Teaching Someone Who Hates You

[Juliet Varos]

Zhi was still getting used to the Sith thing. Her wardrobe hadn't changed much, still the black robes, but the albino Twi'lek was now faced with having a code to adhere to, an Order of bretherin, and most of all, people more powerful than her to listen to. The last one was something that made her furious, kept the burning fires of hatred within her going. She had escaped slavery in order to get away from having to take orders, but if she wanted to become Sith, the Twi'lek would have to acquiese to the Sith Lords. That didn't mean she had to like it, however.
But in this rather large training hall in the Sith Academy, Zhi was waiting for her new master. Just uttering the word mentally made her shudder, her red eyes narrowing as she stared at her balled fists, using every scrap of willpower she had to avoid destroying the environment around her.
This [member="Darth Ophidia"] had better not think Zhi was her slave, or she might just fulfill the Rule of Two faster than she already planned to.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Teaching; it was one of the very few things that pulled Darth Ophidia out of the deepest shadow she called her home. Her last apprentice, Darth [member="Mythos"], was presumed dead after the battle of Lujo and the others squabbled over scraps like stray dogs. Again, the Rattataki found herself in search for a new vessel to gift her teachings; one that would accept its destiny and fulfil the role of an apprentice when the time came.

Under the cover of the Force, the Pale Assassin made herself a spectre. Her presence in the Force was null and void, and even her physical form was shrouded under photokinetic manipulation. She found that a small display of ability came a long way when one wanted to inspect a new apprentice. Her boots trod silently on the floor as she strode through the open door to the training hall.

First, she walked in a wide circle, keeping to the edges of the room. Ophidia wanted to observe her apprentice waiting. She could sense the defiance, the anger that swelled within the white Twi'lek's heart. Yet, there was restraint, at least to some degree. She walked closer in an arcing path, maintaining her cover and treading lightly on the balls of her feet. The soft soles of her boots muted her steps, as they were designed to do. Only when she stood a foot behind the Twi'lek did she drop the invisibility. Her presence was still hidden, but she could be seen with the naked eye.

Clad in the signature black robes of the Sith, the Rattatak stood with her hands clasped behind her back. Eyes, burning like embers against the ashen colour of her skin, turned down on the shorter figure before her. She felt the temptation to smile, but kept a stoic and judging expression as she reached out telepathically to touch [member="Zhi Chen"]'s mind.

'Who are you?'
Peace is a lie; there is only passion

Her telepathic voice was like a whisper, speaking in an echo. Under its breath, a different set of words were muttered by a deep voice, rumbling like faint thunder on the far horizon.

 

[Juliet Varos]

The Twi'lek stewed in her own resentment and defiance as she waited, her fists clenching so tightly drops of blood began dripping onto the floor. She hated waiting. She had waited almost twenty years to slaughter the bastards that held her chains, and the experience soured her on the concept a bit. Her new 'master' only infuriated her more as time went on.
But something. . . changed. Her Force senses told her everything was normal, that nothing was wrong, but she could feel in her lekku that something had changed. Zhi was no longer alone.
She tried to act as before, save for her eyes flitting around the room, looking for the cause of this disturbance. But no matter where she looked, she found nothing.
Until the voice spoke in her mind, that is.
The albino stiffened, unused to such contact in her mind. She had expected as such, really, but it still surprised her when it happened.
She briefly considered responding mentally, as well, but decided against it, refusing to play [member="Darth Ophidia"]'s game. It was a small act of defiance, but it made Zhi feel slightly more confident.
"I am Zhi Chen. Your apprentice, and when the time comes, your killer."

 

[Darth Ophidia]

A hint of a smile twitched in the corner of the Sith Lord's mouth as she heard the reply.

'Apprentice; many have tried, many have failed. What makes you worthy?'
Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power.

Ophidia recalled those who had died under her tutelage. There were those who lived to be great names of conquest, and there were those who were trampled underfoot in the making of the great. Only the strong would survive, the powerful would remain when the weak would perish. She did not carry remorse for any of her fallen apprentices, especially not those who had fallen fighting for the One Sith.

She closed her eyes and touched the Twi'lek's mind further, embracing her mentality in invisible tendrils, probing into surface thoughts and shallow memories. She fed on the feelings, the anger, the frustration and impatience that this white-skinned creature so nurtured in her blackened heart. She wanted to give her more, let her taste the bile of hatred and the thirst for bloody vengeance against those who had done her wrong. These were familiar feelings to Ophidia, and she knew what a powerful motivation it made.

However, first, she would have to truly submit to her teacher. There could be no doubt about who was the stronger, so that strength could be coveted.

[member="Zhi Chen"]

 

[Juliet Varos]

The question gave her pause. During all her time seeking the Sith, she had not stopped to ponder what made her worthy to be among them. As a slave, she had endured the abuse, the torture, the humiliation. She had tolerated it, knowing her day would come. For twenty years, she had waited for an opportunity. And when she saw it, she took it.
She had killed them all. Every last slaver. She had bathed in their blood as she unleashed twenty years of hate on them. And once she stood above the last corpse, she looked at her fellow slaves. She saw nothing but fear, and desperation at their master's death. They did not desire freedom, for once they had it, they wouldn't know what to do with it.
That was the moment Zhi knew she was a lion among sheep, that she was destined for more.

"They were weak. They did not have the willpower or the tenacity to do what had to be done. I do. They were not Sith. I am."
[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

She had sought vengeance and found it, spilled the blood of her captors and seen herself above the cowering masses. Ophidia was pleased with what she had heard, but knew there was much work to be done. The slave was dead, and in her place stood a slab of marble ready to be cut into the magnificence of Sith. In her hand, Ophidia held the metaphorical hammer and chisel.

'Then tell me, what is it to be Sith? What does it mean?'
1Through power, I gain victory

Darth Ophidia unclasped her hands from her back, a golden coin flitted over the outside of her knuckles before vanishing into her palms silently. One by one, the doors, formerly open, closed shut. First the front, the the left, the right, and finally the back, behind Ophidia. There was no going back now. Locks clicked shut on all four doors and the very air tightened in electric tension. Shadows seemed to play on the walls around them as the light was slowly choked away. Ophida's presence grew in the room as she let it bleed out of her concealment. Once more, the golden coin flitted over her knuckles and disappeared, one side adorned with a skull on a web of bones, the other with two serpents trying to devour one another by the tail.

[member="Zhi Chen"]

 

[Juliet Varos]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]'s presence filled the room, Zhi's eyes staring straigth ahead as the doors closed, and the shadows themselves seemed to close in on her. Doubts began to creep into her mind, doubts as to whether she was worthy, doubts as to whether she should be standing there. Perhaps she had simply avoided fate-
No.
She would not fall prey to these tricks. Her Master was attempting to break her, and it wouldn't work yet. She would not submit to one that had yet to prove themselves to her. The Twi'lek stood a bit straighter, her lekku twitching as she slowly turned to face her Master, Zhi's defiant gaze meeting the Rattattaki's.
"To be Sith means to pursue power in any form, to cull the weak, to ensure that only the strongest may survive. To be Sith means to embrace one's passion, to embrace the Darkness in all of our hearts. To be Sith means having the willpower to do what must be done to achieve victory."

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Darth Ophidia's eyes stared down at the Twi'lek before her, like orange embers under the hem of her hood which cast shadow on her ashen skin. Her twin-tipped tongue licked the back of her teeth as she savoured the answer given to her before she would move on to the next possible pitfall in her inquisition.

'And what are you willing to do to achieve the ultimate power?'
Through victory my chains are broken

She had yet to part her lips in speeh, telepathy served her more than well enough. Especially as she skimmed the Acolyte's surface thoughts. Ophidia did not blink nor waver in her gaze, but remained fixed as if waiting for a chance to strike. She she carried herself with an uncanny calm, one some would say was uncharacteristic of a Sith. Of course, she would beg to differ, a calm exterior was a feature of the greatest predators.

Even the most tenacious of beasts strolled their path with the utmost calm, until the time to strike presented itself. Sith had much to learn from the beasts of the galaxy, for they lived what the ancients preached; they were free to follow their passions.

[member="Zhi Chen"]

 

[Juliet Varos]

This woman unnerved Zhi. Most were at least somewhat intimidated by the Twi'lek's pallor, tattoos, and general demeanor. But not [member="Darth Ophidia"]. No, it was clear that the Twi'lek was a child in the art of intimidation compared to her Master. She didn't allow it to show of course, but she could feel her Master in her mind, and knew that it didn't matter. It was pride that motivated her to maintain the defiant gaze above all, really.
As to the question asked, Zhi once more thought.
What was she willing to do? Zhi had slaughtered slavers, men, women, children, all in the name of pursuing the Sith, and the eventual goal of power. She cared not who stood in her way, they would all die. Including the woman in front of her, when the time came. Such was the way of the universe, the weak must be culled, to allow the strong to thrive. And though she may be the apprentice now, one day, the two would be equals.
Zhi could not wait for that day to come.
"Everything. To gain such power, I will do whatever it takes. Kill, torture, lie, cheat. The strong must be at the top, and I have every intention of looking down upon those around me when that day comes."
Including you.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

The tattoos and demeanour the Twi'lek had chosen no doubt intimidated many, but Darth Ophidia was a Sith Lord and a Rattataki. The tattoos did nothing to intimidate her as it was a common thing for her own kind to paint and tattoo themselves. She was, herself, decorated similarly. And does a Nexu find another Nexu's stripes intimidating? Hardly. As for the demeanour, she had seen many Sith with a tough attitude. Some pulled through, some were decapitated in their first taste of combat. This apprentice showed promise, but intimidation is wasted on one who had embraced death.

Including you; Darth Ophidia counted on the attempt on her life. It was the summit of her skill as a master and the apprentice's merit as a Sith. One day, two would be reduced to one and the cycle would begin once more. It was life and death incarnate, and it was the way of the Sith.

'Then you will swear your fealty to The One Sith, to the dark side of the Force and to me, as your new master.'
The Force shall set me free.

She knew she was pushing buttons with her last claim, but it was a test of devotion. Could [member="Zhi Chen"] rise above the shame of her past and her hatred for the old masters to fulfil her destiny as a Sith, or would she break? There would be no whips or chains, no collars on the apprentices of the One Sith, but there would be unquestionable loyalty, or there would be certain death.

"Do you accept?"

 

[Juliet Varos]

And now the question that tested her to the deepest depths of her core. Would she submit? After twenty years of slavery, the Twi'lek had little desire to allow someone else to own her. But what choice did she have? She desired, no, she demanded to be Sith, and one of the simple facts about joining such an Order was to accept at least one's authority above her own. [member="Darth Ophidia"] had provided the acolyte with an ultimatum, the decision to change her fate, or to rot in her current destiny.
The choice seemed clear, really.
Bowing her head, Zhi swallowed her rather overwhelming pride, taking a knee before the Sith Lord, her fists clenched with fury at the humiliating act of submission.
"I swear fealty to you, my Master, and the One Sith you serve. Until the day comes that we are equals, I am your willing apprentice."

 

[Darth Ophidia]

A smile now settled on Darth Ophidia's lips. Her hands travelled up to her hood and slipped it back to reveal her face and head. In a sense, it was an act of revealing herself, as opposed to the persona she had presented. Not that the two were very far between. As she did, she also retracted from [member="Zhi Chen"]'s mind. The shadows and the tension in the air settled somewhat, but her presence was still tangible in the air. There was a reason why she often kept it subdued.

"And I accept you as my apprentice."

Ophidia touched her left sleeve and pulled out a cylindrical construction. It was nothing special, quite unexceptional in every way. However, it was a customary gift, one of very, very few she would be given in her time as apprentice to the Aspect of Death.

"A Sith is incomplete without her weapon, so until you craft one of your own, you carry this."

The lightsabre left her hands, hovering towards the Acolyte. Some would argue that the Acolyte needed to earn their way to the signature weapon. With Ophidia's teaching, she found it unnecessary to wait. Only the best survived, with or without the bloodshine blade at their side. She found it was best to impart the student with respect for their weapon. It was a tool to kill, the embodiment of power.

"Keep it with you, always. It is your life."

 

[Juliet Varos]

Zhi slowly rose from her kneeling position, staring upon her master's face. She had encountered a Rattattakki only once before, when one of her owners had her fight one for his amusement. The pale alien had snapped Zhi's arm. She still maintained a healthy respect for the species as warriors.
She managed a small smirk as [member="Darth Ophidia"] acknowledged her as an apprentice.

But that smile was replaced with a surprised gape as her Master gave a lightsaber. As a slave, she had always desired a weapon like this, to free herself, to free her fellows, to cut down those who held her chains. And now, she held the symbol of might, of power.
With a press of her thumb, the lightsaber hissed to life, it's crimson blade giving off a glow that contrasted her white skin.
A smile creeped across her face, and Zhi looked to her Master.
"Where are we to begin. . . Master?"

 

[Darth Ophidia]

The Sith Lord did not answer immediately, but took three steps back. her right hand unclipped a curved hilt from her side, fingers curled around it and her thumb rested on the activation button. Her hips turned to face sideways, with her right shoulder presented to the acolyte. With Ophidia's slender frame, this made her a difficult target to strike. Her left hand rested on her hip, out of the way, but close to her second sabre.

"First, you learn to wield your weapon."

Her thumb pressed the activation button, sending the scarlet blade erupting from her hilt with a snap-hiss. She kept the hilt pointed down, diagonally towards the floor in front of her, the tip hovering a mere few centimetres above the floor. Her expression was almost teasing in her smile, but her eyes had a determination to them. The Twi'lek needed to learn how to defend herself. Acolytes would challenge her, Knights would prey on her and, Lords would use her for their machinations for power. The life of a Sith was full of strife; the weak and untrained were prayed upon by the strong.

"I will attack you. If you cannot defend yourself, then I will kill you."

She raised her blade in front of her face, flourished and brought it back down in front of her - The Makashi salute. She would not be teaching Makashi just yet, but it was a way to say it had begun. The blade did not stay low for long as Ophidia stepped in with a horisontal swipe, aimed at Zhi's elbows. If it hit, then it would not sever any limbs, but the shallow cuts would disable her if she did not stop or avoid the attack.

[member="Zhi Chen"]

 

[Juliet Varos]

Zhi had been in many fights in her twenty three years of life. Though many of her owners wanted her to dance for them, she was more well known for her aptitude in fighting. She had graced many an arena on Tatooine, and had fought many a fellow slave. Her win-loss record was spotty, but she was known for her determination and ruthlessness.
That was why she recognized what was about to happen as [member="Darth Ophidia"] began to get into a combat stance. The Twi'lek was unused to the weightless nature of a lightsaber, and was unsure of her ability to defeat her Master in combat. But she certainly wasn't going to let the woman kill her.

Then she swung, and the battle began. Zhi was taken aback at the speed with which her Master fought, having never been in a lightsaber battle before. She scrambled to defend, the saber blades crashing together with a crackle, the scarlet blades exploding in light for a split second. The weapon was practically air compared to the vibroblades Zhi was used to wielding, and it threw her off. She was unaccustomed to this style of combat, referring back to the blades she fought with as a slave.
She put all of her weight into her arms, then shoved forward, attempting to end the blade-lock and cause her Master to stumble, though only time would tell if she succeeded in this attempt.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Yes, the weight. Ophidia had too been thrown off by the near weightless feeling of the blade when she first used one. That was one of the things she wanted her apprentice to grow accustomed to. What better way than by life-preserving necessity? Zhi had managed to block her first attack, it was pleasing. Some combat experience was in her, but she was about to enter in on a whole other level. There were few other blades that could so efficiently bisect a life-form as the lightsabre. It felt clumsy in the beginning, but once one got the hang of it, the possibilities were endless.

Blades crackling in the lock, Ophidia could feel Zhi coming in for a push. Rather than trying to resist, she used the movement to her own advantage. She stepped to the side and let the blades glide, offering no resistance to the Twi'lek's push. Her blade angled itself so to slip along Zhi's, and if the Acolyte was not cautious, it would spring back like a branch and cut the neck. Ophidia would keep the cut shallow, but it would hurt, and it would leave a mark.

"Beware the distance. One slip and you stand shorter by a head."

[member="Zhi Chen"]

 

[Juliet Varos]

Zhi hissed as the lightsaber sliced her neck, the shallow cut sending screams of pain throughout her body. The Twi'lek was no stranger to pain, but never before had she been cut like this, by a weapon of this nature. If it wasn't for her abnormally high pain tolerance, she would likely be a weeping wreck.
But she wasn't.

Zhi moved back, careful not to hit herself with the scarlet blade of her lightsaber. She slapped a hand onto the wound, glaring daggers at [member="Darth Ophidia"]. How dare she?! Zhi took the hilt in both hands, feeling the rage inside of her rising the longer she stared at her Master. She would prove that she wasn't a pushover like this woman's other apprentices. She was strong, she was superior, she was Sith.

With a scream of hatred, Zhi leapt forward, her lightsaber held high, aiming to bring it down in a vertical arc onto Ophidia's head.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Anger; such delicious anger.

Darth Ophidia could taste it on her tongue, feel it like a pulse in the air; it was exhilarating to sense it pointed towards her. Once more, the Rattataki had assumed her sidefaced position with the blade pointing diagonally to the floor. Her hand still rested on her hip for balance. Meeting her apprentice's glare, she gave an amused huff of air through her nose, adding insult to the Twi'lek's injury. Still, she had to commend her fighting spirit. Far too many cowered after their first bite from a lightsabre.

As Zhi shouted and launched her ferocious attack, Acolytes and half-trained slaves might have found themselves backing off in intimidation. However, she could see the attack for what it was: Amateurish. It was just the kind of telegraphed power-attack her form was equipped to deal with. She stepped forward and to the left, then pivoted like a revolving door to let Zhi pass. Meanwhile, she slashed at Zhi's shoulder with a diagonal cut, still trying to leave a shallow, but disabling cut. If it hit, and with proper extension of the arm, she could have cut the spinal column.

"Pathetic; focus your anger! Show me that tenacity."

Once more, she assumed her position.

[member="Zhi Chen"]