#3 A Bit of Instruction, and Something More...

Posted on Tue Jun 11th, 2024 @ 6:23am by Lieutenant JG Marcus Resch {Meji} & Lieutenant JG Ainkara "Kara" {Meji}
Edited on on Tue Jun 11th, 2024 @ 3:41pm

Mission: Shakedown II
Location: Starbase Danvers
Timeline: current/somewhere in between

ON:

While everyone else sat around and ate their food and talked, Marcus Resch ate his portion and then rid himself of his garbage before wandering away from the others. He walked along the beach, admiring the smooth water and the achingly beautiful full moon now in the sky. He stood just above the water line, the lapping waves a mere meter away as he found a rocky outcropping to walk out onto and take a seat. It was gorgeous here and he could now understand why Ro had chosen to put the first Meji academy, or Praxeum as she called it, on Danvers. The populace would now have defenders, as well as, skilled people from all walks of life that had come to Green and joined up as Meji. As she had explained, not all can access the Core, but there were many ways to make things right in the galaxy, and many of them did not include strange powers and weapons. He could not argue with that logic.

Resch had taken the plunge like everyone else, injecting his body with these midi-chlorians so that they could finally begin to expand into the Milky Way, as they had come from the center of the galaxy when it was forming. Whether it took hold, or he became a user of the Core, did not matter to Marcus. He was Meji, now. He had sworn the oath to Master Ro as he was, along with the others in her direct orbit, a member of the inner circle. Ro had been imparting her wisdom on them for quite a while, and through that trust and knowledge, she had gained loyal people who were both trustworthy and honorable. All the way down to the lowliest of the techs who had come to live a better life.

"Mind if I join you? Or, are you seeking solitude?" A female voice asked from behind him. Searching his memory for voice tone, dialect and accent he recognized who it belonged to. "Please," Resch responded, turning enough to look over his shoulder at her as he gestured to another rock to park her tush. "Sorry for the seating but it seems they didn't get the memo about seat cushions."

Kara gave a smile as she went and sat next to him, her own eyes taking in the beautiful sights of sea, surf, and moonshine off the water. "Damn it," she said with a pseudo-serious tone and expression. The subtle sarcasm was not missed. "They had one job. Seat cushions for boulders." She giggled. It was second nature now for Sense to come forth when one was sitting alone, or seemed to be in some sort of crisis mentally. The Core said he he was fine, peaceful and joyous, even. So, out of politeness, she dropped it.

While sitting there next to Kara; damn she was beautiful, Resch felt the whisps of Core energy flowing around him. It surprised him, this Sense of his surroundings, but as he went to respond he tried to focus that perception to see where it came from. And, the Core, albeit shakily and with effort, told him that that Core energy he had perceived had come from Ainkara. Interesting, he thought, how that worked. It was an odd feeling having these extra senses. "Kara, I don't know what you're doing, but I'm fine. I promise."

Her eyes widened with joy and surprise as he said that, with Kara giving a wide smile. "Did you feel me using Sense on you. I wanted to make sure you were alright and it told me you were. Congratulations acolyte, you've taken your first steps into a larger universe." She leaned into him and gave him a one-armed hug around the shoulders. "This is brilliant!"

"I just felt the whisps of Core energy, recognizing what it was." Resch said. "It took some effort to focus it on you and determine the source. I'm still working through how I recognized it at all."

"The midi-chlorians," Stated Kara. "They've opened your mind and body to the Core. It won't take with all people even with midi-chlorians in their bodies. Instead they tend to either be pinnacles of virtue, or the most evil people in the galaxy. That is the way of things. The noble pirate, the honorable thief, or the tyrant determined to take over as much as they can from others. Master Ro says that is why the Meji exist, to deal with these things when asked by the Federation, to free up Starfleet for more pressing matters."

Marcus had taken all that in, running things through his mind as he listened. He looked over at her. "You seem to know quite a bit. Master Ro's star pupil, are we?" Resch said this in jest even though he was asking a relevant question.

"Something like that, yeah." Kara answered with another giggle. "I am the only one she has that has been fully committed to my duties as a Meji, as much as to my duties for Starfleet. We have spent many a day sitting around talking. Wait until the Meji engineers finish a project Ro has set for them. Freedom of movement for the Meji will be essential."

Giving a few nods Marcus showed he agreed. "Can't wait. However, my concern is the lightsaber. You and Ro seem to have a commanding understanding of the weapon, whereas I am likely to kill myself." He gave a chuckle.

"The training will be consistent and focused, trust me. You can't be Meji without a saber. It is our symbol and our defense, as well as, a weapon to be used when needed for preserving life. We strive to end all conflicts without death but unfortunately there are those out there who will accept death before they surrender." She paused a moment and then went on. "Besides, the Core is instrumental in aiding in combat. Control, Sense, and Alter are the three core wells of power for Meji. The theme of Control is centered on the ability to control one's own body, as self control is the starting point for all Core abilities and knowledge. One of the most well known side-effects of mastering the discipline of Control is prolonged life and the avoidance of decay."

"Sense involves the next step, in which the individual recognizes the Core in the universe outside herself; a deeper understanding of the living Core. Sense abilities allow Core-wielders to immerse themselves in the environment. By the end of their apprenticeship, Meji are expected to use the Core as an additional sense, constantly attuned to the undulation of the Core energy."

"Alter is the third and most difficult area to master, for it involves the student's ability to modify the Core and redistribute its energies. Untamed, these Core powers can cause mass chaos, as the art of manipulating other objects must be perfected and honed. Capable of affecting the environment, these abilities are vital to a successful Meji, as without them, individuals can see the Core, but are incapable of manipulating it."

Kara gave him a grin. "Apologies. I got caught up in aiding a fellow Meji."

"No, no." Marcus said. "It's fine. I'll need to learn all this stuff if I am to become a true Meji champion. I take it you will help train me in these matters? You have to understand how I operate. Once I begin a course a am driven to finish it in a timely manner. And, this is an epic education that I will dive right into."

"I'm glad," Kara responded. "You are the right sort, Marcus. Have been since the day I met you. I asked around about that bracelet you wear. You have my empathy for having to go through the death of a friend while they lay in your arms. You ever need to talk about it do not hesitate to let me know." She reached up like a grinning kid and tapped both her earlobes at the same time. "I'm all ears."

Resch had to laugh, liking the way she had changed so much from the time she had first come aboard. After her fiasco with the runabout incident she had become quite driven, and with Ro taking her under her wing, it was obvious that the Captain and her amazing charisma had made a difference. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I'll fit it in somewhere between my counseling sessions with Doc Sheyla. It seems my overly violent escapades on Danvers raised some eyebrows." He gave a shrug.

Kara reached out and clasped his hand in hers. "You're a good man, Marcus. Don't give in to fear, hate, anger; all the base negative emotions. It will consume you and destroy who you are, changing you into something dark and evil. I can't imagine, or even want to, a Marcus Resch that looks to kill others simply because they don't matter or, because it gives you pleasure. That is what Control is for, to aid you in keeping yourself grounded in the light." She released his hand.

When she broke the physical grasp Marcus closed his fingers lightly, rubbing them against each other on his lap as she was looking him in the eye. He found himself missing the tactile sensation of her skin on his, her strong hand clasping his in a show of solidarity and compassion. He had not felt that in a long time. He really needed to learn Control so he could keep himself from falling for her too quickly. She was a teacher, a fellow Meji, and some decorum needed to be seen to. "I will effort to not let my anger get the best of me. Which means I will be hitting you up for training on a consistent basis, along with Master Ro."

"Good," Kara said with a grin as she gave a playful backhand to the outside of his thigh. "One less thing to worry about. Also, Ro said the Adegan crystals were finished, so whatever color you picked is now available. But, you won't be able to use it until we're all back on board and you have time to construct your own saber...after some training, of course."

"I picked purple, or black light, as some would call it." Resch admitted. A nice neutral color and a color I like."

"Your weapon is yours, for life." Kara explained. "The more comfortable you are with it the better. Sheyla," she giggled. "Went with cloud blue like Ro. Go figure. An Andorian who likes the color blue. Who knew?" She giggled, which caused Marcus to giggle with her.

"Who are you and what have you done with the real Kara," Resch asked as he could not help but smile.

That caused Kara to laugh a little harder. "What you see is what you get. Let's just say that Master Ro has rubbed off on me. Her energy, compassion, joy at life. It's all so...amazing! Just by being around her I have learned to be more open and friendly, to cast off the stoic demeanor for one that suits me better. Especially as a Meji."

It was his turn so Marcus reached out and clasped the hand she had used to clasp his earlier, doing what she did with the friendly squeezes as he spoke. "It suits you perfectly, Kara. True friendship is a rare thing, and even rarer is finding the trust that should go with it. I am proud to name you among my friends."

Kara gave his hand a squeeze, letting it last a little longer than before, her face losing a good portion of the humorous expression as it became softer, her eyes looking into his as her face came a bit closer. "Thank you. I feel the same. Perhaps, in time, we'll go out and save the galaxy together. Least I can do for a...friend." She gave a sheepish grin, her eyes suddenly showing that she had woken up to the fact that she was getting in closer to him, and still holding his hand. With as much diplomacy to the situation as she could muster she hurriedly removed her hand from his grasp and stood up, brushing off the seat of her pants. "I, uhh, have to go check on...something."

Resch could tell she was flustered and looking for an escape path. Apparently, she had caught herself while caught up in their private little moment. If his Sense was reading her right, without even trying, then she was suddenly anxious in a nervous sort of way.

"I need to go over that way." Kara gave an offhand gesture to a certain direction. Her eyes were looking at everything but him.

Glancing to where she motioned to, all Resch could see was a natural rock sea wall and a small grove of trees. Yep, she was looking for an escape without looking like she was looking for an escape. "Kara, it's fine. Go ahead, I won't hold you up. Thanks for the talk it really helped me out my Meji friend. Have a good night."

"You too," Kara said, trying to hide her feelings of attraction for Marcus. He was good looking, intelligent, a man who enjoyed academia as much as he enjoyed outdoors activities, and cooking. Before she could catch herself Kara leaned in at the waist and kissed his cheek before moving away at a quickened pace.

Resch kept sitting there, looking out at the sea and the waves, his hand coming up to touch the spot where she had kissed him. He grinned to himself as his hand dropped to his lap. Being Meji seemed an even better choice, now. Getting up himself, Marcus made his way back to the BBQ area, stepping back within and visiting with his fellow crew members.

OFF: