Expanding Knowledge [Remus]

[Satkia Beltrak]

A few days after the latest training session, Satkia had invited Remus to join her in the gardens of the Jedi Enclave, as she was still on Yavin VIII. A couple of her students were to go through their trials over this week and she wanted to be on planet for such major moments.

The petite redhead was sitting on the grass, her back against an old tree, nearby a favorite fountain of hers. While waiting for Remus to show up, she was doing some reading and research on her datapad.

ooc - takes place before these events.

[Remus]

Remus rose early that day to meditate for several hours before the session with his master was to commence. When he and Cailín finally left the chambers, without a word muttered, and ventured out into the gardens of the Enclave, there they found Master Satkia. He smiled at his teacher, as Cailín, observing silently, found a place in the shade to nestle beneath.
"It's good to see you again, Master."

[Satkia Beltrak]

"Hello Remus. Hello Cailin." Satkia greeted them with a smile as they reached her location. She got to her feet for the skills to learn weren't so meant to be taught while sitting down.

"We have two skills to work on today. One defensive and one offensive."

She didn't have a lesson plan so if he had a preference of learning order, she would hear it out.

[Remus]

Overhead, the tiny shadows of avians swam in the air, breaking the perfect, cool blue of the summer sky, and their gentle barbary squawks could be heard echoing out into the vast airspace through which they glided aimlessly, effortlessly.
"I see," said Remus to his master. "Are we learning more on lightsaber combat?"

[Satkia Beltrak]

"We will, but not today." Satkia replied to Remus's inquiry about lightsaber training. "I am planning this for a future session. Today we will focus on Force skills."

She summoned a few pebbles to her hand. "The first skill we'll work on is how to use the Force to create a shield around you. The best way is to visualize it. Keeping it close to you, like a body armor, is a good way to learn the skill. At some point, you'll be able to expand it around you but not before a good while."

She gave the pebbles to Remus and then opened herself to the Force and built her own shield again. "Throw these at me."

[Remus]

Remus gave a silent nod as he received the pebbles in one hand. He took a few moments to watch as Satkia formed a partially visible energy flow of the Force around her. He had never learned such a skill with the Sith and began to wonder if such a skill was possible with the Dark Side or not. He did not know. Instead, he was taught more to concentrate on hardening the senses, closing off pain and sensation. Thinking back, such lessons worried him. Was that what the Dark Side really promoted, the dampening of feeling, of expression? Was it, from the perspective of the Dark Side, better to cut off the sensations of pain, than to avoid them in the first place? He shook off the thoughts, with hopes of meditating on them at a later time.

With a single motion, the Apprentice flung the handful of pebbles to his master, elegant and precise.

[Satkia Beltrak]

When Remus threw the pebbles at her, Satkia wasn't hit by any of them. They all fell safely to the ground. Relinquishing her shield, she summoned the small items back to her palm.

"Everyone visualize things differently but keeping it as a second skin makes the shield more effective. By going for such option, it makes it more natural to have a shield around you than just before or behind you."

She rested her free hand over her hip and tilted her head to the side. "Time for you to work on this skill then."

[Remus]

In silence, Remus obeyed, closing his eyes only gently so a small portion of the summer light still leaked through the lids. Placing his right hand open over his left and connecting the tips of his thumbs together, he allowed his connection with the Force to deepen, reaching into the depths of the infinite chasm from which he drew strength and power. Lately, he had been able to establish this deeper connection with little trouble at all, and it grew easier and easier as the days went by. The more he meditated, the more focused he became and the more stable his connection to the Light Side was becoming. His wallowing purely in the Dark was becoming but a half-remembered dream.

Once he was confident with the deeper connection he had established, he focused on the words his master had given him. A second skin... A second skin... He repeated the words in silence, as if in mantra, and he could feel the formulation of a newer, firmer energy leak outwards and around him, like a tough membrane of energy that spread out from his naval into the physical world, gradually becoming a whole form, almost like an egg.

[Satkia Beltrak]

Even when they had first met during his time with the Sith, Remus had always had this quiet and meditative side to him. Now that he had fully immersed himself into the path of Light and studied and practiced so much, he was doing remarkably well. No path was easy, but overcoming hurdles was part of what made the journey what it was.

She felt the Force at play when he worked with what she had explained to him. After a moment, she did throw the pebbles at him. First, a single one, then two, then more as she built up on the task, giving him time to adjust and explore.

[Remus]

It was a curious sensation, indeed, when the pebbles made contact with the shield he had now built up securely around himself. It was a very physical sensation. He could feel the pebbles as they hit were met with a wall of the Force, subsequently falling silently to the ground. It was like a shimmer, a murmur of feeling, as if an insect crawled on his arm for but a moment before disappearing completely. But a tiny vibration of interference, and then nothing.

The pebbles kept coming, and he strode deeper into the Force to strengthen the shield. As a fifth, or sixth pebble came towards him, his thoughts were caught a a tiny moment of meaningless distraction, and the shield faltered for just a moment, allowing the single stone to move through the barrier. It patted against his chest and fell into his open palms which he turned upwards in reaction for. His eyes blinked open, staring at the stone for a moment as it lay motionless in his hands, then up at his master, and he grinned.

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia knew that Remus was unlikely to stop all pebbles but it was learning by doing. No one was perfect, even with the most advanced knowledge and practice. Even she, a Jedi Master, wasn't all knowing or all powerful. Being patient in one's development was an important skill to possess.

She returned Remus's grin when a pebble fell into his open palm. "I see you are getting the hang of it. Do you have any question about this ability?"

[Remus]

"I am curious," he rose in enquiry, "as to the extent of this ability." As he spoke, he caused the pebble that had been laying in his hand to levitate silently in front of him. "I presume one can transfer it to other objects, not just concentrate it on the self? If I wanted to, I could presumably form a shield around this pebble?" He tried it, concentrating for a few moments until he could feel that same flow of energy that he had once before, only was unsure as to whether or not he was doing it correctly. His attention shifted, as he spoke, back to Satkia. "If that is the case, I wonder how much one can extend that. Could a single person shield a ship? A station? Dare I even say, a planet? Hypothetically speaking."

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia wasn't surprised that Remus had questions. Not only was it a natural part of learning, but Remus often expressed curiosity.

"You can technically shield other objects or people, but starting from the self, from your center is the most common, even when you become strong enough to expand it. I was able to expand mine to people with me on certain occasions but it is much more taxing and can prove difficult if you are moving at the same time."

Pondering on the other part of his question, she eventually answered. "One alone couldn't form such a large shield, but several Jedi working together could expand a much larger shield."

[Remus]

Remus pondered his master's words for a while in silence, and eventually allowed the pebble to fall to the floor, where it made a light, muffled sound as it hit the grass. He nodded.
"Thank you, Master." The Apprentice took a deep breath of summer air and observed the gardens for a moment. Many of the other students were out meditating, pontificating or socialising, stewing in the morning sun. He smiled, for to him, the planet was at peace this day.

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia nodded to Remus's thanks. She took a moment to enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the place. They needed not rush into the next skill and could take a moment to breathe. Clasping her hands before her, she spoke after a short while.

"The second skill I wish to teach you today is how to use the Force to create a wave of energy that can shatter or cut materials of all kinds. What sort of application do you see to such an ability?"