Kamino

[Intemptesta Nox]

Nox allowed himself a smirk at Kirloor's outburst. It reflected an anger that Nox did not feel.

 

"It's the only thing that makes sense," Nox replied. "First, the message I sent out could only have been interpeted by you, or another Sith. It is more than unlikely that Kelmar and his people would risk themselves by replying to a message that couldn't have possibly understood, sent by beings whose intentions they couldn[t possibly have known... Unless they were prodded."

 

Nox paused to look at his master pointedly, before continuing.

 

"Next, if Kelmar was prone to asking every being that materialized within Kamino's atmosphere for help, it is inconcievable that the Imperial garrison wouldn't have already found them."

 

Nox took a step forward, obviously lost in thought.

 

"These facts lead me to one inescapable conclusion. The Imperials already knew about their existence and had written them off as harmless and not worth exterminating. You decided to prod them into contacting us with the intent to put us in the very situation we found ourselves in. You wanted to see how we would react, as well as to put us off balance. My guess is that you would have rathered we come up with a more intellectual way of getting out of it, but..."

 

Nox shrugged.

 

"I really didn't want to be restrained."

[Oblivion]

He merely grinned at Kirloor's outburst, well aware of what feelings were made to him in that regard. The man sighed a bit, raised his hand to meet against the edge of his chin and stared at the two while they spoke. Narrowing his focus slightly, he leaned back carefully against the seat he lay rested in, folding his fingers across one another as he did so.

 

"Astounding detective work, but I must say my hand in this was limited at best. Natives have been an issue ever since the occupation, but always a limited one due to the growing amount of problems we had on the surface. They were easily overlooked and never much cared for. I'm surprised any lasted this long; most likely by stealing our own rations."

 

"You must also understand something about this planet. It is a well kept secret, even after brief exposures over time. Visitors are few and the Kamonians have an intimate understanding of a friendly signal from an Imperial communications line by now. The timing must have been a coincidence, as I assure you I have been in my study for quite some time before I checked up on you two."

 

"But that's beside the point," He remarked, slowly getting up from his seat, "There is much to do and too short a time to show it all in."

 

"The reason I brought you here was for a more intimate understanding of the studies you shall be doing in my quarters. Around you are countless artifacts from different time eras, predominantly focused on the Guilded Age of the Sith. Included are more extensive series of novels, biographies, and epilogues of the former greats that can be found on every corner. Weapons of all shapes and sizes can be found along the walls; some crafted by my own handywork and those of others as well."

 

He stretched his hands out, a certain lost vigor in his voice restoring to him.

 

"Witness it now. This shall be the area where you will truly grow. My former master showed me long ago that disciplines tied closely to the Force yet not solely reliant upon it fosters great strength, beyond that of any of its kind. This is a rare option, indeed, and I want to share my knowledge and all that I have to offer to the future generations of Sith."

 

It was at this point he began to wander off towards the wall, plucking a long and broad ancient sword as if it was nothing more then a feather, waving it about deftly left and right as he continued to speak.

 

"From what I understand based on our limited previous encounters is that you both have a talent with being physical adept in combat, skills with a blade. I shall teach you to use the Force as your subordinate to craft alloid that can pierce any armor, splinter any shield, and shatter any opponent's defenses. Deadly in design, you will not only gain a further depth of how it is to wield the darkness around you, but also how to use it for your very will; the root of any power that stems from the Force."

 

Once the long winded explaination had been finished, Oblivion gingerly set the ancient blade back upon its proper holster mounted across the wall, turning his heel to direct his full focus back to the apprentices, eyebrows raised inquizzitvely.

 

"Now is the time to ask what you will. The freedom to speak openly will be removed once you agree to these terms. Only until I see the results I desire will they be reclaimed. Is this understood?"

[Intemptesta Nox]

Nox thought long and hard about his master's words. He stood on a precipice, reluctant to give up his freedom on one hand, desperate to learn the ways of the Force on the other.

 

Don't do it, Nox! Angelus warned from within his psyche. He means to make you a slave. Just like our old Master!

 

No, Nox replied. He is not like our old Master, he has never lied to us. He has also been truthful about the trials we would face.

 

What about the Kaminoans? Do you seriously be believe that he had nothing to do with it?

 

Nox paused before answering. In truth, he did not believe Oblivion's denial. Still, in the grand scheme of things, it didn't really matter.

 

I will be loyal to him, Nox decided, silencing any further protest from Angelus. He will teach me much and I will grow in power and understanding, and if he betrays me, one of us will die.

 

Nox looked at Oblivion. He was making a leap of faith, something that by nature was difficult for him to do. Slowly, carefully and hoping that the symbolism of the gesture was not lost on his Master, Nox dropped to a knee. It was the hardest thing he had ever done to date, to show any kind of fealty to anyone but himself.

 

But his desire to learn outweighed all of his pride and ego.

 

"I understand, Master." He spoke, softly with a slight waver in his voice. "I wish to learn. Teach me and I will be loyal to you until death."

[Kirloor Raeden]

Kirloor also dropped to a knee, but with much less thought.

 

I have nothing left to return to.

 

Bowing his head, both Sith apprentices now pledged their allegiences. Their hearts, souls, and minds now belonged to one man:

 

Oblivion. The name rang full and loud throughout the Zabrak's head. He grinned. The name made so much more difference now.

 

He is family... almost.

 

He continued to rest on his knee.

[Oblivion]

The laughter almost came back after witnessing them both bow, yet had resisted the temptation to show any hint of it. It was not the least bit humorous, a very solemn occassion where the two had to cast aside their pride to gain wisdom in its place. The vow of silence was not truly necessary in learning the skills required, yet was fundamental to this idea. He would not allow them to stray for this very cause.

 

"I'm glad we have an understanding... Don't try my patience with breaking this bond at any time, either. This trust must be mutual. I would hate to see any of you fall from my grace when I see such potential before me."

 

Raising a finger upwards, he calmly gestured for them to rise and meet him in the room opposite of where they were, directing with the same digit as he did. Inside, a smoldering heat could be felt. Even he, Oblivion, rolled up his sleeves to his elbows once he drew near to the billowing furnance in the center of the vast chamber. The furnance was large and cylindrical, three floors tall and wide as his entire study.

 

"To my right, there is a stockpile of any materials you will require for this particular experiment. For my own work, I've requested certain kinds of metals shipped from many planets, each with unique properties, as you will soon see..."

 

Grasping a solid bar of a dark metal alloid, the man held it for them both to see before anchoring it down on the large slab that had been veered at an angle to allow the blunting process to become smoother in form when struck. Beside it was a hammer, no more then the length of his forearm, and bludgeoned the dense piece of material, instantly causing a large dent to appear in the center.

 

"Have you any idea what this is?... Obsidian alloid from Teres, one the hardest known metals in the galaxy: dark materia as its more common alias. A square inch of this can withstand the pressures of several destroyer ships colliding at it from a point without breaking. The ionic pattern that alligns itself to form this is so complex in its structure that the process of even solidifying it into a bar takes several months to produce under extreme pressure..."

 

"...To continue, this was not produced by pure strength at all. Faith in the darkness to guide your hand, to respond to the amount of force and recoil felt by the blow, and controlling the severity of the strike makes this possible. This is only a demonstration, mind you, since no person has been able to properly wield a weapon created from this material. The weight alone is enough to drain even the most powerful of Sith Warriors in rigorous combat, a feat I myself have not been able to obtain."

 

Clasping his hands together, he brought over two different trays of varying stones, minerals, and metals alike. Placing them upon the large slab he had already worked at, he stepped aside, keeping both hands folded as he stood.

 

"Now then, I require you both to concentrate on the environment around you. Formal meditation has no bounds here. Strength in the darkness is either immediate or nothing at all. You must open your mind to travel into the material you wish to mold, bend its structure to your own demands, and never cease until it is had conformed to your desires."

 

"I will monitor your progress from afar, this time..." As he turned for the door, the man leaned up against the door side with a quirky look upon his face, "Need I not remind you of your vow to me, my apprentices."

 

--

 

Without much else, he strode off very swiftly towards the left. There was once more a break in his duties to pursue a sensation that had eluded him until now. It had been so faint, so inrecognizable, that only a traitorous scent could have lured it about.

 

Wasting no time, Oblivion had cornered the wandering being at long last, casting a brillant light to fill the entire area around them. Glaring at the woman whose back had been turned to him, a concealed dagger that had been folded against his formal attire was revealed, encrusted with jewels and ancient markings.

 

"Speak, girl. Who are you and how did you manage to gain entry into my laboratory?"

Edited November 21, 2006 by Guest

[Tiana Calthye]

She stayed still; no memories had to be permitted to invade””at least the memories that claimed they were such. Instead she clasped her hands before herself, staying still with a third eye's wary watch behind herself. Accent... more Kuati than it had been before.

 

A dark presence had returned.

 

A dark presence bearing light, as if to use it in mockery to her very nature.

 

Someone in between.

 

"Speak? Girl? How did I gain entrance to your labratory?" she repeated almost absently, holding her arms out for a moment. "Well, I suppose I am probably a young adult, young enough to be addressed as girl. And ti seems I'm capible of speaking. Answering the question though..." She smiled thinly. "I have been here for a thousand years. Or perhaps not." There was absolutely no mocking intent to the way she phrased her words, though it may have sounded vaguely in such a manner. "If this then is a secret labratory owned by””" A gesture in his direction "””yourself, I should assume you brought me here, and thereby know exactly who and what I am, rendering your question purposeless. Or perhaps I was sent here and was suppose to be here."

 

She raised her shoulders in a brief shrug. "Or perhaps not. I know no certainties. My mind suggests I am Tiana. For myself, there's something about your aura that seems familiar... I would suggest I knew you before, perhaps reasonably well for a short period of time. You are the master of this place, it would suggest””if I have been here for any length, surely you would have noticed my presence. I've made a speech in response to the order to speak. Answer your own questions, as I can do it with no certainty. Who am I? How did I get here? Perhaps more importantly for my well-faring, are you intending on using that?" She gestured vaguely at the dagger.

[Oblivion]

"Tiana... Tiana..."

 

The name struck a chord inside, a slender string that had twisted from the tight holds his heart clenched had unwound. The most deep repressed emotions traveled along this spiney network, wandering back inside, using the string for guidance. Where there was once absence of feeling had been brought back, able to feel the blood that coursed through his veins.

 

"...No. It can't be. You look so-- so much... younger."

 

In that moment of revitalization, the man had dropped to one knee, clutching his chest. A sensation over came him, drew life from his body, then miraculously enough had disappeared just the same. Blinking rapidly, unsure what had happened, Oblivion immediately tried to recompose himself, standing once again yet leaning heavily on a table beside him.

 

"You must excuse me, my dear. I-- I don't feel quite like myself anymore, as I have gathered you are not entirely sure of yourself, it seems... Something happened here without my knowledge; something I will find out indefinitly, for both our sakes."

 

Taking a slow and praticed step forward, he tried to move closer to her, tossing the knife aside without much care. Eventually, he was able to stand closeby, his cold paled hands grasping around her own slender hands.

 

"...Have you returned from your travels? Did you complete what I had asked?"

[Intemptesta Nox]

The intense heat of the room washed over Nox as he entered, following Kirloor and Oblivion. Immediately, his pale complexion flushed red and beads of sweat began to fall from his forehead. He listened to Oblivion's explanation, and watched with awe as the Sith dented a substance stronger than any durasteel without even trying.

 

Faith in the darkness... The words washed over him, embedding themselves in the depths of his mind. It seemed that faith was the most important thing in this place. And perhaps to the mastery of the Dark Side as well...

 

Almost instantly after Oblivion informed them that their next task would be to forge something out of the materials he had laid out, did Nox received a flash of inspiration. Almost from the moment his Master's sentence was finished did he have a mental picture of the thing he wanted to create.

 

After Oblivion finished speaking, Nox watched the man leave. Alone, in the forge with only Kirloor for company, Nox crossed his arms. Closing his eyes, Nox allowed his awareness in the Force to expand. It was easier here, almost laughably so. Soon, he melded completely with the environment around him. He felt more than saw the particles of fuel combust within the massive furnace. He travelled over the fine contours of the various metals, delving deep inside them, feeling their molecular structures.

 

Allowing the Force to guide him, Nox began to walk. He couldn't see where he was going, but that didn't matter. He knew the location of every tool, every material, every speck of dust intimately.

 

He felt the alloid Oblivion had shown them, his presence flowing through it as water through the sieve. Instantly, he understood the strength of the inter-molecular bonds that gave the material its resilience, as well as its weight.

 

Oblivion is right, this is far too heavy to make a weapon worth wielding. Nox mused.

 

Moving on, Nox began to feel the composition of another material. It was strong, as well as lightweight. The bonds between the molecules seemed to be just right...

 

Except...

 

He furrowed his brow in concentration. Everything seemed right, but he was being drawn somewhere else. He didn't understand, surely this metal would make a fine blade!

 

No, He scolded himself. Remembers Master's words. You must have faith in the darkness, let it guide you.

 

Moving on, Nox gave himself fully to the darkness. He let it guide his hand, let it control him almost without thought. Eyes still closed, he walked over to a another pile of material, another metal. It was similar to the first, yet different. It was right, while the other had been wrong.

 

In that instant, he knew he had found what he was looking for. Now the invisible presence that was the darkness guided him over to the anvil. Like Oblivion's alloid, mere physical strength would do nothing to this composite. He had to trust in the darkness.

 

Picking up the hammer, Nox raised it high before bringing it down on the rod before him. His eyes were closed the whole time, and only after there was a resounding twang of metal on metal did he open them.

 

What he found...

 

Amazed him....

[Kirloor Raeden]

Kirloor stayed put until only two men remained in the room. Nox seemed to take to his own style, so the Zabrak moved into a more secluded area. Tools and metals were lying about. The dark area offered no help as Kirloor was forced to feel his way around using his hands. Flames from the fire pit licked at his skin, threatening to scald him should get too close.

 

This is no ordinary place. That much is evident.

 

A strong current of power ran through the room. It vibrated every one of Kirloor's bones. He smiled, imagining the things he could do if-

 

When. When I get this power, I will be unstoppable.

 

Kirloor came to a halt at a certain table. It was here that the power vibrations were strongest; The Zabrak felt like he wanted to shatter.

 

The only thing the man could do was close his eyes and imagine.

 

What will I create? he thought. It will be-

 

It will be a symbol of power, and of evil. It will be a symbol of power, and of evil. It will be a representation of the very thing you desire.

 

An unknown voice forced it's way into Kirloor's thoughts. Unable to explain what was happening, Raeden questioned...himself.

 

Who are you?

 

I am the Force within you. I will guide you, child, as I guide all of my loyal followers. You will listen to me, as all my loyal followers listen to me.

 

Another grin, this one much larger than the first, split his face. This Force, this unknown magic, was accepting him. It was allowing him to enter it's domain, and with this permission came the satisfaction of knowing that he was one of them now.

 

I am a Sith.

 

Renewed with the power of the Force, Kirloor eagerly continued.

 

Let us begin, child. Use your instinct, and your feelings. Base your construction from what you feel.

 

He nodded.

 

Closing his eyes, and tilting his chin slightly upward, Kirloor started.

 

At first, he focused solely on the metals and tools. Slowly they began to rise from the table. A little more concentration, and they were floating around him, forming a perfect circle surrounding his lone figure. He could feel the weight of the metals, and knew immediately he would not be building any weapon of any sorts.

 

Or maybe this is what he wants.

 

The heat of the room began to take effect on Kirloor, sending many beads of sweat running down his horned-head. They entered his eyes, sending a stinging message to his brain.

 

Concentrate! Do not let petty interruptions distract you.

 

Kirloor squeezed his eyes shut even harder, attempting to blink the sweat away.

 

Still the devices circled him; they were suspended alone by the power of the Force. The horned man relied on it like a lifeline. It would help him here, or he would fail.

 

And I will not fail.

 

It was at that moment that Kirloor discovered what he was going to create.

 

All of a sudden, his right hand shot up, intercepting one of the circling hammers. The grip felt perfect in his sweaty hand.

 

Following suit, Kirloor's right hand penetrated the air, snatching a cylinder of metal. He was right; it was extremely heavy for it's size.

 

Now blithe with the situation at hand, Kirloor set the metal on the table in front of him, willing himself to open his eyes. The rod in front of him was completely black; to him, this was the perfect material for his experience.

 

He set to work hammering the metal into his chosen form.

 

--

 

How long have I been at this?

 

It matters not. You are finished.

[Tiana Calthye]

Travel... Her eyes flicked shut for a moment, hands clasped with that of a figure she remembered but could not name, a face that was only a black abyss in the depths of her heart, but yet quite there, irrevokably and so definately a piece of her that even her own mind could not weave around it to locate the definacies. And then she repeated the thought aloud, almost absently. "Travel? I can't be certain. It's not that I don't remember, it's that I remember so much I cannot narrow it down."

 

Confusion. He is not meant to be a confused man, yet something has left him as startled as you are confused, girl. He...

 

Lost composure for only a moment.

 

But it had been a moment, so definately there that even she had picked up on it with minimal training...

 

"I..." Trees, yes, trees, and a familiar face, a duel that never happened, but certainly wanted to "...cannot..." There was a castle on a planet with a force that wasn't the Force "...be..." ...Faces. There were so many people, so many minds and emotions and thoughts reeling about and such confusion, how could anyone keep track of it "...certain." In the crowd, you were nothing more than an absent figure and did not quite fit in, alone in the middle of a circle of a planet with...

 

...out this solitude which seeks you...

 

But not solitude.

 

"Ah, but... dear. I rather think I like that," she added in a more light-hearted tone, tracing his fingers with her own. She was yet uncertain, but was perhaps a bit closer to her estimation of who and where she was.

 

I am a prisioner to my senses.

 

Travelled a million miles without budging from one spot. Perhaps I am younger.

[Oblivion]

A slight tinge of distaste fell upon his facial features, furrowing his eyebrows a tad as he took the slightest step back. So the travel did not occur, yet she remained. Sighing lightly, he raised his eyes to her own.

 

"Later on, perhaps. You are here and that is most important," A thought struck him almost mid-sentence, turning his neck around quickly before redirected back forward, "Oh, and did I mention, we have guests. They will be staying here for a while so I believe you should get aquainted with them. They are my apprentices; the very position you so refuted long ago, if you can remember that much."

 

The man took a step forward, flashing a sneering expression with hands still wrapped with hers, urging her to move with as they began to walk in unison.

 

"...Now I must be content with a companion. Unless, of course, you have changed your mind...?"

[Tiana Calthye]

She gestured vaguely. "If I did not complete a task, it is not because of rebellion. It is simply because of whatever... caused this..." She nodded briefly to herself. "I appologize, of course””it was never in my intent to cause someone I knew well before grief. At least, I should presume I knew you reasonably well, seeing as you seem to recall me."

 

Nonetheless, Tiana fell back into step with him, attempting to reorient herself. "You were my teacher, then? Odd, I recall otherwise."

 

I believe I vanished for a while, whether or not to where, I cannot recall. I suppose I fell into my own little world. Or perhaps not so little. A human's memories can expand to contain so much...

 

It is overwhelming.

 

"I think I missed you. Apprentices?"

[Oblivion]

Lowering his eyes a tad bit, the same familiar mix between a grin and a sneer was ever present still. Dealing with amnesia was not far from educating the ill informed, giving a heavier sigh as he readied his speech with a dull cough before responding.

 

"Remind me to recheck my alchemical supplies later on. I believe you may have stumbled onto a few too many unstable substances of mine in the storage room..."

 

After a good bit of laughter was exchanged, he looked once again directly towards her. "Allow me to put it all into context for you. This is an underwater facility on the bottom of a planet called Kamino's ocean. I am Oblivion, master of all you see and shall ever witness. You were brought her as a prisoner though I found your attitude endearing to call you my own; or atleast from what I can recall, my companion..."

 

"Search deep into your heart. You will find what I speak of is true."

[Intemptesta Nox]

Before him, Nox gazed upon a large dent in the metal. He had done it! He had let his faith in the darkness guide his hand. The thrill of it threatened to overwhelm him.

 

He fought the urge to shout in triumph.

 

Now I will create a weapon worthy of me! He thought excitedly.

 

Closing his eyes again, Nox opened himself to the darkness. As the power of it flowed through as a crashing flood, he raised the hammer. Bringing it down, he once again heard the satisfying twang of metal hitting metal.

 

Over the next several hours, Nox continued molding the metal, forcing it to do his bidding. Where Oblivion was Nox's master, Nox was the metal's master. It answered to him alone.

 

The process was long, difficult, yet completely exhilarating. He had experienced nothing like it before. It was amazing. Eventually, the image that had visited Nox's mind at the beginning of this exercise came into reality.

 

A double bladed sword, sharper than the most skill surgeon's scalpel, stronger and more elegant than anything Nox had ever seen. As he opened his eyes, hours later, and gazed upon his creation for the first time. The weapon was beautiful.

 

It spoke to him as clearly as if Oblivon or Kirloor or anyone had spoken.

 

You are Nox...

 

It said.

 

You are my wielder...

 

You are my Master...

 

It whispered in the darkness.

 

I am Occidio...

 

Nox's Occidio

[Tiana Calthye]

She covered a bit of a laugh. "Oh, I knew it was a water planet, and therefore clearly in an underwater structure. I could sense that much. I believe at one point in my life, I must have been trained to sense such things." A bit of a smirk touched her face for a moment. "I doubt you're master of everything I'll ever witness, mind you. Perhaps of all I'm witnessing now, but I would suggest that a lot of things are master of themselves””simply mastered by others.

 

"But yes. I agree that what you say is true, at least for the persona I am here and now."

 

Absently, her fingers slipped up to her face... nose, back down across her lips and chin. Fluttered to her forehead. Something was missing, she merely could not place it. Something beyond the ability to place all her memories into the right places””and cyper out the ones that were not befitting to this time and place. "Answer me a question, then, my companion: am I a Jedi or a Sith?"

 

Accuracy. Yet she still relied too heavily on her senses rather than her own mind and others to place the correct vistage beyond her vision and sight.

 

I must master myself.

[Oblivion]

"How you doubt me so, dearest. I meant no humor in saying what I have said. With time, you will further understand those words."

 

"As per your last question," He stood carefully in mid-stride, examining the ends of his shoes before looking forward, "You were neither. It may be easy to have lied and said you were one, perhaps believing so much as to eventually take up the desired role. Even though my expectations still remain in you joining the supreme Sith Order one day, I made my mind up about the matter long ago."

 

"Like the scarce yellow-eyed plant that is found growing under the face of dark desolate shadows on Dathomir, it requires many years to plant a twig, no less to bloom. Only after witnessing these plants myself have a better understanding of this kind of patience... and what rewards it reaps."

 

After briefly analyzing his own words, the man could not help to grin, "Yes. Me. Patient. My face does not reflect the more new-aged Sith that seem to be in such large supply. I have witnessed Lords above their powers, not just now, but through the centuries, tarnishing what was once a prestine and honored pratice. Anger has its place, but so do many other emotions that tend to get overlooked..."

 

His eyes looked deeply through her own, taking the tip of his forefinger and flicking it softly against the bottom curve of her chin.

 

"But I'm rambling," The grip on her hand tightened momentarily as he once more persuaded she follow in his step once more, "I'm sure the apprentices have finished by now in the tasks I've given them. Come."

 

Without wasting another moment of time, the Sith Master had re-entered the furnance where smolting ore could be smelt half way down the hall. A heavier cloud of smoke rose over their heads, the flames bellowing out of its confines oridinarily in steady intervals.

 

He moved his hand against each crafted piece, judging it carefully with a warding eye. Gently placing each down after a few minutes of study, his pale grey eyes examined them once more before finally speaking.

 

"Tell me the significance of what you have created and why you think I have assigned such a rudamentary task to you all, starting with you." One finger gestured over towards the zabrak, more curious to hear what was on his mind then the other after seeing both finished products...

[Kirloor Raeden]

Kirloor looked up, startled. He wasn't expecting his master for quite some time now. He was also with another, this one a female.

 

On the other hand, many hours have passed...

 

Scratching the back of his head, Kirloor motioned towards his creation. In front of him lay a lone gauntlet.

 

Fit for the left hand only, the gauntlet was completely black. It was also extremely heavy, but not so heavy as to deprive of Kirloor's movement. The first knuckle of each finger held a small horn, similar to Kirloor's head. The forearm part of the metal glove expanded slightly as it moved towards the elbow.

 

"It's a gauntlet," he said stupidly. "It was created for one main purpose. I have seen my own weakness. I have also decided to help myself by making this glove. You will notice, I'm sure, that it was made to be located on the left hand. I am right hand proficient. This will help counter the lack of strength in my left arm. It also shows that I must learn to move with the burden of extra weight. I shall move quicker than the eye can follow. You will see."

 

Kirloor felt his face heat up in embarrassment. His face drooped into a frown as he held out the glove.

 

"A few more things; Once I don this gauntlet, it will not come off until I am ready. I myself do not know when this is. It's also been crafted with horns on purpose. This is to represent the rise of the Zabrak."

 

Although extremely shamed to admit it, Kirloor actually had a name for his piece of armor.

 

The word 'Conflagration', although small, was still engraved on the palm of the hand.

[Oblivion]

"A noble endeavor... Though, I must be blunt. The rise of your kind will never exist. Retribution for sins born of another race can not be met on a grand scale, as their shall always be those who will resist to such titles or are too resistant to undergo the necessary processes to attain atonement. I have not touched up much on this topic personally for its possible negative outcomes upon your mind, where you yourself may be offended by these words but it must be said, here and now."

 

Crossing his arms, the man's eyes never strayed its narrow gaze upon him. Cold and remorseless as it may seem, he was clear and concise to the point, "I understand you to be different. While many races do exist in the galaxy today, their time is dwindling. The infested urban environment that clings to the heart of the impure and impulsive alien gene will strain, giving way to only the strongest to prevail. The dominant Sith brotherhood will see that these policies are to be upheld, as well as overseeing the extermination of every other member who does not agree with the conduct of this new order."

 

"But enough politics and morale codes," The idea was cast off with the flicker of his hand, "The armor suits you well, both in design and purpose. I am pleased."

 

"And to you? What of your creation?" The attention now focused upon Nox, a slightly narrowed focus falling upon him.

[Intemptesta Nox]

Nox dipped his head respectfully as his Master's gaze came upon him. With the ease that came from years of training, Nox twirled Occidio in a figure eight pattern.

 

It was a good weapon, strong and well balanced.

 

"I have been a slave," Nox began quietly. "I have been defenseless, helpless and completely dependant on a person who only took pleasure in my suffering. This..."

 

He looked down at the double bladed sword in his hand.

 

"This is the ability to defend myself, and to attack my enemies. This is freedom in its truest form."

 

He paused for a moment, before continuing. "There are two blades, as you can see. To wield it, one must first understand that brute strength means nothing. It is balance, agility and elegance that make this a deadly weapon as it is balance, agility and elegance in the use of the Force that will make me a deadly weapon. Perhaps one of the deadliest the galaxy has ever seen."

[Oblivion]

Snickering a bit at the last comment, he gently lowered his head in agreement, "Yes, yes, you very well may be. Let us hope that the goal you seek is one of many. It would be most unwise to focus on purely that alone."

 

Counting each rythmic step taken in gentle long strides, he wandered and paced like someone far older then he. Alas, after a brief moment of debating, he turned around slowly, looking over his shoulder as the majority of his back still was shown to his students.

 

"Hmm, as hard as I may try to limit such faith in the Force, I no less find it hard to carry away from the subject for too long. Your minds yearn from it, make no mistake of that. Typical, yes."

 

Tapping the edge of his chin lightly, the empty grey pools that were his eyes scanned the dimly light area; scheming, a state he always seemed to be in.

 

"First, the right environment must be attained. Quiet, away from civilized technology and science. There is only one room that I know of that would present the desired effect."

 

Leading the way, he kept in the same pattern of gentle strides. Each leg formed perfectly over the other. Once and again, his waist would pivet at an odd angle, a faint metallic sound escaping before being readjusted. It would not take long over the course of long and twisted corridors to lead down into an empty pit. Lights that had revealed the way thus far faded as the staircase led further down until there was nothing.

 

"Here," He stood in place at last, "Construction never touched these walls, as for some odd reason I could not see it developed. They had originally planned it to house the furnance. In truth, it would make much more sense but... no matter. It will serve its purpose."

 

"Now then," Clasping his hands over one another, breathing deeply in and out, his entire body began to shift upwards, hovering several feet above the ground until his eyes reopened, arms spread wide to either side.

 

"Shadows... or the Dark Side as the term is utterly misused... is a doorway. The steady stream mimics that of the Light, always elusive in its place. Neither here nor there, but everywhere. It begins in your blood, midichlorians stimulating your nerve reciptors and awakening the full brain capacity to become one with its energies..."

 

"Emotions unlock it... as you both know from before. As any skill is attained, pratice is required to reach this potential. The most common form is through meditation, though the Sith pratice it far different then the Jedi arts. Alone, in solitude, something else awakens... What it is, I can not say... For me, they were demonic in form. I had to face death numerous times to seize their throat and claim them for my own... The darkness has been a loyal servant and ally to me ever since."

 

"Normally, any instructor would wait until a certain time to demand this, but I am different... I believe this will produce all the results you require in the Force or leave you with nothing, cast into oblivion. Either way, your mind is more destructive then any sword you wield, but can also turn upon you just as quick. The shadows are seductive, always looking for new victims..."

 

Descending back down to the ground, he looked at both of them directly in the eyes, even admist pure darkness...

 

"...Don't become one of them. Face your fears entirely and you have no more enemies, only obstacles that can be surpassed. Fight your pain and sorrow and begin to live life as it was intended, in darkness..."

[Intemptesta Nox]

Nox bristled instinctively as his Master's snickering. For a moment, he even questioned what he was doing here.

 

Study and meditate! Study and meditate! He fumed silently. I am a warrior! All this quiet makes my wounds ache.

 

Without even thinking about it, Nox felt his fingers clench around the hilt of his sword.

 

Just one slash, He mused, tilting his head as he followed Kirloor and Oblivion down the hall. It could all be over. I could kill Oblivion and take his power for myself.

 

It was a pleasing thought...

 

It was also completely irrational, a trait that was just a foreign to Nox as the concept of study and meditation.

 

Angelus...

 

Suddenly, the sounds of laughter filled his mind. Out of the shadows came a well dressed untatooed version of Nox. Angelus was tricky, sly and extremely cunning.

 

Well done, Nox! His alter-ego smiled deviously. Well done.

 

As they approached Oblivion's pit, Nox felt a sudden chill run down his spine. Again they would be alone. Again Nox would have to look deep down into himself...

 

...Again he would have to face his greatest fear...

 

Me...

 

As Nox listened to Oblivion finish speaking, he came to a decision. It was more of an empiphany actually. He was a person who was broken, in so many ways. His master hadn't been far off when he'd criticized Nox for his one-dimensional view of Sithhood. To Nox, all there was to life was battle. It was what he lived for, what he dreamed of. There was no other goal, no other desire.

 

No ambition.

 

Nox alone, could not become the force of reckoning that he yearned to be. Nox alone was useless, single-minded and stubborn. He was weighed down with the guilt of past sins, and it was hampering his progress. There was but one option left and it filled him with dread.

 

Stepping past his Master, he tossed a final look at the group. Kirloor seemed preoccupied, Oblivion seemed curious and this other woman, she seemed...odd.

 

Then, turning away, he stepped silently into the darkness.

 

Never again to return...

[Tiana Calthye]

A smirk crossed the woman's face for a moment, as if she had heard the opinion considered by one of Oblivion's two other apprentices. Of course, even if she had, it did not concern her””if someone considered her odd, then to them she would always be odd.

 

A lot of how people turn out in life is related to perceptions; Tiana was odd, yes””different, some sort of figure that was... neither light nor dark.

 

She has always been a bit uncertain. It sets a pattern of definate marks. At the north pole of a planet, you can only go south.

 

At least, she had found the two apprentices... facinating. Two very different views, both set in a very Sith-like state (at least for what her memory suggested they should be). Very different from his previous apprentice. Antillies had been... intrieguing.

 

She kept silent through the dialogue. She listened, of course””the ability to absorb it was good in itself, if she could remember it might aid her later, and with the multiple holes still remaining memories were useful. She wondered briefly what it was like to train an apprentice. She would have to ask Oblivion later.

 

It was most interesting.

[Intemptesta Nox]

There is darkness”¦

 

Around him”¦

 

Within him”¦

 

Shadows dance. Seductive phantoms, reach out to him with pointed claws. They tease him, mock him, taunt him. He is alone, fearful beyond fear. Angry beyond anger. Hateful beyond hate. The last vestiges of hope disappear, fading from memory. Leaving only pain, only guilt.

 

How long have I been here? He calls out to the darkness.

 

Forever”¦ It whispers back, low and sultry. And an instant”¦

 

There is an image. His sister. Alone. Afraid. Lying on her bed.

 

Crying”¦

 

Innocent”¦

 

Helpless”¦ The word is at once dreadful and beautiful. A part of him stirs, while another struggles. He watches himself, hovering over her. Touching her. Torturing her. It seemed so long ago, and yet so near. He could feel her pain, hear her screams, smell her fear. It feeds his imagination, fuels his perversion. He is lost in it. Her eyes fill his vision, wide with fear, burning with betrayal.

 

He can feel himself, hovering over her. He does things”¦ Horrible things”¦ Nox tries to look away, but the darkness won't let him. It whispers sweet nothings in his ears, even as his sister chokes on her final breaths. Angelus cackles, grinning devilishly.

 

Look at her Nox, He snickers. So young”¦ So fragile”¦ Look at what your doing to her.

 

No! Nox rallies, shouting to the heavens. I did not do this, you did!

 

He desperately tries to hide. To close his eyes, to avert his face. The truth before him tears at his sanity, ripping away pieces of his essence, stealing his very soul. He will not accept what is before him. He cannot.

 

Open your eyes, Angelus soothes. Accept what you know to be true”¦

 

NO! I am a warrior, a soldier. I have honor! He pleads. I didn't do that! I'm not like that, not like you!

 

Angelus smiles, resting a hand on his broken self. Even as the images of his life flow through their terrible sequence, Nox's resolve begins to falter. He cannot resist the irresistible nor deny the undeniable.

 

No, you are not like me. Angelus agrees.

 

YOU ARE ME!

 

A piercing scream rings through the darkness. His sister, young, innocent, tender and lovely, dies. There is a sense of relief, comfort in ending what was a slow agony.

 

Come Nox, do what you know must be done. You have carried the torch for too long. Endured too much, suffered horrors too terrible to comprehend. It is time to rest, to let your brethren press on while you rest. It is time to release the guilt, the fear, the hate. Give it to me, let me use it! Let me embrace it!

 

The hounds of darkness circle him, snapping their teeth, licking their lips. Nox falls to his knees, a gentle calm washing over him. There is comfort in this reality. He decides. Comfort in the knowledge of death. All life ends, I will see you soon, sister”¦

 

Then the shadows are upon him, tearing his body, his mind, his existence into pieces. Angelus raises his head to the sky, cackling uncontrollably. Power flows into his body, love combines with hate, strength combines with cowardice, courage combines with perversion. Hate and lust are unleashed, a crushing storm of emotions that were kept in under such close control.

 

He is changed”¦

 

Born again”¦ A hybrid of two personalities. One strong, the other insatiable. One courageous, the other full of ambition. The Force flows through them both and they are one. The ground shakes, lightening flashes, the energy of the a thousand worlds flows through his being. He draws power to him, letting it flow through him. In that moment, Oblivion's words come to him, pervading him.

 

Face your fears entirely and you have no more enemies, only obstacles”¦

 

Fight your pain and sorrow and begin to live”¦

 

In darkness”¦

 

I am a black soul. Darker than any secret, deeper than any fear. I am power born anew. I am Nox and I am Angelus.

 

I am Intemptesta!

 

And there was a glimmer in the Force, a barely recognizable presence of which had not be felt in years. He closes his eyes, letting the power consume him. In that instant, for the first time in decades, he is whole”¦

 

((Kirloor might not be able to post for awhile. He messaged me, but wasn't too specific.))

[Tiana Calthye]

((Legally, I believe you can double post in RP after a week or so. But I'll post anywhere so you can get a reply in, if you've been waiting anxiously. Ordinarily I wouldn't post an entirely purposeless post, you know. But Oblivion's not around, seems.))

 

Instinctively, with some sort of need to see, she follows his progress with another eye, or perhaps even her imagination.

 

You've been this way.

 

Torn apart by yourself.

 

Or perhaps just things that think they are yourself.

 

You've been this way before, Calthye, in another state of mind...

 

..and time...

 

And then Tiana hesitates and everything seems to snap back to the present. She blinked hard once, following her own notion of thoughts down a point of no return. Slamming into a dead end, of course. There's a familiar presence somewhere in the galaxy reborn in her mind. A pair of... green eyes, wasn't it? Someone who...

 

...Made me the way I am.

 

A bit of a smile quirked its way across her face. A smirking smile. The memories were gradually stealing their way back into their respective places, and she leaned against the wall, prodding them along their ways.

 

Training.

 

The Jedi Order.

 

People. Faces. Deaths. Perhaps her own death.

 

A timeless place that held her hostage. Infinity.

 

A loop...

 

She remembered Oblivion now.

 

She reached out with some fragment of her mind and tapped Tethyn's. Oblivion's. But perhaps it was the former she could reach in her own gray state. Now to see if it would work, if he could read that much of her. There was some sort of a connection between them, born of emotions that perhaps should not have existed...

 

Tap.

 

If he could sense an intent, he could sense a directed thought, surely.

 

Your ultimate goal for me was to see me a Sith.

 

Then make me a Sith, dearest.

 

Because she had the strongest feeling that someone would be coming for her if she didn't act first.

[Oblivion]

Monitoring the progress of an apprentice seemed to be a guilty pleasure at times, knowing full well the pain that must be executed to result in such strives for knowledge. Not often did he have the instinct to relish in the occassion, allowing more of that persuasive darkness that once allured him so at a younger age to penetrate him, divide him; even for just a brief moment. In the end, he was able to remain in control of this emotion, drawing the sweet blade out as easily as it had slipped inwards.

 

Suddenly, as if on the brink of becoming incoherent and deaf to his ears, a voice was heard. It echoed inside his mind, growing, building, until it was crystal clear was had been exchanged. He knew this voice. The girl. The desire. Flashing an eye at her from the corner of his glare, he took a few steps back to stand over the young woman, bringing the edge of his fingertips to her cheek.

 

"If it had taken a thousand more years, I would have easily waited them all just to hear those words spoken from your lips," Trailing his hand down, he lightly traced the surface of her lips when spoken, slowly bringing the same hand back down as it had before.

 

"I must hear it aloud. Tell me what your heart has already... Shout it into the darkness and it will hear you. If it replies, then you may take the place the others already have. Travel deep inside and find what the abyss has in store for you."

 

"But I warn you," The back of his head now turned away, staring into what would become shortly her destination inside the shadows, "Even I can not protect you once you enter. If you really are to be one of the Sith Order, then you must accept the role the shadows give to you until you are ready to fully control them for your own."

 

Then, once more, his pale slender face turned back towards Tiana, "Be mindful of this fear, I sense. As the shadows may manipulate such emotions and grant you with it power, any hope for future control is lost. Keep to that grey path you lead when this occurs... Try to just... darken the tone, as it were. You will never be fully commited to the darkness, just as you will never fully be commited to me, but you may just find some solace in it."

Edited December 13, 2006 by Guest

[Intemptesta Nox]

The darkness swirled in front of him, behind him, through him. Time no longer mattered, eons and seconds were the same. Irelevant. He thought on things, reflected on his new state of being. It was different, being this way. For so long he had been fragment and broken, now he was complete.

 

He felt the others. The impressions were vague, as if they were standing miles away. Oblivion was talking to the woman. He didn't know her name, but her youthful figure attracted his base desires. For a moment he pictured her, screaming in agony as he did unspeakable things to her.

 

He snickered.

 

Odd, He thought to himself. Before, such thoughts would have instantly been discarded. Now, I embrace them freely.

 

From Nox, he had inherited the ability to analyze himself, while Angelus had taught him freedom of emotion. He was no Jedi, forced to keep his feelings close in reign.

 

Slowly, he opened his eyes. Looking around, he found Oblivion in the middle of a conversation with the woman. He was giving her some speech about darkness and shadows.

 

He supressed another snicker.

 

That man sure loves his darkness, He mused wryly.

 

Turning toward the pair, Intemptesta took a step forward. He tilted his head to the side and listened to his master finish speaking. While he had been a different being when he had taken the oath to remain silent, he decided it was a promise worth keeping.

 

Absently, he began to twirl his blade from side to side in a figure eight pattern. The motions were soothing to him. There, he waited for his next task.

[Tiana Calthye]

((Since I have absolutely no idea what I'm suppose to do, I trust you intended on making me wing this. This is the result.

 

Appologies for tense change part of the way through. Present suited better.))

 

Her own fingers caught his and brought them to her face for a moment. "If there is such a thing as a gray Sith, then, I'll see you make me one yet." And then she released his fingertips with a half smirk. "We shall see how your darkness handles one neither light nor dark."

 

And then the directed thought to end the conversation.

 

I may never be commited fully to either, but I shall always be fully facinated with, perhaps we shall say.

 

She turned to the room; if it were to be her destination, if even her death, she would not oblige it by drawing out the torment. It beckoned.

 

It was just a dark room...

 

...it was only a void.

 

It was only...

 

...Oh. I see.

 

You can't protect me from stepping into this, but you can give me the advice necessary for survival. Perhaps there were undertones to what you said that could have been important, but nevertheless. I accept this.

 

She stepped through into the darkness.

 

It was only a dark room.

 

It was only a dark room on a planet embodied with the dark side, smothered with choking dark that could whisper and creep and crawl and slowly dig its way into the unsuspecting virgin's mind.

 

She remained there until her feet found the center of the room and she kicked her shoes off, standing there with almost sentient tendrils lashing her in place. Somehow, she knew that no matter what she said, what she screamed, even if she died... this place would smother it. It intended on holding her hostage until either she gave in or it gave way to her.

 

For her, the dark was a place where she could starve to death, held by vines.

 

Gradually her eyes adjusted, and in that pit, adjusting only meant that before her eyes she could see dancing colored pixels that were not really there, attempting to subsitute for the lack of light and the confused pounding her senses were taking.

 

Oblivion might watch, but he could not interfere. He could only let her take her course... and the darkness take its own.

 

"What are you afraid of?" she snarls into the black before chuckling, laughing. It's smothering. The chances of her words being heard more than a few inches before her face are impossible. "Nothing!" Laughter. Here, she borders on the edge of sanity. This place clashes against her very beliefs. It is dark. It is black. She denies both dark and light and is her own.

 

Her fingers flip off into the air absently before peeling her shirt off. And then there is bare flesh against the claws of blackness and she laughs once more. "Hah! Old friend. Remember me? Oh, perhaps we haven't even met yet... remember when I was in the Jedi Order? Remember Leo? He's a lot like you. I think he's become you. Isn't that funny? All Jedi who end up unstable, emotional... gray... they all meet up with you in the end, don't they?"

 

She picks the tie from her hair and it falls loose.

 

"And now I've been introduced to you, but I haven't embraced you. Now, isn't that funny?" Tiana grins into the black before falling backwards with her arms wide. It has slowly wound itself around her, threads of darkness encircling her skin. Eroding her.

 

"Ahh... but you can't touch me. Isn't that a problem? I'm still a little bit Jedi. 'There is no death, there is the Force'. But isn't that where the Jedi went wrong, friend? If the Force is life, and you are the Force, then surely you are life, but you are most certainly not."

 

It stretches out past her hands, pulling her fingers apart and holding her hands.

 

"And that's where they're wrong. Without life, there's no death, without death, there's no life, and it's all one crazy circle in the end." Her fingers bend backwards ever so slightly. "And that's why I'm neither."

 

Her hands are gradually twisted backwards.

 

"Ah." She pushes her arms out, collapsing from the touch and smacking into the floor. "I embrace you, but I do not surrender to you. I will not be bound by your chains. Friends, perhaps... lovers even, but never a hostage. Never bound."

 

She smiles.

 

"But you don't give without taking."

 

She feels herself waver, slipping on her point in between.

 

All right, then.

 

It passes across her eyes, fingernails digging past the cavity and into her mind, drilling holes through her skull. She does not cry out. Instead she simply opens her eyes once more, touching and feeling no blood. She sees as Oblivion would see, as a true Sith would see.

 

Black.

 

The shadows are monsters, but monsters who offer power. They are sweet, sugary to the taste, offering glimpses of power... at the cold cost of death.

 

Crimsion, coppery...

 

She sees why they crave blood at times, why some take great delight in the sensation. It is the source of their power... from life comes death, and in death, their chains are broken. They are no longer bound to a mortal coil, but instead enshrouded in bitter black, in power, in passionate emotion forever. It is a freedom, not shackles as she would believe.

 

"Perhaps it is..."

 

Her bare feet clench against the ground that no longer seems to be there. The black has swallowed her.

 

"But it is a freedom I can never afford to have!"

 

She sinks into a familiar pose. A Jedi's post. Feet crossed beneath herself, hands clasped. "You see, if I grow reliant on you, I shall lose the nature that binds me to neither." It batters against her mind--through her mind. WANT!

 

And she knows that desire ever so slightly. It could grow to be a refuge when the amused indifference can no longer shelter her from torment. When her own insanity snaps.

 

"Here, I have more than you can ever offer! I cannot be thrown, I cannot be driven down. I am an enemy of both sides, yet neither can fully justify my destruction! I shall never be good, I shall never be fully evil, and though I shall never have full power, I shall always have control! I would not be able to comprehend fully both natures if I surrendered!"

 

It lashes through her eyes. She feels it burn through, feels the black encasing them. There are no longer dancing sparks of replacement tones before her visionary confusion. It is suddenly fully, completely, and only dark. "Very well!" she gasps. "Can't bear to be laughed at? Can't bear to see someone deny your fullness. Take it, then!

 

"After all," she adds, "if you would curse me to never leave this place, I must either die, or you must leave me my tie to the borderlands of the Force. If you choose to permanently encase me in ink, then you must leave me an opening."

 

A string of blood trails down her cheek from her eyes. She wipes the first drop off onto her hand almost absently. "You can only force me to live in the dark. I accept it, then... I have agreed to your terms."

 

She smiles at the darkness embodying the pit. "Agree to mine."

[Oblivion]

Always the ever vigilant one but never guiding, he was merely the observer of darkness. A perfect metaphor for the situation, as it seemed, since the black essence arose in patterns far different from how his former students, his master, even himself had reacted when the time came to confront the abyss with eyes unclouded by light. Physical attributes meant nothing; a pure mental test of will and belief of life and death in all its aspects. It was something that had to be achieved for the individual and could not be interfered.

 

Whispering into the darkness, only his voice could be heard clearly when no other sounds or images could be seen or heard,

 

"Perhaps you know why this same darkness gave me this name... Why where there is the absence of being, absence of all the essences that make up life, it is all led into oblivion... It is eternal... and it is good."

 

Taking a deep breath, concentrating, he brought himself inwards to reach out to Tiana. The reassuring touch, the only thing that could be felt with eyes now blind, with all other senses now crushed, it was him. Only him.

 

"You have been stripped of your sight and there will no doubt be more obstacles in the path you now lead, but for now, you have survived... Linger, as I have lingered, past this moment and keep it with you... forever... Let it stay ever constant in your mind... This moment is paramount to all other experiences you have encountered or ever shall encounter..."

 

The muscles and tendons in his hand tensed as his fingers beared more weight against her skin, bringing with it a desire for pain. It was by this sensation of pain that led her to feel once again, escaping the clutches of the abyss and brought her back out into the candle lit light that surronded them before her journey.

 

"Nox," His eyes fell upon the other man, a warding finger brought up to call him nearest to him, "Take her to my quarters and allow her rest... You have both succeeded in your tasks in very unique ways... You both deserve ample time to recover from this day before we move onto anything else. Farewell."

 

Once assured that the man knew of these instruction and had taken care of Tiana, he rested his hand against the back of her neck one last time, touching her mind briefly to relay a mental message to be heard inside her head,

 

Tiana, if you can hear me... I want you to know that I am grateful for what you have done this day. You resisted as you always have, but now you know the true power of the darkness and its potency... Remember what I have said and know that I will always love you for who you are, regardless of what path you choose... Interestingly enough, only after having witnessed this, did I truly understand those words... And how much I missed you before. You are apart of me, forever, just as the darkness is...

 

Closing his eyes, the image of the Sith Master disappeared before them, melding in with the surronding shadows and vanishing completly...

[Tiana Calthye]

She never saw him vanish, but she sensed it well enough beyond her blackened eyes. It was no matter. It was but a fraction's focus to find those edgy pieces where life met darkness and the glow of humanity (or perhaps simply sentience) echoed. Without eyes, with only the Force, she could feel the blood pouring through his other apprentice's veins...

 

...and it facinated her.

 

And...

 

...Sleep beckoned with open arms.

 

Tiana accepted Nox's help to reach Oblivion's quarters, as she did not know particularly where they were in relation to this room, and she was too tired to send her mind seeking for the path, where the floor itself could remember steps taken. Instead, she was a zombie, trailing to a place where she could finally be at peace, but never escape the darkness forever encasing her.

 

To die, to sleep...

 

It was chains she had taken, until death take them. Sith or Jedi, the woman was exhausted and collapsed the moment she was directed to a place less harming to do so. And sleep came without light to invade it... sleep, and a drifting soul not quite so anchored to either side when lost into a dreamland.

 

Perchance to dream...

 

She would never see Oblivion again, but he would be there, and she would most certainly find him.

 

After all, they were a part of each other now. And who knew what the morning would bring?

[Oblivion]

Stumbling out from what appeared mere darkness, his form could be seen akwardly moving towards his chambers. It would have appeared, from afar, that he had been wounded of some sort by his erratic movements; even the concealed metallic limbs that comprised his former legs were part way shown through long sharp tears in the cloth he wore. The man was incapable of moving on his own any further before falling backwards into his own bed, the other half which occupied the still sleeping form of Tiana.

 

Even though there were no windows to show light, no sense of relative time given in the underground research chambers, it was presently morning when he finally made his way back from his journeys. Fully exhausted, chest rising up and down rapidly as he sweat from head to toe, blood leaking from other smaller areas where he had been scarred throughout the night.

 

"...It's done, my love," Though she slept and his voice was hoarse, the words never the less came shortly before he lost all conscious thought, "This path of mine, I have purpose once again in my past... He will die, as well as that disgraceful offspring."

 

Finally completly exasperated, his eyes rolled back and his entire body went numb for that moment. He felt paralyzed, unable to continue being awake, and sleep was able to come easy to him in this moment. A long, restful slumber that was direly needed...