[Open] Repulsing and Grippig was the Scene.

[Flamjetxx]

"You don't like this power much, do you?" Javik asked Ark after successfully crushing the man's windpipe.

Finding the right words to describe how he felt about the power was difficult, because it wasn't that Ark didn't like the power, but rather that he did.

"Powers such as Force lightning and Force Choke require the user to bring forth their emotions to drive them. And that's something I've fought against through years of meditative techniques developed through my Teras Kasi training. Your emotions cause unpredictability, in which Juyo users utilize to great success; However, such unpredictability comes at the price of complete lack of control. I prefer control over the lack thereof. It's why I practice D'jem So, and it's why I study multiple martial arts. I will be the one to decide my actions and consequences, and Force powers such as Force Choke can let these emotions to get loose, out of control, where you put yourself a risk. I try hard to control my emotions and the Dark Side of the Force that is so tightly tied to them, and not the other way around. After all, are Force Users... not the other way around," Ark explains.

The truth is that Ark was afraid of what effects that giving into the Force would have on him. He's already begun to showcase the yellow rings around his iris. It was taint enough for him, and Ark wasn't keen on his well-developed self control disappearing to the will of the Force, simply because he gave into the Dark Side fully. In fact, it was the key difference between himself and other Dark Side users, is that he refrained from the Darker taunts of the Force, because of the effects they have on them. It was one thing, Ark believed, that he had over other Force users, and though he wouldn't preach it to his fellow Sith, it isn't something that he'd advocate if he didn't have to. The Dark Side of the Force was a powerful tool that expedited the learning processes of such powers such as Choke and Lightning, but at that singular cost, and Ark was a firm believer that one with strong enough will power could avoid drawing upon the Dark Side fully in utilizing them with enough practice and exposure to the ability; Either that, or that very same exposure would cause their fall into the void to be deeper. It was a calculated risk that Ark wasn't willing to take.

"I understand that you also wanted to learn Force Rend today?" Ark asks Javik without looking directly at him. Ark was, admittedly, not nearly as practiced with this ability, but then again, he'd only just taught Force Grip to Javik after discovering it on his own for the first time earlier that day. Force Rend, Ark, at least, had a better understanding of.

 

[Phoenix]

Javik nodded. It was something that had been an issue for many Dark Siders in the past. He too wasn’t a huge fan of giving fully into one’s emotions. Certainly, it was a useful tool, particularly in the desperation of combat and could be used to overpower an enemy very quickly, but wasn’t tactical. At least if you used it exclusively.

The key, difficult as it was, was to balance the power of thought and emotion, not being controlled by emotions or impulses, but using them to focus further or fight through near-death experiences was the key.

“I would like to learn rend, if you would do that for me, I would appreciate it. So far as I’m aware, rend is something of a variation or advanced form of pull, is that correct? It involves tearing something or someone in two by pulling in two opposite directions?”

The truth was, Javik liked telekinesis. It had so many variations and practical applications. It was limited almost exclusively by the user’s imagination, which lent itself to spectacular power. Furthermore, it didn’t have that taint of emotion that they had been talking about only moments ago.

 

[Flamjetxx]

While Javik explains what he thinks of Force Rend, Ark picks up a small, fist-sized, metal ball and places it in Javik's hand. And when Javik was done, Ark begins his own explanation of the ability.

"It's not generally used against individuals, though I can see it happening against the weakest of willed individuals. It's more of to render something form another's possession to your own," And as Ark says it, he rips the ball from Javik's possession while pushing on his hand and pulling on the object simultaneously. It was a surprisingly simple and easy to use power, but the simultaneous action required that anyone attempting it to have at least a higher understanding and practice with both of the abilities. Thankfully for them, pushes and pulls were something of a staple for Warriors. They were simple, effective, and able to be applied with extreme ease.

Ark, holding the ball in his own grasp, examines the ball as if it were to have marks on it, but saw nothing but his own reflection in it, "You essentially use the Force to drive a wedge between the object and the possessor of that object, and when it's freed, the rest is simply a telekinetic exercise," Ark explains as he thinks about what exactly it entails. Ark's training in telekinesis had been extremely thorough, and he began to wonder what training that Javik had experienced, "What do you know of contingency points?"

The question was valid, because as Javik could certainly get away with the make-shift "Hands" used to pry something apart with the Force, it was something far more advanced for a user to use contingency points, because it not only offered far more stability and control, but it also offered a higher level of efficiency in using the ability. It's what allowed Ark to Master telekinesis and the big portion of its derivatives so quickly, and is why Ark wasn't even phased by his uses of telekinetic attacks unless the object was large enough to drain him. And if Javik was indeed versed in such techniques, it would be much easier for Ark to teach him as well as for him to apply them to the technique, as its use here would be a key principle in the ability.

 

[Phoenix]

The small ball was ripped from his hand despite his attempts to hold onto it. It didn’t seem too difficult really, though there may have been more to it. Ark made mention of something called contingency points.

In honesty, Javik wasn’t really sure what they were. He considered taking a guess, something to do with leveraging, but he didn’t know. It kind of bothered him really. He didn’t like not knowing, though he wasn’t sure when or where he picked up that particular trait. He supposed it was something to do with his overall competitive nature.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what those are. At least not by that name. If I am familiar with them at all I don’t know what they’re called. It sort of pained him to admit it, but he really had no idea.

 

[Flamjetxx]

Ark wasn't too overwhelmingly surprised that his training in Telekinetics were something of a rarity around here. His training was with one of the Order's more renowned telekinetic users, and as such he was privy to training that was extremely specific and advanced, including contingency points and points of redundancy. BOth of which Ark has had plenty of practice in using. And not so unexpectedly, as was the nature of the Sith and those such as Javik and himself to think they've heard it all, Javik assumed that he'd heard of contingency points by another name.

"At least you're honest Javik," Ark began with an express training in contingency points, "Most Sith's training in telekinesis involved a more rudimentary, but much easier to grasp version of telekinesis. Telekinesis as a power is easy to grasp, because of the many forms it takes. You simply imagine something in your mind, and the Force creates it for form and function. That being said, most Sith learn a version of telekinesis that utilizes a mental hand that operates the world for them. It's actually what makes most forcefuls use hand gestures with their force pushes and pulls. It is actually quite limiting of a version though. It spreads Force energy needlessly and as a whole isn't very stable. After all, a hand in real life has weaknesses at the fingertips, just as a hand made with the Force has similar weaknesses."

"Tell me if this is sounding like your own training, Javik," Ark asked as he explained. And if it wasn't how he was trained, Ark was bound to be quite interested in what training he'd in fact gone through.

"Sure, you could imagine two hands, one pushing and the other pulling the ball from my hand, but there are certain weaknesses to it," Ark explained.

The seemingly rare art of contingency points was bound to be an enormous asset to Javik as it was to Ark and Ark's first apprentice, Jorath Baylor. And if Javik didn't indeed know of Contingency points, Ark might even make it a point to teach him of Points of redundancy as well, before the end of their lesson. Such techniques shouldn't be missed if Ark was going to rely on Javik in the future.

 

[Phoenix]

Javik continued to listen and indeed what Ark described sounded much like his training. It had worked for him in the past but as Ark pointed out it certainly did have its weaknesses, though luckily for Javik, he hadn't particularly suffered from them yet. Nevertheless, if there was a better way that had better uses and fewer weaknesses then he was all ears to hear it.

Javik nodded his head. Yeah, that sounds very similar to what I first learned. He thought back to his initial training in telekinesis. Although he had come quite a ways since then, his initially training had been by a Dark Jedi before joining the Sith and in truth, despite his own efforts and training since then, the initial instruction had been a bit unsophisticated. He wasn't sure if he wanted to actually open up to Ark about this yet, but perhaps at some point or if it became relevant he would. For now though, he kept those facts silent.

In which case, I'm guessing that I haven't learned of contingency points.

 

[Flamjetxx]

Ark nods. It was an extremely common, almost exclusive really, form of Telekinesis that most Sith knew and learned. It was what would set Sith like Ark and Javik apart form them. And it seemed that only Ark and his students would know it in the Order, as the Master he'd learned it from, Nox seemed to be the only other user that knew of the particular version of Telekinesis, and he's currently deceased. For that, it made them only that much more potent.

Ark carefully formulated how he'd explain the skill before continuing, "When you learn to grasp an item with the Force, you blanket it, and wrap around it. You cover it with every amount of surface area, but that also means that there is a lot of Force energy that is wasted when you finally decide to move that object. Not only that, but you have less power on one side of the object for you to alter its direction with."

As Ark explains, he hovers the metallic orb in between them, altering the direction of the orb's direction in 45 degree angles, as if there was physically no possible way for the orb to go higher anymore, before it shifted to a horizontal motion without any sign of losing speed. Ark drew an imaginary cube with the orb, and every turn was on a dime, and the orb was perfectly controlled in every turn, keeping a constant speed despite every corner. Any similar attempt would leave a user arcing corners, slowing down at the same corners, and forcing themselves to speed up, just to keep up with Ark's own method.

"Instead of wrapping every inch of the orb in Force energies, you must condense the energy into singular points of concentrated energy and control. You will need to decide on a number of points as you condense the same amount of energy into these points," And mathematically, it was easy for Ark to decide this based upon what directions he intended the orb to travel, or how much control he wanted exerted over the orb. For simply holding onto it, Ark used a minimalist approach of a triangular pyramid, four equilateral points that ran imaginary lines through the orb, connecting them; However, when Ark was drawing his imaginary cube with the orb, Ark had a point for every direction the orb would travel. One point to push up, another to push towards Javik, away from Javik, between them to the left and right, and a sixth point pointing downward. It was the easiest way to control those specific directions of the cube, and it was what made his manipulation of the orb so seemingly impossible.

"I don't want you to reach out with your hand to the orb when you grab it with the Force. It provokes you to imagine a hand in the Force, but I rather want you to control the object with these contingency points," Ark ordered as he tossed the orb to Javik with the Force. All the while, Ark's paws found their way behind his back while he manipulated the orb, and it was how Ark was capable of utilizing Force Pushes and Pulls without utilizing hand gestures. Soon enough, Javik too would be able to drop his hand signals and utilize the Force within simply his sight and awareness of mind, as Ark was able to do, "And I want you to explain exactly what you're doing as you do it."

 

[Phoenix]

Ark moved the sphere over so that it was in a position where Javik could grab it using the Force. Before gripping the orb he swung his hands behind his back and grasped them firmly behind him. If he wasn't supposed to use his hands then there was no point in tempting himself.

He reached out to the orb taking it up out of Ark's grasp. This time, instead of imagining a hand grabbing the orb, he let a pair of pinpoint energies form on either side of the orb, preventing it from falling off balance. It put pressure on it and began to shift it, mimicking a square shape instead of a triangle.

I'm putting all of the energy that would normally be used to grasp into a small area, one on each side of the orb, at least initially.

As the orb moved horizontally, it finally came to the point at which he wanted it to begin a vertical ascension. This time, instead of putting the pressure on the sides of the orb, he put the pair of pressure points above and below the ball, which allowed him to move it up almost instantaneously rather than having to cut corners.

And when I hit the corners, I let the pressure points change from horizontal to vertical, one above and one below, shifting it up. Is that right?

 

[Flamjetxx]

"Good," Ark commented on how the orb shifted seamlessly from vertical to horizontal. Ark then held out his paw, allowing Javik's new control of the orb to be exercised in a functional manner of transferring the ball into Ark's possession. When it was placed their by Javik, Ark Held a tighter grip on it with his flesh had even straining to do it.

"Now, how would you position points on my hand and palm so that you push my hand away while simultaneously pulling the orb?"

It suddenly became an extremely easy task that was almost mechanical in function as the contingency points made it almost a scientific task. However, it was exactly as simple as it sounded, create stability in the object, then pry it from the holder's grasp with the full strength of the Force. Thing is that such an application of the Force cold be applied nearly anywhere too. Prying something off the wall, something out of your enemy's grasp, or even ripping something apart if the situation called for it.

"Burst of energy. Sudden and abrupt, and there will be no warning of your action until the object is already in your grasp," Ark specifies to Javik under the assumption that he did in fact have a solid grasp of the object without sacrificing the ability to pry the object form Ark's grip.

 

[Phoenix]

Javik moved the orb horizontal and right when it was over Ark's hand, changed the points and moved the ball down vertically and directly into Ark's open paw. Then he listened. Listened to the final instruction that Ark gave and then prepared himself for the final attempt.

He put the energy of the Force in three positions. The first was directly pressing against Ark's paw pushing it directly away from the orb. The other was of equal strength on the exact same line as the first, save this time it was directly away from the first. The third was considerably less powerful, but was simply a stabilizer. It was a point that would keep the orb steady as it moved swiftly free of any physical boundaries.

A fascinating technique, and so much more potent. It makes so much better use of the energies used. You can do so much more with the same amount of energy. I wonder why it's not taught more extensively?

 

[Flamjetxx]

As Javik made his attempt to retrieve the orb, Ark could feel the energy instantaneously form in his paw as it burst form Ark's grip, but Ark was keen on making every effort to hold the ball in his paw, even if the odds were stacked against him, and as the sphere was easily ripped from Ark's grip, he couldn't help but to reach for it as if a double take. And Ark could feel the singular point used against Ark's paw slip down his wrist as Ark's claws were able to pop the orb out of Javik's lazy grip on it, and the metal ting of the ball hitting the ground was the sound of an incomplete task. And upon further inspection upon it, Ark realized Javik's folly.

"The purpose of using these points is to enhance strength sure, but while simultaneously enhancing control over the object manipulated. You'd need more than a two points to hold the orb. You already know that because of your previous manipulation. You'd need at least four points to hold the orb in complete stability. Notice how I was able to pop the ball form your grip on it, because it was only held with two points. However, if I were to attempt to same while you held it previously with the contingency points you used to place it into my paw in the first place, I wouldn't have been able to knock it form your grasp as easily, if at all. Similarly, you pushed my paw back with a single point, instead of any amount of points that suggested stabilizing my paw from reaching past your push. However, with two more points, my paw would have been kept stable," Ark explained as he hovered the orb back into his paw and gripped it tightly, "Don't worry some much about minimizing your points f contingency for enhanced power. You needn't worry that your power won't be missed, because each point can be manipulated to hold a certain amount of power. The points you'd use for pushing the orb can be enhanced with nearly every ounce of power. The points used purely for stability can minimally hold your orb up, and against my minimal attempts to continue holding onto the orb if need be. There will be no shortage of power in your power."

It was surprising how much geometry was actually needed in such a task, and Ark was fortunate enough to be taught in an Imperial school as a child. He'd been taught mathematics, languages, sciences, and more. Geometry was an after thought to him, and such knowledge such as creating a triangular-based pyramid was obvious to him, since the shape of stability is a triangle. It never even occurred to Ark whether or not Javik even had such an opportunity.

And it made it easier for Ark to respond to Javik's ultimate question of why it wasn't a more popularly taught method, "Simple. It's an advanced method of using telekinesis. Some individuals cannot pick it up at all, let alone those who may struggle with it. There is more knowledge, than simply focusing points, that goes into using the ability. Geometry, for example. Most Sith are after power with the least amount of time and energy spent working towards it. Someone may easily Master telekinesis without knowing the Contingency points, but they will always be outclassed, by those that know of such intricacies, in the end. It's similar to someone Mastering Soresu lightsaber combat. They may learn all the moves and be perfectly capable of using the skill to its fullest extent with ease; However, if they don't learn to overcome the form's weaknesses, have they really Mastered it? Regardless, they will be considered Masters of the skill despite not knowing every level of the skill in question. After all a Master of Soresu must also learn to attack as well as defend, Just as a Master of Telekinesis must learn total control over an object. Another reason may be because of how unknown the skill is. After all, the only individual I can recall knowing it was my former master, Nox. And he's currently deceased, leaving only myself, my apprentice, and yourself. It's simply not made its way around."

 

[Phoenix]

So then I should use more points? So for instance three or four to hold your hand back and four or five to stabilize the sphere? Is that what you mean?

Surely enough stability would be critical. Losing stability so that an object can be easily knocked out of the air as had just occurred would have limited application and usefulness in combat.

He supposed Ark’s explanation of its lack of use made sense. If no one ever used the ability anymore there was no one to teach it and if there was no one to teach it no one would use it. It was a vicious cycle. He was fortunate to have found a mentor who was so well versed in a variety of skills.

So then this can be used for almost any situation in which you’re applying direct force to something telekinetically, such as push, pull, or obviously rend? It actually seems that it might have the most use in something like ballistakinesis, right? The ability to move small objects more adeptly and with greater maneuverability? Or it could even be applied to grip or choke in many ways I would think. It would be a more efficient way to restrain someone.

His musing was half posed as points of discussion and half for the benefit of his own considerations, but if Ark had input on any of them he was, as always, more than willing to learn.

 

[Flamjetxx]

Javik's anaylsis of the more intricate knowledge of the style of telekinesis made certain that he knew what he was doing. And in response to Javik's realization, Ark nodded his approval. But upon Javik's further analysis upon the telekinetic technique being applied to further to a wider variety of telekinetic abilities, Ark couldn't fully agree that contingency points could indeed be applied to every situation, "There are some circumstances in which the amount of energy you save and control you have by using Contingency points cannot be applied to every single situation nor variation of telekinesis. Telekinesis covers and extremely wide variety of skills ranging for Force Pushes to controlling a thrown lightsaber, to buffeting someone with a literal whirlwind of Force energy. Not everything can even benefit from consolidating your energy into pinpoints. It is all dependent on the situation and the drawbacks of minimizing your energy into a single place. For things such as Force pulls and pushes, it really doesn't matter one way or the other, because you're literally utilizing a wall of energy to be applied in a single vector, and that is the extent of the control over the energy needed. But picking up and manipulating a single object, is another story, where that control is highly necessary. And BalistaKinesis utilizes an extremely unique brand of Telekinetic application, but as you can imagine, contingency points can play a role in a singular abject that BallistaKinesis might control, but for what it's most commonly used for controlling a group of small objects, it's notoriously inaccurate. You'll come to realize where contingency points are most appropriately used, but it can easily be applied with more success in most situations involving telekinesis. It only regards what ability requires more control."

It was a mouthful, but when someone gets Ark going, it's sometimes difficult to stop him, because of the levels of research and experience he's put towards certain skills. He has a lot of knowledge on many subjects, and thus he has a lot to say. And though Javik had successfully understood what Ark wanted of him in using the Contingency points in Force Rend, he had yet to apply it on the orb which was still clutched in Ark's paw. And this time, Ark expected it to be performed perfectly with what he'd just explained.

When, and if Javik successfully applies the ability on Ark, Ark would then move his mind onto the more advanced tactic of Points of redundancy. Pointing to a rather large Medicine ball, Ark began to instruct him while taking steps back to the other side of the training room so that they were on opposite sides, "Pick up that ball, and I want you to hurl it at me from across the room. It is essentially a weapon you'd use as if any other debris on a battle field."

 

[Phoenix]

Javik thought he was beginning to get a better understanding of things, but then that's what happened when you were being taught. He nodded his understanding and then considered the sphere. That confounded orb was still in his "enemy's" hand, and that just wouldn't do. He focused his energies, this time into more contingency points in order to prevent a replay of the previous debacle.

He ended up placing six points around the orb perhaps over-compensating but it would surely create outstanding stability and prevent it from being knocked away. He then put four points into Ark's palm in a diamond shape, pushing directly back while simultaneously pulling the orb in the exact opposite direction, he extended his hand to catch the orb as it flew through the air.

This was so much more useful than the standard means of throwing something at someone. It was so much more easily direct-able than "standard" telekinetic attacks. At you? Javik said slightly surprised at the request, but he would comply. He began to lift his hand to lift the object, but stopped. No, there was no need for that anymore. Using contingency points didn't require it. Instead, he focused the energies around the medicine ball, two points in each of the three dimensional plains, providing near perfect stability.

Then in an instant, it was off of the ground and flying through the air toward Ark. It was certainly larger than the orb and therefore a little bit less wieldy and maneuverable, but even so, the contingency points allowed far greater maneuverability than anything he had done in the past. He was certainly going to have to thank Ark for this at the end of their lesson.

 

[Flamjetxx]

Javik, as was expected, was highly successful in his attempt to rip the orb from Ark's grip, and thus it was easily found in his grasp at the end of his use of Force rend. Ark's paw was suddenly vacant of the orb, though he could still feel the warm durasteel on his paw. It was a fast act that rendered the orb into Javik's possession, and the uses of the ability were considerably noticeable.

Ark nodded to Javik in his clarification to throw the large medicine ball in Ark's direction. It was huge, and had considerable weight to it, making it a potent Force, should it strike Ark. Javik was compliant regardless, hurling the ball at Ark, and to Ark's surprise he'd used excessive points to do the job too. Ark may have scolded him for it, if it weren't the lesson Ark was actually trying to teach him However, the lesson was still to be learned.

As the object was thrust t Ark from across the room, Ark waited for the last possible second before he slammed it to the ground with a wave of kinetic energy. The ball, fell form its trajectory, to the ground and off to Ark's side as it bounced off the ground to Ark's side, "Besides outright avoiding the thrown object, redirecting it with Force energy of your own is one of the most common ways to avoid an object thrown at you with the Force. That being said, it's quite a deterrent for you to throw an object at your opponent telekinetically. But with points of redundancy, you are able to combat that for the most part."

Ark picked up the ball with the Force, and tossed it, via the force, into Javik's possession again, "When you held your object before, I noticed that you had 12 contingency points, which is actually quite useful. However, when my wave of telekinetic energy struck the ball, it cancelled out the two contingency points holding the ball steady from the other side my wave struck. You can place more points on the ball, pacing 3 points on each side, but ultimately, the points are still going to share the same amount of force being distributed across each side of the ball. However, these multiple more points will be more evenly spread, so that when I do strike the ball, say from above, you can move the nearer points to the bottom side, to compensate for the additional energy working against the bottom contingency points," Ark explained in hopes that Javik understood exactly what Ark was saying.

Although it was easier to visualize on a cube, it was easier to perform on a spherical shape, as there were no corners for the points to move around in order to compensate. Where there may be three points on the bottom face of a cube, the four sides connected to it would also have three points on each side, and one of those three points from each of the four connecting sides would easily be near enough to the bottom face that they could turn the corner from the side face to the bottom face in order to have a total of 7 contingency points on the bottom face while still being able to maintain stability on the rest of the cube, leaving 2 points on each of the four sides, three points on the top, and 7 points on the bottom. All he'd need to do, in mid flight was to have a more aware control over each individual point. And it was THAT which made points of redundancy such a difficult technique to learn, even more so than Contingency points, although naming them one or the other would be difficult to determine since every Point of Redundancy is a Contingency point, but not every Contingency point is a Point of Redundancy; Just as every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square.

Ark then walked over to one of the walls and etched a mark into the wall with the vibro knife he keeps hidden on his person, crating a small 'X' shape to aim for. The reason Ark did that, was because now that Javik would have an idea of how to apply Points of Redundancy, Ark wasn't about to let him try it on Ark, but Ark could still apply a force push or pull on the Medicine ball from another position. Ark waved a paw at the X on the wall, "Now you can try to use the Points of Redundancy to counteract my own telekinetic influences, and you can see if you can hit the X as a result."

 

[Phoenix]

Javik lifted the medicine ball again, this time wrapping 14 points that were evenly distributed across the surface. He let them accelerate the ball toward the X and when the blast of energy from Ark came, Javik moved several of the points to the side of the ball opposite the blast. This allowed a greater concentration of energy that would prevent and resist redirection of the sphere as it continued moving towards its target.

Like that? he inquired. I moved the points that were nearby so that they could assist the points being pushed against and offer resistance to your blow. By doing this it allowed the stabilization of the sphere and would prevent it from being knocked off course or redirected. He did his best to verbalize what he was doing, but he knew that he wasn't the most eloquent or sophisticated person.

 

[Flamjetxx]

The ball was flung into a direct path at the 'X' on the wall, and Ark didn't let up on his push as he sent the telekinetic energy hurtling at the ball. It swayed briefly, but ultimately, the wave of energy had minimal effect at doing anything more than causing the ball to swerve before it impacted the 'X' almost directly. Javik could use some practice on rectifying the trajectory of the ball after a push, but ultimately, it was more than good enough for a first time use of the newest technique to his telekinetic abilities.

"Good Javik. The only thing you'd need to know about these points is that they aren't magical, and there are limits to what they can perform against. If there is enough Force applied either by a countering telekinetic attack or another object, there is only so much you can counter. However, with enough practice you can make it seem almost as if the push never even happened," stated as if to wrap up their session. It was a long day in the training room, and hey both needed a lot of rest after such energies were exerted all day long.

//End Thread.