Jedi Academy

Anyone who'd ever been in the courtyard of the Jedi temple early in the morning knew that it was the place to find Master Orgus Din. You could practically set your chrono by the jogs he took around the courtyard interior. This day was no different.

Instead of the robes that Jedi most commonly wore, Master Orgus wore very casual grey workout clothing. It probably only looked like it was as old as he was. Not that he was all that old, but every year added another line in the weathered face, and his cheeks were just a bit more sunken than they had been before.

Coming to a stop, Master Orgus breathed heavily. He leaned forward, hands resting on his knees, as he recovered from his run.

Byron was under a tree meditating, this was a quiet time for reflection and although he enjoyed physical exertion as much as the next Jedi he knew that he needed to focus on self reflection and mindfulness. At least that is what he was told, and who was he to question their words.

Meditation was never his strong point, he preferred action or at a minimum just moving forward with a decision. Patience, well that was difficult. He understood the value of patience in a training duel, which gave him something to think about. Perhaps he could approach it from that angle.

Waiting for the right moment to bring a swift en to conflict so that peace and negotiation could resume was the ideal.

Upon seeing the war hero resting from his run he greeted the elder Jedi, “Master Orgus Din, good morning. Is my chrono off or was that run just a little slower than yesterday?”

A slight figure in well-fitting clothes jumped down from a raised platform and made its way over. The youngling had been observing the Master's efforts while reading from an actual book, rather than a holotablet. She waved to Byron and walked right up to the pair of humans, marveling at how they managed to sense anything with their inferior sensory organs.

"Good morning Master Din, hello Byron. Master Din, why do you always run at the same time every day?"

Zizzy's head was slightly cocked to one side as she looked between them. A playful smile sat on her lips as she waited for the master to get his breath back, and her tendrils drifted slowly as if catching a breeze that only existed around her head. One finger was jammed in between the pages of the book, keeping her page.

Looking up, Master Orgus chuckled. "Hah. Wouldn't surprise me to hear it. I was feeling a bit rusty this morning."

He straightened, wandering casually over. "All the more reason to go for a run, of course." He gave Zizzy a kindly smile. "And that's why I do it every day. Structure creates habits, and good habits should be cultivated. If that answers your question." The dry amusement in his voice suggested that he knew it didn't, or at least that there would be follow-ups.

“Zizzy, welcome,” he said to the youngling, they got younger each year. Maybe that is what getting old was all about. He could only wonder what Orgus Din thought of all the children running around.

“Well I won’t tell anyone you are losing your edge, Master.”

Orgus chuckled again. "Oh, I don't mind that getting around. I might be slowing down a bit, but I'm still picking up some new tricks, too."

Grunting, he began to stretch, twisting to the left, then over to the right. "Besides, dealing with you lot helps to keep me sharp."

Zizzy smiled as she thought about it, absently reaching up with her free hand to scratch at the back of her neck.

"Cultivated like plants? Is that why you go and spray water on yourself next?"

She giggled and looked across at Byron. "I heard his left knee clicking. Is your left knee sore Master Din?"

Orgus grunted. "It's a little like plants, actually. You want to keep the good ones healthy and neat, and pull up the ones that'd cause the garden harm." He shook his head, chuckling. "But I spray water on myself so that people don't mind if I sit next to them in the mess hall. A lot of humanoids find the smell of sweat unpleasant."

He looked from one student to the other before sighing, still with a smile. "Oh, I see. Younglings against the master, huh?" He gave Zizzy a curious look. "Did you really hear my knee clicking?"

Her tendrils (fronds?) wafted lightly as she nodded. "I think our bodies are very different Master, but I really need to read up more on human Xenobiology. I haven't had time to prioritise it lately." Looking down at his leg she pointed. "It was definitely the left. I suppose it could have been an echo from a stone in your shoe but it felt like the vibration was internal."

Zizzy shrugged and chewed her lower lip. "My senses are usually very reliable."

Orgus' eyebrows went up, but he nodded. "Guess I should be used to just how reliable your senses are by now. You could hear better than I could feel anything."

He stretched again, bringing his foot up and back, and gripping it to pull against the muscle. "I hurt that knee a few years back. A Sith gave it a good kick, and I had to jump a bit farther than I would have liked to not long after that. Didn't break it, but I can still feel it sometimes, especially if the weather's about to change." He smiled. "How about that? Some Jedi can sense the future. I get a twingy knee. Seems like there might be a lesson there, don't you think?"

"I can sense when lunch is coming," Byron joked.

Zizzy playfully threw a slow punch into Byron's arm.

"Silly. That's because you're always thinking about the next meal, even when you're eating. It's... fascinating really."

Looking back at Orgus she nodded slowly. "Every Jedi is different... the force works in mysterious ways... and don't let a Sith kick you in the knee?"

“I burn a lot of energy trying to keep up with my peers; the only place I excel is in eating. Might as well be the best at it,” he replied with a chuckle.

Orgus nodded, straight-faced. "Those are good ones. Especially that last one. It's not one I'm likely to forget anytime soon."

He nodded again. "But also to remember that we've got gifts besides the Force. Like your senses." He looked to Byron. "Or always giving it your best."

He smiled. "The food thing's not bad, either. Makes the cooks feel appreciated."

"Byron eats more than any lifeform I know. It's quite the talent Byron!" She smiled at him. "Master Orgus is right, the cooks really pick up when you're around. You do train a lot though. Ooh, ooh! Maybe we could do some sparring later? I was reading this book, about the lightsaber forms, and, well, I think I've got a lot of work to do." She looked a little glum then but quickly picked up again. "Maybe my senses will help my Lightsaber skills, what do you think Master?"

“Not all of us can be great duelists, some of us have to be the middle of the pack, Jedi,” he joked with a winsome shrug.

“Not all of us can be the next Master Shan or Master Din. Some of us just have to be content being Jedi number four.”

"Don't be too hard on Jedi number four." Orgus said. His breathing had gone entirely back to normal by now; maybe he wasn't all that old yet. "None of us have an important part to play, until we do. It's easier to be in the right place at the right time if you can feel the Force, but it guides everyone."

He gave Zizzy another smile. "I think it could. Have you done much training with your eyes covered?"

Zizzy listened to the two humans talk and thought that Byron was already sounding like a Jedi. Well, a lot like Master Din anyway, but with hair that looked like tendrils. She shook her head in response to the question.

"Not much. Do you think it would help? Is it so you can let the force guide you? I... I think I've been reading about forms more than I've been practicing." She raised a hand to stroke a tendril and bit her lip. "Well actually I've been trying to do both at the same time. There's this holo of Thy Yulani sparring with Master Shan, and she's amazing, but I think she's using Ataru and I just trip over my feet when I try to follow so maybe that's not the right style for me. Do you think they make those funny little blast helmets in my size?"

As always, Orgus took a moment to consider the flow of questions, making sure he had them all in order before beginning to answer.

"They do make blast helmets in your size." He said, his gravelly voice agreeable. "Quite a few, in fact, thanks to the Sullustans. But you can probably make do with a strip of cloth. Maybe Master Chriala would be able to help you with it."

He went on, standing quite comfortably now. "Ataru's not for everyone. I don't use much of it myself. If it doesn't work for you, we'll just find something that does. Don't want to use something that wouldn't fit, any more than you'd wear a bad helmet." He chuckled. "Is there a form you think might suit you better?"

He glanced over at Byron, giving the lad a tiny nod, inviting him to comment as well.

This was a deep conversation on the forms, the youngling was kind of obsessed or maybe just looking for pointers. He added with a gesture of his hands, “Ataru is pretty flashy, effective when done right, I keep it simple and focus on Soresu. But like Master says, have to find the right fit, it’s like a good pair of boots.”

“Get the wrong kind and you are tripping all over or your feet get squished, or the shoes flop around. But the right pair of kicks and you will look and feel great.”