The Sin of Ambition (Part 2 - Self Training)

[Malok]

FRINGE CONFEDERATION - HYPERSPACE​

THE GHOST - CARGO HOLD​

Whilst in transit amongst the blurry, white lines that characterized the depths of Hyperspace, the young "Heir" known as Jacques Cavill opted to utilize the free time that was his constructively. After all, it would take several hours to travel the distance between Annaj and Skye, and as such the young man had quite the sum of time to kill. It was due to this ample sum of time that he decided to delve into the ancient secrets of a datacron he had received from his benevolent sponsor, the CEO of Czerka Arms. Rising from his pilot's seat, he strode the distance from the frontmost console to the cargo hold, where he then keyed in a series of digits into a number pad affixed to the wall. In response, locking mechanisms opened, and a single drawer slid open.

Within this small compartment laid the most valuable items within Jacques' possession, and out of these he selected the cube-shaped Datacron. It was inside of this simple device, which fit snugly into the palm of the young man's hand, that the ancient, personal knowledge of King Adas himself laid. His sponsor had seen fit to obtain recorded sessions of the entirety of the original holocron's contents and had them compiled into a rather simple format, which presented the data as if it were a typical holocron. The responses and teachings were voice activated; all the young Heir had to to was ask. With Datacron in hand, he closed and locked the drawer and strode along to the center of the cargo hold, before descending to the metal floor in a seated position.

His legs crossed and he placed the Datacron in front of him. For a moment, he was simply captivated by how well the item appeared to mimic its fellows; aside from the obvious difference in shape from a cube to the typical-Sith pyramids. Aesthetics aside...it was time to get started. Jacques reached out and tapped the single button on the side of the Datacron, which caused its form to glow with crimson light. Then, a single beam of the same hue shot into the air and manifested the image of an aging, charcoal-skinned member of the Sith species. The young Heir was looking upon the King himself, and as such he showed proper respect by inclining his head. It did not matter whether or not the projection was truly his gatekeeper or simply a rather well put together presentation of data.

Respect was respect.

Afterwards, Jacques elevated his head and began the session, first by greeting him by title and making a formal request.

"Sith'ari Adas, teach me the ways of Sorcery."

There was silence...and then the King began to reply.

 

[Malok]

The ancient Sith looked down upon the young Heir, with naught save aggression brimming within his eyes. Age characterized every motion he took, for there was a pronounced slowness as he folded his arms about his chest. Yet despite the obvious "challenges" of his age, the figure was truly one of sheer intimidation to behold. This was due to the armor he donned, and the exploits he had accomplished during his time of living. Despite being only the projection of a Datacron, the young Heir could not help but feel his heart drum away quicker within his chest; and to be honest, the silence before the utterance of the King's words were nearly maddening. However, following that small eternity of quiet, the King began to respond.

"To see my teachings fall into the hands of one so young...is surprising." he began. Of course, these words were not in the Galactic Basic Standard which came to characterize the Galaxy in the modern era. No, these words were uttered in the Old Tongue. They were like music to Jacques' ears, for he had been educated in how to read and speak the language...but never once had he heard it pronounced so eloquently. However, this was to be expected, for King Adas was indeed a member of the original Sith population. For him not to have the highest and firmest grasp upon his own Tongue would have been more than a shame. Nonetheless, Jacques found himself clinging upon each and every word uttered by the ancient monarch, despite the fact that initial impressions of him were small.

"Nonetheless...the Path of Sorcery is not one that can be simply undertaken by just any man. Only those with pre-destined blood may harness this gift of the Force and wield it to dominate one's enemies." His dark eyes fell upon the young Heir once more, to which Jacques met with his own meek glance. He had never felt so small in all his life, so humbled by the presence of one so powerful. His confidence, his training, and the circumstances of his birth meant next to nothing in comparison to the exploits undertaken by the King in his lifetime. However, despite the phenomenal sums of intimidation and the weight of inferiority weight heavy upon his shoulders, Jacques would not be denied in his ambition. He sought to sit upon the same throne as Adas, and as such had to start from the bottom.

"The blood that you speak of already runs through my veins." he replied. Like the ancient monarch, he spoke the Old Tongue; albeit with less eloquence. This fact came as a surprise to the monarch, as evidenced by the miniscule change in his expression. "Very well...Then we shall begin." came the projection's eventual reply. It was then that the young Heir estimated that it would not be as easy as this to pry information from the original holocron, and that the Datacron's formatting kept the personality of the individual, but ultimately would not deter them from accessing the information. Of course, this was simply a hunch...and a nice thing to tell one's self when staring into the eyes of one of the most legendary Sith of all time.

 

[Malok]

There was yet another break in dialogue on the part of the ancient monarch, but the young Heir dared not make any word against this. He was simply not arrogant enough to demand anything of King of the Sith, and as such he patiently awaited the commencement of his education in the ways of Sith Sorcery. Finally, after several moments had passed, Adas clasped his hands together and gripped the ring which laid upon his finger. Prying it off, he then leveled it before the young Heir for him to clearly see the rather large diamond that was set into the gold band. Jacques did not move, nor speak, he simply gazed upon the stone...perhaps there was something mystical about it...? "The diamond is nothing but a rock, young one." came the rumbling voice of the monarch.

Well, that answered that unspoken question.

"However, it represents much more. Think of the diamond as the Dark Side of the Force. There are many parts of it, like facets upon this stone. However, each facet is simply apart of the greater whole that is the Dark Side." he said, before returning the ring to its rightful place upon his finger. "The Path of Sorcery houses many secrets, and those who diligently walk this Path will be rewarded with phenomenal power. Some may elect to utilize this power to dominate the minds of their enemies, others to cause widespread pain and devastation; yet even these are simply two of the hundreds of possible applications of Sorcery. At the heart of this particular facet of the Dark Side is the negativity. You must embrace the Darkness which resides within your heart and utilize it as fuel for that which you intend to accomplish."

Once more, the young Heir found himself clinging to every word, and occassionally nodding along as if to denote his understanding of the subject matter. Whilst the words were uttered in the Old Tongue, and it was a moderate challenge to translate this particular dialect of the language. To Jacques' understanding, it was referred to as "High Sith", and was not that large of a deviation from the dialect that he was fluent in; but the differences were enough that he had to replay the monarch's words in his mind in order to make sure he translated them correctly. However, when the pause came, Jacques understood all that the monarch had stated, then posed a question of his own. He mustered all the confidence he possibly could and then asked.

"How does one accomplish this, exactly?"

 

[Malok]

Another pause.

It was at this point that the young Heir began to acknowledge the fact that, perhaps these pauses were not apart of the personality at all. Perhaps they were simply the Datacron's way of processing the requests posed by those interacting with it, and then projecting the appropriate response. However, even armed with this opinion, the intimidation factor was still a prevalent part of the encounter; and despite knowing that Adas was long-since deceased, Jacques found himself feeling exceptionally small. Regardless, the pause soon ended and there was a rumble in the Sith's throat, followed by the beginnings of a smile upon his lips. He was...laughing...at the young Heir, a fact that wounded his pride immensely. However, he still held his peace.

Humility was a hard lesson to learn indeed.

Once the chuckling had concluded, the King of Korriban went silent once more before finally responding. "I suppose I cannot expect one so young to know even the Basics of the craft...the future is bleak." he began, before getting to the meat of the matter. "In order to access the negativity within your Heart, you must do more than simply exhibit the emotions which coincide with the Dark Side. Being angry is not enough, for example. You must enter a state of supreme focus...much akin to a chalice, waiting to be filled to the brim with succulent liquor. You, young one, are the chalice. You must open your heart completely to the Darkness, surrender yourself to it...in essence, become Darkness itself...only then can the Dark Side of the Force reach into your heart and pull forth the negativity within to use as fuel."

"Only then can the chalice be filled. Do you understand?" To this inquiry, the young Heir first contemplated. Did he truly understand...after a few moments of thinking on the answer, Jacques answered in the affirmative; to which the monarch immediately responded. "Good. Then we will test your understanding. I shall impart to you the knowledge of a single Spell, one that you should be able to at least form in a rudimentary fashion at your level. It shall be weak, but as your walk along the Sorcerer's Path continues, it will grow strong. Are you ready to begin, young one." To this, the intimidated state which had characterized the young man was replaced by an air of eagerness. Finally, he would begin the trek...finally, he would become a Sorcerer!

"Aye, Sith'ari Adas, I am ready."

 

[Malok]

By this point, the young Heir was beginning to feel certain that his initial impression of the pauses was correct. He found that he could now predict when they would occur...which was in response to every single time he opened his mouth. Nonetheless, the eagerness that he felt within the core of his being outweighed his curiosity about the Datacron itself. In fact, he observations he was making were in the very rear of his mind; for the majority of his attention was plastered upon that which the ancient monarch was about to say. After yet another small eternity of "loading", Adas began to speak once more. His gruff voice filled the cargo hold with his eloquent pronunciation of the Old Tongue, and once more the young Heir found himself translating away.

"Very well. The Spell that you will learn this day is known as Odojinya. By uttering this incantation, and following the physical incantation that I am about to demonstrate, you will be able to physically manifest Dark Side energies in the form of a net about a target. This lattice will appear as...bolts of electricity, so to speak, and will continuously sap the strength of the victim caught within while causing unimaginable sums of pain. Furthermore, when facing enemies who have ties to the Force, this spell will also break their connection to the Force and render them literally powerless. However, at your level...I cannot foresee the effects being as dramatic as this. In fact, while this spell is nay unbreakable when wielded at the hands of Masters, in your hands, I cannot see it doing more than binding those at your level in the Force, or those with no access to its touch, while causing the aforementioned pain."

"The more you wield this ability, the stronger it will become...and one day, you will be able to restrain even the strongest of opponents and turn them from adversary into prisoner. Now then..." he broke off, before shifting his stance ever so slightly. The formal, yet relaxed, pose he had assembled was replaced with an even spacing of the legs and the extension of his left hand. There was silence for a moment, before he clearly and utterly spoke the word of power. "Odojinya!" There was no physical effect in the vessel, yet that was the point; it was to be a demonstration of the incantation. That...and a data-projection would be hard-pressed to wield the Force. Nonetheless, after another period of "loading" had commenced, the ancient monarch returned to his former stance and then motioned to the young Heir.

"Now, it is your turn. Attempt to obtain the state of focus, then utilize Odojinya. Cast it upon..." his eyes wandered about the cargo hold, "the crate in the rear."

 

[Malok]

"Aye, Sith'ari Adas." came the response of the young Heir.

In order to do this properly, Jacques immediately recognized that he had to get off of his rump and onto his feet. As such, he scrambled to a standing position, careful not to accidentally kick the Datacron across the cargo hold's floor, and was immediately greeted by the sight of the ancient monarch's chest. Despite the fact that the young man was rather tall in his own right, the King of Korriban was even taller; one of the additional facts that caused him to intimidate Jacques so greatly. However, once the initial surprise had subsided, the young Heir strode a few paces past the projection of Adas and focuses his attention upon the designated crate...and not the fact that the Sith's eyes were now drilling into the back of his skull.

A calming rush of air was inhaled in order to shake off this feeling of being small...and once accomplished Jacques began to place the entirety of his focus upon the task at hand. His eyes lulled to a close so that he may better concentrate upon that which the King of Korriban had instructed. He envisioned himself as but a chalice, then began to dwell upon the things that were in line with the Dark Side of the Force. He thought about his ambitions, he thought about the subjugation of all under his heel, he thought about many things...yet found the final steps increasingly difficult to achieve due to the sounds filling the cargo hold. The lights illuminated past his eyelids, the hum of the engines reverberated off of the wall, and every now and then a chill would race down his spine in response to the monarch's presence.

Still, he had to soldier onward and attain this state of absolute focus; for if he could not, then he would never be able to walk the Path. Another calming breath was taken, and following this he began to tune out the sounds in the room. Another breath, and the lights were no longer a hinderance. Yet another breath...and the young Heir did not even recognize the presence of the ancient monarch who was projected behind him. All that mattered was the Darkness...and he called out to it.

 

[Malok]

As the seconds ticked by, the young Heir focused entirely upon opening himself to the Dark Side of the Force. He had, with great success, blocked out the distractions of the room...and the distractions of his own thoughts as well! Now, he had but to follow the steps outlined by his ancient mentor and he would begin walking the Path of a true Sorcerer. At first, there was no change...but after several breaths of calm and calling out to the Black which resided in his very heart, he found the presence of the Force upon him. In its beginning stages, it was...much akin to a whisper felt in the deepest part of his mind. So soft that he could almost not hear its "voice". Then, it slowly crept upon him, drawing closer and closer until finally...it pounced.

And like a chalice filled to the brim with the sweetest of liquor, the young Heir was filled to the brim with the presence of the Dark Side. It spread within him, saturating every fiber of his being; and once he had obtained this state, Jacques forced his eyes open. There was no physical manifestation of this form of focus, only the feeling of darkness brimming within him like a mighty flood just itching to be unleashed. He felt it indeed...the rush of power was so enticing that he felt like a god. Perhaps this was what made the Sith across the ages hunger the power of the Dark Side so much...this sensation of feeling nay invincible was something so intoxicating that Jacques honestly did not want it to end. He wanted to continue to revel in the darkness...but there was a task at hand!

He assumed the stance that was demonstrated by the ancient monarch, focusing primarily on matching the hand motions. To his surprise, he found this a natural flow, as if this combination of spaced apart legs coupled with the motion of his arm was specifically made to feel so complimentary that there was no awkwardness at all. Then came the incantation, and with as much force as he could muster, he pronounced the single word with as much strength and passion as he possible. "Odojinya!" he nearly bellowed...then was amazed at the result. The Darkness rushed out of him like a river bursting through a dam, yet there was no physical surge of energies that issued forth from him. Instead, his target, the dusty crate in the rear of the cargo hold, was greeted by the sight of something which spontaneously manifested.

Out of literally nowhere, several bands of, what appeared to be, lightning conjured into being; coiled about its form. They constricted its girth, and then an instinct formed in the rear of the young Heir's mind. He followed it into fruition: guiding his fingertips into a closed fist. As if responding to this action, the lattice of dark side energies immediately constricted again, this time in an immensely tighter grip, and tore through the wood of the crate; utterly decimating its form. A cloud of dust then poofed into existence, and the young man relinquished his hold upon the Spell. He had done it. He had become...a Sorcerer.