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Oct 5, 2009 22:55:05 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Oct 5, 2009 22:55:05 GMT -5
It was ‘morning’ when Aunna drifted into consciousness once again. When she did, the branded traitor wondered for a moment just where she was…or, perhaps, if she was even awake at all. There was a comfortable warmth beside her, almost encircling her, and for a moment she didn’t bother to open her eyes. Her mind slowly sorted itself back into order the more she woke up. The previous night finally came floating into her memory and at last that warmth made sense to her, now far less foggy, mind.
That warmth was Vex.
Yes, the cycled air of that rebreather gave it away even without her eyes open to tell her that it was truth. She was stretched along his side, one arm half laid on and curled between their bodies, the other hand resting lightly against his chest. Aunna had nestled herself there, exhausted, and his arm and shoulder now served as her pillow.
Slowly, sparkling eyes opened to the view of pale skin and muscle marked with scars…far more than she had…and a still bandaged shoulder from his most recent injury. She could feel the other bandage, the one on his hip, from where his own saber had been used against him. A light sigh escaped her at the thought, but she pushed it away for now. Dwelling on his injuries wouldn’t help anything. So long as he healed she wouldn’t press the matter.
Aunna noticed, then, that Vex was…for the first time that she saw…actually asleep.
A smile worked its way onto her face as she watched him for a moment, silently. She would have to get up soon to mind the ship, but…not just yet. Eying the chronometer for a second, she figured she had maybe a half hour…forty five…minutes before checking the flight would be a must. They were near Carida, but not on top of it, yet. Besides, she was comfortable, content to just lay here with him for the time being and allow him to sleep.
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Vex
A Self-styled computer geek that moonlights as a G.I. Joe.
1,014 posts
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Proud bearer of the "Polish Stalker Badge".
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last online May 21, 2018 17:30:54 GMT -5
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Oct 6, 2009 16:28:15 GMT -5
Post by Vex on Oct 6, 2009 16:28:15 GMT -5
Vex swirled in the comfortable darkness of unconsciousness. It wasn't the usual, cloying pit that he was used to. It was still blank and colorless, but relaxing...comforting...welcoming. His dreaming time was never so...until that night.
The dark canvas slowly painted itself...memories of the last evening painting his unconsciousness in wide strokes that grew gradually clearer and more precise. Auburn hair and striking blue eyes dominated the dreams. It was the only time since his near death that his sleep had ever been anything but untroubled. It was one of the reasons he slept lightly and for short periods of time, coupled with meditation.
As she stirred, quiet though she might have been, it began to draw him up from his slumber as well. Habits and instinct were hard to circumvent. Pleasant as sleeping with her was...it was anything but normal with him. The cadence of his breath through that mask quickened slightly and his muscles tensed. With her resting on his chest, his arm was beneath her, palm pressed against the small of her back and pressing her closer.
Consciousness was met with clarity of thought and that other hand slipped free from the tangle of sheets around them. In it was a small, thin vibro blade. When he did sleep, it was never unarmed. The sabers he wore were beneath the pillow, also close at hand.
The memories of last night flickered through his mind quickly as he caught himself up to speed. He felt her, heard her breath, and reached out beyond it with his senses and the Force to see if there was anything amiss...any dangers. The steel formed in his spine as he probed about, but he found nothing wrong and that form relaxed slightly.
Those dark eyes opened slowly and shifted, taking in her form. He didn't say anything yet...he wasn't exactly certain what to say or do in this particular moment. Yesterday, last night, this morning...it was all new and strange territory for him.
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Oct 6, 2009 17:28:13 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Oct 6, 2009 17:28:13 GMT -5
She’d been resting quietly, eyes half lidded, as she allowed herself to enjoy the sensation of him beside her. It was a calming, soothing, moment for her…the warm glow of memories from the previous night still present in her mind. He’d surprised her last night, the way he’d treated her, the emotions that had rippled outward from both of them, the level of intimacy had her stunned even now. Visions of their time together, that cascade of black hair, those heated and soul gripping eyes, the predatory grace of him…she only came back to herself as she felt him tense, pressing her closer for a moment as his breathing quickened.
The glint of that dagger wasn’t lost on her as he freed his hand from the sheets they had surrounded themselves in. Lean muscles tensed beneath her skin as she prepared to defend herself should he not realize what the truth of the situation was before he could stop himself. Aunna understood the habit he had, she’d done it before, but that didn’t mean she was going to just sit there and let him react. Blue eyes watched that hand still itself and she let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.
As his eyes opened, she was already looking at him with a bemused smile. Slowly she shook her head and let out a nearly silent chuckle. Propping herself up on one arm, she watched passively as he moved and gazed at her. He looked…a little lost on what to do or say. She couldn’t really blame him, Aunna herself was a little stumped, but there was always a good ice breaker for this time of day.
Good morning.
A little simplistic, perhaps, but it got the job done, and it was…for once…true enough. It was a good morning thus far. Her hair slid lightly from over her shoulder and down across her back to sway around the shoulder she was leaning on. Those eyes of hers were bright, soft and glittering even in the dimly lit room as she looked at him calmly.
You seem to have slept well enough…though I’m sorry if I woke you up, it wasn’t my intention.
In this light he’d be able to better see what few scars she had. Most were faded by now, near invisible against her skin from time and good treatment, only a few remaining to bear testimony to the things she’d been through in her life. A blaster shot to one leg that had gone with only basic field medical treatment, a long scar that cut across the opposite hip from a melee fight she’d gotten into, a scar running from her navel to her pelvic bone, the scar Andrew had given her and the blaster shot she’d received during their escape from the prison on the same shoulder, the lightsaber injury Vex had saved her from…there were others of course, but, as previously stated, faded enough to have been easily overlooked. Aunna, however, didn’t seem bothered by the fact that he could now see these scars…what were they to his, after all?
That smile brightened slightly as she gazed at him, hardly daring to believe what had happened so recently. It may have been new and strange for him, but it wasn't so much less so for the younger woman. Yes she may have had a bit more experience, though...THIS experience had been far different than any other she'd had. She blushed a bit at that fleeting thought, consciously attempting to keep her mind closed to him. Despite her current contentment, and the growing closeness she felt toward Vex, his words had gotten to her, as well as the fact that she wasn't sure she wanted him to know all of what she was thinking.
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Vex
A Self-styled computer geek that moonlights as a G.I. Joe.
1,014 posts
2 likes
Proud bearer of the "Polish Stalker Badge".
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last online May 21, 2018 17:30:54 GMT -5
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Oct 6, 2009 19:24:04 GMT -5
Post by Vex on Oct 6, 2009 19:24:04 GMT -5
He felt her tense...could feel it in the very aura about her even though he couldn't see her until his eyes had opened. After they had, he'd looked over to the hand that held the blade. Even with greeting from her, he still remained silent for a long moment. Black eyes slid from her and over to the hand that held the dagger. He stared at it for a long moment before he rested it back upon the mattress. His gaze shifted back to hers as she propped herself up onto the elbow and looked at him. He allowed himself the expression of a smile...faint though it was and hidden by the mask. The corners of his eyes narrowed slightly in response to it...something minute, but no doubt visible to her.
"Normally my dream times are less than pleasant, so waking up from them is never unpleasant. This time...was different...but I still prefer the waking world."
The fingertips at the small of her back moved to trace lightly over the curve of her hip. He watched her blush...felt her keeping her thoughts veiled from him. Embarrassment...walls or not, he knew that well enough. He didn't press her though...for once he didn't feel the need to pry into her thoughts and know everything. For the moment, at least, he didn't consider her a threat.
That was a far more profound thing than you might expect.
He moved slightly, drawing the covers up a bit. Whatever she thought about his scars...whatever it might have been in that night before...he still was not fond of showing his own scars...at least, not the one that was most horrendous.
His fingertips, now freed of that knife blade, moved to trace along some of those scars that he saw on her flesh. Astute eyes did not miss any of them...not even the palest amongst them. He did not judge, however. If anything, they caused his respect for her to rise. She had handle much...she continued to handle him. The smile in his eyes became more apparent as he continued to admire her.
For a moment...just a moment, something lived in him. The man that she had seen briefly...the one who had once been called Enery, reached out again.
"I trust you will not confuse last night with any of the training that is to be in your future, Aunna. Whatever may go on within this bed... I will not be as gentle while training you as my apprentice. Enjoy what you can..."
Vex Praetor...master of pillow talk...
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Oct 6, 2009 20:24:05 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Oct 6, 2009 20:24:05 GMT -5
Aunna couldn’t help but relax further as he rested the dagger back on the mattress, it had, for a moment, reminded her far too much of...well she'd rather not think of the dead. That hawk-like gaze of hers narrowed down to only him and his movements, his actions, trying to discern what he was thinking. Nope, solid wall. Well, it wasn’t really a surprise…but the way he’d gazed so long at that blade had her wondering why...had he thought the same thing she had, or had he caught that line of thinking from her? She wasn't sure. She let that curiosity radiate out from her for a moment before noticing that small crinkling of the corners of his eyes…a smile. Easily she returned it as he spoke and that head of hers tilted slightly.
Hmm…I understand unpleasant dreams…I know you noticed at least one of them.
She paused for a moment mulling over his words and allowing that focus on keeping her thoughts shielded from him slipping slightly as she wondered exactly what kinds of dreams he was used to and what kinds he’d had last night. For a moment she pondered asking him.
Well…I hope that ‘different’ is Vex lingo for ‘better’…I can’t quite tell yet. Though I have to say I’m a bit curious about your dreams now you’ve brought them up.
Yes, it was a way of questioning him without actually questioning him, but she’d done that on purpose…dreams were private also, if he wanted to share he could, if not…no skin off her nose. The movement of his fingertips along her lower back and hip sent a small shiver up her spine and long her skin, raising the skin into goosebumbs ever so slightly. That had actually tickled, as unexpected as the movement had been, but she swiftly overcame the sensation. Aunna noted that he covered himself a bit more with the sheets, and though she wanted to tell him he didn’t have to…it was such a delicate time that she didn’t dare. She wanted him to be comfortable, and if that meant he covered himself almost completely from her view (not saying he had), then so be it.
Again, she watched passively as his other hand reached toward her, tracing along the scars on her body. She took his action as an invitation, allowing herself to move more freely. The hand that had been resting lightly on his chest gently removed some of that midnight hair from the sides of his face, cautiously stroking along the hairline, testing him once more before allowing those long fingers of her to trace along some of his own scars. She was beginning to learn him, memorize him, as she lightly followed those markings with her fingertips. Slowly, carefully, and ever so lightly, she settled her hand against that bandaged area on his shoulder, barely allowing a feathers weight to settle against it.
Those eye closed for a moment and she sighed heavily…she desperately wanted to rid him of this injury, and the other…the ones that he had received on account of her. She wouldn’t notice the force drawing into her, following her desire for something to happen, to heal him, but before anything could come to pass, she sighed and removed her hand, listening to that warning. Slowly a smile crept across her face once more, followed by a snicker, her eyes narrowing in the expression of the dry humor she found in his words.
Vex…to expect anything less of you would be an insult…not only to you, but to my intelligence.
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Vex
A Self-styled computer geek that moonlights as a G.I. Joe.
1,014 posts
2 likes
Proud bearer of the "Polish Stalker Badge".
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last online May 21, 2018 17:30:54 GMT -5
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Oct 7, 2009 19:01:47 GMT -5
Post by Vex on Oct 7, 2009 19:01:47 GMT -5
"You shouldn't be. Like many of the methods I use to deal with others, you would be better off remaining in the dark about them"
He'd closed his eyes at the feather light touches of her fingers against his hair. It was strangely soothing for him. Many of the things and experiences with her were strange to him. Last night was only the culmination of things thus far. It had been unbelievably new...enlightening...enriching for him. He simply didn't understand it all.
He felt her touch drift down and rest along his injury...felt the draw of the Force into her, intentional or not. It was obviously unintentional...as she drew away before she even managed to start. Either that....or she held some sort of trepidation and a worry that had her pulling the hand away.
This close proximity...he wasn't used to it and enjoyable or not...he could only take so much. He shifted, pressing a hand onto her shoulder to get her to lay back as the whole of that pale form slipped from the sheets. Reaching over her, he pressed his foot down onto the deck and passed over her, moving to stand up. He would pad toward the refresher.
"You should probably prepare the ship to leave hyperspace, Aunna. I would hate to end the evening by flying into Carida's gravity well and being destroyed...I have some modifications to do to my sabers if I am to begin teaching you how to use one without risking your loss to limb."
He pulled the Force around him, wrapping himself up in it, finding the darkness of it consoling him, comforting him now that he no longer had her proximity to help him feel so. How quickly he could shift from that dark, cold creature of terror to the surprisingly gentle man she evoked...and back again.
Stepping into the refresher, he closed the door behind himself.
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Oct 7, 2009 20:18:18 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Oct 7, 2009 20:18:18 GMT -5
She took that answer, accepting it easily…she wasn’t one to pry into others thoughts unless she felt she absolutely needed to. If he didn’t want her knowing about his dreams that was his right. She watched as he closed his eyes, seemingly calm, soothed, by her touch. It was…odd…for her to think that he might be, that that might be the truth of the matter. She was a rather abrasive person lately…perhaps not as much as him, but even so…she wasn’t always the easiest person to get to know or like. He, however, didn’t seem to mind…well, not at the moment anyway…and she found that pleasing to her.
All good things had to come to an end, however, and this was no different. She had realized long ago that he didn’t like close contact, it made him tense up, become almost anxious, so it didn’t entirely surprise her as he pressed her back gently, those sheets slipping away from him. She couldn’t help but feel a mixture of emotions, a cocktail of feelings that came with seeing his full form…yet knowing he was leaving, if only a short distance. Sitting up as he moved toward the refresher, she nodded to his words, glancing up at the clock. She had enough time for a quick shower herself and she could just settle for washing her hair later that evening. A light nod was given to his words as she gathered her clothes and traipsed out and back to her own room.
It wasn’t long before she was ensconced in warm water.
Not much time later she was at the controls of the Consul, hair pulled back lightly and braided to keep out of her way as she brought the ship out of the swirl of lights that constituted the hyperspace tunnel. Sure enough, Carida…right on schedule. She settled back into the seat toying with her necklace as she waited for the planetary control to contact her. If they didn’t, that was all well and good, but…the com system flashed. Yep, there they were…also right on schedule.
It didn’t take much to give them the Republic code the ship had been supplied with, and not many questions were asked…people aboard, destination, docking required…only one of them was given a truthful answer, but no further questions were asked. The sudden weight of gravity clinging to the ship could be felt through the control stick, the half second of weightlessness before gravity controls kicked back in and settled everything to rights, it was all a well learned dance for Aunna as she brought the ship smoothly into the dark gray rain clouds that covered this part of the planet. Slowly a silvery sheen coated the view port and the moving air currents, had her shifting the inertial dampeners to smooth out the descent.
She passed low over the forest she’d been angling for only a few minutes after entering the atmosphere, the rush of wind from the giant beast that was the Consul making the trees below shake their branches like fists, and the animals below scampering in all directions. It was, oddly enough, rather easy for Aunna to find a place to settle the ship down. She’d almost missed it, but by luck she’d seen it and brought the ship down in the glade.
Luck…that was something she was beginning to believe in less and less these days. She’d slowly been mulling over her various memories, testing them to see if she could differentiate between ‘luck’ and ‘the force’…so far, she’d had little to go off of, uncertain just what to look for. At the moment, however, Aunna wasn’t thinking so much about that. Instead, she was focused on the landing sequence as the Consul’s struts slowly took the burden of the ship’s weight as it settled itself into its new resting place.
With a sigh, she leaned back in her seat once more, watching the ship controls power down one by one except for the ones needed. Once she was satisfied with her work, the new auburn stood and went to find her…well what was he now? The thought had her come to a pause in her walk, blinking. Well, she decided, Vex was a great many things…one of them being her mentor…starting (as far as she knew) today.
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Vex
A Self-styled computer geek that moonlights as a G.I. Joe.
1,014 posts
2 likes
Proud bearer of the "Polish Stalker Badge".
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last online May 21, 2018 17:30:54 GMT -5
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Oct 8, 2009 20:15:47 GMT -5
Post by Vex on Oct 8, 2009 20:15:47 GMT -5
He left the refresher, padding out and seeing that his room was empty, the bed vacant and still rumpled. Good. It was as things should be. Last night had been a revelation and even he could not lie and say that it was not enjoyable. The circumstances brought him pause, however...the vulnerability it could cause in him was more than a little troubling.
As he dressed, he idly considered it. He'd woken this morning and found her there. If anyone was in the room with him, he always knew. The Force and his own light sleeping patterns made that assured. At least, it had, until last night. The lapse in his defenses, despite the pleasant method reason for it, troubled him greatly.
Dressed now, he secured his room door and moved to his bed, straightening the sheets. The sabers were removed and brought to the small desk as he sat down. From that utility belt, he drew forward the items he needed...pieces of the kit he used to modify his sabers. He pushed out all distractions, even those from his thoughts as he opened himself up to the Force. His lightsabers were extensions of himself. As much a part of him as his own limbs, working on them was a very serious experience.
The tools came into his hands and he worked. His eyes were closed...he didn't need to see to do this any more than he had to see his own feet in order to move. It was simply a natural part of him.
When he'd chosen the path he was currently on, he'd changed his lightsabers. He'd had no reason for kindess, to be gentle. He had no reason to set his weapons to any level other than that required to kill. Maximum effect. No quarter. To kill or to die. That was the mindset of the young, newly borne Vex Praetor. Things were different now.
By the time she landed, he had finished. Relinquishing himself from that connection with the Force, he opened his eyes and began to replace the tools. The alteration had been simple enough...the power settings could now be adjusted down to a less than lethal level. Now, when he began to teach her, they could be set so that she might not be dismembered during the learning process. Of course, it wasn't going to be as gentle as the training sabers one would see in the temple. Oh no. It would hurt, discharging power enough to temporarily disrupt the nerve endings where struck...causing pain, swelling, and a short term loss of complete function in a limb.
Better to make her understand the importance of giving her all during training.
Unlocking the door, he slipped out. Seeing here there, momentarily paused in though, he spoke gruffly. "Change into something easy to move in in join me outside, little one."
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Oct 9, 2009 1:15:33 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Oct 9, 2009 1:15:33 GMT -5
She’d shaken her head and had been about to start walking again when the subject of her search, and previous thoughts, had arrived and spoken. The gruff tone made her smile slightly. Ah, there was the Vex she’d come to expect, that gruff order earning only a slight nod as she moved past him. Really, anything was easy for her to move in…her previous mentors had demanded that she learn to fight in all kinds of clothing, one fencing teacher going so far as to have her wear a formal dress to practice. She wasn’t about to wear a dress, however, no matter HOW easy they were to move in. Instead, she opted to change into a pair of cargo pants she’d managed to wrestle away from Veera.
She was glad she had.
As she stepped out into the gray drizzle (it hadn’t yet started to actually rain here), she was thankful for the traction she’d have with the boots she wore and the extra material of the dark brown pants. Her green top wouldn’t help keep much of the cold away, but she didn’t think she would need it after a while. After the damp chill, she noticed the gravity of the planet…it was heavier here than any of the other planets she’d been on…that would be something to get used to, apparently, but in the end result it would make her life considerably easier. She would be used to fighting in high gravity, so when she found herself on ‘standard’ grav. planets she would be able to move far more easily and swiftly.
Blue eyes flickered about as she descended the ramp, taking in the open area and looking for Vex at the same time. Surprisingly, perhaps, she was wary as she did so. For some reason she wouldn’t have found it surprising if he started her training by trying to catch her off guard. That tactical mind came to the fore once again as she eyed possible points of attack, places she could be trapped into easily, obstacles, the layout of the area and things in it that might be used in her favor…or his. Lastly, and more privately, she thought that if she had time later…after he was done beating her to a pulp with this training…she would have to take a moment and actually look at this place. From what she could tell of it so far, through her wary state, it seemed rather nice.
Her mind worked fast, processing all of this new sensory information within moments, and by the time she’d gotten to the bottom of the ramp, stepping into the wet grass, she had been done with it and had already caught sight of him. Well, no surprise attacks now…but that didn’t mean much for tomorrow…or later in the afternoon even. That gaze of hers had become intense as she’d exited the ship, and as she drew closer to him, it would become more obvious. That spirit of hers had been reigned in, harnessed and controlled to keep her mind and its curiosity at bay…to keep herself prepared and completely focused. The intensity wasn’t resigned only to her eyes, it radiated through her as she honed herself in on him, still keeping part of her attention on the forest around them.
This would be the Aunna that Vex had first met on Coruscant…the woman he’d fought on Selonia…but more. Since she had cut herself off from the force, after her experience with Andrew, the woman had been…diminished…but now…now that she had unlocked that power once more, had begun to accept and test that power consciously…that intensity had grown. It didn’t feel any different to her, to her she was still the same…but inside she was a power to be molded, the beginnings of either a great and soothing light or barely restrained fire and brimstone depending on how she would choose to use it…what side of the balance she would chose to be.
Chances were good that Aunna would end up being the balance between the two…but that, fortunately, was still a long way down the road.
For now, she was simply prepared to start training.
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Vex
A Self-styled computer geek that moonlights as a G.I. Joe.
1,014 posts
2 likes
Proud bearer of the "Polish Stalker Badge".
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last online May 21, 2018 17:30:54 GMT -5
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Oct 9, 2009 21:20:34 GMT -5
Post by Vex on Oct 9, 2009 21:20:34 GMT -5
He had keyed the door for the ramp and looked at the minor precipitation falling outside. It didn't bother him. He enjoyed the rain. The underbellies of Coruscant had a different sort of rain...something not at all natural or pleasant most of the time. This was different and appreciated. He slipped out of his robes, carefully folding them and setting them on the ramp so they wouldn't get wet before he stepped out from underneath the ship and into the open.
Clad in those dark boots, breeches, and that tunic, he moved through the basic katas that made up his Forms, sabers held in his hands but unlight. His eyes were closed as he moved through them, focusing on the draw of the Force into him and guiding his movements with the razored precision they required. He didn't think about them, he simply flowed from one to the next. In many ways it was similar to the show she had seen before. This was more meditative, however, than anything else. He felt his perceptions reach out far beyond him as he let himself go and drift along in the flow of movement and the Force.
The whole of the place was painted for him in his mind's eye, the imagery drawin with his perceptions in the Force and relating the true character of what was around him. The result was something far more vibrant and inspiring than simple sight could give.
If the heavier gravity affected him, it did not seem so as he finally drew himself into a halt, finishing the last form in a turn that brought him to bear unwaveringly in the direction she was coming from. The scintillation of her aura was a beacon before him...unmistakable. Dark eyes opened slowly as she neared.
His hand moved, tossing the hilt of one of the sabers to her. He took the other one up and settled himself into the beginnings of the classic Shii-Cho stance.
"We will begin with teaching you what every youngling learns by the time they can feed upon solid foods: Form I: Shii-Cho. It is the most basic form of lightsaber combat and is whatall the other Forms founded their base on. Through its fundamentals, you will come to understand the inner workings of lightsaber control in combat. It is the gateway to more advanced techniques. It is the first Form most Jedi master. I will begin by taking you through the katas...the stances, movements, and sequences that make up Shii-Cho. As you have training in weaponry...it can both help and hinder. Some things should be more familiar and easy to pick up. However, you also will tend to bring alog bad habits from your melee fighting."
He ignited the lightsaber he held, letting its brilliant violet blade shimmer before him as he held himself in the first stance of Shii-Cho. "The lightsaber is not balanced like most weapons. With the blade weightless, it is very light and balanced far differently than traditional swords and weapons. It can be maneuvered far more quickly, especially when coupled with the Force. That same advantage can also become dangerous if one is not cognizant of the difference. Respect the weapon. It will take its price out of your own flesh if you do not."
He had been drawing the Force into himself as he spoke to her. As he finished, he emphasized his point by using that power to speed himself considerably, getting within her guard and cracking the blade down upon her thigh before she could react. The changed settings would make the blade discharge a pulse, overwhelming the nerves and causing pain while deadening the limb and making it unusable for half a minute or so.
He would look upon her passively then. "Understand?"
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Oct 9, 2009 22:15:10 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Oct 9, 2009 22:15:10 GMT -5
If she noticed the beauty of the area, she didn’t show it. The woman loved the rain far more than she’d admit to any but herself…perhaps him, in time, but for the moment she didn’t seem to notice it or the scene that painted itself in brilliant hues around them. Instead, she listened attentively a mixture of anticipation and slight anxiety struggling to dominate the carefully controlled calm she had wrapped herself in. As he spoke, she sifted through his words, discarding the quip he started with and taking in the name of the form he would be teaching her as she tested the feel of the saber he’d tossed to her. It certainly was different from anything she’d handled before…at least consciously. There had been the time she’d used one on the door out of the prison, but she’d simply reacted, not taking note of anything but the need to get away.
Blue eyes took in his stance even as he continued speaking, testing the muscles it would require even as she continued to stand regularly. So all other forms were based upon Shii-Cho…and the stances, movements and sequences that the form required were ‘katas.’ It was even like a different language, she was beginning to realize, and so, Aunna began to empty her mind of any experiences she had been toying with to try and compare this new form of combat to…not long after Vex basically said as much.
As he brought the blade to life she eyed it warily for half a moment and continued to listen. No weight, yes, she would guess not…she may as well practice with the blade off except for the fact that she would need to learn the length of it so she wouldn’t injure herself. As he finished, she nodded slightly and then…he was gone.
Less than half a second he was out of her sight and then he was there in a blur of swirling blacks, reds, golds and that violet lightsaber. Less than a moment of “oh shit” and a sudden sharp pain across her thigh and she buckled with a wince and hiss at the unexpected pain then numbness. Her leg was still there, and she knew it, but even so, the dead feeling had her a bit spooked at first, even as she got herself up again.
Yes…
Finally the feeling began to return and she huffed slightly as she tested her weight on it again.
Yes, I understand.
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Vex
A Self-styled computer geek that moonlights as a G.I. Joe.
1,014 posts
2 likes
Proud bearer of the "Polish Stalker Badge".
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last online May 21, 2018 17:30:54 GMT -5
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Oct 17, 2009 13:13:08 GMT -5
Post by Vex on Oct 17, 2009 13:13:08 GMT -5
"Then let us begin." He would begin to instruct her on the positions, the movements, the basics of what made the Form of Shii Cho. He was very exacting in his expectations. Sloppiness of form was not tolerated. If she did not hold the blade right or did not step into the movement as he wished, she'd receive a crackling blow from his lightsaber against the offending body part.
"If you are lazy...if you do not move exactly as needed to...you may very well lose that limb for your inattention to detail. A flaw will be exploited. The Force is your ally, but it will also be used by your enemies...and it cannot save you from everything."
Finally...evening consumed the sky, darkening everything around them. The entirety of the day had been spent simply learning the basics of the most rudimentary form of lightsaber combat. He'd only allowed short breaks and quick meals, considering her need to learn and learn quickly more important. And that crackle of the saber against her form never failed to make its appearance whenever he felt she was not doing her best.
At last, he lowered the saber and extinguished it. He would look at her slowly from head to toe. "That will be sufficient for today, pet. Let us get something to eat and allow you to clean up and rest for the night. We will start earlier tomorrow."
He would move then toward the ramp and back up into the warmly lit interior of the ship.
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Oct 17, 2009 15:07:03 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Oct 17, 2009 15:07:03 GMT -5
It had been a grueling training session…and though she’d known he wasn’t going to be easy on her, even this had been relatively unexpected. She’d adjusted, however, working twice as hard to fulfill his demanding expectations. Aunna wasn’t infallible, however, and she had only just begun learning, so it wasn’t easy to do all he asked. More than once she’d been on the receiving end of a painful and numbing blow from his saber. She’d been lucky to know a few of the basics of the form, if only because they mirrored those from sword fighting styles she’d learned in her younger days…but even that was a double edged sword for her.
As expected, what had been good footing in one style was decidedly not in this one, and she would find herself hitting the ground with a half numb ankle, or knee, or thigh, or holding and trying to work out a numb arm or shoulder. In fact, there had been some places he’d hit in such similar ways that they stung mildy through the rest of the day. Muscles ached from the stress of unfamiliar use, but she refused…absolutely REFUSED…to complain. She’d not let him have that to hold over her also…and if this is what it took for her to learn what he was trying to teach her…well, all she could do is bear with it. It would only help her in the end.
She hoped.
Finally, as the clouds above turned their rain into more of a downpour, he decided it was time to call it a day. Aunna couldn’t think of a time she’d been more thankful to get indoors, and a shower had rarely sounded so good. His calling her “pet” rankled her again, causing her to bristle as she nodded and followed him up the ramp into the ship. Even as she swiped some of the rain from her face and began wringing out her hair of the stuff, she huffed loudly at him.
Why do you insist on calling me that? “Pet”…it’s degrading.
She’d never had good experiences with the name…many of them with men who had wanted to take advantage of her. They’d seemed to think that the name would be endearing enough to her that she wouldn’t notice the not so subtle put down in the rest of their words, the way they tried to treat her. After Andrew she’d not allowed anyone to come close enough to her to blind her like he had…not until Vex had come along, anyway. It was unlikely she’d ever tell him, but he was the first in five years to get this emotionally close to her in a non-professional way…but habits die hard, and the word still angered her. She was, now, making sure to cut the use of it by him.
She would begin to pass him, heading toward her quarters, and the refresher therein, only pausing once she was past him, waiting for an answer to her question all icy eyes and dripping clothes and hair. Yes, she was a very bedraggled looking thing, attempting not to glare at him with her dislike of what he’d called her.
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Vex
A Self-styled computer geek that moonlights as a G.I. Joe.
1,014 posts
2 likes
Proud bearer of the "Polish Stalker Badge".
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last online May 21, 2018 17:30:54 GMT -5
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Oct 17, 2009 15:27:50 GMT -5
Post by Vex on Oct 17, 2009 15:27:50 GMT -5
Though he was every inch as soaked as she was, he hardly seemed it. If anything, the discomfort and duress that the elements had put them under only served to make him more comfortable. Misery and its companions had been his stalwart crowd for a long time...he'd grown used to it. But this was new...sharing of time with another...teaching, focusing on something other than his quest and his drive. It was...pleasant.
Though he'd never admit it...though he'd ride her to the breaking point of her training, he'd never let her know that he was actually treasuring this time. It was, after all, a shock to him as well. He'd never had the desire to train a learner and had certainly never wished to spend time with someone for such periods of time. She changed things, however.
He paused as she passed him...listening to the tone of her words and watching the unspoken sentiments given by her body language. As she glared at him while in such a state, he quirked a brow. Pale fingers pushed back through his mane, drawing the clinging strands from his features and allowing those dark eyes to better hold her own. He held her gaze levelly and slowly walked toward her.
His hand lifted again to close over his mask and draw it up. It was beginning to be habit whenever he wanted to speak to her and make a point. Sliding it into the spot he kept for it on his belt, he halted a foot away from her. His hand came up, fingers closing around her throat, but with surprising care, given how unrelenting he'd been the rest of the day. His thumb pressed in the hollow of her throat, feeling her pulse there in the vulnerable spot while the rest of his fingers slid around her nape and into those auburn strands.
"Perhaps...Aunna...if one does not understand the meaning of the word. It is a possessive word, Aunna...and I am nothing if not possessive...but it also applies to someone indulged or cherished..." His smile was dark with amusement as he drew her closer, his own head dipping to continue to hold her gaze now that their faces were mere inches away. "Are you aware of another in my existence with which the term would be more fitting?"
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Oct 17, 2009 16:58:54 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Oct 17, 2009 16:58:54 GMT -5
(have i ever mentioned how much i HATE typos?)
Some of that ice melted as she watched Vex, only for new aggravation to arise. She never could stay overly angry at him for long…and that was what brought up this new wave of annoyance and frustration. She shook back those crimson strands of hair, getting them out of her eyes...or trying to, as they were quite persistent in their need to cling to her face. His approach was watched warily as he removed his mask and settled it into the pouch on his belt. It wouldn’t have surprised her if he tried to back her into a wall to get his point across...whatever that point may be. The mild musing was met with a sigh and folding of her arms.
He paused, barely a foot from her, reaching up to let his hand close around her throat. She still wanted to shy away from the motion, but she didn’t. The previous night, the day before and his making clear his desire to leave her unharmed, those were what kept her still. The careful touch, how he gently pressed the pad of his thumb against her throat but didn’t keep the rest of his hand in a position to do her harm…Aunna relaxed a bit and she couldn’t hold that closed off posture any longer, at least, not in anger.
Those words, that explanation of his, had her blinking up at him in mild confusion. A corner of her mouth quirked up in a small, sarcastic, smile…yes, he certainly was possessive. He’d all but called her “mine” last night…if not mentally and emotionally, than certainly physically. The last part of that explanation, however, caught her off guard, and that was what had her blinking up at him, confused. In all honesty, she’d never seen the word used in that way, and she’d never thought to use it that way either.
She was pulled closer, her arms uncrossing so that her hands came to rest against his strong chest. Aunna had to tilt her head upward to keep her eyes holding that deep gaze of his. Whatever ice, whatever anger or irritation, was left in those blue eyes melted as her mind fully absorbed his words and his question. No, she supposed that there wasn’t…in fact, there wasn’t anyone else in his life BUT her. That realization, for some reason, also stunned her. She didn’t know why, but she hadn’t really thought of it…noticed it…before now, and it brought back up that age old question of "why?"
No…I suppose not, but…
His warm breath tickled along the skin of her face and at the edges of her wet hair and she noticed how very close he was. That black hair of his glistened in the light as the excess water dripped from it and onto both of them. She swiftly stifled that line of thought and redirected her mind back to her original intent while swiftly bringing her attention back to attempting to shield herself from his…mental ninjary…for lack of a better term.
…but then, there really isn’t anyone else but me around…is there?
She smiled slightly, uncertainly, and broke eye contact with him, turning her face away...suddenly anxious for that shower and to wash away the aches and pains of the day. Aunna sighed a bit and stepped back from him, turning away from him.
Thank you for answering my question…I really should shower though, so if you’ll excuse me.
With that she slipped into her room.
Even as she emerged comfortably dressed, clean of the mud and sweat and rain of the day, she still ached. She’d earned quite a few red marks where he’d ‘beat the sense into her,’ and though the warm water had helped ease some of the ache in her muscles, it hadn’t worked wonders. Pulling the towel from her hair, she tossed the cloth back into the other room and shook her hair out. It tended to take on the most waves at this time, thick and rippling about her face and shoulders, looking like an intentional ‘mess’ of tousled hair…a style that seemed to be fairly popular these days (some worked for hours to get the look right), Aunna got easily with water and a good shake out.
Reemerging from her room, she set about eating…something (she didn’t rightly care what she’d made, but she thought it was a sandwich) and, setting the plate aside for the time being, scrolled through the datapad she’d acquired from Jade, glasses perched on her face as she checked the local news.
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Vex
A Self-styled computer geek that moonlights as a G.I. Joe.
1,014 posts
2 likes
Proud bearer of the "Polish Stalker Badge".
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last online May 21, 2018 17:30:54 GMT -5
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Oct 19, 2009 18:53:57 GMT -5
Post by Vex on Oct 19, 2009 18:53:57 GMT -5
He arched a brow at the second part of her comments and the question she asked. No, there wasn't anyone else and it was rather clear just by that look that there wasn't anyone else because he had no desre for anyone else to be there. Attachments were discouraged by the Jedi...but his desire to limit them out of a personal preference.
He let her slip away and go to her quarters. He moved on to his own, also cleaning up and then gathering a meal. He did not ask her to join him in his chambers that night. It was hard to say whether he wished to repeat it....what it meant to him...what he considered her. Truth be told, he didn't know either. He wasn't going to ask or question it fr the moment, however.
The next few days followed the same pattern. The rain continued as well...showers intermittent throughout their training sessions. Now that she knew all of the basic movements, he began to teach her to string them together into the katas, the movements that would etch the rhythm and flow of the Form into her muscles, into her very being. He was as exacting as ever, that saber always quick to strike when she failed to execute properly. He would push her, getting her up from before sunrise and not releasing her until after sunset.
Finally after the fourth day, he paused in the early afternoon, giving her an hour to rest and have some respite.
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Oct 19, 2009 19:15:51 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Oct 19, 2009 19:15:51 GMT -5
Finally she got a moment free of the training.
The last few days had been…trying…but somehow she’d managed to drag herself through them and keep up her energy. It was odd how just how much energy she found herself with these days. Didn’t mean she wasn’t tired and sore and more than a bit grouchy at times, but…for the most part, Aunna had managed to keep up a fair amount of energy and will power. Today he’d actually decided to allow her a longer break than normal, and she’d taken the offered break gladly
She’d eaten…something (honestly she couldn’t remember what she’d eaten, but she knew she had)…and then dragged her sorry behind toward the ramp leading outside again. Even with her regular practicing, this was something entirely different and it was somehow more taxing. Perhaps she just hadn’t put her all into her previous training, or perhaps it was the things that Vex asked of her…the various trials he put her through…perhaps she was just not used to ‘training’ as opposed to ‘practicing’ any longer, the learning process of something new being more difficult than the upkeep of the familiar…whatever it was it had left her tired and wanting to have some time to just…not. That was why she had eaten swiftly and brought herself outside once more.
It had begun to rain fully as he’d allowed her to get inside, eat, and have an hour to herself before continuing. The clinging dampness, the drizzle, hadn’t bothered her as he’d begun to beat Shii-Cho into her, but the woman had noticed it anyway. Now, as the rain fell in moderate and calm waves of liquid silver from the sky above, the already damp woman stepped out into the quiet music of the rain and the forest. The first thing she did as she stepped past the cover of the Consul and onto the silvery green waves of grass, burdened by those diamond clear drops, was close her eyes and breathe.
Her face tilted upward, allowing that life giving water to patter gently against her skin to run in clear rivulets along her to drip from her hair and finger tips. The clean smell of wet flora, the crisp smell of cold air, the calm stillness of the woods and the animals nestled in them and the gentle song of the rain as it fell…her mind and heart were painted with the colors and life that surrounded them, thrilling through her blood. Part of her wanted to move, to use the energy she felt from the beauty of the life around her, part of her wanted nothing more than to sit and take it all in. Finally she had to let this energy out to even consider sitting still…the thing was, it wasn’t just physical energy, it wasn’t something she could just let out by moving…no. It wasn’t just physical energy; it was emotional, mental…
The rain set her beat, the consistent pattering, the whisper of it against the plants. The few birds still singing only brought the melody forward further.
I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned
Staring at the blank page before you Open up the dirty window Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance So close you can almost taste it Release your inhibitions
Even with her eyes still closed, it didn’t take much for her to move. She didn’t feel that she needed to see to move, and these were motions she didn’t have to think about. Moments only before she had started moving, before that song had risen up, the familiar weight of that collapsed spear had reached her hand and extended to its full length. The rigorous training Vex had put her through with the saber had been fairly disconcerting and it was…comforting…to use something so familiar.
Feel the rain on your skin No one else can feel it for you Only you can let it in No one else, no one else Can speak the words on your lips Drench yourself in words unspoken Live your life with arms wide open Today is where your book begins The rest is still unwritten
Graceful arcs were formed through the falling rain. Great swaths cut through it by her spear as she allowed herself to follow the more simplistic patterns of this particular melee weapon. To Aunna, the movements were slow, almost too slow, as she allowed this energy she gathered from the day to flow into, and out of, her like her breaths. Her eyes moved behind those closed lids, viewing the shimmering landscape that was half memory, half something else entirely…perhaps it was the force? She allowed the thought to come and go through her mind like the water that flowed down her skin, the drops that flew from the tips of her hair and away from her spear as it twirled effortlessly around her form.
I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way
Staring at the blank page before you Open up the dirty window Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance So close you can almost taste it Release your inhibitions Feel the rain on your skin No one else can feel it for you Only you can let it in No one else, no one else Can speak the words on your lips Drench yourself in words unspoken Live your life with arms wide open Today is where your book begins
Inwardly, Aunna viewed a canvas of color and light, everything shimmering, breath taking and new…but somehow, so very strangely familiar. Emotions painted the canvas in hues she couldn’t ever describe as she flowed with the that quiet music the beauty of the rain had evoked. Never once did her motions stop. Body…spear…it was difficult to tell where one ended and the next began, and to the Songweaver there wasn’t a difference. Inwardly she wasn’t fighting…she saw no enemies, she felt no danger real or imagined, there was no one she needed to hide this from…there was her and her only opponent was the rain. Her only challenge was to avoid the falling tears of the sky and to settle herself. She had accomplished one, settling herself simply by allowing herself to move freely, to think and feel freely, but the second was a task she couldn’t quite complete.
Despite the seeming impossibility of it, she enjoyed her fun, the impossible task she had set herself, and she smiled because of it, silently mouthing the words of that song as that extension of herself moved. Inwardly she felt she was moving at an easy and relaxed pace…outwardly, she was moving rather faster than that.
While it was nothing compared to what Vex or other trained force users could do, those movements were more swift than she would think. Smooth and graceful as the movements of the Sand Panthers of her home world, she allowed her muscles to ripple along under her skin in ways they hadn’t since her short spat with Vex on Selonia. That spear moved endlessly, and at moments it kept blurred in a sheet of glistening silver as it battered away the rain from around her, sending the spray in all directions. At times it seemed that she simply moved between the falling drops of water, those movements of hers becoming slowly more complex as she molded them together, utilizing the full range of her skills. It wasn’t difficult to do, and it wasn’t difficult, now, to see that with a spear in her hands, Aunna’s fighting was the stylized dance of a master.
At one point her foot slid on the grass as she turned, threatening to injure her with her eyes still closed. A heartbeat was skipped as she opened her eyes for half a second before closing them once more and allowing the motion to follow through. It was good, for her anyway, that she could still perform the splits and that these pants were loose enough to do so. Muscles controlled the movement in an instant and that spear came above her head. No sooner had she been about to hit the ground in a complete split than she was twisting, that spear turning about to start the momentum she needed to allow the rest of her body to follow through as her legs bent to allow her the range of movement she would need to gain her feet again. If it had been a real fight, she’d have been able to block her opponent long enough to get her footing…and so the dance continued.
Feel the rain on your skin No one else can feel it for you Only you can let it in No one else, no one else Can speak the words on your lips Drench yourself in words unspoken Live your life with arms wide open Today is where your book begins The rest is still unwritten
Despite the slight rattle she’d gotten from that near fall, Aunna brought her mind back to the serene landscape the rain painted for her, the calm and soothing feelings that emanated from the world around her, and she found herself settling again. Only now did she actually focus her attention on those lyrics that she’d been hearing, silently singing. Part of her mind ran through those lyrics again, allowing their meaning to be absorbed by her conscious self. A new, slow, smile reached her face as the quiet song changed…shifted…to something different, the meaning changing with her interpretation of it. Either way the song revealed more of herself than she had realized at first, but now…now something else was woven in. There were undertones…darker undertones…undertones she was beginning to recognize.
The tune had darkened, becoming faster and harsher.
Staring at the blank page before you Open up the dirty window Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
It started as a chuckle in her chest and throat…something quiet as the idea grew clearer. Slowly it bubbled up into a quiet laugh at the notion the song was driving into her mind as she felt the words repeat to get the point across…
Staring at the blank page before you Open up the dirty window Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
…This wasn’t just telling her about herself…oh no…there was more than one ‘blank page’ around here. Yes, she needed to follow the advice of this song, but she wasn’t the only one. Yes, she was staring, right now, at the first blank page of this chapter of her life. Yes, she needed a little illumination, to stop trying to see through the clouded and ‘dirty’ window that was her past. Yes, she needed to allow something, someone, to help her find how to begin this new chapter in her story…but she wasn’t the only one.
No…Vex was also looking at her ‘blank page’…he also needed to find a way to help mold her…and he was doing so…but there was more to it than that. He too had started a new chapter in his life story. Of the two of them, he needed to allow a light to shine in and show him the words for this new chapter. Of the two of them, he was the one that needed to stop blocking out that light with his troubled past…and just as he was looking at her blank page, she now knew she was looking at his.
This…was a revelation…one she wasn’t entirely certain what to do with.
Staring at the blank page before you Open up the dirty window Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance So close you can almost taste it Release your inhibitions –
Release your inhibitions,
Release…
Even as the power had built, and she’d finally realized the full meaning of the song, Aunna paused, blue eyes blinking open moments only before she settled herself in the grass cross legged, that spear collapsing again before being replaced on her belt. Closing her eyes again, she panted as she sat there in the rain and wet grass, trying to sort through all of this newness.
There was more to this revelation than she had first thought. So many layers splayed before her mind that she was baffled and stunned by it all. The woman began picking apart the lyrics now she knew it hadn’t just applied to her…so many allusions to other things, so many twisted and skewed meanings, so many links and parallels…
Half of the thoughts that flashed through her mind she didn’t dare dwell on, but it was all true and she knew it. They were both reaching for something…they both had a goal, but…she didn’t believe that goal was what she thought it was. In fact, the more she thought about it, the less she thought it was an actual goal…what inhibitions were there in their personal goals? Obstacles, yes…but not inhibitions…
Feel the rain
Feel the rain
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin No one else can feel it for you Only you can let it in No one else, no one else Can speak the words on your lips Drench yourself in words unspoken Live your life with arms wide open Today is where your book begins No one else can feel it for you Only you can let it in No one else, no one else Can speak the words on your lips Drench yourself in words unspoken Live your life with arms wide open Today is where your book begins The rest is still unwritten
Her breathing was quieting now, but it didn’t leave her any less baffled…even with the song ending.
She remained where she had settled herself, listening to the quiet fall of the rain around her. So much confusion and so few answers…and it wasn’t as if Vex could help her find the answers she was looking for. He’d said himself that he’d never heard of anyone having abilities like hers…hell, even SHE didn’t know how they worked…all she knew was that when music came floating into her mind, something strange was going to happen.
A sigh escaped her as she mulled over the situation. She needed to know something…anything…about how or why these songs, this music, worked with her…Vex had mentioned that they somehow connected her to the force, or strengthened her connection to it…that information, while all well and good, did little to help her figure out just how to use it to her benefit, or even when to expect it…in what situations. Vaguely, she could feel Vex somewhere on the edges of her mind…she’d felt him for quite a while, actually, but she couldn’t be sure if it was him physically, or if he was just creeping about in her mind as he seemed to like to do. Shrugging it off mentally, she went back to her brooding.
For a few moments she was still, mentally and physically, when the memory of Nar Shaddaa floated to the front of her mind. That had been the first time she’d heard music since…well…since she’d sworn off singing because of Andrew’s attack on her. The image of herself waiting behind that wall…the disgust and anger and fear for Vex’s life she’d felt as she’d watched the bald devil toy with her protector…that had been when she’d heard the music. The memory still brought up a roiling mass of emotion up in her…perhaps more so now than it had then. The second time had been, oddly enough, with Andrew. Vex had heard that song, apparently. Andrew…he’d scared the hell out of her, made her furious, put her down and feel worthless, gotten under her skin, disgusted her. She shuddered slightly, still able to feel his disgusting, pawing, hands on her and she mentally snarled at the remembered touch. She wasn’t his, even then she’d thought that. The third time was after Vex had healed the jedi, Ryn. She felt confused, torn, hurt…she hadn’t wanted to be a burden to him and she’d seen the toll healing took on him…the pain her requests had caused him. It had hurt her beyond words.
A fourth time it had happened, this time on the mercenary ship…but this instance was two fold. Once in the cargo bay as she watched Vex practice…she knew that had been the inspiration for it…and later she’d somehow started singing and all of those memories had come flooding back to her. Song five had been on the Pendragon…just before she and Vex had kissed…then there was the dance in the cargo bay yesterday, and then, lastly, today when the beauty and tranquility of the rain had her blood singing. That was about the time she saw the pattern…emotions.
Almost every instance had involved strong emotions…this one included.
Another sigh escaped, the warm air coming out in a cloud of steam, as she sat there allowing the water to soak her through. Eventually she decided the ‘why’ of it all would work itself out on its own and she let herself relax slightly. The distant rumble of thunder had her mildly wondering if she should head back inside but, considering it wasn’t near by, Aunna allowed herself to drift back into that calm state of being she’d been in when she’d first stepped out into the rain. Again she noticed the clean smell of wet earth and green plants, of cold, rain filled, air.
Meditation…
It had never really been something Aunna had consciously done…even now it wasn’t exactly a conscious decision. She’d taken times, before, to simply sit and absorb the world around her; sometimes her eyes closed and sometimes they didn’t, but no matter which happened her thoughts always seemed to clear away (nearly completely) and allow her to relax and feel restored and more calm afterward. It had never occurred to her that what she did, was doing, was any form of meditation...in fact, the question of just what exactly ‘meditation’ was, or how it worked, hadn’t ever really crossed her mind. Vex had grown up with it, meditation (all jedi meditated at one point or another after all), but the concept was a foreign one to the mind of the military noble, despite the fact that she unwittingly did it.
The habit had come up some years ago, when she had difficulty remembering the equations of chemical formulas…chemistry had never been a strong suit for her…or when she needed to memorize something or other for her classes. She’d taken to sitting outside, alone, with whatever her current boggle was and focusing on nothing more than the world around her. Eventually her mind would relax enough that she’d come back around to the problem at hand and she would turn back to what she’d been doing previously. This had especially come in handy when she needed to write speeches, essays, or music…her mind mulling over the topic of her project subconsciously while she consciously focused on her surroundings. It had stuck with her throughout basics and pilot training as a means of coping with the initial pressure and newness of full blown military service and, later, with the pressures of command in the army. Now, she was using it as a way to calm and settle herself, to help adjust to this new life she was about to try and build up, as well as a way to hopefully come up with answers she just didn’t have.
Sometimes, if she were silent long enough, the answers she sought came to her in unexpected revelations.
She was hoping for a few of them now…
…all she had to do was be patient.
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Vex
A Self-styled computer geek that moonlights as a G.I. Joe.
1,014 posts
2 likes
Proud bearer of the "Polish Stalker Badge".
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last online May 21, 2018 17:30:54 GMT -5
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Oct 19, 2009 19:48:09 GMT -5
Post by Vex on Oct 19, 2009 19:48:09 GMT -5
He had gone inside in order to rehydrate and to take some time for meditation. He was not able to spend much time lost in the ebb and flow of the Force, however, for the ripples from her actions began to wash against his tranquil mental shores. As she gave herself over to that music and the dance that followed along with it. It reached a deeper level as she drew out that poleam and began to go through those moves, falling into herself and her actions completely. The last time he'd felt her connection with the Force that strongly had been in the underbelly of Coruscant...with Andrew. This, however, was much different.
Pushing himself to his feet, he would find his way back toward that ramp, crossing his arms while he watched her move. She truly was something to watch when she let herself go and simply followed the rhythm and flow. If she truly learned how to augment her actions with the Force...for strength and speed...anticipating actions before they happened...she would be a force to be reckoned with.
He pulled the Force around him, cloaking himself in it...keeping himself away from her eyes, should she so look in his direction, as well as his signature in the Force. He watched as she finished...as she settled down into that meditative reverie. He smiled slightly beneath that mask...finding a secret enjoyment in watching her. Of course, the expression grew a bit more sadistic as he moved toward her. He'd thoguht she needed some time to relax. He had...apparently...been mistaken.
The swing of that saber was begun even before he triggered the blade...meaning that the warning sound of that "snap-hiss" would be heard just as it creased against her shoulder blades, giving her no time to react.
"Apparently you think that my training regimen is too easy. Perhaps I need to focus it more...I am sure that I can figure out something that will...challenge you more. Up. Break is over."
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
Master
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Oct 19, 2009 20:50:17 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Oct 19, 2009 20:50:17 GMT -5
She hadn’t seen him, she hadn’t heard him, she certainly hadn’t felt him in the force…it wasn’t until that oh so familiar sound reached her ears. She’d started to move, but it was far too late by then, and the painful blow hit across her shoulders from behind. With a hiss and a light growl she rode out the pain and stood up once more.
She faced him, then, rolling out her shoulders and waiting to see what was next on his “ways to beat the training into Aunna” list. Again, she wondered just how he’d gotten around her without her even hearing him. She knew he was mental ninja, but it was just downright odd how he had crept up on her like that. Shaking the thought off, she sighed slightly gazing at him warily as she gathered herself back together for another round of ‘do your best to avoid getting swatted with a really frickin’ painful lightsaber.’
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Vex
A Self-styled computer geek that moonlights as a G.I. Joe.
1,014 posts
2 likes
Proud bearer of the "Polish Stalker Badge".
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last online May 21, 2018 17:30:54 GMT -5
Master
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Oct 19, 2009 22:10:59 GMT -5
Post by Vex on Oct 19, 2009 22:10:59 GMT -5
He gestured for her to follow him. Vex actually led her back onto the ship. As quickly as she was learning…he simply didn’t have the luxury of time with which to train her…to make using the Force and the Forms into a basic part of her muscular structure, as reflexive as breathing. No matter how astute…it would still take years. If some of the vague dreamscapes he wandered in during his intermittent slumbers were true…he doubted they had years. Over the past few days he’d been considering other options.
Truth be told…it was her mother that finally gave him the idea. He’d used his ability to Drain Knowledge in an unusual manner with her…feeding her knowledge instead with just as powerful results. It had been a reflexive measure…a slap across the face, compared to his usual actions….but it made him think more.
He brought her to his quarters, resting a hand upon her shoulder to make her sit down in the chair he’d left set out for this purpose. He took the weapon from her hand. “You won’t need this for now. Relax, pet. This shouldn’t hurt. Just relax. I will need you to allow me in. It will make things easier.”
He reached out, pressing his fingertips to her temples. That dark presence reached out to her, curling into her mind, wrapping around her…cutting off all her distractions...anything that could keep her from focusing on him and what he was about to do. Reaching into her mind, he did something unusual…something she definitely would not have expected.
He opened a conduit allowing her into his own.
He used that dark power again…for the moment it would feel as though she was teetering on the edge of cliff, leaning over an abyss. In that abyss was a dark, lightly vortex, howling and drawing at her, picking at her edges, seeking to rip out every important nuance of her mind. It was a glimpse…showing her just what horror he could inflict…had inflicted…upon others. The howling, ravenous sound died down then, the vortex slowing until it had dissipated. It began to rise up again…but this time twisting in reverse as it reached out and this time it would swallow her up.
His actions this time were deliberate and far more personal. He let her in, pushing memory…sensation…experience…into her. He kept it very controlled as his presence stretched dozens of tendrils into the deepest crevices of her mind and her memories. He found the part of it that held the training he’d given her…and then he gave her the part that held his own. It would fill her mind and her consciousness like a tsunami, rushing in to flood. Every memory, every feeling…every moment…flashing through her mind like an insanely fast-forwarded holovid. He crafted it carefully…overlaying his own training…his own reflexes and experiences over her own…embedding it deeper, making them as though they were her own. Years of training, stitched into her mind. It wouldn’t make her a lightsaber master…but it would, with luck, help her pick it up far more quickly as the movements seemed more natural…something she already knew and had experienced.
There was, of course, spill-over. He couldn’t sterilize everything perfectly…and memories from Enery slipped through too. She would see the face of his Master, Uthustra Velora…see how she smiled…feel how the bond between them had grown, how much she had enriched his life. He’d never been attached to his parents…like he used others now; they had used him as a child. It hadn’t been until he’d arrived at the Temple that he’d met people that cared and had wanted to help him. The Temple had been his world…his refuge, his sanctuary…and that was why it had devastated him all the more when the Temple and its Council had denied him the chance to research…to find a way to heal himself.
The memories of Shii Cho were not simply about his training in the temple, however. It reached out to any time he’d used it in combat. It included the battle where his Master had nearly died…where he’d first used Force Resuscitation to bring her back from death and all the emotions that had been involved with it.
In his thirty six years of life…Aunna was one of only two people that he’d let within…that he’d truly, deeply cared for. The other…the other he’d walked away from, left feeling betrayed.
At last those memories tapered down, the push of memories into her trailing off and he slowly, carefully, disengaged from that link, careful not to damage her mind as he pulled his presence away and left her. Dark eyes looked her over carefully, trying to gauge her reaction and ensure she was all right.
“Aunna?”
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