Boy is that a long story, Dero thought. He began to try and figure out a way to tell it as short as possible.
"Its long been thought by my order, the Jensaarai, that the Jedi had fallen to the dark side," he recounted. "Three Jedi killed three Jensaarai, one of which had been the Saarai-kaar's husband. The Saarai-kaar is the leader of our order and she allowed her grief to skew her view. When Darth Vader destroyed the Jedi we had thought ourselves to be liberated. However, the Empire was just as evil to us, sending Jedi hunters to destroy us. Finally, when Luke Skywalker defeated the Emperor and freed the galaxy the Saarai-kaar changed her outlook on the Jedi. But it's a little more difficult for most of the Jensaarai to accept the fact that the Jedi haven't all fallen to the dark side. The Saarai-kaar feels that sending some Jensaarai here to train with Jedi will help mend these prejudices."
He looked away to avoid eye contact with Jaeh. "I'm the first to be chosen to train here because I was the one most opposed to the idea of the Jedi being good."
"Nothing personally was done to me by the Jedi," Dero said. "I was brought into the order during the Clone Wars, after this incident. But since then I was taught the Jedi were evil. When you're taught something from the tender age of 4, its difficult to challenge that belief."
Dero stopped there. Something about this girl was allowing him to open up about things he wasn't used to talking about. He was a little bit embarrassed by that. They reached the training grounds and he decided to stop the conversation before he revealed anything else. "That's all I'd like to talk about that subject for now. I'd like to meditate a little bit before I begin training."
Dero walked away from Jaeh and knelt down. He placed his lightsaber on the ground to his right and his helmet on the ground to his left. He gave one last glance at Jaeh then closed his eyes and began to breathe deeply, falling into a slight trance. He needed to mentally prepare for the upcoming training.
Jaeh shook her head. "Yeah... okay..." She said smiling. She didn't actually expect someone to tell her all that, but he did, no harm done with that.
Jaeh walked over to the nearest chair she saw. She closed her eyes, and meditated. "hmm... lets see what he got. maybe i could challenge him or something." Jaeh told herself before concentrating fully.
Dero's mind slipped away. He thought of battles past flooded his head. Space battles against Naval armadas of the Empire defending his Suarbi system. Epic duels against the Emperor's Jedi hunters. He could see every swing of every blade. He felt the jerking from every banking turn of every fighter. It all bombarded him at once in a flash and yet he relived each as though in slow motion. He cut down a dark Force-user as he barrel-rolled through a squadron of the Empire.
Like a gale wind carrying him across space he rushed back to reality. He opened his eyes and he was back in the temple on Yavin 4. He sighed. His meditation was always like this. It was so difficult for him to calm his mind. He couldn't hear the Force speaking to him over the screams of death in his dreams.
Frustrated he sprung to his feet. He walked over to a wall where a bunch of wooden training saber were leaning against. He picked up a training staff and walked back over to wear he was kneeling. He quickly looked around to see if he had enough room. When he was pleased with the space he crouched into a ready stance and began drilling. He did a series of attacks, blocks and parries which he memorized at lightning speeds. When finished with one series he'd smoothly shift and start another. He kept at it until he was sweating from exhaustion.
Finally he could think clearly again. He could only calm himself when fighting. He was born to do battle...
OOC: So.....Jedi masters...how about them training assignments. Even simple meditating pointers. My character is lost! 😛
OOC: you know what the problem is? those Jedi Masters are currently inactive ya know what i mean? maybe we could invite someone.. or whatever...
Jaeh opened her eyes, and watched Dero. "He's good..." She said to herself. "Let's see how good..."
Jaeh picked up another wooden saber. She stood in an attack stance, ready to fight. "how about some friendly sparring?"
Before Dero could agree Jaeh was attacking him. If he wasn't drilling shortly before she probably would have connected. However, his adrenalin was already pumping and he side-stepped the strike. He spun his staff around and came down on Jaeh's saber using her momentum against her.
He shot a smile at her as their eyes met. There was a slight bloodlust shining in his eyes. He winked at her then released her saber from underneath his own. He spun the staff around and brought the opposite side up towards her chest.
OOC: Well I've been on these forums for less than 2 weeks. Me PMing somebody to join will probably be seen as annoying 😛 How about you PM those who are already apart of this who have gone inactive and if that doesn't work try some people who you've come to know that might be interested.
Dero brought his staff across his body to meet Jaeh's saber, blocking it. He took a step back and swung his staff behind him, taking a moment to analyze his opponent and find a weakness in her technique. A split second later he sprung towards her. They met each other in a flurry of strikes, the wooden training weapons loudly knocking against each other. They were slowly gaining a crowd as they fiercely battled.
Dero drifted, allowing the Force and his instincts to guide his staff. She's good, he thought as they exchanged blows and parries, neither conceding to the other. They both broke off for a moment, panting heavily. He again took this opportunity to find a weakness in her technique yet he couldn't find one.
This is gonna end up being who can last the longest. I refuse to lose my first duel at this academy!
He allowed the emotion to well up inside. He knew the Jedi looked down upon aggression, but the Jensaarai didn't. This would be the deciding factor, Dero was sure of it.
He let out a war cry and charged. He swung with all his might at Jaeh's legs.
OOC: Feel free to RP my character a little in this battle to move it along. I don't really care if he wins or loses this duel since he's not gonna die as a result.
OOC: If it's cool with the whole thread I could jump in as a Master, but...
BIC: Darc entered the training area pipe in mouth and drink in hand. Finally a little leisure time. He watched a Dero and Jaeh dueled.
both: "Quite impressive" he said as they continued to fight.
He summoned a chair on a high platform so he could have a good view and waited to see which would break first.
Jaeh: "Don't let this rookie defeat you. Show him the power of both The whole academy and a single Jedi..."
Dero: "Dont be afraid to push yourself. Pain is only weakness leaving the body. if you faint, I will rejuvinate you and you will have full energy, so do not be afraid. You won't die."
OOC: Uhh, so...Now that everyone is gone, do we start over or keep going?"
OOC: trying to get more players.. 😄 and... sure go ahead.. jump in as a master... and maybe we could keep going or something...
"He won't die alright..." Jaeh smirked and jumped, the blade almost hitting her. But it didn't. "Maybe just hurt... not dead though." She went at him with a flurry of strikes. I'm so not going to lose to a rookie! no matter how old he is... Jaeh said to herself, and brought the saber down hard at Dero's shoulder.
Um..I dont mean to be an ass or nothin, but could we get like an example if you want to be Jedi Master? Your supposed to be good.
BIC: Darc stood from his high seat and jumped to the ground. He exited the training room via the back side door. He walked up two levels to the living quarters, and after going through his finger printing check, he entered. He sat down at his table and began to plan the next assault...