Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen

[Cathul Thuku]

Once again, with Pizza Hutt being present mostly in Alliance space, that needed to change. Cathul couldn't stay indifferent to the plight of the war-displaced refugees in the Tingel Arm, which included refugees from Kol Huro, Ord Trasi, Bimmiel, Gravlex Med, Kushibah, Vjun, Mirial and most importantly, Serenno. (Technically one would need to count Krayiss II and Eol Sha but they are non-factors due to their very sparse populations). That's eight planets with large sources of refugees. In a gesture of goodwill, she had to get the orphanage finished in Glastro, which was slated to be built above a supermarket, itself having a Pizza Hutt restaurant on the ground floor. The largest orphanage on Bimmisaari was made much larger than originally planned, in the light of these recent developments. This was the perfect opportunity to get [member="Eri'anya Forr"] to the planet and to learn a few Force-powers from her, while also sensing the presence of Jessica somewhere in the city. That is, if the agenda on the table was agreeable. She met with Eri at the entrance of the construction site, filled with Bimm workers:

"Welcome, young one. You shall learn a few Force-powers today, that might be helpful in and out of combat. Pyrokinesis, cryokinesis, Electric Judgment, and potentially Force-healing or Detoxify Poison"

 

[Eri'anya Forr]

“Thanks again for seeing me, Doctor.”

The Jedi Knight clasped her hands together, presenting the Twi’lek before her with a deep, grateful bow. Eri’anya had spent years training under her former master in the arts of combat, but there had never been much focus on understanding the mysteries of the force. While she possessed a passable grasp on the fundamentals, she could not help but yearn for a greater connection with her powers as a Jedi.

Returning to her full height, such as it was, Eri shifted from foot to foot as she looked up at the other woman. In all honesty, the young Jedi was not very confident in her chances. She had never backed down from a challenge once it presented herself, but how did someone overcome a career of weakness in a particular field?

“So, umm... Where would you like to start, Doctor?”


[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"Let's start with pyrokinesis. With pyrokinesis you can do several things, like welding, cooking, cauterizations and, at your level, it is best used in combat for distracting an enemy, for example by causing its weapon to go so hot it becomes impossible to wield"

[member="Eri'anya Forr"], over whom she towered, was the very first person in ages to refer to Cathul as doctor outside of a medical context. Even in command of medvac operations, let alone naval engagements, she wasn't called doctor, since the day she gave up on therapeutical practice. Also, the student will soon realize many Jedi had variable approaches to the Force. While Cathul, Jessica and a handful of others were heavily grounded in not-so-mystical methods, others preferred to avoid the mechanical complications altogether. Yet with the supermarket part of the orphanage on the ground level being soon completed, there remains the piping of the refrigeration conduits to be made until stocking could begin. She placed the pint-sized Eri in front of a conduit that is not yet assembled, alongside with the plumbing brace. Now, she cannot assume that Eri will know a thing about thermodynamics so she will have to talk about dancing molecules and how temperature is a molecular dancing tempo.

"Now, you try to cause the molecules in the plumbing brace to dance, using the Force: here temperature is a molecular dancing speed"

 

[Eri'anya Forr]

"Sure thing." The young woman wasn't sure where to begin with this, hoping beyond hope that her face demonstrated the confidence she wasn't feeling. Here goes nothing...

Eri'anya centered her gaze on the brace and conduit before her. She had a passable understanding their intended functionality, and the goal their assembly represented, but such thoughts would only be a distraction. She held out a small hand, fingertips stopping just shy of contact as she shut her eyes. The image was crystal clear in her head, but the actual appearance or identity of the parts didn't matter. The Knight let out an easy breath, attempting the shed her understanding of what she saw, and instead perceive the base materials just beyond her touch. The concept made sense in her mind, but the actual transition was proving difficult.

Eri pushed harder, her brow furrowing in spite of herself as she attempted to extend her reach. She felt a rising urge to close the distance and touch her target, but to do so would defeat the purpose of what she was attempting. She knew what she needed to accomplish, but she was having trouble crossing that threshold that was keeping her from truly perceiving the dancing molecules just beneath her touch. She knew they were there, but how could she make them bend to her will? She pushed harder.

Faster... faster... faster...

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"A little note: be mindful of the latent energy of phase transition, that is, from solid to liquid, from liquid to gas, to name the most common. Sometimes you will find that an object will just keep absorbing energy even though the molecular dancing tempo hasn't increased, until the temperature rises again"

Watching the pint-sized student patiently and attentively, she realized that she was about to hit the wall commonly hit by beginners in the power, and that she also caved in to her knowledge of thermodynamics. For all of [member="Eri'anya Forr"]'s effort, all that Cathul could see near the brace was just a spark, not enough to get the refrigeration conduits to weld one another, but enough to get the temperature to rise a little bit. That is, the student didn't insert enough energy into the pipe brace for it to get past the latent fusion energy. In that case it's about making the molecules start rolling, but if she tried that on a liquid, she would instead be talking about making them break the intermolecular bonds and then have the molecules undergo translational movement. But enough of the kinetic theory of matter, she thought to herself, while she realized that so many will not refer to thermodynamics at all, even though thermodynamics could explain some pitfalls beginners fall into.

"That said, you made some headway. One more try and you may be able to overcome the latent fusion energy"

 

[Eri'anya Forr]

Eri'anya bit her lip, brow furrowing in growing frustration. She had never been good at this sort of thing, but the undersized Knight had never been the type to forfeit a challenge once it was set. It was a trait her that many instructors had written off as simple impatience, but her late master had recognized her potential for the gift it was. He had encouraged the young Jedi's tenacity, having always claimed that such drive and commitment were the truest path to not only power, but understanding. It was her responsibility to be the best version of herself she could be. That was why she was here.

She pushed harder, a lone bead of sweat running down her temple at the mental exertion. She was on the right track, if her understanding of her instructor's words was accurate, and Eri was confident that she could make this work. Realizing she had been holding her breath, the Jedi let her shoulders fall, releasing the trapped air in a long, slow exhale as she redoubled her efforts. She could do this. She knew she could do this!

Come on... come on...

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

True, it took a lot of mental effort for a beginner to get any Force-power right the first time around, and [member="Eri'anya Forr"] was no exception. However, she could feel just how the interface between the pipes and the brace were finally coming together and how she finally overcame the fusion latent energy of the brace, successfully ensuring that they were being welded into place, using pyrokinesis. Once these components made their junction, she is to let those cool down. With that said, the time has come for Eri to proceed to the orphanage's kitchen, where there were tons of activity due to the sheer amount of refugees to feed that call the orphanage home. A bowl of powdered ice cream ought to put a few smiles on the faces of the refugees that have taken hold in this place. Once it actually froze, of course. Now that the two were in the orphanage's kitchen, she could proceed with the cryokinesis lesson. Then again, it might not be wise to hold a lesson in something she might not be able to perform, if she lacks the energy for that.

"Cryokinesis is the same process in reverse, that is, you would attempt to slow down the molecules. As with pyrokinesis, one has to be mindful of the latent energy for freezing or condensing stuff, except that here, you might find that you have to take away a certain amount of energy from the object before it can freeze or condense. I can't blame you if you need to recharge your batteries before attempting to use cryokinesis, so please tell me so if you feel that your Force-energy is low"

 

[Eri'anya Forr]

Eri'anya stifled a relieved laugh in her throat, lips captured between her teeth to fight off the beginnings of a smile. Her shoulders rose and fell in response to her heavy breathing, her cheeks glowing with a swell of pride as she looked at the physical evidence of her progress. She had accomplished something that had seemed impossible yesterday, and all it had taken was some time and sweat... and some minor throbbing in her head. Her old master would have surely approved!

After several seconds, Eri'anya found defeat in her internal struggle, a giddy smile creeping across her features as she looked over at her instructor. She was grateful, showing her appreciation with a deep, respectful bow. "Thank you!" She was ready to move on and tackle the next stage of her training.

...or so she thought. When the Jedi straightened her posture again, a brief bout of nausea washed over her, leaving a headache in its wake. "Oh boy..." Eri had never been particularly adept at manipulating the force, and she could not help but consider that she may have overextended.

"Now that you mention it, could we take a break, maybe?" She had never considered herself a quitter, but it was important to take time to rejuvenate when it was required. She couldn't believe she had worked up such a sweat without moving a muscle.

[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"Yes, we should take a break. In the meantime, perhaps eating something on the ground floor would be well-advised, or drinking something in the supermarket on the ground floor"

Oh boy... the student is more than just a little exhausted. Perhaps leading her among the refugees in the lower levels of the orphanage would be a good idea, she thought, while realizing that [member="Eri'anya Forr"]'s Force-batteries are almost dry. It would make her no good to continue learning in that condition, not in her mind­. While, of course, the supermarket is already open, the orphanage is going to be opened gradually with the completion of each door. From what she knew about land-based construction, delivery was usually understood as the date where the internal work is completed, even though use of the unfinished building may already have begun in the interim. The orphanage floors and especially the supermarket on ground floor, with a restaurant for good measure. The pair descends to the lower levels of the unfinished orphanage to get their well-deserved break, with the bowl of powdered ice cream in tow, hoping for the bowl not to spill en route while they ride the elevator.

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"I'm not holding you. If you think you can no longer learn, it might be best to let you leave"

Because she realized her student would not learn anything in this condition, she simply sent her home, not doubting that her role on that planet would soon be over. Soon she will be headed for Ceraluen, and Eri would probably go on her own. Mirialans, Trianni, Kushibans, along a host of others, were residing in the completed levels of the orphanage. Once Eri left the premises, she returned to the upper levels to do what work she could to get the orphanage finished; it has been a while since Pizza Hutt started sponsoring the project, and it seems to be behind schedule. But how far behind schedule is it, really? She has no idea. So she came to the foreman's office just outside the main building and ask for how far behind schedule it really is, if any. While, of course, the white Twi'lek had to take into account that the scope has changed since the project even started, and, with it, additions had to be made, she had to make sure the investors had their money's worth.

"Is there an estimate of how long it would take?"

"About a month or two" the foreman replied.