Beauty and the Sword

[Darth Libertas]

The facts: An indeterminate amount of time ago Sumiko had taken an adventure vacation on the lovely planet of Ziost, which was presently a battleground between Primeval and the Silver Jedi, though this did not concern her since she did not care about politics. During the aforementioned vacation she braved the traps and guardians of the tomb of a long dead Sith Lord called Darth Naukros whilst being contracted by the enigmatic Darth Shadow. After overcoming traps, killing guardians and indulging in plenty of meta commentary about Vitiate and the deluded Revanites, she had penetrated the inner sanctum of the tomb and, after finding the information Shadow wanted, come across a shiny sword that oozed darkness, evil and all the good things.



Needless to say she had taken the blade with her. Its original owner and creator had been imaginatively named the Lord of Fear and even millennia after his death, his aura still held sway over his final resting place. The sword itself seemed imprinted with his darkness, as if it were not merely a conventional Sith blade, but alive somehow. The dark that emanated from it was alluring, yet also dangerous.


This was why it needed to be examined and studied. Simply going into a battle with an untested, mystical sword she did not understand would be folly. Knowledge and insight were gained through correct application of the scientific method. Presumably at some point this would involve carving up people once a field test was required. And so it came to pass that she would study the sword in the 'workshop' of her apartment in Cloud City.


The city in the clouds had seen better days. Once it had been a commercial hub in the western rim. The Protectorate overlords had liberated Bespin from the savage Bando Gora, which for a long time had earned them in general and Kerrigan in particular a good deal of popularity. However, the good old days had long since faded into memory. By the time Akala plunged the Galaxy into chaos, OP had become a shadow of its former self, a paper tiger. Somehow the Bando Gora had returned, murdered and pilaged - it probably said a lot that the local defence forces had been unable to stop the savages.


Then the Lords of the Fringe had driven out the Chaos cultists and conquered the place. Now they were ash as well. Cloud City had still not recovered. In short, it was the perfect place for Sumiko to dive down and be beyond the galaxy's radar. The curtains were drawn, booby-traps had been laid just in case someone tried to penetrate her haven and sneak up on her. Likewise she had swept the place for bugs. Paranoid? Oh, yes, for such sentiment was deeply ingrained in Sumiko, but with good reason. After all, [member="Mirien Valdier"] had been her teacher.


[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
The blade sat obediently, patiently. It couldn’t do much else, of course. However, despite lacking eyes it had a watchful quality about it, like it was assessing Sumiko, judging her.

‘Welcome, mighty one. Draw me, unleash my majesty,’ it whispered into her mind. Visions of victory and glory would also follow. An opening hand on the eve of the struggle for dominance.

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


Visions of power and glory flooded her mind as she heard the whispers of the dark sword. Visions that were so vivid that they seemed almost real, yet were undoubtedly just a foretaste. Before she was able to think coherently, her hand had already stretched out and was reaching for the sword...then it stopped.


The most important lesson an Inquisitor learned was to try and separate truth from illusion because in a world of magicks that was the hardest thing to do. She took a breath and tilted her head to the side, recognising the flattery for what it was. The sword would not yield to her without struggle. It was testing her. If it was more than just a conventional Sith blade, it may yet decide to be undoing and fail her in a critical moment. She was reminded of an old legend about a ring of power.


"That was a good one. I wonder whether this majesty might decide to fail me in battle if you conclude I'm unworthy. Did your creator stuff a piece of himself inside you? Are you sentient?" Her tone was dry, almost conversational.

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
‘Clearly, if you fail, you are unworthy. I will not betray you, my wielders are capable of failing without my aid.’

The blade pulsed in the Dark Side, strong and terrible.

‘Each who takes me up adds part of themselves to me, amplifies my power. It has been too many centuries since one has used me. But now…Sumiko…we have a chance to forge a great partnership. Together we will destroy your enemies. I will take their blood, you will gain victory. Draw me….’

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


Well, that was encouraging! But as they say there is no prize without heavy risk. Oh, wait. Sumiko was not the type to say or think stuff like that. She was not one for 'witty' one-liners. Bit boring, when you thought about it. Clearly she had not watched enough spy movies.



It was tempting, so very tempting to draw the blade now, but still she did not. Maybe it was because she lakced the bloodlust of many darksiders. Utterly ruthless and amoral she was, but not hellbent on physical conquest. Knowledge interested her far more - and she was ready to do to any lengths for it.


"Every wielder adds a part of themselves to you and feeds your power?" she asked curiously. It occured to Sumiko that there might have been wielders other than Darth Naukros. Theoretically he might not have been the creator of the blade, just the last to wield it. "Who else wielded you before me and what can you tell me about Naukros? How did he perish?"

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
The blade sensed her disinterest in warmongering and honed in on her true desires.

‘I am all of my owners and yet none. I do not steal your soul, I use your power to add to mine. With each wielder I get stronger. I have had many owners, young human. Sith Lords great and fell carried me to battle and struck down their foes. Others used my combined knowledge and power for more esoteric adaptions of the Dark Side. Of course, all of them perished in time, but not due to me. Naukros…he was a Sith of great power and cunning, but he suffered too much from pride and delusions of invincibility. He was…mistaken.’

Grim psychic laughter emanated from the blade. ‘He foolishly did not have me with him when he was slain. So I was buried with him. Foolishness, I should have been taken by his destroyer and carried to battle, but I was left to keep his cadaver company for eternity. Until now, of course….’

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


Ah, switching gears, aren't you? Crafty, Sumiko thought to herself, though she did not broadcast these thoughts out aloud. At least it was not one of those vampiric blades certain cults were illogically fond of. Of course, the sword could be trying to deceive her...but on the other hand, why would it?


She was just the latest in a long line of sword-bearers - and it would be arrogant folly to assume she would be the last. Death comes to us all. It is just a matter of time. Some day she would perish, be it in battle or due to sickness, and sooner or later the blade would find someone else to wield it. Be it within a year or a few decades, ultimately that would matter little for a weapon that had existed for millennia.


"Yes, you being buried for so long was unfortunate. I shall endeavour to make sure you have plenty of chances to spill blood and show off your majesty," Sumiko commented very dryly. Got to love deadpan spooks. "It is the esoteric applications of the Dark Side that interest me. What knowledge has the combined power of your past wielders given you?" Clearly she was intrigued by what the blade had to offer, but she did not pick it up right now. This one thinks it would be amusing if the sword got the chance to kill people if thugs tried to intrude into Sumiko's booby-trapped apartment.

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
‘Thank you, oh noble one. I am sure you are the greatest and most powerful one who has ever held me.’
It seem the blade had a rather biting wit too.

‘From Naukros I learned the applications of the Dark Side to dominate and crush the spirit of enemies. From Tazkaz I learned how to forge the Force into items of great power…though not rivalling myself of course. From Ishkavaz I learned the secrets of extracting the life force of an enemy from their blood and controlling them. From Quaree I learned how to shield one from harm using the Dark Side. And more, of course. Each of my wielders has had a special skill – what is yours, noble lady?”

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


"And I'm quite certain that once I perish at some point, like every everyone does, you'll also say that to whoever wields you after me," Sumiko responded very, very dryly. Despite herself, she sort of liked the biting wit of the dark blade. She tilted her head to the side when it spoke about what it had learned from its various owners.


It definitely sounded intriguing, especially what he had apparently learned from Ishkavaz and Tazkaz. Some of the names rang a bell, others did not. Either way she would be hitting the books and researching them. "As for my special skill, if you will, I can use the Force to manipulate and warp droids and machinery." Mechu-deru was a fancy skill that translated into doing weird things to droids. No, not 'weird' as in like that crazy droid-loving lady did on Dantooine.

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
'My dear, I will mention your name proudly when I entice my next bearer. "From Sumiko I learned the skill of stating the blindingly obvious!"' the blade replied snidely.

'However, your self proclaimed expertise is one which is useful. Now, do we have an agreement?'

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


"Here I thought it would be the skill of making good tea," the Atrisian joked. That actually made Sumiko chuckle slightly. This one thinks this is the perfect materiel for a buddy cop show about a Dark Jedi and her snarky sword of doom going on wacky adventures, finding artefacts and slaughtering lots of people. Undoubtedly the show would be praised for its dark humour, though eventually get taken off the air after more and more of the casts suffered 'accidents', got transformed into zombies or experimented on via black magicks.


"Anyhow, we have one. Hopefully your self proclaimed power of past masters lives up to your word. It would be a shame to leave you languishing in a dusty armoury," Sumiko responded just as snarkily. Aww, they were so sweet together! And so the Atrisian finally reached out and gripped the hilt of the sword with her hand, lifting it up.

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
On taking the sword Sumiko would feel a tingle, a trembling and feeling of warmth. The blade sparkled with dark energy and shone briefly before returning to its usual bright silver sheen.
'Ah, now we are one, Sumiko. I see your mind, see this time I am in. Much has changed in the centuries...millennia...since my last master. So much wasted time on a rotting corpse. Now though, we will make up for lost time.'

A brief feeling of pain would bite Sumiko's palm. On her palm was engraved a small mark, the same as on the blade. 'Let us go forth, Sumiko and smite your enemies...crush them and let me taste their blood.'

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


And so Sumiko got her blood reaver! The reaper of souls. Well, it did not reap souls, but whatever. There was a tingle, a feeling of warmth as the blade briefly sparkled with the dark energies it had been infused. This feeling was soon replaced by a brief but strong sensation of pain tat bit her palm. She winced ever so slightly, but controlled herself as a mark was engraved inside her palm.



"Yes," she finally spoke. "Let us do so. I have a first target in mind for you." This may have been the moment to go kill some obviously evil people such as pirates and thugs, but Sumiko was not a good person! Nor did she subscribe to the 'dark is not evil' philosophy. As it turned out, there was a travelling merchant who had things she desired. He ought to be at his apartment at this time and she had already scouted out the premise. Obviously she would not be walking across the streets openly wielding her dark sword, so it would be concealed. It would also come in handy that she was able to turn herself invisible and fool machines via space magic. Such as the ones that guarded the place.

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
Reginald Ignatius Abruthnot, owner of the stuffiest name in the galaxy, was in his suite at the Hotel de Nuage, a name with a singular lack of imagination.
The man had made himself wealthy through trade in rare artifacts and more mundane items, and had obtained a family along the way including trophy wife, rebellious daughter and resentful son.

Though the blade clearly had no eyes, it seemed to sense. ‘A good day for a bloodbath. I sense these people, their petty concerns, their secrets and their lies…but they might have something useful in them. Slay them, and their secrets will be mine.’

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


Reginald was not a happy camper. Sure, he had lots of money, a stuffy name and his apartment was very luxurious, but his family was high maintenance. "Darling, I don't like this place. It is not chic at all," his wife drawled in what sounded like a crude imitation of an aristo accent, but made her sound like she was deficient.


Reginald suppressed a sigh. He had not married Jaina for her brains but because she was really hot and good in bed. Having an attractive trophy on his arm looked good at galas. Alas, he had soon discovered that she was very vain and demanding. "It is the best suite money could buy, sweetie. Just look at the view. Besides, I thought you enjoyed the massage."


"Yes, I did...and I'm sure you really enjoyed the masseuse?" The tone was challenging, like she thought that he was...oh, no, she was getting needy.


"What are you talking about? I enjoyed the massage, that's it..."


"There you have it! You think she's sexier than I am. Do you think I'm fat? You made that comment when I was eat..."


"Darling, you know I don't think that. You're the brightest star I've ever met," Reginald said soothingly, and walked towards her to give her a kiss. "I ordered that fur coat you liked," he tried to distract her with an olive branch. That damn fur coat had cost a lot.


"And the pearls?" Reginald nodded mutely, though he actually had not ordered those. However, then his daughter and son entered the room, both looking like they were about to leave. "There you are, where do you think you're going?" his wife asked them.


"Out. To have fun. Jocasta invited us to a cool party. We'll be back...," his daughter began, but Reginald interrupted her.


"Jocasta? Forget it. She's a hussy. No child of mine is going to participate in debased, drug-ridden orgies. Jacen, have you even done the homework I gave you?"


"What do you think I am, your account? Man, I can't even have one moment to myself here," his son grumbled, sounding resentful and sulky.


Suddenly this dialogue was interrupted when they heard noise. What they could not know was that Sumiko had used the ventilation shaft to get into their suite from the roof. Having landed in an adjourning chamber she had manipulated the cameras. Now she emerged, wearing a mask, and Reginald's wife screamed theatralically. Quickly getting up she tried to run, but then the door slammed shut and was sealed with telekinesis.

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
Reginald puffed himself up. “Who are you, hmm? Hmm?! I’ll have you know I am Reginald Ignatius Abruthnot and I will not have people barge in like this on me! Who sent you, hmm? What do you want, money? You can have money, just leave me alone…and my family!”

‘I want to taste his blood first. He tastes of greed, envy and petty ambition….’ The blade seemed to try and will Sumiko to move into the attack, so determined was it for blood.

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


Sumiko felt the desire for violence emanate from hthe blade spill over into her as it tried to will her to attack. Its demand for blood was great. Concentration was etched over her measures as she brandished the sword. "Where is the Tablet of Neferata?" she demanded, voice cold and almost alien.


"I...I don't know what you are talking about! If you want money, I can give it to you. Take it and go. My guards will be here soon!" Reginald declared, trying to give a false impression of courage and bravado.


"Reginald, give her what she wants! I knew these blasted artefacts would get us into trouble. I don't want to die!" his wife shrieked, sounding hysterical. Sumiko decided that her crying offended her ears and so she called upon the Force to seal her mouth.


"Where is the Tablet?" she asked again, with the Force inside her voice, as her strength was amplified by the blade. The merchants's defences were shattered as she peeled away the layers of resistance inside his insignificant mind.


"In the safe," he spoke robotically and Sumiko pulled the combination from his mind. Then the sword tasted his blood as he was cleaved in twain. His shocked and angry son, apparently overcome by rage or a desire to protect his family, had grabbed a blaster and fired, but this was to no avail. Soon he died as well, along with the rest. The blade of evil was splattered with blood.

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
‘Yes…yes! I live again at last as they die!’ the blade exalted as the blood ran down its length. It seemed to boil and steam, most of it vanishing into the blade’s smooth steel surface. The rubies on the blade briefly flashed and glittered with internal light.

‘I can see that we are going to have a great partnership, Sumiko. Oh yes, I taste their fear, I see their petty hopes and fears…they will sate me for now.’

It seemed to consider matters. ‘I am pleased you did not hesitate. Several of my former wielders had an annoying conscience I had to eventually relieve them of.’

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


"Consciences are like leashes. I lost mine a long time ago," Sumiko said very dryly. "I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership." And so she soon found the safe and, after applying the right combination, removed the tablet. Presumably it was occult, dark and stuff.


It was only a matter of time before security saw fit to enter the room after all the screams and stuff, but by the time they arrived Sumiko had vanished. Presumably she and the sword of malevolence were walking into the sunset or something like that. Truly this was a match made in heaven!

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
'Oh, I like you. Too often I get wielders who like mindless slaughter or who like to gloat. I cannot abide gloaters,' the blade said reflectively.
And so off into the shadows they went, onward and upwards.