"You know," he paused to finish eating his food. "I was thinking about that, if you could possibly focus on the situations and memories you see and not the emotions. That empathy could become quite the powerful tool when you get out on your own. Not many Jedi have such an affinity for reading other's like that. I'm not particularly skilled at that myself to be frank and honest with you." Darron leaned back in his chair and took a drink of water and pondered his next words carefully before continuing. "Your particular gift could make you a valuable investigator or part of the Diplomats core, you could weed out liars instantly with that power. You should consider your options as the Jedi could use that, hell you could even get into intelligence with that power."
As he sat his glass back down, Darron couldn't help but look at Rosa and truly take her in for the first time while they were sitting there. A face like that can make you forget you ever had any pain in your life, he thought to himself. It wasn't just a physical beauty that caught his attention though. He could see the strength of her character, and he had seen how pure her spirit was. For as stained his own soul was, her's was almost a clean slate and it was quite beautiful to regard in the Force. If I were to be dropped in the middle of this world, I could still find her in the Force, she stands out that much. Inside he smiled at the thought, but he soon quieted the voice that kept whispering the sweet thoughts to him.
"You know your skill set reminds me of your fathers, although he was a very physically powerful man. He wiped the floor with me before I concentrated and honed my skills and got a little bigger with age, that empathy power of yours must come from your mother because I never heard him speak of that when we were on missions together." A few younglings caught his eye as he watched them play with each other, oh the innocence of them. His son started to creep into his mind, and Darron once more focused the memories away. His eyes focused on the wall, so as to avoid staring at Rosa anymore than he needed to. She had already caught on to the fact that he had made a few, if unintentional passes at her. Guess I need to relax on that if I want to maintain a good relationship...or did she like what I said? Confusion rolled over him, it's many layers bugging him all at once. The whole situation seemed exciting, fun, not allowed, and something he should avoid...but he simply couldn't.
I have every reason in the galaxy to say no to this woman, yet she's the only person to get my interest since Maria. The thought of his ex-wife simply brought back memories. Looking back on it, they had both been troubled youth who made a major mistake being with each other. Jason had been the only good thing to come from the two, guess even mistakes can make some good things, he mused. Yes, she had been a good but troubled soul who didn't really love him she just wanted a savior, and Darron had only wanted to save her. Her suicide had rocked him at the time, partially because a Sith had manipulated the event, but he had felt badly for his child. He didn't miss her because he had never truly loved her, they had just been comfortable around each other.
Once more, Darron turned his thoughts from the past and made a decision to leave it right where it was...in the past.
"You know, out in the field your skills would work wonderfully with mine. Pair your empathy with my tele-" Just then a beep from his communicator interrupted him and his mood. "Hang on, let me look at this." The Jedi rolled his prosthetic around to the inside and a panel opened within revealing a small screen. It was addressed from the Council, wonderful just what I need...
Darron,
You are needed later to see how you have acclimated. Come alone, at five and bring your lightsabers.
A sigh escaped his lips as he closed the panel and looked off for a moment, the Council and their tests. I'm at my wits end with them poking and prodding my mind and body. He took another calming breath as he stood to his feet. "Well I have to go, and you have homework. Go work on your powers you have practiced and if possible read up on control and on lightsabers, meet me at six in training room 3113 again. I should be there still for a test from the Council to see how I'm holding up ever since my return. Dress comfortably, we train with a lightsaber tonight...." He let his words hang in the air as he waved and took his leave from his Padawan to go and get prepared for what the Council had in store for him.
Later that day....
"Here before you Darron, are our four best warriors in the Order. Who have tried to carry on the assignments that used to be assigned to you, and have each mastered a different form of lightsaber combat. Prove you are still the warrior we all heard about, and some of us saw and we will further consider putting you back on active duty."
"So, you want me to best these men and I'll get my usual assignments again? Clean up the things that even you esteemed Jedi are afraid of?" The all nodded in unison, and he couldn't help but feel frustration but he accepted it. "Well what are you four waiting for?" In unison four blades activated around him, their snap-hisses and the hum of their blades a battle cry in of themselves. Darron activated his emerald and azure blades himself and allowed the Force to flow deeply into him as he did. The moment before him crystalized and he was able to asses the situation and a path immediately started to chart itself. It was almost as if he was standing far and away from the circle of combatants about to engage in combat, and he was getting to look at the situation from the outside.
From where his mind was at, he could see each Jedi get into their ready stance. The first was in Makashii's ready stance, another was classic Soresu. Behind him he could see the Djem-So and Ataru awaiting to pounce on him, four very different styles but Darron was prepared. He had trained in all styles, and he had Mastered Ataru before gaining size and becoming a Djem-So Master, after that he had gone down the path to the style he alone had mastered and used now in the Order: Vaapad. From his perch he could see each pouncing as if in slow motion, and in that moment he actually looked at himself for a moment.
His face looked calm, but Darron knew he was going deep into the Force and allowing his will to win taking over. It was the key to Vaapad, and he had already formed the superconducting loop that would turn the his opponents own aggression into his weapon. It was his way of taking their darkness, combining it with his own and making it into a weapon of the light. It's what made him such a devastating warrior to the Sith, he could go toe to toe with them and be just as ferocious in his protection of life. Man, I look tired and annoyed, I guess the Council is really getting to me. The armored breastplate, and cortosis greaves he wore fit him well, and his prosthetic was covered by the leather glove and the greave. He was dressed in his full mission gear for the first time in ages, it was rather nice to see him as he had been. I've missed that armor..wait is Rosa here? His mind's eye picked up her presence at the edge of the room watching the unfolding scene. Guess I need to wrap this up, with that he formed his plan and decided to hold nothing back. Although he was only armed with training sabers, the Jedi would leave no doubt for the Council.
Darron's view changed as his consciousness returned to himself as the four Master's before him leapt at him. His mind deep into Vaapad, he simply decided to end the combat quickly. Training sabers be damned, i'm in no mood for this today. His mind went blank after that thought, and he simply reacted to what happened.
The Ataru Master leapt high above Darron, and he simply wrapped his senses around him and accelerated the Jedi's leap and turned it into a powerful throw. With no time to react the Jedi simply slammed into the wall and crumpled as the tiles themselves shattered from the impact. With little time to react, Darron barely got his blades up in time to avoid the stab from the Makashi Master, another stab then a quick slash to Darron's head was met with both of his blades. Their sabers whined against each other until Darron slid down his glade and gave a powerful elbow to the man's face. Knocking him out cold, two down two to go, he thought.
The Djem-So Master was on him in seconds, his powerful overhead strikes matched by Darron's staccato lightning fast strikes. Offense versus offense was the maxim here, and Darron looked to be encased in light as his blades worked furiously to counter the powerful strikes. Luckily Darron had mastered that form and he was more than strong enough to match the burly Jedi before him, his opponent came down with another powerful blow and Darron simply sidestepped it and brought both training sabers on the man's neck, stunning him into submission.
Blue eyes found his last opponent, the Master of Soresu stood at the ready. He was an older man, but Darron could feel his strength in the Force. "Apologies brother, I'm sorry." Darron went deep into Vaapad as he launched himself into a powerful volley at the man before him. Every staccato strike from his pair of blades was met with efficient defense, the harsh reality was that the man was just too slow and he was barely keeping up as Darron backed him up across the room. The older Jedi's boot caught a dent in the floor, and Darron could feel his weight shift back too fast. Pressing his advantage he blew the man's saber away and struck his legs out from underneath him. The training blade sent the stun pulse through the man's body, and Darron was now the lone combatant left.
"Looks like we are done here Council, I have my Padawan to attend to." With that he turned and threw the training saber hilts down and motioned for Rosa to follow him against the hall into their training room. Darron let his tone of finality hang in the room as he exited, a grin crossing his face after so strongly proving his worth to the Council. He had just taken down their four best warriors in less than twenty seconds, and he had finally shut them up...at least temporarily.
As he made his way into the room, Darron quickly shed the greaves he was wearing and he pulled off his breastplate and the undershirt he was wearing to expose his heavily muscled frame covered in sweat from the tests he had been undergoing all afternoon. He quickly pushed his hair back before closing the door with his mind. "So Rosa, what did you learn while away?" He could sense she was looking at him strangely but he frankly wasn't in the mood to worry about it.
"Also, I hope you're ready to show off what you have been practicing...I'm rather skilled with the lightsaber so this should be a good lesson for you." He was still amped up from the combat only a few minutes ago, and it showed in how he was pacing the floor while talking to his Padawan.
