The Old Republic

[Renegade]

Kalen nodded at the padawan and shut the door. The temple was beautiful, he could not help but admit, but it was not his home. As trecherous as the sith can be, not all sith were like that, at least he told himself, and he needed to get back and warm the council before Kul did more damage to the place he called home. Kalen found his bed and fell asleep instantly

[Tifa Lockhart]

Aele was taken to her room immediately after, but she did not settle down to sleep the same as Kalen did. She stayed awake, probing the energies of this place, trying to understand how different it felt and why. It was exciting, and it filled her with a sensation she had never felt before, one that overwhelmed the strangeness that she had been enduring for so long.
After a few hours of meditation, she did indeed drop into sleep, the best sleep she'd had in a long time.

[Renegade]

Kalen's eyes shot open and he was instantly alert. It was morning, and the Jedi that found them had come in, his presence alone was what woke Kalen.
"Morning, young one," He said as he walked over to the bed from which Kalen was already out of standing in the same robes he had been wearing since... Then it clicked, it was morning. It was morning when they went to sleep, he must of slept for twenty four hours. He looked up at his...master.
"Morning, master,"
The Jedi seemed to find this funny and let out a small chuckle. "I am not your master yet, youngling, but soon. Get ready and meet us in the hallway." The Jedi placed a fresh set of clothes. Brown and yellows, the generic garments for padawans. With that he left the room, and Kalen got changed.
The apparel was a long sleeved light brown coloured shirt, and matching pants. Over that was a surcoat that sopped a few inches above his knees, and was drawn together by a belt. Then there was the open-robe that drapped his shoulder and hung around the sides of he legs, which was a darker brown. The robe reminded him of a lighter coloured version of what Kul would wear.
He felt ridiculous in these clothes, they felt s stuffy. He had already decided he much prefer his robes.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Aele was already awake and waiting out in the hall with Kraross. He stirred her just as he'd just stirred Kalen, and though she'd reacted with the same alarm as her friend, she'd calmed much quicker. The man's presence was powerful, but not intimidating like so many of the Sith Lords she'd encountered. There was something so comforting about him, that she hadn't been able to control greeting him quite cheerily. He seemed surprised by how glad she was to see him, but he'd returned her smile, even placing a brief hand upon her shoulder as he explained it was time for her to get dressed and join him in the hall.
She'd dressed quickly, not wanting to keep him waiting. The soft brown and cream robes fit her perfectly, even the knee high brown boots pulled on and seemed to morph to her calves. She took a little time to tidy her deep red locks, tying them back off her face in a high ponytail. She'd been surprised to find a new mask with her clothes. It was quite plain, soft white fabric, light but completely opaque so that it could not be seen through. It tied around her forehead with a band of golden weave, jewelled adornments hanging down either side near her ears. It fit nicely, even more comfortably than the black leather one she'd been wearing previously.
Dressed and ready she'd followed Kraross down the hall back to Kalen's room, where she now waited.

As he emerged into the hallway she raised a hand to acknowledge him, nodding in greeting.

[Renegade]

Kalen was soon after him, nodding a greeting to Aele. He followed Kraross down the hallway alongside Aele until they came to the council chambers. Inside sat the various Jedi Masters, though some of the seats were empty.
Kraross instructed the two to stand in the middle of the semi-circle that the masters' chairs created, and Kraross took his seat on the council, much to Kalen's surprise. Their new master was a Jedi Master.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Aele stopped in the middle of the curving table as Kalen did, trying to fight off the anxiety that bubbled in her chest. Why was this so much more intimidating than standing before the Sith Lord's had been?

A woman sat at the head of the table on the outermost curve, and she slowly stood as they came to stand before her. She folded her arms up behind her back, legs parting into a much wider stance as she looked them over. She had dark hair bound into small plaits, and her eyes were an intense icy-blue. Aele was not focused on what she could perceive of the woman's appearance though, she was more focused on the woman's PRESENCE.
It was intense, powerful and calm. The woman seemed to have a focus of the force that she'd never felt before. It stunned her.
"Welcome, Aele, Kalen," she greeted, her voice was soft but even it seemed to echo in the high ceilinged hall. "I am Satele Shan, Grand Master of the Jedi Order."
She dipped into a low bow to them, her hands clasped in a triangle before her.
"You are both somewhat of a curiosity to myself and the Council, I will admit," she explained, cupping her chin in two fingertips. "We are honoured to have you."
She gestured towards Alteyron then, the Master rising to his feet.
"It is the usual practice for potential Padawans to undergo a series of trials before being assigned a Master, but in light of your recent..." she paused a moment, eyes narrowing ever so slightly, "hardships, the Council has decided to grant you assignment straight away."

Alteyron walked forward now to stand in front of them, extending his hands before him, their lightsabers levitating in his grasp. He'd taken them from them obviously, when he brought them to the temple the day before.

"Your lightsabers are admirably constructed," the woman continued. "Though they are clinical, almost identical in construction. It is a practice of the Jedi that a Padawan build their own Lightsaber upon being accepted by their Master."

The lightsabers that floated in Alteyron's hands would begin to disassemble now, piece by piece, until they were pulled apart to all their most basic components.

"Rebuild your weapons, younglings," Satele instructed as Alteyron offered the dismantled weapons over. "Make them your own again."

[Renegade]

Kalen had read all about lightsabers in his eagerness to have his own, so though he had never put one together, he knew all of it's intricacies, and he was confident he could put it back together, even perhaps make some improvements with it's efficiency.
He grasped the parts of the saber with the force, and suspended them there. The first thing he noticed was a unnecessary space between the field energisers and the focusing crystal, he brought them closer and pushed the extra casing away for later. He adjusted the length, to be slightly shorter, and therefore lending more power to the emitter, making it 'sharper'. He brought back the extra casing and placed it on the hilt, created two outward grooves for extra grip. Happy with the alterations he then brought all the pieces together, and pulled it towards himself. He held it, and opened his eyes, waiting further instruction.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Aele was not having the same success as Kalen had with her lightsaber. She'd studied them as diligently as him, but she was having problems focusing on the pieces.

"Aele," Alteyron spoke up, summoning her attention. "You're letting your lack of success distress you and it is only making it harder. Calm yourself and your focus will clear."

So Aele did as he said, she relinquished her thoughts and took deep breaths trying to calm her mind. It took her a few minutes but eventually the saber parts began to rearrange and reform, assembling the weapon again. Once it was done she reached out and took hold of the hilt.

"Show us your handiwork younglings,' Satele urged.

[Renegade]

Kalen stood up from his knelt position, and presented the saber to the grand master with confidence.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Satele Shan took hold of Kalen's saber, turning it over in her hands as she inspected it. She scrutinized every inch of the hilt, running her fingers along the grooves and buttons. Then she activated it, the yellow blade bursting forth strongly.
"A blade styled for strength, powerful and stalwart. In the right hands it could prove instrumental in great events but..." her eyes narrowed slightly and she moved the blade, listening to its hum.
"Its construction calculated and precise... Not enough to be called soulless, but surgical."
She turned the blade off and inspected it close once more.
"This blade was built with caution and reservation, a tool of the head and not of the heart."
Her pale eyes lifted to scrutinize Kalen as closely as she had his weapon.
"Admirable traits in their own time, but they must be balanced, caution with impulse and logic with heart."
She handed the weapon back to him.

The Aele stepped forwards, offering hers over. Her weapon received the same scrutiny, which made her strangely nervous.
"This weapon is everlasting and devoted. Built to last, even if not to reach the heights of power."
Aele could feel that powerful gaze on her.
"But I sense uncertainty within, a longing for the right path, for fulfillment."
A soft smile ghosted across her face.
"And a desire to be seen."
She handed the hilt back to Aele.
"Normally we assign only one Padawan to a Master, but given your circumstances we believe that master Kraross is more than qualified to train the two of you."
She nodded to Alteyron, who activated his saber.
"I would test your abilities myself, come at me, Kalen," he urged, assuming a defensive stance while Satele beckoned Aele out of the way.

[Renegade]

He hesitated a moment. He needed to be careful not to use the dark side, though he knew very little of the light side. He assured himself in the presumption that his assessors had already taken into account his lack of knowledge, this was to be about strength, or so he assumed.
He rushed Kraross, swinging diagonally, aiming the third fifth of his blade for his master's shoulder. He held back his strength. He did not want to give away his secrets. That he was capable of so much more, if only he could tap into his true powers.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Kraross swept the slash aside effortlessly and leaped aside, swinging in his own slash horizontally towards Kalen's core.

[Renegade]

Kalen was able to roll back, dodging the blow to his stomach, and spring back towards his master, lightsaber held high for a downward slice. He used a little bit of force to propel himself with increased speed.

[Tifa Lockhart]

A smirk crossed Kraross's face as Kalen launched himself at him using the force. He dodged aside, his free hand pushing forward to throw a wall of force to push back Kalen.

[Renegade]

The force hit Kalen like a brick wall, as his trajectory was abruptly altered at a ninety degree angle. His saber flung from his hand and skittered across the floor, as he hit the ground, defeated. He got to his feet slowly, what now? As a Sith the social standard for defeat was rage and humiliation, but none of the masters seemed to take amusement from his sudden and quick defeat. They simply watched and assessed as though it was expected for him to have lost.
He called the saber back to him and deactivated, he took a wild guess at what he had to do, and bowed his head to Kraross.