Abide the Day (finished)

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Bub bub ba-dubadub. Ba dub bub ba-dubabub. Ba bumm bumm bumm ba ba-bumm, ba ba-bumm..."

Semi-ridiculous, true, but it was what Je'gan did when he was bored. Fortunate it was that the selection of consonants was originally set to music, and that the Sith Knight could carry a tune.

"Bappada-ah!"

He stopped dead, looking out one of the Palace's windows in obvious pleasure. Phoenix Whyte was out there practicing.

A datapad flipped itself up to Je'gan's grasp, and the Sith Knight typed on it a quick message, instructing that the gigantic Apprentice meet him in a secluded corner of the training grounds a couple of hours before dinner. That was some time away, though, which suited Je'gan's purposes just fine. He had some things he wanted to do first, as well as training sessions for Kes and Drake.

Humming, he headed off to his quarters...

*** *** ***

...and humming, he stood below a tree, awaiting Phoenix Whyte's arrival.

[Lucianus Adair]

Gleam-Gleam....Glimmer-Glimmer...

Muscles pumped and energies to the max, Phoenix Whyte, a.k.a Mars ( More a preffered name, but actually his middle name) was deep in silent and undisturbed training. He seemed huge for his only 15 years, but genetics was genetics...not engineering. His dark, fine hair had grown longer since he had been last seen around these parts, and the shortest of it all, his bangs, stuck to his sweat-shined brow as he went through each movement of the sword training bestowed upon him by his guardian and lord since before memory would allow him to recall.

What better instrument of severance to use than the 5 shaku long sword he'd acquired within the past months? It was a powerful weapon, and Mars wielded it well.

Anyways, on a screaming downward slam-stroke, his comm beeped off, breaking the silence.

"Shi...Who disturbs me?"

Calling the comm to him from the pocket of his training tunic, Phoenix checked the message.

"Master Olra'en? ...Training, huh? Well then..."

The young man, who could easily pass for 18....19... swept a hand over his forehead, wiping the sweat. "I should cool off before my next training set. "

So he went off to his quarters for a clean-up, relflection on his studies, then when the appointed time arrived, he headed off to the predetirmined meeting place.....

----------

....And casting a long shadow in the hourly dropping sun, Mars approached the tree, the sword he had been training with in hand. A constant companion...And when Je'gan saw that he'd arrived, Mars stopped, and gave a short, respectful nod.

"Good evening, Master Olra'en."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Good evening, Phoenix Mars Whyte.

"I am curious. You're very good with a solid blade, or at least so I hear. I only caught the last moments of your duel with Lancer, after all, so my facts are limited. Still, anyone who can hold their own against Lancer has either a great deal of skill or immense luck."

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix watched and listened in complete silence while Je'gan spoke, his silver-tinged eyes examined the man.

"...anyone who can hold their own against Lancer has either a great deal of skill or immense luck..."

Expression did not change on Mars' face. To smirk or laugh or frown would show overconfidence and lack of respect in his former opponent's skills. One thing above many that Lord Shade had taught him, etched on to his mind every day of his life was to never underestimate your enemy. The young man spoke in a straight, uncreased and focused tone.

"I do not beleive in luck. "

With his thumb, he pushed the blade out of its sheath an inch, and held it forward in his fist, as if to say that Je'gan could examine it for himself....and that was exactly what he was intending. Four and a half feet of solid, skilled craftmanship in the blade, polished and well cared for, with an extra foot of length in the hilt, the instrument was formidable. An oversized katana, as any being would observe, as well as slightly heavier.

"My skills are not borne of easy technique, but endless hours of dedicated and rigorous training, Master Olra'en. Though I do not claim perfection, it is something to strive for. Only the best of weaponry is satisfactory also, in this case. Examine my latest blade for yourself."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan declined, locking black eyes on Whyte's face instead. "I'm a rapier man myself; all that interests me about such a weapon as yours is how well you can use it.

"One who strives for perfection is to be commended.

"And you are correct about luck. A true Sith makes his own fortunes.

"What do you know of the lightsaber?"

[Lucianus Adair]

"Very well."

He took the sword back into both of his hands, and slid the blade fully back into its sheath. Then again, as it was when he arrived, Mars held his favored weapon in one hand, dropping both arms back to his sides. While he was doing this, there was no speaking, as he was compiling that which he knew about lightsabers.

"Lightsabers. I have yet to own one myself, seeing my preference for a solid blade. But I have used them before, as some cirumstances have required the use, and they are a preferred weapon amongst force users, light and dark alike. It does not take up as much space as a solid blade, for the lightsaber blade is composed of energy by a power cell, a gem...and mirrors, I believe?...It has not been a focus of my studies as of yet, Master Olra'en."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"No mirrors, but essentially correct. A lightsaber is contained plasma - we don't need to worry about how it is contained, merely that there is a lot of energy in there.

"Blades are an antique weapon," the Sith Knight continued. "They aren't used very much, save for vibroblades. A good sword like those the bladewielders of this Order - you, me, Lancer, and a few others - use is capable of standing against a vibroblade for a limited period of time, but even a vibroblade is nothing against a lightsaber. Even the least experienced Jedi has a lightsaber of some sort. How long do you think your swords will actually last in combat?

"I took metal against a lightsaber once, almost a year ago when I first came to the order. It was not a pleasant experience. I still have the scars.

"Here is your first lightsaber."

He removed a sizeable cylinder from the belt he wore below his green cloak, eighteen inches long and dead grey. A subtle manipulation of the Force sent it flying to Whyte.

"It has four settings. The blade can be either the length of a normal lightsaber's, or somewhat longer. Each can be set to full power or to training, a setting that will cause second-degree burns but won't kill.

"How are you going to adjust your technique for the sword to the lightsaber?"

[Lucianus Adair]

With his free hand, Phoenix snatched the grey cylinder out of the air as it neared him with one swift movement of the arm, and gripped it tightly. The weight of the tube brought a semi-pleasurable smirk to his face, but when he thought about the blade, which would have no discernable weight, it didn't matter all that much.

Mars flipped the saber hilt over and over in his hand, shifting the weight around, and then stopped to examine the buttons.

"Hmm..."

He set his solid blade on the ground, then flicked the longer length on, to training, and it came to life with a low crackle n' buzz, a stream of sunset orange, like fire in the sky before the night. The young man glanced at Je'gan, to provide his master an answer.

"Training. The basic adjustment will be to the lack of weight, but I think this should fly a bit smoother than a solid."

As he said this, Mars took an immediate stance, and then took a powerstroke, with little effort. A dark grin slipped onto his ruff face, and he stood to full height, and looked to his master.

"Yes... excellent. Adjusting my technique should be no manner of a problem."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Then we can probably leave the lightsaber to your own devices," Je'gan decided. "In a few days we'll go over your progress. For now, we focus on the pure Force.

"You are capable of basic telekinesis, are you not?" The Sith Knight gestured to a small boulder, perhaps four feet across and half immersed in loam.

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix listened to Je'gan speak, and in the meantime retrieved his five foot long blade, and with his newest weapon, he threw them away from the training area, and they flew a considerable distance before the young man took control of them by means of the Force, and eased their descent. They only clattered gently as they hit the ground.


Basic telekinesis...

Now, that brought back the memory of a brief training session with Salem Ave, whilst he was still a resident of the TSO. A smal, amused smile controlled his mouth a moment.

Was it Kes I practised that on? Nonetheless....

Mars turned his silver-tinged red eyes to his master, then the boulder, then back to Je'gan.

"Somewhat...." he said. "It's something i've worked on in my own time..." And as he was speaking, with a sombre look on his face, the boulder was being lifted, all the while Mars kept his eyes on his master.

"I find visual contact with the subject of one's telekinetic operations is not necessary. It can add to the element of surprise."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Very true. Well-thought, Mr. Whyte." Je'gan's own eyes didn't move from those of his Apprentice. "And well performed.

"Say you were going to make something explode. Feel free to use that rock if you wish. How would you go about doing so?"

[Lucianus Adair]

The boulder still floated, held at the same height as moments before. Phoenix still held his red-eyed gaze on Je'gan, and went about his tasks, as they were given. His mind was at work with the Force.

"Make something explode...My thought would be to find the centre of the rock, with the Force, and....."

Then the rock cracked, and blew apart in a fantastic display of a million fragments, in a million directions. Without a change to Mars' facial expression, or where his eyes were watching.

"....blow it apart from there by focusing an amount of Force energy outwards from the centre...sufficient enough to destroy the object."

He called his 'saber to him, and flicked it on to a longer length, all with the utmost speed, and turned briefly, just in time to teminate a larger piece of the rock that was flying right at him. It dissolved in an instant, leaving Phoenix with his master, and the orange glow of the 'saber. He pressed a button, and the energy blade was extinguished. This time Mars just clipped it somewhere on his belt. Then once again, looked at Je'gan, saying nothing.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan erected a Force barrier, slowing the shrapnel enough that what few pieces hit him didn't penetrate his clothes or skin. "Good reflexes, and you certainly show an aptitude for destruction. There's no question of your power in that regard. For the moment, though, let's consider technique.

"What you did, it worked, but there's a better way. Most rocks - most solid objects - have stress lines. Places where a fissure would be easy to create. Observe."

Je'gan levitated another boulder of similar size and shape. He spent a fraction of a second seeking stress points and tailoring his manipulation of the Force to match, then blew it apart. The spray of dust and pebbles matched the previous explosion for power...yet he had used perhaps two-thirds of the energy Whyte had.

[Lucianus Adair]

Mars nodded in understanding of what Je'gan had done.

"I'll keep that in mind... that is, unless you would prefer a demonstration of what you have just done from myself...."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"If you would be so kind..."

Three rocks protruded from the ground halfway across the training field. Je'gan pointed at them.

"Feel free to improvise as much as you wish."

[Lucianus Adair]

For once, Mars actually took a good look at the soon-to-be subject of his mentally-produced destruction.

Stress lines, hmm?

And he could feel them, too. Phoenix followed each line along its length, and noted that many, if not all of them, connected at key points...And one of these points is the greatest weakness.

The Breaking Point...Everything has a breaking point. A main weak spot in its structure...

He recalled Lord Shade saying something about such a subject, years before. At the time, Phoenix didn't understand...He was very young. Now, however...

So if I pressure these 'Breaking Points'....Ahh...

So he triggered them, and gave the Breaking Point the biggest push with the Force, and the rock blew apart like a dandelion when someone blows on it. Fine dust and pea-sized pebbles resulted.

"Hmm. I see..."

He tried this again with the next rock, but without looking, as was his style. It took a little longer, but garnered the same results.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"That'll be all. No need to bother with the third one.

"Let's go a little more in-depth. Ever heard of Force shields?"

[Lucianus Adair]

Mars nodded slowly...

"I have...And i've produced one on occasion. The last time I did so was in my last spar with Zereth Lancer."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Many people have different techniques, and they tend to work. How do you begin creating a Force shield?"

[Lucianus Adair]

"There is a few ways I can do this, Master Olra'en. One is projecting it from my inner darkness of which, I assure you, is very prominent and rather potent. Another is a matter of when I have a shield already established and feeding off my opponent's own power if he or she is within a certain proximity to strengthen my shield and weaken my opponent. Another is instantaneous against what would seem like inescapable attack. The only way that one is used is if I am lazy or inattentive, which I can also assure you never is the case."

He cleared his throat. "Once before I have also turned a defensive shield into an attack, by reversing its force flow to turn on my opponent. Are my answers satistfactory?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Not really." Je'gan grinned wrily. "I want you to tell me how you do it, not how you power it."

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix half-smiled.

"Oh. I should have known that."

He thought about it a moment, then spoke. "Well, projecting deep inner hatred and molding it with a will to defend one's self would seem a standard answer, but I am more for demonstration in this case, and I am sure you would like one if I am not too presumptuous, Master Olra'en...hmm?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"By all means."

He set himself up to get the best picture of what Whyte was doing, looking for the key elements; inclusion of and blend between physical and mental.

[Lucianus Adair]

Young Phoenix...Remember to focus your dark energy, your hatred, the puss of your soul...focus it to one point, and focus your will of self-preservation. Go ahead, try it.

Yes, Master Bane!

He can do it. At such a young age, the act of a force shield took much energy, until Mars discovered how to control the output. That was a lesson both he and Grypphin learned.

A lesson I used on him to great success it seemed, at that time, two years ago. There! I'll focus with that.

The fact that it was entirely possible now that his traitorous brother was still living drove a nail of extreme anger into his charred soul. Phoenix thrust one finger forward, solid and powerful...

He is supposed be DEAD. I killed him with my own blade!!

...And an enormous rupture came off around him, spreading out until he closed his fist a mere second later, and it stopped, enveloping him in a solid barrier of deep black energy.

"As soon as I open this fist again, Master Olra'en, the energy will explode outward, turning this shield from a defense, to a destructive offense."

An appetite for destruction.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

The Sith Knight cocked an eyebrow.

"Kinetic energy-based, then? So. By all means, Mr. Whyte...do so."

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix grinned. The thought that he was going to rip up terrain and cause a hair-raising rumble gave him a rather pleasurable feeling.

Sith Apprentice Mars uncurled his long fingers slowly, and the bubble of deep energy crackled like thunder and surged out slowly, following the speed at which his hand opened, and then when fully open, the shield picked up roaring speed, and ripped up earth up to a foot down and flung away debris in its path.

I am the eye of the storm, without the peace. Destruction is harsher at the core.

Eventually it reached a fair distance on all sides, and Phoenix dropped his arm. Immediately, the destructive force disappated, and Mars closed his eyes a moment, taking a breath, the darkest grin still visible on his face, like he had done the dirtiest deed.

Mars awaited the words of his master.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

The pressure wave came in, albeit slowly, and Je'gan didn't miss the correlation between Mars' focus point - the opening fist - and the speed at which the blast expanded. Almost lazily, he drew a line in the air with the tip of one index finger. The line shimmered and extended in an eyeblink, stretching up past the crown fo his head and down to the ground. As the pressure wave impacted, the line remained, and the wave moved in a wedge, around the Sith Knight. Debris, too, and clouds of dirt, were diverted. A useful technique, one he was glad he'd learned early.

As the wave dissipated and the clouds of dirt descended, Je'gan found himself standing on one end of a long spit of raised ground, ground that hadn't been affected by Whyte's assault. He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm impressed, Whyte. How long can you sustain that? To what radius? Can you focus it on a specific spot? And...one last question...how can you see incorporating the doctrine of stress lines?"

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix grinned, and folded his hands behind his back, looking straight at Je'gan with an unwavering gaze. He himself stood on a circular island, nearly perfect in shape.

"How long I can sustain it for has yet to be tested...And it depends on my resources. The maximus radius to which the anti-shield, as I have called it thus far, can travel depends on how much power I place in the shield in the first place, and will eventually dissipate when it has no power left or I cancel it myself. Unfortunately I have not worked how to sustain it so I can continually input power to let it continue its run."

Mars looked briefly at the ground and smirked. "I haven't figured how to take care of that either." He said, in reference to the foot deep shaving into the ground. "But it can be useful as it is. There can be many configurations. And as with most things, it has its pros and cons." He lifted his eyes, and looked again upon his master. "Focusing this power hasn't come fully into my personal studies yet, though it is something I have toyed with." He showed a small half-grin for this. "I am not yet sure how I would incorporate the doctrine of stress lines. It is....something to look into."

After all, what do you think he did with his free time? Time is not free. Time is not endless. My training is essential. These were his thoughts on the matter.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Very interesting."

There was silence for a moment as Je'gan collected his thoughts.

"You seem to know an acceptable amount in terms of both sorcerous and physical combat. Acceptable, that is, for a high-level Apprentice." He smiled grimly. "You've got a bright future, Whyte.

"Who trained you?"

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix rubbed the back of his neck. The temperature had dropped several degrees since the start of session.

"Texts, experimentation and the man who raised me, Master... a man whom is not well known as he keeps to himself for reasons I do not know."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Your own tests, your own experimentation. Interesting.

"And...this man. A Knight- or Master-level Forcewielder, or one of those weaklings who does their best to reach beyond what they can grasp?"

[Lucianus Adair]

He looked at Je'gan.

"Master level, I assure you....also that he is not a weak man...weakness is what he cut out of me. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for my brother."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Another Apprentice to this man, I assume?"

[Lucianus Adair]

"Yes."

Grypphin had practiced betrayal. Phoenix had approached Lord Shade with the request to take care of his brother himself. Severance. The betrayal of a heart too soft and caring. And now there was uncertainty that the fool's death had been achieved. It would be a failiure on Mars' part. And failiure tastes almost fecal in the mouth.

"And you know how betrayal is penalized." The thought however, that he had been allowed the task of removing a betrayer still made him amused and pleased, despite the possible circumstances that faced him now pertaining to that matter.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"With you as the instrument of retribution?"

[Lucianus Adair]

"Don't get me wrong, Master Olra'en. I am by no means anyones tool."

Mars brought his hand down from the back of his neck. "Rather, I requested the task. My lord was not the only one betrayed. I too, was stung."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I'm genuinely curious, now. How did your brother betray you and your Master? Gone over to the Light Side of the Force, perhaps? Or something simpler? Aided an enemy, a foe as all powerful men have foes?"

[Lucianus Adair]

"Grypphin thought he could become a...Jedi." The word had a bitter taste.

Phoenix closed his eyes a second. "He jumped to conclusions, and mistook my lord for a man whose head is desired by many. Assumptions are not good for one's health, I hear. So it was in this case. Being that he was my brother, my older brother, I also looked up to him. And when I woke one day to find that he was missing, and heard from my lord that Grypphin was planning to aid in good and bring a man falsely to justice...That he was to betray us. In that day I felt more anger...hatred then I had ever felt in my life up to that point. How he could forsake all that he had learned for the sake of such weak ideals I have no clue."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan stepped down off the raised spit, keeping his balance despite a crumbled, uneven and unstable surface. He was stalking a slow circle around Phoenix, keeping his eyes on his Apprentice.

"You may not believe me now, but with time I guarantee that you'll see; there is nothing more powerful to the human heart than a driving cause, save perhaps love. The weakest Disciple may find himself capable of destroying a world or preserving it, if he wears the proper motivation across his soul.

"As a Sith, what are your thoughts?"

[Lucianus Adair]

He did not follow Je'gan's walk around him. He stood in the same spot he had been standing, it seemed, ever since the lesson had started. Mars did, however, watch out the corners of his eyes each time his master came into view. The red glow of his eyes cooled to deep black.

"I am not exactly what would be called human, master."

As a Sith, what are your thoughts?

He had to admit, when it came to the soul, this was were he was barren. There was nothing he knew about these things. About ..love..and such. Perhaps that was why Mars was never able to understand why people turned their lives on a dime. Why Grypphin did what he did.

"Unfortunately, I have no thoughts. When it comes to the heart and soul, I would have to admit I am lacking knowledge."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Knowledge," he said, halting in front of Whyte, "has very little to do with it. How much of what you do is based on knowledge? Most. But how much easier does instinct make it? I guarantee you, without instinct we'd have a great deal of trouble using the Force.

"One of those instincts is to care for others. You may have eliminated that," he said, with a raised eyebrow, "but there are certain feelings that can serve as the most powerful of motivators.

"I'm not telling you to go out and fall in love. I'm saying that, if Sith can be affected by it, then how can it be used for lesser beings. Minions, cannon fodder, agents, call it what you will...but it's the key to the subtler kind of mind control."

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix was practically staring at his master when the man made a sudden stop right in front of him. He folded his hands behind him and listened in absolute silence.

My lord had always constantly bothered me about the same thing. Here it is, being brought up again. I have eliminated nothing... I am just...inexperienced.

"I..." He paused in his words, a long moment. "....understand."

It made him uncomfortable, these variables. Everything for Mars was so precise. So far he'd made a few attempts at not being so serious all the time, but it remained to be seen if he was anything beyond cold blood.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Nobody can understand who has not first experienced," the Sith Knight said, almost gently. "And few even then. I can see, however, that you know how vulnerable such things make you; your brother, for example. His altruistic tendencies made him vulnerable, did they not?"

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix did not move. This whole discussion was unfamiliar territory. To him, in different terms, it was something unconquered. But from what he'd heard in the past few minutes, it didn't seem to be something that was conquerable.

"It did."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"And have your emotions ever weakened you? Directed anger, for example, or controlled hatred?"

[Lucianus Adair]

Silence. A long pause in which no words were said, and only breaths were exchanged. Mars' eyes glowed a low, dark red.

"Yes."

It wasn't a contentful thing, having to admit to ones failiures or weaknesses. "I am sure that I am not the only one in existance to have been blinded by his anger, Master Olra'en."

He lifted his head, his eyes, tipping his chin up a little. It was not an embarrassment, he told himself.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Of course not. I take it you mean to imply that control over such things is both possible and necessary? Very well then. We may move on.

"Reach out with your mind, as if you are about to sense something. Turn the sensing in on itself until you are feeling your own mind. Observe that, like most Darksiders, you have natural shields. If I direct a probe - so - and weaken one aspect of them, can you see how you can repair that?"

[Lucianus Adair]

He does as instructed, and in seeing his own mind, Mars sees nothing new.

That, however, means nothing... as with many things, it is hard to be certain. This is just the surface.

"Repair...it..." He says almost absentmindedly. Looking in on one's self can tend to be a little detaching. Mars makes an attempt at erecting a barrier at the weakpoint, and melding it to the main shield... It will remain to be seen if this works.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

A series of probes erupted, striking Whyte's shields at the edge of the patch.

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix made another attempt at rippling force energy off his barrier, to attack the probes and finish mending his mental shield. He growled, not loudly however.

Inadequate...

Mars knew that his mental barriers were weak now, and his knowledge in their fortification was lacking. But he still held out, knowing that his master would most likely break through.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He did, punching through what remained of Whyte's defences and pulling out before his probe could cause any damage.

"Not too bad. Looks like you're not cut out for mentalics, but everyone has their quid pro quo.

"Try rebuilding your shields from scratch."

[Lucianus Adair]

"Rebuild them from scratch....."

Mars was at a loss. "Quite honestly, Master, I can't recall where one would start."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Mold willpower with the Force and form it into a shield around your mind. Next attack coming in ten...nine...eight...seven..."

At five he began to form an attack, a stream of incorporeal blades that had been likened in sensation to being sandblasted.

In the face.

With knives.

And at two he released it.

[Lucianus Adair]

By the time Je'gan's count reached eight, Mars was already calling upon the deep reservoir of willpower with the aide of the force, drawing specifically from the area of his will pertaining to self-preservation and protection, and by six he was molding a mental shield hopefully with enough strength to vaporize that which touched it.. or even came close. With each half a second, the shield's strength mounted by twenty percent.

If his prediction were correct, the strength would top one hundred percent prior to the unleashing of his master's attack. It remained to be seen if success was to be attained.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He unleashed the blades, noting how well Whyte's shields stood up to them. They were getting chewed up, but they were holding.

After a five-count, he stopped, a quiet smile on his face.

"That would have killed most people. All in all, Whyte, a very decent effort.

"Now for shield extrusions. Your shields, and most others' if they have them, defend most of their minds. Some parts aren't instinctively covered; one of these, probably the most major one, is mind-to-mind communications-"

He switched to intermind.

-what some call telepathy. You can 'hear' me just fine, but that means that if I was to project a loud scream through the areas of your psyche that control such things you'd be in rough shape. The upstroke is that an assault like the last one I threw at you can't be directed through that portion of your brain. The only attack that bit of you is vulnerable to is a scream or something like it, at least at this level.

So how do you defend against that while letting telepathy get through? It's both simpler and tougher than it would first seem. All you have to do is find that area, stretch your shields over it - they'll weaken slighty, by the way - and that's that. Thing is, that area of your mind is awkwardly 'shaped', meaning that to get a precise fit is very tough - and only a precise fit will stop a scream instinctively while letting communications through. It's all about the subconscious, you see.

Go ahead. Give it a shot.

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix made his attempt at the task set to him, listening to his thoughts to find that area of his mind of which his master spoke. Once he found it, Mars began to stretch his freshly built shield over it, and found that indeed, the fitting was awkward. But managed, and smoothed out the distribution of the shield's strength, to equally protect all portions of the mind. Surely now, he realized, Je'gan would test how well the task had fared.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

It's good-

Aaaaah! Falsetto at top volume.

-a little weak, but good. You've got the theory down pat, so we're going to move on.

"What do you know about energy manipulation?"

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix showed a small, toothy grin. Sharp. "Energy manipulation? I would ask that you clarify...specify what it is that you speak of, Master Olra'en."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Oh, come now. Energy is inherent in everything. To remove it means to freeze something solid; to add it means to make it burst into flame. Granted, it'll take a long time before we get there, but by all means we should start now. Be prepared for a great many insufficiencies on my part, Whyte," he cautioned. "I have absolutely no affinity for energy manipulation. What little ability I have in that regard is spotty, inefficient and weak. Still, I may be able to show you something helpful..."

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix shifted, and crossed his arms, nodding.

"I shall learn whatever you have for me, and seek knowledge for what else in other places, as per the norm."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Black eyes bored into red. "I expect nothing elss than excellent by our next training session, Mr. Whyte. Just so you know.

"Let's get small. I assume your...irregular education taught you the basics of molecular theory? What air is made of, and so forth?"

[Lucianus Adair]

Mars returned the look, and his eyes cooled to deep dark blackish red. He just nodded, saying nothing.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Obviously," he continued, "we cannot see the individual atoms of the air. However, at a sufficient level of concentration, it is possible to sense at that level. Put yourself among the particles, at their scale."

It would take some work, but sooner or later he was confident that Whyte would succeed.

[Lucianus Adair]

Particles?

That would be quite a deep dive. Phoenix could say without a doubt that this was an area in his 'irregular studies' that was left untouched. To him, it was virtually unknown. Slowly, the door would be opened.

I see. Very well, then.

He went forth, so to speak, and made his attempt at this fresh subject. Moving his mind to concentrate solely on this matter of basic energy manipulation, Mars adopted unconciously the look of staring into space, and his eyes were cold. Intense concentration.

Deeper....deeper still...

It was like he was floating to the bottom of the sea. It got darker and darker, until there was nothing, then suddenly, he could see it. Curiously, he reached with his mind, as if to touch an individual particle.....

....and got zapped. The result of this being, of course, that he was thrown on to his posterior and back into the normal plane of existance. He stood slowly, rubbing said posterior. And despite the shock, he grinned, looking to his master. "It was... different. I think my energies and intense concentration sparked a reaction, and..."

Well, it was plain to see what happened. Needless to say that particular pair of training pants would have to be washed well, the dirt smudged quite sufficiently into the fabric.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"They did indeed. You made a flame. A small one - small enough that I barely sensed it - but a flame nonetheless.

"What you have to do, though, is completely avoid using any power at all. For now, you are and must be an observer, not a doer.

"Try again. You almost succeeded in holding that viewpoint last time; I think you can do it now."

[Lucianus Adair]

So he did. Remembering how he achieved that level in the previous attempt, Mars once again 'dove'. Being that it was his second attempt, he reached the point with a 1/4 cut to the time it took, and the energy use also reduced, although exponentially.

This depth somewhat awed him, but he remembered Je'gan's words, and this time crossed his 'arms' and touched not a thing. He held that stance and space, awaiting instructions.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

In a trance that deep, it was difficult for speech to get through. Je'gan's voice came through quietly, but it was recognizable due to his use of telepathy.

Now reach out and feel the energy of movement inherent in the particles. If your focus is on the air or another gas, there is a relatively large amount of it. If your focus is a liquid or a solid, there will be less.

Can you feel the energy in the particle?

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix was carefully following every instruction. He had a desire for success in this area. He was a young man who liked a challenge, so he focused on liquid particles, seeking out the lesser energies among the greater. Slowly he succeeded in this.


"Yes....I can feel it...."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Good. Now draw back a bit. Or do you recall what particled exactly you're focusing on? It wouldn't do to set your own skin on fire, now would it?

[Lucianus Adair]

A liquid particle, Master Olra'en...

He still held his focus on one singular particle out of many. And doing as instructed, he slowly drew back just a little.

It would not do to set any part of my physical being on fire.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Draw back farther, just to be sure that that liquid isn't part of something you don't want suddenly set alight or frozen. Your bladder, for example. Or your brain. Safety comes before power, Whyte, at least at the beginner's level.

[Lucianus Adair]

So he drew back further still, as per his master's instructions.

Moisture in the air. A mental sigh of relief. It is not mine.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

With time, you'll be able to precisely target the focus of your viewpoint shift. For now, it's sufficient that you can accomplish that shift. Well done.

Look farther, at that one particle. Can you see the energy in it? Movement, nuclear, and so forth?

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix nodded, on one level or another, continuing to observe the chosen particle.

"It is a most interesting sight, Master."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Try to dim that light. If it helps, try to draw the light away from the particle into yourself. You shouldn't feel anything - that's a microscopic amount of energy. The goal is to simply dim the light.

[Lucianus Adair]

Concentrating on it, Mars siphoned off a small amount of energy, and took it into himself, making the light dim, and then he awaited his next instructions.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Do that enough, and your liquid will freeze.

Now put some energy into the particle.

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix thought a moment.

If removing enough energy freezes it, then adding a certain amount of energy will make it boil.. or heat. Doing that with a water particle in the air should create humidity, if I am correct..Master?

As Mars openly pondered and questioned, he attempted.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

No, it's already part of what makes the air humid.

Dimming or brightening one particle isn't nearly enough to do anything useful. Do a second and third at the same time, please. Note that if you dim them all, they'll cluster together.

[Lucianus Adair]

Mars acquired a couple other particles of the same composition and status, affecting them to reflect the same levels as the first particle. As Je'gan said they should, they clustered together.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Now dim...more. As many more as you wish.

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix 'grabbed' 7 more, and dimmed them all, then awaited his next instructions.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

You're done for now. You can work on number of particles on your own time; you're competant. Let's move on.

Illusion. What do you know?

[Jame Kaman Dar]

<((Gah..i'm such an idiot. I've got to pay more attention to posting....))>

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix came out of the trance slightly, setting himself at the median between that state and full awareness.

"I know of it, and have been subjected to it. I have not gone beyond my readings. It has not been put into practice, although the temptation to do so came along in my very first class with a former of this order, and many other students."

He remembered that class with some enjoyment. Only Salem Ave had known it was Mars who lifted one of his classmates. Telekinesis was ...'child's play' to him.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Excellent." At that level of focus, verbal communication could penetrate so far that Whyte could hear it.

"You see this rock? Create a duplicate, please." The stone he held up for inspection - Whyte's eyes should work at this level - was jagged slate, with myriad edges. Tricky for Je'gan; he was interested to see how far Whyte could go on his first try.

[Lucianus Adair]

Mars remained at that level, seeing he had flat, equal access to both mental and physical realms. A simple state from which to accomplish the new task. While Je'gan held up the rock, Phoenix registered its details, and then, projecting, a near-perfect copy of the rock fazed into existance in Phoenix's hand.

The young man looked to his master, the glaze of incomplete awareness set in his eyes. "Imperfect. Not to say I expect perfection at first, but I strive for it."

His voice was odd at this level. It had sort of a dark, ethereal quality to it, semi-vocal, semi-telepathic..Kind of a whisper, but attention-grabbing.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"And you came very close.

"Now project an image onto the rock. An image...of the ground behind it. A multidirectional image of nothing being there."

[Lucianus Adair]

"Yours or mine?"

Phoenix wasn't stupid. There was simply a lack of specification.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"If you project the illusion onto mine, it'll work. If you project it onto yours, it won't. Yours si an illusion. An illusion within an illusion is doable, but not terribly useful at this level.

"Let your 'rock' dissipate and make mine disappear."

[Lucianus Adair]

"Ah."

In an instant, the 'rock' in Phoenix's hand vanished, and he came fully out of the trance. Then he focused on the rock immediately, mental projection providing the image of the real rocks' disappearance.

This was effective, but it would flicker soon, due to the young apprentice's inexperience.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Practiced eyes noted the flicker.

"It's all right. Maintaining that needs a lot of practice and a lot of mental discipline. Do practice it. It can be-"

He turned invisible, then dropped the illusion a second later.

"-very useful."

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix fully released the illusion.

"I shall keep it in mind."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Abruptly, Je'gan disappeared. He let his Force signature remain present, but only because he wanted to exclusively demonstrate the efficacy of making oneself invisible.

"Give this a try."

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix thought about it for a few moments, staring at the space his master had occupied just moments before, but noting that his force signature was still there.

"Alright..."

He concentrated on projecting the illusion of what was behind him on his front side, what was in front of him on his rear-side, and so forth. When it began to take effect, he didn't know, because he could still see himself.

"..Ah.." ....."Master Olra'en? Is it working?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan moved carefully around him. The illusion was basically solid. Every now and again, though, flickers could be seen: gaps between the forward, sides and so forth. This he explained, and led Whyte through the proper visualization techniques until the result was satisfactory.

"...and so you see it's like a cocoon," he finished, "protecting you from every angle equally."

[Lucianus Adair]

"Ahh..."

Phoenix dropped the illusion. "I shall practice this."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"See that you do," Je'gan admonished. "It takes less power than many Force manifestations, but a great deal more concentration. Just to give you a benchmark, ten minutes should be an achievable goal if you really work at it.

"What would you like to work on next?"

[Lucianus Adair]

He pondered upon the question briefly.

"I would like to break from the purely mental side of things, and do some work in combat. That is, if you would not mind? It is in my interest to acquire as much knowledge that I can in the areas of my apparent skills."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"You see that wall?"

The perimeter of the training grounds was roughly a hundred metres away.

"See how fast you can get there, and when you do, run up the wall and backflip off."

[Lucianus Adair]

This he knew he could do.

Though it'd been a while since he had performed even simple acrobatics or any relation to it, Mars saw no problems. He took off, his legs appeared to be pumping like they were on overdrive, but in reality there was no work involved. Nearly as if he was jogging, but much faster than if at a Force-less top sprinting speed.

Phoenix recalled in the days when he first practiced this, he would gain mouch speed, but would fail in directional change and run SMACK into the wall. Not now. And not ever again.

When he reached the wall, he took a few fair lengthed strides up the perimeter wall, and when his feet stopped reaching the wall for contact, or just seconds before, Mars pushed off the wall into a flip. He ejected himself from it, whirling momentarily through the air to the groud.

With a certain flair of grace, the sith apprentice landed on both feet, and shot his master a look of slight expectation...awaiting an answer for the task completed. There was always room for improvement.. This, he knew.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"You're decent enough at self-evaluation," Je'gan said. He was standing stolidly beside Whyte, not a single hair out of place despite having covered the distance at least as fast as had his Apprentice. "Say you recover from a flip like that, or a major fall, and someone hits you with a Force Push or worse as soon as you land." He rocked Whyte with a weak Push, then gestured up to the walltop and leapt the full distance.

Leaning over, he spoke loudly. "Would you be ready to defend yourself then, or even in the middle of a flip or a fall? Tell me honestly."

[Lucianus Adair]

Honesty.

Easy enough.


He looked up to Je'gan. "No. It is not something I have thought of. There have been very few opportunities thus far where I it had been required of me to use the skills of midair attack and defense...Especially having to do with coming off of a wall previous to an attack."

Phoenix had found due to his size and stature, there had been little need for him to leave the ground yet in combat.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"You can Force-jump, I assume?"

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix nodded.

"Indeed I can." He said in a quiet tone. "It is not difficult."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"No, it's not. Join me, please. And catch my lightsaber on the way up."

He tossed the weapon into the air, an arcing course that ran parallel to the wall.

[Lucianus Adair]

The young sith apprentice approached the wall again and displacing force energies to where they would need to go, he crouched the slightest bit and pushed off from the ground, bulleting to the top of the wall, and reaching for his master's 'saber on the way up.

He missed.

Hm..

To compensate, he reached out for the objedct which had avoided his grasp, and pulled it towards him, snatching it out of the air as it neared him. At this time, he was alarmingly close to the wall, and a little off course, but enough to grab the top of the wall with his hands, which he did, and push off the wall to flip on to it and sit.

It worked out quite well, even though he was facing the opposite direction from Je'gan. Outside.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Do you know how to slow a fall?"

[Lucianus Adair]

"Not at all..."

Phoenix shook his head slowly. He was looking out over the land beyond the walls of the training arena. Mars flipped his Master's lightsaber to him.


Here.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Thanks."

He clipped the weapon onto his belt, giving Phoenix an approving nod. That the younger boy was a talented Sith, he didn't doubt. That he was also someone that Je'gan could respect...that, to, went doubtless.

"Almost as simple as the Force Jump. You let the Force flow through you and step off the ledge in question - this way." He indicated the courtyard. "Then you start to visualize youself floating, like a feather. Don't consciously use telekinesis. Neither you nor I is strong enough to do that properly. From what I've seen, it takes a Master.

"Like so."

He stepped off...and, as he fell, it became obvious that, after the initial drop, he wasn't speeding up at all. Cloak flapping serenely, he touched down and looked up at Phoenix.

[Lucianus Adair]

Phoenix flipped around to face into the training arena, and looked down at Je'gan.

"Hmm."

Phoenix stood on the wall, and stretched to the sky. He was closer to the heavens than most, being so tall and continuing to grow. But up here he was a smidge closer, without the aid of machines. Again, he stared down into the courtyard.

Alright..

He stepped off the wall without giving it much thought. Like as if he was anticipating there was a staircase to follow. But there wasn't, and he was prepared as one could be with an unfamiliar subject.

Visualize...

Years of training had instilled in him an instinct to launch into a shoulder roll immediately after hitting the ground. The image he saw in his mind of touching down lightly as a feather was a little rough, and the compensation was needed. The dirt he would accumalate on his person was unavoidable. A little grime never hurt nobody.

Mars rolled into a crouch, then stood, dusting himself off. He would get it with ease,soon....that was sure.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He eyed his Apprentice, half-critically, half-admiringly. Phoenix had picked up fast as usual. The criticism came in as he tried to decide how to improve the results they'd gotten.

"You see that arched window right there?" he said, indicating an aperture at least twice as far from the ground as the walltop. "I can't fall from any higher than that with true success. I fully expect you to be able to properly manage this wall within a month. And that's not a command; that's an actual prediction."

[Lucianus Adair]

Mars nodded with silence.

"It will be done."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I'll see you, then, in three days' time, and we'll go over all of this and learn some new things. D'ac?" OK?

[Lucianus Adair]

"Very well, Master Olra'en. Until then."

He gave the other man a short nod, then jogged off to fetch his weapons, one being his favored blade, the other given to him by Je'gan at the beginning of today's session. A lightsaber.

I shall work on my adjustments to this lighter instrument soon...

From there, he left the training grounds to fetch a small bite to eat. He was a growing young man, and he trained hard.