“Open your mind, Jacali Danner.” (complete)

[Dasquian Belargic]

A message had gone out through the Force to one of the newest recruits to the Order to come, as soon as possible, to one of the small training rooms within the academy. At flank to the gardens within the grounds, it was calm and the perfect place for beginning the path towards becoming a Jedi. Dasquian stood at the back of the room, looking out over the garden, at peace with his thoughts.

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Jacali made her way quickly, so not to keep her new Master waiting.

She hurried into the training room, a slight nervousness tinged within her.

"Master Dasquian," she began as she walked over to him and bowed respectfully. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting very long."

[Dasquian Belargic]

The Knight turned, and bowed his head in greeting.

“Not at all, Jacali. Please… sit.”

Dasquian took his place in one of the only two seats within the room and motioned for his apprentice to sit in the one opposite.

“Today we are just going to be working on the very basic necessities of the Force, Jacali. I don’t know how familiar you are with its use. Can you feel the Force yet, or should this be or first task today?”

As he spoke he smiled, trying to make the Padawan feel at ease.

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Her nervousness eased as Jacali took her seat across from her Master. She tried to make sense of what he was asking.

Usually, she was a very bright student, but this new path that she'd chosen was quite...perplexing, to say the least. She hoped that Dasquian held plenty of patience.

Feeling the Force.

What in the galaxies did he mean?

Then it came to her once she thought deeply about it. "The swirling..." she said in a barely audible tone.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Yes, it can be a heady feeling at first … all you need to do is calm your thoughts. Try not to focus on anything in particular, and block on the irritations of the world around you. It’ll come to you in time.”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Jacali looked at her master. "I think, I've felt it...only after certain dreams I have. It feels like there's wind around you..." She paused, wondering if she sounded as crazy as she thought she did.

With a deep breath, she bit her lip and continued. "Only, there is no wind. It's comforting, yet restless in a strange way..."

She had no other words to explain the strange feeling that would awaken her in the middle of the night.

"Is that it? Is that the Force?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“From my experience it is different for all of us. We will soon see whether or not what you are feeling is the Force, though,” he replied.

“The first exercise we’re going to do is trying to sense things… what is around you, first instance, and the emotions which they are feeling. Try to sense the others within the academy.”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Jacali nodded in compliance. "Okay. Master." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Calm my thoughts.

She relaxed and breathed lightly.

Don't focus on anything.

She cleared everything from her mind.

Block on the irritations of the world around me.

Seemed really strange, but she did as her Master had instructed and then she waited.

She lost all track of time, had it been a few seconds, minutes? Then, she began to slowly draw on that same feeling she had during the night after her dreams.

Something began swirling around her, clearing her thoughts even more so than before.

She could almost 'see' what was around her as if she was opening her eyes for the first time. The feeling was overwhelming and she jerked herself out of whatever state she was in with a gasp.

Bewildered, she looked at her Master. "I did it! That was it! I did it!" She couldn't believe it!

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian grinned.

“Good… this awareness of what is around you can be incredibly useful… for instance, if you wanted to find someone you could most likely do so using this technique. Try and pin point a single person near here… tell me where they are, what they’re wearing… if you can.”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

"Yes, Master Dasquian." The young Padawan responded as she closed her eyes. She once again relaxed her mind and her body to resume into the same state at which she had just left only moments before.

It had been easier this time, just as he had said. Soon, she felt herself in the swirling movements of the Force.

How long it took her to get there, she didn't know. Time didn't seem to matter to her as her mind began to pick up on fuzzy images..

Pinpoint someone near...

She switched her sitting position. Crossing her legs and leaning her head onto her hands, while resting her elbows on her knees.

She sensed movement in the corridor outside, but nothing seemed to clear enough for her. There was simply too much going on out there. Too many things to see.

Jacali didn't give up on this, she moved her 'sight' to a smaller place.

Next door.

She breathed lightly and hoped to channel the Force a bit more easily. It was harder now, but she kept Dasquain's instructions in mind.
"I'm next door...I think." Jacali said quietly as she allowed her mind to go in further. "The next training room over."

An image began to come to her. "I see...a guy. Definitely, a guy. He has...." Her 'focus' blurred slightly. She calmed her thoughts again and the image became slightly clearer.

"He has short brownish-blonde hair...combed back off his forehead. He's sitting in the middle of the room, his legs are crossed and...he's reading a text. He's got..." She saw him look right at her and lost the connection.

She opened her eyes and groaned for a moment, her head hurt. "I lost it, Master." She said as she looked at Dasquian. "I think he knew I was looking at him."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“That’s very good for a beginner,” Dasquian remarked with a nod.

“Try again, one more time, and see if you can tell what it is he is reading.”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Again? Jacali thought skeptically. But, she would do as Dasquian told her too.

With another deep breath, Jacali closed her eyes and searched for that place that brought her into the Force.

It was much harder this time and she wasn't exactly sure why, perhaps it was because her head still hurt from her last excursion.

Center yourself, Jacali. She told herself, but even that thought wasn't helping much.

She reached out more and felt persperation on her forehead. A frown creased her brow as she pushed her concentraton even harder and just barely felt a brief wave of the Force.

After a few moments of this, her head hurt even worse and she came out of her partial trance with a gasp. "Ugh..." She groaned.

Jacali massaged her temples with her fingers to ease the pain. "I couldn't do it that time." She said as she finally opened her eyes to face her Master. "I just barely felt it, I don't understand. Why did it all of a sudden become painful?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“We’re only just beginning, so it will be difficult… your mind is not used to exerting itself as such and so will need to grow used to the Force before it is entirely comfortable.”

Dasquian shifted a little, “We’ll try something simpler – I’m going to think of something and I want you to try and tell me what it is.”

Letting his mental guards down, the Jedi began to visualize something in his mind – a bantha.

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Jacali took in a deep breath and blew it out. "Okay, Master." She told him as she closed her eyes again, wondering if she'd get the same painful effect.

Think positive, Jacali. She told herself as she allowed her body and mind to relax. Much in the way, that she had found the Force the first time.

She focused all her mental attentions on connecting to the Force and finally felt the stimulating effects of it.

It was all around her, but now was even the harder part. Finding out what her Master was thinking.

She remained calm and began to focus her own swirling thoughts towards Dasquian. The initial effect felt really strange, almost more dizzying than before as she believed she crossed over into his thoughts. But, she wasn't quite sure.

A picture began to slowly form, a big brown blob. But, that was as far as she got as she came out of it and blinked. "Well...I kinda did see...something. It was big and brown. Can I try again, Master Dasquian?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian nodded, “Of course. You’re on the right track; it’s just a matter of focus.”

He felt like a broken record, repeating himself – but what he was saying was true.

[imported_Jacali Danner]

"Focus." She said and once again closed her eyes, she had to do it this time. Jacali would not stop until she did, even if it gave her a migraine.

She cleared her mind of everything and brought herself into a state of calmness. Only then, did she start to feel the familiar tinge of the Force.

It wasn't long until she felt it swirling around her as if it were the wind and that was when she took her thoughts and filtered them towards Dasquian.

Edging herself closer and closer into the calming essence of his mind.

Focus.

That was her operative now, she could do it if she allowed herself to.

Slowly, very slowly a picture began to form...

Jacali felt her forehead begin to sweat, it wasn't just perspiring, it was sweating.

She pushed herself further and concentrated on the forming brown blob. The young Padawan clinched her eyes and began to breath heavily, she was not going to give up!

Calm your thoughts... She reminded herself and slowed her breathing once again as her eyes unclinched.

The Padawan studied the picture, calmly. Look at it...study it...focus on it... It cleared more and more....

She kept repeating the same jargon to herself over and over again. Until, she saw what it was....

Jacali opened her eyes with a gasp as if she were breathing for the first time. "Oh, holy frell!!" She exclaimed as her face lit up and she looked at her Master.

"I saw it! It was a bantha! A big, brown bantha!" She wanted to jump up and do a happy dance, but refrained from doing so in front of her Master. She could do it later....

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian beamed a grin.

“Well done!” he applauded, giving her a light pat on the forearm.

“You can practice that almost anywhere… just sitting eating lunch, see if you can tell what someone thinks about their meal, or how someone is feeling. As with everything, it becomes easier through time.

How about now we reserve this task and see if you can put an image into my mind, project what you are thinking?”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

'Okay, Master." The Padawan replied and nodded as she was still excited about her last accomplishment on her last task. She was glad to finally please her Master after having been so much trouble.

The new task he threw at her would be a bit different. She had to think of something to send to him. After a few seconds of thought, she decided a speeder.

Jacali took a deep breath and relaxed, then closing her eyes she slowly took herself once again into the soothing waves of the Force. It was getting easier, just as Dasquian had said. And she would practice it... a lot.

She once again edged her thought towards Dasquian's mind. It was very complex and for a moment she almost lost herself in self doubt, but pushed herself on. She would never learn anything, if she didn't believe that she could do it. She had to do it.

Not only to please her master again, but to gain the confidence that she often lacked.

Once she felt the calm essence of his mind again, she shot the image blindly towards him, hoping that he would catch it.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian closed his eyes, letting down any mental guards or blocks that had previously been in place. After a while a flicker began to form before his eyes and he saw a vague shape forming itself. Details fleshed themselves out slowly but surely and in a relatively short time he was looking at the picture of a speeder in his mind. Opening his eyes, he nodded.

“A speeder – good.”

Jacali was doing very well, he noted mentally.

“Now as well as projecting images you can also project your thoughts – that is how I called for you to come here today. It’s done in a similar method…

… and is entirely invaluable for communication during dangerous situations…

… how do you think you do this?”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Jacali thought about her answer for a moment. "My guess, would be that you must find the common link that is connected between the sender and the receiver. But, to my own knowledge I'm not exactly sure how that is done, Master."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“It’s a difficult thing to describe. I suppose the only way I can put it into words is to say that you have to think hard about what you want to say. Sometimes more adept Force users will hear you without your needing to transfer the message, while others will not be able to hear you no matter how skilled you are – I know we have one member here who is in fact hurt by the use of mental communication, and one who can do nothing but it,” Dasquian explained.

[imported_Jacali Danner]

I hope they don't come into contact very often. Jacali thought.

"What's the range on this....message sending...thing, Master? A kilometer or two? Further?" She questioned, very interested.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“It’s very much a question of your strength in the Force. Masters can communicate across whole systems, while Padawan’s tend to be a mile or two at most. We’ll just practice close contact communication for the moment though,” Dasquian added with a slight chuckle to himself.

[imported_Jacali Danner]

"Ok, just tell me what I need to do. I'm listening." The Padawan said as she gave Dasquian her full attention once again.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Like I said, just think about what you want to say,”

Dasquian took Jacali’s hand in his own, and closed his eyes.

“I’m all ears,” he joked.

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Jacali decided to start out very easy, just to 'see' if she could do it. She closed her eyes and took a deep relaxing inhale.

She took herself into the calm essence of the Force.

With major concentration, she came up with her thought.

Hello, Master... She almost laughed, she felt silly.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Hello Jacali, Dasquian returned, laughing softly aloud.

You don’t feel any discomfort when I speak into your mind, or vice versa, do you?

[imported_Jacali Danner]

No, Master, I'm fine...wow...this is cool. Jacali stifled a giggle to the communicating. It was definitely a new turn of events in her...mind.

She thought about something she thought earlier. Can you pick up any thoughts of mine, if I'm just randomly thinking?

With that thought in mind, she felt her cheeks blush.

[Dasquian Belargic]

A lot of the time, yes, Dasquian smiled knowingly.

But you can stop, or at least make it difficult for me to do it, also.

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Jacali smiled and was slightly embarrassed, she knew he must have heard her comment earlier.

So, how is that done, Master?

[Dasquian Belargic]

Surprisingly, the same way everything else is,

Dasquian grinned and now spoke aloud once more.

“You just have to visualize a block around your mind, try not to allow the Force to circulate so freely through it.”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

"Visualize a block...like a paristeel wall? How is that done all the time, can it be done subconciously or are you always thinking about it?"

She decided to use her new found skill, to perhaps better it.

I can understand blocking one thought at a time, Master. But how can you block all your thoughts?

[Dasquian Belargic]

It can be done subconsciously. Most of us don’t consciously have our thoughts roaming to and fro all of the time. We are all born with a block, albeit a thin one. I’m afraid it’s very difficult to describe… some people just have it, and some people just don’t, Dasquian replied, feeling his response was a little inadequate, but the best he could muster.

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Jacali nodded her reply, but still was not sure she understood it completely. But then again, she might as well give it a try and see what happened.

It's still notcompletely clear to me, Master. But, if you don't mind I'll give it a try. Perhaps, I can think of a color and see if I can block you from it?

[Dasquian Belargic]

That sounds like a good starting point, just trying to block one single thought, Dasquian nodded.

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Okay, here goes nothing... Jacali thought with a smile. She thought about the color purple and quickly edged a 'wall' around it. Hoping that it was strong enough that her master couldn't 'see' it.

Okay, color and wall are in place, Master...

[Dasquian Belargic]

Not over exerting his mind past its natural affinity in the Force, Dasquian began to concentrate on Jacali’s mind and found himself within seconds seeing the color purple blaring out at him, as if to be chosen. With a raised eyebrow, he questioned:

“You were thinking of purple?”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Jacali opened her eyes and looked at him. "Well, that went well."

She sighed at her inability.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian shook his head,

“Don’t worry about not getting things quickly, Jacali. You are here to learn, and I do not expect you to be able to accomplish every task that I give to you. We cannot all be gifted in all areas of the Force… your weaknesses here will be, no doubt, balanced by strengths in other areas.”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

"If perhaps, I can find those strengths, Master." She sighed. "I mean, all that I've learned today has been...well pretty amazing. Never in my life had I ever thought to be given a gift so...full of purpose. But, yet here I am in the Jedi Order learning the ways of the Force by your side and I don't wish to fail." She glanced down at her lap for a moment before continuing.

"The way...I failed my parents."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“You won’t fail; I will make sure of that.”

Dasquian’s voice was stern, yet at the same time sympathetic. He thought of himself more of a friend helping another friend whilst in training, and as such would do anything in his power to make sure that his apprentices true potential were fulfilled.

“You have a long road ahead of you, but it will all be worth it in the end.”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

The Padawan's last thought was ended with the reassuring words of her master. She needed that. "I will do my best for you, Master. I give you my word."

Her strength seemed to glow again as she looked at him, once again confident. "Shall we continue?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

To some confidence could be a catalyst for failure, but a little enthusiasm and pride in ones own abilities could always go a long way, Dasquian thought.

“Yes, let’s. Would you like to have another go at mental blocking?”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Jacali nodded. "Yes, Master. Another color? Or perhaps, something different?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“You can think about anything you want Jacali. Whatever you feel comfortable with,” he nodded.

[imported_Jacali Danner]

"Okay, here goes nothing." She nodded and closed her eyes. The Force was swirling around her once again a short time later.

Jacali would concentrate harder this time. Her guarded thought was of a crystal goblet. "Ready again, Master." She spoke quietly.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian, this time, could not immediately sense what was going on in Jacali’s head. He smiled at this and deterred from pressing further so that he could explain the purpose of this.

“This skill will be invaluable to you, Jacali. The darkside is everywhere around you and if you are not on guard it will take control of you. There are those who would try and manipulate you, with no regard for your life. That is why a good strong mind is paramount.”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

"I understand, Master. But, how do I practice on this to strengthen my mind and how will I know for certain that I am strong enough?" The thought made her uneasy.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“There is no way to know if you are strong enough until you come up against an adversary. It is fine and well for you to practice with me other Padawans so that you get used to the technique, to build up core stability for your mind, but until you encounter the Darkside head on it is impossible to know.”

Dasquian paused for a moment, then continued, “Sorry if that all sounds a bit ominous.”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Jacali sighed, facing a Darksider without the strength to fend off it's control, didn't sound too appealing. "I will definitely be practicing on this, Master. I want to be ready if a Darksider comes to call."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“So long as you are within the Orders grounds you can consider yourself safe, however once you leave the confines of the Temple the Darkside can be found lurking almost everywhere … just remember though that you are a Jedi, and do not fear it, otherwise you become all the more susceptible to its snare.”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

"Can Darksiders disguise themselves as holders of the Light side? And if so, how are you supposed to tell the true difference?" This was a very important question in Jacali's mind.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Not even the most powerful darksider can hide their true nature, Jacali. They can make themselves appear visually different or try to trick you with words, but the evil in their heart will always be present, however faint.”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Jacali nodded as she pondered on the thought.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Do you have any further questions on what we have covered today?”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Jacali shook her head. "No, not at the moment, Master."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Excellent, then we are done for today.”

Dasquian stood and brushed his robes down, before bowing his head.

“I will be in touch when your next session is to begin. If you do come up with any questions before then, do not hesitate to contact me.”

[imported_Jacali Danner]

Jacali stood as well and bowed. "Thank you, Master."