[color=00aeef][center][h2]Chapter 1[sub][color=0076a3][center]Training Has Begun... Finally[/center][/color][/sub][/h2][/center][/color]
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[color=00aeef][right][color=0076a3][h3]Tython, 6 ATC, 6[/h3][/color]Week 2, Day 1[/right][/color]
Jedi Master Dominik Rothul sat in silence as the transport ship shifted, docking easily onto the main Tython landing pad. An announcement was made to all its passengers to exit if they wished, and moments later everyone aboard the shuttle began to do so. His mind was elsewhere, his body moving with the crowd as he exited the spacecraft and made for the Temple. 

Corellia, Sith, evil schemes that would have been far better off had they been uncovered sooner, it was all swirling around in the Master Jedi’s head as he moved. His body ached, his hip screamed at him as he walked despite being aided by a waist high walking stick as he walked. He had meetings with the Council to attend, meditation to perform, but most importantly, a Padawan to meet. 

Padawan learner Lo Lya'Tre, a young Bothan girl whom he had met while she was still very young. There was a history between them, involving a promise and many many questions and times of self doubt on both sides. Ultimately, the local council deemed it good for both parties to be paired together, despite the silent protesting of Dominik’s grieving and grumpy heart. The man, aided by his walking stick, made his way towards the speeder hangars, for no particular reason, but feeling that the hangars would soon prove to be the right place at the right time.

Lo’s fur pushed back against her skin. The wind raked its invisible fingers across her surface and pressed it close, causing her muzzle to pull into a smile. Her eyes narrowed on the winding landscape. She swayed instinctively with the speeder bike as she parted the long grass in her wake. Each movement appeared perfect and without flaw in its execution. Lo couldn’t explain it, but being on a speeder felt natural for her. Rarely did she ever second guess or hesitate with her actions. She didn’t think in depth over it. Instead she reacted and followed the result to the end, even if she crashed into the dirt. 

Her hands gripped tightly onto the handles and revved the engine into life. Her body leaned into the movement as she swept to the side then began to slow on entering the hangar. Unlike many Padawans, Lo didn’t wear a helmet. It blocked her head in and made thinking difficult so she often conveniently left it behind. Even in the wind in her eyes didn’t bug her since she moved more on instinct than her sight. 

As the speeder bike grinded to a stop, she cut off the engine. Her right leg slid about and she hopped off, pushing her spiky fur back into place. She let out a sigh of relief while she considered what to do next. The last several months blurred together. Loneliness had began to settle in and allowed dark thoughts to gnaw at her. Lo shook them off before she began to push the machine back into line with the others. 

Guilt had started to eat away at the old Jedi’s heart. First, his Padawan, then one of his best friends and her Padawan, Xid Terrik. Now, he had been assigned to Lo, and it had been months since the Master Jedi had stepped foot into deep friendly space. Here he was, attempting to meet a young Bothan who he had known for years, who had been assigned to him and who had waited patiently for his return. The man stood back, watching his young Padawan from the entrance to the speeder bay. He could not claim credit for what he saw.

Confidence as she walked; it reflected in her posture and her expression. No doubt she was feeling better about herself, about her situation, feeling optimistic about the opportunities she’s been afforded and no doubt ready to train and grow stronger. He took no credit in the changes he saw and the aura he could sense. She had done this all on her own; quite a big step for the timid, doubtful and shy little Bothan. With proper reinforcement, and the Jedi Master she had waited so long for, she would make a fine Jedi. 

The Jedi decided to wait. To see if their bond was remotely strong enough to allow the girl to feel he was there. He wanted to give her space, to allow her to realize just who had come and to take in everything that was about to change, for the better.

As Lo put the bike away, she turned to the thoughts of her daily lessons. Depression poured over her like cold water causing her to sigh again. She didn’t look forward to them. Especially combat. Why couldn’t life be so simple, she thought as she turned about. Something tugged at her causing her to look up from the ground. Her eyes focused on Master Rothul as her mind numbed in thought. Everything about the upcoming day vanished from her mind when she began to realize he really had arrived. 

“Master Rothul?” She asked, her voice soft and unsure. 

A soft, warm smile made it’s way to Dominik’s face, the man shifting where he stood to put more weight onto the side that was supported by the walking stick. He took a deep breath, starting to walk towards Lo, glancing around at the controlled chaos that was everyday Tython in the hangar. “I apologize for my tardiness,” he began, approaching the young Bothan before stopping just a couple feet in front of her, “but I seem to have lost my way.” He teased, winking at the young girl before him. He took a deep breath, the smile from his face fading as his playfulness was drowned out by the apology he wished to make. 

“I’m sorry for making you wait so long, little one.” 

Calm replaced the uncertainty causing Lo to smile slightly, her eyes showing genuine joy.  

“I thought… maybe something had happened or…” She didn’t finish her thoughts, but the tone made it clear. The little Bothan wondered if he had decided she wasn’t worth the effort to train. 

Dominik could sense the mixed emotions coming from the young Padawan before him. He took a deep breath, shifting his weight again away from his injured hip before the Master Jedi spoke. “Remember what I told you? Years ago on H’ratth when you were doubting yourself?” he asked, calmly, gently, watching Lo and letting her think about what he meant.

Lo nodded, her eyes raised higher. 

“I told you to trust in the Force, to let it guide you. It is the will of the Force that you and I are together. It just… took a little longer than expected.” Dominik said to the girl, teasing her near the end to keep the mood light.

“I tried, but when the days turn into weeks and weeks into months… Silence is often my worst enemy.” For once, Lo spoke from a place of strength despite its negative effects. She wanted to hide her doubts, but the recent months proved lying to herself hadn’t done much good. It only made reality much more painful. 

 “And look where the waiting has brought you.” Dominik added, kneeling down to better see the girl’s eyes. 

“The Force is a fickle thing, Lo. But now you have been rewarded for your resilience and patience.” The man said before he stood slowly back up, regret crossing his features as he used the walking stick to help himself stand. “Now come. No more classroom lessons, no more hours of reading, no more waiting. You’re leaving Tython, we’ve been tasked to help with a relief effort.”

The man stood fully, winking at the young girl before him before turning, expecting her to follow in his wake as he made for the shuttle bays. 

Lo cocked her head. Her ears perked at the words. She had hoped to hear them since she arrived on Tython, but her mind wanted to imagine it away. This couldn’t be actually happening, could it? Lo bit her lower lip as she shot up beside him. Her face lifted up to examine his expression and see through any illusion. All her senses told her she had nothing to be worried about. 

“A relief mission? To where?” She asked, trying to control her river of questions from pouring out. 

“Ryloth.” Dominik replied quickly, looking down to speak to Lo before the man continued forward. 

“Are you sure you don’t need to rest?” Lo noticed the walking stick and Master Rothul’s movements. She didn’t decide to address it until now. 

“We’ll have time to rest before we arrive. Ryloth is located in the deep Outer Rim, it will take us some time to arrive even by hyperspace lane. I’ll take my time then, don’t fret.” He advised, his heart feeling appreciative of the young Bothan’s worry. An old wound that fought any form of healing, Dominik was constantly reminded of the price one  sometimes paid as a Jedi, though he was never bothered by it. It was simply a test of endurance that we constantly revisited. 

“Gather your things, we won’t be returning to Republic space for quite some time if all goes well. I’ll meet you in hangar eleven, alright?” 

Lo nodded then rushed off.  As she neared the corner, her foot slid along the marble floor and she slipped. Just before she fell onto the floor, her balance adjusted and she caught herself. In a few moments she was gone to retrieve what meager belongings she brought with her. It didn’t her long before she returned with a small haversack filled with a spare outfit and a few trinkets inside. She hung it over her shoulder, pressed against her back, while she located hangar eleven. 

 When Lo found her way to hangar eleven, she would see Master Rothul speaking to a few other Jedi, along with some Republic workers who were leading supplies onto the [i]Mirage[/i].

When she looked closer and reached out through the bond, she faintly sensed concern and worry from her master. Her muzzle scrunched up as she tried to understand it. Unsure if it was due to his body language or the bond she heard about between padawan and master. He was being briefed on the situation on Ryloth, it was starting to become much more serious than he had initially been told. The man quickly masked his feelings though as he noted Lo approaching. The few Jedi and Dominik said their farewells before the Master Jedi turned to approach his Padawan. This mission was supposed to be in support of the relief effort to the planet's struggling colonies of Twi'Leks and Humans alike, but it seemed he and his Padawan would be dropping into a much more dire situation. Introduction by fire, as he liked to call it. 

He addressed Lo as she came near, smiling reassuringly to his Padawan before gesturing for her to follow him onto the [i]Mirage[/i]. Lo paused long enough to adjust her haversack while keeping close. 

"We've got a long journey ahead, Lo," he began, resting a comforting hand on the Bothan's shoulder as they started up the ramp. "Are you ready for this?"

“Maybe?” She tried not to squeak in her voice. Her eyes looked to him, suspecting her expression revealed more than she wanted to. One born from concern and desire to help, but also of inexperience and uncertainty. 

“You still haven’t given me any details aside from the fact it’s a relief effort.” 

"We're going to help aid the Twi'Lek colonies on Ryloth. Both in settling parts of the surface that haven't been established yet, and helping to protect them from any outside opposition." Dominik explain. He led Lo to the cockpit of the ship, a small space with four single chairs, two in front of the control panel and two further back. 

"Master Rothul! Things are all ready for you. Everything is strapped down and ready to go Sir." Came a shout from behind them, further back on the ship. 

"Loud and clear mister Henry. Thank you." He responded before taking a seat in the main pilot's chair. 

The Jedi looked to his Padawan, feeling her uncertainty, judging her confidence, his mind playing through their arrival on Ryloth. Once things were settled, training would begin, but not before he would try to build the relationship between Master and Padawan. 

Lo’s curosity still gnawed at her as she took a seat behind him. She couldn’t sense if he wanted her to sit in the wingman’s seat or a passenger one, so she decided to take the best possible option. Unlike a speeder bike, she had rarely flown a starship. The few times she had went well enough, but she didn’t want to risk complicating things if issues rose up. 

Dominik began the startup procedures for the ship as Lo sat down, reaching up and flipping switches above his head before his fingers moved across the dash, years of piloting and ship maneuvering making these procedures turn into muscle memory for him. The ramp to the [i]Mirage[/i] closed as the last of the supplies were loaded and the loading team departed. Dominik glanced behind him, watching the young Bothan behind him. 

"I feel pretty lucky to have you around Lo," Dominik began, turning back and continuing with the procedures as the ships engine started. "I've been without a co-pilot for quite sometime. I was starting to feel a little lonely." 

The Master Jedi wouldn't force her, but he wanted Lo to feel comfortable at his side. He tried all he could in that moment to direct her attention to the co-pilot seat. Every Padawan belonged next to their Master, but their relationship was not the norm for every Master and Padawan. Dominik fully accepted Lo as his Padawan, but he would let her take her time when it came to accepting herself as his Padawan as well. He wanted her to take her rightful seat, but would not say so directly. She had to make her own decisions.

Lo cocked her head again then began to pull up from her seat, cautiously slipping into the co-pilot seat. She exhaled as she strapped herself in. Her eyes glanced at Rothul, trying to read the faint bond between them. It wasn’t easy. 

“I’m not very confident with flying, but I’ll try.” She tried to keep the unsteadiness out of her voice. Her eyes turned to him for guidance as she smiled, happy to hear his compliments. 

“I think I’m pretty lucky to have you for a master too. You give me strength when I feel like I have none, and not ashamed.” 

After Lo took her seat and strapped in, Dominik took hold of the main thrusters control and pushed it forward. The [i]Mirage[/i] lifted off from the bay floor, maneuvering through the open door and speeding up towards Tython's atmosphere. 

The Master pondered many thoughts in the back of his mind. The coming mission would test them, both of them, both physically and mentally. He would have to balance Lo's overdue training with mission priorities and objectives. The Master knew there would be time, and the experience old-world would be good for Lo. There would be new beings to meet, new things to experience; but dangers and threats followed closely behind. Ryloth needed the aid of the Jedi; just as Dominik needed an opportunity to teach Lo, something that was long overdue. 

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