Author's Notes: The following story takes place sometime between the class stories and the Shadow of Revan expansion.
Tyzen Pyne could barely contain either his excitement or his nervousness as he and seven of his fellow padawans hiked up into the hills of Tython. If he were honest with himself, he'd been bubbling over with emotion since yesterday when Master Dentiri had told him about this 'overnight training expedition'. The young Zabrak's eagerness must have been obvious to anyone observing him as the padawan walking beside him reached out and gave him a light pinch on his shoulder.
"Nervous?" Denielle whispered, giving him a teasing grin.
Tyzen grinned back, playfully shooing her hand away. Despite his anxiety, he found her presence reassuring.
"Like you're not."
The Zeltron's grin at Tyzen now widened into a dazzling smile, her pink skin glowing radiantly as the early morning sun reflected off her violet eyes.
Tyzen knew he shouldn't have been this expressive over today's planned activities. After all, the fourteen-year-old padawan was apprenticed to Master Liam Dentiri, one of the best lightsaber instructors the Jedi Order had to offer. Tyzen admired and respected his mentor a great deal. Indeed, the training droid program Dentiri had developed for the students on Tython had been recognized as the order's standard regimen for automated saber training. There were plenty of other students on Tython who would have been more than eager to have traded places with him.
But today, for Tyzen and a small handful of carefully chosen padawans, it would be different.
Today, they were to be instructed by the Hero of Tython himself.
It was said that when the Hero had first come to Jedi homeworld, he'd been armed with only a pair of second-hand training sabers and armored in nothing more than a cloth tunic. It was said that he'd nevertheless torn his way through an entire army of Flesh Raiders at the Gnarls with his Jar'Kai style, saving the lives of hundreds of padawans who had since gone on to become Jedi Knights. It was said that that he had saved the future of the Jedi Order that day, less than an hour after setting foot on Tython.
Tyzen bitterly regretted not getting the chance to watch that feat. He'd been eleven at the time, not quite old enough to head out to the Gnarls for his training.
But he certainly remembered the events of just a few weeks later when the skies of Tython had turned red. He had never seen the Masters of the temple look afraid before. Tyzen himself recalled with shame how terrified he'd been on that day himself.
The Jedi Order had survived the Desolator Crisis, once again thanks to the Hero. (That had, in fact, been the moment he had earned his epithet.)
A year ago, when the Chancellor of the Republic had publicly announced that the Sith Emperor had been destroyed on Dromund Kaas while plotting to destroy the entire galaxy, there'd been very little doubt in anyone's mind that it had been the Hero leading the Republic strike team.
It was even rumored that the Hero would soon be named the next Jedi Battlemaster, the first to hold position since the death of Jun Seros on Corellia some years ago.
Now, for the first time, Tyzen would finally have the chance to meet his idol.
They caught sight of him standing near the cliff's edge where the river turned into a waterfall northeast of Master's Retreat. Standing at the Hero's side was his former padawan, Kira Carsen, who had been promoted to Jedi Knight after the defeat of Darth Angral. She had remained with his crew afterwards and had taken part in nearly all his already-legendary adventures. Thus far, she'd been the only apprentice the Hero had ever taken.
Tyzen privately admitted to himself that he was a bit jealous of her status in that regard. He didn't question for a moment that Knight Carsen was deserving of the honors bestowed upon her, but Tyzen couldn't help but wonder if he himself would have advanced further in the order by now if he'd been mentored by the Hero.
The view from the cliff's edge was amazing, as the assembled Jedi could observe the wilderness of Tython for miles around. The waterfall plunged thirty meters straight down, forming a lake at the bottom. Only now did Tyzen realize he'd never been this far north of the Temple before, and this far out, there was no evidence around him of anything but wilderness, aside from the padawans themselves and the two Jedi champions.
The Hero smiled to the cluster of assembled students, offering them a bow at the waist before gesturing for them to sit him a semi-circle. He finally spoke, addressing the eager pupils for the first time.
"First of all, just call me Corellan."
"Conflict is a natural part of life." Jedi Master Corellan Halcyon had told them as ten pairs of eyes observed the two beetles fighting over what had once - presumably - been a bit of Guid dung before it had deteriorated.
"Where the Sith – and so many others – fail is in their belief that these conflicts are the purpose of life. That we can only change and grow throw conflict. Essentially, they believe that the Force itself is conflict. Therefore, they pursue it at the expense of everyone else, despite all reason."
He motioned for them all to resume their seated positions. They had all crowded in closely to watch the insects, with Tyzen swallowing in self-awareness when Denielle's arm had brushed against his own. As they sat back down, some part of his mind noticed that they were now sitting more closely together.
"Most conflicts appear to us to be unnecessary. Unnatural, even. So much fighting and dying for so little gained. It all seems so wasteful and foolish, doesn't it? But often, that is only understood with hindsight. Part of our duty as Jedi is to attempt to resolve conflicts, even while understanding that we may very well fail."
One of the other padawans, a Weequey named Ak-Rev, raised his hand.
"But isn't a Jedi's duty to defend the Republic against the Sith?"
Corellan nodded in acceptance.
"Yes, our duty to protect the people of the Republic compels us to oppose the machinations of the Sith. Yes, that involves conflict. Regrettably, this inevitably involves fighting and killing. But we must do this without forgetting that we are fighting for peace. Otherwise, we will lose ourselves and make mistakes. And those mistakes can lead us down a dark path indeed, especially when we don't even know what we've done."
Corellan paused somberly, giving the padawans time to ask more questions. Tyzen didn't need to look around to know that the eyes of the students were all locked on the Jedi Master, riveted. Seeing no further questions, he finally continued.
"A battlefield is chaos." He observed. "Fighting. Dying. Explosions. Flashes of light and booming sounds. All of it threatens to overwhelm you."
He smiled down at them.
"What does the Jedi code tell us about chaos?"
The padawans were again silent, some of them glancing at each other. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Knight Carsen hold a hand to her mouth, suppressing a chuckle.
"Go ahead." Corellan prodded them gently. "I promise you, it's not a trick question."
This time, it was Janak, the Selkath, who raised a three-fingered hand.
"'There is no chaos, there is harmony'." Janak recited the fourth line of the code in his native tongue, his tendrils flexing inwardly, indicating uncertainty in Tyzen's experience.
"Excellent." Corellan nodded in satisfaction. "But it is important to understand what that precept actually means. Don't misunderstand me. There is great wisdom in the code, and it can aid us through many challenges if we apply it properly. But the code is a philosophical approach; not a denial of reality."
He paused again, pressing on only when no one questioned him.
"Jedi don't deny the existence of chaos. That's a mistake many people make when they first hear of the code. I can say with a great deal of certainty that there will be moments of your lives where you will be surrounded by chaos." He promised them. "If not a battlefield with heavy fighting then perhaps a natural disaster or some other crisis. And what you do then depends upon you. If you can process the situation properly, then you can conduct yourself as harmoniously as you would while at peace, and you will succeed. The code provides guidance. It's not meant to shackle us, no matter that the Sith say otherwise."
"That is how to deal with conflict."
As might have been expected, saber training was an important part of the day's curriculum.
The eight padawans were paired off with their training sabers and Tyzen found himself grinning when he was assigned to face Denielle.
Corellan and Kira walked amongst the dueling padawans, pausing each bout briefly and giving bits of advice here and there to the participants. It wasn't terribly different from the counsel he'd heard from Master Dentiri and others. But it was more impressive here.
Everything felt more impressive today. More serious.
Like Master Dentiri, Denielle wielded a double-bladed training saber matched against Tyzen's own single-bladed weapon. He therefore felt well-prepared against it, though for a reason he couldn't place, he felt more nervous facing the Zeltron than he ever had against his Master.
The two padawans had trained together before, but like everything else it was different. And not just because of the audience.
Maybe it was that Tyzen was different.
They began tentatively in their circle, parrying each other's probing attacks. But soon, they picked up the pace, as Denielle used a series of quick, short strikes to put him on the defensive. His Form II - Makashi - was solid, he knew. But Denielle was agile; as dexterous as a Twi'lek dancer. Every time he thought he'd taken the advantage she'd make some move that threatened to cut inside his guard.
He felt himself becoming cautious.
Corellan observed the bout, he called for it to be paused it briefly, addressing Tyzen.
"Your form is strong." He commended. "But assess your opponent, their tactics and their technique. What are your advantages? What are your disadvantages? Consider these matters and adapt accordingly."
Tyzen nodded vigorously, not trusting his tongue right now. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Knight Carsen make her way over to Denielle, leaning in and whispering in the Zeltron's ear before stepping back.
Corellan gave Tyzen a confident smile, then signaled for the match to resume.
Denielle attacked once again, using Ataru, Form IV, in an attempt to drive him back.
But Tyzen kept Corellan's words in mind. His reach was longer with his single-bladed saber. Denielle was quick, but Tyzen was stronger. With both hands on his saber, he was capable of more powerful blows.
Soon, it was Tyzen taking the advantage, forcing Denielle to fight defensively, back on her heels.
She retreated outside the circle, and for a moment, Tyzen wondered if Corellan would call for another stop to their bout. When he saw the Jedi Sentinel continuing to watch patiently with his arms folded, he pressed on, pursuing Denielle even as they crept closer to the cliff's edge.
Just as he was starting to get worried that Denielle would run out of room and would risk falling into the waters below, the Zeltron called out in pain, falling to a knee, and grasping her ankle with her free hand.
Tyzen dropped his guard immediately, leaning in concerned.
"Denielle! Are you alright? I – "
His reaction was cutoff as her saber lashed out suddenly, striking his hand and knocking Tyzen's own saber to the ground. Tyzen yelped in pain as her second blow caught him in the ankle, sending him tumbling backwards as he landed on his backside. When he looked up, Denielle was back on her feet and looking down at him as out of breath as he was, her already pink cheeks flushed with exertion as she held the tip of her saber-staff a centimeter from his throat.
"Hold." Corellan called out as he approached, hand raised. That officially ended the bout.
Denielle immediately pulled back, sheathing her staff. She shot Tyzen an apologetic look as she knelt on the grass in a meditation pose.
Corellan glanced over at Kira, giving her a look. The Jedi Knight just bit her lip. Sighing, Corellan reached down, offering Tyzen a hand up. The Zabrak padawan gratefully accepted and was soon back on his feet.
"Why did you lose?" Corellan asked the young padawan.
Tyzen swallowed, not trusting himself to ever look over in Denielle's direction.
"I … got distracted." He stammered. "I thought she'd been hurt."
Corellan's lips quirked.
"You compassion does you credit, but you should always be aware of your own emotions and how they influence your actions. Otherwise, they may betray you. What can you do to avoid making that mistake again?"
Tyzen opened his mouth to answer, then stopped himself. He didn't want to say something foolish. He wondered if Corellan understood what had happened better than Tyzen himself did. Maybe the Jed Master could see right through him.
Corellan, for his part, just smiled and patted his shoulder.
"How you answer me isn't very important." Corellan told him as Tyzen finally glanced over and saw Kira – Knight Carsen, he reminded himself – congratulating Denielle on her victory. "I'm not you and I won't pretend I know what will work for you. What's important is to be honest with yourself so you can find the right solution for you."
Tyzen, who had been expecting a lecture, felt relieved at Corellan's counsel.
"I think I understand, Master."
The Hero of Tython raised a forestalling finger.
"It's just Corellan for today." He reminded him "Think on what I told you. I'm not here to give you the answers. I'm here to help you find the answer for yourself."
Tyzen felt a bit flustered at his slip of the tongue. He glanced down and saw Corellan's twin lightsabers clicked to his belt. The padawan had been holding a question in for the Hero of Tython throughout the day, and he probably should have waited longer to ask it. But right at this moment, he desperately wanted to change the subject. So when the words spilled from his mouth, they couldn't be more awkward.
"Should I wield two sabers?" he stammered. "Like you do?"
Corellan raised his eyebrow.
"Wielding two sabers works for me." he explained. "I wouldn't claim whether it would work for anyone else."
"Yes. But how do I know if I should try it?" Tyzen pressed. "Master Dentiri says most Jedi don't have the disposition for Jar'Kai. He said he discourages his students to train in it. But then I see Jedi like… like you with it. So I wanted to know if it would work for me."
Corellan Halcyon glanced over at the other padawans. By now, everyone had finished, and seemed to be looking over at Tyzen and Corellan, albeit most were trying not to be obvious about it. Tyzen suddenly felt self-conscious.
"I won't do what old Master Sagottoh did to assess me on Uphrades." He smiled. "But as I said before, consider your own strengths and weaknesses. How would wielding a second saber play to your qualities as a duelist?"
Tyzen chewed that over. He knew his defensive skills were ahead of his offensive talents. It was why Master Dentiri seemed to have encouraged him to follow the path of a Jedi Guardian. He'd long wondered if a change in weaponry would have helped him…
He was snapped back to reality by Corellan placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Again, I'm not going to try to tell you what to do." He reminded him. "I just want you to help you think about these things. Aggression does not and should not come easily to a Jedi. But channeled properly, it can serve them well. So long as the aggression is not channeling you."
Tyzen felt a ping of disappointment that Corellan hadn't simply told him what path he should take, but he still found himself grateful.
At that point, he noticed that Knight Carsen was approaching them. The other padawans were still watching while seated on the ground, trying, and failing to look like they weren't riveted by the proceedings.
"Care to give our 'fellow Jedi' a demonstration, Master Halcyon?" she grinned at Corellan.
Corellan Halcyon raised an eyebrow.
"If you wish, Knight Carsen." He crossed an arm across his chest and bowed in the Jedi fashion.
Kira Carsen's grin widened as she ignited her lightsaber. She glanced over at Tyzen.
"It's Tyzen, right?" There was a daring look in her deep blue eyes. "You're gonna want to give us some space."
The Zabrak padawan took the hint. He scampered back to his fellows, taking a seat next to Denielle.
The two Jedi squared off as Corellan Halcyon ignited his blue lightsabers, crossing them with Kira Carsen's double-bladed green weapon.
Living on Tython, Tyzen had probably seen hundreds of lightsaber sparring matches between Jedi. Knights. Masters. Even an occasional display from one of those who sat on the Jedi Council. He was all too aware of how elegant such a contest could be between those who were of exceptional skill and truly synchronized with each other.
What he and the other padawans witnessed over the next ten minutes was beyond anything they had ever experienced.
At the cliff's edge, the two Jedi heroes clashed. It wasn't just their speed, though they moved so fast that Tyzen's mind struggled to keep up. It wasn't just their skill, though they were second to none on that score. The two seemed to know each other's every move, yet still they seemed to drive each other to their physical limits. If Tyzen ever had doubts about Knight Carsen's qualifications to teach others, those were completely dispelled. Corellan Halcyon was regarded as the greatest swordsman in the Jedi Order. Yet Kira Carsen pushed him to his limits with her agility and power, ducking beneath Corellan's sabers and countering his paired sabers with a serious of vicious blows. The pair chased each other in a series of Force leaps, taking turns as hunter and hunted.
It finally ended when Kira landed too close to the edge of the cliff. The brief hesitation it took her to reset her back foot gave Corellan the opening he needed. Kira was forced to over-commit on her parry with her saber, allowing him to pull up, yanking the saber-staff from her grasp and leaving her disarmed.
Kira – Knight Carsen, Tyzen reminded himself – looked chagrined for a moment. The expression passed from her face when he magnanimously handed the deactivated weapon back to her. She accepted, her fingers brushing against his as she took back her saber-staff.
Sitting beside him, Tyzen could hear Denielle's breath catch for a second.
But for most of the day, they just talked.
"I'm not here to tell you what you should do." Corellan Halcyon said from the beginning. "I won't be there to tell you what you should do. My goal today is to help you to think. So I'm simply going to tell you things I wish someone had told me when I was in your position. That's just advice. There are no orders here. No Jedi Masters. No temples. No codes. Here, we are just Jedi, attempting to make our way in the galaxy."
There were platitudes. Tyzen noted. But they all have a practical nature and topical examples. That made them more accessible than many of the lessons he'd heard from his mentors.
"Like we talked about, responding to your opponents' tactics, abilities and equipment is critical." Corellan told them. "To that end, combining your talents with others – such as Republic soldiers or irregular forces – can be incredibly effective for both of you, assuming you achieve a level of coordination."
"Of course, the reverse is also true." He glanced at Kira, then back to the padawans. "The Imperial troops we fought on Dromund Kaas were very well organized, with a mixture of snipers, grenadiers and Mandalorians. Adapting to opponents of different skillsets can be very challenging. Fortunately, while some Sith are aware of the potential benefits of coordinating with their soldiers, many more consider it beneath them to try it. Take advantage of that when you can."
He spoke a great deal on how to deal with others; those who did not share the Jedi Order's values.
"There's something my old Master, Orgus Din, once taught me that has stayed with me for a long time. I asked him how a Jedi should convince people to cooperate with them. He told me 'don't push – bend'. Don't tell people what they should do; show them with your actions. Otherwise, they may not understand you or your motives."
"To that end, I would advise against reciting passages of the code to those not of our order. Not because they could not benefit from the sentiments, but because when people are in distress, they won't be able to appreciate those sentiments the way you intend. Instead, offer your support in a way that they will appreciate. They need to see that you share your concerns."
On a related subject, Tyzen had never considered the question of a Jedi being compensated for their service. After all, the Jedi believed that service to others was a duty.
"If offered reward from someone you've helped, gently refuse them once, as it's a Jedi's duty to render aid to those who need it. If the person offering it insists, then accept it for their sake, not your own." Corellan advised. "But make sure to keep records of it so that the reward isn't used frivolously. Jedi do not act out of personal gain, after all."
For much of their time, he put scenarios to the padawans, ones that challenged them to think.
"Suppose you're are at a Republic military base on some war-torn planet. The commander there seems overwhelmed, facing pressure from many problems. Morale is low. The situation appears hopeless. How can you help?"
Tyzen licked his lips, remembering that his master's training course specifically certified Jedi to lead Republic troops in battle. (In fact, Master Dentiri had confided to him that Corellan was the first Jedi to pass the course while still a padawan.) He raised his hand.
"Relieve them and assume command of the base?"
Corellan tilted his chin in consideration.
"Sometimes necessary, perhaps. But what does that do in the greater scheme of things? For the base, the soldiers, for the mission and for yourself? If you take command, what happens when your mission takes you away from the base? Who will command then, without your support? After all, you've just completely undermined the troops' former commander in front of them by relieving that person of command. They certainly can't lead effectively in that situation."
He let that sit with them and this time Denielle raised her hand.
"You said the commander seemed overwhelmed. We could alleviate that?"
Corellan smiled this time.
"Excellent. How can we accomplish that?"
The Zeltron bit her lip, then followed up after a second.
"Remove some of the pressure?" she offered.
"Well done." He smiled. "It may be that the commander is, in fact, unfit to lead. But it is more likely that they are skilled and well-trained but are experiencing too many problems to apply those skills and training. Ask yourselves what is keeping them from doing their job? Many times, it will be something you can help with. No, you probably can't single-handedly drive the Sith Empire from the planet, and it would be foolish to try. But perhaps you can eliminate the band of… say, rakghouls in his backyard who are cutting off their supply lines. Perhaps that will be enough to turn the tide and allow the commander and their troops to rally. Their victories are our victories."
"Consider the problem, with respect to your own abilities. Remember that you can't do everything. But you can always do something."
Perhaps most importantly, the Hero of Tython – Master Halcyon – Corellan – freely acknowledged his own mistakes and shortcomings. This made his words more accessible than those of most of those Tyzen had heard at the temple.
"When I joined the attack on the Emperor's Fortress, I was arrogant. I was planning to combat an enemy I could not even begin to understand and therefore I was not prepared. The defeat I suffered that day nearly cost me everything." He told them solemnly. "It may come to pass that duty forces you to fight at a time and place not of your choosing. But I advise you to avoid those conflicts if you can. Learn. Assess the situation. Consider your actual goals. Determine what you need to do to succeed. And remember that for a Jedi, the concept of 'winning' is not determined by who won a duel or even a battle."
Towards the end of the day, as the sun started to set over the horizon, Corellan turned philosophical.
"The Sith were never our greatest enemy." He told them. "No. Our greatest enemies were always our own doubts and fears. And yes, even our passions. No amount of training can ever eliminate these things. But perhaps if we acknowledge those parts of ourselves, we'll be better prepared when they do threaten to overtake us."
Feeling self-conscious, Tyzen glanced over at Denielle. The Zeltron was his age, and he couldn't deny his mouth sometimes went dry when he was in her presence. Noticing Tyzen, she smiled shyly back at him, giving him a wink.
Meanwhile, Corellan continued.
"If you can overcome your own doubts and fears, you will never give in to them."
He finished the lesson by highlighting the importance of their own roles not only the current conflict with the Sith, but in the challenges that were yet to come.
"I believe the true conflict between the light and the dark will not be determined by wise, venerable masters meditating in their temples or even by veteran warriors fighting across a battlefield. The conflict of any era will be decided by their students. By the padawans and young Jedi knights. Perhaps even by some of you. And that conflict will be decided first – one way or the other – within your hearts and minds."
Corellan Halcyon let that sit with them. Looking around, Tyzen could tell they were all chewing it over as much as he had.
After a full minute, Corellan smiled.
"But these are only my beliefs, based on my own experiences. You will inevitably form your own, as I did."
"Like I said, I won't be there to tell you what to do. The best I can do is give advice. Each of you will undoubtedly form your own and make your own choices. Each of you will face great challenges in your lives. Some of you may face terrible choices where many lives hang in the balance. Make no mistake, you will feel the pull of the dark side. It might come in the form of self-righteousness, anger, passion, or something else entirely. How you respond when that happens will determine not only what kind of Jedi you will be, but perhaps the destinies of countless others besides."
He clapped his hands and looked around.
"Now that's enough philosophy for one day. Pair up, young Jedi. You have fifteen minutes to setup our campsite."
The Jedi master's smile extended into a competitive grin. Tyzen recognized it as the same expression he'd flashed during his duel with Kira.
"I'm timing you."
As if some spell had been broken, the eight padawans jumped to their feet almost simultaneously. Without having to say a word, Tyzen paired off with Denielle, the two running off to gather firewood.
It had been a long day, but despite that, he felt elated. Rejuvenated, even.
Tyzen had always been taught that hero-worship could be a perilous path, and he knew that before too long, he himself would face many of the challenges that Corellan had talked about today.
But for just this moment, he wanted nothing more to be just like the Hero of Tython someday.
TO BE CONTINUED
Author's Notes: This is intended to be the first of a three-part story. Tyzen was created in part to give a different perspective on Corellan at three very different stages of their lives. The future installments will obviously show a shifting dynamic.
Has anyone else ever had a teacher who was certain they knew exactly what was 'wrong' with you, but was totally off? Yeah, that wasn't cool. I think Corellan would be better than that.
I cannot tell you how much drivel I've seen from "smart fans" who take a literal interpretation of the Jedi code and uses it to justify the actions of the Sith. Like all dogma, it was never intended to be taken literally. On the flip side, Corellan's line about Sith believing that the Force is conflict is directly pulled from Darth Malgus' in-game dialogue. It is, perhaps, not a universal belief among the Sith. But it serves a purpose here.
Liam Dentiri – Tyzen's master – is an NPC in the game. He's a quest-giver on Tython, and later is a boss in the Assault on Tython Flashpoint on the Imperial side.
Something I've noticed in the game is that most of the padawans on Tython are wielding training sabers while most padawans elsewhere – particularly Kira, Nadia, Jaesa and Ashara, to name four examples – already have lightsabers when we meet them. Here, I'm assuming that the padawans on Tython are primarily using training sabers.
The example Corellan gives about the hapless Republic base commander was inspired by that one guy on Hoth.
The gathering place in this story – at the cliff's edge near the waterfall – was mentioned in my original fanfic – 'Trust'.
The padawans here aren't quite sensitive enough to pick-up on Corellan and Kira's relationship. Except maybe Denielle. More on that later.
I'll be posting this to my Heroes of Tython series as well.
