Learning To Fly

[Connor Harrison]

The Resurgent Empire Bastion
Ziost, Esstran Sector

In the established compound of the mighty Resurgent Empire, Joon had brought Stephanie Brown across from Coruscant. She had taken her weapons and locked them away and left her in the vigilante attire she wore only. She had shown her to a small cell – which was a room, but looked like a cell – another floor up from where Joon resided, and that was to be her quarters until deemed otherwise necessary.

Stephanie had to prove herself, show willing and become a new tool for the Empire to cut away the Light and be a strong bird again to soar.

The clone waited outside Stephanie’s room, after calling for her. Training would begin today, and both could see where the ex-Jedi stood in terms of willing and skill. Joon paced up and down while she waited, and now the fur-lined robe was gone, and she simply wore her primal attire; short brown skirt and boots, sleeveless brown top with black leather straps wrapped around her arms, and her hair pinned back with loose strands down her face.

She was calm, collected, and eager to discover more about this…vigilante. She was close to finally having an apprentice in the same way Ayra had her, but Joon would never betray Stephanie the way Ayra had her.

Never.

[member="Stephanie Brown"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Stephanie looked around the room, it was more of a cell than anything, she would have been scared out of her mind but she would breathe deeply. She was glad she had gone through with this decision, it was a big deal. She would just then receive the call for her. She felt naked without her beskad on her back or her weapons all over her body. She would make her way out of the room, upon seeing her master she would feel her heart beating faster than before, her face turned bright red

[member="Joon"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Stephanie came out eventually, and Joon turned to face her, hands behind her back, no expression on her face.

”What took you so long. Come.”

She started down the hexagonal passageway which would take them down the East Wing of the Bastion. Joon was taking the girl to the indoor training room, one of many. A small one, of course, for she didn't expect much.

”You were quiet on the way in, little bird. Tell me about yourself. Where do you come from. Do you have parents? Family? Friends?”

Joon glanced sideways to her.

”Do you have anything or anyone special to your heart?”

It was crucial to know about the girl, for to be broken, she needed to know where to aim.

[member="Stephanie Brown"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

"I used to have a family, a mother a father and a sister, that was until my father went crazy and killed them" She would say not liking to talk about her past

[member="Joon"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Stephanie gave an answer, but Joon wanted more.

”How did he kill them. And what happened to you.”

[member="Stephanie Brown"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

"A gun, it was a dark and stormy night on Coruscant. Things had not been very good for us, father kept going out at night and mother was on the verge of a mental breakdown. I worked at the diner most days and most nights I was at home taking care of my sister. This particular day was a bad one from the start, I was late to work then I got coffee spilt on me and it went downhill from there. I thought things would get better from there but they didn't, father came home drunk and enraged, mother tried to ask him what was wrong. That was when he pulled a gun on her, I tried to push her out of the way but all that succeeded in was getting both her and myself shot, he got me in the shoulder. He must have thought I was dead for he moved onto my little sister. I mustered up what strength I had left and got to my feet, I was able to knock the gun from his hand but it discharged as it hit the floor. It hit her in the stomach, I had knocked him out and I held pressure on the wound. The police came and when we got to the hospital she held on for 2 hours and then gave up the ghost." SHe said as tears flowed from her eyes and the showed her scar

[member="Joon"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Joon walked and looked at Stephanie all the time she talked, and then she slowed when the tears came. So the little Jedi vigilante had failed to protect her family, and blamed herself. It was a perfect tool to use. Tears came, and she showed her bullet holt scar.

”Your family had to die for your to survive, my child.”

She waved the girl on as she continued to walk, taking a turn towards the edge of the Bastion on the ground floor.

”Listen to me Stephanie. I will say this to you now, and will say it as many times as you need to hear it. Your family died because they were weak, and you failed to protect them because you were weak. You need to become strong and embrace the Dark Side of the Force that will make you strong.”

Words that burnt into Joon’s mind from her Master made more sense now she was helping another find their way.

”The Dark Side will present no limits if you trust in it, Stephanie. Trust it. And trust me.”

She smiled slightly.

”I am your family now. We are your family. The Dark Side will set you free. You are everything to me. I am like your mother, sister, lover, wife and more, all rolled into one. This defines our relationship.”

[member="Stephanie Brown"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Stephanie would listen to the woman, as the word lover rolled off of her tongue something ignited inside of her, she would look at the woman and think on the words she had just spoken. She would smile and follow the woman.

[member="Joon"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Hopping down some small stairs, double doors opened slowly and Joon led the wannabe vigilante into a training room. Dummies stood at the far end for melee training. Wooden poles on the left wall, swords on the right. Low blue light illuminated the room to not make it too strenuous on the eyes. Two thin windows let in light from outside.

”Ok. Time to play.”

She walked around in a circle and then faced the girl and beckoned her.

”You want this? Come and get it.”

Joon wasn't stupid. She had seen the way the doe-eyed girl looked at her. It was time to make her fight for what she wanted, and learn she would need to never give up in doing so.

[member="Stephanie Brown"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

As Joon said the last of her phrase Stephanie would feel her face becoming very hot, this meant it was also very very red. She tried to hide it but she couldn't, she would step forward and prepare herself for anything at all

[member="Joon"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Stephanie moved forward, and stopped. Joon matched her, striding forward but she DIDN’T stop.

She growled, striking out with her palm directly into the girl’s chest, pushing her back a few feet with an enhanced Force blow.

”What was that. You moved, then froze. Why didn’t you attack.”

With narrowed eyes, she glared at her on the floor.

”Get up and try again.”

Joon walked back, taking her time, and then turned and waited.

[member="Stephanie Brown"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Stephanie would get up and take a running start, she would swing a punch straight for the woman's jaw, should it connect she would strike again for the womans lower abdominals. Should she miss she would send a kick at the womans head

[member="Joon"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Joon didn’t need to enhance her senses to avoid Stephanie. She was quick, but she was also sluggish. She leant back out of the way of the punch, and turned to avoid the kick.

”You’re annoying me now.”

With a sigh, the clone mirrored Steph’s attacks, but with a faster, more enhanced quality.

She span with a backhand to the face, and simultaneously span the other way and brought her foot up into the girl’s gut.

Unless she was reaching out with the Force to feel the attack, they would hit and knock her back on her behind.

[member="Stephanie Brown"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Stephanie wasn't prepared for that, she had gone from the attacker to on her butt on the defense in under 10 seconds. Her cheek would sting from the hit. She would kip back to her feet and begin to attack with more anger than before using the force to speed up, she would send a punch at the womans stomach then kick her in the face and if this hit she would be on her back

[member="Joon"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

The Force started to radiate from Stephanie. A bubble of frustration formed.

She moved quicker, face a little harder. While her punch hit Joon's toned stomach, she brought up her arm to grab her leg. She held it and looked in her eyes.

”Keep going. Use your anger. Use the Force. Use it on me.”

Joon threw her leg to the side and worked on Stephanie's body, going for hits to the kidney and stomach.

”Stop being a baby....HIT ME!”

[member="Stephanie Brown"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Stephanie's anger would take ahold of her and as the woman swung her punches she would catch one and then yelling in rage she would come on again sending a kick speeding for the woman's crotch

[member="Joon"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

A tiny smile cracked on her lips.

”More! Let your ANGER empower you! Your dead family, your failed stance as a Jedi, their lack of support.”

She punched down Stephanie's kick and span around, and looped her arm around the girls' neck, kneeing her leg and dropping her down in a choke hold.

”Prove you're worth my time, little bird. Kicks and punches are well, but not enough. Use the Force. It's the only way.”

She chuckled and licked the side of Stephanie's face.

[member="Stephanie Brown"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Stephanie would think and channel the force using her anger she would lift one of the dummies up and throw it straight at Joon, should it hit it's mark then Joon would be thrown backwards at least 8 feet. Stephanie would then use the force to grab the woman by the throat and choke her

[member="Joon"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Joon held, and felt the tremor in the Force from the girl wriggling in her grasp. One of the dummies bent over, prized from its bolted roots in the ground and span over to where she knelt. Pushing her hand out, she deflected the dummy which crashed into the other wall, but then she let herself be open for the next attack.

Stephanie lurched out with her hand to choke Joon, a mild attack at that but one with deadly intent. She was calm, and calmed her breathing down.

”Good…good…..”

Joon closed her eyes and let the sensation wash over her with a sadistic smile.

”You can do so much…if you try. Nothing will stop you….”

Her eyes trailed down her Stephanie, face twisted in anger, hand clenched.

”Kill me,” she whispered, ”and…let yourself…fall….”

[member="Stephanie Brown"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Stephanie was done holding herself back, she clenched her hand into a fist. SHe was determined to kill the woman standing before herm she no longer saw her master. She saw all the people who had hurt her in her life, in that moment her eyes would burn with a blue fire. She would not let up determined to crush the trachea

[member="Joon"]