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[Thel Xeros]

Troiken

So many planets, so little time. Thel had become distracted by his own business and had stepped back from the training of his apprentice, Param, for a short time. Hopefully she hasn’t done anything stupid. He had now returned to Troiken to pick things up again. Param had already made good progress during the time they had spent training together. She was naturally skilled. He had instructed her to continue with individual training while he was away. It remained to be seen if she had.

Before leaving, he had ordered his Xexto syndicate allies to construct a home for Param and provide her with a ship and other necessities. He hoped they had carried out his orders quickly.

It was a sunny day, not dissimilar to the day he first trained Param. A cool breeze blew through the trees. He had chosen a spot at the edge of the forest, overlooking a lush green field. His apprentice seemed to enjoy being amongst nature, so his choice of meeting place reflected that. He was wearing his robes, as he usually did.

The peace provided by the forest offered an opportunity to reflect. The order was in a precarious position. Zorya had been exiled. Cyutadakyr seemed to have disappeared. Cremek had been foolish enough to get himself involved in a death match. There was the looming threat of Raze. All these things made Thel more determined to grow his powerbase and further his position in the Sith Order.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param approached the tree line, and her master, slowly. For once she actually wore a black, sleeveless tunic and trousers instead of her normal garb. She yawned, having just woken up. Troiken was such a peaceful planet. It was so easy to sleep until noon and beyond here.

"Yes, master?" she asked, rubbing the last of the sleep from her silver eyes as she neared. It wasn't unusual for him to call her at such hours, but she didn't mind. Every time she met with her master, she learned something new. This time however, his perpetual seriousness seemed even more serious.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

He watched as she approached. She was dressed a bit differently. He had instructed the Xextos to purchase some more clothes for her if she wanted them.

He noticed her obvious tiredness. She’s half asleep. Maybe she had spent the time he had gone away slacking off. “Nice to know you’re so enthused to see me,” he commented sarcastically, a withering look on his face. “So, have you been keeping up with your training, Param?” He had set up an individual training plan for her to follow while he was away.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Was that sarcasm? Param didn't expect that. It practically woke her up on it's own. For a fleeting moment her expression was one of concern as she tilted her head. The concern quickly faded into a smile, though. "I have, master," she said excitedly. Thankfully the training he had given her was able to be practiced on the move, so despite her wandering she was still able to keep up with it. Though the practice had definitely not made her perfect yet.

"I'm still struggling to stay calm sometimes, though." She'd really rather not tell her master about the disaster that was the last time she'd seen Kodi. She had her lightsaber temporarily stolen, messed up pretty bad in front of Kodi, and then panicked and got beaten pretty good. Maybe it was him that did that to her. These problems never seemed to pop up with anyone else. "Are we continuing training today?"

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

“Good,” he replied bluntly to her reassurance that she had continued training.

He listened as she spoke, absent-mindedly glancing down at the cuticles on his left hand at one point.

“Yes, we will be training today. But you must learn to remain calm. If you panic, you make bad decisions as a consequence. Keeping your composure is essential.” She would need to learn. Those who were reckless typically didn’t last very long.

“Follow me.” He turned, giving the impression they were about to leave. When his back was to her, he unclipped his saber and ignited it as he spun around to strike. It was a telegraphed swing, that she should be able to dodge, even with the element of surprise. That was, if she had really been keeping up with her training. He wanted to teach her new things, but not if she couldn’t retain the basics.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param knew all too well the consequences of panicking. Her last adventure with Kodi was more than enough to set it in stone. It was better to keep her wits about her, and stay focused. It was a hard lesson to learn, but she needed to focus on being her. Screw what everyone else thought, especially Kodi.

She was broken from her thoughts when he attacked. It was easy enough to read. Param ducked under the blade as it passed overhead, calling her own lightsaber to her hand and igniting it. She stopped, hand and arm poised to deliver a counter strike into her master. There was no intention to strike him down in her heart or mind. Instead she moved the blade toward herself, bringing her arm back to a normal position to block if her master decided to throw in a second attack.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel was pleased with how easily she dodged the strike. Then again, it would have been downright amateurish to have not. He stepped back and thrust out his left arm, sending out a push in the force towards Param. Remember the barrier.

If she successfully blocked it, he would be content…for now. “Well done.” He switched off his saber and clipped it back onto his belt. “Come with me.” Pressing a button on his comlink, he then walked out into the field. In less than a minute, a large speeder appeared with some Xextos onboard it. “My guards, now climb on.” He climbed on to the speeder and took a seat, gesturing for his apprentice to sit opposite him. “We’re going into a small settlement nearby.”

The speeder raced along the open plains, hastily travelling to the nearest town. He allowed the silence to linger for a while before speaking. “So, tell me, how have you kept yourself busy in my absence? I doubt you’ve spent all your time training?”

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

If he'd be impressed with her erecting a barrier at his Force push, her master was about to be blown away. She shot her left hand out the moment his hand raised, creating a barrier in the Force. It was enough to stop the push, but she did one better; she put a push behind the barrier, sending both it and the push toward her master. It was only powerful enough to make him skid a foot or so, but it was a counter attack she felt comfortable making against him.

She took his compliments with a beaming smile, and when the speeder arrived she climbed in. Even recognized one of the Xextos from Bandomeer and gave him a fist bump. "Hey Therris!" Param said, her smile still beaming. When her master entered, the smile faded and she focused on him. A small settlement was an odd place to go for them. They had met storming a mining guild complex, a complex that ran with blood when she was done with it.

"Tracking down holocrons, crystals, and other artifacts, to be honest," she said. "Keep running into the same boy." She spat the word boy. She was completely infatuated with him, and she knew it, but he aggravated her at every turn. "I only really lose focus when I'm around him, master."

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

He appreciated the initiative she had shown. The prospect of her actions being traced back to him was of slight concern, but that was the risk he accepted when deciding to train her. He had been careful not to tell her of all his endeavours. All she knew about was Bandomeer and Troiken. If any problems did arise, they would be dealt with swiftly and decisively.

The rest of what she said, prompted a visible reaction from him. The mention of various encounters with an unidentified male. He grimaced. Only for a second or two, before he suppressed it. She would have noticed though. The hint of venom in her voice when she spoke of them. The fact they unbalanced her. Both causes for concern. He didn’t want her clumsily giving anything away regarding his activities.

“Tell me, Param, is this person another Sith,” he asked, his voice calm and even slightly gentle.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param saw the grimace, and winced. Maybe she'd said too much already? There was no turning back from the conversation now though. It wasn't like they had anything to worry about from Kodi. She frowned, remembering that last night on Nar Shaddaa. The fear in his eye, the way he backed away from her even when she was trying to help him. He had seen something in her that she did not see herself.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "He's just a normal guy. I don't think I'll be seeing him again any time soon anyway, master. The last time I saw him, things didn't go very well." She didn't want to bring up any details. Every so often at night she'd think about it, and the tears would begin again. Every day she'd stand in front of the mirror, recalling everything that led up to that final moment; yet she couldn't see what Kodi had seen.

"Because of him I have this, though," Param said, reaching into her robes and producing a kyber crystal. She held it up for him to see.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

He listened as she explained. She may think of this person as normal, but they had done enough to linger in her mind. He didn’t want to risk her doing something impulsive. The description of her last encounter with this person having not gone well, was bothersome.

“Tell me, does this individual know of my operations. You haven’t told them anything?” The crystal she showed wasn’t of much interest to him, so he ignored it.

The speeder continued to race along, but it would still be a short while until they reached their destination. He wanted his question answered and she wouldn’t get anywhere trying to be evasive with her answer.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param, lowered the crystal, dying a little bit inside from embarrassment. All he cared about was himself. Was every man in the galaxy born from the same brain!? She sighed and put the crystal back in her robes, shaking her head. "No, master. He doesn't know anything beyond me being a Sith."

She turned her gaze out the fields passing by, resting her chin on her hand. Her hair fluttered behind her and in her face, but she made no attempt to stop it. Sometimes her master could be kind, he was almost always instructive, but there were times when he was a solid duracrete wall. Come to think of it, every Sith man she met was just a duracrete wall of brooding all the time. Uhg. Definitely born from the same brain.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Her answer didn’t do a lot to reassure him. Needlessly telling someone you were a Sith could lead to problems. There was a substantial reward for capturing Sith. Certainly enough incentive to track her, if this individual she spoke of wanted to do so. If a cadre of bounty hunters tracked her down, he would more than likely be the one who would have to deal with it.

He wanted to probe for more information, but he suppressed the urge to. He could sense that she wasn’t happy with the questioning. He didn’t want to alienate her.

“Don’t look at those you meet as living beings, Param. Think of them as assets or liabilities. When someone is of no use to you, you cut them off. It’s as simple as that. You must also look at yourself in the same way. Always ensure you are of value to those around you. If you aren’t, then you are disposable,” he explained. He spotted the settlement in the distance. “If this person causes you trouble, avoid them.” He hoped the message might stick.

They soon arrived at the settlement. “Conceal your saber or leave it on the speeder. You won’t need it.” This was just a regular settlement, and outside of the territory of the Xexto syndicate he controlled. “Follow me.” He led Param through the town. “That’s where we are going,” he said, pointing towards a cantina.

The cantina was like many others in the galaxy. Run-down. Grimy. He took a seat in a corner booth, gesturing for Param to sit with him. It was fairly quiet in the cantina and their presence hadn’t attracted any attention.

“I want you to get us both a drink, but I don’t want you to pay. You’re going to use a mind trick on the person behind the bar. Persuade him to hand them over for free. Remember, a mind trick is not just a suggestion. You are planting the words in their mind. Your words become their thoughts. If you show any uncertainty, you will fail. Now, go.”

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Assets and liabilities. Avoid the liabilities.

Param frowned at the thought. What exactly was Kodi to her? On one hand they had fun- when he allowed them to. On the other hand, he had run away from her in both their meetings. She was sure her hunch that he didn't even remember her name was true. She'd spilled blood for him, protected him, and even bled her own blood for him; and her name wasn't even worth remembering. No tears came this time, she wanted to be done crying over him.

Param waited for a moment after they stopped at the settlement. She did as her master ordered and unclipped her lightaber, handing it to Therrin, the Xextos next to her. She also handed him her vibro-blade. No weapons of any kind. A sense of dread clawed at the back of her neck, trying to sink it's way into her mind. The last time she didn't have a weapon, things didn't work out quite as planned. She followed Thel to the cantina, sitting down across from him in the booth.

Her silver eyes closed, and she took several deep breaths before heading to the bar. Param needed a clear head; confidence in herself and her abilities. She could already sense people, and even sense some simple minded people's thoughts and feelings, now all she had to do was focus on their mind.

"What can I get ya?" the bartender asked, perking up as she approached. Param put on a warm smile, reaching out with the Force to touch his mind. It was like a raging storm of thoughts and emotions. She couldn't sense them, hear them, individually. Focusing on one, the became clearer. Of course it happened to be the one that was him thinking she was attractive. Like a linked list she followed the thought until she found herself sensing his fantasies. That was enough of that, though her cheeks flushed slightly at the thought.

"Bottle of wine, and two glasses," she said, giggling as she paused. "On the house for the pretty lady." Param didn't just speak the words, but sent them in the Force into his mind, creating a new node of thought as if it was his idea all along. He repeated the order, winking as he called her a pretty lady. He gathered the bottle of wine and two glasses and set them out. Param didn't let him speak again, taking her winnings and strutting over to her master, placing the wine and glasses on the table.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

He sat and watched as Param approached the bar. If she gets this wrong, I’ll have to fix it. Fortunately, she didn’t.

She returned with a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses. “Well done, Param. But don’t get too comfortable, we won’t be here for long.” He picked up the bottle and checked the label. “Funny, I‘ve never seen a red wine that’s actually called red wine before,” he said, turning the bottle around to reveal the words RED WINE written in large letters. Cheap rubbish. He placed the bottle down. “Feel free to have the whole bottle.”

It probably tastes like bleach anyway.

He allowed Param to take a seat before speaking again. “You see Param, not every problem needs to be dealt with at the sharp end of a vibroblade. Misdirection, trickery, bribery. There are many different options. If your only recourse is violence, you won’t last very long.” His mind turned to his own path to his current position. How he had developed his own operations. Ostensibly, he was running them for the benefit of the Sith Order. Money from each operation did go towards the order’s business. That didn’t stop him from skimming off the top to develop his own personal wealth.

“Follow me, we won’t be training for much longer today. You can bring the ‘wine’ with you.” He led her back to the speeder. “Take us back.”

During the journey back, when travelling across a vast plain, he instructed the driver to stop. “Everyone out.” He gestured for the Xextos to step back. “Right Param, this will be your last test for today. I want you to lift the speeder. A good grasp of telekinesis is important. If you are forced into a duel, it can give you an edge over your opponent. So, lift it.”

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param frowned at the way her master looked at the wine she'd brought. The man didn't seem to be impressed by anything, always giving her achievements the same disappointed look. She picked the bottle of wine up, following him to the speeder. Climbing into the back seat with her buddy Xextos. She gave the Xextos a smile and handed him the bottle. Cocktails were more her style. Cocktails and tea. In exchange, he handed her the lightsaber back, and she clipped it back onto her belt.

The trip was a short one out to the middle of no where. Param unloaded with the rest of the speeder, taking her place by her master's side. Param was confident in her abilities, so when the task came to lift the speeder, she thought she'd have no problem. She nodded, raising her hands toward the speeder. Never before had she lifted anything quite like this. Her lightsaber hilt, shattering glass, moving a box or two. Nothing quite as big.

The speeder vibrated, groaning as the metal was put under tension. It was like half of it wanted to lift but the other half didn't. Param's face went from calm, to worried, and then to frustrated as the speeder didn't budge. Finally, with a yell of frustration she stopped, and the speeder settled back into position. Her brow furrowed, and a frown set in on her lips. "It's heavy."

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

He expected that she would fail to lift the speeder. She just needed some extra…motivation. “Believe me Param, I take no pleasure in what I am about to do.” Reaching out with one hand, he unleashed a stream of lightning from his fingertips. The lightning would strike Param, inflicting terrible pain. He allowed the lightning to cease. “The force is a tool be to be used. But to master it, you must control your aggressive feelings.” He reached out and again unleashed a torrent of lightning at his apprentice. The Xextos shifted uncomfortably, but they didn’t intervene. The lightning stopped. Thel looked down at his apprentice. “Now, try again.” He hoped the attack had stirred her aggressive feelings and focused her anger.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param was confused for a moment, turning a worried look toward him. Then the lightning hit her. Her entire body convulsed and spasmed as debilitating pain coursed through every muscle in her body. The pain was so great that she couldn't even scream. When the lightning stopped, she was curled up on the ground, mere squeaks escaping her lips. Then another bout of lightning struck, and again her body was alive, jolting and shaking. This time a blood curdling scream would escape her lips.

When the lightning stopped this time, Param's eyes were blazing golden. When her body stopped convulsing, she slowly got to her feet. Thel would feel the dark side reaching out from her, like flames following air flow. Lift the speeder? No, Param wanted to crush the speeder now. She wanted to rip it piece by piece. It was the first time her master had inflicted direct pain to her for failing. It was the first time the thought that he could be like a father she never had earned it's first crack.

Reaching out with both hands, Param poured the Force through them toward the speeder. It shook and groaned again, but this time it did slowly lift. She wanted to throw it. Just a flick of the wrist would be all she needed. Control your aggressive feelings... The speeder rose to about three meters, and then Param gently let it back down, fighting the pain and rage that boiled in her core.

When the deed was done, Param dropped her arms to her sides, her eyes slowly fading back to their normal silver. She turned a deadpan gaze to her master. "If pain is a goal, could we learn defense against blasters next?"

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

He sensed the sudden surge of anger when she got to her feet. Gradually, she began to lift the speeder from the ground. Good. Slowly, she lowered the speeder back again.

He actually felt quite happy. A slight nudge in the right direction had prompted rapid progress in his apprentice. However, any slight feeling of happiness was quickly extinguished by the tone of her remark. “Pain is not a goal, Param. I am not a sadist. You’ve obviously misunderstood the purpose of what I just did,” he said with a sharpness in his voice. He disliked anything that likened him to his own master. However, he quickly composed himself. “What I just did was merely a way of helping you tap into your anger. Nothing more,” he explained, calmly. “You have done well. As for your request. That is a fairly simple technique. Not one I would necessarily recommend though. Deflecting blaster bolts with your hands is not that hard to learn, but it is imprecise. You won’t use it to deflect shots back at the one who fired them. It is a purely defensive technique. But if you wish to learn.” He gestured to one of the Xextos. “Aim at her.” The Xexto drew their blaster and aimed at Param. “The technique is similar to pushing an object with the force. Anticipate the shot, react to it and thrust your arm at it with the aim of pushing it away.” When he was sure she was ready he looked over to the Xexto. “Fire.”

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param's deadpan expression never changed, even as her master explained why he had electrocuted her. It didn't matter to her what the purpose was. It helped her tap into her anger yes, but it was a good way to get her to want to tap into her anger toward him. It was no matter, she'd accomplished the task, and learned a valuable lesson. Now it was time to learn another.

As mad as she was at her master, as hurt as she was by him, she still took a step out and away from him as the Xexto aimed at her. She was calm, though her body still shook from the immense pain from earlier. Her face so void of emotion that even Therrin who was on the sidelines looked like he was about to shit his xexto pants. It was like seeing someone be a hair's breath from snapping, and knowing that if they did there would be no running away.

She focused on the xexto with the blaster pointed at her. The word fire never even registered in her mind. The xexto tensed, finger squeezing the trigger, and the bolt flew free. Param's hand shot out, feeding the Force into it. The moment the bolt touched it, she could feel the burn of the plasma, but willed it away. The bolt reflected into the dirt. Param looked at her singed hand, then at the xexto. "Again."

Param had him fire several more times, each time, reflecting the bolt into the air or into the dirt. She switched hands, used both, and every combination she could, until the technique was committed to muscle memory.

@DMCK