Learning the Ropes (Ended)

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

The foul stench of death and decay defiled Saveeradeevaravaravee's olfactory receptors as he entered the ancient Sith Mausoleum. The bodies, of course, had long decayed - but the stench, and, more prominently, the essence of the dead was still rampant in the air. His fur stood on end as the smells were picked up and analyzed - and even tasted - all over his body. It was an eerie feeling - one that wasn't entirely Saveer's favorite in the world. But he could tolerate it. In his business, he had to.

As he walked further into the vault-like room, he began to feel an odd presence entering his body; he could only summise that this was the feeling of the Dark Side of the Force. It was very much like the sensation he observed when in the presence of his Sith Sword, a weapon said to be capable of amplifying one's Dark Side powers, only multiplied by an order of hundreds. Saveer didn't particularly like this feeling either; rather, he relished it. It seemed to bring him more vitality, more strength. It almost made him want to kill someone. But that wasn't his area of expertise.

Walking further through the darkness that was beginning to envelope his very existence, the seasoned trader began to peer more closely at his surroundings. Scattered across the floor were various artifacts that would make an average sentient's skin (or scales, exoskeleton... whatever they had) crawl with fear and disgust - in one place, a huge bloodstain, in another, a fully clothed human skeleton, still clutching a tarnished lightsaber hilt that had long since died - no doubt along with its former master. Saveer, however, was accustomed to such occurrences. Life in the fringe seemed to do that to you.

Dropping a small bag on the ground, he reached inside and produced a small, spherical object, dotted at regular intervals with red paint encircling a small stun-blaster outlet. The remote was yet another item Saveer had picked up in his many years as a fringe trader, and was said to have been used by Jedi in the days of the Old Republic for the training of combat skills. He had originally hoped to make a great deal out of it to some hapless Jedi twit, but now it seemed it could be put to a greater purpose.

He studied it for a moment before using his free hand to lightly touch a button on one side of the remote. He stood back and watched as it elevated itself from his hand, and then casually drew his sword from the sheath on his back in which he had stored it - alongside a few other heavy-artillery weapons that he never left home without. Raising the sword into the air, he prepared himself for the remote's attack.

The first attack came, and Saveer immediately jumped to place his sword into the line of fire. Too late - the stun bolt slammed into his right knee, causing him to cringe with the throbbing pain that followed it. Another blast proceeded, with similar results. Still, Saveer continued his struggle against the machine - eventually he would get it right.

Several minutes later, he was beginning to wish he had some help...

Or at least a medpak.

[Ambrose Braeden]

The Sith Vampire walked throughout his new home in astonishment. Noticing the ancient artifacts and tapestries that were set upon the wall for display. One of them hummed as it played the scene. Ambrose watched the tapestry, wathched as the small holographic man held a lightsaber and performed different types of lightsaber fighting techniques. After a few minutes the hologram stopped and started to repeat itself. Ambrose moved past the image. The Sith could feel a slight presence in the force as he rounded the corner. The tingle in the force was one that he had never felt before. But one thing was for sure, the sentient being was able to quiet himself and listen to the midiclorians as could the Vampire.

Ambrose clung to the darkness as he silently walked along the side of the hallway. He could see the being now, it was a humanoid coverd in fur. The Sith watched in confusion as he droped to one knee and pulled a small object forth from the small pouch he had droped moments ago. The humanoid activated the object and then rose to his feet. He then did something to peak the interest of the Vampire.

The being unsheathed a sword that and held it firmly in his grip. The sword was embued with the Darkside, Ambrose had only seen a few of them in his entire life. The rarety of the item was known to the Undead Being, so how one item as rare as this one had come to be in this man's possesion was a mystery. He could see that the man struggled to withstand the blasts that the object had projected at the humanoid, so he had decided he would offer a hand. A sharp buzzing sound came from the darkness and the smell of burnt ozone was in the air. A green glow now showed the face of the man who had been a simple bistandard. Ambrose stepped forward and held the lightsaber in a salute.

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

Narrowly escaping another stun blast despite the tingling sensation that plagued his body, Saveer threw himslef into a sideways roll, moving in a wide arc consentric to the remote. Leaping out of his roll, he again rose his Sith Sword, ready to block the next bolt that came at him - and he would do it this time! Suddenly, however, a sharp snap-hiss drew his attention, and he was impaled by another stun blast to the lower abdomen as his eyes darted toward the newcomer. He wasn't quite sure how, but he could feel the other's presence now that he was aware of it. Reaching out a hand, he snatched the remote from the air and put it in standby, leaving it in suspended animation where it was.

The lighting in this particular area of the catacombs was especially bad, and the newcomer was only barely visible by the dim green light of his lightsaber (it was to this fact that Saveer had attributed his inability to parry the onslaught from the remote). He cocked his head to one side, imitative of the primitive foxes to which his appearance alluded.

"I apologize, but I'm afraid I didn't hear you enter."

He thought for a moment before introducing himself.

"I am Saveeradeevaravaravee, but I would be obliged if you would simply refer to me as Saveer."

He glanced at the lightsaber, then chuckled lightly.

"I'm afraid my skills with a sword are of no level to be dueling with you, as I'm sure you have observed yourself. I'm somewhat of a newcomer here, you see, and swords have never been my forte."

A wry grin appeared on his face.

"However... for a price... I'm sure I can find you someone who would be happy to oblige you..."

[Ambrose Braeden]

"I am Saveeradeevaravaravee, but I would be obliged if you would simply refer to me as Saveer."

A small click was heard within the hall and the blade of the lightsaber retracted into its hilt. Ambrose cliped the archaic hilt back in his holster upon his belt. The Vampire bowed before the man, but he never took his eyes from Saveer. The Sith rose once again to his full height.

"I'm afraid my skills with a sword are of no level to be dueling with you, as I'm sure you have observed yourself. I'm somewhat of a newcomer here, you see, and swords have never been my forte. However... for a price... I'm sure I can find you someone who would be happy to oblige you..."

Ambrose stood for a moment to think about the offer just placed before him.

"I am Ambrose, And as for the object you speak of, what did you have in mind?"

Ambrose stood there in front of the man, both arms crossed over his chest, waiting for Saveer to respond.

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

Saveer looked slightly puzzled... an object? He shook it off.

"You see, I am a trader, an information broker. I don't know of any object, par say, that might help you, but with my network of resources, I'm sure I could locate someone for you to have your way with... if you get my meaning. Of course, it'll cost you... dearly."

He grinned. What could be better than making money? Except perhaps a medpak... his wounds were beginning to numb, and it was all he could do to maintain balance. For the flash of a moment, his vision went black as he nearly passed out from the wounds, but he recovered quickly, though not quite quickly enough to hide the sudden hitch in his posture. At any rate, the deal at hand was the most important thing. It always was, with his people.

"Of course, I can't make any promises on a deal like this... it might cost you a little extra to get an actual fight out of whomever you choose to..."

With that, he blacked out.

[Ambrose Braeden]

"Of course, I can't make any promises on a deal like this... it might cost you a little extra to get an actual fight out of whomever you choose to..."

It seemed as if time had stoped in that instant. His mind raced through the different fights that he had gotten himself into, and and had started. Fighting was no stranger to the Vampire Sith. It had become like a second language to him. Ambrose had developed many different styles of saber fighting techniques over the years that he had studied the ancient art of the Darkside of the force. That was what a sith had thrived on for power, was the Darkside of the force. It corsed through Ambrose's veins just as if it were his own blood. The effect that it had over him, he had become accustomed to it. The Vampire could seence the blood that was draining from the being and knew that soon something would happen. The next thing that occured to Saveer did not suprise Ambrose. With a loud thud that echoed throughout the corridor, Saveer's body colapsed on the cold concrete floor. Ambrose gazed at the being with his white fierce eyes before he decided to offer his assistance to the situation.

The Sith strided over towards Saveer and examined the wound that the blood was apparently coming from. Ambrose put pressure on the wound so the bleeding would stop and tore a piece of clothing from the wounded mans clothing. Tying a knot against the open wound assured Ambrose that it would hold for now. Scouping the symbiont into his arms, he walked down the hallway until he had come to the nearest room that had something to lay the limp body onto. An opening in the wall soon apeard to the Vampire and he stepped into the darkness. Laying Saveer's body on the leather couch, he walked about the room lighting the candles that adorned the walls adjacent to them. Amrbose thought to himself...

'With the lighting in the room, when Saveer regains conscienceness, he should be able to be fine.'

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

It was several minutes before Saveer finally regained consciousness, and even then it was another few minutes before he was able to recover from the disorientation that comes after repetitive stun blasts. When he had finally recovered, he sat up and opened his eyes.

The room was significantly brighter than before, and Saveer found him self sitting, quite comfortably, on a leather couch. Across the room from him, the Vampirish creature he had spoken to earlier had taken a seat in an expensive-looking plush armchair.

"Hmm..." he began, after a time. "It would seem I have trained myself a bit harder than I had realized... though some knowledge of the sword may have helped a bit."

Shaking himself, as a wet dog would, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Though he was still feeling a bit less than healthy, and his violet fur was matted and dirty, to all appearances he had made a complete recovery. It was supposed to look that way. Whatever it took to get the cash.

"So about our little arrangement..."

[Ambrose Braeden]

"So about our little arrangement..."

Saveer's voice echoed throughout the room. Amrbrose chuckled more to himslef than to the other being in the room. The Sith had completed many deals with many different bounty hunters in the past. Mostly from one man, Mockadane, he was a bounty hunter that spared no expence for a customer. Ambrose interlaced his fingers with each other and sat back in the chair, letting himself get comfortable.

"This arracngement is irrelevent...I do not need a person to fight. I have been in many throughout the years of my life. You on the other hand have something in your possesion that peaks my interest. I am wondering how it had come to be in your possesion."

Ambrose motioned to the Sith Sword that the Violet furred creature now weilded. The Vampire's former master Lord Soth held within his grasp the power to embue a blade with the Darkside. Although Ambrose had never learned the trait that was so very difficult to attain, he had known that it had taken a Sith of great power to embue that blade. There was only three other people that weilded swords that were embued with the darkside. Mockadane, Dalamar DeSang, and Saurron. Only three men in the galaxy to have these magical swords, now four men.

"It must have cost you dearly to posses such a weapon as that..."

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

Leaned further forward, dropping his voice to barely above a whisper.

"Let's just say that, in my business, I come in contact with many... shall we say... desperate customers. Archeologists, scientists, even the occasional Sith Lord sometimes comes into the need of my," he laughed once, "unique services. It doesn't often take much to pry the most prized possessions out of such a being's grasp."

The Sith Sword, as Ambrose could plainly see by the "decorations" covering Saveer's body, was not the only possession he had acquired in this manner. Though he was quite obviously not a highly skilled combatant - at least not yet - his body was covered with rare and highly illegal weaponry. An MSD-32 Disruptor Pistol, a belt full of thermal detonators and cryoban grenades, a Relby-K23 blaster pistol, designed to be as painful as humanly possible, and a weapon rarely seen outside the Unknow Regions known as a Charric decorated his waist. On his back, he wore a DF-D1 Flechette Launcher, a Rail Detonator, and a coiled up Lightwhip, alongside the Sith Sword that was still sheathed there. On one wrist was also strapped a small Prax Arms Velocity-7 Dart Shooter, and in his boot was visible the hilt of a modified Vibroblade. Across his sholder was draped an amunition belt. In the small bag that had been left in the other room had been various other supplies - medical tools, communications devices, a set of VibroKnucklers, and, most importantly, a Jedi Holocron that had been traded to him several years earlier. Indeed, o the casual observer, he seemed an expert bounty hunter.

Unfortunately, he lacked experience with those weapons, and couldn't bullseye a womprat from two feet's distance.

"Indeed, many items can be obtained this way..." He gestured to his wide arsenal. "Unfortunately, I still need a teacher."

[Ambrose Braeden]

"Indeed, many items can be obtained this way..." He gestured to his wide arsonel. "Unfortunately, I still need a teacher."

Ambrose unlaced his fingers at the words that had come forth from Saveer. The Vampire once had aprentices, and students that learned from him about the Darkside, so the Sith was no stranger to being a mentor. Before he had awaken from his slumber and found the Shrine to be destroyed, he had put his student through a test. The test was to defeat one of the Vampire's personal guards. Ambrose knew that the student was weak with the force, and durring the fight, the apprentice had lost his life. It was no loss though, just a fallen comrad who was incompitent and did not deserve to weild the power of the force.

Ambrose stood to his feet, walked a few meters away from the chair, his midnight colored robes ruffeling around his feet, and placed his hands behind his back. Interlocking his fingers, he closed his eyes focused on his emotions and his anger. He reached outward to find the force, and there it was, waiting for him to return. The Sith felt the force flow throughout his body once again and it was exiliratino. Ambrose opened his eyes and had stared once again at the violet furred symbiont being that moments ago was sitting right across from him. With a slight motion of his hand, he suggested to Saveer to stand.

"Please stand...I will help you solve this puzzle that you have been curious about since we met."

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

Obligingly, Saveer rose from the leather couch on which he had been seated, only to meet with a rather jarring twinge of pain that wove its way through his body in a way that made him cringe. Still, great things were reached through perseverance, as was the case with the trading business he had taken great pains to build from nothing. Brushing away the sharp pain that coursed through him with every step, he moved somewhat shakily toward the other sith. Just as he reached him, however, a sudden thought struck him.

"How is it that you know so much about the Dark Side that you are able to teach me of it? Was not your application posted just beside mine at the Customs Outpost on Correllia?"

Still, as he had so often found in his life, professional training was not the only way to learn a skill, and there were certainly other teachers to be found outside the walls of The Sith Order. Anything that could help was always worth a shot. Without waiting for a response, he continued.

"Nevertheless, I will listen to what you have to say. I would of course be more trusting of a full-fledged Sith Master than of yourself, but I will not shun any advice you have for me. However, this trust will last no longer than you give it reason to."

Heading out the door with a slight limp, he began moving toward the room in which his supply bag had been left. When he arrived, he spoke, keeping his back to the vampire who followed him in.

"I am somewhat proficient with any of the weapons you see in my arsenal, meaning that I know how to pull the trigger, with the exception of this Sith Sword. I have yet to find anyone familiar with such a weapon - which is one of the many reasons I sought out the Sith. I seem to have some natural ability in the Force, but the effects of this seem to appear in random bursts and I am unable to control them; they seldom appear at all when this Sword is not present, but I can still sense their existence even then. And as far as lightsabers go, I have yet to come into possession of such a weapon. The Jedi and Sith seem quite reluctant to trade them away, it seems."

He turned to regard the other from the corner of his eye.

"Of these, what have you to teach me?"

[Ambrose Braeden]

"Of these, what have you to teach me?"

Ambrose focused on his emotions and without moving a finger, the lightsaber that was firmly clasped upon the Vampire's belt moved within the air coming to rest in front of the Sith's face. Then with a motioned of his finger, though it was not apparent to the violet furred male, the archaic lightsaber hilt floated back down and once again rested upon the clasp that was on his belt. Ambrose looked once again to the young Sith.

"That is how one would manipulate the force. With the midiclorians in our body we can sence different things. Once you quiet your mind, you will be able to listen to them when they speak to you."

Ambrose tilted his head, motioning to Saveer to test out his skill.

"You try..."

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

Saveer closed his eyes, raising his level of focus to its maximum for the task at hand. Reaching out, attempting to quiet his mind, he listened for the whispers of the medichlorians, concentrating on lifting the weapon into the air. For a few moments, nothing happened. Finally, however, the lightsaber on Ambrose's belt began to shake weakly. There was no motion at first, but the the saber finally rose shakily off its hilt and rose in a very irregular zig-zag pattern to hover in front of the vampire's face like a repulsarlift on the verge of exploading. After a few moments, Saveer attempted to replace it as the other had done. Instead, however, the saber merely fell with a dull thud to the dusty floor as Saveer gasped for air in exaustion, sweat causing his already matted fur to clump together all over his body. Slumping over only slightly, he drew his breath in burdened heaves, attempting to slow his breathing back to normal.

"It would seem... I've tired... myself out..."

Shaking himself to throw off some of the sweat, he stood taller again, taking more deliberate breath. After a few moments, he had recovered enough to speak normally.

"Perhaps these wounds have something to do with it... Perhaps if I had thought to bring a medpak with me, I would have been a bit better suited for the task at hand. I'm afraid I'm not accustomed to such physically taxing activities, at any rate."

He made a rather pitiful attempt at faking a smile.

"I apologize for using your saber, but it seems I don't have one of my own to try it with."

[Ambrose Braeden]

The Shadow's of the two beings slightly swayed back and forth. The candle's flame had made its way down the candlestick. Moving his hand to face palm downwards, he held it at waist level. The saber flung with ease into Ambrose's hand. Placing the hilt back upon its clip he looked at the man without pity. The Vampire then pivoted his hand so that his palm was facing outward. The sword that had once been in its holster unsheathed itself and floated its way into the hand of the imortal. Ambrose waved the sword back and forth in a fluid motion before coming once again to a stop. He released his grip upon the hilt of the ancient Sith blade and watched as it floated back into the position it had been in before it was manipulated within the Darkside.

"You see Saveer, you do now have to use a hilt. It can be any inatomate object that is around you. For example..."

Ambrose pivoted on his heel and walked over to the wall. He gripped what was a tapestry that had adorned the walls of the Sith Order. Tossing it in front of the violet furred being, he motioned for the being to focus all of his emotion.

"The Darkside feeds off of anger and emotion. It is not just one of the five sences that we possess. It is always with you, waiting for you to call upon it when you like..."

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

Anger...

The Darkside feeds off of anger...

The other Sith had just taken his sword. Normally, Saveer would not be angered by such a thing, but for this purpose he allowed the anger to fill him. It wasn't much, but it was the only incident he could readilly call upon.

Glaring at the vampire standing before him, he allowed his rage to surge. Reaching out a hand, he called out to the emotions that were now overflowing inside him. This time, there was no hesitation. The tapestry rose immediately into the air, flying toward the other Sith in a direct collision course with his face. Its movement was still not nearly as smooth as what the more experienced Sith could produce, but it was a vast improvement over the first try. It drew closer and closer to the vampire's face...

Suddenly, Saveer realized the iminent consequences of those actions, and the anger immediately surged out of his body, replaced by a sence of urgent apprehension. Abruptly, the tapestry haulted in it's path, shaking only a bit as it stopped, and then fell to the ground.

Saveer shook his head violently and reached his hand out a second time, this time allowing only enough of those emotions in his body that he could keep them under control. The tapestry rose again, shakely returning to its original position on the wall of the room. Saveer again looked tired from the efforts, but his breathing had become much more controlled than the time before.

"Heh. Sorry about that, I guess I got a little carried away there."

He smiled. A real one this time.

"There's really something to that emotions thing." He let out a small chuckle. "And I realize that other things can be lifted, but following your exact actions seemed the simplest course of action at the time. I apologize again for that."

[Ambrose Braeden]

"There's really something to that emotions thing." He let out a small chuckle. "And I realize that other things can be lifted, but following your exact actions seemed the simplest course of action at the time. I apologize again for that."

Ambrose was suprised at the use of emotion and anger he had used the first time he had really concentrated and used what was called the Darkside. Saveer had figured out that if you manipulate the force, you can use it to your advantage. A trait like that could come in handy, it had for the Vampire many times.

"Very good Saveer. And yes you can move other objects, only that larger objects require more concentration within the Darkside."

Without a second glance, the Sith pointed towards one of the many candles that resided upon the walls. He then swiftly flung his hand in the other direction and the candle removed itself from its holder on the wall and flew at high speeds towards the opposite wall. With a splat, the candle was smashed against the wall that had left a stain.

"You see, now if the candle would have been a rock and the wall had been an enemies head, the Darkside would be to your advantage. The Darkside is a very powerfull force, how we manipulate it is up to the beholder."

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

Saveer nodded once. "I see. What more can you teach me?"

He cocked his head at the vampire.

"By the way... I don't believe I ever got your name..."

[Ambrose Braeden]

"By the way... I don't believe I ever got your name..."

"My name is Ambrose. And for what else I can teach you...Only this. Focus on the present, and always be aware of your surroundings..."

Ambrose bowed deeply to the violet furred male and then retracted himself. He crossed his arms across his chest and looked up and down at the man. Pulling out a book from inside of his night colored robe, the night blue binding shining in the candle light as he manuvered it in his hand. He held the book outwards towards the being...

"Take it. If your serious about becoming a Sith, you should read this book. It contains all of the components you would have to gather to construct a lightsaber. Although you would need the help of your master."

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

Saveer tentatively reached out for the book, taking it from Ambrose and quickly flipping through the pages.

"Thank you. This will no doubt come in very handy." He looked up. "Nothing is free. What is it you're asking in return?"

[Ambrose Braeden]

"Thank you. This will no doubt come in very handy." He looked up. "Nothing is free. What is it you're asking in return?"

Ambrose placed his hand under his chin in concentration. He thought about the question at hand and then realized that there was something that he desired very much that the person could help him out with.

"Yes there is one thing that i desire. I would like to know the being that you had recieved that ancient sword from?"

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

Saveer thought for a few moments, searching through his memory of recent transactions.

"Hmm... This sword was traded to me rather recently... I believe the client was a man by the name of General Devious, in exchange for some rather intriguing information - at least for him. I believe his real name was Dalamar DeSang."

[Ambrose Braeden]

"Hmm... This sword was traded to me rather recently... I believe the client was a man by the name of General Devious, in exchange for some rather intriguing information - at least for him. I believe his real name was Dalamar DeSang."

Ambrose was not shocked at the name that the violet furred humanoid had spoken. Dalamar had been a former comrad, but that was long ago. The two Vampires had their differences in the past, but what's past is past. Ambrose turned his head, thinking of the possible locations that his former brother in arms could have gotten the blade. Ambrose turned his head back to Saveer.

"Ahh Dalamar. I should have known. He was an old comrad of mine...but that was centuries ago. You should value your meeting...Not many beings that meet him live to tell about it..."

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

"It seems I have found myself in that position many times throughout my career, but your statement has been noted."

He nodded once, then shifted the position of the book under one arm and produced a datapad from one of the pouches on his ammunition belt.

"The transaction is official." He began recording the details on his datapad, reading aloud as he wrote them. "One... book,... detailing...... construction......... of... lightsabers......... Exchange:......... information......... regarding......... name...... of... former...... client..." He looked up. "Transaction complete. Thank you for your time and business, Ambrose. It has most certainly been a pleasure."

With that, he replaced the datapad in his belt pouch and walked to where his bag still lay on the ground. Once there, he knelt over, carefully placing the book inside. Then he stood up, nodding once more to Ambrose before unsheating the sword once more. The remote was activated, and Saveer once again resumed his training.

Some of the stun blasts actually hit the sword.

[Ambrose Braeden]

"The transaction is official." He began recording the details on his datapad, reading aloud as he wrote them. "One... book,... detailing...... construction......... of... lightsabers......... Exchange:......... information......... regarding......... name...... of... former...... client..." He looked up. "Transaction complete. Thank you for your time and business, Ambrose. It has most certainly been a pleasure."

Ambrose bowed to Saveer for the last time durring thier encounter. The violet furred male went back to completing the task that he had been doing before the two had become aquaintances. But the Vampire did not move for a minute or two. He stood and watched as Saveer practiced in the arts of swordfighting. Ambrose stepped backwards a few steps and the shadows enveloped him once more.