Uncharted Minds

[Vexillar]

Viole's lesson for today centered on the art of mental tactics; both attack and defense as always. He never taught one without the other, such was a fool's decision as far as we was concerned. One could not just protect their mind, equal value had to be placed on using the mind to attack...to protect yourself. Viole placed heavy importance on the mind. Next to the lightsaber, he called it a Sith and Jedi's more prized weapon. Why would you forsake something so powerful? Why would you ignore the mind in favor of the body...which is so easily broken. A single gesture and bones could be snapped with little effort, flesh rend from bone in a single terrifying flick of the wrist with blade in hand. Yet it was the mind that stood above all of that. Attack one's mind, seize control of it, and you command their body. Grip their control center with your will, and their will is replaced by your own. It was a beautiful thing. To hold someone captivated in your hand, to seal away their thoughts, their loves and loathes, their everything. It was a terrible responsibility to wield this power, but when use properly...it could save your life. Such a blade, however, was useless, as all blades are, without proper defenses. In this case, walls around the mind, made of, ironically enough, thoughts and emotions. The very things that those who would fool your mind wish to obtain.

The Thought Shield was a powerful technique, made so because of it's requirement that the being must simply be sentient. A child who cannot hear the call of the Force could use this ability just as easily as child who could. Those who could properly use this ability would find their thoughts hidden and so so much more. With proper application of Thought Shield, one's emotions and intentions could be hidden. Surround your mind with these walls and malicious intent could be hidden from the meeting of delegates, or beneficial intents hidden from those who may see your kindness struck down before completion. Viole had grown so accustomed to using this, that he needed no thought to activate it. It was always there, always lingering. It came to him as easily as breathing did.

On the ship, he sat there twirling a few strands of hair, as he sometimes did, with right leg over left. He looked the Acolytes before him up and down for a moment. The Miraluka's eye mask forged of the bones of a krayt dragon looked...strange to most, but fellow Miraluka were more accustomed to the sight. It wasn't an oddity, or a thing of drama, it was simply their way of life. He didn't have to wonder how the younger of their species saw him. He had seen Masters before when he was but an Acolyte. He was sure that his light burned bright in her vision, he, however, did not. Or at least not as bright as he would. Such a strange, and slightly maddening, thing to see his people joining the Sith one by one, but that was neither here nor there. The Archanist finally stood and spoke.

"Who can speak true...what is the greatest weapon we possess against the armies of the galaxy?" He arched a brow as he asked this, his right foot bobbing up and down slightly as he did so. He was curious about their answers, though he suspected he knew what the answers would be.

 

[tapir163]

Acolyte Karn sat, observing the Dark side energy radiating from the Sith across from him. Fascinating how his Force sight allowed him to distinguish Sith and Jedi from others, he thought, and I suppose my fellow Miralukans can see it too from myself. He didn't allow himself to muse for long. He didn't trust them, but then he really trusted no one. You never truly could come to trust anyone, just become more familiar with their habits...and their weaknesses.

What did he know about this Master across from him, this Viole Nivar. Besides the obvious facts, not much. It was said Lord Nivar was an esoteric being who questioned the very nature of the Force itself. Aotan would venture to guess the Dark Lords didn't care for this, but obviously they didn't see him as enough of a threat to silence him. He didn't care about the nature of the Dark side except if it gained him power.

Besides, the Dark Lords were not those who you angered lightly. To do so for questions of philosophy was...it was bordering on madness. Had he left the drudgery of saber practice to join a madman? No, he didn't believe so. Lord Nivar seemed in touch with reality, enough to be called sane.

He supposed Nivar was thinking that Karn had to be wondering where they were headed. Lord Viole had been less than forthcoming about that detail. Frankly, Aotan didn't care as he would find out when they arrived. His life was probably not in any significant danger as killing Acolytes was generally frowned upon. Also, he was not nearly enough of a threat to be eliminated as yet.

Lord Nivar's voice snapped off his train of thought. Karn reflected a moment on Nivar's question before answering. It reminded him of his tutor's questions before he went into a lecture. Usually, the answer was obvious, as the pompous windbag would feed you what he wanted to hear prior. The only thing Nivar had been forthcoming about was the general topics, mind tricks and defending yourself against them.

He decided to tell Lord Nivar what he supposed the Sith wanted to hear.

"The mind is the most formidable thing, Lord Nivar. This is so because even those who cannot touch the Force can be dangerous if they are clever enough."

"

 

[Simon]

The thrum of the ship's engines was background noise to Relia, who was used to the relatively gentle sounds of starship travel. Today, she would be learning mental techniques from one of the prominent Force masters of the Sith. Viole Nivar was not entirely unknown to the girl, who had learned from him once before. He was, however, still an enigma. His mind was constantly guarded and prevented entry to all but the most powerful of Force users, of which Relia was not one. As of now, Relia was nowhere near as potent a user of the Dark Side energies as the master seated across from her.

Relia ensconced herself on the metal seat, adjacent to the other Acolyte participating in the training with her. For the most part she sat quietly, observing the Arcanist. She had already met him once, with many others. This time, however, she would be sharing his knowledge with one other student. She knew very little about the other Acolyte; nothing, in fact. They had never met, and now it seems they would both be gaining power from the same teacher. This hardly bothered her, as she was here only to gain in strength; there was no need to make an acquaintance of this unknown Acolyte. At least, not yet. Without knowing their ability and competence, the Vahla had yet to discern if this particular individual was of any worth. She turned her head slightly, keeping the other Acolyte in her periphery.

"Who can speak true...what is the greatest weapon we possess against the armies of the galaxy?"

Relia maintained her gaze on the Master as he spoke, pondering the question. Crossing her right leg over her left, the Vahla waited for the other Acolyte to answer. She would see what their response was, so as to avoid becoming an echo.

"The mind is the most formidable thing, Lord Nivar. This is so because even those who cannot touch the Force can be dangerous if they are clever enough."

The answer was precisely what she had been thinking, though the response might have been rather obvious. Martial prowess may win battles, but intelligence wins wars. This is how the Imperium was able to conquer much of the galaxy in such a short time span. Relia waited a moment, before chiming in with her own response.

"Intelligence, Master Nivar. Mental mastery will trump martial skill more often than not. To know your enemy, their strengths and weaknesses, is to control the battle. Clever planning and cunning talent is what enabled the Sith to grow in power, and is what enables them to control the galaxy."

 

[Vexillar]

He waved a hand dismissing their answers.

They had answered about as well as he had expected them to. His saber floated up from his belt, turned downward and occupying the space between them. The dull black hilt seemed to absorb all light in their space, as if he wielded the void itself. The pale blue words on the hilt, written in Miraluka, were the only sign that it was not, in fact, absence of light. Pushing just the smallest fraction of his power into the hilt, forced a beam of brilliant violet light to spawn forth. The blade hovered there for a moment. "Hm...he supposes you are correct, however..." He stood and circled the saber for a rotation before "If that is correct, then why can neither of you two breach his walls? If the Force has no play in this, Miraluka, then why is it that this mind cannot be pierced by your assault?" His eye-less face turn towards Relia, a woman who he had been with before on another assignment and training session. "If intelligence is so grand, then why can you not outsmart his walls? How do you know an enemy who refuses to be known?" He arched a brow and grabbed his saber. The purple blade fell into the hilt before he clipped it onto his belt once more.

Their answers were expected, as were several others, but the Archanist was pleased to see things going well far enough. His attention diverted for a moment, not that either of them would noticed due to having no eyes to shift, to the planet that they were swiftly approaching. He couldn't help but admire it, and feel a twinge of guilt for, yet again, returning to this place. He had promised not to set foot on the surface, and that was a promise he would hold true once more.

Felucia. The call of the planet was strong to anyone who could feel the Force. The planet was basically a star in the eyes of any Miraluka, the Force didn't radiate from the planet, as it does with others, but rather the planet seemed to spring forth from the Force. It was...well nothing short of amazing in their eyes. To all others, the siren call of the Force was amplified, it felt like home...and it's power was well enough even from their distance. He had come a long way since his times as an Acolyte and walking this surface. He still remembered their lessons, the skills the natives taught him. He used them daily, but in return he was forbidden from walking the planet's surface. Such was the agreement he honored still.

 

[tapir163]

Aotan watched and listened in silence. Why could he not penetrate the Sith's mental barriers? The answer was simple and complex, both at the same time. The simple part was lack of ability. The complex, well...he didn't know.

He supppsed Nivar would elaborate at some point during this lesson. Karn could speculate the entire journey, or he could do the prudent thing and wait. The answer no doubt involved some ponderous journey into the metaphysical. The Acoylte had to fight back his irritation.

It was at that point that all of his speculation came to an abrupt halt. He turned his head to the source of the interruption and he let out an involuntary gasp. The world literally shone with the Force stronger than even Korriban had. In comparison, Korriban was a mere candle compared to an immense bonfire. Korriban had pulsed with a dull throb, but this world he could feel already through his being without even touching the surface.

"What...is this place?" he couldn't help the awe in his voice and, for a change, he didn't care.

 

[Simon]

Relia continued to stare at the Arcanist, eyes fixated on his. It would not be until the luminous glow of the purple lightsaber when she averted her gaze, switching it to the blade for a brief second. She watched it rotate before the Sith put the weapon away. She continued to stare where the weapon once was, pondering the question that the Sith was to ask.

"If intelligence is so grand, then why can you not outsmart his walls? How do you know an enemy who refuses to be known?"

She remained silent, keeping the question in the back of her mind. It would be a few minutes before she began to feel a tingling sensation throughout her body. It was as if a wave of power had washed over her very soul, enticing the Vahla to delve further into the source. She had felt this sensation only once in her life, but it had left a distinct mark on her. Relia had visited the jungle planet of Felucia many years prior, when she was still in service to the Malkite Poisoners. The planet was dominated by all forms of life, causing the Force to envelope the entire planet. It was a call unique to all but few planets, and Relia yearned for more.

It was then that the Acolyte turned to face the Master once more, cocking her head slightly to the left. She squinted ever-so-slightly, choosing her words before she spoke.

"You bring us to the jungle planet, that which is rich with life and permeates our very beings with the Force. Of all places to train us to strengthen our mind, why here?"

It was an unusual spot to say the least; filled with all manner of flora and fauna. It was a planet filled with ancient history. It was the site of many grand battles during the Clone Wars, and the burial grounds for many Jedi. It is here where Aayla Secura and Shaak Ti, masters of the former Jedi Order. It was also home to excessively violent sentient species, most notably the Felucians, who were immensely territorial. Had they come to train in combat, Relia would feel the decision to be more logical. As it stands, she was unsure what the Arcanist had in store for the two Acolytes.

 

[Vexillar]

(( OOC: Sorry for the delay, thought I posted ))

Viole couldn't help but allow a small smile to touch his lips at the student's awe and curiosity of the planet he had chosen for their destination. Felucia truly was a planet of great potential...in all things. Even Non-Force Users could feel the spark of power in the air on this planet. The Miraluka figured his questions would be clear in time. In truth, both their answers were correct; two sides of the same coin. His goal was to merely push them to solidify the answer. He found questions to be a great tool for teaching, less because it ignited conversation, and more because it forced someone to think about their answer. Whether they were saying it for his pleasure or not didn't matter. With the right questions, his own beliefs could be easily imparted on someone else.

He noted that Relia had some information on this planet and it's inhabitants. That was good. It'd probably help her here, since the ultimate goal was survival. The Acolytes stood little chance of surviving the Jungle Felucian assault unless they could properly hide intention. They'd be walking a very fine line between life and death.

"All things in time, dear Acolyte. We still have some time before we reach our destination, and in that time you both must learn two very important techniques to aid you here. First, you must learn to go on the offensive with your mind. Focus your sight on each other. See each other's eyes, but look beyond that. Look at the mind. The control center for your entire being. Reach out with your own thoughts, reach out to implant your will in their own self. See the Force as it cycles through mind, body, and soul, and understand that if you effect one area you effect it all. Give a simple command when you can feel the other person's mind with your own. When that bridge is secure, inject your desires into them...and if you are strong enough, or they weak enough, you will see your will be done."

The Mind Trick was a moderately difficult thing to learn. Mostly because it added an X Factor...a sentient being. It was no longer your will against the environment, but your will against someone else's. The reason he started with this ability is because it was always easier to defend against attacks after you had experienced what being attacked was like. That helplessness drove many people to wanting to be protected. The Thought Shield was a tricky technique in and of itself simply because it was just that...a shield of thoughts. It was a difficult concept for most to grasp the first time around, which is why he brought them here. Because they wouldn't have a choice but to grasp it the first time. That is if they wanted to make it home...