Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Shadows of the Force. Enjoy the 2000-word chapter. I don't own RWBY and Star Wars. Monty Oum, Lucas Films, and Rooster Teeth do.
(Beacon, Emerald Forest, Vale, Remnant 10:00 AM)
Blake knew Lerek didn't mean to mention Adam. She assumed he didn't even know who Adam was, to begin with when it came down to it. She finally spoke as they passed into a new clearing.
"Someone who helped train me… Became corrupted by his ideals." Blake stated as Lerek hummed.
"Reminds me of what little I know of the man in charge of the droids we fight," Lerek responded as Blake blinked. "His name was Dooku. Laugh if you want… He thought the republic the Jedi serve had been corrupted, that we had become stifled by tradition." Lerek added before taking a deep breath.
"My friend is the more proper Jedi when it comes to this stuff… But let me try to say something." Lerek said and hummed. "Any cause can become corrupted, Blake. You begin to believe any method will be worth the results, regardless of how many lives it costs or how much you destroy. It's not something people can always control… That's why you have to carve your path with your ideas and beliefs." Lerek added and then started to move forward.
"Do you have your own beliefs within the Jedi then?" Blake questioned, turning Lerek towards her.
"I think emotions don't corrupt us as the council believes," Lerek said and drew in his cloak. "I think we should be willing to make more mistakes and learn. I believe in peace; I just don't conceal how I care for the soldiers under my command… And how I want to protect my friends." Lerek said before another growl interrupted them.
"I'm sorry if I pulled at a raw memory before," Lerek said as Blake nodded.
"You didn't know, it's fine," Blake said before more Beowolves started to emerge from the forest.
"At this point, I'm starting to take they don't take the hint," Lerek said as he and she grabbed their weapons.
"I got about 6 Beowolves on my side, what about you?" Lerek asked Blake while the duo stood back-to-back at the moment.
"8," Blake said as the Beowolves crowded the duo.
"Well, now I feel offended they don't take me seriously." Lerek joked which Blake smirked to herself.
2 of the Beowolves charged the duo. Lerek turned to Blake before he stabbed up into the air, impaling the Grimm as Blake whipped her ribbon into the air. She gave a tug that slammed the Grimm into the ground. Blake stabbed the Grimm in the head as the remainder of the pack all charged.
"Think you made them angry," Lerek said and leaped into action with Blake.
Lerek quickly slashed another Beowolf in half before another sent him skidding backward. He turned in time to kick another back before he vaulted off another to decapitate another Beowolf as he turned towards Blake who shot one Beowolf.
"You good yet?" Lerek asked, using the force to stop another Beowolf. "These things are like battle droids, just attack until the thing dies or they do…" Lerek muttered as he paused to stab another Beowolf.
"Define good?" Blake questioned, pausing the strike of a Beowolf before somersaulting through the claws of another.
Both Grimm paused and then dropped dead, cuts across their throats.
"Do all Grimm just rush the thing they want to kill?" Lerek questioned, sliding under another Grimm's legs. "Because they don't seem that smart," Lerek stated, stabbing another then pivoting to cut down his last one.
The remaining Beowolves started to back off before Lerek hummed.
"Ok, a LITTLE smarter than battle droids," Lerek stated as he hummed. "How smart are the Grimm usually? If there's more than the Beowolves are very feral monsters." Lerek added while cracking his neck.
"Grimm is all different," Blake said which got a hum from Lerek. "What's a lightsaber, anyway?" Blake asked as Lerek turned the weapon towards Blake while extinguishing it.
"Energy sword," Lerek stated as he turned it over. "Takes years for you to use it right. Most people would cut their arms off swinging it for a non-Jedi. All of them are different, we do have 7 different fighting styles after all." Lerek added while he turned to Blake.
"What about your sword?" Lerek asked as Blake drew Gambol Shroud. "A transforming weapon with a projectile launcher… Huh, did you build it yourself? It looks advanced." Lerek questioned while he blinked.
"Yes, I had to…. Faunus are not treated well." Blake stated and watched Lerek hum.
"We can continue this talk when we don't have monsters trying to eat us," Lerek said before a gunshot cut them off. "Do you know which of your friends that is?" Lerek asked while he returned his lightsaber to his belt.
"Ruby, her scythe is a sniper," Blake stated while Lerek nodded.
"This forest is bigger than we can cross, isn't it?" Lerek questioned Blake who nodded. "How quick are you?" Lerek asked while getting ready to sprint.
"Probably as fast as you," Blake stated while Lerek chuckled.
"Want to race, then?" Lerek questioned, removing his cloak. "By the force, this thing is nasty now. Anyway, if you're so quick? How about we sprint to your friend currently?" Lerek added which Blake raised an eyebrow at.
Lerek crossed his arms and looked at Blake as the duo looked at each other. Lerek said nothing for a moment, awaiting her answer at the time.
"Are you usually like this?" Blake questioned and watched Lerek shrug. "Fine, if I win? You have to… Read a book of my choosing and show me a book from your collection." Blake stated as Lerek smirked.
"Fine… If I win?" Lerek questioned and started to walk around Blake. "Then I get to see whatever makes you a Faunus…. And you're telling me more about the Faunus." Lerek said while cracking his knuckles.
"Deal," Blake said as both took positions to run. "Ready?" Blake asked before Lerek nodded.
Both took off, speeding into the forest like bullets. Lerek kept pace, tapping into the force to propel him further. Lerek turned to see Blake almost in slow motion, but it was clear that his speed was only for a few moments at best. Lerek could tell Blake was fast, maybe even as fast as a cyborg-like Grievous. Still? Both kept pace with the other.
They arrived at Ruby at roughly the same time. Blake possibly a second or two earlier, but not enough for either to tell at the moment or such.
"Ok, your pretty fast," Lerek said, pausing a moment to catch his breath. "How about we call it a draw, have another race later when we ARENT fighting bloodthirsty monsters?" Lerek questioned as Blake rolled her eyes.
"How about I tell you about the Faunus, we read a book…" Blake started to say before turning to shoot a small Nevermore. "Then talk about what we are?" Blake suggested as Lerek shrugged.
"If you are fine with learning about a bunch of arrogant inventors, sure," Lerek said before pausing to see Ruby had butchered a dozen Beowolves. "How are Grimm so dangerous if you mow them down like battle droids?" Lerek asked as Blake hummed to herself.
"What's a battle droid anyway?" Blake questioned as Ruby started to walk towards them.
"Have anything that looks like a robotic soldier the size of a person?" Lerek questioned as Blake hummed.
"Atlas has AK-130 androids, yes," Blake said as Lerek nodded.
"They're an army of mass-produced, stupid, cheap machine soldiers," Lerek stated to Blake while pacing back and forth. "Think either one minded army of cheap AK-130s… Or a small legion of Grimm. They don't adapt, they don't think effectively without an outside commander… And you can just bury someone in bodies. It's how the separatists plan to win the war with us." Lerek added as he looked ahead of the forest.
"The separatists don't sound… Wait, separatists?" Blake asked and watched Lerek nod.
"There's a LOT to explain currently," Lerek stated while he hummed, and he looked at the forest once more. "Where are the others?" Lerek asked while he brushed off his armor.
Lerek hummed and shook his head once more. He turned to Blake and the others at the moment. He was curious as he turned to plan his next move. Dozens of monsters could only be cut down with them. He knew for a fact that every inch would be a fight. Lerek had been on battlefields before, but these monsters continued to throw themselves at him like droids.
"I don't know at the moment; we fought a Nevermore once before." Blake pointed out as Lerek tossed his lightsaber up and down in his hand.
"You mean the giant bird monster that's the size of one of your ships?" Lerek asked, nodding in the direction Blake was looking. "This just feels like we're butchering Grimm and walking in a certain direction. It doesn't feel much like a test." Lerek added which caused both Ruby and Blake to share a look.
"Maybe he isn't expecting the Grimm to be an issue for us," Blake said while Ruby nodded.
"We did fight a lot of Grimm and win the first time," Ruby said, gazing at Lerek who blinked.
"Then I think your teacher is just throwing Grimm at us to see how good we are." Lerek put in, continuing to toss his lightsaber up and down as he did so. "Why else send us into the forest if we're going to cut through Grimm? He's not expecting us to have trouble, he's expecting results." Lerek stated, pausing to take a breath.
Lerek tapped into the force, reaching towards the depths of the forest. It only went a mile or such. He cursed himself knowing the fact that he wasn't in tune with the froze as Ruzul. He needed to focus harder, tap into the energy field as hard as humanly possible.
"What are you doing?" Blake questioned as the Arkanian closed his eyes tighter.
"Trying to sense your friends and the Grimm," Lerek muttered, cursing under his breath a moment. "I'm not the mythical type like one of my friends is. I think I sense them, but it's blurry at the second." Lerek said there at the time, he was quite curious as to what awaited them ahead.
Ozpin had planned this for something, not just to test them as he said. If it was just a test? There wouldn't be so many obstacles like this placed before them. Lerek was more interested in whatever Ozpin had brought together.
"Your friends are north," Lerek said, pointing ahead at the trees. "But I sense a lot of darkness ahead, dozens of those Grimm in the way. It's going to take a lot to punch through them, and I still don't know what the Grimm is going to throw at us next." Lerek stated, opening his eyes.
"There's a lot of powerful Grimm," Blake said to which Ruby nodded.
"And we've killed at least 2 of the group last time we came here," Ruby added.
"Well, I sense a lot of darkness, I think." Lerek said before drawing his lightsaber a moment later. "Darkness, hate, anger… I don't know a lot about the Grimm? But they are just as much like the Sith as the Sith usually are. If the Sith got their hands on these things? They have a perfect army." Lerek said while the duo looked towards the rest of the forest.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be a bit longer. The next chapter will be 900-2500 words at the moment, it will also show more bonding between Lerek and Blake. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!
P.S: Next chapter is 2-10 months later. Ruby 900-1200 Monday, Cinder 1200 Friday, Winter 1200 Saturday, Elm 1200 Thursday, Penny 900-1200 Saturday, Raven 1200 Saturday, Yang 900-1200 Thursday, Emerald 1500 Wednesday, Pyrrha 900-1500 Friday.