Let's dance (Rognan)

[Shade Magus]

Shade smiled as he looked about the room. It was the same that he and Rognan had been in earlier, but it was different. The blonde Jedi had changed it and modified it. Now it looked more like an obstacle course.

Probably would have been better to teach this somewhere like Yavin, but this shoudl be fine, Shade thought. He looked at a small chrono on the table in the corner of the room. Rognan should be here any minute. I can't wait to see his face when he sees this. Maybe he doesn't know that we can modify these rooms.

[Rognan Dar]

The any moment that Shade was thinking turned into a few moments more then expected. It was not Rognan's habit to make people wait or to be late. But Shade did not really set a time, so it was just whenever Rog got there.

As Rognan walked into the room he had been in earlier today, he stopped, paused, and looked around the room. He saw Shade and struggled to put this all together.

"This is the right room we were suppose to be in, right? Must be. Your hear, and I'm hear. But the room seems to have run away and subsituted for this one. What happened?"

[Shade Magus]

Shade smiled. "I just changed it around. Some time ago I learned about some hidden panels in a few of the training rooms. I am guessing they were meant for training inside during harsh weather."

He looked around. "What do you think? Afterall, you'll be the one running the course."

[Rognan Dar]

"Oh, is that what it is suppose to be? A course...well, it looks fine. I dont know what its all for, but looks like fun. What are you teaching me anyway?"

[Shade Magus]

"You wanted to learn lightsaber skills. Very well. I'll shall teach you one. I thought prehaps Form IV since it is what I am most proficent at. The reason for the course is so that your body gets used to the extreme movements you will have to make. In order to use this form you will have to allow your body to draw off of the Force subtely so that you won't wear out and can still do all the jumps and twists and stuff of teh nature."

[Rognan Dar]

"Very well," Rognan said with a nod. "Just wouldn't think it would take so much to just learn a few twirls and spins. But you are the teacher here. Continue on, please."

[Shade Magus]

"Now just for a little warm up, we are going to do some light aerobic," Shade said before abruptly stopping. "I assume you do know how to do flips and cartwheels and such?"

[Rognan Dar]

"Yes...maybe not as well as you can. But I know the physical aspect of it all. Just depends on weither my body wants to do what the mind tells it to, you know?"

[Shade Magus]

"Well," Shade said with a smile. "Your mind won't have much to do with that anymore. From now on it will be the Force that will tell your body to do."

Shade walked to the middle of the room and looked from the course to Rognan. "Before you run this thing I just want you to start drawing off the Force. Stay with it and let it fill your body."

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan nodded his head, understood what was said and ready to do it. He then took in a deep breath, with that breath he also drew in the Force to fill his body and senses. He could feel Shade standing infront of him, along with many other Jedi, off doing their own thing. He took only a moment more before nodding once again to say that he was ready.

[Shade Magus]

"Alright I want you to begin now. Just move slowly, but be mindful of everything happening. I've set this up so that there will be false supports and the beams will drop if you stand on them for more than a second or two."

Shade looked over at a switch on the wall and nodded towards it. Suddenly some of the beams started moving back and fortha dn some up and down.

"This first time is just for practice so experiment and let the Force guide you. Don't try to guide the Force."

[Rognan Dar]

"Alright. Lets see what we can do."

Rognan stepped forward onto one of the platforms. He slowly went to the end and, with his sense through the force, jumped to the left onto another board. Still going quite slow, he got to the end and was just about to jump off when he felt it buckle under him. He then hopped backwards and then jumped off to his left again, almost falling over at the angle this board was in. He needed his senses to be far better then what they were at. He should have seen that last one fall before it happened.

Releasing all restraints, Rog completely opened himself up to he Force. His senses grew in strength, along with his own body as he aplied the Force to circulate blood to surtain area's and to give them strength. He then dived forward, landing into a roll and jumped once again. He landed on a moving on this time, almost losing his balance.

[Shade Magus]

Shade watched his fellow Knight run and nodded in an approval. Rognan is catching on. I just hope he can keep it up...uh oh...there he caught it, he thought as he watched the man faulter for only a second.

Not bad for a first run. Next when he uses the lightsaber it'll be a whole new league, he thought with a smile. But it should be interesting none the less. Rognan is a great Knight and is learning exceptionally well. He might have the basics down within a few days and then it would just be up to him to use it in practice. Hmm...he's coming up on the three rigged ledges. Let's see how he does with these. If I did them right then they should drop a second or two earlier. Should add some spice to the run.

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan went on a while longer, only to pause where he thought it safe to catch his breath. This was quite the work out. And it was a different kind then what he was use to. Even his morning jogs and runs didn't put him into shape for this. It used so many other muscles that he was getting tired. But he was not going to give up. No pain no game.

After going on for a while, Rog was trying out different things. Work smarter, not harder. With this it meant that he was not going to do all those hug jumps that really were not needed. Most of the time he now just side stepped to one platform, found his next direction, and then went for it, throwing in a spin or a jump now and then. It was only when he was getting to the ledges that he was going to have some problems. He stepped on one and was just about to jump to the next one when he felt it tremble under him. He jumped backwards instead just as it collapsed. That was unexpected. It fell just after he landed on it. The other ones around it looked similar. So he was going to have to be quicker to get past these ones.

Going off to the side and forward, he landed just before the trick ledges. He then took a deep breath and jumped forward. No sooner had he landed then he had once again jumped off to the next, and did the same thing there again. The whole time he did this he was barely able to see where he was going before he had to jump again. He didn't even notice that he was past the trick ledges until a few more down the way, where he stopped and looked back to see a gap where he just came from. Now he was tired. Now he might not be able to do much more. Even with the Force as his aid, it would not do him good to use it so much in his weakened state.

[Shade Magus]

Shade glanced a few feet in front of the Rognan and smiled. His friend was reaching the end and he needed it. He could tell the Jedi was getting tired. Well he'll have a chance for some rest soon. Just a few more jumps and he'll be done. Good thing there isn't anything else really tricky.

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan looked up to his friend, standing there with a smile on his face. Maybe he was doing well. Then again, maybe he wasn't, and Shade was just keeping his amusement to himself. Whatever it was, it wasn't worth thinking about for to long.

Looking back to the course, he saw that he was near the end. Just the spot to put more traps and trick. Or so he thought. Even though Rog was tired, he didn't want to get so close to the end and be easily swayed by the thought of being done. So he ran the rest of the track, jump, jump, jumping all the way to the end, where he stepped off the last one and collapsed on the floor for a rest.

[Shade Magus]

Shade smiled as he walked over to his friend and handed him a bottle of water. "Here. It might help."

He waited till Rognan took it and then dropped to sit by him. "Not bad. I wasn't expecting you to do so good on the first try, but it was very well done."

[Rognan Dar]

Rogann took the bottle and chugged the water down greedily. He was half way to finishing it when he stopped and took a breather. He then decided to just continue to lay down. After a long moment he sat up

"I assume that now your going to tell me the whole point of all this jumping? Besides for it being quite a excercise, of course."

[Shade Magus]

"Besides that you'll have to get used to it? Not really," Shade said with a smile. "That and you'll be running it again in a few seconds."

[Rognan Dar]

"Ok, there is that. But even doing this, getting use to it, will not really make it any easyer to fight using it. I'll most likely land right on someones weapon by doing all this jumping."

[Shade Magus]

"Maybe, but that is what the Force is used for. This form of lightsaber fighting isn't the hardest one to use, but it is the most taxing on the body. Those jumps and twists will help you move and get ready for what you have to do. Trust me when I say you'll learn to dodge. You'll have to develope your danger sense, but that will come easy with this form. You'll be hanging with the best of them in no time.

[Rognan Dar]

"If you say so, Jedi Shade. I know it will keep me in shape for any fight, that is for sure. Well...lets get on with the rest then?"

[Shade Magus]

Shade smiled as he held out a hand to help his friend up. Once he was, he nodded to the beginning of the course.

"Then by all means, please start again, but this time. You'll have something extra," the Jedi said as he nodded over to the table and slowly a small spherical droid floated up into the air. It came over to him and he held it in the palm of his hand."I trust you are familiar with these training droids?"

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan looked at the droid for a second, before turning his gaze back to Shade with tired look.

"Your not serious, are you? You want me to do everything I just did and cover my butt while I do it? How did I get myself into this..."

[Shade Magus]

"By asking to better yourself, and believe me you will," he replied with a grin. "Besides this one has been modified so that it won't fire as fast as the others or move up in levels unless someone manually punches it in. These are all for safety reasons of course. I wouldn't want anyone taking off more than they could chew before they were ready."

[Rognan Dar]

"How very thoughtful of you. Good to get to know this side of you."

With a deep sigh Rognan looked back to the course he just went through.

"Right...well, lets do this then. Do either one of these things is not all that hard. But put both of them together...man, my brain and my body are going to hurt after this. And one of those for more then one reason."

[Shade Magus]

Shade couldn't help his chuckle. "And which one would you figure as being the worse one my friend?"

[Rognan Dar]

"Does it really matter? Come on, turn on your ball and lets have ourselves a party?"

Rognan got up and stretched quickly. He then got his saber and turned it on. Its blue blade shot up and hummed before him. He then stepped onto the platform and waited for Shade to say, 'go'.

[Shade Magus]

Shade check the small droid and nodded in approval. He threw it up in the air and activated it via telekinetics. He then looked at Rognan. "Go!"

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan was moving before the words even left Shade's mouth. If he could keep ahead of the droid then it might not be so bad. But the droid didn't have to worry about jumping around everywhere. So much for that thought.

Rognan got a few platforms away before the droid could really do anything. And just like Rog's luck, it fired when he landed on a wobbly board and having a hard time keeping his balance. The shot hit him in the butt as he almost fell over, the shot then adding to the problem. He had to make a quick jump and landed on his side, just as another shot was fired. This one was swipped out of the sky with a smooth motion of his saber. Pushing himself up, he continued on. It was the start of a cycle: jump, block, jump, block. As long as he did that he was fine.

[Shade Magus]

Shade nodded and smiled. He reached out with the Force and flipped the switch to the second level as he saw Rognan becoming familiar with the set up. Now the droid would fly some and fire two shots, one right after the other.

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan was waiting for the neat to get hotter. It was no surprise that the droid was suddenly more aggressive. It did almost throw him off, but that was easily fixed.

The droid floughted around right infront of Rog as he stopped to catch his breath. The droid didn't waste the moment, firing as soon as it thought it had a clear shot. Rog blocked the first one and sidestepped the next. At this point he was very tempted to slice that machine in half. But that would not accomplish anything.

Continuing on, Rognan was delayed several times by the little orb. He had to take his time to take care of himself before he was able to move further through the course, where it started to need more awareness. And it was at that time that the droid started to hit him. Alot. Rog was unable to keep moving around, making sure things didn't fall from under him or to keep from being thrown off, without having the droid's little lasers hit him. And most of the time he was willing to take the shots in order to stay on the course. And by then he was to tired to be able to keep up with both. Now and then he was lucky and blocked a shot as he was moving. But trying to keep his mind focused on the droid, yet his body was doing something else, which also required his mind to function properly...it was just very hard. His mind was sizziling.

He stopped on a platform, not to far from the finish, but yet not all that close, and had to stop. He did his best to focus; to regain his strength and breath. But his mind was ablaze and even then it was hard to deflect all the shots from the droid. And he didn't move, if he could help it. He just stood there facing down the little orb, as if he expected it to quit anytime now.

[Shade Magus]

Shade smiled as he watched the Jedi and the droid. They were at what seemed like a standoff for right now.

"Rognan!" He called up to his freind. "Don't hesitate to let finish the fight. Don't use more energy than you have to. It'll cost you in the long run."

As if to end the stand still, Shade reached up with the Force and jolted the stand his freind was standing on a little and the sudden movement had the droid going again.

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan was forced to act, to move. Yes, he was so close, but he lacked the strength to go on. He was about to just fall backwards and end it all. His body screamed at him as pain and fatigue took over. His mind was unable to bare it all.

He stumbled to one side as his platform moved. He did a sad jump and landed on another one. But he was so tired that he was totally open to attack. He got nailed twice in the back, the blow knocking him forward. He landed on his chest and didn't move. His body had shut-down from the finally blow. After a moment, his saber turned off as his hand relaxed and released the activation switch.

[Shade Magus]

Shade ran over to his friend and knelt beside him. He's out, he thought as he looked at him. Probably passed out from exhaustion, though I have to give him credit. He got a lot farther than I did the first time I tried.

Shade slowly reached out and put his hand on Rognan's forehead and splayed his fingers. He reached out to the Force at the same time and let the strength flow from him into the Jedi. He would help with his exhaustion for now, but he would have to heal with time.

[Rognan Dar]

All time stood still. Or maybe it was going really fast. For Rog, there was no time. Everything was black and his body hurt all over. He felt like he was floating and, at the same time, on solid ground. Hardly a memory went through Rogs' head, for it was just a blank and black world he was now in.

Rognan woke up with a start. He didn't really move as much as just spasm as his eye's opened. He stopped quickly as he looked up into the face of his good friend, Shade. He just looked at him for a moment, not really knowing what was going on.

"Wha....what happened?"

[Shade Magus]

"You my friend did absolutely what I expected and pushed yourself and did quite an amazing job in the process."

[Rognan Dar]

"Did I now? Then why am I laying down looking up at you and can't seem to move? To me, that doesn't sound all that swell."

[Shade Magus]

"The point was to push you to your limits and hope you went beyond and I must say that if you did it was superb, and even if you didn't it was superb. You were able to hold out longer than most Jedi could hope for. One run through a course like this and they would faint. Try having them run twice and defend themselves...well you're among a handful that I have seen do it."

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan half heartedly laughed as he replied. "Well...I have had a bit more practice then I would suppose most that have gone through this."

[Shade Magus]

"Which will help you in the long run," Shade said as he called another bottle of water over to him. "Here. Drink this and rest for awhile. You'll need your strength later."

[Rognan Dar]

"Later? Later for what?" Rognan said as he took the bottle. He gave Shade a mean look before taking a drink from the bottle.

[Shade Magus]

"What you think passing out is going to get you off that easy? You asked for my help to learn more advanced lightsaber techniques and you will get them."

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan groaned at the news. He didn't think it would get him off. He just didn't know what else there was. If he did, he might not have pushed himself so hard. Maybe that was the point...

"Fine....fine....whatever you say, 'master.' "

[Shade Magus]

Shade smiled and stood back up. "Go get some rest for now and we'll start again in a few days when you've had a chance to regain your strength."

[Rognan Dar]

"I was thinking you'd have me do it right now. What is it, anyway, that I'm going to need so much strength for?"

[Shade Magus]

"Well...you ran this thing by yourself and with a droid. I was thinking of having you run it against a person. Real and very well educated in this art."

[Rognan Dar]

A look of shock ran across Rog's face. "You? Your kidding right? Doing this with the droid is one thing. Having someone stand in the way is another thing."

[Shade Magus]

"So you expect to fight droids when you need to use these skills?" Shade asked.

[Rognan Dar]

"Thats not what I said. I meant that this course is very limited. If you wanted me to get from one end to the other, and with you in the way to block, fight, whatever...its going to be much harder."

[Shade Magus]

"I would hope so. I'm not trying to sound uncaring, but I would rather be your hardest opponent in here, than have you fight one out there and be unprepared. Though I'm not saying you can't hold your own, because I remember from our spar you gave me a run for my creds."

[Rognan Dar]

"Yeah. At times I thought I had you. But over all, you know more about fighting then I do."

Rognan fell silent for a while before sitting up and swigging down another mouth full of water.

"Tomorrow then?"

[Shade Magus]

Shade's smile returned and he nodded. "Tomorrow."

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan returned the nod and slowly got to his feet. He knew that one day might not be enough to heal from this. At any rate, he would be worse off tomorrow then he was right now. Letting to much time go by, though, would just let his focus drain away. And he was determined to stay focused and do this. So off he went to go have a good long nap and maybe something to eat, just to sleep some more.

[Shade Magus]

The next day Shade stood waiting in the garden. He had already sent a message to Rognan to meet him there instead of the classroom. Today, the added space would do much better than the confinements of the classroom.

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan came into the garden, looking like he never had before. His body was all tense as his tired muscles were dealing with the punishment they had taken the day before. His face was one of constant pain, caused be having to move those muscles that hurt so much. He was also walking in a sloutch, for it eased some of the pain from his shoulders.

He walked up to Shade and smiled without the least bit of meaning to it.

"And here I thought that all I would have to do was swing a lightsaber around. Boy, was I wrong. Dont look so pleased about it either."

[Shade Magus]

Shade's smile widened. "Ahh...well it's good to see you doing well too my friend"

[Rognan Dar]

Rog sneered at Shade. He was really not feeling all that well today. Never before had he hurt so much. And to think, it was not over yet.

"So what torture do you have planned today?"

[Shade Magus]

"Nothing much. Just a light spar and then for you a few hours in a bacta tank."

[Rognan Dar]

"I think I'd just like a hot jet bath. That sounds really good right now. Alright, see ya. I'm heading for my bath... Oh, fine. Lets get this over with then. My bath is calling me."

Rognan uncliped his saber from his side and waited for Shade.

[Shade Magus]

Shade's smile disappeared as he jumped up into the air, twisting once he was over his friend. His lightsaber ignited when he was over Rognan and when the Jedi landed, he rushed forward with a downward slash, from left to right.

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan watched lazily as Shade went over his head. He turned around in time to see Shade's saber come to life as he ran forward to attack. Rog didn't have time to turn around all the way to defend himself. Cranning his neck around, he lifted his saber up and behind his left shoulder and ignited his own lightsaber. His body screamed at him as his sore muscles were once again put under strain. With the strength of the Force, he pushed those feelings aside and focused himself on keeping his grip on saber.

[Shade Magus]

Shade could appreciate Rognan's sore muscles and so he lightened up on the attack. The Jedi took a step back and smiled. He waited for Rognan to turn completely around before slowly brin his weapon up in a slow arc for a slash that aimed mid-level. His hope was to let Rognan's body get back into the swing of things.

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan may have been tired and sore, but he was still able to move and think. His head was slightly clouded by the pain that came now and then. But he could tell Shade was not fighting like the last time they had sparred.

Standing his ground, Rognan batted the attack to the side with a simple movement of his saber. He then pressed the attack by stepping forward and doing a quick stab forward.

[Shade Magus]

Shade stepped to the side and cut downward on Rognan's blade. He then leaned back into a defensive position with his lightsaber hilt held above his head, parallel to the ground. His right leg supporting him and his left leg extended in front of him. The Jedi put his left arm out in front of him and motioned for his freind to attack him.

"All you have to do is get inside my defenses. I promise I won't attack," he said with a smile.

[Rognan Dar]

"But to do so would only put me in the position that you want. 'A Jedi uses the Force for knowlege and defence, never for attacking.' "

Rognan leaped forward into the air with a spin. He did not go far, just enough to close the distance once more. As he spun, his lightsaber trailed along, until he landed in a crouched position. Once landed, he slashed out low to take out Shade's front foot.

[Shade Magus]

Shade slid his foot back and dropped his lightsaber down to block the attack. "Prehaps, but sometimes the best defense is to go on the offensive."

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan angled his blade so that with the momentum he had built into the attack would then slide along Shade's saber, move along without being stopped. He then reversed the direction and brought the saber down on Shade's head. Their blades connected and stayed that way for a moment.

"That is true. But that all matters on weither your offensive is good enough to beat someones defense. Otherwise, you jsut tire yourself out, then having to go on the defensive."

[Shade Magus]

Shade smiled and simply side stepped to the right, bring his lihgtsaber blade around and under, effectively stopping any future attacks for the moment attack.

"Then make it good enough. Don't confine yourself to just blocking the blaster bolts or eventually you will fall. You have to place the bolts back in the right places sometimes."

[Rognan Dar]

"So no matter who shoots you are attacks you, you fight back and make sure to hurt them for it? Blocking the shot, at times, is better then to send it back, only making things worse. Killing is not always the answer."

Rognan jumped up high into the air. He then angled himself to be like a arrow, falling down from above. His saber was infront of him, diving down in a angle right for Shade.

[Shade Magus]

Shade smiled and shook his head as he leapt to the right to avoid the attack. "I agree, and if you had paid attention I never said anything about killing. I only said to place the bolts at the right position. That can be anything from directing it back at the blaster to hitting something to distract them, and in some cases then yes...killing them."

[Rognan Dar]

"Needless killing. Jedi are suppose to be protecters, yet we seem to train ourselves to be warriors, and we do far more killing then, I think, we should. How is it that each one of us can do something like that, and not question the motives of the Jedi of old and to what they had in mind when they set up those guidelines?"

[Shade Magus]

"Who says we don't? It is up to each individual Jedi to look within himself and find those answers," Shade parried.

[Rognan Dar]

Slashes multiple times, without much thought or effort into.

"But if it was left up to individuals, then they could think that killing is fine, as long as you get your goal gone. That would be just like a Sith. We are to value all life, and protect it. That would also include evil people, right? So how, then, can you say that it is up to the person killing to make the disicion on right and wrong?"

[Shade Magus]

Shade moved his blade dodging and blocking both Rognan's physical attacks and parrying his verbal assault. "If we can't trust a person as the Force has, then how can we claim to know or act in its will? Will you follow your Padawans till you die to choose for them?"

[Rognan Dar]

"As sentients, we have the ability to choose. That does not mean that we make the right choices or even have the mind capacity to do so. The reason padawans are put under a teacher is because they do not have the experience to make wise and good choices. As to your quesion, yes. I am responsible for my padawans. If I, making my choice, let them go off on their own, make their choice, and anything happens to them, I am to be blaimed for being such a fool, letting them go when they are not ready yet."

The conversation was piking up small emotions about issues Rog had. He did his best to keep this a simple conversation. Yet, in battle, as he and Shade were, it was hard to when emotions and physical weariness fought eachother.

[Shade Magus]

Shade twirled his lightsaber in the air as he somersaulted over Rognan and slashed lazily from the back. "But if you precieve them as being ready? What then? You can only judge thier readiness through your eyes. Faith is what the Force requires of us, not doubt. Trust yourself as a Jedi and let go."

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan blocked the attack and swung wide and strong.

"Faith. It sounds so much easier then it is. But when you say it, it sounds as if you think the Force to be a god; able to see all things and do anything it wants, whenever it wants. If that was so, then how are others able to use the Force? Wouldn't that then take away whatever sense of power the Force, being a god, had?"

[Shade Magus]

"Prehaps. But maybe you are only looking at one side of the coin. Maybe we aren't the ones using the Force, but we are letting the Force use us. It is our life to let the Force work its will through us."

Shade dropped down low and let the blue weapon pass over him. He didn't come up for a counter attack. He decided to let Rognan carry on the offensive for awhile to see what he could do.

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan continued on with his attack by spinning around while bring his saber up. As he came around to facing Shade again he slashed down.

"If the Force is using us, makes us do whatever it wants, then we have no choice or free will. But you said letting. So then those who are not Jedi, or at lest highly aware of the Force, are then outside this 'letting' of the Force to work on us?"

[Shade Magus]

"Is a rock Force sensitive? Can you tell me? I cannot, yet we use these examples to teach young ones. So I say yes, they do work the will of the Force. Remember that we start off only using instincts and premonitions that regular people precieve. Ours are just more highly attuned. But the Force does speak to everyone. Through dreams and emotions, but ultimately it is that person that has to choose on whether or not to act on those feelings. That is why we percieve the Force around us. Because we want to," Shade said as he dropped to one knee and held his blade parallel to the ground. Both weapons hissed when they touched, and even though Shade was on the bottom pushing up, he wasn't giving ground.

[Rognan Dar]

"The rock may not be sentient, or even aware of the Force, yet the Force is in it. So the Force works its will upon it, without the rock knowing it? Yet the rock does only one thing: it sits where it is placed, or moved, and nothing else.

So the emotions and dreams and feelings we get are from the Force, and you say we have to choose to do something about them or not. So if we choose to not do anything, is that still part of the Force's will? After we turn away from it, how is it to work through us, yet we are still able to use it?"

[Shade Magus]

"You try to dodge my meaning. Only when using the Force can we do its will. Not by abandoning it. I never said it would work through us if we turn away from it. Only by giving into it will we work it's will."

Shade pushed up on the blades, and using his grounded knee as a pivitol point, he twisted to the left, extendeding his other leg in a sweeping motion.

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan hoped over the leg and stepped back for a quick breather.

"But the Force is in everything. Even if we dont use it it is still there, no? So only when others want to use the Force, does it then use us? It seems to be a double edged sword. We could use it, yet then have to let it do whatever it wants of us.

And also, what about the Sith and Darksiders? They use the Force. So is the Force using them, doing its will, to kill others, to use it as a means for their own uprising?"

[Shade Magus]

"Hmm...prehaps my choice of words were to strong. Try not to think of using as us being mindless slaves. Think of it more as the Force is influencing us, but ultimately, we are the ones that have to make the choices, which brings us back full circle to the individual that makes those choices. Something that no one can control and one that we should not hold ourselves responsible for."

[Rognan Dar]

"But if we, then, are all acting as individuals, making our own choices and desition, how is it the will of the Force? If we act alone, and use the Force in our own way, then its not anybodies will but our own."

[Shade Magus]

OOC/ sorry about the late reply, but my comp is on the fritz until the end of this week so I have to use my gf's comp.


"And you re-enforce my earlier statement that it is and act of will and choice to let the Force use you. I never said we all listen and follow the will of the Force, only that we can choose to. And by doing this we must trust in each other's abilities."

Shade stepped forward and thrust is lightsaber at Rognan's chest.

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan stepped forward and batted the blade away. Taking another step forward he was right on top of Shade. He spun around him and slashed at his back.

[Shade Magus]

Shade stepped into Rognan's spin and spun with him, back to back. He dropped to his left knee and kicked his right leg out behind him and swept his leg back.

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan rolled backwards, over Shade. He bounced himself off and stepped back a few spots, keeping out of range. He then jumped forward and went into a low spin, sweeping his blade just above the grass line.

[Shade Magus]

Shade smiled at the attack. "Now that's the way Form IV should be used."

He jumped up and into a backflip, the blade sweeping just centimeters under him. He landed a few feet, falling into a defnesive position. "Tired yet?"

[Rognan Dar]

The truth was, he was very tired. His muscle that were hurt when they started had eased off a pit because his mind of to focused elsewhere. But when he was drawn back to it, he knew he was not going to last much longer, even if he really wanted to. Not that he would admit it.

Rognan threw he saber out in a wide sweep. It made a half cirlce around Shade, coming to his back, before it started to come in for a strike.

[Shade Magus]

Shade lifted his lightsaber up behind him and brought it parallel with his back. He pushed up and over with his weapon, ducking under the blades so that they came to rest in front of him.

"Getting better."

[Rognan Dar]

Just as Shade said that, and as Rognan's lightsaber was coming back to him, small objects were flying through the air at Shade. Most consisted of rocks, all different sizes, coming from all different directions. If Shade wanted better, he'd give it to him.

[Shade Magus]

Shade could feel the rocks coming towards him, but for the most part there wasn't much he could do. His telekinetic powers were no where near Rognan's. He managed to push a few away, but the bulk of them hit him on his body. Fortunately they were small rocks so they only stung, rather than do any real damage, but that was enough for him.

"Oww....ouch! Ok ok I give," he said with a smile.

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan heard Shade but didn't move. The last few rocks he was going to throw fell to the ground. After a while he turned his saber off and found the closest tree were he leaned agaist it before dropping down and sitting at its base.

[Shade Magus]

Shade turned his saber off as well and dropped where he was standing. "Not to bad."

[Rognan Dar]

"Not bad yourself. Though, I can't say I've learned anything from this. And I dont know how that training before helped at all..."

[Shade Magus]

Shade smiled and nodded. "You're the first one to notice that my friend. These spars don't teach us anything, they merely give us experience. Sure we might learn a few tricks every once in awhile, but they are more for us to gain experience and confidence."

[Rognan Dar]

"Experience? You mean bruises. I guess I was thinking it might be a little more...noticable, that whatever it was I did learn could be easier to use and do. Its just the know how; knowing how and when and where to use such tactics."

[Shade Magus]

"Aye and all of the knowing will come from experience. It is only my hope that you do not become a great warrior."

[Rognan Dar]

"I would prefer not to, also. But as it turns out, there is a lot of fighting that needs to be done. And someone's got to do it. If I have to fight in order that others dont, then thats just what I have to do."

[Shade Magus]

Shade nodded. "Spoken like a true Jedi."

He took a deep breath and smiled. "But enough of this dark talk. How about a cool refreshing drink. My treat."

[Rognan Dar]

"I dont think those words ever sounded so good. I'll take your offer."

[Shade Magus]

His grin widened as he stood up from his sitting position, without the use of his hands or the Force, he noted.

"Alright then. Let's get going."