Destiny Eclipse/Chapter XIII

--11 ABY--

Jedi Temple – Construction Chambers
Five years had passed. Five long, gruelling years had come and gone. Xander stood in the same spot he had five years ago, when he had been young, when he had been naive. He focussed intently on the assembled parts before him that would become his final lightsaber.

The parts fit together perfectly, the lightsaber ending at a point which he could use as a blunt weapon if need be, his training with Black Haven having taught him more than enough on how to use such weapons. The black casing was accentuated by a golden spine and silver clasp, which ended in a magnetic clip, which he could clip to his belt more easily than his old, training lightsaber. Recently the Jedi Council had released to him a blue print of what they believed to be one of Quinlan Vos’ later lightsabers. This lightsaber had been modelled off his through grip and colour, although Xander’s was a much darker green than the traditional green.

Xander felt the connection flare between him and his blade as the final pieces slotted into place, the blade more an extension of his being now than a mere tool or weapon, as outsiders perceived it to be. He ignited his blade, feeling the light weight in his hand as the powerful blade hummed into existence. He swung it around experimentally, feeling the power of the blade, and smelling the burnt ozone in the air.

He deactivated the blade, clipping it to his waist, and turned, to face his Master, Vikro. “Care to test the blade in a duel, Master?” He asked, a grin hovering on his face.

“Of course,” Vikro said, “I’ll try hard not to let you lose so easily this time.”

Jedi Temple – Sparring Chambers
Xander paced restlessly around the ring, staring at his Master, daring him to make the first move. Both held their blades at the ready, Vikro’s a piercing blue, Xander’s a dark emerald, both casting eerie shadows in the near darkness, a setting Vikro had applied specifically for this duel. Both lightsabers were set to stun, the aim to strike the opponent gently in the head, to signify the end of the duel.

Vikro leapt forward, pressing a blow down hard towards Xander’s head. Xander leapt to the side, ducking and rolling to avoid the blow. Vikro steadied himself just before he hit the ground, turning and regrouping with not the slightest sign of the attack he had just performed.

Sinking into the form that he was slowly mastering, Xander bent his legs and pushed off from the ground, performing a series of flips and strikes aimed at multiple parts of Vikro’s body. Xander stopped after several minutes, also regrouping from his manoeuvres that Vikro had calmly blocked. He too showed no sign of the complex manoeuvres.

The two paused for a second, the second passing by like an eternity, and then the two rushed each other, their blades meeting in a ferocious roar as they both put their entire strength behind the blow. Neither used the Force as if by an unspoken agreement. The first few probing spars in the match were to be completely physical. Only then would they begin to use the Force in the form of pushes, pulls, and throws.

“You’ve grown strong in the Force Xander,” Vikro said, smiling with pride at his Apprentice, “I am proud of you.” He stepped into his customary Djem So stance, waiting for Xander. He held his lightsaber loosely in one hand, the other hanging by his side in a casual manner.

Xander launched himself again at Vikro, who raised his lightsaber and blocked Xander’s two-handed strike with only one hand, although he was forced back a step. Xander feinted to the left, before striking a blow to Vikro’s shoulder which paralysed it momentarily.

Vikro grasped his lightsaber with both hands, launching himself with the ferocity of a meteor shower, pushing back Xander with brute strength. The two battled on in this manner for what seemed to be hours, the sweat pouring from them in waves.

“You are a good Master Vikro, but all Master’s lose to their Apprentice’s at one point or another,” Xander said with a grin, not allowing Vikro to see how quickly the sweat now poured from him.

Vikro stopped, the initial stage of the duel had reached its climax. He raised his hand, pushing Xander back into the wall with all the strength of his unique Force Push, much stronger than the average Force Push. Xander, well used to this style of attack after having battled alongside Vikro for five years now, was still only able to deflect a partial amount of the energy, the rest sending him slamming into the wall.

He created a Force buffer just in time, as his back smashed in to what felt like a thick cloud, and not the millimetres of air between his back and the wall. He walked forward again, pulling Vikro’s lightsaber hard, catching the aged Jedi Master with surprise, and managed to pull it free, and into his waiting mechanical left hand.

Xander held both blades ignited, the blue and green splaying across his face, and creating an eerie glow. Vikro backed away, his back pushed to the wall, his face displaying uncertainty. Xander approached him slowly, but as he closed to within ten meters, broke into a sprint, lunging at his Master.

Vikro, discarding his mask of uncertainty, flipped over Xander’s head, using the inertia of Xander’s sprint and his own powerful Force Push, sent Xander smashing into the wall. As Xander hit, he spun, locking Vikro’s lightsaber on, and throwing it at his Master, pushing it with all his strength.

It flung hard and fast, and only a quick duck of his head saved Vikro from loosing the duel. As Vikro summoned his lightsaber back, the two stopped, panting for breath after the intensity of the last two minutes.

Almost sheepishly realising they were still duelling, the pair raised their lightsabers again in one final attack in a last ditch effort to defeat the other. Xander flipped over Vikro’s running attack, striking at his Master’s back. Vikro spun, smashing with all his strength up towards Xander’s head. Because of his lethargic strike, Xander’s lightsaber spun from his grasp, and he felt a buzz rattle his teeth as Vikro’s blade touched his chin, announcing his defeat.

“Very good Xander, perhaps next time we will have to call it a draw,” Vikro said, with a weak smile.

“Master?” Xander said.

“Yes?”

“Will you teach me how to perform your Force Push? It is extraordinarily strong, and it would be very useful to be able to use.”

“Of course, but you’ll understand if I say that I won’t be able to teach you it right now,” Vikro said laughing.

“Of course,” Xander said grinning as he raised a hand, his lightsaber thudding into it as the pair walked from the sparring chambers, intent on drinking the cafeteria dry.

Jedi Temple – Training Chamber
After three hours of drinking in the cafeteria, and two days recovery, Vikro stood with Xander in one of the spare Training Chambers, to fulfil his word and teach his Apprentice how to perform his legendary Force “Shove”, as it had become known.

Xander stood at the ready, dressed only in a light robe, his lightsaber resting on his over-robe on his bed back in his dormitory. Today he would need nothing but his strength in the Force.

Vikro stood in front of him, his face the perfect picture of calm, his eyes closed in concentration. “Raise your hand,” he instructed, “Over time you will be able to perform this manoeuvre without such a gesture, but it will aid you when you are low on energy, or, as now, when you are just beginning to learn it.”

Xander raised his hand, automatically reaching inside him for the Force, conjuring it around his hand as an invisible force, ready to send it flying into the metallic target Vikro had constructed.

“No,” Vikro said sharply, “That is what would be done for a Force Push. Although a similar although stronger result is attained, this manoeuvre is almost completely different.”

Xander nodded, “I am sorry master,” he said, allowing the energy to dissipate.

“Very well,” Vikro said, continuing. “Feel inside you for the Force, and conjure it – not to your hand – but to the target itself. Surround it in the Force, yes, that’s it,” he said, feeling the target brim with the Force as Xander constantly pushed more and more of the Force from himself upon the target. He could feel Xander immersing it in the Force, with no strength behind it – for strength would actually affect the target, an end Xander was trying hard not to achieve.

“Now, summon a small amount of that energy back towards you in a sort of link,” Vikro commanded, “Then, stretch that link back as tight as it will go, and suddenly sever it, the end result should be a powerful shove, as the Padawans love to call it.”

Xander followed his instructions and was pleased to watch as the metallic monstrosity catapulted back into the wall with enough strength to dent it.

“Good, although I’m sure Rive won’t be too happy about the damage we’ve caused his wall,” Vikro said, a twinkle in his eye. “But over time you will be able to complete that manoeuvre more and more quickly, until it is no more difficult to achieve than an ordinary Force Push.”

“Thank you Master, I always imagined it to be similar to a Force Push, because of the similar result, but now that I see how complicated it is, I truly appreciate how powerful you are.”

“Oh Xander,” Vikro chided, “We are only as strong as the rules we set ourselves, by the constraints we put upon our own power. To use when necessary, yes, but never to cause pain or harm in one who has no intent to do so to us.”

Xander nodded, comprehension dawning on him. Over the years he had evolved from the rash young boy he had been to a civilised young man. He had arrived at the Temple thinking the Force was a tool with which to achieve his aims, to wave around as a badge of honour. Vikro’s powerful guidance had shown him just how wrong he was. The Force was no tool. It was an ally. A powerful ally at that.