Bad karma

It's like creeping death as I watch them from the high rise office. In the distance I can see smoke curling into the sky and flames licking the sides of buildings. They've taken down several sectors and are approaching the one that I have been commanded to protect by my Master. I am not quite sure why I have been commanded to protect this sector, but I gather it has something to do with her recent acquisition of Roon and the company that rests upon that hidden jewel of a planet.

”˜The Liberator'

That's what they called him, this shadowy figure that seemed to back this uprising. Dark tendrils are wrapped around each and every one of the followers and I could see, as if by the light of a thousand suns, that there was a Sith at work here. The hilt on my hip weighs heavily and for a moment a grin flashes over my features in hopes of meeting this one face to face and settling this uprising, but then”¦Those followers of his would walk away unpunished if we settle it like men.

When it comes to my particular ilk things aren't settled like men. If there was an advantage to be taken I would have it. Blood would paint the walls of this building and it would not be the blood of my soldiers. Things were set up and ready for the arrival of our ”˜guests.'

Their Revolution ends Here.

He makes things sound so easy, Atia shrugs as if it's no big deal, and here I stand with closed eyes and a small smile. This is one of the greatest challenges the Galaxy has ever faced and historically speaking, entire Empires have fallen due to a lone warrior or small group. Will we be that group, or will history mark us down as several of the Era's ”˜greats' that tried and failed?

If we are not meant to succeed, who then will take our place and triumph where we could not? Dare I even think it; perchance I will go down in history as the woman that sealed the Galaxy's fate in such a manner that makes even the cruelest of the Sith and the most Stoic of the Jedi recoil in disgust. Time will tell me its secrets.

”œRest easy, Atia, knowing no one would dare take a Teenage girl's toy's from her.”

There is a hint of a smirk on my face as my right hand brushes a stray lock of hair back behind my ear. It had been a long time since I'd seen those eyes, but his face wasn't quite as impressive as it had once been. Opening ourselves to depths of the force that others were terrified of or unable to reach had such an effect on our bodies sometimes.

His beliefs of beauty are malformed, or perhaps he just has yet to experience beauty in its truest form. I wouldn't correct him, though. For all the ghastly things I've done, at heart it still doesn't hurt to hear such a thing from someone who actually holds your respect.

My eyes flicker to Atia, smirk slowly turning to a smile. It's not something you would call a soft smile, but it's a welcoming one. She had new eyes and they were pink, of all colors. That amused me; she never seemed the type to like pink, of all colors. I'd have expected something like crimson, If only because young Sith had a penchant for being stereotypical.

”œAtia.”

”

I watch the Galaxy rise and fall with patience near unequaled. I see the blood thirsty Tyrant's raise up and demand power, only to disappear into the night. Those with good intentions find themselves gifted with more perseverance, but being able to weather a storm you cannot navigate yourself out of does no good.

It has arrived at the brink of destruction, a crossroads that will decide the fate of an innumerable amount of creatures, and I find myself in quiet contemplation. I took the mantle of Dark Lady and Empress; I realigned them on the proper track and then take my leave. How do they thank me? By falling into ruin and disorder once more, of course.

They are worthless without a charismatic, powerful, or brilliant leader to stir them. Syn, Kakuto, or Dagon; these are the men they need, but have been left in the dark by. At least with Syn there was hope; Kakuto was unreliable and Dagon had his own concerns. The blame would fall upon me, though, as so many would consider what I did abandonment. Their viewpoints were too narrow to encompass the ripples in the force that I take my lessons from, they would never understand my reasoning, and I would never waste my time explaining it.

The surface of my room's walls are unnaturally chill to the touch and I can feel that the people on this ship are beginning to fear me, even whisper about abandoning me on the next planet we come to. They think I am something unholy, something to fear, something that might murder them in their sleep”¦

I never had a chance to be normal like them, to just be a woman working on a ship and needing to make every delivery just to help pay for the fuel and food. Every now and then maybe I could worry about some pirates coming after our cargo, or if we'll get busted smuggling some supplies down to the surface of some random planet.

So what if I'm an unholy force to be feared, so what if I am planning to harvest their souls, at least they got to have a normal life up until now. It is my right as a Sith to turn something precious of theirs into something precious of mine. These are the laws of nature as I see them; the strong prey upon the weak to make themselves stronger. The Jedi, though, they are the unnatural ones. They fight against nature's will and demand that the species that inhabit this Galaxy do not follow their instincts, they want peace and harmony”¦yet they deny Nature the peace and harmony it dictates as right.

The Empire is a shadow of its former self.

The Alliance is a shadow of its former self.

The Sith Order is a shadow of its former self.

The Jedi Order is a shadow of its former self.

And it is within my capabilities to command the shadows to bend to my will. There is very little possibility that anyone has stopped to think for just a moment that the Galaxy being invaded is the Force's way of telling everyone that it is not pleased. Governments crumble, beliefs are shallow and unfounded, life means nothing”¦

”¦but they fight to protect these Governments, they fight in the name of their beliefs, and they fight for self-preservation when all they deserve is Death.

The word is a barely audible whisper and frost forms in front of my mouth when it escapes my pallid lips.

Each of them is asleep in their bed, curled up tight beneath the blankets to keep warm, and it takes but a casual glance for me to see that my fellow crew members have been taking extra precautions in the realm of room security. Tonight I reveal myself for the Monster I have become in these last years; a delicate splendor with raven locks and a chilling gaze. I believe the phrase ”˜Horrific beauty' was once used.

A thin smile on my lips, I trace my index and middle finger along his jaw line and feel him shift ever so slightly in his bed. He is dreaming and for a moment I consider delving into those dreams to see what sort of wonders this man designs as he slumbers, but it is best to not get overly intimate with ones prey. It is horrible form, or so I've been taught.

Enough information has been gained about him as is, so it doesn't much matter. He has plans to marry the co-pilot of this ship soon, but he has told no one else. Now he has waited too long and the chance for happiness has escaped his grasp. I fan out my digits over his chest and close my eyes; he is young, vibrant, and full of life”¦it is easy to find that which I seek. It has is an ethereal thing that I seek and it is within a small pouch that I trap it until the need arises for it.

He looks so peaceful and”¦ignorant. In another life time, maybe he will become the Predator; it's unlikely though. I stay and watch the blood drain from his features before taking a few steps backwards into a room across the ship. My eyes are shut, yet open to life. In this room, I would see but one woman if using my eyes but through the force I feel the second, still forming life, inside of her.

She'll never know joy of having a child or experience love for another again. Such a pity; her life force fades as quickly as the last, then I move on. Half an hour has passed and the only life force remaining on the ship is mine. It's decided; I must return to the Galaxy without disguise and free of weaknesses which were once so restricting.

My right hand brushes up near my neck, feeling the tips of my short locks of hair. Maybe I'll take the mantle of Hero and save the Galaxy, or perhaps I'll further tip the balance against the Galaxy and watch it be purged of life before beginning anew.

Cold, hallow eyes flickered towards the doorway; in the arch stood a tall, built figure with vibrant emerald eyes”¦eyes that told of untapped wells of passion, power, and ambition. Darkness permeated the air and oozed out of every pore. She recalled experiencing the sudden emptiness that came with the man leaving the planet, the sudden separation anxiety that had caught her off guard and yet here he was; why had the anxiety, the unease, passed and allowed elation to replace it?

Her gaze sharpened and pierced the veil. An imposter, come here to tease her senses but unable to fool the mystical bond between her and the one he sought to impersonate. Was it even a he? The well built form of Syn seemed to shimmer for a moment before being replaced with a shorter form. A form that could hold her attention as easy as the one that had been there moments before, it seemed. Long limbs captured her eyes and drew them towards the center, the dim light illuminating a beauty so strong that it was near frightening. Even with closer inspection, it was impossible to discern the gender.

A raised eyebrow from her, a devious grin from him. He approached her with grace unheard of, legs carrying a taut, lithe form across the floor and circling around here in mere seconds. Those emerald eyes, they remained even when this thing was seen for what it really was. A shiver tickled down her spine as her eyes began to scan the air around the obvious force user, seeing the subtle colors there that left her curious. Two separate set of emotions could be found, despair and desperation in one and mischievousness and amusement from the other. The emotions were so tightly entwined that a lesser aura reader would have thought them all belonging to this person alone, but no”¦she could see the second soul within the one body.

”œYou've invaded my personal chambers, impersonated a man you have no right to impersonate,”

The uniformed man back handed Shadrach once more, sneering at the man with utter contempt. He turned his back upon the restrained prisoner, looking to the guards for a moment before one of them left the room. Turning back to face his prisoner, his visage had softened yet traces of malice could still be found.

”œYou lie, boy.”

A large vehicle pulls up alongside Shadrach, the door opening to reveal two dark figures. Rather then reaching out and pulling him in as many would expect they just raised their weapons and hit him with a stun bolt which left him incapacitated.

_

The sharp sting of a backhand would wake him up, a man in a uniform with odd symbols upon it standing before him. Shadrach was restrained and his head would surely be hurting by this point in time. The most obvious question of all quickly escaped the man's lips”¦”

The girl danced the night away, minute by minute, as she flitted around the dance floor with a charming smile and graceful movements. Of the three she came in with, one stayed closer to her then the others and seemed to be flirting with her all night. Both were completely oblivious to the figure carefully stalking the prominent girl.

Soon they made their way to the back of the club together, slipping out the back door and into the alleyway to have some time to themselves.

The woman entered into the building with three people in tow; two males and one a female, all human and all dressed in a similar manner as the girl. Though, they were all decidedly less flashy in their mannerisms then she was. She exuded an air of confidence and refined charisma that knew no peer in the club and as a result, people seemed to naturally be pulled towards her as if she had her own field of gravity.

The dance floor was alive with movement and she rarely left it, only doing so when she was pulled away or to get a drink. From the elevated V.I.P. room a single man in a black pin strip suit with a circular hat watched over the floor. His left eye had an eerie red glow to it, but it was doubtful anyone would notice with the way he kept his head lowered.

Viktor gave the figure a curt nod and motioned him over to the ledge. In the distance the sun was setting, but the light from the city kept everything illuminated. Viktor planted his foot on the ledge and placed his right arm on his quads, leaning into it and motioning for Shadrach to follow where his finger was directing the apprentice's gaze. There was a young human female with bubblegum pink hair in the latest style, obviously getting ready for a night out.

”œHer father is rich, you see, but she hates listening to him. Her father has had her followed for the past few years, keeping an eye on her as she goes out dancing in the various clubs in this city and hanging out with her friends. She is arguably one of the most popular and well known figures in this city.”

No comm link is established with Shadrach's ship, instead a set of coordinates are sent to his ships computers. They are the roof top of one of the buildings in the largest city on the planet's surface. Viktor would be waiting outside of his ship for the man to arrive.

Mrakhh: Adenn posted the Mercs all watching the artifact, so while I'll allow you sneaking up on one while he was watching it I'm going to have to say digging it up, being flashed with a flash grenade, and then running away all before five men (Four NPC's and Adenn, to be clear) were watching that very spot is not plausible.

Flash grenades are not only meant to blind, but disorientate so I am going to say that you are still at the site of where you dug up the artifact, it in hand and you disorientated from the trap with them in the trees. It's Adenn's post.

"It's Master. Gather the part you need and meet me above Correllia for your first set of tasks."

With that, Viktor departed.

Viktor placed his hand on the man's shoulder, turning him around so that they were face to face with a glowing red rod between them.

”œYou have a choice; become a Sith or die. Decide, now.”

Dominique let his words tumble to and fro in her mind, as he disappeared around the corner and into the refresher. His response had taken her by surprise, as she had expected him to have transcended the thought that the Sith, all of them or one of them, was ever truly in control. Their lives, dedicated to finding ever more elusive secrets in the shadows that haunted others nightmares was nothing more then a grab for power and control by those that needed some form of dominion over others.

In the end, the force decided their fate. No Jedi, no Sith, no mere mortal could ever change that. They could put all the effort their soul could muster, all the strength their muscles possessed, and all the cunning intellect possessed within their brains to the task but fate was infallible. Free will was an illusion that even some of the greatest Masters to ever grace the order clung to desperately, believing that not only were they Masters of the force, of themselves, and all those around them”¦but that they were also Masters of their destiny.

The thought was laughable.

Perhaps she had been wrong about Exodus. His time spent studying focused so narrow on the skills that benefited him in this life, that he skirted around those that would elevate him to a position that allowed him to see a deeper truth to this life. She had bore witness to such truths and they left an impression on her mind that knew no peer.

One thing she had slowly become aware of, though, was the purpose the order served. Without the Sith, there would be no Jedi and without the Jedi there would be no iconic symbol to give people hope and that hope was that lifesblood of many people. The Jedi knew that they inspired hope and courage, but what they were unaware of was that one day they would defeat the Sith in this current incarnation. Slowly they were becoming more callous in their acts of sin and once this order fell, the Jedi would replace them as the evil Gods of the universe until another group of bright eyed optimist rose up in defense of the common man.

She glanced his way when he entered the room, then her eyes flickered to the door as she felt a familiar presence approach. She sneered at the untimely arrival of an apprentice she was beginning to loathe.

”œYou have a visitor, I'll leave you be so that you might go tend to your boy. Do try to”¦enjoy yourself while here, I've heard they have excellent food in this particular quadrant of the planet.”

For but a moment she wondered if Oblivion was truly lost, or if he had taken the opportunity to expand his knowledge by remaining behind while his brothers returned to this realm. She knew the thirst for knowledge and in truth, if she was faced with the same situation as Tethyn had been she was unsure as to whether or not she would have returned. This world held little for her. Her attention returned to the room when the weapon lifted of its own accord and returned to its creator.

It wasn't all that long ago that she had been the own offering up signs of respect, though hers had never held the traces of sarcasm that his had now. She had always been respectful of him and even through the times she felt nothing but ire for him, she still respected what he was capable of. She stood up and walked across the room, coming to a stop in front of his form and staring straight into her eyes.

There was a flicker of fire buried within her twin icy orbs. A flicker of fire sparked by the rage the man so effortlessly inspired with what could only be considered a benign act. It seemed everyone she came in contact with was considerably taller then her, yet the intimidation factor that would have on many people of similar stature to her did not come into effect.

”œ”¦They say the dark side corrupts a person, ruins their body”¦”

He confessed to manslaughter first. It was an interesting choice, seeing as most people would begin from the bottom and work their way up in hopes that each sin would help the next not seem so bad. This one just went straight to the money shot, though Viktor was unaware of why he continued to listen to him. If he had never purposely killed a man then he was like what the Jedi claimed to be. The method they used to rationalize their killings and make them ”˜okay.'

Any thief was a murderer waiting to happen; it was just a matter of them finding a score so large that they would do anything to get a hold of it. His lies steadily lost steam until he come to the topic of the Jedi. Free association, talking about crime and he comes to the topic of the Jedi. Amusing.

”œWhat would make you worthy of joining the Sith? Tell me of your talents and skills.”

Viktor stood stock still, quietly listening to the man's story. Why he felt the urge to tell him all of that, to tell him what could only be called a chapter or two out of the man's life story. He didn't answer the man's question; instead he deactivated his weapon and watched as the crimson blade disappeared. He shoved Shadrach forward, but before he could turn the weapon was reignited and at his back.

”œConfess your sins to me.”

True to Sith form, Viktor's approach from behind Shadrach went unnoticed. It wasn't due to a lack of perceptive capabilities on the intruders part, rather due to the extreme honing of such talents on the part of the Sith assassin. From his side he drew the hilt of the iconic weapon that had become far less fearsome in recent years, yet remained just as deadly as ever.

One hand wrapped around the figure's forehead, the other brought the saber to his throat and ignited it. The heat of the blade could be felt against his throat; the first layer of skin had been killed and some of his superficial nerve endings would be dead.

”œYou come to a Sith planet, in search of parts for a droid?”

A lone pair of eyes watched Shadrach from the darkness. He was concealed far from the light of the flare, though that didn't stop him from seeing the sphere of sparkling light that it created. He had been on the planet for several days now; observing the few sentient's on the surface as well as overseeing a few Imperial projects.

This one didn't appear to have much of a reason to be here, at least no official reason. Perhaps he was a scout, or a spy. No matter, Viktor intended to find out. His voice would echo out from every corner of the room as he spoke”¦

”œ”¦Why have you come here?”

She cast her gaze towards him just as he finished with his inhale of the aroma in the room. She wouldn't bother making mention of it, though it was a curious act that left her slightly amused. Her amusement, however, was quickly washed away as he spoke. His voice was so full that she could almost see the colors resembling a person's aura escaping his mouth.

The lady remained silent as she listened to his report, which expectedly painted the Trinity in a positive light. Speaking of how they demolished a base, men, Jedi”¦even a bit of scum, for Piccolo was no more then such, had fallen before them. Yet, in the end, she knew that they had fallen. She didn't quite know the specifics, but she knew that they had failed. Her eyes scanned over his form, taking in the sight as he finished speaking. The silence that followed felt oppressive in a way, the longer it went on the less inclined she was to speak up about anything.

”œ”¦is that all?”

Dominique felt his approach before he touched down on the surface of the massive above water city she was dwelling within. During the time between him entering the system and his arrival at the front of her door, she sent out several communiqués to the various Imperial instillations. The report on the movement of the Jedi was received and transmitted to Cardia to be deciphered and put to use there.

She walked to the door; her small form covered in her normal silk attire as she waved a hand and watched the figure of Exodus appear before her. For a moment she was silent, letting her eyes graze over his form. She expected that he was here to retrieve his weapon and nothing more, though the meeting was something she had expected and in fact wanted. It had been some time since the two of them had crossed paths directly and she felt that it was time they meet once more.

”œSyn.”

Dominique's small form entered the Krath labs beneath the sea and instantly felt at home, surrounded by so many things that brought her comfort. He light eyes scanned the main room until she finally decided that the tools available to her here were not up to the standards she wished to work with. An order was put in for a new addition to the underwater labs to be made and soon work began on it.

With an idea in mind she began the process of mixing tears with ink, bringing about unnatural properties within the dark, staining liquid. It would be used to create effects that would never leave a Sith and forever leave Dominique's mark on them. A smile danced upon her light pink lips at the thought of staining the skin of a Sith, or any other person for that matter, forever. They would be crafted in such a way that even when cloned, the tattoo would remain on the flesh.

One would imagine that carving off the patch of flesh would save them from the ink, yet”¦it would be in that moment that they would realize that it had seeped in so deep that it had been absorbed into their very muscles without any ill effects. It would be with them forever. Of course, she wouldn't inform them of that if they sought out her ability”¦that was something they would have to learn on their own.

__

The pain of the needle upon her alabaster skin had been immense, much more painful then any normal marking could ever hope to be that was for sure. She had to work on honing her skills from a life long lost to her on a few of the slaves, but in the end she had brought them back up to par and graced her skin with the first permanent marking in her life.

She looked at the light tattoo. It was just barely visible on her right forearm. It was a pale blue and her alabaster skin did nothing to make it show. She smiled and finished taking care of the small mark before standing and leaving that portion of the lab. She made her way to the surface, entering into one of the Imperial Cities and finding a nice, quiet spot to have a moments reprieve.

Night descended upon the water world, leaving the cities in darkness with only their artificial light to keep away the perceived monsters that lurked with in the shadows. Though, as of late those that they feared were always lurking just out of sight became very visible in the form of white clad soldiers fighting for a cause that the people of Mon Calamari didn't really care about all that much.

A lone figure dressed in black stalked the shadows, standing no more then five foot six and offering up a masculine build for any that might catch a glimpse of his form. To trade the small for the large, in this case, seemed on the surface to be an unwise choice but when a person wished to remain unrecognized it was stroke of brilliance. How could a person recognize you if you were a completely different person on the outside?

The specter of a figure slipped into a house unseen, quietly stalking from one room to the next and killing each occupant until she arrived at the one she sought. It was a young boy that couldn't be more then ten years old. With subtle tugs of the force she influenced his dreams and morphed them into nightmares that would make a grown man wake up in a cold sweat. As was anticipated the child woke up screaming and instantly began sobbing and crying for his mother.

No time was wasted as fingers were extended; frost forming in the air between the silent figure and the crying child. Soon he was frozen solid and what the man came for was squired. He left as quickly as he had arrived and in the same fashion.