Meditation

[Makiro]

Makiro reached out with his mind until it felt the subtle presence of the open book. Wrapping it in flowing tendrils of the Force, he lifted it slowly into the air on a small current of invisible energy, feeling nothing but a slight strain on his mind. As he sat cross-legged on the floor, his eyes firmly shut, he focussed on controlling his slow breathing and maintaining the book at a steady height. He kept the book suspended for almost a minute before lowering it gently to the ground and opening his eyes.

The training chamber in which he currently sat was not one of the Temple’s grandest. Years of neglect – due more to lack of time than anything – had left the marbled walls scarred and scratched, a sort of impromptu memorial to the countless practice duels that had taken place between these four high walls. Only two out of the six lights set into the high ceiling above him were working, and the room’s tall windows were grimy and smudged. Makiro sighed – something he found himself doing more and more these days.

Glancing around at his classmates, he smiled slightly at the odd assortment of objects being used for telekinesis practice. Here there was a large red blumfruit; there a carved wooden model of a Bantha. All in all it was a rather silly sight. Makiro turned back to his own object – the mercifully ordinary book – and closed his eyes once more. Now plunged into darkness, his mind began to work at twice its normal speed. Irrelevant thoughts and facts bubbled to the surface, and Makiro was forced to quell them quickly, lest he lose his concentration.

Taking a deep breath, he reached out with his mind. This time however, he searched not for his own book, but for the little cup being used by a tiny Kel Dor youngling to his right. Taking hold of the cup with the flow of the Force, he pulled it just slightly out of the youngling’s control. The little pink-faced boy smiled – or at least would have smiled, had his mouth not been obscured by a large, metal rebreather – and laughed as the cup soared around his head like the strangest bird in the Galaxy. He clapped his hands in joy as the little blue cylinder settled gently back on the floor in front of him, and Makiro opened a tentative eye. That was when he saw the time.

Practically jumping up from his seated position, he cursed himself silently for staying after class again. Bidding the Kel Dor youngling and his faithful handler a fond farewell, he dashed out into the hallway. Meditation chambers… he thought to himself, where in the Galaxy are the meditation chambers?

Stopping a passing Knight, he obtained directions and set off on the appropriate bearing. Minutes passed as he navigated the meandering hallways and chambers of the great Temple, until finally he found himself outside the vast door to the Temple’s main meditation chambers. Checking his reflection in a nearby window, he flattened his hair and prepared to open the door.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

((ack! so sorry! got busy yesterday and never got back to the comp. v_v ))

Sihara had been resting quietly in the meditation chambers for the majority of the day. A good number of the jedi had been in and out of them today as they meditated on their fallen comrades during the Ossus Day observation. She had not been here strictly for this. Yes, she had known a good few jedi who had fallen at the hands of some dark jedi, or in something that to most would seem far less harmful, but Jedi were mortal just like anyone else...and death came to all mortals. Her thoughts, however, hovered mainly around three things: The dark jedi Vex and the former major Aunna, Kain, and now...Makiro.

Vex and the woman he'd saved from death had been troubling her mind lately. She, like many others in the temple who were based more fully around sense and mind skills, had felt and heard the song the woman had sang even over this great distance. Sihara had felt it nearly as acutely as the scream of the dark jedi...this meant that she had the potential to be a strong force user, but there was something inherently light about the woman. She was untrained as well, it seemed, since Sihara could discern little intention to actually USE whatever power it had been for any specific purpose. It had been like the newest youngling throwing their thoughts around unconsciously. What had the togruta woman most worried though, was the fact that she didn't have the slightest idea of what kind of force ability that actually WAS. She'd never felt or heard anything like it before. Even as it ended, she had felt the lives of the soldiers flicker out, then the release of a force user, and she wondered if one of the two had died. Nothing had been felt since then, and she grew suspicious and worried. For those two, it seemed that quiet was NOT a good sign, and, if one of them had died...specifically the woman...she had little doubt that Vex would be on a rampage soon. The fact she'd not felt more death afterward calmed her mind greatly. As she thought back on it now, Sihara realized that she'd not had a reason to worry further since the presence of the force user that had been released DID NOT feel like that of either Vex or Aunna (since she had learned the feeling of both from the scream and song respectively).

Kain....her mind had also wandered to her former padawan. This wasn't just because of the fact that it was Ossus Day, but more because of her feelings toward Makiro. In all honesty with herself, the boy had gotten her attention in the way Kain had...as a potential master. They had connected already, started a bond, and she was going to start helping him learn...but her thoughts still returned to Kain and his death. The guilt she felt, the hurt, the way she felt she couldn't trust herself with another padawan....it wasn't conducive to training another learner. It was this reason why she meditated on Kain's life and death, trying to bring herself some feeling of closure so she could move on. If she could move on, she would be better able to take on Makiro as a padawan...at least, this was what she hoped.

Finally, her thoughts turned fully to the boy she was waiting for. She felt him drifting closer and closer until he was directly outside the doors of the meditation chambers. Wondering slightly why he'd not entered yet, she decided to welcome him herself. Staying seated, she reached out with her mind to the youngling, her body relaxed save for the straight line of her back.

Hello Makiro. Come in and sit down across from me please. I'll be helping you with your more mental based abilities today.

She told him, her words moving to flow across his mind.

[Makiro]

((No worries I can only apologise for my rather poor timing as well… incidentally, was my new title your doing by any chance? )

Hello Makiro. Come in and sit down across from me please. I’ll be helping you with your more mental based abilities today.

The initial touch of Sihara’s mind shocked Makiro until, realising by whom he was being contacted, he allowed his mind to flow back towards hers. Whilst still too inexperienced to attempt any sort of coherent telepathic communication beyond “Meh”, Makiro was able to send a slight wave of joy across the space between the two Jedi.

Opening the door, he located Sihara and strode briskly towards her. He sat facing her on the floor, and crossed his legs – the traditional meditative position of the Jedi.

”Hello, Master Sihara.” He said, smiling brightly.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

((who...me?....>_>......If I said 'no' would you believe it? *shifty eyes*))

As the boy entered and seated himself, Sihara noted his joy and smiled, sending back a wave of happiness and calm. As he greeted her, she nodded silently but didn't open her eyes, instead using the force to see him as he sat there.

Good to see you again Makiro. Close your eyes please, and try to reply to me silently...I noticed that you didn't earlier.

She stated, her words flowing easily to him, her mind searching for a link to his that she could attach to so things would be easier for the boy. This kind of communication with a master was critical since it would allow the two to inform each other of their status over a distance or in battle without having to communicate verbally.

[Makiro]

((Absolutely not ;D))

Makiro closed his eyes as Sihara instructed – though not too firmly, lest his mind focus itself on keeping them shut, rather than the task ahead. Breathing slowly, he allowed his mind to clear itself of all superfluous thoughts and feelings, leaving only a glowing kernel of concentration and focus. He could feel the bond between Sihara’s mind and his own as though it were something almost tangible. The only question was: would he be able to utilise it?

Hel… He managed, before losing concentration. Scolding himself mentally, he refocused his mind and prepared to try again.

Hello. His joy at having successfully communicated telepathically – albeit briefly and rather unceremoniously – caused him to lose concentration. This time, however, rather than chastising himself, he beamed widely at the Togruta Jedi opposite him.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Sihara could feel him focusing, despite the stray tendrils of the force that most younglings had. It was one of these that she attached her own tendril to, creating a temporary link between the two of them. After that she waited patiently, random thoughts flitting through her mind only to be dismissed moments later as she waited quietly. A few moments later she felt him find this link and focus on it. Good, he had the right idea...now what would he do with it? Allowing the force to flow through her, she carefully strengthened the link like a silk weaver might carefully weave their silks into a single thread.

At last she finally felt the word forming in his mind, then heard the first attempt, also hearing him chastise himself for losing concentration. After another moment, she heard the faint word he'd spoken to her and she smiled. Good, it was a start...but he was still unsure and lost concentration easily.

Good Makiro. That was a good start. Now, you need to be able to hold your concentration and be more confident. The less confident you feel the more quiet you will be to me...I was barely able to hear you. Now, let me think of a good question so you can try again...

Sihara thought for a moment, trying to figure out a good conversation starter. She wasn't the best with conversations.

What did you do in your classes today, Makiro? I can almost see something about a...a cup?

[Makiro]

Makiro paled at the idea of having to answer so complicated a question. After all, he had barely managed to convey a single word; how was he going to cope with producing an acceptably coherent string of them? Still, he would try.

Thinking back on the incident of the cup and the Kel Dor youngling, he allowed the feelings of the moment to flood his mind. From amidst the turmoil of memory, he managed to grasp a few appropriate words.

Kel Dor youngling... cup... I flew. For good measure - feeling that his explanation had been somewhat ambiguous, to say the least - he produced an image of the smiling youngling and sent the memory across the tentative pathway between himself and Sihara.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Sihara waited the few moments it took for Makiro to formulate his answer, and what she got was far better this time than the previous. It was, however, lacking in organization and clarity. This answer was shortly followed by an image of the youngling in question and Sihara tilted her head to the side slightly, eyes still closed as she processed the information. There was only one logical conclusion: they had been practicing levitation skills and Makiro had made the younger boy happy by flying a cup around. Who's cup it was, however, still eluded the knight. She wondered, briefly, how to help the boy focus his thoughts better when she realized how she did so.

It's good that you made him happy, Makiro, and that attempt was much better. To make things easier for you though, try creating an inner dialog. Think to yourself what you want to say to me before sending it that way you're not struggling for the words.

She allowed him a moment to absorb the information before she continued on in her questioning. Smoothing out a few creases that had been forming in her robes, Sihara pondered her next question.

It's still unclear to me who's cut it was...was it yours or the Kel Dorr's?

[Makiro]

Makiro readily absorbed Sihara's advice; it made sense that such mental strain required preparation. Setting his teeth firmly together, he rehearsed his words in his head. He tried a few different combinations, each more complicated than the last, but eventually decided that, in this case, simplicity was key. He took a few moments to calm his breathing.

It was the Kel Dor's cup.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Sihara nodded and smiled at his answer. Good, he was already getting better, and his voice was no longer as quiet as it had been. This pleased the togruta to no end, and she allowed a wave of her pleased feelings flow toward the boy like a warm breeze.

I see, yes, I had noticed yesterday that you seemed good with your levitation of objects. Was he struggling with levitating it then, or was it just play? Also, what of your other classes? Have you been doing well in them also?

The questions were simply, and would require overly complicated answers, just enough to get the boy to start thinking in ways that he'd not before. It would allow him to use the force in a way that he'd seemingly not practiced before, giving him the opportunity to stretch those mental muscles that were yet rarely used.

[Makiro]

Makiro smiled brightly as he felt the pleasing wave of Sihara's emotions wash over him. He was glad that she was pleased with his progress; almost more glad than he was that he was making progress.

As she asked him a barrage of new questions, he scrunched up his face in concentration - after, of course, smiling modestly at her compliment.

It was just play. He answered simply, hoping that there wasn't some hidden Jedi rule against using practice time for play. He was only... He trailed off, his mind wearying from his mental exertions. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself and began again. He was only young, and I thought he may enjoy it.

Exhausted by the effort needed to produce these two simple statements, Makiro let the mental bond between himself and the Togruta slip momentarily. As he took a few moments to steady his spinning mind, he thought of an appropriate answer to the next question. Once satisfied that he would be able to answer successfully, he reignited the link.

I think I have been doing well in my... in my lightsabre training. He said before pausing to rest his mind; this was indeed tiring work! However, I have already learnt most of the history lessons, and could probably recite them faster than Master... He stopped, not having the energy to continue, and simply conjured up a mental image of his Ithorian tutor. He hoped that Sihara would not mistake his jest for arrogance.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Sihara chuckled quietly as she listened to the boy. It seemed he was not only making progress, but leaps and bounds of it. She could, however, feel him tiring, especially as the bond between them slipped slightly. She kept a firm hold of it though, and this would make things easier for him when he replied to her next question. Even as he answered the second question she felt his mind and focus waver and the last part was answered with an image of the master in question. It was good enough for her tastes.

I understand. Well I'm glad you made him happy with your play. It's a good idea to have a little fun every once in a while. Alright, well that's enough of this for you I think. Your mind needs a break. I'll continue to speak to you this way, but you can speak out loud.

Opening her eyes again, Sihara smiled at the boy and stretched her shoulders slightly.

Come on, let's go somewhere that we don't have to be quite so silent.

She stood then, and brushed down her robes waiting for Makiro.

[Makiro]

Makiro grinned widely, glad to be allowed to speak aloud. Glancing around the room reverentially, the grin fell, and he agreed with a silent nod that the two should adjourn to somewhere more approproate, especially if he was to speak aloud.

Stretching as he stood up from the floor, Makiro brushed a few particles of dirt from the back of his robe and straightened out a number of minute creases - he didn't want his newly tidied appearance to deteriorate too quickly. He bowed his head respectfully to Sihara - as well as to the others in the room - and waited in uncharacteristic silence for her to show him where to go.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Allowing herself a quiet chuckle, Sihara motioned for the boy to walk beside her as she bowed to the room in general before turning and making her way out of the meditation chambers. Now, where was a good place to go? She thought for a moment as she walked along silently, the halls unusually devoid of the typical throng of jedi milling about in their journey through the temple to their various destinations. That was to be expected though...it was a day of reverence for the jedi order as a whole, and so many kept to themselves or with small groups of friends. Sihara, however, was of a different bent today. They should see to perhaps helping others. Yes, that would be a good way to spend part of the day. Mind made up, she turned down a new path leading toward the medical wings, only waiting long enough for Makiro to follow her new path before continuing on.

Makiro? Have you ever been to the medical wings here in the temple?

She asked simply, keeping her silence.

[Makiro]

Makiro listened to the deafening silence of the Temple corridors as the two Jedi strode purposefully towards their destination - the nature of which Makiro could not even begin to guess. Occasionally, another hooded figure would huddle pensively past, head bowed and mind deep in thought. Makiro was not used to seeing the Temple this quiet. He kept his own thoughts quiet, too, thinking on the Jedi of the past, and the sacrifices they had made in order for this degree of peace and solitude to be possible.

Suddenly, a familiar voice invaded his head. The noise of Sihara's thoughts seemed like sacrilege in the stifling silence of the Temple, and Makiro could not help but recoil a little from the sound.

Only once, when I was younger and had a bad case of... of nerf pox. Although I should... I should very much like to visit again.

It was true. Compared to the almost paralysing stillness of the rest of the Temple, Makiro imagined that the medical wings would give him the chance to repay the Order in a more practical fashion. Following along Sihara's new vector, Makiro felt the warm tickle of sunlight flooding through an open veranda, and smiled, glad to be here.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

((bbs...need food of some kind and trying to catch up on posts))

Good...because that is where we are headed.

She stated simply, noticing how the boy recoiled slightly at her words in his mind the first time, and so she was certain to quiet herself the second. She knew no other could hear her but him, but if it would help him be more at ease she would muffle the sound for him slightly. After a few more moments, she paused at the veranda and motioned for him to follow her out. Once there she turned to him and knelt down so she was more at eye level to him. The bright sun made her red, black and white coloring stand out against the blinding white marble of the temple.

Makiro, don't worry about the silence of the others. It shouldn't stop you from speaking aloud, just do so quietly. There are only a handful of grouchy jedi that I could think of that would be irritated at a youngling who hasn't grasped speaking mind to mind fully. Most don't. If it will make you feel more comfortable, I too will speak aloud. Would that help?

[Makiro]

((That’s cool

Makiro followed Sihara out onto the veranda and looked into her honeyed eyes as she knelt before him. Her gaze was soothing, and helped to relieve the tension that he had felt when walking the Temple corridors. As she spoke, he listened, taking in every word. As she finished he smiled gratefully and nodded.

”Yes, Master Sihara, that would help very much.” He said quietly, conscious of disturbing the sultry calm of a Coruscant afternoon. Despite its planetwide sprawl of ferrocrete and transparisteel skyscrapers, Coruscant had its charms; not least of which was the way the afternoon sun glinted off myriad windows and viewports. In the cloudless sky, ranks of airspeeders processed swiftly and elegantly along their preordained routes, their lines perfectly straight and ordered. A few moments of silence passed between them.

“Master Sihara?” Said Makiro, rather abruptly, “Where were you born?”

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Nodding to the boy's reply, she stood, ready to be off into the cool interior of the temple once more, but Makiro's voice caught her attention once again. That was a random question for him to ask, and she wondered why he was curious. One of her lekku twitched slightly and she ran a hand over it as she leaned back against the railing of the veranda, the sun warming her skin to a pleasant temperature, the gentle breeze that often flowed about the upper sections of the temple washing over her skin like a cool wave.

Well, honestly, I was born on a ship bound for Coruscant from Shili....the togruta home world. That was shortly before I was given to the temple.

She replied easily, her green flecked eyes gazing down at him. Her voice was quiet and flowed through the air like the wind, seeming to vanish only just after it reached its target and so keeping the peace around them unbroken.

Why do you ask?

[Makiro]

Makiro sniffed, considering his answer carefully. He watched as a large military ship navigated down through the distant clouds and headed towards the Senate District with resolute purpose.

"I suppose... I suppose I was looking at Coruscant."

He stopped, unsure whether or not that answer was satisfactory. Deciding that it was not, he continued.

"I was thinking about how long I have been living here, surrounded by all this duracrete, without really knowing much about where I started life: about my home. I realised how much a part of someone their home is, and so I was just wandering where your home was - you know, so that I could know a part of you.. if that makes sense, because..."

He stopped, realising that his words were becoming nonsensical.

"What I suppose I mean is that you've become such a good friend to me over the past two days, and I just wanted to know a little more about who you were. I hope I didn't offend you."

He offered this last statement with a look of what he hoped was friendship, but probably ended up looking little more than pathetic.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Sihara listened carefully to his words and the emotions he sent out in the force. He was hesitant, and at first his words didn't make much sense to her, but as he continued it became more and more clear to her. Those grey lips lifted at the corners, her eyes softening slightly as she knelt down once more, coming nearly to eye level with him.

I understand, Makiro, and no, you didn't offend me. It was just an unexpected question so I wondered why it had come about.

She paused a moment in thoughtful silence as she mulled over his words again, replaying them in her mind as one would a recorded message, letting it sink into her mind a bit more before she spoke further.

I do not think that where a person is born makes it their home, nor does it make it a part of who they are. It may determine what race they are, but even that can mean little with the races so intermingled on different planets. Where one feels most comfortable, where one...CHOOSES to live because of their preferences...those are things that truly make a home. Where one's family, friends, or loved ones are...those also make a home.

So, if you are simply asking where was I born, the answer would be a ship. If you are asking where I call HOME, however....to that I would reply both this temple and Shili, the home world of my race. I feel equally comfortable on both, and have friends each place. I could happily live at either.

The knight chuckled then, and held his shoulders so that he was at arms length gazing at him for a moment before pulling him into a light hug for a moment.

You're young and have a long road to travel still, there are many things you'll learn about yourself and others along the way...so don't worry, you still have plenty of time to discover your home Makiro.

Her voice was kind and gentle as she spoke, not letting him out of that almost mothering embrace. Only once she had finished speaking did she let him go and blink at him calmly, an almost placid smile on her features as she sat back on her heels, the faint jingling of her headdress calling to mind the silvery tones of wind chimes as it moved along her back lekku and around the base of her montral. Turning her face to the sun slightly, she scented the air that was typically thick with smell of fumes from the speeders and air transports...today, however, the gaseous smell seemed to be lighter than usual. Then again, she wasn't typically around the temple at such a time of day, but in the center of the bustling city where the fumes permeated everything.

Turning back to Makiro, the woman smiled again and nodded slightly, shifting her position so she was resting on the balls of her feet, balancing there, thighs stacked on calves and forearms resting lightly on her knees. She took another moment to study the boy before nodding slightly to herself. It was time to be off again, the day was wasting, and there were people in the healing wings to be cheered.

So...It's about time we move on again, but before we go to the healing wing...what do you think would cheer some of the injured up? Flowers perhaps? Jokes? Something to read?...and ideas?