A different dynasty

[Kriel Firin]

“Secrecy. Cunning. Patience. These are the weapons of the Sith.”
— Darth Bane, to his apprentice Darth Zannah

Talon Ren was always at pains to point out he was a Knight of Ren. That meant, in his words, that he was not a Jedi nor a Sith. So his approach to his apprentices followed that logic.

The majority he had trained had developed into Knights or had simply failed to make the grade. But one had tremendous potential but had one significant flaw. He lacked patience and that led to a lack of control.

And given he was a scholar, he considered what lessons history could offer him. Which is why he was heading to Ambria. It was here on this remote world that Darth Bane began Darth Zannah’s training.

“Act in haste and you give the advantage to your enemy,” Talon Ren explained, in the words of the man that began the Rule of Two.

“But this is not a theoretical lesson, it will be a practice one, hence our trip here. This planet has always had dark-side connections but the reason for choosing it is, if I’m honest, more about nostalgia — but there is a practical reason too.”

The ship set down near one of the caves near the shore of Lake Natth. It was a decent sized clearing and a camp was set up very quickly.

“Now tell me, have you ever heard of neeks?”

[member="Brennan Cabrol"]

 

[WolfMortum]

Ambria, it was a desert world from what the hooded younger figure had pulled up upon his Datapad strapped around his left arm just shy of one of his gauntlets; moving alongside his Master it was the first time that they'd headed out on a venture in a good time, not by any fault of [member="Kriel Firin"]'s but by Brennan's own design. Eventually it had come to a point where the Master of the Knights of Ren would no longer accept the boys disregard for progress and had pulled him aside so that they might partake in a mission of sorts. Though Brennan knew not the details around the ordeal until Talon had given him some few details along the way, an element of guessing done on the youths end though it kept his mind ahead of him rather than so focused on his past as he had been of late.

Upon their arrival he followed down the landing ramp and stepped out onto the sand floor, looking to what appeared to be some kind of cave system ahead of them though to which he could only guess how extravagant it was buried within the earth. "I have not..." He admitted in response to the question regarding neeks, reptilian herbivores native to the planet; a planet that until now had escaped his need to study; at the least not until Talon had mentioned the nature of the Darkside and it's connection to this world. "The Darkside is stronger here?" He questioned after a moment of silence, portraying his interest in the force rather than his enthusiasm for the native creatures of the world.

The distraction was a much needed one, perhaps his Master had picked up on the change of his behaviors of late. He had been a shut in for so long, months on end and then suddenly his efforts took him off world, it went against the traits he had been displaying of late. First Nar Shaddaa and then the world of Commenor of which he had been scouting on his own; he had succeeded in keeping all things quiet, even from the First Order as his motives were incredibly personal yet there was always the chance, and he knew this, that Talon would be keeping tabs on him closely. After all he was a Disciple and they couldn't have been allowed free-reign and complete freedom, could they?

 

[Kriel Firin]

Talon Ren sat on a crate that served as a makeshift table. He was under no misapprehension that this was going to be a long lesson. A very, very long lesson. Keeping his Disciple on track was going to be a challenge in itself, but in a sense it was more than half the battle.

“In places,” he said. “Many of the local fauna are attuned to it, which is a separate challenge that you will face once we deal with the neeks.”

“Your task is a simple one. Bring one to the camp, without using the Force and not against its will. Simple.”

[member="Brennan Cabrol"]

 

[WolfMortum]

Was that a joke?

Brennan stared back at his Master, a hand lifting to pull the hood back from over his head so that his look of skepticism might not be misunderstood. Blind defiance wasn't something the First Order nor the Knights of Ren would tolerate, though clarification was sorely needed here. "You'd have me herd some kind of creature back here..." He repeated in his own choice of words, his weight shifting to his right foot as he stood at a side glance, turning to look across the sand laiden world, his brows furrowing in annoyance. He didn't know the first thing about these 'neek' creatures; without the use of the Force nor scaring the creatures into submission, his mind went to the thought of food in which was a prime need for all life, even on one system so desolate as this one. To say that he was less than enthusiastic would've been accurate though he decided his given question best served him in the rhetorical sense as he soon wandered off waiting not for a reply, least [member="Kriel Firin"] hear the arrogance within him.

Fortunately for him, finding the creatures might not be so difficult as Kriel had neglected to restrict him from the use of technology. The SB-U01 strapped to his wrist held a multiple number of uses, a tool designed with the information brokers and agents of the First Order in mind, Brennan had managed to get his hands on one recently and here, it's ability to scan for life-forms would work to his benefit. With his back to his master, he walked with his head down, the devices screen flaring up as he activated the device and triggered the program, upon what looked to be a grid referencing the area around them, a number of blips started to appear, some moving while others seemed stationary.

Neeks were overly paranoid creatures and it had taken Brennan a good fifteen to twenty minutes searching for them, to actually come in contact with a trio of them. It had given him the chance to do some further research learning that they were herbivore creatures, of which this planet seemed oddly lacking given it's desert terrain; perhaps figs and roots were more to their tastes or otherwise the kept to the quiet of the caves he had decided not to venture into. He knew not their layout and without Talon, it had seemed wiser to search a land of which he could see for open kilometers rather than finding himself stumbling into some hole in the earth both unaware of the worlds inhabitants or the stability of the cave itself. Crouching to sit upon the back of his feet, he remained quiet and still, watching these creatures with a good few questions in mind, the most obvious being - how was he to draw at-least one of them back and how would doing so even benefit this lesson of theirs.

Another ten minutes and Brennan was making his return, bringing with him breakfast and something of a smug look on his face. Coercion wasn't exactly his best game yet Commenor had recently taught him that if you wanted to lure something out then it was best to target something your intended audience held dear or loved. Whether these creatures were capable of love or not he doubted, yet as any primal instinctive creature held, carrying in his hands a number of oval shaped eggs, behind him two of the three Neeks seemed to trail. Their heads bobbed as they moved, their bodies difficult to see against the sand that flowed up and down across the great dunes of the land, yet there they were and not being held against their will, they sought their unhatched offspring, following Brennan back towards the encampment. He had not used the Force, as the creatures had been immensely easy to startle; their teeth were sharp yet herbivores and most significantly being scavengers, Brennan had been confident enough that they'd do little to any real harm to him.

If he hadn't realized it already, Talon would soon come to learn that in giving Brennan a goal, the youth would go about achieving this in whatever means that he could, morale or not, his ambition took priority over his need to sate the pleasures of lesser creatures, this referring to both these Neeks and all those outside of the First Order itself. In his dealings, it wasn't uncommon to find a strong sense of intellect with an almost feral manner of practice. The brains yet not the finesse to do things cleanly, Brennan returned to him and placed the eggs to the sand floor between them, soon moving off to the side and turning to look back as the two grown Neeks watched them nervously from a small distance.

"There...".

 

[Kriel Firin]

Talon Ren saw his apprentice leave. He hadn’t banned the use of technology, but finding a neek was not the challenge — bringing one back was. So if Brennan used a tracker to find one, so be it.

So he waited and was, up to a point, pleasantly surprised that his Disciple returned so soon. Brennan had clearly played a strong card in bringing not one but two neeks back to the camp. But Talon Ren was a hard taskmaster.

“They are close to the camp, but not precisely in it. Close, but as yet, no prize. Take your time, there is no rush.”

[member="Brennan Cabrol"]

 

[WolfMortum]

Brennan turned to stare back at [member="Kriel Firin"] in a look of disbelief, the eggs of which he had placed upon the ground soon coming back into his focus as he rose to a stand once again and moved to approach them, stopping not until his right boot had landed upon them both and he crushed them under the weight of his casually placed step. He did not look to the creatures now, instead turning into the direction of which his gaze would again cross his master before moving off to the side and leaving a good deal of space between the Neek and their now very dead offspring. The manner in which he did all of this held an air of suppressed frustration yet again he dared not to show it, remaining ever so silent as he awaited the results of his actions, be that Talon's disapproval or his soon to be success.

Instinctively the creatures circled in, wanting to try to save their children. There was no hope for them and yet the Neek had not the intelligence to know this, Brennan had treated this situation in much the same tactic that he might treat any other sentient person of great enough interest though in these creatures there was the distinct ease of them being far more clueless than your typical human or civilized sentient race. "What is the point of all of this?" He finally asked as the Neek had come within the encampment and began to sniff about their fallen, the lifestream of which was being soaked up amidst the sand of the world. He did not understand why they were bothering with these creatures, nor how they related to their far superior reach within the force.

Talon was spot on when it came to knowing Brennan's impatience and what bothered Brennan most was that his Master made it so obvious that even he had to recognize it.

 

[Kriel Firin]

“What is the point?” Talon Ren repeated, slowly.

He’d witnessed Brennan’s efforts and was not judgemental as to the how, it was the outcome that was important.

“If I were a cruel Master I would chose not to answer that question but instead turn it back on you to tell me. But I suspect that would only make matters worse — and that is the trouble.”

“You have talent, that is not under scrutiny. Your tactics are also exemplary, so nothing to challenge there. But tactics win battles, not wars. Strategies win wars. And strategy is a long game. And long games require patience. You can be and are an awesome Disciple. You have it in you to be a great Knight. But Master? That will evade you until you learn to temper your impatience.”

“Which isn’t the real problem. The real challenge is that you know this but choose to do nothing about it. Why?”

[member="Brennan Cabrol"]

 

[WolfMortum]

The fact that [member="Kriel Firin"] had stated that he held the potential to become a Master of the Knights of Ren at all completely threw him off guard, the fact that in his current state he might be worthy of Knighthood astonished him even more; he of whom had not received such compliments in a great many years let alone been given a reason to feel any semblance of pride in who he was, turning to glance away from Talon he knew not how to accept such words.

In response to his frustrations, Kriel had responded with more respect that he had ever been given since a time he preferred not to recall in mind. It completely defeated his anger and left him on the back foot so to speak, soon resigning himself to drop to the ground, crossing his legs and burying his elbows against them, his eyes looking back at the crushed offspring of whom the Neek seemed to encircle, chirping and trying to nurture their dead. "Forgive me..." He muttered under his breath though the words were audible enough that his mentor might hear him, "I don't have an answer worthwhile..." he soon admitted somewhat guiltily.

"I only meant to question the nature of these creatures in relation to this lesson, Master...-Not that which you can teach me" He gestured to the animals as if to try to explain himself though soon found himself thinking on his recent venture. "There is..." He began to speak with the intention of revealing his recent endeavor though found himself falling short, uncertain whether or not it would benefit him or otherwise; "Something that I've been intending to do, though it falls outside of the benefit of the First Order..." He shook his head slowly, the anger in him slowly churning, swelling in the dark-side of the force as it clouded everything around him in response to placing any emphasis on the matter; "Someone has resurfaced from my time within the Jedi Order years ago...It's an immensely personal vendetta though I am too wary of crossing boundaries regarding our priorities here, serving the First Order...".

"I am impatient, you're right...-Driven instinctively perhaps, I have no excuses".

 

[Kriel Firin]

Talon Ren was invariably honest. Not every Disciple appreciated the fact, but he was not going to change his ways any time soon. And honesty came unfiltered too. He was nothing if he wasn’t objective. His opinions were rarely shared — it was always as factual as he could make it.

Brennan’s responses were in many ways expected and Talon Ren did not feel any remorse or even empathy for the young man. As much as Brennan reflected on Talon Ren in his words, the Ren Master knew that this entire conversation was about the Disciple. It was why they were here and it was all that mattered right now.

“There is no need to apologise to me, or to reproach yourself if you do not have the words you think I want to hear. Your relationship of note is not with me but with the Force.”

“You came here to teach yourself — and once you realise that, you will make better progress.”

Then he fell silent as Brennan explained his current misgivings.

“In truth, this is for you to decide, but I suspect you wish to hear my thoughts and so it would be inappropriate to withhold them. A personal vendetta is of no consequence to the First Order, unless it impacts on your role for the Ren. Then it most definitely is within our scope. In avoiding it, you are only likely to make matters worse, or at best fail to improve them.”

“So I recommend you deal with this matter. Will it help your impatience? Who can tell. But it is clearly your destiny.”

[member="Brennan Cabrol"]

 

[WolfMortum]

This was still something that he was having to grow accustomed to, this ounce of freedom that the Knights of Ren offered even their disciples compared to both the Sith and the Jedi Orders. "You approve then?" He frowned, glancing back towards [member="Kriel Firin"] unexpectedly surprised. Being given the potential go ahead to take down Veiere made his mind race with possibilities.

"The target is living upon the World of Commenor, they are attached to the government there" he spoke very indirectly of his former mentor, Veiere a piece of his past and best left that way unless six feet under, Talon was his Master now and with his approval on the matter, Brennan had no further reason to skate around the issue. "He's set to marry their Queen. I've scouted the area roughly though did not wish to spend long there as I was not certain how my venture would be tolerated by the First Order...-Now that I know, I will make the most of this" Brennan smirked to himself, nodding slowly as if to reassure himself that this would happen.

"He's well trained...-Taking Veiere head on will not end well, I know this much...-I will target the heart and then bleed him out slowly...".

 

[Kriel Firin]

“It is not so much about my approval or otherwise and more about what is prudent given your current situation. It would be foolish to ignore what your heart tells you is your destiny. All I can do is equip you as best I can for success.”

“The details are largely irrelevant. They may complicate matters but for every challenge there is a solution. The marriage situation heightens security, but it also makes people complacent. Get close — that is the task. Then savour the moment. And plan your escape route. That is the part most often overlooked.”

“So, is there anything I can assist with?”

In truth, Talon Ren was pleased to have uncovered the reason for Brennan’s behaviour and so was keen to allow the Disciple to either overcome the obstacle — or die trying. There was, in his opinion, no other way.

[member="Brennan Cabrol"]

 

[WolfMortum]

It seemed odd for Kriel to be asking Brennan what he wanted of his training when most would presume to know better than the student and to lead them through it all, perhaps this was something that separated him from his fellow Knights of Ren, or perhaps this was typical for their secretive Order yet being given the freedom of choice was something he could truly appreciate. "The enemy is strong in the Force, yet lacks skill in the saber arts..." He commented, focusing first and foremost on what lay ahead of him; "I wish to become a sword hand of the First Order, one of silence and precision..." He added, already having dreamed of becoming an agent for the Knights of Ren, one of whom would eliminate targets more sensitive and requiring a more subtle approach than most.

"Train me to kill from concealment, to move in stealth and to come and go in silence...-I wish to use my blade to the will of the Supreme Leader, to rival his opposition absolution..." his right hand moved to pull back his hood from atop his head, looking up at Talon with clear commitment to the direction he intended. "I've already employed another within the northern galaxy to create a weapon suitable for an Agent of the First Order, yet I will be useless if I know not how to move and act with the professionalism of one".

[member="Kriel Firin"]

 

[Kriel Firin]

Talon Ren listened to his Disciple and nodded was he listened. There was never one path to any solution — be it promote to Knight through to dealing with a specific adversary.

“You talk of being something of an assassin. This does not require strong saber skills — but they are useful. Typically an assassin gets a kill from getting close to their prey. Poison is a popular tool as are some standard Force abilities. Masking your aura is definitely important and can be achieved many ways. I would recommend the Art of the Small for a variety of reasons.”

“How do you rate your proficiency with a saber, and which Form do you believe suits you best?”

[member="Brennan Cabrol"]

 

[WolfMortum]

"An Assassin" He nodded in confirmation, "Though too more. I wish to do the works the Supreme Leader would ask of me that others might not, to bloody my blade where he and the First Order would need not concern themselves. I wish to learn to work from within the body of our enemy, to infiltrate and eradicate the targets that I am given, those that would deter progress in our sector of space...-But there is much I still have yet to learn and I know not where to turn outside of your training me..." Brennan had pulled his Dirk from the sheath against his right boot and steered its edge through the sand, making a ripple of grains around its path as he watched with an almost fascinated love for the weapon.

"I am not skilled at making allies and there is no one waiting for me, no one cares who I am..." He turned to look back to his master, [member="Kriel Firin"], showing nothing in the way of remorse for this fact but rather confidence in his words and his intended future; "I can come and go because people do not take notice of me, they do not see anything in me and I can use that, I do not need peoples love or affections...-I only seek to serve the First Order, the Knights of Ren and to make up for my failures through every target that I kill in the name of our people".

 

[Kriel Firin]

Talon Ren nodded. “My first piece of training is simple enough. Stop thinking about targets and instead think of them as corpses. Targets suggest something that you may or may not hit. When the First Order wants someone dead, it is imperative that you believe they are already taken care of — they just don’t know it yet. Their time is already up, they are merely breathing until you can reach them and rectifying that.”

“And anonymity is a perfect tool for any would-be assassin. Coupled as I previously said with an ability to hide your Force presence. Now, where would you like to start?”

[member="Brennan Cabrol"]

 

[WolfMortum]

"Teach me first how to conceal my presence in the Force, Master"

He made the request ending in the title that Talon held over him, not out of recognition for [member="Kriel Firin"] being above him but rather out of respect for his offer to teach Brennan further. The prospect of being completely disregarded as any other typical sentient life form, civilian and unaffiliated with the Force where he would feel the need, was a very prominent one for any in his intended line of work. To cut off others from being able to sense his presence, it ensured his ability to conceal himself from the Jedi and various other Force-Sects.

"The First Order has given me much to work with..."

His right hand extended out as the Talisman of Calling hung around his neck began to glow in response to his force signature, beneath his open palm, a black stream of energy taking shape and loosening into tendrils, tongues of flame yet not of the physical plain, they gave life to the appearance of a weapon, his Sith Dirk that had been crafted by a prominent Sith Alchemist, later sacrificed that it might be called fourth upon Brennan's will coupled with the amulet that he now possessed, he could wield it for a matter of hours within battle before it would again disperse. Always available to his calling, never to be confiscated from him and able to light the blood of any man on fire with it's venomous bite, he handed it out towards Talon, still sheathed that his Master might look upon his progress thus far.

"Help me to learn all that you know, that I might put this blade to work for our people".

 

[Kriel Firin]

Darth Talon nodded. “I can teach you to hide your Force aura. That part is straightforward. What is less simple, and something you must develop yourself once we have covered the basic training, is to use the ability to generate toxins through your will-power alone. It has been done before and you can do it too. But it is not a skill I have with Art of the Small and you will have to fathom the mystery yourself.”

And then Talon Ren took the weapon that his Disciple offered to him. “Excellent work. I have never been au fait with the ways of Alchemy, but that does not diminish their value. I can sense the dark in this, what precisely does it do?”

[member="Brennan Cabrol"]

 

[WolfMortum]

[member="Kriel Firin"]

"I tasked a Sith Alchemist to put to work the creation of this weapon, paid for his services to give the weapon an edge that would separate my kills from those of other would-be Assassin's that the First Order be remembered for those that cross us. Beyond empowering the one that weilds this blade through the nature of the Dark-Side of the Force, should the edge cut into the skin, it will poison the blood stream of the victim using something the Sith themselves created called Blood Boiler venom. It is said to turn the blood Acidic within the body...-An excruciating way to die though few would survive it, no matter how deep the blade pierces them..."

Raising his right hand to the necklace that hung around him, he lifted the ring that sat upon the chain; the Talisman of Calling.

"Alone the Dirk is flawed, yet I too acquired this through a contact of the First Order. A talisman that required me to 'sacrifice' the very weapon you're holding in order to empower this ring. In sacrificing the blade, I bound the two. I can call upon the Dirk whenever I wish. No one can take it from me as it only remains for a two hour period before the effect comes to an end. Think of it as summoning a physical apparition, one with an immensely short life span yet can be called upon whenever you might require it..."

The two items were a feral pairing, both soaked in the Dark-Side, both allowing him to kill with an even greater advantage so long as he had the element of stealth and surprise behind him. These weapons were beyond anything that he had ever owned in the past, nothing of this magnitude of potential had been given to him within the Order of the Jedi and they were but one step towards Brennan attaining the strength to better fulfill the expectations of his superiors. To serve Seiger Ren.

"This ability to generate toxins...-You mean to create poisons through the shaping and control of the Force around me? Or do you mean to use alchemist tactics as have been done to create the blade you have in your hands. I myself have not had the experience nor do I have the knowledge to do these things myself, lest I have shaped the Dirk on my own..."

 

[Kriel Firin]

Talon Ren listened. His knowledge was wide and far-reaching, but when it came to Alchemy, he was a novice.

There were ways to kill someone in a similar fashion using Art of the Small, but it would take longer to both perfect as an art, and to perform when required. The concept of a blade that produced its own venom was both clever and entirely practical.

And the idea of linking the item with another was inspired. “Is there a time-limit on calling the dirk? I mean a maximum amount of times per day?”

And then he turned his attention to his Disciple’s question. “That is precisely what I mean. Using the Force not Alchemy. To amplify the Force flowing through your mismatched body to compose deadly toxins and chemicals. These would be able to be released through almost every aspect of your body; your blood, sweat, tears, teeth, and even your fingernails. All through the Art of the Small. An interesting possibility, no?”

[member="Brennan Cabrol"]

 

[WolfMortum]

"The Dirk can remain in the physical world for two hours, though once that time's come to an end it needs the same amount of time to recharge so there is a fallout, yet I'm still armed with a lightsaber I salvaged upon Svivren, not to mention the other tools allotted to our Order, not to mention the original Dirk of which I acquired the day I was inducted. It is made of simple steel though will prove itself regardless given the right opportunity. I won't be coming into anyone empty-handed..."

With the emphasis placed upon the tools that he had required and the acknowledgement that he held capabilities despite his short comings, Brennan found it in himself to push himself back to his feet, standing though still falling short of his Masters height, he looked to [member="Kriel Firin"] curious now over this 'Art of the Small'. The Jedi Order naturally did not teach others in the ways of such things, the dark-side and abilities that came with were kept from their membership, only accessible by those of the higher Consulars and qualified Sages of the Jedi Order, monitored still by the High Council back where there used to be such a thing. Brennan of course assumed this was a dark-sided talent, not knowing any better, it could have otherwise been something that Veiere hadn't known of...

"What is the Art of the Small? To be able to unleash toxins from ones body, to poison those around me sounds like an ability most unnatural; with the Jedi I was not taught anything of the sort though yes I am interested...-To kill without even brandishing a weapon, it seems to be a skill one might practice without giving the enemy sign of the coming attack?"

[member="Kriel Firin"]