The Eye of the Storm (Ena Katsumi's Training)

[WhiteSheWolf]

~Ossus! Ena had hardly even known such a planet existed a few days ago, but after numerous with her auspiciously met friends on Coruscant, Ena’s view of the universe had been expanded. When it had been suggested that Ena visit Ossus, the girl was hesitant; but Bianca had insisted that as the current headquarters of the Jedi order, the planet was not only much calmer than Coruscant, but worth a visit. Having nothing better to do, Ena bought a ticket and got on the next shuttle leaving for Ossus. Her parents had wanted her to see more of the Universe, certainly they would approve of this trip.~

~Almost the instant Ena’s shuttle left the atmosphere of Coruscant, she felt better. Ever since she had set foot on the city-planet she had been beleaguered with the thoughts and emotions of all of the minds within her ‘hearing’ the force ran through Ena like a current, and when the tide came in it brought everything since Ena’s 13th birthday it had always been like this, but no one, not even her family had missed the switch from the naturally timid child to the constantly anxious teen she had become because of her – unknown – and natural empathy. Outside of Coruscant, the pressure of thousands of minds dimmed to the few present with her in the shuttle. There were only ten, and that was counting the pilots. Ena’s body relaxed automatically and she snuggled into the seat, curling into the tiniest space possible. With one wary glance at the other passengers in the shuttle, she let her mass of straight black hair form a curtain over her porcelain face and fell asleep.~

“Attention Passengers: We are now entering the atmosphere of Ossus. Welcome to Ossus and we hope you have enjoyed your flight!”

~The voice over loudspeaker coaxed Ena from sleep. She stretched and gathered her small suitcase –containing mostly clothes and a few snacks – from a nearby compartment before scooting towards a window to gaze at the planet below. It was beautiful – not, perhaps, the same kind of beautiful as her home on Naboo, but pretty all the same. Ena much preferred the luch greenery of Ossus to the skyscrapers of Coruscant. As the shuttle descended into the planet’s atmosphere and then docked on the planet’s surface, a steady aura of calm permeated Ena’s own emotions, growing as she took her first few steps onto the planet. Ena tried to be anxious, tried to be frightened but simply couldn’t. The peaceful aura of Ossus – no doubt caused by the strong Jedi presence on the planet - was a smothering blanket, burying Ena’s natural reactions – which of course only caused to create more anxiety that she couldn’t express.~

~Before the teenager knew it she was standing in front of the main entrance to the great temple. Beside her, other –certainly non-sensitive – tourists were following a droid on a short tour of the Jedi Headquartes; but Ena couldn’t find it in her to go with them. The calming aura pervading her thoughts was making it hard to concentrate on anything –and Ena’s will wasn’t very strong to begin with. She was drawn, inexplicably, closer to the front entrance - the living force pouring through her like a raging river overflowing its banks, and Ena powerless to stop it and ignorant of it. To a force user, her presence would appear as a backwards hurricane – a large aura of tranquility with a ferocious storm of anxiety in the center. Certainly she had been guided here by the will of the Force itself, regardless of her ignorance of it.~

 

[Malon]

Siri was sitting in the meditation chambers in the upper level of the Jedi Temple. She had been sitting there, in seclusion, for several days after the death of her former Jedi Master, Haar. Her commitment to the Jedi had been renewed at his funeral. On her belt was clipped a new lightsaber alongside her own. It was that of her late Master's. She had taken it to be a symbol of this new commitment and she made Ossus her temporary new home. Her meditation ended when another Jedi entered the room.

"Can I be of assistance to you, Master?" she said to the Jedi Master.

"The Council has assigned a new apprentice to you. It is felt that you both need this." the Jedi said with a smile.

Siri returned his smile with her own and nodded in acknowledgement, as the Jedi turned to leave. Siri stood up and walked to the edge of the room, retrieving her brown Jedi Knight's robes, and draped them over her thin frame. She then walked across the hall to a turbolift and rode it down to the main hall of the Temple. She awaited her new Padawan learner there.

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

~Ena walked into the main hall of the temple as if not by her own power. She stopped in the center of the hall and looked around at the extravagant architecture, eyes seeing without believing. The force was shouting at her, feeding her information and picking up almost every force aura of every Jedi or padawan in the building. The girl couldn’t the connect the dots, however – the speakers were turned up too loud. For whatever reason – dumb luck, the will of the force, Ena’s focus centered on at the end of the main hall. A woman, thin in stature – probably built similarly to Ena herself. Again she was drawn to the Jedi without knowing why. A few feet in front of who would be Ena’s new master, Ena crumpled to her knees – her natural empathic senses overloading her physical ones. She looked briefly up at Siri – not meeting the Jedi’s eyes – and then fixed her teary eyes back on the floor.~

“I…I’m here for a reason. I…just…I don’t know why.”

~Ena whimpered, frightened, calm, and overwhelmed all at the same time. Ena would look quite the pathetic sixteen year old – a skinny tangle of pale limbs and long, straight black hair that cascaded over her face, hiding it partially from view. Her baggy clothing and demeanor made her seem even younger than she was.~

 

[Malon]

Siri looked down looked down on the young girl, who appeared to be in her mid-teens. The Force felt strong with this girl. Her statement was puzzling to say the least, but Siri understood the implications; this girl was to be her new apprentice. A smile came to her pale face.

"You will know in time, young one. You are to become my Padawan learner and learn the ways of the Jedi. The Force is strong with you, my new Padawan." she said. "I'm Siri Firestorm, a Jedi Knight of the Jedi Order."

She bowed as she introduced herself and sent a warm smile Ena's way, trying to relieve her new pupil's anxiety.

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

~Siri’s simple words made everything fall into place. The Force is strong with you The force! How many stories had her mother told of its power, of its mystery? Of all her brother and sisters, all eight of them, none had been force sensitive. Except Ena. It made sense now – how she had always felt more at peace outside of the house, away from the thoughts and feelings of her family, thoughts that bled into her own without control. The words of the mysterious man on Coruscant about her ‘potential’. But that man hadn’t been a Jedi – no he had felt Wrong. Ossus – Ena’s Master – felt right. Overwhelming, still – Ena’s mind was wide open in the force, and she had no way of keeping her own thoughts and feelings separate from those around her – but now that her mysterious…gift? Curse? Had been given a name, Ena could feel the force, distinguish it from herself. This was what had caused her so much anxiety over the years! The irony, that Ena – the most withdrawn, the least obviously talented of her family, would bloom so late. A Jedi? Like her mother? This was just too much at once.~

“Padawan…” ~Ena tested the word in her mouth, liked the sound of it.~ “My mother was a Jedi. But…she gave it up. I didn’t think…no one ever told me I was….force sensitive?” ~The last words were awkward in her mouth was that the right phrasing? Ena knew nothing of this. Seeing that her new ‘Master’ had bowed, Ena scrambled to her feet, eyes still teary from the flux of information from the force.~ “My name is Ena Katsumi. I’m pleased to meet you.” ~Ena bowed, clumsily, hair falling over her face again.~

 

[Malon]

Siri took each word her new Padawan said and processed it carefully. Her mother had been a Jedi and quit the Jedi Order. She was the only Force-sensitive child. Siri felt privileged to be the teacher of such a unique student. She placed a firm hand on Ena's shoulder, smiling as warmly as she could.

"Rest your mind, Ena. Your mother may have given up on the Jedi, but you have potential. I sense that in you. Will you accept me as your teacher and learn the ways of the Jedi Knights?" she asked, the seriousness of her voice was clear.

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

~A shy smile crept onto Ena’s face as she felt Siri’s hand on her shoulder. To be trained as a Jedi? Ena bit her lip in hesitation, eyes tracing the patterns on the tile floor. She wanted to – certainly. But Ena wasn’t a risk taker, and no one had ever done this before – no one had given Ena any reason to believe she could be something. A Jedi Knight? It felt like the right decision – it felt like the only decision. What was the alternative? Go on living with her burden of the force? No. Ena looked up at Siri’s – avoiding her eyes – and nodded her head once. A clear decision. Yes!~

“Yes, I want to be trained as a Jedi. I…I accept you as my teacher, Master Firestorm.”

~Her new master’s hand still on her shoulder, Ena bowed again. Was she scared? Yes, but for the first time in her life, Ena was determined. She would do this.~

 

[Malon]

Siri removed her hand from Ena's shoulder and gestured to the Jedi library, not far from their current location. Among the datapads and holocrons of the ancient Jedi, Siri began her first lesson.

"I am glad you have accepted my tutelage. First off, I will begin by telling you a little about myself. First of all, I am Jedi Knight; a rank I reached by completing the very training you are just starting. My master was a member of the Jedi Council, and well respected swordsman in the Jedi Order. I was found by the Jedi at a very young age, and was raised up until I was 13 in the temple on Coruscant. Then I came here for training with a master, as you do now.

"You are my second apprentice. I trained a young woman, not much older than yourself, when I returned to Coruscant. She, like I, is now a Jedi Knight and soon, you will be too. Now that I have gotten my introduction out of the way, I want you to tell me a little bit about yourself." she said.

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

~Oh dear. Ena wasn’t much for talking about herself but…she would do as told. As they talked, Ena would follow Siri through the halls towards the library.~

“Well…” ~Ena took a deep breath, attempting to relax at least a little.~ “I was born on Naboo. I’m was the 6th child in my family…I have eight siblings, three sisters and five brothers. My mother was a Jedi, but, well I guess she met my dad and gave it all up for him. That’s what she always told us, anyways.” ~Ena paused, gathered her thoughts again.~ “My mother had us all tested when we were little for…the force? But none of us were force sensitive. At least, I wasn’t until…well…I’m not really sure how old. Maybe ten or so? But…I guess, I don’t really know what this ‘force’ is. At a certain point…if my brothers were fighting, I’d get angry. If my sisters were upset, I’d be upset. And I’ve just always felt so…overwhelmed, even at home. I can’t stop it. For my birthday…my 16th Birthday…my parents decided I needed to see more of the universe. I’d never left Naboo before. So they sent me to Coruscant…and…I ended up here. I don’t even know how, not really.”

~Had she really said all of that? Ena looked up, startled, afraid she had given away too much. Or not enough? Ena bit her lip again – a nervous habit.~

 

[Malon]

"Don't be nervous, my young Padawan learner. You will not be harmed her, nor will anything happen just because of an answer you've given." she smiled at Ena reassuringly. "You're here because it was the will of the Force. The Force is a metaphysical energy field that exists in everything; it binds them together. A Jedi's goal is to follow the will of the Force, and to use their knowledge for the betterment of others. If you have any preliminary questions, ask them now; for after this, the training officially begins."

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

~Ena tried to smile, but this was all just a little too new for the youth to really feel at peace. She would, with time, for sure. And her Master’s words did help to alleviate some worry. She tried to internalize Siri’s explanation. Energy field? That made sense, sort of. Surely it would become clearer with time. Ena certainly was…connected…with the world around her. She searched for questions – there were certainly many. Ena supposed she should ask about where she would sleep and what she would eat and things like that – but that wasn’t why she was here. If Ena was going to do this, she was going to do it. She set her shoulders – a line of grim determination on her pale face.~

“I just…I want to begin, Master. I don’t want the force to be a burden anymore. I want some say in how I feel, what I think.”

 

[Malon]

Siri understood her Padawan's willingness to start. If she understood her explanation of her sensitivity correctly, Siri suspected that Ena didn't have control of the ability of the Force to touch the mind of others. Siri had a few ideas that might solve her young Padawan's problem.

"Very well, Ena." Siri said.

She led Ena out a large pair of doors and onto the soft grass of Ossus, leading the Padawan into the thick grove of trees surrounding the Ossus Jedi Temple. After bringing her Padawan into the deepest possible region of that particular part of the forest, Siri stopped and continued her lesson.

"Your problem is common among Jedi trainees. Often times their Force-sensitivity hasn't developed under enough training to control the Force's intrusive powers. The area around you is alive with the Living Force. Pretty soon, the thoughts and feelings of thousands of beings will fill your mind. Meditation is the solution. You must learn to pull the Force into yourself and control its fluctuation; preventing it from touching the mind of every person or creature around you. Sit on the ground, cross your legs and close your eyes. When you get the sensation that bothers you so much, tell me and I will instruct you on how to rid yourself of it. At all times remain focused." she lectured.

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

~Ena followed as her Master led her outside. Ossus had an environment she could see herself getting used to – the soft grass, thick groves of trees. It would be easy to get away here, that was for sure, and it was a very welcome change from Coruscant. The farther her Master led her into the Grove, the more Ena relaxed – instinctively. The grove around them was alive with the living force, yes, but Ena had often fled to the plains of Naboo to be in the company of animals. Nature had never been as jarring overwhelming as the minds of other people and sentient beings. When they stopped, Ena turned her full attention to her Master’s words. ~

~Ena sat as instructed, crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. She took a deep breath. Ena had never experimented like this before. What if something bad happened? No, she would be fine. Ena closed her eyes. At all times remain focused her Master had said. Focus on what? Ena tried not to think of anything, tried to keep her mind blank. As the girl began to relax, the force expanded around her like a wave. With her eyes closed and mind focused she felt everything. The touch of simply the sheer volume of insects and critters in the immediate grove was shocking. But her range was expanding, faster than Ena could even hope to control. She wasn’t even trying to reach out, and the force was connecting Ena directly to all of the life within a few miles.~

“Help,” ~Ena murmured, her eyes screwed up tight, hands clenched into fists in her lap, the very look of her posture stiff and uncomfortable. There was simply too much information, and her focus was wavering. The more she tried to let focus on keeping everything in, the more it seemed to spiral out of control.~

 

[Malon]

Siri gathered the Force to her for guidance and then dove into the lesson to help her Padawan.

"Relax, Ena. You must find peace. A Jedi must remain peaceful even when faced with an overwhelming situation. You are subconsciously tapping too deep into the Force. Make it an extension of you; not vice-versa. To control the power that you tap on, peace and focus must be combined. Focus on the here and now, not elsewhere. Do not let your mind be drawn in by those you feel in the Force. Once you've made the Force an extension of yourself, draw it back into you..into the innermost part of your being and hold it there. Tell me when you've done so." she taught, eyes open, and senses alert for any distress her apprentice may experience.

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

~Relax. Such a simple command! But Ena didn’t want to. She wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep, to run away, to just wait for the onslaught of information to stop. But that wasn’t what a Jedi would do. Ena stiffened still, fighting 16 years of habit. Her master wanted her to do this. Ena could do this. She would! The here and now. What was more here and now than her breathing, the beating of her heart? Ena focused. She let out a deep breath, drew it back in. Listened to the sound of air rushing in and out of her lungs. Felt the pulse of blood in her veins and with all the mental fortitude she could muster turned her senses inward. It was hard work; the force begged to be heard; tried to carry her away as it had done for so long. No. Ena had no perception of time passing, she simply sat and breathed and focused on nothing else until the force was barely even a buzz in the back of her mind. She grounded herself in the silence of her own mind, however temporary it would be. Make it an extension of you . Okay.~

~Ena exhaled, and reached for the force with her mind, instead of just letting it run rampant. She consciously tried to grasp it, and with the force still in mind, focused on her breathing again. In, not out. She inhaled, and it was as if she was sucking the force in through a straw. She drew a little of it in – Ena was too timid to grasp very much, or try to harness it fully – and held the force, her breath, in. As if ordering a naughty pet she ordered it to stay. Now she just had to tell her Master she had accomplished the task. Could she without breaking focus? Ena already was faintly aware of fatigue – this was certainly exhausting, even if not physically.~

“I think…I have it,” ~Ena said.~

 

[Malon]

Siri nodded approvingly at her apprentice. Through the Force, she could see that her Padawan had accomplished exactly what she'd asked her to. It was a good first step. Siri felt a resentment to the Force in Ena and decided to touch on this subject before it became an issue of its own.

"The Force is your friend, young one. Do not resent it, do not fear it. You hold it inside you as if it will escape and lash out at you. Quite the opposite. Your mind is now attuned to the Force. Relax your mind and your muscles and you'll see what I mean." she instructed.

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

~Ena shook her head back and forth.~ “I…I can’t. If I do that…it’ll be too much.”

~Tears were filling her closed eyes. She didn’t want to cry but…it was hard to trust something that had done nothing but cause her pain. She wanted to learn, wanted to be at peace.~ “It’s always been too much…I…I’m scared.”

~Her master had said earlier that Ena didn’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing. The padawan hoped more than anything for that to hold true now.~

 

[Malon]

Siri was now kneeling in front of her Padawan, a hand on each of Ena's shoulders. Through the Force, she comforted the young girl and soothed her fears.

"There is no need to be afraid. I am here. I will not allow anything to happen to you. The Force is my ally, and a powerful ally it is. So shall it be with you. I sense that in your future. You will get past this. Let go of your fear. If you ever wish to have peace in your life, you must let go of fear. Now, do what I instructed you. Relax your mind and muscles. The Force is storing in your chest, and has been since you drew it in moments before. I am here with my hands on your shoulders. If anything bad happens, I'll stop it the instant it does."

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

~Ena nodded and sniffled. The warm pressure of her Master’s hands on either shoulder was comforting. She wasn’t alone in this. Not this time. Ena sat a little straighter. She just had to trust in the force – trust her Master. How hard could that be? Ena unclenched her fists and let her hands rest palms up on her knees. She drew in a long, deep breath, as if drawing up all the tension in her body and mind. Okay. Just let go. Free your mind. Ena exhaled, and relaxed. It was like she had been holding her breath for her entire life. Maybe she had been. The girl had never truly felt the force before; only dealt with the effects of the extreme empathy it pushed on her. Now, with the force in her center – a part of her, instead of being outside – it no longer clashed with her will. Instead of sending her untrained mind an influx of information, the force gathered like water, filled Ena up and only then flowed through her. It wasn’t overwhelming. Not this time it was…different…but good. ~

~ Ena’s joy and surprise at the success made it harder to focus, and as such some of the control she had slipped away – but all Ena had to do in order to stop the force from spiraling out of control was focus again. A challenge, but doable. Ena smiled, careful to maintain her focus.~

“This is…better. Will it get easier to focus? With time?”

 

[Malon]

Siri returned her apprentice's smile and nodded;

"It will get easier and before you know it, use of the Force and focus will become second nature to you, as it is now for me. Congratulations, my young Padawan learner; you have taken your first steps as a Jedi. You've overcome a great fear, as well as a physical challenge and I am proud of you for your success. Now then, your body needs rest. Return to the Temple and talk to one of the Masters there about getting you a room. I will meet you in that room in the morning, once you have slept, and we will continue your training." Siri said.