Private Through Suffering It Shall Bleed

[Revna]

Darth Strosius


She was quick to get to her feet, the extinguished lightsaber in her hand, as she followed Darth Strosius from their current room, stepping past the sliding doors a pace or two behind him, noticing his idle glance back to make sure she was there with him. He brought her to another room nearby that was very familiar to her; she’d been in this place quite a bit in the early days of her training, as she learned how to handle and properly use the weapons that the forces of Wonosa were trained on. It was also the location where she’d been introduced to the first fighting form while using a blade, and she’d practiced it so much that it had long since become muscle memory for her.

In that time since, she’d been introduced to the other lightsaber forms, partially from her Mentor and partially from Darth Malum.

As the harsh lights flickered on above them to light up the room, Revna made her way towards the sparring platform as directed and once there, she ignited her new lightsaber and took a few moments to get a feel for its weight, which was much lighter than the Sith sword she was used to.

“This does feel very different from the sword I’m used to using.” Revna replied to her Mentor who was beyond her, in response to his comment as she swung the blade in slashing motions that trailed a crimson arc in its wake.

Once upon a time, the young Sith would have felt uncomfortable or even shy practicing or going through her forms in front of someone else - but group training sessions had long since forced her over that anxiety, and now she fell into her usual rhythm with ease, taking a few extra moments to move through the patterns of the forms she knew, adjusting to the weight and presence of the flickering and crackling crimson blade that bathed her and her immediate surroundings with red light. It certainly would take her time to fully adjust to her new weapon, but she felt somewhat confident that she could at least handle the droids that were bound to come next.

There was certainly only one way to find out.

“I am ready to proceed, High Priest.” Revna said with a glance towards him as she took her ready position on the platform, the crackling blade extended before her as all her senses came to life, prepared and ready for the session to begin.

 

[Darth Strosius]

"To be expected, to go from a weighted proper blade to a lightsaber isn't always the smoothest of transitions. Luckily for you you're a quick learner." By now Darth Strosius had taught dozens of Sith to wield both swords and lightsabers, Revna would be no different. Ironically enough he himself had started with a lightsaber first and primarily used it long before he ever wielded a sword, something that gave him a somewhat unique perspective when it came to instruction and training and something that most definitely showed itself in how he wielded his weapons.

As she began swinging and adopting forms, his masked gaze idly ran over her movements with his usual scrutinizing gaze. She had clearly grown so much since her first lessons in dueling and the various forms, even while testing her new weapon she seemed entirely within her element and natural with her movements. He felt a sense of pride at how talented and skilled she had become after such a relatively short time under his and the wider cult's tutelage. He could only imagine how dangerous she would grow to be with a proper Sith weapon in her grasp as she had now.

He was very eager to see it.

"Loosen your wrist, you need not brace and account for weight anymore. Let your movements be fluid but strong, like writing or drawing." Darth Strosius offered little tips and pieces of advice as he observed her training, nothing too disruptive nor grandiose as she didn't need them but rather little tricks that would help her become better adjusted to the new weapon. The main difference wouldn't be in forms but rather in the movements themselves, in how one would slash or parry. That was what often tripped up new wielders.

At her statement of readiness he nodded and tapped on the control console, the lights above the stage coming on as six training droids rose from some compartment below and circled around Revna. They were the same simple spherical and blaster mounted droids that served to train reflexes and deflection, both of which were essential when wielding a lightsaber. "They're set on stun so have no fear if you miss a bolt or two." He always gave that same condolence, something to calm the nerves of the trainee.

"Begin." The droids began spinning around Revna in wide arcing orbits, letting loose quick bolts one after the other from various directions as the soared through the air. This was clearly the easiest setting however as they didn't fire at the same time, giving her plenty of time to defend one bolt before the next was even shot. As always however, the longer she went without being hit the more shots would be fired as the difficulty was gradually raised.

Revna

 

[Revna]

Darth Strosius


She couldn’t stop the small smile that creased her face when her Mentor said she was a quick learner; it was a point of pride for her, to a degree - though she did her best not to let it get to her head.

Revna could feel the Sith Lord’s eyes watching her every move as she practiced some of her movements and forms with the saber before the real testing could begin, but she did not let this pull at her focus. Once upon a time, such a watchful gaze would have made her feel self conscious but training with others and under the guidance of others had quickly forced her over that discomfort.

Her High Priest offered her little tips and tricks, such as loosening her wrist since she did not need to account for the weight of an actual sword and she responded to his advice, adjusting as she went.

The little Acolyte focused more closely on the feeling of the hilt in her hand, the weight - or rather, lack thereof - of it and how the saber itself moved through the air. There was next to no resistance, not like with a real blade. It was as if the red plasma blade sliced through the air like a hot knife through butter. She went through a series of the more basic Forms and their movements with the new adjustments, adapting and learning quickly. But she knew the next test would come when she actually struck something with the lightsaber; there was always resistance when using a real blade, and it took strength and power behind a strike to send the blade through armor, flesh, and bone. She was curious to see how a lightsaber would do against such things; if there was some resistance or if the blade simply cut through without much issue.

After announcing that she was ready, Darth Strosius tapped the control panel and released a series of training droids that she was very familiar with. A surge of excitement flooded through her when she heard that they were set to stun and she didn’t need to fear if she missed deflecting any bolts.

But she had no intention of being struck by any of them - being struck was not a pleasant experience even with the bolts set on stun mode. But that was the point.

Revna didn’t have to see all of the droids with her eyes, to know where they were. Her awareness of her surroundings, even with using the Force - had strengthened much since she had started her training. Of course, she still had plenty of room to grow and for improvement - but that was what she loved about these exercises.

Once the command to begin was given, Revna was all focus. The first handful of deflections with the crimson blade were made as if she was striking them with a sword, and the movements were a bit overzealous in their energy. But she recognized the issue quickly and adjusted as more bolts were fired her way.

She did miss a few bolts, and a couple just narrowly - but thankfully she was agile and her reflexes snappy. Revna kept her breathing timed and under control, and her focus was sharp and attentive. Soon, the only things that existed to her was the saber in her hands, and the droids firing down upon her. Faster the bolts came, and faster she moved to deflect and block, until she was moving fluidly and the blade flashing a lethal dance through the air, but the faster they came the more she seemed to be enjoying herself.

Joy rippled through the young Sith acolyte as she batted the bolts away; she’d longed to do this with her very own blade and now here she was enjoying the fruits of her labor. Maybe she would be blessed with a spar against her Mentor one day, she mused as she continued forward with the exercise.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Strosius watched with a silent yet no less scrutinizing gaze as the droids began firing upon Revna, tracking her movements and shifting in stances just as much as he was watching her blocking the incoming bolts themselves. Proper positioning and the ability to easily move one's limbs or twist the wrist in order to respond to multiple vectors of attack was just as crucial in blocking blaster bolts as it was in many other facets. Dueling was similarly methodical and tactful, requiring an adept understanding of one's own body mechanics just as much as it did knowledge of combat forms and techniques.

And just as Revna was clearly demonstrating, when one had all knowledge of such seemingly unimportant facets in hand then it certainly paid off. Even with an unfamiliar weapon in her grasp she was no less skilled and capable, quick to reel in her more expressive and unnecessary movements before they resulted in disaster. If only in this particular instance. Of course replicating actual battlefield conditions was all but impossible given how unique and individual each and every conflict was but the increasing difficulty of the droids could aid in preparation nonetheless.

Agility made up for her initial simple mistakes but they were both well aware that dodging the incoming barrages could only last for so long. When every droid would begin firing all at once in synchronization then blocking was the only real option. An intentionally designed issue of course, there were plenty of other tests that could hone agility after all. The droids steadily grew smarter as the dance of blocking and firing went on, moving around in more abstract manners and letting loose their bolts only when upon flanks or to draw fire from their comrades.

They were hardly a substitute for real tactics and organic soldiers firing at her but they were close enough for now. Although her lightsaber did mean that Revna would be able to participate in the few training sessions that Wonosan troops were put through, a chore that the masked man was sure she'd have no issue with. At the moment she simply seemed far too excited about wielding her new weapon to even care at all what task she was performing with it, yet this had no real impact on her ability to block the shots. Aside from the rather giddy expression on her face.

After a few minutes he finally tapped on the console once more to pause the incessant firing of the droids, with them all soon returning to their docking ports from whence they had emerged as he offered a short clap. "Very well done my dear. You've grown even more skilled with a blade than I had thought." He had been expecting her to perform well, as she always did, but with a new weapon in hand it was simply natural for some hiccups and mishaps to be experienced. Mistakes that could be corrected for and learned from easily enough. But this time it seemed as though she had out done herself.

For now.

"How does it feel to wield the weapon of a true Sith hm?" Darth Strosius had a suspicion that he already knew the answer but he was always curious to hear exactly how Acolytes framed their answers. Revna in particular was always one of the most expressive amongst her peers, ever the achiever. "You can handle yourself against common soldiers well enough it seems. But engaging in duels is another arena entirely." His hand, in full view of the younger Sith, idly hovered over another button. "Would you like to test your mettle against some proper opposition next?"

Revna

 

[Revna]

Darth Strosius ​

Revna blinked in mild confusion when the droids stopped firing on her and began to return to their holding ports, before she realized that the exercise was over and she returned to a more relaxed stance. She disengaging the crackling red blade as a wider smile crossed over her face upon hearing the clap of her Mentor, a dust of pink coloring her cheeks with his praise of her skills. She had been practicing a lot, but she was smart enough to know that she had a lot yet to learn when it came to fighting with a blade, especially a lightsaber.

Still, she felt a swelling of pride to hear the Sith Lord’s praise. To know that he was pleased with her progress meant a lot to her; she was working hard at trying to master the skills she needed to know as a Sith acolyte, skills that would allow her to move up in the world, her secret desire to one day be worthy enough to be his apprentice, and it seemed that her efforts were beginning to pay off.

Darth Strosius asked her how it felt for her to finally wield a true weapon of a Sith, and another proud, and somewhat bashful smile crossed her face.

“I…it is a hard feeling to describe. It feels…right. It feels like I’ve achieved something…of importance in my journey as an acolyte thus far. A milestone completed. I feel like I could take on the whole galaxy…but that is just me getting ahead of myself.” She finished with a hearty chuckle. “Just because I have my own lightsaber…doesn’t make me the greatest warrior out there with it.”

Revna returned her eager and attentive gaze to the masked Sith Lord as he explained that she could handle herself against common soldiers, or so it would seem…but he cautioned that facing a duel was another matter completely, and she felt herself nodding in understanding. She’d been in two duels thus far in her journey - one against a Jedi padawan, and the other against the Jedi clone…whom she had defeated in order to get the lightsaber in her hand. She knew just how challenging they were. A fight with another person wielding a blade took a different sort of focus.

The little Sith acolyte tilted her head as her golden-blue eyes flickered to his hovering hand, before she looked back at him and pondered on his question on if she would like to test her mettle against ‘proper’ opposition? Her heart suddenly started beating faster at all the possible scenarios that zipped through her mind.

“ ‘Proper opposition’ huh? I think you already know the answer to that, High Priest.” she finally responded, an eager expression on her face.

“So…what are you going to have me face next?”

 

[Darth Strosius]

"Not yet it doesn't no, but with passion comes the perseverance to acquire such skill." A lightsaber was often the 'final piece' when it came to Sith training from what he knew, the last part one had to claim before they could truly wear the moniker of Sith. At least in some instances. Revna had earned hers as all Sith should and as such it made sense for her to feel that way, to destroy a foe and wield their strength as your own was indeed a teaching as old as the blades themselves. "With enough determination no obstacle is insurmountable. Even the galaxy itself."

Darth Strosius grinned to himself as Revna rose to the challenge he presented, idly glancing down at the console as he pressed another button. "A pet project from one of our Battlelords, based off an ancient design used in an old war. One that reportedly was capable of felling Jedi in duels on equal footing." As he spoke another piece of the platform rose up to reveal a droid tucked into its charging port. It stepped out with surprisingly swift yet somewhat rigid movements as it stood and fixed its gaze upon the Sith.

"This is one of the prototypes of said project." The droid reached behind itself and retrieved an electrostaff from a mounting on its back, the ends crackling to life as it spun the staff around in its grip and assumed a defensive stance. "The archives indicate they were mostly deployed in pairs but I was insistent on preserving resources into more self-sufficient models. We can't exactly field dozens of these things like they did back then. Not at the moment at least."

The droid was clearly expensive and meticulous in design, far from the clunky models that the cult scavenged and modified for maintenance and other such tasks. This one was new and cleverly crafted, clearly agile and strong given its construction. Several 'scars' and dents marred its otherwise clean yet stark hull, evidence of past training sessions it seemed. "I was told that the best method to ensure a more deadly combatant in this regard would be to provide it with plenty of data to draw from. Thus far its performed admirably yet somewhat predictably but with each duel it seems all the more dangerous if its staff had any real shock to it." Of course its weapon was little more than a taser on a stick with the current settings.

"Do try and keep it in one piece, I rather like this one."

Revna

 

[Revna]

Darth Strosius
​

“ ‘Through passion, I gain strength’,” she replied softly, echoing a bit of the Sith Code that popped into her mind upon hearing from her Mentor that a passion to improve would drive her towards perseverance - which would only strengthen her skills over time. He further mentioned that, with enough determination…not even the galaxy was an impossible obstacle to overcome. Revna supposed that, with the right training and the proper dedication to her craft, she could achieve any goal.

And she had plenty of determination, that was something no one could deny. Sometimes her determination got her in trouble.

When she asked what he would have her face next, the Sith Lord glanced back at the console before him as he pressed another button, explaining that her next challenge was a sort of ‘pet project’ of one of the resident Battlelords, something that was based on some old design of the past that was supposedly capable of cutting down Jedi. The little acolyte became more and more curious as the seconds ticked by, but soon that curiosity was satisfied as a platform rose up to reveal a droid, tucked away within a charging port.

Revna eyed the droid with a mixture of wariness and excitement, and took a ready position when it came to life with swift but somewhat stiff movements. Her gaze remained steady upon it, even as Darth Strosius said further that it was a prototype, and shared a bit of information about it with her, and a far more serious expression came over her face when she watched it reach behind her back and produce an electrostaff, which it engaged to produce crackling electrical energy heads on either end.

Already her stormy eyes were roving over the body of the droid, looking for weak points or places that she could exploit. She had never really faced anything like this before this point, and it certainly would be a challenge - but one she could face and overcome. She noticed that it looked more expensive than the other service droids that were utilized by the cult, though this one did sport some dents and scratches on it that indicated it had been used in previous training exercises. It appeared to be strong, agile, and clearly capable of combat based on its defensive stance.

She was told that, so far, it had performed well but was still somewhat predictable - but with each duel it had been used in, it had adapted to become more dangerous. Of course, he did inform her that the electrostaff didn’t have any real shock to it, but she took that with a grain of salt. It wouldn’t have been the first time she’d been told something was less than what it actually was, in an effort to get her to lower her guard and learn a more valuable lesson.

Gone was her mirth and almost seeming joy she had displayed earlier. What her Mentor would see now was his acolyte shifting into her warrior form - concentrated and alert and ready to act or react at a moment's notice.

“I won’t make any promises.” She said in a low rumble to his request that she try to keep this in one piece, igniting the crimson blade of her new lightsaber as she took her own position and began to circle around the droid, watching as it followed her movements. When she felt she was ready, Revna made a quick step in towards the droid - not to attack it directly, but to test its defenses and reaction time.

 

[Darth Strosius]

"That you most certainly do." A smirk could be heard in his response to her little remark, his mask hiding what must have been a proud grin. Darth Strosius had trained dozens of Sith over the years, now more so than ever, and yet none quite managed to consistently impress him quite like Revna did. That was not to say that there was an altogether lack of talent of course, but rather that her attitude and demeanor kept enticing her forward on her own momentum rather than needing to rely purely on his instruction and direction.

It was certainly a nice change of pace if nothing else.

The droid and the Sith examined each other in turn, although Revna did have the advantage of having studied it a few moments before its activation. As durable and purpose built as it might have been it was still just a droid all things considered. Despite how fluid it was there was still a certain rigidity to its movements, overcorrections that were clearly made to imitate that of an organic's but were limited due to its construction. Even its pose and stance would be somewhat familiar to some of the first sparring lessons that Revna had underwent in the past.

Darth Strosius knew that such flaws in the droid's form and movements would be easily noticed and therefore easily exploited by the younger Sith but that would be a valuable lesson for the both of them really. Or it would be if the droid managed to survive the duel with its memory unit and processor intact. It was far less skilled than she was of course but if nothing else then it would be a more unique opponent than simply another Squire or Battlelord, and a good training experience against droids in general as well.

When she finally took a step forward it sprung at her in kind, the droid's Sith training was clearly displayed in its aggressive jab towards her core. It moved and struck in an almost uncannily similar manner to her fellow Sith, familiar yet laden with mechanical jerks and sweeps that betrayed its nature. Yet it moved with such a determined and calculated approach that the mechanical limitations could almost be attributed as advantages rather than weaknesses. What it lacked in fluidity and agility it made up for with surprising speed and accuracy, almost wielding itself like a weapon rather than a combatant.

Revna

 

[Revna]

Darth Strosius
​

The droid reacted almost at the same moment she did, making a calculated jab at her core with one of the electrified ends of its staff, a strike that the young Sith instantly parried then shifted to block a secondary strike made towards her face. For the next few seconds, Acolyte and droid traded blows, skillful blocks and quick parries - all the while, Revna continued to study her non-organic opponent, recognizing the programmed fighting style…one that she was able to match and keep up with, despite the droid’s surprising amount of speed and strength.

But Revna simply had the upper hand, being made of flesh and quicker reflexes, and she was far more agile than her metallic aggressor, though there were a few close calls, made more from her own error of judgment than anything. Her new lightsaber crackled and spat angrily each time it crossed or struck the electrostaff in the droid’s hands, and its fiery red glow bathed her in its light, giving her a rather fierce aura.

Revna ducked a swing at her head and spun gracefully just out of reach, tilting her head as she continued to watch and study the droid, even as it continued to press in on her. A bead of sweat dripped down her temple, produced not from stress or anxiety but from simple exertion.

Her Mentor had wanted the droid spared, if possible. Kept in one piece so it could be utilized for another training session. She wanted to respect that wish, and so she knew she had to figure out another way to neutralize it without cutting it to smithereens.

She blocked and parried another series of jabs and slashes made towards her, another little thrill racing across her skin upon hearing the crackle of her lightsaber, as Revna tried to find a solution to her little problem. That was when an idea struck her, and she tilted her head to one side in consideration as she spun out of the reach of a vicious stab towards her gut.

She would need to get close though to test the idea that had come to her, dangerously close. Revna narrowed her eyes in scrutiny as she skirted around the droid, letting it follow her, and waiting for the opportune moment to strike. As she did so, she began to open herself up to the energy of the Force, pulling it in towards her core - almost as if she was charging up.

Revna then placed herself in a defensive position, saber held out before her, and let the droid come in on her with an offensive attack. It whirled its electrostaff in a flashy display meant to distract, but she kept her eyes focused on its center, waiting. And the moment it committed to its strike, the young Sith woman blocked and with the quickness of a striking viper, she used her free hand to snag a hold of the droid and instantly unleashed the Force energy that had been building up within her in a surge of bluish-purple Sith lightning, hoping that onrush of electrical energy would overload the droid and fry its computing center, thus shutting it down without her needing to cut it to pieces.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Much like the Sith that had trained it, the droid was relentless in its attacks on Revna. Of course she was able to avoid or deflect everything that it had to throw at her without too much trouble but it was rather easy to see how effective it would be against someone less capable. Knowing the tactics and forms of the Battlelords as well as her own experience meant that so long as she wasn't too comfortable then she'd be just fine, but the threat of being too slack and getting caught for it was always there.

Darth Strosius noticed the speed and agility difference between the two combatants, one that was to be expected of course but one that was still noteworthy. The droid was powerful in its movements but sluggish and easy to dance around once one recognized its patterns of attack. A factor that would definitely need to be tweaked if this little project was meant to be challenging during training sessions or provide any real threat to Sith or Jedi. Agility and dexterity could often prove deciding factors in a duel and both of those were lacking in the droid.

He noted it down as Revna kept up her duel with the droid, trading and avoiding strikes as the both of them attempted to outmaneuver the other. She would have the obvious advantage in that regard but the droid was meant to be taught and learn from sparring sessions like this, and with each blocked or parried blow it was starting to learn how best to counteract Revna's own defenses. It was ultimately a being of attrition. It would not tire, it would not falter due to injury, and it wouldn't stop until ordered to.

Eventually it would learn her style and technique and be able to effectively counter it, but time wasn't on its side this time. Revna's risky maneuver to shock the droid into submission proved more than enough to disable it. Bolts arced up its metal frame as it spasmed and twitched then slumped over, falling to the ground with a great clang and leaving the Sith Lord to pause as he typed something on a datapad before clapping. "Well done Revna! You handled it perfectly."

While the droid itself may not have been too much of a threat it was how she had gone about facing and dispatching it that really mattered. Early on she had identified its weaknesses compared to her strengths and made it play into her hand, keeping the momentum of the fight squarely in her corner even when she was on the defensive. Disabling it rather than cutting it apart like it might have normally been was more than likely more for his sake but he counted it towards her intelligent dueling all the same.

Revna

 

[Revna]

Darth Strosius
​

Just as she predicted - the droid was not stout against electrical surges. Arcs of her lightning danced along the metallic frame of the droid body and it grew stiff and spasmed as the electricity coursed through its wirings and processing units, overloading every part of it enough to completely disable it.

When the droid slumped, Revna disengaged and stepped back and watched as it collapsed with a loud metallic clang that echoed through the chamber. She was still staring at it when she heard the sounds of clapping, and the praise of her Mentor sent a happy rush through the young Acolyte. Pride filled her, and shined in her partially golden-blue eyes as she looked up at Darth Strosius.

It never got old, seeing and hearing him applaud her efforts. It only made her want to do more. Perhaps that was why he did such things in the first place.

A slight sting of heat pulled her attention back to the saber in her hand, still ignited and humming with a low and ominous tone. She lifted it before her, holding it vertically in front of her face, listening to the sound of it and letting its red glow illuminate her. A faint frown creased her forehead as she began to smell warm metal; the hilt was warm in her hand…perhaps warmer than it should have been.

Exhaling slowly, Revna located the hidden ignition switch and pressed it, and the red light faded away with an almost reluctant hiss. She lifted her gaze and her attention back to the Sith Lord beyond her - doing her best to ignore the throbbing pain that radiated through her ribcage. All the movements had really begun to aggravate the freshly broken ribs in her chest, sustained in her fight with the Jedi clone just a couple days prior.

Still, she was ever eager to see what more her High Priest had for her. She’d run herself into the ground to prove herself to him, if he let her.

“Well, seems I found a way to spare your droid. Though I'm not sure if its computing center is fried or not. On another note, the blade felt…good…in my hand throughout all of that. It could use some tweaking in the future I’m sure, and towards the end the hilt was getting a bit…warm. But overall it seems to be holding up just fine.” She paused briefly, before adding: “Is there anything else you’d like to test me on, High Priest?”

 

[Darth Strosius]

The Sith Lord stepped onto the platform and grabbed the now deactivated droid, pulling it up from the heap that it had collapsed into and dragging it back into the rack which it had emerged from. "I will need to inform its maker that it might need some new wiring, but other than that it seems very intact indeed." Nothing that a bit of welding and some new parts couldn't fix and therefore nothing that he was too worried about in regards to repairing the droid.

Upgrading its programming and movement capability would be another matter but one that could be saved for a proper development meeting regarding the project. Between Revna putting it through its paces and the other sparring sessions that it had been through they should be able to tweak and modify it to suit its designed role fairly well. Still, given the gap in prowess he did wonder if perhaps focusing on simply producing more of the droids was a solution to the issues it had already. Something to test another day for sure.

He chuckled at her assessment of the droid but did perk up a bit when she mentioned the hilt growing hot, his gaze snapping back to Revna in sight concern. "That is most definitely an issue. I'll have to take a look and see what might be causing that issue, perhaps a power limiter of some kind would be best after all." The last thing she needed was part of her hilt or especially the emitter itself melting during combat. "Either that or changing around the material there I suppose."

Darth Strosius clicked his tongue at her question and seemed to hesitate a moment before shaking his head. Her blade's heating issue needed to be addressed but that could be saved for later. She had quite the day even before the bleeding and sparring session had occurred, there was no need to rush what could very well be a simple fix. "No, you've performed well today Revna. You've earned some rest and some time to contemplate on your new weapon." He needed time to arrange a proper sparring session with a Battlelord anyway, so that Revna could experience true lightsaber dueling.

"You may return to your quarters." He paused, then corrected himself. "You should return to your quarters and ease your body and mind of the day's events. Reflect and relax until our next meeting."

Revna

 

[Revna]

Darth Strosius
​

Revna listened and watched her Mentor pick up the droid and return it to the hidden rack from where it had originated. She was relieved to hear that, at least in his eyes, the damage was minimal and easily rectified. However, when she mentioned the hilt growing hot in her hand, the Sith Lord’s gaze snapped towards her.

Apparently, her admittance about that had brought up some concerns, stating that such a thing was indeed an issue and that he would have to take a look at it. He mentioned a power limiter, or swapping around the materials within to help mitigate the issue.

“Maybe an exhaust vent might be good too…” Revna murmured thoughtfully as she gazed down at the hilt in her hand. It was her first built lightsaber…it was bound to have issues that needed to be tweaked here and there. She had a feeling in the back of her mind that she would be tearing apart and rebuilding this saber multiple times.

The Sith Lord pondered her final question for a moment, whether he had something else he wanted her to do or not, and she lifted her gaze back to that reflective mask of his as she waited patiently for his decision. He almost seemed as if he was weighing some options, but eventually made up his mind.

Revna dipped her head in a short bow as a way of accepting his stated comment that she had performed well and should go and rest. It had been an eventful day; truthfully, it had been an eventful week. She’d gone travelling, visited someone, tracked down and slayed a Jedi Clone, claimed a saber…bled two crystals, rebuilt said lightsaber…and had gone through a sparring session.

She was tired. She was sore. And she was hungry.

Normally she would balk or even fight her Mentor when he wanted her to rest, but this time she didn’t offer any sort of resistance or rebellion. Not even a hint of her usual sassy self peeped through.

“As you wish, High Priest.” Revna responded quietly as he told her to go back to her quarters, to rest and reflect upon everything that had transpired. She had a lot to think about anyway; the fresh memories of her recent killings she needed to come to terms with. She was a child-slayer now; there was no running nor escaping that fact, that truth, about herself.

Revna offered the Sith Lord a respectful dip of her chin before she attached the now cooled saber hilt to her belt and turned away to begin making her way back towards the Cathedral. The thought of being able to sleep in her own bed after a week of being away, was just too tempting to ignore any longer, and she looked forward to her rest. Maybe when she awoke next, she could start the process of repairing or changing out some parts in her new lightsaber.