Learning the Art (part1) (finished)

[Lord DarkStar]

DarkStar stood on the bridge of the SSD Dominator and watched the world go by. This was by no means a bussy part of the galaxy, there were only a few ships an hour ariving at the sparsly populated world, most contained trade goods DarkStar sumised one or two carried passengers, but these were in the minoritity. DarkStar turned to one of the figures leaning against the captains chair. He was a tall man, taller than DarkStar by almost half a foot, he was bone thin like a walking skeleton. His eyes were sunken pits, the fire burning in them was one of absolute hate, not for anything in particular just for the galaxy in general. He looked old and worn, his skin weathered by time and streached over bones to large for them. DarkStar had known the man for almost all of the mans life, he was almost a hundred years younger than the Sith Lord, in reality he looked a hundred older.

"Are you ready to begin?"

DarkStar asked him at last,

"Ready? To deal with cattle like this? I am always ready,"

The mans voice was like the rusteling of dry parchment in the wind. His voice always made DarkStar compare him more to the skeleton he resembled but now was not the time for idle mussing, now was the time to curbe his apprentice's arrogance.

"You think you can deal with 'cattle' with ease do you? Well go down to the planet and we will see how you fair against Sandrax and the turbolasers mounted on this ship."

DarkStar gauged his apprentice's reaction, it was one of suprise which confirmed his suspissions, he had slacked in his teachings of his apprentice.

"One day you may find yourself suprised by what cattle are capable of...remind me to let you spar with Defender when we get home, he will beat you I promice, now go, do what you do best"

His apprentice gave a grin, something DarkStar could have lived his life happily without seeing, it would have been bad on a normal face, on the corpse-like face of Lord Chryn, it was hideous. The Force Vamprye set off towards the hanger to take a shuttle down to the surface. DarkStar turned to the other figure, this one was a human of middle years and a rapidly balding head, Admiral Sandrax commanded what there was of DarkStar's fleet and did it well.

"My apprentice grows over confident in his abilities, send 20 stormtroopers armed with ysalimiri down to the surface, in plain armour, their orders are to nutralize but not kill Lord Chryn, we will see who comes back from this,"

DarkStar's own grin was chilling, his laugh was evil beyond comprehension as it bounced around the bridge. DarkStar continued his laugh as both shuttles left the hanger and set off for the planet, he only stopped laughing when they touched down and he sat in the captain's chair to watched the action unfold.

[Lord Chryn]

Chryn piloted the shuttle down to the surface, a few moments on the comm giving him a landing pad to dock on. He set the shuttle down and left it by the ramp. A servitor met him.

"Welcome to Syrinia,"

The man said in a slightly slurred voice, Chryn reached out and snapped the mans neck with one hand without even looking at him. There was a crunch and then the body scrunched up and dropped to the floor. Chryn left the port and entered the city propper. Chryn traced the map in his head, memorised from the SSD's data banks, with a specific path in mind Chryn headed for his destination. When he reached the non-descript ferrocrete building he placed both hands on the door and pushes, the door groans, but against Chryn's Force powers it could not hold for long, slowly it began to twist and buckle. Suddenly with a crash it burst inwards, propelled across the room by the the imence force being applied to it. Inside the two men and the rodian sat playing sabac lept up with blasters in hand, all trained on Chryn.

Chryn grinned and in the space of a thought ignited his lightsabre Dragon's breath snaped into life, the crimson blade hummed for a moment before the guards unleashed a hail of blaster fire. With almost contempt Chryn deflected or reflected the blaster fire. After but a few seconds one of the men and the rodian lay dead on the floor. Swatting aside blaster fire with Dragon's breath, Chryn advanced and rapped his hand around the man's throat, lifting him off of the ground with one hand he squeezed until he heard the blaster clatter to the floor and the man's hands begin to claw at his own seeking breath.

Chryn dropped the man to the floor and placed his booted foot over his throat.

"Where, is, he,"

Chryn punctuated each word with a slight increase in pressure on the man's throat.

[Lord DarkStar]

DarkStar watched the two shuttles dock, one a few moments after the other. With a sadistic smile he turned to Admiral Sandrax.

"Activate helmet cams four, seven, nine and twelve, display them in quad view on the main screen"

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than they were done. The view screen changed, displaying the images that the numbered Stormtroopers were seeing. DarkStar scanned them all at a glance, they were following Chryn, but hadn't caught him yet, it was not worth watching till they did.

The twenty man Stormtrooper unit moved with military pressision, their path already planned and their orders clear upon arrival. They were to intercept and nutralize Lord Chryn, using all nesessary force, the orders were odd, DarkStar had ordered them to nutralize, but not kill his own apprentice. They were Stormtroopers of the Death Guard though, they did not question their orders, they simply assumed it was some sort of Sith training exersise that they could not possibly understand.

DarkStar's attention perked up as they reached the twisted door way, he watched it, working out the sort of power required to do that sort of damage. DarkStar was both impressed and worried, his apprentice had grown strong, but that power was unchanneled, it could yet destroy not just the apprentice, but the master as well. DarkStar made a not to do more Force activities with Chryn, remembering that his apprentice was more Force active than himself.

The Stormtroopers burst through the door, fanning out into a standard attack pattern, but not with a standard attack vector in mind. DarkStar had warned them of Chryn's extensive military experience and given them a modification to their usual pla, which they executed with standard military presision. Chryn, his military brain having already calculated what they were going to do, was taken completly by suprise by the suddent change in stratagy. As he dived behind a stack of crates blaster fire turned the man he had just been standing on into a chared husk.

[Lord Chryn]

Chryn cowered behind the crates as blaster fire ripped into them. The troopers were wearing ysalimiri so he couldn't even use the Force but he could have sworn that as they burst in he had noticed the Death Guard insignia on them. That made no sense though, why would DarkStar send Stormtroopers to kill him? His mind flicked back to the conversation onboard the SSD without prompting. He groaned inwardly. DarkStar was proving his point, well, the Sith grinned to himself, he could prove his own point.

Without the Force he felt blind, but it didn't matter, he could hear where the blaster fire was coming from and vaguely remembered where the Stormtroopers had been standing. Stripped of the Force Chryn was not strong enough to lift the crates, much less throw one of them. Unlike his master though, Chryn carried a blaster of his own. Only a blastek pistol, lacking the firepower of the Stormtrooper's rifles, but conciderably more accurate.

Rolling from behind the crates he fired off a shot. Only to discover to his horror that the Stormtroopers had changed possision. His blast went wide by several feet. His suprise was so complete that he almost forgot to dive back behind the crates. A blast missing him by less then an inch persuaded him to jump back behind the crate.

Cursing quietly to himself Chryn prepared to fire again. This time he rolled from the opposite side of the crate and fired. Once more the Stormtroopers had moved possision, completely silently. Chryn dived behind the protective crates again. Blinded without the Force he realised that he couldn't win the fight like this, he needed a more defencive possition and perhaps a bigger weapon.

[Lord DarkStar]

DarkStar watched quietly, a small smile playing across his face, he was glad to she is apprentice was getting humbled by "cattle" perhaps this would teach him a lesson. DarkStar's smile widened, or perhaps a bigger lesson was in order. He stood slowly.

"Admiral Sandrax, prepare my shuttle for launch, you have command,"

Without waiting for a reply the ancient Sith turned and headed for the hanger deck, a few minutes later his shuttle was headed for the planet below.

When the shuttle landed DarkStar disembarked at a run, not wanting to waste time, he wanted to get there before something happened to halt the lesson he intended to teach. He followed his Force sense to the area of null Force and entered the door or what was left of it. The Stormtroopers snapped fist to chest salutes to him. He motioned for them to stand down and called out to his apprentice.

"Well Chryn, it seems you have been humbled by cattle, how does it feel? Well, i'm about to make it worse, come here and be humbled by me,"

There was a snap as DarkStar ignited Widowmaker, the crimson blade hummed gently as DarkStar held it before him, awaiting his appentice's emurgence from behind the crates. He would humble his arrogant apprentice, he would humble him baddly.

[Lord Chryn]

Chryn felt panic grip him, without the Force he stood little or no chance of even surviving if the Sith Lord chose to kill him. He took a deep breath and ignited Dragon's breath, emurging from behind the crates Chryn donned a calm face, hoping that without the Force DarkStar would be unable to sense the panic within him.

He saw the Sith Lord, standing calm and apparently relaxed, but Chryn knew better, in less than the blink of an eye DarkStar could block an attack, or deal death to anyone foolish enough to cross him. Of all the Force users Chryn had ever met, DarkStar was the most comfortable without the Force.

Chryn saw DarkStar smile and evil smile as he rose from hiding,
Widowmaker came up into a defencive possition, DarkStar most favoured starting move. Chryn groaned, he was going to be made to attack and then the Sith Lord would just block his blows with contempt. When DarkStar grew tired of that, he would simply disarm Chryn and beat him into submission.

Chryn concidered falling on his knees and begging for mercy but knew that in this battle his master would grant no quarter and would ask for none, as if that was relivant, Chryn was beaten before the battle even began.

With another deep breath Chryn charged. Lightsabre out like a lance in an attempt to impail DarkStar. Chryn blinked, DarkStar had side-steped faster that he thought possible. Chryn felt and imence pressure on his sabre arm. Glancing that direction he saw DarkStar's sabre pushing his own to the floor. Chryn knew without a doubt he was finished, DarkStar was faster and stronger than him and without the Force he had no way of stopping the Sith Lord

[Lord DarkStar]

DarkStar smiled evily and pushed his apprentice further towards the floor. His booted foot lashed out and hit Chryn full in the face. With a grunt Chryn fell backwards, crashing to the floor. In an instant DarkStar was above him, his foot pressing on Chryn's windpipe. His apprentice's arms began to flap around as his air suply was reduced. The couple of clumsy swings of the lightsabre were easily deflected by the Sith Lord.

"Now now Chryn, have I defeated you so easlily, are you truely so weak?"

DarkStar asked him in a mocking tone, pressing down harder with his boot. Chryn struggled to break free, as he thought he was going to fall unconcious, DarkStar removed his boot with a laugh and stepped away.

"Get up weakling, fight me like a man, or are you more like a mouse, too scared to fight, what ever the odds?"

Chryn massaged his throat as he stood, blood trickled down his face from his nose where DarkStar's foot had made contact. Chryn wiped it away and charged again, his sabre coming round for a waist high sweep. Only to find his sabre hand held in a firm grip by the Sith Lord. DarkStar gave him a wicked grin and tossed him into the crates, one handed.

Chryn hit hard, some of the metal crates bending under the impact, it also felt like one or more of his ribs where broken, but there was no time to deal with that as the Sith Lord advance again.

[Lord Chryn]

Chryn used one of the crates to push himself back to his feet as the Sith Lord closed. He spat blood out of his mouth and snarled.

"What does this accomplish master? Beating me around this room?"

DarkStar stopped and looked at his quizically.

"Don't you know? Or are you buying time to rest? Not that it matters, I will tell you. You are arrogant and over confident. You see yourself as some sort of Master of all life. I am here to change that view. You are weak Chryn, you are a weakling who must be put in his place."

DarkStar clipped his sabre back on his belt and spread his arms wide.

"Just to show you how weak you are, I will fight you unarmed, you may keep your sabre,"

Chryn didn't need telling twice. Without a second thought he lept at the Sith Lord.

[Lord DarkStar]

As his apprentcie lept, DarkStar pivoted on one foot, turning himself sideways DarkStar smashed his elbow down onto the inside of Chryn's as he went past. There was a sickening crunch as the Sith Lord's elbow shatter his weaker apprentice's joint. With a laugh DarkStar reversed his arm and grabbed his apprentice by the throat. With his elbow shattered there was nothing Chryn could do to get the lightsabre up against his master. He tried vainly to break the Lord's grip with his other hand but to no avail. With a contemptous gesture DarkStar tossed his apprentice into the crates again.

"You will rue the day you first used the word cattle, your belief that that is all they are has weakened you. You are pathetic!"

DarkStar roared the last word and grabbed another crate. The heavy metal box weighed over 600 lbs, but the Sith lifted it as though it was made of paper and hurled it at his apprentice.

[Lord DarkStar]

Chryn threw himself desperately to the side, just far enough that only his right leg was caught by the heavy crate. There was a sickening crunch and he screamed in pain. DarkStar's expression didn't change as he advanced slowly on his apprentice.

DarkStar pushed the crate off his apprentice and stamped down hard on the crushed leg. Chryn made not a sound, the crate had crushed the nerves, there was no feeling, no pain. DarkStar growled and picked his apprentice up by the back of the neck and tossed him into the crates again.

DarkStar loomed over his apprentice again and looked down on him, contempt writen across his face.

"Have you learnt your lesson yet weakling?"

He asked with a snear

[Lord DarkStar]

Chryn coughed, blood splattered the floor next to the Sith as he raised his head to look at his master.

"Yes master,"

He croaked, his chest ached just with breathing, to talk was almost unbearable.

DarkStar barely heard the words, another Sith may have orded his apprentice to speak louder so he could be heard but DarkStar was not like normal Sith. His apprentice had learnt his lesson, for now anyway sooner or later it would slip his mind again, it always did.

DarkStar looked down at his apprentice for a long moment as more coughs racked his body and more blood was deposited on the floor. Finally he offered his hand,

"Come on, we'd better get you back to medbay before you cough up some organ,"

Chryn took his hand and used it to pull himself up. Two Stormtroopers moved in to support the Sith and he accepted their help gladdly.

DarkStar watched them lead him away then motioned for the other Stormtroopers to follow them. DarkStar himself remained, stood in the room for a long time looking at the destruction he had caused. With the Force now returned to him he let it wide, feeling everything around him. It was good to be stripped of it now and then, but it was always satisfying to get it back. It was like an old comfy pair of shoes that you didn't wear all the time, but always enjoyed wearing when you did.

He laughed at that annalagy but the laughter was short lived, his expression darken as he felt the cold within him rising slowly it was stronger than last time. Reaching within himself he pushed it down and locked it away in the deepest darkest depths of himself sealing it behind Force built barriers. It was more difficult this time, the cold fought back more strongly but the Sith was triumphant.

He sighed as he built the last barrier around the cold, how much longer could he continue to do this, would it happen every time he lost the Force? Would it get stronger everytime? He didn't know the answers and he didn't really want to find out but he knew that he would.

He looked down, the floorplate he was stood on was frozen, he scowled and brought his boot down twice, the frost crunched under the heel but it wasn't as satisfying as he had hoped.

With a sigh he took one final look around before turning to leave as he stepped into the doorway. He stopped, something deep inside was telling him to turn round but he never looked back, never. The feeling was strong though and slowly the Sith Lord turned and looked back, the whole room had a frost on it, there were rats on the floor, all dead.

DarkStar's eyes opened wide in horror, he stepped backwards into the sunlight, feeling its warmth but something was wrong, it seemed to burn, as though he missed the cold.

The thought unsettled him, Without further hesitation he turned and walked quickly back to his shuttle.