The Path to Conquest

[Lord Ajihad]

Ajihad caught [member="Darth Vizios"]'s smirk, and suppressed a frown. Did he find it amusing that his Shadow was learning to control the minds of others? The Demon's Fist didn't find anything amusing about it, but supposed it was just his master trying to get under his skin. However, Vizios's next statement seemed to indicate his approval for his apprentice's choice. He continued to eat, making sure not to eat too heavily. He had no idea how heavy their next training would be, an what it would entail.

Ajihad heeded his master's directions, and went off to take a shower. Though he could have chosen to take a nice warm and relaxing shower, he opted to take a cold one instead. It helped him stay on alert, and readied him for upcoming challenges. He cleaned himself quickly, as to not keep Darth Vizios waiting. On his way out the back door, the Nightbrother snatched up his Dathomiri energy bow. It was time to get to training.

 

[Judah Lesan]

Xander took to a shower, and left his hair wet and long to dry. His leather breastplate covered his chest, black pants, and two lightsabers hung from his belt. His own bow and quiver rest over his right shoulder, and the Sith made his way for the back. Three targets were set up. One was set far back near 300 meters, and the others were closer. Ajihad would have no problem hitting the targets closer, but the one further away would be a challenge. Today Xander was going to teach him how to use the force to enhance the distance, and accuracy.

"The force let's us do many things. One of those is to manipulate the objects around us. Today you are going to learn how to manipulate the arrows you fire from your bow. I am sure you are deadly with it, but by the end of the day, you will be unstoppable with it. It's Dathomiri, yes?"

Of course it was. Xander could hear the accent Ajihad carried in the dialect of his tribe. Xander knew the tongue of one of the sister tribes, but he rarely spoke it. He was not sure the clan existed as such. Perhaps later Ajihad would be required to give a history lesson. For now his focus was the target.

"For now warm up, let me see if there is anything in your form and technique which need adjusting."

[member="Lord Ajihad"]

 

[Lord Ajihad]

[member="Darth Vizios"]

As Ajihad stepped outside, he was met by his master. The assassin examined the targets that were set up. Two of them were set rather nearby, while the final one was set up a long way away. The Demon's Fist frowned. Surely, Vizios couldn't possibly expect him to to hit it? The nightbrother has spent many long nights practicing with the weapon, but he wasn't confident he could hit the mark.

When Xander asked about the bow's origin being Dathomiri, he silently nodded a yes. He didn't really like talking about his witch side too much, as it was a dark and twisted side to himself. Ajihad realized many people were fascinated with the witches, which was understandable. The Dathomiri witches were indeed a fascinating bunch.

He then listened as Darth Vizios instructed him to warm himself up a bit, and the Shadow nodded again. He eyed a nearby tree, and decided to use that for his target practice. He silently observed the tree for a moment, taking in every detail. He noted the locations where the branches met the tree, and how thick they were. After becoming satisfied with his observations, he allowed the force to augment his body. He let it make him faster. Much, much faster. As quick as lightning, he began firing at the branches. They started to fall from the tree, arrows burning through where the link was made. His arm was a blur as he rapidly fired. It seemed like his skills hadn't diminished at all, probably because of how often he practiced with it.

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Your form will do. Nuances are all I could pick at, but with what I wish to teach there is nothing to correct. You would do well to consider the placement of your feet given different types terrain."

Xander motioned to the arrow which [member="Lord Ajihad"] had just notched. His other hand rest on his student's shoulder. There would be a bit of pause the man needed to take as Xander was going to teach him something new. The skill was simple, one he knew, but an application of it the man had likely not though of. There were a mirad of ways to make it work, and this was only one. However, it was one which would make Ajihad a better ranged killer.

"Focus on the arrow. When you release it, push it with the force as well. With practice you will hit true to your mark, and find you can hit targets much further away than you would otherwise. Some call this instrument one of an archaic origin, but it is my prefered weapon. When you are finished to my satisfaction, we will be done for the day. I am not going to overwhelm you with new things constantly. You are also becoming me, not just learning skills."

 

[Lord Ajihad]

The assassin nodded, trying to visualize the task [member="Darth Vizios"] had just put forth. It seemed to make sense, he would use the force the gently manipulate the projectile until it hit the designated target. He supposed the concept was similar to that of a ship, utilizing slight manipulations in the object's trajectory to have a very precise impact. After taking a moment to get his bearings, Ajihad attempted the challenge. He fired the energy bow, and time seemed to slow down around him. He put tons of concentration into the object, continuously altering it to stay on course. As it rapidly approached the target nearly 300 meters away, he realized it was just a slight bit too far to right. The assassin went to fix it, but got excited and overcorrected. It missed by less than an inch too far to the left, causing a frown to spread across his face. Though the task had only taken a few seconds, it had felt like hours. Doing it again was going to drain his patience quite a bit more.

He repeated the action, this time making smaller yet more precise corrections. It was taking longer for the projectile to move to the desired position, but the hard work seemed to pay off. The plasma arrow found its mark, hitting the distant target in the dead center. Lord Ajihad relaxed his arm muscles, and released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. After taking a moment to confirm the accuracy of his shot using his cybernetic eye, he looked towards his master for perhaps a sign of approval.