Meditating on Sense (Knight or Master)

[Lillian Snow]

Lillian has put on some old workout clothes, though she hasn't done any running or physical exercises today. She's not sure if that's the appropriate style of dress or not, but that's what she used to wear when doing any other training, so it makes sense to wear it while doing Force training. She has chosen a secluded room of the Academy for her meditation, sitting calmly as AB instructed her to do. She's been silent and motionless for hours now, and her back and shoulders are starting to hurt. Her mind has been shooting around for the past hour, randomly jumping from one thing to the other. At last she manages to quell it, and at this moment she feels the Force wash over her like warm water. She sighs, breathing out, and snaps her eyes open as she gets the precarious feeling that someone is watching her.

"H-hello?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

"My apologies."

Navaria spoke up, slight embarrassment in her voice.

"I did not want to disturb you. I just wanted ... to see how you were doing."

[Lillian Snow]

"Oh!"

Lillian averts her face with a shy smile.

"I-I'm fine," she stammers, a bit nervous and honored to be in a councilwoman's prescence. "I was trying to reach the Force. My master is...um...unavailable at the moment, so Miss Mystt said I should practice on my own. She said I should try meditating..."

[Navaria Tarkin]

Sensing Lillian's nervousness, Navaria walked over and knelt down besides her, making themselves both on the same level.

She offered a smile and a genuine curiosity to what the Padawan was doing.

"Well, what were you working on specifically ... perhaps I can help?"

[Lillian Snow]

"I...I was just meditating, and I felt like someone was here...then you were there."

Lillian's not sure how she should say it.

"It's like...I just knew."

[Navaria Tarkin]

She smile, nodding in understanding.

"Of course. When your mind is at peace, it expands outwards ..."

Her hands spread apart for emphasis.

"... and picks up on other beings that are nearby. That is why you sensed my presence. Being able to meditate brings your mind to a state of calm that makes it easier to connect with the Force."

[Lillian Snow]

A state of calm. Lillian makes a quiet, static laugh. Calm is something she has very little of these days.

"It's so hard to find sometimes..." She looks to Navaria almost pleadingly. "Please, Miss...please help me! Can you teach me to find people with the Force?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

Her lips puckered slightly together, a bit confused which was reflected in the rest of her face. Navaria didn't remember making a joke. Lillian's response helped the Knight to understand. The Padawan had some trying times lately. Especially being attacked by the Sith. Though her request was a bit confusing. She was desperate for something and it made her question sound jumbled.

"I am sorry... Find people? As in specific people? Or did you want to learn how to use the Force to sense for people? I am a little confused to what you wish of me."

[Lillian Snow]

"I...just people! Anyone near me! Logic...Logic said..."

She swallows hard to suppress the lump in her throat and finally manages to blurt the phrase.

"Logic said that Force Sense reveals a person's location and whether or not they're lightside or darkside. Please teach me!"

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Whoa there."

She chuckled, holding up her hands.

"Slow down. I will be happy to teach you Lillian. First you are going to have to calm yourself and steady your mind in order to be taught."

[Lillian Snow]

"Y-yes," she says nervously, nodding her understanding and kneeling before the councilwoman.

Her body shivers twice as she expells a sigh, trying to focus on something calm. The image of Logic's silhouette in the window at night is a comforting thought; and seeing Master Salemn's face is soothing too...

"O-okay...I...I'm almost ready..."

[Navaria Tarkin]

"No you are not."

She scolded gently.

"I sense you are still quite nervous. I can also tell it is me. Why is that?"

[Lillian Snow]

"W-well..."

Lillian squirms a bit, looking to the side and hunching her shoulders. There's multiple reasons why she's nervous around Navaria, though she won't admit to them all.

"You're on the council...and...I...I know you might be here because of what Logic told you about me..."

[Navaria Tarkin]

Smiling softly...

"I was passing by when I sensed your presence. I wanted to make sure your wounds have healed."

... and looked gently into her eyes.

"Nothing that Logic said made me come here ... and me being on the Council should not make me different then anyone else when training is involved. But ... I sense that you are holding back the complete truth to me. Have I wronged you in some way?"

[Lillian Snow]

"No!" Lillian says, louder and faster than she would have liked. "It's...it's..."

Lillian looks sheepishly to the Jedi across from her, squirming a bit as she fidgets with what's on her mind.

"...nothing. I haven't met you before, so I can't hate you or be apprehensive of you at all..."

[Navaria Tarkin]

She didn't press the issue. It was rude to unless Lillian was willing to open herself up to speak. Perhaps later, the Padawan would trust her to speak her mind on what was wrong.

"All right then. Either way, you are going to have to calm yourself of whatever is troubling you in order to focus properly on how to sense for people."

[Lillian Snow]

Lillian nods and is quiet, seeking to push her nervousness away. She's still jittery from having been startled, so she takes a few deep breaths. She pushes away the thoughts that are bugging her about Navaria, choosing instead to focus on a bit of advice Logic gave her.

When you're training, you should be training. Focus on it and nothing else that concerns you.

Ok then. I'm going to sense people!

Her heart slows its pace and her mind settles. At last, after nearly twenty minutes of trying to focus and get her breathing under control, she is calm.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Lillian calmed her mind, pushing aside those thoughts about Navaria. It was still something she would have to talk to the Padawan about at a later time. She didn't feel comfortable that Lillian did not like her for some unvoiced reason.

Time ticked away for close to twenty minutes and the Knight sat quiet, letting Lillian complete this difficult task for herself. She could feel the Force around the Padawan grow stronger and stronger with each minute. With practice, the girl would be able to put herself in a meditative state quicker.

"Now, that you are ready ... I want your eyes to remain closed. They can often deceive ... The Force can always show truth. You remember where I was sitting by you? Concentrate on my position, picture me in your mind and when it is clear ... let me know, and we can move on."

[Lillian Snow]

Lillian squeezes her eyes shut. Navaria was sitting roughly two feet from her before. How...how did Logic say it worked? Like a projected sphere? She tries to imagine it, a wave outward to find others. She gets a short burst of...something...before it disappears again.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"What did you sense?"

For a moment, Navaria had felt Lillian's presence touch hers, but very briefly.

[Lillian Snow]

"Um...I...I don't know. Something warm and very bright."

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Have you sensed other things from people before without knowing you have done it?"

[Lillian Snow]

"No...well, yes, sort of. Late at night sometimes I see a blank grey figure very close to me. It doesn't feel like it has any intentions and it's cold."

[Navaria Tarkin]

This was startling.

"At night? While in your room?"

She questioned gently, wondering if this had anything to do with the strange attacks that have been occurring recently. Or, maybe it was Logic she was feeling. But that didn't make any sense. Far as Navaria knew, he was a robot.

[Lillian Snow]

"Yes...um...is that...is that bad?"

Lillian's shoulders hunch apprehensively, her eyes taking an inquisitive expression.

"I...I never took much notice to it...I just thought it was part of a dream..."

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Hmm... I take it there is no easy explanation that there is someone else in your room is there? Perhaps Logic?"

[Lillian Snow]

"Y-yeah...but I almost never see him at night..."

Lillian does a poor job of supressing a shudder and speaks around the sudden dryness in her throat.

"Maybe...it's one of his beasts! There was one in the heavy rain days ago...it was lurking on the balcony and watching me..."

[Navaria Tarkin]

"One of his beasts?"

She frowned, not understanding.

"One of Logic's beasts?"

[Lillian Snow]

"No, it...it belongs to him," she says shakily, hugging herself as if suddenly cold. "He took us and tortured us...Master Salemn and myself...they belong to him."

[Navaria Tarkin]

She held up a hand and tried to absorbed what was said. It was quite apparent that Navaria was seriously confused and concerned by what Lillian had admitted.

"Lillian ..."

A hand was placed on her shoulder to steady her chills of fear.

"... you need to tell me what is going on so I can help. If someone has been hurting you when you are sleeping ... something needs to be done."

[Lillian Snow]

"Nothing's hurting me," she says lamely, ashamed to have worried Navaria and worrying that elder Jedi might think she's trying to attract pity. "It's like...whatever it is is just watching me. It sits on the windowsill and watches. Sometimes it goes out to the balcony, but it's always got its attention on me."

[Navaria Tarkin]

'No I think no such thing."

Navaria realized she answered an unspoken question and quickly apologized.

"I am sorry, Lillian. I was not reading your mind intentionally. Sometimes strong emotions flow through the Force with such power that I just pick up on things. A gift and a curse at the same time."

Hopefully, the Padawan wouldn't think less of her.

"But even so ..."

Changing the subject.

"... you cannot be comfortable having such a presence there? I rather not have such entities on the grounds personally."

[Lillian Snow]

Lillian's face relaxes, relieved that Navaria doesn't think her to be, as her brother put it, a drama queen.

"I...I always thought it was a dream, so I didn't think much of it. Sometimes I would feel edgy, like it was sizing me up, and sometimes I felt like it was shielding me and keeping me warm and safe. I don't know how I feel about it."

[Navaria Tarkin]

"We could ask the Council for help."

She looked at Lillian with concern.

"I do not think that they would like having something of that nature that may, or may not, pose a thread on the grounds. But ... it is up to you of course."

[Lillian Snow]

"No, we don't need to bother them!" Lillian blurts hastily. "I don't think it's those beasts. They haven't been on the grounds at all since Mr. Wei chased them away in the rain that night...it's probably just Logic..."

She hugs her knees.

"Miss Tarkin...have you ever felt like you rely too much on things to happen for you?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

Well, the Council was going to stay out of it. At least her former Padawan had taken care of the problem for now. She was going to have to keep an eye on things though... around Lillian that is ...

"Hm?"

She thought about that question.

"I think I used to. Back when my control over the Force was ... well .."

Navaria chuckled a little.

".. when I did not have any let us say. I relied on everyone to help me until one day I just realized that I had to find who I was in order to care what happened to me."

[Lillian Snow]

"Everyone does everything for me," Lillian mumbles. "I want to do something for myself. Can we...get back to sense?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

That was a good attitude and Navaria complied with Lillian's request.

"Very well then. Return back to your meditative state, then we will state again."

[Lillian Snow]

Lillian folds her legs and takes a few breaths, trying to settle herself. Her last statement has planted a small seed of determination in her heart, which is growing slowly as she calms herself and her fears ebb away. She shuts her eyes, and in Navaria's place a warm, white light appears before her. Behind her, she is aware of the nearest pillar as a column of neutral grey, without intent, but lacking the coldness of the figure she sees in her dreams.

"Mi--"

Lillian falters, cutting off her speech. As soon as she had tried to say something to Navaria, the woman's light had begun to fade.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"What?"

Something happened again. She turned around to where Lillian's eyes had grown wide but sees nothing.

"Lillian?"

She turned towards the Padawan.

"What happened? What did you sense?"

Instinct told the Knight that it had something to do with what they were talking about before...

[Lillian Snow]

"Um...There's a white...a white light, right...right in front of me," she explains, trying to keep her concetration focused two different ways. "I...I think it's you."

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Yes. It is me. But ..."

Her eyes narrowed.

".. there is something else. Your concentration is fractured."

[Lillian Snow]

"It's hard to focus on two things..." she explains, trying to keep it from sounding like a complaint. "I don't...do this much..."

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Then stop focusing on me. I know it is hard because I am so near to you... but block my presence from your mind first. Put up a wall around the image in your mind, if you will. Then concentrate on the other presence... it will become clearer in time. Also, relax... let the Force flow into you and aid you... do not rely solely on your innate ability. The Force is the source of your power ... let it in."

[Lillian Snow]

There is no Navaria. This is the first thought that pops into Lillians head, catching her so off guard that she loses all focus. The white light fades away, but Lillian won't give up and go home to Logic's biting commentary. She did something worth nothing just a minute ago; if she keeps working at it, she'll do even better.

The girl focuses on the Force, rather than Navaria, and feels a soft glow fill her body. Her senses expand, taking the entire room within it's boundaries. The room's support pillars and piles of training equipment appear as slate grey forms. Navaria remains as a glowing white light. On the edge of the room, by the door, she can sense a moving, silver something. She opens her eyes and looks to the door; nothing's there.

"Wierd."

[Navaria Tarkin]

This time Lillian had sensed it and did a fine job of channeling the Force to aid her. But there was still the mystery of what she was sensing.

"We can always find out what it is?"

[Lillian Snow]

"Um...how?" Lillian asks sheepishly, feeling like she should know the answer.

[Navaria Tarkin]

She chuckled in good humor.

"We go outside of course."

[Lillian Snow]

"Okay."

Lillian had suspected that was the answer, but she didn't believe for a minute that it could be so simple. Now that it turns out she was right, she feels embarrassed.

The girl stands up and walks to the door, looking out into the hall for whatever it could be. She almost trips over it; a tiny, rectangular droid is scuttling around her feet, trying to get in past her.

"It's a little droid."

[Navaria Tarkin]

It was one of the cleaning droids in fact.

"How could you sense a droid?"

She asked, holding her chin in thought.

"It has no mind for you to sense it."

[Lillian Snow]

"Everything that doesn't have Force is grey...out of all the grey stuff that was standing still, this little guy was the only thing moving."

She steps aside to let it through, looking questioningly to Navaria.

"...am I not supposed to be able to do that?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Yes...."

She chuckled at herself.

".. that makes perfect sense now, Lillian. And actually, it was good of you to realize that there are some objects that do not have a Force signature. It was impressive you could see it move as well within your mind. Good progress for you I would say for today."

[Lillian Snow]

"Thank you, Miss!" Lillian smiles, bowing respectfully. "Does that mean that we're done? I have to go and find Logic...he won't believe it when I tell him!"

[Navaria Tarkin]

She returned the smile.

"I think we progressed a good deal today in your abilities. Logic would be most happy to hear about how well you did in your lesson!"

And with a nod.

"We are done. But remember to keep practicing and stay safe Lillian."