Today for Tomorrow

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Teaching the next generation​

Sith Academy, Bastion​

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Although it had never been her main occupation within her position as a Sith Lady of the Empire, Darth Avacyn was no stranger to teaching in the academy. Whether it was to find a potential new apprentice or Valkyrie or to keep the spirit of her old Sith teacher [member='Darth Ferus'] alive, the latter being quite the ironic thing as she had been the one to kill him, from time to time the woman was found here. The chamber which belonged to Ferus, the place where he met his end, now belonged to her, but the dust that had gathered on nearly every surface was a strong indicator it was rarely used nowadays. After running a finger over the desk as she walked past it she rubbed whatever came off between her thumb and her index finger before wiping it off. She would find a use for the space someday.

Avacyn swept her eyes past a clock, which indicated that it was time to teach the class she had taken on her today. A group of acolytes who were to be taught basic lightsaber combat. Turning on her heel towards the exit of the room, she moved towards it and began making her way towards the hall where most if not all students should already have gathered. She paid little attention to the others walking the long hallways, having gotten used to the various kinds of looks she would get.

A short walk later the woman would enter the large chamber, taking quick inventory of the acolytes who had gathered there. There were around ten, all seemingly with vastly different backgrounds, from still quite young to older than herself. Admittedly, she was definitely young for someone of her stature, but age was of no consequence in regards to one's position. Power and accomplishments were what mattered. The armor she wore added to her imposing presence she carried with her, both in and outside of the Force, while her pair of matching lightsabers hung from her hips. Not until she stood to face the group directly did she speak, at which point she began.

"Welcome. I am Darth Avacyn. I shall be teaching you the basics of the art of the lightsaber today. My rules are simple- be respectful and you leave with more knowledge than you walked in with. Any questions before we begin?"

[member="Elline Adasca"]

 

[Elline Adasca]

Elline remained quite cold compared to the other students, they all had an eager and child-like attention to it all. Not the Arkanian, she was reserved and distant from her peers, not trusting them much at all. The weapon in her hand felt bizarre and out of place, she wasn’t built like a fighter. Far from in all truth.

Elline was a relatively short young woman, with a frame that was too thin and almost wiry at times accompanied by scars that had been given to her by the Talz back when she could’ve been considered a true member of the Adasca Noble family. Times change of course, and what Elline lacked in physical strength it was obvious she has in mind and a deep pool of hatred to draw on.

Idly, her blank white eyes rested on the Sith Lady. She was eager to become Sith, to go and use their abilities to further her delves into biology and the creation of new life. Alchemy, she had heard it been called, was where she wanted to be. It was a longboard road til then though, it seemed. And the Arkanian was stuck learning basics. To a semi-evident boredom.

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

While Darth Avacyn spoke, she had taken the time to further inspect those who would be learning from her today. Some were eager to learn, some were overzealous, and some were comically overconfident. It was nothing she hadn't seen before- the sad truth was that most who sought to walk the path of the Sith met their end sooner rather than later. Only the truly powerful survived while the others became the stepping stones of the former, the way it had always been. Although the woman herself was not introduced to the Dark side through the Sith, she herself knew intimately of the notion. The overzealous and the overconfident would fall eventually. They would become their own downfall, even if she tried to set them straight. Some could learn, they would show themselves in time and would most definitely do so the hard way, but those who were blind to their own shortcomings were beyond saving already.

One soul in particular, however, managed to catch Avacyn's curiosity. Unlike the other people around her, she seemed almost bored being here. It was often a sign of someone who felt they didn't need such lessons, but here there was still eagerness deeper within her being. No, there was another cause. A knowing glance was sent the arkanian woman's way before reaching for the lightsaber that hung from her left hip.

"The lightsaber is a powerful tool, but it is still no more than a tool. If the user is inept, it poses no threat. Don't let yourself become one of the many who think themselves an invincible warrior just because you wield one." Some in the small crowd seemed like they were supressing their reaction- those were the ones who would be leaving humiliated. "And if you do not believe me now, you will in time. Or you die."

Avacyn's attention then turned back to the arkanian, still somewhat intrigued by her. "You. Come over here." She patiently waited until she stood in front of her before continuing. "Try to strike me down. The rest of you, pay attention to her movements, as well as my own." The lightsaber in her hand remained in a dormant state, as though she wasn't about to be struck at by a deadly weapon. It was a fooling appearance, however- her reflexes were set to sharp, ready to react at a moment's notice.

[member="Elline Adasca"]

 

[Elline Adasca]

Elline would've laughed, she would enjoyed to. But sh learned to bite her tongue among the Sith. Such a waste of time, she obviously would fail in trying to strike out against such a woman. This was how Elline was, a genius with all the bad traits usually contributed to them. Her personality was far too distant from being charismatic, but regardless went about feeling out the weapon in her hand.

Her pure white eyes studied her for a brief moment, human. Basic enough. She went into her knowledge of biology when she fought: it was all she had to go off of.

Her weapon lashed out, moving down to strike at the woman's legs. The movement was sloppy, untrained, Elline was not built to fight and it showed more than enough when she was actually ordered to use a weapon.

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The the untrained eye, there wasn't much wrong with the strike Elline sent out towards Darth Avacyn, but the redhead knew better. Years of experience had allowed her to pick up on the more subtle parts of lightsaber combat, and it was easy for her to see how to abuse the movement to turn it around on the arkanian. The red blade that was meant to strike her legs came closer, but before it could reach its destination Avacyn finally ignited the saber that rested in her hand in order to react. With lightning-fast reflexes she angled her weapon to intercept Elline's, but while doing so pivoted around the clashing blades to move to her side. Now she was going to see if she could turn things around on her.

The woman then called upon the other hilt that currently hung from her right hip through the Force and it complied, causing it to fly into her hand. When the cold metal hit the palm of her hand Avacyn quickly wrapped her fingers around it and activated it, then wasting no time pivoting further to try to end up behind the arkanian to bring it up to her neck. That was the moment she had no choice but to disengage the bladelock, however, potentially giving her the chance to react.

She looked to end the demonstration quickly.

[member="Elline Adasca"]

 

[Elline Adasca]

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

And end it quickly she would. Elline wasn’t skilled with a lightsaber at all, she had actually almost no teaching in the weapon. That she even held one in her hand right now was completely laughable, she was a woman of brains, not brawn. For even with the weapon at her throat, her blank eyes studied her “oppenent”. She’d be potent when taught, that was for sure.

She was annoyed, of course. Being utterly humiliated to lesser races just as she had been shown to have weaknesses to that vicious pack of hounds the Sith liked to call “Acolytes”, she was formulating a fallback, a way to keep them off her back now. Cards to pull and allies to woo over. Totally silent, almost distracted and almost uncaring of the weapon at her throat.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Whenever amongst any group of students Darth Avacyn found one who just seemed unimpressed, it was often because they thought themselves more intelligent than their peers. In a way, it made them arrogant, even if it was different from arrogance based on physical superiority, which was more often seen. Those were perhaps the most frustrating to teach, for they were the least receptive of them all. The arkanian was among that group, of that the woman was quite certain.

Now, to directly scold them would have no effect. They found themselves superior, after all. In order for them to understand where the stood on the ladder, things had to be done in a different manner. Physically, superiority had already been shown, but that wouldn't change anything as long as she believed to have the mental high ground. Unfortunately for the arkanian, the short exchange had, in fact, done that already.

After a few seconds of keeping the lightsaber at her throat, Avacyn extinguished both of her blades and let them hang from her hips once more. "The arkanian race has the nasty tendency to believe they are intellectually superior to any other race. But that's not all too relevant right now. I'm going to assess the last few moments, please interrupt me the moment I make a false claim." She was quite certain no interruptions would happen, but if any was made she would stop to listen.

"The reason you struck out at me is because I instructed you to. You also knew, beforehand, that I hold the title of Sith Lady." These facts were quite easy to conclude. "However, let me introduce you to some different notions. First, that there are two kinds of Sith. Those who rise up to greatness, and those who are their stepping stones. In fact," she looked out to the rest of the group for a moment, "the vast majority of you will fall into the latter category. Only the fittest survive."

Avacyn's attention returned to the woman in front of her now. "What sets them apart is knowing when one is using you as a tool. The ones who make it far know to reject an order that allows them to easily make use of you. The others blindly follow." It was a lesson that someone who carried the title of Lady of Defiance most definitely had to understand.

"You followed my instruction despite obviously knowing the outcome. Yet still, you complied. You didn't question anything. You were the blind follower." After finishing that sentence, the woman let a moment of silence fall to let the arkanian reflect. If she had the intelligence her race was known for having, connecting the dots wouldn't be all too difficult.

"Is there anything I said you would like to refute?"

[member="Elline Adasca"]

 

[Elline Adasca]

"In Academy you are taught to not quite obey, but to simply provide for the betterment for other students. A folly of a concept of course, not applicable towards your own ideals but in that same regard I have taught little to nothing of them."

The Arkanian turned back to look at the acolytes, her blank face examined them. Hunting for weaknesses within them, examining all the little bits and pieces around them. Inferior trash, the lot of them. She said nothing as to the supremacy, Elline was a supremacist thought was quite quiet about it after being expunged from Arkania for such potentially dangerous ideas. And looking over these walking and breathing pieces of trash: she knew was smarter than them, brains over brawn. That was Elline in one phrase.

"But do not let submission to one of higher rank give the assumption that I would not gladly use all of them as...stock."

A strange comment, far less so when one considered what Elline was brought into the Empire for. Or to those who knew the doings of the Arkanian. She was brought for her mind and knowledge of sciences, for research purposes and of course she had worked out some minor authorizations and utterly ignored some parts to heavily modify her lab for the monstrosities she had already started to grow: rat mutants, basic things, but a mere show of her abilities to those who looked.

"But I was doomed either way, was I not?"

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"An interesting point." Beyond that, Avacyn did not feel the need to say any more on Elline's response, except for one thing. "However, it does not touch upon the fact you did not question my order whatsoever. Always questioning the actions of your peers is merely one group you are wary of. Those who have progressed further than you, be it ability or experience, and have perhaps even been granted a title to match their status, will look to use you to their benefit as well. Perhaps even more so." It wasn't something that one could stop being wary of as they ascended the ladder, either. She herself had killed [member='Darth Ferus'], a Sith Lord, in order to gain a stronger foothold in the Empire.

"So, for your own sake," the woman then continued, "take the advice from someone who has seen both sides of it. Question and challenge everything, no matter who it comes from." It was the very reason she was the Lady of Defiance. It was the reason she was alive.

"But to answer your question, no. In fact, I will reveal this; unless by definition there is no right or wrong way to do it, everything I ask you to do has a way to do it right." Avacyn took another look at the gathered group, deciding she had made them wait for long enough. "Had you questioned my order, we wouldn't have had this conversation. I am not a brute teacher, but one that challenges you to think rather than to follow blindly. I wish to train true Sith, not sentient weapons. We have gone on for long enough, however. We came here for lightsaber practice, not philosophy."

Eagerness flared up once again in many- despite Avacyn's objections to violence without purpose, many who couldn't control the Dark side fell into that trap almost immediately. When force was beneficial the ends always justified the means, but to go too far meant giving one's inner darkness too much power to keep under control. Those who were too eager would fall first. "Form pairs. One is on the offensive, the other is on the defensive. Keep it to simple slashes."

[member="Elline Adasca"]

 

[Elline Adasca]

The Arkanian gave no response, she didn’t feel one was necessary. A bit too submissive for a Sith? Or too interested in keeping her own hide intact? Either were likely and possibly true. She had listened intensively to that rattling of philosophy and just be a change in her shoulders and the general aura around her it became quickly apparent just how much more the Arkanian cared about this philosophical considerations than learning to wave some glowing stick around.

With a fine taste of surprises as well, how delightful. Of course that new spunk was quick to disappear as begrudgingly she went off with some brute of a man (in her own eyes at least) with Saber in hand she went to work on the defensive, very quietly growling at the raw strength of the man. He’d have been so useful in potential projects other than obviously just trying to wound the girl.

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Avacyn patiently watched as the group split up into pairs and beams of red lit up the room as they would begin doing as instructed. It was perhaps a bit odd to do so without much intruction, but she preferred seeing the habits of the individuals first before assessing what had to be taught in specific to them. She would be taking it pair by pair for this reason, and the first one was going to be the duo of the arkanian she had the exchange with and a man who had not been attracting much attention so far. They had begun their spar already by the time the woman had gone over, but before doing much of anything she simply stood there and observed for a moment.

"Now see if you can turn the situation around on him. See what he is doing and take the upper hand." It was clear both were far from well-trained, but in such scenarios only a single quick-witted move could easily shift the momentum in the defender's favor. The man almost wailed away at the arkanian without much thought, simply using brute force to slam down onto her with his blade. Something that Avacyn doubted the woman would have much trouble with if she elected to instead of block, used something different to avoid the strike and take over the offensive.

"And you," she then mentioned as her attention went back to the man once more, this time to address him, "mere brute force may work sometimes, but if you don't use your brain you won't live long to learn from today. Make it hard for her to take your momentum." It had to be a fair fight, after all. There wasn't much to learn when things were easy.

[member="Elline Adasca"]

 

[Elline Adasca]

How flattering to say Elline had skill, she must've really picked up on this stuff fast. She was rather atrocious at this whole Lightsaber and Force thing in her own mind, but she was a perfectionist to the max, rarely ever satisied with her work for more than a mere hour before yearning, though much closer to actually needing to be better. An impossible compulsion to escape.

Elline gave the woman a look, her guard fell for a few moments and she worked a mere footwork to sidestep heavy handed strikes, dumb brute. Her blank eyes, so emotionless seemed to give off an idea. She wanted to hurt him, greatly. But was actually asking permission to do so, it was not submission, it was a mere self preservation drilled into her skull.

Another swing of the saber which Elline was quick to twist around and have slide off her blade. A rather painful maneuver with just how hard he seemed to always throw his strikes down.

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"Now that everyone has had the chance to settle in, now you may all attempt to either gain the upper hand or keep it." Avacyn looked to keep the flow of the lesson going and let the rest of the group do what Elline was going to be attempting as well. Although she would be keeping an eye on them, her focus still remained on the arkanian and her sparring partner. She was quite curious to see how she was going to get herself out of the situation she was in.

It was in that moment when the arkanian's pupil-less eyes shot towards the redhead for a moment, and the message they bore was more than clear to her. Avacyn was rarely asked for permission for such a thing and it surprised her slightly, but that didn't prevent her from giving a quick and simple non-verbal answer: A look of indifference. One had to go as far as they needed to in order to succeed, and to do so should not require permission. People died in the academy, that was a simple truth but a grim necessity so that the ones who had the potential to truly become something great would have the stepping stone they need to get there. Simply hurting someone was not even close to that, and as such the woman had no issue with it.

What the arkanian would do next however, that was something she needed to see now.

[member="Elline Adasca"]

 

[Elline Adasca]

Elline simply was a person who knew she had come to tread along a wavy and unstable path, she trusted these Sith about as much as not at all. Some act of cold-hearted freedom or brutality in her mind would just as likely have her punished over praised, fresh. She was still so horribly fresh to it all, she needed to learn more than just how to swing around some glowing (and painful) stick.

The Arkanian made up for her (woeful) lack of skill with another trait: perception. She studied her opponent and put that genius intellect into seeing just how their bodies moved, added in with her gross obsession with biology to see and understand their weaknesses. She intended to pounce on said weaknesses without so much as a second thought. Her opponent, nothing more than an obstacle in her eyes, was riddled with these flaws; the acolyte swung to hard, effortlessly she could tell he was overexerting himself. He swung wildly, trying to distract and confuse her: wasted effort. She at least held the Sith concept of making one suffer for weaknesses.

After his next overexerted swing, Elline moved to the side again and swung low with a semi-remarkable speed. To no surprise the puny looking woman was a fast little rat, her blade slashed across his knee and quickly took him down. Her face didn't even budge, that had been nothing more than getting something out of her way.

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The yelp of the man when Elline's lightsaber swept across his knee filled the room, causing many to shift their attention towards him for only a split second. In some situations that was enough for their counterpart to take the upper hand, immediately teaching a lesson in how distractions were a powerful tactic when used in the right situation. Only a slight lapse in focus was enough for a skilled warrior to take the upper hand.

That wasn't what Darth Avacyn was focussed on, though. Instead she looked down upon the one who had caused the distraction, shaking her head slightly as she watched him struggle to get back on his feet. He would be fine, but his training session was over. "I dearly hope you learned something from that. Brute strength does not do anything for you on its own; you have to apply your naturally gifted advantage properly. Think on that." He would not get any help in getting his wounds treated, that was something he was going to have to do himself.

"Knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and working with and around them is something you know how to do," the woman then said as she turned her attention to the arkanian. "But don't expect to be able to use an opponent's incompetence against them often moving forward." It wasn't hard to figure that such a strategy would lead to quite disasterous results against a more skilled bladesman. In a way it was a crutch, but there still was nothing wrong with using such tactics if the opportunity presented itself. It was often a matter of life and death, after all.

As the remaining pairs continued, Elline now was with a sparring partner. For that reason Avacyn decided to step in her previous partner's place, although in a different manner. "I suppose I will have to take over for him. Just try to find a way through my defense, I will leave a slight opening at times for you to try to exploit." With that her left hand gripped one of the lightsabers that hung from her hips and unclipped it once more, igniting it and holding it in front of her. "And this time I will not strike back."

[member="Elline Adasca"]

 

[Elline Adasca]

Amusing enough to watch things progress, those warriors who pounced immediately on the weakness served an indefinite purpose to Elline and her potential career: they were the ones who she would have to go and watch out for. It was horribly amusing though to watch her former partner on the ground, that was no mere wild slash, it was calculated to completely take him down. He was useless on his feet till it was healed or fixed, if it was healed or fixed.

“So be it.”

It was a simple response, she was thinking more than anything. It would be an interesting experience to say the least, but she would figure it out eventually: she was actually learning something, knowing how to use her intellect in a combat situation. Seemingly learning, at least. Not enough tests to confirm it.

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]