"This is going to be more difficult than it sounds," Steffan said as he led Callista into a small grotto next to the mountain. "Its a rare technique because it takes a high amount of skill to use, but it would be very useful if you intend to work with Xan in Intelligence." He looked around, noting the many trees around the clearing as well as the outcroppings and shadows in the rocky cliff. "This will do nicely to show you this technique."

Callista frowned slightly, but nodded as she followed close behind Steffan, her cloak swirling around her in the chill air of the darkened grotto. She cocked her head at him and leaned against a nearby outcropping of stone. "And what technique would that be, Steffan...?" she asked politely.

"There are actually two different abilities, but their uses are the same," he said as he kept looking around. "They're called Force Concealment and Force Cloak." As a demonstration, he turned to Callista and...suddenly vanished, both form her sight and from her senses in the Force.

Callista gasped, her eyes widening as Steffan promptly faded from her awareness. Something jogged in her memory... Master Faulkner had been able to do the same thing... But he'd never taught her how. She blinked, pushing that thought away as she focused again.

"Up here," she heard, looking over above and to the rocks to see him standing on one of the ledges. He jumped and disappeared again. It took her a few moments before he called to her again, this time from one of many liyel trees on the other side of the clearing. He vanished once more and appeared to land in front of her.

She watched, only being able to track him when he reappeared again. When he'd come to land in front of her again, she grinned. "That would indeed come in handy a few times..." she mused as she looked at him. Try as she might, she hadn't been able to sense him at all. "Okay... how did you do that...?" she asked after a moment's silence.

"Force Concealment involves masking your self in different ways in the Force," he said as they sat down. "Your ability to use it, your presence in the Force to others...even your alignment, whether you serve the light or dark."

Callista frowned slightly in thought, considering. "How does one's alignment affect such things...?"

"You know how you can sense their intentions, good or evil," he told her. "The technique, used by someone with a lot of skill in it, could allow one to hide their intentions. Some say that it was this technique that allowed Palpatine to hide his true nature during his rise to power. In any case, if there is any situation that you go into where you may face an opponent who is talented in the Force...you could hide yourself from their notice."

She nodded quietly, and felt her eyes drift closed as she reached for the Force, feeling it flow around her, her own energy shifting to match the vibration of the energy around her... much like she did when she was healing someone. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked at Steffan, watching for his reaction.

He nodded slowly, noting the effort she was putting into it. "Impressive for your first time," he said as she continued to focus. "It has diminished, but not completely. You actually feel that you are further away instead of not being there at all."

Callista sighed, and relaxed, feeling her own energy reassert itself. "I was modifying a technique that I use for healing, actually..." She grinned a little.

"To each, their own methods," he said with a smile. "With more practice, you may be able to pull it off nicely. Force Cloak is more difficult, because you are actually hiding yourself and not just your presence. There's two methods to do it. One is similar to Force persuasion, making your opponent not see you in their mind. The only down side of that method is that you would not be able to use it against droids of security camera. There's a second method, but it is extremely rare."

"Can you tell me about it...?" she asked, leaning back against the tree she now stood next to. She was finding there was more and more she didn't know about Steffan, and it intrigued her greatly.

"I've only just learned of this method myself, this being the first I've seriously tried it against another Jedi," he said as he looked over to her. "My old friend Malano Vos lent me a journal that belonged to his grandfather, who was a Jedi during the Clone Wars. He spoke of being able to actually affect light and sound to hide yourself just as if you had a cloaking device. Used effectively, you could possibly hide from anything and everything."

"However," Steffan said as he stood up. "It demands more on the user...greater concentration and consumes more energy. The user would have to be very strong to use it for a prolonged amount of time."

Callista nodded. "Even if the user of such a technique maintains a Force connection throughout...?"

He nodded. "Not many have been able to effectively use the second method."

"Why not...?" her eyes narrowed slightly. "Does it have anything to do with what you said before about one's alignment...? Or is it more it's effect on the user...?"

"I would think the affect on the user. Greater concentration and greater strength behind the effort. Even the short demonstration I did for you takes a lot. I have always used the first method, but the second will take some time for me to feel comfortable with the technique."

Callista looked closely at him, noticing how he appeared more tired than before. "Steffan... there's something you're not telling me... what is it...? " she asked gently, clasping his forearm.

His eyes were closed tight...yet focused. His breathing had slowed, as if he was recovering from some unseen blow. "I think this might be enough for today," he said as he slowly got up, trying to steady himself. "I may have pushed a little too far in this lesson today."

Her hand on his arm tightened slightly, and she steadied him as they turned back towards the path out of the grotto. "You didn't have to show me everything in one day," she chided gently. "I may be a sponge when it comes to learning, but you're still healing..."

"So I try to let you soak all you can," he said with a slight chuckle as they walked back down the path.

Callista laughed then, grinning slightly. "Vor'e for that... but you have to take care of yourself too... buir.." she finished softly, wrapping her arm around his shoulders and squeezing gently.

He winced some from the effort. There was still some discomfort from the wound. "That should probably be all indeed."

"Ni ceta..." she said softly, sliding her arm down to wrap around his waist instead. "It's still giving you trouble. I can have another look before you turn in for the night, if you like..." she offered.

"I think it was the effort to use the cloak that aggravated it," he said. "For some reason; the more I use the Force, the more it wants to act up again. I've never read or anything like it."

Callista's eyes narrowed. "As if the wound itself... or the energy in it is siphoning your connection to the Force to sustain itself... or clouding the connection...? But.. how...?" she wondered aloud.

"I do not know," he told her. "I don't know if you have come across anything like that in Arie's journals or not."

She shook her had. "I haven't... yet. But I can look again. If not, there's always a first time for everything..."

"Aye."

She smiled, sensing how tired he was. "Let's get you home, and I'll have a look." She was silent a moment. "On that note... I do think the lessons I've been teaching to your students have been helping. I haven't had quite as many visits from minor injuries sustained outside of class."

"Good," he said as the continued to walk. "I was more worried about sparring injuries than anything else."

She grinned a little. "It's not unlike anything that happened when I was a Padawan, you know. They get excited, and stuff happens..." He laughed lightly at the comment as they started to reach the house. Callista was still smiling as she helped Steffan up the steps and to the veranda before turning towards his study. She could smell the tantalizing aromas from the kitchen that threatened to divert her attention.

"Is everyone ready for lunch?" Jade called from the kitchen.

Callista looked to Steffan for a moment, before she answered. "We'll be in in a few minutes, Jade; if that's alright." She wasn't about to take no for an answer this time. Steffan had pushed himself hard.