The Forge and the Fire [Crystal]

[Coci Heavenshield]

Much time had past since Aerin arrived on Exocron. She had spent many hours training in aspects of the force she now understood. Talent she did not know she had, but used from an early age, now more refined but still more was needed. Other skills learned unaware of the existence of the elements and so life for her .. for now ... consisted of this.

Wielding a long sword is something Aerin has done since she can remember, the elements of this able to be transferred to the saber, to a point, but she needed to learn the forms not just to use the saber but to face an enemy. And so she now stands on the training fields, to await the arrival of Master @Crystal.

The day a little cooler and suited her much better. Still not able to cope well with the warm climate, her body had adjusted somewhat. But still the threat remained. Something would need to be done for that, she would be useless if needed in combat and the heat of the day her worst enemy.

 

[Crystal]

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

Crystal arrived on the training fields with a bag containing training lightsabers and remotes. She set the bag down on the ground and nodded in greeting to Aerin. "Good Morning, Aerin."

"How has your training been going? Can you show me what you've learned thus far?" The Sith inquired with her head tilted to one side. Her demonstration would serve as a good warm up exercise for the training session to come.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Crystal"]

Aerin turned as the woman now familiar approached. "Good Morning Master Crystal, training is progressing and I have leaned much". She replied.

She turned to look about the area and noticed some small rock, extending her hand she levitated them off the ground and brought them to her. But allowed them to remain in the air inches from her palm, they began to turn in a circular motion slowly at first but grew faster until they blurred as one. The force ever present within her, she could now summon to her will and apply it. Still her strength in the force low, but that will strengthen in time, she would make sure of it.

She pushed the rocks away to the edge of the training fields. Her legs strengthen with the energy of the force she jumped high into the air, and on approach to the ground, the cushioned the force under her as she alighted to the grass. Aerin walked back to Crystal and waited for command.

 

[Crystal]

Crystal watched as the red haired woman called rocks to her and made them dance above her palm. Well that was good, she'd clearly grasped telekinesis. And off they went. Good.

And she could enhance and control her jumps. "Good. Now, for warm up." Crystal turned and jogged toward the street, monitoring her apprentice's position closely. When she gained, Crystal pushed harder and this continued for a kilometer or so. A sharp turn into the alley way, and toward the fence before jumping to the top of it and launching herself to the fire escape.

But that wasn't it. She jumped down to the dumpster below, then the ground where she continued down the alley. When she reached the street again, she circled and headed back toward the training field.

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Crystal"]

Aerin soon followed Crystal. A run easy enough for her, having spent many long runs through the forests on hunts and to just keep fit. However, running around buildings is different and hard on the feet, but she managed.

She was only just behind Crystal as she turned into the alley way, Aerin followed her over the fence and onto the some sort of scaffolding on the outside of the building. The jump down however, proved more difficult as her timing was a little out and she landed much harder on the dumpster. A shot of pain ran up her leg, the force cushion ill conceived. But she continued on after Master Crystal. Soon she was back to the training grounds.

 

[Crystal]

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

Crystal called a training lightsaber to her hand and tossed the hilt to Aerin when she arrived shortly after. "Have you seen a lightsaber before? They are surprisingly deceptive because the blades have no weight but can cut almost everything. Including through flesh, bones and doors. That is why I prefer to train with training blades. I've seen people inexperienced that have managed to lose limbs. I will give a few moments to acquaint with it and adjust to its lack of weight. Then we will test your senses and reflexes."

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Crystal"]

"I have seen a light saber before Master Crystal, I have one", she said as she unclipped the saber from her brown leather belt. Her long sword as usual not far from her side. "I understand the different my two blades, I am very good with the long blade, but I know I need instruction of the saber", Aerin might be new to a lot of things, but she is no fool.

She knows full well the importance the weight of a blade, it's center of gravity and feel through the hilt. The light saber would be no different, however, it is one she needs to learn.

 

[Crystal]

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

Crystal had no doubt that she'd seen a lightsaber before. But it did surprise her than the red haired woman had one. It likely meant that she'd the former owner and taken it as her own. Unfortunately in taking someone's blade, one would be forced to bend it's will to your own. At this point, it wouldn't do her much good. It would be better if she'd built it herself.

She allowed the Aerin to adjust before speaking to her again. "We're going to test your Force senses. You will be blind and deaf while these remotes fire at you. Your objective is to deflect the shots back to where they originated. However, at this stage, I consider a deflection a success, whether it hits a target or not."

The Sith Princess waited for some sort of affirmation that her instructions were clear. And then she cut off two of the woman's senses and started a remote programmed to fire every five seconds.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Crystal"]

Aerin understood perfectly, did not mean she liked the idea however. As Master Crystal severed sight and sound, Aerin felt uneasy which was natural enough. The training blade held in a double handed grip, moved in front of her as she still tried to hear the remotes. A sharp bolt of pain, hit her right arm and then the next.

Angry quickly got to her, she did not like pain but her focus now all but destroyed by the emotion. Out of sheer luck Aerin managed to dodge some of the hits.

Aerin gathered herself, calmed her mind and tried to refocus through the force. Remembering her meditations and centered her mind to see beyond the line of physical sight. To sense the environment and all in it, immediately she felt the presence of Crystal standing close at hand, the living force in the surrounding area among the wild life and the flora of the near by forests.

It is this sense that helps to settle the woman, the presence of nature held deep within her, a connection strong and a source of power for Aerin. The training blade, moved quickly to the left, a bunt with the hilt and the bolt hit the blade hit. A sweep of the blade to the right, connected with the second bolt and so on. However, Aerin had no sense of direction to return the bolts to the source. Not yet....

 

[Crystal]

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

As she figured that it would be, Aerin took longer than it took the remotes to start firing to adjust to the lack of senses. She already possessed her strongest sense, so it was simply a matter of her learning to trust and rely on it before her eyes and ears. Her sense would tell her everything she needed to know, and would keep her alive, if she listened closely enough. Of course would take time to develop that kind of bond, but this was an excellent start.

Crystal could feel Aerin's anger rise, but it quickly subsided as she got her sense about her. Now she was cooking with gas. The blonde smiled as her apprentice settled into a rhythm. And, she activated two more remotes with three second intervals between shots.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Crystal"]

She could feel the flow of the force within her body, pushing out to her arms and legs giving strength to her muscles and power to her entire body. A feeling that invigorated her, like walking through the snow fields of Midvinter. She held to this memory and the sensation it gave her and focused more, wanting more.

The remotes fired again and again, Aerin kept up deflecting each bolt and it began to come easy to her.. until. Crystal activated more, and the situation changed again. Aerin did not anticipate this and was hit repeatedly from the two added remotes. A growl issued from her mouth in frustration .. more at herself for not sense this.

The body of the woman moved slowly, seemingly too slowly but her long legs able to cover more ground then most. The speed within her arms and legs aided by the force began to strike the bolts. A rapid pace of the training blade able to match the volleys. Still with more training her deflection .. her ability to bunt the bolts back to the remote will come with time. For more Aerin is happy to not get hurt.

 

[Crystal]

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

Crystal smirked a little bit. The red haired woman had gotten too comfortable and didn't listen to the Force. She felt the woman's frustration, which was good. That would contribute to her performance. The question was, would it help her or hinder her further? The Princess would see very soon.

Aerin adapted once again. Time for a couple more remotes. Another one at three seconds and one at five seconds, timed to shoot in between the other remotes. So, the shots would be continuous and slightly random. This would continue until Aerin completed her task, or until she yielded. Either way, she'd learn a valuable lesson.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Crystal"]

Aerin did not have time to catch her breath. Master Crystal activating more remotes, which she was not expecting and was hit several times, before Aerin, got her rhythm.

The force pumped through her body elevating her strength and her blade of the saber began to move with much ease around her body. However, Aerin needed to at least take out some of the remotes but return fire. So she focused using the force to guide her. Her mind's eye clearing .. her ability to see more then most now came to the forefront of her mind. Her environment clear and so she could sense the heat from the remotes.

Her blade swung hitting one of the bolts although not returned to it's origin, she directed it to another taking it out. And again the same, take out another.

 

[Crystal]

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

Crystal smirked just a little. Now she was getting the hang of it. Two of the remotes had been deactivated, but since they had not been the ones firing at the time, she would reactivate them in half a minute, giving her a chance to successfully knock out others. The red haired apprentice was doing very well, considering how early it was in her training.

It was interesting how training apprentices had made it seem as though time was passing quickly. The Sith was serving the Crusade in the best way she was able. Training apprentices had always been enjoyable to her, while others thought it a chore. The key was to make it fun, at least for herself. Her apprentices hadn't always enjoyed it, but they learned one way or another.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Crystal"]

With every passing moment, Aerin, felt a stronger connection to the force. A sense of clarity began to form in her mind as if vision had become clear as mist slowly burned form the suns rays. Her blade moved in a fluid motion, more a sense of an acute awareness of her own body. The blade repeatedly hit the bolts and now, she sensed the direction, she could felt the warmth of the bolt in the air and her first hit of the remoted that fired the bolt completed.

She continued this way .. not always succeeding, but as her awareness grew so too her accuracy. One by one the remotes deactivated.

 

[Crystal]

[member="Ærin Firebrand"]

Crystal was pleased with Aerin's progress. She had gotten the point of the lesson. And, she completed her task. With all the remotes deactivated, Crystal called them to her hand and put them away. She restored Aerin's sight and hearing.

"Excellent," she offered, as encouragement. Not that it was terribly difficult to grasp the concept of the lesson, but the practical portion wasn't as easy as it sounded, especially without two senses that people relied on to guide their actions. But they had a better sense. A more complete sense, if one listened closely.

"You may not always be able to trust your eyes, or your ears, but you can always trust the Force." Crystal said. "That will be enough for today. See to your wounds and we will practice here tomorrow morning." Tomorrow was another day. Today, reflection and healing.