Angelique & Jehova's Training I: A Lasting Impression

[Jeseth Cloak]

Jeseth waited within the confines of the training grounds. They were a shadow of their former selves. Where once scores of disciples and potential Sith trained side by side, now only the dust and winds congregated to pay a breezy homage to The Sith Order. Perhaps not all was lost yet. There was a still yet hope for a new generation. The Sith Empire ruled the Dark Side with an iron fist. True, others such as Jeseth held great sway over the balance of things, but in the end he and others like him would never hold complete control over the galaxy. Not as long as weakness was tolerated.

"Step forward, my disciples... You have much to learn, and few cycles to learn it in."

[Dark Jedi Jehova]

I was having a strange dream in the middle of the night, a dream of the past. In this dream my father had been arguing with my mother in the night. It was the night before I joined the military.

"He isn't going to join the military!", my mother had been yelling at my father.
"Yes, he will. He will get a high ranking thanks to our family's status." My father told my mother.
"He'll be killed!", my histerical mother had said.
"No he won't he'll be in a safe location, he won't see combat."
An interuption...
"Come, join me on the training grounds....", it was my master's voice.

I awoke in a cold sweat, I still don't know why this happened. The dream was not scary, my master is intimidating. But not enough to make me sweat. I thought at the moment, my master told me to meet him. "I better not disobey him...", were my exact thoughts.

I quickly got dressed and headed out, making sure to grab my scythe. I headed out to the dark training grounds.

[Jeseth Cloak]

As Jehova neared Jeseth, the winds began to shift. Both of the men's hair was tossed back slightly. "Now, where to begin with you..." Jeseth had spoken without turning to face his apprentice. "To what ends do you seek the power of the Dark Side?" Dirt shuffled and crunched against rock as Jeseth turned to Jehova.

[Dark Jedi Jehova]

"To death, Master", I answered him. It was still dark on the planet, the winds were beginning to pick up. I was hoping for my training to begin soon. I didn't think that we would do it so early in the morning. I hoped to get a lot of training before the day was done.

I approached my master cautiously. He could strike at me at any moment. I heard some of the other masters talk, they said he was wild. They said that his former apprentices came back nearly dead, others hadn't survived. This would certainly be a test of my survival skills.

[Jeseth Cloak]

"If it's death you seek, then you've come to the right place, Jehova. It's a shame that so few of are race are left. I may regret watching you die." A rock flew up from the ground, propelled by the Force, blurring towards the apprentice's head. [i]Let us hope you do not fail me, as so many others have. My time is short, and I may take no more apprentices.

[Dark Jedi Jehova]

The rock flew towards me, I had little time to react. I quickly smacked the rock with my deactivated beam scythe. It flew back at him with more speed than it flew at me. I was glad that I had remembered to bring my scythe.

I activated the scythe and focused on the stone headed towards him. I launched myself after the stone, it was headed straight for his face. With one swift motion the stone was sliced in half with my beam nearly scratching his face.

"Do you kill all of your apprentices?"

[Jeseth Cloak]

"They decide their own fate. I refuse to nurture weakness." Jeseth was unscathed emotionally by the proximity of Jehova's defensive attack. He narrowed his eyes, launching the winged apprentice back. The sudden push was unexpected to someone who was not so finely attuned to the Force that he could feel it coiling back for a strike. In time Jehova would learn to anticipate the movement of every living thing around him. The Jedi practiced similar techniques, using them to mask their presence and sense out disturbances in the Force.

"Your skill is impressive." Another rock made it's way off the ground, darting for Jehova - and then several more began to rise with it. Jeseth's eyes grew fierce with concentration as he began to fire them at his apprentice, calculating each rock's trajectory carefully and with purpose.

[Dark Jedi Jehova]

"Tch..!" I exclaimed in the air. I was spinning out of control, I had no choice, I decided that opening my wings would do more damage than good. I extended my legs and arms outward. I flipped backwards, the first barrage of stones nearly striking their mark.

I was back on my feet, a little disoriented but otherwise undamaged. My trusty scythe was still in hand, I started spinnnig it around in the direction the majority the rocks were coming. I would get take a few hits but that did not matter, what mattered were the majority.

Most of the stones were incinerated thanks to the energy blade.

[Jeseth Cloak]

The first barrage of stones were but a distraction, and Jehova would soon come to realize that fact as a second wave of even larger rocks struck him from behind, many of them slamming into the crook of his neck, dizzying him to the point of of a near-blackout. Jeseth arched his arm upward, sending a cloud of dust up off the ground, obscuring the man's field of view even further. More stones lifted themselves up from the dirt of the training grounds, grass ripping up from it's place as the larger slags began to unveil themselves.

"Concentrate..." Jeseth gritted his teeth, partitioning his attention away from the stones. They continued their dance towards the apprentice. The rest of Jeseth's mind focused upon several of the well-sized trees growing in the area. Most of them were scarred, victims of saber training. Those were the one that came loose from the ground easiest. The tearing was and twisting of wood was quite audible, even through the piercing sound of rocks cutting through air and Jehova's saber humming to stop them.

[Dark Jedi Jehova]

"Concentrate, what a good idea." A blast of wind came from my direction knocking what seemed to be the majority of the stones to the ground. Being blinded I could not tell if all the stones were knocked down.

I could hear the swooshing of the stones darting through the air. I was fighting off the stones, I could feel the stones shattering as they hit my weapon. I managed to hold my own but one stone managed to hit my head with an immense force. I could do little as I blacked out.

"What are you doing?!? You'll die if you don't get your act together! Focus! Feel the rocks!"

I awoke to find the rocks were still flying, I must have been unconscience for about a second. But now I knew what I had to do, I closed my eyes and focused, I could now 'see' the targets, the earth, my master, the trees, everything. I quickly dodged the rocks shattering them as they came by me. After a while I could no longer sense the rocks.

I turned to face my master.

[Jeseth Cloak]

Jehova's glimpse of Jeseth was suddenly overshadowed by a tree. It came at him as quickly as many of the rocks had, shattering the moment of calm. Jeseth's eyes were still focused, his attention completely diverted to manipulating the movement of the trees. Another one was sent spiraling towards Jehova, coming in to intercept the apprentice in case he decided to leap out of the way. Ambrielian bones were considerably less durable than those of a human being.

If Jeseth's attack succeeded flawlessly, then there would be no second session to this training. If it did not, then Jehova would be able to prove his worth once and for all. The combined attack of trees and rocks came in such rapid succession that it was quite amazing that the initiate had managed to make it this far into the attack without suffering any severe injuries.

[Jehova Eaven]

A tree headed straight for me, I had little time before I would be crushed. I picked up a stone and launched it at my master, he seemed a little distracted.

I quickly leaped upon one tree, running along it, another tree was flying toward me. I quickly sliced it down the center, watching the pieces colide into two other trees that were flying toward me. It seemed like my master was making a path for me, a path headed right to him. I leaped from tree to tree, running along the larger ones until I finally reached my master.

[Jeseth Cloak]

Jeseth knocked the rock away with one of his hands, watching as Jehova managed to weave his way quickly through the mess of trees and branches, leaves cluttering the air and dirt still trailing from the roots of the living projectiles. Jeseth finally grinned as Jehova made it out of the onslaught. With a burst of alacrity, the Dark Jedi leapt forward, dodging his apprentice's scythe. He ducked beneath it, bringing his arm up within reach of the handle, grabbing it tightly as he used his other arm to keep Jehova's free hand at bay. The sudden push of moment sent the apprentice reeling to the ground as Jeseth shoved him in a circular pattern, his arm locked up against Jehova's throat.

Jehova rolled back on the ground, his neck bending unnaturally until he impacted against the base of one of the fallen tree trunks. Jeseth's sharp teeth were quite visible now, anger boiling up within him. It was controlled anger. The kind of anger many Sith lacked.

[Jehova Eaven]

"Why you..." I growled with difficulty. I was knocked into the tree, my master grinning above me. Behind his smile there seemed to be something burning, a passion. A passion for bringing pain unto others, I liked the way he thought.

It was obvious I could do little against him.

"Push him away! You can do it! Concentrate on him and push!"

The voices again, I did not know if I was going mad or had already gone mad, but for now they seemed to help me so it was no bother. I noticed a large stone behind him, that was my chance to survive. I concentrated....

[Angelique Rien]

::Angelique sat quietly, a great distance away, mindlessly drawing patterns in the dirt with her fingertip. Her head lifted and she gazed over at her master and the boy fighting. Slowly remembering her purpose for being there, the thin girl moved to her feet. The tatters of veils that hung from her dress clung against her arms and legs, sifting through the air with each step. Angelique awaited a break in their fighting, her voice distant and childish as she spoke::

"I'm sorry I'm late, Master... I found a little animal on a walk this morning and it wanted me to torture it... It started screaming though and I had trouble killing it..."

[Jeseth Cloak]

Jeseth was thrown back by Jehova's attack, gracefully landing back upon his feet as he hit the ground. His hand came up towards the winged apprentice in preparation for another strike, but Angelique's words caught his attention. His hand came back down, allowing Jehova a moment to recover. "Kneel beside him." Jeseth motioned to the fallen tree, considering what form of instruction would best fit each student.

A snap-hiss signaled the ignition of Jeseth's saber. He locked it, then tossed it to the ground in front of the two apprentices. "Fight for me." Both their weapons were pulled away through the Force brutally, tearing free of their hands and belts. Only the saber on the ground before them was left.

[Jehova Eaven]

I was tired from my bout with Jeseth. Lucky for me, being fatigued didn't affect my concentration. I focused my energy upon her and shoved her back, aided by my new ally, the Force. She was shoved her back into a tree while I scrambled for the sabre.

The bright orange sabre that Jeseth had tossed on the ground now glowed in my hands as I turned to face the recovering young Ambrelian.

[Angelique Rien]

::A snarling pout formed on her lips as Angelique let her wings flick in the air. Her eyes watched the glowing beam as it hummed. Though the girl was often easily distracted, as soon as anything raised even the slightest threat, her mind was as clear as any. She circled him quietly, looking more like a lioness of sorts in her movements::

[Jehova Eaven]

This was an interesting technique, she wasn't as wild as when we first met. It seemed that she had learned not to attack head on and watch for gaps in defenses. Too bad for her, there weren't any.

To counter her circling, I started circling her. She didn't seem very surprised, this was good for her. Never show your opponent any weaknesses such as; surprise, fear, pain, injuries, anger. I had learned this very quickly on Ambriel, training to become a soldier.

I once again started focusing my thoughts and energies.

[Angelique Rien]

::Her eyes glistened as she growled softly. This game was getting tiring... Her fingers brushed along the ground before she sped to the tree and let her feet push from the ground to get her onto a branch. She wasn't going to hide, simply arm herself. Her nails scrapped into the bark as she scratched at it, tearing a limb from the branch she was perched on. Her eyes seemed intrested, almost enchanted for a moment as she tossed away bits and pieces of twig to make the branch more useful. Her wings folded close to her back and shoulders as she leapt down, crouching low and keeping an eye on the man::

[Jehova Eaven]

That little action that she had made had left her open, I did not spend that time to attack, instead I used the time for resting my body. I also used that time to collect excess energies for a special surprise.

In the meantime Jeseth was standing well out of our way, keeping an eye on Angelique and myself. Interesting how he had recieved no damage from our bout. "I will get that powerful one day," I thought, as I prepared for her next offensive.

[Jeseth Cloak]

The Dark Jedi watched both of his pupils, paying close attention to their techniques. Jehova had taken up the saber quickly, and now Angelique was left to fend him off with only branches, rocks, and the Force (which she obviously had little experience with). A flick of Jeseth's wrist triggered the saber's most intense settings, causing it to build up with light and grow considerably wider and longer.

Jehova would have no control over it's locking mechanism anymore. Now Angelique would have to try twice as hard to survive. It also raised the odds against Jehova as well. As far as Jeseth knew, he had no real training with a standard saber... That made it equally dangerous to him, as well as his opponent.

Anger is your ally... Let it guide your hands in battle, and be a subject to your will.

[Jeseth Cloak]

A stream of dark energy shot across the training grounds to where Angelique stood, striking her down in a smoldering heap of leaves and dirt. The night was drawn closer to the blue bolts of lightening, making it almost impossible for Jehova to get a glimpse of Jeseth. Only a blur was left in the man's place as he came to a stop just inches before his apprentice, striking him in the chest with the force of someone many times his own size. Jehova coughed as all his hair was forced out from within his lungs, falling back after traveling several feet through the air.

The saber dropped from his hands, smacking into Jeseth's pale palm. Bony fingers gripped the weapon, aided by the Force. it wouldn't be leaving his possession anytime soon. A glance at Angelique confirmed she wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. "You still need to learn how to channel the Force through your body to improve your physical performance. Take her to the medical bay and then meet me back here, and I'll show you how I managed to defeat you both. She wasn't as fortunate as you."

He walked past Jehova, who was still attempting to regain his balance, and sat upon the trunk of the fallen tree, closing his eyes in silent meditation, the saber still activated in his hands.

[Jehova Eaven]

I coughed some blood, not much. He had hit me fairly hard, still not hard enough to kill me. I shuddered when the thought hit me, "He pulled that last blow, he could have killed me easily."

I managed to get to my feet and headed to the girl. She was nearly burnt to a crisp, most of her clothing was completely burnt off, her skin was singed and the area where the bolt of energy seem to hit her was completely black. Jeseth was right, she wasn't so lucky.

I picked her up and lifted her practically lifeless body over my shoulder, she was still breathing at least. I quickly left the training grounds and headed to the medical center.

The place was bright compared to the desolate training grounds. When I had entered, the nurses quickly jumped upon me when they saw the woman over my shoulders. They placed her on a hovering gurney and moved her to a bacta tank, she still had that look of agony on her face, it was so beautiful, I gave the glass of the tank a small kiss and quickly departed the medical facilities.

Back to the training grounds, I did not want to go but it seemed that I was drawn there. Jeseth was waiting on the stump he was sitting on when I left.

[Jeseth Cloak]

"Now, destroy those." Jeseth pointed out three trees, all of them far into the distance, and about as far from eachother as they were from Jehova and Jeseth. They were almost specks on the horizon. "Youwill have one minute. Remember,don'twait for your anger to seek you out. Find what drives you and use it. Let it course through your body and direct it. You should be able to accomplish such a task with ease... When you finnish with them, come after me."

[Jehova Eaven]

"Anger?" I hadn't been angry while I attacked him, everything I did was a smooth flow of thought into action. This was something I had been practicing for some time while on the planetoid, the natives, called it Simuflow. Their Simuflow couldn't save them from me, I hunted them down out of boredom and for food.

"Something has to make you angry. Think! What aggravates you most? Your Exile? That girl nearly getting injured? Weakness?"

The voices again, they had always been with me. I had no idea where they came from, at first they mocked me but after time they started helping me. They taught me things about strength and power, how the weak are oppressed and should be put to death.

All these thoughts kept entering my mind and time was running short. I had to concentrate quickly, I sensed the life force emenating from the trees. Another thought popped into my head, the tree's existence had angered me, its miniscule life force had angered me. I wanted them gone, without a thought the trees had been shattered into splinters, the remaining splinters were then pounded into dust by an invisible force. I no longer felt the tree's energy.

With the trees gone I was no longer angered. I faced my master and decided that rushing at him would not be a good idea without my weapon. I searched the area for my scythe, it had been lying behind Jeseth. I concentrated on my deactivated scythe and willed it towards my hand, Jeseth's back happened to be in the way though.

[Jeseth Cloak]

The scythe struck Jeseth in the back, sending him to the ground. He rolled forward and got to his feet quickly, ignoring the ache. It had been fortunate that the weapon wasn't activated at the time... "Clever." Jeseth extended a hand quickly, knocking Jehova off balance as he leapt forward, the orange saber still activated in his hands. He swung it towards his apprentice with grace, using it as a diversion to make an opening for his leg. A knee pounded up into Jehova's stomach, the crackling of energy filling the air between them as both their weapons came into the fray.

[Jehova Eaven]

A quick upward slash with the now activated and locked scythe. He had succesfully parried the move, and came at me with the sabre to my left. With a quick movement the scythe was at its maximum setting. Sparks were flying everywhere as the two weapons collided. A gust of wind blasted Jeseth back into a tree trunk using the power of the Force.

[Jeseth Cloak]

He ambled back for a second before catching his balance, placing one foot at the base of the tree trunk and enhancing his own strength, a sudden drain in the Force around them becoming apparent even to Jehova. Jeseth had stopped himself from falling, and transferred most of his moment to the tree. With a flick of his foot Jeseth had launched the massive log at his apprentice. "There is more to the Force than manipulations of it's presence. Feed upon it... and upon your anger." The words came to Jehova just as he managed to dodge the swooshing timber. It crashed to the ground behind him with a splintering crack, pieces of it shattering across the ground.

Jeseth focused his gaze upon the apprentice, awaiting the next attack eagerly.

[Jehova Eaven]

My thoughts had taken me back to the day we had met. I was on my quest to destroy all other Ambrelians. I remembered my hatred for him then, and it seemed to have returned.

In that moment of pure hatred I felt a surge of energy within my body. The energy was channeled to the tips of my fingers, I felt a slight pain in them, like they were on fire.

"Now! Do it! Launch that energy within your finger tips! Let your anger go!"

I screamed as the energy was released, it was very painful. The energy seemed to be like what he had used on Angelique. The girl, she was so beautiful when the energy had struck, I only hoped that this would have the same effect on my master.

[Jeseth Cloak]

The fizzling strands of energy wrapped around Jeseth's body, harmlessly fading away. He grinned as the last tiny web-like string of light cracked out of existence. "Excellent attempt... I'm heartily impressed." Jeseth noticed that Jehova had expected for more damage, and not merely a static shock. He took advantage of the situation to parry away Jehova's scythe in a blur of movement and elbow him in the face, knocking him to the ground. "Your training for today has come to an end. I will meet with you in seven days time. I expect to see you performing better than."

Jeseth's saber deactivated in a snap-hiss, it's light dying away. Jehova was still clutching at his activated scythe as his master walked out off the training grounds, leaving him there with a broken jaw and in defeat.

[Jehova Eaven]

My jaw had been snapped, my pride bruised. He would pay for that, for now I had to make my way to the medical facilities to had my jaw examined. I deactivated my Scythe and hobbled to the hospital using my weapon as a cane. My legs were not injured, but my body was very sore.

The medical facilities seemed almost void of activity. Lucky for me there was still the nightshift. I had filled out some datapads and requested a massage.