Spite Station- the Maw

[Qaela]

Qaela was glad to get out of the hangar, it was too crowded for what they were going to do and she didn't want to leave herself vulnerable to an attack. She led Tobias and his canine familiar back to the quarters she shared with Raia. A quick check confirmed that the other girl wasn't here.

 

"The Sith like to think that they are the best at everything," she said. "It is true that they possess the most brute strength when it comes to the Force, but there are a lot of things that they are not so good at. They rely on their emotions all too often. That gives them a quick burst of power much like an adrenaline rush, but it means few can withstand the pressures and strains of prolonged use of the Force. My kind uses a more ritualistic approach to using the Force. It means that our overall output is weaker and it takes more time to access the Force, but it allows us to maintain its use with far less energy outputs and for longer periods of time. Because of that, we are far more efficient when it comes to longer term spells as well as complex rituals.

 

"We also don't need to use our emotions and thus are not weakened by touching abilities that are traditionally thought only to work with the light side. To us, using the Force is like singing a song or writing a letter. We learn how to use a particular ability and we are then free to use it as we will. It is no different to us than swinging a lightsaber. Both Jedi and Sith use the same weapon but to different ends. What is the Force but a weapon?"

 

She pointed to the couch in the common room and said, "Lie down and relax. If you can, open your mind to me because that will allow me to bond more fully with you and speed up the process. If you can't, it is still possible but will take more time. You never did say whether you want me to leave scars or not."

[Tobias Vos]

Tobias followed the girl to her quarters. What she described- her use of the Force. Was exactly what Tobias was looking for. Except to use it alot faster. A hundred questions raced through his mind, he wanted to ask them all, but decided against it. Why would she keep giving him the secrets of her Force Powers...or whatever.

 

The two got to the doorway, and Sooba sat down. "Stay." Tobias said to Sooba. The beast would be the first line of defense, should someone want to come in an interfere with their exercise.

 

Lying down, the young Kiffar relaxed his mind. No need to engage in conversation- both of their tasks were set and ready to go.

 

Breathing out-his mind went blank. If something happened outside, Sooba would take care of it.

[Qaela]

Qaela stood over Tobias as he relaxed and prepared her spell with by whispering the incantations and allowing the Force to build up within her. She could have used the Sith method of drawing upon her emotions, but she needed her mind to be as clear and neutral as possible. With her passive senses, she could feel that the Sith was relaxing, preparing himself to receive the wisdom she was about to impart to him. That was good, it would make this all easier. She began probing his body to gain a feel of what was wounded and nodded slightly when it was as she suspected. His wounds were not too severe and would be easy to fix. She spread her senses out to include more of his body including his nervous system just to be sure. He was human enough that his body was familiar to her from all of her work both on herself and others.

 

When her spell was finished, she knew it was time. Without a second thought, without hesitation, she sprang into action. Her first move was to set loose the Force spell onto Tobias' nervous system to sever his spinal cord at the base of his neck in an attempt to incapacitate him. As she did that, her hand pulled the knife from her belt and in a well practiced move, she thrust it straight at his right eye.

 

Then there was the canine to deal with. For that, she drew upon her Sith teachings and reached out with her free hand to grab the beast in a telekinetic grip that would leave it hanging a half meter or so in the air and unable to do any more than flail.

 

 

Killshot request on Tobias Vos

[Tobias Vos]

<>

 

 

Tobias knew better- the fatiuge had affected his mental capacity. What was he thinking? He could feel the girl inside his body. It was wrong, no question about it. But they had made a deal. But this was nothing like he had expected. Nothing ever was. He was at peace, free to think of all of the aspects of the Force. He would have to experiment. And when the girl betrayed their alliance....or whatever it was that they were doing... He would be free to learn. Tobias would actually come back as he wanted, not rushed into a body-rushed into the Dark Lord's plan.

 

Vos accepted his fate. It was no issue, it was better this way. Qaela would die at some point soon, and it would be by his own actions. Maybe. The Kiffar frankly didn't care. He couldn't wait to return to Rhen Var and continue his work. But before he left, he would leave Qaela with a parting gift. As her knife flew towards his face, he looked directly into her eyes. The two had a connection through her little spell. Vos would leave behind a little peice of himself in her subconcious. Make her crazy a little bit. His cool blue eyes even suggested he wanted her to do it. Would she think she was under his control? Perhaps not... actually incredibly doubtfull. But maybe it would play with her mind a little bit. Make her question herself next time.

 

But he was okay with what was happening. And so was Sooba, the beast would be in tune with Vos's decision. The knife penetrated his right eye, immedialty blood sprayed out. As the knife pentrated the skull, Tobias still looked at the the girl. The knife finally hit the brain, and all fuctioning stopped. After one more beat, his heart stopped. A lop-sided smile was across his face, plus it almost sounded as though he let out a chuckle with one last breath.

 

The beast, well, It kind of just disappeared after that. Wether it just wandered off and got lost in the space station, or if the cook got him. No one knew, no one cared.

 

<>

[Qaela]

Blood sprayed up from Tobias as Qaela's knife penetrated the thin layer of bone that separated his eyes from his brain. She could feel his mind even as he died and was intrigued to note that he did not fight it. She didn't know what dreams or demons he was afflicted with and at this point, she didn't care. When it came time for the kill, that was all that mattered. He had attacked one of hers and therefore needed to be dealt with. Had he left Lucifer a corpse, perhaps things would have been different, but he had not.

 

Tobias' death was quick and almost completely painless. It took just a few seconds and he was a cooling body on the couch. His animal had vanished, but she did not bother with that. As long as it hadn't attacked her, she didn't care about its fate. If she saw it again, she might attempt to take control of it as she had done with rancors and other beasts, but she would not seek it out. She had other things to deal with.

 

The first thing she did was to pull her knife out of Tobias' skull and clean it on his shirt before putting it back in its hilt. She went into her room and pulled out one of her many vials to collect some of his blood. Once it was returned to her kit, she cleaned the blood off of her face and hands. All that was left to do then was to wait.

 

She didn't expect much more time would pass before the master of this station would unleash his wrath upon her. She didn't think he would miss the death of one of his own and knew of his rules and requirements. She had violated his terms and knew it. She had her reasons, but doubted that the Sith would care. He was, after all, Sith, and had no concept of loyalty to Clan or allies. Let him come, she thought as she prepared herself for his onslaught.

[Raia Montar]

"Yes, that would be us, indeed. It’s nice to meet you, Raia. I see the Sith have welcomed you in typical Sith fashion," the gold-skinned male remarked. The young Dathomiri couldn't help but pick up on the wildness that he carried with him that reminded her of the boys in her village that were closer to her own age as he appeared to be, but as he was a magic user and the others weren't, she wasn't sure if it put her at ease or gave her a sense of familiarity. It was somewhere between the two and Raia resolved to observe him more before reaching a decision. It made it easier when his features relaxed into a friendly smile, but her thoughts were soon pulled away by the strangely beautiful dark skinned creature that the golden skinned man had been speaking to moments before Raia joined them. 

 

“I heard you won your battle. I also heard that you didn’t make it out without your own share of wounds. Are you alright?” Raia turned a little paler as she remembered what had transpired less than a few short hours before, and her eyes cast a dark look to the stains on the floor where the Brute had finally come to a stop. She remembered Rose's warning, about weakness. "I'm fine," she lied, though it wasn't a total untruth, as she was on the mend, but she didn't see the point in expounding on her condition. 

 

The dark-skinned woman shivered slightly and glanced towards the room's exit, "Might we continue this conversation as we walk? I need more clothing."

 

Raia shrugged, but followed curious despite herself who it was she was getting involved with even at the behest of the Dark Lord. "Master Furion said I was supposed to learn a code or something. Do you know what he meant by that?"

 

 

((Sorry this is so short, and sorry for holding you guys up for so long.))

[Darth Furion]

Stillness held him aloft the perceptible flow of chaos still saturating the witch's room. The blood, the lifeless flesh, violence thick in the air. So concerned with cleaning herself of these stains it was all too easy for Julio to glide amiss through the carnage. This moment had been building, laid in place long before either the dead or the one who made him walked through the door. It happened when he sent the young Sith to fight his brother for title, when he knew which would fall and which would fall much harder in the lesson to come. All of it was to culminate to this moment, this much needed instance of conflict so that there may be a greater understanding built. Just as Qaela exited the washroom, fresh from her kill, her eyes would swiftly click to the Dark Lord standing over her still pooling victory. For a moment there was silence as he simply stared at the body he himself essentially sent to its death. Curious thing, life.

 

Hope you learned from this, brother. He said just above a whisper. Yet this went almost unnoticed as Julio took his first few soft steps toward Qaela.

 

Who exactly do you think you are? He said with no reserve of venom in his freshly acquired Dathomiri tongue. Coming into MY house, killing MY soldiers, disobeying MY rules?! And for what?! What purpose could you possibly have for this transgression?!

 

He stopped only a few feet from Qaela, just out of arms reach with his fists and teeth clenched. He had foreseen it all, expected and planned for as much, but that still didn't quell the rising anger in him. She still defied his rule in front of all of his people in his own domain. Retaliation could not be circumvented.

Edited June 26, 2012 by Guest

[Qaela]

Qaela had not expected words, but that was irrelevant. If this Sith wished to talk, then she would talk. Still keeping alert for his inevitable attack, she responded in the same language he had used. There was no apology in her voice or mind and no regret whatsoever. "Your rules obviously mean little to nothing here, Furion. I have been attacked once already and this one attacked yet another, one who owed me his life and was bound in a way to me. He struck first and failed to finish off his opponent—for the second time. This one was weak, too trusting of a pretty face and appealing words, and ultimately unworthy. While it is not my responsibility to cull the ranks of a Sith, this one struck one who was allied to me, part of my own, and thus was a threat to me. Even had he killed Lucifer, I would have struck at him out of simple self preservation because a wise being would not stop at an individual, but destroy all of their allies as well."

 

She lifted her chin slightly in defiance and said with as much venom as the Dark Lord has used, "I did what I did and make no apology for it. I honor my loyalties and protect my own. If you want to kill me, so be it, let us get this over with."

 

The fairly small living quarters were not an ideal place to fight, but that was where they were. She took a few steps back and allowed her hand to free her lightsaber. She didn't ignite it just yet, but her finger was over the button.

[Darth Furion]

Defiance to the very end, Dark Lord be damned. This was that fire he so admired, that reckless ego so willing to fight and die for what she felt was right. Foolish, of course, but a trait virtuous in ways long dead in his Order. That 'rightfulness' that solidified every footstep, the steps of a true believer. Yet this wasn't the time to praise the woman, nor punish her as much as she expected it.

 

Relax, rabbit. He growled behind clenched teeth, still holding to the Dathomiri tongue in the case of eavesdroppers. No one listening in would understand the slack he was going to give her, or why. They would only see weakness, as any would at a casual glance. As much as I may quiver at the thought of mangling you right now, you are much too important to throw away for a Lord incapable of sensing an obvious trap.

 

His head turned to the side ever so slightly to survey the violent scene again. He let down his guard. Essentially gave you his life.

 

As he turned back to Qaela his eyes softened ever so slightly. The weak deserve their fate. The Dark Lord spoke now with a cold, almost detached resonance. Lucifer and Tobias only fought because I ordered them to. Not to the death, not out of any desire to balance past transgressions. Just a simple trial of combat.

 

Soundlessly he took a few steps back, for some reason returning to the body of Tobias to crouch down. He scoured the crime scene, analyzing the wounds and displaced furniture like pieces of a puzzle, taking no note of the pool of blood he was stepping in. I foresaw the fight before it ever took place, and the many different paths it could take. Different victors, different methods and injuries. Yet this path, where you chose to intercede on Lucifer's behalf seemed most prevalent though I did not fully understand why until now. I did not see the connection you had with him, and how your cultural values of fealty and life debts factored into this ending.

 

Julio reached out to tilt Tobias's limp head to face the ceiling, revealing the grievous wound sustained to the eye socket leading into the brain. The blow was straight and full of resolve. No hesitation or displacement in the weapon's path. Tobias had to be either caught completely unaware or incapacitated to deliver such a clean kill. I chose this path, and this eventual conclusion so that you may in some way understand me a little better. This man...these people...these are not, as you say, my clan. I do not give a shit about any of them. They follow me because I have the power to command them, that is all. But I have those I hold dear to me, those I would give my very life to protect. My daughter holding the prime weakness of my heart.

 

His right hand tilted the head to the far side now, showing the back of the neck. As the Dark Lord's eyes narrowed into focus, the wreckage that was Tobias' spinal cord illuminated from beyond the fleshy veil. The Force guided his eyes through the severed nerves, and around the contorted muscles to show him the true death blow to this young Sith Lord. Most interesting. For her, He continued on just as abstracted as if not seeing a thing. For the future I seek to secure for her I will forgo the punishment you so rightfully deserve so that you may fulfill the destiny I have envisioned. I will forget that you ignored my one rule about murder. I will forget that you acted on little to no true knowledge of the situation of which you were reacting to. I will forget that you glossed over my own strong stances against those very same Sith that posed a threat to you. And I will forget that you put me in a position where I have to weaken my hold over these wretches to cover your sweet ass. On that final note he turned to her with a sarcastic smile.

 

Standing now, he looked around the room one more time. The aesthetics of a murder always caught his eye. Ever since that great raid on Gala so many years ago. Well, it felt like a long time ago. So much growing in that time. But I do want something in exchange. Finally a chance for this partnership of ours to work somewhat equally. With a careful stride he eased over the body so as not to get his long pant leg wet with blood, and moved toward the built in refrigerator to the left of the kitchen sink. Every other step began and ended in a squish of blood, as his right sandal was now saturated in it.

 

Julio pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge, his spartan side returning after the lapse into gluttony earlier, and made his way back to the center of the room. There is a Black Sun base on Cloud City. I would like you to take your friend Lucifer there and negotiate a deal with them. In exchange for their partnership, offer them anything within reason. Whether we pay up or not is entirely up to their conduct in the coming months. I believe there is someone you know there that may know where your children are, though I cannot say for certain who. I just felt...your presence...tied to them. And I want you to do the talking for me, not Lucifer. That mouth of his nearly got him crucified during the coronation, and he is still shaken from his loss.

 

And without much else, he began to leave the apartment. Accept the mission or do not. It is entirely up to you. If you do not, I will send someone else. Whenever you wish to leave, there will be an acolyte waiting for you in bay six. It was odd, for both him and the witch, not to have some violent eruption in response to her trespass, but there was too much at stake right now, and Qaela had yet to realize how important she truly was.

 

You have a greatness in you, Qaela. He said, switching back to basic as he headed toward the door. And I would much enjoy helping you realize that.

 

With so many unanswered questions, the enigma of the Dark Lord vanished from sight just before reaching the threshold.

[Karys Narat iv-Adas]

“Where is he?!!.”

 

This was the thought that ran across the mind of the kiffar. Surveying the hangar as he walked around, wondering what had happened, where did he go wrong. After a while it appeared that his mentor was a no-show. There would be no struggle anywhere, no turned over chairs, no bodies lying around, no blood, no chaos of any kind today. Well at least he could heal his wounds.

 

Feeling he was nothing and no longer driven to excel or prove himself worthy, Lucifer felt simply defeated. He had let himself down; he should have done better, he was better than this.

 

''I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings…I didn’t even see it coming…”

 

He whispered to himself as his thoughts whirled around his head. He stood there in shock over his newest reality. The Apprentice, quickly checked the room before walking off once he was certain the Sith Master wasn't coming. He was still expecting to see or hear him talking nearby however but he didn't soon appear. Silently walking away Lucifer made was way back to the bacta tanks, he had found his leg had gotten worse...it seemed he had left too soon. The preparation of this little event and what ahd led up to it had made his mood incredibly sour, and his behavior reflected that. As he breezed out of the Hangars at the end of the day he had avoided all inquiries regarding his loss of status and the duel. Especially from other apprentices, who were becoming relentless in there pursuit of the truth of the rumors. The truth was he was indeed, conflicted. How would he now appease the Dark Lord when he was held in contempt and humiliated. Yet there was a slight reprieve when he thought he felt a life flicker out in the force nearby, a presence very familiar.

 

And then he realised who. Tobias. It seemed he had got his reward. Coveniant. A slight smile gripped his lip.The apprentice continued to walk to the bacta tanks and when he finally arrived, placed himself into the nearest tank. Now the true healing would begin...at least until he was next disturbed.

[Rezjal-el]

((Vaegir’s actually more of a tan, or bronze-ish than he is gold colored. But, s’all goodio))

 

His footfalls hit the floor at an even pace, keeping on the Twi’lek’s heels as she wandered deeper into the station. He’d not had much of a tour beforehand, so at least with their small group they wouldn’t get too terribly lost within the sprawling, chaotic corridors. That’s what concerned him most, getting lost in this maze of predators. He was only a minor blip on the radar by comparison to some of the far larger blips that bleeped and blooped their ways around the halls, holding power far greater than he could ever have imagined. Thankfully, though, his master was the biggest blip of them all, so perhaps that would offer him a small measure of protection. If not… well… he’d have to bloop some blips right back off the map. Even the most powerful of beings could be outwitted or lured into a false state of security.

 

All this talk of bleeps is neither here nor there at the moment, however. With a wave over his shoulder, Vaegir signals for Raia to follow along as their excursion to Lallu’s bunk continues. The purple-gold hues of his eyes snap from left to right, taking in every detail. He’d never been good with things like street names, but he knew his landmarks well enough. Even on this uniform metal plating, there were subtle details that made certain areas distinct from others. Perhaps it was a specific scuff or scratch, or a minor thin spot in the paint. Oh, yes, with time, this maze will no longer prove to be as imposing as initially thought.

 

"Master Furion said I was supposed to learn a code or something. Do you know what he meant by that?"

 

“I’d assume there’s a great many codes to learn in a place like this, big… mechanical space facility that it is. But, from what I saw, most of the doors don’t have locks, so maybe the code is to something specific, like… like… erm… the… armory?” Honestly, the Firrerreo had never heard of any sort of code. His knowledge of the Sith was limited only to what little he’d experienced already, and that was summed up in the idea that Sith were angry space-wizards. Powerful, angry space-wizards.

 

With a shrug, he looked to Lallu, thinking she would know better than himself.

[Keenava Dira]

In the time it took Raia to speak, the trio reached Lallu’s footlocker. There wasn’t much in it, aside from Lallu’s knives and her clothes, but the object pushed itself to the fore of her consciousness. The bitter cold that consumed her blood drained face and skin was almost overwhelming. In fact, she almost missed Rez’s comment when she fumbled the lock, opened the locker and gathered her black clothes.

 

She paused for a moment airing her training garments out and then proceeded to tear away the remnants of her sequin ‘dress’ – if you could call it that – revealing her dark body to the embrace of the dim light all around them. She had no underclothes. She didn’t even really find underclothes that fit her in the shuttle where she found the red dress, but she managed to procure a set of plain red underclothes from the acolytes. Lallu didn’t ask where they came from and wasn’t in the mood to argue at the time, because underclothes were underclothes. Now that she tried them on though, it was clear that the top was made for a larger woman. Lallu grunted disapproval and managed with what she had, trying to fasten the top as close to her chest as possible to compensate.

 

In the meantime, her flesh was exposed to both Raia and Rez. The method with which Lallu carried on though, suggested that this was common place for her. There was nothing sexual or seductive present. She had no reservations about exposing her body and the process had an air of clinical blatancy to it.

 

The Twi’lek continued, silently wrapping her training shirt around her torso and fastening it to her waist. For the next few minutes it seemed like she completely ignored their questions, but even in action, the Twi’lek’s mind was ablaze in thought.

Code… Why do I remember that?

 

Furion wants Raia to learn a code?

 

Lallu tiled her head to the side, and finished fastening her bottom to her body. She took a moment to make sure it was flush with her body and did a quick front kick in the air, to make sure it didn’t fluctuate when she moved quickly.

 

The Sith Code… Did Furion ever actually tell me what it was?

 

Lallu looked around. She saw Raia quiet at her side and Rez who – sadly – was as oblivious as she was. “I think he means the Sith code, but he never told me what it was.”

 

Lallu tried to think back to her quick tour of the facility and remembered a Library filled with books. If there is a code, she thought, information about it would be stored there.

 

“I suggest we check the library. Now that I have some actual clothes on the walk won’t be as rough.” Lallu said with a small grin, indicating for Rez and Raia to follow.

“We could also ask some of the other Sith to help, but I figure we might be better figuring it out on our own. It is a lot more rewarding when you learn things on your own and have the opportunity to form your own interpretation.” Lallu said, her mind filled with other things.

 

The vast emptiness left by her emotional outburst earlier was now filling with meaningless musings and thoughts as it had been before, but there was warmth there that hadn’t been there before. Confidence stood where vulnerability used to be and it made Lallu stand a bit taller and walk with more strength. She was still adapting to this break in her perception of herself and the world around her, but the feeling of rich euphoria that washed over her hadn’t abated and continued to flow with her down the hall.

[Qaela]

Qaela remained within the room absorbing what had happened. She watched with detached interest as Tobias' body was cleared out. The blood would not be nearly as easy to remove, but that was not her concern. This was not her home nor her domain, she was not responsible for its upkeep. For the briefest moments, she thought back to her ship, the one place that she had ever truly tried to make her own. The last she had seen of it, it was on Dubrillion and not likely to ever be returned to her. Without that ship, she was left with nothing but what she had here. There may be a few credits left over from the excessively generous sum Ca'Aran bestowed upon her, but she didn't dare see if it was still there. Likely, he or his servants had gone through and reclaimed what was left after she killed him.

 

There was a great deal of things for her to contemplate, not the least of which was this new task. The only person she really knew among the Black Sun was Ca'Aran. She might recognize some of his lieutenants, but she wasn't sure who of them survived the battle on Dathomir. She doubted that any of his surviving lieutenants would be too thrilled to see her, and that brought back a few new revelations.

 

For a moment there, she had almost thought that Furion was merciful. Now, she knew better. In sparing her now, he was not being kind, but rather being prudent. Fighting her would present a risk to himself, even if it was a small one. Killing her would gain him little, but sending her off to Black Sun could potentially gain him a lot. It was, in all likelihood, a suicide mission. If Ca'Aran or any of his lieutenants killed her, he would be able to score twice without any risk. Among his Sith, he would be able to point to her death as punishment for killing Tobias. His sending her to Black Sun to be killed would likely be viewed as a favor to them as a special gift. Having Lucifer on hand could be a way to have an official Sith presence to her death and, if he was also killed, he would be an acceptable loss. Then he could send in a real negotiator, one who could make use of the goodwill gained by her death.

 

If she succeeded, by some small miracle, in gaining a favorable agreement with Black Sun, he would still win. He could point to her success as an example of how to repay misbehavior and violations of his rules. Any Sith who found themselves in his ill grace could quickly get back into it and earn forgiveness by success. And, if she succeeded and was able to reclaim her children, he would be able to fulfill a pledge he had made to her regarding them and put her in his debt. Either way, he won, and there was no mercy involved, just sheer cunning.

 

She liked that.

 

Even if it meant she was likely going to her doom, she liked that he was able to see ahead enough to make some use of someone that had angered him. She would accept this mission of his, even if it was near suicide. She might also be able to make some use out of Lucifer in the process on the off chance that they would survive. The other Sith might look down upon him, but he still had his uses.

 

With her decision made up, she gathered her few possessions and threw them into her rancor hide pack. She sought Lucifer out and found him in the medical bay. At least he was smart enough to heal before fighting again, not all Sith were that wise.

 

She ordered the medical staff to pull him out of his bacta treatment and waited impatiently until he was dried off and coherent before saying brusquely, "Your Dark Lord has a task for us. You have half an hour to be in bay six with all that you need to travel with. I do not believe you wish to be late."

[Rezjal-el]

“…maybe the code is to a… a...”

 

Vaegir quickly falls silent, a glance toward Llalu having caught him off guard. Now, he was male, and still fairly young. Two years had gone by in which he hadn’t so much heard a woman, let alone seen one. Suddenly, though, the room he was standing in had an increase in its nude female population.

 

Moments pass before the young firrerreo has to shake his head to refocus his thoughts. He was staring, but he did eventually snap his gaze in a different direction entirely. Instead, he was now facing the dull grey metal plating of Llalu’s wall.

 

“I wonder how they get it so grey. Maybe… there’s a painting process… or something…” he mused aloud, cupping his chin between his thumb and forefinger to assume proper ponder posture.

 

“I think he means the Sith code, but he never told me what it was.”

 

A glance over his shoulder revealed that the coast was clear once more, and Llalu had returned to a far more decent state.

 

“Oh…so… ‘code’ as in… slogan… or… set of rules?” He asked, head tilted to one side as he regards the Twi’lek. “I had thought the Sith wouldn’t be so keen on rules, given their ‘get angry and move rocks’ mentality.” Vaegir, admittedly, had an odd introduction to the ways of the Force.

 

“I suggest we check the library. Now that I have some actual clothes on the walk won’t be as rough.”

 

The smirk on Llalu’s face only caused Rez to flush a light shade of red. She must have noticed his awkward staring and subsequent turnabout. Rude. Though there was something about the casual way in which she changed in front of he and Raia that made him wonder if she was even aware of the social implications behind being naked in front of new acquaintances. Regardless, he knew more about Llalu than he had previously.

 

“Yes, I suppose that’d be the most ideal place to look. No doubt if it’s the Order’s rules, then we’ll find them hanging up somewhere.”

 

Without wasting any more time concerning himself with the vision of Llalu’s body, Vaegir took up the twi’lek’s trail, following along at her heels.

[Nokrt]

The Darkness continued to frisk freely about the Sith Lord's flesh as he moved closer to the supplies provided for armors and robes nearby, discarded Imperial armors from the older days of the Sith Order, when their relationship with the Imperial Fleet had been much more synonymous than the unified government that is indifferent to Jedi or Sith it seems. The amount of discarded armors were not many, as most had probably been purged at the formation of the Galactic Alliance, but a few that remained. They were formidable in their design even if structural flaws, like being made of easily blasted through plasteel that could easily let rocks kill the soldier inside, were present.

 

The Chiss grabbed some pieces of heavy armors, textiles of various sorts, amongst the materials available, and pinned, stitched and moved them into placed a nearby mannequin that was roughly his size. After a few moments he was pleased with the presentation but thought the materials were tripe not befitting a Sith Lord, let alone a Krath.

 

The Sith turned on his boots and looked at the prisoners, looking at the skins of the occupants, most of which had stained blood around their mouths, a Quarren had a fetus leg sticking from his mouth. Nokrt approached the cages and the prisoners moved as far away from the bars as possible, though it was laughable for them to do so in such shallow quarters. He leered at each of them, looking at their skin. He stopped in front of a Weequay who bellowed at him in huttesse when he approached their cell. Nokrt wrenched the door open and grabbed the weak man and thrust him to a nearby table usually used for interrogation of prisoners, where the Weequay was locked in , struggling feebly against the restraints.

 

Nokrt looked in a few drawers until he found a wonderful very fine vibroscalpel, one that should be sharp enough to make incisions in rough hide. Nokrt smiled and walked toward the restrained alien and began to carve a neat line down the chest cavity of the captive. A howl of pain ushered from the Weequay. It was beautiful, and the Sith Lord continued to carve into the alien, allowing the blood to trickle down his body as sections of his hide were removed. Nokrt was enjoying the practice of skinning the Weequay so much, he broke into song.

 

"Tiptoe through the cages

By the dungeon, that is where I'll be

Come tiptoe through the entrails with me

 

Oh, tiptoe from the dungeon

By the dungeon of the academy

And tiptoe through the entrails with me

 

Knee deep in acid we'll stray

We'll keep blood showers away

And if I kill you in the dungeon, in the moonlight

Will you pardon me?

And tiptoe through the entrails with me-e-e-e-e!"

 

The Chiss ended on a perfect falsetto simultaneous with his completion of the skinning alien for what he needed and he was surprised the creature remained alive, and left him secured to the interrogation table for further analysis at a later time.

 

He retrieved the well cut hide of the Weequay and set it on a nearby table, before tacking them to a rack nearby and setting them by a furnace nearby to tan it into a hard leather from the heat over time. The Sith Lord could have accelerated the heat to make the process even faster, having the tanning done in a few short hours, but felt that this was going to be perfect, and perfection took time, patience, and sometimes an adherence to older methods as well.

 

The Chiss went to a nearby sink and cleaned the filthy animals blood from his hands, thoroughly sickened the life force of such a weak creature had blemished his pale blue skin. He would be punished for daring to bleed upon him. But later, after the Sith had completed his garments that would make him at least carry an appearance worthy of being in the company of other Sith instead of this CEDF uniform.

 

Stitching the outfit was simple, Nokrt always appreciated the sharpness of an Imperial uniform, and decided to come up with something similar with a dark deep grey tough but lightweight. fabric. I lightweight durasteelfiber underarmor with a softer silkier fabric, completed the three layers. Comfortable and yet protective, a perfect combination. The Chiss spent the next few hours stitching together the outfit, and by the time he was finished the Weequay hide should have tanned.

 

He stood up and walked over to the furnace and the hide had turned into a deep black. the scales had seemingly melted somewhat into a single hardedned leather, thick and shining as if it all formed one massive scale. The Sith Lord removed it from the Furnace, and began to use the Force to bend the hot leather into a proper shape for pauldrons and a high collar, as well as a covering of the top of his chest, like a half a breastplate that flowed perfectly into the shoulder pauldrons. He placed it and with difficulty given the hardness of the leather, stitched it into the top of the garments.

 

It was missing something, and the Sith Lord knew what nearly immediately, he had not given it any power amplification, nothing holding the force to give him extra strength, and edge in any way, and the Chiss rushed to create some new crystals in the same fashion he did before when making one for his lightsaber, this time he made five, shaping them into two smaller, about 2 inches in diameter, that he fit into the cuffs like oversized cufflinks. The other three were carved to look like the Sith Order Emblem, which Nokrt fitted into the front of the hard leather breastplate. The crystals would be reservoirs and amplifiers of the Force, allowing him extra opportunity should he needed.

 

The Sith Lord put on his robes and felt himself now that he was in them. He pondered for a moment on his next project and began to design schematics for a gift to the Dark Lord for his allowance of rejoining the Sith.

[Karys Narat iv-Adas]

A disgraced Angel. That was what he was. Given into Darkness. Made 'evil' so the weak would grow stronger and seperate the wolves from the sheep. Full of all suffering, unwanted by society in it's shiny so called wisdom. A so called 'Soulless One'. As a vocation it sucked but he would not quit, could not quit. It was not allowed, not part of the job description. He had never had a holiday, ever. Pain? Always. He had Honor though and stuck to the rules, which lately he had started exploring in detail.

 

The tall, dark figure of Lucifer stood motionless in the pool of shadow within the medical bay, next to the bacta tank where he was patiently waiting, across from where Qaela was standing. He was staring off and listening with an intensely concentrated gaze and a slight smile just twitching his thin, cruel lips. That smile could kill. His injuries appeared to be better than they had been and general movement was no longer a problem.

 

Lucifer grinned again,

 

''If that is his wish. I will be there.''

 

He sighed, as he leaned backward. He could not help thinking about the predicament he was in, title gone, humiliated and not trusted by the Dark Lord, perceived as a flaw. Plus the fact that he had lost to Tobias. Life was becoming a real bitch. Moving himself to the hallway, the kiffar made his way to his chambers. Seeing a few acolytes and soon to be apprentices along the way he recalled his early training. In the near future these would become his Generals, riding out to command an army of discontented souls that would soon rise up and smite the galaxy. That was once he had risen from the ashes and reclaimed his right. It was then he received a message to his datapad. Reading it he nodded briefly before closing it again. Claiming his lightsabre, attaching his lanvarok to his right arm, taking two thermo detonator grenades, two flash bang grenades, and half his shurikans, Lucifer made his way to bay six to meet with the acolyte and Qaela.

[Qaela]

When she saw the Sith enter the hangar bay, Qaela frowned. She had been wondering if Lucifer was going to show up at all, but he had. She had taken a risk in binding herself to him and was wondering if it was going to cost more than it was worth. He was a Sith and had a good deal of potential, but only if his rashness and tongue could be tamed and his mind tempered in the forge of pain and discipline. She had some ideas on what she would like to do with him to make him more useful, but that would depend on him. She didn't know the man very well, but perhaps his recent defeat would leave him in a more malleable temperament than most Sith.

 

"I had nearly left without you," she said aggressively. Though he appeared older than her and towered above her, she didn't allow that to intimidate her. Weakness was a sure path to death among those who walked the dark. There was something that they needed to get out of the way right from the start or risk further problems."For reasons of his own, your master has given me this task directly, so therefore I am taking command. You do as I tell you to and only what I command, nothing more. If you fail me or disrupt our mission, I will kill you just as I did Tobias Vos. Do you have a problem with that?" Just in case he did, she didn't try to conceal that her hand was resting on the pommel of her lightsaber.

[Karys Narat iv-Adas]

When Lucifer saw Qaela as he entered the hangar bay, he could tell by her frown she was the impatient sort. He had begun to wonder why had she shown such a interest in him lately, what had he done to deserve such attention. Regardless he wasn't sure if she knew the risk she was taking in her binding herself to him in the way she seemed to be doing...indeed he was intriqued by the prospect of it. He held no true loyalty to anyone save himself and the sith as a whole so he wondered why had she even bothered. He was a Sith afterall and most sith including him tended to only be as loyal as the power or gain afforded in return, failure was not an option. Looking at Qaela with a piercing gaze that could kill a eagle at ten strokes, he spoke. Her threats of violence and intimidation tactics didn't really have much affect on him, nor the fact she had a hand to her sabre. If she really wished to die he would indulge that passion without a second thought.

 

''Likewise this applies to you as well that if you try to run from your mission or deviate from the Dark Lord's order I will kill you. Even if you do not believe me capable of the task I will attempt it...and never shall I give up until you are dead. For just as you have your rules so do I have mine. That said let's get on with it shall we.''

 

If it was one thing Qaela would learn from that statement it was the kiffar was a fighter through and through. Even if struck down he apparently had a knack of raising himself from the ashes and coming back for more. Lucifer had resolved to change his fate, from here on his was the sith way...the warrior way. No longer would he leap before thinking, but be patient. A warrior's patience is infinite as his dad used to say, how he hated the man and yet he showed him such things. A smirk caught his lip slightly at thinking upon it...shame really he had to die.

 

With that the kiffar looked about trying to spot the acolyte. He turned to Qaela briefly.

 

''Now where has that blasted acolyte got too.''

[Qaela]

Qaela didn't let the satisfaction she felt be shown on her face, but she was glad for Lucifer's response. Despite having been defeated twice by the same man, demoted for his failure, and forced to work under a non-Sith female he barely knew, he still had spirit. She was not afraid of him in an open battle, but as she had just proven with Tobias, anyone could be ambushed and caught off guard.

 

"That is good," she replied. "Keep your spirits high. After such humiliation, a weakling would have been far more passive. You may prove of some value to me yet. One last thing before we leave." She took out her knife and whispered a small spell. When she was done, she made a cut in her right palm that was deep enough to bleed but not deep enough to cut into muscle or tendon.

 

"Shake my hand and place the blood on the skin of your forehead. Just a dot will do. The spell I just performed allows me to sense my blood on whatever it may be on. By having even a drop on your body, I will be able to sense and track you from anywhere in the Galaxy. I have done this to you before, when I gave you some of my energy after Tobias defeated you the first time on Coruscant, but it has long since worn off. Take it now, or stay behind and face your master's wrath."

[Nokrt]

The Chiss wasted little time pulling out the components he would need to craft the vibroblade he wished to make for the Dark Lord. Crafting a blade was simple enough, a blacksmith could do it, someone without the Force and thus worthless of his notice, or the use of anyone in the Sith Order. The theing that separated the Sith apart from the lowlifes of the galaxy was the ability of infusing it with power. This is what the Krath's Sith Alchemy was meant to do and the Chiss had done such in the past, however, the raw materials he had then were quite different from now.

 

He had poisonous venoms from live creatures at his disposal, yet here, only storage conainers filled. It felt so, mechanical that it lacked the life he was used to. The thrill of removing a fang and draining a creature of its venom was superbly gratifying and helped put the Chiss in the mood for crafting weapons of excellence. In this cold steel fortress, he would have to adapt to craft as he once did.

 

He passed by shelves filled with contained gasses and fluids, each of them a poison of some sort. Nokrt was surprised at the sheer quantity of poisons available that he soon forgot about the lack of life in removing them himself. Lylek poison, Kinrath venom, Rock Wart neurotoxin, Vesp venom and suprisingly Zillo Beast posion. Each of these poisions had profound abilities against their enemies, most especially the Rock Wart neurotoxin, which had a Tetrodotoxin, which caused paralysis of the diaphram leading to respitory failure. That in of itself would be good enough, but not against Jedi. The Jedi could have healers to fix that particular poison, no, the Sith needed something stronger, and as he purused the shelf below he found something in a large glass jar.

 

Synox, the odorless, colorless, tasteless poison used to kill Darth Bane. It was not immediate, he had died slowly but painfully. There was no cure, this was unhealable, death was certain to the person who had this enter their body, yet it's nature was ill-suited for anything other than assassination. To have it imbued in a weapon gave you no advantage on the battlefield. Nokrt thought it was perfect.

 

The Dark Lord was sure to have a menagerie of weapons that could give him an advantage on the battlefield. Things that would cause his foes great remorse should they ever come face to face with him, but this, this would assure him victory even in death. The Grandmaster of the Jedi Order could best him somehow, but as long as this posion was imbedded in the Grandmaster, he would die within a few days.

 

The Krath Lord took some sonic generators he procured from a shelf earlier, and some durasteel, using the force to craft them loosely into a set of four vibroknives, keeping them suspended, he uncorked the Synox, careful not to inhale, and took an amount to coat each blade in the lethal substance. Nokrt shoved the knives into the furnace, burning them red hot, causing the molecules in the durasteel to expand. Working quickly as he pulled them fromt he fire, Nokrt placed the synox around the blade and called the Dark Side to him, pushing the deadly substance into the pores created at a molecular level, ensuring every nanometer of the blade was lethal so that even if broken, it still held its advantage.

 

Exhausted the Sith took some of the left over Weequay leather he had sitting ntidly on a table nearby and wrapped up the hilt neatly in the leather and making some sheaths for each blade so they could be easily added into pockets, utility belts, bandoliers and other weapon carrying areas without fear of being stabbed by it yourself. There were four blades made, but the Sith Lord pocketed one for himself, leaving it on his hip, looking like an ordinary dagger. The other three he strung onto a leather belt so they could be easily carried to his Dark Lord.

 

Proud of his work, the Sith Lord walked out of the Prison block with the belt of knives in hand. HE locked the door behind him, making his way to the quarters he had passed b earlier and taking a room for himself, locking the door and throwing his new attire into the clothes refresher and allowed himself to step into the refresher, cleaning away the sweat and grime that had formed all over his plae blue skin as he had a hard days work. Once out, he slipped into some long comofortable robes and slept on a nearby bed. Refreshing for the day ahead of him.

[Karys Narat iv-Adas]

Lucifer didn't fully trust Qaela, he was not so stupid or dumb as to willingly accept gifts from just anybody. The querying thought was shown on his face. He spoke his voice both stern yet mistrustful. He was not happy at all that she had marked him before without him knowing and he had only just found out about it. It was afterall a violation of his person.

 

''And you neglected to inform me before now, how convenient. Some would take that as a violation of their trust. How do I know this is not some trick. I am not so foolish as to openly accept such a thing as Tobias was without some kind of a guarantee it will not end...prematurely for me. How do I trust you will not kill me right here and now and that what you say is not just some lie concocted to hasten my demise.''

 

Despite having been defeated twice by the same man, demoted, and humiliated, he still was nobodies fool. He would play this smart and not accept a gift from a potential threat without knowing the full details and without a guarantee of survival. Tobias had trusted her previously and she repaid him by death, he had no wish to be the next desired victim on her list. If anything she had proven how seductive and deceptive she could be and from that he had learnt he could not trust her. Especially if she was just as likely to turn on him as she did Tobias.

 

When no answer was forthcoming, Lucifer decided against his better judgement to accept the spell, however he was wary of it all the same. Shaking her hand and placing the blood he waited the next moments with mixed feelings of 'what happens now' and 'am I dead yet'. Standing he spoke.

 

''So what happens now.''

[Qaela]

Qaela rolled her eyes. At least he was cautious. "Right now, Lucifer, you have nothing to fear from me. You are more valuable to me alive than dead, otherwise I would have made an alliance with Tobias. As for killing you right now, I have seen the results of your fights and am not fearful. Besides, if I wanted you dead, I wouldn't need this sort of spell to do so, I would have killed you while you were in the bacta tank or I would have waited until you were asleep during the journey. This is only so that I can track you and sense you wherever you go in case you try to pull something. This is you showing how smart you are in submitting to those who have power over you today so that you may one day grow wiser and reclaim your position among the Sith. I have no designs for power within the Sith Order, so therefore I am probably the only Force wielding individual on this station who is not a rival. What I seek is security, allies, and safety. At this moment, I believe you may be able to help me in attaining those things.

 

"This mission would increase both of our standings with your master and would provide us both with things we desire. Remain subservient to me as a smart male in your situation would and I will find use for you. I like my allies strong, so I would help you learn how to use subtly in the Force and perhaps a few tricks none of your rival Sith know. I have survived attacks from at least three Sith Masters and seen two of them slain. I have brought about the death of the Jedi's Grandmaster and helped overthrow a Dark Lord of the Sith. My body is laced with scars from where I not just survived, but triumphed. How did I do this? By a mixture of cunning, treachery towards my enemies, and loyalty to my allies. I gathered allies who were sometimes stronger than me, sometimes weaker. By not being alone, I have survived much and escaped death. You would be wise to learn this and build allies of your own instead of turning everyone against you through arrogance, threats, and foolhardy attacks."

 

She glared at him with eyes that had now turned back to their natural brown after the violet dye had been metabolized. "You, Lucifer, are a broken and beaten man who, at this moment, has no place among the Sith. Those who were your superiors look at you with disdain and dismissal. Those who were your equals are now your superiors and no longer fear you. Those who were your inferiors are now your equals and they smell blood in the water. You need allies to watch your back and no Sith will be foolish enough to offer you help until you can gain some respect. Fortunately for you, I am not a Sith and do not care much what they think of me. Submit to me, become my servant and do my bidding. Follow my instructions for a time so that, perhaps, you will one day no longer need me and can return to the Sith with your head held high and a reputation to cow give your foes pause.

 

"If you prefer, call yourself my apprentice, I care not. All I care about is that you submit to my commands and remain loyal. I am not a Sith, I do not reward or respect treachery against allies or clan. If I so much as suspect you might be planning to betray me, I will kill you without hesitation. However, remain loyal to me and you will not need to fear my betraying you for that is not how my people live. I have already risked my life in adhering to that bond once before, so if you were wise, you would know that I speak the truth. I knew that your master should have killed me for what I did to Tobias, but I did it anyway because you were one of mine.

 

"The choice is yours: submit to me and have a chance to grow or, when this mission is complete, be returned to those who despise you and no longer fear you. Choose now."

[Karys Narat iv-Adas]

Lucifer simply glared right back, completely fearless despite the tense atmosphere between the two. So this was why she was interested in him, it drove his curiosity to question more. "It seems I underestimated you, of just what you are capable of. A mistake on my part. So you are offering me chance to redeem my name...my reputation as a sith. And why is that I might ask when I have done nothing for as of yet,. What might you want in return aside the obvious alliance and increased standing, what do you see in me that Tobias lacked.''

 

Pausing a moment he continued.

 

"Forgive my curiosity but I must know why. As for the offer itself considering my options I accept on certain conditions. I will not be treated like one of your common slaves, nor will I bend down and lick your shoe at every moment. I am above this for I am a sith first and foremost and a warrior. A sith warrior does not beg nor is he treated like some foot stall. We are above such things. As for security, allies and safety these things I can provide given that you stick to your end of the bargain.''

 

Lucifer continued to glare at her as he spoke. "You may view me as weak but you would be wrong in that thought. I know much that others do not, that dare not know. Secret knowledge long forgotten by the ages, taught by three infamous sith of bygone era's to me while under their tutorlage, perhaps you may have heard of them on your travels within certain circles. Gene Starri, Ason Antilles and my eventual master Darth Mortis Diabolus one of the ancient ones who stood among the greats of his time. Indeed I am also one of the few within our order who is privy to the ancient knowledge of the secrets of the lightsabre art known as Juyo or Vaapad. If you would teach me and return me to my rightful place I would return this favor and bestow upon you my own knowledge of the force, of this so called lost combat art and thus strengthen your already considerable hold on the force and others. I would show you a method where upon you can enter a mind and turn his or her most embarrassing moments into a living nightmare, to literally make these memories manifest into physical pain. Teach you the long forgotten arts of alchemical sith sword creation, metallurgy and other such methods.

 

All of this in return for which I will expect the same in return. If this can be agreed upon then we have an accord until such a time as our path's conflict.''

 

Begrudgingly, Lucifer extended his hand as a seal of the agreement he was making. So long as Qaela kept her word he would his.

[Qaela]

Qaela snorted in derision. "I don't need a slave, I could get any number of those walking the streets of Coruscant, so do not fear that. I would not call upon you to do anything more than your Sith masters would, except you won't be ascending by killing me."

 

She considered his offer of knowledge. It was of interest to her, but it wasn't something she direly needed. She had been around Sith Masters and three of their Dark Lords, studied within their Temple, and scoured their libraries. She had even taken one of them a mate. Nonetheless, if he knew something valuable, she would glean it from him. "We will see what you know and what you don't. I give when it is appropriate and I will take when I deem it right. We will see how this mission goes. First and foremost, you must follow my commands and do as I say, even if it makes no sense. I know things that you don't know about this situation and I likely know the individuals involved personally. It could turn into a firefight, but I hope that it won't come to that. Your master has likely sent us both to our deaths as punishment for our failures and transgressions, but I will not go out meekly like a pathetic slave to the slaughter.

 

She took his offered hand and ignored the blood seeping from the cut she made on it earlier. "We should get going, then. I do not know this acolyte, but if he interferes, there are ways to deal with him."

[Karys Narat iv-Adas]

Lucifer wondered at her comments. He didn't care if it was a suicide mission or not, he welcomed dying in the name of the sith and the glory of battle. He somewhat admired her in that she like him seemed fearless in the face of death. He would prove Furion wrong and let all know he was not weak as they thought. ''Nor shall I and will follow your orders. If I am to die let it be in glorious battle such is the fate of the greatest of sith marauders. Furion will not see the end of me. As for the acolyte, if he causes a problem he can easily be disposed of. He would just become another casualty of our Black Sun 'friends' misbehaving. Anyway as you said let's be going.''

 

As they jumped aboard the ship Lucifer considered Qaela and tried his best to understand her. She had yet to answer his question, why did she chose him over Tobias. It was of interest to him, afterall he had few allies and they were direly needed. He waited patiently for the acolyte who was supposed to be sent by Furion to meet them to arrive.

[Qaela]

Qaela motioned for Lucifer to follow her onto the ship where the acolyte Furion had promised was waiting. The man seemed to be like so many of the others the Sith employed: subservient and mortally afraid of failing their betters. Qaela wouldn't hesitate to kill the man should he prove treacherous, but she was not a Sith and wouldn't throw away resources simply because things didn't turn out as desired. As long as he did his job, he would have little to fear from her.

 

They settled down into the moderately sized shuttle while the acolyte competently took it through the maze that was the Maw. As soon as they were free, a course was plotted to Bespin that included no fewer than five different course corrections that would add another day to their journey but would prevent anyone from tracking them back to the Sith's last stand. When it was all ready, they jumped into hyperspace and Qaela was able to begin her work with her new dejarik piece. The only question she had was exactly what type of piece and how valuable his contribution he would be.

[Keenava Dira]

Raia was suspiciously silent for the duration of their conversation, but Lallu was occupied with her own thoughts: a faint whisper of his saliva was still persistently clinging to her lips. And although she was able to conjure diversions to push her vulnerability away, there was no longer anything to distract her.

 

No Lallu... Stop.

 

Lallu breathed heavily and gripped the sides of her head, massaging her lekku. Her forehead was lit with a burning flame, but she conjured her defenses to abate it. It was difficult: the emotional turmoil of her past was churning deep with the other passions that were new and fresh inside her. A web of corruption threatened to crumble her new found resolve and confidence, but the silk that laced each darkened strand was no longer polluted enough to crumble the bedrock of her burgeoning confidence.

 

Her shallow breaths were common place now and the convulsions of her muscles were a rhythm that she knew. She had been here before. She knew these reactions and she could overcome them. The corruption still lingered beneath her, teasing her strength, but she was insistent. She wasn't that weak little girl anymore. She was something more than a slave... She just needed to see it. She needed to feel it in every bone of her body and she just wasn't there yet.

 

When she managed to shake her dark thoughts - which only took about two seconds - she looked back at Raia and Rez. "Sorry for that." She said, panting a little. "I needed a moment."

 

She looked around, scanning the stark metal walls for no real reason. She stretched herself into a squat and pushed one leg out after another, ignoring the lightheaded feeling that came about when she stood back up.

 

"Alright, well nothing is going to happen with us just standing here. We need to get moving. Follow me." Lallu's tone wasn't demanding, but something about her body language suggested that she was in a hurry: she accelerated past them and didn't look back to see if they were following. It may have been completely disrespectful if she didn't modify her pace after a few seconds to accommodate them.

 

She was eager to learn. She wanted to see. She didn't want to feel her weakness anymore and wanted to start her training as soon as possible.

 

((Sorry to Raia, but I want to hurry this up. If it is just me and Rez talking, then it will just be me and Rez talking.))

[Rezjal-el]

"Alright, well nothing is going to happen with us just standing here. We need to get moving. Follow me."

 

“Well, that’s not exactly true. Suns will continue to burn, children will be born billions of miles away, and I’m fairly certain that the air vents will continue to buzz no matter just how cross I may get with them…” he turned, staring rather accusingly at a nearby vent as though it had just paid grievous insult to his mother. For all he knew, it had. He didn’t speak vent, but oh, one day, one day he will master their language and then who will have the last laugh?

 

Right. Another entry into the to-don’t list.

 

“But yes, after you.”

 

The young firrerreo fell in step behind the twi’lek after having made sure to guide the suspiciously quiet Raia along. The girl had fallen into an unsettling quiet state within the past few minutes, and having two years of no one to talk to, Vaegir was all too eager to have a conversation with someone other than his own thoughts. So, given that Raia was set on not speaking, he sped up a touch to walk alongside Llalu. Much as he had before, he’d likely spend the next few minutes of exploration chatting her ear, or those weird cone things on the side of her head, off.

 

Through the station they wandered, watching as countless droids, technicians, and other workers mulled about to fulfill countless tasks. Faces came and went, corridors changed in layout, but overall most of the station seemed very similar. Furion must have wanted to test the minds and memories of his sith.

 

It was when they reached a turbolift that any real progress seemed to be made. The stars whisked by as the lift carried them into another hub. The training hub, to be exact.

 

“…and that’s when I discovered the importance of airing out your boots at the end of the day.”

 

The trio came to a stop upon reaching the archives. It was a modest room in size, but it had its fair share of terminals and other data-displays that gave interested students places to read up and learn the lore of the Sith. But, what caught the eyes of the newly entered group the most, however, was a sizable plaque with a series of inscriptions emblazoned on its face.

 

Peace is a lie, there is only passion.

Through passion, I gain strength.

Through strength, I gain power.

Through power, I gain victory.

Through victory, my chains are broken.

The Force shall free me.

 

Vaegir wasted no time in wandering closer, his eyes traversing the phrases time and time again, attempting to draw in their meaning.

 

“It’s oddly poetic. For Sith, I mean.”

[Keenava Dira]

Lallu’s footfalls fell heavy upon the ground with each step. It wasn’t that fatigue was wearing her down, but the unceremonious anxiety that bilked her consciousness was something that plagued her with every exertion. She could feel her blood flowing through her body; the warm red liquid that spread itself through every vein, artery, and organ; the warm red liquid that kept her going despite her misgivings.

 

She looked about the area casually, trying to gather her bearings, and tried to ignore Rez as the group continued through the space of several corridors even if some of his banter seemed mildly amusing. Seeing as how Raia was still quiet, that left the young man with no one to talk to, aside from her. She would nod her head at every appropriate point and make it seem like she was giving courtesy to him even if, at times, she wasn’t listening at all.

 

They arrived at the archives relatively peacefully, all things considered. But when Lallu looked where Rez had pointed, a shrieking blade of recognition sliced its way into Lallu’s mind. I have heard that code before!!!

 

Memories started popping back in fragments and Furion’s voice emerged in a ball of hazy perception. Through heavily lidded eyes and a body that refused to move, Lallu could almost recount her master’s speech years ago. She could see his hazy form and feel a commanding presence from him, echoing in her subconscious.

-- “Brothers and Sisters; welcome. My name is Julio Furion, apprentice to Dark Lord Faust, persistent student of the Dark Side, and today I wish to share with you just a few of the precious bits of knowledge I have gleaned from the vast tomes and scrolls I’ve come across in my short time with the Order…” --

 

She could feel the warmth of Jzora’s legs resting beneath her and the chaos of her previous ailment warring inside her, trying to control a person that had already experienced it.

 

-- “…I advise each and every one of you to seek full understanding of which I divulge in hopes that it will help you discover something about yourselves. Now, let us begin...” --

Discover something about ourselves? Lallu repeated. Her consciousness was only half there, but she tried desperately to get a better look. Her arms once again reached to her head to massage her lekku, but this time, her knees fell to the metal floor in front of the plaque and she was utterly silent. The turmoil of her recollection burned deeply within her, but she showed nothing of her experience on the outside.

 

-- “…As Sith, we are not afraid of our inner Darkness. No, indeed we embrace it; we embrace what makes us unique, because that’s what makes us strong. Let me take a moment to reflect on the code many of you have heard countless times… --

 

-- Peace is a lie, there is only Passion. --

 

The heat of Lallu’s kiss was once again building on her lips and in her heart. The sudden burst of passion felt so incredible that her eyes began to water, but she still made no sound…

 

-- Through Passion, I gain Strength. --

 

Her muscles began to bunch and tighten and the emotional potency of before intensified dramatically. She could feel his words beyond the darkness of her past, giving her strength.

 

-- Through Strength, I gain Power. --

 

Lallu’s body began to emit a soft aura of crimson red flame…

 

-- Through Power, I gain Victory. --

 

The images of dead men – lecherous dead men – appeared to her time after time. She could see the Quarren, the crime boss who had owned her, lying decimated on the cold metal floor of a warehouse and Lallu’s malicious red eyes watching from the background, licking her lips.

 

-- Through Victory, my chains are broken. --

 

In the span of a second, Lallu’s head swung back toward Rez and the girl. “I would get out of here if I were you.” Lallu said, her eyes glowing with a power deep inside. Then another memory struck her like a gong and she turned her head back toward the plaque.

 

-- “…Lallu”. He whispered softly as he allowed her mind to grasp his static existence. Slowly his form began to take shape, like wisps of darkness banding together to make the shadow real. His crimson coat came into focus first, then soon his dark face and jet black hair, disheveled as it was. “What do you want?” --

 

-- The Force shall set me free. --

 

What do I want..?

 

FREEDOM!

 

With one word Lallu cracked through the barriers she held. Every emotion, every terror and every black thing that scorched her, streamed through her head in a single cloud. She couldn’t control it, she didn’t control it, and she wouldn’t control it. It was who she was. The crimson fire burst outward like it had before, but strangely enough the cloud wasn’t as chaotic as it had been before. And when Lallu emerged from the cloud of red flame she was strangely unharmed. She looked around the room as if through different eyes and could feel herself sinking back to the ground. She could feel herself slipping back to that memory years ago…

 

-- “It is only through struggle that we may grow. We must constantly be challenged to develop, to grow stronger. With each challenge you overcome, you will come one step closer to achieving that which we all truly dream. Freedom… --

 

-- “We are free to love as we will, as equally as we are to hate. Remember my siblings that our power does not come solely from our capacity for anger, but our capacity to feel, our capacity to embrace that which makes us individuals; our raw, unabridged passion.” --

 

Lallu’s emotions slowed their rapid advance and she slowly fell to the metal floor. She could feel her heartbeat thudding silently in her head.

 

-- “I love you because in time you will be another struggle for me to overcome, and through that struggle, no matter the outcome, I will discover something about myself and become stronger for it. Conversely, I hate you all because you will one day try to stop me in my quest for freedom…” --

 

The word ‘freedom’ resonated through her again.

 

• • Freedom from darkness,

• • freedom from oppression,

• • • freedom from lechery,

• • freedom from desperation,

• and freedom from weakness…

 

-- “Until I feel that I am powerful enough to take the mantle of Dark Lord with my bare hands, none of you have anything to worry about from me. But until that time, my brothers and sisters, let us grow strong together, because before any one of us can achieve that which we desire so desperately, we all share one particular challenge that not a single Sith has been able to fully conquer in the entire span of history. We must destroy the Jedi.” --

 

That is our purpose? Lallu thought, silently to herself as she rest upon Jzora’s crossed legs. She rolled over in her sleep and tried to imagine a world of better things, but the darkness of her reality consumed any dream she ever had. The golden eyes of Furion pushed into her, pooling and igniting like golden flames rising from gasoline. They spread their influence through her, burning and destroying all of the dark corners of thought; breaking the binds she held on her emotions and on her mind; purifying her.

 

The burning of the Sith mark that rest upon her face was almost irresistible, but Lallu used it to bring herself back. She could slightly see the dim lights of the Spite station through half lidded eyes. She felt her shoulders resting upon the floor and her heart still beat heavily in her chest.

 

The burden of her lamentations crested in a wave of passion that had been building ever since her recollection. Now that she had nothing to hold it away from her vulnerability, it crashed down upon her, bringing away the excess and wiping away everything that wasn’t solidly planted in her brain. Everything that she had worked so hard to control pushed its way through her body and her mind.

 

She relived everything again as if it were happening for the first time. Hatred broiled, sorrow churned, adulation softened, and passion burned. She could hardly process what was going on and her eyes were a stream of indescribable colors.

 

She screamed audibly and a few acolytes came to her in response. They tried to recover her from the ground, but she wouldn’t budge. She squirmed away from them and struggled on the floor.

 

The burn on her neck, the burns and bruises on her back, and the knife scars on her face, all lit up with white pain. Tears leapt to her eyes once more. She held them with her open hands and crawled into a fetal position. Her weight felt tremendous upon the metal floor and its harsh surface licked her wounds with a salty tongue. She would get no respite here. The only salvation she would have, she would have to earn…

 

The wave of lamentation began to slow and gently pour through her. She could now feel the aftermath warming her inside, but instead of allowing it to warm her, she forced herself back into the darkness. She forced her mind to go back.

 

Peace is a lie… My passion is what binds me to this world;

 

The darkness of her mind was familiar. She could understand it now and everything felt familiar. She shared the existence of her sorrows with that of her love and opened her eyes to all of her consciousness.

 

Through my Passion, I gain the strength to move on;

 

Her heart and her mind worked with one another and she could finally see through her eyes. She felt her hands pressed against the floor, holding her body from the ground.

 

Through that strength, I gain the power to push my body further than it’s ever been before;

 

Lallu’s body worked itself back to kneel in front of the plaque as if she were worshipping it.

 

And through that power, I gain the victory my heart desires… My chains are broken.

 

Lallu finally worked herself back to a standing position and the searing pains that danced across her body, although still fighting to break her down, were but a whisper.

 

The force shall set me free…

 

 

Lallu reached her arm up to wipe a few tears away and was surprised to see the number of acolytes that surrounded her. They seemed indifferent to the whole affair. Why they were even there, Lallu couldn’t tell, but once she was on her feet they seemed to mill about with their own affairs once more.

 

The Twi’lek could feel the unrest inside her like a welcome guest. Don’t be afraid to feel…

 

She looked around the room for a moment and saw Rez and Raia waiting off in another area. Instead of summoning them back to her, she decided to join them and moved away from the plaque without so much as a second glance.

 

“That was really something.” Lallu said, continuing to wipe tears away from her puffy face. “Apparently I have heard that code before. I don’t really know how easy it would be to explain, because I am not a master of the Sith and nor do I know exactly what the code preaches. However, I would guess that it means something for each individual. These words: Passion, Power, Victory, Strength, and Freedom. They resonate within all of us, but each of us has different definitions for them.”

 

The fallout of her emotional reaction waned on her idle thought as she talked, but she ignored it.

 

“It may help to draw on a personal experience…”

[Ary the Grey]

A large messenger capsule, originating from Mechis III, popped out of hyperspace precisely where Ares knew it would be noticed by those who it was intended for. The controls were encrypted with Sith protocols so only the Dark Lord himself could open it, any tampering would cause a near instantaneous tight-beam holonet relay message to be shot out, triggering a comm message to the Dark Lord that his goods were being tampered with. Inside was one small living being in stasis, yet alive, as well as a currently inanimate mechanical construct.

 

The Sith acolytes posted to guard the entrance to the Maw quickly retrieved it and brought it back to the station, storing it until such a time that the Dark Lord could receive his package. A comm was sent out using the proper protocols notifying him that the package had arrived.