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When You Give a Man Power
Chapter 34
“Your foundation has grown quickly and is at a decent enough level to begin the next stage of your training,” Serleena told me, watching as I went through all that had been drilled into me and even watching her spar against a simple droid as I verbally said each move she was going to use in the fight before she had done it.
Her pleased look told me how well I had nailed it. Selene wanted to be here doing this with me but her attention was needed at her company since it was something important enough to make her go to a meeting. After her behavior when she was getting drunk, it would be safe to assume she had taken a liking to me.
“Do you think I am good enough with my reading to do this?”
“No. You still have far to go with that but you will learn as we go. Now we begin the next part of your training. When you witnessed Selene punch that woman to the ground did you see her move at all?”
“No. I didn’t.”
“And in that moment you realized something about the training up until this point. What was it?”
“You all have been holding back on me.”
“Precisely.”
A tinge of annoyance at the confirmation that the entire time I had believed the gap between all of us wasn’t so vast is now a lie and that feeling of inferiority combined with the fact Serleena had lied to me about how good I was. Was it out of pity?
“I did not lie Corvo.” She read me like an open book again as it continued to annoy me how even now I still couldn't hide everything from them, “You are incredibly talented and I have not witnessed one with such raw potential as yours. Do you think a person with the potential to become a master swordsmith could create a masterpiece of a sword in mere hours or even days? Of course not. Potential remains just that. Potential. It must be drawn out and refined over time.”
“Then why waste both your time and my own by holding back on me?”
“Corvo, what could you possibly learn when you can’t even see our movements? For example.” She stepped closer to me within arms reach, she held perfectly still, I can’t even tell if she was breathing with how subdued her movements are.
One moment I stared at her confused about what the example is as she stood across from me. The next I was on my knees choking and gasping for air while she stood in the same position not even moving a muscle while I felt pain in my gut as if someone had hit me the hardest I had ever been hit.
“That is why. You will not learn as fast as we need you to and beating you within an inch of your life is not productive to what we all desire. You couldn’t even see me raise my fist and slam it into you driving the air out of your lungs. If you can’t see what we are doing, how do you hope to learn?”
After a long moment of getting my breathing under control and shakily getting up to glare at her.
“You continue to give me that look then I will wipe it off and you won’t like what I do.”
Heeding the warning I forced myself to calm down. Whatever pride I had in life is but ash and dust now after having that happen. Pointedly ignoring the shiver that ran up my spine at her kicking the crap out of me.
“Good. Now that you have had a demonstration and an understanding of our reasons let us begin. How do you think we have achieved such speed? Speed that is so great that even someone such as yourself who is already impressively fast and strong cannot see it.”
“Intense muscular training and selective breeding with genetic manipulation of some kind?”
She shook her head in amusement. “The training part is partially correct but far off from the mark. The rest is not even close. While having good genes from either parent can help and despite what others like the Arkadians and Kaminoans would like to say about manipulating the genes of others, they are all wrong as far as we are concerned.”
Serleena walked back and forth lecturing me, “The Echani arts have always prioritized movement and fluidity over rigidness like the Mandalorians. They chose to focus on their equipment and weapons while only partially training their bodies. We chose to fully hone our bodies into lethal weapons through rigorous training. One can push their body far enough that they can at the early stages utilize a not-so-insignificant amount of their muscles. Once having achieved mastery and moved onto the next stage you can use all of them with no issue.”
I digested what she had just said. As it sunk in and I thought it over I began to realize how utterly broken that kind of capability would be. As strong as they are, since they are capable of harming me and even at times almost matching my absurd physical strength in certain ways, if they utilized almost all muscles in the body they could achieve far greater feats of speed and strength nevermind the numerous other ideas that took form in my mind at what they could achieve physically.
But that doesn’t come without risk…
“Exactly, you already can see the cost for a new initiate trained in these ways. Even using most of the body's muscles comes at a great stamina cost. It is why you see so many of our members are capable of keeping up and exceeding you in contests of stamina is because some of them had already achieved this stage and have been using it long enough that their stamina far surpasses your own.”
“What about the daughters of House Atrix I dealt with before? I take it they were not trained in this?”
“If they were, I doubt you would be here now. Unless certain circumstances are in play you are not coming out of a fight against a group like that alive. Their Matriarch must have been confident that you and Aurra Sing would have been handled by them when their training had not reached that point to send a message. If you were an average bounty hunter they would have succeeded.”
Hearing all of this made me grateful for how lucky I was not to fight someone capable of what Selene and Serleena could do. The only method I could think of was a wide-scale area of effect. That being explosives or turbolaser fire from several ships.
None of that can always be deployed against an enemy like that and that’s if I am fighting them on my terms.
“Just as you have done in your sparring sessions you will remove your clothes. We will start training you in using the various muscles in the five different parts of your body starting with your torso and getting you to know and understand where they are and what they connect to.”
Doing as ordered not as flustered as I was when they had first started having me do that while Serleena had a projector whir to life. The form of a male Echani was on it with the hologram focusing on the muscles of the torso.
“I know with you being a different species you may have different muscular structures than us but with time we can figure them out. We have never trained one of your species before.”
“Altmer is my species name.”
Serleena nodded her head at this. “I will have to make sure we add that to the sentient species list then. I don’t think I have ever heard of your species Corvo besides hearing about a wandering Jedi with similar features to your own. Notably the long knife-like ears.”
“You don’t know the name of her species?”
“No, we do not. At least not to my knowledge. Is she not of the same species as you?”
I shook my head before answering, “As far as I know she is not.” She looked rather surprised by the answer but accepted it.
“Moving on from that you will work on using each muscle in your back and feel how it interacts with each muscle in your core and how they interact with other muscles that connect to the rest of your body. We start with the torso because everything connects to it.”
Getting in position and watching the image of the Echanis back use certain muscles as they flexed and I tried to copy it as best as I could noting the differences in the muscles in my body but ultimately there wasn't much difference. Feeling each muscle tug and pull at the flesh connected to it and feeling out each connection.
While feeling a particular muscle that goes up to my left arm I asked a question that had been on my mind, “So why focus first on the torso and not something like the head and neck?”
“Besides the muscles in the neck, there isn’t much to gain from starting with it. Yes, our brains send signals into the rest of the body telling it what to do, but this training as far as we have discovered for as long as our people have trained in it doesn’t necessarily make that faster.”
“Not necessarily?”
Feeling the lower muscles in my back the image of the Echani gets into a sprinter stance with me mimicking it.
“It doesn’t directly enhance such things, but indirectly. As you improve at using all muscles at all times, moving at such speeds will force your mind and body to adapt. This takes an extended period but the longer you do this the more you can mentally keep up with the speed when using it.”
“You mean to tell me that your reactions and brain processes information faster is a byproduct of this training? That’s absurd.”
“As we often hear from those not accustomed to our ways. In your case, I can see it is not denial or ridicule but surprise. If I may ask why do you so readily believe my statement?”
Taking a moment to deal with a particularly troublesome to nail down muscle before giving my response, “We live in a galaxy where an order of monks are capable of seeing the future, moving at absurd speeds, enhancing their physical strength to levels thought impossible, and even more insane abilities that can’t be seen with the naked eye. Learning of a species that has developed a martial art dating back thousands of years that can speed up one’s thought process is not that far-fetched compared to everything else.”
“When you put it like that you make it sound like we are normal.”
“I mean in a way you are yet not. I would say if anything you are more unique and different. No otherworldly source of power is the reason, everything you have achieved is all you. Every bit of blood, sweat, and tears and you reaped the rewards of your labors. As far as I am concerned your people have proven themselves as being the most talented species I have seen in the galaxy thus far.”
She had fallen silent for a long while as I went through several more forms before she spoke again, “The compliment is appreciated. Now focus on this muscle group here and here…”
And on it went as she helped me map out several muscle groupings in my body. I made mental notes of each one and used the exercise in which the image of the male Echani showed each muscle and how to flex and use it in different forms not unlike that of yoga. It was far more intensive than yoga yet it didn’t use any of the flexible moves it was known for beyond a select few similarities. Contracting and relaxing multiple muscles simultaneously my body became coated in sweat.
“Despite the harsh training you have received so far this will be much harder as you can already see. You are using muscles that you have not used nearly as much as the others. You will feel soreness far greater than you have before but with you being able to quickly recover this should be no problem.”
Her hand touched different parts of my back helping me straighten out and figure out certain groupings. The hologram lesson went on helping me with abdominal muscles with a river of sweat just pouring off of me.
“When the day comes that Selene challenges House Atrix, who should I expect to fight against?”
“Knowing what is at stake and how much they have to lose, should you beat them, they would do their best to avoid such an outcome. Matriarch Moria is more than likely your opponent.”
Forcing several pectoral muscles to move together but finding little success I grunted out, “Is it odd for a Matriarch to be the one to fight in a challenge against another House?”
“It’s not against the rules by no means but usually frowned on. Matriarchs are supposed to represent not just the head of a family but the most powerful and intelligent. They are not usually the ones being the champion for a family but one of their daughters and if they are not good enough then one of the servants who is employed by the House. It shows that they are capable of teaching and ensuring future generations of each family will improve and grow without becoming stagnant. Sending a message to others that the family is in good hands.”
“So it’s just another nail in her coffin then.”
“That… is an interesting way to put it.” She thought over what I just said, not looking like she properly understood it.
“It means that someone or something will be more likely to fail. If I get good enough and manage to beat her, not only will her family look bad but it has an extra edge to it that an outsider like myself was taught by you and managed to defeat her. Have to give you and Selene this, you know how to twist the knife just right when you stab someone with it.”
Serleena merely chuckled at the compliment, “With what Matriarch Moria had done to take the Second Sister from us it is only fair that she gets what she is owed.”
“What did she do to get you and Selene to want some payback? Besides trying to go back to the old ways?”
“She herself was the champion while we sent out one of the younger daughters of Selene. At the time we were not against another taking the Second Sister from us since our family has had control of it for some time now and felt it was drawing close to when we should let another House lay claim to it. Running one of the Echani’s biggest companies and governing an entire world that is one of the more sought-after Sisters is a rather taxing endeavor.”
“So you were willing to let them take it but how they did so and what they are hoping to accomplish with having it is why you are so hellbent on retaking it?”
“Yes. Another thing you have managed to witness is Selene's desire to seek retribution on any who even indirectly insults her family. Whether they intended the insult or not is another story entirely.”
Her further driving home that yeah Selene is like me in regards to not taking any insult kindly. The same thing is the reason why I am here on Eshan.
“Well, that explains a lot. But of course, there is more to it like the fact that House Atrix is going to cause issues for the rest of your people when they eventually drag your species into some conflict. I don’t doubt your people's ability to wage war but even the greatest of armies can be brought low so it would only be a matter of time.”
“Which is the bigger reason why we intend to retake the Second Sister and bring their family toppling down into the dirt ensuring they don’t get an opportunity again for a long time.”
“Do we need to worry about any further interference from House Ignis? Them even giving some assistance to House Atrix makes me question if they are fine with the vision that House Atrix has for your people.”
“House Ignis if anything is remaining on the fence. They have as far as I have known the family believed that if two sides have a conflict then whoever bests the other may have a point. From what our sources have learned they are giving House Atrix a chance and it is one of the reasons they have been trying their best to show what they have gained from aiding the Trade Federation.”
Feeling the different muscles near my shoulder blades I speak my mind, “Then I happened to ruin their plans on two different occasions. Which I assume has put them on shaky ground with House Ignis?”
This gets a snort out of Serleena who only smirked and shook her head, “It’s why they have had their hands forced in bringing most of their forces back to Eshan and having to cash in or borrow several favors from House Ignis to use their forces and scour Eshan to find you. Never mind searching the rest of the system.”
I could only shake my head in amusement at the nuisance I had become for them without even meaning to in the first place. “Sounds like they overreached and are now paying the price for biting off more than they could chew. I’m looking forward to punching whoever their champion is in the face.”
A chuckle escaped Serleena at the mention of violence against House Atrix, “You and Selene are both in agreement then. I am simply ready for this to end and for them to be put back in their place and to not go against the established ways of our people.”
Sitting on the floor in a meditative position feeling my abdominal muscles out. “So is it normal for one of the Six Sisters to let another House beat them so they can take it?”
“To an extent, yes. So long as the one in control of a Sister puts in a certain amount of effort in the fight then it is allowed. It doesn’t happen often, but it has occurred enough times for an unspoken rule to be made to ensure others don’t try to keep control of the Sisters through puppets or proxies. Just as a rule had been established early on after the Ruusan Reformation that a House in control of one of the Sisters cannot be challenged for one year should the challenger lose.”
Pausing mid-flex hearing that particular rule. I don’t bother asking about it simply because it’s something that is not common knowledge outside of their culture and no one has openly talked about it. If anything it’s just another reason for me to get better as quickly as possible.
“So the rule was made only for a year to ensure any Houses that were deemed corrupt to be easier to be removed? But wouldn’t that make it easier to abuse the system?”
“Yes. Houses that no longer exist as our people at the time viewed it as something the Sith would do as a dirty underhanded tactic. We do not have a problem with using cunning or guile but when it involves trying to manipulate the rules and violating the spirit of them then it becomes a big problem and many Houses will aid one another to depose a ruling House if they believe they no longer hold the people’s interest. Unlike other worlds in the Republic Corvo, our people enforced major rules like these because they were created with the spirit of the idea in mind. It’s why we have managed to not collapse as a society.”
Something I can respect. Not often a society universally agrees something that was done was not only shady but they collectively ensured the ones who did the deed didn’t do it again and make sure no one will attempt it again. They will enforce it, instead of saying it’s an established law or rule but never enforce it when someone violated it especially if they are powerful enough to think they are above such things.
The training went on for several hours before Serleena let me rest and the two of us left with her joining me after our discussion devolved into shows on the holonet we like as she gave me a few recommendations and I told her about the series of Staro & Hoop. After hearing how the actors get in character enough that reading people's bodies doesn’t ruin the immersion, it was enough for her to give it a try as she walked off with me to watch it.
…
The battle raged on the surface of Ryloth with the Hutt forces engaged against both the Republic forces and the Trade Federations. Blaster fire and rockets were exchanged between one another with flames and explosions erupting and blooming forth across the planet with numerous droids and the bodies of the dead on both sides littering the desolate landscape.
One Jedi in particular blue lightsaber used deftly to deflect blaster bolts sending many back to the ones who shot them either incapacitating or outright killing them. They weaved around the battlefield distinguishing them from most of the other Jedi from the difference in skill.
The human man drew closer to a cluster of mercenaries using the weapons that Corvo had sold to many enterprising bounty hunters and criminals, Aurra sat atop a rocky outcropping far above the battle waiting patiently observing him.
The group was cut down one by one in a matter of seconds as Aurra waited. One strong swing after the next going through the various strikes known to Form V users. Adjusting her posture her form became rigid like that of a statue waiting for an opening. Just as he cut the second to last of the group down the final survivor pulled out two grenades tossing one at the Jedi who simply raised his hand after a slight delay focusing and channeling the force stopping it in its tracks and sending it flying off into another group of Hutt forces who are all but killed by the explosion.
The hunter was not deterred when they took advantage of the momentary stall to the Jedi's advance with a grenade and blaster pistol in hand they fired several more shots running forward before the Jedi deflected one bolt back into their leg bringing them down. Aurra now seeing her chance held her breath steadying her shot while drawing on as little of the force as she could to aid her in hitting her target while not giving herself away.
The next moment the Jedi is mid-swing taking their head, Aurra finally pulled the trigger. The crimson bolt flew out hitting the back of the Jedi right where his heart was. She watched the man who was at one point one of the bigger threats to deal with on Ryloth fall to the ground.
Seeing he was now dead, Aurra quickly boarded her swoop bike repositioning before any of the Republic's forces could figure out where she was at. She had made quite the sum of money doing this and with a not-so-insignificant feeling of satisfaction at getting a chance to kill the same order who had all but abandoned her.
If only her old master was here then it would be a perfect day.
Her comlink buzzed to life drawing her out of her thoughts as she responded, “Target is down.”
“We saw. Good work. We have some Judicial forces with a Jedi leading them that are hunting our rebels down. Can you take care of them?”
Aurra could only smile at the Hutt commander they had here who has been the one assigning her the bounties of the more dangerous targets that have made things difficult for them. “Of course, for the right price.”
A sigh is heard on the other end as the man had long since grown used to Aurra only doing anything in the fight on Ryloth when it involved her getting paid. Aurra learned early on if your good at something never do it for free.
“As usual you will be paid for your work.”
Aurra moved down to the coordinates, her bike sent her hair whipping about from the force of the wind. She soon saw the tanks that had been laying waste to the Hutts rebels that had been trying to run a campaign against the Republic and Trade Federation on Ryloth.
They had managed to topple the Hutt's forces on Ryloth when they first came here with superior numbers and firepower giving aid to Cham Syndulla who had been a nuisance for the Hutts for some time.
He had harassed their spice mining operations and tried to rid Ryloth of their influence for some time but despite how much he had managed to do in the grand scheme of things he hadn’t warranted enough of their attention to bring someone capable enough of dealing with him.
Especially when several of his supporters were in the Hutt's pockets tipping them off on anything he was going to do against the Hutts. He was against the Republic coming to Ryloth but eventually relented and aided them once he was convinced that it was in his and his people’s best interests.
Not helped by Orn Free Taa Ryloths corrupt Senator trying to take advantage of the conflict seeing a chance to weasel out of any debts he owed the Hutts thinking that the Republic was going to push them off of Ryloth while trying to act like he had no hand in any of this. He could use the excuse he was forced to do so by the Republic.
The only reason he may get away with it was because the Hutts had many more important sentients to deal with for crossing them. Getting into position the Judicial Forces gunned down the rebels who were getting massacred once their safe house had been discovered.
A few are still alive and tried to fend off the men picking them off with the Jedi leading the charge. Aiming and lining up her shot, another red bolt streaked out like many before took down one of the troopers who fell lifelessly to the ground. Another shot, another one of them goes down.
With the two dead troopers, the Republic dogs with their Jedi turned in her direction trying to find her while the rebels took advantage, now properly shooting back injuring one of the troopers who had fallen back behind cover as one of them tried to give the injured one medical attention.
A squeeze of her trigger and the medic was now dead with his head snapping back. Another had the injured trooper finished off his shaking body going still as a statue.
The Jedi, a female Rhodian, is now trying to fend off the newfound ferocity of the rebels while keeping an eye out for Aurra. One of the troopers managed to spot her arm pointing at her before a blaster bolt silenced him for good.
The remaining survivors opened fire trying to either force her to cover or suppress her, none of which worked. She could feel the fear in the air and knew if a bolt would hit her or not. Taking her time picking them off with the rebels managing to snag a few kills themselves.
The Jedi was getting worried now since they had no means to retreat since it would take some time to get to cover with her advantage and the rebels pincering them in. The Jedi could make it if she abandoned them. Something that seemed likely as she observed the troopers saying something to her.
Knowing what may happen Aurra swung her rifle around aiming ahead of the Jedi when she used one of the many powers the force could grant people like her and Aurra. One that she was never taught how to use beyond the most basic uses. Something her old master had felt the need to withhold on her before she left her…
Anger and bitterness grew in her chest. She now wanted to ensure that this Jedi didn't get away. All for having to remind her of the ones who forsook her. A frown on her face when the Jedi moved faster than some speeders with her nearing the shuttle she and the Republic forces had used to get here before a blaster bolt impacted the rocks near her leg making her skip a few steps slowing down before picking back up on speed again.
Aurra grunted not wanting this woman to get away for reminding her of the past. Focusing and using the fear she sensed before adjusting the firing mode of her. Now switched over to burst fire the rifle had sent three shots right at the Jedi making her stop this time anticipating the shots deflecting two of them away but the third managed to graze her leg.
Aurra’s frown became a smirk when the Jedi moved much slower trying to get to the shuttle but couldn’t get there as fast as she was before. She managed to deflect most of the blaster fire from Aurra who was now annoyed at the woman who so far managed to stay alive with her speed picking back up.
Aurra suspected she was healing the wound on her leg. Or maybe she was getting desperate with the men she left behind now dead by this point with the rebels coming out and opening fire on the Jedi. Before Jango and others under the Hutt's employ these criminals never would have attempted something so brazen. But after all the propaganda the Hutts had been churning out had made them realize the Jedi are not invincible.
Of course that doesn’t mean just anyone can kill one. But that doesn’t deter them. Despite the distance between them and the fleeing Jedi their blaster rifles were still in range as she was now forced to evade them but still making good speed.
Tapping into the force like she had when needed its aid in the past, Aurra felt the moment soon approach. The moment that the force guided her to it with one random shot of many forced the Jedi to snap a leg out and leap off of a rock evading the bolts in an impressive display of acrobatics. Each bolt grew closer and closer like a net quickly drawing closer with the Jedi rushing towards it unknowingly and to her end.
She tried her best to deflect the burst fire while evading the other shots midair but with two more pulls of the trigger made Aurra feel so much joy at the sight of the Jedi falling to the ground in a heap now dead. She could evade and deflect while on the ground but in the air she could only do so much when she had two sides to try and block their bolts while she couldn’t change her trajectory mid air.
A smug satisfaction filled Aurra with having some small vengeance on the ones who had abandoned her just as her mother did. She glanced down at the modified rifle she had gotten from Corvo. She would have to show Corvo her appreciation when he got back. Ignoring the cheers from the criminals who took the lightsaber for themselves she mounted her speeder bike.
Taking off and confirming her kill, she mused over Corvo. She hoped he would survive that job. She rather enjoyed their time together when she showed him her gratitude for keeping them alive against that group of Echani. Much like most people she had known in life, it all came down to what either side can offer the other.
