Korriban

[Tarrian Skywalker]

They walked in silence for a few minutes... Tarrian giving Sirvani to get her rage and anger in check and collect her thoughts...

 

"Your hurt... and angry... are they helping you at the moment...???" The two women stopped and Tarrian looked at her... she could see why John would love her... she was a beautiful woman, strong and stubborn...

 

"What is it he has done that has you thinking you are no longer worthy of him... ??? Your anger and rage are better suited to make you stronger, and revenge is best served cold... there is nothing you can do at the moment... answer my questions, and tell me what needs to be done... "

[Sirvani Zsahra]

As they walked, she breathed deeply of the cool air. The other Sith's wisdom was well put. Her anger had been dwindling, and she was now controlled--it flowed out of her into the vastness of the Force.

 

She didn't bother to answer the first question...Tarrian could feel the change. "He has declared that I am not enough for him...therefore, I am not worthy of him. He nulled his promises to me, and I don't know if they were ever true in the first place."

 

She knew part of that was not exactly how she felt--she had never sensed any deception in him--but at the same time, she could have been so blind that she hadn't thought to look for it. She glanced down at the glimmering ring on her hand. Had even this promise, so recently renewed, been thrown down so easily? It didn't seem like him to be off halfway across the galaxy celebrating his deceit. But then...she never would of thought him capable of hurting her so deeply. Did she truly know him at all?

 

"When the man you are planning to be married to suddenly does something that violates your trust, things will change," she said softly, half to herself, half to the woman striding beside her. "But how much will change? And how much should?"

[Darth Mortis Diabolus]

DMD's fighter made it to Korriban in record time. He set his landing zone as one previously used by him at an earlier time. As he got closer to the surface his ship chimed, signaling abnormal reading. The reading were something that should not be found on the world of the dead. The heat sinatures of living beings walking the surface. The force triggered a flahback in his mind dealing with a Sith woman, among other seated around a table discussing plans with the Darth Heretic, the emperor of that period of Sith history. When he was finally released form his vision he knew who one the beings was. A Sith lord named Tarrian. His memory didn't reveal if there was bad blood between them, but he decided not to take the chance.

 

He flew in low above their heads, then pulled his ship up into a vertical climb. He keyed the autopilot to land as previously designated then ejected high above the being below him. His blood red cape opened up around him, like crimsom wings. He used his influence of the force on the winds to adjust the speed and descent of his fall. DMD threw his War Staff into the soft black ash that made up the surface of Korriban, a few inches from where he was about to land. He landed softly, stirring a small amount of ash in his wake, as his cape settled onto the ground. He walks over, retreiving his staff from the earth, now standing a few feet in front of the two Sith women he had recently startled.

 

"Tarrian! Do you remember me? Because I remember you. It has been a long time, hasn't it? I see the years have been kind to you. It's a shame I cannot same the same for myself. Who is your friend?"

[Tarrian Skywalker]

Tarrian looked at her, and sighed... "You know him better then anyone... did he feel in control to you? Was it his deceit or someone elses? You jump to conclusions to fast. Has he told you you are not enough for him or you assume that cause of a flash you saw through a connection to him."

 

She stood there, not wanting to open her own wounds, but did so for the girl. "Bishop was not what he seemed in the end. I thought our love would bind us together forever, but something took him over that love, no it was not another woman, but the force itself... the force can be a bitter mistress."

 

Closing her eyes she reached out looking for him... "Look for him... I need for you to connect to him... " Sirvani reluctantly did as she was asked, opening her connection to John... through the force Tarrian touched their connection, stepping lightly so as not to upset the balance the two have... after a moment, Tarrian looked at Sirvani...

 

"I feel turmoil from him... shame, and guilt... I feel hatred for himself, and a deep love for you and a longing for forgiveness." She shook her head... "Your love can endure... but you have to make that decision... it will be your decision to end it... he will never leave you."

 

As the two talked, Sirvani responding...a ship flew over... a figure flew from the ship landing relatively close... his cape flying behind him...

 

Memories of the Triade, the sith sitting at the table flashed before her eyes... "yes, yes it has been quite a long time... Thank you, and you look as though the years have just passed you by... This is Lady Zsahara... Lord of the sith... Sirvani... this is Sith Master Darth Mortis Diabolus... you could learn a great deal from him... if memory serves he trained the Great sith master Jedi Gal of Darkness... "

[Sirvani Zsahra]

As Tarrian spoke, Sirvani reached down the bond herself, finding the words ringing true. She was slightly ashamed of herself, of those words could be said of a Sith Lord, for jumping to conclusions. Apparently, she was at fault just as much as he...for she instantly assumed the worst. At the same time, she knew he had made the choice to engage in disloyalty, and nothing could change that. However, Tarrian's encouragement, and assessment of his feelings, opened her mind to speculation on his motives... She began to speculate just what this relationship would mean, taking Tarrian's warning to heart.

 

As Sirvani voiced some of this to the other woman, they were interrupted by a man, who greeted Tarrian enthusiatically. Introductions were made, and Sirvani bowed slightly to the other Sith. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Master Diabolus. I will look forward to getting to know you better if the Force allows."

[Tarrian Skywalker]

Inviting DMD to walk with them... she let him know that she needed to speak with him privately...

 

"Do not mistake my words for compassion for him... by all means feel free to make him pay for the pain he is causing you... but you can make him pay in ways even he will wish for death... "

 

They talked for a while longer, and tarrian turned to her... "Go back to your apprentice and complete his training... I will be here for you to talk to, and we will talk again later this evening... right now, I need to speak to Master Diabolus... "

 

She nodded and left, and Tarrian turned to DMD... "We should speak privately, come... "

[Sirvani Zsahra]

Sirvani...nodded and left. Returning to the place where Orik was, she found him getting ready to go off on his own to hunt for the beast.

 

"Orik...don't worry about it," she said walking up. She reached out with her mind...and stopped, turning to him. "With the Force, you can affect the minds of others, making them think what you want them to think, and act accordingly. The Jedi use this power lightly, but the Sith are free to use it to whatever extent. It is a prime tool on the weak-minded. Now, I want you to use it to reach out to the mind of a terentatek. Bring it here, then defeat it."

 

It was not an easy task, although calling the beast would not be the hard part. She knew he was competant, and she stood off to the side, observing him through the Force and her watchful gaze.

[Nahstaa]

As nahstaa waited, he felt a familiar presence wash over korriban, the woman who had taken him as her apprentice not once, but twice at different stages in his training... Tarrian. He waited a little while, and observed her landing, then making her way to the temple to be joined by the woman that had been in karmy's house. Deciding not to interrupt her, he simply reached out ever so gently with the force, and spoke to her.

 

"I would like to speak with you when you are free, my old master."

[Orik Bendan]

Orik nodded to his master. There was a slight change in her since the talk with the woman. The woman had the dark side coming from her more powerfully than he had ever sensed in anyone so far. It was astonishing and almost overwhelming. Perhaps one day he would possess such power.

 

Focusing on the task at hand, he stretched out in the force. Every single creature on the planet was him, he was them. They were all one massive collection of beings, and Orik would try to manipulate one of them.

 

Searching the planet with his mind, he found a beast not far. It was blind, containing a mind so empty that it could focus on nothing more than prey. He had seen this type of creature before, but this one was larger. This was the terantatek he would attempt to slay.

 

Orik thought of his location, and thought of hostility. Combining the two into one thought, he connected with the creature through his mind. The thought traveled between the two and they both shared it, only the terantetek didn't know it was being manipulated. A few moments later, the ground shook as the beast had made it's way to Orik, standing ten feet in front of him.

 

Gripping his hilt in his hand, he activated the blood red blade. It extended in welcome at the sight of the monster, who returned the action with a loud, heart-stopping roar. Orik looked at the much larger foe without any thought of death. Running in closer, he stabbed at the beast in a fencing style.

 

The terentatek took a giant hand and attempted to bat away the saber, but quickly found out that the weapon Orik held was no joke, as the animal howled in pain after losing a finger. The apprentice chuckled at the monster, but didn't waste too much breath. He would need all the oxygen he could get.

 

Flipping over the monster, the Kel Dor tried to slash downard while in mid air. The beast, however, knocked his entire body to the planet. Orik hit the ground hard enough to bounce up a little bit, but wouldn't let the agony and pain distract him. Rolling to his left to dodge a downward hack from the terentatek, he swiped his saber catching the beast's hand still on the ground.

 

Rushing to his feet, Orik didn't think as he just acted. His saber danced in his right hand and the creature backed up for fear of meeting the blade again. Of course, the beast hadn't given up, for just a few seconds later it sent another hand toward the apprentice. Orik rolled under the punch and made a stab straight into the stomach of the monster. He then pulled the crimson blade out and repeatedly stabbed the monsters stomach until the glow from his saber seemed to be camoflauged by the blood around it. With a final cry, the beast fell.

 

Walking to his fallen opposition, the Kel Dor severed the Terentatek's skull cleanly and easily. He didn't exactly have any particular reason for this, but he just went on impulse.

 

Orik's breath was hard to make out beneath all of his panting, but it didn't take much intellect to imagine what he said.

 

"Done."

[Sirvani Zsahra]

Sirvani had watched the battle carefully, sensing everything about what Orik was thinking and feeling. "Well done...but I have a question for you. There was a time in the battle when the beast hurt you. But instead of drawing on the pain, using to your advantage, you simply shoved it away. Why did you do this?"

 

She didn't nessecarily want an answer...she just wanted to get him thinking about it. It was the Jedi way to ignore the pain. A Sith would use it for more power.

 

As she finished the question, she heard buzzing once again in her mind. This time, she would not ignore it. "Well, Orik...time for you to meet some masters...and hopefully learn something," she added softly, hoping the spirits wouldn't hear. "Hopefully we won't just have our ears talked off..."

 

With that, she motioned for him to enter a trance, and she did likewise, once again, her intention on observing him.

[Orik Bendan]

Orik looked at his master as she entered a transe. Folding his legs indian style, the apprentice did the same.

 

Suddenly, he could hear something. It sounded like someone was talking to him, but he couldn't immediatly see anyone. With each passing the second, the words grew more clear.

 

Coming into view, he saw two spirits. One was that of a man, and another seemed remarkably like the spirit he had encountered earlier. Each had a certain mystic power that seemed to come from within them that kept them there. They were trapped for all eternity, doomed to nothingness and boredom. Surely the chance to talk with the living would excite them.

 

The spirit he had spoke to before turned his gaze to the apprentice, and continued talking.

 

"So, you've killed a terentatek. I bet you're pretty proud of yourself, aren't you. In fact, I am willing to bet that you're too proud to realize all the mistakes you made."

 

The other spirit looked a little less harsh. A feeling of somber was embedded in his eyes.

 

"This was his first battle with a lightsaber, give him a break. Although your master, the lady, is wise. You should've drawn upon your pain and fueled yourself rather than push it aside."

 

"I suppose I could have, I didn't really think of it at the time."

 

"You didn't think...that's not the answer. The problem was you did think. If you didn't think, you would've felt the pain and embraced it without hesitation. Thinking is a dangerous thing in battle."

 

"I suppose it is, if it hindered me in my fight with the beast.

 

"You would be wise to listen to those around you, but do not be tricked by the lightside and their lies of glory. My most important warning to you could be this. Never die."

 

Orik looked at the spirit with a puzzled expression. Never die? How could that be possible, to live forever?

 

"Become more powerful than death or you will be reduced to nothing but a wandering entity with no purpose except to suffer and talk to the living that very rarely come to whatever waste of a planet you're on."

 

"There are no limits to what the dark side can do.

 

"Thank you for this talk."

 

With that, the Kel Dor rose from his transe. The spirits were still speaking to him, but he ignored them and shut them out as totally as he could. The words "Never die" echoed through his brain. To accomplish such a goal, he would have to be perfect, never falling to a jedi or any other. That was one thing he desired to do anyway.

[Aero]

Alyssa studied her surroundings and followed him. Now that she had a little more free time, she'd meet some of her fellow Sith. She knew very few others and she believed it would eventually pay off to meet them. Walking around she waited for Nahstaa.

[Nahstaa]

Sensing that his old master was now free, he turned to alyssa.

 

"I need to speak with my old master, Tarrian. You can join me if you wish."

 

Smiling at her, then turning, he walked away. She would follow if she wished to. Walking briskly, he reached Tarrian, and knelt in front of her.

 

"It has been a while, master."

 

Rising once more, he looked directly into her eyes, but with respect all the same.

[Tarrian Skywalker]

Tarrian saw nashtaa and asked DMD to give her a moment...

 

She walked over and met him... she smiled as he knelt before her... Looking into his eyes, she touched his mind with the force to see what her old apprentice had accomplished the past few years...

 

"My Nashtaa you have been busy... I see you have grown very strong...Tell me... why do you feel you are ready to be a master of the sith... "

[Aero]

Wondering if she should follow, Alyssa's curiousity won and she went after him. Follwing until they reached a woman and he knelt, she did didn't know what to do. Bowing slightly, she was a little unsure of herself. Looking at Tarrian, Aero was awed. The Sith had an air about her that commanded such power.... It was almost funny to see her Master bow to another.

[Nahstaa]

Grinning, nahstaa didnt speak at first, but began to strip himself of weapons, his eyes fixed on hers the entire time.

 

"You ask why I feel I am worthy. I have passed through hell and survived. Even the fact that I was pulled out of that place by a god after what was apparently 3 days does not diminish the fact that my mind is once again whole."

 

Removing his sabers from himself, he dropped them to the floor next to him, stripping any weapons from the outside of himself and dropping them next to the sabers. Removing all clothing from the waist up, along with his boots, he continued.

 

"I have singlehandedly fought off an attack by a combined effort of jedi and rebel forces, allowing the sith to evacuate mimban by destroying the rebel fleet, before annihilating all of the ground forces by sending the temples nuclear core into meltdown."

 

The flesh on nahstaa's arms split as the mechanical pieces of art within them revealed themselves, every single tool, weapon or non essential piece of the arms detaching themselves and dropping to the floor, before the arms once again closed and nahstaa set his computer to standby, ensuring it would only serve to keep his arms functional at the regular level.

 

"And now, If you wish, I will prove myself to you in person, and match myself against you in any way you wish, my old master."

 

Bending over slightly, he reached behind him, and removed a few more weapons from that place that should not be named, along with a few large explosive devices.

 

Standing in a solid stance, he awaited her reply, his eyes still fixed upon hers.

Edited November 8, 2005 by Guest

[Tarrian Skywalker]

Tarrian took a step back from him as weapons began fly out everywhere... Hell, he was even pulling things out of his ass. the pile continued to grow and she started to smile... When he was done, she folded her arms over her breast and looked from him to the pile back to him... "Are you done?"

 

She unclipped her lightsaber from her sash and tossed to the ground opposite Nashtaa's immense pile. Taking off her cloak, she let it fall to the ground. Dressed only in a crimson tunic that came to her thighs, with a belt around the waist... and form fitting black pants with black boots, she looked at him...

 

"I assume that it will be okay if I keep my clothes on... I mean, I carry no hidden weapons."

[Nahstaa]

Grinning, he nodded at her when she asked if he was finished, and grinned a little more when her single lightsaber complimented his stack of weaponary.

 

In reply to her comment on carrying no hidden weapons, he said

 

"I could say that I dont believe you, but I dont think that would make a difference anyway"

 

Throwing a hand out towards her, he pushed her back, slamming her into a rock as she had once done to him. Leaving her pinned there, he said

 

"I seem to remember you having a liking for rocks master. How about trees?" Anticipating any attempt to break his push, he pulled the woman straight back towards him, rolling backwards underneath her and slamming her into a tree behind him, before raising his other hand and slowly applying pressure to her windpipe.

[Tarrian Skywalker]

Tarrian called as much force to her as she could to soften the blow to the rock, and relaxed her body as much as possible as she sailed into the opposite direction over him into the trees behind them... as she pasted over him she watched as he rolled backwards, and timing it just right, she slammed her foot into his chest.

 

Feeling her airway being cut off, she relaxed and reached out to the force pulling it through her airway and opening it... she took a deep breath.

 

a huge beast appeared in the clearing, and went straight for Nashtaa, grabbing him around the chest and picking him up into the air... Tarrian took the moment and stepped forward... holding him in the air, and letting the illusion fad from his mind... "You have grown strong... good... "

 

Using the force, she hurled Nashtaa across the clearing slamming him into the same rock, only to slam him face first onto the ground and drag him across the clearing to the feet of his apprentice... "Say hello to my little friend, young one."

[Nahstaa]

Remaining calm as he was hefted by the illusionary beast created by his master, he felt no panic. He knew his masters affinity with illusions, and expected something of the like to occur somewhere along the line in this fight. Growing tired off people flying everywhere as his face was dragged along the dirt, he forced his legs upwards as he came to rest at the feet of alyssa, pushing himself into a flip and landing on his feet, before moving in close to his master, Lashing out with his fists as he reached out around him with his mind, forcing his way back through the force connection his master had made with him in order to create the illusion, and using it to slow her down, and let him anticipate her attacks and defences. Taking hold of random, hard objects that came into sight and bombarding his master with blows from all sides, He continued to unleash his fury upon her with his bare fists, his legs and his entire body in general.

[Darth Mortis Diabolus]

DMD stood aside, waiting patiently while Tarrian dealt with the numerous distractions that kept them from having their private discussion. From the look of things, it would seem that a challenge had been issued, though he couldn't tell for sure. There was a surge in dark side energy as the number of Sith on Korriban grew. He paced in the background while matters were being discussed, tapping the hilt of his Sith sword. His glowing green eyes were accented by the dark landscape and murky cloud formations in the skies above.

 

And then it happened. A fight between Tarrian and whomever this male Sith was. He expected as much. It was the Sith way. It seemed that her adversary had caught her off guard. He drove his was staff into the ground deep enough for it to stand on it's own. He walked over to where the conflict was transpiring, smiling beneath his mask. He summoned the power of the force on the aggresser. DMD was closing an artery that runs along the base of the aggresser's skull, slowing the flow of blood into the brain, cutting off vital oxygen. Its' affects could be seen immediately.

 

"I believe the lady was talking to me, before you so rudely interrupted?"

[Tarrian Skywalker]

Tarrian ducked and side stepped some of the blows, but took more then her fair share... Throwing her own, she managed to block nashtaas attack, she turned, bring her foot up to connect with Nashtaa's chest, and as he came at her again, she caught DMD moving towards them...

 

The sith master did not look happy... and even Tarrian knew not to mess with him...

 

She walked over and bowed to DMD... "Master, I am at fault for encouraging him... " She looked at Nashtaa... "We shall finish this at a later time... when we do your Master trials... um... don't forget to collect all your weapons.. and I will come look for you when I am free."

[Nahstaa]

Shaking his head slightly, nahstaa stepped back from his master, and powered up his computer. Almost instantly, the chemicals he required were mixed within his stomach, and he didnt even need to think as his computer turned his head towards the man. He had no need of oxygen to keep his body functioning, even if his brain would eventually die. Soon he had a wonderful concoction in his mouth, and spat it at the man, before a basic substance was pushed up into his mouth to neutralize the strong acid that had just been present. Spitting the base on the ground, he said.

 

"I believe the lady is my old master, and she asked me to explain to her what made me worthy of being a sith master. If you would like me to stop that acid from eating a hole in your head, I suggest you release me. Most sith lords are not known for carrying the required chemicals to neutralize that."

[Darth Mortis Diabolus]

The acid began dissolving DMD's mask. It wasted no time finding his newly regenerated face. The Sith fell to his knees, unsheathing his Sith sword. He had unconsciously released his hold over Tarrian's former apprentice. He brought the sharp edge up to his face were the acid had ate through his dermis an epidermis. He scraped the blade along the bone of his face, peeling the acid ridden flesh off. To ensure the progression of the acid had been halted, he even cut away at the muscle tissue that lay underneath the dissolving skin. Pink bone was now visible where part of his face used to be. He rose to his feet, bracing himself upon a nearby boulder. He kicked what was left of his mask over to the man who had spat acid upon him. DMD summoned his strength into a powerful force push sending the man tumbling backwards over the rough, rocky terrain.

 

"Acid? That's new. If I were you I would stay down. I didn't come here with the intent of sending someone to the abyss, but if you force my hand I will devour your soul and send you to the other side screaming in agony. Your suffering will be legendary."

[Nahstaa]

Pushing himself up with the force, but not attacking, he said simply

 

"Im afraid someone beat you to it, ive already been through hell, and come out the other side. Quite recently actually."

 

Bending over, he spat on the burning face, before whiping it off and pocketing it. He had a certain amount of respect for one who carried extra faces, although not enough to override his deep rage at having a fight with his master interrupted by a dinosaur of the sith.

 

Walking over to his massive stack of weaponary, the flesh of his arms once again split open, revealing his mechanical arms. Thin tendrils of metal extended from them, each collecting its tool or piece of weaponary and retracting, fitting majority of the small arsenal within his arms and chest. Clipping his sabers back onto his belt, and returning his clothes to his body, He remained present.

 

"I wouldnt reccommend killing me at the moment, those chemicals are still present in my body, and will probably end up combusting explosively if you let air near them, which im sure the computers attached to my brain would be happy to do for you."

 

Nahstaa shook his head. This man, although quite obviously powerful and full of arrogance, hadnt been present for his rise within the sith, and didnt know of quite how far nahstaa had gone to render himself a machine. Underestimation could be very, very dangerous.

[Sirvani Zsahra]

OOC: I can just see it now. Nahstaa: "I REQUIRE ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR FACES!!!"

 

IC:

 

Sirvani remained sitting throughout the ordeal. Orik, she had a feeling, would never forget the words of the spirit. As he broke from the trance, the two spirits turned to her.

 

"You haven't taught him anything!"

 

She smirked. "A teacher can teach, but it is up to the student to learn."

 

With that final remark, she pulled out of the trance, once again leaving infuriated spirits behind her. Hmm...I seem to have been getting good at that recently, she thought briefly.

 

Standing, she faced her apprentice. "It is time, Orik. Your final task is upon you. Somewhere on the surface of this planet is a tomb that once belonged to the Sith Lord Ajunta Pall. Your assignment is to find it, break in, work your way to the sarcophogus, and retireve an artifact from that room. When you are finished, make your way back here...and your apprenticeship shall end."

 

It sounded simple, but she knew otherwise. He would go in confident, and reach the end the opposite of that. But she also knew that he was ready. There was nothing more that she could teach him that he couldn't find out on his own now.

 

She wondered briefly what the other Sith on the planet would think, and smiled. She was unique in the way she gave her apprentices their trials, and she liked that. A mere duel, in her mind, could prove much less about what the apprentice had learned than a task that challenged everything about the person--not only what they had learned under her, but what they had learned in their past.

 

OOC: Orik, 3 good-length posts.

[Aero]

Alyssa had watched the fight between her master and his old one. When he was at her feet, she backed away and shook her head. Letting her mind wander she didn't really pay attention to them. Once another man arrived, her attention completely withered. Not worrying about Nahstaa, she knew he'd find her when he wanted her....

 

Walking away, she decided to go find some place to sit down and think through her future plans. Finding a small dark area, she relaxed and went through her plans to getting her vials filled again. Her herbs had been left on Endor. Most of her poisons had been lost as well. She'd have to restock soon.

[Orik Bendan]

(1)

 

Bowing to his master, Orik examined the task before him. Go into a tomb, collect an artifact, and be gone. It seemed simple enough to break into something that had been host to nothing but bones for so many years.

 

"Thank you master. I will not fail you."

 

Feeling the darkness of the planet, he let the dark side guide him to where he would go. A path laid before him, beckoning him to follow it though it was not visible to one's eyes.

 

Orik took a step down the path. At that moment, he knew he was ready. He was ready to take on this trial, this challenge. He was ready to become a sith lord. Orik Bendan was ready.

 

Following the force, he rushed through the terrain of the planet until he came to a valley. A strange, dark presence inhabitated the valley, more so than any other place that he had been too on the planet. The darkness surveyed the valley and whispered something into his ear that didn't make any sense. Something about a valley of the dark lords or something like that.

 

Taking a deep breath, he proceeded to enter the valley. A sense of danger and history almost overwhelmed him, but nothing really completly overwhelmed him any more. Not since his training, not since he started his journey to become a sith. Slowly, he approached a group of tombs. One in particular stuck out in the force, a sense of destiny eminating from it.

 

Entering the dark tomb, Orik placed his hand on the curved, black hilt of his lightsaber, just in case. Originally he didn't think he would need it, but the dark side was telling him otherwise. He must always be prepared, always ready to do whatever is needed. Being caught by surprise wasn't going to get him anywhere in the galaxy.

 

It was hard to see inside, and the force was so strong that it was like a fog everywhere. To allow for an easier time, he held his hilt to the air and activated the blade. A blood red light poured into the chamber, the soul source of light save the miniscule bit of light from the entrance.

 

Walkign down deeper into he chambers, Orik came across a ramp. Using the force he was able to silence his footsteps. Every move he made was noisless and perfectly stealthy, sticking to the shadows. In the silence, any other noise would be amplified so that he could hear it easily.

 

Suddenly, his ears picked up something, a noise of some sort. The apprentice channeled the force to compliment his senses, pouring the energy to his ears in an attempt to see if his mind was playing tricks on him. Unfortunatly, it wasn't.

 

Ka-dump. Ka-dump. It repeated over and over again. Some of the nosies were louder, some of them softer. Ka-dump. Ka-dump.

 

When the Kel Dor had reached the bottom, Orik rolled onto the stone floor with a thud, not caring about maintaining a stealthy presence any longer. He realized what he was hearing...heart beats. Two beasts turned to him, licking their lips with happiness at some prey. They would soon find out that they had started to mess with not the prey, but a predator in search of completing his trials.

[Darth Mortis Diabolus]

DMD watched Tarrian's former apprentice gather his assortment of weapons from the ground, while listening to him discuss his journey through hell. The wound to his face was causing him much discomfort. The ash that covered Korriban, was carried on the wind and into his facial structure. He reached down and scooped up a handful of ash that was soaked with his blood. He filled in the gaping hole that was now his face, with the bloody mud patty he had formed in the palms of his hands. He did not shy away from his pain.

 

In his mind he saw himself killing the young Sith, but decided that he did not know enough about his enemy to follow. His opponent's movements seemed kind of irregular. He looked like a man, but moved like something else. When he moved, DMD could have sworm that he heard gyroes. Over the years, he had became a master of energy absorbtion. Progressing from artificial energy such as ionic or electric, to the very life force out of another being. If only Nahstaa only knew how close he came to falling victom to such a power.

 

"Tarrian, I am ready to continue our conversation whenever you are ready? I think your bothersome distraction has learned his lesson for now."

[Orik Bendan]

(2)

 

They're eyes glowed a fierce red, attempting to pierce through Orik's cold heart to no avail. The blackness of the beasts was suiting due to the darkness that Orik had found in their hearts. He sensed that the force had some connection with them, that they were linked in some way that he couldn't quite put his finger on. No matter, he would destroy them just they way they intended to devour him.

 

Using the force, he called the power of the dark side to his left hand. His saber was in his right hand, his right arm extended with the tip of the blade staring at the beasts straight in the eyes. With all the force summoned in his left hand, he made a pulling gesture. Without option, the beast flew in the air towards the apprentice, and the companion leaped freely towards Orik.

 

The Kel Dor rolled and used the pulled beast's momentum so that the saber would slice the body cleanly in half. It worked perfectly, and the creature's body fell apart in mid air.

 

Quickly and without hesitation, the apprentice gazed at the upper body of the beast he had just sliced in half. Using the dark side, he stopped it in mid air and changed the direction. As the remaining creature was close to him, the face of the beast suddenly met the upper body of the dead beast with quite a bit of force. One of the arms on the upper body stung the creature during the collision.

 

Orik smirked and stood up, saber pointing toward the ground confidently. The arm contained a poison that rendered the beast's muscles useless. Orik took the blade of his saber and made two swift swings that beheaded both of his opponents.

 

"I knew I would not be your prey today, tuk'ata."

 

Looking at the two fallen guardians of the tomb, he couldn't help but wonder if that was all. Is that all the opposition he would have to face? Would there be no other defenses? Sadly, there were.

 

Out of a hallway, five tuk'ata poured out, Each salivating all over their three rows of teeth. The beasts of the dark side were here to serve their master, the dark side of the force. They would protect Ajunta Pall's tomb at any cost, and Orik would have it no other way.

 

All five of them hurled themselves toward Orik, a collective mass of death leaping toward him. Orik decided he would test his saber skills on this task. In a fencing position, he sliced the lead beast and shortly after rolled under the jumping tuk'ata. After rolling under them, he held his saber behind his back, the blade pointing to the ceiling as high as the apprentice's flexibility would allow him. One of the tuk'ata couldn't jump over the saber, and lost its legs.

 

Getting quickly back into position, he did a one-hundred eighty degree turn and used the momentum to slice the now legless guardian into nothingness. He then charged head on with the beasts, all of them looking to kill the Kel Dor. A swift kick batted one of the remaining three down while his saber proceeded to chop off the arms that were being sent to sting him. After a beast had dodged one of his swings, he used the force to aid in a colossal kick. The kick landed and the tuk'ata let out a cry of pain.

 

"What?"

 

Orik looked as his foot was elevated, pinning the beast to an obelisk of some sorts. That was funny; he hadn't seen that there before. He'd have to be more aware of his surroundings. The Kel Dor used the force to force push his foot into the beast as hard as he could, until eventually the tuk'ata's body exploded from the force and so did a large portion of the obelisk.

 

The two remaining beasts lunged at Orik, who quickly ran up the stone obelisk and flipped over them. They smashed through the structure and it fell on them, rendering them immobile. The destruction of the obelisk had triggered something...he felt something in the force. He heard a sound...Bzzz

 

Duck Orik

 

He heard the force tell him to duck, and he responded without thinking. A blaster bolt was sent his way, followed by others. Staring up, he knew what the buzzing noise was...the activation of four shield generators belonging to four different droids.

 

Orik stood right in front of the obelisk that rested on the tuk'ata and watched as some blaster bolts hit their faces. Rolling around, he managed not only dodge all the blaster fire but behead the fallen opposition.

 

Stretching out in the force, he started a spark of heat. It grew and grew, just as it had when he had learned the technique of pyrokenesis, only this time it grew much faster and much larger. Eventually, the droid that the flame had been born right in front of started to melt...with the shield on.

 

As soon as the weapons melted, Orik hurled the flame toward the droid right next to the one that had been rendered weaponless. The guardian suffered no damage and the flames just spilled off of the shield. Stretching out in the force, Orik pushed that droid down into the nothingness that was right behind it, a gaping hole into the abyss. Two left.

 

The apprentice was having trouble deflecting all that blaster fire with his saber. The curve in the bottom helped him to swing with one hand much easier, but for some reason made it more awkward to deflect the blaster fire. Orik was lucky there weren't more droids, or then he would really be doomed.

 

Using the force, he felt the two remaining droids in the force. He sensed every part, every weapon...every power supply. Yes, that was it. Using the dark side, he cut off the energy cells that they were using to power their weapons. All of the droids now were either at the bottom of the tomb or harmless, just the way Orik wanted it.

 

He casually walked toward a door. On the other side, he felt a swirl of emotion. A swirl of destiny. A touch of life in this cold, barren valley that laid home to this cold, barren tomb that played host to the ancient sith Ajunta Pall. As he flicked a switch to open the door, the three remaining droids exploded.

 

If I had known that before...

 

Quietly he proceeded into the room as he deactivated his saber. It crawled back into the pitch black hilt and the hiss of the saber ceased. As he walked further into the tomb, a feeling in his stomach seemed to emerge. The feeling only intensified when he saw a sarcophagus...