Private Blood for Tuition

[Darth Strosius]

Along the Outer Rim sat many backwater worlds, neglected by all but time and criminals. One of the many havens for smugglers and other ne'er-do-wells was the world of Faldos, tucked far away from the politics of the Core and the many wars that crossed the galaxy. With little in the way of government or law and order aside from some efforts by the Trade League the world sat as a notable but otherwise unimportant backwater planet. The kind of world where one could go to disappear.

And as such the kind of world that one had to keep an eye on if they chased after slippery or illusive prey. Thankfully for the Sith Order the Tsis'Kaar network and informants had been embedded in the world for sometime now and were more than happy to alert the Pale Lady of any notable targets. Such as, for example, a would-be rebel leader that was trying to outrun the advance of the Sith into the Hydian Way and Kathol Sector.

When said leader had appeared on the planet seeking passage to the Core the agents of the Tsis'Kaar were quick to report the coward's every move to the network and soon enough they knew exactly when and where he was going to try and make his escape. In order to prove just how futile it was to run from the long reach of the Sith, an apprentice to the Pale Lady herself was dispatched to intercept the leader at one of the planet's many spaceports. Well, not just one apprentice, but only one would be going for the throat of the coward. Alisteri was just there to make sure that the blood was spilled.

The spaceport, the main focus of a small town that had cropped up around the business that it brought to Faldos, was illuminated by several bright lights given the setting sun. The streets grew darker and that was when the rebel leader made his move, out from his safehouse amongst the local shops and through the alleyways towards the spaceport to find the ship that he had rented in order to make his escape to the Core.

Alisteri himself sat atop the spaceport, hidden in an alcove with his gaze following the the cowardly rebel as he snuck through the alleys and corridors between the buildings. As his master had taught him he kept his presence within the Force cloaked and hidden, as to not alert the other apprentice to his presence. This would be the second time that he had been asked to oversee a mission of a fellow apprentice to his master, and he sincerely hoped that this one would go better than the last had.

There was only supposed to be one corpse at the end of this one after all.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

A Force Shadow flew along the tight alleyways and tight street corners of Faldos. Its eyes focused only on its target, he was familiar, though nameless, Malum did not need a name to kill. Malum had seen him among the delegation at the Kal'Shebbol, one of the few that had successfully fled when the attack by the Mandalorians had begun. He would have called the man resourceful, but a sniveling coward was more apt. He had the man's details, it was surprisingly filled with the brim. Perks of the Tsis'Kaar's detailed espionage, he supposed. If it was not enough to label him a coward for leaving his people, those people he was sworn to protect, in favour of his own safety. The dossier had been more than enough to seal the label, governmental corruption, use of military forces in civil matters, and even a penchant for the young.

Suffice it to say, he had no moral qualms about executing this pig of a man.

As his shadow moved, his own form followed by the rooftops. Two ghosts, one man. He would easily admit though, that his shadow was far more invisible than he was, but that was the consequence of little experience in the use of new abilities. Still, he did think it was working, and for this assignment, "working" was all that he needed. Force Stealth had been an ability he had always been curious about, and one which he had been eager to learn from the true master of stealth. He had seen its advantage firsthand at Kal'Shebbol, the dark side user who had fought against them had been able to hide her presence both physically and of the force, to such a degree as to render them blind. It was worrying that others could do it with such proficiency, and indeed, just spoke to him that he would need to grasp such a goal.

Looking ahead, he saw the Spaceport closing in, it was evidently his destination, and thus Malum would need to make his move. It was after all not just a mission to kill the man but to assassinate him. He would need to be as he was, a ghost.

Malum now ahead of the man's nervous running, dispelled the shadow. Pulling over the cloak he wore, it was time.

Moving off the edge of the building, he looked down and only saw darkness. Perfect.

He took the plunge, for a moment felt the telltale sign of flight all those who survived falls would speak off. Immediately after, feeling his stomach turn, as his body experienced gravity and fell towards the ground. Others would fear injury, others would fear death.

Not him.

As a descending angel, his feet planted themselves firmly onto the basalt alleyway. Scrunching his nose at the smells of garbage and what else.

His red eyes, shining in the darkness had only one target.

"Hello Delegate," Malum said emotionlessly, seeing with some glee the blood flow away from the man’s face, as his full-on run had decelerated, to nothing more than a still visage. Almost statue-like. True fear.

His lightsaber would not be wasted on the man. Moreover it left many unfortunates questions to be asked on how a man in an alley way died of seemingly burn wounds. No one would think anything untoward if instead he died of strangulation.

Malum lifted his hand, and quickly, the delegate began clawing at his throat. He could make this quick, to squeeze it tight to shut the windpipe, clean. But that would be too simple, too clean, much more than this man deserved.

Malum let him hang in the air, clawing, choking, begging. None would come for him. None would care. This is how he would die, without a single witness apart from his assassin.

Finally he grew silent. He grew still. At that point Malum levitated the corpse away to a pile of garbage. Throwing him into the lot. Less questions to be asked, clearly a random beggar of little consequence. Indeed too, trash among trash.

So that was that. His first mission.

He was not certain on how he was to feel on that.

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Even with his attention on the rebel, his vantage point allowed him to spot the assassin from a bit of movement that he caught in the corner of his eye. His gaze shifted to watching the rooftops as the coward did his best to navigate to the spaceport in an unseen but also quick manner. Unfortunately he was the prey to a much greater beast than some common thug or hired killer. There was a small amount of satisfaction that Alisteri received watching the assassination play out, from descending upon the rebel to strangling him rather than risking his lightsaber or some Force power that would cause more questions.

Overall the initial showing by this apprentice was nearly flawless, the mission performed as intended and the target eliminated as requested. For a moment he wondered why his master had bothered sending him to inspect her newest servant at all, it wasn't like she gave positions or showed favor to just anyone after all. She had to know, or at least assume and expect, that the other Sith was competent and capable if she bothered to train him at all. But then his train of thought paused at that, as he recalled his own induction and subsequent first mission under his master.

Now he understood why he was here, it almost seemed too obvious now that he thought of it. What was the point in sending a Sith to kill one cowardly rebel? There wasn't, it was a waste. And his master was far from wasteful.

The masked man shifted and stood from his perch in the roof's alcove and took a moment to stretch his limbs which had grown stiff during his time watching the streets. "A Sith's work is never done." With a sigh he made his way from the alcove to the nearest roof access door and down into the spaceport itself. Of course he ensured that his cloaked presence was dropped the moment that he stood, a beacon amidst an otherwise unremarkable and calm town of smugglers. He had to ensure that his fellow apprentice knew where to go after all, it was the least that he could do given the often vague nature of the tasks and missions that their master enjoyed.

Through the upper maintenance levels of the building he made his way towards one particular area of the spaceport, the same one that held the ship that was meant to be the escape for the rebel leader. He dropped down into the open landing zone, one of several enclosed areas within the spaceport, and approached the modest ship. It was small but a fair bit larger than a starfighter, something that would go unnoticed and unimportant to most scanners but still plenty of room and space within to allow for some luxuries. Alisteri briefly circled the ship to inspect it before making his way up the boarding ramp and into a small seating area that greeted the visitor when one first stepped inside.

He picked the most comfortable looking chair and sat down, sighing in relief as he sat back and reclined for a moment at how comfortable it was. Of course the target ensured that he would be in luxury even whilst trying to flee for his life. As was typical with rebel leaders, so often just opportunistic fools who get in too deep to crawl out. His gaze then landed on the crate of personal belongings that had been delivered to the ship a day before, because of course one had to have all their personal items ready to go before they departed themselves, and he pulled it through the air to rest at his feet with a simple flick of his wrist.

While he waiting for his fellow apprentice to pick up the trail, he had some snooping and reading that needed to be done.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

If he had been a dog, no doubt he would have begun sniffing the air at the presence of the new mysterious scent that had just begun wafting over the air. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately for those interested in that sort of thing, he was no dog, and instead of his nose becoming aware of some new mysterious scent wafting over the air, it was the Force within him, that had become aware of the presence of another Force user, one with a presence as dark as his.

Most interesting.

An ally? Unknown. A foe? Unlikely. The presence had suddenly appeared, from nowhere, like a light switch, one moment it was off, the other moment, on. Considering he had not been gutted like a fish, it meant that it was not some dramatic unveiling to kill him where he stood. Instead, it was an invitation, probably one of the most subtle invitations possible to a non-Force user, but a metaphorical beacon to all those that could sense and see within the Force. All of them had the ability, some of it honed, some of it unconscious, for him, somewhere within the middle.

He concentrated within the Force, and in front of him emerged a Shadow. A perfect replica of himself, one which mirrored his actions and expressions, one which if he reached out to touch, he would feel his hands disappear, but one which could not speak as far as he had garnered. It had become one of his favourite Force abilities, perfect reconnaissance, and as he faded from view, both physically and in the Force with Force Stealth, he would soon become the perfect assassin.

He passed by the Delegate without any further thought, perfect assassin was what he was training to become was it not?

Was it what he wanted? The Scion of House Marr?

His fingers moved to touch the amulet around his neck, still warm to the touch, and once again, he felt a moment of peace come over him. What he wanted or did not want, no longer mattered, this was a route to power, one to protect his family, one to bring him closer to his ideals. That was all that mattered at the end of the day.

He walked towards the Starport, it seemed ironically enough that whoever was inviting him, was staying where the Delegate had planned to.

Another point of proof that this was an ally? Maybe.

He no doubt would soon find out.

---

As planned, his shadow arrived first. Wraith like it traversed the hangers, it seemed apart from the public hanger, which continued to have ships both arrive and depart in equal measure, the rest of the port was largely deserted, many a passenger sleeping away on their uncomfortable seats, as they waited for their flight, some few hours away. All were ignorant to the fact that a murder had taken place only a few hundred metres away from them. He supposed that was a blessing.

Still, after doing his due diligence, the Shadow made its way to the private hanger, the one which seemed to house a rather luxurious starfighter. No doubt the ship would have taken the Delegate away in abject majesty and comfort, all the way to the Core worlds, where he could live in luxury off the Credits that he had embezzled from his people. Perhaps if he got lucky enough, his plight would be taken to the very centre of the Galactic Alliance, where he could report the rising Sith resurgence, con them into making him a Senator, con them into letting him lead some government in exile, there would be no power in it of course, but certainly, wealth and prestige, what slugs like them wanted most in the world.

Instead, he would die, unknown and forgotten, among trash and garbage.

Malum felt that still was not justice.

Letting those thoughts past him, the Shadow continued onward, to the ship itself. What had once could be considered a lighthouse, was now a full beacon, there was no mistaking, the figure that had invited him was here.

Indeed, the figure was familiar to him, masked and hooded, padded with armour. Though, his name was lost to Malum. They had fought together at Polis Massa, if his memory recalled. He was skilled, he was trained, and he was dangerous, there was no doubt about any of that. But seemingly, he was not a threat at this very moment. Instead, he was seemingly reading a book without a care in the world, Malum could respect that, even crack a small invisible smile, let there be no raised swords this day... well no more than had already been raised. There was a corpse decomposing mere metres away from them, after all.

Malum allowed the Stealth to fall, and as the Shadow was dispelled, walked out towards the landing bay of the ship, and waited. Now two Beacons were shining brilliantly, both very well aware of each other's presence. Now the question was.

What would happen next?

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

As he expected the crate had some valuable information indeed, from several access codes to some fairly full bank accounts to information on the resistance movements in the Kathol Sector. Admittedly a fair bit of the information about the rebels was useless by now given their recent victories over them but a bit of extra intelligence was always good to have. Anything that shed light on the operations of their enemy was invaluable, even if that enemy was defeated already.

What really caught his attention though were the recordings and evidence of the Sith's return to the galaxy, taken from various planets that were now under the control of the Sith Order. Clearly the target had intended to bribe his way to safety in the Core with this evidence and sick the Jedi and Galactic Alliance upon them just to save his own skin.

But thanks to the efforts of his fellow apprentice, that wouldn't happen.

As he searched through the handful of datapads though he discovered something very interesting and quickly tucked that particular one into his cloak for later. He had no idea how some rebel had managed to get ahold of it but now it would serve the interests of the Sith. The rest of the contents of the crate mostly consisted of personal items, some of which he'd rather not touch even with gloves, and were of little interest as a result. The only other item he plucked from the crate aside from the datapads was a book, an actual journal written by hand and everything.

It was far harder to track and far easier to destroy a book than a datapad he supposed, so it did make sense for a rebel to make use of one. Nothing in the journal caught his eye though and it appeared to mostly be a log of the resistance that the target had once been a leader in, a resistance that was now fully and totally crushed beneath the might of the Sith.

As Alisteri turned another page in his skimming he felt something, something odd and very close. His gaze shifted up to the ship's entrance, which was still wide open of course, but saw nothing there. And yet it was as if there was a presence watching him, so he made no moves to suggest that he was aware of it. Thankfully though his patience was rewarded and soon the feeling disappeared only to be replaced by the familiar presence of his fellow apprentice. He closed the journal and left it on the opened crate as he stood and walked to the ship's exit.

The masked man's gaze fixed on the younger Sith as he stopped at the doorway, his hands crossing behind his back as he briefly eyed the man up and down. "Our master told me that your name is Malum." Alisteri let the words hang in the air for a moment before he continued. "Good work on the target, quick and clean with no witnesses to be found. You're lucky that he was trying to sneak his way through town, making a kill in broad daylight without being seen is much harder."

Unless one didn't care about witnesses or the local law enforcement. "Come in, I've already done the work of sorting through his belongings for relevant information for you. Just in case." He turned on his heel and stepped right back into the ship without much further introduction, making his way back to the seat and reclining back in it as he gestured to the assembled datapads on the table next to him.

"All the evidence of our existence, right here. Clever little rebel, trying to bribe his way into the Galactic Alliance with some story about being a valiant freedom fighter no doubt. The fool."

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

"I thank you for your praise, sir," Malum said without emotion, apart from perhaps the barest hint of pride that peered through the gaps of his immaterial mask. He had been informed long ago that his Mistress had other apprentices, and though he had met this one before at Polis Massa, this was truly the first time he was speaking to him genially, or at the very least without fighting actively for their lives. Perhaps he would learn the name of this knight, this time.

"Indeed, if he had not made his move at night, and rather in the day, it would have dramatically changed my plans, mayhaps the best move would have been to wait in this private hanger, seems he was so paranoid to not have even hired guards." He would not exactly have called it luck if he had planned for that eventuality, but this was his first assassination mission, and indeed Malum could make out that the masked figure was here to perhaps grade and watch over him, for anything that would have gone wrong, unneeded, of course, but proof that he was not yet trusted, that stung, but it was to be expected.

Taking the invitation in hand, Malum's blackened foots pressed forth up into the starship, watching idly as the masked knight took his seat again by the various datapads, he certainly seemed relaxed. His ears flickered to attention, as the words spoken were processed in his mind. It was certainly kind of the man to do this part of the job for him. Now, it had not been said explicitly in his orders, nor was such menial clerical work above him, but truly he was planning to do so regardless to see what he could find, and moreover even if that was the case, he was glad to not actually need to do it, it would be mindnumbing enough having to venture through the pig's works.

He nodded his head at the end of the masked man's words, seeming that his theory of the Delegate's plans was not far from what he had assumed, "A dead fool has no secrets to keep, I shall transmit this information to our Mistress then?" Malum said simply, picking up one datapad and skimming it quickly, it was some logistical information about a rebel base on Kal'Shebbol, no doubt useful for the future Sith conquest, if it had not already been discovered and destroyed. Those of the Kathol Republic did not strike him as too competent, at least by themselves, though with the Mandalorians as allies, they could be troublesome.

"Well disregarding any lack of formal introduction, neither here nor at Polis Massa," Malum offered a small smile at that, "My name of Malum of House Marr, a pleasure to come to your acquaintance, and considering who our mutual Mistress is, I assume we shall be seeing each other far more often these coming years," Malum said, offering a small bow, both in greeting and respect. Yet behind his amiable glowing red eyes, were calculating and cold considerations. This person was likely both friend and foe, a friend in cooperative assignments, but foe and rivalry when it came to their Mistresses' favour, and indeed he held the advantage when it came to that matter, he simply knew Darth Ophidia longer than him, and moreover, he was a knight, while him a simple apprentice. Moreover, there was something very familiar about him, something that he had only sensed one time before... at the Palace of Silver Rain... Alina... for some reason there was something similar to her, pervading from him.

He mused simply, on the matter, before he raised his head from the bow, his immaterial mask still in place, genial smiles and genial eyes. Whatever it was, it was an advantage, and Malum sensed strength from the figure before him. Let him be friend foremost then.

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri could detect the hints of pride and tension in the responses that his fellow apprentice gave, perhaps trying to ensure that he didn't speak a wrong word or phrase that could be used against him. He was certainly another servant of his master's then. In the world of the Sith a word or sentence out of place could be just as deadly as an act of defiance, especially when dealing with the unseen blades of the Tsis'Kaar. He could appreciate the suspicion and caution to some extent as a result. Better to be safe than sorry after all.

The mention of a lack of guards for the ship or even for the man himself was notable though, and something that he had noticed as well. The agents that had spotted the rebel made no mention of any mercenaries or hired guns even being sought out let alone actually hired. Whether paranoid or simply too sure of his own survival, the Delegate had certainly paid the price for it in the end. Not that guards would have mattered anyway, the Tsis'Kaar could afford to pay off whoever he would have tried to hire regardless of how many credits he flashed their way. One does not simply outmaneuver the wrath of the Sith so easily.

His masked gaze watched as the younger Sith inspected one of the datapads, his posture seeming to give no indication of ill intent or of intimidation. All in all the Knight seemed to hold no real desire to combat the apprentice. Not at the moment anyway, he hadn't given him a reason to after all. "That you shall, either to her or to one of her agents in the Tsis'Kaar network. The information will get to where it needs to go regardless." Of that he was sure.

Alisteri inclined his head as Malum gave a proper introduction for himself, title and all. As usual their master had not directly told him much about his fellow apprentice, so his attention and interest were piqued by the other Sith. "House Marr hm?" He sat back in the chair as he mused about the information, yet to return the introduction still. After a moment the masked man chuckled as if he had realized some sort of joke or other humorous truth. "Ah yes, that would be it then wouldn't it? I was wondering what had drawn her to you. Interesting play master, interesting indeed."

Without further elaboration he stood from his seat and folded his arms behind his back much like one would when standing at attention. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Malum of House Marr. I am Darth Strosius, Knight of the Sith. Since we share a master though, you may call me Alisteri Haxim." He had no other titles, none worth sharing at least, but his demeanor made up for it. The masked man was hardly some fresh Sith who lucked out on having a high rank early on, it was clear in the way that he carried himself. Alisteri was a veteran in more ways than one, a faithful servant of the Sith and the Dark Side, and he made no attempts to hide it. He knew what he was and he ensured everyone else knew it as well, there was little subtlety to be felt from him in that regard.

After a moment he looked away from the younger Sith and stepped towards one of the windows of the ship, idly running a hand over the base of it. "Tell me Malum, what do you think of this ship? Rather luxurious yet hardly larger than a shuttle, with few weapons to speak of. Hardly befitting of a warrior, wouldn't you agree?"

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Malum nodded his head slightly, understanding the tacit instruction that Malum held the duty of making certain the information would arrive at its rightful place, at its rightful time, his face still clear from emotion, as he took note of what else his graduated... peer(?) had said. To say he was a peer was inaccurate, the introduced man was likely far beyond him, though how far, was anyone's guess. Such was the difference between knights and apprentices, one which he would humbly accept, for indeed, time was on his side to a degree. Malum would become a knight sooner than the man would become a master, when it came, they would be equals, though, he would of course have the headstart... something Malum would have to work extremely hard to overcome.

He did enjoy challenges.

However, when he called the man a peer, he did not mean as a future peer, a future knightly duo, but instead, peers of allegiance, both loyal to the Tsis'Kaar Order, and their Mistress, Darth Ophidia. At least in theory, he did not know the man, indeed, did not know truly if he was loyal. He could make a simple wager that this Alisteri was, indeed, he did not see a path that their Mistress would have been content with his service if he had not displayed loyalty. Still, it was a possibility that had to be considered, Malum was not one for surprises after all.

Moreover, it would interesting enough for it to be the case, indeed, as it stood it was not as if Malum held much loyalty towards the Tsis'Kaar or Darth Ophidia himself, while he found the former to be intriguing enough, and the latter, to be what his duty guided him to serve, it was not as if he felt true loyalty... yet, anyway. He had only been apprenticed under the self-proclaimed Sith'ari for a few months, only had held a few meetings with her, and was only scratching the surface of what knowledge was held within the woman's brain.

He had no room to complain so far, and indeed, it was her position that kept his family protected, the threats from Darth Empyrean held like a dark cloud over his mind ever still.

Was he a terrible son, a terrible brother, a terrible relation in general that he had yet to even speak to them of the matter?

Most certainly so.

His thoughts were shaken off, as he realised that the masked figure was musing on his family name, Malum's eyes narrowing at that, as it seemed the figure was testing the word 'Marr' on his tongue as if it was a foreign prospect to the individual, the House of Marr had fallen from its great heights, that much was true, but Malum would have thought that a Knight, an apprentice of the Order of knowledge, would know who the great Darth Marr was. His eyes narrowed further, as the figure seemed to be sharing a private joke with himself on the matter. So he did know... yet... the humourous bent... was he mocking him? "Care to explain, I am afraid I do not see the humour of the matter, nor the cause." Malum resisted the urge to grit out the words, rather, maintaining, rather banefully his own emotionless mask, in an attempt, an attempt, to maintain cordiality.

Yet that too passed away, as Malum took a slight step backward, maintaining a respectful distance between him and the knight, as he introduced himself. His outrage left simmering, as he made more mental notes of what was heard. A repetition of his name and house... yet without the mocking comedic edge... had his initial belief been mistaken? Then more, Darth Strosius was the name he had taken, Malum could not find any evident connections at first glance, apart from the rather obvious one, atrocious, they shared a similar pronunciation and spelling, but it was not exact, so could not be labeled as the definitive origin, yet... if it was the origin, would lay more questions be answered, most prominently if it was an aesthetic decision... or if it gave identity on how this Alisteri Haxim viewed himself. Malum would not have initially considered the man to be the self-destructive sort, though, nothing could be deemed too odd, he was a complete stranger after all. Then, as it was, the true name, Alisteri Haxim... to Malum that meant little and little else, it was not a noble name, as far as he could recall, yet he mentally noted it down, perhaps he could find an advantage through some research on it, "Truly an honour than, to have the veteran Darth Strosius to be judging my performance," Though Malum had never met the man, apart from the silent encounter on Polis Massa, it was difficult to claim that he was a complete unknown, he had a reputation for success after all, renown to his name, and was one of the apprentices to the Triumvirs, he was not one to be relegated to the background so easily, and truly flattery cost Malum nothing after all.

Malum remain silent as the masked man pawed a hand across the window of the ship they stood upon, raising a single brow at the question that was delivered. It could be considered a rather simple question, but it too could be a more philosophical or personal one, Malum could not say, this Alisteri had thus far kept most of his cards to his chest. The safe answer then, one which would reveal little, and take the question as it stood.

"The pilot was no warrior, it is no surprise that the ship was not made for one," Malum took a step forward, a show of surveying the amenities and luxuries onboard, the various books, the holoscreen, food both sugary and savoury, "A ship made for a traitorous politician, a ship made for a suckling pig," He finished a look of disdain plastered upon his face.

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

The question regarding his reaction to the other Sith's heritage drew another chuckle as if he was enjoying the slight aggravation the question was spoken with. "It should be rather obvious I think. A descendent of one of the most influential and wisest Sith of the ancient empire. An exemplar of what a true Sith can accomplish and achieve when striving for unity among our order. Such a legacy, no matter how much it may have faded, cannot be disregarded out of hand."

It was certainly a much better legacy to have than the stain of the supposed heritage the Eternalist cause was derived from. Darth Bane had been the one to permanently end any thoughts of a Sith Empire for many long years in some odd belief that it would result in a stronger Sith. How foolish such a mindset had been, and so often abused and abandoned as well. "To the Eternalists you'd be another bauble to add to Empyrean's 'legitimacy' as a rightful ruler of the Sith. To the Kainites you would be a confirmation that even the greatest of the Sith legacies has bent the knee to the Twice-Failed Emperor. But to our master?" Finally his hidden gaze returned to his fellow apprentice, the dim lights of the ship catching the visor in a slight glare.

"You are a reminder of her. The glint of the dagger that she holds in the back of every would-be Sith leader, something so tempting and yet out of their reach. And at the same time a useful asset in your own right. If you can live up to the name of your house that is." An asset, a resource, perhaps that was all that his master thought of him as well. A more blunt tool than herself that could be thrown against whatever she deemed a threat with plenty of resolve of his own to see the mission through.

But that was something for him to ponder on later, in more private company. "I will be very interested to see how you fare in that regard, I've yet to see those of noble blood earn power through their own efforts. Perhaps you'll be the first." There was little bite or sarcasm in his tone despite the remark sounding like a challenge of sorts.

Malum's remark of his apparent honor made the masked man turn to face the younger Sith fully, his arms crossed behind his back as his hands covertly fished something from his robes. "Oh please, 'the' gives me far too much credit." He shrugged, seeming to dismiss the remark overall with a slight wave of one of his hands. "I am merely a servant of higher powers, whether they be our master or the greater needs of the Sith as a whole. Save your praise for those that need their thrones to be recognized, although it is appreciated I have no need of it on the battlefield. Your skill and assistance will be far more valuable to myself and our master."

Their views on the ship were very much similar, to the point that Alisteri almost wondered if their more practical mindset had been a common factor among all of their master's apprentices. She did seem to enjoy making him think on his feet with each test that she gave him. "I couldn't agree more, it's little more than a glorified speeder. Just able to get from one system to another in the lap of luxury." Ultimately useless in all but transportation. Which was exactly why he had held on to the datapad containing the registration information.

From behind his back his other hand emerged, holding aloft a datapad with the vessel's information written across its screen. Both legal and technical information, but the most interesting spot was the one area missing any text. The line where the name of the ship's owner was meant to be was blank and awaiting an input. "Consider this your reward for your assassination Malum of House Marr. A ship of your own, one that you will have to decide how best to improve in order to make it a more fitting vessel for a Sith."

The Knight paused and then shrugged. "Or perhaps you'll simple sell it and buy something more practical, as I would. Either way I leave this ship and all of its contents in your capable hands. You'll need independent transport for what else I've found." With a few taps on the datapad the screen shifted to display something else, a hidden file containing the names planets and coordinates on them across the Outer Rim. Alongside the list was another of what at first appeared to be simple notes but upon a second glance revealed it to be a more dedicated catalogue.

A catalogue of Sith temples, graves, and other sites with some even having potential artifacts listed as well. "I looked into some of the locations while I waited and there are more than a few which do not appear in our Tsis'Kaar records. Wherever the target got this list from, it wasn't from anyone serving our master. Do you know what that means?" He cocked his head to the side and briefly gave the other Sith a moment to react before he continued.

"It means that someone else has an interest in these sites. Whether they be among our rivals in the Sith Order or simple graverobbers and museum collectors, we can't allow such relics to fall into the hands of the less worthy." In his hand he offered a simple ship, but with it the promise of the riches of Sith long past. Relics and artifacts that would be free to take if one were quick enough. "If my master trusts you enough to consider you as an apprentice, then I too shall place my faith in your abilities and allow you to recover and use these sites at your discretion. No strings attached, no word to our master about it will come from me, and no mention will be made to any others by myself. This is yours to do with as you wish."

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

His anger, his simmering rage, was stopped in its tracks at Alisteri's words, indeed a fluff was at his cheeks, flecks of picks, that he willed away from his face, as he considered an appropriate response, "I am glad you see it as so, Darth Stosi-, Alisteri, so many in the past have doubted our House's heritage, labeled us as paupers and forgers, I am glad that you see our descent as valid and legitimate," It was if for a moment his eyes blazed in fiery red light, "But let me say unequivocally, the House of Marr has not faded from our ancestor's greatness, nor his values."

As he went on to discuss what his position represented to all the various factions of the Triumvirate, he could not help but feel that he had made the correct decision in aligning himself with the Tsis'Kaar. Though the Eternalists were not terrible, and indeed they must have had some point if they existed as the largest faction within the Sith Order, their overtly religious undertones always gave him some pause, he had no issue with being worshipped, and he would not oppose it in the least, but to force such a thing... well that seemed to be an entirely wasted venture, what was loyalty born of faith, rather than of obligation? And what to do with those who could clearly see that the Sith were not Gods? It would only take one break, fro the whole gospel to tear. Then of course, to consider the Kainites, and enough said about them the better, a faction whose only goals were to extol the accomplishments of a single man, he could understand that to a degree of course, this man was the Emperor, this man was feared across the galaxy. The past tense was the important part, he had been the Emperor, he had been feared across the Galaxy. To Malum, this would have been the one he owed fealty.

Instead, he had allowed the Sith Empire to fall, and there went all of Malum's inclinations to call him liege.

"I am glad that my use is best found here then," Malum simply said, offering a small smile in jape, everyone had needs, everyone had functions, it was a rather utilitarian view, but as long as his Mistress fulfilled his needs, he would serve her functions. In addition, he needed an instructor, a teacher, not one that would fawn over his descendence, one who would recognise it certainly, but not one who would name him some sort of living saint, or place him as acessory to a failed Emperor's crown. To be a blade in the darkness instead, that was much more his desire, "Make no mistake, Alisteri, I recognise the priviledge my life has brought me, I am not one to contently sit on my laurels," How could he? He was Sith, that meant ambition, he may had lived upon an estate as far away from the industry of Jutrand as possible, but the looming smoke was an ever present reminder, that it was only good fortune that had made him a Marr, if he had not been so lucky, he would have grown up a street rat instead. At the very least this confirmed that he was no noble, or at the very least he would have had to be a particularly jaded noble.

They moved onto the praise he had levelled upon Darth Strosius, Malum noted with the same smile that the man seemed effortlessly humble, seemed to be resistant to praise, rather than failure to recognise his skill though. More as if he was utterly confident, fearing he might grow arrogant, rather than that he was truly humble.

Most interesting.

"As you wish, trust that all you shall receive from me then will be my skill and assistance," He offered, if the man did not desire pretty words, it was simple enough to acquiese to such a request. It only meant the skill and assistance he offered would need to meet their mark.

And Malum too was utterly confident that they would.

As Darth Strosius offered the ship to him, Malum did have to raise his eyes, out of surprise and more then a little bit of suspicion. It was a rather genous offering after all, so generous that his teachings activated his paranoia, was it yet another test?

"I thank you for your genoursity, Alisteri, however I already have my own ship, and just as you, I cannot exactly claim to have any desire to claim this ship as my own, thus, my thoughts are with yours, I shall be selling it, it shall be good to have some more funds, for any more missions our mutual Mistress shall send me upon," She had not given him any new objectives yet, but she had not been shy about requesting his presence, in the past, and it was not as if he was against new assignments, especially if it granted him more favour, more favour meant more skills and knowledge, the continued protection of his family.

As he moved on to discuss the locations for which potentially held important, precious and valuable treasures, relics and artifacts, Malum could not deny the shine that appeared upon his eyes, the twinkle of wonder, the grinding of his brain as curiosity battled with analysis of what he should do, what it could mean, "You are truly generous Alisteri, I thank you, but I cannot be so fully in your debt so, it would be unbecoming of me. You are quite right that whoever else knows about this, whoever they might be, they cannot be allowed to secure these locations, nor the contents of their vaults. Thus then, unless you have something else to do, some other assignment from our Mistress, would you be interested in joining me in taking these positions?" Malum offered, the shine still present in his eyes, as he opened his arms in offer. It would be good opportunity to learn more of this man, that was ostensibly his ally, more opportunity to make him truly an ally, he had not many connections in the Sith Order, a Knight would be a great prize.

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

"Then let that greatness and those values inspire even grander ones of your own. Just temper your burning ambition with a steady mind and you shall prove yourself worthy of your legacy." That was a lesson that every Sith needed to learn, far too many were lost in their own claims to fame and prestige right up until the end. The more annoying ones managed to stay alive and become Sith Lords, or even ascend to claim the title of Dark Lord or Emperor themselves. Take for instance the other two parts of the Triumvirate. Whether or not Malum could find the precarious balance between ambition and reality was something that only time would reveal.

Alisteri wasn't surprised to hear that the ship would be sold off, admittedly the ship was worth far more than the actual usefulness of the vessel was. It could fetch a nice sum of credits if one could find the right buyer and work up a good deal for it. "Good, the less that you have to rely upon the good will and handouts of others the better. I myself spent far too much time in my years as an Acolyte finding transportation to battlefields, I'd rather not have you be saddled with the same hassle. Not to mention the possible debt one can accrue with such a method." Thankfully most of the pilots of the Sith Empire that he may have owed a ride or two were more than long gone by now. A shame really, he could have used their experience to train the new pilots of the Sith Order in a more refined and professional manner.

The offer of assisting Malum with the artifact hunting caused the Knight to cock his head to the side slightly, as if slightly caught off-guard and surprised by it. Truthfully he saw little reason to be invited on such endeavors, why bring a fellow Sith that could take the prize you're trying to claim? Of course he had helped and been helped many times by his fellow Sith but those were far more familiar faces by that point. He doubted that a concern of lacking skill to claim the relics was present given how self assured his fellow apprentice seemed thus far. So what was the game then?

"Is that so? A bold offer Malum, do be careful how you make those in the future. They won't always end pleasantly." None of his ever had, not as of yet at least. Alisteri considered the offer for a moment, turning the prospect over in his mind and dissecting it as if it were some sort of puzzle that he could solve with some simple pondering. "I'm afraid I do have responsibilities of my own, I've had my fill of hopping from planet to planet in search of vague and possibly missing artifacts. However I shall not turn down your proposal entirely. If you do require aid in recovering these relics then I will do my best to be available to assist, but to do not expect to have me on call whenever you desire." He did have projects of his own to manage after all, even without factoring in his cult and his future designs.

Exploring lost and ancient Sith repositories was still a favorite pastime of his, even if there was no prize to be had in the material sense. The structures of those that came before held a knowledge all their own and he was eager to learn all that he could from them given the opportunity to do so. "It would be in my best interest to ensure that competition is eliminated regardless. Our master wouldn't be pleased if I let a possible information leak go without putting in some personal effort to dismantle it." Whoever compiled the list certainly had some sort of insight that they, or at least himself and Malum, lacked. Any loose ends of that caliber needed to be accounted for and used to their fullest extent if it was possible.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

"If I might be so bold, do you come from a legacy of greatness and values which would inspire your renewal to something grander?" He reasoned not, the sarcasm and scathing of which the knight considered nobility spoke of someone who had risen beyond his station, and found those of greater blood his peers.

And he was none too pleased about that fact.

Of course, there was the other possibility, he knew of no House Haxim, but there were many a world amongst the former Sith Empire, and from each emerged a cadre of nobility that integrated themselves within the Empire's core. Not many then could have claimed to have known each noble family, much less could they claim to know now, especially with all the documents and other such paraphilia lost during the fall of the Empire. Many a who out in the old core would have no doubt lost their lands, as victorious forces poured in, punishing those who had once been the highest pillars of the old empire.

It would no doubt leave many dispossessed, many angry.

Many jaded.

Was he one of them? He did not think so... but he could not deny himself the curiosity, and after all, there still was something that reminded him of Alina... and he was sure that Lady Tremiru was... after all a noble, perhaps they were related?

Malum listened intently as Darth Strosius intoned stories of his past service, he kept it vague, either on purpose in a bid to make sure he would not be able to learn anything too useful... or perhaps it was linked to what he had observed before, a supreme confidence that retained its humility. Perhaps he viewed his experiences as truly his own, without value for any that had not experienced it, yet Malum found himself wondering anyway. How old was this Darth Strosius truly? His reputation was beyond one of this Triumvirate, that much was certain... but if he had served in the Sith Empire, and Malum knew he had, he would have been rather old... too old to look as he did.

He was reminded of Alina again for reasons he could not fathom.

Until.

It finally hit him.

"You're a Sangnir..." He whispered into the wind, not even realising the words had left his lips, as his mind processed the realisation.

There were many who still lived from the times of the Sith Empire, but none still fought as if they were still in their young to middle adulthood, without some sort of... enhancement, to extend their lives, and extend their time to fight. He had already met the Corpse King, who still lived despite every part of his body denying that reality. There was the Failed Emperor Darth Carnifex who many had said had been felled, yet still certainly lived.

Even Darth Ophidia had once been killed and returned.

But this was not that, perhaps Darth Strosius had died in the past, and returned, but that simply did not feel... to be the case. There was something in the still mask, darkness that knew it had seen death, much of it, too much even, yet no crack in the void, no challenge yet, to its mortality.

Or in this case, immortality.

For that was the great method of the Sangnir after all, regeneration capabilities second to none, an immortal lifespan, and a warform to boot. Suffice it to say, he had done his research ever since the meeting with the Sangnir in the Palace of Silver Rain, and what he had learned truly baffled him.

How the Sangnir did not rule the galaxy he feared he would never truly know.

He shook his head, trying to shake off those thoughts, as the newly revealed Sangnir responded to his offer, "Do not think me so naive Dart- Alisteri, I would not so freely offer this to anyone else... however this is by all rights your haul, you are generous in giving me the coordinations, and I simply see it as... maintaining balance, as it were." He might have felt insulted at the implication, but he was beginning to realise this may just be the way the man spoke, and there would be no point rattling sabres over every single comment.

At his denial, he offered a simple nod, "The offer remains open should you change your mind, I suspect the key to our mystery shall be found at these locations, but if you have another method to achieve our mistresses' aims, I shan't challenge you." There was a glint in his eye at that one, a silent challenge all but said.

It was his move now.

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

There was a noticeable shift in his demeanor at the question, as though the masked man briefly took offense to it. A slightly sharper cock of his head to the side, a tenseness rising in his shoulders, and a twitch of his fingers as if they were preparing to ball into a fist. Just as quickly as it flared up though it dissipated into a hollow chuckle and a shake of his head. "I am an inheritor of the legacy of the Sith themselves am I not? Just as you are. I can think of no greater or grander legacy than that." For indeed what was greater than the legacy of the Dark Side's most powerful servants and adherents? Certainly not any one noble house or family that thought being distantly related to some figure of local renown, of that he was certain.

Darth Marr was indeed a great Sith, one of the greatest of the ancient Sith Empire, but supposedly sharing his blood meant little if one was unable to wield themselves properly regardless of their ancestry. Alisteri moved to walk past the other apprentice of the Pale Assassin but was stopped once more as he heard Malum utter his little whisper of realization. "Ah, you've of the Sangnir have you?" Surprising but not disarming or dangerous really, if anything it just meant that some other Sangnir must have been prominent. He had two guesses as to who that could be and they both involved blonde Sith that made far more usage of their natural abilities than he.

"You are correct, I am indeed one of the Sangnir." He held up a hand and turned it over as if admiring it, as if his true nature could be seen in it despite his glove. "A rather...unexpected gift of the Dark Side, but one that has allowed me to perform great deeds nonetheless." There was a part of him that did wish that his current state was purely the result of the Force rather than the mysterious species of blood drinkers, but he had been lead to such a transformation via his service to the Sith so it was close enough.

His hand fell back to his side as his stride continued and carried him to the craft's exit, his gaze shifting back to Malum as he spoke. The unspoken challenge did not go unnoticed but Alisteri could only smother a smirk at it. Had he been younger and more eager for fame and the approval of his master then perhaps he would have accepted the offer outright. But he had his own methods and means by which he could discover the artifacts and the person that had compiled such a list by now, and such things were due to his own personal efforts. Things that would not be known, at least not in their entirety, to his master or anyone else for that matter.

"If you discover the culprit or some particularly dangerous artifact then do feel free to alert me. Otherwise I have my own leads to pursue regarding a potential leak, ones that are far more...direct." His visor glinted in the ship's lights as he offered Malum a nod. "Farewell and good luck on your travels, Malum of House Marr. I hope to see you again soon, may the Force bless you." And with that he descended down to the floor of the spaceport and began the journey away to the landing zone where his own shuttle was docked and waiting. There was more to be said between the pair of them, comparisons to make and agreements to settle upon, but he knew well enough that his master was waiting on a proper report.

He saw no need to keep her waiting when Malum was clearly capable enough on his own, at least from what he had seen. Making one execution and following a trail to him were hardly the markings of a successful apprentice though, merely the markings of a capable assassin. Alisteri glanced down at the datapad tucked into his robes and pulled it out, seeing the blinking icon that represented the shuttle was still there to indicate that the tracker was working just fine. It would be what the supposed Heir of Marr did next that both himself and their master were truly waiting to see.

Darth Malum of House Marr