The sandy clearing was chock-full of young jedi students, most of them
under the age of twelve. Some chatted with others and fidgeted with long
blades of grass. Others engaged in peaceful meditation. For many of the
students this was their first official lesson in combat skills and
lightsaber techniques. They all dealt with their nerves in a manner that
best suited them. It was easy to see a lot about each child's personality
by observing the way they handled stress. Just a quick glance gave Li'aa
all the first hand information she'd need.
"Quiet down!" Kyp called over the noisy chatter. After a few seconds the sounds stopped and thirty sets of eyes stared back at him. "I finally found your instructor, so stop hitting each other on the heads with practice lightsabers - Aurora - and listen up!"
A small dark-haired girl in the front row looked quickly down at her bare feet and muffled her snickering with one hand. A boy with hair a few shades darker and the same complexion sat to her right, trying to ignore her and act studious.
'Relatives,' Li'aa noted with an inward smile, recalling the kind of squabbles she and Ericho used to have when adults' backs were turned.
"Can somebody tell me why you're all here?" She asked the entire group as she walked around to look at them all.
A few bold children spoke up first with the words, "lightsaber training". The rest of the kids in the group were quick to follow their lead.
"Very good," Li'aa said with an approving nod. "And why do you need lightsaber training?"
This time Li'aa pointed to the girl in the front that had been pestering her brother. The girl, Aurora, flinched from being called on but was quick to deliver an answer.
"For defense," She answered hesitantly in a low voice.
"Exactly," Li'aa emphasized. "A jedi always uses his weapon in self- defense, never for attack. Who can name another weapon that a jedi has?"
An exuberant boy's hand shot quickly up into the air. "Jedi mind control!"
Li'aania glanced meaningfully over in Kyp's direction. "Yes, mind control can be a very powerful technique for those that have the gift. However, there is a thin line between a slight influence on another and forcing them to do your will. That line must never be crossed, for the latter is of the dark side. Are there any others that you know about?"
"Force lightning!" A smaller blond girl from the back of the group chirped.
"Ah yes. Let's talk about this for a second. A jedi's ability to channel lightning out the fingertips is one that is commonly associated with the dark side. I must tell you that not all uses of this are of the dark side. It depends on the user's mindset. However, when used as a weapon it is most certainly of the dark side. Therefore we will not cover it in this course. Any others?"
Silence.
"All right then. You all are forgetting the most fundamental weapon that a jedi has. It's the reason why so many jedi masters of old never carried a lightsaber. Can anybody venture a guess?" She asked inquiringly.
"The mind," Aurora's dark-haired brother muttered in a quiet voice that was hard to hear.
"Very good! I can tell you've been paying attention in your classes," Li'aa exclaimed with a grin, making the boy blush slightly. "So, a jedi has his lightsaber, his mind, and one more thing. Anyone?"
"His body," Kyp added as he sensed where she was taking the lesson and wanted to help things along.
"Thank you, Kyp," She said mockingly, throwing a roll of tacky tape at him that she had in her jumpsuit pocket. "You win a prize!"
Kyp looked over his "prize" and pretended to be very interested in it.
"These three things, lightsaber, mind and body, are the focal points of your education in combat skills and lightsaber training. You will learn how to use your weapons and, most importantly, when to use them," Li'aa said and then paused for a second, letting her words sink in. The only sounds that could be heard for a distance were the chirps of piranha beetles in search of a mid-afternoon meal.
"Kyp, if you don't mind, I'd like you to help me demonstrate the first lesson," Li'aa said cheerfully, breaking the silence.
Kyp shuddered, dreading the reason for her cheerfulness. The first and last time he ever volunteered to demonstrate anything for her older brother left him physically sore for a day or two. A small hunch told him that this could be worse.
"What exactly do you need me to do?" He asked cautiously as he scratched the back of his neck.
"I just need you to come at me with your lightsaber ignited," She answered simply, the pleasant smile still on her face. She shrugged off her cloak and tossed it to the edge of the clearing as Kyp's apprehension skyrocketed.
"How do I know that you're not going to skewer me with my own lightsaber?" He joked nervously.
"Kyp, this is only a demonstration. I promise that you'll leave here with minimal pain," She laughed in that musical way that agitated the very core of his being. For a short moment he thought he might crumple there before everyone but quickly dismissed it as passing nerves. He wasn't about to let another Narundi get the best of him without a fight.
"So, what do I do? Just charge straight at you brandishing my weapon wildly?" He questioned, glancing at his lightsaber like he didn't know how it worked.
"Yup, just like that," She agreed as she readied herself for his attack. "Attack me."
"Has she gone space happy?" The dark-haired boy whispered, elbowing his sister to get her attention. "Doesn't she know how good of a fighter Uncle Kyp is?"
"Shhhh, just watch! I think I remember Uncle Brodey giving this demonstration!" She murmured back.
"You're too young to remember when Uncle Brodey was teaching!" Her brother hissed in annoyance.
"Nuh-uh!" She insisted huffily, looking back at the mock battle where Li'aa had Kyp on the ground with an arm pinned behind his back.
"Did you see how I did that take-down?" Li'aa asked the entire group. "The key is using his energy against him and using his arm to whip him down into the ground. His lightsaber was knocked clear of his body and he's pretty much subdued at this point."
"Pretty much?" Kyp groaned. "I think you may have dislocated my shoulder!"
"Still, you're probably not going to resist much after this, are you?" Li'aa asked playfully, patting him on the top of the head.
"Nope," He mumbled, closing his eyes as if he was asleep. "I'm just going to stay right here and get a tan."
"Sorry Kyp," She chided as she hauled him to his feet by his good arm. "We still have some demonstrating to do. I just have one little hint for you for next time. Don't run at me so fast. Slower motion is fine. It helps them see things better."
"Yes ma'am," Kyp responded dutifully while rubbing his sore shoulder.
"Now, watch this next move," She instructed, motioning for Kyp to come at her again. The jedi master trotted uneasily toward her as she stood in ready position. "I'm going to wait until he gets close enough," She explained as she rolled onto her back once Kyp was an arm's length away from her and planted her foot firmly against his abdomen. The coupling of their energies sent him flying to the other side of the clearing and he grunted as he tucked and rolled right into a tree.
"You see what I did there? It doesn't matter that I weigh less than Kyp or that I'm of smaller stature," She said loudly so that everybody could hear her. "I'm here to tell you that any of you could defeat a full-grown adult with the proper training."
"Will any of us ever be able to defeat you?" The boy in the front row asked boldly.
"Oh, definitely," Li'aa nodded seriously. "In fact, you all have to defeat me in order to pass this course."
A cacophony of groans, complaints, and outrage rippled through the small gathering as the children discussed the seemingly impossible odds of passing.
"Relax," She assured them. "I'm not going to be as hard on you as I was on Kyp. Plus, you'll know what I'm going to do in advance. If you practice, you'll be fine."
"You know, you could be nice and warn me the next time you're going to throw me right into a tree," Kyp hinted with a wink as he rubbed his back.
Li'aa made a thoughtful face for a second but then the bright white smile was back. "That's not any fun, Kyp! My brother told me that you might need a refresher course in all of this. I'm just trying to be helpful!"
Kyp smirked as he exhaled sharply. "Yeah, some help!" He muttered.
"You want me to show them some advanced moves?" She threatened, still flashing a grin that looked startlingly like her brother's. Kyp was beginning to wonder just how different this young woman was from his former apprentice. All evidence pointed to her being a clone of Brodey, and that wasn't necessarily a good thing from his perspective.
"No, I think we should stick to the basics," He sighed, dusting some dirt off the sleeve of his tunic.
"Fine by me," She said with a shrug as she set herself to demonstrate the next move she had planned for him.
The rest of the hour-long session was full of painful lessons on sweeps, throws, and force defenses. The only things that saved Kyp were Brodey's lessons on how to fall properly. Even those didn't save him when he ran, knowingly, right into a force wall. He didn't want to limp around for the rest of the day; He had enough trouble getting around with the onset of arthritis in his knees. However, he reasoned that it was important that the children saw such techniques and the effects of using them.
Kyp exhaled in relief when she asked the children to break off into groups. He marveled at the number of places he could feel pain in his body at the same time. His hair hung in limp, sweaty strands around his face as he doubled over in exhaustion. He definitely wasn't a kid anymore.
"More like a crotchety, old man. Am I right?" A voice asked slyly.
"I'm feeling older by the day," Kyp admitted to the older jedi master.
"Wait until you hit fifty," Luke chuckled. "Then you'll really begin to notice."
"Every pain-free day is a blessing," Kyp answered wistfully. He yearned for anything that could take away the sting from the beat-down he'd just experienced.
"Well, just don't start believing you're an old man," Luke advised. "You're only as old as you feel."
"You're starting to sound a little like Han," Kyp joked as he pinched together a cut that was trickling blood on his elbow.
"It comes with age," Luke said with a wink and a knowing smile.
"Master Skywalker, how nice of you to join us!" Li'aa called happily in greeting. "I was just showing the children and Kyp a few new moves in hand- to-hand combat."
"So I've heard," Luke stated with a pleased smile as he sat back and observed the young children who were practicing the throws she'd taught them. "How is your first day of work coming along?"
"It's great, really. I just, um, kind of slept through the beginning of this lesson," She admitted regretfully. "I think I may need to cut it a bit short today. It's a shame. I was looking forward to having more fun with Kyp!"
Li'aa shot him a wicked grin as she finished her sentence and he responded with a smug smile. Anything that would keep her away from him so he could heal was a good thing.
"Well, it's partially my fault," Luke conceded with a slight bow of his head. "I shouldn't have scheduled your first lesson so close to your arrival. You traveled a long way."
Li'aa nodded, returning his bow. "If you gentlemen will excuse me, I must get back to my students."
"How does she look to you?" Luke asked, throwing Kyp for a loop.
"Are you talking about on the outside or the way she teaches?" Kyp joked sardonically.
"As a teacher," Luke said with narrowed eyes, a hint of paternal warning in his voice. Kyp remembered, a little too late, that Luke and Li'aania's father were fairly close friends.
"Very good. Very thorough," Kyp said, his muscles still burning noticeably from the workout. "The way she teaches reminds me of Brodey's methods. It's a very hands-on approach."
"That's the way they were taught," Luke muttered. "We teach what we know."
"True," Kyp said with a nod. "Still, I had no idea that their training was this rigorous."
"Everybody, stop what you're doing and gather around me!" Li'aa yelled over the laughing and shouting of the kids as they practiced. "I'm sure that you're all eager to learn more, but my chronometer says that it's time for the evening meal."
"When do we get to fight with lightsabers?" Whined a sandy-haired boy from the middle of the group. A few of the other children nodded in agreement while others rolled their eyes at his outburst.
"Not today," She answered clearly. "Maybe in a week, if you're good."
Li'aa smiled to herself as she felt the collective attitude of the group plummet to the ground. She knew it was difficult for them to hear, since their image of a jedi always came with a blazing lightsaber, but they would have to learn that there was more to being a jedi than swordsmanship.
"Before you can begin your training with a lightsaber you must first become a master of your own body. Learn your limits. Learn what kinds of things you can accomplish without the use of a lightsaber," She explained as she held out her hands. "All right, you're dismissed," She muttered, looking at her chronometer.
The children raced off down the dirt path that led back to the temple, leaving the three adults behind to take a slower trip back.
"So Kyp, how are you holding up?" She asked with a hint of mockery.
"Better than you'd expect," He shot back, lying through his teeth. "I did feel a hint of nostalgia when you were pounding me into the ground. You fight just like your brother."
"That's funny," She chortled. "Just realize that I'm nothing like that piece of work. I, for one, am not insane. Just because we look alike doesn't mean we are alike."
"Heh. That sounds like a rehearsed speech. You must get that a lot," Kyp taunted eagerly.
"Durron, I think I understand why you and my brother became such good friends," She groaned, giving him a small shove. "You're both so incredibly annoying!"
"I aim to please," He chuckled as he pushed her right back.
"Quiet down!" Kyp called over the noisy chatter. After a few seconds the sounds stopped and thirty sets of eyes stared back at him. "I finally found your instructor, so stop hitting each other on the heads with practice lightsabers - Aurora - and listen up!"
A small dark-haired girl in the front row looked quickly down at her bare feet and muffled her snickering with one hand. A boy with hair a few shades darker and the same complexion sat to her right, trying to ignore her and act studious.
'Relatives,' Li'aa noted with an inward smile, recalling the kind of squabbles she and Ericho used to have when adults' backs were turned.
"Can somebody tell me why you're all here?" She asked the entire group as she walked around to look at them all.
A few bold children spoke up first with the words, "lightsaber training". The rest of the kids in the group were quick to follow their lead.
"Very good," Li'aa said with an approving nod. "And why do you need lightsaber training?"
This time Li'aa pointed to the girl in the front that had been pestering her brother. The girl, Aurora, flinched from being called on but was quick to deliver an answer.
"For defense," She answered hesitantly in a low voice.
"Exactly," Li'aa emphasized. "A jedi always uses his weapon in self- defense, never for attack. Who can name another weapon that a jedi has?"
An exuberant boy's hand shot quickly up into the air. "Jedi mind control!"
Li'aania glanced meaningfully over in Kyp's direction. "Yes, mind control can be a very powerful technique for those that have the gift. However, there is a thin line between a slight influence on another and forcing them to do your will. That line must never be crossed, for the latter is of the dark side. Are there any others that you know about?"
"Force lightning!" A smaller blond girl from the back of the group chirped.
"Ah yes. Let's talk about this for a second. A jedi's ability to channel lightning out the fingertips is one that is commonly associated with the dark side. I must tell you that not all uses of this are of the dark side. It depends on the user's mindset. However, when used as a weapon it is most certainly of the dark side. Therefore we will not cover it in this course. Any others?"
Silence.
"All right then. You all are forgetting the most fundamental weapon that a jedi has. It's the reason why so many jedi masters of old never carried a lightsaber. Can anybody venture a guess?" She asked inquiringly.
"The mind," Aurora's dark-haired brother muttered in a quiet voice that was hard to hear.
"Very good! I can tell you've been paying attention in your classes," Li'aa exclaimed with a grin, making the boy blush slightly. "So, a jedi has his lightsaber, his mind, and one more thing. Anyone?"
"His body," Kyp added as he sensed where she was taking the lesson and wanted to help things along.
"Thank you, Kyp," She said mockingly, throwing a roll of tacky tape at him that she had in her jumpsuit pocket. "You win a prize!"
Kyp looked over his "prize" and pretended to be very interested in it.
"These three things, lightsaber, mind and body, are the focal points of your education in combat skills and lightsaber training. You will learn how to use your weapons and, most importantly, when to use them," Li'aa said and then paused for a second, letting her words sink in. The only sounds that could be heard for a distance were the chirps of piranha beetles in search of a mid-afternoon meal.
"Kyp, if you don't mind, I'd like you to help me demonstrate the first lesson," Li'aa said cheerfully, breaking the silence.
Kyp shuddered, dreading the reason for her cheerfulness. The first and last time he ever volunteered to demonstrate anything for her older brother left him physically sore for a day or two. A small hunch told him that this could be worse.
"What exactly do you need me to do?" He asked cautiously as he scratched the back of his neck.
"I just need you to come at me with your lightsaber ignited," She answered simply, the pleasant smile still on her face. She shrugged off her cloak and tossed it to the edge of the clearing as Kyp's apprehension skyrocketed.
"How do I know that you're not going to skewer me with my own lightsaber?" He joked nervously.
"Kyp, this is only a demonstration. I promise that you'll leave here with minimal pain," She laughed in that musical way that agitated the very core of his being. For a short moment he thought he might crumple there before everyone but quickly dismissed it as passing nerves. He wasn't about to let another Narundi get the best of him without a fight.
"So, what do I do? Just charge straight at you brandishing my weapon wildly?" He questioned, glancing at his lightsaber like he didn't know how it worked.
"Yup, just like that," She agreed as she readied herself for his attack. "Attack me."
"Has she gone space happy?" The dark-haired boy whispered, elbowing his sister to get her attention. "Doesn't she know how good of a fighter Uncle Kyp is?"
"Shhhh, just watch! I think I remember Uncle Brodey giving this demonstration!" She murmured back.
"You're too young to remember when Uncle Brodey was teaching!" Her brother hissed in annoyance.
"Nuh-uh!" She insisted huffily, looking back at the mock battle where Li'aa had Kyp on the ground with an arm pinned behind his back.
"Did you see how I did that take-down?" Li'aa asked the entire group. "The key is using his energy against him and using his arm to whip him down into the ground. His lightsaber was knocked clear of his body and he's pretty much subdued at this point."
"Pretty much?" Kyp groaned. "I think you may have dislocated my shoulder!"
"Still, you're probably not going to resist much after this, are you?" Li'aa asked playfully, patting him on the top of the head.
"Nope," He mumbled, closing his eyes as if he was asleep. "I'm just going to stay right here and get a tan."
"Sorry Kyp," She chided as she hauled him to his feet by his good arm. "We still have some demonstrating to do. I just have one little hint for you for next time. Don't run at me so fast. Slower motion is fine. It helps them see things better."
"Yes ma'am," Kyp responded dutifully while rubbing his sore shoulder.
"Now, watch this next move," She instructed, motioning for Kyp to come at her again. The jedi master trotted uneasily toward her as she stood in ready position. "I'm going to wait until he gets close enough," She explained as she rolled onto her back once Kyp was an arm's length away from her and planted her foot firmly against his abdomen. The coupling of their energies sent him flying to the other side of the clearing and he grunted as he tucked and rolled right into a tree.
"You see what I did there? It doesn't matter that I weigh less than Kyp or that I'm of smaller stature," She said loudly so that everybody could hear her. "I'm here to tell you that any of you could defeat a full-grown adult with the proper training."
"Will any of us ever be able to defeat you?" The boy in the front row asked boldly.
"Oh, definitely," Li'aa nodded seriously. "In fact, you all have to defeat me in order to pass this course."
A cacophony of groans, complaints, and outrage rippled through the small gathering as the children discussed the seemingly impossible odds of passing.
"Relax," She assured them. "I'm not going to be as hard on you as I was on Kyp. Plus, you'll know what I'm going to do in advance. If you practice, you'll be fine."
"You know, you could be nice and warn me the next time you're going to throw me right into a tree," Kyp hinted with a wink as he rubbed his back.
Li'aa made a thoughtful face for a second but then the bright white smile was back. "That's not any fun, Kyp! My brother told me that you might need a refresher course in all of this. I'm just trying to be helpful!"
Kyp smirked as he exhaled sharply. "Yeah, some help!" He muttered.
"You want me to show them some advanced moves?" She threatened, still flashing a grin that looked startlingly like her brother's. Kyp was beginning to wonder just how different this young woman was from his former apprentice. All evidence pointed to her being a clone of Brodey, and that wasn't necessarily a good thing from his perspective.
"No, I think we should stick to the basics," He sighed, dusting some dirt off the sleeve of his tunic.
"Fine by me," She said with a shrug as she set herself to demonstrate the next move she had planned for him.
The rest of the hour-long session was full of painful lessons on sweeps, throws, and force defenses. The only things that saved Kyp were Brodey's lessons on how to fall properly. Even those didn't save him when he ran, knowingly, right into a force wall. He didn't want to limp around for the rest of the day; He had enough trouble getting around with the onset of arthritis in his knees. However, he reasoned that it was important that the children saw such techniques and the effects of using them.
Kyp exhaled in relief when she asked the children to break off into groups. He marveled at the number of places he could feel pain in his body at the same time. His hair hung in limp, sweaty strands around his face as he doubled over in exhaustion. He definitely wasn't a kid anymore.
"More like a crotchety, old man. Am I right?" A voice asked slyly.
"I'm feeling older by the day," Kyp admitted to the older jedi master.
"Wait until you hit fifty," Luke chuckled. "Then you'll really begin to notice."
"Every pain-free day is a blessing," Kyp answered wistfully. He yearned for anything that could take away the sting from the beat-down he'd just experienced.
"Well, just don't start believing you're an old man," Luke advised. "You're only as old as you feel."
"You're starting to sound a little like Han," Kyp joked as he pinched together a cut that was trickling blood on his elbow.
"It comes with age," Luke said with a wink and a knowing smile.
"Master Skywalker, how nice of you to join us!" Li'aa called happily in greeting. "I was just showing the children and Kyp a few new moves in hand- to-hand combat."
"So I've heard," Luke stated with a pleased smile as he sat back and observed the young children who were practicing the throws she'd taught them. "How is your first day of work coming along?"
"It's great, really. I just, um, kind of slept through the beginning of this lesson," She admitted regretfully. "I think I may need to cut it a bit short today. It's a shame. I was looking forward to having more fun with Kyp!"
Li'aa shot him a wicked grin as she finished her sentence and he responded with a smug smile. Anything that would keep her away from him so he could heal was a good thing.
"Well, it's partially my fault," Luke conceded with a slight bow of his head. "I shouldn't have scheduled your first lesson so close to your arrival. You traveled a long way."
Li'aa nodded, returning his bow. "If you gentlemen will excuse me, I must get back to my students."
"How does she look to you?" Luke asked, throwing Kyp for a loop.
"Are you talking about on the outside or the way she teaches?" Kyp joked sardonically.
"As a teacher," Luke said with narrowed eyes, a hint of paternal warning in his voice. Kyp remembered, a little too late, that Luke and Li'aania's father were fairly close friends.
"Very good. Very thorough," Kyp said, his muscles still burning noticeably from the workout. "The way she teaches reminds me of Brodey's methods. It's a very hands-on approach."
"That's the way they were taught," Luke muttered. "We teach what we know."
"True," Kyp said with a nod. "Still, I had no idea that their training was this rigorous."
"Everybody, stop what you're doing and gather around me!" Li'aa yelled over the laughing and shouting of the kids as they practiced. "I'm sure that you're all eager to learn more, but my chronometer says that it's time for the evening meal."
"When do we get to fight with lightsabers?" Whined a sandy-haired boy from the middle of the group. A few of the other children nodded in agreement while others rolled their eyes at his outburst.
"Not today," She answered clearly. "Maybe in a week, if you're good."
Li'aa smiled to herself as she felt the collective attitude of the group plummet to the ground. She knew it was difficult for them to hear, since their image of a jedi always came with a blazing lightsaber, but they would have to learn that there was more to being a jedi than swordsmanship.
"Before you can begin your training with a lightsaber you must first become a master of your own body. Learn your limits. Learn what kinds of things you can accomplish without the use of a lightsaber," She explained as she held out her hands. "All right, you're dismissed," She muttered, looking at her chronometer.
The children raced off down the dirt path that led back to the temple, leaving the three adults behind to take a slower trip back.
"So Kyp, how are you holding up?" She asked with a hint of mockery.
"Better than you'd expect," He shot back, lying through his teeth. "I did feel a hint of nostalgia when you were pounding me into the ground. You fight just like your brother."
"That's funny," She chortled. "Just realize that I'm nothing like that piece of work. I, for one, am not insane. Just because we look alike doesn't mean we are alike."
"Heh. That sounds like a rehearsed speech. You must get that a lot," Kyp taunted eagerly.
"Durron, I think I understand why you and my brother became such good friends," She groaned, giving him a small shove. "You're both so incredibly annoying!"
"I aim to please," He chuckled as he pushed her right back.