Kenneth Trekina

Kenneth listended to the words of the wise master. It was information he agreed with to an extent, however the descriptions of the Sith Code seemed more to fit with what he believed. He was sure Aryian could sense this in him, the potential for peace had long ago left this man. Disrupting the serenity of the room Ken's comm beeped loudly. A message came in, one he had been waiting on for a long time. The other two would be able to sense the urgency it stirred in him. "Master Aryian I am very gracious for your hospitality and brief instruction. However something extremely important has come up and I need to leave. I hope you understand." Kenneth bowed and left them. Within an hour he was packed and on his ship, heading off in to space.

Kenneth felt his connection to the Force diminish ever so slightly. Aryian had stopped helping and the effect was noticeable. It was however not catastrophic. Kenneth was no greenhorn when it came to things. His resentments and hatred of the Jedi stemmed from this fact. He had performed just as well as the other padawans in his class but was never chosen as an apprentice. He had no formal training in the Dark Side but its lessons came to him naturally. Hatred and emotion fueled his connection to the Force further, allowing him to tighten his grip on the stones. As memories of rejection flooded his mind the Force flowed through him like lightning. The rocks he continued to hold spun more quickly around each other. He heard the Master's question but for some reason just wasn't aware that it was time to drop the stones. The Jedi Code. The core of the order that had betrayed and abandoned him. Of course he remembered it. How could one forget something that had been repeated day after day for decades. Kenneth's connection to the Dark Side grew stronger as he prepared to recite the code. He spoke out in a matter of fact tone. Those practiced in the Force, the other two in the room, would be able to sense the hatred behind his stoicism. "There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity." The lines were becoming increasingly more difficult for Kenneth to speak. They seemed so hypocritical to him. "There is no chaos, there is harmony." At this point Kenneth was beginning to lose it. Harmony? What a ridiculous idea. There had been no harmony in his life, but chaos he had known with certain. No emotion? He knew emotion. Fear, anger, hate. They were his allies now, the only way he had stayed alive. With great difficulty Kenneth spoke the final lines of the code. "There is no death..." He paused for a brief moment pondering the lie of this line. There was death. He had tasted it, delivered it with joy by his own hands. "There is the Force." As he completed the final line of the mantra he so despised his hatred took over. He lost control of the Dark Side flowing through him. His face took on a visible pain showing the throbbing in his head. Within seconds the rocks still in his grip tremored and exploded into dust, utterly destroyed. As powder fell to the ground Kenneth opened his eyes, trying to piece together what had just happened. He had felt the Dark Side before but never had it moved him to a visible display of power. He breathed heavily, looking towards Ariana and then focusing his eyes on the Grey Master.

Kenneth nodded in acknowledgement. He slowed his breathing and allowed the Force to flow through. Calmly and steadily he looked for another stone with his inner eye. He felt out through the Force and picked another one up off the ground. Instantaneously the rock he previously held in balance dropped to the floor. "Crap," he muttered with visible annoyance. But he wasn't ready to give up. The atmosphere in this place, the flow of the Force, added strength to his own. Still holding the second rock he closed his eyes. Seeing only through the veil of the Force he reached out for the first stone. He saw its sillouhette and slowly lifted it off the ground. Allowing his mind to multitask he soon held both rocks in the air. He opened his eyes and began to twirl them around the other. Kenneth began to realize that the task wasn't really about lifting separate rocks but more so realizing that the rocks were one. It was all one, himself included. His mind didn't need to separate tasks in such a way, it only needed to see the deeper truth that the Force was everywhere and every thing. Whether these realizations were arrived at on his own, or drawn from the Grey Master's own experience, didn't really matter. They were Kenneth's now.

Kenneth listened intently, soaking in the conversation, adding what he heard to his knowledge banks. This was exactly what he had hoped for, new perspectives. He wanted to show the Master what he could do, so with a bit of concentration he slowly lifted a rock off the ground. He was able to bring it to eye level, hover it there, and move it around a bit. He was proficient enough in this skill to also be able to speak, but more than one rock would be too much. "I can do this," he stated, spinning the rock a bit. "What I've learned since leaving the Jedi has been more about surviving. I can manipulate, convince, but only to those whose minds are weak or open to suggestion."

Kenneth wondered why the young woman felt the need to mock her. In all actuality she most likely simply joking with him, something Kenneth hadn't experienced in a while. It left him with a bit of disdain but that was how he viewed most who weren't himself. He could see how being able to see with the Force would have advantages but might be a bit boring. The prospect of seeing her eyes was one he wanted to take her up on. There was little that disturbed him at this point in his life. The sights he had seen, the mutilations taken place at his own hand had left him this way. Before he could take her up on this she was gone, as was Aryian. The way of life here seemed one of a gradual pace, and so he finished his meal without rushing. When he was done he went looking for Master Aryian. Kenneth was able to feel out through the Force but hadn't honed these skills by any means. After wandering into a few random rooms in the general vicinity of the shadow hermit he found him sitting in a room, twirling objects through the air. Training with the Jedi in his youth he had learned only the very basics of telekinesis. He could weakly move about one object at a time and was impressed and intrigued by the ability to do many with easy. "How is it you do that?"

At this point in his life Kenneth felt no need to prove himself to anybody. He had no loyalties except himself and was here purely to further his own cause. Whatever cause that may be still needed determining, but it would be his own. Allegiances would only tie him down. He knew what he needed to learn and that was a basic understanding of the abilities Force practitioners use. If this man had experience with both sides that was all the better. He nodded in agreement, waiting for the woman to speak.

Kenneth continued to eat, savagely ripping a piece off meat off of a bone he held in his hand. The pleasures of having taste buds, and having servants kill and prepare prey for him. He enjoyed it but did not take it for granted. Those at the top needed those at the bottom, and vice versa. At the mention of his name he held up a hand in agreement, a sort of wave, "Yes, I am Kenneth," he answered after swallowing a bit of food. After the master's question he inquired, noting that there were others in the Force here, "Do you train many here Master Aryian?" He looked again back at the girl. Kenneth could sense, in the faintest way, that she was able to see him through her bandages. "What happened to your eyes?"

"Guidance will do just fine. Only the wise accept instruction." Kenneth continued to eat his meal, which was near it's end, as the young woman entered their company. He couldn't help but look her up and down. She seemed about his age, maybe a bit younger, and nearly naked. A band covered her eyes. Flesh pleasures had become a problem for him, often taking whatever he wanted whether it was welcome or not, and he knew it was something he had to work on. He looked at her again, and then back to Aryian. "Who's your friend?"

Kenneth knew why he had came, although he didn't know if it was a realistic expectation. "Balance," he replied. "I come seeking balance in the Force. In myself." "I grew up with the Jedi, I don't remember much before that." Kenneth's face turned to a scowl remembering the life he used to lead. "But they left me behind, disappeared from the temple without so much as a see you later. When I returned from a mission that those bastards had sent me on, they were gone. I vowed to have my revenge." Kenneth sighed, "But the years I spent alone, tapping into the Dark Side without any guidance left me hollow. I feel like a shell. I feel like I have no purpose. So I decided to do something differently. I began to try and deny my flesh pleasures, with great difficulty I might add. One thing I do remember from my youth is the importance of accepting instruction when instruction is needed. There were whispers of a former Jedi Master and Sith Lord who had found balance in the middle ground of the Force. I did what I had to to find out more, and I believe I have found him." Kenneth stared across the table at Aryian. He senses no other masters of the Force in the complex and assumed the man sitting across from him was the one he had learned of.

Kenneth didn't say anything when the man bumped into him. He looked at him with little emotion. Over the years his ability to feel certain things had diminished. The man was strong in the Force, that Kenneth could sense. And so, he followed him in. As the two journeyed through the main hall Kenneth gazed at the statues lining the corridor. They reminded him of the temple he inhabited in his old life. When Aryian headed into the cafeteria Kenneth followed. He was indeed hungry and it was nice to have something to eat other than the meager rations he had kept on him for the trip. His ability to gain joy from the simple things such as food and company had lessened over time, but the smell of freshly prepared animal, one that he didn't even need to slaughter himself, tempted him. He grabbed a plate and sat down across from the Grey Master. In between bites of food, something they were both focused on, he finally spoke. "My name is Kenneth. Is this the place I have been looking for?" The young man didn't need to expand. If it was indeed then Aryian would know what he had been referring to.

Kenneth sat in reflection as the auto pilot of his ship carried him to his destination. He reflected back on his life and the events that had brought him to his current state of affairs. It all started innocent enough. At a very young age he was discovered by the Jedi, ferried away from his family to join their ranks. As peasants it had been an honor for them and so they saw fit to turn their son over to the greater good. In his mind now he considered it his first betrayal, a polite form of slavery. But as a young boy he looked on it as an adventure. He was happy to go and join the fabled ranks of the Jedi. For years he trained and learned in their temple. He watched as one by one his friends were all picked up by Knights as apprentices. But not Kenneth, he was never the chosen one. Finally, after years, the Masters had assigned him his own mission. It was small, nothing too daunting for a padawan, a minor rescue of a dignitary from a band of motley criminals. Kenneth was glad to have the duty and carried out his task with skill. Months later when he returned to the temple he found it evacuated, devoid of all life and the Jedi. They had abandoned him. Left him to survive on his own. And survive he did. The young almost-Jedi relied on the minor skills he had learned to sustain himself. He used mind tricks on the extremely weak minded, brute force on the physically weak. Eventually he would commit his first murder. He would soon fall in love with the lure of the Dark Side, continuing down this path without any guidance except the Force. He lived the life of a rogue, a criminal, getting his rocks off wherever he could. The Dark Side proved a welcome haven, strengthening him as he honed his physical abilities and became more in touch with his anger. He hated the Jedi, vowed to destroy them all. But years of this had taken its toll on Kenneth. Just as being a slave to the light had left him meaningless so now had the Dark Side. He needed balance. The young man had spent time gathering information in all the right places. He accepted that in order to find this order he would need to find someone to train him in the grey, the line between the sides of the Force. Only then would he find the balance that would allow him to leave in peace amongst the shadows of the Force. Intel he had collected rumored of a Shadow Master living in isolation on Mechis. If this were true Kenneth would find him. Over the years he had grown stronger in the Force. He would use this connection to seek out the man, or perhaps he himself would be found. As his ship began to beep he realized that his destination was near. Taking manual controls he brought the ship down through the planet's atmosphere. It was now he hoped that the coordinates he had killed for would be correct. Sure enough there was something there where he could land. Kenneth could not be sure but he felt the faintest flickers of the Force emanating from the place. He landed his ship without resistance and exited heading into the structure.

A small transport exits hysperspace above the desert planet of Tattooine. Kenneth has never been to the sandy world but has heard legends of crime and extravagence coming from the isolated port of Mos Eisley. It has been rumored to be the most "wretched hive of scum and villainy" in the galaxy. A place most fitting for Kenneth and his ways. This would perhaps be a good base of operations to build a name for himself as a mercenary. The Jedi has shunned him so they would be his primary objective, hutning them for bounty. He brought his ship down in a local hangar and made his way to the streets. The bustle of city life was something he was used to and enjoyed. There were plenty of people going about their daily lives, perfect victims for him to take advantage of. Spotting a shady looking cantina he decided to stop in and get a drink. He took a seat at the bar and ordered himself a beverage.

Kenneth's transport exited hyperspace not far from where he remembered the old Jedi academy to be located. The ship landed a bit outside of the area to avoid detection from the Jedi scum who had once abandoned him. As he walked he felt none of the familiar presence of the Force, of the Jedi, that had once been here. Upon his arrival at the location of the old praxeum he found it an abandoned pile of rubble. "Good," he scoffed, "they got what was coming to them." Kenneth wandered over to where the original main entrance gate once stood. He opened his fly and began to urinate on the charred remains of the temple. "Stupid Jedi."

Kenneth sat in silence on the transport that was to take him to Coruscant. He had swindled enough money in his various affairs to purchase a one way ticket. He had heard whispers of those who used the Force but not as the Jedi do. Word was the Sith had a temple there that welcomed all those who were angry and full of hate. Ken sought out his companions, those whom had embraced the pain in their souls and used it to power themselves. He sought to learn these ways from those with more experience. As he rested in a quiet corner he reflected on his own hatred. The Jedi has abandoned him and left him a beggar and thief. Well, only for a short while, until Ken had learned to abuse the Force for his own gain.

It had been a few months since the attack on the temple. Kenneth had taken off into the woods when the fires started. He had given into fear and allowed his emotions to get the best of him. The shame was too much for him. When he had finally gained the courage to return he had found the temple empty. The Jedi, his only family, had abandoned him. He felt feelings of pain and anger. How could the Jedi have completely vanished without even looking for him? The young Jedi-no-more had taken to the streets of the capital city. The powers he had once practiced under the teachings of Jedi Masters he now used simply to survive. He learned to steal, to cheat, to lie and manipulate. He fought when he had to. Ken was no seasoned combatant by any means but could hold his own on the cold hard streets. Over time he found that he could draw strength from the pain and suffering inside himself. During this period of life he learned to care only for himself, using others out of a necessity to survive.