The Darkness Within

[Via Dolorosa]

The planet of Mindabaal, like Coruscant, had seen better days but now it was steeped in the Dark Side energy that surrounded it and gave it a welcoming feeling to any Sith willing to explore and unlock its mysteries. It was here that her Apprentice would come to know the Dark Side. During the conquest of the planet by the Sith, an ancient temple had been discovered but it was to far along in ruination to be restored. So it sat quietly underground waiting for anyone to come and search out its secrets. Though much of what lied inside had long since been taken by the Sith, there was still one place, a chamber, that held sway with the Dark Side.

Darth Venefica led her Apprentice to the cave in complete silence. It was not that she wanted to speak with the girl, but she wanted her Apprentice to feel the Dark Side energy all around her. What the girl was feeling was but a glimpse of the Dark Side. Many places, including this underground temple, had more powerful auras of the Dark Side than this teasing taste she was experiencing. But the girl needed to learn to walk before she could run.

The duo, Master and Apprentice, entered the cave following the winding path that was dimly lit before it spilled them out before the temple. It seemed both time and nature had taken its toll on the structure since her last visit here. But it did not matter how the outside looked, the true treasure was inside. Once they reached the main interior of the temple, Darth Venefica broke her silence when they stood facing a massive door with symbols etched into its surface.

"From this pointe on, you walk the path alone. Beyond that door you will discover a path that leads to...well...you will see shortly. This will be your ultimate test. You will see and experience visions that are glimpses of your past and perhaps even your future. The Dark Side will test you but remember one thing," the Knight said turning her body toward the girl. "The visions...the horrors...everything you experience will shape you into something greater. Open your mind...open your heart...open your soul to what it shows and asks of you. Go now and survive this test."

She turned back to the door and with a slight move of her right hand, the door opened enough to let the girl pass. As the girl began to walk past the Knight, Darth Venefia placed her left hand on the girl's shoulder. "There have been some who have lost their minds in there, becoming an abomination of madness, cursed to live their lives locked away. But fear not girl. If your mind becomes spoiled, I will spare you a lifetime of being locked away forever haunted by your insanity."

[member="Mandy Diaz"]​

 

[Mariya Pyne]

A shiver ran up the girl's spine as she wandered along next to her master. She wanted to speak, she felt like there were so many questions to be asked, but [member="Darth Venefica"] remained silent. As such, so did Mandy. The planet was unlike anything she had seen or felt before on Coruscant, but had scarcely anything else to compare it to. Everything she had known was Coruscant. There was an odd feeling creeping into her, something she hadn't felt before. She was unsure of what exactly she was doing here, and her master gave no further information on the subject. She only hoped that she were not being led to her death so shortly after seemingly being rescued from it.

The temple as they approached looked about as pleasant as the surface of Coruscant did, so seeing these ruins was nothing entirely out of the ordinary or surprising. In fact she would be surprised at seeing another planet in relatively good shape, at this point in time. It seemed the entire galaxy was enveloped in everlasting war that was destined to rage for all of eternity, or until all civilizations ceased to be. As the pair reached the large door within the towering temple, her apprentice looked at her nervously. "I am to go in alone?" She swallowed a thick ball of anxiousness. The things she was being described sounded potentially worse than what waited for her on Coruscant. She did not want to lose her sanity to some great Force she knew nothing about. This seemed like madness to her. What could possibly be in there? Is she simply trying to scare me as a test? Karking hell.

The words she received as she passed by towards the room were anything but inspirational, but if this was to be her death, at the very least it would be over soon. She simply nodded to the Sith Knight and entered. "Very well. At the very least, thank you for freeing me from that life, master."

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Just as she used the Force to open the door, she used it again to close the door, sealing the girl inside until she returned changed. Darth Venefica knew that time flowed differently in there. A day inside that chamber was three days in the real world. With time to kill, literally, she began to examine the ruins for herself. Her last visit was all business but it was the girl's time to conduct business and it was her time to explore.

Each room produced little results, but she found the construction of the rooms fascinating. She had never fancied herself a builder but her time spent on Erida gave her a new hobby. She took notice of the detailed designs storing them to her memory in hopes of advocating these designs to a future project. She entered at what time was a ritualistic room, complete with drawings and written languages unknown to her. She jotted some of the writings down in her datapad in hopes of finding someone to translate them for her. Also, she noticed that the previous owners and builders had worshiped the mighty Rancor beast but to the best of her knowledge, no such beast exists on the planet. Perhaps at one time they had bred them here for some unforeseen reason.

Once her little exploration trip concluded, she returned to the door listening for any screams of madness coming from beyond. When only silenced answered in return, she sat on the floor crossing her legs. Slowly her eyes closed and at once she fell into a deep meditation trance, allowing the Dark Side to flow more freely through her. She could sense the restlessness of the voices in her head but for the moment, they seemed to be content with what was going on. Afterall, all five of them were Sith at some pointe in history.

[member="Mandy Diaz"]​

 

[Mariya Pyne]

The door closed abruptly behind her. She was now alone and it was eerily quiet. She meandered through the first of the large, expansive room, glancing at the ruined artwork and glyphs on the walls. There was a certain beauty to what she was looking at, though an overwhelming feeling of dread and despair was cast over this place as well. There was darkness, but it wasn't a lack of light that brought upon this darkness, but one of terror, of passion, of hatred and anger. One of sheer madness and misery. And does misery ever so much love company. Company she would be for it.

A period of time passed, how much exactly she did not know. Her head began to ache as she continued on, placing her hands along the designs etched into the pillars. "This temple looks ancient. It's almost as if-" Something just moved. Something behind me just...moved. The girl froze in place, petrified of what just moved behind her. No sound was made, but the hair along the back of her neck stood on end. Something is in here with me. She turned slowly, looking behind her. Nothing. She saw nothing. Her heart rate now elevated she quickly scanned the remainder of the room for moving objects, the reflection of light in a pair of pupils, anything that would signify another's presence in the room with her. Venefica? Is she in here? The door did not open again though. She shrugged, confident that she could see nothing moving, perhaps some type of trick to frighten her.

Mandy placed her hand on another of the room's glyph's, tracing it's outline with her fingers. Her head ached again, and as she reached up to console herself, she found she was holding a lightsaber. She looked down at it, confused. How did this get in my hands? What is going on? Am I dreaming? "Draw your weapon, coward." She heard the sound of a man behind her. As she turned, it was the Rodian from Coruscant. Her eyes squinted and quivered momentarily. "No...How did you? You're...You're dead! I watched you die! You can't be here! You can't be here! You can't!" Her finger pressed the activator on the lightsaber, and with some unknown feat of knowledge she flipped toward the alien, dragging the saber down in a pair of cross angled slashes, cutting the ghastly figure into three pieces. As it collapsed, she heard nothing but a shrieking laugh before the visage disappeared along with the crimson blade, and she was once again alone.

((12 hour time lapse))

The teenage girl was thoroughly afraid now. She had no idea what was going on, if she was alive, dead, dreaming, hallucinating, or what. She turned back towards the door and began to run towards it. The room seemingly got larger, and larger, always the same distance from the exit. She cried out in help, but her voice was no longer audible. Every word she spoke was choked to death by some force or power. Her lips quivered and she began to shake. She had never known a fear as great as this before. Desperation at its finest. Terror at its worst. She turned once more back towards the wall and pillars, and there, standing in the center, a dark figure clad in black robes. Her legs were shaking as she began to slowly walk towards it. The figure made no sound, it made no movements. It simply stood, faceless under the hooded disguise.

"He-Hello?" She muttered, again, the sound could only be heard in her own mind, for no tones were audible to the ears. She approached, stood within a meter of the figure, reaching her hand out to touch whatever it was. As she neared her hand to the figure's face, it quickly lifted its own hands, removing the hood to reveal a slightly older version of herself. The same red hair, green eyes concealed by red contacts, a hilted weapon at her side. The figure moved its hand to withdraw the saber, its thumb pressing the activator as a thick, crimson beam poured forth from the hilt. It remained still for some time, before lifting the saber with two hands, eyes widening as it spoke in a hissing tone to her. "You will choose our path. Do not squander this opportunity. Harness your fear and you will prevail." The figure swung the saber down, and Mandy passed out as it collided with her collar.

((12 hour time lapse))

Mandy opened her eyes. She was on the floor, covered in sweat and tears. Am I dead? That was so very real. Was that truly me? She pressed her hands against the cool stone beneath her and rose to her knees. Looking at each shoulder she could see that she was unharmed, but she ached all over. Finally standing on her feet, she took a few breaths, closing her eyes to concentrate a few more times. The darkness of Force energy swelled up within her, her chest felt as if it were being compressed by the stomp of a Rancor. It was overpowering, yet inspiring that she was somehow withstanding the pressure. As she opened her eyes, she saw Venefica standing before her, her own saber activated already. She spoke to her in a dark, guttural tone. "You've failed me. What use are you to me?" Mandy's eyes widened as the Sith pointed her blade at her. "I am your God, and I will bury you here like the rest." Instincts kicked in and she somehow pressed her right thumb down on a lightsaber of her own that had only just manifested itself again. She held hers in both hands to the side. "There is only one God, and his name is Death. And what do we say to death?" She squinted her eyes, fearful yet confident. "Not today." She then charged forward at the Sith, slashing side to side as the Sith blocked and parried, side-stepping and rolling away from her. With one final grunt, a solid grip on her saber and the determination of a thousand freed slaves, she thrusted her saber down against the Sith Knight's head, blades colliding as she slowly but surely overpowered her master, before silencing her words with a clean cut, severing the body in a vertical split. Once again the body of her foe vanished, along with her mighty weapon, and all of her remaining energy. She bent her knee, placing one hand on the ground as she exhaled violently before passing out once again.

((24 hour time lapse))

Waking up once again on the floor, a bit of blood had dripped and dried along her nose and floor during the time she was out. Her head hurt more than she could possibly imagine, and as she slowly rose to her feet she could swear she heard the distant echo of clapping. Mandy felt more alive than she had ever really felt in the past, despite the amount of pain she was now in. Her fear was under control, but was still present. She was confident that she could withstand whatever else was thrown at her. But most of all, she felt a renewed vigor of energy flowing in and through her body that gave her a sixth sense. Was this what the Force was?

She turned, heading for the door to see where her master was.

[member="Darth Venefica"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Two days had nearly passed when the door finally began to open. The Sith Knight was sitting on the ground showing more interest in the read and green fruit she was eating than the arrival of the girl. She didn't need to see that the girl had changed, she could feel it; the Dark Side had accepted her. Tossing the half eaten fruit to the side, Darth Venefica stood up and finally looked at the girl. "You have taken your first steps to something greater. You have purpose in your life...you have focus in your mind...and you have shed the skin of that pauper back on Coruscant. From this day forward you are Sith, in name only, until you have earned the right to carry that title." She gestured to a knapsack filled with various types of food and drink. No doubt her Apprentice was hungry after surviving the ordeal. "Grab some nourishment then take a seat on the ground. Your training will begin now."

She began pacing back and forth in front of the girl as she formulated the sequence in which she would begin the first lesson. It was decided that the girl should learn about the Force and the Dark Side. "You were aware of the Force before our paths crossed and you are now more aware of the Force since your transformation. The Force resides in every living thing. Plants. Trees. Beasts. People and aliens. However, the Force only awakens to those it deems worthy while lying dormant in those that do not. Those chosen, or attune, can actually harness the powers of the Force." To demonstrate her pointe, she calls to her hand a rock via the Force. "There are several aspects, or powers, associated with the Force. What I did is one such ability, telekinesis. The ability to manipulate objects with your mind. Some will say that is nothing more than parlour tricks but in truth, it is a very useful ability."

Darth Venefica stands next to her Apprentice. "Before we move on, I want you to work on developing this ability. I will not say its easy at first. It will take concentration on your part but once you use it more and your connection to the Force grows, it will become second nature to you. Focus your mind...vision yourself moving the rock with your mind...allow the Force to work with and through you. Then bring a rock to us."


[member="Mandy Diaz"]

 

[Mariya Pyne]

Mandy lumbered around for a moment towards the provided pack of food and beverages. Sitting with a heavy thud, she reached in and grabbed whatever her hands picked up first. She honestly didn't care what it was. She was famished, her throat was as dry as the air on the surface of Coruscant, and if she heard her stomach rumble one more time she would have to put a pair of ear plugs in. She listened to the words that Venefica spoke to her, though she was entirely focused right then on filling the void in her stomach with whatever it was she could stuff in her mouth. "Thank you, master. For the food, that is."

Venefica continued to speak about The Force, where it can be found, how it is used, and the powers one may possess by harnessing it, and bending it to their will. She was anxious to hear everything, and so she offered only two words to this part of the speech. "I understand." Then came the demonstration and discussion about telekinesis. Cheap parlor trick or not, she wanted to learn it for both practical and theoretical uses. At this point, anything she could do that would give her an advantage on the galaxy would be worth the time to dedicate to it.

The teenage girl closed her eyes and focused on the area around them. She pictured her surroundings in her head, every detail she could identify she painted into her mental photograph. It was as if the vision in her mind was coming to life. She focused on a small pile of rock a few meters from where they sat, where Venefica had just raised a rock herself. She relaxed her thoughts, letting go of the trial in the room just beside her, letting go of Coruscant, letting go of the slums and the poverty she had been in. She focused on a rock, but not just any rock, the rock. She wanted to lift this rock. After about three minutes of solid concentration she made an attempt to lift it. A small rock just a few centimeters wide. She felt its presence, the stone began to wiggle in the pile, but did not budge.

Again she tried, focusing her mind and thoughts on this rock, her mental energy pouring into the idea of lifting this small stone. A few more times the rock shifted in place but did not move. Finally, on the fourth try, the rock raised slowly from the pile, and it began to dance nervously as she directed the rock to rest between the duo, before releasing it into her hand. She had accomplished her first Force test, and even if it looked pitifully awful, she was proud of herself.

[member="Darth Venefica"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Through the Force she could feel her Apprentice struggle with gathering a simple stone but it was to be expected. The girl's mind and eyes have been opened to the Force so in a way, she was but an infant in the early stages of life. Unlike other Masters who sought to punish their Apprentices for the slightest failure, Darth Venefica was patient. She wanted her Apprentices to learn from their failures, making them stronger for it, than worrying about what new and twisted punishment was in store for them. The abuse of power was something she detested, but it was not her place to speak such things to others. In the end, those Masters that taught with brutality would one day find a blade between their shoulder blades when their Apprentices rebelled against them.

"Very good", she praised when the rock was brought to them. "With continuous practice you will master this. Note this my Apprentice, the Force energy in us does have its limitations. Just as a power cell, it can be depleted if used repeatedly so use caution when calling upon the Force. The more powerful the ability, the more energy you will expend. In your free time, I want you to practice with telekinesis." She moved in front of her Apprentice and once more began pacing back and forth.

"There are four aspects of the Force...the unifying Force...the living Force...the Light Side...and the Dark Side. The Unifying Force was believed, in ancient times, to be a single entity that had no light or dark sides to it. It was also believed that the unifying Force was based on equality and those that embraced it were always seeking the future and a grand destiny. In the end, they robbed themselves of the here and now of life, and most never found the destiny they sought. As Sith, we do not believe in the future but live for the here and now. The future is always changing, therefore the visions one sees cannot be trusted."

Darth Venefica stopped long enough to let that soak in. It was dangerous for any Sith to embrace the concept of the unifying Force. The end result would be tragic. "The living Force I have already mentioned. Plants and trees and such have the Force flowing through them. The Light Side of the Force, the aspect all Jedi embrace, is aligned with compassion, mercy, and self-sacrifice. However, by embracing this aspect you are denying yourself life and doing more harm than good. Compassion and mercy are for the weak. By aiding them, you are essentially weakening them. Everyone must go through the trials of life, no matter the hardships they endure, and learn to adapt and survive. Self-sacrifice, we've discussed that your own individual survival takes precedents over everything."

Taking a seat across from the girl, she continues, "The Dark Side of the Force. It draws power through the Force based on raw emotions such as anger...fear...hate...and passion. It can make you powerful enough to protect the ones you love or to protect a just cause in your eyes. The Jedi teach against such emotions but in truth, all emotions positive or negative is what makes a person a person. If you deny yourself one half, then you are incomplete. Love...joy...happiness are emotions associated with positive emotions but Sith embrace those as well. Sith are encouraged to embrace all emotions. Never deny what you are and never question what you can become. Before we move onto the code of the Sith, do you have any questions about what I preached?"

[member="Mandy Diaz"]​

 

[Mariya Pyne]

She observed the small piece of stone in her hand and smiled happily at both her work, and the approval of her master. She had accomplished something, regardless of how small, with her newfound talent. And continue practicing she would, and as much and as often as possible. She heeded the words of her master, and nodded in acknowledgement. "I understand. So we are essentially drawing upon a fixed energy, much like a muscle draws upon energy, however if over extended can cause exhaustion and fatigue? Over time limitations can be overcome though, so that our bodies can store more of this energy to draw from?"

Mandy understood the concepts of the four corners of the Force, though she was slightly confused by the idea behind it. "I understand the concepts of the four aspects, but I suppose I am either ignorant or misunderstanding the purpose of the Jedi and Sith. Showing mercy to the weak may assist you in convincing others to your cause, would it not? And of compassion, is that not what you showed me back on Coruscant when you aided me? I surely would have died back there if you didn't step in. I agree that sacrificing yourself to perhaps rescue another is a bit mind-boggling, but sacrificng yourself to save a civilization? A planet full of living creatures and people? Is that not a worthy cause? Surely it must be, master." The girl ran her hand through her hand as she continued with the barrage of questions.

"I believe you that sacrificing your own emotions is an impossible task that shouldn't be followed, all sentient beings have feelings and to deny that is to deny your acknowledgement of being in fact, sentient. But is there no balance between both light and dark? Can we never be both sides of the coin at once? If not, what is the title given to practicioners of both light and dark sides?"

She paused to catch her breath and let her master answer the few hundred questions that she just rattled off.

[member="Darth Venefica"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The Sith Knight was pleased with her choice in taking this girl as her Apprentice. The young girl didn't take something at face value, her inquisitive nature was refreshing. That was why she had sought to find one worthy of her teachings from outside the Academy, where to many had felt compelled to believe every word taught to them, never questioning the why and how. In her eyes, they were nothing more than flesh automatons stealing the title of Sith. And why so few had died at her hands when she was a mere Acolyte herself. She was cut from a different cloth, just like her Apprentice, and that baffled both the teachers and her rivals.

"As your connection grows stronger with the Force, your energy will increase granting you both longer duration of power usage and it will open up new ones to you. Practicing constantly is the one sure way to achieve both. Showing mercy is weakness. As I stated, if you show mercy or give assistance to another, you are robbing them of their strength. Essentially, you are cradling their life for them. Everyone must learn the hardships of life on their own. And if you grant mercy to any enemy by allowing them to live, one day that decision will go back to haunt you. People, both weak and strong, never forget the injustices done to them."

The girl, whether she realized it yet, killed the Rodian leader not because she truly feared his reprisal by letting him live, but by assuring her own survival in the grander scheme of things. Letting him live would have tragic results for her. The girl understood why it needed to be done, but she did not fully understand the consequences of her actions. In time, she would learn both, and from it, become a powerful Sith.

"You think I saved you? I did not conjure up the situation you were in and nor did I kill or protect you from anything. I simply opened your eyes up to the truth of who you were to be. I'm an opportunist and what I saw was an opportunity to show...not give...you a better life than you had. Do not mistake compassion for opportunity, my Apprentice. This notion you have of sacrificing yourself for a whole civilization is nonsense. What is there to be gained by doing something so shortsighted?"

Darth Venefica understood where the girl was going with this. But she was forgetting her first priority was her own survival. "What is it you seek to gain by throwing your life away? A statue erected in your honour? Poems and songs written of your glorious achievement? That is nothing more than delusions of grandeur. If time will not forget you, then an army that has conquered the planet long after you are gone will surely destroy any remnants of your feats, and when a new rebellion has ousted the invaders, the people will embrace a new hero. And the cycle will always continue. But your choices of causes to support are yours and yours alone. Whatever cause you choose, embrace it and do not let others sway you from it."


She had to laugh when she thought about a Sith Lord who thought he could balance both. In then end, he was nothing. "One can seek to balance both the light and the dark but they are confusing themselves. And they are squandering what the Force has given them. Their entire existence would be riddled with inner conflict, always contradicting themselves and never knowing the difference between what is right and what is wrong. But worse, they would be viewed by the followers of the Light Side and the Dark Side with skepticism. They would have a life of solitary and loneliness. Allies would be few, if any, while their enemies in greater numbers. Also, your powers will be weak, thus making you weak. And you will find that your powers will rebel against you. All powers in the Force lean toward the Light and the Dark, playing favouritism to one...and you alienate the other."

She cocked her head to the left adding, "And if you need a title to associate with such a person...then I would suggest outcast. I'm sure that word is haunting familiar to you."

[member="Mandy Diaz"]​

 

[Mariya Pyne]

The master's approach to mercy didn't sit well with Mandy. There was something about it. She agreed that everyone must pay their dues and undergo struggle, but she saw the necessity for granting mercy to those opponents who could in fact, become great allies through the act of being merciful. She spoke nothing further of the subject, as she did not wish to instigate an argument over the matter. She nodded her acknowledgement of Venefica's words and continued listening to her other questions answered, one after another.

"I do believe you saved me, whether or not you choose to admit it however, is entirely up to you. Had you not been there, I would have been killed. Your mere presence saved my life. Take you out of the picture, and I would be lying in a pool of blood on the floor of that Rodian's complex. Sure, I killed him, under your advisement, as I had not thought to look so far into the future to understand the consequences of allowing such a dangerous person to live, but I still believe that you saved me, even if it was simply your opportunity."

Hearing the rebuttal towards sacrificing herself for an entire civilization, she cocked her head to the side and nodded slightly. She understood the reasoning behind this. Perhaps she had been wrong in her idea that saving a world was proper. She felt emotionally drawn and morally compelled to save the ones she cared about, so it felt natural to believe in saving an entire civilization from destruction. "I suppose it could be circumstancial. If this were my family, or my home, I would fight to save it. It wouldn't be about statues and history, but about my own belief in doing what is necessary to save the legacy from where I came."

As Venefica spoke of the impossibility between being a balanced entity of light and dark, and made mention of the word outcast, she winced slightly. "So then it is not possible to wield both sides with their combined strength? There must always be separation?"

[member="Darth Venefica"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

She never viewed herself as someone's saviour before, and yet her Apprentice strongly believed she done that. Perhaps, unaware she was doing it, she had pulled the girl from the jaws of death. If this was what the girl chose to believe, then Darth Venefica would accept the girl's word as fact.

"There always needs to be separation. You can balance both...but as I stated you are only weakening yourself. Most, if not all, powers associated with the Force rely on the Light or Dark Side. Example, a Jedi who embraces the Light Side loses his or her temper and uses Force Choke, a Dark Side power associated with dark emotions, has now allowed the Dark Side to enter him. Even though he used it, it would be far weaker than a follower of the Dark Side and you risk doing more harm to yourself...especially with higher tier powers."

Darth Venefica clasped her hands in front of her body. "The stronger your connection to one side, the stronger your powers will be. Also, attempting to use powers from both sides will drain your Force energy more quickly because the Force needs to accommodate for your lack of alignment. And even if you have knowledge of a power from the other side, it could fail you since all powers are associated with emotions. Example, Sith Lightning, or Force Lightning, heavily relays on emotions like anger. If your anger is subsided and you attempt it...nothing."

She hoped that this clarified what her Apprentice was asking. "Do you have anymore questions before we continue?"


[member="Mandy Diaz"]

 

[Mariya Pyne]

[member="Darth Venefica"]

All of this was so new to her, she felt so very ignorant with her constant prodding and questions about what was seemingly the very basic understanding of the Force. Placing her hands behind her head she leaned back and looked up and around their surroundings, before taking another bite of the food she was given. "I suppose that is logical. Though it would be nice if you could master both light and dark side traits and become extraordinarily powerful. I guess if it isn't to be though, I will follow your lead as to which side is best to learn."

She stood up, finishing the apple with a final chomp of her teeth. "So, what is next, now that I've nearly lost my sanity in that chamber of crazy. Do all Sith come here to be enlightened? Or was this a special trip for me?" The answer didn't matter so much to her, it was more or less to satiate her curiosity of her master's intentions.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

"Only the strong willed come here...and even then some of them cannot withstand what they have been shown. So yes, this was a special trip for you?" Darth Venefica had her doubts about bringing the girl here, with her mind clouded and confused. The risk of madness was great for her Apprentice but the Sith Knight felt the girl could rise above it all. And she didn't disappoint. Now the time had come for the girl to learn to command the Force. She had passed the test of pulling a rock to them. However, that was only one simple rock.

"One of the main problems in using the Force...especially against an opponent is distractions. No matter how powerful you become, a small gesture of distraction can break your mental focus which can lead you to breaking off your power sooner than you desire." Darth Venefica unclipped her lightsaber and lit it. "Like the lesson with the rock, I want you to pick up three rocks and move them about. And I will attempt to distract you in the process."

Darth Venefica swung her blade a couple of times, the sizzling blade cutting through the air. "Whenever you are ready to begin?"

[member="Mandy Diaz"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Bah. Wrong alt.

 

[Mariya Pyne]

Mandy looked at [member="Darth Venefica"], wide eyed and entirely nervous about the lightsaber. "You're...Going to swing that at me?" She turned to face the small pile of rocks once more, trying to focus on them and ignore the bright red pulsating blade of death waving through the air. The girl drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes, training her mind on the objects just a few meters away as she reached out through the Force in an attempt to lift the three stone rocks. "I'm ready."

Slowly, and one at a time the small stones loosened from their rubble home, and gently floated into the air while she awaited the inevitable interruption by her master. 'Please don't hit me' were the only four words running through her mind. She didn't know what it felt like to be cut by a lightsaber, and she felt it best to leave that up to the imagination.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The moment the rocks began to move about, Darth Venefica moved her blade inches from the face of her Apprentice, allowing the girl to feel the heat flowing from it. The crimson blade began to move down the front of the girl's body while the Sith Knight reached into the girl's mind letting her presence be felt. "Focus on your task...not the invasion of your mind." She began to play games with her Apprentice, jumping in and out of the girl's mind at will. "Concentrate...train your mind...do not allow me to break your concentration."

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the rocks waver a bit then correct themselves. This earned her Apprentice a smile, one she would not see. Using the force herself, she began to push the rocks this way and that way forcing her Apprentice to work harder, doubling her efforts to prevent them from crashing to the ground. "Do not allow me to take the rocks from you...use your mind to fight back." She could feel more pressure on the rocks, and again she smiled at her Apprentice.


[member="Mandy Diaz"]

 

[Mariya Pyne]

Mandy flinched the instant that the blade approached her face. Nearly entering into full blown panic. Her only restraint was that the saber swing was simply too quick for her to climax that panic and drop the rocks. Following the initial shock, where the rocks had obviously faltered for a moment or two, she corrected herself and continued to train her mind to pay only enough attention to her surroundings that would prevent one from entirely sneaking up on her, while diverting the majority to the objective.

She then heard the sound of Venefica in her mind. Well that's different. Can she....Hear my thoughts? The girl floated the rocks a bit more and then toyed with the idea. She spoke to herself, unsure if the Sith master could in fact, read her mind. Can...Can you hear my thoughts? What am I thinking? No...That's silly, surely she can't hear what I am thinking. That would be invasive and scary. She corrected her positioning of the rocks once more and then felt a sudden pressure against her own movements. She's trying to knock them away... She funneled more of her will into the rocks to keep them stable. She was no master of the art, but she was hopefully good enough, for now at least.

[member="Darth Venefica"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The girl from Coruscant was displaying great feats of keeping herself from being distracted. The Sith Knight could feel the pressure on the rocks as her Apprentice fought to keep control of them, earning the girl another unseen smile. This girl's mind was well trained and properly trained further, there would be few that could oppose her will. Darth Venefica saw all she needed to see. The girl was not easily distracted, and that alone would save her life in unsavory situations.

The powered down sound of the lightsaber echoed in the chamber, and the pressure on the rocks from the Sith Knight's mind relaxed; leaving only her Apprentice's focus on the stones. "Very good. All battles against Jedi and Sith are with wills and distractions...or any enemy. Not with weapons. The greatest duelist can be bested by even the average will, such as distractions. Remember this...everything around you can be utilized to serve a purpose for you."

She watched the rocks hover for a few minutes later then decided the girl had the foundation to build from. Everything began with a foundation, it was the structure above it that decided the sturdiness. "Enough. Sit and rest your mind for a few minutes. Before we continue, it is time for you to learn the Sith Code."


[member="Mandy Diaz"]

 

[Mariya Pyne]

Taking a break from the exertion of combating her master against the rock levitation, Mandy smiled at her work as she released her grasp on them. A small freefall before they knocked against the ground and halted their movement. With a nod, sat down in a kneeling position on top of her legs, hands placed lightly atop her knees. "I see. I will keep that in mind for the future, master."

"What is the Sith Code, exactly? Some form of secretive communication to ensure that we know who is Sith and who is not?" The girl was ignorant, but she was nothing short of inquisitive and logical with her thoughts, given that she had never really encountered anything Force related in the past, this was more or less like learning the world around her as if she were an infant once again. "Or is this more of an honor code to live your life by to support ourselves?"

[member="Darth Venefica"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

She couldn't help but to smile at the mention of the word honour. There was honour among thieves, honour among bounty hunters; but there was no honour among the Sith. Had her Apprentice grew up in one of the Sith temples and believed there could be honour in the Sith, she would have thought the girl naive. But the girl had not been subjected to such nonsense being taught at some of the temples. She was pure and unmolested by those teachings. "The Code of the Sith is a edict that all Sith strive for. It's a way of life to ensure that you reach your full potential. The Code is as follows. 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."

Darth Venefica allowed those words to settle into her Apprentice's mind. "Peace is a lie...there is only Passion. There could be no peace without conflict, peace is a weakness that only fools are quick to embrace. The galaxy thrives and survives through conflict, giving birth to civilizations and destruction to those that believe peace is the only course of action. As a Sith, conflict is in our nature, our passion. It is through conflict we can measure ourselves against others."

The Sith Knight sat down across the girl, legs crossed and her palms resting on her knees. "Through Passion...I gain Strength. As you grow, you will find more challenges facing you than ever before. As a Sith, you will fully embrace these because it is passion that will lead you to greatness. To deny your passion is to deny who you are or what you can achieve. Before I continue, do you have any questions for the first two lines of the Code?"

[member="Mandy Diaz"]