Duality

[Placeholder 04]

All this conflict was making Mephirium quite tired.

Flying halfway across the galaxy multiple times, and then ending those trips with lightsaber duels was not good for one's health. Traveling so much was, unfortunately, another grim necessity given the path he had chosen to walk. Some Sith jumped at the chance to join him, others...less so. At the very least, no one had declared outright animosity toward his cause. Responses had generally ranged from acceptance to wanting to keep themselves out of the affair all together.

That was just fine and dandy. The less Sith Lords running to defend Coruscant, the better.

His reception with the Imperials had been far better. A number of minor Moffs had pledged themselves to his service. They remembered his father and what the man had done for them in past. The fact that he made time to show the Imperials that he did legitimately care for their well-being certainly helped as well.

Mephirium was content to muse these things over from his meditation room at the top of the Ession Citadel. He was confident he would not be bothered unless something of grave importance came up, and Captain [member="Aelius Varangian"] would know whether it was worth his time or not.

Content to his silence, Mephirium watched as the flames of the torches licked at the obsidian walls. For once, he had a moment's peace.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Tyberius Fel]

Aelius Varangian dutifully shadowed his new found master. Force Pike firmly grasped in hand and flames casting dancing lights off his laboriously maintained crimson and black armor, he stood tall and straight backed outside the entrance to his Emperor's meditation chamber, almost resembling a statue. This Mephirium.. He was different from Palpatine. He did not exalt in pain for the sake of pain, torture for the sake of torture. Everything he did, a calculated pragmatic means to a end. Aelius found himself gradually warming up to the idea of being at this man's side as he reunified the galaxy.

The Royal Guard Captain inhaled, exhaled and refocused his mind on detecting any possible threats. Aelius would not lose another Emperor. Not again. Not if he could help it.

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

There was no more reason to hide. Not after having come so far, taking such care not to be seen or heard. It was a feet in and of itself to be right where he was standing, in the belly of the beast, but Varus fully intended to be the stomach ache that would turn sickness and destroy the beast from the inside out. There was a certain determination in him now that wasn't interested in budging, and he was more than prepared to die that very day if it came to it, seeing as he didn't have much to live for after everything was considered. His love life was again a complete waste of his time, having lost track of the woman he'd done so much to maintain. What was even worse, however, was that all too popular self destruction of the Republic, which was presently crumbling still as he entered this cold and vacant enemy territory.

The Jedi were about as organized as a Rancor mating party, and so what else would there be to do but to take things into his own hands? "Stand down.", Varus whispered in his rather deep voice as he revealed himself about twenty feet away from an armor clad guard standing his station as expected. The force shimmered lightly as it left him and faded away, showing the powerfully built Jedi who had boldly come where none should have dared venture at a time when everything good was so volatile and almost infant. Everything had failed or collapsed that Varus had been relying on over the years. The people he'd loved had left him and the Republic he would have died for had turned on itself.

"I seek only the one you're here to protect.", Varus told the guard, stating the obvious really as the tall, blue eyed blonde clenched his fists tight as if he were about to get into a fist fight with an abusive father who'd gone one step to far. This man, however, had abused nothing but his trust.

"Fetch him for me?"

[member="Darth Mephirium"] - [member="Aelius Varangian"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

Captain Varangian would have taken Varus to the sword. The much Mephirium knew. The Royal Guard was proving to be every bit the legend his kind had been made out to be. In truth, Mephirium stood up because he worried about Varus' safety.

But then, Varus Shatterstar was no pushover.

The doors parted behind Varangian a moment later. Darth Mephirium stepped forth through the gap, clad in the armor he had once worn as the lord of Ession. For Varus' sake, he had opted not to wear his helmet, instead meeting his former student eye for an eye. "You could've just announced yourself at the reception desk." Mephirium opined, amusement lacing his words.

Blue eyes shifted to the Captain.

"He may pass. I can only assume he has questions -" Mephirium turned about toward the chambers, " - among other things. You may join us as well if you like, Captain."

His smile faded the moment his back was turned to the duo. He knew why Varus was here. The meditation chamber would suit his purpose well. That would be, of course, only if Mephirium failed to help Varus see his side of things.

They had both lost much. It was time for the boy that he had helped to train to release himself from his bonds.

"Before you draw your sword Varus, we are going to talk. I'll allow you to have the first bout."

[member="Varus Shatterstar"], [member="Aelius Varangian"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

"Could I have?", Varus asked sharply in response to his old friend's comment about not having to be so careful. "I should have just trusted you, right?", Varus asked another more pointed question before he started walking, a saber swinging back and forth from each hip until he stopped about ten feet away from the fallen Jedi. He stood there for a silent few moments glaring at the man as if he wanted to scream at him or attack him without another word, but he didn't. He was known to be brash at times, but this time he wanted answers as to why he'd left just like everyone else. He wanted to know what it was that he had done wrong, as if any of it had really been his fault at all.

"You left... just like everyone else.", he accused as he shook his head lightly, jaw muscles rippling as he though about all the wasted time he'd put into the people he thought loved him. The people he thought he had been building a family with. The people he thought that he was going to change the galaxy with. His naivety had gotten the better of him, though, and he'd put far too much faith into friends, lovers, allies and trusted council members. Even his old master Kian had up and vanished, and there he was standing still as the world moved on around him. Alone...

"You COWARD!!!", Varus then barked out of nowhere, his deep voice at almost a growl as it echoed through the complex.


[member="Darth Mephirium"] - [member="Aelius Varangian"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

Mephirium waited for Varus to finish. The man was angry, as he had a right to be. The Republic had wronged him, and from what Darth Mephirium had heard, so had young Shatterstar's lover. Such was a pain that Darth Mephirium understood all too well. With practiced patience he listened, arms folding over his chest as Varus' accusations bordered on violent.

This was the Jedi he had helped train. How he had grown.

"I did not just leave," Mephirium explained, "I fought just as hard as you did. All the while I ignored the call, telling myself what I did was for the greater good. Truthfully? A great number of people died because of my foolishness." The would-be-usurper's gaze shifted the the guardsmen. He trusted the Captain would give them the space required of their current conversation.

"Shortly after Kashyyyk I found myself in charge of a rebel cell on Balmorra. I was there for months. I met a woman, beautiful and kind. We fell in love. Together, we led the rebel cell, and gained a number of victories," he paused, "Around the time we found out she was pregnant with our son, Lord Arcis struck. I was not in the city when the bomb fell, but my friends - Carene?"

His voice remained steady as he recounted the tale, though the slightest traces of pain flitted across his features. "Gone. I returned home to Naboo, only to find that my family had disowned me, save for my dear mother. Unfortunately, illness took her. I signed on with the Galactic Alliance then, and fought the One Sith, hoping to find solace in death. Yet still, I lived."

His arms fell to his sides. Varus hadn't asked for a story, but it was important. He felt the need to explain himself. "I had nothing." He frowned. "I went looking for my lost padawan, Kaigann, and instead found my father's tomb. I spoke with his spirit..."

Another pause.

"I have purpose once again Varus. I've found the means to bring peace and order to the galaxy. You, like I, have suffered greatly, and for what? The Republic is falling. The alliance is ineffective," Mephirium shook his head, "I know you've come here for blood, but you are my friend - my student. Let's talk for awhile before you try and take my head."

He offered a kindly smile; one entirely genuine in nature. "Where is Seraphina? I thought she would be with you."

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

"The dark side never gave anyone true purpose. Just an excuse to take lives.", Varus whispered as he glanced back and forth between his old ally and the guardian who'd made not a sounds since he'd approached him earlier. It was an odd thing to have such obedience, but perhaps the man was as devoted as any, thinking that it was appropriate behavior to speak only when you were spoken to by a superior. That was something that Varus deemed commendable, despite their misguided beliefs and decision to follow a reckless path. "The Republic has failed... the Alliance is some kind of skewed combination of a popularity contest and a flashy parade designed to disguise their ulterior motives, or so I must assume. Appearances can be deceiving, however, and I'd be lying if I hadn't considered joining their cause for a time..."

Yes, he'd heard that name he used so easily, though it was one that, in that moment, made Varus feel the lightest twinge of pain. He hadn't wanted to hear it, and he certainly had been trying to avoid thinking it for quite some time after coming to the realization that he would likely never see his pink pearl again, for she had lost interest in her Varus. Her "Love", her "Everything", whatever any of that garbage meant to anyone else, it certainly meant nothing to her, for she had run away once, and it had taken him more than a year to find her. Now he had been fresh off of a six month hiatus of which he'd spent most of that time searching for Seraphina. The one who'd managed to leave him behind yet again.

"She ran away from everything once...", he whispered, stopping and glancing away from Darth Mephirium for a moment as a chord was struck deep in his heart. That moment was the last one he'd allow her, realizing that from that night onward he couldn't sit there and pout over someone who'd finished with him and sought to move on. He couldn't make her stay with him, no matter how much he'd wanted to, and if she didn't love him anymore then he was going to have to learn to forget about her entirely. "...took me more than a year to track her down and get her straightened out. Then we were happy together... inseparable for quite some time, but eventually she did it again. She ran away, and I searched for a few months again before finally my patience for her games burned up completely. There isn't anything left in me but pain, resentment, uncertainty, and yet there is a small morsel of faith that I can feel guiding me even now.", he told the man, not holding anything back. What good would it do to lie to someone he hadn't seen in years anyway.

"What good are false affections and hollow I Love you's anyway?", he then asked as he watched the man, knowing that they had both shared a considerable amount of unfortunate circumstances in regards to love, but at least when he'd fallen in love there was no doubt between he and the love of his life. "I am happy to hear that you at least knew true love... better to know true love rather than some cruel farce disguised as something it's not and never was."


[member="Darth Mephirium"] - [member="Aelius Varangian"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

Mephirium cracked a thin, albeit warm smile. He listened patiently as Varus lamented over the loss of his woman and challenged his claim to purpose. That explained much. The Sith Lord had heard rumors of Varus' loss from his spies; primarily because of the tabs he kept on both the Jedi Master and little Sera. She had never seemed the type for running away when he had known her, but then what did Mephirium know? Varus was the one that had invited the Twi'lek into his bed.

"The Dark Side does not give me purpose. It is my tool," Mephirium explained patiently, "We lost, Varus. That much is clear. If I had taken my title sooner, I might have prevented some of the damage - saved lives." He shook his head. "This is the way it should be. I will challenge the Dark Lord of the Sith, and I will press my vision of what the Sith truly should be upon the masses. There will be order, and there will be peace."

The smile faded.

"The Jedi of old are extinct. The Jedi who live today have walked far from the path, and that path led me to ruin." Shaking his head, Mephirium turned about. He strolled across the room and settled himself into a small wooden chair in the corner, pulling out a second from the table - the single piece of furniture in the entire chamber, via telekinesis and offered it to Varus.

"The things I taught you were shortsighted Varus. The force is a tool, and the Sith have commanded it effectively against us - you cannot deny that."

The smile returned.

"I'm fighting the same fight Varus, I just have the tools to win it now." He paused. "As for Seraphina...I apologize. I had a similar relationship with a woman when I was younger. I know that pain all too well." Once again, he gestured to the chair. "Sit with me."

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

"What Seraphina has decided to make of her life is her own decision. It clearly does not include me, and so our little story of love has ended...", Varus said rather bluntly, choosing to couple with his words no emotion, seeing as they would do no good. He needed to separate himself from his feelings, especially in regards to the little Twi'Lek who'd escaped him yet again. This time, though, he'd come to the conclusion that it would do him no good to continue pining over her as he had. He couldn't spend the rest of his days looking for someone who didn't want to be found, for he had been lucky the first time he'd caught up with her, but never again. He didn't want to hurt her, in fact he wanted for her to be happy. He always had, and he'd done so much on her behalf to try and make it so, but in the end he supposed he had always envisioned her happiness being in some way linked to his own.

It was sad, and it had hurt him about as badly as it could have hurt anyone, but he couldn't dwell on it any longer. She'd made her decision, and whatever she chose, wherever she was, he could only hope that she was happy with her decision in the end, for they would never mean the same thing to one another that they once had.

"Anyway, on to less depressing things, I suppose.", Varus said, shifting his distracted blue gaze back to the Sith he'd once known as Cyril. As he did he watched the man for a moment before he looked in the direction he'd gestured, towards chair he'd set up for him which he had no issues with taking. They hadn't finished speaking, after all, and whether or not blood would be shed or one of them would be bested that day was still to be decided. Varus hadn't figured out if he'd wanted to after his old friend just yet, and seeing him like this as comfortable as he was in his skin despite knowing full well what he'd become did perplex the young Jedi.

He took the seat and leaned into it's back, adjusting slightly in order to get comfortable before he raised his right leg and crossed it comfortable over the left. "So... What's it like fighting for peace among tyrants?", Varus asked as he sat there tapping the arm rest impatiently as he was growing impatient already. The truth was, though, that there was a lot of anger, frustration and tension build up in the man he desperately needed to release, and he was beginning to think he would never be able to at this rate. In the interest of calming himself down just a bit, though, Varus raised his thick arms across his broad chest and tucked his hands beneath each bicep before he stopped moving entirely, awaiting some kind of extended explanation from the previous Jedi turned Sith.

[member="Darth Mephirium"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

"Tiring, but satisfying." Mephirium quipped. The slightest hint of satisfaction laced his words. In truth, he took great pleasure in bringing the others lords under his control. They were all so wily on their own. With the would-be-usurper's guidance, previously volatile lords and ladies had shown adapted well toward the common goal of establishing a stronger center of order within the galactic core. At the very least, they listened when he made idle threats. Some would have to be brought into line once the revolution was over.

For now, they were a means to an end.

"A number of Sith Lords have sworn themselves to my cause. Imperials join by the day." He smiled and folded his arms over his chest. "Truth be told, it's all quite the little show." He lofted a brow, "Though, I am curious. You have never hidden your feelings particularly well Varus - particularly not from me. You're agitated. You want to explode."

The smile faded, though Mephirium did adopt a sympathetic tone. "I understand why, of course. The galaxy's turned on us, Varus. It is up to men like you and me to bring it back into order before it all -" he waved a hand about, "- comes crashing down around us."

"I taught you well when you were a padawan. You've grown into a warrior of legend; a powerful Jedi well attuned with the force - I have to ask you, as your friend, let me teach you again."

His visage remained one of practiced sympathy. It helped that he did truly feel for his former student. The man had been left high and dry. Mephirium would offer him a way out: something more, if he would only accept his assistance.

"The other Jedi betrayed us, Varus. Seraphina turned on you, just as Cyrene turned on me. Kian left you, just as Zaren left me. Time and again, the galaxy has tried to show us something." He reached out a hand and, ever-so-gently, prodded Varus' forearm. "You and I are game changers Varus. All this while, we've remained loyal to the order, restricted by the code, and for what? To lose every war? To watch our people die in droves? To have our women abscond into the arms of Sith Lords?"

A hint of a smile almost found its way onto Mephirium's features. He had no idea where Seraphina had gone, but Varus was deeply effected by her decision to leave. Why not pour on the pain? A bit of suffering was good for a man, it built character, and Mephirium would use whatever tools were at his disposal to help Varus see his way of thinking.

"I am going to restore order to the galaxy Varus. Stand with me, let me teach you, and we can do it together."

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus watched the man carefully as he listened to every word the flowed from his mouth, as if he'd foreseen this meeting and prepared for this moment. His knew exactly what to say to appeal to the wayward Jedi, and was further pressing the young, blue eyed blonde into a state of confusion. It was incredibly frustrating to have to sit through, though, no matter how enlightening this conversation was turning out to be in the end. There was something deeper at play here, that was for certain, but had Varus really been playing a fools game for years? Had all his time, blood, sweat and tears shed for the now crumbling Republic he'd left in his wake really all been for nothing? He felt like nothing more than some confused and out of sorts child.

And then Cyril said something that struck a bit of a chord...

"What?", Varus asked after the man had made the claim that their women had withdrawn themselves only to fall into the arms of Sith Lords. His words were as clear as his meaning, and Varus knew instantly that who he was speaking about as the man made his claim, but he knew that he couldn't be right. How could he? Seraphina wasn't that foolish, was she? Had she really gotten herself so lost in her ridiculous little game of hide and seek that she'd wound up bound by darkness? Had she really become some Sith's play thing? A mindless pawn?

Varus glanced away, jaw clenching tight as his lips slightly parted and he bore clenched teeth. He was trying about as hard as he ever had not to show such raw emotion, but he if there was one thing that this... Darth Mephirium had been right about, it was that Varus was not good at harboring his feelings. They had always been just beneath the surface, bubbling and volatile, waiting for a reason to bring the young man to ruin.

"Just what is it you have to teach me, Sith?", Varus whispered back in almost a hiss as he continued to stare at worn old walls as if he could burn through them with just his eyes. He was as angry and hateful as he'd ever been, and this interesting little meeting was only adding salt to his wide opened wounds. Blood ran hot through his veins and his heart throbbed in his chest as he was overcome with everything all at once. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs and raise his compound to the dirt, but he restrained himself and knew that it would only do to satiate his raw heart for only a short time. Not nearly long enough for it to make any difference.

Not yet.


[member="Darth Mephirium"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

It seemed Mephirium had struck a chord in the younger man. Good, so long as Varus was receptive, then things might go the way they needed to. He outright ignored the first question - the SIth Lord only had a vague inkling of what had happened to the Twi'lek. Truth be told, he hadn't much cared, though he was beginning to regret that apathy. The knowledge of what had truly happened to her would be useful here. That did not, however, mean he couldn't simply fabricate a story. Varus' wounds were quite raw, and it seemed he would believe whatever tale Mephirium spun him if he put some effort to it.

He chose not to do that.

"My time in the order was a learning experience, as I'm sure yours has been." Mephirium steeped his fingers and met the Jedi Master's gaze. Volatile was an apt enough term for Varus right now. If Mephirium could capitalize on that, then he might win the man over. The gods knew he would be of great use to the cause.

And Mephirium needed an apprentice unclouded by the teachings of another.

"It's time we expanded upon that. It's time you were freed from the chains binding you to your old life. There's nothing for you there, Varus. You can only move forward." He smiled. "Your anger, your hate, they're dangerous. Right now, they are fighting to control you, and you and I both know you would very much like to let them win."

Mephirium shook his head.

"They are tools. There is a time to let your passions rule you. Other times, it is better to have a cool head," he lectured, "You've been wounded Varus. If you let it fester, you'll only grow bitter. It is better to move on, take strength from that loss, and channel it into something productive."

He paused.

"I can teach you all that I know, so that you might move past this and find a new purpose. All you need to do is ask."

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus sat there listening to every word as angry sapphire eyes flickered every now and again while he tried to keep himself firmly planted in that seat so that he would not rise and tear that place apart. Each word Mephirium spoke was well designed and perfectly applicable to Varus in that very moment as he felt volatile like he could explode. It was as if he were a ticking time bomb that was ready to go off at any moment, but like his old friend had said, there was a time and a place to release that kind of rage. Now wasn't that time. Now was a time for listening, no matter how much he wanted to pull himself from that seat and do anything else but sit there and be silent.

He knew there was a careful tongue behind this Sith's teeth, tucked away in a mouth that had spoken many lies, but he had hoped that this man would hold him in a slightly higher regard. He had hoped that Cyril, who had taken on the name Darth Mephirium, would show him the respect that a friend and an ally deserved, but he supposed that whether he was tricked into it or simply agreed to aid the man's cause, it wouldn't matter. One way or the other he knew he was about to enter into a war that would claim countless lives, and he would be a forerunner of death, riding the tides of blood across the battlefields to bring Mephirium right to his enemies with ease. "Then teach...", Varus whispered as his eyes raised from the floor between the two men, his strong jaw flexing lightly as he clenched his teeth tight.

This man before him may as well have sat down and never moved again, for it would be the sweat and blood of other men his lesser that would carry him to victory. Their backs would break, their hearts would stop dead in their chests and their last breaths would be taken in the interest of another man's dreams, which was a sad thought to think indeed. At least, it would have been, had simple minded men possessed the ability to think for themselves.

To dream for themselves...


[member="Darth Mephirium"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

He'd broken through to the man.

It had taken about as much effort as Mephirium had expected. Varus rose to the title of Jedi Master some time ago, but he had always been, and would always remain, his student. So long as he knew what buttons to push and what strings to pull, he was confident he could lead Varus down the right path.

Yes, part of it was egotism. He enjoyed pulling people over to the Varus. It made him feel effective - like all he was doing was not in vain. Then there were the realities of things; Varus was a powerful warrior and would make a good addition to his retinue. Furthermore, the Sith Lord truly did care about the younger man in a way. He had no desire to see him perish in the fires that would eventually consume the inner rim.

Varus was safest at his side, and if Mephirium could provide him with the tools to thrive there, then ever the better.

"We taught you restraint in the order -" he spoke as he rose to his feet, "Part of those teachings are right. If you allow your passions to rule you at all times, you yourself cannot effectively rule yourself. People will die needlessly if you can't gain control of yourself. Yet, at the same time, our passions are our most powerful tool. There are times when they need to be unleashed: allowed to control you and everything you do because, at your core, your passions are who you truly are."

Phrik boots tapped against the obsidian floors as he strode to the center of the room.

"You've been wounded Varus. It is only natural that you seek revenge: to wish to return that wound ten-fold upon your enemies. That is well and good, but right now, that hatred is boiling within you. It's too volatile - you need to let it simmer until the time comes for you to take what's yours."

He waved a hand toward [member="Aelius Varangian"]. The Captain of the Royal Guard was an effective fighter.

"The Captain has not had a test against a Jedi yet, and you need to experience what it truly feels like to immerse yourself in the force's freedom. Take out your rage on him," he turned toward the captain, "Do everything in your power to subdue him Aelius."

With that said, Mephirium strode toward the back of the room and settled himself onto the small throne he had erected for his meditations. It was from this perch that he would sit and watch the proceedings.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Tyberius Fel]

Half submerged in the shadows, only the subtle glint of Aelius' distinctive Royal Guard visor was visible as he silently watched the going ons. Barbs were exchanged, emotions, words of lost loves and broken trust between the two men. Aelius personally did not care of the information, but it paid dividends to be attentive and so he watched. Until his liege, his Emperor lifted his hand and issued to him a command. Aelius knew this Jedi was very plausibly far superior to him if not in melee combat, then the force. Nevertheless, as a Royal Guard, he dutifully followed orders given to him.

A cackle of electricity dancing across the vibroblade head of the forcestaff split the cold air of the meditation room. Releasing the pent up force energy Aelius had hoarded in preparation for the possibility of defending his master, the Royal Guard lunged forth with force flowing through him, enhancing his speed and strength to that beyond any ordinary human. The forcestaff was precisely aimed to the spinal column of the Jedi, where surely a powerful shock could overload nerve clusters, resulting in unconsciousness if not death. Of course, if the Jedi sensed it with his likely aptly tuned senses and turned around in time as Aelius suspected, it would take nothing more than a subtle rotation of the wrist to hone in onto his torso.

[member="Darth Mephirium"]

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus remained seated as Cyril's guard attacked him, quick and clearly skilled he picked out his point of attack from behind the Jedi. A moment before he could strike, however, Varus moved in a blur, his left leg kicking up and popping the chair backwards towards Aelius, flipping through the air and threatening to collide with him if he didn't split it in two or maneuver around it. The second he was a few steps away, though, Varus whipped around and threw out both hands. Instantly the force flowed from his body in a quick, short force wave that would only do to halt someone in their place or threw them back a pace or so. Really it had only been his way of pausing the unfolding scene for but a moment as he spoke.

"You didn't know me when I was younger...", Varus whispered as he allowed his memories to begin flooding his mind. The betrayal, the loss, the lies and deceit. All the games that had been played with him had taken their toll, and anyone that had ever really respected and loved him had died or retreated into the vast galaxy around them to actually hide away from the unrest. He was filled with so much, and in those moments his heartbeat began to rise as he turned and began to pace in a circle around the guard. "I'd been a murderer before Kian had found me, whether or not it had been persistent force users that I had killed. I killed them without a moment's hesitation, and I did it when I lost control. When I let my hatred fuel me.", he told them before he stopped and waited for the guard to continue.

"That's why I sought out the teaching's of Jedi... because it's just so hard to control when I allow my body to become the living conductor for the force."

[member="Darth Mephirium"] - [member="Aelius Varangian"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

Aelius had always been a quick one.

Mephirium watched with mire interest as the guardsman attempted to quickly subdue Varus. Mephirium knew that wasn't the type of thing that was going to work - not when the Jedi Master was on his guard. As expected, Varus maneuvered himself around the strike, avoiding the pain and possible loss of lucidity that the staff would have given him. The Sith Lord steeped his fingers and lofted a brow at the duo.

"No, I didn't," he affirmed, amusement lacing his words, "Though I can understand your trepidation. Thing is, Varus, if it's so volatile, then it could be put to use. The Jedi had us bury ourselves beneath old mantras and dated idealism. They held us back from what we could be doing."

He cracked a thin smile and pushed up from the chair. Aelius and Varus were both large men, and quite capable in their own little talent pools. Aelius would give Varus a good fight, one that would, hopefully, help the confused young man to see Mephirium's side of things.

"Your hatred is a tool. Let it flicker when you don't need it, and when you do, let the inferno consume you," he instructed, "Really, what did we accomplish with the order anyway? Saw a few worlds burn. Lost friends," his gaze shifted to Aelius, "We've made more progress in weeks here than we did in years with the order."

[member="Varus Shatterstar"], [member="Aelius Varangian"]