Those That Seek..[Antares Training]

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

Kiskla broke her concentration and snapped back to the physical realm; senses alert while a rather ominous predator stalked the immediate perimeter of their location. It wasn't an immediate threat.

"Good progress." Kiskla commented, waving her hand to give her Padawan a metaphysical alert that he could break his attention without getting in trouble.
The blonde tucked a loose strand behind her ear and looked beyond the youth across from her before she began walking.

"Let's move. The longer we stay in one place, the more appetizing we look. While we walk, I want you to focus on keeping your presence minimal. It's unlikely you'll be hiding while immobile."

@[member="Antares Windu"]

 

[Antares]

He nodded his head to his Master. And with that nod, came his breaking free of whatever trance he had been in and he blinked a few times and closed his oddly dry mouth. In fact, Antares had been close to releasing his presence within the Force, though he didn't when her words came.

And so it seemed that he would have to continue focusing on that while they walked through the forest. It was fine with him. "Where are we going, Master?" He asked as they walked through the forest. While they walked his presence within the Force seemed to waver occasionally and his brow furrowed while they moved.

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

His Master avoided answering his question directly, and instead changed the subject.

"Tell me, Padawan Windu." Kiskla began as they walked through the foilage, with each step they took the leader curled overreaching plants out of their way with a touch of The Force. "What do you hope to accomplish as a Jedi?" He'd mentioned earlier that he wanted to become a Knight. Everyone did, that was no surprise. Even Freedom Nad had wanted to accomplish great things; which is why he had turned away. Kiskla wanted her student to be fully aware that both sides of The Force had much to offer, but it was how you used it that would truly make oneself great.

"And this planet, can you feel it?" She took in a deep breath and spread her arms, running her fingertips along some ferns but never looking back. "It's a planet owned by The Republic but history can never be owned. It's got such a dark shadow over it's nexus that even now you can feel it's taint. That's why I brought you here to learn to conceal yourself. You did so impressively well, considering all the hostility in The Force on this planet. Working in such environments, ones that are more likely to hinder than help, make you stronger. Think of it as resistance training." As they walked, a large structure started to be felt; like a creeping shadow before it loomed in the distance.

"Many dark Jedi have travelled here, as have Sith. And they will continue to." Within her, The Son squirmed as he felt an ancient practitioner's spirit nearby. "Unless we give them a reason not to. Come, let's make the last exploration of Freedon Nadd." She turned now, finally, and looked at him while pulling her hood up; the structure visible over her shoulder

"What do you know of Freedon Nadd?" This was going to be a very productive day. Teaching a Padawan to conceal himself, possibly find some Sith Artifacts for Master Apparine to burn, and to cleanse a dark tomb so there would be no want of Sith who were rebuilding to visit.

@[member="Antares Windu"]

 

[Antares]

He continued to follow after her, until he let his longer strides carry him to his Master's side. He wasn't going to let himself be left behind like that. And he looked at the wildlife around them as they walked around. It was a quite an impressive planet, he knew Darth Bane had come to this planet and bore the armour that had let him survive against three Jedi Masters versus two Sith Lords. Darth Bane and his apprentice, Darth Zannah. An impressive feat in Antares's opinion. And then it occurred to him the name of the beasts were drexl's. Wasn't it?

His gaze passed his Master's and looked at the structure behind her. He stopped walking, and threw his own hood up over his head and he listened to his Master. "Freedon Nadd?" He said as if it were the most obvious thing. "He was a Jedi who slayed his Master. He fled the Jedi Order at Ossus. Then he went to Korriban." He said and thought back to studies as an initiate and early stages as a Padawan. "He gained a lot of knowledge from the dark side apparently. And it brought him to Yavin IV, and his Master was the Dark Lord of the Sith, Naga Sadow." He said with a nod of his head, still watching the structure behind her, before focusing upon her again.

He continued to think upon Freedon Nadd. "I can tell you more, though I don't think there is anything else relevant besides, the remains of his body were brought here." He said and that was all he said. He knew more, though he realized why they were here. "You want to find old Artifacts? Surely this place has been robbed dozens of times over?"

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

"You didn't answer my question." Kiskla said pointedly. "As a Jedi, what do you want to accomplish?"
She waited for @[member="Antares Windu"] to answer, before continuing her considerations. "Freedon Nadd wanted to be all powerful, and unfortunately grew to be quite powerful indeed. However, he did it in the wrong way. He, like many, thought the darkside to be even more powerful than the light." Above them, clouds began to roll together and tiny droplets began to pepper the ground, lightly kissing each of their garments.

"This is not true, and this will never be true. The Sith and The Jedi are equally powerful as there is an eternal balance between both powers. I want you to know this, and I want you to evidence it with your actions. The Sith will always try to allure you with the seductiveness of the darkside." She looked to her side, capturing his gaze to show her sincerity "It's up to you to differentiate between right and wrong. Whatever you do, you do it for the good of others. For example, yes, this tomb has likely been robbed many times over. But can you feel the dark shadow around it? That's alluring. And, as Jedi, it's our duty to make the galaxy a safer place." They'd been walking for some time, which meant she'd been talking for some time, because they were only a few meters from the mouth of the temple, and the jungle's lines receded.

"This is a world of The Republic, but as long as there is this nexus of darkness, Onderon will be threatened by dark visitors." She twisted her braid backward, annoyed by the amount of hair that was falling in her face and swept it into a bun beneath her hood. "So, let your sense of adventure and take a look around. There could still be remnants of Sith Artifacts -- perhaps not from Nadd himself, but some of his visitors."

 

[Antares]

He nodded his head at her words, and he looked at the mouth of the structure. It seemed she wanted him to go in there, alone if anything. Today was not the day for him to die, and he looked to his Master again. "I want to accomplish a few things as a Jedi." He started out with a smile, though this wasn't something that would be done within two seconds. He prepared himself before he threw himself into his explanation.

"I want to become a Master within the Jedi Order so that I may serve the Republic better. I believe my time in the Jedi will continue to be positive for the Jedi, and the Republic, and I plan on keeping it that way by joining the Intelligence Agency." He started out with a nod of his head. "But I also want to follow the subpath of the Jedi Guardian, to become the Sword of the Jedi, though that won't happen soon." He said thinking still before continuing. "I want to bring peace to the galaxy for a million years, though that won't happen. The Sith are still out there, they are just hiding like the times of old." He said with another nod of his head, though with a characteristic grin he finally ended with. "I want put down any who would harm innocents." He said, the grin still upon his face, though it left his face and he became serious. "Joining the High Council would be nice too." He said with the faintest hints of a grin.

He started to walk past her with his lightsaber hilt in his sleeve, and he continued on into the darkness that was Freedon Nadd's temple, and he expanded his presence within the Force ahead of him so he wouldn't be surprised...That badly.

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

Kiskla walked with him -- he obviously didn't know how curious his Master was. It was known amongst the council that she adopted the learning patterns similar to a Padawan; often learning the hard way. This would be such a time, and she wasn't about to let @[member="Antares Windu"] have all the fun. Besides, no offense to the Padawan, but he didn't have the power to cleanse a darkside nexus. And she wanted out of the rain.

"You don't have to be a Master to serve people better, Antares." Kiskla commented. Ambitious. He was like her when she had been a learner, but she had been twelve and he was..how old was he? She suddenly realized she didn't know exactly, but she placed him in the later teens. "There are Knights as powerful as I, or moreso even," doubtful, but it helped prove her point "It's all just titles that we receive. You can't have a name without earning it." Her light eyes drifted about the looming structures that curved over the stone walkway into the tomb.

"I want to help you achieve your ambitions. That's my job, to be here for you. To become a Sword of the Jedi is admirable." Ironic, considering she'd been referred to as the shield of the Jedi -- and the Force -- more than once. "As is wanting to be on the High Council." She nodded, lowering her hood as they stepped into the cavernous entrance of the tomb, looking about at the ancient carvings and reaching to her belt, pulling out a stick which she pressed against her thigh.
Snap. On the bend, the stick radiated a glow and she handed it to her Padawan. "It's all a lot of work and responsibility. And the Sith.." she had a mind to introduce him to Cameron Centurion, but she had a feeling Cameron would smite him instantly. "They have their doctrines as we have ours. We all started as one, you know. They deserve understanding; that's the best way to overpower them, is to know them better than they know themselves."

She waved a hand and repeated the action of snapping another glo stick, letting the yellow-ish light flood over her features and the immediate space around them. "Let's scour this tomb for any sort of artifacts, and then I'll show you what I mean by the lightside being just as powerful as the dark." Cockily, she grinned and let him lead the way; she'd protect him if need be.

 

[Antares]

He held the glow stick in his free hand, while he continued to let his lightsaber remain in his sleeve. Perhaps he could surprise anything hostile that was within the temple? Probably not. And then he heard a faint sound to the side, and he stopped walking. "Did you hear that?" He asked as he heard something that oddly sounded like metal on stone.

His lightsaber down the length of his hand and it fell into his hand, and he snapped his head to the side to look to his Master to see what she was doing. He hoped she was covering them from behind while he dealt with this would be attacker from the front. Or side. Or wherever they were. He wasn't really good with directions.

The blue beam of his lightsaber was ignited when it came to his hand. He underhanded the toss towards the shadows that were moving ahead of him and when the yellow hue from the glow stick came upon the droids he smiled. No problem. "It's only droids." He said, confidence only building up and he threw his hand out towards them to release a force push to knock down the droids. He could only wonder as to how many there were. They would be dealt with. It was inevitable.

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

"Don't be so nieve." Kiskla commented, somewhat snidely. Everything was an opportunity to learn! His rolling his glo stick was good, because that gave them an ability to see their enemy considering they were man-made and not so trackable through the force.
"Think about where we are." Kiskla continued, speaking calmly despite the opposition; this would be a learning experience indeed. "A dark Sith Lord's tomb -- these are Guardians." She peered forward, the droids even had a faint glow to their metal; obviously willed by the Darkside in some fashion and at some time. It was then that she noticed blaster charrs intermixed with the runes on the walls; others had fought these droids before, Kiskla surmised. Or droids similar at least. This meant that they were more than simply robotic operatives. They were robust.

The Master didn't draw her blade, unlike her apprentice. They were protected by a field, something similar to what she did when engaged in a duel. At least, that's what she assumed by their glow. The droids followed their programming, and opened fire on the intruders. Still, Kiskla didn't pull her blade; she just wasn't in the mood. Besides, let the future Sword exercise his ability. Meanwhile, Kiskla's defensive shield that wound around her went to work, and the bolts of plasma bounced off her and into the stone as she stepped forward, weaving through the fire until she was beside two of them, who trained their fire on her position and she moved out of the way as they fired; their shields rippling from the impact and they momentarily shorted before rectifying again. Yes. Either lightsaber, or Force would be the only things to bring them down.


@[member="Antares Windu"]

 

[Antares]

He moved forwards at the droids. Once they had recovered from his previous force push he was upon them once again. His lightsaber flashing around in an azure beam, parrying the bolts back and forth and all around the interior of the stone temple. He hadn't particularly mastered Soresu. At all. And so it was just wild blocks and dodges.

Eventually he got to the side of one of them and brought his hand up and expanded his Force presence towards the droid in front of him. He didn't know what he was doing, look for a sentient amidst the robots? He doubted it, and yet, he waved his hand at the droid, the Force moving the length of his hand, through and out of his hand, and exiting from his finger tips over the droid.

It was just like how he had been taught by the Jedi Knight Kira Liadain for a moment, on how to utilize force stun. But instead, he translated that for a droid, and he imagined an electric shock going through the droid and jolting it's circuits to overheat and then eventually disable the droid.

But the aspiring Sword of the Jedi didn't even wait to see what happened and he parried bolts wildly back at the remaining droids that fired at him. When one of his randomly deflected bolts struck a droid in the chest, he was upon it, and plunged his lightsaber through the droid before it could recover.

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

When @[member="Antares Windu"] was the only thing she cared about in the immediate vicinity, Kiskla didn't miss much. She noticed his ingenuity with The Force and grinned to herself, meanwhile reaching out to ionize the droids next to her in a similar, but more practiced fashion.

The two worked seamlessly, between his lightsaber and her bare hands, dark side or not, the droids stood little chance. Soon, they were littered about the floor.

"Nice work, Antares." His Master complimented, adjusting her robes and wrapping her fingers around her alchemical cuff as it pulsed because of the dark side energy around them.

"Come," she called her glo stick to her palm and gesturing down the hallway. "And keep your senses spry."

 

[Antares]

When his lightsaber cleaved the last droid in half and he turned to look at his Master, he bowed his head to her. There was no need to speak in this moment, they would just have to keep on moving deeper into the temple.

As they started to walk down the path, he looked over his shoulder to his own glo stick that he had thrown on the floor to highlight the Guardian Droids, and he twisted his empty hand behind his back so that he could call it to him in the Force. Just as his hand was turning back around to be in it's proper positioning, the glo stick collided in his palm and he chucked it forward in front of Kiskla Grayson and he.

With as much focus that he could muster at the time, he used the Force to levitate it in front of them as they walked deeper inside. At least if he had two hands he could use the Force and wield his lightsaber. "I am ready." Was his only response.

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

Kiskla didn't respond to his assurance, instead she merely lead the way. She took the time to let him explore the caverns and appreciate the runes as she did too, sensing for any sort of artifacts that may have gone undiscovered from tomb raiders of the past.

They had been thorough.

"Tell me about what made you join The Jedi." Kiskla suddenly stated bluntly. She realized she knew little about her Padawan other than his aspirations; they'd just kind of ... been assigned to each other. Or stumbled into each other. Maybe he requested her -- she'd been so busy lately she couldn't remember and she felt bad about that. The least she could do was get to know @[member="Antares Windu"].

 

[Antares]

While they continued to walk through the interior of the structure, Antares's mind wandered a bit, though it was focused primarily upon the glow stick in front of him. It was quite important to continue levitating the glow stick in front of the duo. Telekinesis was after all the basis of Force abilities.

"To prevent planets from being bombarded by people like the Galactic Empire." He said while they continued to walk through the corridors, turning corners, though going forwards mainly. It was quite obvious with the straightforwardness and lack of actual thought to his answer, that there were more things, bland reasons, though that was the answer that decided it all. Decided his choice to join the Jedi.

"Why did you join the Jedi?"

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

"My Mother was a Jedi, as was my grandfather." Kiskla stated simply, she was growing bored of this corridor and therefore extended her masterful presence to search out any suggestion of artifacts or remnants. The Jedi had already catalogued everything. She turned on her heel back in the direction they'd come, seeing no point in diving deeper down the rabbit hole. Antares was as impatient as she was, and there was much he could learn without suffocating beneath the darkness of this tomb.

"But with the Galactic Empire disbanded, where do you think your path leads? What is it you believe The Sword of The Jedi stands for?"
While she inquired, she lead him back out into Dxun; he'd learned a nice new kinetic ability in there and therefore it hadn't been a totally useless trip. Meanwhile, she reached into her utility belt and pulled out the correspondence of her transport. She had a training vessel that he could dock his E-Wing to and he could continue his techniques on board there, beyond the dangerous clutches of Dxun.

@[member="Antares Windu"]

 

[Antares]

He continued to stride forward until she decided it was time to turn around and he called the glow stick to his hand and when it came to him he turned around to follow his Master outside of the temples interior. "The Galactic Empire is just within the Fringe, just a bigger threat anyway." He said once they were outside completely." He looked about at the water coming out of the sky, and a rain drop fell into his eye. He tried wiping it away and he continued to speak, although slowly. "Besides, the Fel Imperium also stemmed from the Galactic Empire of 40ABY." He finished once the raindrop had been dealt with.

Then he turned his head to look at his Master. "And I doubt people will just halt...Bombarding planets because the Empire is supposedly disbanded Master." He started out slowly. "But to answer your question, my path will lead me to defeats and victories along the way." He said vaguely. He knew that she knew he was dodging the question for lack of a better answer but that was what she was getting at the moment. "But the Sword of the Jedi stands for being the greatest Swordsman in the Jedi Order. It was created by Jedi Grandmaster Luke Skywalker. The first one was Jaina Solo." He said with a confirming nodding of his head.

"But Master, you became a Jedi because your mother was one? I am certain you had a choice in the matter." He said before adding, "and you have my condolences."

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

She simpered at his prying. Kiskla was a reserved person by nature and blood, divulging her knowledge was one thing, but her own thoughts and reasons? Whole new ball game.

"It helped." Was all she offered "I had a simmering power that neither aforementioned could hone. I was handed over, and cultivated the doctrines that emphasized the importance of inherent good." Enough about her.

Without warning, there was a slight blur as we hilt travelled from behind her back to her palm and hissed to life. There was a sizzle when the rain met the plasma with each splatter, but she wasn't concerned. Her participation in Dac's liberation meant that her weapons had been upgraded to be waterproof.

"Alright Sword elect," the mistress cooed, holding her blade before her on an angle and letting her features bathe in it's blue glow "Let's see what you've got."

She was using only one blade in reverse grip, rather than her usual two. Obviously the Padawan was to be mercied.

@[member="Antares Windu"]

 

[Antares]

When he saw the lightsaber move to her hand he thought she sensed something hostile within the Force, and since she was so much more experienced and refined in the Force than he, he did the same thing and the azure beam was thrusted out of it's hilt and he watched his Master turn to him.

When he realized she was challenging him to a duel he brought hte lightsaber up to his face in the Makashi salute, and then he started towards, letting the Force control his movements and speed them. With an overhand cut he flicked his wrist, bringing the blue blade of the lightsaber to her lightsaber hand.

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

Kiskla didn't flinch at her apprentice's approach. Unwavering, she watched his practiced steps as his rugged attack took it's shape and mirrored a form she had once learned and now no longer utilized. Ever so slightly, her blade moved down an inch or two, two meet his oncoming sword nearer to his hilt than the centre. Both hands supported this counter, and Kiskla absorbed the strength of his attack in her elbows and shoulders, before sliding her lightsabre upward and along his until it neared the tip, when she brought the strength she had absorbed back around and leveraged his blade so that it was ponying downward. This maneuver brought them side by side, with Kiskla holding down his sword. Then, to get him to think about using more than just his lightsabre, she jut out her elbow toward his gut, and then snapped her arm upward to ram her fist into his jaw. If that worked, then he'd definitely have a ringing in his nose.

As insurance, the woman snapped her blade up and brought it in a swooping arc toward his right ribs, which would hopefully throw off his balance further; but it also exposed her left side for opportunity.

All of which, she was keenly aware.

@[member="Antares Windu"]

 

[Antares]

Several thoughts of how to defend himself crossed his mind when she had locked his lightsaber. Take the hits and riposte? A sweep kick so that they both fell down? And then all of those thoughts left his mind when his lightsaber deactivated within the lock, leaving her blade holding nothing and there was the faintest hints of a grin on his face before he stepped back and it almost disappeared when he took the elbow to the chest. But that wasn't it of course and before her fist could crash upwards into his nose he had already let himself continue backwards with her elbow's own momentum.

It was something that he would have done, a quick elbow, and then lifting up your arm to break their nose. No way was he falling for that one. What he didn't notice however was the blade arcing towards his ribs and when he raised his lightsaber to parry it, it burned through his outer robes, inner robes, and the first layers of his skin and flesh. But he didn't stop, once he had knocked her blade to the side he was in her space again and brought his lightsaber over his own head to try and bring it crashing down over her shoulder, in a maneuver to cleave her in two.

Whether it worked or not, Antares was always moving, his feet grounding in the muddy grown and he spun low, on his heels and when he had fallen into his crouch he brought the lightsaber up along her body vertically, from the bottom to the top. It was quite evident that trying to split people in half was something Antares was always trying to do. No prisoners, no mercy. Sai Tok, the one mark of contact that was looked down upon by Jedi. The one mark of contact that Antares always used.

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]