Forsaken Backwaters (Rafeesh)

[Grace Darkson]

Grace slowly walked towards the exit ramp, fiddling with the breathing mask as she made her way into the barely breathable atmosphere. No need to take an unnecessary risk. Plus, the pure O[SIZE=11.6666669845581px]xygen[/SIZE] would keep her sharper than someone breathing the regular air. Too much sulfur. The Vahla scanned the horizon. Why anyone wanted to be here, she couldn't imagine. But there were rumors of ancient artifacts here. May be worth the look.

Slowly, she stepped onto the rocky surface. "Rocks and sulfur. Sound familiar?" the girl muttered, pulling the scanner from her pocket. Jammed. Not a good world for it, then. Darn. Well, time for the old-fashioned way then. She closed her eyes, reached out in the Force, feeling for the touch of the Dark Side.

[member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Rafeesh]

It had been years since his awakening. He still had not completely gotten over the fact that everything he had ever known was gone. He had come to Chalcedon to find out history from before his time, to hold onto the past. He knew that most would say to move on, but Rafeesh was not one to blindly obey just anyone. He had learned of many planets in the time from his awakening, yet few of them hadn't been utterly pulled apart for historical artifacts. He had learned of an ancient empire, a supposedly infinite one. Run by an ancient species that had an amazing power over the Force. Maybe their artifacts would be equally amazing.

He wore his ancient helmet, which had a basic respirator to keep the damaging portion of the atmosphere out. On top of that he had been meditating in one of the small colony's library. He was in what had been a colony but was now mostly abandoned, held together by tough aliens who were more adept at surviving in the terrain. His meditations had only revealed that there were dark side artifacts on planet, not their locations or how many. He was disturbed by the sudden arrival of an outside point, he could sense another dark user coming to the planet. He wondered who this person was and if they were here to kill him, as others had tried before. It wouldn't have been too difficult, his strength mostly came from physical type as his Force connection had suffered during his time in the cyro chamber.

[member="Grace Darkson"]

 

[Grace Darkson]

It took Grace a moment to sense the artifacts surrounding her, and another full moment to notice something far more interesting. Someone was here. A Darksider, probably a Sith. They were weak, but that could easily be simply due to the immense amount of Dark side energy she could feel here. Interesting. The hunt for artifacts would have to wait. She had found something of far greater value.

Pulling a simple speeder bike out of the ship's cargo hold, she locked it tight and headed out towards this possible ally. Even so, she wasn't ready to go without a fight. The lightsaber on her belt, combined with the robes, should discourage anyone from picking a fight with her.

After all, who picked fights with Sith?

[member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh got the feeling that the other Force user could sense him as well. It was actually surprising that he could tell that the user was there with all the disturbance of artifacts and other Dark Force founts. They would have been helpful had he his strength of old. He would have been a Darth in those days. He might have helped shape the Empire to defeat the Republic, instead of eventually collapsing on itself. He could have been able to spend time with his love, instead his master had frozen him and left him to die in Cryo freezing. What a destiny, to have such a future as to become some day a Darth and then to have your master ruin it all. He had been strong then, but now times had changed and he was weak. He could have used the Dark side aura from the artifacts to strengthen himself in that time, but now he felt as if the Force was different and he had lost control of it. He felt as if that which had been the largest part of him was now foreign within his own body. How was one supposed to recover from that? The simply answer that Rafeesh had was to train and meditate. He couldn't help it if his thoughts returned to the past, it was his home even if he could never return.

He guessed that the other Force user was coming to find him. Kill him? Maybe. That would fit with the Sith he had grown up into. But then the person could also be possibly intrigued by finding another Force user. Rafeesh wasn't certain, which didn't help matters. He had his own double-bladed lightsaber, but he was still not as strong as he had once been so he doubted it would be much help. The greatest achievement since awakening had been using lightening in a moment of anger, it was proof that he could once more learn that which had been as natural as breathing. He looked forward to that day, the day when he needn't fear the approach of every Force user. He looked even more to the day when Force users would fear his coming. That would be proof that he had the strength once more.

Rafeesh stood, walking slowly out of the library. If in fact the other Force user did feel him there was no point in hiding. He waited in the harsh climate outside, not letting his body respond to the weather or the miserable conditions. He tried once more to feel the Force around him, it was dull and it felt like a stranger who had once been a close friend.

[member="Grace Darkson"]

 

[Grace Darkson]

The wind whipped through her long hair as the speeder approached a small town. So he was hiding out here, then. Interesting. Leaving the bike behind, she felt for him in the force. As she felt for him, no doubt blaring her presence to anyone who could sense nearby, she stopped just short of the corner of the building, and brushed his mind. So why are you here? she asked him, still not in his field of vision. The telepath didn't want to be an easy target for any straight attack, but she also needed a first contact.

Granted, it was possible that he could treat it like a two-way street. The metal probe took some of her focus away from her own defense. An attack of similar order may very well work on her now.

[member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh sense the Force user's presence closing. It certainly meant that she was coming for him, yes? While it could be completely a coincident Rafeesh didn't believe in such. He began walking slowly towards where he felt that the person would be arriving. It was strange, if he allowed his imagination to roam free he might have made a connection to his walk and the walk of a doomed man. Definitely, a doomed man had no reason to rush to his destiny. He wouldn't allow himself the luxury of such an imaginative analogy. He had to keep his mind settled in the real world, not the imagination.

He felt a sudden touch upon his mind. He felt and heard words being asked, why was he here. His own abilities with telepathy were inadequate to create a response of even close to equal finesse. He took a breath and ordered his thoughts in line. He tried to send a message back, To learn. He doubted that he could have handled more, but even as it was he could almost feel how the message was weakened and probably would be entirely missed unless the other person was looking for a response. Rafeesh once again cursed his weakness within the Force. He tried to figure out where the Sith was so that they could talk face to face.

[member="Grace Darkson"]

 

[Grace Darkson]

Grace felt his response. He had the potential, the ability to use telepathy, but it was unrefined, rough. She felt his response, but it was less words and more pictures through a smoked mirror. Still, she caught his meaning. So why come here? Surely there are better places than this. Although, perhaps that wasn't the case because of his weak connection to the force. Or did you come to strengthen your connection? After all, there was no telling what the artifacts left behind here could do. Maybe something on this world could help him deepen his power. The possibilities that finds possessed were almost endless.

Slowly, she stepped forward, rounding the corner and facing him. The Sith smiled at [member="Rafeesh"]. For now, she held an advantage. Hopefully she could keep it.

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh was about to answer the question as best he could when he noted the woman walk around the corner and looking at him. Even without the Force he could have guessed that she was the Sith, her stance, the look in her eyes, the power that could almost be tangible felt washing off her. She felt... young... young to the Sith, but strong. She would do well. If she survived her master's betrayal. He wondered for a moment Sith had to betray one another as if their life depended on it, but that was just the thing, their life did depend on it. He didn't question the tradition that led the Sith to what must seem strange betrayals. His initial though about the Sith was whether she was close enough to choke, that appeared to be the one thing he had fairly done, crushing and choking. Pathetically weak Force reliant capabilities, must show where he is at. But that proved a point, one of his first thoughts upon meeting another Sith had been, "Could I kill her?" The answer was probably no.

He didn't care to take the chance anyways, he responded with his own question through the Force. Are you here to kill me? This was even weaker than his statement as it was much longer. He waited patiently for a response, he was willing to answer her question but after he knew what would happen to him. His hands were relaxed at his side, though he would be quick to move for his lightsaber if need be, he hoped it wouldn't be the case.

[member="Grace Darkson"]

 

[Grace Darkson]

Grace saw an image flash through his head as she waited for a response. Her choking, gasping for breath, and then it was gone. Either he had become surprisingly better at hiding things, or he had decided otherwise. Moving on step closer, she shook her head. Probably not. Unless, of course, you try something stupid. She had power now, and it was intoxicating. The young Sith seemed to pause for a moment before her hands dropped to her sides, the lightsaber handle laying comfortably under her palm. She stared directly at [member="Rafeesh"].

Are you?

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh could reply to that question much easier. It was simple, he had no quarrel with her at this point and his abilities were too weak to make him much of a threat anyways. If there were to be a fight, which Rafeesh hoped against, he would likely lose. However, someday he hoped to not have this problem. Maybe at some point he could defeat enemies without taking a beating. That day would come, if he survived long enough to get there. He sent a response as best he could, No.

He took a step forward towards the other Sith, hoping that she wouldn't take it as a sign of aggression. The mind messages were tiring him out, all the more proof that he had much to learn.

[member="Grace Darkson"]

 

[Grace Darkson]

Her hands rose from her sides, crossing over her chest. Another step forward, and she would be in range of a good lunge. She hoped he wouldn't make her draw on him. Saber combat always got ugly. Weapons, blades, fighting. All a bland and crude means of getting things done. Still, it had its uses. Reading and noticing it was one of her best defenses. Still, he didn't seem to want to fight. That was good. Excluding the flash she had stumbled on earlier, he seemed peaceful. Almost too peaceful.

So, do you plan to answer me? she sent the telepathic message to him, feeling the draw on her power grow. She was spending too much energy. She needed something to draw on, or she needed time to rest. Even for someone with her experience in telepathy, this kind of thing was draining. She would probably need to speak aloud soon.

[member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Rafeesh]

He replied by speaking. He was more tired than her and he assumed that she could continue for quite awhile. It made him feel weak again. He could remember being stronger. He had never been a mind-bending will crusher, but he had been able to keep a conversation. Now he could barely speak. It was irritating, so very annoying if not dangerous. "No, I have no intention of killing anyone yet. I am here to search for artifacts. How about you?"

He left his lightsaber under the folds in his robes, hoping that it would be a sign of trust. At least trust for now. He wasn't one to come to longterm trust quickly. He had survived that way, but if he had been slower he might have seen his master's betrayal sooner and he would have avoided this whole mess. That was still the biggest blow to him, that he was unable to return to that time, his time. He was trapped in a time and galaxy that was so alien. Everything felt different, even the Force felt like a stranger. He knew he would never be able to bring back the past, it was millennia dead, but he could build a future that was more reminiscent of that past. With those thoughts though, he had to focus his sadness and anger into strength, keep him going so that he wouldn't be caught off guard by this Sith.

[member="Grace Darkson"]

 

[Grace Darkson]

"And what good are they if the Force is all but silent to you?" she asked. He seemed cut off, almost severed. It was weird. His mind acted like he was a powerful Sith at one point. Now, though, he was less than that. Something had changed. "I'm an archaeologist. Looking for some big find out here." She paused for a moment, using the Force to see if anyone was paying attention to the pair. Not that she noticed right away. Best to keep an eye out, though. Who knows what kind of trouble could come from these backwaters, though.

Stepping closer again, Grace smiled wider. "So, perhaps we could work together."

[member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh thought for a moment. Help would be appreciated, but was it worth trusting this Sith? That was a silly question of course, neither had shown overt hostility. Further there hadn't been any manifestation of anger, which was a good thing. He didn't know really if this woman wanted him dead or not. He assumed not because she said it, but then he was Sith and he was used to trickery. She could easily want to lure him somewhere quiet and end him. Of course, she could have just as easily have done it when they met, no one would tell anyone and he wasn't that important. In fact, Rafeesh thought perhaps he could die right now and the entire galaxy wouldn't even notice, no one would.

He turned and looked around for a moment, for no reason. He couldn't have explained why he did, just one of those things. "I believe that that would be a good idea. Where would you suggest we start?" He didn't answer her first question yet, he had to think on that more. He couldn't sense much in regards to locations of the artifacts, he hoped that this new acquaintance would.

[member="Grace Darkson"]

 

[Grace Darkson]

She paused for a moment, clearly thinking about something. "Well, the scanner I was given doesn't work. We'll have to rely on the old fashioned way." For a moment, she closed her eyes, summoning the Force to her in a flurry of sudden passion [member="Rafeesh"] would no doubt pick up. Something was bugging her, just outside of her senses, gnawing at the back of her mind. It ate away at her, picking at her efforts to pinpoint a location. "There seems to be a large signature from them...." she paused for a moment before continuing, her face contorting as she fought the urge to lash out and cause pain. She was controlling the Force, not the other way around. "Northeast." Her arm jutted out, pointing in the general direction. "About four kilometers out."

Still something bugged her. She couldn't name it, but she knew it was there. She'd have to figure that out. For now, she looked back to the man. "I've got a speeder bike that can make that in a couple of minutes, If you like."

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh sensed the change. Perhaps change was a slightly incorrect term. It was a twitch, at least to his less attuned mind it seemed like a dull flick of emotion. He sincerely wished he could have the power and ability to sense those deeper emotions and feelings, like he had once been capable of. He felt an anger and aggression that seemed to spike for a moment. He wondered what was the cause of that. A memory? A thought? WHat had caused the momentary control problem? He couldn't see beyond that one time, it would have been irritating to any instructor to have that wave of emotion described as a trickle.

He looked in the direction that [member="Grace Darkson"] pointed. He couldn't sense it... He was disappointed with himself. In fact, he was expecting perfection of himself and was failing miserably. The fact that as a man who had been trapped in a cyro chamber for thousands of years, he was even capable of sensing the Force to a degree did not matter to him. He thought about that a moment, was that disappointment only his inability to perform perfectly? No. It was deeper, older than that. It was like an ancient lake that appeared small and calm on the surface, but held monsters and was far deeper than any would guess.

He dug at it. He felt the disappointment, the anger at himself. What was the problem? It was old and hard. It felt like stone, deep stone, the kind found at the heart of a mountain. It would take time to dig into these memories and feelings. He began working on that while he spoke to respond to Grace. What a lovely name. He had never heard it in that context before. He had first heard the word as a Jedi, then was constantly reminded of its meaning until he turned Sith. From there the word had taken a much less appealing role, it was the word he would spit out when speaking of Jedi, yet at the same time it still held something in him as many words do. To hear it as a name, that was a nice change that he hadn't expected.

"If that is possible it would be most appreciated. If you are alright with it." He didn't assume to be accepted as safe yet.

 

[Grace Darkson]

Grace could see flashes of scenes, lakes and stone and monsters. Maybe some ice? She wasn't sure, but she wasn't trying to read him. She had caught herself skimming thoughts more and more recently. That may get her in trouble someday. Ah, well. Something to worry about later.

"Just be warned that if you try anything, you won't live to tell the tale." She commented, turning on her heels and returning to the bike. Fiddling around for a minute, she pulled out a couple things, watching as plates shifted to make sure a second rider wouldn't burn their legs of on the engine. Slightly slower than it would be normally, but it would do. "Come on. We're burning daylight." it was all to familiar, a wandering girl with a bike, almost nomadic. Like her family. Not that they mattered. They didn't want her, and she didn't need their simple, basic minds. She was better than they ever were.

Mounting up, and revving the engine, she gave an almost childish smile. "You ready for a ride?"

[member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh smiled politely, though it was a useless gesture with his helmet on, as he nodded saying, "Ready when you are."

There was a small portion of his mind that had the excitement of a child, he had never been on a hoverbike before. He jumped into the sidecar, struggling to fit his body in comfortably. He didn't plan on fighting her, she seemed nice enough, though he didn't fully trust her yet either. He was still too used to the old Sith ways, never make a friend and never hold them close, always expect betrayal. He wondered if that had changed.

He asked, "I haven't met a Sith in a long time. How is the Sith Empire?" He still hadn't learned that the Empire that he had lived in was gone. He was under the impression that it was hiding or pretending to be something else, he didn't think for a single moment that it could be completely gone.

[member="Grace Darkson"]

 

[Grace Darkson]

Grace turned the speederbike, making her way through the small town without incident. When he asked about the empire, she paused for a moment before replying. "Which one?" she asked, feinting confusion. This man may have been out of galactic politics for a while. Perhaps he didn't know about the Empire's fall. "They changed so many names and emperors over the years, I lost track. Vorsknr, Vulcanous, the list goes on and on. Every time it changed, the street got a little harsher." She pushed the memories away. She couldn't be vulnerable. Not now.

"The Jedi took Korriban, and that was the end. The empire fell, the Republic and their Jedi Lords stood tall." She would leave her story there for now. If he needed more, she could bring up the future of the Empire dream. The One Sith were hardly slowing down. Soon, it seemed they would hold the entire galaxy, and the Republic would fall. But she had never liked empires anyways. Too many people, too big a target.

[member="Rafeesh"]

 

[Rafeesh]

Rafeesh listened, though his conscious was struck with sadness of the news. He fought through the pain, an ancient pain made of fear and worse yet foreknowledge. There had always been a deep set understanding that the Sith might fall, or something of equal gravity would occur. But, it had always been nothing more than a distant thunder, or a nightmare for young acolytes. Now he saw that it had all come true...

"The Jedi took Korriban..." It was spoken as a question, but with a defeated sound as if he was not actually asking. "The Sith Empire... is... gone? Just like that?" He had difficulty believing it, how could it have happened? Why had it all happened while he slept in his chamber? Why couldn't he have been awake to witness the fall? Yes it would have hurt him deeply to watch the Empire collapse around him, but at least he could have tried to do something about it! "Where... Who... What happened? How did this happen? Who leads the Sith now? What has become of them?" His questions came quick, trying to mask the deep wound that he felt in his heart. He did so poorly, while his words might have fooled a regular listener, his mind was practically howling in anguish, that would be difficult to miss even if one tried.

[member="Grace Darkson"]