Star Wars New Order - Volume 1 Chapter 16 Knight Trials 3

As everything vanished from the room Vaner found himself standing in the center of the room as he heard a door open. Looking at it and at the rest of the room, Vaner knew that he entered from here but he was almost sure he didn’t come from here.

Shrugging he heads toward the door and found himself in the hall he was before the test with the 6 Jedi master looking at him.

Seeing the door open Ki-Adi-Mundi frowned as it hadn’t been long since the trials begin, on the other side Even Piell and Eeth Koth had a small smile appear on their clearly happy with this result. However once Vaner step outside the feed-back from the test came and the master was informed of the result.

Seeing the result and the state in which was Vaner, Ki-Adi-Mundi starts to laugh clearly proud of his apprentice which seemed to anger the other two Jedi Master. Master Yoda only nodded while Maste Plo-Koon and Windu had a thoughtful look on their face.

“Fast the first trials you succeed.” Said Yoda

“Speed isn’t necessarily a good thing, there are still two trials” said Even Piell

Not really caring about what we’re saying the Jedi master of the council Vaner headed for his master and start to talk with him about what happened inside.

“Master, who were these Sith I fought inside?” asked Vaner

“They are ancient enemies the Jedi fought during old wars, the fight was recorded on the battlefield or at the temple when the sith were captured” answered Ki-Adi-Mundi

“So they really exist at a time, then the Force ability they used really exist too then ?” asked Vaner

“Force ability, what type of ability are you talking about ?” replied Mundi as the sith Padawan face off in this trial didn’t really use the Force normally.

“Well, the armored one use some kind of voice ability powered by the Force” answered Vaner.

“A Voice ability powered by the Force. Hmm. Well, your voice like any part can be powered by the Force Vaner.” Said Ki-Adi-Mundi not really knowing what Vaner was talking about.

“I know master, I tried it after the trial however the effect was vastly different. Mine was only some kind of sound attack, while he was more than that.” Replied Vaner

“Force scream a dangerous ability it is. Hmm, yes. Fueling the scream with the dark side and your emotions you need.” Said Yoda, who had come who know when, while looking at Vaner directly in his eyes.

Looking at Master Yoda who was looking at him directly Vaner felt a little uncomfortable but still hold his gaze before replying “I understand Master Yoda this ability is not for us Jedi” while knowing that he wouldn’t stay a Jedi forever.

Hearing Vaner answer Yoda kept looking at him before nodding his head and returning near Plo-Koon and the other. “Master Yoda is right, this ability is dangerous, it fully integrates the dark side of the Force Vaner. The deeper the user falls and is corrupt by the dark side the stronger it becomes” Said Ki-Adi-Mundi

“Don’t worry Master, even if I’m not the best Jedi there are I won’t fall to the dark side” said Vaner while thinking ‘ The dark side is good but the Sith are dumbass, “we are the master of the Force” they say but who is consumed and controlled by the dark side. I will learn the dark side and tame it, I won’t fall to it’.

“Young Shan, your second trial is ready, you can enter the room. All you need to do is reaching the other side” Said the Kel Dor

Hearing him Vaner nods his head and returns to the door before stopping then he asks the Jedi masters behind him. “This is the trial of the Flesh right?”.

“Yes, this the trial of the flesh” answered Master Windu

Nodding his head at the answer Vaner entered the room and like before the door closed just behind him. Vaner found himself in a corridor once again, and before heading forward he removed his Jedi robe.

Vaner knew about the trial of the flesh, it was a trial which had change quite a lot this the beginning of the order and also one who was the most controversial of them all. This trial was the simplest you only need to endure pain, the person being assessed would go trough great physical pain and hardship. Back at the beginning of the order, the test was so dangerous that some died or were dismembered.

With time the trial became safer but the pain was still here and it changes from an instant physical pain to an endurance test to pain. In the last few centuries the trial change once again as the technique used, the burning, became a well-known torture in the galaxy and the Jedi couldn’t have it spread that they test their Padawan with torture technique spread in the universe and since then no information came out about what it had become.

Vaner removed his robe so it wouldn’t be damaged by the test as he didn’t know what he would go through and his robe would protect him anyway.

Vaner started to move forward and after a few steps the corridor lightened and a timer appears in the ceiling as a voice sound in here “You need to reach the other side of the corridor before the end of the timer, if not the trial will be registered as failed”

Hearing the voice Vaner starts to move forward but the timer didn’t move, a few meters away he felt lie passing through a membrane, like entering in water, once Vaner was beyond this membrane he felt the Force weakened until it almost vanished.

“So no Force for the test” said Vaner to himself. In front of him, Vaner could see that the ground was coated with burning coals as the timer n the ceiling had to start the moment he entered the membrane and was going down from the 30:00 it was on.

Looking at his shoes Vaner didn’t really understand this trial but he understood when he put his feet on the burning coals and saw his shoe being reduced to ashes in an instant as flame engulf his feet for an instant before vanishing, but this instant was enough for Vaner to release a muffled groan.

Understanding that his shoes wouldn’t be of use, Vaner removed his other one before sending it on the coals and seeing it being engulfed in flame.

Looking at the ceiling Vaner knew he needed to start soon as he didn’t know how long was the corridor. Vaner took a deep breath before sitting down on the ground before the burning coals to adjust himself before heading forward.

Five minutes later Vaner stood up with an inexpressive face and start heading forward putting his right feet on the ember. When his feet came in contact with the ember only a small frown could be seen on Vaner face as he didn’t even stop and proceed forward.

Vaner around fifty meters from the beginning when he reached a platform where the ground was normal once again. While the burning coals burn his feet Vaner didn’t find this part really hard as by going fast it wasn’t really as painful as he thought.

In front of him, Vaner could see what seem to be the same pathway as before however this time he could see some kind of pipe coming from the walls. Not knowing what would come out Vaner prepared to rush through this while trying to think of something else.

However, when he put his feet on the burning coals he knew this wouldn’t happen as he felt a pressure appear on his whole body making every movement way harder and just to walk forward would take much effort. This increase of gravity not only made his movement harder but It also makes his feet enter deep in the ground made of burning coals.

The frown on Vaner face deepen as start heading forward wary of the pipe in front of him, passing the first one nothing happened however when he reached the second all the pipe opened and boiling steam came out of them at high pressure crashing down on Vaner who instantly closed his eyes not wanting them to be exposed as he made an effort to not let out a cry so no steam would enter his body from the mouth.

Pushing forward Vaner started to feel himself being cooked and while not being able to see he could guess that his skin had long become red and he could feel some blister had started to appear. Not wanting to stay here any longer Vaner head forward trying his best to not care about the pain that had long spread to his whole body.

Reaching the end of this part Vaner step on the safe platform only knowing it thanks to the absence of pressured boiling steam crashing on him as stepping on the ground seemed to hurt as much as stepping on the burning coals now.

Opening his eyes he could see his body fully burned with blister all over and as he was holding the pain he heard a sound which was followed by crashing water coming from above him causing him to fall on the ground crying in pain as blister burst from the impact. Moreover, to make things worse the water was as cold as ice, going from burning hot to freezing cold made his skin cracked in multiple places.

This waterfall was not a one-time thing as the stream of water became constant. Exhaust from the pain he was feeling Vaner lay on the ground not moving to wait to regain back some strength.

A dozen minutes later, Vaner tried to stand up and while the increased gravity had vanished he found it harder than moving on the burning coals from before. After a minute of struggle, Vaner succeeds in standing up and looked at what was in front of him.

He could see a door, and next to it was his robe he had taken off before the start of the trial. Seeing it Vaner knew this was almost the end and all that was left was five meters and these five meters seemed really easy as there were no pipes or burning coals, only the corridor however not seeing anything made it seem even more frightening to Vaner.

With a determined look on his burnt face, Vaner made a step forward then another, soon he had made it halfway and he starts to relax thinking it was the end of it. But when he was exactly halfway the enhanced gravity reappeared weaker than before, but it seemed the same to the exhaust Vaner.

As the pressure reappeared Vaner knew something was coming and he was right from the wall start to appear some antenna was it behind or before him.

Seeing the antenna Vaner look at himself then behind him before letting in a barely audible mutter “Motherf.u.c.ker” and as his mutter died down electricity start to crackle and soon covered the whole five meters between the platform and the exit.

Vaner being the center was being totally electrocuted, this was, even more, facilitate by the water that was all over him. Howling from the pain Vaner collapse on the ground before starting to crawl toward the exit.

If someone was in the room with Vaner to observe him then he would be able to see shreds of skin left behind during his crawl. While there was only a little more than two meters to the exit Vaner felt the distance was never-ending and so he crawled, he crawled hoping the pain would stop.

The pain was never-ending and Vaner had already left the zone where one would be electrocuted but he still crawls not realizing that he had finished as the pain was still there, only stopping when his now bald head hit the door of the room.

Seein the door by raising his head Vaner realized that he had finished the trial but that the pain was still there and never-ending making tear run down his face as he couldn’t take it anymore only making it more painful as his salty tear entered in contact with his burned skin and flesh.

Exhaust Vaner laid on the ground looking at the ceiling seeing the stop at 3:43, realizing that not even thirty minutes had gone by since this had start Vaner let out a hollow laugh as he coughed blood as his lungs had probably been burnt too.

Closing his eyes Vaner waited to recover some strength before going out while thinking ‘So the sith is the mad one, don’t make me laugh this kind of torture is done by a good guy just for a little trial, what kind of madman are the Jedi, f.u.c.k this shit’.

Around thirty minutes later Vaner who had recovered some strength stand up slowly seeing at the time that the room had once again become empty. Grabbing his robe Vaner stop frozen in place however it wasn’t from the pain he was still feeling but from how he hand looked like, it was like before the start of the trial. ‘how?’ thought Vaner before looking at his whole body not seeing any burn mark as if everything that had to happen was nothing but a nightmare.

‘So everything that happens in here is not real, be it what I do to the hologram or what happens to me. Technology shouldn’t be able to such thing, this room should be a hybrid room mixing technology and use of the Force.’ Thought Vaner has he was still feeling the pain of the trial.

Vaner decided to rest for some time sitting on the ground his back against the wall to rest before going out as he had succeeded the trial there was no need to hurry, looking ahead of him he could see only a shoe on his left foot and another one a little farther on the ground causing him let out a small laugh.