Shifting Sand

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This article is about the Jedi meditation. You may be looking for the fathier named Shifting Sands.

"Remember levitation, when Yoda taught us to focus on small particles?"
"The Shifting Sand meditation. What about it?"
"Well, you were top of the class."
"But how will that help?"
"The door has a magnetic lock. Slide the sand between the frame and the wall, and it'll break the connection."
―Sifo-Dyas and Dooku, when planning to break into the Archive of Forbidden Artifacts — 20?cb=20250116042720 ▶️ (file info)[1]

Shifting Sand was a meditation technique taught to the Jedi Order's Jedi Initiates that focused on using the Force to levitate small particles. Initiates Dooku and Sifo-Dyas learned the technique, and in 88 BBY they used it to sneak into the Archive of Forbidden Artifacts vault in the Jedi Temple on the planet Coruscant. The pair again used the technique to break into a comm tower during the invasion of the planet Serenno by Abyssin mercenaries in 42 BBY.

Description

Shifting Sand was a meditation technique used by the Jedi Order. Jedi Initiates were taught the meditation as a way to focus on levitating small particles using the Force.[1]

History

"Sifo-Dyas, how well do you remember your levitation training?"
"What are you thinking?"
"Shifting Sands."
―Dooku and Sifo-Dyas, sneaking into a comm tower during the invasion of Serenno[1]
Dooku (pictured) and Sifo-Dyas used Shifting Sand on Coruscant and years later, on Serenno.

Dooku (pictured) and Sifo-Dyas used Shifting Sand on Coruscant and years later, on Serenno.

At some point during the Republic Era, Initiates Dooku and Sifo-Dyas attended a class on levitation taught by Jedi Grand Master Yoda. They learned how to use Shifting Sand in the session, and Dooku was considered the top of his class.[1] In 88 BBY,[2] Dooku and Sifo-Dyas broke into the Archive of Forbidden Artifacts, a secret vault of dark side artifacts hidden in the Jedi Archives of the Jedi Temple on the planet Coruscant. At Sifo-Dyas's behest, Dooku used the Shifting Sand technique to slide sand between the door to the vault and the wall, breaking the door's lock and thus allowing the pair entry into the room. Dooku later recounted the incident to his sister Jenza via holo-letter.[1]

In 42 BBY,[2] during an invasion of the planet Serenno by Abyssin mercenaries, Dooku and Sifo-Dyas used the Shifting Sand technique to break into an occupied comm tower on the outskirts of Serenno's capital city, Carannia.[1] Around 23 BBY,[3] Dooku gave data disks of his conversations with Jenza to his recently recruited Sith assassin—Asajj Ventress—for her investigation into Jenza's location, and she listened to the message mentioning Dooku and Sifo-Dyas using the technique in the Jedi Archives. After Ventress found Jenza, the latter told her of the pair's application of Shifting Sand during Serenno's invasion.[1]

Behind the scenes

The Shifting Sand meditation technique appeared in a flashback in the audio drama Dooku: Jedi Lost, written by Cavan Scott[1] and published on April 30, 2019.[4] The capitalization of Shifting Sand was confirmed by the audio drama's script release[5] on October 1 of the same year.[4]

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 Dooku: Jedi Lost
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Star Wars: Timelines
  3. ↑ Dooku: Jedi Lost establishes that Asajj Ventress has recently been recruited by Dooku. Star Wars: Timelines dates Ventress' recruitment by Dooku to 23 BBY, therefore placing the present day events of Dooku: Jedi Lost to around 23 BBY.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 PenguinRandomHouse-Logo Dooku: Jedi Lost (Star Wars) on Penguin Random House's official website (backup link)
  5. ↑ Dooku: Jedi Lost script
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