Lt. Col. Melora Lexor's Training Part 2

By Terri Ruwe & LadyViper


Anelis arranged with Lord Cheska to have Melora tested in all of the
various skills the Sith Academy required.  Nathaniel was nothing if
not thorough. When his reports were complete, he presented them to
her for study.

Then she sent for Melora.

"You may enter, Colonel Lexor"

Melora bowed. "Mistress. I await your orders."

Anelis waved her to a chair. "Sit, Please" She flash-read through
several files on her desk display. "I have here your test scores.
Some of them are quite---impressive."

Melora sat. "This pleases you?" Leaning back against the chair, she
continues. "May I know what impressed you, Mistress?"

"Your telekinesis skills are highly developed, for someone with no
training. I am less impressed with your mind probing skills, but
then, you have had very little practice. We will remedy that."

"As you wish. I've had little cause to use mind probing my other
skills were sufficient."

Anelis dismissed her words. "You have studied martial arts of various
sorts, Melora. It is an extension of meditation skills. I will work
with you on this, since an independent prober is always useful " she
smiled.  "Especially when it is one no one suspects."

Melora let a slow smile cross her face. She let her thoughts go to
her martial arts training. She could easily use that for her
training.  However, she liked the idea of no one expecting her to be
able to do it.

Anelis watched the progression of expressions on Melora's face. "I
thought you might like to be a covert--- operative. The candle
exercises are especially good for this."

Melora took the list that Anelis had handed her of mental exercises.
"Covert ---operative?"

"Would you prefer the term 'snoop'?"

A soft snicker crossed Melora lips. "No, My Lady. I am yours to command."

Anelis sniffed. "You will work on these exercises for a week, then I
will test you. You must be proof against a mental assault of any
strength."

"Yes Mistress."

"Tell me about your telekinesis skills, Melora. When did you first
notice them? How did they developed?"

"I was three or four, when I just wanted something from a shelf I
couldn't reach.  It just seemed to float down to my hands." Melora
leaned forward in her chair. "It just seemed to get easier from
there."

"So it came naturally to you? Without any training at all?"

"Yes Mistress"

"You are gifted."

"I never thought of it as gift. It just seemed natural to use."

"Have you ever thought to test what your telekinesis limits are? How
much you can move, and how far, and what distance?"

"No, it just never seemed to be an issue. If you wish to test it I'm
willing."

"We will do that. It will be useful information to know. For now, I
want you to work on those mediation exercises. Do not neglect your
other work---"

"Yes Mistress. I will endeavor to improve to your standards."

"You are dismissed. I will see you in five days, to test how you are
coming along with those exercises."

Melora stood, and bowed.  "As you wish, Mistress."

# # #

Several days later, Anelis again summoned Melora.

"How have you progresses on your exercises, Melora?

"With Effort, I think my mistress will be pleased"

Anelis stepped away from the plain table behind her to reveal the
single candle standing in its holder. "Show me."

Melora stared at the flame; it flickered as if a breeze touched it.
Then it went out quickly.

Anelis followed her apprentices' actions. "I thought perhaps you
would move the air to blow the flame out," she said. "But you have
been paying attention. Good."

She fingered the flame back to life. "Again."

Melora glanced back at the flame, this time the flame didn't flicker
but slowly died.

"Well done. You improve with practice. Watch your actions while you
do it, and feel how it works."  Anelis felt her confusion and said,
"In a similar way, feel against my mental shields."

Melora glanced at Anelis, she reached out to the candle, she touched
it felt its coldness, then touched the wick felt the warmth it still
held.  With a thought it lit.

"Initiative," Anelis observed. "Initiative is good."

She pressed forward on Melora's mental shields. "Do you feel the
similarity?"

Melora pushed back against the force she felt mentally. She felt the
similarity of Anelis power.

"You see?" Anelis pointed out. "Test my shields."

Melora reached out testing Anelis's shields, she felt her strengthen
them. Anelis shields seem stronger than before the test.

"You must always be prepared for resistance," Anelis said.

"Yes Mistress, I will practice more."

The submissive tone set off her temper.  Anelis advanced mentally on
Melora, pressing, probing, pushing.  "Resistance can be active," she
said slowly. "Resistance can be subtle." 

Mentally, she chipped at the outer fringes of Melora's shields,
knowing her discomfort. "But," she said, pushing through Melora's
hasty defenses like a bull through a fence, "It is always there. And
it fights back." She glanced down at Melora. "Don't you get
submissive with me. You will be Sith. Fight, damn you!"

Melora had dropped to her knees, taking a deep breath as she closed
her eyes. She didn't like the intrusion into her mind or the pain it
caused.  She began to slowly push back. The more she pushed the
harder Anelis pushed back.  She slowly stood back up pushing, forcing
her mind forward. She wasn't about to be a submissive.

"Then fight!" Anelis snarled at her thought.

Melora pushed harder just touching the edge of a darkness, she
couldn't get past. She decided she would push there and try another
area that seems less protected; she pushed fighting her way into the
recesses of Anelis's mind.  Melora pushed harder, into both areas
again. Then the candle flew at Anelis. She pushed past a shield.

The candle flicked over Anelis's head without drawing her attention.
She drew back, egging Melora into coming after her.

Melora pushed even farther, she slowly lifted Anelis off the floor,
and her anger grew. She wanted her out of her mind.

Anelis suspended herself in Melora's lifting, preventing herself from
being moved.  "There you go," Anelis said. "Anger. Rage, feel it.
Feel its power---"

Melora only wanted to strangle Anelis, anything to get her to release
her mind. She felt the rage grow. She tried to lift Anelis higher, if
she couldn't lift she would throw her against the wall.

Anelis suspended herself in Melora's lifting, preventing herself from
being moved.  "There you go," Anelis said. "Anger. Rage, feel it.
Feel its power---"

Anelis laughed, and shielded herself from Melora's power. She
fluttered to the floor, still pushing at Melora's mind.

Melora released her hold on Anelis's mind, what little she held. Then
stepped back from her, placing her hand out in front of her, she used
force shield wall to push Anelis back against the wall of the room.

Anelis looked startled, and apparently scrambled to gather a defense.
She reached out tentatively, trying to push Melora back.

Melora put her shields up, and pushed with her force wall. She wanted
Anelis away from her mind; she wanted to kill her.

Anelis gasped, and sagged against the wall. "You haven't the guts to
try," she said.

Melora pushed harder with the force wall and pushed with her mind.
She felt the darkness envelope her. She tossed the table at Anelis
all the while moving closer. She slowly pulled the oxygen from around
Anelis.

Anelis flicked the table aside. She felt the light-headedness of
oxygen deprivation. With a surge of Dark energy she broke Melora's
force wall and clouded her mind, driving the woman to her knees.
"You'll do, Melora Lexor," she said. "But this is why I am your
master." She withdrew from her mind, making sure Melora knew it was
only because Anelis desired to be gone.

Melora looked up at Anelis, taking deep breaths. "As you desire,
Mistress." She remained on her knees, trying to remove the cloud from
her mind.

Anelis touched her shoulder lightly. "Stand up. You have great
potential. Only practice will refine you."

Melora stood, "I will endeavor to practice harder, I don't wish to
displease you." Thinking --- I don't want her in my mind I will
resist. I must. Melora admonished herself.


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