Private Apprentice to Blood

[Syd Celsius]

Wearing: 90 Suit

Armed With: Double Bladed Lightsaber (Kun Length, Aqua Colored)

Current Persona: Sorceress of Ossus (See Bio)

Objective: Train Starlin Rand in Double Bladed Lightsaber Combat, Pistols, Blood Magic, Hematokinesis, Safeguard vital Medical Equipment for delivery.

Giving Starlin: Heavy Sonic Blaster. (Crippling Scope, Hair Trigger, Single Shot, Burst Fire)


Note: Takes place 21 days after Apprentice to Metal.


Starting at: Taris.


Journey to: Ossus


At Starlin's Castle...


The Sorceress of Ossus had decided that now was her actual turn with Starlin. Given that she was a Blood Sorceress, he would be learning just how much wisdom could be found in it's application. Plus, like all the Coven hiding in Syd, she was genuinely fond of him, Syd's emotions over Starlin having bled out into each persona, as they were not truly separate beings from Syd.

The Blond Sorceress, distinct from that of the Yurb or Tython Sorceress, had made Syd Volunteer for a mission to Ossus, transporting vital Medical Supplies to a hard to reach village deep in Ossus's forest regions. Other medical Caravans had been getting Hijacked not while in transit, but after they landed and were on their way to the village in question. SJC wanted to smoke out whoever was doing it by leaking that Prototype Healing Stims were in the shipment this time. This time, Jedi would be there to stop the theft.

The supplies were due to be dropped off in two hours, but she had wanted to get a few lessons in before making the journey proper.

She waited in Syd's gold and blue catsuit, her straw blonde hair in a tight bun as she practiced a slow Form Six Kata in Starlin's training chamber, waiting for him to arrive. She had left him a Heavy Sonic Blaster she had personally modified, but that was more for when they reached Ossus than now.

When he would arrive, The Sorceress smiled at him warmly.

"Hello, apprentice. I figured while we wait for the supply drop off, we might get in some practice. I've been meaning to teach you this Technique on a more in depth basis. No time like now..."

She began a longer, more complex Kata, rapidly switching between Single and Double Bladed strikes.

"The ability to shut a blade on and off unexpectedly, or increase or decrease it in length, is a hallmark of this style. Shutting the blade on and off is also my sneaky way of introducing you to Trakata. Think of it as Lightsaber Iaijitsu. The saber staff is an excellent weapon against multiple enemies, and pairs extremely well with Soresu, Shii-Cho, Ataru, Juyo, and Niman, but less so with Shien and Makashi. There's no such thing as Double Bladed Djem So, obviously."

She ceased the Kata, going into a guard.

"Niman is an excellent fit in particular, as the staff can be employed more creatively, which is a tenant of Form Six, and also the style to use for integrating Force Powers on an offensive and Defensive basis. Now, practice..."

 

[Starlin Rand]

Current Age: 16

Armed with: Double-bladed lightsaber (dark green blades)

Wearing: Jedi Padawan robes

Starlin had an inkling of what today’s lesson would be about. He arrived in the training room carrying the double-bladed lightsaber Syd had given him almost a month ago, ready to use it.

His master was in yet another form, as evidenced by her changed appearance. While he had gotten used to seeing her in the skin of various elderly and middle-aged women, these Sorceress Personas were still a mystery to him. So far, none of them had given any indication of being malicious or deceptive (though if they were trying to deceive, he supposed he wouldn’t be any wiser...). Out of all of them, the only one of whom he was a little suspicious of was this most recent persona, the “Sorceress of Ossus”. She had begun to teach him blood magic, a practice which he had thought only the Sith used. She insisted it was fine so long as he used it properly and carefully, but he wasn’t so sure.

Still, his faith in Syd remained absolute and unwavering. He was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, even if he turned out to be wrong… and besides, he didn’t really believe there was anything fishy going on here…

Starlin wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.

He listened as she spoke, quiet and attentive, though he did perk up at the mention of Trakata. “That’s a Consular technique, right?” he asked. “I heard Niman was a lightsaber form for people who don’t really like lightsabers.”

Tom Kovack had told him that one. Tom’s judgement of Niman had come about based on experience—he’d encountered a Sith Alchemist who, having put all his points into Intelligence and Wisdom, had only ever developed a proficiency in Niman, remaining mediocre in all the other forms. What Tom's words perhaps failed to imply was that Niman was not just for nerdy alchemists who were as much afraid of injuring themselves as they were of hitting their opponent; it was a form built for dual blades, and it could allow for easier use of Force powers during combat, provided one didn't get bogged down in fancy bladework.

Starlin watched Syd carefully as she demonstrated for him, studying her every movement. Then, when he thought he had a good grasp of how it worked, he took his place across from her on the training mat, assumed position, and began to mimic what he had seen her doing. Despite his dismissive attitude and lack of experience, he used Niman. It started rough, gradually improving as he continued to practice. Such seemed to be true of all the endeavors Starlin put his mind to.

Syd Celsius​

 

[Syd Celsius]

"Ohhhh, that is where you are quite incorrect. Niman is a form that can be neglected, but provides a powerful basis for Staff Combat, Jar'Kai, as well as Single Bladed. While it is very difficult for a Master of Pure Niman, to beat a Master of Pure Makashi, it is possible, as Makashi Users have a risk of getting enslaved to form. Techniques from every other style can be mixed with Niman, creating Unique, Custom Dueling Styles. It all depends on what the User needs. It especially blends well with Soresu, which many consider the basis for Niman." The Ossus persona explained as Starlin Rand practiced.

She began to show more advanced techniques, shutting one blade off to change her attack style to an inverted blade like Reverse Shien for a few seconds before shutting that blade off mid swing and activating the other end for a more common method of wielding the blade.

"Your blade work is a little rough. Try combining it with a Force Ability. Remember that Force Form you learned about. Try combining some of that knowledge as well..." The Sorceress encouraged, impressed at how quickly he picked up on the basics...

 

[Starlin Rand]

In response to Syd’s corrections, Starlin looked a little sheepish, but accepting. Following her advice, he paused for a moment, centering himself, channeling the Force the way she had taught him. When he opened his eyes, his pupils briefly flashed violet before the color bled into his irises.

He continued with Niman, weaving a few Soresu strokes into the kata. Then, he suddenly struck out with a powerful Force Push, shattering an empty glass bottle set up on a stand on the other side of the training room to serve as target practice.

Internally, Starlin was grinning, but the boy was disciplined enough not to stop moving or to declare victory over his imaginary opponent too soon. He kept up the Niman exercises, this time incorporating Ataru, as well as the Trakata feint she had demonstrated. The channeling certainly seemed to have improved his bladework, giving it focus and fluidity.

Syd Celsius​

 

[Syd Celsius]

The Sorceress beamed at how quickly he had caught on.

"Very good. While requiring intense focus, learning to integrate the Force, placing your trust in it to the degree that you can use it or the blade at the same time will give you an immense advantage in ending hostilities."

(Cutaway of "Ursula Sandraven" teaching a young Laertia Io the exact same thing.)

The Sorceress then removed a small dagger.

"Which leads us to the next part of this training session." She explained, cutting open her palm, letting Dark Green, Mercury Like blood flow out. She concentrated, willing her blood to form a small, simple buckler shield.

"Blood is a very powerful force. It's where Midichlorians make their nest, after all...in our very cells. It can be used for attack but this goes against the purpose of Light Sided Hematokinesis. Weaponry should only be forged when the intent is pure, such as the desire to protect others, or, when a threat is so great no other options remain, especially if you are without a normal weapon. But Defensive Equipment, such as armor, is a much more desirable option...though it would take great skill to form a whole suit of armor...and possibly put your life at risk. With Hematokinesis, you literally only get what you are willing to put into it. The more powerful the given technique, the more blood is required."

She demonstrated for him, bashing her blade against the green buckler shield. It held. Didn't even get a scorch mark.

"Here...try and cut through the buckler in a mock duel between us." She said, handing him a knife of his own.

"The blood is charged with the Force, which is why it can resist energy. Blood is often the perfect conduit in rituals for this very reason, like copper for electricity. I in turn will try and cut through whatever you form to defend yourself. You must focus constantly, so this will help in building your mental acuity. Don't worry, my blade is set to 'leave a welt'."

Starlin Rand

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin’s eyebrows shot up as the blood-made shield showed no sign it had ever been hit. Impressed, he took the knife she gave him and made a few slashes and stabs at the shield. Again, it held without the slightest give.

Taking a step back, Starlin’s blue eyes focused on Syd as she explained the next lesson: a mock duel in which they would fight with the aid of the blood shields. That meant he would have to cut his hand and make a shield from his own fluids.

Pretty metal, dude.

“Here goes nothing…” he murmured, taking a nervous breath before he sliced open his palm. The pain was sharp and immediate, a stinging sensation in one of the most sensitive parts of his body. Clenching his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut, he braced himself against the pain, forcing it out of his mind, and focused.

A shield… I need a shield… Ashla, grant me a shield that I might wield against my foes…

He felt something coil around his knuckles, then a growing weight against the back of his hand. Opening his eyes, he beheld his creation. Similar to Syd’s, it was a buckler, but silver rather than green, with a slight reddish sheen depending on how the light hit it.

Shocked at what he had managed to do, and on his first try, Starlin gasped softly, shifting his weight from foot to foot as if he might start dancing. But the euphoria only lasted a few moments before he remembered the task ahead. He fell into position, his lightsaber (on single-bladed mode and set to the lowest possible blade intensity) in one hand and the shield in the other, and began circling around Syd.

He struck first, aiming for her right shoulder, and from there fell into the swordplay with gusto, cycling from the simplicity of Shii-cho into Niman and Ataru, even going for another Trakata feint. Perhaps not all apprentices enjoyed dueling with their masters, but Starlin did. Syd was always a challenge, but she never made him feel as if he had no chance at victory. Even if that did mean she was lowering herself to his level so as not to completely outclass him, he valued her sense of fairness. It was honorable, it was amicable—and most importantly, it was fun.

Syd Celsius​

 

[Syd Celsius]

The Sorceress managed to block the first few attacks but the Trakata feint still got through and managed to hit the Sorceress square in the shoulder, leaving a mild scorch mark. She backed away, guarding against Starlin Rand

"See, with Trakata executed at the right time, even a regular practitioner can be caught off guard if it's used. But in that same unpredictability that lies it's most deadly weakness...for what if you should turn the blade off at the wrong time, when your enemy has a perfect swinging trajectory?"

The Sorceress then took the lesson in a different direction.

"Ashla, make my presence mute..." She whispered.

Though the Sorceress did not vanish from sight, her presence in the Force was reduced to that of a gnat, rendering her extremely difficult to sense.

"That is a Blood Spell called Presence Dampen. It lasts only a few minutes, but you will be very difficult to detect with the Force, and much harder to predict while attacking someone. But you won't be able to use offensive Force Powers and your ability to sense danger will be heavily reduced." she explained.

She launched a fast series of slashes at his torso...

Meanwhile...

The copy of the Sorceress of Coruscant that had been smashed like a cockroach by Maple's use of debris lay where it had fallen, a shredded, pulpy mess of green, mercury like blood and muscle.

But it wasn't quite dead. The area it had fallen in had enough of a Force Charge that it's cells had kept alive, slowly feeding on it to the point it could build up enough of a charge to regenerate. It had taken days to fill up enough of a charge.

Green lightning arced over the remains as metal from the ancient tarisian subway tunnel flowed off the walls like liquid onto the remains, turning into blood and muscle to replace what had been catastrophically damaged.

The body of the copy gradually repaired itself to the point it could walk, but she was still in a half mummified state and immediately began seeking out nourishment. There wasn't much. The charge of the other dead Force Spawn Maple had left in her rampage had long since died out. But Maple had missed something in her rampage.

As the weakened copy stumbled about, dry heaves of breath betraying her dessicated state, she spotted a chest with gold filigree at its corners. It stumbled towards it.

It sensed a charge. A powerful enough charge to top her battery up. The weakened creature, too far away to be sensed by either Syd or Starlin, frantically began to use what little charge it had in it's own body to try and break the lock...

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin came up with a suitable rhyme for the new spell in record time. “So that I may elude pursuit, Ashla, make my presence mute…”

He was admittedly not very good with stealth, but he knew the value of using the Force to hide one’s presence in battle. Losing the ability to predict Syd’s strikes hampered him more than he would’ve preferred, and the loss of all offensive Force powers was a pretty steep price to pay for invisibility in the Force.

Still, he did his best and tried to work under less than ideal conditions. He blocked her blows to his torso, taking one painful lick to his side. “That’s gonna leave a welt.”

He continued to fight with Niman, largely on the defensive for the duration of the spell’s effects. Once it faded, however, he called a piece of scrap metal to him with Metallokinesis. It reshaped into a tiny ball and ricocheted around the room, fast as a bullet, but far less predictable. He hoped the sudden use of a different power would distract Syd enough for him to land a “killing blow” to her neck that, under normal circumstances, would end the fight with a clean decapitation...

Syd Celsius​

 

[Syd Celsius]

The Sorceress of Ossus was caught off guard at how quickly Starlin Rand learned to defend himself. This was valuable knowledge that would prevent The Amalgam from utterly crushing him at Krayiss.

Starling also had one distinct advantage over her.

Because he wasn't a Force Spawn, his Abilities were not limited to only certain personas channelling certain abilities. He was capable of using all the elements. It would make Starlin dreadfully powerful one day.

The Sorceress was caught off guard when the spell ended, but her Consular like nature admired his ingenuity as he used Metallokinesis to hurl a metal orb and distract her with it's ricochet. She managed to avoid his follow up slice to her neck by barely pushing aside with her blood shield, but the blade instead bit into her shoulder, and the shock of stinging pain caused the Sorceress to momentarily lose the focus she needed to maintain control of Syd's body, blonde features bubbling away into Syd's elderly guise, before the Sorceress immediately resumed control, flesh shifting back to the appearance of the Sorceress.

"Well done Starlin. Go faster the next time you try that. You almost had a decapitation strike there." The Sorceress advised. She stopped, sensing something.

"Huh, it seems the ship is here early. Good. Because today, I'm entrusting you with a new responsibility."

She gestured for him to follow while she floated ahead with The Force. She eventually exited out of the old facility.

"Sometimes a Starfighter simply isn't enough to address every Issue Jedi might have in space. Sometimes a mobile base is necessary. Preferably one heavily armed. This is what we will be transporting the medical supplies in..." She explained, pointing to the sky.

A familiar, Clone War Era profile descended in a dark olive green color with a blue Jedi Order sigil on the front of the hull over the cockpit.

"Had to enchant a few items on the side to scrape up the credits but I have full confidence the purchase was well worth it..." The Sorceress explained, using Syd's memories.

(Fallen Order Upgrade Sound Plays)

(Starlin got a new ship!)

Ship: CHARGER C-70 (Reproduction)

Spoiler

Clone Wars Era Consular Class Cruiser design modified for combat. Intended as a mobile base of operations for Starlin, so he is not reliant purely on travel by Starfighter.

This Particular Charger carries:

MEDICAL:

Cryogenic Hibernation Capsule (1)

Field Bacta Tank (2)

PSP-278 Survival Pods (1)

FastFlesh Medpac Supply (20)

Emergency Medpack (40)

ECM Pack (2)

Healing Field Generator (2)

WEAPONS:

A280 Rifle (1)

DC-12U Beam Rifle (1)

DP-23 Shotgun (1)

DC-15S (1)

DC-15s Pistol (4)

DH-23 Pistol (4)

SS-410 Police Special (4)

EMP Grenades (4)

Shock Grenades (8)

Detonite Charges (2)

Detonation Pack (3)



SUPPORT:

Plasma Cut Boarding Device (1)

F-187 Fusion Cutter

Syntherope Pack (10)

Holorecorder

Biorecorder

Karakan Gauntlets

Life Monitors (8)

Force Detector

Personal Combat Threat Analyzer

PX-007 Heat Sensor

Emergency Repair Kit (14)

Lockpicking Kit (4)

Computer Slicing Kit (2)

Starship Tool Kit (2)

Blaster Repair Kits (3)

Alliance Survival Packs (3)

Multipacks (3)

DROID SUPPORT:

Dark Eye Droid (3)

SURVIVAL:

Energy Capsule Packs (20)

Vegmeat Ration Packs (20)

Energy Pudding Packs (30)

Water Capsules (20)

EMERGENCY:

Aurodium Ingots (2)

Fire Diamonds (10)

Credit Voucher (worth 7000 credits)


Reserved for Ossus Transportation:

First Responder Medpacks (200)

General Life Sustaining Medpacks (200)

Flexpoly Bacta Suits (200)

ECM Packs (100)

Disaster Relief Kits (100)

"Okay, mayyyybe I did more than a 'few' enchantments to help pay for all this..." The Sorceress admitted wryly as she strode aboard, where a B1 Pilot waited...

Meanwhile...

The Copy of the Sorceress of Coruscant finally succeeded at breaking open the box. The half mummified nude creature stared at it.

It was a Death Mask. That of a woman. Tinged with the Force.

It carried just enough charge to replenish her. After that she would be on her own.

The creature began greedily absorbing the fragments of energy, purifying it as it did so...

The half mummy's flesh shuddered hidiously as it metabolized the fragments of personality left in the mask, the mask breaking down into dust as it did so...

When the process was complete, the Sorceress Copy was gone momentarily, replaced by a suntanned woman with dark ruddy red curly hair, flesh bubbling as electricity arced off of her...

(Plasmid Acquisition Theme Plays)

(The Coruscant Persona's Copy has acquired a new Force Power!)

Power: THE GRID (See Sorceress of Coruscant section in Syd bio)

Spoiler

This power allows this particular Sorceress Of Coruscant Copy to channel the falsified Persona of a Brain Demon Cultist known as The Grid, who possesses an innate knowledge of Electric Manipulation. As This Sorceress of Coruscant is only a copy of the real one in Syd's body, it is not as powerful as the body it sprang from, meaning that The Grid can only be channeled for a few hours at best rather than indefinitely before the Copy loses the strength to keep channeling her.

The newly absorbed Persona, thinking it had successfully taken over the body, when in fact the opposite was true, smiled, stabilizing its flesh. Now to find a way out of these tunnels.

It slipped on a spare white catsuit and had picked up a fallen red Lightsaber when it heard voices and decided to investigate.

She gave a hiss of disgust as she spotted what looked to be two to three scavengers, all heavily armed.

Seeing no point in hiding herself, The Witch began slowly walking out of the darkness, red Lightsaber active. The Sorceress hiding in the skin and fake mind of the Witch knew this place was still too dangerous to explore. It had to be properly cleared of every Dark Side Artifact.

The scavengers pointed their weapons at the smirking Witch.

"Chit! A Sith! There aren't supposed to be any this far into GA territory!" One exclaimed in fright.

"If I wanted you dead..." The Grid trailed menacingly. "We would not be having this conversation. You trespass on holy ground. Explain."

The Sorceress within had no intention of killing them, but this scavenging mission had to be put to a stop now before these poor fools got themselves killed...

Much to her disappointment, and the Grid's amusement, they opened fire and she drained the Electricity from their weapon circuits. Her flesh rippled horribly as she absorbed it.

"Now, let's try this again..." The Grid insisted menacingly. "Tell me why you are here..."

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He was covered in sweat, his dark curls plastered to his forehead, and his heart was racing in his chest. The decapitation blow hadn’t quite worked out, but he still managed to hit her shoulder—and that was victory enough, for the time being.

He grinned when she told him to go faster next time.

The smile faltered when she said she would be entrusting him with a new responsibility today.

Following her outside, he stared in awe as a ship descended from the sky. Starlin was far from being a starship-nut, but he knew an asset when he saw one, even if the cruiser was of an older design. “Humina humina,” he murmured, whistling up at it.

What was he going to name this baby? The first word that came to mind was Jetstream. Aw, that’s stupid, he thought almost immediately afterwards. But as with most things in Starlin’s life, the first name he gave it was likely to stick and become permanent.

“Syd.” He turned to his master as they headed inside the ship. “Why are you so nice to me?...”

Syd Celsius​

 

[Syd Celsius]

"Well..." The Sorceress admitted, following him aboard. "You 'are' my only friend, Starlin...and I want to see my friends succeed...plus, it's downright suicide these days NOT to travel in a heavily armed Starship. More so for a Jedi. Any Jedi traveling in some dusty old bucket with a pair of laser cannons is practically asking to get merc'd. A heavily armed vessel like this is, in my opinion at least, the bare minimum of what a properly equipped Jedi should be using. We're peacekeepers, but there is no reason to be under-equipped. And there is no need to make it so easy for our enemies to kill us. That's the mistake most of The Clone Wars Jedi made, remember?"

The Sorceress went through the ship, pointing out both his supplies and their mutual Cargo...

"Getting this cargo to its destination on Ossus will be of paramount importance..." The Sorceress said turning to him. "Are you hungry? I had expected this thing to arrive later, but since it's early we still have time to eat..."

The Sorceress did not need to eat, but it was a social act, she had realized, even more than Syd had realized this.

"You'll have to cook though. I'm awful at it." She said to Starlin Rand

Meanwhile...

The terrified Salvagers walked as The Grid followed close behind.

This was way more than they had bargained for. None of them could understand why they were still alive. The Catsuit clad Witch had ordered them to march through the tunnels, very cross after they had shot at her in a panic. But why weren't they dead?

"You aren't walking fast enough..." The Grid growled, arcing electricity taking from nearby lights in between her hands. The Grid wanted to violently butcher them. The Coruscant Persona that allowed her to exist in this body had other plans.

"I have proposal, gentlemen..." The Grid said out of the blue as she unknowingly escorted them away from the most dangerous area. "How would you like to make some money...?"

OOC: The latter part of this featuring the Grid will continue in a private thread

 

[Starlin Rand]

“It was a rhetorical question, but hey.” He laid a hand on Syd’s shoulder. He had already eclipsed her in height, and would grow taller still in the years to come. “You’re my friend too. I don’t have a lot, but you’re one of them. That’s saying something, right?”

At the mere mention of food, Starlin’s stomach growled. “You’re in luck, woman. I took cooking lessons…” he said as he disappeared inside the cruiser, his mood jovial.

Syd Celsius​

 

[Syd Celsius]

The Sorceress of Ossus nodded in agreement with Starlin Rand .

"Yes..." she said pleasantly. "It is saying something."

She sat down, and as Starlin went to cook, Syd's emotion at sharing a meal with her semi-son overpowered the Ossus Persona's will, her flesh and mind forced to release control back to Syd, but not before carefully editing her memories as usual. The Blond Sorceress vanished beneath the Red Headed Atrisian Starlin had met on Zeffo.

"What are you making, by the way?" Syd called out. "I don't exactly remember what I bought..."

Ah well, she thought. Best to trust him. He knew more about that sort of thing than she did...

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin opened the ship’s freezer. The contents were pretty standard fare for space travel—lots of preservative-laden food that would keep for a while. It didn’t taste as good as fresh food, but it was better than getting sick from eating spoiled food during a long voyage.

“Does steak sound good?” he asked Syd, pulling two synthsteaks and some frozen vegetables from a shelf. “How do you like yours cooked? I usually do mine medium rare.”

In the pantry he found instant mashed protato mix—not the best way to eat mashed protatoes, but it would go well with the steak. “Please have good spices…” he whispered as he searched the cabinets. Upon finding the spice rack, he nodded in approval. “Yeah baby.” Proper seasoning was half the trick, in his opinion. The other half was patience and practice.

Anyone who had or ever would eat food prepared by Starlin had Xian Xiao to thank for sparking his interest in cooking. Well, that and he just got tired of eating holo-dinners and junk food.

It didn’t take long to prepare a meal for two. He laid out the steaks on plates for each of them, making sure he gave her the one cooked as she liked, then placed the sides in bowls in the middle of the table so they could serve themselves. “Oh yeah, drinks.” He checked the fridge. “Looks like we have… milk, juice, some sodas… whoa, is that a beer? Nice.” But he wasn’t old enough to drink yet. “Or just plain ol’ ice water.”

The thought never crossed his mind that sitting down and having a meal together might be unusual for Syd. This was how it was in his house growing up, even during the rougher times when his mother was usually passed out on the couch at dinnertime, and all there was to eat was cereal. He still sat at the table when he ate his cereal, and left an empty bowl out for his mother in case she woke up hungry.

Syd Celsius​

 

[Syd Celsius]

"Steak sounds wonderful. Make them both however you like..." Syd replied, fascinated as she watched him prepare food. Due to her bizarre biology, she usually ate flames to sustain herself.

"That beer you found is not alcoholic...but it is mine..." she told him. "I'm saving that for a special occasion...grab sodas if you want though. Still not fully used to the taste..."

There were a lot of organic realities Syd still didn't fully grasp. But she grasped enough to understand just how special it was that she was actually sharing a meal with Starlin. The scents from the cooking stirred strange reactions in her stomach she had no name for.

When the meal finally arrived, she stared at it in fascination--

(Cutaway of Spock raising his eyebrow)

--waited for Starlin Rand to be seated and thanked him for cooking before digging in.

The taste of the steak was an entirely new experience. Laertia was introducing her to sweets, but this made her stomach which was pretty much a furnace burn just a tad harder to break apart the cooked tissue.

"You've advanced farther and faster than even I could have anticipated..." Syd admitted. "And you're probably one of the few real friends I am fortunate enough to have. Plus you're a really good cook. But then again, this is the first time I have really enjoyed something solid besides Pizza. Which reminds me, I still owe you a three meat for guessing which soccer team would win that last game. Last time I bet anything on any team called the Coruscant Crabapples. Gods what an awful name..." she remarked. "They need to fire whoever gave them that name..."

Syd decided to make casual conversation...

"So...how are other Jedi treating you?" Syd asked earnestly. "I imagine being taught what you know raises a few eyebrows..."

 

[Starlin Rand]

Cutting into his steak, Starlin smiled. Syd had praised his progress before, and now his cooking, but he never got tired of hearing it. No one else had really taken the time to appreciate his efforts. His mother of course was encouraging and supportive, and Professor Nimdok would thank him for a job well done, but that was about it. His smile faltered a little, the change in expression conveniently hidden as he put his fork in his mouth and chewed a bite of cooked meat. Some part of him craved recognition from strangers, people who didn’t know him and didn’t feel an obligation to prop him up. He wanted to feel good because he was good, and he could only be sure he was good if everyone thought so, too.

At the mention of the Coruscant Crabapples debacle, Starlin chuckled, his good humor returning, the moment of dissatisfaction passed. “You should’ve gone with the Jerrilek Jaguars,” he said. “Or you could’ve, y’know, used the Force to ensure the odds were in your favor...” But Syd would probably balk at the idea of pulling a Qui-Gon and using her power to cheat. Starlin certainly didn’t find it Jedi-like, or sportsmanly.

"So...how are other Jedi treating you? I imagine being taught what you know raises a few eyebrows..."

He shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t really have many opportunities to use the really esoteric stuff. It just doesn’t come up.” He nudged his mashed protatoes around with his fork. “I don’t stand out too much. And I have a couple really good friends, like Tom and—and you, and I’m happy where I am.”

He’d tripped over his words because, despite saying he had a couple friends, the only name that came to mind besides Syd was Tom Kovack. All the same, it was true—he was content with just those two. He didn’t feel like he needed tons of friends or an army of admirers, nor did he want to be feared and loathed by his peers.

As he reasoned that out, he seemed to have conveniently forgotten his earlier desire for recognition. But that was different from friendship, wasn’t it? Recognition was just attention, not camaraderie or love.

Of course, he didn’t know then that Tom was really his mentor in disguise. He was blissfully ignorant that Nimdok had stepped in to fulfill that role because he’d noticed Starlin had no friends. The professor pitied the boy, but he also feared Starlin would grow up isolated and distant from others, a training and fighting machine who lived for nothing but a fleeting ideal. Such knights were hollow men, tools subjected to the whims of those who would wield them.

Syd Celsius​

 

[Syd Celsius]

"I never was good at betting..." Syd admitted...

When Starlin Rand made the joking suggestion of trying to use the Force to tilt the odds she chuckled, even as she shook her head.

"Even if that were not against the rules, nothing the Force had could have fixed whatever was wrong with that team..." Syd assured.

When he said the esoteric stuff didn't come up much Syd was honestly relieved...It meant he was facing threats that weren't too severe, and really, much of what she taught was best used in emergencies, or for specialized purposes.

"I am glad to be counted among your friends, truly..." she replied gently.

"Anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend. Only a real friend could have stuck with a weirdo like me for so long..." she added. "May you find five people as much of a friend to you as you are to me. Seven if you're lucky."

Well, see the thing about that is, he technically did... except his other friends were all the Witches hiding in her body...

Really, he was just awash with friends.

Syd chose not to say anything else. Starlin's meal had been made too perfectly...

Later on...

The Cruiser was a few minutes away from exiting hyperspace.

Syd had taken the time after the meal to go in depth as to this particular starship's modifications. They hadn't gotten around to naming it yet.

Then she had spent minutes showing him how every control in the cockpit worked. Given his experience flying The Scorched Earth, no doubt some of it would already seem familiar. Starlin's favorite music was playing the whole way.

Then, they had come out of hyperspace.

Ossus was beautiful, even from here. Syd could feel the powerful Force Nexus.

"Ossus is a world rich with Jedi history. It is one of the Orders original homes. Many great Jedi were trained here. There is much to be learned, even now."

The craft piloted through the atmosphere, before setting down on a landing pad in the middle of a sense part of the jungle.

"Let's start off loading the medical supplies. I had a repulsor truck waiting. Be on your guard...as I have said, there have been ambushes for these supplies..." she told him, heading quickly to the back, grabbing their energy Bows. Then she took the first repulsor crate and off loaded it.

The minute she stepped outside, the Sorceress of Ossus within instantly reacted to the nexus of the planet and seized control, Syd's flesh melting and reforming into the blond Sorceress that had been teaching Starlin this morning.

"This form...it seems to have a rapport with this planet..." The Sorceress noted with Syd's voice before switching to her own as she got the cart onto the landing pad.

"Do you feel it Starlin? The way the light pulses so fiercely here?" The Sorceress asked as she spotted the small repulsor truck. The landing pad was automated...only cleaning droids were present...

The Sorceress loaded the first crates onto the truck, then flew back to get more...

 

[Starlin Rand]

"May you find five people as much of a friend to you as you are to me. Seven if you're lucky."

“Sounds like a pretty good prophecy for my future.” Starlin raised his drink in salute. “I’ll toast to that.”

Syd’s attitude toward herself made him feel some type of way, but he didn’t know what to say to her that wouldn’t sound disingenuous. She was pretty weird, that was definitely true. Like, really really weird. One of the weirdest people he had ever met, easily. But that shouldn’t have meant that she couldn’t have friends.

A similar revelation would strike him after the invasion of Ossus, when he recalled how she had used her sorcery to help defend the Jedi in their hour of need. How they had gladly accepted her assistance. Yet was he really supposed to believe that no one among them wanted to be her friend?...

The rest of the meal was a quiet affair, with both master and apprentice lost in thought.

***​

One of Starlin’s favorite musicians was Howlin’ Wolf. A Shistavanen singer, he played the guitar and the harmonica, much like Starlin did, and sang the blues in a booming voice whose mysterious, imposing presence seemed to fill the caverns of the ship.

Howlin’ Wolf was on the speakers when they arrived at Ossus, howlin’ about a spoonful. Starlin was bobbing along to it, though he turned the volume down when Syd started talking to him, just long enough to nod his head in acknowledgement.

After the craft landed, Starlin descended the ramp and stood at the bottom, his hands on his hips as he lazily scanned the area. Syd had mentioned there might be an ambush, but he didn’t sense anything… didn’t see anything either…

Except for Syd, enacting yet another transformation, this time back into the blonde from this morning. Starlin had gotten used to it by now, though he still found it rather weird. Rather… suspicious, in fact. Really, he’d have to be an idiot to never wonder if something was up, though luckily for the Sorceresses, he had too much else on his mind to pay it much attention. Besides, it seemed harmless enough.

“Yeah,” he murmured, breathing in the fresh air. Ossus was a pretty world; even a city boy like him had to admit it. But the beauty of the land belied something else. “It’s like there’s this… this glow, or something,” he said. “But only when I see it out of the corner of my eye.”

He opened himself to the Force...

Syd Celsius​

 

[Syd Celsius]

"Don't fear it, Starlin..." The blond Sorceress said, loading more medical supplies.

"When you connect to the life of a whole world, and how the Force weaves through it, you'll start to understand just how precious life itself is, and why rending it damages everything around it. A proper Jedi cannot protect life impersonally. This planet touches many destinies. Changes things, sometimes not for the better, but it's presence makes more of a difference on the side of good then evil, in that preserving it allows the Force to touch and change that many more lives, producing other forces for good, whose deeds echo throughout."

The Sorceress landed, loading the last of the supplies onboard while Starlin Rand explored Ossus's currents, then tossed Starlin his energy bow. The Repulsor truck had a big enough loading area in the back for them, even with all the medical crates.

"Get in the back, with the crates, please. We'd be sitting ducks in the cabin." She told him.

The Sorceress took a knife and cut her palm open, letting a trickle of dark green blood spill onto the dashboard, the magically infused blood sliding into the crevices of its Electronics and starting the engine for her. She then floated in the back, as the Repulsor truck moved of its own accord.

"When you understand Hematokinesis a bit more, you'll be able to manipulate machinery via blood remotely. Technopathy can do this also, but this is still a good trick to know just in case, as Technopathy requires constant focus, and the blood can be accessed much easier with less active effort, and as long as it remains in the machine, you'll be able to control it..." she explained to him as the truck started to move.

"So...what else can you sense of this world? Picking up any echoes of what came before?"

 

[Starlin Rand]

“Yes,” Starlin murmured in agreement, clearly distracted. Upon opening himself to the Force, he was quickly overwhelmed. Ossus washed over him like a tidal wave, immense and powerful.

This kind of energy had the power to heal, he realized. He could dwell in it, joining in harmony with life, or he could draw sustenance from it. He felt the tug toward both paths, and for a moment he wondered if something was wrong with him. How could he even consider selfishly consuming this world, feeding off the life it held?

Because the line between Light and Dark, good and evil, cut through every heart, and Starlin was no different. Even if the Light leaped into his hands whenever he beckoned to it, it was because the Light loved him and he loved the Light. Not because he was especially pure or somehow special…

He heard Syd call to him, and he climbed up into the back of the truck, finding a spot to sit among the supply crates. She joined him a few minutes later, having used her blood to operate the engine and get it moving.

"So...what else can you sense of this world? Picking up any echoes of what came before?"

Starlin shrugged his shoulders, not sure how to articulate his little moment of enlightenment. “Mostly just… life,” he replied. “I feel all the living things here, creeping and crawling, swimming and sleeping, the hunting and the hunted...”

He meditated for a few minutes, trying to pick out what she was asking for among the fervent chaotic rush of the wilderness. There were faint echoes, but they all felt too recent.

“Not really,” he admitted, opening his eyes. “I know how to do psychometry, but that requires me to focus on an object and pick up the memories and emotions imprinted on it.” Moondog had taught him the technique, using trash he found around the city.

Syd Celsius​