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Three Sith training droids armed with crimson lightsabers lunged at Varrus in a pincer attack.

In response, Varrus blasted the droid on his left back into the wall with a burst of lightning.

He then ran at the closest droid, and traded a series of furious blows. Sparks and the distinct hiss of lightsabers clashing resounded in the training room.

A sensation from the Force tickled the back of his mind. In response, Varrus dropped to the floor just in time for the third flanking droid to bisect its compatriot.

Performing a handstand forward roll, Varrus stood just in time to block the pair of attacks.

Sweat poured down his brow as he matched might with the mechanical terrors.

"Hah!" He pushed back with a roar of pure Force, knocking the pair of droids back a little more than a foot.

It wasn't an impressive distance, but a foot was all he needed. Varrus gathered his raging emotions, and crashed upon them like a bursting dam.

His saber flowed like the current, up down, diagonal, and side to side, his assault left no room for the pair of synthetics.

They desperately raised their lightsabers in an attempt at defense. The trio of crimson blades collided, and crashed into one another in a great cacophony of sound.

Despite their unlimited stamina, they were beginning to be overwhelmed. However, Varrus couldn't strike the finishing blow. The droids programmed to face Darth Vowrawn were exceptional combatants.

Deliberately slowing down, Varrus left an opening.

Both droids reacted instantly, and plunged their sabers down in a straight thrust.

Varrus dropped to a knee, evading their attacks, and horizontally slashed through their midsections.

(+88EXP)

[Form 1 lvl 2 -> 3]

A small ping signaled his victory.

Varrus tiredly grinned in triumph.

He had been training against Darth Vowrawn's droids for the last four hours, and had been steadily upping the ante.

Varrus almost found himself at the brink of death the first time he engaged in lightsaber combat. These were the enemies a Dark Councilor trained with after all!

However, practice makes perfect.

At first he had fought one opponent at a time. As his confidence grew, he pushed himself to the limit, and faced three.

As if to punctuate his hard work, sweat seeped into his armor, and released a pungent stench.

Varrus grimaced, but decided to ignore it. He would be leaving for the hellish swampy jungles of Dromund Kaas in a few hours. A shower wasn't going to do much.

Instead, he plopped down into a meditation pose, and began to visualize a Sith chant. If he could get a skill to regenerate his energy faster, then that would be ideal.

He hummed along, and seemed to resonate with the Force.

All thoughts of worry, doubt or panic seemed to melt away. There was no Vowrawn, no Sith, no self. There was only the Force.

A peaceful calm settled upon Varrus as he allowed the energies of the galaxy to spread throughout his body.

The vast waves and barking thunder of Dromund Kaas became intertwined with his psyche. The Dark Side energies held him in a comfortably cold embrace, it was such a sensation, Varrus likened it to a peaceful death via hypothermia.

Varrus's passions weren't limited to his vices. Feelings of pure, unconditional love, and compassion tickled his mind while he returned the embrace.

Connecting to the Dark Side of the Force on such an intimate level left Varrus feeling insignificantly small. Yet he was proud to be a part of such a large network.

Unlike on Earth, this was verifiable proof that there was something bigger than him in the universe. It was comforting to know that should he die before achieving immortality, he would become one with the Living Force.

Time passed, and he didn't even notice the pair of notifications flashing in the corner of his eye.

Ability: [Meditation lvl 1]

[Meditation lvl 1 -> 2]

[Force Sensitive lvl 5 -> 7]

A spring of vitality began to refresh Varrus's aching body and weary spirit.

Varrus smiled, and began to reflect upon his gains while he maintained this zen-like state.

During this session, he increased his level twice, and marginally improved his skills. His status was slowly starting to have some growth.

Status[Name]: Varrus Krawl

Faction: Sith Empire, (Vowrawn's Acolyte)

Abilities: Force Sensitive lvl 7, Force Concealment lvl 1, Force Lightning lvl 1

Skills: Form I lvl 3, Lightning Hands lvl 1, Meditation lvl 2]

This combat training taught Varrus many valuable things regarding his system.

First off, his Force Sensitive ability allowed him many of the basic, generic skills of a Sith or Jedi. For example, he could move faster, anticipate attacks, feel emotions, jump higher, meet the power of a droid without breaking his wrists, and levitate objects with some concentration.

For example, the 'Force Push' he used in his attack earlier was more of a raw outpouring of emotion through the Force, than any defined skill. The only explanation Varrus could come up with was his Force Sensitivity.

Essentially all the things Luke could do on Dagobah, Varrus could replicate.

Secondly, he learned that the skills and abilities improved faster the more duress he was under. This wasn't groundbreaking knowledge considering his game-like system, but it was knowledge he could exploit.

That was one of the primary reasons he fought three droids at once, instead of one at a time.

The other reason why he fought multiple opponents at the same time, was because his EXP gains would receive a small boost.

Case in point, the singular droid he faced for the first time only netted him 22 EXP.

Ordinarily, fighting three droids should only be a gain of 66 EXP. However, the boost increased the total to 88 EXP. Essentially, he gained an extra 22 EXP without having to kill four droids at once due to the bonus.

Lastly, Varrus had come to learn about the basics of Form I, also known as Shii-Cho.

Common belief amongst Star Wars fans was that Form I was the weakest of all the seven lightsaber combat methodologies.

It was supposed to be highly effective versus multiple opponents, but weak in a duel.

Specifically, Form II better known as Makashi was developed to counter Form I. Thus rendering Shii-Cho obsolete in most people's minds.

Why go with the relatively simplistic stabs and slashes of Shii-Cho when a duelist could excel with Makashi? Every other form seemed to find a specialization, whether it be the ferocity of Vapaad, or the unbreakable defense of Soresu, Shii-Cho seemed to fall behind.

When discussed between Obi-Wan, and Kit Fisto, they had this to say:

"I should have gone closer to the edge. Released myself into the Force, become more unpredictable. More random."

"That would have been risky. Not to your body, perhaps, but to your spirit."

"It is the way of Form I."

However, Varrus was no Jedi. He was not bound by their restraint.

When he put Form I into motion, he embraced the Force, and rode the river of power like a boat beating against the storm.

One of the primary maxims of Shii-Cho was to 'Flow-Like-Water.' In practice, this meant to be in continual motion, and deny your opponent the opportunity to move.

Different from Vapaad, Shii-Cho seemed almost suicidal from an outsiders perspective at times due to the occasional "random" nature of the attacks. But Varrus had realized that this sense of randomness was more of placing your trust in the Force, then any true uncalculated strike.

Perhaps Shii-Cho wasn't the most ideal form for combat, but it was all Varrus knew. With the help of the system, he was confident he could take it to new heights.

Satisfied with his reflection, Varrus set a timer on his chronometer, and lost himself to the Hymn.

 

Dawn was fast approaching, and bereft of any speeder or ship, Varrus found himself wandering towards the front gate of the city.

Along the way, he witnessed hundreds of troops and droids on patrol. Ships constantly docked, and took flight, no matter the hour. It was crazy to believe that every single soldier was a diehard conscript.

For a thousand years, these people had been taught to hate the Jedi and the Republic. In a way, they were like the most die hard religious fundamentalists going on jihad.

Whenever he passed the soldiers by, most of them emitted feelings of respect, sometimes veneration.

Varrus was surprised to feel small amounts of Force sensitivity amongst the general population. It wasn't anything spectacular, but some of these soldiers had enough of it that they may get a 'lucky' shot, or have a 'bad feeling about this.'

This respect and veneration was contrasted by the heavy feeling of suffering permeating the air.

Large factories belched out endless smoke, and in typical Star Wars fashion, they were powered by slave labor.

Except unlike the Hutts, the Sith literally grew more powerful the more Dark Side energy suffused the planet.

Varrus eventually trudged his way to the gate, only to find it sealed tight.

Kaas City was closed for the night.

When Varrus questioned the guards on duty, they looked at him like he was an idiot. They then politely explained it was in precaution due to the monsters and loose experiments lurking in the jungle.

About a dozen Bounty Hunters, and a handful of other Acolytes hung around waiting for the gate to open.

After waiting a half hour, dawn finally arrived, and with it, the gears on the side of the gate whirled to life.

The massive door slowly cranked open, revealing a sea of endless trees.

A Force enhanced shout from an enormous creature in the distance vibrated the rain, and set Varrus on edge.

Birds chirped, and countless other beings roared in challenge.

Varrus almost instinctively activated his Force Concealment ability in response. If that raptor from earlier was anything to go by, he was about to be met with all kinds of nasty jungle monsters.

Before he set out, a handful of people made their way inside. They were mud soaked, and quite a few were suffering from injuries.

Varrus grimaced. Their pitiful appearance was a rude awakening. If he did not complete his task in a day, he would be doomed to camp outside in the rain.

There was however, one Sith who remained spotless. She strode through the entrance to Kaas City with confidence, and the arrogance of a true Sith.

Varrus eyed her skin tight clothing, and appreciated her curves.

A disturbingly familiar creature was following behind her.

"Come along Khem Val, haven't you feasted enough?" A Sith woman flicked her hair, and stomped past Varrus.

"Khem Val morgsi, zu une koo puanga!"

"Yes, the stench of lust that lower life form radiates is unnerving. Although that is an intriguing technique. Perhaps he'll prove of use to me in the future." The lady, the Inquisitor, gave Varrus a dismissive one over, snorted and entered Kaas City.

Khem Val sniffed Varrus, and grinned. He sent a bloodthirsty emote over the force roughly translating to 'I'm going to eat you.'

Varrus grinned back, and emitted a deep sense of hunger. In his eyes, the ancient Dashade would be worth a fountain of EXP.

"Rah rah rah." Khem Val chuckled before running to catch up to his mistress.

Varrus stared at the Inquisitor from behind, mesmerized by her figure, then snapped himself out of it.

First came power, then the bitches.

Stepping out into the pouring rain, Varrus consulted his map. He had a 16 kilometer trek before he reached the unfinished statue.

"Fuck me."

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