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Acolyte Training - ACO Steele Brightsaber
Sith Warrior Blade stood in front of three kneeling Acolytes, Steele Brightsaber, Theodore Bronson, and Lancer Fireblade. The three Acolytes were about to go on a training mission. They wore only loin clothes. “There is a damaged Shuttle craft on the planet below us. You will be dropped of and you are to find the shuttle and repair it. If you survive you will be promoted to Protectors. There is room in the shuttle for all three of you,” Blade explained.
“As you wish Master,” the three Acolytes answered in unison.
“Rise and enter the landing craft,” Blade ordered.
The three Acolytes stood up and entered the shuttle. The door snapped closed behind them and they felt the craft lift off the ground. They were in a small cabin that was entirely dark. Brightsaber sat on the ground, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes and went into a meditation trance. He could feel the fear in his two companions. He smiled to himself. That was good.
It was a very turbulent ride; Steele sensed the pilot was doing it on purpose. He felt the fear greaten in his two companions. All of a sudden the entire right side of the cabin opened up to reveal a clear night sky. The pilot banked hard to the right and all three Acolytes fell from the shuttle and were falling. They crashed through trees. Branches cutting their skin in numerous places. One of Steele’s companions screamed as a branch impaled his thigh. The branch snapped off and fell with him. They hit the ground. Brightsaber felt a bone in his lower arm snap as he hit the ground.
Fireblade laid in a heap about 2 meters to Steele’s left while Bronson grabbed at the broken tree limb sticking out of his leg. “Wait don’t pull it out yet,” Steele said as he got to his feet.
Steele’s head pounded and the world seemed to be spinning. He inhaled deeply and let the Dark side run through him. He willed the Force to stop the spinning and the pounding in his head. It subsided a little. He went to a nearby tree and with his unbroken arm he pulled a vine off it. “Hear wrap this around your leg above the branch. When I pull the branch out pull the vine tight and tie it while using the Force to slow the bleeding,” Steele said as he hand Bronson the vine.
Bronson did as he was told and Steele pulled the branch out. Blood seeped from the wound but, after a few seconds it began to slow as Bronson focused the Force to constrict the rupture arteries and tissue. “Why are you helping me?” Bronson asked Steele.
“I may have a use for you later,” Steele answered as he felt the hate grow within Bronson.
Fireblade began to stir. Steele sat down on a nearby rock as he watched Fireblade try to stand. Fireblade stumbled twice but, then closed his eyes to get control of the Force and pushed the pain and dizziness away. At the same time Steele was focusing the power of the Dark Side to slide the broken bone back into alignment with itself. All three acolytes sat mending their wounds with the power of the Force until Fireblade said, “What now where’s the shuttle?”
“That way,” Bronson said as he pointed to the southeast.
“How do YOU know?” Fireblade asked.
“I can sense the animals in the forest. The way they feel about us is the way they feel about something about a days journey from hear. So I assume that is where it is,” Bronson answered with a smile.
“See I told you, you are useful,” Steele said with a smile
Again the hate rose within Bronson. This could be fun Steele thought to himself as he stood and began walking in the direction Bronson pointed. “Are you guys coming? I hate to admit it but, we stand a better chance together then apart,” Steele commented as he walked past the other two acolytes and smiled. He could sense their anger. They knew he was right. Both Acolytes stood up and began to walk with Steele.
Every once in a while Bronson would flinch as pain shot through his leg. He quickly called upon the Force to push the pain away. Steele took the time to appraise the damage the fall had done to each of his companions. Other then the injured leg Bronson seemed fine. Steele thought to himself that the branch must have slowed his fall some.
Fireblade on the other hand looked awful. He had a huge gash across his chest and two big bruises on his back. He had numerous small cuts on his face. His entire body was beginning to bruise. He is controlling his pain well Steele thought to himself, Fireblade could be a strong ally in the future or an enemy.
Steele himself had the broken arm and a few good size cuts but, other then that he felt ok. After about 6 hours of walking in silence. Fireblade finally said, ”How are we supposed to fix the shuttle without any tools?”
Steele laughed. “I am sure we will figure something out. We have to find it fir..”
Steele sensed danger but didn’t know where and stopped moving Fireblade continued to walk and Steele felt the danger rise. He dove and pushed Fireblade to the side as he heard the click and felt pain throughout his whole body as a plasma mine detonated beneath him. “Nooooo!,” he yelled as he called upon the Dark Side for protection.
He had heard of a Jedi that could absorb energy and hoped he could as well. He felt the Force building within him as the pain began to subside. Slowly the plasma flame that had engulfed him died down and he step out of the flames. He felt stronger the he ever had before. His two companions stared at him in awe. Then he screamed as the absorbed energy found a way out.
Energy poured from his eyes, mouth, and nose cutting down all the trees in their path. The last of the energy escaped his body and he collapsed. He slowly and painfully opened his eyes to see Bronson and Fireblade standing above him. Steele felt as if he had a horrible sunburn over his entire body. He cherished the pain. Pain meant he was alive.
“How did you do that?,” Bronson asked.
Steele answered honestly, “I don’t know. Let’s get out of this place.”
His companions helped him to his feet and they continued on their way to the shuttle. The sun began to rise about 2 hours later and Bronson said, “We are about halfway there.” They all just kept on walking.
As the morning grew longer the temperature began to rise. Sweat glistened on all the men’s bodies. All three men were getting more and more fatigued and had to draw on the Force more and more as their journey continued. It was early afternoon when they saw the clearing and the shuttle that sat in the middle of it. It appeared to be about a two hour walk. That knowledge energized them greatly.
When they reached the ship they began looking through to figure out what was wrong with it. Fireblade found it and said, “The flight stick is broken off that is all I can find wrong with it.”
After about fifteen minutes of deliberation that concluded that if they fixed that they were fine. Bronson found a welding torch and set to work reattaching it. Meanwhile Steele and Fireblade began to run the startup sequence. To all of their delights the engines started right up. “We have a problem,” Steele said, “It wants a password before we can initiate takeoff” just as Bronson finished his welding.
“Well at least we can steer,” Bronson commented.
“I’ve got it,” Fireblade said as he went to work punching button after button on the control panel, “Success,” he said after about ten minutes, “Let’s go.”
The shuttle lifted off. The controls were a little tight but, they made it back to the Avenger without and further problems. Blade met them in the hanger. The three Acolytes bowed deeply. “Good job,” was all Blade said and his eyes never left Brightsaber.
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