Like Minds

[Vrak Nashar]

Korriban
[member="Athena Heron"]

Korriban. This world had been the birthplace of his people, the place where their heritage had begun, and oddly enough where it had nearly ended more than once. This place marked something that Vrak couldn't quite comprehend, something he couldn't even begin to fathom.

It was said that a journey to this world was an almost...spiritual experience for a Pureblood.

To walk within the Valley of The Dark Lords, to stand among the ancient Sith. There was supposed to be a feeling of...power. That was what all the Elders had told him, that was what his father had said. Yet as Vrak had wandered through the tombs, as he had made his way to the ancient Sith Academy, he couldn't help but feel somewhat cheated. Oh he felt stronger here, more powerful, there was no doubt to that, but it was like any other nexus, it was like almost being back home on Athiss.

His fingers tightened around the already crumbling railing of the balcony.

The Council had told him he would awaken here, find himself.

Yet he had found nothing. The power he felt all around him was enriching, revitalizing, but it was the same thing he had felt on Dromund Kaas, the same thing that he had felt on Byss. There was no great epiphany for him here, there was no great inward change. He felt the exact same as he had before. A frown pulled at his lips, his fingers tightening again, hard enough to break the rock beneath his grip.

Perhaps he should have felt angered. Perhaps he should have felt disheartened, but in truth it only proved his point even more.

The old days were gone.

It was time for something new.

 

[Athena Heron]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

"There," powder-blue finger pointed to a bag near the luxury-class shuttle. "Take this one," she commanded to one of her handmaidens. She had three of them. They were servants and adept fighters, loyal to their mistress.

There were no men because the half Omwatti didn't trust them. Save for the two Centurions in her life. Well, that used to be in her life.

Black orbs narrowed as she took a deep, refreshing breath of the dark side Korriban had to offer. In the distance, she felt a presence of another. For now, she ignored it. There was a quest to run. A Sith artifact to find.

A long, flowing dress that one might argue as too fancy for this outing clung to her tall form. Boots wound up legs that seemed to go on for days. Feathers ruffled within her midnight hair. Head cocked to the side as she gave one last glance around the shuttle, ensuring everything was secure.

If any little scavengers came by there would be a nasty surprise waiting.

"Let's go, ladies. The canyon's pass isn't far." It was too narrow for a ship or speeder, so, they went on foot. Her footsteps didn't even make a sound as she strolled ahead.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Athena Heron"]

He stayed quietly on the edge of the balcony.

In the distance he could almost make out something moving...almost...he frowned slightly and narrowed his eyes. Vrak had left behind most of his equipment on his ship, including Macro-binoculars. Ever since the Sith Order...or whatever they called themselves, had reclaimed Korriban from the Silver Jedi this world had been more abandoned than ever.

The Academy sat Empty, the tombs were untouched, everything was either looted or abandoned. It was a sad fact about this once great world, but a truthful one. There was still power of course, Korriban would always have power, but he couldn't help but think it was wasted. No one wanted to live here, not anymore anyway. Korriban had become...obvious. It was not safe to stay here unless you controlled all of Sith space. It was a jewel that ached for a crown.

He frowned slightly. "Scavengers."

Vrak spat in disgust, slowly turning from the balcony and heading down the balcony.

He would deal with these robbers.

 

[Athena Heron]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

The canyon path was indeed narrow, so narrow, that in some spots they had to take off their packs and hold them above their heads as they turned sideways to shimmy through. Well, her handmaidens had to take off their packs. Carrying something like that would ruin her dress. In reality, she didn't want to be weighed down in case of running into trouble.

Always thinking ahead. Came with the name. Goddess of wisdom or something like that from the old spacer legends.

In the back of her senses, she felt that pinprick of a presence again. A frown tugged on her pink lips and she paused. "Mistress, what's wrong?"

She turned to the maiden in front. "Nothing...yet. Go on ahead with the others. I think we might have company. Perhaps a gentleman."

The maiden's hand tightened on her saber staff and Athena waved her hand, a wicked smile glinting on her mouth. "That's not necessary, yet. Let me meet our guest first."

The maiden bowed.

"As you wish. We won't be far if you need us." Athena nodded, feathers giving a slight ruffle.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Athena Heron"]

Moving across the surface of Korriban was always an awkward thing. There were so many ridges, so many cliffs and canyons that one could get lost within them in a matter of hours. It was a wonder that anyone managed to find their way at all down here, especially considering the extra baggage of heat, sand, and dust that clung to every surface. He frowned slightly as he moved over the top of the ridge, knowing that the scavengers had wandered through the bottom of the path instead of over the top.

In the distance he could hear voices.

His lips thinned in disgust. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he heard them clear enough to know that they weren't Pureblood. That was what really mattered. His people had a soft rasp to their tone, a tiny trickle that one could identify as readily as any accent. He slowly crept up the side of the cliff, crouched low so that they would not see them. He overheard them once again, the word 'mistress' was uttered and he frowned slightly.

A slaver perhaps?

Not uncommon here. Bringing slaves to pick through the Tombs.

He listened for a few more seconds, but when he heard nothing but footsteps Vrak decided that it was best to reveal himself. Slowly the Sith Acolyte stood, rising on the edge of the cliff and peering down into the tiny valley that was carved through the earth.

 

[Athena Heron]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Hawk-like gaze narrowed on the figure above. The darkside already swelled within her and with a nudge of her mind,she pushed it forward. She was dubbed the Weaver of Nightmares at one point from Master Xiangu. And so, instead of looking down and seeing her handmaidens or the sith Omwatti, Vrak would see nothing but an empty canyon.

If the force illusion worked.

And if it worked further, he'd think the rocks he was standing on were crumbling as well as those behind. But there was a ledge below. The question was, whether or not the ledge actually existed. The sound of the crumbling rocks was real enough.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Athena Heron"]

The first part of the illusion worked well enough, though the second did not mostly because he felt her presence within his thoughts. It was a thin pinprick, a needle like appendage that stabbed into his very mind. He would not have noticed it were it not for the predisposition that his species held for such things. His fingers curled, his upper lip turned to a sneer, and his voice boomed. "OUT OF MY HEAD, WITCH!"

He had no idea if it was even a woman, but the term seemed applicable enough.

The fingers of his off hand quickly cropped up, then suddenly a spark jumped from their tips and towards the bottom of the canyon. They jumped and sparked, pure purple lightning flowing over the side of the canyon and bounding over the rock as if hounding for flesh.

The attack was neither subtle nor controlled, but...well he had no idea if anyone was even down there.

For all he knew she was right behind him.

 

[Athena Heron]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

A spark of electricity buried itself near her foot. Ooooh, a challenge. She liked challenges. And one with a temper as much as his color. The wicked smile remained on her pink lips.

A tsk escaped her mouth. She kept the presence of her hand maidens muted. They were probably to the caves by now. Maybe one standing by in case her mistress needed her. Her form seemed to appear, then disappear. Then reappear in a different location, blue-chin tilted up toward the interloper.

Sultry voice echoed on the edges of her fellow sith's mind.

'Now, now dear. Throwing power around is no way for a gentleman to act. Where are your manners?'

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Athena Heron"]

Vrak did not enjoy playing games. More often than not they either infuriated him or brought him to the edge of killing half a dozen people. He scowled slightly, still feeling the odd presence poking at his mind. For a second he found himself questioning whether or not the woman was actually where she appeared to be, his eyes flickering once or twice to follow the shape as it moved about. His lips thinned, but instead of striking once more he quickly sat himself down.

His legs crossed, his back stiffened.

The Acolyte was no Master of the force, he had no managed the path of a Sorcerer, but he did have one thing that even some of the Council Members didn't have. It wouldn't quite work the way it usually did here, but at least it would allow him to find her. "They are reserved for those who do not try to trick me."

Vrak lashed out with his mind.

Unlike her he didn't attempt to make illusions or craft falsehoods, instead he sought to snare her. Sith Battle Meditation it was called, ordinarily it was used to control and direct those around you, to move around lesser beings like pieces on a dejarik board, but here Vrak would use it to simply touch her mind, to locate her, and then kill her. He knew he couldn't control her, but at the very least he could find her.

 

[Athena Heron]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Her mental blocks were as formidable as her attacks. She felt his striking nudge. It only made her smile widen. But it did cause the illusion of her double to flicker.

'Wicked man,' virtual voice cooed.

With a burst of primal, darkside energy, she force jumped up the canyon wall and landed lightly on the opposite side. She seemed to float in the air, landing in a graceful crouch. Tall-form straightened and she may seem like an illusion, herself. A creature far too beautiful for the surrounding landscape.

The width of the canyon separated them. The dusty-Korriban air whipped through her midnight long strands of feathered hair. "So angry," she continued coyly. "Where is that anger coming from, a past lover perhaps?"

Tongue slipped playfully along her puffed, lower-lip.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Athena Heron"]

His eyes opened, following her form.

It was enough.

"It is natural." He said simply. "It is power."

In a way it was the truth. For a Sith, especially a Pureblood, rage was enough to call upon a great tide of the Darkside. Strong emotion, the powerful push and pull of ones feelings. That was what allowed you to draw upon the darkside. There were many ways to get it, fear, hatred, pain, even love. As long as the emotion was strong enough, as long as it was there. Vrak knew that, he had been taught so by countless generations of elders.

His eyes slowly followed her. "Don't you know?"

She was Sith. He could feel it. It was more subtle within her, but that brief point of contact, the light brush of his mind against hers, it had been enough to know.

 

[Athena Heron]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

A low, dark chuckle escaped her lips. She began to pace slowly back and forth, like a nexu on the prowl. Or maybe a nexu about to pounce. "Of course, I know."

Oddly enough, her master had taught control of the darkside. In a small sense. Maybe that's why her appearance wasn't ravaged by its effects, yet. And she was just as powerful.

"And I know when to be wary of my own kind," hawk-like eyes slowly traveled up and down his form.

"Why were you following me?" Voice sung-song across the space between them. And she said 'me' instead of 'us.' She wasn't about to give anything away to this stranger.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Athena Heron"]

"I was not." Not technically anyway. He had ahead of them until he'd spotted them coming down the canyon that he had traveled down earlier. In a way she had been following him, but he decided not to mention that. "You were violating my home."

Korriban was not his home, close to it, but not quite there.

She wouldn't know that of course, she would assume that he was speaking of Korriban as his ancient homeworld. If she knew her histories well enough then she would be able to see him for what he was, a Pureblood, the original hosts of this world. If she didn't...well then he likely would have counted her as a fool. "You are trespassing."

It was how he saw it anyway.

She could claim to be Sith, she could say that she was the same as him, but there was no truth to it. Perhaps in time she could have been made to see the turth, but he knew her for what she was. A pretender. Someone who clung to the ways of another.

 

[Athena Heron]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

"Violating?" Another tsk left her lips. "You know, I've never met a pureblood in person, only read about them," a show of her cards, or one card in her hand, rather. He'd know she wasn't just a run of the mill apprentice. She was well-read. Smart.

She knew what he was even if she didn't know who he was.

"Wherever the darkside beats its steady drum is my home, lovely. Knowledge and truth are free for the taking to those who seek." A blue hand fell lightly to the curve of one hip as it cocked. "Perhaps I can persuade you to my side?"

Feathered-lashes gave a flutter.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Athena Heron"]

Sith of all sorts had long since claimed Korriban as their home. Humans, Twi'leks, Sullustans, even Bith had all claimed this world as theirs. Vrak knew this because his ancestors had suffered it. They had watched for centuries as their homeworld had been defiled. In truth, he had never truly cared for this place, he no longer did now. The sense of outrage he felt came more from somewhere else...perhaps because he thought that only they should have what was here.

It was not a sense of blood right, but more jealousy.

The act was petty by nature, but then again so were most Sith. Vrak could admit to being childish at times, after all half of his life had been spent seeking trophies and trinkets that most others would have seen as little more than garbage. So why was this world any different? Why was Korriban different? Perhaps it was just another trinket, just another trophy that he could put in his belt. He frowned for a moment and looked up at the woman.

A small smile touched his lips.

"Doubtful." Came the one word reply.

 

[Athena Heron]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Fingertips brushed the cool, metallic hilt of the lightsaber clipped to the belt that hugged the curves of her waist. "An impasse already, when I don't even know your name?" Her other hand came up, powdered-blue fingers twirling through long, dark tendrils of hair.

"Do you really want to fight little ol' me over something they may not even be worth your time? I'd hate to ruin your....robes."

Eyes drifted down at her own form for a moment, coy smile tugging at those pink lips.

"Or my dress."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Athena Heron"]

"I didn't want to fight you." He pointed out. "You wormed your way into my mind."

A thing that he disliked a great deal.

Ones thoughts were a sanctuary, the only place that you could ever be alone. Were it not for the Purebloods ability to...sense more latticed methods of the Darkside things would have become far more difficult. He likely would have injured himself, probably worse considering that she could have killed him while he'd fallen. "I simply want to protect the legacy of my people."

That wasn't exactly true.

Sure he cared about Korriban, but in truth...it wouldn't really matter to him if things were stolen out of the tombs. It was more about the affront of it, the fact that she thought it was simple okay to take what she wanted. That was what bothered him. This world belonged to his people.

To him.

 

[Athena Heron]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

"You left yourself open; it was practically in invitation," she stated blandly, a wicked-glint flashing in the dark-depths of her orbs. "But still no name," lips puffed into a pout. Finger stopped twirling through her hair, momentarily.

"Do you wish me to jump into your mind again, lovely? Perhaps you missed my gentle touch."

Thoughts drifted forward, brushing the minds of her servants, silently.

Move forward with the plan. Find Wyyrlok's library and report back to me if there's any trouble.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Athena Heron"]

"You have yet to share yours." He pointed out that little fact to her. Perhaps she was ignoring it.

"Tit for tat." Vrak said simply. "Otherwise we may just have to ruin that pretty dress."

His lightsaber still sat in his lap, and he was more than ready to ward off any mental attack, something that she would notice if she tried to reach out. The force still flooded through him, and although she would likely get through his mental barriers, it would take her just long enough that he could strike at her here in the physical world.

Still, he'd rather not chance it. "I am a reasonable man."

True enough, he'd allowed humans to walk this world before, when they were at this side.

 

[Athena Heron]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

"Oh are you?" Eyes raked across him again. "And preferring ladies to go first, hmm?" Eyes twinkled in cruel-amusement. Fingertips continued to stroke the smooth hilt at her side.

A boot tapped against the dry, dusty ground where she stood.

"And ruin this dress? You wouldn't dare...," those dark-orbs narrowed playfully as a hand brushed across the dress' fabric. "But since you asked oh so nicely, my name is Athena Heron." He wouldn't be able to hurt her with that. She doubted he could hurt her at all.

"I'm oozing over in anticipation to hear yours, lovely?" Lips puckered.