Korriban

[Telperiën Ar-Pharazon]

Telperien looked up to her mother with a puzzled expression on her face, for she could have sworn that she had seen the ghostly being of Faust in these very halls not a day before. The fact that he still walked among them, unchecked, the fact that he was not immediately put down by the Trinity caused a seed of doubt to sprout forth and whisper in her mind until she made the concern known to her mother.

 

Then if he is so dangerous to us why do we let him still live? A mad rancor we would put down before it consumed us as we slept.

 

She traced the runes and hieroglyphs again as she listened to her mother, when she finished a full rune she looked up again.

 

Was my biological father also the same as faust?

 

She looked at her own recently repaired arms as she considered the question. Her small delicate hands outlined by the striking figure of Kakuto Ryu striking down a jedi apprentice with a fell blow of a mighty warhammer. Looking at the figure between her spread fingers, she looked back at her mother.

 

Were not all the old Sith Lords? For that hunger for death and destruction was their legacy that carries forward for all eternity. Time is the only thing we cannot fight. For that they turned to machinations, holocrons, and lust for destruction to carry their legacy. As Dad would say, we are nothing without a legacy. Who remembers those that don’t leave a scar on the galaxy?

 

She shrugged dramatically and smiled. Thin lips uncovering white teeth,

 

So we take the middle road mother? What of Ca’Aran? He was a follower of men such as my father, is he also tainted and blighted?

[Qaela]

"Faust was defeated and banished to the darkness for a time. He may be back, as many do, but one can only hope he learned from his folly. If the other Sith, many who fought him earlier, have not done so now, perhaps Faust has learned from his mistakes and the madness has receded. We should all hope that is the case because if it is not, then there is no hope for any who may fall to the lure of utter chaos and lust for death. If he is not cured, then I will be the first to oppose him should it come to it, and I think Ca'Aran would do the same as he once did on Coruscant."

 

She was growing slightly hungry again, so she pulled off the leg of some roasted avian and began nibbling on its flesh. "Your sire was not quite the same. Despite his love for chaos and destruction that was often pointless and unnecessary, he had a sense of honor of his own. He stopped Raynuk from killing me before, and fought on my side a few other times against Sith trying to kill me simply because I was carrying you or not 'Sith' enough. Do not misunderstand, he desired power and killed more than was necessary, but he didn't want to destroy everything. I do not mourn his death, but at least he wasn't treacherous like others.

 

"The old Sith lords, from what I read, were generally monsters unworthy of following. They definitely culled the weak, but they also destroyed more than was needed. There may have been a few that restrained themselves and used their power in accordance to the balance of nature, but not all of them did. There is a large difference in accepting nature's purpose for those who are strong and seeking to destroy and pervert it. Life without death may seem merciful, but that creates overgrazing and eventually nature must strike back with disease or famine will wipe everything out. Death is a part of life, but too much death destabilizes that cycle as too few are left to replenish life. There does need to be war and destruction so that the old and stagnant can be swept away to make room for the new and strong. The old must pass so the young can rise."

 

She finished the leg and placed it on her plate before her. From there, she grabbed a cluster of sweet berries and put them on her plate.

 

"What good is it to have a massive legacy if nobody is there to admire it? What purpose is there to rule if there is nobody and nothing to rule? What point is there to be remembered if everyone only hates you? You will forever remember the Darksong Clan for what it did to you: but is that good for them? Is that the legacy that you would want for yourself? Being feared is not bad, neither is displaying your power through sometimes brutal means. Sometimes, death must be dealt and cities destroyed. Being petty and cruel is without value at all. People recognize strength and, even if they dislike it, they respect it. Cruelty and pointless slaughter don't garner respect, only disgust and hatred. My daughter, kill those you must, but do not kill all or without purpose.

 

"Yes, we must utilize a middle road of sorts. The dark side can lead many to insanity: it caused me to kill Ca'Aran and many of his men and cost me my children. The dark side can also lead to great strength. The key is to always be in control of your hunger and not to displace the balance of nature."

 

Taking a moment to consider the last question, Qaela took another sip of wine and then ate a few of the berries. "Ca'Aran is an honorable man who respects his clan and fights for his allies. He has his flaws, most of which are a result of his past and even some of my own doing. He, like all of us, is tainted and can do terrible, foolish things. However, he also knows how to control himself when it is needed. He would do anything to keep you safe, even if it costs him dearly. I believe he may need to spend some time on his own path just as we must walk ours. I can only hope that when he is reached the end of that path, he finds us there."

[Alora]

Alora couldn't help the smirk that crossed her features regarding Raynuk's reaction when he realised she was indeed testing him. The howls of the tuk'atas ended what was sure to be some kind of retaliation. First Roe and Vex took off with Raynuk fast behind them.

 

"She got herself into trouble again"

 

"It certainly looks that way." Alora answered Draken with a laugh. "She will certainly keep him on his toes... especially when she gets interested in boys". She linked her arm through Draken's when he offered it and the two headed for his ship. The antics of the panthers amused her further especially when Shadow imitated Krakis. "Leading by example Krakis... " she laughed as the elder of the felines growled at his Master before following him to the cockpit.

 

When they landed at Raynuk's tomb it was rather obvious that both Roe and Vex had been there along with Raynuk. She and Shadow followed Draken and Krakis over to the dead tuk'ata then looked towards the tomb. "We go in" she answered and began to head inside. The remains of what was left of the dead cultists confirmed what they had been told about with regards to Raynuk's resurrection. Shadow sniffed at one of the corpses and sneezed shaking her head with distaste and a growl. The four of them made their way in telling the black felines not to go ahead of the two Sith so that the black and white tuk'atas wouldn't perceive them as a threat.

[Telperiën Ar-Pharazon]

Telperien laughed coldly, wiping her mouth on her arm, leaving a long smear of juice, blood, and spit before responding to her mother. She was, after all raised by savages.

Mother, he wanted to I am Groot you, not save your life. Being used isn’t something to thank someone for.

 

She savagely ripped into the bantha steak again before continuing. Speaking around a mouthful of food.

 

The fact that you do not mourn him speaks of it, you are used to being used. He used you to breed his legacy. Which I don’t regret..

 

She pointed to a tile of Her biological father cutting down twelve Darth Mauls in a single swing.

 

He lusted for you, and for power. What do you lust for mother? A better life? Power? Ca’Aran? Me? What drive us but a quest for power? Ca’Aran was a soldier, a clone, bred for service, for duty. Thats what he does right? Serve? Otherwise he wouldn’t have come back after you killed him. He lives for being used. I do not think you could attach yourself to someone so weak.

 

She knew that asking this many questions would likely be grating on her mother, but there was so much she wanted to know. She traced a tile of the Jedi standing against the Sith Trinity on Gala and took another bite of muja fruit, the red juice dripping down her chin.

So how do we know who to cull and who to let live? Who deserves death and who doesn’t? Do you kill a family but leave a child to grow up to avenge them? I would kill him, even though it would lead to disorder…Would you kill a squalling baby if there was a chance for him to avenge his family?

 

She shrugged and changed topics suddenly.

 

Either way mother, how long are we going to dwell here in the halls of the Sith?

Edited August 22, 2017 by Guest

[Raia Montar]

“Will you have to do more things like what I saw in my vision? To prove you’re strong enough?” she asked, looking down at the rough brown fabric that now cradled her arm instead of meeting her father’s eyes.

 

The sound of a feline growl brought Raia’s attention past where her father stood between the doorway to his tomb and her. The last thing she’d ever expected to see in the sands of Korriban was two of the jungle panthers from her birth world. Once again, it seemed she would be denied an answer to her questions.

 

The primal fear of seeing one of her planet’s apex predators was apparent on her face, but true to her promise to Raynuk she stood her ground or rather kept it since she was still kneeling next to Roe’gall. She watched as the two Sith Masters approached and the way the full-grown male and cub followed them. Taking a cub to raise was one thing, but Draken seemed to have taken on a fully-grown jungle-raised male as his pet. Raia had to question his sanity. The males of that species, not unlike most, were wildly unpredictable.

 

The large, black tuk’ata flared his nostrils at the unfamiliar scent and nudged Raia’s hand as though to reassure the girl that he was still there for her.

 

“Master Draken, Mistress Alora,” she greeted them sheepishly.

[darth shadowlord]

Draken nodded as they walked into the tomb with Krakis at his side. A questioning cough from Krakis caught his attention and he stepped off to the right and looked at one of the cultist corpses. The corpse had a decaying tattoo of a rune on his wrist, Draken looked at it for a moment then sighed. The state of decay left the tattoo damaged and there wasn't enough detail left for him to pinpoint the exact rune.

 

Cursing silently, he shrugged and then stood back up. Seeing these cultists again really irritated him and the fact that they were dead and he couldn't punish them further had caused a temper flare up that would take a while to quell. Krakis leaned in and headbutted him with a growl as it sensed his anger and he looked down and chuckled. It would seemed that the panther had gotten to know him well in the short time since Dathomir. He glanced over at Alora with an arched eyebrow as he indicated Krakis.

 

He reached down and ran his hand over Krakis's head then walked deeper into the tomb. He smiled when Krakis growled, they had found Raynuk and Raia as well as the tuk'atas which the panthers weren't quite certain how to react to.

 

“Master Draken, Mistress Alora,”

 

Draken inclined his head to each of them. "Raia. I see you found her again Brother."

[Raynuk Montar]

After securing Raia’s injured arm in a makeshift sling, Raynuk didn’t fail to notice the girl shying away from meeting his gaze as she asked another question of him; one that seemed to come out of practically nowhere. He paused in his continued examination of her arm, and then lifted her chin so that she had little choice but to meet his eyes.

 

“That is a difficult question to answer mana meita.” He began, “In all likelihood, yes I will have to do more things like that. But not because I need to prove myself strong enough. It was Telperian’s father that I had to ‘prove’ myself to, for he was the only one who thought I was weak. I did a great deal of damage attempting to secure his allegiance, both physically and emotionally. Thousands of innocents, people I had never even seen or met, were torn from the galaxy as I made a city fall from the sky. And I was forced to watch, and not help, as Telperian’s father and the rest of those that joined us killed Emily right in front of me.”

 

There was another pause, his eyes drifting from Raia’s face as he sighed. He renewed his conviction and returned to looking at his daughter before he continued.

 

“He wanted me to prove to him that I wasn’t weakened by the affection I felt for her. So I pretended I was stronger than it. Pretended that watching her die didn’t affect me. In the end, after I had taken the Mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith… Telperian’s father abandoned my side, as did all the others who were with me, including Delta and Qaela.”

 

Raynuk stood up then, gently taking Raia’s hand and pulling her to her feet along with him. “I do not know what the future holds, but my role now as the head of the Warrior caste will likely demand that I wade into the horrors of battle soon enough against the enemies of the Sith. Wherever the Dark Lord points me, I will likely go. But not because I need to prove myself strong, but because I have purpose in this galaxy once more. I don't seek the approval of the other Sith around me; what they think of me, good or bad, is their problem, not mine. I will do what I feel must be done, even if that puts me at odds with them.”

 

As though the arrival was timed out perfectly according to a schedule, the change in demenor of Roe’gall alerted Raynuk that they were no longer alone. But despite his alarm and defensive insticts, Roe’gall knew he was injured, and simply expressed his aggravation with a flaring of his nostrils and nudged Raia.

 

Raynuk turned, spotting the large, dark panther that approached through the doorway. Knowing the large cat was in no-way native to Korriban, Raynuk was momentarily intrigued before he spotted the familiar silhouettes of Draken and Alora entering his tomb as well. The panther wandered over to one of the long dead cultists, no doubt intrigued by all the new smells it was experiencing. Raynuk simply watched, a small grin on his face as the panther coughed and Draken moved to investigate himself.

 

He moved to greet the other two Sith, but not a moment later felt and sensed that Vex’aedr was returning, and fast. The white tuk’ata had called this place home for so very long, protecting Raynuk’s (not so) eternal rest. He should not have been surprised that Vex was still insanely protective of this place. Raynuk spun on his heel, facing the long hallway that Vex had wandered off down when they first arrived, and reacted the moment he saw the flash of white fur.

 

Vex had heard, or more likely smelled, the panthers that Draken and Alora had accompanying them, and had shifted back into guardian mode, charging hard and fast to expell the invaders of Raynuk’s tomb.

 

“Pārtraukt!” He yelled to Vex, who within a second went from angry, to confused, to questioning, to resignation as it accepted Raynuk’s order. He instantly began slowing down, and by the time he got to Raynuk was stopping. Raynuk placed a hand on Vex to calm the tuk’ata, who had decided instead to simply stare menacingly at the black panther, who showed no sign of being intimidated.

 

As Draken inclined his head, Raynuk returned the nod. “More like they found her,” he said as he motioned to the dead tuk’atas that were outside the tomb. “An entire hunting pack by the looks of it, with an Alpha that was nearly half the size of Vex’aedr, which is saying something. ”

 

There was a hint of concern in his voice, as he was reminded that he had overlooked Roe’gall’s own injuries in the scuffle. “It showed tactics and cunning; even managed to overwhelm Roe’gall at one point before I arrived. It got a piece of Raia too it seems; I may have to keep an eye out for it in the future should I need another subject. Now, If you two don’t mind, they both need some medical attention that my lovely tomb just isn’t stocked for.”

 

He began walking with Raia and the tuk’atas towards the tomb opening, passing Raia off to Alora’s overall more caring and gentle hands before pulling Draken’s attention.

“Don’t worry brother. I have not forgotten about them either… All in due time.” He spoke in quiet tones, indicating to the dead cultist that the panther and he had investigated. Indeed the Cult of Morthos was still a threat to pursue, and one that Raynuk knew would receive his full attention soon enough.

[Qaela]

Qaela smiled at the anger her daughter's response garnered in her. The girl was wise far beyond her years, she wondered if Ar-Pharazon's spirit had something to do with that. "Of course he wanted my body and of course he used me. What you forgot was that I also used him. He wanted some pleasure and to have a legacy of his own. I also wanted the same, but more than just a legacy. He had power, I needed it, and he was willing to give it. Not only did I get you, but I also grew in my ability to draw upon the Force as result. In his own interests to safeguard his legacy, he ended up helping protect me from some rather nasty characters."

 

She got up and joined her daughter in roving around the hall, staring at the tiles of past Sith glories, even if many were likely heavily fictionalized. "Nobody is all powerful all the time in all ways. We all need to make alliances and work together. That is why we form a tribal network, be that Clans or an Order or an Empire. Your sire and I made a trade of services to mutual benefit, nothing more."

 

She viewed a tile of what Korriban looked like long ago at the height of the Sith's power. It was nothing like the ruin filled, generally lifeless world they were on today. "Ca'Aran is indeed a man who serves, but in serving, he gains power and strength. He is a man who truly knows what it is like to work as a team without infighting or selfishness. He is confident enough in himself and his skills that he doesn't have to blindly claw to the top of everything. He understands his place, his strengths, and weaknesses and doesn't try to sleight anyone or steal their strengths.

 

"What I want is to live. I have had many try to kill me from many sides, and none have succeeded. I didn't do it alone, not by a long shot. I had allies and a clan of my own. If you wish to survive, you must learn to do the same, but finding worthy beings to trust is extremely difficult. Ca'Aran is perhaps my wisest choice of ally, one who has proven himself many times over. If you believe he is weak, then you have much to learn. Ca'Aran is one of the strongest men alive and we are fortunate he views us as friends rather than enemies."

 

She pointed to the tiles showing monuments and the glory of the Sith. "I want this. I want to see the Darkness rise and I want to see those who are truly worthy of power wield it wisely. The Sith, were they to unite, could build monuments and cities the likes of which this Galaxy has never seen before if they would but restrain their lusts. One can't build cities if all the people are dead. To answer your question: there is no problem in slaughtering the entire family children and all, but why are you killing them? Did they oppose you? Did they stand in the way of the Sith and building the glorious future? If so, slaughter away, they are not worthy of surviving.

 

"However, if they were just living their lives and offered no opposition to you, why did you kill the parents? Worse, if they are serving you, why slaughter them? So many Sith kill the acolytes and servants for pointless reasons thus wasting resources and making others hate them. And, even if they did oppose you and force you to slaughter them, that doesn't mean you must slaughter their neighbors. Sometimes, a patch of forest becomes blighted. You don't burn the entire forest down, you simply burn that which is blighted and allow the forest to regrow."

 

She did muse a moment on Telperien's last question. "We will stay here until such time as we need to leave. Do we have a need to go elsewhere just yet? More importantly, do we have the means? With Ca'Aran gone, we have no ship. Besides, I have interest in speaking to this new Dark Lord upon his return. It would do neither of us any good to have the Sith as enemies again, it is best to ingratiate ourselves to their leaders if for no other reason than self preservation."

[Haphaestus]

Toward the ancient Sith world of Korriban a sleek Nubian craft called the Xenios descended. Not a living being was upon it, its crew instead entirely droids of Lemnos Industries design. At the helm was a white-plated pilot droid, unique in all the galaxy, great not of stature nor armament but capable in its role. The rest were six Deimos X-20 droids, tall and clad in shining black plates, fit to march upon any enemy on any world. One of them bore an ornate box, its contents for now concealed.

 

The craft oriented itself toward the large Sith Praxeum and began a slow approach. The pilot droid opened a transmission to the surface. "Greetings, Masters. Requesting permission to land. Purpose of visit: to deliver a gift from my Masters to the Sith Order and its Dark Lord, that they might each know the other."

[Alora]

“Master Draken, Mistress Alora.”

 

“Raia. Raynuk,” Alora responded with a smile, which widened with Krakis’ reaction to Draken’s increased anger at the cultists bodies lying around. It seemed the large male panther had him in control - not the other way around. Shadow just mewled and rubbed around her Mistress's legs, looking with curiosity at Raia but arching her back to hiss at Roe. “Easy Shadow, it’s alright. That’s Roe’gall.” She leant down and ran her hand over the cub’s back, soothing her.

 

“It showed tactics and cunning; even managed to overwhelm Roe’gall at one point before I arrived. It got a piece of Raia too it seems; I may have to keep an eye out for it in the future should I need another subject. Now, If you two don’t mind, they both need some medical attention that my lovely tomb just isn’t stocked for.”

 

Alora listened as Raynuk told Draken about the pack of hunting tuk’atas that had found the girl and how they’d injured Raia and gotten through Roe’s defenses which did show the cunning they had. As Raynuk passed his daughter into her care she motioned for Shadow who automatically to her right side which Alora placed a comforting arm around Raia, “The Grand Duke is just outside so we haven’t far to go.” She turned her focus to Roe’gall, speaking directly to the intelligent tuk’ata, figuring it would understand that she wanted to help if he needed it, “Are you able to make it or should I assist?”

[Telperiën Ar-Pharazon]

Telperien wandered at her mother’s hip, listening to her talk on as they passed from ornate mural to mural, she was fascinated by the ornate architecture that was displayed here in the halls of the Sith Temple. Large brown stone carved into statues of Sith such as Zhar, Maul, Palpatine, and there were even statues of famous Jedi knights, with holo panels displayed on their display bases, giving quick run downs on how they lived, their fighting styles, how they died, and their failures. The kill counts on some of the Jedi were shocking, Relmis, a diminutive statue of grey stone, had killed multiple billions of civilians at a place called Kamino. It was shocking. She pointed at the floating numbers slowly rotating like a cake on display at a cheap diner.

 

Why do they claim to be good if they kill so many people?

 

They had called Ca’Aran a terrorist but his statue only had a few hundred thousand civilian death on its base. In scales of magnitude, he was better than most Jedi knights. At least he was honest about it. She let out a low whistle as they approached a carved statue of a brave looking Jedi Admiral. Named Onderin Starlisk, why he was named after a planet, Telperien didn’t know, but what she was shocked at was his kill count. Nearly a trillion civilians at a place called Kuat. He had died saving a trillion more at Coruscant. She giggled a little bit.

 

What a weird and complicated life it must be to be a Jedi. I'm glad i'm not going to try!

The lessons her mother was teaching did make sense, sense enough that she considered them wise. She smiled up at her mother and grabbed her hand, nuzzling the back of it with her cheek.

 

Thanks mom for teaching me this stuff, I didn’t get much of that on Dathomir

 

Dathomir…

 

That strange almost magical wilderness that she had spent nearly her whole life. She missed it, as much as the Sith stronghold held power, it didn’t have the organic feel. The spring of fallen pine needles under bare feet was something she missed. She missed running through the wilderness with her brothers. Carrying the spear while they carried low powered bows because she was stronger and could handle herself. She remembered the terror as they ran from the Rancor they had stumbled across with all their strength until they had been cornered in a low valley, miles away from home.

 

Telperien grimaced as she stood in front of both her crouching brothers, holding the short spear carved from Rhoa Kwi bone in front of her. When it had lunged with its large paw like hand she had lept on top of its head and driven that spear point through the soft curve of its rear skull. It was a good, but distant memory. One that she treasured.

[Raia Montar]

With his pride to consider, Roe’gall slowly raised himself back to his feet, taking a few moments to steady himself before making his way over to the tomb’s entrance.

 

Raia hung back as she waited on him casting curious glances at the two panthers as Alora lead her to the Grand Duke’s medical facilities. Roe’gall had to settle for waiting in the ship’s lounge area while Alora began looking over Raia.

 

Gently slipping the makeshift sling over the girl’s head, she helped Raia remove her outer tunic, leaving her in the silver sleeveless tunic that Alora recognized as one that Draken had ordered for the girl back on Coruscant. The tattoo had grown again to Raia’s wrists and what had been navy before shone out as an inky black in crisp contrast against the crimson and paleness of her skin.

 

Alora helped Raia put her arm in the medical scanner, and waited the few seconds it took the device to get its reading. Aside from the muscle and tissue damage from the bite, Raia had managed to break her arm as well. The spiral fracture was hard to miss in the bone scan displays.

[Exodus]

A curious man listened to the comm that came from the Xenios vessel, and deliberated what it could mean. He remained poised in meditation, with his ear-piece connected to a vast connection of the inner-workings on Korriban. The Sith Stalker, Rhijlo Lockjaw, was always an interested party and kept his ear to ground as much as he could. This in particular had to do with the Order he served, and a Master he had devoted his life to. He would arrange for their ship to land at coordinates to the fore of the Praxeum, and have the vessel searched for strange activity. His reach of power only extended to trivial matters such as these, but the art of killing always struck his fancy far more than the meet and greet that was just as necessary.

 

 

• "Request that our Guests be positioned around encampment, there will be eyes of all sorts to carry their every move. I will meet with them, but have Master Raynuk of these outlanders at once."

[Haphaestus]

Without hesitation did the Xenios comply with the instructions that were given, but proceeded directly to the location to which direction was provided. Sith scans would reveal the vessel to be unarmed, unthreatening, crewed only by droids, its hold empty, its registry up to date as hailing from Nubia.

 

Upon landing, the six Deimos-class droids disembarked in parade formation. Five formed a wedge shape, behind them following the last in whose hands rested an ornate box embossed with runes of Tionese design much as was its bearer. For all the harmlessness of the vessel in which they had arrived, the droids bristled with armaments of nearly every variety which into their chases might fit. In no case were these weapons brought to bear on their environment nor the ones who met them, but were kept powered down as they walked ceremoniously forth.

 

They stopped when met. The droid in the front position spoke. "Is this the abode of the Dark Lord of the Sith?" it asked.

[darth shadowlord]

Draken walked towards the entrance of the tomb following Raynuk out as Krakis stayed close to his side. As he walked, he listened to what Raynuk was saying with one part of his mind while in the other an idea was formulating. He stopped and motioned to Raynuk to stop before they got to the ship.

 

“Brother, you said you were adopting Raia? An idea has struck me just now. With the bounty still enacted by the Remnant it would be risky on certain planets to reveal your identity and in turn hers as well with the adoption process. I can offer another solution. Submit the adoption paperwork through the Triumvirate of Serenno, it can be done under a title as opposed to a name especially when accompanied with my Seal.”

[Raynuk Montar]

Raynuk’s gaze remained on the dead cultist for a few moments longer as the rest of his companions exited his tomb save for Draken. The pair remained quiet, each locked in their own thoughts Only when everyone else had made steps to depart did he stir, his eyes sweeping across the nearby walls, the carved story of his deeds that lay before him. The history of who he was, and what the role he played in the galaxy continued to be; that of the Warrior King, one head of the Sith Trinity.

 

Even so lost in his own thoughts, something compelled him to look at the ground in that moment. There, amidst the dust against the wall, Raynuk spotted the black cylinder that he recognized as being the lightsaber he had gifted to Raia shortly after he had met the girl, a lightsaber that had been stored in this very tomb. Without a second thought, he moved to it and picked it up, turning it over in his hands. A moment later, he turned, exiting the tomb without so much as another glance elsewhere, and followed his friends back to the Grand Duke. He subtly waved his hand behind him as he walked away, issuing the Force to slam the giant door that lead to his tomb shut behind him, sealing it once more.

 

Draken’s motion to stop brought Raynuk to a pause, listening carefully to what Draken offered. Raynuk found himself slightly surprised; he was cemented in his intent of adopting Raia, but thus far had not put very much thought into the actual process. But with the topic at hand, Raynuk paused to consider the process and the risks that such a thing would bring with it. In the end, Draken was offering perhaps the best solution with a minimal amount of risk. Finally he nodded.

 

“There is a great deal of wisdom in that idea brother… I accept your offer.” A smile cracked the normally serious face he wore, “And I think Raia would enjoy the fact that the process was presided over and ensured by you.”

 

Raynuk clasped Draken’s hand, and then turned to climb the ramp to the Grand Duke, but stopped halfway.

 

“And… Thanks Draken.”

 

He didn’t look back when he said it, simply speaking the words into the air before him. His peace spoken, he finished climbed the ramp to the ship, finding that Vex’aedr was there waiting for him just outside the common room. Raynuk paused, taking the time to check over the tuk’ata thoroughly. He was not surprised to find that the white tuk’ata barely had a scratch, meaning he fared much better than Roe’gall did. Giving Vex a reassuring pat and scratch, he moved deeper into the ship to the lounge area. Seeing that Alora was taking care of Raia in the medical facility, he sighed heavily and sat down. A few seconds later Roe’gall limped over giving Raynuk another thing to focus his attention on.

 

He wordlessly told Roe’gall to stay, before rising and entering the medical facility behind Alora. He glanced at both her and Raia, turning his attention to collecting a few medical items in his hands.

 

“For Roe’gall…” He murmured, holding his collection up before exiting and returning to the common room to attend to the black tuk’ata. He gingerly took Roe’gall’s injured leg in his hands, mentally pushing back against the flash of defensive anger the tuk’ata naturally felt at someone, even Raynuk, touching his wounded leg. Eventually however, Raynuk managed to wrap the bandages around the tuk’atas leg to a satisfactory degree, and after a few warnings Roe’gall even stopped trying to bite at the bandages, instead resigning himself to lay down at Raynuk’s feet, eliminating a substantial amount of grumpiness. For his part, Raynuk simply sat back and attempted to enjoy the surprisingly comfortable seat he had found while the Grand Duke returned them all to the Sith Praxium.

 

------------------

 

Once the Grand Duke landed back outside the main temple, Raynuk was the first to disembark. As they were making their landing, Raynuk had spotted the tall lanky metalic form of 2-VSH standing just outside the main entrance to the temple. The droid ususally elected to remain aboard the Ravenhammer, so Raynuk was keen to find out what had brought the droid outside.

 

The moment the droid spotted Raynuk emerging from the Grand Duke, it began approaching to meet Raynuk halfway. As Raynuk got closer, he saw that the droid was carrying a datapad.

 

<

 

2V was looking past Raynuk, who likewise glanced behind him to see that Alora was helping Raia off the ship while the two tuk’atas waited for them at the base of the ramp.

 

“Fine 2V. What is it?” Raynuk answered through a sigh as he turned back to face the droid.

 

<>

 

Raynuk waved away the question, annoyed by the implications, but also concerned. He took the datapad from the droid, knowing that 2V would have downloaded copies of the messages onto it. Raynuk began reading, almost oblivious as the others passed by him. He felt Raia slow to his side and pause there until he looked up.

 

“Go ahead meita. Go check in with the medical facility. I’ll be there shortly. Promise.” He gave her a nod that punctuated his words as a gentle order. He watched as she did as he requested, waiting until she was nearly to the door before he returned his attention to the datapad and the information within.

 

The communication from Xae was unexpected, but was mostly filled with things he already knew; namely that Faust had returned in some form. Indeed, he knew that the Dark Lord and Sheogg had gone to handle a situation that Faust was involved in. If it had been up to Raynuk the madman would have been left to rot in whatever hole he had dug himself into, but Exodus had decreed it otherwise.

 

Instead, Raynuk found other information in the message to be of more interest. Emily not only had still possessed the journal with the rituals that the cult had used to attempt to resurrect him, but had also shown it to the diminutive Jedi, presumably during the time the pair shared on Raxus Prime. Still, the Exorcist was declaring her own distrust of the madman, and offering herself as an ally against both him and the Cult of Morthos. Both being threats that were bigger than the division that existed between Sith and Jedi.

 

Besides… he thought with a bit of amusement, she is hardly the first Jedi I’ve had common ground with.

 

He could not help the flash of memory and wonder that came from his natural thought process; the silent question of where Jaina currently was and what she was doing. He could still feel her through their bond, but she was far away, and sufficiently obscured by the galaxy that he could not get a decent read on her. All he could get was a general sense of her being focused on something.

 

The next message, from Emily, forced Raynuk to attempt to suppress his stray thoughts of Jaina. He owed Emily that much to purge thoughts of her aunt from his mind before he dealt with her missive. 2V however caught sight of Raynuk switching to her message and spoke up.

 

<>

 

He extended his other hand, revealing a small holoprojector comm device. Raynuk furrowed his brows at the droid, but took the device anyway, connecting it to the datapad and playing the message.

 

Though their seperation had been difficult and somewhat cold on his part, he did still care for Emily. She was still his former apprentice, and that would have been enough for him to still give a damn about her. But she had meant more to him, and so when the message began to play and he saw her face as it was, his heart dropped.

 

He had not expected her to look happy or cheery by any means, but he saw in that message the image of someone who had been broken and was barely hanging on. Her face had aged far more than it reasonably should have. She looked tired and thin and -- quite frankly -- terrible. Her words did little to assail his concerns, and her mention of Jaina hit him like a guilt filled dagger. He had some semblance of what had happened; the report from CoreSec about the attack on her ship, and the investigation conducted by Draken and Alora, ending with the Holonet announcement that the Remnant had captured an ‘unnamed Sith woman’ fit the timetable for Emily going missing. But between how well he knew her and her words, Raynuk was sure there was more to the story.

 

He would not make her wait long. Looking up at 2V, he nodded to the droid, and ordered him to begin preparing the ship to go to the coordinates Emily had sent. The droid was beginning to walk away when Raynuk noticed there was something else listed on the datapad that was flagged as important.

 

“What is this last item here…” He called out to the droid. If 2V was capable of wincing, the droid would have done it in that moment. It stopped and paused before turning completely around to address Raynuk.

 

<>

 

Raynuk cut the droid off with a raised hand as his gaze burned a hole in the datapad. There on the screen, right before him, was the bounty that had been issued.

WANTED:

 

The Sith Lord styling himself DARTH QUIETUS. May also be traveling under the name of EZRA MONTAR.

 

REWARD:

 

5.000,000 CREDITS DEAD

10,000,000 CREDITS ALIVE

 

FIND HIM BEFORE ZINTHOS DOES.

 

Return to: Underwind

Fizzy's, Nar Shaddaa

 

Raynuk’s gaze slowly rose to bore into the chassis of his droid, a slight twitch presenting itself in his eye.

 

<< --Ah… yes. It appears someone wants you VERY MUCH dead. I only found it because I had grown bored of sitting around waiting on the ship and tapped into one of the communications relays orbiting Korriban, and it unwittingly got flagged by my subroutine that looks for traces or mentions of your name… Any of them. This one was flagged twice, since it has two of your names, therefore it became a priority, and I became aware of it, and of course I knew I had to inform you of its existance, because you are my owner and master and even though your demise would mean I would be left as the only one capable of piloting the ship, I would not wish such an end for you master, even though you would more than likely come back to life as you have done numerous times before...>>

 

The droid was talking fast, expecting Raynuk to rip him apart for ‘failing’ to mention the bounty, even though the opportunity had not come up before Raynuk commanded him to prepare the ship for departure. For a few tense moments, Raynuk didnt move or reply, until finally he waved the droid off in disgust.

 

As 2V turned and tottered off back towards the Ravenhammer, having escaped the wrath of Quietus, he distinctly heard twenty-seven different curses that Raynuk vocalized, in four languages. After Raynuk had run out of curse words to say, and suddenly having a new problem to deal with, there was nothing left to do but let out a heavy sigh, remove his face from his palm, and move forward. At least, he would have, if it were not for the man who was approaching him.

 

"Master Raynuk," the curious man greeted him with a respectful bow, "Stalker Lockjaw. It appears we have guests, and as Lord Exodus is away, you are the current ranking Master of the Praxium. Would you join me in greeting them in place of our Dark Lord?"

 

Raynuk suppressed another sigh, and merely nodded, motioning for Lockjaw to lead the way. As they walked, Raynuk palmed his comm and decided he should at the very least respond to Emily so that she would know for sure he was going to meet with her.

[Exodus]

The six overwhelming droids approached, each of them suited with a dark chassis covered in runic scripture. Lockjaw searched them through and through as his visor fed him ciphered information. There wasn't much to dissect, but these bad boys were heavily armed. It made no difference, Master Raynuk was the core of what the Warriors prided themselves on and he could tear these pieces limb from limb in the blink of an eye, or so he believed. Lockjaw was not fresh fodder either, and endured his fair share of battles under the old rule. This did not appear to be one of those times were violence would be the solution, instead, it looked as if they came bearing a gift. Lockjaw withdrew the blades that teemed from his gauntlets, and stepped forward to address the droids. Master Raynuk did not need to be bothered by trivial questions, but he would be invaluable as a witness to whatever would come their way.

 

"..One of them," Lockjaw spoke earnestly. "State your business, droids. You are before a Master of the Sith." Lockjaw extended his arm, to reveal Lord Montar, and dipped his head in reverence.

[Raia Montar]

Raia frowned at Raynuk, very much wanting to hear the message from Emily, but obediently did as he bade with Roe’gall limping along beside her and Alora as they re-entered the temple and made their way to the medical wing.

 

She tried to ignore the hair-on-the-back-of-her-neck feeling every time they met someone in the corridors. Without the hooded tunic Emily had given her, she felt quite exposed though the sleeveless gray tunic covered up the dagger symbol part of her tattoo. With the makeup of their procession, no one dared impede their progress, slow as it might have been since Raia wasn’t about to leave Roe’gall behind. It didn’t stop her from feeling the sideways glances, the lingering looks as they moved through the temple toward their destination.

 

True to her word to Raynuk, she kept her head high and did her best not to turn away in shyness, though her own anxiety levels rose as her mind worked over if anyone else in the temple might know what her markings meant.

 

Once they’d arrived in the medical area, there was some hesitation when the medical droids presented themselves, but a reassuring word from Alora and Draken’s firm guidance to one of the exam tables, she relaxed just enough to let the droid begin its work while Roe’gall gingerly lowered himself at the foot of the table.

 

Her thoughts became more curious as she watched the droid go about its job in confirming the injuries and then expertly repairing the muscle and tissue damage the wild tuk’ata’s bite had brought, before encasing her arm in some sort of material she hadn’t encountered before.

 

The droid chittered away in some language Raia couldn’t begin to know as she held her arm up for inspection of the honeycombed tendrils that now formed a hard casing around her injured arm.

 

“Could I have a blanket?” she asked, lowering the arm again and addressing the droid. “It’s cold in here.”

 

Another battery of blurbs and beeps and another droid buzzed up to her with the requested item, which she immediately draped over herself to cover the tattoos again. The droids rolled or hovered off, to where she had no clue and found she didn't care.

 

She grew quiet again, one series of questions turning over and over again in her mind seeming to grow louder and louder as though it demanded an answer.

 

Will I have to do things like Tētis did? Bring whole cities to ruin to prove to someone else I’m worthy enough to be a Sith? What purpose do I have with them?

[Haphaestus]

Whatever the droids might have thought of the approaching Sith, by no outward sign did they reveal it.

 

"Our Masters regret their inability to deliver this message in person, but they wish to know the Dark Lord," the lead droid responded. "They send a gift, that the Sith might find them to be allies."

 

The droid then stepped aside, and from behind it another did overtake and present the ornate box to the two Sith Masters. "In addition to the contents of this parcel, we have been instructed to offer our own services," the droid stated. "Not unnoticed to our Masters have been the Sith fleet actions over Carida and Onderon. You will find us vastly superior to any mercenary."

 

Indeed the droids, equipped as they were with ray shields atop their arsenals vast, would prove more than a match against even Jedi and Sith, though they did not presume to assert such a thing verbally.

 

If the box was opened, the Sith would find there enshrined in red velvet the lightsaber of Jedi Grand Master Kirlocca entwined with a braid of the wookiee's hair. His blood, though long since dried, lingered upon both.

[darth shadowlord]

Will I have to do things like Tētis did? Bring whole cities to ruin to prove to someone else I’m worthy enough to be a Sith? What purpose do I have with them?

 

Draken chuckled silently and stroked his beard, she didn’t realize that she was broadcasting her thoughts. He sat down on the edge of the bed beside her.

 

“Raia, being a Sith is not all chaos and destruction, we are painted as such by the Jedi and the Rebellion but it is not true. We brought order to the galaxy and created the first true empire under which the galaxy flourished. We choose to pursue knowledge rather than forbid it. We learn to embrace our emotions and use them in what we do. Yes, it is true that we have leveled cities and destroyed armies but it is nothing more than what the Jedi have done and then denied their part in.

 

There will be times where we have to go farther than we want to in order to prove a point to our enemies but it is not something that is done often.”

 

He watched her expression for a moment, noticing how she absorbed the knowledge. Finally he smiled as she looked back at him. Beckoning to her, he left the medbay and proceeded to the training room and knelt on the floor. He reached out with the force and caught a few drops of her blood within a semi-transparent force orb.

 

“You didn’t get to see the full creation of crystal the last time. This time you will.”

[Raynuk Montar]

Raynuk watched in silence as Lockjaw greeted the assembly of droids, giving both the speaking droid and Lockjaw a nod as he was introduced. As the first droid stepped aside to reveal the second, carrying an ornate box. As the droid extended it as a gift, Raynuk stepped forward, equally wary as he was curious.

 

"In addition to the contents of this parcel, we have been instructed to offer our own services. Not unnoticed to our Masters have been the Sith fleet actions over Carida and Onderon. You will find us vastly superior to any mercenary." The droid continued to speak.

 

Raynuk first looked at the box before receiving it from the droid's hands, then studied the droid itself. He was by no means an expert on robotics, but from what he could see and tell, the droids before him were as deadly as they were unique. He did not immediately reply to the droids, instead turning his attention back to the box, and carefully cracking it open. The smell of battle, of spilled blood, sweat, and burnt hair reached him as the lid opened in his hands, and he looked down at the object that had been so carefully set on display amidst red velvet. The object was a simple cylinder, familiar to any Sith or Jedi as a lightsaber. But for Raynuk, this was something entirely different; entirely more than simply a weapon of a Force user.

 

For Raynuk Montar had clashed his own sabers against this very blade, and it's owner, the Jedi Kirlocca. Fond memories flooded back to him, recalling the fight against the wookiee in which Raynuk had claimed the overgrown furball's entire paw. It was one of the few things in fact, that he had managed to recover from the destruction of the Ogariv II. A smirk crossed his face at the knowledge that someone else had bested the wookiee as well. A closer examination of the braid that was entwined with the lightsaber hilt practically confirm it's previous owner, and the blood that was present on both pointed to the manner in which both had been aquired. Raynuk looked up to address the droids.

"So... he has fallen once more. Tell me then, allies of the Sith as you and your masters aim to be, is the galaxy finally rid of his presence? And while we're asking questions, I have another; Who are your Masters? I for one would prefer to know who my potential allies are beyond nameless faces behind a collection of droids, exquisite as you are."

 

Regardless of the droids actually giving him an answer that he would find satisfactory, Raynuk gently closed the box and turned to Lockjaw. "Bring this into the temple, and take it directly to the Dark Lord's chambers, I imagine he will be most pleased by its contents upon his return. I will notify him of its arrival myself, assuming he hasn't already been informed."

 

Handing the box off to the stalker, Raynuk turned back to the droids, studying them again as he considered his options. Finally he spoke, addressing the droids.

 

"The Dark Lord will want to determine your usefulness to the Sith personally. I accept your offer of services on his behalf. As your Masters have noticed our presence over Onderon, that is where I will direct you to begin your service. The Dark Lord is there. Go to him; serve as his vanguard. I will send word ahead of you to hasten your arrival."

 

He gave a commanding nod, waiting to see how the droids would respond to his orders.

[Haphaestus]

"Our former Masters are our makers," the Deimos-class droid answered. "To Lemnos Industries on Nubia the Dark Lord should inquire if he would like to meet them. But now only to the Sith Order will we answer."

 

The droids nodded when they received their orders. "We will leave at once, provided we are given transport. The ship on which we arrived shall return to Nubia bearing news of our encounter to Lemnos Industries."

 

Even as it spoke, the Xenios started up, making ready to depart.

 

((I'm not going to RP these droids forever. They're now Sith tactical NPCs ready for faction use. A basic overview of their appearance and capabilities is listed here among other Lemnos models.))

[Raia Montar]

((Co-written))

 

As though he had been able to read her thoughts, Master Draken answered her question. Her gaze became unfocused as she worked his words over in her mind.

 

Draken’s movement caught her attention once again as she saw the little floating orb of her blood that he’d pulled from the bio-collection unit that the droid had left by her bed. “You’re making another bonding crystal for us?”

 

“Yes,” he answered simply before removing a small vial of blood from his cloak. Placing it at his side, she watched intently as he then set a container of onyx colored sand beside the blood.

 

He removed the cover from the container then tipped the sand out into the air and caught it with the Force. As he spread the sand out, he motioned for her to watch the sand for a moment before he started manipulating the currents of the force around the onyx-colored grains. He let the sand swirl for a moment or so to allow her to see it, then crushed the sand closer together and unleashed a small bolt of lightning into the sand to increase the heat within the mass of swirling sand.

 

As the sand began to turn slowly into a molten mass, Draken removed the cap from the vial of Raynuk’s blood and added a drop of Raia’s floating blood orb to the molten mass. Then he set about the work of pouring more power into the slagged mixture, first the dark flaming energy of the Dark Side and then the pure all encompassing power of Force. The liquefied sand turned a light red as the second drop of Raia’s blood sank into it then darkened to a crimson as Raynuk’s blood fell into the heated ball.

 

Draken watched the process with a critical eye, then compressed the mixture further before adding a few more drops of each of the blood samples, following it up with another bolt of lightning. Finally, he nodded and beckoned Raia to move closer to the forming crystal.

 

There was no mistaking the power and heat she could feel emanating from the crystal. Her curious gray eyes shifted slightly as she watched Draken begin the final touches as he reached out and began to shape the crystal. His left hand began to move slowly, each finger corresponding to a portion of the form as it took shape. First came the mass of roots, then the trunk, and finally the branches leaves of the tree.

 

Draken smiled and let the vortex dissipate leaving just the crystal hovering in the air as it cooled. When it was cooled enough to be handled, he reached out and pulled it from the air and examined it for a moment before handing it over to Raia.

 

She clutched it tightly in her hand, bringing it close to her chest and feeling the instant connection with the crystal, stronger than before. Even though she now realized that it wasn’t the crystal that was the source of her bond with her father, just having it back helped her feel better.

 

“Thank you, Master Draken,” she said after a few moments before her thoughts returned to what he’d said about the Sith and Jedi. “Mitral...was a Witch of Dathomir, but what she did to rule us was more like a Nightsister. She deserved to die for lying to us. I would kill her again if it meant the others could have a chance to find the truth for themselves. The Sith and Jedi are the same sides in the bigger galaxy, right?”

 

He smiled as she asked about the Nightsisters and Witches, as though he’d expected her to ask that question. “Yes and no. Each type of Force user uses the force in a different way. The Jedi use the Force from a perspective of serenity, or at least that is what they would like you to believe. Instead, they attempt to limit their emotions, believing that their emotions will lead them to the Dark Side.

 

“The Sith are the antithesis to the Jedi. We tend to free our emotions allowing us to feel the force in a different way and control it easier. This has lead to the turning of many Jedi who's eyes have been opened, there have even been those that have attempted to walk the line as closely as possible, freeing their emotions just enough to enhance their control. Mace Windu was an exceptional example of this.

 

“Nightsisters as you are already well aware, use the Force in a much different way than the average Sith or Jedi. Utilizing a form of magical ichor and the power of the Darkside they are able to use spells powerful enough to attack across worlds or to wake the dead as we saw recently.

 

“Witches I need not mention as you come from a tribe of them. In addition to the aforementioned Force users, there are legends of a group of beings called Force Priestesses. They were considered to be the representatives of the Living force. There are myriad other types of force users in the ancient scrolls… Oh and before I forget there are Grey Jedi, neither dark nor light. They follow neither the Jedi nor the Sith code, but rather take what they are most comfortable or suits them from either the dark or the light.”

Alora listened to Draken's explanation and nodded. When the discussion returned to Witches and Nightsisters she looked quizzically between the two and asked him, “That friend of yours from The Link was a witch with Jedi training, wasn't she? Zara Nargal? What clan was she from. We stayed at her compound when we were planetside and that wasn't far from Raia's clan...”

“Indeed. She lives off-world as do her children,” Draken confirmed.

 

Raia had just opened her mouth to ask when Draken turned toward her again in anticipation of her question. “Zara is your aunt, she asked my Black Guard to pass on her comm number should you wish to speak to her. She has lived off Dathomir for many years so as to raise her children away from the clan warfare.”

 

“My mother didn’t have any sisters…” Raia started her mind now thoroughly confused between the listing of the different Force philosophies and Draken's claims of family she didn't know she had. However, she didn’t miss the odd feeling she had within the Force that told her that her statement about her mother wasn’t correct. How many lies or lies through omission had she been subjected to before leaving her clan?

“I don’t understand. I’ve never heard her name before, but I guess Mitral wouldn’t want anyone else to know that it was possible to leave the clan.” Confusion still creased the girl’s delicate features as a small sound at the doorway caught her attention.

 

A crimson-clad servant stood in the doorway, summoned by the droid’s signal to follow up with the Masters to see if anything was needed. The young woman with close-cropped hair, stood by as Raia had spoken, waiting for a break in the conversation before she bowed low to the group. “Forgive the intrusion, Masters, but is there anything you require?”

 

Draken and Alora both shook their heads and waved the woman off, but Raia remembered there was something Raynuk had wanted her to learn.

 

“Please bring me the texts you have on,” she began as the woman turned to go, her voice a little hesitant as though Raia still wasn’t sure of her own place in the hierarchy of things.

 

The servant looked at her expectedly during the unusual pause, as Raia attempted to remember the names her father had used, “Sorzus Syn and Darth Zannah? My father, Master Quietus, requires that I study them.”

 

The servant's eyes flitted to the resting mutant Tuk'ata at the foot of the girl’s bed as though to confirm the connection between a girl she didn’t recognize and the one she knew to be the Warrior King before she nodded once and dashed off to complete the errand.

[Raynuk Montar]

With the droids’ assistance provided, Raynuk said nothing more before he turned and departed from the meeting, Vex’aedr shadowing him as the tuk’ata often did. Along the way he caught one of the acolytes who seemed to just be milling around with no purpose, and instructed him to prep a shuttle and to then ferry the droids to Onderon to assist the Dark Lord. The acolyte moved to action at once, with Raynuk only sparing a few moments to watch before he continued on his path.

 

Re-entering the temple, he made his way to the medical facility housed within, only to find that Raia, Draken, Alora and Roe’gall were not there. The medical droid indicated that they had all left, heading in the direction of one of the nearby training rooms. Wordlessly he followed their path once more, arriving at the doorway a few moments after the servant departed. She gave him a curt nod of respect as they passed in the hallway just outside the room, which he returned before pausing in the doorway, crossing his arms.

 

Draken was still kneeling near the middle of the room, with Raia not far away, clutching a small object in her hand. Roe’gall was the first to notice his arrival, lifting his head and then pulling himself to his feet expectantly.

 

“Attempting to woo my daughter with your sorcerous ways to follow the path of the Krath already brother?” He questioned half-heartedly, announcing his presence as he entered the room.

 

Roe’gall met him halfway, receiving a hearty scratch behind his ears as Raynuk gave the tuk’ata a once over, checking the bandage on his leg before he caught the massive head between his hands, ensuring the tuk’ata was listening. Nearly time to return you home friend… She’s going to be happy to have you by her side again. You’ve fulfilled your promise to her, and I’ll see to it that she knows just that.

 

He received a low whuff of acknowledgement from Roe’gall, giving the tuk’ata another affectionate pat as he moved to Raia and Draken, while Vex moved to greet his brother silently, sniffing at the black tuk’atas bandaged leg and offering his own opinion in the form of whuffs.

 

“While we were… out… I received a message from Emily. She wants to meet; to discuss things. Whatever happened with her kidnapping, I think it left her worse off than we imagined. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned for her.”

 

He extended his hand towards her, offering it to help her stand. “I’m going to go see her, and I think seeing you again would do her some good as well. Unless you’d like to remain here and learn from Draken some more…”

 

He trailed off slightly, knowing that it was entirely possible that Raia would wish to continue learning instead of following him around always. It was a mistake he had made with Emily; dragging his apprentice everywhere he went, at times neglecting training in the face of his own goals and responsibilities. He would give Raia the choice, and the freedom to decide for herself.

 

"Plus I think I am going to return Roe'gall to her. I think she could use the company, and he could use a few weeks to fully recover."

[Raia Montar]

Raia's face brightened at the mention of Emily's message, and a small smile crept across her face when Raynuk said he was going to visit her. "Of course I want to go, Tētis!"

 

Then she turned to the other two Sith Masters, "It's not that I don't want to learn, Master Draken. I just...want to make sure Emily's okay. She really wasn't too happy about leaving me. I guess it was kind of a stupid idea to try to go home looking like this." A resigned expression crossed her face as she shrugged off the blanket to reveal the now black and crimson design that had now fully spread down her arms, even just visible under the translucent cast on her right arm.

 

"I think Roe'gall misses her too. I'll miss him, but I still have you and Vex. Someone will have to watch over Emily and the baby when he comes," Raia's smile brightened as she rested her head against Roe'galls again before he nudged her off to lick her cheek.

 

As though she was doing her best to remain unnoticed by the assembled Masters, Raia looked up just in time to see the servant she'd sent after the texts return with a few volumes and scrolls in hand. The woman's eyes flitted to where Raynuk stood, fully armored with the blood of the tuk'atas still splattered on his armor, before she bowed and left the room seeming a bit stunned that the girl's claims had seemed true enough.

[Raynuk Montar]

Raynuk remained quiet as Raia indicated she wanted to come with him, but even in silence his face became just a bit more sullen at Raia's comment about Roe'gall having to watch over Emily and the baby. While he did not know for sure, in the time since he listened to and saw Emily's message, and how his former apprentice and lover had looked in it, he had come up with a scarce few reasons why Emily would have looked so haunted and thin, both of body and spirit. He would not speak the list of things he had come up with, not to Raia. He would allow her the happier moments while they lasted, before the next inevitable bout of horror and pain fell upon her.

 

So instead, he merely nodded. forcing a smile as she had her small moment with Roe'gall. As Raia looked up to the servant who had returned, her hands full of texts and scrolls, Raynuk turned just as the servant risked a glance at him, deposited the reading materials, and made herself scarce. That brought a genuine smile of mirth to his face, as he reached down and picked up one of the books. Bound in leather that by far ancient, it bore no outward title, and only after flipping through some of the pages did Raynuk recognize it to be one part of the text known as the Book of Sith; specifically the portions that had been included and taken from the journal of Sorzus Syn. An eyebrow quirked as he recognized it, turning to look at Raia as he placed the book back down.

"Some light reading Meita?" He questioned. "Good. This will give you something to do during the trip at least... and give your arm a chance to mend itself."

 

Raia looked back at him, curious as to what had amused him. “You did say you wanted me to study the Sith you mentioned. It made sense.”

 

Then she opened her hand to show him the new crystal. “It’s stronger than the other one. Maybe it’s because I now understand it wasn’t the other crystal that bonded us.” There was a moment of hesitation before she added, “I didn’t trust your bond-claim...not fully anyway. Since coming here...well, now I know better. I’m sorry for doubting you, Tetis.”

[darth shadowlord]

“Attempting to woo my daughter with your sorcerous ways to follow the path of the Krath already brother?”

 

Draken grinned and inclined his head. “Of course. Can you really fault me for it?” He stood up and reached into his cloak and removed a datapad and handed it to Raynuk. It contained the required documents for adoption, all that would need to be added were the names. Then he removed a second one from his cloak and handed it over to Raynuk as well, this one contained a new ID for him and Raia as well lordship and title to a manor not far from the Capital of Serenno.

 

“I thought it prudent to offer you a new ID at the same time all that needs adding is both of your names. I will let you tell her the rest.”

[Raia Montar]

“‘The rest’ of what, Tētis?” Raia asked curiously looking from one man to the other.

 

Raynuk took the datapads, giving Draken only a glance that to imply that he had wanted to keep it a secret. But there was no malice in Draken’s actions to bring it up here and now, and thus he couldn't hold it against the man. With the gundark out of the bag so to speak, Raynuk read over the datapad quickly, taking a few moments before answering Raia.

 

“Draken has offered, using his political position on Serenno, to facilitate my adoption of you.” Finally he looked up at her. “Draken’s offer allows us to keep the adoption much more secret than it would normally be. Which in turn keeps us both safer... “

 

His last word seemed to trigger Raynuk, who handed his own datapad to Draken; the one that still showed the apparent bounty that had been placed on his head. He said nothing to the other Sith, trusting that he would likewise see the merit of keeping it a general secret. In the meantime, he finished reading through the rest of the datapads Draken had offered, and in turn placed his signature where it was required.

 

Raia turned back to Draken again, “Because of the Empire and their rehabilitation?”

 

“Exactly.” Raynuk offered the answer, then handed the datapad to her, showing her where she needed to sign her own name, helping her with the basic letters when she needed it. Once she had done that, he handed both datapads back to Draken, retrieving his own in the process. With the signed and other pertinent matters discussed -- or in some cases left unspoken -- Raynuk turned again to Draken and Alora.

“If there is nothing more… I have an appointment to keep, and I imagine a very long conversation to be had.” He offered a ghost of a smile before motioning for Raia and the tuk’atas to follow him as he turned to depart the training room and the temple complex.

[Alora]

The Sith Mistress had kept quiet, remaining observant throughout the creation of the crystal. Her panther cub had become bored with the whole process and had curled up at her feet with her head resting on her foot, a contented purr sounding like a motor running. It amused her that even though Shadow was sleeping, the cub still had to be touching her. Before they left Alora asked Raynuk, “Please pass on our love and that I will catch up with her soon.” Then with a smile she said to Raia, “I would like it if you were to be part of our wedding ceremony as a flowergirl. You don’t have to, but I would like you to.” She hoped Raia would agree. For some reason she couldn’t fathom, she felt as if in another lifetime Raia could have been a younger sister. Alora felt the same kind of protectiveness of Emily as well though that was more because of the close friendship she had shared with Emily’s mother, Sirvani. She missed the red Twi’lek immensely. The Sith Mistress also missed Darla though the last she heard Darla was off running around with one of the Jedi and having babies and that was quite a few years ago.

 

“I don't know what that is, but I would like to learn and help,” she answered with a shy smile.

 

Alora’s smile widened, “Just wait until you see the location. Serenno has some beautiful places.” She wouldn’t go into detail, it would be best for them to see it once they got there. She only hoped that Emily would still be her maid of honour. With that thought in mind, she shot off a quick comm. figuring that if she and Raia got talking and the wedding was mentioned at all, she had better have asked Emily if she would be up for it. She hoped that the Empire hadn’t done anything to her. She would feel better going to see for herself though knew that she would have to wait for now.

[Alora]

Alora and Draken had watched as Raia and Raynuk left and decided since no one else was around and no one knew when the Dark Lord would return they decided they would leave as well. Before they did Alora felt she should leave a message, even though she had no idea how it would be received.

 

Message for the Dark Lord from Alora.

 

 

Exodus,

 

I wanted to say Congratulations on the mantel of Dark Lord. I was sorry we missed you, the Force having led us to Darth Quietus and Raia when we arrived on Korriban. We have been working with Darth Quietus to find the Cult of Morthos. I have my own reasons for wanting them destroyed since they got the jump on me and held me captive for years until the day they resurrected Quietus. Darth Shadowlord and I went searching for Darth Eris when we heard of her abduction over Coruscant. That search ended when we saw the holonet broadcast the Remnant put out. She has since sent a message out to Quietus that she had been freed.

 

Until we meet again, May the Force serve you well.

Alora

 

 

The message sent, the two Sith boarded the Grand Duke and left Korriban for their next destination...