Lehon - Jedi Temple

[Padme]

"Um, I'm not sure if you remember, but we are supposed to meet a mile from here. And we only have maybe ten minutes to get there. I'm going now." Came Ads' words, at which point the teen pulled her belongings back to her pocket, put her tray of half consumed food away and then ran behind the her companion.

 

"Hey, sorry about that. I completely lost track of time," Halo yelled out to Ads, shortly after catching up to him. She rand next to him until they both reached the meeting place. Knight Joreel of course was already waiting. The teen immediately bowed upon closing in on him and then moved back, to give him space. Not a word left her mouth. Instead, she stood nearly a tall tree- trying to gain her breath.

[Adrian Makaryk]

By the time Adrian even reached the cafeteria, his stash of fruit was very nearly gone. His master did not stay long; instead he instructed the others to meet him at some completely unknown location in fifteen minutes. Oh dear, the line to get food looked like it was fifteen minutes long. Poor Adrian!

 

The tall padawan's eyes darted about, in search of any expedited way to secure a nutritious, or at least semi-nutritious, brunch. The padawan was no stranger to having to eat quickly--in his old line of work five-minute "meal" breaks were not uncommon--but he was a stranger to lines. A display across from the cafeteria, located in something that resembled a bookstore like that of his old medical school, caught his eye. Perhaps the line would be shorter there? Quickly, Adrian left the cafeteria to investigate, to find that said bookstore sold protein bars, energy drinks, and other edible study paraphernalia. While not ideal for taste, the protein bars would certainly deliver adequate nutrition for the next few hours. Adrian wasted no time in buying a few with his newly-issued funds, jammed one of them into his mouth, and then proceeded to return to the cafeteria.

 

He found Ads and Halo already leaving. Oh, dear. As he had not the slightest kriffing clue where that clearing Joreel had referenced actually was, he figured he had better rush off to follow them.

 

(OOC: sorry for the meh post, but I couldn't think of anything...)

[Joreel Ordo]

((I will assume Ads has arrived))

 

Joreel turned around when his students came out to him and a smile graced his face to see them all looking fit and ready for the second and last lesson he would have them do today. He stepped in between all the scattered debris of the ruins nearby and with a motion of his hand, lifted them into the sky.

 

"A fundamental Jedi skill is telekinesis," he said, walking in front of the Padawans, his hand up in the air, but now his fingers fidgeting inward, causing the debris to spin in the air. "The ability, as you can see, to freely move objects, or people in some cases, in any space you see fit. The larger the object, the more will and constitution in your ability it requires to hold and move about."

 

He allowed the stones to fall to the grass and dirt and reached out to his students, lifting each of them slightly off the ground.

 

"It takes a while to Master," he said as he slowly lowered them back down, "but it is a necessary skill that once learned, won't ever be forgotten."

 

He moved behind his Padawans and stood looking at the scattered debris.

 

"Each of you, pick a piece of the ruin, and then, go ahead and attempt to lift it into the air using nothing but the Force. Just like you reached out to feel my presence you can reach out to the stone and ally with the Force to have it sorround the debris and lift it as you need it to, into the air."

 

((I want this to be 600 words minimum explain how each of you mentally work out how to do this task.))

[Adrian Makaryk]

Adrian Makaryk fidgeted nervously as his instructor gave a few cursory demonstrations of telekinesis, along with the barest of explanations. Like his other two students, Joreel Ordo seemed to take telekinesis for granted. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he had seen instruction so broad, so vague that he had so little idea of how to apply it. Certainly the last occurrence of a class leaving Adrian befuddled like this happened before medical school, where everything that was not explained in painstaking detail, the student could readily research in painstaking detail, until he had mastered the subject matter.

 

The eldest student found himself even more confused when he failed to identify through the Force just what Joreel expected him to do. By the time Joreel had indicated he expected his students to perform this 'telekinesis,' or whatever it was, he had concluded his own demonstration thereof, leaving Adrian bereft of example just when he needed it most. No matter, Adrian would just wait for the two younger students to show off, and observe what they did, and mimic their efforts...there might be some error involved, but at least it would give him a starting point that had completely bypassed him the first time around.

 

Only the other two pupils never went. Adrian glanced over at Halo, his grey eyes large and practically pleading her to break what quickly seemed to be developing into some kind of standoff where no one seemed to want to go first. But Halo didn't seem to notice, for she was too busy rolling her eyes at the instructor. Yet the doctor, already previously embarrassed by his medical episodes, dared not humiliate himself further. Halo would not help him with something so basic; he certainly couldn't expect Ads to help him, either, for the younger male was a perfect stranger. At least he had had some interaction with Halo, having treated her for Ads' roughhousing.

 

It seemed Adrian Makaryk was on his own.

 

By now, the student realized the expectations placed upon him were high--which also explained his reluctance to seek remedial explanations, at least in front of the other two students. His prior knowledge of biochemistry had allowed the doctor to utilize the Force in ways that most students of his experience level (or lack thereof) could not--sensing metabolic processes and even calling upon the Force to accelerate his own short-term recovery a few thousand times over. But while Joreel had described the Force as "the reaction, the reagent," Adrian had used it as a catalyst, one that effectively supplanted one of the enzymes of his body to allow him to store sugars faster. But catalysts did not change in such biochemical reactions; they merely facilitated them, lowered the energy threshold required to initiate them, and remained otherwise unchanged after the reaction completed. Though Adrian had had to concentrate to maintain the desired effect to completion, he had barely altered the Force at all, due to that particular quirk of chemistry. Joreel had started healing him and expended the Force heavily in doing so; in contrast, Adrian knew with precision what it was he had required, and therefore in the case of his own treatment, could direct the Force in such an efficient way that it could barely be registered at all.

 

But that had opened a high expectation that now Adrian could not hope to meet. Telekinesis was well outside his area of expertise. He would be lucky to even sense, outside the five usual senses, the inanimate objects Joreel expected him to lift.

 

He opened himself to the Force, in the only way he knew how. He had no problem sensing himself, nor Halo, nor Ads, nor Joreel. He could sense the living just fine. All vibrant presences in the Force, some burning through much more energy to sustain life than others. He could even sense the jungle plants around him soaking up the late-morning sun, and various critters (having never visited Lehon, nor even having set foot off his home planet before, he lacked familiarity with the indigenous species) scurrying about, some munching on berries and assorted fruits for sustenance, some looking for a heartier meal consisting of meat. All of it, full of boundless energy, to be used, consumed, recycled and returned to the environment in the natural way of things, much the way Jedi were in theory supposed to see the Force.

 

But in the rocks, in the ruins...there was no energy. Except possibly that used by the bacterial colonies and lichens growing upon them. And that which could be chemically released from the rock itself, such as by submitting it to some kind of hypermatter reaction and converting its mass to energy directly (which would at minimum release enough energy to blow a large crater in Lehon's surface). There wasn't really anything alive about the rocks and ruins; Adrian could sense no statistically significant amount of energy about them to manipulate. Adrian might well have been attuned to the living, but he most certainly was not attuned to the dead...which left him at a loss of just how to utilize the Force, which more or less emanated from living things, to affect the nonliving, inanimate objects.

 

The rocks and the ruins sat there, devoid of potential energy, upon the ground. Adrian perceived no source of energy short of direct physical force with which to move them. The other students didn't much seem to care, leaving him deprived of the chance to observe just what he was supposed to be doing. As a result, and too embarrassed to say anything, Adrian Makaryk sank deeper into confusion...

 

(OOC: Halo eye-rolling used with permission)

[Padme]

As the Naaboian Padawan gained her breath Adrian arrived- right behind her and Ads. It seems the elder Padawan was all along following behind the pair. At the sight of all three Padawans, Joreel- the Jedi Knight proceeded with instructions.

Several debris moved in the air at the apparent summoning of the Jedi Knight. More words were uttered, and then came the instructions for the Padawans:

 

"Each of you, pick a piece of the ruin, and then, go ahead and attempt to lift it into the air using nothing but the Force. Just like you reached out to feel my presence you can reach out to the stone and ally with the Force to have it surround the debris and lift it as you need it to, into the air."

 

The teen was dumfounded at the sound of Knight Joreel’s rather short instructions. Her eyes fell on Ads, and then back to the elder Padawan. Seconds later it drifted up to the tree she was standing by. Hadn’t she already done the task at hand? A more grueling one too- now that she thinks about it. Lifting a durasteel crate was nothing compared to shifting a bunch of debris and dead particles around. True each task relied on telekinesis but the instructions at hand annoyed the teen nonetheless.

 

For a while no on volunteered to proceed with the task at hand. Halo was certainly not going to be the first. In fact, the teen Padawan nearly gave a verbal rebuttal to Joreel’s instructions, but alas Adrian saved the moment as he attempted to do the Knight’s biding. Halo could tell Adrian was struggling with the exercise, that confirmation came when Adrian’s eyes collided with hers. Halo’s eyes however were spinning like an annoyed teenager short of throwing a tantrum.

 

Adrian thus far has consistently failed at each assigned task. Perhaps his attempt at this one would save him- thought the blonde while still rolling her sapphire blue eyes. Moments later sheer confusion graced the elder Padawan’s face. Halo nearly laughed, but she didn’t. Instead she turned her gaze on Ads and then back on the poor man- Adrian- and then finally stepped up. Drawing on the Force the teen tuned her senses and will around the debris. She couldn’t help but notice several of the rocks, as they reminded her of her pebble collection…

 

Still saturated with the Force, the Naaboian Jedi summoned not one, not two, but three huge stones- each of which were bigger than the ones Knight Joreel had lifted earlier in his demonstration. Even so the combined weight of the stones was certainly menial when compared to the durasteel crate she’d lifted the day before. Unlike the durastel crate, the teen didn’t have to exert that much of a will to suspended the debris in the air. She thought about accidentally dropping the stones on Ads- pay back of sorts for the injury that now graced her forehead- but one look at Joreel caused her to quickly not follow through with that idea. Haloburner allowed the stone debris to suspend mid air- above her head- for several seconds before gently releasing them inside her now extended hands.

 

Once the stones were settled in her hands she looked at her master and then within seconds beckoned the Force around her again. Seconds later the three sets of stones were back suspended in the air, and then finally gently released back down on the floor. Unlike the durasteel crate exercise, the teen did not break a sweat nor did she feel drained.

Haloburner uttered not a word for her actions spoke for her.

[Wybert]

Wybert had been on Lehon for a couple of hours, living off the land and had already resorted to drinking his own urine. He wandered around aimlessly, the one thing he was good at, until he managed to see what appeared to be a building in the distance. He was as curious as a cat so he made his way towards it. As he neared the temple he could hear people so he slowed down and went into spy mode. He dived into some bushes at the base of a tree and peered through some leaves, he could see four people. He was trying to figure out who they were when it dawned on him,

 

"They must be bounty hunters."

 

His heart was pounding but he realized however that he had caught them at a disadvantage and was still in hiding. He did what anybody would do in his situation, he started grabbing leaves and twigs and stuffing them into his robes. He was almost satisfied with his ghillie suit, he looked around and found a large leaf that was about the size of his torso. He picked it up and held it out in front of him in a valiant effort to conceal himself. He slowly got into a crouch, prideful in his creation he stepped into the clearing. He might have been concealed in the bushes but as was quite common for Wybert he didn't think ahead and as he made his way toward the "bounty hunters" there was a sudden jump in the amount of rustles and crackles that could be heard. Dried leaves were raining out of robes as he crept towards them, the leaves tickled but he managed to suppress his giggles. When he got within twenty meters of his assailants he stopped dead in his tracks and plopped down onto his stomach.

 

Inconspicuous

[Ads-Gop Flif]

Not long after Ads and Halo arrived, Adrian also came to the ruins. Once the three of them had caught their breath, Joreel Ordo began to speak to them with a smile gracing his face.

 

"A fundamental Jedi skill is telekinesis. The ability, as you can see, to freely move objects, or people in some cases, in any space you see fit. The larger the object, the more will and constitution in your ability it requires to hold and move about. It takes a while to Master, but it is a necessary skill that once learned, won't ever be forgotten. Each of you, pick a piece of the ruin, and then, go ahead and attempt to lift it into the air using nothing but the Force. Just like you reached out to feel my presence you can reach out to the stone and ally with the Force to have it sorround the debris and lift it as you need it to, into the air."

 

As Joreel spoke, he liifted some of the debris into the air and then set them down as a demonstration of what the padawans were to do.

 

Joreel Ordo's words were succeeded by a rather awkward silence. Glancing to the other padawans and seeing that neither of them seemed to want to go first only served to make Ads even more uncomfortable; he had never liked being the first to do something as he favored observation to action in most cases. He did always feel pressure to be the first to finish when everyone started at the same time, but he hated starting first. Ads was actually very surprised that Halo hadn't already lifted as many rocks as she could, but he wasn't particularly surprised to see that Adrian looked quite befuddled. It wasn't that Adrian seemed like he was bad at using the force, Ads, in his limited perception actually thought Adrian had the most potential of all three padawans, but Adrian simply had no idea what he was doing, he was completely out of his element. Ads cast his mind back to when he was in a similar circumstance at Master RaveN's academy years ago. He smiled at the memory just as Halo finally lifted three boulders, which forced Ads to suppress a small chuckle.

 

Ads knew that his turn was next. He knew how he could put Halo in her place, with only a cursory thought to the contrary, he began to execute his plan. He quickly glanced past Halo and found a very small pebble. Feeling that it was slightly cliche, but still worth it, for him to do this to Halo, he brought the pebble toward Halo's head. It was a small enough pebble and it was flying slowly enough that it wouldn't really hurt her at all, but it should be enough to distract her slightly as a safety net to ensure Ads' success. As the pebble made contact about at the base of her skull, Ads looked into the force to feel the boulders. With the force augmenting both the speed at which he could perceive what he sensed and the sheer quantity of what he could perceive, he was able to sense the points around the rocks as though they were simply constraints in a 3D computer model. Ads ripped the boulders from Halo and set them atop one another. He oconsidered jumping onto the rock that was on top of the stack, but he didn't want to overdo it. Also, he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to hold the rocks and jump at the same time. That was the real reason.

 

It was only then that Ads realized that Joreel might not like what Ads had just done.

 

Oops

[Joreel Ordo]

Joreel had not been surprised at the successes and failures of his students. Adrian had been having a hard time focusing on the lifeforce of the Force itself, the concept of it surronding and binding everything, even inanimate objects like droids, rocks and the like, seemed to bewilder him. He would have to have additional instruction, some one on one tutoring to show him the concept of accessing the greater nature of the Force, and how it is in every particle of everything in the air, space, and is generated by life. Halo had been a forerunner who seemed to have had previous experiences with the Force, or she just was a true natural at it. Either way she seemed to pride herself on accomplishing more at a greater pace than the others. The Jedi Knight pondered if she would ever hit a wall, and he was determined to find some challenge for her to help her progress.

 

Ads was a different story. He intended to show off his abilities gained from years of various understudy and Joreel while he didn't approve, couldn't necessarily blame the young man. He was bored with the remedial lessons that Joreel had provided thus far, a sad fate for a talented young man to be stuck in something far underneath his more advanced knowledge base. The Mandalorian did not disrupt them, though once each of them, aside Adrian, had done what he instructed he stepped forward a bit and began to address them again.

 

"Ads, please do not do such a thing again, I know you covered this with your old masters, but there is no reason to bloat to your comrades. We are here to work, learn and train together, as one unit. The Jedi Order has great strength, but only when we are unified. When all of us can act as one we are impenetrable, unstoppable, and the peace that we preserve for the galaxy is unbroken.

 

He finished and stood in front of Adrian and he allowed himself to produce an encouraging smile at the young doctor.

 

"This will be your first test as a unit, together, myself included, we are going to help Adrian here. Life in war and his career as a doctor has left his mind a bit closed to the idea of the living Force, this is not a bad thing, and it is something many padawans have to overcome to be able to use the Force. It is why the Order tries to get Force Sensitives when they are children as their minds are more broad and open to new interpretations of the world about them, but it is not impossible to do in older students, all of us here now are proof enough of that."

 

The Jedi Knight walked pas Adrian and was behind the students on the edge of the jungle-like forest nearby He turned on his heel to him and he lifted his arms, allowing the Force that was being generated by the abundant life of the forest. He allowed the Force to flow directly to Adrian, wrapping and surrounding him in the living Force.

 

"Ads, Halo, please do as I am doing, allow yourselves to allow the abundance of the Force in this place to flow through you and direct it, like you did with the rocks, to surround Adrian.

 

"Adrian, close your eyes, and try to see, see with the Force, feel its energy around you, don't think about midichlorians, don't think about organelles, ectoplasmic reitculum, enzymes, or anything medical. That is another skillset for a later date. Instead, focus on just the feeling of the Force, it's constant energy surrounding and binding every living thing. When you can feel it, when you can feel the trees and ferns and shrubs, the grass on the hill and the three of us who are connecting to you and aiding the Force in flowing through you. Say so."

[Roene Givrah]

A shrouded figure sat with his back to a large lake. His legs were crossed one over the other and his hands were raised to the middle of his body; one hand of tanned, callused skin and the other hand made of what looked to be wood. The measure of height between the hands was exactly the same. Their position never changed and the figure kept them alarmingly still. Brilliant white hair fell in a single line from the top of the figure’s head to the ground. A long white beard matched it on the other side, but its size was only enough to reach the figure’s abdomen. The wind consumed the figure’s weather beaten face and pushed the long strands of white into the air. His cold blue eyes rested behind heavy lids and the murmur of his breathing barely broke the music of nature that played around him.

 

The morning breeze whipped, the strong trees creaked and leaves rustled as they brushed across the ground.

 

Behind him, the expanse of water stretched a good two hundred feet in each direction. The depth of the water gave its body a cool midnight blue shade and aside from the ripples on its surface, the rhythm of the current was hushed. A cold morning mist blanketed the ground and played silently at the figure’s legs. The cold temperature teased his muscles to break, but the figure never moved. The muscles in his thighs rested and although the biting cold struck his skin, he did nothing to counter. He simply sat.

 

The only deviation in the form’s static state was the mist that pooled around his mouth, indicating his still, but consistent breaths.

 

Sapphire pools of energy consumed his fingers beyond the plane of mortal sight. His eyes shone a phantom luminescence and danced like pyres of blue flame in the sky.

 

Upon the break of the next morning breeze, the figure’s legs shifted. They were one in their movements. The muscles hesitated only once, to indicate a shift in weight, and then each leg pushed simultaneously from the ground to bring the man to his feet. A pulse of light blew from his feet at the move, but once the man found his stance once more, the energy faded. He brought his hands together at the center of his body’s gravity and they met with a surge of light emanating from within. He took a moment of silence, not shifting for the space of a second. Then, the man took his fingers and wove a pattern in the air before him.

 

His breathing was measured, practiced, and each move followed the flow of the world around him. The figure’s eyes were closed to the visible world, continuing to see from other eyes. He worked his hands through the air until a cascade of glittering energy exploded in the sky.

 

The figure smiled a full smile. He let his hands rest at his sides and tipped himself backward. The air whipped itself against him as he descended and a whoosh of fog blew away beneath him. He was cradled by the net of power that lingered in the air. It swelled around him like a massive bubble and when the figure broke it and dove headfirst into the cold water, the bubble burst into the visible spectrum, sending fireflies scattering into the water.

 

Wicked stabbing pangs of bitter cold dug into the man’s heart. He could feel the grip of the morning chill on his body and the mortal circumstances with which it came. However, once the fireflies touched the water, a mass of warm energy flew across the lake.

 

The frigid sting of fate’s cool embrace was washed away with celerity that defied reality.

This is what the force is…

 

This is what beauty is…

 

What hope is there for the Jedi when they forge the fires of war? What hope is there for me when I claim their rank? Do their actions make them not Jedi? Do my actions make me more Jedi than they?

 

The figure clasped his knees to his chest, using his arms. The glittering beams of light worked their way around him and after a minute or two of effort, they formed a small bubble around him.

 

The silence here was strong… Everlasting… Permanent…

 

I must carve my own path. My philosophy has met resentment within the Jedi order by both sides of their splitting ideals. However I cannot claim that my answer is better… Only that it is mine.

 

Roene took time to breathe in the small bubble he created. It was little and didn’t have much air in it, but it allowed him to meditate in true silence. It allowed him to feel the peace of being carried upon the current and yet, floating only moments away from the dark depths of fate that dwell leagues below, it held him in a natural contradiction. Death lingered so close that life was precious here. Who would put themselves so close to death, to value the life they had left to live?

One who does not fear death…

 

One who understands death…

With a twitch of his hand, the Cerean’s bubble popped and he guided himself out of the water onto the shore. He let his hands go the way of the water and found himself gliding upon a wave toward the ground.

 

It was a simple movement and one that, since he’d practiced it, was met with little resistance. Still, the landing wasn’t as gentle as he would have liked. He encountered the ground with a small thud, but within seconds of dropping, the Cerean rolled out of the impact and landed right in front of Tyue; who, although extremely glad to see him, because of all of the licking, was a little confused.

 

The dog looked at him, his head cocked a little to the left. He was panting, like most Garral’s did due to their lack of a biological coolant system, but it was clear that he had something on his mind.

 

“It’s okay Tyue,” Roene gasped at last, feeling the water against his skin starting to chill his bones. He offered a reassuring, wet, hand to Tyue. “I just needed time to think. And I think, it is time to leave this place.”

[Guest]

The Jedi transport exited hypserspace above the planet. It slowed as it entered the atmosphere before making it's way to the Jedi base. Soren was the lone passenger, and had no idea where he was. As the ship landed a man entered his compartment and spoke to him, "We have arrived at the Jedi Temple on Lehon. You will recieve further instructions upon your arrival," the man handed him a small datapad, "May the Force be with you."

 

Soren departed the ship and made his way into the temple. The first thing he noticed was the crisp clean air. He took a breath and felt the comforting aroma of the forest fill his lungs. This place was certainly somewhere he expected the Jedi to be. It was distanced from outside disturbances and nestled in a very serene area. He entered the temple and presented the datapad to the person in the reception area. "Soren Quay of Naboo, welcome. I will inform the masters you are here."

[Roene Givrah]

Roene got to his feet and set his hands to rest near his waist with his palms pointing backward. He took a deep breath and with a great sigh, the Cerean let the cold water dissipate from his body. It hovered in little rivulets from his skin and streamed in the air toward the ground. Tyue had to move not to get splashed, but the dog seemed accustom to this technique. When Roene moved to start, Tyue had already walked away to give him room.

 

Roene shrugged a little to regain the feelings in his shoulders and arms, and with a small nod, he was finally starting regain the warmth in his body.

 

"Nothing like a swim to start your day off right." Roene said, petting his companion behind the ears when the dog came back to his side.

 

Tyue said nothing. The dog merely looked at his master and panted happily at the affection.

 

"Alright boy, first I need to pick up the remainder of my things from the temple, then we can leave." Roene's hands reached to his arms and legs, feeling the muscles underneath. The coarseness of the tissue told him their condition and whether or not strain would cause extreme damage. He wasn't the best in humanoid biology, but medical logs and journals gave him at least a basic idea.

 

He looked around at his surroundings with a quick shift and shifted his weight toward the ground. The Cerean placed one leg horizontal to the ground, almost touching, then shifted the other until it was at a ninety degree angle to the rest of his body. He took a deep breath, tapped Tyue on the head, and shifted the power latent in his body from his chest to his feet. He passed the weight evenly between both legs and with only a few seconds of rest....

 

BANG!!

 

A shot of sound rang off into the distance and Roene took off in a blur of motion. He dodged obstacles with nimble movements and continued catapulting his body at enormous speeds. Trees bowed before him as he went, the air broke upon him, the moisture in the air shielded him, and the debris beneath him was barely disturbed in his wake.

 

A small sensation tingled on the back of his neck as the energy in his body escalated and he wondered if something, or someone else might be left for him on this planet...

 

__________________________________________

 

"If you would like, Master Quay, there is a meditative room to your left. You may wait in there if you'd like." The receptionist said with a warm, but practiced smile. Her manner was appropriate and her attire was fitting, but something about her actions seemed, absent.

 

A small pang of energy flitted in the air poking at the back of Soren's neck like a mosquito trying to find just the right perch.

[Guest]

The young human thanked the receptionist and bowed. He wondered if he himself would receive a set of Jedi robes, the distinctive fashion that set the Jedi apart from the rest of the galaxy.

 

In the back of his mind Soren felt something. He had no idea what, but it wasn't all too different than the sensation he felt upon arrival to the planet. The Jedi-to-be would eventually learn that this was the distinctive feeling of the Force. For now, it was just something pleasant. But this feeling was different, it felt special just for him. He turned around quickly, but nothing was there. He shrugged it off and headed to the room he had been instructed to.

 

There was a holo screen playing a very introductory lesson on Jedi meditation. Soren attempted what the video suggested, he took an empty seat and tried to empty his mind. This was difficult as there was much he was thinking about, along with a mixture of excitement and fear of his new journey. He attempted to count his breath, counting to 7 as he inhaled, holding for 5 seconds, and then exhaling over a course of 7. This did not prove effective to clear his thoughts, but it did help him focus a bit and gain a weak sense of serenity.

[Adrian Makaryk]

Halo's attitude annoyed Adrian.

 

It wasn't that Adrian was reading the teenager's mind. Not at all. Not only did he not have the slightest clue such an ability even existed through the Force, but he didn't need to. Her annoyed eye contact made that perfectly clear. Halo wasn't trying to hide anything...he clearly thought the doctor and/or his level of competence slow, beneath her. The teenager clearly held the surgeon's abilities in contempt.

 

Which in the case of this newfangled telekinesis, it very clearly was. That perturbed the surgeon even more. At last, the young teenager took a break from her judgmental eye-rolling long enough to show off her skills--finally an opportunity for Adrian to observe that which he needed. Though Adrian had extreme difficulty sensing the Force within inanimate objects, due to his complete inexperience and general cluelessness on the matter, his senses were attuned to energy flows. Quite deeply. His own medical needs from earlier had seen to that.

 

So, the energy to move those three boulders around came from Halo's force of will? From her mind? That was the missing link, that Adrian had not had the slightest clue about? Despite Joreel's encouraging words, Adrian sure felt stupid for missing that earlier! Indeed, the surgeon had to summon a great amount of willpower simply to prevent his face from implanting itself firmly in the palm of his outstretched hand, a great amount of willpower to salvage a classic facepalm moment.

 

Well, it was time to put that willpower to use, to salve a humiliating moment. Adrian reached out to the boulder atop the pile Ads had stacked up, even if he still used his eyes to perceive it for the time being, in much the same way he had reached out to his liver earlier to correct his lingering starvation side effects. Only this time, his intent was completely different. He didn't want the rock to store sugars as glycogen (an absurd proposition); he just wanted it to move!

 

Very badly, in fact. So badly, that the boulder wobbled atop its perch a bit. That wouldn't do, not at all. Adrian had to want the boulder to fall even more for it to come crashing down! And it did, making a loud thud as it struck the ground opposite the side whereupon the students and instructor stood!

 

As suddenly as the surgeon had summoned such determination, he no longer cared. Joreel had instructed him to more or less meditate, but by now the surgeon had clearly developed other ideas, having finally succeeded in this newfangled telekinesis thing. Adrian's eyes locked once more upon Halo's. Adrian didn't mind Ads--the young man's body language suggested nothing other than him not wanting to go first, which was understandable--but Adrian knew he had to deal with Halo's attitude before it simply got out of hand.

 

A thought sprouted inside the surgeon's mind. It would, however, require him to directly contravene Joreel's instructions about not thinking about medical things.

 

As Adrian's eyes locked upon Halo's, the surgeon could not help but notice her bruise from the day before had yet to heal fully. Yes, oh yes.

 

"Halo." The surgeon left that single word hanging in the humid jungle air a moment, his voice deep and authoritative. "You do recognize the concept of triage, yes? That I would treat a life-threatening injury before I would treat your bruise? Where I used to work, you would sit in the waiting room for hours or even days. Such an injury would be considered, oh...beneath me."

 

"Oh, and if you do not see where I am going with this, Halo, perhaps you should reflect upon your apparent attitude that my abilities are beneath yours..."

 

"But yesterday, I administered treatment to you anyway, did I not? Admittedly, it was not much, but it was literally all I had. My hospital generally had to make a single liter of bacta last a month or more at a time; I dared not replenish my own medkit out of the hospital's supplies, though I used my own paycheck to fund my own supplies to fill hospital shortages repeatedly. I had only a few drops of kolto left, and yet I administered some to you in the knowledge that there were stocked medical facilities nearby should something that would make fuller use of my training arise."

 

The surgeon actually managed a smile at this point. The time was come for him to finish what he had started the day before--with nothing. Nothing at all. Except the Force, though that would require him to openly disobey Joreel's instructions and think about medical things. But now that he actually had the slightest clue how to use it, Adrian quite frankly did not much care.

 

The eldest padawan focused upon the young woman's forehead bruise; certainly he could sense it well enough. He could sense the trace amounts of kolto residue still present, the minor swelling...all of it would be gone soon. The surgeon willed it. Capillaries sutured, excess blood drained away back where it belonged, and over the course of a moment or two, the skin around Halo's former bruise returned to normal coloration.

 

During all this time, Adrian's eyes had never left Halo's.

 

"Are we clear?"

[Roene Givrah]

With haste, the Cerean found himself nearing the temple. It was a secluded place, hidden by the cliff faces of a magnificent rocky structure overlooking the white beaches of Lehon. It was a beautiful site and one that Roene had enjoyed several times. He was almost sad to see it go, but something inside of him urged him forward. It was like a call to action and nothing could stop his thoughts or the beat of his rapid heart.

 

He entered the temple with little trouble. Tyue knew to wait outside and wasn't present when Roene passed by the reception stand and started toward his quarters, but something stopped him. Roene thought it might be a distress sound or feeling present in the bond he shared with his canine companion, but when Roene probed his mind, the dog sat silent, still.

 

The Cerean scratched at his head, but wouldn't let the mystery leave. He decided instead to follow the strange sensation and investigate where it led. He looked down a long corridor toward his quarters and started running, but the further he went, the colder the sensation became. He started back toward the reception area and after a moment or two, the Cerean could actually see the path before him. It was an odd array of lit particles that hovered in the air directly in front of his face. The sensation he was feeling on his body were the particles rubbing against his skin as he went past.

 

It led him off of the reception desk a small way and into a meditation chamber, where a young man sat, doing what he could to follow the meditative instructions on a holo screen nearby.

 

Roene looked at him quizzically. He tried to move past the man in order to find where the path was truly leading him, but the sensations nudged Roene to look back at the figure of the young man. The warmth of the particles told him, this was where the path ended.

 

Seeing no other choice, Roene imitated the young man's meditation position. Except, Roene's stance was nearly perfect. He held every muscle and thought where it needed to be and he was immediately immersed in an intense calm. He reached out to the young man and spoke to him, through the force.

Hello young one... Although we are alike in age, I feel a gap between us in several ways. Would I be correct in assuming that you have come to the temple seeking training?

[Guest]

The voice in his head knocked him out of his weak level of concentration. Frankly, it freaked him out a little bit. Was he schizophrenic? He opened his eyes and saw a Cerean man sitting in one of the chairs across from him. It was odd. Soren couldn't understand how, be he could almost sense that the voice was coming from this man. The guy seemed to have this whole meditation thing down, perhaps he was one of the Jedi. He certainly looked like one.

 

Soren decided to speak up, using his mouth, as he had no idea how the man had planted his voice in his head. "Yeah, I did. I believe that's why I'm here. I don't really have too much of an idea to be honest. I took one of them," Soren fumbled over the word, trying to remember it, "Midiclorian? Midiclorian tests. They were doing screenings in my city, and they got all freaked out when they saw my results. I guess it's pretty rare to score high or something? I'm not all too sure what it means but the next day I got a letter from the Jedi Order telling me to come here. Sooo, here I am." Soren thought about the difference between where he was now and his meager apartment back home. "I don't know man, I've always felt like I could connect with stuff, ya know? People, I get people. Animals always liked me. I even would sometimes feel like the plants knew I was there or something, like I could feel them, we could feel each other.

 

How did you talk in my head by the way? That's kind of a trip right there."

[Roene Givrah]

Midiclorians... Roene scoffed inwardly at the word. Whoever thought of the name of those symbiotic organisms was a strange one indeed.

 

Roene stroked his long, alabaster beard and looked at the man beside him with a hardened, but inquisitive look. He stared for such time that the air between them began to feel slightly uncomfortable. To the young man, it would look like the Cerean had gone mad, but there was something deeper in his gaze. His cold blue eyes probed deep into the young man where he sat, until finally the Cerean looked back toward the holovid and smiled.

 

"You will learn the answer to those questions and more. In time." Roene said, nodding quietly to himself, still smiling. "However, you must first understand two things: First, although I am a Knight, I am still young. I am still learning and what I know is not everything there is to know. Second, you should know that what I say is by no means a law of the Jedi Order. I know and preach only what I have learned from experience, reading books, and extrapolating from both."

 

Roene stood up as quietly as he sat, a small gust of air following him as he moved. "If you truly know and understand that, we may begin."

 

The Cerean thought for a moment and his smile broadened. "Which reminds me, I wish to see the galaxy one world at a time. Which world would you like to visit? I would prefer to stay away from known Sith worlds, for obvious reasons, but that doesn't mean we can't go poking around anyway."

[Guest]

Soren was grateful the man had offered to teach him. He thought for a moment thinking of worlds he had heard about in stories. "Well, I've always wanted to go to Dagobah. I hear the planet is covered with interesting plants and animals. Could be interesting."

 

He had always had a fondness of the strange, and was eager to get in touch with more of nature. Soren was raised in the city and thought a change of pace would do good. He also thought it a quiet and isolated place to learn.

[Roene Givrah]

The Cerean paused for a moment. His thoughts became a whirling torrent of consideration and from the chaos he plucked a single strand, signifying what he knew of the jungle planet of Dagobah. It was dangerous in its own right, as far as holovids or books could tell you, but in truth, Roene had never been there before. The texts, which echoed faintly upon the shorter hairs of his moderately sized ears and the strong lines of his sapphire eyes, weren't proven. There was no way to know for sure if these dangers were true without going there himself.

 

Roene sighed a moment and patted gingerly at his waist, letting the loose dirt fall from his robes. A slow, but steady howl shook the Cerean's consciousness and without any further hesitation, the Cerean spun slowly on his heel and began walking down the corridor to enter his own room at the end. It was a short passage so it didn’t take him long, but with a steady hand he took the man’s mind and let his thoughts flow swiftly, like the flow of a large river passing through the sky.

 

Then Dagobah it is… I have a ship ready a distance away. We shall leave momentarily. Be sure to grab all of your things if you have or need them.

 

Roene didn’t know what the man would do, but he figured that such a young man would jump at the chance to explore his potential. With a last look around the temple, the Cerean walked silently through the doorway and into the world outside.

 

I would suggest you follow if you don’t wish to be left alone, were his last words through the force, imbued with a dash of charming wit.

 

((Sorry to rush, but I wanted to give you a little room to post before I left for a week --- See absent thread. ))

[Padme]

((Not my best, but it'll have to do. Apologies for the long delay))

 

 

Clearly the teen Jedi actions annoyed Ads and Adrian; so much so that they both took it upon themselves to rectify the situation.

 

Ads attempted to physically intercept the girl’s performance. A menacing look- of sorts- graced Halo’s face as she exchanged eye contact with the young man. Merely seconds after that Ads appeared to be eye a small pebble…

 

Meanwhile Haloburner was desperately trying to both keep her equanimity and complete the task at hand. However, Ads once again managed to circumvent the Halo’s plans by dropping what felt like a tiny rock on her forehead, and ripping the boulders from the girl padawan.

 

Haloburner was not amused. No.

 

To add to her set back the elder Padawan, Adrian was also on her case. “Wait, did that happened simultaneously while Ads made an attempt to circumvent my success? No. Yes. Why is the doctor on my case anyway…” The words rang in Halo’s mind while desperately trying to avoid an emotional breakdown. She was quite certain her visual acuity had not failed her, but judging by the distance between herself and the elder Padawan, he was definitely eying her face.

 

Words ensued from the doctor- more so then he’d ever cared to uttered during his entire time at the temple. By the time Adrian was done speaking Haloburner felt beyond embarrassed. She certainly didn’t bargain for this when she decided to join the Order. Even so, not a single word left her lips. Haloburner simply gave a nod and then moved on to listen to their master’s voice.

 

Thankfully, Knight Joreel corrected Ads for his unbecoming behavior. Still attempting to hold her true emotions in, and not throw a tantrum, Haloburner listened to Knight Joreel’s instructions.

 

"Ads, Halo, please do as I am doing, allow yourselves to allow the abundance of the Force in this place to flow through you and direct it, like you did with the rocks, to surround Adrian."

 

At that the teen Padawan followed suite and lifted her arms allowing the Force to do its will through her. She didn’t particularly give the exercise her all- for she was still furious with Ads and the elder Padawan. At least Halo had one thing going for her. Her forehead injury- courtesy of Ads- appeared to be healed!

[Joreel Ordo]

Joreel broke his meditation once the argument had begun between Halo and Adrian. While he knew of the immaturity of Ms. Haloburner, he was able to deal, hoping to help her with training into becoming a mature Jedi Knight. He had not expected a war veteran to lash out at Halo for her obliviousness to his sensitivities as a Padawan. He didn't want this rift to tear apart the group. He knew together they could be strong, they could manage anything, become an unstoppable trio when they were called by the Jedi Order to do more.

 

Ordo stood and called the Force to him, gathering it around his throat and allowing it to travel with his speech, echoing it loudly to bring the two bickering students to silence.

 

"ENOUGH!" he bellowed loudly, his voice amplified tenfold by the Force. His head spinning from one Padawan to the next.

 

"Adrian," he said, his voice stern, like a parent talking down to a child without shouting, just making them feel disappointed in themselves as the parent looked into their eyes, filling them with shame, "You know perfectly well Halo meant no harm in her words. She had no reason to offend you, no reason to want you to succeed any less than she did. If anything, she is trying to form a bond of friendship, of kinship even, with you, so that you might all grow as a unit, all help each other succeed. Be mindful of your feelings, and the feelings of others."

 

His head now snapped to Halo, where the same expression held his face.

 

"Halo," he said with the same level and stern voice, "I appreciate you wanting to help your fellow students, but learn to use your words more effectively. If you had said what you said to Adrian to me, I too would have been somewhat shocked in my own interpretation of those words. Think a bit more before speaking, the mouth has caused more pain and death than the actions of people ever have."

 

He stepped away and looked at the group once more, and took a deep breath, calming himself in the Force before looking toward his three Padawans.

 

"You three need to work together, support each other, like a family. You are borthers and sisters and while you may bicker, you should find it within yourselves to care for one another, protect and uplift each other. Your brother Adrian is having some trouble grasping this task of telekinesis. Let us help him like a family, support him so that he might use his brilliant mind to accomplish this task.

 

"Ads, Halo. Lift up a piece of rubble and keep it held in the Force. Levitate it, and hold it there." his eyes came to Adrians, "Adrian, I am going to meditate next to you, aiding you in grabbing the Force yourself, feeling it's power and connectivity to everything, what I want you to do is focus your senses to only that of the Force. turn off your ears, turn off your eyes, touch, taste, smell, none of that matters. Sense only the Force, feel only the Force. And then guide the Force, mimick your comrades and make a piece of Rubble rise. If you need help, just call to me. Ask."

 

Joreel walked over and stood beside Adrian and became still, the Force flowed through him as easily as it ever did and he awaited Adrian to start.

[Adrian Makaryk]

It did appear to Adrian as if his master was not paying sufficient attention. Oh, dear.

 

Had Joreel not noticed when his student caused a several-ton boulder to come crashing down? Had he not noticed Halo's rather ominous body language towards him, and decided instead to put words in the poor young lady's mouth? Oh, dear. This would not do, not at all. A thought struck Adrian: perhaps he had some common ground with the teenager, after all. Now they could both roll their eyes at the instructor.

 

Adrian cast a glance upon the young woman. Not a glare, a glance. There might have even been something close to a friendly glint in his hazel eyes, maybe, if said glint was not overshadowed by the man's generally serious demeanor and tone. Fortunately for Halo, there existed a difference between seriousness and harshness. The surgeon's old line of work did not leave much time for levity--but nor did it require him to be a judgmental troll.

 

"I am sorry, Halo. My behavior was most...unprofessional. You didn't even say anything. You just left me to guess what you were thinking? I hope you're feeling better, at least."

 

Oh well, the instructor's giving me another opportunity to prove my competence to Halo, Adrian thought to himself.

 

It really was a patronizing exercise, what with Joreel having to walk Adrian through his third attempt at telekinesis again--in front of others. Especially because he hadn't been paying attention during his student's successful second try, thus forcing him to do it over again. Worse, he instructed the others to 'help' him, as if he was incapable of figuring it out for himself, let alone after he had already started to get the general idea. Oh, well. Perhaps Adrian could use that to his advantage. Yes, yes...

 

The newest initiate of the three didn't really seem to do much. Not at first. If anything, he appeared not to respond to Joreel's command at all. Though he had opened himself to the Force, and thus the 'help' of the others, he didn't really seem to do anything with it. Except possibly experiment with it, play with it. Possibly. Or maybe he wasn't doing anything with it at all. He just sat there, quietly...

 

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the Force enveloped that same boulder that Adrian had moved from under his instructor's nose. Adrian knew it would take a while to build up the tension he had in mind, but it would be worth it when it he finally did obtain his instructor's attention. Adrian extended his senses, if only to find a sparsely populated area, such as one of Lehon's many lagoons. He needed to know into which direction to "follow instructions," after all.

 

By now, some fifteen minutes had passed. By now, perhaps Halo, Ads, and Joreel all felt that Adrian wasted their time. But such feelings mattered not. Adrian was almost done. By now, he had wrapped the Force around that seven-ton boulder like a rubber band, several thousand times over. He didn't just want to lift it, as Joreel had instructed, for Joreel might not be paying sufficient attention.

 

Adrian began to release the stored tension in the rock, to allow it to unwind. The rock rose a few meters, before rocking forward and falling back towards the ground in a circular motion. But the Force still unwound around the boulder, still building its momentum, and its energy flung the boulder back up, high in the air, with comparable velocity and trajectory as if the hunk of rock had been launched from a trebuchet!

 

It would be hard indeed for Joreel to miss the shadow the thing cast over his head as it whizzed above him. By now, Adrian's efforts with the Force were spent, having been necessary to send the boulder sailing through the air. Physics would bring it back down to earth, splashing relatively harmlessly into one of those lagoons that dotted the rainforest.

 

A few seconds later, a muffled, splashing thud filled Adrian's ears. Apparently, that lagoon had been quite shallow, and a fair bit distant, perhaps a kilometer or so. No matter. Adrian felt he was done here---or at least, with that particular exercise, anyway. He wondered if Halo approved...

 

...He didn't say anything. But he did get up and start to leave, perhaps hoping Joreel would get the hint to pay attention, already.

[Ads-Gop Flif]

((I was thinking of doing this when I was reading about Adrian being disappointed Joreel had missed his successful attempt. I'm glad he did what he did next as it gave me more material ))

 

Joreel seemed quite disappointed by his padawans. It was rough to watch as he chastised Adrian and then Halo. Ads knew his turn was next, and tried to prepare himself for the verbal lashing...that never came. Obviously, he knew that once was enough for Ads, especially with Ads viewing the scene that had just played out before him. Joreel's face softened before he spoke to the entire group.

 

"You three need to work together, support each other, like a family. You are borthers and sisters and while you may bicker, you should find it within yourselves to care for one another, protect and uplift each other. Your brother Adrian is having some trouble grasping this task of telekinesis. Let us help him like a family, support him so that he might use his brilliant mind to accomplish this task.

 

"Ads, Halo. Lift up a piece of rubble and keep it held in the Force. Levitate it, and hold it there." He continued to tell Adrian some BS that Ads knew Adrian didn't have to hear. He'd just caused a large boulder to crash to the ground, a rather impressive feat for such a newcomer, if you don't mind my saying so. And if you do, it was still rather impressive. Anyway, Ads picked up a smallish piece of rubble, one that only really required him to expend a cursory effort to keep aloft as he watched Adrian. He knew that he didn't have to do anything to help the other padawan, so he didn't see any issue with simply going through the motions as he watched.

 

And he did watch. And watch, and watch, and watch. Adrian was definitely taking his time. Ads had a sneaking suspicion that Adrian had something up his sleeve, but it was only just enough to keep his interest. After probably seven minutes--ten minutes, max--Ads sat down, as his attention was waning. Not enough to make him stop looking, but perhaps enough that he was no longer actively watching. As his mind began to wander, he allowed the piece of rubble he was levitating to drop, effecting only a muffled thud as it landed on a soft, grassy patch.

 

Ads was quickly snapped out of his daydreams as the boulder at which he had been staring blankly launched into the sky. Ads chuckled, enjoying Adrian's work. Even if it took a quarter of an hour. It's not like there was anything else for Ads to do.

[Padme]

"I am sorry, Halo. My behavior was most...unprofessional. You didn't even say anything. You just left me to guess what you were thinking? I hope you're feeling better, at least."

 

The elder Padawan’s words fell on Halo’s ears like water being poured on a dry garden. She wondered if the man, staring down at her, was the same person who merely moments ago was on her case- perhaps rightly so.

 

“Well, I am. Thank you.” Came the young girl’s slow, but quick verbal response to the doctor. She still couldn’t believe her ears! Their master on the other hand had earned himself a lengthy rebuttal. Joreel, had not only read Haloburner’s mind, but had also divulged confidential information. Though Halo never uttered a word- her master read what she’d thought. Halo knew Ads could read her mind- but only when prompted. Besides, the girl never did make any effort to share the thoughts that crossed her mind- the one Knight Joreel accused her of uttering…

 

Oh dear, do I correct him now?, she thought while moving her glare from the elder Padawan, and on to her master. “Knight Ordo, well, thank you for appreciating me?-” uttered the teen. She paused to ponder on her next words- carefully choosing the words to express her disgust at the man’s accusation….

 

“…learn to use my words more effectively, you say… The only problem here is I never uttered a word to Doctor Makaryk-”Continuing the emphasized the elder Padawan’s name. “….Doctor Makaryk himself just attested to my claim. He never did hear me utter a word. But you, my Master, the one who is supposed to exemplify some sort of professionalism not only read my private thoughts, but accused me of uttering words that never left my mouth. I’ll follow your instructions out of courtesy for your position, but insofar as reading and sharing my thoughts are concerned, I’d rather you not.” The teen’s words were soft, but yet firm- it sounded akin to a crying teen. Inwardly the girl felt betrayed. She’d have to keep better grip on her thoughts!

 

Not waiting for the Knight to respond, Haloburner moved on to the instructions at hand- even though she along with the rest of the class had already done something quite similar to the task at hand. Perhaps the elder Padawan’s boulder crashing was not sufficient progress for the Jedi Knight. The doctor appeared as though he was just standing, while Ads levitated a small piece of rubble. Halo followed suit and levitated the same size of rubble.

 

As time continued, Adrian appeared in the same position- with nothing to show. The teen wondered exactly what Adrian was up to. Ten minutes passed, and then fifteen minutes. At was at that time that Haloburner saw a huge (seven-ton) boulder lifting off the ground, into the air, fly up backwards (thankfully away from the girl) and then finally a very audible thud echoing in her ear.

 

At the sound of the thud- courtesy of the doctor- Halo’s piece of levitating rubble momentarily fell on the ground. She quickly reached for it back- through the Force- while chuckling at the elder Padawan’s work. Knight Ordo will not miss this exercise, she thought in her mind.

[Joreel Ordo]

((I meant to fix that post but never got the chance to, thanks to everyone for rolling with the awful post, I will make it up to you now that I have a few interviews lined up and have a date with the Judge set for me to be married.))

 

Joreel turned to Halo and apologized profusely for having had her thoughts stream in as words.

 

"I must have been so entrenched in the Force that I heard your voice within it as clearly as if your lips were moving my dear," he began as he was rationalizing why he had such a profound mixup on the matter, "If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I would most appreciate it." He smiled to her in a pleading way before he saw a magnificent sight. A boulder, a boulder far larger than one he had ever seen levitated by a human soared up into the air and out of sight for a mere moment before it crashed to earth giving a tremor that caused the Mandalorian Jedi to space his feet apart to get a firm grip on the ground. It stopped nearly as suddenly and a astounding hurrah echoed from the Jedi Knight's voice as he chuckled with a loud lion-like roar of laughter.

 

"This is what I have been waiting for Adrian! This is what I have known you capable of the whole time!" he began as he allowed a hand to rest on the elder padawan's shoulder and he was bent over in laughter at the comically wonderful display of ability he just showed. "Simply remarkable Adrian. Just great."

 

He stood himself upright and wiped the tears from his eyes that formed when over exerting himself in laughter.

 

"Well, now I wonder if you can push and pull that thing, but I would rather not test that out and find you flattened beneath it, I wouldn't even try that," he allowed one last chuckle to go through before he addressed the group once more.

 

"Excellent work, all of you, and I am sure thee three of you have the basics down for telekinesis. So I want you to just do one quick exercise for me and then we will get on to the last two abilities of your Padawan years that you will be learning."

 

The Jedi Knight reached into his pocket and pulled out three credit chips. He bent down and picked up three small rocks with the other hand as well. and held them both away from his body but laying firmly in his palm.

 

"Each of you, use the Force to pull a Credit to you, given all of your displays of telekinesis this should be a snap," he began still remembering that seven ton boulder crashing to the earth and suppressing another laugh, " And then push one of these rocks out of my other hand as well. Easy enough."

 

He stood there and waited for the three to accomplish what should be an easy task for them, so he could move on to getting them in their last lesson before a good rest and their trials.

[Adrian Makaryk]

Adrian Makaryk did not laugh. He couldn't, not as he witnessed the exchange between Haloburner and Joreel. He had not noticed the intrusion as it happened, for he had no training, nor natural inclination to telepathy, so he had lacked the ability to detect it in real time. However, the revelation that it had occurred left the eldest padawan ill at ease. He was just certain that Joreel's behavior violated medical ethics, if not Jedi standards of conduct. Before, Halo had fallen victim to Adrian's stern demeanor. Now, she was the beneficiary, as Adrian felt compelled to aid the poor, young woman.

 

The padawan looked down upon Joreel, even as the instructor cheered Adrian's successes. But Joreel would find more cheer in a graveyard than from his padawan. Adrian allowed his eyes to roll, but other than that, he remained still.

 

"I can sense your innards just as easily as you can sense her thoughts," Adrian intoned, clearly displeased with the exchange he had heard between Halo and Joreel. "Yet, you do not see me administering to you an unwanted colonoscopy. You, Master--" Adrian pointed at Joreel's chest-- "are entirely too flippant with your abilities. Such invasive techniques should not be used except in cases of informed consent or most dire need. The mind is not something lightly tampered with!"

 

Of course, to a doctor, "dire need" probably meant the subject was unconscious, and thus unable to give assent, but such intervention was necessary to save the life or health of the aforementioned subject.

 

Against Joreel's indiscretions, Adrian regarded the credit chip exercise as little more than an afterthought. Nevertheless, as he admonished his master for preying upon poor Halo, he ensured that one of those credit chips found its way to his hand--though he really didn't seem to care. His arms remained at his sides, save for the action of pointing to Joreel's chest, so the only possible way the credit chip slipped into his hand would have been by telekinesis...

[Ads-Gop Flif]

Ads couldn't help but grimace at the deterioration that the lesson was quickly undergoinig. It was ugly. What had been a relatively normal lesson between a knight and his three adult padawans was quickly becoming nothing but bickering and alleged ethical misconduct (along with the necessary allegations of ethical misconduct). Ads wasn't really sure what to do, as he wasn't really part of the disagreements, and Adrian seemed to have put an abrupt end to the discussion (if you want to call it that). So, he simply picked up one of the chips and pushed away one of the rocks. Ads couldn't help but wonder why they were doing such a simple exercise...it's too simple...

[Padme]

Quite frankly, Halo was embarrassed by the reaction that ensued. It felt as though all eyes were on her. In times past she would have relished in that moment, but not today. Not the way thing had progressed. With a gentle nod of the head, the teen acknowledged Knight Joreel’s words and then moved on.

 

However, Knight Ordo’s assessment of his student’s accomplishment- particularly Adrian’s brought a change of mood to the female Padawan.

 

Soon a new set of instructions came forth. Another simple task- push a rock and pull a credit chip- all through the Force. As quickly as she could, Haloburner followed through with the task without any reservations. Shortly thereafter, the teen girl moved by a nearby tree- while waiting for her master’s next instructions. Perhaps this time something more challenging- and non repetitive- will be forthcoming…

[Guest]

Soren's new master had instructed him to gather his belongings, of which he had very few. All his personal belongings were already on his person. The receptionist had assigned him permanent lodging, as Lehon was now the Jedi base. It would be his home whenever he wasn't off on a mission or in training. Soren assumed it best to check his new room to see if the Jedi had given him any supplies.

 

Upon arrival in his room he was glad he decided to stop up. There were new clothes for him there, standard padawan attire, which he promptly changed in to. There was also an underwater breathing device and some rations capsules, which he secured to his utility belt. After the quick wardrobe change he headed back to the lobby to find his master. Roene has gone outside, and so the young Jedi joined.

 

"Do you like the new digs? Where to now Master? Your ship?"

[Roene Givrah]

Roene smiled pleasantly, giving the padawan a knowing glance. “I have worn enough of those robes myself. They look good.”

 

The Cerean turned his gaze outward, letting the breeze of the fresh morning air brush through his beard. The tingling feelings he felt, licking his chin were entertaining and Roene was almost tempted to scratch his long beard, but resisted the impulse. He took a long look at the sweeping landscape and at once saw beyond the large rock figures set upon them on either side of a long dirt path. The shuttle they would take lay at the end of that path. It was a straight path with only small risk, but it was through two rock figures that made them look dwarfs in comparison. They were large and made of a vague limestone like rock that shone brightly in the midmorning sun.

 

“No,” Roene said, just remembering Soren’s other question. “We are not taking my ship, we are taking a shuttle that I have on loan from the temple on Tython. I am not the best pilot in the world, but the autopilot will suit us just fine. I will need just one more thing before we go.”

 

Roene put two fingers to his lips one touching either side and then took in a great deal of air. When he exhaled, a huge whistling sound struck the air and pierced the natural silence that enveloped the area. For a moment his gesture seemed irrelevant and pointless, but after a few minutes of waiting, Roene’s canine garral companion Tyue joined them and followed at Roene’s heel.

 

Tyue looked up at Roene with a big grin. He had a fresh piece of meat clung to the bottom of his jaw and he was munch at it idly with much joy glittering in his puppy eyes.

 

“Soren, this is Tyue, my companion. He will accompany us on our journey. He may be a little rough to get along with, but give him time. He will grow on you.” Roene said, patting Tyue on the head and starting down the dirt path. “I didn’t really plan on staying here too much longer so I took the liberty of preparing the ship for take-off beforehand. Let me know if there is anything else or we can get this journey started.

 

((Feel free to post in Space or Dagobah thread ))

[Joreel Ordo]

The behavior of his eldest padawan was unexpected, but made sense. This emotional outburst was of course not allowed by the Jedi Order for condoning it could lead the man down the dark side, but Adrian's intent was pure. He just wanted to protect his fellow students, and that was admirable. That was something worthy of respect. When they graduated to Knights, this sort of behavior is what Joreel would look for in squad leaders, and it is what he wanted them all to exhibit. True kinship with one another, a family.

 

"Adrian," Joreel said in a calm voice as if the accusation thrown by his eldest padawan had slipped past him without his notice, "I did not enter her mind at any time, rather, her thoughts were within the Force itself. Much like a neighbor who is talking so loudly you can't not hear about the wife who was caught in bed with a Wookiee. Her thoughts were not her own, she spoke her mind in the Force itself and I heard them as clearly as if she spoke. I was not aware miss Halo was adept at telepathy with the Force, or if she has any idea she is doing it remains to be another question, thus I thought she spoke. You can see how I am clearly off-footed by it all the same."

 

Joreel had noticed the three had taken care of the task he asked as if it were as simple as them walking and Joreel this time made no attempt to praise them. They did as expected by this point. He looked to Ads now however, who though usually a louder member of the group had been oddly quiet.

 

"Thank you for your patience Ads, I have an opinion that you and I share much in abilities and our mindset on the use of the Force so once Adrian, Halo and yourself have been knighted, and that will be soon," he said and looked to the other two with a slight smile to let them know he did recognize their steadfast progress, "I will be open to instructing you more in a one on one scenario, teaching you special ops and other abilities the Jedi Order, the Mandalorians and others had shown me that led me to where I am today."

 

He paused for a moment and waited for everyone to become situated and ready for the next task and when they were he continued.

 

"We are going to be leaving Lehon soon and heading to a few planets for your trials to begin. I feel each of you have the necessary skills to get you through these trials aside two things. The ability to use the Force to make you more agile, as in jumping large distances with ease, and massive speed of movement. Then lightsaber combat. I feel we can accomplish both at the same time. But for tonight, rest, and in the morning we begin the last part of our training."

 

Joreel waited for the group to depart and theen made his way back to the Jedi Outpost and to his room, where he removed his imitation Jedi Robe/Beskar'gam and lied in the bed, resting himself for the next day.

 

"Training Xae was never this hard, though I guess us being in love and all made trust and everything that much easier.," he said to the empty room before drifting to sleep.