Private A Product of Fear

[Darth Nefaron]

​

Jutrand was home to countless palaces, fortresses, and monuments to Dark Lords both feared and hated. But it was within the bowels of the Sith Throneworld that one might find a laboratory entirely dedicated to the continued advancement of fear. It was a bleak place, free of the ornamentation that came with Sith conquest, countless treasures, and slaves that were entirely necessary for one who saw little value in anything other than his grand design. Nefaron, fresh off his defeat in the Assembly had retreated to his laboratory to do what brought him what might be considered joy, the continuation of work that was decades in the making. The coming campaign against the Kathol, regardless of who was placed in command of vast forces arrayed against the tumor that seemed impossible to remove from Sith space. Of course, this was only a taste of what was to come when the Sith broke the Trade League and advanced on the Core Worlds to bring death to billions. But Nefaron planned for far more than a return to the days of the Great Galatic War or even Palpatines Empire, he sought to remake the galaxy forever in a broken image that would ensure that every being, no matter how powerful, could experience the delights of fear.

Plans upon Plans. All in good time.

For the time being, Nefaron worked on his toxin, creating ever more potent variants that even the greatest of Jedi or Mandalorian Warriors found impossible to resist. Finding such test subjects was rather difficult, even for the expert slavers employed by the Sith. Instead, whatever piecemeal resistance that still remained within Sith space was prayed upon, the rebels either killed or brought to Jutrand to face far worse than death. One such man lay within a contained chamber, the Lord of Terror pacing around him as he breathed in air tinged orange with the latest in a line of toxins that Nefaron had created over the years. This was a full dose, no half measures as the toxin would soon be needed in the coming campaign, regardless of what Malum's loyal hound had to say about the matter. Yet Trayze was not the only Sith that Nefaron shared power with, the other might prove to be far more... agreeable, he just needed a little convincing.

"You aren't dying, but my toxin makes it feel like you are. As my toxin enters your lungs, you will have your greatest fear exposed-"

The man within the containment chamber began screaming as if on queue, at first wildly thrashing at invisible specters before his hands turned to desperately cover his eyes to escape the torment. It was then that the presence of another entered Nefaron's sanctum, though the Sith Lord did not acknowledge the new arrival as his experiment continued.

"What do you see? Demons born of the void ripping at your flesh? Your dead comrades returned to take their revenge? As you drown in your fear, you need only this- you will find no hope here. You must embrace your own oblivion to be-"

Before Nefaron could finish, the man's heart gave out from all that he was witnessing. A rather disappointing result, but now Nefaron could adjust the dosage of his toxin and ensure a far better result moving forward. At the very least his guest received a proper view of what he offered.

"I'm glad you've come" Nefaron began, turning to face the Inquisitor that was to be his ally "You saw some potential in what I offered. Your rage quite a powerful thing, though it seems you have equally powerful rivals who seek to undermine you."

Moving to the opposite side of the chamber, Nefaron directed two droids to remove the corpse that lay within the sealed chamber before keying in a few commands into a personal console, opening thick blast shields to reveal the full extent of the operation. The lab connected to a vast facility, repurposed from some other fallen Lord to test and produce the necessary quantities of toxin that Nefaron needed to continue his scheme. To show this to another was a sign, perhaps not of trust but of willingness to cooperate with others to see his plans to fruition.

"Magnificent isn't it? I could plunge this entire world into endless terror if there was not enough of it already. I know you are a warrior, one who revels in the kill and subsequent glory, but it appears that has been denied to you. While unfortunate, neither of us has the support to openly move against Malum or Trayze, but we have been granted an opportunity with the campaign against the Kathol. I need only know if we are of one mind in our desire to see our shared rival... removed from the board."

TAG: Xeykard ​

 

[Xeykard]

Darth Nefaron ​

Xeykard watched the corpse be carried out. Darth Nefaron was, by his understanding, a recluse -- rare were his appearances on any galactic stage, if any. But the experiments were another matter entirely. Xeykard was an Inquisitor; his work was not just that of a hunter of traitors and Jedi, but equally a symbol of fear. Commit a crime against the Empire, and there would be no escaping. It was a regulating fear, or so he thought; knowing what awaited them would paralyze the enemies of the Empire.

Making a man collapse, his body giving out under the stress of that fear... there was a difference here of an order of magnitude. This was not merely a product of technology, but born of Nefaron himself.

If Xeykard was at all tense, though, he did not show it. "And you are not a warrior," he said, moving to the window overlooking the facility. He suspected this was not the true extent of Nefaron's assets, but Xeykard did not fully understand the scale of what was before him. His expertise was not the production of toxins.

His gaze returned to Nefaron. "You are closer to Malum in your scheming," he said, "but they seek public favour. You do not."

His tone didn't allow for true 'questions', but it was obvious what he was asking -- what do you want? The stage of the campaign was set for glory, approval, attention; Nefaron seemed allergic to these.

 

[Darth Nefaron]

"Not a warrior" Nefaron chuckled at the notion that he might have been some mighty Sith, lightsaber in hand charging headfirst into battle with the Jedi. It was true enough that there was no contest if Xeykard was to suddenly turn on him, but that seemed unlikely thanks to the Assemblies decree. It would be a rather bad look if one of the members of the Triumvirate was murdered before the campaign even began. Regardless, Nefaron added "Tell me, how well have our warriors performed as of late? Do we stand on Coruscant, the shattered remains of the Alliance burning around us?"

Of course, he wasn't attempting to draw the Inquisitor's ire, it was simply a matter of fact. Raw strength and brute force would not be enough to defeat their ancient enemy, but there was still a place for a warrior such as Xeykard in the galaxy that Nefaron wished to forge, though first he would need his cooperation. As Nefaron continued his work, he carefully listened to Xeykard as he offered a comparison that brought a broken smile to the Corpse Lord's face, to be lumped in with Malum was rather unexpected but there was a comparison to be made, even if Malum's view for the galaxy was entirely opposite of Nefaron's.

"That's rather high praise, though you are correct. I care little for the opinions of those who should know their place. We are forced to obey the will of our lessers, those little lordlings who simply wish to maintain the status quo. We both understand that if we stay on our present course, we will once again wipe ourselves out as the ancient Brotherhood of Darkness once did. Weaker Lords using numbers to overthrow those who might bring genuine victory for the Sith. The time has come to put an end to this cycle.

Carefully, Nefaron tapped a few keys, and from a container nearby, a vial of dark orange liquid appeared and was quickly retrieved by the Dark Lord and then presented to his fellow Triumvir.

"As I said, we must put our house in order before we can truly destroy the Jedi. Malum and those like him are a disease, they weaken the body of the Sith with compassion and promises of order. I offer a truly pure gift from the Darkside, an emotion that we have used for thousands of years. This is the purest sample I have ever produced, a weapon capable of destroying even the most steadfast of Jedi."

With a silent command, several droids entered the room, seemingly just common protocol and astromech units that one could find just about everywhere in the galaxy. Nefaron approached the droids, a wave of his hand exposing a hidden compartment within one of the protocol droids that contained another vial like the one offered to Xeykard, though seemingly hooked up to a complex dispersal system.

"These are my warriors, agents of terror that can blend in just about anywhere in the galaxy. They are designed to detonate themselves within areas of high population, spreading airborne toxin to all those nearby. I have several squads ready to accompany your forces, should you wish to use them. I will also ensure that several canisters are made available to your fleet, should you have more... creative uses in mind."

Nefaron paused, returning to the Inquisitor and spreading his arms to gesture to all the gifts he has to offer.

"All of this is yours, I need only your cooperation and an agreement we will together ensure the downfall of our fellow triumvir and House Malum. Then... perhaps we will see our Empire at last triumph over the Jedi."

 

[Xeykard]

Darth Nefaron
​

Xeykard took the vial and stowed it in his belt. He eyed the droids, then sissed to the other Sith.

"They will have their uses," he said. Part of his mind went to work, marking targets, making plans. The resistance of the Run would be rendered to rubble. An injection of toxins... how they were used could accelerate or prolong the campaign, but it could be a productive prolonging. Fear was a tool.

He looked at Nefaron. No, perhaps tool was too low; fear was a way of things.

"Tesar is of no consequence. Malum is the puppeteer." He paused. His own fear -- paranoia, at the Sith surrounding him -- held him back, forcing caution But here, faced with this, he had to use it to propel himself forward. His instincts told him to play his hand close to his chest. Too closed, though, and they would not move; Nefaron would distrust him, hold back, if he did not play the game. If he was not open enough to be manipulated.

"This one will be leading the primary military force. The legion of the Emperor -- useful tools. Their fanaticism, unmatched. They will move with a pace slowed only by our hyperdrives. This one will push them, without breaks, without delay.

"You will keep up. Tesar, Malum -- they must fear falling behind."

 

[Darth Nefaron]

Xeykard was correct, Tesar was bound to his master's control. Malum would simply toss him aside should he fail. But Malum could be drawn into the conflict personally, perhaps putting himself in harm's way for the sake of his own goals. That presented quite the opportunity.

"Not to worry, I will ensure my own efforts only occur in conjunction with your own. But we mustn't allow ourselves to be deluded, as our partnership will draw us down a path that we must both be ready to walk."

Taking a step forward, closing in on his would-be ally, Nefaron grew deadly serious, his expression nearly vanishing as he ensured that his next words took root in the Inquisitors heart.

"Malum will die. Perhaps not during our operation, but soon enough. In the end, he will fall to you and you must not hesitate. Once he is removed from our little game, we might look to molding the Empire into our own vision. Can we agree on this?"

 

[Xeykard]

Darth Nefaron
​

Xeykard was reminded, briefly, of the fear he felt in the face of the Dark Lord. He matched Nefaron's gaze. The intensity of the other Sith seemed infectious; a fire lit in the Inquisitor's eyes.

"It will be done. As is by design."