Teachings of a God

[Arjant Clevenger]

Caer Lazrae, Skye

The whereabouts of his father were unknown to him, and Ezra didn't really care if his father was dead or imprisoned by some rebel alliance that was trying to decline the existence of the First Order and free the oppressed from its Imperial Rule. Not a single damn was given that day since he and his beloved mother were no longer living in the filthy, corrupted streets of Nar Shaddaa. And just like he didn't care much of his father, he didn't care much of anyone besides his mother who was there for him when he was born up until now in the present. And right now, at this moment of the present he was in need of a Mentor who could help broaden his skills of the mystical Force which was something that Josiah, his father, promised and failed to do, and by requesting a new Mentor to higher officials in the hierarchy of the Knights of Ren they would fulfill his request of a new Mentor who was viewed as a false idol long ago when the once Moross Crusade existed in the Outer Rim of the Galaxy. There were Force Users, and then you had Titans and the First Order was blessed to have a man with such power within their ranks.

It was luck for the Denko to be the student of this man.

In an individual room within the Temple of Caer Lazare, a point of interest for the Knights of Ren, Ezra waited on the floor to, finally, begin his training.

[member="Cameron Centurion"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Initially... Cameron had designs on remaining separate from the Knights of Ren. He had been a part of many various force sects in the past, but they all generally had one glaring similarity. That is to say, they believed their way was the best way, period. That was commonality shared across the spectrum of the Force. Honestly, it was simply the truth of organizations, period. However, Cameron most certainly did appreciate and agree with the Imperial method of government. Democracy would always be a fallacy, a joke, a dream that was sold to those to pathetic to realize the truly powerful would always be those in control.

Why inundate yourself with pointless procedures and civil liberties when you could accomplish so much more with the simple efficiency of a directed government. No. His presence here was not because of a deep-seated loyalty to any one person, or group. The Knights of Ren were, however, an integral part of a government that had a great deal of potential. A government he wished to see succeed. He would have no choice but to make himself a useful tool of the government first - always preferring to earn a say in the continued direction of an organization.

By that same token, however, the Sith Lord was already developing a list of individuals that stood as a barrier to success be it through their simple presence or not. As such, Cameron was prepared to do something he had not truly done in decades. He would take an apprentice. [member="Ezra Denko"], seemed an ideal candidate, but the large Sith Lord was, as always, cautiously optimistic.

Unceremoniously, Cameron slipped into the room that Ezra occupied. The hood of his dark blue and gray cloak was drawn back, revealing a mostly unmarred, youthful face. The soft features of the body that Cameron occupied did not betray the centuries of pain, suffering, success, and failure that he had endured. The unnatural hue of his silver-green eyes were, typically, the only gateway to the soul of the Sith Lord.

As Cameron clasped his hands behind his back, the leather hilt of his Sith Sword was partially revealed along with the variety of arcane Sith Tattoos that adorned his exposed upper body. "Ezra Denko. Listen more than you speak, consistently seek out more knowledge, and train as though your life will depend on your proficiency." It certainly did. "If you survive your apprenticeship to me, you will be welcomed into the Knights of Ren, leaving behind the enigmatic existence of a Disciple of the Beyond." Silver-green eyes appraised the man slowly. "I do not abide weakness. In any form. Now. There is a question you need to answer, and I will ask it routinely. Why are you here?"

 

[Arjant Clevenger]

The semblance within the man was strong and powerful that even an inept could sense the aurora of such figure. The semblance of his father's was lesser when compared to the likes of Cameron's, however, the texture of the face of the Master of Ren was very, very unlike to Josiah's. The differences between the two faces could easily be noted out since his father's face was scruffy, old, battered, worn, and old which reflected the stages of a much older adulthood. Cameron's, on the other hand, was young, smooth, and well maintained as if he was still in his twenties. The Master of Ren and with such a rich face and that was surely a surprise for the Dark Jedi. Like his face his eyes had so much awe that was, surely, the thing that captured everyone's attention when speaking or observing the man. He also noticed the tattoos on the exposed upper body of Cameron, but not the sword at his side.

The Ren Knight then spoke to the Denko with a tone of pride and power, something that he had every right to. The man seemed to be harsh when he informed Ezra that he did not abide any forms of weakness. A common thought that Ezra shared with the man as he believed that only the strong would inherit the Galaxy and not the weak, and that the weak needed to be weeded out so they wouldn't be any obstruction for others. But what got him was the question asked by the Master of Ren. Why was he here? Mostly to have a better life than the one in Nar Shaddaa, but there was more than just that. He was greedy to be someone like Cameron or a powerful when he was told that the Force was in him.

"I am here to, not just have a life of quality, but to be someone like you. Someone with power that can make the masses tremble and bow down before them. That is why I am here, sir." In truth, that was his answer but feared that it wouldn't satisfy the man. Failure in any form would be corrected via punishment and torture, and that was something that the young Denko tried to avoid.

[member="Cameron Centurion"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Failure.

Punishment.

Torture.

These were all words and concepts that were often interpreted differently by various people. Nay. The execution or embodiment of these words varied from sentient to sentient. Fortunately for [member="Ezra Denko"], there wasn't really a wrong answer to the question. In fact, the Sith Lord believed the young man's answer would change as time went on.

Cameron's expression did not change as he responded to Ezra's statements. "Power... Do you think that being feared or exalted is indicative of power? If that is the case, you needn't devote yourself to my teachings. There are plenty of unremarkable individuals with that type of power." Turning from Ezra, Cameron motioned for the young man to follow him.

As they exited the room and entered the corridor, Cameron made another inquiry. "However, you speak of power. What, in your opinion, is the greatest embodiment of power a sentient could hope to acquire?"

 

[Arjant Clevenger]

He was anxious to see how the Master of Ren would react to his answer and hoped that no punishment would be inflicted from the man because of an incompetent answer that had no meaning whatsoever. But nothing as of yet happened and there was an exhale of relief from the young Denko that no tendrils of Force Lightning or Force Choke was exerted on him. Without saying that his answer was neither correct or incorrect, the Sith Lord spoke to him and regards of his answer. He was surprised to hear from Cameron that he wasn't the type of man that being exalted was a form of power.

"I believe that is the most common form of power by judging a few individuals in this galaxy, sir," was all he could answer to the first question before walking with him throughout the corridors of the citadel.

The came the next question which was another personal opinion just like his recent question. Surely no punishment would come from this. "In my opinion, the Force, sir. That is my sole opinion," he answered to Cameron. Then a question occurred to Ezra which he considered risky to ask to the man. "Sir, why do you think being exalted with immense power is something unremarkable? Aren't you considered an exalted being of power?"

[member="Cameron Centurion"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

A deep, low rumble began to emanate from Cameron's chest as he traversed the cavernous corridors towards the edifice's exit. "You believe that to be the most common form, do you." The question was rhetorical, and the young Disciple clearly picked up on this reality as he proceeded to answer the question Cameron had posed.

When [member="Ezra Denko"] had finished speaking, the Sith Lord abruptly came to a halt and turned to gaze at the man. "Whether it be through ignorance or lack of listening, you have misinterpreted my comments. I never said that being exalted for having power is unremarkable. My statement was that there are plenty of individuals in this galaxy wielding some manner of power...though they, as an individual, are rather unremarkable."

Resuming his pace, Cameron proceeded to answer the Disciple's question. "I suppose there are some that are impressed or enamored with the employment of various talents or skills. This, however, is not power. I have seen beings worshipped as Gods that were just as human as you or I. There are entire civilizations that craft their whole way of life around what some group of people did...millenia ago. It takes a weak mind to be susceptible to such, however."

Turning down an adjacent corridor, the Sith Lord shrugged his shoulders. "You speak of the Force being the greatest embodiment of power a sentient could hope to acquire. This is a typical answer. Yet what is the Force? To what end does it equate to being a powerful ally? What, at the core of everything, must a person have to truly be able to wield the Force, or any other weapon the galaxy has to offer, effectively?"

 

[Arjant Clevenger]

"As of now, I do, sir," Ezra responded back to the rhetorical question that was asked to him by the Master of Ren. Every question that was answered would be followed by another question which was the pattern that the Disciple had noticed from the first question of this session until now. He wasn't expecting a philosophy lesson with Cameron, but a lesson on the Force and dueling with Lightsabers. Nevertheless, he was patient and didn't show any signs of annoyance since it would, most likely, result in being punished for not appreciating the time of Cameron.

After Ezra finished asking his question to the Sith Lord he stopped after Cameron halted in his tracks and looked at him, pure emerald eyes capturing his attention. Indeed, it was being ignorant that caused the Denko not to interpret what Cameron truly meant from his statement, but that would soon change as his apprenticeship to the Master of Ren would progress. He could only nod at his words as Cameron made it clear for Ezra of what his statement meant and as he answered his question.

Then came another question from the Master of Ren that regarded of his answer that the Force was the most powerful thing ever to exist in the minds of intelligent beings. "I guess you and I are the Force, sir, and everything around us. And I believe that there is no end to it making it the most. And discipline, both mental and physical, must be exercised to wield this tool. Those are my answers, sir."

[member="Cameron Centurion"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Once more, Cameron met the young man with silence initially. For a moment, the Sith Lord thought back to his own training. While Cameron did not prefer the precise habits of Alathor, he could respect the man's ability to play to his strengths. More importantly, Alathor recognized that Cameron's hatred for him would end up his greatest strength and weakness.

However, this was not about Cameron or Alathor, but the point of using definitive measures remained. "Discipline, yes. Control. Mastery." No sooner had the last word left his lips than the Master of Ren firmly wrapped the power of the Force around the young Disciple. In an instant, the invisible field of energy did more than merely arrest the motion of [member="Ezra Denko"]'s limbs. The Force could be manipulated in such a manner, but it was a rather unrefined effort. In his time among the galaxy, Cameron had learned, truly learned, that the limits of the Force were most often created by the user.

So, Ezra had the...pleasure...of experiencing a much more intrusive manipulation of the life-binding energy field. The very cells in his body would have almost completely ceased normal function, specifically energy transfer. The specific manipulation was often referred to as Morichro. However, Cameron's goal was not to render Ezra unconscious.

Slowly, the Sith Lord turned to regard the young man, allowing his breathing and heart rate to hover just above the point at which it seemed passing out was a real threat. Cameron had made no grand motion to indicate he was manipulating the Force...such often did help, but it was more often a limitation of the user's mind than anything. "Whether you utilize an offense or defensive technique or skill, you must have complete control and mastery over yourself. The Jedi...prefer to prevent themselves from relying on emotion at all. That is not the normal condition of most sentient beings, so you will find the greatest of Jedi are very even-keeled, hard to unsettle. However, they inherently limit their power by restricting such emotions."

Releasing his hold over the young Disciple's biological functions, Cameron continued to eye him with casual indifference. "The moment you have learned to master yourself, your training will be complete. But. Enough theory for one day, I think. Tell me. What do you believe to be your greatest strength and your greatest weakness?"

 

[Arjant Clevenger]

Paralysis overcame the body of Ezra when something held a firm grip on every limb of his body and even the internal organs in him. He had just inhaled a volume of air before Cameron forced him to become like a statue. His lungs were retaliating of exhaling the carbon dioxide in him and breathe a new quantity of oxygen. If he could dilate the pupils of his eyes into the shape of fear of being killed right here on the spot, then he would but the Master of Ren went into more details of the technique he was utilizing on the Disciple. The young Denko could maintain this position for a few mere moments of time, but he could feel the end. He tried to fight against it, yet it only weakened him as he had no experience of defending himself in a situation like this.

Fortunately, Cameron loosen a bit of his grip on Ezra which allowed him to breathe and calm his heart rate back to normal. This was all he was limited to do. He couldn't talk or move a single muscle from his body, however, everything inside of him resumed back to its daily, natural schedule. All he could do was breathe and hear the lecture from Cameron that Ezra deeply listened since those were the only two functions he could do.

But after Cameron had finished with his monologue he had left Ezra free from the iron grasp that limited him from any mobility. He didn't dare to ask the Master of Ren in anger of why he froze him with the Force. Ezra then focused on the given question that Cameron had asked him. "From what I know, my mother is my greatest weakness, but I do not know my greatest strength. Maybe the Force."

[member="Cameron Centurion"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Cameron's expression didn't betray any particular emotion or convey any form of appraisal of the young man's words. The question that the Master of Ren had posed had been a personal, open-ended one. In his experience, people usually believed that some loved one was their greatest weakness. It was not common, however, for that loved one to be a parent. The revelation did paint an intriguing picture of the young Denko. He'd pledged loyalty to the Supreme Leader, primarily, but there was no escaping his father's...current position within the hierarchy. For [member="Ezra Denko"]'s mother to be a weakness on top of that? Well...perhaps he wasn't really ready to leave the nest.

Claiming the Force as a greatest strength was actually laughable, however.

"Your greatest strength is an entity which, by the reality of our interactions, you know and understand very little of?" A curious eyebrow perked ever so slightly as the Sith Lord gazed down at his newest pupil. "Your statement leads me to believe that you are either pathetically weak in all aspects of your life, you are hopelessly modest, or you are a liar. Neither I nor the Knights of Ren have particular use for any of those." Shifting his weight slightly, Cameron exhaled. "Think. Then give me a real answer."

Everyone was particularly good at something. The question the Master of Ren had posed was more about assessing the ability of a student to critically evaluate themselves and then communicate the internal results of said evaluation succinctly. That would be the essential process by which Ezra either succeeded or failed in his training, in his life.

 

[Arjant Clevenger]

In all truth and honesty, there was so little that Ezra was good at. What can someone expect from a lowlife who came from the vile and corrupted streets of Nar Shaddaa? As someone who had done crimes against the laws of other civilizations he was particularly good at smuggling, however, smuggling within the First Order or any other Imperial government would punish smuggling very severely and the Knight of Ren would definitely not want those skills and qualities within their ranks.

Instead of answering with a lie, Ezra would answer Cameron with a: "Sir, what skills and strengths do you expect from someone who has lived in Nar Shaddaa for all of his life? Unless you consider smuggling as one, then that's something I'm good at. There's no other strengths that I have besides that."

The Dark Jedi hoped that answer suited the Master of Ren's question, revealing that there were little valuable skills and strengths that the young Denko had with him. All Ezra could do was hope that Cameron accept the little skills he have and move on from there. He also expected some harsh comments just like the ones that Cameron had offered to him, but those comments were nothing when comparing the life that Ezra has lived through.

[member="Cameron Centurion"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

For several moments, Cameron was silent and his facial expression completely impassive. Eventually, however, the Sith Lord did reply to the young man. "I expect nothing from any sentient. It prevents me from being disappointed when they fall short of even meager expectations. However, of my students, I demand honesty regardless of how brutal or embarrassing." Taking a half-step closer to [member="Ezra Denko"], Cameron's gaze seemed to burn brighter with an intense rage that bubbled just beneath the surface of his skin. It was the only part of his exterior that exuded anything other than complete calm. The ability to perfectly manipulate his emotions in a manner that empowered and fueled his every action was his greatest strength.

In truth...it was the only strength anyone needed.

"I assure you that the only thing in the fabric of this galaxy you need fear...is me. I will never punish you for the realities of your past. The past has already happened...it cannot be changed, so there is nothing to learn in suffering for it. From this point forward...I judge you merely for your actions in the present. Congratulations, your first impression has been that of a liar."

Turning slightly, Cameron motioned towards the heavy doors that denoted the exit of the Temple. "Mount Krisklar is roughly fifteen miles from here. You have until dawn tomorrow to travel there, ascend to the peak, and return with proof of your success." It was a task that would pose a challenge to even the most skilled of athletes - particularly given the reality that a mere eight hours remained until dawn.

Without another word, Cameron turned and departed. He had business to tend to. This time Ezra's penance for failure, for succumbing to pity and excuses in the wake of a lie, would be light.

 

[Arjant Clevenger]

If he had the chance to know a bit more of Cameron's personaltiy, then he wouldn't have tried to impress the man with a lie of how the Force is his greatest strength. Otherwise, he had just learned a valuable thing from the Master of Ren and made a foolish mistake, for exchange of this knowledge. Now knowing something of his Mentor the young Denko would take it for granted, so he wouldn't be punished in great measure for lying about anything that his mouth would say to Cameron and to others in the upper hierarchy of the Knights of Ren. He was a bit annoyed of how he had just impressed him, but it was fear of humiliation that got him the best of it and he would sink it in, knowing he would have many chances and opportunities to redeem himself.

And here was, perhaps, a chance to do so. Now receiving his first legitimate lesson from Cameron he would only respond with a: "Yes, Master." After that Cameron had departed from him to another direction, leaving Ezra to the heavy doors of the Temple. But he wouldn't go just yet; he wasn't going to leave without the proper quantities of supplies and equipment for his journey. The Dark Jedi would grab a hunting knife, a little amount of water, and some raw, boneless meat before coming to the doors of the Temple and leaving behind the interior of it. His robes would do their best to keep him warm against the cold, and - content with what he had - he began to walk towards the general direction of the mountains.

[member="Cameron Centurion"]

Spoiler

(OOC: So sorry for posting this late, spring break got me, lol. I will post like 2-3 series of posts of Ezra making his way to the mountain, if that's okay with you.)

 

[Arjant Clevenger]

The journey at the beginning was smooth and calm, and there was nothing to fret about at all. However, he wouldn't be playing around or kill any time at all, since he was on a time limit set up by Cameron himself. In fact, Ezra wouldn't be acting childish if there was no time limit made by his mentor. He was determined to scale this religious mountain with success and return to the Citadel before Cameron returned from whatever business he had to intend to. By having some time with the Master of Ren, the young Denko assumed that this exalted figure wanted things be done in a timely fashion and despised any tardiness. He was, after all, the leader of the Knights of Ren and wouldn't want any signs of weakness coming from any Knight of Ren. Having the man as his mentor was a rare privilege and Ezra would make sure that his time investing in him was worth it.

As he trekked the most common path to the mountain the Dark Jedi could tell that Imperialism wasn't properly maintained on this world. He couldn't blame the First Order, since this world was full of mountains from every corner of Skye. No colossal walkers patrolled the surface, but speeders and any small vehicles did cover up the lack of modern vehicles.

During his walk he could hear footsteps surrounding and stopped in his tracks. From the scenery, five primitive natives unveiled themselves and had weapons in their hands. Ezra could tell that they were angry by just observing their faces and their slow approach to him. The reign of the First Order did triggered some clans of the S'kytri to engage First Order Stormtroopers in guerrilla warfare, since their technology was nothing when compared to blasters or speeders. The Dark Jedi's hand went for the hilt of his knife and readied himself for the fight that was unfolding right now.