Trial by Fire [complete]

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The monastary was abandoned, and had been for over fifty years. There was a dark stain here, for here the once great Dark Lord, Palpatine, had finally been extinguished. Onderon's jungles had quickly overtaken the buildings, giving the entire set up a green, eerie feel, as vines slowly cracked duracrete, and shattered windows invited in prowling beasts.

A heavily armoured speeder ground to a halt, engines whirring as they cooled, and the doors cracked open. De'Ville stepped out, and her new apprentice did as well. He was thin, blue, and not to be trusted. There was something about his red eyes that made her feel like he was continually thinking up something devious. Not necessarily a bad trait to have. If it was yours, and not someone you had to look at all the time.

Lilaena pointed at a huge spotted vine that was choking the life out of a towering tree. "Whatever you do, do not get to close to those ones. Watch." She picked up a dead stick and tossed it underhand at the plat, hitting the tough exterior of it's main trunk. Seconds later smaller vines snapped up the stick, broke it in half with their strength, and whisked it away. "There is a 'mouth' of sorts, hidden back in the jungle. I have not seen it, but Mandalore told me. Sounds a bit like a green, above ground Sarlacc."

She walked through the dense underbrush, Naj following behind until they reached what used to be a courtyard in the center of the monastery.

[Naj Arilov]

"of all the places..."

Naj's voice trailed off and continued in thought. Of all the places they could choose for their first session, De'Ville had to pick the most wretched place on the whole entire planet. Actually, this place was probably a day care compared to some of the other spots on the planet, but Naj was sour all the same. Everything around them seemed to be food for something else, and as they traversed through the jungle, Naj couldnt help but feel as if he were slowly being eased into the food chain.

Naj kept a tight grip on his staff until they made it into a clearing. It was nice to be out of the thick, but something told him being in the open was just as dangerous. Even so, as unhappy as he was, if he couldn't last through the Wilds, then he wouldn't last two seconds on Dxun. He would wait until later to reflect upon his good fortunes, however, as it didnt seem likely that De'Ville was planning a picnic for them...

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"If you ever wanted to test your reflexes, Onderon is the place to do it." Lilaena gestured around them expansively. She was wearing a tunic and loose pants, somewhat similar to the Jedi 'uniform' in style. Hers were done in shades of red and black, with extensive black embroidery on the cuffs of her sleeves and the hems. "And even if you did not want to... Well, we will just see how this goes."

She sat carefully on the lip of an overgrown fountain, and gestured to a nearby lump of duracrete that was fuzzy with moss. "How long have you been studying the Force on your own, Arilov?"

[Naj Arilov]

Naj continued to stand. The fact was, the less he actually touched out here, the better. Usually, Naj would be eating something like this up, but he was unprepared. He didnt know what to expect out here, or how to deal with it when it arrived. He hated this feeling worse than anything.

"Not very long. I find developing techniques to be difficult, when I dont know what kind of techniques there are in the first place."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"In that case, we will start with stretching out your senses. Using the Force to amplify your own abilities." She looked around them once more, and then back to her standing apprentice. "Tell me what you hear, Naj."

[Naj Arilov]

Naj glanced around for a moment. He didnt hear anything of any real mention...

"Wind blowing through the trees. The humming of insects. Nothing of any immediate consequence..."

He stated rather flatly. He was making an effort not to be rude, as she was trying to teach him something. The fact that they were in the middle of the jungle, however, had him in an ill mood..

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"What about in that direction?" She pointed to the west. "There is a large den there of land beasts, not the winged creatures that the Beastriders have tamed. It is about a klick seventy yards away, maybe less. Maps are not exactly perfect for any region outside of the City." Lilaena stood, and faced towards it.

"A fully trained Knight would be able to tell if the beasts were sleeping, or out hunting. Or even if we were being hunted, right now..." She looked at Naj, who still looked displeased at the situation. "The Force flows through everything, even your own ear drums. What is sound, but a wave that can be amplified at will?"

[Naj Arilov]

"Sound is everything. Matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration."

Naj replied with a slight smile. Turning his head slightly, he listened. He focused a little harder and listened. He heard no land beasts.

"I still only hear wind..."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She nodded, "Either do I. I hear nothing at all." De'Ville turned to face him once more. "Now, show me your skills with telekinesis. Since you refuse to sit on it, why not start with that old chunk of duracrete."

De'Ville was still getting a feel for her apprentice, and what it was Naj needed to learn. In a few minutes he'd probably learn how to defend himself on Onderon, the hard way, but for now, lifting rocks was always a good filler.

[Naj Arilov]

This was something he could do, definately. The one of the most obvious skills that many force users have is the ability to move stuff with their minds, and its one of the first things Naj tryed, and one of the first things he took the time to practice.

Reaching out slightly, he concentrated, and the duracrete stone lifted out of its spot. He lifted it about a meter and let it sit. Ever so often, it would waver a bit, but for the most part, Naj held it perfectly still.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Concentrating, the Chiss did as she asked, with just a hint of pride in his features. Something along the lines of "why don't you really challenge me" leaked out from his emotions. So she shook things up a bit.

De'Ville closed her eyes and held out a hand, dipping into the Force. Naj drifted up into the air beside the rock. She opened her eyes, holding him in place carefully, although to the Chiss it did not seem so. A bead of sweat appeared on her brow, and then evaporated in the warm wind. "Keep the rock levitated."

And then she dropped him.

[Naj Arilov]

This situation caught Naj completely off guard, and the rock nearly hit the ground in his surprise, he quickly lifted it again, only to be dropped. He heard her orders in the split second it took to fall. He landed on his feet, but stumbled backward and fell. The rock fell again as he did. He tried to stop it and lift it, but his concentration was broken completely as he hit the ground.

The rock hit the ground with a thud, and Naj quickly scrambled to his feet, grabbing his staff as he did.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"If the rock had been over your head, you would have been crushed." She stayed where she was, arms at her sides. "It takes a great deal of control to be able to hold ones concentration while unexpected things happen around you. This is what I will teach you today."

De'Ville brushed her short hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ears. "For instance, fighting for you life in hand to hand combat is all well and good, but being able to use the Force to pit your enviroment against your enemy while fighting...that is something else. Control of the Force is the extra edge that will more than likely keep you alive."

She folded her arms across her breasts, and looked back to the moss covered duracrete. "Lift it again. This time memorize the way the Force flows around and through it. If it becomes second nature to you, it will be easier to continue it uninterrupted."

The buildings around them watched the pair through empty windows, and a flock of small, relatively harmless birds took flight from one of the outer buildings.

[Naj Arilov]

Naj lifted the rock again. He kept more concentration on it this time, as much attention as he felt he could afford, considering the prospect of something large and hungry darting out into the clearing to eat him wasn't very far fetched.

Naj held the rock firmly in place without looking toward De'Ville for approval or instruction.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She flicked her fingers to help her concentrate on the movement of the Force, and Naj's legs were swept out from under him. Lilaena took a few steps back, away from the rock as it began to tumble down.

[Naj Arilov]

As Naj hit, he tried to keep the rock from touching the ground. He was only able to hold it for a moment or two, straining to keep his concentration. It was as if he were actually holding the rock with his arms. After a moment or two, the rock fell the last few inches to the ground, and Naj let out a deep breath.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"Better." She walked next to him, and looked down at him as he exhaled slowly. Lilaena reached out a hand to help him to his feet. "And yet, still there is work to be done. Once this small feat is mastered, there are many ways you can use what you have learned."

[Naj Arilov]

Naj nodded his head as he got to his feet, ignoring her offer for help. It was becoming clear that showing any signs of weakness would grant him some form of punishment. Taking De'Ville's hand now would be begging for pain.

The last attempt at trying to hold the rock had taken a good bit out of him, but he was far from spent. He stood up straight, a few feet from De'Ville (out of her physical striking range). And held his staff at his side, waiting for her instruction.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Vile found a seat once more on the lip of the overgrown fountain. "Once more, then. Perhaps the..." She cocked her head to the side ever so slightly, listening. "...Third time may be the charm."

Something rustled in the overgrowth to the north of them, and she quietly got back to her feet, hand going to the lightsaber on her hip. "Whatever happens, do not put that rock down until I tell you to."

[Naj Arilov]

Naj nodded his head and the rock lifted up again. He really wasnt liking the sound of this, but he obeyed, for the moment. De'Ville was armed, and really hadnt tried to hide it. And the weapon she was armed with wasnt exactly one that Naj could defend against. Not to mention, he was learning....