Sphere of Silence

[Wolf]

Nothing on Arbra made Nakoma happier than when it was raining. There was something in her soul that resonated with the rain. It made her giddy enough to run out into it and dance like a lunatic. It was beautiful and though it spoiled the day for many, she loved it. The Padawan now sat outside upon a large stone near the entrance to the enclave. Though the rain was pounding against her skin and she was soaking wet, her meditation felt deeper today than most days. She felt more connected with the Force than when confined to a sterile training room or her own quarters. It was something she feared would be short lived however, as new information had surfaced of a possible Sith invasion of this hidden refuge.

As the young woman began to surface from the depths of her connection to the Force, her amber eyes slowly opened and took in her surroundings. Streams of water poured over her face as the rain cascaded down her lengthy coal colored hair. She smiled and rose to her feet, stretching and bending to loosen the muscles that had been stilled for the past two hours. It was time to practice the abilities that she had been learning and honing for several months. Nakoma was unsure of where exactly Ze'kyre was or when he would return, so she wanted to be prepared to impress him upon his return. The Padawan had grown close enough to him that she could sense his life energy within the Force, even at great distances...and it brought her much comfort over the past month while he was away on mission.

Laying her thoughts aside, Nakoma jumped down from the large stone and took a short walk into the nearby forest. The trees, so thick and tall, provided some shelter from the downpour. It was almost like an intermittent rain where she was standing. With drops occasionally landing upon her forehead, the woman searched the ground around her for stones. Upon locating a few, she focused on two and began whistling in a tone so low, that it could have been inaudible to the ears of one with a refined sense of hearing. This was not an issue for Nakoma however, as she could see the waves of sound within the Force with her mind's eye. They dove and danced around the fist sized stones at her feet before lifting the two objects to chest level. The woman balanced them there in nearly complete stillness. Then a flash of excitement overcame her eyes as she raised her hands, her palms facing the stones, and she made a motion as if to shove them from her.

No contact was made between the woman's hands and the rocks, but the Force swiftly from her thoughts, down her arms, and out through her palms. The stones were hurled into a nearby tree where they stopped hard and then fell to the ground. A look of satisfaction graced Nakoma's lips as she looked around her once again. This time, she spied a log that was about the same length and diameter as her leg. Without hesitation, she moved her hands in a fluid, dance-like movement and lifted the log. Moving her hands slowly, she began to turn the piece of wood from a horizontal position, to verticle as it hovered at eye level. With great concentration, the Padawan held the log in place with her extended left hand, as she reached her right hand across her body and her training saber flew from her belt and into her grasp.

Holding her saber tightly, she dropped her right arm to her side as her finger slid over the ignition button. The brilliant emerald blade shot forth from the hilt and illuminated the area around her.Her right foot slid behind her as her stance widened slightly. Suddenly, Nakoma raised the saber and grasped it in both hands. She brought the blade cross in a sweeping horizontal sweep aimed for the top of the log. "Zone one", she thought, as it would have been an opponents left ear. Without missing a beat, she raised the weapon over the top of the log and ran it along the wood on its right side. "Zone two", she envisioned the right shoulder of an enemy. The fluid motion continued as she swept the blade downward and across to her right, which with a real lightsaber would have bisected the log, zone three." The woman extended her left leg far out in front of her before dropping most of her weight upon her right knee as it bent beneath her. The saber was on a returning sweep back across to the left as the blade grazed the lower portion of the piece of wood. "Zones four and five", she thought as she struck the area that would have been both right and left knees of an opponent. To complete these swift actions that had encompassed the time of mere seconds, the woman harnessed all of the mental and physical strength that she could and shot straight up into the air before landing hard behind the log. Her saber arched across the middle of the back side of the log in a one handed blow. "Zone six", she thought with a great sense of accomplishment.

The large piece of wood fell at her feet and as she stood over it, her eyes inspected the damage. There were several burns upon the surface that had been inflicted by the modified blade. Ze'kyre had crafted this training saber with an option to increase the power from a small zap, to a burning jolt. Nakoma's finger brushed over the button as she disengaged the weapon and hooked it to her utility belt at her left hip. Her hands framed her face for a moment as she pushed her wet hair back behind her ears. With a content sigh, she began walking a bit deeper into the forest. With her ever deepening connection to the Force, the young woman could sense several small woodland creatures that were taking refuge from the rain. Sadly, the deluge was slowing and some of the birds were already flitting around. Nakoma whistled a short tune composed of high notes that manifested in the Force and graced the ears of the winged beings. They cheerfully chirped in return and flew quite near to the woman as she watched in wonder.

This beautiful place, these birds...it all made her miss Ze'kyre. The times that they spent apart were growing in frequency and length. Nakoma knew that it was to be expected. It was the life of the Jedi...but she could not ignore her heart and what he did to it. The woman leaned against the large trunk of a nearby tree for several minutes, relaxing and taking in the beauty of the rain and the forest. It reminded her of home and she hoped to return there someday soon to show her family that in the past six months, she had learned and grown into a true Jedi. She hoped to return there with the one that had made it all possible for her. Nakoma only hoped that he would be returning soon from the latest mission to a place that she had never heard of before. Truthfully, she cared less when he returned....only that he actually would.

 

[Resolute\\.ZEN]

The last couple of weeks had kept the echani very busy. The crisis on Bakura had seen many of the order occupied with tasks of healing and restabilizing the planet. Ze'kyre and his fellow Jedi had served to sooth the and stabilize the planet's population, Ze'kyre himself had spent a lot of time in the capital city of Salis D'aar. Where others had focused on healing, his blade had been kept ready and willing to cut off the infection at its source. Early on had he been confronted with some sort of Force adept, claiming to be an ex-Jedi but undoubtedly an agent of the Imperium. Such had been the highlight of the trip for the warrior, and unfortunately he had not the chance to really test his mettle against such a rogue. But that did not concern him, undoubtedly there would be more opportunities to draw his blade and mean it.

But the return to home on Arbra was quiet and quaint, certainly paling in comparison to the thought of finding Nakoma. And so when the shuttle touched down, Ze'kyre went straight to his quarters to clean up and drop off his weapons. Pausing a moment, he inspected Ezyrah's Flute. He had not taken the unique sabre staff with him to Bakura, instead taking a lightsaber in a hilt of polished ivory. But for now he needed none of the sort. Other Jedi liked to keep the weapon at their side at all times. Ze'kyre's fingers were lethal, and he did not feel the need to carry an extension and symbol of such violent potential. Home was a place of peace.

He quickly bathed himself and replaced his traveller's attire with a black wushu robe and pants, tying it all together with his white sash, covering his bare right shoulder and chest before wrapping tight about his waist. He slipped into a pair of wooden sandals. They were thick and clog-like, but the cord of hemp fit nicely between his big toes and wrapped up the length of his foot comfortably. Surprisingly, they did not click against the ground, a testament to the grace and quiet power within the echani's mass of corded muscle, which was greater now than usual. Ze'kyre had started weight-lifting, instead of practicing only with his body's weight, in preparation for Bakura. Although the extra strength was no doubt useful, Ze'kyre felt the need to have every spare fraction when it came to his range of movement, and was excited to return to his usual regime to lose some of the bulk. Perhaps his usual form would be even more sculpted and refined, as returning to his old weight would prove difficult.

Through the Force he could feel her. It was an intense type of feeling. He had heard of the ability of some sensitives to connect with one another through a sort of Force bonding. Given Nakoma's strong telepathic ability, Ze'kyre was unsure if they had truly tapped into such a feat, but her presence the whole while he was away told him otherwise. No doubt she could feel him. But he wanted to surprise her, so he had been suppressing his signature in the Force. Of course she would still feel it as he made his way out of the enclave and into the forest, but he knew he could keep the knowledge of his proximity from her.

Her presence seemed to linger in the area as he walked by the rock, as if the rain unable to wash away the smell of her skin and hair, or perhaps he was imagining such a scent in his anticipation. The canopy of leaves that formed over his head gave him ruth from the rain, and he continued on between the tree trunks to where he could Sense Nakoma was. It was not much longer before he could see her in the clearing. He approached silently, from behind he could see that she was lifting stones. Their last lesson had been the practice of such a skill, and Ze'kyre could not help but smile to see the practice she had put in, even the stillness with which she held the stones at chest level.

As her body motioned for the firing of the stones, Ze'kyre watched intently, quietly moving closer. She was soon suspending a log of wood in the air as she withdrew her lightsaber. Her movements were sharp and practiced, and her body had developed more strength than when they had first met. He could see the power that was growing within her, both physical and mental. Being from her for so long had been a harder concept then he originally thought it would be, but allowed him to see her in a new light. He was certainly proud to have helped her develop herself into a Jedi. She was so focused that Ze'kyre held no doubt that this truly had been her destiny. His thoughts returned to his time on Galtea, and he could not imagine having had left her behind. Even if the only consequence would have been to never see her again.

Nakoma hopped up and over the the log, showing a fine display of acrobatics, and Ze'kyre wanted to step out from behind a tree, his distinctive and pearl-like smile set upon her, to clap lightly before embracing her. But he continued to watch, following her and before too long what he saw made the reminiscence well up inside of him. She whistled, and birds of varying colours came down from their nests to visit with and sing back to her. Even the sun seemed to want to shine for her. It was such a perfect image, Ze'kyre did not want to disturb any part of it by stepping out into the open. But as she leaned against the tree and travelled back into her thoughts, Ze'kyre knew that he would have to greet her before long.

And so he stepped out into the clearing, all the image she had been used to, if not slightly bigger and with his hair shaved off. He knew that she had always liked his hair, but it was such a distinctive feature that it unfortunately had to go in preparation for the assignment. Ze'kyre did not mind too much himself, proudly displaying the silver dots on his forehead, two columns of three, as worn by the monks of Eshan, they were easier to hide than a head full of thick, silver-white hair. He stepped closer, his sandals quiet in the wet grass. "You are growing powerful, Nakoma." He said silently with a telepathic tone that, while excited, did poorly to express his longing to wrap his arms around her. "You are going to have to make a real lightsaber soon, aren't you?"

 

[Wolf]

As Nakoma continued leaning against the tree, she allowed her eyes to close momentarily as she took in the beauty of the forest with her other senses...through the Force. It was incredible to feel the life force of the trees surrounding her. Even the rain had a unique signature within the depths of the Great Wind. She inhaled deeply and had to push her wet hair behind her ears once again. The tiny droplets of water trickled down her forehead before dripping onto her cheeks, falling over her lips and then continuing down her neck. It was cathartic to be in an environment that so closely resembled her home. The rain was cleansing in a way that made her forget about all else...mostly. All things except for him.

It was in this moment of solitude that she noticed Ze'kyre's presence much stronger than it had been in weeks. Her eyes slowly opened wide as she looked to her side before turning to peek around the tree that had served as her place of rest for several moments. Right then, the Jedi Knight stepped forth from a hidden spot among the trees. The young woman turned and her amber orbs locked upon his dichromatic gaze. For a moment, there was silence and Nakoma was unable to move. Her heart fluttered in her chest and the strange feeling also returned to her stomach. It was reminiscent of their time together on Galtea.

"Ze'kyre..." Even the woman's mental voice sounded breathless in his mind. A wide smile appeared upon her lips as she took him in. He did look different with a larger, quite muscular frame and shaven head. Without a second more of hesitation, she took several steps forward, closing the gap between them. Her eyes drank in the beauty of his, something that she had longed for. The woman's right hand slowly raised and she placed it upon his chest, the beat of his heart strong beneath her fingers. Clearly, a month had felt like quite a long time to the Laku'na. Seeing him was like looking at a ghost, and gratitude welled up within her that he had returned to her safely.

Ignoring his praise and the comment about building a lightsaber, Nakoma threw her arms around Ze'kyre's neck and she embraced him tightly. She drew in a deep, staggered breath as her heart rate increased and the corners of her eyes stung with impending tears of joy. "I've missed you..." Her words were layered with deep emotions of excitement, happiness, thankfulness, anticipation...love. She turned her head slightly to rest her nose against the soft skin of his neck and she breathed him in, wishing to memorize this moment with every sense that she possessed.

 

[Resolute\\.ZEN]

Ze'kyre's chest lifted slowly under her hand, the moist cloths of his robe and sash giving her touch a cool sensation. It was but a small struggle to keep his breath controlled, but one he had mastered long before. Yet still he found his heart beating at a slightly faster tempo. Warmth came through the wet cloth upon his chest, not a physical warmth but tangible none the less as the emotional connection between Nakoma and himself strengthened through the mechanism of touch. The accelerando of his heartbeat continued as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and neck, and Ze'kyre could not help but close his eyes and take in the moment, his arms raising and finding one another behind the small of her back as he pulled her in tightly.

It had been too long, the Jedi Knight knew. He could not have expected her to keep up with her training without him, and he knew he owed her the right of being prepared before she was forced to confront the Sith, but at least once again he could expect to be by her side if such an event were to occur. But what was done was done, and Ze'kyre did not wish to dwell in the past now that Nakoma was in his arms. His breathing continued slowly, but now his lungs were filled with the sweet scent of hair mixed with the spring-like sensation of their atmosphere. "I've missed you too," he replied delicately.

But the moment could only last so long, and when he pulled away from her, he held her by the shoulders and smiled. "I'm certain you've been keeping up with your training. We will probably have to intensify the routines tomorrow, what do you think?" He could tell by the muscle under his fingers that her upper body strength had increased immensely, no doubt she had taken more than a few steps walking upon her hands by this point, a practice that may seem trivial but was essential for the more advanced of the dance-like patterns of Echani Art.

He turned and began to lead her through the woods. "So, I sense you've had another encounter with the young one, Kai." With his dexterity unaffected by his slow, graceful gait, he lifted a hand to stroke the top of her eye. The scar had healed nicely. "I hope he has not caused you too much trouble." Ze'kyre chuckled as he turned his gaze forward. "Tell me about your time here, what has happened while I was posted to Bakura?"

 

[Wolf]

As Ze'kyre began to lead Nakoma through the woods she too took slow, graceful strides. Once in lockstep with one another, the familiarity and warmth of their bond enveloped the pair and the area surrounding them. It was almost as if they were in a bubble of sorts. The young woman's cheeks turned several shades of pink when the Knight caressed the scar above her left eye. The first encounter that she had with her fellow Padawan had taken a very abrupt and unexpected turn. Nakoma was grateful that Ze'kyre had been there, waiting in the shadows when the boy delivered the blow that had knocked her unconscious.

Shaking her head with a smile, her thoughts moved to their last encounter. It had been in a spot in the forest quite like where the pair now found themselves. "There is an obvious struggle within Kai. I am unsure that any amount of training with the Jedi will keep him from embracing the Dark Side as it seems to be his natural tendency." The Padawan's mind shifted to an image at the final moments of the duel. There she stood with Kai lying upon the ground at her feet, the tip of her saber's blade just inches from his neck. It was a moment of great self control as she could have easily injured him and delivered retribution for the unwarranted harm that he had caused her.

"We met again, and the outcome was very different." In the end, she did nothing. Nakoma simply deactivated her saber and walked away. More was said in her silence and inaction in that moment than if she had taken advantage of Kai's vulnerable state. Pushing these thoughts aside, the young woman focused upon a great many other things that she needed to discuss with Ze'kyre. Smiling, she recalled his comments about finally constructing the signature weapon of the Jedi. "I agree that it is time for me to build a lightsaber." The prospect of stepping into the next phase of growth on her path with the Jedi was exhilirating and the smile upon her face reflected this.

The pair came to a clearing and stopped walking as Ze'kyre asked about what had been going on while he was away. While Nakoma had been enjoying her time upon Arbra, she realized that her stay there may be short lived. "There's rumors that the Sith have learned the location of our temple here and on Anoth." The Padawan swallowed hard as her eyes searched the ground at her feet. "I have a feeling that things are going to become much more dangerous for us very soon." Her mind then went to the near future, and she knew that she needed to let Ze'kyre know about her impending mission. "The council has put a team together to scout out Christophsis....to see if it would be possible to establish a temple there. It sounds like minimal risk is involved...and they asked me to go."

Nakoma felt privileged that her elders thought that she was ready for this level of responsibility. "I'm not sure when I'll be leaving, but they asked me to be ready at a moment's notice. It should be a brief mission. I'll be with Khaimov and Master Kiro Haas so at least I'll know someone." She smiled as her amber eyes locked with Ze'kyre's. Her heart hoped that he would be proud of her. "How was your time away? Did everything go as planned on Bakura?"

 

[Resolute\\.ZEN]

Such rumours had not passed his ears without note. In retrospect he thought that perhaps the act of helping Bakura would be momentous enough to start a new temple, one in which Jedi could teach and learn freely. But alas, not all were as ready to stand and fight as he was, and while still in a state of healing Ze'kyre understood that the planet was not ready to be the place of re-opening for the ancient hostilities between Jedi and Sith. But perhaps soon the Jedi would have a home they could fight for, a place within the galaxy and a presence that they could once again be proud of. The mention of Christophsis reaffirmed such hopes, and Ze'kyre found himself smiling at the news. "Good, good, remember to stay close to Khaimov." The two of them had worked not long ago with the giant of a Jedi, and Ze'kyre had faith that his Padawan would be safe under the guidance of the Bear, as well as Master Haas.

He was in fact quite proud that Nakoma had been chosen for the scouting mission, but something about the matter made him feel a little uneasy. He did not allow the sentiment to betray his features, smiling keenly as he pushed the notion aside just as she asked about Bakura. "There were some... complications." There was a touch of mirth in the echani's voice as he visually recalled the rogue Force adept he had encountered at the rally. "But all in all, I think we managed to do them some good. I'm afraid however that the Imperium will undoubtedly know the Jedi have been there." Ze'kyre himself had likely become something of a target for any Imperial censors overlooking the media coverage from the square on the outskirts of Salis Daar. With his hair, sword, and dichromatic eyes Ze'kyre had always made quite a distinctive image. But that was fine with the warrior. He was done hiding, and he wanted to be one of the first Jedi to make a stand.

"I wish I could accompany you, but I've been assigned for another mission myself. The day after tomorrow I leave for a frigid planet called Tokmia." Quite contrary to Cristophsis, Ze'kyre's only regret was that moving away from civilization likely meant he was less likely to encounter a Sith Hunter, a fight he has been anticipating now for years. "It should provide some strategic value against the Sith armada, but the council suspects there may be a mine full of crystals. Perhaps I can find a suitable one for your new lightsaber?"

He allowed the question to hang in the air as he continued forward through the brush. Thoughtfully, he pondered to himself. He did not know how he felt about sending Nakoma off to Christophsis by herself, but the council saw fit to do so, and therefore he had to have faith in their judgement. Of course, the mission was minimal risk, the chances of her falling into harm's way were slim. But still, there was something about it. But again, he allowed such concern to wash over without manifesting upon him. The best he could hope to do was have her protect herself, help her to know that she was powerful enough to embark without him and arrive safely.

"Nakoma, do you remember the when we went over the Barrier technique?" It was a basic, core power. One of those the two had delved into shortly after he had taught her of the realm of Force Alteration. Using such a technique one could form powerful kinetic constructs for both defence and offence, oftentimes encompassing their body in a three-hundred and sixty degree shield that could stop all manner of mass and energy. "And surely you have been practicing your Tutaminis, I presume."

 

[Wolf]

The idea of venturing to Christophsis without Ze'kyre was not news to Nakoma as she had assumed that he might not have even returned from Bakura by the time she were to leave. Nodding in understanding, the young woman sighed quietly. "I'll stay close to Khaimov. I'm nervous about meeting Master Haas though." The Padawan had spent hours in the archives researching the woman while she also learned all she could about the crystalline planet. Kiro Haas had a fascinating background and her reputation most certainly preceded her.

Nakoma's mind shifted as Ze'kyre asked her about retrieving a crystal for the lightsaber that she would need to build. A broad smile formed upon her soft lips as she nodded. The woman's amber eyes seemed to glow with excitement at the idea of having something so precious and important to her future, chosen by the man that had brought her to the Jedi in the first place. "It would be an honor to have you find a crystal for me. Thank you." She imagined what the finished saber might look like, but followed the Knight to the next subject of discussion.

When he questioned her about the training that they had gone over months ago, the young woman's face illuminated with pride. She had indeed been practicing everything that he had taught her. Nakoma left no stone unturned when honing her skills in an attempt to become the best warrior that she was destined to become. "I have not neglected my training in your absence and in fact, I might surprise you." The smile upon her lips transformed into a playful smirk. "All aspects of Control are fascinating to me. It's amazing to be able to use the Force against itself, in a sense."

When Nakoma was not meditating or polishing her skills, she spent a considerable amount of time in the archives. She had been reseaching and reading up on several skills that could enhance her unique situation. At times, she wondered if her fellow Jedi would find her a help or a hinderance on missions, or just as a part of the Order in general. The Padawan wanted to make sure that she was just as much an asset to her bretheren as anyone else. Perhaps more. "I was hoping perhaps you could teach me more about the Sphere of Silence. I may not need it as I do not speak with my mouth...but with that ability I could shield sounds and conversations from a group of Jedi so that others in the area would be unable to hear any of it."

The young woman smiled broadly again as the idea rested at the forefront of her mind. In a sense, she would create an effect much similar to her own hearing loss, but only for the sound and conversation in the group that she would be shielding. This could prove to be quite effective and useful when on a sensitive mission. "I have also begun to learn how to project imagery into the minds of others. I found that it was easy enough for me to do with words and emotions...why not images to accompany these?" Nakoma was nearly certain that Ze'kyre would not be upset if she were to invade his mind for a moment, and so she focused upon a memory. It was a beautiful scene from within the cave behind the waterfall on Galtea. The emotions of excitement and a hint of anxiety accompanied the image as she projected it into the Knight's mind in the same fashion that she did with speech. The Padawan could not wait to see his reaction upon receiving the mental transmission.

 

[Resolute\\.ZEN]

Ze'kyre had not dealt much with Master Haas, and in fact knew through reputation that in terms of martial prowess she was not as practiced as other Jedi Masters. But he had studied more than once on words he had heard her say in passing, and had attended a couple of lessons by the Master to help himself gain mastery through the Force. "Do not be nervous. Master Haas is a bright Jedi and I'm certain that it will be a great opportunity for you to learn from her. Who knows, maybe she can even help out with your lightsaber." Kiro Haas was well known as the foremost Jedi artificer, and Ze'kyre could only imagine the number of lightsaber interiors she had sorted through or constructed.

When Nakoma asked about the sphere of silence ability, Ze'kyre smiled. Clearly they were on the same wavelength. Of course, years of running, hiding, and lying had left a distaste and weariness for the Jedi Knight, but as ready as he was to fight he knew he could not expect to thrust Nakoma into such a galaxy where Jedi are hated and feared without knowing how to keep herself and her fellow Jedi out of harms way. "The Sphere of Silence is a useful one," he replied with a nod, it would be good for her to know. Having sought to master the realm of acoustokinetics through the Force, Ze'kyre was familiar with this application of power.

But before he could move onto the lesson he waited to see what else she would tell him. It was pleasing to hear that she was delving deeper into the realm of telepathy, and art form that Ze'kyre had little in the way of a natural affinity for unless the person was moving or looking at him. He stopped walking and allowed her presence to resonate deep within his consciousness, closing his eyes as she filled it with reminiscent visuals of their time on Galtea. An image of the pair watching the sky redden through the waterfall-blanketed entrance to the cave came with it the feel of her hand in his own. "I wish that we could be like a lost thought and stay right here forever," she had told him back then. It was rewarding to know that in a way, they had. He looked down at her when his eyes reopened, the softness and warmth of his darker one spilling over into the silver as he met her own amber gaze. He could not stop the smile from spreading across his lips as he lifted a finger to her face, slowly yet deftly replacing a wet lock of her hair back behind her ear. He was at a loss for words, a rare occasion now that he was immersed within the Jedi, but not one he was unprepared for. He knew the expression in his eyes would say enough for him.


He turned forward and continued walking slowly, allowing the moment to run perhaps a little longer than he should have before deciding that the lesson was priority. "Protecting ourselves with a Barrier is an almost innate reaction for Force adepts. It is second nature for us to throw up the strongest wall about ourselves that we can. But the true potential of such a barrier is not limited to when we do it hard and fast. Just as with the most difficult kicks, the true power comes from a solid understanding and deliberate control."

Ze'kyre stopped walking again, and his hands lifted about himself as he drew in the Force with a deep breath. For a brief instant, the naked eye could notice a shimmering dome of kinetic energy surround the two of them, a radius of about five feet with Ze'kyre's heart at it's centre. Leaves and drops of rain that hung in the canopy above could still fall through the barrier, telling that it was not a solid wall of energy. But the leaves did fall slightly slower within the sphere. "Stay here," he told her as he took a few steps away.

It was not long before he turned around and began whistling, and his sphere travelled with his steps as he turned back to face Nakoma. Once she was without the perimeter of the invisible dome, she would notice that the vibrations of his whistled melody, which she would usually receive via extra sensory perception, simply did not exist outside of the sphere. As Ze'kyre lowered his hands, there was another shimmer of white and the energy dissipated.

"You see, everything is energy. Sometimes we will use a barrier to stop blaster shots, enemy advancement, and projectiles of all sorts. With the Sphere of Silence we intend to stop a more abstract form of energy; sound. With a sound control of tutaminis you can absorb the sound just as it reacts with your barrier. Of course, when we focus on solids all of the time it can be hard to refine our technique and use it in such an abstract way, but if there's one thing I've learned about the Great Wind, it's that anything is possible.

"Why don't you try? Start by creating a barrier. Easy, right? Now the tricky part is allowing me to walk into the barrier without resistance. It will take more of your focus, but will draw less from your endurance once you find the balance."

 

[Wolf]

The expression upon Ze'kyre's face said more than he could with words. Nakoma smiled broardly as his eyes opened and locked upon her gaze. Thinking about those memories brought a furious return of the fluttering in the depths of her stomach and only intensified as he raised a finger to her face. With a slow and gentle motion, he pushed a strand of her wet hair behind her ear. The young woman's cheeks flushed with the colors of a setting sun as she exhaled a ragged breath. The two stood silently for a moment, their souls locked in an embrace that could not be seen, only felt by the pair. And then, like many moments before this one, it was over. Ze'kyre turned and continued walking, leaving Nakoma a few steps behind until she caught up to walk beside him.

Nakoma listened as Ze'kyre began his lesson with information that would be vital to the execution of the ability that she wished to learn and eventually, master. The young woman's eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of the barrier that enveloped them. Even a greater wonder was how the droplets of rain and the falling leaves seemed to almost find themselves in a state of suspension. They were in fact falling, but with a delay that did not exist outside of the sphere. As the Knight instructed the Laku'na to stay where she was standing, she nodded and watched him walk several steps away. She could see his lips part and move in such a way that she believed that he was whistling...but she could not decipher any sound within the Force.

"Everything is energy..." This was a beautiful truth that Nakoma had learned early in life. It was a key to the beliefs of her people. Everything with breath was born of the Great Wind, which itself, is energy. Everything it birthed was energy and at the end of one's life, they would return to the purest form of that energy by becoming one with the Great Wind. It was something that the young woman found great peace in. As Ze'kyre asked Nakoma to attempt that which he just demonstrated, she cleared her mind of all other thoughts and focused upon the Force that flowed in and out of her.

Raising her hands in a similar manner to that of her Master, the Padawan called upon the Force and easily formed a barrier around her. It was perhaps, not exactly the right kind. This would do well to shelter her against the shots of a blaster, or projectiles from an explosion, but it needed to be more of a veil than a wall. Her eyes focused upon the invisible shield which she could picture within her mind's eye. The thought of creating a veil instead of a wall seemed to help as she continued to allow the barrier to form within the infinite web of the Force. She found that she had to concentrate quite a bit more to keep it think enough to allow things to pass through, but not to allow sound to escape.

Just then, a small leaf fell from high above her head and floated down until it came to rest upon the barrier that extended out from her about three feet. Her eyes watched the leaf for a moment and just as she was about to try to create the thin veil again, it slowly seeped through and seemed to float past her eyes. A wide smile appeared upon the woman's lips as she glanced at Ze'kyre with a nod. She hoped that as he entered the sphere, that she would be able to keep it intact.

 

[Resolute\\.ZEN]

As Ze'kyre stepped forward, he reached a hand forth to test the strength of her barrier. It seemed to make way, rippling about his hand like a lake with the skipped stone. He wished to allow her the ability to maintain such a delicate balance, and so the step he took was slow and deliberate. And then he emerged within her sphere. A smile lighting up his face as his eyes remained on hers.

"Good, Nakoma." He spoke with a rich baritone instead of simply with his thoughts. The sound of his voice bounced around within her sphere, not clearly audible outside of it, but at the least muffled due to the effect of her telekinetic barrier.

"Now, one last step. I want you to focus on the sound waves of my voice." Ze'kyre closed his eyes, echolocating himself easily within the sphere as he imagined sound the way Nakoma interprets it. "The waves and vibrations, they travel from me and spring about us wildly, deflecting off the inner walls of your barrier. Now, at the same time as you project this barrier, use Tutuminis to absorb the energy, turn the sound into the barrier itself, instead of projecting your own energy, use that which is provided for you."Having said what he needed, Ze'kyre began humming with the top end of his head register. He began to sing a melody of odd meter, the complexity of the time offset by the simplicity of the contour.

But as his melody fluttered downward deliberately the challenge would vary. The higher pitched a sound, the more energy it would provide Nakoma with to absorb and transfer to her barrier, possibly too much energy before the barrier switched from blocking sound to blocking matter. The deeper end of the spectrum would be naturally harder to contain, requiring a more delicate control of the Force, and would not provide as much energy of its own to manipulate. But he did not know if he would have to explain this all to his Padawan, for she had a very unique relationship with the nature of sound.

 

[Wolf]

Ze'kyre's words were a welcomed affirmation to Nakoma as the Knight entered into the sphere surrounding her. As he explained the next part of the exercise, the young woman did exactly as she was told. Her mind focused intently upon the warrior's voice as it bounced around the inside of the barrier. A few times, she could somehow feel bits of the sound escape. Her focus upon the Force deepened into an almost meditative state as she watched, with her mind's eye, what she then began to do with the energy that flowed within and without the sound of Ze'kyre's voice.

The Laku'na saw the barrier as a puzzle missing pieces, and the sound as those missing pieces. As the tones changed and the energy with them, she placed them within the barrier. She could feel the sphere growing in strength as she seemingly fortified it with the energy from the tones that the Knight emitted. The higher tones possessed a great deal more energy than the lower tones that vibrated slower within the Force. For Nakoma, this was almost second nature as this was similar to how her mind deciphered speech within the Force. Essentially, she had been doing this very exercise for most of her life only this time, she was deliberately placing the energy from the sound into a place around her instead of within her.

The greatest challenge that the young woman found with this lesson was maintaining the fluidity of the Force around them. If she had wished to allow people to flow in and out of the barrier, she would need to keep it smooth, like the waves upon the sea. If she only wished to protect the conversations of those within the barrier, as well as shield from an attack outside of the bubble, it would be easy to hold a strong and impenetrable Force shield around them while being mindful to absorb the sound from within into the shield. Nakoma realized in that moment that this would be an invaluable tool to not only her, but to any of her fellow Jedi that she might be on a mission with. Only time would tell when this skill would actually be needed.

 

[Resolute\\.ZEN]

“Very good, Nakoma. That will do.” Ze’kyre turned to face his Padawan, expression warm with content for how quickly she grasped his teachings. Waiting for her to release he hold of the Force, Ze’kyre put a hand on her shoulder and lead her aside.

“Come, I’d like to show you something I was working on before I left.” And with that, he began to lead her further away from the hidden enclave.

The walk through the forest was long yet peaceful as the sun rose higher into the sky. The signs of the early morning rains were still about, but seemed to disappear near entirely by the time they came about the Jedi Knights project.

It was only half complete, but the roof of tightly thatched grasses was already set up on a number of support beams and walls. It was but a shell of what it would be, though given its size and means, but it still brought Ze’kyre a sense of accomplishment. With another two days work he figured he could be inviting students out for lessons in no time.

“It is still a work in progress… but I am excited to spend more time away from the enclave.”

 

[Wolf]

The walk through the forest continued to remind Nakoma of home. The trunks of the trees around them were broad and their presence commanding. The life energy that ran through each one seemed to resonate in a different way than the next. The young woman had been taught by the elders of her tribe that everything from the rocks beneath her feet to the birds soaring high up in the sky, had a consciousness that pulsed like a heartbeat within the Great Wind. Each of these, herself included, were connected in an untold number of ways. She had been taught to pause and appreciate the beauty in all things. Granted, there was no time to stop at the moment, but that did not keep the Laku'na from noticing the things in her surroundings that most might take for granted.

The birds seemed to follow the pair as they continued further into the thick woodland that lay a bit of a walk from the enclave. Nakoma looked up and smiled as one with bright blue feathers hovered in the wind just above her head. It seemed to look down at the woman for a brief moment before continuing in flight. Before the Padawan realized it, they had reached a place that was unfamiliar to Nakoma. She had never journeyed this far from the training facility before, and wondered what it was that Ze'kyre had brought her out her to show her. Then she saw it. Though unfinished, a beautiful yet simple building stood in the clearing where they had now stopped. "It is still a work in progress...but I am excited to spend more time away from the enclave." Ze'kyre's words filtered into Nakoma's mind through the Force.

A grin quickly filled the woman's lips as she took a few steps toward the unfinished building. She knew the Knight well enough to quickly figure out what it was. "Ze'kyre...it's beautiful! I had no idea..." Her words stopped as she stepped close enough to place a hand against a wall near the entrance. In her mind she could see rows of students moving together as one in the Echani dance with Ze'kyre down in front giving instuction. Her mind jumped to a time in the future in a similar scenario...but this time, it was the two of them face to face, demonstrating the movements together. The smile upon her face seemed cemented there as she turned to Ze'kyre. "Please teach me the next tier. I promise I will work hard to not disappoint you." Her mind went back to the scene that she had invisioned. "I'm so happy for you. I can't wait to train here, in the forest. It's perfect."

 

[Resolute\\.ZEN]

Ze'kyre could not help but smile as he felt Nakoma's happiness and encouragement. It was as if her optimism carried from each breath, the Force infusing it with his own as he brought the air to the bottom of his lungs. He watched as she walked closer to it. "You've been practicing a lot... perhaps you are ready for the second tier, we shall soon see." Of course, Nakoma knew it was something that could not be learned in one session, she had been studying for months now. But most echani children studied it for at least a half dozen years before claiming mastery and moving on.

"I hoped it might be easier for you to hunt from here, where there is less activity." They were near the border of the Haven Base enclaves patrol routes, travelling just a bit north-west would allow his Padawan to find abundant game, though there might also be a few more dangers the further she travels away from the other Jedi. But the Jedi Knight knew his Padawan learner would be more than capable of handling herself.

He walked towards the centre of what would soon be the main hall of the dojo. Luckily he had got to putting the roof on the building before leaving for the Bakura system, not to mention some of the mile tall trees and their thick canopies did not hurt in terms of shielding the building from the rain. "Come, sit with me." He turned back to face the young woman and sat down upon the floor, legs crossed and back straight. "You know, you've spent a lot of time working on the Echani Art, and you've come far down the way of the Jedi." He paused a moment, a look a commendation in his mismatched eyes as he kept them on Nakoma's.

"The Force has seemed fit to pair us with one another. I recall when I first entered that cave, seeing the depiction of our union. From that moment on I learned so much about who you are, you showed me where it is you come from, who your people are, what it all means to you." His brow furrowed as he thought about his next words, guarding the sentiment for a moment before allowing it to flitter from his mind to hers. "But you do not know a whole lot about me, do you? I suppose I have not spoken much on what I was before I was a Jedi, or where it is my people come from. Perhaps these are things you should be aware of in your practice of the Echani Art."

 

[Wolf]

Nakoma's heart fluttered at the idea of beginning to learn the second tier. She had been dilligent in her studies and in spite of Ze'kyre's prolonged absences, she had found ways to hone the skills that he had taught her. The young woman hoped that he would be back long enough before she had to depart for Christophsis so that she could share her progress with him.

"I hoped it might be easier for you to hunt from here, where there is less activity." The Laku'na smiled at the Knight's thoughtfulness. She was thankful that though many things had changed for her over the past six months, nobody had ever asked her to give up the way of life that defined her. "Thank you...that makes my heart smile."

As Ze'kyre walked into the unfinished dojo and stood at the center of the room, Nakoma's eyes followed him with curiousity. She wondered what he was thinking. Perhaps, she wondered, he might have been seeing the same images that her imagination had conjured. He then turned to her and invited her to sit down with him. The Padawan stepped inside and quickly crossed the open floor before coming to a place just across from the Knight. She sat down with her legs cross and back straight, just as Ze'kyre had.

The young woman's amber eyes searched the deep dichromatic gaze of her companion. She could tell that something was on his mind, but could not make a guess as to what it was. "You know, you've spent a lot of time working on the Echani Art, and you've come far down the way of the Jedi." As the words left his lips, a smile formed upon Nakoma's. It was true, she had been pushing herself to learn anything and everything about this new way of life, and to dedicate herself to nothing else day in, and day out.

"The Force has seemed fit to pair us with one another." Nakoma's mind took this thought and held it captive. She knew that her destiny had been written in the stars...and was still processing how it had all come to pass, just as it had been foretold. Ze'kyre was not just a part of her story now...he was the other half of it. He described their first meeting and reminisced about how she had been able to share so much of herself with him before departing from Galtea. The woman's eyes seemed to grow brighter as she recalled these memories fondly. Without much of an obvious transition, Ze'kyre's tone changed slightly and Nakoma knew that the conversation was heading in a new direction.

"But you do not know a whole lot about me, do you?" The Laku'na looked down at the Knight's hands for a moment while she processed the question. No, she did not particularly know the exact details of his past, as he was now describing. She thought that she knew him though. She felt like she had known him from the beginning of time. It was as if her soul had known his long before the Great Wind had breathed them into the beings that they now resided within. Shaking her head with a mixture of sadness and curiousity, she raised her eyes to meet with his once again. The Padawan reached out and took his right hand between both of hers and squeezed it gently. "I want to know everything about you....everything you'll share with me. Please, tell me so that I may know you more."

 

[Resolute\\.ZEN]

There was a long silence as Ze'kyre prepared his thoughts. He was glad that she was eager to know more about his heritage, as it linked in directly with the nature of the Echani Art she had been dedicated to for the better part of a year now. When he spoke, he continued using his voice, as if using the waves of sound to paint swatches of storytelling.

"The world of Eshan is where my people come from," he began quietly. "The echani have long been known for their warrior prowess, and for good reason. You see, if I had a brother to sit here beside me, you would look upon us and see that we are exactly the same; the exact image of our father. Our sister would look just like our mother. All echani are born this way. So as you can imagine, there were never many faces on the planet, no matter the population. The only way for us to distinguish one another's true identity is to watch the way in which they move. Just as everyone has a fingerprint, everyone has a unique way of moving. It was a necessity for us to be well versed in the arts of movement and balance.

"Echani society has always been clan-based, and it used to be so that the smallest of disagreements could turn into competitions of strength, skill, and brutality." He paused for a moment, closing his eyes as a smile touched his lips. "And when the people of Eshan were at their worst, there arose a group of warriors, the Sublime Seven. They united their clans and with their combined power showed the echani a new way of living. They decided that since many clans still shared but a few faces, it must be that we were all family.

"You see, martial balance is not just a physical aspect, but one of mentality as well. The Sublime Seven discovered this to a level that the echani had not known that well. This manifested itself as a refined sense of discipline and honour. The Seven started a monastary as a haven for converts of the more hostile clans. Many were exiled from their clans for believing that reconciling with the others could be a good option. They developed new practices, perfected the arts of their people and even began a tradition of honing Force sensitivity. You see many Force sensitives were cast from their clans, their is an old distrust of the Force amongst the Echani. This order of monks served much as the Jedi do to the galaxy at large, and it was largely through them that the Sublime Seven were able to get their message across the majority of Eshan.

"They created a universal system of martial art which became the curriculum of Eshan. It was the first tier of Echani Art, known solely as Honour, and it was decided that all echani children would study the practice of honour, not only amongst their clans, but amongst their people as a whole. It is the Echani Art that brought peace to Eshan."

 

[Wolf]

As Ze'kyre began to weave the story of the history of his people, Nakoma was instantly captivated. In the past, he had told her bits and pieces of his legacy, but now she was able to connect the parts that had remained unsaid. The parallels between their two cultures brought a smile to the woman's face, but for each similarity, there were plenty of differences.

The greatest contrast between the Laku'na and the Echani was conflict. Where Nakoma's tribe valued peace and approached conflict with a conscientious objection, Ze'kyre's people embraced these moments. The young woman reflected back to a moment within the first week that she had known the Knight. In order to know the motives of a prodigal Jedi, he insisted upon fighting him. Finally now, Nakoma was beginning to understand why.

Without saying anything in response, the Padawan sank comfortably into her seated position upon the floor at the center of the unfinished building and contemplated his explanation in the silence. Her brilliant amber eyes remained locked upon Ze'kyre's mismatched gaze. She pondered the idea of seeing him in a sea of identical faces. She liked to think that against such odds, she would still be able to pick him out of the crowd. The warrior was unlike anyone that she had ever met and the young woman found it hard to believe that there could be another quite like him.

Clearing her mind of the myriad thoughts that filled it, she focused her attention back to the story. "Please, tell me more..." her mental words were gentle, yet eager. This was not only the history of someone so dear to her, but the history of the art that she had come to love. It was something that she wished to pursue with her whole heart, and knowing its roots was essential to progressing in this martial way.

 

[Resolute\\.ZEN]

"United, the people of Eshan reached out across the stars and settled upon five new worlds. The golden age of the echani was heralded by the federation of the Six Sisters, worlds that provided and looked out for one another with the same tiered values of Honour, Loyalty, and Justice that all echani were schooled in from an early age." He paused a moment as he reflected on how much glory the echani had so long ago. The martial prowess his people were renown for was not the product of a handful of galactic exiles and wanderers, but the sum of a great people who found true power in their respect for one another and their mastery of the self.

Honour. Loyalty. Justice.

"But of course, a golden age only lasts so long. For the Six Sisters, the beginning of the end was the growing resistance upon the planet of Thyrsus.

"The Thyrsian star changed those who settled on the sun-baked planet. For some reason the genetic dispositions of some clans succumbed to this... evolution more easily than others. My clan, the Bladedancers have long inhabited Thyrsus but the Great Dragon has seen fit to keep my blood as that of the moon. But the thyrsians, as other echani came to know their darkened sisters and brothers, lost touch with what it meant to be echani. They began to worship the sun that had altered them, opposed to the moon that built us in our original form.

"Of course it would be wrong of me to say this of all thyrsians, but as a society they fell back into the ways of brutality, lost their sense of honour and family. They forsook the discipline and conviction it took to hone ones body and mind into an elegant weapon for the sloppy standard of a blaster in the hand, and they began to use their new weapons to lethal effect as easily as most echani challenged one another to spar.

"I am told that from the beginning my ancestors of Bladedancer saw what was happening to the rest of their kin, as did many other clans. I am told that no matter how they protested to the new way of life that was taking over the minds of the sun-focused thyrsians, they were met with only more opposition. It was not long before the Thyrsians began to fight for independance from the Six Sisters. Of course they won, and many of my people stayed on Thyrsus as a show of good faith." He could not for the life of him think of why they would stay. He had heard that Eshan was a world of much greater beauty. "But their good-will was not returned. Over the next several generations, my kin were exiled and executed quite systematically.

"I am told that my mother, the matriarch of the Bladedancer clan before their extermination upon Thyrsus, fought bravely when the Sun Guard came to deliver the final blow upon our House." There was hint of sadness in his tone as he recalled the memories of the elder monks relaying this information to him. It had never felt all that true, to know that he was amongst the last of a dead clan, possibly the last Bladedancer within the galaxy. Now as he relayed the information to his dear Padawan, it somehow struck him that fate had always had a design for him.

"Anyhow, the monastery I mentioned before, the one founded by the Seven Sublime Warriors... Having been orphaned I was raised by monks who followed such teachings. It was with their guidance that I began to learn the Arts of my people. They also saw fit to teach me much of the Sublime Way before sending me to the New Jedi Order."

He paused for a moment, but when he continued, he did so not with his voice but simply with his thoughts. "The Echani Art is not just about combat, it is about value. The Sublime Seven taught us that through dedication we would conquer our own minds as we master our own bodies. The Thyrsians forgot this and devolved into madness, worse off as a society than the people of Eshan ever were before... no longer a soceity with an encompassing sense of honour.

"Do not forget your honour, Nakoma. As a Jedi we may be forced to deceive at times. It is unsavoury but I know that it is important if we are to reach a place of reverence once more. The Sith lie and deceive to because only power is sacred to them. We are forced to because we know that real strength comes from patience, respect, and understanding. A fine line, no doubt. An abstract truth, yes. But one you have come to know as well as any Jedi while amongst the Laku.

"It is hard to believe that my people could be changed so much by an ideal... But then again, the Laku'na had experienced something similar, had they not?" It had been shocking to learn of the reason why Nakoma had no age-mates, but it only went to show how easy it could be for one to lose ones honour. There was nothing more frightening than a wrong warrior who thought he fought for what was right, especially when they saw violence as the only answer. So it was with the Sun Guard, and so it was with Galtea's own murderous cravens.

 

[Wolf]

As Ze'kyre continued the tale of his people and his own history, Nakoma could not help but pick up on the hint of sadness that laced his every word. These things were difficult to speak of, and she knew it well. Her own history and that of her people, though restored to their present state...had a dark undertone. The young woman paid close attention to each detail as they left the mind of the Echani and entered her own.

It was when he began speaking of his mother that the Padawan's heart sank. Her thoughts moved to her own mother as she imagined what it would have been like to receive such news. She could sense the sadness within his words but even more, it was reflected within his eyes. The young woman reached out her hands and took his, giving a gentle squeeze of sympathy and encouragement. "Clearly, her sarifice was not in vain." Though the sentiment would likely do little to comfort him, Nakoma meant it with all that she was. As her eyes took him in, she knew that that the man he had become was surely worth the struggle of every Echani.

The Knight continued, this time speaking directly into Nakoma's mind. She enjoyed the touch of his words as they mingled with her own thoughts. He spoke of honor, and stressed its importance as he had done early in the young woman's training. The Laku'na also held this in the highest regard. Nothing was worse than to lose one's honor. She knew that remaining pure in heart and guarding her honor were two of only a few tenets outside of the Jedi Code that she lived by.

As Ze'kyre tied his tale into that of Nakoma's people, she nodded with a sad smile upon her face. It was true, her tribe had endured many similar hardships and times of devastation. She too reflected upon the murderous rampage of one that was right in his own mind...but so wrong. The guilt that the young woman had lived with for so long, returned. Her thoughts drifted to those that had died so that she might live. Dropping her eyes to the hands that she continued to hold, she sighed. "It is for that very reason that my people are determined to live a simple life where purity of heart and honor are chief among our tenets."

 

[Resolute\\.ZEN]

Nakoma's words, as well as her hands around his own, did do little to comfort him. But even a little bit of the warmth she shared would help to fend off the cold he felt discussing such a history. It was not often that he talked about his past, or about the legacy that was befallen of him. But Nakoma was an important part of his life now, and he thought it best that if she were to be a part of it, why not ensure she knew exactly what she was a part of? He had become a large part of her life, and since that time the idea of their meeting not only now but many times across the thread of fate had fascinated him. Often had they discussed the nature of the destiny that had brought them together. To feel the enthusiasm with which she reciprocated this interest in his own history made it feel more right that she should know.

But when she looked down with a sigh and gave her reply, Ze'kyre wrapped his right hand about hers and gave a light squeeze. His left hand rose and he placed his finger under her chin, gently pulling her gaze back up to meet his own. And then he smiled. "And we shall celebrate the life they live, with our dance."

He placed his left hand behind him and put his feet on the ground, shuffling so as to be sitting in a crouched position with his knees bent completely, and his tail-bone but inches from the ground. His right hand held Nakoma's throughout the short process, switching to an underhanded grip as he pulled her up to do likewise. "Perhaps my pupil is ready to show me she is a warrior," he said with a smile.

She knew what to do. Once they were both in the crouched position, they would spend but a moment holding one another's hand in a show of camaraderie, familiarity, and closeness. Then as one, they would cartwheel or roll away from one another, and their game would begin. As he usually did when starting a game of the echani art with his Padawan, Ze'kyre cartwheeled to the right, arching his back and spinning so as to move backwards as well as laterally.