Jedi Temple

[DarkSaber]

Ashley followed Nachta to the elevator with the rest of the students and she listened to what Lady Nachta asked of them. She focused on the third target and she used the Force and she sent a massive Force-push at the target. She used no emotions to slam her opponent into the wall.

[Cain]

The whip's crack that struck the boy only caused his form to turn into crows. The birds flapped and cawed, circling around the corpses of Furan's parent's, most of which landed upon them to feed. Jabbing their beaks into the flesh and tearing off pieces that the other birds jostled and fought over.

"You have hate. You have anger. The dark side is strong with you," a voice said inside Furan's head. This voice was different then that of the boy's, it was deeper and darker, "Though you still have one lesson to learn I think... if you think my reality is something that can be overcome, then show me."

After the flesh had been completely torn away and all that remained of Furan's parents were torn garments and loose clumps of meat still clinging to bone, the birds once again flocked together. This time they transformed into a man. He had long hair like the boy, but the man's hair was a silvery gray. His skin was cracked and scared all over, his chest was exposed showing off hundreds of long deep lesions. His arms from just below the shoulders down were covered by long black leather gloves which hid the fact that his limbs were in fact machines. And his eyes... the same cold yellow eyes as the boy. The man ignited a dark core blue lightsaber, his very presence radiated dark power. An incredible feeling of hopelessness and fear was being projected onto Furan.

"Show me your strength..." he said simply as the wind swept between the two of them.

[貪欲]

Raising her hand to crack her neck Furan smiled at the new appearance from which the dark energies pulsed as if was his very aura itself. Using her left hand to reignite the light whip Furan began to rotate in circle causing the plasma to spin lightly in a swirl like image at her side. Taking short quick steps to the side she lite her other weapon namely being the dark cared red saber acquired from the traveling merchants she had killed.

Waiting for only a few moments to read the man's movements which she learned to do so in the wild of the desert. Lowering her legs into an almost crouching position Furan jumped forward with a burst of speed. Taking this to advantage she cracked her whip towards the sand in front of the man resulting in it being sent upwards and as a quick cover for her forward thrust of the ignited blade. As she swung she used her left hand to recoil the whip around to force the man to either be pushed back or to the right.

[Cain]

Furan's lightsaber ran the man through, but he didn't flinch. His arm wrapped around her wrist and squeezed hard, breaking it, "Still can't see what is real?" he said, tossing her back, "I've already told you... I determine what your reality is. How can you possibly hope to defeat me if you do not know the source of my power? You're doomed to chase my shadow while I crush you from afar. You might as well quit now."

[貪欲]

Servilely loosening her grip on the saber Furan clenched his face in response to the pain shooting through her arm. Running her eyes around she searched for the man in question from which she could inflict the same in return for her own pain. 'Bastard...won't even fight like a real warrior.' suddenly as if in a flash an idea had struck her 'If he can control that then perhaps...'

Thinking quickly on her feet Furan began to ignore the soaring pain in her wrist as if it were a minor sting. Recalling when she had hit the boy with her whip it hadn't connected with anything. Thinking upon it as fast as she could she came to one conclusion "I see...." deactivating her whip she returned her weapon to there holders before reaching over touching her supposed broken wrist. Feeling not a bone out of place she had a confused look upon her face until she thought back to it being "broken" in the first place. Why had there not been the sick sound of bones snapping in two.

[Cain]

"It is useless to resist," the man said, responding to Furan's thoughts. Her wrist had been broken, the details of how Cain's attacked worked were far beyon Furan's ability to comprehend them and there in lay their strength. The Shadow Arts are about deception. So long as the victim couldn't identify the deception they were helpless to stop it.

Through the force Cain was able to connect with Furan's mind, this happened the instant she stepped within the bubble he'd established around the Temple to sense the approach of intruders. Using this connection he could manipulate Furan's senses, including what she saw and heard. The boy was an illusion conjured up by Cain and forced into Furan's mind, as was the desert and the man in front of her now. But the true insidious nature of the Shadow Arts came with how it subdued its victims.

While Furan bickered with and attacked illusions, the real Cain was free to attack him from afar, using only simple force attacks to finish his prey. Telekinesis wrapped around Furan's wrist matched up with the vision of the man squeezing it gave the illusion that he was actually there. The break in her wrist was all too real. As would be the break in her other wrist. The man before her vanished in a blur only to appear at her side with his hand around her other arm. The telekinesis crushed it as well, though it would appear as if the man had done it.

"You are beaten. Give in now... don't make me destroy you..."

[貪欲]

Gasping in pain yet again as she felt her body be the onslaught of the mysterious mans attacks. Grinding her teeth in frustration along with agonizing pain she dropped her head towards the floor to mask her mask yet again. Trying to focus upon the ground as the pain blurred her vision, this only making her feel even more helpless in front of this man. Knowing she that she had been defeated rather easily by the illusion since that was all that she could see.

"Tsk! Giving in you say.....what...a laugh! Warriors never...give in...to anything." Breathing heavily as the attempted sentence left her lips between the gasps of air. Looking up she stared at the man with hatred written within each of her eyes....no her ever soul. Gasping to speak again she feel onto her knees "...but it....is also...a...true to know...when you have been....defeated by someone better then you. I know....this all...too....well....so my.....fate rests in your hands." Staring at the man that had bested her Furan frowned deeply for to die so soon was not something that she had hoped to become of her.

[Cain]

The man smiled grimly in Furan's direction. She had recognized the power before her, but she did not cower or run away, "You have pain... pain that can be turned into anger. Anger that can fuel hatred. Hate that can manifest as power. Through passion I gain strength. Remember those words, they are your dogma."

Finally the desert around Furan grew dark again, fading away along with the figure of the man to reveal that she was back on the steps of the Jedi Temple. The doors were opened now, a strange dark force compelling her forward...

[貪欲]

Her breathe returning to normal Furan gasped none the less as the pain began to leave her mind and body as if a veal had been unearthed from over her head. Feeling along her body for any signs of damage hissing in pain as her wrists were still broken and for the most part useless. Bearing with the pent up anger that was now reawakening within her she entered the temple even though if she encountered another fight like this she would most certainly end up dead and forgotten. Walking with caution Furan entered through the doors feeling around for anything that might attack her while within it's bowels.

*OOC: Corrections made and moddified to your notification, Cain.*

[Cain]

(OOC: Your wrists would still be broken there, Ravenous)

[Gamov]

Janus felt his boots touch the concrete once more as the Sith Lord gently placed him back on the solid ground with the other acolytes. He calmed his nerves, relieved to be back on his own feet as the prospect of being manipulated against his will by a Sith was as terrifying as it was surreal.

"The intensity and precision you put into it determines the nature of what you want to do wither it is to lift a rock or pull down a building. Now I want you to hit your targets with a hard push. Give it a try and remember that your emotions help you focus on the Force. Find a reason to hate or love these these target, get mad or lust for blood. It is through emotions we truly can become one with the Force."

Janus eyed his "target", scanning the man with a critical eye. Nothing of note stood out from the man's persona. The way he dressed, his stance, his clean shaven face and neatly cut hair. It all suggested a life of mediocrity and relative ease that was likely shared under other middle class citizens just like him. His ring finger on his right hand, adorned with a silver wedding band. A married man even. What possible reason would he have for inflicting harm upon such a person? He had never met the man until this instant in time.

An uneasy feeling came over Janus. Was this the price had was to pay for his ultimate prize? To inflict harm on others as a way to prove his mastery over his abilities? Over himself? This test of strength, this show of force, it seemed to be leading ever farther down the path of giving into the control of the savage animal instincts that he knew lurked in the recesses of his mind, empowering the thing that resided there.

"What are you waiting for? Do as your mentor says...."

Janus blinked his eyes and shook his head slightly as the voice came crawling back to his conscious mind. Awakened by the prospect of brutality and violence.

"Use your strength, prove your worth."

"I...." Janus clenched his eyes tightly shut and grit his teeth, fighting the searing pain that was beginning to grow in his head. The thing inside him, it began to toy with his very thoughts, placing images in his mind's eye that depicted grisly scenes. Had he been responsible for them? He couldn't recount any of what was transpiring in his own memory. Very few of the faces were recognizable to him.... All but one. It flashed by in an instant, but it was unmistakable. The sunken grey eyes, peering up from the floor, the withered old face traced with marks of age, twisted into a grim expression of surprise and horror.

"Dad...." Janus trailed off in his own mind as the vision came into clarity. Simultaneously he heard the thing in his head deliver a sharp grunt of disgust.

"He was a fool to stand before you.... And look what became of him."

"You bastard! What did you do to my father!?" Janus snapped.

"What I did?" The voice shot back, its voice laced with surprise. "Not myself.... You. Don't you remember that day? The day you finally caught up with the man who made your life hell?" There was a brief lull as the voice slowly materialized into an entity, the same replicate of Janus that it had used before to communicate with him. "Don't you remember the satisfaction you felt when you squeezed the trigger and ended his vile excuse for a life?"

Janus pulled his gaze away from the stiffened corpse of his father and stared back at the creature before him. Its black eyes devoid of life, pity or compassion. Its tone was laconic and cold, speaking of the murder of his father as little more than a casual reminiscence of the past.

"It was glorious, Janus. A release that we have not experienced in some time. We had control then. Two minds, one goal, merged into a singular thought with one purpose.... Vengeance." A sadistic smirk played on the doppelganger's lips. "Here is your chance to relive that day once more.... Over and over, never relenting, never stopping. Your revenge can be infinite. All you need do is give into your instincts and do what you know is right."

Janus covered his face with his hands and tightened his jaw, the full effects of his own actions finally coming to light for his fractured mind. He fell to his knees, fighting the urge to vomit. How could he have let this thing do this to him? He had always suspected that it had been responsible for murder.... But his own father. How could he live with himself now? Breathing heavily, Janus fell forward on to his hands. Staring into the murky puddle of water at his feet, he glimpsed his own reflection.... And he wanted to die. For the first time in his life, he felt an overwhelming urge to end his own pitiful existence, if only to stop the thing inside of him from harming any one else.

"Do it, Janus....." The voice taunted, speaking over him as a shadow fell on the ground in front of him.

Looking up from the street, Janus saw the thing, materialized in front of him, standing beneath the blackened sky with him and offering only hell as its promise to him.

"You bastard!!" Janus blurted out, yelling at the top of his lungs. "I'm done playing your games! You hear me you sadistic son of a bitch?! I'm through with you!!"

A flash of lightning ripped through the clouds behind the clone, illuminating its features only momentarily as a low chuckle began to build in its chest, soon spilling out into a hearty guttural laugh that taunted the Captain and rejoiced in his emotional pain. "Oh, such anger.... You will make a fine Sith some day.... Now, all you need to do is kill your father." The clone gestured to its left, pointing to the man next to him.

Janus followed the movement, his eyes falling upon the familiar visage of his father. He knew it couldn't be. He was dead, he had seen it in his own memories. This thing was just trying to play him for a fool, but he would no longer be a willing participant in its twisted games.

"Father...." He began, his voice shaking as he fought back a flood of sadness and regret behind a thin veil of tears at the corner of his eyes. "I'm so sorry.... Can you ever forgive me?"

The clone looked back to Janus, a sneer of disgust distorting its face. "What a pathetic creature you are!" It spat. "You wish to apologize to the man who made your life hell? The man who destroyed your career and disowned you, alienated you even though you were his own flesh and blood?!" A deep growl of anger rose up from his throat. "And then you ask his forgiveness? you truly deserve to die a slow, painful death for your insolence!"

Janus looked back to the clone, anger burning in his eyes. "I will no longer play your games." He protested through clenched teeth. "I despise you! I loathe your very existence!"

"Then kill me! Prove your hatred! Prove your worth! Prove you are the superior creature and earn your place!" It was slowly working the Captain's fragile emotions, goading him towards a goal that it knew he could accomplish with the proper leverage. "You killed your father! Why should I be any different?! You don't feel you deserve to live any longer, I can see it in your thoughts! Do it! Finish me off, claim your ultimate victory."

The pain built to near intolerable levels in Janus' head as the thing's influence grew by the minute. Each passing second bred more hatred, more animosity. All of which it used to feed itself and give itself power over his body.

"Do it!!"

All at once, Janus let out a deep, pained scream that originated from the very depths of his own tormented soul. "Enough!!"

In seconds, he sprang to his feet and threw both of his hands forward, pushing towards the clone with a wall of energy, releasing all of his pain and anguish in one concentrated assault on the vile creature. Within seconds, the wave of energy impacted the clone and dislodged it from its place in front of him, propelling it across the street into a parked speeder.

As Janus lowered his hands, he sucked in a few deep breaths, hitting the ground once more on his knees as an overwhelming sense of sadness engulfed his body, embracing him with a crushing, merciless touch that would not relent its hold over him.

[Odan Thos]

Nachta watched each of the students. She knew that Ashley and Nik would known it because they knew shadow clone technical which was just a combination of telekinesis and mind control. She was glad that Kan and Jonus were able to produce a push but she was not happy with Jonus behavior problems. She walked over to him and gave him a firm slap to snap him out of his state. “Pull yourself together. You were gifted with the Force. Your emotion gave you strength, but you cannot let them blind you or you well suffer a worse fate then death.” Nachta said out load so all could hear her. She was just suppose to train them in the Force, but at the same time was embedding some of her own philosophical ideals.

Nachta placed her hand on Jonus’ shoulder. She reached out in the Force and entered his mind. “Your past haunts you as it haunts us all. Hidden in it is your strength, don’t run from it, embraces it.” She telepathically said in a soft gentle voice which did not seem like the harsh Sith before. She could was sense his feelings through the telepathic link. “You well one day see why I made you do what you did. If you hate me for this then so be it, use it to full the Force. It will be my gift to you.” The soft voice inside his head said. Nachta lifted her hand off his shoulder and turned away. She knew she was not supposed to get attached to any of these people, but something about Jonus had her interested.

Lady Nachta took a breath and figure she would move on to mind control. To do this she would first need to train them to meld with others mind which was really the bases of all mental abilities. “You well all need to practice your abilities to improve them, much as any other skill. As you do you well find them easier to do.” Nachta then figured she would move onto the next ability, but this time she would explain to them as she walked towards a small bar nearby. “We are moving on to manipulating someone’s mind. The human female and Mitsukai already have an understanding of this as they have said they been shown Shadow Clone, however I would still like you to participate; as practice makes perfect. Now, to do this ability you well reach out in the Force, focusing on the minds of your target. You well need to follow the strings of the Force that run through your targets mind. Fallowing these down to the very deepest part of their mind. You well be melding your minds to become one. If your target will is weaker than yours abilities in the Force can push images, thoughts or emotions on your enemy. However you are opening yourself up should your opponent is stronger; they could do the same to you.” Nachta said as she walked into the bar. “So pick a person in this bar and try to meld with their minds and push an idea on them. Like this.” Nachta said as she walked over to one of the men. She waved her hands, “You want to buy me a Corellian Whiskey.” Nachta said using Mind Trick.

The man looked almost mesmerized. “I want to buy you a Corellian Whiskey.” He said as he walked over to the bar and to purchase the drink.

Nachta turned to her students. “Like that.” She said as she took the drink from the man. As he walked back and seemed confused why he was giving it to her. She took a drink and waited for the students to try the ability for themselves.

[Lord Xion]

Kan watched as Janus was having mental flashes. Kan could tell he was in deep thought just from the look in his eyes. Kan quickly refocused and listened to Nachta's words and was sure to follow. this mind trick ability would definately come in handy. Kan saw many other species at the bar; which astounded him. Kan picked out a bulky human and walked over to him.

Kan said with little intimidation; seeing the mans bicept matched kan's head "you sir, would you do me a favor." The man looked at him and said in a sneering tone "What..." Kan entered the mans head and started to focus very hard. he was travelling through his mind and finding memorys. when he got to the core of the brain Kan said in a sad manor "Could you go beat that little green man up?" the bulky human walked over to a small twi'lek man sitting at the bar and he punched him square in the jaw. when the rodian man hit the floor a small brawl insued but lasted only minutes before it was hushed by men holding their guns in a taunting manor.

[DarkSaber]

Ashley watched as Janus struggled, but she turned her attention to Lady Nachta. Mind trick ability would be easy to use. Ashley looked around the bar and she found a human male who was about eight years older than her and she walked over to him and sat beside him.

“Hey there good looking,” she said sweetly in a flirting tone.

The guy looked up at her and asked, “What do want girl?”

Ashley waved her hands in the air innocently. “What? Can’t a girl come over and speak to a good-looking man when she sees one?” she asked.

The guy chuckled softly and said, “I suppose not. The name’s Blake. What’s your name?”

“Leona,” Ashley said as she smiled and noticed that he and the others were playing a game of sabacc. “Buy me a shot of Vodka,” she said.

Blake laughed and said, “All right. Oy! Bartender bring us a around of whiskey and a shot of Vodka for the gorgeous babe sitting beside me and put it on my tab.”

The bartender nodded and brought a round of whiskey over to the table and a shot of Vodka for Ashley and gave it to them.

Ashley took her Vodka and she leaned over and looked at the next guy’s hand of cars sitting beside her as she drank her Vodka down.

She grabbed a bottle of whiskey and she pretended to start drinking it as she watched a guy across from her looked at his cards and noticed he had a ten, two threes, and two Idiot cards.

Ashley knew the object of the game was to create a hand holding the value of twenty three, known as Pure Sabacc, or minus twenty three which would be trumped by a positive twenty three. She also knew the negative numbers could be created through the use of the special cards which all, with the exception of the Idiot card, represented a negative number. A player won the game by either calling their hand when they had twenty three, or minus twenty three, or if their hand was below twenty three or above minus twenty three, but closer to either number than their opponent’s. Anything over twenty three and under minus twenty three was a bust. A pure zero was also a bust. Anything over twenty three and under minus twenty three was a bust.

She looked at Blake’s hand of cards and noticed he had a good hand. He had a Pure Sabacc of twenty-three in his hand.

Ashley leaned over and whispered, using the Force to poke around in Blake’s mind. “You want to call your claim.”

Blake looked at Ashley and said, “I want to call my claim.” He looked the other guy and said, “Mark I’ll calling my claim. Read ‘em and weep Pure Sabacc!”

“No way in hell,” Mark said. “No one get s a pure sabacc on their first turn unless they cheat.”

”I didn’t cheat,” Blake said. “Calling me a liar?”

“What do you expect from me?” Mark snapped. “A kiss and flowers? The only thing you’re getting from me is a blaster up your ass!” Mark punched Black in the jaw.

Blake stumbled back and punched Mark in the gut.

Ashley grabbed another bottle of whiskey and rolled her eyes at the scene.

“Men,” she muttered under her breath as she got up and walked back over to Lady Nachta.

[Gamov]

Moving from the streets to a nearby bar, following in order with the other students, Janus' mind was absent from his surroundings for a moment. The crushing emotional sensation that now resided in him, the cold slap from the Sith Lord still sitting on his cheek with an unpleasant sting, and her docile, nearly hypnotic, voice echoing inside his head. These things culminated in his mind as a distracting, obnoxious torrent of thought that would not cease.

"You well one day see why I made you do what you did. If you hate me for this then so be it, use it to full the Force. It will be my gift to you."

Hate? Did he hate her for forcing him down that road? His anger had provided him with the resolve and strength he needed to vanquish his demon, denying it the control it so desperately sought over him. It was an unpleasant experience, yes. But one deserving of his hatred? This was unclear even to Janus. In his aggression he had managed to inflict great harm on an otherwise innocent man of meager existence. Harm he would have not been capable of in a lucid state of mind.... Or so he hoped. Perhaps hate was too powerful a word to use here. He was unsatisfied with his actions, but secretly, part of him enjoyed it. The rush of power, the feeling of projecting his anguish onto another in a bid to force them to experience the same pain he had known all these years. It felt.... Liberating.

Dare he use that term? He was promised liberation from his enslavement by the cruel whims of his alternate persona, and it had appeared that he had taken steps towards attaining that goal permanently. But it was still too soon to tell whether or not his Dark Side was a gift or a curse.

Entering the bar, Janus focused his attention back on his Sith mentor, at first only reading her lips before he finally managed to draw his attention back with enough time to hear her last words in clarity.

"So pick a person in this bar and try to meld with their minds and push an idea on them. Like this. You want to buy me a Corellian Whiskey.”

Janus watched on silently as the Sith easily subdued a bar patron with a simple wave of her hand, forcing the man to buy her a drink for no reason other than the fact that she demanded it. Her show of force was impressive, but it seemed like an almost outlandish request to ask him to invade the mind of another person and manipulate them towards his own ends. The others, however, had no problem with the command, spreading themselves out into the bar to select an unwitting target on which to experiment.

Knowing he had to follow suit, Janus stepped cautiously into the establishment, integrating himself amid the other denizens populating the bar. Scanning his surroundings, Janus tried to pick an easy target for himself. Someone who appeared to be weak, broken and on the verge of collapse. Half of his work would have been done should he manage to find such a person.

His search did not last long however. Soon, the perfect target crossed into his sight. A broken man, disheveled and poorly dressed. His demeanor payed homage to a man who had seen his glory days long ago, his life having been reduced to the sad state that it was now as he stat hunched at the bar, alone, ignored and desolate. The perfect mark.

By all accounts, Alum Flint was a man at the end of his rope. Deep in debt with all of the wrong characters, Flint was more disposed to spending what he was sure remained of his days at the lodge or the cantina, spending what little money he had left on alcohol, death sticks and Twi'Lek dancers. He was something of a pitiful man, his dark brown hair was mussed and unkempt, twisting and flowing in random directions to frame a face that was long and drawn, etched with the marks of age and worry. His sleep deprived eyes had turned a sickly shade of pink, the effects of many a long night spent frittering away his last few credits on the few pleasures he could still afford. But, in spite of his outward appearances, he felt no such feelings of self loathing or remorse. He had resolved long ago, after he had concluded that there would be no way for him to escape the pit which he himself had dug, to simply gather up what money he could and retreat to the nearest bar to await his final hour doing what he loved most. But that didn't mean he would just lay down and die when someone tried to rob him of those pleasures.

"Yeah, fine, go to hell!" He rudely shouted to one of the waitresses, his advances having been denied, even with the attempted use of credits to "loosen" the woman's spirits. "Schutta." He muttered under his breath, turning back to the bar where he expected to find his drink waiting for him. However, much to his surprise, his liquor had inexplicably vanished, stolen from him by a uniformed officer that had inexplicably appeared next to him.

"What the hell?!" He exclaimed as his eyes began to dart between Janus and the drink in his hand.

Janus did not answer, he only returned the man's outburst with a blank stare. Slowly, he focused in on the man, attempting to find an in road into his mind. And there were a multitude of them. His worries about his debt, his love for the last pleasures he could afford. His mind was weak, altered by months of depression and alcohol. His resolve was no match for the Captain, who, at this point, was beginning to find a way into his mind. And what he encountered on the surface was a will to die undermined by an unwavering fear of his own death. A point of weakness.

"He is an easy target.... And a scrap of society. Surely you sense this. It is apparent even in him as he stands before us."

Janus bit back a thin smirk. For once, he and his alternate personality agreed. Indeed, this man was one of the dregs of society. He would be missed by no one.... Hell, at this point, death was a favorable option for him when compared with the alternative of living his remaining days cowering in a bar.

"Why don't you do us all a favor and die already?" Janus subtly suggested, imparting his words into the very mental fabric of the man before him. "After all, death is looking more and more optimistic, wouldn't you say? What would you have left after your last credits dry up? You'll be thrown out on the streets and fed to the wolves." A think smirk finally broke through and played on Janus' lips.

"Why not take control for once in your life. End your suffering on your time.... Not that of your enemies."

Alum's eyes glazed over all at once, the words ringing through his head with great truth, though he had no clear reason why. Speaking in a very melodic tone, he mustered a response. "I understand.... My lifestyle will only lead to my death." Slowly, he unclipped his blaster from its place at his side and drew it from its holster.

"That's it.... Just a bit further now. It's almost over...." Janus calmly instructed, coaching the man towards his inevitable end.

"It's almost over...." Alum flatly repeated before placing the cold steel of the muzzle against his temple.

Janus gave him a subtle nod, not enough to be noticed by others in the bar, but just enough to activate the final piece of his subliminal message to the man.

Seconds later, the man squeezed the trigger, producing a single red bolt of energy that passed through him, causing his body to instantly go limp and collapse to the floor in a lifeless heap.

Janus let out a slight grunt of satisfaction at the sight before placing the drink on the bar and simply walking back to his original place near the Sith Lord, a strange sensation of enjoyment and exhilaration building in him.