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Solus

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Everything posted by Solus

  1. Solus

    Naboo

    Solus wasn’t sure when his following of Akheron to the Force Wound turned into pure instinct of walking towards it. At some point during his master’s speaking, Solus’ sensing of the impossible geometries became more and more focused and direct. The air itself became more dead it seemed. The shapes became more sluggish and translucent. Much like Innmortos, the aura of the area was sputtering to death. Finally, the trio made it to the place. Before the group laid the remains of what was once the immaculate concert hall of Naboo. Pale white marble pillars supporting a fertile green dome now laid over in burnt black ashen rubble. While some of the roof was still supported by a central pillar, the building that housed countless artistic masterpieces of acoustic designs was now a house of death. This was made clearer then ever when the group entered. The bodies were everywhere. Fresh corpses of humanoids and theriomorphic alike laid beside each other, some crushed by debris while some clinging to each other with blaster marks in their heads and chests. Musicians had been melted together with their ornate instruments, creating truly nightmarish, macabre images. Fire had consumed some of the bodies, leaving behind black remains, while ones who were not burned were being consumed by the local carrion eaters. However, with the stench of the dark side secreting from the place, the only animals that could reside here were the stink-flies and the screw maggots wriggling in tainted meat. This meant many of the corpses were mostly whole and rotting. Solus’ sensor focused at the center of the building. leaning against a central pillar, two humanoid parents, partially burned and rotted away, as well as their young children, one no more than a year old. Their clothes had been torn to nakedness, revealing the organs and blood that had oozed onto the floor. While it wasn’t easy to guess what happened, when the attack first started, a large orchestra had begun a centineenial performance. With the first bombardement, people huddled closer and closer in the building, as the local security had instructed the populace for safety's sake. During the battle, one poorly, and accurately, aimed bombardment shot collapsed a majority of the building and the surrounding ones, killing hundreds instantly. Later, soldiers must have swept through the place and killed any survivors. This became the epicenter for the force wound, as all over the planet, as death was occurring on a massive scale. Perhaps in time, with life regrowing, the wound would heal over, but for now, even the un-trained could feel the darkness in the place. “My my my…” were the only words Solus could muster up from his cold voicebox. The dark side was practically dripping here. The immense death of the planet had centered in this place. The palpable death and destruction that was centered here. Solus could’ve sworn he saw some of the bodies move of their own volition. The impossible geometries were not just sluggish. They were deathly. The shapes were pale black and unlit white. Their counter-clockwise backward spinnings had become upward tumblings of the lowest order. Where the couple with their dead children was the true epicenter of the Force wound. The flies avoided it completely, despite the magnificent feast for them there. The blood from the family was boiling with no signs of heat, and the bodies leaning on the pillar, despite being partially burned to a crisp, showed signs of frostbite at their lips and fingers. The air vibrated with a tension of energy that could only be found in a handful of places across the galaxy. Here, reality and the Force itself was sickened and maimed to almost beyond repair. Solus stopped at the crumbled entrance of the building. Whether it was fear or honor for such darkness, the Shard couldn’t tell, but he struggled to take another step into this ghoulish wound in the Force. He could only stare for a few moments at the epicenter, before looking at his master for permission and guidance.
  2. Solus

    Naboo

    Solus bowed again in thanks towards the complement of his meaning of the code, and then agreed to do what was requested. Without another word, Solus turned and left. Finding Stitch-Mouth wasn’t difficult. The alchemist had not wandered far. The human’s burnt and unkempt hands were busy at work with several large containers, with pieces of metal scattered about nearby, including Solus’ old arm. “Excuse me, I have need of your assistance again! It seems that I…” Solus stopped. He finally could see what metal scraps the alchemist was pulling out. The pieces of black and corroded metal were much too familiar. The platings, the wires, the frames…they were all the remains of his previous chassis. The chassis of his old, part serpentine form. That moment was esoteric to say the least, and it didn’t have a single thing to do with the force. It was like a human staring at his own carcass. A body that once held his own brain, and now was nothing more then metal scrap and trash. Stitch-Mouth seemed to be amused at this pause of silence and uncomfortableness, as he himself gave the slightest of smirks. Without a trace of care, Stitch-Mouth shoved his hand into the old chassis between some of the joints and ripped out several pieces. His smirk, despite being stitched shut, was wider now as Solus could only give a shocked look. The alchemist shoved the parts into the shard’s hands. The Shard’s old arm from his current chassis, tiny cylinders and dials from his older chassis, and a few metal rods and plates from both the newer and older robotic suits. After this, Stitch-Mouth shooed away the apprentice, indicating that he had what he needed. Even as Solus stumbled away, parts in hand, he was still in a daze. For a few moments longer, this didn’t feel real. He had witnessed his own dead corpse, and was now carrying pieces of it to be made into a weapon. What if this was just some dream? What if he actually was still back on Ishvara, and this was just another vision like the ones that led to him being separated from this family? After all, all of this is just him trying to please a bunch of people so they'd accept him, right? Was this just one big hallucination, going mad from loneliness? Solus shook himself. Of course not, he wasn’t this imaginative. Finally, Solus was back before Akheron and Tros, ready to follow where they led. He didn’t speak another word, remembering that restraining his words had its own benefits.
  3. Solus

    Naboo

    “Answer truthfully and openly, there will be no repercussions” Solus almost flinched at these words, recalling how similar ones were spoken earlier, followed by an embarrassing beating in front of all of his peers. Still, Solus contained himself and raised his newly forged hand as if to add to his words. “The meaning is to be unrestricted. In my fight with Innmortos, my power over the force only became useful when I gave into my passion, and let my envy and anger be unrestrained. And in that, my power was unrestrained. Much like you with how your unrestrained rage literally flows from you, when I have unrestricted myself and all of my sins, I am powerful.” “And if I may add master, and to you of House Solus…” Solus snapped his skeletal-looking hand as if to emphasize a point. “It's not just limited to my passion, but my imagination as well. In the battle with Innmortos, I only truly began to gain an upper hand when I began to let my imagination loose. The idea to blend in with the ice, to use the blade and myself as separate weapons, to make noises through the dark side… only by unleashing my passion and my mind was I able to succeed.” Solus pulled his hand back and gave a bow to the two, to show he was concluding his thought process. “I, master, must continue to practice my rage, my envy, and my mind so that it will be unrestrained by not only myself, but all others who will seek to use and restrain me. Through this, I will attain victory and free myself from the chains of this world of worlds”
  4. Solus

    Naboo

    Solus nodded at this praise and reached out with his working arm to retrieve the vial. It was about time that his master recognised Solus’ abilities, and the fact that Akheron had given his talents a name was enough to make him slightly giddy. Assassin. What a word. What a lovely word. Solus mused to himself as he slowly stood up. One smart linnorm saw the struggle of solus moving his near broken motors and gears and decided to hell with the comments from the shard and helped him up. Soon Solus stood before the corpse of the necromancer. An air of uneasiness emanated from the shell of a being. Death had not fully claimed the being. Akheron had said as much. Solus didn't feel like he had truly succeeded. Perhaps this would help him feel some accomplishment? Extracting the blood was easy enough. Solus merely grabbed the smashed head and dribbled a mixture of darkness blood and Grey brain fluids into the vial until it was overflowing. Solus smirked to himself, wondering if the necromancer could feel his head being used this way. If so, then the necromancer should be enraged, as Tear was going to consume the body after the Shard was done with it. Afterwards, Solus, with the help of the Linnorm, made his way back to stitch-mouth. The alchemist had fully recovered himself from their training session and was busy preparing for the upcoming task. Stitch-Mouth gestured to a make-shift seat of rubble. Solus stumbled and sat down. Without waiting for permission, the alchemist started his tedious work by suddenly, and unceremoniously ripping off the broken arm. Solus groaned slightly, but didn’t notice too much as his mechanic got to work extracting the broken motor and replacing with a new one. Unlike Faleen, the entire ordeal was irreverent. Stitch-mouth occasionally used the force to modify some parts or to help weld some metal together, but the appearance of tools and other, less trained hands showed that this was just a job and not something special. Still, it wasn’t painful. When the alchemist began to work on a part, he cut off some of the circuits in the area like a well trained doctor giving morphine to a patient. The bedside manner was completely absent, but it gave time for Solus to think and speak to himself. “Peace is a lie, there is only passion” Solus started, staring into the impossible geometries. The shapes that moved about him were still strange and fascinating, but the clouds of red anger and the energetic lines of envy. He smirked slightly to himself, and watched the cloud slowly thin out and get replaced by a more green aura, albeit thinner than a wisp. A slight gaze towards Stitch-mouth revealed a deluge of colors, some never seen before to mortal eyes. "Through passion I gain strength. And through strength I gain power" Solus mused and nodded. These lines were getting easier to understand. In his battle with Inmortos, Solus felt more attuned with the force when he was enraged and jealous. When he was passionate, he could do more, and make the force do his will. For someone like his master, being passionate was as simple as breathing, and thus strength came naturally to them. Time. That’s what Solus needed. Time to focus on his emotions. To build on that emotion that Lady Sirena taught him so long ago. “The force shall free me” Solus nodded to himself. This much was true. Stitch-Mouth grunted for the shard’s attention. The arm was complete. Solus took a glance over it and was truly surprised. It looked more like the skeletal surrounding of the arm than the actual arm. It looked less life-like and more robotic. There were some fine improvements, like an extra thumb and a double-jointed elbow. Wires were wound and spun together between the bars of the frame like shoulder and biceps, looking like veins around bones. Solus couldn’t help but admire how his hand looked like a skeletal one. A fitting attachment after killing a necromancer. Solus then noticed that at the wrist joints, there was a familiar attachment. “My scomp-link!” Solus exclaimed. Without waiting for permission, Solus activated his newly furnished arm and flexed it. True to its appearance, it felt lighter and, for lack of a better term, bony. The scomp link extended and receded over and over, like a new muscle being tested. His previous scomp had been torn off during his first fight on Korriban. Solus knew that this device would have future use as an Assassin. “Come then!” Solus stood up suddenly, gripping his new hand into a fist. “It’s time to tell my master my interpretation! Ha ha! Yes! Come Linnorms! With me! You too my beloved mechanic!” With that, Solus made his way to where Akheron and Tros were beginning their own training, rehearsing to himself what he would say. Stitch-Mouth followed alongside, carrying the discarded arm pieces from the fix-job. “The meaning of the sith code…the meaning is..hmm… passion. My passion, my raw emotions, my very being, gives me my strength. I am my strength. Restrictions on myself restrict my passion, and thus, my power. I do what I want, and what I need to do, and damn the consequences, for only I can give myself the freedom I desire. Yes, that’s good. Restrictions limit power. To be unrestrained is to be powerful. That is what that necromancer did say after all. My imagination must not be restrained, nor my anger and envy. Haha, yes this will do nicely. Can someone record that? Yes, Akheron will be pleased…”
  5. Solus

    Naboo

    In the fight, Solus didn’t feel the blade piercing him at first. His entire attention was focused on one task: Crushing and killing the necromancer. If he was a human, he would’ve been experiencing an adrenaline rush. If he was a pure droid, he would have had no pain receptors. But as a shard, he was just solely focused on one task that everything else didn’t matter. Only victory mattered. And Solus had achieved that. The silence that filled the air in the moments after the blade flickered out was legendary. For that one moment, it felt like even the Force went still; that all of the shapes and forms in the Impossible Geometries had been frozen in time. That life and death were briefly intertwined like young lovers. Solus smiled inwardly. He had done it. He had fed the Fanged God with a worthy adversary. One who tainted life and deserved death. One who had escaped it for so… Solus shivered instinctively as the necromancer’s voice spoke one last time. Confusion and anger swirled in the Shard's mind. He had not done it! The necromancer still lived! Beyond Solus' limited understanding, beyond all the impossibilities of it all, Innmortos lived! Was the necromancer that powerful? Or was the Fanged God that weak? While these questions wouldn’t bother Solus at the moment, in his meditations Solus would possibly begin to question the true power of the Fanged God later. Pain brought Solus back to reality. He nearly fell limp over the body as his shard-mind finally realized what had truly happened to his body. The impalement of the weapon was nearly a lethal one. A few inches closer to the right would have struck the chassis battery and caused an irreversible explosion, or in the case of the necromancer’s blade, a complete energy drain of the entire chassis, including his very Shard. Instant death, with no form of recovery. What damage the blade had done however, was still crippling to say the least. Solus realized that as he attempted to stand up. The motors to his left arm had been disconnected entirely, making it fall limp. The cut the blade made downwards ruptured several cooling tubes, and the mixture of pneumatic and electric leg motors were damaged, meaning Solus would be limping until repaired. And the cracked headpiece meant that he had a 30 degrees blindspot. Still, Solus could move. With what little strength his motors could apply, Solus used his one good arm and grabbed the crushed corpse of Innmortos, and dragged it towards where his master and the armored one watched. “Get away from me you lackwits…” Solus commanded the Linnorms who attempted to come help. They believed that Solus had truly killed Innmortos, and now couldn’t help but view the Sith apprentice in a new light. The Linnorms backed off as Solus continued to grumble almost silently. "If anyone had anything to show for this, its me. If anyone else gets any praise for this, I will end them myself and earn more praise. And if any kriffing idiot thinks that this entire thing was stupid and needs to abuse me again in front of everyone..." The limping towards Akheron, the armored one, and now Tear as well, was long but determined. Eventually, Solus stood before the group, and dropped the body. Behind him in the plaza, Innmortos’ blade exploded with dark energy, killing the Linnorms who had been curious about salvaging the weapon. The draining energy from the explosion in the background, as far as it was, had a visible effect on the Shard. The robotic being’s leg motors finally gave in. The shard fell into a kneel, out of both respect and an impossibility to do anything else. “Have I earned some form of respect back from you Master?” As much as Solus wanted to speak words of venom to being who abused the Shard in front of the Empress, Solus kept his voice monotone, and his presence in the Force quiet. The battle with Innmortos had taught him how to do that much. Solus then turned his head to indicate his next words were directed towards the armored one. “And perhaps this was a demonstration of my skills for the upcoming battle? Does this please the both of you?”
  6. Solus

    Naboo

    Even as the Linnorm screamed at being devoured, Solus felt his body regain the energy needed to move. As the necromancer pulled the dying man’s soul, Solus wasted no time in using his rejuvenating body to move. Darting between ice walls and columns, the Shard made sure he was nowhere near his original position. He needed to do better than just a straight-forward attack. But without his lightsaber… It was hard to focus. Splitting his attention between keeping his own presence in the Impossible Geometries limited while also planning an attack was mentally taxing to say the least. The startlement of the implosion of ice from Innmortos’ attack only made the situation more stressful. Had the shard been where he was before, he would’ve been killed on the spot. Solus peeked around an ice wall. His spirit sank further at the defense that the necromancer had conjured. The orbs were clearly dangerous, and swirling in such a way that there was no clear opening. Solus regretted everything he said to the necromancer. This thing was in a league of its own. The Lord of Rage was correct in respecting this dark master, as decrepit as the old man was. Solus began to worry. If he didn’t win this, would his master disown Solus? Even now, Solus could see his master observing from a safe distance. “No…No I will not be weak. I am not weak, for i am strong in the dark side…” Solus muttered softly. His rage surged violently. His action was clear. His victory was still in sight. Solus broke out of his stillness in the Impossible Geometries and reached out. Just as he had done so with the Gungan Captain, he pulled at his lightsaber that had been frozen and abandoned on the opposite side where Innmortos was facing. With the violent energy building, The lightsaber and the ice encasing it broke from the ground and flew towards the necromancer, blade activating mid-flight. But Solus’ attention did not remain with the blade. As soon as it flew, Solus left his hiding spot. Solus deserved the respect and honor that Lord Akheron showed Innmortos and here was his chance to gain it. His envy-fueled anger flowed throughout his body. The Impossible Geometries around Solus surged with the energy, filled with one sole intention. To give Solus speed. With a blinding movement, Solus dashed towards Innmortos’ backside. Hopefully, the combination of the flying lightsaber and Solus’ enhanced body would be enough to strike a finishing blow. True, the lightsaber may get destroyed, but Solus didn’t care at this point. All that mattered was proving he was no slave, and that he was powerful. There, Solus saw a spot for a potential opening in the Necromancer’s vortex. Without wasting another thought, Solus’ force-fueled body leapt forward, pulled back a fist, and threw a punch aimed at the decrepit head of Innmortos.
  7. Solus

    Naboo

    Solus felt the air around him grow still for a moment. In the Impossible Geometries, the images and shapes are momentarily stilled. The red cloud of rage around him briefly separated as a burst of pure energy coursed at him with violent intention. But being this high in the air, Solus understood there was nothing he could do. He had left himself vulnerable, and now was going to pay the price. Never did Solus grow disoriented in the flight. His full vision helped keep him oriented, and the Impossible Geometries were so violent naturally that spinning was pointlessly violanet. Still, the landing did cause a lot of pain. The crashing into the ground broke the stones and ice underneath was loud to say the least. Inmortos’ words rang a different form of truth to the Shard. Even as he laid crumpled on the ground, the words were starting to take hold. He was a pawn. He was weak. That’s what was wrong with this situation. Solus was not strong enough. Solus attempted a stand, only to nearly collapse. The vapors from what Inmortos had tossed had taken effect almost immediately. His body’s energy left him violently. His gears felt heavy. His soul felt… “I can’t…I can…no, no…” Solus shook himself. He wouldn’t fall here! Solus tilted his head up towards Inmortos. He needed a moment to recover. But Inmortos wouldn’t grant that. It was hopeless! No, Solus shook his head, still focusing on Inmortos. He would find a way to survive and win. Perhaps…the Impossible Geometries could help with that… Solus focused on the Geometries again. But this time, he focused his envy and anger to go past Inmortos, towards the Linnorms who were brave enough and lucky enough to still be watching and unfrozen. One of them was fingering his gun nervously, not sure what was going to happen. Solus focused his envy around this one. He focused his rage at a spot just next to the warrior and then, will the full force of his own willpower, willed all of his envy to crash at the one point. To make a shockwave in the shapes and colors at that one spot. To make his envy be like a stone in the lake of chaos and to make… The noise was sudden and loud. It sounded like the mechanical screech of several gears grinding in one place. This noise became a chain reaction with the beings nearby. The Linnorm, entirely focused on the battle, became startled, and misfired his own slugthrower rifle. Unfortunately, the weapon was pointed towards the palace. Tear, who had been waiting patiently, was not amused when the slug hit the wall next to him. The Sith hound roared and charged the soldier. Claws were bared, teeth were shown and saliva fell in torrents. The other Linnorms observed and stood back as their comrade was torn apart. No one willed to get in the way of the beast their master Akheron believed to be sacred. Solus seized the moment. With what little strength remained and with everyone distracted, Solus moved his legs into motion and made his way sideways. With all of the ice and rubble that Inmortos had created, he had unknowingly created a literal maze. Once behind a wall, Solus focused again. He had to. Desperation was clinging at his emotions. But he had to do this. He had to focus. They were his emotions! They would obey him! Not the other way around! They would be his slaves! Solus closed himself from the Impossible Geometries. He focused only on two things. Keeping himself disconnected from the Force, and listening for what Inmortos would do next. Hopefully, Solus could hide long enough to gain his strength back.
  8. Solus

    Naboo

    The moment of pleasure of capturing and pinning the shade was short lived for the Shard, as Solus witnessed through the Impossible Geometries how Inmortos escaped his clutches and retreated back to the flesh prison. Lightsaber still activated and in hand, Solus began to move forward, even as the necromancer’s voice came from everywhere. “I didn’t say I wanted to rule the Sith,” Solus replied softly to Inmortos’ banter. “Is that what you need to have?” Solus however stopped. The Impossible Geometries were acting strangely. The air was growing colder and colder. The area near Inmortos was similar to his brief time with Lady Sirena and her lighting. But where she made energy, here there was a void of it. Solus backed up as the ice began to form. The shouts of the Linnorms trying to clear the area barely sounded out over the sounds of vaporous water freezing solid. Solus needed to act fast, or he would be trapped like in the belly of the Claw Fish, and killed for his weakness. And he would not fail again. Solus began to dash and jump away, barely dodging the freezing lightning that approached him. He witnessed that where the energy was, the air froze. Solus realized that what he needed was to keep moving. To keep dashing and not give Inmortos a chance to freeze the shard. But the area was becoming limited. Each second that went by, more and more of the environment froze and turned solid, limiting the battlefield. Solus smiled inwardly. An idea had begun to form. He would show this old man he was more than a worthy foe. As Solus raced around, he bent down and scooped up a piece of broken stone. No bigger than his fist, Solus clutched it tightly. Then, with a jump, Solus landed on one of the ice columns and leapt into the air. “Gotcha” Solus stated and threw the rock down at his vulnerable target. With it, he willed the impossible geometries to aid the stone, using the force to accelerate the stone to a deadly speed.
  9. Solus

    Naboo

    When the Sith’s body fell limp, a murmur went about through the Linnorms who were still watching. They realized that what was happening now was not just a training session, nor a squabble. This was something akin to a duel. Even as the mists spread out from where Inmortos’ body was, the Linnorms did not approach for a better look. They backed off for their own safety. Solus was just as surprised at the limp body and the spreading mists. But what the other Linnorms didn’t see as clearly was the spirit exiting the corpse. Instict kicked in, and Solus activated his lightsaber, the red blade illuminating barely in the cloying fog. With a step forward, Solus attempted to slash at the phantasm that was before him. However, the lightsaber met no resistance. Like the fog, the ethereal form of Inmortos passed through the blade harmlessly, now completely hidden from Solus’ sensors. “If victory is the only thing that will make you respect me…” Solus grumbled as he swung his blade around, as if Inmortos was creeping behind, “then you will lose to me rotting corpse.” Solus looked in all directions. Normally, his head, loaded with sensors at every single angle imaginable, would have benefited here. But the fog and mists were much too thick. And with the temperature dropping, even the shard’s thermal sensors couldn’t detect anything. Solus screeched in sudden pain as Inmortos’ hand glided through his chassis. His back felt frozen and lifeless momentarily. The energy from his legs gave out slightly, as his life energy was sapped away. Solus frantically swung his blade around again, finding nothing. “You…you think I am limited?” Solus growled. His anger and his envy began to bubble inside. His very shard began to turn dark as the inner lights formed a perfect circle. “I perceive more then you know!” Solus shouted. The Impossible geometries opened around him. To the shard, the mists of blue and white were now replaced by shapes of rage and lines of envy constantly expanding and collapsing within themselves. Solus willed his envy to travel between his rage, and threw them out. Even as the Shard stood still, his envy traveled the cloud and began to circle around a collection of shapes and emotions. Jerking, dying shapes of sickly pale energy. A specter in the fog. Solus smiled inwardly and stretched his hand. The vision from Korriban returned to his memory. The cloaked shadow with tendrils. The burning slaves bound by chains. Chains. “Sin ah mi’onos, l' ahuaaah Iiahe li! A, uaaahnythor, ah'n'ghaor, drrillld chi’ai’n!” Solus’ voice emitted, the sounds echoing with waves of the Force in the open plaza. Sin is mine, to use as pain. A tool, a weapon, a deadly chain! To Solus, who was viewing the world through the Impossible Geometries, his lines of Envy that were circling Inmortos became chains of red. To anyone who was actively sensing the force, they could sense that Solus was calling on the Force to do a simple trick. Solus clutched his hand into a fist, the invisible chains attempting to wrap around their target. With a downward motion, Solus attempted a Force Pull; An attempt to slam the shade into the ground and hold it there.
  10. Solus

    Naboo

    “Would be an embarrassment even the likes of Darth Akheron could not tolerate in a slave.” Solus jerked up at the familiar voice and presence of the elderly being. The thing’s presence made the impossible geometries slow and jerk up in the area surrounding it. The sight was not much more pleasant. This Darth Inmortos was a wrinkled monster at best, and a frozen, walking corpse at worst. Despite his short time in this world of worlds, Solus could identify physical weaknesses Solus almost snapped at the old thing, but he remembered how Akheron was impressed with the gift the old being had offered. His memory flashed at the admiration his Lord showed this old thing, and his own envy grew. “Tear knows when not to get in the way of training, Lord Inmortos” Solus stated flatly as he stood and faced the being. His vocabulator neither rose or lower in pitch whatsoever, since the Shard was trying to not show how annoyed he really was. “And what I desire is to impress the Lord of Rage and our Empress. Especially since I know I have more potential than they truly realize.” Still, Solus was relatively young. Even as he holstered his borrowed lightsaber, his anger got the best of his words. The annoyance that he had done things correctly for his master in the deep and was rewarded with pain. The anger at being told to speak freely and then being tortured before his peers. His next words, despite being spoken flatly, revealed these emotions easily. “And I don’t want to become weak like you body before my potential is wasted.”
  11. Solus

    Naboo

    Solus had left the throne area where the rest of the Sith continued to plot, interact and entertain themselves. Word had come that he had been summoned outside, and since his attention was not needed, Solus had been excused. Striding down the hallways, Tear at his right side, Solus took a few moments to admire the handiwork of the palace. Despite the damage that the building had sustained, it was still rather beautiful. The pillars were smooth and ornate, the floors were extravagantly carved, the partially caved in roof was rich in color and style. Solus wondered if it would be possible for himself to acquire such a building as a place of residence. Perhaps once he proved himself… Tear gave a growl and stopped in its tracks. Solus stopped as well a few steps afterwards, confused. The two had arrived at the palace entrance to the plaza. The surrounding buildings were still heavily damaged and smoking, with rubble scattered throughout the area. A few ships had taken landing in the plaza, but still the place was well kept. But it was the Linnorms that made Solus pause. They were in a circle surrounding the entrance. Each one were either smiling, laughing, talking, or some combination of the three. “Warriors, what is going on?” Solus asked, stepping out into the circle, still not realizing Tear had not followed. One of the warriors caught Solus’ attention and pointed up. Solus faced up and barely jumped out of the way of the descending Sith blade of Stitch-Mouth. Solus rolled and faced Stitch-Mouth. The human had traded his cloak away and now revealed what his body looked like. His bare chest was riddled with countless scars and stitch marks, while his left leg and right foot were nothing more than robotic framework and wires. And in his right hand was a blade of alchemical Sith steel. Stitch Mouth didn’t waste a moment and charged. Solus barely activated his blade in time to block the incoming attack. Even so, Stitch-Mouth used his momentum to push forward, reach out with his free hand and touched Solus’ chassis. A force-imbed punch sent Solus flying backwards. The Linnorms caught the student and shoved him back into the ring, jeering all the while. Training was in session. Solus prepared himself, now aware of what was happening. Blade in hand, Solus rushed the Sith-Alchemist and brought the blade down. Instead of countering it, Stitch-Mouth spun around and smacked Solus’s head sending the shard flying again. “Stupid little…” Solus began to grumble as he picked himself up. It was obvious that there was a lesson here, but he wasn’t sure what it was yet. At minimum though, he’d have to change his tactics. This time Solus approached Stitch-Mouth slowly, blade raised into a defensive position. Stitch-Mouth gave a glare, the only sign of some kind of emotion. The alchemist brought his blade up and attempted a stab. Solus deflected and attempted a spin around to strike his foe, only for Stitch-Mouth to block the blow by raising a free hand and catching Solus’ wrist. The two were pushed back and returned to defensive potions. This time Solus released one hand from his saber and with his right, stabbed forward, only for Stitch-Mouth to deflect each blow like some old fashioned fencer. Solus stepped back and bent slightly, luring Stitch-Mouth to strike downwards. Stitch-Mouth did so, and Solus replied by blocking the blade, pushing it away with a wrist rotation, and then bringing his free hand, now a fist, into a punch to the alchemists face. “Ah ha! Gotcha!” Solus sniped, a sense of pride filling his shard as Stitch-Mouth stumbled backwards. With a black eye forming, Stitch-Mouth glared at Solus again and reached out. The Shard felt a strong pull and was forcibly brought closer to the Alchemist. Too late in realizing what was happening, Solus screeched in fright as Stitch-Mouth turned and chucked the shard across the plaza into some rubble. Solus pushed himself out of the rubble as the Linnorms jeered and laughed. Anger filling him, Solus reached into the Impossible Geometries and grabbed the nearest large object. The piece of the rubble from a nearby building slowly raised into the air, and then was thrown towards the alchemist. The shard didn’t even see if the rubble hit his target. Instead, his body felt drained immediately from trying to use so much Force at once and collapsed to one knee. He needed a moment to regain his energy. “I’ve got to get better at that” Solus said aloud to himself, unaware that someone was approaching him.
  12. Solus

    Naboo

    The armored being’s words to Solus made the shard nod. “Of course, of course. Wise words from our battle leader” Solus was pleased for a different reason. The being had promised Solus would be involved in some kind of battle. Hopefully this one would allow Solus to prove himself. And from the words that the armored one was speaking to his master, Solus was confident that Nar Shaddaa would be his own battle grounds. For now, Solus decided to remain silent and let the others talk. Instead he plotted silently. Perhaps this upcoming battle would require his and Tear’s tracking skills. Or since so many people had thought Solus was nothing more than a droid, he could practice an art of sneaking? No, perhaps these beings would recognize the possibility of Solus leading a group of Linnorms into battle. Tear growled next to Solus. Solus nodded to his Sith hound. “Yes yes, probably just a simple massacre like those warriors early. Eh, more food for you”
  13. Solus

    Naboo

    Solus listened to everything that he could around the room, but found his attention drawn completely to the armored being. The dropping of the helmet, the shouting for attention, and even the drawing of a weapon to be used on the one Sith who had shown Solus an ounce of kindness: all this demanded attention and respect. Solus smiled inwardly. He had an idea. Even as the others spoke, Solus excused himself from the Tsis apprentice nearby and approached the others. Tear followed in suit, whip-like tail dragging behind. Solus heard his own master speak, then eventually spoke up himself afterwards. “As his apprentice, I can attest to his skills as a warrior, oh great one” Solus started. “I have seen him in battle, and he has trained me in combat and in the force.” Solus, now hoping to have drawn the armored being’s attention, gave a bow at the waist. He was going to show as much respect as possible. After all, the empress placed her trust in this one, and Akheron placed his own trust in the Empress. So Solus would as well. “I am Solus, but being that I bear the same name as your house, another thing I've been called in this language of sound is Shard. Just as you are the leader of your house, lead me and grant me a chance to regain some form of respect. While I am not organic like everyone else, I am Sith.” As if to demonstrate this fact, Solus called upon the impossible geometries and focused on the weapon at his side. Slowly, it floated off of his belt, drifted in front of his face, and rested in the air before him. If the other sith focused, they could sense the huge emotional power of envy in the Force around the Shard. A feeling of unfairness, and a desire to make things how they should be. Just as slowly, the lightsaber handle drifted back and re-hooked onto Solus’ belt. “But unlike the other organics here, I do not share the weaknesses of the flesh. I do not need to breathe nor eat. I was the one who navigated the Naboo Abyss, who located a source of the plasma core, and despite being consumed by one of the sea creatures below, still came out alive. Though I am still learning in this world of worlds, I am a capable being, as I hope I can prove myself to our empress…if you will allow me to”
  14. Solus

    Naboo

    "Ooohhhh where can I get one of those?" Solus almost chuckled at the new apprentice’s words. Had he not been abused earlier, he probably would have. “This one was found on my homeworld of Ishvara. It’s a place of… well, I guess I never saw much of it.” Solus fumbled a bit for memories of his old home. But most of what he could recall there were of two things. The abyssal blackness that was his time before he was ascended and… “The laboratory was all I knew. Very dreadful, though fascinating to a point. Lots of rotting flesh and broken down droids. But there was a small pack of these ones. My father, my sister, and I had to kill them to get off-world unfortunately. I however broke Tear’s legs and since he was still young, he became mine according to my father. Perhaps you could find a few more there but I highly doubt there are any more left. ” Solus gave a slight shrug. Tear eyed the new apprentice carefully, its teeth a permanent grin with its deformed lips pulled back. The Tu’kata shook his head slightly, the tendrils on its neck moving slightly. Judging by its size and the length its horns had grown, it was not yet fully mature. Suddenly, Solus snapped his fingers with an idea. “I did hear that they were once native to Korriban. Have you been there before? It is truly a wonderfully dark place. I heard that some of the old tombs there might house a few of these. Course, taming one is truly impossible from what I've discovered. It’s more like a game of both respect and dominion. You got to be complete in both control and in favor. I’ve only done so well thanks to my master honestly.” Solus turned his head slightly towards Akheron, wondering if he got the subtle message that Solus indicated. Tear however never turned its gaze from the new apprentice, wondering if it’s meat was more tasty then the cooked morsels it had received.
  15. Solus

    Naboo

    Solus eventually stood up and took a few steps away from the others. Let them discuss their plans and plots. He had earned shame from them for speaking badly of the Empress. He would simply observe and catalogue for now. Not that I entirely deserve this shame... Solus silently mused to himself. As if it could hear his thoughts, Tear almost growled in agreement. Solus looked his hound over in curiosity. How smart have you become? Akheron motioned for Solus to follow. Not daring to stoke more of his Master’s wrath, Solus did so, snapping once for Tear to follow. While he didn’t eat the same kind of food the organics did, Solus saw the need to grab some kind of meat for his pet. While his master got refreshments, Solus utilized all of his sensors and memorized each face he could see and their current placements. The withered Lord Inmortos was conversing with the armored one who was placed in control over the rest of the Sith. A curious being to say the least. Just a momentary glance into the Impossible Geometries revealed that the being had no strong connection with the Force, and yet he was placed into a position of power. What accomplishments did he have to be put above Akheron? The newly appointed master was briefly talking with the one sole being who offered a hand to the Shard. This one also made Solus curious, if only because of the singular act of kindness. Was that a ploy? Or simply an act of defiance towards the others, especially towards Darth Mavenger? Even now, peering into the Impossible Geometries, Solus could get glimpses of pain and fury from the two, and Solus was confident who it was from. “There seems to be more than meets the eye in this room” the shard commented to himself, finally pulling up his hood to help focus on the beings in front of him. A few slaves and servants had produced instruments and begun to play. While the tune was simple, even the simplest notes were distracting for the Shard. The language of sound was still fascinating. Solus wondered if in his spare time he could learn to play some music. Such beauty needed to eventually be learned. Akheron was now speaking to another apprentice. A red-skinned apprentice Solus noted. The resemblance was uncanny. No doubt both this new apprentice and Solus’ master were of the same race. Akheron’s words only confirmed it. Still, this new apprentice did not carry the same presence as Akheron. He was much, much weaker. But was he still dangerous, and worthy of being trained like the Shard was? For now, Solus maintained the image of the wounded slave that he currently was, and dropped Tear another piece of meat. Akheron had once mistaken Solus for a droid once. No doubt some of the others might occasionally believe the same if he continued to act like one. Still, Solus pointed his facial plating towards this new apprentice, to sell the fact that he was paying close attention to this being. Tear too kept his caninoid eyes focused on the two Tsis’.
  16. Solus

    Naboo

    Solus silenced himself immediately at realizing he was overheard. His words of doubt had been voiced too loud, and now he, and his master could be judged by them. The first who spoke was a female. From what he could tell, she was human. And powerful. A brief look into the Impossible Geometries showed the same red cloud of rage that surrounded his own master. But her auras carried a tingle of shaking and trembling. A madness that could not be contained? "Does your whelping god delight in death as I do?" Solus decided it was best to avoid the insult and go for a compliment. “Great and wise being, we all in the clan delight in the actions of death. It is our meat and our sustenance.” "Mind your words, apprentice. It is one thing to question Darth Nyrys's strategy- She has invited criticism and allowed us to speak openly. I have done so myself in my war room. But to vocally suggest that she should not be worthy of her position is a challenge, one that will be met with violence. Your master knows better- He will not fight your battle. If you openly declare her illegitimate again, then I will strike you down myself... Assuming she does not first." Solus nodded to this being and remained silent. This Darth Mavenger also held power in the Impossible Geometries. One that he would not dare to counter in the near future. But this Mavenger revealed something to the Shard. The power of words. With just a few chosen words, Solus had drawn his anger out. These beings in this room, even his own master, were all susceptible to the same thing: crafted words. If just a few clumsy words of controversy could make these people tense up and desire punishment and violence, what else could words do? But then his master spoke. His cloud of anger was emanating strongly. He had seen this before. When he was punished for his finding of the colo claw fish nest. Solus, in that moment, trembled slightly. Akheron’s words synergized with Solus. The talk about who the Fanged God was, his aspects, and its relation with the Empress. The talk about the Golden Slave and how it related to Solus especially resonated with him. In some twisted way, the shard felt like Akheron was complimenting Solus, describing him as having raw power but needing to be mastered. If Solus could get over the fact that he felt a punishment was coming, he would’ve loved that twisted compliment. Finally, Akeron did punish Solus. Solus’ body rose into the air. The force swirled around him, gripping tightly like a mass of chains and fingers. While the Shard didn’t breath, his master’s power did far more damage than a simple choke. His inner workings that connected his Shard to the rest of the body were both being severed and charged with electrical connections. The experience was again beyond excruciating. His vocabulator screamed and blared in spurts at all pitches possible, including those beyond normal ranges of hearing. Tear himself flinched slightly at the sudden pitches. The crashing into the wall was almost a mercy, briefly loosening the control over his inner workings. Finally, when he was dropped, Solus stayed on all fours kneeling. Like before, his anger was growing from him. But this time, he quickly attempted to pull it back, hoping the others wouldn’t notice. "I asked for your thoughts on the Sith present and the politics. I however did not suggest you nearly drag me into a challenge I have no desire to undertake or place us in a such a compromising position. Consider this your last chance Solus. Anymore moments like this and I'll ensure Krath Inmortos or another have a new project to work on. Am I perfectly clear?" Solus tilted his head upwards in an attempt to appear like he was looking at his master. “Yes master…” his vocabulator whispered, barely functional. The damage to his inner workings would need repairs from Stitch-Mouth. “I will not... disrespect you again…” It took all of Solus’ mental effort to keep his anger from leaking out of him. Tear however could sense it, having bonded with the Shard. The Sith hound strode to the robotic being and sat next to him, eyeing the others with hungry eyes. This was the hound’s food source. Death, anger, and envy were Tear’s nourishment, and Solus could provide it in full. Akheron had punished Solus. If the others did anything more than necessary, Tear would be more than happy to bite a hand off.
  17. Solus

    Naboo

    Solus listened to the Empress plans about the destruction. At least these plans made a bit more sense. But still… “I give you leave to speak freely of your thoughts without threat of repercussions or consequence. It's not quite what one imagines I gather." Solus focused his senses on his master and spoke, albeit quietly, to not attract further attention from the Empress, though someone close enough could possibly overhear his words. “Surely master, you can see the errors in these schemes. While my time in this world of worlds has been limited, even I can see errors in the logic. We make plans of fattening and bloating our enemies after we eliminate their leaders? I have existed for an eternity before I was found, but I still remember those who betrayed me. Why would those who we have wounded forget us? Do we let those Gungans who we have beaten down live? Or do we, as those who make sacrifices to the Fanged God, kill them swiftly and be done with it?" Solus remained still, but inwardly he was shaking his head. He continued to speak softly so only his master would hear him, though he did want to call the Empress out on this. “We are of Clan Bragsanu. The Fanged God is our master in the darkness, correct? Do we exist to feed him? Or do we exist to let his enemy, the light side grow? Pardon my words of hypocrisy and heresy, for I had just pledged my allegiance to the Empress, but is she really the avatar of the Fanged God as you believe her to be? She inherited her title and speaks words of letting the enemy grow. She did not kill for her position. She leaves a weakness for future plans, by leaving the Spider alive. If he returns, there could be a schism in the darkness. And no one else is attempting to kill her. I don’t attempt to claim the title because I know my weakness. If I was stronger, then perhaps the story would be different. I would challenge her either here in the open or perhaps behind closed doors. But I am young in this world of worlds, and I know my place as the Golden Slave” “But you master...why don’t you attempt to claim it? You are neither young nor weak. You are more of the Fanged God than anyone I know of. I’ve seen how the Clan sees you, even with my short time with you. You’ve taught me to kill or be killed.” Solus turned his attention to the others in the room. The beings here were powerful in their own right, and let his thoughts continue to be spoken quietly out loud. “I do love the idea of using these people for our own services. To kill on a scale impossible to imagine. I do wish to earn their approval as I have attempted to earn yours. Even Inmortos’ approval I desire, though I feel like I have earned it partially. If politics is how you secure their approval, then I endorse your actions, not that my endorsal means much. But our goals must be aligned, correct? Death is the meat of the Fanged God. Not life. “Until I am no longer just the Golden Slave, I seek your approval and will obey you master. But from what little I know of the Fanged God and his forms, we are not obeying his commands fully. We must not allow life to grow, but eliminate it in its entirety.”
  18. Solus

    Naboo

    Solus took in each and every word spoken at this, for lack of a better term, assembly of Sith. When the Empress spoke, he was surprised at the words about the Spider but remained silent. After all, he had only heard the Spider’s praises, not his criticisms. When she spoke about allowing the Republic a chance to grow however and to cut off the weak parts of the Sith, doubt began to form slightly. Still, Solus kept his mind silent, a lesson he was learning was necessary to survive this empire. It was obvious the others were hesitant a little bit. The being that spoke first after the empress mentioned he was hesitant to let the enemy grow in power. Inmortos, after giving Solus and his master a chilling gaze of approval, or whatever it was, left the room entirely without a single word. And Solus could have sworn that when he took a brief look into the impossible geometries, the clouds around a few beings had changed. Then Akeron spoke. And the words his master spoke did not help ease Solus’ mind. There were inconsistencies in what Akeron’s words were, and what Solus had seen in the battlefield and with the Clan. The Clan was one who worshiped a god of death. Not a god of patience nor a god of silence. Then again, there was so little he knew about the clan and the Fanged God. But still... For the first time in his life, Solus doubted his master and his master’s equals. Still, the Shard was a mere apprentice and not an equal. No, he was the Golden Slave, and was meant to be ordered around until he earned his position. What was Solus going to do, challenge the Dark Empress in front of Akeron, right after his master had pledged support? Solus wanted his master’s approval, not his annoyance or hatred. He would put these thoughts away, until the right time presented itself. When it did, Solus would speak to his master privately, to save his master’s reputation, and prove his own capability in the future. “Hail the Dark Empress!” Solus shouted after Akeron spoke, hoping the others in the room, including the Empress, would notice his pledge of allegiance and not his inner doubts. His face plates closed and sealed together, hiding his Shard and presenting a perfectly smooth and reflective surface. He stayed kneeling, but slammed his own chest once with a resounding bang. “May her time never end! May the galaxy fear where she dwells!”
  19. Solus

    Naboo

    “Do as I do and no more, am I understood. That said, once she is done speaking, feel free to mingle, listen and learn with whomever you wish. But at all times be respectful.” Solus nodded and followed. He hoped that Akheron would get the chance to introduce Solus to the other Sith, but the Shard also understood that this was a very serious situation. He would keep his head down for now. As Solus followed Akheron, Tear alongside the Shard, Solus didn’t even need to access the Impossible Geometries to tell the power radiating from the building. With so many powerful Sith in one building, it was impossible to feel the darkness, even for a relatively newer user of the Force. The Shard silently thanked the Sorcerers of Bragsanu for giving him a body with the ability to look in all directions at once. All the people in the area was fascinating. Committing each person to memory, Solus vowed to do as Akheron ordered and would make some allies. Surely, for a being such as he, a droid who could use the force, who served under the Lord of Wrath, and who had tamed a Tu’kata, he would be able to make some allies here. When Akheron knelt, so did Solus. Tear sat down next to the shard, understanding that respect was needed to be given here, but not willing to surrender completely to anyone, not even its master. Solus placed a hand on the Sith hound, making sure people understood that Tear belonged to him. When Akeron revealed his face, Solus only did as best as he could to do the same. Some clicking and whirring came from his head, followed with the head plates and sensors opening up to reveal the small Shard inside. The yellow crystalline being shone brightly from behind all the wires and gears that held it in place. Its white lines of thought danced inside the thing violently. Solus, and Tear, were all ears.
  20. Solus

    Naboo

    The powerful call the others felt, Solus felt as well. Perhaps it was because he was still growing in his force powers, or because he had connected and used the force so much today but no matter, he did feel the call. “Tell me did you come across any submersible while finding this vermin. If so, lead us to it.” If Solus could have smiled, he would have. Instead he simply nodded enthusiastically. “Yes master! I found several! Enough for all of us to get a ride back to the surface.” With that, Solus led the group back to the repair bay that he and his men had taken cover in earlier. Out of the six Bongos that were being repaired there, the group found that three of them were still in working order, though one did seem to have a slight leak. Still, they would function. Solus volunteered to drive one of the bongos and lead the way. The Bongo was a difficult thing to drive at first, but the Shard managed it well. Combined with the calling feeling and his own personal experience in these waterways, Solus became a natural at leading the bongos towards their destination. And this time, he wasn’t as quick to forget to use his own force sight when entering areas that held monsters of the deep. It took the better of a few hours, but eventually the Bongos emerged from the waters in the ruined and mostly destroyed city of Naboo. Solus looked about in awe. The destruction he had seen with the Gungans was impressive, but this was mass casualties. Unnecessary, but impressive. “I’m sure that you, Lord Inmortos…” Solus spoke, once everyone had gotten off the Bongos and onto the deserted, smoldering streets. ”...would rather make your own introduction to the Great Empress? You and your…” Solus gestured to the pale men that were with the old being. “...Associates do demand their own attention” Solus wasn’t sure what to make of them to be honest. They all looked so...similar. Surely he was having some kind of error in his sensors? Or perhaps they were all related and were brothers of some kind? The only one that seemed physically different was the big one. “My master…” Solus turned to Akheron and bowed slightly. “If my deeds have overshadowed my mistakes, and if the proof that my powers have grown under your tutelage is revealing of your own greatness, may I request the honor of being introduced to the Empress by your side as your apprentice? You were impressed that I, a mere droid as you put it, had the force, so surely the Empress herself will be impressed that you have taken such a being as your servant and student... ” As Solus talked, a pleasant surprise came upon the group. The being that dashed towards the group with such rabid and powerful movements was the large, slightly bleeding, sith hound known as Tear. Sensing its master was heading to the surface, the beast tracked its way through the slaughtering of the fields and the destruction of the city to get back to its primary food source. Tear stood its ground next to the Shard. Solus tried to make not too many movements, hoping his focus on Akheron would win him the honor of being introduced to the Empress, though he did spare a pat to the beast's head. Tear didn’t seem to mind. He panted slightly, blood and spit dripping from his jaws, and eyed hungrily at the cloned beings nearby. They looked tasty. The cold one however emanated its own dark sickly power, and would not be subjected to being a snack yet.
  21. Solus

    Naboo

    “I really should have thought ahead before leaving my company…” Solus thought out loud as he dragged the bound Ankura Gungan behind him. By pulling on a leg with one hand, and the Gungan’s weapon with the other, Solus allowed the unconscious, heavy-set Gungan to have its face unceremoniously dragged across the smooth floor. “Who knew that you guys were so heavy. I really must ask that sorcerer for a stronger body when we are done with this. Wouldn’t you agree, captain?” The gungan remained unconscious. His lips however were open from the dragging, leaving behind a slick trail behind the two. Solus shrugged and continued to drag on. His current goal was to find his own men. Partially because he wanted someone else to carry the gungan, but also partially because he didn’t like the feeling of being by himself. It was too much like before the ascension. So quiet. So alone. Thankfully, it didn’t take long to find the others. The Linnorms were coming to him, taking heavy fire from their backside. The leader, a young quarren who had lost his eye, and another Linnorm raced to the Shard to take the body. “Sir, they circled around us and have separated us from Lord Akheron and the others” The leader said, binding the Gungan’s arms together. He recognised that Solus kept the Ankura alive for a reason. “It also looks like reinforcements are coming from that direction as well, including mobile Gungan turrets. We need to move.” Solus nodded. “Follow me then. Lets move! And don’t lose that Gungan!” The squad moved with speed and efficiency. Whenever a Gungan did get in the way, it was easily dispatched by Shard. Behind them, a few Linnorms had picked up some Gungan shields and blocked incoming fire. The forces behind the squad were growing. Even as violent and forceful as the Linnorms were, they recognised that they did not have the advantage here. Still, running was not comfortable for the group. They were raiders and pirates. Not cowards. “Here!” Solus halted the group. The squad had come upon a Gungan bubble that contained a variety of sea vessels in disarray . Most likely a repair area of some kind, Solus reasoned that the broken vessels would provide cover. “Everyone, get into positions and open fire on the enemy!” Solus was beginning to show a natural strategic leader. He recognised that fleeing was not a permanent option, and this was no way to get back to Akheron. The Gungans and the Linnorms opened fire on each other. Solus himself stood behind cover for a moment, analyzing everything. The Gungans were setting up a shield wall and flinging their plasma from behind. Solus observed as the Linnorms grabbed grenades and began chucking them over the shield wall, trying their best to scatter the enemy. Solus chuckled as the explosions did what they hoped. The Shield wall began to lose cohesion. However, the pleasure was short lived. Behind the shield wall rolled up a four legged mammal, pulling what looked like a turret. “Assault Turret! Take cover!” The Linnorm leader called out. Solus barely ducked behind a dismantled Gungan Bongo before plasma ball after plasma ball crashed near him. With that firepower, everyone was pinned, and soon the Gungans would overtake their enemy. “Everyone! When I give the word, charge forward!” Solus called out. Then he focused. The Shard focused on the impossible geometries. The entire area was overflowing with a thick inky yellow. Danger. That made sense. Still, Solus had to focus past the danger. He navigated through the yellow and found the Gungans. Their random shapes and colors splurging and spinning wildly in action. Solus pushed further. Where was the thing? “Gotcha!” Solus chuckled as he spotted the Geometries and focused on large ocular shapes with globularal edges and purplish emerald tints. The Falumpaset that had pulled the turret here. Solus reached out and grabbed the thing’s reins and pulled. “Now! Attack!” He cried as the animal bolted forward, breaking through the Gungan lines and causing the turret to spin out of control from its gunman. The Gungan driver tried to retain control over the beast. The Linnorms took to the battle and charged forward. Solus himself led the charge, not feeling the effects of the Force as strongly this time. With blade ignited, he began to slice through the opposition. The turret was first overwhelmed, with the animal slain where it stood, and the Gungans were overwhelmed. Their line was broken, and their spirit turned to cowardice. Solus stood over the dead bodies, proud of the work they had done. Quickly afterwards, the group retraced their steps and found their way back to Akheron, who was having his own fun slaying Gungans by the handful. “Master! Behold!” Solus shouted as he approached the Sith Lord. He turned and presented the Gungan, who was still asleep and dragged by two Linnorms. “May I present the captain of the guard of Oto Moona, this soon to be emptied city. Though, I must ask, where are the others?"
  22. Solus

    Naboo

    Excitement flowed through Solus like hot magma. With his ignited lightsaber in hand, he and his Linnorms crashed into the walls of Gungan shields like a wave of muscle and metal. Clashings of metal against metal, laser against energy shield or flesh, and fists against faces rang through the air. The area that solus’ particular group of Linnorms was the path directly towards the cities’ center. While this path seemed to have the most reinforcements spewing from, Solus was confident that this way would lead him to his goal. Solus saw an opening. There was an area that was thinner than the rest. The gungans were focusing on the right side of his central path. Knowing that the Linnorms would be adequate without him, Solus charged the left flank and jumped. His metal chassis soared through the air above the heads of Linnorm berserkers and Gungan warriors alike. Solus landed with a solid thud, swung his blade around him cutting a few gungans, then charged down the path. “We have our own mission, after all. We can’t fail master, and if worse comes, maybe that stupid Krath can help them. Heh, not that he looks like he could help much.” Solus charged on and on towards another bubble section in front. A few gungans lined up to stop him, energising their shields. Without thought, Solus jumped again over their heads, this time slashing at the bubble wall above them. The temporary flow of water that crashed on the Gungan heads knocked them to the ground, just in time for the Shard’s blade to cleave their bodies. “I must say, we are beginning to enjoy this body greatly. That previous one was so bulky and slow. While I may be small...” Solus’ vocabulator chuckled in delight as he turned and continued his charge. “I am powerful. All will fear me!” Soon, Solus found what he believed he was looking for. The oblong bubble had a mixture of mechanical and biological technology, complete with an antenna popping out of the bubble into the waters. Gungans and humans alike were busy working at the machines, trying to send out messages. It seems they were having some sort of trouble. “Not that it's going to improve now.” Solus declared as he charged towards the bubble entrance. “Dat's what yousa think” Solus had to stop. At the bubble’s entrance stood a lone gungan. Clad in warrior garments, a ceremonial necklace, and the Ankura gungan carried no Plasma balls nor spear. Instead in his hands was a metal staff, sparking with purple energy at both ends. “You think you can stop me?” Solus asked, holding his balde forward threateningly, its red energy reflecting off of his featureless face. The gungan smiled, whisker-like hair gently moving aside to reveal large molars. “Mesa captain of guard of Ota Moona, and mesa think me goen to kill yousa, yousa dumb mackaneek.” Solus laughed. “Right. You and that puny staff. What, you some kind of warrior? I am a god! Defend yourself Gungan!” With that Solus rushed the Gungan and brought the blade down. With a fluidic manner that betrayed his heavyweight looks, the captain stepped to the side, blocked the blade briefly with one end of the staff, then spun it around. The blow and the energy knocked Solus into a wall. The shard barely reacted in time to dodge and jump away from another swing from the staff. The gungan grinned again and spun the staff in his hands. “What's wrong mackaneek? Wasn't expect someone to use yous weapons? It may be old, but it's still a worthy weapon to destroy yousa.” Solus picked himself up and braced himself. This was a different kind of battle. This would require a bit more than blind rage. He hadn’t fought something that could actually block his god-like blade before. “You simply caught me off guard, warrior.” Solus said, rotating his wrist a full cycle, as if to demonstrate his own capabilities. “But now I’m ready for you.” The two came together and clashed again. Solus’ attacks, now much more reserved and cautious, were continually met with blockings and ripostes from the Gungan. However, it was clear that Solus had an advantage with his metal joints and gears. His own body reacted faster than he would’ve imagined. If the shard had been a human or similar, he would’ve been at a huge disadvantage. Still, the Gungan was well trained. Solus recognized that as he deflected a blow to his right and tried to slash forward. The gungan brought his staff around and this time with enough force to knock the blade out of the shard’s hands. Caught off guard, Solus was then smacked back several times as the Gungan sought to expand the distance between the two and the fallen, deactivated blade. Solus, now completely on the defense, dodged stab after stab from the electrified staff. Finally, Solus tripped backwards and fell to the ground. Before he could get up, The Gungan pinned him with one large foot on his chest and staff pointed at the Shard’s head. Again, he smiled his large molars. “Yousa fight well mackaneek, but yousa still lose. Still, thanks for dha exercise.“ Solus did not answer. Instead, he deactivated his chassis and fell completely limp. The Gungan looked in surprise. Without the distractions of sight, sound or touch, Solus was open to the Impossible Geometries. His rage gave him the sight he needed. He could see the blade, deactivated on the floor. He could wrap his anger around it like a hand, and activate it. He could throw the blade towards his true target. The Gungan looked back in surprise as the communications bubble exploded. The Lightsaber had sliced through several key machines, causing a chain reaction. This surprise was what allowed the Shard to activate his body once again and kicked the Gungan off. With a swift kick, Solus knocked the Captain out. Solus reached out with his hand, and the blade settled back into his grip. He collapsed to one knee for a moment over the unconscious gungan. “That...whoo, that was something…” Solus commented, feeling his chassis regain the energy needed to power it. “Pity neither Master nor Tear got to see that. I should be the one thanking you Gungan. You showed me things I didn't know I could do. You, my worthy foe, will be an excellent being for my master. ”
  23. Solus

    Naboo

    Solus bowed slightly to his Master at his command. “Yes master. I will not fail you again” Not that I failed you before master Solus backtalked silently. With that he turned to the pilot of the sub. The Linnorm was young judging by appearance. A human, clean shaven, from neck to top of head, and several tattoos marking his body. “Ramming speed please. We will flood them with full force.” “Sir, their bubble walls will probably reform right after we break through. We won't flood them with water..." The Linnorm commented, unsure how much Solus knew about the Gungans. It was obvious that the Shard was still relatively new. Solus snapped his fingers. “Ah! Good point. But I meant we will flood them with us. Once we break through, we will pour out of the sub and attack whatever is there. I myself will use the distraction to find the communications” The Linnorm nodded, a little unsure about the plan. Still he obeyed and gunned the controls. The Sub picked up speed. It was aimed at the largest of the bubble structures, a large gathering room by the looks of it. At this distance, everyone could see the Gungans scrambling to get their men in places to repel the attack. “Come everyone! Let us be ready!” Solus declared and went for the bay doors. He didn’t need the pilot’s word over the intercom to tell him when they would make impact. He could feel it. It was coming. “Now men...lizards...everyone of the killing nature!” Solus stated, bracing for the crash. “I’d like a large distraction! I got a mission, and you got yours! Kill or be killed! It’s Hell or make Hell! Feed the Fangs or be fed to the Fangs!” With that, the sub crashed through the bubble wall. Everyone inside felt the sudden change in direction as metal came to a screeching halt. Instantly the bay doors opened, and the Linnorms led the charge. Solus couldn’t help but begin to laugh as he followed them, eager to both observe the slaughter and to begin his mission. With the forces fighting, he would find an opening and break through.
  24. Solus

    Naboo

    Solus eyed the sword that Akheron received with curiosity. Even a non-force user could sense the power coming off the thing. The fact that Solus could see the heat dissipating around the blade only made it more unnerving. Solus wasn’t sure if he liked or feared this being known as Inmortos. His impression in the Impossible Geometries didn’t fit in correctly, but he was clearly powerful. Then again, he was winning Akheron’s praise. Something that Solus deserved. “Yes master” Simply stated as Akheron explained why things had to be done. If he had eyes, he would have turned away and focused on something else. However, since his vision literally gazed in every direction, he simply stood still and focused on the pilot of the sub behind him. Still, Solus couldn’t help but get a glint of glee at Inmortos’ obvious annoyance at the announcement of another being. It seemed that this being was easy to annoy. Very different from what Solus had seen with his own master. The entire sub shifted as I broke free from the ice that had formed earlier. Like a mynock, the vessel glided through the darkness towards its target. “Sirs, we are approaching the gungan city,” A Linnorm announced. Solus decided to feel the Impossible Geometries again, wanting to see what was coming up. What greeted his sensing interested him. Large bubbles hidden amongst the rocks, housing many, many life forms. “Hmmm, it seems that there aren't many defenses…” Solus commented. Solus found it much easier to feel the Gungan city now. His envy was much easier to conjure up, with Inmortos winning praise that Solus felt he was owed. "No water vessels, no men lining outside the bubbles... The Linnorm nodded. “No doubt they rely on hiding to be their defense. And with their attack force they sent at us already, most of their warriors are probably hold up inside, waiting for us to strike.” Solus nodded, an odd sight since he was still facing the other Siths in the sub. “Still, we can expect lots of soldiers inside. It's possible that the very leaders of all the Gungans may be hiding here. I heard their head of state is an Ankura Gungan from these depths. An excellent chance for bloodshed” the Linnorm grinned sadistically. Solus shared the Linnorm's excitement. He wanted to kill something. Badly. “Master, may we ram into the city as quickly as possible? Allow us to use the element of forward momentum as an opening attack?”
  25. Temple of the Spider HISTORY "This place isn't old. Even when we first stole it from that Hutt, it was a very young casino. By Kessel's mines, this place is still in its infancy. But that...out there, the Madness...that is ancient. Older than life itself. This station just gives us a place to channel it. To feel its power without losing our grips on reality completely… at least not right away" - CHOSEN MYYRDOKK A few years before the fall of Hesperium, a Sith lord known as Darth Myyrdokk journeyed into the kathol rift to escape a punishment from his fellow Sith. He intended to hide there for a few years, and then journey into the rest of the galaxy. However,When he arrived, he promptly suffered the hallucinations common to that area of space. During this time, one of the hallucinations that continually hunted the Sith was a spider, with 20 eyes and three human faces. This hallucination attempted to eat Darth Myyrdokk. Eventually in his madness, Myyrdokk made a deal with the hallucination. The spider hallucination would spare Myyrdokk’s life and show powers beyond imagining, if he would build a temple dedicated to the spider. Darth Myyrdokk left the rift and, with a small group of other Sith criminals, captured a hotel/casino space station owned by some lesser known Hutt. Eventually the group manually moved the station into the Kathol rift. With this done, the Sith renovated the station into some kind of perverted Jedi temple, entirely dedicated to the spider that Darth Myyrdokk saw. The walls were decorated with emblems of the spider, gambling machines were replaced with horrific statues, colorful lights were removed for the beauty of darkness, etc. Once this was done, a mass slaughter occurred, and Darth Myyrdokk, now Chosen Myyrdokk, emerged, appearing to have been mutated with extra eyes, numerous large legs, spider-like hair, mutilated skin and speaking in only ancient Sith. Since then, the temple has accepted new initiates to learn the way of the spider, with Chosen Myyrdokk as the master of the order. While the Temple denies any connection between Exodus (who was known as the spider) and itself, the Temple of the Spider has maintained a positive relation with the Sith Empire. Sith who train at the temple quickly learn how to decipher reality from their own hallucinations as well as to inflict hallucinations of their own onto their enemies. However, those who struggle quickly die off as the hallucinations in the station have been known to kill students via fear. More than one individual has opened an airlock trying to escape some unseen horror under the flickering lights of the station. In exchange for escaping punishment, Chosen Myyrdokk and his disciples can not turn away any Sith who apply. However, Myyrdokk is not responsible for those who fail and go mad, provided he can prove that is what happened. Not all Sith who train at the Temple become Disciples, but all Sith do learn the ways of the Sith Assassin. Those few who succeed in the training are among the best assassins in the galaxy. These assassins are able to cause the most severe hallucinations in those they target, and excel at driving individuals insane. THE MADNESS "You’ve seen the Madness. You've experienced its terror. The pure chaos. Now make them experience it in full force. Show no mercy. Let them feel every primal fear close in on them, with no hope of escape. Break their very mind and they will be helpless before you. When you leave this place, your form will revert, but the Madness will go and grow with you." - CHOSEN MYYRDOKK A core belief in the Temple of the Spider is The Madness. The Temple believes the Madness is a piece of the dark side that normal individuals in the Force cannot normally experience without going insane. According to the Temple, people experience a touch of The Madness in the Kathol rift when they begin to hallucinate. While what they witness varies, usually arachnids in some form are prevalent. Ranging from spiders crawling out under a person's fingernails, giant Kessel spiders emerging from the darkness, webs forming around solid objects, and glowing eyes everywhere, the imagery usually is quite frightening and induces a fight or flight response. Instead of being afraid of it, the Temple of the Spider teaches its students to embrace the Madness. By focusing on the hallucinations via feeding it with their own fears and life energy, and attempting to allow some of the images to be real to them, Force users can allow the Madness to infest in their minds and use it on other beings. However, the more the user allows the images to be real to them, the more complex and intimidating they become. The Temple of the Spider teaches to keep The Madness at arms length and to be careful about which images they allow to be real to them, less the images become too real and drive its users insane. When a user goes insane from the Madness, they usually suffer from one of three conditions: 1: a comatose state with random ramblings, 2: A panicked state that sees every living thing as an enemy, or 3: A complete amnesiac state, where all information from their life is completely erased, as well as a mania for spiders. Each of these three states can be cured via force healing, or very intensive therapy. Those who go insane from the Madness on the station are usually killed off quickly. Well trained Disciples have been known to inflict these conditions on their victims before killing them off. As force users develop their abilities and grow in power, they can allow more and more of the Madness to infest their mind without going insane, allowing their abilities to grow in complexity. A person who first learns how to use the madness may be able to make someone think they are hearing voices down a corridor, while a more trained user can make someone hear a specific conversation. A newly trained Initiate could make someone think they saw something crawling from the computer screen, while a Disciple could make someone smell and hear it as well as see it, and a Chosen could make the entire room appear to melt into a cloud of spiders. While on the station, the Madness manifests around those who are infested. These images are not physical by any means, but are still startling in appearance. Usually it starts small by giving the user the appearance of spider-like hair over their body, webs trailing the floor behind them, and elongated fangs. Those who have achieved the rank of Chosen tend to also include images of tiny spiders crawling out from their body as well as extra eyes, teeth and legs. When outside of the temple, the Madness does not normally manifest except under a few occasions. The first is when an assassin is using hallucinations or illusions on a living being, allowing the Madness to be briefly seen. The second is when both the assassin and another force user are open to the force, something that usually won't happen unless the assassin is deliberately trying to scare his/her target. The third way is through several rituals developed by the Temple of the Spider (see below). Fighting style "If you are to succeed in combat against the best of the Jedi, you must have fear, surprise, and intimidation on your side. But if any one element is lacking, it would be best for you to retreat. You must break them before you engage them. Only then will you ensure victory and have your trophy." - Count Dooku A common belief in the temple of the spider is that one should never need their lightsaber to kill except in dire situations. Whether or not this is a mockery of the Jedi code is unclear. What is clear is that the temple of the spider prefers to break people's minds over outright killing someone before said mind is broken, with many Sith who learn from the Temple of the Spider leaving with new ways to mentally torture their victims. It is even a common practice to simply make a target insane and let them loose, to instill fear among more targets. That said, the temple of the spider does practice some lightsaber combat. It is especially important in the temple since a madman trying to escape his hallucination could rupture a hole into space and threaten everyone else. The Disciples and the Chosen usually can tell when someone is starting to go crazy and are able to contain the situations. While no particular fighting form is preferred, everyone in the temple of the spider learns the application of Dun Móch. When fighting an opponent, all kinds of attacks are allowed, and since the madness infects the mind, mental attacks are heavily encouraged, if not expected. Many of their rituals and battle techniques rely on startling an opponent in the heat of battle, overcoming the strongest adrenaline rush. RANKS "Heh, sometimes I forget how startling we appear to the new initiates. What, does it look like I have an extra eye? Perhaps my fangs are dripping poison? Ooh, are you scared of the spiders crawling from under my fingernails? Haha! Run, initiate, run! Get away from here. I can tell you won’t last long." - UNKNOWN DISCIPLE Initiate (rank 1): Those who first approach the temple and have permission to learn become initiates, and are thrust into training right away. Initiates must endure the ritual of the Open Eye before being selected by a Disciple or a Chosen for teaching, though a disciple guiding an initiate through the ritual isn’t unheard . At this rank, initiates are constantly led around by a Disciple or Chosen, as the station can be a deadly place for the untrained. Disciple (rank 2): Those who perform the ritual of the Wyyrlok (and all other requirements to achieve the rank of Darth by the Sith), are allowed to explore the temple more freely. No text nor room on board is off limits, though more people at this level die from fear as they discover things their minds are unable to handle. Occasionally Chosen Myyrdokk will summon a Disciple for an audience, where he gives a unique training session. While Disciples are forbidden from speaking about what happened in the lesson, those few who survive or remember what occurred usually come out with a newfound mastery over a ritual or a force technique. Chosen (rank 3): After performing the ritual of the Vaarkulak, a Disciple ascends to the rank of Chosen. Currently there are only four Chosen in the Temple of the Sith, including Chosen Myyrdokk himself. The fact that the ritual of Vaarkulak must be approved by Chosen Myyrdokk and that the ritual itself is very deadly and often results in insane or dead Disciples, means that this number is unlikely to grow soon. When one has achieved the rank of Chosen, their true form is fully revealed. The Madness that manifests around Disciples is much more elaborate and terrifying, with the user no longer appearing humanoid in any way. More so, the Chosen tend to always project an aura of Madness around them. Living beings feel an unnatural presence, and when looked at through organic eyes, get slight glimpses of the Chosen’s true form. RITUALS Some people call these force tricks. Others call them magic. Here, we call them rituals, for each time we perform them, our connection with the Madness grows. No mere trick can simply bind you closer to the dark side. Study these rituals well, young initiate, for these have many uses outside the Temple. - CHOSEN MYYRDOKK Ritual of the Open Eye: The very first ritual undertaken by all initiates, the Ritual of the Open Eye is the basis of all the teachings in the Temple of the Spider. In the ritual, the user enters a meditative state, allowing the darker energies of the force to enter the user's mind. The user witnesses multiple hallucinations, and begins to lose their ability to tell reality from illusion. During this time, the user must fight the urge to give into the dark side, but still allow the hallucinations to enter their mind. Those who fail tend to lose all concept of reality and die from fear or accidents from fear. Those who succeed allow the Madness to begin to infest in their brain. This ritual is constantly practiced by all in the Temple of the Spider, and those who leave the temple practice this ritual daily to maintain their connection to the Madness. Ritual of the Wyyrlok: A ritual and a battle technique, required to attain the rank of Disciple. By calling on the Madness, the user must guide it towards a target and force them to experience the Madness in force. While they have some control over what the target sees, the effects are always the same: a terrifying vision, usually of a predatory creature, surprising or attacking the target. In the Temple of the Spider, to become a Disciple an Initiate must perform this on someone of higher status, usually the Disciple that has been guiding the Initiate. This helps the Initiate develop a sense of preparing, attacking, and driving a target towards insanity. The ritual lasts as long as the Initiate can focus on the target, but they need to maintain some kind of line of sight at the target, whether it is in person or via a camera. Ritual of the Plgl Web: A ritual developed by Chosen Myyrdokk to help Disciples train their initiates. This ritual allows trained users to enhance the Madness in another being and let it become more real for them. When physically touching someone, the Disciple is able to see exactly what the target sees, whether it's a hallucination or real. With this, the Disciple has a much easier time to influence what the target sees, and can create or enhance illusions much more easily. This ritual has offensive uses provided the user can think on the fly or prepare a hallucination beforehand to implant into the target. Ritual of the Dylgl: A ritual and a battle technique, the user calls upon and forces the Madness in their head to suddenly explode outwards. Those who are caught in this mental wave usually suffer a severe headache and will begin to hear voices speaking dark secrets in their ear. This effect lasts only a few moments, but in the heat of battle, it can be quite startling. Targets who are caught in the mental wave also see the Madness manifest around the user, similar to back at the Temple of the Spider. Ritual of the Damhadl Punisecln: Literally translating to “Ritual of the Spider’s Venom”, this combat focused technique calls upon the madness in a user and focuses it into a single drop of liquid, usually a droplet of blood, spit, or sweat. The user then rub or fling the droplet at a target, or slip the droplet into a drink. If hit to a target’s body, the madness in the droplet sticks to the target, and begins to induce a nauseous or a dizziness feeling. This effect is designed to help weaken a target’s mental defense, and thus making mental attacks much more likely to succeed. This nauseating effect however can be easily wiped away by simply wiping the droplet of madness, by literally sweating it off, or via force healing. For this reason, those who use this ritual prefer to attach the droplet to the target’s clothes. If ingested, the nauseous feeling will begin slowly at first, but can last for several days, and can only be cured via force healing or a combination of medicines and drugs. Ritual of the Vaarkulak: This ritual is a very intense and deadly ceremony for those who wish to attain the rank of Chosen. Only those with permission from Chosen Myyrdokk are allowed to attempt this. The ritual begins with the user boarding a small life pod that is launched deeper into the Kathol Rift. The pod itself is filled with hallucinogenic gases, designed to boost the hallucinating effects of the Kathol Rift. There is no oxygen provided, so the person undergoing the ritual must conserve what little air they do have, and for some, this ritual can last hours. While the pod is out, the rest of the individuals on the station gather and focus on the Madness, aiming it at the pod. Inside the pod, the user undergoes a multitude of visions and hallucinations. Reality will completely distort for the user. The rules of the universe will have no place for what the user sees. During this time, the user must do what he has been told multiple times beforehand to avoid at all costs, and accept all of the Madness that is flowing around him and believe each illusion to be real, no matter how extreme or dangerous it seems. Once this is done, the dark side will focus itself directly onto the user, and grant them a single vision of the spider that Chosen Myyrdokk had witnessed long ago. When this happens, the Madness will come to a crescendo. It is believed that the Chosen will then witness every single secret in the universe in a form. However, this vision will be so extreme and distorted, the only hope the user has to stay sane is to turn away right at the climax of the vision and not a moment before or after. Once this is done, if the user has succeeded in not giving into insanity and hasn't died from lack of oxygen, they give a signal to the people on the station to pull them back. Once on board, the newly Chosen will reveal their true form, with the Madness manifesting itself fully around the user. Ritual of the Spider: the magnum opus of the temple of the spider, only usable by those who have become a Chosen in the temple. By accumulating and unleashing so much madness at once, the user could cause an eruption of the madness. By sacrificing their own body and soul, the Chosen unleashes all the madness inside him in a large area, potentially up to several square miles long. For those who are weak minded, the madness causes them to become fearful, incoherent, and violent towards all living, non-affected beings. Those who are strong minded begin to see and hear hallucinations of spiders, Sith whispers, and other visions from the Temple of the Spider, and risk becoming infected with the madness permanently. The spot where the Chosen died becomes a focal point for the madness. Anyone who approaches the body from a few miles away will begin to suffer from headaches, hear voices, and eventually see hallucinations. If a person can resist the effects of the ritual, deal with the madmen who are stuck inside the ritual’s boundaries, and find the body, purging of the madness is possible. Purging of the Madness is only possible if the body is completely destroyed by incineration or disintegration.
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