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darth shadowlord

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  1. "I was, once a long time ago. But I'm neither now. I hope that's not going to be a problem. I can assure you that I don't have allegiance to either, I choose my friends where I will." Draken chuckled then shook his head. "Your allegiance doesn't worry me, I tend to see more then most and I see a great deal about you. Your time away from the Force tempered your fire though not to the extent you thought it would. But enough about that, I imagine that Alora has been filling your ear with wedding plans." He smiled and reached out for a nearby bell cord and summoned a servant. "Have two bottles of red rose wine and three glasses brought here." Several moments later the servant arrived with the bottles one of an older vintage and the other from two years previous. "This wine is of my own design, created from the petals of a rose." He withdrew the cork with a flourish and poured equal measures into the three glasses.
  2. “Draken, I’d like to introduce you to Darla. Darla, this is my fiance, Count Draken Shadowlord” Draken inclined his head slightly as he greeted her. “Welcome to Serenno, Lady Darla” His baritone voice filled the greenhouse. He arched an eyebrow as he looked at her, noticing an oddity about her. “You were a Jedi once and a Sith.” He chuckled and turned, the curved etched saber on his left hip coming into view as he called his staff to his hand and watched the crimson lightning spark briefly in the orb before hearing Alora’s question. “Where is Raia?” “She is in the library studying economics.”
  3. Draken sat in the greenhouse and played the comm that he had received from Raynuk again. He had expected that this would happen, Raynuk had been troubled since his return to living and would remain so until he pursued what troubled him. It would prove difficult for Raia to adjust to this change so soon after her arrival on Serenno. He stroked his beard as he considered the problems then shook his head, he would deal with it when it arose. There was no point in worrying about it now. He stood up and began to walk through the greenhouse and looking at the various flowers that were in their infancy and those that were unable to handle the fast approaching winter season before stopping at the pride of the greenhouse, his black rose. As he reached it, the flowers turned towards him, its petals seeming to drink in the power around him. He removed his cloak and hung it beside him, leaving his staff hovering in the grasp of the force beside him. Drawing on the Force, he began to examine structure of the rose. Slowly he began to modify the fundamental part of the rose so that the shade of the petals darkened but began to show hints of crimson.
  4. -- Co-written-- “There were worlds where the Jedi seek permission before transporting the child to the Temple. Other worlds had arrangements between their leaders and the Jedi for testing and the choosing of children whether it involved money or the Jedi pledging to aid the planet in its time of need. Still others due to their actions in previous wars were forced to relinquish those children that were force users as a punishment, Vjun was one such world. When I reached the rank of Master, I sought out the Jedi Master who was in charge of gathering children and saw to it that he was thoroughly punished for his part in the deaths in the square.” He thought about the days of torture that the jedi had endured before he had saw fit to end his life and the sending of the body back to the temple with a written confession from the jedi attached to the body. He smiled remembering the fact that he still had the lightsabre in his collection. “Explain why you begged not to kill anymore on Kashyyyk?” “I...don't like killing,” she answered, drawing away from him slightly. “It's against nearly everything I've ever known. I could already feel so much pain and death. I couldn't bring myself to add to it.” Her grey eyes fell to the dappled marble floor of the greenhouse. She didn't want to remember the hairy bodies of the Wookies floating in space or the one she'd had to impale before the brutish beast had crushed the life from her, but she did. Every vivid detail seemed to wash over her and for a brief moment her breath caught. Her clan’s destruction at Qaela’s hands, helped in part by her own raw power, anger, and fear followed. Mitral’s death felt justified, but those Wookiees had never done her any harm before. “Were you once a healer, too, Master Draken?” The question came quiet and she soon remembered how to breathe again. “Not as such, my path started as briefly as Sith Warrior then to the Path of the Assassin. It suited me for a while but I sought power more than the shadow. So I was introduced to Krath by one of the few that I trusted within the Order although he has since passed.” He nodded as he took in what she had said regarding killing. “There is times when killing is unavoidable. This includes when the Dark Lord calls, his word is law within the Order although among the paths there are those that he places in leadership who give orders in his absence. Although I am a Master of the Krath, I fall on the outskirts of the Krath vice he that is appointed to lead….. Such as he is, is capable albeit in a blundering overt manner much like a rancor in the jungle. We are at opposite ends of the spectrum. He creates abominations while I create works of power. You will learn that even among the path of power that there are many paths to follow. Some are those of flesh, others like the path I tread is one of subtle and on occasion overt power such as the force storms and the mind warfare. Your tattoos are gone.” His last words were a statement rather then a question though there was a question within his tone of voice.
  5. "The ship was called Darksoul." Tresix turned to see Count behind her and curtsied low. "MIlord." "Greetings Tresix, how did your father's business venture turn out on Tatooine fare? " "When we spoke last, he was due to return four days from now." "Excellent, give him my regards and inform him that I have an opportunity that is in his area of expertise and would discuss it with him at his leisure. Now if you will excuse us, there are a few things that I must discuss with Raia in private." He waited till she had said bye to Raia and the landing crew and taken the subtle hint to make themselves scarce for a few moments. "Raia, what comes next will not be easy. I am the ruler of the planet as well as a Krath Master. This means that while I am here, I act with subtly as there are few here that are aware of my allengence to the Sith. Likewise you must act in a similar manner when you are in the public eye as what you do reflects not only upon yourself but upon your father, Alora and will reflect on me as well. But this is something that those who would be Krath must learn if they wish to be successful. But enough about that, Malachdor will show you to your room. There are clothes and a light meal waiting for you as well as food for Vex. When you have eaten and changed, ring the bell by your bed and Malachdor will bring you to the greenhouse so that you can ask the questions that you are ready to explode with." Seconds later Malachdor arrived and bowed deeply from the hip, his wizened face lighting up with joy at his Masters return. He bowed a second time to Raia. "Welcome to Serenno Milady, I am Malachdor, I serve as Count Shadowlord's chamberlain and am at your disposal as well should you need council. Please follow me." He lead her from the hanger leaving Draken alone in the hanger for a moment before the hanger workers returned to their duties. He looked down at Krakis who had been sitting patiently beside him. "Hungry?" Immediately the panther's ears perked up and it stood up. "Alright, lets see if Viktor has a second Bantha leg that you can have." They walked to the kitchen where the imposing figure that was the Head Chef Viktor stood directing the kitchen's staff in his deep voice. Krakis looked up at Draken and growled low for a second then prowled forward and swatted at Viktor's hip. "Litte Kitten, you have returned to raid my kitchens? Now why would I give you the Master's food when kitten like you can hunt?" Krakis growled playfully and swatted at Viktor again causing the big man to laugh. "Kitten if the Master didn't like you, I would turn you into a stew" AS he spoke he reached up and pulled a rack of Bantha ribs down from a hook and laughed again as Krakis snatched it from his hands. Draken laughed and clapped the cook on the shoulder. "There will be no Krakis stew today Viktor." "As you say Milord, though I know several delicious recipes if you decide another time." "No Viktor, you will be busy enough soon. Lady Alora intends to have the wedding soon and I wouldn't sideline Serenno's best cook for it." Viktor's face lit up with a smile then he bowed deeply. "Thank you Milord." Draken nodded then left the kitchen, Krakis following behind while carrying the bantha's ribs in his jaws. He walked to his chambers and opened the door and watched the panther lope over to its bed and begin devouring the ribs. "Stay Krakis" He closed the door and walked to the greenhouse. Heading inside, he began to walk among the black roses, stopping to examine a few of them as he passed by them. They were flourishing and they bent towards him as he passed by them.
  6. “Don’t worry, it won’t take you long to catch on. Confidence will get you almost as far as the education will among the nobles. The vast majority of nobles are vapid useless titleholders who do very little actually work or for that matter ruling.” He glanced over the chrono on the wall and nodded. “Are you ready to see Serenno?” Raia glanced up at the hovering medical droids for a moment, before nodding and getting Vex’s help to find her feet. He winked and stood up then walked out of the Medbay. He could let the droid do the flying but he enjoyed piloting the ship whenever he returned home. This time though it going to be the scenic route around the planet before arriving at the palace. Once Alora and Raia had joined them in the cockpit, he brought the ship out of hyperspace and guided it through the atmosphere. Below the ship was the deep coniferous forest that bordered the southern ocean and a herd of deer burst from the depths, running along the beach before disappearing back into the trees. “That is only the beginning.” He turned the ship over the Southern Ocean and headed towards the southern pole of the planet. After a few minutes over the ocean, he set the engines to idle and let the ship hover on repulsors so that she could get a look at the crystal waters and the creatures that swam in it. “Members of the research council say that they are several thousand species of fish and aquatic mammals that live within those cold clear waters.” After some time hovering over the waters, Draken guided the ship over the snow capped mountains to the east before flying over the plains and the two massive rivers that crossed them before coming into view of the Capitol city with the Palace soon coming into view with its gothic style architecture and sweeping towers. “Welcome to your home away from home.” Within minutes, he was landing the Grand Duke within the hanger where the Triumvirate and a contingent of Black Guard as well as a medical team stood waiting. As they disembarked from the ship, the members of the Triumvirate bowed as the Guard contingent snapped to attention and saluted. Acknowledging the salute, Draken beckoned to the medical team. “I assume you looked over her file?” We did Sire. She responded well to the Bacta treatments and we recommend two to three more and then nothing too strenuous for about five days. After that she will be fine. “Very good, she will rest tonight and undergo the first treatment tomorrow morning barring unforseen circumstances. That will be all.” The medical team bowed and left the hanger as Draken beckoned over the Triumvirate. They bowed again and passed him a summarized list of occurances during his absence. He pursed it for several moments then nodded. “Very good Gentlemen, Inform the council of nobles that there will be an investiture in one months time under the full moon. I will be taking the girl you see behind me as my ward and should her father not be able to make the ceremony then his title will be proclaimed in his absence.” The three gentlemen shared a look and then nodded. “Milord, do you have a holding in mind for them?” “I do. He will have domain over the land of Wulfenmoor in place of the traitors and will bear the title Viscount Vilkswyn and she shall bear the title of Viscountess-elect until of age. See to it the paperwork and inform the Heraldic Master that I wish to see him tomorrow. Let him know that we are in need of a new coat of arms to be ready for the investiture.” “Yes Milord.”
  7. “Their world was burnt as a warning to other worlds against siding with the Jedi. Without a punishments there would be no law and no order, although many of our brethren would sooner side with the chaos theory when it comes to Galactic Affairs. It is true that the Wookiees will suffer for a few years but under our rule they stand to come out stronger then they were before their planet burned.” He was silent for a moment then pulled a chair near her bed before sitting down. “Yes, I’ve seen this before, I was younger then and it happened on the world that we were living on. Then as now I was a member of nobility, My family was part of the diplomatic core representing the Council of Serenno on the planet of Vjun, I was 12 years old when they came, the Jedi. On Vjun it was a day of rejoicing when the Jedi came as most families saw it as a way for their children to have a chance at a better world. “I was attending the Imperial academy at the time and we were taken to the main square as were kids in other schools across the planet. They lined us up and ushered those parents that lived in the capital into the square to watch the gathering. There were four Jedi in the square, a Master and three Knights. They strode through the rows of kids, placing their hands on each forehead and those they chose would be moved to another area of the square to the cheers of proud parents and occasional cry of sadness from gathered parents. But it was when one of the Knights placed his hand on my head and pulled me from the rest of the children that things took a turn. “I heard my mother’s scream and felt the anger and fear from her as she lashed out with the force. She snapped the neck of the Jedi Knight that had touched me and was cut down from behind by the emerald blade of the Jedi Master. I don’t remember everything that happened after that except for myself covered in blood and holding crushed lightsaber hilt of the Jedi Master in my hand and seeing his mangled and deformed head on the ground in front of me and one of the Knights impaled on a nearby piece of scaffolding while the second was kicking his heels on the ground as he slowly asphyxiated, the crushed larynx showing the indentation from a lightsaber hilt. “The Council of Serenno recalled their entire diplomatic corp, any world that Jedi had rights to select children for training were considered sanctioned worlds and had their embassies closed. I was returned to Serenno and lived with my father who had been offworld at the time for a year before he died from a illness contracted from his time in the outer regions in Imperial Service. So I was placed in the care of the council and spent the remaining years of my youth as a among the noble families as their ward. So yes, I have seen this before.“
  8. With the surgery complete, Vex settled in beside Raia’s bunk and when she underwent bacta treatments, he lay near the tank. Krakis too spent a great deal of time in and around the med bay checking on Raia. Draken chuckled as he watched the two interacting around her while she slept. She would be up and able to walk albeit slowly and painfully in the morning and would likely be in pain for several weeks to come. He looked over at a chrono mounted on the wall, a few more hours till they reached Serenno. He stroked his beard for a moment as he thought about it, perhaps he should delay the arrival over Serenno so that she was awake. He turned to one of the medical droids. “Inform me when she wakes.” “Yes Master.” Krakis turned as he heard Draken’s voice and padded silently over to him and headbutted his hip roughly. “Whose fault is it that you spent so much time with Raia and couldn’t have your neck and behind your ears scratched?” Krakis coughed in what seemed an accusing manner and Draken couldn’t help but chuckle. “Come on then, let's grab you a steak and see if we can get you a neck scratch or two.” ————— A few hours later he heard from one of the medical droids. “Master, she is awake and should remain so for a while.” Draken nodded and left the galley for the med bay. “Hello Raia, welcome back to the world of of the conscious Your surgery went very well as did your bacta treatments. How are you feeling? We are few hours away from Serenno if you want to see the planet from space.”
  9. “Belay that,” Draken informed the captain as he sent a coded pulse to the Grand Duke before turning back to Raia while they waited on the ship to land. “These things happen Raia,” He acknowledged as he leaned down to check the tube. Running his hand around her rib and around the tube protruding from her rib cage, he continued, “You have a collapsed lung and at least one rib has punctured it so the tube with help to drain off the blood so that you don’t choke.” She nodded, already breathing a bit easier. I understand, Master. I trust you. --- When the ship arrived, the medical droid scurried out of the ship with medical scanner in one hand and a hypo spray of painkiller in another hand. After a brief check of the scanner over Raia’s torso, the droid made a brief adjustment to the hypospray and applied it to her neck before triggering it. After waiting a few minutes to let the painkillers take effect, Draken lifted her with the force, holding her immobile as he moved her onto the ship and to the medbay. “Let the droid do its work for now, I will return.” He glanced at Alora who had boarded the ship moments after he had. “The droids are going to prep her for surgery now and once we make the jump will start the surgery. Keep an eye on her while I take off” He touched Raia’s shoulder. “You are going have to have surgery to stop some internal bleeding, you won’t feel any pain and then they are going to transfer you over to the bacta tanks for a couple of days but you should be up and around before we reach Serenno though you won’t be fully healed yet.” I will check on you after the surgery and Alora will be here for the surgery. As for Vex, he will have to wait outside the med bay during the surgery for sterile purposes of course. Once the Surgery is complete though, he will be able to stay with you.” He reached down and patted Krakis’s shoulder as he walked out of the med bay. Walking back to the cockpit, he guided the ship off of the planet and away from the gravity well. Once clear, he made the jump to hyperspace then set the autopilot before leaving the cockpit and heading back to the medbay.
  10. Finding Sith troopers nearing his position, Draken nodded as he heard the Dark Lord’s words. “Quietus, Draken, Sheog, and Lady Alora. Strip this planet bare. The people. The resources. All that these wretched lands have to offer. When this business is finished, I will have word from each of you.” He was satisfied with how things had gone and it was time for everything to be wrapped up. Relinquishing control of the Force storm, he watched as it to through the lower levels of the city with a vengeance before dissipating into nothing then turned to face the commander of the troopers behind him. “Orders Milord?” “Burn it, all of it. Purge the planet of life and strip it of resources. Dismissed.” Leaving them to their work, Draken strode away, listening to the cough of flamethrowers, sharp cracks of blasters and the few cracks from bowcasters as well as the way that bloodthirsty berserker howls were starting to trail off. The troopers would have things well in hand in a matter of hours, especially once the bombing raids started. He walked over the crystal stairway and down to where Raynuk had joined them and regretted it almost immediately. "What the hell happened Draken..." “She became distracted and turned the wrong way then was jumped by a band of wookiees and knocked over the walkway.” He looked at Raia who was still on the ground and saw that Krakis had nestled himself against her and was cleaning the blood from one of his paws while purring in satisfaction. It seemed that the panther did like her and he was pleased by it. Draken smiled then knelt beside her and setting his staff down. He glared at the wookiees enough to make them step back as he reached down and ran his fingers over her neck and spine, seeing the bone and nerves through the force. FInally he nodded to her. “You don’t have any neck or spine damage, you do have a bit of a concussion though."
  11. As Raia fell, Krakis headbutted his masters hip and growled. Draken looked down then turned his head to see that she was no longer behind him and Vex had leapt over the side of the walkway. He frowned and unleashed a small directed part of the storm to clear the path around him then walked to the edge of the massive branch and looked down. She lay crumpled 10 meters below surrounded by Wookiees and what appeared to be a Jedi but he knew was not one. No matter, he would need to make an appearance. He glanced at Krakis and nodded, the panther leapt branch from branch following after Vex bowling over one wookiee and then savaging a second. Draken stepped from the branch into open air and let the power of the storm carry him to where Raia lay. He reached out, pulling some of the immense pain that was radiating through Raia from her and poured it into several of the crystals drawing them out into spears then unleashing them into the crowd of wookiees, killing the majority of them and leaving a few pinned to the tree writhing in agony. He turned looking at the Jedi. He winked and then threw her twenty feet away from him then turned and strode away. As he left Raia in good hands, he began to raise the storm to a new intensity while reaching out to Alora’s mind. “I leave her in your capable hands.” He looked at Krakis who was following him. “Stay. Protect the girl.” Krakis stopped and growled questioningly as he looked at her then back at him. “Yes. I will find you after the battle is done.” He watched the panther lope back and take up a spot opposite of Vex and glaring at the wookiees around Raia. Walking down the branch, he looked up at the next platform and nodded as an idea came to him. He gestured minutely and began to create his own pathway formed of crystals that would allow him to reach the platform behind the group of wookiees that were attempting to build a barricade. By the time that they realized he was behind them it was too late as their bodies were riddled with crystal spears. Nodding in satisfaction, he walked further into the city. As he walked, he began to pull the waves of fear and desperation from the air. He poured the power into the storm stirring it to greater intensity as the air around began to grow dark and was split by the flash of crimson lightning and glint of reflection on the crystals as they streaked through the air to pierce wookiee flesh, trees and metal all like a sabre through snow.
  12. “Raia, this is the way of the Sith. Our order has always been expansionist in nature, we conquer worlds and bring them under our flag. We bring them technology and a greater understanding of the Galaxy, we also free them from the corruption of the rebellion and the fear of having their children stolen and brainwashed by the jedi. Worlds like this are always more difficult due to the primitive nature of the native race, they view the Jedi almost as gods who walk among men and the Rebellion as their chosen voice. Those that fought against us and that fight against the remainder of the world have been brainwashed by the Jedi to believe that we are the ones that are evil and that their sworn duty is to fight against us.” He walked to the edge of the platform and motioned to her to join him. “Look below us and see the natives of this world. They rise not only against us while following the mind control of our enemy but now they fall upon their own kind. It was but a matter of time before this was going to happen. I have seen this on other worlds years ago including the world I was born on while my parents were on embassy from Serenno. But this is not the time to tell you about this, ask me when the battle is over and we are on the way to Serenno and I will tell you more. Now as to what you asked I will not force you to kill anymore, just stay close to Vex, Krakis and I for now.” Draken moved the staff to his left hand and looked down at Krakis who was licking the blood from his paws. “Krakis.” The panther looked up with a questioning growl. “Hunt?” The answering growl was all of the response he needed to hear. He nodded and reached out with the force, pulling the piles of crystals to him. Draken began to draw heavily on the force, calling lightning to him and reaching out to the winds weaving them around him in a quickly growing storm. Soon the temperature began to drop and tiny ice crystals began to form from moisture in the air dropping to the ground in the form of hail. Then the crystals seemed to grow larger and no longer had the dull crunch when they struck the trees and the metal around the tree, now they shattered with a ping that sent shards flying in all directions. He nodded as he watched the crystals swirl in front of him, he gestured with his staff so that the crystals that were already created joined those that were already in motion. His eyes began to glaze as his mind began to follow each crystal’s path and where it would intersect with bolts of force lightning. Reaching out with the force, he touched Raia’s mind, extending a glimpse of what he was seeing both of the power contained within the storm and the microscopic nuances required to manipulate that power as well as what it took to have each one of the thousands of crystals be different from the others. “Remember, raw power is not merely enough to be a Krath. You must have control of the power, you must be able to manipulate the power to your will, to the image that you see it taking.” He strode off of the platform and headed into the city, trusting that she would follow him even if she wasn’t ready to fight. Manipulating the currents of the force as he walked, he began to pull more wind into the storm causing the crystals to swirl faster and faster till they were nearly surrounded by a crimson tornado that was broken by bolts of ebony lightning that would strike the crimson. A roar caught Draken’s attention and he turned his head to look at the mass of wookiees that were charging towards them. He shook his head and gestured minutely sending a wave of shards streaking out from the growing storm at speed. The crystals penetrated through the wookiees bodies, the smaller crystals blowing through the wookiees bodies like a lit lightsabre through cheese. The larger crystals piercing the Wookiees skin and organs to pin them against the trees and buildings.
  13. Draken watched Raia for a moment to see what she was doing, Vex and Krakis were guarding her well enough that he could turn his attention to the remainder of the Wookiees. He smiled and beckoned mockly to the near berserk creatures in front of him. With a roar, they charged at him, the first reaching him in a few strides, driving his blades both low and high but Draken was no longer in that spot. He took a side step back and to the right, letting the Wookiee’s momentum carry it forward onto the spike of his staff. He spun the staff in his hands, the sharpened blade mulching its internal organs before he removed the spike and cracked the second’s nasal cavity with the orb of the staff driving the bone shards deep into the Wookiee’s brain. It took two more steps, its body not realizing that the brain was dead. A second later, it collapsed backwards breaking the stride of another charging Wookiee and sending it sprawling in front of Draken who plunged the spear tip into the base of its neck, severing its spine. “I guess he got the point of it.” As soon as he said it, he chuckled. Battlefield puns did make the conflict amusing, though not everyone seemed to enjoy them. While he considered the factor that made punning hilarious during a fight, two more wookiees tried to lift his head from his shoulders with their blades. He struck the ground with his staff and unleashed a blast of force lightning knocking the Wookiees back and giving him about three feet of room which was the exact amount of room to crack the ribcage of a nearby wookiee and unleash a gout of lightning into the cracked rib cage and sending a rather irritating burnt wet dog hair smell into the air. More wary now the remaining four wookiees began to circle him, thinking that the other wookiees would finish Raia quickly and could join them against him. Draken reached out with the force, catching each of the four wookiees in a force grip. He let his senses sink into their bodies to the microscopic level till he could feel their blood rushing through their veins, each beat of the heart propelling rivers of blood through the bodies. This was where a precise touch came into play. He reached out and began to manipulate the currents of the force, drawing on power and twisting it to his will. Playing the power over and through the blood, he began to change it as minute bolts of lightning arc through the blood, crisping tiny bits of blood and creating the building blocks for what he planned. He poured more power into their veins, his practiced hand moving the currents to where they were needed most and directing the lightning arcs when to strike. Though paralyzed, the wookiees were still able to feel pain and also to vocalize as evidenced by the roar of pain from the younger Wookiee’s lips as a shard of crystal erupted from its shoulder followed quickly by one exploding from its stomach, the deep crimson stained yellow with bile. He tilted his head and beckoned a second time, not to the wookiees but to the growing crystals. “Come to me my beauties. Show me your deadly shapes” He guided yet more power into the crystals, focusing on the smaller wookiee and the growing shards. He stopped for a moment, surprised to realize that it was a female and that the crystals rather than being larger and more rounded, they were small and sleek. This was a something he hadn’t expected to see and something that he would have to test further to see if it was an aberration. However this was not the time for that and he unleashed one final wave of the force on the four Wookiees, pulling the crystals through their blood and shredding their veins and internal organs, leaving them on the ground with blood and visera everywhere and four small piles of crystals in front of him, each individual crystal different from every other one in some form or other. He turned to look at Raia, who was gasping for air with a lightsabre in her hand as a wookiee hung impaled on a tree, its paw opening and closing as the final seconds of its life passed. He arched an eyebrow at her then looked over at Krakis who was finishing off one final wookiee with the cracking of a skull though beneath its powerful jaws. He nodded to the panther and walked over to Raia and rested his hand on her shoulder. “You did well. You have a great deal of power, now you and I have to discover how to forge it till your power is like a scalpel.”
  14. The wind began to pick up as Draken watched for a moment, observing the way that Krakis and Vex fought. So fair they had avoided getting hurt, but that looked to change soon as Wookiees from the rear ranks began to push to the front bearing arm blades. “Krakis, back. To the trees, hunt from above.” He stepped forward, staff in hand and stopped several feet away from the wookiees and smiled as crimson lightning erupted inside the orb of the staff and was reflected throughout the staff. Almost immediately a massive wookiee stepped forward with a roar that broke through the concussive blast of the thermal detonator exploding within the ranks of the wookiees, scorching many of the wookiees outside of the immediate blast radius, maiming and killing those within the blast radius. The Wookiee roared a second time and clashed his blades together, stepping forward and slashing both blades at Draken’s head. “Solo combat? A trifle passé don’t you think?” He spun out of the way the descending blades and struck once with the staff, the poisoned spike at the bottom of the staff penetrating the left side of the Wookiees rib cage and nicking its heart, sending the necrotic poison into the heart and due to the high heart rate of the creature quickly through the bloodstream. Draken took a step back and watched the Wookiee try to overcome the poison and nodded as a massive gout of blood erupted from its mouth. That was the poison breaking down the lungs and he watched as the wookiee hit the ground in front of him, his arm blades clattering away from his body as howls of anger erupted from the rest of the wookiees gathered in the clearing.
  15. ((Actions posted with permission.)) Draken arched one eyebrow. “Raia, He isn’t here. Nor do I go to join him, He has his path and I mine. You have a choice. Join me and forge your path on the way of the Krath or find destiny on your own. If not then, perhaps the Slug will train you after all. I can promise you though that the scum in front of you has nothing to teach except for how to feed off the scraps of his betters." The disappointment at Raynuk’s absence was evident on the young girl’s face, but the choice was hers to make as were the consequences of that choice. He turned and walked towards a nearby heavily armored shuttle, not turning to see if she was follow him. Krakis sat still for a moment looking between Raia and Draken for a moment before headbutting her towards the shuttle with a questioning growl then getting up to follow Draken, his stride quick and deadly as he boarded the shuttle behind Draken. Draken reached down and scratched Krakis behind one ear then set his staff beside him as he fired up the engines of the shuttle. The girl cast one look back at Delta and the other woman, but ultimately boarded the shuttle with Draken, with the great white tuk’ata protectively on her heels. He piloted the shuttle out of the Kyber’s hanger and studied the readout for a moment before finding what he wanted. A large piece of wreckage was caught in the planet’s gravity and was plummeting towards the planet. He smiled and guided the ship towards the wreckage, matching its speed and course perfectly to mask his arrival on the planet, breaking away moments before impact with the ground. Landing the ship nearby, he looked at her and reached into his cloak and removed a blaster and several silver orbs. He passed them to her with a smile. “Don’t throw them too close, they pack a punch.” He picked up his staff and stood up, heading towards the rear of the ship, he could hear the roar of berserk Wookiees closing in on the shuttle. “It begins.” He opened the shuttle hatch and spoke two words, a simple command, but one that the massive onyx feline had been waiting for. “Krakis, hunt.”
  16. Draken partially withdrew from the battle meditation, it was time to go planetside. He stood up and walked from the room after leaning over to kiss Alora farewell. He strode back to his ship and opened the hatch to find Krakis waiting for him and looking very annoyed at having been left behind. "Sorry Krakis, I wasn't sure of the situation, You get to come with me this time though, we go to battle." Instantly Krakis's ears perked up and he growled low in his throat then batted at Draken's leg before head butting him. He laughed and walked back to his armory to pick up a blaster and a couple of thermal detonators. Then he checked on Shadow who had curled up on their bed and he shook his head. "Why am I not surprised." He chuckled then motioned to Krakis and the two of them left the ship and headed deeper into the hanger. As they did, Draken recognized a ship that had just landed and walked over to see Raia talking to the insufferable bounty hunter that they had seen at the Last Call. "Hello my apprentice. Care to join me planetside? The battle changes."
  17. Draken looked out as the fleet made its appearance over Kashyyyk, He nodded slowly and stroked his beard as he looked over the planet. Seemed that this was the Sith’s next move, it hadn’t been on the list of planets that Draken had considered the Sith would target. He pondered for a couple of minutes, mulling over information he knew about the planet. It had been known to have a darkside prevalent area deep in the jungle of the planet but so did a lot of planets, so there had to have been another reason behind the invasion. Finally he shrugged and reached out, calling his staff to his hand with the force then winked at Alora. “Time to go to work.” He squatted down on the floor, balancing the his staff across his knees as he reached out to the force and began to manipulate the currents around him. As the currents began to turn around him, he reached out first to a small speck of darkness that he knew. "Hello my Apprentice, I shall join you soon." When he re-focused his attention on the currents he could see the larger web that was stretching out from a central location and reached out to multiple nodes of shadow. Examining the web for a moment, he followed it back to the nexus to a Sith he was acquainted with but whose presence showed to be a Krath. Nodding to himself, Draken reached out to him. “Hello brother Krath.” He examined the web closer as he drew near to the nexus, a practiced eye from having used the technique in his earlier years. Highlighting several points within the web, he reached out and turned them slightly, adding some of his own power to strengthen those points.
  18. Draken looked around as his ship exited hyperspace. “Seems that the Order is at war once more. I suppose though that it was time, especially with the Empire hunting us.” He ran his hand over his beard then looked at the IFF console to make certain that the id was being broadcast. Satisfied, he looked over at her then nodded to the panthers. “It might be best if we keep them inside the ship until we find where we stand.” He turned the ship towards the fleet and guided the ship towards the Kyber. Within a few minutes, they were landing in the hanger bay and he shut off the engines. He sat there for a moment listening to the sound of his ship shutting down then stood up and reached for his cloak. He swung the cloak over his shoulders then clasped it securely before reaching his hand out and calling his staff into his hand. He picked up a datapad and tucked it into a pocket of his cloak then he looked at her and nodded slowly. “Time to go.”
  19. A comm arrived for Raia through the Ravenhammer within hours of his receiving one from her. "We will join you soon and your journey on the Path of the Krath can begin."
  20. Draken smiled and set the leather sleeve to one side then grabbed the comm unit beside him. He sent a quick response along with a query then left his workshop to find Alora. "Seems that Raia is ready to begin her training. Shall we?" He reached down and ran his hand over Krakis's head and chuckled at the headbutt that he received in return. He looked at Shadow and shook his head as she headbutted Krakis and received a swipe in return. after a moment of two of watching the panthers play, they finally headed to his ship and soon left the planet for Space.
  21. Draken sat down in his workshop and looked over the two cured skins that were in laying on the table, each had a similar color pattern and thickness which would serve his purpose well. He removed a scribing utensil from the table and began to trace a design over the newly tanned leather followed by a second one only a touch smaller. He set the scriber down and pulled a knife from off the table and slowly cut out both pieces from the larger portions of the hide then set them beside the scribing tool. He leaned back in his chair and reached out with the force to hit the ignition switch for the foundry and was rewarded by the throaty cough of the gases igniting. He stood up and went to a nearby cabinet, he was looking for a few different metals that he could use to accent and also help protect the leather. After a few minutes he located the block of Phrik and placed it in the one of the foundry pots then placed it inside the foundry compartment. Draken walked back to the the cabinet and removed a second small block of metal from a shelf and examined it for a moment. He pondered the Cortosis for a moment and whether to use it or not for a moment then placed it into a foundry pot. He watched the pots of metal slowly melt and began to trickle small pulses of darkside power into each of the pots along with a small bolt of lightning into each before swirling the metal around and trickling more power into the metals. Finally he was satisfied with the temperature of the metals and he turned the foundry down so that the metal would remain in a malleable state as he reached out with the force and pulled out two tiny pieces of metal, one from each pot. Twisting them together with the force, he began to stretch out the metal till it was smaller than the wires used for an ancient upright instrument that one would sit at to play. He stretched out the metal further to near microscopic size then started to weave it through the pores of the leather. He pulled a second set of drops from the pot and repeated the process again, this time though he sent a tiny burst of lightning into the metal to fuse the two pieces together where they met much like a welding machine would. He continued this process until the first piece of leather had been thoroughly laced through with a cortosis and phrik mixture. Setting down the piece, he removed a flask from his pocket and took at sip before he checked the time. Several hours had passed since he had started the first piece and he took another sip from the flask before picking up the second piece and starting the same procedure of implanting the metal within the leather until the second piece was fully woven. He set the pieces beside each other and examined them closely for several moments. Draken reached out and grabbed two awls from a nearby drawer. He punched a guide hole into one of the pieces of leather then used the larger awl to widen the hole then did the same on the other side of the piece then checked the holes carefully before punching holes into the other piece of leather as well. He compared the two sets of holes then walked to the cabinet to find a set of rivets which he used to attach the two pieces together to form half of the first pauldron.
  22. Draken smiled as Krakis ran off, he could sense the panthers hunting instincts come to the fore and it took off after a massive elk. He turned the horse towards the hunt and guided it up a nearby hill so he could watch the kill. After a moment or two, he reined in the horse and turned to look down the hill to where the panther was stalking through the tall grass. He smiled as he watched the panther, knowing where it was only by its presence. The grass barely moved as Krakis slipped through it, moving ever closer to the elk. He watched the elk lifted its head as it sensed that something was wrong then return to grazing on the grass. He watched the panther get to within ten feet before the elk lifted its head once more and that was when Krakis struck. He grabbed the elk by the throat with its claw and with an audible crunch of bone that could be heard even where Draken sat on his horse. The roar that followed was nothing less than a roar of triumph and Draken laughed as he watched the panther and indicated the kill to Alora. “Beautiful kill, silent, lethal. Our turn I think, but further on. Krakis can catch up when he is done here.” He spurred his horse forward and rode over the hillside and into the next valley, this one was a bit more heavily forested than the previous one had been. He swung out of the saddle and slid the bow from the case as he strapped on the quiver. He drew an arrow and nocked it silently as he slipped soundlessly into the forest. He was after a massive horned with a thick hide that was similar in texture to the rancor, it would make an excellent set boots for Raia, at least once she got used to them. He looked at the bodkin arrow and tested the four corners of the razor tip. It was had been sharpened to perfection. He rotated his shoulders, loosening them up as he went deeper into the woods. It took only a matter of moments before he heard the crash of the beast digging through the earth to get to the tender roots of the young saplings. He smiled and tested the draw of the bow for a moment before easing it back down. As he eased the tension off of the bow which was taller than he was and smiled as Krakis slipped up beside him and nudged his leg. Draken reached down and gave the panther a quick scratch behind the ears then slipped forward to a small crest and looked down into the small clearing. There was the massive beast, its hide hardened as protection and its one horn worn to a sharp point from the ground and battles with others of its kind. Part of its hide had been pierced years before by the look of it by a another of its kind and the hold had never healed completely. He drew the arrow back in a fluid motion that was was eerily reminiscent of an island bound archer with a yew bow from a world beyond the Outer Reaches in ancient times. Draken moved the arrow a millimeter to the right to adjust for the wind and then released the arrow with just as fluid a motion as the draw had been. The arrow streaked through the air with only the twang of the bowstring to announce its impending strike as it pierced the thin layer of armored flesh that had grown over the hole and penetrated the heart and ripped it open as the tip of the arrow glanced off a bone. The beast dropped after a few panicked strides and exhaled one final time before its head dropped to the ground. He waited a moment then put the second arrow back into the quiver and and walked to where the beast had dropped. He set the bow down and slipped the shadowfire dagger from its sheath to slit the beast’s throat, then he began the arduous task of skinning the beast so that he could have the hide cured. The preserve staff would take care of the meat and see that it was salted then given to the poorer families of Serenno.
  23. "Maybe we should wait until they have finished their snack first." He chuckled as he watched the two of them. “I don’t think that will be a problem, Malachdor is preparing the supplies and horses for the trip while we wait for the panthers to finish their meal as well as for us to have a meal of our own.“ He went to a nearby hanging salted shank of bantha and sliced off several thin pieces and then grabbed some oil and bread from a shelf then sat down at the kitchen table to the surprise of the kitchen staff. Draken reached into his cloak and removed a flask and two small cups then set them on the table and winked at Alora. He opened the flask and poured a measure of dark liquid into both cups. Almost immediately the smell of the brandy began to fill the air and he smiled, this would be the first true taste test of the new brandy. When they were done eating and the panthers were done and had joined them at the table, Draken stood up and headed for the door with Krakis at his side. He knew that Alora and Shadow would join them shortly. They headed up to the courtyard where the horses were waiting and Draken vaulted up into the saddle as the horse baulked a bit at the sight of the great cat. It took him a moment to calm the horse while sensing the almost human like amusement from the panther as it looked at the horse and for a moment considered pouncing. After Alora and Shadow had joined them, they set off for the preserve and the Peak above.
  24. When the meetings had finished, Draken left the War Room and headed for the armory. He walked through it, looking for a particular type of weapon. He looked through the archaic section of the armory and located the weapon he was looking for minus a string. He opened a nearby drawer that was below the rack and removed a string and checked it against the weapon to see if it was a proper fit. When it turned out not to be, he checked a second and third string till he found on that fit. He grabbed a pouch full of arrows then after a second thought grabbed a second bow and quiver and left the Armory. “Malachdor, put together rations and packs for two and have two horses saddled and prepared. The Lady Alora and I are going to go to the preserve.” Malachdor nodded. “ Of course Milord, will the panthers be joining the two of you?” “They will, but you needn’t worry about rations for them. I intend to let them hunt when we reach the preserve.” Malachdor looked a bit shocked but nodded before walking away. Draken chuckled as he watched him walked away, he and Alora wouldn’t be the only one adjusting to the panthers moving in with them. He walked to the kitchen to see Alora laughing, the chef and staff horrified as Krakis had an entire bantha leg and was devouring it with the crunching of bones and the satisfied growling. Shadow was beside him, chomping down on a bantha steak with a higher pitched growling and some kicking of her hind legs as she rolled over with it. “Care to take a trip my love?”
  25. The Grand Duke landed in Serenno once more and Krakis bounded happily from the ship with a roar that startled several of the hanger workers much to Draken’s amusement. “Easy Krakis, We will hunt soon.” He looked at Alora and motioned to the cub who was attempting to mimic Krakis’s roar but was more of a yowl then a roar. “I think we should take them to the preserve and give them a chance to hunt while we go visit the peak.” They headed into the palace and he left the panthers with her as he headed into the War room to meet with the Triumvirate. The meeting was short, the planet had been peaceful in their absence with no major occurrences to report. Then he met with the Captain who had met with Zara and found out that he had permssion to use the Compound but at a 50/50 split. He frowned and stroked his beard in consideration. He had hoped for a better deal but he would still be able to make a substantial profit from the timber and would have to see what the geologists said in their report when the time came.
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