Down To The Basics

[Adron Malvern]

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Objective: Cut loose ends, tie up new bonds
Location: Bothawui, The Barrens
Time: Early Morning
Thoughts: "Is it best to show them my own path to power?"
Tags: [member="Shakti Sweet"] [member="Xobos Yakieer"]

He took a handfull of dirt in his hands, grinding the sediment between his fingers until the last of it had fallen to the barren ground beneath them. Adron's eyes took in the land around them and the amethyst orbs seemed to brighten at the sight. How long had it been since he had been here? Years. The man stood to his full height, glancing back at the shuttle he had just stepped from. He'd ordered two of his apprentices to join him here today, each of them armed for their mission. As usual they were told little, and given only what they earned. They knew they were coming to Bothawui to see to their master's dealings, but that was it. "It's nearby." He said, still offering them little in the means of information.

"Now. Peace is a lie, there is only passion." His ebony boots slammed into the ground as he led the way through the lands around them. There were a number of mesa's and rock formations surrounding them, yet the Exarch said nothing. He wore his crimson armor, commanding the Dark Side of the Force to keep it's hellish effects in check.

"You know the truth of these words. Peace is an illusion. There will always be war, pain, and suffering. The only question is why? As long as you serve me, you serve order. The order that The Confederacy works to obtain. To destroy my enemies you must continue to learn the code. Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion I gain strength." He continued the line, glancing back at his apprentices for a moment. They were an...interesting pair. One was essentially a schizophrenic whose voices continued to harass her, still she had the makings of a good Sith Lord. As for the other? Her anger and hatred would lead her down the path to becoming a true weapon of the Dark Side, his weapon.

The trio would approach one of the smaller mesa's, and the Exarch spoke plainly as they did. "The Galactic Empire was a failed state. It believed in ruling through fear and subjugation. To truly command your state you must be feared by your enemies but loved by your people. The Galactic Empire was feared by all." Once they approached the mesa, Adron looked to the stones, pressing a hand to the rock. He looked to each of the stones, as if searching for something. Finally, his hand rested on a single stone and he spoke plainly. "Imperial override: One-Seven-Three-Nine-Nine-Alpha." The entire rock formation before them seemed to shift and quake violently. Adron watched with some interest, as a computerized voice called back out. "Welcome to Outpost: Sarlacc, Guard-Captain Malvern." It seemed during the fall of the Empire, not all things could be purged from these planets.

Adron watched as the stone wall began to crack and crumble, revealing a metallic door with a shining Imperial emblem. Adron set his eyes on the crimson emblem for a moment, before stepping forward, allowing the metallic doors to part for his approach.

 

[Shakti Sweet]

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[member="Adron Malvern"] | [member="Xobos Yakieer"]​

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Sleep had become the only steady thing in the Firrerreo's life - and her Master's whims were starting to cut into that. Between the hours spent training with swords, to being summoned by her Rook to some distant ball across the galaxy, even her ability to lay blissfully still for a set amount of hours each evening was suffering. Though sleeping was a luxury she'd gone without before... There was no point in complaining about it.

She hadn't hesitated to follow where the Exarch had ordered, nor had she scoffed at the necessity of bringing along the child he'd taken on as another apprentice. From what she had seen of this former Imperial, he knew what he was about - and there would always be a chance to get her knuckles bloodied in his service. Instead of worrying too much about what he was saying as the two of them fell in behind him, the redhead turned her gaze to the Miralukan at her side. She could recall that days earlier the woman had required assistance when they'd been hunting quarry on Kuat... It was curious to her that with seemingly no outward stimulus the girl had been rendered nearly immobile, then mere blocks from where Shakti had found her, she was back to herself once more... Curious little beasty indeed.

Her attention was drawn back as Adron paused atop a mesa that was littered with large stones, curious emerald hued eyes scanning the horizon as well as the plateau they'd crested. For kilometers in any direction, all she could see was barren sand, windswept and dry, dotted with rocks that were bleached the same colour as the sand from timeless ages baking in the planet's sun. There was nothing here that spoke of great purpose or teaching potential... But again, Darth Malphas had proven quite a capable teacher in her short time with him - she would hold any questions or judgments until he made his intentions clear.

As the stone the Exarch had spoken to split wide and the intricate set of metal doors was made apparent, she understood quickly that it was for the best she'd kept her curiosity in check. She knew little of the Galactic Empire, and in truth, she cared almost nothing for fallen regimes... But as she stepped forward to follow her Master into the depths of whatever this planet held, she wondered if perhaps she was about to learn about them anyway.

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Objective: Follow the master, ignore the voices
Equipment: Beginning armor, double bladed lightsaber
Mental state: Chatty.
Tags: [member="Shakti Sweet"] [member="Adron Malvern"]

What happened on Kuat was anonomly. Something never to be repeated, thought about, or talked about beyond explaining what had happened to her and why she had suddenly collapsed like she had on the battlefield.

At least, that’s the reasons and thoughts she gave the other apprentices and to her master, though she couldn’t tell if Adron was more worried or distrusting of her response that waved off what had happened. Which Xobos wouldn’t put past him. She was certainly having trouble actually putting what occurred behind her. Nights after the event had been filled with restlessness, distrust of the darkness, and complete stress. She hadn’t had one good night of sleep since Kuat.

As they continued through the wastes of the next planet the group had landed on, Xobos’s sixth or seventh in the past few months, the Miraluka stayed closely in step with her master and to the left of the redhead apprentice. She could feel the mute’s eyes looking her over as they waited for their master to open up the door to the facility. As per usual, lately, Ambrus’s voice made it’s way to the forefront of her mind, roaring in a way that could not be blocked out no matter what she tried.

“Oh..are you already alienating your comrads? What a shame..what a shame…” Xobos grumbled lightly under her breath in response, not nearly loud enough for either of the others to hear, but it was obvious that the miraluka was agitated. She was doing her best to listen, pay attention to what their master was saying, but the thoughts about the darkness still clouded her mind. She still had no idea how it all had happened, but was determined to eventually get some answers.

For now, however, her job was here in the moment. As the metallic door opened up in front of the group, she couldn’t help the small smile that crossed her face at the possibility of learning more about their master. If she could learn more about his past, perhaps some secrets of his powers would be revealed too. Which in turn, would make her all the more powerful, and possibly give her some answers.

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[Adron Malvern]

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Once inside the lift, the doors closed around the three. The walls inside were pristine and made of a durable form of glasteel. They appeared to be freshly maintained and the Exarch smiled softly when he noticed that.

"When I still served the Galactic Empire it was my responsibility to make a number of these bunkers across the Empire. There were over twenty of them following the Empire's fall, some of them holding military secrets, supplies, or resources. When I joined The Confederacy I decided to seize each of these bunkers for my own uses." He admitted, wrapping a hand around the hilt of his sword. His free hand came up to smooth his black hair back against his head, just as the lift began to slow to a stop. "This is the last bunker and it houses the most important thing of all, maybe one of the Empire's greatest assets." There was no mistaking the interest in Adron's tone, still he said no more when the lift came to a stop.

As the door's came open, they revealed a white hall with crimson lights shining over Imperial seals. Adron stepped into the hall, flanked by his apprentices. The hall was narrow and dim, even with the crimson lights. No windows and only a single door at the end of the hall.

Though his thoughts were focused, it would have been difficult for the Exarch to ignore his apprentices, namely Xobos. The mark on the woman's arm gave the man an insight to her emotions and the thoughts that laid on the surface of her mind. He could even hear the shallow tells of the voice speaking to the woman. It caused the Exarch to narrow his eyes and glance back at the apprentice. Though he could not entirely hear what the voice was saying, he could understand enough. "If you lose focus today, you will die. Ignore all voices except those that lead you to power." He instructed her, before smiling softly, almost assuringly. His eyes rested on Shakti for the briefest moment before turning back to the path ahead. He wondered just which of them would do the best this day? Likely, they would both disappoint him.

"We came here because I needed a tool for your training. Lightsaber combat is an essential part of your training and here we will see just how ready the two of you are to progress into true lessons." He said, as they approached the door at the end of the hall. It was much like the one that led them into this facility, yet it was clearly a type of blast door. The scanner above the door flashed over Adron's body for the briefest moment, a bright blue light covering him from head to toe. A number of mechanical clicks errupted before the door's parted and allowed the trio entry.

The room before them was covered in shadows, to the point where you could not hope to see, even inches in front of your face. Surely Xobos would appreciate that.

Adron stepped forward, speaking softly as he led them through the darkness. The shadows around them seemed to bend and shift around them as Adron stopped his advance. "Allow me to introduce you to your new combat instructors."

Light exploded into the room, revealing a training atrium. The atrium was similar to the one kept on Adron's ship The Veil. However, it was the men clad in crimson robes who surrounded the trio that caused Adron to smirk. "The Imperial Guard."

[member="Xobos Yakieer"] [member="Shakti Sweet"]

 

[Shakti Sweet]

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[member="Adron Malvern"] | [member="Xobos Yakieer"]​

​

As she noted before, her free time wasn't exactly as free as it had previously been, and the time she had to worry about the young apprentice to her left was also in extremely short supply. So when it came time to step inside of this subterranean bunker, she didn't spare a thought for how Xobos may have been feeling - it would be a waste of the energy she assumed she'd shortly need. If she'd learned anything in her training thus far, it was that Darth Malphus did not suffer anything but the utmost from people he claimed as his own, which meant she was likely going to end up having her arss handed to her... Again.

She hid well the confusion she felt as they ventured deeper still, wandering down halls lit only in faint glowing red lights, their Master a constant droning tone ahead of them, explaining the location and his connection to it. Through the bond he'd made with her, it was unlikely she'd be able to suppress the supreme lack of interest in the history lesson - though all that changed when they paused before the double doors that scanned Adron's form before they opened. The yawning maw of pitch darkness gave her pause. She took a moment to use what small mastery of the Force she had and wrapped that energy around her head, using it to amplify her hearing. As they stepped in, she was only one step behind, using that trick of hers to imagine what it was in the darkness she could hear sound reverberating off of.

With each muttered word and each careful footfall, she could hear the sound ricochetting off something in the darkness. Unlike some other creatures that could form full pictures in their minds with the bouncing of sounds - she could only guess that they were large... And they were many. As the lights came up all at once she was momentarily blinded, her pupils dilating so quickly that she felt an instant of dizzy confusion before she blinked it away. Once she was able to glance around she felt a pit open in her stomach... Not again. Her gaze darted from the guards that surrounded them back to her Master, that displeasure bleeding through the mark he'd left on her arm, communicating much better than words could her impending sense of butt-kicking.

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Objective: Follow the master, ignore the voices
Equipment: Beginning armor, double bladed lightsaber
Mental state: Chatty.
Tags: [member="Shakti Sweet"] [member="Adron Malvern"]

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The ride up the elevator was silent except for the soft words from the pair’s shared master, as he continued to lecture them even as they continued further and further into the facility. Hearing the history of these places did enlighten her a bit on why it meant so much to Adron that they venture here. This bunker having one of the most important assets of the dead empire was interesting. Their master must have had great faith in his own engineering to believe that whatever he believed to be here was still located in these dark halls, and had not been stolen away by some sort of thief.

Her master addressing her pulled her away from these thoughts momentarily, and instead had her nodding slightly. She seemed to forget more and more nowadays that he could feel her discomfort, hear her thoughts at times. As soon as this mission was over, she was going to go try and find some answers, for her sake and to become an even better apprentice, with her head clouded all too often.

Ambrus didn’t seem to like this, responding himself with a quick, “What does he know? It is us that give you power, after all.” Xobos growled lightly at this to herself, and spoke, louder before, as if to make sure the other two heard her, heard that she was fighting back at what plagued her for the moment. “You are not the one to give me power. That power has, does come from myself. I don’t need you..”

With that, the apprentice quit speaking, focusing now on the task at hand. The room they entered certainly wasn’t homely or nice looking, with how dark it all seemed. Though that didn’t effect the Miraluka, as she gazed around the room with her force enhanced vision to focus on the figures on the other side of the room. Her hand slowly dropped to her belt, curling her fingers around the cool hilt of her double bladed lightsaber.

When the lights came on, Xobos could practically feel the displeasure floating off of her fellow apprentice. No, not practically. She could feel it. Emanating off her in waves. A quick glance over was enough to see she hadn’t drew her weapons yet. The Miraluka was not so shy, pulling the hilt off of her belt, but not igniting it yet, awaiting their master’s command for that.

 

[Adron Malvern]

“Traitor!”

The voice called out and time seemed to slow, perhaps even pause. The man, clad in crimson and armed with an electrostaffs took to the training floor. He had been watching from a balcony above, but now he flew down to the ground with a murderous look in his eyes. His armored boots slammed into the ground, leaving a crack in the wooden floor below. His helmet had been discarded, many of the guard surrounding the trip were without their helms. In fact their armor was different than it had been in their days of glory. The crimson robes were hemmed short, no longer pooling down to their knees, but crudely cut over their backs. The Imperial Seal on their shoulders were a pale Obsidian in place of a pristine white. In total, there were maybe thirty of the men here, each of their eyes set on the raven haired man before them.

Adron looked to this man with a tired, almost bored expression. His once clean shave had grown into a messily trimmed beard. Hair, which once had been like midnight was now flecked with grey. Adron remembered this man, he remembered the focused, cold, eyes that had once been like a hawk. Now they were wild and rueful. He had so loved his Emperor. The Exarch said nothing, instead he kept his hand softly placed on his blade, his fingers slowly wrapping around the hilt. No movement was missed. Not one from Adron or his apprentices, each member of the Guard tensed at the Exarch's movements, watchful for the signs of attack.

“Captain Anterion.” Adron said, his eyes fastening on the man. “It's good to see you again, my friend.” He said, the snide tone he took was hard to miss, even if you tried.

“I’m not your friend, you bastard. I'm the one who is going to kill you!” The delcaration was bold and powerful, as was the charge that came next. Adron held a hand up to his apprentices, making sure they did not move against this man, this wild beast. He was unhinged, unbalanced, weak. The Dark Side projected itself from Adron, wrapping around this man and infuriating him further. The rest of the Guard were watchful, but they did not move, they waited to see this outcome. When Adron stepped forward it was not the Force that spilled from him. It was years of discipline and training. He drew his blade in a fluid arch as the hum of the electrostaffs rang out. It was damn near deafening, when paired with the slamming of the man's metallic boots on the wooden floor.

The Guard Captain raised his staff, bringing it down in merciless strike. He had so loved his Emperor.

A streak of crimson whipped into the air as Adron's speed sent him flying past the man. Winter, his blade, had found the air and with it, the Guardsman's throat. The Captain's eyes went wide as blood spilled down onto his crimson robes. He fell to his knees, making a sickening gurgling noise as he clawed at his opened throat. The noise was annoying, dreadfully so. Adron sliced his blade through the air, clearing some of the blood from his blade as he walked back to the man he had just cut open. “I always hated you. You represented everything wrong with the Galactic Empire.” He muttered, bending down to take a fist full of the man's cloak. He used the crimson cloak to wipe clean the rest of his blade, before looking to his apprentices evenly. “Now, you are dead.”

What came next was brief, but ultimately satisfying for the Exarch. He looked up to the men in the room, and watched their numbers dwindle. The guardsmen turned on each other, in quick order. Men found blades in the back of their throats, or blaster bolts slamming into their chests. Adron counted softly as it occurred. Seven. There had been seven of the Empire's trusted to escape to this bunker when the Empire fell. The rest, were those who Adron himself had tasked to the Imperial Guard himself, for his own ends. “When the Emperor named me Captain of the Imperial Guard I took over every facet of the regime. I selected them, I trained them, and more importantly...I conditioned them.” He said, watching as what remained of the guard fell to their knees, their heads bowed in deference.

“When the Emperor is proclaimed dead or missing, the Imperial Guard were ordered to disband and rally in bunkers like these. So I made sure the majority of my men were stationed here. The others believed they were going to regroup and prepared to avenge the Emperor. No, they would wait here until I had use of them, when I did they would kill the men loyal to the Emperor and present themselves to my command.” He said, before clearing his throat as he began to sheathe his blade. Stray locks fell over his eyes but they were quickly set back in place. “Sergeant.” One of the former Guardsmen stood to his feet, making his way over to the trio, bowing his head to the Exarch respectfully. “My Lord?”

“Sergeant Zax is one of the best bladesmen in the Imperial Guard. He will instruct you on the basics of lightsaber combat. Starting with form I. Shi-Cho. Shakti has some experience with this form already but this is not some survival challenge. For the next month you will train for fifteen hours a day with some rest time and then sleep for five hours.” Members of the Guard were beginning to disperse, most of them going off to collect their own things. It was obvious the Sergeant was not expecting this, as he looked between the two apprentices with an unsure expression. Still he said nothing and nodded his head quietly at the two.

“The Imperial Guard are some of the best when it comes down to knowledge in lightsaber combat. You have to be when you're expected to kill a Jedi.”

[member="Shakti Sweet"] [member="Xobos Yakieer"]

 

[Shakti Sweet]

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[member="Adron Malvern"] | [member="Xobos Yakieer"]​

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The mute couldn't keep the mild surprise from her face watching the exchange between the Exarch and the former Empire captain. Unlike her sister, she had not reached for her blades, and she would not unless instructed to by their Master. It was not difficult, not after she'd watched him in action. The former Imperial didn't need her assistance, and when he lifted a hand to forestall their involvement with what was to come, she assumed the gesture was for the Miralukan. She had no intention of getting between Adron and this old man... Not unless he demanded it of her.

As she'd assumed, Darth Malphas needed no assistance. He was a lord of the Sith, and an Exarch of the Confederacy... The man could have dispatched the crazed animal with little effort, and that's exactly what he'd done. Empty green eyes watched with muted disinterest as the Exarch cleaned his blade on the dying man's cloak, and resheathed it. That pitiless gaze then turned to the guards that stood around the room, watching in her usual silence as they took turns stabbing, shooting and generally doing a bang-up job of murdering one another.

Efficient.

She turned to her Master as he explained it, nodding once, approvingly. The unquestioning loyalty of these men, their silent absence after what must have been years without seeing the Exarch... Impressive. The man was cool, calculating, and it would seem he would allow no questions from those who had received their orders. Understood.

As Adron introduced them to the Guardsman who would be their teacher, she returned the man's skeptical glance. It would seem that her Master would see her using a single blade yet - regardless of her preferences. Fine. She did have a question, however. She turned quizzical jade eyes to the Exarch, and from that connection he'd forged he'd feel her reaching, one simple question, "How long?"

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Objective: Follow the master, ignore the voices
Equipment: Beginning armor, double bladed lightsaber
Mental state: Chatty.
Tags: [member="Shakti Sweet"] [member="Adron Malvern"]

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To say what occurred next didn’t surprise the Miraluka would be a complete and utter lie. The man dropping down and attacking their master had her taking a step forward, lightsaber almost completely pulled off her belt before the Exarch stopped both the apprentices. Because of this, she slowly took a step back to observe the action.

The bloody, killing, horrible action.

Blood went flying as their master’s sword made it’s way through the heart of the man that had so heartily said only moments ago that he would kill the suited man. It was a silly, childish thought that Xobos knew he would pay for from the start. And that he did, with his life in fact. One that was practically worthless in her eyes, for anyone that had the gall to attack in such a way obviously didn’t respect his opponent enough.

Her brow furrowed as across the room, blasters started going off, and the screams and cries of pain from the men that were suddenly turned on by their supposed comrades. It was a scene that took a moment to process, before realizing what had happened when all of the men that stood remaining took a knee toward their master, signifying their allegiance to him.

To have such loyalty as to be ready at a moment’s notice to turn on those around them with such quickness and ferocity was incredible to the apprentice. To know that there were men like this under the command of their master just accentuated his utter power. Perhaps someday Xobos would be able to build an empire such as this one, where no matter where she went, there would be those loyal to her. Ora took these thoughts as an opportunity to reprimand her, although it was helpful. “Little master, you have much to learn before you even sniff that kind of power. Patience.”

This caused her to take a moment to recollect her thoughts and herself before focusing back on the situation at hand. Her eyes roamed curiously over the man who would supposedly be teaching them. The hunting jedi remark got her thinking again, before she gathered them and spoke her mind, knowing that Adron would just hear her thoughts anyway. “Are they to train us to be able to kill jedi?” Her voice was changed by the voice modulator of her helmet, but the tone of the apprentice was clear. Apprehensive at the possibly unneeded question, but still very curious. She wanted to know what they were getting themselves into.

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[Adron Malvern]

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Sergeant Zax Krieson ​

Former Imperial Guardsmen​

Master at Arms for House Malvern​

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Zax had been a follower of the Empire's doctrine since he was a boy. He'd lived and been prepared to die by a creed and code that, ultimately, had betrayed him. During the waning days of the Empire, Krieson had felt more than his share of doubt. Not doubt towards the Emperor, he was a man beyond reproach, but doubt towards the idea that was the Galactic Empire. It had won more than its share of battle but in the end it had fallen as most nations did, from the inside. When the Imperial warlords sought to claim power, ripping it from the very hands of their Emperor, Zax saw the true flaw of an Empire. While he had been a man solely devoted to one idea, embodied in a living being, The Emperor, the rest of the Empire was not so faithful.

He had not known what to do. He had not known where he would go. However, he did know he had no intention of dying with the Empire. So when his Captain, Adron Malvern offered him a new life, a new purpose he would see it done. As the Imperial Guard lived and died for the Emperor there was only one true man to release them from service, death. As Zax looked to his former comrades who riddled the ground with blood he saw that their watch had ended and they were finally allowed rest. Good for them. Zax had bigger plans.

When the former Captain of the Imperial Guard spoke of their ability to kill a Jedi, the man nodded in agreement. "The Guardsmen are trained to be the match of any Jedi or Sith, physically and mentally. It's a lot more than just knowing when they'll swing a blade or how to parry an attack. You have to be able to put yourself into the emotional mindset of your opponent, see the world through their eyes. If you can learn how and why a man does what he does, it's easy enough to kill him." Zax explained, glancing up to those guardsmen who moved about the walkways above them. He turned his eyes to Adron expectantly. He asked the same question [member="Shakti Sweet"] had mentally probed the man on. "How long, my lord?" It did not truly matter. Weeks, months, years, it made no difference. His new life was at a start and if he was to make any headway he knew patience would be necessary.

"We'll see how they're doing in a month, you'll keep me updated on their progress." The man turned from his apprentices, glancing back to [member="Xobos Yakieer"] as she spoke her own question. Adron smirked at the woman, gesturing to Zax and the others with a slight wave of his hand. "They'll train you to kill anyone you need to kill. Obey Sergeant Zax as if his word was mine and you may just learn something of worth." There was nothing more to be said, as the man turned from his apprentices, leaving them with their newest instructor.

Zax watched as a number of the guard followed their new master out of the bunker, yet three of the crimson clad men remained behind with Zax. For the time being it seemed they were working to clear the room of those bodies that had fallen in their turn. Zax glanced over to the apprentices, adjusting the black utility belt that sat on his waist. "Names. Now." He ordered. He had a strict, military chop with his tone that was almost immediately discernible. Although his accent was not strictly Imperial, he certainly had the presence of one. "If Lord Malvern has decided I'll train you, I will, but it won't be easy and your first lesson is to listen. I can't teach the deaf." He said, pressing his hands to his waists. "Now, tell me what each of you know about lightsaber combat."

[member="Xobos Yakieer"] [member="Shakti Sweet"]

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

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​

Objective: Follow the master, ignore the voices
Equipment: Beginning armor, double bladed lightsaber
Mental state: Chatty.
Tags: [member="Shakti Sweet"] [member="Adron Malvern"]

​

As the man spoke, answering the questions posed by their master and elaborating on some fo the other things that were mentioned, Xobos couldn’t help but tilt her head to side lightly. It was incredibly interesting, especially the part about having to be in the right mental mindset. To this point, Xobos had yet to fight anyone in a serious match, or even fight someone that was actively trying to kill her, so she was determined to be as much of a sponge as she could, and soak up as much information as possible.

Her eyes settled on the man momentarily as she looked his gruff, hard face over. It was as if he had seen thousands of battles, countless deaths. It was obvious that his experience had been put to practical use, and he would be a very good teacher. One that was sure to be hard on them, harder than Adron knowing their luck, but if Xobos could come out of this with all her limbs attached, she knew her skill level would very easily be much higher.

As their master was flanked by the red guardsmen as he exited the room, Xobos watched as the remaining ones cleaned up those that had fallen during the small firefight earlier. Everything they did was with a precision that impressed the Miraluka, so much so that she was already considering the possibilities of working with these men after this month had passed.

Their instructor speaking to the pair of apprentices brought her attention back to present, and when asked for her name, Xobos started by removing her helmet and tucking it underneath her arm. “My name is Xobos Yakieer. To my right,” The Miraluka jerked a thumb at the redhead. “is my…sister. Shakti Sweet. She’s a mute.” The second part of the answer took a moment to think over, but it wasn’t long until she had an answer formulated in her head, deciding it would be better to be honest and upfront from the beginning. “I barely knew the force existed a few months ago. As for lightsaber combat, any melee combat really, I know very little in terms of mechanics or skills. All I know is that I like to be pushing the pace, the one on the attack. But I also understand that could get me into trouble against a more skilled fighter.”

With a nod, she would allow Shakti to add anything to the conversation she would be able to articulate. Her eyes, albeit useless, looked over to the woman, and once she got her attention, she pointed to the matching mark they shared, trying to show she’d speak for her if the assassin would like.

 

[Shakti Sweet]

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[member="Adron Malvern"] | [member="Xobos Yakieer"]​

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As their Master provided their hasty introduction to the Sergeant, Shakti remained, as she always did, silent. It seemed that they were to be here for as long as it took to make them proficient with the blades that Adron favored. She remained behind as he wished when he turned and left, flanked by several of those red garbed guards that they'd discovered in this place. When all that was left was her and her sister, standing before the man who'd been introduced to them as Zax. Her gaze was passive though keen as it always was when he turned to them and demanded their names. As Xobos spoke she took an opportunity to glance around...

Death had a smell, and that stench was starting to make the air in the chamber a little ripe. She watched with muted interest as the guards that yet lived went about starting to clear the dead. It was always a gruesome thing, tidying up after battle. If you were lucky enough to die there would be no need to cart off the limp remains of corpses, often soaked in their own filth and blood... Sometimes the dead had it easier than the living.

When Xobos finished their introductions Shakti turned back to the pair, offering a curt nod to the Sergeant. As he continued on to question their knowledge of blades she lifted a hand, motioning to the set of twin blades that lay against her back. She also reached across the void between her and Xobos to gently press rough fingers into her sisters arm. There was a voice that came then, filling her sister's mind. It was terrible, like glass raining onto a metal roof in a windstorm. In the garbled cacophony, Shakti's voice came through, painful and broken, "Tell him. I practice with Malphas. Can kill."

With that she withdrew her hand from her sister's arm, returning those stark green eyes to the red-cloaked man before them. She trusted that Xobos would communicate as she'd promised and spent the time instead sizing up this opponent. He wasn't as large as the droids that she'd been sparring with, and likely would not move as quickly. In this new opponent there was a better chance for her to win, certainly.

 

[Adron Malvern]

Sergeant Zax Krieson
Former Imperial Guardsmen
Master at Arms for House Malvern

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"Xobos, Shakti." The Sergeant repeated, flawlessly. When the young woman spoke, Zax could not help but cross his arms as she spoke. He listened, his eyes glancing from one woman to another as the Miralukan spoke. Zax looked to their frames and how they stood, they were not soldiers, not yet truly warriors. It took years to temper a warrior into a well tuned machine, he did not have years. His eyes spied the blades that rested on Shakti's back, did she know how to use those things? For a moment the redheaded woman leaned into the Miralukan and then in the next moment it ceased. Zax exhaled at what he had. "Blind and mute...Like I said, I can only not teach the deaf." Zax made his way over to a nearby weapons rack, pulling two of the training sabers from it while he spoke.

"The first form is basic, it is on the foundation of the lightsaber forms. You cannot truly wield one without it. It is the lowest level of lightsaber instruction and you will not learn it yet." His final words seemed a surprise, yet as he turned to the two he looked to them with that same gruff gaze. "First you learn to work together. If you can't fight together, then you're of no use to any damn body." The sabers flew in the air, one to each of the apprentices. They were heavy, simulating the weight of a true lightsaber. Zax turned back to the rack and pulled two more of the blades off, these he kept to himself. He gave each of his blades a spin before running his thumbs over the activation pads. Each of the sabers came to life in his hand, two brilliant golden blades coming to life in his hands.

"Now, you have to be able to stand your ground." In the next moment, Zax leapt towards Shakti, bringing his blade down on the woman's shoulder. He was fast, though his blows held little weight behind them. The moments his blade landed on Shakti, he would advance on Xobos, bringing one of the sabers towards her in a wide slash for her midsection. "Defend yourselves!"

[member="Shakti Sweet"] [member="Xobos Yakieer"]

 

[Shakti Sweet]

[member="Adron Malvern"] | [member="Xobos Yakieer"]​

​

The way that the Sergeant said her name had the woman quirking a brow curiously. Few people put the proper inflection into the name, and she was curious if he'd heard its like before to have it mastered so quickly. He was an interesting fellow, that was for certain... She supposed if they were going to be stuck in this bunker for a time, he would at least prove unique company. Her eyes followed him silently as he approached the weapons rack and selected to practice blades. Her nose wrinkled immediately in anticipation of what was to come... Hopefully her sister didn't bruise quite as easily as she did.

She tensed as the sabers were thrown towards them, her arm shooting up reflexively to catch the hilt of the sword. She'd been foolish the first time she'd dueled one of the Master's magnaguards - her bloodied face had been proof enough that you don't wait for your opponent to let you know they're ready. As the hilt settled comfortable in her palm she turned, giving the Sergeant her side, the tip of the practice saber pointed squarely at him as he continued to speak. She spared her sister a quick glance before she heard the familiar snap of the blade in Zax's hands coming to life.

She reflexively moved to back up a step as she pressed her thumb into the pad of her own saber, but their instructor was already on the move. A soft breath hissed through her teeth as she backed up, his hand coming down to bring the fresh sting of the electrified blade across her shoulder. There was no power behind the swing, obviously meant only to teach her to be wary, but the sting and resulting snap of the blade catching her shoulder was enough to make her retreat a few more steps.

Stand your ground. The mute set her teeth firmly and took back the step she had conceded, bringing her own blade up to take a swing at his midsection while he turned his focus to Xobos. Her intent was to force the man to back up himself if he didn't want to catch the snap of her blade.

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Objective: Follow the master, ignore the voices
Equipment: Beginning armor, double bladed lightsaber
Mental state: Chatty.
Tags: [member="Shakti Sweet"] [member="Adron Malvern"]

Having to learn to work together sounded like an absolute death wish in her mind. At no point in their training up to this point had Shakti looked like she had any sort of want to treat the younger apprentice like she belonged there. If Xobos didn’t know better, than the only reason the other woman had not yet laid her to rest with her knives had been due to the fact that Adron wanted her around. It was a protection that she didn’t know how long would last, especially with the Miraluka’s mental state taking daily hits from the pair of voices that tortured her daily.

Speaking of which, the softer of the two voices made it’s way to the front of her mind, just as the Miraluka caught the blade in her outstretched hand. “It would be much easier if we at least…try to work with the woman. It would allow us to stab her in the back in the future..” The last words took Xobos aback. Never before this moment had Ora advocated for something so…dark. She wasn’t sure if it was possible, but could Ambrus be influencing Ora in her head? She had been hearing Lagos more and more recently, as if they were beginning to agree on more since she had begun to train in the dark arts.

These thoughts weren’t given much time to marinate, as practically as soon as the saber was in the hands of the woman, the sergeant snapped on both of his training sabers and charged forward, aiming specifically for shakti. The moment he attacked, Xobos slid to his left, increasing the gap between her and the pair that locked sabers. Her eyes moved over the situation, as if trying to find an opening of her own to attack.

“There!” The voice of Lagos rang clear through her head, obviously pointing to the fact that the man had been forced back momentarily by the mute. He hadn’t been seemingly paying too much attention to the other apprentice, something she wanted to make him pay for. As he took a step back, Xobos’s back foot pushed hard into the ground, before suddenly exploding upward, launching her into the air, coming down with a vicious slash at the man’s head. “I got you!” She exclaimed, eye’s burning with the fire of combat.

 

[Adron Malvern]

Sergeant Zax Krieson
Former Imperial Guardsmen
Master at Arms for House Malvern

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Though his face remained stoic, Zax was already considerably impressed by the two women before him. Trained Jedi Knights had fallen to his first attack, often he did not even require a second assault. Yet, Xobos had flawlessly avoided his attack for her midsection. So she's fast on her feet. He mused, as his saber found nothing but air where the Miralukan had been concerned. [member="Shakti Sweet"] had not been so fast, though she had caught the true force of his initial attack. He had driven her back a few steps with his saber slapping across her shoulder, yet still she held her ground. They did not panic, to their credit, but they had yet to work together and Zax would be sure to utilize that to his own advantage. Through the subtle hints that the Force made available to him, he could sense Shakti's attack behind him. However, it was [member="Xobos Yakieer"] who held his interest. She had taken from the ground in a charge for him...In a unique moment.

Zax did not confront Shakti or Xobos, instead he was as water in a stream. The fluid motion that led him out of the way seemd like a dance done in mid-air. His body became as a feather and he leaped out of the way, just in time so Xobos' commited attack would meet Shakti instead of the guardsmen. His crimson cloak fluttered in the air for a moment before he touched back onto the deck before him. His impact against the ground was soft, and as the two dealt with the consequences of their actions he would level a blade to each of them.

"Very good. Again, this time actually try to work together." He told them, before cutting his blades through the air to form an 'X' in front of his chest. "Xobos, Shakti! Attack!" He ordered. "Xobos, do not abandon Shakti in your attack, Shakti keep up and work with Xobos' movemnts or you may as well sit the battle out!"

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Objective: Follow the master, ignore the voices
Equipment: Beginning armor, double bladed lightsaber
Mental state: Chatty.
Tags: [member="Shakti Sweet"] [member="Adron Malvern"]

​

It all happened in a millisecond. The attack that she thought was easily going to land on the guardsman instead shot forward to hit her sister. Xobos made the best midair correction she could, curling her body to the left, hitting the ground hard and rolling quickly to her feet. The maneuver stung for sure, but she was alright, and happy that she had managed to not hit Shakti while she did so. Once back on her feet, she looked up and caught the eyes of the redhead before looking toward the guardsman, nodding slowly at his words of working together.

She and her sister had not had an easy relationship thus far, and something like this was certainly going to push whatever relationship they had to this point to the brink. Especially because she wasn’t sure she could trust the woman beside her to actually fight with her. She obviously had an extremely high level of skill, but didn’t seem too interested in fighting alongside her sister. This was obviously something that Xobos would have to learn to work with, or fail at the very beginning of their training.

The miraluka slowly swung her saber in a wide circle as she looked the man over, trying to figure out some next move to attack. He was either incredibly quick, or the force was somehow aiding him. Or it was both, and that was a scary prospect. Either way, he had incredibly movement and reaction speed. So the logical attack would be in a way that could either confine him to a smaller area to decrease his maneuverability, or to attack from different angles, forcing him to make movements that might not be to his liking.

To this end, Xobos slowly began to move to the right of the man, so that the Miraluka and the mute be facing him at different angles from his front. Even if Shakti didn’t realize it, Xobos hoped that how they were angled would allow them to attack together easier, and force the man straight back, toward one of the corners of the room. Doing so would make attacking him much easier. That is, unless he was able to discern what they were doing and quickly dismantle that plan.

“Enough planning. Attack!” Lagos shouted yet again, his voice ringing in her mind as she burst forward once more, again lifting herself off the ground to attack with a slash at the man’s shoulders. If Shakti was paying attention, she would attack at the man’s midsection or legs. It didn’t matter if they hit, all that mattered was pushing the man backward.

 

[Shakti Sweet]

​

[member="Adron Malvern"] | [member="Xobos Yakieer"]​

​

The redhead frowned as her attack to press him back worked... Sort of. The man had sidestepped her swing and in doing so she'd put herself directly under her sister's aerial attack. Between Xobos pulling to the side at the last moment and Shakti nearly stumbling over herself to get out of the way, the pair managed to not collide at the end of either of their attacks... Lucky.

Teeth grit tightly as she narrowed her eyes between Xobos and the Sergeant, not at all pleased with how poorly their first, uncoordinated attempt had gone. As Zax took several moments to reset, so did the two women. Shakti backed up a pace or two and shifted her grip on the practice blade to be two handed, her shoulder aching a touch from where he'd hit her. She'd been focused on where to strike next when she felt the girl moving to her left. Her eyes darted to follow, noting she was slowly stalking around to the other side of their sparring trainer.

Ah. Flanking. Not the worst plan.

The blind girl wasn't a terrible strategist - or at least that's what the mute guessed. Shakti had never had to fight along side someone before. Teamwork had never been her strong suit, and relying on someone else to even consider her best interests was laughable to her. The girl had skill, that was apparent, but she wasn't entirely sure she was interested in relying on anyone for anything - let alone a child to have her back in battle.

Attack he ordered. She obliged as she stepped in once more, her elbows bending to take a swing low at the man's hips, able to see on the other side as Xobos leapt into the air, intent on coming down on him while the mute gave him limited options for staying low.

 

[Adron Malvern]

Sergeant Zax Krieson
Former Imperial Guardsmen
Master at Arms for House Malvern

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They're learning....sort of.

The thought flashed through Zax's mind as he eyed the duo with an analytical interest. [member="Shakti Sweet"] was calculating and took a measure into her attacks making them more effective. Xobos was skilled as well, though her movements did not seemed as paced they were ferocious and could inflict damning damage on the man if he lowered his guard. This moment, staring down at these two women who stood before him. It reminded him of the Calderra sieges nearly ten years ago. They fought the Jedi then and it had cost them, but these two were not Jedi or yet truly Sith, and it showed in their movements.

He watched them, as his master had once watched him. He had been trained to see the subtle hints of the strike, where it would land, and how. He saw Xobos' movements build momentum only a second before she rose into the air to bring her attack down on him. This time the attack was something more than the last had been. Hell, it even made sense. Xobos attacked from the sky once again, something he passively noted.

What came next was...bizarre.

Rather than fall back or attack, Zax's body seemed to become like water. As the blades fell down over his shoulders, his own blade rose to meet them. The parry was light, yet it had done it's job. blades came down they were halted a few mere inches from his shoulder. His own blade halted them, resting over his shoulder, keeping him safe from harm. He strafed, the moment their blades had come into contact and just before [member="Xobos Yakieer"] had touched down he moved behind the woman. There was a cost. His midsection was armored and the subtle scratch of Shakti's blade on the phrik plates was a ping to the man's pride.

I've gotten rusty. He remarked. With Xobos' back to him he charged, allowing his elbow to slam in the center of her back. A horrible blow if it landed, he hoped to drive the women together again, entangling them within each other and then creating an opportune moment to strike. "Faster, Shakti! Harder, Xobos!" He commanded. They were not without skill, for if they were but a second faster they could have dealt him a true blow.

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Objective: Survive
Equipment: Beginning armor, double bladed lightsaber
Mental state: Motivational.
Tags: [member="Shakti Sweet"] | [member="Adron Malvern"]

​

Well, the attack worked a little bit. Not the best, and certainly not to the fullest extent. It seemed as though their duel pronged attack only led to the man being lightly swiped at by Shakti’s blade. Xobos’s had been practically completely blocked from below, which had led to her hitting the ground on one knee. Her head turned, trying to see what the man was planning in response. She hoped that, even if their attack wasn’t extremely successful, that he would be driven back enough to launch another attack.

As her eyes dragged up, however, they were met with the guard charging forward with an elbow extended, ready to plant it squarely into the miraluka’s back. Realizing what was about to happen to her, Xobos planted her foot into the stone floor and pushes backward, sending her rolling back and out of the way of the charging man. Two rotations later, she was back to one knee, watching the guardsman plow forward and attack her sister apprentice. She would have to hold for just a few seconds for the smaller of the pair to get back into the fray from her dodged position.

She sprung forward, saber’s tip dragging along the ground beside her as she sprinted toward the other two duelists, a plan beginning to formulate in her mind. This guardsman had shown incredible horizontal movement thus far. He had plenty of speed to help him move side to side, even backward as needed. Something the apprentices hadn’t seen yet was his ability to take to the vertical plane, and that was perhaps an area they could win in. Getting him up into the air, and possibly off balance doing so, was another problem, however.

Once she was within striking distance, however, now standing near the man’s back, the plan seemingly came all together. Reaching out to her sister telepathically, she could only hope there was enough time for Shakti to attempt the move that was forming in the Miraluka’s mind. “Strike at the his side to your right! Force him into the air!” She called out, as her own blade began to make a upward slice toward the man’s right side. If they made this work, they may just begin to gain some momentum back in this fight.

​