I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure

[Taeli Raaf]

Taeli smiled slightly as Sophie settled into the same neutral stance, but now she had an idea of what she had learned during her earlier trip. She had tried to absorb the lightning attack and her saber technique had struck a chord with how Vaapad worked since she had been drawing on her increased speed to increase her own.

"I hope you learned something beyond what Lisa taught you about forms," she said, focusing internally on the slave seed that was implanted in her chest. As she did, her Force presence began to disappear as she shifted into another spectrum of the Force that only the Yuuzhan Vong and their creations inhabited. She might be cut off from the normal Force while she did so, but her apprentice would be unable to get any sense of what was coming in the duel.

Taeli moved in, the second blade igniting again as she launched a barrage of attacks designed to keep her apprentice completely off kilter. For all intents and purposes, Taeli had become a Yuuzhan Vong to her senses.

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Given what her master said did learn one or two things beyond what Lisa Tiscon had. For one she at least knew how strong she could be when allow the full power of the darkside behind her attacks. For another she had learned a few of the moves [member="Darth Arcanix"] had demonstrated to her. But she still felt as thogh her main lesson was trying not to piss of set master if she valued her life. Regardless Sophie at the ready when she began to feel something odd. It was as if the darkside she'd felt from her master was vanishing. Drained away by someunessn source. Sophie, at first, thought something was wrong but didn't have time t ask before her master attacked. Holding her blade up and defensive Sophie braced herself with the wail of two blades against hers before trying to give an underhanded sweep for her master's chest to put some distance between them.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Twirling her double-bladed lightsaber, she kept up her assault, her Force presence now completely gone for her apprentice to sense or draw upon to fuel her own technique. The sweeping slash from her apprentice did force her to jump back a bit, and now she felt it was time to bring the full power of her saber to bare. She twisted the hilt of her saber.

The second half of the hand-guard slid out and her blade emitters began to spin, creating a spinning disk of energy.

"I'm sure you remember this," Taeli said, advancing towards her and wondering if Sophie knew what powers could affect a "Force-dead" being or not. She was careful to make sure the blades would not cut through the floor of the shuttle as that would end their trip rather quickly.

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

The fact [member="Darth Arcanix"] had no force signature made it hard for Sophie to keep track of her, It was like she wasn't there at all. Even non-force users had some small sense of being that any force user could sense. Yet now it was like fighting a ghost. Sophie still had eyes though and they helped as she defended herself from the continuing barrage of her master's attacks, only to be attacked by the sudden disk-like manuver she used against her. Sophie braced herself before trying to use her own force blast to disable it or knock it away.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Taeli could only grin as her apprentice tried to blast her lightsaber away, and she was successful as it flew from her hand to the other side of the hold. She shifted her focus away from the slave seed enough to touch the Force again for a moment to call it back to her hand, then dampened herself again.

"A clever maneuver, Sophie, but I can constantly shift my focus to being Force-dead and having the normal Force," she said, but she didn't reignite her lightsaber. "I think that will be enough for now, you did very well, much better than I had hoped. You should be proud of how far you have come in such a short amount of time."

She allowed her presence to return again, allowing her full power to be felt again.

"Can you guess how I'm able to switch between how my presence is?"

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Sophie could alsmot feel herself getting into the heat of battle now, but thanks to her master it was changed. She stopped and stood down after [member="Darth Arcanix"] had told it that was enough for now. Sophie was a bit confused, half expecting it where her master would want her to keep going until the ship was falling apart. Instead she turned her saber off and put it back on the holster before hearing her master ask how she was able to do it. It was clear on her face that Sophie was contemplating how she actually did, but she had no answer. She shrugged, wondering what it was.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

She sighed as her apprentice didn't even offer a guess, but it was understandable. It would be a confusing question for her, but as the teacher, she would provide the answer.

"Excuse me for a moment," Taeli said, pulling her dress down slightly to reveal the tip of a scar on her upper chest. "During the beginning stages of a project I'm working on, and one I hope you'll be able to assist with soon, I subjected myself to a Yuuzhan Vong slave coral seed to give myself a type of Vongsense. I had to subjugate it with sheer force of will, or I would have been consumed by it."

She readjusted her dress.

"I proved myself stronger than the seed and now it allows me to slip in and out of the normal Force spectrum. A truly useful skill as only a select few Force powers can now affect me if I switch to the Vong's spectrum of the Force. Lightning and area of effect powers, but things that would affect me directly, such as a Force push or a mind trick. Even illusions can't affect me when I'm in that spectrum."

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Seeing the scar Sophie was a bit taken back by how deep it looked. She wondered if whatever was done to her had to do with her becoming a knight in the first place, something she wondered if all sith dealt with. But once it was made clear this was some sort of experiment involving Vong resurces Sophie looked to her master a little confused. Even as she explained the details of it all Sophie knew the Vong were the type of creatures force users had the most trouble with. Yet now the Sith were trying to use their technology now against them. It made sense though Sophie worried if it would be too much for them at a certian point; the Vong being unpredictable at times as well.

After hearing everything from her master Sophie asked "And you....plan to try the same thing to me? Make be stronger by planting a seed in me?"

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"That is only if you wish to undergo it," Taeli said with a soft smile. "I won't force you to do anything like this as it was a personal choice so I could control Vong technology when I need to or to conduct experiments. As I told you when I brought you into the fold of the Sith, I am granting you the freedom of choice. You may choose to have a seed implanted and subjugate, proving a powerful will, or you can find alternative routes to prove how powerful your will is."

Taeli was curious what her apprentice would decide, and even if she refused, her standing in her eyes wouldn't change. It just meant she didn't want to undergo that process. It probably would have been easier to go with a lambent crystal for lightsaber but that would take a very long time and was something she didn't want to waste doing such a thing.

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Hearing her resolve Sophie had to consider her options. More power and the chance to become force dead meant more advantages over other force users, like the Jedi and any others that stood against the sith. But there was still the problem of it being Vong resources. She didn't trust the Vong, given thier history. Yet, at the same time, having that sort of power would make her even stronger. It was a tough decision to make.

With a deep sigh Sophie answered "Alright. If it will help, and if you trust it can benefit me, I will do it. I trust you, Master."

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"If you are absolutely sure, Sophie," Taeli said, moving back to the cockpit to check how long their trip still had. They still had plenty of time before they arrived on Ciutric IV. Going into the small quarters she had on the shuttle, she retrieved a knife and one of the coral seeds she carried with her for study as she was still trying to puzzle out how to make the seed accept the crystals fully. She needed to understand fully how it worked.

Moving back to the hold, she gestured for her apprentice to lay down.

"I warn you now, Sophie, the seed is going to connect with your nervous system and send flashes of white-hot pain throughout your entire body to break your will and attempt to grow rapidly," she said. "If you cannot stop the seed and harness the pain it causes to bolster your will, you will become just another mindless and obedient slave. You must crush it beneath you and it will try everything it can to meet your efforts."

She slid the knife across her apprentice's skin, leaving a long cut. Taking the seed, she plunged it into the cut and waited to see what would happen.

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Watching her master walk out for a moment Sophie had a good idea as to what was going to happen next. As she did she removed her coat, leaving her corset on, before seeing her return with the knife and seed. As [member="Darth Arcanix"] Sophie's attention was more on the seed, and knowing that it was going to cause her a lot of pain when it was inside her. Despite this Sophie tried to keep a brave face as her master warned what would happen if she failed.

"I understand." she said before allowing her master to cut her.

She gave a deep hiss before the seed was planted into her skin. At first she felt it wriggling, nothing too bad, before it began to make full contact with her nervous system. The sudden burst of pain in her body made Sophie arch her body and scream before falling to the ground. She gripped the cut made on her chest while writhing about. She could feel it trying to infect her mind, Sophie bitting her lips to the point of drawing blood as she tried to fight it.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Draw strength from the pain, consume it," Taeli said, watching her apprentice writhe and cry out from the agony. "Pull on your connection to the dark side to bolster your will as well, pull from your concentration amulet, use all your resources to fight it."

Even though she truly did care for her apprentice, her academic side was showing as she studied how the process was going. Being on the receiving end hadn't allowed her much time to observe and study how the seed actually bonded to its host or what the outside effects were. This might be helpful for her research, and thus she kept a close watch on Sophie's Force presence as she struggled against the seed, even as it faded slightly as the seed took deeper root.

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Through the pain and the screaming Sophie could hear her master give her advice. Remembering her amulet Sophie's hand reached over to it as she tired to endure the pain. Gripping it tightly with her hand Sophie began to concentrate. She brought out any and all memories that had helped her call upon the darkside. All thoughts. All emotions. All senses of power. Everything trying to tear past the waning control of the Vong seed. She threashed herself about on the ground before managing to steady herself. Finally, in one despeate attempt to use the darkside she mustered in her, Sophie screamed while letting out one grand pulse of the force.

Once it was done she fell to the ground, her back to [member="Darth Arcanix"] while she did not move. At first it seemed as though she was dead, or close to it. But then she'd rolled over on her back with her eyes closed. In a moment she opened them, looking to her master and reaching out to grab her ankle.

"It....is done..." she said, through her gasping breath.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

The pulse of power that Sophie had sent out had indeed been powerful, far stronger than the girl might even realize. She was growing in power fast, and Taeli was glad that she was helping her grow in strength. Their quest would definitely help with that as well.

"Congratulations, Sophie," she said, helping the girl sit up. "I know you probably don't want to do anything except rest, but focus on the seed. We need to see if you can go in and out at will. All you need do is focus on your connection with the seed and reach out with the Force through it. You'll slip out of this spectrum and enter a different one. To return, just unfocus on the seed and you'll return to this spectrum."

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

As she sat up Sophie hissed a little from the soreness she felt in her back; not to mention the bite on her lip. She still tried to breath while her master was telling her to try and focus on the Vong seed in her. Looking over she nodded to [member="Darth Arcanix"] before trying to do so. She reached inward and felt that the seed was somewhere on her spine; probably linked with all er senses from there. She focused on it as best she could, given her state. She took deep, slow breaths while letting it all sink in for her. She reached into the seed itself, feeling as it was now part of her. Hopefully this was working as her master wanted.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Her apprentice began to fade from her normal Force senses, showing Taeli she could do it. Reaching over into her satchel, she pulled out several bacta patches and handed them to her apprentice.

"Go rest, Sophie. We will be arriving on Ciutric IV in a few hours, and you'll need to be rested for what lies ahead. We must make sure the local security forces do not know we are Sith as they report to the Mandalorians. Your new skill will help with that immensely."

Helping her apprentice to a place where she could get some rest, Taeli went back to the cockpit and just stared out the viewport thinking. They say one could go mad looking at hyperspace, but she just found it relaxing. Her observations were being processed in her mind, and from what she could tell, perhaps she would need to bolster the seed's will to accept the crystals fully. A reverse of the process perhaps?

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Once it was complete Sophie breathed losing focus as she felt the need to rest. With what her master said it was good she agreed to the procedure, as they were going to need whatever they could to slip by enemy forces without being discovered. After her master helped her to her cabin Sophie made her way over to the bed and plopped down on it. It took some time but soon she felt into a deep sleep, one she felt she wouldn't wake from for days. In her dreams she imagined a giant plant coiling it's way out of the ground and around her limbs before implanting itself in her. She and it became one and she felt the power of the earth itself in her fingertips. If a dream or some augmented vision of the future, Sophie felt all the better for it.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Several hours later, their shuttle emerged out of hyperspace at the edge of the Ciutric system. Taeli stretched as she knew they had a few minutes before any of the local garrison forces would question them. Switching transponder codes and their flight systems to read that they had traveled from Lorrd to secure funding for a project, she sent a message asking for permission to land in the capital city's spaceport.

Flipping the intercom on, she said, "We've arrived in system, Sophie."

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Her master's voice had awoken her from her sleep. As she rose from her bed Sophie was still a little sore but felt it would pass soon enough. Throwing everything on, including her coat and hooded robe, she made her way out of her room and to the cockpit to meet with [member="Darth Arcanix"] as they approched the system. Seeing it from the front window of the shuttle it did look impressive. Like any other space exploration mission or travel Sophie loved seeing the planets from orbit. It felt like being above everyone and realizing how small they were compared to the rest of the expanse of the planet as a whole. Such tiny things on something so large. She took her seat next to her master and waited for their eventual landing.