Ch. 2

Korriban; two years later

Now eight years old, One-One Three Eight was to start his training with blaster weaponry and a hand-to-hand combat style known as Teras Kasi. He woke up, and saw that his only friend, One-Three Seven Two, whose friendship survived, despite being tortured beyond belief that day two years earlier, was already up and getting ready for their day of training.

"I'm actually kind of excited in learning how to use a blaster today." One-Three Seven Two said, and One-One Three Eight rolled his eyes.

"Dooku's probably going to have us shoot at each other." One-One Three Eight said.

"Well, something will be shooting at us, that's for sure." One-Three Seven Two said as she put her combat boots on, and One-One Three Eight walked over to her side of the room.

"Just make sure you don't shot." One-One Three Eight said, and One-Three Seven Two nodded and the two walked out of the room and into the Valley of the Dark Lords, where Dooku was waiting for the other Subjects to arrive, and when all were accounted for, which was down to four hundred and fifty survivors out six hundred, and Dooku clapped his hands together once, and several droids walked out with crates, and opened them, revealing several E-5 blaster rifles.

"You will start off today by shooting at drones that will fly around you, and shoot live rounds at you; your objective is to kill a certain quota of drones before time runs out; if you fail, you will be punished accordingly." Dooku said, and the Subjects knew they were being toyed with, because they have not had any training in how to fire a blaster, but One-One Three Eight wasn't going to let that stop him from reaching the quota. Suddenly, Dooku snapped his fingers and several drones appeared and started firing at the children. The ones that weren't fast enough were shot and killed within the first thirty seconds, but neither One-One Three Eight nor One-Three Seven Two were one of those children. One-One Three Eight started firing his blaster at a nearby drone, but every shoot missed and the drone started firing back, grazing One-One Three Eight's left leg. Although the burning hurt, he continued to shoot, and eventually got a lucky shot and hit the drone, causing it explode. One-One Three Eight limped over to a new cover spot, and started shooting at another drone, this time, hitting it before it can shoot back. After ten minutes, and buzzer was heard, and One-One Three Eight was proud; he killed more than the required quota, making him safe from torture. However, he soon realized that he was the only one that reached the quota, because Dooku began torturing the rest of the Subjects, including One-Three Seven Two. "Again!" Dooku ordered, and more drones appeared and started shooting again, but this time, no Subjects were killed with the first couple of minutes, and their aim greatly improved, this time, more drones were destroyed than the first time, but only three were able to reach the quota this time, and One-One Three Eight was one of them again, but One-Three Seven Two didn't reach the quota, and was tortured again, but for a longer time, and One-One Three Eight was getting angry. After ten, ten minute rounds, Dooku had run out of drones, and every one of the Subject's reached the required quota. "Most impressive, but you will not be fight drones in the upcoming war." Dooku said, and he snapped his fingers, and several armed men ran out, and began shooting at the children, most of which could find cover before they could be killed. One-One Three Eight check his ammo count and saw that he had thirty shots left in his remaining clip, and had two more clips on his belt, so he got his rifle ready, and aimed at the nearest soldier; most children wouldn't have to kill anything at the age of eight years old, but the Subjects understood that if they didn't kill the soldiers, the soldiers would kill them, so One-One Three Eight aimed, and fired, hitting a soldier in the chest, killing him. One-One Three Eight turned around and shot another soldier in the neck, and shot one in both of his legs, making the soldier fall, but not stop fighting; he grabbed his rifle, and aimed at One-One Three Eight, and the boy fired first, hitting the man's rifle, making him defenseless.

"Wait kid! I don't have a weapon, I can't fight! Show mercy!" The man pleaded, but One-One Three Eight just pointed the muzzle of his blaster at the man's head.

"You wouldn't show mercy to me…" One-One Three Eight said, and he pulled the trigger, and the blaster bolt went right through the man's head. With the soldier dead, One-One Three Eight turned around and looked for another soldier to kill, and saw that one was struggling with One-Three Seven Two, trying to get a knife to go into her neck, and the girl was fighting with all her might to keep it away, but she was losing, and the blade was getting closer and closer. One-One Three Eight got angry instantly, and fired several rounds into the soldier's chest, killing him, and One-Three Seven Two smiled at her friend and began shooting again. Several hours passed and soon, all the hired soldiers were dead, and four hundred and ten Subject's remained.

"Very good. That is all for blaster training for now. Now I shall teach the combat form of Teras Kasi." Dooku said, and the Subjects followed the old man into one of the tombs, where five training droids were waiting for them inside special fighting rings. "You will fight these droids, programmed to teach you the moves of Teras Kasi. If you get to close to the poles that make these rings, you will be stunned by an electric shock, and will be at the droids mercy, and they do not know mercy." Dooku said, and five children walked into the rings, but One-One Three Eight wasn't one of them, giving him the opportunity to study the droids movements as they quickly moved around the other subjects, kicking and punching the children, who didn't know what to do. Once the fighting round was over, the five children, who somehow miraculously survived the beating, left the ring, and five more walked into the rings, and began fighting as well.

"Does Dooku actually expect us to learn how to fight like this?" One-Three Seven Two, who was behind One-One Three Eight, asked.

"He's just toying with us; next week, the droids will probably train us properly, and that'll probably go the same way with the blaster training, but for now, watch the droids, that's the best way for us learn; I've already noticed that Teras Kasi users have their biggest openings when they're striking." One-One Three Eight explained, and he continued to watch the droids until it was his turn to fight. One-One Three Eight stepped into the ring, and the droid's red eyes started to study One-One Three Eight, and the boy did the same, and suddenly, the droid charged and began swinging at One-One Three Eight, trying to hit him, but the boy dodge every quick motion, and waited for an opening, which was when the droid tried to hit the boy in the neck by swinging both of its arms towards his neck, but One-One Three Eight rolled out of the way, making the droid miss and give One-One Three Eight his opening; the boy kick the droid in its back, making the droid tumble forward, but it kept its footing and began attacking again, forcing One-One Three Eight to dodge and block, but his less than mediocre skills of the form couldn't save him, and he still took a bad beating. By the time the round was over, One-One Three Eight had large bruises on his face and chest, and his arms had gashes that were oozing blood, and he coughed up blood every few seconds, but One-One Three Eight still stood, and walked out of the ring. Once the Subjects were allowed back into their quarters, One-One Three Eight laid down on his bed, just letting his blood stain his cot, when suddenly, a soothing calm took over the agonizing pain as bacta was put on his gashes. One-One Three Eight looked up and saw One-Three Seven Two, leaning next to his bed and putting bacta on his wounds.

"Consider this returning the favor." One-Three Seven Two said with a warm smile.

"You did well today, One-Three Seven Two." One-One Three Eight said.

"Thanks, though, although I was able to keep you from losing a lot of blood today, I have to save you from getting killed in the battle field." One-Three Seven Two said.

"I don't plan on needing to be saved." One-One Three Eight said, and when One-Three Seven Two finished putting bacta on One-One Three Eight, she lay down on her bed and went to sleep.

Three months later

One-One Three Eight ran through the Valley, shooting at any drones or soldiers that were in his line of sight. He shot one soldier in the head, and turned around and shot a drone, destroying it. Suddenly, two soldiers charged One-One Three Eight, but he used his Teras Kasi and disarmed them, and killed them by shooting them in their chests multiple times. One-One Three Eight looked around the Valley and saw that there were no more enemies, and he looked up at Dooku and he started clapping.

"Very impressive, your skills have improved greatly over the recent months, it will only be a matter of time until you are ready to fight the Republic, and destroy the Jedi." Dooku said, and the children bowed before their master, and waited for their next orders. "Next, you will be taught how to use a sniper rifle for assassination missions." Dooku said, and hundreds of droids walked in, all wielding sniper rifles, and handed one to each child. Dooku the clapped his hands once and several holographic images appeared at the far end of the Valley, and the Subjects looked through the scopes of their weapons, trying to get the cross hairs on their target. One-One Three Eight was the first to get a hit, and right on the head of the image, and the caused the hologram to disappear, but another one took its place instantly. One-One Three Eight continued to destroy holograms for over an hour, until all were deactivated, ending the training session. One-One Three Eight kept count of how many holograms he shot, and it totaled to over sixty kills. He also kept up with One-Three Seven Two's kills, and she only killed around thirty-three, but he hoped it was enough to keep her from being tortured. Dooku then jumped down from his observation platform, and ordered the Subjects to line up, and he walked down the row of Subjects, and stopped at one boy, and attacked him with Force lightning for several minutes. Once the boy collapsed from the pain, Dooku continued walking, and when he got to One-Three Seven Two, she closed her eyes, expecting Dooku to torture her, and she could hear Dooku's lightning attack, but felt no pain; she opened her eyes and saw that Dooku was torturing the Subject next to her, and One-Three Seven Two relaxed as she realized that she was safe, and One-One Three Eight quietly let out a sigh of relief, knowing that he was safe as well.