Private Intellectual Pursuits

[Gorgon]

Odoacer-Faustin
Prior to the Murakami Initiative
Marcus Dinn​

---

The snow-blanketed academy of Darth Drear posed a most palatable enterprise to the knight Darth Gorgon. Before him stood a long-slumbering monument to some the darkest, most occult knowledge ever to be earned by the Sith. A man of science such as himself simply could not resist pouring over the tomes buried here, patiently waiting to be rediscovered.

Stepping off of the shuttle, Gorgon gritted his teeth in displeasure as whipped up winds threw biting snow against his body. But he swallowed his annoyance when he bore witness to the Academy itself. The grimace melted away, replaced by a hungry grin. Without looking back, he spoke to his compatriot, "Try not to trigger anything that might get us killed," Marcus was not a man that Gorgon had any real rapport with, but the two found a mutual objective in scouting the library. So the nautolan would tolerate his presence for the mission duration, "You never know what's hiding in a place like this…"

Gorgon took his first step forward, walking through the library campus and unto the looming entrance.

 

[Marcus Dinn]

Marcus was last to leave the shuttle. His green eyes took in the sights around him, unbothered by the snow collecting on the shoulders of his black robes and in his red hair. If Gorgon looked upon the Academy of Darth Drear with simple greed, the teen at his side viewed it with reverent awe. This was a holy site, as far as he was concerned, and he was but a pilgrim seeking enlightenment.

"Try not to trigger anything that might get us killed. You never know what's hiding in a place like this…"

“There are less traps than you would expect,” Marcus reported, his voice growing distant as visions flashed before his eyes. “But the Sithspawn are plentiful and dangerous.”

He followed the Nautolan through the doorway, pausing to briefly run his gloves fingers over the ancient Sith runes carved along the doorway. Equality is a lie; to the victor go the spoils. The boy smirked in delight before crossing the threshold.

Gorgon​

 

[Gorgon]

"How is it that you know?" Gorgon replied incredulously, as if Marcus had spoiled something for him. They stepped inside, greeted immediately by a pyramidal monument in the center of the foyer. On each face of the old weathered stone was a story of engravings, much of the detail lost to time and linguistics. Great halls broke off in multiple directions, each one whispering promises of knowledge to those who could take it.

Gorgon inhaled deeply, and sighed, "A Sith undone by his own ambition," He blasphemed Darth Drear in his own academy, "A tale as old as time, really." Cold wind drafted through the halls, and carried on it was an inhuman growl. From where it came or how far away, was uncertain. The Nautolan touched a hand against his belt, peering closer into the darkness, "Do you sense anything?"

Marcus Dinn​

 

[Marcus Dinn]

"How is it that you know?"

"I see things," Marcus replied, without further elaboration. His gaze honed in on the pyramid in the center of the foyer, green eyes scanning over the runes carved in its surface. He walked all the way around it, reading the story told on each side. The tale of Darth Drear and his ambitions. "He should have tested the Jedi's midi-chlorians first," Marcus murmured, saddened by the fatal error made by an otherwise brilliant alchemist. "Perhaps it was so long ago, there was no way of measuring it yet..."

Gorgon was more dismissive. "Have you figured out how to avoid the consequences of ambition, sir?" Marcus asked, green eyes flicking toward the Nautolan.

A menacing growl put all further conversation on hold.

"Do you sense anything?"

Marcus remained silent, peering into the darkness. The growling lapsed into silence. Even the wind seemed to have stilled for a time. Then, with a tremendous thud and a roar of rage, a creature lunged at them from out of the shadows.

Gorgon​

 

[Gorgon]

"Perhaps it was so long ago, there was no way of measuring it yet..."

"No need to justify a dead man's failures," Gorgon replied. Marcus questioned the Nautolan's own ambitious pitfalls, and he smirked knowingly. But before he could offer an answer (if he was going to offer one at all), a distant noise stole their attention. The two Sith fell silent, waiting for the encroaching danger to reveal itself.

Sure enough, it did. A demonic beast struck from the darkness, lashing out at Gorgon and cleaving him in two. His body dissipated in a puff of smoke, and the real Gorgon appeared behind it. He locked it into place with a strong telekinetic grip, slamming it onto the ground, "A hex devil," He sneered, "Slay it, before it can retaliate!"

Marcus Dinn​

 

[Marcus Dinn]

Marcus shot Gorgon a glare, but said nothing. In the end, it didn’t matter what Drear’s motives were. It only mattered that he had failed—but they could still benefit from his work.

At any rate, the arrival of the Sithspawn soon took up all their attention. Marcus gawped in surprise as Gorgon was apparently bisected… only to reappear a few feet away, completely whole. The acolyte had merely witnessed the death of an illusion.

"Slay it, before it can retaliate!"

Marcus didn’t need to be told twice. Once Gorgon had the creature pinned down, the acolyte leaped on top of the hex devil, plunging his blue blade into the back of its skull. With the lightsaber burning through its brain, it spasmed and died.

More growls from the shadows heralded a horde of monsters hungry for blood. “Let’s get a move on,” Marcus said, yanking a fang from the hex devil’s jaw as a souvenir before he headed deeper into the academy.

Gorgon​

 

[Gorgon]

The spawn was slain swiftly. "A blue blade?" Gorgon noted the atypical sight curiously. He dropped his telekinetic hold, and the devil's body went slack. More ominous sounds spurred the pair of Sith onward, "I concur…" He replied dryly.

Once they had made it a (seemingly) safe distance away, Gorgon felt comfortable to speak again, "I'm looking for series of old grimoire on potions and poisons. One inscribed by a Dathomirian witch during the First Great Hyperspace War. If you find it, you'll tell me," He requested it as if entrusting to a friend, but the implication was more demanding than that. But he then turned to Marcus with a snakelike grin across his face, and gestured obsequiously deeper into the academy, "And in return, of course, I will gladly keep a eye out for… whatever it is you're searching for, yes?"

Marcus Dinn​

 

[Marcus Dinn]

"A blue blade?"

Already taking the time to grab the fang, Marcus smirked. "Unlike the Jedi, we are free from constraint. Why limit ourselves to just one color?"

Then they were off, putting distance between them and the 'spawn. Gorgon finally revealed what he was there for. "Dathomiri Magick? Sounds like fun." He shrugged. "I'm just happy to be here in such a sacred space. I will take whatever this place has to offer."

This was a lie. He was hoping to find a copy of Velok of Toola's The Proper Way to Corrupt a Jedi, a rare tome not easily tracked down. Already the boy was developing an interest in manipulating others. To successfully corrupt a Jedi was a dream of his.

"But if we are to find your grimoire, I suppose the library would be a good place to start." He peered into the darkness, seeing not with his eyes but with the Force. The path became clear. "This way."

He walked through the crumbling corridors, deftly climbing and jumping over fallen rubble until they reached the archives. Well, what was left of it. It was clear by the sheer size and scale of the place that it had once been an immense collection of knowledge, but also visible were the signs of deterioration. Flickering displays, their motherboards exposed to the corrosion and muck of ages, the data contained within almost certainly corrupted beyond repair. Much had been lost.

Under such conditions, books made from fragile parchment and leather would have fared even worse, the changes in humidity an invitation to mold. Luckily, Odacer-Faustin was a cold and frozen world. Bacteria became dormant, unable to consume the organic matter the books were made from. Perhaps they were even better preserved than the digital materials.

Gorgon​

 

[Gorgon]

"Holding on to a past?" Gorgon theorized, "Kyber serves much better once it has been bled," Alas, Marcus' predilection for the color blue was hardly of his concern or interest. What was more interesting to him was Marcus' noncommittal search of the building. He had not particular ambitions beyond reverence for the academy as a whole. Gorgon wasn't sure that he bought it. He too hungered for knowledge, and would gladly lap up whatever ounce of it he could find here, but so far Marcus had struck him as servile. Either he was a weak excuse for a Sith— Or he was lying. Gorgon was disgusted by the former, but deeply respected the latter. And for that reason, he kept his guard from shedding completely.

They reached the library, which was as decrepit as the rest of the academy. Thankfully, the physical knowledge still seemed well preserved, "Impressive," Gorgon remarked, finally expressing some outward respect for the collection, "And well-organized," He ran his fingers over a row of old books. If his book was here, it should be easy to find.

"It's said that Drear kept his most sinister knowledge locked away beneath the Academy…" The Nautolan mused aloud, prodding Marcus on his potential motivations, and his familiarity with the Academy.

Marcus Dinn​

 

[Marcus Dinn]

"Holding on to a past?"

“No, I simply like the color blue.” Snorting, Marcus gave Gorgon a quizzical look. What did it matter to him if another Sith didn’t have the advantage of bled kyber? “You are highly critical of almost everything, aren’t you.” He spoke as if it was a statement of fact, not a question. After a moment’s consideration, he shrugged. “Hating most things is as good a reason to become a Sith as any, I suppose.”

Once they got to the remains of the library, Gorgon seemed to change his tune, showing appreciation for the collection. Marcus roamed the shelves, his footsteps echoing in the vast chamber. In ancient times, when this academy was active and full of students, they must’ve all had to speak in the quietest of whispers to avoid being overheard…

"It's said that Drear kept his most sinister knowledge locked away beneath the Academy…"

“The so-called secret of immortality, you mean?” Marcus muttered, running his fingers over a shelf. “Becoming a mindless zombie doesn’t exactly appeal to me. The man was almost certainly insane, but the influences upon a madman are not necessarily mad themselves.” Using one careful finger, he retrieved an old tome from the stacks. Dust fell with the movement, pushed off the edge of the shelf by the spine. It had no title.

Gorgon​

 

[Gorgon]

“You are highly critical of almost everything, aren’t you.”

"Yes." Gorgon replied, but didn't reward Marcus' evaluation any further.

Inside the library, Gorgon combed over the many texts, becoming increasingly frustrated as he couldn't find the title he was looking for. "His failure was just a matter of numbers," Gorgon mused, now finding himself on the side of devil's advocate for the sake of discourse, "Like you said, if he'd found a subject with a high enough midichlorian count, perhaps we would all be worshipping Drear as our undying emperor," A wry chuckle escaped him, echoing through ought the hall, "Assuming his science was correct, of course."

After enough time, Gorgon came to accept what he wanted, wasn't here. He picked up another book, shelved where his grimoire, and squeezed it in annoyance. The old spine deformed under his grip, and he dropped it to the ground, "This place has been ransacked one too many times." He glanced over the shelf at Marcus, looking at his own find, "…I wouldn't recommend that one."

Marcus Dinn​

 

[Marcus Dinn]

As the book fell from the Nautolan’s grip, Marcus caught it with the Force before it could hit the ground.

“As is to be expected.” The book floated toward his hand. He held it up, reading off the title. “‘Comparative Agricultural Patterns of New Cov and Greater Neimodia’.” Barking a laugh, he tossed it carelessly over his shoulder. “I see your point.”

"…I wouldn't recommend that one."

“Don’t worry, I’m already insane.” Marcus tucked the mysterious tome away. “Do you expect to find something worthwhile deep in the vaults?” It did seem like a shame to leave empty-handed, and without thoroughly checking the place out…

Gorgon​

 

[Gorgon]

“Don’t worry, I’m already insane.”

"Ah," Gorgon deadpanned, "Well, self-awareness is a virtue lacking in most Sith. Or people in general," If this guy wanted to read a book that would make him go nuts, Gorgon certainly didn't care enough to insist upon Marcus' self-preservation. Perhaps how he fared with it would in turn give Gorgon some useful insights onto the book's workings.

"Possibly," The Nautolan shrugged, an irritated sigh escaping him, "It's probably all cursed, but, I'd hate to leave empty handed." He rubbed his chin in thought, when more unnatural sounds echoed through the building, back the way the came, "Ah. Shall we?" They didn't hav much of a choice now. The sounds were growing louder and more concentrated, meaning a pack of spawn had likely tracked them down. Laying low in the underground levels was a much safer bet than trying to force their way out through the swarm.

Marcus Dinn​

 

[Marcus Dinn]

Marcus snorted. “You can say that again.”

He didn’t exactly share Gorgon’s dismay at leaving empty-handed, given that he’d already pocketed a tome. Still, he’d hate to leave without seeing all that this place had to offer.

The sound of encroaching monsters proved the deciding factor, spurring them on. Palming his lightsaber, Marcus nodded. “Let’s,” he said before taking off in the direction away from the Sithspawn. Down into the depths…

Gorgon​

 

[Gorgon]

With the horde pushing them to stay, Gorgon and Marcus descended to the subterranean temple. It was here that Drear conducted his alchemical experiments, and toyed with false promises of eternal life. Gorgon could practically smell the pungent darkness on the air, inundating his senses. It was also literally dark, too much so to see. Gorgon finally drew his lightsaber, igniting its scarlet blade to light his way.

"Drear's elixir might have failed. But perhaps his other experiments will prove illuminating." Gorgon mused. From the pitch black beyond his blade's reach, there was a barely audible groan, followed by shufflings. Gorgon stopped, and waited.

Marcus Dinn​

 

[Marcus Dinn]

“And Scabrous after him,” Marcus murmured distractedly. He had remained in the darkness, able to perceive the world without his eyes. The blood red glow Gorgon’s blade would find him gazing upon the laboratory as if in a trance. Whatever he was seeing here, it left him awestruck, his green eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.

“The entire academy was wiped out in just a few hours,” he said. “Each student’s mind was absorbed into the collective, subsumed by the infection. Even the old Neti librarian who had stood here for a thousand years could not resist. The orchid devoured them all. And then… it was destroyed. Gone.”

He trailed off, seeming to come out of the trance. His expression was solemn. “Reading about it is different from seeing it… feeling it.”

The soft groan of a creature somewhere in the shadows drew him fully back into the present. He finally activated his blade, blue light added to Gorgon’s red, and held it up as he approached the source of the noise.

Gorgon​

 

[Gorgon]

"Shhh," Gorgon effectively zoned out of Marcus' musings. Instead he remained focused on the nosies around them, which seemed to fade in and out over too long a stretch of time. He grunted a half-response, sparing a glance back for just a moment, when one of the sources of the noise sprang upon him suddenly and stealthily. A zombie lurched froward from the darkness, its rotted maw pursuing the nearest flesh it could sink into.

Startled, Gorgon stumbled back, raising his weapon higher. The zombie might well have gotten a bite out of his hand, but the knuckle bow on his lightsaber hilt got in the way. Gorgon couldn't help but chuckle nervously at the thought, as he then effortlessly cleaved through the zombie vertically. The action seemed to agitate whatever else was in here, as the shuffling and groaning of the dead grew louder. "It's never simple, is it?" The Sith kept his blade out in front of him, ready for a swarm.

Marcus Dinn​

 

[Marcus Dinn]

At Gorgon’s shushing, Marcus raised an eyebrow, but fell silent. No use casting pearls before swine.

Besides, they had bigger problems. A zombie lunged from the shadows, attacking Gorgon, who cleaved it in two.

But the ghastly thing continued to move, using its hands to crawl toward Gorgon, intent on biting his leg. Marcus stepped in to stab it through its brain, figuring that was the best bet of killing it for good. “Those infected by the virus cannot die unless thoroughly destroyed,” he warned.

Shuffling and groaning in the darkness heralded a horde of undead. Thinking fast, Marcus flicked a switch. The lights flickered as an ancient generator powered up—and the young Acolyte began siphoning the energy from it with Tutaminis.

“Keep them at bay,” he told Gorgon, gritting his teeth in a grimace. By the Force, it was painful, but he kept his focus. Just when it seemed like the swarm would overwhelm them, the boy thrust out a hand, channeling deadly lightning at the zombies. The air filled with the stench of rotten, burning flesh. One or two of their heads exploded, gases built up from the slow decomposition of their bodies expanding rapidly in the heat until their skulls could no longer handle the pressure.

It was gross, and sort of awesome. Marcus grinned through the pain, plumes of smoke drifting off his body. "I'd rather face those Sithspawn," he remarked.

Gorgon​

 

[Gorgon]

The zombie was bisected, but kept coming. Marcus speared it through the brain, destroying any possibility of function, "Quite." Gorgon replied dryly. As the unseen horde closed in, Marcus successfully sought out a switch, giving the room a pale dim light and revealing the incoming zombies. One was startlingly close, Gorgon realized, as they became illuminated. He stuck his blade through the creature's head, leaving it there for a few moments as the gray matter bubbled and melted into disuse.

“Keep them at bay,”

"Me?!" Gorgon said incredulously. He wasn't a duelist at heart, but more importantly he didn't want to be the first in line to become zombie food. No matter, as Marcus was already at work, leaving the Nautolan no choice but to persevere. It was lucky the zombies were slow, and largely mindless in their tactics. He severed heads and cleaved brains with relative ease, and when the horde seemed about to close in, they suddenly burst in a wave of electricity. Gorgon looked back to see Marcus channeling the energy of the generator into one big current, leaving them free of foes but replacing it with a decidedly unpleasant odor.

"I'd rather find something good and get out of here," Gorgon answered, taking a moment to look at some of the manuscripts nearby. The generator had made things a bit more visible, but much of the energy had been sapped, leaving them with dull orange emergency lights for visibility. Before Gorgon could decide on what he wanted, his communicator buzzed.

"What now?" He muttered annoyedly, lifting it up to his ear. After a brief exchange he grimaced and put it back away, "It sounds like the Jedi are on their way. I have no intention of being here when they arrive." Hastily, Gorgon scrounged up several documents and put them in his bag. Feth it, at least one of them had to be of value.

Marcus Dinn​

 

[Marcus Dinn]

"Me?!"

“No, Chuck from accounting,” Marcus managed to snark. “Yes, you!”

But it worked. They survived, though it was a very, very close call. Marcus breathed a sigh of relief, sagging against the spent generator—only to stiffen as Gorgon continued to insist that they couldn’t leave empty handed. Marcus gave him a horrified look. If only he could’ve seen what the visions had shown him…

Still, the laboratory had been cleared. They might as well. Moving away from the generator switch, Marcus walked over to a table full of scattered detritus. Much of it was rusted junk, but one item caught his eye. It appeared to be some sort of talisman, humming with a subdued yet strange energy.

He had just picked it up when his comms buzzed, same as Gorgon’s. Jedi we’re headed to Odacer-Faustin. Marcus pocketed the talisman and followed Gorgon out.

Gorgon​