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OOC: This post contains training for Sense Level 3.

IC:

Kashyyyk; a mid-rim planet and home of the tall and hairy species known as Wookiees. It was also the birthplace of Chewbacca, the Wookiee companion of General Solo and friend to Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Eryk had always wanted to come and visit Kashyyyk, and when he had found the time to do some personal training, he had come here. The Wookiees had been more than happy to allow Eryk to train in their forest, as long as he didn't cause any trouble. For the most part Eryk kept himself to himself, training by day and sleeping at night onboard the Novalis.

For most of his time on Kashyyyk, Eryk trained by himself in the shadowlands, the ground level of the forest where even most Wookiees refrain from going. The shadowlands were dark, with the light from the sun being cut out by the leaves on the tall trees, and also dangerous. Eryk found the place to be somewhat magical and mysterious. It was full of life that he had never seen or sensed before. As the sun began to set after a hard day's work Eryk took the time to rest. Sitting on a large protruding tree root Eryk relaxed his body and mind and let the cool breeze which blew through the branches on the trees wash over him.

Eryk could begin to sense the ecosystem of the forest, with numerous plants and animals existing together in perfect symbiotic harmony. Calling upon the Force energy within his body, Eryk awoke its power as the midichlorians inside his body's cells started to connect to the Force, releasing it as a powerful surge of energy. A wave of energy rushed through Eryk, fuelling his abilities and heightening his senses. Eryk began to draw the Force towards his head, where he would be able to bond with it and allow it to enhance his connection to the living world. Eryk let his eyelids fall closed as he reached out with the Force, sensing the entire forest. As the Force inside of him intertwined with his subconscious Eryk searched the forest using his mind, feeling the many different life forms and their connection to the Force as they roamed about freely. All at once Eryk could see the forest not just as a mass of trees, but as something more. He could sense the Wookiees in their treetops villages as they moved around, going about their daily lives as usual. He could sense birds flying high above him, making their nests in the trees and feeding their young. Their chirps and calls echoed all around him. Down below in the shadowlands Eryk could feel the random movements of smaller animals as they tried to avoid detection by the larger predatory creatures out on the prowl. As the creatures moved through the forest the sounds they made ripples through the Force, allowing Eryk to hear them as well as sense their presence. Even the trees themselves were alive. Eryk could see the roots of the trees as it helped draw nutrients up from the soil and convert it into sap behind the tree bark. The light which hit the leaves of the trees was then used in the process of photosynthesis, creating life, and all of which was viewable to Eryk through his ability to sense life through the light side of the Force. Eryk's mind ranged far and wide as he continued to sense more and more of the world around him. It was astonishing to think about how much the Force was allowing him to witness. The Force auras of the creatures were like pinpricks of light in the dark; lighting up the forest and making him feel much more alive. He was part of something, even his presence there was having an effect on the local ecosystem. Eryk could sense the small insects that were buzzing around him, inspecting the newcomer. He could feel the puzzled emotions of some of the smaller creatures as they watched Eryk from afar, reluctant to move closer.

As the sun continued to set Eryk decided to head back to his ship and rest for the night. However, before he had the time to relax his control over the Force he felt a strong presence nearby. It wasn't a strong Force presence such as a Force user might have, it was simply coming from what seemed like an extremely large creature. Whatever it was it seemed to be dominating its will over the entire forest. Eryk could suddenly sense nothing else. All the tiny creatures and insects had scurried away. The birds in their nests in the trees had all flown away. It was like the creature had produced an aura of fear, enough to register in the subconscious minds of the smaller animals. The large creature was moving closer towards Eryk's position. Looking around, Eryk could still see nothing. He could hear nothing either; the forest was dark and silent. Eryk wasn't sure, but he could have sworn the temperature of the forest had dropped a few degrees as well. It certainly felt a lot cooler, as if a chill had caught him. Whatever it was it was clearly some sort of predator which had evolved into a frightening beast, one which could hunt through fear and stealth. Eryk would have to be careful not to get caught up in its hunt. He had no plan on becoming dinner for some giant creature.

Unfortunately it seemed as if Eryk had fewer options than he had at first realised. As he tried to move he sensed the large creature move closer towards him. It seemed a confrontation was imminent. Still Eryk could see nothing, but from behind him a frightful noise began to sound. It was a slow, menacing hiss. Soon Eryk could make out a pair of glowing beady eyes staring right back at him, hidden in the shadows of the forest. Instinctively Eryk dived backwards just as the creature made a lunging motion towards him, flying out of the shadows into the open. Eryk watched in both shock and awe as a long, large, scaly creature soared past him, disappearing again into the trees. The large reptilian creature was long and smooth, like a snake. It was an Anakkona, a large predatory creature usually found on Kashyyyk. Like most snakes, it used poison and constriction to disable and consume its prey; however, unlike most snakes, the Anakkona was giant and able to consume even the most powerful of Wookiees. It was at the very top of this forest's food chain and able to completely decimate its enemies, and at the moment, that was Eryk. Eryk didn't know why he was being attacked; it could be because the creature was hungry, or perhaps it was protecting itself or it's young offspring, or even because it was simply scared of the young Jedi, but that didn't matter now. All Eryk needed to think of now was a way to survive this deadly encounter.

The giant reptilian creature had disappeared back into the shadows again, snaking its way through the sturdy branches of the trees, hiding from plain sight as it thought up its next move. Eryk couldn't help but marvel at this creature which evolution had thrown up. It seemed like a perfect killing machine. It was sleek, slender and fast, and silent as the night. It moved without sound and struck its prey quickly. However, the creature also utilised fear and disorder as its weapon, something which Eryk could not abide with. The Anakkona was clearly a dark presence in the forest, spreading destruction and chaos wherever it went, but Eryk did not have the right to decide its fate. It was not up to him to fight against nature. After all, there is a natural order to things, a balance of nature. Things must remain in equilibrium otherwise anarchy would reign. However, Eryk had no intention of dying here today. He would do whatever it took to survive.

It became increasingly clear that if Eryk was to survive he would need to fight back, but how could he fight what he could not see? Eryk would need to trust in his senses, and the Force, to help him stay on top of the situation. Gathering all of the Force energy within him, Eryk began to draw the Force towards his upper body, as well as some down to the muscles in his legs in order to allow him extra momentum if he ever needed to quickly dodge another attack. Eryk relaxed his body, allowing the Force within him to flow freely by the use of his body's natural networks. Eryk continued to allow the Force the ability to link with his mind on a subconscious level. As well as having clearer senses, this would also allow him greater reflexes. With the Force as his ally and his concentration at maximum Eryk was able to sense his surroundings with increased clarity than before. Focusing all his mind on locating the deadly creature meant his senses were also focused. Beyond the front line of trees, deep within the shadows, Eryk could hear the quiet movement of the snake as it crawled through the undergrowth. Had he not been using the Force to heighten his senses he might have missed it. However, the snake was large and Eryk had no idea which part of the snake he was hearing. Was it the front of the snake, or the back? He could not trust his hearing, but he could trust the Force. His normal senses could lie to him, be tricked, but the Force always showed the truth. Through the trees Eryk could feel the snake's presence, sense its anger and malice. The Anakkona made another dive for Eryk, but this time he was better prepared. Sensing the snake's movements, Eryk could almost tell what the snake would do before it actually did it. It was as if a secondary image of the snake moved ahead of the actual version, like an illusion. Eryk knew the illusion wasn't real, it was his own doing. It was the Force speaking to him, showing him the creature's decisions and planned movements. It was similar to when Eryk was able to read people in battle, feeling and reading their thought patterns. The Force allowed Eryk to easily side step the creature's next lunge.

The Anakkona soon realised that stealth would not work on Eryk. It refrained from re-entering the sanctity of the forest and instead turned to face the small creature which was proving so evasive. Eryk stood silent as the giant snake reared up on its coiled back, its gigantic jaws opening wide and its large tongue flicking out, sensing the air, gathering information on its new prey. The Anakkona hissed wildly as it prepared to strike. It seemed Eryk had no choice; he would have to fight his way to freedom and vanquish this presence of darkness from the forest. He trusted the Force; it had brought him here for a reason. The living Force required this of him. The Anakkona bared its razor sharp teeth, yet Eryk stood still. Closing his eyes, Eryk once again allowed the Force to augment his senses. He trusted the Force completely; it would show him the path. Scanning the snake via the Force, Eryk could feel its emotions emanating from it. It was angry, and dangerous. Digging deeper Eryk could sense the small amount of Force living within the snake, as it did in all living creatures. Focusing more on this Force energy Eryk followed it as it opened a path to the snake's bodily systems. Eryk could feel the lungs of the creature inflate and deflate as it breathed heavily. Soon Eryk pinpointed the creature's heart. He could hear the thumping of the heartbeat. Time was up, the snake dove for Eryk. Igniting his lightsaber Eryk looked on as the Anakkona, its jaws wide open, closed in on him. With the Force supplementing his reactions it made the whole things seem like slow motion.

"I'm sorry", Eryk whispered, then dove to the ground, rolling forward as the snake soared overhead. Still sensing the constant beating, Eryk stabbed outwards and struck the snake right through the heart, dropping it instantly. Deactivating his lightsaber Eryk looked at the fallen creature, once so powerful, now food for the smaller insects and creatures which had gathered round. Life would continue on in the forest. It was time to leave. The sense of fear Eryk had felt in the presence of this creature had now been replaced by a sense of death.

OOC: This post contains training for Force User Level 9. Note: This post continues on from the previous one.

IC:

Lightsaber combat training had gone well, but as Eryk, Natalya and Cash stood together in the forest clearing on Naboo it became clear that there was more that needed to be learned. A simple duel was fine, but it did not fully recreate a battle situation and therefore did not constitute an advanced training technique.

"Let us take this practice one step further", Eryk motioned as the Jedi regained their spent energy. "We shall enter into the forest and I want you to both continue to fight with me, but this time I want you to use all the skills and powers you have mastered in order to gain the upper hand. Use the Force to the best of your ability. Be aware, however, because I will also do the same."

Without waiting for a response Eryk replaced his lightsaber hilts onto his belt and using what remaining Force energy he had surrounding the muscles in his legs he dashed forwards, disappearing into the thick, dense woodland. Natalya and Cash gave a short nod to each other, then followed Eryk's path.

The inside of the forest was dense with lines of trees. So much so in fact that very little light managed to get past the leaves and branches, leaving the entire area dark and full of shadow. Despite this, the sounds of life were still very much present. As Eryk slowed down and took a moment to quickly hide behind one of the trees he could make out a number of birds as they sang high up in the branches. The flapping of their tiny wings periodically filled the air as the birds took flight, most likely searching for some food to feed to their young who were waiting patiently back in the nest. Unlike the practice battle which had just ended this new training exercise was going to be a lot more difficult. It required a lot more use of the Force in order to stay in control of the situation. Since vision and other senses were now impaired by the dense forest this new training required expert use of all three major aspects of the Force to be able to locate, evade and fight an opponent. Eryk would have to learn very quickly to continually sense his surroundings, to ably control the Force within himself to keep away from danger and to alter the Force in order to manipulate his surroundings and his opponents. With so many unknowns it forced Eryk to solely rely on the Force in order to survive.

Even with the few minutes rest the three Jedi had they would still require some time to fully regain their own Force energy to its maximum. Another advantage of this extreme training was that it pushed the Force user to their limits, often tapping a previously unknown source of power. However, in this case Eryk had decided he would use the surrounding forest to fuel his power. Surrounded by nature the living Force was in abundance and drawing energy from his surroundings was an efficient way of stopping himself from overexerting himself too much in the Force, thereby avoiding the possibility of running out of Force energy. It would allow Eryk to continue fighting almost indefinitely, although after a time his own physical body would no doubt become exhausted. The Force could only dampen the pain for so long before the body would break. Eryk knew his limits but also knew that to get the most out of this training exercise he would have to push those limits and fight as if his life was truly at stake. He knew the other Jedi would also think and do the same.

The first thing Eryk needed to do was to create a sensory field of view with which to sense his surroundings through the Force. As his mastery of the Force grew with constant training and experience Eryk found that the scope of his field of vision increased exponentially. Back when he first became a padawan under the tutelage of Aida Khan Eryk's sensory powers were almost non-existent. He was only able to sense around himself with a radius of only a few meters, just enough to focus on his master and the training she was providing him. With necessity being the cause for his growth in the Force Eryk found his ability to sense his surroundings had grown in leaps and bounds until he was able to sense the Force even at enormous distance. Often he would even be able to sense major disturbances on other planets, and his skill showed no sign of slowing down just yet. Eryk knew that at his current level of skill he should be able to sense his immediate surroundings with great ease and with great accuracy, meaning that he should have no problem locating the other two Jedi within the confines of the forest. However, Eryk was not entirely certain that the dense forest wouldn't hinder his ability to sense the other Jedi in any way. Also, his Jedi companions were more than capable of manipulating and fooling someone else's senses; Eryk needed to keep his mind clear and focused.

Relaxing his body, whilst still being aware of what was going on around him, Eryk began to draw once more on the Force energy deep within his body. As last time, the midichlorians awoke the dormant Force energy, spiking Eryk's power and filling him with the light side of the Force. The swelling of light side energy filled Eryk with a sense of calm, but also with a strong tingling as the Force flowed to every inch of his body via the body's own natural pathways. The nervous system which sent electronic signals throughout the body now also hosted the Force as it traveled in microseconds towards major muscles and other important body parts including the brain. The bloodstream which carried oxygen on red blood cells now also carried the Force to the body's major organs. At Eryk's whim he could call on the Force to enhance his own body's functions or draw the Force outwards in order to manipulate the world around him. Now though the Force flowed into Eryk's subconscious mind, allowing Eryk to easily view his surroundings through the Force. In an instant Eryk was aware of the living Force as the forest became more than just a mass of rotting wood. The forest became alive as the Force showed Eryk the intricacies of the ecosystem in which he was currently standing. The birds Eryk had moments ago heard above him were now clearly visible amongst the branches as he could sense a tiny hint of the Force within them. The sound of their flapping wings became visible vibrations in the air as they contorted the Force around them. Around him small creatures scurried around on the ground, foresting for scraps of food which had fallen from the trees. Even the trees themselves were alive with the Force, all integrated within the delicate balance of nature in the area.

Not too far away Eryk could sense one of the other Jedi. Eryk knew his friends well enough to recognise it was Cash, slowly moving towards his present location. Eryk couldn't sense Natalya just yet; no doubt she was remaining hidden, trying to connect to the Force as he was. As Cash edged closer towards Eryk, Eryk reached for his own lightsaber hilt and held it ready to attack. Eryk knew well that Cash could sense his presence; Eryk had wasted no effort trying to mask his Force aura, but perhaps using himself as bait to lure his opponent might show some results. Moving slowly and quietly around the tree he was hidden behind, trying not to make a sound, Eryk waited patiently for Cash to arrive. Once Eryk sensed Cash was right next to him he leaped out from behind the tree, activating his lightsaber at the same time, taking the would-be attacker by surprise. The gambit had paid off and Cash leapt back in shock, extending his own blue blade in order to defend against this sudden intrusion. Using the valuable extra seconds this maneuver had bought Eryk brought down his yellow blade vertically towards Cash's head. Regaining his composure quickly enough, Cash managed to block the incoming attack and push Eryk back towards the tree. The commotion had alerted Natalya, who Eryk now sensed approaching fast from the east. Eryk needed to separate himself from Cash in order to fight both opponents equally, but Cash had him pinned against the tree, no doubt waiting for reinforcements. At his own waist Eryk could sense the other hilt of the training saber, resting gently against his leg. Without once adverting his eyes from Cash Eryk drew on the Force from his surroundings, altering its flow so it flowed unrestricted towards him. Eryk then controlled its flow so that the Force energy began to surround the hilt of the training saber, imbuing it with the Force making the hilt much easier to manipulate. With his own lightsaber keeping Cash at bay in his right hand Eryk used his spare left hand to try and pull the training saber hilt towards him. Surrounded by the Force the hilt began to shift slightly as Eryk continuously tugged at it through the Force. Soon the hilt detached completely from his belt and floated via telekinesis gently through the air before landing perfectly in Eryk's outstretched palm. Without wasting anymore time Eryk aimed the hilt towards Cash and ignited the training saber. Luckily Cash sensed Eryk's plan and backed off just in time to see the blue blade of the training saber extend outwards and barely miss his stomach. Now wielding two sabers Eryk moved quickly into an offensive stance, keeping his back against the tree and keeping his senses focused on Cash.

Eryk now moved on the offensive, utilising two lightsabers to push his opponent back. Cash had no option but to continuously defend against the incoming attacks. Just then, Natalya appeared close by. Her lightsaber was ignited, ready to join in the fray, the blade bathing the forest in an eerie green glow. With Eryk's back turned Natalya swung in order to hit him on his right side. Easily sensing Natalya's incoming attack Eryk brought his training saber around to block the attack whilst still keeping Cash at length. The fight had now returned to being two on one. Using the situation to their advantage Natalya and Cash began to work together in unison to try and force Eryk into submission. Using what they had previously just learned and putting it into practice they worked as a team, making it difficult for Eryk to do anything other than continuously defend. The Force connected to his subconscious mind allowed Eryk to view the battle in almost slow motion. As before, Eryk could almost read his opponents thoughts, judging their attack strategy and changing his own in order to survive. He watched as grey illusions of Natalya and Cash appeared and disappeared, each a Force representation of their minds struggling to decide on a path of attack. Following each one carefully Eryk moved his lightsabers in clean arcs, deflecting and parrying each blow. The clash of lightsabers echoed through the silent forest as the three Jedi continued to fight with all their strength. Feeling the situation growing bleak Eryk knew he needed to separate his opponents if he was going to regain control. Drawing the Force to him as he continued to fight, Eryk controlled its flow so that it collected in his lower body. The Force energy, flowing inside the bloodstream, began to reach the muscles in his thighs, infusing them with light side energy and causing them to expand and begin to work at a faster rate. Using this new source of power Eryk began to speed up his movements, almost becoming a blur to the other Jedi. With his knowledge of unarmed combat Eryk quickly brought his right leg up and gave a swift kick to Cash's solaplexus. Some of the Force energy in his leg dissipated as it connected to Cash, giving the kick extra power and momentum, forcing Cash to stumble backwards and fall to the floor, allowing Eryk to focus purely on Natalya. Taking her by surprise Eryk used his newfound speed to force Natalya into a retreat. Keeping his posture straight and his attack and defense perfectly aligned Natalya could see no way to gain the advantage. Breaking off her presence in the fight Natalya backed away, retreating to aid Cash who was now pulling himself up from the floor, rubbing his stomach and wincing. Cash gave a grimacing smile, pleased the battle was challenging him, but a bit peeved that he had allowed himself to be drawn into Master Aiden's trap. Natalya and Cash both reorganised themselves into their combat stances as Eryk stood waiting, allowing himself the indulgence of a few moment's rest. Soon the battle continued again, each side refusing to give anything less than one hundred percent. The battle raged on and on, each Jedi pushing their knowledge of lightsaber combat to the limits, whilst continuously drawing on the Force to aid them in battle. Trying to utilise the Ataru form of lightsaber combat, Eryk continued to use the Force to augment his speed. With the Force powering his leg muscles Eryk fought against his opponents with quick dashing attacks and somersaults, keeping his opponents on their toes whilst trying to out-maneuver them. After almost twenty minutes of continuous combat and connection to the Force each Jedi began to feel the strain of continuous fighting. Eryk could sense the end of the battle was close at hand, though the outcome was still unclear.

With the end seemingly in sight the Jedi seemed to subconsciously push all they could into their next attacks, drawing on the Force even more than normal. Eryk continued to use speed as a way to fight two opponents simultaneously, as well as parrying attacks in order to attack straight after defending, refusing to give his opponents an inch. Natalya and Cash, however, had begun to learn how to work together in harmony, with their attacks seemingly made in unity. Eryk had noticed this, it seemed as if the two were connected together through the Force, even if they did not realise it. With the combined attack strength of both Jedi Eryk had a harder time keeping control. Soon Cash made a stabbing attack which pushed Eryk back again, allowing Natalya the time to prepare a wide arcing attack.

Natalya swung her lightsaber in a long green arc, hoping to catch Eryk off guard, but Eryk had already read her thought processes and had already seen what course of action she would take through the Force. It was only seconds before she executed it, but it was still enough time for Eryk to prepare to evade. Gathering some more Force energy to his lower body Eryk once again made the Force flow towards the muscles in his legs. As the Force energy surrounded the muscles they began to infuse it with raw power. The muscles began to work harder, becoming stronger and more efficient, and wasting no energy at all. Feeling the build up of power in his legs Eryk launched himself skywards with a mighty leap. Using the Force to aid his jump Eryk grabbed on to one of the more sturdier branches of one of the trees nearby and began to pull himself up. Natalya's attack completely missed, almost hitting Cash instead. Both Jedi stopped moving and looked up at where their master had disappeared to. Standing on one of the branches, using the Force to augment his balance so as not to fall, Eryk gave a friendly wave to his opponents below.

"Do not think you can hide from us up there Master," called Cash up to Eryk.

Eryk smiled back, interested at what course of action the two Jedi below would take next, whilst simultaneously drawing more Force energy to his body, mostly from the leaves on the branch which helped give the tree its nutrients through photosynthesis. Eryk watched closely as Cash closed his eyes and held his lightsaber out in front of him. Eryk could feel the light side of the Force build up around Cash. Suddenly, Cash's lightsaber flew from his hand and, still ignited, rose upwards at an alarming speed. Eryk brought one of his lightsabers up to deflect the telekinetic attack, but he was in error. Eryk had wrongly assumed Cash had used telekinesis to attack Eryk outright, but in fact the lightsaber swung towards the branch near the trunk of the tree, severing it completely. Taken by surprise Eryk lost his balance as the branch fell away from him, hitting the ground with a loud crash. His two lightsabers flew from his grip as Eryk also plummeted to the ground, barely managing to cushion his fall with the Force he had quickly drawn out of his body, surrounding himself in a shield of light side energy. It had avoided major injury but it had left Eryk sore in many places, as well as slightly dazed. Natalya and Cash stood over him as he lay on the floor, their lightsabers pointed at his body.

"Do you give up Master?" Natalya said, half jokingly, half serious.

Eryk did not say a word. Instead, he planned his escape from this predicament. They had not won yet, the fight was not yet over. Eryk began to control the flow of the Force within his body, forcing it to flow towards his right hand. His right hand began to tingle as it collected an abundance of Force energy. Through the Force his right hand began to glow a rich blue, evidence of the light side of the Force which flowed through him. Natalya and Cash watched in puzzlement, wondering what Eryk was trying to do. As they finally realised what he was doing it was too late. Eryk had drawn the large amount of Force energy out of his hand through the many tiny pores in his skin and had began to alter its flow, causing it to rotate quickly in his palm. As the Force began to spin faster and faster Eryk used all his concentration to sculpt an orb of Force energy. This orb in turn began to draw even more Force energy to it from the surrounding area, drawing the energy from the living Force itself and sucking it towards Eryk like a vortex or black hole. The sphere continued to become densely packed with the Force until it began to glow white, radiating a pure light outwards. Suddenly Eryk closed his hand, crushing the sphere in his palm, which caused a sudden release of the built up Force energy. Natalya and Cash did not have the time to look away as a brilliant flash of white light temporarily blinded them. Eryk, who had kept his eyes closed at the moment of energy release, quickly used the Force energy surrounding the muscles in his legs to flip himself back onto his feet. The other two Jedi stumbled around, desperately rubbing their eyes trying to see again. Eryk used the time to focus on the lightsabers of his opponents through the Force, easily sensing the Force which dwelled within the lightsaber hilts. Since the other two Jedi had created the lightsabers themselves during their training to become Jedi Knights Eryk knew the lightsabers had been imbued with their own Force energy, just as his was. This made it easy for Eryk to pinpoint the hilts through the Force and, using telekinesis, pluck them from out of his opponent's hands. The lightsaber hilts flew daintily through the air and landed in Eryk's opened, waiting palms. Eryk then flipped them over and activated them. The green and blue blade of his opponent's lightsaber hummed into life as Eryk turned them on their owners, pointing them straight at the other Jedi. Natalya and Cash could do nothing but stand there as their vision slowly returned. As they started to see again they noticed they were unarmed and pinned. Eryk smiled with delight as he deactivated the lightsabers and returned them, then used telekinesis to retrieve his own lightsabers.

"Good job, you both fought well. Remember the lessons you have learned here today for they will aid you in times to come. For now though, let's head back to the enclave, I'm starving."

OOC: This post contains training for Force power 'Breath Control' (FU Level 4).

IC:

Often a Jedi finds himself in a whole lot of situations he'd rather not be in. Most of the time these situations are social; for example, being caught in the middle of an argument between two warring leaders with the aim of trying to calm them down. However, some times these predicaments can be physical, and a direct cause of harm to the Jedi. Even if the Jedi plays fair, a lot of his enemies wouldn't. Therefore it seemed wise to Eryk to know a wide range of techniques useful in counteracting these possible harmful physical situations. One useful technique taught to all Jedi was the ability to control ones breathing, a particularly useful skill to know since a life of a Jedi took him to all sorts of places. Space, underwater, a planet with a toxic atmosphere, all places where oxygen was hard to come by, and Eryk knew he might not always be prepared with a breathing mask. It was for this reason the skill was taught, and the reason why today Eryk would train in order to achieve it. With the skill Eryk would be able to essentially continue on without oxygen, one of the necessities for life, for a longer period of time, perhaps even days if his concentration was good enough. If he ever got caught in a situation where there was no oxygen available, it meant he would be able to survive instead of fall.

So, how does one train in such a skill? Eryk thought to himself. It certainly would be dangerous to simply remove oxygen and hope for the best but it seemed to be the only way. Luckily, Eryk could at least have some control over the situation during the training, something which he certainly would not be able to do in a real life situation.

Being Jedi Grand Master often meant meeting with the local government and royalty, but it wasn't just the Nabooians who lived on Naboo. The Gungans also lived on the planet, under water, living in harmony with the people on the land. Visiting the Gungan cities always required taking a transport underwater, but not today. It was the perfect opportunity for Eryk to learn controlling his breathing, and training his body to survive with limited oxygen. Thus today Eryk decided to swim down to one of the Gungan cities to make his appointment, rather than use a transport.

Standing at the edge of the lake, Eryk took a deep breath… ironically more for the calming effect than for the oxygen. He had removed his hooded robe, dressed now only in his uniform and boots. The city was a fair distance below the surface, enough that Eryk would not be able to swim it unaided normally, but not far down enough that pressure might change and cause a problem. It was the perfect situation for the training. Slowly Eryk took a few steps into the lake, the water seeping in through his clothes, sticking them to his skin. It felt uncomfortable at first, but then he adjusted. The water was cool but pleasant.

The first thing Eryk needed to do was awaken the Force inside his own body. It was the light side energy which dwelled within him which would be the key to maintaining his body whilst the oxygen was deficient. Reaching down deep within himself Eryk began to will the Force to life. The midi-chlorians within his cells began to stir, waking the dwelling Force energy and filling Eryk with a rush of power. The surge of energy filled Eryk and began to radiate outwards from him as his Force aura flared up into life, burning bright as a fire of light side energy. Moving forwards Eryk took his last gulp of air as his head dropped below the surface of the lake. Fighting the urge to keep his eyes closed, Eryk forced them open. His eyes stung slightly as the murky water hit them, but soon his vision returned. Already he felt strain on his lungs as he held his breath tight. He moved forwards some more, fighting against the resistance of the water until it was too much and he moved into a swimming position. In the distance he could just make out the lights of the underwater city. As Eryk started to swim towards the light the muscles in his cheeks tired and he exhaled the air he had been storing there. Bubbles of mainly carbon dioxide rose to the surface. Eryk continued to fight against his body, resisting the urge to return to the surface, but soon his body began to tire, already feeling the effects of the lack of oxygen. Eryk called upon the Force, making it flow throughout his body via its natural pathway, the bloodstream, so that it reached every last inch of his bodily systems. Once the Force had reached all across his body the Force began to feed power to Eryk's bodily systems, periodically releasing jolts of energy into every corner of his body; every muscle, nerve and organ got kicked back into life despite the oxygen deficit. These jolts of energy prevented Eryk's entire body from shutting down and going completely numb as he used the light side energy to propel his body continuously forward. Eryk surmised that if he refrained from moving at all, he might be able to keep his body alive for longer. Essentially that would mean going into a state of near hibernation; however right now he needed to move onwards to reach the city. He could see the city clearer now, its dome shaped bubbles illuminating the murky depths. Concentrating harder of the Force Eryk drew some of it to his conscious mind. There he allowed the Force to wash over his mind, and link with him on a more subconscious level. This enabled the Force to then synchronise with his entire body, effectively uniting his body as one, and increasing the effectiveness of the Force. Eryk started to feel drained as he sucked the power from his own Force reserves to keep his body going. His lungs had stopped thumping, devoid of oxygen, yet his body was receiving its energy straight from the Force itself, which was now running out. Just a few more meters and he would be there. The giant bubble of one of the Gungan buildings loomed in front of him. Gathering all the Force left in his body Eryk released all its energy in one last push as he dove through the bubble and landed with a thud on the ground of the Gungan city. Eryk began gasping for air inside the sealed dome as Gungan guards began to close in on him. His body felt weak, but Eryk knew that with more practice he might be able to keep going for longer without oxygen. The Gungan guards looked slightly bewildered as one bent down to help Eryk up.

"Nice to see yousa agains Master Aiden. Though perhaps nexta time yousa should use da bongo, hmm?"

Eryk made his appointment with the Gungan delegate, but decided to return to the surface in a transport. However, the tough task he had given himself had paid out. Eryk had reached a new level of unity with his own body, bringing him one step closer to mastering himself.

OOC: This post contains training for Force power 'Resist Stun' (FU Level 4). The story continues on from previous post.

IC:

The droid stirred into life and immediately raised its stun blaster. With his mind fully prepared by the Force Eryk quickly dodged to the right just as the droid fired at where Eryk once stood. The stun blast hit the floor with a hiss as the droid took a metallic step forward and re-aimed, all with accurate precision and deadly speed. However, Eryk was faster. With the Force augmenting both his mind and his movement Eryk continued to stay one step ahead, continuously moving and evading the droid's fire. Sometimes Eryk would use his lightsaber to deflect multiple shots away as the droid randomly chose to attack with a multi-fire mode; all of which kept Eryk on his toes… until a stray shot went under Eryk's keen senses and at a million to one fluke caught him on the left arm, throwing him off balance slightly.

As Eryk fought to keep himself upright he could already see the droid ready to fire again. Instinctively he kept moving, but his arm was now going numb and soon it would be paralysed for the rest of the training session until he found the time to treat it. This would not do. Eryk could not continue to evade properly with his arm out of action, as he relied on it heavily for defense and for balance and maneuverability. It would only be a matter of time before another blast hit him dead on, unless he restored his arm's senses by resisting the stun blast effect.

Focusing all he could spare, Eryk began to draw as much of the Force as he could towards his left arm, whilst still keeping enough of the Force in other parts of his body in order to continue evading the training droid's stun fire. The stun bolt had shut down the nerve endings in the arm, essentially making it useless; however, it should be possible to use the Force to re-stimulate and then re-connect the nerve endings in the cells, thereby resisting the numbing effect of the stun blast. As the Force continued to pour into Eryk's left arm the arm started to glow with a bright burning blue aura as it became overly saturated with the light side of the Force. Eryk could feel the left arm begin to tingle as the pure energy of the Force caused his arm to shake. Such power could easily be released in a powerful attack, or be used to create some kind of illusion, but in this case Eryk would need to use the abundance of Force energy to heal the stunned area of his arm. With his mind still linked subconsciously to the Force Eryk concentrated hard and willed the Force energy to flow and gather tightly around the area of the arm where the bolt had hit. Whilst still continuing to quickly run and evade the droid's fire Eryk now used the Force energy he had gathered to stimulate the damaged cells in the numb part of the arm in order to bring back the feeling. By concentrating hard and carefully manipulating the Force energy Eryk sent tiny little jolts of pure electrical energy through the affected cells, causing them to jump back into life. As the cells of the affected area began to slowly reawaken after being knocked seemingly unconscious by the overloading stun shot, Eryk now set about using the Force energy he had collected in his arm to painstakingly reconnecting each and every nerve ending in order to return his arm to working condition. With a steady and calm mind Eryk visualised the procedure almost subconsciously, and the Force seemingly obeyed, following his direction. Like a fine craftsmen Eryk controlled the Force so that it fixed the damaged nerves. Soon he felt a short, sharp pain tear through his left arm, letting him know the process had been successful. The arm had its feeling back and Eryk was back to full strength again, and not a moment too soon.

After a long day of training, bruises and cuts are almost a certainty. Part of being a Jedi was learning to use the Force to heal the body of ailments. A medical team would not always be on hand so it was wise to be able to heal oneself, as well as be able to heal others.

Sitting in his room in the Naboo Jedi Enclave Eryk stared at a number of cuts and bruises on his arms and legs. The day's training had been exceptionally difficult; though fruitful.

After taking a moment to relax his body and his mind Eryk began the process of healing his wounds. Eryk's first step would be to take command of the large amount of Force energy which lay dormant within his own body. Closing his eyes slightly, and focusing on the calm, silent room around him, Eryk began to awaken the Force energy inside of himself. Reaching deep down within Eryk felt the glimmer of Force energy, sleeping deep within each and every cell which made up his form. Inside each cell, the midichlorians began to stir, giving Eryk more control over this dormant Force power. Soon, from deep within his own genetic makeup, Eryk began to feel the calming nature of light side Force energy wash over him. It made him relax even more as his body began to swell with power. His cells began to tingle with energy as the Force began to flow all around his body, following its natural path and course. However, Eryk needed to take control of this energy and use it in a specific way, so with his eyes remaining closed Eryk willed the Force to obey his command. Since the Force inside his own body was tailor-made to suit him it reacted positively and began to follow his every will and desire. Eryk figured his own reserves of Force energy would be sufficient for this exercise, and that he wouldn't need any more from an exterior source. The next step would be to gain even further control over the Force energy inside of his body. At the moment his control was basic and not at its maximum efficiency. If he tried to use the Force now Eryk would find himself most inefficient and would find that a lot of the Force energy would be wasted. This would not do; every bit of Force energy was precious, especially to a Jedi in a battle situation. Though he wasn't in a fight now, Eryk believed it was good practice to always remain in full control. Therefore, Eryk began to draw a small proportion of the Force energy he had awakened towards the top of his body and willed it to surround his brain. There, with his mind a blank and his body remaining calm, Eryk allowed the Force to seep into his mind and connect with his subconscious. Eryk's mind flickered with thoughts provided to him through the Force, images it wished him to see, flashes of things dearest to him. Soon Eryk and the Force became one, as he became unified with the light side of the Force. This meant that Eryk could use the Force to augment his abilities, whilst still keeping in control of his own body. Working together Eryk and the Force became stronger than they were separate as individuals. Now when Eryk directed the flow of Force energy around his body he had a much greater control over it. The Force connected to his mind caused his body to remove all mental blocks which might affect the smooth flow of the Force, as well as remove all physical barriers which prevented the transmission of the energy from one point to another. Eryk's Force aura began to swell up as the Force continued to flow with ease around his body's inner network, such as the bloodstream and nervous systems. Now the final part of the task was at hand, it was time to use the Force to change his body at a molecular level in order to heal itself. To work at such a microscopic level Eryk needed full and accurate control of his Force energy, just another good reason why he needed to unify with the Force. For the first time, Eryk now opened his eyes and once again focused his attention on the wounds he had received. With the Force totally under his command Eryk drew it towards each affected area in his arms and legs, drawing it up through the bloodstream. Using the blood as a transport system Eryk created a circular area around each cut and bruise. With each wounded area individually surrounded by the Force Eryk could now work on each one individually. First Eryk attended to a rather nasty large bruise on his right thigh. Drawing as much Force energy to the area as he could Eryk felt the energy jolt through the bruise, sending a momentary shot of pain through his nervous system that was instantly dulled through the Force. Concentrating hard on the Force energy, using his link with it, Eryk imagined the cells in that particular area and felt around for all the ones which had been damaged. Then, using the Force energy Eryk stimulated the cells once again, causing them to speed up their natural healing and regenerative cycle. As the Force energy gentle massaged the cells back to life, the power within the Force itself gave the cells sufficient chance to activate the genetic code within each cell needed to repair itself. Eryk could instantly feel a change as the cells began to repair themselves under direct influence from the living power of nature found in the light side of the Force. Soon the bruise cleared up as the cells regenerated and the toxins formed flushed away via the Force in the bloodstream. Now Eryk focused on a major cut he received on his left arm. Taking the same approach Eryk used the Force to surround the affected area and began to stimulate the cells with raw power. Some cells, however, were beyond repair. However, since the entire genetic code for a creature is found in every cell the Force, which itself is a part of nature, had no problem accessing this information and recreating the missing cells and fusing them to the others around it. As if by magic Eryk watched as the cut healed up, closing the wound as new skin grew instantly before him. The Force even sterilised the wound by using the bloodstream to rid the affected area of dangerous infection to stop disease. In the end only a slight scratch was any indication that a cut had been made there. Satisfied with the excellent result Eryk then set about healing up all the other wounds, before releasing control of the Force and taking a well earned rest.