Disclaimer: George Lucas owns Star Wars

A Shift in the Force: Chapter Twenty-Three: Lightsaber Training

AN: We have officially hit 100 reviews! How cool is that? Somehow this fic has become the fifth most reviewed fic I've written! Thanks for the support everyone! I really could have never guessed that A Shift in the Force would get as much attention as it has, and its all thanks to your support.

Lots of love for Obi-Wan slowly noticing Sabé, I know, it's great, but it'll still be a little bit yet before he comes to realize how he feels. *cackles* I have lots of heart-wrenching ideas for it.

And there's a lot of good stuff to come with the heart-wrenching stuff; I promise you will be entertained.


Pride, Sabé knew, was not something a Jedi should possess. A Jedi was modest and humble, not prideful. It was a lesson that Anakin had trouble learning, Sabé knew, because the boy was always dragging in some new contraption that needed work. You should be proud of yourself if something didn't work when you started working on it and did once you were finished, shouldn't you?

But Sabé couldn't help but be proud that she had been chosen to be a member of the Council of First Knowledge. It was a high honor and she couldn't really bring herself to be modest about it.

"You shouldn't be modest about it," Taria snorted, taking a long gulp of caf that had Sabé wondering how she could manage to take so much into her body in one go; those kind of people were powerful and dangerous and to be feared. "Getting elected to the Council of First Knowledge is something to be proud of, anyone in their right mind would be proud of that. Ignore the High Council for a bit and just enjoy the moment."

Sabé gave her a smile as she spun the last of her loose hair into a braid. The curls were nice, but she still preferred the braids over anything else. "Thanks, Taria."

Taria lifted her cup in salute to Sabé, taking another gulp of the strong drink; Sabé marveled at her ability to do that.

"When are you meeting the Council, then?" Taria asked her curiously, setting the cup down on the high bar counter, watching as Sabé's fingers fluttered as she diced Shurra berries for breakfast.

"Two hours," she said, glancing over to where Talik's door was shut. Sabé could hear the flutter of her heartbeat, feel her calm breaths as the girl slept on in a peaceful slumber. "I doubt it will go on very long, they're probably just going to explain to me what it means to be on the Council and the duties that will be required of me."

Arthree gave a small beep beside her, his utility arm extending a small bowl to her and Sabé took it with a grateful smile that she shared between the astromech and her friend sitting across from her with her hand in the bowl of diced Shurra.

Sabé smacked the back of her hand with a large spoon and Taria recoiled sharply with a pout on her lips that Sabé opted to ignore in favor of continuing to make breakfast.

"You aren't annoyed, are you?" Sabé asked her, furrowing her brow slightly. "That I was picked and you weren't?"

The surprise on Taria's face couldn't have been faked. "Of course not," she said honestly, giving her friend a sheepish smile, "you've got a better track record than me at recovering Sith artifacts."

"Not for lack of trying," Sabé pointed out.

When Taria threw herself into a mission, she really threw herself into a mission. Sabé could recall a time when her friend had been gone for close to five months on a search that had left her bone-tired, drenched to her core, and bitter from the lack of results.

"Maw's been on the Council for a couple of years," Taria mused thoughtfully, "maybe I'll replace him when he's through."

Maw was even more well known than Sabé in recovering Sith artifacts –or destroying them when they proved too dangerous to move– but he hadn't seen much field work since he'd joined the Council.

"So no plans to take on a Padawan of your own?" Sabé inquired, arching an eyebrow. "Or are you and Maw just fine without training one?"

"You know us Shadows," Taria said with her eyes gleaming, "we prefer to be off on our own without any children tailing after us…you're just the exception to the rule."

Sabé hid her snort into her drink. "That's only because I was trained as a Jedi Guardian first before I found my calling…and you know how I am about breaking the rules."

"Oh, I think everyone in the Order knows about how you feel about the Code," Taria sniggered. "But things aren't meant to remain unchanged for centuries like the Order has; maybe we're in need of some change."

"I don't think the High Council would agree with you," Sabé muttered, mashing the berries in the bowl. "I'd probably have better luck starting up my own separate Jedi Order…but we know how well that ends." Sabé knew from history that the Jedi often found themselves threatened by the presence of a separate Order and that Order –whether Sith or not– found themselves annihilated.

"You aren't, are you?" Taria asked, briefly struck by the phrasing and Sabé looked up in surprise.

"Of course not," she said, "you know me, Taria, that's not really my style."

Taria relaxed slightly at that only to jump as her comlink gave a loud beep. "Oops, looks like my ride's here."

"Off on another Shadow mission?" Sabé asked with a grin.

"You know me…who doesn't love Pamina Prime?" Taria asked, tossing a wink Sabé's way as the Force whispered faintly in her ear.

"Just remember that the blue-shelled mollusks with the green stripes are the ones you need to watch out for," Sabé said simply, taking another swig of her juice as Taria hopped off of her stool, grabbing up her bag.

"I'll remember," Taria promised with a light laugh, only to swoop forward to press a light kiss to Sabé's cheek. "Don't fall in love with anyone while I'm gone."

Sabé gave an exasperated sigh that was tinged with an amusement she couldn't hide. "That's rather unlikely."

She was already in love with Obi-Wan; who else could she fall in love with during the few weeks that Taria was away?


Sabé's missions had rarely come through the Council of First Knowledge; mostly Maw would find her and send her off to some distant planet but Sabé couldn't quite remember a time when she had been in the top of the northwest tower of the Jedi Temple where the Council was situated.

Standing in the center of the Council room was very unlike standing before the High Council. With the High Council Sabé knew what to expect, with the High Council Sabé wasn't afraid to stand her ground. But the Council of First Knowledge was completely different.

And for the first time in a very long time, Sabé was standing as a bundle of nerves.

"We are keepers of the wisdom of the Jedi. We maintain the Great Library, we oversee the teachings of the younglings, and we seek out the ancient histories and Holocrons that will bring us greater knowledge of the light side of the Force. But we are more than just caretakers. We are also guardians." Master T'un spoke in a deep, reassuring sort of voice that almost seemed to reverberate in the silence. "You have been chosen to join us on this Council as Master Zhint's replacement, Knight Maw says that you agree with the decision?"

Sabé gave a low and very respectful bow. "It truly is an honor to be selected to be on this Council with my youth and inexperience and I will do my best to ensure that I hold its values as high as my own," she said with a note of reverence that made Madam Jocasta spare her a light smile.

"Take your seat, Knight Amidala."

And Sabé swept her robes around herself as she sat down in the circular chair that was currently the only vacancy.

"I believe you engage in numerous verbal barbs with the High Council," Master T'un said and Sabé couldn't bring herself to find herself embarrassed, instead flicking her eyes towards where Even Piell was sitting and he gave her an unrepentant smile.

"It's true, Master T'un, that there are many things about the Jedi Code I find…restrictive." Sabé gave a placid smile at the particular wording. "Change is something only underdeveloped civilizations choose to be stagnant from…well, underdeveloped civilizations and the Jedi Order."

Maw gave a light cough that directed the attention towards himself. "You'll have to forgive Sabé, she's not used to curbing her sharp tongue."

"It is not a crime to be honest on my viewpoint," Sabé responded archly.

"Indeed it is not," Master Piell said with thickly accented basic. "Now, let us begin."


The lightsaber training arena was the least busy in the time of the early morning, and as such was the preferred time for Talik and Anakin to train.

"Keep your guard up, Anakin," Obi-Wan called from the sidelines.

"Push back, Talik," Aayla added, "but don't overexert yourself!"

Aayla had been elected as Talik's caretaker once more, but Talik was never bothered when Sabé foisted her off to the Twi'lek; Aayla was a cool master. Sabé needed to be at a meeting for the Council of First Knowledge at 0900, so Aayla had appeared to take up her time until Sabé's return.

There were some days where Talik wished she had Obi-Wan for a master simply for the constancy, but Sabé wasn't a master she would trade for anyone in the world.

Talik ducked under a slash by Anakin, the graze so close to her lekku that she could feel its heat.

"Almost got you!" Anakin was grinning widely, performing an elaborate twist with his 'saber that involved twisting it around from one side to another that Talik was almost completely certain was a move of Obi-Wan's.

"Almost isn't good enough!" Talik sang, grinning just as widely as he was, vaulting over his next strike before battering her lightsabers against his.

It would probably be better for both of them to train against other Padawans (Talik knew that Siri Tachi's new Padawan Ferus Olin was fairly skilled), but the pair preferred to spar against each other or the close net of their masters friends as well as their masters when they were free. Garen Muln was an especially wily partner and Talik found his flirting tactics when he ended up against her to be aggravating (Sabé was less than enthused about him turning his charm on her Padawan, but it wasn't as though she hadn't done the same before).

Talik feinted to the left, kicking out her leg to knock against his side, but he was hardly jostled by the movement; Talik might have speed on her side, but Anakin had strength. And that was why it was such a good idea to pair them together.

Being a Jar'Kai practitioner meant taking on the weaknesses that came with such a style. It meant that those that used Jar'Kai often found themselves relying far too much on their weapons and not on the Force, and they couldn't use the same kind of brute force that other styles employed (barring Master Pong Krell's style which used more force simply because of his great size).

But Talik was willing to work hard to make those weaknesses negligible, just as her master had done, training day in and day out with Master Keelyvine Reus (Talik didn't know how she did it; Master Reus was a harsh teacher).

She flipped back to avoid Anakin's hit, settling into a familiar stance, preparing for another attack and ready to intercept it.


Sabé joined them not half an hour after their training session had begun, watching the pair with interest as she strode towards Aayla and Obi-Wan with her dark cloak tucked under one arm.

"Anakin's gotten better," she remarked up beside Obi-Wan and the Stewjonan allowed himself a brief smile.

"The blocking, you mean?" he offered lightly, watching Talik drive his Padawan back. "Yes, he had a bit of difficulty with it…I had to force him to do nothing but block for two days straight."

Aayla snorted beside him. "That must have been exhausting; I am very glad you weren't my master." She winked at Sabé behind Obi-Wan's back and Sabé smiled back. "How did the meeting go?"

"I think it went well," Sabé said, shrugging her shoulders. "It was more of an explanation of all the things that members of the Council of First Knowledge are tasked with and making sure I had accepted the invitation to join, which I had." Sabé tilted her head, examining Anakin's movements with interest. "Well that's interesting," she said, her eyebrows arching, "did he learn that from you?"

"What?" Obi-Wan asked.

"He's been doing it all session," Aayla added, ignoring Obi-Wan to meet Sabé's eyes. "He's melding Ataru with Soresu…which isn't all that hard to do, but I don't think he's doing it consciously."

There were several Jedi that specialized in both, like Aayla and Obi-Wan (Kit had opted for the more difficult Djem So), so you wouldn't be hard-pressed to find a Jedi using both.

"No," Sabé said with a bit of contemplation, cupping her chin thoughtfully, "the transition seems a little rough…like he's only making a split-second decision…which can only get you so far."

"Yet those split-second decisions are pushing a Jar'Kai user back," Obi-Wan informed her pointedly, and he wasn't wrong; Sabé could see the trace of Talik's brow creasing in frustration.

"For now," Sabé mused. Talik was fair with Jar'Kai but she was nowhere near Sabé's level; she'd been devoting far too much of her time to the healing arts, which was a worthy endeavor, but not at the expense of her lightsaber training. "So I guess training's been going well?"

Aayla grimaced. "I hope you're still planning to take her off for three months to work on her form."

Brown eyes blinked. "I didn't think it was that bad." It certainly didn't look that bad.

"Aayla's over-exaggerating," Obi-Wan assured her with an easy smile that made her traitorous heart flutter in her chest. "Talik isn't bad…her Jar'Kai is relatively fine…"

"But it wouldn't hold up well in a full-frontal battle," Sabé agreed, watching her Padawan's struggles with a critical eye. "I see your point…and yes, the three month training sabbatical is still planned…though I have to see what the Council thinks about it…I think I'm the only one on there with a Padawan so there might be some considerations to take into account…"

"Bet you she's the first of our age-group to hit Master," Aayla said, grinning as she elbowed Obi-Wan in the side.

"I wouldn't be surprised," he said, but that only made Sabé scowl at the pair of them. "Hush, my dears!"

Aayla rolled her eyes and Obi-Wan's cheeks reddened at the use of the endearment, but Sabé missed it completely.

"Hold!" she added loudly to stall the sparring Padawans, dropping her cloak on the ground.

"Master!" Talik called brightly despite her exertion. "We didn't see you come in!"

"I gathered you were rather engrossed in training," Sabé remarked dryly, her eyes flickering from one Padawan to the other. "It was all very impressive…but I already see some things we need to work on."

Both Padawans groaned as one, making identical movements; their shoulders slumped and they tilted their head back in exasperation.

"Come on, Master Sabé!"

"Master!"

"I will berate you on your form, Talik, right up until the day I pass from this world and become one with the Force," Sabé promised without even batting an eye. "Now, Talik, obviously you need to work on your Jar'Kai and you need to get used to fighting against a stronger force, that does happen most of them time; there aren't many practitioners of Jar'Kai so it's likely that you'll be dealing with a lot of double-handed strikes." Talik accepted her critiques with good grace as Sabé turned towards Anakin.

"Now, your form is a little rough since you keep switching between Ataru and Soresu, which isn't a bad thing," Sabé was quick to add, noticing how his shoulders sagged slightly, "you just have to work with smoothing the transition between the two; it's a very useful tactic."

"Something to work on," Obi-Wan promised and Anakin jutted out his lower lip into a pout for a brief few moments.

"Talik why don't you take a breather?" Sabé added with a smile. "I believe I am overdue for a light sparring session with Padawan Skywalker."

Talik seemed relieved at the opportunity to regain her strength and she left the arena space to slump on the floor next to Aayla's feet.

Sabé called her 'sabers to her hands, igniting them with a snap-hiss, the violet blades flaring to life. "Let's see how well you can manage against someone who's been studying the Jar'Kai for more than fifteen years." She was always very careful not to call herself a master, maybe that was just her being humble, or maybe she just didn't feel confident enough to call herself a master of Jar'Kai.

Anakin surged forward, never one to ignore an opportunity when it presented itself, his blade of blue clashing against hers, but the strengths he had over Talik were not the ones he had against Sabé. Sabé had height and skill on her side.

Sabé spun in a whirlwind of lightsaber strikes that Anakin had trouble blocking them all. She was faster than Talik and stronger; Anakin would pay a few credits to see his master and Talik's duel one another.

The twin blades were swung in a deadly arc and Anakin had to leap to the side in order to avoid it, but he couldn't help but grin. Now this was fun.


She was all fluid and grace, the young Padawan noticed as she watched Jedi Knight Sabé Amidala duel against another Padawan a few years younger than her. The boy was holding rather well against the obviously skilled master, but it was clear to her who the winner of the duel would be.

Her light eyes followed the woman's movements with rapt interest and awe. There weren't many in the Temple that practiced Jar'Kai and even fewer that were willing to impart that knowledge to others. In fact, there were only two that were willing to teach others in the art: Keelyvine Reus and Sabé Amidala.

Unfortunately, Master Reus was out of the Temple, leaving her only choice to be Master Amidala.

"Watch closely," her master, a human male by the name of Ky Narec, looked to her with a smile, a movement that warped the facial tattoos at the center of his chin, resting a hand on her shoulder. "This is how you will fight one day."

And glee bubbled inside her as she watched Master Amidala perform an elaborate flip to lock the Padawan's neck between her legs as she forced him to drop his 'saber as they both fell to the floor with the boy quickly ceding defeat.

Master Amidala appeared to notice the attention being paid to her as she helped pull the boy upright and she turned to look towards the pair of watchers, her many braids swinging around her face as she did so, but then she smiled widely, giving a few short words to the Jedi she was with before moving swiftly to greet Ky Narec.

"Ky Narec! Oh, it's been far too long!" She hugged him tightly. "None of us have seen you in years, Ky, you've put my longest mission to shame!"

"It's what I exist for in life," Ky Narec said easily, "to one-up you by going on the longest mission."

Master Amidala laughed, bright and warm like the sun.

"I don't believe you've met my Padawan," he added, motioning towards the silent girl standing beside him that had almost been certain that he'd forgotten of her. "This is Asajj Ventress."

"Hello," Asajj said, the word curling off her tongue before she gave a polite bow, "it's a pleasure to meet you, Master Amidala."

"And you," Master Amidala said, casting a critical eye over her. "Here for some basics in Jar'Kai?"

Asajj jolted in surprise; she hadn't even felt a presence in her mind as Master Amidala pulled the desire from her thoughts.

"Talik, come here for a moment," Master Amidala called over her shoulder as a young Twi'lek Padawan with lavender-hued skin and two 'sabers clipped at her waist –much like her master in that respect– bounded forward eagerly.

"This is my Padawan, Talik Shala," Master Amidala introduced the girl who gave a bright smile. "I'm sure that she would be happy to show you the basics in Jar'Kai while I take a moment to speak with your master."

"Sure," Talik said, her eyes glittering, "Master Obi-Wan and Anakin just left to work on his Ataru and Master Aayla has to go and teach a class."

"I'm sure she's enthused," Master Amidala laughed, taking Asajj's master's elbow. "We'll only be a few moments."


"A Nightsister? That's rare," Sabé remarked as the pair watched from a distance as Asajj went through the motions of the beginning Jar'Kai stances. "And I heard you took her on a bit late…like Obi-Wan."

"I did," Ky Narec agreed, his hands clasped behind his back. "She was a slave to a criminal named Hal'Sted for years. I rescued her and we formed a master-apprentice bond when I discovered what she was capable of."

Sabé's eyes roved over the girl –she must have almost reached adulthood–, taking in her long limbs, alabaster-pale skin, the brown of her hair that was shaved on one side.

"The High Council is sending us to Rattatak for a few years," he added, "which is why I came to you. Asajj has an interest in Jar'Kai and it isn't a style she can learn from me. You're the best in the Temple—"

"One of the best," Sabé corrected without so much as a blink.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Ky Narec said simply and Sabé rolled her eyes. "All I need is for you to teach her some Jar'Kai until she doesn't need any instruction."

"That could take months, Ky," Sabé uttered doubtfully, "it takes a certain kind of discipline in order to train in Jar'Kai."

"I'm aware of that," Ky Narec said, "but we leave in four weeks."

"You are completely insane," Sabé decided, drawing up short to fasten her wide eyes on his. "A month, Ky? I can't teach someone enough of the Jar'Kai in a month! Not even Talik is that good! And I do have a Padawan to take up my time, Ky."

"Yes, I know, but would you just teach her as much as you can?" He was pleading with her. "You know as well as I do that someone who uses two lightsabers without the proper training is a liability."

She scowled at him, knowing that full well; she had been trained by Keelyvine Reus and the woman was nothing if not unyielding and full of warning of what not to do with two lightsabers.

"You're going to guilt me into doing this, aren't you?" she asked with a sigh that belied her exasperation.

"You know me too well," Ky Narec replied with an easy grin and Sabé could only ground her teeth together in annoyance before releasing her frustration into the Force.

Damned Ky Narec, he always sprung things on her at the worst possible moment.

AN: I had a personal headcanon that Sabé was the one who taught Asajj Jar'Kai (for reasons that will be revealed in book three), even though she technically didn't take up two 'sabers until her master was killed, but I like my idea better.

Taria's my favorite character right now, and if you read Clone Wars Gambit, that bit about the mollusk should make a lot of sense (if not, you'll hear about it later so it'll make more sense)

As always: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!