Private Building a foundation of stone and boulders

[Caltin Vanagor]

LOCATION: Jakku | OBJECTIVE: Training | POST #: 1
TAG (ALLIES) : Nathan Bloodscrawl
TAG (FOES) : @​

Standing in front of “his” obstacle course. A training exercise that used to solely be kept for his use, past tense because of recent events. The Sith, in their latest incarnation have been running rampant. They have claimed planet after planet and it has to stop. Caltin is more than willing to fight, but he isn't stupid, he’s not a young Jedi anymore. There needs to be more Jedi out there not just willing but capable to give that same level of fight. This is not to say a level like those who are prepared to commit war crimes but proof that “Jedi weakness” is a weak claim. The more that can give his level of effort, the less weight he can feel the need to carry.


Maybe that is why he's doing this?

No, it was Connel, he was why. He failed Connel, he failed his fellow Jedi by not being in the fight, no more of that. It starts here, he was going to teach those “special” skills that he usually held off of. Having left a general holo-message on closed channels, Caltin waited. The Massive Jedi Master wasn't exactly trying to give away the proverbal store, but Guardians needed the skills to act like it.

The storm was here, it was time to weather it.

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

Spoiler: WEAPONS

"CONSERVATOR" (Primary - Long Handle)

"Vanguard" (Secondary - Long Handle)
The late Karki Eusith's Armor, Shield, Temple Guard Lightsaber mounted on the wall)
HK-88 Robes, Battle Armor,Toraynor-Henkan(mind crystal added) Advanced Jedi Utility Belt

Spoiler: RIDES

Starship: Spectre, (NC-1000 X-wing (Jedi Variant) in the hangar, Dilorian, and Bike both in the cargo bay,

Spoiler: SANCTUARY

Sanctuary Island

​

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[LOCATION: @ | OBJECTIVE: @ | POST #: @
TAG (ALLIES) : @
TAG (FOES) : @​

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[Caltin Vanagor]

Double post

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Wearing: Nathan's Robes

Armed With: Training Lightsaber

He had only recently been recovered from Sith captivity, and he was not well.

Nathan had suffered throughout the Plague. The worst kinds of Sith Lords. But what had happened...what he had been rescued from...

That was something else.

It was testament to how inhumanly powerful Nathan's will was that he remained functional, able to serve...but what he had experienced only served to teach him he must be able to ignore physical and emotional pain completely to stay fully cognizant and resistant, to be able to guard his mind that much more perfectly against assault.

He felt Syd in the back of his head, their unbreakable bond only strengthened by the mutual suffering they had undergone. They were connected... knew each other on a level that went beyond his wife's understanding.

Nathan focused himself by bare-knuckle boxing a pillar of solid stone in a desert cave, ignoring the extreme pain and scratched nature of his knuckles. Because of his natural strength and durability, each blow left a subtle crack in the pillar, enough strength in each swing to fracture a human skull to powder, or lift a grown Wookiee over his head and toss them into a pit.

His hands digged into pits of burning charcoal, all part of the strengthening method, making his hands more able to withstand various heat extremes and power through protective surfaces.

The whispers from the torture he had been subjected to would never leave him. He would hear them in the back of his head until he died.

So he practiced long hours in the cave since his rescue. He didn't dodge classes, but if there was spare time to be had on Jakku, it was here.

Thank the Force he jumped between Enclaves so long as a pre-established courier: The Courier could go anywhere as long as Enclaves got their deliveries in a relatively timely manner

"They said you could be found in this cave..."

Nathan turned and spotted Lorna ( Westenra Mina ) wearing a long blue gown, hands on her hips. Since marrying into the family, Lorna (Formerly the infamous Lynda, Demon of Jedha) had become his sister in law. And in this current appearance, a voluptuous one quite unlike the pale, raven headed warrior that had gone full Doomslayer on the Mawites in a war previous that he had barely gotten to be in, she was programmed to function as a psychologist.

"I had to show, Nathan. We are family, after all." Lorna said gently.

"I...am glad...to see you, Lorna..." he got out, still punching the carved stone pillar again.

"They say what the Sith put you through would have broken a hundred men..."

"A hundred men who wouldn't be fit to carry the name Bloodscrawl, any more than they'd be fit to carry your family's name, Lorna."

"Not many get over what you've been through. By all rights, you should be so fethed up the only solution is a straitjacket." Lorna observed, gliding into the cave, her gown disguising the movements of her legs to make her movement seem unnaturally smooth. The back of her hand affectionately brushed the side of Nathan's face. It was a far cry from how the pair first met.

"Will you permit me to help you, Nathan?" The Android Vampire asked. "As your personal Psychologist?"

Nathan, all too aware of how many Jedi fell because they didn't try to address serious problems in a context other than their own philosophy, surrendered to the reality of the situation and nodded. Punching a rock pillar all day wouldn't help him deal with the feeling of absolute violation he had experienced.

Lorna glided over to a stone slab he had carved from the rock in the cave, and sat down, patting an empty space next to her.

Nathan approached, sighed, and sat down next to her.

"To start with..." he trailed in a quiet, oddly soft voice for him.

"In captivity I was given a poison that made me relive all my worst memories... from the perspective of my victimizer..."

Lorna clasped Nathan's hand.

"Continue..."


Present...

Nathan finally arrived at the Obstacle course brooding, but collected enough to participate. Physical activity seemed to help more than other stuff. Kept him from listening to the whispers

He had turned back to a somewhat normal schedule, at Lorna's urging. She advised him to stay busy, to push himself to help even if it didn't feel like it. He had to remind himself he was stronger than suffering.

It was partly why he had accepted Caltin's invite, not certain what Caltin was to teach. Supposedly he had fought alongside his Daughter in the Bryn'adul Wars against their chieftain at the battle of Sarka.

Nathan had passively observed Caltin in multiple instances, and could only conclude, whatever his admittedly high level of skill was, that few Jedi from the Gulag Era could have gotten along with him; the person he had been reborn as when his family's castle was sacked, Morris Crownwraithe, wouldn't have been able to stand him in his youth.

But that was the past. This was the present.

Master Vanagor seemed lost in conversation. He waited for them both to finish their topics before speaking.

"Master Vanagor. Here as expected..." he said in a way devoid of emotion, his thousand yard stare giving away years of hardness before even running into someone like Vanagor...

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

Spoiler: WEAPONS

"CONSERVATOR" (Primary - Long Handle)

"Vanguard" (Secondary - Long Handle)

The late Karki Eusith's Armor, Shield, Temple Guard Lightsaber mounted on the wall)

HK-88 Robes, Battle Armor,Toraynor-Henkan(mind crystal added) Advanced Jedi Utility Belt

Spoiler: RIDES

Starship: Spectre, (NC-1000 X-wing (Jedi Variant) in the hangar, Dilorian, and Bike both in the cargo bay,

Spoiler: SANCTUARY

Sanctuary Island

LOCATION:Jakku Enclave|OBJECTIVE:Training |POST #: 2
TAG (ALLIES) : @
TAG (FOES) : @​

It's Bloodscrawl, he is bothered, troubled about something, hopefully it won't hold him back. Vanagor didn't know a lot about him, but knew that the man had been through a lot in his life, they shared that.

Thank you for coming, this will be just you and me. I figured that you could do with some training that didn't include a slew of other Padawan Learners around you.

The comment brought out an actual chuckle as he began to look at various rocks and stones into the vicinity. There was a clear manner in which the big man was doing this. The question is “what”?

Tell me, what drives you?

It was a meaningful question but simpler than one would think, at least in what Caltin was looking for. Everyone had different motivations, and while it is becoming more and more “normal” to discover your connection later in life, Bloodscrawl had a story to tell.

For example, I once watched a little girl that I used to wave to every morning cross the street as fast as she could. She saw me beating up a rapist, but she didn't know what he was.

Anyway, ever since then I have made it my personal mission to never put that look of fear on any innocent sentient again. Then with my son being nearly destroyed and all that has happened recently, I am making the time to train anyone willing.

The galaxy needs more “Boulders”.

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Nathan Bloodscrawl, infamously lacking a sense of humor and mirth around Jedi Padawans (He had never, ever been seen smiling or laughing or joking by a Jedi at any enclave), did not react the chuckle Caltin Vanagor gave.

"I will be diligent." was all Nathan said in a stoic tone.

Then Caltin asked what drove him.

To be honest, he wasn't quite sure anymore. At first it had been just killing the Cult...but as he had gone through his journey, learned more about Laertia, the more freaked out he had become that her obsession with killing the Bryn'adul had so closely resembled the intensity of his own monomaniacal obsession. Branching out, making Bacta-Works go beyond it's initial purpose at simply funding his efforts to destroy the Cult had been a desperate attempt to avoid his own obsession from consuming him the way it had with her.

But it had never left him. He WOULD destroy the Cult, or he would die. The chit they had done to him went way, way beyond philosophy...way beyond standard Jedi/Sith you-stabbed-me-so-I-stabbed-you-back sorta behavior.

What the Cult had done to him had made it personal on a primordial level. One that went beyond simple hatred, wrath, duty, honor...and codes...or even the Force's Will itself.

It had to be done. It had to be done by him.

"I suppose what I am driven by is the desire for...closure...." Nathan answered slowly. Ultimately that was what he was after, in both a broad AND narrow sense. He wondered how Caltin would have reacted if it had been his wife who got butchered and had her soul literally annihilated, his child that was turned to the Dark Side. Would he have gone so far as Nathan had?

Nathan then listened to his follow up. At least Caltin still had his child.

"My wife was murdered in such a way that she doesn't exist in the Force anymore. It was an extremely painful death. I was bonded to her. Felt every second as she died the True Death..." Nathan said without any visible change in tone or expression, not sure why he was telling Vanagor the truth. He had never given so much as a peep about his past to any Jedi other than Lossa Aureus .and Braze

"And my child was murdered in such a way that it would have been better had they gone the way their mother did..." he added, tone deadpan.

"I do as I do because it is necessary to fight the sort of people who do terrible things like that. Whoever I was, died with them. I have no intention of recalling the incident further than that." he stated calmly, not moving a muscle.

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

Spoiler: WEAPONS

"CONSERVATOR" (Primary - Long Handle)

"Vanguard" (Secondary - Long Handle)

The late Karki Eusith's Armor, Shield, Temple Guard Lightsaber mounted on the wall)

HK-88 Robes, Battle Armor,Toraynor-Henkan(mind crystal added) Advanced Jedi Utility Belt

Spoiler: RIDES

Starship: Spectre, (NC-1000 X-wing (Jedi Variant) in the hangar, Dilorian, and Bike both in the cargo bay,

Spoiler: SANCTUARY

Sanctuary Island

LOCATION:Jakku Enclave|OBJECTIVE:Training |POST #: 3
TAG (ALLIES) : Nathan Bloodscrawl
TAG (FOES) : @​

... and I wouldn't try to pressure you into doing so…

It was an interesting thought as to why Bloodscrawl was a Padawan at his age. Did he redeem himself from the Dark Side? Was his connection latent until recently? None of it mattered now as the Patriarch of his house recounted the horrors he had experienced.

It was all starting to make sense.

I will not be insulting your intelligence by telling you anything about “The Greater Good” or how they are still somehow one with the Force. I will however offer my sincerest condolences.

He would not try to compare himself to the Padawan, but maybe he could help in a different manner.

That little girl I told you about? This was during the age of the Galactic Empire. I was being hunted, not just by … “you know who” but by the Hutts. I could do little against the Empire, but I was a consistent foil to those gangsters. Slowly they began to escalate things. It was when they slaughtered a doctor and destroyed his clinic merepy for healing me…

He genuinely shook his head in frustration, the memory still bothered him.

I was prepared to forego my training, my oath, and all that I believed in. I was going to end them, even if it cost me my own life. Then I ran into that rapist… all thoughts of my doctor friend flooded my mind. All I saw in him was that Hutt gang. I tore into him.

Blinking at the memory, the big man realized that he had never brought this up, or even recounted it.

I was just about to snap his neck when I saw her. The way she ran away, I realized that I had become what I swore to defend against.

Sucking on his gumline, Caltin glanced at Bloodscrawl.

As I said, I won't insult you. You have to deal with your past in your own way. I will say to be prepared for what comes, and after the “Closure” you seek. Now, what are you looking to learn or work on?

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

"Gangsters..." Nathan muttered after Caltin Vanagor recounted his story, grateful that Caltin didn't try to get him to be optimistic. Nathan didn't do optimistic.

"Gangsters are in some ways even worse than Sith." Nathan observed. "Far more petulant than a Dark Lord, even the henchmen."

It seemed Caltin was no stranger to wanting to simply annihilate someone either. He had lost friends during the Plague in similar ways. As there was no Jedi Council to answer to, nor real authority to restrain him, he had not stopped himself from purging an area of such criminals after it happened the second time. There were still local legends about him on some worlds for the brutal nature of these purges, he had found out later on. But yeah, he had also scared the hell out of the innocent locals at the same time. But at the time he was too fethed up mentally to truly comprehend their fear, so heavily altered was he at the time by The Sorceress of Ossus. But now that Caltin mentioned his own experience...it forced Nathan to go back, look at the memories of every Civilian who had ever been afraid of him during his teens when he was running around as blind, mute freak with a deadly chain weapon that was as much a symbol of his own deadly nature as it was a sign of his ties to Jedi Causes.

"Winning the battle, but losing the P.R. War. Classic Jedi Dilemma." Nathan commented. "Sometimes, they'll still be afraid of you even if you do everything right, perhaps even more afraid of you precisely because you managed to do everything right. I myself have dispatched those guilty of similar crimes...before I...joined..."

Nathan grimaced, but his tone remained as granite.

"It is good you didn't kill in front of her."

When Caltin advised to be ready after the closure was obtained, Nathan didn't react. He knew his path was likely going to end in him getting arrested for what he was doing, even IF he got closure. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if it was Caltin they eventually sent with the handcuffs to do it.

"I have some interest in working on telekinesis...but I am more interested in remaining functional and capable even during intense physical and psychological pain."

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

Spoiler: WEAPONS

"CONSERVATOR" (Primary - Long Handle)

"Vanguard" (Secondary - Long Handle)
The late Karki Eusith's Armor, Shield, Temple Guard Lightsaber mounted on the wall)
HK-88 Robes, Battle Armor,Toraynor-Henkan(mind crystal added) Advanced Jedi Utility Belt

Spoiler: RIDES

Starship: Spectre, (NC-1000 X-wing (Jedi Variant) in the hangar, Dilorian, and Bike both in the cargo bay,

Spoiler: SANCTUARY

Sanctuary Island

LOCATION: Jakku | OBJECTIVE: Training | POST #: 3
TAG (ALLIES) : @
TAG (FOES) : @​

Master Vanagor was known throughout the galaxy for his mastery of the Force, particularly in the art of telekinesis. He had taken on many Padawans over the years, but none had shown as much promise as Nathan Bloodscrawl. True, this is the first time that the two had a conversation but the big man sensed Nathan's strength as well as his will to not only better himself but do the right thing.

Nathan was an older Padawan with a strong connection to the Force, but he struggled to control his abilities. Vanagor saw the potential in him which is why he was determined to help him harness his strength. This was in Caltin's proverbial “wheelhouse”. As they stood facing each other, Master Vanagor explained the basics of telekinesis and how it could be used to move objects with the power of the mind.

Alright, focus, Nathan, Clear your mind and reach out with the Force. Feel the energy around you and let it guide you. The Force is already telling you how to perform the skill, the trick js how you listen.

The big man did not move, or bat an eyelash for a few moments until he spoke.

See the Boulders to your right and the clearing just to their left? I want you to start by moving one, then slowly more until you are eventually able to move them all. Move them from where they are and into the clearing and back. Practice this until I tell you to stop. Watch me.

Master Vanagor stood in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by towering boulders. His eyes were closed, his mind focused on the Force. With a deep breath, he extended his hand towards the nearest boulder, willing it to move.

The boulder trembled slightly, then slowly began to lift off the ground. Caltin's brow furrowed in concentration as he guided the massive rock through the air, maneuvering it with precision and control. The other boulders around him started to follow suit, floating effortlessly at his command.

Over the course of a few minutes, a rather large group of Padawans formed a ways away. The onlookers watched in awe as Caltin manipulated the boulders with ease, weaving them through the air in a mesmerizing dance. His mastery of telekinesis was nearly unmatched, a testament to his years of training, focus on the “physical side of the Force” and dedication to the Jedi.

As the boulders floated gracefully around him, Caltin's focus never wavered. He could feel the raw power of the Force flowing through him, connecting him to the world around him in ways that few could understand.

With a final flourish, Caltin gently lowered the boulders back to the ground, their weight settling with a soft thud. The onlookers erupted into applause, their admiration for the Jedi Master evident in their cheers and applause.

Caltin opened his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. He had once again demonstrated the incredible power of the Force, proving that with dedication and discipline, anything was possible. Turlington face Bloodscrawl his question was simple.

See? Don't expect to get this the first time, it's not the easiest of skills to learn, but once you do, the possibilities are nearly endless. [/ROYALBLUE]

Reaching out with his right hand and with a simple flick of the wrist, one went flying.

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Nathan, had very, very limited skill at telekinesis. But it was still more skill than most of his family had.

It was said to be the price of having such a powerful teleport ability. Their Brains were fundamentally different from other Force Users at a neurological level, and thus, had extreme difficulty with even basic forms of Telekinesis. Most Bloodscrawls in history hadn't been able to lift even a pencil without risking death from the strain. Ironically, this deficiency had helped to convince Jedi he was simply an unskilled Force User, and he had done nothing to dissuade the notion.

That had changed during a semi recent ordeal in this very desert. Now he could lift datapads. But barely.

At least the strain wouldn't kill him.

Nathan listened intently, and he saw other Padawans gathering, watching as Caltin Vanagor made a graceful manipulation of the stones as a demonstration...

Y'know, if you wanted a telekinesis demonstration, you could have just asked... Syd whispered in his head.

Nathan refused to respond in any way she would be able to register. Any of Syd's attempts to bridge gaps between them were met with extremely cold indifference or outright shut down on the spot. Eventually Syd took the hint and withdrew from the edges of his thoughts. As Caltin told him to focus.

Nathan set aside his personal disillusionment towards the Force (What he privately referred to as "The Cruel Boss".) and listened to it. He had a respect for it. He did not abuse it. He wanted to use it to help the innocent while he drew breath.

But he no longer wanted to join with it on death, preferring to somehow obtain a simple nothingness which horrified Syd on an existential level. When she had asked why, his response, as always, had been simple as it was cold as ice; Better an eternity of nothing at all than one where our energies would be forever entwined. It had hurt her because she knew he had meant it.

He listened to its whispering clinically, heard how it told him to warp the energies around the rock, and then carefully, patiently, and with zero emotion lifted the first boulder up an inch...

...and immediately dropped it and doubled over, having never tried to lift anything that heavy.

But he showed no expression of pain on his face, though he now had a splitting headache as he righted himself, cleared his mind, tried again.

The boulder lifted up...and instead of simply floating five seconds, it moved two inches before Nathan lost the mental strength to carry it. If he had been using Force Teleport it would have been trivial.

Nathan staggered back, coughing and panting, headache in the verge of becoming a genuine migraine...

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

Spoiler: WEAPONS

"CONSERVATOR" (Primary - Long Handle)

"Vanguard" (Secondary - Long Handle)

The late Karki Eusith's Armor, Shield, Temple Guard Lightsaber mounted on the wall)

HK-88 Robes, Battle Armor,Toraynor-Henkan(mind crystal added) Advanced Jedi Utility Belt

Spoiler: RIDES

Starship: Spectre, (NC-1000 X-wing (Jedi Variant) in the hangar, Dilorian, and Bike both in the cargo bay,

Spoiler: SANCTUARY

Sanctuary Island

LOCATION: Jakku | OBJECTIVE: Training | POST #: 4
TAG (ALLIES) : Nathan Bloodscrawl
TAG (FOES) : @​

Looking the way of the Padawan onlookers, Caltin addressed fhem as diplomatically as he could.

While I appreciate your enthusiasm, this is a private session. Please respect that.

Caltin didn't mind them watching, but he gave his word to Bloodscrawl and the big man is a man of his word.

Take a breath and relax for a moment. You're doing great.

He scoffed.

It took me two days to get that far,and a week to get through a session without hitting myself.

Vanagor stood again in the middle of the clearing, watching as the older Padawan, Nathan Bloodscrawl, struggled to lift a rock with his mind. Nathan's brow was furrowed in concentration, his hands outstretched towards the rock, but it remained stubborn.

Caltin could sense Nathan's frustration and knew that telekinesis was a difficult skill to master, especially for someone who had started their training later in life. But he also knew that Nathan had the potential to become a great Jedi, if only he could push past his doubts and fears.

Focus, Nathan, Caltin said, his voice calm and reassuring. You’re doing great but there is something distracting you. Take your time, clear your mind of all distractions and let the Force guide you. Visualize the rock moving, feel its weight in your mind, and gently nudge it with the Force. You're farther along than you think you are.

He didn't want to talk to the guy like he was a teenager, the man was a warrior without the Force.

Remember, patience and persistence are key to mastering telekinesis.

Nodding, Caltin knew he could do this easily. The trick is getting him to realize this.

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Nathan, once he had gotten his bearings, cleared his mind...

If he was using teleportation, it would be easy, almost casual to move the boulder to the other side. But the act of telekinesis still felt strange to him, like trying to grasp something covered in oil.


Amidst the ashes of Castle Bloodscrawl, in the early sunrise, the bodies could be seen everywhere. Blue Armored Knights of Ession, sworn to worship Ashla, and the bodies of the last of the Bloodscrawls, still in the tattered remains of their black, horned armor. All the slain were surrounded by piles of Elaine Tear's warriors, who had died trying to rip the secrets to a hidden superweapon from their stronghold from their stalwart, determined hands. It had taken overwhelming violence to kill each, even the teenagers. In the modern parlance, The Bloodscrawl Family had gone down swinging.

It was a scene of carnage at the ruins of the main tower. Lightsabers lay shattered. Bloodscrawls crushed by telekinesis, Ashlans violently impaled on lances. Every object that 'could' have been used to kill 'had' been used to kill, so savagely had the assault devolved by the end on both sides. Half the tower had exploded after the Bloodscrawls had detonated a self destruct device, killing scores and scores of Ashlans. They had lost so many this night that it would be days before the ringleader of the Siege, Elaine Tear, someday to be turned into The Battalion , would be able to organize a team to comb the ruins. She had long departed, appalled at the slaughter, not just of her own forces, but the Bloodscrawls as well. The crazy fanatic had finally reached a level even she couldn't accept the cost of.

Save for the burning ruins, there was no sound.

A Lightsaber Shoto, the working half of a a temple guard pike attached to a Force Imbued chain, punched through the crumbled wall at the base of the ruined tower.

(THIS Plays)

The chain yanked itself back through the hole it punched, smashing away more of the wall with each time it crashed into it either way, until a hole big enough for a human was created.

The boy walked out in tattered, burned robes dark hair falling messily around his head , scarred, sightless eyes staring with a thousand parsec gaze as he walked in an almost zombie like manner, grasping his chain, arms stretched out almost as if in supplication, his weapon's enchanted links dangling from his arms, wrapped loosely around him. With that same pseudo-zombie walk (Had you been there it would have immediately brought to mind something resembling the soulless walk of Michael Myers) he slowly traversed a land of gore and blood, walking past the bodies of his family and his family's killers, a purpose in his mind that was louder than the sorrow, the complication, the trauma, the survivor's guilt.

His purpose was holy. To dispense judgement on the wicked and the treacherous for making a bad situation (The Gulag Plague itself) worse.

He did not stop for anything as he walked a dirt path on his Homeworld of Ession, leading away from what was left of his past. Distantly, in the back of his head the Padawan--now secretly the newest Deputy of the infamous Sorceress of Ossus, recalled a spaceport that was heavily quarantined at all times when screening the rare smuggler transport, for smugglers and Bounty Hunters were often the only ones still doing regular space travel, and any time a Smuggler landed, they usually carried precious goods. Smugglers were looked down on most times, but were absolutely essential in this era.

If any place had away off world, it was that port.

The Padawan, with his almost undead appearance, paid no attention to the random farmers and villagers from nearby regions who had come to investigate the signs of battle, only to be frightened away by the sign of the blind, mute Padawan walking slowly away from the burning hellscape that was that castle grounds, the glow from it's fires able to be seen for kilometers in all directions.

The spaceport itself was nothing special. It was a simple traffic control tower with a landing pad nearby, set in the remains of an otherwise long abandoned town. Ession's government regularly kept troops on guard there but in this instance, he saw only those in the blue armor and flowing golden robes of Elaine Tear's warriors. He saw an old YT model freight.

He proceeded almost mindlessly towards them, a burning disgust and hatred for the killers of his family barely suppressed by his transformation.

He wanted off this world, and he would go through them.

Ashlan Jedi didn't sense him until he was very close. He had crossed the perimeter hugging a nearby treeline, teleporting in to a nearby building when he spotted an open window, and hid his presence just as it began to set off alarm bells.

One Ashlan Jedi had cautiously entered the abandoned home, confused by the strange presence he and the others felt. He was, like the others, on edge after the Bloodscrawl Raid had gone violently south.

His orange Lightsaber flashed on and he looked through the house, swinging doors open.

One door swung open...and there the Padawan was, staring with his zombie eyes outward in the near pitch black of the room, just... standing there, in the middle of it...

Both Jedi and Deputy stared at each other.

The Deputy lunged, his chain lancing out to obey his thoughts as he tackled the Jedi through rotted drywall, the chained Shoto swiping him in the knees...


Nathan snapped out of the sudden memory, and had a flash of insight...

He concentrated...and the boulder lifted two feet up and a solid ten inches to the right...and he collapsed in pure exhaustion again.


Caltin Vanagor

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

Spoiler: WEAPONS

"CONSERVATOR" (Primary - Long Handle)

"Vanguard" (Secondary - Long Handle)

The late Karki Eusith's Armor, Shield, Temple Guard Lightsaber mounted on the wall)

HK-88 Robes, Battle Armor,Toraynor-Henkan(mind crystal added) Advanced Jedi Utility Belt

Spoiler: RIDES

Starship: Spectre, (NC-1000 X-wing (Jedi Variant) in the hangar, Dilorian, and Bike both in the cargo bay,

Spoiler: SANCTUARY

Sanctuary Island

LOCATION: Jakku | OBJECTIVE: Training | POST #: 5
TAG (ALLIES) : Nathan Bloodscrawl
TAG (FOES) : @​

Caltin was a lot more intuitive than he often led on. Bloodscrawl was torn, lost in a thought. He was a tortured soul, clearly, but he was trying. He was frustrated, no doubt wondering what the point of this was, but he was trying. He was honestly trying.

Caltin can definitely work with that.

Well done, catch your breath.

Taking a moment himself, the big man reached out with his right arm and through the Force he pulled two cold bottles of Elba water from a nearby beverage cart and tossed one to the Bloodscrawl Patriarch.

It took me two days to get that down, I was always either pushing, or pulling it, and like I mentioned, hitting myself, so you're definitely getting it. Telekinesis is difficult to learn and master, but the real world contributions are limitless and just as important. Not just lifting rocks, but sentients to safety, or items safely off of trapped sentients for example.

Nodding, Vanagor reached out and levitated one of the other boulders effortlessly.

Not to sound patronizing, but before you know it.

With a simple flick of the wrist, Vanagor sent the huge boulder flying.

You will begin throwing things… and it gets fun.

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Every cell in Nathan's body burned from the exertion as he pulled himself up, Caltin Vanagor encouraging him while he demonstrated the level of his own skill.

Nathan considered this as he drank the water.

Nathan had encountered anomalies in the Force before, and Caltin was lit up like a Life Day tree to Nathan's perception. What had he done to himself? Caltin was practically a Force Spawn like Syd was.

Nathan often wondered how far away he himself was from being such a thing, either like Syd OR like Caltin. As time had grown, as Bacta-Works had grown, the connections he was making across the Galaxy seemed to creep up his power bit by bit. The idea didn't appeal. He had been altered once before, and the alterations, after he eventually freed himself from the Sorceress of Ossus, had weakened, but they had never left.

"My abilities...never were good at telekinesis..." he admitted.

"The Force tends to give me insights to more...esoteric methods in general situations."

Soon, he stood up, feeling Syd observing him through the messed up, nigh unbreakable Force Bond he had to her. The person who had ruined his life.

He cleared his mind of emotion, and began again. It was here, when he did that, that a small hint of just how powerful he actually was came out. Most Padawans would have been burnt out the rest of the day. Yet here he was, trying to again after a relative five minutes rest and a bottle of water. His reserves replenished quick.

He stretched out his hand on a boulder...


Ashlan Jedi broke into the House via Force pushing a wall in, feeling the distress of their fellow being attacked and violently rendered unconscious.

"What the hell is in here?!" one of them, a man, asked, voice slightly muffled by his azure helmet.

"Focus. It may be one of the Bloodscrawls." a woman said.

"How could anyone survive that slaughter?!" he asked. "Almost NONE of the attacking force survived, let alone the Bloodscrawls!"

A squad of four Jedi Knights total, followed by four standard Essonian infantry ventured into the large house. As galactic society collapsed from disease, as brutal quarantines were enforced across whole systems from what few navies could still operate, formerly prosperous cities and villages suffered the ensuing economic collapse as trade ceased.

Houses like this, once bright and lively, were but dilapidated shadows of their former selves, now having to be cleared out of infestations, whether of hostile creatures, or criminals. It would be too expensive to simply raze it.

Besides, the authorities sometimes stashed stuff here too for emergencies.

They soon came upon the unconscious Jedi and checked him. The room was cluttered. No signs of lightsaber damage. It had been sudden. Brutal. Overwhelming.

"He's got a severe concussion." one of the soldiers said. "Looks like he got smacked by something..."

A hand phased through the floor below the soldier, dragging him screaming to the space beneath the floorboards.

There were flashes of Blasterfire. Screaming.

Then...silence.

One of the Jedi cut open a hole into the floor beneath and hopped in, followed by another soldier.

The Soldier that had been pulled beneath was found standing in a corner of the basement, facing the wall, shivering as a flashlight from the Soldier's blaster rifle was shined on him.

The blood of the two who had jumped down to investigate ran cold at the sight as things went from zero to Found Footage Horror in ten seconds flat.

The Soldier approached his fellow huddling in the corner, trembling.

"Kasin? Kasin, where is it? Where's the target?" the Soldier asked.

There was no response. The Soldier turned his friend around and stepped back, terrified.

The other Soldier, Kasin, had a look of total, absolute, nigh catatonic terror, teeth drawn into a snarl of fear, eyes wide, pupils dilated, on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Is he alright?" one of the Jedi from above called out."

"He's...I dunno. Looks like he got the poodoo scared outta him..." the Jedi in the basement answered.

"What the hell did it?" the Jedi above called back.

"Kasin?! What did this to you?" the Soldier in the basement asked.

"Be-be-be---" Kasin struggled to get out, spittle running down his mouth not from any Force power that had been used, but from the sheer trauma of encountering his attacker.

"What?" The Soldier opposite him asked.

"Behind you." Kasin got out.

The Soldier turned, saw a face covered by a red piece of fabric on its lower half, the upper half revealing, scarred, blind eyes in the darkness as a chain shot out of it's own accord, wrapping around the Jedi's legs before he could react and dragging him violently into the darkness before the face itself vanished. There was no scream.

Both Kasin and the other Soldier screamed, firing into the darkness, but as their blaster fire lit up the room, they saw no one there.

(THIS plays)

The Jedi above heard screams and shouting in a room adjacent and rushed in finding the Jedi that had been just kidnapped on the floor, writhing in pain from missing most of his right leg. The missing leg itself was nowhere to be seen.

At least at first. The boy reappeared to the left of the Jedi using the severed limb to smack the Jedi closest to him directly in the face, dislocating his jaw and sending him flying before reappearing on the left side of the other Jedi as he spun to face his friend who had gotten smacked into the wall, the boy quickly wrapping his chain around his second foe's neck and strangling him into a state of unconsciousness with his beastly strength, but neither snapping his neck or suffocating him as another squad of soldiers in and two more Jedi armed with Double Bladed Lightsabers, getting a look at him for the first time, his unsettling blind gaze narrowing at them as the flash lights from the soldiers rifles were trained on him.

"What IS it?" one of the fully armored Jedi said.

The Boy answered them in a broken whisper of a voice, the pronunciation...off. He no longer knew how to speak as normal people do.

It was an ancient Essonian word, derived from ones used by the two unique civilizations that had produced Ingrid L'lerim and Thurion Heavenshield

"POL-TER-GEIST..."

"It said something. What did it say?" one of the soldiers asked, growing more terrified the longer he stared at the unnatural thing in the torn, bloodied, burnt robes of a Padawan, staring at them like a silent, hungry, thinking zombie...

"It doesn't matter what it said. It's attacked our troops... maimed our comrades." one of the Jedi snorted as the two Jedi from the first party as well as their soldiers joined them, all pointing their weapons at him.

"In the name of the Goddess Ashla, surrender... whatever the hell you are...or we will show you no mercy." The oldest Jedi commanded of The Boy.

"Why is it in Padawan Robes? Is it a Bloodscrawl Survivor or not?" one of the Jedi asked.

"The Bloodscrawls would never alter one of their own like this..." the oldest Jedi said, keeping his active green blade trained on the Boy, who grasped the chain tightly.

The Boy pointed to the one who had spoken.

"ID-OL-A-TER..."

The Chain with the Shoto Lightsaber began to move of its own Accord.

All the Jedi present launched a combined Force push at the freaky, almost Zombie like teenager with the empty stare, but he was only driven back a few inches, the air around him rippling.

He phased under the floor, again attacking the two soldiers now both paralyzed with fear, knocking them unconscious with brutal punches to the jaw, then teleported on the roof.

His chain burst through the ceiling from above, it's weighted edge opposite the Shoto on the other end smacking into one of the Jedi while all the soldiers panic fired at the ceiling, creating choking clouds of dust and debris due to the dilapidated, advanced degree of disrepair and decay in the old domicile.

He reappeared amongst them, whipping his chain around him, smacking foes unconscious, solid punches from him breaking collar bones on impact, using his chain to whip and ensnare opponents, deflect lightsaber attacks and retaliate in kind, his yellow blade cutting through the weapon of one Jedi, before a spinning drop kick sent him flying into the rest of the Jedi present.

The entire mass of Jedi crashed through the wall, and the boy followed out, his almost undead, Samara-From-The Ring-like walk serving to make him seem only more eerie and unnatural to the Jedi as they stood up. All the Soldiers were knocked out and heavily injured.

Two of the Jedi sprinted at him their blades aimed for his arms and neck. He waded into the thick of combat, his strange chain-lightsaber weapon baffling them in the techniques he executed with it, using it to block and deflect with especially narrow lengths of it the Jedi forced to back flip when it's Shoto-end threatened to pass through their legs, making the Boy press the attack, attacking with a controlled ferocity that ensnared one Jedi by his arms, forcing him to redirect his lightsaber into the path of the other swing his blocking the blade meant for the Boy's arms. The Shoto blade whipped around telekinetically at that instant in such a way as to sever BOTH arms of BOTH opponents in one swing, and both Jedi passed out from shock.

The Boy then slowly, creepily craned his head to the two Jedi as his chain wrapped around his body of its own Accord, teleporting the lightsabers of his two defeated but alive opponents into his waiting, oddly pale hands.

In a moment purely to flex his physical strength to them, he crushed the hilts of the two weapons in his hands, tossing them at the feet of the remaining two Jedi, before his chain uncoiled from his body and caught fire, and for one glorious moment he was a Nic Cage Expy, the chain creating a CAGE OF FIRE around him and the two Jedi...after which he tossed the chain aside and put his fists up.

The Jedi stared and then tossed their own lightsabers aside and the three rushed each other, now understanding one another perfectly...


The Boulder didn't just move as Nathan concentrated...it started to move quickly, and he finally managed to get it to the other side...and he fell to his knees, coughing...but not nearly as winded as he had been previously...

"How was that?" He asked Caltin...

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

Spoiler: WEAPONS

"CONSERVATOR" (Primary - Long Handle)

"Vanguard" (Secondary - Long Handle)
The late Karki Eusith's Armor, Shield, Temple Guard Lightsaber mounted on the wall)
HK-88 Robes, Battle Armor,Toraynor-Henkan(mind crystal added) Advanced Jedi Utility Belt

Spoiler: RIDES

Starship: Spectre, (NC-1000 X-wing (Jedi Variant) in the hangar, Dilorian, and Bike both in the cargo bay,

Spoiler: SANCTUARY

Sanctuary Island

LOCATION: Jakku | OBJECTIVE: Training | POST # 6
TAG (ALLIES) : Nathan Bloodscrawl​

”Esoteric”?

It was good to see that the man was getting right back into it. That was important and it spoke to his character. What was troubling was the mindset that Nathan really was in, not some dangerous level of issue. The thing is, it was almost as if he was reliving something. Something that was either building on who he was today, or something he was becoming in spite of. Either way, Caltin was not worried for himself, there was no one else around either, he was concerned for Nathan, however the big man would not press the issue unless he became a threat. Which did not look to be a reality…

… at least not today…

When Bloodscrawl sent the telekinetic blasts to levitate the rock, it was not only a display of power, but also of kindness and mercy. His actions would save countless sentient beings from harm in the future. Telekinesis is not only a powerful tool, but also a compassionate one.

Again, I do not want to sound patronizing, but you are truly getting this.

Nodding, Vanagor pursed his lips.

One request though, tell me about these… “esoteric methods” that you apple of.

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Nathan looked at Caltin Vanagor as he asked what he meant by Esoteric.

Nathan held out his hand, and something strange started to happen.

Fog began to rise up from the surface beneath them. He blinked and it dissipated...then conjured a tiny pinpoint of Force Light in his hand.

"Esoteric..." Nathan repeated. "As in, non direct methods of Force Use. Ones not necessarily usable in combat. It's why I mainly stick to scouting, scavenging, and courier work."

(Cutaway of Deathclaws getting blown away by a mini nuke in the Mojave Wasteland.)

"I find discarded assets and repurpose them. Emergency Supplies. Spare parts. Sometimes I find them in the ship wrecks out here...other times I find them in space. Growing up I was required to scavenge, so it comes naturally to me.

"I drop what I find off at various Jedi Enclaves besides this one...." Nathan added, getting back up. He focused on the boulder. His activities, of course, were much, MUCH more extensive than that, but what he told Caltin Vanagor was the broad strokes of his common activities...and to be fair, this WAS what he did most times. It was just the in-between times he was someone else. The In-between times were when he was The House Bloodscrawl Patriarch in secret.

The knowledge that eventually he wouldn't be able to hide from what he had done, that he WOULD eventually be discovered, either by Vanagor or someone very much like him, threatened to weigh in his mind. He crushed the growing anxiety with a practiced coldness. He knew who he was.

He held out his hand. This time, though he visibly struggled, he moved the boulder slightly faster than he had before...and did not collapse in exhaustion after he had...

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

Spoiler: WEAPONS

"CONSERVATOR" (Primary - Long Handle)

"Vanguard" (Secondary - Long Handle)
The late Karki Eusith's Armor, Shield, Temple Guard Lightsaber mounted on the wall)
HK-88 Robes, Battle Armor,Toraynor-Henkan(mind crystal added) Advanced Jedi Utility Belt

Spoiler: RIDES

Starship: Spectre, (NC-1000 X-wing (Jedi Variant) in the hangar, Dilorian, and Bike both in the cargo bay,

Spoiler: SANCTUARY

Sanctuary Island

LOCATION: Jakku | OBJECTIVE: Training | POST # 7
TAG (ALLIES) : Nathan Bloodscrawl
​

What I meant, but not how I meant it, okay…

A tiny smirk crawled across Caltin’s face at Nathan’s (no doubt unintentional) condescension, he watched as the Padawan explained how he operated. Caltin knew all of this already, but wanted to know why the man considered this to be “non-combative”.

We’d better make this fast, it’s getting ready to rain.

What?

Seriously? It was a beautifully clear day, on any other planet. Of course that thought was fleeting as out of nowhere, somehow... puffy white clouds appeared and grew into large, ominous masses. Hot dry air began to slowly thicken, moisten, sweeten into The sky grew darker, and the air became thick and muggy. A storm was brewing. Sooner than could believe the clouds began to sparkle, and Lightning began to streak across the sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance. A deafening downpour of rain began to lash the land. The two Jedi were bone dry as the storm was half-encircling intricately.

See?

ALmost just as quickly as the storm had appeared, it had dissipated, but not before a huge bolt of lightning slammed into the boulder that Nathan had levitated. The explosion was deafening and the cloud of dust was thick. The Jedi were left standing amidst the rubble, unscathed.

My apologies for that last part of the demonstration, but I wanted to make a point. What I am about to tell you is something I would never tell a Padawn. I would tell maybe one or two Knights, and few Masters know this.

Turning to face Bloodscrawl, even to the point of squaring up. Not to the point of being ready for a fight, but a serious note.

Everything can be used combatively, and those who practice the Dark Side will work to find ways to do so.

Giving that comment a moment to sink in, Caltin folded his arms and scratched his chin in thought.

Have you given thought to the Jedi Shadow? I firmly believe that you are a perfect fit, if you are not trying to be one already.

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Nathan watched the clouds form without a visible reaction to his face. He was fully aware of the full capabilities, it's just that most times he used it to generate fog for himself.

The Lightning crackled, then the downpour, but Nathan's expression remained unchanged. There was no starry eyed wonder or astonishment, not even when the lightning reduced the boulder to rubble, and it was clear in that instant that his expression would have been the same even under heavy artillery fire. He didn't react as he was told that everything about the Force could be used combatively.

"You are correct. But I am not anywhere near your level of skill at this ability. I have to think it out longer before applying it. I mainly just use it to buy a few moments of concealment."

Nathan approached the wrecked boulder, he sensed something in the aftermath of the strike. He saw, at the exact center the lightning struck, a glowing yellow, vitrified piece of rock. It pulsed slightly.

"I would not make for a good shadow."

(Cutaway of J. Jonah Jameson laughing uncontrollably)

"I'm more a survivor than a shadow."

"Better off as a Guardian that occasionally favors discretion..." he trailed, reaching for the glowing stone, and grasping it, yet it didn't burn him.

He concentrated, covering his hand that held the stone with his other hand. There was a glow from within the cupped hands.

"I can't exactly predict what results, mind you..." Nathan mentioned as he worked.

When the glow stopped, Nathan took away his hand, revealing two crystals created from the lightning vitrified stone...

One was a pink Seeker Crystal , and the other appeared to be an Ankarres Sapphire...

They were weak versions of the real thing, maybe half as powerful...but they could still be used.

Nathan visibly raised an eyebrow very faintly in a departure from his usual stoicism, giving away that whatever he expected to emerge, he clearly hadn't been expecting the second one. It seemed to make him do a subtle double take before laying the two stones on what was left of the boulder.

"As I said... esoteric methods..." he added without emotion, before turning to him.

"How else would you test me at Telekinesis?" Nathan asked of Caltin Vanagor

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

Spoiler: WEAPONS

"CONSERVATOR" (Primary - Long Handle)

"Vanguard" (Secondary - Long Handle)
The late Karki Eusith's Armor, Shield, Temple Guard Lightsaber mounted on the wall)
HK-88 Robes, Battle Armor,Toraynor-Henkan(mind crystal added) Advanced Jedi Utility Belt

Spoiler: RIDES

Starship: Spectre, (NC-1000 X-wing (Jedi Variant) in the hangar, Dilorian, and Bike both in the cargo bay,

Spoiler: SANCTUARY

Sanctuary Island

LOCATION: Jakku | OBJECTIVE: Training | POST # 8
TAG (ALLIES) : Nathan Bloodscrawl
​

Fair enough.

Being a Shadow was not for everyone, just as being a Guardian wasn’t. Caltin couldn’t be a Jedi Shadow if he wanted to (and he doesn’t), he is too big and sneaking around for him is just not feasible. Caltin is better suited as a Guardian. He has a way with people and is strong enough to handle any challenge that comes his way. He also has a strong sense of justice and his sense of morality makes him the perfect guardian. Nathan did not want to be a Sentinel, but he could fit well into the archetype, however he was able to more than fill the role as a Guardian too, not many Jedi can say that.

He was failing to understand Caltin’s point though. The big man was not trying to minimize Bloodscrawl’s connection to the Force, it was incredible, and was something that would be easily exploited by those with “nefarious” intentions and thoughts should they find out about it. Nathan was a natural leader(even if he did not know it yet), and his courage and bravery were matched by few.. He was also highly skilled in using the Force, which will make him a powerful and effective Guardian. He was an asset to any Jedi team. It was just a matter of getting him into that mindset.

“How else to test him” indeed.

There’s not really much else there that I can teach you, you just need better focus, this comes with practice. Focus is key to everything…

Pulling his Long handle Lightsaber, Conservator from “her” sheathe” over his back and activating it, the big man looked back to the combatant Padawan.

You are more capable than you seem to think that you are. You wanted to be more focused and capable in combat. That can really only come in combat…

The Sovereign Gold (blue lined) blade of the lightsaber shimmering, Caltin moved the weapon into an attack position and jammed it into his hand, only the blade did not break through and out the other side of the appendage. If one would see his face, there was a look of focus indeed, even a Master as strong as Vanagor needed to focus hard on these types of skills. Caltin took a deep breath, his concentration unwavering. With a powerful thrust, the blade released and he stepped back, satisfied that he had achieved his goal. He had mastered the use of his lightsaber and this skill long before Nathan had even been born.

I am not saying that you need to do that but I have a violent past myself. While I am not comparing mine, or myself to you in that regard, I have learned something that I could pass on to you that you might be able to use. I use my past to ensure and enhance my present.

Giving Nathan a moment to think about that, he took a drink. One thing was clear about Nathan, Caltin was not ready to reveal that openly though.

I am not a Jedi because I haveto be, I am a Jedi because I choose to be.

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Nathan observed the demonstration Caltin Vanagor gave with Tutaminus. He knew a little bit, but not enough to do that. And even if he had, he would never dare tempt fate in such a manner. All it took was a moments lapse in concentration and Caltin would need to relearn clapping.

"I've...met other Jedi who possessed this kind of skill. But they can all be counted on one hand..." he admitted idly, face and tone betraying no emotion as the demonstration gave off light that glittered across his artificial green eyes.

"Impressive." Nathan admitted in a toneless manner.

"That would be very useful to delve into...and perhaps... perhaps I could show you the secrets of my crystal fashioning?" Nathan offered hesitantly.

He went over fetched the Seeker Crystal and the Ankarres Sapphire he had created.

"You did half the work for me in truth. It works best on stuff that's already been vitrified, especially if freshly so, like that piece of stone you created that led to these. The trick is generating the right energy in the right concentration in the right instant to create what you made in the boulder...that I assure you, is very difficult to do in the field without pre-planning it. The rest...that is an approach similar to blending metal with natural Kybers to create Jedi Katanas... except you are working on minerals which have already been heavily altered by directed energy... preferably electricity or magma based.

He handed the Crystals to Caltin.

"It is only possible to do, however, if you have encountered naturally occurring examples of what you are seeking to create previously, and have taken the time to explore the unique molecular structure associated with each." he finished. "I also offer one other thing..."

Nathan held out his hand, and a rolled up batch of notes slipped from his sleeve to his hand.

"I offer the secrets of the Rope Dart Lightsaber."