Chap. 2: The Trial
"Ashina you are still leaving your guard open after each strike." Kyle said with a smile as he trained one of his favorite students. Ashina was a fifteen year old Twi'lek with a pale green skin color.
"I know master." She said sullenly as she raised her purple saber higher up and prepared to strike, Kyle's blue blade also at the ready position.
"Know begin." Kyle said and she struck. She went for his mid section with a jab and Kyle parried with all the skill of a Jedi. Ashina preferred to use a more strong attack method, but Kyle preferred speed, for speed with a saber had helped him greatly in the past. Ashina struck again this time with a diagonal slash which Kyle also parried.
"One of these days she's going to beat you Kyle." Luke snickered from behind.
"Yes I suppose so." Kyle said deactivating his saber and turning to great Luke, Ashina did the same. When Kyle turned he saw Kian standing along side Luke.
"Hello Kian, I see you came to get some practice." Kyle said when he saw the lightsaber at Kian's side it was an interesting looking lightsaber.
"Yes master Katarn, Master Skywalker wishes to see how I do fighting." Kian said, his voice hidden by the mask and yet oddly amplified.
"Ashina, this is Kian Koon he will be going through the trials to see if he will be accepted to the academy." Luke said and Kian bowed to the young lady.
"Nice to meet you." Ashina said almost taken by surprise with his bow.
"Hello." He said simply and turned to Luke.
"Why is there a crowd?" he asked and looked over at the observation windows.
"Well they heard there was a new Jedi coming and that he and master Skywalker were going to duel. You have been the talk of the academy since you came here." Ashina said.
"Interesting." Kian replied.
"Well shall we give them a show?" Luke asked.
"Why not." Kian said with a loud startling crackly. Taken by surprise the three stood there for a second until they realized it was a laugh.
"Come on we'll go over here." Luke said and pointed to an arena.
"I think we should have a seat and watch." Kyle joked with Ashina and the two walked off.
"Did you remember to turn your saber charge down?" Luke asked Kian as they neared the arena.
"Yes." Kian said and climbed the small stars into the arena. It was an interesting looking arena, about twenty-five feet in width and length and only about two feet off the ground. However, what was really interesting about it was that the floor was a stone that was completely clear. Looking over Kian saw look take his lightsaber out and ignite it.
"Ready?" Luke asked.
"Yes." Kian said and using the force pulled his saber to his hand but before grabbing it he twirled it with the force in the air twice and then ignited it. Luke took his stance with his saber held out from his stomach with pointed out towards Kian's neck. Kian held the same only his blade was pointed down toward Luke's knee. 'He's leaving himself open' Luke thought to himself and decided to start it off, lifting his blade he swung toward Kian's should and found his strike parried. Again, Luke struck and again found his strike parried. 'He's fast' Luke thought again to himself and the battle began. This time though it was Kian who struck, swinging for Luke's mid-section. Luke quickly blocked and countered with a stab at Kian's chest. Moving with the force, Kian was nothing more then a blur as he dodged out of the way and brought his blade up at Luke and the to blades locked. Luke's green blade slowly began to gain supremacy and then Luke felt it, it was like a tickle at the back of his mind, but by then it was too late. Kian suddenly gave way and Luke's blade dug down into the floor, recovering Kian again spun his handle in his hand and before Luke could react Kian's yellow blade was at Luke's neck. Luke saw his defeat and deactivated his blade.
"That was something." Luke said out of breath as Kian deactivated his blade.
"Thank you master Skywalker that was a good fight." Kian said as clapping began around them.
"Looks like you just made a lot of friends." Luke said.
"Yes, but how long will the friendship last when they here of my sister?" Kian asked.
"We will have to wait and see." Luke said feeling the young Jedi's pain.
"Yes we will have to." Kian said and turned to see Ashina and Kyle walking over.
"You know Ashina almost lasted longer in the ring with him then you did." Kyle said with a smile
"I used a different fighting style." Kian said.
"Well what ever it was it was good. Where did you learn that?" Kyle asked.
"My grandfather." Kian said.
"I thought he died before you were born." Luke said.
"When I say my grandfather I mean his journals." Kian corrected himself.
"Really, could I see them?" Luke asked.
"Afraid not when Dar, my sister, fell to the dark side she burnt them." Kian said.
"That's a shame." Luke said. It would have been a great tool to have actually teaching of a Jedi master. Luke's masters were very helpful but lacked some of the information a Jedi Master might have had.
"If you don't mind my asking, with her turning to the Dark Side, what happened to her?" Ashina asked.
"Last I heard of her, she was on Tatooine studying under the teachings of a Dark Jedi who called herself Tavion." Kian said and the familiar name brought a shiver to Kyle.
"Tavion?" Kyle questioned.
"Yes, after the last battle between me and my sister. Dar went off to Coruscant were she Tavion." Kian said.
"Tavion, master wasn't she the apprentice of Desaan?" Ashina asked.
"Yes, she was." Kyle said.
"Desaan?" Kian questioned.
"Yes, he was a Jedi who went to this academy. He feel to the Dark Side, it's a long story." Luke said.
"A few years ago he attacked the Jedi academy." Ashina said.
"But Kyle stopped him." Luke said.
"I let Tavion go because she helped me with information about Jan." Kyle said. Kian didn't ask who Jan was but he sensed a romantic connection with her and Master Katarn.
"Well we will see her soon enough." Kian said.
"Why do you say that?" Luke asked.
"She hates me master Skywalker, it will not take long for her to come here to kill me." Kian said.
"Can she?" Ashina asked sounding concerned.
"Possible, we have studied the same art of fighting only she wields a weapon you may not have seen before and with it she is deadly." Kian said drifting off in thought.
"What is this weapon?" Kyle asked.
"It is a lightsaber only its handle is elongated and it is double bladed." Kian said.
"So its like a lightsaber staff almost." Ashina said.
"Yes, and she can be hard to face if you are not expecting it." Kian said and looked toward the ground.
"She may not come Kian." Luke assured the young Jedi.
"No master Skywalker she will come, and make no mistake when she comes it must be me who faces her, she knows the art of combat I do. Against her you would stand no chance." Kian said. Luke probably would have been offended if it weren't true, he had faced his father in combat but his father fought with Form V. Form II was something completely new, something completely deadly.
"I will call a meeting," Luke said turning to Kyle, "all Jedi at this academy are to report to the cafeteria tonight."
"Ashina will you get the word around?" Kyle asked.
"Yes master." She said and turned off toward the some of the other Jedi near by.
"Kian, you and I must talk, I need to know everything about your sister and when you think she will come." Luke said.
"You are sure she will come right?" Kyle asked.
"Yes Master Katarn, she will."