Speeding Up

[Rector_Ras]

The hot day on Korriban was nothing out of the ordinary, it was something Ras had gotten used to over the time he spent as an acolyte and never really left the planet for long enough to forget it. Having some extra time between missions and work he needed doing he decided to train some acolytes in a power that was a fundamental part in his fighting style. Force Speed. . There were some hopefuls on this planet, people he would never have noticed as an acolyte but so obvious now looking on them from above.

The class was being held on the flat roof on top of the entrance to the temple. How they where to get up was for the acolytes to figure out themselves. The crusader had come up in a series of leaps but if an acolyte didn't know how to use the force to aid their jump that rout was impossible. It was a test of sorts. If you could not get to the roof you where not worthy of the time necessary to train you. The roof provided a large flat area with nothing above them. The only downfall to the chosen place was that there was no cover from the beating sun. The heat would pound on the group as they worked and it would test endurance this group was capable of. It was for that reason he had a droid waiting on his signal to bring him some beverages for the crusader was sure to get hot. Of course he would wait for the acolytes to be sure not to show them the easy way up.

 

[Gamov]

Finding the Academy was not the most difficult part of her day so far. In fact, Mila rather suspected that was perhaps the easiest thing she would be tasked with doing today. Standing before the entrance to the academy, she cast a leering gaze towards the roof. Her eyes squinted reflexively with the harsh glare of the mid-afternoon sun as it beat down on the parched valley floor. A class in Force Speed was being held up there? Way at the top of the academy? Why? What purpose could that possibly hold for the lesson? The Acolyte - her mind vexed by the nagging questions drifting about her thoughts - pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a low groan. How she tired of the games her instructors enjoyed playing. Were there none among them who appreciated the elegance of simplicity and practicality? But she supposed they could afford to be so flippant towards their students. After all, they had earned their rights to do so through the same hard work and dedication that she was now being expected to demonstrate. Another moment of examining her surroundings yielded the same answer to the question she had been mulling over for the past few moments: just how was she supposed to get up there? There were no obvious signs of stairs, and she would rather not go on a scavenger hunt inside the academy in search of some secret passageway. Unfortunately, and much to her chagrin, the only answer she could muster was climb. Mila was far from being any sort of experienced rock climber, but a little determination could go a long way. Or she could get half way up, fall and die. Either way, she needed to get this nonsense over with. With a labored sigh, the young Acolyte set about making her way up the cliff face. A hand hold here, a foot hold there, a sharp breath as the footing she thought she'd found suddenly gave way beneath her weight. It was a horrendous slog that only left her scraped, dirty and sweaty - but she managed to haul herself to the top. Finally! With an exasperated breath, Mila pulled herself over the final ledge and sprawled out on the surface of the roof for a second, catching her ragged breaths as sweat tricked from her brow like a small torrent. She had never worked so hard for so little in her entire life. She just hoped something useful would come out of all this. Gathering her composure, she forced herself to her feet, brushed the dust from her pants and let out a stiff breath before bowing politely to her instructor. No doubt her less than graceful entrance would reflect poorly on her. But it wasn't her fault the lesson was being held on the roof now was it?

 

[Okin Crom]

Harli stared up at the roof of the temple. Having just bounced out of the entrance she stared at her fellow acolyte who was climbing to the roof. She watched as she tilted her head from one side to the other. Climbing was the most obvious way, and Harli would have probably done the same, if it wasn't for the fact she knew she wouldn't make it.

Scanning around Harli saw little that would be of help to her. And of course she had left her backpack in her room. Assuming she wouldn't need it for a simple class. How wrong she had been. Vowing to never underestimate an instructors evilness again she shielded her eyes as she looked up at the two figures.

"Excuse me, Master Kongure sir, you wouldn't mind lifting me up with the force would you?" Harli bellowed out, hands clasped together and smiling brighting up and she prayed that the Sith would do just that.

 

[Rector_Ras]

Hmph

One acolyte seemed to be annoyed she needed to climb up and get dirty. The other didn't even bother to come up, no rather she called to him for help. She was most certainly new and the Crusader had no intention of helping at all. No he would help, he would give this one a choice. She would be getting up the wall or running away form here as fast as her pathetic small untrained legs could take her. Giving a glace of annoyance to the waiting acolyte as he charged his palm not with force, but with heat, Vibrating the molecules in his hand to the point of fire. When the flam was the size of his palm the Arkanian grinned before letting it fly down at the waiting girl. Letting out multiple of these flaming balls his attention was turned back towards the one who had actually made it.

Sorry for the distraction, have to use target practice as it comes. Pausing as he blew out some remaining smoke from the now extinguished palms he continued "If she makes it up is up to her now. We will start without her." Now turned to face her watching her eyes, how the annoyance was visible from her dirtiness. With another grin his hand reached towards her and with simply a flick of his finger a cloud of sand and dust surrounded the acolyte completely. "Ha, now we can begin. Run. I mean it, don't make me repeat the fire act to get your legs moving"

 

[Gamov]

The calls for help from the valley floor had drawn Mila's attention as well. Turning a distant stare onto the purple haired girl, she cocked an eyebrow and scoffed quietly. If that girl needed help then she wasn't exactly long for this world if she thought to make it among the likes of the Sith. Granted, she was no great physical specimen herself, but Mila had learned the value of owning up to her shortcomings and using sheer determination and force of will to overcome them. The other girl would need to learn how to do that for herself if she had much hope of going anywhere here. As the Crusader hurled a series of fireballs at the poor girl - presumably to motivate her - an amused snicker nearly spilled out from Mila. She'd have to learn how to do that some day; it looked rather entertaining. But for today, her energies needed to be focused elsewhere. With her instructor's point driven home, he turned his attentions back to her - and she to his. For a brief moment, she thought perhaps she had actually managed to garner a measure of favor with one of her teachers by being the only properly motivated student here today. She wasn't quite used to that feeling to be honest. Suddenly, with a quick flick of his wrist, the Crusader encircled her in a cloud of dust and grit. Mila instinctively clenched her eyes shut as she heard the amused chuckle of her teacher mocking her. Frustration and anger simmered just under the surface as she tensed her jaw. What the hell was wrong with this guy, she wondered. "Run. I mean it, don't make me repeat the fire act to get your legs moving" Run? Run where? If there was one thing Mila hated more than a prick for a teacher, it was a prick who gave vague instructions. This was how he taught? No preamble to the lesson? No introductions or pleasantries? She was really, really starting to hate this. But his earlier demonstration was still fresh in her mind, and Mila didn't need much more motivation than that. As per her instructions, she ran - as fast as her legs could possibly carry her - towards the far end of the roof behind her.

 

[Okin Crom]

She watched without much suprise for a moment as the fireballs headed her way, before hurriedly diving forwards, face planting into the path in front of her. Well it was worth a try Harli mused to herself as she stood up, wiping the blood that had begun to dribble down her nose before moving up to the wall and beginning to follow the other girls path as best she could. As she began to climb Harli heard their instructor from above.

"Ha, now we can begin. Run. I mean it, don't make me repeat the fire act to get your legs moving"

Whelp, she knew now that she'd have to start running as soon as she reached the top. Hauling herself up as quickly as she could Harli was barely half the way up before racking coughs began to shake through her. Despite this the girl seemed to continue climbing. Well she made it look easier than it is the teenager mused as she continued from one hand hold to the next. Fingers and feet frequently slipping and flailing while trying to find a grip.

Hauling herself up with what little strength she had left she finally reached the top, hunched over slightly even as she stood she looked from her current instructor to the fellow girl with her. Smiling herself as she felt the other girls irritation that mirrored her own as she began to sprint around the edge of the roof.

 

[Rector_Ras]

Ras let the two run for nearly four minutes without pause. They would need the sensation to be fresh and prolonged to remember what they needed to learn the basics of moving faster with the force. When he was satisfied with their time Ras pulled the power of Korriban into his body and used it to get ahead of both Acolytes putting his hand up to stop their running. When they did and came into hearing distance he would begin his talk.

"You have been running, the basics of this skill you already know. The hard part is mixing what you just did with the force. Neither of you have much experience with the force so it might be a little harder but how would you think you might mix the action of running with the force?"

 

[Okin Crom]

Harli was wheezing, her breath coming in great gasps and pants, the occasional cough still sounding out. She was extremely grateful when Raslekx stopped them. Almost falling down already she hunched over and placed her hands on her knees. Watching the Sith carefully as she did. Hoping that he wouldn't do anything due to her lack of endurance.

"You have been running, the basics of this skill you already know. The hard part is mixing what you just did with the force. Neither of you have much experience with the force so it might be a little harder but how would you think you might mix the action of running with the force?"

"Couldn't... Couldn't we enhance. Our muscles with the force?" Harley wheezed out in between gasps of breath. Still hunched over as she spoke. "Channel it through our legs and stuff?"

 

[Gamov]

It didn't take her long to reach the near limits of her endurance. Mila was not a marathon runner by any stretch of the imagination, and though she was far from out of shape, such strenuous physical activity was well beyond the norm for her; not to mention her comfort zone. But sheer force of will - and a little motivational fear - kept her going forward at a steady clip. Her heart hammered in her chest, sweat stinging her eyes as each breath grew faster and more stuttered. She wasn't quite sure how much longer she could keep this up. Thank the Force fate intervened for her though. In a swift blur that moved almost incomprehensibly fast, much faster than her own eye could track, the Crusader surged ahead of them and signaled for them to stop. Mila didn't need much coaxing beyond the simple hand gesture as she slowed to a weary halt next to her fellow Acolyte. Panting, sweat dampening the collar of her shirt, she hunched over, sucking in air one gasping breath at a time before managing to compose herself again. A dull ache started to throb in her temples, and she was fairly certain that if she had to keep this level of activity up all day she would soon succumb to heat stroke. "You have been running, the basics of this skill you already know. The hard part is mixing what you just did with the force. Neither of you have much experience with the force so it might be a little harder but how would you think you might mix the action of running with the force?" The other girl answered first - thankfully - positing a response that seemed plausible enough. But Mila was almost certain there was another aspect to the ability as well. If her training with the Force had taught her anything it was that any power, no matter how seemingly mundane, was rooted just as much in one's own force of will as it was their physical prowess. Finally catching her breath with a long winded breath, she straightened her posture a bit and added to the girl's answer. "I believe the ability is partially mental," She said, "muscle memory can work only to a degree, but the physical form is limited. Perception, on the other hand, is nearly limitless. I believe it is possible to speed up one's cognition, thereby gaining the perception of speed without exerting anymore energy than is necessary."

 

[Rector_Ras]

"You both have a portion of the ideals. You are correct in saying muscle memory can only do so much and yes you do need your mind. You also do need to call the force enhancing your muscles. You must allow the Force to augment your muscles and increase the speed of their movements, the results... heightened reflexes and increase in speed"

Ras's explanation seemed sufficient but whether it was or not would depend on the Acolytes testing it. Would they be able to see what he said or not? It wasn't complicated, a short explanation indeed. Applying it the first time though... That was much harder.