Lightning Become my Blade... (Training Thread)

[Takeshi]

Alma finished her paragraph before finally looking up, a smile spreading on her face, "Better, thanks." She caught the slightly rigid movements of her master as she did this; not even having to use the force to tell that Siri was still worried. She felt like asking what her master had come up with, but her good mood had increased her full patience infinitely.

 

[Malon]

Alma's patience was rewarded, because after hearing her response, Siri nodded, pleased, and dived into to the plan she'd devised.

"Since you are a rather unique case for the Jedi, I am going to adapt your training to be equally as unique. The technique you are manifesting is very rightly called Force lightning. Depending on the intensity, it could knock someone unconscious or even kill them. A Jedi is never to use the Force to kill, only to defend. Once you learn to control this power, I ask as your master that you use it sparingly. Its very nature is corrupting, and if you aren't careful, its use could lead you down a very dark path."

"I've done some intense studying and asking around since our last meeting and discovered that you are not the first Jedi to manifest Force lighting, so I was able to uncover its uses in the light side. Firstly, light side Force lightning never kills. It only saps their strength and willpower. To achieve light side Force lightning you must be in constant meditation with the light side of the Force, so from now on, I want you to do this before you sleep at night."

"Now for my method of controlling this power. Like any skill, it takes practice to master it, so that's exactly what we will be doing today. Emotions are key when using lightning. Make sure you do not have too powerful emotions when you use it, or it will backfire or become more intense. Use it on me. I will deflect it away safely with my lightsaber or the Force."

 

[Takeshi]

Alma decided to be inquisitive as she rose; pocketing her datapad. As she smoothed out her robes out of habit, she asked, "But don't intense emotions lead to the dark side only when you lose control of them? Does that mean you're going to have me start small and just increase the intensity by control?"

 

[Malon]

"No, I mean avoid intense emotions. A Jedi must learn to control herself and be at peace in mind and in spirit, as well as in harmony with the Force. Intense emotions, be they negative or positive distract a Jedi from their concentration and can also get in the way of judgement." she replied sternly.

She realized that it was crucial she guide Alma with a stern hand through this exercise in order to prevent her from slipping down the dark path.

 

[Takeshi]

Alma nodded, not in the least put off. With an inward shrug and a decision not to argue more; that would be for another time, she drew upon herself and began to try and open herself to the force; only to realize that she had already been doing that in her peace of reading. She found her emotions and leveled them off with the ease she had had weeks ago; deciding to focus on one emotion solely and try it. But she needed a song that could help keep her low. Something slow she decided; a beat that she would dance likewise to.

With a hum, she closed her eyes and gathered herself; deciding to go equally slow. She felt the energy begin to well up in her hands, and after a moment, she loosed them on her master. The lightning arced; as fast as lightning should move, but they seemed less energetic and more controlled than before.

 

[Malon]

Siri felt the lighting leave Alma's fingertips as a surge in the Force and responded in kind. Calling on the Force, her lightsaber leaped from its holster on her back and landed in her hand, ignited also by the power of the Force. She immediately caught the lightning on her blue blade and reflected it harmlessly at the wall. She then beckoned for her student to try again.

 

[Takeshi]

Alma considered; she needed to find her current limit, or she would never find ways to improve. So this time she found a song in her head with a quicker beat to it; it still wasn't very quick, but she found her emotions and let loose again; the lightning this time coming out with more energy, and the control was the same.

She switched her song, and found a regular paced tempo. The energy increased, but her control began to lessen. She lowered the tempo, and it went as before. The more emotion and intensity I put in, the more energy there is, but it's harder to control...

 

[Malon]

The lightning again found itself caught on the blade of Siri's lightsaber before being deflected at the wall, this time causing cracks from intensity. Siri took this moment to speak and instruct her student.

"Watch your intensity. You don't want it to be too strong. Jedi Force lightning is suppose to sap and drain stamina and willpower from a foe. You don't need a particularly powerful blast to accomplish that task. Remember, a Jedi uses the Force for defense and help. You don't need to kill someone with the intensity of that blast, only drain them of their willpower enough to get them to stop fighting."

 

[Takeshi]

Alma thought about it for a moment; she wanted to be able to control it in-case she ever needed that intensity, but she decided that that was something she would haev to figure out on her own. Instead, she decided to work on her spread. She found her upbeat song; she wanted it to spread but still have some energy in it, and pushed herself onwards; letting her control open up into a much more wide-spread attack.

 

[Malon]

Siri thumbed the ignition switch on her lightsaber again, activating its second blade. She then spun it clockwise until it appeared like a disk, again reflecting her apprentice's lighting back at the wall.

"You're getting better, Alma. Now then, why don't we take a break? Tell me, what usually causes the power to manifest so violently like it did yesterday?"

 

[Takeshi]

Alma thought about it for a moment, looking at herself as fairly as she could. After a moment, she decided, "Stress, fear, doubt, that kind of thing I suppose..."

 

[Malon]

Siri grinned; she had thought so. With a flip of a switch, her lightsaber deactivated it and she placed it back in her spot. It was time for a more in depth lesson of Jedi theology.

"Alma, recite to me the Jedi Code once more please." she said without indicating why she was doing this.

 

[Takeshi]

Alma didn't even have to think this time, ""Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force."

 

[Malon]

Siri nodded, "Good. You know the words, but do you put them to practice? On your first day with me, you told me what you thought the meaning of the code was. Have you not applied it? Emotion, yet peace. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. These things are tenets that a Jedi must not only know, but live by."

"From now on, I want you to mediate on these things during your nightly meditations. Don't just know them. Live them. Tomorrow we will be leaving on a mission. So rest up. You have a long day ahead of you."

 

[Takeshi]

Alma understood what was being asked of her, and bowed before asking out of her natural curiousity, "A mission to where?"

 

[Malon]

Siri smiled. Her natural excitement made her want to tell Alma everything. To tell her where they were going to and what they would be doing. However, her wisdom and experience told her to be patient, and make Alma do the same.

"Patience, young one. You will know when tomorrow comes. I want you to meat me in the hanger tomorrow. We will be leaving directly after breakfast so that we can make it to our destination by lunch."

 

[Takeshi]

Alma could see the excitement Siri was holding back in how she held herself and how she moved. Her patience was still in good standing however, and she did not press her master. Taking the order as dismissal, Alma bowed before taking her leave; returning to her room where she intended to read, and consider some experiments to try on her own.

But first, some research was needed on her part...

 

[Malon]

Mission to Ilum

Siri was up early the next morning. She ate a small breakfast in her quarters, showered, and then went down to the hanger. She'd already arranged a transport to take them to their destination point, but it was her duty to stock it with provisions and other necessities. Loading the necessary food and water supplies into the cargo hold took most her of her morning, and she knew that Alma would be coming soon.

Trying to make good time, Siri gathered some of the special supplies she had requested from one of the masters at the temple and loaded them on to the transport as well. She preformed the preflight check, entered the coordinates of their destination, and then went out of the ship and into the hanger bay once more to await her apprentice.

 

[Takeshi]

Alma came walking into the hanger bay with her datapad in hand and her entire presence centered. She seemed a little tired, but her presense in the force was deep and flowing now; she emanated the control she had begun to show yesterday. With a bag slung over her shoulder with the essentials inside, she looked up as she neared her master and bowed towards her; saying, "Morning master."

 

[Malon]

Siri smiled at her Padawan as the latter greeted her.

"Good morning, Alma. Today's mission is a special one. We are going to the sacred caves on the Jedi world of Ilum and you will be constructing your first, and hopefully only, lightsaber. Now then, shall we board the ship?"

Siri turned and ducked into the transport vessel, beckoning Alma to follow.