Fear Not the Dead, Nor the Damned

[Rafeesh]

Korriban​

​

"A Graveyard for the darkest of the Sith Lords, still whispering within their tombs."​

-Darth Traya on Korriban​

​

​

​

But what a tomb it was.​

If this was a Sith tomb, then he would be glad to die in such a place.​

This was a testament to Sith power, that even now their tomb was respected and held by like minded individuals.​

​

Someday it would belong to the Sith again, Rafeesh would be sure of it. He had returned to where his power had begun, millennia ago. So much had changed, the once great temple lay in ruins. He could remember standing from the top step and looking out over the world that had spawned so many powerful Sith. Now the steps were so badly damaged that any sane person would avoid walking across them for fear of breaking his neck. For Rafeesh though, he had to see how much had changed. He heard the ghosts of conversations held long in the past, conversations that none would remember but him. He walked slowly up the steps, not looking where his feet fell, but listening to the wind whispering through the rocks. It spoke of a time when it was a proud planet and that the very galaxy bent out of its way. Like an old man speaking of his youth, the planet was broken. Rafeesh would someday bring back its prime, he promised silently to the wind.

As he at last came as far as the steps were intact, he turned and looked upon the pitted surface. It saddened him deeply to his home so badly mistreated. What would have happened here had the Jedi not destroyed them? So many possible histories that were now never to occur simply because the Jedi believed that they were upright and just. He would have gone to Coruscant, walked upon the Jedi temple ruins, and forced the Jedi to remember what the Sith were capable of. But...but that was all gone. No longer could he take pleasure in the act. His home was destroyed and until it was once more rebuilt he would never again play the Sith power games or battle Jedi. He would turn his efforts to fixing the damage done to his home.

Of course, in order to accomplish such a feat he would need power. That where the tombs came in handy. He remembered all those millennia ago learning of an ancient Sith ritual, one that could bind a ghost's power to one's self. That would be a truly useful ability to have. Maybe in so doing he could reawaken his own strength. He would first look through the old Sith temple. There would have to be at least a few artifacts left and he would find them if he had to dig through the whole temple.

 

[Rafeesh]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx_EhMM2S5Y​

"The call of Korriban is strong, but it is the call of the dead."​

-Darth Sion on Korriban​

​

​

Such words were true, if not intentionally.​

Korriban was home to ghosts, Sith creations, and memories all of which could be called dead.​

It often made one wonder what he was doing there.​

​

But Rafeesh knew why he was here and he would not be sent away empty handed. The Temple was easy enough to navigate, most of it was little more than rubble beneath his feet. He could remember most of the Temple as it had been. He wondered if it had changed before its destruction. Or if for all those centuries it had lain exactly as it always had been. Maybe he could find where the old library had been, where much Sith knowledge had been stored, some open to all and others not so much. He could remember once trying to look upon some forbidden tablets, only to be electrocuted for being too anxious to gain power. It had been the perfect lesson and Rafeesh knew that the overseer had intended it as such. Never look for knowledge openly, but do so secretly so that no others would try to sap the learning from him. It had also shown him why the Jedi were so weak, truly their inability to accept the usage of abilities that they defined as evil was proof enough that they were doomed to fail. His mind wandered.

Rafeesh closed his eyes, once more hearing conversations a millennia ago. Acolytes talking about their upcoming tests; apprentices walking proudly around, all too glad to show their new found superior status; and Sith Lords moving about in groups, not caring about those around them, too absorbed in their own hushed conversations with each other. He could feel the power that flowed through the very epicenter of the Dark Side, at the time he couldn't hope to have held the power or even to wield it, that was a privilege to only the highest of Sith Lords. Even as an acolyte he had wanted to try, learning the hard way why it was not allowed. Such attempts were doomed to fail, there was too much power. In fact it had almost cost him his life, if not for the intervention of a soon to be friend Shanna he would never have survived. He could tell why the Sith would win. With so much power behind them they couldn't lose. The Jedi could never have held the power, having been a Jedi before becoming Sith he knew that.

Rafeesh kept his eyes closed and began walking through what had once been the temple. He could see the walls, covered in tapestries depicting Sith victories and ancient battles. The ceilings, so tall as to appear to be able to hold the power of the Dark Side in. The obelisks, with text of the various Sith sayings. All gone... nothing was left bu rubble and ruin. He would see it rebuilt, he promised once more to the planet. It was the birth place of the Sith he had grown into and was his mother. As a good son he would protect her and repair what others had done in their negligence and pride. He promised. Never more would he leave her, he had been forced to leave two loves, one known and the other unknown. He had been forced to leave his loves and one was lost to him forever, he wouldn't let the other go so easily. He promised.

He found himself tripping over rubble that had not been there. He felt saddened by its existence. Had this rubble been the ceiling, or perhaps the wall? Had Sith bled onto this rubble, payed their lives to protect their home? Had they fought valiantly until the end? Had they shown what is was to be Sith? Rafeesh could not know. What was more disheartening was the thought that the temple had been empty, its halls covered in dust and its fires out. Had the temple died in silence, little more than a skeletal frame showing what once had been the mighty Sith? It burned in his heart and mind that it cold have happened. There were no words for his feeling of disgrace at such a thought.

When at last he walked into what had once been the grand Sith library there was a single tear slowly rolling down Rafeesh's cheek. It left a wet trail until it fell to the dirty ground. Its path soon was covered in dust and Rafeesh had to wipe away the one remnant of his sadness that had shown. He looked around, only a meter of the back wall still stood, but it was precariously bent over as if it wold not last more than a year. He looked at the floor, a dirt and dust covered rubble field. He knelt down and slowly pulled a stone up and laid it on his knee. It was stained red with Korriban's sand and appeared had little importance, probably a wall or piece of ceiling. Even so, Rafeesh placed it gently on the ground, as if it were some priceless, fragile gem. He then stood and walked slowly to the wall. He put a hand on it, almost feeling the history and remembering what had been there. He sat cross legged under its shade. He turned his thoughts to the rubble and what may lay beneath. He let the Force flow through him and began lifting pieces of rubble and moving them to the side. He felt weak enough that he could only lift one piece at a time gently. He would dig through this though, if it took him another millennia he would uncover what he sought.

 

[Rafeesh]

"It is a place of great power, the dark side lives and breathes in the very core of this world."​

-Qordis on Korriban​

​

I could sense it.​

The power could have overwhelmed the weaker minds.​

But not mine. I am Sith, I am strong.​

There was no power in this land that could defeat me.​

The dark side would help me.​

​

Rafeesh spent an hour pulling slowly at the rubble, lifting one piece to find still more rocks under. It was an exhausting exercise, he felt his strength being sapped. It was worth it though. He was certain that he would find something, even if it were text on Tuk'ata. It would be something that could remind him of the past and he needed that. He needed something tangible to hold onto, anything to remember that age when Sith were a real threat to the galaxy. The One Sith didn't feel like real Sith, they were more like Dark Jedi, coming together to hide from the Jedi in a group. But if the real Sith had been here, they could have wiped the galaxy clean of the Republic and the Jedi, their breaking apart was the perfect opening, and yet the One Sith did nothing. They hadn't even reclaimed the ancient Sith homeworld, it was held by, what were they called, the... Primeval. Yes that was it, that was the name of the usurpers. They would pay for this, they would pay for disgracing the land of the Sith, both Korriban and Dromund Kaas. They and the One Sith would learn from their mistakes, or die to the Republic and the cursed Jedi.

His work was disturbed by the approach of another being. It felt weak, but unafraid. Foolish. It obviously didn't know what it was dealing with. It was a man, youngish, and a little too cocky for his own good. He had a rifle, an older model, that must be what gave him his courage. It would be the first thing he took away. The man hadn't seen him yet, but would soon, and then he would teach the man to be more observant. He walked with the stride of one without any fears or concerns. He was probably here as part of some local militia patrol. He felt bored as well, probably this patrol area was not a popular one. That would play to his advantage.

Rafeesh stood as the person got closer. The man almost didn't see Rafeesh, but the purple robes stood out far too much on the red background. The man never got to say anything before Rafeesh raised his hand palm outward. Rafessh felt the Force fly from his hand, pushing everything in front of him. The man was caught in the blast and lost balance, falling back onto one knee. He raised his rifle and aimed three wild shots at Rafeesh. The Sith used what was left of his strength in the Force to leap over towards his enemy. He soared for a moment, a moment too long. He found himself flying right into a rock face before he could stop himself. He slammed into the wall with a sickening thud and fell to the floor. He felt the pain wash over him, maybe a twisted ankle, or perhaps a sprained wrist. Rafeesh pulled himself up favoring one leg slightly. He couldn't identify the location of the pain before being hit with another wave of pain suddenly flash through his body. He only just had time to look up before he was roughly spun around by the blaster shot and fell again to the dirt. This time he was face up, so he could see the face of his enemy. Some might have considered handsome, however Rafeesh wasn't really in the mood to discuss such thoughts.

The man knew what he was doing, Rafeesh would give him that. But the man failed to recognize the device that had fallen from Rafeesh's robes during the fall. It was surprising actually, a lightsaber was fairly unique and should have been easily spotted. Fortunately for Rafeesh, the man didn't noticed until Rafeesh acted. He felt searing pain as he called upon his anger and hatred to fuel his rage. Unlike most Sith however, he didn't lost control in his hate, he always stayed in complete control. He allowed it to strengthen him, but never allowed it to overcome his sense and his mind. He called the lightsaber to his hand. In a single fluid motion he pulled himself into a kneeling position, got a firm grip on the saber, and came up with a single slash that cut the man's blaster rifle right near the trigger. There was little that could have prepared the man for so quick a movement, Rafeesh had counted on it. What Rafeesh had not anticipated was the stun baton that appeared in the man's hand. He felt two blows in quick succession, one landed on his lower arm and the other on his abdomen. He forced himself to fight through the effects, calling upon the Force to push back the pain. He would not be beaten by some weak man on the homeworld of the Sith.

Rafeesh dropped the lightsaber before raising his hand again, this time calling on the Force to constrict the man's throat. It worked, Rafeesh could tell as the man's eyes widened and he reeled back and scrabbled at his throat for a moment. He realized that Rafeesh was the cause of his inability to breath and he made a lunge for the Sith. He only took two steps before he was lifted from his feet by the Force. He once more began to scratch at his throat, hoping, praying for some relief. His body cried for oxygen and he could already begin to see black edging around his vision. Rafeesh let go after a moment, breathing heavily. He could have finished the man, but there had been little point. Why kill a messenger? He tried to speak, but found that the exertion had taken just as much out of him as the other man.

The patrolman for almost half a minute only looked at the ground, coughing and breathing. When at last he looked up, he saw Rafeesh leaning on a stone looking tired. The man was about to speak when Rafeesh cut him off, "Go. Now. Tell others of the Sith that returned." The man recognized that word, his eyes widened again before he stood and began to walk slowly back the way he had come. It looked painful, but then Rafeesh was one to talk, he wasn't in the best of conditions at the moment either. He had a blaster shot through his left arm, and too much fatigue to continue with what he had planned. He had to take a break. He had to rest. He had to regain his strength. He found a small cave and lay down to rest for an hour or so. The sun was setting, but it didn't matter, he could deal with the wildlife. As much as he wanted to stay on planet, he had a limited time.

 

[Rafeesh]

"Can you not feel the potency of this place?"​

-Freedon Nadd​

​

​

I can.​

It is the power of the Dark Side.​

It is that which gives me strength.​

It shall always be in my memory.​

​

Rafeesh was understandably upset. He had once been strong enough to face those kind of men without trouble. He could have dealt with him with little more than a flick of the wrist. But now, now he was weak. He would one day return to that strength. He would not allow himself to be beaten like this again. His strength was the Dark side and it would set him free from the confines of his pain. The Force would be his ally and a strong on, he would not be beaten. He recited the tenets of the Sith Code:

Nwûl tash.
Dzwol shâsotkun.
Shâsotjontû châtsatul nu tyûk.
Tyûkjontû châtsatul nu midwan.
Midwanjontû châtsatul nu asha.
Ashajontû kotswinot itsu nuyak.
Wonoksh Qyâsik nun.​

​

In that, he remembered that he was Sith. He was powerful. He was more powerful than a Jedi. So long as he remembered the code he would always be powerful. The ancient Sith language, something that he had learned during his time in the academy. In his time the Sith had been shown as superior to all other species, even humans. He had understood why, the SIth species had always been strong in the Force and physically. They had a heritage and while Rafeesh understood and agreed, he fought to prove himself as strong as any human. He had proven himself, having beaten three humans during his trials. He had never gone up against a true Sith until he had become a Sith Lord. The one he had fought had been a Lord as well, though for much longer that Rafeesh. The Sith had died to Rafeesh, his power base fell to him, and Rafeesh gained control. It had been marvelous to not have to fear other Lords, for a time. Eventually this would all disappear when his Master forced him into the experiment. That had ended that.

Now look where he was. Hiding in a cave while he gathered his strength. He was an easy target for any Sith Lord, but that would change. Rafeesh would become more powerful. If the Emperor he had grown under was dead, then he would take command. He had to. The Sith of this age were failing at their job. They somehow assumed that taking Coruscant had been a great step. The Sith had done that on a number of occasions, but it always returned to the Jedi because the Sith didn't go far enough. He would not make that mistake. If the Sith didn't accept him then he would fight by himself. The mark of the Emperor had been his ability to survive without an Empire to fight for him.

 

[Rafeesh]

"I am not a man of words. But I respect the power of words, for that is what transformed me."​

-Darth Bane​

​

​

He was right, the power of words was infinite.​

It was often an underestimated power.​

At one point I did not understand it.​

I have known better for quite some time.​

But now I understand.​

​

​

Rafeesh could feel his body's strength returning. It wasn't the important part, the physical was always second to the Force. He could feel the Force, it was his true strength and he was gathering it to himself. He could feel its power and he called upon his will to move. There was a pain, his arm had only healed slightly from the wound, but he fought through it. He couldn't see until he stood completely, the pain blinded him from his surroundings. He took a deep breath as his vision returned. He looked at his arm, looked worse than it felt. It would need to be attended to if he didn't want infection to set in. But he had other jobs to do, he had to find something even some old tablet would be worth the wait and pain. He could return at a later point to continue his search. He personally blanched at the idea of going into the nearby town for medical attention, but he would need to.

But first, he walked out into the night. He looked up into the sky, nights were always more beautiful. The stars shone brightly and twinkled only slightly. It was nice to not have the light pollution that had been quite an issue in his time. But then, that thought only served to prove that this area was truly dead. The lack of stars was normally proof of life, but now the stars shone bright. Hopefully one day that life would return. The temple would be rebuilt and the stars would be more difficult to see. Once more acolytes would live, train, and die. He missed those days and looked forward to bringing this back. His home would never come back, but he could bring it as close as possible. He would work towards this future with all his strength.

He reached the area he had been at before. He didn't immediately begin working, instead he meditated. He felt around the area in case there was something he had been missing. He found an aura underneath the rubble he had been working through. It wasn't strong, but it was more powerful than the surrounding. Thus he began to dig to look for it. He lifted stones only a little faster than before, still showing respect for that which had been his home. Maybe he would use these pieces of rubble to rebuild the Temple. He chuckled to himself as he spoke, "On this rock I will built my temple." He couldn't remember where he had heard that before, but he thought it was something from his time.

 

[Nara]

Nara slowly lowered The Rylothian Star to the ground. Glancing at the instruments, she made sure her first step on the planet wouldn't be her last. Korriban was a planet she had never dreamed of visiting, and she wasn't sure how safe the air was, temperatures, and hostile inhabitants nearby. Everything was satisfactory to the mercenary, so she made her way to the boarding ramp. Her mind raced through the reason she was here.

Nara was browsing through a black market on Nar Shadda when she overheared two shifty-looking men talking about quick ways of getting rich. Always looking for money gaining schemes, Nara listened in. The men were talking about Sith artifacts and how made a high profit. This immediately peacked her interest. She researched about the Sith, their artifacts and Korriban. To Nara, it was all boring, ancient history. She didn't even care what was written on the artifacts. But their worth overcame any doubt. Caution, however, Nara wouldn't give up. That was why she was going to take her time exploring the ruins. No one should be there anyway.

The Rylothian Star was parked 5 kilometers away from the actual ruins, not wanting to attract unnecessary attention. Little less that an hour later, Nara found herself at the left side of the ruined Sith temple. While she doesn't believe much about the Force (except that it can move things and occasionally trick minds), Nara definately felt a change in atmosphere as she took her first few steps into the ruins. It was quite unnerving. She was paying too much attention on the change of aura that she wasn't paying attention to where she was placing her feet.

"OW!" she yelled as her toe collided with a large rock. In frustration, she kicked the rock away, causing another exclaimation of pain, followed by a string of curses. Nara was so glad she was the only one here.

 

[Rafeesh]

"It is the internal struggles, when fought and won on their own, that yield the greatest rewards..."​

-Darth Traya​

​

​

Everyone has to face their problems.​

You can't turn away and hide.​

At some point you must look them in the eye.​

That is when your mettle is tested.​

If you come out victorious then you are stronger for it.​

If you lose, then you did not fight strong enough.​

If you survive then you will learn from it.​

​

​

Rafeesh had fought his battle, and lost. That was why he was here, instead of millennia ago with his fellow Sith. No one would have helped him, it wasn't a matter of people being able to, it was a problem of would it have made him stronger. He now had the opportunity to become stronger from his loss. That didn't remove the bite of his defeat, it never would go away. He would simply have to live with his failure. He would never be able to obtain what he had had in that time, but now he could attain a different fate. In some ways this was a gift, but he would always remember the curse. Would he ever learn what it was like to have those who would be friends for his life, or who would understand him. He wondered just how many beings there were in the galaxy who had lived this long. He doubted that there were many.

At last, he felt the sudden blaze of power as he stood and walked towards the hole he had made. He grunted in pain as wounds disagreed with his decisions. He bent down and closed his eyes as he sensed the item he was looking for. It was a stone tablet with words carved into it. It wasn't particularly important information. In fact, it was only the Sith Code carved in the ancient Sith species language. He could feel the power from the tablet. It had been in the presence of hundreds of thousands of Sith both powerful and weak, that aura had become engrained in the stone. It wasn't just the Force that he felt stronger from, simply reading the words made him feel stronger. He held it close, a remnant of a time long past and a relic that he would never let go.

It was strange how quickly he became attached to it. Actually, not quite that strange, after all it was a part of his past. He had probably read from this at one point and never really payed much attention to it. Now though, now this would be his prize. He wouldn't lie to himself, it would be prized only until he found something better. Though this would always have a special place in his heart. It was the first fragment of his shattered past. He knew he would never be able to completely piece it together again, but he could try and he would. Giving up on the past was the most assured way of forgetting its lessons. Forgetting lessons of the past was the quickest way to repeat the mistakes made. He would not forget his lesson, don't trust Sith, real or otherwise.

Of course, he was Sith, he knew that at some point he had to trust other Sith. But he would never give his whole trust to a person like he had his master. He had learned and he intended on making certain that others would learn from it. After all, he didn't want others to go through what he had and he would have to teach others at some point. It was necessary that he eventually tutor someone, it was always through teaching others that you learned better yourself.

That was when he heard something. At first it sounded distant and like a rock falling. Then came the following sounds that told him exactly what it was. Another being. He turned his attention to the sound. He closed his eyes once more and tried to sense around him. He felt that another person was near, but he couldn't tell much beyond that. He pulled his lightsaber from its clip and held it at the ready as he moved towards the sounds. He kept hold of the tablet, not wanting to lose it. He wasn't going to be beaten again. If this turned out to be a fight, he would win.

[member="Nara"]

 

[Nara]

[member="Rafeesh"]

Nara couldn't shake off her feeling of uneasiness. It was infuriating to her, as she normally can control her emotions. To relieve herself, she started speaking aloud to herself.

"What a dump. You'd never think this was a Sith temple." She picked up a chunk of what might have been the wall and looked over it. Seeing nothing of interest, she tossed it to the side. "What a dump," she repeated.

The back of her neck started tingling. Someone was behind her. Following her. No noise came from the stalker, but Nara trusted her senses. She continued walking forward casually, picking up random rocks, pocketing a few promising looking ones. Nara allowed her hand to casually fall near her blaster. With lightning speed, she whipped around, gun out, already firing a few shots. She heard a screech and scrabbling as whatever she hit was trying to crawl away.

"You little-" Nara dashed forward and grabbed the squirming Rakghoul. The creature had, of course, survived the blaster shots, much to Nara's sorrow. The Rakghoul continued to screech, it's voice echoing in the ruins of the temple. "Quiet you little bantha poodoo, Hutt-spawned creature!"

As the lardo and the nerf-herder tangled around for a few minutes, another rock hit Nara in the shin. "Again?!?! Seriously??" She kicked the rock aside. Her interest piqued, however, as other debris slid aside. Digging more, Nara uncovered a small tablet with intricate carvings. She at first threw it aside. Pausing for a few seconds, she contemplated whether the markings on it were of any use. Nara quickly turned around and retrieved the tablet, stuffing it inside a bag attached to her belt. "If it's nothing, I can make a sucker buy it," she said to herself and her small companion.

"Raowraorwr."

"Oh, come on. Not everyone is as smart as me. We have a fair amount of idiots in the galaxy."

"Raowraorwr."

"No.....I don't think anyone will catch us. Unless we try selling this to a Sith. But I highly doubt any exist anymore. Why would one be in a black market anyway?"

"Raowraorwr."

"You're right. Let's look for some more."

"Raowraorwr."

 

[Rafeesh]

"We take what we desire because we can. We can because we have power. We have power because we are Sith."​

-Sith Proverb​

​

​

This is why only the strongest have power.​

Those that are weak are not able to obtain power.​

Therefore they are weak.​

It is paradox that shows there is no way to become strong.​

Once weak always weak.​

I was strong.​

Even though I am not strong now, I may be strong in the future.​

​

​

This was an interesting one, a female, human. She seemed a little less confident about her surroundings, however she didn't seem afraid enough to know the dangers that lie in the night of the planet. He was surprised he hadn't met any Tuk'ata yet, though it was possible that the locals had been hunting the beasts out of the region. That thought made him angry, the Tuk'ata were a symbol of Korriban and the Sith. They were the emblem of aggression that the Sith were part of. To have it taken away was still beyond his full understanding. He hoped that they would still exist, could it be that they were extinct? He doubted it, but now there was a lingering fear. It was good though, he could sap the fear and turn it into strength. He might need it.

He continued closing the distance between the noises, which were becoming more continual. He guessed that the person wasn't aware of another being in the area. Was it possible that she didn't even realize the threat that this planet posed. He almost couldn't comprehend the possibility that the planet was losing its infamy. That it was becoming little more than a name was beyond anything he could accept. If this were so, then he would have to rectify the situation. It couldn't be allowed to continue. He was within ten meters when he was able to physically see the woman. She seemed to be talking to something out of his view. From the sound it was making, the other being was probably a beast or incapable of speaking basic, or both.

He continued moving, as quietly as he could. He made sure to test every step to be certain that rocks wouldn't move under his feet. He was eight meters when he ignited his lightsaber and called out. "What are you doing here?" He kept the lighted saber at his side, letting the purple light bathe the steadily darkening area in an alien color.

[member="Nara"]

 

[Nara]

Nara whipped around at the sound of a new comer. Her right hand was already on it's blaster hilt; the left hand lingered near the other blaster. In a moments notice, she could whisk out both blasters in a blaze of shots. Mentally kicking herself for being oblivious to what was around her, she examined the person. The man in front of her held a lightsaber (which, Nara noted, was worth a fortune on the black market), and from his appearance, she guessed he new how to wield it. He actually reminded her of the pictures she examined while reading up about the Sith. So, more than likely, he probably was someone who was trying to copy them.

As to his question, Nara decided to play stupid.

"Holy sithspit!" She jumped back a bit and moved her hands away from the blasters and to her heart. "You scared me! Don't sneak up on a girl like that!"

The Rakghoul, Nara noted, had disappeared somewhere.

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh stayed silent for a moment, contemplating his next action. He didn't know why this female was here, or if it even mattered. He guessed that she was here for relics, though she had no sensitivity of the Force. She must be looking for them for the money. How dare she! She dared to come to the homeworld of the Sith, the very seat of their once great empires, and steal relics as if it were a rock on the ground. This was unacceptable! He knew intellectually that he was jumping to conclusions and that she could be here for completely different reasons, however his emotions said otherwise.

He felt out through the Force, trying to see what she was thinking planning. He couldn't sense anything, so he tried to put more into it. Setting more power from his angered emotions, but he could only get the faintest of ideas. It was yet more proof, as if there wasn't enough already, that he was not as strong as he had once been. However, he didn't let that thought stop him, he would once more return to that power. He would be as strong as he once had been. His first steps would begin here, on this planet, his home. Yet at the same time, it felt so alien to him, the temple gone and no Sith that he could see.

He responded by asking, "What are you doing here? Do you have any idea where you are?"

[member="Nara"]

 

[Rafeesh]

He turned, stalking off into the darkness, angered at this place, at fate. If that human wanted to talk, let her follow him, if not be gone with her. He didn't care! The Empire was gone! The Sith he had once known, all gone! He was lost in this galaxy no more caring than his own, but he knew so little about it. Had the Jedi done this? His mind burned at that. He had once been a Jedi. They had never been strong enough to do this. Had the Sith failed and the Jedi simply waltzed in and destroyed everything? How could they? How could the Sith fall in their time of complete power? The Republic, the Jedi, the Galaxy had been at the mercy of the Sith.

In his moment of anger he felt strength well up within him. Such strength as he had not felt since his time. It was a cold reminder of his past, when he had been a name of fear. Now he was nothing. He would be strong again, not because he wanted to be but because he had to. He could not allow the ancient Sith to simply fade into nonexistence, his life was, as far as he knew, the only thing that held those ancient traditions. He would not fail the masters that had taught him. He would succeed and show the Galaxy, especially the Jedi, that the Old Sith would return and prove them all weak.

Within that moment of strength and anger, Rafeesh sensed something. Something powerful. Not very powerful, otherwise he would have felt it before now, but enough that it made him further frustrated that he hadn't noticed it before. This was buried deep in the ruins, whatever it was. He would find it, perhaps it would remind him of the times long past. He began digging slowly through the rubble with these thoughts surrounding him.

 

[Rafeesh]

His injuries were not healed, this became more and more evident as the digging continued. The dirt and rock was not helping, he was almost certain that he would need medical attention for the infections alone. This was not a problem though, he would fight through it as he had fought through many things. He had lived through the cryo experiments, he had survived the millennia in stasis, he had survived his awakening, and he would survive this, no matter what.

His digging brought up pieces of things that were both recognizable and not. He saw a melted half of a lightsaber, the entire top and crystal case had been turned to liquid before forming again. It was probably nothing more than an acolyte's saber, but he couldn't be sure. He tosses it to the side, for now. His target was first and foremost that strange force that he could feel, it was drawing him in. He wondered what it could be, some ancient lightsaber perhaps? Maybe one from his time and age. Maybe a Sith device that he could use to bring the true Empire back.

At last there it was, he stood in a meter deep hole, surrounded by darkness and the sounds of animals in the distance. He stooped quickly, picking out the object. It appeared to be another tablet, this one much younger than the first. The language was in Sith'ari, but it was not as badly worn around the edges. He wasn't a historian, but he thought it looked like something from his age, of course it was probably wishful thinking. He couldn't read the words, but he could feel them it felt like that language. He would have to find a way to read this. That meant light, which because he didn't have a torch, meant fire. He pulled himself out of the hole and moved towards the edge of the temple, the small surviving wall that he had rested under before. He took a moment to look up at the stars, so very beautiful on this planet.

 

[Rafeesh]

It was time. He had made a small fire using small pieces of wood and cloth and rocks to start it ablaze. It was hardly enough to shine the area around them, but he could see the tablet. It was apparently written in Sith'ari, not as the original language but as a translation. Evidently, it was intended as a way of tripping someone trying to read it, at least that was what Rafeesh guessed the purpose was.

He read it over, taking his time. It was difficult to under for the most part. He didn't recognize many of the words, even though he had studied the Sith language back as an acolyte. He couldn't figure out why it was so strange. That was, until he read the last few sentences. It was supposed to be a Sith ritual. Sith magic. Something that he had heard of all those years ago, but had never spent much time studying due to his time in the field.

He spent a few minutes digesting the description. It was some sort of way of subduing a Force ghost. A surprising development. Rafeesh had heard rumors of Sith magic being capable of such strange acts, yet he had not expected this. It was power beyond what he had imagined. Now the down side was that he had little experience with ghosts, he had known of ghosts living in the tombs of the Sith, but they were probably all gone by now. He read over the tablet again, memorizing it. He would at least remember it for some time in the future. He spent the next hour continually reading it over and over, taking every detail.

 

[Rafeesh]

There are many things on Korriban. Some are people, some are objects, and some are beyond anything that can truly be understood in the realm of the living. Those beings that live are known to fear the tombs and caverns that are held sacred by the Sith. These are often the greatest treasure troves, until an opportunistic person decides to take from it. These people will occasionally meet the third portion of that which resides on Korriban. Beings long dead are not often seen again. But some, some with incredibly hate or strength can hold on. They can fight against the natural laws of life and the Force and hold onto the realm that they wished to forever be part of.

Unlike a Jedi however, these Sith that accomplish this are often only found in a state less than sane. Often driven beyond sanity by the anguish in which they live, these are some of the most dangerous of the dead, they do not fully accept their death and continue to try and live on. However, there are those that are exceptionally strong, or were particularly hateful, so much so that their continuing existence has not driven them mad, but only driven them into a greater longing of the life that they have lost. These are the often the more dangerous to more people, if only because they are not wild in their intentions. They have a target for their anger and will take almost any step to destroy their enemies, whether they be living or dead.

What plays a role in Rafeesh's future is of both the second and third categories. It starts with a Sith Holocron. Nothing special, not one of these special ones containing the secrets to some lost Force ability, or the history of a Sith Lord who stood all powerful over an empire long past. No, this was one of those very lackluster Holocrons written by some backwater Sith who never truly accomplished much in their lifetime, but who wanted to believe that they were leaving a mark on the Sith to come. This Holocron was left behind by a Sith named Hershan.

Hershan Legath is almost a textbook tale on the life of Sith with ambition but not enough drive to truly reach the stars. Her journey to death was began at her birth into the Sith Empire. She was indoctrinated into the Sith as soon as she could comprehend the world around her. As a human force sensitive she had a rank all to her own, being better than both any alien and the rest of the non-force user humans. She was especially powerful within the Force, she survived her trials through usual ways of confrontation, she had fortune only so far as she had no true competition. As an acolyte she spent much time doing little else than working alongside her master, himself also a human. As the years went by she reached a rank only somewhat less than that of a full Sith Lord.

In her years learning and working slowly up the steps of power she watched as more and more aliens began to become apparent in the Sith society. What struck home more was the fact that some were advancing more swiftly than her. She was given a post at last as a Sith Lord to teach acolytes and hopefuls. She was specifically chosen to teach Sith Tradition and Doctrine. She was one to always emphasize the superiority of the humans over all but one alien species. She would often fail alien students for no other reason than spite. She disdained them more than anything else in the Empire.

Unfortunately, when the Jedi attacked Korriban and the Sith Temple she was one of the defenders who fell namelessly in the battle. For her part, the one good thing that had come of it had been that she had finished the holocron of her history and of Sith tradition only a day before. She never truly accepted that it had been finished, wanting to add more to make it certain that future Sith would not be aliens, she was so certain that her holocron would be of utmost importance someday.

 

[Rafeesh]

Hershan had held to the living world through sheer will power and anger. She found this existence very painful, she didn't have a true purpose of being here. She didn't have any vendettas to finish, or any visitors to kill. She couldn't leave, she couldn't die, she couldn't find peace. She had bound herself to the holocron in the hopes of protecting it from those that would desecrate the traditions of the Sith. She was weary of the not life, but she had no choice but to live on. She wasn't driven insane by all he centuries without any purpose, but she had a fixation with her holocron. She believed that it was of infinite importance to the Sith, it had to be given to a true Sith.

So, she guarded the place, wandering to and fro. She often was lost in thought about her death, trying to figure some possible way to have survived. It was a fruitless task, leading to nothing more than wasted time. The last person to have made their way into this cavern had been killed by a falling stone while she attempted to take control of him. His corpse was still decomposing in a corner, she often wondered if her body had slowly been eaten away like his, or if perhaps it had been destroyed by an explosion or burned till nothing remained.

Today was little different. She looked upon her holocron, making words within her mind of its beauty and underlying importance. She would have caressed it if that were possible, but she contented herself with staring it into its depths. She would then move about the small cavern, wondering what was happening above, the cavern too deep to allow her any ability to visit the surface.

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh believed he had everything he could from the tablet. Now to do what all Sith did to assure their superiority. He stood, holding the piece of stone in his hand. He took a breath and closed his eyes for a moment. He didn't want to do this, not truly. He would have preferred to keep the tablet to allow others to learn of this ability, but at the same time he knew he had to deal with it now, never allow anyone else to use this against him. The best method was the simplest.

He thought for a moment, contemplating his past. His master had forced him to this point, standing on the dead world that had been his home. It was his past master, the one that now lay dead somewhere, he hoped her grave was destroyed and no one was left of her. She had probably done similar things to this, destroying what traces of power there were before moving on to become more powerful. He was acting just like her. Did that make the two of them more alike than he had thought?

In that moment he questioned himself. Was he like his old master? Was he doomed to destroy the lives of those around him? Was he a destroyer of everything, even himself? Was he to live his life and die while watching all the destruction he had caused around him? Was he the monster that would destroy his own life, but not before ruining everyone elses'?

No. His mind burst forth with a power within his anger. He would not be a crusher of people around him. He was different. He would prove that, but for now. He looked down and crushed the ancient stone with his hand. The stone was brittle and broke easily. In a moment there was only bits and pieces of gravel where before had been a tablet. Rafeesh smiled, his eyes glinting in the mourning sun. He hadn't even realized the coming of dawn and the death of his fire. He had been too absorbed with his own thoughts, he hadn't realized that those few thoughts had taken hours in reality. He looked up at the disappearing stars.

They would remember. They would remember this day. They would remember him. He would carve his name into history, he would prove himself to be a better Sith than his master, but a different sort of Sith. He would be remembered by the stars if no one else. He would leave his mark. He yelled at the stars in anger.

 

[Rafeesh]

Her day was going to be much more interesting than anticipated. As far as she knew, there was little more than a day of thinking of her past and wondering about when the next foolish person would arrive. She hoped that perhaps the next one would be more talkative, the last one had barely spoken before he decided to try and make it towards the holocron. She could not have guessed what fortune would have in store for her.

She moved about, muttering to herself about the cave for the thousandth time. She knew every nook and cranny, yet she continued to examine them. She counted every millimeter that a single crack might expand due to corrosion. She counted every single stone that fell from the ceiling. She even kept track of every grain of sand on the floor. It helped that about a year ago the cave's entrance had been mostly sealed by a collapse of the cave, she half wished that it had taken out this cavern as well, but no such luck. She even watched as the decomposing process took place on the body of the dead man in her room.

Today though, was something of a special day, in her planned schedule at least, she would sit down and spend three hours recounting the trip to the surface, followed by a perfect repeat of her entire life. She would speak everything she could remember, probably spend the rest of the day doing that. It was a nice distraction for her otherwise uneventful routine. Perhaps today a new insect would worm its way through the small gaps in the rock. She would be able to speak to it until it too died in this room. She had long given up hope of leaving, contenting herself with the fact that she would be able to outlive anything that may enter her cavern. She had decided that that was a nice advantage, she would be here until the world was destroyed, either by an exploding force of the star or perhaps a meteorite. Anyway, she would be here while the galaxy grew old and died around her.

Was it a sad existence, she couldn't really decide.

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh stopped, looking around at the emptiness of this land. He fell to his knees and reproved himself for his outburst, he had to control it all, keep it in. Allow it to fester. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to fill with those thoughts of hatred and anger, sadness and sorrow, fear and despair. In feeling them all he felt himself almost choked in their strength, he felt as if he were drowning in all the power and raging emotions. He realized that it was all the feelings that had been trapped within him for millennia, there was no greater strength than that which was drawn from this well. It was almost infinite, or so it appeared. After all, when a person is trapped with his thoughts alone for thousands of years, will there not be a growing emotional strength.

He looked through his mind, traveling down the hallways that were his memories. There were so many of his time, but they were fading. He didn't want to lose his past it was the fondest that he had. He couldn't lose his identity he had to remember his time. This place, this reality, was not his. He could never truly be happy here, he was not in his place. It was not his destiny, it couldn't be. He would find a way, against all even the Force if he had to. He would not be held here, he was not meant to be here.

He promised himself and the people he had left behind that he would return and he would save the Empire. He would not stay here and help these lesser flatterys of the once great Sith Empire. He would not help these child's models of his home. If they were truly as great as the true Sith Empire then this world would be theirs and the Academy would be rebuilt.

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh decided that he would have to explore. There was no other way to vent his emotions at the moment. So, he would have to hold onto all of it. He would save them for a later date, in a way it was more effective it allowed them to distill more perfectly and they would spread. Some said that it was bad for a person to hold onto those negative emotions, it caused negative chemicals to be released by the body and it would actually destroy it. He would just have to deal with it though, he had to keep them for when they would be needed and he could never be certain when they would be required.

He walked about, looking at the walls of the valley, remembering what they had once looked like. He noted a few new caves, some appeared shallow while others seemed to continue on into darkness. He walked up to one of the former and looked within. He found nothing but eroded rock and sand. He turned and continued walking. This was a very large valley, it would give him time to control the emotions that threatened to release themselves and ravage the land around him.

He found a deeper cave further along the valley wall, this one seemed to have been dug rather than simply eroded by time. It might be interesting to explore.