Knowledge is life (Complete)

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Fewer and fewer people walked the dusty isles of the library. They were more interested in weapons and other means of pointless destruction. But today a new presence wandered the isles, grabbing any musty tomes or datapads that caught his eye. Ezra Na’chtion loved nothing better then reading a new book. He had spent every waking moment in the library. He had only arrived at the order a week ago. The sith knight, Zereth lancer, had found him on coruscant and enticed the boy over to the darkside with the promise of access to a library of unknown knowledge. Even though he possessed the force, Ezra had no idea how to use it, and at the moment it didn’t matter to him. He was content with spending the rest of his life simply reading every single word that existed, and maybe even some that didn’t, in this library. His natural love for knowledge had placed him under the tutorage of many brilliant men, although his favorite had been the odd Zanon O’hara, a genetic scientist. Ezra had whole notebooks crammed with what he had learned from Zanon. The man had been a genius when it came to genetic science. He had been way ahead of other leading figures and had successfully cloned and genetically altered several specimens into super soldiers. But, alas, the good doctor had disappeared the same night his laboratory and home had burned down. Ezra had barely escaped the inferno, but it seemed the doctor had not been as fortunate, since Ezra never saw him again. From there Ezra had traveled to Coruscant and found a man known only as Doctor Lawn to take him under his wing and teach him the finer points of medical studies. That’s when Zereth had found him and brought him here.

Now he sat in a comfortable chair with books pilled up all around him. His shaggy bright blonde, almost white, hair was a mess, as usual. His odd clothing fashion and multiple ear piercing made him stand out in a crowd. His eyes where the color of sand and his face was smooth as a sand blown rock, but his natural beautiful features where scarred by the pair of eyeglasses he always wore while reading. His eyes moved back and forth, not just reading every word, but committing it to memory. An hour dragged by and he set the book down on top of the stack next to him and picked up a new book. He turned the book on its side and read the title along its binding ”Advance Medical Practices” Not really his favorite subject, but it was still exciting. He cracked the book open and sneezed as he inhaled the invading dust cloud. As soon as the cloud dissipated, Ezra started reading the age worn pages, new information flowed into his ever expanding knowledge with every word.

[Vek]

"........"

-A pur of impatience, to a tone of mild discontent, wafted over from the initiate as he slowly scanned the vast collection; volume after volume, shelf after shelf, stack after stack, section after section.
Clutched under one arm, a selection of material on various subjects of engineering, science and ancient technological scripture.
He stopped to add it to the other stacks of volumes already placed on the nearby table; arranged in an arc, almost as an adornment to the stack of infopads and hand-written notes bleached in light under the re-positioned table lamp.

Sat at his choosen place, he continued his solo studies into the realms of construction, and in particular, of lightsabers.
He quoted sections of text and equations alike, sketching out diagrams, blueprints and even rough approximations of energy graphs and output charts.
Few people seamed to write with ink in this age but Vek appreicated it's directness, it's ability and convienince to convey information outside the rigours of standardised text.

He streched back over the back of his chair, the slight over-flex of his form resembling his part-feline heritage; he yawned as his head leaned left and right releasing some of the tension, a few loose fingers of his pen-clutching hand rubbing at the corners of his tired, dry eyes.-

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai was walking through the library, what he called his second home these days. He was walking the shelves that held the alchemy books, tomes upon tomes of knowledge lost to these days. It wasn't even stored in data pads, it was all written in ancient books, some of which were bound in the skin of Sith. Those that had fallen in battle had contributed to the record of their lives work.

He pulled a book from the shelves, and then as he opened it, he heard a sneeze coming from the center of the library. He slammed the book shut and followed where the noise had come from. Who else was here? As far as Baralai knew, he was the only one that used the library. He came around the corners of the shelves, and into the atrium center.

Moonlight poured down from above, raining in and touching everything. He saw, sitting in one of the chairs, a young blonde boy. He was reading a book, "Advanced Medical Practices", and Baralai couldn't help but smile.

This boy barely appeared to be twenty, and here he was, reading a book about medical practices. Baralai had read the book in his younger days, about sixteen actually, and now that Baralai thought about it, he wasn't very old himself. He was only twenty-three.

He placed a hand on his face and realized he only looked older. His scars, his tongue, his eye, the jagged glass scar on his right cheek, all of those made him seem much older than he was. But, he was still so young and he'd come so close to death several times. He would have to count himself lucky another day, right now, there was a ripe mind to speak with.

Baralai pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled feverishly onto it, before handing it to the young one. He hated to interrupt his reading, but it was only so often that he was able to speak with some truly brilliant. Ever since Sasha left, Baralai really hadn't had anyone to speak with on his level.

He handed the note to Ezra.

Interesting book, I read it in my younger years. Consider getting an updated version. It barely covers the procedures of injectable Bacta, relatively new, but important none the less. I'm Baralai Lotus, Sith Alchemist, it's a pleasure to meet someone who appreciates knowledge as much as myself.

He ran a hand through his hair and sat down next to Ezra. His black lab coat shuffled around some, and a small test tube containing a Sulfuric Iron mixture fell onto the ground. He bent down and picked it up, placing it back into his labcoat. He was going to need that later during his experiments.

After gathering himself and placing the test tube back into his coat he brushed his bangs from his face and turned to Ezra, awaiting a response from his note earlier. He placed the book he had been holding, "Sith Alchemy: The Magick and the Science", onto the table beside him.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Ezra hated being interrupted while he was reading. Although he never lost his place, it still aggravated him to stop and see what the problem was. He raised his eyes and withheld a yelp. The man before him looked like he had been in a knife fight. Ragged scars dotted his face and an eye patch covered one eye. Although he was sixteen, Ezra was still carried many childhood fears, such as freaky men with a scared complexion. He half expected the man to pull a knife out and cut him into little pieces.

Ezra tried to push himself deeper into the soft padding of the chair, but it only yielded a micro inch. He was so overcome with fear that he hadn’t noticed the not waving around his face for the last two minutes. He finally saw it and raised a shaking hand to take it. It took him a matter of seconds to read the scribbled words. Alchemist?, Ezra thought, So, I’m not the only one here interested in knowledge. This relieved his fears enough for him to contain himself as the man. Baralai, sat down next to him. A vial fell from the man’s coat as he sat down. Ezra’s eyes followed the container and tried to identify what it contained. The fact that he couldn’t caught his interest. He was always eager to learn something new, and this was more interesting then a silly book on how doctors believe the mortal body worked.

He was about to speak when he spotted the title of the book Baralai had set aside. "Sith Alchemy: The Magick and the Science," He read aloud and then raised his eyes to meet those of Baralai, “Whats the difference between Sith alchemy and the normal kind?” Ezra knew that the alchemy that he knew of was nothing more then an early form of chemistry with philosophical and magical associations, studied in ancient times. It was mostly a lot of silly ideas. Like turning lead into gold or creating an elixir of perpetual youth and other miraculous changes.

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai smirked, and pulled out another piece of paper, scribbling on it and handing it to the Ezra.

Sith Alchemy uses the abilities of the force to alter life, to change the very building blocks of DNA. Although I am skilled in normal Alchemy, Sith Alchemy has opened not just a new door, but an entirely new facility. And every last bit of it, every last tingent fiber of every being within it, is at my disposal. To have control of life, is to be a master of all things. Being a surgeon and an experienced Alchemist, I have the abilities that most people can't even grasp. I am able to open an entirely new world of skills to the world, and I have discovered some very interesting turns about Sith Alchemy. Perhaps you would be interested in seeing them dear boy? Which reminds me, what is your name?

He looked over at the boy, trying not to appear foreboding, but he was, in a word, excited. He wanted to show someone the fruits of his labor, and it would be wonderful to see what another thought of his work. And who knew, maybe this boy would be Baralai's first student in the field of Sith Alchemy.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Ezra eyes opened wide as the possibilities filled his head. The ability to create and control life, the ultimate knowledge, and power that could change the world, a knowledge that could place him the waterspout of life itself. The possibilities where endless, How could he refuse the offer. How could he give up the chance to learn such a rare science that he had never heard of it. The fact was, he couldn’t pass it up.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he nearly failed to answer Baralai’s question. “Ezra,” He said as he stretched out his hand, “Ezra Na’chtion, at your service.” A wide smiled crossed his face, his white teeth contrasted against the dark, golden skin of his face, his grey eyes radiated with a joy that he had never felt since he found that ten book set on quantum physics. But a thought nagged at the back of his mind. What would this cost him? Every master he had learned under before had made him pay in one way or another. He had learned a long time ago that nothing was free, not even knowledge.

“If I learn this, Sith Alchemy, from you, what is it going to cost me?” He asked solemnly, fear of losing this opportunity, because he could no pay the price, sat ready like a blanket; ready to smother his dreams.

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai smirked and ran a hand through his hair, pulling out a piece of paper and writing feverishly across it. Baralai knew what he would say to the boy sitting before him, the young boy who sought this knowledge. He finished writing what he had too and handed it over to the acolyte.

First law of alchemy, equivalent exchange. You can only create something out of what you already have. Nothing more and nothing less. I will teach the ways of Alchemy for three things. Number one, ask questions. If something is not understood, then inquire about it. Number two, knowledge for knowledge, if you beleive something can be done a better way, then please, enlighten me. Number three, if you decide to undergo this study, then you become my student, my apprentice, and in time, my fellow scientist. Just remember Ezra, this art can truly be a dangerous one. People have died performing the skills within Alchemy, it is something to be taken very seriously. You must know what you're doing. Many hours have been spent in this library, are you ready to take this responsibility on?

Baralai watched as read the note, awaiting his response as he took his book from the table and opened it. Slowly he read it and turned the pages, enjoying a book he had read several times before.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Ezra accepted the note from Baralai and read it. He sat back in his chair and thought it over. Was he really ready for this, was it worth dying for, was it was he really wanted? He let out a quiet sigh and read the not another five times and then let it drop from his hands onto his lap. He truly could not decide. This Sith Alchemy sounded truly unique, but was it worth his life? The logical answer was no, it is too risky. Science is not about risk, it’s about facts and laws. But deep inside he wanted to jump up and accept the offer. But he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. It was against everything he’d learned. Sure, risks could be taken in science, but only in a controlled environment with adequate safety measures and highly trained personnel.

A war of consciences raged inside his head, a confrontation of logic and desire, over a disagreement with himself. The battle raged on for what felt like an eternity. The voice of reason won time and time again, it used reason and intelligence to defeat Ezra’s simple desire for knowledge. But in the end Ezra rebelled and locked logic away in a cage, only to be let out when needed. Now only his desire remained. No more thoughts of death or uncertainty, only the blind desire for more knowledge.

Ezra sat up, his face as serious as a turbolaser cannon. Fire burned in his eyes as he looked over at Baralai, “I accept your offer, Master Lotus.”

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai smiled and nodded at the Ezra. He admired his passion, his thoughts. . .he was indeed being strong. Baralai had high hopes for Ezra, he could already tell that this was going to be better than he had expected.

He wrote on a small note and handed it to Ezra.

Do not call me Master, Baralai will do, or if you prefer, Dr. Lotus. Either way, think of me as your equal, you're fellow scientist for now. While we sit, are there any questions you have? Is there anything I can help make clear for you?

[Ezra Na'chtion]

A million questions swirled through Ezra’s head. His mind buzzed like a flimnat hive as thoughts turned to ideas and then into questions. But not a single one escaped his lips. He could not decide on which one to ask first and which ones to ask after that. It would take a whole week for Baralai to answer all his questions and that was simply too much wasted time. He wanted to start right away and learn this strange new science as fast as he could. His only regret was that it may prevent his study of other subjects… but then again, did he really care?

Finally a single question bubbled up from the internal maelstrom; “When do we start?”

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai admired the boys will to begin and smirked slightly. After scribbling on a piece of paper, he handed it to the boy and then walked off, the note simply read,

Meet me in the training yards tommorow morning. You have much to learn Ezra, but I have great hopes for you.

He walked off into the shadows, clutching the book underneath his arm. His first student had been found, and Baralai had all the intentions of showing him the powers of Sith Alchemy.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Ezra watched him go before looking down at the note and reading its written contents and then stuck the note into the book he was reading and closed it. He gathered up the books around him, replacing some in the shelves and the others he piled up in his arms and carried them to his room. Thoughts of knowledge and power filled his mind as he lay down on his little bed in the small cell that served as his room. He starred up at the ceiling as he tried to predict what would happen tomorrow, but drifted off to sleep before coming to a logical conclusion.