Private Eternity in An Hour

[Starlin Rand]

“You ever been to Erakhis before?” Starlin asked. He was sitting in the pilot seat of the Defender of Ossus, guiding the freighter into the atmosphere of the watery world. Eli was presumably somewhere nearby, though Starlin wasn’t above yelling at him from across the ship.

With their current vector, they would be landing in Freehold Storlinn, one of its major settlements. There was a sizable refugee camp there, overpopulated with people fleeing Maw-controlled space. As part of a Jedi assignment, Starlin was taking Eli down to assist in relief efforts.

He didn’t think there would be too much to worry about on this trip, but given their track record so far, there was a high likelihood the dynamic duo would wind up getting into some kind of trouble. Starlin at least was somewhat familiar with the locals and had made arrangements with a contact that they were supposed to meet upon arrival. Hopefully things would go smoothly—or at least smoother than some of their previous adventures.

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Eliphas sat within the small lounge, turning his newly created lightsaber over in his hand absentmindedly while he read from the screen of a holopad. His free hand scrolled and scrolled through information pertaining to Shii-Cho, the zones, marks of contact... Truth be told he never expected to want to jump headfirst into learning about lightsabers and how to wield them, but it wasn't unheard of for the boy to surprise even himself.​

​

Distraction came in the form of his Master's loud mouth calling through the ship to him. Force, didn't he know how to use the intercoms? Shutting off the screen, he rose up and made his way toward the cockpit. He was a Tetan Noble, he would not lower himself to the standards of one who would scream and shout to be heard... Not that he actually minded it when Starlin did. Because he wasn't screaming. Wasn't really even shouting. He was just... loud.​

​

"Can't say I ever have, Master," he used the title with a bit of a smirk, knowing that neither of them were truly all that comfortable with their new found relationship just yet. Making light of it could only help, though, right? "Haven't even heard of it before. A rundown, perhaps?" Or... Maybe Eliphas should just start up the holopad again and do some research of his own.​

​

Still, Starlin had pretty much called for him. He found a seat in the copilot's chair, and leaned back a little. It was weird being back in a cockpit again...​

​

Starlin Rand​

 

[Starlin Rand]

Intercoms? What was this, school? Kssh, Eliphas Dune to the principal’s office.

As Eli entered the cockpit and called him Master, Starlin shot a sideways glance his way. “You back there stroking your lightsaber again, Paddy?” This was followed by Starlin’s signature cackling. “Eh, Erakhis is… well, you’ll see. All you really need to know is that the open sea is dangerous, and the locals are all germaphobes who live in sealed-off arcologies. We won’t be spending much time among the natives, though.”

He parked the Defender on a landing pad just outside a large, covered stadium, then rose from his seat. “Stick close to me. The camp is overcrowded, a lot of the inhabitants don’t speak Basic, and plenty of them are probably desperate, so don’t bring anything valuable and try not to stand out.”

Outside the ship, a dense fog blown in from the ocean shrouded the area, making everything appear gray and subdued. The stadium was old and run-down, but it had been taken over by the refugees as a place of shelter. Starlin led Eli through the entrance of the building and immediately found himself in a densely-packed crowd of people. For a moment he was taken aback—despite his warning to Eli, he hadn’t expected it to be this bad.

“Jedi business, coming through!” He held up his ID, and the sea of bodies slowly parted. The majority of them were aliens from the Unknown Regions, and most belonged to the shapeshifting Shi’ido, which meant that a few literally shrank their bodies down to make space. Even then, there was quite simply not enough room for them all.

“Jedi failed us!” A shout from somewhere among the throng rang out, the voice thickly accented and very angry. “You let them take our world, and now you leave us here to die!”

Starlin’s danger sense flared just in time for a blaster bolt—though it was insane to start shooting in such a densely packed area—to come flying toward him and Eli. His left hand reached out, palm open, and caught the bolt of energy in midair with the Force. Another bolt was loosed a moment later, and a third. Panic erupted around them.

“Eli!” Starlin shouted, hoping the kid would either find cover or use his training to defend himself.

“Stop!” Starlin’s voice was hoarse and guttural with stress and, admittedly, rage. Whether it was the pitiful state these refugees had been reduced to, packed like sardines in a rusty can, or the fact that their situation was so bad they had begun to hate the Jedi that had tried and failed to liberate them, this whole scenario was starting to get to him. “You want more people to die? You hate me that much, you’d risk shooting someone here? I was at Lao-mon, and I’m here now to help you! So save your ammo for the ones who deserve it—the fething Mawites who started this mess!”

Lief​

 

[Lief]

"Psht," he replied as he slipped into the seat, "No. Reading, actually, if you must know, Master." Oh was this the schtick they'd be going with today? A back and forth of silly comments and uncomfortable titles? Game on.​

​

He gave the briefest overview imaginable, mostly to the effect of what to avoid and what to expect, and then the ship was landing and they were prepping to leave. "Understood," he retorted, rising up from his seat and following after Starlin though not before grabbing a couple of things. Lightsaber from the table he'd previously been sat at, hidden upon his belt beneath his jacket, a couple of Kolto shots - after all, most people used Bacta and well that wasn't going to work out well for him, was it? - and a small flask of water. That was also fixed to his belt before they made their way out into the planet beyond.​

​

Eliphas stuck close to Starlin and was almost immediately grateful he had chosen to do so once they reached the interior of the stadium itself. It was cramped, almost too cramped, and he felt certain that he would easily lose the man if he didn't pay close attention. That was until Starlin explained who they were and the sea began to part as much as it could. That... Felt weird. He didn't like it at all, and turned his gaze down to avoid their glares. Because some of them really, truly, were glaring.​

​

An angry shout made that all the more clear. They felt failed. Eliphas wanted to shrink in on himself, but instead he continued to follow Starlin's lead.​

​

This was not what he'd been expecting though.​

​

And certainly, the volley of blaster bolts wasn't either.​

​

Starlin shouted to get his attention, and Eliphas moved back from the immediate vicinity and began to scan the area for the armed individual responsible. Starlin was mad... His voice was raised and he was speaking to whomever it was in a passionate manner, hoping to keep them from doing more of the same. The Tetan's eyes scanned back and forth, searching, and then he spotted someone a little ways off in the crowd. Glaring, blaster raised in anticipation of another fired shot.​

​

Well, he didn't have much in his arsenal yet but he did know one trick and it had... kind of worked before. Admittedly last time it had led to a worse shootout between goons, but he knew better than to push someone to the edge of insanity with it this time.​

​

Instead he inhaled, focused, and pushed his mind toward the gunslinger.​

​

Stop! the word echoed within the individual's mind several times, as though spoken into some large cavern; it was clearly not Starlin's voice, that would be all the individual could deduce given that Eliphas had not verbally spoken while in the stadium. Just some disembodied voice in his mind. You'll hurt your own...... More echoing... There are children here... ... ... They will die if you shoot... .. .. Drop it... ....​

​

Eliphas had no clue if it was going to work. He was acting on instinct, and that wasn't always a good thing for one so untrained.​

​

But he had to do something.​

​

Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

There was a clatter as the shooter dropped his weapon, a look of horror upon his stricken face. Starlin sensed the manipulation of the Force, and while he initially traced it to Eli, he felt another, more familiar presence exerting their influence, filling in the gaps left by the novice mentalist.

Sure enough, a very distinct and distinguished voice spoke somewhere behind him. “That’s quite enough.”

The fallen blaster floated into the hands of a tall, thin, dark-haired man with pointed ears and slanted brows. From behind the man, a security droid stepped forward and seized the shooter, taking him away. “The Erakhian government specified that we were to bring no personal weapons here,” the man said, addressing the crowd in a grim, matter-of-fact tone. “For the sake of our continued habitation here, this will have to be confiscated—and I suggest anyone else currently harboring arms give them up now.”

Exhaling in relief as the man spoke, Starlin dispersed the bolt of energy the shooter had fired with Tutaminis, rendering it harmless. “Professor,” he greeted the man. “Nice save.”

“I’ve told you before that waving your badge around would get you into more trouble than it was worth some day,” the professor replied. He turned toward Eli with a kindly glance. “Hello there, you must be Starlin’s new Padawan. Professor Errik Nimdok, at your service.” He extended a hand.

“He’s our contact, and a very old friend of mine,” Starlin clarified. Though some tension remained in him, he was markedly more relaxed in the professor’s presence. “I know he doesn’t look it, but he’s from Lao-mon. Or, uh, part of him is.” What exactly that meant, Starlin didn’t elaborate upon. “And he’s a, um… a dreamwalker. That’s one of their Force Orders—they’re super skilled telepaths.”

“You flatter me,” Nimdok said, though without a trace of actual humility. His eyes scanned the crowds. “Right now I think it would be best if we went somewhere quieter. Please, follow me.”

Starlin followed the professor down a hallway packed with slumbering refugees on cots and blankets. Nimdok carefully picked his way over or around the bodies until he reached a door, which he unlocked with a swipe of an old keycard. Inside was a cramped office filled with boxes of data and computer terminals. When they entered, the room held a single occupant, a Zeltron male with blue-black hair sitting behind a desk. The Zeltron wore thick glasses and was rather frumpily dressed in baggy clothes. He looked haggard and was in need of a shave.

“Oh hell,” Starlin said when he spotted the Zeltron. “Hal, you look awful. Did something happen?”

Hal pursed his lips. “My wife left me.”

Starlin’s eyebrows shot up in surprise—incredulity, really. “Really? But you and Inanna seemed so—”

“I apologize for what happened out there,” Nimdok interrupted as the door slid shut behind them. “We’ve attempted to enforce some semblance of law and order in the camp, but we’ve not been very successful.”

“Yeah, well, is there any particular reason why their first reaction to a Jedi’s arrival was to start shooting?” Starlin asked.

“Certainly. In fact, that’s the reason why I asked for you,” Nimdok replied. While he continued to speak aloud, at the same time, the professor slipped into telepathic speech so smoothly and painlessly, those present might not even notice he was no longer speaking aloud unless they tracked the movements of his lips—which no longer matched up with what they were hearing in their heads.

<There is a growing Mawite presence among the refugees. Their agents have been stoking the fires of rebellion and anti-Jedi sentiment within the camp. We had already begun an investigation, with the cooperation of the Erakhian authorities, when approximately two weeks ago Inanna Yomin went missing…>

With the mention of the name, Nimdok deftly conjured up a mental portrait of Inanna. The daughter of a revered Jedi Master and leader of the Shi’ido rebellion against the Maw, she had been unable to fight at Lao-mon, where her father had died in battle. She honored her father’s legacy by serving as a representative of the Shi’ido. It was she who had convinced the Erakhian government to take in the refugees, as well as negotiating on their behalf whenever issues or grievances arose.

<We searched everywhere for her, but all we found was this.>

Hal produced a small box, laid it on the table, and opened the lid. Inside was a necklace with a broken chain, the clasp warped as if it had been violently ripped away. Still hanging from the chain was a small blue gemstone with a white star pattern. It hummed with a weird energy in the Force.

<Inanna was quite a powerful Force User, but she suffered from an equally profound weakness to telepathic machinations. The stone in this necklace has some protective properties—it was most likely removed and discarded to render her vulnerable.>

Starlin’s eyes drifted up to Hal. “Real sorry about your wife, man,” he said softly.

Hal said nothing, but picked up the broken necklace and handed it to Starlin.

<We suspect that Inanna is still alive,> Nimdok continued. <But if the Mawites have sunk their claws into her unprotected mind, she will be their puppet. We must find her.>

Lief​

 

[Lief]

The weapon clattered to the ground, but even as his heart skipped a beat of excitement Eliphas knew full well he'd done little to influence that decision. There was no way he could have, not with the method he'd used, there'd been no persuasion just... A hope that maybe he could call upon the man's morality, rationality, and his care for the people around them. In most cases such would never be enough.

That heart skip sank when his thoughts were proved to be true. Another came through the crowd, and Eliphas found his gaze at his feet in response. A little more deflated than he'd ever care to admit. Thankfully Starlin was focused on this new individual, and that allowed him time to mope a little without attracting attention. At least before Nimdok made his introductions. That had him dipping his head in a different fashion, bowing to the individual by way of greeting before noticing the hand and shaking it.

"Eliphas Dune," he retorted, sheepishly. Explanations were given, though just as soon after the Professor suggested they vacate this place in favour of somewhere a ltitle safer. Yeah, that seemed to make sense given all that had happened in the minutes since their arrival. Craziness, pure craziness. The boy fell into a silent step behind the two of them, following them to the Office and once inside he let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

Eliphas lingered near the door, not wanting to interrupt or get in the way. He listened to all that was said, frowning here and there in thought. He didn't speak up though, he just glanced over the trio of men, and pieced together parts of the puzzle which would make up their upcoming task to find Inanna.

It was... a lot to take in. The Maw were here too? Force, he hadn't enjoyed their last encounter. He felt just as ill equipped to deal with them now as he had then, the only difference being was now he had a lightsaber he could barely use upon his hip. It was of small consolation, but consolation all the same...

Starlin Rand

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin was feeling pretty overwhelmed himself, though he at least had the benefit of already knowing all these people. Eliphas was probably completely lost. His Padawan certainly seemed subdued, though that could just be the result of what had happened outside.

“Okay.” Starlin tucked the necklace into his pocket and rubbed his hands together. “You, uh, want us to do this thing on our own…?”

“Certainly not,” Nimdok replied, speaking out loud again. “I will accompany you.”

Starlin shrugged. “Cool beans.” He gave Hal a solemn salute as they headed out.

“There’s a way through here that is more discreet than the entrance you entered through,” Nimdok said. Turning to Eliphas, he added, “You tried to stop the shooter in his tracks by bombarding him with thoughts not his own. You were a little clumsy about it, but for a beginner, it was quite impressive. Did someone teach you that, or did you do it on instinct?”

“I sure as shit didn’t teach him that,” Starlin muttered. “I suck at telepathy, but if you wanna learn it, Eli, Nimdok’s probably the best teacher around. Also, where exactly are we going?”

“To the local Dark Side nexus, naturally,” Nimdok replied. “The Sith can be crafty, but in some ways they are quite obvious. We’re going to the ruins of Freehold Arctrius.”

Starlin groaned. “Welp, I was bound to take you to some haunted ruins eventually, Eli.”

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Well, he thought, at least they weren't doing this alone or things could have gotten ugly fast. One Jedi Knight and a not so competent Padawan against Force-Knew-What? Yeah, no. Having the Professor tag along was a good idea.

A very good idea.

Eliphas followed after them, intent on remaining silent. Maybe that was where his uses lay: in not being in the way. Mhm. Then when they needed him they could call upon him. But for what? Well maybe they'd need an extra set of hands to open a three-trigger-lock or something of the sort. He didn't rightly know.

But then Nimdok put those quiet plans on hold by asking him about the telepathy.

"I, uh... Someone taught me how to approach telepathy, but using it that way... I just sort of thought to do it. Back on Coruscant, originally. It was that or let those Maw-people keep firing at Starl-- uh, Master Rand." He frowned at that thought, not least because he'd unintentionally caused them to kill their friends. "I guess I just wanted him to stop shooting in there. All I could see were the kids..."

Nope. No kids dying on his watch.

He fell silent, sheepish even, and chewed on the inside of his lip. Learning how to better utilize it would be nice, but they had a task at hand and he didn't want to sidetrack it with lessons. Eliphas didn't much feel worth the expended energy, not when someone's life hung in the balance.

Starlin Rand

 

[Starlin Rand]

Nimdok nodded. “It was a good play, even if you lacked the skill to pull it off. Telepathy is a very useful tool in a Jedi’s repertoire, though it tends to get a bad rap from those who value privacy over safety…”

Master and Padawan were promptly treated to a lecture on the merits and uses of telepathy. Nimdok’s motor mouth was a notorious trait of his—not out of place in a university, but quite exhausting in ordinary conversation. The professor kept talking even as they boarded a vessel that would take them to Arctrius, at which point Starlin looked over and made eye contact with Eli, shaking his head.

“Right, that’s all very interesting, Professor,” Starlin finally interrupted him. “We have some time before we arrive at our destination, so—why don’t you give Eli some pointers on how to improve his telepathy? Just so, y’know, it’ll actually work next time.”

His suggestion was as much aimed at Eli as it was at Nimdok. Was this really a skill Eliphas cared to learn, or something he’d picked up on and just resorted to in the absence of any other tricks?

Lief​

 

[Lief]

"Privacy?" the boy retorted, seemingly confused about that notion until he recalled the way in which he'd first communicated with Kal back in the void. Huh, maybe people tended to use it for more nefarious means? Gleaning information from the mind of another... That wasn't what Eliphas was doing with it, though, but he could see how it might not even matter to others. A mind was a sacred place, after all, and having someone interfere with it was likely frowned upon.

Still it had helped two situations now. Kind of. Okay so maybe the first had been disastrous, and this second time was a failure until the Professor showed up, but at least he'd been thinking outside of the box, right?

"Is it something worth pursuing?" he inquired, looking first to Starlin and then to Nimdok, "I just want to deescalate, and it's the only thing I really know how to do with the Force..."

The Professor fell into a bit of a lecture about Telepathy, and though it was a little droney and though it was difficult at times to keep up with, Eliphas found himself genuinely paying attention. Hey, why not learn more about the one thing he really knew how to make use of?

Once they boarded the vessel though Starlin made a suggestion. Maybe Nimdok should teach Eliphas more about it... Or at least give some pointers. The boy swallowed, a little nervous at the idea of being taught by a relative stranger, and in full view of his Master, but ultimately he nodded his head. Why not. He was always saying how little he really knew. He did want to learn more, grow toward becoming a real Jedi.

"Uh, would that be okay Professor?" he inquired.

Starlin Rand​

 

[Starlin Rand]

"Is it something worth pursuing?"

Eliphas' innocent question prompted the professor to launch into another lecture, which Starlin mercifully cut short. "Yeah, anything you find interesting or useful is worth pursuing no matter what other people think, kid. I should know, I play the harmonica. And uh, don't worry about not knowing that many Force powers, I'll teach you more stuff soon." He glanced at Nimdok, looking a little embarrassed.

"Heh." Nimdok chuckled. "Certainly! I'd be happy to help. Teaching is what I do best." Clearing his throat, he began. "Telepathy is a versatile discipline. It's most common use is for communication—it is the most private channel you'll ever have. The Jedi also use it to cloud the minds of others and trick them. The key to that is to do no lasting harm to the one you are tricking, and to do that you must be firm, not gentle.

"What you did back there with the shooter in the crowd, trying to reason with him, will only work on those who are already experiencing doubt. Instead of appealing to his conscience, you should have ordered him to put down the blaster, or even replaced his will with your own, making him believe your desire was his—you want to put down the blaster."

Pausing to look around, Nimdok found a sealed bottle of water. "Here's something simple," he said, placing the bottle in front of Eli. "Use telepathy to make your master pick up this bottle."

Starlin elbowed the professor in the ribs, but he was grinning. "Go ahead, Eli. Water bottle's nothing, I'm a little thirsty anyway. Just don't make me dance a jig or anything."

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Starlin didn't have much patience for the Professor's antics, it would seem, but Eliphas just sort of grinned triumphantly whenever he launched into a lecture by this point. Like he'd found some sort of trigger phrase to activate an ancient holocron. Well, Nimdok didn't seem ancient but even so.

He nodded and 'uh-huh'd here and there, shifting his gaze over to his Master every once in a while to see if he was also paying attention, and then when the instructions came he could not keep a bout of nervous laughter from rising up within him.

"Make Starlin do something?" He remembered a little bit too late that he'd said his name not his title, though hopefully the Professor wouldn't dock him any points or anything for that. Was he even a Jedi? Would he even care? Psht, what did Eliphas know? Either way he smiled for a moment. Then dread set in and that smile waned.

Wait... Did he want to learn how to make people do something?

He felt like he was sweating buckets for a moment, until Starlin himself encouraged him to give it a try. Even said he wouldn't mind a drink.

"Okay..." His voice had become sheepish and quiet. All the same, he turned his gaze over to Starlin and breached the gap between them, thankfully finding little in the way of resistance though he largely attributed that to the fact that Starlin was in on it. What if he encountered someone who was savvy enough to close off their mind?

Well, he supposed he could ask about that at a later date. For now....

I'll buy you lunch if you drink it and make him think I did it first time he told his Master, with a small smirk, before shaking his head some. Okay, okay, serious... This was a learning experience, and Eliphas sorely wanted to learn. He inhaled through his nose, exhaled through his mouth, and then really focused.

You want to pick up the bottle.... Nothing. He tried again. Come on, you know you want to pick up the bottle... It's cool, refreshing water... You want to pick up the bottle...

Okay so maybe he was overselling it. Overdoing it? Whatever, he was trying here okay, it was more than a little awkward!

Starlin Rand​

 

[Starlin Rand]

“Yup.” Starlin leaned back, his hands tucked casually behind his head. Might as well get comfortable while Eli slid into his brain.

The comment about buying him lunch got Starlin to crack a smile, though he couldn’t quite respond to his telepathy, and Eli wasn’t skilled enough yet to just read his mind. At least Starlin had the good sense not to bring along his tal’kar bracelet.

He closed his eyes and waited. Eli was struggling, and all Starlin felt in response to his attempts at the Jedi mind trick was an exponential increase in amusement.

“Remember, be firm about it. Or at least pretend to be more confident. Don’t try to convince me, just tell me to do it. Act like you already know I’m going to do it, and there's nothing I can do to stop my fate... which is to pick up the water.” He peeked one eyes open, adding in a half-serious whisper, "Hurry up, I'm parched over here."

Nimdok observed in silence, his dark eyes keen and watchful. He was as much interested in the dynamic between master and apprentice as he was in seeing whether Eli could pull it off. The professor had known Starlin since the latter was just thirteen years old. He had been responsible for the boy’s introduction to the Jedi, had watched him grow stronger and more skilled in the Force, and had even knighted him in the absence of the missing Syd Celsius. But this was, in many ways, the true culmination of Starlin’s training: learning to teach another and passing on his knowledge to the next generation.

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Slow inhale, slow exhale, focus.

Eliphas didn't crack any mental jokes this time, he didn't try to soften the moment, instead he pushed forth his mind to meet Starlin's and firmly told him, with the Force swirling between the two of them, what he wanted him to do.

Pick up the bottle, he instructed. No fluff, no trying to convince him, just a straight command. You want to drink from the bottle.

Whether or not it would work was anyone's guess, but Eliphas let go of his own inhibitions in that moment and simply tried it for what it was.

And hey, if learning to do this meant that someone might drop a weapon on command in the future then the boy would only ever see it as a successful, useful trick to have in his back pocket. It wasn't like he'd ever use it for nefarious means. Nope. That wasn't Eliphas.

Though the idea that some out there might use it for less than savoury methods was unnerving to say the least.

Starlin Rand​

 

[Starlin Rand]

One moment Starlin was offering Eli advice on how to proceed, then the next he was holding the bottle in his hands. He had no memory of actually picking it up. It felt like he had blacked out.

The disconnect was made evident by Starlin’s hesitation, staring at the bottle with a suddenly furrowed brow. “Damn,” he finally said, unscrewing the cap. “That is some potent shit.”

Nimdok smiled. “Well done, Eliphas.”

Sipping the water, Starlin added, “Yeah, before you know it, you’ll be dreamwalking too.”

That prompted Nimdok to launch into another long spiel. “Dreamwalking is not a Jedi skill, it’s much more esoteric. The ability to enter and influence the dreams of others is a very ancient tradition of my Order, the Benandanti, but among the Jedi it is unfortunately associated with the Sith—Palpatine is believed to have used such an ability to manipulate Anakin Skywalker into becoming his apprentice, invoking nightmares that preyed upon his deepest fears. We use it to heal all but the most traumatized and broken minds. Another power we rely on is essentially a form of astral projection—”

“Isn’t that what you did when you fought the latest Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Slopsis or whatever?” Starlin interrupted.

“Darth Solipsis, and yes.” Nimdok sighed. “I managed to stun him and left him open to attack, but unfortunately Padawan Gaelor was paralyzed with horror after Solipsis revealed himself to be his father, and thus failed to deal the final blow.”

“A whole chunk of the galaxy is plunged into Darkness because some kid couldn’t bring himself to kill his dad. Typical,” Starlin muttered, shaking his head before taking another drag of prime Erakhian aqua.

“As I was saying, astral projection requires immense concentration, and even then it is not without its weaknesses, especially since it leaves the physical body vulnerable to attack…”

On and on he would go, probably until they reached the ruins, unless Eliphas somehow stopped him. Starlin would just keep drinking his water, knowing it was useless to try once Nimdok was on a roll.

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Somehow, some way, it had worked.

In the aftermath Eliphas didn't know whether to feel proud at all he had achieved or horrified by it. The reality was something of a mixture of both, and for a time he was silent as the both of them discussed telepathy and similar vocations between one another. It took him a moment to realize what had been said regarding dreamwalking, but when he did his eyes snapped to Nimdok.

"You can influence dreams?" he inquired. Something in him seemed genuinely intrigued by that, amazement within his eyes. "Why is it that anything with even the slightest potential for being misused is deemed somehow bad?" He frowned, then he pursed his lips together as though he'd never meant for it to flip out in the first place. "Sorry, I uh, I just mean..."

Sheepishly the boy looked down at his lap.

"It sounds like it could be interesting. Beneficial, even, for those who might be having a hard time, uh, processing things..."

Plus it was abnormal sounding, and for whatever reason he liked the idea of that. Not so cut and dry as other methods.

Still, the Professor had stated it wasn't for Jedi so he supposed he'd have to let the matter lie.

Starlin Rand​

 

[Starlin Rand]

"Why is it that anything with even the slightest potential for being misused is deemed somehow bad?"

"Ah, I think I had better let the Jedi answer that question," Nimdok said, turning toward Starlin with an expectant look.

His mouth full of water, Starlin's eyes darted between them before he swallowed. "It's more complicated than just some things are forbidden and others are not, but the bottom line is that the life of a Jedi is all about discipline and sacrifice," he replied. "They don't teach powers that can be easily misused because, in theory, it will increase the likelihood of the student falling to the Dark Side. Even Syd, for all the sorcery and spells she taught me, told me once that there was such a thing as too much knowledge. There are powers that were simply not meant to be utilized by fallible mortals, vulnerable to desire and greed and longing and all that shit. But if you learn some neat abilities from somewhere other than the Jedi and put them to good use, well." He shrugged and smirked. "Nobody will complain about you saving lives."

Regardless, Nimdok was pleased that Eliphas had taken an interest in the art of dreamwalking. “It was used by my teacher to heal my mind in the aftermath of Mawite torture. I had fractured into many different identities, but with his help I was put back together again—or rather, a new personality was forged from the pieces, one that was... that could function better, I should say."

"He still argues with himself sometimes," Starlin remarked.

"Well, I've always been something of a man of two minds," Nimdok admitted. "But I was in awful shape when they found me. I didn't even know who I was anymore. They gave me back an identity, even if it wasn't completely true to who I had been before." Stroking his chin, he added, "If you want to learn how to dreamwalk, I could certainly teach you. But we would have to find a safe place to sleep, and the ruins of Arctrius are decidedly not that. Perhaps we can arrange something for another date?"

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Was it something he wished to pursue?

Even as he asked himself that question, Eliphas knew what the answer was. Yes. It was strange and he couldn't place his finger on why exactly he wanted to know more about it, only that he did. Was that knowledge for the sake of knowledge? Was that a dangerous path to go down?

He swallowed, listening to all that had been said. Then frowned. "What's Astral Projection, then?" he inquired, not that he was expecting to be taught that too. It just seemed as though it had been glossed over.

Then he turned to the Professor as an offer to teach him was made. He glanced briefly to Starlin, to see if his Master approved, and provided he didn't shake his head or seem displeased by the idea Eliphas would incline his head.

"If you see fit to teach me it, I would be more than honoured, Professor..."

Not yet, though. Not here. There was so much for them to do, after all. Someone's life hung in the balance. Speaking of...

"How long until we arrive?"

Starlin Rand​

 

[Starlin Rand]

“I place my body into a state of rest, much like a deep sleep, while my mind remains lucid. In that state I can project my consciousness outwards, influencing the world around me. It is similar to dreamwalking, but I don’t necessarily have to enter a person’s mind. In the incident Starlin mentioned earlier, I stunned Darth Solipsis by attacking his nervous system, leaving him temporarily paralyzed. In theory, I could have simply killed him—but using the Force directly to kill another being is generally frowned upon.”

“That’s a Jedi tenet as well, kid,” Starlin noted. “You could use the Force to stop somebody’s heart, or snap their neck, or liquify their organs, whatever, but you really really shouldn’t. Because the Force is… uh, it’s life. That, or life creates it. So using it to cause death is just…” He struggled to find the right words. “Not forbidden or blasphemous, it’s just… in bad taste, I guess.”

“It is too brutal an application of the energy field that exists in all living things,” Nimdok finished for him. “A Jedi should seek to avoid killing whenever possible. While snapping a neck with the Force will end hostilities, it is often too quick and too final a solution.”

“Not to mention messy.”

When Eliphas accepted his offer to teach, Nimdok bowed his head slightly, a smile on his lips. “I will be honored to teach you.” He glanced out the viewport. “I believe we are approaching the ruins now.”

Even on the approach, Starlin was filled with a sense of foreboding. It made his gut clench, instincts screaming at him to turn back, get away from this place. “Uh, Nimdok, you’re the history professor… What exactly happened here to make it all ruinous?” he asked.

“A massacre,” Nimdok replied. “There was a disease outbreak, I believe. Rather than allow the plague to spread, the leaders of Freehold Arctrius elected to slaughter the residents in order to contain it.”

For several moments, Starlin simply stared at him incredulously. The airspeeder touched down on land, and the impact seemed to jolt him from his stupor. “...What the feth? Seriously?”

“It is a Dark Side nexus for a reason,” Nimdok pointed out, getting up and heading outside. With a shudder, Starlin followed him.

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Talks turned to finding alternative solutions, and Eliphas discovered this was something he actually had first hand experience with - even prior to coming to the Jedi. He blinked as the memory, then nodded his head. Yes, this whole thing reminded him of the steps he'd taken with Mathieu Brion to avoid injuring Latergh, the Gamorrean woman who had become enraged. A stun bolt from his blaster had done wonders to end that affair as peacefully as possible, but it had almost ended far worse.

In fact, for some of the lizards which had provoked her attack it had. The boy shuddered thinking about it.

"I'd much rather use alternate methods," he stated, chewing on the inside of his lip, "Even where the Force isn't concerned. Taking the life of another... It shouldn't be so easy, so thoughtless. Yet for so many it is both of these things..."

Eliphas fell silent as they approached their destination, more so at talks of corruption and nexuses and wide spread death and calamity. They were headed into a place of darkness, and the boy wasn't so sure he was equipped to deal with that.

"I've seen what corruption can do to people" he stated, glancing between his Master and the Professor, "Then it was just a holocron, this..." He swallowed, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Are you sure I'm ready for this, Master?"

Because, feth, Eliphas did not feel ready.

Starlin Rand