Forging A Weapon

[Adron Malvern]

​Immediately Adron had noticed Faeri on the ground. Her form was humbling. The man, for the most part, had never known a life where even a bed was foreign to him. He was allowed the luxuries of the nobility. Only sometimes stripped away when necessary for his Jedi training, back when he had a mind naïve enough for such things. As she stood, Adron was about to speak when she casted a finger to him, asking, no demanding pause. Arching a brow up at her actions he waited in silent patience as she moved to the refresher, seeing to her morning routine. Once she had returned his eyes set upon her with a gaze that suggested he was not amused. As she approached him. the Imperial Troopers made their way in, setting a small container in the corner of her room.

​Adron watched them closely, watching as they heaved the crate and set it in it's now home. Turning away from Faeri, Adron glanced back at her. "Do not forget who is master, and who is apprentice. Your actions have caused you to go without food." He told her, gesturing for the troopers to exit the room. "That crate holds blood bags from the ship's medical quarters. They should sustain whatever IT is inside of you that demands to be fed. Eventually." He said, promising she would not see a meal any time soon.

​It already was preparing to be a long day.

​Moving into the hall, Adron made his way down, if Faeri was wise she would be following close behind him.

[member="Faeri"]

 

[Myra]

She cringes upon his rebuke, but not like a dog who had been beaten, or a slave who had been broken, more like a bear fleeing attack yet ready to strike back should it be provoked farther.. she knew better though, yet unbridled rage and hunger had kept her alive, and these habits were not easily shaken.

Her eyes follow the crate, trained on it with an intensity that even she did not realize she possessed. Upon his claim that she would not feed, she was tempted to simply stalk the halls of his ship and hunt like she had on Dathomir.. yet once again she was reminded why she was here. He was not an enemy, although he certainly treated her as such. From him, she would gain purpose and power, and so when he would begin to stride off she would follow behind in quick succession, walking a few feet back to let him lead to their destination.

Consciously, she knew she needed to bridle her emotions and easily swayed demand for revenge. Yet subconsciously her instincts continued to edge her on.. she would rely on them in time, but not now, not here, they will be the weapon that makes her effective. She will not become a dull tool for Adron to throw away with little thought, she would become so powerful that her existence would become a necessity..
[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

​Adron could sense the determination, and in a way it was the first time she impressed him. "The body, mind, and spirit must be maintained." He explained to her, leading them back down to the training hall. "Today I'm going to teach you to leave your physical body and commune with the Force." Deep meditation was today's lesson, and Adron was hoping the technique could help Faeri with her hunger. "You still act, think, and conduct yourself like a predator. You're not a predator anymore. You're a weapon. Which means you have to learn patience. The patience that it takes to wait for hours for a target, merely because I commanded it." He explained to her, watching as the door to the training hall opened to them.

​Moving deeper into the training hall, Adron gestured for Faeri to take a seat in the center of the hall once again. "Meditation is key to gaining focus and control. Through the Force a Master can go months off the barest of nourishment. Wounds can be healed and you can even restore a fractured mind."

​"Close your eyes, empty your mind, and connect with The Force. Feel it flow through you." He said, crossing his arms behind his back. "Purge everything from your thoughts, and focus only on The Force." Adron was interested to see Faeri's ability to meditate. He imagined it would be difficult for her, it usually was the first time. However, as he glanced over at the clock, he began the timer.

​"You will meditate for six hours. Begin."

[member="Faeri"]

 

[Myra]

She followed and listened.. He spoke with many words but the gist of it was easy to understand 'learn to listen, obey, and wait'. She had guessed that today's lesson would be something similar, what would he make her do? Train for hours straight? Complete some boring menial task for the rest of the day? Bore her with speeches and lectures? How does one commune with the force? Was it not a tool to be used to better accomplish one's goals? These thoughts flowed through her mind as fantasies slowly developed of what tortures laid ahead.

Yet what he did have planned was far more horrific than what she could have ever imagined, sitting still, on the floor. She was hesitant, slowly sitting on the floor and crossing her legs in front of her. Her hands uneasily rubbed up and down her legs as she listened intently, the gravity of just how boring this was going to be slowly setting in and her face showed her distaste.. yet she would not defy him again, it had already cost her enough for her to get the memo.

She would close her eyes upon his command, trying her hardest to reach out to this invisible thing she knew of but barely understood. Thought of how he described it, a web of all things living and not living. She pictured a web, like an arachnids, spreading across the tree branches of Dathomir. This web connected thousands of points to one series of strands, maybe that is what the force is? A connection?

Her habits and instincts would begin to pick away at the back of her mind as her fingers begin to play with the loose cloth of her pants, and she would shift her legs uncomfortably. She tried to connect herself to this web, grab one of the many strands and force it to connect to her.. and when she felt nothing different she tried to connect to the strand that already existed, but to no avail. This was silly.. a weapon does not sit in an armory waiting to be used, it is carried with you ready to be fired off at a second's notice.

Six Hours. That is how long she must sit here and it took an incredible amount of willpower to stop her from saying anything or rebelling any further than she had already. Her head twitched, as her fingers moved up a little to play with the hem of her untucked shirt. This was going to be torture wasn't it? And the small sensation in her stomach steadily reminding her that she had not fed was slowly making it more difficult than it already was.

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

​Crossing his arms over his chest, Adron exhaled silently. It was dawning on him that he had never had an apprentice before, never taught someone how to learn about The Force. For him, it was all so hazy, his first days. He was raised in a family devoted to the Jedi way, so he knew of The Force as a toddler. As he looked down at his apprentice he could see her fidgeting and movement. She was not going to last six hours, no she would be lucky to last another few minutes.

​Bringing his hand to his lips, Adron bit down on the tip of his thumb. Before she could learn about the deeper reaches of The Force she would have to learn to commune with it, feel it, let it flow through her. Only then could she take hold of it and bend it to her will.

​But the only time she seems to tap into the Force is when....

​A moment of realization hit Adron, and immediately he glanced down to the woman. "Get up." He said, turning back towards the entrance to the training hall. Adron would notion for her to join him, a two-fingered wave ushered over his shoulder.

​For all the boasting of how much he hated the Jedi he was doing it again, thinking like a Jedi. Dogmatic and narrow-minded. He could not teach her how he had learned. Her life, her struggles were far different from hers, They descended deeper into the bowels of the ship, rooms and halls were replaced with maintenance shafts and engineering rooms. The deeper they went, the fewer people they saw. Eventually all they would see in the half-lift halls were the occasional Stormtrooper on patrol or a wandering engineer. Aside from that, they were alone.

[member="Faeri"]

 

[Myra]

She was quick to obey his command, instantly regretting her inability to sit still.. perhaps he was to punish her? She did not do as she was told, but how could she? Would Adron really punish her for something out of her control? The answer was that he probably would.. he seemed very disinterested in patience. Yet she followed dutifully behind him, ready to accept her fate.

As they crept farther into the ship she began to become more and more worried. Would he kill her? This would certainly be the place to do it. Yet he was giving her too much time to prepare herself.. this was foolish, he would not kill her, not yet anyway.. Either way, Faeri's muscles tensed, ready to run to wherever she may find bastion on this ship should her master turn his anger on her for being incapable of his commands

She would watch each passing trooper with caution.. but also began to wonder why none of his underlings questioned her presence. Would she not draw attention? Perhaps they had when she was not with him.. or maybe they were to consumed with purpose to care or be bothered. Eitherway, Adron can certainly tell she's on edge.

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

​Faeri's thoughts sat on the top of her mind. Adron usually kept a foot in the door of her thoughts, yet as they moved through the halls Adron came to a complete halt. "If I ever decide to kill you. There won't be any guessing to it. You'll know. Now calm your nerves and quiet your mind." He didn't turn to look at her, merely took the moment to instruct her. They continued down the long corridor until they finally found themselves on one of the lowest parts of the ship. The detention block. Adron led the way, glancing over the cells that had red lights over them, occupied. "Once you have learned to commune with the Force, you will learn to command it, and then you can keep your thoughts from those you don't want to see them."

​At the end of the hall, Adron looked to the cell for a moment before gesturing for Faeri to back away. "Stay here. And no matter what happens do not move." He commanded, his eyes gazing at her with no jest.

​Adron tapped a code into a control panel, watching as the door to the cell slid open. He made his way inside, an amused look on his face. In the shadows of the cell, hushed voices could be heard. The Force would shift for a moment, reflecting Adron had accessed it once again. Only one moment later, the prisoner from the cell burst out, running past Faeri. His hurried steps moved down the hall, until finally the prison-uniform clad man disappeared into the bowels of the ship.

​Appearing from the cell, Adron glanced over to Faeri, glancing over to the watch hooked onto his wrist. "Communing with the Force is different for each person. We all find out own ways to dip into the nether. I want you to remember every feeling you feel, and focus truly on those feelings. This is your meditation......Now hunt." He said, pointing the direction of the escaping prisoner.

[member="Faeri"]

 

[Myra]

His words hit her like a bag of bricks. Not because she was threatened by them, but it finally dawned on Faeri just how much he knew about her. It displeased her, how he could peer into her thoughts with such ease and in some way she could only guess at. Yet he continued with his words and she understood.. she needed to learn this quickly in case she needed to break out...

Realizing that he probably heard/understood that she would quickly stop thinking about anything, in particular, quieting her mind simply by examining the endless and seemingly identical corridors. Yet when they came to a stop she became curious. Her eyes, able to see somewhat better in the dark than most humans due to the mutagen in her blood. She watched the prisoners as he instructed her as to what she must do, and then entered. She still could not really make out the beings in the gloom of the cell but they seemed sickly, pitiful.. easy prey if only-

She had to force herself to not give chase to the fleeing captive. She had to obey. Faeri realized she could not risk another confrontation in such a short period of time. He once again informed her about 'communing' with the force. Remember what feeling?

His last words made her grin.. not a pleasant playful grin, but a sick sadistic smirk of one who revels in pain and misery. THAT feeling, she realized, was something she would easily be able to remember, all of them. Yet her prey already had a head start, she would look between Adron and the hall the running man had fled down unsurely, but bursting into a sprint after him.

She was slightly hunched over, as if attempting to lower her surface area and decrease wind drag. She would crouch at the end of the hallway.. and listen, instincts slowly kicking in as she began to stalk the runner with what she now understood was the force. She did not put much effort into it.. and it was here that it clicked. The Force is not something that you push and pull and control, it is something that you cooperate with. Why it cooperates with you is beyond Faeri, yet to think on this any longer may mean a lack of dinner, so upon finding the runner and locking on, she would begin to sprint, chasing after him with a wild fury and ferociousness of a trained hound dog.

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

As Faeri sped off into the darkness, Adron clasped his arms behind his back. He could sense her in the Force, much like a blurred vision becoming clear her connection with the nether was deepened.

Even from where he stood Adron could hear the hurried breathes of the prisoner he had let free. Originally Adron believed the man would be accepting in the deal he had made. Run, and survive long enough and you will be rewarded with your freedom. Of course, even if Faeri by some miracle did not capture the man, he would still die. He was no random prisoner beset upon by the Empire. Glancing over to the door that held him, Adron could see the small symbol on the corner of the control panel. He was a deserter, someone who attempted to flea the Imperial Military.

A soft smile came to Adron's face. It was running that landed the man in prison, and it was running that he believed could save his life. Of course it took a soft nudge with The Force to convince the man. Yet, in time he was eager for the chance of freedom. Feeling he had given the girl enough time to hunt down the errant soldier, Adron too made his way into the depths of shadows before him.

[member="Faeri"]

 

[Myra]

Faeri was far faster than some mortal man and she knew it. She had given up the stalking stealthy approach simply because she was sure he was too weak to put up any much of a fight. She found him incredibly quickly, sprinting down one of the hallways like a madman trying to escape whatever was chasing him, she would show no mercy.

He heard her, or spotted her, she wasn't sure because he started to run faster, yet it would do him no good as she quickly caught up. She grabs his shoulder to stop him, digging her fingers into him. The sudden stop of motion caused him to lurch forward, and using this to her advantage, she would pull him back and sweep his feet from under him. He would hit the hard metal floor with a crack, and that is when the screaming began. He filled the hallways with the screeching of the damned as she would grab him and throw him into the ceiling to quiet him.

Once more landing on the ground, his fit of screaming had been reduced to pathetic whimpering and stuttering for mercy, she would show him none. As Adron walks up to the two of them he would hear a sickening crack, and then find her hovering over his body hesitantly, as if wanting to feed but stopping herself. His head would be twisted at a sick angle, staring backward where no human head should be facing, his face contorted into pure horror.

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

​A wet, wild, crack erupted through the halls as Adron turned the corner to see Faeri lurking over her victim. His blue eyes scanned the scene with a noticeable interest. She had hunted down the man in minutes, taking his life in seconds, and while there had been some racket she had done it all without the aid of a weapon or tool. He offered an interested smile, his lips curling up while his hands came to allow a steady clap. "Well done." He said, gesturing down to the unmoving corpse.

​"This is The Force. The Force is not just ability. It is life and death, it is the urge to hunt and feast, are you starting to understand yet? You called on The Force and it answered. In time, you will command and it shall obey." He explained.

​Adron turned away from the corpse, making his way back down the hall. "Follow me. Now that you have learned about The force, you will learn about the Dark Side." He paused, glancing back at her. "Continue to impress, and you may eat soon." A lie, but not one that was unfounded.

[member="Faeri"]

 

[Myra]

Her mood brightens significantly at the show of approval. Her eyes follow his motion to the corpse below her, she was quite proud of it. Weapons certainly were not her thing, really only resort to them to pry off or cut through the armor of her opponents. So she would give a stiff bow with a "Thank you, Master."

His brief lesson was easily understood now. She remembered the sensation in her mind, how she had connected with the man on some level beyond the material. This connection had allowed her to find him, and it was one she could expand on. Soon she will be as powerful as him? This seemed too easy and she doubted his words.. but she would learn.

"I.. Understand. But what about the body...? Will the crew have questions? It seems.. a waste to just leave it there." she states, glancing backward at the corpse as they move away. But doesn't go back after it, following after with the promise of food.

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

[SIZE=11pt]Adron moved back to the prison cells, glancing back at Faeri as she spoke. “There are not many reasons for someone to be down here. I'll inform sanitation to have the body removed long before anyone would ever wander on to it.” He explained. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“The Force is composed of two entities. The Dark Side and the Light. For you to truly master the secrets of power, you have to understand how to manipulate each side of this coin. The light side of the Force is based on knowledge and defense. However, it is weak and limits the user.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“You are a practitioner of the Dark Side by nature. The Dark Side is fueled by passion and instinct. It is natural and powerful, but it has it's dangers. Use your emotions and compassion as fuel for your power, but do not allow them to rule you. Or you will become a lost, savage beast, with an infinite greed that will never be sated. You will forge your own hell.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Regardless of how you use The Force, you must have focus and control.” Adron would approach another of the prison cells, clasping his arms behind his back as he spoke to his apprentice. “You can nourish yourself off of the anguish and emotions of others. Turn their pain and discord into a focal point for your abilities. Your own anger and hate can do the same, however in time it can overcome you.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The door to the prison cell would open, allowing Adron and his apprentice access. A man laid on the bunk, coming to his feet as he laid eyes on the High Moff. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Sir.” He said, his body snapping to attention. Unlike the former, his body was not malnourished or plagued by weeks of imprisonment. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Identify yourself.” Adron said, his tone carrying the weight of his station. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“ST-5202, sir. Alpha Company, second platoon.” He said, his tone the same snappy imperial dialect that Adron had delved into. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Why are you here, ST-5202?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“....insubordination, sir.” The hesitation in his words, causing Adron to chuckle a bit. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“You struck your commanding officer, correct?” Adron had read the man’s file long before coming down to the prison bay. Whether Faeri had ventured down here with him or not, this was an eventuality.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“....yes, yes sir. I was drunk, I have no excuse.” He revealed, his tone lacking any semblance of fear, yet it was there.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Instead of responding to the man, Adron turned to Faeri. “Remember the connection you have to all individuals. Focus on it and you can see his fear, his worry.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“He knows the penalty for his actions. Yet he carries himself with dignity. But below that shell is a coward, shaking with fear.” Adron’s words had caused a bead of sweat to spill from the Stormtrooper’s temple. He cleared his throat, hoping to speak. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Sir… I-” His words we're cut from him as Adron’s hand curled into a fist. A vacuum was formed around the man’s throat, robbing him of his breath. There was a stifled cough as the Stormtrooper struggled to breath. In the next moment he fell to his knees, gasping for air. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Can you sense the desperation? The fear? It is imperative you learn to sense the emotions and section them out. Learn a man's fears, and his life is yours.” Adron released his grip on the man, deep ragged breaths taking the place of his hollow gasps. Kneeling down, Adron’s hand wrapped around the man’s throat, lifting him to his feet as he rose. “The next time you step out of line, your life is forfeit. Am I Understood?” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Y-yes…. Yes sir.” The man coughed, before Adron pushed him towards his bunk. Turning to Faeri, Adron arched his brow at the woman. “The Dark Side is built in fear and anger, but it is also built from love and passion. Be wary of which emotions you gather your strengths from.” [/SIZE]

[member="Faeri"]

 

[Myra]

She follows with interest, hanging on every word. The Dark and Light side, a balance... it was strange how everything in the galaxy was balanced but now she understood, it was simply a side effect of these two great powers influencing the galaxy. It was all so simple now, reflecting on her emotions and how she hunted made it all so easy to understand now.

The light side sounded weak, pathetic, how or why would one even live with that power when the dark side was far superior? It was all very interesting either way. She could understand the use of knowledge... she was interested in knowledge as it was, perhaps she would simply steal it from these light siders.

Yet the dark side was dangerous as he explained it farther. All things powerful were dangerous after all. Maybe that is what she was becoming? Her mind is so much clearer than when he found her... replacing instinct. It was interesting, and she reflected on it as they walked. It was far more comfortable to be ruled by her primal side, she did not have to really think of consequences, anxiety was short-lived but useful. But now she was constantly fretting over what is to come, consequences to her actions, how she would survive, it was a little overwhelming, but she knew it would make her stronger.

The prisoner was.. strange. The way he stood, uniformless and stripped of rank. Yet she slowly understood who he was and his crimes, but it was of little importance.

The Dark Side is exploitive, dangerous... based off of fear and rage. She had always exploited fear, as many were usually afraid of her. The way she carried herself purposefully made them fearful of them, an abomination from their nightmares. It had been instinct, but now she understood it had fueled her with the strength to take down her stronger opponents. She had never really experienced love or passion.. except about reading, but she doubted that such passion was important enough to fuel anything.

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

​Glancing over to Faeri, Adron turned to leave the prison cell. The lesson had been taught and now it was time to see what his apprentice understood. "Come." he told her, gesturing out of the prison cell.

​While they moved into the halls of the Star Destroyer, Adron's hand fell over his gauntlet. He tapped into the device, using it to send a message to the ships Commander, advising he send a sanitation team to the lower levels of the prison bay. After the message was sent, he began to speak to Faeri once again. "You'll learn to tap into the Dark Side in it's true form in time. I sense darkness with you but it may as well be a lit match surrounded by water." He said, while he was impressed with her abilities it would pay for her not to know it.

​Leading them back to the higher levels, Adron glanced back to Faeri. "The Force has spoken to me. It's revealed my next target, and you are going to come with me so I may claim it." He said.

​"Have you ever heard of Kashyyyk? There is an item there that we need to retrieve."

[member="Faeri"]

 

[Myra]

She followed him out of the cell, still pondering over the lessons learned. She was silent for most of the trip through the Star Destroyer, eyes downcast as she thought it over. The force was a complicated thing, and if her abilities were so pathetic than how powerful was he truly? Was he only showing her a sliver of his power? These were all questions that disturbed her thoughts as they strode down the metal halls.

She would perk up and focus as he mentions a target, good, she can finally be helpful. Yet she had never heard of Kashyyyk and shook her head no in response. New questions slowly arose as to what item he could possibly need so badly. "What Item could that be?" she decides to ask, hoping she is not overstepping her boundaries.

[member="Adron Malvern"]