Master and Student

[Rugs]

Locke's hand went up to wipe some more of the seemingly ever-present sweat from his brow as he pushed through the edge of some brush out into a clearing near a river. The Knight had decided, due to recent happenings, that Jazen was due for some more intensive training than what their normal routine consisted of. He'd also decided that, due to recent struggles within his student, it might be good to get away from the hustle of bustle of Coruscant, to a more quiet world, where it would be easier to focus. And so they'd come to Mustafar, the lush Outer Rim would where the order had an enclave. They'd arrived a few days ago, and today, as the golden sun started to edge up above the horizon, they'd set out, much like they did every other, to the place Locke selected for their training.

It was near the enclave, perhaps a mile and half or so away. It was a large, somewhat circular clearing within the trees, cut roughly in half by a small, gentle creek that lazily ran through it. For the past three or so days, they'd started each day with a hike out to the clearing, and spent most of the day there doing various training routines, before returning back to the enclave. The days were long, and hard, and Locke worked with every intention of pushing Jazen to his limit; after all, the boy would not get any stronger if he did not work for it, and Locke knew the time to push him was long past. Perhaps that was because of his own fears of Jazen's struggles with his internal darkness.

Or perhaps, he found himself thinking when he glanced at Jazen out of the corner of one of his eyes, it was because he was still in a much more stern mood then he normally was in, after Jazen had taken it upon himself to run off to Naboo to look into some visions of the Sith he'd had. There had, in fact, been Sith there--two of them--but the way the boy just ran off on his own, without telling anyone, had infuriated Locke, to say the least. Not only because it was so stupid... well actually, yes, because it was so stupid of him to go off on his own, when he still knew, more or less, nothing. Jazen had gotten a number of lectures out of it, and Locke was sure there'd be a few more in the near future.

He pushed those thoughts away with a sigh, though, as he set a pack with a bit of food and a good deal of liquids down on the ground near the edge of the creek. Locke turned around, looking back the way he'd come to see Jazen making his way over to him. The sky was a soft orange for the time being, as the sun continued to rise above the horizon. A thin mist hung just above the ground, though the sun would surely burn it away as the day progressed. No, now was not the time for worrying about past events. Now was time to start training.

Locke continued to look around, giving Jazen a chance to set whatever things he might have had down on the ground. For the past few days, they'd started with meditation, as they usually did in their training, moving on to progressively more physical things as the day progressed. But not today. No, Locke would mix things up a bit, to see how well Jazen could react and adapt. You won't always have the chance to meditate before being forced into a fight, kiddo, he mused as he looked at Jazen out of the corner of a storm-grey eye.

Locke was feeling generous, though, so he gave Jazen the briefest of warning before he moved. If the boy was paying attention, he'd notice Locke's presence in the Force change for just a moment, as he let his intent to attack slip out. But it was gone nearly as quickly as it came, and as it vanished, Locke spun on his heel, saber suddenly in his hand. The yellow-orange blade sprang to life as it closed in on Jazen, though it was, of course, set to the training setting; getting seriously injured--or worse--wouldn't do anyone any good here. The strike was quick, if simple--a diagonal slash down at Jazen's right shoulder.

Locke said nothing, though he would have something to say once Jazen reacted, or failed to react, should he not be paying attention. The purpose of the sudden strike should have been obvious, though: to emphasize the fact that, though it was rare, there was always the chance of an attack from an unexpected enemy. And with the war spreading the way it was, it was a lesson that Jazen would need to learn well.

[Jazen]

The fragrant air of the planet Mustafar filled Jazen's nostrils, instilling him with a sense of peace he seemed unable to find while they were on Coruscant. His Master's suggestion to come here for training had been the right one after all. Heaving himself up over a rock in his path, Jazen followed Locke to the same spot they had been visiting every day since their arrival at the Enclave. The spot had to be a good mile or two away from the Enclave, over not always friendly terrain, which made the hike itself part of the training. Jazen had taken to making sure to always taking the more difficult path, the one that would work him the hardest.

It had been about three days since they had first arrived on Mustafar, a decision that Locke had made after the events on Naboo. Jazen, in deep enough trouble as it is because of that trip, could not argue. Locke had hammered him for hours after they had returned, a lecture Jazen had expected from the moment he had left to investigate. Still, he hadn't expected to be so hurt about the choice; it felt more like betraying a father than a master. Still, how could Locke completely blame him? There had indeed been Sith there and by moving on his own, Jazen had managed to get there in time to prevent them from accomplishing anything. Both of them had driven off their Sith opponents, meaning that for now, whatever plans they had for Naboo had been stalled. Surely his master saw that?

As they arrived at the clearing they had been training at, Jazen let his eyes wander over it. A large circle from a distance, a small creek cut the circle down the middle, providing a source of water they could draw from during their training. Well, more like torture than training. Locke had drilled him over the past few days, each one more intense than the last. And Jazen had loved it. His body was no more than a husk by the day's end, drained physically and mentally. He had slept so deeply that his visions could not even wake him. If this was his punishment for going off on his own, he would have to do it more often. The early morning sun reflected against the mist, turning the entire area a hazy orange. Just like Locke's lightsaber.

Glancing at Locke, Jazen started to unpack the items he had with him. Food, water, several towels. Along with a small assortment of training devices that Jazen wore or used during their time here. He was in the midst of taking out the training remotes when he heard, and sensed, danger approaching. Instincts taking over, Jazen's hand grabbed his lightsaber and thumbed it to life, spinning to catch Locke's brilliant orange blade against the icy blue of his. He held the saber's together, groaning at his master's surprise attack. With a twist of his ankle, Jazen spun free from the lock, leaping backwards to give him some distance between him and his master. Landing, Jazen brought his saber up so it pointed to the right, gripping the handle with both hands.

"That wasn't very nice Master. If you were going to attack me off guard, you could have been a little more subtle about it. A force blast or by concealing yourself more would have made it more realistic."

[Rugs]

"Good, good," Locke said as he saw Jazen's blue blade come alive to defend against his own. The two sabers clashed together loudly, as they had a great deal over the past few days, and Locke found himself engaged in a short saber Locke with Jazen. His student broke it and jumped away, though, to a safe distance away from Locke. Locke held his blade loosely by his side as Jazen talked, and nodded when the boy was done.

"Baby steps Jazen, baby steps. I'm glad to see you've got your head on straight this morning, though." Locke laughed softly to himself as he started to move, circling slowly around Jazen. The orange lightsaber continued to hum in his left hand, as he, like his student, was ambidextrous. "You'll need it today. But you grasped the intent of that, yes? You must always be alert, not only with your physical senses but with your senses through the Force. And because you must always be alert, you must always be ready to act, because you can't always know what's coming. None of us can."

Locke came to a stop behind Jazen, and turned to face his student's back. Memories of Naboo returned, of when he'd found Jazen battling that Sith boy. The surge of emotions he'd felt had been unreal, and unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. There had been overwhelming relief that Jazen was, for the most part, ok. There'd been pride that the boy held his own against his Sith opponent, lingering fear for his safety... And under it all, frustration. Frustration that was born partly from fears of his own ineptitude as a master. Jazen was young, yes, but Locke was as well. The two were only separated by a little more than eight years, and though Locke's extra years held a wealth of experience that Jazen did not yet have, he knew there were others in the Order who were probably more qualified to teach than he was. After all, he could be lax, and he knew it. But he had, up to this point, considered Jazen more of a friend than a student--as a younger brother to look after. Locke still considered Jazen a friend, of course, but recent happenings had opened his eyes to the fact that he was Jazen's teacher, and his failings could have enormous repercussions for Jazen. So, Locke swore to himself, both for Jazen's sake and to prove to himself that he could be the teacher the boy needed, that he would not fail his student. And if he had to push Jazen to get him to where he needed to be, then so be it.

"It's good to see that you're thinking of ways to deal with surprise attacks, though," he continued on as he began to walk again, back to the point where he'd started. "If you can think of ways someone might try to surprise you, you can think of ways to counter it." Locke smiled wryly at Jazen, indicating that he'd give the boy plenty of chances to test whatever theories for counters might be floating around in his head. "But for now, we'll warm up with a bit of blade work. But, there's going to be a condition." Locke grinned wryly at Jazen as he came to a stop before him once more. "You will be limited to using Shii-Cho, and only Shii-Cho. I, on the other hand, will be free to use whatever form I want. Ataru's great, but you've got to know how to fall back on the other things you know when you can't use it."

Locke shrugged out of his coat and tossed it aside, to the pile of supplies they'd brought with them. "Let's begin, shall we?" With that, he raised his blade and moved toward Jazen, using his speed to quickly cut the distance between them. His first strike was, in fact, a Shii-Cho strike, and he brought his blade down, with both hands on the hilt, toward Jazen's head. Let's see how you do, kiddo.

[Jazen]

Jazen eyes followed his Master as he circled around him, speaking as he did. The orange haze wrapped around him and if not for the glow his lightsaber emitted, Locke's blade would have vanished within it. Focusing his senses outward, Jazen locked in on his Master, allowing him to feel his location without having to look at it. This allowed him to keep looking straight ahead into the mist without having to watch his master, which gave his master a chance for another surprise attack. Jazen would have liked that, for it was good training for him.

But instead of attacked, Locke froze behind him for a moment. Jazen didn't know if Locke was doing it on purpose or by accident, but Jazen felt the brief moment of grief his master felt. And he knew what it probably stemmed from. Once again, Jazen drifted his mind back to Naboo, to Umgul, even the training with Talau. All three times Jazen had heard a dark voice in his head calling for him to use it. And each time Jazen had, if only briefly in the latter case, listened to it. He had also noticed something lately; with each use of the dark voice's powers, it had grown louder. What was once little than a mutter was now a whisper, constantly calling for him. Even now, he could hear it, begging him to let it out again, to let its power flow into his body. Jazen ignored it, concentrating on the here and now. He calmed himself with the Force, which shut out the voice completely, at least for now.

Locke had brought Jazen out here to train him, and it wasn't no basic lesson like back at the temple. This was true training. Locke had finally gotten serious about being his Master. Before, they had shared a brotherly bond, but now, Locke looked and acted exactly like Jazen had expected him to act when push came to shove. An elder with knowledge and experience they could pass on. And for the first time in a while, Jazen felt like a student, waiting eagerly to acquire that knowledge for himself. As his Master continued his circle, Jazen nodded in response to his notes about surprise attacks. Indeed, he had thought of another way to counter Locke's strike, but had went with the tried and true for the moment. Sooner or later though, he would have to mix it up or Locke would catch wise to his tricks. At Locke's mention of how they would be training, Jazen groaned.

"I can only use Shii-cho? Oh come on, you know I'm not that good at it. Add in the fact that you get to use whatever style your best with and this looks more like a lecture through beating than training. But, guess I can't argue. Let's get rolling I suppose then. Try not to hurt yourself at least, old man."

Before Jazen even finished the last of his words, Locke was on him, his saber swinging down towards Jazen's head. Despite having only seconds to act, Jazen's mind kicked into gear, running quickly through all the ways he could proceed. Deciding to go with something different, Jazen quickly stepped to the left, swinging his body sideways to evade the strike. As the blade came down, Jazen swung his horizontally pointed saber down at it, arcing it to smack the blade away from him. As he switched to a hand one grip, Jazen brought his left leg up, kicking for Locke's midsection with a sharp kick. Even if the kick connected, Jazen still planned to step back from Locke right after, for it was easier to counter an attack when you had just one step away from your opponent. That one step made all the difference; it gave Jazen one extra moment in which to formulate a counter or to retreat. Either way, Jazen waited to see how his master would respond to his counter.

[Rugs]

Locke couldn't help but grin at Jazen's groan. To be truthful, it reminded him of himself, in the halcyon days of his apprenticeship, when his old master had done much the same to him. In fact, as much as Locke would like to claim credit for the exercise, he could not; though he was certain that it wasn't a rare one within the Order, he learned of it from his Master, when he'd been in Jazen's shoes. Hate was not a strong enough word to describe Locke's feelings for it. Add to that the fact that Locke's teacher had been older than he was currently, and was much better with a blade, and the drill became the source of an unending source of misery for Locke. Locke had become very well acquainted with the painful sting of a training saber through those drills. But, as much as he'd hated the drills, he could not deny their effectiveness. They taught him to think, and how to defend himself with such a basic form. Above all else, they taught him that he always could fall back on Shii-Cho if he needed it. Now Jazen would have to learn that for himself. Locke had to admit, that it would be nice to be on the other end of the beating for once.

Locke snorted at Jazen's taunt as he rushed in toward the boy. "Well how do you expect to get better if you don't practice, Kiddo?" His slash went down, though Jazen sidestepped it and answered with a kick. Locke flashed back to their first meeting, when Jazen had caught him completely of guard during a sparring match with a hard kick that knocked all of the air out of Locke's lungs. He'd gained some respect for the boy then, as much as his stomach might have hated it. As their time together went on, Locke learned that Jazen had a surprisingly good grasp of hand-to-hand fighting for his age; it was the one area where, if other factors like difference in strength in the Force were taken out, he could go toe-to-toe with Locke. Hand-to-hand sparring sessions usually end in an assortment of bruises for both of them.

Locke wasn't going to be so easily caught this time, though. Agility was something he had in spades, and he used it to turn to the side of Jazen's kick. He expected Jazen to make another attack, but instead, the young man took a step back, in an attempt to give himself some extra breathing room. Locke could deal with that too. He followed Jazen, keeping the distance between them short in an attempt to press his student by moving much more aggressively than he normally did. "And you'd better keep your guard up, or this 'old man' is going to embarrass you, Jazen."

Locke's saber moved from his left hand to his right as his style flowed into Makashi, his favored form. The orange blade lashed out as they danced through the fog, high, then low, then a tease at the shoulder followed by a swipe at the stomach, finishing with an attempted elbow to the chest. Locke's strikes were unrelenting, and fast, and he fought with the ferocity he'd fight with if he intended to kill Jazen. After all, the only way to be ready for real combat was to train as if engaged in it. It would be a disservice to Jazen if Locke didn't push him hard, so that's exactly what he planned to do.

[Jazen]

Jazen cursed himself for using a kick, having suddenly realized that he always followed his moves like that with a kick. Not that it was a bad move, but that only applied when he was using it against an opponent he had not faced before. Against Locke, who he fought often, it was just asking for a counter. Luckily, part of Jazen had known this when he had broken away after launching the kick. Still, it was something he would have to think about. Everyday that he trained with Locke, they both got a feel for each other, for the way they would respond to this and to that. If Jazen ever wanted to grow stronger, he would have to break out of that shell and defeat his master even when they knew each other like the back of their hand.

Jazen didn't even get a chance to catch his breath, as Locke was on him again in an instant. In fact, he had continued his attack so quickly that Jazen was briefly caught off guard for a moment. Had he always been that fast? No, not once while they were training did he display the speed he showed now. Was he using the Force to increase the speed of his body or was it just simply a move based on what he knew of Jazen? Ideas flowed through Jazen's head even as he brought his saber up to counter. Normally, he would counter the first blow, then leap to Locke's opposite side to try and create an opening. But he had been forbade to use Ataru, instead having to rely on Shii-Cho for the battle. Jazen snapped his mind to how Shii-cho was used and immediately went to work defending himself.

Jazen swung his blade up to catch the upper blow, then swinging down as he stepped back to catch the low strike. He brought it back up, stepping to Locke's side and turning his blade horizontal to catch the shot at his shoulder, followed quickly but a leap back to evade the shot swung at his stomach, using his own blade to smack the attack aside. Locke finished with a lunging strike with his elbow. As Locke came in, Jazen suddenly realized why he was so much faster. He was treating Jazen as an enemy. It all made sense now. When you faced a friend or student, you often held back to avoid harming them by accident. When you faced an enemy, that limiter was removed; you put your all into making your foe the first to hit the floor. And that was what Locke was doing, using his all to face Jazen. Jazen smiled at his own stupidity, allowing the elbow to slam into his gut as a result.

Stumbling back as the wind left his lungs, Jazen dropped to one knee and inhaled deeply, his chest screaming with pain as a result. That was good. He let the pain spread throughout his body for a moment, a much needed wake up call. Then he got back to his feet, slamming the feeling of pain down till it was almost nothing. He spun his saber in his hand and rose it to his head, pointing it forward with both hands clasped around the hilt.

"Thank you Master. I do believe you've knocked the idiot out of me. Now, lets get back to buisness."

Jazen shot forward, propelling himself forward with legs enhanced by the Force. In his mind, he no longer saw Locke; he saw all the enemies he had faced, including the darkness that was in his own heart. As he closed within range of Locke, Jazen brought his saber swinging down, turning it into a sideways swipe from right to left. As soon as the swipe was finished, he followed with a downwards strike, which was backed by a second heavier strike. To complete his set, Jazen swung low, sweeping his saber downwards towards Locke's legs from the side. And then he threw in something he hadn't done too often. Jazen took his left hand off his saber and slammed a Force Push at Locke's chest, hoping to catch the elder Jedi off guard from the sudden and abrupt attack.

[Rugs]

Locke's assault on Jazen continued, and their sabers came together again and again as the padawan worked to keep Locke's blows at bay. Locke could tell that Jazen was working hard, though it seemed that his sudden continuation of his advances caught Jazen off guard. But he'd recovered quickly enough. Jazen seemed to freeze up when Locke went to elbow him, though. Locke thought it was some sort of trick at first, but as he crossed the point where there'd be no time for Jazen to react, he knew it was not. The blow slammed into Jazen's chest, and with a good deal of force, sending Jazen back and down to a knee.

If he'd wished to Locke could've ended the fight there if he and Jazen were enemies. But they were not, so he allowed the padawan his short reprieve. As Jazen regrouped, Locke's mind played over the exchange, noting things in Jazen's form that were being done right, and others that would need some work. More than anything, he noted that Jazen still seemed to be holding back, though, granted, it was hard to tell with Jazen on defense. Jazen would have to push back harder if he didn't want an assortment of stings from Locke's saber though. But, if he had to give the boy a few of those stings to get him to see the point, then Locke would. Such were the duties of a teacher.

One of his dark brown eyebrows lifted quizzically when Jazen stood again. "Alright, Jazen, let's get to it," he said with a grin and a nod when Jazen resumed the fight. Whatever had been going on in the boy's head seemed to have made him come to the conclusion that he had to fight Locke like an enemy. Locke laughed a soft laugh as he took up a defensive stance, knowing that the time to test the boy's mettle had come.

His student used the Force to aid his movements now, and Locke found himself working to keep up with Jazen. But he did not call upon the Force. Not yet. Orange and blue clashed as Locke blocked the first of Jazen's strikes with a his blade. He took his hilt with both hands to block the first downward strike, and angled his blade on the second one to shunt the increased force of the blow away, rather than taking it full on. Jazen's next strike was a quick one, down at Locke's legs. Locke reacted with a near instinctive grace, jumping over the icy blue weapon, as he normally did. It was Jazen's turn to make him pay for a mistake though.

To Locke's surprise, Jazen threw a blast of the Force at him, and he, being stuck in the air as he was, could do little to stop it. It hit him the chest, and sent him back through the air, landing on his back. He rolled as he hit the ground and came up in a crouch, saber held defensively before him just in case Jazen decided to try something. Jazen was waiting however, more than likely to see how well his plan played out.

"Well done," Locke said with a short cough from the lingering pain that came from hitting the ground so roughly. "Your form's fairly good, though there are some things that will need a bit of work. I'm glad to see you've gotten it into your head that you have to fight me like an enemy, though. Keep it up."

He moved in again, calling the Force into his arms to give him added strength. He reverted to Shii-Cho when he got within saber range of Jazen, bringing his blade in with a heavy left-to-right slash at the padawan's torso. He immediately flowed into a low, sweeping attack at Jazen's legs. But that was a trick. Locke's blade darted away from Jazen's legs before it had a chance to hit, and lashed out and up, at the boy's left arm.

[Jazen]

A brief feeling of victory passed through Jazen as he observed the results of his gamble. Locke had indeed been taken off guard by the attack, more so because he had been airborne when Jazen had used the Force. An unexpected bonus, one that made him completely unable to counter or evade Jazen's move. Spinning the saber gently in his hand, Jazen took up the same position he had before, only this time he held his ground, preparing for Locke's eventual counter attack. At Locke's words of praise, Jazen let his master reform in his eyes, taking pride in the fact that he could still pull something his Master didn't expect. Just as quickly though, he turned back to the mentality that his master was an enemy and none too soon.

Locke was back on the offensive in an instant, but now his speed was nothing special. Once Jazen had turned him into an enemy, the speed was logical, no different than normal. He could feel his master building up the Force though, centered around his upper body. That meant he was going for a heavy strike. Instead of retreating immediately like he usually would, Jazen stood his ground, anchoring himself to the ground with the Force. He met Locke's strike with his own, briefly holding their sabers together as their strength matched equally for a second. Then Locke's superior strength bleed through and Jazen's saber started to fall back. Just as he predicted. Now his foot shot back, letting the blade fall, using it to gently guide Locke' blade downward and away from him. He must have guessed what Jazen would do, or had planned to make the move anyway, for Locke's attack swiftly changed into a sweeping strike at his legs.

Normally, Jazen would have simply jumped back or over to dodge the attack, but since he was grounded, he had to think of something else. Pivoting on his right leg, Jazen slid his body sideways, stepping his right foot back as soon as his swing was complete. That's when he noticed the blade was coming upwards instead of sweeping. His reflexes and instincts kicked, in, swinging his already downwards blade towards Locke's, catching it in the midst of its rise. Using all the strength he could muster, he snapped the blade aside. His body moved on its own for the next few seconds, as his left hand snapped a Force Push to knock Locke back a few steps. He followed through in an instant, bringing his saber, held only by his right hand now, swinging towards his left. As the saber came in with all the force Jazen could muster, he switched it over to his left hand while still facing sideways adding in additional force as it went from a fore handed strike to a backhanded strike. Even if Locke blocked it, it would snap his blade aside, which was what Jazen needed it to do. His right hand, now balled into a fist and still carrying the momentum for the swing, shot for Locke's chest.

[Rugs]

Locke's orange blade slammed into Jazen's, and the two were stuck in a saber lock for a few moments. Normally, such a contest of strength wouldn't really go anywhere, as the two were more or less evenly matched in terms of raw strength. However, Locke had the Force to give him strength, and Jazen's blade was forced back. Jazen reacted accordingly, though, tilting his blade to the side to transfer the strength of Locke's strike away, rather than trying to push back. It was a smart thing to do; Locke often used such practices to make deflecting attacks easier, especially from duelists who were stronger than he was, or those that were practitioners of forms that emphasized strong, heavy blows, like Djem So.

Good though Jazen's defense might have been, though, Locke was prepared. He carried the momentum down, adding it to his strike at Jazen's legs. The padawan reacted, and stepped back and to the side a bit, leaving his saber in a good position to catch Locke's saber as it came up. He retorted with a Force push, one that sent Locke back a step or two, and immediately pressed the attack. That was good. He was fighting for real now.

Jazen's attack came in the form a powerful swing; one that was much stronger than his usual. His blue blade hit Locke's hard, forcing the orange weapon back and out of the way for a moment, though Locke was a immediately moving it back to a position where he could use it. But, as Jazen swung the blade around with his left hand, his right followed, ready for a punch that would slam into Locke's chest. Now, Locke had been on the receiving end of punches from Jazen before. They usually hurt. He wasn't the biggest fan of getting punched, and so he reacted to protect himself.

His natural agility kicked in, and he stepped to Jazen's left, and the boys fist whizzed to the side. As he moved, he took a dangerous gambit. He let his saber fall to the ground, and caught Jazen's fist with his right hand. Now, because Jazen's attacks had been moving to the boy's left, Locke's right, and he was turned to the side, Locke found that his saber was, for a moment, too far out to answer quickly. With Jazen's hand trapped in his own, Locke, should have, for all intents and purposes, been able to do as he wished in reprisal. He lashed out with a quick, hard jab at Jazen's ribs and followed that up with a Force push that should have been strong enough to push Jazen back to a safe distance.

"Be careful not to leave yourself open, Jazen," he said as he pulled his lightsaber back to his hand and thumbed it back to life. "If you're going to try something like that, be absolutely sure I can't do anything to defend myself, or you're only opening yourself for a counter." He continued on without saying anything more, deciding to take things up a notch.

He called on the Force again, though this time, it was to add to his already remarkable amounts of speed and agility. Locke would push Jazen hard for one final exchange, and then they'd move on to something else. This was, after all, just to warm up. He held nothing back when he got within range of Jazen. He was faster, now that the Force was aiding him, and he reverted to Shii-Cho for a moment, and moved about, so that he was always coming in from different angles. Locke's final assault started with a light Force pull to his left, Jazen's right, to try to throw the boy off balance. Then Locke moved in, striking out at Jazen's left arm, and then his chest, ending that string of attacks with a lick of his blade toward Jazen's hip.

[Jazen]

As Jazen's fist slid through the vacant spot that had been where Locke was a moment ago, he cursed himself silently. In his attempt to catch Locke off guard, he had underestimated Locke's abilities. As Locke slipped easily to the side, Jazen watched him with his eyes, knowing he had left himself completely open. While he could follow Locke with his eyes, his body was still recovering from his attack, precious seconds before he would be able to make any move against Locke's follow up.

Had this been a real battle, against someone who was actually trying to kill him, Jazen would have likely died right there. But it was training and some part of that must have clicked within Locke's mind. For instead of a painful reminder what being clumsy in battle could cost with his lightsaber, he dropped it. His hand caught Jazen's, gripping it tightly to ensure that he didn't break free. Locke then brought his left hand back and swung it in, aiming to smash his fist to Jazen's ribs. Jazen's mind clicked, realizing that he had a chance to counter his counter. It would be just as risky as Locke's gamble, but this time, Jazen wasn't looking to strike with it. Just survive this counter with as little pain as possible.

Dropping his own saber, Jazen willed his left arm back in, using the Force to grant it the speed he needed. His left hand, palm open, caught the blow inches from his ribs, making Jazen wince as he felt some of the force transfer. Then he felt the build up of the Force Locke was preparing. Sensing what was coming, Jazen waited till the Force push was coming, then countered it with a small push of his own. Although it didn't stop the attack from coming, it reduced the impact it had on Jazen's body. It also allowed him to break free from Locke's grip, although he was sure Locke let him go on purpose anyway. Skidding back, Jazen halted his backwards movement, calling his saber to him as he did. Realizing that the exercise was beginning to tax his body, Jazen called on the Force to restore some of his stamina, taking deeper breaths to relax his beating heart.

Jazen let Locke's advice slip past him, already knowing that he shouldn't have made that reckless move. Not that he didn't understand that his master was just trying to help; he just didn't need another reminder how stupid he had been. Raising his blade up in front of him, a basic defense, Jazen awaited Locke's next attack. Like before, it came swiftly, although this time it was much faster. Locke was calling on the Force for this attack, meaning he either wanted to end this or that he really wanted to test Jazen. Standing his ground, Jazen relaxed his breathing, concentrating instead of worrying. No more risks, no more gambles. He would meet his master head on with all the skill he could muster.

Jazen followed Locke as he came in, constantly shifting in an attempt to throw off which way he would really come from. Carefully, Jazen moved his saber only a little in response to each move, ready to explode his defense into whichever direction Locke finally decided to come from. The sudden feeling of a hand on his side almost pulled Jazen from his stance. Sensing the Force at work, Jazen shifted his stance to a wider one, allowing him to move with the pull and yet kept his stance firm. Locke came in right after, starting with a strike to the left. Bringing his arms up, Jazen turned the blade upside down to catch the strike, then swung it straight down to catch the chest attack. Locke's final strike came in as a shot at Jazen's hip, which had an easy answer. Twisting his wrists, Jazen spun his saber to the right, pointing it diagonally down towards his foot. As soon the the blades made contact, Jazen shot back, using his right foot to propel himself back. He landed a short distance away from Locke, quickly bringing his saber back up to its original position, waiting to see if Locke wanted to continue.

[Rugs]

Locke gave Jazen an approving nod when the exchange was done. He'd recovered well from his slip-up, despite the fact that it had been a potentially-fatal one. Not that Locke had much room to talk, considering that he'd have been dead more times over than he could count if the training spars he had with old Master Tiino were actually real fights. But that's what training's for, he mused as he looked at his student, whose vibrant blade stood out starkly against the warm orange that the morning light cast through the fog.

"Well done, Jazen." Locke let his saber's blade fade away and clipped the hilt back onto his belt. The sequence of their exchange played out once more in his mind as he looked up to see where the sun was in the sky. Jazen, knowing the gravity of his situation took a risk, much like Locke's and deactivated his saber to catch Locke's blow. He'd been successful in that, though some of the force from the punch still made it through to his ribs. But, all things considered, dulled pain was still better than getting hit full blast. The padawan had gone on to stand before Locke's final assault, which was impressive in and of itself, more so considering that Locke had been pressing him hard. But they knew each other well, and while it made things easier, it also made things much more difficult than they might have been otherwise. Still, Jazen's progress was good. Locke was quite satisfied.

"That's enough of that for the time being, I think. Get some water if you need some and then we'll start on some Force work." For his part, Locke simply pulled a canteen over to him. He took a short swig before closing it again and tossing it back to where it'd been laying next to his pack. Then he went to pondering what they'd cover next. Truth be told, though Jazen was talented, he needed work in all areas of the Force, as all padawans did. A grin grew on Locke's face as he watched Jazen. He'd be nice today.

"Tell you what, Jazen, I'm in a generous mood today. Well, for the time being anyway. Pick an area of the Force you want to work on, and we'll work on that." He barked a laugh. "Or you can let me choose, but I don't know when you'll get another opportunity like this."

[Jazen]

To both Jazen's relief and dismay, Locke powered down his lightsaber, indicating that the sparring, at least for the moment, was done. Jazen had wanted to continue, to test his limits to the extreme. But, a break was perhaps the best idea, for it would give him time to recover and think of new ways he could outfox his master. Nodding in response to his master and giving him a respectful bow, Jazen thumbed his lightsaber off as well. Reaching up, Jazen rubbed his hand against his neck and with a slight grunt, cracked it. A sigh of relief escaped his lips and he turned towards the small stream.

Bending over, Jazen cupped some of the water in his hands, then splashed it against his face. The coolness of the water sent tingles down his spine, prompting him to do another splash against his sweating skin. Then he took his head and dunked it beneath the cool water, snapping back up right after. His soaked hair stuck to his head and with a shake, he sent water spraying in all directions. Luckily, in accordance with his Padawan status, his hair was short and easily manageable, meaning that it retained its normal look even while wet. Refreshed, Jazen stood and moved over to his equipment now, leaving his lightsaber in exchange for his canteen. Taking a long drink of it, Jazen turned back and wandered over to his Master, eager to continue their training. At Locke's suggestion that he pick what they do next, Jazen stroked his chin.

Truth be told, Jazen could have worked on any area of the Force. Being a Padawan, he was nowhere near as good in any specific area compared to others. Despite that knowledge, Jazen had more or less picked out exactly what he wanted to work on. He wanted to work on his ability to sense and see things through the Force. His mind drifted back to the training with Master Talau and of the vision she had been experiencing when they first arrived. While Jazen had only gotten the raw emotion of the vision, Locke had been able to see some of it, to be part of it. Jazen wanted to be able to do that, so at least he could better contribute to the discussion next time. By working on his sense, he could also better see his surroundings even while not looking at them, making him more effective in a fight. And secretly, he wanted to be able to impress Talau, though he was unsure why the idea filled him with such joy at the thought.

"Thank you for letting me choose Master. If there was a certain area I'd like to work on, it would have to be my Force Sense. As to why that area.....I just want to be able to see like you and Master Talau. To see things that others don't see, to see the world around me even with closed eyes, too sense danger long before it can reach me. And to see as deep I can into someone to better understand them."

[Rugs]

Sense, Jazen said. Locke folded his arms, scratching the neatly trimmed stubble that always coated his jaw as he started to think. Jazen's answer wasn't surprising. Then again, considering that he'd opened things up to nearly every category (save those associated with the Dark Side, obviously) nothing really would have been a surprise, per se. The school of Sense was one of Jazen's stronger areas, and thankfully was an area Locke was decent enough in, else they might have some trouble. A shudder ran through Locke at the last time he'd tried to teach Jazen about healing, an area he was not at all strong in. Jazen's lack of experience, coupled with Locke's near complete lack of ability made that particular lesson an exercise in frustration; one that had probably been as frustrating for Jazen as it was for Locke.

Well, thanks to the powers that be that he went with Sense, then. Sense, Locke could do, and he'd had a feeling Jazen might want to work on it, ever since their encounter with Talau in the training room. Honestly, Locke still had trouble wrapping his head around the snippets of the vision he'd seen. He understood it--sort of--now that Talau had explained, but stil... Well, there was a reason he didn't try to think too hard on it.

"Fair enough then, Jazen, we'll do some work on Sense." He motioned with his hand for Jazen to take a seat a few paces away from the stream's edge. He stepped in a bit nearer to Jazen and took a seat himself, legs folded and waited for Jazen to sit before carrying on. "Sense is a versatile area, as you know. We use it to feel our surroundings, and the life around us, to feel the emotions and seek the intents of those we interact with. As with all the other areas of the Force, it's something that has uses both in and out of combat. When you're fighting, it can make that warning from the Force just a bit louder or clearer, and be the difference between living to see another day or lying on the ground in a pool of your own blood. And when you aren't fighting, it can help you read the intents of whoever you're interacting with, perhaps to avoid said fight that could end with you lying in a pool of your own blood." A sudden thought crossed his mind, and he couldn't help but grin. "Or, if you ever decide to leave the Order to become a used speeder salesman, it could let you know when your spiel isn't working on your clients. Not that you'd ever to do that of course." Locke laughed softly. "You do strike me as the salesman type anyway.

"But I said all of that to say this: Sense is important. It's something we use almost all the time, in some fashion or another. And now we'll work on it." Locke straightened his back so that he was sitting upright. Air flowed into his lungs as he inhaled deeply before it was pushed out in a slow, steady exhale. "We'll start with a bit indirectly, though it will dovetail nicely into what we're going to do. But first, I want you to relax as much as you can and touch the Force. Just barely touch it, though, like you just have the tip of your finger touching the surface of a body of water." Perhaps Jazen would know where he was going with things. He was, to an extent going to walk Jazen through the process he used for meditating, by moving progressively deeper into the Force. Well, it wouldn't be that process exactly, but Locke believed what he had in mind would work out nicely.

[Jazen]

Jazen nodded in response to Locke's invitation to sit, sitting down cross legged next to the stream. He waited patiently for Locke to join him, then blotted out all sounds around him expect for that of his Master's voice. He remained silent, taking in every word that escaped Locke's mouth and inscribing it to memory. Most of it was stuff he already knew, such at the ways to use it both in and out of combat. That was the reason he choose to work on sense, for its wide variety of uses. And there were other ways that Locke hadn't outright mentioned that Force Sense could be applied too. And it was for those other reasons that Jazen had really chosen to learn Force Sense.

The first was the ability to see, like Locke had, the things another person might be seeing. By doing so, Jazen might be able to make better sense of his own visions that had been plaguing him. Bits and pieces weren't going to tell him anything. He needed to see longer reels of images, combined into one, if he hoped to learn what these visions were showing him. And there was another reason, one he knew he had to tell Locke during this training session. His left eye, the mechanical one that was in the place of his real one;lost in an incident he could not remember; was failing. Whether he just needed a new one or his body was just rejecting it Jazen did not know. Either way, it presented a blind spot he could not afford to have. By increasing his skill in Force Sense, he could eliminate that problem, at least until he found out whether or not the eye could be fixed.

By the time Locke had finished speaking, Jazen had calmed his body down to the point that he was perfectly relaxed. The fatigue he had felt from their sparring was gone, not physically but in his mind. He chuckled at Locke's comment about him being a salesman, although he couldn't possibly imagine himself in a suit trying to convince people to buy something. Though, he could just influence people to buy them...but that would be an improper use of the Force. As Locke continued, Jazen nodded in response to each direction his master gave. Finally, Locke finished and stated that they were to begin.

Following his Master's suggestion, Jazen receded from the Force to that point that he couldn't feel anything outside his own body. Then he reached back out for it, like a child reaching for the cookie jar. He let his childish fingers skim the jar, trying to grip it so that he could pull it close enough to open. And he held his stance there, barely pulling the Force back to him. His eyes closed, his breath slow and steady, Jazen let out a sigh.

"I'm there Master. Ready when you are to proceed."

[Rugs]

"Good. Now reach out and feel everything that's around you as best you can. But don't pull any harder on the Force. Just reach out with what you've got." Locke did what he said as he spoke. At this stage, he couldn't feel much, since he was just barely tapping the Force enough to feel it. That's not to say he couldn't feel anything, though. Jazen's presence was very easy to pick up, though it always was, given the sort of bond that developed over time between master and student. Still, he couldn't sense much about Jazen, only that he was there.

There was more to be felt, though. Fish were swimming in the stream, just barely touching Locke's consciousness like ethereal fingers sliding softly against his skin. He could faintly detect a bird of some sort as he flew overhead, though it was a fleeting thing, fading away as the bird went off into the distance. Even below him, there was life; he could not tell what they were (though he assumed them to be insects going about their business in the grass) or how many of them there were, but he felt them, as a sort of hazy mass, ever moving and ever shifting.

"Now, I want you to push deeper. Imagine that you're at the edge of a lake. Push out into the water. Be slow. Be steady. But go out, toward the center of the lake." Again, he did as he instructed Jazen to do as he spoke. The flow of the Force going into Locke steadily increased, as if it the gates on a dam that controlled the flow of water through the spillway were slowly opening. Those gates remained in control, however, and the flow was restricted to what Locke wanted it to be, never moving out of control.

"As you move into deeper waters, I want you to relax more. Relax more than you thought you could. And as do this, I want you to stop increasing your pull on the Force, when you get to waist-deep waters." Locke was already to that point, so he continued on, speaking softly. "Now, turn your attention within, Jazen, to your own body. Sense can do more than just tell you of the world around you; it can also help you know what's going on in the world within, which can be just as important as knowing what's going on outside. So look to your body, Jazen, and see what your senses tell you."

It was a different thing than what most were used to, what Locke was telling his student to do. And while it would almost certainly never be as accurate or as clear as having someone else--say one of the Order's healers--perform a check on the body to see what was within, it could be helpful in a pinch. Then again, the Matukai were widely known for their ability to discern things within their own body, though Locke suspected that was because their philosophy was on the focus of the Forcethrough their bodies, rather than in the ways that the Jedi taught. That came through years of training, though; training Locke had neither the knowledge of or the time to dispense to Jazen.

His musings turned inwards for a moment, as he felt out what he could of his own body. Locke was healthy, as far as he could tell. Everything that he could feel felt fine, though, once again, there was always the threat of some hidden danger lurking within, as the recent forced check up that he and Rhissai had endured at the hands of Levin Caelum had revealed. I wonder where ol' Lev is, anyway. It had been some time since Locke saw the healer, which was unfortunate, because as different as they were, Locke considered Levin to be one of his closest friends. I'm sure he's around, he thought, returning his mind to the matter at hand.

"Tell me when you're ready and we'll move on."

[Jazen]

Jazen simply nodded in response to his masters words, not wanting to break the concentration he had. Truth be told, he had never really cut himself off from the Force like Locke was having him do, so he wasn't expecting how hard it truly was. It was like sucking the water out of a person till they were just at the point where taking anymore would kill them, then slowly giving them it back. He felt strangely alone without a natural flowing connection to the Force guiding him but he trusted his master enough to go along with it. If this was the path to increasing his sense, then he would gladly walk it.

Carefully, he did as instructed, trying to feel the environment around him with his diminished connection. And again, it was like seeing and feeling the world through the body of a child. He could barely feel his master's presence even though he was right in front of him. But it was there, radiating a small presence in the Force not unlike what Jazen was likely emitting. Since they were together a lot, a natural connection had formed between the two of them, making it always possible for them to at least feel the other's presence. Or life. But he could only feel him there; what he was thinking or feeling Jazen could not determine with these child fingers.

Because Jazen wasn't as powerful as his master in the Force, he knew he wouldn't be able to sense all the things that Locke could. So he settled for what he knew he could feel. The life of the fish in the stream beside them, the calmness of the wind blowing through his hair. He could just barely feel the cold touch of the stream, the swaying of the grass brushing against his legs. He felt the life of many smaller lifeforms, bugs most likely, as a hazy mist moving along the ground all around him. He tried to reach skyward, to see if he could feel that far up. But his fingers couldn't reach that high, couldn't grip anything solid. Then he heard the bird. Not within the Force but with his physical ears. Locking onto that sound, he gently reached those childish fingers towards its source and just for a moment, he felt it. Then he lost his grip on it, knowing that he if tried to grab it again he would have to extend those fingers, which he couldn't do yet.

Continuing with the lesson, Jazen nodded again, going inside himself to accomplish the next task. He dove into the Force, not fast or quickly, but slowly, descending deeper into its grip. Those fingers grew fast, long enough now to grab the jar and take it firmly in their grasp. Like his master had suggested, he switched his impression of the Force to that of a lake, standing on the edge. Only now he was up to his waist in it, feeling it calmly wash up against him. Now this was a feeling he knew. He didn't even need to do anything to relax himself farther; just feeling the Force grow within him, becoming part of his essence again did that for him.

Then he turned his senses inward, like he was asked. He started with his legs, feeling the muscles, how tense they were sitting in this position. He made his way upward, avoiding his chest though. He felt his arms, rested on his legs; not insanely strong but strong enough, rigid and calm. Moving onto his chest now, Jazen felt each organ one by one; the slow and relaxed beating of his heart, the spreading and closing of his lungs as air came and went. The other organs, not needed as much at this time, patiently waiting for when they would be. Then he felt his body as a whole, looking for something out of place or blocked. There was nothing. He was perfectly healthy...at least physically. He knew mentally he was having blocks and breaks but those were things he would mend on his own. Sure that he was where he needed to be, Jazen calmly spoke.

"I'm there Master. Barely, but I'm there. Let's continue."

[Rugs]

"Good. Now let's go deeper." Locke's voice remained steady and calm, perhaps even more so that it already was as he gave himself over more and more to the Force. "Push out deeper still into the water. Let rise up around you, to your chest, your neck, the bottom of your chin. Keep going out until you are completely submerged within it. As you go, let yourself go. Give yourself over completely to the Force, and let it guide you. Don't seek to control it, though; we are vessels to be guided by it, to carry out its will."

Silence took the area for a few moments as Locke slipped into a meditative state. Currents of the Force flowed through him, like the waters of his proverbial lake, and he let himself float away on them for a short time. There was a lesson that still needed to be given, though, so he pulled himself out of it enough to keep going.

"Now, this phase is going to have two steps, Jazen. First, I want you to reach out with your senses again and feel the difference, now that you're drawing so deeply on the Force. It should be very noticeable." Tendrils of his own senses floated out gently to the world around him. It was, Locke imagined, like what it might have been like to be a blind person that was suddenly granted sight again. Locke could see nothing, because his eyes were closed, but through the Force, he could feel so much that it nearly felt like he could see. Life was everywhere around him. In Jazen, in the fish that lived in the stream or the insects that were making their way through a nearby tree to the very tree itself, or even the grass below him. And now that he was using the Force more than he had been, he could feel things coming from Jazen, as he suspected Jazen might from him. The young man seemed to be calm enough, for the most part, though Locke suspected that if he prodded, he'd be able to find that hidden layer of darkness that was nestled within Jazen's heart. But he did not prod. They'd deal with that momentarily.

"Alright, now we're going to go to the second phase of this. It's all well and good to know what's in the world around you, but you also have to know what's inside of you. And I don't mean in the way we just looked at; I mean what's inside of you as a person." A heavy sigh slipped through Locke's lips. It was now or never. Truth be told, he'd not wanted to deal with whatever was lurking within Jazen, but he knew that he would have to confront it as Jazen's teacher, and that it was something Jazen would ultimately have to face and deal with on his own. If he couldn't deal with it, he'd never be able to make it through the Trials when the time came, and that was something Locke didn't want.

"Look within yourself, Jazen," he said softly. "Peer into the deepest, darkest parts of your heart that you hide from the rest of the world. Stare whatever you find there in the face. Get a good look at it, and know that, whatever it is, you're stronger than it is." Locke did as he instructed, as always, though he already knew what his inner weaknesses were. He had a few, really.

The biggest, and least likely to come up, given the fact that almost no one knew of it, was anger. Anger that had to do with the way his parents were murdered at the hands of a gang leader that they borrowed money from to keep him alive. That was something he'd come to the knowledge of during his Trial of Spirit, and though he thought he got over it years ago, he knew the wound was still raw. However, because it was such a relatively unknown thing, it wasn't something he'd had to worry about. Hopefully things would remain that way.

The other thing was a bit more pressing. It had to do with Jazen. Locke was growing to be very protective of his student, especially after his little trip to Naboo. He hadn't even thought of it as a weakness until Naboo, when Allen, the Sith, had caused him a good deal of physical and emotional pain by exploiting it. Umgul wasn't something he even wanted to think about... Fear was what lurked at the heart of it all, though, and it would have to be addressed before it was used against him.

And what about you, Jazen? Locke opened his stone grey eyes to look at his student, though he did not release his hold on the Force. [/i]What things are waiting deep within your heart?[/i]

[Jazen]

As soon as Locke mentioned going deeper into the Force, Jazen launched himself into it. Holding back his connection had been tiring, yet he understood the purpose behind the lesson. By severing the connection to the point of it being almost non existent, they had to test how much they could feel at that level. As the level went up, they would notice the differences in the things they could feel, along with how many different things they could feel at once. At little, he could feel their presence, but only to the point of knowing that they existed. As the connection grew, the images of them became clearer, along with a small sense of their purpose. At the level they were at now, neck deep in the Force, Jazen could feel the intent of all the living around him.

Realizing that he was only neck deep when Locke had told him to submerge himself fully, Jazen took that next step, slipping into the embrace of the Force entirely. Like being thrown into a raging river, Jazen let himself get sweep into the Force's ever flowing current, drifting along whichever path it choose for him. Despite this, Jazen didn't feel overpowered by the current, nor felt that it was suffocating him with its presence. In fact, he felt as if it were like a motherly arm, guiding its child down the path that would lead to a safe and successful life. It was both relaxing and peaceful in its embrace. Jazen felt as if he could simply wash away with the Force, to let himself be guided along its path, complete faith in the direction it would take him. But he knew he couldn't do that, even if he wanted to. To follow that path would make him a slave to the Force, to make him believe that whatever the Force choose for him he had to do. Even if it lead him down the wrong path. He would make his own choices, using the Force only as a base.

Sound from outside the flow drew him back to reality, to the calm and guiding voice of his Master. Nodding to the instructions, Jazen reached out again, like they had done at the start of the training. This time, instead of just noticing something existence, Jazen felt everything. The insects on the ground around him, which he knew now were plain old ants, radiated purpose and devotion to that purpose. He couldn't feel what those purposes were but he could guess from what he knew about ants. The fish in the stream came alive in his mind as well, an overwhelming urge to find another fish. Perhaps it was mating season. Either way, Jazen felt its urgency to find what it was searching for, right up till the bird in the sky dove down between them, attempting to nab the fish. The fish must have sensed danger somehow, for it got farther and farther away from them, its urgency now filled with what he assumed was fear.

The bird, which was flying away again, radiated disappointment and hunger. It didn't take long for it to vanish from his range, off to look for food someplace else. The wind, grass, anything that was considered living lit up like a power lamp in Jazen's mind, allowing him to see where they were, how close, all the stuff one could see with their physical eyes. Still, some of it was grainy, like a message encountering static. Jazen knew it came from his lesser ability with sense which was why he had chosen it. He wanted everything to be clear to him. His master, who sat before, was a shining beacon of calm and reassurance. Jazen didn't pry into him like he could have, instead settling for the outer levels of his feelings. Just on the edge of that level, however, he felt a small ping of worry and reluctance. Over what Jazen didn't know, but he had a sinking suspicion it was because of him. He'd been causing his Master a load of grief lately and for a second, Jazen felt deep regret for that. But he buried that thought, not wanting to worry Locke with his short comings.

Then Jazen dove deeper into himself, as his Master told him too. Jazen had been afraid before, afraid to look into the part of himself that housed the darkness he knew was growing there. It wasn't the fact that he had a dark spot within him that worried him; what did was the possibility that by looking at that part of him, he might end up releasing it. But he had to face it sooner or later. He couldn't just avoid that part of him for the rest of his life, even though he really wished he could. He dove deep into his soul, digging through layers and layers until he found it. His darkness. At first, he didn't even know he was looking at it. Then he heard the familiar whisper that had been plaguing him since Umgul. Since he always ignored and pushed it away, the voice had never been truly clear. Now that he was facing it, however, the voice was as clear as day. Jazen knew that having such a presence inside him was wrong, that he should make sure it never saw the light of day again. And yet, there was an unwavering attraction to it, to the power and freedom it offered.

Jazen stood face to face with the darkness, which manifested as another version of him; albeit this one had one yellow eye, a wicked grin and his white hair drifted down to his shoulders. Dark Jazen crossed his arms, his yellow eye glaring at Jazen, a cruel laugh echoing Jazen's inner world. You know you want to use me, he said. Come, cast off this useless dimwit of a man who dares to call himself our Master. Go out and find those truly worthy of teaching us. Find those who share our hate, anger and bliss. The clone beckoned for Jazen to come to him, extending open arms as if inviting him to embrace. Jazen stared at him, looking from his face to the open arms. Then back over his shoulder to the small portal of light that would lead him back to the flow of the Force, back to his Master. Jazen looked at him one more time, then laughed. Dark Jazen rose an eyebrow, then howled in anger when Jazen turned away from him, moving towards the light. Your making a mistake! Go, run now, run back to your weak self. But know that I'll always be here, watching, waiting for you to slip. And when you do, I'll be right there to take over. Be on your guard, my foolish brother. Stopping before he exited the light, Jazen turned back to the shadow and rose his hand.

"While you do speak the truth about me being weak, let me correct you on something. Locke is strong and by learning from him, I will become strong as well. And soon you will be nothing but a speck of my past. So, enjoy what time you have left, my dark other half. For your existence, which should never have occured in the first place, will soon come to an end. Now get out of my mind."[/i]

Thrusting his hand towards his shadow, he blasted him with the Force, sending him tumbling back into the small part of Jazen's mind in which he resided. As he faded, he managed to say one final thing. She'll never be yours without my help....and you know it. And with that he was gone. Jazen stood there, in his mind, freezing from his shadows final words. He knew who it was talking about and for a moment, Jazen's heart hurt. Quickly, he quelled that pain and turned back to the Force, slipping back into reality. Jazen's eyes fluttered open, only now realizing how deep in concentration he had been. Panting, Jazen leaned over for a moment, trying to make sure he was completely back in reality. He'd never gone that deep before. He hadn't expected the feeling of being so at peace would be so horrifying the first time, completely lost to the world around him. He'd have to make a note to be careful whenever trying that again. Carefully, he went back into a meditative state before answering Locke's question.

"Only pain and regret from actions I have already taken. And a feeling I'm sure I understand myself. Tell me Master....what would you do if you wanted something you knew you couldn't have, but the very thought of being without it pained you greater than any physical wound."

[Rugs]

A sigh slipped through Locke's lips as Jazen went quiet. The serenity of the little clearing really did help; he felt much calmer now than he'd been after the return to Coruscant from Naboo, even though recent events still lingered heavy on his mind. Perhaps I've been to hard on him, Locke thought as his senses turned outward and drifted over to his apprentice. Light and dark were warring within the young man in a way Locke hadn't felt before. He's probably been just as stressed about all of this I have, and he's the one that actually has to deal with it. Me? I'm just trying to guide him through it. I can't even imagine what it must be like for him.

Much as the easy going part of Locke might like to ease up on Jazen, he couldn't. He knew he couldn't. To do that would be to do a disservice to Jazen. Talau had, inadvertently perhaps, been the first to open his eyes to that fact. When she'd sparred with Jazen, she'd held nothing back and fought him like an enemy, where, up to that point, Locke had focused so much on the teaching part that he failed to realize the best way to prepare his student for live combat was to practice live combat. That was something he still struggled with, though he certainly pushed Jazen much harder now than he did in the past. No, he would stay on Jazen's case, even though it might not have been something he wanted to do. He owed it to the boy.

Both master and student seemed to come out of their thoughts a nearly the same time, and Locke looked up at the sound of Jazen's voice. He only nodded at the words of regrets from past actions; those were something everyone had. The second question gave him pause, however. Locke grunted thoughtfully, tapping a finger on his knee idly as he thought. Without knowing what it was Jazen was talking about, he couldn't really say for sure; never mind the fact that he'd never wanted something that badly.

"You know, kid, I can't say." He shifted his position, bring his left leg up and resting the elbow of his left arm on its knee. "Though I can say that usually, when you want to have something that much, it's not good for you." A few thoughts flitted through his mind, most wondering what it was that brought such a question from Jazen. "Is it something you need to talk about?" He made sure to keep the 'lecturing master' tone that had been so common lately out of his voice. For once, he was asking Jazen as a friend, though there was no doubt that Master Locke had reasons for wanting to know as well.

[Jazen]

Jazen froze at Locke's question. Part of him had expected him to answer with a long, drawn out answer that while giving him insight into how to tackle the question, would not give him the quick answer he was seeking. Him saying he was unsure, followed by the direct asking if something was wrong caught him with his pants down, so to speak. Jazen's eyes shot away from his Master's, unable to meet them lest he feared he would see the turbulence of confusion in his eyes. He could probably sense it through the Force though, so Jazen receded into himself as much as he could. Which probably wouldn't be enough if Locke decided to probe. He made a mental note to ask Talau when he got back to show him how she did it.

The thought of Talau made his heart skip and beat and Jazen barely managed to keep himself from blushing. Why, why, why was he getting this strange warmth from his heart whenever he thought of her? The very concept drilled into him and his attempts to crush those feelings only made them drill deeper. Stronger. And like a flickering flame finding fuel, the darkness within him grew and expanded whenever that feeling became too much to bear. Add the stress the visions that plagued his dreams gave him, and Jazen realized he had a lot on his shoulders to bear. He cursed Locke for not giving him an answer he could use to solve this problem. In fact, he blamed Locke for bringing him into that room where Talau had been. He should have felt her presence before they entered. Maybe then Jazen wouldn't have to deal with this constant pain.

Probably to his master's amazement, Jazen slapped himself as hard as he could. He was a man and the person in front of him was his teacher. Locke had done nothing wrong and Jazen knew that. He had done nothing more than try to help his apprentice, to be both mentor and friend. Only lately was he really digging into his role as mentor, but Jazen knew from the moment he had met him that Locke had been teaching him through example. His other half had gotten the better of him for a moment and with all the force in his being, he shoved it back down into his depths. His eyes rose to his Master's and Jazen let out a long sigh. He would tell Locke everything. Well, maybe not everything. He didn't need to know that Jazen's darkness was still there, growing stronger everyday. Scrapping at him. Fighting for dominance in Jazen's body...and winning. No, he created that darkness and he alone would conquer it. No matter what.

"Well, there's two things actually. The first is rather simple, but had been bothering me for a while. Quite a while in fact. You see, my dreams have been plagued with these flashes. Images in my mind of a place I've never seen, of people I don't ever remember meeting. And yet they feel so familiar to me. Almost as if I was there, in the place the images are set in. I don't even know what to make of them. And recently, they have started happening even when I'm not sleeping. While we were training with Talau, for example. I don't have the power you or she have to delve into those visions and therefore, am left to only guess about these visions. And this brings me to the problem.

And this concerns Talau. I don't even know where or how to describe that problem. I can for sure that it started happening after that training session with her. Ever since then, whenever I think of her in the slightest, my entire body feels strange. Warm, relaxed.....and happy. But there's also this immense pain, but one I can't find the source of. It comes whenever I see her, whenever I think of her, whenever I can feel her, as rare as that is. Whatever this is, I'm not familiar with it. I've never felt something like this. And its bordering on scaring me. I know, these are problems I shouldn't burden you with. But I can't figure them out on my own and I fear if I let them go on unchallenged, they will lead to something far worse."