Into The Jaws of Death {Trainer Requested}

[Rhace Tarrin]

Lieutenant Rhace Tarrin, for all he knew, was just a regular infantry commander. He was in command of a platoon and that was the best he knew; beyond that he simply followed the orders from above. So why was he being ordered back to Dromund Kaas, away from his unit, when he could be out there reviewing readiness reports and waiting for the next inevitable deployment that would come thanks to the fact he was yet another frontline soldier fighting the grand war against the Republic?

He was brought by shuttle to the capital world, a place he had never been. A place that he was about to learn was a horrific place. The guide at the starport had been expecting him and there were orders for one Lieutenant Tarrin to report to the office of some unknown lord. Someone he didn't know. Apparently he would be seconded to this person as an attaché, by the sounds of it. Great. Desk jockey lieutenant was the job he'd always wanted... not.

However, when inside, he knocked upon the door and stood at attention. "Lieutenant Tarrin reporting, sir," he said loudly, standing at parade rest. A quick personable check - uniform pressed, with hat, sidearm attached. He looked every part an infantry officer ready to be on the front lines and not a Sith student.

He didn't know that he was about to become one.

 

[Tal Lom]

Tal smirked... " Come in" Was all that was heard... the man was impressive for an soldier... all of his trappings were correct.. but of course that wouldn't do, he needed more freeing clothes.. but Tal liked this apprentice because he knew how to fight without the force, and wasn't aware yet.. which meant he didn't have the anger issues that many had. Tal had almost died once thanks to anothers inablity to be sublte. He was in his light armor(look at my picture) .. not much but it protected him from most things with a sharp end.. and was better than nothing He was a knight now... and here he was.. picking an apprentice... someone to groom to be however he wanted.. it was strange to think of this, as he still worked with vorcitos.. when he could. " On time and dressed to impress, now do you know why your here solider?"

Tal asked, looking him over... he would do. yes he would. Tal didn't waste time picking someone, he wanted someone who was unlike the status quo. someone who didn't live to kill everyone and anyone. Someone who just might love to plot like he did. That was what Tal hoped to find in this soldier.. something different.. something more.. " no?" He pondered how he should break it to him. " You are to be my apprentice" He said, staring the man down.

 

[Rhace Tarrin]

"I... milord, what?"

Rhace was stunned. An apprentice? What? There were Sith apprentices, certainly, but no. No, he wasn't a Sith. He was just a lieutenant straight outta First Platoon, where he deployed onto the battlefield with his troops and he fought alongside his men like the rest, showing the bravery of any good Imperial foot soldier. He used blasters, not lightsabers. He commanded troopers, not the Force.

"I'm not a Sith, though. I'm just a trooper. Are you sure you have the right person?"

 

[Tal Lom]

Tal chuckled " Yes I am sure, you are indeed to be a sith apprentice, my sith apprentice, I own you, your existence from this day on depends on me. Don't waste my time, I don't play games, now are you my apprentice.. or are you a soldier.... If you are a soldier, you can turn around and leave, and never bother me again, or if you are my apprentice, you will get on your knee and pledge your self to me. " He looked at him curious of his move. he of course figured the man deserved the choice, as for some the army life was enough... they didn't have the drive... the means to make it in the world of the sith.

 

[Rhace Tarrin]

It was an interesting choice, really. This Sith... thought he owned him? Really? Really? Was he that full of himself that "I don't know you. I know for a fact you don't know me. To try and say 'you belong to me' is rich. Absolutely kriffing rich."

The Lieutenant put his hands on his hips and stared Tal down, extremely pointed in the fact that this meeting had not gone down well. "I'm not your slave," Rhace spat, knowing full well this wasn't going to go over well but the Sith had managed to inspire some base anger and hatred fairly quickly. "And I'm not a Sith. You may want to clear that misconception from your head, milord." As mockingly as possible.

 

[Tal Lom]

Tal, wasn't sure what the man's goal was for mocking him, he stayed seated and looked at the man. " Well then go back to your platoon, I hope you enjoy your next deployment" He said, he wasn't his slave or a sith, and Tal had no business with anyone other than a person that was. But if the man pressed it... if he had the nerve to stay after being dismissed... Tal would have some fun. He watched the man though It seemed Rhace Tarrin was bold... now to just get him to be bold enough to join, on his own decision. Tal didn't have time to waste teacing a man who wasn't sure if he was a soldier or a sith, he needed a man dedicated to learning to be a sith.

 

[Rhace Tarrin]

Well, this was strange. Rhace's final response was, simply to come to attention. "Aye aye, milord," he said, strongly, then turned on his heel and walked out the door. Really, he hadn't been convinced. It sounded more like a child's whining and demand for a toy than it did actual orders or a request. Besides. He wasn't a Sith. He knew that. How could he be? He just shot guns and had barely ever displayed any real talent beyond killing things really well, and that was something he learned in basic training.

The door closed behind Rhace, right as he mumbled something about 'karking Sithlets' and made his way towards the exit.

 

[Tal Lom]

Tal laughed, if all went to plan The man's unit was going on a deployment soon, Tal hoped he died., He had tried to do his duty.. take an apprentice... but alas it just seemed as if it wasn't meant to be. Tal shrugged and went back to his datapad, he loved the new level of books he had access to since his becoming a knight. He was content to learn what he could.. He hopped to learn some of what his Master knew but he had lost track of the man.. something about a crazy party at his library was his last known plan.
Tal absent mindly pulled out the slips showing Rhace's info.. They wouldn't be useful soon, he thought as he set them in a pile to be shredded.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"Lieutenant @[member="Rhace Tarrin"]."

The voice was stentorian and mildly annoyed.

"I saw your work on Gand, and was impressed. In fact, son, I'm one of the reasons you've been pegged for Sith training. Now, just between you and me, the man you just walked out on is new to Knighthood, and feels he has to compensate for that. new Knight Syndrome, we call it. The fact remains, every Sith is like him to some extent. If you want to learn actual power, you need to learn to tolerate the fools and take their instruction. Believe it or not, Tal Lom has useful things to teach you...and after a certain point, it starts looking like you're too good for the Sith. And that's a problem."

 

[Rhace Tarrin]

Rhace recognised that voice. "You. You're the Sith from Gand." He actually liked this Sith, really, because he'd been fair to the point that the Lieutenant could tolerate him and the fact he gave reasonable orders. He wasn't dead, after al. He hadn't walked headfirst into a trap. What he was saying made sense, to a degree, except for one thing.

"Here's what I don't understand, milord," the soldier said, finally actually meaning the honorific, "I'm just a soldier. I'm not a Sith. I don't know the first thing about the Force and I'm fairly sure I can't use it. Why shoud I submit to a kid who just wants a new toy?"

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"Because that's the story of every Sith apprenticeship. Tale as old as time. Now, nobody's forcing you into Sith training, but most people consider it an opportunity. And most of those people even consider arrogant trainers to be the cost of doing business.

"If you go back in there, that 'kid' will make you great. That's your first option. Your second is to keep walking." The Whiphid tapped his chin, pondering. "The third option is to let me turn you into something special."

 

[Rhace Tarrin]

Rhace had to think about that one, pausing, hand on his chin. "But, I don't get it. How can I use the Force? I've never been able to before. I mean, sure. The only thing I'd care about is a couple things to help me on the battlefield I'm a field officer, not some fancy hand-waving nut. Maybe a lightsaber as a backup tool, but beyond that..." He paused and considered his next words carefully. "I don't know if I'm able to be a Sith. I'm just a guy with a gun and I have a lot of friends with guns."

A wry smile came to his face at the end of Velok's offer, thinking about that little tidbit, too. There was a lot of thinking about things when it came to being a Sith and thinking was not his strong suit. "No offence, milord, but for some reason that third option scares me deep down for some reason, and I don't know if I can ignore my gut that much."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"Oh, but I'm the nice Sith Master," said the gigantic Whiphid, deadpan. "But let me explain.

"I know everything. Now, my power has waned and I no longer have the strength to use everything, but I still know more obscure, esoteric tricks from more Force traditions than anyone in the Sith Order. It's my life's work. And so, sometimes, when I take a student, I make specialists of them to stave off boredom. For a man such as you, let's see..."

He circled Rhace for a long moment, whuffling to himself.

"I can teach you to shoot your enemy's blaster bolts out of the air. It's an old Gray Paladin skill. I can teach you to be able to find your men, or anyone you mark, instantly. I can teach you to run faster and jump higher." He pondered. "I can teach you to see in the dark, or see farther than macrobinoculars."

 

[Rhace Tarrin]

Wow. Finally. Someone who got it and could explain things in terms of what was going to happen, not 'oh yeah super powers forever!' Bah. Damn Sith and their speaking in tongues. One more respect point for this guy, because he was quite possibly the most directly-speaking Sith he'd ever come across. That was rare. And very much appreciated.

"...I'm not going to lie, that actually sounds good. And I guess you'd teach me to use a lightsaber or whatever at some point, because that'd help me kill some people in a fight." There was only one thing still stuck in his mind. "And you're sure I can do all this stuff? That I can actually be a Sith?"

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Velok whuffled and pulled a Mimban crystal from his belt. Blanking his Force signature, he held it up before Rhace's face, and it began to glow red, gently. The crystal vanished in a bit of sleight of claw.

"Proof enough for me. But maybe not proof enough for you. You were frustrated in there, angry. Recall those emotions, use them to create focus, and visualize choking me."

 

[Rhace Tarrin]

One eye twitched. What just happened? A crystal and... what? That passed for being able to use the Force? The Lieutenant was really confused. Actually, confused was too mild. Weirded the frak out was probably the best way to describe exactly what he felt about the words coming from Velok's mouth. This was easily the strangest request he'd ever had and now he felt bad enough that he had to go through with it, mostly out of extremely morbid curiosity.

Range, huh. He had plenty of that pent up. He used it on the battlefield, mostly, because it was nice to kill your enemies. But that guy, yeah. He'd been stupid. Acted ilke a fool. Someone who needed a damn good kick in his stupid Sith head and made into a little queen himself.

Oh.

Yeah, there it was. Huh. He was angry again. So his eyes narrowed. Was this the focus that he was talking about. Then, truth told, he had to let it out smehow. So, for the sake of humouring the Sith, he imagined his windpipe collapsing in on itself as his hand crushed down on his trachea to close it...

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Velok coughed once, twice, and the second cough snagged in his throat. His eyes went wide, just slightly. After a long moment, he drained the Force energy from the choke, and Rhace might feel suddenly cold.

The gigantic Whiphid rubbed his throat. "You see? You can do it. You've taken your first steps into a larger world. Walk with me."

The balconies of the Sith headquarters building looked out over Kaas City. Velok pointed across a chasm.

"See what you can see," he said. "Focus on that rage, and run through this series of mental exercises, these patterns of thought..."

He described the process; it took him a couple of minutes.

"...now allow your sight to become clear. It'll last a few seconds or a minute, but you should be able to see all the way across town, pick out details you couldn't before. Focus on that anger."

 

[Rhace Tarrin]

Okay. Wow. That felt good. And by good Rhace meant great. he stared at his hand for a second, turning it over, like it had been the very tool to choke the Sith Master. Had he just done that? Really? Was that real? It didn't feel like it was... but it felt good. It made him feel like he could do anything. That, however, was hubris.

From where they now stood, atop the balcony, the glorious visage of Kaas City shone back at them. Things were better. Things were great. It was almost like his eyes were opening, slowly, like things were different now. There were possibilities. Differences. New avenues and new means to go about the world. And, of course, the challenge of laborious arcane ritual was still the ever-present danger that could rear up and bite him, but that was for later.

Rage. Anger. All as focus. He could certainly do that. To immerse yourself in a cesspool of hatred was certainly an intersting concept. It explained why the Sith were the way they were. They turned insane just by giving into excess anger all the time.

Slowly, his vision focused on a rock in the chasm as Rhace focused his mind through the channel of hate, and things were good.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Velok monitored the process in certain arcane ways, but ultimately the final test was whether Rhace could actually see what he was looking for. The soldier was looking down from the balcony, down into the chasm.

The Dark Master followed suit, using the same Force technique and trusting his instincts. Down there, far down there, was the broken, desiccated body of a Sith acolyte or two. An old lightsabre floated up out of the chasm and settled into Velok's hand. He sensed its internals, and fixed them with a minute's subtle work, just standing there holding the weapon. At last, he pressed the switch and a molten yellow blade appeared. "Oh, very nice," he said in appreciation, handing the weapon to Rhace.

 

[Rhace Tarrin]

Then suddenly lightsaber. The Force. Power. All of it was starting to make sense. While the Whiphid was fixing it, the Lieutenant was marvelling at its creation. The sheer fact it was so readily available to a Master of the Force wasn't surprising, but... it would be his. That was the shocking fact.

Slowly, carefully, Rhace took the blade in his hand, holding it with just one - and then felt it whirlig in its hand on its own. A lightsaber's natural gyroscope was powerful, something he wasn't used to. He suddenly had to grasp it in two hands just to stop it spinning on its own, but more importantly he marveled at the shimmering yellow blade.

"So... I don't know how to use a sword or a lightsaber," Rhace said carefully. "I hope you're going to teach me how." This was one of the cool things. He definitely wanted this.