Radiant Dawn

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Jessica has remained on Ringo Vinda for more than just a few weeks, since there were refugees flowing in from places such as Shri-Tal that ended up on that desert planet; the Gungans in their enclave up in the mountains didn't seem to be too welcoming to the Mon Cals and Quarrens fleeing Mon Calamari, so planets such as Manaan and Aquilaris were better fits for those refugees. Nor was a desert planet even in the absence of Gungans. Just that, out of the many padawans that she took over the years, she hoped she didn't need to write off [member="Corsica Cinto"]; however, she knew that no padawan was a given that s/he will make it to knighthood these days. Just now, she would be meeting with her inside the refugee camp while standing ready to ask her what Corsica knew about the Force. Padawans are like rolling quantum dice: you never know for sure what you're getting into until you actually work with a paddy. Hopefully she will only need a few extras, she thought, before the first meeting would begin, while realizing that she'd rather not teach again what the student already knows.

"Welcome. I am Jessica Med-Beq and I shall eb your guide in your journey to Jedi-hood"

 

[Jsc]

Corisca approached in a long Britney coat. Her glass helm held under one arm. She bowed her head lightly and smiled at Jessica's quick welcome,

"Thank you Jessica Med-Beq. I am Corsica Cinto. Of the star Apollo Guis. A warrior scholar after the ways of The Gray and an eager student towards the teachings of the Jedi. Your fashionable welcome honors me."

With another nod of her head, Corsica seemed to relax a bit from her formal posture. Becoming more relaxed in both stance and tone,

"Can we talk for a bit? Seems, pretty busy around here."

Cinto gave a look around to their surroundings. It was very busy and the blonde newcomer wondered if Jessica even had to the time for visitors at all. My my.

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"Oh yes. I can assure you that everything you've learned thus far about the Force will be of use on this journey, to the extent what you learned is either neutral or light-sided. However, Jedi-hood is more than just about the light side, or fighting the dark, or even about knowledge"

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge is definitely something [member="Corsica Cinto"] would have a clue about, but before Jessica could even formulate a learning plan, it was important to her to know where she's at. That step was even more important when one took a padawan that wasn't a Temple-trained youngling. Plus there would be room for the more philosophical aspects of Jedi-hood between Force-training sessions. Provided, of course, that Corsica's computational power didn't fry while undergoing Force-training; if it happened, she knew it was a bad sign - and that would complicate one's Force-training or at least lengthen it. So Jessica internally hoped that the paddy of the day would have a pretty solid dose of computational power, while remaining mindful that not every Force-user can actually reach her own level of computational power, even with Force-enhancements. But before she could even talk about light and dark, she had to resist the temptation to ask her about her knowledge of probability and linear algebra: as tempting as it might been, it was too early for that.

"That being said, I would like to ask what you already know about the Force, especially with regards to what you can do with it"

 

[Jsc]

Jumping right in, Corsica nodded to their surroundings and continued.

"I'm proficient in sensing the Force and harnessing it for my own ends. Similar to the adept's of the Jedi religion. Such as,"

She reached out with her left hand towards a nearby workbench,

"...Levitation."

A small object was lifted magically off the bench. Spun slowly in the air, then quickly placed back down.

"...and Kinetic Force."

Corsica snapped her fingers and the lifted object shattered suddenly in two. It's smoking and bent pieces spent crumbling to the ground.

~ "...And, of course. Mental communication." ~

Corsica smiled. No words having left her lips for that final sentence. Having spoken directly towards Jessica's mind.

"However." Cinto raised one finger in the air, "What I truly lack, and desire most of all... Is peace."

She turned to watch all the hustle and bustle of this place again. Sighly slowly to herself.

"And that, I expect. Is one of the greatest Jedi secrets of all."

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

There is no emotion, there is peace, there is no ignorance, there is knowledge, there is no passion, there is serenity, there is no chaos, there is harmony, there is no death, there is the Force. Personally I find peace to be easier to find if you can take responsibility for your actions, and also if you know your limitations well, too. Self-awareness is key if peace is the purpose of Jedi-hood to you. That being said, it's also easier to have peace if you're self-sufficient and, at the same time, have a means to keep your emotions under control. Patience: I know it's a lot to take in but it will all be worth it in the end, Jessica thought, now that [member="Corsica Cinto"] opened a telepathic channel to her. Sure, sometimes her tools to provide self-sufficiency to their paddies may be construed as trivializing the Force by some, but sometimes not being able to do something can make someone vulnerable to falling to the dark side. She could also sense that Corsica had an idea about using the Force to generate light, but there were several items she feels are important to achieve self-sufficiency on the field, at the cost of being more dependent on the Force. Force-healing, pyro/cryo, Electric Judgment, Force-cloak, Force-stun/Neural Storm and the mind trick.

"Maybe a few Force-powers I feel are important to achieve self-sufficiency that could be of interest to you are: Force-healing, pyrokinesis/cryokinesis, Electric Judgment, the mind trick, and potentially Force-cloak and Force-stun/Neural Storm"

 

[Jsc]

Corsica nodded to [member="Jessica Med-Beq"] and her many suggestions. No doubt the Jedi religion had many skills worth sharing.

"Naturally, I enjoy the thought of learning all I can. However? Perhaps we might talk a moment about what makes a Jedi, a Jedi."

Actions spoke louder than words. But words would suffice for now.

"Tell me. Why did you pick the Jedi religion? What appealed to you the most eh?"

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"Let's say that I discovered my Force-sensitivity rather late in life, and that, back then I found that using the Force for good was the best use I could make of the Force. I knew there were people in need everywhere, I knew that Jedi could help on multiple levels, but I do realize that most Jedi, these days, tended to operate at a more security or medical level. And, of course, Jedi-hood, however, is a way of life, more than simply fighting the dark, evil or whatnot. In fact, Jedi-hood allowed me to help people in a wide variety of ways, such as diplomacy, medical and even security, but don't think Jedi-hood is a catch-all profession"

If she wants to discuss what makes a Jedi a Jedi, I ought to also contrast Sith-hood, too. However, I feel that, to get the most of one's Force-training, one also needs to be mindful of the student's energy reserves: it would do the student no favors if the student prematurely exhausts his/her Force-energy reserves, Jessica thought. Needless to say, Sith are hated pretty widely these days, and them perpetrating massacres at every turn is not helping matters in the slightest. [member="Corsica Cinto"] must also have realized that stereotypical visions of Jedi were either that they were very self-righteous or very passive. On the flip side, Sith-hood was unappealing to her; while, on paper, that cult is construed as being more about the rule of the strong, in practice, it causes a whole host of problems that she'd talk about later. What's interesting, on an intellectual level, is what drives people to become Jedi when they join later in life, and Jessica knew it; Corsica would probably suspect as much, too. Nevertheless, she liked where this discussion was going.

 

[Jsc]

Corisca immediately liked Jess. She understood stereotypes and stayed away from them. She also understood that being a Force User was a multifaceted thing. It was never quite what you expected either. All in all, Jess showed great wisdom. And Cinto could respect that strongly.

She shuffled the helm underneath her arm and nodded,

"You mentioned that you don't believe Jedi-hood is a catch-all profession? What did you mean by that exactly? I happen to know many a Jedi who simply consider themselves, well. A Jedi. Nothing more. Nothing less. Do you mean to say that there is something more to the name than simply joining and attaining rank by them?"

It was clear Corsica was a Force User, skilled, and experienced in many ways. However, it was also quite clear now that her previous experience had little to do with Jedi culture or philosophy. Being more alien to her than familiar. But, thankfully. She was learning quickly. Jess was sure to be a blessing upon her journey of discovery.

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"What I really mean is that Jedi-hood does not entitle you to do everything, any way you want. Yes, I know there are people that consider themselves as Jedi and nothing more, nothing less. And yet there are those Jedi that feel their position entitles them to do whatever they want, however they want, or nearly so, and sometimes pay the price, legal or otherwise"

Jessica could readily tell that [member="Corsica Cinto"] appreciated what wisdom she actually had. Even way back when she was a padawan, Jessica knew that she was destined to become a sage type of Jedi; that was the reason why a few prospective Jedi wanted her as a master, but also some of them had to be written off while in training for whatever reasons they may have, most often personal in nature.

"However, you will soon discover that there really is more to Jedi-hood than just joining and attaining rank with them"

 

[Jsc]

Ah. Of course. The temptation to believe that because you were magic, you were also special. The exception. No doubt this was a pitfall that all Force Sensitives eventually succumbed to. For it was very easy to believe that with magic, came invulnerability.

Alas. Sometimes Corsica wondered if it wasn't the other way around entirely.

"I see. Well then. I look forward to becoming your Padawan and doing my best to respect the Jedi traditions. And again. Thanks for making time for me. It really is impressive to be allowed to be your student. Hehe."

CInto nodded and readied herself for whatever came next.

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"Beyond knowing your own limitations, which allows you to keep arrogance and overconfidence under control, patience is also a virtue that so many people that fancy themselves Jedi seem to lack to varying extents. Yes, are were situations where time is at a premium, just that rushing is not always the best solution"

Only when I will actually talk about light-and-dark in greater depth will I even talk about spirit ichor and ask about her knowledge of probability and linear algebra. The alignment operator. I know few Jedi would even know anything about eigenvalues and linear algebra to begin with, so it may affect how I will explain it to her, Jessica thought, while realizing that it will, down the road, make [member="Corsica Cinto"] realize that denomination and alignment were actually distinct entities, while also realizing that she is headed in the direction of what makes people fall to the dark side. Hubris, impatience and overconfidence were common drivers, but she is on the fence abot emotional attachments. As much as people in the post-Ruusan environment, and well into the Clone Wars, warned about forming attachments, due to the hazards of the dark side, the same could also happen in reverse, too. For now, she would simply be asking whether there is anything of interest she would like to learn as far as Force-skills were concerned.

"In fact, there are so many paths to the dark side, such as arrogance, overconfidence and impatience, that I could spend hours talking about what makes each path to the dark side, well, a path to the dark side. Sometimes there is value in letting someone else do the job. That being said, is there any specific skill you would like to learn about the Force?"

 

[Jsc]

Corsica shrugged,

"Specific? No. Not really. I take no fancy in the specific magicks of the Jedi. However, perhaps you might enlighten me once again. When a Padawan is trained he must do so in preparation for his Trials. It is my understanding that passing these trials, or tests, allows him to fulfill himself and gain entry into Knighthood. So... If I too must prepare for a trial? Then. I suppose I must have a need of whatever skills, abilities, or magicks a Padawan should possess."

It was just math really. With a Jedi Trial being the only solution that Corsica knew of. She must surly then, prepare for it.

"Tell me then Jess. What Force Abilities must a Padawan possess in order to prepare for their trials? I would surly know those."

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"Let's just say that, these days, Trials are often passed as a result of field missions. Sometimes more than one Trial can be passed in the same mission, depending on what happened in the mission. You seem to be more concerned about the Trials of Courage and Skill"

There were five Trials total; Courage and Skill, along with Flesh, were those that most padawans were concerned about in her mind. Spirit and Insight were more personal than the other three; she did hear about some tales of the more exotic Trials of Insight, such as preparing an entire family's tax returns (and the return in question contained a rather hefty list of what the Talz called non-refundable tax credits, as well as CCA calculations, which she learned caused nightmares to Talz non-accountants; then again Griet was an accountant). Insight was her favorite Trial to administer, because it allowed to keep Jedi in check if properly administered; it starts from the premise that, while one can defeat foes as formidable as Sith Lords, one can be undone by much more mundane means. But she could feel that [member="Corsica Cinto"] was possibly to become one of those Jedi that could fall prey to short-sightedness because she asked about the content of the Trials and what's necessary to pass them. Just that a Force-power is a skill to be learned for the long haul in her mind.

"Don't look at a skill in relation as to where it fits in the Trials; look at where a skill fits your long-term needs instead. Force-healing is often well-appreciated in most any mission where first aid may well have to be administered, either on yourself or on others"

 

[Jsc]

Corsica laughed,

"Well. If the trials of Knighthood can be substituted so easily for mere field missions then I may have already passed mine in excess. Haha."

She smirked and nodded with good intent,

"You see. A few years ago I too found myself lost in the Netherworld. Along with many folks, if the news is to be believed. Back then, I was forced to claw my way out. Losing more than one good friend in the hustle and bustle of a broken galaxy that followed. Back then. I lost even my connection to the Force. So I learned the hard way how relying completely on your magic is a good way to end up overspecialized and probably dead too."

Her face changed to an expression of loss and regret. Still unsure of just how she had survived such an ordeal. Still mindful of how it had effected her training in the years that followed. How dramatically her views on the galaxy had changed.

"Anyway. I've bored you long enough. We're here to talk about the Jedi religion. Not meander about the past."

She sighed and nodded again.

"So. Force Healing eh? Long term growth and all that... Very well. I suppose it must be an appropriate thing for a Padawan to learn. Why not?"

Cinto rubbed a spot off her glass helm. Thinking quietly about the days to come.

"Force healing it is then."

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"Before the actual lesson begins, I have a few things to say. First, don't expect near-instant healing every time you use Force-healing! I know someone on whom it took seven hours of Force-healing to cure a terminal-stage cancer. Also, here impatience can make things worse, in that you may induce cancers without wanting it"

Oops. It seems to get me every time I teach Force-healing: I can't help but think of this... arrogant Jedi that fancied herself a Force-healer but was so untrustworthy that not even the Geonosian authorities trusted her at the time. Even the Force-healer involved in the aforementionned cancer case, which today is much, much better known as a fleeter than as a Force-healer, was still good enough as a therapist to still meet the then-very low Geonosian standards for healthcare, and she was somehow involved in a high-profile malpractice case that made her give up on therapy, Jessica thought, while also realizing that she heard tales of people who induced cancers into patients (probably lacerations, hemorrages or broken bones) because of a lack of patience on the healer's part. But she would probably expect to raise a brow on [member="Corsica Cinto"] after she just mentioned cancers. She also began to scour the refugee camp for an injured refugee; said refugee would be grateful for Force-healing once in use. After a while, she located a patient that came from Shri-Tal with second-degree burns in tow.

"Diagnosis is critical since, here, you'd be using the Force as medication"

 

[Jsc]

Corsica nodded to [member="Jessica Med-Beq"] and eyed the refugee with sudden interest. They were sleeping and accompanied only by a small boy. Cinto approached their tent and pulled up a chair. The boy said nothing. Content to keep drawing on his small chalkboard. His phone he ignored too. So Corsica leaned closer to the injured sleeper. The bandages around their head and arms told a horrible story. They were indeed, badly burned. Causing Corsica to lean back in her chair and sigh.

"I'm sorry Jess. I'm afraid I don't even have the slightest clue as to how to proceed. Perhaps you could demonstrate and I could watch you in the Force?"

Perhaps an example was in order.

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

An example was in order all right, and students like [member="Corsica Cinto"] would typically show some gratitude afterward. Already the diagnosis was made on this particular patient: the time has come for Jessica to use the Force as one would a burn dressing. Stimulating the patient's healing was one thing, but diagnosis was important because the Force could be used a myriad of ways to do just that, and finding the right cure was crucial for that to work properly. Sure, shedding dead skin tissue was the first part, and then she could begin to stimulate tissue growth, with a delicate application of Force-energy so that, slowly but surely, it can grow back the tissue in the area where the burn occurred. And yet, stimulating the growth of each type of tissue would prove to be different for each burned tissue on the patient's upper body; after about twenty minutes or so, the process was largely completed and then a new bandage could be applied to the burn, with actual dressing on it. So, in a matter of days, he should be fully healed; the next injured sleeper next to Corsica had a broken arm.

"One more thing, before you can effect an attempt on the patient on the other side: just because you can use the Force to heal, does not mean you shouldn't take precautions. For example, if you want to treat broken bones, such as the patient next to you, you may wish to numb its nerves around the broken bone, and also immobilize it, before you can attempt growing back the bone to repair it"

 

[Jsc]

Corsica watched [member="Jessica Med-Beq"] work. Both with her eyes and within the Force. Learning not just by seeing but also by letting the thoughts, emotions, faith, and light of Jessica combine slowly into a miracle. This refugee was healing.

However. Cinto was not astonished nor was she naive. Being a force user herself, she already knew that it's magics could defy reality. So her facial expression was not one of grandeur as the refugee began to heal, but one of thoughtful interest. Noticing that she herself could have done it differently.

"Interesting."

Corsica placed her helmet aside and knelled down next to the refugee with a broken arm. Careful not to awaken them.

"Gods guide me." Cinto prayed as she slowly began to close her eyes.

Filling herself with the Force, Corsica reached out and touched the spirit of the refugee before her. Quickly allowing the golden ebb and flow of the mystic current to fill her mind. Alas, Cinto was no Jedi. The Gray techniques she had learned her whole life to rely upon were not of Ashla nor of Bogan. She was not a paragon of the light nor a slave of the dark. Thusly, there was no endowment of knowledge nor of power. Her jurisdiction was alien to this technique. Balance was not the domain of healing. It was of The Light. Therefore, the Force was quiet. Still. Little more than gentle water upon her mind. Nothing moving. Nothing gained. Nothing transpired. And so, Corsica eventually relented. Slowly rising up from the waters of the Force and opening her eyes.

"I'm sorry Jess. But my faith in the Gray grants me neither knowledge nor power here. I cannot heal this man."

It was a terrible fact of magic. That a Gray cannot heal with the Light. For without faith in the Jedi nor in their alignment? There can be no miracle.

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"If you cannot heal with the light, perhaps a discussion about light and darkness is in order"

Now is the time to talk in greater depth about light and darkness, I guess, Jessica thought, while [member="Corsica Cinto"] must have realized that Jessica's purity in the light was not simply high enough for performing Force-healing, but also high enough for Force-powered phosphorescence. Which, in Jessica's mind, required a high level of purity in the light, and the expectation value of the alignment operator must be 0.8 or above. Speaking of the alignment operator, it could return the values 1, 0 or -1 with probabilities a, b and c respectively, and, by convention, the eigenvalue 1 is taken to mean light and -1, dark, with the expectation value being what determines the person's or object's alignment. That expectation value is equal to a2-c2 since a, b and c are chosen such as a2+b2+c2 = 1 and the alignment operator is therefore unitary. Just that she couldn't assume Corsica would even understand what eigenvalues are, or what quantum operators do. Nor what spirit ichor even are, in her mind: subatomic particles, bosons more specifically. She wouldn't even want to get started down this path at this point.

"Light and darkness are mostly about how the Force is used; serenity, inner peace, calmness and other positive emotions, such as joy and happiness, are channelable emotions when the light gets used, while darkness is more about using negative emotions for the purposes of the Force, such as anger, fear, sadness and hatred. Also, shifting one's alignment is not instant either, but perhaps you would want to revisit Force-healing at a later date for this reason. Oh, you have to remember that the light can keep your appearance youthful so long as you don't abuse the Force nor fall to the dark, while dark-siders often tend to show corruption, especially if they make a heavy use of the Force"

 

[Jsc]

It was a prominent weakness of Cinto's to care about the way she looked. Vanity being paramount. So when [member="Jessica Med-Beq"] mentioned the Force keeping one youthful? It sparked a deeper interest in the ways of the Jedi than most other topics. Alas, a weakness it still was. Beauty being held loosely in the eye of the beholder. So it would likely do little for Corsica's karma.

"How one uses it? Ah, I see. Channeling positive emotions. I can understand this. Though, I have little experience concentrating like so. Pity."

Corsica frowned as she said that. Even for all her power and magical experience, she was still a child in the ways of the Jedi. However, she was glad to hear that it could be learned. Given enough time and action.

"Perhaps I will meditate on this. Focus on the benevolent and seek an endowment of knowledge from the Force. Perhaps in a place of great power. Yes. I think that might help."

Cinto looked up and quickly remembered where they were. A refugee camp with much ado going on. It was best not to linger on traveling to a Force Nexus just yet.

"Sorry. I should focus on the present, for the time being. Was there... Anything else you wanted to show me?"