Stronger Minding

[Omnis]

Participants: Raslekx

---

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.

The room that Nox chose for his latest session of Telekinesis intermediate techniques was near the center of his complex. The chamber was round and very wide, but had a lower ceiling clearance than anywhere else in the complex. Its walls and ceiling, dome shaped, were layered in an earthen color. The floor was all dirt and grass, with many random items being stuck into the ground all round the chamber. There were boulders, some recently ripped out of the dirt, steel crates, a derelict speeder, and other heavy objects.

Nox sat in the center of a ring of boulders, meditating. He looked up as his student approached, turning his head to regard the young Acolyte.

"Raslekx."

 

[Rector_Ras]

Today was more or less, the same old day as an Acolyte. Waking early and moving out to train. The difference for today was that rather then training on his own or beating a cocky acolyte to a pulp, Crusader Nox had allowed him a class. The information given described the class as one of Telekinesis, an ability fairly familiar power to the young Raslekx. On his way to the new complex he thought about the first time he used the power. It was in a class on Ziost taught by Lord Weiss. The Sith Lord had taught him how to use it and given him the ability to use it in many other missions and help in other training sessions. A skill that couldn't be bad to perfect.

Walking into the dome shaped room with his three lightsabers hanging on his side, he saw the Crusader waiting for him. Not getting very far in he spoke. "Raslekx" assuming it was the Crusaders way of greeting him Ras walked until he was a few feet in front on the teacher and spoke

"Greetings"

Then unsure of whether he was to sit down or not he followed the lead of the Crusader and sat in front of him. If he made the wrong move he would know soon enough.

 

[Omnis]

Nox's perfectly neutral mask tracked the Acolyte until he sat down. The slit visor looked empty, but somehow gave Raslekx the impression that Nox was studying him intensely. The Force drew down on the Acolyte, slowly and passively, running over him. As it fell upon the Acolyte harmlessly, the silver haired young man got the impression that the room was getting colder.

Then, so fast compared to its coming that it all seemed almost imaginary, it retracted away in a snap.

"You have come to learn more about the art of Telekinesis. Tell me, Acolyte, what it is that you seek to know. Do you lack control? Focus? Does your mind fail to grasp multiple objects at once and move them with precision? Or is it the strength of will that you are missing, a void of power that keeps you weak compared to others?"

 

[Rector_Ras]

eeling the force run around his body, Ras wondered what was going on. It seemed like it was searching him. Looking at every part of his body, feeling his connection to the force. It may have been unsettling for anybody that let there emotions control them , but instead Ras was intrigued though silent. It took only a moment for it all to be gone. It was as if you had a river and you all of a sudden threw a damn in the way.

Goosebumps started to show on his face, and ran up both his arms and legs.

"Multiple objects" Ras replied calmly but respectfully. "I have tried on occasion to take multiple things but it always becomes sloppy, and they lack power. It was a stretch to say he tried often, and in the past he was content working on mainly his saber skills counting on them to keep him alive and powerful. His abilities in the force where only aids to his blade skills, but now that the chance was on him refining what he knew would be in best interests.

 

[Omnis]

"Very well," Nox said, nodding. He stood, Sith robe falling into place around him. Lifting a hand, Nox began to lift five steel crates from their place beyond the ring of boulders. "We will start with multiple objects, working on power from there."

The Force reached out from Nox with several arms of influence, in a way that Raslekx felt to be like oversized but real arms reaching out to grasp the crates. Whenever the arms couldn't reach, they simply stretched from the center. As they grew longer, that center moved outward. Whenever the connection became weak somewhere, as the arm of power seemed to thin out, Nox drew more power into the center and directed it outward from there. The ends of each arm split into several fingers, which wrapped around the crate to maintain a good grasp.

The five crates came closer to the circle, stopping when flush with the boulders, and began rotating around.

"These are somewhat heavy," Nox admitted. "But if you've been practicing, you should be able to handle one or two. Take one from me to start, then see if you can take a second. Keep them moving, do not let them fall. If you are having trouble focusing on both, just think of throwing two darts or two knives. One into each target. Those points will be your focus, the first place you will move the Force to before touching anywhere else on the target. That should help."

 

[Rector_Ras]

Raslekx listened closely to the explanation the Crusader gave him, then watched as he lifted multiple crates. Nodding once the acolyte stood up and raised a hand towards the crate in front of him. He reached out to the crate and felt the Crusaders grasp let go. The crates where heavy but they were not uncontrollable, definitely not the heaviest thing he had carried. Instead of forcing his power all over the creat he did as the Crusader had told him, concentrating on the center and moving out from there while keeping it spinning.

After having a grasp of how his method works He reached for the next crate, the one directly to the right of the current one. Ras started taking it his way and not the way explained and the results were not good. The crate tipped almost immediately after Knox had let go and if Ras had been a couple seconds slower moving the force to the center, the crate would have likely fallen to the ground. The concentration was more then what he had expected. His mind was working hard and with the normal exhaustion of keeping his mind closed to emotions it was difficult. Adding a third would be disastrous and he knew it, at least it would be disastrous if he kept his barriers up.

This problem was becoming to get to common. The emotions he hated so much, the only thing he really did hate were holding him back now. He was at the point in his training they couldn't be locked away and forgotten with only letting them out in the most dire of circumstances. What he would do would depend on how far the Crusader pushed him. It would be obvious on his face he was struggling but it wasn't normal for a sith to stop pushing a student there.

 

[Omnis]

"You are limiting your own potential," Nox said, only managing to hit on what Raslekx was thinking about by sheer chance. "The way you are leashing the Dark Side to your will is too restricted. If you do not tap into your pride, that which grants you right over the Force, you will never accomplish this. You are a Sith, it is not for you to be chained by such petty limitations."

Nox lifted a hand, fingers spread wide. Sparks of electricity began to dance between them.

"If nothing else, once you drop those crates you will be introduced to agony. Personally, I don't think you would let that happen. You're better than that. Aren't you?"

 

[Rector_Ras]

Better? Yes he was, the crates would likely not be to much if emotions flew through him letting the dark side fully grasp his body. If the Dark side was free he would be a lot more powerful but there was just no way. The reasons they had been given up were far to great to just toss aside. His old friends, the only family he knew throughout his life and more importantly the one person he had ever been really close too. Emotion had killed them. Emotion was a device of power but to use it for suck a petty task?

Obviously Nox thought so, and so a choice was present. Be choked or break his rules and take them. Break his philosophy, his way of life or be shocked. Being shocked was something that happened more often then one might like to admit to an acolyte as punishment, but the agony was still more then anyone might want to bear whether they felt it one time or hundreds.

Ras looked at the crusader with an expressionless face and let the crates fall. The pain would be coming and he wouldn't flinch. If you had to break your life style to please the people above you then they were not worth it. Mira had demanded much while she was alive and breaking who he was something she might only expect of him if it involved a direct order. Not for a training exercise.

 

[Omnis]

Agony swept Raslekx quickly. Darkness closed in on him for a time, and it would have been understandable if the young man viewed it all as being dead. There may have even been a brief moment in which his heart had stayed stopped. Nox, for his part, unbarred the gates on his disappointment, his frustration, his rage. The Acolyte had not only made a point of failing him, but the boy had also made a point of defying him. He had chosen weakness, for the sake of virtue, rather than strength for the sake of power. It was a foolish choice, one that belonged with the idealistic Jedi.

What point in learning if you could not adapt? What point in teaching one who chose not to adapt?

Cutting off the energy, Nox stood silently and waited for Raslekx to not only regain consciousness but lucidity as well. He wanted the boy to understand him when he spoke. Just as the silver haired Acolyte looked up at him, Nox spoke.

"Have it your way, Raslekx. You will never reach greatness."

Then the silver masked Crusader turned and walked away.

 

[Rector_Ras]

It hit faster then expected. What it was Ras couldn't tell but the pain was more then any other punishment he had ever been given. He was crippled laying on the ground unable to move, in far to much pain to scream. It felt as though the full force of anger and rage where slamming into his body tearing at whatever t could find. What ever it was, it was a suitable punishment.

Once fairly recovered, being able to tell what was where though still slightly dazed he looked up to the crusader who said "Have it your way, Raslekx. You will never reach greatness." and walked away. The walls around his mind where already weak from the assault on his body. His words now broke them. Not in anger, or sadness. Not in self pity but frustration. The fullness of emotion washed over his mind and the unfamiliar feelings rushed into every part of his body like a wave filling every part of him. Mira had taken him. Mira never took anyone she thought to be weak and without potential. What did she see in him? Was her plan all along to break him of this? Of course no one would ever know.

In the end the acolyte may not have improved much over his skills in telekinesis, but he was given the knowledge of how to do so on his own. He also walked away from this place with a new goal. To reconquer his emotions. The crusader was right, he would need them in the future.