The Rebel Faction

Aleister allowed his mind to wander, something he had not yet been able to truly do, and connected himself with the Force. He could feel its living energies in his own body, and he knew at that moment, that it would not allow him to die this day.

He did not struggle, he did not escape, for he knew one simple truth. Patience was a virtue. While the snow did pack around them, eventually their body heat would cause it to melt. They were in no imminent danger, and it was a waiting game.

Realizing this one key truth, he listened to Han tell him stories of the old days of the Force, and how he had chosen the wrong path, out of sheer anger.

He told Aleister of Gash Jiren, and Organa Solo, of his cousin Luke, and of many other stories of the galaxy, that he had chosen to remember. During this time, he also imparted unto Aleister a lesser known language, of Olys Correllisi, the language of Ancient Correllian, something that Han, ever the historian, had picked up through ancient texts, even though the language itself was dead now. Aleister had nothing but time, and as fast a learner as he was, he would easily have the basics down before the snow completely melted.

He smiled to himself as he could feel Master Dolash's eyes on him, wondering if the elder Jedi was simply waiting for him to fail, and to force his way out, and to not see the true test that lay within.

Aleister continued to practice the language in his downtime, determined to not allow it to go to waste.

He studied hard over the next several days, listening and meditating, meditating, and listening. It was not yet time for him to attempt to harness the Force, he reckoned, because he did not yet understand that which he was trying to harness.

To do so until he did, he assured himself, would prove folly.

Aleister pondered, feeling the whipping wind at his face, his wings flapping in the wind, watching Dolash stare at the storm as if to wonder "Why have you come to bother us at this moment".

He knew that by the time he managed to get to Dolash, the Master would likely be finished with his ...whatever he was doing and be on his way back, which would lead to more excerise in the return and likely a quirked eyebrow from the aged Master.

Aleister sat down, and patiently peeled some lichen off the wall and ate, cupping his hands in the small pool of water and drank, to gather his strength.

He pondered once again, seeing Dolash having not have moved.

Truly the way Dolash had reached his position was treacherous, but, perhaps this was more of an observatory test. The lower areas were still flyable, but, Aleister chose not to rely on them, instead, feeling the flow of the Force in his body, he ran the lower slope, the manageable area where the weather had not yet conquered, to surveil the area and perhaps give him a better position to climb, or walk up a seperate, easier path, to reach Master Dolash's position.

As he arrived at the base of the area where the weather was not yet torturing the stone, he found himself quite out of breath. He was glad to have remembered to have packed some more lichen, even though the trip was not that far. Carried in the napsack on his back, he pulled some out, rested for a few moments, and ate again, replenishing his strength. Afterwards, he stared up teh face of the mountain and pondered his next move.

Aleister pondered this, getting the same sense that the mountain demanded something, but...what?

He sat down and ate another piece of lichen before moving into a meditative trance.

He could feel himself relax and slip into a medium consciousness, where he could more easily communicate with the Force.

He could hear its agitated wails, and he waited until there was a break in them, before he spoke up.

What do you desire of me?

Clearly interpreting the Will of the Force, it was as obvious to Aleister as the fact that wet bantha smelled horrible (though coincidently, he'd never actually seen a bantha much less smelled one) that the Force desired him not to seek out Master Dolash on the Mountain at this present moment.

It had...other requirements for him at that present time. He bowed toward Dolash in a sign of respect, and turned back towards the cave mouth from when he had come, returning into the lighted warmth of the torches and the passageway back unto their meditation room.
It was a long trek, and one that exhausted Aleister, but he had much he had to do.

He ate some more lichen, and drank some more water, and immediately slipped back into his deep meditative trance, once again listening to the wails of the Force, hoping that perhaps the inside of the mountain would provide a filter for the many voices that spoke to him, and allowing him to distinguish the goal that they wished to present to him.

He spoke through his trance to the muddled voices.

I am your servant. What would you have me do?