The Jedi Experiments - Part 9

Absel set out onto the blasted landscape, wondering where in the galaxy he was. The heat pressed in upon him; a dry, insufferable heat that had already decimated the planet. He could see no signs of life aside from the structure he had just come out of. Looking back, it seemed to be built right into the baked crust of the planet. It was a clear night and after a moment of uncertainty, he thought he saw a light flickering in the distance. It was high in the air, perhaps a landing beacon.

Seizing onto his only hope, the Jedi began marching forward quickly. He tried to put distance between himself and the laboratory, but a shadow pursued him. With his stealth field enhancer running, an Echani stalked his prey across the blasted planet. He followed Absel until he came into a more level clearing, suddenly leaping out of his stealth and activating a blindingly brilliant lightsaber, almost white in its intensity.

Absel reacted, detecting a threat and responding hastily. His lightsaber came up as the double-bladed weapon of the Sith came down. The blow staggered the Jedi back several steps, his teeth gritted as he struggled to hold back Lord Duranis' weapon. "You thought to escape. Tsk tsk.. Surely you knew that I let you out.."

Absel steeled himself and turned to escape the blade, but the Echani was already moving - blending with him. As he moved away, another strike came up from his left. He blocked, this one mercifully less powerful than the first. "Perhaps..but one has to try. I certainly.. wasn't going to just wait for you.."

Vellic broke contact and took a step back. Holding his lightsaber at the ready he smiled vaguely. "Well then, let's to it Jedi." He had observed all he wished to observe, now it was time to fight and feel the Jedi's capabilities for himself.

Absel rushed forward, lashing out in a rapid high-angled assault. The Echani merely turned back and away, leaping and spinning sideways to clear the blades and force the Jedi to change the direction of his attack. Rather swiftly, the Echani stepped back to the right and deflected a renewed assault to the side. With a flash of a smile his left knee shot up into the Jedi's gut.

The Jedi Experiments - Part 8

It was time to end this game. He had observed the Jedi struggle with isolation and combat.. his Echani upbringing evaluating every habit and gesture the man had. Even if he had been Vellic's equal, his chances against the Sith would be quite low now. 'Unless.. of course.. he were hiding something.'

The door to the Jedi's cell slid open as Vellic began leaving the laboratory facility. The Jedi gazed at the door resolutely, but then was soon perplexed as it remained open and no one came inside. He glanced around quickly, looking up to the mirror-face of the observation window, then rose from the bench. His steps brought him out into an empty hallway, populated only by a table with a single object upon it - his lightsaber.

The air filled with the sound of his lightsaber igniting as he retrieved it, casting a blue light against the walls. Cautiously he crept down the corridor. He didn't like this at all. If they had wanted to kill him they could have done so long ago.. which meant this was another test. Resisting the urge to run, Absel cautiously stalked down the silence corridors of the laboratory.

It seemed he had little choice in his destination, the corridor having few doors and most of those having been sealed. He blinked in surprise as his path led him outside to gaze out into a bleak and desolate landscape; a blasted land of craters and red rock. Wind buffeted him as he gazed out at the steam vents and lava pools of a volcanic world.

The Jedi Experiments - Part 7

((Sorry this is a day late))

Harsh Aeten II winds blew the lengths of Vellic's white hair out across his face. The blistering heat was insufferable, but he hardly seemed to be phased by it as he pressed on and into the entrance to the laboratory. Few came to this place. It was a place of horrific experiments; where science and sorcery met to create monsters. Powerful Sith alchemy had once ruled this place, but now, its mistress was gone - leaving only her students to continue her twisted experiments.

Vellic marched onward, turning a corner and heading back to his observation room. The Father had his own task here. The Jedi was resilient, focused on his ideals and, as yet, seemed mostly unphased by his treatment. 'A tough one to crack..' The Echani thought to himself as he drew up to the observation room window and gazed in upon the meditating Jedi.

"He will die here.. he must know that. Yet he suppresses his emotions well. It gives him calm to resist.. calm in battle.. but calm is no substitute for passion."

The Jedi Experiments Pt. 6

Two Sith warriors entered the room with the Jedi. They were not on par with the Jedi's skill, not fully trained. Vellic did not expect them to win. Quite the opposite, he wondered how the Jedi would respond to them. It would be most...educational.

The Togruta rushed forward, arrogance drawing him to seek the opportunity to attack first. The human hung back, observing the Jedi's skills. Absel waited patiently, his expression hardening into one of displeasure. Blue eyes reflected the Togruta's intensity as the alien rushed upon him, training saber swinging. The room was filled with a harsh buzz as saber met vibrosword.

The Togruta lashed out with an impressive fury; a flurry of bows drawing the Jedi back briefly. But the skill with which the Jedi handled his weapon was too great and he drove between those strikes, nicking the Togruta's shoulder and causing him to falter back. Absel suddenly rushed forward then, a swift kick to the Togruta's chest driving him back against a wall.

The Human Sith seized his opportunity, launching himself into the melee. His weapon swung in from behind, but the Jedi ducked and moved under it. The Sith's attacks were too slow and he was quickly rewarded with a backward elbow to the face. "You needn't do this. It is pointless. Relent and I will not harm you." He said to the two Sith, but his words only fueled their anger.

The two drove forward, together this time. Their combined strikes put the Jedi on the defensive, driving him back toward the far wall. He could not hold up against their combined efforts for long. The human drove forward in a foolish thrust and the Jedi darted nimbly aside. The training saber struck the wall with a jarring impact and the Human found himself between Absel and the Togruta.

Another quick kick to the Human's gut would curl him in upon himself, before the knight projected his hand and cast both across the room with a potent blast of Force. Absel straightened, but did not advance. In the observation room, Vellic crossed his arms over his chest and signaled for guards to drag the two failures out of the room.

The Jedi Experiments Pt. 5

The Jedi seemed combat worthy. He has dispatched the Tuk'ata, though, in the confines of the room, it had been an interesting bout. Vellic watched him from the observation room, his eyes narrowing as the Jedi sat back down on the bench provided, seeming to still himself. "Calm again.. his mind is still, this one will not break easily." The Echani smiled, however, for he did not want to break the Jedi.

He turned to his assistant. "It is time to test him in real combat... have the two students that I asked for arrived?"

"Yes my Lord."

"Excellent, bring them into the room with him." Vellic turned back to the window as his assistant left. Moments later a Togruta and a Human, vibroswords in hand, entered the cell.

The Jedi eyed them, slowly standing and holding his sword at the ready. "What is this?... I thought your master wished the leave me alive?"

The Human scoffed quietly as the Togruta responded. "Lord Duranis will see your blood, and we will give it to him."

Vellic crossed his arms over his chest. 'Show me his blood or do not return from there.' That is what he had told them..

The Jedi Experiments Pt. 4

The Jedi paused, uncertainly creasing his face for the first time. "Then why am I here?"

The Father Saarai-kaar smiled politely. "We will get to that in time.." He began to edge forward, then suddenly tossed the vibrosword to the ground at Absel's feet. "That is for you. To use as you see fit."

Absel blinked at him, his confusion increasing. "Do you intend to fight me? Or perhaps you think i'll kill myself for you?"

Vellic shrugged. "We may fight, eventually. That is ultimately up to you and destiny.. If I were you, I would not look forward to that day. But I assure you, if you face me you will be holding a lightsaber, not this sword.." The Echani turned to the door way and began walking out.

"That's it, where are you going now?" The Jedi demanded somewhat irritably. The Echani smiled as he continued out the door. "I have a present for you.." The door slid shut behind him as he headed to the observation room. "Send in the Tuk'ata." He murmured as he passed his assistant.

The Jedi Experiments Pt. 3

With a soft hydrolic hiss, the doorway to the Jedi's large room opened and admitted the Echani inside. Absel's eyes opened, blue as they gazed upon the ghostly figure in the doorway. "I had wondered when you would finally come for me." He said calmly, his stoic nature surprising Vellic after his hours of seclusion.

Still, Vellic pressed on and moved further inside. The Sith carried a vibrosword in hand as he silently approached the Jedi. "Come to execute me? Not even going to do me the dignity of telling me who you are and where I am?"

The Echani smiled slightly, his voice coming out as a smooth and gentle stream. "I am not here to kill you Jedi... I am Vellic Duranis, Sith Lord and Father Saarai-Kaar of the Jen'jidai.. and you are here, trapped on our homeworld of Aeten II. There is no escape."

The Jedi's eyebrows raised slightly as he regarded Vellic. "No execution and no escape?" He rose to his feet and crossed his arms. "I will never turn to the Darkside." Vellic canted his head to the side, an expression of bemusement on his youthful features. "I am not a creature of the darkside."

"A pleasant smile cannot hide the rot within." Absel retorted.

"No, but I am one of the Force in its entirety. The whole, true Force. And besides.." The Father began. "We do not want you."

The Jedi Experiments Pt. 2

'He just sits there. I wonder if he knows that I am here?' Vellic mused as he watched the Jedi. He seemed to be meditating, his mind and body at peace as he waited to learn of his fate. Vellic crossed his arms, impressed by the man's calm. 'This one is strong.. tranquil.. he will not be easy to crack.' A thin smile spread across his wide lips. 'Excellent..'

'He is calm and yet, he cannot hide his struggle from me.' The Echani thought as he watched the subtle shifts in his position, the small physical cues that displayed his building anxiety. 'He does well to keep calm, but the silence gets to him. As it should... Time will wear upon him.'

He turned then, marching from the observation room. 'Some dinner then..let him stew in the silence and hunger..' It was a long walk from the laboratory to the dormitory and the Father paused before leaving. His silver-eyed gazed swept along the instruments and consoles, wondering idly how many times the Mother herself had been in this very room. Vellic wasn't normally one for such experiments, that had always been Thelxepia's field of interest...

The Jedi Experiments: Pt. 1

Absel, his name is Absel. Vellic nodded to himself as he considered the battered Jedi. He would have to try to remember his name - it would prove useful. The one-way plasticrete before him obscured nothing as he observed the Jedi stirring from a haze of drugs. The Echani's arms folded across his chest as he watched the Jedi slowly trying to rouse himself.

He was dead now - he was nothing. No rank, no students, he was nothing more than a captive. But a captive Jedi. If the order knew that he held one of their own... the repercussions would be immense. The Sith lord paused for a moment, considering Blix, Vaeras, and Isto Iyemm. If they had failed to bring him here secretly, then lord would ensure that they each met a terribly uncomfortable demise.

His mind drew back to the matters at hand. One pale Echani hand reaching out to touch upon the plasticrete. He would see him up close, touch and engage with him soon enough. For now he watched. Vellic had never been a Jedi, but they were his enemy. He would know his enemy...

Radiance - Origins of a Dual-Bladed Saber

Tradition.

Tradition has always been very important to me. I am Echani; reserve, calculation, and tradition were the foundations of my youth. Our customs may have seemed archaic at times, but they always served to create strong building blocks. The single-bladed lightsaber was the first introduced into my training under Darth Keisa. She used one - and such a weapon seemed iconic of the Force. It is traditional to use the single sword and so I have always preferred it.

Of course, there are tactical reasons as well.. but my duel with Master Xenith, and my subsequent defeat, set me looking for alternatives. His power, his rage, and the speed of his dual-bladed flurry was too great for my defenses. There had to be a better way... And so, for the first time, I gave serious consideration to the dual-bladed lightsaber.

It is fast, complex.. yet with a stronger defense than my single blade. The power generated by my Ataru can truly be capitalized into brutal strikes with the dual-bladed weapon. The change, however, sparked a new idea as well. Combat is about a great deal more than tactics and power, it is also contingent upon deception. The illusion of power stirs fear, likewise - to inhibit another's abilities gives one an edge.

Lightsabers emit light and light can be a very useful tool. I commissioned the Kel Dor Isto Iyemm to create for me a modified power amplifier and specialized focusing lens. Once placed within the weapon, its blade gave off an intense light. This gave it the illusion of power and proved bothersome to my enemies' vision.. as well as my own. A complication that will be overcome...

Test Post

 ((Out of Character Post))

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