Practical Use (Neepik, Sonzai)

[Inu]

Inu left Sonzai with the Krath's shuttle as he'd left to find a method of testing her new skills, and help her grow more proficient with them. He'd almost given up trying when Neepik had presented himself. Too good...just too good. He parks the speeder by the shuttle and gets out, watching the ramp extend and Sonzai come out to see what was happening. The Jackel puts his feet up and gives the two the opportunity to greet one another.

[Neepik]

Neepik pulled himself out of the speeder and stretched himself. Even though the speeder had lacked a roof, it was still cramped in there.

"Where is this training partner you had mentioned?"

[Sonzai Kurai]

Sonzai eyed the newcomer, What the hell was he? she wondered.

"Who is this master?

[Inu]

"This is Neepik, a powerful humanoid I met earlier today. Neepik, this is Sonzai Kurai, a human girl with power over the Force. From now forward, you two will be training partners, a tag team of sorts. Get used to one another. You'll be this way until I promote you."

[Neepik]

Neepik glowered at the woman, Neepik's first reaction to anyone he first met.

"Very well. Sonzai. My name is Neepik." Neepik's deep voice carried grave tones.

The monster towered over the woman as he advanced on her, then held out his large hand. Handshakes were something Neepik did less than well, considering he had never shook someone's hand in friendly greeting before.

[Sonzai Kurai]

She shook the hand offered, looking up at him all the while.

"Sonzai Kurai..."

[Inu]

"Of course it's not like I didn't say that, already."

Inu reclines his seat and puts his arms behind his head.

"It'll be dinnertime soon. You two will go and bring back food. Make it something that's easily cooked over an open fire. That means you'll have to gather firewood as well. You've got two hours. Hop to."

[Neepik]

Neepik wanted to know how much farther along she was than him. Neepik would no doubt have to surpass her somehow. He would become the greatest Darksider the galazy had ever known or die trying.

Neepik thought of all the people that had shunned him in the past, and the feelings came back. Neepik locked onto the emotions, and burst out into the woods.

[Sonzai Kurai]

Sonzai sneered and followed, not even waiting for her to follow. Her rifle was slung over her shoulder, might as well kill something quickly. One thing Neepik's run headlong throught the forest was good for was stirring up game, ahead of him a large deer like animal startled. Before it moved a foot, Sonzai shoot it dead with her rifle.

[Inu]

The gun flies from her grasp, zipping back to Inu's speeder.

You'll get it back at the end of the exercise. The purpose is to utilize your skills in the Force, and assist Neepik.

[Sonzai Kurai]

"And how am I to do that? Jumping or throwing something at it won't kill it, I don't have claws or anything!"

[Inu]

Take one good look at Neepik. Consider his strengths, consider your own, and come up with a plan.

[Neepik]

Neepik was far ahead, lashing about with his tail, scaring the animals from their hiding places. A loud roar escaped his throat and soon the forest was live with the cries of frightened animals.

That was Neepik's cue to slow down, and be quiet. The large humanoid dropped to all fours like had done so many times past. A deer stood in the middle of a clearing. Neepik watched the frightened animal look around and sniff the air to try to find him.

Neepik burst from the brush, sending the deer leaping away. But before the deer could go very far, Neepik knocked it from the air with a Force push. Neepik ran over and placed his large foot over the animals throat and put all his massive weight onto that foot. The animal struggled as it fought for air.

"Alas, you must die," Neepik gloated. "We are all very hungry."

Neepik for once was merciful and lifted his foot from the animal's throat before bringing the same foot down on it's skull. The animal lay dead on the ground, and Neepik slung the carcass over his shoulders and continued the hunt. One more deer, then firewood. Maybe the woman would be able to keep up and give him a hand next time.

[Sonzai Kurai]

She cursed a few times under breath, she hated it how he always made things difficult. Sonzai didn't know how to hunt without a gun, she had never had to know any different before.

Where did that big one go?

She thought to herself as she headed in the direction she had last seen him.

[Neepik]

Neepik heard Sonzai coming, and soon was able to see her movements through the thick growth.

"It's about time."

Neepik walked over to Sonzai. "We need one more deer for you and Inu to share. Come on, I'm not going to make things easy for you by catching one yourself. I ought to make you catch your own frelling deer."

Neepik turned and beckoned for her to follow. "There are a good many of them in that direction," he said, pointing in the direction he was headed.

[Sonzai Kurai]

Sonzai growled lowly.

"I already had one but it seems Master doesn't like guns..."

She thought for a moment, noticing the windpipe of Neepik's deer was crushed shut. So that's how you do it.... It just a matter of her figuring how to do that with the force. She looked around briefly, she heard something not too far off. She walked up slowly and spotted yet another deer. Are they just stupid here or what? She concentrated on the force and lifted the deer into the air then snapped its neck as though pulling it in two directions at once.

[Inu]

Better. She's learning. Though Neepik's stubborn attitude isn't helping much.

She's your teammate, not excess baggage. Cooperate with her, and you'll find this task runs much smoother than operating independently.

[Neepik]

Neepik heard the voice in his head. "Sure. Whatever."

The food was caught. Now for firewood.

"Sonzai? Where are you at? I have an idea about how we can get firewood!"

Neepik was staring at a large dead tree that was somehow still standing. It hadn't rotted enough to fall easily. It'd take soem work.

[Sonzai Kurai]

Sonzai lifted her deer with the force and wandered over to where he was.

"How?"

[Neepik]

"We knock it down by using our abilities, then we break it up."

Neepik pointed to two spots a fair distance away from the dead tree.

"We stand there and use our telekinesis to pull it down, then we enhance our strength and smash the thing to pieces large enough to carry."

[Sonzai Kurai]

"If you want.."

She said and took up a spot, she could have knocked it over on her own but she supposed he was trying for teamwork like master had said.

[Neepik]

Neepik stood in the other spot. He focused on the tree, and trusted Sonzai was doing the same.

"1...2...3...PULL!" Neepik pulled using his telelkinetic force, and watched the tree spilt down the middle.

Neepik grinned. "That's how it works. Now to break the halves into smaller pieces."

Neepik set his deer down, and went over to one half of the tree and began to smash it into large and medium sized chunks with his fists and his tail. "Using the Force to boost one's strength is incredible!" He chuckled to himself.

[Sonzai Kurai]

Sonzai watched him briefly but instead just tore it up with the force like she had broken the deer's neck. Her half was done in half the time as she waited for Neepik to finish.

[Neepik]

Neepik saw Sonzai shred her half of the tree with her mind. That had been too easy for her. No doubt she was showing off her power in front of him. Neepik's rage was fueled by Sonzai's display, but he held back for a while. He'd find a way to make her wish she was more modest. He just needed some time.

"Now let's get back to Inu," he said at last, gathering up the wood in his arms and dragging the deer along behind him with his tail.

[Sonzai Kurai]

Sonzai picked up her deer and tied her firewood in a bundle with some flexiable branches.

"Fine by me."

But watch your thoughts, I can hear them and that's not very team like.

[Neepik]

Neepik stalked off towards the speeder and arrived shortly before Sonzai did.

Neepik dumped the firewood into a pile and set his kill down next to the pile.

"Here it is, Inu." Neepik growled and hissed. "This woman's so incredibly full of herself."

Neepik's tail hit the ground hard, a testament to the pent up anger inside. "Can hear my thoughts..."

He would just have to be more careful about what he thought around her. He'd find a way to block her prying mind. "Who does she think she is, digging around in my head anyway?"

[Sonzai Kurai]

Sonzai took a bit longer to get back, she wasn't as strong physically as Neepik was so the deer plus the firewood was heavy. She heard herself be mentioned so she stopped for a moment just to listen.

[Inu]

Inu sighs. Sonzai isn't helping any more than Neepik. Each envies the other's skills. That's not the point; the point is that they learn to compensate for one another.

"Sonzai, keep your telepathy to yourself. If he wanted to make his thoughts any of your business, he'd voice them to you. Show some respect."

Inu notices Neepik smirk and speaks again.

"That goes for you as well Neepik. If I should find that one has disrespected the other, I will use the offender as a practice dummy for my Force Lightning. Clear?"

[Sonzai Kurai]

Sonzai winced, that didn't sound good at all. She wandered out then and set down her share of it, staying quiet, she knew better than to talk now.

[Neepik]

Neepik nodded, but a deep rumbling in his chest voiced his small protest. "Frelling eaves dropper."

Neepik had heard Sonzai coming, and noticed her footsteps stop suddenly in the middle of his complaint to Inu. A quick jerk with the Force got her out into the open.

"Nosy little..." Neepik slammed his tail to the ground again instead of finishing the sentence. He was too hungry to continue focusing on how much Sonzai got on his nerves.

[Inu]

He's venting. Of course, Inu would be pissed too to have people reading his mind.

"Let's have an exercise. The one I had planned originally is ruined somewhat. It seem Sonzai has been meddling in other abilities before her time. Well, we'll see how she holds up."

Inu stands and folds his arms. He taught Neepik earlier how to use telekinetics. He has yet to teach Sonzai, but it seems she's taken it upon herself to know it anyway. He'll see what she's done so far.

"Using telekinesis, prepare the meat for cooking, start the fire, and make dinner. I expect it done before sundown."

Inu looks off to the horizon.

"An hour."

[Neepik]

Neepik, who had turned his back on his teacher and fellow student, looked over his shoulder.

"Is this another 'team' project?" It took all he had not to spit out the word team.

[Inu]

"No, she's going to cook alone while you put your feet up and watch the game!"

Inu's makes two fists, creating tendrils of electricity.

"Now get to work!"

[Sonzai Kurai]

"So which would you rather do, fire or prepare the meat?"

She asked calmly, she knew he would only shock them if they didn't do as they were told.....hopefully......

[Neepik]

"The fire, thank you."

Neepik lifts two small twigs from the pile of wood with his mind and rubs them together as fast as he can. The friction eventually made enough heat to get a small pillar of smoke to rise. Neepik kept up, and added some leaves to the wood, and set those on fire. Soon, the entire pile was blazing.

"I've done what you've asked. Sonzai's turn."

It would take a while for the fire to get to a point where it would be good for cooking. Surely she could get finished with the meat before then.

[Sonzai Kurai]

Meanwhile, Sonzai is pondering how to skin the meat, if she could use a knife it would be easier but he said use the force. Could she get it off with the force though she wondered. She studied the deer a bit, trying to think if it could be done. After a short time, she dragged both of the deer off a bit, she had a feeling it would be messy. She lifted one, working with the force to make a small cut in the skin at first. She often let the deer drop a few inches as she did so but gradually the hide began to pull away from the meat bit by bit. She didn't let it drop though as she reached over and picked up a dry branch and then reached for another and skinned the bark to make some ropelike parts to hold the deer. She sweated a bit at holding the deer up throughout as she then got the other two larger thicker branches to hold the meat up and placed the hanging one over the fire.

"One will do for now."

She panted slightly a bit, holding that deer was hard work.

[Inu]

"One won't feed us all. Neepik alone is capable of eating that one. The two of you will cooperate with the preparation of the second."

[Neepik]

Neepik sighed and shook his head, then floated the other deer in front of his fellow student.

"I'll hold onto it. You can skin it, seeing as you've fivured out how."

Neepik still wouldn't look at Sonzai or Inu. The work was calming him down, bit by bit, and the thoughts of revenge were stored away for later.

[Sonzai Kurai]

She repeated the process as before, skinning the hide off slowly before letting it fall in a bloodied heap.

[Neepik]

Neepik arranged the second deer in the same manner as the one before it, and looked at the fire.

"It's ready. I thought it would be."

Neepik floated the deer over to the fire, and spread the fire out a little, so that he could cook more of the deer at once.

"Sonzai, go find som e sticks to make spits out of for these deer."

Neepik's voice lacked its usual contempt. In fact, Neepik sounded tired out. His stomach growled.

"And please hurry. The sooner we can get the spits, the sooner we can eat."

Neepik looked at the JAckel out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing. Neepik thought Inu was being too laid back. His hunger kept him from making a comment to the dog-man.

[Inu]

Inu has returned to lounging, enjoying the smell of the roasting meat and catching himself a bit of rest after the skirmishes today. Spits?

"To eat from, or to place the deer on?"

[Sonzai Kurai]

"Put them on..."

She looked for another stick to help bear the load and put inbetween, tying some more back around the second deer's legs to hold them together and on the spit.

[Inu]

That's what he thought. At least they're using their wits. Now their task is done.

"I think...we'll fight some Jedi next. How does that sound to you?"

[Neepik]

Neepik's head snapped to look in the direction of his teacher. "And what about dinner? Do you seriously want all that hard work to go to waste? Suppose the food gets ruined!"

Neepik was a very good cook, considering he ate several times a day. He would not budge. He wouldn't be forced to eat garbage.

[Inu]

"I don't mean NOW. Calm down. I'm just as hungry as you are."

A new thing he has learned: Neepik doesn't waste his resources, or his efforts.

[Sonzai Kurai]

Sonzai watched them quietly, she knew they weren't leaving without eating.

"Jedi could be fun but we kinda lack the weapons for them Master..."

[Inu]

"If you lack weapons, you'll have to figure a way around them, won't you?"

Inu reclines back in the car.

"You'll have to deal, disarm them, or get yourselves some weaponry."

[Neepik]

Neepik thought about what Inu was saying. "What are Jedi? And what are they like? What makes them run?"

Neepik wanted to know as much as he could. His cruel mind was already calculating ways to take out these"Jedi".

[Inu]

"Jedi are wielders of the Light side of the Force. They oppose us in all things."

Unfortunately, Inu's own experience with Jedi is somewhat limited, so this is the best he can do. However, it is fairly accurate.

[Sonzai Kurai]

"Pretty much, they're do gooders who try to stop us from killing the innocent..."

Sonzai sneered, she hadn't liked the few Jedi she had run into.

[Neepik]

Neepik took all that in. "So, they get in our way."

Not much to go on. But sometimes all you needed to know was to expect someone to be there to always try to stop you. Neepikstared at the fire, turning the meat with telekinesis. Neepik's tail began to make small circles in the air, mimicking the rotating spits. He was in deep concentration, planning ahead.