thecooler | Days 8-11 - Test 1: Aptitude

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Days 8-11 - Test 1: Aptitude

Who: All Initiates
What: LACUNA begins her testing phases
When: Days 8-11
Where: Area 2 - Testing Grounds
Warnings: To be updated, but as this is a testing regimen, it will most likely contain language, violence, mentions of sensitive topics (up to and including pondering the murder of children)

At 06:00 hours on the morning of Day 8, every terminal, be it the one in the living quarters or one of the personal terminals within the rooms, begins broadcasting the sound of a klaxon. This sound, loud enough to reverberate, continues for 30 seconds before it ends as abruptly as it began. The lights raise and after they are fully illuminating whatever area your character may have been rudely awoken in, LACUNA's cold voice fills the silence.

"Good Morning, Initiates. Today will begin Testing. Our first Test Round will be for Aptitude measurement only. As such, blows that would otherwise be fatal will spare you. You have one hour to prepare. Afterwards, proceed to the cryopod chamber for further instruction. Thank you."

As incredibly forthcoming as she's been previously, any attempts to question her further are met with cold silence.

(OOC: The Test will be divided by day and function, and for more information, check out the sweet prompts below, also organized by date! You're not required to use this post, but it may be easier if you haven't found a partner! Feel free to make your own posts, either as actions or network posts as well! Remember, it isn't 100% necessary to obey her commands...)

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Anakin let her talk, but he wasn't particularly impressed by her words. Just as he wasn't particularly impressed by the Jedi Master. Not at this time, at the very least.

"You asked for it." he merely replied and his pointing cybernetic hand opened up to reach for Grace as Anakin reached into the Force and use it to try and seize the woman by her throat this time. Just as he had done with Obi-Wan before.

Though he didn't stop there and raised his other hand now as well, this one aiming for Obi-Wan with the very same intent.

He sure could simply choke them both, right?

Obi-Wan’s eyes went wide as Anakin did exactly what he thought he would. He glanced at Grace then back at Anakin, having a very distinct feeling of deja vou. Except the last time it had happened, it had been Anakin’s own wife.

“Anakin, stop this at once!”

Though he really didn’t expect the Jedi turned Sith to listen to him. Which was only confirmed as he felt that pressure around his throat yet again. Obi-Wan was beginning to lose his patience. Thus he reached out through the Force, fighting through the pain, his arm outstretched. His fingers then clenched as he used the mystical power to grab hold of Anakin’s cybernetic wrist, and then twisted it.

Grace had started to roll her eyes when he said that she asked for it like her daughter did when she was five and was about to do something stupid. There was no small part of her that wanted to give him a good shaking because the last thing that they needed was for the six of them to be at war. Their world was too small for this, and a part of her wondered if that was what LACUNA wanted--to see how they reacted under fire like this.

But then there was the sensation of the hand around her throat without there being one, and Grace just gasped quickly, her eyes wide and wild. Her own fingers moved to her throat, instinctively attempting to remove the barrier that was cutting off her air supply. Finding nothing, her nails just scrambled against her skin, trying to remove whatever it was before she happened to pass out.

And then she was on the ground gasping, her pale skin red as she lay there. But her eyes were wary as she looked between the two men.

Without him giving it any orders to do so, there was a snap and a short cracking noise as Anakin's right arm and hand were twisted away from his target.

It didn't hurt.

Of course it didn't. Anakin had never had his replacement arm equipped with pain sensors. But the surprise of the sudden interference was enough to break Anakin's concentration and he instantly released both Grace and Obi-Wan, only to glare at the latter.

"Playing the hero, of course." the former Jedi Knight said dismissively, his right arm now hanging more or less uselessly by his side. He would just have to fix it later.

"Now what do you expect me to do? Retreat? Run away from your act of bravery?" Anakin stepped forward, taking a step towards Obi-Wan "I don't think so, Obi-Wan. We're not finished here just because YOU like to stay out of my way!"

Edited 2018-09-22 21:03 (UTC)

Once they were both released, Obi-Wan stooped down next to Grace.

“Are you all right?”

His question one of concern, but his attention was then taken by Anakin as he looked in the direction of their attacker.

“I expect what I would of any civilized person, Anakin. To stand down and leave her out of this. If you want to discuss this I’m more than willing to do so, but I don’t want to fight you.”

But there was the unspoken sentiment that he would if he had to.

Edited 2018-09-22 21:30 (UTC)

Grace lay on the ground for a moment, just frantically taking in air. Her throat hurt and her neck hurt in a different way, the scratches somehow stinging more than the main part of what happened as her pain censors fought over one another. Staring warily at Anakin (because Grace was no fool, honestly) she started to move to sit up.

"I'm fine," her voice was low and husky in response to Obi-Wan but she didn't look at him when she said it, her eyes were on Anakin in the same way that one would watch a predator. When she spoke again she added, "talking is better. It's not like you have space to avoid one another here. Jesus." Her hand was at her throat still, rubbing over the scratches with a little wince.

"You can't keep magic choking everyone you're pissed off at." Grace is just going to keep thinking that Anakin is a particularly dangerous toddler.

"We already talked, Obi-Wan." Anakin snarled, eyes narrowing. He didn't take another step forward, but he clearly could tell that the Jedi was already beginning to play his little manipulative mind games with this woman. Not that it mattered much to Anakin. He could just kill them all if he had to.

He made a quick, dismissive motion with his hand "It was you who drew his lightsaber on me, remember? Because I saw through your lies and that of the Jedi. You wanted to kill me just because I left the Order, don't deny it! Don't act as if you suddenly want to talk again now - Because this isn't Mustafar and beings might be watching."

And of course the Jedi couldn't have that.They all had to believe he was good.

“And it was you who attacked first.”

He may have drawn his blade first, but a Jedi never attacked first. He was ready to do what he had to, but Anakin intended to kill him whether or not he drew his blade.

With Grace seeming to be okay, Obi-Wan stood up again. Facing Anakin and holding his ground.

“I never would have raised and trained you just to kill you Anakin, but you left me no alternative! After what happened, after what you did, I couldn’t ignore it. The man I knew would have never attacked an unarmed innocent.”

He motioned at Grace.

“Let alone children or the woman carrying your own child.”

It was odd to hear herself be considered an innocent bystander when so often Grace wasn't, but she didn't comment on it further. Instead, she just listened and watched what was going on between the two men and the things that had been said. Darius and herself had been something unnamed when they'd arrived, but in the end they had been able to do the things that were denied to them back home by life and circumstance. Here, however they had fixed it even if they'd needed to do testing.

She'd thought perhaps these two men had been the same before there was the mention of his choking his pregnant partner and children. Grace's motherly instincts (already kicking in to want to put his ass in time out) hardened, because this man seemed to be an enemy of kids, and an enemy of kids was someone who was automatically an enemy of her own. Her eyes were narrowed as she studied this man, and the anger and dislike were practically radiating off of her in waves.

"Leave Padmé out of this!" Anakin snapped and started forward again, only to stop abruptly. He knew what he had done and needed no reminder of his guilt. Neither did he need to have his regrets stirred up once more. Those were still far too prominent in his own mind. Saying her name didn't help. Remembering her fear and pain

Rather than stepping forward now, Anakin actually took a step back. Grimacing and shaking his head, all the while digging up the same accusations only to repeat what he had already said before and what needed to believe himself.

"This is all your fault, Obi-Wan!" he said angrily, but not as convinced as he would like. So he just went on.

"Everything! You turned her against me! It was you. You and your mind tricks!" At the very least Anakin was trying to convince himself.

As Anakin stepped forward, Obi-Wan tensed, fully expecting another attack. Still he held his ground and blinked once when the man stepped back again. The turmoil was obvious and there was a bit of pity on the Jedi’s face.

“No, Anakin. I only told her the truth. In fact, she wouldn’t believe me. You know she’s too strong willed for mind tricks, even if I wanted to try.”

His face softened a bit as he remembered Padme’s last moments. Was there still good in him?

“She wanted to save you, as I did.”

Grace also tensed when he stepped forward again, and she was uncomfortably reminded of Claire and what she'd needed to do in order to save Harris' life. But she couldn't do anything about that, not now and not here, but she could focus on just trying to not end up meeting the same fate because some man child was being an idiot.

So for now she was just keeping quiet and small and as unobtrusive as possible. Even if her mouth was shut her ears were opening, and she was putting all of this information into her memory, just in case something happened later.

Whatever was going on between them, all Grace knew was that it wasn't good.

"Stop talking about her!" Anakin yelled, fist balled by his side but not charging in for another attack.

Padmé. What did Obi-Wan knew about her? Nothing. Obi-Wan knew NOTHING!

"You have it wrong!" he went on "I wanted to save her, not the other way around!"

But then his tone dropped away from angry accusations and Anakin sounded disappointed and sad.

"Master Yoda told me to let her die."

Obi-Wan’s brow furrowed slightly at that. Somehow he doubts Yoda would say anything like that. It wasn’t like the old Jedi Master. Anakin probably misinterpreted whatever Yoda was trying to tell him. And yet, Yoda had told him he needed to kill Anakin.

“That’s just it, Anakin! In the process you lost yourself. The person we loved is gone because of your obesssion!”

The Jedi just sighed and shook his head sadly.

“You shouldn’t even be here. I’ve had enough of this.”

Once again Obi-Wan moved to turn away. He couldn’t deal with this person his former student and best friend had become. He never would have turned his back on him, but now he was. Because he wasn’t that man anymore. Despite being here on the flesh, he might as well be dead. He was supposed to be.

Edited 2018-09-23 22:04 (UTC)

Grace literally had no idea who any of those people were, but she looked between the two men as if there would be some sort of contextual clues, something that would offer a rosetta stone into what the hell they were talking about. So far there wasn't anything that worked, but the big picture stuff (it was damn near impossible to miss that whole bit about kids and his pregnant partner) had fallen into a stark view, and that was probably all that Grace needed to know.

More than that, Grace wasn't going to let the man who she'd been intent on saving who had turned into her savior leave without her. She wasn't stupid enough to be someplace that she might all too easily be considered cannon fodder, so Grace scrambled into her feet with a movement that was entirely lacking in her namesake, because she wasn't stupid. When she was on her toes, Grace moved to follow Obi-Wan.

"So much for being more than willing to discuss this..." Anakin muttered to himself, eyes narrowing as he watched his old mentor turn away. This was all the confirmation Anakin needed to know he was right.

But there was something else that stuck with Anakin, causing him to stay rather than pursue further.

He shouldn't be here, indeed. He agreed with that. But he also found himself in agreement with not being the person he used to be. He wasn't the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker any longer. Instead, he was now a Sith Lord by the name of Darth Vader, wasn't he? It might be about time he himself accepted this and acted accordingly.

Just that he didn't exactly know what that meant or how he was supposed to go about this. Anakin hadn't been taught anything by his new master just yet. And yet maybe he could just... Figure it out?

For now he would let Obi-Wan and his new friend leave before withdrawing himself.

There was no discussing when it involved yelling and screaming. Maybe if Anakin would calm down and be more rational, they could really discuss it. If that would ever happen. However, the Jedi was mentally exhausted and he knew his limits. He needed to save some of his sanity for this testing nonsense.

Though it still hurt, and being around Anakin was a constant reminder of his failure. Of how helpless he seemed to be to do anything for him.

Trying to put it out of his mind, he glanced over at Grace as she followed after him.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

He hadn't wanted her to get hurt.

Once the two of them were away from Anakin, Grace let out a shaky breath, and she wrapped her hand around her throat once more as if to reassure herself that it was still there in one piece. It was and she was, and how she wished she was home so she could just wrap one of her scarves around it so it wouldn't worry anyone else. Wouldn't worry Darius. Yeah, he was going to be pissed.

Her breath turned into a sigh when he apologized. "Don't be. It's not your fault. You weren't the one who did it. Really nice guy, huh?" The words had more of an edge along with her jutting her thumb towards where Anakin was. "I just couldn't watch as he choked you again. It's my fault for thinking that logic would have worked when it came to him. My fault and I won't do it again."

Not his fault? Maybe not this particular incident but...

"He wasn't always this way," Obi-Wan said mournfully. But this was neither the time or place to get into their history.

"I appreciate your effort, but I do think it would be best to avoid him."

Obi-Wan might not be around to help her the next time. He didn't know all the others very well, but he wasn't yet sure anyone else could stand up to Anakin other than him.

Grace’s brows are just going to go up to her hairline with that and she made a soft scoffing sound as well. “Yeah, us avoiding one another in something the size of a tin can isn’t something that I see happening for well for very long.” She’s just stating facts here. This place is too small for people who want to kill other people here. To small and there’s too few people.

“How long have you known him?” Grace couldn’t help but ask, because all of this is stuff that is just too personal for it to be not old friends or lovers or both.

“Even so,” Obi-Wan said, knowing full well how difficult it was. He’s spent the past week trying to avoid Anakin.

“Since he was a small boy,” he then replied to her question. Pausing a moment as he did the math in his head. “About 13 standard years.”

She wasn’t wrong in her assumptions.

She wanted to roll her eyes a bit at that even so, because clearly it hadn't done anything to save him today, and god knew it probably wasn't going to do anything to save him in the future. No, it seemed like the only thing that would was the stupid reboot remembering how important they were. Honestly, if Zoe had played with people like this, she'd remind her about how fragile her toys actually were.

Frowning at him though, she just considered, before looking back to the door where Anakin had been. "I'm assuming all this choking and other stuff is a recent development?"

Yes well, Obi-Wan tends to care about others more than himself. Besides, this quarrel was between him and Anakin, and it should stay that way.

"Fairly recently, yes."

Actually it wasn't as recent as Obi-Wan thought, but well, he didn't know that.

"To be honest, he shouldn't be here. I don't know how its possible."

“I’m assuming that you don’t mean that he shouldn’t be here in the ‘because he’s psycho’ way? Cause yeah I agree on that. But I’m guessing you’ve got more personal reasonings than that.” Grace knew that she probably shouldn't call the man who had nearly just killed them both a psycho, but she couldn't help but call a spade a spade, especially here and now.

"What do we need to know about him? How bad is he, and how strong are those powers of his? Can they get through walls?" Grace was in full on protection mode now, not just of herself and Darius, but of everyone else here.

"He should be dead," he clarifies. Though the way he says it doesn't necessarily mean that he wants Anakin to be dead. There's actually a bit of remorse there.

At her questions though, he sighs softly, knowing he doesn't have good news for her.

"He's the most powerful among my kind." Which is to say among the Jedi, though its easier to say it that way than having to delve into what that meant.

"Without his lightsaber, no, he can't get through walls. There are limits to what he can do, and if you break his focus, even more so. However, not even your own mind is safe. Be guarded around him, always."

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Days 8-11 - Test 1: Aptitude

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