To Catch a Tuk'ata

[Vexillar]

Raith stood outside in the mid afternoon sun. It was a decent day out, though with the destruction and chaos around you'd hardly know it. Was he evil then? For ignoring the homelessness, the lack of life, the ruined infrastructure? No...desensitized maybe, but not evil. He cared...or he tried to. Maybe that was why he had taken on so many students. To prevent this from happening by training Acolytes to be Sith. After all, if there were proper Sith, capable of taking a city sans the bombs, this could have been avoided potentially.

Pushing the thought from his head, he continued to brush up on his Echani martial arts. His "eyes" scanned the text in front of him rapidly, his brain absorbing every nuance of information. Vallo, the Tuk'ata who was rarely seen apart from the Arcanist these days, sat by Raith's feet is if guarding him from potential danger.

Thought Vi'kaar's hand petting the canine idly said that the Tuk'ata was just in the mood for affection.

He waited here for an Acolyte who requested to understand how the Force can interact with the body. Specifically through enhancing one's speed. Raith was a fan of the basics, those who neglected the basics of the Force were poor wielders of power, and would easily be overtaken. Out of the basic powers he used Speed the most, at least he did when engaged in saber combat. Precise control over the ability can lead to a decisive victory.

And Vi liked to win.

 

[Shoggoth]

Behind the Miralukan, by the blast door to the temple, stood Noboru. He peered at the man, leaning on his quarterstaff.
This would be his first lesson after Nangzi Pi left him. Annoyed, he tightens the robe around his waist.
How ridiculous.. He thought to himself, and played back the previous encounter in his head They treat me as if I am a child. I have been training for this my whole life. And they can suddenly just send me to Korriban and even have the guts to further me to basics.. ; "you fit in with the basic trainees.". I'll crack their heads open.. I was the fastest on Arkania, I'll probably be the fastest here. They don't know me.

The sun was slowly hiding behind a cloud. A slight breeze had picked up sand dust, which blew into his eyes. He squinted and rubbed it off on his arm.
Grabbing a hold of his staff, he tapped it on the sandstone flooring trying to catch the man's attention.

"Whatever you were assigned to train me in, I probably already know."

 

[Vexillar]

The Miraluka let out a sigh. If Ashla, the Winged Goddess, cared so much for her children...why did she allow Raith to get this student.

"I met someone else who spoke as you did." His voice echoed with Erchitu's. His own aofr and even tone complimented by the sweet and heavyily Dathomir accent of the spirit he housed inside of him. "He now thinks twice before speaking to me in such a manner. Do you wish to experience just how vast the gap in our power is? Or do you wish to learn? Because the sinolw fact of the matter is, you could learn a thousand powers, abilities, and weapon skills. But with an attitude like that, you're nothing more than a child throwing a tantrum...and you'll be put down just as easily." He never once even looked at the Acolyte, he just kept reading. Though he did wave a hand lazily.

The Tuk'ata next to him growled for a moment, clearly not a fan of the demeanor of the Acolyte. But a hand on his head silenced the growl...but not the look in his eyes.

"There is a reason your an Acolyte still, despite your obvious over confidence in abilities. I could sense your ego before you even left the front door of the Academy. Your lack of sense of self will be your downfall. But I can teach you how to survive. How to live. Is that what you want? To be as powerful as you think yourself to be now? Or would you rather join the ranks of other nameless fallen?" At that point he turned his head to look at the Acolyte. His brow just slightly arched in questioning. His voice had remained even through it all, and he himself was as the void. No Force Signature, no stray thoughts. He may as well have been a hologram.

 

[Shoggoth]

Noboru stood as if frozen in place. He opened his mouth to answer but nothing came out.
His grip around the staff tightened, during what seemed like days of silence.
He could feel the anger boiling inside of him. What makes him think-.. no.. What makes anyone here think that they can be so arrogant.. His thoughts were racing. Master Nangzi was right.. Everyone thinks they're so important on korriban, don't they.. He thought clearly misunderstanding the man opposing him.
His face turned into an churlish expression. with a swift step he spun his quarter staff one-hundred-and-eighty degrees in his hand, and dashed letting his force carry him, looking like only a still image in the air before he struck his low end of the quarterstaff over the shoulder of the man.

As he did, he could render a flashback.

"That is all for this class.. you are all dismissed..". We all bowed and watched, Class master Tie'lien leave the room. I felt a hand on my shoulder holding me from leaving the class studio. looking over my shoulder I see a fellow acolyte, Bei. He was the oldest in my class.
And I could feel his vibro-knife almost touching my neck. "You're going to let me win in the tourney, aren't you. 'Nobu'.. Or else i'm going to tell Com'einil. About her.. He wouldn't be to happy about that would he no-.." he was interrupted by my elbow in his chest. With the help of the force I had sent him flying back a few meters. Only to let him discover that I waited for him at the end of his flight. Burying his head in the marble flooring, with a strike with my staff.
I was so much quicker than him. He was but a toy. I was a spoiled brat.

 

[Vexillar]

With a raise of two fingers, Raith was able to erect a barrier. Having sensed the anger swelling in him, he knee this was appropriate. He could have stopped him with lightning. He could have blocked it with his arms. He could have been gentle. But his Apprentice knew not to test Raith's patience, his 'Little Rancor' learned what happens when you speak in arrogance to the Arcanist. This Acolyte would learn too.

Inside of him, Erchitu chuckled.

The staff slammed into the barrier barely giving Raith the impression of something having hit it. Letting it down he peered into the Acolyte's mind. He grabbed the first thought he could, the first thing available. He only needed one thing. Oh, and it was a memory. Raith chuckled to himself as he walked away from the attacker.

"You dare to strike an Arcanist, and yet you don't even protect yourself. Quiet your bark, dog, your bite isn't up to snuff." An illusion was immediately projected, like a needle sinking into the Acolyte's brain and the image, the sound, the feeling, all of it was flawless. The Arcanist pushed this vision into Noboru's mind, burning it on there. He wanted the Acolyte to suffer. To understand the mistake he just made.

The illusion?

Why he was back in that class, with Bei. Except this time there was nothing Noboru could do. No matter what he tried, Bei would avoid any strike as if he could peer into the future. In reality, it was simply Raith altering the illusion as needed. All the same, every attack given by Bei would fond Noboru seemingly helpless to defend against. His speed? Worthless. His strength? Void.

Of course any pain Noboru could experience would simply be phantom pains, but they would feel real. As real as this conjured setting. The illusion was a strong one by common Sith Standards, but a low key one by the standards of the woman who taught him. She showed him how to effectively use it though. The mind, body, and soul are all one. Connected by the Force. Influence the mind and the rest will be helpless to defend against it.

It was for that reason that his illusion would be near impossible for the Acolyte to break. Unless he was a master of mental defenses and his that from the Sith. However, his unguarded mind told Raith that he was, in fact, not a master of such things.

 

[Shoggoth]

Noboru had dropped the staff and was staring mindless into nothingness.

Why am I missing him. Bei stood over him, with his heel placed on his throat. Noboru couldn't breathe but he wasn't dying. He wasn't moving even though he knew he could. He could feel the intolerable pain of the vibro-blade, carving his flesh, as Bei played his arm like it was a Mandoviol. Numbness in his eyes, his breath was as strikes on an anvil. His heart stung after each beat, the pain was real. Falling on to his knees he covered his face with his hands.
He let out a shriek only to realize he was not in the class studio, with Bei. Confused and afraid he looked at Raith. He suppressed a sob and clenched his teeth, until his gum was acing. Quickly grabbing his staff he supported himself on it and got on his feet. Stroking the dampness out of his eyes with his elbow.

"May I have the pleasure of knowing your name then, master 'Arcanist'" he had a somewhat mocking tone, getting ironically interrupted by a cough. He wore a somewhat tired gaze trying to keep himself balanced on the staff.

 

[Vexillar]

Watching the boy suffer brought no joy to the Arcanist.

So he turned his attention back to reading.

After a moment he figured the Acolyte had suffered enough and let him go. He chuckled as Noboru suddenly found an ounce of manners in him. "Names are for people who have earned them, Little Acklay. But...I like you. Your spirit. With proper training, you could be something useful. And that is the only reason you still live. Understand this, my Little Acklay, you have been given a chance to truly see yourself in a position of power. Bei? He stepped up to you because he saw a weakness, just as I saw, and attempted to exploit it. We must never allow others to see a weakness that we ourselves can't cover. And for you I am specifically talking about this...Com'enil character. Bei targeted your relationship. And you dealt with him poorly."

He steppes forward. His mind working at creating another illusion here today. A smaller one, however, he slipped something into the Tuk'ata's mouth. That was all. Then he, in reality, sent the beast running off.

"Subtly is the way of those truly in power. For example, anyone who just witnessed what happened would have only seen you suddenly become very...erratic. You'd spout nonsense about seeing things, and I'd simply claim you were on drugs. Easy enough to pass off. Do you understand? Responding in such a violent manner tells others who may hate you how best to get to you. All of our actions tell a story, my dear."

He stepped closer to the Acolyte.

"And we must be careful with what that story contains. So, Little Acklay, you now have a choice in your story. Will you turn tail and run? Find a new instructor who would leave you for dead without a second thought? Or remain here and fetch the hound who has your antidote?" A small gasp slipped from his lips. "Whoops...I said too much... "

The beast was long gone by now. In the tombs of fallen Sith the creature was most at home. Only someone who could utilize Force Speed stood a chance at catching the canine. But of course Raith hadn't actually stabbed the Acolyte with anything...but he didn't need to know that.

 

[Shoggoth]

Noboru only managed to understand half of what the man said. He lifted his face with a slight smile. Still numb from the past illusion he barely notices the other. Though soon his eyes widen.
Hound? antidote? his thoughts rushed. Letting his eyes dash from Raith to where the hound used to be. He realized.

The Tuk'ata!

He raised the staff off the ground to then return it with force, sticking it into the soil.
His eyes tried to locate and remember where the hound had headed as he bent forward and dashed letting the force carry him. As for the naked eye, the second he dashed, it could seem like he was flickering in uneven existence. Only a trail of orange sand lingered in the air.
Picking up speed as he dashed between the tombstones and mausoleums, he could not sense the hound anywhere though he could see its footprints everywhere he looked. Antidote, antidote for what exactly? He can't have managed to poison me, he was not even near me! or was he?.. and.. What did heck mean by 'my spirit'? Though he his right.. My weaknesses are too viable though that was an exception.. Nangzi knew too. I need to gather myself..
leaping on top of a mausoleum he peered around after the hound.
First nothing. Then.. A dust cloud, down in the valley beneath.
Swiftly, he eased himself down and, leaped over a pair of urns, knocking one over in the process. Stumbling he was faced with the edge off the cliff leading to the flat valley below.
He could see the dust trail of the hound, only a hundred meters or so from the foot of the cliff.
Noboru leaped.

The wind blew more sand into his already sore eyes, in mid air. Though as he could not afford to loose focus he closed his eyes, relying solely on the force.
Dry warm air brushed his scalp. It was time.
He could feel himself letting the force carry his feet again, arching his back he laid the landing impact's power into the force. He used the momentum to follow it with a roll, releasing tension off his legs. He strove to get footing, but failed, having his right foot get caught by a rock, the momentum was placed instead into the impact of his body to the dry hard packed sand.
He hit it hard, and rolled along. Laying on his back he demanded to breathe, but his breath was punched out by the impact.
A hard cough. And he could breathe again. Holding his hand on his acing chest, he tried to locate to hound.

 

[Vexillar]

When the Acolyte got up, he'd find Raith waiting for him. The Arcanist appeared to be reading again but spared the other a quick glance. "You do realize that when you've been poisoned, panicking is not the thing to do? Your increased heart rate will allow the poison to take effect even sooner than it normally would. So unless you want to fall over dead, nameless, and forgotten, I suggest you listen to what I have to say. I can, after all, tell you how to catch him. Vallo is a Tuk'ata. The sands of Korriban are his kind's native land. Tombs, temples, and the like, no...you'll never catch him like that. Especially not these ones. He excels in these environments."

He put the book down and began to circle Noboru slowly. Unlike the Acolyte, the Arcanist didn't seem travel worn. Which is because he wasn't. It was an old spell from the Dathomir Witches that allowed him to be here. It could be considered a higher form of telepathy. But due to the realness of the image, most mistook him for the real thing.

"The way in which you utilize the Force now for your frantic running is no good. Imagine you're fighting. What would be most beneficial for you? The enemy tiring himself out before the battle has begun. And you, my dear, are doing just that. Sit. And receive proper instruction. Or you can do what you're doing now. Maybe catch Vallo, but probably have your heart seize up before you so much as set foot within 20 meters of him."

He shrugged and went back to his book. "The choice, Acolyte Noboru, is yours."

 

[Shoggoth]

Noboru glared at Raith as he swaggered around him. "How am I supposed to catch it if don't approach it at a sufficient speed." he said. Though he peered at him letting him finish as he told him to sit and receive the instructions. Shaking his head brushing dust off his robe he attempted something which led just into a tired smile.

"My previous master always told me; 'Try your way till you bleed, then try my way. Then you'll understand your wrong doing.' I intend to follow that."

He surveyed the valley flats trying to locate the Tuk'ata. "Now, next time you decide to show up, could you bring me my staff?"
He caught a glimpse of Vallo's tail disappearing behind a rock. He got off his knees and put pressure on his toes, darting after the creature.

It lead him to a cliff which disappeared into another linear valley. The creature had already gotten pretty far down the slope, sprinting, clawing its way down, quickly approaching the foot of the cliff. Looking back over his shoulder he couldn't see Raith where he had encountered him anymore. Taking a deep breath he centered his force trying to keep his stress levels down. It grieves me but he's right. The poison is going to kill me faster if I get unnerved... Breathe... He took a deep breath. Leaping down unto a close overhanging rock he picked up his speed again, jumping from ledge to ledge until he encountered the gravely slope leading down to the foot of the cliff. He dashed as fast as the force could carry him. Though he was caught by a hole in the gravel and fell sideways, rolling down the slope, hitting his right shoulder hard on a stone ledge suddenly exposed in the gravel. It made a loud crack. His shoulder had moved out of its socket. He tried fanatically to get the rotation under control, and as he approached the bottom he managed to get his legs in angle and used the leverage of the roll to apply speed to his followed leap. He strove but managed to get footing and quickly caught up to the creature's trail.

 

[Vexillar]

Raith sighed. He hated teaching those who had been taught before. It was not quite a battle of breaking them down and rebuilding them. No. He didn't want to strip their old mentor from their mind, their life, but he didn't want to teach against them either.

Out of seemingly nothing, Raith appeared before the Acolyte once again. "Try your way until you bleed? That's the logic of a suicidal fool. Sometimes until you bleed is when you're dying and it's too late to correct mistakes. Like when you have poison coursing through your body and all you're doing is flailing about."

The mind was a powerful thing. It was something Raith believed in very much. Noboru obviously believed he had been poisoned, so the symptoms would show up sooner or later, simply because he believed them to be there. It was amazing what the mind could do with the right pushes. "Have you started shaking yet? Maybe seeing some odd colors? That's the first sign the poison has reached your heart. If it goes beyond that I can't help you. Then you'll die and you have your foolish ex-master to thank for that." He scoffed a bit.

"Your on Korriban now. There is no try it your way. There is the right way, and the way that gets you killed. Welcome to the Sith, Acolyte Noboru. Want to make this your last day alive?"

 

[Shoggoth]

Noboru halted as Raith appeared. Stumbling he tried not to crash into him. glaring at him, he sniffed taking a few steps back.
"I said next time you decide to show up. Bring me my staff.. I would ne-.. He was interrupted by Raith's ramble about the symptoms. He peered at Raith with a judging look, then down at his hands, as he held them in front of him. The meditational courses and mindfulness training previously given to him by his former master Nangzi lingered with him, and was the reason he didn't experience the placebo. Noboru looked up at Raith again with a strictly serious expression "Then tell me how to catch him before anything happens then.." he bumped down on the sand wrapping his legs into lotus position, placing his palms on his thighs. To lower his blood pressure he had been taught to breathe in a steady motion, a specified rhythm to follow. Noboru closed his eyes and nodded. "My ears are pitched, proceed."

 

[Vexillar]

Again he dismissed the staff comment. Even if he could have brought it he wouldn't. He was an Arcanist, not an errand boy.

"You push the Force, Acolyte. Pushing uses up far too much energy. It requires you to forcefully direct the flow of the Force, rushing it from outside to within. That will put a strain on your body and mind quicker than my way, because my way is more natural."

He altered their surroundings so that they were in a grassy field, another illusion no doubt, with a small stream flowing between them.

"This water is flowing down stream, and at the bend it curves to the left. How do you get it to flow right?"

A simple question, or rather a straight forward one, and it had it's purpose. Vallo had reached the tomb by now a deep canyon where Raith's soon-to-be study resided. An entire underground cave network that ran for miles and miles. Vallo knew the location of the small villa like structure within, and thats where he resided. On the front step, curled up and napping. The illusion was both to give Vallo time to slip away, and to do what Raith was here to do; teach.

 

[Shoggoth]

Noboru nodded in confirmation of what was told. He had at last lowered his shoulders. He had understood that the whole situation wasn't as dangerous as he presumed it to be at first.
If this 'poison was in fact deadly, he would not be holding be back. He thought to himself and perked a smile.
Noboru was naive but not inbred. Let alone not unfamiliar with the teachings of the sith. As the surroundings changed, he realized, that Raith must have been fooling him all along. He was certain. Or at least he felt that way. His muscles was no longer as tense. He didn't ache to chase the canine.

Standing up in the field he smirked at Raith. Modest he replied "You change your perspective of course."