A Question of Will

[Omnis]

Participants: Ark

---

Deep within the gut of a Korriban mountain, connected to the expansive Sith Academy, a new complex awaited the students of Crusader Nox's next class. The complex was tall, wide, and held many rooms and chambers. Each training room was dynamic, varied from all of the others. Some were multi-layered, others were one floor. The Noghri had built the complex himself, all to his design, with the help of some droid labor.

Nox waited for his sole student, Ark, in a white room that was well lit. The chamber was extremely tall, too tall to reach the ceiling with even the best of Force aided jumps, as well as long. The room was significantly slimmer than it was long, but still more than enough to walk around comfortably. All around the room, scattered blocks and spheres of various size and density sat inert.

Nox waited for his sole student patiently, standing facing the door with his arms folded behind his back.

 

[Flamjetxx]

Ark enters early as he always tries to do so. His first encounter with Crusader Nox was him coming into a class rather late... well for himself he was late. Ark quickly wastes no time in making his presence verbally affirmed, "Arkteleus Krayzen."

Ark's first impression of the room was the sheer size of it that made it unable to be reached by anything at all. He couldn't touch it with anything he'd attempt to. The size was... impressive to say the least. Ark knows that the class is of telekinesis, and this is a skill that many would pride themselves in knowing with precision and power. Many would say they don't even need a class as such, but they would be arrogant and most of all wrong.

Ark knows that he always has something to learn and improve no matter how much he would hate to admit it. He knows himself to be arrogant in many ways, but this arrogance is merely relevant. Ark thinks himself to be better than most Acolytes, and maybe it was his dedication to his skills that did this to him, but he knows his limitations. His telekinesis is one of those skills he would like to say he has everything about it known, but the truth that even Ark can reach is that compared to nearly any Crusader, especially Nox, is that he knows next to nothing.

Ark won't pretend he knows how to manipulate the force in the presence of someone who actually can and thus he becomes a student of telekinesis. Ark's hears are available for instruction and his ind is clear for the flow of the force to freely coarse through him. he know the class is bound to be exponential exhausting due to Nox's teaching style. This is one of the rings Ark enjoys about him as a teacher is that he pushes his students to accomplish more than they may have thought originally possible. Ark can still remember the ching of the first class he'd taken with Crusader Nox where he was nearly constantly sprinting and leaping across the room with vicious beasts on his tail.

Ark notices though, that he may very well be the only one Nox is expecting to attend the class. Perhaps Nox has a special favoring toward Ark, maybe Ark is the only one brave enough to take the class, or maybe ark is the only one Nox deems is capable or that needs the class. Either way, Ark enjoys the entirety of the focus of the lesson on himself. Ark will take ever last ounce of attention he can get.

 

[Omnis]

"Acolyte." Nox said, monotonous and perfectly repetitive. It was a formality that Nox was little disposed towards.

The Crusader lifted his hands to waist level, keeping them flat. All around the two Sith, spheres and blocks rose up silently and without a tremble. The bright lights in the room reflected off of each object, but the more muted tone of each object's surface did not glare too harshly. One at a time, ramping up in quick succession, the objects started a slow whirl around the room. The two Sith almost appeared caught in a slow motion tornado.

"Before we begin, tell me what you know of telekinesis. Begin with any principles you have been taught, then follow up with any experience you actually have."

 

[Flamjetxx]

Ark was pleased at the initiation of the levitation of the objects and his heart actually began to beat faster as he knew that the lesson was now beginning. He was excited to say the least and the demonstration of the power wielded by his teacher was very motivating. He kept his eyes on the teacher in respect, but his peripherals and his minds wasn't unaware of every black and sphere encircling the pair. It even made him wonder of how much of the display he would be able to manage by the end of the lesson, though he was now more focused on the Crusader's forming sentence.

"Before we begin, tell me what you know of telekinesis. Begin with any principles you have taught, then follow up with any experience you actually have."

Ark knew that he was actually quite inexperienced with telekinesis, and to say that he knew it would be an understatement. His loyalty that had caused him to trust the Crusader forced him to deliver nothing but the truth to him, or at least what he believed to be truth. AS far s principles go, he couldn't say much as all he'd learned of telekinesis was what was shown to him by other acolytes, what he'd discovered on his own, and what he'd seen performed by others. His only actual formal education of the subject was currently in progress and it technically hasn't even begun.

His extent with using telekinesis is merely limited to the simple practicalities of what many would see as him taking for granted of a valuable skill. His practice of the skill is rather limited and thus he cannot say he is actually even knowledgable of the skill to say the least.

"I suppose that my encounters with using telekinesis are quite limited. I have been limited by the lack of a formal education of the skill and thus all I know is of what I've seen others do and what I've performed on my own," it is actually quite surprising to hear out loud. And for how advanced he thinks himself as far as being an Acolyte is concerned he realizes that he practically knows nothing in comparison to what he thought he knew. It is rather easy to believe that you are more than what you truly are, but reality must penetrate every arrogant thought at some point.

"When I do use telekinesis, I find that I use a great deal of concentration in the movement of objects that I know should really be quite a bit easier to move. I can, with enough concentration move multiple objects, though it is very few," he looks around at the hurricane of objects around him that seem to be effortlessly orbiting them as they are safe in the eye of the storm.

Ark returns to his explanation of the extent of his knowledge, "I would like to think I know more than some of the newest Acolytes, but only enough to make things barely easier on those Acolytes until they are met at my own sill level," the time in which he was helping Xylonic get past his mechanical disabilities in using telekinesis, though in retrospect it seems that he knows so little that he wonders if he'd even help the poor Acolyte at all.

Ark finds himself at the point where he needs to tell of his experiences with telekinesis, "I guess my only real uses of telekinesis outside of a training room are with the minuscule uses of pulling a lightsaber into my grasp. I really don't seem to know much about telekinesis at all," and as he finishes this he adds in his own mind with a speck of doubt in his capabilities, 'If even at all, but i suppose that's why I'm here.'

Ark realizes that there is a single part of a one on one session with a teacher where he will be at a loss when compared to a larger group of students. The one on one attention is great for learning, but it isn't so great for morale. He has no one around him to compare himself to. There is no one to compete against other than his teracher, and it's quite obvious he would lose any competition there. This is something he would have to attempt to look past, though his arrogance will be severely put at risk in this session. Ark may do well with some humility and it may actually be a new sensation for him. The very thought might have made him chuckle if he weren't in a class setting.

 

[Omnis]

The Crusader listened patiently, faint shadows playing across his silver mask as the material hurricane around them revolved slowly. The cylinder of training implements remained perfectly stable at their respective distances, unfaltering and sliding through the air soundlessly. It didn't take long for Nox to analyze his new student and the lessons that the Kushari would need.

Just as Ark finished explaining and the final doubt rang through his mind, the cyclone of objects around them sped up for a brief moment before crashing to the floor chaotically. They dropped out of the air simultaneously, the Noghri's grip on them simply released without a care. Ark could hear and feel which of the spheres or blocks were heaviest by the way they slammed into the floor, thudding loudly and sending harsh vibrations through the floor and up into his feet.

"Very well," Nox said, his tone as neutral and casual as if nothing had happened in the training room. "You will learn of telekinesis my way. It is a difficult path to follow, but one far more rewarding. While other instructors would teach you with analogies of hands or other normal tools, I ask that you forget such things. A practitioner's greatest weakness is the limits of their own mind. The Force is infinite, and so must be your conceptions."

One of the larger, heavier blocks rose up into the air again. After a moment, the block started to zip around and around through the air as if continuously racing around a perfect orb. However, with every dip and rise the block changed trajectory and slid away on a different invisible string. The effect made the block appear to trace the route of a wildly orbiting object. There was very little reason for the object to rotate just so, but Nox's will over the object was supreme.

"In order to defy the rules of our world, to fully utilize the Force, we must shed the old concepts in our minds and understand that the Force is not constrained as we are. The Force does not have hands, feet, or tools. It is everywhere at once, inside of all things and around them without a space between. Using the Force, able to think of it in the right places and command those portions, you will transcend common physical limits and exhibit the extreme."

Nox let his block fall more gently, then lifted a nearby sphere towards Ark. It was significantly smaller and lighter, though far from an easy lift.

"Take this and hold it up. It is round, but I do not want you to grab it like you are cupping it with your palm. Focus on the Force, feed your will with the Dark Side, and move everything into place to hold up this object."

 

[Flamjetxx]

The tornado of objects finally fell around Ark and Nox as if his connection to the Force simply disappeared. Though, that was certainly not the case, as the Crusader's presence never even faltered, but the simple disappearance of the Force's grasp upon the objects was certainly unexpected. Ark would have expected some sort of gradual release elegantly replacing them upon the ground, but the suddenness of the release was certainly an attention grabber, and Ark could immediately tell the densities of each object as they touched the ground. TPerhaps that was the Crusader's point of doing what he'd just done. If anything that Ark has learned about the Crusader, is that he's quite meticulous and meaningful in what he does and how he teaches.

"You will learn of telekinesis my way. It is a difficult path to follow, but one far more rewarding. While other instructors would teach you with analogies of hands or other normal tools, I ask that you forget such things. A practitioner's greatest weakness is the limits of their own mind. The Force is infinite, and so must be your conceptions."

The words sent chills throughout his entire body that visibly showed with his hairs standing up on end. his description corresponded directly with one believe about the Force that Ark knew to be true, though he never vocalized it. Ark always believed that his greatest weapon was his mind. No matter how strong he became, how fast he was, nor how agile he could ever become, that would all mean nothing without his mind. Ark's intelligence and strategizing is what he held in his highest regard.

Ark's misconception about using the Force for telekinesis was that using your hand was something someone must do in order to visualize the object moving, though he realizes instantly by the Crusader's description was that was merely a crutch for those with a weaker mind. Ark had no intention for using crutches of any kind, and his mind was prepared for the separation of body. Ark would certainly not bend to the lower standards held by other Crusaders, and instead, he now had a greater respect for the Crusader; One more than that of what he had just moments before. it is amazing what a single idea or belief can do to someone to gain respect.

Ark imagines the Force now as its own limb which is more consistent of a fluid rather than as an appendage coming directly from his bady. This notion rather helped him and the Crusader's display of the object's constantly changing trajectories helped Ark to visualize this so much easier. It really gave him the whole idea of imagining the Force as so. The objects position floated before Ark and the sphere's hovering was that of the Crusaders. Ark's hands forced themselves to his sides as his every instinct told him to throw it out and to act as if he was grabbing it with his hand.

Ark's will power was greater than that, and with a relaxing wave that washed over his body, his muscles loosened as his mind sees the entire world around him seemingly vacate of everything, though Ark knows this to be completely untrue. Everything everywhere has the touch of the force and even, no especially, the vacant spaces perceived before him have this touch and with the very will power once used to force his hands down, Ark's mind wraps around the object as if its very membrane was the force. Ark's first attempt at this new version of the Force's hold via telekinesis was rather exhilarating and his immediate success at the grasp over the smaller object was a surprise.

Not only that, but Ark found it somehow easier to act with the Force in this new method despite it being exactly the same use as using his and, but he knew he had a firmer grasp upon the object. What he imagined before was the use of his own hand cupping the object, but this time it was the Force around him and the object's need to be levitated by Ark's very will power that kept it over the ground rather than a futile waste of focus and energy that would have been made up of an imaginary hand. The focus that Ark used may have been the same as he would have normally used, but this time he feels like it was less despite what it may have really been.

Ark knows the object is rather heavy in reality, but he feels no strain being projected into his own limbs by the manifestation of an imaginary limb, and it was this that was most surprising. it is truly amazing what you can trick yourself into thinking. A rarer occasion displayed by Ark is that of emotion, but the shock of the situation was rather unseen, and thus uncontrolled by his normally acute sense of control over such emotions.

 

[Omnis]

Nox observed Ark's process both with his eyes and with his senses in the Force. The Crusader's interest hovered immaterially around the Kushari Acolyte like a spectral wraith, close but unperturbing as it watched passively. Indeed, Ark had begun to develop the technique that Nox was trying to teach without a single flaw or hold up. The progression was excellent, showing Nox that Ark had as much potential as any Acolyte he had trained before.

Over his career, Nox had trained somewhere over a hundred Acolytes. Of those, nearly fifty had stood out and made names for themselves with him. That was an incredible number, one that was nearly unprecedented in any point of Sith history. Nox felt it to be the times, believing in and trusting Sith superiority. The Force was with them, the Dark Side stronger than ever. The Empire's near complete dominance of the galaxy was clear proof. And here, in the training chamber with Nox, was an Acolyte who was very clearly part of it all.

They all had their position in the Force. From the highest to the lowest, there was a purpose for all.

"You are doing well," Nox said. "Now we must turn our attention to more focused manipulation. At current, your control over the object is spread out. While it is certain that you can move the object in this state, it would not be as effective as if you were more precise with what points you are manipulating. I want you to dwell on the points of the sphere that are doing the most to hold up the sphere and keep it stable. Try to move your power to those points as much as possible, leaving as little between them as you can. This should result in a more focused construct holding up the object. Once you are ready to move the object, take some of the power you have saved from taking away attention from the entire object and use all of it to move the object from one point. This should serve to make the most powerful motion for it, jettisoning it further and faster than you could manage before."

 

[Flamjetxx]

The instructions that the Sith Crusader gave him made more sense than he has ever known about the skill. He was thoroughly impressed by how much the Crusader truly knew of the skill and his expertise manipulation of the massive blocks around the room made perfect sense in that moment. Ark's understanding of what he said was that he needed to minimize surface area of his touch of the block while maximizing control of it at the same time.

His education in geometry told him that what should be used, at least for this sphere, for controlling the object is to create the points of a triangle to place pressure in every point of the object. Ark then decided to make a triangle of loins on the bottom of the sphere as if a triangular cup that the edges went right through the object. The points weren't placed as high nor as low, and a quick decision to place another point on the very top of the object made the points form a three-sided pyramid.

He only felt like he needed to add this fourth point in order to ensure stability whilst moving the object so that the object didn't fly out of the cup while moving vertically and abruptly stopping in order to alter its direction of movement. His arms seemed to go forgotten at his side as his mind was all he needed to manipulate the orb. The next job he needed to do was to use these points to move the sphere. Ark indeed felt a great deal of excess energies that he wouldn't have ordinarily felt when manipulating the sphere. If he found himself capable he might have smirked at the very thought of all that extra potential, but instead he focused that thought in manipulating the sphere.

He moved the points on the sphere so that the top of the equilateral pyramid was pointing toward himself allowing the rest of the sphere to be stabilized by the remaining points. He concentrated every ounce of spare energy on the single point facing himself, and the let the energy explode from that point in which the sphere burst from his position in the opposite direction. The movement was so fast that Ark was completely surprised by the fact that it actually moved in such a manner. It wasn't nearly as impressive as the Crusader's performance before his own attempt, though it wasn't unimpressive by any means.

TH orb travelled completely horizontal to the floor which he could say with certainly that he's never been able to do before now. Thankfully the path wasn't toward his teacher though he feels that he would have been able to stop the orb with ease enough to come short of hitting him if it did travel in his direction. His confidence was getting dangerously close to arrogance, which is something of an easy task for Ark. Ark's teacher would have to have him struggle after what he'd just taught him. With an object so heavy, he would have had a shaky path that would have curved and jumped all around, and no one would have been impressed by the bumble-bee speed it would have portrayed. Thoughts of his session attempting to help another acolyte enhance his own force abilities were a joke in his mind. The medicine ball he'd manipulated through the rings were likely half the weight of this orb, and he found himself struggling to manipulate them in a level path, and now he seems to be effortlessly causing this orb to travel parallel to the ground.

He quickly adjusted the point wight he power in an instant to resolve around the orb to reposition the power point so that it was pointing toward the floor. In the flags of an instant he'd rotated the point to the floor, the object seemed not to pause a second and immediately change its trajectory so that it went perpendicular to the floor. The stabilizing points made it so that the orb didn't even so much as wobble as the points readjusted. The surprise of the speed and control Ark had over the ball was still in affect and his tail swished side to side portraying content to anyone who'd recognize it as so.

With another two adjustments he'd returned the ball to its original positioning directly in front of him. The tail was still swishing and he felt like he could smile at his own success, though he told himself that he still had a lot to kern to be able to even come close to what the Crusader is capable of. The swishing of his tail slowed after the ball halted. He didn't want to show any sign of arrogance in front of someone who is clearly superior to him, and thus is respecting him with the only hint of modesty that would shine through his life. All the while Ark finally noticed that his arms didn't even want to reach up for the ball while he manipulated it, though it was merely his intention to control it with his mind as he knows it is the only thing that does so, Not his arms.

The manipulation of the sphere was certainly one thing, but he feels there are certainly holes in how he'd manipulated the it. His minimization of touching the orb was as good as it would get, though he feels he'd be better off with some other geometric shape to manipulate the orb in order to maximize control over it, though any more points would take away from the power and speed he'd have in moving it. having a half a dozen points as if to have a single point for every side of a die touching the object would certainly take away from the power he'd have over the object, but he gathers that the manipulation and control over the object would be greatly increased and that he'd be able to change it's directions with the slightest of ease, though he cannot help but to think that the problem with that method is that he'd either have to rotate the entire object or remove and then focus the power form one point to the other in order to change the direction of the object. He finally decides that his chosen points of control were ideal for the object.

As far os other objects are concerned, Ark thinks about how he'd control a cube or a four-sided pyramid with the same points. He would have to alter the number and placement of the points of control for each object. He now realizes why the Crusader decided to start with an object as simple as a sphere.

 

[Omnis]

Nox watched intently, silently, as the orb traveled every which way around them. The Kushari Acolyte was picking up on the finer points of the technique very quickly. So quickly, in fact, that Nox had begun to ponder putting the Acolyte through a different type of wringer. Normally, in another class, Nox would simply push each Acolyte into exerting themselves to their absolute limit. A simple test of lifting the heaviest object as high as possible, or dodging several thrown projectiles while whipping a few of their own back at him.

But Ark seemed ready for something different. Something he hadn't tried with an Acolyte yet.

"Good," Nox admitted again. "I believe you have secured a sufficient grasp on the concept. In the interest of accelerating your lesson, I'll leave you to adapt this principle to other objects. Their shape and weight are yours to deal with."

A block rose from the floor simultaneously with the rise of one hand, then sliding closer to Ark.

"We are going to practice some combat principles. I am going to teach you of redundancy. Hold this block up as you would when trying to maintain the efficiency you just learned." He waited two heartbeats for Ark to do so, then continued. "What I'm going to do now is try to interrupt your control with a telekinetic blast of my own. The theory here is that my exertion will touch your points of control and disrupt them."

True to his word, Nox swept a blast of telekinetic energy down on one side of the block. The force was enough to knock the block from Ark's telekinetic grasp, forcing it down to the floor. He gestured for Ark to pick it up again.

"Now, I want you to issue several more points of control on the block. Try to hold it up this time."

Once again, a guillotine of force swept down on one side of the block and disrupted Ark's control. While the block would dip harshly, it would not fall. The redundancy was successful.

"This, however, may not be enough in a real fight." Nox said, capturing Ark's attention again before he could get lost in thought exploring the possibilities. "There is a technique that you must use if you wish to retain nearly full control of your manipulated target during a disruption. Move a few of your control points to another side of the block, but this time keep them close to the edge. If you know where your opponent's resistance is going to come from, if you can anticipate which points you are going to lose, then you can prepare yourself enough to prevent almost any damage to your construct. This time, as I disrupt your control, slide your nearby redundancies across the edge and down to where your previous points were. This should keep your manipulated target from moving hardly at all."

Nox gave it a fraction of a second, trying to catch Ark off guard on purpose, to illustrate how difficult a real fight would be. Another blade of force swept down on the same side of the cube as the last two times, no harder or easier than before, no slower or faster.

 

[Flamjetxx]

The Crusader decided to step up the lesson. It seems that Ark was doing well enough to advance Nox's lesson as to how to utilize the finer points of object manipulations. Ark was surprisingly good to keep up with the lesson so far, but the concepts were branching out, and the Crusader announced the next step moving into redundancy.

The block was bestowed to Ark, and he could immediately feel the weight of the object pulling on his growing understanding of telekinesis, and the abrupt lack of assistance from the Crusader left it difficult for Ark to adjust to the new weight and shape, though he decided upon a single point for each side of the cube. Six points of focused telekinetic energy. Suddenly, but not unexpectedly, the block was swiped from his grasp by a powerful blast of kinetic energy, that Ark could even feel push a burst of air across his fur in the excess energy disrupting the air flow in the room. The blast of energy was impressive in its own, and he supposes it would be fun to learn such a trick, though his mind stuck tot he task at hand, and the Crusader had him lift it again.

Then Nox began to explain what redundancy was, and Ark added a few more points to the edges. Though the points did nothing for stabilization, they made him feel like the block was more secure. Ark began to realize how the efficiency of the points could easily assist in the block's maintenance. Ark, was absorbing every syllable of information as if a protocol droid in production. He was instantly, focusing three points to each side of the cube apart format he very top, though rotation the block would cause the points to replace themselves other places.

Ark was gaining a higher understanding and a far greater appreciation to the complexities of the skill that many would say is simple and needs no further exploration. Ark pities thoe fools who feel that taking a class on telekinesis is a waste of time. Perhaps it was simply Ark's own thirst for every ounce of knowledge that caused him to take the class, or maybe it was because he foresaw the importance of learning more of the skill, but he knew that there was far more about the skill he had yet to learn. He has yet to even hold the block up in resistance to the blast of kinetic energy.

The Crusader's casual approach to the lesson and manipulations of his telekinetic powers are impressive due to his lucidity in the manipulations. He seemed unfazed to the normally draining abilities that Ark might subject to himself in similar attempts. His stamina with telekinesis, though admirable was far less than that of the near Master of the ability. At least, this is how Ark saw his proficiency in the skill. What he teaches are far beyond what Ark has ever previously imagined possible.

Not only his knowledge was impressive, but he was quickly figuring Ark out. He must have realized that Ark was one to dwell on his thoughts, and Ark was noticing more and more that the Crusader was quick to move the lesson along. He was figuring Ark out, and though he didn't like the idea of it, he found it most beneficial in getting the most out of the lesson. The lack of time to get distracted kept Ark on track so much that Ark was actually finding the lesson to be speeding through. Ar was lucky to have the mental ability to keep up with the Crusader. if anywhere at all, Ark ceased to understand something, he might fall behind, thought at the current rate of learning and the Crusader's obvious skill in teaching, Ark wasn't likely to fall behind.

Ark's points spread to three individual points per side of the block. The points mimicked a triangle, and triangles were geometrically known as the shape of stability. Sure enough, as the second blast of telekinetic energy swept over the block, many of the points were neutralized, and even through Ark was straining at keeping the block up, it stayed up. It teetered as nearly every point on the effected side were neutralized, but the extra points on the remaining side kept the block strong, and Ark quickly moved in to replace them.

Then the Crusader explained the importance of placing the points, and how he can rectify the teetering effect in the block. And Ark immediately understood. There are a lot of points on the block at the current moment, and a lot of them do not see much action as far as resisting the blast of the blast. It hardly makes sense that those points should be uselessly taking up valuable energy when it could be used to further control of the block.

Ark's points of redundancy slid across the block so that each of the three points were on the edge, and the triangles pointed around the box as if to point like arrows around the box. Though they aren't visible they were geometrically even in how the points might slide around a corner to compensate for the neutralization of the blast of telekinetic energy. Abrupt, but somehow expected, Ark felt the blast of energy wave into the side of the box, and like a reflex, he reacted to stabilize the block, moving a point from each of the surrounding sides to compensate for the wave of energy.

Though the cube wobbled upon first contact, Ark's reflexes were fast enough to redirect the points to assist in stabilizing the block. Those points neutralized were immediately replaced, as the points that moved to compensate stated where they were and positioned themselves just as the cube was just before the blast hit it. It was renewed, and the box seemed as stable as ever, despite Ark's slowly draining strength in the Force. He knew that there was only so much he could handle, and despite not showing it on his omnipresently blank face, Ark was prepared to push himself to the absolute limits.

Ark's tail swished its pleasure and possibly a touch of arrogance at his success, though he still prepared himself for a continued onslaught. He swallowed as he silently waits for Nox to continue any more of the lesson he had waiting for him. Ark knew that the Crusader was one to push his students to the limit, and Ark was happy to oblige. After all, how do you know what your limits are without seeking them out in situations like this.