The True Test is Learning From The Best.

[Darron Wraith]

Vendaxa​

Jungle Surface​

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The cries of nearby Acklay didn’t disturb his meditations, for he could feel each of them within miles of him. Vendaxa was a world designed entirely to kill things, that’s the way the ecosystem on the planet had developed. It suited the assassin, or whatever he truly was. Conversations with Orick had opened his eyes, he had dropped the “it” designation. Now, what was he to truly be called? That was still being decided. Whatever designation he had been given by his former controllers wouldn’t suit, but the nickname had suited him. He had heard it in whispers, well at least he had heard it during missions that he had vague memories of. Usually it was the last of the bunch, and rumors of his exploits had spread far and wide. Although, he didn’t know exactly what they were. The name, that had stuck.

Death’s Hand.

His moniker had earned him some notoriety he wasn’t aware of. Requests had come in from the highest levels of the Obsidian Order and the Techno-Union for training from him. Why they wanted to learn from him was beyond his scope, but Orick was on a mission and he had been left alone. One such request had been met with a bit of attention, it was one to learn how to saber fight. The knowledge of his force abilities and his mastery of the blade wasn’t common knowledge. So he had replied in the short, brief, style of prose and awaited the student. Death had seen the name before, some of his new equipment had come from the man’s company.

Armatech Systems.

None of that armor was being worn, it along with all of his sidearms were laid on a stone nearby. His new starfighter was parked a kilometer away, safe from the beasts of the world. Through his sphere of responsibility, he could feel all life as it was on the world. Everything was known to him, and he could feel his new student arriving.

Soon, battle would begin.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

The small briefing I had received from the Obsidian Order was simple. Come to Vendaxa. Bring only your weapons. You will find what you seek. It was cryptic, but I had asked them to send me to the very best trainers and masters they had available. They had worked for a while and then given me this on an encrypted datapad that had self-destructed after viewing. It hadn’t detonated. Just all information of the Datapad had been wiped automatically. There was no trace. Given the level of security and precaution taken to assign me to Vendaxa I decided to take the trip in full stealth of my ship. If the Order had gone through so much trouble to keep it a secret I should as well.

I wasn’t sure who I would be training with. The only thing I had been told was that I would know him when he found me. It was a vague statement, more of a warning than anything else. One I intended to abide by. My ship glided through the atmosphere and the droid guards onboard sealed it as I left, protecting it from the native fauna. I expanded my awareness. I was getting good at that now. I had started, barely able to cover ten meters. Now I was capable of over one hundred meter radius. My awareness covered a great many things, and my sense was in the process of being fine-tuned. A pressure began to build at the base of my skull. A sense of danger.

As I continued forward I felt the source off to my left. A beacon of the Force. Not truly dark, but certainly not Light. The source wasn’t hiding itself just yet, and such a beacon must be the man I was seeking. I wore but a simple flight suit and carried my lightsaber, gifted to me by the Silver Jedi, and Taak’Shukur on my back. He had said bring only your weapons, and I was more at home with a mace than the light weight of the Lightsaber.

[member="Death's Hand"]

 

[Darron Wraith]

“That’s close enough.” Death never turned, instead he stayed on his knees with his hands resting on his thighs. “Now remember son, you can’t let them get too close. You don’t want a repeat of what that man did to you do you?” Death shook his head vigorously, his eyes slowly opening. The tranquility and peace of the meditation were over, but the sphere of responsibility was always present. Memories that were just below the surface hinted at the fact that what he was doing should be hard. That what was so easy for him should be so hard. Every voice that came to him spoke to him as if he were some master, and the kill records he had found indicated as much. Whoever I was, I was quite skilled in many things. It wasn’t an arrogant thought, just an observation. Not many in the galaxy could say they could feel all the life around them on almost the entire planet….

...and it be a passive ability.

“Leave your weapons behind you. As well as your armor. You won’t need them.” His voice sounded heavy behind the mask he wore, but his usual armor and weaponry where nowhere to be found save for the lightsaber on his belt. Dark thoughts clouded his mind for a moment, then he let them go. If he didn’t, the visions around him would mimic the path his mind was going on.

“So, tell me who you are and what you desire.”

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

I nodded to the figure. Given the cryptic responses from the Obsidian Order this was the man I had been sent to. I wasn't sure who he was, or why he had been considered the best Instructor the Order could offer, but they had put that label, that faith on him. They had not led me astray before, I could trust that they would not lead me astray here. I pulled the mace and lightsaber off my belt and back and placed them on the ground about six feet from where I had been when he spoke, then I simply returned to that spot. It was a respectful distance from a master, and I saw no reason to approach closer without being instructed to do so.

I kept my Force sense expanded to its limits, about one hundred meters. There was no reason to change. The danger sense, the light pressure in the back of my skull abated some now. Either the being that was before me was hiding his intentions, or more likely I stood before the Apex Predator on the planet and the other creatures dared not approach.

The man spoke and I listened. I came to learn, and so learn I shall. His voice was heavy, as though weary. Not physically, just weary. When he was done, I responded. "I came because I asked for the best instructors the Obsidian Order could offer. They sent me here. I seek knowledge. Knowledge is power, wisdom, strength, and aptitude. I seek to gain what knowledge you are willing to offer." The truth and honesty were all I could provide. There was no reason to attempt to hide anything anyway.

[member="Death's Hand"]