Total Defense: Mental Lockdown (open to a telepath)

[Pierce Tondry]

First, you must clear your mind entirely of conscious thought. Time and practice will speed this process, but in the beginning you will need patience. Once your mind is clear, slowly shift your concentration away from outside stimuli. Close your eyes, sit in a quiet room, and keep the temperature of that room even. When these criteria are met, continue.

Pierce's finger continued down the text. Those criteria had been met; he was currently in a closed practice room inside the Jedi Academy with temperature control active, wearing a loose fitting practice uniform.

His goal today was yet again defensive. His need to expand his mental abilities had always been tempered by his desire to keep his own self safe. With minimal, yet promising success in the in external capabilities of the mind, he was already turning towards techniques on how to hide his presence, guide others in overlooking him, or (as was the case today) rein in his thoughts to make them unreadable by other Jedi.

Sit as Figure 1-A demonstrates; do not slump over, breathe evenly, and ensure that your feet are properly crossed. Then begin to concentrate on the inside of your mind. Imagine a flickering candle flame and slowly circle your thoughts around it. When you have managed this, stop, break, and continue reading.

The candle flame imaging technique was one Pierce had used before to center himself. It was not entirely a surprise that the Jedi had found other uses for it.

Slowly, Pierce began to block out all other stimuli. He achieved the desired mental empty-state and then conjured up the flame image. It bobbed, it wove, and it flickered and danced just as a real candle would. Pierce smiled briefly; then his focus efforts redoubled. Around the dancing candle flame, his thoughts gathered.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Far from the halls of the Academy, another Jedi was engaging in similar meditation. The reasons were different. Navaria had already mastered such techniques and like clockwork every sunrise, she would awake, shower and immerse herself in the Force before the first Council Session.

In her early morning ritual, Navaria let her mind wander, letting the Force guide her. Sometimes the past, present or future would reveal itself to her. Other times, it was a clear and perfect melding of mind and body within the power that surrounded her. Then there were those special times that the Force led her to someplace, or even someone, specifically. Her mind would often project to the recruitment center, observe Padawans discussing daily lessons in the mess hall, and sometimes she would witness Masters training their Padawans at various locations. Once the Force led her to Xazor who was waiting in the gardens looking for guidance. It was a precious moment to Navaria because the girl finally made some progress in controlling her rage. But Navaria was still afraid for Xazor. One step forward in progress often meant two steps back in defeat ....

Also, her reacg did not span just inside the Temple. The length of her vision would lead her to the streets of Coruscant and its citizens, the struggles of their daily lives that were often brutal but there was also beauty seen in the simple acts of goodness that were barely noticeable in the sea of life that kept Coruscant running.

Such rich and diverse life was not the attention of the Force this day. As her mind followed the lure of the Force, Navaria had a sense of knowing, or familiarity, with the being that she was being led to. She couldn't quite place the feeling until her mind passed through a wall and into a closed training room. There was only one individual inside, wearing comfortable clothing suited for meditation. As she moved around the room, Navaria got a clear view of the man's face, which was completely relaxed in perfection of concentration.

His hair was cut differently but there was no mistaken that face. But Navaria was a bit confused as to why the Force would lead her to Pierce Tondry. Personally, she hadn't really seen him since years prior while he was still an Imperial. Recently, there was one time she saw him in the bar but nothing came of it. So why should she be here now, during an exercise such as this? Her presence could alter his concentration and decided that perhaps it was best to leave the area now and contemplate on this situation later ....

[Pierce Tondry]

The brief mental contact with another telepath was like rubbing two pieces of carpet together and being able to see the friction. Pierce shied away almost immediately, working not to lose that delicate mental structure he needed for Force sensing but trying to retreat from contact with the other presence.

The other mind paused, stopped, and Pierce had the distinct impression that it had done a double take.

Recalling his practice and the advice from his Jedi texts, Pierce formed an image in his mind of a greeting along with the impression of a question. After carefully attuning himself to the flow of the Force nearby, he let both leak out into the surrounding area.

To the more experienced telepath who was watching him, this would probably seem like baby talk. Then again, Pierce was hardly capable of saying "Hi! Who are you?" with brainwaves just yet.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Pierce was doing much more then meditating. Navaria was outside of the room, but the pull of his mind in welcome and question brought her consciousness back into the training room. First impression was that he could not project his thoughts or his emotions well. What was coming from Pierce were very basic needs.

She was tempted to respond with words but it was hard to ascertain how receptive he would be to that. Not that he couldn't, of course he could. Anyone can hear another's voice in their mind. It was how their mind understood it, that was sometimes problematic. Without meaning to, Navaria could end up shouting inside Pierce's head because of how receptive his mind was.

Navaria projected a gentle welcome in return and a sense of willingness in regards to the question.

[Pierce Tondry]

The return of the other's attention was both gratifying and nerve-racking. After all, now that he had their attention, what would he say that wouldn't sound like something from a child?

That was pride, though; pride and fear. There was no way he was going to let either emotion wreck his efforts.

With a quiet breath, Pierce expelled his emotions and began working up something else, a kind of fake memory. He'd seen Jax's past recollections very clearly, and perhaps he could use that experience to advance his empathic communication skills.

A series of images formed in Pierce's mind, put together like a holographic playback. They showed Pierce, sitting as he envisioned himself to be, but then transformed his body into a filmy and indistinct image. 'Trying to hide thoughts,' he added in his head. 'Help me?'

If the telepath was as skilled as he believed, they just might be able to pick up the words even if he couldn't exactly project them.

[Navaria Tarkin]

The words were not very strong but Navaria was able to pick them up by concentration solely upon Pierce. It all began to come together and make sense. He needed help with his training. Specifically in mental defense; how to guard one's thought from invasion from people like ... her.

At this point, it would do no good to continue this communication as such. She was worried about invading his privacy and distracting him by accident. That wasn't the case anymore.

Inadvertently, Pierce had opened himself up quite easily for Navaria to draw a line from her mind to his. It did not hurt in the least, only a slight buzzing sensation could be felt by him once contact was established.

Pierce?

Her voice was gentle and soothing to alleviate any stress the telepathic contact would have.

It is Navaria Tarkin. I would be happy to help you with your training. The link I have created will allow us to speak to each other easily. Would you like to continue this way? I believe it might be easier if I come to you. This might create more stress upon your mind during the exercise though ....

[Pierce Tondry]

Navaria's voice not only came across as calm and soothing, but also incredibly clear. For a moment, Pierce wanted to chit-chat back and forth with her, but then realized that would probably be beyond his abilities. He decided on a different tack and began thinking of himself talking.

~That works. I'm barely developed for telepathy as is. I probably ought to be practicing what I know rather than branching out so fast, but I can't risk going on a mission without some kind of guards in place and getting screwed in the head. Uh, so yeah, come. I'm on the twentieth floor, Practice Room G1. I'll just fiddle around a bit in the meantime.~

Navaria sent a wordless mental acknowledgement that Pierce would've given his left arm to be able to return at that moment. She broke the contact, leaving Pierce alone.

For the next twenty minutes, Pierce just sat and meditated on his flame image. Little things, flickers of thought or energy, kept intruding on his attention. They didn't go away no matter how much he concentrated; in fact, the more he focused the more developed they seemed to get.

A knock at the door drew Pierce's attention from his mental reverie. That's right, he'd locked the door for privacy and forgotten about it. "Coming!" he called, hastily getting to his feet.

The door lock flashed and the door slid open to reveal Navaria Tarkin. She was a Jedi Master these days, or so Pierce understood, and it was almost awkward to be greeting her in the fashion of a student rather than a familiar person. Nonetheless, greet her he did with a suitable bow. "Sorry," he said, stepping to the side. "I forgot I'd locked it."

"That's fine," she said and entered the room.

"Thank you for coming," Pierce said as he re-locked the door. He turned back to her. "Telepathy is one of those things I can't really relate to; not like lightsaber combat and martial arts."

[Navaria Tarkin]

Pierce was acting quite formal around her, out of respect of course. But it felt ... odd to her. The memories of their first meeting made him more of a friend then student. Did he only see the robes and the station she represented?

"I can understand that, Pierce."

She opted for a less formal tone. Perhaps this could alleviate some of the awkwardness between them.

"Your body is attuned for combat through rigorous physical training. Repitition and practice are essential. The mind can be trained in much a similar manner ... though it would be done through meditation and great patience. Nothing can be forced here. The mind is ... delicate."

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce chewed his lip thoughtfully. "Tell me about it," he said. His tone was wry and his eyes distant; clearly, he was recalling something. It took him a moment to put it into words, but then he spoke.

"You remember several years ago, when I talked to you on my old ship? I picked up that little focusing technique; the 'build a wall of bricks in your head' thing. It took me five months to get to the point where I could do that automatically. Five months. The longest I've ever been stuck on anything related to physical combat is three and a half months, and that was mastering the first Senior-level form in kickboxing when I was eighteen. I won't say picking up the mental technique wasn't useful, but it was a lot harder than anything I'd ever done."

Pierce suddenly stopped, and a thoughtful look crossed his face. "In a way, it's kinda been helpful. Awhile back I started trying to keep the wall from falling apart while I went through form practice. I can't pin down any distinct difference, but I sorta feel it's there."

The reminder of something indistinct being present in his mind made Pierce shift uncomfortably. That countdown clock was still in the back of his head, ticking away, and he just didn't know what it was for. All he knew was that he had to learn as much as he possibly could before it got to zero.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria nodded while listening to Pierce, not wanting to interrupt his train of thought. She remembered that day on his ship quite well.

Her eyes turned thoughtful at the mention of his mental wall starting to crumble but Navaria wanted to make sure she understood properly.

"So, what you are telling me is that the technique I taught you long ago has been starting to falter? Probably that would be the best place to star..."

Something change in him. It wasn't anything physical but Navaria had a sense that something was wrong.

"What is it Pierce? Something is troubling you deeply."

[Pierce Tondry]

"I don't know."

The revelation troubled him deeply, and his face reflected his concern. His eyes were lost as they looked at Navaria. "I got a clock in my head. It's counting down to something, and I don't know what."

One of his hands opened and closed repeatedly. "I don't understand it at all. Is it something I'm supposed to do? Something I'm supposed to figure out? Something I'm supposed to be ready for?" I just-"

The hand dropped to his side and his eyes fell to the floor. "I don't know. I just know I got a clock in my head and it's ticking."

There was a silence as the two of them contemplated Pierce's words. Then something Navaria had said came to Pierce's mind and he looked up. "I didn't mean that the technique is falling apart on its own. In fact, when I'm in combat it seems to be easier to keep it together. But it didn't used to be. In fact, combining the two was kinda hard, but since that clock's been-"

Abruptly, Pierce stopped. "I want to surprise it," he said softly. "What's coming for me. I want to be able to hide and get the drop on it. That's what I'm trying to work on, hiding my thoughts."

[Navaria Tarkin]

"One thing I know for certain is that when the time is right, the answer will come to you. But, until that day I will do what I can to prepare you for that inevitability."

Navaria shed her cloak and hung it upon the wall as she spoke.

"Hiding ones thoughts is much like hiding from physical sight. It can become a game of hide and seek but if you can master every recess of your mind, you gain an vast amount of space to hide your thoughts."

She turned around, fingertips pressing against one another in a relaxed stance.

"You were just practicing on meditating when I was here. Is that right?"

[Pierce Tondry]

"Yeah," Pierce gestured at the datapad. "Trying to work on the hiding thing. Instructions really don't help with this kinda thing, though."

Didn't even come close to helping. It was an apples/rutabagas comparison if there ever was one.

Pierce squared his shoulders and strode over to the floor next to the datapad. He looked down at it, then nudged it aside with his foot and sat. "Let me get back into the right state of mind,"

Whether Navaria acknowledged him or not, Pierce did not know. He was busy concentrating on the image of a candle flame.

Slowly, all his thoughts began to fade away, and there was only the candle.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"No, not at all. When it comes to this sort of lesson, having a book teach you is no substitute for a one on one training."

Navaria knelt down, remaining quiet and still as Pierce focused his mind properly. He eventually settled into the meditative state that he was working on previously and was extremely receptive for Navaria to connect with him. Without much effort, and little discomfort to Pierce, she formed a telepathic link between them.

Now that we are joined in this manner, what exactly were you going to do next once you had mastered the image of the flame?

[Pierce Tondry]

~The datapad says that thoughts are usually like rope vines- very easy to hold onto for someone who knows what they're doing. When you don't want someone to sense what you're thinking, you have to make everything flat and slippery. When you don't want them to know you're thinking at all, you have to make everything small and round so that attempts to find you slide past you, like water being poured onto a ball. I really don't know anything about how to do that.~

[Navaria Tarkin]

Remember the analogy I made with having doorways that represented compartments in your mind? Would that work better for you then the idea of thoughts as vines?

[Pierce Tondry]

~To me, my brain has always been a big black empty space, but that doesn't help me get telepathy at all. If you've got something I can try and that analogy works in with it, lay it on me.~

[Navaria Tarkin]

All right. We shall try that.

As you concentrate on the flame, I want you to visualize the light emanating from it growing stronger, spreading out as if it was light from a lamp source. As the light grows outwards, think of a place you feel the most safe in. A place that is calm and peaceful where no worries ever cross your mind. As the light extends outwards, let your memories fill in the details of the place slowly until the light shines bright enough for you to see the entire picture.

Remember, do not force the picture to be ... just let your mind slowly create the puzzle.

[Pierce Tondry]

Although Pierce had some false starts and almost lost hold of the image, eventually his thoughts were stable enough to accomplish Navaria's instructions.

The flame spread down first, showing sand around Pierce's bare feet. Then it moved directly forward and the shore and the waves crashing onto the beach revealed themselves. The flame touched the horizon, where blue met blue, and then everything else from the Chandrilan shore was there.

It was home.

A wave rolled onto the beach and stopped just before his feet. The sound in his ears gave him such peace as he could never describe.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria could feel the warmth of the sun against her skin and a cool breeze rustle through her hair. She felt the sand sink against the weight of her boots as she stepped up to stand beside Pierce.

Now engrave this image into your mind, but not for the reasons you might think.

As beautiful and serene as this place is ... this is the first place a telepath will seek to find you. We always run to where we feel safe on instinct. You must train your mind to never come here in times of danger ... otherwise, you will always be found..

[Pierce Tondry]

I see why. It's like turning off every guard you have.

Pierce sighed longingly. It was so peaceful here...

Where else can I go?

[Navaria Tarkin]

Indeed it was beautiful. Navaria too could loose herself at the serenity that this place in Pierce's mind could provide.

To the places that cause you the most pain. The places that you only see in your nightmares. If you can control the emotions that they stir in you, you can hide forever in those memories.

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce swallowed involuntarily. ~Are you sure that's... wise?~

[Navaria Tarkin]

It depends.

She turned to look at him.

Are you afraid?

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce looked her square in the eye. ~I will be.~

[Navaria Tarkin]

She frowned, saddened by that response.

Then you could hide in other memories, staying away from the ones that make you feel the most safe, until you can master that fear. This may be a perfection of calm for you ... but there are other memories that could invoke such a response.

So, now you have a choice to make.

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce looked away from Navaria, out over the vast dreamscape ocean that his mind had provided. The absolute calm certainly made it easier for him to think.

~Fear's when you can't rip off a bacta patch because you think it'll hurt,~ Pierce said at last. ~When you know it'll hurt anyway. I won't be loaded down with any kind of fear, not now, not ever.~

He locked eyes with Navaria again. ~But I know I won't like what I'll be seeing. You won't either.~

[Navaria Tarkin]

My apologies for misunderstanding. There is still a choice then to be made. Facing what you do not like about yourself and your past, or learn a way that will hide you from your enemeies when perfected.

It is, after all, what you wanted me to teach you. And if it helps, I hold no judgment to what I would see. It is not my place to jude. Simply to understand and provide assistance. I have see much pain and suffereing from my students and friends. There are those that inflicted and those that received. Both, for many.

[Pierce Tondry]

~You couldn't judge a war even if you wanted to.~

The sky darkened, the process of becoming overcast taking only seconds instead of hours. Pierce tilted his head upwards, catching the first drop of rain on his forehead. He closed his eyes, remembering the pain from being shot, smelling the acrid stench of his own charred flesh. The moisture on his skin slowed to a light drizzle, but humidity remained.

Pierce opened his eyes. He could see the trees,the fog, and the brief illuminations of blasterfire in the distance. He looked down at the muddy ground that was wet with more than just water. The recreation was as perfect as it could be; he could even see the blaster burns in his charred Imperial uniform.

Pierce gestured with the blaster rifle in his hand. ~What we're looking for is over there. Come on- and whatever you do, don't look at the ground.~

~Unless you're morbidly curious about how many people I just killed.~

[Navaria Tarkin]

She took a moment to consider her surroundings. The rain, usually refreshing, felt colder then usual when it hit her face. It forced her bring her arms in closer for warmth. The air was as thick as the gloom unseen. Her hearing picked up the sounds of blaster fire before Pierce pointed in that general direction. What was occurring was hard to make out because of the fog.

Navaria heeded his request, following the now battle scarred Imperial Solider Pierce Tondry to wherever it was he was leading him.

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce continued moving forward. His movements felt strangely easy, those times when he lifted his blaster rifle to fire at something were uncannily instinctive and accurate. The screams of dead and dying bounced off his conscience without awakening anything in him, a fact that made him uneasy. This is a memory, he reminded himself. Don't get lost.

That knowledge did nothing to undercut the flow with which thngs continued to move towards the sounds of firing blasters. In minutes, Pierce and Navaria had reached a treeline, where they both stopped.

The ground fell away sharply into a rock wall that formed one side of a gulley with a river running through the middle. About four hundred yards out, another rock face rose from the ground. Both cliffs sloped down into a river basin whose end was obscured by the fog

Even the moisture in the air could not hide the torrent of red flickers that criss-crossed the lowest point of the slope. At the distance they were, Navaria could make out two lines of soldiers taking cover in the trees on either side of the basin.

"Attention, this is Imperial Central Command. All units are ordered to converge on the Mekhi River Basin- repeat, all units converge on the Mekhi River Basin. Forces there have encountered a strong Rebel presence that must be eradicated! For the glory of the Empire!"

Pierce's head automatically looked at the commlink the orders had come from. ~Mekhi River Basin, on Adnari II,~ he told Navaria. ~There was Intel on a Rebel Base in the jungles, and my regement was ordered to smoke them out and kill them. After some meticulous analysis of the jungles, command determined there was only one true place Rebels could hide a base. So out we went.~

~Hope you like swimming,~ he added, bending down and beginning the sheer climb to the bottom of the rock wall. ~Because we'll be doing that in a moment.~

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria followed Pierce's footsteps precisely. The chances of becoming lost in this memory at this time in his mind was quite slim. She didn't want to chance it and leave Pierce by himself. He was using every ounce of willpower to remain focused and aware that this was his past, not his present.

Eventually, the area opened up to the best clear angle of the soldiers running for cover. Pierce explained the mission to her, much like how her father used to talk to her when he was able to discuss declassified information with her. Navaria, and her brother Marc, would sit on the floor fascinated as he would make sound effects to coincede with the high points of his story.

That wasn't necessary here.

~Hope you like swimming,~

The Knight looked down and raised a brow. She hadn't been swimming in years but knew how to well enough. Of course, this was no crystal clear river on the banks of Salis D'aar during the summer festivel on Bakura.

Hmm ...

Her robe was going to get in the way during her descent and make swimming difficult. She shed it quickly and followed Pierce down the ledge.

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce paused in his climb and twisted around, firing off a few shots with a free hand. On the opposite rock face, a soldier screamed and dropped to the ground.

~I did this entire mission on what felt like instinct,~ Pierce began climbing down again. ~Figured it was just skill at the time, even when I made it through- well, you'll see. Of course no luck lasts forever.~

He jumped off the rock face and hit the ground running, hard. A spray of shots sent small clouds of dirt into the air around him, but Pierce just charged on through, heading for the river. ~Things will get tricky about midway downriver. Be careful, Navaria..~

Without hesitation, Pierce slung his rifle over his shoulder and leapt into the river. The current sped him quickly down towards the basin and he swam with it as best he could, trying to remain near the bank.

Then an undertow caught him and pulled him beneath the water's surface, and everything went black.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Her head jerked to the side in the direction that Pierce shot. Even with all the carnage around the two of them, there were still dozens to be found all around in the area that were hidden. Mostly tactics of guerrilla warfare were being used against one another at this point, while others were running still for cover.

Navaria followed down the ledge and ran after Pierce, keeping as close to him as possible. The rain of blaster fire was intensely concentrated in this area but it was amazing to watch him move. This was a time when his gifts were not know to him and that instinct he spoke of before, was merely a danger sense that helped to move his body out of harms way and steady his arm to lock on his target precisely.

A blaster bolt missed Navaria's head by only a few centimeters. Ozone was thick in her nostrils as she dove into the river. The current was strong and leading the Knight more then her arms. She could feel the pull of the river trying to submerge her body, but this was a memory of Pierce's. Not hers. Her will was stronger here in the realm of the mind and fought off the trials of this nightmare.

Pierce wasn't so lucky. In between air and water, Navaria watched as he was dragged underwater. She wasn't sure if this was part of his memories or not. Either way, the Jedi took a deep breath and went underwater, searching out for her comrade.

[Pierce Tondry]

The entire memory wavered for a moment, dipped into nothingness, and then reformed in all its detailed perfection. With a splash of spray, Pierce's head broke the river's surface and he gulped in air.

~I took a knock to the head while I was under. Thank the Force for combat helmets. Here's the part where I see the mess and the explosion-~

Abruptly the blasterfire at the basin picked up. On the Imperial side, three separate detonations combined into one massive blast. The number of shots on that side of the river abruptly cut in half. Pierce shook his head and dove back beneath the water's surface.

~I decided to go in through the water. I'd assumed they'd mined it, which they hadn't, but it was slow going anyway. I wanted to make sure I wasn't seen until I'd passed through the hotzone. I got lucky, more or less, because no one did. In fact, the Rebels hadn't mined the water for a reason. Keep up, Navaria, things are gonna get hot.~

The haze of water suddenly erupted with motion. Without hesitation, Pierce tugged a dark cylinder off his belt and slapped it to the smooth surface, then he altered course and swam around it. Several meters out, Pierce broke the surface and clicked a detonator. Behind him, there was the banging sound of hull damage, followed by a wave of heat and the stench of smoke.

Pierce took a moment to flip onto his back and eye the Rebel Submersible Weapon Platform he'd just sent sinking into the basin's waters, then he went back to swimming.

~Not far now.~

[Navaria Tarkin]

Relief washed over her much like the undertow that passed through her harmlessly. She was merely a spectator here, something that Navaria needed to remind herself.

She stuck to him like glue at this point, listening to his every word with intent and watching this nightmarish memory unfold. There was a part of her that was sympathetic to the cause of the Imperials ... They were only doing their job and for every dead soldier, there was a family mourning that loss. A much too familiar loss that Navaria could relate too.

But then again, the Rebels cause was just. Like Pierce said, how can you judge a war?

After the platform was destroyed by Pierce, the Knight eased into the water and floated next to him, wondering what he was thinking right now.

Not far to where?

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce was ducking back beneath the water's surface before Navaria finished the question. Fortunately, their mental contact was not interfered with by the change in medium. It was just a memory.

In spite of that, however, it felt very real. ~You'll see,~ Pierce replied.

The water swirled and bubbled. The surface darkened, and eventually the clear liquid gave way to reveal something lumpy that Pierce bumped into. He put his feet down on the bottom and cautiously broke the surface of the water to see where he was.

The river had returned to being a narrow channel, on either side of which lay corpses. There were even several in the water, including the one Pierce had just swam into.

He stood all the way up, heedless of any mines or assailants that might come after him. There were many more Imperials than Rebels- clearly it had been an ambush, and just as clearly, it had worked. The ambush party was gone now, leaving Pierce standing knee deep in bloody water, surrounded by the dead.

The scene hung still where it was, then vanished. Pierce and Navaria stood in the blackness alone, with Pierce staring off into the void.

[Navaria Tarkin]

It took a lot of control to keep her composure. Death was all around her and the blood was thick in her nostrils above the surface. Swimming underwater caused her to taste the life of those killed.

Finally she broke the surface to where Pierce was and gasped. Even with the terrible memories that she shared with Dalethria, Navaria still couldn't hide her own horror to the situation that greeted her. There were so many dead bodies scattered everywhere. Some were half in the water, bobbing up and down with the waves, others were being drawn down stream with the current. Not all of them were whole.

Memory or not, she understood the life of a soldier better. The life of her Imperial family unspoken.

As she walked out of the river, the scene melted away slowly. The cold water splashing up against her lowered until she felt a flat surface underneath her boots as everything went pitch black. She couldn't see anything and had a suspicion that if Navaria wasn't with Pierce right now, she would have had trouble finding Pierce mentally in the 'real world'.

She stopped moving and was respectful towards Pierce in not asking what he was feeling.

You understand now what I meant about hiding.

[Pierce Tondry]

~Yeah.~

The imaginary Pierce refocused and turned around, his boots clicking as he did. ~And you know what I meant about being able to judge a war.~

Abruptly, Pierce stopped, staring at his feet. ~You know, I just noticed- there's no floor, but my boots still make noise. Like my mind expects to hear it, so it fills in the gap.~

Pierce's eyes lifted and locked onto Navaria's. ~Yeah, I get the technique, I think. Give me a bit to practice it and no one will notice me coming.~

The image of Pierce began to fade, starting at his feet and working its way up. His eyes were the last to disappear, and when they did Navaria was left alone in the darkness.

Alone, where she could feel Pierce's gratitude.