Log:Jedi: Getting Jaxed III

Getting Jaxed III

OOC Date: November 6, 2015 (Optional)
Location: Arisnar
Participants: Jedi Order: Jax Greystorm, Ax, Rey, Mara Jade, Yuun, Zandra naMuriel, Elrych Cometburn

Jax had gathered the kneel boards into a circle again. He was kneeling at board at the top of the circle. The Corellian jedi sits there quietly his eyes closed as if he's mediating waiting for the other members of the order to arrive for the lecture. The training probe sits next to him and a black scarf folded up next to the probe.

Elrych Cometburn comes in not a moment too soon. His glasses on, those shoes of his barely peaking out of his robes as he walks. He kneels down at one of the boards, taking out his white earbuds and tucking them away somewhere for the time being. "Hey Jax, how's it going?" He asks as he settles in, looking back towards the door to see who else is coming along for this run of pain and gain.

~ Ax was here early for a change, hell, the Echani had been at the academy for a few hours now, having flown in this morning. Ax steps into the classroom, moving to find a spot along the wall. Following along behind him are a pair of young, teen girls. Recruits rescued a while back. Each takes a spot in the room after Ax motions for them to.

Ax had been giving them some instruction of late, when he was here. Teaching them the fundamentals of the force, how to harness and manipulate it at least. Both the children were strong in the force itself, but not skilled in its use. ~

Yuun is next to come in, his attire changed, long baggy like shorts, with a white tunic like hoodie on. A black vest like is over the tunic, he smiles as he walks in. "Hello everyone." he says as he takes a moment to see who all is here. He bows his head to the girls who are with Ax, he's seen them around the temple. "Hey Elrych." he waves to his friend.

Yay, Zan isn't the youngest any more. ;) She slips in, smiling as she sees everyone in the room. She nods to those she recognizes, quietly taking her place and settling in.

Rey arrives shortly after Yun, having come out of the workroom where she'd been creating some different garments for the young ones that are on site now. She steps around inside the room and watches the others while she slips her heavier outer robe on over her bare shoulders, then takes a moment to adjust it before she just rests her hands together in front of her lap. She offers soft smiles to all the others present in the classroom.

Mara Jade has made her way back to Arsinar after some time away; time that somehow included a crazy and rather harrowing speeder chase across Nar Shaddaa with one Jax Greystorm.

Having just arrived, Mara walked unhurriedly through the corridors. As she passed the classroom, the noise of pre-class conversations and settling caught her attnetion. Pausing to look in, she followed the others, offering nods to everyone as she made her way to the back of the room, standing quietly.

Jax grins, "I'm fine, Elrych. How are you doing?" He looks around, "Welcome everybody, especially Qassa and Olaa." He stands up stretching and stepping into the center of the circle. "I hope everyone had a good week since our previous class. This is a third class in a series of discussion on Damage Reduction. A force skill to reduce damage done to a jedi. It is using the force as your ally. The technique I have learned is to allow the force to flow through you and similar to Telekinesis but shape the force around you as an armor. It takes practice. Though it's fleeting and only last an istance. Any damage destroys the armor. You have to reform it. So that is a recap of what we have learned. Qassa and Olaa feel free to add whatever you want but you are not required to try this technique." He says to the girls. Then looking around again, "I gave folks two homework assignments. First was to practice the technique and tell us any insights or lessons you've learned to help others. The second was a debate between Ax and Jonn about the nature of when to fight and how to fight. Since we are not the order of old and finding our way, If you have any thought to add to this debate, please. We are finding our way after all. Things should be debated."

Elrych Cometburn looks to see the others come in, "Hey Yuun, Zandra. Rey, been a while." He gives a soft smile to his wingman who he'd missed on the last couple of missions. Flying solo sucks, man! "Mara Jade? What a surprise. How's it going?" The last time he saw the woman was when he first got brought to the Achademy some months ago. She had been busy obviously, him as well, but it was indeed a surprise to this Padawan. "Hey Ax, how are Olaa and Qassa doing?" Then shaded eyes look back to Jax, "I'm doing alright, ready to get started." He pauses, "I found out that things come in time and with practice. I've been doing okay and I feel I can form it more often but my timing is still off. It's not practical to use yet." He dosn't answer on the philisophical question though, he'd wait for someone else to jump down that rabbit hole.

~ Ax listens and watches as Jax goes into his spiel about how he saw the ability of reducing damage worked. As with most things force related, there was no single way of doing things and it was up to the practitioner to find the path that best suits them. While Ax wasn't anywhere close to mastery of the skill, he was here mostly to assist others and keep an eye on the youngest of the students.

For the moment, Qassa and Olaa were quiet, listening and a bit nervous in such a setting and still adjusting to life away from the people they grew up with.

When Elrych asks about them, they both just smile shyly, and seem to almost hunker together. Ax just shakes his head. "I don't know why you're asking me. I'll never understand women, especially teenagers, and they're right here. Maybe Rey will have better insight than I do." He offers the girls a smile, trying to put them at ease. ~

Listening to Jax as he begins the class, Yuun is quiet the entire time reflecting back to what he had been doing to train and use this ability regularly. He did take a bit of a beating, though it was well worth it, a slight smile creeps up on his lips. "I was training with a fighting droid, still increasing my skills in lightsaber defense, but also was utilizing my martial arts training, I alternated between that and a few of the remote droids." he says as he looks to Jax, "Though at the same time I began using Telekinesis to intercept the remotes and move them off course."

Zan also gives the girls a smile, as she can. She turns to nod at Elrych, at his greeting. "Elrych, good to see you." And there's a Rey and a Mara Jade, both of whom get smiles from Zan, briefly, before she turns to Jax. "I learned that force armour doesn't stop you from tripping over your own feet and bruising your knee," she says softly, though slightly amused. "And I am still not sure I have this down to where I can rely on it, but I think maybe I just need to practice more." She takes a breath, before she says, "I think if we can manage to not fight, that's a good thing, always. But if we have to fight, if diplomacy or trickery or whatever else fails, then - I guess the question is this. In that situation, is it better to try to disarm or win the fight without killing my opponent and take risks in so doing that might get me - any of us - killed? Or should we do our best to win the fight using reasonable means? And then that just turns the discussion to what are reasonable means, doesn't it? I obviously need to think about this more."

Rey's eyes glance over to see Mara stride in but she's soon to look back to Jax as he speaks on further. She stands back near the wall, her eyes on Jax until the others reply and then she glances about as one speaks, then on to the next. Softly, Rey clears her throat and adjusts her hands held together in front of her.

"In my short time with Master Skywalker, a combative situation arouse. We were faced with a moment where I felt we needed to rush to the defense of the defenseless, and he explained to me that there was no balance in defending those individuals. Because I would not always be 'there' to protect those people from their bullies and by aiding them just the one time, that I would be setting them up for greater misery in the future... when I wouldn't be there to help them."

Rey softly bites down on her bottom lip for a second while she ponders her next words, then speaks up again. "The Jedi Texts instruct their members to maintain a balance in their actions, to reflect this. And this is why I attempted to minimize combat on Takodana, when we went to help Maz rebuild her castle home. I realized that if we slaughtered the men who came to collect Han's debt, that that would look to be an admission of guilt on Maz's part that she somehow deserved to pay them back. Not fighting them, not killing them, was the only true solution to maintain balance in that moment."

Rey glances down then and exhales. "A balance we have to maintain, less we become arrogant and hungry for power and the use of our connection to the Force to solve problems in the moment, but create more in the long run. " She looks up again then. "To protect the greater good."

Mara Jade quietly reples to Elrych before the class begins, "Elrych. Nice to see you. I'm well.." she pauses there as Jax stands and begins the class. Falling silent to listen, she looks to the two girls Ax mentions and smiles. It was good to see more youngsters in the group. As discussion makes the rounds she looks with interest toward Rey as she shares her experiences and insights into first hand situations and ideal solutions to the problems posed.

A nod of agreement is offered but she has nothing to add given she's not been on any of the Resistance or Jedi missions as it were.

Jax nods his head, "I'm glad it's beginning to work for you a bit Elrych and Yunn. Sounds like you two are forging your own ways of learning the skill. I suggest building on it. Once you've prefected it, I suggest writing it down or recording it somehow one day." He grins at Zandra's statement about the knee, "No, I doubt it would, Zandra."

Jax listens to the thoughts on when to fight and when to kill. "I am brash, I am wreckless, and I have killed. I am not proud of these things. I have been of late been reading newer text and skewing more to what Zandra is suggesting but I see the need to ask swifty and quickly tacticaly to protect others and ourselves from those that have went to the dark.. Though Rey brings up a lesson of balance and protecting the greater good. This add more to the conversation. I have no power over anyone or ability to dictate to any of you. I just thought this is a matter of debate. If no one has anything else to add. I'll share the next lesson."
                                                         

Elrych Cometburn taps his chin as Rey, Yuun, and Zan speak. "Kill a Nerf, you feed a man for a day. Teach a man to be a Nerf Herder and you feed him, his family, and an entire community while possibly giving them economic liberation on top of that so that they may have a better quality of life." He looks to Rey, "Basically that right?" It's an old proverd they all likely heard at some point in their life. "I say trust in the force, listen to it and your feelings but don't let them rule you. Balance between your heart and brain in decision making is as much of a consideration as that of the natural order of things. We can't be there to protect everyone but we can do what we think and feel is right in a situation. If we think it's right, if it's moral, unless we're so corrupted or messed up in the head then it can't be a product of the dark. It's how we use it." He crosses his arms over his chest, "I was recently in a dogfight and I had the chance to kill two bogies. I let them both run away. The other that came back to attack me regreted that decision but. He was engaging others still despite his fighters barely held together state. Sometimes people don't take the mercy we give them, they make bad choices and we have to act on those for a favorable outcome."

~ Ax listens to Rey, "We cannot solve everyone's problems, but we shouldn't stand aside and let the strong take advantage of the weak. Best if we help the weak become strong, but in some cases, that is not enough." There's a slight pause, "And, should an enemy come at you, especially those of the First Order, I don't think you should hesitate, trying to decide to save them or whatever. In that case, it is most likely kill or be killed. I am sure that there are many who might disagree, but do not forget that the galaxy is once again at war, at war with an evil, tyranical maniac hell bent on wiping us out and dominating anyone and everyone that he can."

"That being said," Ax continues, "If at all possible, it is better to give people the means to defend themselves, or to help them find allies they can depend upon to be there when they are needed rather than go in swinging a saber or firing a blaster only to be gone the next day. Jax and I have spent a lot of our career rescuing people from slavery. We've helped hundreds of people find new homes, old homes, and generally get out from underneath the chains of forced servitude. There comes a moment when you must decide whether someone or some group is capable of casting off those chains or if they need someone to help them do so, and then, what are the reprecussions of such actions." ~

Yuun is quiet while the debate is going, he doesn't speak for a long time as if just soaking up what everyone is saying. Even he had to agree that they can't be every where and that they should those to help themselves. Still he wanted to hear what some of the others who haven't spoke up yet have to say.

"People shouldn't expect us to solve their problems for them. Help them from time to time, maybe, but not do it for them," Zan says slowly. Her brows knit as she looks from one to the next, listening to the points brought up. "I think all of those are good points. I think in the end each situation will be a little bit different, and we'll have to take it case by case. For instance, if we're there to help someone and they are attacked because of our presence? Or what if we are the ones attacked and there is nobody else there. The examples are - " A glance at Elrych, Rey and Ax, "- really good ones, so they should give us all something to chew over. I don't know if we should all expect that we would come to the same conclusion in each situation though. I think there could be many wrong answers and also many right ones."

Rey gages the reaction of those around her by just looking to those who speak first, then those who elect not to. She then exhales and unclips her lightsaber from her belt and sets it down on its end so that its standing up on a table just to her right. She then motions toward it with her right hand, Skywalker's saber, rebuilt into a similar handle to what it originally had but with a longer grip for better use with two hands.

"We receive these tools, these weapons--and are diligently training to use them--but I hope that none of us are so eager to put that training to the test that they raise their blades before they search their minds and hearts." She pauses for a brief moment. "All I'm hoping is that prior to placing yourself into combat, for whatever reasons may exist, that we all do our very best to question whether or not we can find a solution through other means. Combat, should always remain the last choice. Never should it be the first. If it is, then we're not building a new Jedi Order here, we're building something far worse."

Rey then just nods her head one small time toward Jax as she has nothing else to say on it yet, so that the class can continue. She folds her hands back together in front of her lap and remains silent near the side wall.

Jax nods, "I have fallen into the trap of drawing my saber for defense in shooting situation. I have planned to use it to deflect blaster bolts and hopefuly de-esculate the situation. It had the opposite effect." Jax then nods, "Alright as I've explained no matter how you form the armor it only stays for a moment. So we all have danger sense, if you learn to pay attention to it then it will tell you when danger is coming. I ussually feel the hair on the back of my neck. Just enough warning to dodge if I'm lucky. Yes I know there is no such thing as luck. It also lets me pull my armor around me. So I have learned if I get that feeling to pull my reduce damage shield around me." Jax picks up the probe and turns it on and pulls on the blind fold. THe probe fires three shots at the jedi. He seems to know when they're coming and pulls the force around him all three times. The last though he grimaces. "It isn't a perfect system."

Elrych Cometburn sets his lips together and watches Jax. He listens and smiles, stroking his chin. "Now Danger Sense. I didn't know what it was called until I came here, but. I've been using /that/ all my life and I'm REALLY good at it." He hadn't thought to try it with both. So after Jax is done he moves to the Remote and focuses. The first shot catches him in the shoulder, barely forming the barrier, but the other two just disipate inches from his body. "Ahah! I think that's the trick!"

~ Ax watches Rey and her display of Luke's saber, listens to her words, and gives her a nod. He doesn't necessarily agree, but he wasn't going to argue the point. Each had their own views on things based on their experiences.

He lets Jax get to teaching the class, after all, that's why most of them were gathered here.

Ax looks to the two girls, making sure they were alright. As the probe comes to life, he watches, remaining silent in observation. He'd said enough for the time being. ~

Yuun looks to the others paying attention and taking the time to make sure he understands what is being said by each Jedi. Though he looks more towards Zan and Rey, because he feels the same way, though they all have similar ideas of what they should be doing. He offers a smile to Rey and Zan, but in turn he honestly feels that they are moving together, hell they were all here now, which is something he wants to see keep happening.

Now as Jax begins class, he smiles as he looks at the Corellian Jedi. He nods his head as he speaks about the reduce injury ability, and how they are to use it. Yuun has gotten comfortable to use it, granted even he has hard times, but still it's getting easier now to use.

"That makes sense," Zan says softly. "i was struggling with how to know when to put up the shield." She listens, and her brow knits, and she nods. "I will have to do some more thinking on this. It seems complicated, if you ask me." She watches as Elrych works on his turn next, after Jax, taking her time and reaching for the force, as she gets ready to try it for herself.

A gentle tip of her chin downward and Rey acknowledges what the others say, first Jax and Elrych. "Sensing a danger around us is the Force's way of showing us that we have that open connection to hearing it. Its what separates us from those who, for whatever reasons, don't have such an open connection. Be it explained by a molecular study of our blood, or by the Force itself flowing through us in a way that it chooses to open itself to each of us. Most people in the Galaxy who are sensitive to the Force's voice, will never understand what it is or how to wield it as we are here, now doing so. Danger sense is thusly one of the easiest ways to spot a potential ally, or a potential foe."

Rey then reaches her right hand up and with palm-out, the Skywalker saber silently floats through the air back into her grasp and her fingers softly encircle it, to reattach it to the leather belt around her waist.

Mara Jade speaks up briefly after the others. "I won't presume to speak for anyone else. But practice and regular use are going to be your best path to getting better at these abilities. It's like learning to walk. Some little ones must learn to crawl before they can stand and before they can walk. Others are simply able to go from sitting to standing and walking without crawling. We're all different as much as we share a common bond. If it comes easy for you? Remember someone else is most likely having a harder time with it. Encourage. Help when you can. But don't try to drag them or rush them along." She pauses to glance around the room. "The journey teachs us as much as our destination."

Jax hands Elrych the scarf to hide his eyes if he likes and takes his position at the top of the circle to watch the students, "Mara and Rey of course speak the truth. I did not know about the blood test. Though Sesti had flagged something in my blood being elevated a while back. I thought I may have came down with something." He watches the students, "But getting back at the topic at hand. Mara's statement is the reason I always ask for you to share what you've learned through the week. It's to help one another."

Elrych Cometburn nods to Jax, "Well. I just hadn't thought about it like that is all. I was trying to hard on concentrating that I didn't put the practical use of my instinct to work. That's a good lesson learned right there." He shrugs and watches the others go for a try.

~ Ax looks to Mara, nodding. "Practice makes perfect, yes. I struggle with several skills, namely telekinesis. I can do it, but it's always been difficult, whereas boosting my reflexes comes naturally, and practicing with a saber has become a passion as well as the construction of them," Ax says.

The Echani looks back to Jax, watching him interact with Elrych. "Just like any combat action, it must become reflexive, relying on muscle memory. If you pause to think about it, your enemy is going to defeat you. If that enemy is the First Order, it could mean your death, or worse, your capture and torture for information that leads them here." ~

Zan waits for her turn, and then takes the blindfold, covering her eyes with it. She can't see the remote, but she actually does have a reasonable danger sense, for all she doesn't talk about it much. She gets that same feeling that Jax talks about, that hair on the nape of her neck going all on end, and she promptly pulls the force into a ball around her. Which dissipates with a floop of colour as the first shot hits. Her eyes widen as she doesn't feel the first hit. Then there's the second, and her force ball around herself doesn't quite make it. the bolt slams her shoulder and she hisses with the pain. Eyes watering behind the bllindfold, she mutters about her own lack of reflexes. In fact, she nearly distracts herself from that danger sense, but pulls her force armour ball up just in time to absorb the third hit for her. She tears off the blindfold, looking for who is next. "Okay, that was almost fun."

Yuun is next in line and he takes the blindfold and wraps it over his eyes. He takes a calming breath, the words everyone was saying, he has his own views, but they do line up with Rey's and a few others. He lets out a breath and he is able to sense his surroundings, he is also able to sense the remotes, but not always, and as they begin their attacks, one hits him square in the chest with a bolt. He flinches and quickly tries to form the armor over him, but he isn't able to do so. He stumbles backwards, though as the second bolt comes it, it hits him along the left side of his ribs and again he fails to reduce the damage. Dropping to a knee, that hurt, though the last bolt he is able to protect himself and the blast isn't that bad. Taking off the blindfold, "Oh that feels not good."he grumbles and hands it to the next person.

Rey simply nods her head once toward Jax. "Indeed it is... but thats a talk for another time, I think." She says about the subject of blood and the Force. She flashes a quick smile before she looks to Mara and offers her a smile and a nod as well for Mara's words given to those here today. "We can always use more practice, I learned that back home... fighting to survive." Rey then observes the others as they perform their blindfold test and she winces when the shots from the remote land, every time. "Just remember that someday you all will be masters at this and you'll be teaching the young students of the future." She shows a faint smile then.

Mara Jade watches as the students take their turns at trying to sense the training remote with varied levels of success or learning. She nods to the points or observations that Jax, Ax and Rey have made. Leaning against the wall she offers empathetic smiles for those who feel the remote's jolts.

Jax winces as Zan and Yuun both take full strength blasts. "Yunn, you might want to take a break. There is no need physically harm yourself in the name of training. I'll remind you, this is not a sprint this is a marathon. So if you need to take a break take a break. There is no right or wrong to this one. Next week will be the last class. We'll be sparring with stun sabers, probably at the Mesa. No homework this week other than putting it all together and practice."

Elrych Cometburn can sense the shots comming as the remote makes it's way back to him, even with that blind fold on. However, he can feel every painful impact on his body as the remote makes it through his defences. He knew what it was. HE got cocky just because he got lucky. "No... no..." He sighs and takes off the blindfold. "Needs more work." He shakes his head and moves to kneel again.

~ Ax grins at the mention of sparring. "I should build a better stunsaber. Something that truly functions like a lightsaber does, with an energy blade instead of a collapsible, energized baton." He's mostly talking to himself. ~ Yuun does back away from the rotation, he isn't trying to sprint. He nods his head, "I know." he says, "Though I will admit, Iv'e been enjoying having all of us here during training. I know we all have lives outside of the temple, but this has been truly amazing and the conversations have been great."

Having given it a reasonable shot earlier, Zan does try again. Only whether it's having watched the others or feeling somehow like she's being watched, or maybe even just that she's had time to absorb the pain from the direct hit, she definitely does not do as well this time. The first time, she starts trying to put up her force armour, but it doesn't get there fast enough. She gets hit another two times fairly quickly, despite that she knows the hits are coming, and then that just gets the blindfold off, a glare at the remote, and a Zan tapping quietly out to go settle down, and meditate on what went wrong.

Rey has started to move again, walking around the perimeter of those that are taking on this challenge to test what they have learned. She glances to the others who're not participating in it and then looks back toward those being fired upon by the remote. "Remember that its not a physical act, its your connection to the Force through the flow of it around you. Don't flex... muscles. Find the peaceful center within you and then you'll have more success. Don't lose your concentration, for fear of failure." She pauses again no on the opposite side of the room from where she'd started.

Mara Jade gets a comm chirp and glances to her datapad. Looking up she offers a silent nod to the teachers and quietly makes her way out of the classroom as quckly as possible without interrupting the training.

Jax steps forward to turn off the probe, "Alright, It's time for everyone to re-focus. So take a few and mediate before anyone tries again." Jax looks at the class, "I'm proud of you. You have came a long ways in a short time. Rey is of course right. This is not a physical act. Remember the force is with you. You can do great thing by trusting in the force."

Elrych Cometburn nods to Jax and Rey, closing his eyes and calming himself. Meditation was something he was okay at but needed to get better. Now was a good time to practice.

~ The two girls, Oola and Qassa seem intrigued, but right now anything but the basics of harnessing the force are higher skill level than they possess. They'll definitely need more training in the very basics. It's this that Ax speaks up about.

"Before everyone departs," Ax says. "Oola and Qassa are ready to begin training, but they need help with the most basic of skills. I'd like for each of you to spend some time with the girls. We rescued them from the First Order's Shadow Troopers, but if we don't want to fail them, we need to come together and teach them everything you know." ~

Zan nods her head, glancing up at Ax. "Sure, I can do that," she says. "It - might help me figure out some stuff too, honestly." She smiles at the girls, and says, "Hi, I'm Zan."

Rey smiles faintly to the children, she'd been spending time with them every moment she could manage too when here on Arisnar. She then glances to Jax and nods her head once to him. "Thank you, Jax." She offers the teacher of the class tonight before she turns and starts to make for the doorway. "Lets keep the blindfolds off while fight each other ontop of mesas." She says then with a light grin. "At least until we're ready for the more Advanced classes." And with that said, Rey moves to exit the classroom and return to her efforts in the workroom area, one of her favorite spaces within the Academy's walls.