Private Bothan Customs

[Leru Dara]

Getting off Dressel had been a complicated matter. Following his encounter with the Silver Jedi, he had barely been able to escape her and the Dresselian civilians assault against him. The farmer who had saved him, and his brother, being the only two who had stood up for the man. They had offered him a ship to get off planet, on the condition that Leru swore to bring it back one day. In that instant, Leru would have told them anything to get away, but when he agreed to their terms, he had meant it. What he did not tell them was that he planned on returning to settle the score with that entire town, but he would bring with him riches and reward for the farmer and his extended family.

Good deeds should never be ignored, but affronts and attacks should never be forgiven either. This he knew.

Leru still did not remember much, but on that thought, he was certain. The blaring of the ships console before him forced him to refocus on the current situation though. The small transport he had been given had limited fuel, and a rudimentary navigation computer at best from what Leru had been able to discern. He had only been able to go along the nearest major hyperlane, the Mara Corridor in one of two direction. Since one of those two directions had lead straight into the heart of Silver Jedi Concord territory, he had little choice other than to go in the opposite direction, straight across the border of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. His ship had barely made it across the border before it dropped out of hyperspace, floating at the edge of the Bothuwai system.

Shortly after his unplanned entry to the system, alerts began playing across the freighter as small system defense fighters approached the freighter. Grimacing beneath his helmet, Leru tapped a small flashing icon on the console, and the garbled voice of one of the circling pilots came across. "Unidentified vessel, this is Captain Loris of the Bothan System Security Force. You have entered CIS space without permission or prior warning, and are subject to search and investigation. You are ordered to follow us down to the planet and land in the designated hangar. Any deviations from the flight plan or attempts to escape on the world will result in your arrest or termination." The words had barely finished coming through when Leru smashed his armored gauntlet into the console, shattering it in a shower of sparks and shrapnel.

Hesitating for the briefest moment, Leru let the rage he felt control his mind as he debated his best course of action, when a bright flash of red light that flew past his cockpit settled the matter. The pilots around him were starting to grow nervous, and the next shot might not be sent as a warning his way. Punching in the uploaded flight controls into the console, Leru allowed the vessel to bank, and begin flying itself down towards the surface of the world below. As clouds began to rush by the viewport, Leru exited the cockpit. Entering the cramped cargo bay of the freighter, he reached back to pull up the hood of the cloak secured to his armor. He did not know why he did it, but the action felt natural to him.

After several minutes of travel, Leru felt the freighter rock roughly as its worn landing gear touched down to the surface of Bothawui. Another few minutes of waiting finally brought the sound of figures approaching the freighter, the slightly metallic clang of each step telling Leru they were at least partially armored. Several loud bangs sounded on the hull as one of the security troopers, presumably the officer in charge of the inspection, shouted for Leru to step away from the ramp and prepare to be boarded. Complying, at least for the moment, Leru took a step back as a loud hissing sound echoed through the freighter as the worn out ramp lowered, steam shooting from the rusted motors before landing with a almost inaudible thump on the ground. In the next instant, four figures marched up the ramp of the ship, flashlights set into the shoulders of their armor coming to life as the dimly lit interior of the freighter surrounded them.

After a second of searching the lights settled on the cloaked and armored figure of Leru, and a darker part of the man felt a wave of pleasure wash over him at the frightened look a few of the troopers gave his appearance. The leader of the small squad was not as easily phased however, and he stepped towards Leru. The Bothan barely came up to Leru's chin, but he held himself with a confidence and arrogance that Leru had to respect. That respect vanished in an instant of white hot rage as the Bothan took a further step closer to Leru, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the visor of Leru's helmet.

"Well, what do we have here. Some wanna be dressing up to try and scare people, hu? Well, the Bothan System Security Force are not so easily frightened off punk. By order of said force, and the authority of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, you are ordered to remove that fancy armor there and submit yourself and this ship to summary inspection and investigation. Any resistance will be met with equal and proportionate response granted to us by the authority of the law." The officer looked down at the small datapad held in his left hand as he waited for Leru to respond. Several seconds of silence passed before the officer glanced back up at Leru, who had not moved a millimetre as the two stared at each other.

"Did you hear me, punk? Take off that armor, now!" The officer accented the order with his gloved left hand, which held a stun baton at the ready. Even before the Bothan had retracted his hand from the contact with Leru, the cloaked figure was in motion. A snap hiss sound echoed through the freighter as the Bothan officer let out a startled cry, dropping the datapad and stun baton as he glanced down to see a orange lightsaber blade protruding through his gut, and out his back. He remained frozen for another instant, until Leru withdrew his lightsaber, and kicked the dying man back down the ramp. The other three troopers barely had a second more to respond as Leru leapt forward, his blade slashing through the darkness of the cargo hold.

Outside, the fifth man of the squad, a young Bothan who had only recently joined the Security Force, stared in wide eyed horror as the body of his commanding officer crumbled into a heap at his feet at the bottom of the ramp. Stumbling back a step, his eyes shot up as the screams of the rest of his squad echoed from the cargo hold, along with the unmistakable sound of a lightsaber. Turning, the youth ran to the far side of the small security hangar, thumbing an emergency command into the console. Sirens began to blare across the hangar, and a small screen came to life underneath the terminal set into the wall. Another Bothan officer glanced up from his work to see the frightened face of the trooper. "What is it, Private?"

"Sir, I need back up! The others are dead! The freighter...the man on board is some kind of monster! Get hel..." The voice of the trooper cut off suddenly and his face vanished from the terminal. The officer stared in mute horror for a second before the visor of Leru's helmet took up the screen, staring mutely at the officer. After a moment of thought, Leru stepped back, and brought his orange blade up and around, destroying he camera and terminal. The officer sat in silence for several seconds before turning to a nearby terminal close to his desk, flicking a few switches and setting the facility into lockdown. He also activated a secondary signal, sent to the Knights Obsidian. From what he could see, it looked like they would need all the help they could get to deal with this monster...

Adron Malvern

 

[Adron Malvern]

Bothawui
Auxiliary Landing Platform
POV: Knight Vector Arax
Leru Dara
​

"Seven...eight...nine..." Vector muttered out silently as he remained suspended in a stable hand-stand. His eyes were partially closed as he drew from the force to empower his muscles and focus his balance. The man had short black hair which barely fell from his head and a single scar running over his left eye.

"Sir." A voice called out, causing Vector's eyes to come open. The Knight did not hesitate as he pushed off from his arms, righting himself with a balanced flip back to his feet. He glanced up to see his young squire holding a comlink to his ear. "Sir, something is going on at the auxilary platform. The Planetary Security Forces need help." The younger boy who had curly red hair seemed a bit more green than his superior. He was only in his late teens and looked more like a boy than a man. The two wore armored plates under flowing ebony and grey robes.

"Then we'd better get to the platform, eh kid?" Vector said to his apprentice, pulling his lightsaber from his waist before moving out of the room the two had been occupying. Both of the Knight's exited into the hall, running alongside each other through the pristine halls of the Bothan spaceport. They'd only been at the spaceport for a few days and were eager for something aside from the usual unregistered individual. They found themselves at the main bay door's leading to the auxiliary landing pad. The young Squire froze when he felt the presence of the Dark Side radiating from the door before him. "Wh- what?" He mouthed, however his master seemed unphased. The Knight spoke, his eyes fastened on the door before him. "Alert Command and stay here. No one else enters, do you understand?" He asked, turning those keen eyes to the young boy. The boy did nore speak, but instead nodded his head in silent understanding.

"Don't worry kid. I'll be back soon." The Obsidian Knight held his hand towards the door while extending his will over the Force over the metal surface. With some effort, the door slid open and Vector's lightsaber game to life with a vibrant snap-hiss. The orange blade shined brilliantly as the man took easy, measured steps into the platform bay.

When Vector entered the room, his eyes noticed the bodies that had been littered across the floor like rag dolls. The Knight clenched his jaw, allowing his anger to bring him to a single point of focus. "Step forward and receive your death." His senses brought his eyes to a single place, where a man covered from head to toe in armor stood before him.

"Murderer." He proclaimed, leveling his lightsaber in the Shii-cho stance as he gazed out at the Sith before him. He did not give the dark sider time to think, or respond. Vector charged, bringing his lightsaber forward in a powerful thrust for the man's heart.

 

[Leru Dara]

Leru had just pulled his lightsaber from the back of a security trooper when the two Obsidian Knights entered the room. Not long after the call for aid had gone to the Knights, a second, larger and more heavily armed squad of troopers had stormed the hangar. The ensuing battle had seen extensive damage dealt to both the hangar and the freighter Leru had arrived on, though the troopers all paid dearly for their efforts. As Leru tossed the broken body of the Bothan trooper to the side, he had to give them credit. They did not run in the face of destruction.

Courage should be rewarded, but blind obedience and suicidal vigor should be punished. This Leru also knew.

He had sensed the approach of the two Obsidian Knights a few seconds before they had arrived at the hangar, his mind at a lost at what he was sensing. He knew to touch of the Dark Side of the Force, Bogan. He held that feeling close to himself, reveling in the clarity it brought and the relief from the pain it provided him. He also knew the taint of the light side, Ashla. Ashla wreaked of stagnation and order, a promise of a slow death in a world of unending immobility. He had felt it on Dressel when the Jedi had confronted him. What he sensed now was something strange to him.

The two figures that entered the hangar were coated in an almost visible grey mass of the force. Ashla and Bogan warred within the figures, each calling for a commitment that would never come, Leru could see. He took a step towards the two newcomers, his left foot coming down in a brutal impact on the neck of a still living trooper, snapping the man's neck and feeding the darkness within Leru as he took in the two before him, weighing them up. The words of the older of the two shocked Leru out of his own mind as he glanced down at the bodies littered around the hangar, tilting his head to the side slightly, the hood around his helmet shifting with the motion.

Before Leru could respond, the Obsidian Knight before him launched himself forward, his own orange blade angled and piercing through the air for Leru's heart. In a flash of understanding, Leru realized the man was using Shii-Cho, a combat style that called for quick, decisive moves aimed at disarming an opponent and bringing an end to a fight as quickly as possible. His response was almost as quick and thoughtless as his understanding of his opponents actions, and he brought his blade up and across his own body in a quick, arcing counter utilizing the Makashi technique. Leru batted the initial strike towards his heart aside and took a quick step backwards, his left arm brought up across his chest in a reflexive defense as he delivered a quick series of blows towards the Obsidian Knight, aimed first at his legs, and then his chest.

He began to speak as the duel entered its opening stages, his mind blossoming to life with the thrill of combat.

"Murder...? No. No this was not murder. Murder would discredit the courage and strength these men and women here had within them up till the end. No, indecisive one, this was not murder. This was a privilege." As Leru spoke he knew the words were true, the pain in his mind easing somewhat as more clarity flowed across him. Letting out a barked laugh, Leru turned his full focus on the fight before him.

Adron Malvern

 

[Adron Malvern]

Vector had intended on ending the fight quickly. His senses in the Force were well-attuned and even he could feel the murderous power that came from the being that had been in the hangar. Yet when he charged, his lightsaber had been batted away with near-perfect precision. The Knight's eyes went wide in confusion.

What the hell? He mused, before sharply turning his lightsaber towards the ground to guard against the blow aimed for his legs. After guarding against the strike, Vector attempted to step back, bringing his lightsaber in to his chest to guard his center. He was a second too slow as his enemies blade sliced across the durasteel plate on his chest. Luckily the blow had been shallow, yet the faint hiss of the molten streak that the crimson lightsaber had left was ringing in Vector's ears.

If I hadn't have stepped back, I'd be done for... Vector's mind felt on edge as he kept his eyes fastened on the man before him.

"Quiet. What are you doing here? Are you with the Sith Empire or the Agents of Chaos? I promise you I will kill you here and now." The Knight declared, holding his lightsaber evenly against the Dark Sider before him.

That was the moment, when the hangar was swallowed by shadow and darkness.

​

All light seemed to fade away from the landing platform. Even the top of the structure, which was left open for incoming starships, let in no light or sunshine. The Darkness was unnatural. It shifted and danced as if it was some manifestation come alive. The shadows crept through the hangar, surrounding both the Knight of the Obsidian Order and the young Dark Sider. A cool breeze seemed to drift along the two as the presence of the Dark Side left a great weight in the room. This darkness was a thick fog that surrounded the two, inhibiting sight and even sound. Yet when finally there was some sound to spill into the hangar, it was a simple voice. Refined, poised, and elegant it was like a songsteel blade wrapped in fine shimmersilk.

"You are a powerful one, aren't you?" The voice called out through the shadow. As Leru looked to the man he had just been dueling with, he would notice his body fade away, like dust caught in a stiff wind.

"No. Not powerful. Raw." He chuckled out, as if amused by the thought of the being before him wielding true power. The Knight that Leru had fought had been young, impressionable, and set off-balance by the sheer weight of Leru's presence in the Force. However, this presence was no different from a great bolt of lightning. Powerful, but striking out with no sense of vision or goal. How interesting. The Dark Lord thought.

A great wind suddenly blew over the hangar. A wind so powerful it seemed intent on throwing Leru from his feet. No, it was not a mere wind. The current grew stronger and eventually a massive repulse fired out at the young warrior. With the repulse, the shadows and darkness would dissipate back into the twisting nether of the Force. In the center of the hangar stood the Sith Lord, Darth Malphas. His features were young and vibrant, yet his presence in the Force was aged and knowing. He had deep amethyst eyes that peered out at Leru with a whimsical interest. The Sith Lord stepped forward, his crimson boots echoing out as they brushed against the metal of the floor.

"What business do you have here boy?" The Sith Lord asked, a brow arched at the creature before him.

Leru Dara

 

[Leru Dara]

Leru had only a moment to feel the rush and thrill of striking his foe when the hangar was consumed by darkness. Leru expected his helmet visor to adjust to the sudden loss of light in a second or two. Instead, he remained nearly blind, his eyes darting left and right at shadows and forms seeming to move in the darkness. It was not a natural darkness then, and the sudden rush of Dark Side energy that flooded through Leru's senses only confirmed what he had already guessed. Despite the sudden change, and the potential danger it brought, Leru could not help but revel in the sheer power that permeated the hangar.

Turning his gaze back to the warrior he had been fighting, Leru frowned as he first began to distort, and then finally vanish entirely. This did bring a frown to his face, and after a second of thought Leru brought his lightsaber up in a guard position as the voice of Darth Malphas filled the hangar. Leru tilted his head to the side slightly as he turned in a slow circle, trying to find the source of the voice. He could not pinpoint an exact location of the voice, and Leru did not like the prospect that he could be flanked or surrounded without warning. Doing his best to remember where his ship was, Leru began to back towards it, hoping to cut off at least one angle of approach.

Leru grimaced within his helmet as the voice went on to seemingly judge and critique him. Leru understood he had limitations, such things had been made clear as he tried to explore his abilities during the short journey from Dressel. Yet to be put on the defensive so quickly, so suddenly, and to be even further judged by a being Leru could not even see irritated him. He had little time to think on this matter further as the darkness suddenly began to move, changing direction and orienting itself towards him.

Leru had only a single instant to bring up his lightsaber before him, the orange blade in his hands barely parting the sudden rush of wind and dark side energy that assaulted Leru. It did not do much, but Leru had a sudden thought, one that he was certain was not his own. As the hurricane of energy and wind continued to intensify against him, Leru sent his own force energy around his lightsaber blade, creating a wedge of dark side energy before his body. Some of the worst of the wind was diverted away from striking Leru directly, but he still felt his feet beginning to slide across the floor of the hangar, his back slamming into the lowered ramp of his ship.

Just as he was worried he would be overwhelmed, the barrage came to an end, almost as suddenly as it began. It took Leru's eyes a moment to adjust to the sudden change in lighting as he pushed himself slowly back to his feet, finding his balance as he dropped the force wedge before his body. A single figure stood in the hangar, approaching Leru slowly, leisurely. Leru could tell at once the man before him had been the source of the dark side attack. Even from across the hangar Leru could still feel the unyielding strength and confidence in the man, far beyond what would be considered likely for his age.

Leru tilted his head to the side slightly at that thought. The thought about the man's age and experience had not been his own. It had been a darker voice that had spoken, deeper within the recesses of his mind. The agony washed across his mind stronger than before at the intruder to his own mind, and only the question delivered by the man approaching him allowed Leru to focus, and lock the pain behind another mental barrier.

What business did Leru have here? He thought about what the warrior earlier had said. He had mentioned a Sith Empire, and something called the Agents of Chaos. He was vaguely aware of the Sith now, from both his experiences on Dressel and the little information he had been able to find aboard the freighter about this Empire of Sith. The Agents of Chaos however were an unknown factor to him. For every question he seemed to have, two more seemed to appear before he ever found an answer for the first. Shaking his head slightly, Leru turned his gaze back fully to the man approaching him, and leveled his lightsaber towards him, ready, he hoped, to defend himself.

"My business is necessity. I have no memory of the past, of affiliations or ties. On a world near this one, I encountered and fought a woman claiming to be a Jedi of the Silver Jedi Concord. I had to flee the planet, and had only two options, either go into their territory, or yours. It seems I may have picked the wrong option."

Adron Malvern

 

[Adron Malvern]

The Sith Lord listened to the man's words, yet that amused smirk he wore soon faded as he crossed his arms over his armored chest in silent contemplation. His eyes glanced over to the dead bodies that had littered the room. Bothan Security forces. They were a proud and prestigious group, even among the Confederate Military. The Exarch's eyes softened before he exhaled a sigh of agitation. He could not allow this slight to go on unpunished, yet the being before him seemed to hold no ties to the Sith or Agents of Chaos?

He opened himself to the mysterious whispers of the Force. Searching for any hint of falsehood or lie in the man's words. He could find none, at least not on the surface of Leru's thoughts.

"Put away your lightsaber, child." Malphas waved a hand towards the boy's lightsaber in a grim tone that suggested there would not be a second chance for Leru to disarm himself.

"I am Darth Malphas, Exarch of The Confederacy of Independent Systems." He introduced himself, his eyes drifting back to the corpses that littered the hangar. "For your crimes, the sentence is death." He declared, before bringing a single finger to run along his well-trimmed beard. "However." He paused, before turning his eyes to Leru. "The Force within you is powerful. Yet, you are ignorant to the true heights of your own power and that will prove to be your downfall. You must learn of the Dark Ways from those who are practiced and have mastered that which you barely comprehend."

"So I will allow you a choice." He said with a slightly amused tone. "You can walk a new path of atonement for the lives you have taken. Commit yourself to The Confederacy and knowledge of the Dark Side will be open to you."

"...Or die." The Exarch said, his eyes gazing at the man curiously.

Leru Dara

 

[Leru Dara]

Leru barely hesitated as he deactivated his lightsaber, placing it back on his hip where it locked with a magnetic connection. A moment later, a small hatch in his armor opened, and the section holding the lightsaber dissapeared within the armor. He had figured the weapon would have little further use against the Sith Lord before him, and if things deteriorated further, he would have to rely on other methods to survive. He was not sure what those methods were, or even if they existed to begin with, but he would think on that later.

Leru tilted his head to the side slightly, confusion playing across his face though neither of the two present could really tell. He did not really have the experience or knowledge to judge the strength of Force Users yet, let alone himself. He had met less than a half dozen of them since awakening, and all of them had been of similar strengths, except for the one he now faced. His lack of knowledge was part of the problem he realized, and the man here, Darth Malphas, was offering him a way to erase that weakness.

However...

"Service takes many forms, Darth Malphas, Exarch of the Confederacy. In what way would you have me serve your Confederacy?" Leru made sure to include the Sith Lords full titles as he spoke. It would not do for a breech of edict now at this junction to see him fall, not when a chance had been given to him, far greater than what he could have originally hoped for when coming to CIS space.

Adron Malvern

 

[Adron Malvern]

The Exarch's lips curled into a soft smile before he looked to the man with a simple expression, as if his question was one born in ignorance. "For you, service takes only one form. Enlistment. You will serve in the order of the Knight's Obsidian. The Master of the order, Kyyrk will be notified of your...special circumstances behind your enrollment in his order. You will fight for The Confederacy and only once your debt is paid, will you be released from your service. However, make no mistake. If you attempt to flee your charge or disobey the orders of the Knights placed above you...then I will destroy you. Your very presence in the Force will be wiped away, forever."

The Sith Lord pulled a comm device from his waist, glancing at it for a spare moment before tossing it to the young warrior. "Await the call." He left a simple order, before turning his back to the man.

"Remember this. The Confederacy is a wonderful place for a new beginning. We believe in letting the past die..." He glanced back to the man for a faint moment. "...and if it will not die, kill it." He said, before turning out of the hangar.

Leru Dara