Join Me, Or Die

[Kev'vazulan]

Ryder reciprocated the genuine smile of the Sith. "I see. That makes a lot of sense. You're not opposed to treating people the way you've been treating me though, right?" He placed his left hand under his chin, pinching it between the length of his thumb and index. "I mean, if we can capture the opposition rather than kill them, we could gain more from it. That doesn't mean I*m opposed to killing. It's just that if a strike knocks them out rather than kill them, I'd like to make the best of it."

The exposure of the dark side during their first encounter had clearly corrupted Ryder - that would be clear to those who truly knew him, those being his parents. The emotions that Kahlil mentioned were a key point to his sudden change of pace. His mother feared that he could fall to the dark side should he be exposed to it, due to his strong bond with his emotions. THe satisfaction that was brought from tearing that mask off resulted in his descent into evil.

But again, he didn't see it as evil now.

"Yes.. I do. What of it?"

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[member=Dubiety]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"It tends to be case by case. In reality those who oppose the Empire are killed, or put into slavery. And of course the resources needed to capture Jedi are beyond my capabilities. At least for now. But, I do think having live specimens to study and experiment on will be worth having. Grant it, we'll need better quarters then my own room. I suppose that's the limit of my current station."

Kahlil pondered aloud, his hand on his chin for a moment before he started flipping through the pages in his book. "Taking a Jedi for example and removing their memories of the Order would be worth it. Take away the hypocrisy and lies, give them a blank slate to forge themselves anew. I wonder if they'd regain their independence or fall again into the false security what they call the Light offers."

He then paused his page flipping, glancing to [member="Ryder Zeshatt"] and offering a faint smile. "Ah, right. One thing at a time. First, I will help you to understand your gift, so you may begin to branch out. Tell me what exactly goes through your mind when you feel this power of yours begin to emerge."

 

[Kev'vazulan]

The hypocricy and lies.

Ryder was curious about what exactly that meant as Kahlil was exploring the options of capturing one of these Jedi and turning them to the greater cause. He could imagine it would be a very meticulous process, completely reversing the opinions of a sentient being. He couldn't help but smile at the idea, even though he himself would never consider doing the abhorrent act of removing memories. Curiosity is one of Ryder's guilty pleasures, so imagining the concept Kahlil provided made him ponder akin to a child being tutored in an interesting subject.

His mind snapped out of the vivid images at the discussion of the Shatterpoint, his question being answered with... well, a queston of his own. What goes through your mind? Ryder's left palm rose and began to move along with the words which came from memory, exploring the depths of his past in order to describe what truly occurs. "Well, your situation was an exemption, but it normally comes from..." He cleared his throat, attempting to disgrace a voice that would otherwise be littered with a sense of humility. "... My fits of anxiety. I developed a major complex when I saw my father slaughter a handful of people. Swore I would never become like him - but I understand that he did it for the greater good, and if I was him... I'd.. probably do the same." The hand which gestured in tandem with his words stopped, moving to scratch the bridge of his nose. "So it usually occurs when I'm trying to be careful not to break something. When I can't keep my eyes off of it to try and make sure it doesn't. It's when I don't want it to break, that this... 'Shatterpoint' appears."

The gaze of Ryder lowers itself as he began to excavate his mind, reminiscng about the feeling he had that one night. "... Though when it came to your mask, it was quite the opposite. I wanted to break that mask. Break you. So much so that nothing else mattered - in fact, I don't remember anything else existing but your mask and my hand." He wasn't sure how it made any sense - when he didn't want to break things, the phenomenon revealed itself. When he wanted to absolutely obliterate something, it also made its appearance. It just... didn't make sense.

But to ones that are keen with the concept of Shatterpoint, it is all about concentration, something which Ryder has expressed in both types of occurences. The vow he had made to himself caused him to focus intently on not breaking things, so much so that the Force recognised his astute observation of the object, to the point where he could see its weak point. The intent to murder Kahlil caused him to do the exact same, simply for the opposite reason.

Either way, his subconscious acquisition of Shatterpoint was no stroke of luck, rather it was a logical development due to his immense discipline - discipline in the form of concentration.

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[member=Dubiety]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Your focus." Kahlil mumbled to himself as [member="Ryder Zeshatt"] continued. It was indeed all about concentration. More than that. Concentration while knowing and thinking about Shatterpoint actively, whether to make it happen or to try and prevent it. Curiouser and curiouser. With a wave of his hand the Sith brought his recently fixed mask over, letting it float between them suspended in the force.

"Try to remember how you felt and recreate it. Break the mask. Focus on it. Were you angry? Did you hate me? Were you afraid of me? Those emotions give you strength. And once you control them, there's that much more power to be had. So, bring them out."

 

[Kev'vazulan]

Ryder looked at the mask that was suddenly levitating in the air. His eyes widened, not having seen anything like it, lips parting in order to truly express his astonishment. His left hand slowly rose towards it, wanting to grab a hold of the mask as if to study whether or not there was something else keeping it in the air. Was he making use of some mechanical piece behind of the mask that allowed it to stay stationary in the air, permitting it to defy gravity? No, he had to accept reality - this was a phenomenon of the Force.

He swallowed as he internally forced himself to face defeat, the eyes slowly being averted from the mask in order to listen to Kahlil. "It's... a bit hard to recreate. It was out of pure intent to kill you, because of the pain you were causing. I'm not in pain currently, so I don't think I can." His eyes fell back on the mask, his fingers a mere few inches away from the levitating object. He couldn't think of a means of suddenly developing a bloodlust, nor was he anxious towards breaking the fine object given he was supposed to crush it. His expression showed signs of frustration, to say the least.

"... How do you do it?" He looked at Kahlil once more. "Simply recreating emotions."

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[member=Dubiety]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"It comes naturally to me. I suppose that's the benefit of learning of the Force at such a young age. I grew up knowing what I could do, and simply do it. My emotions give me power, and I simply channel them. But to one such as you, who has grown in such a way that the Force is something alien, well." Kahlil paused, leaning back in his chair as he again pulled out his sorcerers book, thumbing through the pages rather quickly. Eventually he stopped at a page near the middle, lifting his gaze to [member="Ryder Zeshatt"] with a rather blank expression.

"The easiest way to teach you is to recreate the scenario. Which, means electrocuting you. Pain is a powerful motivator for Sith, and often the earliest lessons are taught with it. I'd rather not purposefully harm you any more given our newfound alliance, but I do offer you it as the most effective way to show you what you can do."

 

[Kev'vazulan]

Ryder gazed upon the turning pages of the sorcerer's book as Kahlil explained briefly about his past. He wasn't sure waht to make of the blank expression that followed, but he couldn't help but feel a little bit of... well, pity. It meant that he had experienced these things from a very youn gage, implying that he also had to get accustomed to things such as pan. It couldn't have been easy, which is why Ryder felt an ounce of more respect develop. He didn't speak his mind, instead offering a silent nod of understanding.

It is why, when he heard the proposition made by Kahlil, that he had a lapsing thought: Why not? His eyes widened for a moment, not because of the suggestion itself, rather the fact that he found enough understanding that he didn't see it as a problem. It should be a problem. Shouldn't it? The circumstances made him feel nauseous, his gaze drifting away due to his disbelief.

"I... think I would prefer not to, for now." His eyes were settled on the ground, finding a hard time focusing on a singular spot. His expression was stiff and distraught. "Do you mind if I get some time to rest? I feel like I just need to... process everything."

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[member=Dubiety]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Very well. I'll keep the screen open so you know none are watching you. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask the guards outside the door. You are to become Sith, and thus far more important then any of them." Kahlil rose from his seat then, pulling the mask back to himself with a flick of his wrist. Then he placed it back on his head, once more shrouding himself from the outside world. He then left the room, leaving [member="Ryder Zeshatt"] to himself for the time being. As soon as the door was closed the Sith nodded to one of the Temple Guardians close by.

"Make sure he has whatever he needs. And if he wants to leave, accompany him. I don't want any other students thinking they can mess with him, less they end up dead."