Private Homeward Bound

[Curtis Learchin]

Across the stormy skies of Dromund Kaas, a shuttle flew in, carrying loyal imperial citizens to the historic homeworld of The Sith Empire. But aboard the battered freighter was a man who had left that life behind, all of it except one thing of importance. And that man was Curtis Learchin.

Curtis had defected during the fateful invasion of Mandalore, but he had done so without retrieving his things first. He had it on good authority that his items would be moved to whomever was closet to him with The Sith Empire, and since the disappearance of his master, that left only one woman. Joycelyn Zambrano . She had taught him a few times, kept watch on his progress, and with any luck he'd be able to get what he had come for without running into her. She was a powerful Sith Lord after all, and he was only an acolyte.

As the freighter docked, Curtis disembarked, clad in a black cloak that masked his features, cascading down the armour he wore beneath it. He'd managed to get a hold of fake ID before arriving, knowing that his name would likely be blacklisted on Imperial databases. Loreena Arenais-Valhoun ' contacts had come in handy in procuring the false identification, and he hoped he'd get back to her in one piece to return the favour. Crossing through the security checkpoint, he glanced over the features of the spaceport. It was his first time visiting the planet, and it certainly lived up to its intimidating reputation. Climbing into the back of a speeder cab, Curtis instructed the driver to take him to the capital. That was the best place to start in his mind.

Whether there was anyone waiting for him on the other side was a different matter.

 

[Joycelyn Zambrano]

She was alone in a large hall, dimly lit.

Joycelyn's nose rested against her steepled fingers as her yellow eyes speared down at the small red and grey pyramid set before her. She was seated in a throne of shattered black, glued together with seams of gold; a throne that once seated Emperors and Empresses of the first Sith Empire post the four-hundred year darkness, shattered in battle between her father and Darth Voracitos, and then restored for the sovereign of Dromund Kaas upon the return of the Empire.

Seated in it, she felt the weight of history carried upon her shoulders yet supporting her advancement.

Joycelyn looked at the pyramid with determined intensity, not as one would look at most objects, but as one would if reading a dense piece of writing over and over again. She did not know this holocron, resting on a small, iron table in front of her. Next to it lay the still smouldering body of the attendant who had offered to open the holocron for her.

"Where did you come from?" She asked it, not expecting an answer. "And how did he come to possess you?"

Had his master granted it to him?

Not impossible; he was always a distant figure, and holocrons were sometimes handed down in the absence of one's own training. Now that Darth Pyrrhus 's location and status was unknown, it was difficult to say with any certainty. Or perhaps he had found it on his own, that too would make sense given the circumstances. Had it been the fulcrum through which he had been driven to betray their order?

This was the thought that was at the forefront of her mind as she rose from her throne and stepped closer to the holocron.

"And what did you tell him?"

Curtis Learchin

 

[Curtis Learchin]

The speeder cab flew in low as it approached Kaas City, the lightning towers sparking with electricity. The air itself felt alive as the storms raged above him, rain pouring onto the roof of the speeder. Paying the driver, Curtis exited the vehicle and entered the city, his mind somewhat in awe of the structures that surrounded him. The city was ancient, but it felt untouched by time, as if it had always been the heart of the Sith.

Stepping through a crowd of imperial citizens, Curtis looked towards the towering spires of the Sanctum. It was the seat of power on Dromund Kaas, and exactly the kind of place an ex-sith's things would be held. Upon approaching however, it seemed that it would be harder to gain access to than the city itself. Guards stood vigilantly at the entrance, armed to the teeth and likely resistant to the Force in some capacity. Curtis knew he couldn't fight his way in either, too much noise would attract the wrong kind of attention. Walking up to one of the guards, he reached into a pocket in his cloak.

"State your business, citizen" Ordered the guard, the rain trickling off of his armour.

"I have a meeting with my master here" Curtis answered quickly, removing the fake ID from his pocket and handing it to the guard. After a brief pause, the guard nodded, and motioned to the entrance.

"Watch yourself in there"

Curtis didn't reply, instead heading inside the sanctum. One less thing to worry about.

Joycelyn Zambrano

 

[Joycelyn Zambrano]

Minutes later, Joycelyn's ears picked up the subtle sound of a door opening and a figure shuffling in. She knew this was no military personell based on the softness of their soles and the short, quick gait. And while she felt about as safe as one could in this palace to her family's might, her hand did drift a little closer to her weapon.

"What is it you want?"

She asked as the footsteps came closer and then promptly stopped, but before any word reached her ear. Although she had just asked a question, she still did not take her eyes off the holocron, which was now suspended in the air in front of her.

"Your apprentice has come to see you, your Majesty." The red-robed attendant answered.

Joycelyn furrowed her brow quizzically as she looked up from the holocron, not remembering any scheduled interviews with prospective apprentices. Then, her expression changed as dots began to connect. A smile curled up along her lips as she looked at the attendant from over her shoulder.

"Finally. We will require the hall for a little while." "Please, show him the way."

She looked down at the holocron again and turned to let it float back to the table. Then, she walked over to the throne and let her hand stroke one of the gold seams keeping the black slates together. The attendant bowed and rushed back out, leaving the Princess to her darkened chamber.

"One more lesson before your departure."

Her hand went from the gold and black to the silver spear set vertically beside the throne. Her fingers wrapped around the shaft with keen familiarity as she pulled it up, then held it horizontally between her hands, back still turned to the main doors.

"I know just the theme"

Curtis Learchin

 

[Curtis Learchin]

The palace was larger than Curtis had thought possible, with displays of power and prestige littered across walls and ceilings. A few statues of previous Emperors, including the current one, lined the main thoroughfare, a constant reminder of who was truly in control of everything.

Reaching out with the Force, he felt for a familiar presence, but came back with nothing. The planet was too steeped in the Dark Side for him to distinguish anyone in particular. The perfect hiding place really, right under the nose of The Sith Empire.

As he walked the pathway, a short, red-robed man approached. He was skinny, pathetic really, another wretch pulled to work for unforgiving masters.

"My lord" The servant began, bowing his head, "Your master will see you now, please follow me".

"Lead the way" Curtis replied from beneath his hood, his hand drifting over his saberstaff handle. Perhaps this had all worked too well, but it was the best way to get near the holocron. Besides, he and Joycelyn Zambrano had a final lesson together. Upon reaching the large door, the servant pushed it open, and Curtis stepped inside.

The throne room was lavishly adorned, truly befitting someone who ruled with an iron fist. And there, next to the throne, was his prize. And its defender.

 

[Joycelyn Zambrano]

"You may leave now."

The attendant looked at the two of them, then stole out of the room with quick, shuffling steps.

Joycelyn dismissed the attendant with a wave of her hand and put the butt of her spear on the floor. The silver shaft gleamed brightly, cut only by the darker lingan inlay with its intricate pattern of interconnected curls and vines.

"Curtis." There was no apparent malice in her voice as she said his name. "Tell me, what have you learned in your travels?"

While her spear rested in her right hand, she used her left to cover the holocron with a domed lid of black metal. She did not mean to hide it, necessarily. Rather, the lid served as a minor barrier between Curtis and what she presumed to be one of his prizes. After all, it was an unregistered artefact of the dark side, a font of power unbeknownst to the Empire.

"What great secrets have you uncovered?"

No apparent malice, in fact, her voice portrayed warmth, protectiveness, camaraderie even. It was not just the voice of the heiress to the Sith Empire, but of a leader who was known to inspire great zeal in her troops.

She turned to look at him, nestling the shaft of her spear under her armpit. Her facial features were also far less corrupted than one would expect. She did not appear to writhe with dark and cruel intent, rather she seemed to have a certain glow of firelight about her, even in the cold and dim lighting of the room.

But her eyes, they did tell of the corruption her features did not mention: Smouldering yellow irises ringed in red, near aglow with the power of the dark side.

Curtis Learchin

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis didn't answer immediately, instead he removed the hood of his cloak and looked at the holocron in its protective casing. She had either been expecting him, or their meeting was planned by forces out of either of their control.

"I have learnt much" He stated, walking slowly towards Joycelyn Zambrano . "I have learnt that there is more to this galaxy than conquest, that some secrets are better kept hidden... And I have learnt that this Empire will be no different to the ones that came before it."

As he finished his sentenced, Curtis shrugged off the black cloak, the fabric cascading to the floor. Beneath it, the same armour he'd worn in there first meeting was strapped to his skin, but his swordstaff was missing. Instead, he grasped the hilt of his saberstaff from his belt, holding it loosely in his right hand.

"What have you learnt, Joycelyn?"

 

[Joycelyn Zambrano]

Curtis Learchin

She looked him over properly when he dropped his cloak on the floor.

She studied his armour, how it had been worn and torn, how his motion had creased the soft elements and how he had adjusted and readjusted the straps to best fit his movements. She also studied his weapon, where it too had been worn down by handling, how he held it, how he had carried it. She noted the silvery material's resistance to wear and tear as it mimicked the properties of the weapon she herself handled. Had he sought to copy her? Perhaps. Or perhaps he had simply found the same font of inspiration.

She agreed there was more to the galaxy than conquest, but his insinuation that those things did not exist within the realm of the Empire was a disappointment to say the least.

"I have learned that you are a fool. Curtis." She said flatly "I have learned of your treachery." She punctuated her statement with a nod. "-And now, I also know that you are blind to all that you could have had."

Her eyes narrowed as her thumb caressed the darker inlay set in her silver pike.

"This Empire will stand the test of time, if only for one reason."

She took two steps to the side, now standing on the opposite side of the throne from where the holocron was secured, seemingly inviting him to step forward and claiming it.

"Me."

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis' thumb moved slowly over the activation button of his saberstaff, and almost immediately the dark throne room was lit with a dim crimson hue. His saber still marked him as Sith, even if he wasn't a member of the Empire anymore. Moving forward, he deliberately dragged the tip of the plasma blade across the floor, carving a jagged line through the floor.

"I look forward to seeing that happen" He said calmly, stopping a few footsteps away. "Perhaps you'll be better than those who came before you, or maybe you won't... Either way, this won't be our last meeting."

With a swift motion, he brought the blade up into a defensive position, noting how similar their weapons were. Maybe they mirrored each other more than they thought. Didn't matter now though.

Joycelyn Zambrano

 

[Joycelyn Zambrano]

"We shall see."

She pressed the activation of her pike as well, letting the spearhead and the two side-prongs ignite, further filling the chamber with light of bloodshine blades.

While he brought his spear up in a defensive position, she lowered hers, holding the butt end near her hip, and pointed the tip down and out to the side over the dais leading up to the throne. It kept her point off the line of attack, again inviting him to take action as she seemingly put herself at a disadvantage.

However, it also put her point between Curtis and the holocron.

On her face was part anger, part confidence. Did she think she could win this so easily that she could afford to give him a handicap by placing herself at risk so soon? Or was she perhaps luring him into a false sense of security?

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Deep down Curtis knew that he was outmatched, the Princess of Dromund Kaas wouldn't be a defeated on that day. He took two steps forward, still holding a defensive position. With less and less space between them, he could feel her darkness more potently. He could feed on it, match it with his own.

"Lets dance" He muttered, and his left hand leapt from the staff, Force Lightning crackled from his finger tips. Simultaneously he swiped the saberstaff's blade upwards diagonally, attempting to knock Joycelyn Zambrano off balance.