Goodwood

As he meditated, Ben'a could sense as his padawan balanced the two logs, forming the pillars for the wooden arch. However, they needed to be driven into the ground, or the arch would fall over in the first high wind that came along. He sent a brief message to Nahstaa through the Force. "Every structure needs a foundation -- drive the pillars into the earth before the top log."

As Nahstaa worked, Ben'a sat down and began to meditate with his legs crossed, his body hovering about a foot off the ground as he did so.

Ben'a smiled. "Indeed, it was interesting," he said lightly. "It was even more interesting for me when I first learned. But also, be aware that there are other ways that minds can be influenced: some as simple as making your lightsaber thrust instead of parry, opening you for attack. But now you have learned enough to deflect all but the most powerful intrusions." Ben'a looked over to the wooden arch he had constructed earlier, thinking of what would be next... Finally, he smiled again. "That arch needs to be moved. Using your mind and the Force, take it piece by piece over there." He pointed to near the entrance to Tares' villa. "Be careful with how you do it, though, as the arch might collapse. But take your time, as well, since this will be your first time moving things." ((OOC: No less then three posts for this.))

Ben'a smiled as he accepted his lightsaber back from Nahstaa. "Indeed, the lightsaber can be death at the push of a button. However, not everyone can weild a lightsaber for that express purpose; for those whos connection to the Force is not strong, it is little more then a fancy cutting torch. Now, I must ask you to stand and turn your back to me." Ben'a and his padawan stood, and Nahstaa reluctantly turned his back to his master. Without preamble, Ben'a suddenly lashed out with the foll power of the Force at his command, driving his way deep into Nahstaa's unprepared mind and imprinting his will over the young man's own. "You are a crazed protocol droid!" The Knight watched the results of his handiwork, feeling that this was the only way to teach his Padawan -- the way he himself had learned...

Ben'a smiled broadly as Nahstaa told him what he saw. And he was correct, as well. "Spectacular, my friend. You looked beyond what was apparent to appreciate the meticulous detail, and in doing that, you saw the true beauty in this artifact." He handed the doll to Nahstaa. "Here, give this to your sister later, if you wish. But for now, there is one more thing I would have you look at before we move on." Again reaching into his robes, Ben'a pulled out his lightsaber. Feeling the residual energy in the weapon, he fingered the power switch, and the saber ignited with a snap-hiss. The emerald blade brightened up the area considerably, bathing the glen in green light, and a faint hum could be heard. After deactivating the weapon, Ben'a handed it reverently to his Padawan. "Take my lightsaber and examine it. Use the Force to see beyond the casing, and to learn the intricacies of the inner components. Spend as much time as you wish, but before you are done, I want you to know the innards like the back of your hand. When the time comes for you to build your own, you will be ready."

Ben'a continued to observe as Nahstaa reached out with the Force to feel the living creatures. As the Padawan gave a brief chuckle, Ben'a smiled, and drew Nahstaa's attention back to himself and his Master. "Excellent, most excellent. I sense that you have picked up on an important part of the cycle of life; life, death, and life from death. Indeed, what you feel about the termite is quite right. That is very wise, and something that is rare for one at your level of training to realize. As I may have said before, your time with the Sith; your time in the darkness, has and will continue to make you wise beyond your years. Now, if you would, close your eyes." As Nahstaa closed his eyes, Ben'a extracted an object from his robes and set it in the grass in between where they sat. He looked back up to Nahstaa, then, who was keeping his eyes shut. "I want you to use your new skills at awareness to tell me everything you can about this object." ((OOC: Be creative with this; the more creative, the better...))

Ben'a watched and felt as his Padawan expanded his awareness and reached out to his sister. The Naboo evening was quite warm, and now that the logjam had been taken care of, the stream in the nearby woods began to flow anew. The sounds of flowing water added to the immersion of sensory stimulation, as well as the energy of the Force that flowed so strongly on this world. In addition to the world about him, Ben'a could also sense what Nahstaa was thinking. "You are doing excellent, Nahstaa," he said to him through the Force. His Force-voice was calm and even; almost hypnotic as he spoke, urging Nahstaa to probe further. "Let the Force flow as a ally, and as an aid. Let go of your previous knowledge and prejudices..." Ben'a smiled to himself as he sat and observed his apprentice. He would make an excellent Jedi in his own right... "Feel out, Nahstaa...feel the life in the forest...feel its energy..."

As Ben'a stood by Nahstaa, looking at the others, he listened as his apprentice spoke. What he had said reflected almost perfectly what Ben'a was thinking, and that made him smile, though he kept it to himself. He turned back to Dhan-Jaroe one last time, and spoke in tones of closure. "Nahstaa is right, Master Kenobi. We can all see this, so why can you not? However, like Master Vortex said, this is not the issue." He turned about on his heel, then, and guided Nahstaa outside to the beautiful visage of the Naboo sunset. Once they were well away from the Vortex house, Ben'a sat, and motioned for Nahstaa to do the same. "That was a very good thing you did, Nahstaa," Ben'a said simply. "There is never any harm with someone speaking when they feel they must, provided the feelings they have and what they have to say is honest. You say you know almost nothing of the Jedi...well, I aim to remedy that; the vagueries of the past can wait, for now, I will teach you to open yourself to the Force. Allow me to demonstrate..." The Jedi Knight relaxed into a comfortable meditation pose, and reached deep into the Force, feeling it radiating through his body. Ben'a felt outward, and sensed several fallen logs nearby that blocked a small stream; using the Force as it flowed, he gently lifted the soaked and heavy wood from the streambed. They had risen ten feet above the forest floor before Ben'a called the logs to him, and as they neared, two of them turned vertical and embedded themselves in the earth, while a third set upon the two, forming a square wooden arch. "With the Force as your ally, wonderous things you can accomplish. But the Force is not a servent, nor is it a master...it is a companion. Its companionship is one that depends heavily upon the openness of the person to whom it aids; someone who believes that the Force is a plaything are corrupted by it, and those who use it as a tool for power are eventually destroyed by it." He paused for a moment, to let Nahstaa think of what he meant by this. Hopefully, he would make the connection Ben'a was aiming for... "When a Jedi is attuned to the Force, it can manifest itself in many unique ways; some feel it as an aura about themselves and other Force-users, while others view it as many binding strings of energy that only they can see. Still others feel it, and do not actually see what connects them. Suffice to say that there are as many ways of experiencing the Force as there are Force-users; as for you, that warmth you feel is your own way of connecting through the Force. "What I would like you to do is to let that warmth flow through you. Open yourself up to the Force, and let it guide you as you expand your awareness through it, to beyond your normal senses." There was a pause. "This is the first step in any Jedi's training...it is what prepares us to learn the things to come."

Ben'a took a deep breath before addressing Dhan-Jaroe's comment. It seemed to him, at least, that DJK was almost grasping at straws -- trying to justify, somehow, his disassociation with the Order. Though he couldn't quite explain why, this insight seemed to hit Ben'a particularly close to home. "I think all three of us know that Master Poleb isn't the best Jedi, Master Kenobi. However, who do you think you are to judge him like this? Who are any of us to say he's not the best? Do we judge a Jedi's worth by the apprentices they train? Do we judge them by their skills with the lightsaber, or the Force? And what of our judgements, once passed? "But you have a point -- particularly in relation to the incident on Hoth when Hou-Jo proclaimed himself a Master, and the leader of the Order. Though I am loathe to say it, I cannot help but see, and sense, some of his arrogance in you, Master Kenobi. And that, quite frankly, disturbs me." Ben'a turned to Tares once more before continuing. "Master Vortex, I do believe it is a good idea for us to spend time with our own apprentices. If you will excuse me..." Ben'a rose from his seat, and gave a short bow to Tares and Dhan-Jaroe, before taking his leave of the table. By this time, Skye and Nahstaa had returned, and Ben'a walked over to them, offering a warm smile. "It is time to train, Nahstaa," he said simply. "It is time to light that inner fire of yours; a fire of peace and justice...of the Force."

Somehow, what Dhan-Jaroe was proposing did not surprise Ben'a. From knowing him, this was almost expected...but there was one serious problem. "Master Kenobi, I do agree that we need to strike back at our enemies...but there is something that must be addressed beforehand. When I was on Manaan, I could sense a desire among some of the Jedi there to strike back at the Sith and the Empire. I myself felt a small desire for revenge upon the Hutts that betrayed us on Hoth. This leads me to the problems at hand: half of our number are either untrained, or unbound to masters and unable to engage in offensive action with their current levels of training. We must train them, but we must also be careful how we do so. Master Keiran showed me the skills of a Jedi, but he was not able to show me the true nature of the Dark side. If we are too hasty in training our hopefuls and apprentices in combat and other martial skills, we may lose some of them to the very forces we hope to destroy. "And there is another problem. If we go into this fight halfhearted; sending only the most powerful, we run the risk of dividing our numbers. If our powerful Masters are slain, the Sith can come for the rest of us, and they will destroy us with absurd ease. If we fight, it must be all or nothing. And from what I was able to sense on Manaan, there are some who may already be gearing up for the fight, though the rest of us are not ready." Ben'a looked over to where Skye and Nahstaa sat talking. He thought for a moment about what might happen if both fell to the dark side...the lure was powerful, even to people as committed to the light as the five in this villa. "My apprentice climbed from the depths of the Sith's clutches of his own free will...and I will not let him be dragged back down the dark path."

Ben'a's answer to Dhan-Jaroe Kenobi was short and to the point. "I asked you this once before -- what, exactly, do you mean by a 'Jedi more like you'?" Ben's thought for another moment before continuing. "Master Kenobi, for what its worth, I can understand the impatinece that you have with some in the Order. But Tares is right -- we do ourselves a disservice with whatever battles of ego we engage in. And from what Tares said of the past, we're doing well right now. But I do think we can do bettter. If we put our heads together, and come up with some sort of plan of action, there there should be no reason why we can't prompt an improvement of the Order overall. "And while I understand your feelings, I also feel that they can be a hinderence. Anger and frustration without purpose is of the dark side, so tell me...does your anger and frustration with the Order have a purpose?"

Ben'a listened with an open mind to what Master Tares was saying. The elder Jedi was right, of course. Ben'a had not been with the Order that long, not nearly as long as Tares. And he had seen the fall; compared to that, the Hoth battle had been a minor skirmish... When he spoke, Ben'a's voice was calm and collected. "Forgive me my impatience, Master Tares. I understand what you mean. I suppose that, since I am still reletively new to the Order, I have not seen the truly dark times, and I am glad of that. "However, you say that instinct comes from good choices. But I don't quite see it that way. Good choices come from instinct, but not wholly so; instinct, combined with one's experineces, judgement, and skill, are what form our choices. It is only afterwards that we can see if those choices we made were good or bad. I made some bad choices on Hoth during the battle, but I feel that I am somewhat wiser for them.. "I leanred that, sometimes, one needs to stand and fight, whatever the odds." Ben'a sat at a table and took a long pull from his drink. It somehow felt good to be exchanging ideas with a Master such as Tares. He hoped that, someday, he would come to posess the wisdom to make a difference in the course of the universe. But he could wait; whatever would happen, whatever his destiny might be, would come of its own accord. "And I've learned something else today. Our choices are not always permemant; if one is strong enough, they can reverse a wrong turn down a path one determines to be incorrect."

As he accepted his drink, Ben'a listened to the discussions around him. He wanted to speak his mind about the Council and other happenings within the Order to the two senior Jedi with him, but first, he had to address Nahstaa and Skye. Taking a sip of his juice, he turned to the pair of Padawans. "Master Tares should have something for you, Nahstaa. Ask him, and he'll direct you, I'm sure. As for that fire, that shouldn't be a problem. Oh, and we'll be staying on Naboo for as long as I can forsee, so there's no need to worry about having to depart. Once you're ready, go and get acquainted with Skye." Ben'a turned to Tares and Dhan-Jaroe, his face set. He had done a lot of studying and soul-searching during his time with the Order, and there were several things on his mind that he desired to make known. If only to a few who would listen. Drawing up his courage, he spoke in frank terms, his voice and face a determined mask. However, he kept his feelings open to the two before him. "I'm sorry if this seems impetuous or headstrong, Masters, but I feel this must be said. The 'flow', as you define it, Master Tares, does not rest with those in the Council, but in the Force. Jedi should not strive for rank, for we were not meant to serve rank, but to serve the Force, and to carry out its will. I feel that to organize like we have, though it can serve a purpose, can be taken to an extreme that will draw us into the mundame. This is what undermined the Old Jedi Order, under the Old Republic "As it happens, I do believe that the Council is indeed mired in the mundame. When I waited outside of the Council chambers aboard the Eternal Vigilance with Master Kenobi, I felt what went on there, though not the specifics. The Council is rife with indecision; it is not intended, I am sure, but the fact remains that it is there, and it is undermining what we are as an order. One of them in particular seemed to be downright lost, and another was more focused on their own agenda then what was best for the Order." Ben'a paused then, remembering the tumalt that he had felt in the Force in the leadup to the battle at Hoth. It pained him to think about it...he had died there... "In the time before the battle at Hoth, I and several of the other Knights at the temple felt a dark disturbance. But none of the Masters were around to help us interperate those feelings, or to take steps to ensure we were prepared for what happened. We need to consolidate, we need to organize, but more importantly, we need to focus on getting more in tune with the Force, and getting everyone trained to their maximum potential." ((OOC: Yes, I do have issues with how the Jedi are run...can ya tell? ))

((OOC Its Ben'a, not Goodwood... )) Ben'a smiled at Tares, and nodded furtively to Dhan-Jaroe. He had, of course, long known Master Kenobi already -- having first met him during his training with Keiran Valoria. Ben'a knew all about him and his "issues" with the Jedi -- issues that the Knight shared to a degree -- and though he admired the man for sticking to what he believed to be right, Ben'a thought that he should at least try to reconcile with the Order. But that was an argument for another day. "We've met before," Ben'a says to Tares with a smile. "Skye, I've known since Hoth, and Master Kenobi, I first met not that far from here on Naboo. It was the Force that drew me to meet Nahstaa on Coruscant." He turned to Skye and Nahstaa, then, to answer their question. "You ask what will happen next, and with good reason. I can sense the joy that the two of you feel at being reunited after so long, and I am glad that I could help with this. But the question you pose is one that you yourselves, and no one else, can answer. The path that lies before you has, and always will, depend on the choices you make. Now I must ask the both of you: what do you choose for yourselves?" Waiting while the two Padawans made their choices, Ben'a glanced back to Tares and DJK, a hopeful smile playing about his features. Though he knew not what they would say, he could feel good thinga about the future from Skye and Nahstaa.

As Ben'a continued to follow Nahstaa towards the villa, he could also see the two beings emerge from within. By sight, he could confirm what he had felt; it was indeed Skye and Tares. And as Nahstaa put on a renewed burst of speed, Ben'a accelerated with him...soon the pair of them were face-to-face with the other two Jedi. Ben'a motioned for his friend to get acquainted, all the while smiling broadly. "Well, this is an interesting set of circomstances, isn't it?" he said lightly.

As Ben'a continued to run behind Nahstaa, he, too, could sense the presence of who they were looking for. And as he felt out to them through the Force, he recieved a minor shock; the two beings they sought out were Skye Organa and Tares Vortex... The two continued to make their way towards the other Jedi, still running.

Ben'a walked off in the wake of his new Padawan, Nahstaa, the Sith-turned-Jedi. This fellow would be that much the wiser for having turned his back on the dark path, and for embrasing the Force not as a tool for power, but as a conduit to understanding and peace. It was truly an honor for Ben'a to be given the opportunity to train this man. The trek went on for quite a while of walking; Ben'a could sense himself that they weren't that far away. However, the journey might go a bit faster if he offered Nahstaa a bit of training... "Nahstaa, hold for a moment, please. I will teach you something that may make our journey swifter; the ability to tap into the Force and speed your movements." Looking him in the face, Ben'a gave a nod that said quite plainly to watch and learn. The Jedi turned on his heel, and allowed his mind to sink into the embrace of the Force. In a flash, he had taken off at a run, and equally quickly, his run had tripled in speed. By the time Ben'a stopped, he was a quarter-mile away from Nahstaa. "Now, Nahstaa," Ben'a told him through the Force. "If you let yourself fall into the embrace of the Force, it can aid you in many ways." Ben'a began to run back to his Padawan, and soon he was back beside him. "Now, I'd like you to try."

Ben'a turned again to Nahstaa as he asked where they were. Geographically speaking, the Jedi didn't exactly know, himself, but with the Force as their guide, they would find his sister soon enough. Ben'a wsan't exactly sure who his sister was, anyway...but he suspected that soo he would find out. "We're in the Lake Country. There are some beautiful locations here, as well as a few scattered households and vacationing spots. If you know where she is, or how to find her, then we should go to her." Motioning for Nahstaa to do the same, Ben'a regains a standing position. He looks about him, judging the hour, and how they should proceed. Making his mind up, he turns back to Nahstaa. "Looks like you're leading the way..."

Ben'a came out of his own meditative state at Nahstaa's words. What he was feeling, when taken with what he had told the Jedi before, seemed to fill in some sort of gap. Ben'a looked past Nahstaa, in the direction he was facing, almost as if he were looking through the younger man's own eyes. "Use the Force within you, to look further," Ben'a began, speaking as a mentor. "You have used the Force before, though it is limited, but the bonds between Force-sensitive siblings are some of the strongest in the Universe. Use that bond, use it to reach out to your sister...whomever she may be..." Ben'a sank back into his meditative pose, and used the Force within him to give aide and support to Nahstaa as he sat next to him.

A single X-wing fighter emerges from hyperspace over the planet of Naboo. Ben'a brings the fighter down into the atmosphere, and lands in a peaceful meadow near the edge of a large forest in the Lake Country; it is nighttime here, and as Ben'a popped open the canopy of his craft, the sounds and smells of this paradise wafted in. The Force was warm and alive here. Gently, Ben'a lifted Nahstaa from the cargo compartment and brought him, still in the trance, down to the grasses. Setting his hand on the man's head, he lifted the effect, and Nahstaa began to stir. Within five minutes, he was fully awake. "This place is very strong in the Force, due to the enormous abundance of life here. You can feel it, I am sure, and for now, I just want you to let that feeling flow. Explore your relationship with the Force..." As Nahstaa sat there, Ben'a sat beside him, opening himself up to the Force, as well. He let his awareness expand as far as it wished, letting the Force guide him, instead of the other way around.

Taking a roundabout route of randomly-selected and untracable jump points, Ben'a Solo's snubfighter makes its way through space to the lush cradle of life that is Naboo.

Ben'a fired up the power converters on his X-wing, and took off from The Gateway. He soon jumped into hyperspace, heading for The Last Call

Above the world of Byss, a slave ship winked into existance. After beginning what would have looked like an ordinary decent, the ship suddenly plunges downward straight for the academy hanger, whos doors are still open from the last ship to leave -- this ship. Executing its last pre-programmed order, the ship activates its emergency sublight engines, slamming straight into the hanger at nearly 100MGLT. The resulting explosion rocks the entire complex, causing unknown damage and casualties ((OOC: Ben'a has no idea what kind of damage is going on -- this is all on autopilot, and there's no tracing where we were. So be good sports and accept the damage.))

A slave ship formerly belonging to the Sith streaks through hyperspace, in a series of preprogrammed and untracable hyperspace jumps. Its destination: Byss...flying on autopilot.

Ben'a nods to Nahstaa in reply. His sentiments about his escape vehicle were perfectly understandable, but Ben'a felt that to sell it or donate it would be, somehow, wrong. It needed to be destroyed, and Ben'a knew just how. With Ayevit and Nahstaa in tow, Ben'a made his way to where it was docked; with respect to his wishes, he left the ex-Sith with his drink in a small alcove. As he walked up to the ship, Ayevit began to tap into its computer system, and soon the door opened with a hissing noise. "Okay, Ayevit, jack into that thing..." The droid did as it was told, its advanced computer systems slicing swiftly through the security. Sith were smart, that much Ben'a knew, but they weren't always up on the latest technology. Within moments, the astromech had pulled up command codes and a route of origin for the slave ship. "Byss, eh?" Ben'a muttered as he browsed the files. "An academy there..." Ben'a's voice was suddenly crisp as he belted out orders. "Ayevit, download all you can from this ship about the Sith; their organization, their holdings, access codes...everything." The droid did as it was told, issuing beeps and whistles as it did so. This information, combined with whatever Nahstaa might be willing to share, could tell the Jedi a lot about what the Sith were up to, as well as weaknesses. But there remained something else...this slave ship. After another fifteen minutes, Ayevit had finished the download. Acting quickly, Ben'a punched in a series of commands, and finally set the ship onto an autopiloted course back to where it came from, with something special for those at its destination. "Nahstaa," Ben'a began once he and Ayevit had exited the ship. "Your ship was worth more then you knew...but we have its worth right here." He indicated Ayevit. "And now, we'll destroy the evidence..." The two men turned about to see the slave ship take off one last time, and flash back into hyperspace, heading for its former home...