In the Depths of Darkness

[Zesiro]

Zesiro had adjusted to her knew life within the empire pretty easily and her daily routine was set. After a short time, she was a familiar face around the ship and the guys there left her alone now. She was under the tutelage of the High Inquisitor Skaara and they were afraid to cross him. Any assault on her would bring down his wrath. For the most part, she could take care of herself though.

She and him had almost daily training sessions. Sometimes it was in the use of the Force, others it was in martial combat. It was on one of these days, Zesrio was to meet him someplace different on the ship.

Since their initial meeting, Skaara had never belittled or insulted her and their relationship flourished. Each time there was something new and different. She knew at times she tested his patience, but he controlled himself around her and didn't lash out. Each night, she taught him something new as well.

For once in her life, Zesiro felt truly happy and it changed the way she acted. No longer did she strut around like a harlot looking for attention. She no longer felt so alone, lost, abandoned or betrayed. Her eyes glowed with life and almost like magic she was more beautiful than before, when she had to act a part. She didn't know what had happened, but did not question it. Content to stay with the empire and Skaara.

Getting her breakfast, she sat down in the galley like usual. She had gotten to know many of the crew on the ship and could even tell them apart. They might clones, but each one had a separate personality. Even though they had gotten the message not to harass her, the boys as she liked to call them, came and chatted with her as they ate. Covering different topics of interest, daily news, gossip, history even, Zesiro had made some friends with them and enjoyed their company. Not as much as that of Skaara though.

She finished eating, put the bowl away and went to go find this new location he had told her meet him. While she had explored most of the ship, this was a new area for her. Nobody questioned her on her journey though. Upon reaching the correct level, Zesiro found it almost empty and it was rather dark. Not pitch black, just enough light to see where one was going. Only service droids were here and she wondered what it was used for.

Walking further in, the silence of the area was rather spooky and the only sound was her steps on the floor. A thought crossed her mind, not long ago, she had expressed an interest in a spar between them. Maybe he had arranged to have that take place here in the dark.

[member="Skaara Carlon"]

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

[Theme]​

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The darkened room would begin to lighten up gradually, staying dim but it would now be easier for the woman to see, and mechanical breathing would soon fill the air. The area turned out to be one of many engineering areas for the massive star destroyer. Steam would be rising up steadily, and on an elevated platform stood the High Inquisitor himself, having donned his armor. He stood still, almost like a pitch black statue, several lights, including a few blinking ones were featured on his chestplate.

"The Force is with you, young one. But you are not an Inquisitor yet." He boomed through the armor's vocoder, emphasizing the last word of his sentence. He made no move, silently challenging her to come to him.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

As Zesiro progressed deeper into the room, the lights slowly came up. It revealed what she thought to be part of the engineering machines for the ship. An area where people weren't usually needed. There was a platform raised with Skaara standing on it.

He was already taller than her and this made tower over her even more. In their time together, he had gained her respect. As a person, lover, master and leader. Nobody else had ever gained that from her.

She looked at him from across the room and walked in his direction, slowly mounting the stairs leading up. Looking at him full in his armor and knowing what was under made her smile. Whatever he had planned for today would be a surprise.

Since there was a limited chance somebody might be around to see them, she bowed her head before she spoke.

"What are we doing down here?"

[member="Skaara Carlon"]

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

The High Inquisitor stared at [member="Zesiro"] through the unforgiving eyes of his mask, the intimidating breathing being the only sound that he made. Raising his left arm, his lightsaber flew from his belt into his hand where he ignited it in front of his apprentice and lover.

"We duel."

He stated those two words simply enough, before suddenly stepping forward and swiftly swiping his lightsaber though the air, attempting to strike the woman in front of him.

 

[Zesiro]

Zesiro only had a little training with her saber and trusted her intuition more than actually having a preferred form. Jumping back, she pulled her saber out in time to block the strike he had aimed at her. Having successfully blocked the blow, she gave him a large smile. It wasn't intended to be a seductive one, but one that showed she was looking forward to this duel.

"When you see me make errors, please correct me."

With that, she swung her saber in low coming up for a diagonal slash from his right.

[member="Skaara Carlon"]

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

The High Inquisitor couldn't help but grin from beneath his mask when his apprentice blocked his horizontal slash, proud that this girl who he had saved from Jedi Knight in an alleyway had come so far as to wield a lightsaber so smoothly in such a short time period. But this did not break his concentration, nor did it deter him from wanting to test her at every level, in fact it spurred him on.

"Impressive." He hissed, angling his blade to cause her's to bounce off harmlessly "Most impressive."

He changed his form flawlessly, moving from the swift precision of Makashi to the unrelenting power of Djem So, signaling this by gripping his lightsaber hilt with two hands. He brought the blade up high, creating a momentary opening that a keen eye would spot, before bringing it down hard on her.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

Skaara complimented her block and follow up attack, but he didn't let up. With barely a hearbeat between his block and his next attack, he had her jumping away from him. The moment it took for him to change the hold on his saber she could have used to attack him, but she backed out of his range.

"I think you'll have to be quicker than that, Master."

With his saber down low, she closed the distance between them she had created and made a stab at his left shoulder.

[member="Skaara Carlon"]

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

The stab connected on his shoulder, launching sparks around the affected area as the lightsaber cut into the armor. A momentary bout of pain pulsed through the nerves of the Sith Knight.

"URGH!" He boomed through the helmet's vocoder, cradling his shoulder with the opposite arm as he blocked any concurrent strikes with his free hand, rage was pulsing through his veins.

He hissed as he wretched his lightsaber to the side and brought it across hard; if it didn't hit [member="Zesiro"] it would slice clean through a thick durasteel beam, no small feat.

 

[Zesiro]

Thinking fast, Zesiro ducked down to avoid getting her head cut off by Skaara's saber. The strength and momentum behind the strike surprised even her and she watched as it cut through one of the beams next to her.

"Remind me not to piss you off, Master."

Her strike had connected and she was quite surprised by that and hoped he hadn't done any lasting damage to him. He had enough scars already.

Not giving him another chance to attack, she moved to tackle him to the floor and didn't use her saber at all. Aiming her left shoulder to connect to his midsection, she launched her attack.

[member="Skaara Carlon"]

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

"Remind me not to piss you off, Master."

This garnered her a reluctant smirk under the mask of the Sith Knight while he brought his saber back from eviscerating the durasteel beam next to them. While doing so he noticed that she made no move to attack, instead attempting to rush the Zabrak and tackle him to the ground.

Skaara made no move but he brought his hand up and tried to stop her using the Force, seeing if the girl had worked up enough of a resistance to it.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

He pulled his saber out of the durasteel beam and raised a hand as if to stop her. For a moment, Zesiro felt what he was trying to do and smiled almost wickedly at him. With a shake of her head, she continued through with her tackle attack.

"I know that trick already, Master."

Her shoulder connected with his heavy armor and she grunted in surprise as it stopped her in her tracks. While the tackle may knock him over, she was stunned enough from the hard connection for it not to make a difference.

Rubbing her shoulder, "another note to make. Don't try to tackle you when you're wearing that."

[member="Skaara Carlon"]

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

A booming chuckle came from the armored Inquisitor after [member="Zesiro"] had attempted to tackle him, her soft skin meeting the polished black durasteel.

"Very well."

He raised his off hand once again, but this time he didn't attempt to exert the Force over her, just letting it hang there in the air directed at her.

"But have you learned this?"

Blue lightning soared from his fingertips, electricity crackling while it raced towards his apprentice. If it met, it would register a tingling sensation, almost like tickling, instead of something more. Skaara relished in the ability to be able to change the intensity of his Force lightning.

 

[Zesiro]

Her little bit of humor allowed Skaara to chuckle at her observation and Zesiro gave him a quick smile back. He raised one of his hands as if he was going to try and Force Choke her, but he didn't.

He asked them if she had learned a skill and lightening erupted from his gloved hand. The distance wasn't far and it took barely a heartbeat to reach her skin. Expecting a high voltage of a shock, only a light one happened. Looking at her master, Zesiro rubbed her tingling skin and shook her head.

"No, I have no idea how to do lightening such as that, Master."

Did she need to be really mad to do that? Was it something that would come naturally?

She left the questions unasked, but wanted to know how to do that.

[member="Skaara Carlon"]

 

[Graf's Archive Account]

"No, you do not need to be angry to project Force Lightning. You just need passion...and fingers."

The Sith Knight answered swiftly as if he had read the woman's thoughts idly. He deactivated his lightsaber and latched it on the suit's utility belt, setting his hands on his sides and contemplating [member="Zesiro"].

He spoke again "Raise your hand and imagine the Force flowing through it; not as a wave, not as a grappling hook, but as pure electricity. Meld your feelings with this electricity, and watch as it takes form as lightning."

Skaara breathed lightly, watching her intently through the mask.

 

[Zesiro]

Passion was something Zesiro was fully aware of and while it was natural for her to feel it, she wasn't sure how to implement its use. She listened to his words and instructions and nodded.

Holding her hand out, she reached into the Force with her eyes closed. He had told her to imagine electricity coming from her fingers. Combine it with her feelings and let lose. Just moments ago, she had seen him do it, so attempted to do what he had done.

Drawing on her emotions and the Force, imagining the electricity emanating from her fingers, she sent what she hoped at least similar to what Skaara had just done into the durasteel. While it wasn't lightening exactly it was more of a shock. Not very strong, but if it hit something living, they would have felt it.

"Hey that's pretty cool."

She looked at her fingers, flexing them a little and tried it again.

[member="Skaara Carlon"]