"So let me get this straight," Orlen questioned. He and Kitsu had been walking for most of the day before they had emerged onto an old logging road.
While nowhere near as good as the roads Orlen was used to traveling on, it was a welcome change of pace from stepping over rocks, avoiding dense thickets, and tripping over exposed roots.
"There are dozens of species of monster, and for the most part, no two individual monsters are the same. With a few exceptions, they are all beautiful women and would happily sleep with almost any man that asked?"
"Wow, when you said you have pretty much been living under a rock your whole life, you really meant it. How isolated was this Coruscant you lived in?" Kitsu answered.
"It's pretty much its own self-contained world," Orlen said with a slight smirk. "But back to the point I was going to make. If I didn't know any better, I would say this whole monster business sounds right out of a raunchy holonovel."
Orlen's mind wandered to some of the more unscrupulous organizations in the galaxy. Everyone on this planet should thank their lucky stars that this world had not been discovered yet.
A feudal planet filled with beautiful exotic women. The Hutt Cartel and Black Sun would make the treatment of Twi'leks look tame in comparison.
Unfortunately for Orlen, his mind started imagining some of the more monstrous races he was familiar with as sexually attractive monster girls. Rancors, Banthas, Nerfs, the unwanted images kept flooding in.
Then came the worst one, a Hutt girl. The mere thought sent a sharp pain through his skull as if the Force itself was rebelling against the idea. The pain intensified as the grotesque image refused to leave his mind.
In desperation, Orlen balled his fist and punched himself in the face, snapping himself back to reality.
"Wah! Why did you do that?" Kitsu shouted, startled by his sudden self-assault. "Are you okay?" she asked, eyeing the bruise already forming on his cheek.
"Yeah… now I am," Orlen replied, rubbing his face. Perhaps had he hit himself a bit too hard. "Don't worry about it, I'm fine." He said, brushing off the girls' concerns.
"This isn't something you do to yourself often, is it? Like some kind of pain tolerance training?" Kitsu asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Let's just forget this ever happened," Orlen said as he let out a frustrated sigh, he could not even remember what had prompted him to hit himself but whatever it was, it must have been horrifying to warrant such drastic action.
As they continued to walk along the trail, his eyes glanced down at Kitsu's two tails and then over to his single tail before looking back at Kitsu. "I've been wondering, you mentioned earlier about lesser-tailed Kitsunes. You have two tails while I'm stuck with only one. Is there an upper limit?"
He cleared his throat and continued his questions. "Is genetics involved, like how some species of insect give birth to queens or sterile workers? Have I lost the genetic lottery and am stuck at the bottom of whatever hierarchy is involved with Kitsunes?" Orlen finished with a dry chuckle
"There are ways to gain more tails, you got to train and get more powerful. As far as I know, the limit is nine tails." Kitsu then smiled mischievously as she skipped along beside Orlen.
"Until then, you must do everything I say. It's expected to listen to one's seniors after all. And since your education as a Kitsune has obviously been lacking, I guess it falls upon little old me to teach you the basic customs. Like how to brush your tails, clean your ears, and use your tails to pleasure men."
Orlen halted in place and closed his eyes in exasperation. "Kitsu, I want you to think about what you just said."
"Oh, I guess you wouldn't have much interest in that last one would you," Kitsu replied with a thoughtful tone and shrugged. She then turned to him with a devilish smile. "Oh well, I guess I'll have to teach you how to please women with your tail instead. We can figure out what my favourite spots are together."
"Nice try there my young friend, but you are way too young for me. Shouldn't you be finding a nice lad closer to your own age?"
Kitsu put her hands on her hips, she was starting to get annoyed at Orlen constantly rejecting her offers. Fujibakama-sempai said it was easy to seduce men and leave them begging, what was she doing wrong? "If that's the issue, I'm fine with waiting. You're what, five to ten years older than me? Fifty years from now that age difference won't matter. Then, once I'm done with you, you will be wishing you didn't wait so long."
"Fifty years? How long do we live for?" Orlen asked, his curiosity piqued. The galaxy was home to many long-lived races, Grandmaster Yoda was over nine-hundred standard years old and was just one example.
Kitsu bit her finger while thinking. "Hmm… I think Tamamo is the oldest and she is well over five hundred years old. She always seems to evade the question when I ask for an exact age though, saying there wouldn't be enough room on the cake for all of the candles. Why? How long did you think we lived for?"
"I figured it would be around eighty to a hundred years. That's fairly standard for most sentient races in the galaxy." Orlen answered.
"I thought you never encountered monsters before?" Kitsu's eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping into her voice. "And that's not even close, most monsters live closer to two hundred years."
"Well, that's something I suppose," Orlen muttered. "So, you've talked about this Tamamo several times. Who exactly is she?"
"Tamamo is the Queen of the Kitsunes and one of the Monster Lord's Heavenly Knights," Kitsu answered with enthusiasm. Orlen hadn't heard the title Heavenly Knight before, it sounded important though. Kitsu happily rambled on about her idol while the two continued to walk along the trail. "She is super strong and funny and always has time for whatever pranks I try to play on her. When the Monster Lord was a child, she acted as the regen- Ahhh!"
Kitsu didn't notice the spider web until she had already walked through it. The small coin-sized spider at the center of the web scurried frantically across her clothes trying to get away from the girl that just destroyed its web.
Seeing the spider and feeling the web stuck to her triggered a flood of adrenaline and fear. Her past experiences with spiders had begun to give the kitsune arachnophobia. She started flailing her hands around trying to get the web from her arms and chest.
The unfortunate spider was flung to the ground and Kitsu, seeing the spider in front of her jumped back and started to climb up Orlen to get as far from the spider as she could. Resulting in the girl perched on Orlen's shoulders with her hands tightly gripping his fox-like ears.
"Arg, what are you doing!" Orlen shouted as Kitsu started to freak out and climbed on top of him. The girl's weight was causing him to struggle to remain upright.
"Keep it away!" Kitsu shouted as she wrapped her tails around Orlen's face in fear. One of those tails wrapped around his eyes, plunging Orlen's view into silver fluff.
Unbalanced and blind, Orlen stumbled forward as his foot hit a rock sending them both tumbling to the ground.
"Kitsu... What was that about?" Orlen asked, his voice muffled from the two tails wrapped around his face.
Kitsu chuckled in embarrassment. She could feel her heart beating furiously. "I think I might have a problem with spiders now." Kitsu guessed that having two near-death experiences with spiders probably pushed her over the edge. A part of her wondered how she would react the next time she saw Maya. She did not want to inadvertently hurt the bubbly and cheerful spider Miko's feelings.
Kitsu carefully unwrapped her tails from around Orlen and hesitantly stood up. She avoided his gaze at first, her ears drooping slightly, and a faint blush crept across her cheeks. "Sorry," She muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Orlen got up shortly after and began to dust himself off. "I don't blame you; I imagine experiencing something like that is enough for anyone to develop a phobia."
"That reminds me, you were awesome with the way you used your powers to fight that spider, and I know you are stronger than me. So why do you have only one tail?"
"Maybe it has something to do with me cutting myself off from the Force for fourteen years." Orlen shrugged while making a guess. He was still unsure exactly how growing more tails worked so he was just shooting in the dark. "If I kept training in it, maybe I would have ended up growing more tails."
Glancing up towards the sky, he noted that the sky to the west was starting to glow a deep orange. It was going to be night soon, which meant it was time to make camp.
"Kitsu, why don't you get a fire started. You got food earlier; I can do it this time." He could sense a wild animal nearby through the force. It should not be difficult to catch and kill it. Hopefully, it will taste good and be edible.
An hour later, the camp was filled with the mouthwatering smell of roasting meat as Orlen put the finishing touches on the meal. Satisfied with his work, he sliced a chunk from the animal's leg and handed it to Kitsu, who eagerly took a bite.
Moments later, her expression froze in confusion. Orlen felt himself growing nervous, was this animal inedible? He liked to think he was a decent cook; he could make a mean prepackaged insta-meal at least. "What's wrong? Is it bad?"
"No, it's good, just… confusing," Kitsu said as she hesitantly took another bite. "It tastes just like chicken."
"That's a good thing, right?"
"Orlen, this is pork!" Kitsu yelled, confusion still evident in her voice.
The two finished their meal in silence as twilight settled in, with Kitsu silently wondering how it was even possible to make pork taste like chicken, she had watched Orlen cook and nothing was out of the ordinary.
As the sky darkened Orlen pulled out his holocaster, the earlier conversation with Kitsu regarding the Force had reminded him of the lessons he had saved on his holocaster. He stared at the disk-shaped device in his hands and debated playing one of the saber lessons he had saved on it. After a moment's hesitation, he activated the holocaster and began browsing through the sub menus.
Years after the fall of the Republic, Orlen had plateaued in his sword skills. He struggled to recall lessons from his time at the temple and was unable to practice the more advanced techniques that required Force use.
About two years ago, he began receiving encrypted messages sent directly to him from someone calling themselves 'Fulcrum'. The messages contained lightsaber lessons and whoever had sent it clearly knew he was a former Jedi youngling. These lessons allowed him to continue his self-study and reach the level he was currently at.
He had immediately informed General Dodonna, concerned it might be a ploy by the Imperial Security Bureau. The former Republic naval officer reassured him, stating that while he didn't know the sender's identity, a reliable source had confirmed their trustworthiness.
Orlen had never been able to figure out who had sent him the recordings. It was obviously another Jedi survivor, but he could not pinpoint who. Of those he knew that survived Order 66, Master's Kenobi and Yoda were in deep exile and General Rahm Kota would not have bothered to hide his identity, being the only Jedi Master to flaunt his survival to the Empire. He reasoned that Fulcrum must have been someone he knew based on the level of familiarity they had with him. If he knew who else had survived Order 66 he might have been able to narrow it down and make a guess.
His finger manipulated the buttons on the side of the holocaster to open the menu containing the advanced lessons, the ones he only could do now that he had restored his connection to the Force.
"What's that?" Orlen looked up and saw Kitsu sitting beside him, looking at the holographic display projected from the holocaster. Her eyes were brimming with curiosity.
"Think of it as a magic book," Orlen said as he stood up and placed the holocaster on a fallen log. He then selected the first lesson, titled Djem So, one of the variants of Form V.
The avatar used by Flucrum, a blue geometric symbol featuring a central vertical line with a diamond-shaped element in the middle and two smaller diamond shapes positioned symmetrically to the left and right of the central figure projected from the holocaster.
"Hello again my friend. If you are playing this lesson, then you have likely restored your connection to the Force. I do not know what had caused this, but I would like to hope that it was of your own free will and not out of desperation." Whoever Fulrcum was, they had put their voice through an audio scrambler, it was impossible to know what their original accent was or even their gender.
Kitsu jumped up in surprise as the hologram spoke. "Why is there a voice coming from the box? Is there a fairy trapped in it or something?"
The recording continued to play as Orlen reassured Kitsu. He didn't know what a fairy was, but he assumed based on what Kitsu said that it was some kind of small creature. "Don't worry, there are no fairies trapped in there. Think of it as a book that can talk through magic." He then turned his attention back to the recorded message.
"-not only will the Empire deploy purge troopers to hunt you, but they may also send Inquisitors as well. While Ataru and Soresu give you options, they are both only good at one thing, attack and defense respectively."
"Djem So bridges that gap. I avoided lessons in this earlier because it would be suicide attempting this form without the Force to guide your actions and to properly sense the flow of combat. Now, ready your blade and adopt the opening stance."
As Orlen raised his borrowed sword over his head with the blade pointed at an angle towards the ground behind him, the familiar symbol Fulcrum used vanished, only to be replaced by a featureless humanoid avatar in a similar pose.
"This form was designed for dueling. While Form III, Soresu, is about survival, and endurance. Djem So teaches you to meet strength with strength. You parry, and in the same motion, you retaliate."
"The key to mastering Form V is understanding the rhythm of combat. You are not just reacting; you are dictating the flow of battle. When you defend, you are preparing to strike. Your opponent's aggression is your opportunity."
As the lesson continued, Orlen followed along with the hologram's instruction, copying the displayed sequences move for move. First a block, then a quick but powerful Force-enhanced counterstrike.
"But be warned, my friend. The strength of Form V lies in its offense, but too much aggression can blind you to the Force. You must remain aware and centered. Do not let power overwhelm your judgment."
"Now... practice this: block, counter, reset. Over and over. Let your defense be the trigger for your attack. Let the Force guide your movements, not just your strength."
Over and over, Orlen practiced the movements. His skill with forms III and IV bled over and allowed him to quickly learn the techniques demonstrated.
"Remember, my friend: Form V is about control, over yourself, over the battle. You must defend... but you must also know when to seize the moment and overwhelm your opponent."
As the lesson finished, Fulcrum's symbol reappeared with a final message.
"If you decide that you are ready to fully commit to fighting the Dark Side and the Empire, then I would like to take you on as my Padawan. Activate the beacon encoded in this message, as long as you are connected to the holonet, I will receive it, and I promise I will be there in under a week. Good luck my friend and may the Force be with you."
The recording ended with a soft chime, leaving Orlen standing covered in sweat and breathing heavily. He stared at the holoprojector for a long moment, the weight of the decision pressing heavily on his mind.
Well, that's no good, he thought grimly. This planet's well off the grid. Even if he wanted to, the beacon wouldn't work here.
But did he even want it to? Did he really want to return to the life of a Jedi? To become Adrien again?
He shook his head. This wasn't about reclaiming a life long lost. He was doing this to survive, nothing more. He didn't deserve to go back to that life.
Adrien had died years ago, a coward hiding in a rubbish bin in the Jedi Temple, too terrified to fight while everyone he knew was slaughtered around him. He didn't have the right to answer that call now. Not after what he'd done, or rather what he failed to do.
He shook himself of his self-deprecating thoughts as he noticed Kitsu swinging a stick, doing her best to imitate the sequences displayed in the lesson. After one last swing, she looked up at Orlen with a vibrant smile. "That was a really good lesson, I've never seen a style like that before. Is that why you are so good at fighting? I bet with more of these lessons, I could beat Izuna in a spar. Can you teach me more?"
"I guess I could give you a few pointers," Orlen replied as his frown was replaced with an amused smile. Kitsu's enthusiastic attitude had the unintended effect of improving Orlen's mood.
Now that Orlen thought more about it. Whenever he was in a bad mood, Kitsu seemed to do something to cheer him up. Maybe her actions were not unintentional.
"That magic book mentioned different forms, are those different styles? Are there any super powerful moves and skills you learn as well?" Kitsu asked as she sat down beside Orlen.
The sky overhead slowly darkened, and the air began to grow chilly as Orlen explained the various lightsaber forms. As the moon's rays began to pierce through the forest canopy, the two travelers retired for the night.
Side Story:
Orlen's mind wandered to some of the more unscrupulous organizations in the galaxy. Everyone on this planet should thank their lucky stars that this world had not been discovered yet.
A feudal planet filled with beautiful exotic women. The Hutt Cartel and Black Sun would make the treatment of Twi'leks look tame in comparison.
Unfortunately for Orlen, his mind started imagining some of the more monstrous races he was familiar with as sexually attractive monster girls. Rancors, Banthas, Nerfs, the unwanted images kept flooding in.
Then came the worst one: a Hutt girl. The mere thought sent a sharp pain through his skull as if the Force itself was rebelling against the idea. The pain intensified as the grotesque image refused to leave his mind.
Orlen takes 521 mental damage.
Orlen fell to his knees in pain as it felt like someone stabbed his brain with a shock baton. Despite the pain, the image of the Hutt girl in his head remained. In fact, it was getting clearer and even more salacious.
Orlen takes 632 mental damage.
"Orlen! What's going on, are you alright?" He vaguely heard Kitsu shout in alarm as she rushed to his side. By the Force it was getting worse, the nerve endings in his brain felt like they were being metaphorically bitten, as if a Mynock was trapped in his head and had mistaken his nerves for power cables.
Orlen takes 845 mental damage.
He fell to his side and started spasming and foaming at the mouth. Kitsu shook him frantically, her voice breaking. "Please, I don't know what to do!"
The image of the Hutt girl was crystal clear in his mind and was fully animated with sound effects. The Hutt girl licked her lips and winked at him.
Orlen takes 9999999 mental damage.
His body jerked one last time as the final shred of life left him. He lay motionless, a corpse on the ground, while a crying Kitsune shook him in desperation.
Orlen opened his eyes and was surprised to find himself floating in mid-air with clouds all around him. Rays of sunlight pierced through the fluffy gaps in the clouds.
His gaze was drawn to a beautiful blond-haired woman with two pure white wings sprouting from her back. Her face was frozen in shock.
"Oh, Luk- what the fuck are you doing here?" The winged woman demanded, looking at him in disgust. "Never mind, might as well get this over with. The sooner I do this the sooner I can be rid of your filthy presence."
Her eyes closed and her right hand moved up to rest on her sizeable breast." Oh, Orlen, Adrien, or whatever your real name is. You have suffered the consequences of picturing that which should never exist in any universe.
You will take continuous damage and die in seconds unless you can rid this image from existence. Blunt force trauma to the face would be the fastest and easiest way to do this.
Now rebel scum, go forth and rid this world of that forbidden image. And next time you die, do it in a way that doesn't make it my problem."
With a flash of light, Orlen found himself once again standing beside Kitsu, his brain was starting to hurt from the image of the Hutt girl his traitorous mind had conjured up. Knowing he had seconds to act before dying again, he quickly raised his fist and punched himself in the face.
Memories of dying and the strange encounter with the winged woman vanished from his mind along with the image of the Hutt girl.
"Wah! Why did you do that?" Kitsu shouted, startled by his sudden self-assault. "Are you okay?" she asked, eyeing the bruise already forming on his cheek.
Character Details:
Orlen Amar / Adrien Vec
Jedi Novice
Skill in Lightsaber Forms
I Shii-Cho: 3/10: Orlen was competent with Shii-Cho, and able to use it adequately in basic combat situations. However, his skill level remained average, and it was clear he would never truly master this form.
II Makashi: 0.5/10: Orlen was notoriously terrible at using this form. Master Windu was quoted saying "He is more of a danger to himself than the opponent would be. How does one almost stab themself when thrusting the blade away from their body."
III Soresu: 4/10: Most of Orlen's training had been in this style as it would provide the greatest protection on the chaotic battlefields of the Clone Wars
IV Ataru: 5/10: Due to Orlen's kitsune dexterity and acrobatic ability, he was a natural at using this form and had events in the galaxy played out differently, he may have had the potential to master this form by the time he became a Jedi Knight.
V Shien/Djem So: 3.5/10: Although Orlen has limited formal training in this style, his aptitude for Ataru and his heavy focus on Soresu give him decent skills for a beginner, especially when blending offense with defense.
VI Niman: 1/10: Orlen received little training in Niman, as it was deemed unsuitable for the intense combat of the Clone Wars. Training instead shifted toward more reliable, battle-hardened styles.
VII Juyo/Vaapad: 0/10: Training in this aggressive form was strictly forbidden for Jedi below the rank of Master, as its practitioners were often drawn to the Dark Side. Orlen has had no exposure to this dangerous style.
Force Abilities
Note: Orlen's skill with the Force is degraded due to almost a decade and a half of disuse.
Force Reserve: 1/3: Orlen's Force reserves are low, and without careful management, he quickly succumbs to Force exhaustion.
Force Jump: 1/3: Orlen can enhance his jumping height with the Force, assisting him in basic acrobatics, though it remains limited in scope.
Force Speed: 1/3: He can boost his speed by around 25%, giving him a noticeable, but not overwhelming, increase in agility.
Force Pull: 1/3: Orlen can draw an object towards him. He is not yet strong enough to pull something out of an average person's hands.
Force Push: 1/3: Orlen can stagger an opponent and halt their momentum.
Force Sight: 2/3: This ability enhances Orlen's vision, casting the world in shades of greenish blue, enabling him to see clearly in the dark. However, for reasons unknown, it comes with a persistent, irritating, ethereal tone. (Those who have played Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II know exactly what sound I am referring to.)
Mind Trick: ?/3: Orlen has not yet attempted this ability.
Force Slow: ?/3: Orlen has not yet attempted this ability.
There are countless ways to harness the Force, both in and out of combat, many of which Orlen has yet to discover.