Trial by Fire [complete]

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The monastary was abandoned, and had been for over fifty years. There was a dark stain here, for here the once great Dark Lord, Palpatine, had finally been extinguished. Onderon's jungles had quickly overtaken the buildings, giving the entire set up a green, eerie feel, as vines slowly cracked duracrete, and shattered windows invited in prowling beasts.

A heavily armoured speeder ground to a halt, engines whirring as they cooled, and the doors cracked open. De'Ville stepped out, and her new apprentice did as well. He was thin, blue, and not to be trusted. There was something about his red eyes that made her feel like he was continually thinking up something devious. Not necessarily a bad trait to have. If it was yours, and not someone you had to look at all the time.

Lilaena pointed at a huge spotted vine that was choking the life out of a towering tree. "Whatever you do, do not get to close to those ones. Watch." She picked up a dead stick and tossed it underhand at the plat, hitting the tough exterior of it's main trunk. Seconds later smaller vines snapped up the stick, broke it in half with their strength, and whisked it away. "There is a 'mouth' of sorts, hidden back in the jungle. I have not seen it, but Mandalore told me. Sounds a bit like a green, above ground Sarlacc."

She walked through the dense underbrush, Naj following behind until they reached what used to be a courtyard in the center of the monastery.

[Naj Arilov]

"of all the places..."

Naj's voice trailed off and continued in thought. Of all the places they could choose for their first session, De'Ville had to pick the most wretched place on the whole entire planet. Actually, this place was probably a day care compared to some of the other spots on the planet, but Naj was sour all the same. Everything around them seemed to be food for something else, and as they traversed through the jungle, Naj couldnt help but feel as if he were slowly being eased into the food chain.

Naj kept a tight grip on his staff until they made it into a clearing. It was nice to be out of the thick, but something told him being in the open was just as dangerous. Even so, as unhappy as he was, if he couldn't last through the Wilds, then he wouldn't last two seconds on Dxun. He would wait until later to reflect upon his good fortunes, however, as it didnt seem likely that De'Ville was planning a picnic for them...

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"If you ever wanted to test your reflexes, Onderon is the place to do it." Lilaena gestured around them expansively. She was wearing a tunic and loose pants, somewhat similar to the Jedi 'uniform' in style. Hers were done in shades of red and black, with extensive black embroidery on the cuffs of her sleeves and the hems. "And even if you did not want to... Well, we will just see how this goes."

She sat carefully on the lip of an overgrown fountain, and gestured to a nearby lump of duracrete that was fuzzy with moss. "How long have you been studying the Force on your own, Arilov?"

[Naj Arilov]

Naj continued to stand. The fact was, the less he actually touched out here, the better. Usually, Naj would be eating something like this up, but he was unprepared. He didnt know what to expect out here, or how to deal with it when it arrived. He hated this feeling worse than anything.

"Not very long. I find developing techniques to be difficult, when I dont know what kind of techniques there are in the first place."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"In that case, we will start with stretching out your senses. Using the Force to amplify your own abilities." She looked around them once more, and then back to her standing apprentice. "Tell me what you hear, Naj."

[Naj Arilov]

Naj glanced around for a moment. He didnt hear anything of any real mention...

"Wind blowing through the trees. The humming of insects. Nothing of any immediate consequence..."

He stated rather flatly. He was making an effort not to be rude, as she was trying to teach him something. The fact that they were in the middle of the jungle, however, had him in an ill mood..

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"What about in that direction?" She pointed to the west. "There is a large den there of land beasts, not the winged creatures that the Beastriders have tamed. It is about a klick seventy yards away, maybe less. Maps are not exactly perfect for any region outside of the City." Lilaena stood, and faced towards it.

"A fully trained Knight would be able to tell if the beasts were sleeping, or out hunting. Or even if we were being hunted, right now..." She looked at Naj, who still looked displeased at the situation. "The Force flows through everything, even your own ear drums. What is sound, but a wave that can be amplified at will?"

[Naj Arilov]

"Sound is everything. Matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration."

Naj replied with a slight smile. Turning his head slightly, he listened. He focused a little harder and listened. He heard no land beasts.

"I still only hear wind..."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She nodded, "Either do I. I hear nothing at all." De'Ville turned to face him once more. "Now, show me your skills with telekinesis. Since you refuse to sit on it, why not start with that old chunk of duracrete."

De'Ville was still getting a feel for her apprentice, and what it was Naj needed to learn. In a few minutes he'd probably learn how to defend himself on Onderon, the hard way, but for now, lifting rocks was always a good filler.

[Naj Arilov]

This was something he could do, definately. The one of the most obvious skills that many force users have is the ability to move stuff with their minds, and its one of the first things Naj tryed, and one of the first things he took the time to practice.

Reaching out slightly, he concentrated, and the duracrete stone lifted out of its spot. He lifted it about a meter and let it sit. Ever so often, it would waver a bit, but for the most part, Naj held it perfectly still.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Concentrating, the Chiss did as she asked, with just a hint of pride in his features. Something along the lines of "why don't you really challenge me" leaked out from his emotions. So she shook things up a bit.

De'Ville closed her eyes and held out a hand, dipping into the Force. Naj drifted up into the air beside the rock. She opened her eyes, holding him in place carefully, although to the Chiss it did not seem so. A bead of sweat appeared on her brow, and then evaporated in the warm wind. "Keep the rock levitated."

And then she dropped him.

[Naj Arilov]

This situation caught Naj completely off guard, and the rock nearly hit the ground in his surprise, he quickly lifted it again, only to be dropped. He heard her orders in the split second it took to fall. He landed on his feet, but stumbled backward and fell. The rock fell again as he did. He tried to stop it and lift it, but his concentration was broken completely as he hit the ground.

The rock hit the ground with a thud, and Naj quickly scrambled to his feet, grabbing his staff as he did.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"If the rock had been over your head, you would have been crushed." She stayed where she was, arms at her sides. "It takes a great deal of control to be able to hold ones concentration while unexpected things happen around you. This is what I will teach you today."

De'Ville brushed her short hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ears. "For instance, fighting for you life in hand to hand combat is all well and good, but being able to use the Force to pit your enviroment against your enemy while fighting...that is something else. Control of the Force is the extra edge that will more than likely keep you alive."

She folded her arms across her breasts, and looked back to the moss covered duracrete. "Lift it again. This time memorize the way the Force flows around and through it. If it becomes second nature to you, it will be easier to continue it uninterrupted."

The buildings around them watched the pair through empty windows, and a flock of small, relatively harmless birds took flight from one of the outer buildings.

[Naj Arilov]

Naj lifted the rock again. He kept more concentration on it this time, as much attention as he felt he could afford, considering the prospect of something large and hungry darting out into the clearing to eat him wasn't very far fetched.

Naj held the rock firmly in place without looking toward De'Ville for approval or instruction.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She flicked her fingers to help her concentrate on the movement of the Force, and Naj's legs were swept out from under him. Lilaena took a few steps back, away from the rock as it began to tumble down.

[Naj Arilov]

As Naj hit, he tried to keep the rock from touching the ground. He was only able to hold it for a moment or two, straining to keep his concentration. It was as if he were actually holding the rock with his arms. After a moment or two, the rock fell the last few inches to the ground, and Naj let out a deep breath.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"Better." She walked next to him, and looked down at him as he exhaled slowly. Lilaena reached out a hand to help him to his feet. "And yet, still there is work to be done. Once this small feat is mastered, there are many ways you can use what you have learned."

[Naj Arilov]

Naj nodded his head as he got to his feet, ignoring her offer for help. It was becoming clear that showing any signs of weakness would grant him some form of punishment. Taking De'Ville's hand now would be begging for pain.

The last attempt at trying to hold the rock had taken a good bit out of him, but he was far from spent. He stood up straight, a few feet from De'Ville (out of her physical striking range). And held his staff at his side, waiting for her instruction.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Vile found a seat once more on the lip of the overgrown fountain. "Once more, then. Perhaps the..." She cocked her head to the side ever so slightly, listening. "...Third time may be the charm."

Something rustled in the overgrowth to the north of them, and she quietly got back to her feet, hand going to the lightsaber on her hip. "Whatever happens, do not put that rock down until I tell you to."

[Naj Arilov]

Naj nodded his head and the rock lifted up again. He really wasnt liking the sound of this, but he obeyed, for the moment. De'Ville was armed, and really hadnt tried to hide it. And the weapon she was armed with wasnt exactly one that Naj could defend against. Not to mention, he was learning....

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She turned away from him and watched the greenery that was clogging the alley between two dilapadated buildings. A gust of wind blew through the courtyard, but the overgrowth wiggled a bit after the wind had died down.

Extending her senses the Dark Jedi could feel what was creating the disturbance. Two or more of the beasts from the den in the west had come searching for supper. She kept a ready stance, and for a few moments there was silence as Naj kept the rock levitating, still leaning on his staff.

Ah wait - krasst. De'Ville whirled around to the east, saber leaping to her hand and igniting as a tawny creature exploded through a gaping window, leaping up towards her. The beast was large, and appeared to be nearly all muscle. A prehensile tail reached for her legs as the creature leapt, it's large paws trying to bat her head off. De'Ville swept her saber cleanly through it's right forelimb, and ducked the still moving piece as it flew for her head.

The creature let out a screech that must have touched the hypersonic, falling back in a scrambling heap as it gathered itself for another attack. At it's cry the alley she'd been watching to the north erupted in four more creatures, one bigger than all the others, standing at well over a meter tall at the shoulder. It was truly enormous, and beautiful to watch as it sprang through the clearing, leaping the broken fountain in a strenuous bound. De'Ville dove to the side as it crashed down in the spot she'd been occupying, and saw the other three make for Naj.

He was still holding his staff. Hopefully he'd be able to use it.

[Naj Arilov]

The rock flew from its place in the air and blocked the first beast coming toward him. Surely, De'Ville had been expecting this, and it was all just part of her plan. Of course, she wouldnt let Naj die, should he fail, at least he hoped. If those three beasts were to attack him, he'd have no hope of keeping his concentration, let alone surviving. So the new plan was to use it, while in the air.

The other two beasts quickly cut around the stone, and were knocked aside by a second flying stone that had been laying near the edge of the wood.

Naj circled slightly, pulling the stones back close to him as the beasts fell back and begin to regroup for the next attack,

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Coming up to her knees, she made short work of the alpha male by slicing the lightsaber through it's head as it whirled towards her. The heavy body kept coming, even as the head fell apart, but a quick nudge with the Force knocked it to the side.

The inital beast screeched again, probably calling it's other denmates, and then lopsidedly loped towards De'Ville. She kept it at bay for a moment as it remembered her lightsaber's effect on it's first attack, the glowing tip of the blade buzzing by it's nose as Lilaena looked towards Naj. He was doing a good job of keeping two of the creatures occupied with rocks, but the third on was circling around behind him.

She extended a hand, palm up to the sky, a roiling sphere of Dark side energy forming above it. There wasn't time to prepare a significant amount of the Force Destruction, but it would be enough. As the beast leapt for his back Lilaena let the Destruction arc towards it, guiding it with the Force as it slammed into the beast, leaving a crackling and blackened crater in it's side.

[Naj Arilov]

Naj nearly dropped both stones as he saw De'Ville unleash a blast of energy from her palm. As awestruck as he was, the two beasts we now coming at him again. One came directly at him, while the second loped off to the right to catch him at his flank. Both stones flew behind him and circled around, gaining speed as they came back around. As the beast directly in front of him started to leap, the stones hit it from both sides, crushing its head.

The second stone that Naj had lifted fell to the ground, while the first stayed. He pointed his staff off to his right as the second beast was about to pounce. As the creature lifted into the air, its flight actually slowed down. Naj grit his teeth, focusing as hard as he could to stop the beast while still holding the stone.

Just as the beast got a few feet from him, it stopped completely, and Naj stood there for a moment, straining to hold both stone and beast. In one last desperation manuever, Naj pushed his staff forward, putting the dull point at the top through the creature's eye socket as hard as he could.

He let his staff and the creature go, then reached both hands out toward the stone, regaining complete control of it again as he backed away from the felled beast, readying himself incase the creature got up somehow.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The three legged creature abandoned logic and went for her knees, it's tail whipping out to grab her wrist. De'Ville sliced the tip of the prehensile tail off, and then continued her strike, doubling back and dragging the saber through the creature's side. It struggled a bit and then wheezed out it's last breath as the saber seared through it's lungs.

Behind her she felt activity cease, and she turned around to see Naj still holding the stone in the air, the three dead beasts around him. "Well, that was interesting." De'Ville slid the switch on her lightsaber to the off position, and flipped the pommel in her hands before returning it to her belt. "You -"

The jungle around them erupted in screeches, coming from all directions. "Drop the rock and get back to the speeder!" De'Ville shouted over the sudden din, and flipped her saber back into her hand as Naj did as she said.

[Naj Arilov]

As De'Ville took her first step, Naj passed by her, running as fast as his legs could take him. To his credit, for someone who never had a regualr exercise routine, he was moving pretty fast. Of course, this wasnt the first time he'd had to run away from danger before, and his light frame worked to his advantage.

Soon he was back on the trail they had taken coming in, ducking low hanging tree limbs and jumping over obstacles in the trail....

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She didn't have to look over her shoulder to feel the blind rage and hunger of the tawny creatures that were coming behind them. Arilov over took her quickly, leaping over a fallen log and disappearing around a bend in the trail. De'Ville followed him, gaining speed and catching up to her speedy apprentice.

A large creature burst out of the jungle between them, and she launched her body into the air, lightsaber igniting and flashing down as she somersaulted over the surprised animal. It fell apart in pieces behind her as her feet hit the ground and she dashed down the overgrown trail.

[Naj Arilov]

Naj was nearly to the speeder when one beast dove at him. Naj ducked and rolled out of its way, only to find himself about to be pounced on by another. He unleashed a telekinetic burst at the creature, not stopped it, but altering its path enough so that it landed behind him. The moment the creature was by him, Naj was up and on his feet again, not stopping to worry if the creature was chasing him or not. He stood a better chance of surviving by running than he did sticking around to fight. De'Ville was armed with a lightsaber, Naj didnt even have his staff now...

A few moments later, he got to the speeder. He paused long enough to open the door, and then he was in and starting the speeder up. He wanted to take off right then, but had to wait for De'Ville. He wouldnt wait long though. The longer she took, the greater the chance that she wouldnt make it at all.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Force enhanced speed carried her past the next few beasts before they could leap onto her, and Lilaena caught sight of the speeder in a slight clearing in front of her. It was being surrounded by a few creatures, one of them even jumping on top of the armored vehicle and trying to claw through the roof.

De'Ville shouted, her voice booming in the jungle as the Force carried the soundwaves and enhanced them. The creatures scattered in front of her, for the moment, and she ran straight to the speeder, yanking at the door that Naj had thoughtfully locked. Furious she pounded on the door as he unlocked it, and then the cat-like creature on the roof jumped down on top of her.

[Naj Arilov]

Dren! Why didnt she have her lightsaber out! He thought to himself as the creature pounced on her. As he looked over, he saw two things, De'Ville grabbing her saber, and three other of the catlike beasts closing in for the kill. Since Naj didnt have any weapons, his best bet was to try and buy De'Ville some time....

The speeder jumped forward as Naj hit the accelerater and pulled the vehicle in a tight circle. The speeder cut to the right and barreled through the three beasts, sending them sprawling...

[Lilaena De'Ville]

And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse for our two heros...

De'Ville went down hard with the creature on top of her, one arm trying to fend it off while she grabbed her saber with the other. Claws scratched deeply at her forearm and teeth sank into her shoulder as the speeder pulled away and tore around her in a tight circle. She cried out in anger, shoving the pommel of her saber in the beast's ribcage and sliding the switch on.

It fell away from her, the saber sliding through it's body like a hot knife in butter. She got to her feet, and grabbed the speeder as it cut by her once more, pulling the door open as Naj slowed down. De'Ville yanked herself inside, pain searing through her shoulder as she slammed the door shut.

[Naj Arilov]

Naj looked over at De'Ville before taking off. He wasnt sure, but he was guessing she was pretty angry. For now though, she couldnt really do anything to him. He was driving. The last thing she needed was for him to wreck and have them stranded.

"I dont think the jungle was the best idea...."

Of course, now probably wasnt the best time to bring the subject up.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She sucked in a breath and ripped open a med pack, slapping a bacta patch on her forearm. "You mean you learned nothing? Indeed..." De'Ville growled slightly as she tore away what was left of her sleeve, "You are a worthless apprentice in that case."

The Force Master looked up to make sure he was heading in the correct direction, and then directed the rearward mirror towards her so she could get a good look at her shoulder. Then she laughed, almost without mirth. "I think we should go back tomorrow. Keeps you on your toes."

[Naj Arilov]

"I guess I am pretty useless, seeing as how I just saved your life."

Of course Naj learned, even if they didnt spend too much time, he did learn. But on the other hand, he wasnt about to sit around and be chastized for doing nothing wrong. De'Ville created the situation, Naj dealt with it, she should have been happy.

"Maybe tommorrow you can disable the autolocking feature on this speeder. We could have gotten out much faster if it hadnt locked you out."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Evidentally he had his sarcasm switch in the on position. De'Ville sat back, ignoring him as he drove them to the gates of Iziz. His attitude would have to be dealt with, and quickly.