Ask Umbara The Fox and the Devil

[Ayomi Jakarta]

Ayomi was bored. In between missions, no leads on any artifacts to go seek out, and certainly nobody to waste their time hanging out with; not that they really cared to anyways. Instead of anything else, they'd come to the Sith Academy on Umbara to take advantage of its training facilities. When in doubt, mastering their skills with a lightsaber was the only thing that brought them a sense of calm. Well, that and Friend, their cyber cat. There must have been several classes in session, since Ayomi and the mechanical feline were alone in the training courtyard save for a pair of training droids armed with electrostaffs.

The Tiefling moved with purpose and confidence, the crimson blades of their double-bladed lightsaber a blur in the air around them as they clashed with the training droids. Red eyes, tinged with yellow, darted back and forth as the droids attempted to push the attack against the Sith champion, the lightsaber blades redirecting their weapons up and into the air. A quick, tight roll from Ayomi between the droids allowed the blue-skinned alien to spring up behind them, tail flicking out to balance themselves faster as a swift stroke beheaded the droids. Ugh. The whole mock duel had lasted barely two minutes. It got them moving, but it was hardly a challenge.

The Sith moved to the side of the courtyard, readjusting the black, cropped tank top they used for training. Someone else would fix the training droids; the Academy had several of them, and their parts were dismembered often enough that the droids were designed to be put back together with relative ease. Ayomi's lightsaber blades disappeared into the hilt with a sharp hiss as they leaned down to affectionately scratch Friend's metallic head, evoking a mechanical purr from the small white creature. "Just you and me, Friend." They told the cat, with a rare caring tone.

@LouJoVi

 

[S’kenji]

S’kenji was tired. The Fiani had a long day in the Academy, needing to jump from one class to another. He still thought that it was funny how being a Sith Acolyte gave him a free ticket to have school for a second time. However, it was still more interesting than the stuff that he learned in his homeworld. The education was like the rest of Fiana, totally backwater.

After he finished the last class of the day, the Fiani went to one of the Academy’s training areas. Even with his tiredness, S’kenji decided to practice a bit with his lightsaber. The Acolyte felt that he was lacking skills with this weapon and using it was an essential part of being a Sith. Unless he had some cool Force ability, but it wasn’t the case.

At least not for now.

Once he arrived in the training area, S’kenji saw that he wasn’t alone. A Tiefling was already here. The Fiani vaguely recognized them as one of the Champions that used to visit the Academy occasionally. He watched their train with the lightsaber, being impressed with the movements against the training droids. The red color of the blade shining against their blue skin reminded him of the beautiful colors that the sunset cast over the sea. Their fast movements were the waves.

This thought immediately made the Acolyte grab his notebook and write down the idea of a dark blue kimono with shades of red. He would also add some wave-like patterns, to give the perception of being the sea in movement.

When the Tiefling finished their training, the Fiani approached them. “Excuse me! I’m Acolyte S’kenji.” he said, while waving at them. “I was going to train with my lightsaber. Would you like to have a partner?”

@René

 

[Ayomi Jakarta]

Ayomi looked up at the approaching acolyte with slight surprise, having been lost in the moment with Friend. They quickly shook the feeling off, standing up to face the Fiani boy as he waved in greeting. He was taller and a bit bulkier than they were, though this was not a case of him towering over them like some other Sith did. Interestingly, this was the second time in as many months that an acolyte had approached them to join in on their training.

"I'm champion Ayomi Jakarta, well met acolyte S'kenji."

The Tiefling replied in a stiff tone. Why was it always the energetic ones that wanted to talk to them? Still, a real partner would be nice; if nothing else, it would be an opportunity to critique the acolyte's form. What were they teaching them these days?

"I suppose a sparring partner could be useful for you. I trust you know I'll be more difficult than the droids or a hapless classmate; I'm not of the mind to go easy on anyone."

Ayomi warned, tightening the ponytail that held their blue hair as Friend meandered under a nearby tree to take a nap.

@LouJoVi

 

[S’kenji]

”It’s nice to meet you, Champion Jakarta.” S’kenji said, while giving a respectful bow. He didn’t know much about the Tiefling, besides the fact that they were a Champion. Due to that, the Acolyte decided to adopt a more cautious and formal posture. Last time that he tried to be friendly, he ended up inadvertently damaging the garden of a fellow Sith.

He nodded when Ayomi explained that training with her would be more difficult than what he was used to. “I understand and this is why I would like to practice with a Champion.” S’kenji said, while approaching the Tiefling. Only now the Fiani noticed that he was taller than the other Sith.

“I wasn’t going to deal with Acolytes and training droids outside the Academy. I’ll face people that will be more competent.” being a Sith, half of the Galaxy wanted his head in a plate. Besides, he would need to go on missions where people will be prepared for him. He should be prepared to deal with them.

“So I thought that training with a Champion would be a good opportunity to learn how to fight better.” he smiled at Jakarta, before grabbing his lightsaber and getting in position. S’kenji would be prepared for her, his weapon activated and raiseed in a defensive position.

@René

 

[Ayomi Jakarta]

Ayomi nodded slightly at S'kenij's bow. A respectful acolyte? Now that was a first for any of their interactions with group. It seemed the young Fiani had some common sense too; Sith would not be fighting training droids on their missions or anywhere else in the galaxy. They smiled slightly, facing the acolyte with their arm outstretched, lightsaber hilt held horizontally as S'kenji adopted a defensive stance.

"Let's begin then, shall we?"

Ayomi's red eyes focused on their target, the twin blades of their weapon igniting as they gripped it with both hands, pulling it to their side as they bent their knees in an athletic stance. They studied S'kenji for a moment before dashing forwards, attacking with a flurry of blows to test the acolyte's ability. A sharp uppercut from the left hip to the right shoulder with the bottom blade, a spin above the Tiefling's head to adjust their grip for a downward strike on their opponent's blade to either disarm and/or put him off balance enough to expose his midsection for a powerful kick to the chest.

@LouJoVi

 

[S’kenji]

”Yes.” S’kenji said, giving his approval for the training to start. He decided to maintain his defensive position. The Fiani never fought with Ayomi before, so he had no idea of what they were capable of. He would study their movements, before doing a counter attack.

Apparently, the Sith Champion had the same idea. The Fiani watched while they got in a defensive stance, Ayomi’s eyes looking directly at him. S’kenji recognized it, their analytic star was similar to the one that the Acolyte had.

When the Tiefling dashed toward him, the Fiani decided to use a Force push to throw them out of balance. If it was successful, the Acolyte would dash against the Champion. He would move his lightsaber horizontally, already expecting that his move would be blocked. Then, he would use his left leg to kick Ayomi’s hip.

@René

 

[Ayomi Jakarta]

Upon seeing S'kenji extend his hand, Ayomi adjusted their plan and lept off of their right foot, launching into an acrobatic spin up and over the space where their opponent directed his Force push. They landed on both feet and met the Fiani's rush head-on, lightsaber spinning in their hands. The Tiefling blocked his horizontal lightsaber strike with the upper blade of their own while angling their lightsaber diagonally with the lower blade out to the side to intercept the acolyte's kick. If he wasn't able to pull back from the attack in time, S'kenji would find his leg burnt, but not permanently injured, by the lower-intensity setting of Ayomi's blade.

Either way, the champion would respond to the attack in kind, sweeping horizontally from their left to right at S'kenji's legs, followed by a right to left strike at chest level before driving the bottom blade of their lightstaber up to slash from the Fiani's right hip up to his left shoulder.

@LouJoVi

 

[S’kenji]

When he saw Ayomi jump, the Fiani stopped his rush immediately. The Acolyte maintained his horizontal strike, which was effortlessly blocked by the Tiefling. He still tried to kick them, but the Champion was already prepared for it. They used their other lightsaber to block his movement.

The Acolyte felt great pain when the blade burned his skin and he immediately moved away. He briefly looked at it, seeing that the Tiefling’s lightsaber had burned through his pants and left a mark on his leg. If their lightsaber wasn’t toned down, S’kenji would have lost it. This had been the second time that something like that happened during a training session.

Before he could react, Ayomi had already attacked him again. The Fiani barely had time to defend himself, only blocking the strike against his chest. Their second movement hit him and the Acolyte stumbled away with his chest burning.

Pain. Both his left leg and chest were full of it, and it was so sweet. He would feel this feeling fuelling the Dark Side and a devious smile would appear at his lips. The Fiani would stare at the Tiefling, his eyes shining more yellow than they normally were. He wondered how the color of their blood was. Would they be blue like their skin? The Acolyte was prepared to use it to release a blast of Force lightning at them, then he would strike with his lightsaber and…

“I wield.” he said, before deactivating his lightsaber. His eyes returned to their normal gold and he bowed. “Thank you for the training, but you are beyond my capabilities. I need more training.” he placed his weapon back on his belt. “I’m really impressed with your abilities with it. It would be an honor if you could accept me as your apprentice.”

@René

 

[Ayomi Jakarta]

Ayomi couldn't help but be slightly dissapointed; then again, a few moves is all it should take for a champion to best an acolyte that hadn't had extensive training yet. A double-bladed lightsaber was no easy weapon to face off against either, though S'kenji had made a good call trying to keep the Tiefling at a distance with the attempted Force push. They deactivated the blades of their lightsaber, clipping it to their waist as they studied the Fiani. Dark Side energy swirled around him, but he let it go. Good. He had the drive, the rage, but unlike other acolytes they'd met it seemed he better knew his place and when to use it.

An apprentice though? S'kenji was certainly intriguing as a prospective apprentice, even if his skills with a lightsaber left a bit to be desired. Ayomi had recently taken on the adopted daughter of the disgraced Sith master Cremek Candorus as their apprentice, though there was nothing stopping them from taking on a second. Realistically, it would be easier to have the girl and S'kenji fight each other than a fully trained champion. And to think they'd been avoiding taking an apprentice just to have the opportunity for two of them in such a short span of time.

"Apprentice you say?" The Tiefling mused. "You wouldn't be alone, but very well. Be warned that I settle for nothing but the best. Your body will be punished and scarred, pushed to its limits. Such is the price of the power offered by the Dark Side. Tell me, acolyte; what drives you?"

@LouJoVi

 

[S’kenji]

The mention that he wouldn’t be Ayomi only apprentice made S’kenji rise his ears. Then his training was going to be a competition. This was going to be interesting. The Fiani would show to them that he was the best Acolyte and that the other was an unnecessary spare.

“I understand.” he was very aware that being a Sith wasn’t a walk on the beach. There was going to be punishment for his failures. He already had marks from other training sessions, some more wouldn't make any difference. It was necessary for his progress as part of the Order.

S’kenji didn’t even think to answer Ayomi’s question. He had already an answer for it, the Fiani had it since he had joined the Order. “I’m driven by my desire to be better. To prove to everyone that lives in the shithole where I came from that I’m beyond them.” perhaps it was the exhilarating feeling of power that came from the pain in his body, but he was telling them something that he had never confessed before. “The Dark Side can give me it.”

@René

 

[Ayomi Jakarta]

Ayomi smiled, more amused than anything else. So, they had a pair of apprentices with chips on their shoulder, driven my a need to be the best. Nothing complicated, just pure desire for power and the drive to attain it. It seemed the Tiefling couldn't stop finding themselves in these new acolytes. The Fiani would fit right into place with their own goals.

"That's right. You will be better than them. Hold on to that burning desire, that insatiable lust to be better. Let it feed you, let it drive everything that you do. We're very similar in this regard. I shall be most interested to watch your progression, my new apprentice."

Ayomi paused, tail absent-mindedly flicking back and forth as they studied S'kenji. For all their misgivings about being a teacher, there was something uniquely intriguing about the potential he and Feifi held. What better time to start exploring it than now; it's not like there was anyone else around in the training courtyard right now.

"Tell me apprentice, what is your honest assessment of your current abilities? Obviously your skill with a lightsaber isn't anything spectacular, but I'll be sure to fix that in short order. What do you excel in?"

@LouJoVi

 

[S’kenji]

S’kenji stared at Ayomi, thinking that everything that they were saying was what he had always wanted to hear. He never interacted with other Sith to the point of needing to reveal his greatest desire. Knowing that such feelings wouldn’t be frowned upon gave him a sense of freedom.

“Thank you, Master.” he bowed in respect, a small smile appearing on his lips. He felt good calling them this way. This meant that he wasn’t going to be one of these Acolytes that were forced to learn by themselves. He was going to be a normal Sith, with a proper Master that could teach everything that they knew.

He would still need to share them with another Acolyte, but how long would the other last?

The Acolyte needed time to think about Ayomi’s question. “I'm a goof lier.” he said, after some minutes of silence. “I lied to my family about studying abroad. I lied to everyone every second of my life, hiding under courtesy the fact that I hate my life here. Maybe I can be good with diplomacy? I also can use the Force well.” it was what he had to offer, besides being an excellent stylist.

@René

 

[Ayomi Jakarta]

Master. The word echoed in Ayomi's ears, through their usual cold, stern expression betrayed no change in emotion. Even after hearing the same phrase come out of Feifi's mouth for a couple weeks now, it still felt odd. They'd been calling others master just a few years ago, and now here they were taking on the same role. So much for staying a loner. Still, there was an undeniable satisfaction to it; the acknowledgement, even in just one word, of their position of power over another, the respect towards someone who was better. A faint smile crept across the Tiefling's face; yes, they'd adjust to this new dynamic just fine.

As for S'kenji's reply, there was certainly something to work with. If nothing else, his drive to be stronger would make for his shortcomings; Ayomi would see to that personally.

"Skill with lying is indeed useful. Not all duels are won with swords, and the best swordsmen can topple an empire through words as easily as they can their blade. It's a trait that should serve you well." they responded, carefully observing the acolyte's facial expressions. It seemed he was enjoying this interaction, though it came as no surprise. For many acolytes, officially training under a master was the first step towards their own goals, their own power. It'd been the same for Ayomi once upon a time, as they recalled on of the first lessons their master had taught them.

"I'm interested in assessing the speed at which you learn. We began this interaction with a short sparring match; tell me, why did you lose?" They asked S'kenji, their red-eyed gaze fixed on the Fiani's face.

@LouJoVi

 

[S’kenji]

S’kenji smiled when Ayomi said that his lying capabilities were useful. It made him think that he could still be as Sith even if he showed lackluster abilities in their combat. Besides, with a Master the Fiani would be able to practice more with his weapon and become more competent with it.

“I lost because I underestimated your lightsaber.” S’kenji didn’t calculate that fighting against someone using a double-bladed lightsaber would be more complex than against a basic one. “I wasn’t prepared to deal with such a weapon, so I lost. There is also the fact that you are a level higher than me.”

@René

 

[Ayomi Jakarta]

Good. Ayomi was satisfied with S'kenji's response; the ability to critique oneself, to know and expose one's weaknesses to the conscious mind, was critical to any improvement. This would be a worthwhile partnership. The Tiefling could already tell that S'kenji would push himself to complete any task set before him, and not the type to make excuses for his own failure.

"You'd be correct." Ayomi began, pacing over to the tree where Friend lay powered-down in a sleeping position. "I must say, for an acolyte you're surprisingly aware of your place in things, of the limitations of your own abilities. Never lose sight of that, but never accept it. Never let yourself become complacent. That burning thirst for more, that passion, is your strength. Through that strength you acquire the power to achieve your goals and desires. This is the way of the Sith."

@LouJoVi

 

[S’kenji]

The Fiani would have smiled again when Ayomi said that he was correct, but he decided to remain with a neutral expression on his face. While he loved a good complement, S’kenji didn’t want to show to the Tiefling that he was the type that was always cocky.

“Thank you, Master.” S'kenji was aware that as an Acolyte he occupied the lowest position in the Sith hierarchy. He didn’t want to stay this way forever, the Fiani would climb through the ranks. And his ambitions would not end there, he wanted to be more. Who knows if it wasn’t going to be the one who finally brought civilization for his homeworld?

"I'll never be weak."

@René

 

[Ayomi Jakarta]

Ayomi turned back to look at S'kenji, a stern expression on their face but a fire burning in their eyes. The Fiani had their interest, much like the Mandalorian girl, and they were looking forward to what this new relationship would bring. As an added bonus, both apprentices had a competitive fire that would push them to constantly one-up each other; and only the best would prevail. If nothing else, that fire would serve the Tiefling well in their own ambitions.

"Then you'll become a powerful Sith under my tutelage. Come then, apprentice. Your training as a Sith has only just begun."

With that said, Ayomi tapped Friend's metal head, waking up the feline droid as they began to leave the courtyard. Yes, this would be a very fruitful partnership indeed.

@LouJoVi

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