Storm Chasing

[Minna Balin]

​

LOCATION: DEEP SPACE, ABOARD THE JAWSOME
EQUIPMENT: IN BIO
CURRENT MOOD: CURIOUS

The sounds of combat echoed through the bright white corridors of the Jawsome. Grunting, the sounds of punches being thrown and taken, the cries of victory and defeat from the combatants. The sounds were coming from the training room. A verifiable menagerie of exercise equipment, and a cleared mat, where two beings engaged in a hand-to-hand brawl.

On one side, a tall blue Gungan, a serious expression plastered on his billed face. His exercise clothes, dark against his wrinkled skin, were soaked through with sweat. Despite the exertion and moderate heat, he appeared to be reluctant to shed his poncho, which flapped around him as he moved, alongside his long haillu.

On the other side, a short woman. Also wearing tight-fit, dark clothes, she was just as sweaty. She moved with the fluidity of a Teras Kasi expert, dodging the Gungan's jabs, and responding with an arching kick over her back, or a spinning handstand, or vaulting over his back. But it was obvious she was tiring, as each movement, each impressive twist or handstand, or kick, was slowing.

The two combatants flowed around each other, a dangerous dance that left them both exhausted. Finally, the Gungan crouched low, and swept the woman's legs, who was too tired to jump out of the way. She fell hard, letting out a yelp of pain.

The mood shifted quickly, from intense concentration to quiet worry. The Gungan kneeled down, and inspected his smaller opponent, who managed to sit up, holding her shoulder.

"Issa yoosa okay?" the Gungan said, his deep voice cautious. It was one of the few times Minna heard him speak, but every time, she was surprised by his bassy voice, and hesitant countenance.

"Yeah, I'm alright, Nibal Han." Minna grit her teeth, massaging her shoulder. "Just landed wrong, 's'all."

The Gungan nodded once in affirmation, and left the training area, apparently satisfied with the response. "Y'know, you could show a little more concern." Minna smiled, and stood up, albeit a little shakily. She knew he was a man of few words, and fewer emotions. He looked back once, his face inscrutable. The equivalent of a smile.

"That was good. Just a little break, then we..." Minna's breath caught in her throat. Something had gotten her attention.

A subtle singing, right in her ears, projected into her brain. The woman shook her head, trying to banish the sound, but it didn't help. The song was strange. High pitched, one tone, but she could swear there was a melody hidden within it.

Nibal Han walked over again, crouching by her side. "Concussion?"

"Uh... No. Don't think so." She stood up, and looked around. Nothing like this had ever happened to her. But she knew how the Force felt within her. And right now, something was stirring it. "Maybe. But I think we have to go somewhere."

"Where to?"

"Don't know." The pair of them walked out of the training room, grabbing towels to dry themselves off. They arrived on the bridge, and Minna eased herself gingerly into the chair. She began typing in coordinates. Where, she had no idea. She just did what felt right.

"But I wanna find out."

- [member="Xos"] -

 

[Xos]

Location: Baran Do Temple​

Status: Waiting​

Breathing, patience, the force. Flowing like a breeze, like the drifting of water through a grid, through a fish, slipping through the Baran Do who sat peacefully. Letting the force carry his mind like a leaf in an eternal wind, through time and space, through life and death, through the force. It took him forwards, just slightly, a presence, a quiet song speaking to him. Another, a friend, passing, coming to. His eyes drifted open calmly, standing and taking his staff and walking out of the meditation chamber, he could feel them. Not a warning, a greeting, from the force. Someone was being sent, brought to the temple.

He let a piece of joy drift in the air around him, easily noticeable by the others, like a smile. He put a hand on the shoulder of another, speaking in Kel Dor "We are going to have a visitor." ​He said with a pat before heading outside, patiently awaiting them, he had a rebreather on him, just in case they happened to not know of Dorin's environment being a danger to most other species.

Then, he simply sat down, looking off into space, watching, waiting, feeling, his wooden staff he put down on his lap. The other Sages were quite used to him doing things like this, he'd meditate just about anywhere and mention the future on a fairly casual basis, it's just the way life was around here. Calm, peaceful, and ingrained in the force.

[member="Minna Balin"]

 

[Minna Balin]

The Jawsome dropped out of hyperspace over a celestial marvel. A planet, brown and swirling with storms, situated between two black holes. Minna could hardly believe it. The ship, even at this distance, was beginning to creak, sucked in two different directions. Getting down to that planet would be difficult.

And somehow, she knew she needed to get down to the planet.

"Where are we?" Minna asked, staring out the viewport with awe. That singing, that melody, was clearer now. It called to her from the planet's surface. She felt as if they didn't start moving now, she would be pulled through the transparisteel.

"Dorin," Nibal Han grunted, handing her a datapad. His eyes were wide as well. "Yousa be needin' to wearin' a breather."

Minna took the device, and scanned it, her brow furrowing with each passing second.

"Why? Why call me here?"

- - -​

​

The ride down was bumpy, to say the least. Minna was no ace pilot, and she was sure the Jawsome had some superficial damage on entry. Eventually, she set the star yacht down in a starport, the exit ramp hissing as it dispensed it's cargo. Minna stepped off, wearing her armor. It had a filter, and it would protect her from whatever was about to happen.

She also stepped off with her full kit of weapons. She had all the permits for them, which turned out to be very important, as the Kel Dor officials seemed to feel very strongly about their laws. But, after a little vetting, they let her pass, into Dor'Shan proper. It was a beautiful city, with a people that would nod at her as they passed. Their friendliness managed to assuage some of her nerves.

"Alright, I'm here," Minna said to herself, her voice slightly metallic through the helmet. "What did you want to show me?"

The bounty hunter picked a direction, and walked, picking her way cautiously among the stalls and vendors of an open market.

- [member="Xos"] -

 

[Xos]

Closer and closer the presence came, and clearer, he began to have. Walking outside the temple walls, he wouldn't have to go too far they were quite within the city, it was after all very important to be nearby. He reached out, not aggressively, passively, peacefully, into the force. Seeking just where their visitor might be, as he walked he could almost feel like he heard speaking. Feel, buyers and sellers, passing by. Not by him.

So he kept forwards, taking in the sensation, until he felt he was very near. A strong sensation that whoever had been called, was just out of sight. So he did what he often did, he reached out with the force, telepathically. It wasn't invasive, or forced, it was simple, gentle words, not much different then if it were carried by the voice, trying to connect, "Do you know why you are here?" it was a question that was not always answered by either party in situations like this, often times Xos himself was not informed of the details of his visions. So it felt an important inquiry.

Regardless, he would soon find them, and perhaps the answer to their question. If they did come into his view, it would be likely he could sense it one last time before the pull released itself, knowing he had discovered who he was supposed to look for. If she saw him first, perhaps it would be similar, it depended on her and what exactly the force was guiding her to.

[member="Minna Balin"]

 

[Minna Balin]

Minna was taking the time to admire the wares of the market. Most of it was electronic goods; rebreathers for off-world tourists, blasters, datapads, and heavy clothes. That last one caught her off-guard. She'd seen large storms while she was entering the atmosphere with Nibal Han. Did those storms reach the planet's surface?

She didn't want to find out, that's for sure.

Her initial query hadn't been answered. Which made sense. As she understood it, the Force wasn't a person. It couldn't talk to her. But if it wasn't speaking to her, that means something did, to bring her here. It gnawed at the recesses of Minna's mind, distracting her from the moment.

She thought she heard a voice behind her.

Minna's head jerked as she checked behind, her helmet's HUD taking in what information it could. She saw a larger building in the distance, maybe a temple, in that direction. No one was talking to her. What had just happened? She turned around fully, and narrowed her eyes behind her helmet, trying to deduce the situation.

"No," she said out loud, unsure what else to do. "I don't. Do you?"

That temple... Something about it felt right, but Minna couldn't put her finger on the sensation. She began to walk to the Baran Do Temple, unsure of what it was, or who would be waiting for her.

- [member="Xos"] -

 

[Xos]

She responded, and thanks to the force, he could hear it, "Possibly, the force told me you were coming, but not why." Xos told her, she was drawing in towards the temple, wonderful, then they were both on the right track he felt. Perhaps, he had a job to do, and perhaps she had something to learn. "I am Xos Drikre of the Baran Do, welcome to Dorin."

Xos could make out her image better now from here, the force amplifying his senses, he used his staff, balancing on top of it on his right foot so that it and him were both upright, his left leg wrapped around his right as he looked out into the distance, yes, he felt this was right, that was the one to whom he was speaking. The one who the Force had shown to him as coming.

He dropped off the staff which flicked into his hand and took long steps towards her, not slow but not exactly fast either. Intending to meet her along the way so she wouldn't have to try and come all the way to the temple before they could speak. But still, there was a little bit of walking to do. She was quite armored he noted, but that was fine, many were. And on this planet, sometimes that was necessary. Though the temple would happily accept people into its halls when the storms came.

"Please, come, and we can speak, discover what it is the force is asking of us."


[member="Minna Balin"]

 

[Minna Balin]

Minna heard that voice in her mind again, speaking with a calm and measured cadence. Her eyes naturally darted around again, even as she knew it was only in her mind. It was difficult to tell if this voice in her head was lying to her, there were no tells to examine. If he wasn't, she could relax.

She was about to respond, when she felt a sudden urge to turn her head. She saw a Kel Dor approaching, even as she walked for the temple, and knew that she was here to see him. Knew as well as she knew her name was Adamina. Her footsteps faltered as a certain clarity overtook her mind. It was as if a fog rose from her mind, letting her clearly see the path ahead.

She'd never felt anything like this before. She had the Force, that she knew. But in this very moment, it was as if the Force had her.

The young bounty hunter recovered quickly, and walked up with mildly hesitant steps, closing the gap between them. Behind her helmet, Minna looked Xos up and down, taking stock of him. A long cane. Robes. Had he said Baran Do?

"I'm Minna," the girl said, with far less certainty, tempering her usually-bombastic introduction. As the Master suggested they walked, Minna stepped to his side, and tried to match his pace as best she could.

"Baran Do," she said, working out the alien syllables. She kept her eyes on the temple ahead, drinking in the beauty of the architecture. "What is that?"

There had to be a reason she was here. It couldn't just be to meet a Kel Dor mystic.

Could it?

- [member="Xos"] -

 

[Xos]

She was at least willing to grow closer, wonderful, and answered with her name as well as he approached and they matched pace, he bowed his head, "A pleasure." he said, then asking about the Baran Do. Understandable, it was mostly exclusive to Dorin though they'd spread slightly, they'd made mostly one off world deal, but only individuals had ventured, not the organization as a whole. He chuckled in response,

"Force Sensitives, Sages. We learn through the force to foresee dangers, originally, our whole purpose was to predict disaster on our planet. Such as storms or earthquakes." He answered, as they got closer, the large temple would be more clear, it wasn't as big as the main Jedi Temples but it was still rather sizable. And in particular to note was the two solid black walls to symbolize the two black holes of Dorin's system, it was perhaps an unusual or even intimidating sight to some, but it was special. He responded, "Meditation, inner peace, foresight, the senses, these are the things we specialize in. Think of us as a kind of environmental version of the Jedi order, but with less restrictive rules. We're not warriors as a whole, but more akin to prophets or seers."

He paused for a moment, though kept step, "Well, we do technically have fighting classes but the vast majority of us ignore the martial arts and more combative applications of our abilities. Tell me, the force, it has...spoken, to both of us, about this. Perhaps not with words, but in its own way. If the force called you to us, well, perhaps there is something we can help you with. I have no issue with trying to help someone on matters of the force, from meditation to it's more combative applications. I quite enjoy teaching. Perhaps that is why you are here, to learn, as many of us have, the ways of the force." he chuckled again as he finished, yes Xos enjoyed it quite a bit. The ability to help others was exactly the type of life he wanted to lead. And often times, these days, that meant trying to help others. Sometimes he learned things along the way, even if he wasn't told them directly. The act of teaching itself, could be a way to learn.

[member="Minna Balin"]

 

[Minna Balin]

Minna had to take quicker steps to keep up with the taller man, but quickly fell into a comfortable pace. She held her hands together behind her back, happy to look around as she listened to the Baran Do Master Drikre talk about his order. She could appreciate the practicality of it's origins. It wasn't for something superficial like 'saving the galaxy', nor was it selfish. It was about helping people, predicting those storms Minna had been concerned about.

"Prophets and seers" Minna repeated, pointedly not looking at the Kel Dor. Never really believed them, she didn't say. Instead, she unlaced her fingers, and balanced her hands on her hips. The Baran Do weren't warriors, evident as Xos continued his explanation, even if they perhaps once were, given their martial culture.

The explanation left her with a lot of questions, and didn't answer her first question. Her real question. Why was she here?

But the Kel Dor did so after.

"Training?" Minna perked up at the word. She had never learned the ways of Jedi, Sith, or any other order. Yet, as a bounty hunter, training had been paramount in her life. It had to be, for her to be a step ahead in her hunts. She took a tool, or a skill, and worked with it until it became a part of her. But she could never do that with the Force.

"I do have the Force," Minna said, picking her words carefully, not quite sure how to phrase it. "And I've tried, so hard, to figure it out. So I can use it, reliably. But I can't seem to wrap my head around it, y'know?"

"I just don't know enough about it." She narrowed her eyes. "Anything about it, really."

"I could use some help with that," she muttered, more to herself than the Seer. Then, with fire in her voice, "If you're willing to teach, I'd be willing to learn."


- [member="Xos"] -

 

[Xos]

He nodded in confirmation as she said training, it made sense to him. It was generally the reason the force called him to someone in the past, or who searched him out. He nodded his head as she said she couldn't seem to wrap her head around it, he knew that feeling, though arguably, in the wrong direction. He had nightly visions that were sometimes all too painful for him, he had to learn control, and to accept that not everyone was so naturally kind hearted as he was.

As she said she was willing to learn, there was a sense of joy that could be felt rolling off of him. "Then I will happily show you whatever I can. And don't worry too much about having not gotten it in the past, sometimes, there's nothing we can do alone to speed up the process ourselves, but rather it has to be brought to us. In my case, it was through struggle. But not everyone has to deal with that."

They grew closer to the Temple and would pass it's gates quickly, the Temple itself being just further down the pathway made for it. "I should perhaps ask if you'd rather do it inside the temple, outside, or in a ship. The ships were designed so we can accommodate other species if necessary. So if you find it hard to meditate with your helmet or a rebreather on, this could be wise. Humans can withstand Dorin gas for a time, but to most other species, it is indeed toxic. And I know meditation may sound boring, but truly, it is the gateway to learning beyond what has been taught to you. It's the whole reason we were able to learn the ways of the force without any outside help. So that even if you're own your own, you may still learn."

[member="Minna Balin"]

 

[Minna Balin]

Minna smiled behind the helmet at Xos' acceptance. Despite training being his idea, she half expected the Kel Dor to laugh in her face. But the joy that exuded from him, even her untrained senses could pick up. Her own eagerness was equally strong, broadcasted

She quietly kept stride with the master, listening to what he was saying with a new attentiveness, while still admiring the temple. Now that they were within the walls, it was even more striking. It was ancient, probably from before Minna's understanding of history. It was never her best subject.

"I've meditated before," Minna protested, trying to keep the guilt from her voice. It was the truth, she'd had to meditate when she was learning Teräs Käsi with her father. 'It's an art of both the body and the mind,' her father had said. But, even though she did know how, she did think that particular aspect of the martial art was boring, and usually pretended to meditate, letting her mind run, going through the combat stances in her head instead.

But it obviously did something for the Baran Do. So she might as well give it another try.

Minna thought for a moment on Xos' choice, laid before her. Temple, outside, or ship?

"The temple," she said, with a nod. "I can ditch the armor. Gonna need to borrow a rebreather, though." Her reasoning was a selfish one. She wanted to see Xos, and the rest of the Baran Do, in their natural habitat.

And she wanted to see the inside of that beautiful temple.

- [member="Xos"] -

 

[Xos]

Ah splendid, she'd meditated in the past. That would help somewhat, he just had to help guide her along the route, help her turn the meditation from what she had learned into an alternative form so to speak. To access not just her own body, but the force, let it all flow through more easily, let her feel and guide the force, and be guided by it more easily.

He nodded as she mentioned needing a rebreather, and he pulled up the rebreather he had brought with him, "Well isn't that fortunate." he said with a chuckle. Of course he too preferred the temple. It was made for them, marble and stone, simple, and those black walls, chambers specifically for meditating. It was exactly what they needed. The ship could be more environmentally friendly to outsiders, but the temple was more special, more seeped in the light not just because of it's history but because of how many Sages meditated here.

Xos would nod at some of the Sages as they past by, naturally, they would glance at [member="Minna Balin"] as well, recognizing her as an outsider. But there was no ill will to be found, they happily accepted outsiders so long as they weren't going to do anything. Though they did keep their eyes open. Some would even cast waves or greetings in their direction.

Perhaps it was because they were not some massive fighting force like the Jedi that they could be so willing to let in outsiders, so willing to be open to them. Regardless, it was peaceful this way, and Xos liked that. When they would enter, Minna could see the tall hallways, white pillars rising to the roof which sparkled like the night sky, while the floor was made of brown permacrete to resemble the ground of the planet. In spite of being inside, it felt quite open, safe, but one with the world. "I love this place, I mostly grew up here, it's always been so peaceful. If there wasn't something for me to do all the time, I don't think I'd ever leave." he said happily looking up at the roof as they walked, this was home to him. A place of meditation and peace, one with the world, but a creation of the Kel Dor. Peace and unity with the force, always what he had wanted.

Soon enough they could find their way to a meditation room, which were also fairly open, and had various cushions or chairs, convenient for sitting or even laying down long term. The room was simple but pleasing to the eyes whether it was well lit or dark, so that even if those meditating had their eyes open, they wouldn't be bombarded or straining.

[member="Minna Balin"]


[member="Minna Balin"]

 

[Minna Balin]

"Thanks." Minna took off her helmet with one hand, and swiped the rebreather with her other. It revealed her face for the first time to Xos, a youthful woman just out of childhood, the sparkle of determination in her eye. She didn't put the rebreather on immediately. The man had said humans could survive the atmosphere?

Minna took in a long sniff through her nose. No oxygen, yet her lungs did fill, and she wasn't coughing or suffocating. Perhaps not as much air as she wanted. She was tempted to take another breath, but stopped herself, putting the rebreather over her mouth and nose. She couldn't help but wonder if this is how the Kel Dor felt when off of Dorin. Only a face mask to protect one from a galaxy not built for your kind.

But then they got to what she had wanted since she arrived planetside; the temple.

Minna smiled and waved at every Baran Do practitioner they passed, even though her face was half-covered, and they probably couldn't tell anyways. The openness of it all was something else completely alien to the bounty hunter. Where she usually went, there was no end of suspicion and caution. Even the Jedi would take offense to an outside brought inside their walls to learn. But not so here.

It was refreshing.

Everything was just as pretty as she could have hoped for. She almost forgot what she was here for, and had to fight back her ooh's and ah's. But she was here for training, and she would do her best to impress. That meant she couldn't stop every ten seconds and stare at the ceiling, or the earthy floor, or the pillars, or that hallway full of Baran Do trainees.

Of course, Minna listened to Xos as he reminisced. Her eyes shot to the floor, and one gloved hand cradled the back of her head. "Am I distracting you from something you're supposed to be doing today?" He said he was busy all the time. Maybe her unexpected entrance had interrupted him from a busy schedule.

She entered into the meditation chamber, expecting a cold, hard floor. Instead, there were comfortable cushions and chairs. With a cursory look at Xos, Minna began undoing the clasps of her armor, until she was left with a black body glove, and the rebreather.

"So, what's the first step?"

- [member="Xos"] -

 

[Xos]

Xos watched as she switched to the rebreather and they kept going. She certainly seemed to by quite willing to wave back at the Sages, that was nice. Some of his visitors were a little more formal about things. It was just extra cheerful for him when people were friendly like that.

He shook his head as she asked him if she was distracting him from his jobs, "No no, I was given enough time, this is as much my job as helping the Baran Do directly is." ​he said happily. Eventually Minna removed her armor as they got into the chamber, a body glove that was convenient. Loose robes were easier, but she was probably used to the way the glove fit so perhaps that was best.

He gestured to the cushions and sat down himself, "We relax."

Setting his hands down on his lap, the force flowing through him, and intentionally, he tried to make it almost feel tangible. "Make yourself feel comfortable, enough so that you don't have to move, and if you do, you don't have to think about it. Shut your eyes. Let your mind feel loose, and light, not whimsical, but like a leaf in water. Feel the force flow," he attempted to make that force within him move forwards, lightly, gently, not physically, but to move to her to, so that she could feel it more then on her own. It was what helped him with some, to help them feel the force, or recognize it. Often they caught on quickly, sometimes it took a few tries, "The way it drifts, moving through and around us. A constant, an absolute, but a peaceful one. Gentle. Let it guide your mind, just as you will learn to be able to guide it, to lead it to accomplish something. Like a friend. One without a single language, one that communicates not through just words. But through the heart, and the mind, through life."

[member="Minna Balin"]

 

[Minna Balin]

Minna started when Xos sat down on one of the chairs. In her former training, meditation and relaxation did not go hand-in-hand. In her previous experience, she'd sat down in a specific way, and was told to focus. And to keep that focus for a long time. It was difficult, but she heard it became easier the more you did it. She'd never quite gotten it.

She hesitated there, between so many options, but then with a sudden burst of clarity, stepped up to a cushion, and laid down. She was always the most relaxed when she was on her back, so she could watch the sky. The feeling almost translated over as she stared at the Baran Do ceiling, cradling her head in her hands.

"Can do," she said, letting her eyes drift close. Darkness... Darkness... Darkness...

The back of her eyelids.

Minna struggled to lighten her mind, fighting the urge to think. Even as the sage kept talking, pushing the Force toward her, as it tried to pass through her self, it crashed and seperated around her mental walls, even as she pulled them down brick by frustrating brick. By the time Xos had finished his talk about how the Force was like a friend, Minna had managed to fight off a few stray thoughts, but all of her focus was there.
And not on the Force.

- [member="Xos"] -

 

[Xos]

She laid down, he chuckled but kept it quiet enough so she wouldn't feel any mockery. It was just that way for some, he'd always found it just a little amusing but had no real criticism for it. If it made them relaxed, good. As he tried to prompt her forwards, he sensed a change but...he didn't sense her fully accept it. Almost like she was...busy perhaps. Hm, that'd happened before, just had to figure out what it was.

"Loosen your mind, feel, take your time. Let thoughts pass, rather then be suppressed completely. Let emotions flow past, rather then be shut down and hidden. Don't feel pressure to move quickly, we have time." he said, his voice was calm, soothing, it was both instinctive, and something he found had helped many of those he had taught. Regardless of age or experience. It was not mono-tone, but it was not intense in any way either. It let itself be received, without being forced into ones mind.

He realized he should have asked if he could sense her thoughts before they began, he didn't like invading, though it would help him see what he needed to do. But it was further along now, unless they stopped, he wanted to see if she could come to this on her own, just with a bit more guidance.

[member="Minna Balin"]

 

[Minna Balin]

When Xos finally began speaking again, Minna let out a big breath, giving up her inner battle for a moment. So far, it had been like her former experiences. She tried, really tried, to meditate, but it seemed the harder she tried, the harder it was. Her brain was already beginning to hurt, and they had barely began.

But as the master spoke, the student listened. She processed the new information with a deliberate scrutiny, looking for the breakthrough she needed. Loosen her mind? Wouldn't that mean more thoughts would enter her head?

Well, there's obviously something to it, she repeated to herself.

Minna retreated back into her mind, and did as Xos said; she stopped her war. And she let thoughts pass.

She thought about her former meditations. Time spent with her father, where he could somehow sit still for hours, and she could barely sit still for fifteen minutes. She thought about the cabin on Bakura, the holovid nights they shared, the weapon training in the clearing. The hours in that clearing were easily some of the best in her life. Not just weapons, but other skills. Always use your mind. Never let it run idle. Maybe that's why she was having so much trouble with this? She was taught to never stop thinking. She just had too many thoughts in her head. How was Nibal Han? Would he go out in search of her? She'd contacted him, but maybe he'd get suspicious. He's probably fine... How's Dad? He's probably fine too. Probably planning one of his big jobs. He's been talking about the Clone Wars recently... I wonder what it was like, living before the Darkness... Probably a lot lighter...

As each thought passed, Minna felt her frustration ebb. This went on for twenty minutes, as Minna slowly, but methodically, let her inner monologue drain away, until there was nothing but herself. Every once and a while, a thought would pop up, and instead of stamping it out, she watched it pass.

A peaceful smile etched it's way across her face, and her eyes began to flutter behind her eyelids. She was, finally, at peace, as if she were a leaf, perched atop the surface of a lazy river. It was a soft, familiar feeling, even though she was sure she'd never felt it before.

And she let the river take her, just like the Sage said.

- [member="Xos"] -

 

[Xos]

Time, piece by piece she seemed to become more free from thought, he continued, patiently waiting as her thoughts lightened up. In time, she became free to the force. Good, that was just where she needed to be, so when he spoke, he spoke softly, his words just enough to get through, soft enough to be ignored if one chose, "Very good, now, just feel. The way that movement, that living beings, that even the very planet we're on, moves with the force, just like you. No need to respond, just feel at first. Take your time, let each thing feel through you, like a soft ripple in a calm water. You can sense it, without being force to, you must let yourself calm, to see." He said.

It was best to go little by little when it came to meditation among the Baran Do, one of the most important aspects was their patience, in Xos's case, sometimes a little too much. But for meditation, it was perfect. Take one's time. Remain calm, not by force, just be patience and time. It was the way of the Baran Do, and the way of Xos Drikre.

He of course, obeyed his own advice as they went, almost as if he was demonstrating, though they perhaps hadn't gotten that far yet. He did work to try and help her along through the force, but he did not force anything. All he did was prompt, the gift was her own, the connection was her own, her choice was her own. All he was, was a guide.

"And, when you feel like it, reach out, don't push it, just like dipping your finger in the water. Like softly blowing on a candle to make it flicker but not go out. Doesn't matter how you reach out, move a pillow, a pen, even if all it is, is to push a feeling, or make the air drift. And let it happen through you, let the force guide you as much as you guide it." The words were the way that someone like Xos learned to work with the force, a friendship, not a commandment. He always believed, one's work with the force, was not an order, but a request. It was why the force could simple cease to act for non-sentients like the Ysalamir, it chose to let them be. At least, that's what it was to him.

[member="Minna Balin"]

 

[Minna Balin]

She did not ignore his words. Neither did she study them, like she usually would. Instead, she let the cadence take her, and absentmindedly followed the instructions Xos set before her. She felt all around her, no longer quite aware of the cushion under her, or even the darkness of her eyelids.

There was just an energy. One that she floated upon, not quite breaking the surface tension. But she felt a deep yearning in the pit of her gut, one she'd felt since before she could remember; the yearning to try.

So she did. In her mind, she felt below her, running imaginary fingers through the river of the Force. And she pulled up.

Minna's Force abilities had always most-easily manifested themselves in her physical self, through Enhance Attribute, a gift she'd had for some time. It was the one thing that had always came easily to her. It was natural for her to funnel the raw power of the Force through her muscles, her nerves, her eyes. In her peaceful state, it was no different.

She felt the river course through her body, a constant, warm sensation. It sent tingles throughout her bones, and lit up her brain with sensations like a skylight on a Coruscanti veranda. Her skin began to prickle as the Force overtook her, and her smile fell away, replaced with a plain, peaceful expression.

"Wow."

It was all she could say.

- [member="Xos"] -

 

[Xos]

Xos sensed it, the flowing, the rush, the connection with the force as it worked with her. That was good, it helped him as well. It made him happy when others achieved that state of peace that now shown on her face. The force, it was simple, but people, they were not. And that was all that made things hard between them.

"Wow."

A simple word, but it was a simple sign to something greater. To the connection with the force. The peace that Xos enjoyed, the peace that Minna now enjoyed. He would smile, but he retained his joy within himself. She was focused, she was at peace. She didn't need to feel any emotion from him.

"Good, take your time, as much time as you want. Then we can move to another of a few options." He commented softly so as not to disturb her, he would simply wait, let her experience it to it's fullest for the time being. And when she was done, he had a few other things for her to experience, so that she could actually use the force actively. Not only during meditation.

[member="Minna Balin"]