Private Comfy Classes (Sasmay)

[Domino]

Korriban
In a valley far from habitation.

There were many places of the darkside in the galaxy. Many that threatened to overwhelm and consume, corrupt to the goals of those that had come before or drive into a bottomless rage. Such was often the case when it was left unchecked and un-tempered, a challenge to those that thought themselves Master, and an end to those found wanting. Of course there were just as many if not more that only nudged, slowly swayed in a more insidious manner. Korriban was the later, though its strength was like a great river, peaceful on the surface and near the banks, in its depths, it was unerring and pressing ever onward. Yet it was a tomb, dead and asleep in a way that no industry or war could awake. At least as long as you kept away from the tombs of the ancients that the latest Sith lords jealously guarded along with a few of the other 'deeper' places. Fortunately Domino wasn't interested in those places and the Sangromancer was well up to the task of landing without detection in this remote place.

Now she stood on the ramp of the ship, letting the low wind kick up the dust and send it swirling around her boots. Myunnah was already bounding over rocks, leaping from one to the next as she explored her home world for the first time. Excitement radiated through their simple bond as she shared her emotions with the Twi'lek. Nearby she could also feel the reason for this trip, Sasmay. She'd connected to the Force before, but Domino was hoping that they could teach her how to do so more gracefully here where the Darkside was so strong. Turning to her apprentice she asked, "So how do you feel?"

Sasmay Cull

 

[Sasmay Cull]

Korriban

The boarding ramp had been the final step to her lessons in the force. The sudden awakening to it during the attack on Rodia when she had been staring down the attack chopper overhead. The force had taken her step far above and beyond anything she had been used to, and she had used the newfound power a few times after that. Even if it did lead to a few precarious situations of her becoming tunnel visioned and nearly cut off from her support.

But that had already been dealt with, and the comfort she felt around Domino and her lovable Tuk'ata pup. Well, pup was hardly the proper term, but then again, when you got comfy with the thing enough to forget about the poison stingers it had when playing...you kind of earn the right to call it a pup. The trip had been spent doing what she could to learn about Myunnah, and to play with Myunnah.

Most of that learning process had been dedicated to not get stabbed on accident while waving her hands around the crown of horns.

She watched Myunnah go, exploring as she felt herself grasping at the tendrils of power she could sense here. The place was awash with dark energy. The kind she had the most affinity for despite her natural want to help. Was always a thing to not judge by what is seen she supposed. The first deep breath had the woman, removed from her usual armor and donning simpler clothes, looking to her teacher.

"Frustrated? There is something there. I know there is. I felt it when we landed." She spoke quietly, not sure entirely how to open herself to the feeling that had no name. "Like walking into the kitchen without knowing what I want...but still being hungry."

Domino

 

[Domino]

That brought a chuckle from Domino which she tried to hide, Sasmay certainty had a way with words. Which was part of her charm, but not something Domino wanted her feeling self-conscious about right now. "Come on," She started walking up the hill, there wasn't a trail but the terrain made it easy to pick the path of least resistance. "Good, let that hunger guide you, but don't let it frustrate." She kept her voice conversational while still speaking loud enough to easily be heard as they walked. "Think of it like aiming a rifle, the more tense you are, the worse you'll do. Good breathing, the right mental posture, and an easy 'grasp' are what you want. Speaking of though, I'll take any weapons you're carrying. They'll just distract."

Turning, she held out a hand to take anything the other woman offered. "You've done this before, your body and subconscious already know what to do. We just need to teach them to do it on command." Hopefully that would reassure, let Sasmay know it'd be easy.

Sasmay Cull

 

[Sasmay Cull]

She got a small laugh from Domino, which did more to ease the tension she felt than anything ever could. Her shoulders relaxed a little, stance taking more confidence into herself as she listened to her instructor speak. Not a difficult switch for her mind to make, focusing on the words before looking to Domino with a frown. She pulled out the Nastirci Combat Knife along with a Whimsy Knife before handing them over.

Her personal security blankets.

Even if one that had a little more bang for it's credit.

She didn't fight to keep the weapons, trusting Domino thoroughly on the matter as she spoke further. "Last time I did it, I was staring down an automatic shattergun some meters in the air while you decided to play chicken with it." She rubbed her stomach, thankful the food had already settled before they had begun this lesson.

"And I lost my stomach afterwards." She sighed, beginning to calm her mind now that she had joked about the whole thing. The little nudging feeling was there, just outside of what she guessed was her mind. Like a friendly nudge on the arm, it stayed there, waiting for her to reach out. Now, it was just trying to figure that out as she followed the woman's advice. Until she opened her mouth.

"So...are we going to a meditative spot, or just wandering...as I do this?"

Domino

 

[Domino]

Domino looked over the knives still smiling at the memories Sasmay brought up. The Whimsy knife was solid, if ordinary, and she resisted the temptation of discovering what the little lever in the first did. Instead setting them on the ground for when they returned.

"Even in the negation bubbles I was never in any real danger. In fact I was more worried about the rest of the team than myself." She stopped talking for a moment then, not yet ready to get philosophical during their walk. "But yeah, first time is always the worst," she agreed, a little more muted than usual and not in her previous cheerful tone.

"Here's good." They'd come to a shady spot in the lee of a bolder fallen from the valley wall seemingly millennia ago with several other large rocks scattered about. Domino gestured for Sasmay to take a seat and did so herself so that she could rest her back against the shading rock, giving them each a moment to settle in. "We'll move if you feel like it, but for now I want you to close your eyes and think back. Remember that moment, the smell in the air, how the drone of the repulsorlift whined in that dropship, the heat and crackle of the fires... How heavy was your armor? That repeater you carried, how the straps pressed in tight. The Mandalorians have split up, they're on your trail, almost upon you, you're alone save for the sound of fighting in the distance... A third of your team never showed up, rerouted. Hopelessly outnumbered, did that explosion, the sound of the heavy guns tearing through the city, are you the last of your team? Jetpacks, and then feet landing, shifting in the debris. Do they demand your death? Or your surrender, which is also death...?"

At first she'd kept her tone even, almost soothing, but there was a rising urgency carried in it by the time she brought their pursuers into focus. An urgency that Domino was hopefully subtly enhancing, giving her student's mind little nudges in the direction she wanted while drawing out feelings of desperation. "Crystalize this moment, freeze it in your memory and then forget all save yourself. You want to survive, how are you? You want life so dearly that cling to it, grab it again now. Open yourself to it." And while Domino couldn't make the other woman reach for the Force, she guided her through the mental motions, offering invisible support.

Sasmay Cull

 

[Sasmay Cull]

Her eyes drifted over the blades that were left on the ground but said nothing as Domino explained that she was never really in any danger in the force negating space thing the enemy had on them. Something she would have to learn to work around like this master did. She was informed that the first time was always the worst when coming into the Force.

It wasn't as reassuring as she hoped it would be given the tone she received.

They found themselves underneath a shady spot from a boulder, her eyes taking in the sights around her before finding a seat. She got comfortable as she closed her eyes and began running back through the memory of that moment. Domino's words change tone, but the mental images were already beginning to flood her mind.

She could smell, feel, remember it all as though she was standing in that moment once more rather than just reliving it. Tension rose in her shoulders, hands once resting on her knees now slowly closing their grip around her knees. Her breathing changed from the relaxed easy pace to the growing combat pace that had kept her from seizing up then.

That moment she had tapped into that unknown other came back slowly. Her eyes playing back the memory behind closed lids of the barrel of the gunship pointing at her. The fast swivel slowing to an almost standstill as the feeling returned, making her feel in that instant weightless as the area around her seemed to blur. Memory bled into reality as her hands clenched painfully, the air crackling around her as her mind stumbled through the steps.

The invisible guide keeping her from falling off the trail altogether as she ground her teeth to focus herself. A few more seconds passed as the tension around her snapped, the crackling settling to a soft buzz as her mind settled into the strange new sensation that began to wash over her. It was overwhelming, a second skin settling over her while her eyes snapped open and panic tried to settle in.

Domino

 

[Domino]

Face neutral in her concentration, her excitement carefully kept under tight check to prevent a feedback loop into her apprentice. Domino felt the surge and withdrawal of power and gave Sasmay a moment on her own before wrapping her in her own presence like a warm blanket to let her know that she wasn't alone. "Steel your mind, do not flinch away but embrace it, breath it in and know it is yours." It sounded a bit melodramatic to her ears after she said it, but hopefully it would come off appropriately dark-sided and instill the correct attitude towards the Force in her apprentice. One that could be further shaped into its own concepts. Ideas not clouded by the mysticism and trappings of the traditional schools.

Wanting to see Sasmay hold on her own, Domino gave an almost mental countdown to herself as she began withdrawing her presence taking her 'guide' with her. Focusing herself down smaller and smaller until she was all but undetectable through the Force. All the burnette had to do was open her eyes to see she was still there, but until then she was utterly alone in this desolate waste. Alone save the beast stalking the pair from a distant ridgeline, its dark nose barely cresting the skyline to sniff at the scented wind.
Sasmay Cull

 

[Sasmay Cull]

Her mind was racing with the sudden extension of herself in the force. A feeling like being wrapped in a blanket covered her as she allowed herself to fill out the now empty space around her. Sensations of noticing the force around her similar to using the heads up display in her helmet.

The slow withdrawal was almost unnoticed until she stood alone in her own presence, noting the lack of the twi'lek woman near her. Her eyes opened completely, a small sliver of panic forming at the realization that Domino had left her.

Alleviated by the sight of the woman beside her.

The slow deep breath formed as she made herself relax, still mentally flexing to feel out the new sensations that were available to her now.

"So much is revealed and yet makes you so alone when using the force." She remarked quietly, still seated and blinking. The force was nearly tangible, hand extending to examine her arm and mentally the flow of power around it.

Domino

 

[Domino]

"It's like being able to see after not knowing you were colorblind or realizing you'd only ever smelled the dullest of scents. Every touch is electric. Immerse yourself, but do not become dependent or you will become lost and hesitate should your enemies take it away." A not so subtle reminder towards the Mandalorians, each carrying a nutrient frame packed lizard. "But you'll never be alone." Her face softened as her feelings for Sasmay came through not just it, but the Force as well. "The energy you're feeling now comes from all living beings and flows throughout the universe. Connecting everyone and everything. In time, and with training, you'll be able to reach out and find someone you're familiar with." She held out a hand to take Sasmay's. "Now, I bet you've got some questions?"
Sasmay Cull

 

[Sasmay Cull]

While she had never been without her senses, at least not for long, the description given seemed apt enough. She didn't want to expand her horizons too quickly, as flying or even fighting was going to be a whole new training routine to begin with.

A small curiosity did form though as warm feelings floated across to her, making an equally warm smile appear as she looked to Domino with a small touch of glee.

Something floated across and back to the woman helping her. The hand was taken, and while she didn't follow the curious trail of the former question, one did emerge.

"The force, is it...the energy to use it...is that like, rest and food to get it back or just, sitting quietly?" She blinked as she asked, dumbfounded by the idea of this new angle on life as a whole.

Domino

 

[Domino]

An interesting question, and one that took some thought to properly answer. "Neither, and yes. I think of it like working a muscle, you tire yourself out and then take time to recover but at the same time it both is and isn't your energy that you use. Eating a great feast wont empower you in the force but an invigorated spirit and body will always do better in a fight and be able to push itself further. Along those same lines, do too much too fast and you risk 'pulling a muscle' and sidelining yourself, sometimes permanently. This is what can be termed as someone's limits." While speaking Domino was softly running the thumb of her hand holding Sasmay's over its back.

"Which is as good a time to talk about the ranks of Force users as any. Each organization and master/teacher has their own way of determining things but they can generally be interpreted as Novice: someone who's growing into their personal power, learning control and just what the Force is. The fundamentals basically. Intermediate: you've grown more fully or completely into your own personal power and are ready to learn how to fully utilize it alongside being trusted to behave responsibly with some more dangerous knowledge. And Masters, people who are reaching beyond their previous limits, studying deeper secrets and manipulation. Those that know how to game the system basically, move other power around to work for them. Its really the only reason I can keep up in a lot of my fights." Lately there were also a lot of just abnormally strong or particularly clever people in this third group as well but Domino didn't want to over-load.
Sasmay Cull

 

[Sasmay Cull]

There was surprise in her expression at the description. Like a muscle. She could always work a muscle. There was patient thought behind the explanation that was given. But the thought of ruining ones connection to the force was also alarming.

"That seems...extreme I guess. But it makes sense in one way. Otherwise force users would be almost unstoppable." Her own hand returned the touch with a soft squeeze, a smile forming even with the somewhat grim description.

She listened to the next explanation as she pondered exactly where she stood in the grand scheme of the whole galaxy. She felt like a drop in the bucket. A small and insignificant thing in the whole of it all as she glanced at Domino and back to the ground.

"Do force users specialize in skills? I mean, they all kind of use from the same pool of skills, right?" She half turned to the other, the mention of skill had her pondering the exact differences between them all.

Domino

 

[Domino]

Sasmay was asking more insightful questions and seeming to take the time to think about the answers Domino gave. Which was reassuring compared to her last apprentice. Wendy had tried, bless her, but the girl was nothing but thumbs and left feet to put it politely.

"There's a pool of commonly shared or basic powers." She started, wondering how she'd explain her own specializations if called upon to do so. "Most apprentices learn telekinesis and basic body enhancement which you've already gotten a taste of. But you're right, most people tend to find themselves favoring a particular set. Either what they find more useful or just seem to have a natural affinity for. A Jedi healer is going to use the Force rather differently from, say, a Sith warrior."

"So, got any more questions? Because Myunnah wants to play and I'm going to call it training." She pointed over Sasmay's shoulder where the tuk'ata was finishing her stalk and was currently wiggling into a hunched-down position to pounce.
Sasmay Cull

 

[Sasmay Cull]

A shared pool of knowledge. Differences in how they pulled from the force. It all seemed like a complicated waynof saying that no one person was like another even when it came to the force.

"Just...one more. I feel, comfortable I guess is the best word, with what this place gives off. The dark side I mean. Does that mean I'm a bad person even if I am doing good?" Even being a slave labor child she had heard grumbling about the Sith and the Jedi. More so about the Sith given the elicit activities that her owner had done. Tarif this and tax that as well as making examples of anyone that challenged them openly.

She knew that the sith drew from the dark side, and while she had brushed against the lightside, it had left her feeling...ill. Perhaps nauseous maybe?

"I didn't really, get exposure to this whole light and dark side thing until now. And I know the Agents got painted in a bad light...but is the dark side...I don't know. Is it always the bad side?" She might have been questioning herself in the moment, but it felt good to ask in the end regardless. If she channeled the dark side, was all her effort to do good in vain?

Would she always be the bad guy regardless of intent?

The mention of Myunnah wanting to play had Samsay perking up a bit. There was a grin about her features, a growing smile at the tuk'ata while she spun and let go of Domino's hand.

She matched the crouch, hands out as she acted as though she might have even posed a mild threat to the beast. Sasmay knew full well it could gut her with ease, but she adored Myunnah and showed her clear respect instead of fear. It was a new thing to have a companion like her, and she didn't want to spoil it with being apprehensive.

Domino

 

[Domino]

"Which side of a coin is 'the bad side?' It's the same coin really. Power can always be used for good or ill no matter the one wielding it. I've seen paragons commit atrocities and villains raise others up and better them. Always consider the wider effects of your actions on others and never use 'the greater good' as reasoning. Face your actions head on and if you believe that your actions define who you are then be sure you can live with them tomorrow." Domino had prepared that one awhile back and for the Silver Jedi of all people, now she was glad to use it for Sasmay.

At least Sasmay's mood was infectious and Domino's mood cheered right up alongside hers. She also took a moment to appreciate her apprentice's form as she readied herself before standing and stretching out. "Right, I'll have food and a shower waiting for you back at the Sang' when you're done. Myunnah wins if you can't stop her licking your face so... Might want to work on your body enhancement."

Smiling, she made her way back to the ship making sure she picked up the weapons she'd had Sasmay discard. Looking them over, she decided to give them a clean as a surge of joy shot through her pet's link alongside a playful yowl on the wind. Yeah, things were looking good.
Sasmay Cull

 

[Sasmay Cull]

While she was preparing to "train" with Myunnah, she was still listening to Domino speak. There was consideration to her words. A silent nod to the understanding of what she intended by her words.

"Others idea of what I am, and being darkside does not outshine my want to do good." She remarked quietly as she watched Domino walk away after delivering instructions.

She blinked at the training, her mouth turning into a frown at the thought of slobber on her face.

"Shower will be needed. With a deep cleanse of my face. That drool gets everywhere." Sasmay remarked quietly before focusing on the opponent for the evening.

It likely wasn't a lot of people that found Myunnah cute. But Sasmay was among those that did. She'd always had a strange affection for such things though. She took a steadying breath, still tense as she prepared to try to outrun Myunnah for at least a little while.

She knew full well this would be an ongoing thing. Frustration would be natural, and so would losing to a being well and truly made for running things down.

Domino