Private Lost in the Dark

[Raphael Gallustrade]

An enormous herd of purgill floated through space, drifting calmly and lazily and among them was one baleen astromata, Khusrasol. It had been since the destruction of the Brotherhood of the Maw and the battle at Qi-Ko that Raphael had been unconscious. The man's thoughts permeated her own; fear of if he was good enough and fear of if he was actually even a jedi. In many ways she wondered when he would awake. There'd been a few times over the last few months when she thought that he would wake up. There was a burst of presence, of reasoning and awakening, suddenly, and she reached inwards.

Raphael?

"Kh-- Khusrasol...? What's going on... What happened?"

You've been... asleep for a while... several months at least... I'm sorry, I'm weak. There's been changes... you fell asleep and I've been keeping you alive...

"I'm sorry... We... we need to figure out what's going on... Uh, how's the hyperdrive? There's... the Force is guiding us somewhere... Can you feel it...? There's darkness..."

Yes... I can... I can get us there... And I can drift and rest there...

Raphael nodded a bit, feeling the connectors slowly wrap around his nerves and getting in. He concentrated and then the stars elongated before him, and soon they were in hyperspace. There was much time to think and time to plan. The planet was no doubt of the dark side and yet he'd never felt the presence of the planet before. The ocean was harmed by this planet's appearance. Oddly, though, he didn't feel weak... He felt stronger... Stronger than he had before. The power of the nexus from Qi-Ko still flowed in and through him, but it was still raw and untrained. He hadn't done as much training as he should've... The Force screamed out at him and, with a thought, Khusrasol immediately dropped out of hyperspace.

She landed on the planet and, as he stepped out, he could immediately feel the strength of the dark side hit him and he recoiled for a moment. There were cuts in the fabric of reality and ground around the planet. It was... disturbing. He could feel it filling him, pulling out power as he stood on the planet and watched as Khusrasol flew back into the atmosphere.

"I'll keep in contact. Just rest, for now, ok?" He drew his blaster pistol. "This place is... not good. I can't stand this place and the way that it feels but... Khusrasol needs to rest and this is the best planet for it... even if I don't know where I am..."

Forward he went, into the darkness of a planet long forgotten by the common races of the galaxy.

Adeline Noctua

 

[Adeline Noctua]

Tag: Raphael Gallustrade

Rapture, a planet once home to a powerful and dictatorial church. A hive of creatures once called this place home, their fancy obsidian structures now worn down and most of them empty. Echoes of long lost screams faded throughout the city, the cry of ghosts. A once proud people now reduced to ruins and skeletal remains that littered the places that were once population centers... There was no end to the remains it seemed. No end to the wounds in reality that would make you lightheaded just by being near the cursed things...

And yet, despite what had once happened to this place there was still life. Most of it hostile of course, Raphael was not alone.

In the distance there seemed to be a torn up camp, perhaps some supplies or information could be gathered? It looked abandoned, crates tossed around and papers scattered on the floor. It was unknown at the moment what had torn this camp to shreds, but whatever it was might have saved Raphael some level of trouble for now. With broken pieces of Sith trooper armor smashed and banged up on the ground... It made sense for this to be here, this place was all too fitting for the Sith to investigate.

In some of the crates there seemed to be rations, spare parts, and a packet that contained information on a creature deemed the "Aral".

"Lady Keres, it is with great pride that our team is ready to turn in information on those crimson hide hunters. Your ancestors called them 'Aral' from what we found, hunting them for sport, they prefer to nest in darker areas and are most active at night. Me and the boys have seen them in the daylight though, suppose if they are hungry enough it doesn't matter what time it is... Fair enough ey? We have sent you the bulk of the information found, with any luck we will be back soon."

- Sgt Doran



​

 

[Raphael Gallustrade]

Raphael could feel the strength of the jagged tears in spacetime and avoided them, knowing that he didn't want to get too close but looked up at the enormous city that seemed to sprawl before him. To his right, far off, it looked like there were forests of red...? He wasn't sure what, exactly, that was about, but he wasn't sure whether he should explore the enormous gothic architecture or head towards the forest...

And yet, even as he was contemplating his choices, he looked over and saw a small camp and quickly made his way over and begin to inspect it. It was destroyed. The armor of the sith had been smashed and beaten up. It didn't make him concerned that they were there, a planet as steeped and drunk in the dark side as this would've been odd to not see them. No, in this case it was that the camp had been as torn up as it was.

He took a minute or two going through the camp, finding rations, some weapons and parts, which he raided to be able to keep using his own blaster pistol and then picked up a note. His heart dropped as he read it. One "Lady Keres"... It meant that it was either a sith as strong as a jedi knight...or worse, as strong as Master Valery Noble... Slowly and carefully, he reached into his jacket and pulled out his lightsaber.

"Khusrasol? Khusrasol, can you hear me?!" But when he got nothing back he suddenly had the feeling that she was still asleep and floating. He looked forward, at the gates of the city and headed in, hoping to, at least, find a high up place to be out of the open. It wasn't going to be a good thing to be outside at night. Even if he could see enemies coming, he needed to ready himself to run, at any point. He was, however, at least lucky, in the sense that this Lady Keres wasn't nearby.

"...try to recover quicker, Khusrasol...please... We need to get out of here... Something is wrong."

Adeline Noctua

 

[Adeline Noctua]

Tag: Raphael Gallustrade

From a short distance around a corner, his ears would pick up the sound of many boots walking over to his location. It was most likely more troopers, no doubt on their way to come investigate or clean up the lost camp.

A glint would catch his eye if he was attentive enough, that being a blaster on the ground that had stuck out of a broken box. Fresh off the production line it seemed, it very well could be a fool's move to make a stand against however many people were inbound, yet the option was there.

Other plans that could form could be hiding, or running for it as swiftly as his legs could carry him.

The darkness of this planet was potent, the death of perhaps millions happened here... And the lingering rankness of demonic energy flowed throughout the air. Ralph was a little lamplight within that abyss, and the longer he stayed the stronger the pull was... As if this planet knew he was there. It was unknown what nightmares were out there, with these simple foot soldiers hardly qualifying... Once you stare longingly into the abyss, it stares back.

It would be then that an upsurge of the damned could be heard, the screams and agony of thousands who perished, their bones still littering the streets and structures of this hive city.


​

 

[Raphael Gallustrade]

Around the corner, he could hear them; footsteps, quickly approaching his direction. Troopers, no doubt, approaching his location. He had his lightsaber in his jacket, but he didn't want to get it out. The last thing that he needed was a bunch of troopers reporting in that there was a guy with a lightsaber wandering around the area. Darth Keres, whoever that was, probably wouldn't be too happy that someone that might be a jedi was wandering around her place. He saw the blaster, but instead pulled out his pistol. If it came down to it, he would fight his way out.

With a quick movement, he moved sideways and inside of an alcove. This place was as ancient as it was evil and with every moment that he spent here, he could feel it trying to worm its way into him. His perhaps, one saving grace was a small crystal in his pouch that wrapped him in as much light as it could muster. Still the evil of the place was exceptionally pervasive and he didn't want to stay any longer than he had too, even with his miniscule protection. What in the Force could've happened that turned this place into such an planet of darkness... The netheric energies didn't do much better for him than the simple darkness. Both were threatening his sanity.

Khusrasol was still unreachable, probably asleep.

He huddled into the alcove, waiting for this trooper team to pass through to, hopefully, tear down or inspect the camp. He needed to avoid attention and detection. Then he felt it through the Force; a terrible scream, one of agony and rage, pain and death echoed throughout the city. He felt it in his bones and even in his soul. He winced and concentrated on the light that was still wrapping its protection over him. He had a little time, with any luck, Khusrasol would be waking up...soon... If this patrol or whatever it was, found him he didn't like his chances. Especially if there truly was a darth on the planet...


Adeline Noctua

 

[Adeline Noctua]

Tag: Raphael Gallustrade

"This were the last group vanished? I- I told him to not push his luck out here, no matter how much we can learn... Even lady Keres said to be careful.. That stubborn idiot."

One of the troopers says to the others as their group inspects the camp. Seeming to make it clear that she was worried about the person who wrote that letter that was read mere moments ago.

"Stubborn sure, but who can call him an idiot? Remember that bulk intel gives a great bonus, can't blame him for going for it. There have been enough riches found to let many retire, Doran may still be out there."

Another chimes in, it seems these troopers have been treated above the average by whoever was their master.

"Do we even know if those things are still around? Grab the scanner, give it a good run for things ya?"

With the smart suggestion given, they pull out some life scanner equipment to keep an eye out for whatever had been causing trouble. Chances are that Raphael might get caught by this scanner, but the real question was if he could talk his way out of it?


​

 

[Raphael Gallustrade]

He looked out from his alcove just a bit, head barely leaning out to glance at the troopers. There were quite a few of them and he didn't like his chances in a fight; he was very decent with shii-cho which would've been fine, but these guys... No. There were too many, and they were fairly well equipped. And especially now, he couldn't really risk getting caught. This planet was bad enough and, were he to be kept here...

He shook his head. No. I couldn't entertain the thoughts of getting caught. He'd escaped so many: Adeline and Qi-Ko primarily, he could get out of this, in one way or another. Once these guys were gone, he could easily slip away and hide out in the city itself, for a time. The screams... the wails through the city... He'd have to withstand that for just... a little bit of time... Raphael didn't like the thought, admittedly. Darth Keres... It wasn't a name he'd heard, but then again, he'd been out of the game for a little while.

What would Master Noble say, if she knew what was going on? Do they even know I'm missing? The thoughts danced in is head as he waited for them to pass, but when one mentioned a scanner, he froze. Oh, that wasn't good. The scanner would pick up his life signs and then... Well, he'd be either shot or, most likely, taken to this Darth Keres in chains. Worst part was he was just in an alcove, if he ran they'd shoot; if they shot he'd use his lightsaber; and if he used his lightsaber... Well...

With a light movement, Raphael lifted and then threw the pebble far off in the opposite direction, before the scanner could be used, hoping, probably without hope, that they'd go after it. If they did? He was gone, if not? Then... well he'd ben in big trouble. He was hoping that they would go after it. He didn't have his blaster rifle with him and trying to get away from blaster wielding foes would be a pain in the ass...

Adeline Noctua

 

[Adeline Noctua]

Tag: Raphael Gallustrade

The pebble would work of course, with the troopers already being on edge... Several of them aim their blasters in the direction the sound came from, yet unlikely for Raphael they would only hit the area with a scan quicker as panic filled their heads.

"Wait, what?"

Blasters now point over where he was hiding.

"Hey you! You a scavver? Step on out buddy, let's avoid a shootout ya?"

He had been caught, though it would appear that these people weren't interested in killing him yet.

"If you are a scavver you gotta go bud, come out with your hands up."


​

 

[Raphael Gallustrade]

The pebble flew true sailing past the soldiers and clattering far off into the distance, bouncing a few times, sound echoing. With a big smile, Raphael, watched as the men raised their rifles in the direction of the sound, and halfway jumped. Unfortunately he'd miscalculated how scared and on edge they already were. The scanner came up and life signs were immediately pinged through the area. He should've realized and simply...torn it to shreds. No. He could find some way out of this, he was certain, and a way out that didn't involve bloodshed. But he had to start now.

Slowly, holding up his hands, both pistols blaster and slugthrower, visible he walked out of his hiding space. A light, almost playful smile tickled his face. All he had to do was keep these guys talking, and distract them, long enough to make an escape to a farther away location and then call Khusrasol to get there. The last thing that he wanted to do was to risk a run in with this Darth keres. These guys might not've felt the Force, but if this sith was on planet, then they most certainly would. But the words that came from them was almost an insult and a slap to the face. He just needed to play it cool however. Khusrasol was at least stirring; that was a good sign. if she woke up he could just get out before any issues arose.

"Oh, I've gotta go? I'm so sorry, guys. I was just doing a flyby to grab some things when I got back to the Outer Rim and, when I saw the planet, I thought to myself there's gotta be some decent salvage down there, yeah? So I landed to try and scope the place out, but man its creepy around here. I feel bad for you guys, having to be here... How long've you-- Ah, it's not important, I guess. I'll just head back to my ship and get outta your all's hair, yeah? Again, my bad for the misunderstanding..."

He knew that he needed to take a risk, but if he could awaken Khusrasol early, this way, then so be it. Concentrating, he let out a pulse of the Force, more or less a beacon that she could feel in order to realize that he was calling her and come doown. Unfortunately this came with an enormous risk: if anyone focused on it, as they felt it...they'd be able to pinpoint him as well...

Adeline Noctua

 

[Adeline Noctua]

Tag: Raphael Gallustrade

"Ya buddy, even if we weren't concerned about you stealing.. There is still the wildlife, last thing we need is more bodies becoming taken. We will need to check your person, along with your ship of course. Then we can just send you on your-"

The man is stopped by an incoming transmission, he answers his holocommunicator. Soon the image of Darth Keres would appear, covered head to toe in armor and adorning a black cloak.

"Sergeant Alastor, it would appear that today is a lucky day for you and your squad. Take your captive to me for further questioning, that is no looter."

And with that the transmission cut, making several of the troopers aim their guns right at Raphael.

"It would appear that lady Keres wishes to inspect you herself... Not my place to question, you lads know the drill."

With the command given, several rounds would fly right at him, all set to stun. If hit and stunned to the ground, a few soldiers make their way on over to tightly bind his hands in cuffs before dragging him up to his feet.


​

 

[Raphael Gallustrade]

The man spoke, sounding, well, just a but more tired than usual. Raphael understood that. Guard work was an exhausting venture; people never wanted to listen and argued policies you didn't control with you. It made sense, though. They didn't know who he was and, thankfully, didn't seem to care too much to question him. Raohael nodded along in an "of course" fashion when the man mentioned checking his personage. That made sense, though winced about checking his ship. That would be hard. He hadn't heard from Khusrasol the whole time, meaning his gambit had failed. She was still asleep.

Raphael was about to respond to the man, protest that his ship wasn't normal, that he'd been dropped off by some friends when his holocomm beeped. He couldn't quite make out the figure but the words did not put his mind at ease. There might have been no malice behind them, but there was certainly no mirth nor compassion. It sounded very cold, logical and very much "to business". Darth Keres would've felt, and easily so, that he was a force user, though doubtful they knew he was a jedi.why bring him in for questioning though? That's what made no sense...

The soldiers' blasters trained on him as he spoke. And he held his hands out.

"Whoa! Hey, they've got it wrong yeah? I'm just a n--" The man spoke again and Raphael frowned once more. They thought they'd take him, huh? Their intentions to fire were clear in the Force and he could read the ripples of the ocean. He could see the bursts before they came at him and tilted his right shoulder back then his left shoulder. And then did a side jumping somersault over one that would hit his lower abdomen, landing with a cocky smirk, as if saying "is that all you got". Then, suddenly, one that he hadn't seen hit him square in the chest.

He staggered, as it struck him, feet fighting, for half a second, to keep him up. Then his knees buckled and he fell forward, slamming face first into the ground. He heard them coming, grunted as he felt the cuffs be forced on him and then was pulled, roughly, to his feet. They were dragging him to Keres, he knew that much, but he couldn't understand how... How had this sith known he wasn't just a looter???

Adeline Noctua

 

[Adeline Noctua]

Tag: Raphael Gallustrade

They all seem to sigh in relief as he went to the ground, to non force users such as themselves... Both Jedi and Sith alike were akin to boogie men and women, able to use their magics or reflect blaster bolts with ease.

With all haste they decided to drag him to the main camp, the looming threat of beasts still in the air up until they made it to the heavily defended camp.

Once they sit him down in a dark tent, two troopers look at one another then back to him.

"Do we question him? Or do you know if Lady Keres has tasked someone else with that?"

"I mean, it would be better for all of us if we learn how he even got here."

The afternoon sunset would shine throughout the tent as the armored visage of Keres entered, her very aura would send chills down the spine of any... Her eldritch energies enough to strain the mind of many.

"You may both leave, inform that camp that I will be busy handling a force user."

Without question, the two salute her before leaving the tent. Keres would pull a chair over and set it right across from Raphael, the two of them facing eye to eye.

"You... I know you, I know your scent. Years ago you had been marked by my blood, marked by Jackal."

She leans in, reaching out to slowly ascend a metal claw upon his neck... Letting it stop and rest right on his chin as the sharp tip poked a bit into his flesh.

"I used to be Jackal, how wonderful of you to come back to your master, even after those Jedi filth disrupted our bond. They have trained you a bit, I can smell it on you."

Her ruby eyes had a strange intensity to them, much like how a hawk targets its prey.

"Whatever brings you to this little corner of the galaxy? Was it fate? Or perhaps a cruel joke by whatever god? One thing is certain though little light, you are deep within a sea of darkness. The light has abandoned you, this is obvious to see."

Black tendrils would slither out from the darkness, their ice cold touch gently caressing his cheek before slithering near his ear.





​

 

[Raphael Gallustrade]

Raphael was barely conscious as they dragged him over hill and dale until they finally arrived back at the safety of a much more fortified camp. His eyes, half lidded, ran over the fortifications before his head drooped again. Stun rounds were no joke and he had rarely been hit by them, but now he had and by the Force he did not like the feeling. He barely struggled, didn't have the strength, and so was completely at their mercy as they dragged him to the tent and sat him down. He could barely look up at them, despite his body's demand to do so. That was when he felt it: a cold ran down his spine, a chill the likes of which he'd not felt for years... It snapped him back to reality almost immediately. Yet... His face contorted in conflicting and warring emotions.

His eyes followed the shadow, watched it enter the tent, the voice he heard wasn't the one that he remembered and the orders were peculiar. The tent flaps opened and closed, most likely the guards leaving, and then he heard a chair being pulled over and a figure sat before him. This wasn't, however, the woman he'd remember, this was not Jackal... This was Darth Keres. He could FEEL the power emanating from her, and she would be able to see the emotions dancing across his face, in the blink of an eye.

The claw slowly rose, perhaps tracing a jugular, he couldn't really tell; he was, once more, at war with himself. It had rarely happened lately, with the amount of distance and meditation that the jedi had put him under. The lessons of control and peace had pushed memories of her down and her influence weakened. Seeing her now, however, the peaceful man the jedi had begun to cultivate was at war with the man that he'd been. Mental scars had log since been inflicted and they were still quite raw.

He saw the way that she was looking at him, her words registered little by little. It was true. She was Jackal, or at least, she was who Jackal had become. He felt a sense of pride, and was as equally disgusted by it; there was a strange sense of pride to be serving someone like this. No, he was better than that. He'd overcome this forever ago, hadn't he? He stared into her red eyes, the stoicism melting giving way to fear and adoration; it was almost like lookin gat a living god.

"They have, master." His reply came quickly, and yet, for all his words, he seemed panic stricken to speak. "The bond..." he took a breath calmly. "The bond... we had shared was severed, yes. The pain that it caused me was excruciating and, on some days, I thought that I would die from it, but... I did not." He looked at her, straight into the red eyes, watching him, studying him and preparing. "I am..." Another contortion, more fighting. His will. A flinch and gritting of teeth. "...I am sorry that it took me so long to get back to you. I... was present during the fight on Qi-Ko... meditating... to keep in ba-balance. Then... the sith invaded. I fought for as little as I could against... ti-titans... and then I escaped... Established a... connection to the Force Nexus there. The backlash... of it being corrupted rendered me catatonic... My ship was too weak... she... she brought me here so she could rest. The F-Force... brought me..."

Adeline Noctua

 

[Adeline Noctua]

Tag: Raphael Gallustrade

"And as master I take you under my wing as my newest apprentice, but there are important things I wish to go over."

A twisted smile grows under her helmet as she firmly gripped his face with her metalclad hand, claws poking in slightly to sections of his face.

"The force is a tool, it is something we use just like any other tool. That meditation... The 'balance' you tried to seek... USELESS! I give you the boon of my blood, and you try to resort to such weak and utterly pathetic things.. Look where you are, leaving me, trying to leave behind what you really are.."

In a fit of anger, Adeline strikes him on the face. A gnarly gash across his face thanks to her claws, he could feel the anger in her aura.

"You dare waste my time, we will see how well your weakness will do you."

Adeline then points a metal claw at him, her normally soft tone more jagged.

"I offer you my blessing only once more, with my blessing I will put you through training that will either break you, or allow you to shine... What say you?"



​

 

[Raphael Gallustrade]

His mind balked. His vision swirled for a moment. She'd-- But... There... Surely there was some sort of propriety to what she was doing, some kind of ritual or... or-- It wasn't as simple as saying "now you are mine" was it?! Even more to the point, he was a jedi! Or... well, kind of. It wasn't like he'd been made a padawan, but they'd taught him to meditate, to feel the world at peace around him... They'd... They'd taught him so much and her doing this...he'd not agreed to it! It wasn't possible! His mind raced and will strained against everything that was going on.

Her will, however, was far stronger and what she felt was her right to comand-- no, not command, that was far too simple, her right to dominate was put on full display. Her hand gripped under his chin and around his face, metal from her gauntlet dug into exposed skin, as he looked to her with all the fear and love that anyone would show to a god made manifest. The light had abandoned him...? He felt his hands tighten. That couldn't be true, could it...? The jedi... they... They...wouldn't have left him. Some part of him expected Master Noble to suddenly appear out of nowhere again and rescue him, but this time, there would be no such mercy or miracles...

Silence was what she recieved, when she spoke of the Force being a tool, that that's all it was. His attempts to seek balance were foolish? No... Balance in the Force and with nature... that... Then her clawed gauntlet struck him, nearly knocking him and the chair over, but such was her control that she could do so without toppling him. His fear increased. He shuddered, as the blood ran down his face and a chill ran down his spine. She wasn't kidding. She actually meant to teach him. She... It couldn't be. They cared about him, didn't they? They wouldn't abandon him. His face fell, as he began to realize that he was on his own. Surely some jedi would've had the opportunity to at least look for him in RTL space... But he'd been too weak to be of assistance...

He looked up. But here... she was after everything. After... yes, after he'd tried to leave her... after he'd tried to run from what he was... What was he? He didn't... He didn't know. He was scared. He was powereless... He was at her mercy. She'd broken him long ago, hadn't she? She had, in so many ways. Valery had saved him, but now she wasn't here and all he had was himself...very little training in the Force and now this. He was... to be her apprentice... If he didn't, she would most certainly kill him. He would simply be food...

His lips trembled. "V-Very well, I accept, master." He looked to her with pleeding eyes. He couldn't keep being weak but as this occurred... he had to be careful.

Adeline Noctua

 

[Adeline Noctua]

Tag: Raphael Gallustrade

"Of course you agree, it is only normality to acknowledge a superior. Today shall begin your journey to a bigger and better life, but how do we get bigger and better? Pain, suffering... These are things I will teach you well. By the end you will hate me but be stronger for it, or... You will die on this planet. Unloved, unknown.. Forgotten."

She leans in, getting right up in his wounded face.

"I see the fear in your eyes, I smell your dread... Wonderful, let those feelings fuel you. Turn that fear into determination, you need to get stronger to live in this harsh reality. And luckily for you, it would seem you caught me gaze."

With a firm grip she latches onto the back of his chair, standing up before dragging him back out into the fading light of Rapture.

"Meditation and balance be

damned, strength and passion will guide you so long as you control it."​

Next was a rough shove, knocking him out of the chain and onto the crimson ground.

"Your first lesson? Well I think it only fair that you learn from what I have felt and saw, after all... You are a Jedi right? You wish to see how these so called keepers of balance and peace do combat?"

Without a word of warning her cold metallic hand grips onto his forehead, his new master giving him a glimpse into her own memories and feelings. It would feel like Raphael himself was right there, battling Jedi as Nwul was performing a ritual right behind him. His skin burned as flames singed the flesh, causing it to bubble and pop under the armor... And yet... He had managed to make both Jedi flee.

"Fire, a ravenous and violent thing... Do you wish to burn people alive as well, Jedi? Do you love it when people scream in agony?"

Her memories would paint the picture of cruel tactics used against her, and yet she had won that day. Soon his vision would come back to the real world, Adeline had taken him outside of the camp walls.

"I have many things I can teach you, with my knowledge and training you can protect yourself... Even protect what all you care for and love. But despite my time being unlimited, I still value it. If I am to teach you more... You must first pass this first test, a trial by fire you could say."

Swiftly the woman would stomp right on his leg, breaking several bones within the left leg. After this she would undo the binds that kept his hands at bay, her eyes catching glimpse of the saber.

"Despite that saber being weak and incorrect, keep it with you. Go out there in the wild and live, seek out the darkness and let it guide you. If you show up too early I will know, and I will eat you slowly.. Limb by limb."

He would be given no other guidance, nor supplies.

"Be thankful for this, for now you have the real will to survive and grow stronger."




​

 

[Raphael Gallustrade]

Pain and suffering? He bowed his head, knowing that he had to accept this, if he wanted to have any chance of getting back to the Jedi, eventually, then he would have to play along. Come to hate her, he would come to hate her, the person that he knew as his master? He would fake it, if he had to. No, she would know, if he did. She also wouldn't likely give him the opportunity. Based on what he was hearing she would put him through hell, if only to make him-- She got so frighteningly close that he could se the red, the eyes as sanguine as blood that rushed down his face.

He was to use his fear, and terror and turn that into determination... The lesson was so confusing. He didn't know what exactly she meant by turning his fear and dread into determination to move forward. How did one take their emotions, their pain and suffering, their hatred, and turn it into a source of strength and power? He watched her, however, taking in everything that she said. No matter how devout his conversion he was a man devoted to learning. He'd caught her gaze.

He didn't have time to say anything, to dispute, to protest; she picked up the chair he was sitting in and dragged him out into the dying light of Rapture. Strength and passion, if he could control it... His passions and strength... He could control his passion easily enough, it was what had led him to the Jedi in the first place. Then he was sent tumbling from the chair, landing roughly on the ground before pushing himself, as best he could into a position that he could look up at her from.

She... wanted to show him how the jedi fought? How the keepers of peace did combat? Before he could ever ponder what she meant, she placed her gauntleted hand on top of his head and suddenly he found himself... He didn't know where he was... But there was someone behind him...he was fighting against some jedi as a ritual was being performed behind him, he could feel his skin burning, finging and bubbling... But he managed to beat them both off, causing them to flee.

"N-No, master... I don--" But once more he was forced back into her memories, feeling all of the tactics and weapons that were brought to bear against her. His teeth grit. No... The jedi wouldnt do this... They wouldn't fight like this... They... And then, in the next instant, he was back in the normal world... He'd... He could feel tears, streaming down his face. He was furious...and sad...

He stared up at her, as she began to speak once more; there was much she could teach him, things that he could use to protect others, himself and those he loved. He had... a test? Then suddenly her foot slammed into his left leg, breaking many bones in it and he screamed in pain, binds unhooking. He fell to the ground, breathing deeply, with the pain she'd just inflicted on him. Raphael glanced at her. Weak...? Incorrect? He couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of anger beginning to build up inside him.

With a few more breaths, he started to limp off into the distance. He already knew how to follow the Force, surely following and searching for the dark wouldn't be much more different. He didn't care what he needed to do... As he limped away, he tapped a button on his wristbracer, activating River, completely, and growled. He would survive, he would pass this test and she would teach him. No matter what it took.

Adeline Noctua