The Rebel Faction

Dolash smiled, and nodded. "Good. You have taken your first steps into a larger world, Padawan Reem." The words had a hint of significance about them, and Dolash let them sink in before continuing. "Let's return to the temple. Sleep well, for tomorrow I wish to see you in the common grounds bright and early. Every Jedi needs basic instruction to hone their skills and abilities before any of their beliefs or commitments are worth anything. You will need to learn the skills of a warrior, explorer, and diplomat all at once, so you will be tired by the end of each day. You could say that tomorrow your training to become a proper Jedi will begin."

They returned to the city in silence, as they had came. Down the rocky hill, across the city streets, through the gates of the temple and into their respective lodgings. Max would have a lot on his mind, this night before his true training began. The next day - and the weeks to come - would be filled with small lessons mixing the tenets of the Jedi code with basic Force abilities and personal training.

As Dolash unwound and sank into meditation in his own quarters, his dual personalities merging and resegregating in rhythem with his thoughts, he began to wonder about wether Max would make a good Jedi. In all honesty, he had his doubts.

Too uncertain, perhaps? Or too eager? Perhaps he lacked a certain amount of discipline or that special spark that marks a Jedi as a being of vision and conviction.

Quickly, however, Dolash banished such thoughts. It was unfair of him to judge the student when he still knew so little of him and his abilities. Not every Jedi seeks to take on the galaxy mano-a-mano, and not every Jedi approaches their duty in the same direction. For the time being, he allowed himself to be one with the currents of life that moved through the temple, to enjoy the peace and solitude of the place as if he were part of the cold stone or steel. The future was in the hands of the Force and Max to shape.

The early morning saw Dolash awaken from his meditative trance, and he roused Max as well. The two of them walked through the temple - filled as it was with young students, robed figures walking reverently about. They passed into the courtyard, where students of all races sparred and fought to wake themselves up. A young Trandoshan pinned a boy with his strong claws, and received the applause of his fellows. This, however, Max and Dolash had no time to observe.

They continued to the relatively deserted training ground they had used previously, where a huge log had ben erected. Planks had been sunk into it horizontally, creating the appearance of a spiral staircase. It stretched up above their heads and indeed seemed greatly precarious.

"You seem most adept in the physical realm of the Force - to lose oneself in reflexive and subconscious actions." Dolash crossed his arms and looked up at the top of the log. "I have hidden a treasure somewhere on this precarious staircase, but it will not easily be found. The planks will break soon after being stepped upon, and the log is precariously placed. You shall find little easy footing on your way to the top, if that is where you choose to search. The object of value is somewhere on this log, however, and I task you to find it."

The laughter reached Dolash, who laughed in turn. He called up, saying "A wise idea, looking at the top, but not always the right one." With that, Dolash placed his hands on one of the bottom steps that had remained intact, and yanked it free of the log (shaking Max a little in the process). "Treasure is in the eye of the beholder, and what is treasured to some can be trodden underfoot by others."

Dolash reached into the hollow place inside of the log that had been blocked by the step. From it, he removed a book, and threw it up to Max. "A book from our library, chronicling the life of a powerful and famous Sith-turned-Jedi-turned-rogue named Gash Jiren. Just a copy, of course - it would be more than my life's worth to damage any original copy on the life of Gash Jiren, as prolific as he was. Should you find yourself with time, I reccomend studying his life. He exemplified many of the challenges facing the Jedi to this very day."

Dolash helped Max back down again, the lesson being finished and the log no longer necessary. With a grand gesture from his hands, the entire log and the splinters of broken steps were swept neatly into a pile on one side, clearing up the training ground suitably for the next exercise.

"They physical side of the Force seems to be your forte," said Dolash, as he approached Max. "That's the side you must learn to focus on. You must trust the Force as much as you would your ears, your hands, or your eyes. To do that, you must learn to wield the Force without the aide of these things." Dolash stepped towards Max, and said "I will teach you a new training technique, one you may use at any time to help refocus your connection to the Force after a battle or while otherwise disoriented. To help you learn to trust in the Force, however, you shall learn this technique blindfolded.

"Let my words guide you, and let the Force fill in the gaps as you heed it's call." Dolash pulled a blindfold from his pocket, and pulled it down over Max's eyes. "Now get comfortable, and... concentrate." The lesson would involve much more than this - indeed, as his student focused on concentration, Dolash was already planning the next step.

"Good..." said Dolash, "concentrate on the sound of my voice now." Dolash waved in front of Max's face, to ensure he couldn't see.

Satisfied that his student could see nothing, Dolash continued his instruction. "The Force can be your eyes, if you let it. To heighten your connection with it, you must learn how to rely upon it. Dependance on the Force is a dangerous thing - don't let it replace your sight entirely, but with training such as this it can enhance you mightily." Dolash reached into a second pocket and removed a pebble, placing it on the ground.

"Before me is a pebble. To help you visualize it, imagine a small shard about the size of a thumbnail, jagged and dark grey. You have never seen the pebble before, however, which means you can't imagine what it actually looks like. Therefore, you will have to reach out through the Force to see it. Visualize the pebble, Max, and follow my voice to determine where the pebble rests. If you can find it, then lift it, and show that the Force can be your guide."

Dolash smiled as he watched the tiny pebble drift through the air. "Good job. Now, I'm going to reach out and touch the pebble - try and visualize my hand, until your sight grows to include myself as well as this pebble. Your connection to the Force is like a muscle, with practice it will grow strong."

Dolash plucked the pebble from the air, and held it before him. He could feel Max's efforts to reach out, to stretch his limits. "Relax, Max, and empty your mind. If you wish to see the Force, you must remember to to focus without forcing anything. Frustration and strain will be your only rewards."

As he watched the padawan relax, Dolash focused his own attention narrowley. Yes, with his student's mind distracted a new opportunity for a second lesson had presented itself.