To Become More

[Akabane Jarvik]

[member="Darth Metus"]

The young and determined Akabane found himself on Geonosis, a dry planet dominated by deserts. Geonosis not only had a rough terrain but also had a long and hard history that would appeal to most people. Akabane didn't know about it though, he was there upon request. He read books as a child about other planets but Geonosis didn't pop up much in his library. Due to this he didn't waste his time while on the planet after completing his task.

Akabane wasn't much of an explorer. Although exploration did sound like fun in his mind, the climate changed that thought. The atmosphere felt extremely different on Geonosis compared to Naboo. Fortunately for him, he did arrive on the planet in his ship so he could go inside if it bothered him too much. He took the time to travel towards a large mesa feeling adventurous. Wind would aid him in getting on top of the massive piece of land.

At the top of the mesa he could see for miles in every direction. Rubble from various things were scattered all across the lands. He wondered what battles took place on the planet. Another thing he wondered was if people live here. Akabane didn't see anyone since he first landed so this really got him thinking. He sat down with his legs crossed to relax for a moment.

 

[Malok]

A Master gives only one thing to his Apprentice.

As Akabane ascended to the apex of the mesa, a telepathic growl would echo in his mind. The voice, that of his Master, had a vital message to impart to the young man. Here, on the desolate sands of Geonosis would he be made something greater. Here, [member="Akabane Jarvik"] would begin his training. Of course, this did not mean enrollment into an Academy or benign lessons under the stars. No. This meant learning the very same as his Master decades prior...through Survival.

When he comes of age and might, a Master names his Apprentice.

From where he stood, Akabane would be able to see movement. Amidst the dust scattered upon the wind was a figure, garbed in black. A hood shrouded his face from view. His steps were slow. Deliberate. And Akabane would feel him, even at this distance. An icy cold in the pit of his stomach. A vicious Dread as the Sith Lord approached. His Master had come, and now his training began.

All else is Earned. All else is Taken. Come and earn your Blade.

Snap. Hiss. A crimson saber ignited within the Sith Lord's grasp. A Lightsaber made for Akabane. The challenge was simple: Come and Take It.

 

[Akabane Jarvik]

[member="Darth Metus"]

The voice of a familiar person filled his mind as he was in sitting position, still analyzing the empty planet. It was Metus. Darth Metus, or master to him, was a mysterious individual that he met due to a chain of events. His presence in the force was incredible, as expected of his master. At times, Akabane feared that part about him. That was most likely because of his little knowledge about the "invisible" power.

Kro Varians had a history of distrust in such powers. Their abilities worked with the elements of fire, water, earth, and wind, which were for the most part physical applications of the force. Akabane naturally had this feeling within himself, although he didn't take it so seriously. For him to become stronger and serve a purpose he needed to learn how to use the invisible force after all. In his path of becoming a sith. He stood up and seen a figure slowly approaching. A smirk formed on his face. How bold... how exciting!

Akabane's mind was in confusion. Starting from when his master got into his head, to making an entrance worth praising, to when a red blade pierced the air around him. He dropped down from the mesa, breaking his fall with wind. "You challenge me to take that from you?" he said laughing quietly to himself. At the moment a battle had started and while it excited him, fear got the best of him. He froze in place while looking at the dark sith lord.

He wondered if his wind shaping would be something his master could counter. Not that he planned on using fatal attacks. The task was to take a weapon away from the user. No, not a user, a man of great power. Changing the wording would bring caution to his actions. Akabane got a hold of himself and altered his stance.

"Here's a taste of Clan Jarvik, master." the wind would change dramatically. Akabane put his hand up into the air, particles forming around it. The attack was swift and a special technique taught to him. Accelerating wind flow in a certain direction or a focused point. In this attack the wind was concentrated on Metus. Of course, even he knew such a simple type of attacking wouldn't work. Not on his master.

 

[Malok]

In any other situation, the Sith Lord would have moved.

He could feel the Power rising within his Apprentice. He could feel the movement of the Force as the very wind was bent to his command. And although Darth Metus could not see it visibly, he knew a strike was coming. Experience demanded that the Sith preserve his own skin - to utilize his jetpack or to leap away from his current position. Knowledge demanded that he did not expend his energy in grand displays from the get-go, but rather conserve his best until the time demanded it. However. Darth Metus needed to push his student to his limits. To command the Wind was mighty in of itself...but it was not enough to stop a Sith Lord. It was not enough to earn his saber.

And so the Sith Lord stood fast.

As the wind whipped forward, Darth Metus' fist rose. He looked deep within himself - a tactic that had become practically instinct over the decades - until he found those old wounds. He stared at his failures. He stared at his lost desires. He stared at his own weakness. He felt...Fury. White. Burning. The Sith Lord used this anger as fuel, commanding the Dark Side to his whim. At once, power shrieked forth from him: a Telekinetic wall which exploded forth from Darth Metus' outstretched fist. It collided with the winds headon, scattering dust and debris everywhich way. And as they clashed, Darth Metus advanced.

Look at yourself. Look at your failures. Look at your pain. Look at your weakness. Have you not lost? Have you not felt pain in your very soul? LOOK AT YOURSELF! Use that pain. EMBRACE it. These winds are not your ally - the Dark Side is! Summon it to your call. Strike back with EVERYTHING you have!

[member="Akabane Jarvik"]

 

[Akabane Jarvik]

[member="Darth Metus"]

Akabane felt joyous when his master destroyed the wind with his tremendous power. The force powers he possessed were on a different level than that of his wind shaping. Still, if a power is used correctly it can surpass others with effort. He didn't count on that fact though. The expression he wore on his face changed from happy to serious.

This battle seemed difficult, he would stand and think for a moment about what to do. Eyes focused on the light emitting from the weapon he thought of an idea. The short version of the plan was: use wind to knock sand and dirt around Metus' body. Hopefully this would allow him to swiftly get to and grab the lightsaber. However, he wasn't sure how his master performed in close quarters combat. Underestimating the sith lord would be Akabane's demise.

The young man started the attack but stopped when he heard the voice of his master. Stopping in place, he listened carefully. What Metus told him to do made Akabane think once again. He would listen to his words and think. Akabane disagreed with his master about the wind not being an aN ally, though he would do as told.

In his past there were defiantly many times where he suffered. Letting all them memories release from his mind, he started to feel angry. He thought about when his friends, family, and everyone in the village were murdered by savages. Memories of life with his real family were locked away, thats where the real pain was at. He felt some sort of frustration sometimes and didn't realize why, that is it. He couldn't remember.

Hand raised and aimed at Metus, Akabane released all force energy that he could gather. Thoughts about his life continued to linger in his mind. Through his training so far, simple force techniques benefited him the most. He was confident in his simple attack even if it was a little sloppy. Akabane got into a defensive stance being cautious, assuming his master would attack back eventually.

 

[Malok]

Yes...

The hiss of the Sith Lord's presence echoed within the mind of Akabane. It was a goading force, one that served to magnify the budding anger within the young man. Darth Metus did not busy himself with invade the finite thoughts of his apprentice; there was no need. Upon the first day that they met, the Sith Lord felt all that he needed to feel. He knew that the boy had tasted the cold slap of life time after time after time. He knew that the boy had been trampled underfoot by agony. And that was his power - an endless sea of despair that could be turned into fuel.

Yes! Strike me down! Prove yourself worthy!

This was Akabane's moment.

A pure and primal instance of the Dark Side, bent to the young man's will. This was why the Sith Lord did not place much stock in the fanciful techniques in combat. This was why the Dark Side succumbed as it did. Primal Instinct always produced the best results. And, although sloppily executed, power Shrieked from [member="Akabane Jarvik"]. Darth Metus outstretched his arms, making no attempt to defend himself thus. He wanted to taste of his Apprentice's unrelenting force. He wanted to know just how strong the young man was.

And he was not disappointed.

The telekinetic wall slammed into the Sith Lord with a mighty thud. Dust kicked into the air, whipping all about as to obscure Darth Metus from view. And, although Akabane could not see it at this point, the Sith was pushed back. His footing was lost. His body was plucked up and sent hurtling back a handful of feet before landing on his posterior. And Metus...laughed. "Yes! YES! That's it! Your breeze couldn't accomplish this, but your anger did. Look where I sit Akabane. Look how you have laid low a mighty Sith Lord!"

He would give his apprentice a moment to enjoy the taste of his minor victory. Yet the battle was not won. The saber yet clung within Darth Metus' hand, and Akabane had yet to claim it.

"But I still have this. Come and get it."

 

[Akabane Jarvik]

[member="Darth Metus"]

"What?" he said surprised when Metus held his arms out before the telekinetic force crashed into him. This move was unexpected and he held his defensive form prepared for a counter attack. Akabane didn't know what to think of the action his master took just now, but it interested him. Now, defeating Metus would be even more rewarding. Well, defeating him in the challenge.

Akabane couldn't help but get even more angry when he heard the wind being put down. The dark power within him certainly did take down his master for a brief moment. However he believed that the wind could make a similar result if he used his brain. That's something he wanted to be made clear. The power of wind shaping was mysterious and not to be underestimated. Not even his people knew everything about it.

A grin formed on his face as he thought of an idea. He'll kill me for sure he said in his mind. The plan was pretty simple like his other one, though it might drain his energy if he's not careful. He looked at the sith lord that took on his force energy head on. Will it work?

"Master, I'm not sure if I can take that by using the force... but that won't stop me from taking it from you." he stared at Metus before starting another attack again. Akabane aimed at his master ready to shoot. In a split second he released a burst of force energy at Metus. Whenever the attack was either deflected or stopped, at the right time, wind would come down at full speed at Metus' hand holding the lightsaber. This technique altered the wind's properties to where it could pass through an object, like a cut. The plan to distract, attack, and extract. Would it work?

 

[Malok]

"Give it your all."

For a moment, the Sith Lord was focused on the wrong aspect of his pupil. He was goading and pushing the young man to focus on raw power - in that moment that followed, he did not place emphasis upon Akabane's resourcefulness. Darth Metus was almost certain that, having seen the success of the telekinetic assault, that his Apprentice would have focused upon more primal tactics moving forward. And for a second, he was correct. A shriek of telekinetic might came crashing forward again - although significantly diminished compared to the first. This time, Metus responded in turn, a scoff of half-disappointment escaping his lips in response to the assault's strength.

A wave of his hand saw the telekinetic assault countered with one of his own. Yet in that instant of collision...

The Wind.

It felt as though a jetstream came rushing onto the Sith Lord's hands, painfully ripping his fingers free of the Lightsaber's hilt. The weapon was then carried through by the momentum of the wind, blasting past and into the sands of Geonosis. The Sith, then, was left...gaping. That...didn't go as anticipated, not in the slightest. Yet, that was a good thing. Akabane was full of surprises. Akabane was worthy.

Darth Metus' hands came together in an earnest clap. Then another. Then another.

"Go. Collect your prize. You've earned it."

[member="Akabane Jarvik"]

 

[Akabane Jarvik]

[member="Darth Metus"]

The attack... was successful! Akabane thought the plan wouldn't go as it did, but the distraction worked. He felt happy that he won the challenge and walked over to the weapon as his master clapped. Having accomplished this many thoughts popped up into his mind. One of many being a memory of when he lost in a practice duel, not only the match but his foot as well. This time didn't go like that but he could only imagine what Method was like when serious. Thinking about it made him feel uneasy.

Akabane picked it up and wrapped his hand around the saber, gripping the hilt tightly before activating it. The noise it produced was hideous. This weapon wasn't to his liking although he liked the idea of having it for insurance. He looked over at his master holding it up and grinning, "This thing really mine?" he asked. Akabane looked at the weapon with much interest. Nothing like it was seen on Kro Var, unless a foreigner wielded it. He waved the lightsaber around examining the blade before shutting it off.

This small victory was a good start for Akabane, even if it wasn't achieved by using just the force. He walked towards his master until they stood a few feet away. "I'm amazed I got this by using a cheap trick like that." he said looking at the saber in his hand. "However I'm glad it was wind that struck your hand. I'll try my best to do otherwise next time." he said knowing relying on wind as a sith wouldn't let him grow in power.