The First Steps

[Darth Pyrrhus]

[member="Mullarus"]

The Revenant, Darth Pyrrhus' Shadow-class Reconnaissance Corvette had jumped to hyperspace, leaving the busy Sith capital of Coruscant behind. Before they reached their final destination, it was time to address his new apprentice. The journey to the ocean planet would take a while. As the ship travelled, the Sith and Sith hopeful would train.

He had passed the first test, and become accepted as his apprentice. Now came the time to see what he knew, and based on that determine how to move on. He would gauge his apprentice, and ensure that the emotions fuelling the Dark Side were like a constant current within him. Firstly, the trip would not be an easy one for Mullarus. The Sith Knight would see to it that his body was pushed to its limits. This Togruta did not moved neither gently nor slowly forwards. Only through the fires of conflict would the finest Sith be born.

"Do you know the Sith Code? Recite it to me." the Togruta demanded. If he didn't know the Code, that was fine, he would simply have to educate him. At any rate, it seemed fitting that his very first move was to ensure that the Sith Code's meaning was not lost on young Mullarus. The two found themselves in a fairly large room, that was now being used for training purposes. Its size served their purpose, and they would not be interrupted. Instead of splitting it on three different individuals, now Pyrrhus' focus was entirely on Mullarus.

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Mullarus felt a sense of satisfaction as he finally left the surface of Coruscant. He had been there training and waiting to be claimed by a Master for a few weeks. He didn't learn much there other than how dirty the city-planet felt. To Mullarus, it did not feel like a Sith world. It felt tainted by the Republic and the Jedi.

However, as The Revenant lifted off and broke the atmosphere, Mullarus reached into a pocket in his robe and pulled out the silvery-green Ilum crystal, which seemed to calm him down further. Suddenly, Mullarus felt like he could safely call himself Sith now that a Lord has finally taken interest in training him. The only other time the young man had left the surface of Coruscant in the past month was the very trip he made to Ilum to take part in a Sith Tournament. He remembered facing off against the other "Acolyte", the small pink spawn with the cyan-bladed lightsaber. Truely a test of his skill, all it seemed to teach Mullarus was how much he still had to learn.

Today, he would begin to grow.

He found himself standing in a wide-open room before Lord Pyrrhus, his new master, the Togruta. Mullarus stood before him and listened to him, smiling to himself.

The Sith Code. Finally. Something I know by heart.

"Peace is a lie. There is only passion.

"Through passion, I gain strength.

"Through strength, I gain power.

Through power, I gain victory.

Through power, my chains are broken.

The Force shall free me."

Mullarus could feel the Force brushing against his skin as he recited the Code that inspired him to become Sith.

[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Pyrrhus listened to [member="Mullarus"] reciting the Sith Code. He was familiar with it, and spoke it without doubt or hesitation. "Good. Do not forget those words. Do not let their meaning be lost on you." in those words, at their core, was the key to unlocking what it meant to be Sith. Whether he held up to the ideals of the Code remained to be seen, an area that would be under constant examination.

"To be a Sith means to live a life in a constant state of conflict. Peace is to stagnate, your powers will grow dull, and your potential will be wasted. I will teach you fury and hatred, to ensure that the Dark Side forever burns hot within you." if he squandered that gift, then that was on him.

"What did your trainers at the Academy teach you of lightsaber combat? Are you familiar with the forms? Do you have a preference for one of them?" Pyrrhus continued in his task, to assess what knowledge the Academy and his family had imparted on him, and where Pyrrhus would follow up.

 

[Krux Mullarus]

"Admittedly, I did not find many willing to teach me much at the Academy, aside from one class on Force Sight. The only lightsaber form I have practiced is Form I: Shii-Cho."

Mullarus had a brief moment where he reminisced on the horrible, abusive training his grandfather gave him, making him shudder.

[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Pyrrhus nodded slowly. He knew the Sith Academies were competitive by nature. While everyone were privy to group sessions, and introductions to the basics, one-on-one lessons were reserved for those that one way or the other demanded the attention of the tutors. It made the Togruta ponder as to why he had not found many willing to teach him. Was it a lack of initiative on one's part, or a lack of interest on the other's? Sadly, there were plenty fools teaching at the Coruscanti Academy, hence why that was all they aspired to within the Sith hierarchy. Their progress had stagnated. And so he wouldn't fault his apprentice for their neglect. There was great promise in Mullarus...

"Then you know the basics. We can build upon that. The form that is best suited to you will reveal itself in time." Shii-Cho was the standard place to start. The fact that he already knew this game them a good starting point. "What do you know of telekinesis?" Pyrrhus had thought for a moment to focus their first lesson on lightsaber combat, and he still might. It was all a matter of which ability was most urgent. He knew the basics of lightsaber combat, but did he know the basics of the Force? Even though most considered telekinesis a basic ability, it had always been Pyrrhus' opinion that a master of the basic could go a long way. It was all about getting the maximum benefit out of the least amount of energy spent.

[member="Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Telekinesis. The ability to lift things up without touching them. Mullarus struggled with it during his training with his grandfather, but eventually got into the habit of using the Force to move things.

"Ah- Yes, Master. As a matter of fact, I was able to lift and throw my opponent about a dozen feet behind me in a duel recently with a fellow sith who was...er, felt stronger than an Acolyte."

[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

"Excellent" the Togruta commented, with a slight nod. So he knew the basics of telekinesis as well. This was good. "So you've been introduced to the basics. Now it's time we take that, and elevate you to Sith. Mediocrity is the death of any Sith." he would not have average become a part of his vocabulary, not in reference to himself and his own. "Once you've grasped the basic understanding of a technique, push yourself to excel in it. It is only when you truly understand how it works, that you can grow in it. Don't become the dull blade, remain ever sharp." Practice, practice, and practice. The three most important lessons of an acolyte.

Satisfied with the map of his apprentice and his abilities, the Knight was ready to move on. With a flick of his wrist, a long box near the edge of the wall opened. Out from it, a number of droid remotes activated, and took to the air. Three in total, two more in the box, although how many were called into action was up to the apprentice.

"Focus. Draw upon the darkness within you to get in touch with the Force. Be prepared." The Knight instructed and part-warned. Then he tossed the apprentice a basic training saber. Whether they had taught him anything about deflecting blaster bolts at the academy or not, was something they'd soon find out. Either he knew, or he'd learn. In any case, Pyrrhus would take what knowledge he had and expand upon it. The remotes began circling Mullarus, hissing now and then in an almost mocking tone, as they feigned attacks. Then the first opened fire.

[member="Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Do not become the dull blade. Remain ever sharp.

Pyrrhus' words echoed through Mullarus' head, beginning to compare his master's words of wisdom to those of his grandfather.

Hopefully he is not as...physical

His dark blue eyes then noticed something flying toward him. He reached up and snatched it out of the air.

What? A lightsaber?

Mullarus took a moment and examined it. Sadly, he noticed, it was not a real lightsaber. The basic design, a dark grey cylinder with a blue button on it to ignite the blade, partly gave away that it was, in fact, a training lightsaber. A blade weak enough to grab with your hand and only burn it mildly. Obviously, it is for practice.

Mullarus ignited the blade when he saw three training remotes. Back on Anaxes, Lord Jekyll would throw remotes like this at his grandson, only the objective of that particular session was not to deflect blaster bolts, since Mullarus did not have a training lightsaber then. Mullarus' grandfather instructed him to bob, weave, and avoid the incoming blaster bolts and then strike at the remotes with his vibrosword.

Blaster deflection was one thing Mullarus had no experience with. It would become clear to [member="Darth Pyrrhus"] that this was a flaw in his apprentice's training.

Despite his uncertainty and inexperience, Mullarus held the training lightsaber with both hands in a strange pose that looked like it could be defensive. The red blade was held at roughly a fourty-five degree angle away from Mullarus' body directly in between himself and a particular remote.

But the one behind him he had not focused upon opened fire, striking Mullarus directly on the back of his leg. He flinched, gritting his teeth as he felt one of his many cybernetic implants under his skin give off a small spark upon being shot with the stun bolt. Needless to say, it hurt a lot more than it should have.

Motivation to not screw up...

Mullarus tried to ignore the pain in his leg and held the saber higher, watching the remotes, waiting and listening.

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Normally, Pyrrhus would frown upon using such weapons. Training sabers were for Jedi Padawans who hid in their temples, safe underneath their thick helmets; free from harm, free from pain. This was not the way of the dark side. Yet, to wield a lightsaber, the Sith’s badge of office, he would have to earn it, and convince his master that he could wield it.

Darth Pyrrhus took notes on everything the apprentice did. Everything from stance, where his focus was, as well as how he responded to the blaster bolts was observed. It seemed they had their work cut out for them. But if that wasn’t the case, well, they wouldn’t be here in the first place! That was kind of the point of their arrangement.

“Don’t ignore the pain. Use it. Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Let it fuel you. Like a medium, pain is a passage to connect to the dark side” with a nudge of the Force from Pyrrhus, the remotes seized their assault. “Don’t trust your senses. Your eyes can deceive you. It takes your brain time to register the position of the remove, its sudden movements, and its firing of the bolt… time that doesn’t always allow you to react fast enough”

The remotes began circling Mullarus again, making mock hisses as they feigned the sound they made when firing. “Through the Force, this limitation of bilogy can be overcome. Reach out with the Force. Feel the movements of the remote. Sense not where the remote is, but where it will be” the answers were there, it was up to Animus to reach for them.
Pyrrhus gave him a moment to consider, before once more, with a gesture of his hand, they started firing again.

[member="Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Mullarus felt some of the circuits on his leg buzz, reacting negatively to being shot by stun bolts. The pain drove him insane. He grit his teeth, trying to ignore the pain.

Precisely when Pyrrhus instructed him not to.

Of course...use the pain...revenge...make the remotes pay...get angry, but...have to focus...

His hands gripped the...'lightsaber' tighter. He made an attempt to build that anger up. Shoot me again...I karking dare you! I'll dismantle you!

It would be small and insignifigant, but Mullarus fumed slightly. He got angry less at the remotes, more at his own master. Pyrrhus could probably feel his anger, but may or may not feel it directed toward him.

Either way, he looked a lot more determined. As the remotes started to circle him again, feinting their attacks, Mullarus lashed out instead of defending, using his built-up anger to swipe at the remote behind him. The red blade missed it's small mark, giving it the chance to shoot him underneath his arm. Mullarus grunted and groaned loudly, becoming frustrated.

"Blasted remotes! Why do you have to be so damn small!?"

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

[member="Mullarus"] took the Togruta’s advice to heart. The rage built within him, but with his fury he seemed to lose the focus. “Through passion, I gain strength. Be the master of your own emotions. Use them to serve your purpose, do not become their slave.” he warned, his tone hinting at judgement. To lose oneself to ones own body was a great risk that came with the lure of the Dark Side. When Pyrrhus had been an Acolyte, and recently introduced to the Dark Side, he too had lost himself in it. One of its results had been a rather bloody engagement on Iridonia where his predatory teeth had ripped into the flesh of a Jedi Padawan’s face. It was torn clean off. She had died a horrific death. “Do not become the beast, but be its handler.”

Then Mullarus broke free from the training pattern, and assaulted the floating droids. After a missed attack, Darth Pyrrhus shot his hand out towards his apprentice. It radiated with dark blue energy, which quickly discharged through his fingertips. This became the first time he felt the concentrated charge of lightning surging from his master’s hand towards himself. May the Force be with him if he ever dared to step out of its path.

Whether it was to punish Mullarus for failing to contain his rage and master his task, or for missing his mark, was for the apprentice to figure out. If he felt there was truth to both, then that was likely the case. The lightning, assuming it hit, would surge through Mullarus body for moments that likely would feel longer for him than for Pyrrhus. Afterwards, however, it was straight back to business. “Again” the unforgiving Togruta hissed, and without much break, the remotes would restart their process, firing at the Human.

“I will constantly put your life in danger. You will survive, and prove yourself Sith, or perish. Fail your tasks and you reveal you were never worthy of becoming my apprentice in the first place. This is the way of the Sith. You succeed, or you die.” Pyrrhus presented his ultimatum through near-gritted teeth. “You will be forged a Sith through trials of fire. Do not expect to go through them without facing pain or suffering. I will make sure of that” it was what he needed to grow strong. He would be pushed to his very limits, emotionally as well as physically. And in those moments, he would likely hate his master.

Darth Pyrrhus would harness his apprentice’s hate. His anger was sweet but uncontrolled. He needed cold hatred to temper it, and someone to act as the source of it for it to become focused. Pyrrhus would gladly assume that role. While his apprentice might grow to hate him for the ordeals he put him through, he would grow stronger in the dark side because of it. Pyrrhus would undermine him, while he desperately sought his master’s approval. Only when he was truly ready would he receive it. Until then, he would have to fight to continue to be considered useful.

 

[Krux Mullarus]

The young man was easily expecting a lecture regarding his action, trying to strike the remote instead of defend against it's attacks. He even would have expected support for using his anger. What he was not expecting was to be harmed. Sure, Mullarus was no stranger to being harmed by one whom wished to train him. This was the very reason his grandfather threw him around and made him suffer through his basic Sith training.

As [member="Darth Pyrrhus"]' jolt of electricity surged through Mullarus' body, striking his cybernetic implants before spreading through his veins, causing immense pain he had not felt in a long time, he swore he could hear Lord Jekyll laughing in the back of his mind. He remembered a particular lesson back on Anaxes, an evening that hosted much suffering for young Mullarus. He was only seventeen at the time. Waves of lightning, not just a single jolt, flew from the old Sith Lord's weak, pruned fingertips and singed the skin of the young man cowering on the floor, yelling and pleading for his grandfather to stop...

~~

"Grandpa, please! I-I-I'm s-sorry! I won- AAGH!! IT BURNS, GRANDPA, STOP!!!"

The robed old man standing before the young, dark-haired boy did not smile as he relentlessly punished his grandson. Moments ago, the young boy tried to strike him in a fit of rage. He would have to learn that to lash out at his own master was not only dishonorable, it would get him killed in the real world...

Jekyll ceased his punishment, folding his hands together in front of him. "My son, to be a Sith one must know when to raise his blade. Against me? Your own master? The warrior whom goes out of his own way to forge you into a man who can truely call himself Sith?"

The young man looked up, his body shaking from the electricity that was just burning every inch of his body not thirty seconds ago. Mullarus' indigo eyes shed a tear, "You're supposed to train me...n-not..." Mullarus raised his voice, his anger continuing to keep him on a leash, "NOT ABUSE ME!"

Now, the old Lord Jekyll stifled a chuckle. His grin, however, quickly returned to being a frown, "This is mercy, Mullarus...any other Sith Lord would have slain you already...break the chains that your emotions have you wrapped in. Through victory, your chains will be broken...fight your emotion. Be victorious. If you cannot...then you cannot claim the title." Jekyll spit the final word out almost hatefully for maximum emphasis.

"Sith"

~~

In that single moment, Mullarus could feel the lightning coarse across his body, striking and shorting out his cybernetic implants one by one. Temporarily, of course. Their purpose was to keep Mullarus alive in case something like this were to ever harm him again. They were programmed to resist the lightning and reboot a few moments after shorting out. Strange tech, it was. However, the feeling of his own insides shorting out and giving up for even a few seconds was enough to make Mullarus feel intense pain. The flashback that was triggered by the pain soon faded and Mullarus' eyes, now bloodshot, shot open. He inhaled dramatically, feeling life return to his body which relies so heavily upon the implants surgically placed inside of him after being so brutally punished that night.

Do I even deserve to be alive...?

"Again"

Beneath the hatred he felt for his master, he knew this was necessary. It was the Sith way. He didn't like it, but it forged warriors more powerful than any Jedi. It was strength to take pain and use it against their enemies. Take pain and use it to make oneself stronger. It made one hell of an enemy, which is why the galaxy has always feared the Sith. In a perfect world, it would bend it's knees to them.

Painfully and regretfully, Mullarus staggered to his feet, reaching forward and grabbing his training lightsaber by his foot. Standing up straight, he could feel sweat rolling down his face and his lungs gasping for air. He grit his teeth, holding the saber with both hands, defensively. His master's lecture echoed in his mind. He would not like it, but he would absorb his wisdom so that one day, he would prove himself good enough. He would prove to Pyrrhus that he was worth calling him "Apprentice". Even if he had to suffer some more.

*Tish! Pew!*

Mullarus quickly ignited the training saber and turned on his heels, bringing the swathe of red around to slap the blaster bolt away, planting itself against the far wall instead of Mullarus' back. Despite how exhausted he now appeared, Mullarus' eyes of indigo showed even more deep determination than he had shown before as they stared straight forward, as if not being used at all. He reached out with the Force and felt the movements of the remotes. Very faintly, he could make out the inner circuitry of each one. He could feel when the one to his left was preparing to fire and turned to it quickly, spinning his blade and denying the blaster bolt the satisfaction of bringing him more pain.

Become strong enough to replace him. Make him suffer when you are as strong as he is.

For once, Mullarus embraced his grandfather's words.

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

[member="Mullarus"]

The punishment was brutal, even unintentionally so. Pyrrhus had not forseen his reaction, or taken any cybernetics into account. But pain served a higher purpose. He felt Mullarus’ hatred, but more importantly, and something which forced a smirk to form on the older Sith’s lips, was that he felt Mullarus understood it. He drew upon it to push himself forwards against impossible odds. He was beginning to understand what it meant to be Sith

He did not reward Mullarus with the sound of compliment or praise. This was what was expected of him. Even so, his eyes made an effort to hide the sense of pride he felt, that his apprentice had taken a step in the right direction. This was good.

“I want you to start redirecting the blasts.” as soon as he mastered one thing, the next challenge was put before him. It was almost as if a constant reminder was placed before him, telling him he was not good enough. Of course, the realization that he had room to grow ought to excite him. For by hanging close by the Togruta’s words, the power was within his grasp. “When you block the bolts, angle the tip of your blade towards the remote and punch forward lightly with the saber. This will send the bolt back in the general direction of the attacker” and so the natural next step in their training was set. They would continue to drill this for hours. Pyrrhus would not offer rest until he had satisfied him with his growth. Then came the second lesson.

Staying true with the theme of the day, saber practice and defence, it was time to take a step into the more advanced. It was time to teach Mullarus Soresu. Whether it developed into a passive knowledge, or a form he continuously practiced and eventually mastered, was entirely up to him. Pyrrhus was merely passing along his knowledge, and left it up to the apprentice what he would do with it.

“Have you heard of Soresu? It’s the third, and most defensive of the lightsaber forms. Quickness, cunning and patience. These are the tenets of the third form. What it lacks in aggression, you need to compensate with the use of the Force” he lectured, and more or less repeated what the one who had once trained him in Soresu had told him, Darth Zilti. “The key to Soresu is not to overthink. If you do, you will be in conflict with the Force. Trust in it. Allow it to flow through you.” It was very much similar to the concepts they had introduced earlier. Rather than something entirely new, Pyrrhus attempted to continue building on what Mullarus already knew.

The Togruta ignited his own blade, and showed off the defensive stance of Soresu. This time the remotes focused on him. As they fired, he would block with fluid and swift motions. Mullarus might note that he kept the blade relatively close to his body, and centred. There was no excess motion, only what was absolutely necessary to defend. It was an economy of movement.

“A master of the form, or even an experienced practitioner can fend off multiple attackers, and not just those using blasters. If you can maintain your focus, you do not need to use much in the way of effort and so you can maintain this kind of defence for hours.” the remotes came at Pyrrhus more aggressive than they had at Mullarus, but yet the Togruta seemed to effortlessly strike them all away. Then they stopped. “Allow your opponents to exhaust themselves, while you conserve your energy. Force them into making a mistake. Use the terrain to your advantage. Eventually, they will make a mistake. When they do, and an opening is revealed, punish them for it.“ Pyrrhus ended his little lecture on the theory of Soresu. But it was high time Mullarus put it into practice. “Implement this into your defence. Again” and once more the remotes gathered, and once more they would harass Mullarus until the Sith Knight said stop.

 

[Krux Mullarus]

[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

Some of Mullarus' muscles would tense up every now and then, one or two of his cybernetic implants continuing to short slightly from being electrocuted. For implants that were created to withstand electric bursts, they were not doing their jobs well. Most of his were working fine, thankfully.

Pyrrhus explained how to angle the blade of his saber when deflecting. Sounds simple enough... He gave it a try. A single remote faced him.

*Tish! Pew!*

The small bolt struck Mullarus' blade as he pushed it forward. The blast struck the wall instead of the remote, but it worked nonetheless. He did not expect praise. In fact, it was something completely alien and unknown to him. Work knowing that learning and growing will get you less punishment instead of more reward. Brutal, maybe. Effective, without a doubt.

“Have you heard of Soresu?"

In his time training with his grandfather, the only lightsaber form he ever practiced was Shii-Cho. However, a few of the more well-known ones to the Sith were lectured. Shien, being a brutally offensive form. Ataru, offensive with many flips and jumps. Makashi, for dueling. Soresu, for protecting oneself from blaster fire.

That was the extent of his knowledge, so Mullarus told his master, "No"

"Quickness, cunning and patience."

"Patience"

Patience...a phrase valued by the Jedi. Feh. Mullarus was never particularly known for being patient, so Soresu would not come to him naturally.

He watched his master perform the form himself, studying his moves carefully. When the time came, he would ignite his training saber and take his turn. He copied Pyrrhus' defensive stance to the best of his ability, which would be close, but his legs would be slightly off-balance and a bit too close together, as if Mullarus was waiting to move out of the way instead of stay grounded. The remotes moved.

*Tish! Pew!*

*Tish! Pew!*

Two blasts almost consecutively! Mullarus panicked, succesfully deflecting one, but following up too much and being struck on the back of his leg, groaning softly and gritting his teeth. He held back his frustration, preventing another outburst and simply trying again. It would take the young man many tries. Soresu was clearly a great weakness for the man who sought to learn the more offensive forms over the defensive, seeing Soresu as more of a 'Jedi Form'.

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Darth Pyrrhus observed as Mullarus copied his stance and attempted to use Soresu to defend against the incoming blaster bolts. He had come a long way since they had started today. Though blaster deflection seemed to come natural to him, the third Form did not. To Pyrrhus, Soresu depended on the virtue of patience. This was not a trait he recognized in many of his fellow Sith. Some would probably dismiss it, or even call it a trait more befitting Jedi than Sith. Naturally, the Togruta disagreed. It was all about staying in absolute control, the general on the battlefield who observed and reacted, unaffected by waves of opposition. It used a cold, calculating hatred, rather than blind fury. It was about mastering emotion, making it work for you, rather than the other way around. Though this was the way of Pyrrhus, it only worked well for him because he was of that mindset.

He sensed that Mullarus felt uncomfortable with it, much like he himself had when his master once had first introduced him to Djem So. He had used it, effectively even, though ultimately, Soresu had felt more natural to him. He wasn't turning Mullarus into a clone of himself. He would recognize the boy's strength, and see that he nurtured those, rather than wasting his time on lost projects. He would teach him the basics of Soresu, if only to grant him an understanding of the form and its mindset - it was highly likely he would face Jedi utilizing it, as there were far more Soresu Jedi than Soresu Sith. Pondering what Mullarus might excel at, Pyrrhus' mind ventured to the fifth form.

Despite being struck by the bolt, Pyrrhus had little sympathy for it. With a slight gesture of his hand, the Force gripped at Mullarus' leg and pulled it in place. His legs were too close together, and so he forcefully adjusted his stance with the Force. His stance was weak, and it did not appear as if he required much pressure to be thrown off balance. If he fell now because of the slight pull, that was another lesson learned. "Calm" Pyrrhus urged, seeing his apprentice panic, and seek to return to his usual response. "Peace is a lie, yes, but sometimes the torrent of anger and hate can be a veiled secret, nurtured to the boiling point underneath the surface before it is unleashed upon an unsuspecting enemy at the opportune moment. Deception is as much a tool of the Dark Side as any other."

Soon, they were interrupted from their training by a voice over the comm. The interruption could only mean one of two things. Either they were about to reach their destination, or something unexpected had happened. "Darth Pyrrhus. We are about to arrive at our destination." The Togruta nodded. They were on schedule, though training often had oneself lose track of time. There was still time, but it would soon be time to round off this session, and move on to Mullarus' next test. It would not be gentle. "We will end this soon. First, show me that you have learned something. Again" and with another gesture of his hand, all of the remotes descended upon him at once, ready to challenge him for the full duration until the ship finally was brought to a stop.

[member="Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

What better way to learn of my enemy than to practice their techniques, I suppose...

Mullarus suddenly felt his leg sweep out from its place under him and out to the side. His balance was lost for a moment, but he quickly recovered, though surprised. With this new stance, he felt more agile. He could move his torso around more - and faster - to deflect these pesky stun bolts.

"Calm"

Feh... The apprentice wondered if his master was trying to teach him the ways of the Jedi or the Sith. Soresu form? Lectures on calm? Patience? He didn't argue, nor did he close his mind to the subject. If the jedi techniques would be learned by him, he would be able to personally feel their weaknesses so he may exploit them.

The remotes descended, beginning to fire. With his legs spread at a near-perfect distance now, he was not only able to deflect some, he was able to move his torso out of harm's way. Mullarus even managed to redirect a bolt back at a remote, causing it to beep in panic for a moment.

[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Rest was overrated. Pyrrhus would continue to test his apprentice, to push him by upping the challenge the droids posed. However, [member="Mullarus"] appeared to be picking up and was defending himself nicely. The incoming bolts met either his lightsaber or nothing but air, and a few bolts were even redirected. Even as the ship dropped out of hyperspace, and floated above the planet below, Pyrrhus would continue to push him. They could wait, while a Nautolan officer steered the ship in range.

At the end of the hour, however, the Togruta seemed content. "Enough, for now." he sensed the conflict in his apprentice, a certain sense of distaste for today's lesson. Pyrrhus didn't mind in the slightest. On one hand, he had discovered what style didn't complement the apprentice. Yet he would learn, and he would be grateful. Mullarus would put the information to use somehow. Or he wouldn't, instead leaving it an opportunity lost.

"I will teach you other forms later" at least now he had ensured he had a solid defence, with a lesson that combined Shii-Cho blaster deflection as well as the basics of Soresu. "For now, I have another challenge for you." as if Mullarus hadn't been tested enough... Though in the eyes of the Togruta, there would never be enough. Everything was a test, it only ended when you died. "Walk with me. Leave the training saber." And with that, Pyrrhus turned. The two of them would walk down the halls on the edge of the ship. To their side was a transparisteel wall that showed the planet that floated beneath them. It was not Glee Anselm. Instead, it was Vullain.

Vullain was a frozen planet with a harsh climate, and an equally harsh people. Due to the rough and frozen terrain, farming was nearly impossible. Even their alcohol, Xanna, was nearly poisonous to most other species, but just barely safe enough to drink. The dominant race of the planet were the Zhornee. Most of the population was spread out among small farming villages near the equator, with few living in the glacial poles of the planet. Because of constant wars, plagues, and the environment around them, most Zhornee lived to be around twenty years old. Due to a 6:1 female-male ratio, they were a matriarchy. The males of their species traditionally worked the fields and the homes, only allowed near politics and business-owning as servants. The Zhornee Empire had an iron grip on it's people, and seeks to control every aspect of their day-to-day lives. The average Zhornee had little-to-no news of the world outside their village, and even those in the cities are misinformed with propaganda. Only 5% of Zhornee were literate, mostly nobles and business-owners. Until now, the Zhornee Empire had not permitted any contact with the outside galaxy. This has led to the species growing xenophobic. Most Zhornee believe aliens are pillagers, cannibals or demons, and fear that if offended or upset, that they will eat or steal their souls.

"You will travel to this planet." Here, Mullarus would be tested. Darth Pyrrhus was continuing tradition, merely following up what his own master had exposed him to back in the day. Different planet, same philosophy. "You will find no hospitality on this planet. You must survive and endure in its hostile climate for one standard month. If you are still alive, I will come for you then. You will bring with you nothing but yourself." the verdict was passed. He would found no warmth on the planet, aside from whatever heat burned within him, fuelled by the Dark Side. "Harness the powers of the Dark Side of the Force. Practice what you have learned, and prove that you will succumb to no opposition. Prove that you are Sith. Then, maybe one day, it will become true" But only if he made it into a reality. "When you are ready, there will be an escape pod waiting for you."

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Mullarus' heart sank down into his stomach. The task placed before him sounded...brutal. Was Pyrrhus trying to have him killed?

The greatest victories are born from overcoming the greatest adversities.

The words of his grandfather. The task would definitely not be easy, nor simple, but it would further whet Mullarus' blade and help temper him into the weapon of the Sith he wished to become. Upholding the law of the Empire and preserving the teachings of the Sith would come later. Now, it would be the time for Mullarus to prove himself worthy of the title. The title of Sith, as well as the title as the Sith Lord's apprentice.

"Yes...master. I will only need to change clothes. I will contact you via comlink when I reach the surface." The young man said, turning on his heels and walking calmly to his chambers.

"Calmly" was a lie. He appeared calm, but he shook slightly in his boots. How cold would it be down there? Was there even anything alive to eat? He hoped he would not have to resort to cannibalising the natives. But how would he even do that if he could not take his sword? He could only take himself and, if Pyrrhus would not interject, a few extra coats on his back...

Mullarus looked around his quarters, even sneaking into some of the officer's barracks to 'borrow' a couple of extra pieces of clothing. He even found a small holdout blaster pistol he could conceal in one of the pockets of his innermost coat. He wondered if he could sneak it past his master. Finally coming back to his quarters, he donned the heavy snow gear, which included the insulated mask he decided to 'borrow' from one of the officer's quarters. He would be sure to return it...if he got the chance.

Mullarus made his way down the corridors to the escape pods. He looked around and climbed in, beginning to set the launch sequence.

[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]