You've Taken Your First Step

[Teran Atrix]

Teran had begun to make his first friends and acquaintances with the other members of the Jedi Order, and so far things hadn't been exactly what he'd expected. He remembered seeing the banned holonet footage of the Jedi returning, and at the time he'd barely even understood the ramifications of it. Now that he was here, he realized that not all of the Jedi were the dashing warriors he'd seen on holonet. Many of them were as confused and lost as he was.

He'd taken to the library for hours, but he'd begun to realize that even his experiential interactions with the Force seemed... inadequate. He needed someone who could teach him what it really meant to be a Jedi. Someone who seemed to have a grasp of it and had been taught by another. He needed a teacher.

He hoped that he had found one in another Padawan who - if rumor was to be believed - stood on the edge of promotion to Knighthood. She was someone who knew what it meant to be a Jedi, and he hoped she could give him the answers he was seeking.

The sun had just gone down, and Teran had finished another day in the library, but he was growing more and more frustrated with study that lacked experience. He wanted to actually feel the Force, to use it, to know it.

The words of the Jedi Code echoed in his mind, and he wondered if that was all there was to being a Jedi. There had to be something more than just the simple words. What did the Force want from him? Why had it picked him? Could it even pick someone? Did it have a will? What was his role in the galaxy? Could he really be a Jedi?

 

[Vesper T'Rahmmmmmmmmmmm]

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Things were beginning to feel normal again for Vesper, finally finding a routine again and getting back into the swing of Jedi living. It was nice seeing faces she recognized after returning from her small hiatus of responsibility. It meant that her friends weren't just going out there and getting killed for no reason. Maybe there was still a glimmer hope for the Order and the Alliance after all.. even if most times it seemed dim and far away.

It was Vesper's job to nurture that light, though, and she was given a good opportunity to do just that. Recently, an acquaintance of hers named Teran Atrix had asked if she could help him learn more about what it meant to be a Jedi and more about the force. At first, Vesper was taken slightly aback by the fact that there was someone out there that saw her as someone who could be a teacher. Teran probably didn't realize what he was getting into.

Vesper had told Teran she'd meet him around sundown, giving the young man a chance to do whatever it was he needed to do during the day. She preferred the night time anyway. Things were always far more quiet after the sun went down and silence was one of Vesper's favorite things. Silence offered chances at clarity, for that eureka moment that everyone looked for to solve their problems. It seemed that was sort of what Teran was looking for. Vesper hoped she could help him find it.

Hey there! She said, finding Teran leaving the library and heading off somewhere else - presumably to meet her. Figured I'd find you here. It's always good to spend time in the library, but it can't teach you everything you know. Come on, let's go outside.

Vesper would lead Teran a little ways away from the library and others who were milling about, maybe a couple hundred yards out into nature. There was a clearing of grass surrounded by tall trees that she'd discovered once when exploring around on her own, and she always found a sense of serenity there. They'd get there in five or ten minutes of walking, Vesper happy to share her spot with another.

We could probably start with the boring stuff like the Code or me asking you what it means to be a Jedi, Vesper started, shrugging her shoulders a bit before tapping her chin a couple times in thought. But that shit's pretty boring and I don't think it's what you're looking for. Tell me -- no. Show me what you know about the Force, Teran. Then we can figure out where to go from there.

Vesper would smile warmly at Teran, doing her best to push her own sense of confidence onto the young padawan. Of course, she was also a young padawan, but Teran was only twenty and Vesper was twenty two. She might as well be a fully grown adult and Teran only a teenager, or at least that's how it felt in her mind. Twenty two was totally adult. Totally.

 

[Teran Atrix]

Teran half-spun quickly at the sound of someone else's voice. He had been so consumed with his own thoughts he hadn't even heard her approaching, but the presence of another person was a welcome one. He had already grown tired of being in the books.

Hey! he smiled in greeting. He didn't have any idea what to expect from this meeting, but he was eager to start regardless.

The trip out to the clearing was quick, and Teran found himself enjoying the cool night air for half the trip and wondering if he should be trying to make conversation for the other half. Thankfully, they reached the clearing shortly thereafter and his awkwardness was covered up by... new awkwardness.

On the one hand he was grateful that she wasn't asking him to explain the Jedi Code (because he was pretty sure he had missed some of the deeper points to its words), but on the other hand he wasn't sure how to go about "answering" her actual question.

His lips twisted up in thought and he frowned for a moment, trying to think about the best way to "show" what the Force was. The Force was about connections, wasn't it? Connections between people, creatures, and everything else that existed. It was the cycles of life and death. It was the bridge between people. His mind seemed to focus in on this, and as it did, she reached out with her mind to his. He felt his confusion fade away to be replaced by a warm confidence spreading through his limbs. His own focus on the Force and his own connection to the rest of nature combined with the mental bridge she had provided meant that his mind was transiently wandering across the bridge.

Teran hadn't meant to poke around inside her head, but the mental connection she had created, however benign, was a bridge that Teran's mind quickly and unintentionally crossed, spotting fleeting glimpses about her that showed up more as emotions and flashes of images, words, and people that he had no control over.

Who's Kerra? he asked almost without thinking, mind seemingly far away, not even realizing that what he was seeing was parts of her mind.

 

[Vesper T'Rahmmmmmmmmmmm]

____________

Well, that had gone a little different than expected. Vesper may have been a more experienced Jedi than Teran, but clearly that did not mean she was in full control of the force or the way it worked. She had felt their connection as well, though Vesper's mind had chosen - whether consciously or subconsciously - to remain on its own side of the bridge. Teran's mind on the other hand seemed restless, ready to traverse any lengths in search of something; though Vesper was unsure what. Direction, maybe. It was impossible for her to say.

Kerra is my mom, She said simply. Some may have gotten offended or scared that another person had been inside their head but Vesper was neither. She knew that Teran hadn't done it on purpose and even more, she trusted that even if he had, there was nothing nefarious about his intentions. I actually have her initials tattooed on my wrist. She lifted up her arm to show Teran the dark block letters KTR scrawled across her skin.

The smile from before returned to Vesper's face. She was hoping that what had just happened wouldn't freak Teran out. Witnessing what feats can actually be accomplished with the force first hand when you were inexperienced could be a startling discovery. What you managed to do there was read the surface of my mind by crossing the bridge that opened up between us. It's actually kind of surprising that the connection opened up so freely," Vesper paused for a moment, her brain flipping through things she'd read before like her thoughts were just one giant text book. Better keep an eye out, we spend too much time together and we very well may end up forming a force bond. It was mostly a joke, but Vesper knew that the possibility was there. Of course, it was also possible she was totally talking out of her ass. Not like Teran would know either way.

Deciding it might be better for now to move onto something less... potentially personally invasive, Vesper reached out with the force and floated a few small stones off the ground. They came to about eye height, rotating slowly as Vesper moved her fingers in subtle motions.

Can you do that? She asked, letting the stones fall to the ground with a dull thud. It was a very basic application of the most vanilla of force powers, but the principles behind its mastery were important none the less. Concentration, practice, success. In that order.

Hopefully Teran wouldn't somehow figure out the name of her childhood dog by playing with some rocks.

 

[Teran Atrix]

Since coming to the Jedi temples, he had been the recipient of several dreams that he was becoming increasingly convinced were visions of either the past or the future. Although this one was done while he was awake, he had thought it nothing more than that: a random vision he didn't know how to interpret.

Her mom? he thought to himself. The dots began to connect inside Teran's mind as he shook the fog from his thoughts, and he realized that it wasn't just some unconnected vision. It was something from Vesper. Her mind? He didn't even know that something like that was possible, and the revelation made him feel not only weak in the knees, but also embarrassed. Apparently without intending it, he had somehow invaded her mind, and the realization was horrifying. Not because her mind was so terrible, but because he knew he had unintentionally crossed a line that he definitely shouldn't have.

I'm so sorry! That was an accident! he apologized quickly, but his anxiety was at least partially laid to rest by her charming and disarming smile. He looked down at the wrist she referenced and saw the letters there, prompting him to wonder what had happened to her. People didn't often get tattoos of those who were still living, but he was pretty sure he had already used up his share of personal questions for the moment.

He honed back in on her explanation of what had happened. Apparently, this could go a step further to a Force... bond? Was that like becoming a Siamese Twin after birth? That sounded terrible! He needed to make sure not to let that happen!

Is that... bad? he asked. The panic now manifesting on his face would become immediately clear by the wide eyes and paling skin of his face. He was imagining all the worst possible outcomes of a "Force bond" as she had presented it in the light of something to be avoided, and he hadn't read anything about such things yet.

Within moments, she was lifting rocks and twirling them around in the air in front of them both, and he watched her every moment. He could sense the Force shift and flow ever so slightly over the course of a few moments, but even the majority of her movements escaped his senses. When she turned to ask if he could do that, he really wanted to just say "no" but restrained himself.

I can try, he said, turning to the small stones on the ground. They were small enough, so picking them up shouldn't too hard, right? He stuck his arm out in front of him, thinking really hard about the stones, but almost completely failing to think about the Force at all.

He mimicked the movement of her fingers, and the muscles on his outstretched arm were obviously tensed as if they were lifting a physical object.

The stones didn't move. Not even an inch.

After several more seconds and two more attempts, his arm dropped defeatedly to his side and he let out an exasperated sigh. Okay, apparently not, he said angrily. For all the time I've spent reading about the stupid Force, and I can't even lift a stupid rock an inch off the stupid ground, he mentally groaned in his frustration. It was clear he had high expectations and didn't like not being good at things right away.

 

[Vesper T'Rahmmmmmmmmmmm]

____________

No need to apologize Teran, Vesper said, her tone reassuring. All in all, the kid didn't really do anything intentionally offensive. Scolding him over something that truly was an accident seemed like a pointless self-esteem crusher as far as Vesper was concerned. Oh no, I definitely wouldn't call it bad, per se. Potentially dangerous, maybe. I've heard that in particularly strong force bonds, it goes so far that you can feel eachother's physical pain. Of course, that level of bondage, - Vesper couldn't think of a better word for it, though she did almost burst out laughing when she said it - Takes a lot of time and experience with one another. Not really something to be terribly concerned with now.

Vesper watched as Teran made his attempts to lift the stones, making a concerted effort to keep her body language positive and reassuring as to not discourage him despite the hard time he seemed to be having. The frustration was both visible, plastered across Teran's features like face paint, and noticeable in the Force around them. Vesper thought back to when she first came to the Jedi. She hadn't known much more than Teran did now.

I have the feeling you might be trying too hard. Thinking too much clouds your instincts. The force is already inside of you, just let it flow freely and it will do the work for you.

Breathing in and then out, Vesper lifted the stones again. Feel the force in your chest, let it flow down your arms and out your fingers like water. The stones spun around in the air for a minute for floating lazily back to the ground. And most importantly Teran, don't be so hard on yourself. I believe in you, and most importantly so does the Force. You can do this, it just takes practice.

Her smile came back as she nodded towards Teran, Vesper putting her hands behind her back. Give it another shot.

 

[Teran Atrix]

So... Force bonds. He made a mental note that they sounded a little weird and sketchy, but as she pointed out, he probably didn't need to worry about them right now. He couldn't even lift rocks yet, so creating strong mental bridges into another person's mind seemed a bit beyond anything currently on his plate.

His frustration seemed to subside a bit as he listened to her and looked at her. Her words were encouraging, and her tone was soft. She smiled warmly, and he found that he was looking for almost any excuse to keep looking at her without letting it become creepy. She was... quite gorgeous, and somehow that made her reassurance all the more... reassuring.

But he was also determined not to stare and make it creepy, so he zoned in on her explanations of what he was doing wrong. After all, he was quite interested in actually learning how to harness the Force. He watched her more closely as she began to float the rocks again, this time focusing less on the movements, and instead closing his eyes to try to sense the Force.

It was difficult, but he could faintly make out how it coursed differently when it was in use. There was an energy that bridged between her and the stones, tugging, pulling, and guiding them through every step.

Okay, he said with a nod, seeming somewhat calmer now. He closed his eyes this time and relaxed his arm, reaching out to the Force and focusing on what he had just felt from her. He let his feelings melt away and pictured himself as a conduit through which the Force flowed.

There was no movement.

Teran's eyes were closed, but somehow he could almost see that the stone hadn't moved an inch. He pictured the energy flowing through him and scooping up the rock, cradling it into the air when... the rock flew. But oh, this rock didn't just fly it flew like a bullet, flinging itself into a nearby tree hard enough to leave a dent in the wood.

Teran's eyes shot wide open with a mixture of excitement and surprise. On the one hand, the rock had moved! On the other, there was clearly some lack of control there. All he'd tried to do was pick the rock up, not send it hurling like a projectile. Even so, there was a clear look on his face of excitement at his small victory.

Ha! Ha! he said excitedly, looking back at Vesper with renewed enthusiasm. I may not have meant to do... he motioned toward the dent in the tree ...well... that, but I actually moved it! he said excitedly. It marked his first, intentional use of the Force for something other than sensing things.

That was so cool! Is that what it's like all the time? he asked excitedly, practically overflowing with enthusiasm and trying to suppress the smile that threatened to creep over his face. He took several calming breaths to try to get a hold on himself again.

So what in all can the Force do? Like can I fly with it? he asked, suddenly envisioning all sorts of scenarios that were unrealistic for a Padawan. It was clear that his enthusiasm probably needed some tempering, and a bit of Jedi-like maturity still needed applying.

 

[Vesper T'Rahmmmmmmmmmmm]

____________

Vesper couldn't help but let a wide smile spread across her face at Teran's reaction. Both because of how excited he was that he was successful and how relieved she was that her attempt at teaching actually yielded positive results. Sure, it wasn't exactly what they were looking for, but you couldn't expect fine control over objects when it was your first time attempting to use telekinesis for real.

It is like that a lot of the time, Vesper said, nodding her head. She sometimes wondered what it would be like not to be able to feel the force. It was a fate she hoped would never happen to her. I don't even think I could answer that question. The force an do almost literally anything, if you have the imagination and believe. It may have sounded stupid to Teran but that's how Vesper honestly felt. Discovering the force had been the best thing that had ever happened to her. I think if you keep practicing and remember what you learned, you'll have telekinesis down in no time at all.

Ruminating for a moment, Vesper wondered what other things she could show to Teran to help him. Of course, they could stay here forever practicing control discipline but that seems hella boring. At the very least, they could talk about something else for a bit to give Teran a break and go back to practicing rock floating later. Suddenly, she got an idea. Do you have a lightsaber?

If Teran didn't have one of his own, Vesper would grab her own saber and hand it over to him. It was a different-than-normal design, its hilt more rectangular than the typical cylindrical ones that most Jedi and Sith used. Since Teran wasn't used to using one, it probably wouldn't make a difference to his comfort. Now that you've felt the force flow through you, now it's time to let it guide you. She said, the stones that they'd just before been using now floating in the air above Vesper's shoulder. Close your eyes, feel the force both inside and around you. Let it be your eyes and trust your instincts.

When Teran was ready, Vesper would start firing rocks off at for him to block with the lightsaber. She would start off slowly at first, but if he proved himself able to handle it, would increase the frequency of when they came and how hard they were being thrown.

 

[Teran Atrix]

So flying might be on the menu someday. That would be awesome, but even if it weren't the idea that he might become proficient in telekinesis soon would be fantastic. The more he thought about it, the more the idea that he might actually become a Jedi set in on him. He was doing this! He actually had what it took!

He looked back to Vesper, noticing how she seemed to be thinking about something, and he didn't interrupt her line of thought. When she asked about a lightsaber he shook his head, but there was another spark of excitement in his eyes. Lightsabers might well have been the coolest things in the entire galaxy... well, second to the Force.

I thought I should learn something about the Force before I tried to track down one of those... Kipper crystals? he said, trying and failing to remember what they were called.

He reached out his hand and took her saber hilt into his hand. It felt comfortable and smooth, like it belonged in his hand. It felt... electric. He wondered if that was from the Force flowing through it. It seemed to pulse through the weapon, and he held it delicately, wary of the power it held.

He did as she instructed, stepping back and away from her before sticking his thumb over the activation button. It hissed, buzzed, and snapped to life. He twisted it over in his hand, noticing that it was heavier than he expected. He'd handled knives and vibroblades before, and it wasn't all that different. It spun several times until he felt like he had a feel for the weapon.

Okay... I got this, he muttered, closing his eyes and reaching out to the Force. He focused on that same flow he had felt. There was a real struggle not to open his eyes, but he forced them closed when the first rock came toward him. He stepped sideways and swept the blade down.

It missed, but he still counted that as a partial success. He'd known to side step, he just needed to actually hit the object now.

One of his eyes opened to look out. Did I... hit it? he asked dubiously. He hadn't heard a zap or... felt anything, but he wasn't sure if that was normal or not.

Okay, um, let's try that again, he said, readying up for another round and waiting. Are there like... special techniques? I thought I read about Forms or something. Is that a thing? he asked.

 

[Vesper T'Rahmmmmmmmmmmm]

____________

You didn't hit it but it didn't hit you either. Which at the end of the day is all that really matters, hm? There were plenty of Jedi who died needlessly thinking that they needed to be a fancy pants and block or deflect every blaster bolt shot their way. Sometimes simply... moving was the best defense possible.

Oh, I guess going over the basics might be a good idea. Vesper said with a mildly embarrassed laugh. She'd gotten ahead of herself a little bit it seemed, jumping straight to throwing rocks at Teran instead of mentioning important things like where to hold your hands or footwork. I suppose the best place to start would be with form I. You might also hear it called Shii-Cho.

Walking over to Teran, Vesper started by pointing at his head. One of the big things with form one is the focus on zones. Your head is zone one. You forget to protect zone one and you're as good as got. Vesper would then hold up her right arm and then her left arm. Right side is zone two, left side is zone three. Pausing for a second, Vesper put a hand to her chin to ponder something. She didn't want to overwhelm Teran with so much info that he didn't remember anything, but didn't want to gloss over stuff that was important either. Those are the primary zones. Your back, left and right leg are the next three zones respectively. But if you want to practice I think focusing on the first three would be a good way to go, they're probably the most important.

Walking back to where she was before, Vesper started floating some rocks again. I'm going to call out a zone and throw a rock. Trust in the force, let it guide you. Eyes closed, feet apart, two hands on the hilt. Remember, one is head, two is right side, three is left.

She'd wait for a moment for Teran to ready himself, hoping that the plethora of junk she'd just told him had some time to sink in. "Here we go Teran. One!"

Vesper would fire the first rock at Teran's head. No better way to learn to swim than jumping right in the deep end.

@Phoenix

 

[Teran Atrix]

Teran continued to drink in everything she said about the sabers, zones, and how to wield a lightsaber. He could already tell he was going to enjoy using his saber to go out and cause trouble or just practice on his own. He heard her call out the rock location as zone 1, and that was going to be... his head! He reached out to the Force and tried to let it guide him, using that combined with the zone identified to bring his saber in front of his face.

My stones continued to come as she called out her zones over and over. It seemed like they had to have been doing that for nearly a half-hour, and he was clearly getting better with each throw. By the time the last stone came hard toward his chest, he stepped to the side and chopped downward, hearing it zip through the plasma blade.

Wow... that's so cool, he said, relaxing his stance when he could tell they were starting to wind down. I need to make myself one of these, he said, pressing the ignition and letting the saber flash out before offering the hilt back to her.

So... do you need help with anything? You know, Jedi business? I want to get out and start helping out, and I'd love to keep training with you, he said. Not to mention, he kind of liked her. Besides being attractive, she was nice, non-judgmental, and thus far the most helpful person he had met in the Rebellion. @Logan

 

[Vesper T'Rahmmmmmmmmmmm]

____________

It was actually pretty impressive. Teran was taking to the lessons like a fish to water, quite like her when Vesper first started her Jedi training. Many things had always come easy to Vesper, especially when she applied herself and wanted to be good at something. It was a double edged sword for her at least. Vesper wasn't very prepared to handle failure when it did happen. She was doing better now, though.

Actually yes, I think there is something you could help me with. Vesper said with a nod, clipping the saber Teran had given back to her onto her belt. I've had my eye on a few key areas where I think we could set up some new rebel cells.

Recently it had become clear to Vesper that the Jedi and the GA as a whole needed to be more proactive than they had been in the recent months. There were thousands of people out there who wanted to fight back against the Sith but just lacked the resources or the hope or the drive. Vesper wanted to bring those things to those people, but so far it had mostly just been ideas; a pipe dream. Maybe with Teran's help, though, she could start to make it a reality.

I think that we'll make a great team. I'll send you a message soon once I figure a few things out. Keep up the practice, though. You're gonna need it sooner than you think.

With that, Vesper flashed Teran another smile and gave a him a wave. Vesper was sure she'd see him around but for now, it was time to part ways. She needed to get some plans together, to get prepared. Hopefully Teran would have his own lightsaber by then.

//end thread

@Phoenix