Welcome to Gaia! ::

Jayul sat in the meditation chamber, he had been sitting there for seven days now. His first trial was almost over. He sat on a strange platform, the entire surface of which was covered in large dull spikes. These spikes broke his flesh on day four, by now he was anchored to the mat through the dried crust of blood. Hunger was the first to fade, fatigue wore itself out, even pain eventually became bearable; but the thirst never once left his side. He sat in silence, beads of sweat dripping down the 12 year old's forehead. He focused on that pinprick of light in the back of his head. His connection to the force was all that sustained him in the darkness. He held onto it, and thought only of it; the force was his escape from the torture of his trial. Finally it ended, the doors to the chamber slid open and three robed and hooded men entered. They approached Jayul and watched him for a moment. Finally the man in the center, who wore the most ornaments upon his robes, spoke. "Rise vessel, the trial is over and it is time to begin your training."

Jayul was beyond exhausted, but the "Lords" demanded it. Slowly he rose to his feet, dried blood crackled as he tore open old wounds to peel himself off the mat. Gritting his teeth the young Zabrak walked towards his Lords and followed them as they led him from the room. He made no face, nor did he show any signs of the pain that had returned to him, doing so would have resulted in more beatings. He was guided to a cavernous room that had been added to the temple they resided in. In this room, a band of mercenaries stood around a table eating, drinking, and laughing. When his Lords deposited Jayul in the room they set a crude training saber at his feet. "These men are here to kill you vessel. Go stop them, you must not allow them to harm the Mauler's vessel."

Without question Jayul picked up the saber. It snapped to life with a hiss. The blade crackled and stuttered slightly; it was nearly out of power, and hundreds of years old. There are few words that can describe the sight of a bloody 12 year old Zabrak going into battle. The mercenaries, who had been hired under the guise of joining a robbery, were surprised by the sudden attack. Jayul pulled on that light within him. The dark heat filled his body and gave his fatigued form strength.

He reached the first mercenary and struck him in the back of the neck. The blade was faulty and had little effect on the armor on his back. He turned and struck Jayul in one motion with the back of his hand. The boy was knocked away, and thinking it to be a joke, the mercenary began to chortle boisterously. Jayul rushed again, this time striking the saber against the mercenary's throat. It doubled him over, and Jaylu pulled a vibroblade dagger from the man's belt. Turning he buried the blade into the mans back where he faced the other two mercenaries. The leader lifted a heavy blaster and fired. Jayul was already gone, he leaped into the air avoiding the blast, and came down on top of the other merc. His training saber burned a black scar of flesh through the mercenary's face. A second blast fired, it finished Jayul's job of killing the second merc, leaving only the heavy set leader.

"You damn kid! I don't care what this game is, you're dead! Then I'll be handling those cowards who hired us. No one tricks Durrsa the Mandalorian!" Now Durrsa was no Mandalorian. He was a human who stumbled across a set of armor and took it upon himself to assume the title. But the armor was real. "Hold still boy, this blaster'll finish you off, sides my armor impervious to Jedi lightsticks. You'll never take me down!"

Jayul would prove him wrong instantly. The Zabrak slid under Durrsa's legs and kicked his knees out from under him. Despite his wounds Jayul moves quickly. He kicked the blaster away from Durssa and pressed the emitter end of the lightsaber hilt against the mercenary's mouth. The child's voice was cold as ice. "Your mouth should have had it's own armor." The sound of a faulty training saber igniting was the last sound that Durssa heard. A blaster bolt hit Jayul in the back and he was knocked unconscious.

Behind him the three robed men stood, a blaster smoking in one's hand. "It seems you are right Huurgen, the vessel is ready for the next step of training. Tomorrow he begins to construct his own lightsaber. I trust you secured the parts we need?"

"Yes m'Lord, but the crystal is flawed. It has no color, and I could not find a replacement."

"Imbecile! Never the less, the vessel is developing as planned. 12 years of work have proved fruitful, we are half done my followers. Our patients will be rewarded, for when we are done we will control the greatest weapon in the galaxy."