The Sith Hunter and His apprentice. (Emily Kao)

[Jericho]

Some things couldn't be fixed. Changed. Mended. Such as dark missions as these. He touched the head of his akk dog and stroked softly. The wind was chilling but the sun shined brightly. With the sun at its peak, people should be bustling around. However, Jericho Hex didn't see people in the small village. He didn't hear any signs of life. The only signs the warrior could see were that of chaos. Everything was sparse, even the houses were creaking from the destruction and all he could do was look at it in distaste. Many dead laid and with building heavily scorched with low dying fire, maybe there could be survivors.

He walked slowly next to his large akk dogs carefully and looked around. Things shouldn't be this quiet... but it mattered little. He touched his saber out of habit to make sure it was still there, just in case. He has always been the type to stay on his guard. He looked around at the buildings. Every city had a tavern....and people generally went to taverns. Having spotting it, he walked in and paused. Still there was no one, but it was torn asunder was thought there was a great battle among the people who previously inhabited this village and the unknown force. He did a loud knock at the bar but there was no response. Running his fingers over a table, Jericho listened. He heard nothing but the creaking of the floor under his feet.

Jericho moved to behind the bar area and into the kitchen. A fire burned but there was nothing else. No food. No people. Even the fire was burning low. He scoffed as he continued to look around. Great. No one was here. It was as thought everything was taken and destroyed, as he continued to investigate the area and check each distinguishing marking. He notice a mark only a lightsaber would make and the only culprits he had to assume would do such an act of darkness, Sith.

Then Jericho heard creaking, he stood up slowly and then moved back toward the open area. His akk dogs both growling ready for a fight to defend their master. He kept his hand on his saber, ready for whomever wished to greet him and his pups.

[member="Emily Kao"]. (not what originally planned but wanted to do something more where they both can relate to.)

 

[Slot 20]

Emily staggered into what was left of the tavern. Her training saber dangled a few inches of the ground, her hand barely able to continue holding it. She was covered in gashes and bruises, and she walked with a limp. One of her eyes was a deep purple and nearly swollen shut. Any normal person would've passed out a long time ago from the beating and the blood loss, but Emily had been determined to stay conscious. Her clothing was in tatters, exposing past scars along with new ones. She'd fought with all her might during the Sith raid. But there were too many of them. She held off some of them, but others eventually got past her. Emily stumbled, grabbing the bar to keep herself upright. She leaned on it heavily and tried to lift her training saber onto it. She wasn't successful. She really looked like Hell.
[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

The noise came from a little girl, beaten and battered, bruised and bloodied. With this hurt little girl many memories of a past mission of his came into his mind.

“Kido…You betrayed m-” A gash on Jericho just opened and his blood spilled all over the woman. Tears fell from Amerll’s eyes, as she saw Jericho lying motionless as she was tied up to the pole nearby him. His right index finger twitched suddenly. He lifted his head and staggered up to his knees. “Let her go..” Suki approached him from behind and stepped on the back of his head. “Pathetic! We are going to kill this girl two days from now unless you bring me the package.” She pushed heel in the back of his head. Jericho grunted and groaned out in agony, “You became so weak after how much trouble you cause me and my master, over some little girl.” She lifted his head off the ground. “Take one last look at her while she is alive, Master Jedi…” Jericho’s eyes brimmed over with a sense of anger, but it quickly faded away. This was a mission gone wrong, what could he do to change the situation.

Suki and her sith knights, Kido among them, tossed him down once more and allowed Amerll to get close. She lifted and turned him over with what strength she had left, then moved his breathing mask to see his whole face. She was surprised when there was nothing wrong with it. “Master Jedi....I am sorry, to put you through all of things.” Jericho greeted his teeth he didn't want them to harm her at all. Suki brought edge of a blade to his eyebrow and dragged down to his cheek. Jericho’s did everything he could to not scream, he wasn't going to let them have the satisfaction of letting them know he was in pain.

Suki let go of his head, Jericho’s head fell to the mud and he covered his eye. Howling out, “Kido, lets retreat for now, we killed all the hot springs residents, lets head to the village.” Suki, kido and the other sith knights began to walk away from Jericho’s body. Leaving him to his fate; he reached out his hand trying to grab Amerll as they dragged her along. “I-I made a promi-“ His vision suddenly blurred and his head hit the dirt.

He gripped the necklace the young girl, Amerll had made for him as he snapped back to reality. She was just as old as the bloodied girl seemed to be. 'Not again.' He thought to himself as he called off his akk dog. He lowers his weapon and walked over to the girl and picked her up, whether she liked it or not and walked with her outside of the tavern.Telling from her wounds she put up a fight, a fight a small girl with limited training with a saber could, at least. The giant of a man sat down crossed-legged with her in his lap allowing to rest. Quickly, his akk dogs rushed out creating a protective perimeter around the two. He did a deep breath in and slow exhale and began he heal her to the best of his ability. "You're safe now." He said in his low stern voice. "What's your name? What had happened here?" As he began his little "interrogation", he could feel that she was force sensitive. A force-user that hasn't been swept up by the order or by sith?

Looks like he was going to take her in after this, whether both liked it or not.

[member="Emily Kao"]

 

[Slot 20]

Emily's mind was fogged, as was her vision. She barely felt it when someone picked her up and took her outside. She did, however, feel the coolness of the Force as it began to slowly heal her body. She heard a man's voice tell her that she was safe, and then ask her who she was and what happened. She swallowed, trying to gather what moisture was still in her mouth. ".....Emily...... Kao. I tried to- Ah!" She grunted in pain.
[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

Jericho sighed as he realized she was just to weak to speak to him about anything. It would seem it would take some time before he could track down those Sith tormenting the nearby area. He caressed her near-lifeless body as he continued to heal her with the force, slowly but surely her recent wounds began to fade. The large man stopped healing her for a moment to open a container filled with chilled water and then slowly moved to raise her head and gave her a drink. "There you go, Emily...." He stated quietly allowing to gather more of her strength before speaking to him again. Again, he started to heal her to the best of his ability,

[member="Emily Kao"] (sorry for taking so long!)

 

[Slot 20]

((OOC: It's okay. I'm just happy you remembered. ))

Emily sipped the cold water greatfully, the liquid soothing her throat. She coughed a bit before trying to talk again. "Sith...... " She said through her teeth. "I was...... I was too....... weak......." Her voice was soft, but the sadness and frustration could be heard in it. Tears began to fall from her violet blue eyes, dampening the gashes on her face.
[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

He placed a hand on her eye as she weakly spoke and healed her bruised eye. He showed no emotion, but within his being, the man shook with distaste. Sith were like bandits, only they were capable of this; when he finished healing her eyes, he used a hand to brush her hair to the side to see her whole face. "No....Quite the opposite young one." He stated with his low voice. "You were.....Are.....Strong to survive this and brave enough to do what you can." He patted her head as his master did to him to show some type of affection. "You are strong with the force, I can feel it's aura around you. Where is the one training you?" He asked this question only due to the face she had a training saber.

[member="Emily Kao"]

 

[Slot 20]

Emily's tears didn't cease. "My master....... she was killed by them. They killed her a long time ago," She said, her words beginning to come out in a rush. "They wanted to make me one of them. They wanted to see me break. They tortured me for weeks, and never stopped. But I didn't let them in. I didn't break. I will never be a Sith. NEVER...." Her voice swelled, a flare of anger pulsing through her.
[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

As the young girl cried, Jericho merely sat and continued to heal her. A death of a master was difficult to cope with, as his master had died in an explosion. Jericho learned some of the dark arts from a sith, so he could learn and understand how to resist darkness itself. He learned how to resist the temptation by understanding it, by knowing it. But the torture; to lose everything that you learned and seeing all the darkness first hand, involuntarily. This girl, Emily Kao, was tortured for weeks for endless hours but she was able to resist, able to fight against it. Could it been for her love of her former master? Was is calm that kept her away? Was it sheer determination? Or sheer dumb luck? Regardless, this girl had his respect. He wiped her tears from her face with his thumb. Her pain could be felt, her passion could be felt, as could her anger. "Emily, calm yourself, as your new teacher. This will be your first lesson, the sith allow passion to take them over they think this empowers them and it does, to an extent. Passion can both empower as well as make you blind. Do not allow yourself to blinded. Release...." He calmly stated as he relayed a calming aura to her.

[member="Emily Kao"]

 

[Slot 20]

Emily closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. She let her anger ebb and melt away. Finally, she began to squirm in Jericho's lap. She rolled off of him and onto the ground, forceing herself to stand. She fastened her training saber to the holder on her back and began limping back down the cindered streets of the village, not uttering another word. She was still fairly wounded but she didn't seem to notice or care.
[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

Jericho stood quietly when she rolled off. The man stayed put letting the wind carry his robe with its gentle flow as he watch the young woman limp away. He wasn't sure what she was up to at this point. But watched her closely, she wasn't at full strength and it would be careless of him just to leave her like this alone. He waited for what she was going to do next.

[member="Emily Kao"]

 

[Slot 20]

Emily made it to the remnants of the first house in the square. She stood for a moment in the doorway. Not twelve hours ago, this had been a house. She had stayed in the guest bedroom with the family that lived in it. She had played with their little five-year-old daughter in the living room. They made little bracelets for each other, and played hide-and-seek and built a fort out of the couch cushions. Stepping beyond the threshold was like walking into a graveyard of ashes. She knew that they hadn't survived. She could still hear the screams of the people as they fled through the streets. Or burned in their homes... A small jingling sound came from the ground as she took another step. She cleared away the soot to see what she'd stepped on. It was a tiny bracelet, slightly melted by the heat of flame. It was barely big enough to fit into her palm. A miniature replica of the one already on her wrist. Emily stared down at it, frozen where she stood. That little girl. That poor, innocent, beautiful little girl. She cupped the bracelet in both hands, gently lifting it from the ground. This child is..... Her family is....... She closed her fingers around the trinket. "I'm sorry...." Her whisper was so small, and yet it echoed through the entire village. For a moment, the silence of death was broken.
[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

As he watched from afar and walked closer to her quietly. He noticed that the young girl clenched her hand into a fist tighly around a bracelet. He towered over her only to gently place his hand on the young girls shoulder. She was dealing with much emotional grief, a lot for a young girl to take at her age even in times of war such as this. He allowed her a moment to ponder on her thoughts but there were sith waiting to be cut down to size and people to be saved. Not to mention now what she was going to be his apprentice of all people, there was going to be alot of training for her to do to. "Emily....It is time to leave this place." Jericho stated calmly.

[member="Emily Kao"]

 

[Slot 20]

Emily nodded. "I know," She said solemnly. She placed the bracelet in a small pouch on her belt and turned to Jericho. "Where should we start, Master?" She asked him. It had been a long time since she'd called anyone by that title. But she needed a master for this. She needed to get stronger if she ever wanted to hunt down the Sith that had scarred her life. So, with a sudden gleam of determination in her eyes, she stood ready to obey him.
[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

Jericho saw the determination in her eyes, she was ready for more, she was very unlike himself. She was driven to do more, Jericho did more and learn more just to understand his own life. This was is meant to do something big, if she put her mind into it or she could be a great fighter as he. Jericho nodded his head and turned around expecting her to follow him. "We head to naboo, my padawan...." He said, he was going to have to get used to calling someone that. "We will begin your training there. Prepare your mind and body for what I will be training you for." He stated as he continued to walk and pet one of his akk dogs. "You're training will be intense, your regiment will be exactly like mine. So rest up when we get to my ship."

[member="Emily Kao"]

 

[Slot 20]

Emily gave Jericho a swift nod and limped after him. She didn't know what to expect from his training. From what she could tell, he was one who trained hard and fast, and didn't slow down for anything except eating, sleeping, and meditation. If that's what it was going to take, then so be it. She would do it to the best of her ability and she wouldn't give up.
[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

1 month later. Naboo Forests, Day.​

Calmness.

Inner peace.


Jericho's eyes were closed and his face showed nothing but peace, his body was relaxed and showed no signs of tenseness nor aggressiveness. Sat and placed on the green land beside the beautiful stream, his bare feet were dipped inside the cool and running water flowing with grace and swiftness. The warrior was at peace, sighing most serenely in the air that surrounded him. His outer and physical appearance may seem in the most tranquil moments in his own history, but his mind is not.


Fire.

Agony.

He could see it now, the despair the mothers would have once their children have been taken away from them. In his mind, he could see the garden of misery the children would soon be in, thoughts like these had made his mind inwardly shudder most intensely. All the battles he has been in, the things he had to bare witness to. But that was not the point, a strong mind being had to understand and accept that it was part of life. He made his way into the a scene, ordering muffled demands and men standing behind him. Fire in the forest was not a pleasant sight, and the Serene warrior was about to go deeper into his mind until---


"Emily." He said calmly opening his eyes. "Enough meditation for now, we have been at it for hours, I has been about time I teach Nimen and the way of Sokan. Are you ready, my padawan?"

[member="Emily Kao"]

 

[Slot 20]

Emily sat cross-legged next to her master. Her meditation had gotten much better over the past few weeks. She'd felt more at peace, and been able to clear her mind easier. Her eyes opened. "Of course, Master." She replied. She could feel a slight tinge of disturbance coming from Jericho, but she didn't press the subject. If he wanted to share anything with her, he'd do it in his own time. She stood up beside him.
[member="Jericho"]

 

[Jericho]

He stood up slowly, "We will start with the art of Sokan." He said with his hand pressed on her shoulder. "This is a adaptation, a principle, if you will. Where you use the environment itself to gain a vantage point. I will give you thirty minutes to use this environment around us. The forest is your weapon now." He said calmly taking her saber from her grasp. "You opponent will be myself. I wish to see just how much you can grasp and understand this concept as it will be applied in the saber form Nimen." This was harsh, yes and yes he was very vague aside for the point. He did not give her examples nor an idea how to start but by doing this he would understand he level of being able to adapt to a situation and use what she can against her foe. "Your objective is to stay hidden and await for the right moment to strike at me." The large man sat down and began to meditate. "My advise, be very thorough. Your time starts now." He closed his eyes.

[member="Emily Kao"]

 

[Slot 20]

Emily took a deep breath. So, she had to use the enviornment to fight him. Right. She gathered Force energy and used it to sprint toward the forest, dampening her footsteps as well. She ran deep into the wood as fast as the Force could carry her. When she felt she had travelled a good distance, she went to work. She studied her current location. The trees would be an obvious place to look, as would the underbrush. Hmmm.... Then an idea came to her. Perhaps under the underbrush would be a better place. She quickly chose a place with relatively sturdy soil. Placing both hands palms down, she closed her eyes and concentrated. She used the Force to guide the soil upward into the air around her. Emily then hollowed out a place in the ground just deep enough for her to stand in and be hidden. Carefully jumping inside, she brought the soil back down around her, making sure not to completely bury herself alive. After she had precariously replaced the soil above her head and made it appear as if it had been untouched, she masked her Force signature. There. She was ready.
[member="Jericho"]