Chapter 9

A Chapter by Calibaster

"Padawans!" Jellint's voice pierced into Kett's dream, effectively ruining it. "It is time for training!" Kett felt himself float into the air and then fall on the ground. His own yelp was mimicked by a squawk from Jasper across the room.

"Ouch! What in the name of King-" He cut himself off, realizing that he probably shouldn't say that.

"Training!" Jasper shook him, pulling him to his feet, "Remember? We're training in the force?"

"Right, right ... maybe later." Kett tried to push him away, only to get slapped. He looked and saw that Master Jellint was right in front of him, a stern expression on his face.

"Rule number 1; do as you're told with no complaints. Your former sith friend has better manners than you, Master Cassell must have been very lax in his training. Follow me, we will start right away."

Jasper frowned at Kett when Jellint wasn't looking, "Certainly there are other methods of waking someone up," he said in a really hushed voice.

Kett chuckled slightly, "I suppose it's safe though, far enough away that you can't get hit or strangled."

Jasper smiled too, "Well if I ever do learn to use the force- which I seriously doubt- I suppose that would be fun."

"Silence you two!" Jellint snapped at them.

"So how exactly are we going to train?" Kett wondered aloud.

Jellint only looked back at them with a secretive smile. Kett couldn't tell if that meant that it was going to be fun, or really awful and he was looking forward to watching them suffer a little. Kett looked over at Jasper, but Jasper just shrugged, obviously in the same dilemma.

"I thought you said you were a reader ..." Kett leaned in to Jasper, "What do you think he's thinking?"

"Yeah, I'm a reader, but not a mind reader. He's in a good mood though, which is a good sign, he was in a foul mood yesterday. I don't think the war's going well, but he must have recieved some good news earlier this morning. So hopefully that bodes well for us, but I'm not sure. I think he's determined to teach us... I'm not sure how well that will go over though."

Jellint turned around, "That's a very acute observation." He smiled, "I have excellent hearing."

Jasper blushed slightly. "So... does it bode well for us?" Kett asked.

Jellint shrugged, "I suppose it depends on how well you do, and follow directions.

"I'm great at following directions!" Kett flashed a winning smile. Jellint just nodded at him,

"I have the feeling you only follow them if they suit you."

"Can I help it if rules aren't my color?" Kett made a puppy dog face and Jasper smiled, shaking his head.

"I hope so, because if you can't then I hope bruises are your color, 'cause you'll be having a lot of them." Kett just blanched, nodding.

"All right, all right. I know your type."

Jellint nodded, "Good. Ah, here we are."

Jellint had stopped in what looked like a round stone room with different shaped rocks laying about in the centre of it.

"This is the training room?" Jasper looked around skeptically.

"Yes." Jellint seemed to enjoy their looks. "This is where the force begins."

"And we're supposed to move these rocks with our minds?" Jasper blanched. "Can I back out of this? Well I guess I could give it a shot, but I have like zero confidence that this will work." He studied Kett for a while, and seemed to be comparing him to Jellint, making Kett feel a little self conscious.

"Thank you for that vote of confidence," Kett frowned.

"I guess it might work," Jasper said trying at an amendment, but his voice lacked any confidence.

"Well, I for one, am sure I can do it!" Kett exuded confidence, and from the knowing look Jasper gave him, he knew his friend had seen right through it.

"Well, it doesn't matter if you think you can or not right now, I haven't taught you a thing or given you a single instruction yet. Then we'll see what you can do," Jellint said firmly.

"Take it away sensei!" Jasper grinned.

Jellint frowned, "I'm not taking anything away."

"It's just an expression. I meant go ahead and start. We're listening."

"Well then, we'll get started. Move the rocks."

"With our hands?" Kett knew his voice sounded extremely pleading, but to be honest, he was having second thoughts about doing this at all.

"Yes." Jellint answered to his surprise, "Move it only two feet." Both he and Jasper exchanged a look of surprise, then did as told. As soon as they were done with the menial task, they looked up at Jellint again.

"Did you take note of how that felt?" Jellint gestured at the rocks, "How heavy they were, and how much effort it took to move them?" They both nodded in the affirmative. "Now do the same thing, only don't touch the rocks."

"How?" Kett looked skeptically at the rocks, cocking his head as he considered this new challenge.

"Spread your hand towards it, and imagine in your mind's eye that you are picking it up." Jasper started doing it first, giving a shrug, like 'what the heck.' Whereas, Kett took a little longer to follow along. Everyone was surprised when Jasper's rock went up into the air, floating two feet and then landing easily.

"How did you do that?!" Kett stared at him, and Jellint nodded,

"I would like to know how you got it so quickly as well, especially when you couldn't before." He added with a knowing look.

"I- I guess that I've never heard the force explained before the way that you explained it." Jasper was extremely red faced and looked sheepish, "It just made sense. I just imagined myself moving it, and it moved."

"That's what I did ..." Kett frowned, "Well, maybe not as whole-heartedly." He admitted after a moment.

"Faith in oneself is always a factor." Jellint smiled slightly, "And for one who so often claims to be the best, you have very little self faith."

"I'm the only one that's got me where I am in life." Kett looked at the ground, uncomfortable with the turn that the conversation had taken, "No one else really ever gave me the time of day."

Kett noticed Jasper smiled slightly, and Kett wondered momentarily what Jasper saw.
"Great," Jellint said. "Now do this for yourself as well."

"Okay ..." Kett spread his hand again, a look of concentration on his face. His focus was solely on the stone in front of him, and he barely seemed to notice Jellint and Jasper both holding their breath. Suddenly, without warning, the stone flew straight up, embedding itself into the ceiling. They all just stared.

"I knew I couldn't do it." Kett groaned slightly, closing his eyes as his hand went back down to his side, "I ought to just stick to the saber!"

"No, no!" Jellint moved forward, "That was moved with great power! What command did you give to the stone?"

"I was just trying to get it to go up." Kett looked sidelong at Jasper, who was still staring at the rock that was now part of the ceiling.

"Well, I think you've gone beyond succeeding," Jasper grinned.

"Yes," Jellint nodded, looking them over. "I know you two have lied to me, and I wish to know the truth, but for now we'll continue your training. Although you both show great power, neither of you show any control or finesse of it. So, I know you two haven't had any training."

"Yeah, about that..." Jasper muttered.

"I also know that you never had any jedi training at all." Jellint smiled at Jasper's incredulous look, "But I feel no overpowering darkness from either of you, the force tells me that you can be trusted."

"Never heard that one before." Kett looked only mildly surprised at this and Jasper echoed his earlier grin.

"May I ask where you learned your saber skills from?"

"Taught myself." Kett's voice brimmed with pride. "With a little help from my brother. But he doesn't know that, so if you ever meet him, don't tell him."

"That's unlikely." Jellint shook his head, "Seeing as you're not from here."

"I picked up most of mine from battle," Jasper frowned.

"So, you are both battle tested?" Jellint asked.

"Yeah," Kett nodded.

"That explains much." The Jedi master nodded thoughtfully.

"Master Jellint!" A man who looked to be a little older than each of the Padawans burst into the room, "We are under attack!" Jellint was already halfway out the door before he turned, "Come. We need all the help be can get." Then he was out the door with a sweep of his cape.

"Well looks like this is what we're here for." Kett had pulled out his saber, and Jasper nodded, doing the same.

"Don't die."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Kett's reply was grave, but the wink definitely ruined it. He then ran out of the room, Jasper following with a practically audible eye roll. He couldn't help but blanch slightly, for all of his bravado, he hated actual war. This was going to be a longer day than he had previously imagined.

"Do you think that my robes will help me, or make it more likely to get killed?" came a question behind him.

"Depends on you." Kett's tone was clipped, but then he smiled, "I for one am liable to trip on my robe. I'll probably 'lose' it during battle."

"That's a good Idea." Jasper sounded like he was trying not to laugh, "So do you think we'd better split up, or stay together?"

"Let's stay together then split." Kett answered shortly, "Help each other when we have to and reinforce the weakest fronts."

"Makes sense." Jasper's tone was now one of finality. The entrance to the bunker could now be seen, and Kett whirled on his companion.

"Whatever happens next, I just want you to know that you're my friend."

"Same here." Jasper looked surprised, then nodded.

"Now let's go show the dark side just who they're messing with." Kett gave a feral smile, turning around and running out. Could he and Jasper die? Probably. Would they?

Not if he could help it.

prev chapter