What's up, Readers?

May you have a Forcefull day.

Wow, I'm totally a nerd.

Shout out to JangledSeaInk for catching the Bruce Lee reference in the previous chapter. Let's see if anyone can figure out what specific workout (somewhat modified) our two Jedi are doing.

Chapter Thirteen

The days continued, turning into weeks. Kyra was stunned at her own progress. Her lightsaber skills most of all. Now it was crystal clear why Aedan had her drill katas, forms, and techniques over and over and over, every single day. The steps and movements came naturally, and now that she was starting to tap into the force much easier, there was a drastic increase in her lightsaber abilities. And she found that she loved it. Loved the flow and feel of it. Of course, she loved improving at something, or being good at it, but the complexity, aesthetics, and artistry that went into dueling was so attractive to her. She began to become obsessed with it, reading any material she could find on the art of sword fighting, and always wanting to practice and spar. Even though Aedan bested her time after time, she desperately looked forward to their afternoon drills and their nightly sparring sessions.

Kyra collapsed onto the stone plateau portion of the temple, what they had begun to refer to as the "training ground."

"Two kilometers, fifty pullups, one hundred pushups, a hundred and fifty body squats, and another two kilometers, all in twenty-nine minutes," Aedan said. "Kyra, that was incredible."

"You still beat me," she said, still gasping for breath.

"Not by much," he said, also short of breath, "I'm actually quite concerned that you'll be beating me by the time we leave here."

"Nonsense."

"Ok, enough rest," he said, "Onto the next part."

"Five more minutes, please."

"Up, Padawan. Now," he said with an authoritative voice.

Kyra struggled to her feet, "Master, I can barely move."

"That exactly the point," he said while opening up two crates, reaching into both, and one by one activating over a dozen remotes. "I want you to be challenged when you're absolutely exhausted."

Before she could even ask what was going on, the remotes were letting out puffs of air, maneuvering around the two Jedi who ignited their lightsabers.

"We'll do this together."

Kyra was focused on the remotes and sent her acknowledgement mentally through the bond. The remotes opened fire. Both sabers were a blue of precise movement as the laser blast onslaught ensued. They stood side by side initially, but soon were forced to stand back-to-back as the remotes moved to surround them.

Open your mind, Kyra. Fight with me. Let the force flow through us.

Yes, Master

They both sank deep into the force, and through their strong connection to that celestial infinite energy field, they merged into one. Kyra seeing through Aedan's eyes, and Aedan through Kyra's. Initially, both were somewhat distracted, the overwhelming sense of being one was occupying their focus. The result was both of them getting zapped with stun bolts a few times.

Find our peace. Focus on the force. Make that the priority, then focus on us.

They both gave themselves over to the force, letting it flow into them like a crashing wave. They delved into their bond with the force, and then their force bond with each other.

It was sloppy at first, their movements were awkward and spasmodic, but slowly they began to find their rhythm. Began to see where they were needed. When Kyra had to block a stun bolt to her lower leg, Aedan was sweeping away blaster fire to her exposed head. And as Aedan left himself open defending her, she was able to recover and parry the shots aimed for his undefended flank. It wasn't perfect, but it was a great start.

They fought on for ten straight minutes until Kyra's fatigue from the earlier workout caught up with her. Aedan wasn't doing much better, but he was becoming so attuned to the force that he could rely heavily on it to power him through the rigorous exercise.

Aedan waved a hand at that remote control box and powered them down. Kyra, for the second time that day, collapsed to the stone ground. "That…was…awesome," Kyra said in between breaths, "But I think I'm going to stay right here for the rest of the day."

"Well, once again you did a fantastic job. So, you deserve it, but you do have that Celestial Astrophysics exam in a few days."

Kyra groaned, "But, Master." She whined.

Aedan laughed, "And we still have our afternoon session and night sparring later,"

Kyra nodded, "Now that I can look forward to."

Kyra had thought she was doing well the past few months at the Jedi temple. There she had thought she knew what discipline was. She thought she knew what progress and productivity looked like. She had been wrong. Now after four straight weeks of training in this incredible enclave, she knew she had been wrong. She knew part of it had to do with the isolation, with the singular focus on being better today than she was the previous day. There wasn't much else to do but train, though oh how she savored those two to three hours in the hammock overlooking the big blue body of water.

But a big part of her improvement was that talk, or revelation, she had with Aedan that one night out in Coruscant. He told her it was okay to feel. That having emotions was fine if they didn't consume us. It was like a signal flare lighting up the way before her. Everything was clear now. She understood now. She no longer had to be afraid of feeling afraid, of being angry at that monster, or of…growing fond of her master. As long as she didn't let those feelings govern her thoughts and actions, she was good. Great even.

But Aedan, he...he was incredible. He was so caring or respectful or considerate. What was it? She didn't know, but it was like he knew exactly what she needed. He was tough on her, without being demanding. He was pushing her beyond her limits, but all the while knowing she could still handle it. But they also laughed together. He was fun and could joke and play and tease. And he was extremely good looking. Had she not noticed that before? Was she previously oblivious to the glaring truth that Aedan was impossibly handsome? His hair was getting longer, down to his ears now, and he hadnt been shaving, so he was now sporting a slight beard. It gave him a rugged look, and there was no way Kyra could deny that he was disturbingly attractive. And then there was his ability and skill. What he could do with a lightsaber, the way he moved and maneuvered, was astonishing. To top it all off was his knowledge and wisdom. He just seemed to know things that no twenty-three year old should know. And somehow, he was able to convey that knowledge to her in such a manner that she grasped the semantics of it instantly.

But. As comfortable as they were together. As close as they were getting. As strong a team as they were becoming. It still felt like she was only seeing parts of Aedan. Of course, he had his secrets, and she understood that, but it was more than that. Like he was constantly holding himself back, or persistently keeping Kyra at a distance. Like she never saw all of him. As if he was deliberately closing parts of him off. Like he was always playing Sabaac, and never showed his cards. Kyra found that that bothered her. Far more than it should. What was she expecting? What could he do differently? She had no idea. But she just knew that he was holding back.

Aedan stepped up onto the stone platform, his back and biceps still burning from the outrageous number of pullups they just did. Kyra followed close behind, training lightsaber in hand. "Master, look at this," she said, pointing to her toned biceps. "I have fracking muscle now."

Aedan smiled, "You do, indeed, Padawan. You've been working very hard."

"And check this out," she said, now pointing to her quad muscles that were evident even under the form fitting pants.

"I noticed," Aedan said. The moment the words came out of his mouth he froze. Kyra's eyes widened in response for a half second.

"I mean," Aedan stuttered, then resigned himself to the truth. "You're a very fit girl, Kyra, and your progress is noteworthy."

Kyra had to turn away to hide the blush rising in her cheeks, as well as the smile that she couldn't rescind.

"What are we doing today, Master?"

"Well, I thought we'd revisit an old lesson."

Kyra's head snapped towards Aedan, "Oh, which one? The simulated injury training?"

"No."

"The VIP protection detail scenario?"

"No."

"The escape from a Rancor pit strategy?"

"We never did that."

"We didn't?"

"Kyra," Aedan said, inclining his head forward.

"Right, sorry."

Aedan felt a drop in the temperature and looked up at the sky above where dark gray clouds had formed. "Hope you like working in the rain," he said.

Kyra looked up and smiled, "I love the rain."

Aedan nodded. "Padawan, see that bench against the wall," Aedan gestured to a wooden bench that was down at the campfire site, between the stone dais that they stood on and they Guile.

Kyra nodded, realization dawning on her.

"Using the force pull it towards you. Now." he said.

Without hesitation. Without any deliberation. Kyra extended her hand toward the bench, grabbed hold of it with the Force, and levitated it up towards them. She set it down a foot behind her, and then nonchalantly sat down on it, sprawling out in a tranquil pose.

Smiling, Aedan said, "Very funny." And then unhooked his training saber and ignited it. "Defend yourself," he said. Rain drops began to fall. And the ones contacting Aedan's blade made a sizzling sound. Kyra, ignited hers, but remained seated.

Aedan moved forward and struck downwards. Kyra easily blocked the strike, then immediately followed that with a fanning parry, pushing Aedan's blade to the side, and then flipped backwards off the bench. Aedan, stepped forward, and launched himself off the bench, bringing his saber in a high arching strike. Kyra just stepped to the side, and in one motion turned it into a spinning heel kick. Aedan ducked under the kick, and then found himself facing a slashing blade. The kick had been a feint. Impressive, he thought, but still blocked the strike. And then strung together a lightning-fast combination that had knocked Kyra off balance. She tried to overcorrect with a back handed cut, but Aedan, holding his blade in his right hand, blocked the strike, then quickly reached out with his left hand and grabbed Kyra's wrist, holding it in place. He then brought his saber down and around Kyra's and executed a perfect Cho Mai, burning Kyra at the wrist.

"Kriff," she said, "That was a new one."

Without hesitation, Aedan said, "Padawan, force push that bench away."

Kyra didn't even blink and sent the bench flying off the platform, and then faced Aedan.

They held each other's gaze, as the rain continued to fall. Kyra added to the downfall as a tear leaked from her eye. Catharsis, he thought.

Aedan, eyes still locked with Kyra's, straightened his posture, and then bowed low to his Padawan. Kyra sniffed, more tears coming now, mimicked his upright posture, and returned the bow.

Later that evening, after finishing dinner. Kyra got up and unhooked her saber, anxious to get to sparring. Aedan couldn't help but laugh at her eagerness.

"Not so fast, Padawan, there's something I want to show you."

"Oh?"

"Follow me," he said. And they walked towards the exit of the compound. "First, give this a try tonight," gesturing to the boulder blocking the passageway.

Kyra nodded, face already morphing into one of utter concentration. She took a deep breath and sank into the force. She extended both of her hands, and letting out a deep breath, grasped the boulder in the force, and began to lift it. The strain was clear on her face, as she gritted her teeth, all the while trying to remain as relaxed as possible. The large boulder rose a half meter off the ground. She then started to move it to the side. Sweat droplets were developing on her face, as the feat was taking its toll. As it began its trajectory off to the side, it abruptly fell to the ground. And Kyra put both hands on her knees, clearly taxed by the effort.

"You just continue to impress, Padawan," Aedan said.

After a few deep breaths, Kyra righted herself. "I'm getting it next time."

"I believe it," Aedan said. "I'll take it from here."

"Want me to help?"

"No," Aedan said, "Not this time." Aedan now went through the same process. Closing his eyes, breathing deeply, and reaching out to his celestial companion. Reaching out with both hands he lifted the boulder up a full two meters, and then exerted a surge of strength sending the boulder flying away from them.

Kyra raised an eyebrow, "Show off."

"Yea," he said, bobbing his head up and down, "that was excessive."

"You've gotten stronger here as well, haven't you?"

He nodded, "Yes, I have. It's necessary in order to keep up with you and your exponential progress," he said. "Now come on, help me get this boulder back in place behind us."

"Yea, thanks for tossing it so far away. Very considerate of you."

Aedan chuckled as they both moved the boulder back in front of the passageway behind them, and they exited the rock wall. He began jogging down the path that led them to the beach a few kilometers away. The trail through the rock outcroppings obstructed their sight of the beach, but they could hear the ocean's movement. The sound of the waves crashing down, and then receding back, immediately brought calm to Kyra. She found herself automatically sinking into meditative breathing as they had done every single morning that they've been here.

They made it around the rocks, and saw the beach stretch out before the, and beyond that the vast ocean. Kyra looked to the crashing waves and gasped, noticing something was decidedly different about them. "Master!" she said.

As the waves crashed down, they would sparkle with a dazzling blue light that stretched all the way across the cascading water. She began running towards the water, her feet digging into the sand. She began giggling loudly as she saw the burst of blue lights emanating from her footsteps. She took off running, and then jumping around, all the while her feet impacting in the sand set off a fluttering of electric blue lights.

"Master," she exclaimed again, "What is it?"

He was laughing with her now. "You tell me," he said.

She closed her eyes and reached out with the force. She could feel the life beneath her.

"They're organisms?" she said in wonder.

Aedan nodded, "It's referred to as bioluminescence. They're tiny, tiny creatures that light up when disturbed."

She smiled, and then addressed the sand beneath her feet, "I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I thank you for the spectacle of lights." She laughed at her own silliness, and then began jogging towards the beach.

Aedan watched in bliss and awe. Thrilled to see her so happy, and enthusiastic. And awed by her vivacity and brightness. "Thank you for your spectacle of light," he whispered in her direction, and then walked towards her.

She had taken off her socks and shoes, rolled her leggings up, and was now wading through the water. Every splash would set off more blue light. Up close it looked particularly magical, as the water seemed to shimmer with an electrical charge. Kyra, mesmerized, was turning in circles drawing her hands through the water, and picking handfuls of it up, and then letting it fall back down in a shower of azure droplets.

"Is it always like this?"

Aedan shook his head, "No, it's unknown when it will happen."

"How did you know then?" she asked, still swiping circles in the water.

"Remember yesterday when we were running sprints on the beach?"

Kyra glowered at him, "Oh you mean when you had us run twenty sprints, each sprint followed by ten jump sprawls, causing me to collapse with exhaustion into the sand," she shrugged. "Nope, don't remember that."

Aedan laughed, "Well, I noticed that the water had a reddish-brown tint to it, signifying an overabundance of phytoplankton."

Kyra gazed out at the surreal scene, and then gazed up at the sky above. "It looks like a sea of stars."

"That it does."

They stood there admiring the wondrous creation around them, marveling at its beauty. "Thank you, Master," Kyra said.

"For what?"

Kyra shrugged, "Bringing me here. All of this."

Aedan held her gaze. "You are most welcome, Kyra," then unhooked his lightsaber. "Now, let's get to it, shall we?"

Kyra unhooked her own blade and ignited it with a snap-hiss.

The afternoon had grown hot, the sun baking the land below. Aedan and Kyra were already sweating from their five-minute warmup before there afternoon session. "This is going to be a long one, since we've taken it pretty easy the past three days," Aedan said.

"Easy?" Kyra asked, "We swam for over an hour yesterday, that's a lot for a newbie like me."

"Perhaps, but you didn't encounter a Sando so it couldn't have been too taxing."

Kyra bobbed her head thoughtfully, "You make a fair point. Let's go."

Aedan laughed, "This will be our longest run yet. We'll head up to the North beach, then move inland, and then back here. About twenty-four kilometers."

Kyra was already perspiring profusely, and this long-sleeved shirt, no matter how breathable, was stifling. Just do it, Kyra, she thought to herself, this is about function. Nothing else. She then took off her long-sleeved shirt, which left her in a tight fitting, dark blue crop top that revealed her stomach. She tossed the shirt on a nearby rock and saw Aedan staring at her. She did her best to remain composed and not appear bashful or embarrassed.

"Kyra, I must say, all this training sure is paying off. You are looking very…fit."

She smiled widely, almost giddy with the praise. So much for being composed. "Thank you, Master. Your torture sessions sure are effective."

"Oh stop, you know you enjoy the hard work."

Kyra just grinned in response. Who knew Kyra Dawnstar would be so enthralled by such strenuous exercise?

"Speaking of hard work," Aedan said, and then turned and began jogging for the entrance. Once more they lifted the boulder together, walked into the entryway, and then moved the boulder back, sealing off the compound. They made their way North at a jog, they were going to cover a lot of distance today, and speed was not a priority.

Kyra began to get lost in the scenery that they ran through. The lush forests and wildflowers always awed her, so much so that she would find herself falling a dozen meters behind Aedan and half to increase her speed to catch up.

They covered territory, running under tree canopies, over hills, and in between monstrous boulders. They even had to force leap over streams and creeks. And it was all beautiful to Kyra. For the most part, however, she could just fall into a rhythm or trance almost, and simply meditate for most of the run. She had started seeking out the force on these long runs, not using it really, just…convening with it. Feeling it there, every step, every stride, every breath. It was comforting. Sometimes it would be a mundane occurrence, just barely being able to sense it, but then sometimes she felt like the entire galaxy had opened to her. That's how she really knew she had been improving. Because in truth, that much wisdom and strength had opened up to her.

The warning was an electric jolt through the force. It gave her a mere second of advanced notice, but it was enough. Kyra rolled forward, narrowly missing the long, leaping form that had aimed right for her. She came up out of the roll and turned to see a lizard. A big, bulky lizard that had to be two to three meters long. It had a large spine on its back, and sharp teeth in its mouth. And it was not alone.

"Silik Lizards!" Aedan shouted, his back now pressed against hers, facing off against another half dozen.

"I thought they only lived in the sand," Kyra said, igniting her lightsaber.

"As did I," Aedan responded, just as one of the big lizards charged forward. It lunged forward, jaws first, aiming to take a bite out of Kyra, but she sidestepped to the left while merely lifting her blade up as the creature passed right by her, slicing it in half through the midsection. Another one was right behind that one, and she merely twirled her blade in her hand forward and split this lizard straight down the middle. She could feel Aedan doing the same behind her, cutting down creature after creature. Two lunged for her at the same time. She held her ground by force pushing out with her left hand and stabbing forward with her saber in her right hand, sending the lizard on the left tumbling backward and the lizard on the right impaled itself. She removed her saber, spun and slashed at the final attacker, slicing through its usually durable hide.

She looked around them and saw nothing. She then reached out with the force and felt no lurking threats either. Once she deemed it was safe and clear, she deactivated her lightsaber.

"Let's return back to camp before any more animals decide they want to give it a try," Aedan said, and then assessed the five downed bodies on the ground. "Great reaction time, Kyra. I could feel you sink into the force the moment they showed up." Kyra couldn't help but smile in response. "But your technique and execution..." he paused, and Kyra frowned, she thought she had done pretty well. "Was exquisite," he finished. And Kyra was back to beaming again.

"Thank you, Master."

"All your hard work is paying off," he said.

"I'm thinking it has to do more with your teaching."

"Nonsense, Kyra, this is all you."

She hooked her lightsaber back onto her belt, and glanced around them, although there were dead carcasses around them, beyond that, Tython was beautiful. "Perhaps," she said, "but I'm thinking you're the only one that could be that catalyst. Shall we?" she asked without waiting for a response, and then took off at a jog.

Aedan stood there for a moment, watching her perfect running form, a yearning growing in his heart. He looked up to the sky, seeing three Wingmaws circling high above his location, and then took off after his Padawan.