Tatooine

[Lusef Aryan]

Lusef catches his padawan's averted gaze, and with a bite of his lip and an irritated flush on his already ruddy face, he uses the Force to fling the offending paper trail away.

 

Lusef almost smiles as he walks through Tatooine. After escaping his homeworld by enlisting with the Empire, and after a fatal disagreement with a commanding officer over the officer's inhumane treatment of prisoners of all things, Lusef found his way here with his newfound freedom- another life as far as he was concerned since he was softer and weaker then, but still an important step on his journey. In time he joined with a smuggling crew, became a entrapeanur, bounty hunter, then stepped down the past to his current destiny.

 

He watches his padawan pick out a speeder, and after she darts off with her childish enthusiasm, Lusef conceals a roll of his eyes, ducking behind the speeder to examine some parts. It looked adequate for their purposes. Lusef immediately stops the sales droid after his padawan leaves, and without a further word, replaces Kari's 1,700 credits with his own money.

 

Waiting for her to get back, he meditates further, his eyes flicking up as he watches a two-bit smuggler, head bowed, run down the street. He recognized the smugger for a bounty was on his head for pissing off some minor crime boss by turning state's evidence. And the fool. His fingers itching, Lusef once more bites his lip. The fool got off lucky this time.

 

When Kari returns, he hands her back the money, speaking a simple truth. "I covered it. You have more need of this than I do." Hoping into the speeder, he takes fires it up and takes off, leaving Mos Eisley behind.

 

A short time out into the desert, the all but featureless Dune Sea, he stops, and motions for Kari to drive. "It's nothing but sand out here, save for the stray Jawa or moisture collector." A faint smile appears on his face. "We're going to be junking this thing shortly, so you might as well have some fun driving it while you can." He holds up a small strip of cloth, which he intends to double as a blindfold. "Though it also might be a good exercise if you tried using your Force sense to guide you as you piloted it. Don't worry our destination or anything right now, just have fun and try to get a sense of the greater world. Besides," he adds, chuckling, "I'll let you know if we're veering into a sarlaac pit or sandcrawler... well, probably."

[Jedi X]

Kari had delved herself heavily into the datapad since they left behind Mos Eisley, most notably the datacard of the Jedi Curriculum. Except for the occasional tilt of her head or the absent gaze upon the horizon from the passenger seat, which allowed the gust of wind to whip about her lekku, Kari very rarely moved an inch. Knowledge of unknowing things had always been a passion for the young Togruta, a way to escape painful memories or the boring events of everyday life. So it was only natural that she find herself lost among the first chapter containing the Jedi Classes.

 

"And to think..." Kari thought to herself as she gazed upon the endless horizon before them, her lekku dancing an enchanting step as the air was cut by their path toward the Jundland Wastes. " So much knowledge, so many adventures to be hand- I can find it all outside the walls of the Temples. Never would my memories plague me as before. Never again will she haunt me."

 

"I hate her."

 

Not even noticing what she had said, or that she had said it out loud in a tone no more higher than a whisper, Kari turned back to the datapad. Her sole purpose in buying the datacard was her interest in her future- what paths she could take, what kind of Jedi she would define herself to. But there were so many paths to choose from, so many that described her. Only one caught her eye above the rest, a path that held the strangest pull to her psyche, almost as if something inside her knew this path would be the one she would take. But then again, another stood out as well, though not nearly upon the same level.

 

Kari had long lived by herself, finding an attainable peace within her solitude. Crowds made her nervous, and it most of her control not to show it. And in truth, Master Lusef had been the first sentient being she had grown a companionship with since leaving Shili. And nature held a certain beauty with her, a perfection within an imperfect galaxy. Kari could always spend hours basking in the view of Haruun Kal's jungles, or watching the drops of water from the sickles of Ossus's caves. It seemed only right that the path of Jedi Naturalist held such a powerful call to Kari.

 

But then again, not ever part of Kari's life had been so beautiful, so balanced. In fact, much of Kari's life had been made of death, despair, destruction, chaos. She, above all else, knew what true power the darkside held over the galaxy- even in the simplest life, her life. Her mother's rape, her birth, her mother's hate for young Kari, Kari's abuse- even her mother's death at Kari's hand. All had been born from what the two Orders of the Force had long called Bogan- The Dark side. Kari's understanding of this could be a powerful tool against the Dark side and those who wield it. Perhaps the path of the Jedi Exorcist would be her true path.

 

"Or perhaps my downfall should the lure prove a fatal attraction."

 

Kari's thoughts subside when she feels the speeder slow before coming to a halt. Shifting her gaze about before laying it upon Master Lusef, Kari's facial expressions seem to scream the age old pestering question that had they arrived yet. Kari's question though, is soon answered as the rugged man speaks. She listens attentively, unbuckling and removing herself from the craft only to briefly pause to stretch her legs and arms and allow her blood to circulate more accurately- which had constricted due to her positioning. Soon after, Kari corners around the front of the speeder and climbs into the driver seat, allowing Lusef to place the blindfold upon her.

 

In truth, Kari was a bit nervous. She wasn't very much a pilot when she could see, let alone blindfolded. Never know when one might inaccurately feel ground over a ridge through the Force and it actually happen to be a good fifty feet below where it should have been. Nevermind a sarlaac pit or sandcrawler. Placing her hand upon the accelerator and pushing it forward, Kari opened her mind up to the infinite presence that was the Force. Wave after wave of the omnipresence of the Force crashed upon her conscious, part of herself still terrified by it's existence, the other hungering for more.

 

She searched for the path before her, seeking to see it through her mind as if she had a third eye that had yet to develop- just as the padawans that occasionally passed through Haruun Kal had spoke of it's feeling. Soon life came into existence, the largest at first such as the Bantha Herd to the north. But then as she continued, the tiniest existence came to form within her psyche such as the beetle crawling beneath the dunes. She found herself mesmerized by it all, her concentration breaking from life to the next as she explored the world through darkened eyes.

 

It wasn't until they nearly struck a wild Bantha that Kari began to concentrate on what laid before her, it's life presence appearing like a comet shortly before she nearly collided with it's world size presence. Catching her breath and re-channeling her mind, Kari started off again.

 

"Master?" Kari questioned, partial to make sure she hadn't given the older man a massive heart attack, but more so to see if he could answer a question that had been plaguing her mind for quite some time now. "Why are the Jedi and Sith Orders constantly at war?"

 

A truly off the wall question, not even pertaining to anything he had been teaching her. But it was truly something that had been troubling her since she first came to the Order, and had only surfaced again upon reading about the Jedi Exorcist. She understood the need for balance in the world, and in the Force- for without the light, darkness could not be, and visa versa. But why both Orders were bent on killing off the other, she could not understand. The older Masters spoke of the Sith's lust for power. But to Kari, that was no more an excuse to justify the Jedi kill- a means to defend those who could not defend themselves.

 

Honorable, true. But still an excuse to do in return what they taught against. Why couldn't the Orders just leave each other well enough alone, study their philosophies in peace and seclusion, without war and death? Kari's head began to hurt as she searched for what seemed to be an age old question with no answer. And it slightly distracted her, Kari veering suddenly as she felt a presence before her, only to realize it was merely a creature no bigger than her fist and beneath the sand.

 

"Sorry Master." Kari spoke, apologizing for both her sudden veering, and for her question which she knew had no answer. "Maybe i am just too young to understand the reasoning for such things."

 

Kari remained quiet for the rest of the trip, mostly to focus upon her driving, but also allowing Lusef any input he may wish to provide. It wouldn't be long before the Wastes would come into view.

[Lusef Aryan]

Lusef remains seated calmly as his padawan takes the controls. Lost in thought, he did not account for the datapad his padawan was engrossed in, only noticing it in her hands after her surpise, but pleasing utterance. Lusef let it pass without a word, but chuckled deep inside.

 

He watches with calmness as they approach a bantha herd, though a cautious part of his mind prepared to grab the padawan and make a leap out of the speeder at the last second if it proved necessary- landing at the speeds they were going would hurt, a lot, but it beat the alternative. To his satisfaction, she regained her concentration and avoided it.

 

"Focus, child," he murmurs softly- not a stinging rebuke, but necessary given the circumstances. "Always keep your mind focused on what you are doing. Concentration and discipline."

 

The reminder given, he listens to her quesiton, and behind his brown contact lenses, his eyes almost take on a blue flicker of their own. Aware of this flicker, for some reason the acolyte Alastor, one of his servants on Naboo came to mind. Curious... and I am glad for the child's blindfold.

 

Dismissing that sudden impulse, he clears his throat and speaks loudly, trying to be heard over the rushing wind.

 

"An excellent question, child. It's a natural inclination of the Force. There is a Light side and a Dark side. The two halves have been warring for millennia, probably since the creation of the universe. The Force allows those who can reach it to tap into it, but if it's a god and conscious, I'm afraid it's got a bad case of schizophrenia. Odd for a Jedi to say," he adds with a softer touch, "but I have yet to see anything that proves me wrong. The Jedi follow the Light side- peace, tranquility, and tapping into its more passive flows. Everyone else seems to tap into its violent underbelly, such as Sith, Dark Jedi, Nightsisters, and so on."

 

Clearing his throat, he continues, "The Force cannot rid itself of these conflicting energies, in part because they are humanity's energies, born of every living thing. It calls to those who best represent those emotions and energies, empowers them, and they fight to guide the galaxy. The Jedi follow the Light side, giving into the Force. The others try to seize the energy for themselves and direct their own destinies. The two conflict, and war is inevitable. Even the death of all parties cannot stop this conflict, as long as the universe and Force endure. The Rakatans ruled for centuries before their Infinite Empire came to an end, working the will of the Dark until the Dark corrupted them and they fell. Then came the rediscovery of the Ashla and Bogan- Light and Dark. Light prevailed, until it fell in its weakness, giving rise to the Sith. Once more the cycle continues in flux, Jedi and Sith, once more working as agents in this battle- and with it how the galaxy is run."

 

In a much quieter voice, he continues. "The path you choose will be hard. War is the state of the Force and the universe. But, with my training, I can teach you how to survive the coming storms. You can create a stronger people for this galaxy, ones that will not be afraid of this, and can stand on their own. The enemy must be fought and defeated for this to happen, their emotional state, their misaligned virtues confronted, and defeated. Of course, I speak as a Jedi would. The Sith doubtlessly see matters the same way."

[Jedi X]

Kari remained quiet for most of the remaining trip, her mind contemplating Lusef's words as well as the path before her. One advantage of the time and her artificial blindness, was that she was slowly growing more aware of her surroundings. She had even came to attain the ability to multi-task as their trip grew closer to it's end. Not to mention that by dropping her speed as she had done, had allowed her reaction time to catch up. She tried to comprehend the meaning to his reply, but she could not. Finally, not more than a mile or two away from the Wastes, Kari poised another question.

 

"Forgive my ignorance, Master." Kari started off by saying, removing the blindfold from upon her eyes- which made her vision slightly blur and her eyes to wince from the pain of the unsettled light, now that she felt the Wastes approach. "But why hasn't that changed? You said yourself that this urge comes from nature it's self, yet it is the nature for all things to grow and change. So why hasn't the very nature of the Force changed as well?"

 

Kari partially wondered if she had cross the line with her comment, as she was taking a path of her own in the very galaxy she questioned. But she felt passionately that it was her duty to question, or else nothing would change. Perhaps Kari was searching for her destiny, her true reasons for taking the path she had. Or perhaps, Kari simply saught an answer for who she once was, who she had became, and who she could be. Only by hearing the answer she saught, would she ever recognize the question in which she was asking.

 

"I should not question the will of the Force. I am a Jedi."

 

"The Rakatan...." Kari said in an attempt to differ the conversation as she stepped out of the speeder after arriving in the Wastes about a mile or so in. "Would you tell me their story?"

 

Perhaps it would be in their story that Kari would find her answer. But if not, it may provide the path to attaining it. Either way, she was curious about them, for she had never heard mention of them. Beginning to gather her things from the rear compartment, Kari awaited his tale.

[Lusef Aryan]

Lusef monitored his padawan's progress, pleased with her sensitivity. True, her speed dropped as they neared the wastes, but caution also served as well. She was definitely learning the way to reach out with the Force, and in turn, let it guide her senses.

 

Lusef's voice is grim when he answers her voice question, but he continues on. "People don't change. They cannot. Their nature and actions may change, at least in the short term, they may break character, but people are fundamentally set in their ways. An all powerful energy field made up of the life energy of everything that's vaguely sentinent in a way we have yet to determine is no different. It cannot change I would guess, because it fights for its own survival- the Light wages its war to be eclipsed by the Dark, and vice versa. Its two minds in one body struggling for control." Lusef's ruddy face is serious. "Always question everything, child. Yourself especially." Lusef takes a small breath, then contiues. "The Force... we serve its will... the will of the Light. That means acceptance, but questioning it as well lets you know where you stand in its war."

 

"As for the Infinite Empire of the Rakatan, it existed some 30,000 years ago, spanned most of the galaxy and was run by techno sorcerors who used the Force. I imagine if Luke Skywalker never beat Palpatine's resurrected magocracy on Byss, the galaxy would have headed in a similar direction in our life time. They built up great wonders, but used the Dark side. They grew complacent, and their reliance on the Dark consumed their race. They fell into civil war, and continued fighting until a plague stripped them of their Force powers. After that, they vanished into near obscurity. Historians and legends speak of a super weapon they left that lead to a Jedi Civl War under Revan if you've heard of him.

 

Its noteworthy because the Dark side ruled for extended periods with the Infinite Empire before it fell. In turn, tney fell completely when they lost their access to the Force. Historians speculate some sort of plague, and I have seen a few that do that, but the end result was a further loss of power and control. This in turn gave rise to the Ashla, or Lightside returning, and thus the latest set of wars between Jedi and Sith. Its always Force users who lead and guide this galaxy, be it past Dark Lord Emperors, to Admirals like Starlisk who keep a lightsaber attached to their uniform. And so the wars continue."

 

Lusef smooths back his brown hair, firmly patting it down too as if concerned the wind itself would rip it off. "I hope I did not bore you. War and its history have been an interest of mine of late, especially given how peace in this galaxy never lasts. Still, one can only soldier on, and train their best."

[Jedi X]

Kari stood in silence for an extended moment in time, her mind lost within Lusef's words as she thought over his reasoning- almost as if she was looking for a flaw within it. Perhaps he was right, that the galaxy would always wage war upon it's self through the Force and it's followers. But part of Kari felt so strongly that he could be, or rather should be, wrong. For in her mind, as in many children, anything was possible. It wasn't until his story of the Rakata that she spoke.

 

"Interesting" Kari spoke, her hunger for knowledge satisfied despite her curiosity still at it's peak about this ancient race. Even though these beings were evil in the sense of the word, by his words, she sensed that they were responsible for so much good. "Despite their darksided ways of war and chaos, they were able to shape our galaxy into what it is today, perhaps even our technology?"

 

Her words held the lingering the urge of wanting to know more about them, to know their full story- like a child who found a passion for something they would give their entire adulthood to without hesitation. She had once read of Revan, a person she had seen a bit of herself in. Like her, he had once strove to survive so greatly, that he became a necessity and lost himself to it. Only through wiser men, like Lusef, was he able to return to the light- just as Lusef had helped Kari to do in a way of sorts, though she never knew it at the time she read of his quests.

 

"So the Rakata..." Kari questioned, now realizing that she had read of them before, only under a different name. "They were the race known as the Builders?"

 

Kari's stomach growled, the young Togruta realizing she had not ate in quite some now- not to mention the Force had drained her energy as well, and was a slight side effect of not being used to the Force's affect on one's body. Reaching into her pack, Kari pulled forth two rations, being sure to offer Lusef one as well before she began to eat. It wasn't a fancy feast, mostly consisting of dehydrated bread and vegetable concoctions that one could consider stew, and an energy drink. Taking a few bites of the meal, Kari turned once more to Lusef.

 

"Master?" She poised, making sure to swallow the remaining food in her mouth before she spoke. "Why do you fight? I understand that your a Jedi, as i wish to be. But what other reasons do you have?"

 

The truth behind Kari's last question was because of her reasons, her wish to prevent other children of crimes to have a better chance, her urge to save lives. She wanted to know whether all Jedi had a common reason, or if each had his own. But it mostly dealt with her curiosity of Lusef himself. She was beginning to ponder on him.

[Lusef Aryan]

Lusef nods in answer to the first question. "Yes, the did have an impact, and they were known as the Builders. History tried to forget them because of the pain they left on the galaxy, but for all their violence and all the sorrow they sowed, they are this galaxy's authors in a sense, penning the mellnnia to follow. If not for their initial vision, the galaxy would not be what it was today. If you wish to know more, I can contact some aquantances I have who are scholars in the field once we get back to civilization."

 

Removing the last of their belongings from the speeder, Lusef checks it over once to make sure nothing was forgotten, and taking the rations from his padawan munches thoughtfully, giving the speeder a final look as the question comes. It was one not unfamiliar to him, and his answers always left people confused and scared. Still, he would need to give the child a proper response.

 

"I fight because there are foolish men in this galaxy that need fighitng. I once knew people who tried to avoid that at whatever the cost, and they paid dearly for it. I twas a mistake I learned from as well by witnessing their fall. It is important to see this galaxy as it really is, and people for what they are." The irony of this statement was not lost on Lusef, but he continues with his serious lecture. "When one can see this higher reality, one has an obligation to enlighten others to these truths. There are people that need to be supported, others that need to be faught and stopped. One should try to enjoy one's work and one's duty and I am most comfortable with that. So in some ways, the work, the fighting, shapes the galaxy, and I take pleasure, even pride, in seeing results. You should do likewise, child."

 

Without another word, he finishes his meal and he draws a disruptor pistol from under his robes. He steps back and motions for Kari to do the same, then fires it squarely at the vehicle, which errupts into a ball of flame.

 

"We're committed now," he states quietly. "Civilization is a long way away, and during this time, we'll need everything we can to survive. You'll need to use and develop your Force abilities along the way to hunt for food, sense danger, locate water, and even for healing if necessary." He glances down at the gun, which he holsters back in his robe. "Not very Jedi like, but useful," he explains. "Surprise is always helpful, and even Jedi as famous as Obi-Wan were not above using guns when necessary."

[Jedi X]

"I see..." Kari replied, her head drooping slightly at the realization of her findings that were hidden within his words and the tales he had spoken. "So this a war where a side must be chosen by all- a war with only two sides, much like a coin, that we all must flip. For should we choose not to, fate would have us all- and the galaxy that we know would no longer be."

 

"So this is the choice of a Jedi? To give our lives to a cause that merely rises and falls with the passing of time, to balance an imbalance within the galaxy and the Force that surrounds it."

 

Kari did not like the answer she found, nor could she recognize the question that still lingered within her heart. But the answer she had came to did indeed give her thoughts some peace, a lingering truth within her findings- for now at least. Kari took another bite of her meal, the knot within her stomach subsiding as time passed. She felt as if her life wouldn't mean much when it came time for her to rejoin the Force, merely a pawn found upon an eternal game of chess. And deep down, it tore at her soul. But perhaps time would shed new light upon her hopeless course.

 

Finishing her meal, Kari stood and watched Lusef destroy the speeder, the flames warm against her skin as the cool drink ran down her throat. It was nearly mid-day by Tatooine's standard, and her training had yet to resume. Part of Kari wished it wouldn't have to come to that, wishing her destiny could change the Force it's self. But she knew better, just as Lusef's words had explained. Perhaps though, if in her life Kari could save other's from her childhood experiences and change their existence for the better, then maybe her life would amount to something. Maybe her course wouldn't be so hopeless.

 

"Perhaps i can influence some good in the years after my life."

 

This brought new hope into Kari's eyes, and for the first time, Kari felt herself enlightened. A certain cheer rushed over her, as if she had found herself- as if she knew her destiny. As Lusef finished speaking, Kari looked upon her weapons with embarrassment. She had never thought to use a blaster, hence why she carried only her Katana and Staff. Perhaps she would purchase one someday. But for now, her own weapons would have to do. For now, Kari had a purpose in life. For now, Kari would forget about the Force and it's eternal war. Her life would solely find it's self focused on the here and now, and change only what she could influence. Good would come of her life if she had anything to say about it.

 

"I understand now Master..." Kari spoke, her grin stretching from lekku to lekku. Unsheathing her Katana, she gripped it's hilt tightly, as if she now understood it's purpose. Her gaze shifted to his, her eyes determined and relentless. "It's time i too chose my side. Let my training begin now."

 

Without another word, Kari charged forth, her blade extended at her side and finding it's tip scratching at the sand below. She delved herself into the Force, searching her surroundings, trying to find where his defensive position would lead him. And as Kari neared him, a feeling of release washing over her, she brought forth her blade and slashed upward- the deadly blade faced downward. This was for training purposes after all.

 

"A Jedi, will i become."

[Lusef Aryan]

"Elequent," Lusef notes with approval, at his padawan's coin flip description. "Indeed better than I myself could have put it. Be warned though, there are those who would make the choice to avoid flipping the coin, or those that pray and manipulate it so it lands on edge. Invariably, a choice will be made, by them or for them." Lusef's eyes stare into the flames, glinting as the speeder crackles and burns, knowing very well how often he made the choice for others. There were never any innocents, ever. Everyone could be a casualty, and would be. But, he would survive.

 

The meal passes, and he watches his apprentace charge foward, ready for battle, using the blunt side of her katana. He nods once, noting it a suitable weapon, and clasps his hands together behind his back, grinning in kind. It was on now. With a smooth grace, he leans backwards, evading the blade, then pivots out of the way of another strike, stepping backwards and leaning again, and again, offering no resistance, no parrying, but an effortless seeming evasion.

 

"Your mistake," he notes cooly, continuing his erratic dance to dodge the blade, "is you strike where I was and am, not where I will be. You can reach out with the Force, and you can anticipate the future, and my actions. Do not let your sight, or even your senses guide you. Strike with your mind. Will the blade to contact, and know it is so."

[Jedi X]

Sweat glistened upon her face as she strove forward in her attack, relentless and unwavering as she swung the length of her blade toward her Master. Determination was ever present as she carved at Lusef with the dull side of the blade in an attempt to strike. Her muscles contracted and loosen with each movement, her form elegant and her step graceful, almost as if she danced upon the sand filled planet instead of fought. But with each attack, he simply seemed to be a slight bit out of her reach each time.

 

"He's quick for an old man. Try as i must, he always seems to be a step ahead..."

 

Again, Kari motions forward with a quick stabbing motion, attempting to slide the dull side of her blade along his rib cage. But as before, her attempt fails to even touch him. Stepping back, the young Togruta takes in a deep breath, feeling for his emotions, thoughts- anything that would signal his next defensive position. She finds a slight hint to where her attack would need to be. She strikes again, this time moving with him as he attempts to evade, bringing the blade in horizontally, and nicks a bit of his hair from atop his head.

 

"Growing tired, Master?" Kari questions, a heart filled chuckle erupting from her lower abdomen as she steps back. A confident grin creeps across the left side of her face as she stands before him, the lock of hair within her palm. "We can always rest if need be."

 

Kari charges once more, opening herself up even more as she searches for every possibility of her attack. But this time she holds her own surprise. As she nears Lusef, the Electrostaff finds it's way lose and into her grip, it's end buried in the sand below. Using her own momentum, she kicks off the ground with her feet and plants both within the confines of his chest. As Lusef had said...

 

"Surprise is always helpful."

[Lusef Aryan]

Lusef doesn't even feel it as the blade knicks the hair from his head, but watches from his paripheral vision the brown-black hair falls into Kari's hand. His eyes glint, narrowing. The child was learning her lessons well, but one stray cut too deep to the face could cause severe problems.

 

He doesn't respond to her question immediately, though he smirks. Unwittingly, she was learning the art of Dun Möch, which was something he in turn was a master of. "One can never afford to be tired until one is dead, child." He responds with calm, backing away another step. "If you try something like that again, you're going to get spanked," he warns softly.

 

To his chagrin, her next move does innovate and does land a blow as she pivots off her staff, landing solidly into Lusef's chest. Sensing the attack at the last second, he cannot evade it, but instead flexes solid. The impact is rough, and will likely leave a bruise as he skidded back though for his young padawan, it would likely have felt like kicking a rock. In the second of impact, Lusef's hands reach out with lightning speed, grabbing both of his padawan's ankles. He hoists her up with one hand by the ankle, a frown on his face.

 

"You landed your blow, child, but at what cost?" he asks, then makes good on his threat from a few seconds ago in a very literal fashion with several resounding slaps. Chuckling, he lets her go, taking a step back. "Be careful about taking your feet off the ground. Your footwork is what provides momentum for your attacks, and what guides your balance. The moment you take both your feet off the ground, you risk being caught in the air. Know what you're leaping into."

[Jedi X]

Kari's face grows etched with surprise when she felt her ankles grabbed, not expecting such speed from him nor the thought to even cross his mind. Block her attack, maybe- maybe even catch her and throw her attack off, sure. But never an actual spanking. Had Kari been any typical female child, it would have had little effect upon her, no more than a mere means to upset her or hurt her feelings, possibly even cause her to laugh. But not for Kari, a consequence of her past life.

 

Memories flooded her mind, washing over her thoughts like waves of mist over a murky lake. Pain returned to ache within her heart, and tears flowed from her eyes as flashes of her dark past echoed through her. With each slap, her mother's abuse returned, tugging at her very psyche. Though she knew where she was currently located, and who was the cause of the pain, Kari could barely tell the difference. Had it not been for his timely release of her, Kari might have lost herself to it's overwhelming pull.

 

"Now, Now Grandpa." Kari spoke with a chuckle as she not only regained her footing, but herself as well. "You can't just touch a lady like that and expect to get away with it."

 

Her words held a slight seduction to them, the ever presence of her femininity present within them. But more so, they carried a hint of warning and caution as well. Nodding her head to assure his words of wisdom had been noted concerning her footing, Kari steps back and replaces the staff. Tightening her grip upon the Katana's hilt once again, she charges forward. First, Kari attacks with a well aimed kick forward toward him, shortly followed in suit by it's counterpart from the side as she spins. If she were to return his favor for the spanking, she would need to use all her resources.

 

But these were mere distractions, the setting for her second attack. During her first attack, Kari had repositioned her blade, placing it's form parallel with her forearm. And as Kari rose back into her attack position, she move forward in her weight and slashed at Lusef with the flat siding of her blade.

 

"Dirty old men need to be slapped as well."

[Lusef Aryan]

Lusef, maintaining the air of a playful mischief, watches intently to see what kind of reactions he goaded out of his padawan. He aimed more for a light be of gentle humiliation and nothing more, but bringing the child up properly as a force to be reckoned with was his overall intent. The tone by which she replied raised an interesting dynamic he had not considered- and one he would have to explore later.

 

"It was a fair warning. Keep your feet, or end up on your seat; and have some respect for your elders" Lusef quips back, chuckling.

 

One of Lusef's arms raises out, blocking the kick with his right hand, then he leans back and sidesteps the next blow. "Good! Keep up the attack! Press it!" His eyes flash, catching sight of the movement of her blade and positioning. Lusef, having little choice, went for an unconventional manuver, spinning and bringing his left hand up to knock at the blade and bat it upwards. "And remember!" he breathes quickly, "keep your distance." With that, he extends his right hand out in a striking palm at her torso.

 

What comes next isn't a physical blow, but a launch as a powerful telekentic force, aimed at Kari's chest and center of mass pushes her back. Lusef stands, no longer at profile, but facing her, launching a series of telekentic pushes.

 

"Use the Force to keep and close distance just as you would a blade. Energy pushes and it can pull. Aim for a person's center of gravity and center of mass, throw them off balance, and strike! Or, his left hand extends out again as if throwing, aiming downward for a blow to literally swipe Kari off her feet, "undermine their ability to stand!"

[Jedi X]

"My Elders?" Kari jousted, as she motioned backwards from the force of his telekinetic attacks, her words playful as she edged him on. "Well, i suppose you have earned the right to be considered a Elder, old man."

 

"His attacks are flawless, my defenses unable to slow them down."

 

Kari had managed to bring forth her blade to help in her defense, her free hand grasping the blade near it's tip and shielding most of his attacks as they pounded heavily upon her positioning and stance. With each landing, her feet dig into the sand deeper and deeper as she slides back more and more, her lekku and montrals dancing upon the momentum. Again, she delves into the Force, going deeper into her psyche' than she had ever attempted before, attempting to foresee his next attack.

 

She succeeds, watching his attempt to knock her to the ground just seconds before it happens, and allowing her time to counteract it. Kari gathers the Force within her, feeling it's calming nature wash over her again and fill her soul with a peaceful strength. The young Togruta flips forward to safety as the Force's power aids in her leap of faith, and the second she lands, returns his gesture with her own attacks. Wave after wave erupts toward him, the constant walls of invisible attacks pushing toward his body. Kari smiles, a feeling of pride taking hold.

 

"Now let's see who is to take a seat."

 

But a strange thing takes place as her attacks continue, something Kari is not even sure of herself. To Kari, it feels natural, as if she had grasped ahold of something close. But in truth, though a mere meter apart, it wasn't natural to feel her grasping his waist- especially without prior knowledge. For as Kari released her attack and drew back her hand, she felt it's pull and soon Lusef flew forward toward her.

 

Realizing what was taking place, and out of a strange natural reaction she had never felt before, Kari drew forth her blade once more. Within seconds, Lusef stood beside Kari though they faced opposite directions, and Kari found the dull side of her blade at his gut. Partially scared from not only achieving this, but because she knew not where it came from, Kari hid this behind a smirk and turned her gaze toward Lusef.

 

"Solah?"

[Lusef Aryan]

Lusef maintains his stance, brancing himself physically as he extends his hands, sending out wave after wave of telekenetic force at his padawan. After she leaps over his telekenetic sweep attack, a faint smile appears on Lusef's round, ruddy face as Kari returns the blows. Refusing to move, Lusef's hands return fire, sending out his telekenetic pushes to meet hers, letting out a resounding crash of force and energy.

 

"Good! Keep up the offensive!" he shouts. "Never let up until a foe is defeated! Only when they are broken should an attack cease! Ever defensive action should be more than merely saving your neck. It should aid the next attack, a taunt to let your foe know you are alive and will not be stopped!"

 

The smirk vanishes suddenly as he Lusef finds himself pulled forward towards his padawan by a firm tug at his waist. His mind reels, first in approval at the right spot to yank him forward and maintain balance, then at some measure of defense, his arms moving.

 

The moment passes and he feels the pressure of the dull side of her blade in his gut. He looks down, grimmacing, then chuckles.

 

"Well done. Well done indeed. Though be careful about asking a foe to yield when they should be finished instead." Punctuating that warning is a hard, blunt pressure in Kari's right side. As he flew forward, Lusef drew forth his disruptor pistol- though with some restraint, kept the safety on.

 

Part of it was a lesson in wariness, at least that was how Lusef justified it- and how his reflexes reacted. In a training exercise against a padawan, bringing a gun to a sword fight might have even bespoke a pettiness on Lusef's part- a part of him that refused to lose or fail under any circumstances- something he, even in his Lusef persona, could never swallow easily. Graciously, he takes a breath and speaks again. "Though it would be touch and go and we'd likely be both dead," he chuckles disarmingly again. "Solah! I yield! But remember caution child, and always expect a surprise attack."

 

Stepping away and holstering his weapon, he nods in approval. "You were magnificent out there, particularly with how you used the telekenesis. It is a finess weapon and you wielded it well." He looks ahead, around the Jundland Wastes. "I was also impressed with your use of the Force to guide your jumps. You looked before you leaped and were prepared." His eyes dart back to the broken speeder, still burning in the distance. "We have a long walk ahead and some time before we need to set up camp. Is there anything else you wish to work on?"

[Jedi X]

Kari looked down briefly at the pistol planted in her side, the pain of it's blunt nose slightly above aching. Part of her mind panicked at first, the thought of him shooting her crossing her mind even though she knew it was a mere point of the lesson he wished to teach. The other half though, scolded her for not seeing it coming. Bringing her blade back to it's sheath, Kari listens on as he instructs her. With a simple nod of her head, she acknowledges his wisdom.

 

"I thank you for your praise, Master..." Kari speaks as she gathers up her gear, preparing herself for the long journey ahead of them. "But I'm afraid it's because of my teacher that i have learned so quickly. Without your words of caution, my instincts wouldn't have reacted as they did."

 

Kari had realized them for what they were, the sensation as she pulled him toward her in the duel possessing much of the same feeling as it did the day she murdered her mother. But deep down, Kari feared it. To act without thought left her no more than a beast. The Force may come natural to her, but so it does to a Hssiss. For now, Kari shook her head at Lusef, and buried herself once again within the datapad as she began to trek forward back to Mos Eisley with Lusef.

 

The difference this time, was that Kari focused on keeping the datapad hovering above her hand using the Force, as if trying to tame it- make it of second nature.

 

"Though it scares me, i must overcome it. I cannot let it grow beyond my control."

 

((Sorry. Holidays grew hectic on me. Hope Lusef is a user of Form VI, as i have a few plans for her brewing that will come into play next post. Hence the moving on IC.))

[Lusef Aryan]

Lusef gives a proud smile at his padawan's words of praise, then sets out on the hike back to civilization, trudging through the sands of Tatooine.

 

As he marches on, he reaches out with his thoughts, trying to gain a sense of the surrounding area, and in turn, his padawan. He wanted to take a closer look at the datapad, but refrained. Reaching into his robe, he takes out his special cosmetics, applying them to his ruddy face and massages it in, feeling the sweat pouring in underneath and trickling out through the pores. Probing discretely, he gains a sense of her emotions, and after a period of quiet while silently answering an emergency cybermental communication that reached his attention, he speaks up again.

 

"The method by which you acted on your instincts back there were excellent. One must train their body and mind to be able to react at a moment's notice. One does not always have time to think. Man is animal, they are meat, and they are beast. That part is with us, always." His tone is emotionless. "There is power in that- our will to survive and endure, our most primal strength comes from this. It should not be feared." He flashes a smile at Kari, though his teeth almost seem too white in the grin.

 

"Still, one must think when they can. One must always be ready to out think, and out plan one's nemesis. Do not discard reason and will save at the last- your mind is the deadliest weapon of all." There's another proud note in his voice, reserved mostly for himself, but also with encouragement for Kari. "The Force and its use requires will. Some would have you remain passive and let it guide you wholly like a puppet. There is some strength in this. But..." he adds softly, "if one is careful, one can use one's emotions as a guide and let their feelings give them strength to guide them, and in turn, guide the Force. One achieves greater power, and greater control. One can work wonders. This too should not be feared. You must find your balance of man and animal inside you."

[Jedi X]

"I see..." Kari spoke, barely lifting her gaze toward Lusef as she read a portion about Lightsaber Forms. "Like the balance of good and evil that exists within us of all. Without one, the other would not exist. So if my natural instincts had not existed, i would have no instincts to grow from. Basic evolution. Interesting."

 

Kari was paying attention, even though it may not have seemed that way due to her previous actions. But in truth, Kari was looking toward her future. Call it getting ahead of herself, or counting her mynock eggs before they hatched. But truthfully, Kari was excited about the road ahead. Leary, but excited. It had always been her dream to become a Jedi ever since her mother's death and her coming into the Order as a child- though her reasons had changed as of late. Still, her interest had grabbed ahold of her attention.

 

So much so that she almost completely missed the bones that laid before her and her step almost crushing the skull of a poor soul who must have met his own demise here in the Wastes. They hadn't been walking long, though Kari had led them slightly off the path they had come due to the maze like canyon that was the Waste. But there was no need to panic, though Kari did just that- in a manner of speaking. Even though she had seen death once before, it had been many years and was such a traumatic event that it's scars still haunted her.

 

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Kari let out a blood curling scream that would even cause chills to creep up Faust's spine, though what Lusef would see before her a mere unfortunate soul. For what Kari saw, she could not explain, nor could she speak as her body went limp and her sight faded to nothingness.

 

Laid before Kari was the face of a Togruta woman, half buried beneath the sand. Her face, though aged a little more than Kari's own, was familiar. It was as if Kari looked upon her future self, a fate she would never have guess. The woman laid upon her back, her robes torn and her body ravaged despite the twin lightsaber tonfas that laid beside her. Suddenly her eyes opened, her mouth gaped open and words wishing to speak despite being buried beneath the sand. A mind reached out to hers, an aching throbbing through-out her frontal lobe as Kari falls to her knees.

 

"You.... child!" The voice speaks within Kari's head, a voice that sounded very much like her mother's but with a softer, kinder tone. "Look into my heart and you will find the twins you seek. But beware, for as you grow, so shall they. For once your path is chosen, so shall their destiny become yours."

 

Kari suddenly woke up, her eyes adjusting to the twin sun's bright light. She looked to Master Lusef, then to the bones which now took on the form of a simple human skull half buried in the sand. She was confused, half aware of what had happened, or the cause. As puzzled as she was, her mind couldn't help but race.

 

"What twins?" She questioned silently to herself, pondering the what could only be called as a spirit's words. Her gaze quickly shifted back to Lusef, wondering if he had seen it too. "Master?"

 

All the while though, Kari couldn't help but feel a pull toward the body's chest cavity which laid beneath the dirt.

[Lusef Aryan]

Lost in his own thoughts and busy contemplating news from abroad, Lusef once more dwelled on a matter that was out of his hands- though perhaps his persona as Lusef could mediate something... and extend the aggressors a few offers they might enjoy.

 

But that was then, and for now he would have to worry about gett-

 

In an instant, a blood curdling scream broke over the landscape. With unnatural celerity his lightsaber and pistol appear in his hands, his stance ready for battle. Lusef, familiar with such screams, often their primary cause, felt his heartrate shoot up, expecting immediate danger.

 

He realizes it was Kari, then caught sight of the sunbleached bones in the sand. Then Lusef felt... something... something alien that prickled as his sixth sense, something light. He feels a presence in the air and feels it connected to Kari. He can almost see a face, and almost hear voices, but they are blocked to him.

 

His heart still beating, his weapons dissapear back into his robes. "Kari?" he demands, grasping her shoulders with a shake and pulling her into a sitting position. This unexpected vision did not bode well for his plans for the child. What did it mean? "Twins? What did you see? Tell me. There was a face and voices, but what did they say? What did-" he doesn' finish, his presenses getting a tug at the bones, indicating something of import there. Wordlessly his right hand shoots forward and a powerful telekenetic blast kicks up the sand in a spray, unearthing the bone and anything else nearby. Looking ascance to protect his eyes from the dust cloud he stirred up, he narrows in for a closer look at this body in the wastes...

[Jedi X]

"Look into my heart." Kari said, her words weak and her body limp, unable to move on it's own. "The twins.... grow as i do.... destiny as my own."

 

Though Kari's words were scrambled, Lusef could see the moment play over and over through Kari's mind as their own bond between teacher and student began to grow even before their eyes. The face, it's features very much like Kari's own, her words of twins and shared destinies. But then Kari's body jerked, an rush of energy filtering out like a wave rushing back from the shore. Her eyes darted as the sand rolled away, revealing the Togruta form that had manifested within her dream- and falling directly upon the headdress as tears filled Kari's eyes.

 

"Mother!!!!" Kari spoke as she darted toward the unearthed Togruta mummy, it's form falling apart as Kari attempted to pick it up in her embrace. "But how?... I.. I buried you on Shili. Ha...Have you come back to haunt me even outside my dreams?"

 

Her words made no sense, her mind panicked and non comprehensive just as one would expect from such an encounter. But Kari's mother's body was indeed here on Tatooine and not Shili, a puzzle that even Lusef would not hold an answer to. But what would puzzle both of them more, was the satchel that fell from within the mummified chest cavity and landed at Kari's knees, two indigo Pontite crystals- twins in every detail, every cut.

 

"Master?" Kari spoke, her gaze darting toward him with question before it shot back to her mother's, as she lifted up the twin crystals." What witchery is this?.... Who could disturb my mother's rest just to present me with twin lightsaber crystals?"

 

Though it was oblivious to Kari despite the constant pull she felt from these crystals, Lusef would know their true meaning. The twin Adegan crystals held a unnatural bond with young Kari even though she had never seemingly came into contact with them within their natural habitat. Or that either of them knew of an occasion. But the better question was who had placed Kari's mother here on Tatooine, of who knew she would stumble across her mother here of all places. Who indeed. It would seem that someone knew of Lusef's plans, possibly his true identity.

 

"Time will only tell, Sith." Came a thought across the air that only Lusef could feel, it's thinker and her presence clouded behind the Force.

[Lusef Aryan]

Lusef stares at the skeleton, gaining a sense of the onrushing sensation. This time he could see it, and feel it. A pit of anger rose up in Lusef's heart- something he did not like at all was happening. He stares, his jaw clenched, and for a moment, his averted eyes flicker blue with irritation, a cold fire dancing in them.

 

Then came the voice. It bore a dire warning- something, or someone knew Lusef for what... and who he was. Lusef's eyes gaze upwards, searching for this unknown watcher. Clenching his jaw tightly, he speaks out, his voice measured, eyes watching Kari directly to see if she heard that as well.

 

"It must just be a Togrutan who fell out here." He states in a cold voice. "The odds are impossible. Possibly some Jedi or smuggler who ran afoul beasts or the Hutts and was left to rot." There is a modulated, pitying tone. "Your fear and anguish are mastering you. Your mother would remain buried on Shili. You are letting your fear consume you. She is dead," he states with harsh finality, "and buried far, far away from here. The Force works mysteriously. Your emotions guided you to these crystals, but it was a Dark impulse, as were any visions or messages. You cannot regard them, nor trust them, child." There is a comforting undertone as Lusef's hand moves to take the crystals. "Trust me, child. Do not be deceived."

 

He sends out one thought, carefully channeled so Kari cannot hear, sent for his unseen new nemesis.

 

And you, my unseen foe, are playing a dangerous game. I know you are out there, and I will find you; hunting is what I do best. Then, and only at the slow, agonizing last, will you regret crossing Vladimir Faust.

 

Overhead, a black shadow passes over the sun briefly, flickering like a monsterous bird of prey- one that watched and searched in tandem with its master's will.

[Jedi X]

Kari heard nothing but her own sobbing as she held tight her mother's decomposing form, tears streaming down her face and sending her into a mourning frenzy- unable to stop. She couldn't comprehend why someone would do such a thing, for it was one thing to rob graves. But to desecrate one's grave by moving it, especially to a place such as this. It was unheard of. It wasn't until Master Lusef began to speak that Kari's sobbing quit. And from his words, anger grew in her's, as the crystals were yet to be tuned to her completely.

 

"This IS my mother Master." Kari spoke in outraged voice, her temper flaring with hate and sorrow, boiling like the pits of Mustafar at his suggestion. Grabbing the headdress from upon her montrals, Kari quickly stood and forced it into his gaze. "You see this? I helped my mother knit this herself and even chose these pearls to be placed upon it. This is my mother... a..and these crystals..."

 

Kari had all but forgotten about the crystals, which she jerked back as his hands neared them, and held them close. She felt their pull grow even stronger, felt them fuel her anger, felt them fill her heart with dread.

 

"What is so special about the crystals anyways, Master?" Kari spoke again, this time her voice beginning to calm as her attention drew to them and away from his untimely suggestions. Reaching into the satchel, she pulled them forth, gazing deeply into their indigo hue as she examined them and felt another wave of calm rush over her as her temper disappeared. For the crystals seemed to fuel whichever emotion she felt, yet she could not notice it. "Why are these crystals so important that someone would dig up my mother and place her here for me to find like this?"

 

Meanwhile, across the Xelric Draw in the settlement of Mos Entha, a strange figure dressed in the dirt ridden cloths of a wanderer calmly makes her way through the large crowds- a faint smile across her covered Togruta face.

[Lusef Aryan]

Lusef shakes his head. "Your feelings deceive you, child," he tries a softer tone, putting one arm around her shoulder. "There is no conceivable, much less reasonable way that anyone would have dug her up, then put her randomly in a desert- much less ahead of time anticipating a path we would decide toc cross." He hesitates again, taking the crystals in hand. "These crystals appear to be lightsaber crystals, the kind Jedi use in their lightsabers. A coincidence, fortuitous perhaps, but one that is limited. Your own presense guided you towards crystals- either to be used in the construction of a lightsaber, or perhaps some other purpose." He makes a motion to seize the crystals in his hand, but once more hesitates, thinking better of it- who knows what effect those light tainted things might have on him?

 

"Hold on to them, but be wary. I sense danger from them. This could be a trap aimed at you in some round-about fashion. I can feel them filling you with anger and fear," he states flatly. "The Dark side taints them. I would cast them away."

[Jedi X]

"Then to Shili i will go.." Kari began, her words prideful and a bit arrogant to the tone. She was determined to find out the truth whether this was indeed her mother or not. "Once my training under as concluded, of course Master. Unless your up to the trip once we get back to Mos Eisley."

 

Whether or not this was her mother, Kari felt herself tied to this being somehow, call it a pull or what ever you wish. It would be a shame to leave her body here unearthed and left for Tatooine's harsh environment to ravish it. With a flick of her wrist, Kari focused her energy and released it. Wave after wave corroded the sands around the lying form, mounds of dirt unearthed one after the other as the body disappeared beneath it. Finally the Togruta laid in rest within a deepened grave, protected by time as she slept her humble slumber. Kari, pleased with the grave, rose to her feet.

 

"I will hold onto these as you wish, but i feel no darkness from them.." Kari spoke as she placed them into her satchel, her gaze shifting toward the setting suns. It wouldn't be long before darkness settled upon them, and there were still things Kari wished to learn before they set up camp for the night. "Only belonging.... But we must hurry Master. Darkness approaches and i was hoping to learn more about the Force before we settled in for the night."

 

But only one thought truly held it's place upon her mind. Oh how the Force works it's will.

 

"Looks like I'll need another blade if i am going to learn to wield twin lightsabers."

[Lusef Aryan]

Lusef nods, eying the crystals warily. At the moment, his concern was being hunted while in the middle of a hunt of his own. He'd see the child trained as he saw fit, and woe to anyone who got in his way. At issue first was figuring out how his cover was blown- he landed here from the Jedi Temple and fooled even skilled Masters such as K'munee. Curious...

 

Walking onwards, he stares up at the night sky approaching, and with it the accompanying chill. Normally, one would try to travel by night, and sleep by day, but the day would be the greater challenge.

 

Settling in, Lusef decides on a useful technique, perfect as the night settled in. "Might as well make camp here," he states cheerfully, flashing an all too innocent smile designed to infuriate. "Darkness is coming, and we can focus... perhaps, after we set up camp." He points to a rocky alcove, one that offered some defense if approached by raiders or other creatures.

 

He passes on a fire, but remains sitting, going into an almost saintly meditation position. Drinking a healthy gulp of water, a healthier portion of rations, and applying the usual make up to his face to keep it intact, he gauges his padawan's reactions and impatience.

 

"I'm going to teach you a trance technique. It's a form of meditation. Your body goes into a near stasis. In theory, one can heal themselves faster in this state," he adds, "but it requires energy to speed up the body's metabolism." After all, true Force healing was beyond Lusef's grasp. "It is best done by taking your emotions, and grasping them tight. Hold them like a mace, or a lightning rod, and let your breathing slow. Channel everything into it, feed your feelings, until they wash over you. Let them become power, and center yourself around it- then simply let your body rest."

 

Lusef goes through the motions several times, going into a near-trance on each time, letting Kari follow.

 

"If you do this, you can rest easily, and keep your awareness focused for dangers. Your mind will exist outside your body, and you will be able to use it at any time."

[Jedi X]

Kari walks onward with Lusef to the front, the young Togruta eyeing her Master curiously as the two of them make the long journey back to civilization. He seemed different as of late to her, more distant and seemingly distracted- but more so she had noticed a lack of patience toward her. Or so she thought. Maybe it was just her. And she was leary to look into his mind to see, worried that it may cause him to take offense. Silently she stayed back, lost within her own thoughts until they finally all fluttered from her mind and found themselves replaced with others.

 

"Yes, Master." Kari speaks, but no more, the events of the day having taken their toll upon her. Her body ached over every inch, and her mind found it's self in a wreck and stressed out. She felt dead to the world, a numb effect to her very core. And all she wanted to do was sleep. Tightening her cloak around her, she turned to Lusef. "It's gotten a bit chilly, eh?"

 

By now darkness had all but enveloped the sky above them, save for the distant horizon which found it's self filled with swirls of gold, red, and purple. Once again she turns silent, approaching the alcove and placing down her bags and weapons before venturing down a eastern path to collect dried roots and twigs for a camp fire. Off by herself, Kari took the chance to reflect on the day she had, and tried to find peace with everything she had seen and learnt. But it did her little good, as her mind could do little more than comprehend it.

 

Once the fire was built, and her makeshift bed was prepared, Kari climbed upon it and listened to Master Lusef's instructions. As she did, Kari managed a couple of bites from an energy bar and a few sips of water from a flask before she attempted to follow in suit. It was hard for Kari to even concentrate, much less focus. But still she tried, doing just as he instructed.

 

First she grasped what little emotion she could muster, her mind and body feeling dead and numb to her very core. And once she felt what emotion she felt was promising- Ghost's constant taunting of the other droids at Haruun Kal, one of the the few happy moments in her life- she held onto it as if her sanity depended upon it, as if had she let go, her mind would cease to be. She felt the spark build, and as she opened herself to the Force, began to feed the emotion until it overcame her mind completely.

 

She felt weightless, almost as if she was but a leaf upon the wind as her mind expanded outward and every living thing became one with her. Her fatigue drifts away momentarily, a strange burst of energy erupting within her. And then peace came, flooding her mind with ease and stripping away her burden until her shoulder felt lifted. While hours passed within her mind, only moments passed outside. And then darkness came, her body falling limp at first whilst her mind remained. But soon, her mind lost it's control and the fatigue returned. Kari fell sound to sleep without a word.

 

And while Lusef was lost within his own trance, he would surely feel Kari curl up beside him and the young Togruta innocently placing her head upon his leg. For he was the reason her emotions were fed, her strongest emotion to add. He was her new home, her new father, the only one she had ever truly known.

[Lusef Aryan]

Lusef continued his meditation, sliding in and out. His aim at goading the child's temper with impatience was two-fold. First, it was to teach a lesson in self-control, and second, it was to build up the requisite emotional charge necessary for his more advanced lessons, though many would be far from fitting for a Jedi.

 

He felt Kari curl up around him and the head on his leg, forcing Lusef back to the waking. Oddly touching, he only shakes his head. The child was naive and far too trusting for her own good. It reminded Lusef in a round about way of how his sister was. His emotions rippled with anger again at the thought in a short, but controlled internal burst. In the end, before her death, even she could fail and fall. Innocence was a cost for survival, so was mercy and compassion. His daughter, Carmilla was dead, and Jarrett and Reagan gone as well, departed into other parts of the galaxy. Weakness in allowing them close to him, and vice versa, only bred further weakness and openings for attack.

 

Still, acts of compassion, a showing of good faith, could go a long way in aiding the capture of the unwary. Getting a spare blanket, he sets it down and tucks Kari in. Trust was hard to build, and he would keep it firm. Mentally probing the child in her trance, he finds it satisfactory- deep enough for healing, but shallow enough to rouse her lest danger approached. Placing his right hand on her forehead, he implants a few more instructions related to successful meditation- guaging the level of immersion into the trance, as well as imagery on how to properly accelerate her body's healing. Finally, he pushes the trance a bit further down- he wanted her asleep till dawn.

 

Now, he was going to hunt.

 

A flicker overhead shows a single remote float down, hovering distantly over the camp site- a camera linked in to watch for danger and intruders. With a mighty leap, he jumps, hanging onto the bottom of a small, but all too familiar and infamous ship, using it as a hang-speeder to cross the desert. Hanging on with his left hand, his right clenches a still inactive lightsaber. Lusef's persona vanished despite the jolly, ruddy face he wore, the persona and mindset now worn down to what he was underneath- Vladimir Faust.

 

More than just the apprentice was at stake now- if someone knew him, his main worry was having half the Rebel Alliance show up to take him prisoner again if he was unmasked here. Like bloody hell that was going to happen!

 

His senses guide him on, leaving him minutes walk outside Mos Entha, catching reverberations of where he felt his prey from earlier. His ship, took off again into the air, hovering silently over the settlement. Letting his senses guide him, Faust was determined to find his pursuer, and put a nasty end to his prey. No guarantee his target would be here, but it would be a start. If not... well... things would get interesting.

[Jedi X]

As Kari laid there, lost within the deep sleep that had overcame here mind, her thoughts became one with Lusef's implanted instructions. She grew to know them by heart, it's knowledge and imagery playing over and over within her mind for a time. It wasn't until Lusef placed her deeper within the trance, that her mind became taken over by something else, something odd. And as Lusef, or Faust, took off on his hunt, it became clear to what it was exactly. Lusef's touch, empowered by the crystals Kari had found, opened up images of it's own right.

 

"Tori"

 

A vision encompassed her mind, a vision of three Togruta girls playing within a yard just as children often do. Happiness swells within their heart, and a trouble filled life seems an impossibility. Oh how these three sisters cared and loved one another. And Kari could feel these emotions as if she had lived them, tears happily flowing from her eyes as she slept. It seemed like nothing wrong in the galaxy at large even mattered anymore. And as she slept, an ominous purple glow emitted upon the cliffs that surrounded her.

 

It wasn't until the man came that happiness was torn from their hearts and a numb pain soon replaced it. For two of the sisters were taken away from the third, and swept away to different planets, for neither of the taken two saw the other alive ever again. For the path of the Jedi was a path without attachments. And as both grew, so did their destinies, and soon their paths became total opposites. One died upon a distant planet, betrayed by her Master who was in turn betrayed by his feelings for her. And the other upon finding the truth of her sister's death, fell from grace never to return.

 

Meanwhile, as Faust approaches Mos Entha, a feeling washes over the Sith Master. Like the pull he felt from the crystals to Kari, so this life form pulled at him. It's power was seasoned, as old as he and as powerful as the greatest found within his time. For if he was to ever know fear of another, this presence would be it. And near the edge of town, he would find it, cloaked by the very shadows that would serve his own hidden purposes. And reveal it's self it would, if only to toy with the very prey it stalked. For Faust had stumbled upon something he shouldn't have, and now reaped the very path he intended to sow.

 

"So the hunter has became the hunted..." spoke a voice, it's presence first found upon his mind before shortly materializing into words as a figured stepped from the shadow and into the moon's lit path upon the surface of the desert planet. "Your feelings for her betray you, brother of my Order."

 

The figure it's self spoke of a woman's form, elegant and postured, as her curvatured body became visible beneath the darkened cloak. Her long slender body was covered from foot to neck within a fabric textured like leather and as black as Faust's heart could be considered. And her head, though hidden behind a Mask that resembled the ancient mask of Darth Nihilus, still retained the form of the Togruta species despite her montrals and lekku covered in the same fabric as the rest of her body- with the traditonal Akul-Tooth headdress and Togruta sash ever present.

 

"Why have you sought me out? Has my knowledge of your true nature threatened you in some way?"

[Lusef Aryan]

Faust, feeling the tug, has a moment of uncertainty if he was following, or being called. His hand tightens around his inactive lightsaber, ready to activate it in a nano-second. If not for his need for stealth and quiet, it would be alight already.

 

Sure enough, he found what he wanted, and with a wry smile, chuckled at a greeting he often gave to his pursuers. Fool! Faust was the greatest hunter in the galaxy. His hands disspeared into his robes in an unassuming posture, also taking a grip on his disruptor pistol.

 

"My compliments on your skill," Faust notes quietly, taking in the figure's features, as well as the mask. "Interesting choice of a mask." His eyes narrow, and an icy blue light seems to flicker behind his brown contact lenses. "Before we dispense with the pleasantries, I have a few short questions for you. Who are you, how did you find me, and what is the girl to you?" The tone is quiet, but deadly cold. "I would also wager," he adds slowly, "you are not the kind to squealch at getting her hands dirty. That really was her mother's skeleton, was it not? I suppose a why for that is in order too."

[Jedi X]

"And your's as well." The Togruta Sith retorts at his mention of her Mask, the older woman assuming a position much like his, though her hands find themselves clasped behind her back. Her glare coldly stares upon he rival, unwavering at his attempts at Dun Möch. Clearing her throat, she introduces herself with a slight curtsy. "I am Darth Ventra."

 

The barren sand of Tatooine sunk beneath her bare feet as she stepped toward the Sith Faust, her hands still clasped behind her back. She found herself quite amused by the Hunter. With a cloud of black mist she was gone, reappearing behind Faust, her mouth within inches to his ear.

 

"Huntress of the Shadows and Seducer of the Foolish." She whispered into his ear before she stepped back to his front, her gaze never faltering from him. Speaking louder, she stops before him, her voice tantalizing to the ears. " And your blaster will have no effect upon me."

 

She giggles, tapping the montrals of her head to remind him of a life-long gift of echolocation.

 

"You have nothing to fear Sith, as we both share a common goal. She will be trained well in the Force, an become one of it's most powerful practitioners." She swells with pride at this notion, a smirk creeping upon her face beneath the masks. "But she will be a Jedi, not Sith. And your meddling has caused me unnecessary grief. Yes, that was the body of the woman she called mother, was a necessary act to remind her of her love for the woman."

 

The Sith soon looks off to the distant for a brief moment, almost as if she resented herself for such an act. But soon held firm to the fact that it was the only solution for the mess Faust had made of things.

 

"It was through your bond with her that i was able find out who- and what your are." She turns back, her glare coldly looking through him as if she could see the man behind the mask. "As you may have already assumed, the girl is a clone, one i had to ensure was raised from the infant stage, thus ensuring her memories would not return as they would have if she had been cloned fully."

 

Opening her bond with the girl, and in return with Faust, she shoved her way into his mind and gave visions of the dream((see previous post)) that Kari found herself in back within the Jundland Wastes. "Even now her memories return thanks to your meddling."

 

"Each time you alter her memories, or plant new ones, it weakens the Sith Magic that holds closed the memories of her past." She lets go of his mind as well as her bond with Kari, their surroundings returning from behind the black mist that once enveloped her. "I find it ironic that her history repeats it's self and that her second Master also shares feelings for her. But be weary of it, for her former Master let his feelings for her betray him into loving her and both fell because of it. In his anger for her not returning the feelings, he slew her."

 

"If she remembers her past, or her past finds a way to repeat it's self, she will be lost to us both. Her soul will become broken and useless, never able to attain her true greatness."