Elesse knocks on her door after a while.

She drifts back into a normal amount of focus and bounces up out of bed. "Yeah, come in!" she calls.

She opens the door.

"Are you hungry?"

"Kinda, I guess?"

"I made some eggs, if you want."

"Oh, okay, yeah!" She doesn't bother stopping to change out of her sleep clothes, instead just heading straight to the kitchen.

Food is hers for the taking.

"What would you like to study today?"

"Hm... I learned a lot of history yesterday. So I wanna do more physical stuff or stuff with the Force today."

"All right. Get your exercise robe when you have finished eating."

"Okay!" She finishes quickly - not so quickly she'll make herself sick - then scurries off to change, bouncing back out shortly thereafter.

Then it's off to the training rooms. Elesse picks a small, private one. A ring is drawn in the center of the floor, and on the wall is a rack of training sabers.

"Today, we will begin with the basics of lightsaber training."

Excited noise as she examines the practice saber.

"I'm ready to learn. What's first?"

"The Jedi recognize seven distinct forms of lightsaber combat. Most people choose one or perhaps two to focus on. I will describe them, and you can tell me which you'd like to try.

"The first form is called Shii-Cho. It is the oldest, developed at the same time as the first lightsabers, and many of the later forms build or refine upon its techniques. Shii-Cho is characterized by wide, sweeping motions and deliberate and methodical advances. Its strength and its weakness lies in its simplicity.

"As the early Jedi became more accustomed to fighting with lightsabers, the disadvantages of the style when facing other blades became more apparent. The second form was created to address these shortcomings, and is called Makashi. It is precise and accurate, in contrast with Shii-Cho, focusing on leverage and footwork. It is more elegant than other forms, requiring less physical strength but more mental focus on the overall picture. However, it is less suitable for defending against other weapons, such as blasters.

"The third form is Soresu, and it turns the sweeping of Shii-Cho into a defensive net. Soresu values the guard above all else, and its philosophy states that one should hold their ground and wait for the enemy to make a mistake. It is the most passive of the forms. Some say this makes it the truest Jedi form, in keeping with the principle of nonaggression.

"Ataru is the name of the fourth form. It is characterized as the most acrobatic form. Jumps, leaps, and rolls are all integral pieces. Ataru relies on momentum to keep the opponent off-balance, and quick feet to stay alive, as you are not in one place long enough to form a true defense.

"Form five, Shien, is an extension of Soresu. Rather than wait for the opponent to expose themselves, a practitioner of Shien forces openings. This can be done by reflecting an attack or by brute strength. It can end a fight quickly, but it sacrifices some defensive mastery for the chance to do so.

"The sixth form is Niman, and is my preferred style. Sometimes called the diplomat's style for its fairly light attention to bladework, Niman blends elements of the previous forms, distilling a mixture of techniques that are broadly useful in many situations. True mastery of this form demands one be able to read each unique situation at a deep level, and adapt to the best course of action.

"The final form of lightsaber combat is Juyo. This form is aggression before all else, and combines the momentum of Ataru with the power of Shien. There are very few masters of Juyo in the Jedi Order, and I would not recommend it as the first form you study."

She hums. "Niman sounds very useful. But I think Ataru is the most like how I think? And it sounds fun. I probably also wouldn't be bad at Makashi, but I want a more flexible style... I'd probably be bad at Shii-Cho and Soresu, and I don't think I'd be extremely good at Shien or Juyo."

"So that all comes out to 'I should learn Ataru first.'"

"All right. Then let's get started. We'll run through some of the basic katas first and then try some jumping exercises, so you can think about what they'd be like with a saber."

"Okay!" She bounces. "I'm ready!"

Physical activity commences. They'll go until dinner or Anakin gets tired, whichever comes first.

Dinner, though Anakin's less energetic by the time it rolls around, instead a more relaxed sort of tired. She picks the forms up quickly, too, and seems to have a good imagination for how she'd incorporate a saber into her jumps.

They shouldn't get ahead of themselves. But at the rate she's going, it won't be that long before she can start to try it out.

She'll be careful and studious and whatever! (Lightsaber lightsaber lightsaber!!!)

(She actually is those things; it helps that Ataru is fun, and she currently wants to spend at least an hour a day on it, even when they're not doing more extensive exercises, woven in among meditation and studying. Maybe in the mornings to help her wake up? She doesn't learn mental stuff well in the morning, anyways, so morning's a good time for exercise and meditation.)

There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force.

"Why does no emotion link to peace? And don't you get knowledge from ignorance?"

"'Peace' here refers not to a physical lack of war, but to a mental state. A Jedi acknowledges her emotions, but does not let them drive her. Things like anger, worry, jealousy, fear, can all cloud your judgement and inhibit your connection to the Force. A quiet mind, a peaceful mind, is able to listen and think clearly. In a similar way, ignorance is more than a lack of knowledge, but a persistent state of mind. Things are not unknowable, but unknown. You can gain knowledge if you seek it."

"That makes sense, though happiness is an emotion and I don't think that's cloudy. And why no chaos and passion? Those sound fun."

"Fun they may be but they are not the Jedi ideal, which this Code describes."