The Crack of the Whip

[Lord Ajihad]

Lord Ajihad stood in a medium-sized training room, fully geared up. However, despite his combat-ready appearance, he would not be sparring with anyone today. Instead, he would be training a trio of assassin acolytes at the request of [member="Darth Ferus"]. He had several lightsabers clipped to his belt, as well as a multitude of other weapons hidden throughout his person. As usual, he was armed to the teeth. One could never be too cautious, after all. Enemy assassins could be anywhere...​

​

For the next few days, he would be training [member="Zeth Var"], [member="Nyte Ignis"], and [member="Ruby Wilded"] in the ways of the Sith. They would be learning some of the basics, including basic bladework, augmenting, and some rudimentary telekinesis. These essential skills would help them prepare for long and winding road ahead of them, but not as much as the the primary focus of all of it. Teamwork. Assassins stuck together, no questions asked. If they failed to oblige to this, then it was simple. They would die, and it would be by Ajihad's hand. He would not have them risking the success of a mission because of stubbornness.​

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He would sit down on the ground, and begin to meditate. Once all of the acolytes had arrived, they would start the lesson.​

 

[Zeth Var]

Zeth walked towards the training room. He was interested in learning that he would be training under an assassin. He hadn't ever met a Sith assassin, but he sure wanted to learn from them. They were powerful, and he was interested in learning anything that would make him powerful. He had no idea what the training would consist of, but he had been told there would be two others in the training with him. Zeth was interested in meeting his fellow acolytes. He wanted to get to know them, and maybe be friends with them. They were the new sith, and thus hopefully they would become great sith one day. If they became friends now, then hopefully they could work together to become more powerful, augmenting each others powers, and having someone nearby to assist in a situation was always helpful.

As he stood outside the room, he took a deep breath. Of course, the other acolytes could also be rivals. Power was sometimes limited, and having too many people grab for it meant others were pushed aside. He wondered if this would be the case. He wondered if this would be a test, to see which acolyte would become the strongest, and come out on top. It was a possibility, just like everything was a possibility when dealing with the sith. As he opened the door and looked in, he saw a single person, [member="Lord Ajihad"], meditating in the room. Zeth didn't wish to disturb him, being an acolyte meant you always had to be careful with other sith. Make them upset, or do the wrong thing, and you would be deader then the door he had just walked through. He closed the door and sat in the back of the room near the door. He waited, as the other acolytes would be arriving soon.

[member="Nyte Ignis"] | [member="Ruby Wilded"] | [member="Lord Ajihad"]

 

[Ruby Wilded]

Once again her Master Ferus took off to stars unknown to do Emperor knows what. Leaving her with a few tasks to accomplish in the mean time. Priority of which was to complete whatever training [member="Lord Ajihad"] had planned for her. Again she was totally in the dark as to what it entailed. Sith Lords were always so mysterious about everything, it was quite annoying to deal with. Not to lie that she was exited to get some training done. Begin learning a new skill or improve on what she already knew.

Ruby was second to enter the room, with Ajihad meditating in the middle, and another she did not know sitting next to the door she entered. A quizzical look from beneath her hood quickly told her the obvious. He was a Zabrak, red and black. Red rimmed yellow eyes as most Sith have. Of course that wasn't the rule all darksiders eyes changed color. Her's hadn't, even after giving in to the dark side; staying their silver hue. Ruby ceased any attempt to calculate further on him now, moving forward to the Knight centered to today's lessons. Once she reached a few meters short of him Ruby gave a bow of respect. [member="Lord Ajihad"] was one of the highest ranking members of the Assassin Order. And as such he deserved the respect she showed. Once finished, she simply stood still, awaiting for him to react.

[member="Zeth Var"] [member="Nyte Ignis"]

 

[Nyte Ignis]

Nyte Ignis came up from underneath, slipping in behind their instructor for the next few days. She bowed in the Force at him and then her black dead eyes stared up at the other two, sizing them up, staring at them. She pushed the hood away from her face and then her lips pressed into a tight line.

It was teamwork week it seemed. She sunk to her knees to await further instruction from the instructor, her eyes making brief contact, the slave collar still felt tight against her throat as she bowed her head.

"Lord Ajihad, you summoned us." It was more of a statement, to get this training ball rolling and to give herself a voice to the group. Her voice wasn't unpleasent, a neutral tone with a slight feminine undertone.

She would now wait to hear their instructions.

[member="Zeth Var"]
[member="Lord Ajihad"]
[member="Ruby Wilded"]

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Just as [member="Nyte Ignis"] entered the room, Ajihad's eye would snap open. He stood up, and looked at each acolyte. They had yet to receive any decent amount of training, and he was going to fix that. He would pace about a few moments, before speaking. "Welcome, fellow assassins. For the next several days, I will be training you in the ways of the Sith. You will learn to work as a team, or you will die. Do we understand each other?"

[member="Ruby Wilded"]
[member="Zeth Var"]

 

[Nyte Ignis]

[member="Lord Ajihad"]

Nyte bowed her head, nodding in acceptance, of course.

She looked up from her position and acknowledged him.

"Of course."

[member="Ruby Wilded"]
[member="Zeth Var"]

 

[Zeth Var]

So, teamwork. That would be what he was to learn here. At least this meant that his allies strength would prove to be an advantage for him. The stronger they all were, the stronger they would be as a group. He stood up, and bowed to [member="Lord Ajihad"], and said "Yes, master [member="Lord Ajihad"], I understand you perfectly."

[member="Nyte Ignis"]
[member="Ruby Wilded"]

 

[Ruby Wilded]

[member="Lord Ajihad"] [member="Nyte Ignis"] [member="Zeth Var"]

Another popped into the room. Behind her, but she heard the door open and footsteps approach. With this last arrival their trainer stirred to life. He welcomed them, and informed them of what they were setting out to do. Not only learning the ways of the Dark Side, but of teamwork. Would she be able to sync with these fellow assassins yet still strangers? Ruby has worked well with Animus Malgus on Taloraan. That day they managed to outpace the Sith Army, barely. And assassinate the Governor and retinue within their own bunker. It was quite the work of subterfuge. Plotted by her Master, but in the end it was Malgus and her who completed the objective. They've even become friends from the experience. Today though, nothing can be certain until you are living it. Death was not an option she'd accept. Ruby would do what she must to overcome what lay in store. "I am ready".

[member="Nyte Ignis"] [member="Zeth Var"] [member="Lord Ajihad"]

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Ajihad nodded in approval at the acolytes' readiness. They were ready to learn which was good. Without one hundred percent willingness, they would not survive the training. He gaxed at each of them. They had different origins, and different appearances. However, they all shared the same fire in their eyes. The desire to prove themselves as assassins, and to do whatever needed to be done in order to get there. But first, before they began to learn the ways of the Sith, Ajihad would need to know if they were willing to do anything it took. And actions often spoke louder than words...

The Demon's Fist would silently nod, and waved his hand. The doors would all become unlocked, allowing escape if necessary. He then leapt up and back, up onto a high balcony. He pressed a button on his wrist, and a Terentatek would burst through the wall. Its armor was nearly impenetrable, and its tusks carried enough poison to kill each acolyte a hundred times over. Of course, it was only a projection, but it would look real enough to the three apprentices below. It was time to see how they would react to combat situations against overwhelming odds...

[member="Ruby Wilded"]
[member="Zeth Var"]
[member="Nyte Ignis"]

 

[Nyte Ignis]

Nyte thought quickly, moving close to the other two apprentices. She had been studying creatures of the worlds and knew of this one. "It's a Terentatek. Watch out, they have poisoned tusks!"

She considered the possibilities and nodded to the others, "See if there are weapons and I will distract it."

She looked to the other two, nodding curtly and then allowed a smile, expanding her presence in the Force, making her seem the harder threat than the others. "We alternate until we can think of a bigger plan."

She ducked and weaved in tight spots where the creature would become frustrated and angered at the ease of which the young athletic girl would dodge and weave under and around, attempting to avoid those tusks. How did Ajihad even get one of these karking things?!


[member="Ruby Wilded"]
[member="Zeth Var"]
[member="Lord Ajihad"]

 

[Zeth Var]

Well, Zeth should have figured as much. Of course their first test would be impossible. But of course, that was the point, only by working together could they hope to defeat such a huge monster. He heard what [member="Nyte Ignis"] said, and looked around the room for weapons. There wasn't much in terms of serious weapons, this was a training room after all. But he looked towards the far wall and saw some training swords. Well, it wasn't the best weapon in the galaxy, but better then nothing. He ran over and grabbed a couple, just in case the others needed some and one extra. He ran back over and as he watched as [member="Nyte Ignis"] continued to distract the beast, he knew she couldn't keep it up forever. So, Zeth called out to [member="Nyte Ignis"] and [member="Ruby Wilded"] and threw sabers in their general direction, he didn't want to hit them.

As he threw them, he himself kept two and even though he didn't have much experience with a sword, he started to wave them around and make a bunch of noise at the Terentatek, hopefully getting the attention on him. That way, the others could focus on attacking it, while its attention started to focus on him. Luckily, he was a fair distance away so it would have to take a few steps towards him before it could hit him. That would give them plenty of time to figure out a way to harm this beast.

[member="Lord Ajihad"]