How to train your Arkanian dragon (Astrid)

[Darth Vaildra]

Darth Vaildra was hanging out in his lab looking through mounds of information ranging from extinct species to sith spawns. He had an idea, one he had long ago, but not being much stronger than when he first had it, he felt it time to act on it. He used the Force to contact his apprentice and let her know to meet him in his lab now. He smiled at his documents. Sure, Arkanian dragons were mostly extinct, but he would still go and try to find some, or at least their DNA so he could create one. With dragons at his side the Empire would be unstoppable.

[member="Astrid"]

 

[Katelyn Feanor]

[member="Darth Vaildra"]

Astrid was in the process of trying to keep a single flame alight in her hand in complete darkness. She was starting with a single flame to teach herself over...though this time with her master's guidance instead of her own raw emotions alone. The single flame was a sharp orange...not too hot nor too cool...just right. Astrid tried her best to keep the flame in the center of her palm as she closed her hands slightly inwards and outwards repeatably trying to see how much the flame would flicker. Her concentration was cut short when a message came into her mind from her master asking to see her in his lab

Astrid extinguished the small flame before walking out of the room she was currently in and into her master's lab. Once she was in, she gave a bow to her master before standing upright and asking him a question. "Vaildra, what is it that you seek of me?" It was a simple question nonetheless but one that was direct and straight to the point without dodging around the true reason she was in the room.

 

[Darth Vaildra]

Anger burned inside Vaildra as he turned and with the Force shot at her neck to attempt to lift her off the ground with a Force Choke. "You will address me as Darth Vaildra or Master and nothing else, child." He would then let go of her, "Make a flame in your hand, show me what you have accomplished." His voice was demanding and his training was not filled with kindness or sugar. He expected a lot out of her and to get that he would not hold her hand and would push her, force her even, deeper into the Dark Side. He stood in front of her, still in full armor and with a mask on as he had never revealed his face to her. She wouldn't know his age, his race, or even if Vaildra was even a guy.


[member="Astrid"]

 

[Katelyn Feanor]

[member="Darth Vaildra"]

Astrid felt her throat tighten but she couldn't show fear or pain. Despite the throbbing on the outside of her throat as if it was being compressed inwards upon it's self. Suddenly, the force of the choke was taken and she fell to her knees. Astrid stayed in that position for a few seconds before standing upon both of her legs and resuming the stance she was previously in. Though, this time when she spoke to her master...it was void of most rebellion. "Yes..My Master!" Astrid calmly outstretched her right hand and after a few seconds, a small flame began to burn. After three extra seconds, Astrid's whole palm caught fire. The fire was't touching her palm due to the force despite it making the flame appear to be touching her palm. In reality, it was only a few centimeters.

Astrid's face was devoid of all emotion as she did this, not wanting to displease her master again. Though she did secretly admit...she welcomed the pain. It felt...almost in a sick and devilish way, comforting...despite how dreadful and morbid that might sound.

 

[Darth Vaildra]

Darth Vaildra enjoyed her response to the pain, she was growing use to it. If Vaildra was sadistic he would increase pain used against her, but he was not harming her or punishing her for his sick pleasures. It would take time, but she would learn in the war to come that the pain she took under him would prepare her for war and she could take more pain then if he was gentle and loving. He watched as she made the flame in her hand, it was good, he would not deny that, but it lacked the power needed to do more with it. "Good Apprentice, but you lack potential of the flame. Molecules, they are in everything and comprise everything. Stop their movements and they become solid, move them and they become liguad and speed them up a bit they make gas. Speed them up enough and you can create fire. Your flame is beautiful, but you must focus on the molecules and speed them up more to make your fire hotter. Speed them up enough and gain enough control over them and you can turn a plane stick into a lightsaber." Darth Vaildra motioned for her to come join him, "Enough on fire, we have more important matters, come."

As she would come Vaildra would lay out some papers on Arkanian dragon and Sith Spanws before her, "Tell me, what do you know about these? Do not fear if you know nothing, you will learn."



[member="Astrid"]

 

[Katelyn Feanor]

When [member="Darth Vaildra"] told Astrid to stop, she did so. Extinguishing the fire within a split second, in less time than it had taken her to muster up the flame within her palm. Astrid stood idly still where her master had left her, only moving to crack her knuckles on her right hand. No thoughts were crossing through her mind as she did so, her mind wasn't empty though. Just...she was currently not curious. That is, until her Master called her over.

Astrid walked over to the side of her master, brushing some of her now dark green-black colored hair out of her face. She had recently dyed it...just for herself. Not for her master, nor anybody she was in love with...she just felt as if the dyed hair-color would suit her.

Astrid's violet eyes looked over the papers of research on the table. Sith Spawn? What the kark is that? Astrid's eyes then caught hold of a photograph with a winged reptilian creature flying up in a blizzard and she grabbed the photograph, only moving it slightly upwards to get a better view of it. Arkanian Dragons! Hmm...judging by this photograph's date...it was only taken roughly eighteen months ago. But...I thought they were nearly extinct! Well...hard to find. Astrid turned towards her master before responding to him, at least she assumed he was a he. "Darth Vaildra, I know nothing of these 'Sith Spawn.' Yet...I do know about Arkanian Dragons. Are not pretty much extinct or almost extinct...almost impossible to find?

 

[Darth Vaildra]

He place a hand on her shoulder, "Good my apprentice, you show true potential." He removed his hands and did not address the problem at hand yet. "There are two kinds of power, those who admit their weakness and strive for conquering it and those who ignore their weakness and die by those who are stronger. The Sith Empire follows the rule of might, the strong rule the weak. With that it is easy to ignore your own weakness to appear stronger." Darth Vaildra lifted his hand and pressed the locks on his mask as it popped and the sound of air escaping could be heard.

He removed his mask revealing his face and showing he was not much older than she was. "It does not take a lifetime to gain the power I have, but by choosing to admit when you are weak or do not know something you reveal where you can grow. I will make you stronger than the lords of old, but you must first conquer your weakness and fear." He connected his mask back into place. That was enough advice talk for a long time. "The dragons are still alive, but not enough to suit our needs. This one here is possibly the largest one living. We will hunt it down and kill it. Using it's DNA we will create Sith Spawns. Sith Spawns are creatures made with the dark arts and sith alchemy to make something greater than what exists. From this you will receive a dragon egg with a spawn in it that matches your needs and desires. Go, grab your weapons and meet me in the hanger near my ship."


[member="Astrid"]

 

[Katelyn Feanor]

[member="Darth Vaildra"]

Astrid's eyes followed her master as he moved about the room. Though, despite her eyes watching his every move, it still slightly scared her that he touched her on her shoulder. Not because she was afraid of his touch, but more on the line that she was afraid about what he would do if he got angry again. Though despite what was happening, Astrid tried to show a confident and stern appearance, trying to hide her demur, as Darth Vaildra talked to her.

Astrid's eyes stayed upon Vaildra's mask, as it was the part of him that scared her least of all. Which was strange, mostly due to the mask appearing to look like that of a long dead jedi master who turned sith lord. She shook these thoughts away once Vaildra began to remove his mask, with the hiss and chimes of air being released filling the empty void with sound once more. Underneath it all, Vaildra appeared to be a human male. It did surprise Astrid, but not as much as it would've if it was a few months or weeks earlier when she first came to Vaildra.

What surprised Astrid most was how old her master looked, he looked under 40 and yet over 20, making him somewhere between that age line but she couldn't put her finger upon what his true age was, though he looked like a man in his early 30's.

Astrid's eyes caught hold of her master's finger slightly flexing within his hands as the muscles contracted together and upwards, allowing her master to replace the mask upon his youthful face before continuing on upon the subject at hand.


Though, after his explanation something did trouble Astrid. How were they supposed to kill a giant fire-breathing behemoth of the icy wastes? Well, she did have her recon armor "The Hyena" she was still creating though for the most part it was field ready. Though, the main problem was the paint of the armor. Astrid chose to use an almost black-gray color for her armor which would stick out like a sore thumb in the icy wastes!

That was a problem she would have to correct, somehow without doing the painstakingly job of repainting every single piece of armor. Well, she could always wear the black jumpsuit on underneath her current clothing. Not like she was going to get cold anytime soon. Besides, the jumpsuit needed a field test anyways.


After being dismissed, Astrid went back to her room to collect a few weapons she would need and the jumpsuit. After zipping up her jumpsuit and putting on her regular clothes over it with a lightweight leather jacket included, she sheathed her lightsaber in a hilt on her right thigh and sheathed a tactical combat sword on her back, she walked out of the room and towards the location of her master's ship.

Once Astrid reached the location, she stood in front of her master and bowed to him. After she bowed she began to speak to him in a rather calm voice, "Uhm, Darth Vaildra?...What attributes would the hatched dragons posses of the one's who 'changed' them? Also, where would they be stored once full size?.."

 

[Darth Vaildra]

As she returned, Darth Vaildra turned to face his apprentice when she entered again. He flashed towards her and delivered a fist to her stomach. Once she stood back up she would see her lightsaber in his hand, "I told you, when I deem you worthy you will get a lightsaber." He clinched his fist crushing the lightsaber and let the pieces fall to the ground, He slowly walked back up to her, his body covered with purple and black smoke coming from his body as the Dark Side in him flaired. "If you go against my rule again, I will make your breaking seem like child's play. Death will seem like a pleasant memory when I am done with you. Is that understood?"

He then motioned for her to get up and follow him. "A Sith Spawn can be whatever you want to make it if you take the time to do so. Full grown and loyal to their master you will let it run free on the planet and call it when you need it." He walked down the halls with her until they arrived at the hanger with his ship in it. He boarded the ship and went to the cockpit setting their path to Arkania. He set it in auto pilot and turned in his chair to face her, his anger still apparent and he just stared at her. She was young, he should expect her to be rebellious.

He wondered what he could do to bring her from rebellious Dark Jedi to understanding what it truly meant to be a Sith. He thought about what was in his ship prison, but wondered if it would be a good time. "Come." He led her through the ship to the prison. In the prison was someone from Astrid's past, her former trainer. He laid in the cell, bloody and beaten. "I assume you remember him? Kill him, but don't make it easy, I want you to take it slow, do to him what I did to you. Show him what real power is and learn power for yourself."

[member="Astrid"]

 

[Katelyn Feanor]

[member="Darth Vaildra"]

Astrid felt the fist plunge into her gut before she could even contemplate what was happening. The force of the punch sent her down to one knee, leaving her dazed temporarily and unaware of her lightsaber missing. Once she finally was able to muster back up the strength, she stood up on her two own feet, her gaze fixating upon her master's mask.

Astrid's eyes lingered down towards her master's hand which held her lightsaber. She began to bite her lower lip as she realized what was going to happen but it still scared her slightly that he actually broke the lightsaber into pieces in his outstretched hand. Astrid's eyes jumped from her master's hand back towards where his face was located, listening carefully to his words as he spoke to her. "Y-yes my master...yes, my master!" Her words came out hesitantly at first before she was able to muster up her courage to fully speak to her master.


Astrid followed her master into his ship after he had turned on autopilot. Towards the rear of the vessel, where the holding bay was. Well, should be. Though, it had been modified to be used as a prison area. Astrid looked around the cargo area, seeing some empty cells but most of them filled until her gaze sat upon her master. No sounds or voices entered her mind as she watched him carefully, his brown eyes meeting hers. Though, one voice did break through...Darth Vaildra. He was telling her to kill him. But not quickly....no, slowly. Fueling what he did to her along with all of the pain and regret of her life into killing her master.

Though, one thing did trouble Astrid. How had he survived. She saw him die. These thoughts were expressed physically as Astrid stared at her former master, until she began to ask Darth Vaildra a question. The only question that mattered. "..M-my Master...h-how did he s-survive? I saw him d-die....trying to s-save me!?"



Astrid slowly walked towards the door to the cell, opening it with ease before walking in whilst reaching under her jacket for a short and thin knife. She then knelt down at her former master's feet before talking to him. As she did so, she smiled at him in a wicked way yet one still filled with pain. "...S-so...you are ALIVE?..." Astrid couldn't help but laugh slightly at this revelation, in a poisonous way. She then began to speak, while inching her knife closer to his right foot. While speaking, her tone was changing from lighthearted-demented to more of a demented-angered and hateful tone. "...You are ALIVE! Haha, I can't believe it...I-i...TRAITOR."

Astrid retracted her knife quickly from the heel of her former master's foot, Josiah, before standing up. She would make him feel...feel everything she had been keeping locked up inside of her body. Astrid flipped the knife over towards her left mechanical hand before reaching out with the force with her right hand, pushing the man against the wall along with locking him down with the chains on the wall. She then slowly walked towards him, keeping the knife tucked within her left hand as she did so.

 

[Darth Vaildra]

Under his mask, Vaildra smiled, "Fire can be a very deceiving element. He wanted you to believe he was dead, Jedi are good at this and can even stop their heart for a time with the Force to appear dead. He survived." Vaildra watched his young apprentice pull out a knife and let her work with it for a while, maybe it was soothing to her.

After a while he chimed in again, "Astrid, it is time you learn a new ability. I want you to drop the knife and remember the torture I gave you, remember how you felt and the pain. Let it bubble up inside you, all the anger, all the hate and instead of chocking it back, release it through the Force." Force Lightning was a curious ability. It was conjured by feelings more than anything. That was why learning it you had to usually experience it. This would also provide the first step to her understanding why Vaildra tortured her.

He would watch her, let her dive into the dark side and understand it's power. The difference between a dark jedi and a sith was more than power, but before she could understand the knowledge she had to understand the power that the Sith held to. Sith Lightning was one of the more signature abilities and during this training she would learn a few more signatures before he was dead.

[member="Astrid"]

 

[Katelyn Feanor]

[member="Darth Vaildra"]

Astrid's normally neutral rebellious smile turned into one of disgust and poison which was directed towards Josiah. So he faked his death? With the pirates and everything?! Astrid's thoughts were turned away for a moment when Darth Vaildra began to talk to her. Telling her to release her emotions upon her former master, release the same emotions she felt when she was tortured and destroyed. Astrid nodded towards her master dropping the knife, letting the metal blade cling against the bottom of the cell, releasing a few mild sparks as it did so. Though, she was going to do one thing different. Instead of just letting her former master feel the things she did during torture, she would make him feel the things she felt on the very night he died.

Astrid extended her right hand towards Josiah, releasing her emotions from those two moments simultaneously as she extended her right hand and opened it up from a fist. Her fingers contracted slightly as she felt a small pressure of hear envelop her right hand, coursing through her fingers and stopping at her palm. A multitude of purple, blue, yellow and orange sparks began to split off from her right hand before zapping together, making the echoes of a light lighting. The crackling and sizzling as the shards of colored lightning began to form together, forming something...new. The color of the lightning wasn't that of the Sith Purple, nor that of the Jedi Green. It was a mix of deep purple with hints of orange every now and then. The lighting extending from Astrid's fingertips then intertwined at the edges before flying towards Josiah.

The lightning hit Josiah squarely in the left shoulder, sith some parts of lighting breaking off and zapping his chest, neck or left leg though this was rare. "I can't karking believe it, Josiah! You've been alive this whole time!! Even when the pirates 'killed' you, you were actually alive. Hmph, what a jedi and saint your turned our to be..." Astrid said the last line with heavy hints of poison in her words before directing more of her emotions from those moments into driving her lightning. She then began to continue on talking to Josiah, leaving disgust, regret and poison within her tone and voice as she did so. "..You wanna know what THEY did to me? It's a miracle that i escaped at all!! Oh right...back on the SUBJECT! Guess what they did...Go on.....Guess!..." Astrid's lighting decreased in power yet it still stung as if a dozen wasps were stinging you at one time in the same spot at the exact same time. Astrid's voice caught in her throat as she began to talk again, trying to hold back some tears at what the Pirates did before continuing on. Though, when she did talk...it still held all of her hate yet it was softer in how loud her voice was. Which was what made it the all more intimidating. "....t-they...r-raped me! Three days, is all it took for me to....leave those sick perverts! Three days of that torment, every...waking...Hour....."

 

[Darth Vaildra]

Vaildra watched her work with great interest.

Josiah on the other hand watched with great pain. His body covered in burns and his screams were that of great pain. He tried to tell Astrid that Vaildra was lying, but Vaildra had removed his ability to talk, only scream or show pain. It was true, he had survived, but it was only barely. He was burned alive and when Astrid checked he was indeed dead, but the Force restored him. From Astrid's mind, Vaildra had learned of him and so he hunted him down and found a beaten old man. He was unable to walk and was merely a shell of what he once was, but that was all Vaildra needed.

He had brought Josiah to his ship and ripped the ability to speak from his mind. Vaildra looked at his apprentice, "Good my Apprentice, feel the power coursing through you. All this man taught you was not enough to protect you, but all this power I am teaching you will break you free and you will never be in chains again. Now, harness the Force and grip him around the neck with it."


[member="Astrid"]

 

[Katelyn Feanor]

[member="Darth Vaildra"]

"Yes, my master!" Astrid continued shocking Josiah for an extra second more before the lightning stopped altogether. Certain parts along Josiah's chest and shoulder were smoking due to the constant burns, searing through his flesh until cauterizing it and starting once more, as if it were in a loop. This made him experience great pain whilst stopping him from losing any of his blood, well most of his blood that is.

Astrid cracked her right hand's knuckles before outstretching her hand once more. She slowly began to curl up her hand, as if she was doing it with her left hand, chocking somebody. Only, this time she imagined an invisible hand reaching out and raising Josiah in the air by the neck and slowly begin to crush her windpipe. Astrid smiled cruelly before flexing her fingers on her right hand and beginning to tighten them inwards, towards one another. As she did so, the chains upon Josiah also were released through the use of the force from her left hand. Despite how scarce and weak it was in her left arm, she still did hold a connection to the force in her left arm.

Astrid then lifted her right hand slightly as she began to slowly choke Josiah, raising Josiah through the use of the force as if he were hanging by an invisible noose. She slowly tightened her grip, bringing her fingers closer together. This in turn, caused Josiah to chock and not be able to get as much air in.

 

[Darth Vaildra]

"Good, my child, do you feel the true power of the Dark Side? Do you understand it's potential. Peace is a lie, your whole life as proven this. There is only passion, through passion, you gain strength. Your hatred, his betrayal you are proving your strength. Now turn that strength into power and then victory and you will be free." Vaildra smiled as now was the part he would love most of all, her completion to understanding the Sith and where all this was going. "He must die, but do not waste his power, take it for yourself. Use that hunger for power and hatred for him and drain him of his power and his life. Rip it from him and take it for your own, he is weak and does not deserve to continue, but you do."

Vaildra placed a hand on her shoulder again, "My child, you are a Sith, you are powerful and you will only grow to be more powerful. Do not fear anything, let no one stand in your way and your inheritance will be the Galaxy where no one can hurt you ever again. Now take the last step."


[member="Astrid"]

 

[Katelyn Feanor]

[member="Darth Vaildra"]

"Yes...I feel it my lord.." Astrid said calmly while at peace. The power of the darkside that was circulating through her body, burning her nerves...running through her blood; it calmed her. As if all of the bad times in her past were being washed away. Though, she knew better than that. Astrid still held the scars of failed attempts before she joined Darth Vaildra. Even thinking about those moments alone...it made Astrid shiver, first up her spine then her whole body.

Astrid released Josiah from the force in her right hand, leaving him gasping for air as he slumped against the wall. Astrid then turned her attention to Darth Vaildra, listening to the words he was saying. He was telling her to take his power. So, she would do just that. Lucky for Astrid, she had been recently reading up on and experimenting with force drain. A Notorious move, capable of draining the remaining life force of an individual to be used for one's own needs. A rather useful move...to save one's own skin whilst killing off someone who would do them harm. Like Killing two birds with one stone!

Astrid reached out her right hand towards Josiah, her fingers extending outwards as she did so. She closed her violet eyes slowly and became to try and concentrate. Draining all of her emotions into the use of the force, to kill her former master. To kill the very person who had made her life a living Hell!

Astrid felt the force penetrate through Josiah, as if a thousand tiny needles were puncturing him at the same time...extremely slowly. Astrid continued to reach out with the force...diving deeper into her emotions. Josiah's naturally dark complexion began to pale as his life force was drained away into Astrid's own. After all, Vaildra had told her to not waste Josiah's power...so she was doing just that. Not wasting it...

 

[Darth Vaildra]

Darth Vaildra watched the old master as he slowly began to die. He could see power escaping her crasp, but this was to be expected on her first try. Nevertheless, she was catching on quick, as the last breath was taken, the job was done. He walked up to his apprentice and embraced her with his arm. "Good, do you know why I made you do that? You held a lot of pain because of him and he needed to die to learn what he did to you. My child, you are not a monster, but this Galaxy is sick and the Jedi do not have the power to cleanse it. The Jedi only protect while the Sith go to war. Through us, this Galaxy can be healed, but sometimes, just like with you, power is needed and people must die to fix the pain."

He turned her to face him, "You are now a Sith, there is more to learn, but my daughter, you have stepped into a new life. One where you can rewrite the wrongs done to you and prevent them from happening to others, but to do so you must deny what you believe to be right and wrong and do what is takes to free this Galaxy. Evil is perception and the Jedi are evil. They rather ignore people dying and only protect against us Sith when there is much more that needs protecting, in reality, this power will make you the protector a Jedi could never be."

A sound was heard around the ship alerting them that they were approaching. He made his way to the cockpit and once again he took control of the ship as he guided it to the planet. He pulled out some papers, rechecking his information and took his ship to the location closest he could get to where it was most rumoured and sightings of this dragon were spotted. What Vaildra had failed to tell her was most of these findings had said this dragon was the size of a small skyscraper or small mountain. It was possibly the most elusive, oldest creature in the Galaxy and they were there to kill it. They would not make one near as big, but this creature was that of legends if the reports were true.


[member="Astrid"]

 

[Katelyn Feanor]

[member="Darth Vaildra"]

Astrid's breathing began to slow to it's normal pace after Josiah had died. Though, something surprised her. She didn't feel any happiness after killing him, nor did she feel remorse. All Astrid felt...was...nothing? Wait no..that can't be right. Why do I feel...nothing? Astrid was suddenly taken away from her thoughts by Vaildra's warmth against her. He was embarrassing her with his arm. This was not like the Vaildra she knew, the Vaildra she knew wasn't soft at all...so something was changing. But, Astrid decided to forget about it for the moment...it felt nice...as if an old friend came back from a long overdue 'vacation' only to greet his friend once more.

Astrid was also surprised once more once Vaildra turned her to face him, to talk to her. As if she were an actual person rather than just another student or apprentice of his. This simple act stood out greatly to Astrid onto which a level Vaildra probably wouldn't understand. She finally felt as if, she had meaning when he was talking to her as if she were an actual person rather than just a random individual upon the street. A stranger. Astrid followed Vaildra out of the room and stood a few paces behind him, folding her arms over her chest as she did so...looking out upon the frigi icy landscape below. It reminded Astrid of Hoth, her home.

 

[Darth Vaildra]

The ship ripped through the atmosphere into quite a snowstorm. Vaildra fell silent as he needed every ounce of concentration to fly through an unexpected storm. He hated the cold and this was only making it worse. He felt the ship rocking from the high winds and being beaten by the constant snow, but he continued, using the Force to guide them until he arrived and landed where he had intended. Once the ship was down and powering off he turned towards Astrid and spoke very matter of factly.

"What we seek may not be out there. It could also be more like it's rumors and be as big as an Exogorth. Regardless, you need to focus. Take some time to sit here and meditate, clear your head of everything except this mission. If you do not, we are both dead." With that Vaildra stood and left the cockpit with her in it. Once he was in his quarters he began taking off his armor to put warmer clothing underneith it. He looked at his half naked body in the mirror and he saw them, his blue eyes. It had been so long since he had seen his real eyes, but what did this mean? He ignored it for now and began to put more clothing on and then his armor once again. Lastly, he put a heavy fur robe on and left his quarter to return to astrid.

"Let's go." He handed her a fur robe regardless of her saying she was immune, no one was this immune. He looked to insure she still had his sword and then they embarked out of the ship. As soon as the doors were open the air ripped in and the snow began it's long assault on them. Vaildra himself could not see through the snow so he focused his mind and projected a bubble around them of intence heat to keep them semi warm, but also protect them from the assult. He saw the mountain where the dragon was reported and took a deep breath. He honestly had no idea how he was going to bring this beast down, but he had to try.


[member="Astrid Feanor"]