Private Rending My Way Downtown...

[Darth Arkanus]

Grumbling to himself he continued his walk through the hallways through the academy that resided on Korriban. The sounds of his feet hitting the floor echoing through the chambers for what time of night it was. If anyone was around they would hear the sound of a foot, followed by a wooden sound then another foot as he made his way down the hallway. His hood pulled over his head.

God, I hate that I am doing this. Dral thought inside his head, but he knew that Arcturus Dinn was more masterful in the force than he was, even for another acolyte he was strong in the force. You're doing this because you want to learn more about the force, and be able to use it in combat. You do not have to sulk or anything, just ask if he was willing to teach you about some force abilities.

Finally, making his way he found himself to Thresh's room where he pressed a button on the door letting him know that a visitor was here for him. Ugh I feel so stupid. The thought rang in his mind before he shook his head shaking it out. Grow stronger, Grow STRONGER. He thougt to himself forcing any negative or even social thoughts to enter his brain as he stood at the door waiting for the response.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Sat within his quarters, larger than a mere dorm room in that it housed a small living space on top of a bedroom and a bathroom, Thesh had been lost within a project of his own devising for some hours. The work was slow paced, painstakingly so, as he etched miniscule runes on the inside of a hollowed out crystal. Specialized tools had been loaned from Alchemists far greater than himself, which allowed him such precise details despite the fact that he could not get up close and personal with it. Attached to his desk was a magnification device of sorts, which allowed him a clearer view of the tiny surface he was working upon.​

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It was in this state that he was disturbed.​

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Had he not heard the tap tapping of a cane on the ground, and felt the presence nearing his door, the project might well have been ruined. As it was, he set down the tool just before the knock resounded through his apartment, and slowly he rose from his seat. All manner of joints popped in response, back cracking as he stood for the first time in a long time. He groaned, then made his way toward the door on quiet, sock-covered feet.​

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The door slid open, revealing a familiar sight. Dral.​

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"Quite the hour to be wandering the halls, friend. What can I do for you?"​

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There was the subtlest signs of fatigue exhibited in the boy, slightly sunken eyes that were dry and red from prolonged staring. The desk across from the doorway was scattered with numerous items, yet oddly enough none of it seemed out of place. Controlled chaos, to be sure. Above it was what looked to be a window, but given where the suite was located that certainly did not make sense. There was another room on the back of that wall. It was simply a screen, projecting the outside world. An approximate reflection of what the Korriban nightscape might have been.​

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Nobody wanted to feel boxed in, after all.​

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Darth Arkanus ​

 

[Darth Arkanus]

Seeing the wear that the man had clearly been going through he hesitated for a moment his eyes on the younger man as he gave a slightly confused look. This guy looks like bantha crap. Dral thought to himself as the young boy's appearance looked like he might fall asleep on the man standing in front of him any second now. Clearing his throat a little he looked at Arcturus Dinn .

"Well I was going to ask if you could teach me... something, because you are a notable user of the force out of the acolytes here, but it seems like you were in the middle of something, or about to go and take a nap... I hope."

Dral looked over the man seeing the back wall with a screen that showed approximately what the Korriban night sky might have been, and he just raised another brow and shrugged his eyes focusing back on the boy in front of him. Dral was not very well-known for his use of the force outside of combat, so being at Thresh's door could be seen as a little confusing, but if anyone knew why he had come to the young force protégé they would know that it was right up his ally to be there.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"Pah," he said, with a wave of his hand, as he stepped backwards and made room for Dral to enter his abode. "I've got a few more hours in me yet, don't you worry. You caught me mid-project, probably why I look like poodoo." Though the Zabrak had tried to be nice enough about it, he could tell just by looking at the man where his true thoughts lay.​

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Didn't bother him. He had more to be prideful of than his appearance, that was for sure.​

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He brushed back some of his unkempt hair, and stepped through into the kitchenette. "Want some caf', man?" he asked, as he began to brew a pot of the stuff. Shuffling through cupboards he pulled free two insulated mugs and set them down on the counter.​

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Even if Dral said no, he'd end up filling both mugs regardless. Just in case he changed his mind.​

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The room he'd granted Dral access to was clean, if we were ignoring the desk, well organized. There were two doors on the wall to the left of the entrance, and everything else was in the one long main room. Sofa, another screen which was mostly covered up by items piled on a shelf below it. Books. Lots of books. Physical tomes, datapads, you name it.​

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"So, what are you hoping to learn?" he finally inquired, nursing the warm mug in his hands and taking a few sips. "I know of a good training spot, never anyone else there this late."​

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Darth Arkanus ​

 

[Darth Arkanus]

Stepping into the room he glanced around and noticed how cleanly it really was. Even though the desk that almost dominated the eye was a mess, the other parts of the room was well-kept together. This may be because of the project that had been underway when Dral had walked in, or just due to the fact Arcturus Dinn was a man of study and discovery.

"Yes I will take some.... "Caf"... if you don't mind."

His eyes wandered around the room until Thresh finished brewing the cup of caf that he had started when Dral had entered the room. He noticed how homely it seemed, thinking of his own room that didn't have nearly as much to it. He only had a place to sleep and a place to practice. Other than that Dral only kept a kitchenette for food that he may require and nourishment he would need to continue to train.

Even on his own ship his favorite room was the training room, it was a place where he could almost let the reality of the universe slip away and just practice the moves he had learned almost a decade ago. Deep in thought the man's question roused him back to the land of reality. Looking at Thresh he thought for a moment as he took the mug offered to him taking a sip at the Caf that was inside.

"I was wondering if you were proficient in the art of telekinesis? I had some ideas on implementing a few more moves into my collection to allow for more variety whilst in combat."

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

It didn't take long for the second mug to hit Dral's hand, and Thesh leaned against the small island, more there in order to have a place to sit and eat, and regarded him for a moment as he spoke about his wants. His reason for coming there so late.​

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The boy mulled it over, sipping on his caf' and blowing away some of the residual heat which lingered. If only he could make it the perfect drinkable temperature... Alas, always boiling. No matter, he'd suffer through it for caffeination and deal with a lack of taste buds the next day.​

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"Telekinesis? Yeah, sure. Pretty simple once you stop putting its various aspects into boxes, really. Force Push, Force Pull, bah. It's the same thing, really."​

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Another loose shrug, before he walked around the island and slipped his shoes on. He glanced back over the room, and reached out to pull his lightsaber into his grasp. The Sith Dagger he'd made many many years ago lay upon his hip, ever present. Theirs was an inescapable bond, after all. Where he went, it went to. Simple logic, really.​

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"Come on, there's a lid for that over there if you want it." He tipped his head toward the kitchen, where a lid that would fit the thermos perfectly sat. He wouldn't tell the man what to do though, he could take the mug lid-free if he willed it. He opened the door again, and stepped out into the hallway beyond with a renewed spring to his step and a light whistle loosed from his lips.​

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Some fresh air would do him good. He had been cooped up inside all day, after all.​

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Darth Arkanus ​

 

[Darth Arkanus]

With the utter carelessness from the boy he just let out a soft sigh under his breath. He did not wish to have to do this whole thing in the first place, but it was definitely something he needed to get better with if he was to grow stronger in the powers of the darkside of the force. Listening to the words of the boy he watched as Arcturus Dinn made his way out to the hallway on their way to train. With a quick flick the lid came spinning into his hand as he put it onto the mug, unbeknownst to the man he was following.

"I understand the basics of telekinesis with force push and pull, but want to learn some more complicated aspects of it, if that makes much sense?"

Dral said as he followed the boy, his facade of being a weak man coming into fruition again, even if Thresh had seen what he could do before. This was something he did more for the effects of an outsider looking upon him. He liked the thought that people would underestimate him and try to use his perceived weakness as an advantage. Thinking about this fact it reminded him of Darth Sidious, but he shook the thought his trip to the train had just begun, and he could not waste his thoughts on such comparisons that held no fruition. One hand held his staff and the other the mug that had been given to him, filled almost to the brim with Caf'.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

The boy nodded in response to the older man, and as the tap tap tapping of the cane resounded down the halls once more he slowed his pace some in order to keep up with him. No sense in running on ahead, what would he do there? Twiddle his thumbs? Sip some caf'? Nah, that didn't sound like fun. He could do those things now, if he wanted.​

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"Yeah, there's lots it can do. Anything in particular strike your fancy?"​

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Thesh was definitely more the kind of practitioner who looked past the categories and the specific powers for the most part. There were distinct ones of course, pyrokinesis was certainly set apart from telekinesis, and alchemy was not necromancy, but the subcategories? To him they were simply unnecessary distinctions more to aid the user in figuring out what it was they wanted to do with the ability than all the ability had to offer.​

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But putting a name to it made moments like this simpler. Because if Dral knew what he hoped to accomplish with telekinesis, then Thesh could point him in the correct direction.​

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He turned a corner, led them both down another hallway, and then turned right. It was an area of the Academy which had not yet been finalized, and it was pindrop silent save for their boots and the clacking of the cane. One more doorway brought them to an indoor/outdoor training room. There were walls, there was the semblance of a roof, but the cool night air of Korriban crept through windows which held no panes, and a large hunk of the ceiling was missing.​

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Despite the arid nature of Korriban, somehow greenery had begun to sustain itself here. Was it naturally occurring, or had someone been tending to it?​

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The answer came when Thesh walked to the base of one of the vines, and began to redirect some of its trailing limbs. He let out a soft sigh, and then turned toward the Zabrak. Eager to begin as always.​

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Darth Arkanus​

 

[Darth Arkanus]

As they continued their walk, Dral was familiar with less and less of his surroundings, until a point where he did not know that there had been some of the sections they had passed through. He hadn't been there too long, so that did make at least some sense, but it seemed as if not a lot of people came to this section of the academy anyways. Noticing the slow in Arcturus Dinn 's pace he just let out a soft chuckle. He didn't actually need anyone to slow their pace for him, but he appreciated the boy's effort.

"Ah yes, I had been looking through some documents when I found mention of a Force Rend, to me, it seems to be a variation of a force pull for a lack of a better term. If you are not familiar to is pulling at two sides of the user, to tear them apart."

Turning the last corner, they made into the room that Thresh had talked about. It was a curiosity to be sure, he wondered what had caused the room to be like that, but without a second of wondering he noticed Thresh move over to the leaves and begin to redirect the limbs a little. He wasn't much in the terms of the living force but he couldn't lie, he was impressed by the boy's tenacity in nurturing the plants in the room.

As the door hissed shut behind him Dral finally took off his hood as he placed his staff against the wall and took a long deep breath of the air, letting it fill his lungs before he turned his attention back towards the man before him.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Turning from the plants he could not help but grin.​

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"Force Rend, you say?" his eyes flashed with amusement, "Aiming high, I see. Good. The limitations of the Force lie almost solely within one's mind, Dral. You will see those who struggle to lift simple pebbles, and others who can move great boulders without strain. Why is that? Why do some seem stronger than others, when they're harnessing the same thing?"​

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He shook his head, shrugging out of his outer jacket and tossing it aside. The chill of the air was bracing, a much welcome respite after so long spent indoors. He rolled his shoulders and his neck, before focusing his gaze back on the Zabrak.​

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"We impose limitations within our own minds. We look at that boulder and think it's too large. There's no way we can possibly shift it even an inch, much less lift it up entirely. Many times, we don't even try..."​

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A slow breath was taken by Thesh, inhaled through the nose, and out through the mouth. The fog in his mind began to fade away, the fatigue he'd exhibited dispersing, before he lightly moved the thermos of caf' from his hand to the ground by the doorway via the Force.​

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"Force Rend requires more focus than lifting a boulder, to be sure. You're not just pinpointing one region. One rock, one mug... You're splitting your focus between two. Two limbs. But it is one body still, no?"​

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He paused, realizing how much he was rambling, and waited to see if Dral had anything to say before he continued.​

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Darth Arkanus ​

 

[Darth Arkanus]

His attention focused on the boy he nodded his eyes watching him, the words resonating within. He shrugged the robes off his shoulders, his tattooed body exposed to the brisk air, a mixture of crimson skin and black tattoos littered his chest. With old wounds crisscrossing the designs with a lighter pink tone.

Taking a deep breath he took a spot, folding his legs beneath him as he took a deep breath. Letting the cold air fill his lungs as he took in the words of Arcturus Dinn imagining his train of thought whilst using force push or pull for that matter. How he would find an object and command it away, or towards him. Taking this he began to think of altering this way of thinking. For allowing for him to not focus on an object by focusing on two points.

"I must not focus on the object as a whole, but rather select points on the object, and then begin from there to pull in opposite directions. To pull one asunder. Selecting these two points would allow for me to split something in two, or to remove a part of something from the whole."

Out of the corner of Thresh's eye he would notice a decent sized rock float in front of the Zabrak knelt in front of him. Beginning to spin in the air as Dral focused on the item in front of him. The vein in his forehead constricting as he clenched his jaw attempting to split the rock in two. His anger slowly beginning to well from inside.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

He watched as the older man lowered himself to the ground, free from the weight of his robes. Around them both the Force began to swirl into action, drawn upon by the Zabrak, and for now Thesh merely observed, listening to the words Dral spoke and nodding ever so slightly.​

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It wasn't until he saw the very physical strain that he stepped forward.​

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"Enough," he said, drawing the mug of caf back into his hand and taking a quick sip. "You look like you're going to make your own brain explode. You're thinking too much... It's as difficult as you visualize it being, Dral. And I can see how difficult you're making it."​

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Sinking down to the ground he crossed his own legs and sat across from the Zabrak. Another sip of caf before he set it down at his side and waved a stray rock over to land between them. Then he dragged over a pebble and set it beside the other.​

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"Forget Rend, for a moment. Back to basics with you. Two rocks, at vastly different sizes. Lift one, then the other. Separately, mind you."​

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He knew that this wouldn't be an issue for the man, this was Youngling-level of Telekinesis even with the larger rock present. But sometimes a shift in perspective was really all one needed.​

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Darth Arkanus ​

 

[Darth Arkanus]

With a sigh he nodded dropping the pebble that was in the air in front of them. Opening his eyes as he looked upon Arcturus Dinn listening to his words as he nodded, clearing his mind again for the moment before he looked at the two rocks that Thesh had placed before him.

Looking at the rock on the right he lifted it up, spinning and twirling it around before slowly lowering it back to the ground. Then grabbing the other one he did the same, gently lowering it back to the ground as he looked back at the boy.

"Okay, one rock then the other, simple enough, it was one of the first things I had to learn when I was just a mere boy, first learning the power that I held within."

Thesh could tell that Dral was a little irritated, he did not wish to look like such a fool on someone younger than him. In all actuality if he hadn't gone down the path he had, it was more than likely he could have been a knight or even a Master of the Dark Side by now. This was always something that would stick with him, even Darth Maliphant was around his age and surpassed him immensely in the dark side of the force.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

The man was becoming irritable, but Thesh didn't pay it any heed. He simply pressed on as if nothing had changed.​

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"Now both, at once."​

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Lifting the cup back to his lips he took a few deep sips and watched Dral from over the end of the mug. While he waited for the man to do as he was bid he gently plucked a flower from one of the trailing vines and brought it into his outstretched palm. He didn't do anything with it after the fact, just let it lay there, held aloft.​

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Darth Arkanus ​

 

[Darth Arkanus]

Looking at the man he gave Arcturus Dinn a nod. Letting out a deep breath he lifted both of the rocks that were between them. It was a little more effort than before, but it still wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it would be. He had been a little rusty at using his abilities in a way such as this, usually using it for more bursts and short periods, such as a quick force push or a jump.

Slowly he set down the rocks together as one, and he nodded towards Thesh as he sat there, the cold Korriban night washed over the two of them. His skin beginning to form goosebumps as they practiced this technique together. Growing up he had always had to deal with the heat of his planet, the cold was something that he was not accustomed too.

"Okay, so if I can do two at the same time, I just need to slightly alter what I am doing to rend?"

Dral would ask he tapped his chin as he looked at the boy in front of him, trying to wrap around the idea of where their lesson would go next.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

It wasn't until Dral had done as he bid that Thesh set the flower down between them and waved aside the rocks with a brush of his hand. They scattered back into some random position within the courtyard-style room, forgotten for now and lost among the others.​

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He peered between man and flower, then flower back to man.​

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Then settled his hands upon his lap, languid and disinterested where they lay.​

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"Now pluck one petal. Don't move the flower, just the petal. Whichever petal you desire."​

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It should be simple, right? After all, it was such a small and insignificant thing. One simple, featherlight petal...​

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Darth Arkanus ​

 

[Darth Arkanus]

He looked up at the young man and he raised a brow slightly as he glanced down at the flower that the boy had motioned too. A petal? What am I some beginner acolyte? This is pathetic. Dral thought to himself as he just shook his head and focused on the flower.

Closing his eyes he reached out towards one of the petals, attempting to separate it from the whole, instead of that he wiggled the flower a little before plucking the petal from the flower giving a soft hiss from his teeth as he looked at the flower and just clenched his jaw a little.

Letting out a sigh, he then attempted to take a second shot at the flower, as he attempted to pull another petal from the flower.

Arcturus Dinn

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"Be precise. Pinpoint exactly what you want... And stop the rest of it from going with."​

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To the onlooker it may look as though he was trying to knock Dral down a few pegs. A flower? Who couldn't pluck a petal from a flower? But there was more to it than that, of course. What he'd have to learn was, in fact, how to Rend. Admittedly in a smaller, simpler form. To snag a singular petal without forcing the rest of the flower to move too, one would need to hold down the bulk of it, and target just that which it wanted.​

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To pull them in separate directions.​

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"It does not need strength, Dral. It needs finesse. You could pluck that petal with the barest of touches, if you only had it in your hand. But it isn't."​

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He took another sip of his caf', and then proceeded to patiently wait in silence for the man to figure it out.​

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Darth Arkanus ​

 

[Darth Arkanus]

With a slight grumble her opened his eyes and looked at the flower. He reached out and began to mimic the actions required, with his hands outstretched, holding the flower in place with one hand, and slowly pulling the petal from the stem with the other. He slowly dropped the flower and brought the petal to his hand letting it rest into the palm of his hand.

His eyes glanced up at Arcturus Dinn as he held the flower in his hand. He didn't necessarily know where this was going to lead them in his journey to learning how to be able to use that ability towards larger objects, such as a rock... or person.

"So I can take a petal from a flower, so what a child could do that if he focused hard enough, I want to learn more. I want to go bigger, this is child's play."

A scoff would escape his lips, it wasn't that he didn't think this was important, he just was irritated with whole situation as a whole, he didn't mind Thesh, he was someone to be respected, but it didn't make all of this any easier for the Zabrak.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

His eyes fell to the unmoving flower as petal was plucked.​

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Even as Dral bemoaned the methods expected of him, even as he crowed about how simple it was, he was proving Thesh's point.​

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"There. Wasn't that difficult, was it?"​

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He gestured to the flower which had remained rooted in place. "That is one side of that which you wish to rend." Then he gestured to the other. "And that is the other side of it. You must separate two points on the form and exert your will on each. Separately. As you just did."​

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Another sip. He was getting low... A shame, the warmth was a welcome respite from the chill air at this point.​

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"What you did with flower, you can do with rock."​

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He waved his free hand and called forth one of the rocks to sit before the man again.​

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"So do it."​

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Darth Arkanus ​