The Trial of Insight

[Wyck]

When Wyck awoke from their first trial, it had been a full twenty-four standard hours. His body was still sore from the battle, but he was restored for the most part. The details of their mission slowly began to come back to him as he fully regained consciousness. The rogue Trial program had rebooted and appeared to be back online. The next target was the temple's defense systems. To reactivate them, both Jedi would need reach the central security station further down towards the nexus the temple was built around.

Both Jedi... Albert!

Wyck snapped fully awake and looked for his student. Albert had fallen fairly close to Wyck in the aftermath of the battle; but, between the two of them, the young Jedi Knight had been in far worse shape when they had passed out. The little Jedi Master was quick to rush to his new apprentice's side. "Albert," he said with some measure of concern. He shook his student with his tiny hands. "Albert! Okay, are you?"

The young Jedi Knight appeared to be okay. He was breathing. The Force was still within him. Still, Wyck always showed concern for his pupils, especially after such a grueling duel. Even if Albert was alive, that didn't mean that he wasn't hurt or in severe need of medical attention. @Insalius

 

[Albert Penumbris]

Albert had dreamt, yet he remembered none of it when he woke. He had also recovered, his body used to Accelerator from his usage of it before and the boost Wyck had given him had been enough to handle any serious damage. He opened his eyes, sitting up as he looked with a smile at his Master. "I am fine, Master. I apologize for being so reckless in the fight. It wasn't impulse, though..." He looked at his hand, then down at the hole in his robe where he had been impaled. The wound was healed, if scarred. "Something happened during the fight. I could see, though the Force, I think, Leviticus' attacks before they landed. It was like some sort of...Double Vision. That same sight showed me what to do at the end as well. Was that...the will of the Force?" Albert was genuinely curious, ready for whatever Wyck needed next. He knew they weren't done yet.

@Malon

 

[Wyck]

Wyck was visibly relieved that his student was okay. He stood back to his full height and summoned his fallen cane and lightsaber with the Force. "Apologize not," Wyck said and hummed. "Even the greatest Jedi makes mistakes. The ability to learn from them, the mark of a true Jedi is." Wyck grunted as another wave of soreness went through his old bones. He considered his apprentice's second comment, about the Double Vision he had experienced through the Force. "Through the Force, many things can you see. The past, the present, the many possibilities of the future. Useful, these sights are, but be mindful of them, you should be. Always in the here-and-now, must your mind be."

Wyck led Albert out of the room and into an adjacent turbolift. The lift was powered, likely by the temple's backup power generators, still running after all these decades. The Jedi Temple had two security centers, but the main one lay in the levels below the surface. From there, the temple's defense programs could be more properly reset and then brought back online.

When the turbolift came to a stop, the two Jedi exited, with Wyck taking the lead. But, almost immediately, he felt a disturbance in the Force. The hall leading towards the security center was dark. Some lights flickered in the distance, but there was very little else lighting their way. Wyck took out his lightsaber again and ignited it, allowing the purple-hued blade to illuminate their surroundings. "Built around a nexus in the Force, this temple was," the Jedi Master explained. "Be prepared, we should be. It has been a long time since a Jedi last walked these halls. Test us, it might."

Wyck proceeded a bit further down the hall when he immediately stumbled upon a conundrum. He brought out the palm-sized holoprojector and attempted to bring up a schematic of this level of the temple... but something was interfering, causing the hologram to become distorted and fuzzy. They would have to scout this level by themselves. "Locate the security center, we must." Wyck glanced both ways at the split in the hallway. "Split up, we should. If locate the security center you do, call it out to me on your comlink, and come to you, I will." @Insalius

 

[Albert Penumbris]

Albert took Wyck's words to heart, something to ponder later. As he followed his Master he marveled at the temple. To be honest, the feeling of the Force here was more consuming for his attention. This was the first time he had been this close to a Nexus of the Force and it felt...he couldn't quit describe how it felt. It was another thing he would have to meditate on later. He nodded silently at Wyck's request to split up, knowing that for a place this large they would need to cover as much ground as they could. Making sure his weapons were ready and his robes as good as they could be.

It didn't take him long to find where he needed to go, though not his objective. A bright flash made Albert cover his eyes, though when he took his hand away he saw he was in a large, white expanse. A small kitchen was a short distance away, a dark-furred figure bending over an oven as his tail wagged anxiously. Albert raised an eyebrow before striding forward, though when he got close enough the Shistavanen held up a paw for him to wait. He stayed still for another minute before the oven door was opened, a tray of cinnamon rolls being taken out and placed on a counter to cool. That was when Jedi Master Mikko finally turned around after putting the frosting on his pastries. Welcome, Albert! I must say, I'm touched that I made such an impact on you. I've been watching you, and all the others, and it makes me happy to see the smiles on the faces of my brothers and sisters. Thank you for coming back to them." The smile he gave was genuine, loving, and it moved Albert.

They shared some cinnamon rolls as they talked, though Albert more listened to Mikko than speak himself. Simple words, simple stories, yet a great amount of insight. His heart was a bit heavy after the talk, knowing that Mikko was dead and would never come back, which somehow triggered something with the fallen Jedi Master. "Life isn't all Cinnamon Rolls. I've been allowed to come back for a bit, but to test. I usually abhor violence, yet I know that's just a part of life, now. So, I need you to fight me." A lightsaber was in his hand, teal blade coming to life. "There are old friends and mentors that have left the Order, who even now plot and work to destroy what we know and love. If you can raise your sword against me, then you will have the start of the willpower to fight these battles beyond these walls. Careful though, I'm no slouch." Albert didn't want to fight...Yet he knew this was exactly what this lesson was supposed to be. His own cerulean blades came to life, as ready to fight as he could be.

Albert tried to seize the initiative, increasing his speed with the Force as was his common opening move. Mikko was ready for him, though, and his one blade managed to catch both of Albert's own. The two clashed their lightsabers, the Shistavanen moving quicker than expected, until the difference between just one sword and two was seen as Albert could make a small slash on the canine's arm. Instead of pain, though, Mikko's face was glad. He needed to see more, though, before he would give his blessing to this young Jedi. The fight was only just beginning.

@Malon

 

[Wyck]

Wyck split off from Albert and began to venture down one of the corridors that might have led to the security center. But almost immediately he could sense the Force beginning to shift in this place. He knew the temple was built around an oceanic Force nexus, but this was somehow... different. The shadows in the narrow corridor began to coalesce and rose up from the ground, taking the shape of a faceless warrior in a mask and pointed hood. He recognized it as the garb of a Sith Warrior.

"You dare to show your face here, Jedi?" the Sith shade said. "You lay no claim to this temple. Your kind abandoned it. Its treasures belong to the Sith now."

If Wyck was bothered by the shade's words, he didn't show it. "Lay claim to this place, you cannot. Real, you are not. Belong to the Jedi Order, this temple does." Wyck raised one small hand off of the top of his cane and gathered the Force to it. "And reclaim it, I shall."

The tiny Jedi Master unleashed a withering blast of Force light but, to his shock, the Sith shade caught the blast in its smokey right hand. It converted the blast of light into a sparking ball of lightning, which it then redirected towards Wyck with astounding power. Caught off-guard, Wyck was thrown backwards and slammed into the opposite wall at the end of the hall, his cane clattering to the ground during the fall. He too hit the ground a moment later.

"Am I real enough for you now, Master Jedi?" the Sith specter mocked.

Wyck huffed as he slowly dragged himself back to his feet. Then he thought, Hm, a problem this is. @Insalius

 

[Albert Penumbris]

Albert tried to press his advantage, though he soon found out that this apparition was no slouch. Trying to go in with both lightsabers, Mikko instead managed to parry both with surprising force and knock them back. He delivered two painful blows to Albert's chest, perhaps a warning not to underestimate him. Despite that, though, the same kind, caring smile was on his face and in his eyes. Perhaps Albert's heart was indeed still wavering somehow, trying to search his inner feelings to see if this were true. This was as much a battle of his own inner demons as it was with an apparition of the Force. He couldn't let Mikko down. The man's death had already saved him once. Perhaps now he would be saved by him again.

@Malon

 

[Wyck]

Meanwhile, Wyck attempted to take advantage of his surroundings. Making use of the weak ceilings, he aimed to collapse them down on the shade. Summoning the Force to him, he locked on to the tiles directly above the Sith shade's head, but the shade took the opportunity to lash out at Wyck again with lightning. The dark energy struck Wyck dead-center and the Jedi Master gritted his teeth as the pain of the assault coursed through him.

"You are feeble, old Jedi," the Sith specter mocked. "The Sith will overcome you. It is our destiny. We shall replace the failing Jedi Order and slaughter every last one of you. You cannot hope to stop us. And I shall make it easier on my siblings by eliminating you." @Insalius

 

[Albert Penumbris]

Albert tried to go back to his usual strengths, such as how he started off the fight, by using his incredibly fast movements to put Mikko off-balance. However, it seemed the Jedi Master was ready for this, as even though Albert attacked with everything he had the Shistavanen blocked everything he threw at him. At the very least, though, Albert was able to make sure that he didn't receive a hit, yet he wasn't able to land one, either. It was a stalemate, yet even through this, he could feel he was learning something. It was such a new feeling and he wanted to experience as much of it as possible. Just not at the cost of his life, or the respect of someone he held in incredibly high regards.

@Malon

 

[Wyck]

The lightning assault ended along with the Sith specter's jeers. Smoke rose from Wyck's old body, but the Jedi Master was still standing. He raised his hand up towards the specter, which tilted its head confused. Was the old Jedi finally giving up? Would he retreat now, like the little swamp toad that he was? No. Wyck raised his head up, a glint of confidence in his green eyes. A smirk crossed his lips. "Not if anything to say about it... I have!"

The Force was unleashed from Wyck's raised hand like a locomotive, slamming into the Sith specter and sending it hurling with a trumpeting cry across the hall. It struck the opposite end hard and Wyck felt some of the Force energy that was allowing it to manifest slip away. The oldest Jedi Master in the Order wasn't going to be defeated that easily. He stood up straighter and motioned for the specter — which was recovering opposite him down the hall — to try again.

"At an end, this duel is," Wyck taunted the Sith-thing. "And not short enough, it was." @Insalius

 

[Albert Penumbris]

An idea came to Albert for his fight, a burst of inspiration or insight at his fight with Mikko. He didn't attack, instead he opened himself up to the Force, attempting to connect in ways he had never done before. For his part, Mikko also stopped his attack. At least, his attack with a lightsaber. Holding up a hand, Mikko gathered the Force into a ball of light before throwing his palm forward. A stream of Force Light enveloped Albert, causing him to burn partially as deep as his soul, yet he knew what the attack was, against the Dark Side. Perhaps he still had some darkness left inside of him, this pain showing it's possible removal. Either way, it hurt, yet this had been more enlightening than he thought it would be.

@Malon

 

[Wyck]

Wyck had been too confident in his resurgence. The Sith shade took advantage of that. Rising slowly from where it had fallen, it raised its spectral hands and launched a triumphant blast of lightning from its fingertips. Wyck only had a fraction of a second to respond, igniting his lightsaber and catching the blast along its blade... but not before some tendrils of lightning glanced off and struck his face and chest. Even in small doses, Force lightning was incredibly painful.

"You cannot stop me!" the Sith specter cackled over its own lightning. "And you cannot stop the coming darkness! Not as you are! Not as a Jedi!" The Sith shade rose now, lightning still pouring from its outstretched fingers. "But there is another way, you know! The dark side! If you were to turn, you would rival, if not surpass, the witch in power, and she knows it! Do it! Give in! And you can stop all that she will do!"

Wyck ignored the cackling specter and focused entirely on defending himself from the lightning barrage. But there was a small part of him, faint, barely a whisper in the back of his head, that wondered if what this Sith specter was saying was true... @Insalius

 

[Albert Penumbris]

In an instant the two rushed at each other again, Albert's agility being matched by Mikko's seeming prescience. However, the Arkanian wasn't upset, he actually felt lighter than usual. He was enjoying this, despite the physical pain he was in. He didn't know far he traveled in this space between spaces, nor how long he fought, yet he didn't care. Every hit was a revelation, every block a new question. Even if he lost, Albert would come away the victor of this fight. It wasn't quite over yet, though.

@Malon

 

[Wyck]

The thought was fleeting and it passed, as every other tempting thought had. Wyck had been through too much, seen too much of the dark side of the Force, to ever give in and go over himself. Using that thought to ignite the light within himself, Wyck pushed back and rebounded the specter's lightning back at it. The lightning struck the ceiling above the shadowy creature and caused a small collapse to fall on top of it. A direct hit.

Wyck was tiring. He could sense Albert was too. Neither one of them could keep this up much longer. He just hoped that these battles wouldn't end as tragically as the last trial had. He angled his lightsaber towards where the specter had fallen, ready for a retaliatory strike. No matter what, Wyck would fight until the end, against both the dark side and this spawn of it. @Insalius

 

[Albert Penumbris]

Something was wrong, or rather, he was doing something wrong. His fighting style, the two lightsabers, it was aggressive, something he always used against enemies. Unlike fighting Leviticus, he needed to switch to something more appropriate, more in tune with who he wanted to be. Pulling back for a moment, Albert turned off one of his lightsabers and put it in his sleeve, Raising the now free hand in front of him with the remaining blade raised behind him in the classic Soresu stance. He wasn't an expert in it, yet that was why he was learning from Master Wyck in the first place. It was effective, though, as he found that not only was he able to defend against Mikko's attacks he was able to land in some good hits at the same time. The battle was starting to reach it's climax, though the victor was still undetermined.

@Malon

 

[Wyck]

As prepared as he thought he was, Wyck was completely taken off-guard when the Sith specter erupted from the rubble and hurled chunks of it telekinetically at the Jedi Master. No lightsaber could protect him from such a savage onslaught, and he was struck and thrown backwards by the attack, striking the wall behind him an dropping his weapon.

Wyck was bleeding now, and tired to boot. There was only one thing he could think of that could save him. As the Sith specter shrugged off its damage, the Jedi Master gathered the Force to himself. He needed to be smart now, or he wasn't going to survive this encounter. @Insalius

 

[Albert Penumbris]

The fight turned into a lesson, just in incredibly high speed. Albert's lightsaber clashed with Mikko's, going through the different katas of Soresu from start to finish. Albert barely had the ability to take in what he was doing, instead fending off harm as much as he could, yet still he came away the better from the engagement. He was beginning to think that Mikko could alter his power somehow, taking blows when he wanted to and giving them when he wanted as well. Albert was completely outclassed, yet he still wouldn't have traded this experience for anything in the galaxy

@Malon

 

[Wyck]

The specter must have sensed what Wyck was intending to do, because another blinding flash of lightning emerged and slammed Wyck right back into the wall behind him. The tiny Jedi Master's power was fading fast. He needed a quick solution, or this was all going to end in vain. @Insalius

 

[Albert Penumbris]

Mikko changed styles all of a sudden, leaping into the air with a vicious slash reminiscent of Ataru. Another form that Albert wasn't expertly skilled in, he somehow managed to fend off the attacks as the two now started leaping and slashing all over the space. Again he was taking in what lessons he could learn, though avoiding each strike was almost a herculean effort in and of itself. Again the fight had paused, a pure stalemate. This would have to end soon. He would have to end it soon. If this kept going, he'd run out of energy entirely.

@Malon

 

[Wyck]

Wyck tried and tried, but he just... didn't... have it. The previous trial had worn him out and this shade had proven to be his better. The lightning overcame him and, in an instant, he was blacked out. Not dead, but catatonic. As he was slipping from consciousness, the Sith shade meant to test him also began to vanish. And, as it did, he heard its lingering words, "Think about it, Jedi. With the power of the dark side, you would have won this day. Embrace the dark side and there is nothing you cannot do."

Wyck blacked out. @Insalius

 

[Albert Penumbris]

This was it. He knew it and Mikko knew it. This fight would end here, this lesson would end here. His heart was filled with Determination and was devoid of darkness, all thanks to this shade from the Force. It was without words that he stared down Mikko in his combat stance, back to Soresu, and they held each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Then they struck, both moving at near the speed of light, all suffused with the Force. In a flash they were behind each other, lightsabers extended from their strikes. It took near a minute for Mikko to straighten up, a bright blow going across his chest. Somehow Albert had won. With a smile, Mikko started to disappear, glad that his goal had been met. As he turned into specks of light, a few flowed into Albert's body and suffused his mind and soul. Bits and pieces of secrets, a gift for the victor, and once it was done he was back in the temple.

He had a job to do. He continued on, finding the machine that Wyck had told him to find. Pushing the correct buttons as instructed, Albert felt in the Force that something was wrong with his Master. His main goal completed, Albert backtracked until he found the unconscious form of his Master. Glad he was still alive, Albert tried to return the favor that Wyck had done him earlier and used the Force to heal him to consciousness. He wasn't as strong in the Force as the smaller man, yet he found his strength growing after each fight, after each lesson. "Are you well, Master? I've found the console and did as you asked. Did you also have to face an apparition?"

@Malon