The twin speeders roared across the red sands of Korriban under the pale light of dawn. Ali glanced to his side, watching Drogath manoeuvre his speeder across the dunes with practiced ease. The cool air of early morning rushed past them, soon to be replaced by the suffocating heat of the desert. Ali raised his voice above the wind.
"Drogath! I overheard Malgrith telling you to meditate. What was that all about?"
Drogath tilted his head slightly toward Ali while keeping his focus on the path ahead. "I told him I've been feeling my connection to the Force strengthening. It's like I'm more aware of it now when I fight. But Malgrith told me he couldn't help me with it—he said he's not an expert in Force Strength. Instead, he told me to meditate to improve my overall control of the Force."
Ali smirked, the corner of his mouth curling into a faintly mocking expression. "After we waste the day searching this damn desert again, let's spar," he suggested, his tone nonchalant.
Drogath furrowed his brow, confused. "Why?"
"I disagree with Malgrith's advice," Ali replied. "Your connection to the Force is strongest when you're fighting. That's when you'll learn the most about how to use it. So instead of meditating, I'm going to spar with you every day. I'll train that raw talent of yours—Force Strength. What? You scared of taking a beating from me?"
Ali's smirk widened as he throttled his speeder, accelerating ahead of Drogath and leaving the larger acolyte bristling with irritation.
"You'll see! I'm not losing this time, Ali!" Drogath shouted, his deep voice carrying across the dunes as he pushed his speeder to catch up.
They raced toward Malgrith's tent under the first golden rays of sunlight breaking over the horizon.
Back at the academy, the stark white armour of a captain gleamed under the artificial lights as he strode down the hall. In his hand, he carried a large scroll, while a soldier followed closely behind, clutching a wooden board. The captain stopped at a section of the hall's wall and gestured to the soldier, who quickly nailed the board into place. The captain unfurled the scroll and pinned it onto the board, smoothing it out as curious acolytes gathered nearby to watch.
The pair of soldiers left without a word, leaving the acolytes to crowd around and read the new mission posting:
"Mission: Retrieve a package from the planet Vorrath.
Reward: Ten hours to spend in either the library or the training hall."
A hushed murmur spread through the group as the acolytes exchanged glances. The name Vorrath was enough to send a shiver down their spines. Known as a graveyard of eternal thunder and monstrous beasts, Vorrath was the last place most acolytes wanted to be.
Even with the enticing reward, they backed away from the poster, unwilling to risk their lives for ten hours of study or training.
Out in the desert, Ali spent the day scanning the barren landscape for any sign of Malgrith's prized tomb. Riding the speeder aimlessly across the dunes, he refused to let the time go to waste. He practiced his newfound connection to the Force while driving, honing his ability to sense it in the air around him.
Occasionally, he scanned the horizon for signs of animals. If he could capture anything valuable, he could trade it to Malvok for more lessons in the Force.
Despite his efforts, the day passed uneventfully. When the sun dipped low, Ali and Drogath returned to Malgrith's tent to report their findings—or lack thereof. The Sith Lord methodically updated his map, marking more sections as cleared. Their search area had shrunk significantly, and at their current pace, they would cover it entirely in just a few more days.
Exiting the tent, Drogath glanced at Ali, who motioned for him to follow.
"Where are we going?" Drogath asked as they mounted their speeders.
"You'll see," Ali replied cryptically, speeding off toward an open area of the desert.
When they arrived, Ali dismounted and walked forward under the last fiery rays of sunset. Drogath followed, his heavy footsteps crunching against the sand. Finally, Ali stopped and turned to face him. The smaller acolyte cracked his neck, his dark eyes gleaming with intent. He raised a hand, taunting Drogath to make the first move.
Drogath hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward, swinging his massive arm with enough force to crush Ali's head like a melon. Ali sidestepped the blow with calm precision, letting the attack sail harmlessly past him.
"Focus, Drogath," Ali said, his voice sharp. "Think about where you want your opponent to go."
Drogath responded with a powerful shoulder nudge, but Ali used his footwork to push off the giant's body and maintain his balance. He kept his movements fluid, staying out of reach.
Ali ducked under an overhead punch, slipping behind Drogath's exposed back. With a quick spin, he struck Drogath between the shoulder blades with his elbow before delivering a forceful kick that sent the larger man stumbling. Drogath tumbled across the sand, rolling to his feet with a growl of frustration.
"You leave too many openings," Ali said coldly. "When you strike, you need to control where the fight goes. Use your strength to dominate their movements, make them dance to your rhythm. And most importantly… use the Force."
The last words were delivered with icy precision, his tone demanding focus.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
Drogath roared, his animalistic nature surfacing in the heat of combat. Stepping forward, he raised a foot and slammed it into the sand with immense power. Ali's eyes narrowed as he saw the Force ripple through the air, amplifying the stomp into a shockwave that shook the ground beneath them. Ali gritted his teeth, bending his knees and bracing himself to keep his balance.
This time, Drogath's stance was more compact, his movements more calculated. He lunged forward, jabbing with his right fist. Ali crossed his arms to block, but the impact sent him sliding back across the sand, his bones rattling from the sheer force.
'Fucking hell,' Ali thought, lowering his trembling arms. 'So that's Force Strength.' He had seen the Force cloak Drogath's jab, turning it into an almost unstoppable strike.
Not giving him a moment to recover, Drogath charged again, his massive hands outstretched to grab him. Ali dropped low, sweeping his leg at Drogath's feet and forcing the giant to stumble. Drogath winced but quickly regained his footing, swinging downward in an attempt to crush Ali where he stood.
Ali sidestepped once more, using his agility to strike at the inside of Drogath's knee. The larger man buckled slightly, dropping to one knee, but this time he retaliated immediately.
Raising his fist, Drogath slammed it into the ground with an explosion of Force energy. The resulting tremor destabilised the ground, throwing Ali off balance.
Drogath didn't waste the opportunity. He turned swiftly and lunged at Ali, his large frame barreling forward like a charging beast.
BANG.
Drogath's vision went dark.
"Hey, wake up."
Drogath blinked groggily, his vision swimming. He looked up to see Ali standing over him, his expression calm but slightly amused.
"Ugh… what happened?" Drogath muttered, sitting up and clutching his jaw, which throbbed with pain.
"You got knocked out, big guy," Ali said bluntly, crossing his arms.
Drogath's brow furrowed in confusion. "Knocked out? I was just—"
"You were close to ripping me apart, so I struck your chin. You leaned into it, and, well, you went to sleep," Ali explained matter-of-factly.
Drogath lowered his head, disappointment evident in his posture. "I lost again…"
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