Après la crème

[Reverance]

Coruscant

Evening

~Tears rolled down a dirty cheek, carving out trenches in the caked on dust. A young woman, broken and beaten and abused and abandoned. Couldn't have been more than 16, she had seen more torment than many who had lived out their lives and left the world for something better or maybe worse or maybe nothing at all. The man, hand reached out to lift her up and show her true purpose, felt inspiration in the pain that she had endured. Green eyes, red hair, hard scars and not a speck of softness to be found. He felt the phantom tingle of his own memories and the skin he wore in remembrance, covered in tattoos hidden beneath black robes. She was weightless, a zombie brought to life by a the longing promises he delivered as he carried her away from that world, where gold and mud often took up residence together. Even broken steel can be mended, he thought, as he whispered words of vengeance and reckoning to an unconscious child. 5 years seemed such a short time...a burden that had become something more, a father given a chance to leave a lasting impression in the mold were his dead children had once lived.~


Black robes find time in the closet, replaced with a suit and tie. Sabers hung from coat hooks, utensils the likely weapon of choice this night. The table was white gloss marble, gold and bronze legs with black leaves interwoven into the metal feet. The setup, chairs matching, sat on an isolated balcony of the more regal side of Coruscant, hanging like the tongue from the side of building. It was a private dining area, lit by metal sconces on the metallic building it was attached to, illuminated by false fire.

Gabriel pulled the seat back so that she could sit down before approaching his side, a shark on the mountain. Though the suit fitted him better than he would have first expected, his build not conducive to most custom tailors, he felt out of sorts. His hair was tied back, a sign of softness from a man who gave nothing but strength. There was a time and place for pain, he thought, and these little moments were important. Even Reverance agreed, an inkling of compassion in a being that Gabriel had assumed was devoid of anything of that sort. As Gabriel sat, he pulled the chair in and motioned to the waiter. Another man in black, white scarf around his waist, and a sterling silver platter in hand. Atop, ceramic cups and a caf pot. He filled one cup and placed it in front of a Gabriel before placing another before [member="Cypra Krum"], along with a glass of water. Sitting down the menus, he found his way through the sliding glass doors and the air suddenly filled with the noises of hovercraft passing beneath them. Streams of red and green and yellow, amber lights and ribbons of all tones lighting up the clear night with effervescent tones. The honks and horns were hollow songs, dull and shallow across the floating world below them, separated only by the balcony they sat upon.

Gabriel placed a box, about the size of a fist and tied in red cloth ribbons against black cardboard, on the table in front of them. He poured a small dribble of cream, from a metal dispenser, into the caf before taking a slow sip from the cup. His crimson eye found her emerald stare, the eyes of a child grown into woman.

"Your contempt...your anger... it is potent. It would serve you well to push it down like the dog it is. It's not a part of you, but something that you control and wield." Words he had spoken to her before, of her unadulterated hate and rage that pushed passed even his own. And she knew of his past, of the life he had lived, and even knew his full name. Gabriel Sionoma, a name he no long uttered, not to anyone, except to her.

 

[Cypra Krum]

Five years. Five long years since that day. The only day Cypra truly cared about from her past, for it was the day she was not only saved but reborn into the woman she was now. A strong, aggressive potential Sith acolyte who owed her life to the man she called Master. To think that some would've seen her life as a cursed one, to deal with the hardships she endured only to be brought into a world of hatred and darkness. But at this point in her life hate and dark were more family to her than her own mother and father.

Today, her birthday of finally turning twenty years old, Cypra had been inveted to a private dinner by her Master @Reverance. She was told to dress more fashionably for the sake of where they were going, something she wasn't keen on at first but knew if it suited her Master she would adhere to his conditions. She wore a flowing violet dress that was cut on the sides of the skirt, both of her legs sticking out while the trail of the skirt hung in the middle. She wore matching high heels as well while keeping her hair in a fashionable bun. The one thing she didn't like about wearing it was that it exposed the scars around her body. Often her clothing would cover them so she would not to constantly look and be reminded, but now that she had to stare them in the face while having dinner with her Master meant she would need to endure.

As she sat down and watched as drinks were poured she kept looking to her Master. Cypra always felt his appearance on the outside reflected her own inner self. All the more reason she grew attached and loyal to him. Even as he promised her pain would become her strength, something she used to think to avoid, she knew that he would shape her into something like him. A powerful user of the raw strength of the Force through the Dark Side.

When he spoke of her anger, she sat obediently while simply replying "Yes, Master."

 

[Reverance]

'Master'. The word echoed across his mind, beating against him like swift punches to a bag that had accepted it's place, hanging limp against the bludgeoning. The word pinged in textures of irony from the tongue of a former slave to the ears of another. An unnecessary ugliness, a requirement that interfaced easily into a society that looked to collar those unworthy and enslave the universe. But that was wrong, those were the old days, it was different now. Order was served with the prerequisite of pain, a necessary thing brought about gleefully by a group that lavished in it's deliverance. But the word 'Master', the implications, cut deeper than any wound he could recall. It was an ugly thing.



He had so much he wanted to teach her, so much to show her and illustrate. But with every additional layer, the one below was cemented in place and removed from reach, like paint upon paint. Every mistake amplified, every misstep brought to the forefront, a splinter buried by the growing over of skin. It was the way of humanity and it's cross pollination into other species, and the marked ability to hide the mistakes and weakness through strength and cunning. 'Master' was one of these weaknesses, passed on through generations of beatings and death and carnage and anger, in an environment that accepted it without remorse. Slaves pitted against one another, branded apprentices but truly no different, at the whims of the masters that gave as little care towards the well being of their 'properties' than they would an ice chip. Chewed or melted, it mattered little to them. But this was different, this relationship, one formed out of a different sort of necessity. Two spirits drawn together to teach one another through their own misfortunes. 'Master'. The word echoed again, an irrevocable and unforgivable mistake resonating through generations at the behest of those who thought best.


There was in her what he thought he had lost, a connection to the world that went beyond what he could destroy or tarnish or experience. A true impression, an inflection of his tone in words spoken long after he was gone. Perhaps it was the sudden realization of his mortality, an old man upon his long descent, or perhaps it was remembrance of a time where life was more than counting scars in measurement of pain inflicted. When fires burned not for destruction, but for the warmth of hearth and heart. When the universe wasn't ravaged by war, ripped from order in the pursuit of it. And maybe it was a time that he had created in his own mind, a figment of an imagination set loose by the unraveling of it.

He showed the briefest expression of irritation as he internalized 'Master', the word dug deeper into him and ingrained itself, another thing covered by a scar. He couldn't help the slight wince as he lifted the ceramic cup to take another drink, smells of earth and cream mixed in harmony as he was comforted by it's warmth, another thing unneeded.

"5 years..." He paused. "The child you left behind is one that we should never regret, the event that sent you down this path is something I will always greet as fortunate." He shifted in his seat, the red cushion upon gold frame remained stoic against his weight. He knew she would disagree, she would have to. After all, who celebrates the death of a mother and being sold into slavery? "I have withheld true training from you because I needed to discern your...fortitude." He paused once more, signalling to the waiter as he was prepared to order.

Her anger and pain was singular and focused, potent in its aim towards the Jedi. But they were merely the face of weakness, the poster child for a corruption of self-infliction that spread through the galaxy like any other thing of virulent nature. Morals, principles, ethics all grabbed at the surfaced and pulled hard, drowning the universe in anecdotes of being better and being right. But it wasn't right, it wasn't the way of the universe. Those that tended towards strength tended towards control. He would have to teach her this and teach of it's difference from the purpose of the Sith and how they were different from all the rest. Her loyalty was without weakness and thus the disparity would have to be sown slowly, integrated through steady means. She would have to accept these views as her own, injected but polarized towards her own feelings and beliefs. Otherwise, it would be false, and by nature unacceptable.

"Two rancor steaks...medium rare." He stated, with a thumb and pointer finger held out as he dismissed the waiter from view and turned his focus back towards [member="Cypra Krum"] .

 

[Cypra Krum]

As he spoke to her Cypra's eyes looked down to the table. It was hard for her to listen to him whenever he gave his advice, the words that always twisted her deep on the inside. Whenever he would tell her how things had come about in her life for the greater good she wanted to believe it, but also had a twinge of disgust at the idea. For her to lose her mother, never know her father, be forced into a living hell by slavers. This was all for a greater good? Deep down it was hard for her to accept and yet her Master made it all the more clear over the years. She wanted to believe it. She would tell herself the same thing that [member="Reverance"] had told her before in order to make it sink in better. A part of her still denied it but she chose to ignore for now. She wanted to please her Master however she could after he saved her life all those years ago.

"I understand." she replied, still looking down at the table.

Upon hearing the order she did perk with a little delight. If she were anyone else she may have been giddy with excitement, but for now she showed only content. Sith like her did not show girlish feelings, especially not in front of their Masters. She needed to be strong. Allow all the years of waiting to finally mean something as she build a stone wall around her heart. Instead she only reached over and sipped water while awaiting her meal.

 

[Reverance]

[member="Cypra Krum"] was not herself around him, as Gabriel was a figure of judgment and foreboding. Everything she did, every emotion shown, would impact how he treated her down the road. It was understandable that she felt she needed to watch her words around him, being the doryphore that he was. He was in a position to draw light to flaws, it was part of the relationship between Master and Apprentice, and one of the few traditions still left in the system that was the most important. It kept the student grounded, realizing that perfection is not an obtainable goal but instead a pursuit, life long and never ending.

As the steaks came out, he cut into the meat to tests its rarity. Closer to rare, he thought, but he didn't mind all that much as he removed a sliver and swallowed.

"We will work on your senses, your abilities, and your physical capabilities..." He picked up the cup of caf and finished it off. Holding the cup in hand, he glanced at her through an acute crimson stare before setting it down on the table. Picking up the fork, he tapped the cup gently, hardly a sound to identify it, and the cup shattered into thousands of pieces. The waiter ran out, apologies abundant, and Gabriel sent him off for another cup.

"Everything has a weakness, even things that would seem indestructible. A breast plate of beskar..."He motioned towards his chest. "A mechanized unit...A full-scale war." He raised his eyebrow and took the offered cup from the hands of the waiter. "Even something unbreakable will bend against it's own force. And in a universe with so many moving parts, I will show you how to find the ones that count." Gabriel was aware that Shatterpoint was not something to be trifled with, it was a dangerous ability that could cause a world of problems in the wrong hands. Even then, the ability was impossible for most to understand let alone implement. It took an unimaginable level of foresight, and even then, that wasn't always enough. But the moment he picked up the child, stranded on that planet of mud and commerce, that she was capable of learning it. She may never fully master it, as most don't, but she would learn it and be capable of using it.

He cut another slice of the steak and dipped it into the blood before eating it. "So tell me, why do you hate the Jedi?" The words flowed out nonchalantly, as if the subject was merely a thing of observation and not something felt. Such was his perception of anger, a thing removed and saved for later.

 

[Cypra Krum]

When the food had arrived Cypra had followed with her nose first before her eyes. She turned her head, seeing as it was brought out, before watching it being set in front of her. At first she wanted to gorge on the meal since it seemed so delicious and too good an opportunity to waste, but in the presence of her master she knew better. Using her knife and fork she cut pieces off and ate as politely as possible. Though she did cut very large chunks to stuff into her mouth before chewing down and awaiting the next.

She still ate while listening to her master speak and did not look until she heard the glass shatter. She perked up and saw what he'd done, confused at first before realizing he'd struck a pivotal point that caused it to break. Cypra even watched as the waiting came and cleaned it up as fast as possible before running off to grab another.

She could sense the power of her master oozing off of him with every word he spoke to her about pressure points and bending and breaking. The more she listened the more Cypra wanted to be like him. She wanted to be a true Sith and stand as a giant among mortals. The idea often brought such vivid dreams to her mind it was almost childish but she barley cared.

When the question about her hate for the Jedi came up she stopped eating and swallowed down what was in her mouth with a heavy gulp. This was a subject not brought up in some time. She thought it odd her master would bring it up at all but knew not to question. There was no room for it. Not with a Sith master. Besides she thought it was best to let it out here and now.

With a sigh she answered "Because they abandoned me, Master. The Jedi who was to take me to the temple to train with them left my mother when the raiders came. The Jedi claim to be protectors and peace keepers, yet they're clouded by only protecting the great while overlooking the small. Their ideals are weak. The only way to ensure protection for everyone is through force!"

[member="Reverance"]

 

[Reverance]

"Ah yes, they abandoned you..." He spoke quietly, acknowledging the damage that had been done. Like a muscle torn, the Jedi had broken something only to see it rebuilt in an even stronger way. He set down the knife and fork against the ivory white ceramic plate, nearly done with his steak and leaned heavily against the chair, specifically the arm rest. He closed his crimson eye in contemplation, a practice he had developed when specifically faced with philosophical issues. The matter, at hand, was that he felt [member="Cypra Krum"] was blaming the wrong people. Or better yet, she wasn't blaming enough for her misfortune.

"What of the Republic? The Dark Jedi, the Hutt Cartel, the Mando's, the Protectorate?" He leaned forward. "They all abandoned you. Your town was raided, your mother killed, and you were taken into slavery. I know that abandonment, I know what it's like to be betrayed by those you felt you could trust." He thought back to that time, his life in the pits set against beast and man alike. He thought back to those golden brown eyes, that pale skin and red lips, the hand of a Sith Lord that raised him from those depths. It wasn't the Republic, it wasn't the Jedi, it was the Sith. It had always been the Sith.

"And you are right, our purpose can only be illustrated through force. The universe around us..." He smiled as he gesticulated towards the city lights. A cool breeze had found its way up to the balcony, drawing attention away from the musty heat of the works below. "It waits to be asked. It waits to reacts. It waits until there is nothing left. It's not just the Jedi, the weakness of inaction impregnates all those not associated with the Sith. We are equipped with a sense of purpose, a movement towards order, and an overwhelming ambition that steadies the hand when others turn away. You shouldn't be angry with the Jedi, you should be angry with the weakness they embody...the call to stagnation that exists in all things." He swirled his hand, as if to imply that this world was just as guilty as anything else. "And that anger is a weapon, one ignited and extinguished at your beck and call."

He squinted as he finished, thinking that perhaps that was enough for the night. They had plenty of time, in the future, for him to develop her sense of purpose. He eyed the gift box that was in the middle of the table. Within, a saber crystal, or more specifically, a red diamond he had taken from Arkania. It was the exact type of saber crystal he used in Reebas and Roecnar.

 

[Cypra Krum]

Cypra watched her master contemplate her words. She knew that look. She'd known him long enough to know that look. In it she couldn't help but feel a kindred spirit with him even more. Pain was in his face. His eyes. His expressions. His words. Pain. Something she suffered all her life. Something you learned to cope with when it finally took it's toll on you.

After he mentioned the others, the Republic, the Hutt Cartel and all, Cypra perked. It was true. They were as much to blame for her troubles as the others. The Reoublic obsessed with their senate and how they talked on and on about action without actually taking it. The so-called Omega Protectorate who's failed to keep anyone safe in the galaxy. And the Hutts, the crime lords of the galaxy who were likey involved with her slavery in the first place. All of them were as much to blame. It had gotten to her so much that she gripped the arms of her chair to the point of almost wanting to break them into splinters with the force.

As her master spoke more and more about anger being a weapon she mumbled "Yes..." to where it grew even louder as she almost shouted "Yes!" His words fueled the burning fire in her heart and soul. Her want for seeing them all suffer. For bringing the galaxy under the boot of those who deserved to control it. To bring them all the same pain she suffered in order to separate the weak from the strong. On yes. This was what the power Cypra craved.

When she'd calmed a little she looked to the same gift box in the center. She looked to her Master, indicating if it was for her. She stood before using the force to bring it to her before opening it. Seeing the crystal inside she gasp a little, seeing it's red beauty before her. She reached down and only touched it with her fingertip before looking to her Master again. A gift? For her? The questions were in her expression towards him.

[member="Reverance"]

 

[Reverance]

"Mmm..." He smiled as he stood up and approached her. Gabriel reached into the box and starred down the uncut diamond, rather large, and blood red. It matched his singular right eye in intensity. "I picked it up on Arkania some time ago, one of the rarest shades of diamond known. Most color variations are caused by impurities in the geological components..." He spoke as he shifted the diamond, before placing it back in the box. "Not red though. It's believed to be an imperfection in the crystal lattice, a unique trait that when used in a lightsaber...will allow an increased speed in ignition."

He placed a hand on the cup of caf, newly given after the original one was broken, and took a sip before approaching the balcony. The wind was gentle but enough to billow his braided hair against his suit, a custom fit for a man that needed it. "You will use that crystal in construction of a saber, just as your Master has before you. And I will train you in Tràkata implementation. A necessary skill for any who wish to fully develop as a duelist and combatant." He thought about the numerous tactics with Tràkata, such as passing the blade and the unbalancing block and all the other maneuvers that went without names. The lightsaber was built in a manner to have many advantages over the sword. Firstly, it was lightweight and required little force to cause damage. Secondly, it didn't require actual cutting action in order to cause damage. And Thirdly, it could be extinguished and ignited in the blink of an eye with the proper crystal and power settings. Those who carried actual swords confused Gabriel, as there was little advantage to carrying such an item over a lightsaber. These were all things that Gabriel would pass on to his apprentice in due time.

"It's your birthday present..." He said quietly as he gazed out into the sea of darkness that was Coruscant at night. His children were but three and five before their deaths at his own hand. It had been a long time since he was afforded the opportunity to give gifts. |How unsith of you...|

He shook the inner monologue of Reverance and his sardonic mentality from thought, thinking instead of how pleased he was to see [member="Cypra Krum"] so quickly accept the wide sweeping area that her anger could encompass. The reality was one of pragmatism and fairness. Why treat one weakness when you can treat all of them?

 

[Cypra Krum]

Her heart raced as she realized what a rare gift this was to be offered to her. Cypra had looked back down to the crystal as her Master explained how different this one was compared to some of the others used. She wondered if the rumors were true about sith crystals from long ago being synthetically made or if this one she was given was an example of naturally born ones. Her eyes followed the crystal even as her Master picked it up and explained more about how she would use it in constructing a lightsaber. A real lightsaber. Finally one she could call her own.

She'd watched as he walked out to the nearby balcony before looking back to the crystal and picking it up herself. As he spoke about learning a saber form Cypra only kept looking at her new tool to forming her future. It truly was unique to her for she'd never seen an actual crystal before. And it was hers. Her master confirmed it by saying it was her birthday present. It was perfect and it made all the more sense for her to have it now, when he finally decided that she would begin her lessons.

The crystal sat in the palm of her hand for a moment before she encased it in her hand. Cypra stood and turned to her master before bowing so low she was almost to the point of kneeling. She felt so humbled and yet so prideful at the same time, to know she would have the amazing gift granted to her by her master.

She finally spoke with a "Thank you, Master. Thank you so much." while keeping her head lower than his.

Cypra thought of how if any of the other acolytes had ever seen her in this position they would note how contrast it was compared to how she was around them. How she was so tough and brutal towards some while keeping an air of hostility. Here she was almost like a trained wild animal presented in a show. Though if any of them had ever called her that she would make sure they had all their meals through a straw.

[member="Reverance"]

 

[Reverance]

"Don't thank me yet..." He spoke as he lifted the cup and finished off the brown fluid. It had gotten cold as it was, the waiter was likely to end up dead or at the very least...with a very small tip. "We haven't begun the training process..."

~~~​

Coruscant - The Underworld

Early Morning


Gabriel lifted the cowl of his black robes to hide his face from view. He hated this place. The smell, the people, the appearance, the complacency. Everything was like clockwork, moving in the fashion in which it was designed. To the outward viewer, it was a place of insanity. Theft, crime of degradation, murder, torture; all things that occurred on a daily basis. Coruscant was a hub of many things: information, culture, commerce, bounty systems, slavery, the works. It was an appropriately named place, though, as it was constructed deep beneath the surface of the skyscrapers that most thought of when considering Coruscant. To someone who knew what this place and what it was like, it all looked like the same thing on a different day. The wheels turned in similar fashion. Nothing changed.

His crimson eye glanced out from the hood as he turned his neck, spotting the apprentice following behind him as they took the main thoroughfare through the underworld. Even in early morning, the place was dank and dark. They were too deep now for the sun to reach them, to deep to feel the warmth of the natural world. Iridescent lighting, trapped environments, convection winds, sudden rains, and the smell of the garbage cubes. The streets and alleyways were bright, despite the darkness, as stores illuminated the walkways with flashing signage that gave pulsating views of vermin scampering across pavement.

"Keep your eyes and your mind open, you will observe...until I call upon your judgment." He moved slowly and spoke quietly, letting the flow of people around him overwhelm the two, as if they were walking in slow motion. The place was as busy as it usually was, the early birds looking for the worms. He was looking for something as well, a moment in time, something to pin point a specific occurrence that was bound to take place. A beacon of foresight, an indication of events that would soon take place. This was the best time for mugging, he thought, the elderly that walked about were ripe for the picking. But he wasn't here to mug someone, quite the contrary.

[member="Cypra Krum"]

 

[Cypra Krum]

The final words of her master lingered even after dinner. Cypra wondered what would be in store for her once the training truly began. But she was ready for it. She wanted to be ready for it for all her life. Now was the time. Her anxious nature was fueled as she gripped the crystal in her hand for the remainder of the night, like a valuable piece of treasure.

~~~​

​

Walking through to the underbelly of the planet-wide city had felt like days had passed. There was so much to be found in a place like Courascant that one could argue every possible species in the galaxy could be found here. Sentient or otherwise. But it all felt like a maze one could easily get lost in without knowing the way, and her Master was one who knew the way.

She followed behind him quietly with her hood over her head as his was. Underneath she wore her more covering full-body suit to hide the scars underneath. In one pocket of the belt she wore was her crystal, which she kept one hand on at all times. No way would she let a pickpocket or any other of these lowlifes steal her present. Unlike her master, however, Cypra had been constantly looking and watching and keeping an eye on all those they passed.

When he'd given his instructions Cypra gave a curious glance before retreating back to her regular expression. She agreed silently in her mind to keep both it and her eyes open. She continued to watch around them as they walked while making sure she was close to her master while peeling through the crowds. Her hand still rested where her crystal was as she wondered what could possibly be down here for her to need for training.

[member="Reverance"]

 

[Reverance]

People moved about him, lanterns in the darkness, strung together by glowing cords. Each one was another piece, another movement, something to impact the world around them. If these pieces didn't exist in this underworld, the whole situation would resolve differently. It was important to note each individuals significance in the grande scheme, to understand that each step a person took rippled out in the sea of consequences, moving other parts that flowed through it. A women bought the last nuna for sale this day, another mans birthday celebration was ruined, and he would go on to take his life in a fit of depression. A boy tossed a rock against the wall, waking the inner residence from sleep, who would go on to cause an industrial accident from sleep deprivation. A man changed a light bulb in the alleyway, preventing a murder in the dark three months from now. Three men stood idly by on the thoroughfares curb, ridiculing a taxi driver. Distracted, that taxi driver was going to collide with a transport, sending both vehicles into a local cafe populated by men and women and children. A women would offer an elderly pauper a bread roll, stopping him in his path just long enough to not be run over by a vagrant pilot who had lost is his way after being cut off by an aggressive driver. None of this had happened yet and such inconsequential actions could easily be disturbed, allowing for a changing of the fates. Gabriel motioned to his apprentice to stand where he was, stopping their movement. He would help instill the understanding of value in others, extending far beyond the menacing sort of chaotic disposition often associated with the Sith. Value existed in all things, one just needed to look in the right places.

"In a moment, there will be a devastating car collision...caused by those three individuals." He pointed to the three men, having not yet taken to harassing the driver. "At least twelve people will be killed, an additional six injured, and a merchant will close for business permanently." His singular sanguine eye was vibrant in the darkness of his hood as he turned back to his apprentice, looking for her thoughts through her emerald gaze. "Among them, six women, four men, and two children: One male and one female, roughly fifteen years of age each." He smirked as he turned back to watch as they moved towards the taxi driver, remembering that she was about that age when he intervened in her path, preventing an unsightly future in place of a more promising one. One that would ripple out through the universe forever. "The universe is built upon the notion of entropy, it is the natural leaning. But from chaos, order is achieved. As a plant is destroyed, new life blossoms from succession. As the leader of a pack is killed, another will take their place." He lifted his hand out, palm upward, as if presenting the question to her for judgment. Their next actions would be dictated by her decision. "So where do we land in this universe? Are we casual observers or do we act to create our own path, forever affecting the millions of paths adjacent to us? Our do we observe this path and give it active recognition by allowing it's predetermined conclusion."

He moved his open hand, gesticulating back towards the taxi cab driver who had just dropped off his passenger. The ridiculing would soon occur and the situation would be beyond their influence. "Two of those men will soon find themselves proponents of the slave trade, the sort meant to capture. The other will start a family in the next five years, a potential candidate for Senate." He turned back to [member="Cypra Krum"], his back facing the onset of the situation. "We are not beyond doing good, we are not selfish and unjust. What we do will benefit the entirety of the universe and you must learn to see these things, to discern these concurrent and convergent paths. It is not something that can be conjured or manifested, it must exist within you. And with eyes capable of seeing, through Shatterpoint, we become the hands that move the pieces...or allow them to stand as is. Action dictated by purpose...never without purpose."

 

[Cypra Krum]

At the indication of her master Cypra stopped before coming up next to him to see what he was seeing. She watched the scene play out in front of her while her Master, standing beside her, explained how the pieces of the lives of all of these people would fall into place to lead them down one path or another. She didn't flinch or wane when he told of those who would die but she did look to him as he seemed to know it all flawlessly. It was as if life were one big stage show that her Master had seen over and over, counting off each action that would respond from the last.

So this was the power of shatterpoint. Cypra smirked at the idea of being able to do these things against Jedi. Against anyone that stood in her way of power. The idea of being able to see things and events and aspects so small that none would notice until hey became their undoing. And all while being aided with a lightsaber as she remembered. This made her stick her fingers into the pocket where her crystal still laid, anxious of the day she would finally build it.

When he stood in front of her, explaining more and more about the skills she would learn, Cypra never took her eyes away from his. The glint of red in the one had become something of a focus point for her. Her concentration on his lessons had slowly sank in. The phrase of being hands that moved pieces mad it feel all the more empowering to her. Being able to command and control was something all Sith wanted in the end.

"I understand, Master." she said in response. "Everything has it's weakness. And knowing it makes you master over them."

[member="Reverance"]

 

[Reverance]

It was a simpler way to explain it, perhaps even a tad bit more sophisticated. Simplicity was, after all, it's own form of elegance and brevity often came it with it's own charm. It was true, he thought, as he nodded to the comment. Knowing something had a weakness was far less advantageous than knowing the specific weakness at hand. But beyond her understanding of the ability, he was looking for an emotional response. Remorse, pity, regret, the motivation to move beyond her path and affect those outside of her own influence. To be Sith was to do such things, but the reasoning had to be something more. He was pleased to see that she was not jumping to change the fates of those currently doomed. There was no true purpose in it. Those who died would be free of this world, forever removed from the sickness and weakness that they had been born with. A fate pushed upon them before their birth, spread through indoctrination and false dogma and the shackles of the status quo. These people, their lives, were but numbers to be spouted at the next senate meeting. That was their value, that was their purpose, and he would reach out to inflate it. An action pushed by Cypra's initial reaction to not help them, a choice that she had made and Gabriel found appropriate.

With his hand still extended out, he reached with the force, a prying eye into the machinery of the taxi cab. He searched, his vision tracing the lining of the mechanics, the exhaust, the engine. He stopped, finding the fuel cells, and squeezed, crushing the critical points and igniting the taxi. It exploded like a rocket, killing the three harasses before colliding with the transport ship mid flight. The next part went just as he described, vehicles and debris flinging violently into the cafe, erupting into fire and embers. He felt it, the warmth of the sun, resonating from that orange and yellow glow. He dropped his arm, heard the screams of the dying and the screams of the wounded, he felt the horror of the onlookers as they rushed to their neighbors for comfort and reprieve. They wouldn't find it, not here, not in the depths of a place that afforded little. He didn't pity them, he didn't find sadness in their perils, he hated them for not being more. For not being capable of stopping him, for not being capable of even understanding his presence here. There was no room in his plan for the weak and meager and their purpose was this, to provide pain and sorrow for the ones left behind.

"They will shed their tears, they will come together from this, like endorian chickens huddled together on a cold day. But winter passes and with the comfort of summer, they will forget. Their daily lives will dull the memory, the here and now far more pressing for these people who are just barely surviving. And a life that serves only to survive is one I cannot abide..." He spoke quietly, through clenched jaw. His hatred was confined and palpable, the sorry excuse for civilization that existed in the underworld gripped him in ways he couldn't explain. He wished he could destroy this place, lay waste to the weakness and watch the strong re-sprout from the ash. But there was much invested in this place by the One Sith, much to be valued.

[member="Cypra Krum"]

 

[Cypra Krum]

Cypra turned back to the scene when her Master raised his arm. She knew what he was doing, and figured what would happen, but when it finally had it had surprised her. To see everything play out as her Master predicated, and to see the sudden hardship on the faces of others, she hadn't braced herself enough. Seeing the weeping people brought back terrible memories. Crying....fire.....dead loved ones.... As she watched Cypra could see the same hardships on their faces as she endured.

Part of her almost took a step forward to help. She knew she could if she used the force. But then it came back to her. The reason why she was there in the first place. The words of her master had helped settled her mind and convince her that this was all necessary. Everything was. Her own pain was a means to an end as it made her stronger, as it would here with these people. It had happened in the past when the Sith were almost brought to extinction by the Jedi, only to rise to power again and nearly wipe them out instead.

With all of this accumulating in her mind Cypra spoke aloud so her master could here "No power.....without pain."

[member="Reverance"]

 

[Reverance]

He took the lesson of shatterpoint to it's extent this day, having shown the real world implications of a mind that could see the forest for the trees. There was the physical component of this as well, the ability to perceive weakness in even things considered indestructible and insurmountable. The realization that everything had weakness was the first step, one that Cypra had willfully accepted with no struggle. But there was more to this process, more steps that would take more time and more effort. She would need to internalize the lesson, reflect upon it, and even realize that she had her own weaknesses. In this way, Shatterpoint could be used on oneself, as if looking through the mirror, to avoid fatal flaw in the future. But this was an advanced technique, one that took him years to even realize. It would take her less, as he suffered through self teaching, but it would still take time.

Gabriel walked down an alleyway, his apprentice expected to be following behind. The echo of sirens from ambulances and medic carts and fire brigades rang hollow against the brick walkways of the alleyway, the ground was a motley of black brick and asphalt that had been poorly laid. The path dipped down in a slight descent, likely a construct to help drain the sudden rain storms created from the false triple layered atmosphere, and there were several lights that shined a sickly yellow against the darkened walkway. The bulbs flickered, the path was littered with vagabonds and hoodlums, the likes of which would gladly take ones wallet and ones life without a second thought. Insects and men of ill intent were attracted to this place, like vultures to corpses to pick the meat from the bone. To prey upon the supposedly vulnerable. Gabriel shifted in his cloak, as he walked, smelling the metallic tones of blood and bile caking the walkway where such excrement could be misidentified as recent rains. But the flicker of the street lights that hung from metal containers on arched arms from the brick buildings gave truth where truth was concealed. And it showed the men approaching the Master and the Apprentice.

Gabriel needed to know where Cypra's skills stood, as to move forward one must first know where they start. He turned his head to [member="Cypra Krum"] and smiled before looking back into the oncoming group.

"Lets make this easy old man!" The first of the three, the bravest, approached Gabriel with a smirk on his face as he screamed of ease. Before Gabriel could respond, the man swung at the Sith Lord. Gabriel accepted the hit and rolled his jaw. He didn't want the hoodlum to break his hand, not before he had the chance to face off against his apprentice. Gabriel stumbled and fell over into a pile of trash, his rancor tooth saber showing just beneath his black cloak. Just in case Cypra needed it as that crystal in her pocket would serve her no purpose right now. He feigned disarmament, though he was fully aware of the event taking place and what would need to occur.

The trio approached Cypra. Whether they were armed or not, they failed to showcase. They screamed at her, demanding money and giving threats of other debauchery, even though they likely could no discern her gender it such poor lighting and non form fitting clothing. It didn't matter to them, prey was prey. She would need to show her Master what she was capable of. She would need to take her vengeance out on these men, to take the stick of her anger and whittle it into something potent. He had no doubt in her ability, but it needed to be assessed either way.

 

[Cypra Krum]

Feeling as her master walked away Cypra turned as well and followed him away from the scene. It was clear the lesson of the event was done for today and it had left its impression on her. As she followed Cypra wondered what would come from the lives she would alter once she was a Sith Lord as her Master. The apprentice she would take. The lives she would take. Those that she would alter by her actions. Would they become stronger or buckle under the pressure and snap?

Her questions were interrupted as they were approached by the thugs. Puny men with blasters. Cypra had dealt with them before. When her master looked to her and smiled Cypra was confused, even as he turned back with the man shouting at her. She expected him to cut this man down or use the force to turn him inside out. Instead he took a blow to the jaw before falling over. She gasped as he fell, wondering why he would let them do such a thing.

Her attention was drawn to them now as they ordered her to hand over any and all money she had or risk being debased. Cypra wasn't afraid of them. She'd dealt with worse in harder conditions. What she did fear was failing whatever test her master had obviously had for her here. She figured it out due to that smile. He wanted to see what she would do. As she raised her hands she looked to her Master, still on the ground but exposing his lightsaber. She could use it and slice all of these men to pieces but decided on something better.

Cypra lifted her head high enough under the hood for the men to see her face clearly. She could see one of them a little excited now to see a woman was their 'captive' for the time being. She smirked at him before looking to the others, giving the same teasing hint of giving them whatever they wanted. In that brief moment when they let their guard down that was when Cypra struck.

Her hands pushed out two heavy waves of the force that sent two men flying back. The one in the middle looked back, confused, only for Cypra to move forward and knock the gun out of his hand with a hard slap. By the time he turned he was met with a punch to the face before receiving a kick to a blow to the gut by her knee. As he knelt in pain the other two recovered, one drawing his blaster and pointing it at her. Using the force she redirected it towards the other man, forcing him to shoot his friend instead before she walked towards him and grabbed him by the throat.

A wild look was in her eyes when her hood fell off in the struggle which only added to her violent air when she tossed the second man into the garbage pile next to her Master. The first man, now recovered, was met with a kick from behind that knocked him off his feet and dropping him to the ground. As he laid their, moaning in pain, she brought her heel down hard on his neck and put pressure on it. He grabbed her ankle in a fruitless attempt to pull her off before his neck collapsed on itself with enough push from Cypra's foot. The last man, as she turned, recovered a nearby blaster and pointed it not as Cypra but her Master instead. With an annoyed look she reached out with the force and gripped his neck, chocking him slowly.

As she held the man there, gasping for breath as she slowly put more and more pressure on him, she looked and asked "Are you alright, Master?"

[member="Reverance"]

 

[Reverance]

Her fighting style was sporadic and risky, avoiding the obvious temptation of the saber on his hip. Either she felt she didn't need it or she felt she would be better served by her more practiced skills. She was more than adequate in telekinesis which was good, as Gabriel was likely one of the most powerful practitioners of the skill that she could learn from. That wasn't a thing he felt pride in, no one should feel pride in settling. There was always something better to strive for. And as she held the man in the choking grip, sitting uncomfortably close to Gabriel, he reflected on her tactical usage of hand to hand combat.

"You have a solid grasp of martial combat..." He spoke lackadaisically as he sat forward, scratching the hard scar over his eye, as he suddenly realized how comfortable that pile of trash was. He looked down at his hand, feeling the cold pull of the force from his very pores, before he focused on the man struggling for life next to him. He thought about his physiology, the heart, the lungs, the intestines, the nervous and cardiovascular system, and the brain. He imagined the portions of the brain: The frontal lobe, the occipital lobe, the parietal lobe, and the temporal lob, pons, cerebellum, Medulla oblongata. As he thought about this mans soon to be discovered fate, he mentally deconstructed the brain, as if rotating in hologram form before him, lit by a sapphire sheen and white lamps. He slowly closed his fist as he looked over to the man struggling for air, before closing his grip, effectively tearing the mind apart with an advanced rend. The man breathed his last agonal breath before toppling over into the trash. Another day, another struggle, another time in the Underworld of Coruscant.

Gabriel lifted himself up from the trash and patted himself down, rubbing his jaw. It wasn't for pain, but more for a sense of normalcy. A sense of habit. He pulled up his hood and looked to the dead bodies, the would be muggers who remained found themselves scarce in the presence of the two Sith. He looked over to [member="Cypra Krum"] and nodded. "There's a time and a place to chew your food. Sometimes you have to eat faster than you'd like...." He turned back to the corpse in the pile of trash. "But sometimes, it's important to savor the finer flavors. Especially when lessons are deserved." He smiled as he turned and started walking towards the spaceport. It was time for them to head out, to find a different place to learn and teach one another. It was a matter of give and take, one that could span lifetimes.