"Do you understand the conditions of your martial training fleshling?" A grating, monotone, and robotic voice came from over the intercom. "Or has your squishy mind already forgotten them?"<br/><br/>"You've made yourself clear Quinn. Now begin the lesson."<br/><br/>The room was twenty feet by twenty feet with a ceiling that was fifteen feet high. One droid stood in the foreground while two other droids stood in both corners at the back of the room. Darth Ire was indeed surrounded, and to make everything more interesting his hands were bound behind his back. He took a moment to review the parameters set for him by his training modulator, Quinn; he had to survive the assault of the three assassin droids without the use of his hands, his lightsabers, or the force… and then destroy them.<br/><br/>A countdown began at ten and Ire took the time to stretch his body in the formfitting grey training suit. The suit would measure his vitals and show him where he would need to improve his control of his anger and his anxiety. The timer hit 4 and he made quick assessment of the droids and their armaments. The droid in front of him had a blaster carbine, which Ire immediately viewed as a problem, while the two droids behind him were more melee oriented. The one behind his left shoulder wielded a vibroblade with some sort of wrist mounted weapon he couldn't quite make out. The droid behind and to the right held a shock baton and had an empty hand. As the timer reached zero the beginnings of a plan formulated.<br/><br/>Blaster bolts filled the air where he was standing, the burst of fire flying over him as he dove backwards and rolled to a kneeling position. The next burst of blaster fire was blazing toward him as he used his left leg to launch himself to the right, and right into the reach of the shock baton. There was barely a second in between completing the second dodge and the imminent sound of the electric current coming for his temple. Ire could feel the shock graze his face as he jumped backwards into the wall.<br/><br/>Using the wall to brace himself he risked a moment to assess his situation; the droid with the baton was about to lunge at him again, the droid with the carbine couldn't get a clear shot for the moment, and the vibroblade wielding droid was moving across the room toward him. The electric hum came once more as the droid swung for his stomach. Using the wall to brace himself once more, his left foot shot out and kicked the baton away and then flicked up and into the droids head. With this moment Ire jumped between the two droids, narrowly avoiding the vibroblade, and holding a second for the ranged combatant could get a focus on his position. A pang of anxiety fluttered through him as he hoped this plan worked.<br/><br/>A burst of fire shot toward him and in a flash he ducked, letting the bolts collide with the droid that stood behind him. These droids were programmed to avoid friendly fire, but they could be tricked easily enough. The droid wielding the vibroblade and the unknown wrist launcher crumpled to the ground as the blaster fire destroyed its head. Ire gave himself no satisfaction in the minor victory, he was trying to devise a way to close the gap between him and the ranged droid. His thoughts were cut short as the hum came again.<br/><br/>A quick sidestep avoided the baton once more, but the droid was quick to strike with his open hand. The robotic fist caught him in the side of his lower torso. However, with that strike Ire found himself out of the carbine wielding droid's line of sight again. An idea quickly came to him; keep the shock baton between him and the rifle. Ire clung to his patience as his attention switched for droid to droid. The baton flicked to and fro as he deftly dodged the robotic strikes. After all, he thought to himself, they aren't human. In his moment of arrogance he failed to realize the other droid creep next to him with its rifle raised at him. The metallic footstep was all he heard and Ire looked up to see the carbine inches from his face, and then he was on the floor.<br/><br/>The second droid distracted him from the shock baton, which collided with his ribs. A metallic foot then brought him to the floor. Another burst of blaster bolts flew over his downed body and Ire found himself grateful for the momentary lapse of judgement. The destroyed droid sparked on the ground next to him and Ire managed to notice what the wrist launcher was; a flamethrower. Ire's foot came swiftly down onto the weapon and a gout of flame shot forward and momentarily overwhelmed both droid's visual sensors.<br/><br/>Ire wasted no time in getting to his feet and taking advantage of the situation, doing his best to ignore the dull throb in his bones. His foot shot out with a fury catching the baton wielding droid in the chest and launching him into his carbine wielding counterpart, then jumping forward and kicking the carbine to the other side of the room. As one of his assailants tried to stand, Ire launched a powerful backwards kick into the exposed innards of its neck. A tube of black liquid burst and the left side of the droids body went limp. However, the other droid was on top of him.<br/><br/>The cold fire burst across his back as the electrically charged weapon slammed into him once more. The stunned man fell forward onto his stomach and attempted to regain his breath, but his foe would give him no such curtesy. Cold fingers clamped around his neck and he felt his body being lifted into the air. The sensation of freefalling passed quickly, the wall he impacted with doing much to abruptly end the feeling, as he was thrown across the training room. Ire couldn't help but find it odd as the droid walked over to him. It seemed as if it felt some kind of pride in the situation, but these were simply programmed for training purposes.<br/><br/>He shook himself out of his thoughts and rolled to his feet, his patience growing thin. The droid lunged forward once more bringing the baton to bare. The baton was launched from the droid's hand as Ire's right foot blocked the strike and collided with the shaft of the weapon. He followed with a strong kick to the side, pushing the droid away from him. Using the inertia of the kick, Ire dove toward the shock baton. Both combatants got to their feet at the same time, Ire near the baton and the droid near the carbine. He knew he would only have one shot at this.<br/><br/>Ire kicked the baton into the air as the droid went to grab the rifle, but thankfully the human was faster. He spun and kicked the baton toward the droid with all of his might… And it found its mark. The baton was jammed  into the exposed neck of the training droid, the electric current overwhelmed its circuitry and it fell over fried. A screech filled the room as the half limp droid crawled toward him. Ire approached and brought his foot down on its head crushing the metal beneath his foot. With that it was over and the bindings fell to the floor.<br/><br/>"Well done fleshling. You have proven yourself once again. Should I begin another round?" Quinn's voice filled the silence.<br/><br/>Darth Ire sat with his thoughts for a moment and felt his master's summons come to him in the force. "No Quinn. My master requires me." He turned his back to the room and left, ignoring anything else Quinn had to say. He held a special hatred for the useless training assistant. It had proven to be more of a nuisance than anything, but Lord Zhizz insisted it was helpful. The assumption that his master did this strictly to annoy him had dawned on him a long while ago, but there was nothing he could do. So he just chose to cherish the thought of destroying it one day.<br/><br/>After redressing himself into his more formal attire Darth Ire left to find his master. Lord Zhizz waited by the door to his chambers and simply nodded an acknowledgment. Ire returned the gesture and silently followed him to their destination. They arrived at a small conference room with two men currently waiting within it. The Jedi hunter Tirowe and the storm trooper captain Fink, both of whom his master informed him about. Ire hadn't known why at the time, but he assumed this meeting would shed some light on that matter. Another man, a major, walked in and sat rigidly shortly followed by the captain of the Vengeance and…<br/><br/>Ire had to focus a moment to be sure this wasn't a trick of some sort, but it wasn't. Lord Vader, apprentice to the emperor, stood in the room before them. He took a deep and quiet breath summing up the man, or machine, that demanded his attention. Ire found himself feeling a mixture of fear and pity. Whatever Vader was it surely wasn't living anymore, it was just a shell. Lord Zhizz had to be far more powerful than this broken thing could ever be. The dark lord began speaking, abrubtly choking out the major, and then presented his plans of action for the so called rebel cells. The news that he and his master would have to work under this Tirowe disturbed Ire greatly. A sense of relief faintly touched him when Lord Vader pointedly said they would be working "with him", which was a fact that Darth Ire would not forget.<br/><br/>The meeting ended quickly, Vader's cape billowing behind him as he left, and Tirowe took immediate control. The eye contact, Ire mused, he's challenging my master for power. Tirowe began issuing orders to the imperial soldiers in cold fashion, like a man born to the empire, and then turned to face the sith. Tirowe aimed his questions at Lord Zhizz, asking for a summary of their abilities. What Ire fond more amusing was that Tirowe asked Zhizz for his apprentice's name. Curiosity crept over him, Ire wondered how much they would be able to get away with not telling him the freshly promoted inquisitor. If he had his way, this Jedi hunter would know nothing but his face.<br/><br/>Ire held a blank expression as he stared at the man named Tirowe and simply waited. For what? He wasn't sure, so he just waited.