Jedi can't be mad." Kyle replies calmly. "That being said, yeah, I am mad. How could you say something like you did?"
"I don't know why you're defending her. You need to let this go. Is she your girlfriend or something?" Keyon rustles Kyle's hair.
"Alright." Having enough, Kyle packed up his materials and left. He'll study in his quarters where he cannot be bothered.
(Scene break)
Tera took her issues to Anakin and Obi-Wan. Though she was both their senior in age she lacked the experience in teaching a Padawan so extensively. Her last Padawan didn't pan out the way she hoped.
"Skywalker, how did you arrive at your fighting style?" Anakin's eyes light up, he always enjoys talking about the inner workings of what makes him the successful Jedi he is today. "Did you always use Shien?"
"You know, it's complicated. When I first got here I adopted Ataru, ironically Ahsoka's style, and it contrasted with Obi-Wan's more conservative Soresu. He pestered me incessantly to switch to his style. Even saying it be easier to teach me if I was more like him. In a way, Ataru gave me my identity. I stood out and forged my own path, leading me to Shien."
"Patience is certainly a virtue when it comes to mastering how to fight with a lightsaber. It takes time, Tera. Me and Anakin both went through our respective struggles and have been on your side of the issue."
"That's what I thought." Tera said solemnly.
"Kyle can't figure out which style to fight. I told him to read up on the three forms mostly practiced by Jedi and decide for himself." Anakin didn't like the sound of that. He's bothered Ahsoka in the past to change up her aggressive Ataru form for Shein, he never thought giving her homework was the answer.
"Why not tell him to adopt your style?"
"Juyo? That's far too advanced for him. He'll need years of experience before he can begin walking down that path."
"You have to remain patient." Obi-Wan implored. "You cannot rush development. You have to work with Kyle."
(Scene break)
Frustrated with his lack of progress, Kyle felt overworked and in desperate need of some rest and relaxation. He ventured to downtown Coruscant to soak in the nightlife; something he hasn't done in the years he's attended the Jedi Order. Aware he was underage to gain entry into a bar, he splurged for a fake identification card and fooled the bouncer decisively.
"Kyle Izzo!" He turns around to see a tan skinned person his age, wearing braids in his black hair. "You made it." He walls up to him expecting a handshake.
"Hassan! How did you end up here?" Kyle and Hassan embrace. They grew up together on Songin and left around the same time. Kyle left to pursue his dreams of being a Jedi. Hassan went to join a team of smugglers delivering refugees from war torn Separatists areas to sanctuary cities in the republic.
"My ship is being repaired, I'm here for the night. Look at yourself, you look so strong and you're wearing the Jedi garbs." Hassan takes a peak at Kyle's clothes.
"Keep that stuff on the down low I'm trying to just have fun tonight." He signals for Hassan to zip it.
"Is that why you don't have your lightsaber?" Hassan thought Kyle, being the forgetful oaf that he is, misplaced his weapon. Fortunately, Kyle did leave his weapon in his quarters back at the temple to avoid any trouble. The Jedi say to guard your lightsaber with your life. Kyle decided the best way to do that was leave it home.
They talked for hours, recalling stories from their time wasted on the bleak planet of Songin. "You remember when Mr. Gorgui tried to have you killed for stealing his speeder to compete in the race?" Hassan was pretty buzzed at this point, he laughed so hard he nearly fell off of his barstool. Kyle nurses his glass. If he showed up intoxicated at the Jedi Temple the masters will snuff him out in seconds.
"Yeah, it was idiotic, but I won the race!" They laugh even harder, Hassan needing to wipe a single tear from his eye.
"It all feels so long ago." Hassan confesses.
"A lot of things have happened since."
"You look more mature now. You're staying out of trouble? Silly question. Of course you're not!"
"I try to." Kyle didn't really know if participating in the largest galactic civil war the universe has ever seen constitute as "getting into trouble."
"Hey," Hassan leans in, Kyle smells the strong scent of Krug ale on his breath. "You interested in making some money?" Kyle thought for a second.
"Maybe. It depends."
"Depends on what?"
"Depends on how stupid your plan is. I thought you had a job?"
"I do and it's steady, but we could make it big tonight. There's a card game, it's underground, taking place not too far from here."
"Okay" Kyle didn't see where this was going, making him more nervous. "So what game are you playing?"
"Me?" Hassan scoffs. "My luck is worse than anyone's. You'll be playing for me, using that Force stuff to, for lack of a better word, cheat."
"No. I'm not getting involved into that stuff. Not here." He waves Hassan off.
"Come on, it's easy money! Plus I really need it. I'm behind on payments for the freighter and need a little something extra to pay for the repairs. Please?" Hassan turns on his charm, using his pretty brown eyes to seduce Kyle to doing what he wanted. When they didn't work, Hassan upped the ante. "Alright, you can have sixty-percent of the winnings."
The prospect appealed to Kyle. It always helps to have money, even if a Jedi supposedly has no use for it. "Alright, I'm in."
(Scene break)
Tera was enraged. Kyle was nowhere to be found and he certainly wasn't in his quarters. She was told he was a troublemaker. She just didn't think he had it in him to sneak out of the Jedi Temple like a teenager leaving their parents to attend a party. Tera wonders why suddenly she's become a parental figure in this supposedly teacher-student relationship.
"Ahsoka." She calls for her. "Have you see Kyle?" She shakes her head. Overhearing the conversation, Keyon chimes in.
"Kyle left to hangout at downtown Coruscant. Said he'll be back in a couple hours. He didn't even take his lightsaber."
"You knew this and didn't say anything?!" Tera had to resist the urge to slap Keyon upside the head. These Younglings don't make any sense.
"I said I wouldn't squeal him if he was back in a couple hours. It's been a couple of hours." Keyon replies.
"Well, looks like I'm playing truant officer. Come on, Ahsoka. We'll cover more ground together. And go search his room for his lightsaber, something tells me we're going to need it." Ahsoka actually had plans to rest tonight. Guess she'll have to shelve that plan and make new ones for what she's going to do to Kyle when she finds him.
(Scene break)
"Pontoon? You need my help to win money at pontoon?" Kyle chastises Hassan. He was hoping his powers could've been used for a more complicated game of chance.
"If you want, win enough money and you can move to the chance cube table." The option to use the Force to manipulate which color the two-aided dice would turn up on didn't entice Kyle all that much either. But this was a small, underground casino. Games are supposed to played quick so as to hasten their getaway. The Galactic Senate has been cracking down on these casinos for months. Outside of managing The Clone War, criminalizing gambling is their second priority.
"Who are these guys?" Kyle notices some unsavory characters hanging out, either having a drink or gambling what couldn't have been their own money away. He could tell it wasn't there's because when they lost it they weren't enraged.
"What? You've never seen bounty hunters before?" Hassan asks. "I thought you Jedi always run into these guys. Didn't they steal a holocron?"
"Yes. I wasn't there for that." He points to a blue skinned Duros having a had time at the tables. "I heard it was that fella over there. I forget his name. Something Bane."
"Cad." Hassan fills in the blank. Kyle knew a Cad on Songin. He played tailback for the high school football team. Guess the name wasn't all that uncommon. "Come on, lets play." Kyle didn't like the idea of playing a card game with a renown bounty hunter, but Hassan insisted. Kyle sat across, the Duros was more interested in the little rivalry he had going on with a Bothan twice his size. Kyle notices the two having one hand under the table at all times. Not being a stranger to preemptive conflict, he ordered Hassan to hand him his blaster so he could defend himself in case the cannons were turned on to him.
It took about an hour, Kyle subtly made a solid 350,000 credits. To prevent suspicion from arising, Kyle knowingly threw hands away and went on cold streaks. It worked. Bane and the unknown Bothan were at each other's throats all night not knowing it was the kid screwing them over. "Come on, let's cash out." Kyle says quietly. Hassan had already reintroduced himself to the ale, letting his bombastic personality out. "We have enough."
"We could get more!" Hassan protests. "Come on."
"It's enough, Hassan!" Kyle didn't relent. This whole place gave him the vibe he's going to get shot at any moment. He pushes Hassan out the door, aware they've garnered the stares of everyone at the bar with their little argument.
Hassan was out of it, unable to even support himself into standing straight. Kyle props his friend up against a wall and tells him to wait while he catches a cab. The moment he departed, Bane and the Bothan, seemingly put their differences aside, met Hassan outside grinning madly aware he's drunk.
"You alright, pal?" The Bothan feigns concern.
"I don't think he is, Jah." Bane wraps his arm around Hassan's neck. "Let's give him a ride home." If Hassan wasn't so intoxicated he'd probably resist. By his account, there was five people surrounding and encouraging him to take the nice offer.
"Okay" He giggles and hiccups simultaneously.
"Hey!" Kyle rushes back, but by the time he saw the two absconding with his friend already in a speeder and sped away into the night.
(Scene break)
"That mischievous little..." Tera mutters curse words Ahsoka couldn't make out, it disturbed her that Tera kept going since they've left the temple.
"Master," Ahsoka treaded lightly with what she's about to say. Last thing she wanted to do was turn Tera's obscenity towards her. "Maybe if we split up we'll cover more ground to find Kyle. It is a big city."
"Good idea, Ahsoka. But remember to be careful. Don't need you getting into trouble." Ahsoka sighs in relief, freed of the tense situation. Even though she was on a mission, Ahsoka couldn't help but notice the breathtaking sights of downtown Coruscant. The atmosphere is percolating with energy, her blue eyes sparkled when she caught glimpses of the lights illuminating the skyline.
Ahsoka never explored Coruscant before, now she's regretting to have waited this long. Maybe she'd get the chance. After all, Kyle could be anywhere. Maybe he's not even on Coruscant. Knowing him, he probably wandered on to a transport ship and is on another planet all together.
"Ahsoka, what are you doing here?" Kyle bumped into Ahsoka. He was sweating profusely, like he's done something nefarious. "I don't have time to talk, I gotta get going."
"Wait, wait!" Ahsoka chases after him. "What are you doing here? Master Grant is worried sick."
"Oh, she knows?" He winces at the mere thought of repercussions awaiting him once this fiasco is put to bed. "Ahsoka, I'd head back right now but I can't." He tells her.
"Why?"
"Because my friend's been kidnapped by some bounty hunters, I need to find him. I know where they're probably keeping him."
"How do you know that?"
"Apparently it isn't unusual for people to gamble even while they owe money to loan sharks to show up at the casino behind the hardware store on level 78."
"What were doing you doing at a casino? Were you gambling?" Ahsoka was on the verge of freaking out. How could a Jedi participate in such debauchery. Smelled liquor from Kyle's clothes and a little from his breath. "You drank?!"
"What? No." He lied.
"Don't lie to me. You should be ashamed of yourself!"
"All I wanted to do was have a little fun. Okay? Is that so bad?" He held up his hands defensively.
"Hanging out with seedy criminals and compromising your morals is very bad." Ahsoka couldn't believe someone like Kyle, who holds the Jedi as near and dear to his heart as she, could do this. Of course, Jedi drank, just not when they're minors, they most certainly never gambled with criminals.
"Okay, fine. I'm a fraud. Can you please help me save my friend before they kill him?" Ahsoka sighs, putting aside her annoyance, aware of the bigger picture.
"Alright, fine. But know this, you're in big trouble."
"Wonderful." Kyle rolls his eyes. "Come on, they told me they were keeping Hassan in a warehouse a few blocs up from here."
"Do your friends always get themselves into trouble?"
"No. Only when they're around me." Kyle jokingly stated in an effort to get Ahsoka to turn her frown upside down, only it didn't work.
(Scene break)
Logan Arrington stared daggers at the map before him detailing the locations of previous delivering of weapons to the underground Separatists group on Coruscant. There were three places in the last month to have received a bountiful shipment of arms. The Jedi are busy scouring the lower levels to find and apprehend the culprits. The upper levels have been given to the local authorities. Many have complained about the chancellor exercising too much power on the citizens of Coruscant and their protests resulted in the vice-like grip he held on the republic to loosen somewhat.
"That's our man." He points to a holographic imagine of a Bothan, demanding one of the interns blow the picture up so his partner could see. "Jah Dooling, last seen at the hardware casino on level 78 with bounty hunter Cad Bane."
"Let's go get him then." A shorter man said. Arrington towers over him giving his response.
"We have informers on the inside of these bounty hunter rings. We can't interfere without arousing suspicion." A link to the camera outside of the casino popped up. It showed the two bounty hunters escorting a man into their speeder, holding him tightly by the neck right before clubbing him upside the head to knock him unconscious. "But they never make it easy." Arrington told Jah he'd have a long leash if he wasn't so damned obvious.
"Come on, we're heading to the casino." Arrington told his men.
