Opening Your Eyes to the Force(Dae)

[Jeran Conrad]

Jeran stood in the middle of the once fenced in pasture, his tunic removed. He stood now only in his boots and pants, his muscular torso twisting as he stretched out. It was early morning, the sun sleepily rising over the hills of Gias to cast its warm gaze over the land. A beautiful land it was, and Jeran could find nothing more peaceful than standing on familiar soil.

He breathed in, letting the cool moring air seep into his nose. He had taken a brisk run and was preparing for his meeting. On this day, he would be joined by another. He had practiced many times, out here, alone, while Dae slept or took care of things at home. Not today.

Today, Dae would join him.

He smiled, thinking of her joining him for this training. She had requested it of him. She had asked him to show her things...things about the Force she had not experienced. He hadn't understood at first--afterall, she was a Sith. But her Force training was limited to nearly zero. Looks like she was interested again.

She would be here soon.

[Dae Jinn]

Dae toddled outside, rubbing her eyes and yawning. She was dressed in black loose pants and a t-shirt and she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. Once she finally reached the spot where Jeran stood, she yawned and gave him a pout.
"Why do we have to train so earlier? The sun isn't even up all the way yet..."
Yes, she had requested some help with training, since she had none what so ever in the Force, and hadn't seeked any untill now. She shivered and sighed, resting her head on his bare back. "Can't we go back to bed?"

[Jeran Conrad]

"When the morning dew washes the old scent of an eve past, new life is cleansed. It is a new day, and we shall greet it at its birth, Dae." He smiled, turning to hold her sleepy head against his chest. She wrapped her arms lazily around his waste, leaning against him.

"Come on--up with you." He laughed pushing her weight back up onto her feet. "There will be plenty of moon to sleep under tonight. For now, we must greet the life of the morning." He smiled, rubbing her back with one hand. She finally made her way to her feet.

"Are you ready for this?" He looked her in the eye, making sure he had her awake and her attention.

[Dae Jinn]

"Yes sir, " She smirked slightly. Dae yawned and stretched, then stood looking at him, hands at her side. "What do we do first?"

She hoped he wouldn't find her..dumb. She honestly didn't know much about the Force at all, or how to use it. Force users on her homeworld weren't welcomed with open arms, so she had never bothered with it. But now...It wasn't any fun fighting a Jedi who used Force trickery, especially when the most she had ever done was a Force Push out of anger.

[Jeran Conrad]

Jeran closed his eyes and smiled.

"I learned all of what I know for a great man. His name was Tethan K'Tall. He was mine and Terran's uncle, though Terran would probably not remember him. He was taken so younh. An honorable man--a Jedi--who was slayed by the Sith." This had been a very painful thing for him to bear, but he was well over it now and able to speak about it without great despair.

Grabbing Dae's arms gently, he brought them close to him. He sat down, sitting her down with him. They sat cross-legged, in the cool morning grass. He looked up at her--she was begining to wake up now. He smiled. He was glad she had come to him. He could teach her things--the nature of the peaceful Force. Things that would most likely contradict the Sith methods. This, by all his accounts, was a good thing.

"Close your eyes, Dae." He let go of her hand and rested his hands in his lap. He closed his own eyes. "For your first time actively seeking the Force, you must be calm and at peace. You must concentrate, but also be relaxed. Relax your body but activate your mind." He opened his eyes to see if she was following along.

"Let your mind reach out of your head--let it stretch out and be released to feel all of the life and activity around you."

[Dae Jinn]

Dae sat, watching him as he closed his eyes and spoke of the Force, telling her to relax. It was a little hard to relax when your bum was soaking up all the cleansing morning dew. She wiggles around a little, not very comfortable, she wished they were still snuggled tightly together in their warm bed. She sighed and rested her hands on her knees, relaxing a little. Dae smiled softly, it was nice, sorta, listening to his soft voice, sitting with him outside as the sun began to heat the ground.

"Let your mind reach out of your head--let it stretch out and be released to feel all of the life and activity around you."

Her eyes snapped open. "You want me to what?!?!"
She gave him a look, leaning back a little. She had no clue what he was talking about, but it sounded painful!

[Jeran Conrad]

"Dae!" Jeran broke his concentration to give her a quick look. "Not physical. Your spirit. Your mind. Your energy--let it be released." He wondered if she understood. "Does that make more sense?"

[Dae Jinn]

"Uh. Okay, I'll try."

She closed her eyes and relaxed. And sat, and tried to concentrate on "releasing" herself. After about 10 minutes, she opened one eye. "How is it supposed to feel when I do "releash" myself?"

[Jeran Conrad]

Jeran popped one of his eyes open, noticing that she was doing the same.

"Hey you! Concentrate!" He smiled and laughed a bit. Sometimes, he wondered if she really even listened to him. "Ok...how do I explain this...can you feel the energy around you?"

[Dae Jinn]

"I guess so...I can smell it. Sometimes." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, scrunching them shut as she concentrated really hard.
Her voice whispered softly into his mind. It was faint, barely audible, and the most Dae could do with the force on her own.
"Okay....I...can..get this far, now....what?"

[Jeran Conrad]

You are already off to a good start, her replied, back into her mind.

"You can feel the Force--or else you wouldn't be able to speak to me like that, Dae. Some don't know how or why they can--they just do. Learning to control the Force is learning to understand how you do it. You must learn that feeling--the sense, the way it smells, the way it feels inside. Once you have learned it, you can begin to do so many more things." He smiled.

You aren't afraid of the Force, Dae, I can tell. You believe it is there--you believe it can do things. Just in that fact, you are already well on your way to understanding it. Now...can you pinpoint the feeling when you use it?

[Dae Jinn]

Dae latched onto whatever Jeran was doing, trying to copy the strength of his voice with her own.
"Alright..mhmmm. I don't know, it feels...funny? Weird kinda. Tingly? I don't know how to explain it..I do know it's there, I've seen what it can do...and some of it scares me."

[Jeran Conrad]

"Don't worry--you don't have to know how to explain it. You just have to know how to find it--in yourself. You have to understand what if feels like to use the Force, you don't have to describe it." He was glad she could pinpoint the feeling, as that was many times the hardest thing to do.

"The Force is not something to fear, Dae. It is an ally, and a powerful ally at that. With the Force, anything is possible. It just takes practice and will." He touched her hand to comfort her. "I know you have seen some very frightening things done through it, but I will not allow those things to haunt you here. Relax."

"Now that you understand what it feels like to use the Force, we are going to try something else. Use your mind's eyes to see the stone that rests three meters to your right." Jeran could see the rock in his own mind. "Can you picture it? Clearly see it without looking at it with your physical eyes?"

[Dae Jinn]

She gave his hand a squeeze. She had seen Jedi use the Force in fights, and her master use it in ways that she didn't even understand...But Jerans voice was reassuring. She grinned a little, eyes still shut tight.
"Okay..a stone.....okay."
She reached out, trying to find this stone, and sighed softly. "Hmm, I think I got it...maybe. I can see it, a little."
She could see it, a smallish stone that lay in the dirt near-by in her mind.

[Jeran Conrad]

"Good," he spoke. She was working hard at this, and it pleased him to see her so committed. She was a driven and intelligent woman, and he knew that with a bit of time and some good practice, she could learn and even excell beyond his own skill.

"Now...this part may be hard. You may not be able to complete this task at first. But you must try." He hoped she was still concentrating on the rock. "With your mind, you must believe that you can move the rock with your thoughts only. You must not think you can, you must know you can." He hoped she understood.

"Do not believe it is possible to move the rock with your mind, Dae. Be certain that it is so. Try it."

[Dae Jinn]

Dae concentrates, and the stone trembles. Soon it's vibrating, but not moving. She sighs, and concentrates harder. The rock lifts off the ground, shakily and floats. It bobs up and down but makes no other movements. She opens an eye, just barely.
"Is it working?"

[Jeran Conrad]

Jeran smiled, knowing that Dae was succeeding. He was happy--she was much farther along than he had been. He was never able to pick up anything for weeks, and already she had successfully shaken the object from the ground. Moreso, she had shaken her mind from the dogmatic view that it wasn't possible. She was on the fast track to becoming very strong in the Force.

"Yes, you are doing great!" Jeran spoke with a big smile of his face. He knew she could feel the approval in his voice. "Be careful and pace yourself, Dae. The Force can tire one out and try our stamina very strongly at first." He could feel Dae's strength waning a bit at the task of moving the rock.

[Dae Jinn]

The rock fell to the ground. Dae groaned and laid back, hands resting over her eyes.
"Jeran, when will I ever have to hit someone with peebles?" She sat up, leaning back on her hands. She wasn't worried much about getting tired, or lack of stamina, but she didn't see how lifting a peeble would help her learn to wield the Force.

[Jeran Conrad]

"Dae!" Jeran almost glared at her, but knew she was just learning and backed off. No one ever told him that he was a good instructor. He always lacked patience with his students, which was something he often taught them to learn. A strange paradox, that's for sure.

"You must be patient, Dae! All things must grow and develop. It takes a single brick to begin an entire house." He wondered if she was getting his point. "A small seed will one day grow into a magnificent tree." He nestled back into a meditated position.

"Now, do you understand? Let's try something else. The rock you just toyed with--there are more by it. See if you can pick up more than one this time. Don't think you can--know. Remember: be--"

"Be certain that I can do it, yeah, I know." She teased him with a mocking tone, but he knew that she was learning. To that, he smiled.

[Dae Jinn]

"Be certain that I can do it, yeah, I know." She smirked, still leaning back on her hands. She picked up a peeble, tossing and catching it. She tossed it in the air, and concentrated on it. It fell, but stopped right above her palm. She grinned.

"Must be a quick learner. Being around all these Force users musta rubbed off on me or something. Although, my sister Daejina was quick with the Force, might be a family thing."

She shrugged, causing the rock to raise slightly. She laughed. losing her concentration once more, and the rock fell to the ground.

[Jeran Conrad]

"You do catch on rather quickly," he smiled. She was doing well already--much faster than he had ever come along. For the next test, he wondered if she would have a chance to execute it yet. Maybe, maybe not. It was worth a try.

"You can open your eyes if you wish, Dae. I just wanted you to get used to not using your physical eyes to see." He turned his body to face the small grove of trees that stood a few meters from their position. "Do you see that fallen log over there? How about that?" The log was fairly large--about as long as one leg but as thick as a blitzball. He wondered how she would do--or if she would even be able to lift it.

[Dae Jinn]

Dae turned, eyes open now, and sat on her knees. She stared hard at the log, concentrating. It wobbled, and rolled a few inches. But it wouldn't lift into the air. She sighed loudly.

"I can't move it." She said, her voice slipping into a snarl. She clenched her hands into tight fists, concentrating harder. The log still sat there, not moving. Dae growled deep in her throat, still concentrating, but growing frustrated, angry.

"Just move you stupid log!!!!"

Then she felt it. It felt like a wave...she wasn't too sure how she did it, or what it was, but it was focused on the log. Which flew into a tree, snapping in half. Her eyes widened a little and she glanced quickly over at Jeran.

"What the frell was that???"

[Jeran Conrad]

Jeran closed his eyes and rubbed his brow a bit. She had moved the log--with a very strong push and equal skill. But it had been with her emotion. He knew this would not do--he did not want to teach her to manipulate the Force using her heart. She must learn with her mind and in a calm state of mind, at that.

"Dae, that was an outburst of your emotion--your feelings making the Force move. Do not rely on feelings to utilize the power of the Force--they are just a quick path to the darkside. Remember that you must remain calm, and your state of mind must be logical and intentional." He hoped she was following him.

"Do you know how it felt to move that log? Powerful--strange. Full of the frusteration you had for not being able to move it while you were in control. You must not lose control. You must not allow the Force to control you."

[Dae Jinn]

She looked down at her hands, sadly. A small sigh.

"I'm sorry..." she said softly. "It's so much easier...it felt, weird but kind of good. I dont know, I'm sorry."

She felt stupid, horrible. She hoped he wasnt disappointed in her..

[Jeran Conrad]

"Don't worry, Dae." Jeran smiled, touching her hand. "It's a simple mistake that you have made now and recognized as just that--a mistake." He rubbed her hand reassuringly. "Using the Force through our emotions does feel good--it relieves us. It makes us feel powerful." He took a breath.

"But in the end, it is lack of control. If we can't control ourselves when we manipulate the Force, we are merely bending to our emotions--which can lead us astray. Logic must be identified and respected first." He then sighed a deep sigh. "On some occasions, however, our emotions can help us."

[Dae Jinn]

"Like how? And if using my emotions works, why shouldn't I use the Force that way? I'm sure with practice, I could control it."
She turned and sat facing him, taking his other hand in hers, giving them both a light squeeze. "But..." she frowned." That's the path to the Darkside..."
She hadnt told him of her talk with the Jedi, of going to seek out another path. She wouldn't untill she had figured that out fully. She forced a smile. "Uh, okay, what next?"

[Jeran Conrad]

"No, no...wait a second." Jeran cocked an eye at her. "I thought you said you had never learned anything about the Force? I thought you said you knew next to nothing about it?" He thought about the comment she had just made. "Though what you say is right, Dae, but I think you aren't sharing something with me."

[Dae Jinn]

"You...you said what I did was a mistake, I assumed it was bad, something a Darksider would do, I know about Jedis, I do fight them. But," She smirked and pushed him over, laying on top of him and planting a kiss on his lips. "I have never been taught how to wield the Force, in anyway."

[Jeran Conrad]

He kissed her back, holding her tightly on top of him.

"Hey!" He laughed, grabbing hold of her neck gently and holding her face right above his. "You, young lady, are distracting the teacher from finishing the lesson!" He kissed her again and laughed as she smiled.

"I believe you." He final said, coming to sit with her again. "Now, do you want to continue this or what?" He looked at her--a bit more sternly. She knew he would accept any path she wished to take, for he cared for her so.

[Dae Jinn]

She gave him a quick kiss before returning to her sitting position in front of him. "Yes Sir."

She folded her hands on her lap, and smiled at him playfully. "I'm ready, teach me more."

[Jeran Conrad]

"Calm your mind again," he spoke, retaking his seat on the cool grass. "Let your mind be blank again." His breathed in and out slowly, hoping she would come back to focus.

"I want you to feel the difference in life around you."

[Dae Jinn]

Dae settled back, relaxing, taking deep breaths. She raised a skeptical brow at him.

"Different like how? That I'll be able to feel the Force better now?"

She fidgeted, and watched Jeran, waiting for his answer.

[Jeran Conrad]

"When you use the Force out of emotion--anger, passion, whatever--the aura around you is rushed. It is out of control. You must be able to feel the Force when it is calm and relaxed. Let the aura soothe you, not rush you." He reached out with his mind--this area was very peaceful.

"Hold your body in stillness and let your mind be free to touch the soft, warm Force around you."

[Dae Jinn]

Dae settled, straightening her back and concentrating on the Force once more. She reached out with her mind, and smiled. She could feel the peacefulness, the calm, in the Force. It wasn't the same as when she had moved the log. 'I can feel it...'

[Jeran Conrad]

"Good," he said, a smile forming across his lips. "I can feel your calm, and I can tell that you are understanding what I mean." He let himself find a few small, scattered pebbles that were strewn across a ravine by the woods. Each was roughly the size of a fist, smoothed over by years and years of erosion. He focussed himself on them, bringing three of them off of the ground. His mind lifted them forward, closer to where the two sat. They hung in the air--floating like three dark clouds between the two.

"This task is made simple through peacefullness and control," he said softly. "It's hard to maintain this kind of control over three separate objects, but it can be done hen your mind is relaxed and calm. When you lose that clarity, though, it becomes much harder."

He stood and drew his lightsaber. He began to swing it in a combat motion. As he focussed on the combat, the rocks slowly dropped--one by one--until he had lost his control over them. Sitting, he let the blade down and looked at Dae.

"You see--with your body calm and mind at ease, in the Light side of the Force, you can accomplish anything--ANYTHING. But when you loose that concentration, when you loose control--because of anything: emotions, focus elsewhere, or what have you--you will accomplish nothing. Do you understand?" He smiled. "Why don't you try?"

[Aranthol]

.

[Dae Jinn]

"Guess so.." She concentrated hard on the three stones, remembering to keep her temper in check. Remembering to stay calm and relaxed, she focused on the stones, and they lifted. Very slowly, but they lifted. She smiled back at him.

"Alright, they're lifted." She stood, brushing herself off. The rocks lowered slightly, but rose when she turned her attention back to them. "So, you want me to what? Keep the rocks floating while I "fight"?"

[Jeran Conrad]

"No, I was just describing what could be done. It could be some time before you could do that." He turned to face her. "You've learned so much already. How are you feeling?" He hoped she wasn't exhausted or sick of training.

[Dae Jinn]

"Alrighty," the rocks came falling to the ground. She grinned, stepping over them and wrapping her arms around him. Dae planted several soft kisses on his chest, smiling up at him.

"I'm fine. No worries love. Did you want to keep training? Or go back to house and grab a bite to eat?"

[Jeran Conrad]

"I am pretty hungry," he said, kissing her back tenderly. "What should we eat?" He stood up, gathering his things and making sure all was in order. Dinner would be a good gesture after a long day of training--and it had been long for him.

[Dae Jinn]

"Hmm, I dunno, I'm sure we have something in the fridge at home." She smiled as she said this, thinking about the little cottage they now shared on Gias. They had been there together for a few weeks now, Jeran hadn't gone out for a "hunt" and had spent time fixing up the house. Dae had spent her time taking care of him, making meals and keeping house. She took his hand as they started on their walk back.

"Thank you, Jeran. I hope I wasn't too much of a bother today."

[Jeran Conrad]

"Not at all," he replied with a grin. "You aren't too much of a bother to me. This is good, important stuff." He glanced to the small, but well kept shed. He wondered if he had any of his latest kill left--it had been a sizeable kura beast, which was basically the equivalent of a deer on Gais.

"Why don't you go inside and wash up. I will prepare a meal for us tonight." He kissed her hand as he pulled it to his face, letting it go. "How would that suit you?"

[Dae Jinn]

She giggled. "That suits me just fine."

She leaned up, kissing his cheek lightly. "I'll see you in a little while."

Dae turned, heading into the house. She stole a quick glance out the window at him; although she never mentioned it to Jeran, she worried that one day he would leave. She quickly pushed these thoughts from her mind, heading upstairs to the bedroom they shared. She stripped out of her slightly damp clothes, and padded softly into the bathroom.

[Jeran Conrad]

He gathered a few select cuts of meat, some fresh vegetables from the garden, and made his way into the kitchen. While they were cooking, he thought, he could wash up as well. He probably smelled horrible.

Stripping down to his bare necessities, he rung his one set of clothing out with some soap in the wash bin. Hanging them up to dry, he checked on the water he had started to boil. The kitchen was a very anitque style, and he worked it well, being from the such an old planet. The food had been cooking for a few minutes now, and the vegetable/kura stew was begining to smell very appetizing. He was a good cook--Dae knew it. He had cooked so much for himself, that he had learned some good techniques. This dish was no exception.

Dae made her way downstairs--he could smell her from the kitchen. He had an extremely keen sense of smell, and her scent was often intoxicating to him. It was hard to restrain himself sometimes. Especially now, when she was frehsly cleaned, she smelled so wonderful.

"You want to take over here for a minute while I get a quick bath?" He asked, standing in his under garments sheepishly before her.

[Dae Jinn]

Dae came up behind him quietly, dressed in a black silk robe and towel drying her hair. She lightly touched his back, running fingers down his spine. He looked so sweet, smiling sheepishly at her. She couldn't help but smile back and nod.
"Of course," She said, though she would have prefered to do something more...fun with him. Dae nuzzled at his neck before he left, then laughed. "Hopefully I won't burn the food."

[Jeran Conrad]

"I trust you won't!" He mused, plodding up the stairs and disappearing around the corner of the bedroom. He made his way to the bath, where he drew some hot water and cleaned himself. He then changed into his clean clothes and made his way back downstairs. The stew smelled delicious.

"You see, I could start it, but it took your expertise to finish it!" He kissed her lightly on the cheek as he sat next to her at the small table, Dae dishing out piping hot bowls of the tasty stew. He took a bite--it was delicious, and he was starving.

[Dae Jinn]

"Oh yeah right!" She smirked, returning his kiss. She curled her legs underneath her as she took her seat.
"You know," she said, stirring her food around. " We should get you some clothes. Those are getting awfully worn out."
She reached over, poking a finger through one of several holes in Jeran's tunic and giggled. "Soon you'll be running around here naked."

[Jeran Conrad]

"Not that you would mind," he said with a sheepish grin. Wow. That would take even he by suprise. He had flirted--made a silly, flirty comment. It was surely not in his nature to do so. Dae had become used to his general coldness and sometimes frustrating lack of emotion. But that comment was definitely flirty.

He blushed.

"I don't know. You know how I love my clothes. They were given to me by the warrior tribe I trained with here on this planet. I wear them not only because I like them, but in honor of their culture. I don't even have any idea what it would be like to wear something else."

[Dae Jinn]

Dae giggled, he had flirted! It took her by surprise, and him as well. She could tell by the instant flush of red to his cheeks. She grinned.
"I know, but still. Perhaps you could get some clothes here, on Gias, that would be comfortable for you. Or...I could try to patch them for you."
It was her turn to blush. Jeran knew Dae was not a "home-maker" by any means; she would rather buy something new than have to fix it. She had been trying, though, since they had been living together, and was getting better at somethings. "At least then, you could wear them, and they wouldn't be as worn."

[Jeran Conrad]

"Maybe you're right," he said, his mouth half full of stew. "We can go into town tomorrow and see about doing a bit of shopping. Only local Gias stuff, though--no new junk." He smiled. Dae was such a great person to be around, and she brought out many of his good qualities. Sometimes it took a strong women to tame a stronger man.

[Dae Jinn]

She laughed. "Soon we'll have to go REAL shopping, on Coruscant..." She held up her hand, faking a pout. "You know, to buy me a ring and all."
She gave him a playful wink, and continued eating. She didn't need a ring from him to prove that he cared, she knew he did. Even if he had trouble showing it sometimes, she knew it was there. Still, she wanted to see how he would re-act if she brought up getting engaged, maybe married. "I'd love it if you'd make an honest woman of me."

[Jeran Conrad]

"I know you're an honest woman, I don't need to put a ring on your finger to make you one," he said, politely and with a smile. "Besides, there are other reasons that I've avoided rings. It's too risky--it's too dangerous in our line of work, Dae."

"If I was ever to be taken prisonner, interrogated, or whatever, I don't want anyone linking me back to you. Ever. I love you--and I will protect you anyway I can. This is just one of those ways." He reached across the table and touched her hand, to let her know he meant it.

[Dae Jinn]

She sighed a little and stroked his hand. "I know..."

She pushed her half-empty bowl away, resting her head on one hand, still lightly stroking his with the other. It was becoming a habit for them to touch each others hands, just to let the other know how much they care for them. It was comforting to Dae, since Jeran seemed to have trouble with sharing his emotions in words. She looked over at him with a half-smile.
"And, by "honest woman", I meant marriage, silly." She leaned over, planting a tiny kiss on his lips, then rose from the table to start on the dishes. "I know, it might be dangerous, but that won't stop me from wanting it. One day."

[Jeran Conrad]

He smiled back and looked into her eyes.

"Maybe one day, yes. I'll agree to that." He came around the table now, done with his meal, and took Dae in his arms. He held her as though it was their wedding night--as though he was to carry her over the threshhold and into a new life. It was over to their sofa, but good enough.

Sitting onto the couch, he lowered Dae onto his lap as she held him around his neck. She nuzzled her head right into his neck like she did often when they were together. He enjoyed sitting with her, and he could spend time with her in his arms for hours.

"You know, The Lost...it's going to change so much for us." He thought of the statement. "Well, not us us, just lots of other things."

[Dae Jinn]

"mmmmm," she murmured into his ear. She ran her fingers through his hair and nuzzled his neck. "I guess so, but it'll be okay though. I'm sure of it."

She kissed him softly.'As long as I'm with you, things will be alright."
Her hands slipped down his chest, and she kissed him again, her tongue darting into his mouth as her fingers started to unbutton his shirt.

[Jeran Conrad]

"I agree," he spoke inbetween kisses. He spun his body on the couch, laying Dae onto her back. He lay on top of her softly as she continued to unbutton his shirt. Kissing her back, he glanced up the lamp directly above the couch. His hand went up to it's switch, and the room fell dark...