A Diamond in the Rough

[Jacob Crawford]

Jacob stood with a slight smile on his face, leaning against the doorframe as he watched Imogen walk around what would be her room here in the Asylum. It certainly wasn't as fancy as his own quarters, but something told him that Imogen preferred having something smaller, cozy and more comfortable than anything particularly expansive.
He could tell she was already imagining where she was going to place things, well once she had actual belongings of her own that was. In that moment though Jacob slipped from reality and fell into his thoughts.

Did he feel guilty about this?

No, he didn't. Right now Imogen was just another subject to him, someone he could run tests on and see whether he can further his main project here. But she was also much more, she had power, raw in nature and capable of being molded into something strong and powerful. It was why he was doing this, giving her a room up here and eventually opening access to the library and training room when she needed.

He was giving her warmth and comfort, a home and room to live that she didn't have before. Learning and training, both in terms of the galaxy as a whole and to develop her potential in the Force. It was all designed to be enticing, to have her be grateful to him. Right before all the pain would come to a head, as there would be plenty of it. Physical, mental and emotional, it was all going to hit Imogen at some point and it would be a test to see if the two could balance each other out.

Or if it would tip the scales one way or another.

Jacob was pulled from his thoughts as he felt a burst of emotion strike him. His gaze flickered to Imogen as she stared at him, feeling the gratitude she was exuding towards him. Almost on instinct, he smiled and bowed his head slightly.

"It's no problem, Imogen, it's only right that you should have a room here."

No, not guilty at all.

"Come, let's continue the tour shall we?" He pushed away from the door frame and made his way towards the elevator. Imogen was quickly following him, closing the door to her room behind her and joining him in the elevator. From there they headed back down, this time stopping at the floor with the training room.

They walked down a shorter hallway, before a pair of doors slid open in their wake and passed through the threshold. The entire floor was pretty much dedicated to it, resulting in a fairly sizable, open area to be made into a training room. Metal walls everywhere, but a corner had been set aside for various bits of equipment, gym and exercise as well as some padding mats that could be moved around.

"This is the training room." Jacob's voice echoed as he spoke. "This is where I go to train, and will be where I will do the same for you when it comes to physical side of your lessons. It has a few systems set in place for different programs for fighting specifically." He walked over to one of the few terminals placed around the room. "This, can program in commands for the droids that are hidden in the walls until they're needed." To demonstrate, he pressed a button and with a soft hiss, a nearby panel of the wall slid forwards and up to reveal a hidden compartment with deactivated training droids.

[member="Imogen Daniels"]​

 

[Imogen Daniels]

If nothing else, Imogen was naive. Being sheltered her entire life on her home planet - far away from technology, only using the bare minimum as needed, she had been submerged in shock the moment she left with Jacob. Her naivety was heightened at her never truly making acquaintances, friends. Imogen had kept to the shadows, avoiding conversation with others at all costs and spent almost all of her time on her own. It was easier that way - kept the ‘freak’ away from the townspeople.

Her knowledge expanded through books - reading into details others possibly skimmed over, remembering everything she could. It was, until this exact moment, all she had. She felt like a child - experiencing new things, seeing new things - it was all so much at once and she found it hard to keep her expressions, her emotions in check.

Imogen had a fleeting thought - a remembrance of what Jacob had said when they first met. It was something she had kept in the back of her mind, a thought she didn’t want to focus on for too long. She had made a promise to herself to open herself up to this new experience as much as possible, to allow herself to experiences new things - both good and bad. It could be her naivety, it could be her lack of experience - but she wanted to keep herself to that promise.

No matter the outcome.
The training room had been surreal. An open floor space that had one corner dedicated to gym equipment and Imogen found herself, eyes wide staring around the room. Her mind started thinking of all the different things she would be learning in this room.

Flashes of hand to hand combat, sparring, and test runs ran through her head awakening something within her she hadn’t realized she had until the day that landed her in her cell.

She enjoyed fighting. It was incredible - a new found enjoyment but one she felt she would enjoy for many years to come. Whatever had awakened within her during the incident had stayed almost constant, a buzzing beneath her skin that kept Imogen on edge and alert. She had nothing to go on in regards to that feeling other than what Jacob had told her, the same thing she had felt as soon as he had walked into her cell.

Imogen watched, eyes curiously trained on the panels of the wall as it slid forward - the hiss having brought her out of her thoughts. Training droids were in the space, and Imogen found herself stepping back for a moment. It wasn’t out of fear - she had realized immediately that they were deactivated, but out of surprise.

The technology here at the Asylum, on Maena, was so advanced that not even the books on her home planet had spoken of such things. Eyes glancing over towards Jacob, they held curiosity - questions building up in her mind, ready to break away like a dam.

“You mean you can program...scenarios that we could find ourselves in and the droids would be our opponents?”

[member="Jacob Crawford"]​

 

[Jacob Crawford]

He watched with amusement clear in his expression, as Imogen's eyes darted across the expanse of the training room. Jacob had been curious how she'd react to it, given it was probably the most high tech thing she had seen to date.

Well, the ship jumping into hyperspace probably trumped that. Plus, there was a lot more stuff out there in the galaxy, and he had no doubt Imogen would end up stumbling across them whenever she set out to explore. It was an inevitable fact, knowing the young woman was far too eager to learn, to not at some point leave to see what else awaited in the galaxy. Jacob knew he'd be the same, cooped up in one place for too long had the potential to drive you crazy.

His eyes flickered up at the ceiling, although his mind was on the small room at the Asylum's spire.

Confinement out of necessity, not desire.

Jacob's attention shifted back right before Imogen turned to look at him. Whether she could sight of his wandering attention, he didn't know.

"Exactly. They can be programmed for one versus one, two versus one, three...you get the idea. Commands can be fairly diverse and they quality is somewhere between decent and inexpensive." Force knows, Jacob had already blasted his way through a lot of the droids already.

He walked towards them, motioning for Imogen to join him so she could get a closer look. The droids were faceless, devoid of any particularly traits that would make them human - aside from their general bipedal nature. Once up close, it was clear they were organized by height, the shortest at the front and the two lines behind it taller than the last.

"Once you're situated comfortable here, you'll likely be seeing this room often. I'm interested in seeing how well you can fight, and if not? We'll make sure you can." There was an odd smile on his face, one that promised lessons to be taught, but that there would also be pain - and plenty of it.

"Come, there's one last floor I want to show you." They moved back to the elevator, stepping into it and Jacob pressed the button for the library. He couldn't help but grin, knowing this was likely to get the biggest reaction out of Imogen. A near couple minutes passed before it finally stopped, and the doors slid open. Although, instead of taking the lead Jacob motioned for Imogen to go ahead of him.

If anything, he expected she was going to react to the smell of all the books before she even laid eyes on them.

The library; much like the training room took up the entire floor. All throughout It was a mix of dark browns and reds, with some yellow/gold trimmings along the railings above. The wooden style of it doing nothing but enhance that feel of the entire room. Stepping out the elevator brought them to the middle. To the left was the bulk of the shelves, filled will books and datacards - a few terminals situated around the room ready for the latter. The right had more bookshelves, but it quickly faded into a lounge area, a crackling fire situated before a couch, two seater and coffee table arrangement.

"Welcome to the library, Imogen."

[member="Imogen Daniels"]​

 

[Imogen Daniels]

Imogen wanted to test out the droids. Test out that slow moving current inside of her. The one that had been moving ever since that night - and was awoken again when Jacob had walked into that cell - it had been reaching out, yearning to be set free again.

A part of her mind was frightened, of the power she truly held - but the other was curious. Very curious. Curious if it was controllable, if she would be able to control it - or if it was something that only would end up coming out in high stress situations.

Imogen knew her mind could run wild with these thoughts if she wasn’t careful - so instead she focused in on Jacob, right as he told her he still had another room he wanted to show her. Blue eyes shifted to meet his, widening and jaw dropping slightly at this news.

“There’s more?” Of course there was. A shake of her head followed with a light laugh as she followed him into the elevator. He was grinning at this point - and she knew, while not having known him very long, that he was either up to something, or she was in for quite the surprise. She kept quiet though, no matter how curious she truly was - letting him have his moment.

Nothing could have prepared her for the library even if she had known about it.

The smell hit her first - the distinct smell of parchment, old bindings, and the slight smell of burning wood coming from a crackling fireplace further within the room. She had walked slowly into the library, eyes wide and taking in everything she could about the room. It was massive, taking up the entire floor and there were shelves upon shelves of full of books.

Imogen was speechless, her body drawing her forward towards the closest bookshelves, fingers dancing over the spines before pulling out one and looking over the title, only to put it back and repeat this action twice more. The light from one of the windows cast an ethereal glow and left her feeling more complete than she had in the longest time.

After looking over 5 more books she turned to Jacob, one book still in hand - eyes wide as she looked at him.

“Can..I.. can I come up here at anytime?”

[member="Jacob Crawford"]​

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Jacob remained silent, amusement clear in his eyes as he watched Imogen move about the library. He knew she was taking it all in, the way she had inhaled upon stepping out of the elevator had been the first bit of evidence.

Hand raising, fingers carefully tracing the length of each book’s spine.

Something told him that it wasn’t going to take long for Imogen to get through a vast majority of what was on display.

Of course though, there were certain areas; subjects that Jacob had removed and kept in his personal study. Matters that were relevant to his work here, and potentially what Imogen would undergo in the near future. But those were merely a small portion to what was on offer in the library itself.

It didn’t come as a surprise though, their back and forth conversation on their journey here had brought certain facts to his attention. Namely, Imogen’s love for reading - as little she could do of it given her situation back home.

This was probably some kind of sanctuary for her, having so many books within arm's reach.

“Anytime, Imogen. You have free reign to come here, spend your time reading. Whether it's relevant to your studies or for leisure.” He gave her a small nod, then smiled when he saw the woman’s face practically light up in excitement.

What he hadn’t expected was for her to sudden move towards him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

Jacob blinked, unsure what to do. He certainly didn’t return it, and just looked down at her. And in that same moment, Imogen seemed to realise what she had done and quickly pulled away. A heavy blush immediately began to form across her cheeks.

He went to speak, unable to hide the rather awkward expression on his face.

“I’m sure you’re hungry, yes? We can go get something from kitchens. Then you can spend the rest of the day in here if you like. But tomorrow, your studies and training begin.”

Month 1 | Week 1

As stated, the very next day Imogen was thrown into her studies - which thankfully mainly consisted of spending more time in the library. Jacob had decided, that rather than starting her off with something like fighting, she needed a run down on the galaxy.

Definitely not an easy task, and was more of a starting point for Imogen to gradually develop from then on. Jacob had set her up with a connection to the HoloNet, which in turn he had to explain what exactly that was. And once again, he was reminded and astonished over how backwater her home planet was.

It was certainly overwhelming, and Jacob pushed Imogen in certain directions, where to start off. The goal was to primarily get her updated in the current ongoing matters that were affecting the galaxy. He knew she was the exploring type, and he was certainly not going to let out go explore the galaxy without at least a decent knowledge of things.

From common, to the more niche but still equally important.

Other than that, there were also brief discussions on the Force. Imogen had shown a keen interest in learning more about that specifically. Jacob was more than willing to share, talking about the basic principles and touching upon the two different sides to it; the Light and the Dark. He did tease her a bit, hinting towards what she would eventually learn in time, but for now it would remain within theory and knowledge.

The practical would come soon enough.

[member="Imogen Daniels"]​

 

[Imogen Daniels]

Month 1 | Week 1

The instant pull, the warmth, the desire to spend as much time as she could in the library the night before slowly had become a slight regret to Imogen as she was, as promised, thrown into training the next day.

The amount of things she had no idea about was overwhelming at first - leaving her eyes wide and staring at the vast amount of books spread around her in trepidation and fear.

What if she wasn’t cut out for this? What if everything before this was just a fluke - would she be sent back there? She couldn’t.

It took Jacob giving her a starting point and then heading to his office to get some of his work done for her to finally settle herself - focusing her mind and spending the next five hours studying. It was as if her current fears melted away, delving into the books - words dancing around her, filling her mind to the brim as she absorbed all the new information. If he had stopped into the library at any point to check on her - she wasn’t aware. Instead, Imogen could be found flitting between books, an organized mess with scratch parchment scribbled with notes and facts she thought she ought to remember.

This was a pattern that Imogen had thrown herself into for the first week, broken only by meals with Jacob, or sleep. Occasionally they would have discussions about the Force, how it works and how that was the cause of the incident. She was in possession of the Force - a daunting, yet enticing thought. The Force was something Imogen particularly took interest in, and during their discussions Imogen would question him as often as she could - questions he seemed all too willing to answer.

Honestly, she had been worried things would get awkward between them after she had spontaneously hugged him. Imogen hadn’t meant to do it - it was a knee-jerk reaction to her overwhelming emotions about her entire situation. She had seen the look on Jacob’s face and it had left her own face red, apologies slipping past her lips. Thankfully he had forgotten all about it - or at least shoved it to the farthest recesses of his mind that he didn’t dare bring it up.

Both were okay to her.

Only she could manage to screw things up within the first week. The thought was terrible, one she shouldn’t be thinking and yet it was there - boiling in the back of her mind, reminding her every time she let her focus down, reminding her that no matter how hard she tried to suppress it the thoughts were always there. Something ingrained so deeply in her mind that she was sure it would take months, possibly even years to completely get rid of them.

It was the end of the week, and late at night when Imogen found herself just outside of Jacob’s office. She didn’t want to bother him - but he told her she could come to him with more questions at any time and her mind needed a break from all the words.

Knuckles raising, she knocked lightly at the door - his voice calling her in from the other side.

“Sorry to bother you Jacob… I just was curious how you found out you had the abilities of the Force?”

[member="Jacob Crawford"]​

 

[Jacob Crawford]

It was a very familiar sight to find Jacob in his office, especially when he wasn't occupied with teaching Imogen or down in the lower levels overseeing experiments. It was a place from him to find some peace and quiet, although that wasn't saying he couldn't find it in the library.

But he had come to quickly learn that his new student was very inquisitive about everything and anything that interested her.

Which for the most part, was well...everything.

Some subjects were minor curiosities, soon abandoned. But the majority of them were able to grab ahold of the young woman's interest - enough to constantly ask him questions. At time it seemed Imogen's desire to learn overruled realization when something became too much. Jacob was more than willing to answer all her questions, but the rate of them was admittedly headache inducing at times.

Before, it had been a frequent sight to have her just plop down on the couch and immediately sprung out with several questions. At one point; when Jacob had hit his breaking point, he had bluntly told her to not ask so much. He was fine with answering all of them, but they needed to be less...rapid.

Things had become a bit awkward in the wake of that, but it seemed to naturally fade away as Jacob opted to remain in his office. Making it clear she could still come to him with any questions she had. But it also gave him the benefit of privacy, as he was in the midst of documenting his observations on Imogen. In preparation for the experiments he had in mind...

"Come in." Jacob called out, sliding the datapad; one of several littered across his desk, into a drawer. He offered Imogen a small smile, gesturing her to take a seat if she wanted too. Although the question she had, was different than the norm. This one was more personal, one that hit home and brought about a dark expression on his face.

After all, the memories attached to it weren't happy.

"I can't remember what age I was - although I know I was fairly young at the time." His gaze drifted off for a moment, then returned to Imogen. "It was at one of the swoop workshops that my father had pushed me to working at, or well 'helping' with. I was in a side room, just minding my business until one moment he entered and saw I was levitating several pieces of junk." Jacob's eyes narrowed in anger, although it was obviously not directed at her. "Looking back at it, I realized he had known what it was and yet told me nothing. Just that I had 'gifts' and all he saw was another way to exploit me."

Month 1 | Week 2

Now that Imogen had been given a kickstart in broadening her knowledge, it was time to test her physical capabilities. The second week was for the majority of the time, spent in the Training Room.

There Jacob tested how well Imogen could fight with zero preparation, forcing her to rely on instincts. It revealed a key aspect of how she had survived the years up until now. She was a scrapper, much like Jacob had been when he was much younger. That fact helped when he taught her to harness that raw ability into something more precise and focused. In that, Jacob quickly learned just how quickly she could pick up on things.

Before he knew it, she had the basic exercises down within a day of her being taught them. Jacob was impressed, and he made that apparent as he praised her during their 'spars'.

For now it was kept to simple hand-to-hand combat. Jacob wasn't about to just throw Imogen a weapon right off the bat. She needed to learn basic discipline, learn the limits of her body and how to grow beyond them.

It was only after that, when he was confident she was ready that Jacob would push their lessons in that direction.

[member="Imogen Daniels"]​

 

[Imogen Daniels]

Month 1 | Week 2

Questions dimmed, still there though not as frequent - due to the blunt honesty from Jacob, to the fire that had licked at her insides, encasing organs in a warm hue, red and orange, a heat unbearable and could only be calmed by throwing herself into the teachings Jacob had given her.

Growing up Imogen had been called many things. Out of them all only a few truly stuck with her, one of them being ‘weak’. She hated it - she had never done anything to deserve the tauntings of the children and adults she grew up around, yet they threw them at her frequently and often. It was, according to some of them, a means of ‘toughening her up’.

They didn’t think the same after she fought back.

Imogen had used how she was feeling in those moments - moments where stones were pelted at her, verbal slayings, and metal pipes alike. The feeling they gave her she channeled into proving to Jacob that she was worth whatever he had seen in her to bring her back to Maena, back to the Asylum.

She wanted to put all the praise onto this though she knew that wasn’t solely the case. Jacob was an incredible teacher - someone Imogen looked up to. To her, he was one of the strongest people she had ever met and while she knew there was a darkness that emanated from him, it had a magnetic pull on her. He couldn’t do much wrong in her eyes - and Imogen knew, as early as it was that she could forgive him for just about anything.

The pair had been sparring for hours, both covered in a sheen amount of sweat, taking only the smallest breaks when they absolutely needed it. Imogen had been taken down multiple times - back slamming into the mat underneath them as a loud thud resonated around them. Though it didn’t stop her from pulling herself up and throwing herself back in it.

She had managed a few good hits on Jacob as well - hits that had left her grinning and a laugh to escape her lips when she finally tripped him up.

Offering him her hand she smiled down at him, chest rising and falling with each breath, clearly out of breath but nowhere near ready to quit.

“One more round...please.”

A groan escaped his lips before the two were thrown back into it once more.

[member="Jacob Crawford"]​

 

[Jacob Crawford]

“One more round...please.”

Jacob groaned, but still managed to grin at hearing those words. He was exhausted, and knew Imogen was more so. Yet she was still trying to push herself, beyond her known limit when it came to physical training.

There was a lesson here, and Jacob was going to teach it.

Imogen came at him with a jab, although much more sluggish than previously. The fatigue was obvious, and Jacob took advantage of it. He grabbed her arm as it extended out, kicked a foot against Imogen’s right leg knocking her off balance. Jacob used that to pull her up, wrapping his other arm around and and throwing Imogen over his shoulder and crashing into the cushioned mat behind him.

“It’s all well and good that you’re pushing yourself, Imogen. I’m proud even.” Jacob was stood close, looking down at her. “But you cannot force yourself to try and fight through exhaustion. It makes you sloppy, and someone; even also fatigued, can take advantage of it.”

He offered a hand to help Imogen up, before nudging his head towards the door.

“Let’s get cleaned up, I think we’ve both worked up an appetite.”

Month 1 | Week 3 - 4

The next two weeks were very much the same, focused on Imogen’s physical training. Although unlike the other subjects, Jacob had given her an actual schedule and instructions. When he wasn’t personally teaching her, Imogen was allowed to train on her own - even going as far as using a low level droid as a sparring partner. She had the same amount of freedom as with the library, to come to the training room whenever she wanted as long as it was to train.

Weaponry was the main focus this time, with Jacob teaching Imogen how to wield certain types. A couple were obvious precursors to a lightsaber, but he hadn't specifically said anything about that.

Whether Imogen caught on or not, was down to her.

The training was a mix between learning how to wield and how to combat against. Jacob taught her how to hold and use a sword; which in this instance were basic training blades. From the average blade, to the shorter variants going as far as knives and even the middle ground types like shotos.

They continued their one-on-one’s, with Jacob initially teaching her the basic stances and moves, then gradually shifting into stringing them into actual combat. Once Imogen had a grasp of it they began to put in practice against various other weapons, with Jacob teaching her how to dodge and capitalize on their various weaknesses and flaws.

What happened next however, was Jacob taking a risk.

Near the beginning of the fourth week, he had decided to throw Imogen into the deep end, to an extent anyway. He activated a number of the training droids, programming them to just above her level of skill. Fighting a single opponent was one thing, but more often than not Imogen was going to be faced with multiple foes at once. At least that was Jacob's perspective on it.

So, it's exactly what Jacob did. One day he instructed her to stand in the middle of the training room, then without warning ordered the droids to attack her.

Little did either of them know, that this would be the first instance where the Force came into play...

[member="Imogen Daniels"]​

 

[Imogen Daniels]

Imogen was tired.

The schedule Jacob had given her was intense, though she found herself enjoying the organization of it all. It left her something to look forward to - and kept her, more often than not, from staying in the library for hours on end.

Her entire life, Imogen had never had things to look forward to, or anything to keep her mind busy. She was left to her own devices more often than not, so now that she had a seemingly structured schedule it had taken a bit to get used to.

Muscles ached, screaming for a break - one that wouldn’t come but once or twice a week. Imogen had taken Jacob’s offer on using the room on her free time whenever she wanted to, so long as she was training. She knew she was pushing herself, possibly too far - but Imogen felt absolutely useless when she wasn’t doing anything, so she threw herself in her studies and in her training.

Currently, Imogen found herself in the training room yet again with Jacob - though things were different this time. She wouldn’t be sparring with him it seemed. Programmed droids lingered throughout the room, lights from above gleaming off the metal, causing them to look daunting as she stood in the middle of them.

Rolling her shoulders back, Imogen’s eyes darted around the room. She didn’t know if they would all attack at once, or just a few at a time, but she knew she had to be on alert.

Though try as she might, Imogen was not prepared when all of them were set to attack her at once. Her heart rate picked up, thumping wildly in her chest. Her eyes dilated, swinging wildly around the room trying to figure out which droid would reach her first, and her breathing came in rapid breaths. Imogen was panicking, something she knew she shouldn’t do - yet she couldn’t help it. Snapping her eyes shut, her fists clenched and before Imogen could comprehend what was happening, a forcefield had shot out around her, much the same when the incident happened on her home planet. The sound of clanging metal reached her ears and she opened her eyes, widening in size when she saw that she had knocked most of the droids back, across the room. The few droids that had missed being hit charged at her, and on instinct Imogen threw her hands out in front of her, watching in shock as the droids went flying back, collapsing in a heap on top of the others.

Slowly lowering her hands, Imogen took a few deep breaths. Chest visibly rising and falling as she turned to Jacob, his face showing just as much shock as hers. She was speechless for a moment, before a laugh left her throat, tone of it unbelievable at what had just transpired.

[member="Jacob Crawford"]​

 

[Jacob Crawford]

He was surprised, even though he expected this was going to happen sooner rather than later.

Jacob had set this up to see how Imogen would cope while under threat from multiple targets. It was an inevitable occurrence, and he wanted to make sure she was prepared for every eventuality. But it was also for another purpose, to see whether Imogen was able to call upon the Force at a moment’s notice.

They had discussed it at length, numerous hours spent talking about various subjects that revolved around the Force. Although they had never put in practice, but Jacob was sure Imogen had spent some of her time trying to levitate books around.

What Jacob had learned however, was that her past usage were out of both instinct and emotion. Finding herself in situations where no other option was available, but as well as lashing out in anger - towards those that harmed her.

That was what he was testing here, to see whether Imogen would use the skills she had been taught, or would she rely on gut instinct instead?

He got his answer when the first half of the droids were sent flying across the training room. Jacob had to step aside as one came crashing into the wall, right where he had been standing moments ago. It was raw, untrained power that Imogen had demonstrated. She had a lot of it, but time would tell if she had the talent to mold it into something she could control.

“Nicely done, Imogen.” He spoke softly, pushing away from the wall and approaching the woman. “You have power, but you do not yet have the skill to accurately wield it.” Jacob stood before her with his arms held behind his back, looking ever like the teacher he had become since finding Imogen.

“And that, is what we’ll be diving into next.”

Three months later...

It had been the longest stretch of time where Jacob had been specifically instructing Imogen. The practical side of the Force was not something one could learn on their own, at least not in Jacob’s opinion. Sure, some degree of control could be self taught, but if you wanted to truly learn; to become stronger, you needed someone to teach you.

Jacob had touched on what he had taught Imogen before, hours spent discussing the different elements of the Force, of their teachings and how they can be applied to a practical effort. Imogen learned how to call upon it as her own will, to form it into something she could manipulate; like a tool, and bend it to whatever she desired. It all came down to how much she could manage though, with Jacob early on forcing Imogen to overexert herself to see just how much she could do before it became a hindrance.

That was an important lesson Jacob wanted to teach her.

“You must know what your limits are, even if the Force is unlimited. Otherwise it is a weakness your enemies will exploit.”

He taught her how to contort the Force into enhancing her physical blows. Much like Jacob had done as a kid, fighting in the illegal dueling rings. Ways to subtle wrap it around your fist to increase the blunt trauma.

Of course, Imogen’s other subjects were constantly being taught too. From her general education about the galaxy as a whole, to the various governments and factions that existed. There was no denying that at one point Imogen would leave the confines of Maena and explore for herself. But Jacob was going to be damn sure she was prepared beforehand.

The physical training was beefed up with the introduction of the Force. While Jacob resume her regular fighting, he did mix it up in every session. Using and introducing new techniques to Imogen, ones that were classic and well known, and others that he himself had developed when he was younger.

Blending otherwise non-Force ways of fighting, with the Force to compliment it.

And Jacob didn’t make it easy, but nor did he exactly pull his punches at the very start of Imogen’s training. Ever since stepping things up however, Jacob had been particularly fierce and unrelenting in his lessons.

It made things tense, and they would often end their training sessions as a pair of sweating, tired heaps on the floor. Both sporting new bruises and cuts from the latest bout. And yet, Jacob still made the time for her questions, barely hours had passed and he’d be sitting down at his desk with Imogen answering.

However, things were about to change. Just on one seemingly random night, their daily training session had been over for hours now. Jacob was settled in at his office, sitting at his desk reading over a report of his serum experiments.

That’s when Imogen had knocked on the door.

[member="Imogen Daniels"]​

 

[Imogen Daniels]

Imogen knew things would pick up after her and Jacob had been able to pull the Force from within her - it was to be expected. With time, her body had grown used to the intense trainings, the long days and nights, and so much information she felt her brain might implode.

All things considered, Imogen was handling things very well. She remembered when she had first been brought to the Asylum. Imogen would have been dumb to believe she could have confidently said back then she would be where she was now - both in terms of comfort, and in knowledge. If she were honest, she felt she was a lost cause and that it would only be a matter of time before Jacob had given up on her.

He never did.

At some point during her time there, things had shifted between her and Jacob. Longer glances cast towards the other, the feeling of electricity shooting through their fingers at accidental touches, a reoccuring buzzing - like a chant, whenever they were apart from the other for too long had them finding excuses to spend time together even if they had already partaken in her trainings for the day.

It left Imogen’s heart racing - beating wildly like an animal within a cage and she found herself looking forward to her time with Jacob, even if it left her ragged and ready for a twelve hour nap after.

At first she tried to ignore it - pushing it to the furthest recesses of her mind. It would have been simple to write it off as nothing more than a school girl’s crush - a man finally paying her an ounce of attention had her heart racing and mind turning into mush. Jacob had more often than not, left her words tumbling out of her mouth followed by a nervous laugh. To put it simply - he had left her more and more breathless as the days had gone on. Hiding it had gotten increasingly difficult and frankly, Imogen was tired of it.

Her stomach was in knots as she stood at the door to Jacob’s office. She had been here, in this exact spot, countless times though this time it was different. Her arms were covered in goosebumps, she continuously shifted from foot to foot - debating whether she was really going to go through with what she had running through her mind. A nervous tick of her hand had left a resounding knock on the door before her and as her eyes widened she realized there was no backing out now. After he called for her to open the door, Imogen took a deep breath before walking in.

Everything seemed magnified to her. The soft click of the door shutting behind her, footsteps travelling the length of the floor to Jacob’s desk, the sifting of paperwork as Jacob set what he was looking at to the side as he focused on the woman who had interrupted what he had been reading. Imogen smiled softly at the man, voice soft and airy - travelling the short space between the two as she watched him carefully.

“Sorry to interrupt Jacob. It’s just.. I needed to talk to you about something.”

Trying her best to mask her nervousness, she leant against the corner of Jacob’s desk - a place that, over time had become her spot, having always perched herself there versus in the perfectly acceptable chair straight across from him.

“I know I can’t be the only one who feels… this.” Hands thrown out to either side of her, Imogen looked slightly crazy, gesturing to the air around the two of them. They both knew what she was referencing though. The tension that settled around the two of them like fog, wrapping around their bodies from their feet up - only to be tamed by them coming together.

“It’s like there is this… tether between us, and it has only seemed to grow stronger these past couple of months and it is absolutely driving me mad!” A sigh left her lips before she continued, “I can’t think of anything but you when we aren’t training and when we are together it’s peaceful. I don’t know what to think anymore Jacob and it is driving me absolutely mad.”

Imogen did something absolutely unexpected then. She pushed her small frame off of his desk and suddenly her lips were on his in a heated kiss.

And Jacob was kissing her back.

[member="Jacob Crawford"]​

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Jacob hadn’t been blind to the gradual shift and change between himself and Imogen. It mostly happened during their sparring, whether it was purely physical training or augmented with the Force. But even the moments in between, sitting in the Library together; he caught the glances she sent his way at times - and even caught himself doing the same thing.

He wasn’t naive over what was happening, why there was this ever growing tether pulling them closer.

A Force Bond had formed, or at least Jacob suspected it.

It went beyond the attraction he felt towards her, he could feel her presence even when he was immersed in his meditation high above. Almost like a voice of calm and peace amongst the chaos that lingered in the depths of his mind.

Over time they had grown more in sync each them they sparred together. Physical training was something that was at Jacob’s core, years spent honing his skills from being forced into it as a child to it becoming a focus during his time as a Jedi. And yet somehow it found it easier when teaching Imogen, finding himself learning just as much.

The idea of a Force Bond had a bit more credit to it, but Jacob needed to do more research, perhaps get in contact with people he knew...or did he even know anyone who had an active Bond?

He knew Imogen wouldn’t really have much insight, her knowledge of the Force was still growing - although Jacob wouldn’t be too surprised if she did given how much she liked to ready anything and everything that she could get her hands on.

Jacob brushed those thoughts aside as he returned to reviewing the latest reports, until he finally picked up on the bundle of emotion that was currently stood outside his office. He could feel what Imogen was currently, despite her masking it. More evidence towards the Force Bond theory, but he decided to file that away for later on.

“Come in.”

A smile appeared as he watched Imogen open the door and walk in, taking the moment to close it behind her. Even in her slight actions, Jacob could tell she was nervous, but the question was why?

“It’s no problem Imogen, how can I help?”

He placed the reports to the side, ensuring his focus was solely on Imogen. Although as soon as the words left her lips, Jacob grew pensive real quick. She continued speaking, while he fell further into his thoughts. Wondering what she was specifically talking about - the thing between them, or the potential bond?

Whichever it was, Jacob was quickly brought back to reality and he felt Imogen's lips against his. For a moment he paused, and frankly surprised at the sudden action. Again, she had managed to surprise him but like the past times, he didn't mind it at all.

Jacob kissed her back, pulling her closer. They paused, breaking apart for a moment and just stared at one another. No words were shared, before both dived back in. He slowly stood up from his chair, pulling Imogen up along with him until she was sitting on the desk.

She had taken a leap of faith, and Jacob had jumped right along with her.

Several hours later...

The light of a new day was shining into Jacob's quarters, stretching across the ground and landing at the foot of his bed. It was currently occupied, though only half of it. On one side was Imogen, tucked underneath the covers, while the other was devoid of Jacob.

A small cart was situated close to the bed, a small arrangement of caf was present on the top - although one of the two cups was currently missing.

Jacob was in fact out on the balcony, caf in hand as he silently sipped at it and stared out at the beach.

[member="Imogen Daniels"]​

 

[Imogen Daniels]

It had all happened so fast.

Skin set aflame under each others touch, hearts racing - beating wildly within their confines, bodies coming together and melding into one as they lost themselves in each other, in the feelings that had been steadily growing from the very beginning.

If someone were to ask Imogen, she would answer the question of a possible Force Bond between her and Jacob with a noncommittal shrug, a mumble dripping from her lips, cheeks heating up into a rosy hue. But during her studies, her hours spent in the library, she had stumbled across more than a few chapters regarding Force Bonds, and it did seem likely. It was something she had wanted to talk to Jacob about, what had led her to his office when everything happened between them.

The feeling had become all too much and it was like her brain had short-circuited. Imogen threw herself into the way she was feeling - and she was glad she had.

When she awoke, she found herself sprawled beneath Jacob’s sheets, the spot he once occupied cold, devoid of the body heat he had left behind.

Blinking - once, twice, it took Imogen a moment to come to her senses and find herself alone in his room, a cart of caf off to the side of the bed. A smile pulled at her lips, sleepy in nature and she had to bite back a nervous giggle as she was suddenly reminded of the events that had taken place a few hours earlier.

Sitting up slowly, she glanced around, eyes immediately landing on the door that led towards the balcony. The tether that had been pulling her and Jacob closer together seemed to have been intensified now, and she knew immediately that was where he was. Grabbing his shirt she slipped the soft material on, fabric brushing just above her knees.

Filling a cup, she slowly made her way towards the opened door, a light breeze pushing her hair past her shoulders, revealing light bruises along her neck, left behind as another reminder of what happened with her and Jacob.

Legs sore and achy, she came to a stop next to Jacob, looking out across the ocean for a moment - a silence settling around them, though not uncomfortable. After a few moments she turned slightly, tilting her head to look up at him, and after taking a sip of her drink she let out a soft ‘Good morning’ followed by the two words that had been resonating throughout her mind, following them both, weaving its way around their legs and winding up their body. It was slowly becoming a part of them, something that had Imogen both frightened and flustered, but content all the same.

“Is this… a Force Bond?”

[member="Jacob Crawford"]​

 

[Jacob Crawford]

If Jacob wasn’t certain before about the Bond, he was now with the aftermath of the previous night. He could feel Imogen stirring awake even from the other side of the room. The light sound of her bare feet were like heartbeats to him, a warmth that steadily grew closer with each step. Jacob felt a sense of completion when Imogen finally reached his side.

He refrained a chuckle as he felt her give him a look, one accompanied with her attempt to stretch her sore limbs. Imogen had been more than match for him it seemed, and not just in the training room.

Intending to test the connection between them, Jacob didn’t audible respond to Imogen’s greeting. Instead he brushed against her mind, like a polite knock against a door. A pause; a heartbeat later came her answer and Jacob silently bid her a good morning too.

The pair simply absorbed the moment, standing as a calm breeze blew past them. Jacob stared down at the beach, a snapshot of his life that had brought about a great change for him. As Maena in general had come to be.

From falling into [member="Matsu Xiangu"]‘s web and becoming her student. To finding Imogen and training her as his student. Although there was now a much deeper connection between them beyond that.

Jacob took a sip of his caf before finally speaking up.

“It’s a Force Bond, there’s no doubt about that.”

How exactly it had came to be? Jacob hadn’t a clue, the Force did tend to work in mysterious ways.

[member="Imogen Daniels"]​

 

[Imogen Daniels]

The air around them was light, wind blowing a warm air around the two - wrapping and weaving itself around Imogen’s bare legs, through her hair, billowing Jacob’s shirt hanging loosely off her frame.

It was peaceful. A peace Imogen couldn’t quite recall ever feeling in her life. Before the Asylum, Maena, and most importantly before Jacob Imogen had felt anything but peace.

Truth was, on her home planet, Imogen felt nothing but a strange mix of fear and despair. She was never at peace, and she was certainly never happy. While she couldn’t say she had completely gotten rid of that fear - the fear that had clung to the innermost recesses of her mind and crept up her spine, she had gotten rid of the feeling of despair.

No longer was she weighed down by it and it was especially clear now in this moment with Jacob.

A tingle, soft but strong enough to grab her attention flitted across her mind - like a knock on a door, and as her eyes shifted up to Jacob she heard his voice in her mind.

Smiling, she let out a soft sigh, taking another sip of her drink. Imogen could get used to this.

“Are you… happy with this newfound knowledge?”

She paused then, before continuing -

"Us being Force Bonded, I mean?"

Imogen laughed then, the noise light and airy - dancing along the breeze that surrounded them, enveloping them. She was shocked, but most of all happy, with the way the events of the past twenty-four hours had played out.

[member="Jacob Crawford"]​

 

[Jacob Crawford]

There were many things running through Jacob's mind, there usually always were. But this; Imogen, the Force Bond, the whole thing was essentially a curveball that had thrown a lot of those thoughts into a chaotic mess.

And yet he felt a sense of happiness.

Not like he hadn't before, there had been plenty of occasions where he had felt it. But no, this was something different; happy yet a different level of it?

Jacob wasn't a hundred percent sure, but he certain he didn't want it going away. It was something he had been missing for a long time, and he wasn't going to let it go.

“Are you… happy with this newfound knowledge?”

He raised an eyebrow at that, wondering which part Imogen was referring too. But it seemed she also caught on to that, if the pause and quick words were any indication. He grinned in response.

"I am happy, yes. With both parts."

That got a look from Imogen, and Jacob took that opportunity to lean down and steal a kiss. After that he pulled away and smiled, saying nothing and enjoying the peace and quiet. Although in that moment Jacob was oblivious to just how wrong things were going to get soon.

Everything carried on like before, he continued to teach Imogen whether it was via books and datacrons or through physical training. Though now they were also enjoying their newfound intimacy, their spars often ended quite differently. But thankfully the distractions were not affecting the teaching side of things.

it was Jacob's scientific endeavours that started forming the cracks.

He had finally developed a testable serum, one that he could use on his patients without fatal results. Imogen was meant to be one of those patients. While her lack of technology use was no longer an aspect, she was someone with a strong connection to the Force. It was an opportunity he couldn't just pass up, someone who he had the trust of.

Yet he couldn't subject her to it...and that infuriated him. The only thing that came to mind; a solution, was distance. He needed to be away from Imogen to clear his mind, but his focus was still going to by within the Asylum. So he had to send her away.

Jacob had been gradually making plans to help Imogen learn how to fly. He had gotten one of the droids repurposed as a pilot, someone who could fly the vessel and teach her along the way. The plan was to present her with both within a couple months, to let he spread her wings and explore the galaxy. But with the recent developments Jacob had fast tracked those plans.

At the very least he was there to bid her farewell.

[member="Imogen Daniels"]​

 

[Imogen Daniels]

It was a memory Imogen would savour for the rest of her life, out there on the balcony with Jacob. The constant pull between them had been set ablaze, buzzing and leaving an electric feeling in the air whenever the two were near each other.
Albeit their newfound intimacy, it had no effect on their training - sessions continuing as normal, though ending much different more often than not. When Imogen wasn’t sparring or with Jacob she could still be found hidden away in the library, on the couch by the fireplace or in an alcove she had happened upon by chance in the back of the library.

Time had steadily gone by, weeks passing as the two kept to their routines. Jacob had informed her of a gift he had for her - a ship of her very own to use, piloted by a repurposed droid that would help her learn to fly and allow her to explore the galaxy. Imogen was shell-shocked to say the least, never having expected him to allow her to leave and explore as she pleased.

When Imogen had first arrived at the Asylum, she wasn’t too sure of what to expect. Unsure of Jacob’s intentions, she paced the waters carefully - not wanting to upset him and find herself locked back up behind some bars. Time had gone on and he had never done so, and Imogen could find herself chuckling a bit at how long those worries had lasted. Still, she didn’t expect to leave the Asylum, nor be given the availability to do so whenever she saw fit.

Imogen agreed after some convincing, and after they had chosen a day for her to leave she had ensured to prep, re-prep, then prep again. When she left Jacob was there to send her off, bidding her farewell. Feeling of his lips against hers and his smile fresh in the forefront of her mind.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

She had been away from the Asylum for three months. Imogen had spent her time away exploring the lower cities of Maena, planets like Nar Shaddaa and Coruscant. She had stayed nearer to Maena at first, slowly expanding her travels out as she found herself getting more comfortable being on the move. Imogen kept in contact with Jacob, not every day but she would check in with him from time to time, but still - even with that, she missed him, missed the Asylum.

After a month of travels and being left more often than not to her own thoughts Imogen had figured out the reason Jacob had gifted her the ship, sent her away. He didn’t outwardly state it, nor did he make any mentions of it when they spoke, but she knew that he had been working on something he had been planning to test on the individuals currently boarding within the Asylum. She also figured she was meant to be one of them, but for one reason or another he was unable to do so (could it have been because of their Force Bond?).

A thought that wouldn’t leave her mind though, was that she had wanted to help him. It stirred within her mind, bubbling and manifesting until it was almost all she could think about. Three months and she couldn’t stand the thought of it anymore, she had to act on it - so she headed back home.

Imogen hadn’t let Jacob know she was on her way back, planning on surprising him. The droid that had been repurposed to help her pilot and navigate the galaxy and her had gotten close, quips tossed back and forth between the two of them and Imogen was thankful to have him as a companion.

When they had gotten back to the Asylum she had done her best to mask her presence, knowing he would feel her within the Force immediately, and hoped he was preoccupied. She eventually found him. Jacob was injecting a man with a serum, dazed and covered in sweat the man didn’t fight against the needle, instead allowing him to continue with what he was doing. Silently Imogen propped herself against a table, arms crossing over her chest and an eyebrow raised with an amused smile on her face as she stared at Jacob’s back. Slowly she allowed the mask to fall away, allowing her presence to be known - Jacob twirling around to face her almost immediately in surprise.

Fingers raising in a wave, Imogen said nothing but a soft “Hey, you.”

[member="Jacob Crawford"]​

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Their time apart had definitely been needed.

It was a truth Jacob had initially refused to believe. He could still feel Imogen through the bond they shared, making it apparent she hadn't gone too far at first. Jacob knew she had traversed the lower levels of New City, but there was no desire to follow - to ensure she was safe. He knew Imogen was more than capable of fending for herself. From her own skills and the ones he had trained into her. Besides, it would've defeated the entire purpose of essentially pushing her away.

Yet nothing could be done but silently acknowledge there was a particular warmth now absent from The Asylum.

For the first few weeks, Jacob went about reorganizing what he already had, figuring out what his next steps were to be. His focus was on his toxin designs, rather than the little odds and ends of alchemy he dabbled in now and then. The droids' operations had been restructured, most of which were sent to enhance the manufacturing on the experimental serums. But the tests, they were all Jacob's.

Every single one of them was performed by him alone. He was the one to inject the patient, examine the process and document the results. His special talent in mentalism allowed him to review them back as much as he wanted. The meditation room high above was the perfect place, allowing the Dark Side to enhance and pick apart the raw emotions exhibited.

Over the course of the three months, Jacob had taken great strides in his plans. He had overseen the experiment serums evolve as the greater effect was removed and spliced into another with similar results. It was a steady process, one that had a couple stumbles along the way but also a great hurdle ahead of it. As for the most part, Jacob had been testing them on patients without the Force. If he was going to develop things further, he needed Force sensitives to test them on.

Unfortunately that was the bantha in the room, the person in question having been gone for months now. Imogen had never left his mind, even if she wasn't the absolute focus after a time. Their bond remained, only diminishing in strength due to the physical distance between them. Occasionally, he'd feel something through the connection, but they were always fleeting moments.

Present day though, not much was different. Jacob was down in the Labs as usual, a patient strapped onto a table, already flailing around knowing what was coming. His focus was so centralized, that he had never picked up Imogen's presence even as she slipped into the room. Was it because of that, or had Imogen learned a few things since leaving? Perhaps it was a mix of both.

The needle retreated back into Jacob's finger, as he watched his patient steady grew still...until he began to wildly thrash against his bindings. Fortunately the mouth was also gagged, muffling the screams to were being torn from the man's throat. In that moment was when Imogen revealed herself. The sudden shock of sensing her made Jacob almost jump around in surprise. Eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. Words failed him for a moment, letting the muffled screams of the patient behind him fill the room.

Eventually though, he was able to muster at least something to leave his lips.

"You...came back."

[member="Imogen Daniels"]​

 

[Imogen Daniels]

“You...came back.”

Those three words resonated through Imogen’s mind, echoing around and ricocheting off the lobes of her brain until it settled into the grooves - permanently resting within its confines.

There was something about them, the way they were uttered, slipping past his lips with such wonder - like Jacob hadn’t expected her to come back that unsettled part of her. It was as though he had reached within her chest and had shaken her to her very core.

Imogen had wondered if, even though they had kept in communication with one another - that the newfound freedom would be too strong of a pull to allow her back to the Asylum.

That wasn’t the case for her though.

She enjoyed the freedom of choice, the new explorations, and seeing the galaxy for what it was. But she had never felt trapped within the Asylum in the first place. To her, the Asylum was home. A steady place that was unchanging, allowing her to have so many firsts - like her training, reading and studying, always learning new things. Things that were nowhere near tangible on her birth planet.

Then there was Jacob.

The tether tied between their hearts was pulled taught while she was away, leaving an ache within her chest that she knew wouldn’t be better until she was near him again. As soon as she had entered the room they were in now, her heart had warmed and Imogen had felt an overwhelming sense of calm.

So as she looked at him, blue eyes tracing over him, she smiled - a soft smile that pulled at her full lips, she spoke. Voice coming out as soft as her smile, “Of course I came back Jacob. This is home.”

Standing up straight, she shifted her eyes to the man strapped down. He was watching the two of them in terror, eyes rapidly shifting between the two. Imogen assumed he was trying to figure out who she was, exactly and what she would do to him. Assessing the situation, she glanced back at Jacob, enough to ask what he was doing, before searching around for any bits of his paperwork.

Lithe fingers shifted through stacks of paper until she found what she was looking for.

A case file on the man before them, details of the experiment, the serum that was injected into the man, and the hopes and plausible outcomes. It was brilliant work, though some that Imogen couldn’t wrap her mind around (math really wasn’t her forte, she found out) but one detail stuck out the most.

The variations of outcomes that would be enhanced if tested on Force sensitives.

Force sensitives like her.

Her eyes lingered on those two words, reading them over and over again until she realized what must be done. She just wasn’t sure how Jacob would react. Closing the case file, she set it back where he had it before looking at him.

“Let me help.”

[member="Jacob Crawford"]​