Dark Initiative (Radi)

[Teynara]

Striding through the rigorous, stone-strewn hills of Korriban would be a constant drain on the nerves and the muscles for anyone un-used to the exertions that it required. Not merely the physical, the strain of the body's muscles relaxing and contracting in careful rhythm to produce the strenuous motions that propelled the humanoid body, but far more than that. There was the silence of empty terrain that forced the mind to invent stimuli simply to prevent a person going mad from that sense of isolation. And beyond that, deeper still, the whisper within the psyche that there was something wrong about this place. It was just a feeling, difficult to grasp but all the while clutching at you and refusing to let you go. It was the subconscious perception of a warning, the primal awareness of danger, all condensed into two words never heard but fully acknowledged: Turn back. It didn't just brush against your mind and disappear like a soft breeze, but rather built upon the nerves like a soft tapping on the soul, slowly but inexorably building to a crescendo of nameless fear, to leave you a shivering wreck, praying for death purely to relieve you of the burdens of this silent agony.

Or at least, such was the effect on anyone capable of succumbing to it. This wasn't an isolated sensation, found solely on this world, and unique to these valleys and hills. Other worlds could lay claim to it, each one perhaps darker than the next in nature, those whispers containing suggestions of past atrocities committed upon the surface, and the promise of similar such torments for any foolish enough to seek out those who dwelled there. Part-warning, part-threat and part-challenge. Turn back, if you seek to live. Step forward if you dare. Some had braved it, and found only agony and death, the latter coming only when at last the body could take no more of what the former offered - it was a release only from the torments of the flesh, however. No doubt thousands would attest to that, had the death of their sanity not been reached long before their physical shell drew its last breath and released the rag of spiritual energy that remained of the soul, trapped here, where no true light could reach. The Dark Side did not relinquish those sacrificed to it, living or dead.

The figure striding confidently through these mountains felt the tug of it indeed - the sense of something slowly gnawing at your soul, hungry for more, but never truly sated. How can anyone live in such a place? The Sith were a well-known entity, ruthless, powerful, possessing a presence that could freeze a man's blood if you were weak enough to succumb, or so it was said. Much that is known about these beings is legend, mere gossip for minds unable to grasp the truth. But how did one distinguish fact from fiction? What was certain fact now was that something was very wrong with this place. It wasn't a world of civilisation or polite society. It felt like a place that would eat polite society for breakfast, grinding it into dust beneath the heel of something far more primal.

For days he had been here. Time had passed slowly in some ways, faster in others. He'd arrived on an Imperial shuttle, shipped here from Yavin IV. A world shrouded in history, but nothing compared to this place. A neat grey uniform and a small pack containing his few worldly possessions had been all he had carried with him to this place. But there was no starport where they had dropped him. There had been nothing. They landed, he'd disembarked and the shuttle had left again. No words spoken, no directions offered, no hint as to what he was to do now. Abandoned, left here to die for my audacity. A slow death, but fittingly sadistic, it seemed.

What had he truly expected? They said I was to be trained, that I might be useful for something, but it was a lie, wasn't it? The man cursed himself for a fool, realising too late the trap he had walked into. I provoked a Sith and thought to merely die for it, but rather than extinguish me themselves, they're allowing thirst, starvation and exposure to do that for them. Part of him had to admire the cunning involved - it was sadistic, certainly, but intriguing all the same. Made me fear death, offered my a reprieve and provoked hope, then, now, taken away again.

He wasn't going to despair though. It might have been spitting in the face of death, and those who would torment him in such a way, but he wasn't going to crumble and beg for mercy. They deprive me of life, so I shall deprive them of the pleasure of it. He wouldn't have been surprised to find that someone was watching him from afar, taking it all in. Enjoy nothingness.

Unfastening the tight collar of his uniform, recognising the absurdity of wearing it in the appropriate style now that he was simply being left here to perish, the man sat himself down on a nearby rock, one in a sea of stones and dust. There truly is nothing out here worth a moment of my attention. The sun beat down hot and heavy, but there was nowhere to hide from it, no place in the shade that might grant a moment's respite. And even if there were, that is merely one of the things that could end me.

And so he remained. Waiting for the end. It won't come soon, though. It was empty, all of it. Just me here, with this empty wasteland. But that wasn't truly the worst of it, knowing that the small whisper in the back of his mind stood there, oppressive and persistent. I acknowledge my death, but it sits there, reminding me of it. And when it comes, my voice shall join that whisper, a layer of torment, one voice among many.

 

[Radiwalker]

It had been busy times for Drenn. He was covered with missions, training a few apprentices and now this, he disliked being put up to such a trivial task, but tehre might be something behind it, something that migth intrigue him. He didn`t know if that was hope, or an actual feeling that something important will cross his path.

Either way the togruta had to return to Koribban, there he had first met his master and first trained in the ways of the force. It was a special place for him, but he couldn`t let the feeling of sentiment consume him, while doing an assignment, even if it was of such little importance, at least that`s what he thought. Needless to say, he was wrong. His shuttle landed in the hanger bay of the sith temple and the crusader set off immidiatle, not even stopping by his room. He rushed through the all too familiar hallways, filled with statues of long dead sith lords, which used to fascinate him and now were just simple decorations, behind which acolytes hid, as he passed by, with his long black cloak waving behind him, his hood covering his head.

The togruta stormed out of the temple and into the valley. Which was still a great place of power and knowledge, but he couldn`t be bothered to admire it right now, as he was in a hurry to complete his assignment and return to his other duties.

He was walking so fast, he didn`t even feel when he passed from metal onto sand, his cloak was just slowing him down, so he threw it away, revealing his black battlesuit and durasteel armor pieces. One covering his chest and one on his right shoulder. His lightsaber hanging from his belt. The acolytes in the valley stared at the crusader, who suddenly burst into a run, enhanced with force speed. His anger was growing with every moment he spent on thinking about the foolish assignment he was given and with that it was on Koribban, so he had to ride a shuttle to there and then back to Yavin IV, which would further slow down his own plans and delay his revenge.

He was told of a cave with dark energies, which was too far into the desert, that no acolyte dared go there and anyone with higher rank was either too busy, or far away, so it had to be Drenn who inspects the cave, like he didn`t have work of his own. Then again the empire had been there for him, when he needed it, so he could spend a day or two to repay it.

He was getting close to the coordinates of the cave, when just a few hundred meters from it he saw a man, in imperial clothing, sitting on a rock. The togruta slowed down and sopped in front of the man. A smoke of cloud coming from behind him. The togruta noticed that the collar on the uniform was unfastened. He was always displeased with troops who didn`t wear their uniforms properly and decided to start the conversation with that.

Drenn - "Fasten your collar, soldier, no matter where you are you should look like a disciplined man, even if you are on your own. It shows how well the imperial army is trained. Now tell me your name and purpose here."

While speaking and regaining his senses, which he had put on the side during his long and fast run, Drenn could feel that this man was infact potent in the force. If so what was he doing on his own, all they way out in the desert and so close to the cave, which the togruta was sent to inspect. Something interesting had happened, just as he thought it would. He was after all glad that he had been picked for this seemingly trivial assignment.

 

[Teynara]

The whispers of dark promise continued unabated as he rested against the rock, but in truth, the officer was past caring now. How can you whisper of unbridled pain and torment when in truth it will hold no terrors for me now?, he wondered seethingly. I'm to die here anyway, so it matters little how the end comes. Pity it is such a pointless death, but isn't it all such? The injustice of it all still rankled, but he wasn't going to dwell on it. It will achieve me nothing but to further torment me before my death.

He had a hard time getting his head around that reality, knowing that the burdens of his life would shortly fade and then vanish altogether as his life slowly bled away from him, moment by moment. To die here on this forsaken rock...what a joke that is. Few people could truly face their deaths the way they intended - how many assumed they would die an honourable death, a noble death, or one surrounded by their friends and family, passing from a fulfilled life into a peaceful and endless sleep. Not so. That's an illusion we create to distract us from a simple truth: death is pointless but inevitable, and rarely pretty.

So here it was. Not disease, not injury, not battle, not even succumbing to the degredation of old age. No, he was left here to simply perish, irrelevant, killed only by the wasteland that was to be his grave. Some irony there. To die on a dead planet. It was hard to push aside the anger that gripped him at this realisation, knowing fully well he would not be able to summon up even a last-gasp effort to gain retribution on those who had led him to this. No, I am denied even that small measure of satisfaction. The rage was hard to deny.

The sudden sound of a voice stronger than the darker insidious whispers that had plagued him since he had set foot on this rock penetrated the reverie, banishing his anger for a moment, pushing it to the background so that clarity might come forth and continue to exist for an instant. It might have been better to fall into that endless sleep than let my mind fall into hallucination, so that my sanity might remain before death claims me, he thought. That angered him more than anything: not that he would die, for that was inevitable, but that he might not be himself when he died, merely a shadow of the being he was, driven insane by the light and the sheer hopelessness that remained to him.

"Bother someone else, if you can find a shred of life on this rock, apparition," he said scornfully, not even bothering to look up. If I do, all I'll see is some figment of my imagination, here to taunt me in my last remaining hours. If he was going to go crazy, he wasn't about to acknowledge that fact. "No point looking nice for a funeral you'll never receive, so who gives a damn if my collar is unfastened?", he contended, his voice full of distaste.

Now there's an irony, he thought. I've spoken more words to my own hallucination than I have to any person in weeks. His preference for laconic conversation seemed to be abating with his sanity. And perhaps that is the lesser death before the larger one, as my mind slowly slips away and my inhibitions are first to go wanting. So much so that I'm even conversing with my imagination.

It probably wouldn't be long now before his mind vanished completely. His strength of will remained, but if he was as far gone as he suspected, he had but a matter of hours.

 

[Radiwalker]

Drenn`s eyes were scanning the man. He had placed his own gaze on the ground, he was clearly put off by something, depressed even. The force was strong with him and his emotions were running wild, the togruta could pick that up with ease. His words came sharply, as if he was denying Drenn`s existance, he refused to abide by the orders, while not moving a muscle. The soldier didn`t even look up to see the sith crusader standing in front of him. Was he arrogant, or about to commit suicide, perhaps he was insane, yet none of those seemed quite likely.

The togruta was angered enough by the assignment he was given and now when his mood had began to pick up, this soldier had to insult him. He felt as if the whole world was against him that day, but this time around he had the power to oppose it. Unlike the last time his life turned upside down and he was powerless, led by the flow of time, controlled by others, now his fate was in his own hands. He could bend it all he liked and would even dare laugh in it`s face.

He did laugh and loud at that too. His voice filled the air and travelled miles in each direction. It was dark, evil and somewhat aggrivated. The crusader was not happy with the trooper. He cared little to what had happened to him, for Drenn was a sith and the least an imperial should do in the presence of a sith is to be properly dressed and to stand at attention. Both of those requirements were amiss.

Drenn had clunched his hands into fists at the trooper`s responce, but now he let go and instead raised his left hand with an open palm, pointing at the soldier`s throat. The togruta`s voice came as a hissing whisper this time.

Drenn - "You shall learn to respect your superiors, fool. I am very much real, so real that I can torture you beyond your worst nightmares.", upon saying that the togruta used the force to grasp the man`s throat and lift him up in the air, slowly chocking him, with more of an intent to torture him, rather than kill him. "Don`t you dare disobay me.", with those words he send the man flying back at the rocks behind him. "Now fasten your collar, stand at attention and answer my question, before I lose my temper again.", the sith`s voice was slightly calmer, as he had released some of his anger and was pleased with the picture of hurting someone else.

What really pissed him off, was the neglection of his existance. He realised that the man had his reasons for believing he was hearing voices. However, Drenn had had bad experiences with not having himself acknowledged before, being show how weak and useless he was, it was a think that could easily make him lose control.

 

[Teynara]

That disdainful voice so matching my scorn is no figment of my imagination, the officer realised as he felt himself picked up in a grasp that couldn't possibly be Human. I recognise this sensation, he thought wryly, choosing not to struggle against it. You can't brush off a chokehold when there are no fingers to grip, he knew. Ironically, it was a grip like this that had started him off on this absurdly depressing trip. And so we come full circle, he thought wryly.

It was strange, but he felt no sense of panic, no thought spared for his own welfare. I was dead a moment ago anyway, so what does it matter if I die by the hand of this man, rather than killed by the elements? I'll be dead all the same. His grey eyes narrowed in thought, staring back coldly at his assailant, this one who dared to berate a dying man merely for a triviality. Why would I care that you're my 'superior' when you're going to kill me anyway? Why feed your ego?

The grip was released with a shove, and the officer felt himself fly through the air, the trip shortly thereafter curtailed by an impact against solid rock. He felt the air forced out of his lungs, his muscles suddenly afire with pain. Oddly, it felt good to him. To feel pain means I'm alive. He was by no means a masochist, but having resigned himself to his fate, it felt surprisingly liberating to realise that he might yet draw a few more breaths before that inevitable end. I'm not going to waste them bowing and scraping to this animal, either.

He tried to stand tentatively, shaky at first and unable to gain a sufficient grasp on his own muscles to support his own weight, gravity and momentum forcing him to his knees. He took a breath, and put his will into it. I'm not going to simply lie here waiting for the end now. His slender hand grabbed at the rock he had collided with, using it to stabilise himself and pulled his bruised and battered body up into the standing position. Damn, that hurts, he thought, inhaling carefully as a stab of pain made it's way through him at even that simple motion.

"How can you be superior when your weakness dictates your actions?", he said haltingly, every word spat with just a touch of contempt added as an undertone. His grey eyes flashed in anger of his own, mirroring that of the man before him, reminscent of that rage that had swept through him earlier and been dismissed just as quickly. "Go ahead. Lose your temper again and kill me, Sculag. Show your superiority by killing a dead man," he said challengingly.

 

[Radiwalker]

Drenn smirked and observed as the man fought to stand up. Pain didn`t empower him, but rather slowed him down. He wasn`t trained at all, but with that strong will of his and soon to be discovered perceptiveness, he would easily go down a dark path all to familiar to the sith. He would take well to the teachings of the dark side and perhaps one day he himself will pass on those teachings, as Drenn was planning to do so now.

Drenn could feel the man`s feelings he was rather calm and even happy. That seemed strange. Soon after anger took over him, which was good, as a future sith like himself needed to be passionate, filled with strong emotions, which to apply in his battles. The togruta was glad he had come across this man and even was somewhat eager to train him, so eager that he concidered training him while completing his assignment, which would be all that more interesting.

Exploring a cave filled with dark energies and perhaps inhabited by creatures imbuned with darkness, while training a new apprentice, would be all that much interesting and entertaining, or so he thought. It should also be easier to teach him that way, as he would learn through actual personal experience and would have to accomodate quickly to use his powers in dangerous situations.

What left the sith in awe, was the trooper`s comment on his weakness and how he would use the kill to boost his ego. He was perceptive, or at least tried to be. Drenn was nowhere near a person who would boost his ego with a plain easy kill. In fact he would most probably even let a jedi live, if he put up a good fight. No, Drenn was a person who liked torture, but not death. Death was the easy way out for his enemies, thus he did not instill it upon them. He left fate guide them. If they were weak, they would die anyway, but if they were worth, they would become more powerful and come before him again, giving him another opportunity to evaluate himself against them and an even worthier opponent. The togruta took back his hand as he smiled.

Drenn - "If I wished you dead, you wouldn`t have had time to even speak the word, before it fell upon you. No, I see potential in you. You are sloppy and disobediant, but that makes you perfect to be a sith. So if you prefer to be tortured for days on end, don`t answer my question. However if you prefer to become powerful and wise all the same, in control of your own fate and capable of bringing justice upon those who`ve done you wrong, then tell me your name and your purpose here."

The crusader was cathegoric. If the man refused to answer him this time, he would torture him for a very long time. He would show him the true meaning of pain, even if that meant delaying both his assignment and his personal plans with a couple of days, or maybe even weeks. On the other hand if this man chose to go down the path of the dark side, he would no doubtedly become a great sith, eventually.

 

[Teynara]

If he wanted me dead, he'd have killed me already. The trooper digested that with a faint pause, his anger draining at the realisation of it. True. Still, this one seems like the type to play with his food before he eats it, so perhaps it's a mistake to assume that to be reality. Yes, that seemed more likely: the Sith he had encountered before hadn't killed him either, but instead had sent him to this place. But to die, or to have this meeting? He wasn't sure. This new Sith was forcing him to re-evaluate all his prior conclusions.

Button up your jacket and speak your name, Trooper!, he thought with a touch of sarcasm in the inflection of his inner voice. Be a good soldier and do as you're told. But don't you dare think! That's for people bigger than you! He'd always looked on that particular ideology with disdain. Why bother training people if you're not going to let them be creative and think for themselves? He'd always supposed it was natural laziness - people didn't want to have to think. Better to let my superiors take responsibility for my actions, because they're the ones giving the orders. He'd always found that contemptible. He wasn't going to play the pawn, not for anyone.

Still, this Sith was going to kill him if he didn't comply. Reprieved momentarily from death...do I dare put my head back into the Rancor's mouth again? Something told him this wouldn't be the most sensible thing to do, so he swallowed the angry retort he was tempted to throw back at this man who would humilate him by forcing him into submission. Consider it temporary, and with no real feeling, he thought, glaring with those cold grey eyes at this man who had dared to bring him back to life by nearly killing him.

He tried to straighten up then, ignoring the agony that shot through his ribs and spine, stifling the gasp that came involuntarily to his lips. I think I might have a broken rib or two, he thought, cursing the Sith that had caused them under his breath. Remind me to return the favour, when the opportunity arises. It was a petty thought, of vengeance rather than the cold rationality that usually defined his responses, but he wasn't in the mood for being reasonable today. You and your kind have tried to kill me twice today. I won't forget that. Even though it was partly a lie, he felt better saying it to himself inside the confines of his own skull.

"My name is Tirdarius," he said scathingly, irritated at having to reveal something that was his and his alone, but his choices were limited. Not my family name, though. It was never a name for the ambitious, and my parents shamed it by their foolishness, so it is not one to be spoken ever again. "My purpose here is yours to decide now," the man added with a slight frown crossing his otherwise disdainful features. "Why I'm here seems fairly irrelevant. Sufficed to say, one of yours was responsible."

It wasn't the obedient response the Sith was no doubt expecting - a man with an ego like that would no doubt be used to people jumping at his every whim, but Tirdarius wasn't about to indulge him in that regard. He will have my obedience when he learns to command it, not merely threaten, he thought. And that was going to take some doing, he was certain.

 

[Radiwalker]

The man now stood before Drenn in full height, seemingly ignoring his pain. That was good, he was full of pride, which would help him down the dark path he would have to walk in order to become a sith. His eyes were piercing and his words intrigueing. He did answer the questions, but vaguely and without giving much information. It was clear to Drenn that Tirdarius, was not very obediant, but that`s what would make him a great sith. He might even come to defy Drenn, but the togruta smiled at that thought, for he had plans of his own, plans that would bid him able to crush anyone who dared cross his path.

The crusader took a moment to try and depict the responce he had recieved. One of his was responsible for the trooper being here. Did he mean a sith, what else could he mean. Had he confronted a sith, who sent him to rot in the desert as punishment. If only the guy knew the direction in which the academy was he would be able to survive, but he didn`t. Perhaps he came from another planet. So he was most probably left here to either die, or find the way to the sith temple, where he would become a sith. A trial of survival, which he had passed with luck, the togruta barely held himself from laughing out loud.

Drenn remembered how he himself would have been killed long ago had not his enemy sensed his force sensitivity and decided to send him for training, but who that man was and what his reasons were, was something that Drenn was still to uncover. He thought that he might help Tirdarius with his situation in return for some help on his part, but that was not the current concern.

The point at hand was how to begin the training of someone so different, from the usual acolytes. The togruta`s other apprentice weren`t exactly trivial either, but this guy had something special about him. Drenn thought he should begin with a short summary on the force and the sith code, although it seemed to be irrelevant and not of very good use to TIrdarius, the knowledge from it wouldn`t be a burden for him.

Drenn - "Walk with me, then, I shall be your master and I will train you in the ways of the force.", he waved his hand in teh direction of the cave he was sent to investigate and started walking slowly towards it. "Tell me, what do you know of the force and the sith? Have you heard of the sith code?"

The togruta`s walk was slow, so that they would have more than enough time to finish their conversation before reaching their destination, where the actual training would begin and the man would set on the path of becoming a sith.

 

[Teynara]

The conversation took an abrupt enough turn to leave Tirdarius wondering whether this Sith was truly sane. One moment, threatening to spill my blood upon the sands, the next, walking on and talking as if nothing amiss had happened. Eyes narrowing in irritation, the young man watched his newfound saviour and erstwhile captor suspiciously. This could all be part of the same trap, just a different way of prolonging a death that I can no longer avoid, he thought cynically. Perhaps they were gaining no satisfaction from my slow decline, so they're choosing to play a bit more before finishing me off.

Still, what choice did he have now? Resist this one's instructions and die now, or follow him, perhaps to die later. Even were his desire for survival utterly futile, his fate decided and beyond his control, an hour's more life would perhaps be sufficient. Better to follow and perhaps gain an opportunity to escape this than to simply curl up here and die now. Whether such a chance would come, he did not know, but he would wait patiently for it.

As for the other words this one had spoken...to be my Master? To teach me? It sounded too good to be true, which probably meant that it was, but he couldn't take the chance that the offer was sincere. Well, not an offer. A reality, unless I wish to suffer the consequences. This one didn't seem like the type to be taken lightly by anyone.

He tried to keep up with this Sith as the other man walked away. Tirdarius had paused a few moments, simply staring at the Togruta's back as he continued on whatever course he had no doubt been on before finding him. And he naturally doesn't spare a thought for how he has weakened me with his anger, Tirdarius thought with a slight touch of his own flaring up, though dampening just as quickly. His disdain for weakness is as strong as my own, he thought with a touch of admiration. But perhaps forcing me to struggle is just another part of their game.

Pressing his left hand tightly against his ribs, he stifled a gasp of pain as the pressure caused his nerve receptors to fire in agonising concert, making every inch of his torso feel as though it were on fire. He blinked, trying to see through the haze of pain, his vision clearing as his focus became stronger. Yes, it hurts, but if I don't move, this Sith will solve that problem for me permanently. He had to follow. One tentative step, then another, each one a fresh agony, but only just endurable. Until it becomes too much, and I simply collapse. He had to hold out long enough to survive. Injuries would heal. Nothing he'd ever read about cured death.

"I only know of the Sith what you would us all believe," he said haltingly, each word pained. In truth, knowledge of the Sith wasn't exactly broadcast around the Imperium: most knew only that were dangerous, whimsical and had little tolerance for their subordinates. "You have powers beyond the scope of ordinary men, and little reserve over their use. How you come to have such, however...I can only assume it is through supernatural sources of some sort."

 

[Radiwalker]

The sith wasn`t surprised that the soldier had a hard time keeping up, he could feel his pain through force empathy. It was satisfying and rather enthralling. A smile even crossed the togruta`s face, as he thought about how he was able to turn pain into weapon, thus turning a weakness into strength, using it to empower himself. He knew that this soldier would one day learn to do that as well, but for now he would have to deal with the agony, or at least up until they reached the cave, towards which Drenn was headed, for he couldn`t risk havin Tirdarious slow him down, once inside.

The scenerey around them was slowly changing, as they were getting closer and close to their destination, yet the togurta was informed that the one he sought to teach had little to no knowledge of the sith, which would further complicate things, as the crusader had quite some explaining to do. He decided he`ll do it in steps, to make it easier for both himself and his new apprentice, who still seemed hesitant and prejudice about fully trusting the sith, but that was a good thing, as a sith should trust absoultely no one and rely at most on himself.

Drenn - "The power that the sith posses and control of called the force. It is something the jedi use as well. The difference is that the jedi limit themselves in it`s use, while saying that that way they use it at best, because they are in harmony with it. They are sadly mistaken, for no one is in harmony with the force, it`s either you who controls it or the other way around. That`s what the sith believe. The force is connected to your emotions. The jedi have supress their emotions, while we as sith confront them and conquer them, using them to empower us."

The togruta stopped talkign for a moment, as his loud voice echoed into the stone mountains that surrounded them. He thought for a moment, deciding to give an example, so his new apprentice would better understand this concept.

Drenn - "For exaple, if a jedi was in your place right now, feeling the pain you are feeling, he would try to heal it and suppress the pain, while a sith would use the pain to fuel his anger and thus empower him, in one way or another, helping him achieve his goal. In the end the sith too would heal his wound, but in the midst of battle, a jeid has to waste energy to deal with the wound, while a sith can simply use it to his advantage, as long as it`s not deadly."

The togruta thought that was a good example, as the soldier could easily compare his situation to both of those and perhaps even attempt to act like a sith and use the pain to enhance the intensity of his emotions and thus push his body beyond it`s boundries and to realise that he was in control of his own destiny. Just like a sith.

 

[Teynara]

Pain as a fuel for power? It seemed odd, counter-intuitive to those things he had understood to be natural, but he could not exactly question the words of one who was presently more powerful and able to channel abilities that Tirdarius himself could not yet grasp or even comprehend, beyond having a vague notion of what those skills were. And that but scratching the surface.

Still, he had always understood that pain was debilitating: a subtle shadow creeping over the eyes to slowly blind you, an undercurrent of distraction to slowly claw away at your ability to concentrate and hold focus, an enemy to be avoided, not an ally to be sought out and held onto. But he did say that emotion is our weapon, the way a Sith connects to the Force. And pain brings emotion - perhaps that is it?

Certainly Tirdarius could feel that. Anger at the fact that he'd been thrown around like a child's toy, discarded and broken. Annoyance at being played for a fool by the Sith. Resentment towards this one who had first decided to harm him out of a sense of superiority, and now deigned to patronise him. If this 'Force' stems from emotion, I should be able to crush this one like an egg, the Human thought with his grey eyes narrowed in thought. Lucky for you that I don't know how yet, he reflected, keeping his gaze on the Sith.

At least the Sith's words were distracting him from the dull agony of his injuries, the young man had noted. That was something to be thankful for, though he was quite certain he was only being fed tidbits of information. Just enough to hold my interest, waiting for the moment when he says something useful. As soon as he does, this relationship may come to a very abrupt end. How long that might take, he didn't know, but he could be patient. The moment would come, and when it did...

"If emotion is an empowering as you say, why then do all people not have your powers?", he asked, coughing softly as he spoke. The pressure of the rib breaks were clearly having an effect on his lungs. Should be thankful they didn't pierce the lungs themselves, otherwise I'd be dead now. "All beings feel fear, anger, jealousy, sadness, joy...these things fuel your powers? How does this happen? What is the mechanism that turns it into something you can use?"

 

[Radiwalker]

The crusader felt the negative flow of emotions directed at him, through force empathy. It was easy to feel and comprehend the feeling of one not trained in the ways of the force. However, he restrined himself from adressing the matter, as this man would have to train very hard to even be able to think about standing up to him. Of course if one day Tirdarius became powerful and knowledgable, the togruta would honor him with the chance to prove himself worthy in a duel. But all of that was thinking way ahead.

Drenn described the man`s question as fair, in his thoughts, realising how little the soldier actually knew, but he was like that and perhaps even worse, not so long ago. The togruta had gone a long way since he first encountered a man potent in the force, he was yet to have his revenge on that man. It had been a while since he first came to Koribban, restrained and led like a slave, an animal even. Such humuliation, he hadn`t felt since then and had promised himself to never again feel. He was in control of his destiny, the force had broken his chains.

They were getting closer to their destination and the togruta still had a few more things to say, so he slowed down his pace, while increasing his voice, to emphasize on his words and their importance.

Drenn - "You are correct. Every person has feelings, however not every person is force sensitive. Being force sensitive makes you able to control the force and do things that may seem unnatural, to most people. Like I lifted you in the air and smacked you in the rocks earlier. From this you can easily conclude that every person could use his emotions to become stronger, but he would only become stronger within the boundries set to him by nature. If he is force sensitive, he would do things, some believe impossible. The force isn`t something you gain, or create, or recieve. You can inherit it, although there have been exceptions. The thing is that you have it and I am going to teach you to use it. You will find that in time it will make your life both much easier and much harder. Remember one thing. The force makes you a master of your own fate, all you need to do, is learn to use it."

By the time the sith finished talking he had stopped, as he was standing in front of teh entrance of the cave. He could feel the dark energies streaming fro minside and wondered if his new apprentice could feel them as well. The togruta planned to teach the man some basic force abilities, before they venture inside, where he would be able to and perhaps even forced to try them out.

 

[Teynara]

The reminder of this man's contemptuous attack did little to improve Tirdarius' mood, but the words that followed were of sufficient import to distract his anger. For the moment. He had never heard of this 'Force Sensitivity' that the Sith referred to, but it certainly explained why only a very small handful could wield the abilities that this one used with such disdainful ease, and perhaps that was for the best. If all beings could do this, power would reside in the hands of those too weak to ever use it the way it should be used, he thought, reflecting on many of those he had met in his past. Little ambitions, lesser designs that ultimately changed nothing.

It was curious that this thing was something that could be inherited from one's parents, though. That much he did note. Could it have been possible that his own parents had this potential and had never known it? Certainly he had lived his life oblivious to it himself, so it wasn't impossible that his parents had been doomed to the same fate, and that both had died without ever realising what could have been. Would that knowledge have changed them, made them less foolish, or would they have simply wasted that power, the way they wasted their lives? Had the movement not likely been to invoke a spike of agony, he would have shrugged. It's irrelevant, just as they were.

As they stopped at the cave, that clearly being the Sith's intended destination, the young man propped himself up against the stone outer wall, taking a momentary respite from the pains of having to walk in this dusty, dead place, knowing fully well that the pace would be relentless and the agonies of it considerable, given the injuries he had sustained before beginning their journey. The pain hadn't subsided, but continued mostly as a dull ache that couldn't be escaped. He felt as if his lungs were slowly suffocating him, more from pressure than from any trouble he had in breathing. Now they had stopped, oxygen came more easily to him as he was no longer forced to exert himself to simply move or remain standing.

"I was always master of my own fate," he snapped, once he had recovered his sense of inner balance, pushing himself upright against the stone. "Your choices are always your own, so you own the consequences of those choices as much as you do the other." He had never believed that a person could ever simply hold someone else responsible for where they were in life. If you're not where you wanted to be, it's because you didn't do what needed to be done to get you there. "You simply speak of having more tools to achieve more goals, do you not? You might have more choices, but you still have to make them yourself."

Still, he didn't intend to argue with the Sith now - what would be the point? Certainly he might spend some of the anger that was coined at the Sith's actions, but it would achieve little in the end, and might serve only to provoke this one that had named himself a teacher. And I should at least learn what he has to teach me before I make a point of returning his earlier favours, he thought darkly. Not provoking the Sith didn't mean he intended to be patronised by him, though. Learning is not the same as accepting condescension.

"So, you are my teacher," he asserted, his tone a little less cold than before. "Tell me how this is done: how does one use the Force?"

 

[Radiwalker]

The man seemed willing to learn, which was good enough for the togruta. He took a few steps to get closer to his new apprentice and pointed his palms at him. It would seem intimidating at first, but in fact he was using the force to heal the injuries he himslef had caused, as he needed the soldier to be in top shape for the training and for the adventure that they would set off on, with going into the cave.

Drenn - "You do well in deciphering my words. I indeed meant that you have more tools to achieve your goals and achieve them more easily, if you`re smart enough, that is. I am currently healing your injuries. You need not worry, for I need you to be fit for training and battle, all the same. your training shall begin shortly."

The sith was done talking and focused completely on healing the injuries, as they weren`t light ones, he needed a great deal of concentration in order not to waste too much of his energies. It didn`t take him too long, tho. The man should feel at ease and even slightly refreshed from the healing. He would be able to stop thinking about the pain, which should be gone, and concentrate on the teachings which will shortly be passed to him.

Drenn lowered his hands and took a few steps to go beneath the shade, which the entrance of the cave was casting. He didn`t want to reside under the hot desert sun, as there was no telling how long he would require to teach this man the basics in the force, for he might be a slow learner. On the other hand if he took well to the teachings, the togruta might give him a few things in extra to try out in the cave.

The sith sat down and crossed his legs, placing his hands on top of his knees. He motioned to the soldier to do the same. After which he spoke, with a calm, deep and narritive tone, which foretold that he would begin passing down instructions.

Drenn - "This is the meditative stance. This is a mental technique and can be used by both force sensitives and non-force sensitives. It is used to clear one`s mind, recollect on past events, or training, or it could be used to channel on force energies and emotions. It is also a good way to begin training in the arts of the force, for this way you can concentrate more easily and thus the learning process would be faster and more effective. Try closing your eyes and clearing your mind, then concentrate on your surrounds and feel their energies."

The crusader started off simple, first showing the meditation stance and giving Tirdarius a chance to try it out, while also attempting to teach him force sight, or how to see without his eyes, it was an easy force technique, which required of one to simply clear his mind and feel the energies of his surroundings. Depending on how the apprentice performed in this lesson, Drenn would shape the rest of the training to fit him well.

 

[Teynara]

The strange sense of his ribs knitting together under this man's darker powers was hard to deny, painful though it was - there was certainly no use of anaesthetic here! - but Tirdarius supposed he wasn't too much in a position to complain, since the Sith could well have left him ailing and in danger of collapsing from the pain, were it to debilitate him completely. It took less time than he had expected, but during the process, he hadn't dare speak, lest he break the Sith's concentration and end up causing himself more damage. This doesn't make us even, he thought, but perhaps it means I have less reason to want him dead now.

The anger at his injuries had drained with their healing, both the pain and the inner rage melting away together to leave his mind feeling remarkably clear - the first time it had done so since he had arrived on this planet. The shade of the cave kept them from being burdened by the relentless heat of the sun, and for some reason, the whispers of pain and death seemed further away now, a lesser whisper in the back of his mind, perhaps driven off by the presence of a real potential for death. I'm not just wasting away here now, either. I have reason to live. And that was always an extra weapon in his arsenal.

He placed a hand against his chest and took a deep breath as the Sith relinquished his grasp and stepped backward, enabling Tirdarius to take a first intense inhalation of the air around them. It pervaded his lungs easily, warm and dry though that air was, less sustaining than one might have liked, but better than it had been a few moments before. To be able to even take a deep breath was a thing he would otherwise have taken for granted, and now he had a better appreciation of it.

Taking a few more of them, Tirdarius felt his mind becoming crystal clear, his thoughts becoming sharper as they became less clouded with pain, his mind able to focus on more than simply the agony that had been rushing through his body for some time now. Yes, that is better. It struck him as surprising that the Sith were capable of this, when so far all he had seen of them had been that they could use their abilities to injure, to torment and to kill. He had to wonder just what else they were capable of.

He listened and watched carefully as the Sith sank down into a sitting position on the dusty ground at his feet, and Tirdarius copied this in a precise, unhurried manner, resting his hands against his thighs and relaxing his breathing in the same manner that his Sith companion was doing, judging by the more controlled rise and fall of the Togruta's chest.

To clear a person's mind - so hard to achieve!, Tirdarius thought, closing his eyes and allowing himself to relax a little in this seated position. It seemed absurd to an extent, this notion of banishing all thought and simply being there, rather than focusing on the past or the future to come - from all he understood of the idea, a person simply had to be here, passively awaiting the next moment. It seemed a little at odds with what the Sith had said of their powers: surely a Sith would need to keep themselves emotionally charged to feel these energies? Or is it merely to use them that they must do this?

In his mind, he tried to create a visualisation of his surroundings, as best his memory could provide: the dark opening to the cave, from which he could feel a gentle wave of cold air filtering from within, at great contrast to the warmer air outside, enveloping them. The Sith sitting opposite, his eyes similarly closed, his mouth moving slightly as he spoke, as if by rote, providing Tirdarius with quiet instruction. He, too, carried a touch of darkness about him, wrapped in it the same way the cave was, as if his shadow was deeper than that of a normal being and had chosen to cast itself all around him, rather than simply in a single direction, the way it might for a normal sentient.

Wait!, he thought. That's not what I saw. It's what I'm seeing. Yes, now he reflected on it, this wasn't quite how things had been in his mind's eye: those surely would have been an image of the past, something he was remembering, because that would be the only possible way to visualise. What he was envisioning now was a scene that was changing from moment to moment, drawing his attention to details he knew he had not perceived before. The darkness that hovers around him like an aura, the feeling of something wrong with the cave, the sense of something else in the air all around us...that's not what I understood to be there.

His eyes opened and then narrowed slightly as the grey pupils focused in upon the Sith sitting opposite. As the eyes adjusted themselves to the changed in light intensity, he looked for any signs of what he had seen when his eyes were closed: any changes to the presence of this Togruta Sith, but things were as they'd been when he'd closed his eyes. So from whence did that come?

"What is it I see surrounding you, when I did that?", he asked, less demanding than was perhaps often his way, but it was evident enough that he sought an answer nonetheless. "It was as though seeing you surrounded by darkness itself, though you were still perfectly distinct to my eyes, and I could see you in every detail. It's just...an impression."

 

[Radiwalker]

The sith could feel, through force empathy, that the soldier`s mind had calmed. A smirk came across the crusader`s face, he was pleased with how well his new apprentice was performing. It seemed he might as well be a natural fast learner, something that seemed very appealing to the sith. He would indeed feed this one with so many powers that his head would spin, but he would get the hang of them in a short time and then he would be deadlier than he had ever hoped.

Drenn opened his eyes and locked his gaze on Tirdarius. An evil grin crossed his face as he heard the man`s question. It was good that he had taken interest in the darkness and he would indeed require knowledge of such things, if he were to enter the world of the sith, which was consumed in darkness and covered in blood, bathed in betrayal and ruled by power.

Drenn - "This darkness, is the power, which I use, it is linked to the path I have chosen. That being both the path of a sith and the path of a sorceror. A usual sith would be covered in darkness, but his would be much less intensive than mine and more effected by his emotions than anything else. While my darkness, is that of a sorceror. We sorcerors depend on the darkness and it`s powers in battle, we draw upon them and cast abilities beyond most people`s comprehension. You might come to witness some of those powers, once we venture into the tomb. Also, soon enough, you too, will find yourself within a similar darkness and that is how the jedi will recognise you, unless you use the force to hide the darkness. I will teach you that as well, but later."

The sith`s voice had been passionate, dark and with a note of laughter. He liked the question and answering it. This was going to be an interesting apprentice to teach, for he too might learn from him and take from him, or at the least use him, like a sith would do. Of course the togruta expected that the human would eventually seek revenge, but that was natural with sith.

A cold breeze blew out from he cave and twisted and twirled a small amount of sand. Drenn closed his eyes once more and moved a few rocks in front of the entrance, which too blew some sand towards the piar. Then he spoke to his apprentice, with the same calm and narritive voice from before, giving instructions on how to perform another basic force ability, better know as force lift.

Drenn - "Now I want you to once again feel the energies around you, but this time, also channel your emotions towards them and try to concetrate your thoughts on the rocks I moved in front of the cave`s entrance. First imagine how you lift them into the air, without touching them and then perform it. Before it happens you must see it clearly inside of your mind. Use the emotions you channel, whether they`d be anger, hatred, or despise, to help you perform this task, by directing them at the rocks. The first time is always the hardest, but once you do it you`ll get the hang of it and it will become easier with every attempt. So there is one real rule about this task. Don`t give up. Also once you lift the rocks into the air, keep them there, for I will give you instructions on what to do with them next."

The sith closed his mouth, as he breathed in slightly, to recover from the long speech. He awaited to see how his apprentice would perform. This was not an easy task for a new acolyte, as he had to lift up a couple of heavy rocks, all at the same time, while having never lifted anything beforehand, but given his potency in the force and his progress so far, he should manage it from the second or third try, if not from the first. Drenn had big expectations and was hoping to see them fulfilled.

 

[Teynara]

So this Darkness he refers to must be the way the Force manifests itself within him, Tirdarius thought, his narrowed grey eyes continuing to watch the Sith, trying to absorb what he could from everything the man was saying. It was a little tricky to keep up, in truth: so many new concepts and ideas that he had never heard of, little placed into the context of the wider world into which he knew he was being introduced. It isn't just the ways of the Force I must learn, it seems. There's a whole culture here that few know anything about, a game being played with rules hidden from all but the players. And I must learn them myself.

It was certainly a considerable reprieve from the death he thought he might receive an hour ago, but in a sense, it wasn't. Death didn't always refer to the end of life, but could also refer to a transition, the move from one state of being into another, and he was starting to feel as if things were moving apace along those same lines now: the world he had known was gone, and he would never see it again in the same way. If ever he stepped off this world, it would be with a new awareness and a sense of things that was anything unlike what he had understood before. If the Sith had made anything clear to him, that was it.

The words of the Sith simply washed over him like a gentle torrent, the flow of water through a slow-moving stream, and he allowed himself to absorb them, mulling over them in his mind to get a better sense of all of it. Not simply inflection, not merely tone, but meaning. Everything he says could carry more than it seems. He certainly does. He had watched as the Sith casually moved a few rocks around the sandy ground a few feet away, doing so without ever touching them, the way he had earlier picked up Tirdarius and thrown him around like a ragdoll. And now he wants me to do the same.

The means by which to do so eluded him, but it was clear enough that it didn't require anything overly convoluted. He did it with nothing more than a thought. Didn't perform a ritual, didn't spend half an hour watching the rocks. He'd noticed that before, when the Sith that had attacked him back at the Academy had lifted him into the air. The Sith had still been able to move, talk, act as normal, even while Tirdarius was lifted in his grip. All of these things spoke to it being a relatively simple matter. Like riding a speeder for the first time: it's only hard because you're not used to it, and aren't accustomed to the conditions.

He closed his eyes and once again tried to envision the environment around him, coming faster this time since he had already done it once before. The darkness close by, just in front of him and slightly off to the right. That was his new teacher. And the cave in front, where he had sensed another font of darkness, yes, that was as expected, too. He turned his thoughts to the rocks that lay at the base, spread out a little upon the sand, waiting expectantly for him to make his move.

No, it is you that will move, little rocks, he thought with a wry inner smile, and focused all his concentration upon them. All you need to do is lift just a little, and in his imagination, that is precisely what they did. He opened his eyes carefully to stare at the rocks as they existed in reality, noting as he did so that both the Sith he had met so far had both been able to levitate objects with their eyes open, so clearly that would not effect the outcome. But, no, the rocks remained where his teacher had left them, there on the sand.

Move, damn you!, he thought with a touch of real anger in his thoughts, his jaw clenching slightly at the sudden rush of it. Ah, that's the trick! He had forgotten that. He had been concentrating on the simple act of moving the rock, but the Sith had told him the mechanism that he had ignored: he had to channel his emotions into the rocks, using the Force through the power of his feelings. Yes, that might just do the job, he recognised. So I must make myself want them to move with more feeling than simply focus.

His lids half-closed again as he tried to summon up a strong emotion to suit his purposes. Anger had come so easily the past few days, so he sought not to grasp onto a simple whisper of that past emotion. I have my spark, now I must turn it into a burning conflagration!, he thought, and fed his own mind with images of things that were likely to really anger him. How I felt when I believed myself abandoned here to die. How I felt when the Sith hoisted me into the air and threw me around as if I weighed little more than a grain of sand. How I felt when he left me injured to follow him to this accursed place.

Oh, yes, how easily it all came flooding back. Part of him could feel the anger itself, a fire running through his veins, pushing him to act, making every nerve feel aflame, as if he might simply burst asunder if he held it that way without acting upon it. His muscles tensed, his body felt taut, but his mind had focused: not upon the anger, but upon the rocks. He remained completely still on the ground, even though every nerve in his body goaded him to move, to do something with the anger that was now gripping him. But he had a single focus: to simply cause the rock to pick itself up off the ground and hover there for a moment, as he had been instructed.

"I've got you now," he said, every word dripping with tight, controlled and extremely cold anger. "Now move yourself!", he commanded.

 

[Radiwalker]

The togruta observed, as his apprentice was slowly applying the instructions into practice. At first he was simply trying to lift the rock, but her soon began channeling emotions. Progress was being made. His concentration was impenetrable and his emotions were strong, just as it had to be. He combined the two and focused them on the rocks, ordering them, out loud, to lift and obey his command.

And lift, they did.​

The rocks came off the ground and hovered into the air, with a few inches space between them and the ground. That was good, but it was far from enough, let alone commendable. At least he was able to sustain them and that was an asset, for he would require stability in order to do well in the other parts of the training. Drenn had grinned, while evaluating the effort.

Drenn - "Good, very good. Now lift them higher and higher. Feel each inch between them and the ground, as you separate the two and drive them further appart. Don`t let your concentration dwindle and don`t lose control over the rocks. Keep them stable."

The crusader gave another set of instructions while observing, motionlessly. He was becming more and more satisfied with the progress of this Tirdarius, but he had to be pushed to his limit, the togruta wanted to see how far this man could go. Both his mental and physical abilities would be tested in the next part of his training. He would require great endurance and control. The togruta inhaled deeply and after closing his eyes, spoke up once again, having given enough time to the soldier to successfully lift the rocks high enough into the air.

Drann - "Now I want you to drop all, but the three largest rocks. Put all your concentration on them. Try moving them up and down slowly, just to get a better feeling for the control. Once you are ready I want you to push one inside the cave. Focus on the rock and imagine sending a blast wave at it, a blast wave that wouldn`t destroy it, but rather just push it in the intended direction. A blast wave of the force. In order to do that you will need to extend one of your hand and point it at the rock. Then use what you learned from meditation about the energies. Picture them and control them, with your emotions, just liek you controlled the rocks. Channel those energies through your body and into your extended hand and send out a blast wave towards the rock. While doing this, you will keep the other two rocks motionless in the air. You will need them for the next parts of the training."

Another basic ability. Nothing too hard, or at least so Drenn thought. He expected his apprentice would quickly grasp this ability and do fine with the other ffew he had planned to teach him, before venturing inside the cave. Of course the soldier might come near the boundries of his energies, before they get to the part of exploring the cave, so the togruta began thinking of a way to restore his energies in a short time, whilst observing how he performed the tasks he had been given.

 

[Teynara]

The anger almost drained from Tirdarius as he might have drained a cup of water simply by pouring it on the ground, his surprise at the fact that the rocks actually moving being fairly considerable. Certainly he had hoped to be met with some success, but to actually achieve some...that was a very different matter indeed. Still, as much as the sudden change in state had come, he continued to channel his emotions and the energies of the Force along with them into the rock, sustaining their position a few feet above the ground.

He could sense the energy surrounding them now, and around him, more distinctly than he could before. It was if plunging his hands into the flowing waters of the river had given him a better sense of the placement of the water as a whole, both in relation to his hands and in relation to itself. Now I know how this energy feels, it should be easier to detect it wherever I am, he thought. Tirdarius divided his focus suddenly, looking towards his Sith teacher and narrowing his bright grey eyes in order to feel the energies surrounding him. Yes, he could feel those as well - the same darkness he had felt before, bathed the man as Tirdarius was sure they were now bathing him. A focal point of energy, a shadow within a sea of darkness.

At his Master's command, the young man relinquished the tendrils of energy curling around all but the largest of the rocks in his grasp, those thus released dropping to the sand with a gentle thud, beneath his notice now as he turned his attentions towards the larger task at hand. He could better visualise the way he was holding the rocks up now, feeling as if he had simply allowed a strand of energy to emanate from his body and wrap itself around the rock, holding it wherever he directed it. Simple, or simpler than it seemed earlier. No wonder the Sith had found the technique barely harder than breathing. It was so natural.

Now how to create this blast wave?, he wondered inwardly. It seemed intuitive, too, now that he had a basic idea of how to generate telekinetic motion. If all it takes it a wisp of energy to pick up on object, then to push one, all I should do is draw energy and project it outward in one burst. That seemed fairly reasonable, though perhaps harder to do while trying to simultaneously holding the rocks steady in their levitation. On reflection, the sitting position he was in wasn't ideal for what he had in mind, so he adjusted himself into a kneeling posture, resting back on his heels while all the time maintaining his grip on the rocks.

He inhaled a deep breath and summoned more of that same artificial anger that had earlier driven him to pick up the rocks themselves, feeling the flow of energy as it moved from outside of him, as if simply grasped and drawn inward, then started channeling it down his right arm, feeling his skin tingle and the muscle become almost restless at the presence of such energy, as though he could not maintain it for long. When he felt there was enough, when his hand and wrist were tingling with the restrained energies gathered, he threw out his hand in a dismissive gesture, the palm facing outwards and simply pushing towards the rocks.

The energy fired outwards in a forward arc the way he had envisioned that it would, catching not one of the stones but all three in a wave of kinetic energy, severing his hold upon them and pushing all of them towards the entrance of the cave, where they flew until they lost momentum and simply dropped to the sandy floor, rolling a little as they landed.

Tirdarius scowled slightly and lowered his hand, staring at the rocks in irritation. He wasn't exactly certain where he had gone wrong. Had the telekinetic burst been too unfocused, or simply stronger than had been required? Why had all three rocks been carried along instead of just the one?

"Why did that happen?", he asked his teacher, hoping the man would have an explanation. "Where did I go wrong in my technique?"

 

[Radiwalker]

The sith watched with anticipation, as his apprentice proceeded with the training, dropping some of the rocks, concentrating on the rest. He was doing good, his emotions were flowing and he was aware of all energies surrounding him. Following the instructions, the soldier adjusted his position, to better suit his task. He extended his hand and channeled his energies. All seemed well, until the moment he released them. There was no control, no balance, the push was as untamed as the power that resided inside of the man.

Drenn smirked, both satisfactory and angrily. He waited for the man to stop staring and upon hearing his question, the togruta stood up. He walked to the rocks and picked up a small one, which he could easily hide inside his palm, while positioning a quite large one, in a standing position. Drenn then walked backwards, to stand a few meters away from the rock and turned to his apprentice, while twirling the small stone, around his fingers.

Drenn - "You lack control and precision. You channel your emotions and energies well, but can not control the amount which you release and even worse, you can not direct it. The power guides you, but it should be the other way around, you should be controlling and guiding it, for it serves you. If you do no master your energies, you will become their slave and that is a path, which you do not wish to travel."

The togruta stopped twirling the stone and without even looking towards the larger rock, he sent the stone flying at it. In a few seconds the smaller rock hit it`s target and like a bullet piercet, fracturing it all over and came out of the other side. Drenn smirked and looked back to his apprentice.

Drenn - "See? Size matters not, remember that. It is not the size of your power that is important, but it`s precion and the amount of control you have over it. For a weak, but controlled and well aimed ability, can easily do more damage, than a massive, but random and uncontrollable one. Now, give it another try. Lift up three large rocks and push one into the depths of the cave, while keeping the other two still."

Having said that, the togruta turned around and walked back to his sitting place, in the thick shade. He sat down on the sand with a soft thump and a smoke of cloud consuming him. He waved his hand to clear the air around himself, after which he undertook the meditative position, waiting to observe his apprentice`s new attempt at the task, hoping his words had made sense to the man.