Keep Moving. (TSA)

[Darth Ferus]

Bastion. Yet again the Zabrak stood within the Sith Temple on Bastion with his hands clasped behind his back. He was here to again train the newer generation of Sith, as well as his own apprentices should they be interested. [member="Satia"] had her choice on joining or not now that she was a Knight of the order.

When the others came, he would begin. Till then, he just stood around, listening to the Force.

 

[Elensa Jari]

| [member="Krest"] |​

Sith Training Facility, Bastion

It was a strange thing to see this hastily-appropriated facility being used as a training centre. In truth, Elensa had no idea what the original purpose of it had been, but it certainly hadn't been built as a Sith Temple. She could sense that much: even with Sith ornamentation in place, it felt alien, as though such things merely sat over the surface, concealing what was beneath. The presence of the place wasn't saturated with the Dark Side the way that the facilities on Korriban or some of the other ancient Sith worlds were: rather, it felt like shadows creeping into a place that had known laughter and life, not the pall of death and anguish that tended to gather around the Sith like a blanket.

It was a utilitarian place, all high ceilings and dull grey walls, though Ascendancy banners hung from the walls, and the stone floors had been polished to a shine, sure to be scuffed before the day was over, no doubt. No Jedi Temple this, to feel serene, calm, safe. It was a threatening place - all Sith training centres were, she'd found - designed to put you off-balance and summon forth those deeply-embedded emotions that the Sith relied upon to channel their powers. No elegance in it, all these sharp angles and desaturated colours. It was a menacing environment, and that was just how the Sith liked it.

Standing within was a Zabrak, red-skinned and dark robed, waiting with the calm patience of an experienced Sith: to Elensa's eyes, the ones that tended to be seething with inner emotion, always seeking to be somewhere or doing something, these were the amateurs, the children that had too much energy and no true outlet. The older ones, the ones that had practiced the Sith arts for decades, these were the true Masters, those that could display patience and understanding in one breath, and utter lethality and intolerance for failure in the next. Clearly we know which category to group this one into. No doubt he was dangerous. This would not be the sort of session where it would be acceptable to do anything less than her best, she could see that now.

Coming to a stop a few metres away from him, the young woman inclined her veiled head, sufficiently so to offer respect, even though it felt odd to do so towards a male, whatever their species. One hand rested against the stave of her lightsaber pike, carried openly in her hand, as much a walking staff as a weapon, something she might lean on for support. Her own attire was black, intricate lace showing at the wrists, throat and the hem of the dress she wore, a black leather belt encircling her waist, gathering the material closer to her. A semi-transparent black veil covered her head, reaching down to embrace her shoulders, her facial features mildly obscured by it, as was traditional for Hapan women.

She would wait now, much as the instructor did, in silent contemplation. Elensa had yet to work out why they had been summoned, but she sensed a touch of anticipation in the man's Force aura, and knew that she alone had not been drawn here: he was waiting for others to come. So therefore would she, and then perhaps they might all learn what this was about.

 

[Natalie LaForte]

Cold steel. Something she was beginning to see a lot. They looked like pain, not only feeling like it. Standing motionless in the hallway, silent as always and concentrating on her inner thoughts, in that classical "monk" meditation posed, not because it assisted, but as was ritual for her ever since she begun practicing--no-- using, the force as a tool, a method of completing tasks.

Her eyes peeled open as the woman in the veil walked into the room; tracing her as she made a careful hobble to [member="Krest"], eerily fixated on the staff with her eyes wide open. Meditation broken. "And we're being so silent because?" Questioning the two. "Also, why are you wearing that stupid thing?" flicking the veil as she walked past the Hapan. "Makes you look more like a slave than a Sith. You're supposed to be free, not bound, the force shall free me, after all."

She wasn't doing this to annoy the woman, if she wanted to survive then Serenity expected her to deal with a few emotional attacks, insulting people was better than sitting in complete silence while waiting for other wannabes to turn up.

"What's making you so angry?" darting her eyes to the Zabrak again. "Are you not in charge of this field day?"

[member="Elensa Jari"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

The Zabrak hadn't so much as flinched when [member="Elensa Jari"] entered the room. He didn't so much as open his eyes when [member="Serenity Loveheart"] stirred. But as she started to speak his eyes opened. She enjoyed talking, perhaps a bit too much. Her exchange with the Hapan, if it could be called that, brought a hint of a smile to the red man. That of course faded when the loud mouth turned her attention to him.

"It would be best not to pick fights with one another, at least until I give the word. You'll get your chance to fight soon enough." He turned then, glancing between the two. "I'm feeling impatient however, so we'll begin with just you two. Do you know what it is to hear the Force?"

 

[Elensa Jari]

| [member="Krest"] | [member="Serenity Loveheart"] |​

Had her face not been concealed, perhaps the other woman might have seen a momentary flicker of annoyance cross Elensa's expression before smoothing out again, a slight tightening in the flesh around her eyes which heralded a mote of anger that was quickly smothered. Tempting as it had been to strike this presumptuous girl that thought to mock her so, the Hapan knew well enough that it was exactly that sort of situation that the girl was thinking to provoke. Sith always want to prove themselves against other Sith. It was a bad habit that she'd picked up on early in her training: the fact that they all seemed to need regular acknowledgment of their dominance was a weakness. It is a wound you can poke at, if you're patient enough.

Of course Elensa was silent, though: the other girl wasn't to know that she was a mute. By appearance, I look just like you, the blonde thought. Well, perhaps not quite so absurd. The brightly-coloured hair contrasted shockingly with the girl's pale skin, and her garments lacked any sense of modesty: truth be told, Elensa was surprised that she was observing a Sith, and not some lewd dancing girl in a seedy Cantina on some Outer Rim world. And you have the audacity to call me a slave? The hypocrisy of it was irksome.

Leaning her staff against her shoulder, the young woman reached up and tugged at the lower folds of her veil, drawing it up and over her face, so that it rested against her head, folded back so that her features might be visible. Her cold blue eyes flickered briefly towards the blue-haired one, narrowed slightly as if to indicate disapproval, before focusing upon the red-skinned Zabrak, evidently impatient for them to begin. She was amused at that, a faint curve of her lip the only indication that she thought so, but Elensa also knew it would be her life to express it more overtly. Few take offense more quickly than Sith Lords, she noted.

Ah, what was it to hear the Force? She wondered at that: it was a good question, and one she would have had difficulty answering even if her voice had been left to her. It's the whisper of your lover in the dark of the night; the soft scream of your victim as you rip their heart from their chest; and the gentle rhythm of your own heartbeat as it pulses inexorably towards cessation, she mused distantly, her thoughts far away. She'd felt the Force in so many different contexts that it was hard to pin down the nature of it, exactly: the idea of it was like trying to grasp at smoke.

How to articulate her thoughts to the others, though? She knew she might just reach across the gap that stood between them, initiate a soft contact upon bare skin and enable her to use her telepathic gifts to speak in a way that she could not, but it was intrusive and felt too intimate a sharing for it to be something gifted to a stranger. Best to be obvious with it, for the moment. With that, she simply offered the Zabrak a nod, though he might well consider that inadequate. Something you'll have to live with, I think, she thought with amusement. She had, after all.

 

[Natalie LaForte]

"No. I hear with my ears, most of the time." Grinning and placing a hand on her hip. Placing a hand so [member="Elensa Jari"] could not see, at least, not her lips, and began whispering to [member="Krest"], "Is there a reason why she isn't speaking?" Probably wouldn't work, given the fact instead of whispering she was speaking above "indoor voice volume", along with that she lowered the hand by accident, giving her a hint of the woman's expression. "Don't look at me like that..." feeling confused and... vulnerable?

Considering the question once more, she thought of when she first made contact with the force. Hearing with it? Not something she had done exclusively in a long time, at least a few months back when she was on Stars' End. It was one of her more contemplative stages of life, one of the times where physical action was not enough to break you free. Had she listened with the force? "I guess I have actually." Turning more serious in tone and more abrupt. "Do I know what it is though..?" She paused, placing a hand on her chin and began to re-think what her actual concept of what it was is.

Up until now, the force was but a tool, but to think it was alive, something you could use more than just to hurt people...

Argh... too hard., speaking into herself.

 

[Darth Ferus]

Krest cast a curious look to [member="Elensa Jari"] at her silence. Unable to speak, or simply choosing not to? Soon enough he'd figure that one out. [member="Serenity Loveheart"] would receive the same curious look, though the question would be quite the opposite. Unable to stop talking, or simply choosing to continue? Quite the interesting pair they turned out to be. Though when she mentioned listening with her ears he reached over to flick her forehead.

"Listen to what I say before rambling on. I don't mean listening by using the Force. I mean listening to the Force itself." There would be a sigh from the Zabrak as he shook his head. "The Force is always around us, save for extreme situations such as the Vong, and it is always speaking. Whispering of events yet to come, if they ever truly did. I'm going to teach you both how to hear the Force, and by doing so see danger before it happened. A sniper shot from across the city. A hidden assassin sneaking behind you. You will know them before they happen, and you will no longer be where they thought you would be. Understand?"

 

[Elensa Jari]

| [member="Krest"] | [member="Serenity Loveheart"] |​

​

That the other girl communicated with their instructor privately had not escaped Elensa, though she could not make out the sound of the words spoken, and the blue-haired one had a hand placed over her mouth so that the blonde could not lip-read what was said. Interesting that you'd think to keep secrets and yet so poorly conceal them. Such a thing would always provoke a sense of suspicion from the Hapan woman. If you have something you would rather keep from me, I'll enjoy ferreting it out from you later. That much would be a pleasure.

There was much to consider in what the Zabrak said, though: the concept of listening to the Force was one that Elensa remembered the Jedi speaking of on many occasions. When our thoughts are silent, our ego pushed to one side, you can hear the Force speaking to you, a whisper in your ear, her Master had said. Your emotions and your own thoughts are a barrier to the Force, in the way that you might not feel a single drop of water in a deluge. You need to let go and focus on the drop to understand something of the nature of the water. Typical cryptic Jedi teachings, but one she'd ended up spending many hours meditating upon, trying to push past the imagery and find the meaning.

What the Jedi thought was ultimately irrelevant, though: there had to be some contrast between that and the way the Sith approached the Force. Already she knew well enough that their means of channeling that energy was considerably different: primal, unrestrained, empowering. The Jedi approached the Force passively, allowing it to fill them as they pushed their feelings and desires to one side, emptying themselves to leave a vessel that might contain those energies. The Sith...they commanded the Force, drew it into them by force of will, wielded it like a weapon.

Elensa knew something of what Krest spoke: all Force Sensitives had a certain degree of passive awareness of the Force, and could register things with extrasensory perceptions that they were not always consciously aware of: fluctuations in the energies around them, and yes, potential dangers that might threaten. But these are always passive, something we just know. Was he speaking of a more active awareness? Where we make an effort to listen, and discern things we are otherwise oblivious of? That was an interesting thought.

Sliding her lightsaber pike to rest behind her left shoulder, held in place by a strap that braced against her chest, the young woman freed her hands and took a step closer to the other two, moving into a kneeling position a few hand-breadths away. She adjusted the skirts of her outfit so as not to crumple them beneath her, then stared at the others with a cooly-appraising stare, sitting back against the heels of her boots, waiting further instruction.

This was clearly something new to her, and she was interesting in understanding what it was Krest knew. And then I'll find out what it was that the other one thought to hide from me. In truth, Elensa wasn't sure which thought interested her more.

 

[Natalie LaForte]

"Yeah yeah.." Placing a hand on her hip and measly flipping her hair back.

"You're yet to tell m-.. us.. what we're planning on doing. If we're just going to stand here an talk... well.. if two of us are, and the other is planning on remaining silent, then that's fine, but I've got some other errands that need running if that's the case."

Giggling after the sentence and looking at [member="Krest"] while laughing. Afterwards, turning her attention to [member="Elensa Jari"], "Do you not speak at all?"

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Patience is important you know. About as much as Respect." There was a danger to his words, as well as the glance [member="Serenity Loveheart"] would receive from the Sith as he looked her way. [member="Elensa Jari"] had proven what Krest had assumed of her earlier. Mute. In this day and age it wasn't that much of a hindrance in the normal life of others, but for a Sith it would be something she would have to overcome.

Her calm demeanor however showed that it was a possibility.

"Your task will be to sit, close your eyes, and listen to the Force. It is not just a tool to be used, but a servant that can be made loyal. You will make the Force loyal to you." His blue eyes traveled between the two woman before him. Despite the Knight's mastery of the Force, he felt as if she would have a much harder time grasping this concept than the mute who might have already.

Time would tell.

 

[Elensa Jari]

| [member="Krest"] | [member="Serenity Loveheart"] |​

Such a frivolous woman, Elensa thought, her pale-blue eyes flickering back to the other girl, taking in the giggle and the open mockery she employed as her weapon of choice. An interesting one for the Sith to have recruited: there was an openness about her that seemed at odds with the darkness that swirled around her, a thing that hinted at hidden depths. This is one that will kill you with a grin on her face, enjoying the suffering in your expression as you slide into oblivion. In some ways, that made her the most dangerous person in the room: the fact that much about her simply didn't fit. A puzzle that needs to be solved to be thought of as safe.

The question that came to her didn't surprise her: it was one she heard often enough, the sort that served to fill the gap of silence that ever extended between her and others, as though the words would dispel the awkwardness of the situation. Elensa almost smiled in amusement at it: though she rarely found anything funny, something about this struck her as such. Perhaps if she allowed that silence to persist, the other girl's frustrations would build, and she might be provoked to do something other than talk. Then we'd find out what kind of person you really are.

The blonde raised her hands before her, raising them to chest level in a gesture of patient preparation. She locked eyes with the other girl, her own blue staring into the unusual pink irises of the other, then moved her hands in careful, precise motions. First she pointed at the girl, then the fingers of her left gestured: the fingers folding in different patterns, each one spelling something out, if the others had enough understanding to know it. A faint wave of amusement emanated from the Hapan woman as she signed towards the colourful human, placing emphasis on the signed words: You talk enough for the both of us.

That done, Elensa thought it best to turn her attentions to the lesson before them: perhaps the Human girl had understood her words, perhaps not, but it was irrelevant either way. Our understanding is always personal to us anyway. They'd not exactly be having a heart-to-heart, sharing intimate knowledge of their experiences with the Force, either as part of these exercises or apart from it. And all Sith are rivals, after a fashion, she reflected silently. To tell you something of myself is to arm you with a weapon that would otherwise not be yours.

Having already moved to a kneeling position, the young woman felt comfortable remaining as she was, not needing to adjust to a seated posture in the way that Krest had suggested. It always been her preference for meditation, even when she'd been a youngster on Tython. The cross-legged posture the others had always adopted hadn't really been suitable for someone who always wore skirts or dresses, and it was always easier to move to a standing position when kneeling anyway. Comfortable that the others would be busy puzzling out her words, Elensa closed her eyes and exhaled a soft breath, letting go and allowing her thoughts to flow as they wanted. Better to drift until you find something to focus on.

Krest hadn't articulated precisely what he wanted: to relax in meditative repose was no lesson she needed, so there was that silent missing element. How would you have us listen? The Jedi would have her silence their minds, banish ego, banish ambition, shove emotions to the side, repress all conscious directive, and simply let the Force flow as it wanted. It might whisper into her thoughts, if it had a mind to. But that is not the Sith way, is it? A person who never spoke knew how to listen, but she knew well enough that there were ways and means of doing that. Which would you have us use now?, she thought rhetorically. Hopefully the older Sith had an answer for her.

 

[Natalie LaForte]

[member="Elensa Jari"] I [member="Krest"]​

"Fine."

Crossing her legs and sitting on the ground; looking dead into the Hapan woman's eyes. Her position was not one she did out of necessity, just a habit that had developed from the months of practice attempting to get it to to speak to her, it never did, but she could say an attempt was made. As the hand movements formed she could feel something, she didn't know what it quite was, but it was something. A voice, something telling her that it needed attention.

So she's toying with me.

Her eyes darted open. "Well it just said I was being manipulated. I hope that's not true." Casting a gaze to Elensa. "Would you jus-.. Doesn't matter. I can't concentrate with ignorant people; so, whenever you wish to apologize or dare to stand up to me, I'll be in the another room. Alone." While gathering her belongings and exiting wherever they were present and finding a room populated by a single woman.

"Get out. Now." And she did. Setting a bag on the ground and crossing her legs once more, however, she couldn't concentrate. The paranoia must be true then. The door shut but something was still in the room with her. "I SAID GET OUT." But nobody else was with her.