The Fefze

[Veren Gal]

The Fefze is a light freighter manufactured by the Duros and previously owned by a Duros. Veren acquired it and never bothered changing the name. One of the two living quarters has been converted into a state room for Veren. The other is a guest room that can accommodate up to 6 bunks. The medical bay is large enough for a table and some storage. The lounge, mess, kitchen, and recreation area are all the same place. The cargo area is set up for archaeological work and the storage of artifacts.

[Veren Gal]

Veren saw the ship into orbit, then stands up and exits to his room. There, he grabs two long, narrow objects wrapped in cloth and returns to the lounge. It is time for my little Hopefuls to begin their training. Perhaps they will learn enough not to embarrass me in front of other Sith.

The table retracts into the ground and Veren folds the couches against the wall. They create narrow shelves where people can place drinks or towels and utilize an empty space for whatever purpose. Veren doesn't bother changing out of his clothes, he won't be the one getting a workout.

"Students to the lounge, wear something you don't mind sweating in." He had told them he would be starting their training, so if they didn't bring workout clothes they could just manage with their normal attire. Learning to fight in restrictive clothing could be useful, after all.

[Saskira Shimazu]

Setting down her duffel bag, Saskira felt the ship start to lurch, key signs that the ship was taking off. She started to stow her duffel bag under the set of bunk beds farthest away from the door, next to a transparisteel window, through which the fastly disappearing planet could be glimpsed. Not more than a few minutes later, it was followed by the jolt indicating that hyperspace was being achieved.

It was always something of a wonder to her, to see hyperspace. Intellectually, she knew what was occurring; they were jumping into an alternative, extra dimension, the ship creating a barrier around them, allowing time to seem normal for the occupants of the ship. In the extra dimension, they were traveling many thousands upon thousands times the speed of light.

Knowing that, however, didn't make this any less bizarre to her.

Getting lost staring out into the the streaking white lines against the blue tunnel-esque hole, she was broken out of her mental pondering by Master Gal informing her and Talward to go to the lounge, with something they wouldn't mind sweating in.

Looking around the room, Saskira didn't see Talward anywhere, meaning he could already be with Master Gal, having left while she got lost in staring at space. Quickly pulling out the duffel bag from underneath her bed, she quickly looked through its contents for something that offered a significant amount of freedom of movement, given that she was fairly certain this concerned lightsaber training, given that Master Gal had said that was what they were doing before they left.

Finding a sleeveless Gi, Saskira power walked to the closest refresher, just outside the room she had been. Changing quickly, she put her clothes she had just been wearing into the duffel bag, closing her bag, she re-entered the room and shoved it underneath her bed.

Now it was just a matter of finding out where Master Gal was, and which room was "the lounge". Fortunately it was easy to find, being the central room of the ship, far as Saskira could tell. Entering the room, she saw Master Gal and bowed to him. Looking around, she could find no signs of Talward.

[Veren Gal]

Veren sees Saskira enter the lounge alone and wonders what Talward might be up to that is so engaging. Then again, students are natural rivals and it's possible the Arkanian stuffed his slave in a closet or the like. Talward's value was in his archaeological skill, not as a Hopeful. He wouldn't even be training if it wasn't for the fact he was force sensitive. That had been a happy accident and the slaver hadn't even been aware of the fact. A good thing too, otherwise the price would have been through the roof.

Saskira bowed to him, a cultural thing, no doubt. Watching her bow, his eyes drift down from her head. I wouldn't be the first Master to enjoy the advantages of his station. The Sith version of pulling a Bindo, I suppose. He quickly banishes the thought, his last attempted rendezvous almost ended with his decapitation. Let younger fools invite daggers in the back.

Veren unwrapped one of the long objects revealing...a wooden stick. He gave it a few practice swings before tossing it casually to Saskira. He unwraps the second, "We will start with basic forms, then proceed to some light sparring."

[Saskira Shimazu]

Talward didn't show up for a little while longer, which was curious in its own right, since he should know better at this point then to be late. Especially when being late would incur the anger of his Sith teacher.

However, her eyes were drawn away from looking for Talward, to Master Gal unfurling one of the two long narrow objects revealing...a stick, a wooden one at that.

Well that was anti-climatic, not that it could of been a lightsaber, but I was thinking of something perhaps more deadly or dangerous.

Master Gal tossed the stick to Saskira, whose's left hand shot out to grab it. Grabbing it, she held the stick, feeling its weight, Definitely wooden...I suppose that the other object is a stick as well, and that I am suppose to be fighting Talward A rather vicious looking grin started to tug at the corners of her mouth. That however ended, when Master Gal started to unwrap the second object, also a wooden stick, and informed her that they would be doing some light sparring.

Sith were not known to be gentle, especially to their students. The prospect of beating the snot of Talward was replaced by Master Gal beating the snot out of her. However, there had to be some way for her to be able to 'win' at the light sparring, aka, she was learning what was being taught without misstep.

Going into a stance that was usually the start of a lightsaber sequence, from what she gathered Master Gal meant by 'basic forms'. Lightsaber sequences was the most she had done in at the academy, specifically she had worked on velocities, going through the same sequence faster and faster, increasing reflexes and speed, on the few times she found another student who was willing to work with another student there.

He didn't exactly tell me what forms we will do...that could mean he is either waiting for me to start....however...I'd suspect that he is going to demonstrate some basic forms first, else he would of probably of kept the wooden stick in the wrapping.

A few quiet seconds passed with no action occurring after Saskira went into a ready stance.

He isn't doing anything...does this mean he wants me to do something, or that I should take some initiative here? I know I should, but going directly into sparring...doesn't bode well if I miss judge what he said. Plus he did say basic forms first...yes...that is what he most likely wants to do, show some basic forms for me to practice, or to use in the sparring.

[Veren Gal]

Veren prepares to go over basic moves when Saskira turns towards him and adopts a ready stance. Very well, lets see what she's learned at the Academy. I'll at least be able to see what bad habits she might have. Veren adopts his own ready stance and waits for her to make the first move. The girl appears to just stand there and Veren wonders if her augmented brain is playing out the first few dozen moves and calculating counter moves. This girl might very well become an accomplished warrior with this gift.

A few heartbeats later Veren suspects she simply doesn't know what to do next. How disappointing. Veren represses the urge to just casually slap the stick out of her hand and instead comes in carefully to test her defenses with quick flicks and jabs. He keeps an eye on her footing, center of balance, and position of her hands.

[Saskira Shimazu]

No more than a moment after her last thought, Master Gal does a few quick jabs and flicks with his wooden practice stick.

Well that certainly answers what we are going to do first. Now to see if I can keep up with what he is doing.

In this situation, velocities and lightsaber sequences, what she had trained with, were useless. The most she could hope to do would be able to pull a few sequences out of order when she attacked. Although that said very little for defense, given that Master Gal was most assuredly not using sequences.

Using her practice stick, she parried a few jabs, and started making tentative movements closer to him, closing the distance by a quarter of a meter.

The last attack of his, closer to a flick of the stick, Saskira made a two hand grip on her stick, going from one hand to two hands, going for a straight block instead of a parry. She hoped that it would knock his stick back far enough that it would allow her a brief moment to change from defensive to offensive.

Knocking away the stick, pushing at it, going more from a block to a counter attack, she knocked it back.

Immediately Saskira went into a offensive segment of one of the lightsaber sequences she had learned. Undoubtedly, Master Gal knew it as well, so she started to pick small sections of it before jumping to different parts of the sequence.

[Veren Gal]

Veren wasn't surprised, she had a very elementary grasp of sword fighting and it shows. She was doing moves out of order with some of them working and others, to him, looking awkward. However, she is an alien and it's possible that she can do maneuvers a human can't.

She quickly goes from nimble strikes to two-handed brute attacks. Might as well be swinging a boat oar at me. Veren let her knock his practice saber away and go on the offensive. Then, after parrying a strike he slipped to the side and attempted to give the Hopeful a whack on her posterior with the flat of his saber.

[Saskira Shimazu]

Saskira's improvised practice saber went flying.

Oh klark me, so much for that plan.

Her muscles started to tense to receive a strike on her arms or stomach or even head.

The moment after the glorified stick went flying, Master Gal's practice stick hit Saskira on the arse.That was something she was not expecting. She was expecting to be hit of the head, or on the side, or even on the arms. But no, it hit her on the arse.

She was so surprised that even though it was something of a very light strike, she fell forwards, her arms started to go out to catch her from landing face first into the deck.

However this was one of the times that her augmentations caused a negative effect. While her mind was telling her arms to go out and press on the ground to stop the fall, the signals were being sent faster than the her arm could move. In essence, it caused her to not be stopped falling on her face.

To an observer, it just looked like she had basically just not had the reaction timing to catch herself.

[Veren Gal]

Huh. Veren pauses and looks as his student lands face-first on the ground. Slow reflexes, even if she were fully organic. Perhaps a problem with organic/artificial data transfer? In the end it isn't Veren's field and not his problem. For his sake he hoped she was just having an off day. He didn't hire her for her combat skill, but he wouldn't be mocked for having an oaf for an apprentice.

"Graceful as a Twi'lek dancer. Fortunately the other one isn't around to grow jealous. Now if we're done here, pick up the saber and we will cover basic forms. I will demonstrate, and then you do. I'll correct as necessary."

Normally he hates training students and disdains lightsaber training. There was always someone more willing to demonstrate just how good they are. Veren knew better than to put himself in a situation where he would be humiliated. However, there was no one else to do it and Veren could use the distraction during travel. There's only so many times he can go over notes or play strategy games against the droid before going mad.

[Saskira Shimazu]

The sarcastic comparison to a Twi'lek Dancer didn't help Saskira's pride much. However there was something to be learned here. Admittedly, I deserve it, since I acted something of a fool.

For one she didn't have as complete control over the difference in reaction time as she thought she had. It also reminded her that the gap between her physical reaction speed and mental reaction speed was growing. That was something she had observed a few weeks ago, the growing difference in how fast her mind thought, and that her body was slowly becoming unable to interpret the signals the brain sent at the same pace.

Picking herself up, she gather her practice saber and started to follow along with what he was doing, as he went over the basic forms. While she missed a few poses here and there, they were gratefully few in number. This was mostly due to the fact that they were merely going over basic forms, not some of the more advance stuff, that Saskira had no familiarity with.

[Veren Gal]

Veren demonstrates the basics, correcting her more often than not by tapping the offending body part with the second practice saber until she gets it right. As time goes on she improves, and rather quickly. It helps that they were polishing off basic moves rather than working with something unfamiliar but it was still faster than Veren was expecting. Perhaps that cyborg brain is worth something after all.

After a few hours Veren calls for a break. He gets some water and some food. "You may eat if you wish, Hopeful." He paused, then keyed his comm, "ED-3?"

"Yes, Master Gal?"

"Is the slave alive?"

"Yes, Master Gal."

"What is it doing?"

"Unknown, Master Gal."

"Go check on him. Tell him to report for training at his...earliest convenience." Veren was annoyed, Talward hadn't showed up for training. He wasn't doing this for his own health. Well, no matter. Talward could spend his days digging in the dirt and cataloging artifacts.

The red droid appeared from the cockpit and wandered off. A few minutes later the droid re-appeared and headed back towards the cockpit.

"Well?"

ED-3 paused and turned to Veren, "I have relayed your message to the Hopeful."

Veren frowned, "And?"

"I have relayed your message to the Hopeful."

Veren sighed, too lenient, perhaps. "Very well, you may go."

ED-3 disappeared into the cockpit. Veren turned to his student, a bit disheveled after hours of training. "We are done with sabers. Meditate for an hour, then we will work on using The Force."

[Saskira Shimazu]

OOC: I needed to get a post out, so here is a post. I should get a meditation post out either tonight or tomorrow.

---

It was a very instructive practice, and by the end of it, Saskira had worked up something of a sweat. Taking a break, Master Gal had turned to ED-3 and started to converse with it, asking about Talward's whereabouts. That was...interesting, because that implied that Master Gal did not know where Talward was.

Master Gal turned to Saskira after sighing and told her to meditate for an hour.

Doing a rather curt bow, she left the lounge and head for the crew quarters. Entering, she still found no sign of Talward.

You can't just disappear on a ship like this...its not THAT big.

Grabbing the clothes she had been wearing prior to lightsaber training, she stored her training Gi.

Looking around the room, she eventually found a comfortable place to sit, namely on one of the chairs stuffed in a corner. Sitting in it, she started to meditate.

[Veren Gal]

Veren goes back to his state room and puts the practice equipment away. He changes out of the clothing he is wearing and cleans up. One of the luxuries he permits himself on the ship is a working shower. The hot water feels like heaven and he tries not to think about how it's all going into a reclamation tank to be recycled and reused. All the water on any spaceship ends up recycled and there's no telling how many kidneys or the alien equivalent a given drop has seen.

The state room isn't very large but it is designed for comfort. It includes a padded mat where Veren could exercise or meditate. He sets cross-legged on the mat facing the wall. Outside the viewport he sees the kaleidoscopic, swirling patterns of light that make up the sidewall of the hyperspace tunnel. Hyperspace madness, a rumor started no doubt by some impressionable ship's crew after one of their fellows had some sort of breakdown. The colors were beautiful and Veren found trying to track patterns in the chaos an excellent way of centering himself.

He sits like that for almost an hour and then gets up. He quickly washes his face, dresses in replacement black clothing, and heads out to the lounge again carrying a case.

[Saskira Shimazu]

Saskira started to slow her breathing. It was one of the ways she started to meditate, by controlling her breathing. It gave her a singular thing to focus on, and allow the noise in her mind to dissipate.

Once the noise in her mind was further in the back of her head, to the point where it she could no longer get easily distracted by it, she started to examine the lightsaber training she had just done.

She had serious misinterpreted what Master Gal had wanted her to do, and payed for it with mildly harmless face-plant into the deck. She only had a minor bruise gracing her forehead now. But other than that, the lightsaber training had been a great, great experience. At the academy, it was rare to work with other students, even rarer to work with one of the instructors if you were unproven, like she is.

Saskira could now definitively say she had a better grasp over sword play. At the very least, she had significantly better aptitude for it, unlike Force usage.

For the next while she reviewed what they had worked on with the training sabers. Fifty minutes later, she got up, and went to meet Master Gal.

[Veren Gal]

Veren places the case on the counter and opens it up. From the case he takes out a metal ball bearing and drops it on the ground. It begins to roll and with a subtle gesture Veren guides it to rest at Saskira's foot. "Push the ball around, if you are able."

This was Saskira's chance to show what level of control, if any, she had in the force. Veren begins to open his senses in order to track her performance. He knows she is new and doesn't expect much from her, but it helps to know just where a Hopeful stood. Some would come to the Jedi temple as babes in the woods while others had one or two "tricks" they had figured out.

Veren himself was the former, having been told he was gifted in the force as a child and sent to the temple. Others had already knew something, there was another child from Alderaan that could already see the unseen with the force. He learned quickly though and surpassed many in his litter of younglings. Not that it mattered once lightsaber practice began, he thought darkly.

The underachievers, those destined to use the force only to augment their battle prowess, began to overtake him. A shaming in the practice ring was worth a lot more to his peers than grasp of a more subtler understanding of the Force.

[Saskira Shimazu]

Master Gal opened up his case on the counter to reveal...a metal ball. Dropping it on the ground, he made a gesture, which correlated with the metal ball moving to Saskira's feet. Once there, Master Gal simply said 'push the ball around, if you are able to'.

Wow, that sure shows how much faith he has in my abilities Saskira sarcastically noted in her head. To be fair, if he knew anything about my previous Force training, his words would be more than justified. Especially if he saw what had happened with Talward...that was just plain embarrassing.....I probably need to stop analyzing what he could possibly know, and just do it.

Reaching out with her hand towards the metal ball, she started to mentally go through the ways to move it. I could do a board push, or I could grip it and move it. A push would be useful due to its simplicity, but in this case, given the angle of where my hand is, angled downward, I would push the ball further down then I would push it away from me. Telekinesis it is then.

Mentally, she started to reach out for the ball, trying to feel it's dimensions, the exterior of it, as well as the interior. To her, she now had a different sense of the ball, as if it was a three dimensional object in a computer program, where it had a see-through frame, every part of it was visible.

However sensing the ball and moving the ball were two different things entirely.

Next she started to curl her fingers, as if to grasp a air ball. Her mental tendrils started to envelope the ball. Now came the hard part. Moving her hand from where it was, she started to move it forward, towards the counter.

It didn't budge.

Not surprised in the slightest, she attempted to do it again resulting in the same effect, nothing occurring. Every time she moved her hand, which moved the mental Force tendrils that enveloped the ball, the tendrils shattered against the ball or merely slipped off, or in some cases went right through it.

Frustration started to swell in her. Why, of all times, does it not work now? She kept one doing the same motions of forming the tendrils and trying to move it as she thought, the process almost robotic due to the repetition. It worked when I did it in front of Talward, if only briefly, but at least it worked! I am doing it exactly as the manuscript said to do it, Force tendrils and everything. Why? Why doesn't it work?!

Frustration started to turn into despair. This always happens! Whenever a instructor was present, or I was able to grab their attention, THIS would happen! Despair started to turn into anger. Its not me, I know I can do it, I have done it before. I was even able to do it a little before I left home! Why did I ever leave home, and come to this aggressive place full of dissappointed mentors? Oh, thats right, Adascorp, and their bloody experiments on my head, I am a klarking basket case due to them!

The ball started to move as she kept repeating the motions, not that she noticed right away. By the time that she repeated the robotic process of moving her arm forward and actually moving the ball, she had done it successfully three times, and the ball was nearly four feet away from here, almost half way between her and Master Gal.

Frakking Adascorp and their klarking...klarking...wait a second...I am moving the ball? Experimentally, Saskira moved the ball sideways, and it responded in kind. A smile started to tug on her lips as she was able to move the ball, her anger started to abate. Finally, after the glee had replaced the anger, she ceased to be able to move the ball.

[Veren Gal]

Powerful emotions in this one. A minor hurricane of anger, despair, and at the end there was joy. Though training techniques differed between Jedi and Sith, both methods required the same prerequisite. "Though you needn't be an emotional wasteland to use the Force, you will still need focus your mind. Remember the first lesson:" He switched to the language of the Sith,

Nwûl tash.
Dzwol shâsotkun.
Shâsotjontû châtsatul nu tyûk.
Tyûkjontû châtsatul nu midwan.
Midwanjontû châtsatul nu asha.
Ashajontû kotswinot itsu nuyak.
Wonoksh Qyâsik nun.

He looked at the ball and concentrated. He remembered the little humanities that gave him the drive, the passion to do better. To be acknowledged and yes, feared. "Peace is a lie, there is only passion." His mind and his skill had took him farther than any of the other Jedi that followed him to Revan's army and of them only he survived. "Through passion I gain strength." He condensed all this into a single thought, I'm better than you. The ball lifted into the air and moved between his head and Saskira's. "Through strength, I gain power."

Perhaps danger can focus that metal mind of hers. Lets see how she handles this. With a cruel smile he started spinning the ball, "Through power I gain victory." Then shot it towards Saskira's head. He made sure that it would either glance off her cheek or miss her if she dodged. He wasn't out to kill the girl just yet.

[Saskira Shimazu]

Master Gal gave a advice, about focusing the mind before starting to recite something in...Sith? It sounded like the language she had heard one of the precious few holocrons at the academy talk in.

He then looked at the metal ball, picking it up with the Force, and started to recite in Basic the site code, presumably what he had been talking about eariler in the Sith language. Adding some spin and a cruel, evil almost, smile, he sent the ball at Saskira's head. Well, more accurately, her cheek, but that was a smaller detail. What mattered was the fact that there was a object coming at her head.

Her fiirst reaction would be to duck, and usually, that would be the correct one. It had been long enough since the last time she had a gut reaction occur last, tripping magnificently onto her face a few hours ago, that she had forgotten to not trust it.

As the signals her brain started start to panicky send her body went at a faster pace than her body could respond to the inputs, she started to fall, once again downward, although this time, it was backwards, not forwards.

At least I won't be getting hit by the metal ball this time, I can even try and claim I was dodging...which I was!

Falling backwards, she was able to twist her body and catch her fall with her elbows. The metal ball whizzed through the air loudly, going right through where her face had been a half a second ago.

Lying on the ground for a few seconds, Saskira had a thought. Why did Master Gal just attempt to shove a metal ball through my head? Was this suppose to be some form of demonstration of power? It didn't need to be done, I already believed he had power, especially after he made a fool of me with the wooden saber....Lets see, he mentioned focusing the mind then the Sith code. Perhaps he is trying to show how to focus, using the Sith code?

The Sith code basically boils down to passion, because passion is strength which is how you gain power. That would make sense, given I am able to use my abilities when I am at my most emotional, usually anger. So...I should focus my anger then?

Closing her eyes, she focused on her anger and hatred towards Adascorp. Reaching out with mental tendrils behind her, she grabbed the metal, raising it with a bit of wobble to eye level, from its place on the ground.

[Veren Gal]

"Those droid reactions again, one can only hope precognition is in your future," he chuckled at his little joke. Precognition might allow the biological and cybernetic systems to work together in concert or at least let the girl react as fast as the cybernetics wanted her to.

He could sense her trying to get a grasp on the ball again but it was still tenuous. Survival situations had a way of focusing the mind, he hoped she was bright enough to figure out what to do. With a gesture he sent the ball rocketing towards her collarbone. "Or perhaps you're just someone's broken toy."

[Saskira Shimazu]

Master Gal made a joke, about foreseeing and how it might be a good thing to study in the future. In hindsight, probably, given that it would be able to offset the input signals outpacing actions.

He regarded her as she shakily held the ball in front of her. Giving a small wave of the hand, the ball went rocketing towards her shoulders, followed by him giving a mild stab at her pride, about being a broken toy of someone's.

That intensified Saskira's anger, I am not anybody's toy! I am no one's pawn, I AM NOT ADASCORP'S BROKEN TOY!!!! Silently screaming in anger, mostly because she had enough restraint to not verbally voice her anger at it.

When Master Gal had grabbed onto the ball, and sent it rocketing at her, Saskira's mental tendrils were in the process of shattering, as it was wrenched from her mental grasp. The anger she felt resolidified the tendrils, stopping it...well sort of. Her anger was fluctuating her focus, so it stopped then started again, then stopped again.

Fifteen seconds later, it was completed stopped, hanging in the air.

"I am not someone's broken toy!" Saskira said vehemently, anger very much evident in her voice.

[Veren Gal]

He felt the surge of anger in the Arkanian and for a moment her grasp on the ball solidified. She managed to stop it from breaking her collarbone. Much more satisfying this way, I must say.

Veren smiled, "Not anymore." He released his hold on the ball but prepared himself in case she decided to try attacking him. "That is good, give in to the anger. It will liberate you, give you strength. And when you learn to control it, you will be far more powerful than you ever thought possible." As long as you don't become a slave to rage, he silently added. Some Sith were little better than animals, creatures of instinct only useful for throwing in front of a powerful enemy.

"And when you've gotten better control, you can begin showing them all who exactly is whose toy." He looked around, "Speaking of toys, it would appear mine is still a no-show. Oh well, soon you will surpas his power and take your rightful place as my apprentice. He can, of course, dig in the dirt still. I wonder how well Miraluka do at identifying relics..."

It never hurt to fan the flames of a rivalry, and those two already didn't like each other. He might be able to bring out a cruel streak in the Arkanian, something to cement her place on the Dark Side. He had no interest in Adascorp but her hatred of the company could also be a good focusing tool. But one used carefully, best if her hatred be turned to something less formidable. He recalled a Sith, a former slave. She wanted to free slaves but in the end was yet another force oppressing them. Properly corrupting apprentices was an art form, and Veren was loath to admit he wasn't a master. Better things to do with my time than tempt impressionable youngsters.

"Practice with the ball until you can control it for ten minutes or drop from exhaustion. Whichever comes first." He considered making some comment about even a broken toy have other uses, but decided against it. Sounded too much like some creepy old man. Veren returned to the cockpit to check on the ED-3.

[Saskira Shimazu]

Master Gal gave Saskira a smile, obviously he had just had the desired effected he had wanted on Saskira, producing anger. Quite a bit of anger in fact, to the point she would of sent the metal hurling at him, if she didn't know that he would be able to block it within a millisecond, and cause a whole lot more pain and grief to her ten times over.

Releasing his control on the ball, Saskira held it up for another 30 seconds before lowering it down. This was suppose to be a lesson on anger, and how to control it, which was quite evident now. Apparently she had...passed? as much as one can when it came to Sith lessons. Voids, Master Gal even gave something of a compliment, saying that she could surpass Talward easily and more importantly soon, although that implied he was more powerful than she was by a unknown amount.

Remarking on Talward, the Miraluka, Master Gal gave her instructions to keep on practice with the metal ball, then leaving for what she assumed was the cockpit.

However, something Master Gal said stuck in her mind, and most likely something that he hadn't meant to stick, when he mentioned that Talward was 'his toy'.

Its what Adascorp viewed me as, a rather interesting toy that they 'broke'. Toys are something to be played with, to be used and discarded after their use has been filled. I still don't fully understand what they were trying to examine about me.

Looking towards the cockpit, towards where Master Gal was, her thoughts refocused on calling Talward 'his toy'. Is that all Talward is to him? A toy? What would that make me, a slightly more interesting toy? Have all I done is traded one Master for a slightly more powerful one? Even as she asked these questions, she already knew the answer. It left her feeling empty, almost like a empty form of despair. Yes, I do believe so...however the difference is, this Master gives power, albeit, in very hard lesson, but I can gain power all the same..besides, how much does a little pain and discomfort matter?

The despair was turning into anger. Someday, after I have gained all the power I can from Master Gal, I will no longer be his toy, or have a Master. Then Adascorp will suffer. Until then, I have to focus on the maters at hand

Focusing on the metal ball, and focusing on her anger for Adascorp, she started to practice.

~Four Hours Later~

Saskira's longest time she had been able to keep the metal ball up was roughly eight minutes and thirty six seconds...or was it five minutes, thirty seven seconds? She couldn't keep track of it.

After the first half dozen attempts she had moved from standing to sitting on the floor. She was numb from hunger, having used up a great amount of energy to hold the ball up, and her mind was increasingly having a hard time to grasp onto the anger she had initially felt. All she wanted now was food, a shower, a change of clothing and sleep. All at the same time if possible.

Her eyes refocused onto the ball, or at least where it had been a few seconds ago, her concentration slipping due to her mind wandering onto the topic of food and sleep.

Sighing, she picked the ball up again with her mental tendrils, which she imagined must look pretty feeble at this point.

The first minute was always the easiest. It was when she had the best focus, as well as determination.

The second and third minutes were almost as easy, with her feeling fairly pleased at the fact the ball was still in the air.

The fourth, fifth and sixth minutes, was when the pleased feeling started to erode the anger, and the ball acquired a wobble at minute six, putting cracks into her concentration.

The seventh minute was when the cracks started to increase, as she started to see if she could slow their expansion.

The eightieth minute was when all fell apart, when she got the anger which fueled the first and second minutes of the next attempt.

The ninth minute was...wait..ninth minute? Saskira opened her eyes, and saw the ball still hovering, albeit with a wobble. She had yet to get to nine minutes. The elation was like taking a way the keystone, and her concentration fractured, the ball dropping.

Too disappointed to even get the concentration again to get past the second minute, Saskira eventually passed out, fulfilling her need for sleep.

[Veren Gal]

Veren made sure that ED-3 wasn't malfunctioning, the robot seemed to have a tick that came and went. Thankfully it never seemed to happen while it was doing anything important, yet. Mostly it occurred when it was talking to someone. He made a mental note to have a droid mechanic check ED-3 next time they had a chance.

He checked the ship's systems. He was no ace pilot but he managed well enough on his own. Piloting was an important skill when a person wanted to go to remote and often secret places. All systems were in order so he headed back through the main room towards his quarters. Saskira was standing there, concentrating on the metal ball, which reminded him to check on Talward.

Talward was asleep in the crew quarters by this point and a check of his onboard lab in the cargo hold showed that the slave had probably been in there looking at things. Well, no harm done and it was what he bought the man for.

Veren headed back to the state room and read. They still had a ways to go, though thanks to the miracle of hyperspace travel it wasn't nearly as long as it could have been. Eventually he put the book aside and fell asleep.

[Saskira Shimazu]

As consciousness started to edge into Saskira's mind, she knew something was wrong. Namely her face was pressed against something that was cold and metal, things that did not belong to being in a bed.

Pushing her mind through the muddledness of sleep, Saskira dragged herself to alertness. As her eyes cracked opened, she could make out that she was in a room, before the context of the room surfaced in her mind. She was in her new Master's ship, and had been training with telekinesis before either falling asleep where she had been or had just fallen into unconsciousness. Most likely the latter.

Master Gal DID say to pratice until I fall over from exhaustion or until I do it....Technically I did meet one of those requirements, admittedly, probably not the one he wanted, but I can not accomplish anything in this current condition. Food, shower, sleep, now.

Pulling herself up on the wall, Saskira started to heat up a packet of pre-made food, taking a shower while it heated up. Getting out of the sanistream, she ate the food she had just made, throwing away the waste, she then proceeded to drag herself to the crew quarters, switched into sleeping clothes, before crawling into bed and passing out for the day.