Fangs of Gwahler

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

The jedi master observed more of it and settled herself in.... as Mariya found a place that worked for her and she could feel some of the mental defenses there... barriers that while they weren't as strong as hers was soething she could atest to for protection. "Better." She moved and sat down looking across her her and the notion of tea was an important one to the jedi master. They could have any type though when she smiled. "tea sounds lovely." her own thoughts drifted and there was a whole lot she wanted to say or do.. it was fun to want to get lost in your own memories for a time and she had decades worth of them before holding a hand out to take in the view around them with a smile on her face. "This is very beautiful as well."

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"Thank you, I think this is probably the best place to build up my defenses for now," Mariya nodded her head in response. She had somehow done it, despite the initial hiccups. Granted, there was no way to test her mental defenses unless she faced off with someone else and loopholes were bound to be found. But it was a decent attempt and [member="Matsu Ike"] probably did not expect a padawan to create an air tight defense immediately.

"Tea? I think you might like the tea from Alderaan," she picked up the pot of black tea and poured a cup for the Jedi master. She knew how the Alderaan tea tasted like compared to the one she was offered physically at the Jedi Temple. The black tea was created by oxidation of green tea leaves, giving it a much stronger and bitter taste while the Artisian tea offered by Matsu was green.

The real test came when the padawan picked up her own cup and took a sip, making a face when the imaginary tea failed to leave an impression to her taste buds. She closed her eyes, willing herself to create a better illusion and took another sip.

"Better..."

She hoped that Matsu was satisfied with her attempt to recreate the taste. In fact, she really should bring some real Alderaan tea as a gift someday.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

She looked at the tea and mental tea could often be the best tea as it literally would and could be anything you wanted it to be. She was imagining the atrisian vine tea, white and crisp compared to most and exporting it from Atrisia made it rare and expensive to most in the galaxy as well as the cultivation. THe jedi master took a sip and it was a delicious taste her padawan was offering so she smiled nodding her head that she was glad with it. The inherent danger or in some cases what might be the drawbacks. SHe was tasting something from her youth and breathed deeply for a moment almost able to sense it and feel it.

"You are doing well for the beginnings, your previous training will and has helped with the understanding....and well the idea of testing your mental defenses is not exactly easy... better to test them in areas strong in the first beforehand with people. Nexi of the lightside can be warm and welcoming while the dark can be cold and make your negative emotions stronger." She didn't say it was dangerous... that was implied but the idea here when she looked gave the jedi master a small grin on her face. "Your skills will continue to improve when you use them. I know it sounds well obvious but I have seen many learn a skill and then never use it again."

She spoke from experience but sitting there with the tea well... she was moving her hand a little. Pinkie extended but thought about what would happen next. "When you are ready though, when you are confident in your mental shields... we'll continue the lessons and pull back. There is plenty to learn but there is also something very fun that we can do." She was thinking about the lessons but also well one needed to ensure they had plenty of energy as the jedi master had prepared herself for this taking any amount of time. She had food ready to eat if they needed it or she had some of the water enhancer to restore their bodies afterwards.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"Of course, Master Ike. I'll definitely practice my mental shields to improve them," she nodded her head in agreement. There was no way about it. She would have to add this new mental exercise in her daily routine, perhaps after the meditation as a continuation of her mental exercises. As for whether her mental fortitude was strong enough, that was something which she had no answer. [member="Matsu Ike"] merely mentioned the possibilities of testing them in areas which had strong connections to the Force and others in the future.

She finished her cup of tea and noticed that her master had done so as well, giving her the logical conclusion to end this exercise for now. She stopped channeling the Force through her body and opened her eyes, finding themselves standing in a place with golden walls. She took a step, the sensation surreal on her legs as they felt solid ground again. They were back to reality, inside the interior hulls of the ship that had docked earlier. The previous experiences felt real, but behaved like dreams which disappeared after a couple of minutes of orientation.

"This is real," she touched the nearby chair, trying to make sure that it was not another dimension she was stuck in. The wood felt warm and solid in her touch. She wondered if it was even useful to perform such an action. A person strong in the Force could easily create the sensation of her touching the chair itself. But for now, she was pretty certain they were back. The ship had just left the docks, allowing her a good glimpse of the ancient Jedi temple below her.

"How do I know if I have come back to reality? Or perhaps, a better question is, what is reality? What if the reality that we perceive is merely another dimension of the galaxy?"

Mariya posed her philosophical question to Matsu, curious to know if there was even an answer to such a question among the Jedi.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

Coming back to the room as she watched her. Where she was checking but held a hand out. "Well one of the best ways is." She pinched herself for a moment where she could check it out. She moved around and was enjoying the looks of the ship as she tapped the console in the corner. "We'll get something to eat first but then learning all we can. If there is anything you wish to learn about me?" She said it and was getting some food for the two of them as well as going to a small place to sit. Magda wasn't leaving the planet or system she was just flying around it. The small service droids were bringing in the food for them. Small sausages wrapped in pancakes lined with chocolate and berries for coloring and flavor. Bacons with eggs and juices that had been squeezed as needed in a pitcher for the jedi master. While she could have had tea for just about every meal she wasn't looking to entirely discount some of the other drinks.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

So one of the best ways was apparently to pinch oneself. She thought that was something only in the movies, but that was what [member="Matsu Ike"] had done to reply to her question. Mariya was amused, deciding that sometimes the easiest way to resolve a problem was the most elegant solution. Still, there was no need to pinch herself because they were indeed onboard the golden ship, just like how she remembered before the whole mental training exercise. The blonde wondered if her master had predicted that she would be hungry by the end of their first exercise. No, it was easy enough for Matsu to guess how much energy she would have expended from the channeling of the Force, especially for a new padawan like herself.

"I have questions... but food first," she acknowledged the growling of her stomach when she smelled the scent of delicious pancakes in the air. With sausages and chocolate syrup sauce even. There were many questions to ask about the Artisian, but her hunger demanded her attention first. She walked over to the empty table where the droids had laid out the plates neatly with utensils and picked up a fork to make a stab at the first piece of pancake.

"Mmm..." the padawan found herself gobbling down the first piece quickly. Apparently her hunger from the mental training was more draining than expected. She washed down the floury pancake with some juice and finally speak.

"Sorry. Hmm, back to topic. But there are just too many things to ask. Maybe you can tell me something about those children that were part of your memories? Also, won't mind if you tell me something about Artisia or your craftsmanship."

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

THe jedi master was eating just as much, she knew how to sustain herself with the force but there was something to be said about going at it the same way as your padawan. If you had the unfair advantage to much then they might get discouraged when she sat there eating and spoke. "Those were my children. I have had seven throughout the years. They are mostly all within the silver jedi and galaxy as a whole." She said it and she was proud of it, seven daughters to two people.... well worth it in her life and she wasn't opposed to more if it was the will of the force but she sat there smiling to herself. Sadly she didn't carry pictures of them in holoform.. just memories in her head and heart she could retreat into if it was needed.

There was still plenty of food for them but she did speak a little more and knew what the next lesson would be. Something simple that might be overlooked but when you were in the field it was almost essential... sadly she had seen few use it preferring to just try and brave the elements or be in highly restrictive equipment and clothing. "When you are ready, if you need rest there are rooms or we can practice the tapas and abiadic shield. Mostly useless for fighting but in traveling you can protect yourself from heat and cold temperatures or poisoned air." It also helped with techniques like breath control but skin absorption was a danger this helped eliminate.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"Seven... seven children! Wow, that's really something..." Mariya was taken aback by [member="Matsu Ike"]'s reply and kept quiet for a moment. The first thought that came to her mind was whether it was difficult to give birth to so many children and taking care of them while they were growing up, but that was probably too personal. Maybe another day. She continued tucking in to her food and shared something about herself, telling the Artisian about she had grown up taking care of herself since young. The concept of having parents was not exactly something Mariya had experienced much, but she had come into terms with it. Mostly.

"I have absolutely there are such terms called Tapas and Adiabatic Shield," the blonde gave a sheepishly smile to acknowledge her lack of understanding in the Force. She knew some of the basics, but some of the more unique techniques had special names which were not discovered by her yet. She could have jolly well performed them before, like keeping herself warm in cold areas but no one ever told her that was called Tapas. Such was the case of Force powers, with different people labeling them different names. The Witches might consider a Force power as a spell.

It took another few minutes from her to try and finish the food, but there was simply a little too much. In the end, she surrendered and left the remaining stack of pancakes untouched.

"Don't think I need to rest. I'm ready to go."

Her excitement was apparent. Matsu was teaching her another lesson within the short span of time, more than what she sometimes learnt from the Je'daii in a day.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

The jedi master raised an eyebrow with her reaction to the news of her daughters... but it wasn't a bad one it was a fun one. That Mariya was excited almost to work onthe next set of skills as the jedi master bowed her head. "Very well." SHe moved after finishing and standing there as she stretched out and shook her head. Best way to practice the skills was practically... in the field. Tapas was about staying warm so.... use a river or stream that is going to be cold and practice... but they didn't have that. They had a ship and environmental controls that could make the room colder. "We'll start with tapas, the ability to keep yourself warm in cold environments." SHe was standing there though and rolled her shoulders ready for anything between the two of them. "THe first is to feel it, deep in your core. Heat... warmth and then expand it to your limbs."

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"So, this is called Tapas..." she muttered to herself as they got up from the table and walked to a corner. Why did the Jedi have to come up with such a name for a Force power, she had no idea. Perhaps it was not even the Jedi who named it. Regardless, the name was stuck and although it sounded like a term for food, the blonde knew she had to accept it. There might just be one of the many things she needed to learn by the end of her training with the Jedi. How long it would take, well... once she completed the remaining trials from the Je'daii Order. She might still stay on to pursue her learning permanently, but that was the future.

For now, all she needed to do was to concentrate.

The blonde closed her eyes and let her mind reached out to the Force, willing it to help her. Her focus turned inwards to her own body, feeling the Force feel through her like she was resting in a river. Perhaps a hot spring was a better word since her purpose was to make herself warm. [member="Matsu Ike"] was probably going to lower the temperature at some point, based on her own guess. She forced herself to continue her concentration, willing her body to get warmer. The warmth slowly crept outwards from her chest, towards her limbs while the room temperature began to dip. The air was much cooler now, her fingers feeling the coldness enveloping them. Soon, the coldness crept behind her robes.

She needed to get herself warmer before she froze or catch a cold. More focus now. The Force was now fully spread across her limbs, returning the colour to her pale cheeks.

"Hey, I am getting the hang of it."

Mariya beamed, finding this to be a much easier challenge compared to the previous exercise.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

THe jedi master nodded her head as the padawan was making progress and showing what she could do. Matsu herself moved around quietly when she was focusing the force and the jedi master could sense it. Holding her hand out as she did two things... the first was focus on the moisture in the air to pull it close. Into a small orb in her hand and the second was remove the heat. She wasn't using cryokinesis... that was a technique many seemed to mistake for shaping. A darkside skill for draining energy from a body and freezing it but you killed the person. For now though as she stood there she had a small ice cube in her hand and moved quickly.

Her hand darting out and body being almost silent as she wanted to test how the girl was going to be warm or if she got it. The jedi master moved to quickly drop it down her collar. The back of her neck and hair with something super chilled going down your spine always in her experience was concentration breaking.... also hilarious when no one was expecting it at time. The jedi master quickly moved though after trying it to see the results whether it succeeded or if the padawans senses had betrayed the master and he attempts to be perfectly stealthy.... either way she was glad to see it and the small lesson here could continue.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

She was concentrating on her feat, making sure that her body remained warm when she noticed [member="Matsu Ike"] moving. Quicker than usual despite her age, no doubt using the aid of the Force, the older woman was already behind her. Mariya could only wonder what she was doing. Not that it mattered, she needed to focus on her Force channeling. Her body was warm enough to counter the cold temperature around her and she could soon be able to move.

"Gasp!"

A piece of something slipped down her neck. Something cold and wet. Ice? Thanks to her robes, the ice easily made its way down her neck and found itself stuck in the middle of her back. She laughed, suddenly realising that her master had a sense of humour that she did not expect.

"Hey! that's not fair..."

The blonde was able to stop her channeling now, but the ice was really uncomfortable. She started to undress her robes, pulling off the first layer and tossing it onto the floor. Brrrr.... it was getting cold again. She reached out for her back and started digging for the irritating ice that was lodged within her tunic. Each moment she took meant she was getting exposed to the cold air without her robes, requiring more focus on the Force to enable the Tapas technique.

"I.... I.... suppose all is fair... brrr.... fair and square....in real....life."

She managed to somehow dig out the melting ice and tossed it back to Matsu, picking up her robes from the floor and slipped them on, wrapping the fabric around her. Her teeth were chattering by now, her concentration lapsing so she did a little jumping to build up her own internal body heat.

"Must... move... and concentrate."

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

She held in the snicker tightly. Her bottom lip between her teeth to the point of almost pain but the jedi master wouldn't break. She was going to make it and not break out in laughter at the reaction. The air was colder and finally she gave up as Mariya tossed it back to her and she caught it. The padawan was doing good for all of the distraction and Matsu stayed where she was nodding her head. Clasping her hands behind her back though while she moved on her feet lightly around the room more like it was just air. "You kept your concentration better then most... at least longer if that helps encourage you. Maintaining techniques like this is something you can turn instinctual, have it be almost a reflex like breathing your mind and body does automatically so that you can concentrate and focus on additional tasks. It falls into visualizing the technique and training yourself with it." She had a look on her face though and adjusted the temperature but set it so that they would be able to warm it back up if it became to bad for the training. She wasn't about to hurt Mariya.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

"Really? That... that's good... to know..."

Her teeth were still chattering when she replied, her wet skin feeling the coldness more than usual after the ice prank. The temperature was still cold, misty clouds forming from her mouth when she spoke. The blonde heard what [member="Matsu Ike"] said, specifically about the technique being able to be performed while simultaneously doing other tasks. Her jumping jacks on the spot was one example of an additional task to help fight against the cold, but it was a toss up between maintaining the Tapas and using her own movements for warmth.
"Would be... nice if... I can... do both... properly..."

Mariya paused for a moment, trying to channel more energy into her body. She needed more focus and less distraction from the cold. If only there was somewhere to ignore it. She slipped into her mental picture of her vineyard where a warm fireplace awaited her.

"Not bad."

She smiled, combining her earlier mental lesson with Tapas in her exploration of the Force. It was two tasks being performed as what Matsu hinted. Of course, the padawan did not know that her master had secretly nudged the temperature upwards to reduce the difficulty.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

The jedi master smiled at the girl... she was doig quite well and here Matsu could see what Mariya was doing well and what she was doing bad.. mostly she was doing well. She would get better and refine it with time which was something that she had as Magda spoke. The lights flickering and a pale image shimmering along the wall. "Master." Her voice came out, less reverberation and it went with the lights.... She didn't have much form compared to some but it was clear she had been a younger padawan. Teens with blonde hair and wearing traditional robes. Matsu turned her gaze and spoke. "Yes Magda." The spirits form stopped and looked more curious.

"I wasn't able to do it." She seemed more sad as the jedi master approached and spoke speaking with her. "It is alright, don't be hard on yourself. We'll just have to seek something that you are missing or haven't done. It isn't an exact science why force spirits sometimes become locked to a place." A small smile though as she was trying to comfort the girl. "But master you have studied with the great holocrons and noetikins... before they vanished. Wasn't there something?" Matsu stopped her. "No, not that I could find... something like this among the jedi is rare but can happen. One or two others have been transferred and held in ships mostly until they found a way to pass on."

She said it but was walking around the room and the spirit dissipated. Tired from forming and speaking but the ship itself had flow up to look at the Library. the massive jedi monolith flew around the galaxy from force sensitive location to location. Docking at Kashyyyk and Yamatai a massive station that served as a training ground. Magda was heading into the hanger as the jedi master brought up the display and it could be seen. Kashyyyk was beautiful with more stations above it and the hyperspace security network that had been developed. Matsu had adjusted the temperature so it would be mostly normal but she had her hands clasped behind her back when the ship docked.

"We'll continue this on the Botany Bay... someplace a little more reserved and peaceful." The small path towards it and the airlock revealed more of the station that went along to the ship. It was a central hub designed for the jedi. Workshops, stalls and everything being given around. If the Karrashiuri temple was a ground for jedi artisans and crafts then Yamatai was where the jedi corps were. Agricultural jedi practicing plant surge with force refined fertilizer, explorer corp astrogation specialists with star maps and ships, judicial jedi investigators that worked and trained with local police and security forces to refine their methods.

Then there was the blocky and not as pretty botany bay, a thicker ship but it was square and as the doors opened it revealed itself. An outer ring of mechanical with the interior being a massive biodome. A garden of plants from silvery grass that swayed and practicall gleamed with force energies to a rocky pond and stream of water from the well spring that was recycled. The force stones it went over tranplanted and smoth as the waters went over them. Different trees that stretched out radiating with the force itself as the jedi master walked towards the grass and took her boots off letting her feet be bare where she was stepping.

The sounds of creatures, jakobeasts, large and furred with tusks but they were domesticated and gentle. Porgs and ropos roaming around the garden and the jedi master turned around in place. "Ahhh this will be better for continued lessons and have a chance to see how you interact with the world as it were...." Well something close enough but it was also a place stronger int he force thanks to the jedi masters careful cultivation of flora and fauna... strong force presences and energy contained within. A chance to check her mental defenses in a controlled environment. To focus on those while she was keeping herself warm and cool int he artificial breeze.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

She was finally getting the hang of it. Tapas, a Force technique capable of keeping her warm was something useful for exploration. One might drop into freezing cold water or meet with a sudden blizzard. Or just surviving in cold space while looking for a way out. Mariya was happy with her own progress when she spied the hint of a Force ghost who appeared out of nowhere. It was not appropriate to listen in, but the ghost by the name of Magda was ignoring her presence during the conversation with [member="Matsu Ike"].

Was the ghost a student of Matsu? Probably. There was something awkward about the conversation that she decided it was best not to probe. Thankfully, her attention was drawn to the sight of Kashyyyk from the windows as the ship made a trip back to dock in. Apparently they were heading to a place called the Botany Bay. The blonde nodded her head and followed behind the Jedi master, finding herself fascinated by the sights along the way as usual.

"Woo, controlling the plants..." she commented when a Jedi demonstrated his powers of calling out to the Force to direct the crops in front of him. She wondered if she would be able to learn that knowledge and apply it to her vineyard someday. Imagine hastening the growth of grapes for better profits. A tempting idea, but for now they had stopped at the garden of sorts.

"So this is the Botany Bay," she stated the obvious when a pack of creatures sprang past them. "Lots of nature. I bet we are here for a reason."

One could only wonder what sort of lesson she would be taught next. Adiabatic Shield or something else, but probably related to the nature surrounding them.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

"A few reasons." She was standing there and offered a smile. "We have a lot of calm here and while Magda is wonderful she is also scared. SOmetimes she forgets she is in a starship instead of a body and flies off so short sessions on her for training is important." She didn't want to speak bad of it and the experiences were something that she was still trying to get over and there were incidents... not something that could be dead but like a child she sometimes forgot how big and strong she was.... and a large ship trying to go and meditate in the temple usually didn't end that well for the temple in most cases. So give her a break and chance to shut down and relax.

"The bay also serves a secondary purpose. THe collection of flora and fauna here resonate within the force and to test out your studies while learning new ones. We can see with a low amount of danger how your mental defenses react. The waters are artificially channeled and chilled allowing one to practice tapas. Layers upon layers with a means to learn how to focus and shift small tasks such as mental shielding, warmth into the body." She also knew a few other things one of them was teaching how to connect with the world around... the flora and fauna as some of the jakobeast pups came around with their mothers.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

The Force ghost was scared. That was the first time she had heard of a scared ghost occupying a ship, but stranger things had happened. In short, Magda seemed to be stuck onboard and had no way out, so there was nothing else she could do but to mentally prepare herself to bump into the ghost. Hopefully that would be rare occurrences.

"I know the Force is found in most living creatures and plants, but never thought about the impact of having too many of them around." Mariya raised her eyebrow upon hearing the comments made by [member="Matsu Ike"]. It seemed that her challenge was more than just green flora, but also icy cold water for the fun of it. Speaking of water, she did hear the sound of gushing not far away. She took a few steps forward and stuck her head over the thick growth of shrubs, seeing a man made waterfall just located behind.

"Okay... this is more than a botany. More like a jungle."

She bemused and walked past the bushes to glare at the towering body of water. A sign near her read "Meditation Fountain" and showed the holographic display of a wet looking figure standing under the waterfall. Mariya eyed her master for a moment, deciding that it was part of Matsu's plan to make her life challenging with the Tapas training. The blonde untied her robes and placed them neatly in a pile, clad in a one piece swimsuit and stepped into the water.

"Darn. It's cold."

The padawan took a deep breath and filled her body with warmth as best as she could, repeating what she had done earlier and took another few steps towards the waterfall. She shivered as the water hit her face, finding herself longing for a hot cup of tea after this was all over. For now, all she needed to do was to warm herself up.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mariya Fleischer"]

THe jedi master picked up one of the jako pups with a smirk on her face when seeing the waterfall. Where they were all going around through the ship. THe garden was ninety percent of the ship with its massive interior compared to other ships. Minimal crew and defense systems that would be needed... really it just was meant to sit around and be used for meditation or a sort of vacation without really leaving.. a staycation. Still she moved to watch the padawan meditating when her body sat down looking at the waterfall from the small shore. She crossed her legs and held the pup there as it put a head on her leg. THen she was meditating and reaching out to touch the mind of her padawan and try to relax her, sooth her mind and body instead of letting her feel the chill. THe water recycled and flowed all around the garden area. The smooth black stones at the bottom of the water were even imbured with the force from the river of light with veins of deep red when seen under the light. The veins then would glow in the dark as the artificial lights dimmed a little to simulate approaching dusk and make this seem more like a world instead.

 

[Mariya Fleischer]

The only times a person stood under the waterfall were either an actor shooting a holomovie or a crazy fellow eager to be soaked wet. She probably belonged to the latter when she found herself sitting below the gushing waters, the rapid torment hitting her face and drenching her hair.

"Gasp..." She took a deep breath and somehow managed to balance herself on the slippery rocks. It took further effort to sit down and get comfortable, if the definition of comfortable meant not slipping and falling into the icy cold depths below. The Padawan gritted her teeth and summoned forth more warmth as best as she could. The last thing she needed was to suffer from froze bite.

She was glad to be feeling an invisible wave of warmth brushing past her skin, as if it was helping her. There was no doubt in her mind that [member="Matsu Ike"] was providing some additional aid in her first attempt. The waters felt more bearable immediately, though the constant splashing on her face remained a thorn to tussle with. Perhaps that was the whole point of the exercise, to overcome difficulty presented by nature itself.

Minutes ticked by slowly as the Padawan remained motionless, her mind focusing on her own breathing and nothing else. There was nothing else to bother her. Inner peace...

"Woof... Woof!" Her serenity was broken by the sound of the jako pup barking. Her eyes opened in surprise, not noticing his existence earlier. The distraction was more than enough to break her concentration, forcing her to stand up and stop her exercise.

"Alright... I give... up. You... got me..." She shivered and made her way back to the dry area, wrapping herself with a thick towel which helped a little to alleviate the chill in her body