Surge Squadron: Defective

Chapter Thirty: An Unscheduled Break

On Coruscant, out in the Jedi Temple meditation gardens, Avinolah sat with her now teenage Padawan, Catherine, and another Jedi who sat beside his own Padawan.

The other Jedi was a male Twi'lek, and like most in the temple, his robes were the typical brown and white garb.

The young boy beside him appeared to be Catherine's age and he had long, black hair that was shaved on one side and tapered at his collarbone. Compared to his master's white and chocolate brown clothes, the boy had deep brown robes with light brown here and there.

Together, the four sat in focus... or at least three of them did...

Catherine finally opened her eyes and looked around. She fixed her gaze upon the blossoming tree that she and the other Jedi were beneath. The sweet scent from the flowers wafted when a rogue gust of wind would rush by, in a hurry to get nowhere specific and a few petals would float down from the tree every now and then. The young Padawan let out a small laugh as one kissed her nose.

The smooth tone but sharp dialect of her master snapped her out of her brief moment of distraction, "Catherine. Focus."

With a groan, Catherine glanced at her Starling tutor who had brought her back to reality, "But Master! We've been meditating for half an hour."

Avinolah broke her meditation and opened her eyes to stare at Catherine with an almost parental tolerance, "Correction- five minutes."

When people say that "time flies," Catherine never understood that at all. To her, it always seemed like it started to fly before taking a nosedive into the ground, and then limping away with its wounds. Time was just too slow for her. "But Master... It seemed like an hour..."

Avinolah loved her apprentice. She really did... but sometimes she could get exhausting. Avinolah was about to lecture Catherine about the importance of meditation in the life of a Jedi Knight, but the Twi'lek Jedi's Padawan spoke up.

"Catherine... Is it that hard to follow orders? Just listen and do. It's not that complicated."

That boy's icy blue-gray eyes sent shivers down Catherine's spine. They seemed so harsh and cold like Ilum's tundra landscape. 

"No. I can follow instructions fine, Kano. It's just I get bored with these activities sometimes... Especially when all we are doing is just sitting around while every other Padawan in the temple is getting combat experience."

Kano rolled those eyes of his, "If you want experience, I'll give you experience." He spoke, standing up.

The Twi'lek opened his own eyes, observing his apprentice's aggression, "Ne'dalx. Now is not the time for this. Sit." He ordered softly.

Avinolah raised her palm, "Wait. Kano? Do proceed. If Catherine seeks a small break, I think it's beneficial that she has it. Get into position."

Catherine grabbed her saber off of her belt and held it in a ready position, her counterpart doing the same.

Avinolah focused on using the Force to "dull" their lightsaber blades so that, should they come in contact with flesh, no permanent harm would be done. "Begin." She commanded.

Kano quickly ignited his saber and sprung at Catherine with the ferocity of a serpent.

Catherine gasped, activating her weapon and tumbling out of the way in a not-so-graceful manner.

In a fluid motion, Kano spun around and swiped at Catherine's figure.

She sloppily connected her saber to Kano's as she stumbled backward, trying to regain her footing. After a moment to steady herself after the attack, she sprung for Kano, saber over her head to deliver a slam.