Private Arise Ye Wretched Dead

[Darth Nefaron]

"Ensure the girl is contained in the central spire. She'll surely die if she makes it out to the open plains surrounding the fortress."
​

Nefaron had been busy since his return from his meeting with Tsis'Kaar leadership. While he was still very much an outsider, he'd already wormed his way to Malum's side, and he would continue to provide his counsel. Perhaps the boy would see some wisdom in his guidance one day, but there was still much to do. For too long, Nefaron had relied on torment and savagery to build his Apprentice's power, but there was more to the Dark Side than simple slaughter. The time had come to show his Apprentice the past, the past that the Academy on Jutrand would twist to their own ends. There was no room for half-truths when training an Apprentice, especially one as gifted as Veradun.

But there were a few final preparations to take care of, especially now that a new prospect had arrived on Anoat. Nefaron would attend to her, but for the time being, she would have to stew in the Darkness of the Corpse Lord's fortress.

"Lock the fortress down. Turn away any ships attempting to land, kill anyone who dares enter this place."

The beast to which Nefaron spoke said nothing. Since the loss of his vast population of slaves, the Dark Lord sought to conserve the number of Legionaries and instead rely on the horrific creations of his laboratory. Veradun had defeated one champion, and so Nefaron had recycled the armor and improved with his newest creation, a new master of the watch for the fortress. He did not speak, but this beast held command while the Dark Lord and his Apprentice were away.

While he watched the armored monstrosity depart, Nefaron activated his communicator to contact his Apprentice, no doubt familiarizing himself with his vast quarters and the well-stocked training suite that had been provided for him.

"Apprentice, meet me in the central hangar. You will not need your armor; black robes and a cloak will suffice."

They were to remain safely anonymous, even in Sith space. They thought they would travel to worlds that were deemed safe by Sith standards, but that did not mean there weren't knives hiding in the dark, and they were eager to strike the Corpse Lord and his young Apprentice. Even the Corpse Lord had donned fresh robes, black as night, and his ruined face safely hidden away from society. They would travel in a simple two-seater craft of his own design. This outing was to be its first official mission, and the Corpse Lord had no doubt that it would perform well in the coming days.

Perhaps his Apprentice would earn such a fine vessel for himself. If he proves himself in the coming days.


TAGS: Veradun Sharr ​

 

[Veradun Sharr]

Conditions for Veradun had improved greatly since he had finally surrendered and proven his loyalty to his Master on that fateful day that he left the slave pits. He had been greeted with a feast, just as his Lord had promised him - and an entire section of the fortress, vast quarters with spectacular views out over the ravaged plains of Anoat - the domain of his Master, and now himself.

Upon proving his worth, he had made it a point to honor the oath he had made and Darth Nefaron rewarded Veradun by elevating him once more to the status as his Apprentice. He had made him second in command above the rest of the rabble that called the Fortress home, and as such the young Nagai was given what was owed to someone of his station.

But he didn’t take any of it for granted. All of this was permitted to him by his Master, and the Dark Lord could just as easily rip it away from him again if he so pleased. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t use his new quarters and the spacious training suite that had been provided to him. When Veradun wasn’t serving the Corpse Lord, he was here - training relentlessly. He had to strengthen himself, grow physically more powerful, and further hone his skill with various weapons. He had a combat training droid, programmed to push him to his limits and force him to adapt and overcome challenges. The droid was set to non-lethal actions, for now, but that would change in due time.

It was there in the dojo that Veradun received his summons from his Master.

“Yes, my Lord.” the gaunt Nagai responded, before he quickly put away the katana he’d been using and ordered the droid into rest mode. The boy stripped from his sweaty tunic and trousers and quickly bathed in his personal refresher, before grabbing a set of inky black robes from his resting quarters that he then wrapped around himself, finishing the outfit off with a plain black and hooded cloak, as his Master had instructed.

Within a handful of minutes, the young Sith was traversing the stony labyrinth of halls towards the main hangar, and soon he emerged and laid eyes upon a new ship - sleek and black and shaped like an arrowhead. Pale blue eyes looked over the vessel with admiration and there was a glimmer of want there.

Oh what he wouldn’t do to have a ship like that all to himself.

Veradun then turned his attention to the Corpse Lord and once he was near, he dropped to a knee and bowed his head. He hated kneeling, but he understood that as the Sith Lord’s apprentice, it was a gesture expected of him. Once due respect had been rendered, the boy rose back to his feet and stood straight and confidently there beside Darth Nefaron.

“What is your bidding this day, my Master? How shall I serve you?” he asked in a level tone of voice, though he was curious as to what the Dark Lord had planned. Clearly they were going out on an adventure, and he hoped Nefaron would clue him in as they departed his… no, their, domain.

Tag: Darth Nefaron ​

 

[Darth Nefaron]

"Today, my Apprentice, we are leaving Anoat for some time. It is time you learned the history of our Order, learned why we walk our current path."
​

It pleased Nefaon greatly to see Veradun become so subservient. He was no fool; he knew that the blood in his Apprentice veins boiled each time he had to bow and kneel, but such measures were necessary so long as the Corpse Lord wielded ultimate power. He was growing stronger, his cold rage only deepened his connection to the Dark Side, but it was not nearly enough to even hope to challenge Nefaron for the title of Master. But it was time to take that next step, to give Veradun a chance to develop his connection to the force further and unlock the power he so desperately sought. Yet even now, the Dark Lord sought to gain yet more control over the boy, to tighten the leash around his neck until he knew no other way of living. Soon, the only true family Veradun would have would be Darth Nefaron.

The poor boy.​

"I have readied a ship for us. We shall travel alone, no escort, no grandeur. Remember well, Apprentice, we face enemies within our own Order, and we must bide our time before confronting them. Together, we wield great power, but we cannot match the vast legions and armadas of ships they can turn against us. Not yet, in any case."

While Nefaron was certain that he held the one true vision for the Sith, he was not blind to the fact that his power meant nothing when a fleet of capital ships could turn his fortress into molten slag within a few hours. The Corpse Legion was strong; it numbered in the thousands after all, but Nefaron's fleet had yet to truly materialize. That problem would also be rectified soon enough, but for now, stealth was the greatest weapon the pair wielded. They would wield it well in the coming days, as they delved into the dark past of the Sith.

"Many worlds have been touched by the Dark Side, from the days of our split with the ancient Jedi to our modern era. It is these ancient worlds that I seek to bring you to, to stand in the shadow of long-dead Dark Lords and defy them, to learn their secrets while mocking them for their failure. Though we may survive our bodies' death, Apprentice, but once we lose our grip on the physical world, we are little more than footnotes. We shall be different, for we are the end of the cycle. The Sith that will forever snuff out the light and make the galaxy our own."

Nefaron keyed in a command to a device on his wrist, and the vessel's ramp lowered. The Corpse Lord wasted little time in boarding the sleek craft, but he did not take the pilot's chair. Instead, he sat in the co-pilot position and awaited his Apprentice to sit next to him.

"I will prepare our jumps to hyperspace, but it is time you adjusted to the more practical elements of being an Apprentice. You will be dispatched on missions alone and be required to evade danger at every turn. I will also expect you to lead fighter squadrons into battle in the coming years, so I see no reason that we don't begin practicing now."

Nefaron spun his chair to face out the viewport, watching as the blast door that separated the fortress from the ruined, storm-battered surface of Anoat.

"I offer you a unique opportunity, Apprentice. You are to speak freely during our travels, for you are to learn from me and from the experiences you undertake. I may provide guidance, or I may remain silent. You must decide how to employ my teachings."

TAG: Veradun Sharr ​