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Krath Training: Lesson 2 - PRT Locke Setzer and KP George
George walked down the long hallway, Clan Arcona and House Qel-Droma banners flanking either side of him as he walked. He paused for a moment to admire the beauty of his new home, then reached his destination - a small circular room, with tall windows on the walls around it. It was evening, and the night sky had taken on a red tint, which pervaded everything in the room, casting dark rose coloured shadows throughout. In the room, there was a small table, with two chairs provided. Seated on one of these was a young man, his white robe with black and purple trimming marking him as a Krath Acolyte, but something in his eyes suggesting that this was a man who was used to command. The Acolyte looked up at George and recognition flashed in his eyes, though he said nothing. George was pleased at this, and sat down at the free chair provided.
"Acolyte Locke Setzer, greetings and welcome to House Qel- Droma of Clan Arcona" George said, acting as if he had never met the Acolyte before, "Welcome also to your second lesson within our house and clan. You have begun your progress towards the path of a Dark Jedi, but there is much to learn. I am Krath Priest George, and I will be instructing you in this next phase of your training." Pausing for a moment, George reached beneath his robes, and drew out a dark cylinder, placing it on the table between himself and Locke. "This is my lightsaber" he continued, "The mark of a Jedi, wether light or dark. When the days comes when you are entrusted with your own lightsaber, you will know that you are no longer an apprentice, but are instead ready to become a master to another young Dark Jedi. Before then, however, must come today. I will give you a task now, and will asses you based on it. Are you ready, Acolyte?" Locke nodded.
"I am." George gave a small nod of satisfaction at the answer, and stood. Locke also stood, and George motioned him to follow through the complex. They reached an spacious room, from which a window with a balcony. George stepped out onto the balcony, and Locke followed him. The wind howled around them, and both the Dark Jedi's robes fluttered in the gale. However, Locke's attention was instantly diverted to the rifle set up and mounted on the balcony. George gestured to the weapon.
"Do you know what this weapon is, Acolyte?" he asked.
"A sniper rifle of some sort" answered Locke.
"Very good. Look through it's sights and observe" instructed George, and Locke obeyed. He saw through the sites that the rifle was set up to look into another room. Through the scope, he could see this room was wide and spacious, filled with luxuries. As he observed, he heard George continue to speak. "Soon, Acolyte, there will be a person in the room you are observing. Kill them." Locke nodded, and set about waiting. He didn't have to wait long, and soon he saw movement. He froze when he saw the person.
"Priest, that is our Quastor. I cannot kill her." Suddenly, Locke felt a flash of rage come from George. Looking up, he saw the Krath Priest's eyes focussed securly on him. "This is your objective, Acolyte. Continue your training!"
"She is our mistress!"
"She is your target!" In a flash, George had his lightsaber out and ignited, it's red blade only centimetres from Locke's neck. "You are a Dark Jedi, and you will obey" said George in a low voice. "Kill her or your training shall be forever incomplete, and you shall be dead!" Locke swallowed, and then slowly shook his head.
"No, that is not the Brotherhood way" he said, "We do not turn upon our own House and Clan kin." George smiled a dark smile at this.
"Is it the Brotherhood way to disobey?" he asked, "Especially when death is the only reward?" His eyes flickered, and Locke was left with no doubt that George would kill him without hesitation.
"I will not obey" he repeated, and readied himself for combat. George would still have to lunch forward to kill the Acolyte, and with luck, he would sense with the force the action a moment before it came. He tensed, and prepared his body for action...
...Then was left with a puzzled frown as the lightsaber blade instead was switched off. George gave a mirthfull grin,
"Very good Locke, you have passed your second lesson." Locke look at George with a cautious expression.
"This was a test?" he asked.
"Of course" answered George. "Jorddyn has claimed to me that you are the perfect apprentice, always happy to obey her instructions. Unfortunantly, blind obediance is still a danger to our cause. A Dark Jedi must know when to obey, and when to refuse. The line between the two may sometimes be blurred, and the choice difficult, but it is important to be able to choose nonetheless, without care for the consequences." Locke nodded his understanding at this. "I know you have had to disobey orders in the TIE Corps" continued George, "And while it is something that should never be done lightly, it is something that is sometimes nessecary. By refusing my order, you have passed the second lesson of your apprenticeship. By remembering why you refused, you will have learnt something from the lesson." Locke nodded once more, then a question appeared in his mind.
"What would have happened had I fired?" he asked. George smiled once more and walked up to the gun. Locke could see into the other room, Jorddyn's was still there, her back turned towards himself and George. In one fluid motion, George rested himself into a firing position, aimed the gun, and fired a shot at Jorddyn. Suddenly, the previously serene Quastor spun around in a fury of motion, her lightsaber ignited and deflecting the bolt, sending it hurtlingly harmlessly out of her chambers. She turned to George and waggled the lightsaber in a playful greeting. George smiled and bowed towards her.
"Had you shot" he said, "That bolt would have been reflected towards you"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George and Locke continued to walk through the long
hallways of the House Qel-Droma Facilities, discussing
the lesson more as Locke asked questions from the
Krath Priest, interested as always to get as much
knowledge as he could gain from his instructors during
these lessons. This one in paticular had put him into
quite a curious mood, but that may have had something
to do with the fact that he had believed he was on the
verge of death only a few mere minutes ago.
"So I imagine this part of my training is not
something you have always done here in the Dark
Brotherhood." Locke commented. George nodded, pleased
to see Locke demonstrate his insight. "As you know,
the Dark Brotherhood has historically had issues of
mass-departures, infighting... weaker Jedi envy the
strong and seek out on their own in a vain hope of
achieving what they try to believe is "greater" power.
Such has been the cause for millenia, and we need not
look further then such ancient Sith Lords as Freedon
Nadd for examples of this." Locke nodded, and was
happy he had been keeping up with his studies well
enough to even know who Freedon Nadd was. "With the
problems of Arcona" Locke began "I imagine today's
lesson is paticularly important for the newer
generation of Arcona, especially considering the
actions of the past generation." George smiled
"Perhaps. Certainly those above us do not wish to see
any sort of repeat in history."
George had lead Locke to a dead end of the hallway,
where a large window revealed the barren landscape of
the moon outside. The two looked outside upon the
desolate moon, and George turned to Locke and spoke.
"Today you faced your fear of death and disobeyed an
order in order to do what you knew served the greater
purpose. That is a significant accomplishment. Weaker
men would have given in when threatened with death."
Locke turned to George and grinned. "And just how many
"weaker men" have you had to bury after this lesson."
George laughed and shrugged. "Perhaps a few. We are
low in numbers, you know." Locke laughed, but quickly
became serious again, eager with questions.
"Often times in the TIE Corps, I have been faced with
conflicting orders, and the decisions have never been
easy. But here... the stakes are even higher. There is
no greater battlefield then the one we face on the
Force. Is there any way I can better see the right
solution, anything that will make these decisions,
these conflicts, more clear?" Locke asked.
George considered the question. "Why did you not shoot
when I asked you to?" he finally asked Locke. "Because
it would have meant death to my superior officer."
Locke answered. "I could not allow that, even if it
cost me my own life." George nodded and continued.
"But in the TIE Corps, you have sometimes made
decisions that went against your superior officers."
"Yes, that is true" Locke admitted. "But it was always
to carry out their main assignment, my main duty
better. And I always submitted myself to their
judgement afterwards, no matter how harsh the
penalty." George smiled "So it will be here. All of
your actions must be for the betterment of the Dark
Brotherhood. Orders may conflict, you must determine
which order is for the betterment of the Dark
Brotherhood and which order is intended for someone's
personal gain. As long as you are always willing to
submit yourself to judgement, always willing to face
death for your actions, as you did today, the path
will become clear to you."
George looked outside the window and indicated to
Locke to look out upon the landscape as well. "While
it is my hope this memory always stays with you,"
George began "this place itself is a memorial to the
dangers of turning against the Order. Let it always
remind you the value of staying the course." Locke
closed his eyes and meditated upon the outside, tried
to reach out and feel it through the Force. It felt of
death, and as difficult as today's lesson had been,
the feeling he recieved as he meditated upon the
resting place for so many treacherous souls was even a
greater lesson for him. George looked at him and
nodded, and Locke now knew his lesson for today had
come to a close.
The Dark Brotherhood was his place, his master. Today,
that lesson was forever burned into Locke's soul.
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