AN: Enjoy Chapter 5! And I appreciate all of you who've decided to read this fic over the past three days. It brings me so much joy seeing the views increase. I'm glad I can keep you all interested.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or anything affiliated with it.
Rafe was shortly out of the hospital the day after his trial. He's always had a very high pain tolerance, but he never knew he could heal so quickly. What surprised him the most was how his tooth grew back.
Was it because of my crystal?
Before he could dwell on the matter further, Arakan and Yuki entered his medical chamber.
"Time to get going," Arakan said. "Hurry up."
"To where?" Rafe asked.
"You'll find out when we get there."
Rafe narrowed his eyes in annoyance at Arakan's simple response, but decided to not dwell on it. He followed him and Yuki out of the medical bay.
Rafe was now in a central hallway that held nothing but dormitories. "This is where everyone sleeps, I suppose?"
"It's all separated into sections based on rank," Arakan explained. "Usually, you'd start off as a youngling, but since you were a special case, and I don't have a lot of time to train you, you're considered a padawan, so you and Yuki will be training a lot together."
Rafe looked at Yuki with narrowed eyes. "Don't slow me down."
"I just want to help you," she said innocently. "I don't want to slow you down."
"And you'll mostly end up slowing her down, boy."
Rafe scowled at Arakan's remark. We'll see about that…
Arakan pressed a button and the doors to one of the dormitories slid open. There wasn't much inside; just a cot and a desk.
It may not be much to any of the Jedi, but to Rafe, it was more than he could ever ask for. Down in the Underworld, he never had an actual place to stay. He always had to sleep on the streets next to sewers. He'd never even seen a bed before.
"Don't get too comfortable," Arakan warned him. "Once you start going on missions, you won't see much of this place."
"That's fine with me," Rafe said, unbothered. He walked out of his new dormitory, which would probably not change at all. It was at that moment that he realized that he didn't really own anything. The only thing he could ever call his was now property to the Jedi. He was now owned by the Jedi. He was no longer free. He could no longer make his own decisions since he would always have to get his decisions approved by someone.
"Come on," Arakan said, snapping Rafe out of his thoughts. "Time to start training."
Rafe was led to what Arakan called the Jedi Temple Sparring Arena, which was a bowl-shaped layer deep within the Temple. The vault was completely white, with white mats spread amongst the floor near the wall. There was also a control booth on the upper level.
"This is where Jedi do most of their training," Arakan explained. "Although I don't think it will be very suitable for you since I can't afford for anyone to hold you back."
Rafe looked up at Arakan, completely shocked. Did he just compliment me? He didn't bother asking since he knew Arakan would deny it. "Is this where everyone trains?" he decided to ask.
"Mostly."
Before Arakan could speak further, the arena doors opened, and Ahsoka and Anakin walked inside.
"Hey there, you three!" the Togruta greeted.
"It looks like you're finally starting your training," Anakin told Rafe. "Good luck."
"I don't need luck." Rafe didn't actually believe what he said. He knew that luck was a big factor in surviving. He's gotten lucky more times than he could count. "...At least, I don't want to rely on it," he corrected himself, looking at the floor.
Anakin grinned with pride. "Well spoken. And I heard about your trial. That was very bold of you to speak out the way you did."
Rafe just nodded, not knowing how to take Anakin's compliment. "So, are you both here to train too?"
"We were, but I want to see what you've got."
"Master, how is Rafe going to train if he doesn't have a lightsaber?" Yuki asked.
"He doesn't need a lightsaber for this exercise."
Everyone looked at Arakan with confused expressions.
"Stand there," Arakan instructed, pointing to the center of the arena.
Rafe did as instructed, while Yuki, Ahsoka, and Anakin took a seat near the wall.
Arakan walked to the center of the arena, activating his lightsaber. "I'm going to attack you, you're going to dodge. Understand?"
"Can't I use my knife?"
Arakan shook his head. "If you did, you wouldn't understand the purpose of this exercise."
Rafe groaned. He didn't understand why he couldn't use a weapon to defend himself, even if Arakan just wanted him to dodge. Is he trying to get me killed? He shook the thought away, raising his guard as he prepared to train with Arakan.
Without warning, Arakan lunged at Rafe, swinging his green lightsaber in an overhead arc. Rafe rolled to his right side and sprung himself onto his feet so that he could create some distance. Ideally, he'd want to get in close, especially since Arakan was much bigger than him. But he could only dodge, so he knew he had to keep his distance.
Arakan charged toward him again, backing Rafe further and further with every swing of his lightsaber.
Rafe could sense that he was about to be backed into the wall behind him, but he wasn't going to let Arakan beat him so easily. After dodging a horizontal slash, he turned around and ran up the wall, kicking himself off and flipping behind Arakan.
"It's good to see that you're aware of your surroundings."
Rafe just narrowed his eyes, not wanting to get distracted. He saw Arakan glance to the side, but didn't follow his gaze. If I want to pass this, I can't lose my focus. I need to keep my eye on Arakan at all times.
He was suddenly pushed into a wall. He grunted upon impact, then fell to his knees, panting. He looked up to see Yuki walking toward him with her blue lightsaber activated. "What the hell was that?"
"A part of the lesson," Arakan said simply. He slowly approached Rafe, raising his lightsaber over his head. "Your constricted vision is the reason you're in the predicament you're in right now." His eyes narrowed in disapproval. "You failed the lesson." He swung his lightsaber down.
As Arakan swung his lightsaber, Rafe grabbed it to pull himself off the floor and jumped off of Arakan's head. He spun around in midair so that he was now facing Arakan and Yuki, skidding to a halt when he landed.
He heard another hum of a lightsaber and instinctively rolled to his left side. He looked up to see Ahsoka with her green lightsaber activated.
"You're doing pretty well for someone who's never had any official training from Jedi," she complimented.
"Don't try to distract me, headtails," Rafe said sharply. He darted his eyes to Yuki and Arakan, who were grouping up with Ahsoka in the center of the arena. Shit… They've got me outnumbered three to one. And I was having a difficult time with just Arakan. He scowled when they spread out around him. They'll probably try to attack me separately so that I can't dodge all of their attacks.
Ahsoka ran for Rafe, swinging her blade in a diagonal downward arc. What surprised him though was the way she held the hilt of her lightsaber in a reverse grip. He rolled to his left, then widened his eyes when Yuki swung at him in a horizontal slash. He jumped back, avoiding her attack.
What am I supposed to do? How does this exercise even end? It's impossible for me to win. He widened his eyes further when he looked ahead of him. Wait! Where's Arakan?!
"Behind you," said a grim voice from behind him.
Rafe quickly turned around, but before he could even attempt to move, Arakan's blade was pointing at his neck.
"Do you understand the lesson now?"
Rafe glared at him, but answered anyway. "To be aware of my surroundings. You wanted to show me that I can't just focus on one opponent and that others can unexpectedly show up."
"Well, at least you understand that much," Arakan sighed. "Let's go again."
"Better, but not by much."
Arakan had been drilling the same exercise into Rafe for hours. He was kneeling on the floor, drenched in sweat.
"That's enough for today," Arakan said, clipping his lightsaber to his utility belt. "Get some rest."
"When do I get my own lightsaber?" Rafe asked. He wasn't eager to have his own, he just wanted to be able to defend himself, and a lightsaber seemed like the practical weapon of choice for the Jedi. Why do they even use a weapon like that if they have the Force?
"If I told you you would get even more impatient. Now head back to your dormitory."
Rafe got to his feet and left the arena.
"Rafe, wait up!"
Rafe turned around to see Ahsoka running toward him."What is it?"
"That was some impressive training back there," Ahsoka said. "Who taught you all that?"
"I did."
Ahsoka burst into laughter, then stopped when Rafe glared at her. "Oh… You're serious."
Rafe nodded. "Is that all you came to say, then?"
"I thought we could just talk," Ahsoka suggested.
"Why?" Rafe asked skeptically. "So you can interrogate me again?"
Ahsoka chuckled nervously. "That was my mistake. I've gone on a few missions with Yuki and Master Arakan, so I thought it would be beneficial for us to get to know each other so that we can work together in the future."
"There's not much to tell about myself. If you want to talk about training or a mission, fine, but don't invade my personal space, headtails."
Ahsoka looked at the floor, frowning. "Is this how you're going to act on a mission?"
"No, I'll be ordering you around so that you survive," Rafe said.
Ahsoka looked at Rafe thoughtfully, then smiled. "Well, thanks for the chat! I'll catch ya later!" She walked off behind him.
Rafe walked back to his dormitory.
A month had passed since Rafe became a Jedi. And for that entire month, he's been stuck doing the same training exercise with Arakan and Yuki, although he was allowed to attack.
He was currently in the middle of the same exercise, and he jumped to the side, avoiding Arakan's lightning-fast thrust to his head. He wiped the sweat that was dripping down his chin with the sleeve of the dark grey robes he was now wearing.
"What's the matter?" Arakan taunted. "You're not getting tired already, are you? It's only been an hour."
Rafe just narrowed his eyes in determination, burying the urge to charge at Arakan.
"Why won't you attack me, boy? I'm standing right here." As if to taunt Rafe further, Arakan deactivated his lightsaber and threw it to the side, spreading his arms out, leaving himself completely exposed. "How's this?"
What's with him all of a sudden? Is this some kind of joke to him? Choosing not to dwell on the matter, Rafe took a few cautious steps toward Arakan, then bolted for him. He threw his right fist at Arakan's left eye, but missed as Arakan leaned back.
Arakan attempted to grab his wrist, but Rafe jumped back. As he did, Yuki swung her lightsaber in a sidecut, which he dodged by ducking, then pivoted on the ball of his foot and kicked his right foot out toward her, which she dodged.
Still keeping all of his weight on his left foot, Rafe jumped and kicked Yuki's jaw, then managed to land by planting his left hand on the floor, using it to spin around, skidding to a stop.
Yuki looked at him with her hand covering her jaw, clearly surprised.
Suddenly, Yuki charged at him with her lightsaber, making extremely fast and precise thrusts to his head, which Rafe dodged by swinging his body from left to right, but just barely as he could see strands of black hair being cut off. Rafe could see where her blade was arced as she pulled it back and used that opportunity to duck before she could even attack him and swept his leg out toward her ankles. She fell, but managed to catch herself by swiping her lightsaber across the floor, swiping it at Rafe in the process. But as she attacked, Rafe swung his knife at the hilt of her lightsaber. Both of their weapons flew in opposite directions of the arena, clattering on the floor.
Rafe spun around to regain momentum, while Yuki sprung back to her feet. Both were panting heavily.
Rafe widened his eyes, realizing that he still had to worry about Arakan. But it was too late. Arakan was already behind him, his green blade was held inches away from his throat.
"Better," Arakan said bluntly, deactivating his lightsaber. "Now follow me."
"Where are we going?" Rafe asked.
"To your next lesson." Without elaborating further, Arakan left the arena.
Rafe looked at Yuki, who was on her knees, still panting. "You okay?"
"Yeah…" she said heavily. "You're getting better each time. And you're doing this good without a lightsaber."
Rafe wanted to ask her why the Jedi even bothered to use such a weapon, but decided to put it aside, knowing that Arakan was waiting on them. "Come on. Arakan's waiting."
Rafe walked alongside Yuki as Arakan led them to the Jedi Shrine deep within the Sacred Spire. They were surrounded by nothing but ancient texts and scrolls.
"What are we doing here, Master?"
Arakan ignored Yuki and used the Force to lift the ancient stone supposedly used for meditation off the floor, revealing a dark staircase.
"Where does that lead to?"
"Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark, softy?" Rafe asked amusedly.
"I'm not," she said defensively. "It's just… Isn't this dangerous? Don't the Jedi know about this?"
"It's been forgotten about over the millennia," Arakan explained. He looked at Rafe. "This is where I think you'll find your answers." He turned around and started walking down the dark staircase.
Rafe followed him, but stopped when he didn't hear Yuki follow. He turned around to look at her. She looked scared. "What are you so worried about?"
"I just don't understand why Master Arakan has to go this far," she whispered. "And this will just raise suspicion on you even more, won't it?"
"That doesn't matter to me right now. Now get your ass down here, softy."
Yuki took a deep breath, then slowly began to descend the staircase.
Rafe grabbed the sleeve of her dark brown robes, pulling her down the stairs with him.
"H-Hey…"
Rafe stopped to look at her. "What now?"
She looked away from him. "I can walk on my own."
"Then walk. Don't drag yourself around like a filthy Hutt."
She nodded and followed Rafe the rest of the way down.
Rafe looked at what awaited him when he got down. He could barely see anything because of the lack of sunlight. Arakan activated his lightsaber, illuminating the dark room with a bright green light.
To his surprise, there wasn't much of anything inside. There was just rubble and destroyed statues. He caught sight of multiple staircases at the far ends of the shrine. "Where do those lead to?"
Arakan looked at where Rafe was pointing and walked over to one of the multiple staircases.
Rafe's crystal started glowing a bright red hue, shocking him. "What does this mean? Is it actually corrupted?"
Arakan looked down at the staircase. "Only one way to find out." He descended the staircase, followed by Rafe and Yuki.
Further beneath the shrine was nothing but a hollow cavern filled with rock and lava, with a similar meditation area in the center, which was where all of the staircases led to.
"What… is this place?" Yuki asked, looking at the molten depths with wide eyes, her mouth hung agape.
"It uses to be an ancient Sith Temple around five millennia ago," Arakan explained. "But it was razed by the Jedi at the end of the Sith war during the Old Republic. The Four Masters then built this very Temple over the Sith Temple, and they destroyed everything within. But it seems they weren't able to destroy all of it…"
"So how will I find answers if there's nothing here?" Rafe asked.
Arakan pointed to the meditation area. "Find out for yourself."
Rafe walked down the stairs, trying not to look at the lava that was boiling below him. How the hell is there even lava down here anyway? His next step down cracked the stone stair, but he nearly caught himself from slipping. Fuck, that was close…
He eventually made it down, and he had to climb another set of stairs to get to the meditation area. He didn't see anything special about it, frustrating him. You better not be screwing with me, Arakan.
"What do you see?" Arakan asked, joining Rafe, along with Yuki.
"Just a bunch of rock and lava."
"Look past that. What else do you see?"
"That's literally all I see," Rafe said, getting annoyed.
"Close your eyes and feel everything that surrounds you," Arakan calmly instructed.
Taking a deep breath, Rafe closed his eyes. He couldn't see anything, but he could sense the dark energy that surrounded him. He touched his crystal, and his mind was suddenly filled with screams of fury and terror. What the hell is this crystal?
"Well, I see you learned one thing."
Rafe just looked at Arakan.
"Come on, let's go back up to the shrine." He led Rafe and Yuki back up the stairs that led to the shrine above.
"So now that you know something about your crystal, it's time for you to learn how to use the Force so you can learn to control and harness its powers," Arakan said.
Rafe leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
"It already seems like you understand the basics of what the Force is, but that's meaningless if you don't know how to use it." Arakan reached a hand out and telekinetically lifted a small stone in the air, dropping it in front of Rafe. "Do what I just did. Lift it."
Rafe held a hand out, narrowing his eyes in concentration. He flexed his entire arm, trying to put all of his strength into lifting the tiny rock, but it wouldn't budge. "Why is it so difficult? It's just a tiny rock!"
"That's not the problem," Arakan said strictly. "The problem is that you've got too much going on in your mind. You must clear it, and only see the task you're trying to accomplish. Once you see that you can achieve that task in your mind, only then can you actually achieve it."
Rafe let out a heavy sigh. "Alright…" He closed his eyes, only trying to envision the rock. Once he achieved that, he reached a hand out and tried lifting the rock. The rock floated in the air. He opened his eyes, feeling proud of himself, but it was washed away with disappointment when he saw that the rock hadn't actually moved. "What am I doing wrong? I did exactly what you told me to do."
"You're body, mind, and spirit must cooperate with each other," Arakan explained. "If you only limit yourself to one part within you, you won't achieve anything. Now, try again."
Rafe let out a frustrated growl. He could survive for fifteen years of hell but couldn't lift a stupid rock?! He decided to try again. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, emptying everything around him except for the rock. He lifted his hand and concentrated on lifting the rock. As he raised his hand, he envisioned the rock being lifted. He opened his eyes, then threw his arm to the side when he saw that the rock still hadn't budged.
"Why don't you give it a try if you think it's so easy!" he lashed out at Arakan.
Without a word, Arakan raised his hand, effortlessly lifting the rock off the ground. "Whether it's a difficult task or not doesn't make a difference. Your true battle is within yourself, Rafe. Once you've won that fight within, then you can understand what you're trying to accomplish with the Force."
Rafe let out another frustrated sigh. He understood what Arakan was trying to teach him, but he didn't know how to do it. Violence was the only thing he was good at. So it shouldn't have come as a surprise to him that it would be difficult to learn how to use the Force.
"Try again."
Several hours went by and Rafe still couldn't lift the rock. He's done everything from calming his mind and body, but that didn't do much for him. He wanted to give up; to demand that Arakan taught him how to use a lightsaber instead. But he refused to quit. If I could survive in the Underworld for fifteen years, then I sure as hell can lift a rock with the Force.
"Rafe, you need to really believe that you can do it," Yuki said, standing off to the side.
He glared at her. "What do you think I've been doing for the past few hours? It's all that I want right now."
"I think you just want to prove to yourself that you can use the Force. You're not truly focusing on trying to achieve the task at hand. You may believe it in your mind and think you can physically do it, but your soul is still empty. That's what's been holding you back."
Rafe let her explanation sink in. He's never thought twice about spirituality or what condition his soul was in. He knew he was a retched person, and never tried to do anything to change it. Is that what's holding me back? My unwillingness to move forward?
"Rafe," Yuki said, grabbing his attention. "You can move forward. You took the first step when you saved me in the Underworld. You still have a part of your soul intact, you just need to find it and draw upon it. I believe in you."
Rafe just stared at her for a few seconds, not expecting to feel so motivated by her.
"Brat, stop staring and focus," Arakan suddenly barked.
Rafe remembered what the both of them told him about restraint, and took a deep breath, blocking out his frustration at what Arakan just said and all other distractions. He lifted his hand and saw himself lifting the rock. That's not enough, though. He remembered what drove him to save Yuki in the first place, and why he decided to join the Jedi Order. Selflessness… Integrity… It was those qualities he realized he still had in his damaged soul that he was driven to save Yuki and speak out during his trial.
He exhaled a breath he didn't realize he was holding and opened his eyes, which widened in shock when he saw the rock was now floating in the air, realizing that he was the one who lifted it.
"Good job!" Yuki praised.
Arakan just nodded in approval, but Rafe didn't care. He figured was better than getting scolded.
"Now let's get out of here before someone finds out."
And with that, Arakan led them out of the Shrine in the Depths.
Rafe was back in the Shrine in the Depths the next morning. In front of him lay several pieces of alloy metal and other salvaged materials.
"You will construct your lightsaber with these materials," Arakan said. "Usually, a youngling will have to go through a Rite of Passage and find their kyber crystal in the caverns of the planet Illum, but you already have a kyber crystal, so that's not necessary."
"Do any of these metals go together?" Rafe asked. They were just cylindrical components that looked completely different from each other.
"They're not intended to look alike. Now remember what you learned yesterday. Use the Force to construct your lightsaber."
If I could barely lift a rock, how will I be able to lift all of this metal and precisely put it all together?
"That's your first problem," Arakan told Rafe. "The moment doubt enters your mind, you're bound to fail. Just focus on the task and believe that you can achieve it."
Sighing, Rafe sat on the ground in front of the metal. Closing his eyes, he pictured the metal and held both of his hands out in front of him.
"You don't have to put so much effort into it," Yuki advised.
"Shut up, softy," Rafe snapped. "You're distracting me."
"No she isn't," Arakan said. "You're allowing yourself to be distracted because you're not focused. Block everything out except for the metal in front of you."
Rafe closed his eyes again and rested his hands on his lap, his palms facing upward. He could only see the metal in front of him, and attempted to lift it.
"Come on, boy, focus."
Arakan's pestering went nearly unheard by Rafe. He managed to lift the metal off the ground, then tried to figure out how to put it all together. That was another mistake he made because all of the metal dropped, clattering on the ground.
"Damn it!"
"You have too much going on in that head of yours," Arakan pointed out.
Rafe glared at him. "No shit! I know what to do. I've put scraps together in the Underworld. So why don't you both just get lost so I don't have to listen to your lectures every time I fuck up!"
Arakan's eyes narrowed. "Fine, if that's what you want. Let's go, Yuki."
They walked out of the Spire in the Depths, leaving Rafe alone.
The metal clattered on the ground for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"Damn it! And I really thought I was getting close this time." Rafe let out a frustrated sigh. He's been down in this buried and forgotten dungeon for hours again, but he didn't mind. He felt comfortable because it reminded him of the Underworld, and he was too used to living down there.
He looked at his crystal, which was flashing a dim, red light. "So this thing's supposed to power up my lightsaber, huh? I don't suppose you can give me some idea on how I can actually put it together?"
He was met with silence.
Rafe chuckled to himself. "Of course you can't tell me anything. You're a crystal. You can't speak." He covered his eyes with his hand. "I'm just getting delusional."
"You aren't delusional, Rafe…"
Rafe threw his crystal on the ground when he heard the low, almost demonic voice, crawling back a few feet. I'm really losing my mind.
"No you're not," said the voice. "You just seek knowledge."
Rafe managed to compose himself. "Who are you?"
"Let's just say, I created that crystal. And I want to help you use it to your fullest potential."
"I don't need your help, you piece of Sith spit," Rafe rejected. "Now go back to hell."
The dark voice cackled, as if they were somehow amused by Rafe's attitude. "I like you, Rafe. You have the most potential out of any owner of this crystal."
"I don't care. Now, I need to construct my lightsaber, so why don't you fuck off."
"All right, I'll leave you be. But know this, who are you really fighting for?"
Before Rafe could ask for elaboration, his crystal stopped glowing, and the Shrine was quiet. "What the hell was all that about?"
He heard footsteps coming from the stairs. He assumed it was Arakan and Yuki, but didn't want to be too sure of himself, so he sprinted behind a pillar.
It was indeed Arakan and Yuki, so Rafe came out of his hiding spot.
"It's nice to see that instead of constructing your lightsaber you're playing hide-and-seek with the ghosts in here," Arakan said sarcastically.
"Tch." Rafe ignored him and sat back down.
"What's conflicting you, Rafe?" Yuki asked firmly.
"Nothing," came Rafe's immediate response. "Now shut up. I need to concentrate."
"I don't see how that will make a difference since you've been on your own for hours and still couldn't concentrate enough to construct a lightsaber," Arakan said.
"Why don't you give it a try if you think it's so easy!" Rafe snapped.
Arakan lifted his hand and effortlessly lifted each piece of metal off the ground, then threw them all at Rafe.
Rafe didn't think, he just reacted on instinct. While taking a step back to firmly plant himself, he held both of his hands out. The pieces of metal were now floating in front of him, but he didn't know if it was his doing or if Arakan was still holding them up. He got his answer when he saw Arakan drop his hand. Each piece of metal stayed afloat in front of him.
"Now pull your crystal to you and put everything together," Arakan instructed.
His survival instinct still in control, Rafe reached his right hand out further, lifting his crystal in the air, then pulled his arm back, pulling the crystal toward him. Narrowing his eyes in concentration, he delicately put every piece of alloy and salvaged metal together. Everything clicked together.
Arakan kept his eye on Rafe's newly built lightsaber for a few seconds, then closed his eyes. When he opened them, he charged at Rafe with his own lightsaber.
Rafe jumped back, avoiding the thrust Arakan delivered to his head, then continued to dodge the flurry of slashes and cuts that came next.
"Come on, boy," Arakan said. "Defend yourself."
"How can I do that if I don't even know how to use this thing?" Rafe asked irritably, then rolled to the side to avoid another backhanded slash.
"Press the activator on the center of the hilt," Yuki said when Rafe landed next to her.
Rafe scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "The what?"
Yuki tackled Rafe to the ground and landed on top of him, avoiding the overhead slash Arakan delivered. "You okay?"
Rafe could feel her breath hit his face, making his entire body shudder. "Get off me." As he pushed her off of him, he rolled to the opposite side, avoiding another overhead slash. He looked at his lightsaber and located the activator Yuki was talking about, then pressed it.
A purple plasma blade ignited from the tip of the emitter. Yuki also activated her lightsaber.
"It looks like you're finally ready for your next lesson," Arakan said, now holding his lightsaber in both of his hands. "There are seven forms of lightsaber combat. It would be beneficial to know the basics of each one, but only select one or two to master."
"I have my own style of combat," Rafe said.
"Have you ever used a sword, boy?"
Rafe shook his head.
"Then you need to learn. That puny knife of yours isn't going to do anything to a Sith or a droid." Arakan continued when he didn't get a response from Rafe. "Form I: Shii-Cho, is a simplistic style that balances traditional maneuvers intent on maiming and killing with a focus on disarming an armed foe and is best used against multiple opponents."
Without further explanation, he attacked Rafe, swinging his blade in simple yet wide and powerful arcs. Rafe felt like his lightsaber was going to fall out of his hands each time their blades made contact. Rafe already knew this style wasn't for him. It was too predictable and sloppy.
His lightsaber was knocked out of his hands from Arakan's next attack. He thought about using the force to pull it back to him, but knew that he would be exposing his arm. So instead he grabbed his knife and slashed at the hilt of Arakan's lightsaber. Although he missed when Arakan weaved out of the way, he managed to create some distance between them.
"You're learning lightsaber combat, not knife playing," Arakan said in a lecturing tone. "Now go get your lightsaber."
Rafe glanced at Yuki. "I need you to distract him."
"Don't worry, I'll keep you covered," she assured him.
Nodding, Rafe ran for Arakan, throwing his fist at his chin, which Arakan dodged by weaving out of the way, then swung his lightsaber in an overhead diagonal arc, which Yuki managed to block.
Arakan kicked her away, then charged for Rafe. His movements were faster than before and much more precise. "Form II: Makashi, is an elegant and graceful style that is primarily focused on facing a single opponent, preventing disarmament, and quick, very precise strikes."
Rafe ducked, pivoted on his left foot, and kicked his right foot out in a clockwise motion. Arakan dodged the sweep by casually stepping back like a fencer.
"Attack from multiple angles to catch me off guard," Arakan advised.
When he swung his blade in an underhand cut, Rafe weaved to the side and kicked the back of Arakan's leg, knocking him to his knees.
"Rafe!"
Rafe heard Yuki's voice in his head and looked at her from behind. She threw his lightsaber in the air, which he caught and activated, then swung at Arakan.
"Not bad," Arakan said dully, effortlessly blocking Rafe's attack. "Now keep attacking me."
Narrowing his eyes, Rafe attacked Arakan, swinging his blade in wide, erratic arcs. He'd never used such a weapon before, so he had no idea how to precisely attack like he did when using a knife or fighting unarmed.
"You're not even attacking me." Arakan blocked yet another attack. "You're just swinging that thing around like a crazed beast. He the hilt of his lightsaber upward, hitting Rafe's lightsaber hilt and knocking it out of his hands. "Form III: Soresu, is a defensive style that utilizes tight, controlled movements and strict economy of motion. The main focus of this form is to analyze your opponents and wait for an opening."
He flipped backward when Yuki thrust her lightsaber behind him, then kicked her into Rafe, knocking them both down. "Form IV: Ataru, is an acrobatic and aggressive combat style that requires a user to rely on the Force to enhance movements in all areas of movement. However, it's only useful in wide open spaces." He jumped several feet in the air, flipped sideways multiple times so that he was now spinning, and thrust his blade at Rafe and Yuki, who both grabbed onto each other and jumped out of the way.
"Rafe, you're very agile, so I just want you to try and get passed him," Yuki told Rafe. "I'll fight Master Arakan off."
"I didn't take you for the one to give orders, softy," Rafe said, but he was quite amused at the way she ordered him.
"Go!"
On her signal, they both ran on opposite sides of Arakan. Arakan swung his lightsaber with both hands in a lightning-fast underhand arc, knocking Yuki back several feet even though she deflected the attack. Keeping his momentum, he then spun around and lunged at Rafe, slashing his blade from every angle possible while lunging and flipping unpredictably.
All Rafe could do was dodge. He was completely helpless.
Yuki suddenly let out a scream as she flipped forward and swung her blade down at Arakan in an overhead cut, which he blocked. "Now, Rafe!" she yelled.
Rafe turned around and bolted for his lightsaber. He slid on the ground, grabbed it, and turned around, running toward Arakan. He activated his lightsaber and swung at Arakan, who grabbed Yuki by the wrist and threw her behind him at Rafe. He then attacked them with an onslaught of overhead cuts. Although they were very predictable, the power behind his attacks more than made up for it. His strikes were so powerful they could easily cut through another lightsaber.
"Form V: Shien and Djem So, are two fluid disciplines that require a user to transition from dedicated defensive stances that focus on blaster redirection to all-out attacks," Arakan explained. He continued the onslaught of dominating attacks, and all Rafe and Yuki could do was dodge.
Wait! I can use that to my advantage! Rafe kicked Yuki out of the way when Arakan brought his blade down from over his head, and charged at Arakan from behind, but before he could bring his blade back to attack, Arakan used the Force to push both him and Yuki back several feet.
"Form VI: Niman, balances all of the qualities of the previous lightsaber forms while also integrating the use of the Force during combat." He used the Force to throw Yuki in Rafe's direction, then somehow ended up behind them and swung a flurry of strikes that were both powerful, frenzied, and erratic. "And lastly, Form VII: Juyo, is an aggressive and unpredictable form that requires the user to draw upon their anger and negative emotions to fuel a relentless assault."
Rafe and Yuki both swung their blades in a sidecut, but Arakan dropped to the ground and extended his right leg upward, kicking them several feet into the air. He then jumped toward them and swung his blade in a low, backhanded arc. Both apprentices attempted to block the attack, but couldn't since Arakan deactivated his lightsaber. He knocked their lightsabers out of their hands and held them in the air, then flipped over them and used the Force to push them into the ground below.
He landed in front of them, telekinetically holding their lightsabers at their throats. "That last move is known as Tràkata," he explained. "It's a practical style that takes advantage of the lightsaber's function to turn on and off, deceiving your opponents." He deactivated their lightsabers and they dropped on them.
"So, which form do you think I should use, Arakan?" Rafe asked, getting to his feet.
"Couldn't tell. Which form did you feel most comfortable defending against?"
Rafe thought of all of the forms Arakan used against him and how he attacked when given the chance. "I'd say Ataru is the obvious choice, but…" He grabbed his knife, holding it in a reverse grip. Still holding his lightsaber in his other hand, he held it in the same reverse grip, then activated it. "This is how I prefer to use a melee weapon," he told Arakan.
"So you feel comfortable using Ataru and Shien," Arakan said.
"I know deflecting blaster fire would be helpful, but trust me, you don't want to be pushed onto the defensive. You can only win if you attack." Rafe tightened his grip on his lightsaber. "It's how I've survived all these years."
Arakan sighed, taking a step closer to Rafe. "Although this form is forbidden by the Jedi, I think you should learn to use Juyo. Yes, it's a very dark and aggressive form, but I think it would be beneficial for you to learn to control it, along with your crystal. And you should also pick up a little defense from Soresu. You don't know what messy situations you might find yourself in."
"Why'd you wait so long to teach me about lightsaber combat?" Rafe asked.
"Because a lightsaber doesn't define who a Jedi is. Many Jedi think that their lightsaber is their life, but it isn't. A Jedi's connection with the Force is their life. Many Jedi don't understand that." Arakan frowned, looking disappointed.
Rafe deactivated his lightsaber and just looked at it. "What's the significance of each lightsaber's color?" he asked. "Why are each of our's a different color?"
"The kyber crystal is the heart of any lightsaber," Arakan explained. "The crystal's color is determined by the nature of its owner. Mine is green because I'm more attuned to the Force and prefer to study it. Yuki's is blue because she is more physically adept with the Force."
Rafe eyed Arakan cautiously. "Then why is mine purple? Every lightsaber I've seen so far has been only blue and green."
"Because you're equally attuned with both the light and dark sides of the Force. That's my assumption. And that's why I also think that crystal can't corrupt you."
Rafe broke his gaze from Arakan. Then what was the whole deal with the creator of this crystal? I'd assume only Sith owned it previously, so why would someone who supposedly still has good in them be called to it?
"That's enough training for today," Arakan said.
"Thank you for training with me, Rafe," Yuki said with a smile. "I think we made a good team."
"Sure," Rafe said uncaringly. "But we still got our asses kicked."
"Don't think about the loss. Think about what you can do to keep improving." Arakan walked over to Rafe as they climbed the stairs to exit the Shrine in the Depths, saying something that sent a cold shiver down his spine.
"By the way, I know about the voice in your crystal."
To be continued
AN: Rafe is officially a padawan and has begun his training. To be honest, I was really scared that I was going to make Rafe super overpowered because of his crystal, but I'm glad I wrote it out where he didn't know about anything he was learning and actually struggled while training. Sure, he already has combat experience, but that doesn't automatically correlate to using a lightsaber.
And I'm not sure if that's how the Shrine in the Depths is supposed to look like. I've never read the novel Tarkin. I just got the concept from a rough sketch from a potential Clone Wars episode where Ahsoka discovers the Shrine. That would've been amazing to see.
And I wasn't originally planning on Rafe having an interaction with his crystal. It kind of just came to me and I think it will flow with what I have planned for the rest of the fic.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even if it was all training and not much story development. Things will pick up after the next chapter for sure.
Leave a review to let me know your thoughts.
