Cross Training 101

[RC 212]

[member="Jairdain"]

Voss Academy
Gardens

She had stopped off on Voss for a while. Several months worth of travelling had taken her around the Galaxy, seeking out new knowledge and new Orders. She was still unconvinced as to where her efforts best lie, but chose to adopt a floater mentality.

Much of Voss was out fighting the wars against the recent Sith resurgence. She had taken part in a few battles herself and tailed the woman she'd be working with today. Still a Knight, she was well versed in the arts of Mentalism, and Jade sought that knowledge.

What was more upon conversing she had sought knowledge that Jade had. Which was perfect because knowledge was truly power, and to fight off the Darkness, they'd need every bit of it.

So she waited, arms folded into the sleeves of her robe for her colleague to arrive, basking in the slow drip of the fountains, feeling the force like a fish in the waters...

 

[Jairdain]

Jairdain had always been one to be on time for something when she was younger...now however, even after spending a fair amount of time in the Temple, she didn't know where everything was. She knew where the gardens were, but as a knight she had new quarters in a different area and getting from them took a route she wasn't fully familiar with yet.

Trying not to appear in a hurry, Jairdain found the correct route to the garden and walking briskly entered it, searching for Jade. They had met and conversed a few times, but had not yet had the opportunity to really spend a great deal of time together. She had arranged to spend the day with the padawan and pass on as much knowledge as she could and she in turn would learn from her.

Pushing her hair back behind her ears, Jairdain slowed down to walking before she entered the garden. The meeting place had been picked and she headed directly to its location in the gardens. She noticed Jade already there and gave her apologetic smile as she walked up.

"I'm sorry for being a few minutes late, Jade. I recently got moved to new quarters here and the route is different so I lost my way."

[member="Jade Whisperwind"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Jairdain"]

Jade smiled as she entered and bowed. It was a simple custom, but one that she dare not forget. Jedi of all folks were duty bound to honor the hierarchy, no matter how much she silently disagreed with it.

"Very well. Knight Jairdain, a pleasure to see you again."

Then she recovered, keeping her hands tucked into her sleeves and nodded.

"Right then, shall we practise Mentalism or Saber Craft first?"

 

[Jairdain]

Jairdain returned the bow with a slight nod of her head.

"Please, you don't need to bow to me and just call me Jairdain."

While she felt in the proper situations bows should be given, this wasn't one of them. In her youth, she had been taught to also respect those of authority, call them by titles and whatnot.

"Of course, there are times when this needs to be done, but not right now."

To take any potenial harshness out of her words, she smiled at the Jedi across from her. Keeping in line with who she was, Jade got right to the point of their meeting.

"What is more comfortable for you? What mental skills do you already possess?"

Granted the use of the Force itself could be considered a mental skill alone, but within the Force anything was possible.

[member="Jade Whisperwind"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Jairdain"]

She smirked. Jairdains words carried with them some authority, but never the less, hierarchy was to be respected at all times. This was the core tenet by which she lived. If command broke down, so did all else. Was she actually under Jairdains command or anyone's?

No

But the respect of the rank deserved it all the same. In a rare move she shed her robes, arms wide and sloughing them off. Then she folded them and crossed her hands in front of her, fingers interlocked.

"I've watched you perform battle meditation on the battle field. Perhaps we could start with that. What other skills do you possess. I'd learn them all, and then I can teach you all I know of close quarter battle and saber craft."

Yes....

It was going to be a long taxing day....

 

[Jairdain]

Jairdain observed the movements of Jade as she took her robe and placed it on the ground. The Jedi wanted to know about the battle meditation as well as what other mental skills Jairdain had. She would share willingly and then learn from Jade as well. Training went both ways she always found and today would be no exception.

"Of course, I can start teaching you that skill, but it may take a few minutes to prepare. It's not something I can just sit down and demonstrate unfortunately. We need troops to inspire. If you would though, make yourself comfortable."

Excusing herself, she would go find one of the garden attendants and see some ants could be gather up quickly and put into a container for her use. She had asked for this before and while it wasn't expected, the attendant returned a few minutes later with a covered bowl and the ants crawling around inside. Carrying the container back to where Jade should be waiting, Jairdain set it on the ground and took a seat behind it. She motioned for Jade to sit across the bowl from her before beginning.

"These ants here will our armies. What I do when I meditate is form a small connection to each person involved. A mental link, if you will is established and I focus my meditation across the battle field. Please close your eyes and focus on the ants in the container."

Jairdain would turn her attention to the ants as well and feel the lives inside the container. This was the easiest way she knew of to teach this skill and it had worked for her.

"Let me know when you are ready to continue."

[member="Jade Whisperwind"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Jairdain"]

She nodded.

When the container was set down she took her seat, legs crossed. Jade was not much of a mystic or what some would call a great force user. She had her moments when she could pull off the impressive stuff. Her trying to mind meld these ants just wasn't it.

It took her a while to get the hang of it. It was akin to juggling spinning wheels. The ants own minds all had directions and desires that seeped into her own as she connected with them. finally after a long while she found a balance, connecting with each individually. As the wheels began to stack she had to strain to keep her focus.

She settled into her rhythmic breathing exercise, drawing deep from the force, washing herself in the life energies of the plants and the fountains. They began to merge now, and she opened her eyes, speaking short sentences.

"Got it. Next?"

It was a strained clip of words. Some of them were already falling out of her stack...

 

[Jairdain]

Jairdain sat patiently as Jade worked at reaching, feeling and connecting to each of the little ants. It took a bit of time, but with practice and patience it should come easier. Once Jade got a connection she was pleased with, she broke the silence between the two of them and opened her eyes.

"Ok. I'm going to commandeer half of these ants and they will be my army. The other half is yours. With battle meditation, the objective is to inspire your allies and cause the opposite to the other army. In a real setting, it requires more concentration and a location where you shouldn't be disturbed if that is possible."

When she had arranged to provide the meditation on Vjun, she made sure she wouldn't be on the ground. However it hadn't worked exactly according to plan and she ended up a mental duel that caused her break off the aid.

Jairdain did not need to close her eyes to meditate and only turned her head to look down at the container. The half of the ants started to stir up at her connection to them and moved aggressively against the half Jade was working with.

[member="Jade Whisperwind"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Jairdain"]

Jade nodded.

The jar tipped over and her ant army sauntered forth. Some of them broke formation, running right and left. For the most part she kept them all in line. Her ant army took up a line formation, with a heavy stack on the right. Then they charged. Each step of the way Jade was watching, directing. She was like a great conductor, conducting a symphony.

Reassurance poured from her to their link, bolstering their speed. On the off hand she poured derision, and sewed doubt in the other ants minds as best she could. Though it was not all that great. The two armies met with a clash!

 

[Jairdain]

Jairdain picked apart Jade's attack on her own ants, but allowed her continue bolstering hers. Right now, the knight did not bring any of her own dissent to the other troops, just empowered hers to defend the ground they held and push back as needed.

Unlike her duel with Lykos, Jairdain did not seek out to fight Jade in a mental duel. That was not the purpose of this today. In time though and given the opportunity, she would pass on how to hold a battle of the mind.

The influenced ants met in their battle, but the amount of control Jairdain had and experience she possessed eventually did overwhelm and Jade's ants scattered about in confusion as the apprentice lost control or concentration over time. The meditation was not something easily done especially at first, but Jairdain knew Jade had a good potential in this.

"After your mind has had a little time to relax and I can have more ants gathered, we can try that again."

She could only speak from what it was like when she learned this skill, but if Jade was like her at all she would have a slight headache and feel brain tired.

[member="Jade Whisperwind"]