Ask Ajan Kloss Hidden in plain sight

[Nakira Sinvala]

There was little Nakira understood about the true nature of the Force. The time she had spent on Ajan Kloss so far, had been filled with training exercises. Learning about the Jedi code, the tenets of the Order and the very basics a Padawan needed to know, in order to study under a Knight. But now she had finally been assigned to one, it quickly became apparent to her how much she lacked in terms of technique. She possessed the raw strength and the connection with the Force, knew how to harness it, but not how to shape it in the various techniques that made up a Jedi's arsenal. But it was time for that to change. She had reached out to a variety of Knights and fellow Padawans, hoping that they could teach her a trick or two. And this Knight in particular had a few up his sleeve.

When the Padawan arrived at the meeting point, she couldn't help but wonder if she should have worn something more... camouflaged, instead of her usual red tunic. The place she had picked was a small natural pond in the jungle, not too far away from the Temple. Surrounded by so much green meant that she stood out, which could make it hard to practice the cloaking technique. No, that wouldn't matter... would it? If she could pull it off here, of all places, she wouldn't have to worry about utilizing the technique later in her Jedi career.

Nakira knelt down beside the pond, studying her own reflection in the stagnant water as she waited for the Knight to arrive. She didn't know him well, in fact; this was the first time she would really get to talk to him. She heard a few stories about the Knight, but had no idea what kind of person he was. All the Padawan could hope for, was that they could get along.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Oh boy, here we go. Someone, somewhere, had asked him for help with training. The young Knight had yet to acquire a Padawan of his own, and frankly, he'd be a little surprised if someone assigned him one. He'd only been a knight for two years, he was relatively young and, more importantly, he was Hannibal. In preparation for this momentous occasion, he'd carefully chosen a set of clothes he was sure would get the mood just right.

Though the meeting place wasn't terribly far from the temple, Hannibal was the kind of person who would take his bike just to save time. This time, however, he'd chosen to walk, smoking a cigarra as he went along the way with wireless headphones connected to a datapad clipped to his belt. He'd end up getting there just about on time, his eyes swiftly sweeping over the other Jedi. From what information he was able to find, she was slightly older, but hadn't been a part of the Jedi particularly long. The ever-present smirk on his face widened upon seeing her brightly colored clothes, thinking to himself that maybe their sense of reasonable attire might not be too different.

He stepped his way loudly into the clearing, waving an arm heavily covered in colorful tattoos. "Yo! You're the Padawan, yeah? For a moment there I thought I'd wandered into an old story and discovered a fairy princess." He laughed loudly, grinning all the while. He was dressed in a bright yellow set of robes, the closest thing to be proper Jedi tradition being the belt, though even that had a modernist flare. Attached to it were a datapad, a holstered and very modified blaster, and his lightsaber joined by several miscellaneous pouches.
He ashed the remnants of his cigarra in one of the pouches, actually lined in such a way so as to serve as an ashtray, and stepped closer.
"I'm Hannibal Grayza. Hans if that's too much for ya.", he added with a cheeky wink.

Looking around, it was certainly a nice little spot. He was quite sure the romantic atmosphere was probably some coincidence. "Pretty good spot. So, cloaking, huh? Sure y'don't want an easier trick? I'm pretty good with cards, y'know." He was only teasing, but one's responses to Hannibal's sort of attitude could tell a lot about a person.

@Powerfullhorus

 

[Nakira Sinvala]

She had half expected a surprise attack, given her request was to learn an ability revolving around stealth. But what actually arrived was far from an 'attack', but nevertheless quite surprising. At first, she sensed the presence of the Knight and it didn't take her long to actually spot the man clad in bright yellow. She did her best to suppress a smile, she had met very few individuals who wore robes that stood out, like her and the young Knight.

With calm and gracious movement, Nakira rose from her position near the pond. His remark was flattering enough to have her suppressed smile play about her lips. "In the fairy tales I've read, the princess is usually guarded by a horrifying monster. I assume that must be you?" she countered, followed by a slight chuckle. She did not want to upset the Knight, but she couldn't let a chance to tease slide. "Nakira Sinvala. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Master Grayza." His casual attitude was a breath of fresh air. It made her feel a lot more at ease, given how most Jedi she had met so far required her to be overly respectful.

Nakira shrugged as response to his last statement. "I can probably master easier tricks on my own. But if I can get the hang of this in record time, I'd be happy to learn some from you." The fact that she knew little about the Force didn't mean she lacked confidence. The Padawan believed that having faith in oneself always led to a successful outcome. And so far, that mindset hadn't failed her yet.

Eager to begin, Nakira continued. "So, where do we start? What does it take to hide one's body with the Force?"

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

His grin widened, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes. The sass was strong with this one. Perfect! "A monster? Me? Careful now, you flatterer, or I'll think you're trying to get on my good side." He stepped into the clearing proper, ignoring how being referred to as a master made his skin crawl. Briefly he looked around the area, getting a food feel for it both physically and in the Force. It was teeming with life, though not quite so much as some more wild jungle planets, the shades of green painting a bright picture. A fairly comfortable place. This should work well enough, even the little pond in the middle having a use. Despite his attitude, Hannibal took training seriously, even if some of his methods might seem strange to others. His training itself wasn't entirely orthodox either on account of what a pain in the ass he'd been as a Padawan.

Hannibal could understand Nakira's sense of confidence, as with similar reasoning he'd picked up the difficult to learn Form X, though in his case he was at least partly fueled by sheer defiance and competitiveness. He'd have no problem teaching her a thing or two, to say he'd done it if nothing else, and it would be a good chance to test his methods on a Padawan that wasn't his own. He wasn't sure his views on using the Force would perfectly translate to others yet, after all.

With a clap of his hands he re-adjusted himself, turning to look directly at Nakira. "Well, then. What is your understanding of the method for utilizing the Force to achieve an effect on the material world?" he asked, expression unchanged but manner of speaking sharply changed from his earlier casual tone and word choice. This information would help him explain the process to the young woman in relation to how he used the Force, so it was an important first step.

@Powerfullhorus

 

[Nakira Sinvala]

The Padawan tilted her head slightly ajar when Hannibal's tone changed. Gone was the casual attitude, a remarkably fast switch. It made her wonder how capable of a liar he was. He certainly was a man to watch out for.

"My... understanding?" Nakira brought her hand to her chin as she wondered how best to put it. Explaining the workings of the Force was something that even Knights struggled with from time to time. It made her a little anxious, for she didn't want to give an incorrect answer. "One must be attuned to the Living Force and let it guide you, with the desired effect in mind. It's not about control, but being able to surrender oneself completely to it.... Or something along those lines." she stated, with a sheepish smile at her last remark. It was a pretty decent answer in her opinion, given she wasn't a seasoned Jedi yet.

Nakira folded her arms. "But that approach is too easy of an explanation. If that was truly how it worked, the developed techniques would be far too easy to master." With her remark, she criticized her own explanation. It wasn't the most clever approach when asked to provide an answer, but she wanted to show him that she at least thought about it.

"So I assume my understanding of the method is wrong." she concluded, expecting an affirmative response from the Knight.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Hannibal tutted, adopting a mock scholarly tone in response to Nakira's answer. "Right on, that's the kind of explanation one of the older teachers might give. Not incorrect, just incomplete." He paused, moving around her and stepping closer to the bond. He slipped on a pair of gloves from one of his little pouches and held his right hand over the pond, beginning to allow the Living Force to pass through his body like a cool breeze, cheeky smirk still plastered firmly on his face. "Attuning oneself to the Force is the first step. Like grasping hold of a tool, one still needs to understand how to utilize it for it to be useful. One can pull," he said, pausing to grasp a stone in the pond and draw it to his hand with a little sploosh. "Or one can push," turning his hand palm up and flinging the stone out into the trees where it clacked against the wood.

"Neither of these uses is too complicated, probably because they are not sustained or detailed. Cloaking oneself in the Force to hide from the senses of others is both. Like the same implies, it requires wrapping oneself in the Force with the intent to hide from detection. It makes the user easier to find with the Force, but for those without, it's as good as your average stealth field." Here he illustrated by pulling his arm inwards, curling his fingers as if pulling a warm, woollen cloak over his shoulders. The Force wrapped around his form, making it become steadily hazy and indistinct, until he was little more than a blurred and indistinct outline. Not quite invisible by any means, but certainly something that would be difficult to see outside of close range. After a few seconds it dropped, the shape and color of him rejoining the vibrancy of the forest.

"It requires constant concentration and a good amount of stamina. When I say method, I'm referring to the focus of one's intent and and will to achieve something. When one wants to do something with the Force, I find that both of these affect what actually happens. With this particular ability, you must keep both in line to make sure the cloak conceals you from all forms of detection." He paused for several seconds, letting his lengthy explanation sink in. So far, teaching wasn't so bad, even if half of what he'd just said was his own interpretation based on what he'd observed from his own techniques and the other half was paraphrased from his old teachers. He wondered silently if that's how all teachers did it? On the plus side, he could appreciate a Padawan who questioned their own explanations and thoughts. Mindless regurgitation never got anything done, to his thinking.

"Does that make sense?"

@Powerfullhorus

 

[Nakira Sinvala]

Not incorrect, just incomplete. That was the Knight's answer. It put her at ease knowing that she wasn't entirely wrong. Nakira listened attentively to the explanation that followed, her eyes locked on the figure in yellow. His little demonstration of 'push and pull' was already impressive in her opinion. She had seen Jedi Knights practice, performing great feats with the Force she could only hope to achieve some day far in the future. But it were the little things, the subtle manner of control that the Knights had, which truly amazed her.

It requires wrapping oneself in the Force with the intention to hide from detection. So it was not that different from suppressing one's presence, was it? The only difference being that this allowed active concentration, for one had to shape the Force around the body. Hannibal confirmed what she had read: it was effective against those unable to sense with the Force. It was why she considered it a valuable ability worth learning to begin with, assuming that most missions required her to deal with non-Force sensitives.

The Padawan's eyes widened as Hannibal performed the technique right before her very eyes. It looked impressive and had she not know he was there, she could've easily looked right past him. "So, focus of intent and the will achieve are the two main factors that influence how effectively I can utilize complicated techniques?" If those were the determining factors, should she try it?

Nakira stretched out her hand, calling the Force to her aid. She knew what she wanted to accomplish. Her intent was clear. All she needed, were focus and the drive to succeed. Nakira conveyed her desire to the Force, her will steadfast as she surrendered to its warm embrace. To her great surprise, it worked! To a much lesser extent, of course, but it still worked. She noticed how the vibrant red color of her dress dulled, greatly diminishing the contrast between her and the lush green jungle. As soon as she noticed it however, the Padawan lost her focus. Unable to sustain her 'cloak' her dress returned to normal within the blink of an eye. "How was that for a first ever attempt?" she stated with a grin. It was far, far from perfect and it would take quite some time before she could effectively utilize it, but atleast she had grasped the very basics of the technique. She just had to practice, and learn to sustain it.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Hannibal watched Nakira carefully as she gave cloaking a try, grinning as her colors faded but bursting out laughing as she lost her focus and rejoined the color of the world. "Not bad!" he replied honestly to her question. It was a rather good first attempt, but this sort of thing definitely took practice more than just the will to do it. "You seem to have the general idea. But!" here he held up a gloved hand, "Another detail. Intent and will are both things affected by one's understanding. Practice with cloaking isn't as simple as doing it and learning to keep focus. It's best if you understand how light, color, and sound affect things, or how to maintain it in water, in the rain, in busy city streets. On top of that, focus needs to be kept regardless of distraction."

He took several steps back, dappled sunlight filtered through the treetops dancing across his form. Flashing a grin he pulled again on the force as he walked, his shape growing indistinct and hazy as if the soft breeze through the clearing was carrying all the color away. Not as smooth as a true master, but fairly smooth. Of course he was still vaguely visible, but that only really helped the demonstration.

He stopped moving, continuing to speak. "I do happen to know a decent training method, but it's neither easy nor orthodox. But I'm sure you can handle it. I'll even join you!" He laughed again, allowing the cloak he'd woven to fade away, becoming visible.

@Powerfullhorus

 

[Nakira Sinvala]

Her brow furrowed the moment Hannibal started laughing. "If it's not bad, why is it so funny?" she folded her arms half expecting some kind of apology. But then again, judging by what she knew of him so far, he didn't seem like the kind of man who would apologize. The indignant expression on her face swiftly faded when the Knight raised his hand. His explanation so far had helped her a lot already. After all, she had some sort of grip on the cloaking technique after just one attempt.

Essentially, what she had to do was understand her surroundings first, before she could probably hide. From that point of view, it was no different from trying to hide behind objects. It was almost like playing hide and seek; be wary of your surroundings, and know what to use to your advantage. The only real difference was, that there was a complicated Force technique involved in this application.

Her theory was proven true by Hannibal, who took several steps back and performed the cloaking technique again. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the general outline of the Knight's figure again. She was almost jealous of how fast and effectively he could pull this technique off. Truly as if it was nothing.

Nakira frowned when the Knight mentioned knowing an unorthodox method. "And what might that method be, Master Grayza?" While she was curious, the Padawan was certain that it wasn't something she would like. But if it would help her master this technique, she would try to give it a shot.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

There was no true apology coming, that was certain. Instead, when Nakira inquired as to what the training method entailed, he grinned in what might be called a worrying fashion. "Circuits around the temple while keeping the cloak in place. You'll start with walking, stopping when the cloak drops, and move on to jogging and running, then running while doing other things. Like singing, for instance." While it might seem ridiculous, and was certainly a difficult sink-or-swim sort of method, it did work. Constantly changing scenery and material underfoot, physical activity, and stuff like singing both required split focus and pure effort. The reason Hannibal's cloak was relatively smooth was because he'd trained to be able to maintain it under stress.

"You seem talented enough, I'm sure you can handle it." he teased, green eyes twinkling with amusement. "Besides, I'm sure you have a lovely singing voice."

@Powerfullhorus