Dark Renaissance

[Darth Hauntruss]

[member="Darth Vornskr"] [member="Ashin Varanin"] [member="Spencer Jacobs"] [member="Enigma"]

Seated in one of the large towers that stretched over the permanent fog of Annaj, the capital world of the Lords of the Fringe, Val'Ryss watched the fumes drift by in eerie movements. The red eyes of the centuries old master of the force watched them with a hypnotising glare. Much had changed. What was once is now gone and there are too few to remember what was. She herself had changed. However, even though the dark taint that was consuming her was removed, the dark side could never be completely removed. Val'Ryss after was Val'Ryss, dark taint or not, she had fallen and she would remain there- a Dark Jedi Master- that was her true form. The taint which had consumed her during her time in the nether worlds only obscured her true personality, the mad sorceress was the manipulation of force corruption not her. Having regained her control over her own powers, Val'Ryss had undergone a dark renaissance.

In this contemplation, she had vanished after the destruction of her dark temple on Aza'Zoth and her reunion with her descendant Spencer. But, as she felt the galaxy through the force she felt a disturbance. A disturbance in the sense there was none. Her black lips curled, "The force has been thrown into imbalance." she hissed with a sigh. Raising her hands she clasped them together inter-locking her fingers. "Too much light can blind and burn. There is too much light- the force will begin to shake." She whispered in venomous study. "There must always be two. A dark and a Light. One to counter the other. What is light without its shadow. The Shadow has grown weak- the Sith have faded into the darkness." But, perhaps there was a way. She had lingered in the tower isolating herself from the galaxy for some time. Now, was the time to re-merge. Val'Ryss stretched out her arms and rose from her seat and began to approach the balcony the lunged out of the tower. "First things first, assess our surroundings and then break them. The darkness will be saved- the Sith shall be reformed." As she stood in the balcony she watched the ships of those she had summoned for consultation arrived on the landing pad beside the tower.

 

[Mercenary Sharky]

A mercenary would appear behind the mistress with his guns in his holster as usual and his hat facing down with his breather on his face...which causes his voice to sound a little dark and decending..

"Mistress, the sith will reform just like you wanted.., i just need more time.."

He would say kneeling forward to her knowing that he would have to pay the price for failing her the last time, but he knelt down luckily to avoid the guilt..

 

[Darth Carnifex]

It had been a long time since the Emperor of Panatha had to set foot on the Fringe capital, funnily enough the last time he did was to pledge the strength of the Reach to the Fringe's war efforts. Shortly after that he deployed his soldiers to O'reen to fight against the Republic's invading forces, and that was just the first taste. Now he was embroiled in a war that raged throughout the Galactic core, between his brethren in the One Sith and their eternal enemies, the Jedi and their beloved Republic. They had put up a good fight so far, but the tide was slowly turning, and the Dark Side would rise once more. For too long it had been smothered by those who sought to destroy it, but it would never be destroyed.

You cannot prevent judgement day, you can only delay it.

Now he found himself pulled away from the battlefield, and back to the heart of Fringe space at the behest of someone he thought long gone or long dead. After his ship had landed, he quickly made his way to and up the dark tower that housed his malevolent host. He was accompanied by none, for he did not need an escort for this rendezvous, but he did carry a lightsaber on his left hip. He wore a durasteel breastplate of base crimson trimmed by shining silver, a yellow woolen cloak was slung over both shoulders upon which was covered by matching pauldrons of the same coloration as his breastplate. Under his breastplate he wore a dark yellow robe that flowed well to his ankles, and was trimmed at the hem by dark crimson. His gauntlets, greaves, and sabatons were of the same color as his pauldrons and breastplate, and he had drawn back his yellow hood to reveal his weathered features to all.

Finally he had reached the balcony that held his host, and he stood several meters away from her as he regarded both herself and the servant that had arrived before him. "Hail, Lady Zankarr. It has been far too long since my eyes have gazed upon you, why is it that you have not contacted me sooner?"

[member="Val'Ryss Zankarr"]

 

[Mercenary Sharky]

Sharky looked at the Emperor and was shocked that he was not kneeling before him seeing his all powerful will of stand, however he knelt down to greet the emperor and for not greeting him sooner..

"Oh great emperor of panatha, how are things with you and your tyrany?"

He said smoothly to the emperor..

 

[Onrai]

[member="Val'Ryss Zankarr"]

"You know, I got my lips done up all nice and dark for this." Circe smiled at the original Dark Jedi. The last time the former plant-woman had seen Val'Ryss, she had turned good. Or at least neutral. Become more friendly. Now that she seemed Dark again it was surprising to her. "This Darkness is compensation for the Light's overwhelming superiority, isn't it... You're looking for that balance."

Smiling, she turned back to the ancient Darksider. "I assume I and others are to assist you with your plan?"

 

[Saraya]

He had never been to Annaj, and never thought he would, yet here he was entering it's atmosphere in his reflective plated ship. The tower he had been called to came into sight, the fog around it's top seeming like an ocean of mist. His ship landed at the nearest spaceport, only a short walk from the tower's entrance. In no time he found himself entering the room of the mysterious woman who had been sending him on small errands, a shiver ran up his spine. Despite keeping a calm composure, there was something about the room at this present moment that made him feel uneasy, most likely the two other Sith Lords present. Straightening out his longcoat and linking his gloved hands behind his back, the Echani made his way towards [member="Val'Ryss Zankarr"] slowly, stopping at a respectful distance. "I am here as you asked, my Lady." He said with a short nod of his head, before turning and sending a greeting nod to the others in the room.

 

[Mercenary Sharky]

Sharky stopped crouching or kissing up and looked at [member="Varis Stalwart"] grinning only a little knowing his face too well after trying to hunt for his head to gain a medium amount of credits in hapes he decided to talk a little to the big man to get it out of his head..

"What brings a target like you doin' from your bird cage eh?"

He would say unclamping and clamping his tooth pick in his teeth and teasing him while at it..

 

[Darth Hauntruss]

Val'Ryss tuned to meet the mercenary who had showed up unannounced, "Ah [member="Mercenary Sharky"], you seem to have a flare for the surprise entrance." The mercenary proclaimed that the Sith would reform and he would require the time to do so. "Heart-warming" Val'Ryss hissed in cynicism, "But there is more to this task than I think you can handle mercenary. But your assistance will be needed eventually."

The doors to her tower room opened and in walked a familiar face, encased in his iconic armor. [member="Darth Vornskr"] her old friend from the days Sith Empire old. A smile came to Val'Ryss' face and she raised both her arms as if to call him over for an embrace. "Kaine, my old friend" she laughed, "Meditating, recooperating, rebuilding my friend. I am sorry I had vanished, but I needed the time to recover." Val'Ryss drifted towards the emperor of panatha and placed both of her hands on his shoulders in a powerful pat. "And now..." Val'Ryss took a deep breathe from exhaling in a slithering gasp, "I've never felt better. The corruption that gave me power also ate away at my existence, but now that it has been removed, I am free to do as I please...I am me again." She passed the Panatha tyrant and moved to a table in the middle of the room. Sitting at the far end she rested her arms on the table, gesturing him and the mercenary to sit. "Come there is much to discuss."[member="Enigma"] then appeared. Val'Ryss said nothing and only nodded with a venomous smile directed at her old friend Circe.

Kneeling before her was her newly acquired follower [member="Varis Stalwart"]. Val'Ryss smiled, lowering her hand she wrapped her fingers around his chin and gestured him to stand up. "Ah yes." Val'Ryss called the others to come and see the Echani, "May I introduce my apprentice, Varis Stalwart. As strong man of ambition and someone who will prove of great use to me".

When all were seated she began her speech, "Time has come to decide what to do with this imbalance. The Light must be reckoned with Darkness. Kaine, you have infiltrated the various new orders of the Sith, what have you learned of them?"

 

[Mercenary Sharky]

Sharky tilted his head up to the mistress smiling a little..but forgot that he had a mission to do but indeed had other means in telling her..

"Good to know..but there comes to lieing what is beyond than skill these days, you see...after scavenging through some blue prints in the auditorium, i managed to gain some intelligence from one of the alchemists that one of the Sleeper agents have found a small pint of green gel, which is an elastic polmer blend that has highly corrosive green juices that seem to come from an emerald, do you know something that falls in the night of the glistening stars, that cause chaos? it is rumored to fall on the day of an apocolypse that could mean..."

He gasped and said most concerned there has to be a secret to this gel that was indeed traced from an emerald, the only worse part is it happened during the sith apocolypse when they used swords instead of sabers and it was much more gory and bloody than some other wars fought..


(( The sith apocolypse is a REAL thing ))

 

[Darth Carnifex]

His gaze fell across Circe as he turned to follow Val'Ryss and take a seat at her table, his large armored frame taking up most of the seat's space. He didn't really give any attention to the others, as Lady Zankarr was the sole focus of his attention, and he was quite interested with what she had to say. He could relate to the corruption that had threatened to devour her being, as he had been suffering the same tragedy for several months now if his aged features and gray hair could be indication. However; his left eye still held the burning passion that was present when he joined Zankarr on Togoria all those years ago, and slaughtered an entire civilization. The right eye, however; was not the same, but rather a organic bio-weapon he had acquired not long ago. It's purple iris stared hungrily at his host, and it seemed to shudder and squirm on its own from time to time.

Then the mention of Sith orders came up, and Kaine could not help but frown deeply. "There are quite a few, and I have been watching most of them. When the Empire fragmented, several cabals of Sith and Imperials attempted to rebuild in the decimated ruins of Imperial space, namely two entities. The Sith Council, and the New Order. The former was eradicated before it could grow, and the latter is suffering the same fate, although its death is far too slow for my liking. The less division among our ranks the better. I myself have found a higher calling in the One Sith, which is currently embroiled in a vicious war with our ancient enemies. The Jedi and the Republic. You should join us, you would be a welcome addition to the cause." He did reveal anything else, preferring not to play his entire hand before the time was right.

He trusted that Val'Ryss would respond favorably.


[member="Val'Ryss Zankarr"]

 

[Marmora]

It was strange, even in her own little world at the very edge of the Galaxy, resting in its ancient cradle from where it had been birthed. She could still taste and smell the ash and dust of the dead world as she quietly sat in the darkness of the shuttle that had ferried her back to what one could call the 'civilized' galaxy. Her arms remained crossed over her chest as she sat quietly with her eyes closed, alone with her thoughts, though she was never truly alone. No, there was always the whispers, the speaking will manifested within herself of her own Dark One.

"They have lost their way."

"No. They have abandoned the true Darkness that lies within."

"Remind them.... remind them Dark Lady."

Without a word she rose from her place, turning as she felt the shuttle jostle and come to a stop. The door emitting a loud hiss as she stepped forward onto the boarding ramp. Slowly making her way through the mist and fog that surrounded the landing platform as she quietly moved forward. The Dark Lady remaining silent as she usually did, her fingers seemingly tapping out their own beat, as if she were playing an instrument as she made her way to the base of the tower. She stopped only once to look upon the spire as it tore upwards through the fog and mist. A small smirk crossing her lips before she stepped forward, her hands remaining at her side as she stepped into the lift that would presumably take her to the room in which the others had already gathered.

Having arrived as she always did, she was unarmed, though it was not out of any musing that she could defeat any whom moved against her; rather it was out of respect for the host that so graciously had invited one such as the Mad Prophetess to such a gathering. At times it was difficult for the Dark Lady, or rather she felt it was. Hiding was not so easy for someone of her kind, soaked in an ancient Darkness and nearly a nexus unto herself as she moved across the galaxy. Though it was something she seemingly never desired to hide, nor did she really tap into the darkness that surrounded her. Her mind and focus was upon those ancient arts and tricks practiced in the ancient Dark Forest upon Kashyyyk.

As she stood before the doors she paused, allowing a moment to quietly pass as she thought to herself. Listening and taking council with the whispers that continued to grow within her mind. Her armored and lithe figure quietly swaying in place before her hands came up. Her slender fingers ran along the ornate doors before they grasped upon the handles, slowly pressing forward to push both doors open before speaking to herself.

"It is time."

Spoiler

[member="Mercenary Sharky"]
[member="Val'Ryss Zankarr"]
[member="Varis Stalwart"]
[member="Enigma"]
[member="Darth Vornskr"]

Maroon - Marmora speaking
Other Colors - Whispers in her head

 

[Saraya]

Varis rose as commanded, moving himself over to the table. His eyes scanned across [member="Darth Vornskr"] as he spoke of the One Sith. In his eyes, they were not true Sith. They were too wrapped up in politics and publicity to care about the true meaning of being Sith; Power. The Echani sat down at the table, linking his hands together infront of him. His attention turned to [member="Val'Ryss Zankarr"] then, wondering what she would say to the offer of joining the One Sith while keeping his thoughts silenced.

 

[Mercenary Sharky]

Sharky looked at the Dark Lady, who seemed like she owned everything in this palace like tower, he came closer to the lady to speak to her..

"Ma'm I need to ask...what is this Dark One you speak of?" He was oh-so curious to know what benefitted everyone's attention about this Dark One for he has heard it many times never knew who it was..

 

[Darth Hauntruss]

[member="Darth Vornskr"]
Val'Ryss leaned back into her chair as she listened to her dark friend and his analysis of the situation. Her red eyes wandered the group. His suggestion to join the One Sith amused her somewhat. Val'Ryss smiled, "I have no interest in returning to the fold as of yet my friend. But, nevertheless I see the Sith and those cast out of the light and into the dark as my own, and as such I shall help as much as I can." Val'Ryss then leaned in resting her head on her two hands, thee fingers folded together to make a bridge.

Her eyes narrowed and her voice became stark, "However..." with this word a map of the galaxy emerged from the centre of the table. "Your One SIth are trapped between the forces of the Republic and the Lords of the Fringe. It seems they got greedy and consumed what was left of the crumbling Atrisian Empire or Galactic Empire. Blinded by greed they have forsaken their homeland and code. Although powerful, they are without a sound foundation." Val'Ryss stood up and as she passed each member at the table she ran her fingers across the backs of the chairs. The pure malice of Val'Ryss' stroll chilled the air. "They will fall, sooner or later. In the older times of the Sith Empire, the raw destructive power of the servants of the Dark Emperor were held in check. But since the collapse of the Kass Empire, the title of Emperor has been handed down like a common surname. It holds no power. This One Sith will become many and in small pieces." Val'Ryss hissed.

She raised her arms and rested her hands on the center of her chest above her heart. "The Sith are in no need of a Dark Lord or Emperor. No, they require a Dark Mother, to watch over them, install discipline and re-indoctrinate them into the code of the Sith. Only then will the darkness return to its fullest and correct the imbalance brought about a technocratic dictatorship the republic has become. Now more conquest hungry than the Empire you and I once fought for."

[member="Marmora"]
She watched as one of her other recruitments arrived. A powerful alchemist she had meet once long ago. She smiled. Before returning to her seat and proclaiming to everyone gathered with a low hiss-

"And this Dark Mother shall lead a Dark Brotherhood, an Order as the SIth and even before then the Bogan Cults of the Second Schism intended it to be. A Religious Alliance of those who have been cast into the darkness but will not surrender to their fate. A Covenant of the Chosen, a Brotherhood of Darkness."​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Zankarr's reponse was... disfavorable to say the least.

Kaine's mouth curled into a sneer as he suddenly stood up from his chair, knocking it over behind him in the process. "Sacrilege!" With a single sweep of his hand he brought the lightsaber clipped to his belt to his outstretched hand, activated the crimson blade, and brought it down and through the section of the table closet to him. The severed piece of the table fell to the ground with a clatter as loud as a thunderclap as Kaine pointed an accusing finger at Zankarr with his free hand, his lightsaber held tightly in his other. "You know not of which you speak, Val'Ryss. Your mind has been addled by your isolation, and you have grown ignorant of the galaxy around you while you hid within your tower! I have been out there, I have fought in the trenches, and I have carved a path of desolation through the ancient enemy's ranks. The One Sith's apotheosis is nigh, and the Republic has only begun to taste the blood of its own shattered jaw. You would do good to banish these thoughts of blasphemy, or I will renounce all ties I once held to you and cut you down like a swine."

His muscles bulged with barely contained anger as he spit his fiery words directly in Val'Ryss' face, his six-foot-nine frame being quite imposing in contrast to the other's. It was obvious that Kaine had become very close to the philosophy of the One Sith, and firmly believed that the vision of his forefather, Darth Krayt, was the only way to return the galaxy to a state of Sith-dominated order. His cloak billowed and swayed as a sudden gust of wind swept through the balcony and nearby chambers like torrent, tossing his short gray hair back and forth as he spat his final venomous words.

[member="Val'Ryss Zankarr"]

 

[Mercenary Sharky]

Sharky thought of an idea, dark brotherhood sounded vaguely familiar, so he pulled out a document and passed it under the table to the Mistress [member="Val'Ryss Zankarr"] by kicking it under the table while the Dark Mother was not looking..he whispers to the Mistress before passing on the retrieved documents..


" I stole this from one of the Alchemists, there is a reason why i kept this a secret from them, mostly her..but that doesnt matter, when this meeting is over please dont hesitate to over look the analysis.."

 

[Saraya]

Varis rose, despite being highly inferior to the furious Sith Lord. His hand shot towards the hilt of his sword, yet he did not draw. Instead, he looked to his Master, [member="Val'Ryss Zankarr"], seeing how she would handle the situation first. Even though he was nothing in power compared to [member="Darth Vornskr"], he was prepared to fight for his master. At any cost.

 

[Onrai]

Circe merely sat back and watched as the tension grew. Inside, she felt disconcerted - two of her friends were fighting with one another, and the last thing she wanted was for another schism. "Kaine, certainly the best option would be to convince Val'Ryss of the capabilities of the One Sith to fight against the Republic and other Light-Sided galactic powers. Antagonizing someone whose capabilities in the Dark Side outmatch yourself and I, who has studied Sith Sorcery and grown proficient in it millennia before our conception, isn't going to help. Further infighting is why our great Empire is now shattered beyond all recognition."

She then turned to the former Sith lady, whose rebirth as a neutral she had personally experienced. "The One Sith is a group I have yet to fully examine. Their capabilities appear to be strong enough, considering their having taken Coruscant, but their ideology is somewhat more blurry to me. Still, having known Kaine since we first met on Aza'Zoth years ago, his words do carry merit."

Leaning back, she wondered how her mediating would be taken - or if it would.

[member="Val'Ryss Zankarr"] [member="Varis Stalwart"] [member="Mercenary Sharky"] [member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Hauntruss]

[member="Darth Vornskr"][member="Varis Stalwart"][member="Enigma"]

Val'Ryss rose her hand to calm Varis and gestured for him to refrain. She smiled and scoffed at Kaine, "I didn't think you such a zealot Kaine." Val'Ryss' smiled decayed into a hissing frown, "Kindly put that thing away. I have no intention of fighting you over semantics." She sighed and looked around the room. "The One Sith are need of one thing the most. Servants. Loyalty. And a Foundation. The Brotherhood, I wish to create, shall supply them that very cause. One Sith may do as they please, but the Brotherhood shall act as the spiritual anchor for the Sith. It shall be there, always in the shadows, supplying knowledge to those who seek it out. Lest we let the Sith culture vanish into the mist of time and become obsessed with only conquest."

Val'Ryss arose, "I shall prepare the necessary alliances to have it done. But I have resources set to create a secret Sith Academy beneath the rubble of Mytus VII, its recent destruction makes it a planet most will forget and a perfect place to begin the construction of the Sith Brotherhood. For the time being do as you please, when the time comes I will contact all of you. And hopefully by then, even more have gathered to my cause. The Sith Brotherhood and I as their Dark Mother shall re-invent the Sith Code and Culture and plant the seeds of our return all over the galaxy." Val'Ryss finished with a gleeful hiss.

 

[Onrai]

Circe paused, smiling as her compatriot at the table finished. "Honestly, if it's not too much trouble, Val, I'd rather stick around here for a bit. We do have a lot to catch up on." She chose not to go into further detail, instead eying Kaine as she ran a finger over her lips. "A pleasure seeing you all." With that, she stood up and moved away, waiting for the crowd's dispersal so she and the infamous Hiss-Hiss could speak again.

[member="Darth Hauntruss"]