Solus

Solus was quick to speak up at this meeting. Wanting to show the other Captains his right being there, he aimed to make an impression. “My idea would be to attack full heartidly on the civilians, and not just by bombing.” Solus stopped and pulled up an image of a captured Gungan. The captain he had captured on Naboo. “This Gungan captain fought his hardest to protect his civilians. When Master Akheron and I were attacking their underwater city, we were very close to finding multiple civilian hideaways, and because of that, nothing else mattered to the Gungan. I suspect the enemy will be the same.” Solus pulled the image down and faced the other captains fully, his faceplates shifting slightly to make his ‘eyes’ almost glare’ “We butcher the civilians. We broadcast their screams. We make the soldiers of the republic hear their people’s cries and force them to abandon key targets, making room for Lord Mavenger. Have each soldier carry an open comm, broadcasting on all channels for other civilians to hear. Let their screams and our songs be unified in chaos and fire and death. ” Solus made a gesture. “Perhaps we can even force the populace to clog up travel ways, making it harder for the enemy to maneuver to face us. We can have the advantage to simply shoot everything we see and burn whatever gets in the way. Their fuel depots and their hospitals would be excellent targets for this. It would limit how many ships they can use to escape, and decrease how many wounded can be left behind. ” A beeping came from somewhere. A notification. Lord Sheog’s forces, the Court of Madness, had begun their attack. A decision would be needed soon.

Solus bowed at his master’s command and set out to do the task. Pulling a few Linnorms aside, he got the body hoisted onto a hovercart and moved, its bleeding head finally stopping its flow of brain matter, and sought out Commander Torah Valkor. However, Solus did add something to what Akheron ordered. In addition to using the body as Innmortos saw fit, as well as investigating the matter further, Solus had to add his own touch. “Commander, remember these words exactly. I am especially eager for his investigation and what the necromancer turns up specifically with the body. I, Solus, am interested, not just the Lord of Rage. After all, I want to see what a true master of Darkness can discover beyond what I, a mere apprentice, found out” If he could, Solus would have smiled. A taunt was a taunt though. If the necromancer couldn’t find anything new, then Solus would be considered superior. “And tell him to investigate the name… Bel Xatuun” Solus conjured the name up from the absorbed memories. There was a lot there to siphon through, but this name seemed to hold importance. “Yes Bel Xatuun. Remember to tell him that exactly. Now get going!” With that done, Solus returned to his master. He was eager to get a move on. Naboo no doubt had changed a great deal since he was last there. And there was a battle was in the near future, which meant death. And death meant feeding the Fanged God. Plus, Tear would be getting ravenous for some fresh meat from a battlefield.

Solus was at first speechless. He had not been expecting such a promotion nor a show of confidence in his own skill. Not that it wasn’t overdue, but surprising all the same. “I..I…” Solus began to stammer a bit, pieces of static interrupted his speech as his shard brain comprehended this new positon. It was not just a position of honor after all. It had responsibilities. The other Linnorms would depend on him. He would be official and in charge. He would be more then just a warrior or dragon. He would be a leader. He would have respect and power. “Yes my master!” Solus replied, a bit over enthusiastically. The inspection started off uneventfully. Most of the Linnorms had been trained well after all. But one caught the Shard’s eye. One of the lower ranks carried a different weapon compared to everyone else. A small sidearm, almost unnoticeable to a careless eye. Solus didn’t stop at the soldier right away but continued to pretend to analyze the others with his master. The soldier was a younger, but tall green-skinned Falleen. A fresh indoctrinated soul. He was perfectly still. Rigid even. Like he had been prepared for this his entire life. Solus debated internally. Was this a test? Was he overthinking this? Was Akheron seeing if the Shard was too strict? Or was this a legit concern? That weapon did not belong there… Solus stopped and turned from Akheron abruptly and made his way back to the Falleen. His path was direct and with visible purpose. Something was off. Why was a lowly Linnorm carrying a weapon like a disruptor pistol? The answer became clear when the soldier broke rank. He shoved another soldier aside and pulled the pistol out and aimed it at the approaching Shard. He had been found out. He needed to carry out his mission, suicidal as it was. The invaders would pay. They would die for the burning of their leader. The Falleen looked completely surprised when the pistol flew out from his hands into Solus’ outstretched hand. The next few moments passed slowly. The Falleen, not willing to give up, reached into his armor to pull out a grenade. The others around him were shocked and still reaching for their own weapons. They weren’t expecting a fight here. Instinct took over. His master’s training showed through as the Dragon surged forward in Force-fueled speed. Practically a blur, Solus had dropped the gun and reached forward with his skeletal-shaped hand. The Falleen dropped the grenade harmlessly as he screamed in pain and then went limp. Blood splattered around the two as the Shard’s comp link drove itself into brown brain matter. Like pulling data from a computer, Solus pulled the Falleen’s memories before dropping the body to the floor. "Whoah...i...death...burning..." Solus raised a blood covered hand to his head where his Shard self was hidden and stumbled back. To any human, it appeared that he had a sudden migrane. A moment later he regained his composure. “Master, it seems he was alone. At least, I think. One of the royal’s great nephews I think? Yes, i see that man, yes yes yes, they were related…” Solus shook his entire body, then focused on the Linnorms. They had started to break rank a bit, curious at what had just happened. “At Attention!” Solus screeched, his speaker almost blaring, followed by a high pitched scream, loud enough to make a Tukata flinch. The Linnorms instantly obeyed. “I believe they are ready, Master” Solus said, pulling his scomp link back into his arm and facing Akheron. True, he wasn’t a professional soldier, but Solus had picked up enough from his Master as well as Innmortos to know how to instill a sense of fear to those below him.

“Death Remembers All” Solus repeated as he focused on the liquid. Calling through the Force, Solus reached forward and pulled several droplets from the chalice and pulled it towards himself. With a quick opening of his face plates, the droplets went into the chassis and fell onto the crystalline Shard to be absorbed. It wasn’t as supernaturally charged as the liquid that Solus had bathed in on Aaris thankfully. Solus wasn’t sure he could deal with another experience so soon, still recovering mentally and spiritually. Still, it was charged. Solus could feel that in the Impossible Geometries. The darker shapes that swirled amongst the lively ones, the life essences of multiple beings mixed together like some primordial soup, all of it Solus could see and feel. Solus focused on the necromancer as the being spoke. The subtle flex of the decaying corpse did not go unnoticed. Solus was very tempted at that moment to say something back. To comment on how the necromancer looked closer to death then anyone, or that death had just cconsumed his own world like it was nothing, but the memories of Akheron torturing the shard in front of the other Sith made Solus think twice on that. He dare not insult the Lord of Rage by messing with either ritual or ceremony Even as the coffin of the necromancer was taken away, Solus kept his focus on the images of the Fanged God and the Darkness. The Fanged God was imposing as usual, but the darkness was especially more visually deadly. Something about it's unknowable nature. Its power beyond comprehension. The Fanged God was a little easier to understand. It was defined. It’s powers, as great and vast as it was, were known. True, in the end all would die, but what awaited in the darkness with the Fanged God…its servants, its minions, or even its leftovers… these things were unknown. And that in of itself, made Solus nervous. He was used to the void. And yet, something there awaited him. He had heard it on Aaris. And he had heard it in his meditations. The Dark Mother perhaps. The Temple of the Spider… Solus’s entire chassis shook at the thought of that spider-like thing he had encountered when making his blade. That Font he had witnessed. That was an unknown that was terrifying his spirit even now. “My Master” Solus bowed his head as he approached Akheron, descending the stairs. “I believe that went rather well”

Solus’ spirit rose with the ceremony that had begun. The gathering of people simply made his soul want to jump and move. The rhythm of the drums had almost an intoxicating effect on the Shard. This was a family that he had not known before, and this was a tradition this family performed. As the runes were drawn on his metal chassis, Solus’ mind flashed to the eternity before ascension. The emptiness that he had experienced. How far away that seemed to be. True it may have been only two years ago, but for a being who was still getting used to the passage of time, it felt like a lifetime ago. And all that emptiness had been brought on by those who couldn’t tolerate him. Who couldn’t integrate him. His, for lack of a better term, biological family that had cast him out. Now he was with a much better family. One that saw his abilities and usefulness. Even the necromancer, Solus mentally noted as Innmortos rose out of his coffin like the undead thing he was. True, the humanoid thing still unnerved the Shard, and Solus still envied that Innmortos was able to massacre his own planet. But Innmortos was also joining this family. Personal beliefs about how undeath was cheating the Fanged God’s meal set aside the fact that Akheron respected him as an equal and not a lesser or superior spoke levels. Still, the aura the from you is unnerving… Solus thought to himself, still kneeling a step now behind Innmortos before the Fanged God. There was no question who was superior for now. Still, one was named the Dragon, and the other was an aspect of the Father of Dust. In time, Solus felt like the two timeless beings would see who was truly the superior one and who was the one that would be buried permanently first. Solus didn’t say anything. He simply allowed the music to take over and continue to let his spirit rise. The voices were not here at the moment. There were no distractions. It was just him, his master the Lord of Rage, and the necromancer. And the Fanged God.

Solus listened with interest all of the benefits his master listed about using Faleen troops. While he had studied a little of how organics functioned, some of the more specific things like pheromones eluded him a bit. And the idea of this gathering being a rare event, was exciting to say the least. In his Shard, Solus could hear some of the chants the Linnorms would be sounding. The sweet, barbaric music that they would sing into battle. It was enough to make his own wires sing with life. On the ride down to the planet, Solus couldn’t help but comment. “Might I suggest, master, some kind of ceremony for the necromancer? I think something violent and bloody would not only be a good way for the men to be introduced to his power, but also a way to get their own blood singing with power. Plus, with the recent event on his planet, he might enjoy being featured in some ritual dedicated to the Fanged God. Perhaps you and a Master of Hides could indoctrinate him fully into the faith, with him slaughtering a Sithspawn like some kind of cow on an altar?” Even as they approached the planet below, drums could be heard banging. The mem in charge of the instruments were putting their souls into the music. Even without words, the sound spoke volumes. A storm was brewing.

Eventually, Solus emerged from his room, chassis moving much more smoothly and swiftly then before. A decent charge, a time of meditation, and Solus seemed to be better. A glance back into the room would have revealed that his picture on the wall still existed, but such matters could be dealt with later. With a few sighs, Solus set off to find his Master, Tear at the Shard’s side. Solus took a look out of one of the windows at the planet below. Even from this high up, Solus could tell a lot of work was being done to the planet since he had last been here. The shard couldn’t help but muse at how much time had passed since he came to Falleen for the first time. “Think about it Tear…” Solus commented, patting the hound once, who growled in return. “Last time we were here, I had pledged myself to the teachings of my master. I had no idea what was in store, of what powers I was going to unlock, nor where I was going to go. And now, here I am again, with the same mindset.” Solus gave a chuckle. “And that is perfectly fine by me. After all, without some confusion of what the future holds, what excitement would there be? When I was just a crystal in that cave, every moment was the same. Nothing changed. Just eternity bleeding from one moment to the next. Yes Tear, I much prefer this chaos then the peace of that cave.” Eventually, Solus found his way to Akheron on the command deck. With a slight bow, lightsaber in hand, Solus greeted his teacher and mentor and instructor. “Faleen looks better than I remember it master. To think I how envious i was of the Kingdom Innmortos had when you still had this jewel ”

“You spoke backwards and in a kind of maddened state, practically insane.” “Did I?” Solus interjected momentarily. I remember my words being…” Solus however stopped himself and allowed his master to finish. Solus did remain standing, wishing to give his master the dignity that he felt Akheron deserved. When his master sat and spoke, Solus would listen. As his master finished, Solus gave a nod to indicate he understood. “I will do my best to explain my own sensations master. For that is the only word I can use to describe it.” Solus tapped the bone in his hands a few more times as he began to pace a bit. Th right words were eluding him for the moment, and he wanted to describe it correctly. “Do you remember how Innmortos said that the mixture we bathed in was blood? Gifts from those Sith have slain as well as the Sith themselves? Well, there is power in blood is there not? I realized this when I used Innmortos’ blood to craft my blade’s crystal. And while I have none, I still have essence.” “But master, when we both bathed, it was different. When you bathed, it touched your skin. Your tongue, your stomach, maybe your blood itself . I occasionally looked at some data sets on biology, so I know that if you ingested it, that mixture that Innmortos had us bathe in touched your insides. But for me… well, my body is much different, you would agree?” Solus had walked over to one of the walls, bone still in hand. Almost absentmindedly, Solus began to place one of the bone and trace an unseen image on the wall with it. “My body is a container for my brain. I think the best way to describe it is It’s more like a data chip, or even the crystal like in my blade. Energy flows through and around it, and that energy is me and the Force. My thoughts, my brain, it jumps like electricity, because it is electricity I believe. Or maybe not. I’m not completely sure. But what I do know is that you master, didn’t have the blood touch your brain. At least, not in the same way as it touched mine. It touched your muscles, while it touched my very soul” “And when it touched me, my soul…” Solus continued, tracing with the bone more vigorously. “I felt them. Each soul that had been used to make the concoction. Each piece of life that each droplet of blood came from. I felt their very souls in it touch mine. I witnessed so much in each and every millimoment. Births, deaths, dreamings, weddings, murderings, burnings, drownings, accomplishments, disasters…they were all there, flashing around in my very soul! And each time I reached out to grab one, to keep a hold of it, it slipped past me like…like…” Solus had to stop and shake a hand in frustration. “Like blood being retrieved by a singular, thick, fat, grubby finger.” Solus then returned to tracing whatever image it was on the wall, the bone’s edges scraping off like a fine white powder. “But as they went by, it called something. Or maybe not called something. Maybe it just was enough to catch something’s attention. I had no idea what it was. Just what it felt like. It was great and grand and immeasurably…something. Like both beyond our understanding of life itself, but also within it. It was…” Solus struggled for the correct word, then gave a buzzing of static with a faint screech. “I do not believe there is a word for it in the language of sound. I don’t even know if there is a word for it in any kind of language that is known to me. But know that it simply was. It was...” The images Solus was tracing became more focused. The shapes were simple and geometrical, yet nothing seemed quite clear on what they were supposed to be. "And in that moment, in that purest moment of…” Solus paused and repeated the sound he made earlier “something else spoke as well. It didn’t use actual words, but I could understand it. Like back on Korriban when I received my force vision, or when I had crafted my crystal. It was impossible to understand, and yet I understood it like a resonating wave of energy. And in that moment, between moments in eternity, inside and between and around the Impossible Geometries, I both withstood against it and invited it, not knowing if it was salvation or damnation.” “And when I did…” Solus had to stop. The bone was grounded down to a nub. The Shard tossed the bone aside, and grabbed another one. A mania of a madman started to set in. Tear picked his head up, but didn’t growl. “The next thing I knew I was throttling that lizard with my scomp link, feeling his entire brain. His entire life I can still see before me. From when he was born, to the time when he first saw Innmortos and his parents pushed him to kneel, to when he first mated to his last breath. All there before me in the time it took for a single jolt of electricity to travel a single finger width. “And when I spoke…” The shapes Solus drew became more and more elaborate. At times Solus broke off from the central shapes and started in a separate section, only for the shapes to interconnect sporadically. “It was my words but not my words. Like they were flowing from my soul, but magnified countless times through a kaleidoscope of shapes and meanings and emotions and cloying darkness. As sure as I can be, each word was mine, fueled by both myself and something else.” “My actions afterwards…I feel like they were mine but…it's almost like a haze now. If they weren’t mine, they were guided by me. But if they were mine, perhaps they were being guided by something else. I remember every single thing I did, my great master. I remember kidnapping that youth and tying her to witness the planet’s destruction. Killing those lesser necromancers. Mixing the mixture to summon that thing. And I remember…” At this last ‘remember’, Solus stopped and threw the bone aside and stepped back. The shapes had taken a very wild form. It was a cascade of shapes, overtaking each other. The most seemingly unified one was the central image, a series of circles overlapping each other, some bigger than the rest, with lines connecting each one to each other. Solus pointed at this image and small, seemingly insignificant circle amongst an assortment of random geometries drawn. “A place. A calling. Perhaps that Dark Mother you heard of is there, or perhaps its just a place of calling. Maybe the Fanged God himself decrees it sacred. Or maybe its a warning? This...place amongst Unknown Outer Spheres…it interests me greatly…” Solus turned and faced his master and bowed slightly. “Master, I hope I do not worry you with this. I assure you that my strength and willpower is still great, and worthy of learning under you, just as it was when we fought on Naboo. Though I’d hate to admit it to the necromancer, I agree with you. His ritual was beneficial, and I believe we all learned something of importance. I would have never discovered the possibility of draining those lizard’s brains of their knowledge without it, and I hope to use this power in the future for our Empress” Inside Solus’ room, it could be felt that the ship slowed. They had arrived at the planet of Falleen. “If it is alright, my master, may I meditate here a little longer while we resupply?”

Solus jumped up before tear did at the knock, nerves beating over instinct in speed. At first the shard rushed to the door with the speed of the force fueling him. "I'm coming master! I'm coming -whoop!" Solus started.However, his master would've heard a clamering of metal as the shard fell backwards violently. "Stupid dumb life giving wires…" Solus grumbled as he unplugged himself and reaffixed his charging station before rushing to the door. "One moment master, im coming!" With a press at the pad, the door slid open revealing the large man. "Yes master, my apologies, I just needed a recharge. Come in come in!" As he invited Akheron in, Solus bowed and backed up, gesturing to the only seat in the room: the simple slab of metal known as a bed. "Master, yes questions, you have questions, and I suppose I left without answering, yes um yes I did. Here, sit sit sit" Tear got up and circled his spot, finally resting again and facing the two. With one glowing eye open, the sith hound kept watch on the two, curious at them. "So questions, questions need answers, yes I can give answers I hope." Solus made is way towards the center of the room and kicked aside some of the bones. At one point he even picked one up, a large femer, and tapped it between his hands like some stick. " Answers only I can give and not that rotting corpse, as powerful as he is. Ask and I will answer as best as I can. Yes yes yes…"

As the ships moved through hyperspace towards Faleen, Solus had quietly excused himself from everyone else. Back to his own private chamber, a simple, albeit large gray room. With nothing more than a bed, a cooling unit and a charge station, a storage chest, some bones and meat, as well as a window, it was as plain as room as one would get. Not that Solus had minded. Most of his active time had been spent training, repairing, and learning, and had only stopped in here to occasionally recharge his batteries or to give Tear some personal space. The hound was sleeping next to the window. The streaks of hyperspace that went by seemed to either comfort the large beast or kept it entertained until it fell asleep. Solus couldn’t help but momentarily reflect that even when the dog slept, Tear looked like he could still kill something at a moment’s notice. Its sharpened claws never retracted, its lips never covered its black and red stained teeth. Such a devastating monster. And if what he was told was true, was originally created via sith Alchemy, similar to what had been used on the planet behind them. Solus’ mind flashed back to the Aaris. The monster that had been summoned. Or perhaps it was created? Perhaps it was somewhere in between. Or neither at all? The words he spoke, what were they again? ““Progenitor and Ender…” Solus quietly repeated himself while staring out the window from across the room. “Child and messenger? Alpha and Omega... beginning and end. Once Creator…now destroyer…” Solus moved towards Tear and the window. Pondering over his words, he let his mind wander back further to Aaris. That…experience, for lack of a better term, had been enlightening. It was something like a fleeting vision. Solus was struggling for all of the details, with some of it most surely getting muddled about. He could’ve sworn he had seen other monsters wandering the planet’s streets, but in his shard he knew that was impossible as the only monster was the one the three Sith had created. Solus stopped at the window and looked out. It was slightly comforting in a strange sense. As fast and detailed as his sensors could process, he couldn’t make sense of the blue and black tunnel the ship’s traveled through. He overheard somewhere that hyperspace could cause something called Hyper-Rapture. But at the moment it was a distraction. A distraction from those words… Solus took a step back. Tear lifted his head up in curiosity. Fear had set into the room. Solus' chassis trembled slightly as if something in the window was looking back at him. Something powerful. But was it real, or just a memory? Were those whispers actually there? Did those eyes actually exist, or was it a trick of the light? The shard had to turn away. Tear watched its master closely before laying its head back down. Solus walked back to where the bed was and sat down on the floor next to the charging station, this time away from the window. Bits of static and some inaudible words emitted from his speakers, but nothing recognizable. Solus reached and pulled some wires from the station and plugged them between the cracks in his lower back. A call through the force, and the station activated, with the sound of a cool current flowing through the wires into the chassis. As he charged, Solus meditated. The darkness of the force swirled about, like a thick mud. Solus felt different. Something was off. Before, when he called on the force, it was clear and flowing like a river. Now, it was murky. Whatever that ceremony had been on Aaris, it had changed the Shard and the force around him. Solus began to talk. “So, now onto Faleen for supplies, then we ready for some battle I believe…” Tear raised his head, curious at the Shard’s words. He had killed plenty on Aaris and Naboo, his belly was full for the moment. “I suppose that should make me happy. So much death in so little time. Two Force wounds in my life already. From what I understand, those are a bit more rare to occur. Are they as rare an i understood them to be?” There was a pause as Solus stayed perfectly still. Then without warning, Solus grabbed the nearest object, a small bone from Tear’s last meal, and chucked it with full force at the wall. It clanged and fell to the ground harmlessly. “Show yourself!” Solus shouted. Tear jumped up and growled at the Shard. Solus glanced at the hound and stopped himself. Shaking his head, he sat back down and returned to meditation. “Focus on the goal. Your envy. You're breaking your chains” Solus told himself, clutching his fists tightly. “Peace is a lie…there is only passion. And my passion is my envy. To have what others have, yes? Yes… Innmortos had a planet. So will I. My master has his army. So will I. Those lizards had full rich lives. Now so do I. I tore those away from them. My envy…” Solus paused. “My envy allows me to take what I want. Through passion I gain strength. And through strength, power. And power, victory. Yes… yes yes yes…”

Solus beheld the might of the beast as it rose in size, towering more and more. With a shiver, he spoke. “Behold…our heart of this world!” Solus gestured, holding his hands out. The beast moved like a titan of its mass should: with un care for anything beneath it, and with hunger for life. “Progenitor and Ender of life. The Dark Mother’s child! The Fanged God's messenger. Alpha and Omega... beginning and end. Once Creator... now Destroyer.” The mist from Solus head swirled to full cloud of thickness, riding forward and following the monster of the depths. The death of so many creatures, and the summoning of such an ancient and beastial monster had done its duty. The wound was opening. The Dark side was flowing with less and less restraint. Death had come to Aaris III, and Solus could not resist but to begin speaking scriptures of unknown tongue. Before, his master and Innmortos had witnessed Solus speaking in a simple manner of possession. On Naboo, Innmortos had heard Solus speak several words in something unknown to the mortal depths of knowledge. Now here, with the wound opening and Solus feeling the center of it, caught in the ravages of some madness, the language of his true stone spoke out. It wasn’t one of sound, with phonetic syllabus that humans could reproduce with tongue. Nor was it one that could be written down. Neither sane sage or rambling madmen could reproduce what Solus spoke. Those in the Force perhaps could sense and even understand it, but descriptions of it were beyond anyone’s capability But there was a language coming from the Shard, who’s arms still were raised high in praise of the monster that had been summoned. A nearby Linnorm could feel the language press on his own brain, and later, when he reported it to both the Master of Hides and Stitch-Mouth back on the ships, explained how it was both something he had felt in his own heart and soul, completely in his mind, but foreign to it. Deadly, but alluring. Fascinating, but maddening in its own right. The Linnorm, on the trip back to Faleen, would end his own life, unable to tolerate the nightmares that the Shard had introduced. It was at this height of madness when Solus found himself released from whatever that had possessed him. Having fulfilled its unspoken promise, it left Solus through the mist, and followed the monster, eager to open the Force Wound that had begun on the planet. Once death had been accomplished fully, and every life on the planet was consumed, the thing that had possessed Solus would return to its home amongst the Outer Spheres. But it left what it needed to leave in the Shard. Knowledge on new powers, and visions of where to learn more of them. Solus turned and stumbled after Akheron. Weak from the power that had left him, he still bore enough energy to get to one of the nearest ships.

Solus continued to cackle madly on the peak of the tower, much to the youngling’s fright. At some point during his raving laughter, his tone took a unique shift. It wasn’t as solid as before. Its warbling and distorting was still there but a new emotion seemed to be sinking in with it. The shard’s movements even were a little different now. His hands went to his ‘head’ and rubbed against metal facial plates, like a child covering his eyes. “Hahaha, what is that? I hear them, don’t you? Do you hear them coming closer? Is it them? Or is it something else? Does the power of death on the planet wade? Or does it strengthen? Is the wound opening or closing? Opening or closing? I feel it, but i hear and see it too! The shapes, they move and squirm. The shapes spin and the shapes belch. The geometries...oh the geometries! Oh my oh my oh my… Solus stopped at the apparition of the necromancer. While straightened out, his body still twitched randomly, the joints occasionally having a life all their own. The Shard snatched the key away from the necromancer and gave a deep bow, head nearly touching the floor. “With pleasure, oh so great pleasure ahaha! I have not inflicted enough death to sate my taste, let alone the taste of the Fanged One himself! Let us open the wound, yes? Yes yes yes, open the wound and make a new place dedicated to his hunger. Ah I love this day! What a lovely day!” "It shall be done, I shall assist. Let us see what the blood of Wrath and Rage may add to the mix and awaken the Destroyers Of Worlds. The Leviathans. Sithspawn born of us all, one that will bring this planet to it's last knee and consume it for eternity." Solus laughed once, as if something his master said amused him, then quickly led the way. At first, it was just simple walking, but soon it changed into a run, and then, bizarrely, a dash on all fours, like some kind of animal. Each set of stairs was almost skipped as he jumped down, leaping from wall to wall downwards, the force trailing off him. All the while, the mist emitting from his head swirled and cloyed thicker and stronger. “I can see so much right now…” Solus spoke as he moved. “The shapes…the impossible geometries. Its like back at Naboo, but gathering. Did you see them there master? I did. Like Mitochondria. Dark Mitochondria. What a lovely word, yes? Mitochondria… what is that even? I don’t know what that is, and yet I know that word? Like something beyond feeds that to me? The shapes, they whisper it to me...” Solus had found the lab. Vials, books, papers, cauldrons, tubes, and all manner of equipment were laying in cluttered messes on tables, shelves, and floors. While unshattered, the lab was certainly disrupted. “Oh something crawls in here master. Something dark.” Solus continued, undeterred by the mess. Swiping all manner of potions and poisons, he placed them gingerly on a cleared off table. Occasionally he would find a book or a page of some unknown content, and after a moment of peering through the tomb, would toss it aside, screeching slightly. Whatever secrets the necromancer had here, Solus already fragile mind refused to dive further into. “Something crawls deep and wriggles. Both here…and here…” Solus pointed at the tombs, and then at his own head where the Shard’s crystalline form continued to scream. “It controls and relents. It feeds and devours. Is it the Fangs or is it something else? Do I fear it, or does it fear me? I believe neither, but do i believe both? No, that makes no sense, yet no sense is the only sense I can understand. From void i came, and to the void I go. And yet, in the void i hear it call, and from the void it flies. No no no, not flies, but wriggles and squirms, yes heh heh heh, squirms and squelches…” As Solus talked and gathered, the mist swirled so strongly that new shapes began to take form. Legs, pincers, mandibles and wings; a shape, small but disturbing, was taking form. Still gaseous, its form was not fully clear or even comprehensible, but flickers of it could be witnessed behind the Shard’s head, with tendrils gripping the shoulders tightly. At his master’s command, Solus nodded and opened the vials and mixed them together. When it came to the blood, Solus spoke again. “You give anger. I give envy. I envy all things right now. Even you master. You live long lives in the world of worlds. I live a long life in a black void. And blood. I hear something that screams for something different. The shapes that squirm, they belch at that substance. They say offer something…ah, but how can i offer that? How oh how….oh that is how…” As Solus talked, the thing that formed in the air dived towards the mixture. Following the mist, images of memories from the lizards’ Solus had drained, formed, motionless in the air. Soundlessly, the mist pooled over the liquid until it too merged with the crimson fluid. “Your blood and your rage, my memories and my envy, and our hatred. Your blood will give muscle, your rage will give power. My memories will give… clarity? No they say something else. The shapes squelch… targets. My memories will give it targets, and my envy will give it hatred. We do not seek our own deaths…not yet, no? My memories, the memories of Klllss the leader and Grr’a’sk the guard, they will be the scent of targets to find, and my envy of them will make them kill those targets…yes yes yes… hahaha!” Solus picked up the mixture carefully, not wanting to spill a drop. “Come my master, the waters await us! Kill the beings on the beaches, and you will call it forth with the smell of death! I will offer the mixture, and give it what we have made here, and it will kill as we see fit! And then, the Fanged God will have its due! Yes yes yes!”

As everything in sight became frozen by the dark powers conjured by Innmortos, Solus clapped his hands together like a child. ”!recnamorcen flesruoy enodtuo evah uoy ho“Solus exclaimed loudly, clapping faster and faster, his hands benging together loudly as two metal hands would. ”!ahahah erom dna erom dna erom llik !erom !erom“ Above him, the child screamed. Solus stopped himself and looked at her. A stone pillar, standing high and above the rest of the mountain, provided a perfect viewpoint for the destruction that was occurring below. But something called Solus to her. Gingerly, he walked to the base of the pillar and called up. ”?thgir ,siht fo thgis esol ot gniog ton era uoy ?ereht pu ko uoy era“ The girl didn’t reply. Solus screached his head plates, as if he was one of the organics doing their methods of showing confusion. Then he snapped his fingers and began to speak again. This time, it was much slower, and plain enough to understand again. “Sl’isss’, is that right?” Solus asked. The memories of the previous lizards he had killed flowed to bring the name to the forefront. The child stopped screaming, hearing its name. “Well Sl’isss, the way I see it, we are keeping you alive so you can report everything…everything here!” Solus turned and gestured to the freezing landscape. Ships had also begun to land, with Linnorms pouring out. “All this death! All this beautiful death! It is just beautiful! And you get to share it with the galaxy!” Solus turned back to the child and gestured to her again. “The entire galaxy! You know what that is, don’t you? Worlds beyond worlds beyond worlds? And you will spread our word to them! Word of destruction haha!” Solus again turned back to the freezing view and held out his arms, laughing wildly, madness completely taking him.

”?dlihc elttil eerga uoy t’nod ?sey yad ylevol a tahw !yad a tahw ho!“ Solus spoke as he moved, the scenery becoming a blur as he moved faster and faster. All around, the effects of what was happening at the temple were becoming clear. People were either gathering to see, or fleeing to hide. Either way, the blade that Solus carried in his free hand slashed them as he ran past. The child said nothing. Most of that was cause she was slipping into and out of consciousness and partially because Solus’ words were completely incoherent to the untrained ear. He was a metal monstrosity to these primitives, carrying a blade of fire. “?ereh ew evah tahw kca .dluohs eh ho ?sey ,siht eroda tsum dog degnaf eht .ees ot meht rof egami doog a tahw ahah“ Solus had to stop. A gathering of necromancers blocked his way. Hooded and bearing all manners of decorated staves and clubs, the lizards held their weapons at the ready. One of them, their leader judging by his more decorated robe and extravagant bone necklaces, raised his staff at the Shard and commanded something. Most likely a command to drop the child. Solus looked the child over and shook his head.”esle enoemos yb nevig ton sredro evah ot .suolaej ma i woh ho ?sey retsam ruoy si raef ruoy .straeh ruoy morf emoc sredro ruoy ,esruoc .sruoy evah uoy kniht uoy sa tsuj ,sredro ym evah i on on on“ The necromancers didn’t stop to try to translate. The leader pointed a bony finger and uttered a chant. The others followed suit. The winds around Solus picked up. A flash of yellow in the Shard signaled Solus what was about to happen. Ducking and jumping to the side, a blast of Force energy knocked aside some trees. Solus charged, lightsaber in hand. However, this time he was not ready for what came next. The leader raised his hand and chanted something profane. Solus suddenly tripped forward, dropping the child in the process. From the ground, several bony hands had reached out and grabbed the Shard’s leg. ”!sey sey sey euqinhcet taht worrob ot evah lliw I !revelc yrev !ohoho“ Solus slashed the bones and pulled his leg out and charged again, now freed from the weight of the child. Surprised by the Shard’s quick recovery, the necromancer’s were not prepared to deal with the fiery blade Solus carried. Soon, the bodies lay scatterred. The child had crawled a short distance away, but it wasn’t difficult to get her again. “ …won won“ Solus started. ”…yaw rehtie .od ot stnaw gnik ruoy revetahw ro ezeerf ro .nrub tenalp eht hctaw ot uoy ecrof dna pu uoy eit ot gniog m’I .uoy llik t’now I .em morf raef ot gnihton evah uoy“ The hike up to the temple was longer then before. Solus found himself stopping more and more to simply make sure the child didn’t slip. All the while, Solus talked to himself, mentioning how free his soul was at the moment. The sith code, to him, was about losing all the chains that restricted you, so what could be more freeing than losing your sanity and moral code? But even the child could notice there was something off about the Shard. The words he spoke were both his own and not his own. Whatever that had possessed the small rock in the temple was not purely beneficial. Perhaps, in time, it too would take its toll on the shard, unless trained properly? Once at the top, Solus tied the child to the highest point he could find and looked around. The view was magnificent and stretched for miles. Whatever show Innmortos had planned, the youngling would be unable to avoid witnessing it.

The chassis of Solus seemed to nod as it heard Innmortos words, but it was hard to tell. Between its random flinchings and jerking around, anything it did was impossible to tell from intent and chaotic. It was like a puppet having its strings rearranged randomly, or a youth learning to drive a vehicle for the very first time. But when it got outside, it’s tune changed completely. Finding an exit to the temple, Solus had begun to leap downwards, landing on a few ledges, but only stopping for a moment before jumping again and again, spinning and twirling on the way down like some Corescanti dancer. "!ahaha eerf eb ot nuf hcus !nuf hcus ,ahaha!" It belted as it flew downwards. The static in its voice box was louder now, as if whatever that was causing it was more in control. When the chassis landed, it got to work right away. The linnorms were elsewhere now, but the populace of the planet had gathered around, both undead and the living. The explosion that had occurred at the temple had drawn much attention, and this strange metal thing that had descended only increased their curiosity. "!stfig gnirb i!" Solus started. With a flick of the wrist, the lightsaber flew from his belt into hand, activating on touch. "!lla fo tfig tseteews eht !htaed gnirb i!" The lizards looked confused at the metal beings words, and startled at the weapon. What language did this thing speak? Was this thing sent by their god-king? They didn't have long to decipher the words. Solus got to work, charging in a curving line like a drunken fool. The blade swung around wildly, no care given to who or what it might have struck. Those that got caught by the swings were quickly ignored as solus continued after those who were still living. Some stayed and tried to fight. Most of them were the undead. Others fled for their lives. Most of the latter were the living. "?leef I taht siht si tahw" Solus pondered aloud as he continued to slash about widly. "!ohohohow !era uoy revetahw em ekat !ohoho ti tnaw I si siht revetahW !siht tnaw I !lortnoc tnaw I od ron em lortnoc t'nac I !rettam on rettam on !ahahahawb ?thgil nevig ssenkrad eht siht sI ?ssenkaew dna rewop siht sI" It took some time before the squad of lizards began to either fall back or be so dissected that the parts were no longer putting themselves back together. However, Solus didn’t seem to mind at all. With no muscles to show exhaustion, and with his Shard fueling his batteries with energy coming from seemingly nowhere, Solus continued on and on, slashing, dancing, and bobbling his way towards a wooden longhouse. ”!ti dnamed I !tuo emoc tuo emoc“ Solus chanted, slamming a fist on the doors a few times. Inside the startled voices shrieked once. ”!ni em teL .sdrazil elttil stfig doog gnirb I ?stfig ym tnaw ton uoy od“ At this last phrase, the force exploded, with the door shattering into the longhall. Surprisingly, only one lizard stood inside, clutching a makeshift weapon: a broken chair leg. Beyond him, the only things in the long haul was furniture, a burning fireplace, and several overturned meals. Solus strode in, joints still jerking. While his sensors were looking in all directions, he kept his 'face' stayed pointed towards the lone lizard. Dressed in ceremonial robes, solus deduced this person to either be a spokesperson or a priest of some kind. "drazil elttil olleH" solus spoke, striding around the hall as if he owned the place. Turning over furniture, kicking fallen plates of meat, solus made a demonstration of his intent. "?meht gnirb I tfig eht meht yned t'now uoy yleruS ?srehto eht era erehW" The lizard looked confused but frightened. What was this monster? What was this thing that spoke so unnaturally and had skin of the reforged ground? When solus drew closer, it made a desperate swing. The lizards face became more horrified when solus caught the club with one hand easily and tossed it aside. "?yeht era erehw oS .rehtie t'now uoy oS .t'nod I ?ylimaf evah uoY .yvne I .evah uoy tahw tnaw I tuB .thgif uoY .dooG !ahaH" Solus grabbed the lizard and slammed it into a wall, shaking it violently. "?yeht era erehW" He continued to demand. The lizard refused to answer, either because of pure defiance or pure confusion. Solus sighed and holstered his blade again. "drazil elttil diputs uoy gnitseuqer t'nsaw I" solus commented. The lizard squirmed and began to hiss and scream as solus slowly drove his scoop link into its eye socket. No need to kill it right away. It's death would come soon. Slowly, the mist swirled about the chassis head again, solidifying and showing outlines of images. Scenes from a life. This lizard's life. It's parents. Where it found its mate. When it had lost a sibling. Its first clutch of eggs. Solus growled at these images and drove the scomp deeper. The metal device whirled and spun like it was seeking some obscure data. The images changed. More recent days. The first time the chief saw its god-king. Seeing its brothers come back from the grave. Hiding its children in the longhall. A trap door opening and closing. A turning away as pounding were sounding at the door. Solus released and pulled out. Before the body even hit the ground, solus had overturned the nearest table. There, a small indent in the wood with scratch marks from use. The younglings that Solus revealed squirmed and shook with startelement and fear. Solus instead laughed and raised an open hand. One of the younglings squeaked as she was lifted up without being touched. She was most certainly a child, no more then a few years old. Solus tossed her over his shoulder, her clawed hands beating his back harmlessly. ".uoy gnola emoC" Solus chuckled, shutting the trapdoor afterwards. With a pull of the force, solus crushed some of the furniture on top, trapping the younglings underneath. With another pull, a burning log was pulled from the fireplace, setting some of the wood ablaze. "!yad ylevol a tahW .yad a tahw hO .ssentiw a sdeen gnik ruoY

For a moment, the Shard simply sat on the ground of the now empty pool. Even as the others moved, the shard remained motionless. Its lights continued to spin around brighter and brighter, its insides an ebon black. But something was tinting the darkness within. Something else. A shade of red had made its way in. Through cracks unperceivable to the naked eye, the power and the souls of the dead had gotten in and touched the lines of thought. Then it began to shake and make noise. Somewhere between chittering, clicking, purring, and hissing, the noise started low, but continued to raise in volume slightly. While at first most species outside of some canines and arachnids would be able to hear what the crystal was sounding, it became clearer as it increased in amplitude. The color inside the crystal was no longer black nor red, but a mixture of the two, swirling like a cursed liquid. If one took a microscope to it, they would have seen images. Some familiar, while most not, the images of faraway places, lives and their livelihoods, timeless places and places stuck in time, and much more flashed over and over in no discernable pattern. Images from the past lives that had been used in the making of the pool of blood. And still the crystal made its noise. Louder and louder, the noise grew, now the volume of a slight moan. Gas began to emit from the Shard. Choking and putrid, thick red mists poured out from the unperceivable cracks the liquid had found its way in. The gas itself hissed as it escaped. But instead of dissipating into the air, it swirled and circled the small shard. A cloud of red. And still the crystal made its noise. Louder and louder, the noise grew, now the volume of a snake’s hiss. The lines inside jumped about the images, as if they were trying to swallow the images as quickly as they appeared. Despite moving as fast as light would allow them to move, the lines could not keep up. The images were too fast and too much, and each line could only grasp on each one briefly. Clinging onto it was a pointless endeavor. And still the crystal made its noise. Louder and louder, the noise grew, now the volume of a hound’s growl. Then the images inside the crystal stopped and froze. A space station, floating in an endless sea of darkness. Behind it, predatory eyes glanced at the darting lines around it hungrily and wildly. The lines in turn, spun around the image of the station and the eyes, as if they were communicating with it. The eyes would glow, the lines would intensify, and the eyes would glow again. Until the lines suddenly stopped, frozen in place. The noise stopped, as if taking a breath. Then it shrieked and violently shook as the lines came to a standstill. The gas that had swirled about the crystal thickened even more, glowing with intensifying heat. From the mists, numerous, thin tiny legs began to form, and, shakily, lifted the shard up and began to skitter across the ground towards the chassis. The stone didn’t seem to follow the legs perfectly however. It was as if the legs were just a bit ahead of it, and the Shard was simply levitating along with it trying to keep up. As if the legs were just an illusion to sell the fact that the shard was moving of its own accord, screeching the whole way. Up the chassis the stone climbed, leaking mist behind it. Finally, it reached the Chassis’ head and nestled itself in, its screeching muffled by the plates and gears. The wires inside reattached themselves of their own accord, the faceplate closed over the Shard, and the chassis came to life. “!emag elttil dam ruo yalp, stel ho, stel, edam laed a kcurts laed a! krow ot teg stel ahahaha!” The chassis’ voicebox crackled, with bursts of static bleeding through occasionally. It twisted its head about widely, as if taking in everything. With each twist and violent shake, its head leaked out a bit more red mist, as if neither the chassis nor the Shard inside could contain it. Whether it was because it understood Innmortos or not was unclear. Rather it simply holstered its lightsaber and moved towards the nearest entrance. In the throes of pure madness, Solus was controlling and being controlled by something else entirely. A mixture between sanity, madness, and something else entirely, the chassis moved like a first generational protocol droid rather then a sophisticated machine, jerking and flinching randomly. “!ytnelp a si ereh tnemyap dna tnemyap seriuqer nossel hcaE !meht morf ti ekat ew os ,evah yeht tahw evresed ton od yehT!" The first being that Solus met demonstrated what was about to happen to anyone else. Grabbing the first lizard thing that had rushed to investigate what its god-king had done, Solus lifted it by its neck into the air. The Shard’s left bony hand released and began to extend its scomp link directly into the lizard’s left eye, and began to spin wildly, as if accessing a common data port. “!ahahaha lluf ni tnemyap !sey sey sey!” The chassis cackled as blood continued to spurt out from the now dead lizard. Even so, the mist that leaked from the chassis’ head began to solidify briefly, forming images similar to a bleeding hologram. At first, it was an image of what looked like the face of the lizard that had just died. Then it morphed into several other faces and even some buildings before it dissipated into a mist once again. “on on on on taht evresed t'nseod eh !ma i suoivne woh !nam ylimaf a!” Solus cackled, dropping the body. “!retaerg gnihtemos uoy ot laever lliw i dna gniht elttil erom em evig!” With this mad cackling to itself, Solus’ chassis continued to move. It would find the nearest exit, and like Innmortos had commanded, it would attempt to kill the world.

Solus listened to the two speak and nodded. The necromancer’s words about the Father of Dust and the Fanged Beast resonated true with the shard. In what little spare time the Shard had, he had studied some of the aspects of the Fanged God. That was part of the reason why he was so proud of his newest title. “Very well my master. I will obey” At first, Solus didn’t move, as he only observed his master disrobe and prepare for the pool of blood. But eventually, he knew what he needed to do. “This better be no trick necromancer” Solus told Innmortos, and got into a kneeling position before the pool, lightsaber held at rest in hands. His motors seemed to be working in overtime, trying to combat the frigid coolness that had overtaken the chamber. The hiss of steam from boiling oil was obvious, like breaths in the snow. The motors eventually died down however, as the entire chassis shut itself off. The final act of it before turning off its power was the opening of its face plates, revealing the small crystalline being inside. The dancing lines inside the Shard mades its orange glow almost eerie. The wires connecting it to the rest of the body disconnected themselves, allowing the thing to be at rest. Slowly, but surely, the crystal began to shake. It wasn’t a violent shaking. It wasn’t even a sudden shaking, but more of a gentle wobbling around, as if a child with fat fingers struggling to grab a coin from the ground. But as it struggled to move, the shard’s glow began to dim and darken while the lines of thought inside began to touch each other and spin brighter and brighter. Soon, they were spinning a circle around the center, a ring of shining light, while the rest of the crystal turned a sickened black. To those who could sense the Force, it was obvious that Solus was tapping into it. The shard lifted and drifted out of the dead chassis like a jellyfish on an ocean current. As Akheron disappeared into the pool, Solus followed. Bobbing through the air, the crystal floated closer and over the pool of blood until suddenly, without warning, the shard fell and plopped into the pool of blood, sinking into its depths.

“Thats Dragon or Solus now to you, necromancer…” Solus replied at the first call of Saber Stone. The added insult of being young also seemed to sting slightly. “And sometimes simple answers are better then convoluted ones you…” Solus stopped himself. No use letting his anger out at this moment. Still, over time the necromancer seemed to try to goad Solus further and further. Whether it was by showing off all of his treasures, or saying his death at the Shard’s hands was intentional. The necromancer seemed to be open for a battle of words with Solus. At least, that was how the Shard interpreted them. “Huh… With all this power and wealth, Innmortos…” Solus started, once the crypt had been revealed. It was good that Innmortos warned against touching anything, for Solus’ skeletal hand had begun to wander to the sarcophagi. “...I would have figured you would have enough to get a body that doesn’t hobble with weakness.” Still, Solus’ words only hid the fact that he was incredibly jealous of all the wealth and power the necromancer had. Shouldn’t he, Solus the Dragon, have more then a withered old thing? Thankfully, his master’s words came to his head briefly. Warnings about how controlling a planet being harder than Solus knew. This at least held Solus back a bit from attempting to be more vicious with his words. However, that restraint quickly began to evaporate when the necromancer held the metal chassis back from the pool. “Are you dumb as well? I have no blood to boil. Or are you just wanting me weak so you can put me in your blade, like I did with your brain and blood back on Naboo” At this, Solus held up his newly crafted lightsaber. Perhaps the necromancer would sense that a piece of his old body was used in the blade’s crafting. Without turning his head from the necromancer, Solus listened to his master ask his questions. Solus grumbled. “Master, do we really need this? His servants tell us to seek forgiveness, he denies the Fanged God what is due by raising the dead, and now he expects you to disrobe like…like some common ship’s hand! I will obey you my Lord, but a being like this is not worthy of respect nor trust.”

When on the planet, Solus marveled at what he saw. The impossible Geometries were almost frozen here in places, unable to move at all. Much like Innmortos, it ranked with unholy sorcery. But unlike the necromancer, these beings who even now surrounded the Shard and his master showed no signs of power. Just pale and sluggish reflections of what was once a semblance of life. And yet, their manner of speaking, the words they chose, the way they walked…it all spoke reverence and worship. In the Impossible Geometries, the lines of Envy around Solus intensified. “I want this…” Solus muttered as he followed his master. It was loud enough to be heard, but soft enough to indicate the Shard wasn’t seeking a reply. Even on the dangerous climb upwards, his thoughts of envy continued to intensify. “All of this…an entire planet. I should get something like this eventually. In fact, I think I will. After all, if a pathetic husk of a being can rule a planet, why shouldn’t a servant of the Fanged God have a planet to destroy at his whim? After all, the Empress has her servants, and my master has the Linnorms. Someday, I will have a planet of my own.” Solus had to pause and tilt his head at his own thoughts. “Course, it couldn’t be Ishvara. That place is already claimed by my father, so… perhaps there is a jewel in the galaxy not claimed yet, or some place where my kind already exist. People seem to think I’m a droid though…so perhaps a place like that…” Eventually, the two made it to the throne room. If he could have, Solus would’ve smirked at the misery Innmortos was obviously in. He didn’t need to be force sensitive to detect that the necromancer was something akin to miserable. Perhaps he could use this misery against the necromancer further. After all, Solus had killed a body of Innmortos. Why not the spirit as well? And if he could take away this planet from the necromancer, well, that would be even better. Solus waited for his master to be done speaking. The words he spoke resonated with the Shard a bit. Eternity was something the Shard knew well. It was an eternity of nothingness before he ascended into the world of worlds. Still, a part of his master words did the opposite with Solus. At least here, eternity would be entertaining. There was always something going on. They were in the middle of a war after all, and the Force was very enlightening of how the universe worked. Maybe it was the type of eternity that lost its appeal. “If you don’t like their hatred…” Solus began, his intent on hoping to break the necromancer a bit mentally while simultaneously siding with his master’s words. “you could always get rid of them and start again. Like my master has said, answer their challenge and kill them. All of them. Make both the loyal and the disloyal see the stupidity of hating you. After all, what’s a planet of insufferable lizards compared to the eternity you have now to find something better?”

Solus nodded and began his trek downwards, utilizing the stairs and then a nearby ramp. The concept of Force Speed wasn’t entirely new to him. While he hadn’t put a name to it, he recalled how he did something similar when he was fighting Innmortos. When the necromancer was distracted with the lightsaber Solus had used, the Shard had unknowingly allowed the Force to flow not through his body, but rather through his crystal into the wires and framework of his body, giving his motors extra power. Force Jump sounded very similar, just utilized differently. The path solus took led him to a series of tunnel-like areas. A quick check revealed more sensors and cameras like before, but these sensors Solus could not trace where they were connected to. There were no blades in the walls at all, nor did the cameras seem to be linked to anything. Still, solus knew his master was expecting stealth, so he proceeded with caution. At least for the first few minutes. Down one of the halls, Solus spotted a Gungan, creeping through the darkness like a skilled hunter. Observing, Solus noted how this Gungan had survived for so long, and the blood on its spear was fresh. Either he had encountered the Ackley already, or had slain one of his fellow Gungans. As skilled as the Gungan was, he missed the fact there were cameras. Stepping into one of the camera's sights, a klaxon sound alarmed, deafening the halls. Solus and the Gungan flinched at the blare, and then fear filled them at the sounds of crashing behind solus. Solus turned and saw that behind him, the ceiling was crashing into the floor, cascading towards him. "Oh…" Solus realized out loud. "This is where force speed is needed" Solus broke into a mad dash as the crashing ceilings followed at a rapid pace. The gungan he passed by didn't even try to fight, but instead followed, seeing the immediate danger. However, it was obvious the gungan would never make it. Had Solus had more time, he would've stopped to enjoy the sound of the gungan getting flattened. But focus was the essence here, and pleasure had to come after. The Impossible Geometries were harder to use this time. Most of it was because Solus was running and fearing his life. Sometimes instinct worked in his favor, but here it didn’t. But another part of it was that Solus was still riding his emotional high. Two Acklays under his belt had replaced his anger with a sense of pride. In this vacuum of a situation, where it was only he and the monsters and the Gungans, envy was worthless. Solus felt empty. And the crashing ceilings were getting closer, changing all of his emotions to panic. Solus’ thoughts scrambled around in terror. If he failed, would he die? If he didn’t die, what would become of him? Would his very shard become someone else’s weapon? Or would his master torture him again and again like before with the rest of the Si... In the impossible Geometries, a cloud of red anger erupted. The anger thickened and goo-ified, clinging to the shapes that was Solus. In the Force, anyone nearby would have sensed the sudden power flowing around the Shard’s chassis. And for those who were not sensitive, they could see the result as suddenly the chassis surged with energy, overclocking its motors to a ridiculous degree. Before the last ceiling could crash down, Solus became more of an afterimage. Down the hall, around the corner, and even further, Solus surged forward non-stop. The memory of the abuse he had suffered under his Master in front of his peers was more than enough fuel and focus. And it only recalled the other memories of betrayal from his family before his ascension. The eternal darkness that was before. The isolation from all living things. All that pain for something that was not his fault. All that pain was rage and envy. And all that rage was energy in the Impossible Geometries Solus’ next test came quickly. With the ceilings still falling behind him, before Solus was a massive, open chasm, and below, the Acklay waited. Having felt the crashing tunnel, it knew prey was either approaching or dying. All it had to do was to wait. Still surging with energy, Solus charged forward, jumped slightly to land in a crouching position, and launched himself across the chasm onto an opposing wall. The Force continued to surge through him like a storm, and gave his leg motors the power needed to cross such a great distance, and continued to give him the power to launch again towards the Acklay at the bottom. Solus came down like a meteor. In a strangely similar account to how he killed Innmortos on Naboo, Solus’ fist struck the monster’s forehead and completely splattered it into the floor. But this time, Solus didn’t stop after the killing blow. Instead, his rage continued to boil over. With a quick retrieve of his blade, Solus began to butcher the body over and over, slicing each and every body part he could see, and then some. The world turned red in Solus’ blood covered sensors. There was nothing but rage and anger and fury, wanting desperately t o lash out and destroy anything it could get its claws on. It was the rage of the Fanged God. Of death. Solus eventually stopped, collapsing onto the corpse he had mutilated, barely holding himself up. He had never called on the Force so much in such a little amount of time. His battery was drained and needed to recharge for a few moments. “Excuse me sirs, but we have arrived. Shall we prepare the landing shuttles?” A Linnorm announced to Akheron. Indeed, the ship had just broken out of hyperspace over the partially snow covered world of the necromancer’s minions. Solus stood up from the corpse and looked up, sensing the sudden surge of life that had come into view of the ship.

A force flash? Solus mused this over as his master’s speaker died down. That didn’t exactly sound wealthy. And yet, how his master worded it, it didn’t sound like that at all. Perhaps… But first Solus needed to find a holocamera. Having walked a distance away from the corpse of the Aklay, he heard his next target more above him then on his level. Solus glanced upwards and noted how some of areas in the place had been elevated much higher than the others. As good as place as any. If anything, the elevated area’s walls could provide a vantage point to get his bearings on the other Gungans. But getting up there would be an issue. The elevated area was about 20 feet high, not counting the walls that surrounded some of the elevated area as well. In some imitation of an imperial complex, there were railings surrounding the outer edges that didn’t have walls, as well as plain doorways and empty windows. There didn’t seem to be any ladders or steps on this side. Solus shook his head. He didn’t have the patience to go looking for a ramp on the other side. Instead, he measured up a nearby column next to the elevated area, and hatched an idea. Taking a running leap, Solus planted a foot on the column, and pushed off towards the elevated area. Still too low, to reach the ledge, Solus repeated the step and planted a foot and pushed back towards the column. This continued a few more times, leaping back and forth from wall to column to wall until his fingers gripped a solid ledge to climb upwards onto. Solus stopped, dangling. With a quick focus, Solus casted his envy above him. The area was empty, but Solus cursed silently. Inside the first room past a doorway a Gungan stood, seemingly inspecting the room quietly. And above him was a floating sensor, no doubt one of the holocameras Akheron had mentioned. From the quick glance, Solus gathered that it had been rigged to screech at the first sign of intrusion. How the Gungan hadn’t set it off was a wonder. Solus casted his envy further in. The entire area was a maze of tight corridors and walls and ceilings, with holocams secured randomly everywhere. Solus drew his lines of envy back, pulled himself up onto the ledge, and pressed himself near the doorway. He could hear the Gungan from here, muttering something about how he would murder the next person he saw. Solus focused himself again and tapped into the Impossible Geometries. The Gungan was easy to see. A conglomeration of annoyance and nervousness. His shapes were drifting backwards and forwards slowly, but spinning with life. However, he wasn’t the object of focus. Master said to use the darkness… Solus thought silently, as the lines of envy circled and clouds of anger swirled around the liquid-esque forms of electricity that was the holocamera. Seems like anger and darkness are synonymous for you master…they don’t call you the Lord of Rage for nothing. Solus clenched his hand suddenly. The clouds of anger in the Impossible Geometries sparked and shook violently, as his own shard tinged black momentarily. While he couldn’t see the effect, Solus knew the result. Without hesitation, Solus came around the corner. His memory fashed to how Tear would kill someone. How the hound’s teeth would go for the throat. So too would his hands go for the gungan’s throat. With full force, the shard moved the Gungan out of the room, stopping short of crashing into a wall. The Gungan tried to gasp as its windpipe was crushed and lifted upwards. Not satisfied, Solus tightened both hands until he felt the soundless crunch and the body going limp. Gently, the Shard laid the body back down and mused over this, almost shaking with excitement. It was so much better then just cutting someone down. To feel their life actually disappear… No wonder Tear seemed to enjoy killing with his teeth. Or was that just instinct? Either way, no time to wait. For what felt like an hour, Solus moved from room to room. Quietly, and pausing at each corner, Solus had to refocus and use his Force Sight to make sure the next room wasn’t trapped. A few had cameras. Some had tripwires. Others even had a few Gungans. But each time, either his Master’s lesson, or the Shard’s determination, were more then enough. During all this, Solus felt one thing rising in him. A sense of accomplishment, and pride. He was finally proving to his master that faith in the Shard wasn’t misplaced. Finally, Solus found the stairs to what was the roof. Creeping along them slowly, hands resting on each step giving him the appearance of some kind of metal animal, Solus peered around and froze. The Acklay was standing over what looked like a mound of bodies, dissected and partially eaten. Smaller then the last one, this Acklay was still fearsome to behold. Had Solus been an organic, he would’ve swallowed a lump in his throat, knowing what he needed to do. This training was about stealth and silence. This would test its extreme. Slowly, ever so slowly, Solus began his way towards the Acklay. Each step was carefully planned and plotted, avoiding bits of blood and bone. When the Acklay breathed in, or snapped a piece of meat, Solus took another step, freezing once the monster became quiet. When the Acklay stopped and listened, so did the Shard, freezing in place. At times it took minutes before the beast moved, and in turn Solus had to remain still just as long. Each sound felt magnified. Solus felt his own power circuits wanting to thrum with the electricity built up, but his batteries needed to run on the lowest setting possible. His very shard wanted to scream out in anticipation. But more then that, he wanted to keep proving his master that he, Solus the Dragon, was worthy of his title. Finally, Solus was crouching underneath the Acklay’s belly. Each wrinkle in its leathery skin was for inspection if Solus desired. Slowly, Solus raised the lightsabers handle and brought it up. Each breath the Acklay took, its stomach went up and down, and Solus attempted to match it. If his master wanted silence, he would give silence. Now, just an inch more. An inch and the handle would touch… Solus activated the blade and plunged the handle into the Acklay. The spider-like thing screeched, but it was too late to fight back. Being too big, the blade didn’t even pierce the Acklays top, but all of the organs inside were vulnerable for the sizzling energy Solus’ weapon provided. In a swift motion, Solus deactivated the blade and caught the falling monstrosity with both hands. Slowly, almost buckling at the knees, Solus laid the monster down, now dead from its lethal wounds. One more to go. Solus thought to himself, taking a moment to rest.

Solus looked in curiosity as the room altered itself to become the labyrinthine chamber his master desired. From above, Akheron could witness everything easily, but for Solus, walls, pillars and sections of elevated floor now blocked most of Solus' eyesight. The instructions sounded simple enough, Solus mused to himself as he disposed of the robe on his body. Use stealth and kill without being heard. An interesting challenge to say the least, but not as difficult as his master made it sound out to be. Then again, the shard suspected there was more to this challenge besides blinded Acklay and gungans and no sound. Solus gave another bow to his Master in the observation area, and began his work. The first steps were the easiest, and the most educational. Not used to trying to be stealthy, Solus made adjustments as he moved. Using the balls of his feet over the heel, being in a permanent crouch position, even lowering his own power settings to reduce the potential noise his circuits made. Solus stopped as he peeked around a corner. The passageway ahead of him was plain and abandoned, save for two Gungans holding spears walking away from him. Several paths broke off the central way, but otherwise there was only darkness. This is too easy, Solus thought to himself. The memory of the Naboo Abyss, and the time of being swallowed whole, flashed to the forefront of his memory. Not wanting to repeat history, Solus peered into the Impossible Geometries, conjured his Envy up, and threw the little lines out around him. He almost chuckled when he saw that a few feet in front of him and all along down the hall up to behind the Gungan warriors, several metal wires connected a multitude of pressure sensors to blade attachments hidden in the wall. Thankfully, the sensors were well separated. Separated enough for the Shard to tip-toe between them, closer and closer to the two Gungans. That's it you idiots… Solus mused silently as one foot deftly moved over a pressure pad. Keep looking that way, and all will be fine, just don’t… One of the Gungans paused and began to turn around. Kriff With only seconds to act, Solus leapt sideways into a branching hallway. Coming to a complete stop at the corner, Solus froze in a kneeling position, avoiding any possible sound. Still, the Gungan sensed or heard something, as he got his partner’s attention and began to walk in Solus' direction. Solus smiled inwardly as a cruel idea popped into his shard. Silently from behind his corner, Solus reached his framework hand out towards the leading Gungan, and pulled. The Gungan lurched as if chains had grabbed his head and pulled forward onto a pressure plate. With a click and buzz, a spinning blade emerged from the wall and swiftly shot out, separating the Gungan’s head from its body. The other Gungan froze in fear, clutching his blaster rifle that had been given to him at the start. Then the roar occurred. The nearby ground shook slightly as with each thud, the monster known as the Acklay came closer. Solus saw it first, as it came directly down the hallway he was in. Having to think fast, Solus pressed himself into the wall as the Mantis-like thing’s claws passed inches from his metal chassis. The Acklay, blind as it was, went directly for where the body was heard being sliced apart. The other Gungan, now terrorized, screamed and broke into a sprint. Solus could have sworn that the razor-sharp teeth of the thing were smiling as it heard exactly where the Gungan ran to. Solus watched the entire chase from the Impossible Geometries. The Gungan only got a few paces away before he himself fell victim to another buzz-saw. However, he wasn’t as lucky as his partner, as the saw only chopped off a leg this time, leaving him vulnerable to the Acklays claws to stab, rip, and tear apart to be eaten. As humorous as it was for the Shard, Solus realized his main goal of the three Acklay still needed to be done. Again, Solus reached out into the Impossible Geometries and began to work his magic. Akheron said Solus needed to remain silent and invisible. And with the powers of the Force, he would do just that. The Acklay was a massive creature, and now was in a hallway filled with traps. It was a wonder it didn’t activate any of them itself, but Solus would fix that. In the Impossible geometries, Solus’ lines of envy wrapped around the decapitated Gungan’s head, and began to drag it across the ground. The vibrations did the trick, as the Acklay, now done with its meal, took notice. Curious and still hungry, it began its march back to the head. Solus almost cursed out loud, as each step the Acklay took, it avoided a pressure plate. Frustrated, Solus released the skull and focused on the nearest pressure plate to the Acklay and pushed down. The saw swung out and nicked the Aklays forward front claw. The monster, surprised and momentarily blinded by the sudden noise and vibrations, took a few steps back, bumping into a wall and inadvertently stepping on another plate. Again, another saw came out, slicing through a back appendage. The Acklay shrieked and tried to step away from this new blade. Solus repeated the trick again, pushing on the next pressure plate that had the Acklay in range, if barely. And again, the process would repeat, over and over again. Soon, the Acklay collapsed in a mass of cut and broken skin, sliced tendons, and carved bones. Still roaring and hissing in pain, it proved it remained alive. Not for long... Solus thought to himself as he stepped out from his hiding spot and made his way, moving under some still spinning blades and around others. With all the saws active, the noises he made were almost nothing in this tight area. To this blinded creature, he was invisible. The monster didn’t even know when the lightsaber was held underneath its head, until the blade was activated. With a quick deactivation, Solus stepped from the monster to admire his handiwork. Then he turned around and continued on his way. One down. Two to go

“Come come Tear, can’t be late!” Solus briskly moved down the hallway while snapping his metal fingers. Tear growled as the Sith Hound barely kept up, its claws clicking on the metal floors. “Oh it’s fine? It’s fine you say?” Solus mocked the hound, waving a hand. A few Linnorms stepped aside seeing the Dragon approach. The Sith apprentice had taken the new title well, and already had commanded with more authority than before. And the Linnorms knew it “Fine is my master being impressed with my work.” Solus continued, not even noticing the Linnorms stepping out of the way. “Fine is killing someone in service to the Fanged God. Being on time is not fine in of itself, and being late is worse, so we will not be late!” Tear seemed to roll his eyes and growled again, uncaring for the little things its master worried about. However, Solus couldn’t help but stop at one corner. The hallways metal interior provided several points of polished reflection, and the Shard couldn’t help but stare at the image that looked back at him. A chuckle came from the voicebox. “Ah, I can hardly believe it Tear. Just think, I used to be some rock in a cave. A piece of shrapnal. And now, I am more. Much more. The Dragon. Can you believe it?” Tear didn’t say anything, but instead simply stopped and looked at the reflection as well. This silence carried on for a few moments, as the Shard continued to study his own reflection over and over again. He even began to lift a hand as if to feel his newly made ‘face’ as he had seen so many of the other organics do, despite the fact that his chassis’ sensors already allowed him to feel his face by instinct alone. Was this pride he felt? The sin that his Father, Lord Roshan, used as a connection to the Force? What a glorious feeling it was! “Come come, lets get moving!” Solus shook himself and made his way again. As he left, the Linnorms breathed a sigh of relief and carried on with their own work. Finally, the two entered the chamber, and the Shard’s full attention was immediately drawn to the Acklays. “My, my my, what beautiful things!” Solus admired out loud, taking a few steps closer to them, but still keeping a safe distance. Perhaps it was the recent vision of the spider thing during his lightsaber making, or the fact that the beasts were huge and monstrous looking, but Solus couldn’t help but immediately fall in love with them. Another step forward and Solus had to stop as the nearest Acklay shrieked and snapped from behind their pens. Tear however stood at the doorway, watching carefully. Solus looked up towards where he felt the cloud of red anger was coming from, and gave a slight bow. “My master, I am here. What are these amazing things?”

Pride practically oozed out of Solus at the high praise and the bestowment of the title. Solus almost shivered with excitement. If he hadn’t been trying so hard to impress his master, he probably would have. “Thank you master.” Solus bowed as he took the blade back. His fingers grazed over the handle almost lovingly, as if he was still comprehending the fact that he actually had made this. “I will rise to every challenge your training gives me.” Solus made his way back to Stitch-Mouth. When Solus explained his task, the human nodded knowingly and assembled a variety of parts onto a makeshift table before him. Solus was almost happy that some of the parts were from his old chassis. The crafting was much different then before. In previous times, Stitch-Mouth did things his way, without care about his care’s feelings. But now, the alchemist began to actually present ideas. With no words, Stitch-Mouth conveyed methods of having plates fold and slide over themselves, multiple places for sensors and ventilations, places were wires could connect and shouldn’t connect. Solus found the word to describe this was Respect. Before, Solus was some child to the alchemist, a pet project to the Sorcerers of Bragsanu. But now, he had proved he was more than just a passing phase of the Lord-Captain’s. Solus, now Dragon of the clan, was on a path to something greater. Eventually, the modifications to the head was made. Solus sat down on the ground and allowed the alchemist to do what he did best. Sensors were removed, screws and bolts were loosened, and metal platings were added with new sensors. Instead of opening up to reveal the shard inside, the plates slid over themselves to reveal the piece of living stone. While there were still a full array of sensors all over the head, several spots on the new ‘face’ were actually opened directly to the glowing stone inside. Finally, Solus awaited at the ship. Tear sat beside the Shard awaiting as well, holding a large, bleeding piece of Gungan in its teeth. Solus felt his blade's hilt again. The flowing energy from the Impossible Geometries was almost intoxicating. How he longed for the opportunity to sate his blade's, and the Fanged god's, thirst.

Solus nodded to his master’s words and stepped forward. The walk seemed to take forever. Each stride took him past several bodies. But with each step, the distance to the center of the wound seemed to be ever further. And somehow, Solus stood before what he could only describe as a makeshift altar to the darkside. The frozen corpses remained motionless, yet full of energy. The blood sat still, yet moved with almost sentience. The air around the robot wavered with still energy, while the gas that was released from the chassis came out like a breath in the cold air. The bubbling blood pool before the three corpses and Solus called out. Solus couldn’t resist what was happening. His body, unanswering to him anymore, forced into a kneeling position before the blood and bodies, and reached forward to touch this degenerate font. With only a few drops of the boiling crimson, Solus’ arm pulled back towards his head plates. The shard’s mind was both in a state of panic and wonder. The power here was intoxicating. It’s grip was power itself. Controlling. Demanding. Insidious and awesome to behold. And useless to resist. The shard’s head opened up, revealing the small crystalline being inside. Its lines no longer danced but remained fixed in one small dot. The fingers approached it, slowly, until a single droplet spilt and spread itself over the small thing. Like Solus’ first experience with the darkside, the liquid entered the shard and touched the lines of thought. Then the body went limp, kneeling in perfect stillness. ________ The Impossible Geometries danced and whirled around. Triangular cylinders sundered circular vertexes violently, then absorbing them apart like amoeba-eating bacteria with the sounds of erratic chords of music. Some in particular were more fearsome than the rest, having a darker hue of purple and red, with more violent spinnings and transparent surface. While not filled with the energy of life, they did move their chaotic trajectories, flashing each color that a mind could not imagine and moving like silent winds of death. In the center of it all, Solus separated from the rest of the shapes and colors, and sounds, dwelled. One of the darker, consuming shapes approached the thing that represented Solus. Another followed, which in turn was followed by another. “What a fascinating little thing…” The first one commented, expanding its form then retracting instantly. It’s voice resonated on the waves that surrounded them all, screeching like nails on a chalkboard. “Perhaps this one will taste better?” The second one asked, it's vibrations more sultry then the first. The third one said nothing, but followed the other two. In the real world, the three corpses before Solus moved of their own accord. Heads twisted slowly, cracking the frost that cased over their joints. “What are you?” the shapes that were Solus resonated back. The air of curiosity oozed off of his own edges, barely letting the aura of fear escape. The three things laughed. The corpses in the real world laughed too. “We are what you wish to be. Apostles of what you hope to serve” The second shape thrummed , her voice like a snake about to strike a harmless mouse. “I serve no one. I am breaking that chain” Solus countered. The three things laughed and circled closer. The corpses themselves started to move their limbs, picking themselves up and crawling forward around the boiling blood pool. “We all serve something or someone. And you serve multiple things” The shapes commented. One of the corpses, the female, looked towards where Akheron stood. Though he could not hear the words Solus was experiencing, the wink from the glossy, partially melted, eyed woman spoke levels. “You are distractions…” Solus rigidly retorted, only to be met with more chuckles. “We are that which dwells in between all life.” The larger shape pulsated, a sound of solid structure, like a fence to a prisoner. “Between the spaces of all Life. We are the consumed and the consumers. Devoured, and devourers. The teeth, and the morsel for what you wish to serve…” Solus’s shape shook, the aura of fear now impossible to restrain. “I must make my weapon…” Solus refocused himself. “My crystal…” The three shapes came closer to the Shard’s structure, their prismatic forms becoming flat in interest. “Such a thing demands extraction. Did your master not say so?” Solus resonated a yes. The three corpses crept around the still chassis. The child, sitting across from the pool, waved its hand. The body of the shard moved and creaked, and its hands opened up and placed its contents on the floor. The vial filled with the remains of Innmortos’ body tumbled forward. “Ah! Fresh death!” The shapes exclaimed, but then quickly turned to disgust. “No soul! No soul! Such a thing demands more than this!” The biggest of the shapes drew close to Solus’ form. The chassis of Solus became hot to the touch. “Weakling! No soul means no death!” “No death means no weapon.” The sultry shape continued. “And no weapon means no strength” The smallest of the shapes concluded, its sound nothing more than a whisper. “I have killed many, not just this Necromancer.” Solus bit back, his shape suddenly boiling with its own energy, forcing the three back. “I killed many gungans with my master!” The larger shape laughed. The father's corpse slapped the ground in mockery. “Gungans? I expected them to become extinct in my day! They are nothing!” Solus’ form began to shake and rumble. Fear and anger mixed together at this insult. “We saw your battle, little shard. You pathetic fight with that decrepit old thing There was no finesse to it. Just scramblings and beatings. Barbaric and unrefined. You are weak. We are strong. And we are three, while you are alone.” The two shapes that continued to talk got closer. Their intent was clear. Feasting was an act of pleasure after all. "Yes, silent still Solus. Nothing more then a rock in a cave, destine to be alone. Oh how amusing, a rock who thinks he is more then pebble!" At the mention of being alone, a flood of memory washed over the shard. Memory of the eternity before he was awakened. Of the eternal darkness before the world of worlds. Of the time after he was exiled from his family. Of the unbearable solitude, with no one to speak to. Solus had had enough. With a sudden ripple of energy born purely of hatred, Solus screamed into the void around him. His chassis’ arms raised up and grabbed the corpses by their burnt but frozen necks. “You are three? Well then, let’s make that right. No one should have more than me. So now, be one!” Solus resonated with them. “Flght Nu Dy’la! Begone!” The form that was Solus erupted with a yellow fire of rage and envy. The consuming flames overtook the two shapes that had gotten closer to devour what was a simple target. In pain they screeched as they fled into the impossible geometries, lost forever in the Cosmic Force. As this happened, the two adult corpses around the metal chassis fell in a shamble. Their strings had been cut, their souls untethered. Now only Solus and the smallest, nearly silent shape remained. “Good…good. You do have spirit after all. You will be a good addition to bear his weapons. Then all went black. ____ Solus awoke someplace else. While his chassis remained still kneeling before the pool of blood and the small child corpse, his shape was no longer in the Impossible Geometries. Solus looked around with actual eyes, eyes made of flesh, at the surrounding landscape. A clearing in an ominous, overgrown courtyard. Vines overtook ancient stonework all around, splitting larger pieces from the whole. And in the center of the courtyard, stood a rotting spider-esque being, and a large stone fountain filled with blood. “Your stone will be inside” Apostle gestured, smiling and showing its mandibles. Solus stepped forward, feeling the cold stone on bare feet. Solus looked down into the Font. Its contents churned around with unknowable energy. Like before, the blood called to Solus, tempting him to give in and to drink. To let loose his passion and become a slave to the power within. “Reach in. But don’t drink. You foolish little one are much too weak for that.” Apostle winked one of its multitude of eyes. It was like something from a nightmare. Each eye looked about randomly, and yet stayed focused on Solus. Each leg, rotting at the edges, bore teeth and claws at every joint. Its body, hairy as it was, was also tattooed with strange flowing markings that refused to stay still. “Unless of course, you think otherwise?” The thing knew what Solus wanted to do. The power of suggestion and reverse psychology. Had not Solus known how powerful words could be, he perhaps would’ve fallen for it. Solus raised a bony gaunt hand and willed upon the Font. The stone, the object of his desire, was inside. With the force, he would pull it out. His envy would be powerful. And with his own power, he would set himself… “Oh, don’t be so cowardly” Apostle snickered, and without warning, grabbed the Shard’s hand with a hooked claw and dunked the appendage inside. ____ Without warning, Solus’ chassis reached up swiftly to the shard’s crystalline soul, and grabbed the crystal. The entire body screeched in pain as the hand scraped and scratched and grounded the object's hard edges in its grip. The gem’s inner lights spasmed and crashed into its walls, the pain greater than anything it had experienced before. The sensation of nerves burning away into oblivion. The feeling of a soul's container being damaged. The Impossible Geometries leaked into the air around the two bodies. Shapes of unimaginable forms appeared and disappeared. A hue of psychedelic gasses never before seen by human eyes formed and dissipated in flashes of nanoseconds. Colors of emotion filled the air, with a heavy emphasis of reddish rage and yellowish envy, staining the walls, while the smells of raw instinct plugged the noses. Even those outside the building, force sensitive or not, could feel these things come to life. The Wound, and the apprentice, had become active. ____ Solus pulled his hand from the font, screaming in pain. The skin was gone, the veins and arteries in the muscles partially dissolved, revealing bone, fat, and tendon. “Good. Now mix them together” Apostle commanded. The spider, without a trace of gentleness, crawled onto the helpless organic Solus and struck a claw into the back of the Shard’s head. "Focus on your hatred. Those you envy. Those you wish to kill. Focus on that, and call forth your weapon" Solus blinked a tear away. The pain was rising, but so was his envy and hatred. This…thing was powerful, but he would be greater. He hated it, and would show it he was a great being. Through the pain, Solus reached his partially disintegrated hand forward and called on the Force again. His flesh, the blood, and Inmortos’ essence, were inside, forming into something new. And it would be his. “Good. Good. A weapon to feed. A weapon to kill. And so much more.” "The crystal is the heart of the blade. The heart is the crystal of the Sith. The Sith is the crystal of the Force. The Force is the blade of the heart” Solus muttered over and over, focusing through the pain. _____ The chassis spilled the dust from the crystal into the pool of boiling blood before it, and then the vial. As it all began to mix, more of the impossible geometries leaked from the robotic body. The envy was so thick it was palpable. The rage was so vivid it became psychedelic. The geometries flowed from the body into the mixture. All together, the ingredients stirred, becoming more and more diluted with each other. Slowly, the stuff rose into the air, a sphere of red and orange. The chassis raised its hands and encased the sphere. The geometries rippled around, as the Force condensed itself around the mixture. The heat inside the hands began to build, glowing like a fiery star. More and more the force was focused as the mist of envy and hatred swirled about. Finally, Solus’ body moved with natural sentience of the Shard. Solus opened his hands and revealed the small crystal inside. No bigger than a child’s thumb, it sat cradled in the shard’s metal palms like a newborn youngling. But the power that came from it was anything but childlike. A slow emission of yellow gas came from the red gem, as the Impossible Geometries were directly connected to the crystal. Solus’ envy and hatred were mixed together in this one small stone, and because of that, the Force rippled around it with the passion of the Force wound it was made in. Solus could feel his envy flow from the gem, anxious to kill in the name of the Fanged God. Solus smiled inwardly as he clutched the tiny crystal in his palm. The corpse of the child was no longer before him. In the crafting of the crystal, it had completely vanished, only to be replaced by the spider-like thing he had seen before. It was looking down, like a giant looking at its prey. It gave the briefest glance towards Akheron, who would recognize the markings on its head and body. Markings of the Fanged God. Whether it was a servant, a hallucination, or something else, no one could tell. Then it was gone. In a blink of an eye, the spider vanished. Solus didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he began to hum a tune as he began to work. After what seemed like an hour, Solus approached Akheron. A few strides away he stopped and presented the hilt in one hand. While small, it seemed to fit perfectly in the Shard’s hand. The black metal had turned slightly yellow, a side effect of the crystal's connection to Solus’ envy and the Impossible Geometries. Small burnt-brown wrappings from the bodies inside the ruins wrapped where Solus' hands would grip the handle. Near its blade emitter, a single ebony tooth-like extension protruded, reminiscent of one of the fangs of the spider that had been in the Force Wound. “Behold master… the heart of my blade…” Solus said, activating the lightsaber with a flick. The crimson blade hissed out like a warning from a predator. The hilt released a small whiff of envious color from the Impossible Geometries before becoming completely focused and humming with danger. “A weapon and a piece of me.” With this, Solus deactivated the blade and knelt on one knee before his master. With both hands held above his head, he presented the blade for inspection.