Honing the Weapon [Analyn]

[Sianna]

Having arrived the night before, Sianna awoke in her bed within the large apartment that she had commandeered several weeks prior. The owner more than happy to let the Echani take half of the upper floor and renovate it as her own sanctum and living space. Though the chemist she had working for her needed constant attention, Sianna wasn't nearly as concerned about her membership in the Tenloss Syndicate as she was about her students in the Force. The Sith Master had plans.

Pushing herself up from underneath the thick comforter, the room pitch black, Sianna stretched and sighed. Today was going to be the first of many for Analyn whom she had big plans. The debutante was used to a pampered life and now would be her awakening. Sianna needed her students to all be strong, subtle and motivated. There was only so much she could do beyond training them, everything else depended on the student themselves. Rising, she motioned with her left hand, drawing the comforter to the pillow as she moved around the foot of the bed and headed into the well appointed bathroom.

Now dressed in her close fitting, black tunic and pants, knee-high boots and armguards, Sianna continued across the living room and into the kitchen, mentally reaching out to her student and interrupting the nightmare Analyn was having about her fiancee. ~ Wake up. Time to get started. ~

Grabbing a glass of juice filled with everything that she needed for the morning's workout, Sianna turned toward the living room and hallway beyond which led to all the bedrooms and her meditation chamber, sipping as she waited. Snow white hair and pale features dimly illuminated by the track lighting across the kitchen, overhead, silver orbs stared blankly as the priestess mused over the first item on the list for her new student to learn this morning.

[Analyn Brins]

The man was coming towards her, rage on his face. Ana was backed into a wall, no where to go. Just as he reached out and her hands went up in reflex, a voice broke through the haze and the vision dissipated like smoke.

**
Ana opened her eyes slowly and looked around her room. They had come in late the night before and had gone straight to bed. Or at least Ana had. The young woman sat up rubbed her eyes, *Yes, ma'am.* Hey mind answered without thinking. The untrained mental response was barely whisper and probably not very clear.

Rising to do her morning clean up, the young girl then threw on the tunic and breeches she'd acquired on the shuttle. While not her exact size, as least she wasn't swimming in them. Rolling cuffs a couple times at ankle and wrist, she slipped on the boots, also half a size too big, and headed into the kitchen.

"Good morning," she smiled lightly and nodded at Sianna as she came down the hall.

[Sianna]

Nodding quietly, Sianna motioned to the juicer on the counter to her left. "Grab some and we'll get started here shortly," the Echani stated. Noting the clothing that Analyn wore she also had it in mind that another of the girl's first missions would be to gain new clothes. Working out in the same outfit was eventually going to get old and that frustration for someone that had always had everything she wanted was only going to help motivate her in the right direction. The first of many, Sianna knew. Finishing her juice cocktail, Sianna turned and opened the door to her washer and set the glass within, then closed it again.

Silver orbs studied Analyn for a long moment, "You ready to take control of your mind and get rid of those nightmares?"

[Analyn Brins]

Ana went to the juicer and poured herself a glass. Taking a small sip, she shrugged, realizing it wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be. She moved out of the way to let Sianna put her glass away and nodded at the query, pressing her hair behind her ear. "I would like that very much." She smiled.

The idea of taking control of her life, which till now had been controlled by the others around her, sounded like an amazing way to begin her new path. She drained her glass, rinsed and followed Sianna in placing it in the washer and glanced to the woman. "What would you have me do?" While in her past, those words were spoken with resentment and a realization she had no choice in whatever was about to be tasked to her, she knew this time was different. She was actually asking for direction this time, not asking for permission or leave to act.

It was an amazing feeling.

[Sianna]

"First, we're going to work out. Honing the body helps get the mind more in tune with training." Moving from the kitchen, Sianna led her new student into the small gym which had once been someone else's living room and master bedroom. Having the whole floor to herself, the Echani made use of every square foot. Stretching first, she then began going through an intense workout session that included a variety of strength training that would help with mastering some of the abilities that Analyn would soon be learning and perfecting.

Sweat beaded on the Echani's brow and cooled her body, letting her know that she had succeeded in working all the main muscle groups. That done, after an hour, she evaluated her student knowing the debutante may not have ever worked out this hard before. Glad that there was a refresher nearby, at least if the girl got sick she wouldn't have to go far.

[Analyn Brins]

While Ana's life had been dripping with credits and she was the quintessential debutant, the young woman was anything but slack. The workout was intense, even in her own standard of thinking. But Ana was no stranger to working out. Between dance lessons and working out on her own, she was able to keep up well enough to at least not embarrass herself. Slightly more out of breath than the Echani, and sweating just a bit more, the young girl was losing herself in the pleasure of the workout. This wasn't for a performance her scholarship hinged on, or even a need to maintain a body 'fit for public' as her new husband was demanding. This was for her. To push her limits, show her she was more capable than she thought and clear her mind of the poisons she had been listening to most of her life.

As they paused for a moment, the woman rolled her head and smiled at her new Master. "And here I was worried I wouldn't find time to work out." She laughed a bit though she knew she was pushing harder than she ever had before. Part of her wanted to prove she could, the other part of her didn't want Sianna to think her lame or incompetent. Though the muscles worked were slightly different from dance, she knew, in time, those muscles would learn to love these moments. She hoped, at least in the back of her mind, that every morning wasn't like this. But she wouldn't mind three or four days a week of it.

[Sianna]

Now that Ana was physically tired, Sianna began the real work which would definitely help this girl sleep tonight. If not sooner. "Now, we'll get into the Force." Moving to the center of the gym, she knelt down and relaxed her breathing and motioned for Ana to join her. After a moment, the priestess began. "As we've discussed already, the Force is in all things, around all things and makes up all things. It's more than a physical energy." Bowing her head slightly, she closed her lids and allowed her spirit to drift into the Force's flow. "Close your eyes and open your mind."

Letting Analyn attempt that for a moment, Sianna continued. "Now touch on that place that I mentioned before. Those feelings that draw you to perform your ability." Sianna's voice now more ghostly, the priestess drifted in the ethereal where she was attempting to show her student how to arrive in. Though it took many some time, she had the benefit of training quite a few students by this point. "Now, touch that energy that's rising within you and ride that wave. Let go."

Watching her student's aura, Sianna could tell when the girl had reached that place in herself. "Now, command it and slow your spirit. Take in your surroundings." Though her own view appeared like an amazing, colorful nebula, she could also see the dim auras of the others in the apartment building as well as the brighter one before her.

[Analyn Brins]

It took a moment for the young girl to calm herself after the workout. Usually she remained physically active, dancing or otherwise, so calming down enough to ground and center herself was actually harder than the workout itself. After two tries she managed to settle herself in the place Sianna was speaking of.

A deep breath and a soft smile of wonder played across the girl's lips. She had pooled persistence, determination and anger into the core of herself and as she stretched her senses she could feel the woman across from her. Turning outward once more, pressing like a ripple in pool, she became aware other things.

"There's two people next door. One still sleeping..." she cocked her head as if listening. "And a baby across the way..." There was a lot she couldn't discern yet, but the firm of the two next door were so different, as was the small child across the hall, that she was able to pick them out.

Pulling her senses closer once more, she kept her eyes closed but seemed focused on her master one again. "You're brighter than the rest. Though the child is brighter than those next door." She was musing out loud. Caught between questioning her accuracy and confirming her observations. "The child is gifted, isn't it...he... Isn't he?" She wasn't sure, but something told her the brightness had to do with the force aura.

[Sianna]

Listening to Ana talk about what she was seeing showed great promise, even if her control of the ability still needed work. Grinning, the priestess opened her now grey eyes. "Those people you're seeing are actually downstairs. Reference your body as the anchor to your spirit. It takes practise, but you'll get it. Now, soak in that feeling of being able to do this in the first place. See the tip of that iceberg and imagine what's possible from here."

Grinning, Sianna's voice sounding ghost-like and ethereal, she could see everyone in the building as well as those near in neighboring ones, though faintly. There was so much that Ana still had yet to experience. "It's always been the duty of the weak to serve the strong. Us." Now that Analyn could sense the Force, Sianna moved on. "Now, imagine a mental hand that you can raise anything with and pick up the duffel bag there," she motioned with her eyes toward the dark blue, cloth container now open on the bench and out of reach. "Command it. The Force is your tool."

[Analyn Brins]

Ana felt her grin widen at the words of her new mentor. Her ex fiancé had the same outlook on life; that the weak should serve the strong. Unfortunately it was another place they had differed. While Ana thought those in power should protect the weak, she was learning there was a point where the strong were just that... the strong. And she was tired of being servant to anyone, anymore... weak or strong.

As she followed Sianna's next instructions, Ana took a deep breath and imagined the energy swirling around her coalescing into a hand that moved outwards towards the desired target. Her own right hand rose as if her physical motions moved the ethereal appendage. The hand expanded in her mind and wrapped itself around the duffle. A moment later it fell from the bench to the floor. Dropping her hand a moment to take a deep breath, and let a growl fill her throat, she reached out once more, her body straightening slightly as she bit her lip and concentrated. A moment later the bag lifted itself off the floor to the height of the bench, then a little higher. Her breath was a bit shallow as she managed to place the bag back on the bench with little wobble.

A smile lit her face a moment before once more slipping into a neutral façade and she looked to Sianna. "I can feel the weight of it. So is there a limitation to what we can lift?" There was a bit of sweat now on her brow and it wasn't from the work out. She had pressed too much energy into the simple exercise and was feeling its affects. She made a note to practice that a lot more. The duffle, unless it was full of lead, shouldn't have felt that heavy.

[Sianna]

Eyes danced between Analyn and the object in question, noting how the girl struggled with the task and then heard the duffel hit the floor. Though, to her credit, the debutante didn't quit and whine about it, but struggled to get it back up on the bench again. A fair first attempt.

"The weight of it is in your mind," Sianna's ghostly, authoritative voice echoed in the room. "All things in the Force only exist, they have no weight. Weight is created by gravity, but we have power over the very thing that creates it, which means if you desire that the duffel bag be as light as a feather, then it will be so." Focusing her own mind on the room, Sianna used the Force to lift not only the furniture, but also herself into the air, all at once. Levitating in midair for a moment, she then let the equipment, bench, duffel bag and everything upon them rest once more where they had been.

"I've seen masters raise a small ship into the air," she stated deadpan. "Tear heavy doors from their hinges, shove away a rancor. But, in time, I have a final test for you that's going to prove your control over not only yourself, but over molecules in a jar as well."

Motioning to the bag with her head., "Again".

[Analyn Brins]

Ana smiled and nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."

The brunette shifted her position to face the bench with the bag on it. Holding her hand towards it once more, she settled her mind into believing the bag had no weight. As she lifted it this time, it shot straight up and a small cry of alarm and surprise rose with it from the student. "HEY!" She managed to ball her fist and stop the bag just before it hit the ceiling. Her eyes flickered to the Echani and she bit her lip to keep from giggling in the rush of power that made her heady. "I can't feel it. Like you said. Just imagine it's weightless." She glanced back at the bag and slowly brought it back to the bench and smiled letting her hand drop. Her breathing was shaky, having not realized she had been holding it. The flush on her face and the gleam in her eyes was a give away that the power was something she was accepting with an eagerness of a caged animal being shown open wilderness.

[Sianna]

Recalling how eager she was when Raien had first shown her how to use the Force flowing through all things, Sianna didn't fault her new student in being excited, though revealed none of that to Analyn as she watched and waited. The theory was being understood and put into practise which was all the priestess wanted.

"Now, since you can lift it, I want you to draw it to yourself, then push it away. Not only testing your ability to keep it aloft, but also control it's path." Being in essence two uses of this newfound ability, Sianna knew each successive test would push Analyn even farther than the last.

[Analyn Brins]

Staring at the bag, though listening to her mentor, Ana nodded and moved her hand out. Once more her right hand rose as if flesh and bone was lifting the bag, and not the extension of that hand in the form of the Force. The bag once more lifted, this time with only a slight jerk as she caught the rapid rise moments after it lifted. Tilting her chin down in concentration, she began to move the duffel towards her. It wavered slightly about half way towards her. Biting her lip, and taking a breath, she stabilized it and brought it back under control.

The bag made its way towards her and scant inches from her hand, it hovered a moment then began moving back towards the bench. As it got near the bench, Analyn's chin rose as she lifted the bag a couple inches to clear the bench height. It then hovered a moment before descending to rest on the bench once more. This time, despite the rush the Force fed her veins, she turned to Sianna with a half grin on her face and her giddiness dampened down and under control. "Its odd that you can't feel a difference in the different motions. Lifting versus moving, I mean. Is the feeling of the Force the same for everything we do with it? I mean, the same to each of us, though individualized."

She glanced at her hand and could almost imagine a small ball of power resting there, awaiting her command. The idea was a heady one and she glanced back up at Sianna realizing she had rudely looked away.

[Sianna]

Silver orbs turned to Analyn as Sianna listened to the query and thoughts. "I can only speak for myself, but for most things, yes. Any ability that you're enhancing your body physically can drain you in the early stages faster than most others. Depending on how well you take care of your body and exercise. In the latter stages, the mental part of it tires you faster because you're learning at that point how to extend and enlarge your touch to the tasks you want to achieve. The Force takes a bit as you use it, the toll on some who've pushed themselves beyond the place they were ready for has in some cases, wounded them, maimed them. I can name several masters that became disfigured by what they tried to achieve." She grinned wryly, "You always know that barrier right before you attempt to cross it."

Letting her student mull over that, the priestess then motioned to the room with her head. "Now, use that same technique and catapult an item against a wall with everything you have. Items can be used as weapons if you lose your own, or if you're engaged with more than one and the distant target has a blaster."

[Analyn Brins]

Analyn listened and honestly paid attention. The idea of pushing to the point to hurt herself, instead of her enemy, was a place she never wanted to end up. Nodding in understanding, she then thought about the next step of the lesson.

Looking around the room, she wasn't sure what was permissable for throwing, so she choose the gym.bag again. She'd guessed from her initial lift that clothes and towels were the heaviest objects in it.

Holding her hand towards the duffle, she once more lifted it a few inches off the bench then flung it across the room with a mimicking sweep her hand. A small grunt accompanied the notion as if the motion was as exerting as the physical throw. The speed the duffle flew surprised the young girl and she gasped the bag slammed into the wall then fell to the floor her hand jerked back, yanking the Force away from the bag. "Something tells me if I had chosen a more solid object I could possibly learn to send it thru the wall, couldn't I?" Get eyes were wide and she was absently rubbing her right hand with her left as if truly grasping for the first time just how much power she could one day wield. While a small part of her mind was surprised, an even larger part of her mind was elated.

[Sianna]

"That day will be a ways off, but yes," Sianna nodded. "The feelings and passions that we feed off of when we use the Force can do some amazing things." Pushing herself up, Sianna then motioned to four corners of the large mat that they had been resting on. "It can also empower your body to move faster than you ever thought possible. Push that energy into your legs and imagine yourself at the next point as you move."

Silver orbs soon darkened as Sianna's foot touched the nearest corner and she eyed the next one, then in a swift motion sped to it, then on to the next until soon her black robes and white hair were a blur of motion. Almost as ghostly as she appeared to sound when fully immersed in the dark side. Once doing two full circuits, she sped to the center, only feet from Analyn and stopped on a cred piece.

Motioning with her head, "Now you try it."

Control was of the utmost importance when attempting this ability, she knew. Otherwise Analyn was going to be nursing a possible headache or injured limb if she hit the wall.

[Analyn Brins]

Ana watched her mentor move like lightning around the room and her jaw fairly dropped. She felt her eyes nearly pop from her head as the woman landed squarely back in front of her barely two heartbeats later. Rising to her feet, she knew the look of awe was raw on her features. It was hard 'not' to be impressed with such a display. Lifting, throwing, even levitation, wouldn't have impressed her like that simple movement had.

Nodding her head at the instruction to mimic the motion, Ana licked her lips and walked to the edge of the mat. There was about two feet between the edge of the mat and the wall on each corner. She focused on that spot in front of her, where the mat met the floor, as the place she wanted to be. "Ok..." She took a deep breath, concentrated on moving swiftly and...

A cry of alarm went up the same time her hands did as she stopped just as her raised forearms slammed into the wall. "AAHH!" Taking a step back and rubbing her right arm that had born the brunt of the pressure of her body slamming into the wall. A growl of disappointment fell between her lips as she stepped back onto the edge of the mat. She didn't look up at the Echini as she took another breath. Red arms or not, she was going to acquire this skill if she had to break an arm to make it happen.

It took two more tries. Once she hit the wall again, the second she at least managed to stop before the wall. On the third try, she overshot the edge of the mat, but only by a foot step. Her brow was sweat sheened, her arms sore from repeatedly being used as stop blocks, but she had done it. Breathing just as heavily as she had been after their initial work out, hair coming loose from its ponytail, she turned to Sianna to see what the woman would say. While it had felt like hours, to her, it had barely been 15 minutes. "Probably a good reason to teach that in a closed room, hate to see what would have stopped me, otherwise." She managed to laugh slightly between breaths.

[Sianna]

Watching, she expected the couple slams into the wall that echoed in the large apartment, but knew that those bruises could only make her student better. Sometimes perfection had to come about with many aches, though as she watched her student endeavor to please her, she knew Ana was going to make it. Silver orbs focused on the auburn haired girl as she stopped, now successful with her test. Grinning at the comment, Sianna nodded.

"I first learned this one outside and on the side of a steep mountain, so," the Master mused on the memory, recalling how Raien pushed her constantly in everything that she did. Now turning her attention to the bruises on her forearms, Sianna motioned to Analyn's war wounds. "Now, I want you to learn how to control your pain. Soak in the ache, use it to your advantage and pour the Force into those bruises to the point where they don't hurt anymore. This ability will help you stay in the fight where most would curl up in a corner and quit. We can't." Sianna wasn't going to demonstrate this one, Analyn had already seen enough and now this ability was all her.

[Analyn Brins]

Ana looked at her arms and took a breath. Her eyes focused on the bruises and she used the fire in her gut to press outwards along her limbs. She imagined a thin veil of Force placing itself just under her skin as she took another breath. By the third breath there was a soft hum in her head from the concentration, but the pain was more of a memory than a reality. It had taken a minute or two, but she looked up at Sianna. "This is something that I need to learn to maintain in combat as well, don't I?" Right now it was a concentrated effort to maintain the block. But she could see the benefit. Blocking pain meant being able to fight longer than the opponent.

With disheveled hair, and flushed cheeks, the young apprentice was a far cry from the debutant she was before Sianna found her. She knew that folks back home would shun her for the physical pressure she was placing on her body. The sweating, bruises, cuts and scrapes. Her ex fiancé and father would have said she was ruining herself. Last cycle, she would have believed them... but now she realized that all the 'fits' and 'tantrums' were her true nature coming out. And she had Sianna to thank for tormenting her this way because she knew, in time, she would be a hardened weapon suitable for the Master's praise.