Private A Lesson in True Strength

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

The forests of Kashyyyk were filled with many mysteries and secrets, among them the ruined tree city on the edge of the shadowlands. There was very little of value left in this place, but that was exactly what gave the place its current purpose. To Sakadi, it served as the perfect training grounds. That was why she had summoned her Padawan to this place. If he could find it, that was. A slight smile played about her lips when she thought of her unreasonable summon. Getting here was hard enough in itself, and she wasn't going to pull any punches during the lessons today.

As his master, she was responsible for his advancement. But she hadn't taken the time to teach him anything new yet, due to the many missions and quests that had kept her occupied. But that would change today. The Jedi Master knew much that her Padawan could benefit from, and this was the time to teach him a trick or two.

Once she sensed his presence nearby, the Sephi would rise from her meditation spot to greet him. "I'm glad to see that you made it here safely." she would convey. "Did you need your lightsaber to reach me? The jungle is quite dangerous after all." she said, glancing at his lightsaber hilt. "Come to think of it, I haven't congratulated you on obtaining your own lightsaber yet. May I see it?"
​

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

It had been a while since Cas and Sakadi were in the same location together - seemed like she was always busy these days... guess it had something to do with her being a Jedi Master... and a damn good one at that. Something to look forward to in the future, he thought to himself. However, he wondered why she had called him to the edge of the Shadowlands and... if he should be worried about it, seeing as the trek there was pretty dangerous in itself.

Despite that though, the journey to the agreed meet-up point wasn't so bad aside from the rare Wyyyschokk encounter, but it was nothing he and his trusty lightsaber couldn't handle. Finally at the location, he sensed his Master's presence except she was in one of the ruined tree huts - no problem, applying his own strength and a bit of the Force, Cas used some vines growing out of the wood that led to the hut, using these Cas climbed to where Sakadi was.

Once at the top, he heard the all too familiar voice of his Master echo through his mind. It was good to hear again after some time. Cas smiled, held his right hand over his left fist and bowed slightly at Sakadi as she greeted him - once that was over with, the Padawan smiled cockily at her question "There were some Wyyyschokk, but they were nothing." he exclaimed, waving it off with his hand. A look of surprise fell on Cas' face as she asked to see his lightsaber, however his face returned to normal and he shrugged, unclipping his hilt and handing it to her.

As his Master examined his lightsaber, Cas placed one hand on his hip and used the other to brush through his dreaded hair "Say, Master... what'd you call me up here for, anyway? We got a mission in the Shadowlands or something?" he questioned, still unsure on what was happening right now.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

He responded as she had expected; a little cocky, but luckily she was used to it. She stared at the young Kiffar for a moment, curious if he would add anything else. From his answer, she could tell that he had indeed been forced to defend himself with his lightsaber. It showed once again how they were forced to rely on their techniques and weapons to advance.

"I see.." she responded as he handed her his lightsaber. It was the first time she could really take a good look at the design. While it was vastly different from her own regular-sized lightsaber, she couldn't help but be amazed at his progress. After all, a lightsaber symbolized the life of a Jedi, and was one of the traditionally required steps to ascend to knighthood. But what was perhaps even more interesting than the hilt, was the crystal within.

"Nope. No missions this time." she would affirm. "We're here because I thought it would be a good place to train. And because I prefer solitude, to be honest." she admitted, as she pried the lightsaber open with the Force, extracting the crystal from the metal hilt. Once she had it. Sakadi would hold it against the light and study it closely. The crystal was warm to her touch, and vibrated with the energy of the Light side.

"They're beautiful. Both your lightsaber and your crystal." She exclaimed. "So young Jedi, how does it feel to have your own lightsaber? Being one of the few beings who has such a weapon?" It was the first question her own master had asked her upon obtaining her own lightsaber. It almost felt nostalgic to ask her own Padawan that same question, curious as to what his answer would be. ​

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas watched, feeling a hint of nervousness wash over him as he watched his Master examine his lightsaber. When she revealed that they had no mission, confusion replaced nerves, and then excitement replaced confusion - they were here to train! Cas was ready to apply all of his experiences over the past few months into his training with Sakadi, he was ready to show her how much he had improved.

His left eye would twitch ever so slightly as his Master dismantled his lightsaber with the Force - he was protective of his baby and to see it in such a vulnerable state stressed him slightly. "Master, be careful!... please?" he pleaded hesitantly and with his arms slightly raised "It uh... it's special to me." he stated, recalling the events with the Kinrath on Dantooine.

However, a smile of gratitude would form on his face when the Sephi Master complimented on the beauty of both his hilt and crystal. Still smiling, he bowed slightly and listened to her next question - the smile would turn into a cocky grin upon hearing her answer. Clenching his fists together in confidence and raised them up slightly, his gaze locked onto the Sephi "Like a real Jedi now. I feel like no one can stop me, Master." every word he said was true to him. He felt a sense of pride owning his own lightsaber, and he felt he was respected by others now because of it.

Lowering his fists, his eyes shifted to the ground "But... it's more than the lightsaber, I feel like I'm getting stronger every day with the Force." his eyes raised once more, cocky grin remaining, "I'm ready to show you how much I've experienced, Master." the Padawan continued with his arms crossed.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi ignored her Padawan's plead for caution. She understood that his lightsaber was special to him; it was the most valued object of any Jedi. But emotional attachment to objects could just as easily lure one to the Dark side.

Her slight smile broadened into a grin when she heard the remark that followed after her question and compliment. "Oh, is that so?" she began, now locking eyes with her Padawan. "So you're not a real Jedi without it?" She would cut him off before he could continue. In one swift motion, the Sephi would throw the precious crystal out of the tree hut, to somewhere deep down below them. Immediately after, she'd throw him the empty hilt. For a short second she waited, just to gauge his reaction. "Do you still feel unstoppable without your lightsaber?" she remarked, as she unclipped and ignited her own weapon. She still had a grin on her face, but her presence was daunting and even slightly threatening.

Taking a confident step forward, Sakadi would telegraph her first swing. A simple horizontal strike, easy to evade. She had no intention to harm her Padawan. But neither her body language nor her presence would convey this, as it seemed like she wasn't going to pull her punches.

​

 

[Cadere]

Cas' smile started to fade "Well... I guess--" he attempted to respond, only to cut himself off at the sight of his Master throwing his Kyber crystal out of the tree hut below them. After catching his useless lightsaber hilt his smile was completely gone at this point, the Padawan's head whipped around to look at his Master - his expression both confused and surprised "Master! I need that!--" he started before cutting himself off at his Master's rhetorical question and the sight of her igniting her lightsaber.

The Padawan backed away slowly, holding his arms up in surrender "Master, what're you doing?" he asked, feeling threatened as she approached him. There were no hints of her stopping "Sakadi!" he called out to her, hoping to garner her attention but still to no avail. Cas watched the Sephi's armed hand as she motioning toward her first attack - Cas jumped backward, avoiding Sakadi's simple horizontal strike. "Master, this isn't funny anymore." he stated, face full of fear.

After some deliberation and calming his mind, he deduced that maybe this was the training? His fearful expression turned to confidence as he fell back into a stance, recalling his Guardian training back on Kiffu. Cas began backing away again, still maintaining his stance, he noticed that there was a plank of wood on the ground - definitely a remnant of one of the tree huts. Closing his eyes, he called upon the Force and levitated it before hurling it in her direction.

With her distracted, Cas used the time he had to leap onto ground level below them.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

The Sephi was still smiling as she moved forward. In her head, she praised him for evading her first strike. She sensed his fear as he called out a third time, trying to get her attention. "Really now? Then you better do something about it." she commented, twirling her lightsaber as she raised it above her head.

Luckily, her Padawan seemed to gain a hold of himself before her second strike. His fear was only temporary, as he fell back in a stance that was foreign to her. Slightly curious as to what he was going to do, Sakadi closed the gap between them. Just as she wanted to bring down her lightsaber, she caught a glimpse of the plank launched in her direction. Swiftly altering her stance, the Jedi would cut through the plank in a way that caused the two parts to fly harmlessly past her.

Turning back to face her Padawan, Sakadi watched as he leapt to the ground. Deciding to pick up the pace, Sakadi jumped after him, intent on catching him during his landing. After all, this was not an exercise. This was a lesson. She was going to keep him on his toes and attempt to break his concentration. That was, if he evaded her downward strike as she landed.
​

 

[Cadere]

Cas was in freefall, watching as the ground drew closer to him and ready to slow his descent with the Force. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Master Sakadi hot on his trail - the Padawan quickly spun around and attempted to use the Force to knock her weapon arm off course - negating her downward strike. Whether this failed or succeeded, Cas would quickly spin back around to face the ground and refocus his attention onto landing on the forest floor below.

Using the Force, Cas slowed himself down and reduced the impact of the landing - rolling forward slightly, attempting to avoid any follow-up attack from his Master. The Padawan scanned his immediate area, spotting various trees covered in vines - Cas neglected to look at how close Sakadi was to him, if she was close, and he fled to the trees. Clenching his fists and raising them as he did so, he tore all the vines off of the trees he could see and threw them in her direction before leaping into the tree branches above.

Cas crouched on the branch and leaned against the trunk, panting. The Padawan used this time to hide from his Master and evaluate on what he was going to plan. Then he closed his eyes, focusing on his connection to the Force and the bond he shared with his kyber crystal, he would use it to locate his crystal. Now, all he needed to do was to avoid Sakadi and use the trees to navigate his way to his crystal.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Her Padawan was using every trick he had to shake her off. She felt the grip of the Force on her arm, but instead of negating it with her own mastery of the Force, Sakadi would allow things to go her Padawan's way. The white blade of her lightsaber would plunge into the soft soil, leaving a glowing mark near their landing spot.

Swiftly recovering from her own landing, Sakadi would stick to her Padawan's back like a Nexu to its prey. He was doing well, but he would have to do better if he wanted to succeed here. He relied on the Force to aid him in his movement, while also trying to shake off his attacker. But he forgot one essential aspect of the Force, and the basics of his Jedi training. He seemingly forgot to listen.

The Jedi approached the Force as a companion and ally. They listened to the Force and allowed it to guide their actions. The Force was always in motion, and it was up to the Jedi to follow its movements. Cas would have to follow his instincts, and place his trust and faith in the Force. Only then would he be able to overcome her.

With a graceful leap, Sakadi avoided the vines thrown in her direction. Instead of following her Padawan into the treebranches, however, the Sephi would look in his direction with an amused expression. With her telepathic prowess, there was no way he could hide from her. And yet, she decided to take a different approach.

"I knew you lost your crystal, but I didn't know you lost your tongue as well." she commented, tracing her Padawan's presence through the Force. She knew how cocky the kid could be, and the absence of his usual remarks clearly indicated that he was in a pinch.

After locating the crystal through the Force herself, Sakadi would stroll in its direction. The Jedi Master positioned herself between Cas and the crystal in such a way that he had to face her. "Well? Is this truly too much for you?" she remarked, hoping to lure him out of his hiding spot.
​

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

A grin formed on his face as he heard his Master's voice in his mind - "Yep - me and my crystal are just that connected." he retorted, leaping toward another tree branch. His Master knew him well, he couldn't help but make light of serious situations... for now, he'd just have to keep moving. Focusing on his bond with the crystal, he continued to follow it.

As the Padawan traversed through the tree branched and as he did so, the presence of his crystal grew stronger. Stopping on a branch just above, there was a clearing and his crystal's presence was around there somewhere... but so was Sakadi. Cas rolled his eyes and muttered "Ah, kriff." the teen leaned against the tree's log and pondered on what he'd do. Sakadi knew he was here, however, as she called out to him from the clearing below - "Big talk, Master. I'm just goin' easy on you." he bluffed "Feel free to give up!" Cas quipped.

After a few moments of brainstorming, he exhaled. There was nothing in his immediate area he could use to his advantage... he would have to face his Master head on. On the bright side, she was without one of her lightsabers... his chances of success were slightly higher. With a groan, Cas jumped from the tree, performing a somersault mid-air and using the Force to land safely in front of his Master... who stood between him and his kyber crystal. The Padawan was nervous, deep down he had no chance against the Jedi Master... but he needed to show her he had gotten stronger.

Cas entered his Guardian stance from earlier "Alright... you ready for this heat?" Cas bluffed. With that, he sprinted toward her and opened up his attack with a left jab followed by a right hook. He knew Sakadi could easily evade, block or counter these but the plan was to keep the heat on her.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi's amusement was still quite prevalent, especially when Cas finally replied to her provocations.

After a short pause, he finally jumped out of the tree to confront her face to face. Again, he took the stance she wasn't used to. But she couldn't see nor sense him relying on the Force. Sakadi would release a short sigh as Cas prepared to come at her, undoubtedly to fight her in hand to hand combat.

The Jedi Master wouldn't even allow him to get close. Once the Padawan broke into a run, Sakadi would make a swift gesture with her free hand, slamming a wave of telekinetic energy into her Padawan that would definitely throw him back.

Sakadi looked at her apprentice, her expression slightly more serious now. "We are luminous beings, Cas. Not just creatures of flesh and bone. Stop relying on your physical prowess and that which you see. Start listening to the Force instead, and save your wit and ingenuity until you can follow its flow." Raising her lightsaber with the tip pointed at Cas, she continued. "Had this been a serious encounter, and had I been a Sith, that stunt you trust tied to pull would've been your death." her voice would echo through his head, her tone dead serious.

"Now, will you try and seize your crystal on your own, or realize that the Force is, and will always be with you?" She challenged him, while keeping her lightsaber pointed at the Padawan. ​

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Well that failed miserably. Sakadi used the Force to throw him backward, the force of the knock back as well as his back hitting the floor almost winded him, however he quickly rolled backward and landed into a one kneed crouch, fist resting on the floor. Panting his gaze turned toward his Master as he listened to her lecture.

The teen's face fell into deep thought, she had a point after all. Cas wasn't as in-tune with the Force as he liked to have been, due to his patience (or lack thereof) putting more of his focus on the physical side of being a Jedi - such as lightsaber combat, piloting and other things. Maybe now was time to try and strengthen his focus and connection to the Force.

Closing his eyes, Cas took a deep breath and allowed the Force to work through him and with him - he could feel more connected to everything around him than he ever could before. He could feel the wildlife, the plant life, the warm breeze in the air... and finally, he could feel the exact location of his crystal. Cas' eyes remained closed as he stood up, fists clenched tight, he breathed in once more. He was ready.

Learning from his previous mistake, Cas used the Force to create an invisible barrier around him - simple but efficient, one of the first things he learned as an Initiate. Allowing the Force to guide his actions, Cas then broke into another sprint and feigned another attack but really - when he got close enough he would put her off balance with a small push of the Force and then use the Force to somersault over her to retrieve his kyber crystal. Once he landed, he performed another roll and continued sprinting toward his crystal, following his instincts Cas bent down and reached to grab his crystal on the floor.

As quickly as he could, Cas placed his kyber crystal back inside of his lightsaber, finally opened his eyes and activated his lightsaber. Feeling slightly more confident after heeding his Master's advice, he fell into a Form V stance, grinned and winked at the Sephi.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi had to suppress the slight smile that wanted to make its return, as she watched her Padawan think about her lecture. She felt how his presence subtly changed in the Force, from its usual volatile and uncontrolled state to a more tempered and calm state. Now, he finally seemed ready to confront her.

Cas then broke into another sprint. But this time, something was different. He had actually bothered to think it through, and guard himself with a barrier against the possibility of a telekinetic assault. She could've torn through it, but instead, Sakadi decided to face him head on. A sudden surge of the Light side caught her attention, as Cas released a small push of his own. Adjusting her footwork to stay balanced, Sakadi was forced to give ground. Just enough for the Kiffar to slip past her.

The Jedi Master spun around, watching as her Padawan placed his crystal back in his lightsaber. "Well done." she conveyed, lowering her lightsaber. "I see you've been practicing Form V lightsaber combat? Shien, in particular?" she asked, waiting for Cas to confirm her analysis before she continued. "That's good, but don't stick to one Form. I find that chains of different sequences and flawed techniques are far more effective in actual combat, than the textbook example of a Form trained to perfection." Sakadi deactivated her lightsaber, and reattached it to her belt. "And don't forget. You're never fighting to win. You fight to survive, and reach your true objective. Once you have to raise your weapon, you're already at a disadvantage." The Jedi Master would turn again, gesturing for Cas to follow her. As she guided them to their destination, the Jedi Master would raise another question. "With that in mind, how developed are your Force abilities at the moment?"
​

 

[Cadere]

Cas eased up his stance before ultimately returning to normal and switching off his lightsaber. Cas smiled and nodded at his Master's praise before nodding once more as confirmation that he indeed was applying Shien into his lightsaber combat. As she advised him on implementing different Forms into his style, Cas hooked his fingers to his chin and nodded along "Makes sense." he replied - the Padawan had always been interested in Ataru, as the Form happened to compliment his natural athleticism. He'd have to think more upon this later.

"Fight to survive... got it." he assured, in that moment he recalled back to the time he and Castor encountered a Dark Jedi only for him to be quickly demolished by said-Dark sider. What Sakadi taught him today and just now could really help if he ever encounters another Dark sider. As Sakadi gestured for the teen to follow, he jogged toward her before slowing down to a walk alongside her.

Cas' face frowned as he thought of what to answer to Sakadi's question about his progress regarding the Force. After a few moments of 'um and er'-ing, his gaze focused on his slightly shorter Master "My connection to it grows stronger everyday... but that's it, Master. I still only know the very basics, telekinesis, barrier, and all that..." pausing for a moment, he realised he had more to say "Oh, I'm still having these visions but... they're still confusing to me."[/COLOR] Cas hung his head low, slightly embarrassed at his lack of progress.

The teen then attempted to brush off his insecurity with humour, nudging the Sephi playfully "Hey, what were you like as a Padawan? Bet you were more put together as I am." he joked.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi gave her Padawan a soft smile. "I was quite difficult as a Padawan. I wasn't stubborn... but the loss of my voice made it hard to gain progress. Not being able to properly convey what problems you face is a problem in itself." she explained, thinking back of the time when she was still young. She had never been rash or cocky, but she used to be quite judgmental. She had failed to recognize her own flaws until the untimely death of her master, and all that happened afterwards... The Sephi shook her head. "Every Padawan faces obstacles and the end, none feel truly ready. But that's part of life; part of the Force. Don't compare yourself to others, for it will only bring suffering." She continued, bestowing her own experience and wisdom upon him once again.

"On the subject of telepathy.. I think it's time to teach you a trick or two." The Jedi Master would cast a sideways glance at her Padawan to gauge his reaction. Telepathy was an underestimated field of study and Force techniques, but nevertheless versatile and powerful. She rarely found any Jedi who valued the techniques as much as she did, which made her even more motivated to pass her knowledge down to her Padawan. Although she doubted he would excel at it. Or use it at all. The Kiffar wasn't the type to rely on the Force, something she really hoped she could change.

While I have many techniques I want to teach you, I think it would be best for us to start with something basic and useful. The Jedi Master had been thinking about this for a while. She wasn't the best of instructors, and teaching didn't really come naturally to her, although she seemed to be doing fine up till now. "Perhaps learning to fend off psychic attacks and mind invasions would be a good start, don't you think?" What he wanted to learn was entirely up to him, but knowing how invading one's mind was a technique favored by the Sith, the Sephi believed it to be an extremely useful ability to have.

​

Cadere ​

 

[Cadere]

The Padawan smiled softly back as he listened to his Master's retelling of her days as a Padawan. However, he felt sympathy for Sakadi's inability to actually speak... although, he always wondered what the story behind her muteness was... he had too much respect for his Master to outright ask her however but he did hope that one day... maybe she'd tell him. When she was finished, he nodded in response to the advice she bestowed on him, "I understand, Master. Thank you."

Cas' brown eyes lit up and a huge smile formed when the Sephi revealed that their next part of training would involve telepathy. The Kiffar pondered on all the benefits of his uses - communicating with others secretly during crucial times, being able to level with Sakadi and communicate with her using telepathy as well as read other people's thoughts. While he could sense other people's feelings innately, he couldn't actively search someone's thoughts and feelings.

However, upon Sakadi's mention of defending from intruders it opened up a whole new avenue of ideas for the young Padawan. But first, he would actually need to learn it "I guess defending against psychic attacks is a good idea, right?" Cas then looked around the Kashyyyk forest "So, what do I do? Sit down, cross my legs, close my eyes and focus really heard?" he jested knowing full well this was an actual possibility.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

"Oh, you're certainly going to have to focus hard." she admitted with a mischievous smile, as she took a few steps away from her Padawan. The only way to properly master a technique, was through repetition and practice. Although before they could start, she had some more explanations to give. "As you may know, telepathy is the ability to communicate between minds. It is far more difficult than it may seem. A core rule, is that you must be able to sense the presence of the individual you wish to contact. Naturally, this means that hiding your presence is a way to avoid a mental assault." she began, folding her arms as she spoke.

"The second mental blockade, and the one encountered the most, is strength of will or determination. If your will is strong enough, you can outright prevent a telepath from extracting your memories." While she had grown strong enough to give even strong minds a run for their money, the Jedi Master had to admit that determined individuals were difficult to read. Especially for beginners. Sadly, most of the beings a Jedi had to deal with possessed a strong mind. Terrorists were often determined to act upon their threats, and trying to read the location of a bomb from their minds had been a challenging task many times over.

"The third way to block out telepaths is what we'll be focusing on. I'm going to teach you how to erect a mental barrier, to shield your thoughts, memories and emotions from prying minds." The Sephi paused for a second. This was the point where things were going to get difficult. Not for her, but most definitely for him. "We're going to do this the hard way. Well, hard for you. I'm going to attempt to invade your mind several times, and your job will be to keep me out. If I succeed, this is what will happen." With a swift and sudden gesture, Sakadi unleashed a controlled wave of psychic energy at her Padawan, disrupting his senses and causing severe dizziness for a brief second. It wasn't harmful in the long run, but it certainly wasn't pleasant either. After the effects faded away, she would reach out again "Try to sense it before it reaches you, and you might be able to raise a barrier." She made it sound way more easy than it actually was, but she had faith in the Kiffar. Even if he only managed to sense her telepathic approach at the end of the day, she would be happy with the result. So, do you have any questions before we begin?"


​

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

He watched and listened as Sakadi explained the types of techniques involving protecting one's self from a mental attack - but whether he was taking in this information was a whole other story. While he indeed wanted to learn, what the Sephi was saying was completely foreign to him and he wasn't sure if he could achieve what she was explaining to him.

Nodding along to every fifth word or so and even subtly mouthing a few words of what she was saying just to try and absorb the information she was bestowing. Cas wondered if his will was strong enough to ever fight off a mental attack - he knew he was always stubborn and rebellious, but did that constitute for a strong will? Regardless, he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out yet, exactly. Luckily for him, that wouldn't be what they were working on.

Instead, he would have to create a mental barrier to keep someone out - and in this case, Sakadi. Cas wondered if that was even fair, seeing as his Master was a powerful telepath... probably one of, if not the most powerful telepaths in their Order. Did he even stand a chance? Or would she go easy on him? And out of nowhere, it seemed as if Sakadi gave him a teaser for what he was about to be up against, Cas clenched his head with both of his hands and staggered slightly as he felt disoriented from his Master's brief psychic wave.

Using the Force to centre himself, Cas regained the majority of his senses back with the help of it. With a deep inhale followed by an exhale, his gaze focused on his Master - "Yeah, is this gonna hurt? And you're a powerful telepath, is this even fair on me? Other than that... I guess I'm ready." confidence wavering slightly, he was nervous at what he was about to experience.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

She had a feeling that he wasn't really following her short lecture, but only time would tell if her hunch was right. For now, he would have to focus on warding off her Force induced illness. "Maybe. Perhaps it'll start hurting after a while." She admitted with a shrug. "And don't worry. I'll go easy on you." Of course, she wasn't going to throw her best shot at him. That would make this training impossible for a beginner. "Alright, here I come."

Establishing a connection between minds came natural to her. It was the basis of her telepathic speech, upon which her knowledge of telepathy was based. This time, however, she would try to make her intrusion more obvious. Actively summoning the Force to her aid, Sakadi would direct a second flow of psychic energy at her Padawan. It would wash over him like a wave, momentarily disrupting his senses again, should he fail to erect a barrier between his mind and the attacking Force wielder.

If Cas, as expected, wouldn't be able to defend himself, Sakadi would stay silent for a moment. If her Padawan failed, then it was up to her to find a way that could make him succeed. Perhaps it was better to start with the basics after all. It was time to switch up the exercise.

"Okay Cas we're going to try something different. How many fingers am I holding up?" Her voice would echo, as the Jedi held the number in her mind. She purposely kept her hand behind her back, obscuring it from his vision. "Try to read my mind. Approach it as if you're trying to sense my presence, or my emotions." she advised, hoping that he could pull this off instead.
​

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

He nodded at her warning and prepared himself for incoming mental attack. Cas closed his eyes, focusing on his connection to the Force and the Force located within himself, as he did so he tried to imagine a durasteel wall inside of his mind to defend from Sakadi's psychic infiltration. However, the imaginary wall quickly fell apart from Sakadi's superior telepathic skills.

Once that wall fell, Cas felt his senses dull and confusion washed over him. He stumbled backward, groaning slightly as he used one hand to hold his head - it only lasted for a few moments but it wasn't a pleasant feeling. The feeling was akin to vertigo, he desperately wanted to vomit... or at least sit down. Once his senses returned, he shook his head and returned to look at his Master "Ugh, I don't wanna experience that again any time soon." what surprised him however, was the fact that she didn't attempt to continue and suggested trying something else, much to Cas' relief.

"I don't kno--" he started, before realising that this was part of his training. He would have to guess how many she was holding up through telepathy - after she explained to him what he had to do, he nodded. Cas closed his eyes again, he concentrated on the bond he shared with his Master and their link within the Force. As a stepping point, he heeded Sakadi's advice, through their connection he actively attempted to feel her emotions and as he did so - a number began to form on his own head. Cas scrunched his face as he attempted to focus more on the Force, their connection and the number.

Then, he opened his eyes "Four?" he asked, feeling confident it was his answer with a slight hint of uncertainty. Cas figured reading her mind would be slightly easier due to their bond as Master and Padawan.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala