Moric Thian

((Sorry for taking so long to post. I was away for a while and I PMed Xentar to start training you, but that wasn't his main account so he didn't check it.)) "Good," Moric said with a smile on his face. "I do not care which cause you align yourself with or how you orient your life, only that you adopt and accept your teachings over any Sith teachings you might have recieved in the past. The Jedi are rarely correct, but they are right in that the Sith only bring destruction. The Archserpent turned to his partner, who had been standing motionless for a time. "Begin training this man. You know of what to teach. If we are to make a dent against the Arch'tar as you prepose, we must expand our numbers. I will begin to search for a new member among the Sith recruits...before he is corrupted by their foolish ways. What say you?" As the Archserpent, Moric could order Xentar to perform his request. Yet given the duality and friendship of the two men, doing such a thing out of blind arrogance would be stupid. No, Xentar was not a suboordinate but a trusted friend. One whom would be asked rather than ordered.

Moric chuckled to himself as this newcomer listed his accomplishments. He certainly did think like a Sith, reciting his resume as if his words held any significance. He waited patiently for him to finish, humoring the man with great amusement. ”œThose names mean nothing to me,”

The bushes rustled as they parted to reveal a man of much different stature than Xentar. He was shorter and far less physically boisterous. His arms and legs sported muscles the size of an average man who took a liking to combat. The strength he carried was not displayed by physical appearance, but by much more dangerous means. And only to those too stupid to distinguish between the two. ”œI am Moric Thian and I believe you have already met Xentar,”

As the two Serpents ran to intercept the intruder, Moric faded back while Xentar ran ahead. They reached the man's location and at the last moment, the Archserpent dove behind a conviently placed bush. Xentar could obviously handle himself, but if push came to shove, Moric could rise out of his location and offer a little surprise. Even though the Serpent Master could tell this man's power did not match his own, underestimating him could destroy that advantage. Hense the precaution. The two men began to talk, the new comer exhibiting more attitude than one intruding on private property should. As the conversation progressed, the intent of violence diminished with each word. Still, Moric would remain in his current location just in case. If anything, he can see just how much of a diplomat Xentar could be. Even with his many strengths, diplomacy was certainly a weakness. Moric fingered his silver lightsaber, keeping his presence with the Force as silent as possible.

The Archserpent thought for a moment as his eyes scanned the clear blue sky sluggishly. The immanent threat of the Arach'tar certainly demanded their attention of not action. Yet at this point the Serpents, despite their power as individual warriors, held very little sway within the galaxy on a holistic scale. In order for them to truly make a dent in the legends of history, they would need to align themselves behind a much bigger creature. A symbiotic relationship in its truest sense. Before Moric could ponder further, a small imprint of the Force carried through the currents of Chandrila. The planet was a lush forest word sprinkled with fresh bodies of water and a warm but not hot climate. Its location within the outer rim made it an unfortunately place to dwell given its distance from other more prominent dwellings in the galaxy. Certain tribes and villages did exist however, living peacefully outside the reach of the Empire and the Alliance and their continuous squabble for power. Given that information, it was an odd happenstance for a Force adapt individual to land so close to the Serpent compound, which lay in complete isolation from the rest of Chandrila's underdeveloped civilizations. ”œWe have a visitor Xentar.”

Moric nodded as Xentar spoke, keeping his eyes focused on the distance. The larger man was correct. It would be a stretch for most Jedi or Sith Masters to accomplish what had been done by the Serpent order at the tournament. As a result, the two warriors proved to be worthy of the ranking. ”œFrom this day forward,”

Frozen was an understatement. Moric stopped breathing, devoting all his concentration to the holo-vidas he read. Corellia was now nothing but rock and dirt. Thian stretched out with the Force for a moment as if testing the wind. It didn't take long for him to realize the death permeating through the energy field. The galaxy was at war. Memories and images from the tournament played through his mind, of the pain and victories and the crushing defeat. Yet here he was now, reveling in a new sense of ferocity and strength. As he improved and flourished however, the galaxy and those who lived in it deteriorated. What was to be done? It seemed both Jedi and Sith fell victim to the threat, these machine creatures. Certainly the galaxy would be a better place with those two perverted sects demolished forever. Why not just sit and wait while the Arch'tar destroyed the cancer of the galaxy. The opportunity for battle, for war, for the taste of blood never amounted to such a time as this. War created legends, created the fierce warriors who dominated the history books. How could he pass up the chance to swing at that giant? Despite the neutrality of the Serpent in politics, the beast to never sit out when fighting was to be done. ”œXentar, something must be done.”

Water was everywhere, surrounding him. He remembered a massive golemn made completely from stone morphed from an ivory tower. Suddenly now, herolded by a flash of light, he could not breathe. His instincts took over causing his muscles to spasm in a blind rush for survival. He kicked and lashed forward, desperately fighting against the currents forcing him down below. With surge of the Force, the energy field coming to him as if filling his parched mouth with life giving water, he launched Force wave towards his bottum. His sense of direction was discoordinated and his vission unreliable. When it came to life and death, neither of those things mattered. What truly would determine his survival was his desire. True dependance on the Force was weakness, who could fight with a crutch large. No, the Force was a deadly weapon, yet the warrior truly formed the threat. This surly was the case as Moric Thian surfaced, droplets of water splashing forth in all directions. He landed with a thud inches away from Xentar. The smaller yet more experienced Serpent got to his feat, his body ravaged by war. Yet despite all that he was home, surrounded by the lush forrest and clear air of Chandrila. Even though his love of battle and rage for war defined him, the sweet aroma of piece was certainly welcome. "Work to be done indeed. How long have we been gone?"

After a few hours of passing, Moric Thian made his way into the bacta chamber. Any soothing attempt by the other Serpent Lord was shattered as Thian made his prensece quite known with a loud voice. "Xentar! When you are ready, I need to speak with you." The simple sentence was enough to accompany Moric's exit. He knew Xentar would be at his heels momentarily. The Serpent Lord need a good conversation to follow. ((Short post I know, but I have class in five minutes))

Moric stood up, the simple heat surrounding him was enough to almost blind his vision. If he had not been immune to its effects, that was probably what was going to happen. "I see you have survived." Moric turned his head and faced the dead grass surrounding him. "My power is yours." Thian shook his head, keeping his eyes pinned on the clear blue sky. He took heart in that fact that no matter what damage he could unleash, what carnage he could manifest, and what destruction he could cause, he could never taint the purity of that sky. The only thing he knew was the day he could, was the day he no longer derserved to live. The Serpent Lord's mind turned to the current situation of the order. The organization was stricken with the disease of inactivity. There was nothing left of it. "So what is your plan now Xentar?"

Moric dipped his hand into the water below. The ripples shot forth, dissapating several meters before even reaching Xentar. The Serpent Lord removed his hand and watched for a moment as water droplets began to drip like sand falling from an hourglass. A few silent moments passed as Moric continued to stare at his hand as if mesmorized by a supernatural phenominom. He could sense the patience within Xentar begin to thin. As if breaking a mirror, Moric shot his hand towards the water, tearing the tranquil scene before him apart. Flames poured into the clear liquid instantly heating its contents to a boil. The temperature of the water shot upward like a thermamator set to record the sun. The Serpent sent his other hand straight at Xentar and unleashed another barrage of flames. The tendrils of fire proceeded to lick all over Xentar's body, teasing him like a playful seducedtriss. A few moments passed before Moric unleashed the intensity of both his palms, letting the manifastation of the Force pour from him like water from a pitcher. The sheer heat compoused in the body of water caused the ripples to turn red as the tranquil effect burned. The air around lake began to sizzle, waves of heat almost visible to the naked eye. If it had not been for Xentar's Force preparations, he would have been dead. The Serpent Lord released his anger and focus as the last of the fire shot from his hand. It continued to surround Xentar, trying to tear his skin of with its headed scorn. The situation was quite simple. If Xentar abosrbed enough heat, his state of being would simply change. The Force would work to consume the raw heat until its signature took on that identity. If Xentar failed however, he would remain nothing more than a pile of ashes hidden beneath the makeshift hell consuming him.

"Take in the surrounds around you Xentar, because after this moment it will be hard to appreciate such things." Moric raised is head towards the sky and closed his eyes, trying to let the complete purity of this place fill him. Unfortunately, his memories spun to the first time he had learned the ability of fire. The pain and agony of that moment destroyed any respect the Serpent Lord had for nature. It was simply a formality to shape the terrain of each planet to make it suitable for organic habitation. Once Moric understood what nature was capable of, he no longer saw it for what it truely was. This was the greatest price he paid for the ability he was about to pass to his fellow Serpent. "Remove your clothing and get in the water. When I tell you, I want you to put up as many Force barriers around you as you can. Absorb as much of this as possible." Moric kept the details of his particular action vague; yet he had no doubt Xentar already knew what he ment. "Let the pain and agony become you, let it fuel you and define you. Only then will you learn what I posses. Moric sat by the edge of the small lake, letting his hand move about the water. Small ripples formed and dissipated in a span of only a few seconds. His heart began to beat slightly faster as he awaited the following of his simple instructions.

The sliver lightsaber remined silent and domant in a corner, its destructive powers diminished by the simple pressing of a switch. The blade as if shifted completley out of its state of being shot to it master's hands. It then resided against Moric Thian's waist its job fulfilled. "I believe this test if over. You have proven yourself Xentar." Despite the fact that Kentam had reached for the two blades instead of the victory, Thian could not discredit the man for his performance. Not only was he able to take pain and convert it to energy, but he was also able to control his emotions and unleash them at the right time rather than flail them wildely like a dazed Sith. The first steps into the Serpent order where never taken under perfection. Moric had learned this the hard way as well, having been punished extensively for hunting down a pair of Jedi Knights just to seem them die. "Follow me to obtain what you seek." The arrogant facade lavishing Moric's face throughout the duel suddenly vanished as the man made to leave the room, having fulfilled its purpose of testing the former Sith Lord. Xentar had grown substantially into something much more dangerous than a Sith. So many Sith tried to strike fear into the hearts of their prey through tauntings and general fear related tactics. Yet this plan was generally flawed in design. Sith needed to be reassured of the supremacy by the weakened facade of their opponents. The only reminder a Serpent needed of his own superiority was through the end of his lightsaber. The Serpent Lord came to a halt next to the great lake surrounding the Serpent compund. The water lightly reflected the crystal blue sky adorned with ripples flowing through the empty air. Soon this tranquil seen would change quite rapidly. Moric only needed to wait for his fellow Serpent's arrival. He sat and enjoyed the peaceful scene knowing full well what he was about to do.

He was making such progress too..., Moric thought as his back slammed against the wall. Xentar had been able to make use of pain and even resist Moric's tauntings. But in the end the foolish pride of the Sith could not break its hold on the fleeting Serpent Lord. Moric's parry was weak and easily traversable. Xentar could have struck a second time and Moric would have no chance at stopping it with his balance and blade thrown into confusion. Yet Kentam decided to steel the silver lightsaber instead, its visage of power too consuming and attractive for the proticle Sith to resist. "What makes you think possessing two weapons rather than one will make you fare any better Kentam?" Thian's head cocked to the ceiling as his patience began to run thin. In his mind, failure was much worse than not doing what one was told. Duel wielding would never grace Moric's arsenal of combat. Mobility was far too limited, a weakness Xentar just subjected himself to. It was breaking the art form, belittling it to nothing but a flashy trick. It was like Xentar took a handful of mud and threw it into a spotless and pure stream, contaminating it forever. Moric shot towards his opponent as he dived into the Force for the first time on the offensive since the fight began. He let the flow of the power surround him as its reassuring glaze pushed his physical capabilities even further. He could feel the Dark Side rushing in as Moric's anger began to surface, his eyes boring into the two activated blades resting in the Sith's hands. The Serpent Lord knew he possessed the power of fifty lightsabers as he neared his opponent. It was time for Xentar to figure that out. Kentam was probably expecting Moric to unleash his flame abilities; that notion being the probable driving force behind stealing the silver blade. If a listener could follow a symphony note by note however, there would be no purpose in picking up the instrument. The Serpent Lord leaped into the air taking advantage of Kentam's momentary defensive stance. Calculating his actions several seconds in advance, Moric found himself landing, throwing his position out of the line of physical site, and already manipulating the Force, its will at his disposal. An invisible wave similar to what Kentam conjured only moments ago slammed into his arm, knocking the silver blade forward out of the Kentam's grasp. It was like water streaming down a cliff as Moric poured into his next action. He spun to his left landing himself level with his opponent's side. His speed was so great it looked as if Xentar could do nothing but stand and receive the punishment Moric was about to unleash, like a child too afraid to move in fear of his father's rebuke. Thian ripped a slash of his fist, streaking towards the chiseled arm of the Sith Lord. Muscle could do nothing against the raw power of the Force as Moric's fist ripped into Kentam's arm. A sickening crack resounded through the room as Xentar's arm fell to his side motionless. The Serpent Lord then attached his grasp to that very same arm almost tearing the joint out completely. He then lunged with all of his might, letting the anger accumulating through the last few seconds fuel the power and strength mounting within him. The sadistic pleasure of the moment was expressed through a smile illuminating that very idea. Xentar then found himself slamming into the nearby durosteel wall, his large stature and visible muscles leaving quite an impressive indentation that would last quite sometime. Through the taint of the Dark Side, the will of the Serpent slashed through as Moric backed away, fighting the urge to finish the fight. He would not be killing Xentar yet. "You must understand Xentar, the Force equalizes all." Garet Jax's words continued to stick with Moric all these years. He constantly fought by them everyday. Even though Moric could not mach Xentar's physical strength, the Force more than made up for the gap. "By taking away my physical weapon, you've opened the door for something far worse." Moric remembered back to his days in the forest, leveling himself to something much more primitive then a man. He used no weapons, only the Force and his bare hands to remain alive. It was for a moment like this that justified that entire endeavor. ((3. I'll PM Robbie for the ruling))

Through the haze of falling to the floor, the environment around the Serpent Master cruzed passed his field of vision in a comfortable speed of confusion. Yet the Force had a funny way of trumping even the most desperate situations. It was amazing how finite those beings that used the Force actually were. If not for its helping hand, Moric would have been cleaved in two by Xentar's shimmering red blade. Xentar's attack provided a nice window to critic Moric's skill as of now. He landed himself in a compromising position having no balance to provide a desired dodge of any kind. Through this however, the Force still operated despite the Serpent's imperfections. The key to any warrior was not the attempt at sheer domination that Sith exercised, but the wisdom in knowing one's ignorance. Only through the admittance of imperfection could anyone get even remotely close to achieving the opposite. That was why Moric fought, not to gain perfection, for that was impossible. He fought to become a true embodiment of the Force, letting its power and reverence exist through the soul of a mortal being. This was true mastery of the Force. Moric however would have to rely on the faultless perfection of the Force one more time. The mystical energy field did its part to remind the man of the impending attack. Thian's blade almost moved with the very premonition that attuned his perceptions to the danger. The two blades made connection only an instant as Kentam's blade was diverted. Unfortunately for Moric, his off-balance parry left no foundation of strength to stand up to the power of the former Sith's slash. The result left a silver streak heading towards the corner of the room, falling uselessly from its master's hand. The occurrence of such a disadvantage didn't even weigh in the Serpent Lord's mind. Only Jedi and Sith held such devoted attention to weapons. Moric's true skill only came from himself. Using such skill, Moric found himself landing on his back and immediately rolling not away, but towards his enemy. The physically versatile Serpent Lord slashed his legs forward using the gathering momentum to fling himself to his knees, similar to that of a break dancer. The slinging of his legs did not go without consequence however. The Serpent's metal shin slammed into the same appendage of the other Serpent. Despite steeped in muscle, even brawn could not stand to the might of durosteel. Moric centered himself on his knees and delivered a painful elbow into the Sith's gut, raining a mixture of saliva and blood onto the floor below. Using the impact to his fullest advantage, Thian proceeded to flip backwards, rolling out of the range of any counter attack. He took his lightsaber back into his hands and ignited the silver blade once more. Its constant thrumming of light energy provided a direct dichotomy to the heavy breathing of each combatant. "Be wary when you knock someone to floor Kentam. By doing so you minimalize your target while leaving your entire lower half defenseless. Don't worry, you'll get it eventually." A slick smile emerged on the Serpent's face as his words echoed into the oblivion of silence. His arrogant tone was placed quite intentionally hoping to entice that very same attitude lying dormant in the man standing across the room. ((2))