Grasp it With Your Mind [Xavka Duquo]

[Darth Ophidia]

Iridonia – Home of some of the fiercest warriors in the Galaxy. Saiah herself was not one, but she had seen Iridonian fury first hand and found it inspiring. This time however, she was here to instruct an Acolyte. Normally, she would have sessions like these in the home base of the Assassins, but Malif Cove was compromised by the traitor Darth Arcanix and later destroyed as a result of the Jedi Shadows’ attack. She would have to improvise,

Saiah, or Darth Ophidia as she had been named, sat on the ledge of a great canyon far into the Iridonian desert. The sun baked down on her shoulders as she sat in deep meditation, keeping the sun’s rays from damaging her skin. Beside her lay a beacon with the sole purpose of guiding the recipient of her class, one [member="Xavka Duquo"]. When she had learned he was from Iridionia, she felt it only appropriate to teach him on Iridonian soil.

Now she sat here, waiting. She had come early to prepare herself for the lesson, and she had picked this spot both for its scenic quality and for the sole purpose of seclusion. Which was something she had come to appreciate greatly when she delved into the mysteries of the Dark Side of the Force.

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka strode confidentially through the plains of Iridonia, unmindful of the sun beating down on him. Memories of his time with his time with his former Ru*, Uiging, ran through his head and even though he spotted the markers his Ru* left as they travelled, being nomads as they were, he made no move to follow. The Rights of the Dead would have already been preformed for him, no need to open old wounds.

Shaking his head as if to physically rid himself of such thoughts, Xavka focussed on his task. Reaching out with his senses again while checking the datapad in his hand, he nodded when he confirmed that he was still heading towards the beacon and large presence he felt. Moving forward he felt the cloth bundle on his back, which held all his items too large to conceal on his person, bounce against his naked torso.

He had removed his upper clothing as soon as he had landed, feeling more comfortable moving through the desert without them than with. As such his torso, covered in spiralling, black Jat'i and scars that made a mess of his right pectoral, was exposed to the beating sunlight and he was clad only in slightly-too-small trousers and cloth wrapping around the middle of his feet.

Stepping over the ridge, Xavka lay his sight on the feminine figure before him. Assuming that this was the Darth Orphidia he had been sent to for teachings of the Force, he continued onwards after removing his cane from the bundle on his back.


[member="Saiah"]

Translation:

Spoiler

Ru = Clan

Spoiler

Jat'i = Personal tattoos, often applied to the body.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

She could sense him coming, but she did not make any visible movements. The Rattataki Sith Knight sat almost unnaturally straight, the skin of her torso mostly exposed, except for wrappings around her chest. Her ashen skin, trailed by scars and decorated with tattoos of dark, intertwining tendrils, was fully exposed to the sun, but she seemed absolutely comfortable. Her legs were clad in a dark skirt, which one would also assume to be very warm in the scorching heat and arid air of Iridonia. Saiah opened her grey eyes, but did not turn to meet the Acolyte.

"Acolyte - Xavka Duquo I presume. You have come for your class?"

Her form crackled with electricity as a warning, and the dark side of the Force appeared condensed around her for one who would take a moment to sense her.

[member="Xavka Duquo"]

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka stopped a short distance away from the Sith in front of him and bowed his head minutely in greeting, even if the grey skinned woman, couldn't see him do so. He opened his mouth to reply to her question of his identity, but was forced to shut it when her presence within his senses suddenly grew colder and sparks of electricity arced from her skin. This would have usually not have bothered him, but being back on his home world had caused his mental conditioning to slip and for his more primal instincts to escape his grasp. Right now the woman before him was a predator and his gut was caught between flight or fight.

Grimacing, he wrestled back control of himself. Swallowing he tried to answer again. "Vi, my name is Xavka Duquo." His slightly gravely voice was soft and barely carried on the wind, but then, he had hunted these deserts, he knew how quiet was too quiet.

[member="Saiah"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

"Good. I've been waiting for you, Xavka."

She stood up and turned around in a single fluent motion, exhibiting all the grace of a duelist. Then she set her grey eyes on the Acolyte, a thin smile on her lips. There was nothing comforting about the smile, and her eyes seemed to bore into ones soul if one let them. She ran a hand over her bald head and approached him casually. She was observing him, feeling the Force inside him and observing his mannerism. Her way was that of the Sith Assassin, mannerisms were her holonews.

"What do you know about Telekinesis?"

She casually raised her left hand, it was black as ink from the elbow to the tips of her fingers. A flask lifted from a pile of folded cloth and shiny metal plate, then hovered into her hand as smooth as her physical movements. She opened the flask and drank from it. Even as she drank, she observed him, seemingly able to see without blinking.

[member="Xavka Duquo"]

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka stood still as the woman approached him. He had hunted these grounds since he was a naive kep, he had trained to control his scent and body language. All of these lessons were being put to use at that moment. He wished to not show weakness, to resist showing any reaction to Ophidia. He ignored her gaze and vicious smile, thing that he had had directed towards him by the Mataph and in the mirror numerous time.

He tilted his head and scratched at the scars under his right eye as he considered the Rattataki's question. "Telekenises is the art of moving an object through all three dimensions when said object has no physical manipulation affecting it. The art tends to be directed by the mind. Correct?"


[member="Saiah"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

"Lots of fancy words, but yes. It the art of moving or manipulating objects through the Force."

She put extra emphasis on the last two words in order to specify the matter they were dealing with. Then again, she had trained students who had no real grasp of the Force when she met them. It was a long talk she was quite fond of, but she would rather get on with this training session. She extended her flask to the Zabrak in front of her as an offer.
"I suggest hydrating."

Hydration was one of the cornerstones of healthy exercise and life was far too short to ruin with bad workouts. Ophidia begun pacing back and forth in the sand and picked up objects as she found them, gathering a handful of red stones, a blaster, a datapad and some tins. She spread them out in a semicircle in front of the Acolyte.

"Sit down, meditate, gather your strength and feel the Force. We will begin shortly."

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka held his hand up to Ophidia's offer of water. "I am fine, thank you. I trained within the Circle, I will survive." Following what she said, Xavka smoothly lowered himself to the ground and settled in a sieza. Closing his eyes, he let his, metaphorically, mind detach from his body. He let every thought flow through, put paidthem no mind just as he made no effort to prevent their very existence. As time went on the thoughts came slower, until, less than fifteen seconds after he began to meditate, he entered a suspended state of full awareness. This was the technique taught to him by the Ul* Jath*.

Physically, he could feel the wind wrap around his bare torso, flow over his orat* and ruffle his hair. He could feel the individual stones that rested underneath his legs. He could feel the sun bathing his dark skin. Spiritually, he could feel a lot more. He could easily feel Ophidia in front of him, just as easy as he could feel the Bantha a distance away that was about to be killed by one of the many predators of the desert. He could feel Ophidia as easily as he could feel the small bugs that scurried just beneath the dirt.

Shrugging the wonder off, he reached out and wrapped his will around tendrils of the Force which he pulled within himself. There he began to gather it, store it within him so that it was ready for use. "What now, Jenorkeyn*?"


[member="Saiah"]
Translation:

Spoiler

Ul = High
Jath = Ghost-Wise / Speaker Of The Ancients / Force User (Male)
Orat = Horns
Jenorkeyn = Teacher / Student

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Ophidia watched as the Acolyte meditated, he had some practice in it, she could see. She sat down opposite of Xavka, on the far side of the objects she had spread. Her pale eyes watched him closely as he worked with his awareness. She could feel how his presence expanded beyond himself. and then how he drew it all inside as a store of power.

"Can you feel the Force inside you? Reach out with it. I want you to lift one of these objects you see before you. It shouldn't be too difficult."

There was a spectre of different stones, tins, she even put the flask among the items on display. He would have to make one of them move. Of course, it would be difficult at first, but with practice it should prove to be simple.

[member="Xavka Duquo"]

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka listened to what the Sith had to say carefully before directing his focus to completing the task. He first focussed on finding the items themselves, which wasn't too hard, although he suspected it would be easier to do with direct line of sight. He then grasped a hold of the gathered Force inside of him and directed it out towards the line of items. Wrapping the line of Force around a stone and tried to lift it, only to find that the 'loop' seemed to slip of.

Calling the extended tendril back to himself he furrowed his brow as he tried to think the problem through. He imagined himself reaching out to physically pick up the stone himself and examined how he would do it. He would reach out and grasp the stone from the top as his hand would not fit underneath, however that would not work with the Force, to combat the force of gravity his hand would apply friction to the stone, something the Force couldn't do as it had not physical state unless directed to condense.

He smiled as he came to what he thought was the conclusion. Reaching out again with the Force again, he stopped when he felt the tendril reach the stone. 'Since the Force has no physical state there is nothing stopping it from being under the stone' He directed the Force to spread under the stone and to exert a physical effect. Using the Force as a platform, he lifted the stone.

The problem came though when he tried to move the stone and found himself unable to. After thinking on the problem for around five minuets he once again smiled. He directed the tendril wrap around the stone, cocooning it, and to exert a physical effect. The result was him being able to move the stone around smoothly.

With a sigh of relief he let the stone drop and opened his eyes, unmindful of the sweat that threatened to drip into them from where it had gathered on his brow.


[member="Saiah"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

She watched as the Acolyte worked with the conundrum. Ophidia had always had a knack for Telekinesis, her understanding of it went as deep as her understanding of the Force itself. With time and practice it would become second nature for him as well.

"Not bad for a first timer, but I didn't say you could drop it. Lift it back up, and add two more. Control of simply one object is child's play. To truly know Telekinesis is command your surroundings just as you command your body."

Her black hand drummed its fingers on her thigh as she watched Xavka. There was another lesson in this: A task was not over until the teacher said so. Sith are creatures of individuality and often act on their own accord, but when seeking tutelage, even a Sith should put its pride aside for the sake of obtaining power. Ophidia would not punish him for his one trespassing; she was not cruel for the sake of cruelty and what she told him to do was simply the next step in building proficiency.

[member="Xavka Duquo"]

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

"As you say." Xavka nodded towards Ophidia before allowing himself to fall back into the meditative state. Once he had achieved the state, he reached out and drew tendrils of Force into himself once again, storing it inside of him. Reaching out with three tendrils this time, he enveloped the stone, a second stone and one of the tins inside and aura of Force. He first lifted the stone until it was level with his head before turning his attention towards the second stone. Slowly, he started to raise it, taking care to not loose control of the first stone, eventually the second stone became level with the first.

Focusing so as to not to loose control of the levitating stones, he began to lift the tin. Part way through lifting up the tin, his attention slipped of the stones making them drop slightly. His regaining control of the stone caused him to drop the tin. Sighing, he tried to lift the tin again, although this time he was more slow in the attempt to prevent loosing focus on any of the items.

Eventually, he managed to get all three items in the air. Opening his eyes, he looked at Ophidias. "What now?"


[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Again, her eyes watched carefully as the Acolyte worked, he was working through his barriers and becoming more proficient, however, it would take the time before he had mastery of the skill. Yet, she would set him on his way there, such was the privilege of a teacher: She could sow the seeds that would shape the world.

"Good, now move them around, all three of them. Interchangeable patterns, I don't want to see too much repetition. This is just like training your body, but with far greater potential."

She waved her fingers, making the flask of water float over to her. She stood up as she took a few good chugs from it, by the time she was seemingly finished, she had made her way around the semicircle of objects. Then, when he looked the most focused, she sprayed a mouthful of water at the side of his face. This was of course done to challenge his concentration and make him slip.

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka nodded at Ophidia's order before closing his eyes again. Focusing he began to, slowly at first, move all three items at once. It took him a while to make the items pick up any sort of true speed, but he soon had them moving randomly and smoothly in a two dimensional area.

Focussing harder, he began to try and move the objects in more complicated patterns using a three dimensional area. He felt and registered the water heading for his face, after all he had been using his skill in sensing to compensate for his lack of sight through his right eye for a time. Normally he would of reacted by dodging, however he was deeply focus on training his skill in telekinesis that he lashed out with a tendril of the force, wrapping the spayed water up and suspending it.

It was only when what he had done registered in his mind that his concentration slipped. The water dropped to the ground with a splash while the items began to fall before he stopped their decent. Shaking his head, Xavka reapplied himself and once again began to move the items before him with a three dimension area.



[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

"Not shabby, you can put them down now."

She fastened the cap on her flask and set it down in the sand. They had the basics covered, and so they could move on to the more fun applications of telekinesis. She gave him three seconds to put down the objects, and then whether or not he was ready, she sent a burst of force energy to knock him out of his seat and towards the ledge, followed by a pull to throw him over her head and into the sand. She was a bit rough, but not out to severely harm him. Sith needed to stand a little bit of rough play.

"Now let's try something fun. Telekinesis is the root of the infamous push and pull manoeuvres. As I just demonstrated."

[member="Xavka Duquo"]

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

When Xavka heard the permission to lower the items he did it without ceremony, He withdrew the tendrils of Force levitating them and let them fall to the ground with a dull thud. He was expecting Ophidia to speak up again which was why when a blast of pressure hit him from behind he was taken completely be surprise and found no time to dig his claws into the ground. As he went flying he had just enough time to grab his cane before he was over the edge. Adjusting his body he prepared to slam himself into the side of the the cliff. However before he could do so he was pulled back towards Ophidia. By now he had guessed that she was the cause of what was happening so as he flew over her head he withdrew his sword from the cane it was sheathed in.

Xavka landed on the ground behind Ophidia, couched on all fours, claws digging in to find purchase and sword held in his right hand. He barelt registered her words before he had spat at her. "Tuha Vysh yetu sharee, slua." He lunged at her, sword flashing in the Iridonian sun as it was brought down in a two handed grip towards the Sith's neck.


[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

She was going to be nice to him until he said that last little word "Slua". She did not know the language, but she recognised an insult when she heard it. Ophidia was unfortunately one who took well to insults, she was a little scorned, and hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Even more so if that woman happens to be Sith. Her anger did not surface, but rather it fuelled her internal fire and made her temporarily stronger. She would play with him a little.

A blade flashed behind her, and through the power of battle precognition - an ability most force users developed naturally by being put in dangerous situations - and evaded with infuriating ease by ducking and stepping to the outside of Xavka's arm. She was now behind him, and a hundred opportunities arose, but she refrained in order to play with him some more.

"Such wonderful anger there is in you."

[member="Xavka Duquo"]

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka let out a feral snarl as his prey evaded him. Spinning around he kept himself low, ready to jump away if any attack was made. As he span he made sure to kick some dirt up, aiming to have it land in the slua's eyes, giving him the advantage. Once again he leapt at the Rattataki, but his time he released a barrage of attacks. Every attack was delivered to a different part of the body at different angles, the legs, head, neck, torso, arms, all was attacked with a variety of lunges and slashes. Two hands gripped to sword when the strike was delivered however in between the attacks, Xavka would hold the weapon in one hand while spinning his wrist, causing the sword to gain momentum and more energy to be placed behind each strike.

With every strike, Xavka's rage and bloodlust built, like a raging fire that swam through his veins and made his blood boil. And the more the flame of rage grew and grew into a towering inferno, the deeper into a feral mindset he fell.


[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

When Xavka spun around, Ophidia leapt back. With a swipe of her hand she created a small wave of force energy to wipe away the dirt that would hit her in the eyes. This way, she could keep her target in sight. She had been faced with similar blinding manoeuvres against another assasssin. A Jawa with a flashy way of fighting.

While everything would be easier if she used the vibrodagger strapped to her leg, she kept dancing outside of his reach. Ophidia kept on the outside of his attacks, avoiding his centre line to limit the range of attacks he could perform. Yet, he was capable enough to perform a variety of attacks against her. Some came quite close to drawing blood, but Saiah was accustomed to fighting bladed weapons that went much faster and were far more unpredictable. And while the Zabrak was able to keep a strong momentum in his blows, it could only be pushed so far as the weapon's weight was definitive, not changing.

Then once, as he slashed for her knee, she pulled her leg back to avoid his trajectory while thrusting her left palm forward with a fierce wave of Force energy. If he was blown away, she would start bombarding him with the rocks he had been moving previously. She would show him the power of the Force, and what a Sith could do to an angry Iridonian. This planet was theirs for a reason.

[member="Xavka Duquo"]

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka snarled as he went flying backwards and landed with a thud at the edge of the cliff. That snarl became an animalistic yelp of pain as one of the sharp stones he had landed of drove itself into his right arm, through the bicep. Looking up, his eyes went wide when he observed the large amount of rocks heading his way. Bending his body he back flipped off of the ledge and into the open air. As he fell a couple of meters his left hand and both feet lashed out, making contact with the stone face. This resulted in his short fall stopping and him hanging onto a cliff by his claws. Xavka growled out as the sudden stop jerked his right arm and sent pain flying into his brain like white lightning, it was all he could do to hold onto the sword he still held.

Growling, he made his way along the cliff face, repositioning himself for his next attack. As he did so, Xavka extended his reach through the Force bellow him and began to, slowly, raise rocks up to his location.


[member="Darth Ophidia"]