[i]"...however before we do that I feel I must ask do you feel ready to become padawans?"[/i]

Pada--[b][i]what[/i][/b] did she just say?

As the temple guard removed her mark, revealing the Cathar Jedi within, the two younglings were at once entranced at the notion that her question planted in their minds. Although, for vastly different reasons.

For the young Nautolan, the question sparked immediate [b]doubt[/b]. He should have wanted to say [i]yes[/i], but he didn't. More over, he couldn't. There was so much he saw others do that was worlds beyond anything he'd experienced in the Force. Only when in motion was he at peace. Only when a lightsaber burned in his hand did he see clearly. During the escape from the Temple, Zak had been terrified. And, yet, in that rain of blaster fire he had never known anything as tranquil as what he'd experienced then. Dancing on the edge of death, with his sword as a partner, responding to the way he moved.

"Yes."

Blinking, confused, Zak looked over at the Anzati who had spoken. It made sense that Sor-Jan would say that. He was practically [i]bored[/i] at the Jedi Academy. The black-haired youngling had been on the Grand Master's List more times than anyone in their clan. What he lacked in finesse at physical trials, SJ more than made up for with his beautiful mind. 

Zak would think SJ arrogant, but for the fact that Sor-Jan was exactly the Jedi that the Nautolan wished he could be. Tranquil. Meditative. SJ made the Force look like it was [i]easy[/i].

"SJ's definitely ready," the Nautolan affirmed humbly, opting to admit to his own faults and praise where others had overcome them. So what about him? The swirls in his dark eyes shifted several times, as the boy's focus turned inward, and soon after found his eyes downcast along the floor. "I..." Zak began, as the Nautolan thought again about a dream to be a great Jedi Guardian and swordsman. Like Master Windu. [i]Just like[/i] Master Windu. And, in that moment, realized how short of his dream that he fell. "I don't think..."

"He's not ready."

After having spared the other boy a compliment, Zak's head turned up with a look of horror at the words that Sor-Jan had uttered, smugly twisting the proverbial knife as the Anzati turned his eyes away from the Cathar woman to look at the Nautolan with a gaze like Zak had never seen before.

Sor-Jan was looking [i]down[/i] on him. 

"He can barely levitate a rock," the Anzati stated, a tone in his voice somewhere between [i]contempt[/i] and outright [i]laughter[/i]. And, with that, the Anzat turned his head away. As though Zak were no longer of any importance.

As Zak's heart started racing, the Nautolan felt his cheeks burn as a rush of blood surged to his head. "At least I can hold a lightsaber," the youngling retorted sharply.

The near human boy calmly turned back toward the amphibian youngling. "I don't [i]need[/i] to hold a lightsaber," Sor-Jan stated placidly, a smug look on his face as though he'd already delivered the punchline to the galaxy's funniest joke. "I can just do this," the youngling explained.

Before Knight Deja could have prevented it, the young Anzati gave a subtle, quick wave of one hand. And, in that moment, Zak went flying backward into the corridor wall.