Hard Knocks - Kita

[Kita_Ikari]

It amazed Kita that anyone with the ability to use the force was able to know when something disastrous happened. However, it also sounded like over time it could take a toll on someone mentally. Kita knew everyone eventually dies...but knowing people were dying or in trouble of any kind and unable to do anything about it was what really bothered her.

Jacobi's own mention of his lack of connection with the force suddenly made Kita realize why his own force flow wasn't fluent and how he knew so much. However it didn't explain why his own energy seemed to repel around itself. But she wasn't gonna get into the subject. Kita did want to know however what happened that caused his disconnection to the force.

Taking a deep breath, Kita closed her eyes at Jacobi's gesture and begun concentrating...

---Begin Sense Force Disturbance - 100 Words---

Remembering her teachings throughout the lesson, she found detecting the energy of the force around her much easier than when she first started. However, getting herself to expand her own energy field right away was a bit difficult. Concentrating on finding the crystal earlier took her some time…and now she was expected to do this? However, this just represented itself as a challenge. In which, she was too stubborn to just give up.

Once she expanded her own energy field over his, Kita began sensing the damage done to Jacobi's connection. His own energy and the steady current of the force clashed into each other violently. Like a drop hitting a stagnant body of water, it sent vibrating ripples through the force... but as she observed it deeper, it went from ripples to violent tremors. As if caught in the middle of an earthquake. 

The sensation bothered her. In the back of her mind Kita told herself she should have felt frightened...but instead it just made her feel more concerned than anything. Not only that, but lingering too long with the sensation was giving her a pounding headache...

---End Sense Force Disturbance - 190 Words Complete.---

[quote/]

Opening her eyes, Kita lifted her hand to her head. "Don't make me do that again for awhile please. Feels like someone's been pounding my head with a hammer." 

They had already started nearing Nar Shadda as she finished her lesson. 

Turn your gaze now to the moon that we pass by. The teeming life will be easily spotted through your senses. Look closely. Among this sea of life is an ocean of death. It is death that tolls the bell the loudest. Death creates large gaps in the Force that swell and echo through the Force as large tremors. Each and every death is a ripple. Each ripple is something we can feel. Reach out to the moon Kita and concentrate. Feel the tremors that reverberate from Nar Shadda, feel the quaking. The pain of loss is hard to miss here and you must learn to recognize it well.

Kita's blue gaze turned her head to view the planet from the nearby window. Sure enough she had already been able to feel the presence and tremors from the people and creatures alike that were suffering and dying on Nar Shadda. She looked at him with an unpleasant expression on her face. "Lovely. I'm going to be suffering from a headache all day." She said irritably.

[Jacobi Wylcott]

---ZIOST
---MOUNTAIN REGION
---DURING “BREAKING THE ICE”

The cave in had them both in complete and utter darkness. Freezing sub-zero temperatures threatened to drop the pair of them into the deadly embrace of hypothermia - a quiet kiss that would never let go. But in the moment where all seemed lost, he looked to where Kita should be. He felt her with his right arm around her in the pitch black that was so dark he couldn’t even see that close. But in this cave darkness the light was drown out completely and they were lost thanks to the collapse.

Not once in Jacobi’s mind did he ever grace the thought of giving up. When all seemed lost, the Mandalorian knew that Tormentous would refuse to die this way. He did too and in fact Jacobi was sure he could find a way out but with the scales tipped against him he knew that the ex-Dark Lord was better suited for this matter and it was the Dark One that held the knowledge to see them through to the end. Perhaps it was that Jacobi wanted to provide Kita with the best chance of survival and he saw Tormentous as the key. To give in to the tyrant would be to allow the horrific devil a moment where his will could submerge and therefore gain a stronger foothold in his mind - but it was a choice he was willing to make.

Together they sat in the darkness until the moment Tormentous was once more awoken. The darkness of light was one thing - the darkness of the soul was another dark entirely and it was this darkness that slowly bled into the room. Jacobi’s left eye sank from its natural hue to a sickly yellow and it was replaced by a vivid glowing gold.

He let Kita go and climbed to his feet. In reality he could have blown away the rocks of the cave in or submerged himself in the depth of the Dark Side to listen for another route of escape - this was not Tormentous’ way when he had a viable soul here right in front of him to corrupt and turn to the decay of the Dark Side of the Force.

‘Yes, if she were to open her heart and mind in this place - then the seed of Darkness will set inside her and all will be according to my will.’ He hissed to himself and instantly Jacobi Wylcott realized what he’d done by unleashing the monster - if the cold didn’t kill her, he would turn her into the image of his foul shadow and so he shouted his defiance in Tormentous’ unchained mind - the Dark One only laughed at Jacobi’s shortsightedness. ‘How convenient of Wylcott to bring her all the way out here where the Dark Side is so strong. This should be fun.’

“Kita,” He growled, his voice had altered slightly. Not in tone but in mannerism. Jacobi’s confidence had been replaced by utter disdain, condescension, and arrogant hatred. “This is where we die.”

He let the thought sink in and he could feel the edges of her proud heart begin to fray. “Unless you can save us.” His glowing golden eye narrowed upon her and his senses washed over her - he saw within his mind what his eye could not. “It is time for you to tap into the Force again. With the Force your mind can feel for your blind eyes.” He reminded her of her experiences on the ‘Jai-Galaar’ when she was able to sense deeply through the Force. “This is no different save for the elemental challenges of the cold.”

“Look deep within yourself Kita, the Force is waiting for you to accept it. The strength you need to stand is already there inside of you should you only draw upon it and call it to your will. Before you learned to recognize it - now you must learn to actually draw upon it. In your mind visualize the energy field that surrounds you, feel the energy as it flows through the place - it is strong here, unnaturally strong.” What she didn’t know was that the strength in the Force was the potency of the Dark Side that surrounded them. Ziost was a nexus of Dark Side Force energy and those that drew upon the Force in this place - particularly here - were calling upon the very essence of the cold void itself. It wasn’t all corrupting or anything, but it was definitely the cruel beginning to a festering wound on the soul that would not go away without serious recovery through the most knowledgeable of Jedi Teachnings.

“Feel the Force around you Kita and reach out to it, call out and watch carefully as it will answer to you. Knowing this feeling. This occurrence is what you are looking for - and I say again, reach out and call upon the Force once more. Open your arms to it and open your energy field to the surrounding energies, draw upon your surroundings - feel the depth of the cave - know it - and when you feel the moment is right - command the Force. You need it to help find the exit, you cannot wait for the Force to come to you - seize it and take what you need.” Indeed this was a far more aggressive approach to the Force than earlier and in it was the beginnings of how he would mold her perspective of the Force as a tool or a weapon to be utilized instead of the Jedi way of seeking harmony within.


---BEGIN FORCE LEVEL 2 - 200 WORDS

[Kita_Ikari]

Kita sat up, shirtless, with her back against the cold stone wall of the cave. Her clothes were still wet from her fall in the river. So she sat in the darkness with barely any clothing at all to keep her warm. Jacobi had figured hiding in the cave was a good option to try and find appropriate shelter until she dried..but shortly after, the cave had collapsed and they had found themselves trapped.

She shivered and jumped in surprise as Jacobi's arm reached out around her, pulling her close in attempt to keep her warm. Kita went rigid, thankful it was dark enough he couldn't see her blushing. She didn't want to admit she rather liked him holding her. She just unknowingly wished he had been holding her because he wanted too...and not because he had too. "Get over it! Its not going to happen." Her conscious told her.

She felt Jacobi get up and leave her, following the direction the sound of his footsteps as his voice echoed in the darkness with a certain coldness in his tone. She couldn't pinpoint what the emotions were...but she felt like they were directed towards her...and not really the situation. Her eyes widened as he stated their fate. "Die?" Kita didn't want to die. Not now. And certainly not at such a young age.

"Unless you can save us." Those words echoed in her mind. Jacobi wasn't in control of his power with the force anymore. At least...thats what she thought. Unknown to her it was a plan to further her training and start her corruption with the darkside.

The things he said astounded her. That the force could help her "see" in such darkness was amazing. Kita wasn't so sure she could draw upon the force so willingly however. She had just started training. And to try and command the force at her will almost seemed impossible in her mind. Still, she wasn't one to give up. She listened quietly as he explained what she must do in order to accomplish this task.

"I-I will do it then." She stuttered in response to the cold. Quickly Kita criss crossed her legs and closed her eyes as she started concentrating on the task at hand...

---BEGIN FORCE LEVEL 2 - 200 WORDS---

Her own lungs felt like they weren't getting enough air. The chill within the cave was intense as she tried focusing on her breathing, expanding her mind and energy field throughout the area around her. It was difficult to concentrate in such conditions, just as Jacobi had said. Still she kept going.

It came more recognizable to her feeling and noticing the force then it was on the first lesson on Jacobi's ship. However, the vibe of the force felt...different here. She had noticed it right away once opening her mind to it. It was thicker...almost overwhelming. Cold. Colder then the climate of Zoist...but in a different way. This was the kind of cold that could chill a person in seconds within their soul and render them dead had it been possible. The electric pulses from the dark energy alone was much more intense. More...powerful. Intoxicating even. Where as before she just felt a warm electric energy on the ship.

"Concentrate." Pushing through, Kita reached out through the cave, "seeing", following the force's guidance for the escape it may have offered her. Their weren't many however. The energy reading alone of the cave seemed like a labyrinth, that it would take hours...possibly even days to escape. They would be dead by then. The only other option the force seemed to suggest to her was to crush the rocks blocking the main entrance from the cave itself. She frowned. Would she be even able to do it with the force? It must of weighed tons. But what option did she have? Unless she wanted to die with Jacobi as a frozen popsicle.

"So be it." She told herself seriously.

With eyes still closed, Kita took Jacobi's advice and slowly lifted her hand at the thick rock pile before them as she reached out, feeling the energy running through the earth itself. She focused on the energy around her. Kita could see within her minds eye the heavy aura of the dark force energy. It seemed to swirl about like the tides on the oceans of Tibrin.

Keeping Jacobi's teachings in mind, she drew in the dark energy to her like that of a magnet. Absorbing it...she felt the cold weight of the dark energy envelop her. It was intense having that much power course through her body. No doubt sapping her own energy more then she was expecting just from using it. Still...she held on. It was time.

She called out and invisioned in her minds eye where she wished to direct the force to go. What she wanted the force to do. Like a wave, Kita guided it towards the rocks, feeling it wash through the pile of earth's energy...mingling...controlling it from within. She had the force at her command and locked.

Her blue eyes snapped open in a instant as she angrily began pushing away at the wall of rubble with the force. It felt heavier then it actually was since she was battling the stone itself to move. The sound of the giant rocks shook, debris falling as Kita began managing to manipulate and move them out of their way. It wasn't easy.

Her arm shook as she used every bit of remaining strength in her frozen body to make a opening large enough for them to escape the darkness. The dark energy alone already consuming her body's energy as she did so.

Finally the rocks lifted off the ground. Kita felt the pull of the force as the rocks swayed in midair briefly. Grunting at the intensity of the weight, she began moving her hand to the side, guiding the large rocks to their new location. Light from outside began beaming through the darkness bringing light in once more.

Once far enough to give them both a large enough escape route, she swiftly severed the connection with the force, allowing the stone to drop with a loud THUD onto the cave floor.

She panted tiredly as she leaned back up against the wall. Without bothering to turn her head, Kita's gaze looked over at Jacobi as he stood no more then a few feet away...

---END FORCE LEVEL 2---WORDS 697 COMPLETE---