Prelude: The Way of the Jedi

[TetNak]

Nearly two years ago the second Death Star was destroyed. The Battle of Endor changed everything. The Empire, now without Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, began to crumble quickly. There was simply no one with enough political or military strength to keep the Empire from breaking apart. Local governors seceded, planets revolted, and the Rebellion began to drive the Empire from the core worlds quickly. What was once the greatest forced of military might was nothing but a shell of its former self and has slowly continued to lose ground to the forces of the New Republic.

On the moon Yavin 4, Luke Skywalker has finally completed his Jedi Academy in order to bring the Jedi Order to life once more. He has taken a much less active role in the New Republic of late, leaving that to his sister, Leia. Skywalker's students are few, or ten, to be exact. None have any real knowledge of the Force other than that level of a padawan, some have not even begun their training at all.

The New Republic military has a presence upon Yavin 4 as well. Their old base has been rebuilt, but is much smaller in scope and importance than it once was when the Rebellion was at the height of their war with the Empire.

Luke has slowly brought his students along, using the mantle that Yoda once had with younglings, and teaching the new students in such a manner. The strain of training so many students and attempting to run the academy has obviously begun to strain the man physically and mentally ...

[TetNak]

In the halls of the Jedi Academy there are few students but great hope. Luke Skywalker has fashioned this place to serve as a teaching ground for the Force and the Ways of the Jedi. The finishing touches on the structure itself have only recently been finished, and Luke, although already taxed, has sent out a call to any that might hear the call of the Force to seek out the academy and its knowledge.

One such seeker is Kaath Eeth, a Zabrak with limited actual knowledge of the Force and its workings, but certainly a strong connection to it even still. He has recently come to the academy for a further understanding of the Force and what it means to have a link to the Force.

Nic Antares is certainly not older than Kaath, but has understood things about the Force which the Zabrak has no comprehension of at the current time. Nic's uncle was a Jedi during the Clone Wars, and although his uncle killed like most others, he retained some knowledge of his uncle and his deeds and that of the Jedi in general. He has lived on Yavin 4 for the last year and has become one of Luke Skywalker's padawan, but his learning has went slowly as his Master's time is split amongst many others as well.

Today Nic is to aid Kaath in a series of training exercise with Luke looking on, probably taking note of both padawan and potential padawan. Nic and Kaath stand in a training room called The Gauntlet. The room is filled with secret mechanical devices, such as traps, droids, and others each used for testing students. Currently, it just looks like a huge and empty room, doors closed and a few images overlooking from an observation deck on the west side of the room.

GM

This prelude is for Shurijo and Trogdor. No one else should post here

[Trogdor]

Welcome to the Academy," Nic Antares says to his new zabrak companion. "You'll spend a lot of time in here if you're accepted. Master Skywalker thinks this room does a good job training our reflexes and perceptions - and i can't say that I disagree. You never know what's going to show up here. Sometimes it's all droids shooting at you; other times it's an obtacle course; once it was even a trapped maze I had to go through blindfolded. Always a surprise."

The young padawan apprentice has not yet grown into his body, still being a little on the short side and rail thin, as if his weight hadn't yet caught up with his height. He's old enough that you can see the man he'll grow into, but young enough that he's not quite there yet - by his look still a few years shy of his second decade. He wears a traditional Jedi outfit - light colored pants and shirt, loose-fitting and made of a tough, but comfortable fabric; high leather boots; and a utility belt wrapped around his waist, a lightsaber dangling from the left side.

"Just clear your mind and follow your instincts." Nic adds. "That's usually your perception of the Force giving you guidance. Beyond that all we can do is play it by ear and do the best job we can."

[Shurijo]

The young Zabrak, Kaath Eeth, stands proud alongside Nic. Zabrak are especially known for their mental toughness and determination and Kaath has attempted to honor and exceed even the other student's expectations.

He wears simple black robes with leather vest. The Zabrak's face is tattooed with traditional clan markings of his Iridonian mining clan. His only weapon is a blaster pistol that hangs from his belt.

Kaath just nods at Nics guidance. He has only recently been shown the ways and teachings of the Force. It has been many years since he left his home world of Iridonia aboard a transport ship fleeing the Imperial occupation.

He releases the indiscriminate thoughts steaming through his mind to concentrate on the now and the unseen forces that surround him. Seemingly ready for anything, he steps forward into the room.

GM

Force defense, take 10, as a reaction if provoked by force atk

Image of Kaath

[TetNak]

Two turrets pop out of the ground, without warning, save from the rather obvious fact that the pair are to be tested. The turrets point toward the pair, getting ready to fire at any time. Kaath and Nic must act quickly, currently there is no other danger. The turrets themselves stand about twenty meters away ...

Initiative

Nic 24, Kaath 11, Turrets 4

[Trogdor]

Without even conscious thought, Nic moves his hand to his side and the lightsaber on his belt almost seems to meet his hand halfway. The young padawan hasn't learned all of the intricacies of how a Jedi can use the Force to alter his environement. But he does have a strong connection to his lightsaber after a year of practice. And that serves him in good stead.

With his lightsaber out and on, Nic then spend a moment concentrating. He allows the Force to flow through him and uses it to try and improve his reflexes. From the look of the way this test was starting, he might need it.

Then there was nothing more to do but go after the turrets. There wasn't anything in the room that would give any cover. "Let's go for the one on the left," he shouts, even as he starts to run towards the turret. "If we can get it in between us and the other turret, we can use it to shield us."

Action

Free Action: Quick Draw lightsaber.
Standard Action: Try Enhance Ability on DEX
Move Action: Move towards one of the turrets.

I said the one on the left, but that's without a map. If the other is closer, please change what Nic said.

Be ready to try and Deflect if the turret attacks. Yes, I know it's not efficient to waste a future move action to just get a +1 Defense. But if you're a Jedi padawan being tested with a turret, how can you not try?

[Shurijo]

Kaath is not as nimble as the padawan, but he heads off after Nic towards the turret with as much agility as he can offer. As he rushes to take cover from the second turret by standing near the first turret, he pulls out his blaster. The blaster is the only weapon afforded the Zabrak as he has yet to practice with a lightsaber or develop other offensive force techniques.

GM

Follow Nic, draw pistol

[TetNak]

Initiative

Nic 24, Kaath 11, Turrets 4

Nic rushes forward, drawing his lightsaber and 'igniting' it almost instantly. The humming is the tale tell sign of the Jedi weapon of old. He draws upon the Force to sense things to come as he moves forward.

Display

Enhance DEX: 15, Success, +2 for 10 rounds. 3 Vitality Spent

Kaath blinks and follows behind Nic as quickly as he can. He draws his blaster and prepares to shoot the turrets if needed ...

Display

Move and Draw

[TetNak]

Initiative

Nic 24, Kaath 11, Turrets 4

Both turrets open fire, the first, and the left most turret which the pair approach. The bolt fires, and both the potential students notice they are stun bolts, but the first misses. The second comes directly at Nic, but he actually deflects the bolt to the side and into the air.

Display

Att 10, Miss. Att 18, Miss (Deflection Used). Move Action Used

[Trogdor]

OOC

Yay! The odds of acually needing the deflection bonus were slim. But well worth it in retrospect!

As the stun bolt comes toward him Nic finds his lightsaber deflecting it even before he realizes where the bolt was aimed. That was the trick, he'd found. You had to let the Force guide you. If you second guessed those feelings, you'd get hit. Of course, even following the feelings wasn't a guarantee. He still missed defelctions at least as often as he made them. But little by little he was improving.

But now, it was time to work on taking one of the turrets out. Moving quickly, the young padawan rushes forward towards the leftmost turret, working to keep it between him and the rightmost turret. As he reaches the turret he keeps his lightsaber raised, ready to try and deflect any additional bolts that come his way.

"Let's coordinate our efforts on this one," he says to Kaath.

Action

Move Action: Lost for previous deflect action.
Standard Action: Continue advancing towards the leftmost turret. Try and use it as shield from rightmost turret.

Again, be ready to use deflect attempt if attacked.