First steps

[Kriel Firin]

Talon Ren was the one who discovered Celessa, the one who took the midi-chlorian count and brought the Disciple to the Ren Temple.

Talon Ren swung his legs over the side of his bed. He crossed to the window and pushed aside the heavy curtain. He could just make out the mountains in the distance given the early morning light.

The Academy was also a fortress but to Talon Ren, its purpose was only to teach young Disciples. He rarely ventured outside of the walls of the temple, conducting most of his training either here, or on missions. Talon Ren’s fingers ran along the edge of the curtain. The fabric was beginning to fray. Not that it mattered to the Knight of Ren, his room was functional and served no other purpose. And for a young man that grew up in a life of opulence, it was a significant change – yet a welcome one.

He felt the dryness of his skin and carefully applied a lotion before placing on his armour. Last of all he added his mask and the respirator aided his breathing – although it impacted his voice – making it sound mechanical and passionless.

Today would mark the start of Celessa’s formal training. For the first time she would be tested. The landscape outside was lighter now. Streaks of deep orange sun licked at the windows of his room like tongues of flame. He had been looking forward to this day.

And so he strode to the appointed training room and awaited his newest Disciple.

[member="Celessa Beto"]

 

[Sivaprasad]

Celessa Beto could not wait to begin her first lesson at the Academy. Her quarters were luxurious after spending so much time living on the streets of Corellia. She barely noticed though, in her rush to don the traditional Ren armour and charge through the corridors to where she was to meet Talon Ren, her teacher. She felt relatively at ease with him, which was strange as Celessa did not naturally trust anyone, due to her childhood which was dominated by an abusive and controlling mother. She forced such thoughts of the past out of her mind as she stepped into the room where Talon Ren awaited her. Having left the mask off, unsure of the Ren culture and how to proceed at this point, Celessa awaited her new master's instructions.
[member="Kriel Firin"]

 

[Kriel Firin]

As he made his way to the appointed room, he noted how strong the bond was with them already. He trained many Disciples but only a handful had he created a Force bond with. He sensed her presence and her mood instinctively – and wondered how far this link would stretch, but given they’d been in the same building since her arrival, it was impossible to tell.

But it would make training easier, the mutual trust would allow Celessa to pick up new things quickly, and that could only be for the good.
He saw his Disciple enter quite a few moments after he sensed her arrival and he nodded to her – it was a token to suggest mutual respect and he afforded it almost exclusively to his Disciples.

“I wear my mask at all times,” he seemed to sense her first question, “But that is by necessity. You may choose to wear it or not, but be comfortable with it. Don’t let it distract you in a critical situation.”

[member="Celessa Beto"]

 

[Celessa Beto]

Celessa appreciated the calm and laid back way in which her teacher gave instruction. She placed the mask on, in imitation of him, before walking closer and standing directly before him. She was eager to begin learning how to harness the potential within her, a potential that this Knight of Ren had seen where others had not. "I feel ready, Master. What do you want me to do today?"

 

[Kriel Firin]

Celessa was a willing pupil, which was in Kriel’s eyes, a definite head-start.

“The Force is infinite,” he began. “But your ability to draw on it is not. The amount of power you can control and for how long is dependent on your development. By the time you are a Knight, you will have grown exponentially in both regards.”

“But today is about a practical lesson. You cover the basics with other teachers, things like Telekinesis, Push and Pull and the like. Today we start to challenge you.”

With that he produced a head-shaped blag bag and deposited it over Celessa’s head. “Today you will learn to see with the Force. Now start by meditating and clearing your mind of thoughts but harnessing your emotions so that you can draw on the dark side of the Force.”

[member="Celessa Beto"]

 

[Celessa Beto]

In the past, Celessa would usually have seriously incapacitated anyone who dared to even try putting a bag over her head. Again, though, her natural defenses were not active with Kriel. She paid close attention to his words, and began to stretch out with her senses. Her thoughts travelled from her past on Corellia, to this moment and her Master's expectations, then back again.
Celessa couldn't sense anything, could only hear the sound of her own breathing. Anger began to well up within her. How could she be so useless...
[member="Kriel Firin"]

 

[Kriel Firin]

Kriel could sense his Disciple begin the process of Meditation. Unlike the Jedi, who choose to empty thoughts and emotions, a Ren holds on to the latter – to hone their meditation and develop their connection to the Force.

But he could sense that, in her current state, she was not letting go of thoughts. But on the plus side, she was growing in anger. This was good and if she became irate enough, the emotion would do the job for her and push the thoughts from her head.

“You are irritated, and rightly so. Focus on this, allow your anger to consume you and push conscious thoughts from your mind.”

[member="Celessa Beto"]

 

[Celessa Beto]

Following her Master's instruction, Celessa focused on her anger, even drawing on the pain that had been brought up all over again whilst thinking about her past. Everything else in her mind faded away, until all that remained was a deep burning rage, like a candle in the dark slowly growing to an inferno as it tips over and begins to set the room alight. Why did she treat me that way.. I hate her!!
As her rage reached a crescendo, Celessa tapped into some greater power, becoming fully aware of everything in the room. Every little item, from a data pad laying on a nearby surface, to the material that made up the window, the door, the seating... All of it.

Even with the bag over her head, Celessa gasped aloud at the gift of awareness that the Force had granted her.
"I think I have done it, Master. I can sense.. everything."
The second that she felt relief and happiness at having achieved her goal, though, the extra sensory awareness left her.
"Oh, now I can't. I felt happy with myself, then, for a moment. Now it feels like the power has left me."

[member="Kriel Firin"]

 

[Kriel Firin]

Kriel remained relaxed. Celessa would get there, it was only a matter of time.

He sensed her drawing on the dark side now, clearly fuelled by some powerful emotion in her mind. And then he felt it – rage. It was a strong anchor for her to use and he approved.

And then the emotion stopped – like a tap being switched off.

“You have learned two very quick lessons. Firstly, that your rage is a quick and powerful way to access the dark side. The second is that you need to hold that emotion, to control it so that you can harness the dark side. In time you will not have to be so focused on the emotion – the control will be more automatic – but initially you will need to avoid distractions. Like happiness for example. Again, in time you will be able to deal with lapses in a more controlled way.”

“So reconnect with the Force and allow it to fill your mind’s eye with your surroundings. It should appear as a 360-degree map. Living things will have an aura and inanimate objects none. Initially walls will be a boundary to your vision, but in time you will learn to see through them.”

[member="Celessa Beto"]