Star Wars: Scars

Part 3 - 7

Mother Talzin frowned some, seeming unimpressed but she stepped down, and for the first time Creed noticed the two young girls following a few feet behind her almost reverently. Talzin stepped close to him, holding her chin high as her cold eyes scanned his face.

"You are simple, and ill-educated on the workings of the powers you speak of, but it is to be expected from a male mind like yours. Even so, we will train you. You are a warrior of skill, I can see that much, and you seek knowledge, therefore knowledge and training will be granted to you."

Creed tried not to react outwardly to the insult of his intelligence and instead just nodded formally. "Thank you. I've only got three months, so whatever you've got I'd appreciate the compacted version. I'm a fast learner," he said, watching her step away and into the middle of the guards, gesturing him to follow.

"We will teach you all you desire to learn in whatever time you have. But do not expect us to coddle you in the way your Republic does. The military was always run by men and so always lacked the vigor and danger that breeds true learning," Mother Talzin answered, walking back down the pathway as Creed trailed behind her.

"I don't expect any less from you. Give me your best training and I'll give you my best effort," he said coldly, dropping his arms and hooking his thumbs into his belt again.

Mother Talzin paused a moment and turned. Creed stopped and looked up at her as she cracked a tiny smile, the slight gleam of a please instructor in her dark eyes.

"Here we produce only the best, but the true result of the training is up to you. We will train you as we train our own sisters, and whether you live to complete your mission will rest entirely on how quickly you adapt and learn," she stated.

Creed looked coldly into her eyes, cracking a bit of smile at the thought of a challenge. "I told you, I'm a fast learner."

Mother Talzin returned to her natural frown and nodded, turning back. "Then Skar'ii will show you your quarters and then your training shall begin."

After Mother Talzin left him with the guide, Skar'ii, again, Creed followed her to a small house on the edge of the village that was empty and now to be occupied by him. He glanced around the small abode, glad to at least have his own space. He dropped his helmet on the cot and turned to the guide, looking up at her.

"So, where do I go for training?" he asked, figuring she would probably know. Skar'ii looked up at him, her black eyes seeming to size him up a moment before she stepped into the room.

"Nowhere. You have been shown your sleeping quarters, your training begins now," she stated blankly, drawing a knife from her belt and making a swift lunge.

Creed sidestepped easily and grabbed her wrist, twisting the blade from her grip as he pulled her arm behind her back and stepped around to put the blade to her neck.

"I thought I was here to learn, not brush up on my technique," he said, feeling a bit disappointed. Skar'ii laughed a little, cracking a wicked smile before suddenly vanishing from his grip, like a shadow. She slipped away, then turned and delivered a kick, powering through to duck around and deliver a burst of energy. Creed staggered and his knee's buckled under the burning sensation that ran through his body for a brief moment. He paused a moment, panting, then narrowed his eyes and started up.

Skar'ii was already in motion as he got up, though, and she landed a kick to his head, knocking him back. Creed growled lowly, a red tinge coming to his vision but he shoved it away and waited a moment, watching her more carefully. He saw her tense and shift her weight to one leg in preparation for another kick, then push off for a roundhouse kick, only this time he caught her leg and started up. The move threw her off balance and he quickly used the spare seconds to rush forward and land a blow to her jaw.

She staggered, but recovered fast and tried to use the same shadow leaping technique to get back. This time, though, Creed noticed as she vanished slightly that the black shadows bleeding around her seemed to indicate where she was going. So now, as she vanished he sprinted forward, meeting her with a blow to the face as she came back into reality. This time she staggered and Creed grabbed her throat, still holding the blade ready, but restraining himself from using it as his grip tightened. He stared into her eyes, barely restraining the urge to snap her neck as he glared at her darkly.

Skar'ii laughed a little, though, her eyes burning with an intensity Creed had only seen once before. She looked down at him wildly. "You hesitate to kill, yet you call yourself an assassin. You will never survive if you cannot embrace the true passion of a warrior," she chuckled hoarsely.

Creed dropped her, scowling as he let the knife slip to the ground and stalked forward. "You know nothing. I have embraced the passion of warriors, the passion of hate, and the passion of darker things than you could ever comprehend," he hissed, then paused and knelt down, his eyes a dark morbid black as he stared into her eyes.

"You'd better hope I don't embrace them again."