Real vacation spot ya found here…

[Darth Zilti]

Of course she’d volunteered for missions. Her Master was a busy lady and she needed to keep herself occupied and it seemed prudent to do whatever the One Sith needed if she were to truly be a member of its illustrious ranks.

But this gig was…poor to say the least.

Vendaxa. Known for having one of the densest ecosystems in the galaxy – and Acklay were on the apex of the food chain.

Of course the even better news was that the planet boasted a plethora of other deadly creatures. And why was she going there? Because some annoying Sith Admiral had decided to defect and had for some reason known only to himself – gotten himself encased in carbonite to smuggle him out of Sith space. Except the OS found out and chased down the ship carrying him. It crashed on the surface of Vendaxa and the OS had sent three squads of troopers to confirm if the Admiral was on board – and if he was alive or dead. But none had managed to live long enough to report back.

So two Sith were called for apparently – and she and a Togruta she’d never met were chosen to investigate. So she waited in the hangar of the OS base on Coruscant for her team-mate to show up. They were taking a corvette – big enough to have bedrooms and even train – but small enough to be able to get in and out quickly.

So she grabbed a candy bar out of her bag and took a big bite as she waited. Togruta? They were carnivorous weren’t they? So they wouldn’t eat chocolate would they? She shook her head – some species were just plain weird!

[member="Tanek Santii"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Tanek was not familiar with their destination. He'd risen from humble beginnings, and in truth, he was not familiar with most destinations. All his life, what he had known had been Shili. Thinking back now, it all seemed so bizarre. How drastically the past year had changed his life. There was no doubt it had changed for the better. He was born anew, as Sith. His past meant nothing to him now. It was a time before true consciousness.

Ever the faithful servant of the Dark Lord, Tanek answered every call, disregarding risk to himself. Sith health benefits weren't great, they were a make-or-break kind of crew. Where regular soldiers failed, these two Sith would succeed. Tanek had recently been promoted and unbeknownst to him, so had Maja. He merely knew she held the rank now. Perhaps this was a final test, to see whether the pair were truly worthy the title? The word 'final' was used in the loosest sense, as being tested never truly stopped with the One Sith.

The fierce red skin of Torgruta came into view. Untypical for his race, he had four lekku, two back, two at the front. He carried no belongings with him. What he had was what he had on his body, dark robes of the Sith, and a lightsaber taken from a fallen Acolyte on Ruusan. "Knight Vern?" He had a name, but little else to go on. She was a Human girl. The Sith seemed to have a lot of those. Tanek wasn't used to being around so many of her kind. So far, he had been the only Togruta. Her beautiful, red hair was the first thing that caught his attention. It was complimented well by her amber eyes, and light freckled skin. He liked red, as if he couldn't get enough of it from just staring down at the colour of his own arms. Her was a different shade, however, but pleasing nonetheless. There were indeed many Humans in One Sith, but he wasn't about to complain about his company. The view was nice.

[member=Maja Vern]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja nodded as her partner approached. She took the lack of a discernible chest to mean the Sith was a male – she’d met few Togruta…no strike that, she’d met none before. But she decided to skirt around the subject of gender until she was sure. People could be so touchy about such things.

“Knight Vern,” he – yes most probably he – said.

She nodded a response. “Maja works better for me. It’s not my real name – and I don’t mean in a Sith Lord kind of way, I mean I don’t know my real name. Which isn’t entirely true either, I found it out on Kashyyk, but that’s a long story. But only my first name. Even my sister doesn’t know our second name, but that’s irrelevant right?” She talked quickly and seemed quite at ease – it was not a nervous rambling but rather someone that was used to speaking and not listening.

“So…what do you know of the mission?” She walked onto the corsair and sat in the main room, allowing the pilot and astrodroid to commence take-off. “And more importantly,” she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “Why do you think they chose us?”

As she spoke, she removed her saber from her belt and started to twirl it in her left hand.

[member="Tanek Santii"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

"Maja it is". Or, that was what he had been about to say, but then she was off. The Human spoke with a speed unknown to him, and he did not yet see any opening. He was starting to feel he'd lost his chance to reply. When she had finished, he had forgotten what he wanted to say in the first place. In the end, he managed an "Ah" She had caught him off guard. "Tanek" And now they were officially introduced.

The Togruta followed in after her, preferring that order. Once instead, he too seated himself in the main room. He shrugged. "I was recently made a Knight. Perhaps they want to see if they made the right decision." he wasn't exactly concerned about that, something which his light chuckle revealed. The truth of it did not really matter, whether they actually had made the right decision or not, he still viewed himself capable and worthy of the title. In the end, Tanek wasn't one to question orders, he merely completed them. Whether it made sense, was a trap or a suicide mission, Tanek would oblige, believing that overcoming the challenge would earn his place among the Sith.

"As for the mission" he started "Not a lot" She was definitely the most talkative out of the two. But in recent time, his conversational skills had improved. It became more and more necessary, as his responsibilities increased. "Some admiral gone traitor. Presumably taking some military secret with him." what that secret was, however, he did not know. Manpower reserves? Fleet placements? Plans for a fully operational battle station? Sith secrets? "The admiral must've thought it could buy him some favours from the Republic. A pardon, life in peace on a planet of his choosing..." the last bit was speculation, of course, but in Tanek's mind it made sense. "What are your thoughts, Maja?" while many Sith were naturally prideful, there was value in hearing the input of others. One Sith did not mean there was literally just one Sith that mattered. They acted as one, working together for a common goal. Kindofsortof.

[member=Maja Vern]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja nodded. Tanek. Probably a male. Probably.

“A recent Knight? Me too…perhaps that’s the reason? Who knows?” She shrugged, her mind clearly on the next topic in her mind – if not the one after.

“And I got the same brief, so at least they’re not playing us off against each other…unless your real mission is to kill me?” She narrowed her eyes and then laughed. “You’re not an Assassin on a trial run are you?” She smiled again. “The thing is, it’s a nasty planet but the troopers ought to be good enough to get in, get the package and get out again. Acklays are good, but not that good. At least, they shouldn’t be.”

She wrinkled her brow. “So we’re up against some serious poodoo I reckon. Which should be fun.” Clearly her definition of enjoyment wasn’t standard. “Say,” she fished out a candy bar from her pocket, the one she’d started to eat previously and took a bite. “Oh, do you?” she offered it to her fellow Sith. “But that’s not what I was thinking. I was about to say did you have anything you wanted or needed to do while we wait around? Spar? Compare tattoos?”

Maja was not used to travelling in company and was unsure of the protocol.

[member="Tanek Santii"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

She had been recently promoted too? Interesting. At the moment, that was the only connection he could draw that fitted both. Beyond that, he didn't really know much about her. Maybe more would be revealed during their trip. Whatever the reason, he had a feeling they would find out.

Tanek nodded. It was a good thing that she'd gotten the same information he had, unless she only chose to reveal what he had already done. As she laughed, he smirked. His mind had had similar thoughts. "Perhaps" he said playfully, maintaining the smirk, toying with the idea of being an assassin sent to kill her.

Again the Togruta nodded, now looking more serious. "So there's something else hiding in those jungles." he added. Where she saw fun, he saw a challenge. Those two things weren't necessarily different, as there was a certain level of entertainment involved there as well. "Guess we'll just have to flush it out." what could possibly stand in the way of two Sith Knights? Question was, was it overkill, or did the situation truly require that combination? He had a feeling it was the latter.

"You're not an Assassin, trying to poison me, are you?" he joked, before showing with a hand gesture that he'd pass on the candy. He'd never seen that thing before, and to his eyes, it didn't look very inviting. He doubted it was poison, seeing as she was eating from it herself. Though she could have the antidote in a pocket in her outfit. Or was her weapon of choice something else entirely? He didn't have a feeling this would be the day he died. But then again, how many of those killed had seen it coming?

Tanek gave her question as to what to do while they travelled some thought. Recently, he had been getting used to sitting in dropships surrounded by Sith in brooding silence. Maja was different. She was the most talkative Sith he'd met to date, and it was loosening him up a little. "That depends. Do these count as tattoos?" he pointed towards his face. He didn't have any, unless his natural white markings counted as tattoos on the red canvas of his body. If so, he likely had a lead on her. "If not, we'd be done very quickly. You've got many of them?" it was an interesting concept, Humans painting themselves with patterns of their own choosing. He liked a good tattoo, and the message that came with it. Maja's most obvious one was the one on her face. It added a certain attitude to her look that he approved of.

"I'd be down for a spar. Beats sitting still all the way to Vendaxa." And Tanek jumped at every chance to train. He was also eager to get a glimpse at what the other Knight was packing. Supposedly, they were around the same level, considering their recent promotions.

[member=Maja Vern]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maybe there was a reason they were thrown together, or perhaps she was thinking too much. Sometimes names were simply pulled out of a hat. Two Knights who could stop doing what they were doing for long enough to do the mission.

And she was warming to him already. She liked men who were men but were prepared to take themselves less than seriously. His…playfulness was interesting.

She laughed at the concept of being an Assassin. “My approach is typically more…” She tapped the side of her head. “I mean, I can use a saber – Soresu is my preferred Form, it allows me to keep the fight going whilst I mess with their mind – but I tend to use illusions as well as true Sith magic. I can actually manifest real and tangible objects using the Force. And given I can get into people's heads…who needs poison?” She said it all in a very matter of fact way. As if she were describing how to make a cup of stimcaf.

She looked at his face. “Nope, not tattoos – but then, this isn’t really.” She pointed to her face. “I was subjected to Witch magic and this was what I found when I woke up. It faded straight away but as I grow in my use of the force, it seems to have got darker. And the oddest thing is this.” She slipped her top off her shoulder to reveal her back. Her entire shoulder blade was covered in an horrific burn – yet it was oddly the exact same shape as her facial mark. “Strange huh? I got burned learning some Sith magic and this was the result. Oh and there’s this one too.” She showed him her upper left arm. On it was a similar burn, this time the shape of a rose – the symbol of the Sitherhood Covenant. “This is the only one I did myself.” She seemed quite proud of it.

As she covered up again, she nodded at his suggestion. “OK, spar only – I won’t use any illusions…unless you’re beating me of course. I hate to lose.”

She removed her cloak and stood there in her black hide skin-tight outfit, black hide boots and simple belt. She unclipped what was clearly a double-bladed hilt. She held it in her left hand, the saber horizontal to the ground. As she activated it, two blades emerged – shorter than usual and it emitted a strange buzzing hum upon ignition. “Come on slowcoach, we’ll be there before you get out of your seat.” She grinned and as she did, her tattoo darkened slightly and her irises morphed from their usual amber to yellow.

[member="Tanek Santii"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

He nodded understandingly as she tapped the side of her head. When she mentioned Soresu, his interest was piqued. It was one of those forms he hadn't received any formal training in, but based on his studies, it had seemed very appealing to him. It seemed to fit his approach to battle; calm and calculating, reacting to the enemy's moves and exploiting their weakness. When she went on to mention illusions and Sith magic, she definitely had his attention. Those were the same things he was focusing on in his training, an area where he was still but an initiate, but eager to learn. "It sounds like we have more in common than just a promotion" However, it sounded like she was further ahead than him. Where he was playing with basic illusions, she could manifest real objects through the Force. For a moment, he felt as if his promotion had been rushed, but he threw the doubt aside.

"Oh" he said, genuinely surprised when she said that the tattoo on her face wasn't really a tattoo. It would appear it wasn't by choice after all. Still, it looked good on her. When she showed him her tattoo on her back, his heart skipped a beat. It wasn't that she was revealing much, but seeing her top slip down her shoulder was enough to have him forget to breathe for a moment. "Strange. They suit you though." he said, attempting to recover. It was also his way of saying they looked good on her. Though the process probably was painful, at least it had worked out in the end. He nodded approvingly of the tattoo on her arm. "You did a good job. Perhaps I'll let you give me one some day" he joked. He wondered if it had been difficult, to coordinate and deal with the pain as she did it to herself. "What does it mean?" he asked. Tattoos usually meant something. Tanek wasn't really aware of the Covenant, certainly not their mark, and his writer seemed to think this was a good chance to find out.

"Alright. I'll expect an illusion then" he said, grinning, teasing her by being cocky, suggesting that she'd need it.

When she had showed him her back, he'd stopped breathing for a second. When she removed her cloak it was as if he got the air knocked out of him. The outfit fit her perfectly, and though he didn't say it, he thought she looked great in it. Somehow, he did a good job of maintaining his composure, or at least he thought so. She was probably used to getting looks, though he attempted to hide his quick, stolen glances. It was starting to dawn on him that she was rather distracting, and fighting her might prove even more challenging for it.. Humans were quickly becoming one of his favourite races.

When she goaded him, he grinned, and got up from his seat. He certainly couldn't back down. He let his own robes drop, though it was unlikely he'd achieve the same effect on her as she had had on him. The dark tunic clung nicely to his body, showing a well-toned, athletic torso, that Darth Vornskr had practically beaten into shape. The black pants were a little wider. He looked so very Sith. "Teach me Soresu" he said, with a little smirk. It wasn't phrased as a question, or an uncertain do you think maybe you could-, but was spoken with an assertive confidence. She could always say no, of course, but he wasn't seeking her permission or approval.

He pulled out his own lightsaber, and dropped into an opening stance belonging to Djem So. It was his master's preferred form. Though he had taught Tanek, it still didn't feel quite right for him. His lightsaber was far less interesting than hers. He'd picked it off a dead acolyte on Ruusan.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up in realization, after studying her lightsaber. "Darth Zannah's blades were said to have been shorter than usual. She used Soresu. Have I found your inspiration?" The history of the Sith fascinated him greatly. His first week after being taken on as the apprentice of Darth Vornskr had been spent in solitude, in his library on Coruscant. Since then he had taken time to deepen his knowledge at every opportunity. He smirked, even letting out a short laugh. How fitting it was that he was using Djem So, Darth Bane's favoured form. If only he had made that curved lightsaber he had in mind.

He stepped forwards, letting the first strikes rain down upon her. He was using powerful overhead strikes. She had called him a slowcoach, after all.

[member=Maja Vern]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja listened – for once – and nodded as her fellow Sith spoke. “My face, who knows why, but it’s linked to Sith sorcery somehow.” She shrugged. “My back was kind of a baptism by my Master, Matsu. The shape was no doubt also sorcery related. My arm?” She smiled now. “Was through choice. The Sisterhood allows you to have a mark – like the Dark Mark of the Sith. It can be a tattoo or a burn like this. Some just have it painted on to armour. But me, I wanted the body-art and everyone else seems to have a tattoo – so I wanted to be different.”

“Vornskr hated me knowing Soresu. He blinded me temporarily and made me learn the first Form. He was…fun before he died. I haven’t seem him since he returned.” She said it in a matter of fact way, as if death and resurrection were commonplace.

Maja laughed at the fellow Knight’s perception. “It’s more than just inspiration. Bane’s Heart powers this saber. I lost count of the number of planets I visited to get it. But it was worth it. We have a…connection. And never try to use it. That’s not me being possessive. It’s something to do with the crystal. If you try to use it, it simply pours Force Lightning into you. It’s saved my life on more than one occasion.”

Then he stepped forwards, the first strikes raining down upon her. “The smaller blades give me greater speed and manoeuvrability, I grip the handle lightly in my fingers. This allows me to control the weapon with my wrist and hand rather than the muscles of my arm. I sacrifice reach and leverage, but I can create a shield of impenetrable defence. Except against Vornskr of course.” She poked her tongue out.

“The argument against is that defence will not slay my enemy," she remarked, smoothly transferring the spinning crimson blades from her left hand to her right and back again as she parried rather than blocked blows.

"But I lack the physical strength required for the powerful attacking strikes of Djem So or the other aggressive forms. I am Vahla, light-boned. So I rely on quickness, cunning and, most of all, patience to best my enemies.”

“Form three allows me to parry incoming attacks with minimal effort, but you must expend precious energy with each blow, slowly tiring while I remain fresh and strong.”

Her opponent brought his blade straight down in a fierce chop. Using the techniques she practiced for two hours each day over the six years, she met the blade with one of her own. Had she tried to meet it head-on, the strength of his attack would have driven her own weapon back into her, or knocked the lightsaber from her hand. Instead she clipped his blade with a glancing contact, rerouteing it so that it continued its downward arc at an angle, passing harmlessly a few centimetres from her shoulder.

“The key is to never block but redirect. I have to wait for opponents to become weary or frustrated. For they will make a mistake, then I seize the opening and make them pay. But early on, it is easy to be overwhelmed. It took me a year of practice to be competent enough to take on an aggressive Form.”

“And is that all you’ve got," she exclaimed, still twirling her blade so that it never lost momentum.

[member="Tanek Santii"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Matsu was her master? He knew that name. While her apprentices had been away from Coruscant, she had called for him to aid her in a matter. He didn't speak of it, as she had urged him to be discrete about it and had been careful with what information she revealed to him. He would leave it up to her what she told her apprentices, though Maja being one of them was an interesting observation.

Vornskr? She knew Vornskr? This girl was full of surprises. "Vornskr died?" Tanek asked in shock, unable to hide his surprise. This he did not know. Having revealed this, he knew he would have to add a little explanation as to why. "I have seen him since his... return" he had been very unaware that the man had ever been away. Death and resurrection was not at all commonplace to him. "Darth Vornskr is my master." which made him wonder how he might react to finding out Tanek was learning Soresu... Oh well, that was not something he had to worry about, at least not yet.

Maja was indeed an impressive Knight. The fact that she had Bane's Heart had visibly impressed him as well. She was no doubt resourceful. Perhaps if he went looking hard enough, he too might find some powerful relic of the past?

Then their blades locked. The sounds of lightsabers swinging through the air, clashing against each other sounded. So far, the tainted scent of charred flesh had not arrived. As he kept up the attack, he listened to her words as well as observing her moves and the way she defended herself. He was pleased she seemed up to the task of teaching her Form III, and she was so far doing a good job of explaining what she was doing, and why she was doing it.

"And what would you do against Vornskr?" he asked a dangerous question. Dangerous, depending on who learned of it. He wasn't plotting anything, of course, but knowledge was power. He never knew what situations might arise in the future. Even if not Vornskr himself, he might face someone of similar size and strength. Actually, reflecting a bit on that, he probably wouldn't.

Her words rang true. While he was beginning to work up a sweat and a heavy pulse, her reserves remained untapped. Never block, but redirect. Preserve energy. Goad opponent into making mistakes. He found none of these tactics unappealing.

When she taunted him, he laughed, realizing that was what she was doing. Regardless, he'd take the bait, and turn up the heat a little bit. The speed and aggression he came at her with now almost resembled Ataru, a form he had observed Sage Bane utilize, but never himself. He still held to the standard Djem So sequences, trying to penetrate Maja's defences. The exotic blade she wielded was new to him as well, and it was a struggle to keep up with both blades.

[member=Maja Vern]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja continued to spar and chat – her years of practice affording her a level of comfort in mult-tasking. “Kaine? Yes, he died at the hand of a Jedi I believe but then returned. I didn’t bother with the details. And as he’s your Master, you’ll appreciate what a hard taskmaster he is. Taught me most of the basics and for that I’m indebted. But Matsu taught me Sorcery. Not illusions but true Sith Magic.”

She smiled. She liked the way her opponent was thinking – even if he didn’t say the words. Ambition was a given if you wanted to progress in the Sith hierarchy.

“History is always a good measure of future success. Zannah was skilled but one on one, with just a saber, she was barely a match. But she had something he lacked…that thing called Sorcery. He could perform mental Force powers and some minor illusions, but to take the Force and create something tangible?”

She opened herself up to the Dark-side. She let it flow through her, drawing it from the ship beneath their feet. Not as powerful as land, but the Force was omnipresent. She called to the power, summoning it up to the surface in wispy tendrils of dark smoke snaking up from the metal floor.

The thin tendrils crawled along the ground, reaching for one another, twining themselves together into writhing tentacles each several meters long. Then, in response to her unspoken command, the tentacles rose up and lashed out at Tanek’s robe, lying on the ground. She had given substance and corporeality to the Dark-side, transforming it into half a dozen shadowy, serpent-like minions rising up from the floor.

The material of his robe melted away where the tendril touched it as if it had been splashed with acid – and then the serpents vanished – but their damage remained. And true to form, she kept back some of the facts. You just never knew when you might need the element of surprise.

“Quite simply that. You can’t block it with a blade and it burns flesh as easily.”

“Oh, and one tip – I like to help where I can.” She smiled broadly, “Dun Möch works as well against Sith as Jedi. The unfamiliar can plant seeds of doubt – even an unusual blade. I can only strike with one at a time. Focus on the one that’s going to inflict damage.”

She was lucky she had over half a dozen years of practice for his attacks were becoming stronger and one thing would happen soon. Either his power would force an opening, or his upcoming tiredness or even eagerness to end the fight would present her with an opening – one she was capable of taking. “Maintain an aggressive but cautious offence, that’s the way to wear down a Soresu user.”

[member="Tanek Santii"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Kaine died at the hand of a Jedi, he repeated in his mind. Must've been some Jedi. He knew him as a hard taskmaster indeed, but it fit with Tanek's philosophy perfectly. What Maja said about true Sith Magic had him think he ought to revist Matsu for another lessson. Both she, and Sage Bane had taught him about illusions, but beyond that, Sith Magic was mostly a mystery to him. A very, very intriguing mystery.

Now something was happening. He felt her reach out to the Force, and he half-expected her to cast some kind of illusion on him. His barrage of Djem So attacks had seized, and he took a step back, blade held in a wary guard. As proof of Soresu's effectiveness, Tanek was the one with the chest heaving from increased breathing. Maja was still in great shape.

When he saw the thin tendrils, his eyes widened with amazement. This would be the first time he witnessed this power. He had read about it, sure, but to see it up close was something entirely different. More Sith art. It was both beautiful and terrifying to behold. He was too fascinated to be bothered about his robes being destroyed. He probably had ten other of just the same hanging around. They weren't hard to come by.

He listened to her speak, and during the first portion of it, he had failed to realize his mouth was hanging open in a gasp. It was very revealing, and he immediately corrected himself. He liked keeping his cards close to his chest, and he cursed himself for giving her too much material to help her decipher him.

'I like to help where I can', she had said. To what extent did that ring true, he wondered? She was already helping him out with Soresu. Would she show him more? "Can you teach me how to do that?" he couldn't keep himself from asking. There were a hundred reasons why she shouldn't, and only a few why she should. Yet, it was power, and he hungered to unlock its secret. Power for power's sake. He had been told in the past that he appeared to have an affinity for sorcery.

Then, the Togruta smirked. He knew just the thing to tempt her. A little game. "If I beat your defence, and my blade connects with you, you show me." he didn't say anything about what he'd offer in return, should he fail to do so. This meant she was free to make her own terms, should she be interested in the little bet.

[member=Darth Zilti]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja shook her head, “One thing you’ll learn about me – I never like to play by anyone else’s rules. I can teach you Soresu – if nothing else, it will help you if you have to fight someone who uses the third Form. Knowing your enemy is more than half the battle.”

“So I win already and demand a forfeit. Which…I’ll think of later.

Maja adopted the traditional opening stance, only one blade now activated. “Not essential but customary. The key to the third Form is not to overthink. If you do, you will be in conflict with the Force. Trust in it. Allow it to flow through you."

"A master of the Form, or even an experienced practitioner like myself can fend off multiple attackers, and not just those using blasters. If you can maintain your focus, you do not need to use much in the way of effort and so you can maintain this kind of defence for hours. I have even heard of some fighting for nearly a full day against multiple attackers at once."

"Trust in the Force. Relax and allow it to flow through you. Trust it to direct you to where the bolts will come from. Only this way will the Form become natural, only this way will you be able to defend with grace and the minimum of effort. Trust. Do not try to fight the remote by yourself. Tell the Force know what you want to achieve and then relax. It will do your bidding."

"For now," she clipped the saber back on her belt and grabbed a remote from a nearby drawer, "I will set this to fire blaster bolts at you. Economy of motion is key. Off you go..."

[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

The other Knight didn't take the bait. Shame, but oh well. Sith taught independence above dependency, there would be no obstacle great enough to hinder his progress. He would find a way, or make one. "I'll take that" he replied, offering a crooked, but content smirk. He would still leave the ship more knowledgeable than he had been before.

Wait, what just happened? He lost the bet already? For a moment, he looked at her with a puzzled look. Then he gave a chuckle. "Perhaps. Name your terms later, and we'll see." he wasn't quite gonna give into whatever it was she wanted of him that easily.

Tanek nodded now, his eyes following her body closely, wanting to make shure he took note of every slight detail, every posture, every way she placed herself. "I see. I'll trust the Force... But I trust myself more" Tanek had no problems trusting in the Force, but above that, he trusted in himself. He didn't expect the Force through its generosity to aid him, he would have to prove himself worthy, as well as capable of claiming expertise himself. He just wanted to add that, a little challenge to her view to see if she responded in anyway that provided him with further insight. He was sneaky that way.

What she said, though, of practitioners lasting hours, even full days, appealed to him. Truly, it was a great form, one it seemed often underestimated by the Sith. He readied himself, mimicking the opening stance she had made earlier, though with one blade. "Economy of motion. Got it" he held the blade close to his body, centring his guard so minimal movement would be required to cover most areas of his body. "Ready when you are. Let's see what this remote of yours got. "

[member=Darth Zilti]

 

[Darth Zilti]

"I'll take that."

Maja smiled. The things about making a deal is you can weigh up the pros and cons. To accept a barter without knowing the price? Well maybe she’d make him pay for his impetuosity? Perhaps.

Then she saw the look of recognition cross his face and the smile became a grin. And of course now he tried to wriggle out of the deal, but she’d offered and he’d accepted. That was a contract in her book.

And he was confident. She liked that in a man. Over-confident? It was a fine line. So she repeated the training exercise she’d been subject to herself.

Three remotes actually fired up – but only was in his vision – the one she’d shown him. The other two were behind him. They weren’t silent but then if he wasn’t paying attention he’d be in trouble.

“Protect yourself. Trust your feelings, listen to the Dark-side and let it guide you but control your emotions. Soresu is not a fools form.”

The first remote would begin to open fire as soon as his blade was held at the ready position followed of course by another as they circled and fired at random.

“Let’s see what you’ve got.”

[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Had he gotten himself in over his head? Had he struck a deal that would come back to bite him later? What started out playful, could easily be twisted into something darker... With time as his companion, he could only wait and see what she had in mind for him.

Again, the Togruta's lips shaped into a smirk. In reply to her comment, he started "Good thing I'm no fool-" he barely had time to finish the sentence before he was interrupted by action. Was she testing him? Leading him into a trap of distraction. Perhaps. Like with all tests, he would stride to pass with flying colours.

The blaster bolt from the remote in front of him was deflected easily enough. Yet when the two behind him fired, he was forced into action. In a flash, he flipped around, as if his very life depended on it. Just barely in time, he managed to deflect one bolt. His torso twisted, half to aid him get to the second bolt in time, half to move out of its path if he didn't. In the end, the side of his blade touched against it, yet allover, it was too late for it to truly be effective. As it only slightly altered its path, and singed his right shoulder.

The sensation of the hit burned through him, with a side-touch of defeat. Good. The pain would keep him alert, sharpen his focus with hatred. He would not fail. He would not show weakness. More than a fun, light-hearted practice, the remotes became mortal enemies of his pride. He would not permit them to get another hit on him. He would not accept defeat. Suddenly, he took this test very seriously. The change in his mood hung thick in the air, one could almost taste it.

He followed the surrounding remotes. Not with his eyes, as they could be deceived, and could not be more than one place at one time. The Force was all-encompassing, however. More so than he had cared to admit, like she had suggested, he allowed himself become secondary to the Force, trusting in it to guide his movements, to alert him to danger. He moved with great speed, his movements fluid, although his Soresu form was likely not quite what it ought to be. Despite this, he strode to mimic the stance Maja had taken earlier, copying her moves, and adapting to the philosophy of Soresu, as she had presented it.

[member=Darth Zilti]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja smirked as the bolt got through his defenses. The Sith were not known for their overly supportive training. Survival of the worthy, not the pampered – that was the key.

“Quickness, cunning and patience. These are the tenets of the third Form. What it lacks in aggression you need to compensate with the use of the Force.”

He was physically more imposing than she was…something she realised she was taking a lot of notice of – his power and muscle tone were definitely pleasing to the eye. Was she licking her lips? She quickly pulled her tongue in and focused on his efforts.

“Use your environment. Seek out advantageous positions. Use corners to cover your flanks. Allow others to fight and weaken themselves before joining the fray. And with bolts, learn to use the Deflecting Slash." Maja activated her own saber and when one of the remotes targeted her, she deflected the projectile with a slashing move and took out one of the other droids.

“If you want to take out the one that targeted you, you either need a lot of practice, Shien or to learn the Circle of Shelter. None of which are included in the price agreed.”

She grinned. “Keep up what you’re doing, we’ll be at the planet soon.”

[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

While he kept up his defence against the incoming blaster bolt barrage, he kept an open ear to her guiding words. Her tip, and little correction, that he now could connect to practice, showed him that he might've been a bit quick to dismiss the involvement of the Force, and a bit too confident in his own abilities to make the Force redundant. That was not was this was about. It was a partnership, one he only stood to benefit from exploiting to its fullest. It was almost a shame that he was so focused on that revelation, and maintaining his Form III defence, that he did not notice her licking her lips. Almost. If he had, it likely would've thrown him off his focus, and he might've gotten hit again.

The part of using the environment and seeking out advantageous positions made sense. It suited well with his understanding of the footwork involved in Makashi, another form that had caught his attention. Like the hunter, waiting patiently as its prey panicked and exhausted itself. He conserved his energy, for he knew the fatal part of the battle was far to come. Yet the beast felt the pressure, the fear. Slowly, it killed itself. Tanek had displayed the patience for Soresu before.

Tanek observed the woman, while trying not to get distracted by her outfit again, as she performed Deflecting Slash. It was useful, effective, and something that if he practiced, would prove very potent when cornered by rifle-wielding troopers. A mastery of the basics was not to be underestimated. He tried to copy the move, which worked with moderate success. Moderate, in that his blade at least connected with the bolt, though it came nowhere near of hitting the remote. At least she had given him a blueprint from which he could work from.

Simple as it probably was supposed to be, the words 'thank you', didn't come easy to him. He felt as if they made him vulnerable, left him in some sort of emotional debt to the other. So he didn't say those words, at least not now, but he tried to give her a look that sought to express gratitude for what she was doing. She wasn't obliged to help another Sith grow in power. Perhaps it was just to keep herself entertained while they travelled to their destination. Regardless of her reasons, he appreciated it.

"I'm not opposed to a lot of practice. All you can do is show me the path. I will prove worthy of walking it." No matter how much someone told him what it was he needed to do, he still needed to feel his body doing it, turn its mastery into an obsession, and make it a part of his body, his repertoire of natural reflexes. There was no other way to truly become great. He knew the path of becoming a proper Sith would be long, yet here he was, walking with glee.

"Who knows, maybe I'll find something you want, to barter for knowledge" Their deal had been struck, yet the Togruta was far from opposed to making new ones with the Human girl. This probably left him at a disadvantage, in terms of negotiating price. Oh well. As she instructed, he would keep up what he was doing, practicing the form, while adjusting to her correction. While far from any expert, he was getting the hang of it. Slowly, he was improving. He didn't take it like some casual distraction while they travelled. Tanek trained as if his life depended on it, knowing that in the future, that was probably going to be true. By now, however, the training would likely be cut short, as they reached their target destination...

[member=Darth Zilti]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja smiled. “Your Master, my first Master, is a hard task-master but brings out the best in people. He does not suffer fools gladly, but he taught me all Forms except one and so I can do OK against most opponents – but the one I practice more than all of the others is the third Form. It suits me and I suit it.”

“Does he still wear silly hats?” she asked, “I haven’t seen him in ages.” And then she picked up on his words. “Something I want, eh? Mmmmm… I’ll have to give that some thought.” There was a playful smile on her lips and she was about to speak again when the tannoy informed them they were about to land.

So they headed to the cockpit and saw the planet ahead. The sun produced a harsh light – which apparently impacted the ecosystem – but the part they were due to land at was bathed in darkness. So they touched down at the outskirts of a jungle, some two kilometres from where the ship had crashed. They parked next to two other ships – the previous rescue parties – and troopers immediately disembarked from their ship to secure the other craft.

As Maja and Darth Pyrrhus exited the ship, there was moonlight to see by but under the canopy of the trees, the jungle would be hazardous – especially as the local wildlife was prone to using means other than sight to sense their prey – such as electroreception. Maja could use Force Sight – a particularly brutal lesson from Vornskr that one – blinding her on purpose with venom to ensure she used the Ability – but she was unsure if her companion needed a torch or not.

The smell was of death. On another day it would have been welcome but here and now it felt a little too close to home to be comfortable. She glanced at her companion. “I’d say we wait until morning, but we don’t have the luxury I suspect.”

“Ready?”

[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Tanek had no objection to what Maja said there. While the Master they'd both learned from was a harsh and unforgiving one, he bred Sith. Not just another cog into the war machine, but the kind you wrote in italics. Vornskr didn't suffer fools, and Tanek's first impression of Maja was that she was no fool.

The comment about the hats made the Togruta laugh. "Did he always use to do that? I thought it was a new thing." he was still chuckling. It was an amusing comment, but one he imagined neither of them would dare bring up in the company of the offended. Tanek met her playful smirk with one of his own design "You better. I won't always be so generous" he teased. This is your chance, use it well.

Tanek cast his eyes on the approaching planet. He hadn't travelled much in his time before the Sith, but since then, he had witnessed many a world. Never one like this, however. Suppose the jungle could resemble some terrain on Shili, though the dim lights meant he was in no position to properly examine it.

Walking out, it seemed like they wouldn't be offered the luxury of a clear line of sight. However, as a luxury, they could always make do without, however more painstaking that made the process. He looked over to his reddish-haired ally; the moonlight complimented her well.

"I agree. The Force will have to be our guide and eyes." though he may have unintentionally given her that impression, he had never been taught Force Sight. He was not so skilled, though he still trusted in his ability to be able to create an awareness of their surroundings, and incoming danger. The fact that she had received such training meant that she likely would be far more capable, and truly see through the Force.

"Ready." he replied with a determined nod. He was ready to set off into the jungle. He was hoping the soldiers would give their report on what they found in the ships, if it was anything interesting that could help them gain a better understanding of a situation.

[member=Darth Zilti]