Public The Inner Fire (open Dark Side training)

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

" Daeron - welcome to Lake Krul. Call me Ashin or Master Varanin; the last time I held a proper throne, your parents were still wetting the bed."

She made a round of brief introductions and urged him to take a seat by the campfire with the rest of the assembled Darksiders. The only seats were large logs, recently put in place.

"The task is to pass your hand through the fire unburned. Once you can do that-" She patted the bulging sack of gifts behind the log where she sat. "there'll be an opportunity of sorts."

 

[Daeron]

“Understood, Master Varanin,” Daeron replied as he took a seat upon a log.

Ashin gave the first task – the same as the others took before Daeron arrived. Daeron blankly stared at the fire for some moments before extending an arm.

Slowly, his hand drew closer to the flames.

Until eventually, the heat grew strong enough for Daeron to instinctually snap his hand back. The corner of his cheeks twitched. A sigh.

As he pondered on ways to tackle this test, Daeron looked to the others still at this campfire for any inspiration based on how they use the Force…

 

[Avalore]

The glowering teen perked under the responsibility.

The tub of healing cream jumped into her palm, a grimacing glance leveled on Illian Dragos 's burnt flesh. Hers was no better, sympathy pains crept up her spine. She jerked her chin for the elder student to follow her, two sticks of roasted sithspawn snatched up as she went.

What. Food was a great reward.

Her lips twitched as the conversation faded behind them, the plethora of titles Ashin was gathering hitting a vein of humor. "Grab that," she instructed, kicking a dried chunk of driftwood as they went. She settled them on the water's edge, already halfway through her own stick of meat by the time she plopped crossed legged on the ground.

She jammed them into the sand and uncapped the burn cream, slobing on a massive drop as she waited for him to settle. "Here," she murmured, tossing it his way. The pain lessoned substantially, all the better for their concentration. She let out a shaky breath, then surveyed the stranger in full. "I hate fire," she stated bluntly, a bratty edge to her tone. She was young, merely thirteen, but she was the size of a ten year old-- short and slim.

She yearned for the day she could get a new body, like Ashin. Perhaps then she could grow some of Illian's muscles.

She closed her eyes and extended a hand. After a long moment, flame erupted over the log. She jolted, her eyes snapping wildly open.

"I think this is more mental than physical," she admitted, trying to breath through the wash of adrenaline as she lowered her fingers to hover just above the flames.

"Like learning how to take a hit. Or how to fall right from a roll. It's scary at first, but after a time you stop feeling it. That's the scar." Her chest heaved with each breath, her fingers quaking as the intense heat licked against her skin. "The witch," she cursed Ashin, tears creeping into her voice.

She genuinely wasn't sure she could do this. For Avalore, there was no great fear than being burn alive.

 

[Darth Daiara]

Oh, this was too easy. It was cheating! Aradia glanced up at Kaalia, her thoughts written across the amused twitch of her lips.

Aradia had come a long way over the years, but it was a strange twist of fate to feel like the competent pupil in the classroom-- a manifestation of the effort put in. She sank to her knees before the fire, unabashed as she stuck her hand in. The flamed licked at her fingers, leaving behind no burns as she forwent the shield and control the energy in the fire itself.

She withdrew, coaxing a flame to break off and come with her. She held it in the palm, taking a deep breath in... and exhaling a surge of energy into it.

It might be prudent to stop there, but Aradia never could. The flame grew into an inferno; from that, she shaped a dragon. She let it take flight around them, a stream of fire pouring from its mouth.

That trick was new. Last month it was still burping up smoke.

It flew round and round up into the atmo, before dissipating in a burst. Her grin dropped down to the those around them, the girl taking in the stumped expressions of her peers. "You can control the energy inside of it if you don't want to shield." she stated to the others, as if it was obvious. "You know, if you can't multitask."

Grace was not entirely her thing.

Kaalia Pavanos Ashin Cardé Varanin Daeron Marcis Sorr

 

[Illian Dragos]

A smirk appeared in his face. He could feel her discontent at being asked to teach him. What was embarrassing for him was he had been delegated to be taught by someone younger than him. It made him further realize the depths to which he was truly behind. He didn't mind a challenge though.

That was when he was truly at his best.

"Thank you." He wondered what species it was. Illian had never seen such a thing. It was sufficient to quell any future hunger he might have had; in fact, he wanted more. The roasted Sithspawn was really good. It was medium rare, just how he liked it.

Moving away, he knelt down and lifted the driftwood toward the top of his shoulder. With what remained of his black gloves, he saw it was hard and dense. But did she want him to burn it? Was there not a rule about not burning driftwood?

Whatever. What is the worst that could happen?

Arriving at their location, he fought off the immense amount of pain that he had. Sure., the healing cream helped, but fire was still fire. And a burn was still a burn.

Illian bent down and dropped the wood. Grabbing the cream, he made sure it as much as he needed to his burned flesh. There was only one cream after all. It was best not to waste it.

"The people that passed this test. This trial. Were they better than you? Or were you better than them. I think you need to answer that question for yourself."

Seeing the tears in her face, his eyebrows pulled up, closer together. He felt sorry for her, but he never intervened. After all, this was the price to pay for wanting to control fire.

When she was finished with her exercise, she would be met with a question. "Tell me Avalore , how do you reach out to the force and connect with it? That's where I have trouble in the first place. "

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Kaalia watched as Aradia put to use the fire shaping she had passed onto her apprentice, not only to keep her hand spotless but also to take a big step further. The Sith Lady was, however, not particularly amused. This wasn't a time for showing off and it most definitely did not show any inherent superiority over the other students here.

"You're missing the point, Aradia." A tone of serious disapproval coated Kaalia's words. Truth be told, she felt slightly embarrassed by this, being in front of a fellow Sith lady. Still, she would turn this moment into a lesson one way or another. If Aradia needed to learn more humility, then that was exactly what Kaalia would teach.

"Substitute the fire for an acidic fluid, and nothing would've changed for anyone but you. This test isn't about controlling the fire. Do it again, but without using fire shaping." Kaalia was curious to see if she could figure out another way to keep her hand protected. Hopefully, it would also make her understand what the others were struggling with.

Darth Daiara | Ashin Cardé Varanin | Marcis Sorr | Daeron ​

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

Kaalia Pavanos got a firm nod of agreement. "Well put. Darth Daiara , once you've done as your Master says..."

Ashin undid the flap of her bulging bag, conscious that she might get attention from the others. She pulled out a small, greenish metal slab with an aperture big enough for a hand.

"This is a Tonkutaji, a Sith training tool. I designed them as a worthwhile exercise for advanced acolytes, knights, and lords." Face tensing with focus, she put her own hand inside and kept speaking absently. "Right now, two opposed electrified needles are trying to send an electric arc through the back and palm of my hand while attempting to inject me with a toxin. My task is to hold off or deal with the electricity and the injection simultaneously for as long as I can. Force Protection, tutaminis, detoxification - all relevant skills."

She removed her hand and held the turadium box out to Kaalia; another went to Aradia.

"They're currently loaded with something harmless, a toxin that'll cause a distracting, itchy rash. Here's the port for swapping out toxins - and here's the intensity control for the electricity. Around 10 milliamps, an average humanoid target would feel a painful shock. Around 20 mA, pain would be higher and they would find breathing difficult and would start experiencing muscle paralysis. Around 75 mA, pain would be higher and they would be unable to breathe. The range from 100 to 200 mA is lethal. Above 200 mA, the heart stops but can usually be restarted, and the target is severely burned and knocked unconscious."

She passed two more tonkutaji boxes to Marcis Sorr and Daeron .

"To keep. They may be beyond you for now."

 

[Marcis Sorr]

More newcomers, drawn by the promise of specialised teachings - and, in the case of the retired Valkyrie Matriarch, personal reasons.

Something a mere Acolyte such as himself was not meant to know of, no doubt; the very fact that she was retired as a Sith was strange enough. Eying the show put on by her fiery-haired-and-willed apprentice with interest, he had to admit to being impressed despite the reproach of her Master. It was not exactly what they were here to learn, sure, but exerting such influence over primal energies was noteworthy in its own right.

Even if he doubted it was the path for him. He was best with his body and his fists - and his runes, when given time to prepare.

"Thank you, Master Varanin." Accepting the box with a nod - even though his instincts screamed at him to show more visible respect to someone so obviously beyond him in skill and knowledge - he spent a while studying it before opting to follow her advice. Something for later.

Course already charted, he reached out for the fire once more, attempting something that felt more natural to him, namely the strengthening of his flesh so as to make it repel the heat. Once more semi-functional, he sort of succeeded, if with an ever-so-slightly-more-singed hand.

He really needed to figure out what to do with the stray energy he couldn't repel or redirect.

 

[Kyra Perl]

oh this is awkward.

 

[Darth Daiara]

Aradia's expression caught. She wasn't a particularly empathic force user, but she knew Kaalia's expressions like the back of her hand. Every twitch-- every tick-- ever hard blink that could signal on off mood or word of warning. Kaalia's tone spoke volumesI , but it was her expression that earned Aradia's rapturous attention.

She didn't understand. She thought she had done great.

She didn't hear Ashin anymore. Frankly no one else in the space mattered. She swallowed hard, the box placed to the side as she returned her attention to the flames. Using other methods to avoid burn were not common to her, but as she stared at its wavering heat, the solution came to mind.

Quietly, no longer reaching for attention, Aradia pulled force shield around her hand and up her forearm. It wasn't her strongest skill, it's presence glimmering a touch too obviously over her skin, but it had saved her hide more than once in the past. She had no problem maintaining it as she dived her hands back into the flames. They licked harmlessly, their heat earning a slow grinding of her teeth.

She glanced at Kaalia to be sure it was witnessed, then pulled the hand back. Uncomfortable, she snuffed at the others, rolling back on her heels to retake her seat.

"How was I suppose to know? She didn't answer my question," she murmured under her breath, trying to cover her butt.

Kaalia Pavanos Marcis Sorr Ashin Cardé Varanin Daeron

 

[Avalore]

"The people that passed this test. This trial. Were they better than you? Or were you better than them. I think you need to answer that question for yourself."


Aradia blinked hard, opening her mouth to respond, only to double take and narrow her eyes at him. "I'm teaching you aren't I?"

Well, duh.

Her eyes narrowed further, his words feeling like an instigation. Maintaining that eye contact, she stuck her hand back in the flames, operating on instinct as she sucked in its energy and buffered her hand with it. Her jaw tensed, expecting the instant bite of pain at her failure.

None came, the force shield buffered and absorbed the flame's touch.

She blinked, jerking her hand back in shock.

What.

She stared at it, his next question reaching her at a delayed rate.

"Tell me Avalore , how do you reach out to the force and connect with it? That's where I have trouble in the first place. "

"What?" She echoed, the basicness of his question making her feel like she had misheard. But she hadn't. She groped at her unharmed hand, glancing at Ashin to see that had been seen.

"Can't you just feel it?" She answered unwillingly, pulled further from her success. She sighed, turning to face him in full. "Here-- put this on." She unwrapped the carved ivory from the back of her wrist, the leather halter burned and coiling up within itself. She'd have to have Ashin replace the leather.

Thought perhaps she could do so herself with bits of curtain at home... It had been so long since she last had the time to make something with her hands. "It's an amulet. It helps you connect better. You should be able to just feel it now. Yeah? Like static electricity running over your hairs-- can you really not--?" She stated, dumbfounded.

Illian Dragos

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

After accepting the box, Kaalia carefully studied the item while Ashin explained how it worked. This was going to be a highly useful tool, even for herself. Something about her connection to the Netherworld had already given her an immunity to weaker toxins and mind-altering substances; but pushing that even further would only make that resistance stronger.

"Thank you. I will make very good use of this." She set the device down next to her for now, but would be using it extensively in the future. Ashin could also rest assured that Aradia would be using it regularly as well, even if she didn't want to. Being able to fight off toxins was an invaluable skill.

Kaalia's attention was then drawn back to her apprentice, who was about to attempt to reach her hand into the fire again. It wasn't the most elegant of Force barriers, but her apprentice managed to keep her hand safe from the flames. In opposition to her previous response, Kaalia was much more approving.

"Showing off will get you nowhere. Think of what you're supposed to be learning here."

Darth Daiara ​

 

[Darth Daiara]

Aradia lips pressed into a thin line, her voice kept low as she turned into Kaalia's side. "It gets competition off your back." Academy life had put edges on her. While she had grown into her form, she was still waify-- all length and no muscle. Her merit wasn't in her physic, but in her saber work and the fire she could bend to her will.

Showing off kept her safe at night. Showing off marked her as hard pickings.

"I'm clearly the most skilled here-- why shouldn't I own that?"

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

"Because," Ashin said with a chuckle, though Darth Daiara had clearly been addressing her Master, "it makes you a target - the one to beat, the object of jealousy, the simplest one to undermine through shared resentment. The tallest lord gets guillotined first."

This would be why she'd spent the better part of three decades operating under the freedom of other names and faces, rather than seeking to replicate her lost throne. Well, it was one reason.

 

[Illian Dragos]

"I suppose you are.", Illian's eyes looking fixedly at Avalore. Even in a rigorous exercise such as this, she still felt the need to communicate her displeasure.

Note to self: keep your thoughts in your head.

The Squire was not surprised at her response. He knew coming here, he would be the most unskilled of the bunch. A part of him was slightly embarassed for even asking such a question, but a short momentary feeling woulld not eclipse the benefit of asking such a question. At least, that was his own apprehension of the situation.

"I am completely new in my studies of the force. Very new. "

Illian took the amulet. Wrapping it around his wrist, the young warrior felt a rush of emotions suddenly flood his being. It was as if a roaring lion had come to devour him. Every emotion that had fueled him including anger and hate attempted to seize him, wishing to make Illian a slave of his own emotions.

Kneeling on one leg, the Squire's breathing increasing. He attempted to recollect himself, his mind seeking to temper the fury of his own emotions. Was this what the dark side did to tempt people to fall on it? Using an old technique to control himself, Illian remembered his past moments of triumph. He remembered how he had survived countless times on Nar Shadaah; his survival in his fatal duel that made him join the Confederacy. This brief moments of remembrance allowed him to temper his emotions. Recollecting himself, he stood up and approached the fire.

The force was everywhere. It was true what they said. It was in every living thing, and he could feel it run through him. Illian could feel the powerful presences of Ashin and Kaalia, as well as of the other two apprentices. He also felt Avalore 's presence. Most importantly, he was fully aware of how far behind he was, how unrefined his force connection was in comparison to the other people here.

He had a long journey ahead. And he was prepared, at least mentally to take it.

Strengthened, Illian motioned and approached the fire. Remembering Ashin's advice, he drawed on his past experiences. It was as if he was moving on a strong string, making sure the emotions that had he had conquered would not conquer him, while still calling on them to help him absorb the fire. However, slowly, but surely, he was getting the hang of it.

Perhaps there was even a chance he'd do well in the exercise.

 

[Daeron]

Avalore and Illian walked away, yet several other students remained for Daeron to observe. He watched Aradia shape the fire. Then listened to Kaalia’s criticism.

Then, Daeron accepted the Tonkutaji and listened to Ashin’s explanation.

“Thank you, Master Varanin,” was Daeron’s reply just after Marcis gave his thanks.

Marcis’s attempt to reach into the fire followed. And Aradia’s actual attempt. Daeron watched it all – not bothering to hide his obvious staring at anyone.

Daeron’s eyes finally returned to the fire as Kaalia, Aradia, and Ashin continued to speak. He replayed Ashin’s words several times. Wondered why the abilities she mentioned about the Tonkutaji were relevant to this whole exercise with fire.

After some moments of thought, Daeron pulled a small bit of bark from the log he sat on. He could see some “hairs” from the torn edges. While holding the bit of wood, Daeron extended his hand into the fire once more – giving significant concentration to the effort. He spent a few more moments within than before swiftly retracting his hand once more.

Looking to the wood he held, Daeron saw the fibers on it smoldering – a very small amount of light and smoke emanating from it for a split second.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"As master Varanin said. I couldn't have said it any better." That fact was a major factor in Kaalia's decision to step back from the public eye. Ultimately, it merely gave her a frail sense of power at a high cost. When she came to understand just how much she was putting her family at risk, she knew it simply wasn't worth it.

"When your enemy knows how powerful you are, they will be prepared. There is strength in being underestimated." While for Kaalia it was too late, Aradia's name hadn't been deified with Sith Empire territory. It was hard to stay anonymous when a massive statue in your image stood at the center of a massive park in the capital of Dromund Kaas. At least in other corners of the galaxy she was anonymous.

Darth Daiara | Ashin Cardé Varanin ​

 

[Darth Daiara]

It was counter intuitive to everything she thought the academy had taught her. The competitions, the duels, the brutality of the social ranks. Aradia had kept herself silent but deadly, and she had most certainly used Kaalia's name to her benefit. Now she wondered if perhaps she had just been lucky.

There had always been bigger fish fry. She hadn't even completed her first trials back then. She pursed her lips. The concept of anonymity was slowly becoming a theme inside their lessons together. Not for the first time, it nudged forward the seed of an idea. She picked up the gifted box, running it mindlessly between her fingers.

"Maybe, then... wars aren't the way to kill an enemy," she stated, feeling out the thought for the first time.

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

Ashin acknowledged Daeron 's thanks with a nod, and turned back to the growing conversation with Kaalia Pavanos and Darth Daiara

"Oh, wars work for some. Open war has its place. But how much farther could Naga Sadow have gone if he hadn't overcommitted to a stupid war? He could probably have kept the Republic and the Jedi from committing genocide against his species, I'll tell you that much. Or think of Palpatine, who didn't go to war against the Jedi, he arranged - well, you know the story. Vitiate's cold war probably killed more Jedi than an outright conflict would have. Vader and Palpatine didn't send their legions and armadas out to hunt the last Jedi, they sent the Inquisitors, low-key operatives who knew their prey well. Nihilus had just one broken ship. But he had turned himself into a terrible weapon - which he used precisely, in his way, and exactly when and where it would have the most impact. He took down the Jedi Order of his day like that. Even the very best example of Sith war, Exar Kun, found the limits of open war, got driven back to Yavin Four, and died there - as much a failure as his Sith masters had ever been.

"More recently, think of the One Sith. They burned bright...but how long did their rule last? Think of today's Sith Empire the same. Empires are sandcastles. Only the tides are forever."

 

[Darth Daiara]

"A thousand cuts," Aradia whispered, barely audible as she stared distantly at the fire. The box rolled through her fingers a final time, before her grip tightened. She looked at to Kaalia, a sense of self bringing strength to her features.

"I think I know what I want to do." She didn't say more, she knew Kaalia would understand. It would be a conversation for another time, but at last she was ready to have it.

Kaalia Pavanos