The Art of Unity- Battlemind (Group Training)

[RC 212]

[member="Tyranus Collik"] [member="Venris Helion"] [member="Areiana Slayer"] [member="Daniel Imura"] [member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"]​

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Location: The Gypsy Caravan- Hanger​

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Vassara had gotten her hands on a rare bit of information on Tortuga. She hadn't let anyone know, but after numerous trips to the Jedi Academy's archives had been able to identify exactly what the text was about.​

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Battlemind. ​

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An ability that was rare and very seldom posses by Jedi. It required tempering ones passion, pouring just enough into the battle that one could effectively amplify strength speed and all aspects of their blade craft. The trade off was it exposed you to the darkside.​

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That's where the second part came in. Several force users could link their force presence together, each amplifying each-other, making their senses and combined strength equally bolstered. It was similar to the hive mind of the Vong, or the Battle Meditation of the Sith.​

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After a short time studying Vassara intended to try it.​

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In the hangar was several duelling droids and blaster remotes. She had acquired a few training sabers, set to stun for those whom had none and asked the force users of the crew to attend.​

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In deep meditation she waited....​

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Vassara Raxis"]

After only a few minutes Vassara might notice that Venris was sitting not ten feet away, his coat and weapons set in a neat pile not too far away from them. Ever since his return from Ilum the young man had become a good deal more....focused, patient. Whatever he had seen in the tunnels, they had struck a chord in him and left their own mark.

And it was that change that had made him consider assisting Vassara in achieving this Battlemind technique. He had heard the rumours of it over the years, but had never even conceived of attempting it himself, but if anybody could lead a group of scattered and cross wired force users and fallen Jedi to learn such a dangerous and powerful skill he had no doubt in his mind that Vassara would be the one to do it.

And so he waited with her for the others to arrive.

 

[Zavzen Sae'ryx]

[member="Vassara Raxis"]

Zavzen sighed as he made his way through the bowls of The Gypsy Caravan, making his way directly towards the Hanger. Now, when most say they are making there way directly somewhere they mean they are taking the fastest route, that wasn't what Zavzen was doing. He had found a bit more information on his illness, Force Psychosis. It seemed to create a bond between the sufferers of the illness and, if they had a strong enough connection to the Force, could amplify latent and instinctual (*) Force Abilities. His seemed to be manipulating the molecular density of things. As such he was currently projecting a skin-tight aura around him that lowered the molecular density of the walls he was currently walking through towards the Hanger.





(*) = When I say 'Instinctual' I mean a Force Ability someone can use without training in it, however they would obviously have to train to increase there skill. I'm pretty sure that Anakin Skywalker is an example of this with Mecha-Deru.

 

[Tyranus]

[member="Vassara Raxis"]
Tyranus Sat down in the hanger on a crate still wondering how he was going to make his new lightsaber. He thought of multiple ideas but none seemed right to him so he continued to think. He rolled his own lightsaber in his hand with his Mandlorion helmet to the side of the crate for safekeeping. He stopped rolling the saber in his hand and put it away again before putting a hand to his neck. The skin their was still a bit tender but really scarred since all of those years ago because of his brother. He hated to think he was alive, but to know he was alive, now that was even worse. He really wanted to learn this Battlemind even though he had no ideas what it was so he waited, and waited, and waited.

 

[RC 212]

[member="Venris Helion"] [member="Tyranus Collik"] [member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"]

Vassaras eyes opened and she nodded to the group, motioning for those not already seated to do so.

"The technique we'll be learning today is called battlemind. It's a type of force bond between us. When we establish it, we can bolster our strength senses and speed. Keep in mind as with all hive minds anything you experience while connected, will affect the whole group."

Vassara closed her eyes again, this time extending herself in the force, casting imaginary lines that fell onto her comrades.

"It relies heavily on passion, but tempered and very curbed. Do not give in to your passion, temper it, and use it. Do not let it use you. If anyone should fall to the darkside we can call you back, so long as you remain connected."

The force intensified now as she recalled the exact nature of the study. She would become a focal point, a central link for them to tap into. And they would become tapped by her. As she fell deeper into the connection she nodded to the group.

"Now begin by melding your force signatures into mine. If you do it right, each will feel what eachother feels. We will all be one."

 

[Daniel Imura]

As Daniel wandered the length of the Gypsy Caravan, he wondered not for the first time what kind of a name it really was for a ship. It was unique, as all ship names were, but much different in that aspect; in his opinion, anyway. As he recalled, he'd been invited by the captain for a group session of an ability called battlemind. Searching into his linked memories from his predecessor Morna, he couldn't seem to remember hearing of such an ability, but that made him all the more interested. Just the name made it seem worthwhile to learn. And the captain would be teaching, huh? Well, if she was trying to hide her force affinity before, she certainly wasn't doing a very good job now. Walking into the room, he noticed he'd been the last person to make it. Well, it didn't hurt to be late to a few meetings. Sitting down with the group, he listened to the woman's words, feeding on them. So, the ability was connected to the dark side? Funny, so was he, by blood. Daniel highly doubted he'd need any assistance in that area. However, he closed his eyes. Though he'd never meditated before, he kind of suspected how it was done. Reaching out into the force, he began trickling parts of his mind into that of Vassara's. He was a little cautious about leaking Morna's memories into the group, but otherwise remained calm.

[member="Vassara Raxis"] [member="Tyranus Collik"] [member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"] [member="Venris Helion"]

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Vassara Raxis"]

Venris rose to his feet and listened to Vassara explain their goal in this session, despite already knowing it. He smiled a bit and then shut his eyes, reaching out with the Force to connect with Vassara. Rather than simply push against her he began to meld his energy with hers, establishing a bridge between them both. He could feel the same thing beginning to form between others who had attended, though it was not as pronounced as the first link...

And as all of this went on Venris found himself barraged by images. Whether or not they were visions of his own or memories transferred through the link it didn't really matter, as he couldn't make sense of more than a frame or two here and there, and it looked like an utter mess when he could make sense of it. Whatever they were, be it a side effect of this Battlemind or his own precognitive visions Venris began to push them aside to focus on the task at hand, clearing his mind and exhaling as the bridge between him and Vassara stabilized.

Now all he had to do was wait.

 

[Zavzen Sae'ryx]

[member="Vassara Raxis"] [member="Venris Helion"]

When Zazven heard that this technique brought you close to the Dark Side, he shrugged before reaching down into himself on a spiritual level and tipped the balance of the Force that ran through him. Instead of Light and Dark being equal they were now unbalanced with Dark being stronger. Feeding off of this Zavzen reached out through the Force to join to the connection he already felt formed between Venris and Vassara. AS he did so he kept his mind blank, he had too many secrets that couldn't be revealed until the time was right.

He felt his mental barriers weaken slightly from shock as he experienced the link for the first time. However his shields snapped back up almost immediately, he just hoped that no memory or thought had escaped into the link for any to hear.

 

[RC 212]

[member="Daniel Imura"] [member="Venris Helion"] [member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"][member="Tyranus Collik"]

Vassara could feel them all meld together. In an instant their minds were opened up for her to see. She could feel and see their memories, their emotions everything. In return they would be able to do the same. Now all connected in symbiotic bridge their powers were much stronger. The force flowed through the network of minds like a raging torrent.

Except there was one that resisted. It was Zavzen.

Vassara no longer had to speak, but simply think and they would be able to hear her. She rose now, opening her eyes and expanding her senses even more. Whatever she saw they saw. Whatever power she had they had.

It wont work if you resist Zavzen. Now everyone, stand up and move around. Get used to having mutliple sets of senses in the meld.

 

[Daniel Imura]

As they all melded their minds together, Daniel saw the memories of each of them; their life experiences, their birthdays, and even what they had to eat earlier that day. Except for Zavzen. He seemed to be holding out, which angered Daniel a little. If they were going to do this, and become a team, they all needed to be able to trust without question. Zavzen clearly wasn't ready for that. However, he wouldn't dwell on that now. Vassara wanted them to get used to each other's senses. Standing up, a little shakily at first, he looked around. Instead of seeing in front of him however, it was different. It seemed to him more like a panoramic view of the room. He saw in not only his perspective, but the perspective of the others in his mind. He heard what Venris heard. Smelled what Tyranus did. It was a whole new experience altogether.

@Vassana Raxis [member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"] [member="Venris Helion"] [member="Tyranus Collik"]

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Daniel Imura"] [member="Vassara Raxis"] [member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"]

Calm yourself, Zavzen. You can trust us with whatever it is you fear to share. Venris said through their link. For this to work, you must trust us.

Venris himself was adjusting to the sensation from seeing from the perspective of three others at the same time as his own. He raised his hand and saw himself do it from three other sets of eyes, felt the weight of every individual's respective equipment, began to see...things...from the caverns.

He saw what the others had gone through, save for Zavzen as his thoughts were still shielded.

He also felt Daniel's anger towards the older man.

The Battlemind will not succeed unless all involved are fully cooperative, my friend. Please...let go of your fears, trust us.

 

[Tyranus]

[member="Venris Helion"] [member="Daniel Imura"] [member="Vassara Raxis"] [member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"]
Tyranus finally excepted the inevitably, if he wanted to work with a team he had to accept that they would see his memories, no matter how horrible they were he had to unleash them. He opened up his thoughts and connected with the others, seeing memories flash before his eyes but he pushed them to the side trying to stay focused at the task at hand. He was able to see through Venris's eyes, smell through Daniel but he sensed Zavzen refused to. Tyranus understood why, the same reason he did, to hide the others from their pasts. Images flashed through the others minds even the one he hated the most, his family being killed and then his Brother Krell grabbing him by the neck and shocking him into submission. Other horrible images flashed through the others minds.

 

[RC 212]

[member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"] [member="Tyranus Collik"] [member="Venris Helion"] [member="Daniel Imura"]

Vassara could feel their fear, their anxiety. If they continued to fear their pasts or rehash them they would fall into darkness. Already the meld was slipping into a negative direction and they hadn't even had time to properly adjust.

For a second cutting the Battlemind crossed her mind, but then she came up with a much better idea. The lightside still flowed strong in the current between them and she amplified it, projecting her memories of Alderaans beached before the Sith had destroyed them.

They would recall the soft feeling of warm sands. The cool caress of the breeze bringing the salty air into their nostrils.

There is no chaos, there is harmony
There is no passion, there is serenity.

Center yourselves in the force, become the eye of the storm

Vassara moved about a little, perplexed at the multitude of visions and hearing and smells. They were almost truly unified. If the others could become calm they could begin the next phase. Fighting as a unit.

 

[Zavzen Sae'ryx]

[member="Tyranus Collik"] [member="Venris Helion"] [member="Daniel Imura"] [member="Vassara Raxis"]

Zavzen sighed as they kept telling him to let go. Looks like he really had allies for one of the first times in his life. )"There is no ignorance; there is knowledge") Slowly he let the walls down and it all flooded out: his life as a slave, ("There is no fear; there is power") watching his mother die due to lack of medical care, ("I am the heart of the Force") watching his father and brother in all but blood be executed as a show of power, (I am the guiding fire of light") him killing the slave Master in anger ("I am the mystery of darkness") and more, so much more (In balance with Chaos and Harmony"), even the fact that his mental health was slowly deteriorating, that he was losing his grasp on reality the longer he suffered Force Psychosis (Immortal in the Force").

As he released all he memories he kept his mind solid, allowing the others memories to drift past but never into his mind. Sighing again he fully opened up and began to feel and smell and hear what the others did.

 

[Daniel Imura]

Daniel, being a usually quick learner, took to adapting to his new way of feeling rather easily, though he could tell it was a bit harder for the others. Vassara didn't seem to have much of a problem, then again she probably had a better understanding of the force. As he continued to walk around, he sensed Vassara's thoughts, and he sent one of his own in her direction. She was going to flood them with light? Why? From examining her memories, he realized now that she'd had some Jedi training, but he figured even she would know that the darkness wasn't a bad thing. When the light hit his mind, he recoiled mentally for a moment, then finally accepted it. It wasn't that he hated it, just wasn't used to such an amount. Taking a breath, he continued to flow his consciousness into the others.

[member="Vassara Raxis"] [member="Tyranus Collik"] [member="Venris Helion"]

 

[Tyranus]

[member="Vassara Raxis"]
Tyranus calmed at the visions before him and he began to move around, keeping the force connection but also keeping some of the lightside. He removed the memories from his view as more and more memories flooded in, he kept his thoughts on Alderaans sand and on the cool breeze from Hoth. At times, the climate and planet Hoth calmed him, he could never understand why it was just the cold and snow around him that made him feel calm and controlled. He pictured Hoth's snow in his mind and he proceeded to calm down slowly but surely.

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Tyranus Collik"] [member="Vassara Raxis"] [member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"] [member="Daniel Imura"]

Venris smiled as he heard Vassara's voice, felt her bring order to the chaotic link between them all.

Just as I thought: if anyone could make this happen, it would be you-....sithspit, I forgot that everything I think would be heard.

He chuckled out loud, now adjusting to five different perspectives and trains of thought...though how he did this even he wasn't sure.

Perhaps our little fleet might make a big impact after all, at the rate that we keep pulling off miracles like this.

 

[RC 212]

[member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"] [member="Tyranus Collik"] [member="Venris Helion"] [member="Daniel Imura"]

Vassara nodded in agreeance. The connection was stabilized and she tweaked her signature. Some light shifted from Daniel and more into the flow between Tyranus, Zavzen and her. The balance so far was precarious but they were maintaining it.

You can accomplish more than you might think from battlemind.

Now call your training sabers to you and prepare to defend.

The droids came to life at that moment. Their servos powered up and in their hands magna guard staffs crackled to life. This was the first phase. To see if the group could fight as a unified mind, lending strength where it was needed.

Each droid approached in it's own way, and it's own combat style. Vassara rasied her lightsaber letting it buzz to life with the blade in tight and diagonal. She began to rehearse the opening moves of form I in her mind, calculating the droids move.

It struck with deadly accuracy, lancing out with a solid thrust. She stepped back, pressing her back against Venris and swinging her saber down parallel.

The staff was forced down as the battlemind gave her increased strength. With the force aiding her she held the staff in place, pressed off and delivered mighty kick into it's chest. It fell back, resetting itself....

 

[Venris Helion]

[member="Vassara Raxis"] [member="Zavzen Sae'ryx"]

Venris entered the opening stance of Form III, Soresu, a primarily defensive form that was often underestimated, but incredibly handy when surrounded as they were. He began to expertly block strikes from two different droids, using the peripheral vision of one or two of the others to spot where they were striking from and managing to almost instinctively position his lightsaber just in time to parry.

When he wound up with his back to Vassara Venris noticed through her eyes that three of the droids were now preparing to attack her at once. At that point, while facing down two droids on his side, Venris did something he had never done before...

He flipped his lightsaber around into a reverse grip and expertly began blocking and parrying the two droids he was facing. After kicking one back and force pushing the other Venris reached back with his arm, moved his lightsaber around Vassara's midsection, and flicked his blade down, sending one of the staff tips glancing away. He then turned off his lightsaber and tossed it up. "Vas! Catch!"

Venris twisted out of the way of one of the two staves aimed at him, and then ducked as the second droid swung at him only to strike its fellow to the floor, sending it into reset mode. Venris used one foot to kick its staff up into his waiting hands and bat aside the second droid's next Attack.

He had tossed his lightsaber up so that Vas could make use of it against her three opponents while he dealt with the two on his end. Something else had occured to him that lead to this plan: he had used Shien...and he had taken the knowledge for it from Zavzen's mind through the Battlemind link. He was counting on Vas further testing this by taking his lightsaber and drawing upon the knowledge Zavzen had of Makashi, which Venris was also aware of through their link.

They were sharing more than memories...they were sharing their talents to an extent, either temporarily or otherwise. Venris' muscle memory was not adjusted to using the Shien form, so compared to Zavzen his strikes had been rushed and amateur compared to one who had studied the form. Either way it was certainly an advantage in this fight.

 

[Zavzen Sae'ryx]

[member="Vassara Raxis"] [member="Venris Helion"] [member="Daniel Imura"] [member="Tyranus Collik"]

As the droids came to life, Zavzen smirked as a plan formed in his mind. The link was based on passion and emotion and, as such, was manly avoided due to the fear of the Dark Side, but he was someone who was constantly using the Dark and the Light and held no such fear. Reaching out he increased the flow of Bogan through him to strength his side of the bond before focusing on transmitting his knowledge of Lightsaber Forms that he had amassed to improve his skill across the link, knowing that it would help in the fight.

Doing so took less than a second and as such he was immediately joining in, both swords were held in a reverse grip as he began tearing through the droids, a mix of Juyo and Shien being incorporated into his fighting. I wasn't long until he became accustomed to fighting with multiple senses and it was soon being shown.

At times the Zabrak was fighting with only one lightsaber as he kept throwing it away then calling it back to block strikes to allies, making sure to keep them protected. At the same time many strikes would not even reach them as he kept forming Force Barriers to protect his companions.

At one point when he was fighting one droid in front of him and a droid was approaching him from behind he saw, using Venris's eyes, that a group of two droids were approaching Tyranus from behind while Tyranus was fighting three from the front. At the same time he was able to spot one lone droid approaching Venris from behind, still too far away for most to register it a threat but he had grown up with slave pits, he could recognise the signs. Zavzen reacted by throwing both of his swords to take out the two behind Tyranus while releasing a blast of Lightning at the one behind Venris. Doing this, however, meant that he left himself open to attack and the droid in front of Zavzen managed to hit him with the staff it was wielding. Growling through the pain he wrapped his arm around the droid while kicking at it's chest and flipping backwards. With the added boost of strength from the link the droid went flying to crash into a wall.

Reaching out he pulled his swords back towards him before jumping forwards to help Daniel, uncaring for the droid that had tried to attack him from behind and had instead been taken out.