Into the Unknown (Lord Kataklysmos)

[Lord Ajihad]

Korriban

Or as Lord Ajihad liked to call it, sandy hell. He was dressed in gear meant specifically for desert, and yet, the red sand still managed to find its way into every nook and cranny of his body. With every step he took, the grains of sand chafed his skin more and more. He groaned. His walk would be more of a waddle for the next couple weeks.

Korriban had been plundered to all hell, Vi'kas knew that. Fortunately, the Valley of the Dark Lords was a famous place. And fame brought many plunderers. Therefore, most of the looting had taken place in those ancient tombs. However, that accursed place was not the only sightseeing place on Korriban. There were other places to search, places untouched by the ravages of other beings.

Despite the fact that he was a lethal assassin, he was also very intelligent. In his free time, he was often found reading ancient tomes of the Sith. In fact, he was poring over an ancient diary of Sorzus Syn (Which he had found gathering dust under a forgotten pile of old books), when he had come across something called the Eternal Pyre. Supposedly, it contained something called the Mongrel Altar. This altar was supposed to contain some ancient Sith spells. Always seeking new knowledge, Vi'kas had decided to try and find this structure. However, when trying to find its location, he had only found two words: King Adas.

He vaguely remembered stories of this King. He had been a Sith king in ancient times, who had become a master of Sith magics. He had died in battle protecting his people. An honorable end, indeed. finding nothing else referencing the altar, Vi'kas set out for the old pyre, hoping to find something related to the ancient king.

[member="Lord Kataklysmos"]

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

Korriban. The place where all would be rewritten in Kataklysmos' favor in a mere 72 hours. Kataklysmos walked the sites feeling for the strongest tide of Dark side energy. In the distance he saw [member="Lord Ajihad"] a figure he had not come in contact with before. Kataklysmos widely ignored him as he approached. He limped only slightly as the soft sand beneath his feet cushioned the impact.

As he drew closer he smiled and nodded, the way one would casually do on the street at 6 in the morning. He had his own fish to fry and the other man seemed to as well. To engage in silly pleasantries seemed illogical in that moment. They were both on a barren wasteland, what was the point in talking about it.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

As he approached the distant figure, Vi'kas's cybernetic eye scanned the man's face, looking for an ID. A second later, a profile came up. The man was [member="Lord Kataklysmos"] , a Sith Lord. The assassin raised his eyebrows upon seeing the name. He had heard of the Sith Lord, he was a powerful sorcerer, and not someone to be trifled with.

As the other Sith smiled and nodded at him, Vi'kas took a more social approach. "Hello, there. The name's Lord Ajihad. What are you doing out here in this sandy hellhole?" He stopped walking at this point, preparing to set up camp. It was getting late, after all. And Korriban was not a place to wander in the dead of night.

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

Kataklysmos stopped and turned to face the man briefly. The Sith Lord wildly eyed [member="Lord Ajihad"] before knowingly smiling a decrepit toothy grin. "I'm rewriting history, of course." His insane gaze pierced the man's very soul, unwavering, unblinking. "And what is your purpose?" He enigmatically asked.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

As he heard the older Sith mention his purpose, he raised an eyebrow. "Rewriting history is a funny thing, you know. In order to fully rewrite it, you must first erase the history you intend to rewrite, otherwise, you'd be just adding a chapter in an ever-continuing saga. You'd be adding onto history, so to speak. So which are you doing?" He took a second to shake sand from his boots. "As for me, I'll be unearthing a piece of undisturbed history, a difficult thing to find here on Korriban."

[member="Lord Kataklysmos"]

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

Kataklysmos tilted his head slightly but remained silent. He wasn't particularly satisfied with the man's response to what his purpose was. Kataklysmos wasn't talking in the now, he talked of a different time. He talked in riddles and while many would respond simplistically, Kataklysmos sought out the analysts that could keep up with the speeds of his own brain.

Finally he spoke, "Time is relative. History is written by the victors. If history is a record of time...." He arched his brow letting his thought linger. "Time is ruled by the victors and history is relative."

"What is your purpose?" He asked again.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Vi'kas took a moment to ponder the statement, repeating it a few times in his head. After finally believing he had correctly interpreted [member="Lord Kataklysmos"] 's statement, he spoke, "Time always has been relative, for there is no other way to measure it. History is always made by the victors, and written by the observers. Therefore, I would dictate time is shaped by the victors, and history is more of an exact science. That is, if it isn't recorded from multiple viewpoints, which it almost always is." He let the thought hang in the air for a few seconds, before continuing, "As for my purpose here on Korriban, have you heard of the Mongrel Altar?"

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

Kataklysmos' face contorted into a sneer as if he ate a bad gooberfish. The man before him talked too much without really saying anything. Kataklysmos didn't like his time wasted, and this moment in his history currently meant nothing. Kataklysmos ran his tongue over his teeth and stared off into the distance, he had things to do. He turned back to the dark jedi and gave him another moment of his time and attention. He remained quiet.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Given the fact [member="Lord Kataklysmos"] had not said a word, Vi'kas guessed the sorcerer indeed had not heard of the altar. This didn't surprise him, as not many had heard of the ancient location. In fact, that was one of the main reasons that the assassin believed none had yet to desecrate the altar. Seeing the slightly impatient look on the Sith Lord's face, he decided to give him the short version. "The Mongrel Altar is supposedly a secret room hidden within the Eternal Pyre. It's rumored to house ancient scrolls that tell of even older Sith spells. I've recently become interested in sorcery, and was hoping these scrolls could enlighten me."

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

Kataklysmos rubbed his eyes in defeat as the young lad continued to talk as though his words meant anything. Kataklysmos was surprised that the Knight before him had not taken the hint. The young tended to talk more than they needed to, Kataklysmos understood this but it still agrivated him.

"BUT WHAT IS YOUR KRIFFING PURPOSE?!" The Dark Side had made Kataklysmos a very impatient being. He spat as he raised his voice so anyone on Korriban would hear them, the sound traveled well here. "WHY?" He continued. "WHY?" His yellow eyes bulged and his lower lid twitched.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

It suddenly dawned on him (And not through a Skype chat) what the older Sith meant. He was talking on a broader spectrum than Vi'kas was, causing no small deal of confusion in the younger Sith's mind. However, even as [member="Lord Kataklysmos"] screamed bloody murder at him, the assassin kept a calm demeanor. Hands clasped behind his back, he replied, "Unlike you, I do not intend to rewrite history. Those of the past earned the right to create the world they lived in, and record it in history. I'm here to shape the present and the future, something done only through power. And that leads to my current task, the acquisition of power."

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

Kataklysmos batted his eyes at the response, highly disappointed by it. "How dreadfully dull." He finally said as if hurt by the response. All the waiting for such a cookie-cutter response. Did [member="Lord Ajihad"] have nothing else that drove him? He had heard hundreds if not thousands claim the quest for power... And hundreds and thousands failed. The knight had no real goals, he was empty space in the presence of a god. The knight was empty calories for someone that needed nourishment.

"Man cannot live by bread alone." He said cryptically, contempt dripped off his every word. "You seek power but without pain you are nothing." He looked the knight over, "...And you are nothing." He reiterated and let it strike home. Without passion and pain the man would continue to be nothing in the eyes of the Lord.

Kataklysmos turned away, proceeding on his trek. Many things needed to be done in preparation for the big event. He need not waste anymore time talking to the wind.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

He mulled over [member="Lord Kataklysmos"] 's words for a moment, not at all angered by the insult. He knew perfectly well that the Sith all had many different opinion, and very few made much sense to him. For example, how the Sith Lord thought the quest for power and glory was beyond him. He was just about to set up his tent when the sorcerer's final remark hit home. He frowned, and turned back towards the figure walking away from him. "Calling someone whom you just met "Nothing" is a rather bold statement there, mate. Pain is obtained through the quest for power and victory. Either way, you don't know what I've suffered through. I wouldn't recommend tossing names at things you don't understand."

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

Kataklysmos had gotten a decent distance away before the man's words hit him. Kataklysmos stopped abruptly and turned around and walked back. "Oh... I understand a great many things. I understand you better than you do. I've traveled this galaxy a hundred times over, boy. I've seen your clone." He said condescendingly. "I gave you the opportunity to show me you were something... the repulsor lift pitch." Kataklysmos shook his head. "You are nothing because I say it. If you want to be something, you get me to change my mind." Kataklysmos eyed the man, challenging him to impress the Sith Lord, one last chance.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Vi'kas really had no idea what he had meant about seeing his clone and whatnot, and he really didn't care. He could tell this guy was a bit full of himself, and thought of himself as a god. He would now be shown otherwise. "Look here, buddy. I'm not sure who you think you are, but you're not a god. You're not some kind of almighty being. And you sure as hell don't control me." With those words, he drew his two lightsabers. One of which he had made for himself, the other he had taken from a Jedi he had defeated. If this son of a K'lor Slug wanted his mind changed, then he'd get what he desired. He quickly analyzed his opponent. He was a sorcerer, meaning he would specialize in force techniques. Therefore, Vi'kas would make the fight a contest of blades. He readied himself into an Ataru stance, and leaped at [member="Lord Kataklysmos"] . This was going to be interesting.

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

Lord Kataklysmos smiled. The lad had no idea as to what he was doing, whom he was picking a fight with. Kataklysmos' strength was legendary, in his physical prime his speed was immeasurable, his skill with a blade unmatched. Of course, in his advanced age he was not strong with a blade. His wrists did not move as fluidly, the scars of his past wars had physically crippled him. His scarred up leg was a detriment in terms of mobility, he was wrapped plainly. His body was that of a broken Twi'lek.... but now he was at his most dangerous. Now he had reached the renaissance of existence. Now he was truly in his prime, his mind had developed around his misfortunes.

Kataklysmos dropped his walking stick and raised his hands unleashing a Sickening Blast unlike many Force users had developed. This was the most powerful version of a Force Blast, and certainly unlike anything [member="Lord Ajihad"] had experienced before. The invisible blast would be nearly impossible for the airborne man to avoid. Skyward attacks were notorious for committal to one path, and Kataklysmos' attack spread across meters. The best defense was an even better offense. Subdue your opponent before they subdue you, it was simple. Ajihad was never going to get close enough to strike Kataklysmos.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

The blast caught him by surprise, and sent him flying across the sand, landing in a heap about thirty yards away from where he had been. He got to his knees, shaken from the blast. Knees trembling slightly, he got back up to his feet. Wiping sand from his cybernetic eye, he grinned. He loved a good fight.

When [member="Lord Kataklysmos"] dropped his walking stick, however, he gave Vi'kas a tool to work with. With a quick flick of the wrist, he sent the discarded staff for the Sith Lord's lower jaw, hoping to at least stun him. Using the force to augment his strides, he zipped towards his opponent with vigor brought forth by adrenaline. He let loose another grin. He was going to enjoy this.

 

[Lord Kataklysmos]

Kataklysmos' mind worked on an entirely separate level than most individuals. What he lacked in the art of movement, he made up for in processing power. He was a sorcerer, a prophet. This battle had already played itself out he was just living through the actions. He had already seen his life before him and he had also seen his death at the hands of the Jedi he despised most. He had seen the stick replay itself and he allowed it to careen into his chin with a solid thud. Every action had a consequence, and on that very day he needed to bleed from his lips as the blow caused his teeth to cut into him. He needed to fall to the floor so the oncoming youngster would believe he had a chance against the Sith Lord.

Kataklysmos felt the vigor in [member="Lord Ajihad"] how he was a predator believing his prey wounded. A fool believing it was time to strike while the iron was hot. Kataklysmos waited downed on the floor until the young Knight was within two meters. Kataklysmos rose to his feet and his eyes shined with excitement. The feeling of ice would course through Ajihad's veins, the supposed man of death would feel the icy grasp sink into his heart. His body temperature would rapidly fall even in the heat of the red desert. He would convulse as his body's defenses would desperately try to save to young knight. His body would stiffen trying to retain as much energy as it could, as the Sith Lord stripped him of it. Ajihad's organs would begin to fail one by one.

Kataklysmos smiled at the thought of the man freezing to death in the desert. There was something poetic about it.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

As Ajihad closed the distance, he actually thought he was about to strike the Sith Lord down. Deep within the confines of his mind, he knew he should've been more careful. He had been taught better than this, he knew shouldn't have been so cocky.

When he was within mere meters of his would-be prey, he blood froze. He could feel the force used for the attack. He tried to use Turaminis to absorb the energy, but it had a minimal effect. He only absorbed a small bit of energy, but he clung onto to it for dear life. Literally. The force energy within him was the only thing holding off imminent death for a few seconds longer.

In that moment, Vi'kas knew he only had seconds before he succumbed to the cold. As his momentum carried his frozen self towards [member="Lord Kataklysmos"] , he gave a last ditch attempt at injuring the Sith Lord. His freezing body was now less a meter away from Kataklysmos, and he sprung the last little trap he had left in him.

He unsheathed his Vong fighting claws, which were now about a foot away from impaling his opponent. At the same time, he used a tiny nudge of tekekinesis to move his eyepatch. Though this task used minimal energy, in depleted most of what he had left. However, with his eyepatch removed, his Plaeryin Bol could now do its work. The Vong implant sprayed a good amount of venom right at his opponent's face. Then, he hit the ground, unaware of whether or not the blows had landed. If the venom had indeed hit, then it would put Kataklysmos in a bit of a bind. The venom would kill him in about half a minute, maybe less. And there was only type of antidote that would cure it, a Ving antidote hidden within another biot on Ajihad's body. Unless Kataklysmos just so happened to be carrying the rare cure on his person, then he would need Vi'kas to heal him. Of course, the younger Sith didn't know if he had actually hit Kataklysmos, but there was a decent chance of it. After all, it was at extremely close range, and he would be unprepared for it. Hoping he had landed the hit, he used a last bit of his energy to send a telepathic message to his opponent. "I h-have the c-cure." With that, his vision began to go black...