Space

[Fynn Relmis]

As Adenna spoke of the task to come, Fynn busied himself preparing for the next jump. She was clear through the force, and her sense of purpose was potent. It was a like sitting next to a coiled spring. He remembered how that felt, and he reminisced on how he'd spent his early days in the same fashion. Thier next jump wasn't for a while, and so Fynn decided to use an old technique that Darla had shown him... Force projection. He concentrated on the minds of the two jedi behind him. It was a difficult thing to do when where many about, but here, the isolation of space... it was relatively easy.

 

In front of Adenna and Sandy appeared a large open plain, devoid of anything except for grass and the occasional rocky outcropping. Fynn sat high up on one of these outcroppings near them, sitting in a meditative position.

 

"Welcome to the plain of force..." Fynn said in a loud clear voice that even though he was distant echoed around like he was standing right next to them."

 

"Don't be alarmed, we have a while until our next jump, and I figure why not stretch our minds a bit. In vastness of the void of space, many things our possible. Here our minds do only what we can will our bodies to do in the real world. The force exists here as out there." He demonstrated this by picking up a rock near sandy with the aid of the force and letting drop.

 

Now he spoke directly to Adenna with the aid of the force so that Sandy could not hear.

 

"You have much to teach her Adenna, use this time to start. In here an hour is but a minute in the waking world."[/i]

Edited February 28, 2011 by Guest

[Sandy Sarna]

Sandy sat, adjusting her slightly too large helmet. The engines were pretty load since the earpeices were ill fitting, but she didn't mind. She couldn't expect others to stock child size helmets on their war fighters. So there she sat, staring into the swirling void of hyperspace, listening to the static of the comm and considering her cramped legs. Surely there is a force power for that? That would be a good one to learn....crap gotta think about being a slave now....shouldn't ignore my master's first lesson....

 

She closed her eyes and considered, slavery, the horrible happenings on Naboo, everything. Then out of the blue of hyperspace, in her minds eye, she was sitting on a plain, looking at Flynn and her Master. What the heck? Where am I? Some fantasy land with horseman and orcs? Nah. Looks like he is teaching something though...Am I dreaming? It sure felt like a dream. She glanced around the plain confused. "What is going on? I thought we are on a ship?"

[Adenna Alluyen]

((Cannot see the image.))

 

Adenna was struck by a sort of double vision for a few moments and didn't know what was going on. It felt someone was invading her mind and trying to alter it, so her trained defenses sprang into action to block it. It took her a moment to figure out that it was something Fynn was doing. It had worked partially only because she wasn't expecting any sort of mental intrusion and he had given no warning.

 

She frowned at that last part, but decided that he wasn't trying to hurt her and opened her mind to his influence. She found herself strangely on a grassy world with the other two also there. It was a fascinating use of the Force's ability to manipulate minds, something she definitely needed to learn before they parted ways. She could generate her own mental environments while meditating, but they were nowhere near this complex and she couldn't send them to others.

 

It was almost like a dream or vision. Things weren't quite real, but they were real enough to understand what they were. It was fascinating to her and she spent a few seconds exploring this environment both through her own Force probes and by using her mind to move around. She wasn't entirely convinced about the sameness of this environment and reality, but she would take his word until she could explore it more.

 

"This is interesting," she said to all three. Her voice seemed funny, almost euphoric and dreamy. "I may have encountered such an illusion as this when sparring Kirlocca, but it was only audio and visual sensations. When moving around, I was actually moving in reality, not just sitting in a chair."

 

She heard Fynn tell her to train Sandy, but Adenna was not sure about training in this environment. Using the Force required a clear mind and when it was under mental influences like this, things might get distorted. That could manifest itself in something as simple as Sandy growing dependent on this specific environment to use the Force in, or it could be as bad as it permanently warping her view and usage of the Force. She and Dahar had practiced the Force while meditating together and she had experienced illusions before, but she personally found that she had to be grounded in the Force on her own first.

 

"I am not sure about using this environment, Fynn," she said. "The Force is something that needs to be practiced first in reality without any illusions. Were she experienced, it might be possible since she would be able to tell the differences, but she is not. I feel that it would be best to teach her in reality. Still, this is a nice place to visit while we are couped up in your fighter."

[Vothe Kyrik]

Hurtling through hyperspace, Vothe Kyrik reviewed his comms. He had a target, and the bounty was promised to be worth his time. Now that he had gotten out of his previous engagement, he was eager to get back on the hunt. Unfortunately, it appeared that the target was wanted alive, which meant that he couldn't feed on her, but it would be worth it if he scraped against some other hunters and scored some kills against them. Bounty hunters of talent were some of the better soups in the galaxy, if generally not as delicious as Jedi and Sith.

 

At any rate, he was going to have to be clever because of the target's highly secure location. He would need a plan for getting both in and out. He went over to his computer, which had uplinks to Black Sun databases. Black Sun intelligence was massive--they basically knew everything about everyone, and Vothe would use that information to come up with an alias that would let him in and out.

 

He reviewed specific information on a certain organization, looking for the identities of people that met certain criterias. Specifically, he was going to look for someone that wasn't around anymore into whose role he could easily slip. To be honest, it didn't take him long. There were many members of the organization that sort of came and went. He picked one that had combat talents and a look that he could mimic. Being a master of disguise, he kept a lot of Black Sun-owned equipment on board, and had a store of weapons that could complete the ensemble. Of course, he would add his lightsaber in a discrete location.

 

Vothe was completing the look even as he neared his destination.

[Gren Sairdonga]

Leaning back in the hotseat as the RTB rocketed through hyperspace Gren reflected on the mission. It hadn't been bloodless. Cas Holloway was a corpse that the Bothan Opo he'd left behind would bring with him when he left the planet in his own ship. It would be taken to the CoreSec headquarters along with the remains of Mortise and whoever his companion was. Mortise's scrapings would leave for Gala after that but the other two would remain there. The companion to hopefully be IDed by the experts. The Arkanian to be buried. If the authorities were willing anyway. The Arkanian had been a great asset to the mission. One Gren was regretting taking along. Only because of how it ended. He had done a great job locating Mortise's ship and had ultimately done his job. It was a shame he'd died in the line of duty but Gren would see right done by him.

 

The bigger matter at hand was Mortise was dead. Five hundred brave Republic soldiers and one CoreSec agent had been avenged. Not quite to Gren's satisfaction. He hadn't wanted to outright kill the snake. He'd wanted to question him first. Extract all the information possible and perhaps those very nice blaster the snakeman had carried. The clothing too. Gren had noticed it stopping his shots. For anything to stop a DL-88 at close range was good. For it to look and flow like cloth was amazing. He'd have to have the remains analysized to figure out what it had been. The blasters on the other hand were simple. Special Issues. He hadn't seen one in years. THe Empire had only ever given them to Elite Operatives. The Imperial counterpart of Gren's Sentinels really. Small yet powerful. Deadly deadly little gats they were.

 

Even as he contemplated recent events Mother stomped into the cockpit. Turning Gren grinned at his droid.

 

"How is Veril settling in dear one. I hope you haven't given him your quarters for the duration. Closet's aren't really designed for people you know."

 

The droid just glared at him. Red eyes glowing, flickering then glowing again. Creepy droid.

 

"I gave him yours actually old bean. He seemed to quite like them. Already asleep in fact. Poor squishy hasn't slept in days. But thats not qhy I'm here. A message came in for you. From a man you sat next to at a bar or somesuch. Offered you a job there you said you'd think about it. Well the jobs come through. Look at this."

 

Biting back his chargrin at losing his bedspace. Not that it mattered a cramped bunk on the ground was the same as a cramped bunk next to the bulkhead he watched the short holo Mother produced for him. Gren swore as he saw the target. he hadn't expected this. He hadn't ever met the target but he couldn't in good concious go after the mark knowing what could have happened to him and his pilots at Haruun Kal if it hadn't been for Durose's intervention. He owed that man a debt. That man being long gone the debt passed on to his heir. Gren snarled. He hated to turn his back on a great deal but honor demanded it.

 

"Mother soon as we pop out of hyperspace get in touch with all our elements. Inform them of the change of course and activate the Recon Initiative. You know where, who what and how."

 

With that Gren turned back to the controls. Now counting down the time.

[Fynn Relmis]

"The Force is something that needs to be practiced first in reality without any illusions. Were she experienced, it might be possible since she would be able to tell the differences, but she is not. I feel that it would be best to teach her in reality. Still, this is a nice place to visit while we are couped up in your fighter."

 

"Reality is best, I don't disagree. But given our tight quarters, this 'space' is an ideal alternative." He spoke to Adenna without condescension, but Fynn was not the type of jedi to keep his thoughts to himself without good reason.

 

"Sandy is young, and Courscant is a cold confusing place for a force user on their first mission. She needs to grow used to following your lead, and here she can do so without fear of harm." He said this as he approached Sandy with a calm grin, and placed his hand on her shoulder. He turned back to Adenna.

 

"When we first met, I felt your curiosity about how I managed to keep a balance between violence and peace.... This place-" He looked about the vast simple plain and continued. "-is the reason. This 'realm' is an illusion, but it is also a place to come when you feel the world around you is unbalanced. I come here to regain my balance, and to renew my mental defenses. Master Skye and an associate of her's, Darla, first showed me this mental plain during my training. It is not quite as spacious and detailed as the realms they could create, but it's adequate I think. It can only be entered with isolation and serenity, and lasts only as long as those involved wish it to, and if the isolation is broken, it fades without any real affect."

 

"We've got a couple of hours before our last scheduled jump."

Edited March 1, 2011 by Guest

[Sandy Sarna]

This realm was an illusion? That was a shocker, she had been sitting on a ship then suddenly was in a random grassy land. But she wasn't complaining. It was better than being trapped in the claustrophobia of the small ship. She stretched her sore legs a bit and ran her hand through the tall grasses. Beautiful, this was, this would be the place to live. Far better than the shadows of the galaxy.

 

"I'll try my best to learn without this handicap.....Coruscant is still a long ways away."

 

She was a little scared, but learning things was what she was here for, so she was ready for whatever lesson her master and the mean jedi had to say and teach.

[Adenna Alluyen]

With a sigh, Adenna relented to Fynn's assertions. "Very well, I suppose there are a few basic things we can begin here." She wasn't very comfortable with the idea, but sometimes illusions were useful in preparing people for reality. After all, she had just been reading that starfighter pilots undergo countless hours of simulation flying before ever stepping into a real cockpit to go into combat.

 

Right now, though she had a general idea of where Sandy stood in her ability to use the Force, she wanted to test it herself. She had to find her Padawan's limits in order to capitalize on the strengths and shore up the weakness. The first test she wanted was to see how well Sandy could focus. When she first met her, the girl was unfocused and her mind full of chaos and disunity. That needed to be dealt with quickly in order to begin truly delving into the Force.

 

She walked a few paces and found a nice place to sit. As this was entirely an illusion, she didn't pay any attention to getting some dirt or grass on her robes since it would disappear with the rest of the illusion when they were done. "Sandy, sit here in front of me and calm yourself. I want to see if you are able to reign in your emotions and center yourself from distractions."

 

She touched the Force enough to alter the illusion to form a single flat stone with a small white dot in its center. After placing the stone in front of her with the dot on top, she continued, "You will sit perfectly still and look at this dot and only this dot until I tell you to do otherwise. If you look away or move more than is needed to breathe, you will fail and we will start over. During this time, I want you to focus on keeping yourself calm and centered.

 

"The Galaxy is a chaotic place, a Jedi must be able to center herself in the middle of any storm. Especially in the beginning, a Jedi must be able to focus to use the Force. In many situations, even those that do not involve combat, you will find distractions can keep you from that focus and interfere with your ability to connect to the Force. To hear the call and guidance of the Force, you must be able to focus your mind. Any attempt to learn the Force must wait until you can clear your mind and focus on one single thing. Only then can we begin to touch the Force and begin manipulating it."

[Sandy Sarna]

Sandy shifted her weight so that she was sitting with her legs crossed, she closed her eyes and centred herself slightly. She attempted to calm her raging mind. Her thoughts abounded, she forced the thoughts from her mind and tried to bring balance to her mind. What the masters taught her back at the temple. Yet there was one problem, she never had been able to get the technique to work. And now she was supposed to concentrate and pull it off. She felt that her mind was relatively empty So she slowly opened her green eyes.

 

There stood a perfectly round rock with a little dot in its centre. She could feel her hopes plummet like a stone dropped from a Coruscant skyscraper. This was the jedi life? Surely it would be better than this in a few years. She understood the necessity of it, but her body and mind rebelled against it. She stared at the dot in silent frustration. She blinked once, twice, thrice. He eyes not wandering away from the dot. Her leg twitched. The natural energy reserves in a teenage girl were very high. Even if they had little sleep, and were excited. Her leg twitched again and her fingers shook slightly after a couple minutes of staring. Her mind was far from settled, and though her gaze did not wander her mind wandered here and there. From the force to the boys she knew at the temple. She blinked again and her hand trembled. Sandy's mind began to race on how to stop the nervous energy.

 

She could feel her eyes beginning to cross and she concentrated harder and harder. A bead of sweat trickled into her green eye. She blinked it a away furiously.

[Adenna Alluyen]

When Sandy sat down, Adenna motioned to Fynn to let her sit there in silence. She didn't move herself, but sat calmly trying to read what her Padawan was thinking and feeling. She hadn't been particularly good with telepathy, but she excelled at empathy. While her body was reigned in for the moment, her mind was very busy with rotating emotions. She waited for just a few minutes before suddenly pulling out her lightsaber and igniting it straight above the girl's head.

[Sandy Sarna]

Her eyes still crossed on the rock, Sandy could hear her master get up slowly. What was going on? Did her master need to stretch? Why couldn't she stretch? Then it happened. A flash of light and a humm of a lightsabre. Sandy's muscles reacted rapidly as adrenaline took over, She fell backwards and scurried away with a scream. Dots and strange colours splashing around her eyes as she broke her concentration. She jumped to her feet and yelled an obscenity. Her hands balled into fists, she had done so well too, why did she do that?

 

"Why did you do that? I was doing my best to do the lesson!"

[Adenna Alluyen]

Adenna smiled sadly as she shut off the imaginary lightsaber. She stood up before replying in a calm voice free of reproach, "Are you going to ask the same thing to the man shooting at you when he disrupts your concentration? Do you believe that the only times you will ever need to concentrate and focus will be when things are quiet and there are no distractions?"

 

"I have had blaster bolts fly closer than that to my face," she said while remembering the slight flash burn she had received from one. She gestured at Fynn, "I am sure he has too. There have been explosions that have knocked me off of my feet. While sparring, I have had frightened animals burst from under my feet.

 

"You need to be able to focus mind and body into a single task in order to survive combat. If you are covering a dozen of your comrades from a storm of blaster fire and one happens to slip through to buzz by your head, you cannot allow your concentration to slip or many more will join it.

 

"I did not expect you to remain focused the first time, nor will I the next. You are young and you have plenty of time to learn complete concentration, but you need to start. Perhaps more important than focusing your body is the ability to focus your mind. We will start on that as well. Weapons are dangerous in the wrong hands and can do as much damage to friends as foes. If you wish to wield a lightsaber or fire a turret gun, you must first prove to me that you are mature and controlled enough to handle one."

 

She looked over at Fynn and addressed him, "When we first met, you wanted a duel. While we are not really here and are not able to truly match our skills, perhaps we can put on a show sufficient enough to serve the purpose. Sandy," she said as she looked back at the girl, "do what you did before, but this time, focus your mind only on the stone. Notice its smoothness, its tranquility. It does not move, it does not change. Let the white dot represent you, fully surrounded by that firm peace. Do not allow our efforts to distract you and think only on the stone and your inner peace."

 

With that, she ignited her orange lightsaber again and got into a combat stance.

[Gren Sairdonga]

Gren nodded once as he now piloting the Ranger's Eye and Mother, piloting the RTB appeared from hyperspace, the recorded message sent almost immediately. With any luck it would get where it was needed. He'd probably make a lot of enemies doing this but sometimes that needed to be done. Besides Gren wouldn't be a former Republic General without plenty of enemies now would he? Both ships were at the border of conventional scanning range from the Resort. The RTB, using its powerful Intelligence gathering equipment at the hands of Mother, a true master at IntOps and also an AI was monitoring the situation. Gren in the Eye was awaiting any signal to hyper into the Resort area.

 

Just after their last jump he had given orders for the Sentinels to gather and had laid out a battle plan. Even now all his E-Wings bar one were moving into strategic positions ready to jump in. It would be a helluva fight if the enemy were up for it. Otherwise it would be a cakewalk. Oh how he hoped for the cakewalking.

[Fynn Relmis]

Fynn stood up from his meditation position and nodded to Adenna. If she wanted to show her padawan the ropes, Fynn was glad to oblige. He pulled his lightsaber from its usual spot, it was strange, even in the plain of a dream, he always remembered where it was. The blades hilt felt cool to his touch as he took a deep breath and ignited the blade. The veridian blade snapped to life, its color shimmering as it made a warm buzz.

 

"Force form one, the most basic of forms, you should recognize it from your early training. However, when properly trained, it can be an effective opening." Fynn said to Sandy, as he relaxed into a prone position, he didn't wait for Adenna to initiate, instead he gave her a casual swing, letting her know that he didn't intend to be too aggressive, this was a simple spar, not a battle for supremacy. He showed a simple parry and thrust, as well as an overhead riposte that could be used as a basic attack move. He backed off then, awaiting what lesson Adenna would give.

 

"Your move Knight Adenna..." he said with a smile at the raven haired jedi.

[Emily]

Ar-Pharazon's infamous ship, whose name Emily had already forgotten, traversed the weave of hyperspace.

 

At first, Emily had been a little disappointed when she found out they were going to Bespin. Even if Korriban was in a ruined state, it would still be more interested than a gas giant with a floating station in it's clouds. But she reserved her judgment. Maybe it would be more interesting than she was expecting.

 

As she took a seat on a cushy, practically sofa-sized chair and watched the two Sith Masters interact, she realized that the most interesting part of their trip would be watching the two men, not seeing the planet. She stayed quiet, as was her custom, more interested in observing than participating. She did however munch on some of the refreshments, the cat in her lap. She didn't want to appear rude, after all. And indeed, she was quite enjoying herself. The two Sith amused her greatly, and she knew she would have plenty to discuss with her master when they were alone about the more subtle things passing between him and Ar-Pharazon.

[Adenna Alluyen]

"While what he said is true," Adenna replied after blocking the light attacks, "the goal is for you not to focus on us, but rather the stone. Distractions in combat can be as deadly as the blaster bolts and enemy lightsabers. You need to be able to ignore them."

 

She then advanced on Fynn and launched a series of standard practice drills and sequences designed to warm up Padawans for sparring. In truth, she was testing out the flow of this imaginary realm and how true it stayed to the real universe. She reached out in the Force to test her connection as well as Fynn's mind since he was the originator of this fantasy.

[Sandy Sarna]

"Sorry Jedi Alluyen, I will be more careful next time, I promise."

 

Sandy shook out her tired legs, and sat again. This time she focused on breathing first, getting that under control, before she started on something else. Soon she was ready to focus again. She forced the thoughts from her mind and lay it empty. As the sounds of battle surrounded her. Focus on the rock... She focused on the dot, keeping her eyes closed, she imagined herself as the said dot. Yet again, her mind began to wander, and she fought to remain controlled.

 

((Sorry about the shortness of the post, I am really sick right now...))

[Lord Ar-Pharazon]

The Dreadfully Unpleasant and Very Unholy Chariot of Unwarranted Suffering cruised through hyperspace”¦

 

Ar-Pharazon appreciated Master Montar's toast. He was not initially sure if it was going to be some obnoxious, mocking gesture. He would not have put it past his Sithly associate. Though, he would not have put it past himself either. ”œI see,”

[Raynuk Montar]

After selecting a hors d'Å“uvre that looked particularly satisfying and interesting, Quietus devoured it in one bite. After savoring it and considering its taste, texture, and overall pleasure ot his pallet, he promptly then went back for more, and quickly scooped up five into his now cupped hand. As Ar-Pharazon relegated the story of Darth Heretic, Quietus could not help but remember the days of old.

Those were good times back then...

 

He remembered them fondly, even though he was still just beginning as a Sith under the controlling hand of Barohm Zar, a time when he got himself in numerous amounts of trouble on various occasions. As Ar-Pharazon spoke to Quietus, the Sith fixed Ar-Pharazon with a gaze that was filled with unseen and unheard words and thoughts, glancing ever so quickly at the picture of Tarrian.

"Ah, Darth Sadism you say? That is quite a tale indeed..."

 

He turned to face and address the other occupants of the room, and began telling the story.

 

"Darth Sadism was one of the few Sith who ever specialized in the lost art of blood combat. You see, he had an uncanny knack for draining blood and inflicting suffering upon everyone around him, even his allies. It really would make for quite the mess when large scale battles were over. My Master... Barohm Zar, used to speak of Sadism often as he was training me. Always said that Sadism was a little bit off in the head. I believe he even told me a story once about how Sadism charged into battle with a Jedi without a lightsaber or weapon on him, choosing to rely solely on his Force powers and command over blood. It was a shame that most of the blood that was being used that day was his own... But never let it be said that a Sith is useless without arms! He was still a mental force to be feared."

 

Quietus smiled a bit, the mental image of Sadism running around without arms flowing back to him. He then turned back to Ar-Pharazon.

 

"If memory serves me correctly, you had his soul trapped in a red gem atop a staff... Do you still have that staff? I seem to remember one of your lackies carrying it around in the past."

[Emily]

Emily was amused by the tales. Or rather, not so much the tales of the men themselves, but the way the two Masters were swapping them back and forth. Despite her amusement, though, she knew that the stories were true, and that it was good knowledge for her to have. It appears that with the Force, the only limits you have are the ones you put on yourself. That was the thing she knew she'd take away the most. It was one thing to know it, and it was another to really believe it and let it influence the way you viewed life. Emily determined that she would do the latter.

 

Munching on some finger-sized extremely delicious cakes, she wondered at Ar-Pharazon setting down and then setting up again of the picture. It had a woman in it, and she wondered not only why he was messing with the picture, but who the picture was of. She shrugged and decided to ask. "Master Ar-Pharazon, who is that in the picture? She's lovely."

 

Emily wondered if the woman was Ar-Pharazon's lover. She hoped that if so, the woman was alive, for she would dearly enjoy speaking with her. Little did she know that her mother had gotten the occasion to speak with Tarrian quite a few times in her life, and that it had always left quite an impression on Sirvani.

[Lord Ar-Pharazon]

”œYou mean Tarrian?”

[Raynuk Montar]

Quietus turned to Emily as she asked about the picture of Tarrian that Ar-Pharazon had been fiddling with. He almost answered for the other man, but Ar-Pharazon was quick to respond. When he had finished telling Emily who she was, Quietus piped in himself, glancing back and forth between Emily and Ar-Pharazon as he talked.

 

"Tarrian was the reason I met Master Ar-Pharazon in the first place. I had been tasked by my Master to watch over her and escort her when she first came to the Sith Temple all those years ago... I do believe you threw me into a wall on our first meeting Ar-Pharazon, if for no other reason than you wanting to show me you were clearly 'boss level' Sith."

 

Quietus couldnt help but chuckle as he thought about how far he had come, how far both of the Sith Masters had come since that day they first met. During his time of reflection, Ar-Pharazon told the tale of Midsengard, one that Quietus had heard a few different times before, but it was still quite the captivating tale. He also knew who the Jedi Master was that Ar-Pharazon kept alluding to. It was a curious occurrence though that Ar-Pharazon seemed guarded about the subject, but Quietus knew better than to bring such chinks in the armor up. He instead turned to Emily, offering her a quick comment while Ar-Pharazon seemed to get lost in his own memories.

 

"Tarrian was a close friend of mine, as was she to your mother I believe... I can remember seeing the two of them talk in dark corners sometimes, but of what I have no idea..."

Quietus almost felt sorry that he could not give Emily more information about her mother or her friends, despite having known both of Emily's parents quite well. He had simply never thought about getting to know her mother better until it was too late to do so. He turned back to face Ar-Pharazon as the other spoke of Barohm Zar, a thought that brought another small smile to Quietus' normally emotionless face.

 

"Barohm Zar always did enjoy the 'purification' of worlds... I remember shortly after I was made a Sith Lord, Zar and I traveled to some random planet... The name escapes me, but it does not matter. It was a sort of celebration for my trials, but also one where Zar intended to renew his powers as a Master. We slaughtered several villages, full of innocent civilians, people who had absolutely no reason to be attacked by two Sith. But that was part of the appeal back in those days, the unstoppable, unquestioned slaughter of countless civilians. I spilled my share of blood and bodies that day, but Zar was almost poetic in his destruction. When it was all said and done, he took the body of this young man, one who was no older than I was at that point, and from his skull he fashioned a mask. A mask of pure, clean white bone... And from that point on he was known as Darth Excruciation. In a way, his taking a proper Sith, and particularly his actions that day and his choice of name, inspired my own... Darth Quietus... Before then, I had been known as Raynuk Montar... a very human name, a mortal name, not worthy of legend."

 

He smiled once more, the memories of his Master during his life that Quietus had known him, subconsciously stroking the necklace he wore in plain view, the single eyeball at the apex which occasionally darted around as if it were alive.

 

"I still have his mask in fact in my quarters back on Coruscant. Wherever I go, that mask is one of the few things I take with me. I also carry his lightsaber in memory of him."

 

Quietus instantly pulled the lightsaber of Barohm Zar off his belt, and held it up in his hand for all to see.

 

"Perhaps one day I shall tell the story of how the galaxy lost Barohm Zar... It was a day of darkness, but it was also the day that the salvation of the galaxy came at my hands. I paid the price, saving the galaxy, but losing the one person who was important to me in those days. Zar's other blade was to be given to his son, who at the time of Zar's death, was just being born. There could only be one of the Zar bloodline alive at one time... I dont think the galaxy could handle two of them."

 

He chuckled slightly, running his hand over the lightsaber hilt fondly, almost stroking it. He eventually replaced the blade back on his belt, and returned to the task of devouring hors'derves by the handful and then washing them down with massive quantities of wine. After a particularly satisfying handful of little hot dog things, Quietus looked up and spotted two pictures, the first of which nearly made him choke on the food,

 

"Ar-Pharazon, why the HELL do you have an autographed picture of Sly Stevenson?! And who the hell is that fat guy named Luke Georgis?!"

[Emily]

Now that Ar-Pharazon explained who she was, Emily could see the family resemblance. It wasn't strong, and much of it might have been her imagination filling in the gaps, but there it was. She was interested in what he said about her relationship with Darth Heretic, but part of what interested her most was the fact that Ar-Pharazon clearly missed her. Just another proof that the Jedi view of the Sith is limited. Yes, they slaughter just for fun. These stories are further proof of that, if I needed any. But they also care, and love, and have families. It was dichotomous to be sure, but for Emily, what it really came down to was the Force-users' conception of self. If they believed that they were the most important, that it should be look out for number one, then their philosophy would fall more in line with the Sith--for who mattered but oneself in that point of view? They would have n issue slaughtering strangers and yet still caring about those they loved. If, however, one's view became that others were equally as important, then their philosophy would fall in line with the Jedi, who cared enough about others to desire to protect them.

 

She was silent, thinking through everything, when Quietus suddenly blurted out his question. She raised an eyebrow. She would be interested in knowing about the Jedi Master on Ar-Pharazon's wall as well.

[Lord Ar-Pharazon]

Ar-Pharazon had forgotten all about his sister Tarrian. Of course, nothing dictated that he had to pay her any special attention. But maybe his heart had grown too hard over the years. He did earnestly wonder where she had taken off too. ”œI did not recall that Tarrian was involved in our first meeting, Raynuk.”

[Raynuk Montar]

"Don't ask me Ar-Pharazon, the name is under the picture of that hutt!"

He pointed at the picture, which was clearly labeled as such, although it was labeled with a small white piece of paper that was poorly taped to the bottom of the frame and written in green crayon. Where the label came from, it seemed no one had any idea. But as that moment passed, Quietus went back to an earlier question directed at him.

 

"No, I was not particularly involved in the plot with Tarrian... I dont think Zar actually trusted me with knowing the plan in full detail. All I knew was that I was to keep an eye on Tarrian in those days, and that was enough for me. I was never very good at politics in those days... Although I did overstep my boundaries and pay for it dearly..."

 

Quietus actually winced slightly, having never forgotten that moment. He had been young, brash, and stupid, and had paid for it in one of the most well known moments of the Sith, but it was one that he did not exactly wish to announce to those gathered here. Perhaps the subject would be glazed over in the moment. The explanation of Sly Stevenson's picture was much more intriguing anyway, and lead Quietus to wonder if he himself had ever made the Jedi's list, and if so, how high he had gotten in the past. He imagined that he had been top three at least once, most likely during his time as Dark Lord of the Sith. As far as Quietus knew, Stevenson was dead for good though, but as to how he did not know. Quietus decided to move on though, as he had clearly felt a mental shift from Ar-Pharazon, which was something of a surprise. The man appeared to be human for just a fleeting moment, and that was something that Quietus had never expected. it was something that he felt a small evil desire to press, another chink in the evil armor of Ar-Pharazon. After a moment he pointed to the picture on the wall that Ar-Pharazon had glanced at a few times.

 

"So why do you refuse to use that Jedi Master's name Ar-Pharazon. Are you afraid to say her name? Did she mean something more to you? Are you afraid of the name Krissi Kenobi?"

 

The question was blunt and forceful, just as Quietus intended. It had an edge of mocking to it as well. Quietus had full knowledge of who the Jedi Master was in the picture, even if he had not realized that Krissi was something of a sore spot for Ar-Pharazon. Had he bothered to sit down and put things together though, all the signs would have been there. But the subject had been pressed now, and Quietus was not going to relent, not yet. Few times, if ever, would such an opportunity to cut Ar-Pharazon down to size present itself. Even though Quietus was on board Ar-Pharazon's ship, the two were considered equals for all intents and purposes, and Quietus doubted that he would meet the wrath of Ar-Pharazon; not here, not now, not this time. He had gotten under the evil exterior, and was prodding the man he was at his core instead of the evil mastermind he was known to be.

 

But at the same time, as he waited for the response of Ar-Pharazon, Quietus realized that he had never really spent much time in Ar-Pharazon's presence. The two had rarely, if ever, sat down and just talked like they were doing now. Perhaps it was because up until recently, Ar-Pharazon had looked down upon Quietus, or perhaps it was simply because such an opportunity had never presented itself. That was reason enough to make Quietus wonder if perhaps Ar-Pharazon was not always such an evil, ruthless, cold hearted, conniving sith-spawn.

[Emily]

((OOC: Uh uh, no way, Brian))

 

Emily was astounded when everything came together. Tarrian was revealed to be the wife (she noted the title) of Bishop. Emily was very familiar with Bishop, even though they had never met. For it had been Bishop who had taught her father in the ways of the Sith. He was part of her 'Force-lineage' as it were. Quietus' earlier comments about how Tarrian and Sirvani had been friends fit even better with that knowledge. She could just see her mother and Tarrian with her father and Bishop, sitting around swapping tales much like Ar-Pharazon and Quietus were doing now. She didn't know if it had ever happened, but it was a happy picture in her head.

 

The tale of Tarrian's turn to the dark side was a plan that Emily couldn't help but admire as pure genius. While she felt bad for Tarrian and Bishop being put through all of that, the plan itself was brilliant, and Emily applauded it. Quietus didn't seem to know any more about it, but when he mentioned being punished for overstepping his boundaries, she perked up. "Why, what happened, master? What did you do, and how did this infamous Zar deal with you?" She was quite interested in what he, one whom she held in very high regard, had behaved in his brash youth. And given the stories she had just been hearing about Zar, she wished to know what had happened. Besides, Quietus looked uncomfortable remembering and she wanted to make him squirm a bit.

 

She sobered though as the tone of the room changed and Quietus prodded what even Emily realized might be a wound. But she was nevertheless curious to see how Ar-Pharazon responded. There was something there, something that had been in his tone when he spoke of her earlier that made her wonder.

[The Chameleon]

Nine agent's met in Space. It was time for them to move out on their contract. They had alliances and were ready to move. But first they had to ditch the shuttles and get some more appropriate. Starfighters.

 

 

The agent's found their mini-space station in the middle of some nebula. Four E-Wings, two A-Wings and two K-Wings.

 

They powered up like a newborn baby. It was time to play, and reap the benefits of this new bounty. No words were said, as this came from management. Their Ysalmiri were safely packaged away in an artificial environment aboard their station. Agent 18 would come and pick up the creatures shortly. But for now, nine windows of hyperspace opened, and nine ships shot off.

[Raynuk Montar]

"Why, what happened, master? What did you do, and how did this infamous Zar deal with you?"

 

Quietus sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. He realized then in hindsight that he shouldnt have said anything about getting punished, as he had hoped that it, as well as his reaction to merely thinking about it, would go unnoticed. But clearly Emily's parents, as well as Quietus himself, had trained Emily better than that. She was not one to let things like that go un-noticed, especially something about Quietus. He opened his eyes and chuckled for a moment before turning to Emily, a very particular glint in his eyes.

 

"Zar wasnt the one who punished me. he trusted me enough in those days to leave me to accomplish my task alone. I was showing Tarrian around the Temple, attempting to offer her some sense that the Sith werent really all that bad... She seemed to be a nice woman, and had garnered no hatred from me during my time escorting her. But clearly her presence was not something that others in the temple were too keen on. I was showing Tarrian the mess hall when one of the most deadly entities that ever existed took exception to her presence... His name was Crimson Morpheus."

 

Quietus sighed again and looked away for a moment, then turned back to finish the tale.

 

"He... berated her with words, and I stepped up and told him to back off, that Tarrian was here because of the plans Ar-Pharazon and Zar had laid out. But Morpheus held no allegiance to Ar-Pharazon and Zar, and to him I was just a mere apprentice to be squashed and who needed to learn his place. And so he took exception to my involvement, and immediately attacked me. It was the shortest fight of my life thus far. I was just an apprentice, and he held powers I didnt even know existed, even by Sith standards. The fight ended in my death... But Morpheus was not content with merely striking me down with a lightsaber; No, he felt he needed to punish and humiliate me in the middle of the mess hall..."

 

Quietus' eyes fell to the floor as he paused telling the story. When he looked back up and met Emily's perfectly curious gaze that seemed to actually be getting some amusement out of these stories, his eyes were full of anger and hatred. His words reflected the venom in his eyes, dripping with it and sarcasm.

 

"He felt that I needed a new rectal cavity, and so he delivered one to me... by way of lightsaber. I remember dying that day, hearing only the laughing of those who were in the mess hall..."

 

He turned away and picked up his wine glass, finishing it off and waving over a droid to fill it again. There was still traces of the anger in his voice, but the sarcasm had clearly taken over in the majority.

 

"Not exactly a moment that a Sith Master would pride himself on, not one that I like to share, as you can imagine my apprentice..."

He glanced at her to see her reaction, wondering if she felt comfortable or daring enough to openly laugh at the story.

[Lord Ar-Pharazon]

”œWhat do you want me to say, Montar?”

[Emily]

Emily raised an eyebrow at Ar-Pharazon's sudden angry Force display. Must have hit pretty close to the mark to get him riled up like that, she thought. That or he just doesn't have much self-control. She knew that the Sith were infamous for their lack of self-control, but that was one aspect she never aspired to. Without self control, you were just a mindless shell, subject to your every whim. Besides, Emily privately thought that displays like that were a bit childish. Though she made sure her mental shields were up before she thought it.

 

At the same time, perhaps it was a very painful topic. Her imagination went wild with possibilities. Perhaps he had loved her and had to see her die. Or he had tried to turn her to the dark side and had had to kill her when she remained strong. Or he had tried to save her from another Sith but had been too late. Her personal love of the dramatic fueled her imagination as each scene she imagined got progressively more angsty and dramatic.

 

But he calmed down as Quietus spoke, diffusing the tension with his story. As he reached the climax, Emily clamped a hand over her mouth, but she couldn't help but laugh aloud. She knew he still smarted over it; she could see the anger simmering behind his eyes. She had no idea how he would respond to her laughing, but she couldn't help it. The laugh burst forth from her as she pictured it in her mind's eye. It was good to know how he had been back then, and she had to give Morpheus credit for a very creative and memorable death. Much more interesting than, say, pulling someone's skin off like Quietus had just done to the acolyte. If you are going to kill someone, she mused, might as well do it with style.

 

Mirth continued to dance in her eyes as Ar-Pharazon turned the conversation back to Kenobi. She wouldn't forget that story. It amused her greatly to imagine her cold, aloof master with a lightsaber up his rear end. Just thinking about it made her giggle again, and she fought to keep a straight face. She was sorry for him in that he hadn't done a single thing to provoke Morpheus--indeed, she was sure she would have personally disliked the man if they had met--and she was sorry that Quietus had been humiliated, but if he couldn't laugh about it now, all these years later, then what good was life? For what do we live for but to make sport of our neighbors and laugh at them in our time? she thought.

 

But Ar-Pharazon was still angry, so she sobered herself. She was interested in the necklace (if it could be called that) that Quietus wore, but she was more interested in Ar-Pharazon's relationship with Kenobi, and wondered if he would tell it.