Adumbrations [Vexander]

[Coci Heavenshield]

@[member="Vexander Graves"]​

​

​

In a secret location near the Jedi Temple, Coci waited. It is the dead of night and small street is vacant, not a soul in sight save for her. She had tried in vain to find someone to teach her the ways of force concealment and failed. Since she is spending more time around the Jedi, around the Academies and the Temple, she had heard a whisper that Knight Vexander Graves had returned. A unique man she had met a while ago while connected to the Army of Light, she had trained with him somewhat. One of the benefits of her position is that she has access to personal files on all 'persons of interest' to the GIA, including the Jedi, in his file it is noted that he showed a strong interest in learning force concealment and stealth, but the files are inconclusive.

This sparked her interest, and so she contacted Knight Graves and explained her interest and arranged a meeting. She looked at her chronometer on her wrist, it is showing him to be due in fifteen minutes.

 

[Vexander Graves]

The breeze that flowed in the Jedi Temple was quite refreshing... and in the night, it provided the right and appropiate element to sneak with the help of the Force. Dark places, shadows, the help of the Force, knowing when to go against the wind while moving carefully and with speed... all of those were also things to keep in mind.

As a Jedi trained in the Force Stealth and Concealment techniques, he was learning a lot more by practicing further. His first lessons and guidance provided by a Force Ghost were extraordinary, and although he still had to study a lot more about it, he knew a lot based on what he knew as a former marksman.

Today, Vex was about to pass that knowledge to someone he met quite some time ago, someone that showed in his visions, and one way or another was bound to cross his path by the will of the Force... their encounter was not clear at first, and what the Force tried to tell him was clouded by the lack of knowledged on those visions... but know he knew that he was bound to met her in order to share his knowledge.

In order to provide a good example on what she would be able to achieve, the young man remained hidden and undetected, like with a mantle covered him, he was extremely hard to see and only someone with training similar to his own would detect him... but with a lot of effort. Going against the wind also helped him bend the sounds around him with the Force to the point where he couldn't be heard, and his Force signature was almost none existent.

Vexander managed to see the girl standing outside the Temple, she was waiting for him perhaps since some time now, she was eager to learn and arrived early. But it didn't matter, it just showed the corellian Knight how easy it would be since she would provide effort to the lessons.

Just a few meters away, the young man showed himself and switched off the control over the Force, it was like turning a light on and revealing himself. Still, in order to avoid any hostile reaction from @[member="Coci Sinopi"] ; he released a sense of calmness and entangled his fingers in his front in order for her to see both hands and to know that he was no threat. "Greetings Coci... it has been quite some time..." said the man in a militaristic voice with a serious demeanor but a small smile in his face, a weird contrast but that somehow, didn't seem odd in his face.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@[member="Vexander Graves"]


Her eyes, as black as the night scanned the immediate area around her. Coci's main focus is to detect any signs of movement from any possible threat, her senses on high alert and searching for any signs of life. Her pupils enlarged taking in more light, she has this ability to be able to see more .. much more then the average humanoid, people have commented on this in the past saying she has the abilities of a feline. From under her cowl she looked back up the street, all remain still, apart from a slight shimmer that seemed to dissipate as swiftly as it had arrived. She blinked her eyes, in an effort to clear her vision and refocus, thinking the event a trick of the night air. Her eyes and mind .. however, are untrained to recognising it for what it truly is.

She felt his presence a split second before he revealed himself to her. Only a few meters away, Vexander appeared like a vision emitting a strong sense of calm and no malice. A look of wonder and surprise filled her eyes now and only showed her the necessity to learn this skill. He greeted her in his usual tone, one she had not forgotten, but he had changed. She could not sense the confuse that she associated with him, especially when in her company. Maybe he had learned to control it or found the answers he had sort about them, but whatever it maybe he stood with a slight smile which she returned. He had intrigued her when they first met, and he still does, that unsolicited caring of him, still remained.

"It has been a long time indeed Vexander", she replied her voice a level above a whisper. "I am pleased to see you well".

 

[Vexander Graves]

The one he knew, the lady that caused a few visions and that caused uneasiness in his mind more than once... she was the same in a way... and at the same time she wasn't.

Once again, the visions began to pour in his head like water filling every corner in a glass even with ice on it... still, Vexander's demeanor didn't change at all this time... his face seemed just like the mask he usually weared, the one no one knows about... supressing his feelings just like he supressed his Force presence with Force Concealment, no one would notice at all what he was thinking or how he was feeling.

"I heard you were looking for someone to train a certain set of skills..." Vexander said with a small grin in his face "...however, I am interested in finding out why you need to use the Force in such way" the young man was a Knight now, he had to know her intentions, although he didn't doubt that it had a good intention, it was his duty to be sure.

@[member="Coci Sinopi"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@[member="Vexander Graves"]

Coci bent her head in a bow of respect to the Knight now standing before her, it is also her way of indicating the affirmative to his question. She moved a few paces toward him, so there was no need for their voices to carry on the air of the night, to find hidden ears.

“Yes, I wish to learn the skill of Force Concealment, to be able to hide my physical being and my presence in the force”, she confirmed. She thought for a moment on the next part of the answer.

“My .. work requires it”, she thought again, “You know of my skills and position, having been on missions in the past together, you have witness this. In order for me to serve the Republic, to be better in myself in order to protect the citizens from tyranny and criminals, I need to be the best I can, with what abilities I possess. In order for me to more effective, I require this learning .. this teaching from you”.

“Since I have become more involved with the Republic, moving away from the Army of Light, and working closely with the Jedi, I find myself considerably lacking in skills by comparison. You may remember us talking, that I had this aversion to using the force .. relying mostly on my normal abilities .. you had told me then, that I was using the force, that my natural talent was in fact heightened by it. And I have come to learn that you are right”. So now she stands before once more, her face softening with a small smile.

 

[Vexander Graves]

@[member="Coci Sinopi"]

The young man was satisfied with the answer, it was just what he expected. With a small grin in his face, the young man was pleased to know that he had enough training in the Force to feel her connection to the Force. Still, now; he was in charged to develop a specific field in the force for a specific purpose.

"Very well Coci. I will be able to teach you a couple of things... the basics that will transform you into a shadow..." the young man looked around, the place would do for the time being... although first he had to know what she knew since they met. "What do you know about the Force so far Lady Sinopi?" Depending on her answer, he would provide a different set of steps to learn and to start.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@[member="Vexander Graves"]



She listened as he spoke, the idea of being a shadow is a good one to start with .. something that will immediately give her an edge, although she knew there was a long way to go before reaching the desired skill and level to be effective.

Coci's eye snapped to his face as he called her Lady Sinopi, something she had not heard him say for some time, but the words still have the same effect as well. She had heard him say these words before, but each time he did, it reminded her of her past but also of a feeling deep down that she simply could not grasp. It was like some soft whisper on a wind that to soft to be caught. Her brow knitted just a little, not for the fact he called her that, but more that she could not hear the message on winds of the force.

Even in this light, as dull as it is on this street, coupled with the towering shadows from the buildings are them, she could see his face clearly, her eyes able to absorb the light more ... and she could see those eyes that had caught her attention so long ago.

Coci refocused her attention once more from them to the question that needed an answer. "My skills consist of the natural abilities of a force user, Telepathy which I believe I have used with you in the past, force push and pull, force speed and jump with great effect, I have my saber now but on training in any forms. My sensing through the force is probably my best quality and my focus as .. as you know .. is required for my job as a markswoman". That really was about it, she knows she is lacking in a lot more areas.

 

[Vexander Graves]

@[member="Coci Sinopi"]

Jedi were supposed to be focused... and in order to train in the ways of the Force, Vex had to avoid the black eyes of the lady. It has been some time, and life goes on... but his visions and the feelings were still there. Without actually looking straight to the eye, he continue the conversation.

"I am glad to see your progress, you are quite persistent." said with a small grin on his face "And you do not need to worry, what you have is what you need."

Vexander looked at his surroundings. "We need to find a place to seat together, first we need to meditate and to gather the Force within both of us." He moved a bit away from her and moved closer to the Temple and the Training Grounds, but still not that far from his initial position. Taking his traditional lotus position, the young man proceeded to place his hands in his knees and waited for Coci to sit just in front of him... something which he knew would cause a vision... still, he attempted to control himself and to supress everything. "Please join me Lady Sinopi"

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@[member="Vexander Graves"]


Her eyes darted around the area and pierced the dead of night, she searched through the force, again as is her way, she was checking for any signs of threats. It is unusually quiet tonight as there is not a soul around which put her on edge. The constant buzz of the City hummed in her ears and she looked up to see the steady flow of speeders in the skylanes above them. However, she followed Vexander to the new position.

As he seated himself and assumed the lotus position .. he invited her to do the same. She let out a deep sharp breath as she tried to remove her unease of the place. Coci pushed back her cloak over her shoulders and sat opposite him, her legs entwined as best she could, the lotus position not the most comfortable for her, in the end she decided to remain with just crossing her legs, at least she could concentrate then. She placed her hands on her knees as he did and and waited for him to instruct.

"I am ready Vexander", she said softly.

 

[Vexander Graves]

The young girl finally managed to join the corellian Knight, and he looked at her... he didn't have a chance, he had to look at her black and beautiful eyes. Vexander smiled briefly... without actual intention and quite visible, not normal from him, his serious and straight forward demeanor shattered with just one look.

Looking to his hands for a bit, the young man attempted to regain the focus, otherwise he would have a hard time teaching the little he knew about the Force Concealment technique. "I am sorry..." said the man "...we need to have undivided attention, and I am having a hard time concentrating..." he expected that she didn't ask questions about it, and instead, decided to jump to the lessons "...ok, the main idea of the Force Concealment is to use the Force around you, use it as a mantle and remain undetected... is quite hard to do so, and it drains you if you use it for prolonged periods of time, for that reason, in order to start, we will meditate for a bit... feel the Force around you and gather it, summon it around you..."

@[member="Coci Sinopi"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@[member="Vexander Graves"]


As their eyes locked she held her breath. Looking into those incredible blue eyes was like looking into a past that seemed to have escaped her. The force shifted around her, wrapping her in a sense of victories and losses, of love and heart ache coupled with a sense that she had been here before. Of course she had, as she is very much present in the Galaxy, but this was somehow different .. like a fracturing of time unable to be held.

He must have experienced something similar by the way he talked, she too had lost focus as she sat in front of him .. wondering what all that meant, a strange feeling of knowing him beyond their previous encounters. It was like.. as if they had ... no it can't be. However, she could not deny the fact that deep within her emotions and feeling began to surface, that she did not realise were buried there. She had of course developed a caring for him over the time they had worked together, remembering their encounter with the Sith when Vexander had won the day .. but sustained injury, she remembered sitting with him in the hospital as the medical team worked to heal him, they had sat in silence but a small gesture from her told her more, if only to herself. She shook her head slightly as his eyes looked down and he quickly began the lesson. She would think on this later, as it had unsettled her.

She concentrated on his voice as she closed her eyes to summon the force around her. Coci cleared her mind of all thoughts of duty and work, all things that distract her from her cause, including the blueness of his eyes. She could feel the force swirling around her and him, his presence strong and close and she began to gather the force to her, her body becoming stronger and her mind clearer.

 

[Vexander Graves]

@[member="Coci Sinopi"]

The Force could be felt strongly around the both sentients, it began to assemble around them and to fill them... the meditation was working... in the end both began to focus more and more in the situation at hand regardless of what they felt for each other.

Filled with such a wonderful sensation, Vex knew that they were both ready for the next step. Without opening his eyes, the young man proceeded with the lesson "Very well... allow the Force to be with you, to fill you..." Vexander placed his hands still in his knees but opened his palms upwards for a brief moment, he didn't expected Coci to notice since in the end she was supposed to be with the eyes closed, however; he did the next step for himself... opening and closing his hands, he began to pump blood to his hands and focused in doing the same with the Force "...you need to distribute the Force equally... the principle of the concealment with the Force is to manipulate the sound and light around you... create a mantle soo strong that it will cover your whole body and even your Force signature... but you need to do this in an uniform way or else you'll leave parts uncovered..."

The Knight finally opened his eyes and began to provide more instructions "First, we need to start by bending sound... as you know, sound expands from it's point of origin in a wave, what we need to do is first to see the waves that you create and know which ones are they..." Vex remember the place where he first learned his principle, in the Silent Desert "...in this case, we need to use the Force to recognize them... extend your view, let the Force be your ears and work as an extension of your eyes for the soundwaves..." To help the process, the young man decided to try something else "Try to feel the vibrations of the sounds in your body, touch them, picture them..."

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@[member="Vexander Graves"]


Sitting still of mind and body, Coci could hear his voice as if it was like from a distance. She took in his words and understood them, whether she is capable of achieving this was another matter, but she would try. She continued to gather the force around her, pulling it into her more and sent it to all parts of her body. The force present there in every fibre of her, her blood filled with it as she attempted to distribute the strength of the force evenly around her. For a brief moment, she had succeeded .. but could not sustain it. She tried again, refocusing on herself and her entirety . . the waves of the force washed over her and around her, and once more she succeeded, however control of the force is not yet a mastered skill or innate for her .. yet and again, her mantle of the force fell away. This was clearly going to take some time and training outside of the lessons. But one of Coci's main talents is patience and she knew that with time she would achieve this.

She opened her eyes and looked to Vexander with a questioning look, he would sense her attempts and the fact she had not succeeded. She noticed his body position and what he was doing, sensing his focus which is much deeper then hers at this point. Her mind thought on the possibility that she had not focused through meditation enough which may be the cause of this. So again she set her mind and cleared it of her doubts in her abilities. She pulled the force around her again, trying to evenly coat her body, but she knew that she is not totally immersed.

Patience Coci it will come.

Instead she listened to his further instruction, even though not completely or evenly immersed, she tried to do as he asked. She pushed her awareness out to the sounds of Coruscant, allowing the constant buzz of life around them enter her, through her ears at first .. letting that fill her mind. This came quickly to her and she let the pulse enter her mind. Trying to imagine the sound as waves coming to her, she pictured them washing over her and through her, her force ability allowing them to be pulled in her direction and she could feel the vibration of pulse of sound.

 

[Vexander Graves]

The beautiful dark haired woman was persistent and patient on the task at hand... no doubt due to her amazing training as a markswoman. Vexander didn't have to extend his perception to notice the hardships that @[member="Coci Sinopi"] had to endure in order to attempt the required connection with the Force.

Her commitment to the lessons was extraordinary, she was actually doing better than he did the first time he tried... and he knew that it was not because he was teaching but because she was trying hard... a wonderful thing to notice and to witness... or perhaps was just the fact that he had other feelings showing up over and over again.

Vexander smiled at the moment he noticed that she managed to feel the sound waves around them, he could feel it because he was probing her through the Force now and then to measure her progress. That single fact reassured the Knight that it was time to try the next step.

"Good Lady Sinopi, good..." said in a joyful way not common from him "...feeling and looking at the sound waves is the first step to what we try to acomplish." Vexander extended his hands to their respective sides like holding two walls... he didn't expect her to open her eyes but if she did, that is what she would notice "Now we need to take the two principles into effect... try to create a barrier even if it is for a couple of seconds... try to push the sound that you feel and you see like if it was an object... like using telekinesis but to an atomic level... concentrate... look at the waves and repel them as if you were a sound damper." As a slight demostration, the Jedi attempted his own steps, he began to feel the sound that surrounded him and slowly began to push the waves... as a sound damper... he did almost the same as other Jedi did with a Force barrier... he did the same that a breakwater would do with waves... if Coci extends his view she would notice that he was deflecting the waves in his vicinity that were close to him...

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@[member="Vexander Graves"]


It is an incredibly strange sensation to feel sound, so see it through the force, that alone made her astonished with what the force is able to do through sentient beings. Oh she has heard of the abilities of others ..both Sith and Jedi and their extraordinary feats but she had never done anything like this. It only served to increase her desire to learn more, not for any gain of power but to be all she can. He wanted more from her, he wanted her to push to the limits and beyond.

She opened her eyes and watched him as he spoke, listening with intent but also, as she slightly shook her head, with a disbelief that she could do this. It showed on her face as such. His words are understood .. his description well enough for her to grasp the means of the technique .. but had she the ability to succeed? She wondered if she had asked to much of her own ability or lack of them.

Coci smiled .. the sound around them had gone. The images of the sounds waves through the force, stopped abruptly as they sat there close to each other. It was like being in a invisible bubble but the surface of the bubble strong and unable to be breached. Her eyes looked around them as if looking for the surface of the bubble .. then she looked back to Vexander.

"I understand you ... but .. I am not sure if I can do this", she said "I was not able to even the force around my body .. well for a moment I had it". For the first time in a long time .. Coci had self doubt.

 

[Vexander Graves]

@[member="Coci Sinopi"]

The girl's disbelief in her own abilities was actually a shame, at least to Vexander. He knew her and he was a witness of her resolve and determination, what she could accomplish and how wonderful she was.

Opening his eyes, the corellian Knight focused his gaze on the dark haired and beautiful girl. "I think that you are understimating yourself..." said softly but with a firm voice. "...you noticed it yourself... you did it the first time and managed to do it. What prevents you from reaching your objective?"

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@[member="Vexander Graves"]


She looked at him for a moment, unsure of her answer as she simply is not sure why she has doubts. She thought for a moment on the question ... "I do have some strong skills with the force, but I am so lacking in it's use. I understand with time that will improve, and I so wish to be the best I can be, for once ... I think my doubts come from impatience to be at level where I can operate more effectively .. but my lack of training prevents this and shows my weaknesses". She is a person always in control of herself or a given situation, this is not the case here for more reasons then one.

Coci let out a deep sign as if she had been holding her breath. "I don't like being weak", she said softly. This is her own perception of herself, her own self doubts which are something she needs to let go of. But then, looking at the man seated before her, a man strong feelings she has developed for him and those self doubts began to crumble, she knew he would not give up on her and push her to her limits to help achieve her goals, after all he is here now and had responded to her call.

A smile formed on her lips, "I will try again".

 

[Vexander Graves]

Vexander heard every word the lady shared with him. He couldn't believe what she said and her tone. She seemed to have a different concept from the one he had... but perhaps that was something to be expected? Afterall, every mind was a different universe and the way people see things are not the same...

The young man noticed a smile, a beautiful smiled that gave him shivers and at the same time, a warm feeling in his heart. Smiling back at her, the Knight gave her further confidence.

"You can achieve more than you think..." the gaze of the man focused on her black eyes "...just like when you aim straight for a heart without even trying to... you take the shoot and it will reach it's target" Where did that come from? "Your perception excels even among Jedi, your accuracy... unique..." Vexander was actually quite inspired while he defined her "...I have never seen someone keep up with me with a rifle... and you were even better than me that day. You are not helpless..."

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@[member="Vexander Graves"]

For a long moment after he had spoken his words to her, she held his gaze and looked into his wonderful blue eyes. There was something in his words that reached out to her and she grabbed hold of them. Not so much in his words of praise of her, which had the desired effect and fortified her confidence, but for the way in which he spoke, it was like a long lost past had come back to meet with her again, a knowing of her that seemed to be hidden in a cloud masked by a veil yet to be lifted.

He knows me .. but how?

The answer to the question give by her heart. As she the gaze in his eyes, there was flicker of light within them that spoke of something hidden but she could not break the encryption. But her heart filled with warmth, and a deep caring and love ran through her body to every fiber of her being, her blood pumping rapidly around her and her mind burst with the realisation. For a moment, her head filled with confusion .. the sudden flooding of emotions like she had never felt before. She had experienced love before but not like this, this is something entirely different and filled her with an immeasurable sense of empowerment. This love is built on something, a strong foundation based in their friendship which she values, but moreover, a sense of a connection from an undefined place.

She realised she was staring and broke away from the gaze. Coci allowed herself a moment to regain composure to be able to refocus .. or at least try. She closed her eyes to do so, as it was best achieved by not looking into his eyes. She let out three long breath to calm her body and mind. The force gathered around her much quicker this time and coupled with the sense of empowerment he gave her, she surrounded the force to her body, still not achieving an even coat but she continued with the next part of the lesson.

The sound waves coming to her mind's eye, rippling through the air, it was almost as if she could feel and touch the very particles on which the sound traveled. She lifted her arms as Vexander had done, if only to aid her in the process, she created a shield of the force around them both, a shimmer of light in her mind's eye .. she could see it through the force. She pushed the force through to strengthen it to stop the sound. However, it only worked in part, the sounds of Coruscant had soften .. like a sound in distance, miles away from them, but she had not achieved complete silence.

 

[Vexander Graves]

A broad smile came to the Jedi's face, although the results were not completely successful, @[member="Coci Sinopi"] reached a level of completion that exceeded the time she tried before. Vexander didn't know if his words inspired her, but he knew that every word he said was true and he was now a witness of her power and control of the Force.

"You are just wonderful... did you know that?" for a moment, the young man looked at the girl and he just stared for a moment "You can do the impossible with the help of the Force... you can succeed where others can't and I know it..." Vexander waited for a moment for her to understand what she just did and to realize what she did.

It was funny, in his visions he didn't remember her having such connection with the Force... but he knew that she was capable of doing great things, wonderful things. And now that he could see her straight into her black and beautiful eyes... he was sure that she could do far more... perhaps his visions were not always correct or he was missing something... only the Force knew... what he DID know is that he had plenty of confidence in her and a lot of... love for her.

"Do you want to rest for a bit?" said to the girl while he noticed a small tingling in his chest "What do you think about what you just did?"