The Calm Before the Storm

[Vash Tembra]

Vash was meditating in his personal quarters, on his knees. He had been like this for almost half an hour, and now, the Force was opening itself to him... and him to it.

He could feel the people walking around the ship. Their minds were full, and few were focused on where they were, what they were doing. Their concerns went to other things, most likely family, or the Empire, or maybe even how they'd afford the bills, Vash couldn't tell for sure, he wasn't that advanced yet, and neither did he want to push further, which would be incredibly intrusive.

Instead, he focused inwardly, on how all these Force signatures were affecting him. They made him somewhat distracted, at least until he focused harder and dissipated their influences. He was ready now.

Satisfied, Vash opened his eyes and looked around the dimly lit tiny room he had been given. There wasn't much there, save for a bed, his weapons and his datapad, which the Echani checked again.

"Come to the grounds in forty minutes if you're not afraid to take a beating", was the message he'd sent, but the recepient would, by now, know it was just playful teasing.

He wasn't the only Padawan on the ship, another one, of his species, no less, was also there, something that made Vash very glad: they had been training together almost since day one, and it was nice to have a familiar face with him.

This was an Alliance vessel, used to carrying Jedi, and as such, they had accomodations to fit Force users... and a place to practice one's skills was very important.

He got up from his meditative stance, and opened the door, taking his weapons with him just in case, and moved towards the training grounds.

@Uelis Inarin

 

[Wraif Thraken]

A hazy cool calm water, a water that right now was so crystal clear to him and through it he could detect close passers by, the first a junior bridge officer, he felt harried, then he was snatched away and Wraif felt the tiredness of a mechanic, of course his skills were not so honed he could discern the person's profession, on occasion Wraif would catch glimpses that hinted at the gender, but sensing feelings was something that as far back as he could recall he had always been able to do.

It scared him at first, to feel strongly an emotional surge from somewhere, be it anger or lust, jealousy, love. In time he understood these were not his feelings, he remembered the soft loving and knowing eyes of his mother as she soothed him; "Don't fight them." She had said, "Try not to shut them out, recognise they are there but that it's not what you are feeling, when you feel something say aloud how you feel so it's clear to you it is not necessarily your emotion."

He smiled now at this memory and her wise words, how long ago that was, and how far he had come; wiser teaches since had taught him not to fear what he felt, but also how to dampen it, and how to control it. "It begins with sense, a Jedi quietens their mind, I want you to picture a place, it can be anything, but it has to be relatable and strong, this place will be your anchor, quiet your mind and go to that place, describe it to me." Wraif had done so, his place was a castle built upon strong rocks, in time he had learned to listen to the waves that crashed around the steadfast rock, to quiet the waves, for no matter how they raged his fortress would stand.

These were his early lessons and first baby steps, a simplistic pictorial way for him to experience the force and learn how to quiet his mind and feel the network that was pure life around him, a network that transcended time, space and the very fabric of the universe, it ebbed, flowed and bound everything together, it was a miracle. To be part of and to be able to touch this miracle and be in harmony with this universal energy field was a gift that should neither be neglected or squandered.

Wraif moved calmly his arms moving in unison as he drew one hand to his chest and the other skyward, he pivoted lightly on his feet, his eyes were closed his breathing steady, rhythmic and calm; this was moving meditation, a form of meditation Wraif came most naturally to him, to move, was to feel the living force of life around him.

His eyes suddenly snapped open, the window he had opened flung shut, the deep pool dissipated, he was hooked from being so immersed in the force like a fish pulled from a river, a more senior Jedi would chide him for being distracted by the real world, he turned then to regard the intrusion, the gentle vibration of his datapad upon the small wooden table, Wraif sighed annoyed at his own lack of self control, but the annoyance was quickly washed away as he read the message. Upon reading the message Wraif snorted, it was just like Vash to tease him, Vash knew how prideful Wraif could be, notably like Wraif Vash shared a culture and a certain spirit, for despite being only half Echani Wraif embodied the teachings and spirit of any Echani, yet there was much more than a shared ethos when it came to Vash, Wraif closely regarded Vash as the next best thing to a brother, the duo had nearly instantly bonded after their first meeting, notably both had knocked each other on their respective backsides multiple times in that first encounter. In most cultures that might engage in some competition, and whilst their had and always would be a form of friendly rivalry between the two Padawans it went deeper than that, for in that first meeting both had bonded far deeper through combat and that link was now like an invisible thread that bound them together.

Wraif grinned at the message hastily tucked his datapad into his robes and grabbed his training saber as he made his way out of the Spartan quarters he was accustomed to; first to the training grounds it was then, with that Wraif broke into a hurried walk that was almost a jog.

 

[Vash Tembra]

While he couldn't exactly pinpoint Wraif, he could more or less tell where he was, and what he was doing. Vash smiled briefly to himself, remembering how excited he'd been at the prospect of doing missions on this sector with his old friend. They hand't deployed yet, but he knew it was only a matter of time: other Padawans had already left the ship, after all, and he couldn't wait to prove himself out there. Hopefully, Wraif would go with him when it happened.

It wasn't just because of sentimentalism that the Echani felt this way: his friend's almost uncanny ability to sense other people's feelings was invaluable, and would definitely be useful if they were to act as spies.... or maybe even smugglers. There were just so many possibilities in the galaxy!

Reaching out with the Force, Vash sent his friendly rival an image of their last match, where he had bested Wraif. He often liked to tease his fellow Padawan when he won, if only to goad him to do better. After all, the last thing he wanted was for either of them to be found lacking when the real action began.

He was almost to the training grounds now, though he stopped briefly to talk with one of the vessel's pilots, who had greeted him. Even from a distance, Vash could feel the woman's sorrow, and that became even more apparent when he saw her more closely: the human's eyes looked heavy, and her long auburn hair was a mess. Vash knew she had recently lost her husband in an Alliance raid, and the strain was getting to her. He knew this, of course, because she had told him as much: being a Jedi meant he could sometimes offer spiritual aid, and being a Padawan made him much more accessible than a Knight or a Master... but that was just part of the reason.

The other motive was, Vash was very good at drawing people to him. This tended to happen naturally, especially when he was in contact with those who were weak willed, like animals... or the pilot, who had her mental defenses shaken after experiencing the loss of her loved one. That made him feel very sorry for her. If things had gone differently for her husband, she might have never even talked to him, but as it was, it fell upon the Echani to comfort her, to tell her that her former lifelong companion was one with the Force now, and that, in a way, he was looking after her.

Vash wasn't just talking to the pilot, however: he was actively projecting a feeling of calm into her mind, which wasn't easy at all. He had to open himself to her feelings of grief and sadness, and slowly manipulate them into something else, without her noticing (which, admittedly wasn't much of a problem, as the pilot unconsciously wanted to be calmed). All this while he talked to her. Thankfully, he had been well trained in developing his natural talent, and he kind of already had a speech planned if he saw the woman on his way, so he could devote his attention to her feelings, other than creating soothing words on the fly.

Vash could tell it was working by the way her body seemed to relax, and her facial expressions softned as they talked more and more. She began to tell him a bit about the man her husband was, and that's when he noticed her speech had also changed: where once she was focusing on her feelings of doubt and sorrow, now she was remembering the good times she had experienced, rather than focusing on the negative. Vash made it a point to pay as much attention as he could, while he soothed her through the Force.

It was all worth it when he saw the bright smile she gave him, and how her Force signature had changed from something heavy to a more serene, even confident aura. She was still hurt, he could tell, and maybe she would be all her life, but for now, she was well, and had the possibility to change her life.

Yeah, maybe I haven't saved the galaxy or anything, but at least a grieving widow's going to sleep at ease because of me tonight, he thought with a small smile, waving her goodbye before opening the door to the training grounds.

 

[Wraif Thraken]

The brief mental projection of Wraif submitting flashed into Wraif's mind, accompanied by the warm humour he had come to associate with his friend, Wraif shook his head; Vash in some ways was not dissimilar to Wraif, both young men had an affinity with others. Vash possessed the skills to hear more acutely the thoughts of others and he had learned ways to subtley influence the minds of some and his skills grew. Wraif on the otherhand could tap into what others felt and in a similar way that Vash could subtley alter ones mental processes Wraif could subtley manipulate feelings, albeit Wraif always had been tentative to exercise his skill. He knew how personal feelings were, yet more so it didn't sit comfortably with him to affect the feelings of another and neither did he feel it sat well with how he interpreted the Jedi code and teachings that had been passed on to him about the control of a Jedi's feelings.

He turned now as the door whisked open the movement bringing his mind back to the hear and now and he regarded the young man before him, a smile crept up at the corner of his mouth as Wraif looked down at his chrono.

"What time do you call this."

Wraif sensed through the force that Vash carried an air of accomplishment, happiness and jubilation, although notably his good friend seemed a tad harried, most likely from rushing to try and make up for whatever had delayed him.

Wraif playfully and semi absent mindedly twirled the staff through the air, whilst waiting for Vash he had been practising with the unusual weapon. He then planted the staff at the small of his back and gestured openly around the training room.

"So, what shall it be today?"

Wraif's eyes momentarily flickered down to the hilt that hung from Vash's waist then quickly his eyes flew back to his face and he smiled to mask an envy he know he should not feel, an envy that stemmed more from Wraif feeling a lack of accomplishment rather than envy in the weapon of his friends skill to have constructed it.

Wraif unlike most of his peers had still yet to construct a lightsaber the signature weapon of a Jedi and a sure mark that his skills were growing, for everyone knew not only the level of skill and concentration it took but also the focus, not to mention the actual finding of the crystal and construction of the chasis and saber itself.

Wraif had experienced vivid visions of his crystal, the saber hung in his minds eye, but ever persistently escaped him in the real world, some had encouraged him to forge a saber, but Wraif would not; he was always a determined and focused individual, perhaps sometimes too focused on one goal. There too was an irony in Wraif being so set on creating this saber he had seen in a vision when Wraif himself was a proponent of the living force.

Wraif turned his mind to the present now, to the force, feeling it's depths, he began to sink into it's warm embrace, slow his breathing and calm his racing mind and begin to draw focus as he awaited for Vash to make the decision of what today's training should involve. The duo often trained together and knowing each others strengths and weaknesses so well meant they could push each other where they needed to be tested, so long as Wraif didn't sacrifice his victory so to speak to enable Vash to learn. This was perhaps Wraif's greatest undoing, some whispered it was due to this very nature that he hadn't constructed a saber yet, for Wraif thrived on seeing others progress, and in particular he enjoyed playing a part in that, an amiable trait, however only if kept in check for previously he had been found to be risking his own benefits and gains from training at the expense of his peers because is mind became too focused on them and helping them achieve their goals that Wraif himself sacrificed his own learning objectives. Lately this was something Wraif had been working on and Vash knew all too well how to exploit this and his friend would try to, not out of malice, but out of service, to force Wraif to battle with his demons so to speak.

 

[Vash Tembra]

Vash let out a light chuckle when he heard Wraif's playful reprimand.

"Just thought I'd give you some time to prepare yourself, you could use the warmup, I'm sure" he talked back with a wink. It was really good to have a friend as relaxed as Wraif, who didn't take it personally when he was teased. Way too many people walked through life in a far too serious manner for Vash's taste.

He smiled a bit, noticing his fellow Padawan looking at his weapon. Wraif didn't have a lightsaber, but he would soon enough, the Echani knew. He never said anything, but Vash also knew that this fact didn't exactly sit easy with his friend. And how could it? He was half Echani! His people were born to fight, and thrived in conflict. Having a disadvantage meant having an obstacle to traverse... and while Wraif didn't traverse it, this would tear at his soul. Vash would feel the exact same way, were he on his friend's shoes.

But he knew of a way to make it better. Probably. Might also potentially make it worse... Vash was quite adept at making things worse, unfortunately. Not that it ever stopped him. Taking the elongated red and blue saber hilt off his belt, he levitated it to Wraif with a small smirk.

"Got a challenge for you, Makashi boy," he began jovially, "Me and a seeker droid are going to shoot you- stun rounds only, don't crap your pants- and we'll see how well you fare. Your form's weak against blaster fire, and I could use the training with my blaster, so you might as well use my saber... what do you say?", he asked with a small smile on his lips.

Hopefully, lending his silver bladed weapon to Wraif would make him happy, not depressed that he didn't have a saber yet. His friend was calm and relaxed, just like Vash, but you never knew.

Either way, he thought, he does need to learn to compensate for Makashi's weaknessess... and I do need to be at least half good at shooting things if I ever have to face a Sith with only a blaster.

The idea of going against a guy with a lightsaber while wielding only a blaster sent a shiver through his spine, though... which was all the more reason to face that discomfort during training.

 

[Wraif Thraken]

Wraif grinned in return then as Vash made the suggestion of today's training session Wraif became serious, he nodded whilst letting his friends words sink in, he formed an eyebrow in slight surprise but nodded his approval. Vash knew just how to improve Wraif this was what was so good about their friendship, Vash knew Wraif's habbit of letting things slip out of trying to benefit others and Vash was one of a select few who wouldn't make it easy for Wraif to slip into his old habbits. Furthermore Vash knew form two's inherent weakness, he also knew all too well how the Echani mindset and that of the Jedi was more geared to martial skills and less so to what was often regarded as a lesser weapon, Wraif was pleasantly surprised.

He went to move to set down the staff and retrieve a training saber from the stand, but halted midway as Vash spoke and held out his hilt openly, Wraif was taken aback, he wasn't hurt, but shocked, not that Vash was offering, but what he was offering, he knew what it meant for their was an almost sacred bond between a Jedi and their weapon. To be offered another's saber was a huge honour and this was doubled more so, for it was etched into Cash's heritage, an Echani never offered up their weapon the weapon could only acquire a new master through the rite of combat, yet here was Vash freely relinquishing his saber and displaying to the utmost that a Jedi should have no attachment, but Wraif could only guess at the possible internal wrestling Vash was going through to make this act.

Wraif set down the staff in its mount on the wall, he walked forward, glanced at Vash and accepted the weapon, clasping hands with Vash in a handshake as the weapon was exchanged, the cool hilt warming to Wraif's touch, Wraif tested the balance, it was a little emitter heavy for his tastes, but the craftsmanship was fine indeed. He thumbed the activation button and the silver blade throbbed to life, the pulsating energy blade casting an eerie moonlike glow upon Wraif.

Wraif walked away from Vash and turned side on holding the hilt in his right hand, blade leveled evenly at Vash, hilt held at hip height, the blazing tip facing Vash. Wraif placed his right foot forward and left behind, his feet were distanced close to one another and he bent his knees so that he was ready to traverse in the manner accustomed to all practitioners of form II. Wraif gave a short flourished salute to show he was ready to begin.

 

[Vash Tembra]

The Echani smirked. He had forgotten how those of his species often valued weapons... perhaps a little too much. The look of doubt in Wraif's face reminded him of that. But truth was, his father had taught him to live life in a more carefree manner, and Jedi training had only built upon this. Of course he wouldn't lend his saber to just anyone, but it wasn't a big as deal to him as it might have been to one of his species more steeped into tradition. How very quaint of you, my friend, he thought with a little smile, but didn't say anything out loud.

Instead, he levitated to his hand one of the training blasters, and activated one of the seeker droids, setting it to medium speed... which for non Force sensitives was already incredibly fast. The little droid began to move to Wraif's right, while Vash moved to his left. He opened himself to the Force, letting it determine the right moment to shoot. The seeker droid was a sneaky fellow, you never knew when it'd fire, and he wanted to shoot at more or less the same time.

It was a weird sensation, holding a blaster. He was much more used to a lightsaber, but he had received some training at it, though he'd never really fired it at anyone with the intent to do harm. There was something nice about the whole thing, despite his lack of familiarity with the device: it was much more focused, in some ways, then a saber.

There was a single point that he could aim and fire at, a single, very focused place for him to hit and either hit his adversary or fail. With a blade, the amount points that could be hit varied dramatically: a single slash could touch upon many places at once, and be a real nuisance to anyone trying to dodge its power. You didn't have the same luxury with a ranged weapon: you either knew exactly where to aim, or you'd have a really bad time.

He smirked, feeling the wheight of the training blaster in his hand. It was almost time, he knew, as he saw the little droid hovering from left to right and then left again. Then it fired, right towards Wraif's right leg, while Vash, at almost the same time, fired right at the middle of his torso.