Just as she’d mentioned, Amalia offered the women their training sabers, color of their choice, before leaving them to their own devices for an hour or two. Sure, she’d just gotten through explaining how reckless they were, but leaving the two on their own showed that Amalia was trying to afford some amount of trust in them. If they could stay out of trouble for a couple of hours while she attended to errands for their trip ahead, it meant that they could eventually be trusted with a lot more. It was a promising explanation as well as to show that Amalia could be lenient when she wanted to be, and not a complete hardass most of the time. Urging the two to try and stay out of trouble, the Jedi went off to exchange her single person ship for something much more accommodating. It wouldn’t be perfect, but whatever she got would suit them well enough until they could arrive on Ossus.

Having settled on a basic transport that would afford the trio some decent room to walk around in, particularly for training purposes, Amalia then settled on gathering much needed supplies. Food that would last them longer than the trip ahead, just in case they should get strained unexpectedly. Medical supplies, in case of emergencies, and anything else she could think of that they might need along the way.

Knowing that both women had a knack for trouble of various variety, Amalia could only hope that she had made the right decision on offering Ember and Natalya a break, she thought, as she made her way back to the apartment with supplies in hand. It had only been a few hours, but with luck, the Jedi Master would discover that her trust in the women had not been misplaced.

Ember found herself annoyed while left to wait for Amalia. She activated her blue training saber and began twirling it in her hand while slouched over a plush chair. The mere idea of having to deal with a training saber was insulting and something Ember was having trouble dealing with. The one thing all of her masters had ever noticed was her ability to wield the weapon rather flawlessly. In fact, her training saber was taken away very early as it was the one thing she progressed well in.

Ember got up and stood in an area of the dwelling where there was some ample room and began to twirl the saber around herself. The blue blade hummed and glowed brightly as she seemed to effortlessly fling the weapon as if she were a seasoned veteran. Saber combat was the one thing Ember came close to feeling proud of. She was confident in herself and some of her movements, which could be perceived as advanced, she considered rather easy.

Taking a moment to pause, Ember saw Natalya out of the corner of her eye. She deactivated her training saber and tossed it onto a table. She considered the device useless but this argument was not meant for Natalya but for Amalia. “Impressed?” Ember cracked a smirk. “Well, don’t be too impressed,” she added as she walked up to a set of glasses and picked one up. She motioned towards Natalya as she walked over to a larger table and placed the small glass at its center.

Ember sat down on a char and stared at the crystal object for several seconds before she raised her hand. The glass began to shake as she reached out with the force in an effort to make the glass slide over to her. After a few more seconds, the glass shook more violently and then suddenly shattered. Ember let out a loud sigh as she stood up and faced Natalya. “See? Now I don’t seem so… experienced.”

Placing her hands on her hips, Ember looked back at the shattered pieces of glass. “I can twirl a saber with the best of them but when it comes to moving a stupid little thing like a glass I fail again and again. I just don’t get it. I mean, so many other Jedi I have met start off doing stuff like this and I have only been able to make a few fruits hover around me for a few minutes. My former masters blamed it on me being a restless youth with little patience for such things.”

Ember walked over and picked up the training saber she tossed down earlier. “These stupid toys are not going to help us. If we get into a fight,” she added as she pulled out her blaster. “You’d better make sure you have one of these until Amalia comes to her senses and gives us our real sabers back.” Ember dropped the hilt of the training saber onto the floor and then kicked it into a corner. “Stupid toy,” she mumbled as she nervously ruffled her hair.

Her attention now turned to Natalya as she offered her a curious glance. “So, a Vinda-girl, huh? I heard your daddy was in the news not long ago. What was it like growing up with him?” Deep down, after meeting Natalya so recently, Ember really did not care but if her story got the training saber dilemma off her mind then she was all for hearing it.

Natalya couldn't help but watch as Ember twirled and swung her training Saber around with what seemed like genuine ease. Her earlier train of thought, regarding Ossus suddenly suspended as Ember displayed her prowess. 

It was only then, the significance of Ember's namesake hit Nat.  
The young Jedi had been so excited at the thought of going to Ossus, she had almost missed this not-so-minor piece of information. 

To say that the revelation that Ember was in fact a Skywalker came as a surprise to Natalya, was an understatement, but this combined with Ember's apparent proficiency with the training Saber, left Nat feeling somewhat dumbstruck, and perhaps a little foolish. 

As the Jedi apprentice effortlessly whirled her Saber about, Nat found herself a little envious at the girl's obvious skill with the weapon. An area she had been desperate for more training in. The apprentice found herself mentally counting the various styles Ember seemed to switch seamlessly into. There were many Nat did not even recognise. 

And while she was no expert in history, Nat knew the significance of the Skywalker name, and understood her own father had met Luke himself. She now began to understand why Amalia had taken such an interest in the girl sitting before her. 

Natalya took a seat on a kitchen chair opposite Ember and listened as the girl talked. Only raising an eyebrow as Ember showed the Blaster she had ensconced in only Vader knows where. 

"You’d better make sure you have one of these until Amalia comes to her senses and gives us our real sabers back.” 

Bemused, Nat just threw her a half smile in response. 

“So, a Vinda-girl, huh? I heard your daddy was in the news not long ago. What was it like growing up with him?” Ember said, steering the conversation towards Natalya… 

Bemusement turned to annoyance quickly. It was not being called a 'Vinda Girl' that got under her skin, but more the way Ember had said it. As if she had been born into a world of entitlement. 

Nat let it slide, mainly because, she knew Ember did not know her background, she also sensed the cocky girl wasn't really that interested anyway. 

The young Jedi's response was simple, she sighed, slowly rose from her chair, and threw Ember a sardonic expression as she replied...

"I wouldn't know" 

This comment seemed to take Ember by surprise a little, and as the girl seemed to sense she had unwittingly hit a nerve, an awkward silence fell upon the room. 

Nat let her annoyance go and picked up the training Saber Ember had kicked across the floor and handed it back to her… 
"How about you show me how to do some of those moves you just did…and I'll show you how to stop terrorising glasses?" The young Jedi ventured with a wry smile.      

"Deal?"

.



 

Ember had realized her candor might have struck a nerve in Natalya but she was also fortunate she seemed to shrug it off rather quickly. She had made the, now obviously, wrong assumption Nat had grown up with her father and enjoyed a life of privilege that few can. It made Ember rather curious about her new friend if that was indeed what they were becoming. For now, it seemed best to tuck that topic away for another time when the two were on better terms with each other.
 
Watching in silence as Nat picked up the training weapon she had discarded moments ago and was rather surprised she was handing it back to her.
 
"How about you show me how to do some of those moves you just did…and I'll show you how to stop terrorizing glasses?"
 
Ember held out her hand and took the training saber from her.
 
“Deal?”
 
When Nat offered a smile, Ember returned it and even let out a soft chuckle over the glass comment. “Yeah, that sounds like a deal, Nat.” Ember had already learned that calling Natalya ‘Vinda-girl’ was not going to fly but she still ventured out in shortening her name and trying to be more personable.
 
Ember stood up and threw her training saber in the air where it spun a few times before landing back into the palm of her hand and activating. “Let me show you something really quick before Amalia gets back.” Ember leaned back and her saber lifted above her head and leaning back upon her right leg. The blue blade was close to Ember’s cheek with the tip pointed towards Natalya along with her left arm. Both of Ember’s eyes stared at her and seemed both confident and fierce as if Ember were ready to strike.
 
“Your opening stance is important and should be unique to you. It should be one where you can both react quickly to an opponent’s attack…” Ember made several fast blocking moves before she paused. “…and counter it efficiently,” she added before her saber whooshed loudly and she made several slashing moves ahead before resuming her starting stance. “I have been told that my stance resembles that of Master Kenobi yet I insist it is of my own as it should be. Besides, even I am not ignorant enough to think I am as good as Kenobi and try to be like him.” Ember deactivated her training weapon before she continued. “I’m better,” she added with a bright smile showing a little humor in the moment.
 
“It’s hit and miss, Nat. You have to try a few to see which one works and try not to be static about it. Just because you see one performed in a certain way does not mean you copy it perfectly. You have to mix it up and modify it so it becomes your very own.”
 
Hearing footsteps, Ember ruffled her hair anxiously. “I think Amalia is back. Hopefully she got a ship big enough that I can show you some more later. Then…” Ember began to push some of the glass shards on the table around with her fingernail. “Maybe you can show me some of your tricks too.”