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Durose Roshan

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Everything posted by Durose Roshan

  1. "Forgive me, Lord Mavanger. My Apprentices needed a demonstration on the importance of broadening one's horizon. I'm afraid only one may have actually learned something from it, however." Roshan thought about making excuses for Aliss but realized that such would only further embarrass the girl. Lady Sirena was asking much from someone with no proper training in the Force. The girl would come around in time. Sirena simply needed to show some patience. "Learn from the Darkness and know yourselves. To wield the Force is one thing. To know it another." Roshan nodded. When she wasn’t spewing nonsense, Lady Sirena had a habit of saying a lot with very few words. It was a gift that Roshan did not possess, nor had he any desire of cultivating. Detail was far too important to him. Plus, what was the point of standing at 6'11 if he wasn't going to use the attention his height naturally drew to him to hold his audience hostage? Still, he had slowly grown to appreciated the contrasting style of Lady Sirena, perhaps even finding it somewhat fitting that someone half his size would have so little to say when passing along her wisdom. "Lord Xahl, this is Lady Sirena. She's a teacher who's taking a brief stint away from Korriban to assist in our efforts. The other two are her apprentices. The Cathar is Roshan, and the young woman's name is Aliss. My own apprentice, there, is Kahla." Roshan and Aliss nodded to the new arrivals with a slight bow of acknowledgement. It was rather irritating to the Cathar that he could not put a face to the names of these new allies because of Lady Sirena’s silly and poorly timed stipulation. He was particularly interested in Darth Mavanger’s apprentice. It was unsurprising that a human of Mavanger’s demeanor would figuratively “beget” another human in the ways of the Force. It was unoriginal but very human of him. It was realistically why humans continued to dominate the ranks of the Sith and Jedi to this day. However, for a Sith Master with such a contradictory set of codes and principles -- from Roshan’ perspective -- the apprentice of such a man was bound to be quite the fascinating enigma. What I wouldn’t give to pick her undoubtedly jumbled brain. "I'll begin now that we're all here...” As they listened to Darth Mavanger speak, Roshan mapped the battle plan in his head. Lady Dominique had taught him to be a student of history and the war of the clones and the fall of the Empire had especially been points of interests during his studies. They were not perhaps as amusing as the destruction of Kamino or the rise of the Chaos gods, but he appreciated the tactical brilliance of the Grandmaster known simply as “The Emperor.” From the sound of it, this war would be much more crude. There was no haranguing of politicians or slyly manipulating greedy power players. They were to show up and intimidate as many worlds as possible into submission. From the size of their forces and Darth Mavanger's leadership style, Roshan believed the task to be possible. However, Lord Roshan knew that he would need some time to study up on the Jedi and their escapades in the years since the Cathar had taken up full-time residence on Ishvara. He had only looked in on galactic events intermittently over the years and it was clear from his earlier discussions with Lady Sirena that he had missed a lot. The one news item that he had stumbled upon, of course, on his way to Korriban was the Holonet report about the near complete destruction of Coruscant. He found it extremely amusing that the New Republic or Rebels or whatever they were calling themselves now had failed to protect the most populous world in the galaxy from a bunch of armor clad Lessers. Perhaps that’s why the Sith had become so bold in recent months. If the Jedi and their allies couldn’t protect the Core Worlds, how could they expect to protect the worlds of the Outer Rim?! Momentarily, Lord Roshan’s thoughts wandered to Durose. The last he knew, that Roshan clone had been assigned to work with the Link on Coruscant. Had he survived? Or had the number of Roshan duplicates dwindled following the latest Battle of Coruscant? Lord Roshan took some glee in the thought that there was one less imposter of him flying around the galaxy. He would one day become the only one to bear this name and face, at least if he had his way. But for now, he clearly had more important matters to attend to. "Questions are now welcome, as well as any critiques or concerns. You are my war council- speak freely here, and with respect, and there shall be no repercussions." Roshan paused at Darth Mavanger’s statement. There was one question that had come to mind early on. It was a silly ask but of historical interest for someone who had been away from the larger galactic scene for so long. Waiting for his moment to interject, Roshan cleared his throat before opening his mouth. “Darth Mavanger, you will have to excuse my lack of knowledge regarding current events. I have been away from the larger galactic scene for some time. When you say “Rebels,” are you simply mocking the New Republic or has the New Republic formed and now finds itself fighting a Rebel faction within its own ranks? And for that matter, is their force we are opposing supported by the Jedi or are they fractured as well? That would explain the tactical ineptitude of some of the latest holonews reports that I had the chance to browse over briefly while in transit to Korriban. But all the same, I just wanted to get a better idea on who exactly we expect to be fighting.” Roshan was content with his question. The Cathar spoke derisively of the self-proclaimed “good guys,” per usual, but he otherwise kept an unusually even tone to his questions. He did not want his questions to come off as silly or for them to make him seem foolish or clueless. Nevertheless, he realized that if they did, then so be it. He was preparing for war. And if he’d learned one thing over the decades, it was that only a fool rushed into battle willing to be blindsided and defeated by his own inaccurate assumptions. Roshan had little interest in making easily avoidable errors in his preparation for the battles and threats to come. From the sound of it, they would not be able to rely simply on overwhelming numbers, which meant making use of every possible advantage mattered. Of course, when more unexpected guests burst into the room and commented on the smell of the humans gathered, the Cathar chuckled to himself. Darth Mavanger had definitely assembled quite the group. Roshan shook his head a little as he silently contemplated the new guest's comments. Snevrian white wine, eh? Never heard of it Does that dull the senses of smell? Perhaps I'll have to try that one. ___ &
  2. "...This allows you to adapt in two forms: First learning to focus your other senses to see without sight, and allows you to see the darkness with you as it reveal itself." The roll of Roshan's eyes was neatly hidden beneath the cloth eye dressings Lady Sirena had handed out just moments ago. Roshan had met the likes of her before; holistic soothsayers trying to sell you their latest Krayt skin oil. Some of their concoctions worked and others were nothing more than cheaply brewed placebos, but for those that actually got real results, the chances were that their shamans actually mixed in something with real medicinal value and just upcharged you for it by a healthy three or four hundred percent. At this point, Lord Roshan felt that he had good reason to expect the same from her "teachings and interpretations" of the Force. Perhaps there was a bit of jealousy brewing in his heart as the woman attempted to lead Aliss astray, but whatever the case, Lord Roshan was not buying into her dogma by any stretch of the imagination. "When I first adapted this method of training, I spent months in darkness..." And clearly enjoyed it so much you decided to remain in darkness. "...That is where I discovered the truth. I could hear everything around me and within me. I could smell everything around me and myself. And I was one with the darkness, becoming a piece of it just as I accepted the darkness within me." If it takes her being blinded to pay more attention to her other senses, she really must have been born with a silver spoon. I... er... my "template" and I myself would have been long dead if we didn't avail ourselves of all of those long ago. I can’t even imagine trying to go on a blood hunt, much less bounty hunting or cache raiding without a thorough use of all my senses. "The Darkness you see behind the blindfold is the very darkness the universe was born from, absent of light...” Who says the universe didn’t begin as pure light and it was the addition of shadow that brought breath, depth, and shape to the light? "...This is the purpose of this exercise. To learn to live in the darkness around you and learn the primordial truth of your existence." So in other words, I overestimated this exercise. It is not to learn a useful skill like Force Sight. It is to explore some primordial pseudo-intellectual religious philosophy masquerading as factual Force truths? Lady Sirena. You truly put me to shame. Selling physical darkness as a metaphysical Force experience? Even I have not tried to sell that quality of Krayt skin oil. Aliss, meanwhile, listened closely to Lady Sirena’s words. The Sith wasn’t wrong. The darkness did help Aliss focus and tap into her other senses. The drone of the ship and the beeps of the consoles -- which normally were drowned out into the background static-- played around her like the room's very own soundtrack of sorts. She also picked out more of the verbal cues and tonal shifts in the Sith Master’s voice as she spoke. The girl could even hear the clapping of feet against the ground as multiple figures approached. Each figure swayed with their own unique stride, telling a little about themselves as they drew near. "Lady Sirena, I would introduce you to Lord Xahl. A veteran sorcerer whom I've fought beside in a previous conflict. His knowledge of the Force should prove invaluable, both in training and in battle." Aliss listened for Sirena’s posture to shift and address their new guests before she raised one side of her blindfold and curiously peeked at their new arrival. It was another man. Oh boy. He seems largely unremarkable. He is a veteran, though, which means he survived at least his last conflict. I guess that’s probably a good thing. As the Sith lord rose from his bow, Aliss quickly dropped her blindfold and stood back at attention. She wasn’t sure if anyone had caught her but it wouldn't surprise her if Darth Maverick had. Of course, she wasn't too worried about him. She already knew he was a jerk anyways. At least now she’d know if he was a tattletale, too. Clearing his throat a little, Lord Roshan bowed slightly in the direction of the new arrivals. Despite him cooking up rebuttals to Lady Sirena's guidance in his head, the Cathar was not going to openly engage Lady Sirena on whether or not literal darkness was a quite illustrious metaphysical example of the crippling effects of ignorance or how the term “darkside” was the real lie. After all, there is no darkness for those who understand the true depths of the Force. Only enlightenment waiting to be found. The Jedi do not have a monopoly on light because they want to quantify the Force with imaginary moral boundaries and dogmatic, high sounding color palettes. The Real world is no more black and white than the Force is light and dark. As Roshan’s mind began to wander off onto creating his next existential “counter-sermon,” the fact that there was a third figure approaching brought him back to the present. The footsteps were light, disbursing themselves across a smaller area than the previous two figures. Smaller feet most likely. In fact, the pattern and sound fit that of a female. Roshan guessed her weight was somewhere around 120 to 160 lbs in total. And there was definitely a familiar aura about her that only grew stronger the closer she got. Roshan was confident that she was a Force user as well. And last but not least came an all too familiar odor. She was definitely a human. Her arrival now brought the total of Force users in the room up to four, not counting himself and Aliss. Interesting. I knew Darth Mavanger wouldn’t let us down. It would seem he has gathered us quite the collection of “talent.” Roshan grinned contently as the others spoke. He was less concerned with what they were actually saying and more focused on seeing them and this room through the Force. He was content to “play blind” for Lady Sirena’s amusement but he refused to "play the fool." Of course, if he was being honest, Roshan had to admit that Lady Sirena’s exercise had challenged him to tap into something that he hadn’t used since before the attack on his commune. Force Sight was a useful talent when exploring Sith caches, perhaps even essential as many of the boobytraps left behind were designed to snare the Lessers that might believe their ordinary sight and ambitious greed was enough to deem them worthy of looting a Sith tomb. But ever since donning this armor, Roshan had strayed away from using many powers that had previously come to him as if second nature. It was an unsettling and uneasy feeling to struggle at doing things that he once had taken for granted. He felt like an invalid relearning to walk again. While he’d never openly admit it, it was a humbling experience and perhaps that’s why he hated it and avoided it as much as he could. Needless to say, he now had little else in the way of options. Reaching out through the Force, he struggled to distinguish the other organic and inorganic objects in the room. He could make out faint auras of colors around the other Sith but the colors blurred in ways that made them hard to read. He was clearly much more than "out of practice" at this point. No, he was back at the beginning. Roshan clenched his teeth in frustration. At least he could make out the basic figures enough to know their relative positions in the room. But even with his keen sense of smell, he could have probably guessed about as much. The fact that such Sight was no longer combat functional meant that he had a lot of work and practice ahead of him. To that end, he begrudgingly gave Lady Sirena a small amount of credit. Whether he loved or hated her methods or theology, Roshan had to admit that Lady Sirena’s silly tests and her pushing and prodding was forcing him to flex his Force muscles again, in spite of the embarrassment he felt about the current state of his Force powers. Perhaps there is a method to her madness, after all. Probably not. But perhaps. ___ &
  3. Aliss stared at the woman in confusion. After a pause of a few second, she finally spoke up. "But that doesn't make any--" "Just put on the blindfold already, girl! The longer this takes, the longer this exercise is going to drag out." Scrunching her face and sticking her tongue out at the blindfolded lion-like alien, Aliss finally complied. It wasn't necessarily that she was scared of wearing the blindfold. She just felt that Lady Sirena was making no sense. I don't even remember what my sin is! Being mad, right? How am I supposed to trust being mad by wearing a blindfold? By realizing this is stupid and taking it off!? With the blindfold firmly secure, it now hid most of Rose's indignation. The truth was, not every one of the Roshan's "Knights" were the same. Some children needed more rules than other. Other children needed more space than rest. Ultimately, each child had their own set of strengths and weaknesses. This girl's strengths, however, were reinforced by a certain level of structure and direction. She always hated it when adults acted mysterious to make themselves seem and feel smarter. Aliss was someone who preferred straightforward and clear directions, explanations, and goals. Instead, Lady Sirena had giving her yet another vague task that could end up with her floating around in one of Darth Mavanger's petri tubes again. Folding her arms, the girl stood there in a brief silence, careful not to presume or guess at what her master had planned for them to next. "... Okay. So... now what?" Roshan also nodded, "Indeed. Are we to follow you somewhere or are we waiting on someone?" ___ &
  4. Roshan acted casually as they interrupted Lady Sirena and the finishing touches of her buttoning her blouse. He almost felt that she had purposely waited for someone to arrive before she did it, whether that someone turned out to be Roshan, Darth Mavanger, or someone else. She enjoyed feeling sexy and playing the part of the tease. Of course, Roshan was still hung up on her height. He had a dislike for short alien creatures as it was. And the fact that she almost looked like a well-endowed human child or midget did her sex appeal little favors in his opinion. But more than all of that, he had grown a rather healthy distain for standard humans over his years on Ishvara. This was quite the departure from his original "programming." The "Durose Roshan line" generally had an unhealthy obsession with the furless, circular-pupiled bipeds. He had once even inevitably shared such deviancy. He may have even been awed by her notable human beauty if they had met a decade or two earlier. But many long years among the feudal, ignorant, and dirty humans of Ishvara had largely cured him of such absurd proclivities. By the time Lord Roshan had left Ishvara and set course for Korriban, the Cathar longed for the day when he'd meet a lovely traveler or even a remotely sexual being that didn't hurt his nasal sensibilities with the unsettling and unmistakable scent of "human." But perhaps it was just as well that he likely would not meet such a diversion any time soon. He didn't have time for such distractions right now. But to be sure, being stuck in a side of the galaxy so overpopulated by humans for so very long had made him miss the scents and smells of home more than ever. For a race of being where scents and pheromones played an important role in greetings, the marking of territory, and even telling the difference between one's family, relatives, and clan, such an acute sense of smell made scents, in and of themselves, an unspoken language of their own among the Cathar. Unfortunately, this "language" often meant that spending time in the close proximity to humans was akin to standing in the middle of a crowd of foul mouth protestors hurling profanities at him. Even when spending time with seemingly "clean" humans, that rarely took the "human" out of them. There were simply some scents and pheromones that they couldn't smell but also help but give off. While he might have once found those to be exotic, unusual, or fascinating, his time spent among the Ishvarans had cured him of such delusions. To be fair, though, Lady Sirena's scent wasn't quite as appalling as a standard Ishvaran. Neither was Aliss. They both had a unique scent that was a notable variation of the standard human stench. Neither was quite the same. It was always hard to explain such a sensitivity to oblivious humanoids that lacked the same sensory sensitivities as a Cathar. But he had learned over time that their sense of taste was fairly adequate. In fact, humans could occasionally "taste" a strong smell according to Aliss' mother, Rose. With that in mind, Roshan once explained it to Rose, "In human terms, if a standard human's scent was like the flavor of oxidized iron being blown in your face, your scent is more the flavor of you biting down on a spicy Ishvaran jalleeno pepper while only half as much rust powder is being blown in your face." Of course, he hadn't quite nailed down the difference in Lady Sirena's scent "flavor." She was the first Hapan that he could remember ever meeting. He was rather sure he'd have remembered if he had ran into another race of flirty midget humans. But her scent, illustratively reminded him of a heady bergamot flavor mixed with hints of blueberry juice. The iron oxide was still there, but only maybe half as strong as that of a standard human. Granted, Roshan was rather positive that Lady Sirena attempted to mask her humanoid odor by other means as well as, so he couldn't be sure whether what he was detecting was the smell of a Hapan or a Hapan's pheromones mixed with some sort of elaborate designer fragrance designed to enhance her natural allure. Whatever the truth may have been, now finding himself on ship full of mostly mundane humans, Lord Roshan was quite happy to have brought his mask (and the installed filtration system within). Lady Sirena's "exercise", of course, would complicate thing. "To understand the darkness, one must know it. From now until our next lesson, I want you two to know the world around you in utter darkness. Wear these blindfolds until I say otherwise, and use your other senses to get around, even if we encounter combat before then." Removing his mask, Roshan held his breath for a brief second before inhaling the pungent odor of the bacta around him. It wasn't that the scent of bacta was particularly loathsome or unbearable. But when you had been through enough scrape and near death experiences as Lord Roshan -- or at least the progenitor of the bulk of his memories had -- the smell of bacta had come to be associated with a very negative and unpleasant set of memories. More often than not, it was the smell that accompanied significant pain and/or catastrophic failure. When given the opportunity, Lord Roshan much preferred to heal naturally. After all, the Cathar races already healed far more efficiently than the delicate humans that populated this universe. If a Cathar was in needed a bacta bath, the chance that they were nearly dead was extremely high. "Learn to accept the insight of complete darkness, and you will understand it for the better." Frowning at the cloth Lady Sirena had offered, Roshan took it with a sigh. There was a decent chance that with his better than human ability to see in darkened conditions, if the cloth wasn't too thick he might still be able to see hints of objects or the movement of light and motion as it crossed the blindfold. To be sure, he understood that the design of this exercise was probably something much different. Seeing through the Force was a valuable tool. As might be expect, though, it was not the only way to get around the impairment of losing one's eyesight. What Lady Sirena's actual goal with this exercise was, Roshan remained uncertain. But for the time being, he took a deep breath --that he immediately regretted-- before tying the blindfold around his eyes and standing at attention for the next portion of this "game" Sirena wanted them to play. Meanwhile, Aliss went about looking for a towel to wipe herself off with. Grabbing one, she next proceeded to see if she could figure out which locker or bin might contain her normal clothes. "Just give me a second..." Once she finally found them -- freshly cleaned and folded at that -- she turned her back to Lady Sirena and the blindfolded Roshan, holding them up with a smile. "Found um! Don't look." "Don't worry. I definitely won't," Roshan replied as he rolled his eyes underneath his blindfold. "Hurry up, girl! The Sith master and I are waiting on you." Aliss proceed to rip off the diaper and bandages that had been currently restraining her sopping form. After that, the girl quickly grabbed the towel and rubbed the gunk off her nude body before jumping into her undergarments and throwing on her shirt and pants. Using the towel to wipe off the bacta still in her hair and ears, Aliss slowly walked back towards Lady Sirena. "Okay. Like... let's say I put on this blindfold. How do I know that you or Darth Maverick or whatever don't try to turn me into a jar experiment trophy again?" From behind his blindfold, Lord Roshan growled, "Aliss! I thought we were done with that nonsense." Aliss looked back and Roshan as she took the blindfold but stopped short of putting it on. She looked back at Lady Sirena skeptically. "What? That's a reasonable question! I almost died earlier!" She grumbled back at Roshan before glaring at Lady Sirena, "You could be trying to kidnap me again or something. What's the point of not being able to see? If this was some meditation exercise, we could simply close our eyes. I just want to know what we are actually doing this time so I don't end up in the tank of failed apprentice experimentation again." Roshan sighed, a little embarrassed by the girl's insistent and stubborn ignorance. Although he had to admit that the fact that she hadn't take his previous explanation as gospel was a bit new. Perhaps she was simply looking for an opportunity to act out. Over the years, Lord Roshan had found that human teenagers were known to become increasingly problematic and irrational at her age, most likely because of the unfortunately problematic and inferior nature of their hormonal make-up. Humans. ___ &
  5. ROSHAN: Roshan bit his lip as the woman spoke her final words in that godsforsaken realm. Her sin was Hatred, or as she might call it "Wrath." Her wrath tested his patience, even now. She was a useful and necessary vessel for their further training. But in her own arrogance, she had turned to her own false worship of the gods of “Progression, Evolution, and Advancement” in the place of the Sith grandmasters that had paved the way for her to put on such elaborately vain displays of her power. The irony was not lost on him that they had found themselves on a Dejarik board. Dejarik, after all, was little more than the Jedi’s attempt at burlesque trolling of the far more sophisticated war game Dejarik was derived from. In similar fashion, Roshan felt that she had mocked his religion only to replace it with another form of self-idolatry. It took all his inner strength not to challenge the woman. Nevertheless, he feared that her own beliefs would continue to make her unstable and weaker than she truly was, weak enough that even he could have slain her and taken her mantle not that long ago. Of course, weakness itself was not a sin that Roshan had never seen or experienced before. He had made a much similar mistake in the past, but for much different reasons. No, Lady Sirena seemed content to think that she was acting of her own volition when in reality it was the hands of the Darkside and Chaos that moved her around like a piece on a board. Moebius, Dejarik, Chess. They were all little more than inferior variations of the same age-old strategy game. It was not unlike the real life game that the Jedi and Sith opposed each other in. Two sides, one light and one dark, both seeking victory but only one attaining it at any given point in time. With the fall of the old gods, that game was over. It did not matter who was left. Of that she was correct. But she had blinded herself with so much hate for her assigned role that she now refused to understand the truth about the game that they were all still active participants in. Like the Old Republic and the Empire and the New Republic and the Chaos gods after them, the demesne may have changed. New Imperators may have been chosen by each side. But that eternal war in the stars -- the intergalactic game of chess played out by the wills of the Force -- that game never truly ended. As soon as one game finished, the board was reset and the game simply started over again anew. What Roshan believed Lady Sirena saw as a fool's errand and vain idolatry, the Cathar saw as the most important piece of the puzzle. She was right. Their life was all that they had. And they knew the penalty that came with death. So why willingly make oneself an oblivious pawn? Why limit your own success by refusing to acknowledge the differences in value and importance between a horse and a queen or the Beast and the Knight? Why limit yourself by failing to revere, study, and learn from the grandmasters of the Darkside and the strategies and tactics they used in previous iterations of the Game? If the old gods had failed to protect their Imperator, then they deserved their fate. But one does not become a grandmaster simply through their own intuition, “evolution,” and a strong dose of luck. Advancement, evolution, and progress were all the end results of knowledge, study, and hard work. To expect results without studying and respecting the genius of the past grandmasters was irresponsible at best. Likewise, not learning from their mistakes was a sure recipe for repeating those errors in judgement and ending up removed from the demesne of the Force with little more than a whimper and a forgotten legacy. No. Like learning to use the Force and mastering the Game required intense study. Even rightly deserved veneration of the grandmasters was in order for those who sought to master the Game’s intricate strategies, movements, and nuisances. Not all pieces were created equal, after all. And while Lady Sirena may have been content with the freedom but limited movement that her philosophy gave her, Roshan had little interest in being the Knight on Imperator Exodus' game board. There were so many more interesting pieces. The Beast, the Dowager, the Counselor, or even the Vizier. All limited in their own ways but all superior in advancement when compared to the Sirena’s philosophy. Or at least, that was Lord Roshan’s opinion on the matter. There was a reason why he had called his students the “Knights of Roshan.” Just like the Knights of the Game, they were given only enough training to move two steps at a time, but were still deadly in any direction he sent them. Combined with their training, prowess, and effectiveness, a short leash was most desirable for the fulfilling of their designed purpose. But for a Sith Master, Roshan considered such a role as the least of all the major pieces. Roshan, of course, had no delusions of grandeur when it came to mastery of this game. He had studied the old grandmasters of Chaos and revered their accomplishments but it would seem that even they had fallen to a new Champion of the Darkside. However, he worried about the future of this particular Imperator. Thus far, Roshan would argue that all he had seen were Knight. A board full of one type of piece would surely not overcome a skilled opponent that could bring all the varied special abilities of all his varied game pieces to bear! The Counselor, the Dowager, the Craft, the Vizier, the Counselor, the Beast! Where were they? Or had they already been removed in his absence and replaced by more Knights pretending they were other pieces? Roshan shuddered to think that he might be the Outcast on this demesne. The Outcast was such an enigma. It was often considered the most expendable of pieces, normally only able to move one space forward at any given time. Its only saving grace being that it could leap up to three spaces in any direction as long as there was an adjacent piece for it to make its leap over. This allowed the Outcast to occasionally move across the board with surprising speed, especially under the control of a well-studied and clever player. Greatlier, if the Outcast ended its move in a spot with an enemy’s piece, the Outcast could take that piece, removing both pieces and replacing itself with the same type as the piece as the one it took. No longer the Outcast, if it could survive long enough, it could take on a more permanent role as something else. That’s why some players called it the Shapeshifter. The problem, of course, was that few players knew how to properly navigate the Outcast across the board without losing the piece in the process, especially since the Outcast posed a greater threat to its opponent the longer it remained in play. In Roshan’s limited experience, far too often the Outcast was perhaps the most targeted and/or expendable of the 9 pieces. More importantly, “expendable” was not a role Lord Roshan had any interest in partaking in. Not now. Not ever. Shuddering awake, the Cathar found himself longing to play the Game in physical form. His board had been one of the things taken from him when his commune was ransacked but he still kept a digital copy of it among his things. Now that Aliss was to join the ranks of the Blessed, perhaps it was time that he taught her the Game as well. As Lord Roshan glanced at the medical equipment surrounding him, he felt Lady Sirena’s call, signaling to him that she was close by. He would grin and bear this situation for now. He was in no position to train the girl in his current state. Sure, Lady Sirena seemed determined to undo his teachings and his narrative. Perhaps she saw her former master in the Cathar and that intensified her need to prove him wrong and knock him down from his “pedestal.” He was sure this would not be the last time that their philosophies butted heads. Ultimately, what could a Sith Master hope to learn from an old Cathar? So for the time being, he’d allow her to feel like she was in control. He’d still watch Siren closely, of course, less her seductive ideologies infect someone as impressionable as young Aliss. But for the time being he would relent in any efforts to convert her to his way of thinking. At the end of the day, Roshan realized that he might have to approach things from a different angle when dealing with Lady Sirena. If she could not be persuaded or converted by conventional means, perhaps he would teach her the Game and she’d manage to take away something of value from that exercise. Maybe it could be a way in which they could someday bond and she could come to the same realizations that he had long ago. It had been a long while since he had taught the Game to anyone else and he was confident Lady Sirena would make a worthy opponent. But at this point, only time would tell. Removing the monitoring devices from around him, Roshan slowly rolled out of the bed. His wounds had healed nicely and most of the equipment around him was probably there simply to make sure that he didn’t fall into a coma or suffer any further brain swelling or damage for his head injury. Personally, the large Cathar felt fine. Perhaps even a little refreshed after his nice long “cat nap.” How long had he been out? Of that Roshan was actually uncertain. But he decided that his next logical course of action would be to track down and check in on Lady Sirena. As the Cathar found his personal items and began re-dressing, a goo-soaked Aliss stumbled into the room. The look on the wild child’s face was one of disheveled confusion if Roshan were to attempt to describe it into words. Roshan, however, casually continued with what he was doing, paying the girl little mind. They had work to do but he wasn’t going anywhere without his gear. *** *** *** ALISS: When Aliss answered Sirena’s call from within the darkness of her mind, she had unexpectedly found herself hurled into the midst of her two teachers. But what she expected to be a long, drawn-out philosophical debate quickly descended into an even greater form of anarchy. Her lord spoke cryptically to her while agreeing with Lady Sirena. In fact, he even apologized openly. Aliss was bewildered. Is this another vision? How can this feel so surreal... yet their presence... I can feel it... as real as if we were all standing in the hangar bay right now. But this is different. So different! What is this?! Roshan spoke of sheltering and withholding and demesnes. Sirena spoke of curses and evolution and false gods. Aliss was quick to accept whatever it was that they were offering if it gave her the powers necessary to save her mother. She would figure out the rest later. In time, she was sure she’d fully understand what she had gotten herself into. For now, there wasn’t time to overanalyze the bazare scene that had taken place in whatever magical dream world this checkered floor of marble had been plucked out of. In fact, she barely had enough time to process everything that she was seeing and hearing before being shocked back to reality. Rushed back to full consciousness, the girl awoke to find herself trapped inside a vat of strange almost goo-like liquid. It reminded her of the vats that they had seen inside the lab of the last Sith’s lair she and Roshan had visited before leaving Ishvara behind. With no desire to become Darth Mavanger’s new science experiment, Aliss ripped and tugged at the apparatus around her face. It was only once she had torn it off her head that she realized her folly. Bacta began to fill her throat as she tried to scream, unaccustomed to the sensation of this terrifying new experience. Large bodies of water where she grew up were scarce and Roshan seemed to make it a habit of avoiding them. There was the occasional commune fisherman or hunter that might venture to one and see what offerings the gods might provide them, but such pools of water were often deemed more dangerous than they were worth thanks to foul beasts that they regularly attracted. Of course, whatever her or Roshan’s reasoning may have been for him and his Knights staying away from such places, the inescapable truth was that Aliss never learned how to swim. Flailing her arms rapidly, she could see light coming from above her. If she could just flap her arms upwards and lift off like a bird, Aliss was sure she could escape this infernal trap. But even as she saw a medical droid begin to scurry across the room to a nearby console, terror of a much more ominous realization hung in the girl’s mind. What if this is how all those creatures in those jars died?! Drown lab rats to be displayed as trophies for generations of other Sith to examine and gock at! Is this because I failed the test?! As a metal arm began to descend into the water, Aliss could feel the asphyxiation setting in. Her foolhardy attempt to scream for help had only hastened her condition and she had never been trained on how to hold her breath underwater either. As panic turned to desperation, the girl swatted at the metal apparatus, instead bracing her hands against the tube’s clear walls. As she pressed against them, her mind raced back to Lady Sirena’s words and the feeling she had felt in that hangar bay. You have that connection, just as I do, just as Roshan and Mavanger. And no artifact or holocron will make you stronger. Only you can do that... My job is to teach you the path to walk, to show you the power within you and your connection to the Force. But only you can find your limits. The feeling of drowning sent a surge of adrenaline through her body as she reached out and felt the Force within the liquid and the walls around her. With all the pain and rage and fear she could muster, the girl screamed and released it, pushing against the tube of goo with her own physical hands and those of the mysterious Force Lady Sirena had claimed she was connected to. A few seconds later, Aliss found herself coughing and gasping for air as she laid atop broken glass and the goey liquid that she had sent pouring into the bacta tank room. As the medical droid approached her check on Aliss, the girl slipped and slid across the floor as she tried to scramble to her feet. “Stay back! I’m warning you! Back!” she yelled at it. When the droid stopped in its tracks, Aliss darted out of the room. She was in a small section of some sort of laboratory, likely where Darth Mavanger and Lady Sirena sent failed experiments and defeated specimens. Where am I? Is this some sort of experimentation room? Or maybe this is where the Sith actually get their powers? The girl’s wet feet pattered against the medbay floor as she tried to pick up a good pace without slipping and falling on her butt. She was sure there had to be an exit nearby. As she felt the panic begin to creap back over her again, Aliss stopped for a moment and leaned against a nearby wall to catch her breath. She thought back to all the recent conversations Lord Roshan and Lady Sirena had had. If Lord Roshan had withheld the truth about a gift like this from her, what else might he have been withholding? She trusted him, almost implicitly so, because that was all she had known and been taught. But what if Lady Sirena was right? What if Sirena had the real truth? What if she had the answers to all the girl’s prayers? What if the gods were a lie? Roshan is a lie? My whole existence is a lie?! The thought chilled her to her very core but she had to press on. Resuming her search, the soused girl soon stumbled into the room where her Cathar lord was halfway through equipping his Sith armor. *** *** *** BOTH: “Lord Roshan,” the girl began as she caught her breath. “Where are we! Where is Lady Sirena! Why didn’t you come for me! I almost died just now!” A little confused, the Cathar turned to the girl to realize that she was sopping wet with little more than a soggy diaper and bandages across her chest for clothing. Puzzled, Roshan shook his head before taking on a rather acrimonious tone. “Where in the galaxy are your clothes, girl?! You look like a soaking, gooey mess!” Aliss repeated herself, “I said I almost died just now. I barely escaped!” “From where, girl! We are in the ship’s medical facility!” the Cathar snorted back, having little patience for her games. “Enough with this melodramatic silliness.” Aliss paused and then frowned, “How am I supposed to know that! The ship we flew to Korriban had nothing like this! And that still doesn’t give them an excuse for making me into one of their science experiments!” Roshan stood up, shaking his head as he strapped on the last few pieces of his armor, “Judging by the looks of you, I highly doubt anyone was experimenting on you, girl. If anything, they were saving your life. You reek of bacta!” “I don’t even know what that is!” Aliss retorted indignantly. Roshan sighed. Having raised her on a backwater world in a confined community such as they had, it was easy to forget just how much Aliss did not know about the world she was stepping into. Roshan had lived a life or at least had memories of a life as an active and well-traveled member of the bustling intergalactic infrastructure that most of the Core worlds were built on. The commune, on the other hand, had limited technology and medicine and only certain levels of interaction with the outside world. Truth be told, while she often just went along with most things and tried to present like she wasn’t in a constant state of wonderment, the girl might as well have been a medieval peasant hurled centuries into the future. “You know the juice from the Yullitus leaves...” “Yeah.” “The ones your mother uses for making ointments." “I said, ‘Yeah.’” “It’s similar to that. Only far more powerful and you must soak in it to allow your body to absorb it and heal itself.” “O-kay... but that still doesn’t--” Straightening out his cape, the Cathar interrupted the girl before she could finish her thought. “Enough! If you wish to read more about it, I’m sure I can find you a datapad with the ship specs and all that silliness. Right now, we need to head to the Recovery Room and find Lady Sirena.” “Where’s that?” Aliss asked as Roshan moved past her. “Where you were supposed to go when you exited your bacta tank.” “O...kay,” the girl replied as she scampered after Roshan, leaving a long trail of dripping bacta in her wake. Looking back only momentarily to shake his head at the soggy diapered messmaker, the Cathar headed for where he had sensed Lady Sirena’s call, this time being sure to place his mask over his face for added protection. He had grown rather leery about entrusting his health and safety to the likes of these two after the events that had transpired so far over the course of this trip. He was aptly reminded of the age-old proverb, “Better safe than sorry.” ____ &
  6. "...What IS important is the Legacy, the mark you leave imprinted upon the Galaxy, once you're gone." Roshan perked up at her words. Perhaps her stunt had finally knocked some sense into the woman. "Tu umero zeuo lizxi ro ue'l inex m'a zeiqixunou, tkuroke. Luquxou'k m'a juo," He whispered to Aliss. "Do you see the truth? Do you understand the dark reality of those you call the Blessed?" With a smile, Roshan nodded and motioned for Aliss to stand, "For once, we are in complete agreement. She speaks the truth, little one. Even if she despises him, she is her master's legacy. The giant and those who followed them are the legacy of the Chaos gods. And so the cycle continues. But to accept this blessing comes with a curse..." Roshan paused. "A curse that I have tried to shelter you from for quite some time. But I can hide you from it no longer. If you are to accept your gifts and ascend under the tutelage of Lady Sirena, then you must accept that this is the ultimate price you must pay to live as a demigod among men. This is the price you must accept to save your mother and aid me in my quest. The price we, the Blessed, must pay to play on this side of the demesne of the Force." Aliss looked to Roshan and then to Lady Sirena as she stood. She was still disorientated from all that she saw, unsure if this was another vision or something to be taken at face value. But the words of those two sent shivers down her spine all the same. Turning away from Roshan, Aliss stepped towards Lady Sirena. "I am not scared! I meant what I said! I am willing to pay your price in exchange for your powers. Tell me what to do and how to do it and I will do it, Lady Sirena. I felt it... for a moment..., " Aliss replied with a momentary second or two of hesitation before returning to her confident, almost defiant manner. "I will not fail you again." From behind her, Roshan's hand pressed against the top of her shoulder, signaling the girl to kneel. Aliss complied without hesitation and dipped her head ever so slightly. Roshan smirked widely as he slowly kneeled behind the girl and whispered into her ear, "Toe unu'k poqu lauiko'q, mipquku'k ouku'k. Toe unu'k poqu lauiko'q." "We are at your service, Lady Sirena." ___ &
  7. Even as he floated in the bacta tank, Roshan could hear her call. The voice was undeniable, piercing the serene silence of unconscious musings. "Roshan...." The Cathar answered her call, only to be hurled into a deep and unnatural darkness. He felt an almost supernatural chill, as air rushed by him and the darkness fled away, revealing an alternating pattern of black and white spaces. The ground seemed to be of some sort of solid marble-esque composition but the entire environment felt neither completely like a dream nor firmly based in reality. This wasn't quite death or at least he hoped it was not, but the sight of Lady Sirena coming into view did not fill him with confidence about their current state. Almost as if she fell from the sky itself, Aliss joined the group, landing and roll across the marble floor. When she came to a stop, the girl looked around frantically like a cornered wild animal. Lord Roshan motioned for the girl to hold her position as he address the figure of the woman up ahead of them. "As if trying to kill yourself wasn't enough, why have you summoned us here, Lady Sirena? Are we dead? Or do you yet live? If it is any consolation, I tried my best to call for help after the stunt you pulled. But whether I had any success... well..." ___ &
  8. Roshan was rather content with himself and his speech. He was confident he could rekindle Lady Sirena's faith. It is now only a matter of-- "No. I did not witness it, but it's stories touched my ears. Especially of Nurgle, who along with his Alcazarin's, shed his power and form to become Darth Dominus in attempt to overthrow Lady Dominique and take the title of Dark Lord. And in doing so, lost himself to Hell." The Cathar frowned. The name of his former master peeked his interest. Lady Dominique? What did she have to do with all of that? What have I missed in all these years hidden away on Ishvara? Is whatever happened why Lady Sirena hates the old gods so? "I can see this is getting us nowhere, this philosophical debate pointless. You are blind child, and now I must show you the truth. Heed my words pupil, for they are the only truth you need to concern yourself with. Let them shed your past and light your future, for the ways of old are dead, and we make our reality what we will." Roshan stepped back as Lady Sirena began her display. He was not entirely sure what she was doing or what exactly he was seeing. But as the Force swirled around her, the feeling was as impressive as it was chilling. "True power resides in us all, whether we believe ourselves to be chosen. Remember the Code of our forefathers." As Lady Sirena struck herself she continued, "Peace is a lie, There is only Passion..." Roshan placed his mask back over his face, confused and somewhat alarmed by what he was seeing. Was she preparing to attack all of them? Or perhaps kill him? Or summon a Chaos god? He was completely at a loss. "Through Passion, I gain Strength..." With yet another self inflicted blow, Roshan moved to take a step towards the Sith to stop her. Whatever point she was trying to make, she had nothing to prove to him. She had made her point. But instead of moving, the Cathar felt his legs falter. Even in his weakened state, the swirl of the Force that stirred around her was blaringly intense, amplifying the mental footprint of her words as she spoke them. Her interpretation of the code was reasonable, albeit Roshan found this whole display to be more than a bit unexpectedly dramatic. He wanted to speak up but he doubted she'd even hear him now. Whatever this ritual was, she looked determined to see it through to the end. "Through Strength, I gain Power..." With yet another self-inflicted blow, Lady Sirena continued to speak, admonishing the large Cathar in the fundamental essence of the Force and the mantra of the Sith. Roshan actually agreed with her take about the Lessers. It was why his time on Carida had bothered him so and also why he had chosen to risk standing up to and antagonize Darth Mavanger when it came to his mistreatment of his slave. Roshan had a soft spot for the Lessers. He knew that they could never and would never be Force Sensitive like the Blessed. But there was value in raising up the others around you, especially those "beneath you." Of course, this may have made his handling of Aliss seem contradictory. But her situation wasn't nearly so simple. Roshan’s misleading of the girl was partly to protect her from the weight of this burden he knew she would eventually have to carry and to at least temporarily hide her from those who might wish to exploit her strength in the Force. He wanted her to develop the techniques and skills necessary for her to succeed as a Lesser before immersing her in a world of immeasurable power and easy shortcuts. Teaching her the truth and showing the child her place in the Force was a conversation that he and her mother often had. Truth be told, Roshan had vowed to never take on another Ishvaran after the original betrayal of his student-turned-nemesis. But from the ashes of that defeat, the defiant Cathar had moved on and met Aliss’ mother and began building his community anew. He even thought that he had traveled far enough away to be well beyond the reach of "the man-who-shall-not-be-named." He had foolishly convinced himself that he would finally have some peace. But such hopes and lies of peace are inherently as false and misleading as they are fleeting. The nemesis eventually found Roshan and their rivalry was renewed in full. The Cathar thought he was prepared this time and yet again, he lost nearly everything. Only the girl remains. Maybe if I had trained the girl sooner instead of hiding her gifts away... “Horde it, and others will take it, leaving you defenseless." Perhaps... But there was much more to the whole story than simply that. There was no pretty bow to be tied on it. Deep down, Roshan knew that he refused to train the girl, not only out of fear of her not being ready, but also out of fear of him not being ready to fail as a master for a second time. For as wise as the Cathar attempted to appear and for as many temples and tombs and holocrons as he had raided on the years, he was no more worthy of being called a true master than the day he first set foot on Ishvara. He could doubtfully live up to Lady Dominique or Darth Helios, much less Lady Sirena. In his heart of hearts, he knew that that was the real reason why he had willfully accepted this hexed armor and the hex attached it. It was why he wore it as a badge of courage and defiance to hide his fear and inadequacies. It gave him the excuse he needed to pass the buck to someone else. And that was why he sought a teacher for Solus and Aliss instead of attempting to train them himself. Fear. "Through Victory, my Chains are Broken." Yet I have no victories. Only repeated defeats. And so my chains remain... "The Force shall free me." Roshan stood there in shock as the woman punched herself yet again before stumbling backwards across the hanger bay and motioning for him to stay back. He looked over to Aliss. She seemed to be safely tucked out of the way for the moment, albeit still bleeding a little and in need of medical attention. Sirena had already called for help so it was likely on the way. But Roshan feared that look in Sirena’s eyes. What are you doing?! "Now watch the hoarding of the Old Ways for what they are." The magnificent Force of energy that came crashing down on the woman rattled the bulkheads and sent tools, containers, and weapons flying in all directions. The Cathar stumbled awkwardly onto his butt as a cargo container was hurled over his head and into the wall behind him. He watched on in shock and horror as the Sith screamed in agony from the immense force that she had brought down on herself in that instant. ... .. . Then the cargo bay abruptly fell into a stunned silence. For a fleeting second, Roshan debated whether he should let his new master die and take credit for the kill, taking her mantle in the process. To be a full fledged Sith Lord under this new regime would have its perks and it was doubtful that anyone would seek revenge against him for besting his master in such a spectacular manner. Had the old gods driven her mad and convinced her to kill her ownself for her defiance of them? Even Roshan didn’t believe them to be that powerful. His mind raced, combing over the words that she had said, trying to make sense of her actions. Had he struck a cord so deep that he had, in essence, talked her to death? Or was this some sort of test to see where his loyalties lied? Was saving the life of such a defiant unbeliever akin to betraying his own teachings and beliefs? As he looked at her small body lying there on the floor, the scene was eerily reminiscent of the statue he had found Dominique’s body in during Sirena’s vision quest. The situation was different but there was something about the feeling of it all that haunted him deeply and sent shivers down his spine. Roshan wobbled to his feet and headed towards the hanger bay comm system. He attempted his best to use it to comm Darth Mavanger or the medbay or whoever might have been alerted to all the commotion in the cargo bay. Speaking to whoever was on the other side, Roshan panted, “Hello. Emergency! Emergency! We have two people down. Head trauma and stitches needed for one, multiple broken bones and major trauma care for the other! We are going to need a trauma cart and access to a bacta tank a-sap!” Not even waiting for a reply, Roshan moved around the cargo bay to where he’d expect to find a first aid kit on a vessel like this. It was a common sense practice to have one, especially in a hangar bay where travelers came in and out. This would always be the first stop for any wounded, after all, upon their return to the vessel. Finding a suitable enough kit, he hurried over, applying some bacta patches before finding the goo that Lady Sirena had used earlier and applying what was left of that as liberally as possible to her injuries. There was nothing, however, that he could do about her broken bones but the defeated warrior was careful not to move her until proper help arrived. As he knelt beside her, he tried to conjure the words to say but for one of the few times in his life, Lord Roshan was speechless. He felt his chains weighing down heavily upon him. Even in succeeding in doing what she had asked of him, his victory had somehow turned into failure in a matter of minutes. And what was worse, he had potentially lost of the only person here qualified to train Aliss. First his new community. Then his Knights. Then Solus. And now Sirena, too? Was Aliss next? If Lady Sirena's goal was for him to feel defeated, she had tamed the beast. She won. Aliss could not get her training without Sirena. And the Cathar knew had no hope of reconnecting and recapturing any of his former glory without her. If this was her way of silencing him and reminding him that he needed her, her message had been as deafening as her elaborate display. Still exhausted from his concussion and the events of the past few minutes, Lord Roshan slumped down beside her. He had spent so much time fighting with himself, his enemies, and everything and everyone else around him that in all this time he had never had a chance to truly rest. But as he glanced at the small humanoid narrowly clung to life beside him, Roshan found a serenity to her repose. Perhaps that was her true lesson for him. After so much pain, after hoarding all the sorrow and loss that the old ways had brought to the galaxy, perhaps it was time that they rest. “Yes...Perhaps peace isn’t so terribly a lie,” the Cathar thought as he collapsed on the ground her abreast of her and drifted off into the tranquility of the silent dark. ___
  9. "...You live in a bygone Era. This is the Age of Anarchy, where the strong survive by becoming strong, no matter the hand that was dealt them, and is welcomed. Whether you are born a Noble, or are birthed in the gutter, your strength is determined by your will. So forget the past. It is dead like the False Gods you worshipped." The Cathar cackled underneath his mask, his voice sounding slightly deeper and more menacing. "You confuse godship with physical immortality. I never said they were physically immortal, nor does that matter. And even if what you said is true, they served their purpose so that new gods and demigods could rise. The one who matters still lives, even I could feel that much before I was cut off from the Force..." "I was born of Noble Birth, you know? A Hapian Princess. Electrum spoon in my mouth and everything. My Father was an Imperial Embassador, my Mother a Hapian Princess. And because of my Impurities, was frowned upon by Hapian Society. So when I became of age, I left, and became an Imperial Soldier under the White Wolf, Dark Lord Montar." "The Lessers have many titles they use to distinguish themselves from their fellow Lessers. But if what they feared were your 'impurities' that is because they truly made you better. Unsurprising really. I'm sure there's more to your story?" "There was constant infighting followed by periods of stagnation, all while the Galactic Alliance and Imperial Remnant fought amongst themselves. And then we were leaderless, left behind by the very Lord's we fought to serve. At least until the Spider, the Dark King, Lord Exodus appeared. It was during this time that I discovered my talent to harness the Force. My Master was much like you. Believed in Chaos, Ranks, and being Egotistical. I was belittled on a constant basis for being impure in Hapian Lineage. But he never suspected how strong he would make me, how weak he was himself, and when Exodus ascended with promises of Unification, I showed him." Roshan grinned widely. He pause and removed his mask. He winced a little. The pressure against his wound felt good once he had gotten used to it but removing it definitely now stung. But this was important. He wanted to stare the little princess in her eyes, unabated by the artificial or technological. "Heed my warning Cathar, or not. The choice is clearly yours. But your beliefs are stagnant and ancient. Let go of them or become dust along side of them." Waving off her hand, Roshan stood up proudly. There was joy in his heart. She may have been wayward. But her story gave him hope for the future of the Sith and maybe even Aliss' future. "If only dust could be our fate, princess. But perhaps you misunderstood your master's beliefs and goals. And perhaps you misunderstood the goals of the Chaos gods themselves. Was not Exodus their chosen? Has he not united the Sith into the greatest force the galaxy will possibly ever see? Has your teacher's sacrifices and beliefs and teachings and belittlings not made you prove your strength and made you a demigod worthy of standing by Exodus's side as a Sith Master?" The Cathar glanced at the fallen Aliss for a moment before his eyes slowly scrolled back across the room to the "little princess" standing in front of him, "That you stand here alive, as a Sith Master means that your master succeeded at his most important duty. Only a fool of a demigod ignores death. I've heard legends of Korriban. So I can't speak of the truth of it. But on Ishvara, I raided many hidden Sith caches and temples. And when I was really really lucky, I would chance upon a Sith holocron or location that would unleash the spirit of a long deceased Sith Lord. It was always an interesting experience. Not one to be toyed with either, less they figure out how to or know how to trick you into undergoing the essence transfer necessary to possess your body and extinguish your soul." "But I digress," Roshan said as he shook his head, having let his mind wander. "My point is this. Someday, most of us who are demigods will return to the Force and the Mist-Beyond. I'm unsure if you are familiar with Corellian 'folklore' or that of many other ancient civilizations, most as old as space travel itself. What I might refer to as Chaos, some might call the Void and your people might refer to it by yet another name, but it is all the same place. It is where the weaker demigods among us will one day make our home. With our great powers and the accepting and use of them, my dear Sirena, comes a fate worse than death for the weak. A place of suffering and darkness for those not strong enough to cheat death. A place so horrible that the strongest among us would choose to remain trapped among the living and driven mad in isolation rather than dooming ourselves to such an eternal prison." Roshan hesitated, try to think of the right words before speaking again, "Whether you want to believe in your fate, we see the proof of the 'great beyond' by the very spirits of the Sith that remain after their bodies have long perished. Have the Chaos gods all died as you claim? Or have they simply transferred their essence to a different host? How do you know that the great Giant that you swore allegiance to is not the latest embodiment of Nurgle himself?" Roshan chuckled, "You can shun the knowledge and teachings that helped make your master the man he needed to be to make you the demigod you needed to be. You can ignore the truth about Chaos and still join it when you die, all the same. You can think that the Chaos gods are actually dead, and ignore the ones that have risen in their place or serve them in what you think is your own way without realizing that they reign over you and your will as a god-like master..." "But it takes a strong mind," Roshan sighed, "To acknowledge the realities of the fate we have accepted by being reborn into the ways of the Darkside. And it takes an even stronger will to defy and fight and claw to cheat that feeble promise of an afterlife until our last breath. The feeble and frightened and even the misled hide behind platitudes and ignorance and sweet sounding tales that they can just die some day and be like everyone else. That they can return to the Force and rest like a Lesser. Perhaps you have to understand Chaos to understand what makes them gods. But if you ask me, if you managed to escape Chaos for even a moment in time and then also managed to take a new form or possess a new body... even if it appears that you have failed in your ultimate goals... you've proven your status as a god for all those who understand the feat of your accomplishments. We can only hope to cheat death in such a spectacular fashion. And that is what makes us superior to any and every Lesser. No Lesser can cheat death. No Lesser can defy death. No Lesser can gain the ability to use the Force and bend it to their will. Only those who are 'Force Sensitive,' as the Jedi and Lesser scholars so clumsily call it. Only the Blessed." "Perhaps even..." Roshan finished as he grinned deviously at Sirena. "Perhaps I was brought to you to return the true Slaanesh or her rightful successor to the fold of Chaos's Defiers. Tell me, Lady Sirena. Did you see Nurgle and Slaanesh die with your own eyes?" ___
  10. Durose broke into hearty laughter at her words, even though it hurt to do so. He felt like he was being tested. But the way she spoke, she had enough conviction in her voice to convince him she believed her words. "My dear Sirena. I'd have taken you for a follower of Slaanesh, if I was being honest. You remind me of such. How the Sith have fallen. We hide our past and our path now?" Rolling over to face her as she approached, Roshan stared her in the eyes. They looked sincere, for what that might have been worth. A good Sith was trained in lies and deceptions. But these "children" seemed to have sincerely lost their way. Had he been truly gone from the galaxy that long? Had the new Dark Lord hidden these truths from his people and their students? Perhaps there was a method and a reason for such madness. "If I was to have hit you, you wouldn't be awake right now. I'm just curious as to why you have robbed this child of such an important truth, a truth that would set her soul free to understand her power and how to control it." Raising an eyebrow, Roshan winced as he worked his way back onto his feet, "Clearly, I wasn't the only master to do that. It would seem that your master withheld a great many things from you as well. It is occasionally the duty of a leader to provide his followers with only enough information to be the blunt weapons he needs them to be. Is it sad? Is it unfortunate?" Durose paused. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes for a fading second before he snorted indignantly. His demeanor shifted to a calm but all-consuming anger. A contradiction perhaps, but Roshan carried both conflicting mental states well. "Perhaps," he continued before meeting Sirena's eyes. "We lie to those we need to when we need to. I made the mistake of training an Ishvaran once. Those primitive people are unworthy of such. And I paid dearly for it. Not I personally, but many that were valuable to me. Many that I could not protect. Because we are Blessed. It is not a debate. No more than a fool can expect a chicken to perform the feats of a hawk. We may share the remotest similarities. We may need to practice to learn how to fly. But they can and will NEVER soar like us or see the world from on high like us." Roshan clenched his jaw before shaking his head and sighing, "My Knights were blunt tools, designed to protect my people and be extensions of my will. If I had not made the mistake of giving too much truth and empowering the gifted but unworthy, I would not be here, waiting patiently for the day I return to end him once and for all. You see, my dear Sirena... whether you believe in Chaos gods or no gods or Force gifts or random biological happenstance, there is one important lesson that all good teachers must eventually learn. Not every bird with wings can or deserves to learn how to soar. Pulling out his mask, Roshan placed it back on his face as he finished speaking, "Clipping the wings of a hawk is far less regrettable than teaching a vulture to fly." ___
  11. To be honest, Durose didn't remember much from the last few minutes. He remembered meeting their new Sith overlord and heading to their quarters and then following Sirena to the hanger bay. He vaguely remembered being given a task and reaching out through the Force. But how he ended up on his back or with this splitting headache was beyond him. Everything was still so foggy. Feeling his head, he looked at his hand to see blood on it. The one time I actually take off my mask... While Roshan attempted to sit upright, he could hear a tiny humanoid yapping at him. She looked rather funny. It wasn't that he was purely amused by the fact that sitting upright, he was finally short enough to meet her on her eye level. It was more that he was seeing multiples of her wobbling back and forth as she stared at him, all giving him the same nasty look. Of course, current vision issues aside, Lord Roshan was pretty positive he had nothing to do with this situation so he was unsure what her problem was. "Why did you lie to the girl? She is just like us, nothing more, nothing less. So why does she think she is a Lesser and that we are God's? Is your ego that attentive? Did you want her to fail?" Roshan sighed, rolling his eyes and carefully leaning back. He allowed his back and head to return softly to the floor, resting against the cold, durasteel deck. It felt a little better resting there anyway, outside of the wetness which he was sure was a byproduct of his new "battle wound." "I highly doubt she said as much. She knows we are only demigods. As for her thinking she is a Lesser... well... it all happened so fast. There was never any time to sit down and discuss things properly with the girl. That is, admittedly, a minor oversight on my part. I knew I was overlooking something. I was preoccupied with Soulless. She was never supposed to be anything more than competition to motivate it to become the weapon it was truly capable of. But... here we are." Feeling his head a little bit again before wincing, Roshan raised his voice a little even though it hurt his head to do so, "Is that what this is about? You sucker punched me while I was doing what you asked because I didn't tell the girl she was a demigod, too?" "Women," Roshan grumbled under his breath. ___
  12. Flung across the room, the girl rattled against a nearby bulkhead before crashing to the ground. She momentarily gasped for air thanks to an awkward fall that knocked the wind out of her in the process. It felt like she had been thrown from a speeding skiff. She could taste the blood dribbling down her chin. Her tongue wiggled around in her mouth, locating the inner portion of her lip that she had managed to bite. She spit and saw red. The taste of blood reenergized the girl. And looking up to see that Lady Sirena was bleeding only excited her more. Her attack had succeeded. She had made the demigod bleed. "There are no God's, child. There are no blessings, nor lessers or betters." She was a liar. Or perhaps a heretic. Even the Sith believed in gods. Roshan had spoken of them. Aliss believed in them. And she knew that there were definitely Lessers. The history and the very nature of her homeworld, Ishvara, was the product of the delineation between and domination of the Blessed over the Lessers. She had seen the Sith caches and hidden temples with her very eyes. Lord Roshan had not sheltered his Knights from the harsh, unfair, and unforgiving reality of the real world. "...We are all born of the Force, a bond that flows through everything, and while some cannot feel it, we are all born with an ability to touch it in some form or fashion." Was that how her teacher lied to her? Did that help her feel better about the Lessers? Was that why she offered that pitiful slave her own vessel to escape, naïve to the reality that "a Lesser cannot escape the reality of what they are, even if they run from where they are"? If there are no gods and no blessings and no Lessers or Betters and we are all born of "the Force," then why can't we ALL feel it the SAME. Fool. She speaks blasphemy. Struggling to her feet, the girl's anger suddenly abated completely. Instead, she felt pity for this Sith master. Sirena had been lied to, taught to deny even her own divinity, esteeming as ordinary the blessings and power she had received at birth. It was the luxury of the demigods to believe that there was actually some sort of equality between them and the Lessers. For a Lesser, you knew no such world. Only fear and fervent prayers that Nurgle or some other might look down upon you and bless you enough to allow you to stand alongside the Blessed. "But many are the unanswered prayers of the weak." Aliss could hear Sirena's distain but also the conviction in the woman's voice as she continued, "You have that connection, just as I do, just as Roshan and Mavanger. And no artifact or holocron will make you stronger. Only you can do that." Oddly enough, for as many lies as the woman had been led to believe and repeat, Aliss believed this statement of hers. The girl had now struck not one, but two demigods! Once might have been luck, but twice surely must have been a blessing. Had the holy crom that she had stolen earlier blessed her, after all? Had the gods seen her tenacity and rewarded her?! Perhaps all she was lacking was enough faith. "...This is what I am trying to teach you, to find your connection to the Force and wield it." A smirk crept across the girl's face as Sirena finished speaking. The blood in her mouth and Sirena's and that of Roshan's that adorned the deck must have been a sign! The sacrifice spilled for a shared trinity. No Lesser could have drawn blood against two demigods, much less ones with the titles of Lord and Lady! Perhaps the gods had, indeed, heard her request and blessed her holy quest to have Helios' head! Had she finally ascended without even realizing it?! There was only one way to find out. Turning her eyes away from Sirena, she focused on the pipe that Roshan had thrown moments earlier. She had seen how Lady Sirena had done it. Roshan always did the same. An outstretched arm. A focused glare. She would have been mocked endlessly by the other children to even have attempted such a thing on Ishvara. But they were all dead so she was the only one laughing now. Reaching out in the Force, she felt for the pipe, trying to feel the life energy around it in much the same way as she might attempt to tapped into her own potential, only transposed across a far greater distance. Lady Sirena may have been mislead by her teachers but her powers and blessings were undeniable. Perhaps Roshan had been lead to her by the gods to return Sirena to the fold. It didn't matter, though. Sirena was either wrong about the girl's newly Blessed state or she was right. Was it possible for a Lesser to ascend? Aliss felt her faith wavering but she pushed through the doubt. And then she felt it. It was almost akin to what she imagined a phantom limb might feel like. While she saw nothing there, she could feel the sensations of the pipe. Unsure of her own strength, Aliss impatiently yanked at the item to pull it towards her. Their competition wasn't done. Lady Sirena hadn't surrendered. If she could arm herself again, Aliss could make another attack and prove herself once and for all... Of course, her plan didn't quite go as she intended. Aliss pulled, but far too hard. The pipe shot at her like it had been fired out of a cannon. Futilely attempting to grab the projectile as it came whizzing at her, her heart leapt for joy in that split second. There was a serene calm and thankfulness that fell over the girl. The euphoria was hard to describe in words. All her life, her mother had told her she was special. All her life, she had wished and hoped and prayed to be a Blessed one, even though she knew it was impossible. But as the pipe rocketed towards her head, she realized that she had finally crossed that impossible threshold. She had truly done it. Lady Sirena was right. She was Blessed now. She was a demigod! Mom... I did it! As the pipe ricocheted off the girl's head and her body collapsed to the floor, Roshan stirred ever so slightly. His head felt like someone had hit him with a sledgehammer. He squinted hard at the blinding overhead lights of the cargo bay, deciding to instead keep his eyes closed for the time being. Mumbling a little, he groaned, "What happened? Where am I? Is anybody there?" Feeling his head, he could tell that one side was wet. Great. ___ &
  13. "Insolent child!" Aliss instantly felt the powerful grip of Sirena around her throat. The girl could feel the blood within her own body boiling. She had been given no directions, still fulfilled the objective, and now she was being punished?! Gripping at her neck with her free hand, Aliss furiously hurled the pipe towards Lady Sirena. In the midst of her choking, the girl's aim was wildly inaccurate and the throw was weak at best. She would have cursed the witch if she wasn't so focused on the terrifying sensation of being strangled that she was currently experiencing. Aliss stumbled several feet backwards, hoping that she could get out of range of her supernatural stranglehold. It was no good. She could feel the grip growing even tighter. She clawed at her neck, trying to scream out in rage. She could feel the veins in her head popping out, partly because of her anger and partly because of her loss of air. "That is the will I am trying to teach you, the will your father grasped so easily before you struck him!" Once Sirena finally released her hold, the girl's knees buckled and Aliss was left gagging for breath. After a few seconds, the girl's breathing returned to normal. By the time she caught her breath and looked up, Sirena was standing by Roshan. "Try it again, but this time, without the use of your hands and on me. Attack me child. Let your emotions will it." She was so mad about being punished for no reason, Aliss yelled back at the Sith, spitting as she spoke, "I can't do what you can, genius!" She gestured towards Roshan angrily as she wiped some spit from the side of her face. She was so mad she could cry. "I'm not a demigod like him or you! I do not have the blessings of the gods. Not even after stealing the Sith artifact! I thought it would make me feel different... She paused and looked down with hints of sadness and frustration in her voice, "But I am still just the same me. I am still a Lesser. All I have is my training, my speed, and my skill at combat." Lady Sirena might have said something in response to the girl's comments but she was no longer listening. Instead, Aliss was raging inside. The Force? Was that what this lady called it? Is that what this lady meant?! Aliss was familiar with the superior energy that fueled the Blessed of the gods. As Roshan once put it to the Knights, "some are blessed to be gods among men and upon their shoulders falls leadership and through this superior life force or energy, they can perform amazing feats. Through the ways of the Echani some can focus such life energy better than others but the Lessers can never truly acquire the gifts of the gods. And that's okay. I don't expect you to. You don't need that to be elite Knights of Roshan." At an early age, Aliss had been placed among the advanced students of Roshan's Knights. She had never quite understood what Roshan had seen in her. Some of the other Knights resented her for it, though, to be sure. They always claimed she was simply receiving special treatment because of the close relationship Roshan had with her mother. It made sense. She was no stranger to seeing favoritism play out among the inhabitants of the commune and her mother and Roshan were, indeed, close friends. But Rose had taught her never to waste her opportunities so Aliss never allowed their powers to stop her from pushing on. Of course, favoritism wasn't as glamourous as everyone made it out to be. Roshan seemed intent on always scolding her but continually praising the other boys. She was never controlled enough or fast enough or calm enough. Her technique was either too sloppy or she made more mistakes than her older peers. Of course, it wasn't from lack of trying. And the longer she spared with the others, the closer to came to besting them. This wasn't the first time she had been scolded from not feeling the "life energy" around her and allowing it to flow through or "mesh" with her inner spirit. But Roshan's lectures usually involved some foot positioning she messed up or an opening she left vulnerable or an attack opportunity that she had failed to capitalize on. It wasn't that she hadn't felt the energy or matched a demigod in his ability to use space magic! Her ability to harness her inner life energy was the one thing he actually praised on rare occasions. She was easily the fastest of all the advanced students, even Roshan's star pupil, Nomi. It was always her technique or attention to detail that had failed her. Now looking up at the woman in this moment, the girl's head felt heavy. Instead of saying more or rising to attack the woman, she dropped her head in anger. She was so mad she was starting to feel its toll in the form of overwhelming physical exhaustion. This woman knew nothing. She expected the impossible. Aliss had mustered every ounce of "life force energy" she could to beat Roshan's pull and make her strike first. She had tried to tap into every congeries of the emotions she could, just as the lady had asked. And what's more, she had even succeeded! She had beat Roshan! He hadn't pulled the object to himself before she had reached him! Sirena had to have seen that! That was surely what he was attempting to do. That was the object of this exercise, was it not! To use the pipes and win their sparing match!!! How have I failed!? Because I lack the powers of a demigod?! Because I can't choke her from across the room?! Because I didn't beat you both down before you could react?! Now Lady Sirena was just stroking her own ego. Aliss knew she couldn't take her. If she wasn't going to play fair, all her mustering of all the life energy and speed in the world wasn't going to defeat a demigod. The holy crom had given her no new powers. The vision had not made her blessed by the gods. Lady Sirena had not taught her how to unlock the secrets of her ancient Sith artifacts. Aliss had nothing to attack her with. No means of winning. To attempt to fight now would be... And then it hit her. In the flurry of seconds that it took for her mind to process the last minute or so of activity, a light suddenly flickered on in her head. Channeling all the angst she could muster, Aliss would show this arrogant idiot what she could do, even if she was simply an advanced Lesser. Using her hands to push off of the ground, Aliss bounced to her feet, shooting forward like a track star shooting off of their block. Her pace quickened, her feet rapidly moving. At the same time, Aliss ignited her lightsaber and hurled it at the woman, lunging at her a split second after she released the saber from her hands. Her sidearm throw arc'd it slightly, hopefully buying her leap a little time. She doubted that she could beat the throw but she could definitely try. She honestly didn't know if her strategy would work at all. If Lady Sirena was anything like Roshan, she knew that the "Blessed" could stop objects in mid-air. But her intention wasn't to actually hit the Sith with the lightsaber. She'd surely stop that. Plus, killing the woman would significantly drop her chances of future training. No, her intention was to distract Lady Sirena for just that split second. She'd play by the rules. She wouldn't use her hands this time. But could Lady Sirena stop the lightsaber and Aliss' knee from plowing her in the face if they both arrived at the same time? Lady Sirena had asked for her to attack, after all. If this was a training exercise to see what she was capable of and one downed foe was not enough, Aliss would prove herself worthy or at least go down fighting. She was tired of bearing all the insults. "I am not weak and I am not a child!" She roared as the girl and the thrown lightsaber came rapidly sailing through the air at Lady Sirena. ___
  14. ROSHAN: Roshan and Aliss listened in silence as Lady Sirena spoke. Then came the pipes and Roshan raised an eyebrow. Before Roshan could question her as far as her intent, Lady Sirena spoke. "Pride and Wrath are powerful in their own rights. But fate has lead to a combination between the two of you, one of both Sins to stand beside the other. Before you two are ordinary pipes, simple and ordinary. I want you two to hone in on these and let your sins open you to the Force that flows through these objects. And if you fail, remember, no one is perfect and some are just plain weak." Aliss looked to the pipe and then to Lady Sirena and then to Roshan. The Cathar remained silent. His arms were folded but one hand was subtly outstretched towards the pipe. His demeanor was calm and stoic. Inside, anger and frustration raged. This was as easy a manipulation of the Force as one could ask for. It was perhaps even a little bit insulting, albeit probably not intentionally so. She did not know of his training or his former master or his past in general. But ever since he had donned this Sith armor and intentionally accepted the Sith hex that his nemesis had placed on it, his connection to the Force had been more elusive than a well-connected crime lord skipping out on bail. He could best describe it as the Force equivalent to trying to regain your senses after a flash bang grenade had just gone off. Only, his "Force senses" weren't coming back naturally. He was having to work for every ounce of Force power he could muster. In fact, since his desperate outburst inside the Sith lab where they had found Solus, this was the first time Roshan had actively attempted to tap into the Force on any truly meaningful level. The atrophy of his "Force muscles" left Roshan feeling exposed. If pride truly was his "sin," then humiliation was now his punishment. He refused to show it, of course, mentally fighting through the chaos of his mind like a soldier suppressing his flight response as the bombs go off around him and the blaster bolts whizz by, instead focused firmly on lining up and taking the next shot. At first, the object began to rattle against the ground as if a large freighter was coming in for a landing a few feet away. That was a good sign. Roshan could finally feel what he had been looking for. Focusing in on it, he channeled his frustration into the object, his eyes growing wide and his arm rapidly reaching out towards the metal pipe before stiffening. The sensation was eerie for lack of a better word. Roshan felt like a bodybuilder who had awoken from months in a coma only to discovered that he could barely walk, much less lift the lightest of weights. It was clear to Roshan that he would have to practically relearn everything before he'd have the level of control and subtly that he once had. Thankfully, though, this test wasn't about subtly and the pipe wasn't of substantial size either. With a forceful swing of his outstretched arm and a grimace, Roshan rapidly flung the steel pipe into the adjacent wall to a loud bang, followed by a series of clatters against the floor. Roshan allowed a momentary grin before a cold piece of durasteel whacked him upside the head and sent the dazed Cathar falling backwards, off of the cargo container where he had been sitting. His impact was the floor nearly knocked the wind out of his lungs as something heavy landed on his chest. *** *** *** ALISS: The girl looked to the pipe and then to Lady Sirena and then to Roshan. Everyone was silent. The girl stared at the pipe again and then at Roshan. She noticed his hand subtly pointed towards the pipe. I want you two to hone in on these and let your sins open you to the force that flows through these objects. Aliss was all but certain that Lady Sirena must mean for this to be a sparing contest. There were two rod-like pipes just sitting there, after all! Lord Roshan was probably taunting her, attempting to make it look like she had a chance. As soon as she came at him, of course, he'd pull the pipe to himself and make her look slow and unimpressive. Or at least, that's what he thought would happen! When the pipe started vibrating on the ground, she was sure of it. It wasn't the first she had seen him pull a sparring object to himself during a demonstration. He was clearly waiting for her to make her move. But he was a fool if he thought she was still as slow as she once was. They had been through a lot since their last sparing exercises several months ago. Your Sin is that of Anger and Wrath. This will be the easiest passion to draw upon in your time of need. It will define your life and your path as a Sith. The girl had no idea what Lady Sirena meant. So she just let all her frustration and anger out, imagining that Roshan was that blue-eye Darth Arrogant and she was about to exact her revenge on that snob. Springing from her seat, Aliss leaped through the air and shifted her heels sideways, allowing the friction to slow her momentum as she slid up to the one pipe that was not shaking. Then, in almost one fluid motion, Aliss swiped the pipe from off of the ground and launched her attack at Lord Roshan with all her anger and might and force she could muster. She was determined to beat the pipe that Roshan was inevitably pulling to himself the moment he saw her grab the other. She'd show Lady Sirena and Lord Roshan force! Her boots stomped against the metal floor of the cargo bay only three times before she vaulted herself into the air. She was surely a crazy sight to see as the girl came screaming across the room, both literally and figurately, with her pipe cocked and ready. Everything happened so fast but it almost felt like the world was moving in slow motion for a split second or two. She could see Roshan's eyes and his expression. It was almost as if he was so focused on his pipe that he didn't even see her coming. As he shifted his arm to the side, Aliss was almost certain he was going to attempt to knock her away but he was too early -- far too early -- and had opened himself up for her "kill shot." Roshan would now be introduced to the "force that flows through these object" and she'd be the winner of today's exercise. No stupid Darth would be calling her "just plain weak" anymore! WHACK! The pipe was a bit unwieldy for someone of her size and physical strength but Aliss was, nevertheless, impressed by the amount of momentum she was able to put into her swing. The Cathar's fur might have cushioned it ever so slightly, but the way his eyes seemed to roll back in his head, she felt confident that he wasn't going to be bouncing right back up after a hit like that. This was good because she had lost a hold of the pipe during the impact and she'd certainly need to recover it before she'd be declared the victor. Riding Roshan to the ground, Aliss cushioned her fall with his chest before rolling off and quickly regathering her pipe. Then outstretching it towards Roshan's neck, the girl giddily looked back at Lady Sirena. She couldn't believe she had beaten Roshan's pull! She'd never-ever-ever beaten Roshan before. Ever. Maybe there was something to this anger and magic vision gel and "holy croms" collecting after all! "I win! I win!" She exclaimed, almost ready to jump into the air if she hasn't needed to keep the pipe at Roshan's throat to prove her supremacy. Of course, in her excitement the girl didn't notice the Cathar's unconscious state, the blood on the side of her pipe, or the blood rolling down the side of his head from where she had blasted him. She was too busy taking in the accomplishment of her harnessing of her force like Lady Sirena had asked them to. ___ &
  15. Following Sirena out of the room, Roshan remained rather silent on the way to their quarters. After they detoured to the hanger bay, Aliss was quite intrigued. She wasn't sure what Sirena was up to but she was eager to continue with her training. She had still not forgotten Master Helios, even if Roshan was right about her whole experience simply being the illusion of a trickster. Once the group had found a quiet location, Sirena motioned for them to sit. Aliss complied without hesitation, while Lord Roshan removed his mask before taking his seat. "How do you really feel about Lord Mavanger? Tell me everything. Do not hold back. Let your true thoughts be voiced without consequence." Aliss looked to Roshan, only to receive a raised eyebrow from the Cathar. She cleared her throat and turned back to Lady Sirena. "I think he likes to sound important. He's kind of rude, actually. He even gave me the meanest look for no reason! And opened by trying to insult me for no reason, too! He's lucky Lord Roshan held me back! I was just waiting for him to try something!" Aliss paused and looked over to Roshan, "Why didn't we put that arrogant windbag in his place?! On Ishvara you'd never let a human mouth off to us like that!" The Cathar raised his eyebrow even higher, "I don't know about that, Aliss. But perhaps that was my mistake. A Cathar can only have so many enemies before one more is too many." Aliss scrunched her face a little at the comment before looking to Sirena and rolling her eyes, "He's in one of those moods. Can I go back to my quarters? All he's going to do is ramble on and on and on and on. And maybe half of it will make any sense... if we are lucky!" Roshan broke into a bout of hearty laughter at the girl's unexpected whining, "Well, perhaps, child, you should learn to listen better." Hunching her shoulders forward, any excitement left on the girl's face disappeared. It was clear that she had surrendered to the inevitable lecture, conjecture, or ramblings that were to come. Lady Sirena had asked for him not to hold back so technically what was to come was all her fault. It was best not to fight it and just let him get it over with. "The truth is," Roshan began in a rather monotone and matter of fact way. "I like Darth Ravanger and am thrilled to be working with him. My hostile interaction with him was never with the intent to fight him. It was with the intent to manipulate him and reveal his character. My experiences on Carida make me very leery of those who treat slaves as toys or worthless property and disrespect them for the fun of it. He established himself early on as someone who thought very highly of himself and his own ability to form opinions of others out of thin air without making any actual effort to get to know us. It was amusing, to be sure." Roshan crossed his legs a little before continuing, "Of course, with such behavioral patterns set, is he to be just another Draken? Or worse yet, were we to follow a Lady Traya into battle? I refused to follow the likes of either of them to certain death. So it became immediately vital for me to know what type of man he was before we left. Not down the road or at the point in which it was too late and we were already as good as dead." "So I had to know, what is he made of?" Roshan continued as he uncrossed his legs. "I baited him to show his power. When it comes to killing an adversary, it is helpful to know what their go-to Force power is when they are under stress or pressed. It is also helpful to know what powers they have access to in general. If he was as arrogant as and as bent on showing off the vanity of his power over others as some Sith, the setting we were in had him in the prefect position to strike. He was surrounded by friends and surely felt himself superior to me. It's doubtful you would have stopped him unless he intended on killing me. Instead, the Sith Lord could have flexed his powers against someone he could 'easily' defeat and have felt a sense of fulfillment many weak-minded Sith revel in." Roshan's wandering eyes stopped for a moment and fixed firmly on Lady Sirena with a hint of excitement and satisfaction in them, "Instead, he showed himself to be a capable leader. He's not quite as capable as the giant, perhaps. He has a level of pride and possessive vanity that could lead us into situations where are margins of victory are dangerously slim because he overestimates his own prowess and expertise. Nevertheless, he does not seem to be so narcissistic that he would attack a potential ally to boost his own ego when threatened or to the point where he is unwilling to listen to those that disagree or even lash out against him. He's calm and level-headed enough to not be goaded or manipulated into a course of action easily, another trait that will serve us well if he's leading armies in battle." "So you like him, even though he's a jerk," Aliss irritatedly replied with almost a hint of anger mixed with jealousy in her voice, momentarily interrupting Roshan's train of thought. Roshan shrugged, "Like him? We don't agree on everything. He is young and brash in certain ways. Unnecessarily stubborn for his age. That can be used against him. But ultimately, I find him extremely prideful but not arrogant. A rare trait among Sith that will serve him well if we are to have success on this campaign without getting ourselves killed in the process. I was satisfied with our interaction so I stood down. Unless his actions change my assessment of his person and leadership over time, I am more than happy to follow him into battle and play the role of active observer for the time being." Aliss pressed her palms against her cheeks while her elbows rested against her thighs. She signed a little as Roshan finished. "What does that even mean?" "What does what mean, child? I was rather elaborately clear." "He's a jerk, Lady Sirena," Aliss sighed again, clearly fed up with the accolades being placed on this stranger who knew nothing and dared to call her weak and timid. "He thinks he's big and bad cuz he has a fancy title. And maybe he collected enough holy croms to get strong in the Force magic or whatever. But I bet without any Force powers, he's the one who would look weak and timid if he faced me!" Aliss let slip a giddy grin as she imagined punching Darth Mavanger right between where his stupid nose and his ugly, Ortolan-colored eyes met. She'd watch the blood gush from his nostrils as the tears reflexively streamed out of his eyes and in that moment of disorientation, she'd knee him as hard as she could in the balls just for good measure. He wouldn't be nearly so smug and condescending then. ___ &
  16. Roshan rose to his feet, eyeing the room around him before turning back to Mordecai. There were a few more present in the room than he had initially realized but that was yet another positive sign of proper leadership. Although his face was hidden beneath his mask, the Cathar grinned. He was very satisfied with Mordecai's performance, perhaps even impressed. Standing at attention, he nodded. “You will have to excuse my excessive aggressiveness, Darth Mavanger. Or not, if that is your pleasure. It is a most crude way to get to know the superior, who will soon control all our fates, in such a quick burst. But yes. While I might not agree with how you interpreted all my inferences, we can agree that I was, indeed, out of line. But you! You carried yourself with a level of class and authority that is to be respected. I’ve seen the misgivings and misdeeds of arrogant Sith that are small-minded and petty. I’ve seen how they treat or mistreat and disenfranchise their slaves and all the lessers around them. So my first impression had me worried.” Stepping backward, the Cathar continued, “But while I’d like to see the slave treated better, regardless of “its” story, it would seem that that treatment isn’t representative of you or your leadership style. There are many foolish and arrogant Sith at Königreich des Teufels that I would not follow. But you seem to be the real deal. A true Darth worth following.. We are at your service, Darth Mavanger.” With a slight bow of his head, the Cathar clasped his hands together in front of him and straightened his shoulders before returning to his stoic silence. All the while, Aliss stared at him with a befuddled expression, then looking to Darth Mavanger with a slight squint to her eyes, then looking back to the calm but still Roshan. Standing just off to Roshan's side and a few steps behind him, Aliss scratched her head a little bit. After a momentary pause, she simply shrugged to Sirena before attempting to match Roshan’s posture and await her next orders. ___ &
  17. "How would you do it then Roshan? Aliss.... Do you feel a need to prove yourself?" "Is this how you've trained your apprentices, Lady Sirena?" Roshan lips curled underneath his mask. He had got the Sith's attention. "Durose, is it? You call my leadership into question. My skill in war. You claim me to be a peddler of false promises and delusions of grandeur. But will you back your words with your blade? Will you try to strike me down, to claim my place as a Lord of the Sith and claim your title of Darth? Or will you let them waste away, too afraid of what may come to act. Would you shame yourself and your... girl, in casting empty accusations and baseless slander? What I do with my slaves is my prerogative as a lord of the Sith. If you wish to take that, then draw your blade." As the Sith angrily replied, Roshan listened carefully to his words. The Cathar had no time for basic pleasantries when evaluating this man. If Sirena wanted to follow him to their deaths, that was her prerogative. But Roshan would not blindly follow such a man, even if he did hold the title of a Sith Lord. Roshan had seen plenty of unworthy men and women wield such titles as weapons, consumed by their own arrogance and prestige. Far too often, they surrounded themselves with yes men and mistreated their inferiors until they and their big-headedness became the very architects of their own demise. Of course, Lord Roshan’s aggressive approach was unquestionably dangerous. It lacked the manipulative grace of a Republic Senator, instead clumsily racing towards their inevitable confrontation like an unfettered Rancor in heat. "My very weapons that I would use to strike you down are trophies of my victories. You stand upon a fleet of my own making, preparing for a campaign of my design, and claim that I am not worthy of Lord. Perhaps you do not understand what it means to be Sith. Perhaps it is you who is unworthy." The Cathar had played out a few scenarios in his head even before he had decided to speak up. While Darth Mavanger’s response was a "positive start," Roshan felt like his adversarial tone had clearly obfuscated the meaning of the Cathar's words. Deep down inside, Roshan knew that he would have to push harder. The very thought made him shudder ever so slightly. He did not have any Force powers to fall back on. A physical confrontation could turn messy quickly. Yet, he could not protect himself or Aliss unless he knew what battles this man would lead them into. He had no choice but to continue. Otherwise, they were as good as dead already. Taking a knee, Roshan opened his arms widely. He hoped that the gesture could defuse the man's anger long enough for him to finish his thought. Aliss, meanwhile, took a step back, puzzled by Lord Roshan's display. “Should I bow before you because of a title? And if I do, does it suddenly change my meaning? You miss the purpose of my admonition. I’d even say that you ventured to assume slander where there is none. If a titleless moisture farmer can fell a Sith Emperor, you are certainly not above reproach or greater than he, are you? Or have you started your own empire, conquered countless words, and begun reigning as the Lord of the Sith since last I slept? I accredit you for your impressive victories. I concurred from the start that you are a battle hardened Dark Lord that leads armies and intends to lead a grand campaign! None of that was spoken in jest. Strike me down with your stick and lose an ally if that fulfills your vanity. But I assume you not to be so vain to have accomplished so much already.” Roshan slowly lowered his arms but remained on a knee as he continued, “A yes man, I am not. I have no interest in taking your title. But if you are too important to absorb criticism, no matter how unflattering or upsetting, then we will lose this campaign to those who surround themselves with opposing voices and allow them to speak. If I am wrong or baseless in my statements, correct me with your wisdom and I shall bend the knee again.” “I will not dress you down in front of the army,” Roshan added as he looked around the otherwise mostly vacated room. “But when we are among fellow Sith, I am not afraid to speak my mind. I will tell you the things that others are too afraid to say to you. My point is simple. Since you are an illustrious Sith Lord, make sure that no one can mistake it! Presentation matters because your would-be allies and the lessers who make up the bulk of your might will judge you in silence by how you treat those that you claim as your own and send out to represent your interests. What’s more, if fear, hate, and passion are our greatest weapons against our enemies, surely empowering those under your thumb with such powerful emotions and then making yourself the villain in their hearts will only increase our odds of eventual folly, would it not?” Lord Roshan paused. He had more he could say but he could tell that he was testing the limits of the Sith Master's patience. He had made his point as concise as he could muster on such short notice. There was no taking his words or actions back. He would now have to live with the results. For better or worse, the Sith Lord had heard his words. They would now be disregarded, countered, entertained, challenged, or outright ignored. Nevertheless, the Cathar was quite confident that he would rather quickly know what type of Sith Lord he was dealing with by the man's response. He held his breath in anticipation, hoping for the best but fearing that some degree of pain or death might surely follow. In hindsight, Roshan had realized from the start that the man’s title and accomplishments confirmed his individual combat and Force prowess. He also had little reason to doubt that Darth Mavanger had the tactical ability to win the battles in front of them. But wars were actually won on the backs of the lessers and, in part, because of the leader’s ability to surround himself with capable advisors. A true general’s most valuable skill was most often his ability to evaluate and make decisions based on a collection of opposing opinions, not necessarily by his own personal prowess with a lightsaber, much less the Force. Otherwise, lowly Force-less soldiers wouldn’t still make up the bulk of the oil that greased the wheels of galactic warfare. There will always be more of them than there will be of us. Otherwise, the whole Jedi Order would have never so easily fallen to two Sith, much less the Sith fallen time and time again to makeshift bands of rebels, pirates, and other scoundrels. ___ &
  18. As Lady Sirena introduced them, Aliss was brought back to the present. She turned her gaze to the Sith Lord in time to catch his sneer. She was caught of guard for a moment before frowning returning his sneer with one of her own. Roshan, meanwhile, watched the man in amusement as he sized them up with his eyes before introducing himself. "I am Darth Mavanger. If you need any other proof of my ability, I am fresh from the battlefield. I've participated in many campaigns. Coruscant, Kuat, and Corellia most recently." "Hmm," was Roshan's only reply. "One who is strong in body, but weak in mind, and one who is weak in both. If you truly intend on being Sith, you will be forged in the fires of battle. This is our way. Emotions are your weapon. Use them all. Do not become a slave to merely anger or pain- to do so seals your fate. My scars are borne gladly, my own lesson when I was still an apprentice." Roshan could feel Aliss moving forwards him. With his hands casually crossed behind his back, the Cathar quietly motioned for her to halt. This man may have been a bit full of himself as far as Roshan was concerned, but Aliss was easy to bait and the last thing he needed was her trying to start something. "For you- your strength will serve you well. But your pride will be your downfall if you do not control it." "Funny you say that..." Roshan replied dryly before allowing himself a light chuckle as the man addressed Aliss. "You will not survive in your current state. Timid and weak- either strengthen your resolve, or crumble and fall to others' ambitions." As Lord Mavanger finished his sentence, Roshan reflexively swung out his arm to create a barrier to block the girl's path. He had spent enough time with her to know what she was thinking. Or rather that she probably wasn't doing much thinking at this moment. Aliss had all but forgotten how she was feeling just moments ago as her anger pulsed in the form of a vein that protruded slightly from her forehead. Lord Roshan had already had more than enough outbursts out of this child to last him a lifetime and an outright altercation with this Dark Lord would be beyond foolish. "You clearly aren't very smart if that's what you think of me, mister!" "Calm down, girl. It's not that serious." After a moment of passing tension, the man seemed unconcerned with Aliss or her suddenly aggressive posture. In fact, he finally decided to addressed Roshan's original question. "You will be shown to your quarters by my troops. My slave will stay on Korriban and continue to recruit able-bodied Sith." Roshan grinned, "What a curious way to represent your interests. In that case, you might want to take a bit better care of your slave. At the very least, buy her proper clothing. It reflects poorly on you to take so little care of your property if you are this amazing Sith Lord your resume speaks to. Her treatment is the type of cheap pettiness that I'd expect from a struggling apprentice or a destitute master. Not a battle hardened Dark Lord that not only leads armies but intends to lead a grand campaign! You can tell a lot about a Sith and their leadership by how such a man treats his lessers." Roshan watched the Sith Lord as he spoke. He had more to add but he wasn't going to push Darth Mavanger too hard on their first meeting. He didn't expect the two of them to become fast friends. But he wasn't here to necessarily make friends either. They were here because Darth Mavanger had sent out a call and Lady Sirena had chosen to answer it. As long as this helped Aliss get the training she need, Roshan was content. Of course, he was a bit concerned that Soulless had not chosen to come with them. Perhaps it had decided to seek training elsewhere. And to be fair, Roshan also admittedly had his doubts about Lady Sirena. Nevertheless, the Cathar was hopeful that she could be the mother figure that Aliss needed right now. Roshan knew he certainly wasn't a good fit for such a role. He arguably wasn't even fit to fill-in as her father figure. Yet somehow, here he was, standing on the bridge of the Wyvern in the middle of the Korriban spaceport with an angsty teenager, a devious midget, and a Dark Lord dreaming of grandeur. If there was one thing he learned early in life, it was that the universe never ceases to amaze. ___ &
  19. Aliss glared bitterly in response to Sirena's laughter. "Why simply settle at just killing, child? A being like Helios could die, but what about his prestige? What about his legacy? If he is truly a danger to you and those you care about, death wouldn't stop it, only him. If you truly want the power to protect yourself and those you care about, then you need to destroy the essence of what makes him more powerful. And when you figure that out, hone your skills to fit his destruction." Angry thoughts flooded the girl's mind. She parsed her lips, fighting back the urge to speak them aloud. This woman was speaking foolishness! I didn't care about the villain's prestige or his legacy! That will not save her mother. That will not stop him! That will not... "If you truly want to understand how to kill Helios, head to the Forge west of here. There you will find the answer." Aliss remained silent as she watched the lady leave. She took a few seconds to gather herself before turning to Roshan. "We do not need her. She is a fool, anyway. Prestige? Legacy? What does that mean to me if I lose everyone who matters!" Roshan reflectively observed the emotional ball of flesh beside him. There was a silent moment of warmth in his stare as their eyes greeted one another and the two embraced the stillness of the air. That moment, however, was abruptly ended when Roshan placed his Sith mask back over his face. The pitch of his voice deepened as he talked from underneath his mask, giving the large Cathar a more menacing tone. "You are my legacy. And we have not lost each other yet. You can't save your mother if you are dead, stupid child. It's time for you to grow up. Whatever you saw, you can assume that it was a lie. She is a witch and a trickster. Do you really think that was anything more than a parlor trick to play on your fears and reveal your heart? Now you have given that woman power over you and a means to manipulate you. Even now you intend to follow her, don't you?" Roshan's last sentence caught Aliss by surprise. She turned and stared at the looming figure, her mind processing his words. Perhaps he was right. She could feel the answer swelling in her heart. "Yes." She paused as she tried to read Lord Roshan's barely visible eyes from behind his mask. He was gazing off into the distance towards the path in the sand that the mysterious master had left for them to follow. After a few more seconds of silence, Roshan turned to the Shardbot with a nod and then to Aliss. "It's decided then. Lead the way, Sir Aliss." As they left the hut and began their journey to meet Sirena, they could see another figure in the distance. Aliss stopped in her tracks as Roshan placed his hand on her shoulder. "Who is that?" "I...," Roshan hesitated as he looked on a little uneasily. "I do not know. But judging by her clothing and the vibe I'm getting from her... I'd say... I'd say she is likely a slave." Aliss craned her head a little in response, "Like the ones on Yehveshi?" "No. Not quite. She reminds me more of the slaves on Carida." "Where?" Aliss frowned as she squinted into the harsh sun, a little confused. "Nevermind, child," Roshan replied as he released his grip from her shoulder. "Are we doing this or not?" Aliss shrugged in reply, "Um...You stopped me." Roshan squinted his eyes at Aliss, "Enough with the attitude! Let's get on with it." "What! Attitude?! How did I--" "Aliss!" Aliss crossed her arms as her face contorted into a pouty grimace, "Fine! Whatever. I'm going!" By the time they approached Lady Sirena, it seemed that she was finishing up her conversation with someone important. The slight changes in the tone of her voice as they were approaching gave that much away in Roshan's opinion. It also peaked his curiosity. He fixated more on the other woman, though, as they got closer. It felt like he was seeing a ghost. Her presence made him uneasy. She made her feel an emotion that was quite abnormal for him. It was an emotion he had not felt in many years until Sirena's little vision quest. Pity. His focus was taken away from the pitiful woman, however, when Sirena addressed the two of them. It would seem that she had their next excursion planned and those that wanted training were expected to accept her invite. Aliss was so confused by all the emotions she felt when it came to this woman and her "dream vision" and the training itself that she accepted Sirena's invitation more out of a sudden overwhelming fear of soul-crushing loss than for any real rational reason or some well thought out decision making. Roshan, on the other hand, didn't say much. He simply nodded and stared at the other woman. He now felt considerably overdressed in his ceremonial Sith armor and his dark flowing cape. He wondered if her attire was even decent enough to be classified as "rags." Such a pitiful creature. Seeing a slave running errands on Korriban was not something that surprised him. He had seen how Sith collected, horded, and treated their slaves. But her attire and upkeep was pathetic at best. Perhaps he would have to have a talk with her master at some point. She could at least be made presentable when being sent out on errands. Rolling his eyes a little and sighing at his memories of the horrors of the Sith Academy on Cardia, Roshan otherwise followed the group in silence. It was not long before they reached the spaceport and the flagship of their new mysterious ally. Once aboard, they followed Sirena until they came upon a human male in dark robes and of average stature. Even though Roshan stood a little ways back from the two to allow Lady Sirena and the man to talk, the oversized Cathar felt like he was towering over them. Of course, at 4'1, Sirena was dwarfed by even the average heighted human, much less an toned 6'11 Cathar in full garb. Granted, Lord Roshan was used to staring down at others around him. For some reason, though, seeing Sirena's actual height difference while standing next to this full grown human male just seemed so comical to Roshan. It was not nearly as humorous as when she had stood next to the shorter human females she had interacted with thus far. But sure. It was a random and perhaps irrelevant observation to key in on at this particular moment in time. Roshan knew he should be focusing on the conversation instead. But for some reason, Roshan couldn't help but find the current optics amusing all the same. Aliss, meanwhile, was fixated on the man's face. Scarred, but with striking blue eyes not too unlike Lady Sirena's, staring into them made Aliss self-conscious of her own woeful eye color. With her 16th birthday just around the corner, she found herself wishing for nothing more for her birthday than that she, too, could have blue eyes. Surrounded by all these normal humans, she began to feel the same unease she had felt growing up on Ishvara. Her unusually florid skin color and yellow eyes had always been the stain -- no, the curse -- she could never remove. It was the sin passed down to her from her mother and undoubtedly her mother's mother before her. Aliss would never fit in with all the normal humans she wished so desperately to be like. And perhaps that was why she'd never be as pretty or as talented as them. This was her affliction. Even now, she could feel herself sinking into the floor. She may have been taller and bigger than the tiny Lady Sirena, but in that very moment she felt like the smallest person in the entire room. As the man droned on, Aliss closed her eyes, crestfallen and aching to find somewhere -- anywhere -- to escape in that moment and disappear. "...It's a lot of space. I'll have to split my forces to take it all fast enough. Most of the fighting should be easy, unfortunately. Local planetary defenses and possibly scattered Rebel troops. It will be easy at first, but the longer we're active, the more time the enemy has to rally against us. Speed is the key factor here- don't fight a war if you can intimidate the locals instead." Roshan nodded as he stepped forward to address the man, "Sounds like you've gotten it all figured out. Where to first? And where is that slave of yours? Is she going to show us to our quarters? The girl and I have been through a rather exhausting adventure today, Lord...?" ___ &
  20. “Perhaps her sin is not revenge and passion… but rather fear? Yes, fear I suspect is a deadly path, no? Course, I have experienced no such thing like you, Sir Aliss...” "You piece of--" Aliss growled under her breath. Lady Sirena's response momentarily distracted Aliss and interrupted her train of thought. Nevertheless, it wasn't the answer Aliss wanted to hear. It delayed her reaction to the Shardbot's words for just long enough for her to confirm in her mind that Lady Sirena was scared of Helios. Shifting her attention back to her rival, Alice stoic stance quickly shifted into one of launching herself at the Shardbot to surprise attack him. He was clearly full of himself. She had had enough of his lip and his attitude. He was always taking subtle jabs at her, trying to undermine her in front of Lord Roshan and Lady Sirena. He might have thought he was so clever but she had definitely noticed. With everything else that she had just witness, she wasn't even completely sure whether she had returned to reality or if she had ever left it but the pain and rage and fire in her heart was certainly real. Of that she was for sure. All it would take is a step and a bound and she'd be digging her lightsaber into the Shard's chest before he even realized what was happening. Of course, she only managed to just barely lift off into the air when a tug at the back of her collar choked her neck and swept her feet out from under her. She suddenly went from reaching for her lightsaber to flailing her arms as she began to experience a sensation of rapidly falling. The next thing she knew, her head painfully splashed against the ground. Looking up, Aliss saw Roshan's eyes staring angrily down at her. She knew he wasn't going to release her until she stood down and he had her pinned rather easily. It was her fault for not noticing how close he had edged towards her. Clenching her teeth a little, Aliss released her hand from her lightsaber and put her hands up in the air. As she rested there, she made no further attempts to move. After a few seconds, the girl could feel Roshan's firm grip loosen. "Good." His look of disapproval said it all. As she sat upright she spat in the direction of the robotic menace but made no further attempt to retaliate. Looking over to the Lord and Lady, she could see that Roshan and Sirena were staring at her. Brushing the sand out of her hair and off her face, Aliss gave Sirena a defiant glare. "Maybe she was right. Maybe you are both nothing but fools who have and will led me astray and waste my lineage. Helios is still a man and all men bleed and die. If you are too cowardly to face him, fine! That's your sin, isn't it? Be that way. Give me the power I need and I'll face him myself. I'll save them all myself! You or your cowardice or this infernal machine won't stop me. Help me or get out of my way!" ___
  21. Roshan was also confused and somewhat concerned by the girl's words. She was impulsive. It was a fatal flaw that he had never figured out how to break her of. Roshan edged closer to Aliss as Lady Sirena spoke. "Who is he, child? Who is a danger to your family?" Aliss looked to Sirena and then back to Roshan. "It's him! The one who's name cannot be spoken! I saw it!" Aliss' eyes darted wildly, as if she was still somewhat delirious from coming off of some sort of drug-induced hallucination. "Get ahold of yourself, girl!" Ignoring him, a wide-eyed and somewhat panicked Aliss glared at Sirena, "You don't understand! We must kill Helios! Before he kills us all! We must! Or he will kill her. You, too, Roshan!" With pleading eyes, she looked around to those still present, "Please! I need the power! I must save us! We must hurry... Please! She's in danger! We must find him!" With Aliss' eyes tearing up a little, Roshan almost expected her to hyperventilate. Looking to Lady Sirena, he raised an eyebrow. He was unconvinced by anything she had to say but this all was Sirena's doing and her mess as far as he was concerned. ___ &
  22. "In the depths of the darkness, did you find your sin? Your hunger? Your purpose? Did you hear the call and heed its answer? Did your past define your future? Tell me what your experiences were and how it guided you to its inevitable conclusion." The momentary pause was broken by the synthetic voice of Solus. It was clear to Roshan that whatever it had seen, the Shard had enjoyed his experience. As the Shardbot spoke, Roshan's gaze shifted towards Aliss. There was a cold and calculated look on her face. He had seen it once before. Years ago, one of his students had pulled a prank on her and it had left her feeling humiliated. Needless to say, that boy never made that same mistake again. ...Such is the way how the Force should be, correct Lord Roshan? No, you said the Force is unbridled here... Roshan opened his mouth to reply but Solus continued to ramble on. There was no reason to damper its excitement. Roshan was honestly still processing what he had personally experienced. It seemed like he had lived another lifetime but he was likely asleep no longer than a few minutes, maybe hours at most. He had to give the Sith woman credit. He never experienced something quite like that. "...Will we be using this more often, in our quest to control the Force for our own uses? Is this how we connect with the Force? But then again, how do you three do it without this stuff?” Rising to his feet, Roshan finally cut the Shard off. "I sure hope not. This is a parlor trick. An impressive parlor trick. But it is not the Force. If dreams were effective teachers of the Force, the Sith would spend all their time sleeping. And be slain in their sleep because of it. But rest assured, they do not." Turning to the woman, Roshan crossed his arms. "My sin? I saw none. But I did see the sins of the Sith... a purification necessary. And the one who saw what I saw and has the power to do it. An executioner. A giant named 'Exodus' is the one I must find so that I can pick up where Dominique left off. Maybe then..." "I must kill him," Aliss uttered matter of factly as she started into the nothingness in the distance. Roshan paused and frowned, "What are you babbling about, girl?" As Aliss rose to her feet, she stared into Roshan's eyes before resting her wild glare on Lady Sirena. "I must kill him! He is the evil that threatens everything! It is the only way to save mother. It's the only way to save me and you and Roshan and all of you. It's the only way..."
  23. ((TLDR: Roshan had an almost out of body vision/dream/experience? of the past... then he woke up. The End.)) ROSHAN: Consumed by the darkness, Roshan slowly lost all sense of smell, slight, and lastly feel. As if his body was completely numb, floating in an empty void of nothingness, Roshan soon lost all sense of time. Left with only his thoughts, he pondered his life and his past and what would become of his future. He had no answer but it seemed like each time he reached for one with his mind, he was pulled closer and closer to reality. First came back his sense of smell. There was something ancient to the place where he now found himself in. A mixture of old lore and modern technology. Then came sight, the blurring brightness shocked his eyeballs, forcing him to recoil and close his eyes to diminish their pain. And lastly came sound. Roshan sat alone in silence for only a moment. His eyes were closed but he chose not to open them as he tried to calm himself and steady his uneasy stomach. Even when he heard the patter of feet approaching, he remained motionless. “You are early, Cathar.” The voice was almost immediately recognizable. Roshan did not need to open his eyes to know that the petite woman with raven hair and bright blue eyes was standing before him. As he slowly opened his eyes, he watched her lithe figure as she casually approached him. “Well, this is an unexpected surprise.” Of course, there was something different about his former master. The ageless woman seemed to be younger somehow. The way the darkness swirled around her made it seem almost as if her powers were more raw and unrefined. “This is where it happens, you know.” “Where what happens? Where are we?” “Cardia, you fool!” As Roshan rose to his feet, he looked around in confusion at her words. He did, indeed, seem to be far from Korriban. This was definitely no place he had ever been but with the occasional noises and voices that echoed off the walls, it was clear that this place served as some sort of hub for something. “Cardia? What is this place?” “Königreich des Teufels,” the woman replied proudly. Roshan frowned. The name sounded familiar. He thought he remembered reading about such a place during his research. It was an old Sith Academy if he remembered correctly, in fact. “You must be mistaken. The academy you speak of should be in ruins and this place is far from that.” “No, you must be mistaken.” Roshan features contorted into a mixture of confusion and irritation, “Why am I here, Master?” “I am not Dominique and I am not your master. She has yet to arrive but she will play her role when she does.” “Wah... what? Then why do you look like Dominique?” “A familiar face tends to make the transition a bit easier, child.” “Okay. Then who are you?” The woman flashed him a coy smile as she cryptically replied, “Gods only know. But who I am or who I am not is of little consequence. After all, you are not even you.” Roshan ground his teeth a little and he sighed. He hated cryptic answers, riddles, and puzzle games. They were such painful wastes of one’s time. “What does that mean?! Who am I? Where am I? When am I? Why am I here?! Is this a memory from Dominique’s past? A vision of old events? An echo in the Force? Some wild hallucination?” The lady grinned as she began to walk away, “Perhaps it is all. Or perhaps it is one. Or perhaps it is none. All that matter is that you are here now and you have a call to answer and a job to do.” “What do you--” He..l..p me.. plea..se Roshan stirred a little, looking behind himself but seeing nothing. The voice was so clear, almost too clear for it to have been spoken out loud. Seeing no one, Roshan turned back to Dominique only to see an empty hallway. The mysterious figure, however it was, had vanished into thin air. Roshan debated his options. It would seem that this vision quest of his had a role for him to play and he’d likely not be released until he had completed it. This call, in fact, might be his first clue. Hoping he was on the right track, Roshan hurriedly moved through the compound, following the call through the Force as if he was chasing an echo. As he narrowed down the call’s point of original and neared the location, however, Roshan could see that he was not the only one to hear it. Stepping out of the way, the Cathar decided it was better not to reveal himself and get involved until he knew exactly what he was getting himself into. As he watched a rather tall human stumbled down the ramp of the ship in front of him, the man mumbled words that Roshan could only partially hear. "I left it there, my first saber. I must... .... ..." The almost equally tall humanoid with him seemed irritated at the fallen man’s response, although Roshan had no idea why. In fact, there was a definite chill between the imposing figure and the much smaller woman that stood not far from him. Roshan could tell that the three of them had history but the details escaped him. Nevertheless, the small woman was strikingly beautiful for a human, even with her cold demeanor. The Cathar moved to cautiously approach the group and get a better look at what was going on. As he did, the large Sith whispered something into the downed man’s ear. "So Dominique has his saber,” the woman began with a chilling tone. “That's typical. Roshan was confused. None of this was making any sense. Perhaps my quest is to retrieve the saber? "Surely you can feel how his soul is split. If your lover is going to gloat that she has his weapon... part of his soul, it shows how little she respects any of her fellow sith." As the violet eyed beauty commed from a medical team, Roshan’s own eyes grew wide as his comm device went off. Looking down at the comm unit at his side and then back upwards towards the ground, he jumped a little as he found the woman’s piercing eyes staring at him. Roshan froze in place, unsure of what her reaction would be. Up until this point he had been unsure whether this vision was one where he would be an observer or an active participant. But the way she looked at him, he was clear now that she clearly saw him. “Medic! Over here! Get this man to the medical wing.” A look of bemusement played across Roshan as he stared at the woman. She must have confused him with someone else. But looking down again at his uniform, her mistake was likely logical. In fact, it was only now that he realized that he was wearing an odd uniform, one perhaps even consistent with his mistaken identity. Of course, her glower was intense enough at this point that Roshan didn't dare contradict her. Simply nodding, he hurried over to the injured Sith. “Yes, ma’am. Coming, ma’am.” Taking out his medical equipment, Roshan looked over the fallen man and tried to look as busy as possible until the rest of the medical team showed up, if for no other reason than to attract her ire. Whatever was going on, she didn’t seem like someone he wanted to be on the bad side of. After the rest of the team arrived, they carefully moved the man onto a gurney and began heading for the medical wing. Almost the whole way to the medical wing, Roshan could feel the woman’s glare. He was relieved, of course, when she broke off to handle other business and gave him and the rest of the team some room to breath. For now, Roshan decided that he would play doctor and act like he knew what he was doing. As far as he could tell, he was someone in charge and short of having to perform surgery, telling others what to do seemed easy enough. If “gods know who” wanted him to play this game, he might as well see it through. At least, he might as well do so for now. So far it wasn’t so bad. Glancing over the patient’s vitals, it would seem that this fellow was stable for the time being. As for souls and what Dominique had to do with all this, Roshan doubted he’d find his answer here. Nevertheless, Roshan deemed reviewing the patient’s file prudent and as Roshan glanced over the file, another wounded Sith “warrior” soon arrived. Stepping out of the first patient’s room, Roshan left to see what all the commotion was about. Truth be told, this dark haired woman looked like she had seen better days. I swear that the Sith of this academy must either be into self-masochism or are made of papier-mâché. The staff hurriedly set up a bed for the new arrival. As the staff helped the woman onto a bed, Lady Traya addressed Roshan. “Give her whatever she needs, doctor.” Roshan looked over the woman and shook his head. He didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to see that her arm might not be an easy fix. “Yes, ma’am! I’m just not sure that her arm... you know. I mean, I can’t give you a full assessment until I unwrap it and properly examine it but--” Roshan motioned in the direction of the injured woman. “If you can save it, great. But if you have to, give her a synthetic one! Get her back on her feet as soon as you can, doctor. You know the drill.” Roshan nodded, “Yes, ma’am.” Setting down the file on Draken, Roshan pulled up the file on his newest arrival. This was looking like it was going to be a long day. “Malyss Slayde. It seems you have been a naughty girl. But don’t worry. We should have you back up and running soon enough.” Roshan glanced over at the other medic that had just entered the room. Roshan could have sworn that the young man had to have been freshly graduated medical school with as young as he looked. In fact, were it not for his doctor’s attire, Roshan would have guessed he was a nurse or intern or orderly of some sort. “Over here, doctor. Grab the team. We have our work cut out for us.” The man sighed, “Yeah. Sure looks like it. But what about our other patient?” “He’s stable for now. Go send one of those nurse slaves over to make sure nothing crazy happens.” “Yes sir.” As Roshan began to examine the woman, he was surprised by how easy and comfortable the whole thing was. It felt as if he had done it a thousand times. And judging by what he had gathered of this place so far, Roshan was sure the medics here probably had. Removing the makeshift bandages, Roshan was greeted by a gnarly sight of exposed muscle and tendons. He could treat the arm for now but it would likely need extensive surgery if they were to save it. The other doctor had a worried look on his face as he examined the rest of her injuries. “I don’t know, man. I know Lady Traya wants us to save the arm if we can...” “But? I feel a ‘but’ coming on...” “But, I mean,” the man began as he motioned demonstratively towards it. “Look at it! Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to find out what happens to us if we don’t pull off another miracle. But good gods.” Roshan shrugged. He had seen worse. And there were worse things than a prosthetic limb. “We will try to do what we can but at least she will most likely survive. Let’s rally the staff and begin prepping for surgery,” Roshan ordered calmly. The other man nodded as he left the room and Roshan began looking for the proper change of attire. Of course, he was only half way done changing when he heard some commotion coming from a different room. “You dare to stop me in my quest. This single act has condemned you to die by my hand. " “What in the...” Roshan sighed as he hopped around awkwardly in an attempt to get into the legs of his surgical pants. Before he could finish, one of the nurses barged in. “Doctor!” “What is it now, nurse?” “The slave we had watching the other patient...” the woman began in a distraught tone. “What about him?” “He’s dead!” She exclaimed. “His throat was completely crushed and the patient is gone!” “They don’t pay me enough for this,” Roshan grumbled before sighing. Of course, there was still the matter of the surgery itself. Perhaps this was a perfect out for him. Then again, would I really prefer chasing down an “escaped” patient that moonlights as a windpipe crushing madman? “Was that all, nurse?” She sheepishly dropped her eyes to the ground and nodded. Roshan rubbed his own eyelids in frustration. “Very well. Please have the body properly disposed of. Clearly that psychopath doesn’t need any more medical attention so I’m going to focus on the one that actually does. You are dismissed nurse,” Roshan finished as he waved his hand irritatedly. He was beginning to enjoy his time here less and less with each passing moment. He wasn’t even sure what he was doing or why he was doing it at this point but he felt unusually confident in his medical abilities and if he failed, he figured this wasn’t real so he likely couldn’t hurt much. Of course, by the time he was all suited up and the medical team was all ready to begin, the same nurse appeared once again. “Um... Doctor...” “What is it now, nurse!” The woman looked at him nervously as she replied, “We have an influx of slaves arriving for treatment. What would you like me to do with them?” “Specify influx?” “I don’t know. Like a study flow?” she replied almost wincing. “I swear,” Roshan sighed. “We can’t go five minutes without someone being tragically injured around here! What happened now? Landslide? Mine collapse? Someone forgot to use the proper pronouns when addressing a Sith Lord?” The nurse glanced obsequiously downward before locking eyes with Roshan as he scowled in frustration, “Maybe... you... You should see for yourself, doctor.” Pulling off his gloves, Roshan slams them on the tray next to him, “Fine! Lead the way, nurse!” Several minutes later, Roshan found himself in the small medic break room. Close by, the other young doctor was sitting down, sipping his drink. Roshan’s rather disturbing examination of the arriving slaves had lead him to this pause in his activities to vent to the only “familiar face” he knew at this point. “For the love of the Force! Their balls, man! And they were lucky if that was all! I’ve never seen anything like this. At least not to those you intend on keeping alive! Do these Sith have no decency?!” “You act like this is your first day here or something,” the man responded with a tepid laugh. “They are Sith. Sith! Darkside and all. What do you expect?! We just need to get back to that Sith girl with the jacked up arm before Lady Traya adds us to her growing list of eunuchs.” Roshan shook his head in exasperation, “I don’t know why it bothers me so much, but I’ve had it up to here, I tell you. Here,” Roshan replied as he raised his hand to neck level. “I’ve really had it with all this wanton waste and disrespect for life! They act like all of us are their little play things. It’s time someone had a talk with them or did something!” The other doctor gave Roshan a blank stare. He then paused for a second before suddenly bursting into laughter. “You really had me going there for a second,” he replied with a hearty laugh. “You think being turned into a eunuch is bad? If any one of us confronted one of them we’d wish all we were turned into was a eunuch!” Roshan scrunched his face into a light grimace. The man was probably right. Perhaps poisoning them to death slowly over time would be a much more prudent strategy. The Cathar was less than enthused about helping nurse another one of these maniacs back to health. He contemplated how long he could stall her recovery without making Lady Traya mad. Of course, his train of thought was broken by a forceful knock on the break room door. Roshan moved to the door, opening it as he spoke with a twinge of irritation in his voice. “What?!” he exclaimed before he even saw who was there. Sure enough, it was the same nurse as before. She timidly stared at her feet and fidgeted before replying. “Doctor... Lady Traya... she headed this way and she looks very unhappy.” As he leaned against the doorpost, Roshan sighed and rubbed his face partly out of exhaustion and partly out of frustration. Stepping out of the room, he motioned for the other doctor to stay put. “Thank you, nurse. I’ll handle this. Lead the way.” Lady Traya was mad as advertised. And She was now making the outrageous demand that they move Malyss even though she was currently in the middle of surgery prep. Roshan rubbed his temples as he tried to calm himself. “No, ma’am. I’m not personally handling the surgery because doctor Linsrom is more than capable and I had to take care of the sudden influx of slaves that arrived dismembered. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that would you?” “I DON’T WANT EXCUSES. GET DRAKEN AND IT DONE, DOCTOR. NOW!” For a second, Roshan almost flinched. That look in her eye told him that he was seconds away from suffering some sort of terrible fate. In fact, if it wasn’t for his usefulness in his capacity as a medical professional, he probably would have already suffered said fate. The Sith might have been sadistic but they seemed to recognize the foolishness of harming the skilled help, at least for now. Motioning to a group of slaves and other medics nearby, Roshan ordered, “You heard the Lady! Inform the surgery team that there has been a change in plans. You three, you’re with me. We need to grab the medical supplies and a gurney. We’ll be on this right away, Lady Traya.” With that, the group scurried around like their life depended on it as Alora disappeared out of the medical wing. When he was absolutely certain she was gone, Roshan wiped some sweat from off his brow. Yup. I am living in a nightmare that just doesn’t end. As the group jogged towards the location they had been given for the collection of the wounded remains of Mr. Draken “Throat Crusher” Insano Jr. the Third, the medical team suddenly heard the thundering voice of Lady Traya ahead in the distance, “How dare you girl! Your abuse of power and lack of respect for your fellow sith will see you punished!” One of the medics put out his hand the rest of the group stopped. He hesitantly looked to Roshan. “Perhaps we should wait a few minutes. It sounds like they are in the middle of something. What do you think, doc?” Roshan looked to the man and then back in the direction of the screaming. The Cathar scratched the back of his head a little before sighing, “Perhaps we take the scenic route?” “Scenic route. Copy that,” the medic replied with a relieved grin. There was only so much stalling a group of medics could do in a place like this but by the time the group arrived, Roshan was “treated” to the startling sight of a smoldering Dominique and a wounded Draken. While he didn’t show it in his face, internally Roshan smiled at this turn of events. Perhaps this psychopath will now have to think twice before running off with a leg wound like that. Serves him right. As Lady Traya ordered the medics around, Roshan kept eyeing the body of the smoldering girl and the giant of a man beside her. She clearly needed medical attention. Those burns were serious by anyone’s standards and every second was crucial. But at the same time, he did not want to end up like Dominique either. Carefully lifting Draken onto the gurney, the rest of the medics helped secure him and began moving the ever wounded Sith to the medical wing once again. As the group led the way out of the room and walked briskly towards the medical wing, Roshan glanced back at Lady Traya. He tried to hide his disgust but it was growing harder and harder by the second. He grabbed at his first aid kit. He had snuck a knife into it for protection purposes before they had left the medical wing. But he was starting to get the nerve up to use it for more proactive purposes after her latest outburst. Maybe his judgement was being clouded by the fact that he knew the “future” Dominique but this other woman was clearly a menace that cared nothing for others, friends or foe. She was a liability and someone had to stop her, even if it cost him his life. Perhaps that was his job. Perhaps that was why he was here. Fumbling for and finding the knife, he gripped it tightly. But as he turned once again to eye the woman, he noticed motion behind her. It was the giant. “Your first mistake; Interference. Your second; My Child, and lastly your third; My apprentice.” Out of nowhere, a brilliant display of supercharged energy sprung from the Sith’s hands and blasted the woman, immediately sending her crash to the ground! The display was so powerful and frightening that the medical team was thrown into disarray. Some ran, some tried to push the gurney away faster, Roshan himself found the nearest piece of furniture and dove for cover. He wanted no part of the wrath coming Lady Traya’s way. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air as the woman tried to talk the Sith Lord down. As the sparks continued to fly and she undoubtedly grew weaker, she must have known that her end was near as she spoke her final words. “What are you waiting for? Finish the job, Exodus." The giant’s name. Exodus. That was Dominique’s master, right? I never discussed her past much with her. But who was his child? Surely it couldn’t have been Dominique. Hmmm... I wonder... As the light show stopped, Roshan looked across the way to a nearby medic who was also hiding behind some furniture. Roshan gave her the gesture to look over the object and see what was happening. The female shook her head emphatically in reply, making it very clear that she most certainly would not. It’s up to me then. Poking his head slowly up, Roshan could see the woman struggling on the floor. She was holding her neck as she flopped. There was a scary determination in the Sith Lord’s eyes. Roshan wondered if in her final moment the woman had regretted making such a request. Exodus seemed more than happy to oblige her. As he slowly squeezed Lady Traya’s neck until her throat collapsed, Roshan looked back towards the direction where they had left Dominique. Dominique needed help. There wasn’t time to waste with the burns she had on her body. Slipping out from behind the furniture, Roshan slowly and carefully walked around Exodus to allow him to finish his execution in peace. Once clear of the scene, the Cathar scurried over to the woman’s burnt body and began to place Bacta patches on the worst areas of burning. What she really needed was a bacta tank but this would at least provide her with a stop gap measure until they could get her there. Trying to move her body himself, Roshan was shocked at how weak he felt and how difficult it was. She’s a tiny woman. How could I have lost all my strength? Scratching his head, he was interrupted by the arrival of the other medic carrying more bacta patches and the giant trailing close behind her. Dominique perked up for a moment as Exodus neared. “Exodus...” Dominique faintly uttered before completely passing out. Roshan nervously turned to address Exodus, “Dark Lord, sir, she’s suffered severe burns. I’ve tried to buy her some time but we need to get her to a bacta tank immediately if we want to save her.” As Exodus held her, Roshan winced a little. “Your Lordship, you really must be careful about touching her. Your skin is super charred and there is infection and whatnot to worry about. This whole process is pretty delicate, honestly. Perhaps we could grab a few others and--” Exodus stirred, his movement causing Roshan to stop mid-sentence. Despite his cold demeanor, Exodus had no problem rounding up a few passersby to help carefully move the body. Roshan nodded to Exodus and mouthed a “thank you” and they created a makeshift gurney to get her where she needed to be. “There is a remedial lab nearby that happens to have a few bacta tanks that are on standby. Follow me. This way!” Roshan motioned to his newfound assistants. When they arrived, Roshan carefully removed the burn clothing and helped prepare her body as much as he could before Exodus helped get her into the tank. With everything hooked up and all the monitoring equipment properly set up, Roshan discussed the situation with the newly arrived relief shift of doctors. Exodus, meanwhile, sat waiting nearby. More than exhausted by this point, mentally and physically, Roshan was relieved that his shift change was here and he could finally catch his breath. Nodding to Exodus, he informed him of the news, “The good news, Lord Exodus, is that she will survive. We were able to treat her in time and all is well. I’m off the clock now but the new team replacing me is more than capable to care for the situation. If you need me for anything else, just send one of them to get me, sir.” Bowing, Roshan backed away and left to find his quarters. He was extremely content that he had saved Dominique. This must have been the event that Dominique simulacrum had spoken of. It had to be the reason he had come here. He could not think of any other reason. Simply put, it was not her time to go. She surely had many adventures ahead of her. But more than that, Roshan took some solace in that fact that seemed like perhaps that was some sort of balance in the Force had been struck after all. Perhaps even the Darkside was not devoid of some sense of justice, no matter how brutal. Entering his room and plopping his head on his pillow, Roshan grinned as he slowly began to fade off to sleep. Of course, he couldn’t shake the feeling of something lingered at the back of his mind. He knew that he was forgetting something. And right as he drifted into slumber it hit him. Malyss Slayde! Startled away, Roshan eyes opened back to reality. The Cathar ones again found himself back in the sandy dunes of the present and the bitter smell of Lady Sirena’s poison lofting into the air as it sat on his face. ____
  24. ALISS: When Aliss opened her eyes, she suddenly found herself back on what she was sure was Ishvara. Aliss could hear the sounds of fighting on all sides as the boots of dozens of men stomped against barren ground, kicking up dirt and dust in their wake. The warm wind wiped the coarse sand against her face as she laid on her back with a dead body pinning her to the ground. It was human and from the markings, the corpse was from the clan of Goreth. Aliss struggled in vain to move the heavier man's armored body. Summoning all her energy into one emphatic push, she startled her own self when she suddenly sent the flopping body hurling through the air and into another section where the fighting was more intense. She looked at her hands. The palms were surprisingly clean but the backs of her hands were still covered in dried blood. There was no time to evaluate how she got here or what was truly going on. She could sense that an enemy combatant was barreling towards her. Rolling to her feet, she turned to face the man and reached for her lightsaber. It was gone. She looked back in the direction of the corpse to see that it was still lodged in the dead man's chest. Not good. Aliss stared into the eyes of the barbarian soldier, the bone claw necklace that adorned his shoulders clattering louder and louder with each step. He had the face paint markings of a berserker of the Goreth Clan, likely hopped up on the same herbal concoctions that gave their berserkers such fearlessness, brutality, and immunity to pain when they went into battle. Short of a killing blow, he would surely not stop coming after her. Of that she was sure. The madman whipped his scimitar for the girl’s throat, Aliss managing to lean back just enough to miss his slice but still feel a cool rush of air tickle across her neck. A spike of adrenaline immediately brought her back to her senses as the Echani training that Roshan gave all his Knights began to kick in. Even as he frantically attempted to murder her, Aliss center herself and concentrated on reading his body movements. He was armed and stronger than her, but his drugged state mixed with his aggression to make him sloppy and easily readable. But what he may have given up in finesse and surprise, he more than made up for in relentlessness. No sooner had she dodged or weaved or rolled than she found her attacker back up on her ready to deliver another strike. Wearing him out would be impossible and the density of the fighting around her made attempting to retrieve her lightsaber a tall order at this point. Eyeing the ground around her in between dodges, her eyes suddenly stopped on the glint of a sword lying in the dirt next to where she had been trapped only moments before. She had finally found her path to salvation but her inexorable assailant continued to deny her any hope of deliverance, jabbing and swinging and swiping with every breath and grunt and scream. Like a choreographed dance, Aliss followed her opponent's lead, allowing her body to effortlessly move to the rhythm of his blade. But every time she attempted to reposition herself and take the lead, the madman aggressively reasserted his dominance. He obviously must have also known that her lifeline lay behind him. It was the only answer. Refocusing her attention on finding an opening in her opponent's stance, Aliss watched almost in slow motion as he anchored his feet and flailed his arms with each swing. Taking out his knees would be extremely challenging without also getting hit in the process. He had plenty of reach on her and even if she was able to get in tight and catch his arm, it was doubtful that any of her techniques would phase him in his altered mental state. She couldn't rely on the sudden shock of pain to stun him or give her an opening to momentarily overpower him. And if his more than healthy musculature guaranteed her anything, it was that this man was more than capable of overpowering her if he managed to lock her in a grapple. No, she would need to use her environment to her advantage if she wanted to escape this altercation alive. Waiting for his next swing at her neck, Aliss curved her body backwards into the shape of an upside down “U” before completing the flip and landing back on her feet. At a glance, Aliss had done nothing more than find a fancy way to exhaust further energy. The berserker's wild eyes flashed with sadistic amusement as he laughed at the girl before rushing to close the gap again. But what the madman had failed to notice was that she had actually completed the flip with only the strength of her right hand. In that brief moment she had used her left hand to dig her nails into the loose dirt and uproot a handful for herself. When the berserker predictably charged, he was suddenly met with a blinding splash of dirt and sand that exploded in a vaporous dust cloud that stung his eyes and obscured his vision. Diving his left to avoid his wild swings, Aliss looked almost feline as she gracefully maneuvered herself out of harm's way. Quickly finding her way to her feet, she neglected to stand upright, instead cutting through the hot summer air with her back and head arched like an arrow as she ran. In a matter of seconds, she had gone from defenseless to possessing the sword that had previously been resting upon this blood soaked battlefield. And without a moment of hesitation, Aliss turned and hurled it through the air with all her might. The warrior, who had no choice but to pause and clear out his eyes, had only enough time to angrily turn and yell before his body was jerked back! The blow from the sword lodging itself in his chest was so forceful, in fact, that it swept his legs out from underneath him and sent his body thudding to the ground in short order. A cloud of dust spit out around him as he landed, almost as if Aliss was watching his soul depart from his body in real time. Served him right. But as she now had the chance to catch her breath and survey the battlefield in hopes of getting her bearings, she finally could see where she was. The her section of the battlefield was on a hill overlooking a valley. And in the valley was a shining white stage. On the stage, stood a woman tied to a black pillar. She was adorned in white, which vividly contrasted with her olive colored skin and red hair. There was kindling of some sort at her feet and a man -- undoubtedly the leader of the Goreth clan, the one who’s name Lord Roshan cursed and swore never to speak until that man breathed his last breath -- was holding a torch in the air just above the collection of flammables. There was no question in Aliss’ mind. The woman in white was her mother! The aged yet strikingly beautiful Rose Morra Kiss was impossible to miss. Aliss had to get to that stage! Looking frantically at the fighting taking place in her immediate vicinity, Aliss did not know who the warriors were that were fighting against Clan Goreth. Whoever they were, they seemed more than capable of keeping the majority of the Goreth warriors occupied for now. Her more pressing concern was making her way down the hill and towards the stage in as efficient a manner as possible. Analyzing the battlefield leading up to the stage, Aliss could see what looked to be Lord Roshan below, cutting, chopping, and wading his way through the Goreth soldiers like appetizers. His determination could be clearly seen in the trail of body parts and death he was leaving in his wake. But the trail of death behind him was not the only one. About 25 to 50 yards to his left there was another trail of the dead that had also almost advanced itself all the way to the stage. And from the slender feature of this trail’s blazer, Aliss could tell that the architect of this congoline of the dead was a woman. Unfortunately, her black attire and dark hood obscured her features almost completely from this distance. Fearing for her mother’s safety, Aliss decided that she wouldn’t leave her fate up to Lord Roshan, much less a stranger. As a wave of panic washed over her, Aliss could hear her lightsaber call for her and she instinctively and commandingly answered the call, suddenly looking down to see the powered off weapon resting in her hand. There was no time to waste or figure out what had just happened. The two figures had already almost reached the stage! Dashing down the hill, she ignited her lightsaber and severed the limbs of any that dared to confront her. The valley looked so close but with every step down the hill it seemed as if it was getting farther and farther away. Retreading the trail that Lord Roshan had made, Aliss rushed to clear out any additional her enemies while making up for as much lost time as possible. The deeper she go into the valley, the more vicious and desperate her strikes began, ruthlessly ending the lives of any fools that attempted to stand in her way. All the while, however, Aliss kept part of her attention on the stage as Roshan and the hooded woman reached the structure and began to climb it. By now, Aliss was close enough to see that the odd glisten and sheen in her mother’s hair and on her skin was not a natural glow of some kind but actually some sort of liquid that had been poured all over her dress and body. Aliss anxiously glanced over at the hooded woman as she dropped her hood to reveal her face. Aliss froze for a moment. She watched as her older self in shock as the duplicate and the masked Lord Roshan stared each other down. The new version of Aliss looked older, a bit more scarred, but unquestionably determined. At the same time, though, something felt off. Aliss wasn’t sure what was going on but she quickened her pace even more, furiously trying to reach the stage before something tragic took place. Unfortunately, right as the girl reached the edge of the stage, Goreth soldiers carrying lightsabers stepped forward to block her path. Aliss stopped dead in her tracks. She found herself at the foot of the stage but with no way to reach it. Aliss pivoted and spun, confirming what she already knew. She was completely surrounded. Her breathing started getting increasingly uneven as panic and desperation began to fill her lungs as if she was drowning. And then suddenly came a voice. “You know what you must do, Aliss.” The sheer surprise of the voice she heard immediately pulled her attention away from her current predicament and back to group on stage. The man adorned with the Goreth crown was none other than Master Helios! It was as unbelievable as it was unquestionable! His face might have looked slightly different but the voice was undeniably his! Aliss fell into a stunned daze as she watched her duplicate older self step in front of Lord Roshan’s killing blow and fight him back. “NOOO!!! What are you doing!!! NOOO!!!” she screamed in a blood curdling crescendo as she watched the two fight on. Terror consumed Aliss’ heart as she charged the warriors blocking her way only to be easily beaten back and disarmed. Kicked to the ground, Aliss could feel her body trembling. Her muscles locked up. Her legs went limp. What is happening?! Why is this happening?! Somebody please make this stop!!! “Soulless! Sirena! Somebody! Help!!! Please!” she wailed at the top of her lungs. Looking back up as she caught her breath, Aliss noticed that the fighting had, indeed, stopped. From her view, She saw that her fraudulent older self was standing in front of Roshan and they both were paused, locked in a moment in time. Somebody had just struck the killing blow; she could feel it. But Aliss couldn’t see who actually had landed it with Roshan’s large figure obstructing her view. For a moment, her heart leapt with joy. Lord Roshan had surely saved the day! But her joy was immediately crushed when she noticed the hole in the back of Lord Roshan’s cape as a chilling gust of wind rolled across the white marble stage. As Roshan dropped to one knee, Aliss could see the woman smirk. Her lightsaber was turned off but it was clear that in Aliss’ moment of distraction and desperating, the vile woman had pierced her lord. Aliss cried out to her teacher, the Cathar that had been her father figure of over a decade. “Roshan! Please. Get up! Save, mom! Please! I need you! We need you!” Lord Roshan’s head swiveled just enough to stare into Aliss’ eye as he held his hand over the hole in his sternum. The Aliss imposter grinned with malicious intent as she looked at the dying beast and then to Master Helios. The master grinned contently and nodded back. “Finish him.” Before Aliss even knew what was happening, the imposter’s lightsaber reignited and chopped with a rapid flick of the doppelganger's wrist. Roshan’s severed head sailed through the air, bouncing towards Aliss and coming to rest beside her. The eyes of his half shattered mask stared up at her lifelessly. The girl screamed in horror but failed to audibly put the horror into words. Fighting with all her might, she got her wobbly legs to move and somehow returned to a standing position. Meanwhile, Master Helios handed the torch to the Aliss simulacrum. He then stepped aside and clapped his hands twice. “You know what to do. Finish it.” The entire battle -- everything -- suddenly stood still. Silence fell upon the whole valley as if all eyes had now turned their attention to the stage. The girl’s pupils grew wide with horror as she watched the fraud inhabiting her future self release the flaming piece of wood above the pile of kindling at her mother’s feet. It seemed to fall in slow motion as Aliss stumbled towards the stage only to be met by one of the Goreth lightsaber wielders and kicked back. She stumbled back and landed on her rear but never took her eyes off her mother. Her older facsimile gleefully watched the girl the entire time, catching the stick only inches away from the ground. With tears streaming down Aliss’ face, she couldn’t even form the words “thank you” as her duplicate tossed the torch a few feet away from where the girl now sat. But even as Aliss struggled to get to her feet one final time, the girl could see that something was off with the way the doppelganger turned to smile at her mother. It was in that second that she knew what the monster was about to do, even before she did it. A brilliant conflagration of red flowed from the simulacrum’s outstretched hand, hitting her mother’s clothing and causing the woman’s whole body to burst into a giant fireball of flames. Spine-chilling screams that came from her mouth’s throat as the fire rapidly burned through her body ignited something primal and vicious in the girl’s heart. She didn’t know what she was doing or how she was doing it, but she was moving so superhumanly fast that even the warriors with lightsabers could not keep up with her. And almost as if in the blink of an eye, Aliss found herself now standing on the stage with a row of dead foes face down in the dirt behind her. Her mother’s murderer grinned at Aliss, Rose Morra Kiss already well charred at this point. Master Helios nowhere to be found. It was just the two of them now. “You will pay for that!” Aliss roared, laboring to breathe between each frown. “You don’t get it, do you? Your mother? That Cathar? They are nothing but fools who have led you astray and wasted your lineage. You are home, little one.” Enraged, Aliss charged the woman and she roared in reply, “Kark you, Witch! You can take your lineage and go to--” As Aliss swung at the woman she poofed into a cloud of smoke, causing Aliss to pause mid-sentence and look around in momentary confusion. Of course, her confusion didn’t last long as she suddenly felt the piercing hot blade of a lightsaber sticking out of her chest. Aliss felt reflexively like a cough was coming on, but she choked and gagged instead. The girl could hear the sound of the lightsaber powering off as she, herself, fell to her knees holding her chest. Aliss could feel the breath of the woman as the witch whispered in her ear, “The rage within your heart cannot be denied any more than the red that adorns your skin or the lineage that flows through your veins. You are born of the darkside. And all that deny this of you must suffer. Only when you will sacrifice everything for power... will you have the power to save everything you love.” As the woman stepped back, Aliss could feel the pressure bunch in her knees as she fell backwards with a gentle thump. Her body felt listless, the last bits of life force slipping from her grasp like sand in an hourglass. But as the girl looked up towards the brilliant sky above in her final moments, the face staring down at her was not that of her older self but that of Lady Sirena. And then Aliss woke up. ___
  25. "You're to mark yourselves and lay down, you especially Solus as you have to mark the Shard within your true form. And don't worry about the paralysis. I placed Shrill Shrooms in for safety reasons." The girl looked upward to Roshan, reading his reaction. He only nodded at Aliss in response. They would play along. He was rather intrigued. They would allow the lady the amusement of her games. It was a small price to pay for progress. "Only I will see what you will. This is the price of my training." "Very well. Although I should warn you, I think your overconfidence in your Sith Alchemy will betray you in the case of Soulless. I am willing to bet that Shards have much more in common with droids than they do organics. Your "potion" will likely have about as much effect on Soulless as it would a protocol droid. If you seek to see inside its mind for your entertainment, you'll likely need to accompany Soulless into a place much more dark and dangerous and teaming with the energies of the darkside... if, of course, you are brave enough to follow him down that path in pursuit of your own amusement..." As Roshan spoke, Aliss dipped her hand into the cauldron and tasted the concoction with the tip of her tongue. She winced and spit as the bitterness pricked her tastebuds. Stepping back, she rubbed some of the "poison" on the sides of her face before taking a seat and leaning back. Her body had already began to feel tingly all over. She remained unsure of the wisdom of going along with this experiment but she trusted Roshan to know what they were doing and she did want to receive her training. Meanwhile, Roshan traced his fingers across the surface of the goop as he waited for the Sith Master's response. It didn't matter much to him what she had to say about Solus. She could believe she knew what she was doing all she wanted. He was confident she was wrong. This wasn't a matter of Sith Alchemy. It was a matter of simple chemistry. Just because it was "alive" didn't mean it was organic, much less that it could be poisoned by any stretch of the imagination. And admittedly, Roshan felt a slight tinge of pleasure at the thought of seeing her fail. Her sin was not lust. In fact, lust was not a sin at all. It was a virtue that had undoubtedly helped her reach the rank of master. No, her sin was overconfidence. The fine line between useful lust and harmful overconfidence was most likely what had cost the woman at least one arm already. One day it would likely cost her her life. But not today. This was their turn to be in the spotlight. As Roshan slid his finger tips across his face in a warpaint-esque pattern, he pivoted the conversation to something else that was on his mind, "So this goop. What can we expect? A vision quest? Fears? Monsters? Dead loved ones? 'Whatever we bring with us'? I'm not opposed to walking into things blind, but if we are going to willingly play your games, a hint shouldn't disrupt your process that much, should it, Lady Sirena?" ____ &
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