After breakfast, which consisted of translucent jungle root pudding--which Ben thought looked more like gelatinous sludge, but actually tasted wonderful, despite its peculiar appearance--Rey spread the news of continuing her Jedi training. It had only been one day without her training, but she missed it, and she missed seeing her Padawans. Besides, Rey wouldn't train them alone this time; Ben had eagerly agreed to join her.
Rey and Ben stood before their Padawans. It was such an invigorating feeling to have Ben there with her. He was one of the strongest Force-users she knew, besides Luke and Yoda, and the guidance he would bestow upon the Padawans would surely be exponential.
As Rey instructed the Padawans to have a seat on the jungle soil, Ben concentrated on the eight Force-sensitives in front of him. He became inundated with a firm sense of anxiety that pooled in the center of their guts--except for Finn, who had grown accustomed to Ben, and the feeling was mutual.
Despite Poe and Commander D'Acy's condoning of Ben, everyone still kept their distance from him. Their wary glances lingered nervously, as if they were to stop gawking at him, he'd ignite his lightsaber and slaughter them. Maybe use the Force to choke them, or even worse, throw them into oblivion. But Ben only found empathy for them. Being taught to control the Force by a man who used to pray on it for his atrocious wrongdoings was as angsty as it could get. Though it would only take time to earn his trust--however long, Ben had no comprehension. His musing discontinued as Rey began ordering the Padawans to meditate.
"They're pretty good, aren't they?" Rey whispered to Ben.
He nodded, sensing the pulsing, the surge of energy that filled his senses, tingled at the back of his brain. They were small, ever-so-struggling currents of trembling Force energy, but it was still tangible. "I think it's time they are challenged."
"Challenged, how?"
Ben mused back to when he was a young man, Rey's age, training with his uncle, Luke Skywalker at his Jedi school, day and night. Gaining strength rapidly, faster than any other Padawan--more than anyone Luke had ever seen, let alone taught. Though Ben had been innately venerated with his gift of Force-mastery, Luke's teaching empowered him to control the Force with confidence.
Some of Luke's Padawans were just as strong, if not less strong, as Rey's Padawans, but they had quickly become prodigies with Luke's guidance. He never once doubted them. In fact, he always challenged them; he made the impossible possible somehow. He gave them tasks bigger than themselves, and in return, that made them powerful.
Ben suddenly called for the Padawan's to focus their attention up front. They all perked up, as alert as ever. Ben guessed that had something to do with him.
Rey looked to Ben in silent question, but he gave a small nod, then focused on the attentive Force-sensitives. "To truly accomplish meditation, you need something to meditate on. You have all grasped the basic idea, but now, you need an object to set your mind on. To concentrate on."
Instantaneously, Ben sent eight various rocks from the ground around him, levitating through the humid air. They eased down slowly in front of each Padawan. A look of curiosity crossed their faces, eyes darting from the rock back to Ben, eager for their new Master to instruct.
"As my Uncle Luke Skywalker once said: you should never be afraid of failure. Instead, you should crave it, look forward to it. Because you can't ever advance until you lose. Losing makes you stronger."
The Padawans blinked. Ben sensed a load of questions forming in each of their minds, tinged with doubt, but Ben wouldn't let them give into their hesitation. "I want you all to concentrate every single ounce of the Force you have on that rock in front of you. Despite everyone's different levels and abilities, I can sense that everyone will be able to lift those rocks."
The Padawans obeyed their commands, and Ben awaited to watch the rocks levitate in front of his eyes. It took several attempts, on top of several more attempts from the struggling Padawans, but Ben noted that his challenge was coming around. The levitation was working; each of them had their medium-sized rocks hovering over the dewy ground, only if by a few mere centimeters.
Rey watched, hopeful, as Ben went to each of the Force-sensitives, encouraging them with curt affirmations or subtle nods. He was proud of his ongoing accomplishment, she could sense, and that made her proud, too.
Ben suddenly sensed a girl Rey's age, Titania, who unlike everyone else that was using their maximum strength, was only using her minimum strength.
"You're hindering yourself. Concentrate--" Ben said as he approached her, feeling inside of her mind --"There it is, feel that? That tingle in your veins."
"Yes, but--"
"Channel that energy. Completely--don't hinder yourself. Build on it, strengthen it from inside of your veins."
Titania pushed on, struggling. Her hand quivered unsteadily, her eyebrows were pinched together. But then suddenly, her face calmed, morphed into a stressless expression. Ben sensed the pounding, pulsing Force inside of her. It was working . . .
Titania gasped, mind-blown, as she felt the rock shoot up several feet into the air, even bypassing Ben's height, like she had launched it into the air with a bow.
Then the piece of rock came tumbling down on a straight trajectory aimed for the center of Titania's head. She shrieked, anticipating its crash, but Ben swerved it away from harm, and sent it diving into the wet grass in front of her with a solid thunk.
Titania's expression was lost in a perplexed stupor. All the other Padawans had broken away from their focus, stunned by how strong their fellow Force-sensitive was.
Ben crouched down beside Titania, and a flicker of fear flashed in her pale eyes, but then that fear became overtaken by a slight ounce of pride. Ben was proud of her power, of the power that he prompted from her. Was that what Luke felt when he trained his nephew? Ben inwardly grinned, then focused his eyes on Titania's. "With that determination you will become Jedi. I guarantee it."