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The Hermit's Dojo - Mechis III


Lord Ar-Pharazon

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It is very rare for a Sith to ever feel joy. Joy was the domain of the Jedi and their happy-go-lucky duty as 'protectors of the galaxy'. It was an emotion that was so often buried deep within a Sith that they would forget that it even existed. It was an emotion that Quietus knew still existed somewhere, but never even dwelt upon the possibility of it ever again. But as Emily ran towards him with enough force that it matched that of Roe'gall and threw herself into his embrace, the lost emotion of joy burst from the darkest reaches of his soul and made its way to the surface. They both stood there in the embrace for what seemed like forever, Quietus practically drinking in the emotions that he felt flowing through his apprentice. There was still residual anger over how things had been left, but it was mixed in with far more happiness, and that was enough for Quietus. It felt like another eternity before she released her hold of him and stepped back. He could do little else but smile at her comment about his height, but the smile faded when she wiped away at her tears. Without even really thinking, and before his mind could comprehend its own actions, he had reached out and caressed her cheek, wiping the tears from it as he did so. It was another rare moment of affection between them, but this time Quietus was quite intend that such events would become more common.

 

"I know why..."

 

He smiled again at hearing her voice speak, and was glad to see she had not lost her sense of humor and playful nature. It had always been an aspect of her that he enjoyed immensely; it had the ability to simply push aside any concerns or worry that the Sith was carrying. Having her at his side simply felt right.

 

"Three and a half years huh? Guess I should reconsider cloning, or perhaps stop getting myself killed in the first place dont you think? But that little matters for now. I am here, back from the dead, and you young lady, were at the top of my 'To Do' list. Even before I checked in with our Dark Lord, I came to find you."

 

Quietus had neglected to notice that Roe'gall had wandered up to the pair, and was sitting patiently waiting beside them, looking up. It took a nudge from the tuk'ata on his arm to break his gaze from Emily, an event which only continued the smile upon his face.

 

"I am glad to see that Roe'gall has been keeping you company, and glad to see that he is so content to stand at your side, and to be so well groomed and cared for. I sense his bond with you is strong, perhaps stronger than it was with me. But then again I did entrust your safety to him while I was still living, so it would not be a stretch for that to be true. He is yours Emily, now and forever. I will not break the bond you two have built up; I can think of nothing better than to know he will always be at your side. Which... brings up another promise I made to you."

 

He gave Roe'gall a good long scratch on top of his head and turned back to her now, the smile on his face only fading slightly as he focused on the promise he had made so long ago.

 

"I promised to show you how I created Roe'gall, and I will honor that promise as well. Only now, it will be to create a suitable replacement at my side for Roe'gall, as there is a void in my life for a massive pet that exudes sheer death and darkness. I think... yes. I shall even let you name it Emily."

 

The wicked grin had returned, and with it his own playful tone. It was clear that this was the right choice to find Emily, a fact that was only strengthened by the joy that they both felt at the reunion.

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I ate a hippo. It was delicious.

May the Forth therve you well...

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She could feel his joy, and that made her own increase. She never knew what to expect from a Sith, even one she knew as well as she did her former master. When he told her that she had been at the top of his priorities, she smiled, even though his use of the term of address had made her feel like he was her father. "Yes, three and a half years. Much has happened since your death."

 

As he mentioned keeping another old promise, she almost laughed aloud. "I barely remember that promise. But if you want another tuk'ata to keep you company, I'd be glad to assist." She motioned for him to follow her. "Come down into the dojo and out of this heat. We can sit and get caught up in my quarters."

 

As she headed towards the life, she began to fill him in on the time he had missed. "What can I tell you that you've not already heard? You know that Furion is the Dark Lord now, and under him the Sith are quite more unified than they've ever been before. Indeed, we even all have matching tattoos now," she said with a bit of a smirk. "After your death, then-Dark Lord Sheog gave me my trials as part of an attack on the Jedi temple on Gala. I passed his tests, and became a full Sith Lord." She wondered if he'd ask her Sith name. "Since then I've mostly been at the secret Sith base, training and honing my skills, studying and going on occasional missions for the Dark Lord. It was only recently that I came here to learn from Master Aryian Darkfire. I don't know if he will teach what I want to know, but he has lessons he can pass on regardless." The last was said mostly to herself.

 

She glanced at Quietus and couldn't help reaching her hand up to his face, much as he had done before. After a brief moment, she recollected herself and drew her hand away. "You look pale," she said to cover the moment. "Are you fully recovered from death?"

Emily%202015_zps34rpkjob.jpg

 

"Days in the sun...what I'd give to relive just one. Undo what's done, and bring back the light."

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"I cant think of anyone else I would rather have at my side and teach the skill to than you Emily. I have the feeling that you being there will allow my mind to focus more intently on the task. WHo knows, maybe we will make a tuk'ata better than Roe'gall."

 

He turned to the tuk'ata, fairly sure that the beast had understood the last part, for he emitted a whimper and cocked its head to one side. It was yet another image that brought a smile to Quietus' face as he turned back to Emily. He supposed she was truly no longer his apprentice, unless she chose to continue her training towards becoming a Master under him. As he looked upon her now, he felt proud of her, and knew that her parents would have been as well. Thinking of her parents caused Quietus to remember what he had picked up from Korriban. In an instant he spun on his heel and practically bounded back to his ship, barely remembering to tell Emily he would be right back. Once aboard, he quickly sought out the waraxe that had belonged to her father which he had placed in the locker next to his bunk. He did not want Emily to see it just yet, feeling that he would know the appropriate time to give it to her, so he instead wrapped it carefully in a spare cloak before exiting the ship and rejoining Emily once more.

 

Quietus followed Emily into the turbolift with little more than a nod of his head. The axe was rather hard to hide, and so he made no attempt to do so, instead carrying it under his arm as if it was a normal package. He listened intently to what she had to report of the last three years. The thought of her having a tattoo now amused him, more for the implications of the fun that could be had trying to find it if it was not readily apparent. He was both pleased and slightly saddened to hear that she had gained her Lordship; pleased for her in her progress, but sad that he was not there to oversee it personally. However, sacrifices must be made, and it was a wrong that he could not right, but he could atone for. When her talk turned to Aryian and he heard the doubt in her voice, he nodded once more, but this time decided to speak on the matter.

 

"Whether he teaches you what you want to know is irrelevant. Next to training under a Jedi, he is the best opportunity you will find to learn how they fight. He is proficient enough in both sides of the Force to know the best aspects of both, as well as the weaknesses of both. Whatever he teaches you, will only make you stronger Emily. In fact... I think I would like to meet this Gray Master. I have some questions for him... And I would not be surprised if there was a thing or two that he could teach even me."

 

Much as the last words of her comment on the subject had been spoken out loud for her own benefit, so too was the last portion of Quietus' words. There was truth in his words, however he doubted he would actually pursue such an option. At least not at this point. It was Emily's touch upon his face that broke his train of thought, his gaze instantly turning to her. He caught her hand with his own before she could draw it away completely, and guided it back to his face, his own hand closing on top of hers, holding it there. Her touch continued the warmth that had come over him, and he smiled at her rather awkward comment and question.

 

"I have always been fairly pale... But Im sure the three years spent buried under ground in a tomb didnt help my complexion much."

 

He blinked slowly, allowing his jesting tone to fall aside before speaking again, his hand still covering hers as he gave it a light squeeze.

 

"I am as fully recovered as I can be, now that I have seen you once more."

 

He released her hand from his face as the doors to the turbolift opened, but did not relinquish it completely, he held it gently before bringing it up further and planting a kiss on the back of her hand. Only then did he release her hand fully, before gesturing with his arm and another rather sly smile.

 

"After you, Sith Lord Emily Zsahra-Skywalker..."

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I ate a hippo. It was delicious.

May the Forth therve you well...

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She was surprised by Quietus' admission that he might be able to learn something from Aryian. His reasons for her staying, however, were part of the reason she had come. Always she sought to increase her knowledge of the Force, and she had hoped that Aryian would have knowledge to offer. But she wasn't really thinking about that right now. Instead she was thinking how much she hoped that he would stay here for a while. She didn't want to be parted from him again anytime soon.

 

Her heart fluttered a little as he kissed her hand and escorted her out of the lift. But now that the first rush of emotion was over, she couldn't help but wonder why he was here. Sure, she was glad he was, and she knew that part of his motivation had also been the joy of a reunion with his former apprentice, but what other motivations did he have? She was no longer his apprentice, ready to follow him wherever he went and be his subordinate. Was it simply that he had felt bad breaking his promises to her? Bad enough that the moment he had come back, he had rushed to her to fulfill them? That didn't seem quite in his character. She knew that if there had been something else that had served him better, it joule have taken priority. She had seen that in the past. The moment she had become a threat to his power, he had agreed to her murder. That was a classic Sith move, and she had long ago come to understand it. If she had been a threat to his power then, it was logical that now, when she was stronger and more powerful, she would be more of a threat. But what confused her was that he was certainly not acting that way.

 

She didn't know what to make of that. There had to be something else going on in his mind, and she was determined to find out what it was. They arrived at her ramshackle room that was serving as her quarters, and she smiled apologetically as he entered. "This place is still pretty newly constructed, and apparently they figured that the most Spartan of accommodations was more than necessary." Indeed, after Roe'gall had entered and laid himself on the floor facing the door, it was quite crowded.

 

She sat down on the bed and tried to think of a way to bring up the subject. "Enough about me," she ended up saying. "What about you? What are your plans now that you have returned?"

Emily%202015_zps34rpkjob.jpg

 

"Days in the sun...what I'd give to relive just one. Undo what's done, and bring back the light."

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When the fight between Emily and Aryian was through, Rose wasn't at all surprised that the master then turned his attention toward her. It was as she expected, a mistake had been made. Well, if he wanted to see for himself she would do her utmost to display her skills. A small part of her thought the exchange to be pointless, seeing as how Aryian was keen to utilize the Force in his first round and obviously far more potent with it than she would be for a long, long time, but the idea was tossed aside as he rose from his bow, arching back his arm to toss the lit saber at her.

 

A fateful heartbeat skipped in her chest. She couldn't control the Force, not even in the slightest. She couldn't even feel it in any way anyone she had ever known had described it. Years of reading, of practicing her arts, and none of it yielded any measurable connection to the greatness of everything. Self preservation was the only thing that broke her from that heartbeat of fear, instinct and reaction forcing her to tumble forward from her kneeling seat to duck under the lightsaber. It would be coming back around, thrown lightsabers always came back around, but as she was seated against the wall the wide arch of the toss would be too far away on the rebound to danger her just yet. Avoided, the blade would only come back into play once it followed through with its momentum and fell back into the hands of the one that cast it.

 

As her feet met the floor once again from the tumble, Rose ignited her lightsaber just in time to intercept the one Aryian still held, springing up with a jump to throw a quick kick at the Master's weaponless side before the boomerang came back. Normally she would have fallen back, reset the stances and waited for her opponent to make the first move to be countered, but something pushed her. Emily's display had been one of magnificent fervor, aggressive and pressing. She felt like she needed to show her new master something impressive, something to push the envelope.

 

The snap of her kick fell back rapidly and planted firmly. With her lightsaber still pointed down for that tight defensive circle, ready to intercept the riposte, her whole body lunged forward into a tackle, her free arm already moving in to try to intercept Aryian's own before it could move in to capitalize on the very close distance.

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As the pair exited the turbolift, with Emily leading the way, Quietus got his first real look at the dojo that had been so artfully crafted and carved into the cliff. He did not, however, miss the opportunity to admire Emily from this angle as well, a lingering glance that forced Quietus to decide that he rather liked her hair as long as it was. Not that he would speak on the matter, choosing instead to let his mind wander with a smile as he looked around. The entire complex seemed both highly ornamental, and yet basic at the same time. It served to produce a very interesting dual effect for the dojo, one that masterfully wove both elements of Sith and Jedi architecture together nearly flawlessly. If this was any indication, Aryian had fully come into his own as a Gray Master.

 

Quietus continued to admire the handiwork of the dojo as they went, but as they entered the rather small and barren room, Quietus could not help but laugh to himself at the accommodation. It was the farthest cry possible from the quarters that had been taken for granted in the Sith Temple on Coruscant, and yet it was simple and to the point. Perhaps there was a lesson to be learned in that as well. He took a position standing next to the door, leaning against the wall and turned to Emily with a sly grin as she plopped herself down on the bed.

 

"Well, at least they gave you a bed. Could be worse; you could have had to use Roe'gall for a pillow."

 

This, of course got the attention of the tuk'ata, who raised his head and snuffed as if arguing the point before laying back down. Quietus did not miss the change in conversation however, his eyes narrowing for barely a heartbeat before turning to regard Emily once more. There was a question burning in her mind, but she was no longer the apprentice he had left. She was a Sith Lord, and as such it would have taken a very violent mental attack to see the question in her mind, an option that he would not use on someone so close to him. He would allow it to come out in its own time, when she was ready to present it. Finally, he just shrugged.

 

"Quite simply; you. You are the only plan I have come up with since I awoken; I truly have no plans at the moment otherwise. I have not even contacted the Dark Lord yet; Im not sure he even realizes I have returned. Perhaps that shall be my next task... But not yet. You wont get rid of me that soon Emily..."

 

The devilish grin returned with those words before he continued, deciding to tell her all, or rather, most, of what happened since he awoken.

 

"I awoke on Korriban, not knowing how long had passed, gathered my weapons and armor, and literally broke out of my own tomb. I wandered the Valley for a few days, since I realized in frustration that my ship was still on Coruscant. Brilliant move on my part, no? It was then that I came upon a particular tomb, one that I had not seen in a very long time, and had never entered..."

Quietus paused for a moment, and his devilish grin had faded as his brow furrowed ever so slightly. He realized in that moment that he did not know how Emily would react to the next part of the story, but given her reaction to seeing him only minutes ago, he pressed on, confident that it would yield the same results. He did decide however, to walk to the bed and sit beside her, motioning for her to slide over a bit. It was then that he pulled the cloak-wrapped item from under his arm and rested it on his lap. He looked at it only briefly, with the faintest of smiles before turning to Emily once more, choosing his words carefully and treading on them lightly.

 

"I found the tomb of your parents Emily. I do not know why, but something beckoned me to enter it. Perhaps it was my forgotten feelings for you returning to my conscious mind, or the longing to see my friends once more, but I entered it. I know you have never seen it for yourself, but I am sure that one day you will. It is quite beautiful, a litteral shrine to both your mother and your father. I found where they both lay within, and spent some time among them once more. It was during those moments among your parents that I knew that I had to seek you out once more. And now that I have... I have gifts to bear upon you."

 

He smiled once more, both seeing and feeling the surprise mixed with the tiniest bit of happiness at the news on her face.

 

"One each from your mother, and your father. They were each bestowed upon me while I was in that tomb, and I knew instantly that your parents were meaning them for you. First, your father; John Skywalker... A Sith of both great knowledge and power, and love for your mother. There was a time that he even studied under me, as you did. While brief, it was the beginning of a friendship that would last until his death. Towards the latter half of our friendship, there were many times when he would teach me just as many things as I would teach him. We constantly bounced ideas, theories, Force tricks and the like off of each other; and there were quite a few sparring matches between us as well, as he was just as adept of a combatant as I am. It is in the remembrance of those sparring matches and the indomitable spirit of your father, that this quite literally jumped off the wall of the tomb at me. And now, I deliver it to you."

 

Quietus carefully unwrapped the package that was in his lap, adding a bit of drama as he did so ever so slower than he needed to. When the last fold of cloth fell away to reveal the Battle Axe, which he lifted in his hand and held up for a few seconds, taking a moment to regard it himself in the daylight before handing it to Emily to further examine while he continued.

 

"It is a Sith Alchemy Battle Axe, quite similar in craftsmanship to my own Warhammer. It was one of your father's favorite weapons to utilize in combat, and I have vivid memories of him cutting down his foes, quite literally, as if they were made of nothing more than sand and salt. When I found it, I had intended to return it to its position on the wall, but the moment I touched it I saw images flash in my mind. First of your father, which only served to confirm that it was his axe. But then the second time I touched it, I saw three images in sequence; Images of you. Your eyes, your hair, and then you wielding it in combat, with your hair swirling around you, hiding your face from view save for your eyes. It was then that I knew that the axe was to be gifted to you, by me."

 

He chuckled slightly to himself, remembering what he had said in the tomb when the realization had hit him.

 

"Your father always was a sentimental bastard..."

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I ate a hippo. It was delicious.

May the Forth therve you well...

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For once in a long time, the Grey Master was humbled. Though to be perfectly fair, he should have expected such raw tenacity from any offspring of Julio Furion's.

 

He really had no intention of retrieving his thrown blade, and it stuck itself into the wall behind Rose, even as she lashed out with her foot. The kick he caught well, though it caught him slightly off balance as he ran and he had to step to the side, mid charge, to catch his balance. But, Rose hadn't given him any time to recover. If it was a simple strike, or an attack or feint, it was something Aryian could have dealt with easily. But now here he was, within melee distance, recovering his balance, when the girl decided to tackle him. To any practitioner of Echani or Mandalorian martial arts, when weapons were involved, it was easily one of the most dangerous things someone could do. The odds of successfully besting your opponent shot straight to about 50/50, and death was a high probability for one or all participants. It was something that wasn't taught as an ideal move for a reason.

 

But given Rose's situation, whether she intended it as a calculated risk or simply did it out of instinct, it worked out in her favor. Her full body weight slammed into Aryian even as he moved to block, though already being off-balance he had expected another kick or possibly a jab, not a tackle, and was pushed back to the floor, her on top.

 

It was now that he used the Force, not to continue the attack, but to grab her wrist and crush her lightsaber's internal components, even as he disignited his own as they hit the ground, knocking the wind out of him. It wasn't a concession of victory, despite the fact that it technically was her victory to claim; it was merely to preserve both their lives from an accident that had started off as a training exercise. However, he hadn't expected her tenacity, he had underestimated her, and that was his downfall. Instinct or no, she had dove into the attack with the warrior's heart, knowing it was her or him, even if only on a subconscious level. And while dangerous, if harnessed, it was a deadly part of a true warrior's arsenal. The fact that this girl had demonstrated these kinds of behaviors spoke volumes about her.

 

"Enough."

 

Aryian waited until she stopped, and rose slowly from the floor, brushing the dust off himself and stretching his back out. He'd hit pretty hard, as most of his focus was on her lightsaber instead of cushioning his own fall. The Grey Master wasn't as young as he once was.

 

"Good. Excellent. That caught me completely off guard. Don't let it go to your head though. One victory means nothing. A million victories mean nothing. There will always be someone better than you or even me, someone stronger or faster, more powerful than your limits. What matters is your confidence, while simultaneously ensuring it doesn't turn into overconfidence. That was my mistake this time. But, you will learn that better through experience."

 

Aryian looked around, noticing Emily was gone, and that another powerful and faintly familiar presence was at the dojo. Shrugging it off, he figured it was better if she did as she pleased, and decided to return when she desired. After all, it was her who desired his knowledge, she would be free to receive it at her own pace.

 

"Now...tell me what you know of the Force."

Edited by Guest

Immediately reachable by  charlesjhall@gmail.com

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She was half surprised he couldn't tell exactly what was on her mind. He knew her better than anyone in the galaxy, even now, after all these years. But she had changed so much that it shouldn't have surprised her. It interested her that he had no other plans at the moment. That was fine with her for now, though soon she was sure he would want to return to the Order and get re-involved in Furion's twisted plots.

 

When he spoke of his reentry into the galaxy, she was interested. The fact that he had visited her parents' tomb, however, astonished her. It was like some sort of disconnect, like the worlds were colliding. His story of her father fascinated her. She had known that they were friends, but it was one thing to know it and another to hear tales of the times when it was true. She drank in his words, her mind bringing up the few--mostly hazy--memories she had of her father. His words allowed her to see another side of the man she had loved and respected, and returned some of the ache of his passing to her heart. She missed him--and her mother--so much.

 

Quietus was unwrapping a weapon now, a Sith battle axe of exquisite quality. He handed it to her, and she traced her hands down it as he continued to speak. In the Force, it rang with quiet echoes of her father, of his wit and ferocity and love for Sirvani. It was beautiful, and while she knew she would always treasure it, it was Quietus' words about John that she knew she would value more. A smile touched her lips again at Quietus' last chuckled comment.

 

"Thank you," she said, and she meant it. She was struck in that moment how alike they were. Both were bound by promises to John and Sirvani. Quietus had promised to look after Emily, and Emily had promised to continue the path of knowledge they had begun down and learn about the true nature of the Force without being blinded by the philosophies of one Order or the other. She said as much aloud to Quietus, then quirked an eyebrow. "You said there was something from my mother as well?" Emily wondered what it could be, for Sirvani had already left her daughter her ship and her lightsaber.

Emily%202015_zps34rpkjob.jpg

 

"Days in the sun...what I'd give to relive just one. Undo what's done, and bring back the light."

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Quietus could do little else but smile a very knowing, very sly smile when Emily asked what he could possibly have for her from her mother. To a point Sirvani's gift was much more personal and much more telling than the gift he had given her of her father's axe. Quietus paused for just a moment, wanting the delivery of the gift to be beyond exquisite, for that was the caliber of gift that he had to bestow upon her.

 

"Ah yes... Your mother. We were all lost for words when your father died. We all grieved, but none so much as your mother. There was nothing anyone could say to ease her pain, her sorrow... Most didnt even know how to approach such a subject, and because of that they distanced themselves from her. While your father was a master of combat, your mother was much more the cunning, manipulative, and downright mentally powerful type. They were the perfect ying and yang to each other. But when your father died... I have never seen one so.. hollow inside. Im sure even you remember how distant and cold your mother was in those months following John's death. I was one of the few who understood that pain, and I did my best to facilitate her as a friend and brother of the Sith."

 

He turned to her fully, and once again reached out to touch her face, but this time did so with both hands, placing them gently on either side of her face, his thumbs near her temples.

 

"I fear that in those days Sirvani was unfairly cold and distant to you, a fact that I know caused you resentment of her, and even of your father for leaving you both. Your mother's love for your father is well known, but my gift to you from your mother, is to show you just how much she loved you as well."

 

To Emily, it must have felt like Quietus had suddenly used his dark powers to summon lightning straight into her mind. To a point, the truth was similar. Knowing how strong she had become, he almost had to break her mental defenses, if only to get inside her mind to show her. It was then, and only then would she fully understand. The truth of the matter was that Quietus was connecting his mind to hers so that he could share with her the memories and visions that he had. To Emily, there would be a blinding light which would fade almost as fast as it had appeared, giving way to the visions.

 

The entrance of the shared tomb...

Running a hand along the carvings on the wall...

The carvings showing the life stories of John and Sirvani...

The massive chamber where both lay in death...

The stone carvings inlaid into their tombs of each...

The eyes of each...

Sirvani's eyes showed sadness, anger, and determination...

Emotions that she had wrapped herself in during life...

John's seemed to exude focus, duty, and wisdom...

The knowledge that came with age...

Quietus standing between the two tombs...

One hand on each...

The sudden appearance of the stone slab into view...

The slab; a placeholder...

The words carved into the slab...

 

The words that had been carved into the slab came into view in her mind, allowing only a quickened heartbeat to pass before the words were spoken in her mind. But it was not the voice of Emily's mind, nor even that of Quietus. It was not a single voice at all; it was a mixture of the voices of her parents speaking them:

 

Within this tomb we rest,

Within this tomb we wait,

For the third of our family,

To join us in the Force.

Upon this spot she will rest,

When her fiery light is put out.

 

There was another blinding flash as Emily was released from the visions, as her world would fade back to reality, finding Quietus still looking deep into her eyes. His face was stoic as always, but if she looked close enough she would see the emotion behind his eyes. The vision had been shared by the both, and with his mind being so connected to hers, he could not help but feel her emotions as if they were his own. But for the most part, the emotions were foreign to him, allowing him to remain composed even if she could not. He spoke once more, this time his voice barely above a whisper.

 

"The gift of love Emily... While she may not have shown it towards the end, your mother loved you with enough fiery passion to destroy an entire planet. Even as she made plans for the burial of your father, even as she made plans for her own ending, you were never lost in her mind, never forgotten in her plans. She planned for you as well, for you were then as you are now; as you will forever be; their daughter, their family, their child. The best of both of them lies within you. And when the time has come, you will join them in that tomb, and you will all three be together again in the Force."

 

Quietus could not help himself from brushing away a tear that had dared to escape from Emily's eye. Seeing how much the visions, and even the battle axe had meant to Emily brought Quietus to some rather life defining realizations. SOmething that he had always suspected, and even known, for a very long time, but had never allowed himself to admit; he loved her. He felt more deeply for her than anyone else that he had ever met, and wanted nothing more in that moment than to stay at her side and have her at his.

 

With that admission, there was nothing left to stay his hand. There was nothing left stopping him from confirming his love for her to both of them. She was no longer his apprentice, and he no longer struggled with the admission of his feelings. With nothing left to stop him, Quietus did the only logical thing left. He did not care whether he should or not, as the rational portion of his mind had been pushed aside without regard, giving way only to his feelings for her. Without words, and completely oblivious to the fact that she may have been speaking, Quietus gently tilted her head up, and kissed her tenderly. He did not know why, but Quietus knew that at that moment, it was what both of them needed.

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I ate a hippo. It was delicious.

May the Forth therve you well...

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Quietus' words about Sirvani struck a chord with Emily. It was encouraging to see that her friends had understood what she was going through. Emily certainly hadn't. She almost felt like she did now, though, to a certain extent. She had lost so many people, starting with her parents.

 

But soon Quietus was showing her the vision of Korriban's tombs, and she found herself lost again in her emotions. She had known that her mother loved her, but it was more of something she knew rather than felt, particularly towards the end when Sirvani had been away so often. She knew that her mother had trained an apprentice during that time, and had tried to reintegrate herself into the Sith order, but apparently she had been also setting up this incredible tomb and making the final preparations, not only for herself, but also for Emily. It was a little morbid, but at the same time, Emily could feel the love that her parents had put into this. They were still taking care of her, even after all these years.

 

Her eyes misted as she heard her parents voices again, after so many years. As the vision faded, she found herself staring into Quietus' solemn face. He wiped at a tear that had escaped from her eye. Gratitude overflowed in her; gratitude towards her parents, but more so gratitude towards him for sharing it with her. He would never know how much it really meant to her, but between the openness in her mind right now and his own experience, he could begin to grasp it.

 

She was about to speak when suddenly everything changed, for Quietus had leaned in and was kissing her. It was like an electric shock running through her body, setting her nerves tingling, and awakening feelings in her that she had never felt before. She didn't want to pull away. All thought fled for the duration of the kiss, and all she wanted to do was act on instinct.

 

But the kiss was tentative, brief, and gentle, and they soon broke apart. As Emily opened her eyes, she saw a twist of something over Quietus' shoulder. With a flicker, she caught a glimpse of two blue-hazed figures, standing quietly there. They lasted only for a split-second, but in that moment, Emily saw her mother's knowing and encouraging look, and her father's amused approval. They were gone as soon as they had come, and Emily once again met the eyes of the man in front of her. Her pulse was racing, and in that moment, she finally allowed herself to see the same truth that, unbeknownst to her, Quietus had just discovered; she felt much more for him than she had ever let herself realize.

 

So she didn't hesitate. Leaning over, she kissed him this time, and this time, it wasn't a kiss of inquisitiveness, but one of passion.

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"Days in the sun...what I'd give to relive just one. Undo what's done, and bring back the light."

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Surprise took her as Aryian called the fight right after the tackle. He seemed genuinely impressed by the move, but Rose had just gone all in. At the time it didn't seem like a particularly obscure or skillful move, it just felt right. She didn't notice the slight smile creep onto her face as her master praised her, though made a point to say it could have been a fluke. That didn't matter. She proved she wasn't just a child. She had some skill.

 

Yet when he asked about what she knew of the Force the smile quickly faded. "Well...." Rose started hesitantly, her eyes unconsciously falling to the floor. "I've studied a great deal of philosophy and history into both the Jedi and Sith, as well as many off shoots and cultural religions based around the Force. But most of my training has revolved around fighting. I can't..."

 

She paused to weigh her words, not really sure how to explain it the way her father had. "I can't really call on the Force. I mean, I can feel it but I just sort of flow with it, I guess? Whenever I try to focus on anything specific, it just feels like I'm grabbing at smoke." Words fell out faster and faster until she felt like she was nearly stumbling over herself, stopping to try to collect her thoughts.

 

"Sometimes, when the flow is especially powerful I get lost to it. A few times I've blacked out and woken up to a great mess. Mostly broken droids, or walls, and..." She stopped again, not really sure what else to say.

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The kiss that Quietus received in return to his was not the gentle, caring, almost cautionary one that he had placed upon Emily. In the moment, the Sith did not know what the reaction would be, only that every fiber of his being told him that he needed take the chance. It was a chance that would either bring the pair closer together, or force them farther apart. But it seemed, Quietus' potential worries were for naught. This was a kiss of pure passion, without hesitation. Feeling the sheer emotion and passion that was practically pouring off of Emily, Quietus allowed the floodgates to open on his own passion, held in check for so long. He felt inhibitions thrown out the window for both of them, making way for the sheer amount of caring, love, and passion.

 

His hold upon her face, once gentle and caring, rapidly evolved into a solid grip, his hands moving only slightly to cradle her head near her neck. It was not a hold of force, but rather one of sheer intensity. He returned the kiss with equal passion to that of Emily, perhaps even more. Quietus was still connected though his mind with Emily, which only served to have both feed off of each other's passion and emotions, further escalating the feelings in the process. The effect was exponential in many ways. Their combined feelings were rapidly bringing the encounter to a cliff, a point of no return.

 

But Quietus had no intention of stopping or even slowing, and knew that Emily would follow him in this regard. It took all the remaining willpower Quietus had to break the kiss, his gaze turning to Roe'gall in an instant, speaking in the ancient language of the Sith to the tuk'ata. The animal would understand the language better than most living Sith, a fact which brought with it an immense amount of command.

 

"Iet. Ārpusē. Paliks sardzē pie durvīm. Ļaut vienam iebraukt līdz brīdim, kad mēs iziet."

 

The beast instantly responded, jumping to its feet and practically running out of the room just a split second before Quietus slammed the door shut with the Force behind him and turned back to Emily. He said nothing to her, and wasted barely a heartbeat before he re-engaged in their passionate kiss. He allowed it to consume his mind in the next moments, his focus wholly on expressing his feelings for her through it. Before long, Quietus was pushing Emily back so that she would be laying on the bed instead of sitting as the kiss continued, with Quietus moving with her effortlessly.

 

But Quietus still had tricks up his sleeves, and subconsciously decided to toy with Emily as he had done once before. With his mind still connected to hers, it did not take long at all to find the sections of her mind that were responsible for pleasure. Last time he had done this to Emily, it had been in the presence of others, and it had been barely a faint touch. This time, fueled by his passion for her, he straight out assaulted her pleasure nodes. For all intents and purposes, he intended to push Emily beyond anything she had ever experienced before. He knew what it had done to her the first time, and was getting even further enjoyment from seeing what would happen this time. He felt the explosion in her mind of sheer pleasure, and the sound of her sudden intake of air at the feelings that quickly rushed through her body, threatening to cause her to lose complete control. It was a move that was completely evil in a playful way, but completely driven by his desire for her. As he continued his mental release of pleasure upon her, his right hand almost slithered down her side, tracing every curve along the way before coming to rest at her waist. It rested there for only a few moments, before his entire arm wrapped around her waist, rolling over onto his back and bringing her with him, allowing her to be laying upon his massive frame.

 

Throughout the entire move, the kiss was never broken, nor was his affect on her mind through the Force. With every passing moment both factors seemed to only intensify further and further, and it was not long before Quietus realized he had lost the conscious thought of his right hand, which he found to be roaming the small of her back, almost as if pacing like Roe'gall had done prior to Quietus' arrival, seeking to touch the flesh that lay beneath the jumpsuit she wore. The realization that she was wearing a jumpsuit, and thus his hand would not find what it sought so easily brought a rare curse to Quietus' mind, but one that was much less serious than it could have been. It was then Quietus who broke the kiss once again, giving both a rare respite to attempt to catch their breath, if that was even possible. His eyes stared directly into hers, almost daring her to up the ante as a sly grin crept onto his face.

 

Quietus had always been a warrior Sith, favoring fierce physical and close combat over the deception and Force manipulations that other Sith used. He was a Sith of the battlefield, even when there was no battle to be fought. Long years and countless wars against every foe the Sith had ever come across had shaped him into a deadly Sith. It was often in these battles that Quietus would allow his rage, his anger, and even his physical and emotional pain to flow over him; in essence, he would go into a blood rage. Taping into the most primal of emotions gave him speed, aggression, and determination far beyond what his opponents were often prepared for. In essence, it brought him to another level.

 

But this was no battlefield. There was no opponent to engage in war. Instead of feeding off of his anger and rage, Quietus found himself feeding off of the passion and love that he held for Emily. This was no bloodlust of battle... This was the lust of another being. It was so similar to his battle lust in so many ways, but the basis of it; the emotions that he was feeding upon made it so much different. It consumed him in that moment of respite following the passionate kiss.

 

It consumed him enough that his actions became much more aggressive than they had been just moments prior. In a heartbeat, Quietus' hands moved with speed, grasping the shoulder straps of Emily's sleeveless jumpsuit, and tore them down and outward. The last thing that Quietus would recall before the sheer lust overcame him, was his right hand then shooting to the back of her head, and pulling her down to him in another kiss that was rougher than the previous ones.

 

After that moment, Quietus' conscious mind was lost in the sea of love, passion and lust that he was basking in with Emily.

 

============================

 

Outside the small room, all was quiet, as it had been for so long. The only activity that came was the door shooting open, and the massive tuk'ata Roe'gall coming flying out before the door slammed shut again. Roe'gall was a perfect guardian pet however, and once outside merely turned to look back at the door as it slammed with a snuff and low growl, sounding more like a purr, before plopping down on its rump to guard the door. And there he would stay until the door opened again from the inside.

 

It would be a long wait.

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I ate a hippo. It was delicious.

May the Forth therve you well...

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Form the moment he kissed her again, she was lost in a sea of instinct, passion, and desire. Never before had she felt this way toward anyone. The experience surpassed her occasional fantasies and brought her in contact with a part of her she had known existed but had never accessed completely. Everything else in the universe faded, and there was only Quietus, the feel of his mouth on hers and his hands on her flesh.

 

Their connection with the Force enhanced the experience, and as he triggered a stronger reaction from her mind, she in turn did the same to him, using the Force to stimulate already active parts of his brain. There came a time when he broke their kisses and turned his attention to relieving her of her jumpsuit. She stepped out of it willingly, revealing the Sith rune that had been tattooed between her breasts, and in turn relieved him of his clothes. 

 

That minor irritant dealt with, they turned their full attention back to each other. She ran her hands through his lustrous white hair as he explored her body, and in that moment, she had never felt happier.

 

***

 

The poor tuk'ata waited outside the door for a long time. He was a beast, so he didn't notice the passage of time in the same way a full sentient creature would, but he was sentient enough to realize that it had been a long time and he was hungry. So when the door finally slid open again, he ignored the two people lying on the bed, and went straight to his food. He snapped up some bites of the meat, then turned and headed back out at a mental command from his mistress.

 

***

 

The door slid shut again, but Emily was in no hurry to move. She lay half next to and half on top of Quietus, their legs intwined, her head resting on his shoulder, and her hand idly tracing the curves of his muscles on his chest. After a long moment, she glanced up into his eyes, her grey and hazel ones still pouring out the joy and ecstasy she was feeling. "When did you realize?" 

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"Days in the sun...what I'd give to relive just one. Undo what's done, and bring back the light."

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Quietus was rather enjoying the downtime following what had proven to be an encounter with Emily that was beyond intense. He could only vividly recall certain moments, but they were enough to sustain him for a very long time. He was laying there considering many things, both past present and future, while his hands idly caressed various sections of Emily's body. Her question to him finally broke his train of thought, and as he turned his head ever so sightly to look at her, his rather infamous devilish grin returned.

 

"When did I realize... That question can be applied to so many topics, and result in so many answers. When did I realize that you had effortlessly carved a place in my soul? When I visited your parents tomb, When did I realize how truly beautiful you are? The first moment I met you. When did I realize how important you were to me? When I had to watch helplessly as Ar-Pharazon and the others killed you in front of me..."

 

He voice trailed off ever so slightly, a rare sign that that would was still rather fresh; a rare vulnerability in the otherwise tough armor of the Sith Master. He recovered almost instantly, allowing only a heartbeat before the grim returned and he planted a kiss on Emily's forehead, attempting to dismiss the moment that had just passed.

 

"But none of those are what you mean are they? No... you want to know when did I realize that I held so much love and passion for you, when I realized that I could not deny it anymore."

 

He took another moment of silence to truly contemplate the answer. While he did so, he filled the passing seconds by squeezing her closer to him as he thought about it.

 

"I realized it when I saw the love and sadness in your eyes when I gave you the gifts of your parents. In that moment, I could not deny it any longer; all I wanted was to love and protect you, to ensure that you would never feel the sadness of abandonment that you have already experienced so much of. I wanted to stand tall in the galaxy and have you at my side. In that moment I realized that there was nothing holding me back from showing you what I had held in check for longer than I had realized. You are no longer my apprentice, and that was the final barrier besides my own refusal to admit it."

 

He looked down at her fondly as he spoke, watching as her emotions rose up within her once again. Everything had changed with his relationship with Emily. There were no longer any secrets between them about how they felt, and Quietus for one found it very liberating, he could now do as he felt when around her, not having to second guess his actions or words to her. There was however, still the warrior side of Quietus mind, which although pushed to the back in these moments, was still planning, plotting, and considering opportunities. That part of his mind knew that his love for Emily would simply be another weapon; another well of strong and powerful emotion to which he could call upon and engulf himself in. It was a well that he knew he would not mind engulfing himself in much more in the future.

 

Even thinking about the possibilities returned Quietus to the present, his eyes filling with devilish intent as his hand continued to wander across her body even more boldly. His free hand however, rose to engage a new aspect of Emily, one that she had mentioned previously and Quietus had known he would enjoy discovering upon her body. Slowly he began tracing the image she had tattooed between her breasts with a finger, tickling her skin as he did so.

 

"You know, when you mentioned this before... I knew I would have such fun finding it, and oh how much fun I had."

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I ate a hippo. It was delicious.

May the Forth therve you well...

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She smiled a bit as he teased her with his words. She wasn't averse to being flattered; indeed that was part of his job now that their relationship had become much more. It was right and fitting that he tell her often now how beautiful she was, and how pleased he was with her. For now that she was thinking again and not just acting on human instinct, she realized that she had been nervous about being with him. She naturally desired his approval, and she had never slept with anyone before. There had been a little nervousness that she wouldn't be any good at it. But his words drove away any lingering thoughts of that.

 

When he mentioned feeling helpless when they had last seen each other, her brow wrinkled. His betrayal of her three years ago was one of the deepest pains she had had in her life, a wound that had never quite fully healed. She wanted to ask him why, if he had been so against it and it had caused him so much heartache, he had allowed it to happen. But this wasn't really the time. She was feeling too content right now to bring up old wounds. Besides, she was keeping her mind so open to him, she wouldn't be surprised if he saw the question in her mind.

 

Instead, she focused on his next words as he answered her original question. What he was offering was everything she wanted. Someone with whom she could be herself without feeling judged. Someone who she respected, and cared about. Someone to walk through life with her, a partner of her heart and mind. She once again felt overwhelmed with emotion as he squeezed her nearer to him, and couldn't help but kiss him again.

 

As she drew back her head, he got a devilish grin on his face, that look which sent shivers of anticipation down her spine. As his fingers traced her tattoo, she adopted the same devilish grin. "You have the dark lord to thank for this tattoo. He tattooed all of the Order with this rune for unity, hoping that it would be an outward sign and a reminder to us all of our commitment to and belonging with the Order." She chuckled dryly. "Of course, now it's just going to remind me of this."

 

She wiggled closer to him, pushing closer against him, trying to decrees the already tiny space between them. She couldn't get enough of him. He intoxicated her completely. The naughty grin returned to her face as she remembered something, and with a brush of the Force, once again stroked the pleasure centers of his mind.

Emily%202015_zps34rpkjob.jpg

 

"Days in the sun...what I'd give to relive just one. Undo what's done, and bring back the light."

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He returned her kiss in kind, knowing just how much his words had meant to her. If there was any doubt that still lingered after the last few hours spent intimately with one another, it was gone now. She was his to have and hold forever now. All he could do was attempt to earn such devotion and return it in kind, for she had earned as much. Abandoned by her parents and even Quietus himself before. He would do everything in his power to ensure it never happened again.

 

"Well then, if it is the Dark Lord I have to thank, then I will be sure to bring him a gift basket. You know, some dark chocolate, exotic fruit, maybe a severed Jedi head or two..."

 

The manner in which Quietus spoke was completely deadpan, giving no indication of whether he was joking or not. He allowed a few moments to pass in silence, if only to further confuse Emily about the seriousness of his words. The entire time however, his hand continued its seemingly idle tracing of the tattoo upon her skin, almost tickling her with its touch. When she wiggled closer to him and very coyly began to use Quietus' own tricks on him, the Sith could not help but remember a thought she had so long ago when he first did it to her, a thought she was too busy at the time attempting to control herself to fully conceal. Next time don't manipulate me; provide it for me yourself, if you dare is what she had thought then, when she was still his apprentice. This time, he dared quite willingly.

 

With all the grace of a rancor in a china shop, Quietus practically threw Emily atop him once more, intent on going another round with his former apprentice and now lover.

But more importantly, he aimed to provide the ecstasy that she desired without the aid of the Force this time.

 

===========================================

 

Multiple hours later, Quietus again found himself entangled with Emily, with both awash with sweat from the intensity. He could not help but again find his hands roaming her form so freely. The two had practically used up an entire days worth of time, with night coming and going without either of them noticing. Despite his desire to stay this close to her and possibly even go for another round, the more responsible part of Quietus mind told him that there would be plenty of opportunities in the future, and that there were things to be done besides this. Finally he spoke, giving Emily a rather playful slap on the bottom in the process.

 

"As much as I am sure you share my desire to stay here forever, what kind of Sith Master would I be if I did not allow you to return to your studies and lessons? You came here to learn, and I would not be so selfish to deny you that. I think it is perhaps time for us to venture out of this room, if for nothing else than to give Roe'gall a break from having to stay outside. Besides, what kind of guest would I be if I did not properly meet the Gray Master myself?"

 

There was a distinct amount of amusement in his voice as he spoke, almost feeling sorry for the beast to have kicked it out of the room for so long. After planting one more lingering, passion filled kiss, Quietus rose, and set about finding his armor and clothing, all of which had been quite literally scattered around the room. A bracer in one corner, the matching gauntlet on complete oppasite side of the room. His chestpiece under the foot of the bed. There was a moment of sheer confusion as he realized his pants were some ten feet above the doorway, caught on a small ledge of stone, wondering just how they had gotten there. Next to the makeshift bed that was for Roe'gall, Quietus found a rather tattered and torn piece of black fabric, which he instantly recognized. He looked up at Emily and held it up to show her, intent upon speaking again. But the words froze in his mouth for barely a heartbeat as he noticed something else before recovering with a very amused grin on his face.

 

"Well I have two things to report... One, youre going to need some new clothing. It seems I got rather... aggressive with your last outfit."

 

He again held up the cloth, which was now barely recognizable. The shoulder straps had been ripped off from the front, and all along its length were rips and tears. In some places there were entire patches of the clothing missing.

 

"Two... you're going to need a new bed, which I think was both of our doing."

 

He then pointed to the bed itself, which he had noticed when he intended to show Emily what remained of her clothing. The bed had been cracked from headboard to footboard down the middle, essentially causing the middle to cave in into a vaguely V-shape. Not that either had noticed considering they had spent so much time entwined with one another. Though Quietus doubted that Emily would object to keeping the bed just as it was.

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I ate a hippo. It was delicious.

May the Forth therve you well...

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((Wow. Excuse the lateness of this post. I thought my other post had been submitted.))

 

".....I see. Well..."

 

Aryian straightened, calling the lightsaber buried in the wall to his hand, disigniting it as it was mid-flight.

 

"That is something rare. Not many people that are skilled with the Force have this problem, and those that do are usually stronger in the Force than others. That is, of course, when they are able to tap into it. Rarer still, according to the Jedi archives, are those who learn to overcome this hardship and can start to tap into the Force at will. In fact there are only three occurrences of such Jedi, and two lost the enhanced power of their condition when they learned to control their connection. The third...was one of the original founders of the Order and one of the first defenders against the Sith that hunted them. As for this happening with the Sith...I have not studied their histories enough to uncover such people, however the Sith history is a tattered and broken one, marred by infighting and restructuring based on the attitudes of those past leaders who were currently in power. As it is said: 'History is written by the victor'."

 

Aryian walked to the edge of the ring, handing his lightsabers to one of the droid attendants, whom he then ordered to repair their fallen comrade and repair the sparring arena. He turned his head briefly, beginning to speak to Rose as he began to walk out of the room.

 

"Come. There is something I want to try in the meditation chamber. If it works, it will 'unlock' you, from a certain point of view. If it doesn't work.....then all I can recommend is excessive practice and meditation."

Immediately reachable by  charlesjhall@gmail.com

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Ah, he's everything I want, Emily thought after he responded to her mental suggestion. She had never been happier in her life; indeed, she had begun to think the universe had been conspiring against her. She was very glad to have been proven wrong.

 

Rising when Quietus lightly brought them back to reality, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and rose. She felt like she was returning from a holiday, and it was time to get back to work. But she laughed as Quietus pointed out the damage he had done to her jumpsuit. "Looks like I'll have to go shopping sometime," she said, opening the satchel that contained her clothing. "The bed will just have to be what it is, or I will have to choose new quarters." The satchel contained her armor, the evening gown she had taken from the luxury liner, the metal bikini that she had for some reason kept from when she had escaped from the slavers, and a set of street clothes. Shrugging, she tossed on the latter, a pair of low-rise hunter green cargo pants and a fitted brown tee shirt. It took a while to tame her hair, which had gotten into a pretty wild mess, but in the end, she got it put back to rights, pulling it into a messy bun to keep it out of the way.

 

She then retrieved her lightsabers from where they had rolled, which was more difficult than it sounded, for one was under the now ruined bed. In the end, she used the Force to call it to her hand. These she fastened to the belts she wore crisscrossed on her hips. She also retrieved her father's axe, and placed it gently on the table. Finally, she slipped on a pair of flats and turned to find Quietus watching her bemusedly. "What?" she asked.

 

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, then headed out the door. "Come on, let's go introduce you to Aryian."

 

Outside, Roe'gall greeted her affectionately and enthusiastically, a pet that resented being left alone too long. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," she said, rubbing his nose. "I think I've been spoiling you too much. You do remember that you're supposed to be a big fearsome monster, right?"

 

They ran into Aryian and Rose as they were leaving the sparring arena. She nodded a greeting to him, ignoring Rose for the moment. "Aryian, forgive my absence. Allow me to introduce you to Sith Master Darth Quietus, former Dark Lord of the Sith, and my own former master in the ways of the Force." She glanced at Quietus. "This is Master Aryian Darkfire." She motioned to Rose as well. "And this is Rose, Dark Lord Furion's daughter."

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"Days in the sun...what I'd give to relive just one. Undo what's done, and bring back the light."

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So it is true... The words were reserved for his own mind, words that came to him as Emily made the introductions. In his research to track down Emily, he had seen the searches for the Gray Master, and upon finding the name Aryian Darkfire connected to those searches, almost did not believe them to be true. But now here he was standing before Quietus as the Gray Master, and it was indeed as he had been told. It was an interesting bit of knowledge to attain, but like his gray nature, this man was not inclined to throw his weight around to one side or another. He bowed slightly to both Aryian and Rose in kind before speaking.

 

"Emily's absence is my doing Aryian, so the apology is mine. It seems, we could not pass up the opportunity to spend some... quality time catching up. I stressed to her the importance of maintaining ones studies and training, so there should be minimal further absences. I must say, when I first heard of this dojo and of an ellusive hermit Gray Master, I did not know what to expect. But I realize now there are few who could truly claim the title of a Gray Master besides you. I look forward to seeing what both Emily and Rose may learn from you."

 

He turned then to Rose, fully considering her for the first time. He had heard that Julio had a daughter, but had never met her or learned anything about her other than her existence. And for the moment, that fact was enough to suffice. He had no need or desire to learn more about her; at least not for now. When the time was right, he was sure that knowledge would find its way to him regarding Rose.

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I ate a hippo. It was delicious.

May the Forth therve you well...

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As Aryian walked out into the hall, he was met with the other two people that occupied the Dojo, Emily and a man who looked familiar. Quietus, he seemed to remember from his time his 'other aspect' had spent as a Sith, but other than that the man was a fresh face.

 

"Please, you flatter me. I'm just a man who has had the fortune, or misfortune depending on how you look at it, of having the training and general knowledge of both schools of thought. The Force guided me to the position I took here. I really only wish to teach what those who seek me out wish to learn. So as to her 'absence'..."

 

The Master chuckled a bit, knowing exactly why she was gone, as well as the apparent time differential that had somehow come into existence from their 'hours' of play, while Aryian had been with Rose only for a few minutes. Another truth and example of how his universe worked, knowledge he had gained when he had achieved true enlightenment through the Force.

 

"Think nothing of it. Nobody here will be a prisoner to their training, all are free to come and go, start and stop when they please. I am here to teach what is asked of me, not to take Apprentices and Padawans under a binding Master/Student relationship. This is a safe haven for all who seek shelter and knowledge, and while it isn't a vacation resort, you are welcome to stay as long as you like."

 

With a smile, he returned the bow.

 

"If you will excuse me, I'm going to meet Rose in the meditation room down the hall here. You're welcome to join us if you like, if you have any questions for me. If not, there are still some droids milling about, they will guide you around and fetch things for you if you need something."

 

With that, he turned from them, continuing down the hall, entering the meditation room and taking a seat on one of the padded floor mats. Thankfully, this room had been completed, and though it was rather minimalist with its arrangement of floor mats, there was a wide variety of practice objects on the shelves that ran round the edge of the circular room, objects to manipulate with the Force such as small pebbles, vases of liquids and geometric statues.

Immediately reachable by  charlesjhall@gmail.com

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((Apologies for the lateness. Family time this weekend, culminated with some busy work the past couple of days.))

 

To some degree it was comforting to hear that the condition that plagued her was not unheard of, but according to Master Aryian those few that had dealt with it tended to be shut down by it. She took this news in a solemn silence, lost in thought as Emily returned with a guest. Rose didn't recognize him at first, but at the sound of Raynuk's name she broke from self concern into awe. In part it was simply being in the presence of a previous Dark Lord, something traditionally unheard of. When a new Dark Lord took the mantle it was always at the cost of life of the old one. Her father had assumed the role in an obscure fashion, seizing the chaos and opportunity of missing leadership while allowing his potency to speak for itself. Slicer had disappeared, Haphaestus had lost his followers, and Raynuk Montar had died. Yet here he was, standing in front of her, just as Julio had predicted.

 

Aryian bowed out and moved to the meditation chamber, wanting to try something or another to understand better this enigma in the Force that hindered Rose so deeply. Of course, Rose was expected to follow, but for a moment she was locked in disbelief.

 

"It..." She began, eyes devouring the sight of the man. It didn't make sense, the dead stay dead. "It is an honor, Master Montar." She said breathlessly with a deep bow, holding it perhaps a few moments longer than was customary. "I have read much of your reported exploits, but I expect there is a great deal left off the pages I would very much enjoy to hear."

 

Ever the scholar she was like a giddy little girl again, meeting a character from her bedtime stories. Impossibly, she noted, as he even seemed to free himself of the finality of death itself.

 

In an instant everything came into perspective when she remembered that her father had told her this very thing would happen. "Oh! I have something for you, I almost forgot."

 

Without warning she bolted away back to her room, gone for maybe thirty seconds to return with a small box. "At first, I thought my father had lost himself to vision again when he told me you would show up here. Sometimes the past, present and future tend to blur together when he spends too much time in the trance." She looked up from the box for a moment to give Raynuk and Emily a look, hesitantly checking their reactions to this odd bit of news about the Dark Lord. Suddenly she realized that these were the very sorts of things that she was not supposed to tell people, so her eyes quickly flicked back to the box as she stumbled her words on quickly. "So he said that when you showed up I should give you this." Outstretching her hands Rose offered the box to Raynuk. As she stepped closer, her nose involuntarily wrinkled at some odd, potent smell. It was a mixture of sweat and something else she couldn't identify. What is that?

 

"And to give you a message." She said as she stepped back, not wanting to bring the oddness up. "How did he put it?"

 

She couldn't remember the exact words, but knew the exactness of it was important somehow. "Oh, yes. 'Congratulations, and apologies. Seize it while you can.' I'm sorry, but I don't really know what he means by that. Sometimes I think my father enjoys being confusing."

 

Looking behind her, toward the way Aryian had gone, Rose realized that she had kept him waiting perhaps a bit too long. "I'm sorry, I really would like to stay and talk. Well, I guess all I've done is talk and haven't given you a chance. I'm sorry. Um...but I have to go. Master Aryian wanted to do something in the meditation chamber and I don't want to keep him. If you're staying around, I would love to talk later. It was really great to meet you. Really!"

 

With another deep bow she bid farewell and walked rather quickly to meed with Aryian. When she arrived, he was already settled in meditation, seemingly not at all concerned with her tardiness. Regardless, Rose couldn't help but apologize profusely. "I'm so sorry, Master, but I had to stay for just a moment. All records had Master Montar dead by all accounts, so seeing him here of all places seemed to strike me with awe."

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Quietus nodded in appreciation of Aryian's hospitality, especially given his rather unorthodox arrival. The Sith was not used to dealing with people who were so gracious and decidedly pleasant. There was a part of him that wanted to be disgusted by the mannerisms and how they resembled those of the Jedi. But Quietus was no longer a wet-behind-the-ears apprentice or Lord. He was a Sith Master and former Dark Lord with many years and many battles behind him. With those experiences came an almost respect for certain Jedi that had been his enemies along the way, and knowing that it was possible for great power to exist in the light side of the Force. Aryian had seemingly adapted to and learned from both, and Quietus could not fault him for it, or the way he acted because of it.

 

As Aryian left, Quietus turned to Emily to ask her a question when Rose finally broke her silence with an almost squeak and a studder, turning the elder Sith's attention back to the young lady. He nodded to her slightly once more to acknowledge her bow to him, and could not help but smile at her implying that there was much more to the stories she may have heard. He again opened his mouth to respond to her, when she just continued on talking like a nervous wreck, a fact that amused Quietus enough to not have it seem like a bother that he could not get a word in edge wise. Her indication that she had something for him further piqued his interest, causing enough so for an eyebrow to raise as she ran off down the hall. Her disappearance allowed Quietus just enough time to turn to Emily with a mixture of amusement and curiosity upon his face.

 

"Well she sure is a chatty one isnt she? You'd think she just met a famous musician instead of an old relic like me..."

 

If Emily had a response, it was going to have to wait, as Rose came running back with the box. She began talking again almost instantly, this time spouting off about her father, but the entire time Quietus' gaze was fixed upon the box. The fact that Julio had known that Quietus would return was of particular interest, but the curiosity of what Julio would instruct his daughter to give him was even more curious. Quietus found that the curiosity of what lay within the box outweighed anything that Rose might have accidentally told him about her father. He took the box from her and couldnt help but smile at Rose as she again began spouting at the mouth.

 

"Thank you Rose, you're a credit to your father's legacy and our order. Now, off you go. I will be around for a little while longer, and I am quite sure you have dozens of questions for me, but they can wait until later I am sure."

 

By the time Quietus finished speaking, Rose had already turned and scampered off to follow Aryian, causing Quietus to once again chuckle to himself before returning his attention to the box that she had just given him.

 

"Congratulations, and apologies. Seize it while you can..."

 

Quietus repeated the words a few times out loud to himself as he looked at the box. Slowly the grin on Quietus' face grew to be rather large as the realization of the message dawned upon him. If Julio had foreseen Quietus' return, and his meeting Rose here, then it was not a far stretch to think that Julio would know the details of his return. Oh dont you worry Julio, there will be much seizing... Much indeed... he thought to himself as the good humor continued to cross his face. With the rather cryptic message figured out, Quietus could finally turn his attention to the box, and more importantly, what was within. The box itself seemed rather ordinary, but held the marks of being crafted delicately. This was not some random box, it was a box with a purpose, a reason behind its construction, but was not in any way significant or ornamental.

 

It was sealed with a singe latch, of which had no key, nor combination. Some might have wondered how to open such a latch, and others would have resorted to some of the more crude methods to do so. Quietus however, was not a member of either group, for he recognized the material of the latch instantly; cortosis plated trillium, resistant to lightsabers and more crude cutting tools, and capable of withstanding untold physical abuse. Quietus had seen this type of lock before, mostly within the various strongholds that the order had occupied during his time. It was however, resigned to the category of a relic, as its use had been tapered off with time. In essence, it was a symbol of the old Order; the old way of doing things, much like Quietus himself was a relic of that order. The significance was not lost, and Quietus found it rather impressive that everything Julio did or was involved in held deeper meaning, even down to this ancient latch on a mystery box.

 

The answer to opening the box was simple; it was a Force lock. Similar to more common key locks, but without a key. Its intent was to only open to a Force user skilled enough to move its pins in the correct sequence at the correct time. Given both his skill with the Force and his familiarity with the lock, it took Quietus mere seconds to crack it, and open the box. Inside it was padded with very dark and almost exotic fabric, the only sign of lavishness upon it. laying within the fabric was a knife of sorts, roughly seven inches long in total, four of which were the blade itself. The blade and the handle were of one single piece of dark yet glinting metal, making it durable and strong. A quick examination confirmed that it was crafted the same as the latch had been; cortosis plated trillium, polished to a luster. The blade itself was serrated randomly along both edges, with rearward facing barbs replacing the serrations in places. It was obviously designed to inflict the maximum amount of bodily harm both entering and exiting its target; a vicious weapon in look, design, and application. The blade would have been enough, but the fun did not stop there. The blade was attached to a rather large chain, roughly 4m long, which was coiled neatly under the blade and attached to it at the end of the pommel. The chain itself was made from lighter durasteel, but it too had been plated in cortosis to prevent it from being severed by lightsaber.

 

Putting all of these elements together made the weapon much more deadly than it initially appeared to most. It was a truly exquisite gift to behold, and for a few moments Quietus' mind rattled with the various things he could do with it; the various ways he could kill, maim, and dismember anyone who got in his way. He reasoned that the chained blade would server as an excellent addition to his armor, once some modifications were made. Later when he returned to his ship, Quietus would anchor the chain to his armor's bracer directly, connecting them, and then wrapping the chain around the bracer to serve as an extra line of defense should Quietus find himself without his lightsabers.

 

Slowly, he removed the blade and chain from the box, wrapping the chain around his fist as he did so. A blade of this caliber needed a name, one that reflected its intentions and those of the darkness that wielded it. Quietus looked first at Emily, who seemed to regard the weapon with as much wonderment as Quietus did, and then to Roe'gall, the faithful Sith pet. A pet which Quietus had spoken to many times in the ancient tongue of the Sith.

 

"Navemiba..."

 

The word almost poured out of Quietus mouth like blood out of a wound. It was an ancient word of the Sith, and it would suit the weapon perfectly. Quietus grinned his most evil and most pleased grin in the moments following the naming of his new weapon, and looked at Emily once again.

 

"Best, day, ever. So far at least."

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I ate a hippo. It was delicious.

May the Forth therve you well...

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Emily nodded to Aryian. She didn't want to intrude on his teaching with Rose. She knew that Rose was in a much different place than she was; that much was clear from watching her spar with Aryian after her own duel. She had also never seen Rose training back on Spite Station. All this meant that what she needed to learn from Aryian was much different than what Emily needed to learn. There wasn't much point in her listening in on what he had to say to Rose. She would find him later and ask him her questions.

 

Rose's response to Quietus astonished her. The girl was positively bubbly. In fact, she almost reminded Emily of herself a few years back, although Emily's awe of Quietus had caused her to be quiet, not talkative. She couldn't hide her smile as the girl chattered away. It was an excellent reminder of what Emily herself knew well--this incredible man was powerful and worthy of much respect. It warmed her heart, for this praise of him also reflected on her. If someone this special, this awe-inspiring, had chosen her above all other women he could have, that made her special too. Part of her would always belong to him now, and the part that was him felt good at being flattered so.

 

But suddenly, her emotions changed as she saw the amusement in Quietus' eyes as he looked at Rose. A streak of jealousy shot through her, uncontrolled and unexpected. It surprised her, until she stopped and asked herself why she felt jealous. The answer was very obvious. She forced herself to smile, and the jealousy faded. Was she so quick to forget Quietus' promises? No. She trusted he would keep them. He had learned regret for not keeping them in the past, and she knew he didn't wish to feel that regret again.

 

Emily bit her lip as she heard the message that Furion had sent. She respected Furion, and she felt that his leadership was good for the Sith, but she had disliked him from the moment he had kidnapped her out of her room in the Sith temple. He was devious and conniving, and one never knew whether to expect praise or censure from him. The fact that he had had a vision of Quietus' return galled her, for she couldn't be resent the fact that he had known such information and had not told her. Surely, as the man's former apprentice, she had the right to know that his death would not yet be permanent. She shook her head and turned her attention back on the here and now. There was nothing she could do about it now. Furion was who he was, and that wasn't ever going to change.

 

Rose ran off to follow Aryian, and Quietus turned his attention on the gift Julio had given to him. Emily, too, examined it. It was exquisite craftsmanship. It reminded her much of something her father would have loved, and Emily loved it too. It was beautiful in the classic Sith way, full of dark intricacies. It was a relic of a different age, an age when Sith were refined and cold, lofty and condescending. Nowadays the majority of the Order were bloodthirsty savages, feeding the darkness in them with insanity. The chain was a little strange though. "What's that for?" she asked, indicating to it.

 

The gift fitted Quietus so well, that Emily knew that Furion understood him. As he opened it, revealing the knife, she became more certain. The blade was quintessentially Quietus' style. He named it, speaking the language of the ancient Sith. She didn't know the word, but the simple act of naming with the language that had most likely been spoken when the relic was forged was very appropriate.

 

She smiled at his last statement. "It certainly is," she agreed. "It looks like Aryian is busy instructing Rose, and we are here to learn such different things that it would be a waste of time for me to listen in right now. I'll speak to him later. He demonstrated some interesting stances during our duel before you got here that I mean to ask him about."

 

She knew Quietus was probably itching to try out his new knife. She'd leave it up to him to decide if he wanted to play with it now or later. As for Darth Eris, she found she was quite hungry.

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"Days in the sun...what I'd give to relive just one. Undo what's done, and bring back the light."

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Aryian chuckled, simply gesturing to another floor mat opposite him. As soon as she was seated, he began speaking.

 

"You might not be familiar with traditional meditation, especially some of the Jedi mannerisms I know of. It has its benefits, but ultimately is only useful for a few things. This, however, is one of them. It's something I used to do to help my Padawans touch the Force for the first time, something I developed, as far as I know, but it almost strikes me as a common sense practice. Basically...I will intermingle my presence with yours, and guide you to the Force. There is no guarantee this will work specifically for you, but at least it's a starting point."

 

Aryian began slowly reaching out in the Force as she settled down, slowly linking his mind and thoughts with hers. Thought would begin to freely flow across their minds, the more active thoughts more dominant and easily understood than the subconscious thoughts and memory fragments they triggered.

 

"I want you to picture yourself sitting under a tree. Nothing more, just you and a tree in nothingness. Focus on the tree, and the tree alone. Attune your thoughts to it. There is nothing but you, and this tree. Now...slowly allow the tree to dissolve away. First the leaves, slowly fading to nothingness, then the branches, one by one, then the trunk of the tree itself, and finally the roots. Let it all go. There is only yourself and the void of a calmed mind."

 

It was then that he began reaching out, slowly filling her with his energy, pushing her towards the thresh hold to where she would learn what the Force felt like, and would more easily be able to make the connection in the future.

 

"Just you and the void. You know there is something else besides the void, but your mind is calm. Receptive of what will happen. Like a reed in the wind, or a rock in a stream, you allow this new feeling to wash over you, going with the flow and simply existing. There is no struggle, no attempt to grasp onto it just yet, just the feeling of this new energy and yourself."

 

Slowly, his mind guiding hers, he reached out, creating a telekinetic tendril made of several small lines of raw Force energy, and lifted a pebble from the far side of the room, bringing it over to rest between the two.

 

"Gently, gracefully, reach out. Do not force it, do not be frustrated if it does not happen, simply allow it to happen. Feel the energy around you."

Immediately reachable by  charlesjhall@gmail.com

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He only half heard what Emily has said about Rose and Aryian, still minorly transfixed upon his new weapon. He gave a non-committal grunt sound in response to her before tucking Navemimba back into its box and closing the latch once more, tucking the box under his arm. Only then, when the new weapon was out of his sight did he turn his attention back to Emily and Roe'gall, perhaps the only two living creatures in the galaxy that he cared to be among constantly. He caught the tail end of Emily's comment about stances, and could only nod.

 

"Indeed. There are a number of different lightsaber stances out there, each with their own form and purpose. Some rely on defense, blocking and neutralizing incoming blows, while some are purely for offense, intent upon overpowering your opponent. There are even forms that fall in between, crafted around the idea of countering attacks and creating openings. I however, never bothered to learn any of these stances and forms.... Never really found the need for them. But I am sure they would be of use to you, if for nothing else than to be able to identify a form your opponents are using. perhaps while you inquire about the forms Aryian used, I could use that time to field the no doubt numerous questions that Rose still has bouncing around her head."

 

He shrugged slightly, his eyes shifting to Roe'gall. At that particular moment, for whatever reason, the massive tuk'ata was licking the wall of the hallway rather intently. Whether it was because of salt deposits or water, Quietus did not know. He sensed the tuk'ata's desire to explore and be on the move after spending so much time just sitting by the door, a position the Sith did not envy him for. He would have to make it up to the beast at some point soon, in addition to making up for his death in the first place. It seemed he had much to make amends for this time around to numerous people.

 

Turning back to Emily however, Quietus could sense even now the fading remains of jealousy that had streaked across her mind like a meteor. He had been so focused on the blade that it had slipped by him up until this moment. It did not take a Sith to know what had sparked the jealousy, but Quietus was also smart enough to see that it was as much of a flash of emotion as it had appeared to be. Still, he would not be one to waste a perfectly good opportunity such as this to remind Emily just what there was to be jealous of. He waled the few steps between them, stopping just within arms reach. He paused for only a heartbeat there before he reached out and laid his hand upon the back of her head and pulled her towards him. This time however, he planted a kiss on her forehead instead of her lips. Not only was it more convineient given their height difference, but he knew that it would not be expected, especially given the manner in which he pulled her to him. And Quietus so did enjoy surprising Emily and keeping her guessing. He adopted a serious look and tone in his voice just following his sign of affection as he spoke.

 

"I could have sworn I saw a green eyed monster for a second, right there over your shoulder. Nasty looking creature; taller than me with big razor sharp teeth. Must have been my imagination though..."

 

The serious look and tone cracked almost instantly as Quietus grinned once again at his little jab at Emily before sliding his arm around her waist before continueing down the hall that the two had initially been walking through before they ran into Aryian and Rose. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Roe'gall, who had been thusfar following them silently, let out a rather evil sounding whimper. It was enough to grab Quietus' attention, who turned to look back over his shoulder at the beast.

 

"Hrm? Oh, indeed. I suppose you ARE hungry after such an excellent shift of guard duty arent you? Well we can surely fix that."

 

He held out his hand to Roe'gall, who almost instinctively responded by rubbing his snout up against Quietus' hand and was rewarded with a quick scratch behind the ears and a pat on the snout. He continued to look upon the beast as he spoke, petting it affectionately while it looked back at him silently.

 

"Seeing him again... It strengthens my resolve in this world. But he is yours now Emily... I think it is time that I create the next in his legacy. I promised you that I would show you the way, and it is my belief now that by showing you how I crafted him, many things will occur. You will learn the process, and in doing so be able to create your own in the future should anything happen to Roe'gall. Not only that, but I will gain a suitable replacement for him, perhaps one that is superior in some aspects due to our combined efforts. And lastly... perhaps you will gain a further understanding into Roe'gall himself, which can do nothing but further strengthen your bond. What do you say Emily, are you still interested?"

 

He turned to Emily then, his eyes awash with sparkles of the possibilities that he had just spoken of. The 'mad doctor' vibe however, by a very loud and borderline disgusting sounding rumble coming from Roe'gall, who then whimpered again.

 

"...After we feed Roe'gall of course. I think we owe him a grand meal after his services today. Im sure we could both stand to eat something as well, then we can set about with the genetic modifications of tuk'ata DNA."

 

He held out his arm to her in a rather gentlemanly gesture, waiting for her to take it before the pair plus the ravenously hungry tuk'ata, made their way towards one of the most basic of desires; food.

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I ate a hippo. It was delicious.

May the Forth therve you well...

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A strand of jealously shot through her again when he mentioned giving Rose private lessons. She bit her lip and again pushed it away. This was a wretched start. She couldn't hear him even talk about another woman. That would never do. She resolved to do better and forced another smile.

 

But it turned genuine as Quietus, no doubt sensing her emotions, drew her close and planted a kiss on her forehead. She couldn't let it simply be, however, and elbowed him jestingly in the ribs. That's for reading my thoughts. But she didn't mean it. She didn't care if he knew she had been jealous.

 

As they walked, his arm around her waist, Roe'gall, as often happened, indicated his hunger. She smiled as Quietus addressed the beast. It was strange for her; she knew that he had once belonged to Quietus, but he was so much hers now that it was odd to watch him address the tuk'ata with such familiarity. When the Sith then spoke about creating his own giant monstrous Jedi-eating pet, Emily nodded. "Of course I'm still interested. The process sounds fascinating. But as for a better one than Roe'gall? No way."

 

It was strange; his mention of her having to replace Roe'gall made her uncomfortable. It showed her just how attached she was to the beast. He had been her only friend and companion often times over the past few years. He was almost more than a pet. He was a partner and a friend.

 

She took Quietus' arm, pleased at the gallant gesture, and they headed towards the cafeteria. Once there, they grabbed a table, and got some food. Emily chose a large salad, despite the fact that they were processed greens, and a packet of ribenes, with a tall glass of water. The food here was most pre-packaged flight food, but she had lived on far worse. She also spoke to a servant, who brought out a large dish of meat for Roe'gall. The kitchen staff was already dismayed by how much the tuk'ata ate, so Emily found it only fair to inform them that another monster would soon be joining them as well. She grinned slightly evilly as they paled at the news, and stammered that they would order more meat.

 

She then returned to sit across the table from Quietus. "I do foresee a problem though," she mentioned. "There is no fancy genetics lab here."

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"Days in the sun...what I'd give to relive just one. Undo what's done, and bring back the light."

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The world was white. No sky, no discernible ground to speak of. Just a little girl kneeling in front of a massive wroshyr tree. Her very existence in this nothingness world felt so infinitesimal and trivial before this great and venerable thing. It had been alive for thousands of years, simply growing and living. What was she compared to this mighty thing. Aryian's voice drew her deep into this world, in the vastness of her calming mind, shutting out the dojo and the other denizens, the planet below her, everything but her, this tree, and Aryian.

 

As the guided meditation continued, however, and the tree began to fall away something felt wrong. Leaves began to fall around her but disappeared before they hit the nonexistent ground. The tree itself shriveled and whined. Fear seemed to drip into her as the only other thing in her world fell around her. She knew it to be nonsense, she knew that there was no reason to be afraid be she was. Not again, not alone. Even with Aryian here, eerily lost to the backdrop, solitude and smallness consumed her. What was it about being alone that brought her this fear, that convoked this primal side of her so easily? Was this the Force, its infinite everything-ness that overshadowed all sense of composure in this little girl, or did she just fall to fear from her past attempts at meditation?

 

The tree was gone and she was alone. Her heart thundered inside her chest and she closed her eyes, to hide away from it all. The terror of nothingness wouldn't hammer itself into her mind every creeping second because she simply wouldn't let it. No, no! Aryian's presence was lost now, whatever calming aura he had tried to usher into her washed away with that irrationality rooted deep into her subconscious. This wasn't normal, this wasn't how she was supposed to be and she knew it. Yet she was powerless to fight it. The monster inside her was greater, more dominant than she would ever be and she knew it, felt it to be true with everything in her being.

 

Back in the real world, Rose appeared to be calm. Her eyes were closed, her hands folded softly in her lap, and her lips moved slowly to a meditative mantra. The words were soft, just below the cusp of hearing, never ceasing in their rhythmic loop. The ancient Sith language that fell from her lips held a power, older and darker than the language itself.

 

Her mind simply was not capable of reaching that serene center, of conceptualizing her individual self as part of the greatness that was the Force. She couldn't even understand who she was, or where she wanted to go, how could she understand her place in the Force?

 

When her eyes finally opened to the dojo they shone with a bright, golden illumination. After a few quick blinks the chanting stopped and her eyes returned to their deep blue but the unmistakable presence of her father could not be forgotten. He had done something to her, put something deep in her mind to anchor her in these times when the Force was strong in her. But what remained a mystery for the moment.

 

She turned to look at Aryian, unaware of the tears running down her face. "I...I can't..."

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Quietus allowed Emily to choose the table within the cafeteria, but his seat choice was one of tactical advantage, allowing him to watch the entrance while keeping Emily and Roe'gall within his view at the same time. There was a small lopsided grin as Emily chose a salad, salads are for rabbits and girls came the voice in his head a distant memory of a life past. Quietus on the other hand picked a more protein rich meal of saltlicker ribs and a baked Corellian potato on the side. It was a meal he had not feasted upon in a very long time, as he rarely had such an opportunity like what was afforded to him. He was on his third helping of both, seemingly in an eating contest with the massive tuk'ata next to the table, and for the moment the two were neck and neck. When Emily did speak up, it took a considerable amount of effort for Quietus to not choke on his potato before he began laughing rather hastily and heavily.

 

"Emily, do I look like a scientist? Do I have a lab coat? I dont need a fancy genetics lab. I created Roe'gall in the ruined remains of an old temple on Korriban. I was surrounded by rubble, dust and dead tuk'atas, not fancy lab equipment. This time I will need even less if I have your assistance..."

 

He then popped the remaining few morsels of potato into his mouth with his rather famous lopsided grin. He could practically see Emily fighting to keep her jaw from dropping to the ground. Quietus had spent days crafting Roe'gall, and had gone through many failures along the way, most of which were the dead tuk'atas he had mentioned. He had, of course, been forced to put them down in their deformed states, ranging from physical deformations such as extra or missing limbs, or mental deformations that resulted in lack of motor skills or increased aggression. Such was the trials and tribulations of crafting a specimen of such quality.

 

Reaching into one of the pockets on his belt, he retrieved the vial of tuk'ata blood that would serve as the basis of the new creature, holding it up to Emily as he recalled the moments that had lead up to that point.

 

"This, is the blood and marrow of a tuk'ata leader of a pack that attempted to turn on me as I was leaving Korriban. This... will be a small beginning of a much larger victory. I am sure that there is a suitable room to conduct our business in, and if not... Well this is Mechis. I could probably build an entire genetics company here if I wanted to."

 

He looked around with a shrug before falling back into the silence of the meal. Once all parties had finished and found themselves quite full, Roe'gall included Quietus rose and made his way for the doorway to find a suitable room for the evil corruption of life that would soon take place. Along the way Quietus found several of the droids to which Aryian had alluded to, and asked some general questions in terms of directions. Finally Quietus found the room that suited his needs; a rather barren, windowless room that was directly next to the cloning lab, where one might find themselves awakening should their training go tragically wrong within the dojo. By the time that Emily and Roe'gall caught up to him, Quietus was standing in the doorway of the room looking around, nodding approvingly. Silently he set about moving from one room to the other, grabbing a few minor tools from the clone lab and bringing them to the empty room.

 

In the middle of his set up, Quietus was brought to a pause rather unexpectedly. As if it had ridden in on a breeze and left just the same, a very powerful presence in the Force appeared and then disappeared. It was far too short to pinpoint the location, and the relative speed of its arrival and departure immediately ruled out the possibility that another powerful Sith had suddenly landed on the planet, but it intrigued Quietus none the less. For what little time he felt it, the presence seemed to match that of the Dark Lord, but yet was entirely unrestrained at the same time, as if the two were merged into one. Curious... he thought, before tucking the experience away in light of his current plans, and returned to his work almost as fast as he had paused.

 

Finally, when the room was set, there was only a single small table in the middle of the room with several medical needles and a single bowl laying upon it, and two mats on the floor on either side of it. Off to one side near, a few meters from the table itself was a pile of mats covered in cloth. The pile was clearly large enough for Roe'gall to lay down upon, if for nothing else than to make up for the beast's patience in the past. He nodded once more before re entering the room, and sitting down upon one of the mats on the floor. Only then did he look up to Emily, gesturing to the mat on the opposite side of the table from him.

 

"Come... let the lesson begin."

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I ate a hippo. It was delicious.

May the Forth therve you well...

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Aryian stopped the link with the Force as soon as he had felt it, the second presence within her, buried so deeply not even the wisest Grandmasters could have found it even if they were looking for it. A presence that matched Furion's own, but untamed, wild...raw. As she wound down and stopped on her own accord, it dawned on him, he must have done this to her, intentionally. Why, Aryian had no idea. It puzzled him, too, why Julio would ask him to train his daughter, when he knew she obviously could not...except...he hadn't asked Aryian to train her, he'd asked the Grey Master to look after her. Now...now it all made sense. Another piece of the puzzle fell into place. She, like many other things in his life, was just another part of one of his grand plans and schemes.

 

"I...I can't..."

 

The question now was whether or not to tell her. Morally, it was the right thing to do, though it would also probably deeply upset her and cause a large rift between her and her father. Although, as he was now, he was unburdened by such decisions. No matter what he did, the galaxy would flow on. They both, the Master and the child in the room, were but specks of dust in the ever-shifting desert that was the galaxy. Either she would eventually learn to use the Force, or she wouldn't. Either she would realize her place as Furion's pawn and rebel, or she would fulfill her role in his plan flawlessly. He had fought fate before, and had lost dearly. He wasn't about to try again.

 

"Dry your eyes, Rose. It's over. You can relax. It didn't work, and like I said, it was a gamble at best. All this means is I can only shelter you and teach you about the Force, and various forms of combat, if you like. But the decision is yours, if you like you can even take a few days to yourself to recuperate and decide what you'd like to do."

 

There was a certain warmth to his voice, yet also a hint of sadness. He could witness her fate if he so pleased, and he was certainly tempted, but he knew it was one he wouldn't want to see. Much like his own, much like his son's. The truly blessed in the galaxy were those that died peacefully, in their sleep, without worry or care. They were rarer than the most valuable gems in the cosmos. He feared...she would not have that fate.

 

Rising, he walked over to her, putting his hand on her shoulder, drawing out her negative emotions and casting them from himself with practiced ease.

 

"All will be as it should be, one way or another. The one thing you need to keep in mind is that everything, no matter big or small, happens for a reason. When you realize this and gain your own faith and confidence in yourself, anything is possible, with time. And that's a long-winded way of saying keep your chin up. I'll be here for you when and if you need me."

 

He lingered for a moment, before leaving her to her thoughts. He didn't know what was going through her head exactly, but he felt a healthy dose of disappointment, even if it was subconscious. Back in his days as a Jedi Knight he was known to be a rough Master, pushing his Padawans to their limits constantly. But sometimes, it wasn't the best approach. Pushing her immediately into another training session after this big of a letdown could only cause her to lose focus, and there might be injuries.

 

Leaving the two lovebirds alone for the time being, he walked instead to the entrance of the dojo, studying the statues. There were many, even one of Raynuk Montar himself, opposite Kakuto Ryu in the grand hallway. Most had a good quality of detail to them, for statues made by droids, but then again they were crafted from holo-pictures found in the archives.

Immediately reachable by  charlesjhall@gmail.com

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The wastes of Mechis III echoed like a hollow shell off of Ariana's frail body. The silence that enveloped her was deafening and despite the relief she felt to be liberated from those bandits, she couldn’t help but feel weak under the oppressive fumes of the industrial planet and all of its varied exhaust.

 

She lay atop the metal debris of what used to be her captor’s ship, coughing in the corroded fumes. Bars and scraps of shrapnel were draped over her body in random patterns and somehow she appreciated that she was kept in a crate, otherwise she wouldn’t have survived the crash. Ariana felt her optical implants quivering violently underneath her soft eye lids and there were soft metallic screams from each one as the visual elements began to fail in a shower of white noise and sparks. There was so much going on in her mind that she couldn’t think; a strong ringing sound pierced her ears and right now all she could feel was white hot pain emanating from her head and her lower body. The mechanical eyes puttered and spurted and seemed close to bursting. The screaming climbed into higher decibels, tears started to fall rapidly down Ariana’s face and then, without hesitation, she removed both implants and threw them away. Each movement filled her with even more burning pain, and when she finally removed her implants there was even more pain blossoming from her head, but by now it didn’t really matter. The pain was so severe that she was almost numb to it.

 

Ariana’s body refused to move anymore and she trembled uncontrollably. The pain welled up deep inside her and did not permit her to move. She was a rock amidst boulders and was lost without guidance. Her heartbeat was moving incredibly fast, her breathing was shallow and she could barely control it. Only through force of will did she remain conscious, but it took a few hours for her to even bear the strength to get up.

 

When she could finally move her hands again, she ripped a piece of her robe off and tied it tightly around her head to help suppress the bleeding and to hide the emptiness that now rested inside her eyes. She bled out quite a bit and so it was a little difficult to rip the fabric, but the robe was thin enough to separate even for her trembling hands. She looked around for a few seconds and her head swam with the loss of blood. She couldn’t see anything, not like she used to.

 

She held her hands out and tried to gather her bearings, but there was nothing for it. She kept grabbing the same metal scraps and slowly discovered that her hands were severely burned. When she concentrated on her surroundings and pushed past the welling pain that built inside her head, she felt the force fill her with visions of the industrial waste that stood before her. Wastes of Mechanical industries were as far as her mind could see and some part of Ariana thought it was best to just lie down and die here, because there was little chance for her to survive in the middle of nowhere with little to no food, but she didn’t want to give up. She needed to fight to survive or she would die anyway. She pushed herself to her knees and a knife of stabbing pain shot up her right leg.

 

It filled her head with illusions and hallucinations, but the force pierced through the veil and guided her out of the fog. Balancing on her left leg, she picked up a large broken pipe and used it to stabilize herself on her feet. The heat of Mechis III’s gas filled air finally caught up to her and continued to fill her mind with hallucinations, but the she ignored them. The sight given to her by the force was too valuable to leave behind. She coughed up a dried clot of red and left it at her feet before shambling forward, away from the wreckage.

 

Her legs screamed at her under the effort of her movement and her body threatened to fall once more, but like a web of pure energy, the force caught her frail body and guided her through the twisting crevices and metal thoroughfares that comprised Mechis III’s surface. Hours passed and Ariana’s remaining strength was dwindling. The only hope she had was a glowing pyre of force energy atop a large cliff. She saw it from where the ship crashed, but had no idea what it was. It was something unique though; something amidst the chaos that brought warmth to her cold body. It was salvation, it was pure.

 

On her final approach, her strength had dwindled so much that she felt like a ghost drifting on the wind. The force sight that proved useful to her was now leaving her and she was truly blind, trying to pull herself to the front of what looked like a large building.

I’ve got –t-t-t-to make it…

 

Ariana’s burned hands were troubled with every movement of the large metal bar, but she pulled forward nonetheless. When she could feel the building looming above her and started climbing toward the front door, she could feel the large bar of metal fall from her hands and heard it clang against both the door and the ground. Her legs weren’t working anymore, her entire body started to shake again, and Ariana eventually fell over, clutching toward the ground to help relieve the stress of the fall.

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