Private In the Jungle

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

"It's good to be aware of your own shortcomings. Makes it much easier to work on them," Valery said with an appreciative smile. Many students didn't like admitting mistakes or parts of their training they struggled with. His realization that Sith would likely not struggle to enter his mind would allow her to help him work on addressing it. If he kept up his practice as well, she felt confident that his mind would remain his own.

Then, with his permission to practice, Valery began the lesson.

"First, I recommend sitting down, just in case any of this gets overwhelming and you lose your balance," she told him, and whether he did or decided against it, she continued the lesson. "Then, I'd like you to close your eyes, and turn your focus inwards. Focus not on the Force around you - the energy you feel from myself, or other living beings here. Instead, trace the Force as it flows through you, and gently guide its currents up towards your mind."

"Let it be your shield."

 

[Shan]

"Always aware of my shortcomings. Rarely aware of my strengths." Shan gave a out a small chuckle at that. He might have been afraid to admit his weaknesses to a Master in the past, but Valery was...comforting enough that he didn't think he would get judged by her if he mentioned what he thought was his weaknesses. He needed the training anyway so he could get better. No point purely working on his strengths as he listened to Valery talk, giving a short nod.

With that, he took a small seat against one of the rocks, focusing on his breathing before Shan closed his eyes. Slowly but surely, he ignored his surroundings, letting them fade away in his mind and instead focusing on his own body. The slight movements he made as he breathed before turning his attention towards the Force inside of him, feeling it flow as he breathed. Then he turned his attention towards his mind, gently letting the Force flow upwards to his mind, trying to wrap it around in almost a protective bubble. He could do this, he had confidence that he could at least do something.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

"Your strength is your mindset, your maturity, and your views as a Jedi. Those are far more important than any lightsaber form or Force ability," Valery assured him, her tone serious to make it clear that she really meant it, and wasn't just exaggerating. Any Jedi could learn to lift rocks with their minds, but for a young Jedi to be so in tune with what it meant to be a Jedi was remarkable, and would help him learn and improve much faster.

To her, he was a very promising student.

Valery then went quiet, as he began to focus on her instructions, and rather quickly she could feel that his mind was starting to block things out. As open as he had been, he was now shutting down the parts of himself that no other person should ever be allowed to reach without permission. But would it be strong enough?

To test his mental barriers, Valery closed her eyes and connected with his mind. She formed a bridge that perhaps felt friendly and inviting at first, but as soon as she met any kind of resistance, she'd begin to push against the shield. It wasn't a painful process, but it would not be comfortable either. She wanted him to understand what it'd feel like, just without actually causing any damage to his mind.

<Keep me out,> she tried to tell him telepathically, the words forced across the mental bridge.

 

[Shan]

There was a small sense of pride at being told his strengths. He had never really seen them as strengths, more a result of his environment and upbringing. Plenty of other people his age could have became immature or violent but Shan had always wanted to focus on the brighter sides of things. It made the universe a brighter place, compared to how dark it was usually, and he liked to think of himself as a single speck of light in the darkness, helping to illuminate things when they got dark.

It was strange, to cut himself off from what he had been trying to take in. The Force of the planet, and the living creatures around him were practically gone now. It actually felt slightly cold alongside being lonely before he just focused on the Force he was using to protect his mind. Reassuring himself that he wasn't alone as long as he could still feel the Force. It was just a temporary measure right now as his brow just creased in concentration.

Having someone connect a telepathic bridge to your mind was more strange than Shan could have described though before long, he could feel the pressure building against his barriers and he tried to just focus. Focus on keeping Valery out, and to not let his mind wander. Shan focused on just reinforcing the barriers with the force and mentally. Visualising the shield as different protective measures. An energy shield. A physical shield. A door. A wall. Just trying to build them up in his mind to protect his minds and keep Valery out.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

"That's it," Valery said softly, as she felt the increasing strength of his mental barriers. "But now try to not block yourself off entirely. A lot of missions will require you to be able to sense things in your surroundings, whilst still keeping your mind shielded. Block out what doesn't belong, but open yourself to what you need to feel," Valery explained before she looked around just briefly to get some ideas.

"Try to focus on the animals that walk around in the Gardens."

While he did, Valery began to push just a little more, this time to actually try and find a way inside. If she did, she'd of course back out instantly, but she wanted him to really experience what this was like. Sith were far more harmful in their attempts, uncaring for the state of mind they'd leave their victims in. Valery wasn't like that at all with this exercise, but she wanted him to find the balance between shielding and opening himself.

"Tell me what you feel."

 

[Shan]

Try to feel whilst not letting Valery in? That was going to be a bit harder than Shan wanted so he was trying to figure out how exactly he planned on doing it. Leaving an opening for too long would make it easy for anyone to slip in so he'd only be able to feel for a few moments...unless he tried to open it from different sections almost. Like he was trying to open a window and close it from multiple angles. At least, that was how the Padawan saw the situation.

And so that's what Shan tried to do. Momentarily letting some of the barrier down so he wasn't as blocked out. Reaching out to try and feel some of the small animals around the area. Though there was still the pressure in the back of his mind of Valery trying to find a way into his mind, so as soon as he managed to feel one of the small animals in the garden...He'd try to shut that window, for lack of a better term, and focus elsewhere.

Instead of trying to focus on the small creatures around the ground, he tried to turn his focus towards the sky, letting the barrier down again. It was hard to predict where Valery was going to try and come from in his mind, as there was a small trickle of fear starting to build up. He didn't want to disappoint in his performance, but that fear and lack of focus was letting small little cracks in his barrier build up under the pressure, which were only growing in size more and more.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

Even though she made the task a lot more difficult, she could tell that he was focused and did his best. No Jedi could do all of this perfectly the first time, so she felt the cracks in his mental barriers, but he was already well on his way to crafting a fortress around his mind. With time, experience, and enough practice, she knew that he'd keep himself protected.

"Well done, Padawan Pavond," Valery said after a moment longer of prodding his mind. Then, all at once, she eased off, allowing him to relax once more. "It will take time before you've mastered it, but you have a talent for these things. Maybe you should look into learning Force Barrier as well — it has a little bit of overlap, and is a very defensive skill."

She rolled her shoulders then, and drew in a deep breath of fresh air. "How are you feeling after all of that, though? I hope it wasn't too taxing?"

 

[Shan]

More and more cracks were building, as Shan screwed his face up in concentration. Though eventually Valery relented from the assault on Shan's mind and the young Padawan let out a sigh of relief, letting out a small chuckle as he opened his eyes, running a hand through his hair as Valery suggested the idea of learning Force Barrier as well...That could be useful, and it would be more helpful than him just relying on his telekinetic powers.

"I would like that very much Master Noble. I feel...reinvigorated after that, as much as I feel exhausted at the same time. Learning something new always manages to make me feel more competent." His face broke out into a small smile, even though it had made him more tired than he had wanted. With his mind being one of his weaker aspects, it made sense to him at least that trying to protect his thoughts would have exhausted him.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

His smile after the little training session concluded said it all and made her smile in return. He had learned something new, both from this lesson and perhaps from their earlier discussion as well. It would have been demanding for a lot of Jedi, but Shan still seemed eager to learn more, and she couldn't really blame them. Once you were in that flow, it was addicting, and she understood that feeling of wanting to unravel all the mysteries of the Force in a single day if it was possible.

It was a kind of determination she could appreciate.

"If you want to learn it now, let's stand up and get some distance between us," Valery said before she began to rise. She then stretched her arms and legs a little, before looking over at him.

"What do you know about Force Barrier already?"

 

[Shan]

Shan hopped up to his feet, giving a short little stumble as his feet had fell asleep whilst he was sat down and had the sensation of pins and needles that was making him hop up and down in the same spot, waiting for the blood to rush back to his foot before he stood normally. It was time for him to try and learn something new as he clapped his hands together, a growing grin spreading across his face though he did end up tilting his head when Valery asked what he knew about Force Barrier.

What...did he know about it? If he was being honest to himself, it hadn't been something he had researched in the Temple but he could try to make a logical guess at it, because of how she said it was close to shielding his mind.

"I assume it's more of a....physical representation of a Barrier? Like what I was doing for my mind, but externally. Instead of just protecting my mind, it protects my body as well?" There were a few more theories he had but he wasn't sure if it would be ridiculous to suggest them. Theories that the barrier could let certain things through and block others...Either way, he was eager to try and learn more about it.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

"That's exactly right," Valery said with a dip of her head. "This time, you don't project the Force around your mind, but you shift its flow outwards to project a Barrier around yourself, or even around others. You could use it to protect yourself against toxic gasses, shield your allies from blaster fire, or stop debris from raining down on you and whoever is around you." It was one of several ideal abilities to learn for a Jedi who wanted to focus on defending others.

"The exercise will be simple," Valery then continued.

"I'll target you with a gentle telekinetic push. Nothing that could harm you, but enough to maybe bring you off-balance. I'd like you to try and stop it with a Force Barrier," She explained, before she allowed him a moment to process and ask any questions he might have.

"Draw from what you feel inside of you again, but pull from the environment as well. The Force flows through everything, and you can draw on its strength to protect yourself and others. Try it, then I'll put it to the test."

 

[Shan]

This might be more difficult for Shan...but he was going to commit himself to it either way as the Padawan rubbed his hands together. There were plenty aspects of it that could be useful later on, like protecting him from toxic gases and rubble...It would be especially useful later on, if he wanted to protect other people. Though he couldn't predict what the future might hold for him. So instead, he was going to rely on learning what he could figure out might be helpful.

And off he went to try and get to work, focusing on what he had done to shield his mind, but tried to extend it outwards, in front of him as he pulled upon the force around him as well. Not trying to rip it away from anything, but instead to gently borrow the Force around him, to form the shield in front of him. He wasn't sure how strong it was going to be as a barrier, but it was going to be better than nothing at the end of the day.

Shan just focused on slowly reinforcing it with more force from his surroundings, trying to take the Force that flowing around him, instead of the force that flowing in side of his surroundings. He didn't want to take it from the trees, or the animals that were around him. At the most, the young padawan was borrowing from his surroundings. The Force didn't belong to him. It didn't belong to any one person in his eyes.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

Valery watched quietly, as Shan began to draw on the Force once more. He seemed careful about it, and while that wasn't really necessary with how the ability worked, she could appreciate it anyway. It showed his views of the Force, and assured her that he wasn't someone who would abuse its strength and guidance. It was one of many signs that convinced her that he was a true Jedi, with great potential.

But even promising students had to start at the bottom.

With his barrier projected, Valery finally raised her hand and gave him one last second to ready himself, before she directed a telekinetic burst of energy towards him. She wasn't sure if he'd be able to stop it or not, but it would be a solid first test for the young Padawan.

 

[Shan]

Shan tried to hold his ground against the telekinetic burst. He wanted to try and impress Valery as much as he could...but applying the Force eternally was different compared to him doing it for his own mind as he felt the pressure against his barrier...before the barrier practically shattered. He had made the barrier as a rigid wall, which had made it easier to break. He felt himself stumble backwards before waving his arms around in a circle to try and keep himself steady. It was bad enough his barrier broke at the first blow but if he fell at the same time, that would be adding insult to injury.

And with a few stumbles, Shan managed to keep his footing, brushing himself down and giving a rather hesitant smile in Valery's direction.

"I apologise Master Noble. I thought I was ready..." Shan lowered his head at that ever so slightly, looking down at the floor, feeling ever so slightly ashamed about his performance, even though he knew Valery would probably tell him there was nothing to be ashamed about.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

Valery blinked when the barrier shattered under telekinetic pressure, but seemed quickly relieved to see that he remained on his feet. She didn't want to hurt him, especially not in an arena of stone, so it seemed like she had used appropriate force. It also wasn't too strange that he hadn't been able to stop it on his first attempt. Something she'd likely have to remind him of, seeing how he lowered his head.

"You have nothing to apologize for. I would have been more surprised if you had gotten it on the first try. Force Barrier is a lot more complex than Thought Shield," she said with a chuckle, while she waited for him to get ready again. "It also helps to feel what it's like for a Barrier to be under attack, so now that you know, you'll be better prepared for it."

"Let's try again. Ready?"

The moment he was, Valery sent another burst of energy towards him, similar in strength to the first.

 

[Shan]

Shan gave a short nod of his head as he tried to figure out what had went wrong. He had tried to make the Barrier more rigid than it needed to be. He wasn't able to call upon too much Force, so the barrier wasn't overly "thick"...So it was more like he had made a barrier in the form of a rigid twig which made sense to him why it shattered so easily...So he just clapped his hands together and got ready to try and make the barrier again, focusing on the Force around him.

And with that, he started to make the Barrier once more. This time bracing himself ever so slightly in case it did break again, though he felt like he had figured out how to stop it this time. Instead of keeping it as a rigid barrier, Shan let the barrier actually absorb some of the impact, fighting the urge to flinch so he could just focus on it...And unlike the first time, it seemed like his barrier was going to hold strong against the push.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

Unlike his first attempt, Valery could feel and even see a much stronger barrier appearing to shield the Padawan. He stood strong in case the impact was still too severe, but it was hardly necessary. As the Telekinetic push connected, Shan would barely notice that the barrier had been struck at all. Much of the energy had been absorbed, and what remained had been deflected away from him, allowing him to stay standing.

But as if to prove a point, Valery reached for her belt and whipped out a blaster, and fired a single shot at the barrier. Of course, the weapon was set to non-lethal power, but the impact was more severe than the telekinetic push. Again, however, the barrier would hold, simply because it was created properly.

"Well, there you go," Valery said with a chuckle.

"Always practice this safely, but you can gradually increase the amount of energy you need to stop with it. If you want to try stopping real blaster bolts or dangerous amounts of debris, project the barrier on a dummy and target the dummy with the blaster. That way, you can't ever get hurt."

She paused and offered him a smile, "Any questions about Force Barrier?"

 

[Shan]

At first, Shan was filled with a sense of pride at his barrier holding! It was a lot stronger this time compared to the first attempt he had! It was barely a push, or at least it didn't feel like a push to him as he kept a bright and proud grin on his face, keeping the barrier standing out of his own sense of pride. Though all of that quickly came crumbling down when Valery pulled out a blaster and shot a point blank shot towards the the barrier.

And in response, Shan's face had a look of pure terror cross over it as a rather...ahem, manly yelp escaped his lips at the sight of the bolt, and the impact that was felt against the barrier before Shan quickly let the barrier fall, running a hand through his hair and waiting for his heart to calm down, shaking his head afterwards.

"I...Erh...I wasn't...expecting that..." A nervous laugh came from Shan, as he shook his head ever so slightly in Valery's direction. He wasn't mad at her for taking the surprise shot at him. He understood why she had done it. Though that didn't mean the Mirialan was happy about it. He just understood there was no point in being angry about it, it was over and done with that.

"I have...no questions though, Master Noble." There was a part of him that felt more...ambitious. Whilst he could make the barrier around a dummy, it wouldn't have the same effect as if he needed to protect himself or if he was in danger. It was something he could try to do with training remotes...Though at the end of the day, he did decide that practising with the dummy would be for the best.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

"I apologize if I scare you, but you'll find that the real world is full of surprises as well. Being able to maintain your calm and adjust to a changing situation will really help you out in the field," Valery explained as reason for her shot without warning. It was never about scaring him or trying to be funny — she wanted to see how he'd respond if something happened that he didn't quite expect. Of course, all in a safe environment where he couldn't get hurt.

"But I'm glad everything is clear," she then said with a brighter smile.

"Practice both the abilities we covered frequently, and don't be afraid to use them if you're on a mission either. Just respect your current limitations, and don't put yourself in any unnecessary danger." Valery then paused for a moment and looked back towards the main Temple structure.

"Unless there's anything else, I suggest we head back and maybe get some rest."

 

[Shan]

"It was more...the surprise. Having a blaster being pulled on you is never a fun experience." Shan gave an awkward chuckle at that, brushing down his robes carefully to try and make sure there wasn't any dirt or dust on them, even though they were going to be walking back to the temple...so his clothes would end up getting dirty all over again, but it was more him trying to make sure he had calmed down from the slight fright. He was safe enough here anyway.

Though he made sure to give Valery a quick bow of respect once she said she was glad everything was okay, before lifting his head back up and breaking out into a wide and bright grin.

"I don't have any questions...and as much as I'd like to stay here and practice some more, I shouldn't push myself too much to the edge of exhaustion. Otherwise I won't look forward to doing this as much, when I'm all aching and sore in the morning." He was eager to just throw himself into training, but Shan was doing his best to try and keep himself steady. Rushing into everything wouldn't help him.