Going deeper into the shadows (Self-Training)

[Vexander Graves]

It was hard to train in the ways of the Force with just books and other different learning materials such as holocrons and reports in the Jedi Library, still... he had little to no choice at the moment. Thanks to the Force Ghost known as @Arroll Balloch, Vex managed to grasp the surface of the skills known as Force Concealment and Force Cloak... however, due to the nature of the skill and the amount of information found, he just managed to learn how to physically disappear and to minimize his Force signature... but other Jedi and trained individuals were still able to find him... he had to learn how to mask his presence completely.

For that reason, the young man decided to take another trip to the place that got into his head and that forced him to develop the technique as fast as possible: The Silent Desert on Tython.

Back then, several others joined him, however, he decided to go on his own this time. He decided that it was time to work on how to be the greatest Jedi Shadow... for the sake of the Order.

Sitting in the center of a few stone formations, he decided to take a seat in lotus position and proceeded to meditate on his own Force presence... being a quite place where he was completely alone with his thoughts... Vexander proceeded to work on bending light and bending the sound further... he worked heavily on it in order to become just an hallucination in the desert... a blur in the heat... a shadow out in the open.

 

[Vexander Graves]

The amount of light and sound that he could bend was almost the same than before, although the young man had his eyes closed and his concentration was completely focused in the task at hand; he was definetely making the most of it.

Waves through the Force could be sensed, he managed to create a bubble around him... an imperceptible barrier that reflected light in all direction creating a visual illusion that made him completely invisible... with enough Mastery. Since he managed to train in the Silent Desert in Tython, he was able to deflect a certain amount of light and sound with such technique... but he was usually effective in night since the darkness aided him in his stealth mission.

Still, he wanted to assist in missions at all times in the day and night without concern... but besides that... he needed to try something else and something deep: Force Concealment was a technique with two different required elements that needed development. When he first read about the power, he learned that he had to understand and master the bending of sounds and light along with the control of his very own Force Presence. History shows that there were powerful users that would mask even their allignment to be completely oblivious... such as ancient Jedi such as the Master that allowed the legacy of the Jedi to continue: Obi Wan Kenobi, who's Force power was cloaked in Tatooine from the Dark Lords who controlled the Galaxy in that day.

Feeling himself through the Force, bonding with it, the young man carried on further with his duties, and focused this time in mesmerizing his presence through the Force and expanding it, slowly working with both Forces in order to get the hang of it and to understand how to do it quicker and more effectively.

 

[Vexander Graves]

Seeing someone sweating while he is seated is not ordinary... some people might think that the corellian was just sick. However, those trained in the ways of the Force knew that someone focusing deeper into the living Force would create physical stress and would stretch the muscles to the point where it would make the body release fluids as if one was running a few laps in a course.

Vexander now, was performing such action, and his clothes were completely wet due to the sweat released from his skin. So far, he has been able to work only in his perception around him and he could feel his own presence through the Force.... something that he has never been able to do. Perhaps he was achieving the first step to the Force Concealment he was looking for? Afterall, knowing yourself is the first step towards self-realization, just like feeling your blood running through your hand was the first step towards being concious of your hand.

After a couple of hours... the Knight moved for the first time... his left arm moved to his forehead in order to clean the sweat that was falling to his eyes and that definetely prevented him from opening them. Opening your eyes with sweat in them is not a pleasant sensation and Vex knew it although his mind was focused elsewhere... Moving a bit, the young man proceeded to undress the upper part of his body in order to leave the robes just around his waist... the wetness was not comfortable and he had to be if he wanted to focus further in his own presence and work with it.

In just a few seconds, the young man was ready to carry on with the task at hand... afterall, he reached the first stage of his goal and he would proceed until he was able to reach an acceptable level with this technique... no matter what.