Nom Anor's avenger

Nom opened his eyes again, letting the small noises and atmospheric vibrations join with the visual he assumed. Armiena spoke with her back turned, her attention obviously fixed on the repairs. Nom used the oppertunity as he spoke to move around the room. His muscles and bones reacticed quite well to his little nap as strength provided through the Force flooded into him as each boot met the metal below it. The calm silence of the room was suddenly broken as several comms rained into the room in quick succession. Two of which caused the Jedi Master a grave cause for concern. The third however only proceeded to put a small smile on his face. It was always amusing when hearing something one was not suppose to hear. The Jedi Master took no more notice of the message however, hoping to save Draygo from any embarrisment. "Armiena, if you are heading to Carida to you mind making a pit stop?" Nom's words assumed its professional overtone as his internal strength powered his vocal cords. "I need to see my apprentice."

"So how are the repairs coming?" Nom's words were quiet, barely audible. His vocal cords were still strained by the ovbearing scream let loose by the Jedi Master what seemed like hours ago. Nom felt a slight tinge of guilt within him as a result of his fight with Faust. As much as he hated to admit it, it had been partly his fault for the damages obtained by the EV, Sith Veenom or no. The Jedi Master had seen Armiena Draygo before. He just hadn't remembered ever speaking to her. It was certainly possible that they even trained together as apprentices. I suppose its never a bad time to meet new people... Nom rolled over onto his back, letting the mounting pressure of his body release from his left side. I wish I was more socially apt for this...

Nom took the oppertunity of Armiena's comm to lay back down. He closed his eyes as he let himself be taken into the arms of the Force. He could feel its power flow back into him gradually, like water seeping through a cracked dam. Despite her lack of experiance in the area, Armiena still managed to heal what was needed to keep the Jedi Master alive. Nom would have to issue his official voice of thanks after her conversation was complete. The Jedi Master searched through the Force, opening himself to the bond with his apprentice. It seems Scorpio was still alive. The distance was too great to define any other details about his padawan's current situation, but the fact that he still lived was enough to quell his worries for now. Despite the escape of Faust, there were no deaths after Nom had arrived on the scene. He had done his part. Feeling like he posessed the necessary strength to sit up, Nom lifted his torso up against the wall behind him, letting its sturdy foundation give some support. He closed his eyes and waited patiently for Armiena to finish. A smile graced his lips as he finally was able to enjoy a moment of peacefilled rest. He could not count how long it has been since that last occured.

The dark hazy fog of desolate darkness began to resign as Nom's vision slowly began to focus. Small details of the ship came into view, but the Jedi Master had difficulty decerning what they were. The image of a woman standing over him begame quite clear in his mind. She looked slightly familiar but Nom couldn't place her name. He had seen her somewhere before. He tried to speak but found his words tangeled in an inarticulate mass of confusion and tampered conciousness. Recollections of the fight with Faust shot back to his mind every so often, emotions retelling their stories over and over. The pain and anger accompanied by the Sith Venom, despite being gone, left plent of after taste. After plenty of mental hardships and even some physical struggle, the Jedi Master was able to put his thougts into words. "He escaped didn't he?"

Pockets of electricity shot towards Faust as his troopers fried underneath the excursions of electric fury as they tore through water. Small spurts of electricity shot towards the Jedi Master, but the ionic charge of his lightsaber worked to stabilize the reaction. The charge strengthened as more and more water rushed inside, creating an almost foot of depth to the submarine. Nom brought forth his second lightsaber, its crimson arch working to absorb even more of the violent electrical fury. Yet even all of this was no use as the artificial lightning shattered through the standing water now leaking towards him. Pain jolted him just as it had on Ossus when struck by a lightning bolt form the heavens. His dismay ruptured even his thickest line of resolve as Nom caught the glance of Faust running to freedom. How did he escape? The sight was more than enough to amaze even the richest magicians. The chaos of the water hitting the troops must have masked his escape. The pain of the weakened Jedi Master did not only bring him agony, but also awareness as if brought back to aware of the physical self by a particularly painful pinch in the arm. He could still feel the stream of Force within him as minute as it might have been. Suddenly the stream bucked as the Force latched out into his surroundings. "There's someone here!" Nom's words were weak holding no emotion, simply exhaustion. Had it not been for his body's somewhat recognition of lighting, the Jedi Master would have already been dead. Nom could sense the presence of a powerful force within the submarine. It was a Jedi Master. With the last cropping of energy he could muster, a simple Force message escaped him. "Help!" With that, Nom's consciousness resided into the state of rest as he blacked out. His body hung by a thread that was snapping. His life was now in the hands of Armiena Draygo.

((It was fun Robbie, you never cease to entertain me with your posts. Have fun with this one.)) A blank look of an almost soulless design was quite apparent on Nom's face as his insides adjusted to the new sensation. He wasn't quite sure what he was feeling, yet his body felt as if each organ, tissue, and cell were rebelling against its master. It was the greatest and most personal mutiny any captain could experience. Pain seemed to influx within him like an electric jolt jumping from one bone to another as if playfully choosing which victim to decimate. The Force within him seemed nonexistent; its presence masked by the sheer confusion overwhelming him. Each attempt he made to summon the power to him, the more frustrated he became. Beads of sweat formed on the Jedi Master's brow and stung as if they too were attacking him. His senses started to blur, mixing colors with smells. His vision only became a tangible euphoria of sight and sound as his perceptions chose to implode. In the center of at all, the only thing Nom could even make out was the face of Vladimir Faust, looking as if he were witnessing something that truly brought him closer to his own personal fulfillment. The Jedi Master had seen that look before...somewhere before. His thoughts began to fluxuate as more and more perplexity seeped through. Yet though all his lack of vision and logic; his memory came through. Faust was sitting amid the holonet screen laughing as he proclaimed his greatest accomplishment. The utter annihilation of Coruscant and practically all civilians suffered instant deaths. Their lives were nothing but expendable figurines falling before Faust's playful desires and ambitions. Nom could remember the tears streaming down his cheek when he watched that message. His family, his mother and father were among the first to show up in the MIA list. To this day, Nom still has not heard a thing from them. Suddenly each feeling of confusion, pain, and general distress manifested into one. Hatred rang through him, replacing the very blood in his veins. It was as if that very emotion controlled every aspect of his body in complete inherence with the physical needs and demands of his life. He only needed to embrace it like the air he breathed and it would all end. He stumbled backwards as what was left of his mind reflected on the daunting task before him. His movement suddenly halted as his back pressed against the cold steel of the submersible. His only escape was pressed against his back as Nom finally realized how cornered he was. His hatred started to spread as if consuming him. He needed to get out, he needed to escape. He pressed against the metal with all his might. His futile efforts only pushed him further away as the solid structure held no sway. He could hold no more control as he unleashed a blood curtailing scream, destroying his vocal cords. His voice echoed throughout the submarine amplifying his distress to all who could hear. Nom felt the horrible passion within begin to take control of his very actions. His fist suddenly slammed into the metal wall as if physically pushed by the very sin and evil tainting his soul. Every speck of energy within him seemed to seep out of him as his very Force presence was channeled to his hand. A crunching sound accompanied the impact as the bones within Nom's fist obliterated under such power. The vessel began to shake slowly at first. It was as if a sleeping giant were suddenly awakened from his slumber. Small cracks in the durosteel began to drive through the walls as the force of the impact permeated through the Eternal Vigilance. The explosion and general damage caused by Faust's initial assault on the submarine did little to help the walls stay intact as they were succumbed to an overwhelming force. Small spurts of water began to pour inside as the foundations holding the ship together crumbled under the tremor gathering kinetic energy like a snowball getting steadily larger and larger. Water poured its comforting glaze on the Jedi Master as the pressure began to build. The release of his anger as well as the soothing liquid pouring over him did its work to release the Sith Venom within him. Nom suddenly felt the evil taint within vanish; all its energy consumed. Unfortunately the same could be said for the Jedi Master. The Force had been reduced to puddles within him as all conceivable power went into his catch of emotion. He was left with nothing but his mind and his will. Yet those two would prove to be enough. The mounting pressure against the wall finally snapped as if it too released anger to due to Sith Venom. A geyser of water shot forth from the oceanic pressure outside. It slammed into Faust as well as his legion of stormtroopers some dying instantly due to the sheer force of the impact. Nom smiled, knowing full well the predicament Faust now found himself in. Through the extermination of the Sith venom within, his experience and logistical ability returned as if pouring from that very same gash in the durosteel. I need electricity... Attached to a solid section of the wall stood a power box, quite simple in design. It was used to regulate temperature, atmospheric pressure and even destabilizes for those tricky occasions when the sub went into those deep sections of the ocean. The snap-hiss of the lightsaber was drowned out literally by the sound of the endless stream of water as the ocean poured its contents into the submarine. There was already an inch or so of standing water. The Jedi Master heaved his weightless blade into the center of the electrical outlet while his crushed hand hung motionlessly at his side. Small sparks of electricity emanated from the box; quite minimal in destructive capacity. Yet once those sparks hit the stream of oceanic water, their power almost tripled as the liquid worked to amplify those dangerous effects. The makeshift lightning shot towards Faust and his stormtroopers, slamming into them with full force spreading its destructive power in such a way no body armor could stop. ((3))

The thought of being captured in the grasp of a monstrous maniac bent on world destruction was not a pleasent feeling to anyone entwined in such a circumstance. Most would proceed to release any waste products within out of sheer fear of fangs driving into their neck. Fortuantely, Nom was not most people. The attack missed his jugular, leaving him out of mortal peril. Yet the screeming pain that followed left nothing to the imagination. Fortuanately, the Jedi Master had felt pain his entire life. It was simple as eating or breathing. Blood showered to the floor as the he sliced through air, cutting through like the battered soul he was. Yet despite the pain and the slight humilation of being thrown across the room, Faust's first mistake was pinpointed. For so long, the Jedi had delt with enemies who worked to strike fear into the hearts of their opponents. He had fought Sith who preferred the fangs to the lightsaber, the claws to the fist, and the primitive animal like adrenenaline rush rather than the mind. Faust was no different. The feral hunter slid his lightsabers under his cloak for the sole purpose of tearing a chunck out of the Jedi Master's neck. The fact that he chose such a gruesome attack would prove to be his undoing. As the Jedi Master landed, his hand shot forward. The surrounding stormtroopers remained still as if knowing their lives would end if they even twitched; and Nom was quite thankful for it. A blaster sitting motionless in a stormtroopers hand shot from its owners grasp as if meeting a particularly friendly magnet. The gun flew into Nom's arms, resting firmily against his torso. As soon as the weapon made impact, the Jedi Master pivoted towards his foe. A shot was fired even before his motion ceased. The red streak of crimson energy flashed through the air faster than any man could see. It was man's only glimpse of atmosphereical lightspeed. And that very specticle lodged itsef in the defenseless torso of Vladimir Faust, having no lightsabers to deflect the oncoming threat. The weak layer of cortosis adorning his defensive suit burned away as the rest of the bolt was obliterated in the bulk of the armor itself. The hunter was left unharmed. The Jedi Master remained motionless as he dropped the blaster to the floor. Faust's armor was much harder than he expected, leaving any projectile defice useless. The chunk missing from his neck felt as if it were a cap on a bottle. Once the cap was removed, pain rushed out in a terrential downpour. Nom kept his pain from betraying his stoic facial expression however. His crimson lighsaber flew to his hand and extended into its normal beam of energy. Water continued to spill into the complex as it mixed with the sweet in his hair, leaving a jumbled forrest of exhaustion and cohesion sitting atop his head. He kept from charging again into the art of battle. He knew the attempt was nothing more than suicide. He could do nothing but wait until the hunter revealed his tricks. "You're going to have to cut the feral crap Vladimir. I've seen far too many of your kind. You might actually have to think to win this fight." A sarcastic almost satirical smile crept across Nom's facial features. It did nothing to illuminate his actually feelings within. He knew angering Faust would prove to be quite a foolish endevour. ((2))

Through the chaotic scenes flowing through the submarine, a small message cut through. "Scorpio, get out of here, now! I'll hold off Faust, escape as quickly as possible. With the message sent, the Jedi Master slowly turned to face to the menace standing before him. His hair caught small puffs of wind and sheets of water as pockets of metal widened to create and entrance for the seeping water. A look of stoic sincerity lavished Nom's faced as he gazed at the infamous killer. There was a time when the Jedi Master was inches away from death caused by Faust's hands. It was a testament the hunter's danger that he wasn't aware of this. A killer can destroy when he wants to, but a truly dangerous man can end life even by accident. There was a time in Nom's life when his hands would start to shake and his voice would croak with an almost underserved defiance, crafted in fear. Yet that was not this moment. The Jedi Master stood motionless, letting Faut's deadly eyes bore into him with no result. His composure was not in response to his prowess to the Force. No amount of knowledge in the Force could defeat the humanity within. The experience and hardships in the man's life had crafted an almost impenetrable shield of emotion around him. What the Sith do no realize, is that each time they try to drive fear into the hearts of their pray. They come one step closer to saving them. After Kakuto Ryu, Dark Lord of the Sith, nothing could even attempt to waver him. Despite having died at the man's hands, the Dark Lord unwilling did his part to craft yet another strength within the Jedi Master's arsenal. Through fighting Hephaestus, an almost flawless anagram of power and speed, his every attack was carefully scripted to add as much carnage as possible. Having lost and died, the Jedi Master had gained more knowledge and skill then Hepehaestus was even programmed to lend out. Through the years, every defeat became strength. And Faust was about to contribute. "Let me get this straight, I don't attack you, I die, but if I do attack you, I'm going to die anyway." There was a hint of sarcasm in the Jedi Master's voice. Yet the arrogance was washed out by the genuine perplexity in his thoughts. "I guess it's true what the say. Only a Sith deals in absolutes." The Jedi Master's last word was accompanied by the snap-hiss of his own lightsaber. It was like a beautify symphony, a Jedi's mission. Each word he spoke, each life he fought for was like various instruments adding their part to the great work of art. Each activation of a lightsaber and offensive strike was the momentous finally to an intense masterpiece. The important thing was simple. As long as the Jedi's job was finished his life ending in the end was not as important. As long as the innocent within this ship got out and into the freedom of space, Nom had already won. No lightsaber duel was going to change that. Whether or not he died this day was of no consequence, as long as the symphony finished with same level of intensity that it had started. Nom's own crimson blade thrummed softly, gathering as much time as possible before striking. The longer this fight took the better. "Have it your way." The Jedi was in motion. The stormtroopers standing amidst them could not follow his movements. One noticed him standing motionless, blinked, and then saw him match blades with the great hunter, leaving only a crimson arch behind. Nom plunged his saber towards his opponent's heart and found it parried with incredible power and speed, though not nearly with such precision as a droid. The Force perception honned within the Jedi Master as each counter attack by the great hunter mapped itself in front of his vary eyes. The deep blue pillar of light stabbed directly towards the Jedi's neck. Rather than taking the easy parry, Nom ducked towards the ground, his motion parallel with the arch of the attacking lightsaber. Once the blade reached within inches of hitting his neck, Nom snapped his head as well as his whole body into a rotation backwards and to his left. The result opened a window to Faust's right side. Rather than aiming his blade into a pointless strike that would surely bounce harmlessly off the armor, the Jedi Master regained his balance and sent a knee careening towards the side of the bounty hunter. Upon connection, the attack would prove to be much more than just a simple physical attack. The Force had a way of making things far more painful than originally designed. ((1))

Small beads of sweat glistened atop Nom's scalp as his jade green blade dissapeared having finished its job. Motionless troopers were spread everywhere as heads as well as other ligaments littered the ground. The Jedi Master reached for crimson blade still lodged in an stormtrooper's head. What was left of the imperial Forces seemed to retreat as the remaining hostiles ran from the area. For now, the Jedi were safe. "Good shooting, my young apprentice." Nom turned his head towards the inerds of the ship. Small eposides of fire and explosions rang out from the control room. "Scorpio, I want you to take the injured to your ship and look after them. I'm going to remain behind and search for more survivors. I can still feel the presence of others inside. If things get ugly, take off and I'll meet up with you later." Nom then took off, dissapearing into the depths of the darkened corridors. He could feel a small inclination within his mind. Whether it was the Force or simply an instinct didn't matter to the Jedi Master, he followed both. As he got closer and closer the inclination began to mutate into a full blown Force sense. There was another Jedi onboard somewhere. The Jedi Master reached an almost erie corridor littered with blood and the rising stench the dead. The stoormtroopers looked freshly slaughtered with lightsaber wounds. It was quite obvious his target was nearby. The Jedi was nearby, wisely keeping himself out of view. Fortunately, Nom was able to locate him(Dash) with ease, using the Force to direct his every step. "I don't believe we met, but we can save that for later. This thing is going down and we to leave...fast!"

The corridors themselves were like mazes as Nom continued to tread through them. The fact that the submarine shake from violent internal explosions did not help matters. Yet with the aid of the Force and the help of the noise echoing through the ship, the Jedi Master was able to find the cause of the disturbance. Nom rounded a corner and halted immediately. He saw a contingent of troopers letting loose their weapons into the wall. The sight at first confused Nom until he felt the Force dissipate from an individual somewhere in the area. There's someone in there! Nom thought to himself as adrenaline began to pump through his veins. Sending a message through the Force, the Jedi Master made contact to his apprentice while handing him a small blaster at the same time. "When I tell you, fire at any of the troopers you can see. Use the Force to guide your aim and make sure not to get too close." Nom slowly began to creep towards the troopers heavily thanking his fortunes that they could not perceive the Force with the ability that he could. Upon closer inspection he realized that they possessed special creature that blocked the presence of the Force. While the name of those creatures eluded him, the Jedi Master remember many times when he had dealt with them before. Making sure not to get too close, Nom took his red lightsaber in the palm of his hands. With as much silence as possible he released it into the air as he threw it with all his might. The crimson pillar of light ignited in mid-air only moments before ramming into the head of the trooper who seemed to be spilling out fire into the nearby vent. The collision killed him instantly as the lightsaber lodged itself inside the trooper's brain. "Fire" With the shower of blaster fire pouring from his apprentice, Nom lept into the frey brandishing his jade green blade while in mid-flight. He felt the Force leave him as the bubble sucked his senses away. Fortunately the moment of confusion had caused him to manage the jump on the next trooper as his head separated from his body and landed several meters away. Nom then turned on the next, his jade green lightsaber spinning like a whirlwind of color and sound. He could not feel the Force yet he had been using a lightsaber for years. With or without the Force, he was still deadly.

The water world of Manaan looked more sereene than ever as its luscious waves glistened in the morning sun. The effects of war and battle seemed to hold no sway on the planet's watery horizon. The planet was rather a mockery of the death and destruction going on below. Despite the pain, the surface still looked as beautiful as ever. Yet all this changed as the Jedi Master's ship plunged into the icy depths of the waves. Small explosions and puffs of smoke were visible through the currents. It didn't take a genious to locate the problem. "Scorpio, follow on my tail and don't do anything unless I tell you." As the Jedi Master approached he could tell that any manuvering capabilites possessed by the submarine had lost all function. Judging by how it was falling towards the floor of the ocean, it was once above the median of the water. The hanger came in sight smoke pouring from it like mist from a particularly hefty mounted. Without hesitation, the Jedi Master crafted his ship into the entrance, letting it dissolve in the bleak smoke expelling into the water. He was sure his apprentice was on his tail. After landing, Nom made sure the pressure lock had engaged. The entrance ramp extended bearing a man and a green pillar of light. He waited for his apprentice to join him, knowing full well the perils that were only moments away from full realization.

Nom let the handle of the lightsaber rest in his hands for a moment. It was slightly heavier than his own and upon pressing the activation stud, he understood why. Two crimson beams of energy poured from either end. The lightsaber then proceeded to hum in its own consistant state of activity. A red lightsaber... The Jedi Master couldn't help but wonder why his blade took on that color. It was quite remeniscant of his old red blade which he had constructed on this very same world. That particular weapon was destroyed long ago. "You have done well. Unfortunately I do not possess the skills to manuver a double bladed like you have constructed. This will leave your fighting skills up to you and you alone." "That is why when traveling through hyperspace, I want you to practice on your own. " The Jedi Master turned to enter his own vessel after checking to make sure his own lightsaber was functional. "Set a course for Haruun Kal." OOC: You can post us arriving, but post in the space thread practicing with the blade. You actually do have to devote posts to developing a double bladed form. So now is a good chance to start doing that.

A subtle rarity occured in Nom's life. He finally smiled. The Jedi Master always smiled, yet not in the way he had done upon the arrival of his padawan. This was a simple smile in response to that particular moment in life. For the first time in as long as he could remember, the Jedi Master looked on to his surroundings and situation with a sense of joy, as if he wanted to be no other place. The bonds couldn't help but reveal themsevles between now and his own days as a padawan. That day amoung the same caves was the first time he had weilded a lightsaber and used it to defend himself. Now it was Scorpio's chance to do the same. "Within these caves are a small patch of crystal that you need to locate. They will be used to construct a lightsaber." The Jedi Master produced a small box from his pocket and handed it to his apprentice. "These are the parts you need aside from the crystal." Nom then unclipped his own weapon and handed it to his apprentice, just as his own master had done for him. "Use my lightsaber as a guide.' He turned letting his hair catch the drifts of snow falling slowly to the ground. Oh and be careful, some of the native creatures can get pretty nasty. May the Force be with you." OOC: You can either do this two ways. You can either maticulusy go through and post in a lot of detail the construction of your lightsaber. Or you can have some kind of vision of significance and awaken with your lightsaber made through the Force. Either way works.

Nom's ship popped out of hyperspace as if a cork shot off a shampaigne bottle. He lowerd his vessel closer to the surface letting the familiar sight of snow and ice rush his sense of nastalgia back into full force. His freighter splashed into the ground as a shower of snow was displaced due to its massive weight. He lowered the entrance ramp immidiately and almost barreled down into the snow. He had visited this world a countless number of times. Each visit however sparked a new adventure and a new experiance. This time however, Scropio would be in Nom's place. This particular Jedi Master would be but an obsever. He fingured the jade green lightsaber in his palm. This was the first weapon he had ever made. He could clearly remember his romp into the icy wilds of Ilum equiped with nothing but his Master's weapon and his own stagnant courage. In his other hand he held the crimson blade of a Sith. He ignited the weapon and watched as the red pillar of light illuminated the swirling atmosphere of Ilum. Small tendrils of smoke rose from the end of the blade as falling flakes of snow met an unfortunate destination. The jade green blade then came to life as if trying to counter the red effect of the other lightsaber. The two weapons met in an never ending diacotomy of purpose. On one hand, the green blade was made for the sole purpose of defending what made life worth living. Yet the crimson held the sole purpose of destroying it. Yet they were brought together for a common purpose finally as the both rested in the Jedi Master's hand. That purpose as of now however, was still in question. Nom made himself comfortable as he continued to wait for his apprentice to arrive. His thoughts started to shift towards Revan. The Jedi Master had proven that he could and did defeat his fallen apprentice. But if such a run in would occur again, could Scorpio? The first step to answering that question was about to take place.

A comforting hand came to rest on Scorpio's shoulder as his tears continued to litter the ground. Nom waited a few moments while this apprentice settled down slightly. "Do you see those tears on the ground?" The Jedi Master's voice was barely above a whisper. His words were almost brittle as if they could be carried away on a gust of wind at any moment. "That is what happens every time you touch the dark side. Someone will shed some tears, you must always remember that." Nom the turn his back on his apprentice and spoke into the empty air. "To truely combat the lures of the dark side, you must become invested not in yourself, but for others. To truely understand that, you must live it." "I think we're ready to get out of here. Go gather you're things." OOC: because I am lazy, post us going to the space thread and I will handle the rest.

OOC: Good Post. Although I do have some suggestions. I liked the metaphor used when dealing with the heat and over comming it and such, but with the actually combat itself, be more specific and less repeatative. A lot of what I read was "Scorpio attacked and Nom blocked with ease." Come up with new ways to write that. Perhaps Scorpio is getting frustrated so he slashed harder and knocks Nom off balance or something like that. If you're curious, the reason why we are fighting so much is so you can practice combat posts. IC: The Jedi Master's own lightsaber came slicing towards him as the padawan behind it flew through the air. Upon the last possible second, he turned the blade off, tearing a page out of Nom's own book. A smile coursed its way through his lips. This fight was not over yet. As soon as Scorpio was within range, the Jedi Master connected his feet into his apprentice's stomach, flipping him past his head. Scorpio flew through the air much differently this time as he slammed into the ground amid a pile of dust and soot. Before Scorpio could even get up, the Jedi Master called his own lightsaber to him. Deactivating his blades, he attached lightsabers to his belt. His hair flowed along with the wind, matching its course and rythm. Beads of sweet dripped off like droplets of artificial rain. It certainly was a hot day. "During that last fight you could not get a single attack through. When you got frustrated and anger, you started to look sloppy. Once you let your emotions fight for you, you become a slave to them. To fall to the dark side is to suscribe to you basic urges. You become nothing more than an animal with a lightsaber. Getting angry is the first step down that path." Nom took a deep breath, letting the decrease in tempature relax him. "Tell me more about your past."

Hours passed as Master and apprentice slashed blade after blade into the other's defenses. Scorpio was really starting to catch on quick. He cut his blade into a horizontal slash, hoping to catch his padawan in an awkward position. This proved unseccessful as Scorpio then proceeded to block and Force push his attacker away. The Jedi Master then noticed the young man repel into another defensive position, obviously waiting for a second attack. This would prove to be a great oppertunity to throw the young man a curve ball. He summoned the Force to him, letting its power wash through him like a particularly refreshing shower. He then grasped each wave of the Force with him and started thrusting them outward, into the sunlit dunes of Tatooine. The result caused the melicules in the air to rub together rapidly, increasing the friction tenfold. The tempature suddenly rose rapidly, at least within a small parameter of the Jedi themselves. The heat itself seemed to reach almost 150 degrees before it stopped increasing. Fatigue then threatened to consume him even though he was at rest. It was now time for Scorpio to learn to fight even when exhaustion began to set it in. "Attack me again and try to stay on your feet."

As soon as Scorpio sat back down, Nom immediately tossed his lightsaber back to his apprentice. "There will be no breaks here. I want you to work untill you can't work any more. Then I want you to keep working after that!" The Jedi Master kept his lightsaber ignited iluminating the persperation on his face. It actually looked as if he were sweating blood. "There will be alot things working against you here. The heat will beat you down, you will get very tired and you're going to have to keep up with me. In order to do this fully, you have to draw on the Force to sustain you." Nom lept through the air and raised his blade to his apprentice's torso. He aimed a quick stab at his apprentice's heart. To fight with a stick was one thing. Learning to master the lightsaber was something else entirely.

The Jedi Master couldn't help but wonder how strange the Force could work. The reason Nom chose Tatooine for training was the nasty heat and adverse conditions. He had no idea that this planet was Scorpio's home. The fact that he was used to the conditions that Tatooine support did defeat the purpose of coming here. A small smile came across Nom's lips as he thought of that. There were always ways to get around everything when it came to the Force. "I hope your tired, because this is where the fun truely starts, " Nom said as activated a small device in his hand. Scorpio's face suddenly changed as he sensed a new wave in the Force. He launched himself off the speeder just in the knick of time as the vehicle cascaded out of existance in a shower of sparks, fire and heat. Nom then spoke as if motivated by the shocked expression plastered on Scorpio's face. "That was your only escape. There will be no food, or water for the next week. I am sure you are used to the heat by now but not under training this intense. There will be times where death will feel like a welcome respite. When that happens, you will need to trust on the Force more than ever." Nom's crimson lightsaber sprang to life, its read beam turning the dust and sand into what seemed like small specks of blood. The Jedi Master then proceeded to unclip his second blade. Instead of igniting it however, he tossed it to his apprentice. "That was the first lightsaber I had ever made. Make sure to take care of it untill you make your own." Through Nom's speech, small remenants of the speeder slowly moved into the air. The hovered for a moment, shaking slightly as if waiting to be shot from a gun. "Ignite the lightsaber and keep these rocks from hitting you. Just think back to our fight. Just lean on the Force to move you." Then, as if finally being released from a milennia long prison, the rocks and metal shards sliced through the air towards Scorpio.

The surrounding air was silent as aboslutely no life was evident for miles. The only things present amid the dunes of Tatooine were a speeder and a lone figure miles away. His legs were crossed and his eyes closed, face pointed straight to the sky. The Jedi Master had been amid the barren wasteland for hours with no supplies or food of anykind. Had it not been for the Force, he would have died of thirst miles before his present location. Yet even through all the heat and solitude, his perfect test for his apprentice was now constructed. A Force message traveling faster than the speed of light speed from middle of the dune sea. The message was simple and straight forward. "Scorpio! I am lost amid the infinate expanse of the dune sea. Use all the skills you have aquired to locate me. Don't die."

((OOC: Just one piece of advice. When fighting someone and you want to land a hit, don't just randomly say you found an opening out of the blue. Come up with a logical IC excuse. Some examples are batting their weapon away, faints, throwing them off balance etc.... But in the future its harder to land a hit on Nom. You can't just post randomly finding one. You may find that those kinds of stratagies lead to very little success in modded duels. )) IC: Nom flipped back to his feet almost immediately. It was like the very ground was a trampoline. He dashed after his apprentice feeling his heart rate accelarate. The heat of Tatooine's climate was now starting to play a major part in the fight. The Jedi Master landed, but instead of aiming his blade at his foe, he shot a silent and invisible Force wave out of the palm of his hand. The mystical barrier slammed into his apprentice, knocking him backwards. As the young man stumbled back into a state of unbalance, his Master was already upon him. His lightsaber, its jade green hum piercing the silence like a high pitch scream, came soaring to its target. This time there was no way for Scorpio to escape it. Nom was simply too close. Just as the pillar of green light reached his apprentice's neck, the blade vanished, having retracted into its handle. The empty hilt passed dangerously close to Scorpion's neck. The Jedi Master pivoted and faced his apprentice. "If I were any other man you would have been dead," Nom said, his eyes burning with intensity. "Fortunately for you, I had been attacking very slowly, giving you ample time to react. If I wanted to kill you, you would have died on the first swing." The Jedi Master then pulled his cloak back and revealed a second lightsaber, hanging on his belt. An invisible hand brought the blade to him, its crimson arch igniting the night. The horizon of Tatooine was bathed in a murky light as its second sun cascaded a realm of twilight as it retreated into the arms of night. "Summon the Force to you this time. Wield it just like you did before, when levitating. Only don't channel it with any outward effect. I want everything to be within you. If done correctly, you will be able to see each of my attacks a moment before they happen. This alone will save you." The jade green blade sprang to life as well, letting its brilance clash with its brother resting in Nom's other hand. "You will either use the Force, or you will die. It is that simple." Like a flash of lighting the Jedi Master was in motion. His green lightsaber formed a horizontal line, aimed at his apprentice's neck. At the same time, the crimson blade cut towards the man's knees. No ordinary man could dodge in time. Yet the Force was nothing but ordinary. ((OOC: In this post I want you to actually write Scorpio feeling the Force and experiance it in terms of the fight. React to Nom's attack through the Force as opposed to just what you see. Be descriptive here. Have at it.))

It was as if the atmosphere itself was made of sand as the two streaking Jedi came to a much needed stop, kicking the contents of the ground into the air. The speeder was no longer in view, having been enveloped by the ever present horizon. Yet even as Nom stopped, a small cylindrical device crept to his hand, unseen by the apprentice sprawled on the ground below. Through the thick bellows of soot shot forth a gleaming pillar of jade green light. Its brilliance created a direct dicatomy with its surrounds as the specks of dust themselves were dissentigrated under its magnificence. Yet as quickly as the lightsaber came into being, it was already in motion. Its beautiful blade of destruction was slashing towards Scorpio who had only just arrived at his feet. Any normal man would be sliced in half without even a prayer. It was time for Nom to see if his apprentice was still a normal man.

"Excellent!" Nom said with a huge grin on his face. "It seems you are picking up on this Force thing pretty well." The Jedi Master proceeded to lift himself off the ground, letting the sand fall like a shower of dry heat. It didn't take long for his apprentice to catch on and do the same. "Now tha the easy part is over with, its time to move onto something more fun." Nom's grin seemed to stick to his expression, as if removing it would cause his whole face to fall apart. "Its time for some long distance traveling." As soon as the Jedi Master said this, Scorpio motioned for the speeder. "Nah ah.... The speeder will no longer be of use to us." The Jedi Master began to stretch as if preparing to run. "Summon the Force just like you did before. But this time I want you to channel if for a different purpose." Nom's final words seemed to hang in mid-air, for the speaker was already meters away and shrinking in the sunset. Through the silence where Scorpio stood, one phrase seemed audible amid his surroundings. "Catch me if you can!"

"Very good," Nom's words continued to melt almost into the Force itself. "Now its time to go beyond just perception. I want you to pick all the piece with sharp corners, and pluck them out of the halo spinning around you. "You can use what ever means neccessary. You can even try to grab them with the Force if you feel up to it." Nom continued to hold his grip on the swirling pieces of durocreet. The strain was starting to become evident having to draw so heavily on the Force. Yet he was still able to keep the blocks in the air. How long he could continue however, was completely up to Scropio.

OOC: Sorry this is taking me so long to post. I'm just getting used to College. I'll be able to post more often soon. IC: As the words echoed from his padawan's mouth, Nom too could sense the events unfolding from miles away. To be able to access that kind of information on the first attempt to use the Force was an incredible feat. The Jedi Master could remember back to his own training when he had trouble visualizing the outline of a rock, let alone make it move. Nom could only wonder if his apprentice would have the same success with levitation as he did with Force perception. "Very good. The Force definitely seems to like you.”