Horus Forinth

The eternal darkness of the night's sky as seen from Cardia was broken only by the faintly glowing stars that were strewn across it. Sitting in the cramped cockpit of The Pragum, Horus indifferently scanned the numerous data reports flashing across the ship's main holoscreen. The canvas of stars and its beauty were lost on him, as he nonchalantly sifted through the bursts of information set before him. He was looking for a small discrepancy in the surface scans, one that would appear to be simply a corrupted bitwave to many, while screaming volumes to others. It had been almost three hours since he had slipped into atmosphere, and still nothing had caught his eye as of yet. It had crossed his mind several times that they might have chosen to switch the academy's position signal as a extra precaution. After all, several months had gone by since he had set foot on the barren planet. If such were the case he had no choice but to break radio silence and risk being discovered by enemies. As time crept by, it became apparent that Forinth's instincts were beginning to urge him towards breaking radio silence. Running his hand across his unshaven face, Horus decided that he was reading the force correctly. ”œComm. out, all local encrypted frequencies.”

An isolated TIE fighter registered as missing in the empire's database pulled out of hyperspace and into orbit around Mimban. Horus knew what he was returning to. The blood in his veins seemed veins boil as he watched the desolate orb in front of him. Such was the hate he held inside. He'd once thought that the slaughtering would wane his anger, but he was mistaken. With each murder the yearning within grew stronger, demanding more death, more agony. It consumed his consciousness completely now. He had no control over himself, for it was the darkside that held the keys to his soul. A week ago Mimban had beckoned, and Horus had obeyed its call. His hands firmly gripped the fighter's controls as he steered the ship forward. ”œSend identification files to base control.”

Horus turned to face Darth Quietus. ”œIt was their own folly. I suppose that our work here is done. The city has been swept clean. There is not a single Bothan left here to slaughter. We should now return to our Lord, so that we may present him with our gift in person. Undoubtedly he will be pleased. The Bbothan's held much knowledge that will prove useful to him.”

As Darth Quietus exited the secured quarters Horus was left alone to further engross himself in the ensuing conflict. He solemnly sent several advanced parties to the various underground bunkers designated by the Bothan spy network. The intricate tunnel network would soon be swept clean of the deplorable rats that cowardly hid in them. The large holomap set near the command center's heart was saturated by imperial troop positions. There was no organized resistance to be found anywhere, spare the occasional band of poorly armed civilians forced into fighting to the death. Quietus' words resurfaced in Forinth's mind. Have you noticed how easy this destruction of the Bothans has been? The Sith master was more than right. Bothans were gregarious peoples, publicly fervent allies of the Republic and the Jedi. To see them lay down and die with such apathy was disconcerting to say the least. Horus felt as if he had been cheated out of a great pleasure. He had hoped for a battle worth recognition on Bothawui, but it seemed like even when faced with there own destruction these pathetic creatures delved in their cowardice. Horus was overcome by momentary anger. It wasn't enough that they died. Suffering was required as a punishment, so that the others would know; weakness was not allowable. He called forth one of the nearby commanders. ”œBring me the virus.”

Horus anxiously paced throughout the parameter of the main makeshift command center, where laboring engineers and tensed aid-de-camps listened to updates on troop progression. A small group of intelligence officers were constantly modifying an enormous holomap of the capital city, where known enemy positions were highlighted in flashing red. Heedless of the chaos around him, Forinth's mind was entirely consumed by the incoming field reports. He mentally pictured the battlegrounds to the smallest detail, keeping track of everything without exception. There was no room for mistakes. The slaughtering would be carried out in a highly organized and systematic nature, with as little emotion as possible. Activating the portable communicator attached to the brooch of his cloak, Horus looked around at the disorder in the streets. A static matted voice crackled harshly in reply. ”œC Squadron blue leader here.”

In Capital City the sounds of destruction were suddenly everywhere. A large section of the of the metropolis burst into a billion pieces of anonymous rubble all at once, the magnitude of the blast seemingly causing the entire planet to tremble in awe. An escorting fighter squadron soared forward in tight formation, clearing the way for the slower and clumsier personnel craft that carried the deadliest foot soldiers in Empire's ranks, the Nightmare Division. When the ships arrived amidst the chaotic city's ruined skyscrapers terror instilled in the fleeing inhabitants. Clad in flawless black armor, the Imperial Soldiers filed out of their transports like programmed machines. They were there to kill, until nothing was left. Sitting inside the Ogariv II with Lord Quietus, Horus carefully examined the ongoing annihilation, taking the utmost pleasure in what he saw. There would surely be no mercy on such a glorious day. They landed near an empty transport. Horus came out of the Ogariv II with his fists clenched. The corpses already began to pile in the streets as the first few units began to make the initial parameter sweeps. Among the dead a Bothan child lay on the floor next to his laser-scorched parents.Such insolence deserves much more than death. Horus thought as he looked over the weaklings' corpses with disgust. A decorated soldier emerged from a stationed transport and fearfully approached Forinth and Lord Quietus. ”œMy lords, the invasion has begun as planned. Is there anything that you wish of me before we continue?”

A repressed sense of commotion was just barely felt on the bridge of the Cannibal where Horus and Quietus now stood, observing pre-hyperspace procedures. Turning to the captain, Forinth sternly called his attention. The decorated commander promptly made his way across the room towards the two Sith. ”œWhen we arrive in Bothan Space you are to unload the transport vessels, along with the Ogariv II and a fighter squadron.”

Following Darth Quietus into the Ogariv II, Horus tried to keep his mind clear and focused on the obectives assigned to him by his master. There was no room for error. Every bothan would be slaughtered, without exceptions. As he sat down in the co-pilot seat the ship began to slowly rise out of the smog clouted skyline of Foy into the cold darkness of surrounding space, where several ships belonging to the imperial fleet awaited. "There they are Lord Quietus. I suppose we are free to take our pick." Forinth said while motioning towards the Star Destroyers hanging in orbit in front of them. Leaning back in his chair, Horus nonchalantly waited for Darth Quietus to dock into a ship so that they could continue their mission.

Smirking at the thought of the swift destruction of millions of lives, Horus continued walking until he came into the enormous military hangar. A thousand of the empire's most elite troopers from the Nightmare Division stood in perfect formation, awaiting orders in the open aired docking bay where transport shuttles were to arrive shortly. Forinth contemptuously looked over the massive group of soldiers. They were all clad in sleek jet-black armor, their aquiline helmets adorned with imperial insignias. Walking onto a small hover-platform to his left, Horus swung up into the air directly in front of the waiting troops, whose attention immediately moved over to him. ”œSoldiers of the great Empire!”

Horus gave a quick nod before filing out of the circular room behind Raynuk Montar. "Should we travel with the men, or arrive seperately?" He asked Montar, while moving down a long empty corrider leading towards one of the many hangar bays. As Horus said this, a brief comm. message was sent to the grand majority of the soldiers in the Imperial Nightmare Division. It ordered them to gear up and gather in Hangar B-310Z, where transport vessels were ready to ship them out to their new assignment.

A moment of silence filled the room. Stepping forward, Horus slightly bowed his head as he silently requested permission to speak before his superiors. For a split second, his eyes reached upward towards the four seated masters and then over to Tarrian. Once he was sure that he had their permission do so, Forinth began to speak in a low respectful tone, as if he wished not to burden them with his presence. "Yes my lord, I am aware of the existence and general purpose of the Nightmare Division."

Horus stared at the female protocol droid for a moment before getting up out of the battered TIE fighter. ”œI need naught be brought by these sickening creatures, for the will of the Dark Lord is binding in itself.”

Fighting to gain control over his plummeting ship, Horus wrestles with the controls. His efforts are useless, for he cannot stop his craft from veering towards the hull of the closest star destroyer. Scanning the controls, he pulls on an air mask before finding the ejection button to his left.

”œFailed you say?”

Bright beams of scorching light flashed aimlessly across the darkness as the confused prisoners attempted their escape. Deflecting several shots arching in his direction, Horus rushed forth to meet his invisible enemies. Prove my worth?! He thought as anger quickly surfaced, drowning out logic. Steeply plunging into the dark side, the world around Horus seemed to become so much simpler. There was no more obscurity, and vision was unneeded; he could feel the insignificant rebels through their own insolence. They were inconsequential in his mind, pathetic lambs waiting for the slaughter. Leaping into the air, Horus sliced through searing flesh with a long vertical movement that sent blood streaming. ”œDeath is too good for you worthless beings.”

Cineon's voice crackled hoarsely as Forinth replayed the brief message he had just received. ”œWhat is here is more than what you bring with you.”

An unassuming fighter pulls into orbit around the devil's kingdom, cutting its engines as it comes into direct linking range. The dead planet casts a sinister shadow over the small ship, the foreboding darkness almost swallowing it whole. Horus glared coldly through the duraglass cockpit at the massive orb floating in front of him. His suspicions about the true nature of his orders to return had yet to be silenced. Composing his thoughts, he switched on his comm. system, establishing connection to the planet's traffic control. ”œThis is Horus Forinth requesting permission to touch down.”

Taken aback by the message he had just received, Horus stood frozen with speculation. The Dark Lord himself had ordered him to return at once? Surely this had implications beyond those of a simple reassignment. Staring aimlessly into the thick forest canopy, Horus' instincts edged on him, hinting that something was very wrong. Unsure of what to do, Forinth jumped into the cockpit of his ship. Tarrian's message still replayed itself over and over again in his head. If the Dark Lord wished his presence, he would have it. What other choice did Horus have but to obey the will of his superiors, even if it resulted in death?

A encrypted comm. flashes the dark lair of LAP. ---This is Horus Forinth, reporting from Endor. I have completed the tasks assigned to me by Master Montar. I am sending this comm. to request reassignment.---

((Thank god this mess is over. It's going to be one heck of a long time before I get into another non-moded duel”¦)) Horus grabbed the two pieces of his lightsaber lying on the ground near a large tree. A sense of frustration hovered around him. His prey had escaped, and the battle had added to his overall tension. There was nothing he could do now but bury his aggravation, and return to his superiors. He walked back to his ship, his sword swinging at his side as he moved, reminding him of his failure. Removing the datapad from inside his cloak, Horus deactivated the auto-defenses, popping open the small cargo hatch near the ship's rear. Inside were an assortment of tools; a plasma welder, some bolt fusers and even a small repair droid. He picked up the plasma welder and moved over to a flat stump. Taking the pieces of his lightsaber into hand, he went to work on mingling severed circuits and resealing the main energy refractor chamber. The violet red crystals near the center were intact, and the rest of the work was straightforward procedures he had memorized back when designing his saber. Once he had finished, Horus linked his datapad to the ship's main computer once again, this time to send a comm. to headquarters. While sending the message he keep it as short and ambiguous as possible, though he doubted that the signal would be intercepted.

The surrounding light was so nauseating that it suffocated Horus, making him draw back to regain his concentration. He was stunned by his enemy's actions. This pathetic creature preached goodness, while his actions reeked of dishonor. This hypocrite was utterly despicable; an example of what should be eradicated from the galaxy, lest weakness spread like some foul plague. Closing his eyes, an anti-calm ran through Horus, like a shot of adrenaline to the heart. The light was strong, but the tormenting darkness of Horus' soul was by far more powerful, for within he held an emptiness that could not be filled by any luminosity, no matter how grand or intense. Inhaling the cool forest air seemed only to fuel his anger. His hands tensely shook as he grabbed the sith sword sheathed at his side. A slight breeze rustled through the forest brush, drowning out Horus' thick panting, the only vocalization of his overwhelming rage. What he felt was too intense for words, whereas if he had spoken at that moment, the only distinguishable sounds would've been deep sickening hisses. He glared unforgivably at the figure in front of him as he rushed forward. Horus heeded nothing but himself and his enemy. The sound of his feet impacting the soft leaf covered floor was a distant echo, belonging to a world where he no longer resided. He evadingly darted from left to right, using the sharp blade of his sword to wedge his way in through his opponent's thick defense. Weakness deserves only the company of death. Horus thought. Dodging left, he swung his sword downward. He brought his arms forward in a sudden movement; his blade caught the hilt of Poleb's aqua blue lightsaber, forcing it downward to the ground. Horus instinctively pushed his weapon forward. Tilting the edge of his sword to the jedi's neck he abruptly brought the battle to an end with one clean swipe. ”œNo mercy.”

((I would be lying if I said I wasn't mad right now, but I will not reduce myself to flaming. I simply ask that a mod make a ruling, as I consider HJP's last move a OHK of the most dire type. I truly lament that it comes to this, because I only really wanted a fair fight to begin with, but I feel I have no choice.))

”œYou sickling piece of trash.”

Horus looked over the man with contempt so great that is was almost too much to bear. The jedi seemed to be so pompous that even his speech clearly divulged his pride, making Horus even more disgusted by his existence. Every part of Forinth's body screamed out at him to grab his lightsaber, and slaughter the despicable creature where it stood, but Horus calmly suppressed his instincts. He defiantly stared into the eyes of the vile abomination in front of him, feigning a smile. ”œHow pretentious of you, to come here and ask of me my name and business without first stating your own. Surely such are manners fit for a jedi as yourself. Tell me now; is a man barred from sitting in the forest to collect his thoughts? I'm doing nothing here but enjoying the scenery.”

A small unassuming fighter ducks into the moon's atmosfere. Horus throttled the ship over the vastly expanding forests, taking his time to cut the engines and glide her into a landing. Rumors had it that the natives of Endor were involved in some wide spread conflict between opposing government systems, a promising enviorment for violence. Horus could care less about the petty ewoks and their internal struggles. He was there to simply ensure that the winning side payed homage to the sith, nothing more. Stepping out of his ship, Horus solemnly turned around to watch the auto-defenses activitate. A crooked grin creeped over his face as he dissapeared into the heavy brush.