Chapter 6- The Ropes

When Kyrah returned to the main room, she found Evaliya standing over an analyst's shoulder. They spoke in hushed voices about something displayed on the monitor in front of them. The Mirialan glanced in her direction.

"There you are. I trust your meeting with the director went well, Aris?"

Kyrah took a moment before responding. Being addressed by her codename would require some mental adjustment. Evaliya walked toward the opposite end of the room, and Kyrah followed her.

"Well…the meeting did happen," she answered, with a slight shrug.

"Alright then. Point taken," the agent responded.

"The director said you were to oversee my training," Kyrah continued. "What exactly does that entail?"

"The director told me you were some sort of fancy Jedi in my debrief. I would think you don't need extensive combat training. Especially with that fancy-"

Evaliya stopped mid-sentence when she noticed the distinctly absent lightsaber.

"Where's your fancy laser sword?" the senior agent asked.

"My lightsaber?" Kyrah corrected. "The director was kind enough to confiscate that during the meeting. He said I needed to learn how to operate without it."

"Huh," Evaliya mused. Whether she thought any more of it was unclear. "Do you know how to use a blaster?"

"I know the basics, but I'd hardly call myself a marksman," Kyrah answered.

"Then I guess we'll start there. Follow me," Evaliya said as she motioned towards a side door with her head.

Upon entering the room, Kyrah noticed several storage lockers lining the walls. The Jedi wasn't surprised the field agents had lockers, but she did wonder why there weren't more of them.

"I'm sure the director told you this is all temporary. We'll be moving into the military compound and getting more field agents soon," Evaliya stated, seemingly addressing Kyrah's unspoken thoughts. "You'll also get a locker at that point."

Evaliya opened her locker and pulled out both a holster and hold-out blaster. From what little Kyrah could see of the interior, she seemed to have several spare blasters and holsters. Kyrah wondered where she had acquired so many. However, she decided that asking such a question was not a priority.

"This goes strapped around your thigh, like how I have mine," the Mirialan stated, gesturing towards her leg.

"Thanks," Kyrah responded as she did her best to put on the holster. After Kyrah finished, she continued. "Okay, what's next?"

"We go practice. I'm not on assignment right now and could use the reinforcement anyway. Now lose the poncho. I assume it was for concealing your lightsaber, but that's not necessary now."

"Where exactly are we going to practice shooting on Coruscant?" Kyrah asked while shoving the poncho in Evaliya's locker. "I'm not particularly excited about the prospect of hitting something-or somebody."

Evaliya let out a small chuckle.

"You're funny. I didn't think you'd be funny. The whole point of this is so that, hopefully, you will hit something. I know a spot over in the Industrial Sector. No people, only droids. That way, you don't have to worry about that. Now come on, we have a train to catch."

"This is ridiculous," Kyrah said, not trying to hide the exasperation in her voice.

The Jedi found herself in an industrial junkyard. Discarded by-products from every type of manufacturing imaginable lay scattered around them. The air in this sector was considerably warmer than anywhere else in the city; no doubt a by-product of the sector's namesake. Nonetheless, it had Kyrah wiping sweat from her brow.

"We're doing this whether you like it or not," Evaliya replied. The Mirialan, to Kyrah's surprise, seemed more amused by her discomfort than vexed by her griping.

"What is it you want me to do exactly?"

"Take that blaster and try your best to hit the targets I give you. First target-you see that old droid's head about six meters out?"

Kyrah focused her eyes in the direction Evaliya was gesturing. Sure enough, sitting on top of a scrap of durasteel was the remains of the droid she mentioned.

"I see it."

"You think you can hit it?"

Kyrah didn't respond. Instead, she focused intently on the target. As she readied herself to take the shot, her focus broke when Evaliya began to laugh.

"You're never going to hit anything with a stance like that."

"A stance like what?" Kyrah asked.

"You're locking your knees and holding that blaster like it's a foreign object."

"Well, it is."

"You need to command it and adjust your footing. Like this," Evaliya replied.

Kyrah glanced in Evaliya's direction. The Mirialan had set her feet further apart and held the blaster with both hands. The Jedi did her best to mimic the stance.

"Better," the senior agent acknowledged. "Now stop being afraid of it,"

"I'm not afraid of it," Kyrah responded through gritted teeth.

"Then prove it."

Kyrah returned to staring at the droid head. Though Evaliya's wording had been different, the sentiment was very much the same as what the Jedi taught their pupils about lightsaber combat. Evaliya wanted her to treat the blaster as an extension of herself. To work with its will rather than try to bend it.

The Jedi closed her eyes for a moment. She wanted to focus on the force channeling through her. She intended to blend what came naturally to her with new teachings. Kyrah could feel her deep focus returning. As if some great epiphany hit her, the blaster suddenly felt far more natural in hand than it had before. Not second nature- that would take time, but more comfortable nonetheless.

Reopening her eyes, Kyrah exhaled slowly and took the shot. The droid head flew backward off the scrap metal it had sat upon.

"Not bad, Aris. Not bad at all," Evaliya acknowledged. "Whatever you just did, keep doing it. We're going to try a few more targets to make sure it wasn't just luck."

After what felt like an eternity of hitting random parts and specific points on scraps of sheet metal, Evaliya finally stopped her.

"Good, you hit almost every target. I think I can trust you to carry that now without taking yourself or someone else out unintentionally."

"Thanks," Kyrah replied, though it sounded more like a question than an acknowledgment. "So what's next?"

"Next I take you out for a test run in the field. If our Case Officer approves it, you're coming with me on my next mission. There's no better way to learn than by jumping right in"

Immediately after Evaliya finished her sentence, the comm on her wrist began to sound.

"I guess that time is coming sooner than expected," she said with a wink. The agent then proceeded to answer the transmission.

"This is Evaliya."

"Agent, Case Officer Rancit has an assignment for you. You and the new recruit are to proceed back to base immediately," a male voice ordered. Kyrah figured the voice belonged to one of the analysts she'd seen earlier.

"Right away," Evaliya acknowledged before ending the transmission.

"I'm guessing that means the Case Officer wants me to join you for this?" Kyrah asked.

"Well, don't sound so unenthusiastic about it," Evaliya chided with a small giggle. "This is going to be fun."