Overcast [The Training of Ebon Dir - I]

[Jeseth Cloak]

Overcast hovered above the court yard just outside Bast Castle as clouds continued to roll overheard. Jeseth smiled just slightly as thunder quietly began to grumble deep within the sky. How peaceful was the calm before the storm...

Ebon's training would begin here.

[Ebon Dir]

::Ebon emerges from the ruins of the once-great castle, kicking stray stones to the side as he walked towards his dark brother::

You called, Jeseth? I believe something concerning my training...

::he looks up at the sky, nervously appraising the gathering stormclouds::

[Jeseth Cloak]

"We'll begin now."

The Dark Jedi motioned towards the end of the courtyard. A large droid waited there, six arms hanging limply by it's side.

"Do you have a saber?"

[Ebon Dir]

As always. It is like a part of me.

[Jeseth Cloak]

"Excellent."

Jeseth fingers traced over a small control at his belt, activating the sleek and calculating droid with a single click.

"Destroy it's arms. I want the droid left operational after your battle."

[Reboush CD 34]

<font color=lightgreen size=1>Operational...

Target = +Lightsaber +Activation. . .
Advanced Mode . . .

Systems Online.</font>

Six red plasma blades errupted forth from the droid's hands, bringing themselves into a kalidascopic formation before Ebon's eyes. CD-34 made precise calculations with the Dark Jedi's every move.

[Ebon Dir]

Ebon moved with careful precision to the right, observing the corresponding motions of the droid. After gauging the movement of the mechanical opponent, he planned his first attack. Feinting to the left, he made a quick move to the right, ducking under one blade and cutting off another with a quick downswing. As he danced back, he twisted as a third blade wisked dangerously close to the his body, slicing through the air where his missing left arm would have been. Unfortunately he was not fast enough, for though he was able to block one more blade with a desperate swing of his lightsaber, the final blade was able to score a deep cut to his left thigh, painfully slicing down almost to the bone.

As his left left leg buckled underneath him, he rolled that side, fendeng off several strikes and quickly and painfully dragging himself out of the droids range. Thankfully, it did not make an advance, seemingly content to act in a purely defensive manner.

"Like a jedi," he thought with a sneer.

Ebon looked back at his dark jedi brother and spat on the ground.

It is impossible. There is no way I could defeat such a thing. I have reflexes better than most in the galaxy, yet I was only able to rid the thing of one arm, while it effectively hobbled me.

What you ask cannot be done.

[Jeseth Cloak]

"It is unwise to lower your defenses. Attack again."

Jeseth incosiderately utlized the Force to rip the saber from within Ebon's grip. There was abreif hissing as it's plasma blade sucked slowly back into the hilt, which firmly impacted into Jeseth's palm.

"Find and exploit your enemie's weakness. You can not hope to defeat a Jedi otherwise..."

[Reboush CD 34]

The droid sat for a few moments more, the turned all it's attention upon Ebon. It made a sudden (but still clumbsy) dash at the man, it's remaining saber's wielded in a tangled web of light.

[Ebon Dir]

Ebon examined the movements of the droid as it approached. Though it was rather fast, it was none to graceful. If he kept his wits about him, he should be able to avoid it as long as his strength held out.

He waited a bit longer, until the droid was just in range. Pushing the pain in his leg to the back of his mind, he lept over two slashing blades. He came down hard, feet first, on the top of the droid, driving it into the ground. It hit several sharp rocks, and the droid was partially immobile as the anti-grav units were knocked offline.

A shower of sparks caught his eye, and Ebon noticed that one of the droid's energy blades was moving eratically. He assumed he had hit it with a glancing blow earlier, partially severing the arm. Ebon reached down and grabbed the arm, using the still dangerous plasma blade to sever another arm. As the droid's anti-grav units came back online, he leapt away to a safe distance, collapsing in pain as his injured leg took a good amount of the impact.

[Jeseth Cloak]

Jeseth nods, flinging the saber back at Ebon.

"Impressive."

As the saber clapped to the floor, the metal alloy striking the cold surface of stone, a second items makes it's way towards Ebon; A black helmet roles across the floor.

"Put it on, blast shield down, and remember - Concentrate."

He flipped back a switch on his belt, temporarily shutting down the droid which had already made it's way back up onto it's feet. He knew that Ebon was in extreme pain, but that was something he would have to learn to endure.

[Ebon Dir]

Ebon looked rather dubiously at the man. Did he really want him to fight this thing without his eyes? Wasn't he handicapped enough without an arm?

Whoa, that was awesome Ebon, you wer like a regular acrobat. Hey, remember when that troop of performers came to town? Remember how we...

The voice faded into the background of Ebon's mind as he concentrated on his own heartbeat, the blood pumping through his veins slowly growing to a ull roar. He retrieved his lightsaber, placed the helmet atop his head, and reluctantly pulled down the blast shield. With a silent sigh, he turned to the droid, awaiting the worse.

As the mechanical opponent came closer, Ebon forced himself to rely on his remaining senses, mainly hearing and touch. The blades ommitted a steady hum, allowing the one-armed jedi to gauge its approximate location and distance. By the sounds of it, he guessed he had about five more feet between himself and the droid.

Suddenly, amazingly, he "saw" a pair of blades swing at his head. Ducking instinctivly, he barely saved himself from decapitation. He rolled forward, underneath another deadly blade and came up with his own saber, cleanly severing two arms from the droid's body.

[Ebon Dir]

Ebon continues to roll, past the droid. He brought himself to one knee, but then stopped. The pain in his leg was excruciating, if he didn't end this fight soon, he would probably pass out from the pain. A quick mental check of the situaion revealed that the droid only had one fully functional arm left, if everything he remembered was right. One was cut off in the initial stike, one as he hopped on top of the droid, and two more in the latest attack, which meant that he could...

His thoughts were interupted as another wave of pain wracked his body. The droid had struck again, scoring a hit on his already scarred left shoulder. Acting purely on instinct, ebon thrust his saber upward, it's blade vertical, and the droid essentially cut his own arm off as it completed its quick rotation.

Slumping to the ground as the pain from the two cauterized wounds overwhelmed him, Ebon thankfully sunk into the welcoming darkness of unconciousness.

[Jeseth Cloak]

Jeseth looked from the disabled battle droid to Ebon, who now lay sprawled on the floor. He had done better than expected.

"Most impressive."

Ebon found himself lifted and carried, drifting away from the court yard and the damaged droid. The blast shield was removed from his head and dropped to the ground. The pitter-pater of rain once more commenced.