Come Fly With Me

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Jemmila Kyrgen"]

Darth Adekos huffed. The sudden realization that he had skipped over things like meditation, proper breathing, and suchlike slapped him in the face and left a nasty bruise on his ego. He made a mental note to go back over it at some other point. She seemed to be doing remarkably well for someone without any of the prerequisite training exercises. From what he heard, Jedi Padawans tended to putz around for the better part of several months before even attempting to use the Force in such a way.

It was a good thing neither of them were Jedi. Who had that kind of patience? Or general lack of ambition?

"Inhale for four seconds, exhale through four seconds." Adekos explained one of the more rudimentary exercises he did once upon a time. "Through the nose. Do that a few times and get used to it before continuing."

Normally it was Jedi who wold be so obsessed with inner peace and breathing. But in the case of budding acolytes who ere in danger of asphyxiating themselves when drawing upon the Force and those Dark Side users who wished to have a greater degree of control over their actions, it was taught.

 

[Zola]

For four seconds, Jemmila inhaled, and found her breathing embarrassingly shallow, and she let out a sharp cough. Cigarettes had not been kind to her lungs. Given the fact that Adekos’ droids had confiscated them anyway, she supposed that quitting smoking would be next. Out of all her bad habits, she supposed that one could go.

Weren't the Sith supposed to be the Force wielders who gave into all their passions? She gave Darth Adekos the side eye. Was she expected to be a nun as well? She continued to practice breathing in front of him, until it became almost awkward, and then stopped. Her previous train of unleashed some rather interesting questions for her, however. There was only one way to find out the answers. Cocking her head at him, her smooth forehead creased for a moment. The Hapan woman didn't like to mince words, and hoped that Adekos would respect that.

“So besides smoking, what other fun vices do I need to give up while I’m your pupil?”

Maybe she didn't think this one through too well.

[member="Darth Adekos"]

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Jemmila Kyrgen"]

Adekos scoffed, though if that was as a response to the question or the shallowness of her breath was unclear. "Any and all, dear acolyte."

Obviously any sort of drugs, cigarettes included, were generally hostile to one's health. Darth Adekos may not have been an advocate for much, but he strived for a healthy lifestyle. How was he to master the intricacies of the Force, coordinate bureaucracies, and grow in corporate power if he couldn't even maintain his own health? Generally he didn't care what people pumped or inhaled into themselves. That was their unfortunate business. It only bothered him when Force Users partook in such things, but the only time he'd truly step in is when said Force User was his direct responsibility.

"Deathsticks, glitterstim; most drugs have the tendency to dilute and kill an individual's Force Sensitivity." He explained, leaving out the more technical details. "There was once a powerful Sith, DuSang I believe his name was. An abysmal human being and a flagrant addict of more drugs and vices that I care to mention. He assumed the Force made him impervious to any harmful side effects. He has not been seen for many years now, so I assume his organs failed and he died like a mongrel rather than a Sith."

He continued. "I won't tolerate a similar fate for my pupils. You can return to your vices, if you still have them, when your training is complete. Hopefully by then you'll have learned moderation."

 

[Zola]

As soon as Darth Adekos launched into his "scared straight" tale of some stuffy old Sith lord who couldn't put down his deathsticks, Jemmila instantly regretted asking the question. It seemed like so far, Darth Adekos' teaching style consisted of twenty-five percent Force training exercises and seventy-five percent boring harangues. Once he was finished, she nodded and tried to hide her displeased expression. In the dorms at University, she'd simply sweet talk the male students into bringing her contraband. Too bad those fething droids couldn't be bribed or seduced.

With an almost imperceptible sigh, the Hapan continued her breathing exercises and eventually, without being asked, lifted another pyramid in the air. This time her breathing was more fluid, and it showed in her work with the object. It had a levity to it that wasn't there in her previous attempts. It glided, as if floating in zero gravity.

She lowered it with a smile, and asked another question. "You didn't quite answer my question, Master Adekos. I wasn't only talking about substances. What about, well..." Jemmila wasn't quite sure how to put it, so she simply spit it out.

"Can I have visitors here? Of the intimate variety?"

[member="Darth Adekos"]

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Jemmila Kyrgen"]

Once again, one of the smaller pyramids rose into the air, albeit with greater smoothness about it. Oh, look. Improvement already. It was amazing what feats could be accomplished with the Force when focus wasn't so intense as to restrict breathing. Adekos didn't even need to ask that time. But where there was improvement, things started to get easy. If there was one thing his own torturous (yet effective) training had taught him, it was that when things got easy, it was time for instructors to up the ante. Back on Umbara, antes had been upped by making the tests and training sessions progressively more violent. Here, Adekos was more inclined to civilized methods.

"Very good." He commented once the pyramid settled back down. But any good feelings he had about that improvement were brushed under the rug when she elaborated on his question.

"This is my flagship, Jemmila. My peers know it is as my flagship. Do you believe it will reflect well on my character if I had any number of male 'intimate visitors' coming and going from my personal vessel?"

He gave an exasperated sigh and gestured towards the middle pedestal, where a triangle about the size of a grav-ball rested. It didn't move, but the magnetic system of the pedestal activated and would subsequently activate. Though it would look as though he only meant to indicate it to Jemmila, in actuality he had just made it incredibly more difficult to move. Not impossible, at least for him, but she'd probably need to put her back into it this time.

"Lift that one, please." He dictated, before continuing. "Until you reach an adequate stage of your training, you will be devoted entirely to the business of developing your control over the Force. Any luxury, be it drugs, a comfortable suite, or... Prostitutes will come as rewards for exemplary progress. And not a moment sooner."

 

[Zola]

So she was to be a nun here on the Machinator. That was fregging brilliant. Although it wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear, Jemmila could understand Darth Adekos’ reservations about controlling who came aboard his ship. After all, what better way for a rogue Jedi to infiltrate the Sith. Still it caused her a pang of frustration which she supposed she would have to channel into her lessons. Perhaps she could even nurture her ever-present loneliness, grow it like a flower, and use it to pollinate her abilities. The odd lover here and there was a fun dalliance, up until the point where she realized that she couldn’t stand the sight of him anymore. Which was usually pretty soon after they’d met. Even when Jemmila slept with someone, she was still at heart, sleeping alone. In that sense, perhaps the solitude would be a gift.

Another gift would be the return of her comfortable suite. Jemmila decided that she would trade a harem of men to once again sleep in that beautiful bed. So with more vigor this time, she lifted his chosen pyramid and with eyes narrowed intensely, pushed a bit further with the Force, her mind exploring the holistic relationship between her will, her emotions, and the object. The pyramid rotated on its x-axis and then on its y-axis, and she moved it sideways as well. Then, drained once again, the Hapan acolyte lowered it back down.

She looked over at Darth Adekos in hopes that they could soon move on from the monotonous task, but knowing that it would likely be hours before they did.

[member="Darth Adekos"]

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Jemmila Kyrgen"]

She was silent after his last answer, for a refreshing change of pace. Probably because of the attention required to lift a magnetically attached pyramid of such a size. Never the less, she persevered, and lifted it nonetheless. This continued for what seemed like an eternity. Neither of them had a watch and so it was difficult to tell the exact amount of time that passed until one of them happened to glance at a chronometer in the hallway. The magnetic attraction between the pyramids and the pedestals was periodically made stronger and therefor more difficult to lift each of them. Curiously, he never did direct her to even attempt to lift the largest of the pyramids, the one the size of a Vornskr. He was saving that one for last.

And last only came when Jemmila finally reached the brink of exhaustion. The whole ten yards, sweaty, shaking, that sort of thing. Adekos, though rather bored, remained comfortable for the most part.

"I do believe we've made excellent progress here today, Jemmila." Said Adekos, the first statement that hadn't been an instruction directly related to pyramids for the last several hours. "Before I brief you on what the coming days will be like and allow you to return to your quarters, I need one more thing from you."

Adekos indicated the Vornskr-sized pyramid with an open palm. By now it was just a dreadful monument that had been looming ominously towards the end of the semi-circle of pedestals arrayed throughout the room. The pyramid was forged of solid durasteel and magnetized to the pedestal it sat on. Or was it? Adekos had largely lost track of which he had switched on, off, and intensified for the past however long. There was only one way to find out.

"Lift that one."

 

[Zola]

Sweat poured down the front of her grey jumpsuit and her legs wobbled unsteadily. After what seemed like an endless evening of levitating triangular objects, Jemmila was just about to open her mouth and admit to her Master that she could do no more, when he started in on his closing harangue. Fething finally. Then Adekos asked her to lift the largest pyramid. For a moment she looked sheepish. He knew she had been avoiding it.

She swallowed hard and sized up the pyramid with sunken brown eyes. Determination was her captain now. Swaying slightly she extended both arms this time and slowly lifted them, her breath coming out in ragged huffs. The Vornskyr-sized pyramid trembled on its pedestal and then rose slowly in the air, just a few inches before it fell with a loud thunk.

She smiled, savoring her small victory over the inanimate object and turned to her Master, her voice heavy with punch drunk euphoria.

“I hope my performance met your satisfaction, Master Adekos,” she said. Then she quickly added with no condescension in her tone, “I am truly appreciative of all you’ve taught me today.” It was a small olive branch of thanks for his tolerance of her petulance. And that fun little moment when she tried to claw his eyes out.

[member="Darth Adekos"]

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Jemmila Kyrgen"]

"Well, in the interest of curtailing my boredom before it strips me of my sanity, it will have to do." Darth Adekos replied, dismissive of her thanks.

That would likely annoy her. That was, after all, the intention. Barely a day ago she had been living as a street rat in some filth encrusted abyssal level of Coruscant. Now she was on a Lucrehulk-class Battleship, hurtling through space at speeds faster than light, manipulating objects with her mind and nothing else. Even going so far as to surmount even the largest challenge placed in front of her, even where magnetism had been concerned. If only this upwards mobility was as rudimentary and merely droll as Adekos found it to be. This happened all the time, and it would be only later until he could tell if results beyond the usual were produced.

He had a feeling he was on the right track, though. Ill-tempered or not.

Adekos gestured, and the door to the room slid open to reveal those TA4 Droids again. "This session may be over, but your training for the day certainly isn't. They'll be escorting you to the gym for two hours, and then the library for another three. There is more to mastering the Force than focus and telekinetic parlor tricks."

 

[Zola]

Whether intentional or not (although she guessed intentional), Darth Adekos was working Jemmila’s last nerve, twisting it open like a frayed wire. The bits inside crackled with anger. Couldn't he see that she was practically feinting from exhaustion? Clenching and unclenching her fists, the Hapan squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. Then she sighed and let her fingers fall loose. No. She refused to get irritated with her Sith Master again. His superiority complex already sucked all the air out of the room like an enormous zephyr. There were no use in giving it more steam.

She would perform his tasks like a trained pet, goaded on by those fething droids until she dropped from exhaustion and they had to cart her to her room. He wanted to try and break her? Fine. She would show him that while she might be fractured, the pieces would not crack and fall.

“As you wish, Master Adekos,” she said, and then testily added. “I simply can't wait.”

[member="Darth Adekos"]