Home, sweet home

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Korriban... How he had longed to place his feet on the red sands of the ancient home of the Sith. The first week under the tutelage of Darth Vornskr, the Voice of the Dark Lord, had been spent deep in tomes and studying history. He had been given full access to the Lord's rich library. The tales of ancient Sith fascinated him greatly; of the likes of Tulak Hord, Ajunta Pall, Marka Ragnos and Naga Sadow. They were more than interesting tales, they were recipes for power and greatness. In some cases, it was a recipe for fall and destruction, how power and pride could blind. It was unlikely that he would find their tombs intact, likely they'd all been robbed by now. But, he wondered, did something linger? Or would Tanek, like Darth Bane before him, find Korriban to be a dead planet? Answers were on the horizon. Ever since that first week, he had been eager to visit Korriban. Now he was here... No longer an Acolyte, but a Sith Knight.

In many ways, this was his vacation, Tanek's way of celebrating the promotion. Of course, he would not allow himself to simply relax, grow passive. Such was the way Sith died. He would immerse himself in the knowledge of the planet, underneath the watchful eyes of the Lords before. He would return to Coruscant, empowered, leaving the Acolyte in the sands, coming back a Knight.

Another Sith was present on Korriban. Word reached him that the newly appointed Hand of the Dark Lord, [member=Darth Ferus], was here. Of course he would have to seek him out. Tanek had contacted him, and from the way he interpreted the response, Ferus had been more than willing to arrange a meeting. He knew the Lord from the Sith campaign on Glee Anselm. There he had played an integral part in the subjugation of the Nautolans. How beautifully he had played the leader of the Anselmi, leading them to rise against the Nautolans, only to switch sides at the end and see them destroyed. It had been a rather splendid little war.

Had there ever been a Togruta Sith Lord? Tanek wondered, while staring up at the statues of Lords from a time long since passed. If there had been, he couldn't recall having come across one in his studies. The red skin of the Togruta Knight seemed to match well with the surroundings, like he was at home. All he had on him were simple black pants, a similarly dark tunic, covered by the signature robes of the Sith. Tanek wore no armour this time. No silver plating, no Vong, no nothing. Today, it was only him, and the sands of Korriban. And, if he decided to show up anytime soon, also Darth Ferus.

[member=Darth Ferus]

 

[Darth Ferus]

One could say Ferus made [member="Darth Pyrrhus"] wait for weeks on the forsaken planet, and in reality he did. It was a literal test of wills, a test to see how dedicated the Togrutie would be to learning what the Red Assassin had to offer. Finally however, he would appear before the younger Darth, both hands clasped behind his back as he scanned him over with golden eyes.

"It's good to finally have the ability to talk to you one on one Tanek. How have you been?" The Assassin was dressed in his armor, with his hood pulled over low. As such, his mind was blocked out from any passive searching, leaving him almost a blank spot within the current of the Force itself. He was fully armed, and he looked prepared to take on the whole army of the Republic with his posture.

He wasn't messing around.

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Tanek was a patient Togruta indeed, though Darth Ferus had truly tested this quality of his. The wait had been long, He had questioned whether he was coming at all, or if this was some elaborate test, meant for his resolve and dedication to the Sith ideology. Would he give up, or would he endure, regardless of the conditions? For Tanek, there was really only one answer.

He had not wasted his time, however. Like when Darth Vornskr had left him on his own for a week within his library, Tanek now spent the weeks on Korriban in hard training. He was working on his telekinesis. All around Tanek, Ferus could spot scattered stones, even boulders, some cleaved in half. He had improved immensely over the time Ferus had left him with. Both in terms of lifting things and moving them around, but also with abilities such as Force Push, or even more powerful wave attacks.

When Ferus finally revealed himself, he had almost forgotten why he was there. Befitting his reputation, the leader of the Sith Assassins made his entrance without discovery. Only when he chose to show himself did Tanek perceive him. Such mastery of the stealth was one the Togruta hoped to achieve one day. Even his master, Darth Vornskr, appeared to have some knowledge of it. When he had first been introduced to him, he had appeared out of nowhere. Then again, he had been but an initiate, a neophyte. Now, he was a Knight.

"Darth Ferus" he rose from a meditative position, to observe the Lord. He gave him a respectful bow of the head. Tanek was hardly one to ignore formalities, and when he did, it was usually intended as an insult. "It is a pleasure, indeed." he said. It was honesty, and not flattery. Ferus had a reputation, and he had witnessed his actions in the One Sith campaign on Glee Anselm. To be on the Lord's radar, and receive training from him, was a great thing indeed.

"I have been training. As you may have noticed" he glanced to his side, making note of the mess he had made. Poor Korriban. Though Korriban had suffered worse. "Complacency after victory dulls the blade." he himself was the blade, and Telti had been the victory. To him, abandoning a constant state of conflict, whether against the Jedi or himself, was equal to death.

"How are you finding Korriban, Darth Ferus?" he asked, a genuine question. He had read much about it, and had been excited to visit it. While the dead spoke highly of the planet, the thoughts of the living Sith interested him equally.

[member=Darth Ferus]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Very true. I can see why you lead the assault on Glee Anselmi now. You are wise beyond your years." Ferus spoke with respect to [member="Darth Pyrrhus"] , a rare thing. Usually, he spoke in a nonchalant voice, meant to be nonthreatening and ultimately carefree. If he did not like you, he did not speak. If he thought extremely high of you, he spoke with respect. This Torgutie had earned such a respect.

"Korriban however is just as dry and desolate as when I brought Saiah here. A perfect place to train Sith all and all. Tell me though, what is it you wish to learn?" Ferus, a master of the blade, had only a few skills outside his sword play he could offer. But each was often coveted by the younger generation of Sith. So much so, that the Aspect of War had chosen to limit how many he taught. The last thing he needed was his opponents to become too use to his own skills as all the Sith used them. But Pyrrhus was no average Sith, and while young his respect, especially after the Sith Lord had made him wait so long, had earned favor.

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

He wasn't very good at receiving compliments, and especially from fellow Sith, he was not used to hearing them too often. Sith were prideful beings, and often rather preferred stroking their own egos, rather than any others'. Though Ferus spoke with sincerity, and he did not appear to be using flattery because he wanted something from him. So the Togruta Knight made a light nod of the head; a sign of appreciation, as well as indicating that the respect was mutual.

Tanek thought about the question Ferus asked him. It was a rare opportunity, to have a master of this calibre at his disposal, and to be able to receive training in whichever art he desired. His primary concern became filling the hole in his defence. When it came to defending against Force powers, he was severely lacking. "I wish to learn how to defend against the Force. I've heard of techniques... Force barriers, shields, bubbles." he added the details to give Ferus a better idea of what he was looking for. Was this something Ferus knew? He assumed so.

"I am a quick learner" he made a promise he may or may not be able to keep. In a sense, it was a way of telling Ferus that he would give this his full attention, and he would do his best. In other words, Ferus would not feel like he was wasting his time, or that he needed to spoon-feed the other Sith.

[member=Darth Ferus]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"There are a couple different defenses. The physical barrier, acting almost like an energy shield. Or Tutaminus, where you absorb your foes energy and use it as your own. Much more limited to heat and electricity, but the boon is far more powerful than a simple shield. You have your choice between a specialized defense, or an all rounder." Ferus continued to speak, but didn't comment on [member="Darth Pyrrhus"] being a quick learner. The Iridonian didn't truly care, so long as the Torgrutie wouldn't take weeks to teach the simple basics. Both arms slowly crossed over his chest as he watched, waiting for some sort of response.

Both were abilities the Darth knew, and both were something he was willing to teach. But he would only teach one for now.

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Tanek listened as [member=Darth Ferus] explained various forms of defences that could be erected through the Force. Both of the options he was presented with appealed to him, but his choice landed on the former. "I choose the specialized defence" his reasoning was simply that he felt it made more sense to get an all-round defence, to create a foundation, before he built upon that with more specialized techniques. The barrier Ferus spoke of was more urgent.

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Well rounded, very well. A barrier." With that, the Sith Lord brought up both hands. The Force around him swelled, eventually becoming visible as a slight haze. With a sudden flick of his wrists though, Darth Ferus would make the haze into something far more solid. A black barrier, translucent, formed between the two. "A barrier is created by forcing the Force itself together, weaving a shield like straw, and solidifying it to rock. The barrier can last only as long as you give it concentration, and more often than not in a high stress environment it will be fleeting. But it can redirect attacks, offering a quick solution to guard against a lightsaber you can't bend your body to deflect."

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

As Ferus began forming the barrier, the Togruta observed the Lord with great focus and curiosity. He did not observe with his eyes, for senses could be deceiving, but instead, he examined him through the Force. He needed to follow the process, pay close attention to it, from start to finish, so that he may better mimic it himself later.

Forcing the Force itself together... A bold task. But Tanek approved. It felt an appropriate ability to accompany a Sith, for it formed and reshaped the surroundings in his image. The laws of nature meant nothing to the power of the Dark Side. "And this barrier" Tanek asked, curiosity filling his tone. "Will it defend against the physical? The Force? All?" his eyes went to Ferus as he slowly equipped his lightsaber, and ignited it. He did it slowly, so the Lord would see it was not a challenge, but more like the scientific experiment.

Equally slowly, he would knock the tip of his lightsaber against the visible barrier before him. As he had when Ferus formed the barrier, Tanek would devote all his attention to it now that it came under pressure. He wanted to feel how it shaped up against his lightsaber. This, after all, would likely become the model he shaped his own barriers from.

[member=Darth Ferus]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"It will defend against all, yes. But the less concentration you give it, the weaker it shall be. Do not rely to heavily upon it either, for it is not indestructible." [member="Darth Pyrrhus"] would find the barrier not only hold against the lightsaber, but act as if it itself was the blade as well. It was as if poking a wall that could not be cut through. A smile formed on the Sith Lords face as he watched however. Curiosity, experimentation. Both were useful for a Sith after all. The barrier would fade as he nodded once to the Togrutie. "Think you can handle it?"

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

The less concentration you give it, the weaker it shall be. Tanek repeated Ferus' words in his mind once more, making sure it stuck to memory. If he needed a solid defence, he figured, it might leave him static, unable to move. At the very least, he'd have means to defend himself. All he required of Ferus was to show him how it was done. After that, the Togruta would apply himself, and through countless hours of training and exercise, he would slowly grow to master it. He would not ask the Lord to babysit through that process.

A smile formed on the Sith Knight's face as well, matching that of the Lord, when he saw how the barrier reacted to the crimson blade. Good. This was exactly what he needed. Then his eyes shifted, from the curious inspection of the barrier, to Ferus. "I am Sith, am I not?" he flashed him a quick smirk.

Now it was his turn to exert himself. He had observed the Lord while he made the barrier, and now he tried to copy the process. It wasn't an easy task, and he only had his imagination to help. Entering an almost meditative state, he pictured himself standing in the middle of a dark. There was no visibility, save from a feint glow, coming from the Togruta. That represented his presence in the Force, currently dormant within him. The faint red light grew stronger, shaping up like a fire that extended across his full body. Then, the fire extended beyond his physical form, casting the darkness aside, forcing it to bend to its fiery will. Then came the process of consolidating this loose and fluid shape he had created. Ultimately, it'd harden, in his mind, and become a hard, red wall. This was his barrier.

This demanded all of his attention, to the point where he lost an awareness of his surroundings. The Sith Lord could've been sticking his finger up the Togruta's nose, and he would not have noticed. He gave it his all. The process was hard, and likely long. He didn't know how long, for in his own world, he felt as if he lost touch with the laws of time in the place that he belonged. How long had he stood there? Had he even succeeded in creating the barrier? Suppose that was something he was about to find out.

[member=Darth Ferus]

 

[Darth Ferus]

It would take some time, but finally, as Ferus happened to zone back in, the glimmer of a barrier formed around [member="Darth Pyrrhus"] . With a wide grin the Sith would clap his hands together, trying to gain the Togrutie's attention. "Very good, very good! That is exactly what you need to do!" Joy was pretty rare for this Darth, but he did show it time to time. With a grin ever widening, he'd chuckle.

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

They were working at it a while. It was weak at first, barely coherent. The slightest fluctuation Ferus prodded him with made the entire thing collapse, and he had to start over. But he was determined to succeed at this, so he tried, and tried again. It was a draining process. Not only was the hot Korriban sun shining down on them, as he exerted himself, He was pouring himself out into the barrier, like it required a constant stream to power it up. It was inefficient, but he was slowly learning.

Hours later, finally, Ferus seemed satisfied with him. Tanek was breathing heavily at this point, but he met Ferus' gaze with a smirk. "It's getting to where it needs to be. Thank you for your guidance, Ferus." he thanked the Lord. Thanked­. That was a rare thing for him to do, but in this case, what else could he pay Ferus with? He had aided another Sith in growing in power, when he was under no obligation to do so. More so than just a simple training, he was establishing connections. They both would likely have a long, ever growing list of enemies during their careers. While a Sith relied on himself, and looked inward for strength, having allies never hurt.

[member=Darth Ferus]