{FINISHED} Dark Hearts, Strong Minds

[Jax Vos]

Kalira faught her way through this time hacking and slicing through the creatures she encounterred. With each cut she felt the power of the dark side grow stronger in her.

Kalira finally came to the casket. All of the rhak-skuri were gone. "They must have gone back into their holes," she said to herself. She pulled out the holocron. The fact that Gienn knew she had found it disturbed her. She activated the holocron. A Sith of bizzar humanoid appearance appeared. Kalira was quite disturbed by his appearance. "Greetings young acolyte," he said. "I am Darth Glovoc." Kalira bowed. "Lord Glovoc, I have come to learn," she said. "You must prove yourself worthy of my teachings before you can learn from me," Glovoc said and vanished. Kalira put the holocron back where she hid it.

She lifted the lid back off the casket. She observed the man's body: it still had all of the skin. She looked closely at the face. Kalira was convinced that this man was Glovoc. She replaced the lid and waited for the rhak-skuri to come out.

Suddenly the ceiling opened again and several rhak-skuri came out of the holes. Kalira stood still lightsaber in hand. Four insects were now in front of her. She cut their heads clean off in one swift stroke. Kalira started to kill all of them until only one remained. It was a weak one, extremely weak. She hated to see anything weak. Kalira jumped towards the insect. The creature moved back. Kalira slashed at the bug. She kept cutting it into small peices until nothing moved.

Kalira walked back to the entrance. She had done it, she had killed and she had given herself to the dark side completely. Kalira was ready to kill, she was ready to learn what ever she needed. She reached the door. Kalira pulled the Force in around her and used it to push the door open. Kalira walked out, lightsaber deactivated in her hand, and looked at Gienn.

 

[The Gloaming]

"That holocron. Study it on your own time, you may learn something. I have no need for it. It seems you are ready to kill in the name of the Sith. That is good, but not good enough. Just because you are ready to kill does not mean you are ready to do it well. That's what I'm here for. Come with me."

Gienn led her through the rocky valley filled with Sith archeologists and acolytes. All the treasures that were truly worth taking had been taken long ago, and now all that remained of the Sith Lords of old were their corpses and some bugs. Perfect for an acolyte.

The two walked into the temple and down several dark hallways before arriving in a training room. Multiple training savers lay in a corner that had been designated for blade practice, while amongst the rest of the room, acolytes and crusaders shot eachother with weak lightning or meditated.

"I see you already have a lightsaber. What do you know of lightsaber combat? Of the forms and practices?"

 

[Jax Vos]

Kalira was shocked he didn't ask this earlier after they had faught. "I know the basics," she replied. "I have memorized Niman and have just started to learn Jar'kai and Vaapad." Kalira looked at her master, she was glad to know that he was serious about training her.

 

[The Gloaming]

"I see. Niman is a simple form, but effective in the hands of a creative and adaptable fighter. Despite the belief of many Jedi, Sith do meditate, even in battle. Niman is the best way to bring this out. Vapaad is very ferocious, and while my knowledge is somewhat limited, I do know the way of Juyo, Vapaads counterpart. Both forms call for considerable dedication, and physical conditioning. You should be wary of Jar'kai though. The use of two blades can be devastating, but difficult to master. Also, in dueling, your defenses are considerably weaker, unless you rise to proficiency as Asajj Ventress once did. She was a Dark Jedi during the Clone Wars, who's mastery of the dual blade style was so great, she could block any attack with just one hand. It would take years for you to be able to do this, but it would be worth it. I can teach you to infuse the dual blade style with any of the traditional forms, or on it's own. Which style would you like to dedicate yourself to?"

 

[Jax Vos]

Kalira thought for a moment. "I think I'd prefer to focus on the single blade style," she said. "As I know most, if not all, of basic Niman and I find it works easier to use one blade when you need to use the Force." Kalira stopped. "I would still like to work with Vaapad though."

 

[The Gloaming]

"Then I shall teach you the way of the Vornskr: Vaapad. First, you must understand what separates this form from the others. Both Juyo and Vaapad are more than just fighting styles. They are a lifestyle. You must crave battle, crave victory. Only when you crave theses things can you unlock the mental barrier that would prevent you from becoming more than just an acolyte. This form will free your soul in battle. But freedom is incredibly costly."

Gienn drew both of his lightsabers, and began to circle his apprentice. "When the time comes to attack, do not simply strike. No, your movements must go against all uniformity. You must be sporadic, seemingly random, and guarded. Do not let your opponent read your next move. If they know what's coming, you may well be dead. Strike me."

 

[Jax Vos]

Kalira thought about her move. It must be unexpected. She ran towards him then stopped, looked at Gienn just before swiping at his legs.

 

[The Gloaming]

Gienn hopped above Kalira's attack and shoved her back with the Force.

"No, I could read your face, your body language. Don't try to feint, it will only work on those less powerful than you. And for the time being, there aren't many who fit that description. Give yourself to the Force, and attack. Not just once. Move your blade from point a to point c, then to poin k. That makes no sense, because your attack pattern must make no sense to your enemy. If you plan your next move, I can read it. So don't plan, just move!"

 

[Jax Vos]

Kalira nodded. She jumped to wards Gienn slashing towards his sholder, then his waist, then his neck, which was the actual attack.

 

[The Gloaming]

Gienn batted away her attacks, then spun around her left side in he blink of an eye. He waited for her to turn and attack, then twisted his blade around hers, sending it reeling from her hands.

"You're getting there, keep pressing the attack, don't give me a moment to counter, and don't stop until I'm dead."

 

[Jax Vos]

Kalira paused. "I don't believe I can learn it that fast," she said as she moved her blade furiously, faking left, attacking down, faking up, attacking right, she moved her body and gave herself to the fight allowing her actions to be wild and unpredictable not letting Gienn get any closer to her than about half way down her blade. She finally again went for his neck, faking for his arm, then his leg, and swiping at his head all in a matter of thirty seconds.

 

[The Gloaming]

Gienn blocked each of Kalira's attacks, setting his blades back to rest before him each time. She was showing a surprising fury now, relentless in her efforts.

"You will learn it only as quickly as the Dark Side will allow you. You are still a slave to it. If you find yourself tiring, disregard it, and draw your energy from the fount of the Dark Side. If you lay your head to rest tonight and find you are sore, and bruised, then know you did well."

As he spoke, Gienn shifted the tide and began attacking his apprentice. Because this was her first blade lesson at his hands, Gienn had his blades set on low, but he still struck with great might.

He swept his blades around for a double strike from the left, then spun and did the same from the right. He finished the barrage by battering his blades down upon her head one blade at a time.

 

[Jax Vos]

Kalira blocked Gienn's attacks. She moved with each of his attacks. With each attack he gave she counterred with another attack. Kalira moved her blade to at a fast pace and, ignoring her fatigue, tried her best to turn the attack back onto her master, though she found he was much more skilled than her.

 

[The Gloaming]

For every step Kalira took forward, Gienn pushed her back two more. He continued to batter her back with numerous attacks, each more vicious than the last. He realized he would need to make a true example of the form.

Gienn struck with his right blade from the left, and his left blade from the right, both blades passing eachother across the are of attack. Then, he spun around his left side, whirring his blades faster and faster with each pass, making seven full rotations. He finished by coming out of the spin with a lunge of his blades, outstretching his arms as forcefully as possible. This all took three seconds.

He knew there was no way for Kalira to stop that attack. That was the point. "Now you have witnessed but a fraction of Form VII. Speed, ferocity, and unpredictability. You have done well thus far, so we will stop with blade training for now. Go rest, and return to me tomorrow. We will begin assassin training."

 

[Jax Vos]

Kalira jumped when she was hit by Gienn's blade. She bowed when he told her to rest.

 

[The Gloaming]

((Sorry for the wait, thread's not quite done yet. Still gotta learn Force powers and such.))

Gienn stood in the training room, waiting for Kalira. Today, they would begin working on the practical abilities essential to any assassin. Somewhere in his stomach, there was a hollow niche that nostalgia usually filled, but as his power grew, such trivialities were unnecessary. Hopeful Kalira would come to the same realization one day.