Like A Fire

[Raejar]

3 years ago

Marching through the jungle of Togoria drabbed in dark robes to shield him from the sun Raejar raised his head to look to the star above. He didn’t have much time till it fell then he’d be drowned in the darkness of the jungle. But he’d traveled so far already. He was effectively lost. Fifteen was a young age for anyone to explore the jungles of a planet as ruthless as Togoria but Raejar had been sent there for good reason. His guardian, Keira after learning more about his troubles with ‘The Mistress’ had made a call to a friend she was close too. Another Mandalorian as she thought he’d be able to teach Raejar and guide him in the aspects she couldn’t. The mistress hadn’t appeared recently but it was better to be safe rather than sorry. It also seemed like Keira knew more about the problems Raejar was facing.

Swatting at the annoying cloud of insects that kept trying to drain his blood Raejar found himself becoming slightly annoyed. How was he supposed to find this Alkor in the jungle?! The young Mahanaim was completely lost and was sure he’d been wandering in circles for the last half hour. Visibly upset Raejar sat down back to a tree lowering his hood. Sweat beaded upon his brow poured freely down his face as he took out the canteen. Taking a swig from the canister Raejar let the liquid cool him and replenish the fluids he’d lost. His robes clung to his body from the sweat, stains more than a bit obvious around the pits and on his back. There were numerous red marks on his milky white skin where some of the bugs had found their much sought after reward. Perhaps he would’ve been flushed if his skin color was capable of displaying such traits.

He had near minutes before the sun set leaving him in darkness, but the boy wasn’t afraid. He’d been alone for so long, what was new about this? The only one who had cared for him recently had sent him out on some journey to find her friend but was that just to be rid of him? Pulling out the journal he’d been keeping Raejar opened it to the page he’d left off on and began to write. It’s been two years since my mistress left me. Since then I think I’ve found a true family… Someone I could possibly call a mother. She’s not the gentlest of people but she’s kind. She feeds me and I don’t see the hate in her eyes like I did my own. She even treats me like one of her own. As he wrote Raejar felt a sudden perspiration on his cheeks and as he reached up and rubbed at them he knew they were tears. Sniffing once he went back to writing.

I am now however lost in a jungle… Once again alone, the darkness creeps upon me. This time I don’t have the mistress’ embrace, her patience or her love to guide me. I’m completely and utterly alone out here. Closing the journal Raejar looked as the wave of darkness came drowning him in it.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

Alkor sat among the ruins of an ancient civilization, torn apart by constant war and eroded away by multiple centuries. Moss had grown up and over the now dulled metal, a monument to the bitter fortitude of what was now little more than a memory that the Jen'jidai alone kept. Once, it had been a citadel raised in honor of Xendor, first among his brothers.

The aptly named Xendorian Guard kept it, and at its heart, they held great tournaments and reveled in bloodlust, hearty drink, and the long forgotten art of single combat.

He watched the blackened sands swirl in the breeze as he recalled the scent that once reeked from them. In the time it took for him to return to this place, the Togorians had changed it into a haven, a garden where grew bountiful fruit and strong wine. Tucked away from the larger, more civilized areas of the planet, the few gardeners who tended it paid him no mind.

Keira had contacted him only several days before, certain that she had a task only he could help with.

Keira Ticon, a woman of the Mando'ade and a warrior by their standard, was trained in the ways of the Force, but her primary function was that of a Mandalorian warrior. What she could teach of the mystery was rudimentary, control, and respect for certain taboos.

Alkor's training had taken him deep into the darkness. It was for that reason that she sought his help at all. "From what he's explained to me, a voice calls out and tells him to do things," the woman had confided in him. "I think he has a strong connection to the dark side of the Force."

Those who heard it often mistook it for their conscience. An insignificant voice in their head that goaded them toward actions they had moral issues with, or understood were wrong- but it felt so right.

To fully understand the power that gripped him, the boy needed to understand and come to accept a broader view of what he knew the Force to be. He needed to know the demons, to learn their names, and ultimately, how to grab their reins.

For that, he would need to face it once more.

Traditionally, the Force came to those sensitive to it in their hours of greatest need. A brush with death was often enough to allow them to tap into their senses and become aware of a galaxy vastly different from the one they saw through untrained eyes.

Alkor saw it as something much more simple than that.

The jungles that surrounded the citadel grounds were thick and vast, and they crawled with predators waiting for an unsuspecting victim to wander their way. Moreover, they were dark, dank, and required a superior command of the senses to navigate- if you were unlucky enough not to have a guide.

Unbeknownst to [member="Raejar"], [member="Keira Ticon"] had left him there to be tested by Alkor, but also, to help him learn to control the beast inside his head.

 

[Raejar]

Sitting at the base of the tree where he had taken his break Raejar looked onwards into the darkness. The keen eyesight of his species was good but not good enough to see in complete darkness which being beneath a jungle canopy wouldn’t help with that. There was little light to begin with when the sun was out, and now it was near impossible for Raejar to see anything more than a few feet in front of himself. A part of the teenager wanted to just stay at the base of the tree and let Keira’s friend find him but after a few moments, he realized there would be no one coming. The sounds of the jungle came alive at night. The insistent buzzing of insects became more rampant, there was a faint chirping coming from the bushes and trees near him. Soothing in a way but above it all what Raejar heard was the flapping of wings and a bestial growl. There were animals in this jungle-like any other. While Raejar’s hearing was incredibly good thanks to his species he hadn’t learned how to use it to track or sense danger.

Rising to his feet now Raejar set out, reaching into his survival pack he pulled out a few glow rods snapping one to cast a green glow on the area. The jungle looked completely different at night, during the day it seemed vibrant, full of life. Now as night had claimed it, the atmosphere had changed. It was horrifying, at least to a child Raejar’s age. There was the sense of him being watched, a chill descended down the Mahanaim’s spine as he tried to push on. The boy grew cold as the nights' breeze came through tugging at his robes. Pushing through the uncomfort and trying to move forward Raejar called out for the man he was to see. He wouldn’t leave Raejar alone in the jungle would he? “ALKOR!” Raejar called his voice carrying through the jungle.

Looking around after the first shout with no answer. “ALK-“ He started but was cut short where the yell for the man’s name turned into a shriek of fear. Raejar had been so focused on calling for Alkor he hadn’t heard the approach as a Liphon snuck up on him. One of the natural predators of Togoria, a winged lizard akin to a dragon and was easily taller than Raejar and far longer. The large maw of the creature had snagged onto Raejar’s back holding it in its steel grasp.

Fighting against it Raejar wanted to break free to no avail. With a yank and jerk of its jaw, the Liphon shredded the pack as though it had been made of flimsy. Falling forward Raejar flipped over onto his back trying to scoot away from the creature. His heart began to hurt from how hard it was pounding, the fear rose up in his throat rendering Raejar unable to talk as he looked at the creature that had destroyed his bag and now turned its attention to him. With a pounce, the creature leapt at Raejar.

It was only the speed of his species that saved Raejar as he rolled out the creature's path, rising to his feet the boy tried to dash away as the Liphon swiped at his back with a paw tipped with wicked talons. “MISTRESS! ALKOR! HELP!” Raejar screamed as he ran not wanting to look back as he could sense the oversized lizard right behind him, the hot breath of the creature on his back, the hammer falls of its feet against the forest floor and the growls it emitted.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

The constant state of creatures in the wild is one of panic, uncertainty, and survival instinct. In the Force, they were a strong current of anxiety that weighed heavily on the senses even to a seasoned veteran with attuned senses. Togoria boasted a challenge worthy of any Force Adept who sought to strengthen their sixth sense, if only they were willing to risk life and limb to attain that power.

Few were, and fewer than a handful of those willing were adherents of the light. There was a saying in the ancient days of the Republic that sight was oft clouded or blinded entirely by the dark side. Those gifted to see beyond the firmament were generally distrusted or viewed as demagogues. One such man, the first great Sage and Seer of the Dark Jedi Order was named Xeroc Pyros, and his crowning Vision became the dogma of the Jen'jidai.

It was only through many trials and immense loss that they finally realized that making the dream a reality was not worth the sacrifice. Continued culling of their own brothers bred distrust, fractured bonds, and ultimately drove a wedge between them that left a bitter taste in the mouths of those who managed to survive.

Those powers he had, though- they were far from impossible to obtain.

Alkor tapped into the very lowest echelon of them at that moment, piercing the veil of obscure and heightened tensions to seek something that dwarfed all of them. Inside of a wall of predator and prey locked in their eternal struggle, a singular and focused sensation spiked.

Abject terror.

It was normal in this situation for anyone to lose their cool. He could taste different variations on that emotion on his tongue, and he recognized the fight or flight response. This fear went beyond simple loneliness and uncertainty. The subject was embroiled in a struggle to stay alive.

His head tilted backward as he latched on to it, allowed it to flow through his consciousness, and watched it carefully. While he could not see or hear the boy, he was aware of his continued existence. If he survived, if he learned to use his natural gifts, then he would be worthy to take command of the harlot who had used him so wrongly.

If she took command and made a beast of him, however...

[member="Raejar"] was a being born into unfortunate circumstances and molded by them. Whether he intended to stay that course, or to break the mold was a choice only he could make. Keira asked Alkor to train him, and yet, Alkor had once been much the same. A boy on the run, looking for a place to belong after he had been cast aside.

He knew what it took to rise above it.

 

[Raejar]

As he ran as fast as his legs would carry him, Raejar easily began to outpace the Liphon on foot. The Mahanaim were better than humans in many ways, their speed was one of them. Yet, Raejar was still young and inexperienced, especially in a jungle. In the first few seconds of the chase, he’d almost collided with three trees and had stumbled a couple of times. At his back, the creature managed to keep up with the inexperienced boy. Its mouth opening in a fearsome roar as one of the paws came around to claw at Raejar’s head. The swing had been off by mere centimeters, Raejar could hear and even feel the wind as the blow flew by his head. Eyes wide in terror Raejar realized that there was no one there, no one to help, or if they were there they didn’t plan to help him.

Much like anyone who was curious or in fear of something chasing them Raejar looked back. It was a common instinct, but one of the worst ones to follow. The creature had fallen behind by a few meters but that one look back had cost Raejar everything. There had been a root that penetrated the ground, right in his path. Perhaps if he’d been paying more attention to his environment or the path ahead he would’ve noticed it. His foot hit it full on, catching on the inside of the loop. Therewas a sharp pop and crack that sent a wave of agony radiating up Raejar’s leg from his ankle. Mouth opening the boy screamed out as he collapsed to the ground. His heart pounding harder than it did before, his eyes watering and his teeth clenched together.

With the pain, there was a surge of emotions that welled up in the boy. Fear that these would be his final moments, anger aimed at the mistress for what she turned him into, a sense of betrayal that Alkor had never arrived to aid him, and a hatred of himself. Raejar hated every fiber of his being, for being so weak, and cowardly. The Liphon had easily caught up now and was upon the boy. Raejar didn’t want to die, he wanted to live. To see the warm smile of Keira. To feel her warm, motherly embrace. With that Raejar turned and released everything he felt in a single ear-splitting scream at the Liphon. “NOOOOO!” This scream echoed out from Raejar, the air rippled as it pierced the air and collided with the frame of the Liphon. On collision, there was a concussive explosion that flung the Liphon back, sending the screech echoing across the forest in all directions. The Liphon lay unmoving, it hadn’t been the force that killed it but instead had been the sound of Raejar’s natural screech which had been amplified.

Sucking in a breath of air Raejar coughed wildly, his throat raw from the experience. During the scream, all the sound returned to his ear causing the echolocation abilities he possessed to give him a lay of the area and what he noticed was an individual not too far away. Trying to rise to his feet Raejar, cried out and instantly fell again. Looking to the limb what he saw was his ankle twisted at an unnatural angle.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

He watched the last legs of the conflict as the high pitched whine resonated to inhuman levels and tore through the forested area. Shards of bark peppered his face as Alkor walked closer and the Liphon's limp form skidded across the dirt. Bushes uprooted in its path, and it fell dormant a decent distance from its destroyer.

None of that interested the Jen'jidai.

It had been a tumult of emotions that drew his attention. The panic of a Force Sensitive spurred to arms, and the first sign of many Sith apprentices that they were ready to begin a long journey into the darkness. He found merit in it, but more, he saw the pain there. Everything that [member="Raejar"] wanted to deny about himself was laid bare by his raw effort. He could not lie to Alkor now, not even if he tried.

It was important to understand the entire value of a man before you tried to deal with him. A man named Cicero told Alkor that, once. Someone is far more likely to tell you the truth at gunpoint than if you spend years becoming their friend.

The boy lay on the dirt, a battered mess. His ankle was visibly twisted, to the point where he would not stand on his own. Alkor twisted the cap of his flask to secure it, then tossed it to the youth. "This will help to dull that," he informed Keira's adoptive child. "Once that's done, we can set it. Go on. Drink up."

He knew all along that the boy would find himself in danger, but he never pretended that he would stop it from happening. The youth would find that life was filled with situations like this one, where if he did not tap into his own abilities, he would end up just like his newest victim.

Alkor leaned himself against the trunk of a tree and watched the young man for a moment, studying his mannerisms.

"Tell me your name, boy."

 

[Raejar]

Laying in the dirt hands digging into the ground as he tried to bear through the pain, Raejar was unable to hear the sounds of footsteps approaching. What he was focused on was getting away, he couldn’t stay in that spot, the scream would, of course, draw other creatures, or signal for them to not come close. Either way, Raejar wasn’t willing to risk it. Looking up he saw a stranger standing before him, a man shrouded in darkness. Raejar was able to pick out a few of the key features. The man was of an athletic build, his hair dark and those piercing blue eyes that bore into Raejar. Was that judgment or understanding that Raejar saw? He didn’t know or could even focus on it.

Sucking in another breath of air through clenched teeth he finally realized who this person was supposed to be. He was a dead ringer for who Keira had told him to look for. Opening his mouth to speak Raejar was cut short. The older gentleman had deemed Raejar worth to speak to, there was no mercy or sorrow in the tone. It was curt, emotionless, cold, and calculating. Catching the flask offered to him Raejar thought it would be water inside. Oh, how wrong the boy was. Tilting his head back and gulping down a sip of the mysterious liquid he found his head shooting forward. The sudden burning that filled his chest and throat was enough to bring tears to the boys’ eyes as he fought back the pain.

“You do realize I’m underage, right?!” He was able to croak out after capping the flask and handing it back to his mysterious benefactor. Stomach heaving a bit Raejar looked up to the man examining him a bit sizing the man up. “I’m Raejar… Are you Alkor?” Raejar was able to squeeze out his throat, but soon what he realized was a sudden sense of vertigo and the pain in his injured ankle retreating. “Where were you? Why didn’t you help me.”

Looking back to where the Liphon lay dead, Raejar shivered. He hadn’t realized the other damage he’d done to the area. The bark that had been stripped from trees. The bushes that had been flung free of the ground. “Did… Did I do this?” Raejar knew the answer, memories of the corpses that laid at his feet when he’d done a similar scream once before.


[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

Alkor watched the boy with only mild interest as he reacted to the alcohol. Had Keira disallowed drinking, or was the status quo all he had ever known? It occurred to the Corellian that none of that mattered much, now- there were new rules, and this youth would adapt to them or be destroyed by them. "Do I look like a Lawmaker to you, boy?" he asked as he watched to ensure that no harm came to his good booze. "There are no standards out here except the ones you make for yourself. Get used to it."

The Dark Jedi leaned against one of the larger trees near [member="Raejar"] and eyed the boy's fresh kill with some interest. Mandalorians prided themselves in hunting, but what happened here had been more a case of the prey accidentally killing the predator. There were no marks to identify a weapon, and nothing on the outside of the creature seemed to tell the tale of unnatural death.

Until he saw the blood seep from its ear holes, Alkor entertained the possibility that the boy had stopped its heart. Much less control than that went into blowing out the eardrums and causing cardiac failure. It was an extremely boring way to die, and fundamentally wasteful. Still, it managed the job, and the enigmatic youth had survived his highly lethal trial.

Ignoring the vast majority of questions that barraged him, Alkor locked eyes with the boy and answered the most important among them all.

"Did you come here to be helped," he asked, "or to learn to help yourself? Ticon must have told you that I'm not a babysitter."

 

[Raejar]

Raejar’s head jerked back as though he’d been smacked when Alkor showed a certain disregard for laws or what was generally considered acceptable for children. Biting his lower lip Raejar knew that Alkor was right, there was no one out here besides them. They weren’t on some civilized world within the Republics borders. They were out in the wild, there were effectively no rules. If he wanted to Alkor could simply leave Raejar to die and not be charged with a single crime. Biting back a witty retort that wanted to work its way to his lips.

“I came here… For both. You can’t do one without the other right?” Raejar asked as he looked at his leg which did nothing but make the pain far worse. Head leaning back the boy scowled his teeth gritting as the pain caused a migraine to form in his head. “Didn’t they say you have to teach a man to catch his food so he can do it alone the next time?” Raejar remembered the story from his youth in school. How the teacher had talked about for one to learn to do for themselves they had to be shown how first. Though he may have had some parts of it wrong it was incredibly difficult to concentrate over the pain that threatened to overtake him.
“For example could you set my ankle like you said and then that will teach me how to help myself if it happens again?” Falling back his upper body collapsing on the ground Raejar found himself wondering if this was the best idea. To let this man teach him. He didn’t truly know.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

"There are two types of teachers in this galaxy," Alkor proclaimed, "and I am not either of them." As he spoke, Alkor took a grip of the boy's foot, palm on the blade and fingers on the arch, and examined the ankle. Twisted, but not broken. He moved his wrist in a small circle, just enough to put painful pressure on the injury. "But I know things, and if you've got a decent mind for it and you pay attention, you just might grow to know things as well."

He glanced up to look [member="Raejar"] in the eyes as he jerked his wrist and jilted the joint correct. It would be a white hot pain, nigh unbearable, but short- his mind would remember the lesson long after it had passed. "Forget what society has taught you about how to interact with people, and helping others. That's not the real world. The world we live in will eat you alive given the opportunity."

Alkor let go of the youth's leg and stood, glancing back in the direction of the citadel ruin. "I am here to help you only as far as you're willing to help yourself. If you give in, then that is your decision. If you want strength, if you seek power, if you want to sleep without the nightmares- those are things you have to take for yourself."

He folded his arms and listened to the wind for a moment, wary of a storm brewing in the distance. "Why do you think we are in the wilds of Togoria, Raejar?"

 

[Raejar]

Wait how is he not a teacher but he plans on teaching me? Isn’t that a vast contradiction? The teenager thought to himself letting any thoughts take his mind to pull it away from the present pain on his ankle as Alkor pushed on it. There was no emotion in the man’s face. Not a glint of happiness, no love, not even one of compassion. Alkor seemed to not care for Raejar at all despite his age. It was a change from what he felt from Keira, but it wasn’t really the one he had wanted. Raejar wanted to know what Alkor could teach him. He wanted to be free, and as unhaunted as the man.

Before he could speak again there was the sharp pop of his foot being popped into place and a surge of pain that crept up his leg. It started at the base of Raejar’s foot going all the way up to just below his groin. His leg felt as though it had been set alight and his vision had darkened at the edges a little as his head now spun. Able to wiggle his foot once again though it was accompanied by a pain Raejar felt the numbness beginning to retreat. “Thanks for the warning.” Raejar said through gritted teeth as the last vestiges of the pain retreated from his mind. Stopping for a second thinking it not the smartest option to be snarky with Alkor despite taking after Keira, Raejar rephrased his way of saying thank you. “Thank you for the help.” This one had been said with a more genuine tone his head bowing slightly to Alkor.

Sorting out the words of Alkor, Raejar knew every word to be true. While Keira may care for him no one else would. He could be a corpse in the streets of Coruscant and not a single person would cast more than a fleeting glance in his direction. Raejar could be cut down in battle and his name forgotten to history due to no one caring. “You... You brought me out here to learn the ways of the wild? To learn to survive on my own without the intervention of others?” It was simply what made sense, Alkor hadn’t shown himself till Raejar had killed the beast that was pursuing him. “Does that mean once again you’re going to leave me out here?”

The crackle of lightning and thunder in the distance caught Raejar’s attention as he looked in the direction where the storm was brewing… “You’re going to make me survive the storm aren’t you?”

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

"I brought you out here because the decadence of society is a luxury." Alkor explained as he turned to glance at the youth, fully aware of his pain and predicament. It would be several hours before the throbbing subsided entirely, and that was contingent on the boy not moving on it at all. Another luxury he could ill afford. "The more dogmatic orders in the galaxy coddle their learners, and they relent when things become too great. They reserve the challenging lessons for those who prove themselves first."

Alkor sized [member="Raejar"] up slowly, and the first raindrops fell on their heads. "I'm not interested in a handful of students at each other's throats for my attention or praise. I don't care for people who have to work toward proving themselves." He knocked against the trunk of a thick tree, listening to the deep retort that signified its thickness.

When the wind picked up, it barely moved. Branches snapped and blasted past him in the gale, but he was sheltered by the sturdy oak. If Raejar noticed in time, he could take shelter in its shade as well.

"So, no, I am not going to make you survive completely on your own. You lived through the first test, albeit with some difficulty, but I am not here to kill you. You have a choice," Alkor explained. "And you can walk away from this at any time."

He took a seat against the great tree and leaned back, head tilted to enjoy the soothing edge of the wind as it licked at his face. The Force was wild in that night, and the world angry. Togoria was in constant turmoil, down to the cellular level, and the lure of the darkness was evident in every breath- if you knew what it tasted like.

"Tell me," Alkor questioned, "of what you feel."

 

[Raejar]

The decadence of society, who dared knowing Raejar’s history bring something like that up to him?! Hands curling into fists, digging into the dirt. Raejar hadn’t known luxury till he was thirteen, and had begun his life anew with Keira. As a child what did he have that was a luxury? A mother that hated him due to his appearance and because of a misunderstanding? A father that would beat him, call him a bastard and wouldn’t even give the child a last name? The children that laughed, called him names? The teachers who gave slanted looks at the abomination in their classrooms? Where was the luxury in that? Gold and Orange eyes staring at Alkor, Raejar felt the muscles in his jaw tighten.

Raejar knew who Alkor was talking about though he didn’t know much about the orders. Alkor was referring to the Sith and Jedi, the ones who’s wars had plagued the galaxy for… Well Raejar didn’t know how long but knew it had been a long time. He remembered reading about the actions of both on the holonet, neither were innocent in their acts. They’d brought the galaxy to the brink. The galaxy itself was embroiled in a never-ending war as powers fought against each other. Many of which boiled down to it being Sith against Jedi. Raejar could see the difference in Alkor… He didn’t care about either side. Alkor would do what he thought right for himself and his. He cared not for the codes, nor the prestige or even fame. He’d even given Raejar a choice…

To give up and go back… Or to stay. Raejar thought. This could be his only chance to free himself of the mistress, and what would Keira say if he returned and gave up? She had spent two years raising him, he did not want to bring shame to her. No… Trying to push himself to his feet Raejar fell instantly back to the ground his ankle giving out from the sheer pain that shot through it. Falling on his bottom Raejar saw Alkor sitting beneath a tree safe from the weather. The wind whipped by, whistling in the boys’ ears, raindrops fell upon him, accelerated by the wind and assaulted his face. The debris of the jungle around them forced Raejar to shield his eyes. “I won’t leave… I want to learn!” Raejar shouted over the wind as he flopped over onto his stomach.

He was not willing to turn back now. He was even willing to fight against the wind itself that lashed at him. Raejar’s skin felt as though it was being torn at from the rocks and twigs that pelted him but he looked up to Alkor his eyes burning with the fires of determination. “I feel… I feel.” Raejar stopped as he breathed in taking the full dive into the one thing he hated. Ever since he was a child he could feel the negative emotions of others, he felt stronger from them, those were the times the mistress had shown herself. What he felt now was a pain unlike any other. The breath was ripped from Raejar as he could feel the fear of a mother that she’d just lost her young. The anger and rage of a father. The sheer suffering the world had sustained, millions had died here… A genocide. All that death, anger, hatred it poured into Raejar at once. “So much death, pain… Suffering. I feel it!”

All these emotions culminated into a dark energy that began to sink itself into Raejar, it felt as though it replaced his blood, as though every cell was laced with this dark energy. Tears fell down the boys cheeks as he felt the emotions that surged through his mind.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

He watched with a stonelike expression as the boy struggled within himself, and the first hot coals of rage stoked within him. Alkor tasted the darkness as it crept up alongside Raejar and fed off all the negativity that built up around him. The boy was naturally susceptible to it- Keira had told him as much. In the same way that Alkor had lost his own mind when he discovered his Force sensitivity, [member="Raejar"] had committed atrocities in his own right. Armed with that knowledge, the Jen'jidai brought this youth to a place of breaking.

The Republic had broken there, and the Dark Jedi before that. For countless epochs, the Togorians had suffered at the hands of those with power, until finally their feral tendencies drove them to feed upon themselves. It was the perfect place for the darkness to take hold, and the ideal location to bring out this boy's dark secrets.

And Raejar did not disappoint.

The storm raged, and Raejar proclaimed his defiance to the world. The darkness heard him, and it greedily accepted his challenge. He wished to learn, and so, he would.

New emotions, uncontrolled and horrible ones from across the world flooded into his gushing mind. The floodgates had broken and Raejar was awash in things he did not understand. Loss. Grief. Anger. Pain, both his own and that of millions whom he did not know- might never know. Such was the vastness of the Force.

Such was the nature of the Dark Side.

"This," Alkor explained, "is the Force." He stood slowly and made his way to the boy, crouched low. He reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder and exhaled slowly, drinking in awareness of the boy in particular. With so much raw power in flux, it was difficult even for a Master to concentrate on just one child.

"This is the darkness," he uttered as he watched things slip past him, down the sinkhole that Raejar had become. He could see it, all of those things seeping in and being trapped. Unlike a natural flow of energy, this boy drank deep of everything. "And it has mastered you."

His fingers tightened into a vicegrip, sending a sharp pain lancing down Raejar's arm and disrupting the awful symphony of disharmonious feelings that plagued the boy. Alkor physically pulled him from the trance, aware now of the full extent of Ticon's adoptive son and his affliction.

"This is why you are here," Alkor explained at last.

 

[Raejar]

The maelstrom of emotions, and memories swirled all around merging themselves with Raejar’s consciousness, they forced their way into his mind and snatched him away from the world of the living. The force itself was forcing him on a trip through time, and through the memories of people he never knew. Raejar’s body shook, nearly convulsing from the power that was being generated in himself. It was more than a boy of his age should tap into all at once. His eyes stared directly to the sky, open, glowing a magnificent gold. No longer was the orange apart of his eye pattern, they had gone completely gold.

A white furred Togorian ran through the forest, nimbly dodging left and right, ducking, all in the hopes of dodging the blasterfire that crisscrossed through the trees as The Republic and Sith got into their battle. The faint hum and clash of lightsabers could be heard in the distance as Sith fell upon Jedi. The screeches of both Mosgoth and rider followed the boy as he fled for his life. Heart pounding in his chest he exploded from the underbrush into a clearing. Looking to the sky the boy begins to quake in fear as above a battle waged, not just above but all around. The sounds of his people being slaughtered came nearer, the hum of sabers grew louder. The ringing of blasterbolts striking armor rose above even the winds that whipped around the boy. Looking to the sky the child togorian knew that these were to be his final moments as all he loved was destroyed.

Snapping back to the realm of the living Raejar heard the voice of Alkor proclaiming this was the force, yet Raejar could not break free. The dark energy that filled his being wouldn’t let him, it was a leech wishing to never stop feeding on the torment of others. Raejar felt the cold ethereal fingers of death and his mistress seize them as the presence he’d been so fond of returned. Yes my boy, feel it, feel the power. Feed on it! Realize your strength! Then we will be together forever!!! The mistress shrieked as Raejar stared up at her. The pasty white skin, the elegantly curved body any man could crave, the lavender eyes that stared down at him with a mixture of lust and hunger. Give yourself to me!

Entranced Raejar wanted to reach out to his mistress, to give her his all. To make her his everything but before he could do so there was a sudden pain that radiated throughout not just his shoulder but entire body. Jerking, Raejar snapped back to his body gasping in a mouthful of air. All the dark emotions he’d been feeling suddenly vanished and while the power he’d acquired still flowed through his body it slowly began to leak out. Looking to Alkor his eyes still glowing Raejar’s lips began to curve upwards. “That… That was… You brought me here to control that?” The boys voice was laced with excitement and pure ecstasy as though he’d just experienced the best high of his life.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

The hit was quick and hard, right on the boy's forehead.

In the midst of a storm, [member="Raejar"] came dangerously close to losing himself- and as much as that had been the intention, it was still a credible threat to the boy's life. He needed to be taught an object lesson about power and consequence, and Alkor had to act before he could become addicted.

"You will learn," the Jen'jidai explained, "but before you can learn to tap fully into that power, you must learn to control yourself. Your urges, desires, even your body's natural functions. The Force is necessarily a channel through which our minds, bodies, and spirits are extended. Without a strong foundation, no matter what you build, it will inevitably break."

Alkor pulled the boy to his feet and reached down to collect his flask. He offered it to the boy again, certain that the overwhelming experience had dulled his reservations substantially. "Be mindful of your emotions," he recited, "because as they may serve you, they may also come to command you. Your craving to taste the power once more is not simply a standard, euphoric response."

The wind slowed for little more than a second as he spoke, and the Dark Jedi pulled the you closer to the tree. "And so, you will cultivate your mind."

Alkor produced a datapad and passed it to Raejar. "This is the location of an ancient archive of knowledge," he explained. "It has been left untouched for many generations, including by myself. I have no interest in the occult, however-"

As the boy accepted the device, Alkor held tight to it for a moment longer. "The call of the darkness is strong in that cavern. The many manuscripts will call to you, tempt you with their knowledge, and the blackest depths of the Force will seek to devour you."

The screen read Zonoma Sekot. The living world. Raejar may have even heard of it.

"Seek only the Journal of Jen'jidai Eversio, and nothing more," Alkor cautioned. "The tomes in that place store hidden, lost, and forbidden knowledge. Such things are beyond you, and will destroy you."

Eversio was a fluent Telekinetic, and a man strong with the Force. His mastery over the Force was paralleled by few men of his time, and he was renown as "the Zealot" because of his unwavering tenacity and cool composure at all times, even when doing what had to be done.

"You will rest here tonight, then leave tomorrow."

 

[Raejar]

Slightly dazed from the blow to his head Raejar had to raise a hand to his head to now fight the pain of a headache forming. He’d nearly been knocked unconscious from the blow due to not having been prepared for it. Rubbing at the area which quickly began to grow sore Raejar looked up to Alkor his eyes having returned to their usual orange and gold. Raejar didn’t want to wait to tap into that power again, he wanted to feel it, not the part of the misery, nor the memories that weren’t his. No, what Raejar wanted was the sensation of the electric energy coursing through his veins, the power that made him feel as though he were unstoppable, immortal. The one thing that made Raejar not wish to do it was the mistress, she’d been there waiting. After all this time, she’d reared her head wishing for him to join with her. She was why Raejar was here, and Alkor was supposed to be the one to aid him in controlling her.

Lost in thought for a bit Raejar was snapped back to reality by the familiar silver flask. This time when Raejar took a slow, cautionary sip, he let the smooth liquid cascade down his throat. The burn this time was tamer, instead of being one that completely seared his throat it soothed it, it warmed his body completely and slowly the headache began to fade, with it so too had the power Raejar had absorbed. The last vestiges of energy had finally flowed out of the boy freeing him of its grasp.

Capping the flask and handing it back to its rightful owner Raejar took the datapad in hand, the moment he’d read the planet he was to visit he nearly choked on his own words. “Zonoma Sekot?! Do you not realize the Vong live there and they haven’t been the most hospitable people lately!” Raejar shouted as he looked at the location seeing that it was located deep in the forested area of the planet. He wouldn’t be able to land right outside of it and stroll in. Even then he’d have issues the moment his ship was spotted. The Yuuzhan Vong hated technology from what Raejar understood. This was close to a suicide mission.

Looking to Alkor, Raejar opened his mouth to question the man but instantly closed it. He knew the answer before he even asked and the option Alkor would give him. Either do this, or leave and give up. There would be no other answer, no clues more than what he’d been given. “Yes, sir.” Raejar said his voice a mixture of defeat yet excitement. Lying flat on the grass and looking up through the canopy above Raejar saw the stars above. How many times had he wanted to explore them? To learn more? To be an adventurer, or even a jedi?

Glancing over to the master Raejar knew that Alkor was purposely not telling him something about the cave, or the people in it. Raejar could almost sense it, but there was no point questioning Alkor. He answered only the questions he deemed worthy, the ones Raejar had weren’t.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]