Black Lagoon

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel smiled and pulled the trigger all the way back. A short blast of blue energy was released from the end of the barrel and it travelled straight at Orihime’s hand.

If it was a failure, Orihime would at worst end up with a hand that tingled – and that would be absolutely fine in a few minutes. If successful, the energy would be absorbed by her Jedi friend. Then Sorel could turn up the power a little at a time so Orihime could become accustomed to the ability. It had taken Sorel months before she was able to even touch a saber blade, let alone stop one with her outstretched hand.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Working with the force as she felt the blast coming a split second before. Time seemed to slow down as her hand shimmered allowing the force energies themselves to ripple like cascading waves across her arm when the blaster shot came into her palm. The jerk reaction of closing her hand around the blaster shot was there and she did it as the energy dissipated into her hand and the blue energy rippling across it and up the length of her arm before she was redirecting the energy into herself and to maintain the focus of the force energies all around herself. She was focused and had her eyes closed to see Sorel with the force when standign there and looking at it with one eye as she opened them. "Did it work?"

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel was lightly apprehensive. It was one thing to trust your partner’s ability and another to point a blaster at them and pull the trigger – regardless of the power setting.

Sorel felt the Force being manipulated by her friend. It felt familiar and that gave her comfort that Orihime was doing it right. Force powers were, by their very nature, individual. The outcome was broadly the same but how a Jedi achieved it seemed to vary enormously. Sometimes this made teaching a challenge, so Sorel always advised Padawans to start with the end in mind. To focus on the outcome and rely on the Force to achieve the desired action for you.

And then it was over.

Orihime’s apprehension was possibly equal to Sorel’s but the broad grin on Sorel’s face gave the answer long before she spoke. “Perfectly. Shall I raise the power setting?”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime was looking at it with a look on her face while she was there. Seeing her with a small grin. "Alright lets do it and have some fun with it." She didn't know how to really make it fun but holding her hand over the barrel and firing was one thing... backing away as she got into a good place in case Sorel's shots went wide with a look. "Something for both, help you have the accuracy itself and to have the practice of being able to guide your aim with the force." Orihime was standing there with her hands prepared alright. "I'll block and catch your shots with the force in my hands." She had herself ready allowing the force energies to breathe in and flow throughout her body with a glow fo the force energies in her hands like blue shimmers. She was confident in her capabilities with the technique and the force as well as Sorels abilitie to keep her safe.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel nodded and adjusted the calibration on the blaster. It would be greater than a tickle but not enough to knock Orihime out. Like a sharp smack that would leave her hands tingling for a few minutes if her fellow Jedi got it wrong.

Sorel tried three short blasts. The first two she aimed directly at Orihime’s hands. The third she aimed to one side and looked to use the Force to bend into Orihime’s fingers. The pace caught her out slightly and although she bent the shot slightly, Orihime would have to reach out to block the shot.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime was moving with the shots there as she focused on the force energies. ALlowing it to reach through herself and practically vibrated with a mixture of anticipation and force energies that the was channeling into her hands. The fingertips just like she had seen and used to teach and work with warren was a skill. Orihime was focusing the force energies through herself when she moved her hand to catch and absorb the shots coming at her. Shifting and flicking her hand to reach for the third until she wanted to woek on more of it sending the energy through her as it made her skin glow like a nightlight and she wrapped her fingers curling them around the shot with a nod of her head.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel was impressed and her nodding showed her approval. Her friend was picking this up quickly and her ability to absorb the energy was greater than Sorel’s at bending the blaster bolts.

“OK, let’s up the ante,” Sorel said and turned up the power setting once more. Now a false move by Orihime would mean she would be stunned. And once she had the hang of this, she could work on touching a saber without losing fingers.

Sorel took a few more steps back and fired three new shots. This time she was better prepared and was able to bend the bolts from Orihime’s left to the right side of her body before the energy reached her.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Looking at Sorel as she had a small grin on her face prepared to keep this going. As the power was being set up and increased to add to the challenge and danger. Orihime moved planting her feet so she was prepared and her face went blank with a tight lipped look of determination before she moved her hands forward. Prepared to defend, prepared to block and continue the practices that they were doing here until she gave a nod to Sorel to fire and come at her. "Alright, lets do it." She dind't know if they were impressing the gatekeeper but they were going to be presenting a lot more of the force energies throughout her body. She was excited and practically vibrating when she couldn't feel it moving to block and absorb the shot as the blue energy swirled and rippled along the length of her arm.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel fired and was pleased that Orihime was able to absorb the energy without any problem. Second to that delight was the fact that she was now able to bend the blaster bolts as they travelled. Like most things in Sorel’s experience, practise was what made the difference.

The gatekeeper had been quiet thus far but now her voice permeated the area they were working in. “Good progress. You are ready to learn how to apply the same technique to a lightsaber. Start with a low energy setting and do not try to hold it for too long. Unlike a blaster which has a small burst of energy, a saber is a continuous stream. It will fatigue you much quicker.”

Sorel took one of her sabers from her belt and adjusted the power to sparring level. It would still deliver a nasty bruise and accompanying pain, but not slice off a finger. And rather than swing it at Orihime, she activated the blade and held it in front of her and allowed her friend to touch it.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime was looking at Sorel as she listened to the Gatekeeper and allowed herself to glow holding the energy there. She was ready, she was prepared for this and a lightsaber was just like anything else. Her stance changing a little so she would be abel to reach across that small expanse that Sorel was holding the blade and get the tip. That was all she really needed after all and they would be able to work the lesson. Palms shimmering blue with the cascading energies before her arms were aglow wiht the force energies themselves. "Alright." She was trusting Sorel and moved forward gripping at the tip fo the saber blade as it tickled her hands for a moment giving her a chance to listen to the force and what she had learned from masters and family.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel knew this was a large step for any Jedi in their training. The greatest challenge to learning with the Force was doubt – and the thought of grabbing a weapon you’d been told as a Youngling to treat with the utmost respect was as likely to cause misgiving as anything.

But almost as if her own concerns might impact Orihime’s performance, Sorel remained steadfast in her belief that her friend would succeed.

And then Orihime gripped the saber tip – and everything was alright. Sorel could not supress a wide grin as the seconds passed. And not wishing to risk any injury, she finally deactivated the saber and turned to face the gatekeeper once more.

“Well done. You have learned the basics, which is commendable. Keep practicing and in time you will be able to take this to the next level. Which is where you don’t just absorb the energy, you utilise it. In time you will feel the energy more actutely. You will feel it within you and sense it is looking to dissipate. When you feel it that microscopically, you will be ready to channel it. Either out of your body as energy – or if you are skilled at Force Heal, you can use it to aid that ability – either on yourself or another.”

Sorel had a question. She knew the answer but felt compelled to ask anyway. “When will we be ready?”

“You will just know,” came the reply. The one Sorel had predicted. Masters could be like that – too enigmatic for their own good.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime suppressed a small grin on her face when she was working with it and the gatekeeper speaking gave her some hope to get better. She might be able to do it, the skills being no longer niche as all padawans... at least most she had seen were being trained in the basics. Tutaminis was important just like tapas and a few forgot about it. She stood there after Sorel deactivated her saber and bowed to her and the gatekeeper who finished answering the question and suppressed the small laugh coming from herself. That was one way to answer itwhile she wiped the sweat off her hands and used the robes to wipe it from her brow. "That was rather fun, I hope you are ready to try your luck."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel was pleased with the feedback and was delighted her friend had picked it up so quickly – although part of her suspected that Orihime had previous knowledge. Either way, she was happy with the outcome.

But the smile evaporated slightly when she was asked to perform herself. “I’ve done the basics. The next step for me is to learn to channel and re-use the energy. Something I haven’t been able to do as yet.” She shook her head slightly and went to a nearby lockeer and after rummaging around, she found a lightbulb. “OK, this is my plan. You fire a blaster at me and I look to channel the energy into this bulb. If it lights up, I’ve made progress.”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

She looked at her and the idea of Sorel testing it now as Orihime was looking at more of it gave her a small grin. She touched her pack retrieving the glove for herself. The metal bands that would wrap around her forearm, the pieces going to her fingers whens he set it there so she could work with it. "We can do that." The lightbulb was somehting she could use before Orihime spoke. "Well I'll use this instead of a blaster, force energy is just as powerful." Orihime moved as she shifted the crystals adding the directional crystal to the palm of it and it started glowing warmly in her hand. Focusing the force energies she had and the energy she had absorbed itno the crystal so it was focused and charged when she stood back and could adjust her levels herself. "Just focus ont he force energies and allow them to wash over you, the channel it throughout you body into the light."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel nodded to Orihime to indicate she was happy with the change of plan. Absorbing Force energy was a good alternative. Sorel had contemplated using the technique to absorb Force Lightning – but had yet to encounter a Sith since learning the ability. But trialling her new found technique in a life or death duel was going to be a huge risk. This presented something of a half-way house.

Unlike the narrow blaster bolt or even the arc of Sith Lightning, the crystal’s energy was broader. In a sense that made it easier to absorb and Sorel managed it relatively easily. But directing it was proving more challenging.

So Sorel closed her eyes and focused on pooling the energy initially. Once she felt she had channelled it to a particular part of her body, she pushed it around her torso and into her arm and then all the way into her fingertips. Tentatively she opened her eyes – but the bulb remained unlit.

Then she realised she still had the energy stored within her hands. Gently she pushed it out and into the bulb. It flickered and then glowed before popping.

“Oops,” she said. “I guess I’ve demonstrated I can channel it. I just have to work on my control.”

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

She was watching it and as the first burst of energy came out she could feel it. unlike a blaster this wasn't a low recoil shot you were literally making the energy to fire through the crystal in your own body and it felt like something was being taken away only to sail across the distance and impact into the hand of another. Sorel was right there to catch it and she could feel the force energies channeling through her friend as she directed them. Letting thoughts and actions take them all around until the bulb was being lit and popping from the energy. She had the power and the potential but control and practice were the key to anything and in the field they might be able to work with the skill more then some people knew if there were hazards to get through. "Very nice, you got it.. kind of. Just need to make sure you don't release all of it."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel was aware of many Jedi with prosthetic limbs. Some had them calibrated to human settings – they may be artificial but they were no better or worse than a regular arm, leg or hand.

But others had them set up so that they could be more powerful than a human’s strength. And she knew they had to learn how to control that increased power – often practising with things like eggs to learn how to apply pressure appropriately.

Which was, in a way, what she was doing now. The Force she’d absorbed was way too much for the small bulb to take in one blast. She needed to trickle the power out – this would allow her to keep the bulb lit for hours in theory, days even.

“Practise for sure,” Sorel said as she heard the chime from the cockpit that told them they were about to exit hyperspace. “And this has been a good use of the time.” And she headed towards the cockpit at some speed, eager to see what the planet they had found looked like.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime looked at her with a nod of her head. They had a lot and they had been using the time just right so they would be able to best handle the force energies. She had a grin o her face as she stretched out. "THen it shall be a very nice thing for us to be able to use." She was looking over at some fo the things they had to work with and handle until she was wanting to see other things. "The station should be up ahead." She was looking at it where they could go and restock on all of their stuff. The large crucible class stations were made to overshadow the large ships themselves. Orihime was looking at some more of the things around them. "Hmmm I wonder what new things might have been developed."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

This was only the stop-off point en route! Sorel had forgotten and so was a little disappointed when she saw what they were approaching. But then, she knew the Crucible Class station would be stocked with all manner of things that they would find interesting and useful. Sorel always checked for ship updates and improvements in portable data devices and access thereof.

She also invariably checked out the rations available. She realised that recently she’d grown frustrated by the bland nutrition packs and had developed a taste for spicy food.

[member="Orihime Ike"]

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

Orihime was looking at some of it as the were pulling in, her thoughts going to some small parts of it when information came up to her wrist compter and stick aroud with some of it she was able to see. Pulling up areas they could restock. "The newer high quality ration packs are here as well as a number of things that we have been able to get. My mother made some jakobeast bacon and it is delicious. There is also some works that they are bringing up about genetic testing of plant species." Hmm Orihime was looking at it and bringing up some information about it. "Seems they have been working to redevelop the plants and one of the requirements to maintain and grow it is that it requires a jedi to connect with the plant through the force."