Solus

After so much waiting, filled with pacing and occasional groaning, Solus began to get fed up. “What in the Force’s name is taking them so long?” Solus griped as he turned around for the 100th time to pace the room further. “My message was perfect, was it not? It was succinct, it spoke of desperation, and it had the perfect lure!” In his slow rantings to himself, his grip over his Madness loosened, and several eyes began to form in the crevices of the walls. Somewhere, an gurgle came from the shadows. “Oh no, I made sure everyone could hear it…” Solus replied to the gurgle, as if he understood. “From what I know, the Jedi are always rushing into the rescue. And the Imperials will want a stable government so they don’t have to commit forces here long term! So why is nobody here!” Solus glanced at the equipment that was used to send the recording. “Perhaps I need to resend another message to…” A blaster shot interrupted Solus’ thought. From the ground, a Falleen soldier had just recovered from his wounds, and overhearing the Shard’s plot, sought to prevent the plan from succeeding. Unable to hit the Shard, he did the next best thing and destroyed the control panel. Three shots rang out before Solus even registered what was happening. “You stupid kriffing idiot!” Solus shouted as he reached out with the Force and pulled the blaster out of the Falleen’s hand. “You are the dumbest piece of rusted scrap to ever walk the planet! Why you little…” Solus walked over and placed a metal foot on the Falleen’s chest. Unable to talk much, the Falleen only spat out some spit and blood at the Shard. Solus didn’t outwardly react, only gripping his hands into fists as he stared the Falleen down. “Well, at least you are providing something useful to me…” Solus sighed. Holding up his hand, he revealed the Scomp-link in his finger. “Maybe you have some info on your compatriots, hmmm? Nah, I doubt that. But at the very least I’ll get to enjoy your pain…” From inside the control room for the communications array, screaming could be heard. ______ Shortly afterwards, Solus was rushing towards the central palace. In the time since he had sent out the first message, the Linnorms had completed their goals of going underground and committing to guerilla warfare. The evidence of dead bodies, scorched buildings and destroyed utilities certainly were proof of that. Standing before the palace, Solus saw smoke coming from several of its towers. The Falleen forces had begun their own attacks inside in preparation for the Imperial forces, and the palace was still the icon of the people. From the looks of it, Falleen forces were already inside and dealing with the Linnorms. “Hmmm…it is so tempting to hunt everyone…” Solus thought out loud. “To commit death on a scale to please the Fanged one himself. But…I have a different mission. Killing is not the main goal. Stealth first, then…we shall see, yes?” The Madness gurgled at the Shard’s reasoning. With that acceptance, Solus charged forward. Utilizing abilities of the Force and his own training, Solus became a blur of a droid. While using the ability of Force speed was a given, so too did the Shard have to utilize the shadows, sensor blindspots and Force Flash for areas with no blindspots, acrobatics, distractions via moving objects and creating noises, and even playing dead once as a group of Falleen militia. Much to his pleasure, his efforts were rewarded with no one noticing the Shard. Neither Linnorm nor Falleen took notice of the blurry droid with a cape and music instrument. But all the while, Solus had to deal with the Madness. “Yes, yes, soon soon…” Solus told himself as he ran down a set of stairs towards the basement where the records were kept. “I promise I will kill someone after I… The Madness growled into Solus’ ear, a hint of maliciousness aimed at the Shard. Solus threw his arms up. “Gah! Of course, I’ll drive someone towards insanity, my apologies oh vile one. Just…let me…” Solus stopped halfway down the stairs as he gripped his head where his Shard form laid. The Madness inside was growing restless with the Shard, and was eager to spread and expand. Solus needed to appease it soon, or its images would plague him without mercy. Even with his training, he could not restrain the Madness forever. “There!” Solus heard a cry. At the bottom of the stairs, a Linnorm appeared. Dressed in raggety cultist robes and clutching a bleeding wound at his side, the Linnorm had seen better days. “Thank the Fanged one you’re here…” the Linnorm gasped as he made his way upwards towards Solus. “Our numbers are unable to maintain the Palace for long. But perhaps with you…” Solus didn’t hear anything the Linnorm said. He was too focused on the Madness inside. “Atlach-Nacha '' Solus said out loud as he raised a hand towards the Linnorm. The Linnorm stopped and looked at the shard in confusion. “My lord?” “Em ni esoht hsinab ot dna etubirt ni eno siht tae. gneL ni rellewd , Atlach-Nacha. This be my ritual…” Solus continued. The Force around him shivered slightly as the Impossible Geometries opened up. The vile dark shapes that plagued Solus’ form in the Geometries slid out on ethereal winds. With focus, Solus pushed the Madness towards the Linnorm. The Linnorm’s eyes widened as he witnessed Madness take shape. Before him, a new thing had formed. Numerous hairy, jointed legs stretched across the stairs propping the massive carapace in the air. From its twin abdomens protruded large stingers that dripped ethereal poison to the ground. On its front was a humanoid large face, looking strangely baby-like, save its numerous eyes and maw of teeth. The Linnorm screamed as the thing descended on him. Solus kept his sensors focused on the poor soul, knowing that if he broke vision, the ritual of the Wyyrlok would be broken as well. He had given life to a hallucination, and now that the Linnorm, weak minded as he was, believed it, everything the hallucination did was real to him. Solus finally broke his concentration and stepped over the twitching body. Blood dribbled from its nose and eyes, and its mouth opened and closed noiselessly. The Madness had infected this soul, and in time, would kill him. “Not bad…not bad…” Solus chimed to himself as he left the body behind, the Madness returning to him in full. The gurgling was less vicious now, and more constrained. It would not hunger for a while now. At least, long enough for Solus to find the data room and erase everything inside. “Pity that my master couldn’t have seen that. Or that it had to be one of my own. Oh well. Now, time for those plans…”

“Cut, cut, slice, slice, dice and decapitate!” Solus sang as he narrated each of his actions. Legs and arms came off with each swing as Solus ducked and weaved through the rooms. Truth be told, there wasn’t as much violence as he sang. The Militia were already turning and running before the Shard could reach them. It must have been an odd sight: Falleen soldiers running from what looked like an analysis droid with a lightsaber. Once the communications array was cleared of enemies, Solus got to work. Technology wasn’t anything new to the being who literally wore a robotic suit. Linnorm passcodes still worked, frequencies never changed, and commands had been memorized long ago. Pretty soon, Solus was ready to send a message out on Linnorm Frequencies. “Lets see, which code applies here…” Solus scratched at an imaginary chin. Beside him on the console, a hallucination formed of a spider with numerous mouths crawled up, and began to growl. Leathery wings began to unfold around it, and the room, at least to Solus, darkened. “Ah! So true! Haha, yes, I know the perfect code!” Solus laughed and typed in the message. ATTENTION: CODE F4409 THE ASSASSIN GROWLS SOFTLY UNDER THE NIGHT’S . DEATH REMEMBERS ALL. The Code was short, but simple….for a Linnorm. The Code had its own meaning, but the phrase spoke levels. For those in the know, it meant to kill quietly and commit guerrilla warfare instead of open battle, preferably underground. However, the message also included to inflict maximum casualties when possible. “Now…time for the palace, yes?” Solus looked at the hallucination on the console. Instead of agreeing like Solus expected, the thing hissed and growled further. Surprised, Solus placed his hands on his hips adjusted his sensors like the glasses he pretended they were. The thing continued to hiss and growl at the Shard, its wings trembling and expanding. After a few moments, Solus slapped his face and groaned, a vibration of sound over the sudden clang. “Gah, you are right! With those idiots getting away, they will suspect any droid entering, or even inside! My work has just gotten 10 times harder! Raaaagh!” Solus reached out with the force and picked up several of the bodies he had taken care of and began to throw them around. Sparks began to fly as each body hit a machine randomly, or as a body part tore off. As Solus gave into his baser instincts, the thing on the console continued to surge and grow, more mouths forming and wings expanding to ridiculous proportions. After a few moments of this, the thing on the console gave a shriek, forcing Solus to stop and listen. “What do you mean the Jedi?!? How are the Jedi supposed to…” Solus stopped as he realized what his Madness was telling him. Looking over the dead bodies, Solus began to laugh. “Oh yes! I am so brilliant! Yes! Haha!” After some work, Solus donned his new, albeit slightly bloody, makeshift cape taken from one of the militia. While not official, the cape did help Solus feel more ‘royal’, and allowed him to hide his lightsaber effectively. Kriff, Solus believed he even looked slightly more regal, if a bit beaten up, but that was to be expected during a battle. “Now…to send a holo-message…” Solus stated as he activated the communicator, this time on all known Imperial frequencies. “Attention! Imperial Forces! I am S-115, servant of the Royal family! I have important information on the Royal Prince, heir to the throne! Please come to me immediately, as the prince’s life is in danger!.” Solus paused for a moment, and then added. “Help me, Jedi! You’re my only hope!” With that, Solus cut off the message. If the Jedi and the other Imperial Forces were about setting up a stable government as they appeared, they would take notice of Solus’ message. Hopefully a Jedi or several would be lured and help him get into the palace, dealing with the Falleen forces in the way. True, he had no idea where the royal prince was, but nobody else knew that either. As far as anyone was concerned, the King was burned at the stake, and the prince was being brainwashed into the perfect Linnorm, as was tradition. "Now...control..." Solus chanted to himself. "After all, in order to really sell this, if the Jedi detect the Force on me, they will know something is wrong, yes? So control...control..." Solus focused on the Impossible Geometries. The lines of envy needed to be called back, the clouds of red anger needed to be maintained. Despite the teachings he had grown accustomed to, he knew he needed to restrain his emotions to deceive the Imperials. The Spider-like thing that was Solus' hallucination slowly evaporated into nothingness. The Madness that was inside Solus became quiet, staying perfectly still. This would be a challenge to say the least. But for Solus, this was a perfect test of his skills.

As the ship and several other shuttles broke out of hyperspace over the world of Falleen, the Linnorms inside were still singing alongside Solus’ chantings and songs. Death, blood, and violence were extreme themes in each one, and Solus had taken to the role of choirmaster in it all. Even with his vocoder unable to perfectly emulate the emotions all organics could, his spirit could be felt with each word. And even as the shuttle rocked back and forth avoiding the fire from the enemy ships, the Linnorms kept singing. The Madness that burbled in his brain even began to leak out of his Shard, black ichor dripping along his chassis only to vanish before hitting the floor. Slight tendrils tried to pry apart the pieces of metal, looking for an escape, and little eyes peered from behind solus’ sensors. As the music continued to play, the Madness continued to grow and gurgle at the noises. Only the Linnorm’s excitement of the music prevented them from seeing it. However, when the pilot mentioned they were entering the atmosphere, Solus stopped his playing. Instantly the Madness vanished from sight, as if it never existed. Solus himself appeared to have not noticed its existence as he called to the pilot. “Turn off all lights and open the door as close to the Communication Network as possible!” Solus commanded. He turned towards his master and explained himself. “I figure it would be better if we separated right away. Your lessons back on the warship dealing with those Acklay still resonate with me, and the Temple’s teachings encourage me to ‘lose the rules of gravity’, so I see no reason for us to stop yet…” The shuttle door’s began to open up, and a deafening roar of wind made everyone freeze momentarily. Everyone save for the Shard. “You will not regret placing this trust in me, my glorious master!” Solus shouted over the wind, and without hesitation, he leapt out of the shuttle. After a moment of descent and laughter, Solus’ envy flared itself again as he tumbled down through the night air. Not at the fact that everyone else was flying in a ship and he was literally falling. He wanted to do it this way. But the fact that he couldn’t feel the wind’s bite on his chassis, nor the moisture in the air, like every other organic could…this made his sin grow. And Solus knew this Envy was what he needed. As the ground approached rapidly, Solus threw out his arms and willed the Impossible Geometries to obey. The idea wasn’t to force the ground to move for him however. The idea was to slow his fall. A properly focused force push would help with it. Solus noticed how his body suddenly slowed slightly after the push. Again Solus pushed, and tucked in his legs for a roll. Hitting the ground, Solus moved forward and slowed to a stop, sitting on the empty street. The Shard adjusted his sensors as he watched the shuttle that held his master fly away. “Hoohoo! What fun! Oh what fun indeed. Now for my mission…lets see…” Solus focused on his memories. The last time he was here, he had literally drained the memories from the would-be assassin and nephew of Falleen royalty, Bel Xatuun. There was a lot of memories there to siphon through, and while Solus had lost a great deal of them over time, there were still several that were of use. “Alright, theres the Palace in that direction…” Solus pointed in one direction as he began to calculate. “And there are secret entrances according to the….5 sacred marks of the King. yes, that makes sense. But first, the communication network, which is in…this direction…” Solus turned and faced the opposite direction. Directly ahead, several towers and dishes were silhouetted in the black sky. Without waiting, Solus broke into a sprint. He had to hurry. It was possible that the Imperials would outright bomb the network, and damn the consequences. The central building that housed the network was locked, but the clan’s passwords thankfully still worked. As the door slid open, Solus hoped this portion of his mission would be easy so he could move onto his more important ta- The Impossible Geometries turned into a dangerous yellow. Solus drew his blade as two laser bolts shot towards him. Inside, several Falleen militia had taken control of the building and opened fire on the intruder, bodies at their feet. Solus sighed after he ducked under one bolt and blocked another. It seemed that the Falleen species were already rebelling against the Clan, having seen the Imperial Forces' arrival. With their king dead and burned at the stake, they were itching to take back their planet from Clan Brasganu. “Well this got more fun!” Solus laughed as he charged into the room, Apostae and the Madness eager for blood.

Solus gave a salute to his master and happily proclaimed “Yes my Lord!” at the task given to him. Finally, a chance to show his actual skills and to be shown the respect he, the great Solus, the Dragon, deserved. Not to mention it would be an opportunity for his own Madness to grow. The Madness that dwelled thrived in chaos and abandonment, and what was more wild then destruction and battle? Where a wound was possible, the Madness could grow in both Solus and in others. Though, Solus had another reason for being so happy. To be told that he was right by his own master, who had so tortured him over and over for speaking out of turn or doing something odd, was ecstasy. While Solus’ sin was envy, his father’s was pride, and he inherited a portion of it from Roshan. And it was very tempting to let his pride take over. However, solus resisted for the moment. He turned to Innmortos and bowed. “I bid thee farewell, man of frost! May your reign on this dead world be as stable as when it was alive!” And to Dictim, “Good luck blind one. Perhaps next we meet we can exchange notes on our paths into the darkness…” And finally to Bernon, Solus stayed silent for a few moments before saying “Good luck corpsewalker. If you still possess your own body when we meet, then you will impress me.” With that Solus turned and led the way back down the mountain It certainly was easier going down then up. Once at the bottom, Solus met with the other Linnorms on the planet and gestured towards the ship. “Lets move you maniacs! We have a world to full of imperial scum that need to die!” At this, the Linnorms gave out a cheer. Solus chuckled to himself as the ship, filled with Linnorms and Akheron, took off and made preparations for hyperspace. As they did, Solus pulled his instrument and began to play a Bragsanu song. A more sacred one, but one that would get the spirits far more alive for the group. Even as the ship broke hyperspace, the Linnorms were already singing along with the Shard, excited for the possibility of blood and death. “Stand up faster! Forever! Faster than the flame! Make disaster! Together! Disaster within pain! For tonight we’re going wild, as we let loose Golden Child Rolling faster, faster, faster than the flame!”

Solus was deeply impressed with Innmortos’ ability to come back from the dead. The new vessel he had chosen was terrifying in its own right, not to mention the waves of cold freezing the impossible geometries around it. The shapes didn’t just become sluggish; some even stopped altogether. For a moment, the lines of envy in Solus faltered as they changed to awe, causing his body to freeze for a moment. But they quickly shifted back, Solus feeling envious of the powers Inmortos had gained. Shouldn’t those powers be his? In time he would. He just needed to be patient for now. “Man of frost, you’ve done much to avoid the title 'Man of Wax'! Truly deserving songs of both ice and fire” Solus commented, conjuring his own emotions to overcome his awe. “Though your thoughts may be frozen as well necromancer, for we already have a base and a growing cult on Falleen, and would not my master’s home world be more suited to the purpose of training the Fanged one’s chosen? Korriban is a place of rage and darkness after all. Unless of course, you know something I don't…” Solus stopped and adjusted his sensors like a pair of glasses on a scholar’s nose as a thought struck him. “Then again, the mad beast we created like some hag’s coven will still be of interest to all of us. No doubt, those of Spider’s Temple would be interested in it. The thing’s soul was birthed from my mind, which in turn was called by the Great Spider. Yes, yes... I would love to be close to my child that I helped sire. All children should remember their fathers after all.”

When the lighting struck and outright killed the Linnorm, Solus stopped his playing, recognizing the situation he was in. “Perhaps music can wait for another time…” Solus commented as he put his Valachord onto his back. While his chassis helped prevent any nervous shaking, he had to admit that there was a quiver of fear in the Force. Not a great one that would be noticeable, but enough of one to get the Shard to silence for a moment. He glanced at @Bernon Mrrgwharr, and in his slightly frayed nerves, made a joke. “Perhaps your master did not approve of that one, and will use you as his next vessel? Heh, I doubt that however. No doubt he is just wanting to show off his powers and to get us to pay him some more respect. Of course, I hold nothing but respect for the necromancer. Control over the dead is no doubt a difficult skill.” As the group continued, Solus seemed to excel in the current conditions. The heavy winds struggled to knock over his heavier, denser body of metal and wires, and when the gusts did become strong enough to actually force him to react, he did so quickly, the benefit of having a smaller body. However, the flashes of lightning made Solus keep an eye on the sky. Only recently did he hear the idea of ‘ionization’ weapons, and he had no desire to come close to such a thing. In his mind, lightning and ion weapons were closely related. However, as more progress was made, Solus began to slow down. The dropping temperature began to play on his more delicate systems, something he began to note out loud. “Remind me in the future to upgrade my lubricant processors. And to perhaps replace my core battery unit. Something with a bit more charge.This thing does have its advantages though. I am surprised that you beings can do so well without metal boots, hehe. These chills are making my discharge rate go beyond comfort though. You organics have it slightly easier. Yes, easier, with your insulated bodies and warm liquid blood. Oh how I envy you, you lucky, lucky beings. You don’t know what it is like, no you don’t. To be trapped in the confines of helplessness. To exist in this world of worlds for so long, and to not know the horrors I have seen. No, you beings are way too lucky for your own good, yes yes yes.. ” As Solus trailed off in his envy, any Force User would notice something about the Shard. Instead of slowing down, he began to move faster and quicker. There were even moments when the Shard seemed to take 20 steps in the time he should’ve only taken two. The Dark Side began to swirl around the Shard and move into his wires and joints, speeding up the energy and momentum. Whether Solus was accessing Force Speed consciously or not was debatable, but it seemed his envy was aiding where his chassis was failing in the bitter temperatures. When the group made to the throne room, Solus quieted himself, but his envy continued to swirl around and through him, its energy flowing through him still, keeping him warmer than his central battery could.

"The Code of the Sith is meaningless on it's own...It's meant to guide you to a singular truth and the freedom it brings: follow your own. Let your passions be your guide. But it doesn't guide one into the Darkness....No. The Darkness is something you find on your own." Solus’ voice box chuckled loudly at the being’s words. “How amusing it is to hear your words of wisdom! But I must disagree with a concept of yours, for you sell the Dark Side short. In my experience, the Darkness will find you, one way or another. All hear its call, but some more than others, like us. However, we have made the choice to listen to its words and embrace its core essences. That is a concept of the Temple of the Spider, and one I now believe in. But don’t worry blind one, their teachings are secret to most.” Having said this and left to his own devices, Solus continued to follow the group. However, a moment of inspiration was beginning to strike him. The Madness gurgled at the edges of his sanity, speaking disgusting words. The Force around him momentarily trembled. The Dark Side resonated with him as well the planet’s own essence. Unable to resist, Solus pulled the modified Valachord and began to play its strings. “On lost planet of Aaris III An empty grave we’ve come to see That poor soul has made its way… With mists most thick with souls aflame We soon begin to call his name Hurry, hurry, we can’t delay! Innmortos, Innmortos, arise, arise We still await your final demise!” Solus chuckled to himself as he continued playing his song that simultaneously praised the necromancer’s abilities while mocking them. He recognized that the necromancer had power. There was no argument about that. But as a Sith and a rival, Solus would never pass up an opportunity to put the undead thing in its inevitable place: beneath him.

Solus stepped off the ship with a sign from his vocoder. Though he held no nerve tissues to feel the air of Aaris III, his abilities in the Force gave him all the senses he needed to feel the planet’s unique aura. It reeked of death and blood. The cataclysm that had been known as Innmortos’ baptism of blood still hung in the air like a miasma. The shapes in the Impossible Geometries still spun more sluggishly here, and congealed and separated more slowly then that of Naboo. Upon reflection however, Solus realized there was also a tint to the Impossible Geometries. That substance that he identified as the Madness still lingered here, ever so subtly. With focus and determination, Solus believed he could follow it back to its source, the beast that his master and he had helped create. Chaos above, Solus wondered what the Temple thought of this place, being the birthplace of where Solus first touched the Madness of the Kathol Rift. "Darth Akheron, does this mighty order have a Code of some sort, one that I should memorize?" Solus was shaken from his focus at the new apprentice words, and without thinking, he interjected @Bernon Mrrgwharr. “Allow me to help with that, fellow conduit. The code of the Sith is as ancient as it is enlightening. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.” Solus paused for a moment and added, “Of course, what that will mean to you will be different from other Sith, as I have been told. I have interpreted it as to be unrestricted in both passion and imagination. Through unrestricted passion, I am discovering unrestricted power. Through unrestricted imagination, I have discovered unrestricted insight. But I wonder if that is what Innmortos believes.” Solus looked to Akheron for approval of his words. While he still held a slight grudge towards his master at the moment, he did realize that his teachings still held merit for the Shard and thus, this new apprentice. “Of course, blind one, I am curious on your interpretation of the Sith Code” Solus aimed towards @Lord Ōk Rägnär. “Tell us, what insights have you been granted into the ways of the Dark?”

For a moment, a wave of hatred came off Solus in the Force. However it was only for a moment, as a wave of mutating madness rippled on the Impossible Geometries. The things that had latched onto the spirits had returned to Solus’ mind, and in the process, brought something to him. “Oh shush shush, yes I understand, but now is not the time.” Solus started to coo as his hand went up to his opposing shoulder to stroke something not there. “Yes, yes, darkness comes in many forms, but for now I listen to master. ” If Solus was trying to be secretive about what he was saying, he certainly wasn’t trying very hard. He was loud enough for everyone to hear. Solus glanced towards the newest apprentice @Bernon Mrrgwharr. “Oh that's right, you can’t see it. I forget that I am the only one here trained in something more…exotic. Here, new one, let me enlighten you…” For a moment, Solus focused on the Madness inside of him and directed it. His lessons at the Temple already started to bear fruit, as the hallucination was now being given an ounce of life. A step towards performing the Ritual of the Wyyrlok, this ability held no malice. Solus only wanted to let the new apprentice see what Solus saw. To Bernon and only Bernon, if he chose to not strongly resist, he would see the thing on Solus’ shoulder. The Rat-like thing was almost hairless, its skin covered in warts and glowing pustules. Its tail splitted into several ends, wrapping tightly around the Shard’s chassis so its hands could scratch its head. Instead of a face with teeth, under its 5 glowing blue eyes was a mass of tendrils, with a singular human finger poking out, being chewed upon. “Isn’t it amazing how many times a master can fail and yet remain a master? What wonders will they show in failure I wonder?” the thing asked as it devoured the finger. “Alright, back home you go…” Solus ordered, not breaking his gaze or focus from Bernon. The thing, under Solus’ command, quickly swallowed the finger and climbed onto Solus’ head. Once atop, it seemed to squeeze and shift its body as it moved unnaturally through the cracks of the chassis. Once it got inside completely and out of view, Solus looked away, the ritual complete. “Come, come, let's not keep my master waiting.” Solus turned and began to follow his master. “Hopefully Falleen will be alright without my attention.”

Solus almost clapped at the final demonstration of power Calypso did at her victory, While he hated the fact that the necromancer had not done more damage to the now Empress, he rejoiced in the fact that the Necromancer was once again bested. No doubt he would regenerate on his own on some far flung world, or even back on that blasted heath of Aaris III. True, it meant that Solus would have to endure the Necromancer’s words of annoyance further, but that also meant that the opportunity to kill the necromancer permanently was still in Solus’ future. His master’s words to the no-doubt lost apprentice confirmed his thoughts. Once rejoined with him, Solus bowed before Calypso as well, and offered his own confirmation of servitude. “Great Ladyship, forged from a time forgotten, may your goals and the goals of the Spider always align. And when they don’t, may our passions make us both stronger still!” Solus suddenly had an idea come to his head. This situation presented an opportunity, if played correctly. Solus turned to his master once done with his pledge. “Master, a thought…” Solus chided in, while gesturing to . “This apprentice’s master once gifted me the opportunity of blood and learning. Why not gift him one as well? Teach him one of your enlightening lessons on Aaris III with his master’s approval, and in the mean time, allow me, your newly humbled apprentice, to regroup and rejoin some of our forces. I do recall a certain assassination plot on Faleen that might require some further investigation. Our people may require someone like the Dragon to establish some order among the ranks."

When the spirits attacked, and his master gave the order, Solus at first froze in thought. Exactly what was his master expecting him to do to the ethereal? What would be something that he could do that wouldn’t be better then a lighted blade? Solus didn’t get much chance to think, as several spirits rushed at the Shard. Despite holding a robotic chassis, the things could sense the life within. Much like Tear when they first met, the spirits knew where Solus’ ‘heart’ was. Solus first ducked under the first spirit that charged, and rolled out of the way of another. On all fours, Solus barreled through the snow and the spirits clawed and snapped at his heels. “Come on, think think think…” Solus stated to himself as he stopped and suddenly jumped upwards, dodging over another barrage from the ghosts. Much to his surprise, his training at the Temple of the Spider was already paying off. His training of ‘losing’ the rules of the galaxy had helped him learn the importance and skill of dodging and moving. But it was a temporary solution. The spirits didn’t tire. They didn’t exhaust themselves. They were lifeless things focused on nothing but death of everything around them. Solus gave a glace towards the battle between Inmortos and Calypso. Solus memory flashed to the planet the necromancer had so easily let die. All those people that he chose to eliminate for no reason. All those under his command, like these spirits. The Impossible Geometries around Solus shuddered. Solus faced the attacking spirits and opened his hands at the charging things. The clouds of rage in the Geometries swirled around the attackers. The lines of envy dashed and began to bind themselves. The spirits rammed themselves into the Shard, but never touched him. Pushed back several feet, Solus slid but kept his digits focused on the now ball of death before him. Ethereal skulls snapped and bit out at the shard, claws swiped and clawed, but could not reach him. “Not fair, these should be mine! I should have these, not him!” Solus declared. The lines of envy tightened. The spirits squirmed in pain. The thing in Solus burbled excitedly. Solus, without losing his concentration, opened the scomp link in his hand and thrust it into the ball of death. In the Impossible Geometries, the lines of envy shuddered and opened up where the Scomp link entered. Like a syringe inserting medicine into a patient, so did the scomp link insert the Madness. Its gory, pussy, blubbering glory quickly squirmed and wriggled into the chaotic shapes that were the spirits and began to spread amongst them. Solus released and sent the spirits hurtling. The ghosts crashed and squirmed around on the ground, clawing at themselves like men with horrifying migraines. Inside them, the Madness infected the three spirits like a rabid virus, feeding on the Force that connected them to this realm. Solus had recalled one of the stories that the Temple of Spider adored. They called it 'that Between the Force'. Here, Solus had pulled an idea from the story and inserted his own version into the spirits. Their ethereal gaseous heads began to leak bulbous, wax-like flesh, shining with an almost radioactive glow. With their connection to the Force now tainted and corroded, the spirits couldn’t see or act normally.  They saw everything in a different manner. Anything that moved for them was alive. And being the undead things they were, they needed to kill it. Including each other. Solus began to laugh heartily as the three spirits began to fight amongst themselves. As quickly as they turned on each other, they then separated and began to attack the other, unaffected spirits around them. Ghosts fighting ghosts, they had completely forgotten about the Shard that had affected them. “Oh that is much more fitting!” Solus laughed. “See master? See how I, the great and ascended Solus, don’t need to kill? I am too great for these peons! I make them kill each other!”

If Solus could have rolled his eyes, he would have. If the Shard’s chassis was capable of giving a glare he would have. However, instead he was restricted to giving his master a look as the words fell. “I haven’t made a mistake, master. I simply haven’t discovered as much as I needed to know. Besides, I have already learned much from the consequences. As well as these two combatants. Behold! They both fear the same thing every mortal fears. The Fanged God.” “Well, maybe not him specifically, but they certainly fear Death.” Solus corrected himself, shrugging slightly. “Look at Calypso. She was frozen and restrained for countless centuries, and when she awakes, she finds nothing the same. So her very first desire?” Solus gestured to the battle. “Become Lord of the Sith. Establish herself as something grand. Become immortal, like the Spider and Empress before her, and establish what she hopes is an eternal, chaotic rule over the galaxy. Have to admit, galactic chaos has beauty to it, but I wonder how long that may last?“ Solus knew that this information was a stretch, relying on what he gathered so far. He could have been wrong, but even as the words left his voicebox, he felt like they were true, and thus, he believed it to be true. The Madness in some corner of his mind gurgled in approval. “And for the necromancer… well…” Solus pretended to scratch an invisible chin, pretending to be in thought. In truth, he was wondering how well he could annoy Innmortos’ newest apprentice. “His motives are less-than-subtle. I mean, what kind of mad-man seeks control over death? He has to prove his control by sacrificing his body over and over, just to show the galaxy he can come back. Even I, a lowly apprentice, killed him once. Makes one wonder what state of mind he has to be in to make decisions like ruling the Sith…” Solus then glanced upwards and at @Bernon Mrrgwharr and held up his hands in a tauntingly apprehension. “Not that I doubt he chose well in wishing to train you, oh young one! Surely he must still be sane enough to see raw talent! Perhaps when he falls here, you will be allowed to see his corpse return to life, something none of us have seen”

Solus’ voicebox screeched its ear-piercing screech as the crystalline being inside the chassis was slowly crushed. Like a human having their brain crushed, so did Solus have his. The pain experienced by the Shard was beyond description. The Impossible geometries shuddered around him, twisting and conjointing into newer, uglier forms, with their sharp contrasting colors simultaneously intensifying while muddling together. It was in this moment, where thought could not exist, did the thing inside feel its restraints loosen. Even as Solus fell to his knees gripping his head, the thing burpled and reached out. Nothing more than a figment in the Force made visible, its tendrils and legs reached out and pulled itself on empty air, until several unblinking, bulbous eyes revealed themselves on top of mandibles and fangs. Vaguely spiderlike, the thing hissed at the world around, until the Force Crush stopped. Then, it simply wasn’t there, as if it had never existed. Solus, picked himself up, and didn’t look up at his master. His hatred refused to allow him to do so. Instead, he kept his head down and simply stated “Yes master” and turned away. At the start of the duel, Solus did not perk up visually, when in actuality he was pleased. To have Innmortos, even in his newer, younger form, challenge Calypso presented a win-win situation. If he won, Calypso would be humiliated and brought low, taking attention off the Shard’s failure. If Calypso won, well, Solus greatly desired to see the necromancer fail over and over.

Calypso’s words struck several very specific chords within the Shard. A person who technically was older than they looked, claiming a new birthright. A rage at how things had not changed. And most of the declaration of the Sith being gods. Solus’ own visions before his ascension led him to declare Jedi and Sith to be deities in their own right. And here, this new claimant of the title of Lord of the Sith, echoed the words that he had spoken once. Solus even felt giddy at the lady’s end goal. While he doubted her on Coruscant when she was resurrected, here his soul wanted to sing. Her declaration of plunging the galaxy into pure, unbridled chaos, where strong ruled the weak, appealed to every fiber of his being. He could foresee the Fanged God’s final meal take place in the state she desired. The end of all life ever. The annihilation of existence. Solus’ blade twitched at his side, as his giddyness suddenly transformed into the pure, unadulterated envy. The crystal inside, made from his very essence and envy, called to him, and the whispering horror inside himself burbled words of destruction. He should’ve been the one to come up with the idea. That should be his idea. Why should this nobody from an unknown time be able to just pop up and describe HIS dreams? The ground that shook and opened forced Solus to stumble and regain his balance, nearly tumbling backwards. But even the force that flowed from Calypso could hardly stifle the envy that encircled the Shard in the Impossible Geometries. The little Shard’s hand even started to drift towards the handle, when he stopped in realization. What in the name of the unholy madness was he thinking? Challenging this clearly powerful lady to a duel, even as she accepted any challenge at the moment? A woman who, just with pure emotion, cracked the very ground he stood upon and moved the air? No, that was no way for an Assassin to do it. Not one of his lowly calibur. If he wanted to kill her, he would need to do it in other ways. Solus glanced at those nearby and thought. The lesson of killing the Acklay with traps flashed in his twisted memory. Solus had already pledged the loyalty of the Temple of the Spider. Calypso wouldn’t expect the Shard to attack. If someone else challenged Calypso, perhaps he could join in when unexpected and kill the Lady where she stood. But who would actually challenge her? Solus’ gaze settled on his master. The Lord of Rage. An ideal tool to use, if done correctly. “Master, this is our last chance to see this Sith to prove her worth…and yours” Solus whispered, careful not to let others overhear like back at Naboo. “We have both grown, but where is your proof? Does not the Fanged God demand trial by combat? Prove to everyone why either you or her should rule. Anyone can move the earth, but you… the skills you have are beyond exception. Show her that power I saw on Faleen, the power that made me dedicate myself to you and our deity. Demonstrate the rage of Korriban. Show that the Lord of Rage is not just an empty title, but a moniker for your magnificence. ”

Upon the approach of Akheron, Solus first stared. Adjusting his sensors, he said nothing at first, his usual flair of dramatic honor replaced by an eerie silence and calculations as cold as the snow around him. For a moment in the Impossible Geometries, Solus himself seemed to shift slightly, his own shapes congealing and liquefying erratically. But after a pause, his nature seemed to return, covering over the silence with more, almost maniac, energy. “Ah! My great master, Lord of Rage, and Ender of Entrails, it is wonderful and inspiring, nay, invigorating to be in your presence again” At this, Solus did his usual exaggerated bow, arms outstretched like some dancer concluding a performance . “Your presence befuddled me, for I did not sense it on the ground, though that is probably because of our fair lady here. But now that I see you, I do sense the growth in you. I’m sure the Fanged one himself smiles with this revelation, as I know he did with my discoveries. The Temple of the Spider is truly a most worthy discovery for us all.” With this, Solus strode towards his master’s side, and upon seeing Dictum, stopped momentarily to speak “Darth Dictum! So good to see you again. Did you find what you were looking for in the library, blind one? Did you find sight of what you sought? I certainly have. I have found sights that would make all other sights meaningless.” After this, Solus then took a step behind his master, waiting to see what Lady Calypso would do next. He also kept glancing towards the armored woman, who had been approached by someone. Adjusting his sensors again and again for the distance and the snow, Solus couldn’t help but ponder silently. However, a chuckle escaped his vocoder as the Lady’s newest apprentice snarled over the howling winds. It seemed that all of his master’s species were inclined to rage. No wonder Korriban was such a place that it was.