[Training] The Training of Kelric Thrain

[Blueberrypie]

The night air was thick and moist, shrouded with a chilling wind which had enveloped the nearby trees, ruffling their thick mane of leafs. It was such an ordinary, yet beautiful sight, enhanced even more so by the emanating sounds of the forest. Ah, yes; The calm, relaxed way the oaken trees swung back and forth, as if reaching toward the blinking stars; the multitude of chirping birds and the annoyingly brash animals, barking and howling at the moon. Such was Yavin IV, and even the clicks and beeps of the nearby mechanics were nothing more than a part of the whole; a symphony of sights and sounds, woven together to create what life truly was, experience.

The Sith Temple on Yavin IV was filled with a variety of wonders, yet, the true treasures was to be found in the wild forests - a sanctuary for any and all, or a vicious cycle of life and death. Both perspectives depended on subjective opinion, but were of no consequence as of now. For Kelric was busying himself, meditating in an attempt to expand his mind and sense what life surrounded him.

Only hours earlier he'd come, having begun with a variety of exercises that focused on his usual meditations, which he'd refined over the years of disciplined practice. With a shudder, Kelric began to accumulate the Force within himself, building it up and readying himself for the use of it. It took time, maybe five minutes or so. When he felt ready, he couldn't help but want to watch what he was about to do, hence, he opened his eyes and focused intently at a withering flower, which had begun to deteriorate and rot - its days of glory was long past.

With a steady gaze on the plant, Kelric found himself extending his mind as he bent the Force to his will. The plant was wrung upwards and lifted from the ground, its roots snapping back into the dirt as he brought it to himself. Telekinese - such an arduous art to learn.

Today, he'd be meeting his master.

 

[Raider]

OOC: Been a long time since I trained anyone. *Cracks fingers.* Let's see if I was have the dark magic.

*Yavin IV. The jungle world was a perfect training center for new Sith. Not only did the tombs of the moon provide focal points of dark side energy, but the jungle was an excellent analogy for the central way of the Sith. That only the strong survive and rule, while the weak serve or die. What better place to see the Sith way reflected but in nature itself? The Sith ideal of strength was, as those sent here to learn, the order of nature. A short man walked through the foliage and underbrush of the jungle that he had to clear away every now and than with a casual nudge from the Force. The dark side continued to beckon him onward, calling for him to carry out the teaching he was ment to impart. He paused, breathing in slowly and with that breath came all the power at his command. It twisted and swiraled around him as he reached outward. Searching for the student he had chosen to pass on his knowledge on to.*

*Yes. He could feel him now amid the flow of the Force from the lifeforms in the jungle and the plusing power of several nexuses of the dark side. He advanced ever closer and found his student already testing his abilities in the Force as the boy lifted a plant from the ground. The hood of his robe was adjusted slightly so his eyes no longer hide behind the cloth. In the darkness of the night they shone as bright as tiny twin suns placed side by side.*

"A worthy first step."

*He said. His arm rose and the smallest amount of dark power flowed through his being and was channeled out his arm. The plant his student had so strenuously moved was cradled casually in his own binding Force grip. It landed gently in the Marauder's gloved hand. He looked over the dying plant for a moment and turned his attention back to the boy.*

"I am to be your master and see you trained in the ways of the Sith. While I may teach you powers and techniques. It is ultimately the level of your own strength, skill, and cunning that will determine whether you rise in the Empire. Tell me. What is it you desire?"

 

[Blueberrypie]

"A worthy first step."

Kelric's command of the Force waned to nothing as the decaying plant was ripped from his clutches. The man's voice had rung outward and found his ears, filling them with an echo of unsaid promises; this was his master, there was no question of it.

With a flutter of cloth, Kelric found himself on his feet, his soles planted firmly onto the grassy ground. Standing tall, in his full, augustic height, he spoke. "Your words grace me." Kelric's vocalization was layered with respective undertones, that was laced with the intrigue and curiosity one would expect from one such as he, whom had sworn to ascend and thereafter transcend the epitome image of human superiority.

"I am to be your master and see you trained in the ways of the Sith. While I may teach you powers and techniques. It is ultimately the level of your own strength, skill, and cunning that will determine whether you rise in the Empire. Tell me. What is it you desire?"

As the man, no, his decided Master voiced himself, Kelric couldn't help but feel invigorated. It was as if his very heart was ablaze with a churning flame of determination. It seared his soul and spread through his limbs, to so take root as it unfolded in his mind. Yes, this was it - the empowering thought of having a Master, a mentor to surpass!

Bending his arched back, Kelric lowered his head in a gracious motion, allowing his hands to weave eloquently thorought the air as he bowed. "Master, I wish to shape my own fate, to so reach new, unparalleled heights." Rising high once more, Kelric steadied his gaze upon his master, his countenance speaking of nothing more but grave sincerity. My goal is to become a symbolic figure, Master, of what any man or woman wants to be. Yet, to do that, I must break the limiting chains of expectations, to so wade forth in the unimaginable... Heh, I'll try not to bore you with my philosophic drivel. Honestly, and as true as I can be, Master, I just wish to reach new heights. To conquer any and all trials or hurdles I will and can be faced with. If I were to summarize it with a single word, I'd say it would be 'Perfection', for that is what I seek and aim to be. Perfection."

Blunt and honest. His goal was to achieve the impossible, after all, perfection was a subjective term, and what one man held in the highest regards, others would frown and look down on. Hopefully, his Master would be angered, and decide to give him the harshest of lessons, punishments and trials. For, if Kelric were to overcome it all...


[We'll see how we do. :P ]

 

[Raider]

*Vegzet's impression of his student's answer was mixed. It was better than those who said how they desired to learn this Force power or that lightsaber form and held no greater ambition with which to make use of what they were taught. It was the single word summarization which he found flaw with his student's goals.*

"Perfection is stagnation. Once you have decided you have reached it you feel the need to go no further, believe that there is nothing further. When you sit at what you believe to be the very pinnacle you become blind to those who claw themselves ahead of you. I warn you once and only once. Should there ever be a day when you believe there is nothing yet to learn, nothing to master, nothing to gain. That is the day of your fall."

*His voice did not rise. He gave no indication of anger, but a wave of cold seemed to have risen up around them. It slide in behind Kelric across the ground and up the back of his clothes like an assassin readying to stab a dagger of ice into the boy's neck.*

"To reach new heights and overcome all that stands before you requires power and the way to gain power is through what those who do not understand it call the "dark side" of the Force. Do you know the Code of the Sith?"

*As he spoke he walked past his student and into the jungle. A lazy motion of his hand a clear sign that Kelric stood follow. They were not going to merely stand and speak. The boy wanted trials to overcome and so he would have them.*

 

[Blueberrypie]

Kelric's mind was prostrated before Vegzet's black presence and traitorous tongue, drenched in the vile idea that had been forcibly fed to his churning mind: Perfection was stagnation! What atrocity! The very thought needed to be meticilously dissected, to so be devoured in his reflections. Philosophy was the cornerstone of the Sith themselves - their beliefs and thoughts were shrouded in abstract concepts. The very intepretation and comprehension of said scriptures and taught ideas were subjective, hence, the opinion of others mattered to him - they illuminated other sides of the subject at hand. Truth to be told, this was an interesting revelation coming from his master; it spoke volumes of his personal beliefs. Or so Kelric surmrised.

As Vegzet spoke, Kelric's spatial faculties found themselves to be a conglomeration of buzzing threads and paved roads. They were tète-à-tète with one another, struggling to be given time to be weighted and heard, fighting for dominance and control. Yet, none won, as the oiled clockwork and grinding gears that was known as Kelric's mind, was suddenly enveloped in a blanket of ice, to so be thrown into the unyielding chasms of unease. It was as if someone had pummeled the surrounding area with a biting chill - what more, was someone staring at him?

Kelric couldn't help but shudder uncomfortably as the sculpted figure of his master beckoned for him, motioning for him to follow deeper into the brooding jungle. To his chagrin, Kelric did naught but follow, whilst eagerly speaking his mind to the spoken question at hand.

"As written by the Sith; this code has been seared into my mind from time immemorial; it was chanted to me when I slept as a child - it was what I was taught at the mere age of five.

There is no peace, therein lies only passion
Through my passion is born my strength
Through strength, I unleash my power
Through power, victory is mine
Through victory, my shackles are broken
The dark side shall set me free."

 

[Raider]

"There is no peace, therein lies only passion. These eight words form not just the beginning of the Code, but also the entire basis of our Order. There can be no chains broken, no trials or hurdles overcome in the absence of our passions. The embrace and direction of your passions will be your first lesson my student. I shall teach you how to harness hatred before the rest. You have without doubt been taught to despise the Jedi and the Alliance they defend, but this I do not feel is satisfactory. Never have you faced them and known firsthand their contemptable beliefs. Hatred is deep, driven, and above all personal. Therefore I shall be the embodiment of your hate. Your first trial is to channel that hatred and use it to survive. We begin now."

*Vegzet came to a stop as he finished and turned to face his student. His right hand rose, palm facing toward one of the large tropical trees, fingers stretched out. Through the Force one could feel the power swirl around him. Twistin and rippling, growing darker and stronger with every passing second. That dark power flowed inward, building within his right hand. His fingers bent, his hand becoming a fist.*

*The trunk of the tree crumpled; the wood snapping and splintering. The whole tree groaning as it fell. Nudged by the Force in the direction Vegzet wished it to fall. Which was straight on top of his student's head. Those sulfur yellow eyes stared out through the darkness at his student. The boy would died if he failed to react and this was but the first of many potentially fatal tests he would have to endure. Only the strong become Sith. The boy would have to prove himself strong enough to deserve a place in the Order and Empire.*

 

[Blueberrypie]

The chirping birds and buzzing insects whom inhabited the proud jungle of Vjun IV, found themselves to flee or hide as a dark, decrepid presence stretched out and crawled across the murky ground. It emenated from a small figure, whose bulging muscles and impressive build was hidden by a large robe meant to deceive. Kelric himself was unimpressed by his master's appereance, but the man's demeanor and general behavior spoke leagues of what the eyes couldn't see. The fact that he was a marauder, and Kelric's master, only proved this point. Still, the apprentice couldn't help but render Vegzet in a critical light; those robes were too large for him.

"... There I shall be the embodiment of your hate. Your first trial is to channel that hatred and use it to survive. We begin now."

The influence Kelric had felt creeping up on him was suddenly thrown into disarray, to then be focused into an ephermal energy that coalesced into a wooden trunk - effectively crushing it! With a somewhat shocked expression, he felt a warning shoot through his mind, and, acting on instinct, the apprentice leapt to the side."Umpfh-!" The gargantuan pole of wood crashed into the crisp ground, wreaking havoc as it fell. Kelric had barely avoided having his spine crushed and his bones fractured, yet, his cheek had been whipped with a stray branch, and was now singed an irritated red.

"You just tried to kill me." Kelric's robes had been smeared with dirt as he'd leapt out of the way and rolled on the ground. How bothersome, he'd have to change them when he returned to the temple. With a slight cough, he began to rise from where he'd been spawled on the dirty ground. His voice was cool as he spoke, devoid of accusation - it was more of a statement of fact, a situation taken at face-value."I knew this would happen - that you did it isn't what bothers me..." Kelric was dusting himself as he said this, his larynx vocalizing words and noises that boiled upwards in a voice that was seethed in distaste. "What irks me is that you want me to think of you as the embodiment of my hate. Well, I'll tell you what - you've deserved it! Any and all whom stand in my way will be destroyed! Whoever it is, whomever they are and what their ultimate goal is - I don't care! Stand in the way of my development and actual evolution, then you will pay, and be crushed underneath my heel!"

Kelric's countenance was contorted into an expression of frustration and anger; with the addition of luscious hate. He could feel it build within him, and he welcomed it, nurtured it as it grew. Shifting his black gaze, he found a stone on the ground, that was the size of his fist. Picking it up, he eyed it for a second or two, taking note of the jutting irregularities that dandied it. "I have a purpose in my life - grander than that of my fellow en massè of acolytes! They are a dysfunctional gathering, whilst I, I am a visionary! I will shape this galaxy with these hands of mine! Yet you stand in my way! This is but one of many trials I must face, and I intend to pass it!" Kelric clenched his fist around his rock, turning his knuckles white as he lifted his muscled arm, and, as fast and hard as he could, he threw the stone in his master's direction. "I will prove myself to you!"

Unhinging his vibroblade from his belt, the thumbed the activator and leapt forward, his mind nothing but a focused cocoon of hatred and true fury; this reality would one day abide by the laws he made! Damned be anyone whom dared to challenge him! Kelric approached his master and struck out - hoping to cut him up from the shoulder and down.

 

[Raider]

*Vegzet flicked his finger at the air in the same manner one would at a speck of dirt to remove from one's clothes. The rock acted as if it had just made contact with a club that was in mid-swing. It richocheted in mid-flight and bounded a number of times before harmless rounding to a stop amid the underbrush of the jungle. Vegzet was somewhat disappointed by his student's choice of initial attack. As if a lone jagged rock could do him any harm. The boy had certainlu wasted vaulable time articulating his rather obivious displeasure at nearly being kill and those who stood in his way. It was time which during a real duel would have cost him a limb or far more likely his life. Worst yet was when he had finally decided to strike at his master he had done so crudely, blindly. He was, however, burning so strongly with hate and anger that when seen through the Force he appeared akin to a fusion torch. There was potential here, if he could harness his emotions, direct them.*

*He made no move to draw his lightsaber as Kelric hurdled toward him. The oncoming youth was head and shoulders taller than he, but that ment very little. The dark power of the Force was at his full command. Nothing more than a tool in his hand in wield and so wield it he did. He directed it to surge throughout his body and every movement made was faster, sharper, stronger. In a near blur of speed he... took a large step backward. The buzzing vibroblade that his young student had been so intent to cleave into and through the flesh and bone of his shoulder struck nothing but empty air. He made no other move, but spoke. His words dipping with mockery and amusement as his gaze fixed itself firmly on his murderous student.*

"Is that how you intend to reach your desired state of perfection? A speech followed by a flung rock? Yes, I am sure such a combination will shake the very foundations of the galaxy. No doubt by spending their time learning how to bend the Force to their will the other acolytes have become so hopelessly outmatched in the skill of rock throwing."

 

[Blueberrypie]

Kelric's muscles bulged as he struck; forcing his blade to rip through the air and dig deep as it crashed into the gritty ground. In a consecutive move, he stared malicious daggers at Vegzet whilst pulling his vibroblade from the cleaved ground. He couldn't help but be impressed in the man's prowess; he had avoided the blow with such ease!

"...to bend the Force to their will the other acolytes have become so hopelessly outmatched in the skill of rock throwing." ​

Kelric's heart pumped black blood as his smoldering gaze fell on Vegzet. "Don't you mock me!" His breath came out in laboured rasps as his cheeks' shade deepened. He wouldn't accept this shame, he couldn't! With a clenched jaw and gritted teeth, Kelric let the seething emotions grind all other senses to dust; building a churning inferno of rage and putrid hatred that rose and burned all in its path. He'd done this so many times before, deep in meditation; but it was the first time it had happened in a moment of lucidity.

Kelric roared as he struck out with his mind, forcing it to expand as he bent the Force to his Will. With monumental effort, Kelric lashed out at Vegzet, using nothing but the purity of his emotions and the arcane power he wielded. "Hnngmnnn!" There was no change in the world, nothing happened as... No, no, there it was! In a wide circle around Kelric, the grass bent, as if stroked by a gentle breeze! "It shall be as I command!" The surrounding fauna, 3 meters or so, was suddenly pummeled to the ground; their frail complexion utterly destroyed. It was as if someone had stomped the area it with a massive, bone-crushing heel. "Amazing... I've never wielded it like this!" Kelric had half-a-mind to leap forward and swing a ballet fist at Vegzet, yet, instead, he chose to channel the Force and manipulate the energies he had in his grasp. Forming the image of a sledgehammer in his mind, he hurled it towards his master. "Graaargh!"

[OOC: Imagine a... Pitiful push, lol?]

 

[Raider]

*He drew his right arm back as though readying a punch and swung it forword, palm open. The dark energy at his call rippled and turned throughout the length of his arm before exploding outward from his palm with cannon ball-like force. The two opposing currents of directed Force energy collided like two waves smashing into each other. Vegzet's wave eclipsed and overpowered his young student's. The unleashed current continuing to surge forward to slam head long into Kelric. His student's manipulation of the Force to attack him was a improvement over his previous attempt.*

"Better. Meditation cannot unlock the true level of power one has the potential to wield when compared to what one's passions can allow to unleash. You tried to fling a stone at me with your hands. Yet when you bend the Force to your command you can assert your will over any person, any object, in short everything. You barely lifted a plant in meditation. Can you hurdle a stone by drawing on your hatred?"

 

[Blueberrypie]

"...command you can assert your will over any person, any object, in short everything. You barely lifted a plant in meditation. Can you hurdle a stone by drawing on your hatred?" ​

Kelric had just been bombarded with a barrage of energies that had pummeled him and his fluttering robes to the gritty ground. His backside was dirtied, his body was battered, and, overall, he found himself quite satisfied. He had wielded the force like never-before! Because of this, his searing fury and bone-deep shame had diminished some; replaced with a core of pure, calculated malevolence. Through the Will of his mind and sheer focus of his being, Kelric managed to rein some of it in and direct it; feed off of it. This was the beginning of a glorious journey; one that would take him farther than he had ever imagined!

Kelric's mind had never been as sharp and clear as it was now; like an undiluted pond with no ripples, nor stray thoughts that craved his attention. He desired change, and only in the immersion of emotions would this happen. Slowly, he clawed and wrestled with the Force, drawing on it as he rose to his feet. "I can and I will do it!" Kelric muttered through clenched teeth as he raised his arms and motioned at a nearby rock. Its jutting edges and smudged corners began to vibrate, to so roll to the side, away from Kelric. "It will be as I say!" Shifting his smoldering gaze to the rock, he tapped further into his emotions, uttering a profane curse as he saw no results.

"Hnnmmnrrr-!" It was suddenly lifted above the ground, wobbling in the air as the apprentice struggled. It was elevated for a few seconds, only inches away from the highest straws. By this time, Kelric was groaning in concentration, his forehead bathing in the shimmer of sweat. Then, he motioned with his hand, and, like a puppet, the stone followed his command and was tossed into the forest. It was nothing like Vegzet's impressive display when Kelric had thrown the rock, but it was a beginning.

"Haah~!" With a slight sigh, Kelric wiped his moist forehead - to so turn a pair of calculating eyes in his master's direction. His bundle of emotions had unraveled, tapped of its power. It was still there; a driven ball of contorted hate; but it lacked direction and control. "I did it, master." Announced the apprentice in a self-satisfied manner, his heart beating the drums of triumph.

The foundations had been laid, what mattered now was the structure that'd be built on it.

 

[Raider]

"So you did."

*Vegzet said. His tone neither praising nor critizing his student's movement of the stone. It was mere acknowledgement that his student ehad indeed done as he had commanded. Had Kilric failed... well Sith do not fail and those who fail are not, and do not, become Sith.*

"The Force cannot only be applied to foreign objects, but also to enhance one's physical abilities and expand the senses. You witnessed the former when I dodged your attempt to strike me down. To do this you must draw the power of the Force inward and allow it to surge through you. Only through this way will you triumph in a lightsaber duel or be able to deflect blaster bolts. Your next task is to harness this ability and survive the next thirty seconds."

*SNAP-HISSS. One end of his double-bladed lightsaber came to life. The glowing blade of plasma basked the surrounding area in a blood red color. He held the overlong hilt of the blade with a single hand and rushed forward in that blur of speed once again. That humming blood colored blade swinging in cut his young student clean in half with one swipe.*

 

[Blueberrypie]

Vegzet's poised figure was nothing but a blurr; a viper that struck with malevolent might. At least, that's what Kelric thought as he acted, reacting to the ray of plasma that was slicing the damp air. He had been born and bred among the Sith, raised through the means of competition and unrelenting ruthlessness. Violence was an intrinsic part of Kelric's life, to the degree of becoming instinctual. His body moved in one swift and fluid motion; his boots of leather creaking as they twisted in the mud, positioning him favorably against his Master's thrust.

"Euurgh!" Sparks flew hither and thither as Vegzet's powerful blow impacted heavily upon the apprentice's sword, shattering his stance by forcing him backwards. A black expression had formed upon Kelric's countenance, contorting the smooth lines of his skin into one of coiled rage and festering excitement. He raised his blade once more, aiming it at the dark, deceiving stature of his master, which was illuminated by an eerie glow of red. That small build was nothing but a lie, and Kelric's height gave him no advantages.

His gloved hand wrapped itself tighter around the vibroblade's hilt, which began to hum fervently as he thumbed the activator. The forest was still around them, silent as a grave, yet; Kelric could sense his surroundings with the Force, and it spoke a different story. The buzzing insects and regal trees were alive, he could feel them; and in the midst of it all was a bottomless well, filled with the wisdom and knowledge that Kelric fervently craved. It was Vegzet. This intimidating figure held what he wanted. "Let's see how it turns out..." Kelric's feet shuffled where he stood, synchronized perfectly with his upper-body as he fell in the stance of Djem So.

Focusing inwards, Kelric made a shift in the Force, manipulating it so that it drenched his very bones, seeping through is veins. He had rendered himself deaf to the world beyond, yet, his eyesight was sharper than ever... And his body... It felt different.