Altering the Mind

[Pyromaniac]

Zoroc sat in the center of a large room within the Temple of Korriban. It had only been a few days since he'd arrived here, but had been able to capture the attention of one Sith, a woman named Grima. He knew only of what other Acolytes have whispered about her, the Sith Witch, but he was waiting to make the judgment himself on her. After all, he had heard she was a master of the Dark Side, the True Sith, and he was eager to begin his training.

The room was spacious, consisting of a few tables, chairs, and rugs with a tapestry or two. On the table were datapads, quite a few of them, which he had been feverishly reading over since his arrival. Many contained the Sith Code, a few meditation exercises, and the like. However, they did not compare to an actual teacher and so, leaving his comfort zone, he decided to call on a sentient for aid. He took a deep breath and cleared his mind, focusing on his hatred and using it to give him clarity of his surroundings.

There was so much he wished to learn, yet so little time. He only hoped the Master could teach him what he wanted to know.

Maybe then he could return to Nar Shaddaa and kill that bloated slime ball.

He focused on the datapads and did his best to lift them, however, he put too much effort into it, and the things were flung straight into the air and smashed against the ceiling. Oops.

 

[Negative Blessing]

Korriban, a planet of filled with red sand, dangers, and the Dark Side. Though the Sith Master known as Grima Volitu found no reason to tread upon the sands of her own free will but only when called upon to do so, it was the latter that brought her back to the planet that had started it all for her. It was here that she learned the true nature of the Dark side, letting it corrupt her and turn her into something powerful and great.

However, to a Jedi they would refer to her as a monster or an abomination of the Force and would seek to infect her mind with the nonsense of their dogmatic teachings about what is right and wrong, about the nature of the Light Side, and most importantly, try to redeem her lost soul. Many Jedi had fallen to her twin blades for allowing themselves to think she was worth saving. Redemption was a word she found associated with weakness; and she was far from weak.

So once her ship landed and she departed it, she made her way to the Temple that stood in front of her, entered it, and walked through the halls; her power flowing all around her. The teachers had long since kept their eyes from either gazing at her or making a lock of eye contact. She hated them and they hated her for her opinions of their teachings. Yet, as much as they hated her, they feared her even more. And it was the latter that she preyed on. But she was not here to debate the teachings or to put them in their place, she was here to teach a new Acolyte and if this Acolyte proved worthy enough; she would take him on as another Apprentice.

Using her knowledge of the Force, she opened the door to the chamber and stepped inside and eyed the Zabrak that had called upon her. Grima stood there in silence just gazing at the young man gauging his power in the Force. He seemed capable enough in terms of his strength in the Force but how much had he been corrupted by the teachings here at Korriban. Was he on the path of a True Sith or would he just be another Sith that needed to be culled for his misunderstandings of both the Dark Side and the nature of a Sith. Only time would tell.

Looking at the debris from the ruined data pads she said, "Control is everything Acolyte. Control your emotions...control your thoughts...control your mind....control your surroundings...and when the time comes and you grow more powerful, control those around you. The greatest victory over your enemy is manipulating them to your causes or beliefs." Looking up from the mess on the floor and locking her gaze onto the Zabrak she added, "I am sure we are beyond mere introductions Acolyte. I know who you are and I am well aware you know of me. Before we get started I have but one question for you."

Taking a step in the direction of the Zabrak but never taking her eyes off him she says with venom in her voice, "What makes you think you are worthy of my teachings?"

 

[Pyromaniac]

Zoroc stood and turned to face the Witch. With her so close, he could feel his senses expanding. Her power, her darkness, were unlike anything he's ever felt. It made him excited, but he did not let it show. Oh, how he wanted such power...

"I am a former slave to a Hutt, and have been for most of my life. I was a prisoner, tortured and used, with no control over my life. I grew sick of it. One day, when I was being punished... my powers were awakened in my rage and pain. I killed my captors, and escaped. The Force broke my chains, my passions gave me the power to achieve victory over those worthless thugs. I am tired of being controlled, and even now I can feel it. The rage, the drive... I shall never let it go."

"I wish to become the perfect Sith, to gain enough power to slaughter my foes and stave off my enemies. I wish to leave my mark on this galaxy, to be unlike any before me. I want to control others, to make them fight for me, die for me, and to do my bidding. I wish to become something that strikes fear into the hearts of everyone."

As he spoke, the pieces of the datapads began to rise and swirl around his body, speeding up as his rose slowly became more angry, more intense.

"I wish to become Zoroc, Master of the Dark Side, and no one's puppet. Yet to become what I wish, I need a path. I've learned much on my own, but I can only do so much by myself in the way of learning and training, and so I have sought you out, Master. I have chosen to learn from you, for your powers and influence are what I believe to be what shall set me on my proper path. I want the Force to free me of all my chains."

Zoroc slowly lowered the pieces of the datapads on to the table where he had put them. He was taking Grima's words to heart, gripping his emotions tight so they do not control him. It was difficult, but that was why he was here. To learn, become stronger, become unique to the Sith and the galaxy.

He was no one's puppet.

 

[Negative Blessing]

Grima listened to the Zabrak's words feeling his passion with every word that spilled from his mouth. His quest for power and knowledge was what all Sith strive for; some achieve this while others die during their journey toward greatness and perfection. But some of his words he spoke were dangerous to himself and in the end, could ultimately be his undoing.

"I have no love for the Hutts...they are a blight upon the galaxy and the only purpose they serve is fodder for greater predators. You speak of chains and breaking free of them. Know this my Apprentice...not all chains placed upon you are of other's doings. You can in fact place chains upon yourself unwillingly and it is those chains that can eventually hold you back. It is those chains that you must strive to break free from or you will become nothing more than a misguided fool with the knowledge of how the Force works."

Grima watched the shattered pieces of the datapad float and gently land on the table. She let a small smile appear on her face for she knew he had listened to her words and in doing so, took the first steps of controlling his emotions. But to control them is one thing, to use them in times of need is something all together different.

"You must becareful with that concept of revenge. Many a Sith has died in their pursuit of revenge...it is the dagger in the back. However, with focused revenge....revenge that does not drive you but revenge that you are patient with...can be a very powerful ally. Sith encourage rivalry amongst each other and do you know why? Like focused revenge, rivalry will force you to become greater than you are; and when the time is right and you are powerful enough, you will achieve all that you seek," the Sith Witch says to her Apprentice.

Grima shook her head in disgust as she thought about how he was so proud to mention slaughtering his foes. "But I heard you speak of slaughter....there is more to just killing that makes a Sith. A Sith that kills out brutality or because they can is no master of their emotions but...what was the word you used....oh yes, a puppet. You will be a puppet to your emotions," Grima says to her Zabrak Apprentice.

Looking him up and down once again she continues, "Is it just to kill cause someone angered you? No! Is it just to kill because you hate someone or something? No! A True Sith does not kill because they can...they kill out of self-preservation, to achieve a goal, for a purpose, or to weed out the weak amongst the Order. There are two grave misconceptions in this Order, that all Sith should be equal and that we should share our knowledge and power to strengthen our Order! A True Sith does not believe in equality nor shall we ever. A True Sith does not believe in sharing power or knowledge with others for the exception of the Master and Apprentice bond. To share what you know to others will make you weak...and when they sense that, they will hunt you down just as a Firaxan shark does when it smells blood in the water."

With a smirk on her Dark Side corrupted face, she says, "But there are far better ways to dominate and eliminate your enemies or rivals. Manipulation! If you kill all those that oppose you, then those that die by your hand learn nothing. You turn them from their beliefs to yours....or simply break their will forcing them to do things they normally won't do naturally....then they will learn to fear you. However, even the fearful learn bravery and when that happens Apprentice....like all those that no longer serve a purpose to you must die less you wish to feel that dagger in your back!"

Grima decided that this Zabrak is worthy to study and learn from him. He will either survive her teachings or he will die like a proper Sith trying. "Have the words that I spoke to you fill your mind up with common sense....or are you doomed for failure already?"

 

[Pyromaniac]

Zoroc listened to her speak, and nodded, taking in every word. Perhaps there was some truth to what she was saying. His revenge, his bloodlust... they were well and good, but that is not what makes a true Sith. He was beginning to see just how important his training here, under Grima, was to be, that he had made the right decision in seeking her out. She knew what he lacked, and what he needed to become what he sought. That much was clear, and he would not question her about this. After all, she was the Sith Master, not he.

"I must kill for self-preservation, with purpose, not mindless slaughter. My revenge must be slow, patient, if I am to succeed. The most important chains I must break are those I have placed on myself, the mentality of being a slave... It is no longer physical, but mental. I must never share my power, which I never intended on unless I take on a student, in the name of self-preservation. But, you did speak of one thing I wish to learn- manipulation. I want to learn this talent, for as you said, that is where I believe a part of true power lies. Why waste a tool? However, when that tool becomes useless, why keep it? All Sith must be wary of one another, conflict is how we grow. And so, I must manipulate carefully, and get the desired result. Once they are no longer needed or useful, I shall end them."

He closed his eyes and focused, taking in her words and slowly reeling in his anger and letting it simply return to the smoldering hatred that rested in his breast, never to cool.

"I shall take your words to heart, Master, and accept all that you can teach me so that one day, I shall become a powerful Sith... a true Sith."

 

[Negative Blessing]

"All of the advanced powers begin with a basic foundation...and it is from that foundation that those powers will in time become available to you as you grow in the Force. And as you begin to fall further into the depths of the Dark Side certain abilities that are deemed unnatural will begin to manifest within you," Grima replies to her Apprentice then adds with a dark smile, "And from that Apprentice....you will begin to understand the nature of Sith Sorcery. Only one that is truly sealed in the envelope of the Dark Side and is far from the reaches of redemption and salvation will understand the dark arts if they are willing to gaze upon its horrors that will haunt you mentally and cast away the cares of the physical toll it takes upon one's body."

Clasping her hands together behind her back she begins to pace back and forth in front of her Apprentice. So he seeks to learn how to manipulate others just as she is a master of that herself. Yes, she kills. But killing is her form of granting mercy. Its the atrocities one has to endure when they become spellbound by her, their wills broke and their minds shattered.

"The first step into dominating others is Force Persuasion. It is the basic form of the art of mind tricks. To do so, you must concentrate your mind while melding it to anther's. Through subtle suggestions and mental nudges via the Force you can make others answer questions they normally would not....volunteer information they would die to protect....or simply leave your presence if you so desire it. But remember this well Apprentice, not all species can be mind tricked such as Hutts. Hutts and those that have strong wills will oppose your attempts but when you grow more powerful....no will can ever oppose you again."

Stopping in front of her Apprentice she smirks dangerously. "I am sure there is another Sith here in the temple that you seek to....oppress. Using the Force now, reach out and try to find them in the temple by their Force signature. Allow the Force to guide you and be your crutch and in doing so, it will show you how to locate and read the signatures of others. When you find this....target....slowly and carefully try to connect your mind to theirs. When you have a firm grasp on it....through subtle suggestions try to make them think they want to join us here in the chamber."

 

[Pyromaniac]

Zoroc nodded and smirked. Yes, there was one such person here. Ever since he arrived, there has been a human here who follows him, insults him, finding little ways to annoy him... even going as far as to bring out his lightsaber when they were alone, and threaten to chop Zoroc's arms and legs off if he did not bow to him. Zoroc would bow to no one, unless it was absolutely necessary.

Closing his eyes, he reached out in the Force and searched the halls, feeling life. His reach slithered across the Temple like hundreds of tiny worms, looking for one Acolyte.

Ah, yes, there he was...

His name was Marek, a tall and muscular human aspiring to become a Darth and masterful Sith Warrior.

Zoroc began to channel his hatred, his passion, into a slow and subtle trail of thoughts that attempted to enter the young mans mind. For a while, it would not work, he felt no progress, and if he tried too hard, then the brute would suspect it. Zoroc tried one last time...

And he felt the man's thoughts in his own mind. The Acolyte was ready to behead his teacher for belittling his "superior" form. He was ready to storm out of the room, ready to forget himself and stick his lightsaber in the man's throat. While that was tempting to encourage, Zoroc did not allow it. He increased the rage, but slowly diminished the bloodlust. The Acolyte began to froth at the mouth with such anger, that he flung his lightsaber into a practice dummy and stomped out of the room. Zoroc, sweating from exhertion, began to suggest a nice and angry walk down the halls, maybe to find some puny initiate to pick on. The brute followed his orders, grumbling, wishing to just say to hell with it all. In the blind fury, Zoroc began to suggest directions, the directions to this very room. Perhaps Marek could convince Grima that he was worthy of teaching, not the weak little Zabrak.

As time went on, Zoroc could feel himself tiring. And when the mental commands were in place, he dropped the Force Persuasion and panted.

"He's on... his way, Master."

 

[Negative Blessing]

Grima could feel her Apprentice's struggle with convincing another to come to the chamber, and when she saw the sweat on his brow, her feelings were confirmed. She could have spoken to him, perhaps giving him words of encouragement but she did not want to break his concentration and, he needed to learn even if it came from failure. Her former Master had once told her that your greatest knowledge you will gain from her lessons was those that came from failing. Through failing, you see your own weakness, and by rectifying your weakness, you grow stronger. Success from lessons is good, but it breeds over confidence and pride; and it is those that cause an early death for a Sith.

When her Apprentice spoke of the forthcoming company, she simply nodded her head. "Do not fear failing in your lessons or fear that your struggles in doing something new to you will result in either failure or punishment. I do not punish failure....I punish for not trying. A warning Apprentice...when you find it hard to persuade someone then you must cut your losses. Spending to much time on one individual will result in to much expenditure of your Force energy, which is called Force Exhaustion. When you have exhausted your energy, you are at your most vulnerable. And I do not need to teach you what occurs when you become vulnerable."

Turning her head slightly to the left she could feel the presence of another approaching. Though he struggled with the power, he had succeeded in convincing another to join them. "The most important goal in manipulating another is that you leave no traces or signs you were in their mind. If you fail to do that Apprentice....they will seek out the source and eliminate if all possible. And if it's another Sith you left traces of yourself in...then be assured you will have a fight to the death on your hands."

The door to the training chamber opens and stepping inside is a human male. His eyes are blinded with rage and fury when he looks at her Apprentice but when he sees the Torgruta Sith Master, he bows his head and drops to a knee. "Only the weak submit themselves in such a manner," Grima snarls at the kneeled Acolyte. Thrusting her hands out she engulfs the Acolyte in the blue and white energy of Force Lightning.

When she stops the demonstration, he says to her Apprentice, "If one wishes for you to kneel to them...then they better have killed you first! Now, do with what you will with him. Manipulate him...use him....and when you have finished with him...discard him." Grima glances down at the smoking Acolyte on the ground and laughs as she begins to siphon his fear.

 

[Pyromaniac]

Zoroc wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded to Grima at her words. This was the first time he's heard of a Sith not punishing failure... or any master, for that matter. It was so foreign he shifted slightly on his feet, unsure of how to respond otherwise.

"I shall endeavor to not leave myself vulnerable again, Master. Your words surprise me, but I was able to do it. In time and with training, I shall master this talent, but that will take time."

He watched as she shocked the Acolyte, in awe of her power and inwardly happy he did not bow to her when they first met. He watched stoically as she gave him instructions, before closing his eyes and clasping his hands in front of his chest. With the Force, he slithered into the mind of the Acolyte again, subtly. He was still trying to enter whenever the man stood up, saw him, and brandished his saber to strike him down. Marek raised his blade up and was about to bring it down, before he stopped halfway through the swing. He stared, confused, and looked around.

"Where are you, little Zabrak?"

Zoroc whispered a word, "Here.", and Marek suddenly thrashed wildly at the doorway, swinging his saber at the stone, slicing through.

The Zabrak felt his control slipping, as Marek was beginning to turn and look at him. It was time to stop with the test...

Suddenly, Marek's expression turned blank.

"You shall become my slave, Marek. When we meet, you shall treat me as you always do, you shall not remember this command until I say the words, 'Watch your back.' When I do, you shall forget all hostility you have towards me, all hatred, and defend me, serve me, until I kill you. Is this clear?"

Marek nodded slowly, repeating, "I shall defend you, serve you, until you kill me..."

"Good, now return to your Master."

The oaf turned slowly, deactivated his saber, and walked out of the room.

 

[Negative Blessing]

Grima watched her Apprentice taunt the other Acolyte known as Marek, playing tricks with the human's mind. When at last the display was over and the human left the chamber. Grima clapped her hands together. "You have shown that you are capable of manipulating others. When you grow more powerful you will be able to dominate their minds completely!"

Grima exits the chamber motioning for her Apprentice to follow her through the halls. "The next power I wish to teach you is one of the most basic of all the Force powers but is one of the most powerful in terms of self-preservation; Force Sense. This is the ability to feel other's in the Force....be it from the Dark Side...the Light Side...or simply those touched by the Force but yet are unaware of it themselves. As you grow older and wiser in the Force, this ability could grant you visions of the future....but do not put much trust or thought into such visions; for the future is never set in stone but an always revolving entity."

Leading her Apprentice through one of the crowded areas of the temple, she spreads her arms out in front of her as she says, "Allow the Force to siphon the feelings of the Force from all these Acolytes. The more you practice this the easier you will be able to detect others...which is good for the Force will send you ripples when danger is close or another touched by the Force is near by. But know this...there are other abilities that can hide the Force from you. But that is another lesson far down your path."

Bringing her arms back to her side, she adds, "Through this power Apprentice, you will begin to learn and understand Force signatures. Every Sith...Jedi....and Force sensitive have their own unique signature and no two are alike. This is helpful when you are seeking out a particular individual. Finally, when you develop this power and know of signatures...you will be able to seek me out when we are not together...my signature will act like a beacon just as yours will do for me. Later, we will discuss Telepathy where we can speak to each other without using words. This usually occurs between Master and Apprentice over time....but time is short and precious and it will be better to learn it sooner than waiting for it to develop on its own. Now, go ahead and try to get a feel of these people and learn to read and see their Force signatures."

 

[Pyromaniac]

Zoroc was woozy when Grima's clapping brought him back to life. he jumped a little and listened, feeling a small amount of pride in his achievement. It would take time, but soon that power would grow. Though Grima accepted failure, he did not want to admit his struggle with the power. It left him feeling tried, but not enough to be dangerous. He just felt like he ran three miles in fourteen minutes.

As he followed his master, he flipped his hood up the moment another Acolyte came into view. He hated being among sentients, HATED it, but he would tolerate it for Grima's lessons. When she spoke of Force Sense, he stumbled a bit, but caught himself. He'd discovered this power on Manaan, when he met a Jedi who was taking in two younger people... He was a Crystavian, if memory was right, and was much more aggressive than Jedi in the stories were portrayed...

He found it strange hearing about visions of the future. He'd read stories of such things, yes, but to hear about it was another story. The thought of having a vision such as that was exciting, but Zoroc's expression remained about as animate as a droids. He would remember Grima's words and not put too much weight on the visions, should they ever come, but it still made him happy. They had just entered a crowded area and Zoroc's skin began to crawl. He could feel hints of power all around him, like small pressures on his skin, but nothing like the Jedi. No, he felt dark and cold, if anything.

Zoroc listened as she spoke of Force signatures, putting that in the back of his mind to be stored. That's a useful little bit of information, and Telepathy sounded especially fun. He smirked a little, dispite the urge to rub his arms to help keep his discomfort from growing.

Closing his eyes, he tried to feel more than just pressure, more than the darkness. He tried to feel their life force, their Force signature... but when he did, he could only feel the massive cluster of people molding into one strong Force energy cloud in his mind. He cringed again and tried to Sense individuals, but once again, it failed. He felt little, and what he did feel was nothing detailed... much like how it was on Manaan.

"Master, I'm having... difficulties... I can barely Sense them, and what I do feel is traces of the Dark Side and their life, but no signature, nothing... individual. What am I doing wrong?"

 

[Negative Blessing]

"You are trying to open your mind and senses to everyone around us....you do not need to do this...yet. First, concentrate on a single person...like that one," Grima said just as she pointed to a female Twi'lek who was standing by herself looking over a datapad. "Focus on her and only her. Use the Force to hear...to feel...and to sense her heartbeat then move through her body until you feel her own individual Force energies, thus her Force signature will be available to you."

Grima knew that this ability was difficult to learn at one's earlier stages of understanding the Force, but it was a must in terms of self-preservation. Surprises were a nasty business. Especially if you were the one on the end of such surprise.

Before her Apprentice was ready to begin, Grima added quickly, "With so many presences around, perhaps you should recite the Sith Code to yourself in your mind to add more focus for yourself. Once you get a handle on this....you will be able to jump from one to another with ease. And, you will begin to filter what you want to feel and what you do not need to feel at the moment. In this room....my signature is the most dominate....if you need a base line to start with Apprentice, read my signature first then move to the Twi'lek girl."

To better assist her Apprentice, the Sith Master quickly siphons some of the energy in the room filling herself up more with the Force.

 

[Pyromaniac]

Zoroc took a deep breath, and he could feel his skin crawl from so many people being in the room. When Grima spoke, he focused on her words to drown out everything else. He looked to the girl she mentioned and studied her for a moment. She looked focused in her work, something he admired, but otherwise he could only feel the general Force around him.

Grima's advice was good, and he was angry with himself that he was having trouble, but that could wait. She mentioned reciting the Sith Code, to focus himself. He decided this was the best solution, and so clasped his hands in front of his chest and chanted softly...

"Peace is a lie, there is only Passion. Through Passion, I gain strength. Through Strength, Power. Through Power, Victory. Through Victory, my Chains are Broken. The Force shall free me." Zoroc took a small amount of comfort in these words, strangely. To him, they were the explanation as to why he was here, what he was trying to do. He would break the chains in his mind, if it was the last thing he did.

He decided to try this ability on Grima first, to try and gather a base line. His senses were instantly dominated by her presence, her darkness and aura. Her raw power flooded his mind and he could feel nothing else. It was magnificent! He began to feel her curiosity of him, it radiated off her more to him for it was directed at him.

Zoroc closed his eyes for a moment and began to rein in his senses. He could feel her heartbeat, her life force, and it made him try to dig deeper. He could feel the presence of the Dark Side, of her hatred of weakness. Her need for survival. He took a deep breath and tried to continue, but it was difficult. Once he dug to a certain depth, it felt like a wall. He could feel Grima's Force energy, and the energy she siphoned. It was hard to maintain such a sense, but he could feel it! When he tried to use this focus on the Twi'lek, he found it a little more difficult.

Grima's energy was vast and consuming to him, but this girl was smaller, and therefore harder to sense. He could feel her heartbeat in his mind, could feel it's pulse in rhythm with his own. It was like a perfectly synchronized set of data processing units, and he didn't stop there...

 

[Negative Blessing]

The Sith Witch could feel the presence inside of her as her Apprentice attempted to read into her using the Force. Slowly she began to dial down the energy she was radiating for him so that he would not remained so focused on her; allowing himself to be drowned or consumed by her energy. "You are doing well Apprentice. Now turn from me to the Twi'lek girl." She began to feel his presence leave her.

Grima turned her gaze to the Twi'lek herself and quickly invaded the girl's body using the Force; melding the two into one. It was here that Grima would be able to feel, through the Twi'lek, the presence of the Zabrak as he moved to gauge her through the Force. Opening her eyes, she turned toward her Apprentice knowing he was close to revealing himself to the girl.

"Tread carefully Apprentice...you are very close to revealing yourself to her. That girl is the current reigning duelist in this temple and once she discovers that you have....violated her....she will not restrain herself. And that is a fight you will have to face....and succeed. Unless of course you think your skills with that pathetic training blade can match whatever she throws at you....then allow yourself to be caught in the act."

Turning her eyes back to the girl, Grima smiles openly. "Or perhaps it is time we see how well you manage against a more talented and skilled opponent in terms of the Sith killing tool." Grima let out a small laugh that was filled with madness. Waving her right hand in front of her as if she could erase the laugh she added, "No...I think we will wait until you are properly trained with a lightsaber before I put you in harm's way. You have great potential and I would never be able to live with myself if I was the cause of that potential never being reached cause I failed you by letting you...hmm....die on me."

 

[Pyromaniac]

Zoroc began to slither his way out of the mind of the duelist. No, he knew when a battle was lost even without engaging. His talent lies with the Force and robotics, not physical combat... he would never admit this in a public place though. Zoroc's power left her, just before she could notice his presence, and turned quickly to his master. His lip curled at the words Grima spoke about not being able to live with herself.

It was a Sith's intention, not true caring. He had the potential to become a great tool, an ally, yes, but there would be no tears on his death, nothing more than an unmarked grave and more air to breathe to those around him.

"I prefer to use the Force than a training blade, Master, though I will use this weapon if I have to. I am no master, but I think I am decent for an Acolyte." He said that last part quietly, "I would not win, not yet, against that girl. I know this and I have no intention of throwing my life away. It is not the Sith way."

"I know I must best her, but not yet."

Zoroc began to pull things out of his tool belt, parts most would find at random, however, upon closer inspection...

"I have many of the parts needed in construction of a lightsaber already, but I am missing a power cell, an emitter matrix, and a crystal... Before I escaped Nar Shaddaa I made sure to research construction of the weapon and gather many of its components in various ways, many illegal."

"All of the power cells I found were either damaged or broken." He admitted shamefully.

 

[Negative Blessing]

Nodding at her Apprentice, Grima replies, "The Force is our main weapon...it is there for us to use...to manipulate to fit our desires....and yes, to assist us in growing powerful. However Apprentice, a Sith must always know how to handle and use a lightsaber or any equivalent weapon to defend themselves even if its only a mere training blade. Why?"

Not waiting for a reply from her Apprentice, she added, "The answer is simple Apprentice...every time you use the Force it drains energy from you and the more you rely on it or call upon more powerful abilities the more energy you can lose....which will lead to Force exhaustion and leaving you extremely vulnerable to Force attacks. With that being said, there are ways to steal another's Force energy such as Drain Force but you are no where near powerful enough to learn such an ability...yet."

Tapping her finger on her upper lip, a sign she was thinking to herself, she thought about how obtaining the components for her Apprentice's first lightsaber. A crystal may be the hardest part to obtain but she knew of several different planets where crystal caves had what her Apprentice needed. For the power cell and the emitter matrix, those could be easily obtained from one of the stores in the temple but those usually were overpriced or destined to break quickly; forcing an Acolyte to purchase another one.

Removing her tapping finger from her upper lip, the Sith Witch said, "The power cell and the matrix emitter I have for you....you will learn to hoard such components in time. As for the crystal, Apprentice. Make ready for departure...we are leaving for Dantooine immediately."

 

[Pyromaniac]

"I'm glad we agree on that, Master. I know I cannot survive with only Force abilities alone, which is why I have begun gathering lightsaber components."

Upon her mention of Drain Force Zoroc instantly became intrigued. That was a power he would definitely have to learn. However, when his Master spoke, he had listened intently.

Zoroc's eyes widened at her sudden declaration of traveling to this... Dantooine. He'd heard of that planet, but never ventured there. Wasn't there a Jedi Enclave there once?

"I... shall gather my belongings then, Master. I shall meet you at the hangers."

With that, the Acolyte turned, bowed his head, and walked with quick, determined strides through the crowds. He avoided eye contact and when he escaped the sentients, he grinned. He'd done it. An Apprentice to a Sith Master... ah, this was bliss.

But he would not get comfortable. He would not lower his guard. After all, when it came to self-preservation, she would kill him in an instant in exchange for her own life. He was no fool. Did this mean there would be other Sith Acolytes looking to destroy him, as well?

"I'll just keep an eye out."