Dilios Starbuck's Training

[Lillianne Crasse]

The rebuilt academy of Dantooine was still a shadow of it's former dwelling. Many hardships had fallen in these very halls, but the hearts of those who attended here were resilient. It wasn't a question of when the Jedi would rebuild, but when the work would begin.

Sitting in one of the recently renovated training rooms, Khaluq waited as she had waited many times before on a new student. New to the Academy of Dantooine, she still was getting her bearings. Just like her surroundings, the times were different. This padawan would be her first since her return to the Jedi. Knowing the gravity of the lessons that would be learned here, she meditated, finding her center.

Reaching out with her mind in the Force, she gently touched the mind of Dilios, guiding him to this room.

 

[Wing]

Dilios was inside the Academy of Dantooine, one the academies of the Jedi Order which had been rebuilt. Dilios was to be trained as a Jedi under Khaluq. He was new to the building and could not make his way around. All of a sudden, something touched his mind, an outside force was guiding him to a room.

He followed and was led to a room where he saw an individual inside.

"Hello, I am looking for Khaluq. I am Dilios."

 

[Lillianne Crasse]

Khaluq simply smiled and raised a finger to her lips, urging him to be quiet and enter the room.

"We should always begin our sessions with centering ourselves. Come and join me in a meditation," she said finally, opening her eyes and looking upon her padawan for the first time.

"Please, have a seat," she told him while motioning to the floor right across from her.

 

[Wing]

Dilios walked across the floor and sat Indian style across from her. He tried to meditate, but really didn't know how.

"How should I meditate? What do I think about?"

 

[Lillianne Crasse]

Once he had sat down, she had closed her eyes once more and began to center her thoughts and mind.

"First, close your eyes and try to empty your mind of any thoughts, feelings, emotions...instead, focus upon your rhythmic breathing. Focus on each breath you take in and each breath you exhale. With each exhalation, let your body and mind relax more and more."

With that said, she began to take a deep breath in and exhale slowly, giving him a rhythm to follow. With each breath, she began to lightly touch his mind and help him let go and just...be.

 

[Wing]

Dilios closed in eyes as his master had instructed. He then inhaled and exhaled, with his mind clear, only focused on breathing.

 

[Lillianne Crasse]

He was progressing quickly, she thought as she felt him letting go. Several students have had problems letting go and just being. Encouraged by the diligence he was showing in his training thus far, she decided to test him and see how much he could feel within the Force.

"Now, as you focus upon each breath, focus harder upon this next breath you inhale. Know that with this breath, life is renewed within you. Let your mind concentrate on the exchange of gases within your lungs, and on the gases you exhale. Just as the respiration of another living organism gives you life, you are returning life to another living organism. All things are connected in this life through what we call the Force. Try to focus upon it's ebbing wave as it flows through you...me....this room....and beyond. Follow it's flow and tell me what you feel."

OOC: Use your imagination. As a padawan, you won't be able to sense much further than the training room, yet with time your character will be able to feel the link between others and all life forms in a larger vicinity. This is where you can let your imagination wander a bit and think about what it might feel like.

 

[Wing]

OCC: Sorry took so long. School and all.

Dilios meditated harder, and continued inhaling and exhaling. Soon he could feel things around him in the room. His master, the walls, the floor, the ceiling. There were some blurs, but soon he could make out the entire room.

"Master, I think I am doing it!"

 

[Lillianne Crasse]

Khaluq smiled as he did indeed seem to have a grasp on it, yet she wanted him to try to reach out further.

"Concentrate and let your mind flow with the Force freely," she urged him in a very quiet voice, almost a whisper as she began to reach out with her mind, linking hers to his.

Together, she led him out of the room and into the very halls of the Academy, following the flow of the Force and it's undulations into the adjacent training rooms. Careful of the strain upon his mind, she did not lead him too far. When the strain upon his mind seemed evident, she slowly began to withdraw the link and allow him time to recover.

"With time and practice, you will be able to sense things much farther than this Academy. All of life, all over the galaxy, is connected in the Force. Yet, just because we're all connected does not mean that all can sense the influence of the Force. Persons, such as you and I, those sensitive to the Force can follow it's leading and also manipulate it. However, before we cover such things, you must first learn more about who we are and what we believe for the path you are about to take is a treacherous one," she said, emphasizing the importance of the word treacherous.

"Persons that can manipulate the Force have an affect upon others. Just as all of life is connected with the Force, the slightest change in it's natural flow can cause great tradegies. Hence, the Jedi of old have given us a guide, a code in which to protect the innocent as well as ourselves. Have you heard any of the other padawans talking about the Code?"

 

[Wing]

Dilios absorbed what his master was telling him. This was larger than he thought.

"No master, I have not heard any other padawans talking about the code, I'm not even acquainted with any of them."

 

[Lillianne Crasse]

She noted his answer, keeping in mind that she might have to remedy that if he did not make acquaintances or even friends with others here at Dantooine.

"Your training within these halls will take much time and will require you to study along with other padawans. It is often helpful to have a person with whom you can study with. I encourage you to spend a little time with some of the other padawans and Knights here at the Academy.

"There are many forms of the Code. Some go further in depth than the shortened version that most Jedi Masters choose to teach their students. However, I prefer the Code given to us by one of the greatest masters, Odan-Urr.

There will be a time when I will call upon you to recite the Code to me, yet you must first know what it means. Through understanding the Code and memorizing it, you will make it a part of you. Listen now to the words and when I'm finished, I want you to explain to me what you believe they mean.

There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no death; there is the force.

Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy.
Jedi use their powers to defend and protect,
never to attack others.
Jedi respect all life, in any form.
Jedi serve others rather than ruling over
them, for the good of the galaxy.
Jedi seek to improve themselves through
knowledge and training."

 

[Wing]

Dilios heard the code echo through his ears. He tried repeating it to himself a couple of times, though forgetting some of the words, but they came back to him.

"Master, I believe the code is outlining the Jedi's mission to serving good and what the Force is about."

 

[Lillianne Crasse]

OOC: You were supposed to explain what you believed the code to mean, dear.

 

[Wing]

OCC: I am very sorry, it's been nearly a month. I re-editted my post.

 

[Lillianne Crasse]

She noted his answer, keeping in mind that she might have to remedy that if he did not make acquaintances or even friends with others here at Dantooine.

"Your training within these halls will take much time and will require you to study along with other padawans. It is often helpful to have a person with whom you can study with. I encourage you to spend a little time with some of the other padawans and Knights here at the Academy.

"There are many forms of the Code. Some go further in depth than the shortened version that most Jedi Masters choose to teach their students. However, I prefer the Code given to us by one of the greatest masters, Odan-Urr.

There will be a time when I will call upon you to recite the Code to me, yet you must first know what it means. Through understanding the Code and memorizing it, you will make it a part of you. Listen now to the words and when I'm finished, I want you to explain to me what you believe they mean.

There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no death; there is the force.

Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy.
Jedi use their powers to defend and protect,
never to attack others.
Jedi respect all life, in any form.
Jedi serve others rather than ruling over
them, for the good of the galaxy.
Jedi seek to improve themselves through
knowledge and training."

Khaluq figured her padawan needed help with this task. She motioned him to join her at the computer panel in the room. Selecting the program on the Jedi Code, she brought up Master Odan-Urr's teachings for him to look upon.

At its most basic level, the Jedi Code is a set of guidelines explaining what virtues to prize and what flaws to avoid. Jedi instructors ask their students to always keep these words in mind. The reason is simple: The Code provides instructions on how to become a Jedi Master.
Consider the first rule: “There is no emotion; there is peace.” It is plainly a contrast, distinguishing the confusion of emotional considerations from the clear thinking of peaceful meditation; obviously, a valuable quality.
But if that peace is rooted in simply being unaware of some factor that would otherwise cause a Jedi to feel an emotional reaction, then it is not so much peace as ignorance. This is why the Code contains the second rule: “There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.”
This teaches Jedi to strive to understand all situations particularly before acting; to avoid errors in judgement. But knowing a thing well can lead one to become engrossed in it. An obsessive focus leads to clouding of the mind. Thus, the third rule: “There is no passion; there is serenity.” Knowing a thing objectively is knowing it as the Force knows it.
Still, students commonly argue that the only true objectivity is non-existence; death. For does one not affect a thing even by merely observing it? This is why there is the fourth rule: “There is no death; there is the Force.” The Force knows all things objectively; it is serene, and it is not swayed by emotion.
Thus, the Jedi Code teaches that before undertaking any action, the Jedi should consider the will of the Force. Master Odan-Urr said: “With these other considerations aside, all that remains is the force,” If a Jedi can act emotionlessly, knowledgably, and serenely, then he or she is acting in accordance with the Force.
Therefore, if a Jedi acts in all things without emotion, ignorance, or passion, then that Jedi is truly a master of the force.​

"You should spend some time with these words and seek a deeper meaning within the Code. It is only after we understand the way of the Jedi and the Force that leads us that we can begin to grow. These words of the Code were meant to guide all students, Knights and Masters alike. Never should these words nor their meanings be far from your lips and heart. It is the Code that will help you remain centered and resist the temptations of the darkness," she told him, pressing her point.​

"We shall adjurn for the night, yet I want to see you in the morning, the same time to begin again. We shall continue your training once you've had time to meditate upon the Code and it's meaning."​

OOC: Your next post should have you entering the room the following day, ready to continue your training.​

 

[Wing]

Dilios nodded and retreated to his quarters, reflected on what he had learned, and went to sleep.

The next day he woke up fast and got dressed into his robes. He hurried down the Academy's corridors, not running, but trying to get to his master's training room quickly on time to be punctual. He then walked in through the door and bowed to his master.

 

[Lillianne Crasse]

Khaluq's back was turned to him as he entered the room, yet his arrival did not go unnoticed. Continuing to pile some stones of varying size into the crook of her left arm, she turned her head toward him and smiled.

"You're right on time, Dilios. You should begin this and every session with centering yourself in the Force as I taught you yesterday. Do so now as I continue to make preparations for today's lesson," she told him politely, turning around and moving around the room to place the stones at different distances around it.

 

[Wing]

Dilios nodded and sat on the ground and began meditating and clearing his mind.

 

[Lillianne Crasse]

Khaluq finally sat down in front of her padawan, placing a small stone before him as he continued meditating. Folding her hands in her lap, she touched his mind gently, ushering him out of his meditation, ready to finally begin.

When his eyes opened and his mind seemed present, she began the lesson. "Yesterday, we began talking about how the Force flows in, around and through all living things. As a Jedi, we have an intuition of the Force and can even manipulate its natural flow. Today, we shall begin a simple task, yet an important one nonetheless."

Motioning with her hand to the stone before him, she continued, "this stone you see before you can easily be picked up with little effort physically. Yet, it can also be moved through the Force. Close your eyes again and focus upon the fluctuations of the Force around the stone," she told him, ready to wait as long as it may take him to focus just upon that area of the room. "Once you can see the flow around the stone, think about moving the stone. Focus upon one side at a time and attempt to move the stone. Merely think and do not command, concentrate on the stone and what you want it to accomplish."

OOC: You should move the stone away from you, toward you and to either side. Explain what your character is feeling and also the strain of doing so. This should not be a very simple task. Your character's mind must be centered, not demanding and patient.

 

[Wing]

Well here goes, thought Dilios to himself. He began focusing on the rock, and pictured it moving. He had his eyes closed, put peeked and saw nothing was happening. He pictured harder, and he thought he felt something.