Next week…

Adrian clutched the black-faced and gold-etched holocron tightly in his right hand, making it appear that he was physical carrying the projection of the Jensaarai master on his fist. The Susevfian strode through the darkened halls, occasionally passing one of the Academy’s motionless sentries, Paladin II Battle Droids. Reverent silence permeated throughout the building, until the voice of the gatekeeper unexpectedly shattered it.

“They are progressing quickly,” noted the Saarai-kaar dryly, “after this lesson, it seems likely that your training paths will separate.”

Ravenna frowned. “What do you mean? I understand that I am more advanced in the ways of the Force.”

The golden-armored woman slowly shook her head. “You are not more advanced in the ways of the Force, young one. You may be able to do more techniques with better power, efficiency, or reliability, but it is not techniques which make one more advanced in the ways of the Force. For that is knowledge. No Adrian, what you know is at the very top of what you can learn with this amount of knowledge of the Force. And in any case, it is not knowledge of the Force that will separate you, but rather your personalities, and maybe even your destinies.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Everyone has special talents. Sometimes they’re based on genetics, sometimes intensive training, or even on experimentation. For example, part of the reason you were talented in Bulger Ball during school because of your build and your will. These things too make you a powerful warrior. That is your path. But can you expect the same of Kitty? Yes, she could become a warrior too, but that would not take advantage of all her inherent abilities. Strength and physical tolerances are not her forte. No, her path is more subtle, more shadowy, shall we saw. Swenson has already delved into Jensaarai lore with far more enthusiasm than I have ever seen you with. His path is clear to both us.”

“What is it?” questioned the apprentice.

“That is not for me to say. Robert will share when the time has come. In either case, they will take some time to get there; for they must master the basic uses of the Force like you have before they become specialized.”

A door whisked open before them, revealing both Swenson and Hawk already sitting on a circular bench. For the last week, the Jensaarai apprentices had trained here, learning (or improving in Adrian’s case) the most basic tenets of the Force and their manifestations. Halfway through the lessons, Adrian typically was dismissed by the Saarai-Kaar to go practice Soresu or Broken Gate while the others caught up.

Ah, and here we are,” commented the golden-clad woman, “Greetings Robert, Kitty. Adrian, if you will kindly set me down, I’d like to get started with a bit of lore and theory.

Today, we will talk about using the Force to conceal ourselves from the eyes of the enemy, whether they be people or machines. It is an invaluable power, in fact, one of the reasons that I am able to teach you today. For without it, the Empire would have completely killed off the Jensaarai decades ago. Every Force Users learns to use the Force augment their body, whether it be their speed or strength, or some other inherent attribute of their body. And so with much practice, it can be used to coordinate the body to move quieter. This is a basic exercise which I shall begin to instruct you in after this lecture. However, we Jensaarai did not use that most basic of techniques to hide away from the Empire’s Jedi Hunters. No, we had to hide not only our physical bodies, but our connection to the Force. We had to use Force Stealth, which not only physically conceals you, but makes your presence in the Force all but invisible. It used to be rarely taught within the galaxy. The Jedi had no reason to teach it during the Old Republic as they were the official and supported Guardians of the Old Republic. Many Jedi of late have learned it out of necessity to avoid the Empire’s Jedi Corps. It use to be even rarer among the Sith, for many of their masters preferred to able to detect their students via the Force so it would be harder for their apprentices to betray them. Supposedly, the Sith trust their apprentices more these days, and you should be prepared to meet Sith who also have this ability. Be wary, for these are the most dangerous opponents.

This might appear to be a conundrum, but the first step of Force Stealth is to not to use the Force at all. For when you do not use it actively, the disturbances in the Force are much weaker, for you are not drawing upon much power. This may sound simple in concept, but it is hard to execute in reality. You will likely fail at this for many times before you master it. You see, to minimize your presence in the Force not only must you not use it, but you must actively close down your own connections to it. You must contain the Force power within you and keep it from leaking out. We will start with this. Once you have master that, I will teach you to not only use Force Stealth, but to use it seemingly while using the Force for other means.”

(Much of these ideas of Force Stealth inspired by Ace Roscoe, to whom has my grateful admiration and appreciation)

“I don’t know, the warrior’s path doesn’t seem right to me. I can’t exactly see myself charging into battle waving a lightsaber around. Warriors destroy, and sometimes that’s necessary, but I feel that I am more of a creator,” mused Swenson, “like with my computer programs. I can make programs to perform certain functions like diagnostics or like the autopilot program I put into the Rogue Shadow. Maybe even better, like how I’ve made Adrian’s armor and lightsaber. Being an artisan, something like that.”

The Saarai-kaar stared silently through her golden mask at her student for a few moments.

“You are perhaps the wisest student that I have right now,” stated the Jensaarai mentor, “for you see that the Force’s primary use by us Jensaarai should not be to harm, not to destroy, but to help and create. It is not merely an implement of destruction like so many Sith have claimed it to be. It is not something to merely augment one’s martial prowess like a performance enhancement. You know this, and you know more. You already know what you want to do, for you have studied the legends of my people, unlike Adrian or Kitty. Tell me what it is.”

Robert licked his chops hesitantly. “I want not to become a powerful warrior, but to be a creator, an artisan. I wish the enter study of alchemy, like the Jensaarai weapon and armor smiths of Susevfi, and to a lesser extent, the Sith of old.”

“And you realize that is part of larger set of studyings in what is called Elementalism by the Jensaarai; the harnessing of natural elements and materials to do the user’s will. For it is written: the powers of the earth are great, for its strength can be a savior, or the destruction of entire armies. Fire has long-since been thought of as a gift from the gods, to stave back the cold, and usher in the age of man. Water is a tool of life, and brings to us nourishment, and renewed vigor. The wind can be a curse, or a blessing; none are quite sure what the minds of the cardinal winds have in store from one day to the next. And from the skies, electric fire rains down in the midst of the great, and torrential storms that threaten the very sanity of us all. These powers have been sought after by man, and mastered by the elite few. For long years, they had studied nature, and sought to bend it to their will. I must admit something to you, Robert.”

“What is it?” asked the blonde man.

“That the studies of that subject contained within this holocron are not my own, but those of a good friend. I will teach as much as I can fathom, but I fear that my teaching will not be as good as usual. You may find that you will have to experiment much to get the desire effects.”

“I understand,” stated Swenson solemnly, “when can we start?”

“Now, if you so wish,” answered the Saarai-kaar, “for we do have an hour before I start with Kitty’s training.”

“I do.”

“Very well, we must go outside for this, if you would kindly pick me up and go out to one of the meditative gardens.”

“Yes ma’am.”

The meditative gardens of the Almas Academy had seen many Jedi pass and go. Masters, knights, padawans; all had come to seek the answers of the Force or to meditate on events, people, or information. Kaluthin, stones, and sand were arranged in contemplative formations said to further aid in a Jedi’s meditative trance. The aura of the gardens, from their inherent makeup and its use by many Jedi, had made it one of the stronger focal point of the lightside in the Academy. As the Metalornian man entered the garden, he felt a wave of calmness and understanding wash over him like the gentle lapping of waves on Mon Calamari’s white sand beaches. He crookedly grinned and held the holocron up in his hand to chest level. The Saarai-kaar stared at him emotionlessly through her armor.

“I want you to start mediating,” ordered the Jensaarai Master, “just like when I was teaching you the basics of Telekinesis.”

Robert nodded. Sheets of skin fell down over his pale blues. The man took in a deep breath, and slowly let it out, and repeated until it was a rhythmic process. Mentally, he started to count backwards, slowing his pulse, his bloodflow, and thinking. Swenson opened up his mind, letting the aura of the garden flood into his mind. His lips slowly curled up into a satisfied grin. The Saarai-kaar sagely nodded.

“Good. Now I want you to concentrate on the air around you; feel the breeze, let it ebb and flow within you. Become one with the wind. For you must become attuned to it for what you must next do.”

Rob’s lips curled downwards to form a flat line. His chapped lips pursed together. As he focused, he felt that he could feel a light puff of wind blow up against on his left elbow. His spine tingled. He forced his mind to expand outward, to become aware of all of the minute currents of wind that brushed up against his body. Is this even real, or am I imagining this all? I don’t remember this before…

“Don’t think,” snapped the Saarai-kaar, “don’t question. You must focus all of your concentration on feeling the wind, becoming one with it. Good. Now, reach out and touch one of the currents. How does it feel?”

“Well…it seems soft and comfortable, like a day at the beach.”

“All right then, if your touch was a hand, I want you to grip that air current, squeeze it. What do you feel?”

“It’s becoming more concentrated, like I’ve narrowed its diameter of flow, and its moving faster.”

“Good. Now see that clump of Kaluthin over there? I want you to redirect your current to blow on it,” guided the Jensaarai Master, “yes, that’s it. Now make the breeze steady. You are pushing to hard, loosen up your grip. Better. Now, guide your current to blow in a path from that mound to this spiral of kaluthin…not bad, but now your grip is too loose, and some of the current is washing out where it shouldn’t be. You have to find the happy medium, and that will take some practice…Okay, that’s a start. One last thing for your lesson today then: I want you form a ball of those air currents, not big, say about the size of a bulger ball. Yes, that’s it. Now hurl it at that mound.”

Swenson hurled the invisible ball of air at a pile of stones. It smashed into them, stirring up a cloud of dust around the mound. As the dust settled, Robert opened his eyelids, letting his aquamarine eyes wander about the garden before finally settling on the viseage of the Saarai-kaar.

“So,” asked Swenson, “Could this be used as a weapon?”

The Saarai-kaar shook her head. “Not in a matter like something that could directly hurt someone. If you had hurled that ball at a person, it would have buffeted them, maybe even knock them down, but it would cause no serious bodily harm; at least for most creatures. Wind currents, as you will discover more when you practice, are nearly impossible to concentrate enough to make a damaging strike. Elementalists most often use it to knock down an opponent or counter a projectile attack.”

Swenson frowned. “So it’s more or less like an alternative Force push? I mean there’s slight differences, but is there really an advantage over learning this than that?”

“The slight differences are one reason why elementalists learn it,” delineated the golden-armored woman, “but it is learned primarily as an entry step to become more comfortable with working in the elements. And besides, your talent lies in elementalism, not telekinetics. This will come much easier to you in terms of strength and concentration than a Force push. Practice, and you will get better. But now, I must be off. For it is now time for me to spend time with Kitty.”

“Force Stealth is perhaps the ultimate Force power in terms of concealment, but it is not the best for many circumstances in which you can find yourselves in. Tell me apprentices, what does Force Stealth require?”

Kitty shrugged. “Knowledge of the technique? The Force? Yourself?”

“Concentration,” stated Adrian gravely, “as with all of the Jedi arts.”

“You both are correct,” acknowledged the Saarai-kai, “nearly all Force powers require knowledge, and most require concentration.”

“Most?” questioned Ravenna.

“Most,” affirmed the Saarai-kai, “and all require concentration, at least during the learning stages. After experience, some powers can almost be used subconsciously, like a Master making a simple Force-jump. Some, however, very rarely never can be. Like Force Stealth, for example. However, there are alternatives to Force Stealth, for example.”

“What?” blurted out Kitty, recoiling in disbelief.

“Tell me, Miss Hawk, did you use the Force for physical stealth before you were Force-sensitive? My guess would be not. Both of you relied on your physical skills learned during your Confederation training to move quietly. Do you remember it taking as much concentration as Force Stealth?”

“No,” replied Hawk, frowning, “I don’t know about Adrian, but I could move quietly and fire my pistol with some accuracy at the same time.”

“Exactly,” noted the Jensaarai Master, “now I am going to add to your CSIS training. I am going to teach you to subtly use the Force to coordinate your movements to be physically quiet. It will be require less focus, meaning that you can do other things while moving virtually undetected. This won’t, of course, hide you physically.”

“So basically,” queried Ravenna, “we’re taking the sound stealth from Force Stealth, and leaving the rest behind in order to be able to do other things, like say, programming.”

“Yes,” stated the Jensaarai Master, “this is the first step to understanding the Shadow Arts. The powers pioneered by the Sith, refined by the Jensaarai. The Shadow Arts are one of the only reasons we Jensaarai still survive. Adrian, if you ever wish to return to your extended family back on Susevfi, you would do well to heed these lessons well, to detect them, and affirm to them that you are indeed a Jensaarai. Kitty, as your role of Nightcast Team’s infiltration expert, I perceive that the benefit of Covert Movement is self-explanatory.”

Both of the Confederation agents nodded.

“Good,” replied the golden-armored woman, “it is time to practice. In time, you will be able to naturally adopt this stance, this mode of stealth at a whim. But for now, you must meditate first.”

Kitty shook her head. Meditation. I swear this is why there are no more Jedi left. I mean, who wants to sit around in a temple, meditate, learn a few things, and then beat up by a bunch of Sith? Ah… Adrian and the Saarai-kaar stared at the lithe woman. Raising an eyebrow, Adrian cocked his head to the side. Kitty’s face turned crimson.

“What?”

A grin crept onto the Susevfian’s face. “You just did that thing where you shake your head and roll your eyes.”

“Is there a problem, Miss Hawk?” questioned the Saarai-kaar quietly.

“None at all,” replied the blonde woman, tightly smiling, “I’m going to start meditating now.”

Her lips still curled up, the Pelagon native let her eyelids slip shut. She let out a harried breath before assuming the stereotypical, rhythmic breathing of Jensaarai meditation. Adrian clasped his hands behind his back before plunging himself into the tranquility of meditation. Levitating over her holocron, the Saarai-kaar watched each one patiently as they both slipped into new states of mind. Picking up subtle hints that both were ready, she habitually nodded.

“This is all about control. Feel the Force flow and ebb throughout body. Now, siphon off, even constrict its flow to one of your appendages. Experiment. For covert movement is nothing more than applying your CSIS skills and enhancing it with the Force to aid in how your body moves. Let’s try something simple: walking. Let it flow throughout you, and focus on your sense of hearing. You’ll have to experiment some time before you achieve perfect silence…”

Kitty twirled the Talon Vibrodaggers in her hands. She spared a cerulean glance at the weapon. Scratches and knicks from countless clashes haphazardly ran across the durasteel blades. Each blade had served her countless times as the captain of the Starlight Wanderer; these were the blades that had saved her life in the alleyways and cantinas. These were the blades that had saved her life when thugs had boarded her vessel. These were the blades that made her ache inside; the remnants of a former, painful life that had belonged to a girl known as Eva Mercedes. Kitty squinted her eyes. Eva Mercedes is no more. She whipped the blade to the side, ripping one of the training room’s punching bags. Grunting in satisfaction, the lithe woman flourished the blades around her in a deadly dance.

“Ready, mistress?” questioned the droid.

Kitty nodded. “Let’s get at it, DE-8.”

The Pelagon native assumed the classical stance of Kartranin taught to her in her adolescence by a former member of the Murra Order. Her parents had always hoped that her instructor would instill some sort of discipline within their little girl. Her instructor did do just that, but in a way which her parents had intended her to adopt. Rather than accept the discipline of her parents and elders, Kartranin had taught her that the best discipline was the one administered by herself: self-control. Discipline from others had its benefits, but there would be many cases where she would be alone. Places where a lack of discipline would likely get her killed or injured in some matter.

The duelist elite lunged forward, its Flexisteel rapier surging towards to Kitty. Stepping forward, Hawk whipped her lead dagger in a circular parry, which deflected the droid’s blade off-target: the rapier surged forward over her right shoulder. Simultaneously, her left handed dagger swooshed forward in a slice which struck the droid’s torso, leaving a jagged scar behind. The droid beeped in irritation.

“Well done, mistress,” congratulated the droid monotonely.

“Increase reaction timing to Level Four.”

This is too easy. Kartranin depended on chaotic, lightning fast strikes with next to none fluidity. Exceptionally unpredictability made it dangerous, and many opponents, such as droids and lesser-experienced artists of different forms, were unprepared to counter the movements. DE-8 was a prime example of a typical opponent in Kartranin. Kitty narrowed her cerulean eyes at the droid. At a Level Four, he would be too fast for me before the genetics transformation. But with the Force…this is doable, right?

“Ready, mistress?” questioned the Duelist Elite.

“Ready.”

Again, the droid quickly lunged forward, rapier extended. As before, Kitty let her dominant hand snap the Talon in a circular parry to deflect the blade. But mid-lunge, the droid rotated the blade in a classic riposte which would have impressed nearly any aristocratic fencer. It was an attack that surged past Hawk’s dagger defenses. With the aid of the Force, she hastily twisted her body out of sword’s path. Forced by momentum, DE-8 continued forward with its lunge. Kitty surged forward, swinging her right hand forward, and then behind her in a typical backcut; an attack which severed DE-8 hydraulic tubes on its right leg. Black oil gushed out, dripped across the silver limb, and soaked into the white sand floor. The droid crashed onto the ground.

“Try not to be too rough on the equipment,” admonished Swenson, standing up from the spectator stand, “that does take some time to repair. And I don’t see the Confederation ordering dozens of these units for heavy-duty training practice.”

They were here the entire time? Watching me? How could I not have noticed - Force Stealth. They were practicing Force Stealth in this room...I knew that. As she shook the thought away, her cheeks burned scarlet.

“I’ll try not to…next time.”

“From here, it doesn’t look too serious. I’ll be able to fix it within a few days, provided that we have the parts, which we should.”

“Perhaps,” advised the Saarai-kaar, “you should practice against an organic partner.”

The lithe woman tilted her head to the side. “And who would that be? Adrian? His lightsaber would destroy these blades.”

“It would.” concurred the Susevfian warrior, “but, there are other flexisteel training swords around that I could use. And I would rather like to as well. The Saarai-kaar believes that I need to round out my training with Makashi, the dueling form of lightsaber combat…”