Removing the Rust -Darth Erebos-

[Jake Daniels]

Rust. A common ailment to many metal weapons in the galaxy that were not cared for. The iron oxide consumed the metal and eventually tears it down into nothing. The once useful weapon is nothing more than a red pile of waste. Darth Gravis, after a semi-retirement to start his family with his Masters blessing followed by four hundred years as a naked popsicle, was feeling the same effects that rust had on metal. His body was old. His mind even more aged. For months since awakening, the man worked with the Noghri of Honoghr. They helped to slowly rebuild his body mass while working on his mind. They failed in a complete reforming of the rusted weapon. For that, Darth Gravis needed to go to the experts. Having recently joined the One Sith, or as Gravis affectionately called the, the biggest dog in the yard, he had been biding his time. He was useless in the force. He could do basic telekenetic’s and telepathic abilities. Nothing more.

That made him a liability in many eyes. Even the Jedi had scoffed at him. That was until his Lady Silencia saw potential. What do you do with someone who had promise in the forms of lightsaber combat but wasn’t as strong in the force as others? Train him to be the best with a blade and even stronger with his mind. That was how he had been trained. That was how he brought a schism, in his day, to the Jedi Order on Naboo. He did. Unfortunately his prowess with the saber had waned. He needed that back. He needed his advantage. He was here to once more grab that proverbial golden apple and use it to get what he wanted. How does one go about doing it? How does a former Master of a Saber go about getting that skillset back? Easy. Start where it all began. Darth Gravis had put his name in for training. A Sith Knight asking to be trained wasn’t rare by any means. One asking to be retrained in one of the most basic aspects of Sith life, Shii-Cho lightsaber combat? That was rarer than a white whale.

Yet Darth Gravis knew his limitations. He understood his weaknesses. He had received word that a Lord had accepted his request for training. That’s why Darth Gravis stood in the primary training grounds at the Sith Academy of Glee Anselm. Darth Gravis may not have liked… anyone… in the galaxy. Not anymore. That did not mean the man didn’t understand the value people had. If a Lord was willing to train Gravis in the most basic of lightsaber techniques, if this same Lord would help Gravis Master this particular ability before the Knight moved on to the next form, then this Lord would be given the respect he or she deserved.

Gravis didn’t kneel nor bow before anyone except his own Master. That was the old way. That was his Lady Silencia’s way but there were other means of showing gratitude and respect. Darth Gravis just wasn’t as traditional as many of his contemporaries. So here he stood, in nothing but the robes he had worn since hisLady Silencia unleashed him upon the galaxy, waiting… patiently… for this Lord of Darkness.

[member="Darth Erebos"]​

 

[Shaddi]

Walking along the corridors of Glee Anslem's sith academy was a robed figure. Not that different from the others that walked or stalked it's halls and corridors. The scrapping pattern of clawed feet scratching the ground under them heralded his arrival as two large Tuk'ata sith hounds followed diligently after their master. The two had posture and grace much akin to a mix of highly trained guard dogs and show dogs as well, an odd combination sure but it gave them majesty in a way.
The individual behind the sith hounds was masked, his black mask bore no visible signs of a vizor or anything allowing the individual to look out of it. Not only that but the mask was smooth and straight so there was nothing given away by the wearers expression under it, in short it was an inhuman face without features to those that looked upon the mask.

The hounds came up to [member="Jake Daniels"] and began to sniff at him and circle around him, as if to evaluate if he was worthy to see their master or be torn to shreds by them as their new dinner for the evening. Looking at Jake up and down the creatures master moved one hand up to his masks chin and the other around his chest to support the other hand. "You are the knight looking to learn the basics of Shii-cho?" He asked, the voice coming from the mask deep and distorted beyond anything close to that of a humans. Without really waiting for an answer but staying still just long enough to hear it, he moved away, giving only a slight gesture for Jake to follow him as the hounds flanked their master once more.

Erebos lead Jake to a spacious training room that had been prepared as per his orders. With a slight click of his tongue the hounds moved to stand outside to guard the door and allow them privacy. "Turn on you lightsaber." He said once more as he looked towards Jake, His hand moving up to grip the cross-guard lightsaber that floated from his belt to his hand but he didn't ignited it just yet.

 

[Jake Daniels]

Gravis’ nerves tensed when the man he assumed to be Darth Erebos appeared. The Knights attention immediately turned to the two animals the had accompanied their apparent Master. Gravis didn’t recognize them. That wasn’t due to any sort of intentional ignorance. He had never encountered such beasts before. They were strong, apparently healthy but their stature indicated agility. That was a problem for Daniels. He didn’t like the feeling of being prey. That’s exactly how these beasts viewed him. When they slowly made their way back towards their Master, the Knights eyes followed.

Based on his presence on the force, the amount of power the Knight could feel radiating from him, along with his easy command over such beasts that accompanied him, Gravis knew it was a safe bet that this was Darth Erebos. The mask was unlike any he had ever encountered a Sith wearing. How in the bloody hell did he see out of it? Then the Lord asked Gravis a simple question about whether or not he was the Knight looking to learn the basics of Shii-cho. There wasn’t a moment to answer as the Lord began to walk away; Gravis following several steps behind.

They made their way into a large training room. The Lord made some odd noise that sent the two beasts to the door to act as Guards. Ok that was something Jake was going to have to try and learn. Whether he could was a completely different matter for another day. His attention turned back to the Lord when he commanded Gravis to turn on his light saber. Jake obliged.

He pulled the aged traditional saber hilt from his waist and ignited it. The crimson blade burst to life with a subtle pop followed by a mellow hum. ”To be more specific; I am looking to be retrained, Lord.” Daniels said finally breaking his silence. ”I was trained by my Master, highly regarded in her time, when it came to light saber combat. Yet she's long since passed so it's not like I can go back to her. I cannot use the force in ways others of my rank are able so I simply prove myself much better with a sword. Yet… I find myself rusty and am searching out the best teachers within The One Sith. I wish to not just be retaught Shii-Cho. I want to truly master it.”

[member="Darth Erebos"]​

 

[Shaddi]

Erebos looked at [member="Jake Daniels"] when he had his lightsaber out, his posture did tell of skill but it was skill that had turned rusty and almost useless at this point. "Hmm I see... I can see that you aren't as strong in the force as those of your rank or rather the force flows through you differently than them. Tell me before we begin, what are your skills in the force? This might allow me to help you after your training here, if you so choose." He said as he turned his own red hued, black cored saber on with a snap roar before the inevitable angry hum of the blade.

With a Makashi Salute he then took a ready Shii-cho stance as he then began a steady and calm advance towards Jake. They could talk while they practiced after all. Erebos moved to begin with in slow deliberite moves, designed and aimed at showing the perfected forms of attack, movement and defense of Shii-cho and would use the force if necessary to correct any stance mistakes Jake did.

 

[Jake Daniels]

The Lord inquired about Gravis' abilities with the force. This was followed by a salute then a ready combat stance in the Shii-Cho form before he began to steadily come towards the Knight. Gravis gripped his blade before him and held the hilt with both hands. The hum of the Lords saber was concerning. The Knight could no longer hear his own.

"I have always been limited in my actual force abilities. I can do what is expected of any force user. A jump, a leap, and the like. I can use telekentic bursts such as pushes and pulls of course. My telepathy is limited. I tend to only be able to mentally communicate with those I have built a close personal bond with. My Master. My Wife. My two sons. They were the only that I've ever been able to telepathically communicate with." Jakes hands gripped his blade a bit harder as the Lord continued to close his distance.

"My Master saw potential where others did not. You train my strengths while limiting my weaknesses. Stealth. Tactic. The Blade. I have used those to gain an advantage of or simply outsmart people far stronger than me. What I have learned however is my strength with the force aids me with a sword. Others can use the sword and advanced force abilities. While there are some who flat out suck with a sword and can only use force abilities." Jake replied.

When the Lord seemed close enough, Gravis remembered the bare basic rules of Shii-Cho combat; hit zones. Gravis aimed for zone three of the Lords body which was the arm and swung in a sudden outward attack. The idea was simple; Gravis was going to learn. How did the Lord defend using Shii-Cho? How did he counter an attack with it? It may have been the most basic of forms but if one didn't have a solid footing on it then they were as good as dead in any fight.

[member="Darth Erebos"]​

 

[Shaddi]

While Erebos Was a master of Shii-cho he had built his style of this form with economy of movement as it's foundation, something he had learned from training in the fifth form of lightsaber combat and reading on the thoughts and philosophy of form three.
With a deft twist of his wrist he turned his saber to block [member="Jake Daniels"] original blow. "Then what you should focus on is what the sith do all the time. Turn your weaknesses into strengths. Learn to incorporate your limited force abilities into your fighting styles, mastering the forms will make you formidable but having your limited force abilities adding you in the fight might just give you the edge you might need."

Erebos then brought his wrist so that the blade motioned to half slice forwards, aimed at Jake's right shoulder. Erebos actually could see that Jake had been a master duelist in his prime and he felt betrayed for some reason for not being able to have a mock duel against the man in his prime. He instead thought that at least it might happen sometime in the future.

 

[Jake Daniels]

The Lord was fast. He blocked Jakes own shot then countered with a half slice towards Jakes right shoulder. The Knight barely stepped back, raised his blade defensively and managed to hear the tell-tale pop of energy meeting energy.

"The problem with that," Daniels began as he pushed off against the Lord and attempted a double swing, slashing at both side of the Lord, "is my weaknesses are simply too great. I can't lift mountains nor cause the heavens above to rain lightening and hail upon my enemies. I've always needed to use covert tactics; to take them completely off guard."

Jake stepped back and lunged forward, this time aiming for the left leg of the Lord, "Though my old tactics do work, they only work for a short time. Its either I do enough damage quickly enough to neutralize a threat or I have to fall back. How can I take my limited force abilities and counter a Jedi Master in a head to head fight?"

[member="Darth Erebos"]​

 

[Shaddi]

Erebos continued to block with what seemed like almost no effort but he did have to concentrate more when the lunge came forwards. "Try this little trick." Erebos then said as he didn't move but pulled [member="Jake Daniels"]'s leg slightly forwards and came in with a push to his chest. "Learn to use the force without moving, this way your enemy will never be able to see it coming." He then took a step back and raised his saber once more to point upwards in a ready stance, not pressing the advantage as this was an educational mock duel not a real one.

"Yes you are weaker in the force than most but that doesn't mean you can't master what you have. Being able to use the force without moving is a rare talent but it's still manageable, I began when I was an apprentice and had managed a steady grip on it when I reach knighthood. Think of it, if you are able to subtly influence your opponents body and mind while you are fighting them. Against a master not used to a cunning opponent using such subtle means, no matter their strength they'd have a hard time." He said as he began to allow Jake to feel a pressure building in his head before he slashed a propping strike towards him and let the pressure let up.

"You feel it, right? How hard it is to focus under such an attack, now imagine having your limps occasionally pulled on to trip you up." He then said as he took another step back and took a single handed ready stance with his other hand behind his back. This would allow him to see the fluid motion that Shii-cho could manage as well as the randomness that defined the style.

 

[Jake Daniels]

Gravis should have seen it. The oncoming maneuver. Like the concept of there always being a bigger fish in the sea, combat stances had advantages and disadvantages depending on their use and implementation. Nothing and no one was perfect. However there were times people made stupid mistakes. The flaw here? Really none. Gravis did as instinct ordered. He lunged forward. However his base attack was contradicted by the brilliance of the Sith Lord before him. Instead of using some advanced fighting technique, he used simplicity. Darth Erebos pulled Gravis' leg, which drew the man off balance.

The problem for Gravis was the lack of control. For a man with bad knees already, even though nothing Darth Erebos caused any pain, the momentary fear of losing control over a weaker portion of his body raised his defenses. This lapse in focus only heightened when he was hit square in the chest with a push. The Knight slid back several feet. He was upset. Not with Darth Erebos. Anything was fair game in a training match. He was pissed with himself. Stupid mistakes in an actual fight would be a stupid death.

As Gravis tried to gain composure Darth Erebos revealed the strategic lesson. Something the Knight outright missed. In his counter,, Darth Erebos hadn’t moved. He let the Knight do the moving. He simply used the force to bring Gravis off balance then to knock him away; all while keeping the basis of shii-cho in mind. It was here that Gravis felt the pressure building on his head, like a vice that was slowly tightening. Even Gravis had to admit that this was an entirely new way of using the Shii-Cho form.

”Yeah I feel it.” Gravis replied to the pressure. He’d always fought in stealth. Hit and run. Wear down the opponent or simply take them by complete surprise. The concept of using their body against them; without moving your own? It seemed high risk, high reward. The problem for Gravis? What is it was someone just vastly more powerful? Daniels shook his head in an attempt to relieve the pressure; to not much avail. However he did notice the Lord putting a hand behind his back while holding his blade in a single hand.

Gravis took a ready stance. Before his next attack, Daniels decided to try the same technique but with a different application. Reaching out, albiet with a flawed concentration due to the pressure on his head, the Knight attempted to hold the Lords hand behind him. Daniels then armed for the arm holding the saber. With a harsh swing from the outside in, the Knight aimed to return the offbalancing favor.

Again… all this with a strained concentration split between the pressure on his head, the attempted force hold on the unseen hand, and his own outward attack... this wasn’t going to end the way the Knight hoped. He could already sense it. Yet even in this situation he was learning. It was better to be the punching bag now, to learn and observe from a Lord trying to help, then be a punching bag to a Jedi… get his ass kicked now to kick ass later. That was Gravis’ way.

[member="Darth Erebos"]​

 

[Shaddi]

Erebos let the pressure subside to allow [member="Jake Daniels"] more room to concentrate, but then the attacks the knight made were to overt, to obvious to be of any real use in a fight. With a step forwards he brought his blade to meet Jake's while still continuing to use one hand he turned it to block as he then leaned in close. "Use your cunning, you are sith now, not jedi." Erebos then said as he flipped his blade around in a circle and allowed the pommel to come in for a jab at his jaw.

Erebos could see it in how Jake carried himself that he had been a former jedi. It would do him some credit in the coming days if he ever went against the jedi himself. "You must know that honor and selflessness are the traits of our enemies. We are sith, cunning, ruthless against our enemies and above all we know the art of manipulation by heart." He then said as he used his own force defenses to break free from Jake's hold of his arm.

"Think on it like this." He said as he used the gesture for a force pull but instead force pushed Jake back only slightly. "Use what your enemy will expect what you are doing and do the exact opposite, when he believes he has it figured out change it up to be exactly what you are gesturing to do. Learning how to use the force without gestures is hard but try to learn it, it will increase your repertoire tenfold if you manage it." He then said as he continued the stance but then came forwards with a wide overhead arched swing aimed at his neck which then turned into a spinning slash from the other side aimed at his hips.

 

[Jake Daniels]

Gravis went straight defense to block the oncoming attack. Darth Erebos hadn't moved earlier. Instead, he stood his ground. Gravis was going to return the favor. As the Lord first aimed for the neck, only to switch a spinning slash towards Gravis' hip, the Knights blade was as quick. The moment the distinctive pop was heard of energy smashing into energy, The Knight unleashed a telekentic burst of force energy on the Lords closest arm.

Gravis wasn't going to win a fist fight with the man. He wasn't going to upstage him in force power. The Lord was right. Jake wasn't fighting like a Sith. He was fighting like a man simply trying to survive. He was using shii-cho like a Jedi. Perhaps that had been his problem since being awoken from cryosleep. He was reacting to everything. He wasn't being proactive.

The Lord wanted ruthless and cunning? Then so be it. Gravis broke the momentary connection of their blades but kept his body close. Gravis then lunged forward. Where as before Gravis had kept a safe distance when coming in for a attack, the Knight decided to go all in. The Lord was faster, more agile, and stronger. Shii-Cho taught the basics; how to survive using it. This Lord was showing how to defeat someone. Again, a whole new thought process.

"Aren't there Lords and Masters strong enough in the force to actually read my thoughts in a fight? Regardless of how strong my mental defenses are; are there not those among us stronger than anything I can currently put together whether through outright thought reading or sheer premonition of the oncoming?" Gravis asked.

With his lunge, Daniels went low. His eyes lowered with his blade, looking directly at the limb his blade coursed towards. Yet that was not the primary act. As his blade and eyes focused on the leg, his mind reached out. Darth Erebos told him to not use gestures, to focus and concentrate, and act without physically acting. The Knight let out a force push towards the Lords upper chest without raising a palm. Then spun and attempted to aim at zone four of shii-cho; the back.

[member="Darth Erebos"]​

 

[Shaddi]

Erebos smiled under his mask when [member="Jake Daniels"], his teaching was bearing fruit. Moving his hand to protect his leg he was then hit by the force push and stumbled back with his back facing Jake. Hearing the hum of a lightsaber angling to give a blow, Erebos had to jump forwards to avoid the blade, feeling the blade cut into his robes but not touching his skin underneath. With a wild slash backwards aimed towards Jake to make him back off, Erebos then brought his own martial power to bear against the knight. "Good but you should also think on improving your defenses." He said as he moved his saber to bring forth a wide slash aimed to lock their blades before he delivered a swift kick towards Jake's leg.

"You learn those skills yourself. If you wish to protect against Premonitions or mind abilities, learn them, understand them and dissect them. Find out how to avoid them or deflect them away from yourself." Erebos then said as he took a few steps back once more and reached with his free hand where a pillar of fire came to life before it condensed into a plasma saber hovering above Erebos's hands, he was now dual wielding his own lightsaber and a plasma saber. "Learn to expect the unexpected as well."

 

[Jake Daniels]

Gravis came down to a knee from the hard kick. The moment the Lords boot met his leg, the knee buckled. The old man writhed in pain for a moment as one hand cupped over the top of the joint. He'd had to invest into a pair of decent knee braces in the future; especially if he was going back into the field. A new issue came to light when the Sith Lord brought forth a second saber; this one far different in style and design from the first. Gravis had never seen it before. The energy itself was foreign and unique. Yet it was beautiful.

"What is that?" Gravis asked as he slowly brought himself to a stand.

The Knight didn't ignore the comments about the mind and premonitions. If anything the Lord was being brutally honest. Gravis had to simply do what he did in his twenties; learn. There really wasn't much more too it. Yet as his mind seemed to, for the moment, be amazed by the energy of a type of blade he had never seen, a new threat was finally acknowledged.

Darth Erebos held two blades. In all its magnificent beauty, the second blade brought forth a second issue; Jar'Kai. Jar'Kai was the use of two lightsabers. A skill that was so dangerous, a wielder of the technique could end up killing themselves if they were not a proficient practitioner. It was also a pain in the arse to defend against. Darth Erebos showed Gravis how to attack without a physical outreach. Now it appeared he might be trying to either show a combination of Jar'kai and Shii-Cho; or was he simply going to force Jake to defend against a dangerous technique using Shii-Cho. Either way; Jake had one line slip from his lips.

"This is going to suck balls." Gravis took a defensive stance in the Shii-Cho form.

[member="Darth Erebos"]​

 

[Shaddi]

Erebos moved in coming in with simple jar'kai moves such as using both sabers to hit at the same time from the same direction. "This blade is made from fire shaping, a skill that once you've masterd it enough you can create condensed plasma through manipulation of heat." He explained as he brought himself into a spin, hitting with the created blade first to keep [member="Jake Daniels"] on the defensive and then making it disappear so he could use both hands on his own saber as he came in for the second attack.

"Remember that Shii-cho is the most unpredictable of the forms. If you truly master it your opponent shouldn't be able to predict were you come at him from unless you want him to." He said as he backed up from Jake once more, if the attack had hit as he intended it would have allowed him to come in to finish him with the grossguards of his saber.
"You also should think on learning other styles such as forms three or five and incorporate some of those moves and philosophies into your own saber style along with Shii-cho. That could allow it to overcome the distinct lack of defensive attribute compared to those other two forms."

 

[Jake Daniels]

The Knight blocked the first couple of attacks, staying on his left heel while holding himself in complete defense. The Lord explained that the blade was made from fire shaping. An elemental ability Gravis had heard of but had never seen. His own Master had never displayed such prowess. Her abilities were just a bit different. The blade was simply beautiful. That beauty distracted the Knight as he once more found himself defending.

Lord Erebos came in with a spinning attack. Both blades came crashing down. Yet just as quickly as the Lord had fireshaped his own second blade, it vanished. He was back to using one. Both hands on its hilt, the Lord crushed into Gravis' defensive stance. The Knight was knocked for a loop. The power of the strike momentarily bringing the man to a knee.

Shaking his head in frustration, Gravis decided to be completely honest with the Lord, "I am not content just being a Knight with a lightsaber. I do plan on learning new forms and relearning the ones I have been taught. I want to be a Lord of the Blade; a Master of all forms."

Gravis then went back to Darth Erebos' trick. He held two blades. He attacked with one. The trick. His earlier point. Always do the unexpected. The Knight anticipated defending against a dual strike. His body had been positioned for it. His mind focused for it. Yet when the Lord unexpectedly switch to a single blade once more, Gravis failed to adapt. Had this been a true fight, the Knight would have suffered a catastrophic defeat; his life potentially being taken.

He had to remember; this wasn't his time anymore. This was a new age, with new Sith and Jedi. He had to adapt in order to survive. He would be taking Lord Erebos' lessons to heart. "I want to be looked upon with respect by Lords as I once had. If that means humbling myself like a Acolyte then so be it. Mark my words, Lord, and with all due respect, I will eventually become One Sith's top swordsman."

Before the end of their lesson, perhaps just one more showing? Gravis suddenly rushed in, Shii-Cho attack stance and swung towards the Lords own blade. As he charged however, the Knight let loose an unmotioned telekinetic burst towards the Lords right knee.

[member="Darth Erebos"]​

 

[Shaddi]

"If that is your intent then I will be happy to aid you in that en devour. After this lesson I will send something to you in the hopes it will help you. However in return when the time comes when both of us are at a similar skill with the saber. I wish to ask you to help me develop two new forms of which the two of us would be the first masters upon perfecting them." Erebos said before he was pushed on the defensive by [member="Jake Daniels"]'s sudden attack. With his knee buckled by the unmotioned telekinetic attack and the suddenness of the shii-cho assault.

For some reason however, Erebos was a little proud of Jake for doing something so unexpected. He blocked the strikes but he could feel it that Jake had the upper hand here and with a distracting uppercut of a slash he jumped back before raising his hand in the gesture of a force lighting casting. "Last lesson will be this, always have an ace up your sleeve." The force lighting didn't come from his hand but from the ground in front of Jake to make him stop and to see that if Erebos integrated his own substantial force power into a duel then Jake could well be a heap of smoking flesh on the ground but Erebos knew that in doing so Jake would still most likely manage to get a few good hits in. The man was rusty but his considerable skill when in his prime still shone a little through.

 

[Jake Daniels]

'Ok that was f*cking impressive.' Gravis thought as he came to a complete stop in his attacks. The Knight backed up a few peaces and was simply amazed. When Jake had ever seen lightening created by the force, it always emerged from the hands. Yet this Sith Lord managed to cause it to rise up from the ground. That in itself deserved a hell of a lot of admiration.

The Knight carefully deactivated his lightsaber. "That's some damn ace." Jake said, the impressiveness of the ability apparent in his tone.

"Anyone would be honored for such an offer and I thank you for it. I won't disappoint you nor the One Sith; I will do as I say, I will become a Lord of the Blade, Master of all currently known fighting forms. Once I have, I will assist you in your endeavor for new fighting forms." Gravis said. It was here that the Knight finally gave the Lord what he deserved; a humble and completely respect filled bow. Darth Erebos had gotten what very few Sith ever had.

Though it wasn't much when compared to what others had to offer; the Lord had Jake Daniels utmost respect.

[member="Darth Erebos"]​

 

[Shaddi]

"That is good to hear [member="Jake Daniels"]. My gift shall be waiting in your private quarters. Become the lord of blades and rise to prominence within the sith, I can easily see the talent you have with the blade and you shall be formidable in the near future." He said giving Jack an equal bow of respect, something only two others within the entirety of the galaxy had ever received. with that however Erebos turned off his own saber and placed it on his belt as he prepared to leave the chamber. "If you ever wish for another lesson in anything or even just a friendly sparring match. Please by all means feel free to call me." He said right as he was leaving, his tuk'ata happily moving after him as he left the room.