Trulalis

[Skarr]

The 74-Z pounded with incredible exhaust, even more so with the remarkable boost expansion that drove him at speeds that surpassed five hundred kilometres an hour apiece. Powder white, of the finest ashen ever seen, drew backwards as the wind waltzed with his extraordinary mane of hair. The swiftness of the machine did little to bend the expression of calm painted upon his face, little at all, but on the other hand the hushed tremors of the engine complimented the meditative state he assimilated his mind too. The communication device buried inside of his ear beeped and informed him of his exact destination. A short-lived smile was all he could muster as he considered the possibilities of an ambush. He knew what he headed for, and without the caution of his Master, he was a lion let loose from his chains.

 

The speeder swerved with a powerful clutched turn on the handle and cut sharply into a diffuse alleyway. Nevan abandoned the vehicle and dusted himself off before he scaled the hotel structure with an inquisitive eye. A mental count of floors ticked while he recalled the amount of other vehicles stationed in and around the area. The public still motioned as expected and there were still quite a few of them towards the front and rear, so this was the perfect location. With eyes closed, he lowered himself and summoned what comprehension he had of the Force towards the muscles stiffened within his legs and fired himself upwards. His first intention was the ledge of the balcony that was positioned a pathetic distance above him which he barely managed to take hold of. Before he lifted his own weight, he searched the immediate area as best as he could with his limited experience of the Force. Not one person within sight, successful so far. This continued until he reached the floor that this suite number was detailed to be on, and conveniently””the final outcropping he latched himself onto held the most activity. Suspiciously, Nevan cast himself over the balcony barricade and landed soundly. He smiled as he identified the man known order-wide as Aryian Darkfire just on the other side of the glass. Knowing it was him belittled what he thought was quite an achievement in secrecy, since he had more than likely sensed him long before.

 

”œOh well, the exercise was worth it.”

[Ary the Grey]

The Master's cheek twitched with a half grin as he felt the Padawan exercising his skills, bounding from balcony to balcony with a near-practiced ease. Unfortunately, this wasn't a platform game. And thankfully, nobody on the street below had taken notice, as people rarely looked up amid the bustle of life in this town. His hand twitched, using the Force to unlatch and slide open the door, smoothly continuing to talk.

 

"And you, Padawan...you've been brought here because of your aptitude and potential. This gathering you see before you is for one purpose, a secret society to strike at the heart of the Republic's enemies by using any means necessary. And though you still have a choice, I've read your comprehensive records, and I seriously doubt you'd be naive enough to not jump at this chance. If you join, you'll be taking your trials immediately. I do offer this warning however, our methods will not match with those that the Jedi traditionally use. You, like the others here have been given, have a day to make the descision, but are bound to this hotel within that day. And should you choose otherwise, I will have little difficulty extracting the memories of why you came here, and you will be free to leave as you please."

 

Two more had come. Two more had the offer presented to them. This was shaping beautifully. Soon there would be a reckoning that came for the Empire. Their days grew shorter for every person the Master gathered to him.

[Moon Knight]

If it weren't for the extreme discipline ShadowFett exercised over every aspect of his life, from great to small, he most certainly would have taken an involuntary step backwards when one of the new arrivals entered the room--another Mando'ad. As it was, of course, he did not take that step, but the mental reaction to her--it was indeed a woman--arrival was profound.

 

Profound, and yet uncharacteristically unfocused. Frankly, Fett didn't know what to think about it, so he immediately began to sift through his mental state, observing himself like he would someone else--in this way, he could learn about himself, for only if one knew oneself could they grow. Only through growth could a Mando'ad properly call himself a verd.

 

His first instinct was to identify the woman, and that wasn't challenging, connected as he was to the various databases in the galaxy. It seemed she was a certain Mirdala (which, he noted, meant 'clever') Ad'goran, though the name by which he was more commonly known was Ca'tra Dar'manda. Fett frowned as he read the word dar'manda from his internal buy'ce feed.

 

What did this mean? Well, Moon Knight decided, if she was really dar'manda, then she was lacking in honor, almost as low as the very osik of the galaxy such as could be found in the depths of Coruscant or Nar Shaddaa, only better because she had once learned that ideal that made the Mando'ade the best verda in the galaxy. The alternative was that it was only a nickname and had no real meaning, though Fett wondered why anyone would put up with such a name given some of its undesirable implications.

 

But what, indeed, would it mean to him if she was dar'manda? It certainly didn't mean that he would kill her here and now, though Fett could imagine some Mando'ade would consider that option--the word meant that she was one who had lost her heritage, though not exactly an aruetii. It did mean that he would need for her to prove herself as a warrior before he trusted her with anything, especially if they were going to fight together. There was a Mandalorian saying: kar'tayli ad meg hukaat'kama--"know who's watching your back"--and those who were dar'manda were an unknown quality.

 

Ultimately, Fett would have no problem with her joining the faction, though it would take some time before he would trust her.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

((Just so you know, Mirdala has taken great pains to ensure that her identity as Ca'tra is untraceable between the two. The only people that know of the duality could be counted on one hand, now including Aryian...The only way that I could think of IC that Ariyan wouldv'e known was through the Force. ))

 

"You are among friends, know that first and foremost."

 

She gave a slight nod, acknowledging what she already knew otherwise she wouldn't have come; her "other sense" was good at helping her keep out of dangerous situations, at least those that she didn't knowingly saunter into anyway.

 

He went on to explain a little more about the job, though she knew when she'd made the decision to come that it would be more than a simple bounty. Even though the initial com didn't explicitly state what the job would be, something told her that it would be similar to what Aryian had described.

 

What did surprise her however, was the presence of another Mando'ad, and one that she was not familiar with, perhaps maybe a half-generation ahead of her judging from a scan that she ran on him as well.

 

She could easily pick up on his aura of distrust, with a slight note of curiosity, and chose to sit on the side of the room opposite the other beskar'gam clad soon-to-be cohort.

 

"I accept your offer. Though my skills have not, my armor has carried dust for far too long. The quiet life is not for me."

[Ary the Grey]

((Fett brought an Ysalamiri. And MK, she's right about the name thing. Lol.))

 

"Good. Our new headquarters should be finished soon, we will go there to organize, train, and plan. You've made a good descison. Welcome aboard."

 

Aryian checked his comms via his implant, sending a couple encrypted burst-comms out to select Republic officials, attempting to gain status on his project.

[Moon Knight]

((It would have helped if I could have gathered that from your character sheet... Anyway, I guess we can just pretend that Fett figured Mirdala might be dar'manda even if not Ca'tra Dar'manda and thus had generally the same thoughts in my previous post.))

 

ShadowFett noted that Ad'goran scanned him as he had scanned her--no doubt she found it curious as well that Darkfire had invited two Mando'ade to the same party, especially if one of them was dar'manda, even more especially so because Darkfire seemed to know at least a little about Mandalorians.

 

Finally he noted the color of Ad'goran's beskar'gam--red, which signified the honoring of one's father. That, he decided, was a strong argument against Ad'goran being dar'manda, since if she was she would have no aliit and no buir to honor. Still, he would wait and observe, and in time make a decision on how to treat her.

[Ary the Grey]

Aryian cocked his head as he received reports of their base.

 

"The base is finished. I'll see you all there. You are free to take your own ships, but remember to mask your true hyperspace trajectory with microjumps. Nevan, you may come if you wish."

 

Aryian uploaded the coordinates onto datapads and handed one to each.

 

"Your current assignment is to meet with me there. There we will issue some essential equipment for the team, induct you into the security system, and begin initial training. From there...we will begin our work."

 

Aryian bowed, showing his respect to them, before briskly walking out the door and leaving the hotel via his ship on the roof. The room was paid for with a Republic government account, and Aryian had paid extra credits to ensure he wasn't bothered. In short, nobody knew he was there.

 

Minutes later, the Blur's hyperdrive kicked in.

[Moon Knight]

ShadowFett shrugged mentally--he wouldn't even allow such a simple expression of emotion reach his exterior--and decided that there was nothing for staying here, and it was indeed time to go. The Mando'ad was curious to see what kind of set up Darkfire had arranged, and more curious still to begin to experience the change of lifestyle he was about to experience. That was, a change of lifestyle via a change of environment--Fett himself would not change except as he needed to in order to maintain maximum efficiency.

 

Presently Moon Knight dropped a comm to 2277 aboard the Vengeance, telling him to prep the ship to leave and feeding him the coordinates off the datapad in a conversation that was inaudible to anyone outside his buy'ce. It was not without reservation that Fett took this course, to join this faction, but he was convicted that his intuition would lead him down the correct path, so there was no question that he would actually do it. And I'll do my job well, he thought.

 

Moments later, he had made the journey to his ship, which was ready for him, and moments later still he had left Trulalis for a series of false jumps before heading to the new space station and base of operations. Oya, was his last thought before pulling the hyperspace levers.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Mirdala nodded once as she watched the others rise as one and leave the room, joining them herself.

 

Locking in with the Rangir's communications systems from her buy'ce, coordinating it with her position as she'd had it tailing her through another route since she'd left Concord Dawn. She coordinated the landing at a remote site outside of town, as she proceeded from the hotel, stopping only for a minute on one of the lower floors to change back into her previous wardrobe as she slipped out of the hotel unnoticed by the others.

 

She met up with her ship, stopping in another abandoned building to don her beskar'gam once again before completing her journey, firing up the ship and making another random series of jumps to her ultimate destination.

[Nitestrike]

Brad stood up and carefully followed the others to the nearby spaceport, a bit surprised about what his business on this planet turned out to be after all. He never thought he'd be returning the Jedi or the Republic's payroll when he came, but perhaps it was an opportunity to redeem himself.

 

As the YT-2400 he came in took off, Brad radioed his R9 droid the coordinates to where he was heading so he could meet with him there with his X-Wing. Perhaps he would keep the YT-2400 if needed, the ship wasn't in bad condition and was a pretty good flyer from what he could tell. Setting the system up to make randomized micro-jumps before heading to the mysterious base of operations, Brad relaxed in the pilot's chair, preparing himself to take a nice nap while in flight.

[James Krote]

James stood up to leave the room, he needed to get his ship first before going to the base. He realized everyone had left and made his way out, he knew that he would be a little late to the base but he needed to ditch the ship he had then and get a more reliable ship. He would explain to the others later if it was a problem.

 

he reached his ship and started take off preparations before he set coordinates for Mon Calamari and let the ship take off. He saw the stars streak as he jumped into hyperspace and was gone.

[Darth Furion]

Ezra touched down exactly where he had envisioned it, or rather where he had been shown. As the Sith dropped from the cockpit, he wondered to himself if this site was chosen by the Dark Lord, or merely brought to him as the pain coursing through him during the vision brought focus to his screaming mind and led him to a place he was meant to find. Fate was almost a laughable concept, but sometimes Julio wondered.

 

He found a place beside the river bank and dropped into meditation, his rosary slowly revolving in his hand as Julio pushed himself deeper with every bead between his fingers.

[Dagon]

The heavy breathing of a respirator heralded the approach of the Darkwatch soldier, a black figure in full battle dress. A mechanical voice issued from the helmet, tinged slightly by an accent. The soldier knew better than to make any pretense of stealth, lest the Sith react violently.

 

"Lord Dagon requests your presence, follow me if you would."

 

The pair moved in silence through the fields of Trulalis till they came to a stone amphitheater, a part of Trulalis's past. Darkwatch soldiers were positioned throughout the area, although their attention was on securing threats from without, rather than the goings on within.

 

Hooded figures held torches with flames of blue, the only light in the area. An alchemical concoction filled the air with exotic scents that somehow seemed familiar to the Sith. Silence pervaded the air. This was a sacred moment, and was to be treated as such.

 

On the Amphitheater's stage, the figure of the Dark Lord stood, an imposing presence felt as much as seen, adorned in a combination of ritual robes and armor. He stood within a ritual circle that thrummed with power.

 

Inside the circle was a golden haired girl, no more than two decades old, seemingly asleep on a stone table. A few inches away, a straight bladed ceremonial knife lay.

 

"Behold, seeker, for this is the moment we discover if you have yet become worthy of the order's most inner circle and its secrets. Join me within the circle so that you may choose your destiny."

[Darth Furion]

Hands clasped before him in reverence, head held low to keep his eyes just below his drawn hood. Before entering the shroud of armed men he took in his surroundings. The number of men, how attentive they were, the weapons they held, each weighed in turn. Everything around him was drawn in and internalized, left at the fringes of his awareness to be used if needed, or rather when. The gathering of information was taken in passing with each somber step he took behind his guide, stopping just short of the circle. He waited the appropriate amount of time and stepped forward, ready to accept his charge and prove his worth to the one who held the power.

 

His breathing was controlled, his mind steeled, and his heart committed to what must be done, whatever that may be.

 

What is thy bidding, my Master?

[Dagon]

"The girl before you is important. The Force has revealed much to me about her destiny, and it is a great boon to our order. She will be the mother of the new Sith'ari, the perfect cleansing fire that will one day both destroy and renew our order. There is, however, a complication. I share this with you because I, like you, am a father, and know that I cannot remain silent on this matter.

 

It has been revealed to me that the future choices of this girl will inevitably lead directly to the destruction of your adopted daughter. Now, I leave this girl's fate in your hands. Remember what you have learned, let it guide you. This is your final test of faith."

[Darth Furion]

His eyes slowly shifted from his Dark Lord to the girl, and rested there for the duration of the Master's declaration. The instant panic at the mention of one of his most closely guarded secrets lived only for so long as it took his heart to skip a beat, then fell into its proper place.

 

Silence, he chided himself, devouring each and every word parted from Dagon's lips. It held no lies, no manipulation, or corruption. He spoke only the truth, detached and observant in a manner Julio himself was well versed in. As in the culmination of his life thus far, he was split in twain, torn between to impossible paths his heart would have to struggle with. The very idea of the Sith'ari was staggering. A perfect being, who's destiny was to bring a mass culling to the Sith in fire, and bring it alive again in its own ashes. Certainly the previous Sith'ari, Darth Bane, delivered on his prophecy to destroy the order and make it stronger than ever before. It was in direct result of his teachings that brought about the destruction of the Republic, and nearly the end of the Jedi. If it weren't for that damned fool Palpatine and his arrogance.

 

But if a great culling were to come, wouldn't that mean that he, too, would be destroyed? Even if he survived, what of Rose? How could he forsake his own child? Could he make the decision between himself, or possibly not even himself but simply the fate of the Order, and the one he loved with all his heart? Could he protect her from this foretold fate? If you couldn't protect the ones you loved, did you deserve to have them at all?

 

So many possibilities lay at his hand, each with further paths to be explored. Julio tried to trace them all, yet each would end abruptly not long after their start. He was no prophet, he had never learned to divine the future through the Force. And even if he could, what was seen was never what was certain. The future was always in motion, flowing freely based upon the movement and decisions of a whole galaxy.

 

Frustration and fear coursed through him, proceeded by a cascade of tormenting emotions that brought him to uncertainty. He hated this girl and the threat she represented, yet loved her for the potential she represented. As if pulled in every direction by a thousand drawn horses, Julio's hands began to physically shiver, a personification of the gross flux ripping through his body. Outstretching his left hand, he brushed aside a strand of hair covering her face to get a better look at the girl, goosebumps visible along the short part of his forearm his coat did not cover. She was certainly a beauty, worthy to bear a Sith'ari. He could begin to see the underlying strands of fate beneath her physical shell Dagon spoke of. Perhaps...

 

Staring into the face of the girl who held the fate of so many in her empty womb, his hand found its way to the dagger on the pedestal unguided and drifted over the girl's throat. His breathing remained slow and controlled, his gaze unwavering.

 

In a sudden release of all the confusion and anguish laying below the surface he brought the dagger up high and buried it deep in the stone beside the girl's neck. For a moment, he stared into her soul a while longer and stood upright.

 

"I control my fate. If not, then there is no such thing as free will, and all my struggle is for naught. If I cannot survive the culling brought about by this Sith'ari, if I cannot protect my daughter, then I deserve my fate."

 

His eyes shifted from the girl to meet the calculating gaze of his Master, not a shred of doubt in his mind.

[Dagon]

"Then you have passed this trial of faith. Now kneel before me so that you may rise a master."

 

Shadowy figures moved towards the altar and shrouded the girl before taking her away in silence to a place of protection, seemingly vanishing in the darkness.

[Darth Furion]

Julio gave only a nod of acknowledgment as he felt his heart to beat once again. Breath flowed into his lungs more easily, his hands remained clasped without effort. Everything seemed so much clearer now that he actually heard the decree. He had always felt the power below the surface, but admittedly held himself back. Now he had been told, by the Dark Lord himself none the less, that the very same power he felt was due to him, and it was time for him to embrace it. He took a knee with practiced ceremony, and bowed his head low. It was strange. He didn't feel any different, yet everything was different.

 

Thank you, Master.

[Dagon]

"Now it is your duty to pass on these lessons to others. Our numbers have grown small over the years, replenish them with worthy sons and daughters so that we may prepare the way.

 

Rise, Master Furion of the Sith."

 

With the ritual over and the package returned, the Darkwatch soldiers dusted off, save for Dagon's personal guard.

[darth shadowlord]

A slight disturbance in the force was followed by a flash of swirling light before a moment of pure darkness. When the darkness lifted, a massive staff was embedded up to half its length in rock formation. A minute later a tall figure appeared and removed the staff from the rock. It had been some time since he had been in this galaxy and he did have to admit it felt pretty good to be back. He began to walk through the lower part of the Amphitheater, making his way towards a familiar Force signature.

 

"You have done well my old friend."

[Darth Furion]

The Master rose slowly, as if any rushed pace at such a powerful yet fragile moment would be a mistake and rob him of the precious feeling of ascension. His eyes met that of the Dark Lord's, and a new reality set itself in place. Whereas before Julio was merely content to survive and grow, biding his time for the precise moment to come to him, now he had been stricken with a hunger he had never felt before. It overwhelmed his past desire like an eclipse, only truly coming to its zenith at the very moment their eyes met each other's. There was still so much farther he had to go, the road stretching out beyond the scope of any unit of measurement. It was a defining moment for the young Sith, now an acknowledged Master.

 

Where some men would despair, or feel a sense of anger or hatred at this revelation, Julio remained only steeled away, deep inside himself beyond the approach of any living soul. Julio Furion, his humanity, weaknesses, faults, and frailties were treated as anything else in his life, compartmentalized and tucked away for safe keeping, lost in the expansive library of his mind. At a glance all that would be seen was a Sith, calculating and observant as always. With a more scrutinizing glance one may see the haze of emotion running just below the surface, pressured and ready to be released, but beyond that, nothing. He had always known how to lock himself away as such, but never dared ever since....

 

Outwardly he was only thankful, though he knew it wouldn't fool this Dark Lord. He knew of the cravings inside Julio, not because he too felt them, but because he knew of the true nature of the Sith, and saw the Sith in him. He would have no reason to fear the newly christened Master, at least not for now. He knew this, and would merely watch him, using him as he saw fit for as long as he was useful. Knowing this brought no frustration or anger to Julio beyond that which he would show any who threatened to take away his freedom, it was simply the way it was. In this short moment when Sith looked upon Sith and recognized the threat each presented to the other, there could be found mutual understanding.

 

"I am honored, Lord, for the task you have charged me with. However, I feel the temple on Coruscant has been compromised. We should seek a new place to shape the young minds of our future Sith."

 

In a flash, a being materialized some distance from them within the stone theater. One moment there was nothing, the next a man pulling himself from the very fabric of the Force, a thick crystal staff in hand. He strode out of that hellish mess as if it were nothing, like stepping out of a speeder. Julio took a step back and merely watched, letting the two men exchange pleasantries as they will.

[Darth Furion]

Aside in his own silence, Julio left the two Sith to their conversation as his mind pushed aside his new ascendancy and began machinations toward the projects at hand. He was commanded to reinforce the Sith ranks with new recruits, leaving him to a path of teaching. It seemed so complacent, so maladjusted to his recognized power that the request was, at a glance, almost laughable, but the more he thought about it, the more he began to agree with the station he was charged. How else could he refine his knowledge if not by teaching it to others? How his future students absorbed his lessons would further prove his aptitude, and at the same time give him a chance to continue his studies on his own time. With the full resources of the Sith at his disposal, a great wealth of knowledge would become available to him. A proposition he could not overlook lightly.

 

Yet he could not take these new students to Coruscant. That political beacon had long had a far too careful eye on it, many eyes from every corner of the galaxy. No, no....not Coruscant, but where? Surely not to that secret place. The list of planets ran long, but many were immediately discarded. The temple Julio had in mind needed a lush world with few inhabitants, a world like....

 

"My Lord," he said as he withdrew a clean datapad from his pocket. His fingers flew as if they had typed it all before, reflexively repeating what was on the fringes of the Sith's memory. "Here...is a list of materials I will need for the construction of the new center of learning we require, delivered here at the edge of this grove. I'll build it there, He said pointing out absently to the large, open plane behind them while his fingers continued to peck against the keyboard. "I'll take the liberty of contacting the temple on Coruscant to gather what Sith are there. Aside from that, the time it takes to construct depends only on who arrive to assist me."

 

The clicking stopped, and Julio sat the datapad on the stone slab, removing the ceremonial dagger in nearly the same moment. The dagger disappeared as he strode off, heading up the stone steps that lead down to the amphitheater they were presently in to head for the open plane.

 

"I thank you for the test, and the validation Mi'lord. I would certainly love to stay and get acquainted, but I have a lot of work to do, as I'm sure you're both aware."

 

Silent as he strode off, the young master wasted no time marching himself to the center of the open field, the exact middle whispered to him with every step like some game of hot and cold. When he felt the white hot pull of the planet's powers he stopped. Here was a great layline, where two distinct flows of Force came together in a raging torrent of life, pure and innocent in its natural essence. He sat himself down and crossed his legs, placing the ceremonial dagger just before him with the center of power between him and the blade. The rosary finding itself between his fingertips as always, Julio began muttering to himself, each mantra clearing his mind of distraction and dragging him deeper into darkness, going as deep as the flow would go.

[Dagon]

Dagon contacted his "people" about the resources and manpower required to complete the project, and forwarded any responses to Julio. At roughly the same time, he received a communique from one of his contacts at the Last Call. He turned to his suddenly returned ally with a proposition.

 

"A new potential has arrived at the Last Call, possible Krath material. If you wish, you can come along for the recruitment."

 

Dagon and Shadowlord departed from the planet with the intent to return with fresh blood for the order.

[Darth Furion]

Force flowed and flourished on this planet like a river after the first snow melt, lines so saturated it almost felt as if the planet could not contain itself. Yet this was not the same explosive life one felt on Coruscant, Nar Shaddaa, or any other heavily populated planet. Indeed, this planet was now bereft of sentient life aside from Julio, long abandoned by its denizens in favor for grander, more culturally expanding systems. But here, delving deep into the roots and core of Trulalis, the Sith could feel the potential of life stemming from every nook and cranny. The soil was rich, the vegetation growing, and the animal life strong and vibrant. It was all so promising, so powerful.

 

And all that energy flowed to this one point, where life stretched out and touched the rest of the galaxy. This is where he would place the temple, where he could tap into the very essence of the planet. With a thought he touched his neural implant and issued the order to an associate long forgotten.

 

This was where he would teach the way, his way, and craft the future minds of the Order. The very progeny of the Sith was in his hands. The charge that the Dark Lord had given him was an important one indeed. Maybe he wasn't on the front lines, cutting down whatever enemy that stood in his path, but this was another struggle in and of itself. Was the Order so fallen that a newly ordained master such as he would be given such an imporant role? Wasn't there other Masters. Aside from the few he knew of, Julio couldn't say he knew of many. Dagon, Faust, and the famed Kakuto were around the galaxy somewhere. Apparently Draken was similarly a Master, and there were one or two Lords still roaming about. But that was it? Really? The question only served to reinforce the importance of his upcoming role. The Dark Lord would need him to augment the rank and file of the Order. Equally important as the role of lead instructor would be, just as important would be the his loyalty to the Order. Surely controls would be set in place to ensure that loyalty. No matter. He just needed to prove his value, and continue to do so for as long as it would take. A creature like Dagon, born back in the days when excellence was expected within the Order, would never fully trust another Sith, and nor should he. But this was a concern for another time, compartmentalized and ushered away to make room for what mattered now.

 

The ground began to grow hot as Julio called upon the powers of the planet. A previously clear sky began to grow overcast, moisture and static collecting at his will. The sky roared in protest in a a series of thunderous crashes, the flashes of light too far away and behind cloud cover to be seen just yet. As the clouds began to swirl together, a light sprinkling began to pepper the ground. The hot soil drank in the rain like a glutton, thirsty beyond reprieve. The cloud coverage began to condense, slowly converging on the spot directly above Julio. He was getting drenched, the warm summer rain gone unobserved as his focus was driven only forward.

 

More, He demanded, fighting against nature itself in a mighty clash of wills. The ground began to melt away into mud, and the sky grew darker still. Though the light blue of a clear sky shone around the edges of the massive, ominous cloud, it was easily forgotten as lightning danced within the dark grey. Thunder roared louder than ever and a wind began to pick up, raging and whipping about the Sith and low lying grasses of the plane. The trees on the mountain to the north and composing the forest surrounding the expansive plane remained untouched by the gale. MORE He growled between clenched teeth, still not sated by the torrent of power the planet flowed through him. The planet answered to the sound of the sky itself cracking, rain so thick visibility was reduced to mere feet. Each drop hammered against Julio, still neglected in light of the coursing energies. The ground was now a muddy bowl spreading deep into the planet's crust. With a sigh, Julio began to let his grip of the flow wane and the rain began to slow, then coming to a full stop. The cloud still remained, lightning still ripping through the atmosphere in unnatural protest, but the storm had abated none the less.

 

The ground was ready for the next step in construction, but for now Julio needed to rest. Going straight from his trials, to intense meditation, and command of the energies flowing through the planet was too much for now. He needed something to eat, and time to collect his thoughts and focus. For now, he waited for the Ferryman to bring his fellow Sith to the site. At least until he was prepared for the next step.

[Darth Furion]

The ship broke hyperspace with the dawn, the sudden, radical intrusion springing the architect from his short slumber. He was laying on his back in an ocean of mud, arms carelessly folded behind his head. As his eyes slowly parted open to once again force upon him the all too real reality, he was first met with the looming, self sufficient miasma of corrupted life drifting high above him. This was his work, the first of many to come. But his eyes bore through the ominous cloud, focusing on his cargo. Bout gor'ram time.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

One by one, transport ships flew free of the massive carrier, each carrying Sith, building materials, personnel, and less importantly hopefuls. Once they landed, they would be directed toward the dig site, where the mud covered master stood waiting, just at the edge of the massive muddy bowl with his hands clasped carefully before him. Let them come, there was much work to be done.

[Torin]

Standing on the bridge of the transport with arms crossed and hood ominously drawn over his head, Torin looked out on the fertile world with greed and gluttony. It was a land available for consumption, but not a ravanous, hasty swallowing of resources. This world deserved to be slowly savored like a thick, juicy, well seasoned filet mignon. Every morsel of Trulais called for a tasting of its fruits, and looking upon the developing construction site, Torin decided he would take his fair bite of the pleasures.

 

During the trip, Torin ignored his apprentices, so far not impressed with any of them. There must be something else out there, he thought, eager to get on the ground. This would be the first assignment for the Sith he had attempted in several years, and he couldn't help but wonder if teaching was his punishment for neglecting his Sithly duties.

 

Next to a few of the masters, I'm one of the best warriors still surviving. Is it the Sith way to allow talent to rot?

 

His disappointment with this task remained hidden deep below his statue like exterior; his thoughts untransferable through his steel helm. Still, the planet is worthy. Trulais remained the single reward of this task as he walked off of the transport and touched the mud of the construction site. It was a blank canvass, well prepared for the creation of a master piece.

 

Scanning the area, looking absent mindedly through men unloading cargo, Torin spotted the master creator. It was a man he had never met before, but had sensed as soon as the transport had entered the atmosphere. A Sith Master powerful and knowledgeable in the ways of the Force, capable of leaking the information Torin needed to grow into his full form.

 

"I don't believe we've met," Torin said from behind a shroud of shadow to the Master lying in the mud, "I'm Torin."

 

It was a useless statement. He knew it was a useless statement. Why would he be here if this man did not know his name? But, he continued with the formalities, intiating the construction of the closest thing two Sith could have to a relationship.

 

"I've brought with me three apprentices, and was inadequately briefed as to the plans for this place, but what precisely is my purpose here?"

 

Torin waited for at least the master's name, but refused to be surprised if he did not recieve even a response.

[Darth Furion]

He couldn't help but smile. Straight to business, how very practical.

 

"No, no, no..." He said with a light, patronizing tone. As he slowly turned, he made no effort to hide his wide smile. Arrogance was bereft from his face, his brilliant golden eyes holding only cool, collected weariness, seemingly driven in through his works over the previous days. "If you start introductions, you must finish them before trying to pry power from me."

 

His head tilted slightly as he looked upon one of the few who would work at his side to mold the young minds of the Sith of tomorrow. His muscles were strong and somewhat bulging, as would be expected of a fine warrior, yet were tone enough to denote precision. Red skin, uncommon for the slave race, yet somehow the unique few tended to find their way to the Darkness. But this one did not hold the lekku found on the back of the heads of his species. His were cut off. As Julio began to pace around the atrophied warrior, he continued to judge him through and through.

 

"Granted, the question you posed is vital to your role here amongst our Order, but it is a power none the less. Knowledge is power, is it not?"

 

Now behind Torin, the Sith paused to inspect the scarred stumps where the lekku should have been. From the angle, the wounds were likely self imposed, or the attacker held Torin in a very vulnerable position when the slice was made. It was a swift cut, smooth and through and through. If Torin was the one who inflicted the wound, he did it with determination through gritted teeth. But that was pain of this world, done in a time when he wouldn't have really been able to understand it for what it truly was.

 

Continuing around to come full circle, Julio stopped to meet the Twi'lek face to face, no hint of shame or judgment, not even pride in his eyes in recognition of Torin's past suffering. Only the enduring casual mask worn like his very face.

 

"My name is Julio Furion, Master of our Order. And before I offer up any knowledge pertaining toward your present predicament, you must earn it. You come well referred, but I do not rely on word of mouth alone."

 

Slowly, as not to present any threat, Julio reached up with his left hand and touched his index finger to the center of Torin's forehead. The moment contact was meet, rapid flashes flew through the warrior's mind, weaving around the preciously guarded pockets of secrets to as not intrude. It would be bad manners to disregard such courtesy.

 

What Torin saw was a ritual, several Sith in a circle around Julio. Together they channeled themselves through him, to command and direct the planet's power into on concentrated storm. The vision broke and scrambled, reconfiguring to a time before the first. Torin stood as a taskmaster, directing the work flow of the thousands who would work mindlessly to complete Julio's vision.

 

When the visions faded, Julio stood with his head cocked to one side again, studying something in Torin's features.

 

"Do this, and you may yet advance."

 

Julio turned from Torin, speaking out as he began walking back to the center of the muddy field. "And do not treat the apprentices any differently from the rest of the help. They have yet to make the distinction."

[Guest]

Thule walked out of the transport he had been in . On the journey he and the others had gotten separated . He was thrust forward by some kind of security officer . Thule wanted to stab the man right there with his vibro-sword but then remembered that the sith had taken it from him . So he had no other options than to comply . He walked through the mud towards the great pid where already thousands of slaves and others were working to built a new temple suspected Thule .

[Karys Narat iv-Adas]

It had been a long journey but finally they had arrived at the destination of what would soon be the new temple. Being crammed into a cargo hold was no fun but then again Lucifer had little choice but to comply given the circumstances he was under at the time.

 

Proceeding to walk from the entrance ramp with a steady equal pace Lucifer set his first foot on solid ground finding he had implanted one foot in mud...nice. It had been a while since their departure from Coruscant not so long ago as was it also strange that it was not so long ago that he left Byss behind and yet again he was sent on a trip to a unknown planet that seemed to reek of the darkside...he could feel it everywhere at it's core the planet that he came to find was called Trulalis may have been a good choice for the new temple location, whoever was the architect of it's move knew what he or she was doing.

 

Looking around Lucifer took in the darkside and the air before moving to where the majority of the sith seemed to be heading, feeling around he sensed a few sith who seemed to have almost as much in terms of potential as himself, although he knew he had so much more just waiting for the right moment to explode and reveal itself to him. With that moment Lucifer got straight to work knowing that to wait was to delay his training to come...afterall no temple would mean nowhere to train in. He began by picking up three or four large stone slabs and moving them to locations that had been marked by several of the slaves and acolytes as being where the foundations should go. He was used to the strain of hard work, of labor for a time before he was a imperial inquisitor and a sith while he was still a young child his father had insisted that Lucifer help build the house they were to live in literally whipping him if he refused, as such he was accumstomed to the strain of heavy lifting and pain both went hand in hand here as then. With careful precision Lucifer cemented the blocks together as ordered lining them up with the other blocks that would make up the outer walls and the floor.

 

Noticing one man just standing there, sensing him he found he had about the same potential as himself most likely he was a apprentice like himself and not one of the acolytes. He called over knowing full well that laziness was unbecoming of a sith, (Darth Pein)

 

''Don't just stand there give a hand unless of course you want to your master to inflict some kind of punishment upon you, personally I wouldn't reccomend waiting to find out just what that might entail but if you want you be my guest.''

[Tobias Vos]

Tobias stepped off the ship and inhaled deeply. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his hair band. Wrapping his hair up he walked over next to his rival. Thule.

 

Toibas matched Thule's gaze, but saw only a big muddy pit. There wasnt much being said. Some apprentice was being chewed out for not paying attention to his surroundings. Tobias turned his head. This was such a colorful planet.

 

Tobias walked next to a tree and knelt beside it. He wasn't going to learn the lay out, he was going to learn the history. His hand sank into the mud until he pressed against the roots. His mind flashed back, there was nothing here. Just an old courier mission.

 

(OOC: edited to match the surroundings. 2nd paragraph)

Edited January 23, 2010 by Guest