And All You See Is Blood

[Darth Ferus]

Fresia​

​

Moments before the massive execution that would scar the Force forever, Darth Ferus, Hand of the Dark Lord, stood before two million people. What he saw was primal panic, fear. Pain. The ritual was about to begin, but something seemed to be beckoning from within. Something unknown to him, but strong in the Force. A signature beyond the normal, and a hatred he could feel from where he stood. When the thousand catalysts were chosen, a single hand reached up and he picked his. A boy, no older than seven by his appearance, would find the Force grasping his body from where ever he was in the massive crowd, and he would practically be thrown to the Darth.

Little did [member="Anoka Blaine"] know that he was going to be selected as the one survivor of such a terrible ordeal.

 

[Judah Lesan]

Fear, everyone felt it. Anoka seemed to feed off it. While everyone panicked, he stood and tried to see what was happening. Who was the mysterious man who was dressed in red. The hood of his cloak seemed tattered, torn, and yet still hid the man's face. Curiosity gripped the young boy, and his feet carried him to forward. A mother's cry could be heard as she realized her boy was no longer with her, but now it was too late. He was gone, and carried away by invisible hands which pulled him to the man he was seeking out.

"What are you doing," he asked with an innocent curiosity, afraid for what was to come.

Crimson eyes tried to look behind the hood but nothing could be seen. The Human/Iradonian hybrid stared intently at the man. Small horns could be seen as they were still forming and pushing their way through the scalp of the young boy. His Zabrak heritage was completely unknown to him, and the fact his training would be two years behind boys his age. The boy had no idea his reality was about to change in an instant.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Ferus could see the Zabrak within [member="Anoka Blaine"] , and the Sith Lord hesitated. Anoka showed no true fear, and seemed to bask in the others, a trait of the Sith themselves. On top of this, the mixed lineage reminded him of his own daughter, [member="Asajj"] . Lifting the boy up like the other alchemists around the basin, he would pull his head back and rest a cold steel dagger against his throat.

The words would be spoken, the start of the ritual would begin. But as the thousand catalysts blood turned into the murky cloud, the Darth simply kept the boy watching. People died, slowly, millions of screams and echos of pain coming forth from the basin as the blood consumed them. Yet still Anoka lived. The voice of War would sound off, clear despite the screams of death.

"Are you afraid to die, boy?"

 

[Judah Lesan]

He shook his head no.

"Yes..."

It was the truth. He was both afraid and yet not. The fear made him unafraid, and the deaths he witnessed, angry, scarred. He felt them all as if each one was his own. Over and over again he felt the pain and torture, yet he still breathed. The cold steel against his throat reminded him he was alive.

The dark man made him feel this. Anoka hated him, he would die one day, by his hands. The silent vow was made. [member="Darth Ferus"] would not live long. Red eyes did not turn from the death, but turned the pain inward to strengthen his resolve. The memory burned itself onto his psyche. Whatever the child would have become died with those he witnessed breathing their last, and it would replaced with a killer seeking his revenge.

"Are you going to hurt me too?"

 

[Darth Ferus]

"I could, yes. But no, not yet, boy. You will not die. This, all of this." The hand with the dagger waved out, spreading over the now filled basin. "Is all you have left of anyone you have ever known. And with this you will have nothing left to your name. You were dirt, you are dirt, and all you ever will be is dirt. Dirt that others will trod over without remorse. You will learn to be Sith, but you will never truly become it. A slave to your betters, and perhaps you will amount to something. Until then, you will find no pity from your peers, and you will suffer."

With that, [member="Anoka Blaine"] was once more set down on the ground, released from the grip within the Force. Darth Ferus turned from him, letting the dagger in his hand fall from his grip and thrust itself into the ground. It was unnatural the way it landed, burying itself deep into the ground. But what was more off was the fact that if Anoka did go to grasp it, the lightning stored within the Sith Sword would unleash, with all it's fury.

A first lesson in loyalty.

 

[Judah Lesan]

The blade was too deep in the ground for the scrawny boy to pull it up. He awed at the unnatural way the knife had fallen into the ground. This man was sick. All he could promise was a life of misery and pain. The boy rolled his eyes. For once an adult that was being honest. Unfortunately Anoka had no choice in the matter. [member="Darth Ferus"] had made it clear. He was to be taken and raised up to be Sith. Anoka was to become the very thing that had just ended the lives of those around him.

Anoka turned away from the blade, and the man, as the rest of the ritual was performed. There was nothing for him to see here other than the evil which had already transpired. It was too much for his young eyes. Certainky he would see more as grew older, but for now her taken all he could. The young child walked to the neared wall and sat. A single tear fell from his eye.

 

[Darth Ferus]

Days later, [member="Anoka Blaine"] would find himself within the center chamber of Ferus's own section of the Sith Temple on Coruscant. It was overflowing with the Dark Side energy, clearly a meditation for the Sith Lord's own use. He would be alone, until the Sith stepped into the room before him.

"Welcome to the Sith boy. This is your first lesson."

A single red hand lifted up and a bolt of lightning would shoot from Sith fingers towards the boy. The first lesson was pain. Pain was powerful for the Sith to use, and Anoka would soon learn how to endure it.

Or die.

 

[Judah Lesan]

There was nothing the boy could do, no defense for an attack like this. He would either survive or die. The pain through his body was excruciating. There was nothing Anoka had felt before which could be used to compare. The small frame of the boy's body writhed on the floor of the temple fully controlled by the electrical current which ran through his body.

Suddenly an immense sense of anger welled up in the boy. His instincts kicked in, and adrenaline rushed through him. Henwoukd fight or fly, and today it was fight. Red eyes became tainted with a yellow rim as he extended his hand forward. With a shout of rage he released a force wave of such power it was certain to knock [member="Darth Ferus"] into the wall. This was the power of Anoka when his life was at stake.

 

[Darth Ferus]

A dull thud would sound out as Ferus hit the wall. [member="Anoka Blaine"] 's raw power in his blast caught the Sith Lord off guard, but this pleased him. A wide grin formed on his lips as he looked over to the child, standing up to his full height and just looking down upon him. No more lightning would be unleashed, for this was a test to see of Anoka could even use the Force to begin with.

Clapping his hands together, he would look the boy over. "Very good, very good. Do you understand what you just did?"

 

[Judah Lesan]

Anoka shook his head. He didn't sense any retaliation would come from not knowing the answer. This had happened before, when other boys would gang up on him. It was possible, but the boy did not know how to control it.

"Just that I can do it," he said looking at the tall assassin. "It made you happy I can do that? You used lightning from your fingers, can I do that too? Am I like you?"

These were all valid questions the boy had. It would have been easy to try and kill Ferus in that moment, but foolish. The boy needed him now, and would for a long time it seemed. His revenge would have to come in some other form.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Yes, yes, and yes. One day you will be able to do as I can, but that day is not yet. Until such a day, you have nothing. You are nothing. The dirt is your home, and until you can become true Sith you will never have respect. You will grow alone, hated by everyone, and you will get stronger." Slowly the Sith Lord crossed his arms over his chest, watching [member="Anoka Blaine"] for a moment or two.

"Remember this:

Peace is a lie, there is only Passion.​

Through passion, you gain strength.​

Through strength, you gain power.​

Through power, victory.​

Through victory, your chains are broken.​

The Force shall set you free."​

​

With the Sith code left for Anoka to think upon, Ferus left him, both hands now behind his back.

 

[Judah Lesan]

He was quiet. Anoka was beginning to understand what was set before him. Everything had to be earned, and he would earn it. All the hate would make him strong. The struggle and pain would fuel his growth as well. The boy knew his task was to learn. Sitting on the floor, Anoka listened to the code. He committed it to memory, and as [member="Darth Ferus"] left, the boy muttered the code under his breat repeatedly until he fell asleep.

 

[Darth Ferus]

It would be three more years for [member="Anoka Blaine"] , three years filled with exactly one subject to be taught, asides the code.

Swords.

Ferus, a man birthed to war, taught the boy much like he himself was taught. With a sword in hand. The boy was given a single blade, simple, made of nothing but durasteel, to not only train with, but to live with. Any food he wanted had to be hunted down and killed with this sword. A fire? Started on this blade. He would have to take care of the blade, keep it from rust, keep it sharp. For three years he would have to care for a weapon as big as himself.

The training would be about how to hold the blade, how to swing the blade, and how to kill with the blade. It would be relentless, painful, but if the boy survived he would be stronger for it.

Once more within the training room, now three years to this day since the Sith Lord had shown the boy the Sith Code, he waited for him within the room. Within his hands was a similar blade to the one he had given the boy, simple durasteel, and he had it pointed for Blaine.

"You've improved well. Even though I've shown you nothing with the Force, you continue to improve. Show me now how much you truly have."

 

[Judah Lesan]

For three years a sword was carried. For the first few months it was heavy, very, and difficult to lift. Over time Anoka grew, and his strength did as well. The boy still seemed to be scrawny, but muscle had developed. Until the boy reached his teen years, the mass would not be visible. It was clear he was toned in the upper body however. The young apprentice, 10 now, learned the hunt, live, fight, and survive, with the sword. It was his only companion. The more he grew the less his hatred for Ferus festered. He began to see the man as his own father in certain ways.

Show him, yes, Anoka would show him his true skill. [member="Darth Ferus"] would be pleased to see his pupil win. It may result in a painful punishment, but Ferus was always pleased when the boy could best him. After all, the boy was being raised to be a loyal apprentice, a true Sith. The fight began. Swords clashed, sparks flew as the two competed. Ferus was stronger, but the boy was quicker, more agile. He wanted the weapon of the Sith, and hoped a victory here would earn him one.

Anoka had snuck around the compound and watched as others battled and trained with the light weapon. The Ataru practitioners amazed Anoka with their acrobatics. It would be some time to learn the form, but Anoka wanted to very much. Some of the moves were borrowed from it. Before long, Anoka had managed to disable Ferus's grip, flipping his sword into the air. The boy caught it and pointed both weapons at Ferus. A grin tugged at his lips.

"I've just killed my first Sith, Master. Perhaps next time I can accompany you on a mission?"

 

[Darth Ferus]

A grin fell upon the lips of the Lord as [member="Anoka Blaine"] disarmed him, but rather than simply submit, he gave the boy a reminder of why Ferus was the master. A blast of the Force would fly outwards from the Darth's free hand, meant to simply blow the child back, and surprisingly not harm him. "You are not ready to go on any of my missions yet, boy. But you are ready to learn the ways of the Force. To control those outbursts you've used before, to blast back your opponents like toys."

Slowly the mans hand would drop, a grin wide on his face as he waited for a response.

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Good," he said stepping forward after the blast. "Because I want to be you, and more, and be able to handle your missions."

Anoka tossed [member="Darth Ferus"] his blade. They would not need them for this part, and he knew it. Still, the boy kept his close. Always apart of him like a life line. The blade was his only companion after all. Eager to learn, Anoka recited the code as he focused on learning more.

"Make me strong."

 

[Darth Ferus]

"All good things, yes. Do you remember the code I gave you?" Ferus assumed [member="Anoka Blaine"] did, and so he continued without waiting for a response. "The Force will set you free, but if you don't know how to use it, it defeats the purpose. You must close your eyes now, sit, and feel the world around you through the Force. Don't use your eyes or your nose, just -feel-." Ferus himself sat down across from the boy, both golden eyes watching patiently. This first part took time, but once this door was open the rest would be easier.

 

[Judah Lesan]

[member="Darth Ferus"]

He sat down with him, opened his mind, closed his eyes. What was it around him? It was small, but an ebb could be felt here, a flow there. For several hours the boy sat and opened his mind until the full fluctuation of the environment around him could be felt. A grin pulled at his mouth as his nose twitched from an itch. The boy scratched it and ooened his eyes.

"I feel it!"

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Good, good. Now, do you feel that chair? I don't care if your eyes can see it, I want you to focus on it with this new sense of yours. Feel it's legs, it's back. Grip it, with all your might. Grip it through the Force and lift it up." Still sitting, a golden gaze seemed to brighten at the words of [member="Anoka Blaine"] . This was a good step in the right direction. Perhaps for the first time, Ferus felt joy as he watched the lone survivor.