If you want something done right

[Levi Shied]

The end of the week had finally arrived, Levi was heading back to the Jedi temple he trained at on Tython. He had spent one week out in the silent desert to train and hone his skills as his master wanted. What he ended up with is a new found realization thanks to Kevros, the sith he had met in a canyon during his outing. The Jedi were limited in their capabilities due to their strict code. They were not allowed to feel, only to act within a calm mindset, to Levi this felt flawed. If the force is to encompass us as a whole, should we not embrace it in all ranges of ourselves?

As Levi approached the grounds of the Jedi temple, he had a terrifying thought, What if they can sense my doubt in the Jedi? Will they reject me as a failure, I still wish to learn and gain power, and right now they are the only option I have. He tried to push the thoughts aside, to clear his mind of his doubt, it was the only way he was going to be able to continue his training.

Eran was not happy about returning to the Jedi temple, he would have rather been training with Kevros Kovani at this moment, but the response Kevros had given did give him a small hint of hope, that he would return when he had learned more himself, and reconsider training them then. Eran felt Levi's mind fight with itself, both wanting power but not wanting it to come from the Jedi at the temple. Beggars can't be choosers, though I agree with his thought process, I would rather be taught by someone who could help me regain my lost power. Eran, having learned about his past, wanted nothing more than to return to that state, to feel the force flow through him and be part of the dark side.

Levi entered the temple, but something was wrong, nobody appeared to be present. The silence was a weird sensation that brought a sense of dread with it. Levi looked around, checked all the rooms, but it appeared to be abandoned. Was this why I was sent into the desert? So that they could leave me behind, discard me without a second thought. Levi felt anger grow in his core, it welled up as he traveled from room to room, only to find the same thing in all of them, absolutely nothing. He came to the last room he hadn't checked yet, the navigation room. In it was a table that projected a hologram of the galaxies, useful for planning your destination for travel. He turned it on, hoping to get a clue as to where they had gone, when the image appeared, he was delighted to see it was a place he knew. The area displayed on the map was none other than Ruusan, more precise though, the Valley of the Jedi.

 

[Levi Shied]

Levi sat aboard a mining ship, heading towards Ruusan, he had found a pilot that was going there to pick up Ruusan crystals, and didn't mind if Levi hitched a ride there. He had heard about the Valley of the Jedi a few times before, it apparently was a powerful force nexus. Many had traveled there to learn new techniques and become more in tune with the force. Levi had decided that whether or not the Jedi from the temple on Tython were actually there or not, it would be a great place to further his training.

Eran was absolutely thrilled, he had been to the Valley of the Jedi before, it had been a huge part of his training in his past. He hoped to regain some of his lost power and knowledge when they arrived. Eran had pondered what he wished to train when the time came, he had decided that force lightning would a good start to recovering his powers. It had always been his favorite, the sight of bodies convulsing in agony from the shocks that struck every part of their being. It brought a evil grin to his face. As for what Levi wants to train, he doesn't seem to have given it much thought, but I assume it would be a force ability also, since he does not fight with a lightsaber. It didn't really matter what Levi wanted to learn, since when he did, Eran would know it as well, absorbing the knowledge from his mind.

The ship shook upon entering the atmosphere of Ruusan, and the captain of the ship came over the intercom, explaining that they would be landing soon. Levi strapped himself in for the descent, in case of turbulence. He looked out the windows as they went lower towards the planet's surface, it was similar to the silent desert of Tython, he saw large stretches of nothing but sand and canyons. At least I know how to survive in those conditions, the walk to the canyon shouldn't be more than a days walk away from where we land.

The ship came to a steady halt upon Ruusan's surface. Levi thanked the pilot for the ride and stepped outside, the warm air hit him abruptly, the dry heat and sand, already starting the process of buffeting his body. He covered up the majority of his face with his arm, leaving just enough space for his eyes to peer out into the desert. He set off towards his destination, hoping that the trip would not be for nothing.

 

[Levi Shied]

Night had fallen on the desert of Ruusan, and Levi had made shelter in a small cave he had found. It had been a long day of walking in the desert heat, and his body was tired. Levi started a fire to keep himself warm, and pulled out books from the bag he had brought. These should work nicely for fuel, Levi thought, he took a book on plants that inhabited Tython. No one will miss this I'm sure, he pulled pages from it and tossed them into the fire to keep it going. He looked at the other books he had grabbed back in the Jedi temple on Tython, they were wide spread topics, ranging from cooking to archery. One of the books caught Levi's attention though. A small black book with no words or defining symbols on it, it was completely normal, yet out of place among the rest.

He opened it, the pages worn from use, and was surprised to see its contents. It was filled with force powers, each of them labeled and described in great detail. It did not seem to be partial to a certain side of the force, he saw things that only sith dabbled in, such as force choke and force lightning, along with the meditation techniques his master had mentioned. Levi dove in, reading all he could, trying to find a power he wished to learn. Levi noticed a small peace of cloth hanging from further in the book, a bookmark, he opened to the marked page and his eyes grew wide. He had found what he was looking for.

The force power was called: Spear of Midnight Black, it was also known by a simpler name, Darkshear. The page described it as a concentration of dark energies that took on the form of a invisible spear, that could be thrown at enemies. It was the perfect ability to allow Levi to use his force powers in physical combat, catching his opponents off guard. Levi read a bit more, and then yawned, the night was taking hold of his body, he needed sleep. He figured he would be able to meditate on Darkshear at the Valley of the Jedi tomorrow. He stomped out the fire, as to not attract attention to any passing predators. He laid down and was asleep almost instantly.

Eran had no intentions of sleeping, he had been stuck in his head all day, and wanted to stretch. It was easy to take over while Levi slept, his mind was deep in a dream state and wouldn't fight unless it realized what was happening. He awoke and turned on his sabercane for a source of light. He grabbed the book that Levi was looking at a moment ago, Eran had seen what Levi stumbled across, Darkshear, a formidable move, and a great one to add to their arsenal. He flipped through the pages, not searching for anything in particular, but just seeing what all there was this book had to offer. He stopped at a few pages and tore them out, these will come in handy later.

Eran then decided to try and focus his energy into relearning force lightning. He sat down, Indian style, to begin meditation. His mind did not wander, it focused on the power he required to achieve his goals, how he would become greater than he had been in his past life. He thought of how he was going to strike down Anthony, the man who he thought to be a friend, in actuality a traitor, and Eranor, his former master who ordered him to be killed. His fingers began to tingle, it was working. He saw Eranor's face in his mind, anger filled him to the brim, and as he did sparks formed at Eran's fingertips, he was almost there. He imagined them on the ground convulsing from the electricity flowing through their bodies. A smile grew over Erans face, and he opened his eyes and saw his hands, they were pulsating with the energy trapped within, while sparks kept shooting off. He stood up and pushed his hands forward, great bolts of electricity shooting from them, he focused, trying to push them to the spot he willed them to be. He could feel it coursing through his entire body now, the dark side of the force was enveloping him. Then he could feel it retreating, leaving him just as fast as it had arrived, power shooting through his hands dying down, and then nothing. All in good time I suppose, Eran knew it wouldn't happen instantly, but it felt good to have that kind of power coursing through him. He laid down, his body had been partially drained from the exercise. He concealed his sabercane once more, and went to sleep.

 

[Levi Shied]

Levi awoke the following morning, the sun washing over him once more. As cold as the nights were on Ruusan, the days were even worse with its dry heat. He ate breakfast, which consisted of concentrated capsules of fruit, and water he had packed in a canteen for the trip. After his meal, he packed up his stuff, making sure to pick up the book detailing force powers, I wouldn't want to leave something this valuable behind. Levi headed out into the desert of Ruusan once more, he was close to his destination now. It would only be a few hours before he arrived at the Valley of the Jedi.

Some time later, he saw canyon walls appear in the distance, upon seeing the start of canyon walls ahead, Levi felt something, the force seemed to be almost emitting from the area. He was sure that was to be his goal, and hurried his pace in anticipation. The closer he approached the entrance, the wall grew higher and more ominous, the feeling of the force flowing was much stronger now. As Levi stood at the entrance of the canyon, he felt incredible energy flow through his body, this must be what force masters feel like all the time, he thought. He entered the canyon, it had to be at least fifty yards in width, and the walls were towering, almost to the point where they blocked out the sun. After walking for around thirty minutes inside the Valley, he decided it was time to act on his desires, and spoke.

"I call on the spirits that have passed in this canyon, I wish to learn more of the force and its capabilities." he yelled into the empty space, but nothing happened, the lack of sound disturbed Levi. It wasn't natural for nature to be this quiet, then a loud crash occurred in front of him, sand flew up and into Levi's face. He coughed as the dust and sand entered his nostrils and mouth. When the dust settled, he saw a man standing before him, but he was clearly a spirit, someone who had passed on here sometime ago.

"You don't need to shout, we can hear you just fine, we felt you arrive a bit ago. You are seeking guidance in ways of the Force then? My name is Thomas, and I am willing to help you on your path."

 

[Levi Shied]

Levi stood there, staring at Thomas, the spirit who had approached him and offered his help. He was dressed in traditional robes, despite being dead. Levi was surprised that the spirit was so willing to help him. I guess they don't have a whole lot to do otherwise, he thought.

"Sorry for shouting, I wasn't sure if anyone would come honestly. I am Levi, and yes I wish to train in the ways of the force."

"Is there something in particular you have come here to master Levi?" Thomas looked him up and down, clearly unimpressed with his physical condition.

"Actually yes, I do have an ability in mind, have you heard of a force power known as Darkshear?" Levi asked hopefully.

"Indeed I have, but where, if I may ask, did you learn of such a power?"

Levi pulled out the book from the Tython temple from his bag. "I learned of it from here. It's filled with force powers and descriptions." He opened the small black book to the page that was bookmarked, and showed Thomas.

"Very interesting, alright then, if you want to learn Darkshear, let us begin. First off, you need to meditate, clear your mind of clutter.

Levi obeyed, excited to start learning, he sat down, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. He started to lessen his breathing, as he had learned from his training. He started to clear out his mind, pushing aside all but the force from his thoughts. When he had attained his desired state of mind, he asked Thomas what was next.

Now i need you to focus, use your feelings to channel your energy and visualize a spear, then use the force and make it real.

Levi once again followed Thomas' instructions, he thought of when he had learned of his force sense. It was one of his happiest memories, he used that feeling to channel his energy into his vision. He sat there for several minutes, the force was all around him in the canyon, but it seemed like it was rejecting him, he couldn't seem to be able to mold it into the spear as he wanted. His face must have shown his frustration, Thomas spoke to him once more.

"What is the thought you are using to draw feeling from?"

"The day I first learned I was force sensitive. It's one of the happiest moments of my life." Levi said with pride in his voice.

"Foolish boy, you're going about this all the wrong way. Darkshear will never work for you with that mindset, you see, it's a dark force power, and in such, must be fueled by your anger."

Of course, I should have known better, the book even described Darkshear being harnessed by dark energies. "I'm sorry, let me try again Thomas."

This time Levi picked out a thought, but not just any thought, one of the darkest thoughts he held onto. He thought of his father, lying on the gurney in front of him, helpless and Levi could do nothing to save him. This thought Levi kept hidden, as for when it surfaced, so did his rage. He was not able to save his father, he was not strong enough, he had failed and it infuriated him. If only he had been there in the mine with him when it happened, he could've done something more. His leg was to blame, his tumor that had afflicted him, was to blame. He could do nothing about it, and that pushed his anger ever further. Is this what the dark side feels like? He felt the force flowing through him, taking on the form he wished, he felt strong, he liked this feeling.

"Very good, that memory is very strong."

Levi opened his eyes, to find not one, but in fact two spears had formed in front of him. He was shocked, he had felt strong yes, but he wasn't aware of how much that memory affected him. He gripped the first one with confidence, looked to the other side of the canyon and threw. It soared through the air with ease, it felt weightless when he had tossed it. It struck wall on the other side with great force, it then disappeared but the mark on the wall had not, a chunk of rock lay on the floor from the impact of the spear. Levi was thrilled it had gone so well. He grabbed the second one and threw it as well, it felt just as light as the other one, he felt the force flow through him as it left his hand. Then the spear disappeared mid-flight, Levi was confused, he looked to Thomas for answers.

"You lost focus, your memory was strong to make more than one spear on your first try, but you didn't keep the intensity or the feeling it gave you, you became happy with your progress and lost your hold on your anger. You did well though, in time the power will grow as you harness it and your anger."

"Thank you, Thomas, I couldn't of done it without you." Levi was thrilled to have expanded his knowledge on the force and learn Darkshear in the process. He loved the feeling his anger had given him. The force had flowed through him with ease, as he built up his rage. Now he needed to learn how to control his anger, and focus it into his combat. "I guess I should be going on my way then, if I return here in the future, would I be able to call on you again Thomas? I appreciate the help you have given me."

"Sure anytime kid." Thomas responded. His thoughts were more sinister though, Why don't I just leave with your body? Think of it as payment for my services. Thomas lunged forward before Levi could react and entered his mind.

 

[Levi Shied]

Thomas was in shock when he entered Levi's mind, he felt a rift inside of the young boy. He did not feel alone as he should have while inside a mind, no, something else was surely here too.

"Now now, what do we have here, an intruder, in MY home? How rude of you to come in uninvited."

Eran took over while Levi was vulnerable. He forced Thomas out of his mind and back into his spirit form in front of him. Eran was ticked off to saw the least. Thomas was nothing more than a coward who tried to take advantage of Levi in his time of need.

"Wha.. What are you" Thomas stammered in disbelief over what had just happened. The man who stood in front of him had seemingly transformed in an instant. Levi's skin had turned to a pale version of itself and his eyes had become black orbs instead of the blue ones that were there only moments ago.

"I'm just a concerned citizen, that's all. You appear to be confused though, that's quite alright, I was going for surprise. You see, I am Eran, and I also inhabit this body, and I don't very much appreciate what you tried to do. So lets have a little test shall we, just to see if I understood what you told Levi." Lightning shot from Eran's hands and struck Thomas causing him to yelp in pain. "I should focus on a dark memory, something to get my blood boiling to draw power from. Eran's mind went to Anthony, betraying him in the mine on Ilum, his thoughts went red with rage. The bolts that shot from his hands intensified. Eran funneled all the anger he had been building up into Anthony ethereal form. Anthony collapsed, he could barely speak.

"Please, you don't have to do this." Thomas groveled before Eran hoping to be spared. The look on Eran's face though told him all he needed to know.

"I'm afraid I just don't care." Eran roared into a menacing laugh, and finished Anthony off with a strong surge of force lightning. Anthony dissipated before Eran, his work here was done. He was a good teacher I guess. Eran smiled at the irony in the situation. He then released his hold on Levi.

Levi opened his eyes, he had a massive headache, he looked around to see what had happened. He believed he had blacked out, It must of been one of my seizures, Levi knew he was prone to them with his tumor. He called out for Thomas, the spirit was nowhere to be found, He must of left when I blacked out, Levi wasn't surprised though, he probably looked like he was going to die in that state. It didn't matter too much though, Levi had learned what he had come to the Valley for. With that Levi left the Valley, eager to test his new powers and expand his knowledge even further.