News from the Council was about as she expected. They had heard enough from all the Jedi pleading and were holding to their decision. Her Master bid the others farewell and they headed for the quarters. She was just about to speak but he cut her off before she could start. "[color=forestgreen]Taiko, I must meditate on what we have heard so far. I know that you have much to say and I will hear you, soon...[/color]" Just as he said she was about to give him an ear full but held her tongue, a rare occurrence, he would only shush her if she tried. He had a look on his face that said he needed some time to figure out his next move. "[color=forestgreen]...First, I suggest you clean the dust of space off and ready yourself for a sparring session...[/color]" Did... did she look dirty? For some reason, that made her feel very self-conscious about her appearance. She subtly straightened out her robes and ran her hand through her hair. "[color=forestgreen]I will log my recent fauna discoveries into the archives, meditate and meet you at the training grounds in three hours.[/color]" Three hours? What would she do for three hours? Well before she got cleaned up she may as well practice her forms. She gave a slight bow and excused herself from her Master. 

Instead of heading to her own quarters she went straight to the training hall. She was never good at sitting still and meditating so some extra practice would be good. Most of her instructors would scold her for not taking the time to meditate properly but to her it was the most natural way to reach that state of clarity. There were a few others in the training hall, mostly young Jedi-in-training, completely unaware of the world outside much like she was at that stage of her training. It was so much easier back then to focus on training, nothing else occupied your mind and you could devote your entire being to honing your skills. She removed the outer layer of her robes, exposing her bare skin to the musky air of the training hall, and hung them on a hook. It was oddly comforting for her, she had spent so many years training in this very hall but now things were different. A few of the younger Jedi glanced her way and tried to watch her subtly, probably waiting to study her movements as she did when she was their age. It was always amazing to see the more experienced jedi come in and practice effortlessly. 

Without a single pause between her steps she ignited her lightsaber and began the first kata with simple vertical strikes. The young Jedi did not seem impressed. Without hesitation she proceeded to the next kata and so on. [i]Master needs to meditate, I should too...[/i] As she ran through the kata her movements grew swifter and more fluid. [i]I don't know about the Jedi Revan but people seem to have the impression that he has some ulterior motive to mobilizing the Jedi to assist in defending against the Mandalorian threat. Even so, I do believe that assisting in the defense of Taris is the correct path. Master Stadak probably agrees with me but he seems to have concerns about something he isn't telling me. I don't like being kept in the dark but he probably feels that it's best for me not to know, how frustrating. It's not as if I like the idea of defying the Council, they must have some reason to stand by but they can't expect us to understand their wisdom if they withhold it from us. I suppose there's nothing I can do about that though. Master made it clear that we're heading to Taris anyway, I'm sure the Council won't be happy about so many Jedi going against their wishes. Still there's no clear reason not to go. As Jedi we're supposed to be peace keepers, shouldn't we go to Taris and restore peace and order? There has to be some reason the Council is denying us. Something so dangerous that the Council won't even speak of it. I remember Master Stadak lecturing me on parts of our history where the Jedi Order was divided on a controversial issue which led to a schism. I wonder if that's what Master is worried about...[/i] 

She was interrupted by Master Veloca, the only Ryn Taiko had ever met and her former lightsaber instructor. "You've improved quite a bit since you've become Padawan to Knight Stadak..." Without any indication she lit her saber and stepped in front of Taiko. "...but you won't improve your skills practicing on your own." Now she was in for it, Master Veloca was an expert in the Ataru style of combat. Before she could blink Master Veloca was on the offensive with a thrust directly at her face and suddenly from above, then behind, front, left, above, front, behind! The onslaught was almost too fast for her to keep up but she was much more confident in her abilities now then she was when she trained with Master Veloca. With only split seconds to react however there was no way to find an opening. They locked sabers for a moment and Master Veloca smiled. With a twist she unlocked herself, Taiko felt something grabbing her leg, and she quickly found herself falling to the floor. She gave a resounding thud onto the hard mats of the training hall and a wimpy "[color=lightblue]Owww....[/color]" She sat up and rubbed her forehead.
"You are defeated, young Padawan." 
"[color=lightblue]That was sneaky using your tail, Master.[/color]"
"You must always keep the anatomy of your opponent in mind. Beings with four arms will fight differently than those with two. It is crucial to understand a creature's movements in order to anticipate their strategy and tactics."
"[color=lightblue]Yes Master, thank you for sparring with me. I think I'll head to the refresher now for a bath.[/color]"
"Very well, you have improved greatly by the way. Keep it up and you may even succeed me as instructor in a hundred years."
It was about as big a compliment as she had ever received from Master Veloca so she took it in stride and headed to her quarters for a bath.