Fragile(Ezra)

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai sat outside his lab, awaiting Ezra to arrive. His eye glanced over the Sith castle, over viewing everything that was going on. His lab was perched in one of the mountains of Korriban. High up, built into one of the mountains, carved there, was his lab.

A complex area of tunnels and passageways made the lab complete, and there were rooms that not even Baralai had seen. He smirked as this thought ran through his head, pulling a cigarette from his duster.

Once, long ago, this place was teeming with life. Life of the Sith that roamed its halls, and the life of many different creatures that were being created. At one point, these Alchemy Labs were the pride of the Sith, not the silly castle that lay below it. In the plains, waiting, lying there as the ignorant people strode about their everyday lives, not seeing any truth.

He silently huffed on his cigarette as he waited, the smoke trailing down the mountain, being carried by a soft breeze. Today, the life would begin teeming again. The lives of Baralai and Ezra, his first apprentice, would roam the halls once again. Today, Baralai would teach him the basics of the force, the abilities he would need to learn all that was in Sith Alchemy.

Flicking his ashes to the ground below, his duster blowing in the wind, Baralai was shivering with the anticipation of Ezra arriving. He was remembering some of the things that Sasha had taught him, his former master. When Baralai was taken in by the Inquisitoriate, he lost much of himself. Some for the good, and some for the worse. When he returned home, he found he had lost his master.

Vanished into the night, Baralai had only himself to rely upon for instruction. Although his studies were slow, Baralai taught himself the gifts of Sith Alchemy. He hadn't used the lab much, but there were many devices he was unsure on how to use. He knew with time, he would learn how to operate them. The library inside the lab was Baralai's own stash of Alchemic books, and several of them, he had written himself. He found writing on Sith Alchemy to be a pasttime. He would stay up for days writing those books that were in his library.

He threw his cigarette down into the valley, watching the red hot tip float softly to the ground. His eye scanned over the hills, awaiting the sandy white hair of Ezra to peek up over their surface.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Walking is such a pain when your small. Your small feet fit perfectly into those little holes in the ground and you can't see over the tall grass and other vegetation. "Why do secret laboratories always have to be located in some harsh climate on a hazardous path that causes you to risk your very life just to reach it. Why can't they me located off of some main street in some widely populated city, with a big sign that says 'Sith Alchemy, Apply within'." Ezra grumbled as he pushed his way through a 'forest' of grass only to find himself looking back down at the castle again. He sighed and looked up at the sky with a pleading look "Just kill me now." He pleaded with some unseen deity.

After ten minutes went by with no lightning bolts; Ezra turned around, and after flicking a bug off his shoulder, walked back into the tall grass.

From Baralai's position he could see a swell in the grass spread out below him as Ezra plunged through it. Shouts of "Bugrit" Could be heard on the breeze every now and then. Atlast Ezra made it through the tall grass. He was dirty and sticky with sweat and in fowl mood. As he marched up the slope towards Baralai; he looked over his shoulder and cursed all the louder. Right there in the middle of the grass field was a worn path that lead all the way down to the castle. A string of curses that'd have put Han Solo to shame were murmured under Ezra's breath as he finished walking up to Baralai. He reached his new master, but didn't say a word. He just looked down at the ground and sighed deeply.

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai saw Ezra approach, sweat gleaming off of his skin. He couldn't help but smirk and laugh silently inside his head. Ezra had done the same thing Baralai had done. Walking up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder, Baralai began walking him up to the laboratory. He reached out through the force, and began projecting his words into Ezra's mind.

"Evening Ezra. Yes, I learned how to speak with my mind. Quite a handy talent, although I am still learning how to fully use it. So then Ezra, tell me, what're you're expectations with Sith Alchemy? What drives you to be a man of science? Especially here, in the Sith Order, where pure might alone can win a man almost anything. Pride, glory, honor and in the case of the Emperor, entire galaxies. What is it that drives you Ezra?"

As they walked up the beaten path that led into the lab, Baralai couldn't help but ask Ezra questions. He wanted to know what was it that kept Ezra going. Was it like Baralai? Was it to know the power of God?

They stepped into a stone arch, travelling under it as their footsteps echoed on the hard stone walls. They now stood in a large foyer, which broke off into several different hallways, each containing several sets of rooms that broke off into their own individual laboratories. Baralai simply smiled as he looked around the lab, the light from the moon pouring in from the ceiling as the soft rain clattered onto the stone floor.

Crystalline puddles formed on the floor, reflecting mirrors of moonlight, shining up back at their source. The silver Ouroboros on Baralai's eyepatch lit up, reflecting this light. As the light shot forth from his eyepatch, an image of Ourboros was projected onto the wall before them. The Eternal Serpent, devouring itself, growing stronger by every minute. Their was no power without suffering, and Baralai would suffer as much as needed for the power he desired.

"Behold Ezra, the home of my genius."

He took his hand off Ezra's shoulder and walked to the center of the room, where the moonlight poured down. He through out his arms and looked up to the ceiling. His whole body came to life, teeming with energy at the excitement he always felt when he entered these halls. This was his domain, he was God here, and no one could take that away from him.

"Do you see Ezra? Do you see the power I have created? The things that I can do with these tools at my disposal?"

He pulled his arms to his side tightly bringing them behind his back and wringing them together. The black leather gloves scratching against each other, his knuckles white from squeezing so hard.

"Do you know what they called us Alchemists Ezra? They used to call us, 'the one's who invaded God's territory.'"

He shot his hands out again, his eye widening, and his tone becoming more serious, echoing in Ezra's mind.

"But I disagree." A sharp laugh went through Ezra's mind, an almost demonic chuckle. "God is dead Ezra. He left his land to be sold, and the one who bought it," He paused, closing his eye and smirking, "No, the one who stole it. . .was I. I am God here, and in years to come, everyone will see this. A Sith War is coming Ezra, and you, I see great things for you. You will be my right hand, and together, we will fuel the weapons of the next great war. It is our genius that will bring the Jedi and anyone who opposes us, to their knees. You have made a wise decision by coming to join us Ezra. You were even wiser when you decided to follow the path of a Sith Alchemist." He paused again, his head turning to Ezra, his whole body facing him now.

"Let us pray that you will go as far as I hope you will. Ready to begin?"

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Ezra jumped when he heard a cool calm voice speaking in his head. He had no idea such a thing was possible without mechanical assistance, or not at all. It was quite unnerving to say the least. He felt his body wanting to squirm out of Baralai’s grasp and run away into the night. But he managed to keep himself under control as the voice continued to speak and ask questions. “I have no expectations, Master Lotus. I merely wished to learn new that few in this galaxy know of. To me knowledge is its own price. I don’t seek glory or honor, or even power. I merely seek to know all that there is to know. I didn’t join the sith to learn about the force, although it is intriguing, I originally joined so I would have access to the large wealth of information stored within the order’s library. But if I must learn the ways of the force in order to attain more knowledge, then I will do so. Perhaps I will develop an interest in the art along the way, but at the moment I’d be content with spending the rest of my existence in that library. I mean no offense to you, Master Lotus, or your force. I just live for knowledge.” He explained as they walked through the creepy passages.

They stopped in a large room with several out branching passageways and rooms. Ezra felt the pressure removed from his shoulder and watched as Baralai walked out into the center of the room. The man seemed to light up, not just with the moonlight but with some inter fire that lived off ambition and burned bright enough to be seen by the naked eye. Interesting…, Ezra thought. He’d only read of such a thing in the fairy tale stories and silly novels. He’d never thought that such a thing was possible. It was a hammer blow to the foundation of his logic and he was visibly shaken by it. What else could be true that I have was so sure was false… He wanted to crawl into a hole and just think it over. His world started to fall when Baralai had spoken to him about Sith Alchemy. It just seemed to impossible, but the way Baralai spoke made him believe that it was true. All I have learned is a lie…. He shook his head and banished that thought from his mind. No way was he going to let this silly demonstration fracture the very logic he had built his life upon.

He crossed his arms and looked on as Baralai launched into an overdramatic monologue. A war was coming, he said. How unlikely. There already is a war going on. The rebellion was beating the empire back on its rear end. But both sides now sat at a stalemate, neither being able to score a strategic victory against the other. How could the sith hope defeat two opponents? There was only a handful of well trained sith on this planet and they had no war ships to speak of. Ezra dismissed most of it to over dramatics.

At last Baralai came to the end of his speech and finished off with a question, one that Ezra already had an answer for. “Yes, I’m ready.” I was born ready.

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai started his way down the furthest right hallway, slowly stepping through it. The hall had no doors, no attachments, just a straight shot. The hall led outside, to a meditation room.

Tall grass engulfed the field they were in, several large boulders were placed in multiple areas. It was something that seemed out of place for where they were. The entire room was encased in a thick glass, due to the strong winds on this height of the mountain. If Ezra had decided to look outside, he would've seen that they were now higher up than before, on the back of the mountain, looking down into nothing.


"My meditation room. Where I have some of my greatest thoughts. A sort of. . .primordial soup, where all of my creations are first given life."

He paused and stopped at a boulder before them. Turning around and holding an outstretched arm, Baralai was pointing to a cage that rested on the boulder. Inside of it were four similar animals, resembling the lizard from his first attempt at Alchemy.

Three of them had been surgically enhanced, the scars unable to be seen, but so that they all resembled the next one. There was one that had been altered by Sith Alchemy, and as such, had a weaker force signature.

"Ezra," he brought his hands to his back, "The Force. . .it is something that exists in every living creature. Driving us, giving us our will to live, but also, it is something that can be used. . .that can be taken grasp of. Through powerful emotions, man can take hold of the Force and use it to our advantage. I have used it to create these creatures, to mold life, or simply," he paused, reaching out his hand and lifting a few rocks that lied several feet away, before tossing them over his shoulder, "to will things into movement."

Baralai smirked, he knew by now that Ezra's world was shaken, it was crumbling apart. Logic could not explain the Force, it was something that had to be felt. Had to be used, to be taken grasp of and bent to his will.

"Ezra, you must learn how to wield the Force, how to bend it to you, to go further in Alchemy. Each of these creatures carry's a Force signature, a sort of aura if you will. You're first test, is to feel out their signatures. Take the emotions that you carry, your frustration, your passion, anger, any strong emotion and use it to grab hold of the force." He stopped long enough to step back from the cage.

"When you have hold of it, use it to see the Force of others. Speak, when you believe you have the answer."

Whether Ezra noticed it or not, Baralai was nervous, highly nervous. He had never trained someone before, and was doing his best to try and teach. He was only used to teaching himself, not others. He was trying to remember everything that Sasha had told him. Hopefully, he was doing well enough.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Ezra found the “Meditation” room, as Baralai called it, rather interesting. The tall grass and boulders just seemed so out of place inside a structure, and the view was simply breath taking. But it was the fact that he was standing inside a room mostly constructed of glass that really interested him. He wondered if the glass room was part of the original design of the structure, or is Baralai had added it himself. He found himself walking to the nearest wall of glass and gazing down into the bottomless darkness below him. Wow, it just goes on and on…

Ezra turned around in time to see Baralai pointing at a cage that was currently resting on a nearby rock. He walked over and squatted down to look through the narrow bars. The first thing he noticed was that he couldn’t identify the creatures within. That’s impossible… I studied under Doctor Guiness and learned about every know specimen of the reptile family known in the galaxy. From Hssiss to Banthas, monkey lizards to krayt dragons. How is it possible I can’t identify these? Unless they’re a rare, undiscovered breed unknown to today’s scientists… Another stake was driven into his logical world, latterly cracking it from the outside in. Impossible…

Baralai’s voice filled his mind again, speaking of the impossible again. “What?” He said, confusing spreading across his youthful features, “The force is just a silly superstition, just another mountain religion cooked up by some bald headed man in a toga. It has no real power except in the minds of those that believe it. It exists just as much as the ‘Gods’ do. Yeah, there are stories about miracles and terrors performed with the force, but there are the exact same stories told only the God’s are the ones dealing out the power. I’m sorry to disappoint you, master Baralai. But I simply can’t accept this ‘force’ as a read thing. There is no logic behind it, no proof, no evidence, nothing that to claim its existence other than a few simple parlor tricks that a hobo down the street could do.” He wasn’t angry, he never got angry. He was simply bewildered by his fellow genius’ madness. “Its just impossible…”

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai smirked and put out his hand, stretching out the force and knocking Ezra back and toward the ground. As Ezra came close to almost hitting the floor, Baralai stopped him. He was suspended, almost two feet from the ground.

"Ezra, not all things need to be logical. The force is very real, and most here at this Order have some control over it. As I have said, it can be controled."

He stopped and let go of his grip on the Force, allowing Ezra to drop to his back. Little dust flew out from under him as Baralai turned his back too him.

"Use your emotions to wield the Force. You don't have to believe in it, you just have to control it. Use your bewilderment to take grasp of it and use it to your will."

Baralai scoffed, the boy thought he knew everything, yet there was still so much he had no clue about.

"And if you desire any more evidence of the true existance of the Force, it is how I speak to you right now."

He smirked, knowing that when Baralai had first spoken, it had racked Ezra's world. This dismay, this feeling of a loss of balance, this emotion was something Ezra could use to great advantage. All he had to do. . .was take grasp of it.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Ezra yelped as he was suddenly knocked off his feet by an invisible force. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the inevitable impact and the pain usually associated with such a drop. But on impact ever came. He opened his eyes, looked around, and then pulled his eyelids down again while shaking his head in disbelief. Impossible, impossible, impossible!!! He thought just before he ceased to float and fell the remaining distance to the ground “Oaff” He coughed as the fall knocked the air out of his lungs.

He rolled to his side and then got back up on his feet, “No, your telepathy could just be another parlor trick. Devices exist that could replicate such an effect, or there could be a hidden comm somewhere in this room, or planted on my… or in my brain. It simply does not stand up to logic…” Bewilderment now turned into frustration. He didn’t want to believe what Baralai said. Even if it was true, he still didn’t want to believe.

“Why is it that this ‘force’ can not be scientifically proven? How can you use an energy source as strong and abundant as a sun and yet there is no way to measure, track, or trace it?” He sat down on a nearby rock and placed his head in his hands. I can’t really exist… Its impossible…

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai placed his head in his hands and chuckled, well, at least what his tongueless mouth would allow. He walked over to the rock Ezra was sitting on and placed a hand on his back. Baralai was forgetting something, the boys entire world was being shaken.

"It is difficult to put faith in something we don't quite understand. There are theories as to what the Force is. But we do know this, it is a tool to be used, an energy force that exists in all the universe."

He stopped for a second, maybe he had found a way to explain it to Ezra.

"Ezra, imagine this. You know the creation of the Universe, and how after the big bang the four forces split apart. Weak nuclear, strong nuclear, gravitational and cosmic forces split off creating all things in the universe. Well, the Force, is a sort of fifth that broke off. Powered by the medichlorians, tiny parasites, in our bodies."

Baralai felt like a teacher, like he was actually doing his job.

"Using these medichlorians, we can wield this force, as I am doing now to speak, as I did to throw you off your feet."

Baralai gave a smile to Ezra, he was young. Baralai had forgotten what it was like to be young. However, Baralai's mood changed when he stood, becoming less of the teacher and more of the master.

"Now stand Ezra! Use the frustration in you to fuel the Force! Take a hold of it and use it to your will. It is a tool, like machines, use it."

Baralai stood over Ezra, looking down on him, the boy would have to learn. Baralai had to be understanding to try and get the boy to understand, but if he needed another example of the Force, Baralai would gladly offer it. There would be no more sympathy. . .

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Baralai’s explanation made some sense to Ezra, but it still was only a hypothesis and still lacked the evidence that Ezra truly wanted. Medichlorians had been discovered within the body of every living substance, but it didn’t prove the existence of the force. From what Baralai said; Ezra gathered that the Medichlorians were some kind of physical link to the energy source of the force, and he assumed that only force users had the ability to activate this link and therefore control the force. It was making more sense now, but it was still just so strange. Given time Ezra might have come up with his own hypothesis on how it worked and functioned, but before he could give it anymore thought; Baralai was commanding him to stand up. With vacant eyes; Ezra stood to his feet only because his mind was too preoccupied with thought to put any attention in what his body was doing. His mind returned to reality when Baralai started barking orders at him--just like professor Kirklin, Ezra thought.

So much for fellow scientist, Ezra thought as he stood up to his full height that only only put the tips of his spiky blonde hair below his master’s neck line. He looked up at Baralai with a venomous glare that had never before appeared on the youth’s face. His frustration was turning into anger now. He wanted to lash out with fist and foot and smack Baralai along the head just as his scholars had always done to him when he answered wrong. He could take Baralai’s attempts to convince him that the force existed, but he couldn’t take being commanded by a man he hardly knew.

But what Ezra did not realize was that his anger and hate was attracting the aspect of the force known simply as the darkside; an evil energy that was attracted to fear, anger, hate, and internal strife. It filled the souls of criminals and guided the hands of the corrupt. Once you steps onto the path of the darkside, forever will it dominate your destiny. And right now, at this very moment, it was reaching out to the young Ezra Na’chtion of Tatooine. It wrapped around his body in thick coils, like the tentacles of some alien horror, with every passing second the coils growing tighter, and tighter. This is how every darksider is born…

At that moment Ezra could feel something welling up inside him. It made him feel warm and fuzzy, but at the same time giving him a crystal clear view of his surroundings. Without question he closed his eyes and instead of thinking, he simply felt. He did as Baralai had instructed earlier and reached out with his senses and looked around the meditation room with his new set of “eyes”. He could feel Baralai presence in his mind. He could also feel the reptiles that sat in the nearby cage. “I…I can feel it, the force…” He whispered, “Impossible…” Was all he could bring himself to say.

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai looked at Ezra and a wave of excitement swept over his face. He had grasped the force, he had done it.

"Good Ezra, use it! Take hold of it! Great emotion allows you to use the force! Remember that! Use it to answer my question."

Baralai could barely contain himself, Ezra had done it, and Baralai could see his Force aura pulsate with this new power. Ezra had finally taken hold of the Force, if he let go of it now, the boy may never wish to wield the power again. It shook his logic, tore down his bearings, and yet, Baralai knew that this would only fuel his ambition to use it. To understand it, from the moment Ezra felt the Force, Baralai knew he was Sith.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Ezra turned his new senses on the lizards in the cage. Three of the four burned brightly with force energy that sustained them and kept them alive. The fourth one, though, had such a weak presence that Ezra had missed it entirely at first. It had taken him a moment of concentration to lock down on its weak signature and feel it just as he did the other three.

Slowly Ezra moved toward the cage and hunched down to look through the bars. They were such odd creatures, like nothing he'd ever seen before. He wondered where Baralai had gotten them and made a mental note to ask at a later time. "I can feel them too..." He turned his head and looked up at Baralai, "Do all manners of life carry such a...a force signature, as you called it?"

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai watched on as Ezra examined the creatures in the cage, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"Yes Ezra, all things carry this signature. And those of us who are gifted enough," he ran a gloved hand over his cheek, taking in the moment, "Can use the Force to bend those signatures, and even life itself, into whatever it is we can imagine. Ezra, the Force is a power source the likes of which nothing can compete. Learn to use it, to craft it, to bend it to your will, and you will be stronger than God."

Baralai let out a soft chuckle through his mind, and it grew, a little louder at first, until the laughs of a madman echoed in his mind. But Baralai's body did not move, only a small smirk was seen etching it's way across his face. Everything he told Ezra was truth, there were no lies to what he said. Baralai spoke only the truth.

"Now tell me Ezra, which of these carries the weakest force signature? And furthermore, do you know how I created these creatures?"

Baralai awaited that look of bewilderment to cross Ezra's face. He would never believe Baralai had created these things, but in time. . .he too would wield this power. Baralai had the full intention of showing Ezra just what power the force held, no matter what that meant.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Ezra found it easier and easier to listen to Baralai's words without doubting them instantly. He knew now that there was, at least, a grain of truth buried deep in every word. He know found that his logic that he thought was anchored in durocrete had really been sitting on wet mud this whole time and now it was slipping away, watered down by the rain of illogical words and shoved off the edge by the possibilities.

Ezra closed his eyes and concentrated once more, focusing his attention of the animals in the cage. He could sense them all, hear their heartbeats, feel their movements, and he even thought he could hear their primitive animal thoughts. But something was amiss. He couldn't feel one of the creatures as well as the others. It felt weak, like it was sick, old, or dying. Or all three. It looked just like the others and exhibited no difference in shape or appearance, on the outside, but inside it was much weaker then the others. Like a dim candle standing next to a vibrant glowrod.

Ezra stretched out his finger, being careful to keep it a safe distance from the animals, "Is this the one?" He asked, indicating the one that felt weaker.

He did, in fact, hear Baralai's words about creating the things, but he would put his questions off for another time, right now he wanted to learn the lesson at hand, not launch into another topic all together.

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai smirked and nodded at Ezra, looking at him and giving him a pleasing look.

"Ezra, you did well. You see now what the Force is capable of?" Baralai lifted his hand and slowly lifted the rocks before him, holding them up and spinning them in small circles in his palm, eventually forming them into a double helix. The double helix spun softly in his palm and he raised his other hand to the stones.

"You see Ezra, there are many things you can do with the Force. Sometimes, you can even rearrange the building blocks of life." Baralai started moving the small pebbles around, the third one to the bottom, pulling out some of the bars, until the figure was now a triple helix. It spun slowly in his hand, and Baralai raised the figure up looking Ezra in his eyes as it rose.

"The next skill I want to teach you, although basic, can be one that can help you. Raise a stone. Wield the force and bend it. Use your willpower, your intelligence, your hatred, your power. . .and lift the stone. Picture it as weightless in your own mind, and use the Force to lift it. It is your tool, like any other piece of equipment in a labratory it can be used. And the lab that this tool rests in, is the entire universe. Use the tools at your disposal, and create whatever it is you wish."

He let the triple helix float effortlessly in the air and watched on with his one eye, although his face was fixated on Ezra. A cold stare watching his every move, and his mind stayed focused on him. Baralai had no intent of taking his focus off of Ezra. . .he had great things planned for him.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Ezra watched the flouting rocks with child-like interest. His eyes were wide, never blinking or looking away. His breathing was slow, and yet his heart thumped excitedly in his chest. It was truly an interesting and awe inspiring thing to see. Rocks flouting, as if gravity had lost control of them, or them having broken away from it. He tested ideas in his mind, trying to figure out what caused them to float, but in the end he just settled for believing the force was behind it. He listened intently to Baralai's every word, committing every one of them to memory so he would never forget them.

"Lift it with my mind..." Ezra whispered to himself, repeating what Baralai had just said. He closed his eyes, calling the force to himself as he had done before. Now he concentrated on a pebble that rested on the ground by his feet. He pictured it in his mind. He pictured it weightless, released from gravity's grasp and flouting free. He peeked out of one eye and saw the rock still sitting on the ground. He couldn't understand it; he had plenty of concentration and mental energy to put into it, why wasn't it flouting. Now he was angry, something that didn't happen often, but was happening increasingly often today. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes again, letting his anger consume him. The rock then shot off the ground, nearly hitting Baralai as it rocketed off into the distance. It pinged off the glass wall and fell to the ground, "Oops..." He said and smiled sheepishly, "I'll try again," He said, mostly to himself and then concentrated on another stone. This time he let his anger and frustration with the last rock fill his body with force energy, but he controlled it instead of letting it flood out into the rock as he had done last time. This time the rock slowly lifted off the ground, about two inches, and then settled down again.

Ezra wiped the sweat off his forehead, "This is much harder then it looked when you did it, Master," He said, looking up at Baralai, "Is there a secret to it, some technique I have failed to grasp? Or is it suppose to be so difficult?"

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai chuckled at Ezra, but he was very satisfied with what he was doing.

"It is very tiring in the beggining. But as your connection to the Force grows and you grow more talented in it, it will become simpler. Simple practice is what matters."

Baralai let the rocks sink to the ground and lie softly in the dirt. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder. He walked forward with Ezra, and stepped to the edge of the dome, so they could look out at the glass.

"Ezra, you are doing very well. And I am very content with your progress. You have the strength to be a great Knight one day, and hopefully help to fight the war upon us. We men of science are greatly revered in this universe, and as Sith Alchemists, we are Gods. We can do whatever it is we wish, the only thing stopping us is ourselves. Everything you see around you was created, and with the power of our minds and the Force at our disposal, we can do whatever it is we wish."

He stopped and placed his hands behind his back. He looked back at Ezra, his face back to its stern features, almost terrifying.

"Ezra, even though you may be in pain from using the Force, you must use this pain to fuel your powers in the Force. This is what seperates us from the Jedi. They plead the Force for its assistance, and we use it as a tool, as it should be used. We have a connection to the Force that is to be used and taken advantage of, it is our tool to wield. Through strong emotion, there is power. Man is fueled by his emotions, and in the eyes of some, the way we use the Force is seen as wrong."

Baralai reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a cigarette, placing it in his mouth and lighting it up. He took a slow drag, and put his other hand in his pocket, turning once again to look out the glass at the universe. The stars were out tonight, showing a beautiful display of twinkling dancers across an ebony floor.

For once, Baralai was speaking the words of truth on his mind, and maybe for just a second, he wasn't seen as a madman.

"But isn't that the goal of man, to use what we have? Look at droids. We created droids, and we use them to what we wish. The Force is a tool we are born with, and as such it should be used. Not pleaded too and begged, but instead taken control of. Through the use of strong emotion, pain, suffering, hate. . .and even love, we are able to use the Force and it's abilities. Does that make us wrong? Does that make us evil? Because we wish to use the abilities granted us?"

He took a slow, long drag from the cigarette, the embers burning its way around the paper and down the shaft of the smoke. The smoke pillared up into the sky of the dome, rocking back and forth against the artificial winds of the atmosphere inside of it.

"Ezra, you must understand, you have to work your way through pain and use it. On the field of battle, or in the labratory, no matter how tired it is you get, or how frustrated you are, you have to use that emotion to fuel the Force and destroy whatever obstacle there is in front of you. If there is a wall before you, do not hesitate to use this power to destroy it. Never let anything get inbetween yourself and your ambitions. This is what differs us from ordinary people. The Sith hold their ambitions at the highest, and their goals are what is most important to them. Tell me Ezra, what is your desire?"

Baralai turned his head to him, and in the soft cast light of the moon, Baralai was unscarred. The silver Ouroboros on his eye patch was gleaming in the light, and his other eye was under a heavy shadow. Every time he took a drag from his cigarette, the soft features of his face would illuminate, allowing Ezra to see the deep scars on his face, just above his lips and at the corners of his mouth.

"What is your desire Ezra?"

[Ezra Na'chtion]

"What is your desire Ezra..."

Baralai's words echoed in his mind, repeating over and over again. What was his desire? Ezra had never thought about it in such terms before. Sure, there were things he wanted, but a desire was something far more powerful. A want was something along the lines of 'I want a toy rancor for my birthday', but desire was something closer to lust. Desire was when you look at a woman and instantly want to get into her pants.

'What do I desire?'

"Knowledge," He said at last, looking up at Baralai, "Knowledge is nothing more deadlier them physical power and twice as sharp. I desire to know everything, but most of all I desire to know about the force. Power of arm can only conquer planets, but intelligence can conquer the galaxy," A strange fire entered Ezra's eyes as he said this and hot burning emotions and feeling burned through his mind and body. He felt better about himself then he had ever felt before, for in his mind he knew the force was a tool that would be his and with it he would become the ultimate power in the galaxy.

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai watched his eyes flare up with passion, the passion Baralai himself had once had.

"I know that fire in your eyes Ezra. It was once my fire. My grand. . .and glorious fire. But the torch has been passed on to you, and now you must carry the flame with me as well."

He stopped and placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder, smiling slyly at the young man. He was growing stronger with every passing minute, and he knew that with each passing day, he would only become more intelligent. Ezra desired knowledge, and so he would have it. He would learn to control the Force and all living things around him. He would become a servant of Ouroboros, a small serpent that would slither its way up the mothers belly to have a taste of the power it possessed.

Baralai, he would feed him, but should the child bite to hard, ask for too much too soon. . .he would not hesitate to finish him off. He would not care to discard Ezra back to the pits from whence the serpent came, crawling, belly to belly on its mother.

"Ezra. . .if it is knowledge you desire, then it is knowledge you shall have my child. I want you to use the Force to increase something in your body. Push the Force to your legs and increase your speed, or into your muscles and increase your strength. But use it to enhance your already physical or mental features and show me what you can do. Push yourself, strain hard. . .nothing easy is ever worthwhile Ezra."

Baralai stepped back, sitting on a rock, giving Ezra the space he would need.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

It all sounded so unrealistic, so imaginary, yet so achievable. His experience so far today had taught him to believe everything that came out of the mouth of his master, no matter how crazy it sounds. The task he was given now sounded almost easier then the previous ones. Ezra had read many medical and biological books and had only to look through the massive library that was his mind and locate that information of the workings of the human body he had read about so long ago and know exactly how he was going to do it. He closed his eyes and drew upon the force again; it got easier and easier every time. He looked inside himself, or to be more precise; into his arm muscles. He spent a few minutes figuring out how to channel the force energy inside his body to a directed area, his arm. Eventually he was feeding that force energy into the majority of his arm muscles. Instead of just feeding them raw energy, Ezra used the force to draw nutrients out of the air and from other areas of his body to feed into the muscles and make them stronger, stronger in fact then one could achieve with raw energy alone.

Ezra could not only feel his biceps and other muscles growing ever so slightly, but he could also feel them getting stronger, firmer. He reenacted the same process into his other arm and felt it react in the same way. Ezra opened his eyes and strode over to one of the few boulders that dotted the “Meditation room”. The rock itself was not very heavy, but heavy enough that Ezra would not have been able to pick it up in his previous condition. He crouched down and got as best a handhold as he could and then started to pull up. For a moment he simply strained and then, at last, the rock lifted and Ezra raised it clear over his head. A passerby would have thought it a miracle to see the small weak boy lifting such a heavy burden with such ease. Ezra had never been a strong boy, even in his younger years before he had started reading books all the time. He had always been picked on and bullied for his small size and weakness. To lift that boulder made him feel more proud of himself then ever before, even more so then the time he had managed read Doctor Phillus’ thesis without laughing.

He lowered the rock and placed it back upon the ground. He turned and looked over at Baralai, “What else can one manage with such an ability?” He asked and, like always, was eager to know more about what he was being taught.

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai watched his student pick up the techniques so easily. Oh the advantage of youth, the ability to understand and apply anything you hear. You believe everything you hear, and in this instance, it was desired. The Force was a difficult thing to understand, but Ezra learned it so easily. He was gifted, just as Baralai had thought.

"As I have said before, anything is possible. You can place it into your legs and enhance your speed or jump. You can even alter your senses. The Force is an amazingly powerful thing Ezra, and you must use it to its full extent, like the tool it is."

Baralai walked up to Ezra and placed his hand strongly on his shoulder. Ezra had done well for the day, but he wanted him to see more. He wanted Ezra to realize the power of Alchemy and what it could do.

"Ezra, I know you have heard of the power of Sith Alchemy from me, but have you seen it in action? I can show you the power of Alchemy Ezra." He paused and looked Ezra in the eyes deeply, showing all his seriousness. Baralai knew that what he was about to attempt would be dangerous. That was why he needed an assitant.

"I must warn you however, what I am attempting to do. . .is dangerous. In some cases it could be deadly, but what I am trying to do is project life into myself. Make myself more than human." He held up his arm and squeezed the gloved fingers tightly. "So Ezra, will you help me? Will you watch as the science of life itself is revealed to you? Will you help me to become a God?" He gave Ezra another gaze, letting his eye never leave the lock of Ezra's. Baralai meant everything he said, and whether Ezra helped or not. . .Baralai would still attempt what he was trying to do.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Ezra was a bit confused for a moment or two. Yes, he wanted to see Sith Alchemy in action, but if its dangerous then perhaps it should be avoided. Ezra was still alive and healthy because he avoided anything with risk. He had never taken up boloball because of the high levels of injury sustained by boloplayers. He did not swim very much because of the risk of drowning. The only risk he normally allowed was the risk of a paper cut from the book he was reading. It was for this reason that his room back on Tatooine had padded walls and furnished with nothing with a sharp edge.

But Ezra could not deny his lust, "Yes, yes. I want to see this science in action. As for risk, well, we will just have to deal with it as it comes. If a god is what you wish to be then, if I have any say, a god you shall be. Lead the way, Master," He said with a weak smile. He had no idea what projecting life entitled but it sounded like a very advance practice. From his later words Ezra guessed it must be some kind of bodily manipulation. Oh, what fun...

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai stepped out into the hallway, making sure that Ezra was close behind him. They passed through several corridors, turning left and right, and then heading up a spiral staircase. They stepped into a large open room. The room slowly lit up, revealing several bubbling tubes that reached to the ceiling.

Tables lined the room, with many different instruments, test tubes, and other effects on them. Baralai turned back to Ezra and threw out his arms, his coat billowing from the motion.

"Welcome to God's Playroom Ezra!" Baralai stepped in closer, almost mennacingly to Ezra. His whole demeanor had changed. His movements were quickened, jerky. Almost uneasy as he marched around Ezra, speaking madly.

"This is where all life springs from. Where the smallest organisms become God's greatest creations!" He stuck his face to the side of Ezra's and spoke in a soft whisper. Breathing heavily, ruffling the hair on Ezra's neck with hot breaths.

"In this room, the very beings of my mind crawl forth from the primordial ooze of my conscience and step forth into a world that was made by my ancestors." He hurried in front of Ezra, his eye darting over the room madly. He was in awe of everything before him, as he always was when he stepped into this chamber.

He pulled a cigarette from inside his pocket and lit it, puffing on it softly. He was calming down, letting the adrenaline rush slow down. He kept his back to Ezra, let the smoke billow from his lips up into the sky, dissapating gently in the soft moonlight.

"Terribly sorry Ezra, I get a little excited when I enter this room. It's. . .a thrill isn't it? To know the things that have come from this room? For thousands of years, Sith Alchemists have used this room to make a world for themselves. And now I, I have been entitled to become the God of that world. And you. . .you are my right hand. Will you help in the will of God?"

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Ezra looked around the room in silent awe. He had seen and worked inside hundreds of laboratories in just the past few years and none of them came close to the spectacles he saw before him. Not only was the room vast and filled with scientific equipment, but half of the things in the room were unknown to Ezra. Strange tools and even stranger machines filled the room. A low hum could be heard but only just, like a tickle in your ear. He could understand Baralai's excitement, this was the kind of laboratory that every scientist dreamed they could have. And here it was, right at Ezra's fingertips. A portal to a new world had been opened and at that moment's Ezra's dreams were becoming physical. He could reach out and touch his dreams because there they stood right before him. He almost felt like crying with joy.

Ezra moved away from Baralai and strolled around the laboratory with a dazed expression and misty eyes. Throughout his entire life Ezra had never felt at home, not even with his parents. But for the strangest reason he felt like this was were he belonged. He felt at peace and all his past struggles and pains were carried away from him by the winds of joy, "Wow..." Ezra said at last, turning around to face Baralai, "When do we start?" He said eagerly. He wanted to see this wonderful laboratory in action more then he wanted anything else. Even he could never touch a single facet of the laboratory; he would at least see Baralai work in it.

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai stepped over to a table, that contained a kind of support. There was a tube that could be filled with some liquid, and Baralai placed his hand inside of it. The enitrety of his arm was placed inside the device, filling the tube. Baralai reached his other hand out to through the Force and brought a canister of a strange green liquid to his palm.

"We start now Ezra. For days, I have been trying to create a creature that could destroy Force users. Something with a hide that is resilient to lightsaber blades and resistant to the Force. However, in my attempts to create said creature, I have made an amazing discovery."

Baralai wrung the glass between his hand and placed it on the counter beside him. Using his free hand he clasped the cylinder around his arm tight. From the elbow down, his arm was inside this device.

"It seems that when a subject is tainted with Sith Alchemy, they lose their connection to the Force. However, if the willpower of the subject is strong enough, they can reestablish their connection and keep the modifications to the body. Up until now, this is just theoretical. I've been attempting to get a human subject for some time, unfortunately decent subjects are hard to obtain."

He took the cylinder of liquid from the counter and placed it on top of the tube his arm now rested in. He twisted it, and a loud click was heard as the cylinder snapped into place. Baralai turned his head back to Ezra.

"But if God had to sacrifice seven days, then I will sacrifice my arm. Ezra, know this. What is inside that tube is a type of chemical that is composed of the medicholirians in the body. These are the organisms that respond to the Force, and through Force Manipulation, you can use them to alter DNA and genetic structure. I intend to use this on myself. It is all in theory what will happen, but should all go as planned, I will be something more than human. However, the chemical is highly volatile, and it could very well disentegrate my arm. I need you to control the flow of the liquid, and drain it as I tell you. I will be heavily focused on manipulating the DNA in my own body, but you must make sure to drain the liquid as the change begins. Do you understand?"

Baralai kept his gaze focused on Ezra. If Baralai wished to succeed in this experiment, he needed the help of Ezra. This was Ezra's moment to shine, his moment to take part in the crafting of a God.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

A look of fear flashed through Ezra's face and he took a step backwards. This was rather more then he had been expecting. Such risk and danger and it all sat on his weak shoulders. He wanted to hide under a rock right now. Ezra had never been proud of his cowardice but somehow turning yellow on Baralai made it hurt even more. No, he would not weasel out this time. This time he would prove that it didn't take strength or body size to have courage. He strode boldly over to where Baralai stood, "Just show me what to do."