Brave New Worlds: One Small Step

[Serena Laran]

Serena watched Rhianna sleeping in her bunk on board Serenity. She had left early in the evening to go to bed, and had been sleeping for over ten standard time parts. Serena twitched back the covers with the Force and nudged the girl awake.

"Rhianna, it is morning." Though on a ship in the dead of space, she couldn't be blamed for having trouble adjusting to the ship's time. "Time to begin your oiliúint. Your training."

The girl yawned and stretched as Serena continued, "On Dhomanda A'lainn I told you that I listened to Abhairt Saoil. To the Life Giver. You told me that your seanmháthair, your grandmother, also listened to Abhairt Saoil, and she taught you to read palms, and the like."

Rhianna nodded, pulling on a simple dress over her linen shift. She was almost scandalized by women in pants, and Sámh did not wear them, so she wore what she was comfortable in.

"I am going to continue the oiliúint that your seanmháthair began when you were little."

[Rhianna]

Rhianna listened carefully to the words in Basic and understood, especially with her native tongue blending in the words she didn't yet know. She had been expecting this from her friend and was glad the day had arrived. After getting dressed, she twined her hair into twin braids and waited expectantly.

"I'm happy to learn..? Is that right..?" She wasn't sure of her words but she was really trying.

[Serena Laran]

"Yes, that is correct." Serena beckoned the gypsy girl to follow her into the living area of Serenity. It was small, but they did not need a lot of space. And truthfully the Jedi did not want to ingratiate herself to the Rebellion any more than necessary.

They were remaining with the fleet until the other Jedi could be relocated, and then Serena was not sure what she would do. But for now, Rhianna's training was of the most importance. "We have already worked on meditation exercises, but now we will build on that foundation.

"We reach the Life Giver through peace and tranquility. Meditation is one of the ways we can open ourselves up to the Life Giver." Serena made sure that Rhianna knew what she was saying by repeating herself in the language of the Chosen People.

In the living area there was a new addition - a small plant that Serena had borrowed from Grace Van-Derveld. "Sit down, and we will meditate together.

[Rhianna]

Tossing a cushion onto the floor, Rhianna sat and folded herself into a relaxed position. She was happy to see the little plant, it wasn't her forest, but it was better than nothing, It reminded her that even in the middle of a ship, surrounded by artificial everything, that there were green leaves and flowing rivers other places.

Relaxing her spine, she turned her palms upward as her Grandmother had shown her and closed her eyes. Meditation had come natural to her. Even as a child she had often sat down to commune with her environment, to bring peace and quiet when they traveled around so much. A few times she had even felt as if in doing so, her mind had touched that of the animals in the woods. She hadn't attempted that in a long time though.

Calming her wandering mind, she drew in even breaths and listened for the familar voice of the Abhairt Saoil.

[Serena Laran]

Serena closed her eyes as well, sitting on another cushion on the other side of the potted plant. "Fix the plant in your mind. Feel it through Abhairt Saoil, and let the Life Giver show it to you in your mind's eye."

The Jedi Knight felt the Force flowing around and through her new padawan, and sensed the ripples created as Rhianna touched it.

[Rhianna]

With her eyes closed, Rhianna envisioned the small plant in her mind. At first just a hazy image, but as the seconds ticked on it became more real to her. She could envision it exactly as she had seen it, its leaves, stems all filling out in great detail. The tiny veins through the leaves seemed to beat with a pulse of their own. A light that didn't shine so much as it pulsed. It didn't come from the plant alone, she had the same aura surrounding herself. There was another figure opposite her surrounded in the vibrations..

Was it... Sámh? She was sure that it was. She smiled, but didn't open her eyes, letting the calmness of her meditation surround her fully.

[Serena Laran]

"We call Abhairt Saoil the Force. It binds us together - surrounding and moving through every single thing in the universe. It is easier to detect from living beings and plants, but rocks, this ship, and the pillow you are sitting on all have their place in the Life Giver.

"Once you have a picture of the plant in your mind, try moving your image of it off the ground. Gently, and slowly... feel the Force around the plant and see it moving upwards."

[Rhianna]

She could feel her forehead wrinkle up in concentration. She could still see the plant in her mind but now, to move it? She tried exactly as Serena had said, to envision it rising up. She could do that, but like a trail, it was only an impression of the plant. Rhianna could feel that the true plant hadn't moved at all.

She struggled with it for a few more tries. She could see what she wanted, the plant rising, but it was just a trick of her mind, an impression only.

"I.. am trying. It's harder than I thought it would be."

[Serena Laran]

"Stop trying, Rhianna." Serena opened her eyes, noting that the girl's forehead was creased with effort.

"There is no try. Move the plant."

[Rhianna]

Move the plant.

Move the plant.

Move the plant. Just do it Rhianna. Don't envision it moving, move it.

In her mind she saw the Force as Serena had called it. Pulsing from and around her, around the plant. It connected them, made them parts of a whole. Move the plant. Instead of thinking of the plant moving, she envisioned her connection to the plant and saw the connection hum with recognition.

Up.

[Serena Laran]

The plant wobbled upwards a few inches, and Serena nodded. "Good - you are doing very well.

"Keep it in the air for a few more moments... now let it down as slowly and gently as you can." The Jedi smiled.

[Rhianna]

When the plant touched back down, Rhianna heard the thud and her eyes popped open in amazement. She peeked around the plant at Serena and smiled. She'd done it!

"Everything is one with the Life Giver this way? The Force?"

The prospect was astounding, but not all that surprising. Her grandmother had been able to move objects at will. Rhianna had always thought it a trick, or some magic from the little people..

[Serena Laran]

"Indeed, gach rud. Everything." Serena smiled back at her student.

"To a person in touch with the Life Giver, there is little that can be considered impossible, though some things remain beyond our grasp." She touched herself on the chest where Rhianna had been shot by the scout trooper. "We can heal, but we cannot bring people back from death."

[Rhianna]

Her own hand flew up to touch the spot where her life had nearly been taken from her. It didn't hurt her anymore. It had made her sad at first, whenever she had seen the scar. Now it only served as a reminder for her. It was a reminder that back on her planet, the people that were responsible for what had befallen her family, were still there and could harm other clans.

"Sámh.. Was it the Imperials that did this? Is that who the strangers in white were?"

She somehow knew the answer already. She had felt the truth for herself when she had spoken with Morgan. Now she only wanted confirmation.

[Serena Laran]

Serena paused, then nodded. "Cinnte - yes it was."

"I am training you to be a Jedi," she had already told Rhianna many stories of the Jedi, on their trip to Nar Shadda, "and one thing that Jedi do is protect the helpless. We must not give into anger, or to fear. That is the path to the dark side of the Force."

[Rhianna]

"I don't think that this emotion can be described as anger. I am concerned for the other clans. I don't want the same fate to find them. You know as I do, they are peaceful people, they wouldn't be able to defend themselves against weapons like the one that did this.."

Her hand dropped away from her chest. "I only want to help them. "

She loved her home, but returning there for good was no longer an option. The laughing faces of her family weren't there anymore, but she could still do something to honor their memory by helping their distant realtions be free of the evil that had settled on their once peaceful world.

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan peered in around the doorway. They had been silent for over twenty seconds.

“Hey.” Half of his hair was standing up, and the other half was jutting random directions, but he was clean and in fresh clothes. He smiled at Rhianna.

[Serena Laran]

She reached past the small plant and patted Rhianna's hand. She understood how she felt.

"Hey."

Serena looked up, and smiled at Morgan. "Come on in. We were just doing some Force exercises." She shook her head at the sight of his hair, but it had been a long night and he had probably slept hard.

[Rhianna]

Sámh's very presence was calming to Rhianna. She knew that not only did the healer know the details of what had happened, she had been there. Witnessed it, the destruction and violence done in such a peaceful place. It was a comfort to have someone so familar in a time of complete upheaval. Rhianna smiled and made a silent vow to go back someday and try to help the people of her world.

She peeked up at the sound of Morgan's voice and smiled. Then there was Morgan.. He had no reason to help them anymore, yet he was still here. Still teaching her Basic, which she was getting better at minus the accent. Even though she had sworn against speaking to stangers, it was futile when everyone was a stranger. Morgan she trusted. even if he looked rather.. prickly at the moment, like a gráinneog. She dropped her gaze, feeling completely impolite to have such a ridiculous thought, but quickly looked back up, mirth under control.

"Hello, Morgan.." She grabbed another cushion and tossed it on the floor between herself and Serena.

[Morgan Evanar]

He took a seat on the cushion, only vaguely aware of Rhianna’s amusement. He had slept very deeply, and was only now starting to wake up.

“So, Force Exercises. What’s that?” He asked, feeling a little stupid even though no one had seen a Jedi for twenty years.

[Serena Laran]

He joined them around the potted plant, which looked even more small and ridiculous with the three of them sitting around it. "Learning to open yourself up to the Force, and to sense it around you is the first part of your training."

Rhianna looked at her, and Serena smiled, "Morgan is going to train to be a Jedi, too. Abhairt Saoil speaks to him, but in different ways than it does to you, or to me." The girl nodded, understanding, and seemed happy that the tall young man was going to be joining them.

Serena got to her feet and poured herself a cup of tea, which she brought back to their little circle on the floor of Serenity. She placed it in front of her, steam rising slowly from the liquid. "We are using the plant as an object lesson. The Force, the Life Giver, is in everything around us, including inanimate objects. For a beginner it is much easier to start with something alive - such as this plant that Agent Van-Derveld was nice enough to let me borrow."

She smiled a little crookedly, "So be careful because she wants it back. Close you eyes, and picture the plant in your mind. Relax... open yourself to the Force around you. Then see the plant... every leaf, stalk, and stem."

[Rhianna]

The fact that Rhianna didn't doubt a word of what Sámh said made the statement that Morgan would also be training as a Jedai a profound fact. She was pleased. In simple terms that meant to her that, they were no longer to be just acquaintances. To her way of thinking, everything was changing, they were becoming something of a family.

She quietly listened to the lesson. Repeating in her mind the steps it had taken to move the plant. She could still see the connection when she closed her eyes. She listened to Serena's voice while she spoke to Morgan. With her eyes closed she thought about what else was in the room with them, something.. what had Serena said? Inanimate. Something not alive, but also connected to them all by the Abhairt Saoil. The first thing that caught her attention was the swirls of steam from the tea cup. She was not going to move it, not after the way the plant had wobbled. The last thing she wanted was to burn anyone. It was enough to know that she could see and feel, the connection.

After all, if there was no try, she could do it. With her eyes closed she smiled, and focused back in on the conversation.

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan obeyed, unsure of what he was looking for, exactly. He could see the plant in his mind easily enough, even down to the limit of naked eye detail. Visualization was never difficult for him.

“Okay.” He mumbled. “I can see the plant.” His voice was uncertain.

“See the plant down to it’s microscopic scale. Watch the water flow through it.” Serena encouraged.

Morgan pictured the plant in his head, watching the scale shrink down until he could see the chloroplast and the cell walls. Or at least he thought he could.

“Be a nutrient, tumbling through the plant’s vascular system.” She instructed with a gentle voice.

“What?” Morgan said, confused.

“Attach your point of view to a nutrient.” It didn’t make any sense to him, but nothing had. So he did it. The nutrient whipped about the cell violently with the ever-shifting water pressure.

Morgan’s eyes snapped open, and it took his will to keep the bile and breakfast down. He put his hand to his mouth coughed several times.
“That did not taste as good as it did 20 minutes ago.” He groaned.

[Serena Laran]

Serena regarded him calmly, and said, "Instead of simply picturing the plant in your head, you saw it through the Force. A first step, as it were. Once you can really see the world around you, you can see how the Force interacts with it - how you can interact with the Force.

"Emotions, thoughts, viruses, opponents in battle: they all can be as an open datapad to a trained Jedi." She raised an eyebrow, "Equations and numbers also. But first one must be aware of the Force around them. Close your eyes again."

He did so, still swallowing after the experiment with the plant nutrient. Serena continued, "Calm your spirit, and visualize the plant again, down to it's smallest details. Instead of following a nutrient through the vascular system, this time I want you to move the plant off the ground. Feel the Force around it, how it is interacting with you, and apply the correct pressure to lift it. Slowly, and gently. Do not rush yourself."

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan focused on the plant, and got a sense of it again. It was not difficult for him. He tried to make the plant move, but it refused. It’s mass, however small, seemed to dictate it obey the artificial gravity generator. He willed it to move for five minutes, in as many different visual metaphors as he could think of.

“I’m not sure how.” He admitted when the plant remained stationary.

[Serena Laran]

"Watch me, but not with your eyes."

Serena noticed the steam from her tea was moving in a different direction than it was before, and smiled at Rhianna's closed eyes. Then she closed her own eyes as an aide to concentration, and reached out to the plant in the Force.

In the center of their little circle the potted plant rose, spinning slowly. She stopped the plant from spinning, and spoke, "Morgan, can you see the plant?"

[Rhianna]

Rhianna's eyes popped open to watch the plant spin in mid air. She was truly impressed with the control and grace that Sámh had. It brought a smile to her face and doubled her resolve to learn to do the same in time.

Her eyelids slid shut again. Remaining silent, she did not want to interrupt Morgan's concentration, but she did focus in on him in her mind, his outline cleared and became vivid details. Smiling she thought to herself.. You can do it..

[Morgan Evanar]

Now that the plant was moving it was actually a little easier for him to view. The motion helped his focus and it felt more natural for him.

“Yes. The lowest branch is pointing at the mug, ah, now.” True to his statement, the branch pointed at the mug. He still didn’t understand how to move it. Obviously there wasn’t any real reason why he couldn’t. Both Serena and Rhianna could. A few minutes of silence trickled by with no progress.

Morgan opened his eyes, frustrated with his lack of progress and understanding.

“I’m not getting it. Pffff.” He sighed, and waved a dismissive hand at the plant. There was a sound of a smack and the plant shot off toward Serena. Morgan’s right hand reached out and caught it before it went out of his reach. Nervously, he set the plant back down in the middle.

“Uhm.”

[Serena Laran]

Serena raised an eyebrow as he caught the plant with his hand before it could hit her. His reflexes were obviously faster than normal, though how much of that could be attributed simply to his genetics, she did not know.

"Well, you certainly can use the Force to move objects." The Jedi folded her hands in her lap as Morgan looked at his own as though they might bite him. "Most padawans start learning how to touch the Force at a very early age. However, the older one is the more likely there are to be mental blocks in place stopping one from accessing their potential.

"And sometimes these can be overcome by using hand gestures," she mused, "I know of no one over the age of ten who was ever allowed to become a padawan, though in the Archives there were older beings who began the training. Millenia ago, of course." She added, "Of course, many Jedi use different hand gestures when they are using the Force to do different things. For instance, a wave of the hand," she extended her index and middle fingers, thumb sticking out to the side and the other two fingers folded down, inscribing a horizontal line in the air, "usually indicates the use of a mind trick, or some other mental illusion. I place my hands on a person when I am healing."

She smiled, "And it would seem that you, Morgan, need to move your hands when you want to move object. It is not ideal - any idosyncracy that telegraphs your next move could be used against you - but a starting point nonetheless."

Serena picked up her tea, and sipped it. "Please, try to lift the plant again, using your hand as a virtual guide if need be. Do not become frustrated or impatient, but see yourself as calm as a pool of water."

[Rhianna]

She didn't say anything, but Rhianna's eyes had gone quite wide. However he had accomplished it, he had still done it. She had followed Serena's explanation about gestures, up to a point. Some things were still new to her and hadn't made any sense..

archives.. millenia.. illusions.. It was just too many of the new words too fast for her and she frowned. Like any other new lesson, she would just have to learn to be patient. She would ask later about what she had missed.

In general terms though, it seemed that for now Morgan could help his concentration by directing the energy flow of the Force with his hands. Something that children that she had known had made a game out of, long ago floating a ball around a group gathered in a circle. Only pointing was allowed, no touching. If you touched the ball you were out until the next round. It was a beginning for the younger ones to learn of the Abhairt Saoil.

Quieting her wandering mind, Rhianna also closed her eyes once more and envisioned the plant.

[Morgan Evanar]

Locating the object in space was something that came naturally to him. It was sort of what he did when slicing or driving. Telekinesis was something altogether different. The swat had been an expression of frustration, but combined with an extremely fine grained focus. He closed his eyes again and slowed his breathing.

I can do this. I will do this. Morgan’s fingers moved to grab the pot in his mind. He tried to lift it up gently, but it went similarly to the first attempt, with less velocity. Again, he caught the plant on the way back down well before it was going to suffer impact.

“Can we use something less fragile?” He asked, concerned.
“I’d rather not break anythingy.”

[Serena Laran]

Serena shook her head, "The plant will do. I will catch it if need be."

She turned to Rhianna, who was sitting still, her eyes closed. "Rhianna, it is your turn. Pick up the plant once more."

[Rhianna]

She did it exactly the same as she had previously. Rhianna waited until she could feel the plant, where its connection to her merged. Now it was only a matter of space. She wanted the plant to go up. Measartha, Rhianna.. Easy..

The plant lifted up, less wobbling this time, but still far from the fluid grace that Serena had moved it with. She opened her eyes, not trying to keep the connection, just trustinng that it would still be there. She had not felt the close connection to the Abhairt Saoil in many years. The fact that she was still able to tune into the voice of the Life Giver consoled her, the way an old friend would.

Her gaze drifted from the plant to her teacher.

[Serena Laran]

"Excellent, Rhianna," Serena praised, though without gushing or trying to inflate the girl's ego. "The same things you are doing now apply to any object, regardless of size. It is just as hard to lift a datapad as it would be to move Serenity with the Force."

Serena sipped her tea again, and found it to be a bit cold. She cupped her hands around it, exciting the molecules and warming up the drink.

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan’s eyes flitted about, in a manner that would denote paranoia.

“You’re heating the cup with small scale friction.” His eyes stopped, and he took a deep breath.

“I have an easier time figuring out how stuff moves and when and where than moving things with the Force. It’s probably part of why I’m good at fixing some things and slicing intuitively.” He took a datapad out of his pocket, and it bounced into the air, slightly less than last time. It went almost straight up, but he did not catch it.

“Hey.” He grinned.

Instead, it bounced off his head and he slumped backwards.

[Rhianna]

Rhianna was pleased with her own progress, but she knew and acknowledged that she still had a long way to go. She was at the level most children who were trained could surpass right now. But she had hopes that with Serena's guidance that she could continue her training and make good use of the gift.

As she examined the plant, as it still floated before her Rhianna peeked sideways at Morgan. Once more, glad that he would be sticking around. It was nice having people with common ground around you.

The datapad flew up and caught him in the head just as she was thinking about how things had gone so bad, but then seemed to sort themselves out for her.

She gasped. Almost in slow motion, the plant fell, she reacted quickly reaching out to catch it and set it gently down on the table, then she was rolling off her cushion, onto her hands and knees to assess the damage.

"Tá sé nimhneach, Morgan? Are you alright?"

[Serena Laran]

Serena snatched the datapad out of the air with the Force as it rebounded off Morgan's head, and the young man slumped backwards as though stunned. The Jedi started to move towards him, as Rhianna was doing, but hesitated, a small smile on her face.

Instead she picked up her tea and sipped it again while the girl fussed over Morgan.

[Morgan Evanar]

"I think the bump on my head gave me... ticklitis!"

Morgan's hands reached out with the same incredible quickness he displayed a few minutes ago and tickled Rhianna.

[Rhianna]

Squealing and scrambling out of reach, Rhianna laughed, happy that Morgan was alright. As an after thought, she grabbed a pillow and swatted him with it.

"You worried me. Who would I get to teach me Basic if you knocked yourself senseless!" Her mock ire vanished with a grin.

Resuming her perch on the floor cushion, Rhianna attempted to regain her composure. She had learned something valuable though. She needed to be more careful as well, she had quite nearly dropped the plant, causing more trouble. She could have harmed the plant, dissapointed Serena and Grace, all because she had gotten distracted.

"I suppose I'll need to work more on my concentration. I'm sorry, Sámh."

[Serena Laran]

"It is all right, Rhianna." She smiled, "But please, continue practicing with the plant."

Serena looked at Morgan, who seemed very pleased with himself. "You do seem to have a knack with seeing how things work." She handed him her tea cup. "But, can you duplicate something once you've observed it?"

[Morgan Evanar]

"It depends." Morgan rubbed his jaw.

"Double backflips and slicing, sure. This is so new. It's like someone told me I have an extra set of hands and infared eyes." Morgan said, slightly nervous.

"I think I need a break, to process this."

[Rhianna]

Opting to try something different, Rhianna sat forward and simply picked the plant up. She pulled it forward on the table and turned it around, running her fingertips over the leaves, along the stems. She breathed in the smell and tried to see how much more detail she could bring to the plant in her mind.

She wasn't really listening anymore, the words were all in Basic and she didn't feel like practising with the plant and trying to keep up with the conversation. Sliding the plant back to the middle of the table, she relaxed and closed her eyes.

[Serena Laran]

"Certainly," Serena nodded, "Take some time to think about what we have done here today. If you like," she tapped Rhianna on the shoulder so the girl would listen as well, "Rhianna can show you the meditation exercises we have been working on."

The girl opened her eyes, smiling at the thought of spending more time with Morgan. It was something to keep an eye on, and would need to be nipped in the bud. Repeating herself in Rhianna's native tongue, Serena added, "I am going to visit the girl that came in last night, and see how she is doing. Rhianna, you may practice with the plant as long as you want, but do not exhaust yourself."