The Training of Shao'andre Oedryak

[Thepantheon]

Shao's eyes widened as he saw that. "Great way to warn me about this beforehand!" He backed into a tree, deflecting or dodging blaster shots, then ducked behind it. The training droid slashed as it rounded the tree, but found that Shao was gone. Using his suction pad-like larger arms, he had pulled himself up the tree, his natural camoflage confusing the Jedi droid.

While it was confused, he rounded the tree, still above the ground, and leapt towards one of the other droids, his seemingly sudden appearance allowing him to take it by surprise, as he deflected a single shot before he crashed into it, partially ripping off its head as it hit a rock. Instead of celebrating his victory, however, he was promptly struck in the shoulder by a blast from the other droid, stunning him for a moment. Overcoming his pain, he dodged agilely as another one came towards him, and then raised a hand, knocking a rock into the droid.

Before he could take it out with a larger rock he was levitating, the Dark Jedi droid forced it to the ground with its "telekinesis" mimicry, having reappeared. Turning his focus to it, Shao clashed lightsabers with it, leading it backwards, and then slashed behind him, dispatching the other droid, though he received a bruise as the training saber of the Dark Jedi droid hit his off-hand.

Returning to the offensive, Shao quickly gained the upper hand, but was thrown back by a "telekinetic" assault, barely managing to keep himself from slamming into a tree. As the droid approached, he formulated a plan. He clashed sabers with it again, but this time, his smaller hand gripping his own blade, he reached out with his suction pad larger hand, and grabbed the hilt of the droid's lightsaber, holding it in place. Despite the droid's greater strength, he was able to grapple with it long enough to ram his own blade into its weak neck joint, disempowering it. As it fell to the ground, he took an instant to breathe, leaning against a tree for the moment before continuing on, at a slower pace.

 

[Malon]

"That should be all of them. You may proceed to the clearing. Get the chest there and head back to your room for the day. Tomorrow we leave for the mountains. Meet me in the hanger bay after breakfast."

And with that, the Knight's communication device switched off, signifying he had left.

 

[Thepantheon]

"Probably gone to get lunch and leave me here," Shao muttered good-naturedly, deactivating his lightsaber. He saw the clearing right ahead, and passed into it, grabbing the chest without opening it; there'd be time for that later.

The next day, he arrived at the hanger bay, with the lightsaber parts in a pouch at his belt. I wonder how late he'll be today?

 

[Malon]

Mission to the caves

To the apprentice's surprise, Nimm was already there. He had prepared a small shuttle for their upcoming mission to the mountains.

"Ah, Shao, you made it! Lovely. Today we're going to some Force-sensitive caves in the mountains of Alderaan. You will be building your lightsaber and be taking your trials within that cave. Prepare yourself, your hardest test yet is about to begin."

With that, Nimm ushered Shao into the shuttle and entered it himself. He then piloted the ship away from the Enclave and into the cold mountains of Alderaan. It took hours to find their destination; a remote valley at the interior of the mountain range that was lined with caves. Nimm set the ship down and then turned to speak with his Padawan.

"In there you will find the crystals needed to power you lightsaber. As I have stressed since day one, trust in the Force to guide you to the right crystals. Once you have found them, meditate as you build your lightsaber. A word of caution, though. The cave will test you. The dark side will be there to tempt you. Do not give in. Press forward, and may the Force be with you."

((Like before, have him walk through the cave looking for crystals. I will NPC any dark side spirit he comes across, only this time I want you to let me control them fully.))

 

[Thepantheon]

Nodding, Shao secured the pouch with his lightsaber parts. He activated his lightsaber as he walked into the caves, watching around himself.

 

[Malon]

At first, the cave was eerily silent. Not even mice could be detected in the cavern. It wasn't long before crystals of all assortments of colors began to glow and light Shao's pathway. As they did, though, the Force began to stir in the cave; especially the dark side of the Force. Whispers of Shao's past on Felucia began to echo through the cavern walls and every now and then, a ghostly apparition of those events seemingly appeared only to vanish down one of the cavern corridors.

 

[Thepantheon]

As he heard the whispers, Shao stiffened, and though he relaxed more as he continued on, he came to a shocking realization as heard the cave speak of his past. The... the Dark Side is strong here... My past comes alive... Will he be here as well? The thought of meeting his old mentor in the cave nearly unmanned him, an dhe had to force himself onwards.

 

[Malon]

The deeper into the cave Shao progressed, the more vivid the apparitions became. Soon, it became hard to tell if he was still in the cave on Alderaan, rather than back home on Felucia. Throughout his travel in the cave, however, one figure kept appearing before seemingly vanishing in thin air; one of a larger Felucian with the dress of a tribal shaman.

 

[Thepantheon]

Shao became less strongwilled, the images confusing him, and in his confusion, he lost his assuredness, not only in himself, but in reality. Am I on Felucia, still? But, no, this is an illusion. Wait... if this can be an illusion, how is it that the rest could not be the illusion? It makes sense, none of this has seemed possible... But no, it's... In his confusion, he reverted to himself as he was before his training, and did not contact the Force, as he would have had he seen clearly, to guide his way. He pounded a wall in frustration, but looking up, he saw the shaman-garbed figure again. "No!" he cried aloud as the figure vanished into a blackness, and he remembered the meal of the Sarlacc. Mar'Quandre... Shao's eyes grew distant as he became more lost.

 

[Malon]

Finally, after several long moments, the path again became clear of illusions. The Force surrounded Shao and beckoned him to a chamber towards the end of the cavern.

 

[Thepantheon]

Gathering his breath at the short respite, Shao centered himself, and followed the Force's will, managing to control himself enough to follow it towards the chamber.

 

[Malon]

At the end of the chamber, the cave opened up into a large room, filled with crystals of all colors that he could choose from, the Force willing, for his lightsaber. However, that didn't stop the apparition from appearing. This time, it didn't leave. It stood in the middle of the room; motionless.

The dark side was clearly with it. It said nothing, only boring its Felucian eyes into Shao's own.

 

[Thepantheon]

As he looked at the apparition of Mar'Quandre, Shao activated his lightsaber, though later he could never say whether he had intended to fight the apparition or save it from its previous fate, for in that cave time was murky to Shao. However, as he looked at Mar'Quandre, he felt in it a resonance of power, of emotion. At that moment he remembered how Mar'Quandre had become his anger in the end, how his hatred had changed him, and Shao realized something.

Looking directly at the semblance of Mar'Quandre, Shao said to it, "My mentor, you shall lead me no more. You are nothing to me now. For even if you have somewhere in yout he spirit of Mar'Quandre, at the end he became someone who was not himself, not the Mar'Quandre I knew, and that new Mar'Quandre holds nothing over me." He stepped forward menacingly, then sighed and deactivated his lightsaber, walking right past the spirit to the wall of crystals.

 

[Malon]

The apparition, surprisingly disappeared, unable to strike fear into the young Felucian Jedi. Now a group of crystal at the end of the room were glowing; calling out to Shao.

 

[Thepantheon]

Taking a moment to repulse the Dark Side influence around him, so as to make sure his way was clear in the Force, Shao stepped forward, lightsaber now at his hip, and stared at the crystals. In tune with the Force, his arm reached of its own accord almost, though he felt it move without surprise, and grabbed one of the crystals.

 

[Malon]

As if in response, the dark side of the Force immediately surged, forming the image of a human male, cloaked in a black robe and hood. The cloaked-figure drew a lightsaber and ignited the crimson red blade without so much as a cough.

It then charged forward at Shao, intent to kill apparent in its Force aura.

 

[Thepantheon]

Taking a step back, crystal in hand, in reaction to the surge in the Dark Side of the Force, Shao seemed to have foreseen the formation of the figure through his connection with the Force. He sidestepped calmly, having sensed the approach of the Force apparition, and activated his lightsaber to the side, raising it to the side as he swung at the apparition.

 

[Malon]

In response, the apparition wheeled around blocked Shao's lightsaber with its own.

"I sense great fear in you. You're burying your emotions, but you cannot fool the Force; especially a user of the Dark Side. Give in to your fear, give in to your hatred for your former master. Use it. It makes you strong. Helps you focus." the apparition taunted.

 

[Thepantheon]

Shao smiled, almost foolhardily, then gave a quip to the apparition. "I probably couldn't fool a user of the Dark Side, but you luckily you are the Dark Side, not its user." Flinging its lightsaber aside, he spoke again.

"I have no hatred for Mar'Quandre. What he was ai embraced and revered; what he became does not matter, for that is past. I have fear, yes, but it lies in everyone. No one has no fear of the Dark Side, but there is nothing this cavern can show me that would make me fall to that fear. Somewhere else, some other time that I see not, you may tempt me, but today in this cavern, there is nothing further for me."

 

[Malon]

The Dark Side, feeling that Shao at the moment, had nothing it could draw on to tempt him faded, allowing him to pass.