One Might Call Them Prodigies

[Cedric Grayson]

A number of students had arrived at the enclave, but few found themselves directly under Darius' tutelage. The Jedi Knight had taken as many as he deemed that he could handle, and he very well may have overestimated himself in the process. Still, a commitment was a commitment, and leaving these young students to their own devices likely would not turn out well. They were too close to Sith space, and there was rumor of their ilk cropping up once again.

Darius had no personal grudge against the Sith, and even called a handful of their kind friend, but those that were not a part of the Dominion were a threat. They would often work to undermine the democratic process and destroy what was being built. Little but trouble came from them, though Darius had heard that some elements of the political spectrum were holding out a hand to open a dialogue. That wasn't any of the Jedi's business.

No, his business was this enclave and Eol Sha as a whole. It was here that the order would be reforged, and its newest guardians would be taught the proper ways. It was here that a future would be created for those that held to the old ways.

Darius Sedaire awaited alone within one of the dueling halls. They were empty for the day. There was rarely more than a single set of masters and students here at any given time, as even though many had come to join the Dominion, the enclave was still rather large. The knight of this new order was clad in simple robes befitting of his station, and the only accessory he wore came in the form of the lightsaber at his hip.

Two students were here to meet him today. He could only hope he could do right by them.

[member="Bhakt Wemk"], @Ra'a'mah

 

[Ra'a'mah]

Having made a room for herself at Eol Sha, Ra had decided to stay for at least a period of time, until the call of space alerted her to return to the stars or she was in need of credits. She only recently learned she could use the Force, although she had been using certain skills long before. Ra had no official training, but today that was about to change. [member="Darius Sedaire"] had agreed to train her in using the Force.

She walked into the large dueling hall, the only weapon visible was a long staff she had across her back. So far Ra had not been learning how to use it easily, she either ended up hitting herself in head or legs trying to swing it around. When she practiced with her little training ball, got shocked more than she blocked. No other hand weapons were visible, but Ra carried a knife on each are and in each boot. Her last weapon was the spiked ball she had at the end of her braided hair.

Seeing the man going to train her, Ra approached him...not hesitantly, but not in a hurry, cautiously would be the most accurate way to describe her movements. Ra did not speak until she was just over an arms length away. Nodding slightly to him before breaking the silence.

"We met once before, but not personally. I am Ra'a'mah Numare, please just call me Ra."

 

[Bhakt Wemk]

Bhakt made his way through the halls of the enclave of Eol Sha. The tall Nikto couldn't help but take in the sights of the enclave as whole as he walked. He'd been to many places in the galaxy on his pilgrimage to learn about himself and the force, but this was a true hall of learning the ways of the force and it amazed him. As Bhakt thought he felt that maybe he didn't truly belong here, but it seemed The Dominion needed all comers, dark or light. That may have been why he was here in the first place, seeing as how he didn't truly fit into either category any longer. Eol Sha seemed like the perfect place for this new founding of force users and just as the thought passed his mind one of the planets many earthquakes rumbled through the building. Not a serious quake by any means but one that seemed to reinforce Bhakt's thoughts. A combining of the light and dark...a constantly tumultuous existence, but one Bhakt felt he deserved.

The Nikto's introspection would have to wait for now however, as he approached the dueling hall where he was finally to begin training in the deeper ways of the force. Over the years Bhakt had found texts, damaged holocrons, and even studied briefly under fallen or disgraced jedi, but here he hoped he could find the knowledge he would need to truly grasp his potential. He'd come here today without his typical armored vest or blaster, he only carried his trusty vibroax in his right hand. He arrived just after his training partner a young human, at least she looked human, who seemed to be packing light just like Bhakt. The instructer had waited for them and Bhakt was a bit surprised that the human male before him looked barely over 20. Bhakt mentally shrugged though, not everyone had taken the long path the Nikto had to learning the force. Bhakt stopped evenly with Ra letting the the bottom of his Ax rest on the floor while he held it by the top of haft.

"Names Bhakt Wemk and I'm eager to get started"

He'd give both Darius and Ra a simple nod and wait for the lesson to begin.

[member="Darius Sedaire"] - [member="Ra'a'mah"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

The two that came to learn bore little resemblance to those that Darius might have associated with in the past. Both were far older than the average student, and neither had that air of grace often carried by the acolytes of the old temples. That much was to be expected, of course. This enclave was as much a place of misfits as it was a place of learning, and many of those that had come to study were well into adulthood. Green eyes flickered between the duo, and Darius found himself cracking a warm little smile.

"Darius Sedaire. I'm afraid I'm not a Jedi Master, only a knight, but I've been around the block a few times," Darius explained, his arms folding behind the small of his back. He gave Ra a slight nod of agreement as they spoke. The two had come into contact during the enclave, though there had been little time for small talk. The other individual, Bhakt he called himself, was something of interest to Darius. He'd come across very few Nikto in touch with the great ocean, but then this was a place for the new after all.

"Well, I'd be doing you a disservice if I stalled, given how eager you say you are," Darius snickered, a hint of playfulness to his tone. Footfalls echoed throughout the empty hall as Darius began to pace, his gaze drifting from one would-be-student to the other. "Before we can even think about beginning, I need to know what you know. Training with the force will make you an entirely different person. If the prospect of becoming something else in such a dramatic fashion makes you uneasy, then now would be the time to leave."

The knight halted between the two of them. "What do you know of the force, Ra'a'mah Numare, Bhakt Wemk?"

[member="Bhakt Wemk"], @Ra'a'mah

 

[Alyson Halle]

Why did she have such a habit of being late to things. It was as if she was incapable of being on time for anything. She hated that. She had been invited to train with [member="Darius Sedaire"] and a few other padawans, but she was always incapable of being on time to anything. So now Alyson was running down the halls trying to be somewhat on time to this meeting, and despite not wearing armor, just a simple robe, it was still extremely difficult. The enclave was a large building, and it was no small feet to run from the quarters to the training hall. By the time she arrived she was panting.

She stood in the door frame keeling over at this point.

"Im here." She said recovering herself before moving into the line that had formed

She heard them share their names so she would do the same

"Im Alyson Halle" She said breathing heavily "Empress of Merides. Nice to meet you"

She keeled over for a few more seconds, that run was quite a long one, she would be breathing heavily for quite a bit. As she recovered herself she found the Knight that had offered to train her begin giving an introduction. Talking about how they would change as people during the experience, and to ask what they knew, she would hold off on this part as she was not directly addressed, and not to mention that she knew little to notihng of the force or its workings, she had just arrived here to figure that out herself. Hopefully this "Jedi Knight" could teach her a thing or two about how it worked, and how it applied to her and her life. She hoped that soon she could use this knowledge to help her people grow and prosper, and to help them learn along the way.

[member="Bhakt Wemk"]

[member="Ra'a'mah"]

 

[Ra'a'mah]

Ra listened to both [member="Bhakt Wemk"] and [member="Darius Sedaire"] speak. She took note of Bhakt's name, hoping she would remember it. Darius asked them what each of them knew about the Force. However, before Ra could formulate her answer, another person joined them. The woman introduced herself as an empress and Ra wondered what an empress was doing here. So much royalty in one place. She just shook her head mentally and turned her attention back to Darius.

"I only just recently learned I could use the Force so basically, I know nothing."

Just the fact she can use it and feel it flowing through and around her.

[member="Alyson Halle"]

 

[Bhakt Wemk]

Bhakt thought on the question Darius had posed to them for a moment allowing Ra to answer first and Alyson to arrive. After the Empress' odd introduction Bhakt answered.

"The force is powerful tool. I know that you Jedi like live in harmony with it and the Sith like to believe they dominate it. I don't either way is too correct, see myself in the middle if that makes sense to you."

The Nikto would tap his ax on the floor and nod to Darius.

"As far as my capabilities, I've always been a fighter human. My time using the force is spent using it to increase my capabilities in combat. Making my blows hit harder and faster. My teaching so far has been a bit scattered though and using the force comes easy, but I have little control."

He would stay at attention still hoping his answered were what the young Jedi was looking for.

[member="Ra'a'mah"]
[member="Alyson Halle"]
[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

The corner of Darius' lips quirked upward. He had suspected the young empress of the feudal world would take to the teachings of the enclave, though he had not expected her presence here. It was of no issue, however. He preferred to teach in threes rather than twos. It prevented the feelings of favoritism that had become so paramount in the old order - those very same feeling that had been the first cracks in its foundations. The knight addressed Alyson with a faint tilt of his head, and his smile grew into a full one brimming with warmth.

"Then we'll start from the beginning, but first," green eyes flickered to the Nikto student. "That was the old way my friend. We Jedi do seek to live in harmony with it, that much is true. We treat the force as a constant companion, but we are not slaves to it. We do not seek to dominate it, for that would poison the lake from which we drink, but mastering a sense of control over it is something we all seek to achieve. In that, the order is being reborn. If you decide to stick with us, then you and these other students will be its future."

Arms folded behind the small of Darius' back. "Everyone knows what the force is, but very few understand it. We've all heard it spoken many times: may the force be with you. But what does that mean, truly? What is the force? A question for the ages, but one I feel like I can answer adequately enough to suit your education."

"The way it was taught to me is that the force is a great ocean. If flows over all things, and surrounds a trillion tiny islands. We all live upon those islands. The average person ignores the ocean around him, content to deal with his own issue upon the island itself. Some of us are curious, and might dip our feet into its waters. Through that, we come to understand that all things - this galaxy and every other galaxy - are connected. Every action creates a reaction. Every person affects everyone around them. Every island either preserves or pollutes the waters around it. Overtime, these actions coalesce into either great pollution and the distortion of this ocean, or the preservation of its purity."

He paused for a moment to catch his breath. "Those that call themselves Jedi have always sought to dive into its depths. It is there, from the depths of this ocean, that we learn of its currents. It comes to be a core part of our very being. We feel its presence at all times, and we take note when the currents change. As we grow more attuned to those changes, we learn to control them. We direct them in the way we see fit to accomplish tasks in the material world. Jedi encourage to currents to move in their natural flows, though in the directions we intend. This is what one would call the Ashla: the Light. Sith force the currents in whatever way they see fit, out of their natural passage. This accomplishes similar things within the physical world as per their design, but the currents are broken. The ocean is polluted. This is the Bogan: the Dark."

"There are other force sensitive orders scattered throughout the galaxy - this is just what I know. You should always seek to learn wherever you go, even from those others would say should be your enemy. Knowledge is debate and the pursuit of cooperation. Taking up arms against another simply because he believes in a different way to interact with the Great Ocean and the Ethereal only causes further strife."

The Jedi Knight fell silent for a moment, his face a bit reddened from talking. "That is my understanding of it. Does everyone grasp it? Do you have any questions?"

[member="Bhakt Wemk"], @Ra'a'mah, [member="Alyson Halle"]

 

[Alyson Halle]

This explanation was both confusing and extremely simple to Alyson, it was simple to understand on the surface, but beneath it laid a deeper, more difficult to grasp meaning that would take years for her to truly uncover and understand, but she had little interest in theory right now, she wanted to know. She wanted practical knowledge, though she understood that it would take time for her to get to the point where she would be able to get that practical knowledge, it would probably take understanding of the force before she could use it.

"You say that "The Dark" is polluting and distorting, yet you also advise us to not take up arms against it, do you mind explaining that further? Why would you not try and stop the pollution?" She asked

That was the one part that confused her, wouldnt one try to stop a polluting influence, stop this darkness from spreading? She would need a further understanding of what he meant if she were to fully understand the force, she would need to fully understand why you must let knowledge flourish despite the darkness "polluting influence" she held no grudge against the dark, but she still wished to understand why the knowledge must be spread despite its apparently negative influence.

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

[member="Bhakt Wemk"]

[member="Ra'a'mah"]

 

[Ra'a'mah]

Ra stood silently, listening to each of them in turn. Especially [member="Darius Sedaire"] as he was explaining what he was taught about what the Force IS and HOW it worked.

"Is the Force itself neutral?"

The way he made it sound, that's how it came across and when a Sith touched it, it became then not neutral.

Tipping her head in the direction of [member="Alyson Halle"] she also wanted to know why a person wouldn't want to cleanse the pollution.

"Your Highness Ms. Halle, he may not mean it quite like that. I see it as like if we don't agree on something-one or the other us start a fight to prove we are correct and that the other person is wrong."

How does one address an empress? Ra fell silent after speaking and waited for Darius to answer.

[member="Bhakt Wemk"]

 

[Bhakt Wemk]

Bhakt nodded as Darius laid down the theory of the force. It was a perfect metaphor, though not quite what the Nikto pictured when thought of the force. He figured now was not the time to indulge his own theories though. Bhakt was here to learn and so he would. He didn't have any questions at the moment, he was sure that would come later. He did however look to the newcomer, the empress, as she posed her own question on the nature of the darkside. Having felt the darkside's influence he decided to give his own thoughts and see what the young jedi would think of them.

"Yes Alyson, the dark does corrupt and pollute the mind, body, and hell even the soul of the wielder. That does not mean it doesn't deserve to exist. There are many species throughout the galaxy that taint, corrupt, and pollute the environment around them. These beings are only doing what comes naturally to them and I think they're necessary for life to exist. Without this breakdown, this pollution, life and the light would go forward unchecked. Many would think this is great, but eventually they would come to realize that everything would begin to stagnate. Nothing would change in the galaxy. Sometimes darkness, death, and decay are needed to promote evolution and move life foward."

Bhakt cleared his throat realizing he'd gone into a bit of a lecture which he knew was not why he was here.

"Anyway, I'm not sure if that helped or only made you more confused"

He looked to Darius for any thoughts or just to continue with his lesson.

[member="Ra'a'mah]-[member="Alyson Halle"]-[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

Darius couldn't help but snort at Bhakt's explanation. it seemed the Nikto had some degree of experience with the subject at hand, but then he'd been a warrior had he not? Given Bhakt's presence within the force - a rather potent thing if Darius was one to talk - it was no surprise that the bogan had reached out to him in the midst of combat. The Jedi Knight tilted his head forward in silent agreement as the Nikto gave his piece on what it all meant.

"The force is neutral in its own sense, yes," Darius muttered, "It has both sides to it, which is why what Bhakt said is correct. The pollution is still a natural thing, but when it grows too far, it becomes artificial. That's when we have to take efforts to stop it. Many Sith want to completely blot out the Light, and that would send the galaxy into chaos. We already have a great imbalance in the force," arms folded behind his back. "There are places in the galaxy that serve as portals into the afterlife. We call it the Netherworld. These tears have been formed from the conflicts that permeate throughout the galaxy. It is part of my duty to close them."

His gaze passed to the empress. "We must contain the Dark Side, but we can never destroy it. The task is impossible. Nor do we have the right to judge how others choose to live their lives. We only intervene when they start to harm others."

He paused, "You're all sensitive to the force. If you can wrap your head around this, then perhaps we can move to the next step."

[member="Bhakt Wemk"], @Ra'a'mah, [member="Alyson Halle"]

 

[Alyson Halle]

It became rather clearer now, it was like a swamp vs an ocean. A swamp might be dirty, undesireable, and in general a bad place to be, but it still was natural if not dirtied. However somebody could pollute any waters artificially, making them dangerous to the inhabitants of those waters, that was sort of how the dark side worked, it was like using swamp waters vs using water filled with poisionous chemicals. She understood fully now.

"I understand now, i think i am ready to proceed"

Alyson had no idea what was about to happen, it could be one of many things, but she was extremely eager to learn almost anything she could about the force and the way it worked, she wanted to expand her knowledge and wisdom as much as she could, hopefully it would help her rule and it would help her defend her people. She wished the best for them, she would readily sacrifice her life for her people, despite it not always showing.

The netherworld event sounded familiar, it sounded like an event that happened many years ago that caused a large conservative backlash on the planet, as many people just dissapeared off of the face of the planet, some came back, most didnt, it was strange, apparently she had an uncle and a brother who were lost to the Cataclysm, but she was not certain if the Netherworld event had anything to do with it, she would have to learn more.

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

[member="Bhakt Wemk"]

[member="Ra'a'mah"]

 

[Ra'a'mah]

Much of what [member="Darius Sedaire"] said made perfect sense to her, but not the Netherworld. It was something she's never heard of or come across. Perhaps she could ask about the further another time.

She really didn't have much to say for that part of the conversation so remained quiet until [member="Alyson Halle"] spoke. Ra nodded in agreement.

All this Force stuff was so new to her, that everything was very confusing. Once she got a greater grasp on things, she is sure her questions will be boundless. Light, dark, grey...she would find her place somewhere, for now though Ra needed to get her foot in the door and learn the basics if nothing else.

[member="Bhakt Wemk"]

 

[Bhakt Wemk]

Bhakt nodded, glad that his explanation had been at least a bit helpful. Though Bhakt, despite his travels had never heard of any portals to the netherworld. The Nikto put that thought away for now as it seemed like that would a talk for another lesson.

Bhakt nodded at Darius showing his understanding. The warrior was ready to proceed with the lesson. He understood all too well the darkside and how it could pollute. He thought back to the day he first even learned he was force sensitive. He almost chuckled thinking how that damn jedi had soundly beaten him in combat. He didn't even know the name of the man that changed his life that day. He regretted that, regretted that he'd never be able to thank the man who saved him from drowning in the dark.

Bhakt would have a more determined look on his face now. He was ready, ready to go forward and prove that he was more than just the thug that Jedi thought he was years ago.

[member="Ra'a'mah"] - [member="Alyson Halle"] - [member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

With the opening explanation out of the way, Darius gestured to the lot of them. He settled down in the center of the room, his legs crossed beneath him, and his palms pressed against his knees. The Jedi Knight willed his mind to empty of all prior distractions - of all errant thoughts that might disrupt the connection that he intended to achieve. Green eyes drifted shut as he did so, and after a few moments of silence that might have seemed odd to the three students, the great ocean opened to his mind's eye.

"You must all connect to it," Darius instructed. "Sit down, and clear your mind of all things. Distractions will only bring you trouble in your intentions. Focus on nothing, save for that thin trickle of the force that you might feel flowing through you heart. Take note of the dam erected around it; it is one the mind creates to preserve our sanity. Those with no sensitivity to the force will often lose their way if they attempt to shatter this barrier. Those that have it will thrive off of it."

The knight's presence within the ethereal reached out to touch the minds of the three students. It was a reassuring gesture; like the hand of a parent upon one's shoulder, or words of praise from a teacher. Then, just as quickly as it reached out, the presence recoiled.

"Open yourself to the force, and the force shall open itself to you."

[member="Bhakt Wemk"], @Ra'a'mah, [member="Alyson Halle"]

 

[Alyson Halle]

Alyson moved to sit down in front of Darius in order to focus herself. After listening to [member="Darius Sedaire"] 's lecture, she then began to implement it. She tried to clear her mind of all distractions, but this proved rather difficult, she had quite a lot distracting her mind. It took her a good 5 minutes to quiet her mind down enough to start feeling what darius had described. It was like a thin line of clarity in an ocean of fog. She followed this line with her senses, it took her some time to do so. She followed the thin line quite a long way, it felt like a long journey, like she had been following it for days despite it only being a few seconds, Soon she felt a barrier, it was no literally barrier, but more of a barrier in her understanding, it felt like an impenetrable fog.

She started to try and force her way through the barrier with her mind, but she could not force it. She tried going around it to no avail. It took a few minutes before she formulated a new "plan" she started attempting to chink away at it with her thoughts, like a hammer and chisel she slowly made her way through this barrier. Slowly the ocean that is the force started to trickle through, allowing her to work faster, the more the force was allowed into her mind, the more she could break through, the stronger her mind felt. She kept chinking away, as more of the wall came away the greater her understanding was. This took large amounts of patience, but she was slowly being rewarded for it.

After awhile of chinking away, she felt strong enough to force it away. She put her mind up against the barriers it had formed itself, she forced through. As she did she felt an ocean of understanding flow over her, a greater perspective flowed into her mind. She began to see connections between everything, and while she had no way to interpret this, she saw the world now in a way she had never seen before. It was exhilarating, it was as if a new world had opened up to her, now she was ready to learn further.

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

[member="Bhakt Wemk"]

[member="Ra'a'mah"]

 

[Ra'a'mah]

Having learned to meditate, Ra had almost no issuses entering a state of calm. She sensed the Force more clearly now, knowing what it was. The barrier or dam, [member="Darius Sedaire"] mentioned was not there for the young woman and she enveloped herself quickly.

Instead of an ocean though, she was in a pond, treading water like she had always known how to swim. A stray thought occurred to Ra, maybe the Force had always been open to her, but she had not been open to it. Not allowing it into her life and this little lake in her mind was all she had.

Reaching deeper, Ra found the outlet of her pond into a river, which lead her to a dam. The dam held the river in check, keeping it from joining the rest. Since this vision was in her mind, she made a wave motion with her hand wiped the dam away. The torrent of water washed into the sea and Ra joined in the river, going with the flow, smiling and laughing in her mind.

The sheer pleasure and joy, something she'd never felt before fully filled her.

[member="Alyson Halle"]
[member="Bhakt Wemk"]

 

[Bhakt Wemk]

As Bhakt sat he thought back to how he usually connected to the force. It was almost always during conflict, or at the very least stressful moments; and when he did connect it was very different than how Darius had described it. He'd always kinda used the force in a brute force manner. Even when he began to utilize the Dark side less he still found his aura to me of a low burning fire more than any kind of water. Now he'd have to learn something completely different.

So Bhakt sat with his eyes closed and tried to visualize the force within himself. He found it, but it was as he feared he found a glowing ember in his heart. He cursed to himself but he wasn't about to give up. He kept searching hoping to find even a trickle of the light. It felt like an eternity but he almost shouted when he found it. Despite being only a drop here and there Bhakt had found the light within himself. He reached out for when suddenly the fire of his darkness rose in front of him, no longer an ember but a raging inferno. The dark wanted him, wanted another to twist to its will. At least that's what Bhakt believed. It was then that the Nikto formed a theory on the Dark side. It was nothing but a trap, and a good one. It drew you in with promises of power and strength, made you believe you were bending the force to your will and desires. It was a lie. All the dark did was feed upon you until you were nothing but a shell made of rage and hatred. Bhakt refused that future.

He roared at the flame and leaped through feeling the fires tear at his soul. He reached out again for that drop of the light, the promise of what he could be. He heard it again even over the roar of the flames and then suddenly he fell. He fell and fell and finally he saw the light of the force ahead of him a great lake that he happily fell into. The Nikto nearly broke his meditation and jumped for joy, but he knew he would lose this wonderful sight. Finally the light had accepted him. He didn't know why and quite frankly didn't care for the moment, and simply let himself float in the great lake that was the force. A faint crackling brought him from his celebration however. He looked for the source and saw it in the distance, a small burning ember. Bhakt simply stared at from his lake of the force and understood. It was of course what they had discussed earlier. Use of the Dark side polluted the spirit. He had just began his true road to redemption, but the dark would always be there, forever a reminder of his old self. Good. He wasn't sure how far he would go here among the Dominion, but that ember would be a constant reminder of what he chose not to be. He looked away from it now and once again let himself float in the ether that was the light.

[member="Ra'a'mah"] - [member="Alyson Halle"] - [member="Darius Sedaire"]