Private Erazer

[Onrai]

Darth Malum of House Marr
Belsavis

The great gilded cube simulacra of Onrai floated through the void of space, seeking to enter orbit of the vast prison-world. An enigmatic message had filtered through the veneer of the Holonet, skillfully encrypted and cunningly guised in a myriad of ciphers that directly pointed to the Sith Order as its original source. Through skillful interpretation of the ciphers based on her past studies, Onrai had understood this was an invitation to meet from someone most likely from their intelligence department. As Onrai knew the Sith Order and their own empire were direct competitors to the claims of Solipsis, who her allegiance had been given to, she found this curious to say the least. Her prior experience with Sith Empires past had taught her that the structure of the Sith led to its inevitable decay and destruction, the rational overtaken by the mad who would destroy all that had been built up before them.

Belsavis was an inevitable conquest for them.

There were two things on this world above all others that Onrai intended to gather before the Sith would have the opportunity to exploit it, a deliberate act intended to ensure that the most profane blasphemies of the Great Old Ones were not yet unleashed - and perhaps to exert the power taken from the dead-yet-living Kindred of Dark Illathurion. Thus, it was that while the shuttle bleated from beneath the shimmering metallic scales of the embodiment of the Twice-False Goddess, she already had begun focusing upon the critical locations that were necessary towards the next steps in a game few knew about and even fewer played. Whether her conversation partner would know or even care about such a conflict whose move time was measured in decades and whose nature arcana was so esoteric as to be believed a pangalactic myth, would be curious to find.

Her shuttle landed, and emerging from it was the blonde, somewhat youthful face of Vanessa Vantai, embodied in black robes she had worn for decades, given to no grime and no tear. The meeting would take place at the entrance to the Tomb, the most ancient part of the prison-world's complex - that which she sought could be found beneath the world's surface.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

There was much that could be said about this.

There could be ready accusations made of his loyalties that he had set up this meeting, some might have called him a betrayer, some could have called him a traitor.

Yet, those were far from words that he had not been called before.

Far from the harshness of language which he had described himself.

In fact, the truth of the matter was that it was out of loyalty that he had organised this meeting. Loyalty to the Emperor, loyalty to the Empire, loyalty to the Sith. The Dark Empire remained an enigma of intentions, but too of ability, the sons of the fallen Maw, and the traitors New Imperial Order, the Dark Empire had surprised the entire galaxy with their assault in the Core, reaching the gates of Coruscant in a single move.

When eyes had been on the Caldera Crisis, the undead on the move from the Tingel Arm, when the focus had been the destruction of the Rimward Trade League in the Outer Rim.

They had struck deep.

Struck hard.

They were not simply the sons of Mawites and Imperials of course, many of the same men and women that had served both had reemerged for this war.

Even those that should have stayed dead.

Darth Solipsis had joined the ranks of the immortal tyrants.

And now, despite all the fighting that had emerged between the Sith Order, and the heresy of the New.

Malum knew, the fall of the Alliance, the fall of the Jedi, drew closer, and closer.

Yet, what came after... was a question many did not consider.

So here he was, out of loyalty, so he lied to himself.

But so too, curiosity.

What did this Dark Empire offer.

When those of this Sith Empire, looked at him with suspicion ever still.

Now here he was, to meet with a representative of theirs to learn, on the eve of when this world would fall to the Sith juggernaut. Having done his duty, and paved the way with the Tsis'Kaar for the arrival of the rest of the Sith forces, having long since realised his lack of capability in securing the prison for himself, and having rather extended diplomatic talks to the powerbrokers of this system.

With the replica mask of his most great and famous ancestor, he watched silently, as the shuttle landed, he himself awaiting, with the Tomb behind him, as he smiled beneath the veil, as the attractive blonde stepped out.

She was familiar.

Which made little sense, as he had never seen the woman in his life.

Though of course, as she stirred at the back of his mind, the fragment of Darth Ophidia , he knew exactly why he remembered.

"Welcome to the frontier of the Sith Empire, Darth Pandeima." Would she question how he knew that name? Perhaps, perhaps not. Either way, he had an explanation, the knowledge of the Tsis'Kaar after all had delved deep, "I am Darth Malum, of House Marr, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He offered a simple nod in greeting.

Onrai

 

[Onrai]

"Unfortunately, there's not much truth there." She said in response to Malum's initial comment. "This may yet be the frontier, but it is not that of the Sith Empire, and I am neither Darth nor Pandeima." A true statement, albeit it would take a level of interpretation to best understand such. Perhaps the sliver of Ophidia buried in the man's mind would yet enlighten him - she did not want to give the interrogator the apex of leverage in the conversation. "I am known by many names, but I am Onrai. Likewise a pleasure." She nodded in response.

The information she knew about Malum was minimal. Evidently, he was the member of the house of Marr that most closely affiliated himself with their legendary patriarch, as evinced by the nigh-replicae of the ancient Sith's armor. That he had his fingers in many pies reminded her of her wayward apprentice, something that could benefit or burn them both if the circumstances crossed correctly. Whether he sought to grow more involved with what the Dark Empire was doing, to ease off the pressure on the Sith Order in its conflict with the Mandalorians and recent victory over the Rimward Trade League, was something soon to be divined.

"There is more truth that may yet be found, however. Come, let us travel within and speak with Athla'giroth. Perhaps he may yet serve a more useful purpose than he once did for the Alliance." She motioned for him to follow her as they traveled deeper into the resting place of one of the most infamous servants of the Kindred.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Malum raised an eyebrow beneath the mask at the response, were they playing legitimacy games already? Oh well, that certainly was the role of diplomat and representative, was it not? As she wished.

"My station forces me to disagree, though I do find myself all the willing to do so regardless, this is the Sith Empire, the eleventh by my reckoning, a line from Ajunta Pall that has now reached Darth Empyrean ." History was very important, and though in that accounting many regimes were concurrent, and it could be considered far from unbroken.

Proper respect was deserved.

How the Brotherhood of the Maw, and this Dark Empire wished to see themselves inserted in this legacy was their prerogative.

Yet, considering the traitorous of the New Imperial Order could by some creative accounting, name themselves as much a successor of a Sith Empire...

...Well frankly, those of the so-called New Sith Order, could content themselves to the matters of treason and heresy.

Until defeat would bring back these two galactic brothers and sisters, ripped out from each other's arms, by perhaps their own will...

...But too the schemes of something far greater than both.

He offered a nod at the rest of her words, memories giving him enough to know... or at least theorise on what exactly such shift of identity could mean, "Lady Onrai then," Malum intoned softly.

He tilted his head ever so slightly at the last of her words, did she inte-.

Would she be so foolish?

Such was the question he asked of many of those who sought, believed, or had even... achieved, some sort of deification.

He stood still, as she passed him, and he followed as was bid.

"I would hope you would not attempt to try to release the creature, there is much among this complex that should remain exactly where it is." There was little that Malum would not use as a tool for his own supremacy, even if that tool was far from unproblematic.

He used the Force after all.

But one named the World Razer, if the intelligence retrieved from what was held in this Rakatan prison was true...

...Well, he had little interest in it being unleashed upon the galaxy.

The Force could be controlled, could be defeated, and unfortunately was already present in the galaxy.

Even if the first two points were true of this.

He did not wish to test the latter.

 

[Onrai]

"I'm not sure if you understood me." She said, simply leaving it at that as the two proceeded further into the Belsavis tomb complex. Whether she meant that it was not the Sith Empire or one of her Sith Empires was as yet unclear. At one time, this prison had been teeming with innumerable droids, guards, and things best left forgotten. The Esh-Kha themselves were infernal creatures, whose supplication to the World Razer had once encouraged it to aid them in fighting and destroying their enemies. That said, Athla'giroth had failed them, for a being far more powerful than he at the service of those who were in charge of the galaxy had been responsible for the creature's imprisonment.

"I have killed that which spawned this creature. But let us see what state he is in." Walking past the skeletal corpses of Esh-Kha who had been slain members of the cult of the World Razer, their footsteps remained utterly hollow as they traveled through vaults with no sign of life. "Do you know anything of the history of Athla'giroth? Of how the World Razer came into being? Or do you wish to merely know more about Solipsis and the coterie forged around him that yet stab at the Alliance's heart?" She asked. She knew he was inquisitive about the Dark Empire, but felt a most direct approach, perhaps regarding inquiries about the World Razer itself, would be a place to start.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

He quirked a masked eyebrow at her words, that certainly seemed to be the case, alas, such was the case of all immortal tyrants, though, by his measure, by their measure, to class Lady Onrai as one of these beastly lords, those god-kings which ruled over their respective peoples.

Well, she did not quite make the cut.

"Certainly possible." He answered back, for after all when one was so far beyond the mortal plane.

How could they possibly relate, to speak, to one they considered a lesser?

Such would be their mistake, all those immortal tyrants' mistakes.

They thought themselves gods, and they never expected a man to bring about their downfall.

He raised an eyebrow at the claim that she had killed the one that had made the World Razer, he certainly did not doubt the claim, it was fair too nonchalantly given for him to see it as anything but the truth...

...However, he had to wonder, for all the strength and power this woman had within her, she was beginning to remind him of Taeli Raaf .

All that power, all that knowledge.

Where was the ambition?

Perhaps it was there, after all, it took it to reach that power and knowledge. Yet, perhaps it was simply the consequence of living so long, living so long, that time passed so quickly, that one second they spoke with a mortal.

The next, they were nothing but bones and dust.

He smiled underneath the mask at the question, "I am certain you will enlighten me of anything I do not know, and after all, why limit what knowledge you might receive? I would certainly wish to hear and learn all I can, my lady." It was no lie, he very much did wish to know more of both topics.

And if he could distract her from any desires here, all the better.

 

[Onrai]

"What you call the Sith Empire is not the Sith Empire - not the one that spawned Darth Pandeima, nor is it the one that waits eternally in the shadows for the commands of the Immortal Gods of the Sith - the purest servants of the greatest darkness." She said, offering somewhat more of an explanation as they continued to travel through the tomb, passing by the remains of more Esh-Kha. Malum deserved such a divination if anything else, to clarify precisely what it was that Onrai meant to him. Her separation of herself from the past identity her mortal being had wielded many decades ago was, to say the least, a deliberate act - she had reasons for doing as she did and aligning with those she did.

"The question is, do you care more about the ancient histories and mysteries of the past, or would you rather we speak of the present and your current interests in the Dark Empire? I can only give you answers if you deign to inquisit, after all." The conflict was there, she could sense that much of whether he perhaps cared more to know about that which she currently sought - or the grander schema of things.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

"Most intriguing," Malum answered, "I do not believe there would be many that would share your opinion... at least not in the way in which you have described it." Malum did not disagree, simply noted, for after all, despite in the way she said it, she was not wrong, this Sith Empire was not the one she served, nor was it... the one beyond mortal kin.

Yet were they matters that concerned him? Perhaps, perhaps not, it was hard to say, he knew of an ancient pantheon of the Sith, after all the ancient Sith of Korriban had to worship something, something which the Dark Jedi of Ajunta Pall would have taken on as their own. Yet, as far as he knew, such was all there was, if they were real, they were simply a quantifiable aspect of the Force.

Something dangerous.

A foe.

Yet, an immaterial foe.

Interfering subtly as was their won't, but only an enemy to be vanquished when the materium was conquered.

There were new gods, and new religions since the pantheon fell, the Eternalists did not worship gods as ready-made beings, instead men and women, who achieved greatness to be considered gods.

While of course, the ancient texts spoke of Tython's moons, Bogan and Ashla, being worshipped in some quantity.

What was this worship apart from simply belief in power?

What was this worship but bringing a face to the overwhelming power of the Force?

Malum offered a smile underneath the mask at the last question, "My apologies for not making myself more clear, I am rather intrigued by both topics, and I do believe we have time to discuss both, such if you do not mind, enlightening me. The past, the present, and the future, all have such important matters of interest, won't you agree?"

Onrai

 

[Onrai]

Onrai proceeded further onwards until she came across the skeleton of a somewhat larger than normal Esh-Kha. This was the one who had been their leader. She plucked up the skull of the deceased creature, looking at it and examining it. "The past is the easiest to give answers to, for what is set in stone cannot be undone except by a being comparable to the Celestials. The present is harder to discuss, ever shifting as it is. The future, though, is the most difficult, and even the oracles of Mnggal-Mnggal are usually imperfect." She said, still eying the skull in question before tossing it somewhat gracefully to Malum.

"I suppose we should start with the structure of the Dark Empire. There is an Emperor and a Grand Vizier. The former is Solipsis, the latter is a woman by the name of Shannic Wulf - she has her moments, but I loathe her lack of free will. It's not that she can't act on her own volition - rather that she desires to fully obey the Emperor. Blind obedience has been the death of countless Empires and kingdoms over the years. We'll see what she does in due time. There are Sith of course, as well as the Dark Side Elite - other miscellaneous darksiders. Of course, the Khanate of the feral Mawite barbarians. The Death's Hand Mandalorians. And the military, a mixture of Mawites and New Imperials, slowly congealing around a singular new set of technologies."

She kicked the skeleton of Gore Claw. "Silly Esh-Kha. He can't serve you now, or anyone else for that matter." She taunted it.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

The smile did not leave his face, even if she could not see it, it came through in his words ever still, "You would be surprised at how much the past is not in fact set in stone, oh certainly events happened, that much can be ascertained, but when we have lost the records of those events, did they in fact even occur?" In a galaxy with so much tragedy, the poet in Malum's heart would have hyperbolically stated, that the greatest of all tragedies, was all that they had lost, to the sands of time.

Of course, then the realist in him would smack his head, and demand he look upon the real tragedies.

Either the realist, or Elise Ahana-Gwyneira .

"For all the records we do have, they paint differing pictures too, was it all the act of a privileged few, or did the factors material behind the scenes dictate the events?" Malum chuckled, thinking through the various discussions he had held on that topic, "But yes, the present, with factors we do not fully know, and of the future, of factors we cannot predict, certainly seem and are, far more complex."

It was by instinct that he caught the skull thrown towards him, so distracted he had been by his own words, but too hers.

Celestials?

Mnggal-Mnggal?

One of those words he had heard of.

The other not at all.

Certainly, things to look into.

The skull was quickly laid on the ground, Malum internally and externally cringing at having touched the thing.

The Esh-Kha had been imprisoned here once, defeated by the Rakatans, they served as an excellent reminder of their own potential fates, should they lose to their perennial foe.

Malum was held at rapt attention at the explanation that Lady Onrai was giving him.

Of course, he had heard the accomplishments of Darth Solipsis , the Emperor of a New Order of Sith that had claimed to destroy the old.

As much a traitor to the Sith as the New Imperial Order.

For all the blame that could be levelled towards the Zambranos for their failure to hold the empire.

Equal blame went to those treasonous elements within it.

And the enemies outside of it.

Yet there was respect still, the man had brought terror to the Core, not once, but twice.

Had led two great Sith states, whether heretical or not.

Had the ability to return from death, and was a terrifying opponent on the field.

An immortal tyrant, to be hated, and feared, as much as any other.

A man that he so desperately wished to meet.

As for Shannic Wulf , Malum knew little, apart from ironically enough the Dark Empire's own propaganda, clearly a high-level member of the Imperial administration, and certainly would have to be, if he was to step into the shoes left behind by the... Despot... Ignacious Korvan .

They actually used the term Despot, as an official administrative nomenclature.

Perhaps their Mawite links ran too deep.

Clearly, Lady Onrai considered the woman to be no better than a rubberstamp, a prime minister who was a monarchist, and utterly loyal to their monarch.

If such a judgement was true or not... they would soon see, he imagined.

After all, he had been invited by Siyarr Ahan-Mitharran for talks on Archais... a Dark Empire representative was to be in attendance... would that be Lady Onrai, or would that be this Grand Vizier?

It was interesting enough to hear of those that made up the Dark Empire, heretical Sith, Darksiders who were not worthy of the title Sith, remnants of the Maw, Mor- Mandalorians of a darker affiliation, and traitorous Imperials, that had apparently lost their minds and now once again found themselves serving Sith.

Perhaps history truly did rhyme.

He could only hope that by the second lyric, they would do again as they once did.

Treason was after all their greatest accomplishment.

"Thank you for the explanation, Lady Onrai, certainly enlightening, truly a state of many differing interests, united by a joint vision, congratulations are certainly in order for Darth Solipsis."

 

[Onrai]

"Did the Gulag plague not spread throughout the galaxy and nearly exterminate all forms of sentient life? Did Akala not change the very fabric of the universe for a time in order to put herself in power? Was there not a breach once between our world and another, mirrored in form and substance, where another world yet sought to make ours its own? Just because the records of something happening are near myth today does not mean they didn't happen." She said, deciding to continue on as he disposed of Gore Claw's skull. "There are many factors which people have forgotten, such as that for all the good the Celestials are supposed to be, there is the unknown, unquantifiable evil. Unknown to most, but not to me, and this evil looks at all who call themselves 'emperor' and laughs."

In time, the duo entered the chamber where the World Razer itself was stored. The long-dried remnants of the Burning Way still coated the exterior of the sarcophagus the ancient spawn of the Kindred had been entombed in. "As silly as it might sound, working together is the only way for us to accomplish our mutual goals. Destruction only empowers the Father of Shadows and the Necromantic Ones who serve him. I have no doubts that one day, what Solipsis works on will end up collapsing - perhaps because he is destroyed, or perhaps due to other factors. But I do believe in what he desires to do, and it is beneficial in the grand scheme of things that the Empire succeed. Hopefully he will not be persuaded to touch the greater darkness."

Looking at Malum, she looked over at Athla'giroth's prison. "Athla'giroth is the spawn of the Kindred - of Ooradryl, of Waru, and of Uthoqquan. He possessed the same immense hunger of his forebears, but also a cunning intelligence that allowed him to devour countless worlds before he was imprisoned here. As the destroyer of the Kindred, I will yet speak with it." She turned to look at the chamber, curious as to what Malum would say in response.

Darth Malum of House Marr