Restorative Pain

[Vexillar]

Under the cool night air, Raith meditated quietly. He had a lack of free time lately, and so he was forced to multitask. He read multiple books, tomes, and scrolls at the same time. Even now. He floated a few feet off the ground in floating meditation, around him were several tomes that circled, and he scanned each one with critical sights. He didn't have time to waste rereading things. He needed it done right the first time. One tome was on Tuk'ata, another on the Great Wind, and a third one on his next step in mastering the Force.

Yeah, he was way too busy...

Even now, he was simply waiting for his next two students. Tonight they would learn an important skill within the Dark Side. Having all the power in the world meant nothing if you couldn't keep yourself alive long enough to use it. So what did one do? They healed themselves of course. But carrying around a medpack everywhere was only so rational, and it began to get expensive. So what did a Force User do? Use the Force of course. Or spend a bunch of credits on fancy armor.

However even then...

Technology could be flawed. The Force could be trusted.

 

[Cross]

A strange environment surrounded the room. Even an Acolyte such as Thorne could see that the Force was gathering within, a clear indication that someone was undergoing meditative training.

In the epicentre of it all laid a suspended individual, with tomes gravitating towards and away from him. An imposing nature which, in spite of differing greatly from the Acolyte's past encounters with Sith Crusaders and Masters, was enough to cause a certain sense of deja vu. A cool breeze greeted the Acolyte's face with each calm step towards the hovering creature. Feeling no need to announce his arrival immediately, Thorne would remain silent in his path. Taking advantage of the Master's attention being diverted into other means, this guest would proceed to observe his surroundings, hoping to draw information regarding the inner workings of his teacher for the day's mind.

In the eyes of the Acolyte, these Dark Siders tended to be more practical creatures, who would choose to gather information the old fashioned way. So, this Master's form of study clearly displayed a connection with an ethereal perspective, something one would expect to see among Jedi, but uncommon in the ranks of the Sith.

This could prove a challenge, the man reticently pondered. These spiritual people tended to be inquisitive and even forthcoming about their own emotional standpoint, and this would knock on a set of doors the Acolyte had no intention of ever seeing opened.

 

[Logan]

Korriban wasn't so innately horrid during the nighttime. The crisp desert air licked at Vecna's ears making the Kushari fold them down slightly as they pulled closer to his head, it felt like a lover blowing kisses on him in bed - something that, though he couldn't quite figure out why, felt deeply uncomfortable for the aging Kushari. His feet moved across the sand with nary an imprint despite the weight that came down with every step, Vecna having learned long ago to leave no footprints where he tread. A hunter, especially when it came to hunting sentients, was only successful if he left nothing behind - not a single hair, eyewitness, foot or fingerprint. Vecna's father had taught him that what seemed like a lifetime ago but he still carried the ideal with him. Hell, all things considered, that had been a lifetime ago - a couple, in fact. It was a different man that walked in the Korribani desert now, vastly separated from the roots that had allowed him to flourish, and completely foreign. Even his old name seemed to be fading away into the obscure fog that settled in the back of his head, in that place where people sent things that they didn't want to remember anymore. Had there ever really been a Kholvar Varaxes? Sometimes Vecna truly could not remember. Maybe that was better, anyway.

He could feel the spikes in force energy coming from his destination, Master Raith might as well had been broadcasting his location with a spotlight. Not that it mattered, not here anyway, but even in a place as secure as Korriban the massive hunter did his best to remain completely hidden inside of the force. Approaching the meditating Sith Master, Vecna paid no attention to the other man who had gathered to learn the art of dark-side healing, not quite recalling the man's face but thinking he'd seen him before. Then it hit him, the scent of the stranger, carried on the desert wind and he remembered. Valin Thorne.

A soft chuckle escaped Vecna's lips as he approached the floating Miraluka, and following a swift but noticeable bow of his head Vecna stood in silence, allowing the Master to finish up his meditations on his own time.

 

[Vexillar]

Once both students had arrived the Arcanist tilted his head slightly.

"If I were to stab you both in the kneecap, and leave you here. What are the odds you'd make it back to the Academy? What are the odds you'd ever walk again? Think, don't answer. I invite you to think again, if I were to crush your bones. What are the odds you'd even live long enough to think about making it back to the Academy?"

Eezeo whirred a bit and showed a fight between Raith and a bounty hunter in which Raith did in fact take a few bolts which would have rendered his running and use of the saber unthinkable. And yet he did. He ran and used his saber without a problem. The projection stopped and he stood up with a stretch.

"Healing is an important tool for anyone. Jedi, Sith, trooper. Anyone. How you heal yourself is mostly irrelevant. You just need to be able to heal. Who knows how to heal? I'm not asking if you can do it. I mean who knows the basis for Dark Side Healing?" With an arched brow he waited for a response.

 

[Cross]

Thorne's emerald gaze had shifted to the incoming Kushari. Although silent, Vecna's large frame was rather difficult to miss when he wasn't trying to stay hidden. A chill trickled down his spine as he recalled past events.

To have encountered a cause of grievous injuries during a class that revolved around healing. A twitch of the lips shifted his expression for mere moments, before it returned to its previous, calm self. This particular irony of fate was not lost to the Acolyte...

His thoughts had begun to lead the young Sith astray. For an instant, he'd forgotten the powerful force meditating just a couple of feet ahead. The very reason he was here, on this day. The Master's presence would, however, not remain eclipsed from mind for long. The Miraluka's voice echoed through the chamber, asking but simple, rhetorical questions that further emphasised what he already knew... why he was there. Injuries are bound to happen in combat, even amongst the strongest of fighters. And Valin would not be a member of that group for a long time, supposing that he'd ever reach that far in the first place. A normal introduction to a class, something that could only be expected of a teacher. For a second, there, Thorne had forgotten what it was like to actually face one that followed less, shall we say, idiosyncratic standards.

Following said introduction came a quick question that attempted to assess the students' preexisting knowledge in the matter. Never one for an honour role, the young Sith would take advantage of being at the bottom of the food chain, for once. In his mind, very little is to be expected of a lowly Accolyte, all the more so to a Master. As such, the man would remain quiet and calmly shift his gaze to the Kushari once more, hinting that more advanced students should have the floor in matters like these.

 

[Logan]

"There are two forms of force healing that I'm aware of," Vecna said slowly, taking notice of Thorne's lack of confidence in being the first one to speak. He wondered if the man would come to understand that in the Sith knowledge as well as success was most often rewarded to the Sith that took initiative first, death and humiliation usually the result of the hesitant ones. "There's the normal utilization favored by the Jedi, the actual manipulation of the force itself to heal injury. There is also the.. dark-side equivalent, where you can draw upon the pain and suffering of those around you to gather sustenance and help push through grievous injuries. The former happens to be more a more permanent solution, as far as I've read."

Reaching his hand to his chin, Vecna scratched the tuft of fur that was braided there idly, his tail swishing back and forth- an indication of his contentedness, as well as a hint of boredom. "My knowledge on the matter only extends insofar to rudimentary knowledge. I've not been presented with the opportunity to truly study it until now."

Vecna was unsure of what else to add to the question from Master Raythe, obviously if he was well seasoned in the arts of dark-side healing he probably wouldn't be here right now. Oh well, every teacher had their own style of instruction, and Vecna was willing to bear with Raythe's for as long as the man had something worthwhile to offer him.