Hidden in Plain Sight (Voh)

[Darth Ophidia]

Despite being a rather new Academy, Glee Anselm was picking up in terms of apprentices. Its underground and underwater halls never slept, and there were many new acolytes to train. WIth time, some of them would become the great and powerful enforcers of Sith Rule. Most would do so through sheer might, however, a hopeful few would take the path of the Assassin: The path of stealth and subtlety.

Darth Ophidia was one who had chosen such a path, and excelled at it. However, this time she was there as a teacher. The master of the Glee Anselm Academy, [member="Darth Pyrrhus"], had personally asked her to instruct an Acolyte in the art of Stealth. And so the Rattataki sat in one of the stone rooms of the Academy. Her eyes closed and her body sitting straight, but relaxed. Through meditation, she was probing deep into the mysteries of the Dark Side of the Force while awaiting the arrival of her student.

[member="Voh"]

 

[Yaadri Osi-Yyn]

Voh had been anxiously awaiting to begin training, so being prompt and on time for his first lesson was his priority. He had finished his research, checking the time every few minutes until a minute or two before he was instructed to go to the room, [member="Darth Ophidia"], waited for him inside.

He approached cautiously not knowing what would be waiting for him inside as training in this new academy on Glee Anselm was entirely new for him. The door slid open a few seconds before he got close to it, he walked in slowly looking around appreciating the work on the walls before turning to his teacher staring at her meditating before clearing his throat and speaking up.

"Master, are you my teacher?"

Then placing his hand on his headtails, awaiting an answer.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

"That depends. Who are you and what do you want?"

Black-painted eyelids opened to reveal irises that burned red like embers. She set her eyes on the Nautolan and watched him intently. Her hands moved from their position on her lap to rest on her knees. The fingers on her right hand drummed impatiently against her knee. She appeared rather confrontational, but it was a test to see whether or not the acolyte had the guts to be Sith. If he shied away, then he would not have the mental fortitude to learn from her.

Ophidia was a long and slender figure. Her bald head balancing on top of a slender neck, with a calm expression despite the burning eyes. She did not give off waves of hatred or anger, but rather instilled a quiet fear. Like a serpent raising its head from its resting place to warn off an intruder.

[member="Voh"]

 

[Yaadri Osi-Yyn]

He continued to stare, not blinking just admiring. The burning sensation in her eyes frightened him at first but he began to wonder more than be afraid. He took a few steps closer before dipping his head and standing in a more firm posture.

"I- I am Voh, Voh Phaar. I wish to learn the ways of steal- stealth."

He then raised his head back up to its normal posistion, keeping the firm posture but putting his hands behind his back. A sweat began to drip down his forehead and over his brow, he wiped it quickly.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

"In that case, yes. I am your teacher for this lesson. Sit down, Acolyte. First, I will ask you to meditate upon the dark side of the Force."

She always asked the acolytes to meditate first. This gave her a moment to study their mannerisms while they charged up. Unlike Jedi Meditation, the focus was not to relax and flow with the Force, but to muster the energy up from within and let it take a foothold on oneself. This foothold allowed one to more delicately utilise the Force. At a beginner level, it was not very noticeable, but a good habit should be started early. It was also a pedagogical tool, as it separated what came before from the lesson itself.

[member="Voh"]

 

[Yaadri Osi-Yyn]

He looked at her with a stern look as he had rarely ever meditated before, but he shrug his shoulders looking down at her sitting down.

"As you wish, Master."

His posture somewhat fell apart then he proceeded to slowly slump down onto the floor crossing his legs, before taking a deep breath and closing his large eyes. His 'meditation' turned from what is was supposed to be to remembering his past. His eyebrows tightened as he thought of his most deepest problems, father related. Anger rushed through his mind.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Ophidia closed her eyes and sensed the Nautolan's inner turmoil. Emotion was good, but a mind in discord could never fully employ the art of stealth. With a discontent expression she projected her speech telepathically.

Straighten your posture and inhale. Crush what worries you under a steel boot and leave it for later. Now you must focus only on you, your power, your connection to the Dark Side of the Force. Kark your father, concentrate on your emotion and et it bring you deeper into the darkness.

Her mental voice was much like her spoken one, save for a slight echo that gave a rather eerie sound to her words. The next words she spoke out loud.

"If you cannot command your fear, then you will be commanded by it. Sith are driven by passion, it empowers us. However, we are not slaves to it. Now concentrate!"

[member="Voh"]

 

[Yaadri Osi-Yyn]

"I'm sorry. I- It won't happen again..."

Shakes his head trying to erase all his past memories and thoughts; concentrating on the now and his training. The thoughts of fear dissipated into the back of his mind then darkness filled the majority of his head.

The words of his teacher that she had said into his mind kept rushing around reminding him of his task, he came to calmness and focused.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

"That is better."

She let the acolyte sit while she observed his progress. Then when she felt it had gone long enough, she clapped her hands twice to signal the end of the meditation.

"Now, it is time we delved into the art of Stealth. First of all, you must become aware of the presences around you. How can you hide your presence, if you cannot distinguish one from yourself?"

Ophidia's presence started to dissipate. While she physically sat right in front of the Nautolan, she became rapidly less and less significant. One could imagine the radiating malice that had radiated from her had sprung a leak and was drained away until only her physical being was left. A small demonstration, done slowly so that Voh could notice it.

[member="Voh"]

 

[Yaadri Osi-Yyn]

He widens his eyes at the clap of her hands slightly frightening him and awaking him from meditation, then acknowledging what she is saying.

"You simply cannot, Master."

She became less significant, the room around her stood out to Voh, more than she did. He shuck his head once more, then narrowing his eyes at her.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Watching someone become utterly insignificant in the way Ophidia was employing was quite surreal. She allowed herself to be present next, but appeared completely neutral and insignificant in the Force. If Voh looked, then she would appear as a if she was without the Force; as if she was just another person picked off the streets and placed in front of him.

"You do catch on."
She smiled a little with playful mockery in her voice, but it dissipated quickly as she returned to a serious lesson-voice.

"Close your eyes and feel the presences around you. Find the borders of your own and isolate it. Focus entirely on the presence you call your own."

To make this task easier, she let go of her masking and let her presence flare into being before him.

[member="Voh"]

 

[Yaadri Osi-Yyn]

He grins slightly at the sight of his ever so serious teacher's face smile. He tried to focus his mind once more on the surroundings around him, the stone walls, the metal door that clunked open, the lights the flickered every once in a while even his teacher. Then began to attempt to fulfill the task at hand of masking his presence with the force, imminent failure. He then shrugged his shoulders and cracked his neck, attempting once more. He began to focus on becoming one with his surroundings, not himself as a person but an object.

"I think I'm... getting close to it!"

He then took a deep breath.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

"This may sound strange for a Sith, but listen well: Let go of yourself, become nothing. Cloak yourself in insignificance, and that is all your foes will see."

She watched the acolyte intently while he practised his Buried Presence. It was a difficult skill to master, but equally invaluable. It was also a tricky skill to test whether or not succeeded. Often detection involved immediate peril of death. Then again, the presence of mortality usually had a strengthening factor on apprentices of the Sith.

[member="Voh"]

 

[Yaadri Osi-Yyn]

He opened his eyes, listening to his teacher, after her words sunk into his mind he nodded slightly letting out a puff of breath then taking breathing in. His mind focused on letting go of himself, becoming insignificant just as she told him. Then he slowly began to vanish into the background slowly, but not to the full extent he was still detectable as a force user, it began to fade in and out of detection until it was fully gone. He held it for a few seconds until he let go of his new found ability and began to catch his breath.

"I think I... did it. That was... did I do it?"

A sense of relief flew around his mind as he had learned a new skill, not fully but the extreme basics.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

"You have the most basic principle down, however, you need practice. A test of sorts."

A sinister grin spread across her lips as an idea formed in her mind. She would employ a similar test to the one her master, Darth Ferus, had given to her when she first learned how to hide in the Force. Of course, that was a whole different kind of level. She had been a knight at that time, and he had taught her a far more advanced version of Force Stealth, but a similar test could work. That was why she had painstakingly acquired and transported a creature that fed off Force energy: A Terentatek.

"Come with me, Acolyte. Let us put you on trial."

Smoothly, she stood up and strode out of the room as if she was simply gliding across the floor-surface. She headed deep into the cavernous construction of the Glee Anselm Academy before stopping in front of a large double-door.

[member="Voh"]

 

[Yaadri Osi-Yyn]

His head nodded to his teacher once she told him about his "trial", nodding unwillingly to the rest of his body. He stood up anxiously, treading carefully as well as cautiously behind his teacher. Admiring the academies inner structures and walls, then the double door came in front of the two, hr stopped stared at it for a few moments in silence before speaking up.

"Is this where my trial wi- will take place? What is my trial? Will it be hard?"

All these questions running through his mind as he was frightened of what his teacher had planned for him to try and conquer.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

"Yes, this is the place. Whether or not it will be difficult is up to your merit."

She waved her arms, opening the doors wide with a loud creak and clunk. Inside there was only darkness and dust, which welled out of the doors like a mist. A loud huff and stamp sounded within the room, followed by the clanking of heavy chains. Something was inside there, something living; something big. Ophidia turned to Voh, a sinister smile on her lips. For a moment there was silence, and then came a sound like a stampede of bulls as a monstrous creature came rushing against the exit, and Darth Ophidia's back. It would appear as though she was about to be crushed, but the creature was stopped by chains only a handful of centimetres from her back. Its tusks were coated in poison, and its vicious eyes were fixed on her.

"The Terentatek feeds on Force Energies. They can see and sense the Force in you. However, by masking yourself you may be able to fool it."

Now the question was, why would he at all enter a room with a Force-eating monster? Well, quite frankly he had very little choice as Darth Ophidia reached her palms out to grip Voh and throw him into the room. Then, the doors closed and there was only darkness,

"Get past my pet, and you may live. Oh and he's venomous, don't get scratched!"

With that, the doors shut and locked from the outside. There was a small light on the other end of the room, an exit that could be unlocked. However in front of it stood a humongous monster with an appetite for Voh.

[member="Voh"]

 

[Yaadri Osi-Yyn]

The Terentatek was stopped by mere centimeters by chains from ripping his teacher apart, Voh stood still in shock until she spoke of him having to go in there with the beast. At first, he thought why in the right mind would he want to go into there with that poisoned tip monster! Then she picked him up into the air and tossed him into the room, Voh's blood began to rise he had never been in a life threatening situation such as this one. She spoke he was too in the moment pay great attention but all he took into consideration was "Get past my pet". Voh turned to find the positioning of the creature before beginning but the doors slammed shut, Voh quickly noticed large pillars he could use to his advantage he then heard a large sound of huge feet stomping he quickly climbed up onto a half broken pillar and began to close his eyes, thinking once more of becoming nothingness. He couldn't grab onto becoming it, with that Terentatek running closer and closer to him; then with one last breath he began to vanish into the darkness he was visible but his energy was not. He began to leap around the room making his way to the light, pouncing onto the walls and on the floor finally exiting the room exhausted, out of breath he puts his back onto a nearby wall and slides down into a sitting position.

"I- I- Did it..."

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

"Indeed. You survived my little trial."

She stood next to him. Her physical form and presence both appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Her pose mimicked that of the Nautolan, but she had a far more relaxed look to her. An element of pride was present in her smile as she turned her ashen, bald head towards the acolyte.

"He is old, and foolish for a Terentatek, but useful as you can see. With time, you will be able to slip under the noses of even Jedi Masters."

In time being key. It took months, if not years to truly grasp the art of the Buried Presence. When one was familiar with it, one could appear to be without Force Sensitivity, or even appear as a lightsider. With this skill she had found herself sitting between a Jedi Master and his padawan, drinking whiskey in the heart of the Republic as a test of her own ability. Of course, she would not recommend it for the acolyte just yet.

"Now go to your master and show him what you have learned. He will tell me if there is more I should teach you. May the Dark Side serve you well, Acolyte Voh Phaar"

[member="Voh"]

 

[Yaadri Osi-Yyn]

With that said, Voh turned away pleased with himself, calming his heartbeat as he slowly stepped towards the edge of the room before turning back to his teacher with a smile growing on his face.

"Thank you, I will continue to practice this skill you have given me."

Then he turns away, flinging the door open and quickly pacing out the room.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]