New Blood

[cheshire_kitty]

Location: Anaxes

Anaxes, once the location of a Republic military base, now a Sith stronghold was the Brigadier General’s chosen training ground for the new force sensitive recruit of the Army. It was not a responsibility he would have undertaken himself had he the choice however, orders were orders, and they were to be obeyed – even if reluctantly. Grand General Baelor had put Konrad - Brigadier General and a newly appointed Sith Knight in charge of training of the force sensitive in the army. Under those orders, he was to personally oversee the new recruits’ training in Sith Arts - after all, what use is the Force if you were unable to control it?

The location the Sith Knight had selected as training site was atop a canyon, far from the main military stronghold. This was done specifically to minimise the chance of cretin happening upon the training and causing an unnecessary disturbance which would have most likely resulted in a maiming for the unfortunate fool and a scolding for Konrad. The stipulated time was quickly approaching and the Brigadier General had yet to see or sense anyone in sight. Should the new recruit be late, his first lesson would be one on the use of the force, but rather the consequence of being tardy and wasting his superior officer’s time.

[member="Froste"]

 

[Froste]

This was Cole's first time on the planet Anaxes, and he couldn't say he was too impressed in its appearance. The dull color of the rocky planet drew closer as the transport he had hired brought him in to the planet's surface. The transport went in for the landing at the Sith stronghold. Preparing himself, he stepped out of the transport and into the open air of Anaxes. Taking a look around, Cole noticed an NCO walking briskly towards him. Upon reaching his destination, the NCO brought his arm up in a salute. Cole nodded at the man once to acknowledge the salute and asked, "I am looking for Brigadier General Konrad." The NCO dropped his salute and responded respectfully, "Yes, sir. The Brigadier General decided the location for your meeting to be outside of the stronghold, atop of a canyon. Our transport will bring you there." Cole nodded again. A good choice for our meeting. Nice and secluded with nobody to disturb us. The NCO directed Cole to yet another transport.

Cole couldn't help but focus on the rocky landscape yet again as he was brought to his master and superior officer. Cole would admit to himself that he was a bit nervous in first meeting the man, however he would not let that affect how he presented himself. Cole cleared his throat and straightened his back as the transport grew closer to the meeting spot. This man was above him not in just one, but two aspects of the One Sith. Cole was his underling as a man of the military, and as a Sith. The pilot of the transport informed him that the canyon was approaching, and Cole steeled himself. Suddenly, the transport landed and the doors opened. He spotted the Sith Knight standing a little ways off, and Cole jumped from the transport to make his way towards him. He closed the distance between he and the Brigadier General, and brought himself down to one knee when he was in a comfortable talking distance. There was a handful of titles he could give to the man standing in front of him. Cole decided on one and spoke, "Master."

 

[cheshire_kitty]

[SIZE=11pt]“Sir,” Konrad corrected the Acolyte. He was a man of the military, first and foremost and preferred to be addressed in a manner that recognised this. “I do not see myself as your ‘Master’ but rather your superior.”

The Brigadier General then proceeded to examine the Acolyte who stood before him. He could sense the young man was force sensitive but untrained in the use of it, a clean slate for him to decorate as he saw fit. Konrad smiled, pleased with this discovery. This is going to be interesting.

“You are untrained,” the Knight stated bluntly, informing the young man as if that was something he needed to be made aware of. “Surely, you must know something. Show me.”

Konrad started to move away, back turned, putting a few meters of distance between himself and the new Acolyte. “Attack me,” he ordered as he turned to face the young man. “Do not hold back unless you wish to be injured,” he warned. [/SIZE]

[member="Froste"]

 

[Froste]

The Brigadier General corrected Cole on his title, and Cole made note of it. Military first. Understood. Cole then brought himself back to standing on both feet, awaiting his superior's order. He noticed the Sith Knight begin examine him, and he ensured that his posture was correct. The last thing he wanted was the man to get the impression that Cole was lazy. Suddenly, the General began to speak of how Cole was untrained. Then, he said "Show me." Cole held back a small smirk under his mask. He was eager to show his master what he was and wasn't capable of doing. He's going to see how new I am to just about everything. I mustn't worry about it. Showing him my weakness will open the door for improvement. When his master ordered him to attack, Cole readied himself.

Cole decided to show the Sith Knight his most practiced ability to begin with. Cole shut his eyes and began to try to sense his master's presence. It did not take long, as Cole could clearly sense the man's power. Without hesitation, Cole began to reach out with the ghastly hand to demonstrate his mentalism abilities. He focused as much as he could on squeezing, to cause some sort of pain. Undoubtedly, the effect was very minimal due to not only Cole's inexperience with the ability, but also the power of the man in front of him.

Satisfied that he had shown his master the extent of his Mentalism powers, Cole pulled his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it. Unfortunately, his experience with his saber was rather limited as well. His knowledge of the two forms he had been trained in were rudimentary at best, but nevertheless he was ready to show them off to the Sith Knight.

[member="Konrad von Grimmelshausen"]

 

[cheshire_kitty]

Konrad could feel a squeezing sensation. It was weak and did not do much to him as a man hardened by war and developed a high pain tolerance as a result. The Acolyte was obviously still green, with much to learn but if that was all he knew, in the way of the force then training him would be less troublesome than he had thought. The less they knew, the easier it was to train and that was how Konrad preferred it.

Slightly bored, Konrad moved near the edge of the canyon and awaited further attacks from the Acolyte. At least this way, he might actually be in danger should the Acolyte knock him backwards. The Brigadier General, now positioned, in a location were stumbling backwards could result in him plunging down the canyon and to his death, awaited his apprentice’s next move, ready to react. He had intended to make things a bit more interesting for himself not die.

[member="Froste"]

 

[Froste]

Cole watched the Brigadier General step backwards, moving closer to the edge of the canyon. A bit dangerous... But I assume he has his reasons. Cole thought. Either way, Cole began to walk towards the man with a brisk pace, keeping his lightsaber low. When Cole reached a distance of about eight feet away from his master he stopped and brought his lightsaber up a bit into the makashi starting stance.

Cole waited for the man to withdraw his lightsaber so he could demonstrate his lack of skill in the use of a lightsaber as well. Standing so near to the edge made Cole a bit nervous, but he tried to not focus on that, but rather on showing what he knew of lightsaber combat.

 

[cheshire_kitty]

Konrad ignited his lightsaber in response to Tymon, awaiting his attack as he watched the man assume a Makashi stance. Standing so close the the edge of the canyon, he had to be careful in how he countered the apprentice's attack. Fear was an emotion the Brigadier General had difficulty in experience and did not understand the nervousness he was sensing from the apprentice. He had no intention to die early.

"When you are ready," the Sith Knight announced.

[member="Froste"]

 

[Froste]

The Sith Knight in front of Cole ignited his lightsaber, and instructed Cole to attack when he was ready. There was one simple maneuver Cole wanted to perform before carefully stepping closer to his master. He brought his ignited saber up, then swept it back down - performing the makashi salute. Then, Cole began to slowly step forward, making sure to focus on his balance and footwork. He kept his saber low as his short steps brought him closer to the Brigadier General. Then when he was within range, Cole quickly brought his saber up to meet with his master's. Cole was unsure on how to proceed past this point. His limited knowledge of maneuvers kept him at a huge disadvantage, and he supposed he would just have to make do with what he did know.

[member="Konrad von Grimmelshausen"]

 

[cheshire_kitty]

Konrad easily deflected Tymon's lightsaber with a single move. From their small 'battle' - if it could even be considered that, he could tell that this apprentice would require much training in both the Force and lightsaber combat. "We should begin with the basics - Force push, pull and telekineses before we move on to more advanced abilities such as lightning." Konrad announced.

"For one to be able to effienctly wield the Force, one must be able to feel a connection to it. Close your eyes and feel the force that flows through body and around you. Try and sense the Force in your surroundings and focus on that connection," the Knight instructed. "Tell me, what can you sense? What do you feel?"

[member="Froste"]

 

[Froste]

As expected, Cole's attempt to duel his master was quite pitiful. He had deflected Cole's lightsaber with ease, clearly demonstrating the difference in the two individuals' skill. I knew he was going to outmaneuver me, but so easily... I am just glad that moment was between the two of us. Otherwise it would be quite embarrassing. Despite being disappointed in himself yet another time in the short session, Cole put it behind him to continue on with the lesson and his learning.

The Brigadier General instructed him to simply close his eyes and focus on his connection with the force, and to simply sense the force in his surroundings. Cole had not yet really focused on his connection with the force, typically only on others. Eager to experience this, Cole shut his eyes and tried to focus on the force that traveled through his body. He could sense his own presence, his own being. He then began to sense for his surroundings, and could feel Konrad who was just a few feet away. Breaking his concentration slightly, he spoke, "I can sense my own being, sir. And yours, as well." It was a poor description, but Cole had no words for the experience. He couldn't see his master, but he was certain of his exact location. Cole opened his eyes, severing the connection he had created. He assumed that if he were to ever attain any power with the force, creating that connection would be just the first step. He would need more practice with it, and by forcing himself to restart he would achieve that extra experience.

"That was quite interesting. I had never taken a step back and simply tried to do as you instructed, to just feel the connection."

[member="Konrad von Grimmelshausen"]

 

[cheshire_kitty]

"Good." Konrad approved. "No matter how strong you become, your connection with the Force is something you cannot neglect. The Force is like a muscle, if you do not use it, it will weaken. I was a Jedi Knight once when I was your age and I may have made Master had I not directed my attention elsewhere." Although Konrad was vocal in his hate of the Jedi, the was a passing look of sadness in his eyes when he mentioned that he had once been a Jedi Knight.

Moving away from the ledge, Konrad continued. "Now that you have experienced your connection with the Force, it is time you make use out of it. Bring him in." Konrad commanded over the commlink on his wrist mounted DataPad. Within a few minutes, a man with fresh scars - some of which had yet to heal, was brought before the Acolyte and placed on the ledge where the Knight once stood.

"This man." He gestured at the prisoner. "Was a soldier of the One Sith Army, however, he thought it would be a good idea to try and steal some intelligence and sell it to the Republic. He is due for execution." Konrad turned to look at Tymon. "I want you to harness the power of the Force and push him off. Visualize the Force that flows through you collecting in your arm and push."

[member="Froste"]

 

[Froste]

Cole let a look of mild surprise pass his face when Konrad spoke of him being a Jedi Knight. Cole himself had been on the track to become a Jedi Knight, before he defected to join the Sith. It was an easy decision for Cole to not press into the matter more, those memories were difficult for Cole and he assumed bringing it up to his master could upset him, and they had other matters to attend to at the moment.

His master stepped away from the ledge and spoke into his commlink, ordering someone to "bring him in". Completely unaware of who was being brought in, Cole began to feel rather anxious. The feeling lasted until the man had been brought into view. The man was a prisoner, and Cole felt a little silly for getting himself worked up over such a man. Either way, the Brigadier General began to explain what the prisoner had done to be put in the position he currently was in. Apparently he sold information to the Republic. I wonder if the price they paid was worth it. Then, Konrad ordered Cole to use the force to push the man off. Eager to deliver justice, Cole shut his eyes. He began to do as he did earlier: focus on the force flowing in his body. This time, however, he focused more on his arm. He raised his arm, pointing it to the prisoner. Cole pushed out, then opened his eyes. The man wasn't sitting on the ledge anymore. Cole stepped closer, peering over the edge. He couldn't see the man, but judging by the fact that Konrad hadn't moved much since he closed his eyes, Cole didn't think that the man had just gotten up and ran off. "Did I push him off, sir? I was focusing too much on the act, I wasn't aware of anything other than that."

[member="Konrad von Grimmelshausen"]

 

[cheshire_kitty]

"Well done." Konrad said in acknowledgement. It was not a powerful push but nonetheless the criminal still became a bloody stain on the valley below the canyon.

Although the Knight did not comment on it, he was pleased that his Acolyte did not have a reluctance to kill. Killing may have been a simple act but it was something every Acolyte was willing to do. Some come to the One Sith believing that they were going to be able to bully civilians around with their status and while Konrad did not care much for civilians, he still found the attitude of these Acolytes to be an eyesore. More often than not, those were the Acolytes who were unable to kill when commanded. Every apprentice under the Brigadier General had to kill or else they may end up being killed by Konrad for their disobedience.

"This time open your eyes.” Konrad commanded. “I will throw a few pebbles at you and you are to push them back with the Force." the Knight then aimed a few pebbles at the apprentice upon finishing his sentence.

[member="Froste"]

 

[Froste]

His master launched the pebbles at Cole as soon as he finished his sentence. This caught the Sith Acolyte slightly off guard, he was not expecting the pebbles so quickly. Cole raised his arm up in an attempt to push the pebbles away before they reached him. He focused on stopping each individual pebble, which means he was only able to push two of the pebbles out of the way before the rest reached him, pinging off of his chest. "Hm." Cole let out. He was not really sure what he should have done, with so many individual objects to focus on at once. He looked at his master for either instruction or a scolding, he was unsure which he would receive.

 

[cheshire_kitty]

As he watch pebble after pebble hit Tymon with only a few pushed back in his direction, Konrad knew he needed to change his method of training. 'Perhaps Tymon needed a bit more of a push,' the Knight thought to himself as he took out a small knife from his coat, positioning to throw it.

"Perhaps pebbles are too harmless. This time I will be throwing a knife at you. If you do not push it back, you will get hurt."

After waiting a few seconds to let Tymon prepare himself, Konrad aimed the knife at his apprentice's head. Although he was ordered to train his apprentices in a safe manner, he did not hold back, if the knife was to connect with the Acolyte's head, it could potentially result in serious damage to the man. However, it could not be helped sometimes a sense of danger and a rush of adrenalin is needed to aid in learning.

[member="Froste"]

 

[Froste]

Cole stood still after the pebbles had hit, and hadn't moved when his master began to speak. Then, the Sith Knight began to speak of throwing a knife at the younger Acolyte. A knife. That is quite a big step up from pebbles. Either way, it should be the same process to stop it. If it's not, then I hope that it won't mutilate me too horrendously. Cole casually smirked at the thought under his mask. The thought may have been a tad bit morbid, but Cole would rather deal with that in his psyche than fear. Fear itself was a scary thing, and Cole preferred to avoid it whenever possible.

Focus back on the task at hand, Cole. Or you might actually end up with a knife in your gut. Cole examined the knife in his master's hand. It was a small knife, but he figured it best to not gamble with its potential to do damage. The Sith Knight reared back with the knife in hand, and launched it towards Cole. Surprisingly, the knife seemed to be on a trajectory for Cole's head. Perhaps I've frustrated him with my failure? If I have, I need to ensure I don't do so again. With that, Cole raised his arm up. He focused on releasing and pushing out in the direction of the knife as it drew ever closer to his head. Suddenly, the knife stopped in mid air and began to descend towards the ground. It landed with blade in the ground, and the hilt stuck up in the air. As Cole was looking at it, he noticed how close it had gotten to his person. It had sank into the ground only a few feet away from the Sith Acolyte. Had he waited just a few mere moments longer, he may have walked away from this encounter with a nasty new scar. Or worse, not walked away at all.

 

[cheshire_kitty]

Konrad watched as Tymon stopped the blade, falling to the ground a few inches from his apprentice’s feet. The desire to live seemed to have motivated the man. ‘It seems that this Acolyte may learn more efficiently in the face of danger,’ Konrad made a note to himself before he moved on.

"Good," the Brigadier General could see that the Acolyte was slowly improving. "Some people need a little encouragement and you look to be among their numbers, Tymon. You may have pushed away a knife, but what about a sword?" Konrad drew his sheathed blade as the words left his lips. "This time Force Push away my sword and if you can disarm me, even better."

As the Sith knight finished his order, the he once again gave his apprentice a few seconds before he aimed the weapon at his apprentice's head once again. Although Konrad did not use the blade, he was still able to potentially badly harm his apprentice through blunt force trauma if his apprentice underestimated the power of the strike. It may have been an unorthodox way to teach, but danger was able to inspire instinctual reaction as a result of self-preservation in many.

[member="Froste"]

 

[Froste]

Cole watched as his Sith master pulled his sword from its sheath. He had expected the Knight to throw this object at his head like the knife before, however this did not appear to be the case. Konrad paused briefly after telling Cole what he was about to do. Cole used these precious few seconds to prepare himself for what was to come, and kept his eyes on the blade. Cole brought both of his hands up before Konrad began to bring the blade up, in preparation to stop the strike.

Once his master began to move the blade up, Cole began his efforts to stop the blade before it connected with its target. Once again, the target appeared to be Cole's head. He brought his hands up into the trajectory of the blade, mostly to be able to stop the blade with a Force Push, but also partly in order to block at least some of the damage done to his head if he were unable to effectively stop it beforehand.

With enough time spent thinking, Cole began to focus on the actually act of pushing the blade before it connected with his hands, and then his head. Cole did as he had done before, and began to push out at the blade. Using all of his concentration on this one task, Cole was able to stop the blade before it connected with his hands. He kept his focus on not allowing the blade to be moved any closer to his body, anticipating that Konrad would bring the sword back to be placed in its sheath.

[member="Konrad von Grimmelshausen"]

 

[cheshire_kitty]

Konrad was pleased at Tymon's ability to stop the blade with a Force Push. Slowly but surely, the Acolyte was improving. Pleased with his Acolyte's improvement, he decided to allow the man to rest for a few minutes before he moved on to the next part of the lesson.

"Not bad," Konrad complimented his apprentice. Those who did not know the Knight as would not have been able to tell that the comment was a compliment as Konrad was careful with his compliments as he did not want those who trained under him to develop an inflate ego.

During the break, Konrad contacted several of his men through his HoloLink to have them bring over some slaves to assist in the training. Next was part of the training session would be a lesson on Force Speed – another basic force ability.

“Break is over.” The Brigadier General announced to the Acolyte. Hopefully for Major Tymon, that short break was enough.

[member="Froste"]

 

[Froste]

Cole had not realized it until then, but a rest seemed very appealing. The effort of learning and the use of the force took a greater toll on his body than he had expected, and he was very grateful for the break he was given. During the break, his master gave him small praise on his performance thus far. Some recognition is nice, especially coming from a teacher. A Sith teacher at that.

Cole continued to enjoy the break, while Konrad seemed to continue to work on Cole's training. Slaves were brought in by some of Konrad's soldiers, and Cole scanned over them. He thought back on his experience with slaves on the planet of Lialic, where he was taught the use of Mentalism. The slaves' minds had been destroyed on Lialic, and Cole doubted they would be treated well here either. Eager to start, Cole got back to his feet and stood next to his master. He informed him that the break was, in fact, over. To this, Cole replied, "What is next on our agenda, sir?" Cole had almost called the man master, but he was able to correct himself before he stuttered.

[member="Konrad von Grimmelshausen"]