Refresh My Soul (Agden Training I)

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor slowly paced along the perimeter of the large training room she choose to begin her lessons this day. A note had been left in Agden Ithrin's room for him to report to the branch of Sense in the Training Complex. Her eyes fell to a plush square pillow upon the ground which she knelt upon and closed her eyes, then slowed her breathing and fell into the Force.

"Find me, my Padawan. I await you."

She allowed the message to flow through the Force and touch the mind of the Zabrak as she waited in peace for his arrival. Today would commence his training in the ways of the Jedi.

[Agden Ithrin]

When Agden had arrived back to his quarters from the Bar and Grill (http://swforums.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28260), he had certainly not intended to go out training. The events that had taken place in and around Yog’s the night before had left him thoroughly shaken – he was now left without any sense of hearing whatsoever; the disease he carried had taken the first of his senses.

Still, somehow, he managed to hear a call from his Master. Juxtaposed with the note lying inside his quarters, he assumed it was finally time for him to hear (sigh) the call of the Jedi.

It was incredibly disorientating at first, but now after sleep he had accepted it somewhat. It had always been expected for this to happen; only he had never thought it would happen so soon. None the less he would be expected to carry on regardless, and did so as he stepped into the training room with Xazor.

“G’day, Master,” he said, his voice unusually loud – unnoticed by the Zabrak.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor looked up and smiled at her Padawan, though immediatly she sensed that something was quite different about him. Her ultrasensitive ears picked up that his voice was louder than normal. Canting her head to the side, she eyed him curiously.

"It is a beautiful day indeed -- so it is great! Please, come and sit before me and we shall begin, young one."

She said gently, motioning to the cushion on the floor before her. This would be a good way to begin her lesson and he would learn much this day. Somehow, though, the Force was telling her that something was wrong -- not everything was in its place and perhaps -- Agden was not complete.

[Agden Ithrin]

Agden saw the gesture towards the cushion and understood it, but could not understand anything else. Xazor’s words were simply a jumble of lip movements to him, and as he made his way to sit down he remarked on this:

“Master… can y’speak int’ my mind, with the Force, please…”

[Xazor Elessar]

"Aha -- something is wrong." She thought to herself as Agden moved to sit down. A sigh escaped the woman's lips and she nodded, immediatly establishing a link with Agden's mind.

"What is wrong, young one? Why is it that I must speak to you this way?"

She questioned, a confused look upon her face as the words softly touched his mind. They were gentle and not jagged as a beginner's words, but they flowed smoothly and gently as to not bring pain to his mind.

"Is it because of -- your disease?"

The Knight questioned with a bit of distress evident within her cyan eyes. They softened as thoughts of everything they had already gone through together -- everything with the hypnocane and the other drugs she was addicted to. It did not seem fair to her, if this was the cause -- he was so young and vibrant, it wasn't his time to go. Her eyes dropped to the floor and for the first time in a long time -- she did not know what to do and she did not have the words to say.

[Agden Ithrin]

Slowly, Agden nodded.

“It’s the first stage,” the Zabrak confessed, “The Doctor didn’t say it would come this soon… although it should be a while until the next one … kicks in.”

All in all, he seemed calm – if that was the right word – about the matter. Perhaps it was because all of his life he had been expecting this to happen; it was just a matter of when.

“It happened in the bar last night.”

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor sighed once again before looking up to her Padawan. Indeed, he was quite calm for this sort of thing to be happening to himself. She shook her head and touched his hand gently with her own.

"Will you eventually not be able to speak?"

She questioned, knowing that when one becomes deaf, they usually cannot speak very well after a while of not hearing themselves do it. The Knight attempted to remain calm and show this outwardly, but it was difficult when everything seemed to be going wrong around her. Now someone she cared deeply for was suffering and they had so much yet to do before she would allow the disease to fully take him.

"No matter what -- remember, you will become a Jedi Knight. I promise I won't give up on you, okay?"

Again she squeezed his hand, hoping that he knew she was speaking the words from her heart.

[Agden Ithrin]

Agden knew that one day the disease would snake its way into his throat and kill each and everyone of the cells in his vocal chords, rendering him unable to vocally express himself – however until this day, he would be able to speak, if a little uncontrollably (i.e. volume, pitch, etc).

“… I guess we better get started then,” came a weak laugh from Agden, as he looked sideways at Xazor, putting on a brave face.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled gently as she noted the valor and bravery in his eyes. He was strong, and she knew that somehow he would pull through.

"I suppose we should. I think it best if you learn to do as I am then -- so close your eyes and breath deeply. Feel all around you with an open mind and your emotions. Feel for a deep, warm river running around you. Once you feel that, grasp it with your mind and simply nod so I know you feel this."

She instructed quietly, trying to bring him into the Force so that they could begin with Telepathy.

[Agden Ithrin]

As instructed, Agden began to concentrate on blocking out what was around him to bring in the Force. It was not difficult, as he had no distractions from the sounds around him – though he did notice that on occasion far off voices would become audible for a split second, as they passed him by.

Whilst concentrating, he found his task easy. He had read about such things as this before beginning training, and thus within no time was giving a nod to signify he felt peaceful.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled gently as she felt her Padawan in the Force. He was there and she slowly touched his mind with her own. It felt like a nudge, perhaps, but it was to show him that she was there.

"Alright, now what I want you to do is quite simple, really. All you must do to speak to me in this manner is think. Simply think and imagine me hearing these thoughts in my mind. Project your thoughts with your positive emotions and I shall hear you."

With that she nodded so that he knew he could begin his attempt at Telepathy.

[Agden Ithrin]

To attempt this, Agden began thinking of small things. He thought of what he would like to say, and came up with the rather unoriginal Hello. As he looked at Xazor he tried to visualize himself speaking to her, or at least passing his thoughts to her and for a moment was sure he had entered a buzz of voices with his own.

[Xazor Elessar]

Suddenly a rush of information in the form of a loud buzzing sound echoed inside Xazor's head. She winced slightly, though the pain was washed away by her calm place within the Force.

"Very good, Agden -- I can understand a few of your thoughts as a whole -- now try to actually send me a message. The hello you were originally thinking of would have been fine."

She smiled to herself and allowed a laugh to escape her lips as she waited for her Padawan to try again.

[Agden Ithrin]

Agden did as he was told and nodded slowly. A barely perceptible change in his posture suggested he was straining to achieve the goal set before him, and the extra effort certainly paid off – a small hello was uttered, in his usual accent, into Xazor’s mind.

Sensing this, the Padawan smiled.