Eyes Upon the Red Sands [Primeval | Silver Sanctum]

[Dune Rhur]

Ignoring the derisive tone in the woman's voice, the Jedi did what he had to. With an effort, he lifted a pile of rubble and dropped it into the stairwell. Now sealed, the most immediate threat was taken care of though he grimaced when he thought of the knowledge that was now trapped. Turning to face the Dark Sider, he acted with lightning reflexes.

Seizing her with a Force grip, it was substantially easier to pick her up by her clothing. With a gesture, he brought her closer to himself before setting her down about two meters away. He smiled and made a short bow. "Thank you for your help. Now, please don't act out so I'm forced to harm you."

[member="Nyla Crow"]

OOC: I hope that isn't considered God-mode. It's intended to be a non-violent reminder of what he can do IC if attacked. =^.^=

 

[Nyla Crow]

Her snarl morphed into a full-fledged growl as the idiotic Bith sealed away the library, and she was prepared to verbally tear into him. Before she had the chance, though, she yelped in surprise as the man hoisted her in the air. When she landed on the ground once more, she cleared her throat, regained her composure, and shot a glare at the man.

"Do you have any idea what you've just done? Knowledge is power, you idiot. And you've just sealed off what is potentially the last source of it in these Chaos-Forsaken ruins!" The young Sith's temper flared, and she felt the Force flowing around her. She was quite, quite prepared to drive this fool mad.

And yet...she hesitated.

He was more powerful than she was; she could feel it, and, temperamental as she was, she was still wise enough not to enter a fight she knew she couldn't win. With a deep breath, she reigned her anger back in, and spoke once more.

"Tell me you were able to find something of interest down there."

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[thegreatbeyonder]

"You're treating a milk run like it's something special," he snickered.

Arian's level of confidence stemmed from his own ego, of course. "Besides, what are you planning to do with all that firepower?" Ignoring the fact he himself had a pistol, two grenades, and a device that looked deadly but didn't offer any suggestion as to what it was. Shrugging off her earlier statement, he accepted the fact they should probably descend soon.

Returning to the helm of the vessel, Arian took control of the starship and prepped it for landing. The vessel descended through the atmosphere, pushing its way towards the surface of Korriban. Down below the red wastes were surrounded by mountains and canyons, a few notable valleys carved throughout the world. Including the most important one. "It looks like there's defenses, but they seem offline." He noted.

The Primeval once had a military base surrounding the Sith Academy, but ever since they left it has since fallen into the hands of the Silver Jedi.

[member="Yasindra Quorr"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

"I'm not certain you noticed, but I was preoccupied with not dying," Dune said with a complete deadpan. Through it all, her child-like rage make him feel a sense of amusement. Her glower after his flippant remark made it difficult not to smile.

"Unfortunately, the k'lor'slugs attacked me before I was able to retrieve anything." He sighed wistfully as he eyed the rubble sealing the way to the library.

"I'd assume you're not alone. Where's your Master? Hunting among the Tombs, I suspect. If they were Sith, they'd know the ancient valley was stripped of trinkets millennia ago. So who are you, perhaps Jedi outcasts or dabblers with old Sith tomes?"

[member="Nyla Crow"]

 

[Nyla Crow]

Nyla let out an irritated sigh, and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"None of the above, save maybe the last. Our names are not important, and I certainly wouldn't give them to a Jedi, even if they were. I enjoy breathing, and I enjoy having all of my limbs, thank you." The young Acolyte let out a shudder as she imagined the myriad torture techniques she could imagine the Primeval had devised.

"Regardless...we aren't looking for trinkets. I've not the slightest what the others are here for, our leader simply keeps mumbling to themselves like they're mad...but I'm here to acquire knowledge. To learn." Her eyes sparkled at the word knowledge, and a small smile formed on her features. It seemed that, at least in part, her quest for knowledge was fueled by a natural curiosity, and not her lust for power. The two just happened to go hand in hand.

"I can promise you, Jedi, that I am not here to perform any sacrifices, to kidnap any children, or whatever else it may be that you think my kind do on a daily basis." To prove her point, she removed the belt her blaster pistol was slung upon, and laid it down away from both of them. She refused to part with her lightfoil, however, on general principle.

The fact that she didn't have a second one of those slung across her back, hidden under her jacket, probably also had something to do with it.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

"Who's more insane. The one who talks to themself or the one who follows that being." He could see that remark struck a nerve and he had to remind himself that it wasn't the Jedi way. Though it was satisfying, he'd have to admit.

"You're Dark Side cultists. Again, any artifacts of value were taken a long time ago."

He watched the pistol be tossed aside with skepticism. No doubt she had some sort of holdout weapon, poisoned darts or a concealed blade. The blaster was a showpiece, a distraction for fools. A Dark Side user would give up an advantage the day he turned blue. "You may want to pick that up. You may not sacrifice babies but a tukata will be happy to eat you."

[member="Nyla Crow"]

 

[Nyla Crow]

Nyla blinked at his jab, confused, but not upset in any way. "The one who talks to themselves, obviously. I have no delusions that she isn't mad. And as I said, I am not here for power. I am here for history. Some of the greatest Sith Lords in the galaxy are entombed here. Is it so strange, that I might wish to honor my forefathers? I'm quite sure you Jedi do the same."

As she spoke, she walked back over to the spot where she laid her pistol, and clipped her belt back on. If Dune were able to read the Sith language, he'd know that the symbol on her back, which she exposed when she turned, translated to Perfection. Whether this meant she considered herself perfect, or that she was simply on her own, twisted path to enlightenment, no one but her could say.

The young Acolyte turned around once more, and tilted her head curiously at the Bith. "I think it's more interesting that you're here, honestly. A Jedi, plundering the Sith tomb world? Oh, what would the Grand Master think?" She feigned shock and outrage, fanning herself dramatically with her hand.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

"For us, the memory of a being's great service is enough. I grant you that we do honour our dead."

As she retreived her pistol, he remained ever vigilant. Not just of the interloper either but all around. Tukata, tarentatek and who else could say what. Now there were these cultists too. He half expected the ghost of Darth Bane to appear.

"The Grandmaster sent me to ensure any knowledge didn't fall into the wrong hands. At least I was successful in that though, as you alluded to earlier, the knowledge would've been better sealed in the Temple."

With an all-encompasing gesture the Bith added "This is now a protectorate of the Silver Sanctum Coalition. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you didn't know. I will also assume your...leader didn't seek permission of The Assembly."

[member="Nyla Crow"]

 

[Nyla Crow]

Nyla's expression shifted to one of distinct disgust when Dune mentioned the Silver Sanctum, and outright indignation when he proclaimed that Korriban of all places was now under their rule.

"No...that lovely morsel of information must have slipped between my fingers. Would've chosen Ziost, if I knew your lot had infested this place." She spat on the ground as she spoke the words your lot, and sighed. Frustration flooded her mind, and, to calm herself, she sat, crossing her legs and placing her hands in her lap. With a glare, she spoke again, contempt obvious in her tone.
"I suppose you're going to tell me I'm not allowed to meditate here, next. Or to leave immediately."

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

"No," he shook his head sadly "You wouldn't listen, anyway."

He tapped a finger on thin lips as he considered.

"I've been to Ziost as well. Like Korriban, the Dark Side turned it into a wasteland. Ironic, don't you think, that your quest for power will do the same to you." He shrugged non-chalantly. "I see no harm in letting you revisit the past. Perhaps you'll take note of the fact that the the Sith Lords of old sought immortality but they would never achieve it. Only through releasing your emotions and following the will of the Force can you ever truly achieve immortality."

[member="Nyla Crow"]

 

[Nyla Crow]

"If white skin and black veins are the price of freedom, of power, then it is a price that I am certainly willing to pay." The young Acolyte retorted in a collected tone.

Nyla closed her eyes and exhaled, allowing herself to tap into the Dark Side Nexus that was the planet Korriban. To others, it may have been ironic, or even sad, that it was here, on a dead planet, touching the very essence of her being to a rolling sea of anger, hatred, and passion, that the young Acolyte felt most comfortable. But to her, it was natural, even beautiful. Her ancestry may have had something to do with it; she was mostly human, yes, but there was a bit of Zeltron in her family tree, a few generations back. Passion was less a concept to her, and more a state of being.

With a soft chuckle, she opened her eyes once more. "I do not seek eternal life, Jedi. A long one, aye. But motivation and drive come from knowing that our time in the galaxy is limited. It's what gets us up, every day. The reason we do anything, really. As I said...I do not intend to defy my inevitable end. Just stave it off. After all, there's no more challenge, if I win."

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Orkamaat]

A thought, a grim realization drifted past him, tainted black and blue against the patchwork quilt of anger and cruelty that made up Korriban's soul. His lower instincts roused at the stench, and Orkamaat angled his head to the left.

Fear.

The twin rings of fire stood fully unveiled as he pierced [member="Nyla Crow"] with a knowing stare, meeting her trembling gaze head-on. He didn't say anything, didn't move closer or farther; he simply watched her watching him, looking straight through the girl and her dawning horror.

He would've done so for Gods know how long, but the yougling averted her gaze to glance down at her datapad, muttering something about the Sith Academy.

"Wandering off is foolish, child," the gaunt man chided softly to no-one in particular as her dark frame disappeared into the ruins, and once more Orkamaat reached out with his spidery fingers and shattered slivers of his mind. Crawl, creature. Crawl before you walk.

And walk they did, traversing dune after dune, flirting with many of the gaping entrances, but never venturing into the darkness proper. It put him on edge, this arrogant stroll across the red sands, and the tearing of fabric just over the horizon was a dark omen for them all.

"[member="Boethiah"]," he called out to the child-prophet, voice laced with concern. "The Gods' whispers fall silent beyond that ridge. We should tread with care."

Once he secured her attention, the Priest gestured towards the swell of a hill just ahead of them, rising so high that it obscured whatever lay beyond. Reality hung by a thread, anchored only by the indomitable will of the hundreds of Dark Lords clawing at the blooded soil of Korriban.

Disturbing them… disturbing it would be most unwise.

[member="Loxa Visl"] | [member="Dune Rhur"] | [member="Rain"] | [member="Tashkut"] | [member="Doctor Agnusdei"]​

 

[Dune Rhur]

"Indeed?," the Bith remarked at her last comment "A sad way to live a short life. Scrambling for power until either the Dark Side, a rival or an apprentice does you in."

"I'm not just referring to the physical degradation. It warps you already in ways you've yet to understand."

There was compassion in his voice, not scorn, for the young woman. An Acolyte of the Dark was perhaps more powerful in the Force than a Padawan but so much more ignorant.

"Anger, fear, hate. They're seductive because they provide short-term power. But they're poison and what use is power for it's own sake, Acolyte of the Dark?"

[member="Nyla Crow"]

 

[Nyla Crow]

The young Acolyte did not respond, at first, to the Bith Knight's comments; she was far too focused.

Focused on the raw, swirling vortex of emotion that laid just below the skin of the planet. It beckoned to be released, to be embraced. It promised power, secrets, the freedom to travel across the stars, to do as one wished, without restraint or restriction. It was raw, untamed, natural, and beautiful. She smiled, and opened her eyes once more, eyes which had shifted from a crystal blue to sulfurous yellow.

"Life is only sad if one has regrets; and it is only short if one is too weak to prolong it. The struggle, the fight, the hunt; it is the truest, sincerest way to live." The young Acolyte stood, and bowed, as her eyes slowly returned to their natural color. "When I die, my only regret will be that powerful people allow themselves to be limited. The Jedi, the Republic..." She sighed, and for the first time, the Knight could see something approaching empathy in her gaze. "I pity you, Jedi. It is a sad day when so many people dismiss passion as poison."

Nyla bowed once more, and reached out with her mind, searching for her compatriots within the Force. It was rather easy, as one might expect, to locate the auras of a Vong-formed Anzat and a fifteen year old housing the essences of two Dark Lords.

They tended to stand out.

[member="Orkamaat"]
[member="Dune Rhur"]
[member="Boethiah"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

Dune nodded, watching the red-yellow come and go.

"A life full of hatred and fear is sadder still," he said quietly. "It's a misconception among many, you know. That a Jedi is without feelings, that we're taught to repress them. We feel the same things, you and I. The difference is that our lives are not dictated by them. We don't venerate the individual above the village or the world."

"A life lived merely for yourself is shallow and pitiable. Driven by hate, consumed by fear and no better than some predatory creature."

His voice was without scorn or anger, just quiet and resolute. Dune didn't exactly know what she was doing, focusing as she was. The Jedi suspected even a Dark Side adept and their apprentice shared some bond in the Force.

"Come, nameless Acolyte, let's find your Master. My name is Dune Rhur."

[member="Nyla Crow"]

 

[Nyla Crow]

Nyla ignored the Jedi for a moment, before she responded. Although her words were polite, her tone was one of amused contempt.

"'Some predatory creature'...yes, I quite like that comparison, actually." She smiled cruelly; it was obvious that whatever approximation of genuine compassion she had felt earlier, the Bith's words had snuffed out again.

"You misunderstand, Jedi. I am not bound by my emotions; they empower me. Hate, to strike down my enemies. Rage, to push myself further. Ambition, that I might never become complacent." The young Acolyte chuckled softly, and began walking backwards; she did not, under any circumstances, want to take her eyes off of her 'friend.'

"You may follow me if you wish, Knight," She began, pointedly refusing to humanize the man by using his name. "But please know that my superiors are far, far more powerful than I. I have neither the capacity nor the desire to stop them from destroying you, should they wish to." She grinned again, and once again, it was a predatory, cruel smile, lacking in warmth or compassion.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

The Bith smiled too. "Be careful, Acolyte, you might trip when walking backwards." He matched her pace, without fail. Along the way he spoke again in response to her 'dire' warning. "I would expect no less of you. Though walking backwards...you fear me. Words of 'mistrust' and 'trusting no one' are born of fear all the same. You have nothing to fear from me provided you don't attempt to harm me."

"With regard to your Master and...colleagues...the same applies to them. I'm interested in meeting whoever they are. You possess great potential though you squander it with your current path. They can never show you anything but how to destroy. That isn't real power nor greatness."

[member="Nyla Crow"]

 

[Doctor Agnusdei]

The sands shifted and swirled in the winds as the heat battered the landscape, but the figure seemed oblivious to the haze and harsh sunlight. It calmly walked along, cane in hand, only stopping occasionally to gaze around at the horizon. It seemed to be watching, perhaps searching, for something or someplace. It made its way to the top of a ridgeline and stood for a moment, it's gaze facing into the distance for a lingering moment.

It stood longer there than it had at any other point, the wind dying away in a momentary lull. A black-gloved hand pulled a device from an inner pocket and the bleached beak of the thing's mask dipped down, the soulless lenses gazing at the small item. It pondered the small trinket for a few seconds, its head cocked to one side giving the creature a strange, bird-like air before it tucked the device away.

With no warning, it started walking down the ridge, its stroll calm and precise as it negotiated sand and rock alike. The wind gusted back to strength and tugged at the figure's cloak and hat lightly as the dust swirled in the air. Ignoring the elements, it only stopped now to periodically check the device it carried as if searching for something nearby.

As it reached rockier ground below the ridge, the winds grew stronger and the sand began to shift once more. The trail of precise footprints it had left slowly disappeared, as if the very land itself sought to erase what had passed over its face.

[member="Orkamaat"]

 

[Nyla Crow]

As the Bith warned her about tripping, she deftly jumped up onto a piece of rubble behind her, and returned his advice with a grin; rubble and trash were the same wherever you went, and Nyla had spent her youth running, climbing, and generally being a rambunctious child about the streets of Nar Shaddaa.

"Of course I fear you. You're stronger than me. Fear is what keeps us alive. It makes us faster, stronger, more ruthless...Fear is a tool, like any other emotion. It is nothing to be ashamed of, unless you let it control you. That's what separates the both of us from mindless beasts; we are not ruled by our emotions. What separates the both of us, however, is that I am not afraid to use mine to my advantage." As the young Acolyte spoke, she continued weaving her way through the rubble behind her. It may have appeared that she was using the Force; however, the truth was much more mundane. She had simply memorized the steps she took to get to the point she was at, and was now taking them in reverse.

It was about that time that the duo would hear a low, canine growl, and sense an approaching presence in the force; something Dark and angry. Nyla grinned, and thumbed the switch on her lightfoil, igniting the smoky, ash-black blade indicative of a Blackwing Crystal. "It appears we have company approaching."

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

"Very good," he said approvingly "A great Master once said 'Do not come to rely on the Force to the detriment of your other senses and abilities'. His name was Odan-Urr, you should study him."

His sensitive auditory organs heard the rasping of claws on sand seconds after he felt the presence. A few seconds later, the young woman spoke her words of warning. Impressive, he thought, noting her aptitude in sensing danger.

The Jedi ignited his sapphire blade after unhooking it. "Tu'kata, I believe. A lesson for you: Emotion, yet Peace."

[member="Nyla Crow"]