Breakdancing Banthas and Other Illusions!

[Dune Rhur]

Ryloth, Outer Rim Region

Dune had been sent on a goodwill mission to the Twi'lek homeworld of Ryloth. The Twi'lek were of course friends of the Order but it didn't hurt to pay a visit. He'd been well received on his first solo diplomatic mission. It was something of a gimmie, but sending a new Knight to negotiate reperations between Kashyyk and Trandosha wasn't entirely fair.

It also so happened [member="Matsu Ike"] was on Ryloth. Conveniently, the Master had been visiting friends in a village not far from him. When Dune arrived, she'd been entertaining young children with illusions. That'd given him an idea.

Illusions were an area that he wanted to acquire skills in. Who knew the upper limit of their usefulness. Making a small army appear twice the size might convince an aggressor to leave without a fight. Very useful indeed.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

"So you can help us?" There was a look while she was talking with some of the friends she had made. The twi'leks knew how to party but more then that Nia knew what worked and what didn't it was why her dating service worked so well. It was always why signing them to come and work within Saori to help them along with the zeltrons and atrisians was a beautiful and fun thing. They got the security and safety that came with droids for protection and were away from the hutts. The jedi and order benefited as the credits earned could help fund research and more things like this to get them. That she had brought a padawan here to work with them and test his skills was icing on the cake that was training the skills and the force. With a smile Matsu shook hands while getting some of the there and they were coming out into the street with her. "Knight Rhur how are you finding everything?"

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

"I'm finding everything very well," he said making a short bow "The Twi'lek here are wonderful."

He'd been plied with much food and intoxicating drink. He'd had just a little to not offend but that still added up. It was a good thing he could push away the drunken feeling. Delicious nonetheless, he thought.

"I'd like to ask for training. I saw you entertaining the younglings here with illusions and I remembered my desire to learn the skill. Hopefully, it can prevent violence."

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Matsu was looking at him while she raised an eye letting the force energies and white current go to exaggerate her eyebrow raising like it was animate. He wanted to learn illusions and she could think about ways to teach him while working with some of the twi'leks. "Well there are some techniques I could teach you. Though mind tricks and illusions are a tricky thing and you need to have the imagination to go along with it." She didn't need to do somethings while working with the twi'leks while they were laying out ndesigns for outfits as well as things they could do for Saori With the zeltrons she had gotten and the atrisians well it provided a lot of things to work and teach acrobatics also.

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Dune nodded and smiled at her demonstration of skill.

"Of course, Master. I've had the opportunity to apply the Mind Trick in less than comfortable circumstances."

He referred to a little side trip to Nar Shadda where he'd saved the life of at least one security guard unwittingly pulled into Jedi business.

"I...was able to use it to the best effect. As in, beings didn't die."

"In the case of an open battle, I hope to become skilled enough to trick an aggressor into leaving. On a smaller scale too."

Sometimes, deceit might save a life. Or it might save hundreds of thousands.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

"An illusion takes concentration, using it in a battle can be difficult even for a master should they falter and you cannot keep all the details that are needed. Somethings will fall through the cracks such as weight to it. You will be able to make an illusion look as large as you want but there will be no weight no push back if someone tries to touch it. If your footing and concentration falters for a moment it can break the illusion." She was looking at him as the twi'leks continued to assemble outside standing there for a moment before she was standing up with them and looking at them. "A mind trick on the other hand can work but they need to have a weaker will or if you can read them better. You might be able to trick them into revealing what they most want. Makes it easier."

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Dune nodded, taking mental notes. It was just as important to understand the whys and how's to his mind. With regard to Mind Tricks, it was of course easiest to apply them to the weak willed and simple minded. However, stronger applications of the skill did exist. They sometimes verged on the Dark Side.

The explanation took into account practical realities which Dune liked. Hard to focus when being shot at. It was also delving into the esoteric aspects, that your own imagination was the limiting factor. The Bith had a broad scope of interests and knowledge to draw from. He didn't think imagination would be a problem.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Ah that was good and she could work with the raw potential while moving with them. Bringing her hands out while she was working the force and changing the outfits of the dancers who were standing there as they moved. Changing the twi'lek styled outfits into longer dresses and molding it to them. Matsu worked out wtith the force to show the mind trick but not force it. "There are two ways to work a mind trick when you are do it. The forceful way has you smashing the power to their brain to trick them. A lot of potential to go either way if they are strong they will sense you and be able to stop you, if they are weak you run the risk of damaging their minds... and then there is the subtle way. Work with the ones there and see what they like and then slowly adjust so that you can trick them but they believe it."

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Dune listened in rapt attention, watching the Master work. The Twi'lek dancers outfits seemed so real though part his mind knew they still wore simple garments. He smiled at the simple pleasure they took in their fine clothing. The Bith had an idea.

He extended his right hand and focused. In his studies, he'd seen images of very traditional Twi'leki costumes. His mind projected these costumes onto the dancers. They laughed with delight as their more modern dress became much older.

Their clothing bared trim midriffs and was adorned with feathers and sequins. Wild colour abounded, as vibrant as the happy people of Ryloth. It clearly pleased them and so it made Dune happy too. Even a logical, stuffy Bith might enjoy simple joys!

"This is fantastic," Dune commented enthusiastically.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

There we go, the padawan was getting it and Matsu could see it while she looked at the twi'leks. Their lekku's twitching in joy and some happiness at it while they might not get to keep the dresses they did look good in the illusions. One of the easier things to do and since they weren't moving just standing there mostly still but looking it helped. "Nice work, it will be harder if they were moving around but you are getting it. THe concentration aspect of everything is important but more then that it is gauging the strength of their minds." She was well wearing the sigil she had gotten information from the datacron on how to make. The glowing white crystal on her necklace that was made to resist a phobis device tore down most illusions unless the wearing wanted to see them. Then as Matsu was standing there she got one of the probe droids returned while nodding her head. "So your master Leina, did she tell you when she was on the jedi mission here what she found?"

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

"No, she didn't tell me."

For every one thing Leina had told him, it felt like there were two things she'd withheld. There was no malice in it, but she always had her reasons for everything. Perhaps she hadn't felt he had been ready as a Padawan. Now, as a Knight, he hadn't spoken to her in some weeks being occupied with his travels. Dune hoped that would change soon.

As far as the lesson went, he thought it was progressing well. Naturally, movement would make it harder. It was a matter of practice more than anything. Dune believed that the ability was there if he kept working on improving it.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Matsu laughed with that and she was walking with them. "Well we had found information on a star map and there was something here on Ryloth. We didn't really know what it might be but we were going forward to the other worlds as well. Leina and several jedi found an ancient temple in one of the canyons and she domesticated a large leviathan that was kept down there. Thousands of years in suspended animation and it was simple minded enough she could mind trick it into working with her until one of her fellow jedi reported where he was and they sent ones to kill it. A sad time but there was supposed to be a zillo beast down there the ones who made it took to protect their secrets."

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Dune's eyes would've widened at that news with surprise. If he could widen them, anyway. Still, he gave an amused chuckle. It would be just like her to tame a leviathan. Everyone assumed she was some halfwit but he knew her better than that.

As the group moved along, Dune found that he had to divert more attention to maintaining his simple illusion. It didn't surprise him that it was more difficult, just the magnitude of the increase. The Twi'lek were greatly amused by the flickering perhaps assuming he'd done it for their benefit. He smiled back at their happy faces.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]M

atsu was watching him as they walked and he was maintaining and learning it well. It would take more practice and always wanting to increase and decrease how many you used it on. Once it got stronger go back to one to see how close and then two until you can do several at the level you did the one and focus on making that stronger. The rest though she was looking at the transport they had dropped down while the Dela was a beast it could also hold all of them and opened the back letting the twi'leks flood in with interest in their outfits. "Next stage while rocking in a vehicle, it is smooth enough but thanks to some friends it has some new upgrades." She was looking at the boosters on the side that could let it correct itself if overturned and the bigger wheels.

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Things were going swimmingly now. It figured that another wrinkle would be added. The Bith simply acquiesced as it was the simplest thing to do. Besides, This was substantially less stressful than being shot at. He frowned as he wondered if that was next after the transport. Dune wasn't even entirely sure Matsu would use stun bolts.

It was good that the vehicle had more stability. Ryloth was known for it's uneven terrain full of rocks. In spite of the improvements, Dune was certain it was going to be bumpy. Just not as bumpy as it could be. Better than nothing, he reflected, resigned to being jostled.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Being in the transport Matsu was able to look at a few of the things it had gotten improved with a grin on her face over all.of the interior while they were sitting there and she strapped herself in with the harness. A grin remaining on her face while the rocky terrain gave way to canyons and she nodded to the driver as the crystasteel viewport opened in front of them to give a view when it sped up launching itself and firing the boosters to fly up and over the gap landing as it rocked from side to side but was safe. They were heading out towards the canyons and needed to get down while Matsu cheered. "Hayooo"

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"] was enjoying this, Dune thought. The woman was unhinged, by her conduct. Well, no, not really any more than she'd been on the Botany Bay or at Lothal. One thing Dune could say with certainty: thank the Force for his harness. It wasn't that he was afraid of pain so much as he liked to avoid head trauma where possible.

He'd had to draw deeply on the Force to steady himself and prevent his illusions from disappearing. As such, Dune had been silent for the duration of the trip. Was she laughing at his discomfort, he wondered idly, but then quickly had to shift his focus as to not lose the mind trick.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Matsu looked at the knight for a moment as he seemed focused and wrapped in concentration while the transport came to another canyon and jumped off boosting and setting itself up to head down the incline as the boosters pushed back it so it was coming down slowly and the twi'leks were in there looking at the illuminated sections before rock gave way to the left over metal of the temple ship they had discovered when searching for the spirit. She could go over some of the things they had going on before the transported boosted up dropping down with itself rocking to a rest. "Fun times." matsu said it while looking at the pilot who was there and going over things on the screen as the flame unit went off to scare away some of the creatures. Turnign to look at Dune. "You alright? Should have felt what it was like before we added the harnesses, greatway to get to second base."

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Matsu Ike"]

It was just like her, more speed and kark safety. This vehicle would've been a deathtrap without safety harnesses. He was glad he had not been been around during those early stages. If so, Dune suspected his body might've needed a spatula and a garbage bag.

"Never better," he said in his deadpan voice "That sounds absolutely lovely."

"So, where are we headed?" he said, finally letting go of the illusion.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Matsu was looking at Dune with a smile. "Inside the temple your old master found. The big creatures kept should be gone but things might have moved in and our friend here will remain to check and work with the systems. You'll get to practice on the watcher statues some mental powers so they don't set off traps." Really one of the best places to learn and convincing a dangerous sentry to let you pass was a better way to test your core skill. It gave her a few ideas while going to the back and opening the ramp as the coolness of the canyon came compared to the heat of the desert. "We'll get to have some fun and excitement of exploring and who knows what else might be in there."