Master Gant Rannow shook his head as he watched the combat droid take a hit to its side, and then power down.  He stepped forward and stood in front of the droid to address its sparring partner.

"No no no.  That is not right.  You cannot come in at this angle."  He grabbed a practice lightsaber and used it to demonstrate.  "If you do, you leave yourself open to a counter attack.  If your enemy spots it, or is quick enough to exploit it, you will be defenseless.  And if they do get a weapon under it they can open you up.  I told you before the correct method of parrying that attack.  Here, watch again."

He waited for the other Jedi to back away before going into his combat stance.  Once there, he executed a series of moves, slowly, to show his form.  He did this multiple times, speeding up each time, to make sure that his student saw each step.

"And then come in like this.  That negates them being able to counter and slide under your blade.  Of course, if they have multiple arms, then that method is not workable.  But we will worry about that later. For now, let me see if you get it."

He stepped back, sweating a little but otherwise looking perfectly calm, to watch his student's form.  He powered up the droid and watched it get into the combat stance.

Maliq returned to his battle stance. His eyes narrowed as he focused intently on getting it right this time. As he went through the motions, the room became a blur of blue and Maliq's saber once again found its mark. A smirk formed on his lips and a bead of sweat ran down his head before continuing down his cheek and falling to the floor. The Sound of the droid whirring in a de crescendo was music to Maliq's ears; a sign of victory and progress toward his eventual goals.
"How was that, Master, he said in a somewhat arrogant tone, sure he had perfected the angle his instructor was attempting to teach.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:55, Wed 03 Dec 2014.

Master Rannow watched the younger Jedi attack the combat droid with his attack.  As the droid powered down he stepped forward and next to the Jedi.

"That was better.  I see you have brought your form in closer to yourself. That will leave you less open to counters or being interrupted. However, you are still focusing too much. I can see you mind and eyes focused just on the droid and its actions.  That is fine when fighting one opponent.  But if there are more then 1, that level of focus will not serve you.  I want you to try again, but this time... " he motions another droid over and it takes a combat position. "I want you to try it against 2 opponents.  They will attack at different times and from different directions. Remember this."

Maliq nodded to his instructor and once again returned to his stance. He watched as the first droid was reactivated and both droids now stood at the ready position. With a stone cold face of determination and focus, Maliq engaged his opponents. It seemed as if the triumph would come easily. With each parry and counterattack, the saber would find its way closer and closer to an opening in the droids' defenses. As Maliq's saber flew through the air, his body looked almost like he was in the midst of an elaborate dance of some sort; quickly and gracefully moving to strike here, then moving to block there.
Suddenly, Maliq's dance was cut short. "Ahhhhh!" The exclamation was one of frustration more than pain, though the attack did hurt. The droid had struck just behind Maliq's left knee, causing it to buckle and send a shocking twinge of pain through the whole leg. Both droids now stood over him with weapons drawn. " I would like to go again, Master."

The Weapons Master watched the Jedi in training and saw the obvious misstep before Maliq even started it.  He watched the second droid strike him behind the knee with the shock stick and almost chuckled in the yell of pain that accompanied it.  "Do not feel bad, apprentice. I have seen Masters fall for that move. It is one that I programmed specifically into the droids programming. It is something that happened to a former student of mine during an encounter with a wannabe-Sith."

He grabbed his training saber and walked out to stand between the droids. "Watch my form and I will show you how to avoid such a move."

He then turned the droids on and went through a series of motions striking, blocking, and evading the droids. When the time came, and the first droid struck out towards his head, causing him to lean backwards and open himself up to the second droid, he made his move. Instead of leaning backwards and then coming forward, making the same move Maliq did earlier, he followed the lean in by lifting his feet and flipping himself over.  This caused him to go over the attack that would take out his knee, and then land on his feet after the strike moved through. Then he quickly tapped the first droid, then the second, in their control sensor.

Turning to face Maliq he grinned a little, happy that he was able to successfully show the proper procedure. "Now, Maliq, I want to see if you can do that yourself."

Perfection is mandatory, therefore, this is a necessary frustration., Maliq thought to himself as he returned to his battle stance once more. The droids did the same. Still irritated from the failure of his previous attempt, Maliq inhaled and exhaled slowly and steadily to relax his nerves, making sure not to allow them to show in his movements.
The droids began their assault simultaneously. One attack was swept to the side just in time by Maliq's training saber while he twisted  to avoid the other. The three continued their exchange for what seemed like forever but was, in actuality, only moments. Their pattern of attack, parry/dodge, counterattack was full of acrobatic feats by Maliq. He lept  into the air, spinning with his body parallel to the floor to evade a low sweep from his left and landed on his feet. A droid then lunged at his head, forcing Maliq to lean back but instead of leaning forward again to counter the attack, he followed through with a flip, just as his instructor had displayed, landing once more on his feet. Mimicking the example, he then struck the droids in quick succession, causing them to emit a whirring sound and power down.
Maliq paused in his stance and exhaled slowly before relaxing his guard and deactivating his saber. With a smile on his face he nodded to his instructor, hoping the exercise was over.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:26, Fri 05 Dec 2014.

Master Rannow watched Maliq fight the droids, and was ready for him to fail.  As he saw Maliq pull off the flip and counterattack he nodded and smiled slightly to himself.  I am proud that Maliq pulled off the maneuver the first time. And he looked halfway decent as well. Maybe he has some potential yet.

He clapped as Maliq turned around to look at him.  "Good job. Not great, but good. Can use some more practice and polish, but it was good for a first attempt. Now, I think we can call it a day here. I have others to attend to, and you look like you can use some rest. Just do not forget what I taught you today. Not only will we train it some more, but it is an important maneuver for field use as well."

He walked over and held his hand out to Maliq. "You can give me the practice saber, then you are done for the day."

After deactivating his saber and passing it to Master Rannow, Maliq bowed to his instructor and made his way out into the main hall of the temple. Padawans and masters alike walked the halls, on their way to various different parts of the facility. No matter how many times Maliq walked through the Jedi temple, it never ceased to amaze him in a number of different ways. The entire building was immaculate. The workmanship that went into the structure and design was genius. It was a great honor to be among those that called it home.
Maliq greeted a number of his peers as he headed to his quarters. It was amazing to ponder how many different species lived, learned, taught, and lead in this place. Many of them, Maliq didn't even recognize as familiar species while others had to wear funny looking gear to even be able to survive the climate or atmosphere.
As he passed a hall filled with the names and likenesses of numerous famous Jedi, Maliq thought to himself. One day, my name will be among them as the best Jedi swordsman that has ever lived. One day.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:26, Mon 08 Dec 2014.

As Maliq paused outside the memorial hall, he saw three droids working on installing a new plaque.  It showed a female Nikto Jedi with a description underneath showing that she was killed 2 months prior.  The droids were clearing a spot on the wall and carefully putting up the holoplaque in honor of the fallen master.

Just then, Maliq's communicator started to go off. A communication droid began talking once it was answered. "Jedi Maliq. You are requested to report to Master Ulric's office as soon as you are available."

A map then appeared showing Master Ulric's office on one of the upper levels reserved for Council Level Masters.

Maliq responded to the droid voice. "Right away." Wondering what the summons may be for, he turned around and made his way to the lift. Maybe a new mission; opportunity to test his new moves. Whatever the situation was, a Jedi must always be ready.

When Maliq arrived at Master Ulric's office the door opened and a Kel Dor Jedi walked out.  He moved to pass Maliq and continued down the hallway.  The door to Master Ulric's office stayed open, and Maliq could see there were at least 4 others inside. A droid stood just inside the door off to the side and seemed to be greeting everyone.

Maliq was cautious entering Master Ulric's office, making sure to familiarize himself with the other faces in the room, as well as the room itself. He had never been in this part of the temple before, nor had he met any of the individuals he now faced. He nodded his greeting first to the droid, then walked over to greet the master and the others with a bow, respectively. "My name is Maliq. How may I be of assistance?"

Master Ulric looked up from the data pad in his hands.  He looked tired and worn out.  He stared at Maliq for a moment before he started talking.

"Jedi Maliq. Thank you for joining me.  I have a mission I would like to send someone of your skills on.  But first I want to ask  you a few questions.  Do you feel you are ready for the field? Do you think your skills are at their appropriate level.  And finally, what are your thoughts on the Sith?"

"I'm ready, Master." Maliq responded quickly, betraying the excitement he so desperately attempted to hide. He regretted the tone and pace with which the words flew from his lips. That also showed. After a short pause, Maliq continued, more calmly. " My skills are adequate to handle a field mission. My instructors can vouch for that fact. Moreover, I trust your judgement as a Jedi Master. I know you would not send me into a situation beyond my capabilities." Another pause. Unlike the other young Jedi in training, Maliq had never thought too deeply about the Sith. His only thoughts concerning them, up until this point, have been those of curiosity. Maliq had heard the stories just like all the other Padawans. The danger of facing one was well known to every Jedi, which is what brought Maliq to his conclusive statement. "As for the Sith...I believe they are a great threat and need to be eliminated either through a change in their philosophy or in battle. I am willing and able to approach them on either front." Finally. The opportunity to test his abilities against a real opponent. No holding back.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:30, Tue 09 Dec 2014.

Master Ulric remained quiet and listened to the Jedi's answers.  The human leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as he reached out to sense the emotions behind the Jedi's answers.

"Your instructors have given you good marks.  There is some concern that you let your emotions take over during a fight. While that might make you stronger or faster, it also can blind and limit your reactions and responses.  I understand that is something you are working on with Master Rannow. I am pleased that your opinions on the Sith are more open minded. Many Jedi see them as pure evil and necessary of murdering.  That is not the case. You should always seek the peaceful method before violence is used. That might not always be possible with the Sith, but to immediately jump into combat or murder will lead to the Dark Side." 

He paused for a moment to let his words sink into the Jedi, and to feel how they might impact his emotional state.

"The reason I called you here is to undertake a mission. A known agent of the Sith has been spotted on the planet Balmorra. This is a neutrally aligned planet that produces military and security weapons for the galaxy at large. While we do not have an official jurisdiction, the Republic is allowed onto the planet as long as we follow the local rules. I want you to go to the planet and determine if there is a Sith presence there, and if so, what they are up to. We are worried they might be persuading the Balmorrans to join them officially and throw their military resources to the Sith.  Obviously this would be VERY bad for the Republic."

"I agree. The less support the Sith have, the better the situation we find ourselves in, thus the Galaxy and the Republic are safer." Maliq stood tall, proud to have been chosen for this mission. "I will not disappoint you."

Master Ulric nodded at the answer, and motioned his droid to hand over a datapad to Maliq.  "Good. Then you are hereby assigned to investigate this potential Sith presence on Balmorra. If you do find any proof, contact me immedietly. Do not engange unless absolutely necessary. I do not want you risking yourself or any others unless you have no other choice."

He waited for the droid to hand over the data pad, and then continued.  "Take this down to the quartermaster Tan Aleeko.  He will provide you with the necessary items to complete your mission. Remember, we technically do not have any jurisdiction on this planet. You will be there as just a normal citizen. And you might not want to dress as a Jedi."

He paused to see if Maliq had any final questions.

"Yes, Master. I will not fail you." Maliq bows after taking hold of the datapad and heading toward the door.

Master Ulric nodded at Maliq, then called in the next Jedi who needed his attention.

As Maliq made his way through the temple, he found the quartermaster's office in the deepest level he had ever been.  As he went deeper the hallways were more and more empty.  It seemed the only ones on the levels leading up to the quartermaster's office were droids.

The walk was a long one. Maliq was anxious to get going but trying to calm himself. Anxiety was no way to start off his first solo mission. This would be the first of many in a long line of successes. Now the only thing left to do was to grab his gear from the quartermaster and be on his way.

Maliq walked out of the turbolift and onto the quartermaster's level.  He noticed the hallways were darker and there were hardly any organics in sight.  He saw mostly droids, and sparesly any of those. As he approached the door he noticed a Cerean Jedi leaning on the wall outside the door and about 10 feet away. He looked over at Maliq as he approached.

"I'm looking for Quartermaster Tan Aleeko. Is he in?" Maliq addressed the Cerean, not sure who he was or what he was doing alone in this part of the temple. Maybe he was the quartermaster. Maybe he was waiting for the Jedi master, same as Maliq.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:24, Sat 20 Dec 2014.

The Cerean turned to Maliq and said: "Yes, he is currently with my partner. Just a heads up, he is in one of his moods right now...."

He paused, and a small smile crossed his face. "Though I'm not sure I've seen Quartermaster Aleeko not in one of his moods..."

One of his moods? Maliq wondered what type of Jedi this quartermaster was. Was he a strict task master or one of the increasingly common free spirits with a chip on his shoulders? Either way, Maliq just wanted to get his stuff and go. He was anxious to prove his skills in the field. Anyway, it was about time to take to the stars again. It had been months since his last mission with His master. Maliq was getting a bad case of cabin fever. He itched to get back off world so he didn't have to be so formal and uptight in front of his mentors and peers. He allowed his mind to wander momentarily as thoughts of freedom wandered around in his mind.

"Well hopefully he'll be alright enough to equip me for my trip." Maliq returned the Cerean's smile but his frustration with the delay is evident in his forced smile. " My name is Maliq". He follows his introduction with a short bow.

"Good to meet you Maliq, I am Jax Nilar."

Jax gestured toward the door, "My partner is in there now, but if you head in it might help to speed things up."

"Thanks. I'll see you around then." Maliq headed to the door, hoping to indeed speed up the process. The sooner he could get his gear, the sooner he could start his mission. Though it hadn't been that long since receiving the assignment, Maliq's patience was running short.

Maliq opened the door and walked into the Quartermaster's office.  Tan Aleeko looked up at him and rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Another one?!? I did not even finish with this one! What kind of items are YOU going to break? Let me guess. Planning to just take my items and use and lose them like all the other Jedi. Sure. No one has to repair or replace those things. Just leave that to the grunts and peons. That is what they are good for."

Aleeko sat behind his desk with his perpetual scowl. He was a tall, thin human that was indistinguishable in almost all ways.  Across from him, on the other side of the desk, stood a Zabrak Jedi. The Jedi looked slightly annoyed at his time with Aleeko.

"I have no such intentions. I merely need a few basic items with which to complete a simple mission off world. I shouldn't be too much of a burden I hope." Maliq's patience was beginning to run out but now, at such a crucial time, was not ideal moment to show it. The force was a good ally when it came to calming meditations on the go. "But simple as it may be, Master Ulric is insistent that it is completed quickly." Maliq turned to the Zabrak. " Do you mind?"

"I do not mind if you get your gear before me, but the quartermaster might not be as okay with it as I am," the Jedi replied.

"I certainly don't mean to inconvenience anyone. I only wish to serve the order to the best of my ability and my orders are those of an urgent nature." Maliq folded his arms together so that the sleeves of his robe met almost perfectly. Not in a show of frustration or any negative feelings, but just something to do with his hands so as not to show his growing impatience and anxiety. "Master Aleeko, do you mind?"

Tan Aleeko looked from the Zabrak to the Maliq and sighed.

"I do not care which of you goes first or last or not at all. I just want to finish your order so I can go back to organizing my items. So are you going to decide? Or are we going to have a meditiation contest where no one does anything for the next 3 days?"

"In that case, all I need are some binders, a comlink, a handscanner, a credit chip, and a lightsaber." Maliq unfolded his arms and clasped them behind his back. He wondered how anyone could work in such a secluded environment, so far from their comrades. It seemed dark and lonely, but if it works for him...

"That is all you need? Sounds like a really light requisition.  And you know that not everywhere takes Republic credits, right? Or are you just planning to wave your hand and trick people into doing whatever you want? Are you THAT kind of Jedi?"

Aleeko looked at the other Jedi.  "And what about you? Are you the type to just let everyone push you around and get in front of you? Or are you going to stand up for yourself?"

"if you have any of the local currency for Balmorra, I can use that as well. But it never hurts to carry around some credits." Maliq was surprised with the quartermaster's confrontational vibe. Was he trying to put this other Jedi against him? "Now, I don't understand what this instigation is all about. I just came to get my things." His face was starting to show signs of frustration now as his hands dropped down to his side. Maliq's chin lifted slightly, displaying his impatience and annoyance with the quartermaster.

"We might have some local currency. We do have the currencies of many, many, MANY different systems readily available for missions. The Order has to regularly operate outside the Republic afterall."

He looks over his screen and then back up. "Yes, it appears we DO have Balmorran credits on hand. I take it you would like some??"

"Thank you. That would be ideal." Maliq's expression softened a little as he placed his hands back in the sleeves, crossing them across his body.

Aleeko went back to working on his screen.  After a moment he looked back up and Maliq. "Your order has been created and processed. It should take about 2 hours to fill. Here is your ticket. See one of the droids to have it completed."

He then turned to look at the Zabrak. "Now what do you need? Give me your list so I can go back to my REAL job and get you out of here."

Hearing Jido struggling to get what they needed from Aleeko Jax stepped in, "Quartermaster Aleeko, Jido is my partner and we've been sent on an urgent mission. I bring apologies from Master Ulric that we can't give you more time to prepare our equipment, but our departure is imminent. Can we please get the items on Jido's list as soon as possible?"

Aleeko looked up as the door opened and saw Jax walking inside.  "You again?? I thought we took care of your needs yesterday. Did you break all my things already!?! Should I just start ordering replacements for you now?? Or would you like to actually bring my things back first before taking out more items to destroy??"

He looked over at the Mirialian before continuing. "And it is his fault. He jumped ahead of your partner there. Apparently his Balmorra mission is more important then YOUR Balmorra mission."

"It would seem that Balmorra is either having a lot of troubles or we've been sent on the same mission by the same master." Maliq contemplated this for a moment and then smiles. "Either way, it couldn't hurt to have some company on the way there."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:42, Fri 02 Jan 2015.

Jax feigned surprise at hearing Maliq's news, "Sounds good, how are you planning on travelling to Balmorra? I haven't checked the shuttle schedule yet, but there shouldn't be a problem finding a ride, right?"

Jax let out a small sigh while turning to address the ornery quartermaster, "It's fine if you fulfill his order first, I have what I need."

Aleeko shook his head as the two Jedi talked and continued his work.

In reply to GameMaster (msg # 40):
"I haven't checked the schedule yet either, but I'm sure we'll be able to find one in a reasonable amount of time." Maliq hadn't even thought about the shuttle schedule yet. Good thing he ran into these two. "You ever been to Balmorra?"
This message was lightly edited by the player at 20:20, Tue 06 Jan 2015.

Jax shook his head "Nope, I've heard it can be pretty rough though. What about you? Jido, have you been?"

Aleeko looked up at the 3 Jedi and cleared his throat.

"I hate to interrupt this party in my office. But you are using up my valuable time and I do have an ENTIRE Temple's business to attend to.  Will someone give me your requests? Or I am going to ban all 3 of you and take away your little toys?!"
This message was last updated by the player at 14:04, Wed 14 Jan 2015.

OOC:

Feel free to reply to this comment in the thread with Jax and Jido.  I am going to continue running your mission all together to hopefully increase the post rate.