The Blademaster and The Assassin (Darth Ferus)

[Lord Ajihad]

Vi'kas walked back into the training room the next day, ready to train. This time, he had a black eyepatch over his right eye. He was sore from the day before, and not just the training part. He had taken the liberty of getting a few Yuuzhan Vong body biots. Of course, his master didn't know this. Nevertheless, he was ready to learn.

[member="Darth Ferus"]​

 

[Darth Ferus]

Back in the room himself the Zabrak was sitting with his legs crossed, and a tea kettle resting in front of him. A purple flame had been formed underneath, heating the water to the heat he was looking for. Upon [member="Vi'kas Mirtis"] entering, his blue gaze would go from the bottle to he, and a smile would form on his face. "Ah, good. You've made it. So, what do you want to learn today?"

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Vi'kas was a bit taken aback. He didn't expect to be given a choice in what he would learn next, but it was a happy surprise. He thought about the question at hand, taking careful consideration in choice. "How about Trakata?"

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

The smile would remain on the Sith's lips even as he turned his head back to his tea. "No." It was a rather blunt answer, but it was an answer none the less. Lifting up the now whistling tea kettle, he would pour himself a glass of the hot water and insert the tea bag. "Trakata is a dangerous form, leaving you open at the worst of times. This is not something I shall teach you as you are still arrogant, and Trakata will only get you killed. Pick something else." The Darth would stir about his tea leaves as he waited for [member="Vi'kas Mirtis"]'s answer.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Vi'kas pondered the response for a moment. He had not thought himself to be arrogant, but he was evidently wrong. He wasn't mad with this answer, only took it as a learning lesson. However, he still had an arsenal of things he wanted to know. "Ok, fair enough. Ataru?"

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Ataru I can teach. When I was but a wee apprentice my first to abilities were Juyo and Ataru. So yes, I will teach you that. But, you already know a bit about it, don't you." Sipping from the ceramic cup Ferus would cast a glance over to [member="Vi'kas Mirtis"] offering a slight wink. Yes, he had seen the boys fight with his other apprentice, and while he was impressed, he was a bit wary of his arrogance.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Vi'kas nodded. "I wasn't always a Sith. I was once a slave on Ratattak. I was a gladiator, and I developed some acrobatics while fighting there. Once I became Sith, I learned of Ataru. Similar principles." The young assassin didn't tell many about his past, but he was growing rather find of his Master.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Ah, a slave? It's good you became Sith then. Though.. This brings up a rather unique question, and one I should of asked long ago. DO you know the Sith Code?" Come to think of it, the Darth didn't remember explaining the code to any of his apprentices. With a frown he realized he was going to have to make sure that he did check in with the others as soon as possible.

[member="Vi'kas Mirtis"]

 

[Lord Ajihad]

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
Before getting a master, I had plenty of time to read ancient Sith scriptures. I came across this in the writing of Darth Bane."

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Ah, good. Very good. Now in this case, we shall continue onwards. Ataru is the acrobatic form. It involves constantly being on the move, and preforming cartwheels and flips, all while attacking." Waving a hand again, he would pull forth another dummy, nodding once to it's head. "I want you to train flipping over that and striking it's head right dead center. Don't worry, if you remove the head I'll have it replaced for you quickly."

 

[Lord Ajihad]

He walked over to the dummy. He stretched out his legs, preparing for the jump. He ignited his saber, twirling it in his hand.

He ran forward, then jumped at the last second. He stabbed down mid-jump, aiming for the head. Instead, he overcalculated. Instead, he ended impaling the dummy through the neck.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Ferus continued to watch while sipping his tea, nodding once. ​"Good form on the jump, poor execution on the blade work. Continue at it." A wave of his hand would result in a new target for [member="Vi'kas Mirtis"] to strike against. "Keep your mind fluid. This form isn't about strength like Vapaad, but precision. Watch your moments, and watch your strikes. They must work together."

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Vi'kas nodded, striving to fully understand the concept of the current lesson. He had to time his strikes with his movements. In this particular instance, timing would be everything. He envisioned himself twirling over the target, stabbing it through the center of its head.

Now, he would bring action to these thoughts. He again positioned himself in fronf of the dummy, this time standing slightly farther back. He took a deep breath, and again leapt forward in a flip. This time, he only missed the target area by a a fraction of an inch. That wouldn't stop him, though. Instead of landing, he continued his short path to a nearby pillar, and backflipped off of it. This time, he struck with near-perfect timing, impaling the dummy in the target zone. He offered no suggestion he was pleased wiith this achievment, though he was actually quite proud of it.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Very good. That's exactly what I was talking about. Now, try that in a different kind of flip or jump. Variety is key to keeping your opponent off balance, remember that." Almost finished with his tea the Sith would nod along, a faint smile on his face. [member="Vi'kas Mirtis] was learning fast after all.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Vi'kas grinned. Creativity was now now encouraged. He thought of the different combinations of flips, tricks, and moves in his head, marveling at the endless possibilities. The, he reality-checked himself and realized that he would be holding a blade in his hand, which limited his options.

Finally deciding on what he would do, he leapt into the air, using the force to prolong his jump. He did a four hundred and fifty degree flip in mid-air, just for fun. However, he quickly learned "Fun" was not on the list of things to partake in while fighting. Disoriented, he ended the flip prematurely, barely landing on two feet.

After taking a moment to recover from the overwhelming nausea trying crawl its way up his throat, he repeated the move. This time, he opted to only execute one flip. He stuck out his booted foot and kicked the dummy right in the center of its face. A strike like that in a real fight would break an opponent's nose. As the dummy "stumbled" backwards, Vi'kas continued to sail towards the wall. He executed a backflip off of its surface, back towards his target. He stuck his saber out like a spear, and using his momentum, impaled the dummy through the chest.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

A slow clap could be heard as Ferus grinned. Smacking his hands together, he would congratulate [member="Vi'kas Mirtis"] in his own unique way. "That's the kind of thing to be doing. I'm going to be leaving you to it now, but be sure not to exert your body too much, aye?" And with that the Sith would leave once more, slipping both of his hands behind his head.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Vi'kas gathered a new group of dummies, arranging them in random positions throughout the room. He spent the next hour or so inventing newer and more complex moves, as well as executing them. He was a blur as he jumped throughout the room, raining death upon the dummies from above their syntheitic heads.

After a while, he remembered his master's warning not exert himself too much. He was pretty tired, and realized he needed some rest. He took all of the shattered dummy pieces, and hauled them into a corner, hopefully making a janitor's job much easier. After cleaning up after himself, he headed back to his personal quarters, ready for some rest.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Vi'kas returned to the training room the next day, both well-rested and energized. He had had an execellent sleep the night before, undoubtedly something he needed.

He wasn't surprised to see the dismembered dummies were cleared out of the room, giving the place a fresh appearance. He rolled his aching shoulders, giving a slight frown. His bladework had improved tremendously, and the muscles in his arms had noticeably grown. However, that didn't prevent soreness from setting in. Waiting for his master, Vi'kas began to stretch himself out, preparing for the lesson ahead.

[member="Darth Ferus"]