Private A Crossing of Blades

[Travot Ravenna]

The Silver Rest, Kashyyyk

Travot strolled on the upper promenade, looking past the teeming padawan packs that rambled around from class to class and towards the mountains and the forests in the background. He'd much rather be there, in the quiet wilderness communing with the Force and nature. Yet the man knew he hadn't become a jedi to become a recluse or a hermit. He had become one to help change the galaxy for the better, and that meant working with its peoples. He side-stepped a pair of padawans practicing their latest telekinetic lessons with a few rocks and reached one of the more secluded areas of the walkway that ran into a grove of freshly planted saplings.

This is quiet as I'm going to get around here, isn't it? He closed his eyes and waded into the currents of the Force to feel for a presence: one Jasper Candos . He felt it. Good, he's almost here. The man unclipped his lightsaber from his belt, double checked to make sure it was on training mode, and clipped it back to his belt as he waited for the padawan.

 

[Jasper Candos]

Jasper took a couple of deep breaths to try to calm down his anxiety as he walked past the different padawans that were either walking or running in a hurry to their destination. He tried to focus on his surroundings to make sure no one tried to take anything from him or the items in his bag but was too focused on the reason behind his appearance in the upper promenade. He was to meet with a Jedi Knight who was to teach him some necessary skills needed to survive. They had a short conversation about what skills Jasper wanted to learn and develop after Jasper asked for assistance on bettering himself. He didn't know much about this person he was seeing so he made sure to gain some information on this person and from what he gathered, he seems like a decent person. That did make him less nervous, but he still had his tiny second thoughts about this.


Jasper knew what he was getting out of this, but he didn't know what this…@Travot Ravenna) wanted. That worried him despite the lack of malice intent when he tried to sense it in him. Of course, the guy probably had more control over the force than him. Jasper didn't know the full extent of the man's abilities but deiced to take a chance on him after gathering the knowledge on him. Just as he walked past the last crowd of padawans near him he felt a presence near him. A presence that was vaguely familiar to him.

Sure enough, he spotted the man and headed toward him before stopping at a reasonable distance from him to where they could hear each other. "I'm here." He said to the man. His bag on his back with some different items that he felt could help him down the line.

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot nodded Jasper Candos and offered the other man a slow smile.

"So I see," said the knight, gesturing at the walk way behind them, "and I was able to feel that you were sensing for me too. Rudimentary, but I have found that sensing those that you know can be really invaluable in the field, especially when comlinks get lost or jammed. Would you prefer to do some sense exercises to start out with? Or would you like to work on Form III instruction first?"

 

[Jasper Candos]

Jasper's full attention was not wasted as it was focused on the words that were said by the Knight of the Jedi ( Travot Ravenna ). He didn't respond to what the man first said to him about sensing other people with the force, but he made sure to make a mental note of what he said. He didn't want to give out anything about himself that could be used in the future as unlikely as it might seem to the young man. He just didn't anything to come back and bite in the backside. When he was asked about what to focus on first between the exercises or Form lll he gave it some thought, slightly looking away from the man in order to better think about the pros and cons of doing each option first.

He appreciated the choice that was given to him but he was in a blind that he didn't want to be in. He cursed himself for not thinking he would be in this position but sighed and looked over to the man. He didn't know how long he would wait for his decision and while he assumed that as a teacher he was patient, Jasper didn't want to test his patient out.

Coming up with a solution he asked the man this question. " What would you recommend we start with first?" He then added, " What type of exercises would we be working on first?"

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot watched as Jasper Candos thought carefully about what which path to take. Every choice made always entailed both a gain and a loss - whatever time spent doing one thing meant that the opportunity to do something else was taken away. Yet Travot was pleasantly surprised that the other man was thinking about it - many of the more headstrong padawans would have rushed to lightsaber fighting without a second thought simply because it seemed cooler. He considered the other man's questions carefully.

"It strikes me, and I could be wrong here," said Travot, "that your path isn't fully laid out for you yet. Some know with little thought that they will become warriors, consulars, sentinels, or follow yet another different but specific path. It is much easier then to know what type of training to seek out. But if you do not know yet, I would recommend starting with sense training. It is something that you will likely use no matter path the Force takes you on, whether it is as a fighter searching for an enemy, a librarian looking for a certain object in the archives, or as a scout trying to make sure a new environment or plant is safe. The applications are many, but the basic principles start out the same - it's about meditation, focus, and understanding the flow of the environment around you.

Just starting out here, I would guide you into a meditative trance, if you need that assistance, and then we will almost play a game of "I spy", but the trick, of course, is that you can't use your eyes - at least not initially.

Now that I've said all of that, Form III is probably the best lightsaber combat form to learn if you do not know your path either - this galaxy is almost always in strife, at least in some part of it, and you never know when you might need to defend yourself. I'd start by showing the basic stance, grip, and techniques of striking and defense, along with a bit of philosophy - enough to give you a solid foundation to do more study on your own or learn from experience by sparring with your fellow padawans."

 

[Jasper Candos]

Upon hearing Raveena's ( Travot Ravenna ) first sentence Jasper stood solid as if he was a lifeless inorganic object. In his mind, he was taking in all the possible options with the newly acquired opinions that were being given to him. Causing him to rethink the pro and cons that he had developed earlier on which of the two subjects he should focus on first. Thinking about it, he knew that he came to the Silver Rest because of the force, thinking it could help him on what he felt he needed to do in his later life. However, as he stayed on the planet and learn more about the universe, he realized that he couldn't just rely on the force. He would have to learn other skills as well.


Reminding himself that he wanted to know all he could about the force, Jasper gave his answer to the man in front of him. "Let's focus on the force exercise first." He said in a commanding tone.

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot blinked in surprise.

Jasper Candos seemed a lot more decisive now to Travot's mind. Whether that was good or bad, Travot was not sure. Yet he found it interesting to see the man's tone change. Some might have found it more offensive, while others might have seen it as renewed confidence. But he reminded himse.f: Patterns are more telling than singular incidents...

"First, let's get comfortable. You'll find some Jedi and other Force users in other traditions will insist on a certain pose for this, but I really don't think it matters a whole lot as long as you are comfortable and you can maintain it for a long time. That's probably why most meditation poses are some variety of sitting or kneeling...."

As he spoke, the man sat down and crossed his legs one over the other. He slightly leaned forward, to let his forearms rest on his knees.

"This is what I find works for me....but go ahead, and make yourself comfortable.

Next, we close our eyes and try to push out all thoughts from our head - it's a difficult thing to do, especially when you consciously think of doing just that. Take some deep, rhythmic breathes and start counting backward in sets of ten until you feel relaxed and focused. Let me know when you're at that stage, and we'll go from there..."

 

[Jasper Candos]

Jasper first watched the man ( Travot Ravenna ) as he sat down and ask himself if he should follow Jedi traditions and ask Travot what pose that the Jedi of old did for meditation or if he should be made himself comfortable as Travot. Jasper decided, in the end, to copy what Travot did as he fell it was killing two winged creatures in one. He could conceal his preferred position of being comfortable despite little reason he needed to do that. He just didn't like people knowing much about him. The second benefit was the belief that he would be able to connect with the force better under the thinking that Ravenna choose this position to a better feel with the force.

Jasper went into his bag and grab a cloth from inside of it. A Cloth that was large enough to be used on a beach for those who were there to take a swim and placed it on the ground. He sat down on it and proceeded to copy the same position that his current teacher was in. Listening to the man's words, Jasper began to clear his mind. At first, he failed to do so. He was too consumed with the thoughts of him being wide open in the area among other things that were disrupting his concentration. He opened his eyes back open before quickly closing his eyes again in the hopes of doing a sort of "reset".

"This may some time..." He said.

 

[Travot Ravenna]

"...that's okay," replied Travot quietly to Jasper Candos , "it's something that takes time to master, but it gets easier and easier from most people. Take your time, and let me know when you are ready."

With that said, Travot closed his eyes once more and focused more on his surroundings. Most jedi knew that the Force was a web of energy that connected all things. This interconnectedness allowed one to reach beyond himself to feel those things. Everyone experienced that part differently. With some knowledge from simply having looked around the place before meditating, he could feel a number of the budding Wroshyr saplings nearby. Despite common perception, plants actually did have some tactile sense as well as a sense of pain, and he could feel their limbs twist and rustle in the gentle breeze around him. He found it soothing, and meditated on that while he waited for the padawan.

 

[Jasper Candos]

"I understand," Jasper replied in an understanding tone which was the result of him coming down that they're being a little bit frustrated and not being able to connect to the force. "I will try again."


He closed his eyes once again making starting to remember what he had done wrong right how to connect to the force he knew he needed to let go of all the distractions that were around him. The other Padawans that were minding their own business but unintentionally causing distractions by making sounds whether it's their class or meeting up with other people for whatever reason. Before closing his eyes Jasper tried his best to rationalize him being safe and worrying that nothing bad could happen to him. He had believed that the force was him he would be able to sense everything that was going to happen near him in fact that was the reason why he had decided to meet up with his current tutor ( Travot Ravenna ).

He didn't like the thought of his eyes closed in an open area where someone could do something to him, but he had done something like this, connecting to the force in the position he was in previously, but multiple trips to the libraries have caused an of better understanding of the history of the force. But it was also a double-edged sword as he began to realize just how dangerous the force could be if used in the wrong hands. Jasper wondered just how good the force users on the planet where he lived were and if he could protect himself if it ever came down to it. But in the end, he already knew the answer to the last question and knew that he had to master this ability to even have a small, tiny chance of making it out there in the universe.

Shaking his head, Jasper took deep breaths at a constant pace. Making sure that the breathing consistency would be second nature to him so that he would not have to worry about it while I'll trying to connect to the force. It worked to great effect as he started to loosen up his hands and arms allowing gravity to take over, his head tilted down instinctively as if he was going to take a nap or go to sleep for the night, and his it's mine letting go of all the worrying and concerning faults that would bother him on a time. The void would quickly return, allowing Jasper to return to the previous point he was before the distractions kicked in. From another person's view, it would look like Jasper would be in a trance. His body looks like something is holding him in position and preventing him from falling to the floor as Jasper was in connection with the force.

" I think it's done." He said in a neutral tone as if there was someone else there with him.

 

[Travot Ravenna]

A smile slowly creased Travot's face.

It was true that it was sometimes difficult to concentrate.

"You may know this already, but I figure I'll say it anyways just to make sure," started the knight. "Distractions to concentration are the rule, not the exception. The galaxy will always continue to move around you even as you seek stillness and peace - and that of course, is the key to this all. By being at peace and at this stillness, you can simply observe things as they move around you, without having to worry about your actions in the process.

Everything is connected by the Force. The energy that is within you, even your mere thoughts, flows outside of your body and into the environment beyond. This interconnectedness with the universe as a whole is what allows us jedi our unusual ability to sense things that a normal person cannot. With a little practice, you'll not only be able to sense the things around you, but you'll be able to feel what they're doing. With humans like ourselves and other sentients, this is related to some of our innate telepathy - we can feel the emotions of others around us, especially when they are extreme emotions like hate and fear- the easy beckon calls to the Dark Side. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Let's start with a really basic exercise. Part of understanding of what is going around isn't simply magic - but rather it's an unconscious processing of our natural senses empowered through the Force - often to the point where it's simply second nature. In this way, for example, you can hear the minute movements of an insect on a leaf without fully seeing it and automatically simply know that it's there without thinking about how you heard it. Let's do a simple exercise dealing with your sense of touch, and to a lesser extent, hearing. Keep your eyes closed, open up a hand, and feel this. Concentrate on it, and tell me what you can about it."

As Jasper Candos did that, Travot would reach into his pocket and place his own spare synthetic lightsaber crystal into the other knight's hand. It would feel cold, angular, and if he had a developed sense of psychometry, the other jedi might even feel some of Travot's own thoughts that had been implanted in it during its forging.

 

[Jasper Candos]

It was weird to him, to Jasper. How everything he took in from Travot's ( Travot Ravenna ) word was so easy to him. It was like an organism that was underwater adsorbing all the water around it like it was second nature. Jasper felt like his mind was being tied by something that was keeping his mind connected to his body he thought his mind was outside of his body. The word's that Travot said, that most of the Jedi teachers that he heard speak about the force being connected, were beginning to stick to Jasper's mind and beliefs. He wanted to know how this was possible, but he had a feeling that he was not going to get that without the lifelong study of the force. A study that required time, time, that he was wasn't willing to waste on.

His senses were attuned to everything around him with him connected to the force and he used it while he moved his hand up. But as he did, his hand felt everything around it. The very small hints of wind that were caused by his hand that was normally caused by moving his hand could be felt, were felt like a gust of wind was hitting him. Taking his risen hand and using the force, he attempts to locate the object that Ravenna has in his own hand. Jasper extended his arm, slowly moving it inch by inch. Keeping his caution in place to no avail since didn't feel anything at first but as he move his hand another inch, he felt something, or better he felt that had felt something. He believes it so because something felt off to him when he had moved his hand to a specific place; like something was blocking him from making any more forward progress. He wondered if it was the object that his tutor wanted him to feel but he was unsure. He just started to learn force sense and didn't know how the ability truly worked. He had previous experience. using the force in some ways, but this was the first time he used it like this.

He hesitates and because of that, he asked his tutor a question. "How do I know that I'm touching the object that you want me to touch?" A feeling of distress hitting him to the point of him breaking his connection with the force.

 

[Travot Ravenna]

An interesting question.

A slow smile creased the man's face, "In way, the answer which you seek in itself doesn't actually matter. It could be a useful object in particular, but the end goal isn't for you to tell me what exactly what feel, but what you can tell me you do feel. But let us make it something more concrete for you to focus on. Nonetheless, perhaps it would not hurt for me to give it to you plainly, just to give you something concrete to concentrate on."

Travot placed the crystal in the man's hand, and folded Jasper Candos 's fingers over it to make sure it was firmly in his grasp.

"What do you feel when you hold this?"

 

[Jasper Candos]

As soon as Travot Ravenna asked Jasper about the crystal that was put into his hand and folded. Jasper took only a few seconds to example the crystal but not with his eyes as they were still closed, certain in Jasper's mind at least, that if he were to open them his concentration with the force would vanish. Instead, he used the force itself to assist him in understanding the details of the crystal.

"It's solid...," Jasper spoke confidently as he was given assurance from the force about his thoughts on what he was feeling and if there were right. "There is a point on one…two ends…." He corrects himself at the last second before he finished with his answer. " It's not round, and it feels light but not light enough that I can barely feel it." He had opened his hand that was holding the crystal after feeling that he examined all that he could with it.

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot watched as Jasper Candos open his eyes and start to physically examine the crystal.

"It's a lightsaber crystal," offered the knight helpfully, "synthetic, made here on Kashyyyk. That blue hue isn't terribly uncommon either among some of the ones we make - green isn't uncommon as well. So with that said, let me introduce to you something else."

The man reached into his pocket and pulled out another crystal. A quick glance, it would almost appear to be identical to the first crystal. Yet the facets cut into the gem weren't quite the same angle, and the hue was a slightly different shade of blue. If the other man held both crystals up to the light, he might be able to see even more differences in the inner geometric circles. He handed the other crystal to the man.

"This is another lightsaber crystal, but a bit tougher of a challenge. Look at both of the crystals," started Travot, "look carefully, even hold them up to the light. Is this crystal also synthetic? Or is it something more natural?"

 

[Jasper Candos]

Travot Ravenna

Jasper figured he was going to be given another opportunity to sense another object with the force it was just that he did not know what it was going to be. When he was told to look at both crystals, Jasper was admittedly confused which led him to be felt a bit disappointed. He wanted to have his eyes closed while sensing both crystals in order to, in his mind, better concentrate with the force. But he realized that the tutor meant to look at them with the force. He felt embarrassed to the point of cursing himself for making that mistake.

Grabbing both crystals with ease like his eyes were open. Jasper moved his hands around each crystal for a couple of seconds then began to stop moving one of his hands more slowly as each second passed. Soon the hand that was carrying the first crystal he had touched stopped entirely and his other hand moved slowly just like how the other hand was, but it was more consistent. As if it was a scanner that was scanning every object with precise and delicate movements to make sure that everything from the object was taken in. It took a few minutes, but afterward, Jasper finally spoke.


"The second one…." He started, trying to gather the collect words, " Is a bit more different. The edges are more "unequal" to say the least. I can't see it because I feel that my concentration will break but it feels like the color is not the same as the first one. To me, he feels a bit heavier than the first, however, I can't explain why." He finished.

 

[Travot Ravenna]

"Good," nodded Travot Jasper Candos , "what others describe as intuition can actually be the Force speaking a Jedi. Some jedi say that it is the will of the Living Force, but even if you don't suscribe to that philosophy or understanding of the Force, it's a well proven that our mind can unconsciously integrate information and come to conclusions - that holds true for both Force users and non-Force users as well. A Jedi's use of the Force is very much like that, especially as many of us unconsciously use the Force to start to enhance our senses from a young age.

This second crystal is natural, and has some impurities because of that - the pressure applied to it was uneven from geological standpoint, and there are some irregular trace elements in it that could account for some of the unequal angles as well as the heavy feeling to it.

You can practice this same exercise with any other number of objects that you happen to find around you. Try to feel it with the Force and focus on details. Your eyes might become a little sharper if you do so, if not your mind itself. Our sense of sight, as humans, is one that most of us rely on the most from a natural perspective.

But let us talk about something a little less natural, and a little bit more useful from a self-preservation standpoint - the ability to intuitively feel things around us through the Force. Many of us jedi, especially those of us thrust in dangerous situations like natural disasters or war often feel a sense of danger when something bad is about to happen.

It's almost intuitive to most of us.

But that same sense or feeling can be expanded to better understand the environment around us in less stressful situations.

Have you ever felt that sense of danger before?"

 

[Jasper Candos]

Jasper had to agree with what Travot Ravenna said on the subject of the mind absorbing information and coming to conclusions but he wasn't too sure about force users using the force from a young age. He thought that maybe it was because he never felt like the force was there when he was a child. After the thought, he then began to think at the possibility that the force may have been there with him to the point that it blended in with him, to say the least. The two caused him to think of a question that he was asking himself about his connection to the force. He asked himself if there was a time when he had ever used the force unknowingly when he was little but no memories of him using It came to mind. He would hold off on the thought for the time being until his tutoring session was over before he asked himself the question again.

Of course, the decision to hold it off, for the time being, would be changed once Travot asked him if Jasper had a sense of danger before. He was in a hesitant state, added to the fact that he didn't want Travot to know. Jasper did not want to give up personal information about his life before coming here and while answering with a yes or no might be enough, Travot might want to talk about it and that would not sit well with the young man. Jasper's eyes traced around their sockets, a sign that he was thinking about what he should say.


"Yes, I have." He silently answered the man. Hoping he wouldn't have to go into detail but had a backup plan in place just in case.

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot listened to Jasper Candos , half-expecting the apprentice to elaborate a little bit more. But he did not. While not a keen judge of character, Travot was beginning to get the impression that the other man didn't want to let more information out than necessary. Sometimes people had pasts that they didn't want to talk about for various reasons - shame, anger, fear, unpleasant memories, or they thought that no-one would understand it. If Jasper had been Travot's apprentice, the jedi would have probably pried a little bit more.

But Jasper wasn't his apprentice.

"A lot of times this sense, this feelings gets associated with unpleasant memories," started the jedi, "and I wonder if that's what you are thinking about now - not an area for me to press. But know that such feelings are simply best observed, not something to sought or something to repress. It's that classic exercise when you find yourself feeling anger or fear, and saying 'I feel fear' or "I feel anger', but not saying 'I am angry', and associating that emotion with yourself...but I am digressing.

That feeling of impending danger is something to finely tune and listen to carefully. I'd recommend finding some mildly dangerous stimuli that you can fully control, and just be around it, letting your mind and thoughts kind of gently respond to that sense of danger of simply being around it. That might mean working with power tools in the hangar or being by a droid or someone else who is. It might mean just observing that feeling while you go through any of the temple's obstacle courses or practice driving or flying.

Does something like that come to your mind?"

 

[Jasper Candos]

Jasper had anticipated Travot Ravenna reacting to his vague answer to the man's question, yet he hoped for Raveena to not ask for more information about his previous life. He was initially relieved when the first words that came out of Travot's mouth were not him asking him for more information but felt a sense of worry after hearing him talk about feelings. He knew that Travot was indirectly talking about him and that all the words that were coming out of him were about him and that caused a sense of uncomfortably to him.

Jasper knew that Travot's intentions were not of malicious intent and was grateful for him not trying to ask about his past, but he now had to keep down this sense of unknowing what would happen next. In the end, all he knew he could do is to continue listening to the tutor. Jasper carefully repeat every word that he said in his mind as a better way to understand and remember what he was being told. When he was asked if he had thought about using the power tools or the temple's obstacle courses to better understand the feeling of impending danger. He quickly answered.

"Admittedly" he hesitantly started, wondering if this was the right thing as he would be telling Travot about himself to do before continuing on. " I have not focused on understanding that impending danger through the use of the tools here at the temple. I have taken classes on lightsaber courses and force training, but I'll never fully focus on understanding that sense of danger around me."

He paused for a few seconds after having some thoughts enter his mind. "But there were times when I took notes of details no matter how small they are or times where I have remembered certain things when I see something that is connected to the certain things. Like when I see a person I tried to remember everything about that person and then if I see that person again I would be given these details quickly if I tried to remember that person. Could what I said to count as a feeling of impending danger in a way?"