the next few steps.

[Ragos Terrek]

Dredd. A world born of desperation, conceived through necessity. All that lived here, were descended from those fleeing the gulag. It was a place of resilience and fortitude as much as it was anything else. The environment was harsh, and the people were tough. The threat, the plague possessed was still very evident. The giant wall, that stretched on and on for ages, was proof enough of that. People that survived, genocidal levels of death, could at times be over cautious, though here at liberty district one, that over caution was well needed.

Beyond the wall, all the sterile, and staunch order of liberty district one, were non-existent. Here lawlessness ruled. Chaos and anarchy were the masters here, it was a place of monsters and cannibals, and it was the place Ragos Terrek, awaited to be trained by the one called [member="Dredge"] .He dressed simple and inconspicuous, t-shirt, white, pants, denim, and boots, were all he deemed necessary for this excursion. There was something else he wore however, that was not so simple. A small cracked black crystal, was fixed around his neck, taken from an artifact, found among a pile of corpses.

It was this small, innocuous stone that was his reason for being here. It was a strange thing to be so beholden to such a thing. He did not understand the sway it held, but that did not diminish it. The stone around his, neck was a curious thing, something that could easily be over looked as thrash if not for the secrets it begged to tell. For weeks it had been separated from, the artifact and fastened around his neck, and for weeks, he hardly slept, hardly breathed. He could hear it buzzing, could feel it pulsating.

Its secrets belonged to him, they were his by right and he would have them. First, he would have the secrets of the monster Dredge.

 

[Dredge]

[member="Ragos Terrek"]

Outside of the wall in the district now known as Rocket City, Dredge stood tall in his armor of black and red. It was the armor of Darth Vulcanus and the sword was attached to his back. They both contained what was known as a dark side nexus and it was the source of Dredge's strength. Without them he could only feed on his own power and connection to the force, and that was a very small amount due to him being a force sensitive Yuuzhan Vong. So the sword and armor stayed with him at all times to act as both focuses and energy sources to the vast unlimited powers to the dark side.

But every master needed a legacy, they needed someone to carry on their lessons once they were no more. And that person would hopefully be Ragos. In the past Dredge had submitted Ragos to do unspeakable horrors and he could feel the hate the man had. It all but oozed off of him in torrents and waves. He was perfect and Dredge would show him the ways of the darkside. He looked to his young student and tossed a lightsaber to his feet. It was one he had taken from some Jedi at one point, he was dead now and he wasn't using it anymore. "Pick it up." Dredge said in a commanding tone.

Looking forward there was a small bone fire of about five people going on down the street. Three women and two men both of which were armed with crappy knives. The punk rock gangsters did not see the two and were sitting there eating a leg of some insect like alien that had been slain nearby. Dredge looked at the savages and smiled, they would make excellent lessons. He spoke to Ragos again and smilled underneath his helmet. "Do you hate me Ragos?" He said to the man

 

[Ragos Terrek]

“Pick it up.”

The three words crashed down upon him with the command of a thousand whips. He knelt and picked up the small silver cylinder at his feet. He held it in his hand and marveled at it’s weightlessness. He knew what it was, but he had never seen one up close, let alone held one in his hands. Truly, he was taking the right steps toward his destiny.

“I, do.” he hated [member="Dredge"] with every fiber of his exsistance. He hated the monster so much his teeth hurt. Some day, he would act upon that hatred. Some day he would see Dredge, lain at his feet, bloodied, broken, and dead, but that day, was not this one. He would wait and learn all he could, before destroying him.

 

[Dredge]

[member="Ragos Terrek"]

Dredge looked to his understudy and chuckled, he knew why Ragos hated him. The horrors he had force the man to commit, the men women and children he had drown in the ocean to teach him a lesson. Dredge was a monster in every sense of the word, he had love In him yes but it was love for destruction and murder it was that which he loved. Dredge tapped his fingers against his massive sith sword and looked at the group of camped out psychos eating a bug.

"Take your hatred and use it, hate is a powerful weapon. Rage and anger are tools of the darkside of the force and you will use those tools to strike down all before you." Dredge stepped forward and walked towards the group of punk rock psychos at diner.

"Let that hate flow through you, let it guide you. Feel it, that burning sensation in your heart. That fire inside you that longs to break free, you are weak Ragos. But embracing that hatred, that rage will unlock your strength to the darkside." Dredge lifted a hand and it quickly caught fire. He chuckled softly as the flame grew bigger and bigger until it enveloped his forearm. He stepped closer and closer to the men and women at the campfire and thoughts of murder danced across his face.

"Follow me Ragos, follow me and let that fire guide you."

 

[Ragos Terrek]

[member="Dredge"]

“Let that fire guide you.”

He did as commanded. It was hardly different from the jungle sense that guided him, and kept him safe on Haruun Kal. He let the same feeling wash over him, engulf him from brow to toe, this sense was tainted though. Tainted by his hate for Dredge and his desire for power. It guided his movement, while at the same instance obeying his command. In two quick strides, he had moved past Dredge, toward the group of vagrants.

They hardly had time to look up from their dinner before one of the men lost his head. Ragos hacked and slashed with the brilliant green blade, working more as a butcher than a true swordsman. One of the women tried to slash him with a bottle and lost her arm for the trouble, the other three made a run for it. Directly toward [member="Dredge"].

 

[Dredge]

[member="Ragos Terrek"]

Dredge chuckled and watched his student Ragos slice the head off a psychotic gang member, he watched his head topple to the floor with a sense of glee. Soon after he took the initiative and sliced the bottle wielding woman's arm off sending the other three running towards him. Dredge has riven himself in the force and he could easily dispatch these thugs. But this wasn't about him, this was about Ragos. And making him strong in force, specifically strong in the dark side.

Stepping back Dredge lifted his arms and a wall of flames jumped up between him and the thugs. But it didn't stop there, the wall kept growing and expanded outwards until a circle snapped around Ragos. The one injured woman and the three remaining thugs. Dredge smiled and spoke in that booming demonic voice.

"If you four kill the man with the saber I will let you go." Dredge said and let out a bellow of evil laughter.

"Try not to disappoint Ragos." Dredge took a step back and smiled. The thug drew his pistol and began to fire on Ragos, the other two drew small blades of their own and began to rush him. The injured woman just sat there going into shock over her lost limb.

 

[Ragos Terrek]

[member="Dredge"]

The fire cracked and popped around him, flames licked nearer to him, hungry for his flesh, almost as if they were alive. He could feel sweat roll down his arm. He stepped closer toward the center of the circle, trying to escape the flames and as he did, a blaster bolt flew past his head, fired from the hand of one of the remaining thugs.

Fuck. Another shot fired and another miss, this one was closer though, Ragos would have to do something. Anything. Retreat was not an option, so foreword was his only option. He charged at the blaster holder, a third shot and this one grazed his let side. He hardly felt the pain, instead it was only rage, rage at the man trying to kill him and rage at [member="Dredge"] for bringing him here. A fourth shot was fired, and with no effort, almost as if he was not in control of his arms he deflected the blaster bolt back at the shooter dropping him cold.

No time to celebrate, he was no under attack from the knife holders. One of the men swung at him and Ragos blocked with his light saber taking off the hand of the man who was clearly unaware of what the sword did to flesh. He recoiled in pain scream and Ragos drove the end of the blade right through the man, a hole burned in his throat as he dropped dead to the ground.

The other man with the knife, now seeing that his friends were gone froze not knowing what to do, panic filled his eyes before he finally charged. And again with out knowing how Ragos now lifted a hand and used the force to send the man flying back into the wall of flames. The stink of burning flesh and hair filled the air and Ragos relished in his victory.

The woman lay weeping over her arm on the ground, Dagos cocked his head slightly wondering if he would be admonished more for putting her out of her misery or letting her try to live this hard life with one less appendage.

 

[Dredge]

[member="Ragos Terrek"]

Dredge looked upon his student take the lives of three criminals, they were g good people by any means but it was still lesson in the force. Darkness clouded over Dredge and he walked forward through the ales as if he were lucifer himself come to lay claim upon the souls of mortal men. He looked over to Ragos then back to the wounded woman who was huddled against the corpse of the first victim. Dredge gave a sigh of contempt and began to pace back and forth as he spoke to his student.

"Ragos, Ragos, Ragos. What did I say about hesitating?" He said in a very polite yet evil tone. There was to be no survivors with Dredge, he would purge weakness and mercy from the mind of the man and set him down a very dark road. The fires lowered slightly and Dredge looked down at his feet to teach Ragos again the lesson in hesitation.

Spotting a rock the size of a large softball dredge looked to it and then to Ragos. He was going to drive home his point once more. A look of pure joy washed on his face and he scooped down to pick up the heavy piece of stone. Tossing it to Ragos he spoke as he did so

"Beat her to death with it. You will not hesitate again or I will kill you myself." Dredge turned his back on Ragos and walked back out through the flames to see his word be done.

 

[Ragos Terrek]

[member="Dredge"]

Ragos did not flinch nor turn away from this command. He would show [member="Dredge"] he did not hesitate, he had only thought outside the box. His creativity would be a lesson he one day taught Dredge, but today he would show him, he was a quick study.

He took the rock from Dredge, felt its weight in his hand and brought it down hard on the woman’s temple. There was a sickening crunch as the rock cracked her skull. He brought it down again in another thunderous blow, brain matter, blood and bone speckled across his face, she began twitching. Again he drove the rock down onto her skull and the twitching stopped. He struck again, six more times just for good measure.

He tossed the rock, bloody and brained back to Dredge.

“I, did not think you one for mercy, Lord Dredge.” Ragos was sure to pay for his insolence.

 

[Dredge]

[member="Ragos Terrek"]

Dredge simply scoffed at the man' swords when he tossed back the bloody brain covered rock. Grasping it he took a long lick of the brain covered rock and then tossed it to the ground. Smiling he looked at the carnage before him and was pleased with his student. He had killed these people and did what he had asked for. The dark side was strong in Ragos and he no longer would have qualms about killing, whatever humanity the man had Dredge would take it from him inch by screaming inch.

"Very good Ragos, it seems you are not completely worthless. Let us be off now, there is much work to be done." Walking forward Dredge paced along and smiled at the dead quiet industrial area. All around them buildings were condemned and broken. Shattered glass lined the street and dredge could taste the darkness bellow. With each step glass crunched and they walked down the cold street.

"Tell me Ragos. Does it hurt to see yourself fall so hard? To know that you are barely even human anymore." Dredge spoke in his evil demon like voice and laughed at the sight of his student. He was truly becoming one with the darkness to take orders from Dredge. Ahead of them scenery began to change and a small patch of forest was lining a park like area.

 

[Ragos Terrek]

[member="Dredge"]

“No. My humanity is being replaced with power.” he responded coldly. [member="Dredge"] believed himself to be breaking the man, but to Ragos Dredge was just building the being that would eventually have his head. They came to the edge of the forest and stopped, what could Dredge have planned for him next?

 

[Dredge]

[member="Ragos Terrek"]

Reaching the start of the forest Dredge was going to teach his student some pyromancy, it was what he was best at and his student had done a decent job. He deserved to learn the basics of the power. Dredge looked to Ragos and lifted a hand to a nearby tree. With a effort of will Dredge set the tree ablaze with a stream of fire leaving his palm. The flamethrower engulfed the plant and it began to burn with crackling snaps and pops.

"I'm going to teach you how to do that." Dredge looked to his student and smiled, he had got his hate juices pumping earlier and it was time to put them to use in forming fire through the force.

"Fire is the ultimate tool of cleansing my child, it burns holy and just and does not discriminate. But it is bound by the laws of this realm. Use your hatred and that inner fire that burns within, manifest it into the palm of your hand. But remember to create fire one needs oxygen. I will teach you how to start a fire in someone's lungs if I have to. Now try to form that fire." Dredge did not speak like his normal kill everything self, he spoke to Ragos like a father teaching his son how to ride a bike. He wanted the boy to learn how to use fire

 

[Ragos Terrek]

[member="Dredge"]

He held a hand out in front of him and for moments nothing happened. He dug down deep searching for the spark in his soul that would ignite and make the flame come to life. He thought of the men who tired to kill him and nothing. He thought of the woman who’s head he turned to mush and still nothing, he tried to focus on how he felt when [member="Dredge"] made him drown those children, a warmth rose in him but not fire.

He focused then on what it felt like to hold them under the sea and watch them choke to death, he burned hotter but produced no fire, he saw each of their faces, his breathing began to become heavier. He thought of the last boy, defiant and strong, just like…Dagos. His brother came to mind and the fire ignited in his palm, scorching the woodland in front of him. It lasted but a minute, but Ragos was elated. He could hardly think of a time he was more proud of his efforts. He turned to Dredge, seeking approval from the monster, a sickness crept on him.

 

[Dredge]

[member="Ragos Terrek"]

Dredge did one of the things he rarely ever did, smile. A genuine smile of happiness came on his face and he gave Ragos a pat on his shoulder like a proud dad would do to his son. It was almost unsettling in a way, to see the monster show pride in one like himself.

"Very good Ragos, I'm proud of you child." Dredge really couldn't care less if the man lived or died. But he was protective and proud of things he considered to be his. And Ragos was his psychopathic murderer, and he would make sure he was strong in the force so that he may kill those who stand against him.

"Do it again, I want to make sure you can repeat." Pointing to a nearby tree he wanted Ragos to burn another one so that he could be sure he at least knew the basics before testing it in actual combat.

 

[Ragos Terrek]

[member="Dredge"]

He set another tree ablaze, this time with much less effort. His father had always said he was a quick learner. Not as quick as Dagos. The fire burned hotter and more fierce. He marveled at the fire, amazed that it had come from him, that [member="Dredge"] was able to find in him a power he never knew was there.

He could hardly think of what would be the next lesson. What ever it was, Ragos would complete it. If all of these lessons came with this kind of reward, he could not begin to think how strong he could become.

 

[Dredge]

[member="Ragos Terrek"]

"Very good Ragos, you show much prowess. Now let us be off, we have villages to burn."

Dredge smiled and kept the massive sith sword by his side, they had much to do in order to teach Ragos how to best use his new powers. Fire like most things could change, it could be added to other force powers and used in a multitude of ways. He would teach Ragos some, but for now it was time to teach him how to burn people. And who better to burn then hippy drug dealers?

Stepping into the colorful forust, hundreds of flowers and brightly colored toadstools littered the ground. Thick wavy grass and other various colorful plants stained the earth in a plethora of beauty. It was revolting, Dredge's daughter would certainly love it here.

"Do you have family Ragos?" Dredge asked and then chuckled a bit

"Fear not I will not kill them, I have a daughter myself. She just turned nine and I can't seem to figure out what to get her. She goes on about human gifts like puppies and kittens. It's sickening."

 

[Ragos Terrek]

[member="Dredge"]

“Yes, lord Dredge. I have a family.” He remembered the day he left them before finding Dredge. He’d come to them covered in blood babbling about needing to protect them. The visions of the artifact still plaguing him. The stares followed him through out the village as he made his way to his wife.

When he found her, she had just stared at him, his son at her breast suckling and her eyes were full of fear. He hadn’t realized it until much later, that she was not afraid for him, but afraid of him. He had tried to explain to her, what happened, and she either didn’t understand him or did not believe him. He had grabbed her, hard, trying to make her understand, he had never done anything like that before. He had left shortly after but not before promising her, he would keep her safe.

Ragos was surprised to learn of Dredge’s young daughter. Surprised not only that he had one, but that he shared this information with Ragos. Ragos had his own daughter, she was not nearly as old as Dredge’s, but having this small connection was, strange.

“My daughter, asked for Akk pups, as well.” he didn’t know what else to say.

 

[Dredge]

[member="Ragos Terrek"]

Pushing through the foliage Dredge chuckled and kept moving, Dredge was actually quite social when he wasn't screaming his head off and murdering things. It was quite strange for others to hear that, he enjoyed the finer things like drinks and what not and he rarely showed it. But he was with his student and he knew from training warriors was that you could not hate them all the time, he wouldn't care if Ragos died tomorrow but it was his job to teach him to be strong and not fail in his quest.

"I got her this torture kit last year and she loved it, but ever since I saved her from Aurum. She's been obsessed discovering the holonet and a show called My Little Ropo. This show sickens me with their ideas of friendship and love, vile feelings." Dredge visually shuddered and the two came closer to the village they would soon burn to the ground

 

[Ragos Terrek]

[member="Dredge"]

Ragos didn’t have the slightest clue what ‘My little Ropo was’ or where they were going. Ragos opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it in the end and just continued clamoring through the underbrush behind his master.