Faction LOTS │ The First Kaggath

[Aspect of Passion]

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A no named wasteland on the edge of the Sith Empire, barely inhabited and equally barren of riches. Yet even still, in what remained of the city, was a hundred Sith of every rank - from the domineering Lord with a full procession, to the lowly acolyte - nothing but his lightsaber on his belt. Many looted, many others argued, but the smart ones sat in their cliques - carefully speaking of strategy, of factions, and of the future.​

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What brought them all here, however, was simple. The Worm Emperor - standing nearly ten feet tall with five masks of solid electrum. He was an unnerving sight, his black cloak gliding behind him as though he needn’t even move his legs to traverse those broken streets. Behind him, his Hand marched - eyeless and equally as large, he carried in his hand a Mandalorian by his beskar’gam’s collar.​

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Finding a ‘stage’ of rubble, the two stood above those gathered and the Emperor spoke - his voice harsh on the ears; though it was more accurate to say ‘voices’ as each mask seemed to chime in with an equal measure of pain and anger in their tone, even as they were undertoned with a calmness that matched the unwavering nature of the masks.​

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“Give us your eyes, children.”, the most masculine of his voices boomed.​

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“Eyes!”​

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“Now!”, a female and male tone chimed in from different masks.​

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The Hand tossed the Mandalorian onto a pseudo headsmen’s block, resting a massive clawed foot on his back to hold him steady - though the Mandalorian seemed barely alive, let alone able to fight back against his predicament. His lack of fight gave the Emperor no pause, and his voices continued;​

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“This Al’Ori’Ramikade fought hard.”​

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“Fought Hard!”, another voice intervened, “Still died!”, the lowest of the masks offered in a child-like tone.​

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“He showed strength today, in spite of overwhelming odds. For this, he deserves a clean death.”, the Worm offered the crowd. His other voices chimed in, both in agreement and disagreement - contradicting himself even as the Hand lifted his massive blade with a grinding spark across the duracrete.​

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“Rejoice, for today is the first of many victories.”, the Emperor’s voice boomed.​

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“More! More!”​

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The Hand’s blade, more iron than sword, swung with a deafening clang against the stone - leaving the Mandalorian’s beskar split, and what of the mandalorian remained to slip off the block in a growing mess of crimson. The Hand offered no words, only a grunt, and walked back towards a building where other prisoners still sat.​

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“Today, the Sith find their strength.”​

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“Strength!”​

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“Passion!”​

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“Break the chains!”, the other voices echo’ed.​

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“Tomorrow, we show the rest of the galaxy what we have done here today.”​

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Darth Empyrean │ Judas of Vahl​

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[Judas of Vahl]

"Is this the one?" Judas rasped, wetting his lips with a cursory flick of his tongue. "A lot more than just one head to lop off."

Admonishment laced his observation. Whoever had sold them this information had very truly messed up. This thing that cackled to itself mere meters away was far more than what their informant had let on. An Emperor of Worms? The broad-shouldered man nearly snorted audibly at the notion of such a thing. He would soon be food for his cousins.

Yet there was a strange strength that oozed from every fiber of his being. A gaunt frame, masked faces with soulless gazes that seemed to peer into each and every heart that pulsed around them. The faceless figure of the Hand, towering at the Emperor's flank, appeared far more capable of wringing his fingers and bringing worlds to their knees - yet the figure remained stoically silent, his gauntlets still stained with Mandalorian blood.

The rest of the insects that whispered ominously around this field of carnage and rubble were nothing more than a distraction, as if the din of the city had not yet died when its durasteel buildings crumbled. Still, Judas regarded them with a sweeping, neutral look as he pulled his sword free from its armor lock.

Judas held the Betrayer gingerly, slowly drawing its edge against the palm of his hand. "Which one do you want? Big fella or old man many-heads?"

A cocktail of chemicals flooded his veins in that moment, awakening the power nestled deep within the greatsword he clutched tightly. His own vitality caking the dirt beneath him.

"Bless me, Mother," he whispered.

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

As the two entered the ‘camp’, if only it were so organized, Maliphant kept his eyes trained on the Emperor. The others around them were of no importance, none he could recognize - not from reputation nor from the eyes of his spies. They would be no issue, and the Emperor was yet unproven the many - so he doubted they would jump to his protection. As Judas had already stated, the only two threats here were the Emperor of Worms and the skeleton like enforcer that stood nearby.​

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“Why don’t we ask him?”, Maliphant said with a sly grin.​

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Something so public, knowing already what the Emperor stood for Maliphant fully intended to do this publicly. Leading the way, the alabaster haired stranger strode forward through the street - looking more reminiscent of a high noon from the old holovids about mandalore. Yet there was far more tension in the air than any fictional story could attempt to conceive.​

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When he finally stopped, he was only a few meters from the multi-masked fiend before him, and he was still not sure if the creature had even noticed him. A cock of the brow and a moment of silence, the Emperor did not move an inch - only for Maliphant to frown and speak -​

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“‘Emperor’ of Worms. I understand you intend to encourage a new generation of Sith.”, Maliphant said with a glance around him.​

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“As it so happens, I’d prefer you didn’t. Cease this, and return to the hole from whence you came, before me and my friend bury you in a new one.”​

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His gaze was intense, but there was an unsettling nature to be staring at empty black eyes - knowing not if the Emperor even recognized the two stood there.​

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Aspect of Passion │ Judas of Vahl​

 

[Aspect of Passion]

As the pair approached, and Maliphant ceased speaking, the Emperor offered a low and singular laugh. Full of bass, it seemed to reverberate against the metallic mask that covered his many faces - only to be joined by a slew of more. Laughs of children, of women, of men - a hundred laughs that echoed between ruined buildings and camps around them. Some stood in its presence, some simply watched - but all at once, the cacophony would cease.

And yet the Emperor would not turn his many masks to meet any of the gazes upon him.

“A challenge?”, the masculine voice asked, a slow drawl on his tone.

“A challenge!”

“A kaggath.”, the deepest offered in return.

The Emperor did not use the same path to descend from the stage, instead of taking a very direct route to stand before the two. His robes dragged behind him as though nothing existed beneath - sitting on floating shoulders before settling once more. Imposing in stature, his electrum masks glinted in the light as the distant Hand watched from a distance.

The Emperor spoke slowly -

“A beautiful thing, children. If you kill me this day… I will see it fit that my Hand breaks this movement apart at the seams - with iron and fire.”

“Iron and fire!”, the child added.

“Fire and blood.”, the deepest spoke.

“But a Kaggath comes with terms. I will fight you both - and if I win, I shall not kill you. I shall demand subservience. I will own you.”

“Serve the Worm!”, a woman added.

“Until which time I am killed, you will serve the Sith. Do you accept?”

Empty eyes seemed to stare into them both from different masks, waiting for their response.

Darth Empyrean │ Judas of Vahl

 

[Judas of Vahl]

There was nearly a second of doubt, of hesitation. The nod Judas offered was barely noticeable, almost concealed by the shifting of his weight. Whether or not this Emperor of Worms noticed, he gave no indication of it - and neither did his silent enforcer.

Judas swung the Betrayer hard. Steel corded muscle flexed and contorted as he shifted the entirety of his weight, throwing out that hunk of metal as if it was an extra appendage. A hoarse, guttural snarl slipped past his lips until it met something: a blade of metal that seemed all too familiar. The Hand stared quietly at him, stopping Judas' swing dead in its tracks with his own weapon.

"You then," Judas growled, arms trembling.

The pair disengaged from the sword-lock almost as quickly as it began. What followed was a flurry of motion as each warrior closed that short gap in just a pair of strides, overheard swings coming down to mirror one another with a deafening clang of steel and sparks. The broad-shouldered warrior bared his teeth, sucking in a lungful of air through gritted teeth just as the Hand slid his sword away to drop his shoulder.

Then he saw a flash of cloth; an elbow.

THWAP!

Vehemence quieted that cry he almost let slip, the taste of copper strong on his tongue. Tears too. Broken noses had a way of doing that.

In that brief moment of reprieve, Judas slid a hand across his bloodied visage to let it pool within his palm, smearing it liberally across his weapon. The hilt in his grasp thrummed in lustful delight at that.

Mother was watching.

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Judas moved before Maliphant had time to answer - and the Hand had met his strike with his own blade. So quickly, Maliphant had almost not registered the blow even came - and he bristled as he suddenly expected the Emperor to strike Maliphant himself - but he did not. He simply stood.​

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Slowly, Maliphant offered a nod - an acceptance of the deal, putting his freedom on the line to stop another upstart Sith from undermining all his efforts and reintroducing the Rule of Two. Maliphant took a step back and lifted a hand - to which the Emperor did not move. There was a moment where Maliphant almost wanted to test the Lord, see how long he would wait to be struck - but that would have to come another time.​

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Destruction incarnate ripped from his palm with unsanctioned grace, tearing the rubble into its smallest components before throwing it to the wind - and everything in its path with it. Strong, sturdy, and with a moment to focus Maliphant could feel satisfied in the energy he had offered into the strike - but what remained was nothing.​

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He had expected to see the electrum masks on the ground, something to show he had hit - yet nothing remained. Or rather, nothing was there; and for a brief moment he could have sworn he felt the Worm’s breath on his neck.​

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Judas of Vahl │ Aspect of Passion​

 

[Aspect of Passion]

Sith met sith in sudden combat - where as Judas was a monster with a blade more akin to raw iron, Maliphant was a master of the Force; and both were given their romantic partner in the battle. The Hand protected his Emperor from Judas, and Maliphant faced the Emperor of Worms himself. Even as the first note of their song rang out, the ending was already in site.

The Hand had snapped Judas’s nose without so much as a word - his massive bony figure surprisingly mobile for what he was. Quick to strike, heavy in blow, he was the parallel to Judas in everything they stood for - even if he had less eyes, and certainly spoke less. His own blade was far less designed than Judas as well, more scrap metal than a giant block of iron - it seemed like he could have just grabbed it off one of the failing buildings only moments before.

As Judas’s eyes watered, as blood was smeared on his blade, the Hand would show him strength. Twisting his hips with the blade behind him, he threw the hunk of steel around him like a whip - and with it, a freighters worth of force behind it; enough to easily throw Judas twenty meters even if he made the mistake of blocking it.

For Maliphant, he would find the Emperor not where he had throw his blast, but directly behind him. While the Emperor himself did not whisper to Maliphant, there was no telling what one might hear being so close to him - and without ever disturbing the robes, he offered much and the same strike to Maliphant’s back. Air rippled visibly, sparks between metal, and Maliphant would be thrown equally as far as Judas.

All as was designed. All purposeful, just as the Worm predicted.

Judas of Vahl │ Darth Empyrean

 

[Judas of Vahl]

Anger pierced through the doubt and pain that slowly crept through his aching body, steeling his resolve for what was to come. Even just trading and mirroring blows with the soulless, gnarled figure of the Hand felt like they had all managed to fracture his bones. Thankfully, those hairline cracks had already began to dissipate and mend together; much like his blackened nose once a thumb had pressed it back into place.

Judas exhaled evenly, watching. He knew what was going to happen.

He let his dark gaze flash to the side, observing what havoc the Worm Emperor had wrought upon his comrade. Unfortunate.

Despite having witnessed the Hand of the Emperor wind up and prepare his strike, he could do very little but directly engage. Dodging would be a lethal mistake, and running simply just wasn't an option - ever. Judas swallowed what little spit his dry mouth contained, hauling his own heavy sword into a parrying stance. He swung with all of his might. The force of the blow was almost enough to make him lose his grip, steel on steel flaring sparks and a deafening, dull rumble.

He didn't even realize his feet had left the ground.

Searing fire flooded his veins when he hit the ground, wracking his body as if he'd been tackled by a cargo freighter. The black-haired man gave a petulant snarl that was equal parts fury and disbelief. Though when he tried to move, that growl of his quickly transformed into a stifled whimper. Jagged, bloodied edges of refuse and rubble rested beneath his broken body and the soil. His abdomen was a dark mess, especially considering a rather long strip of metal had slipped perfectly through a rung in his armor to nastily exit his stomach.

Adrenaline cooled the fiery sensation of pain, yet it wouldn't do so for long.

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

The blast had landed with Maliphant nearly unaware that it was ever sent towards him. His robes tore free, he rag dolled, and there was a precise moment through the air he thought to himself how long it had been since he was hit that hard. Bruises instantly formed in a maelstrom across his back, with a few deep enough to start bleeding even before he landed - and the landing only made it worse. Tumbling, his momentum took a few seconds to diminish before he stopped.​

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Maliphant had most certainly broken some bones, but the focus he had at the moment was more on the bruise his ego had sustained. He certainly wasn't the most powerful Sith in the galaxy, but he was more than confident that a no-name mysterious emperor hardly had the presence to put him on his ass like that. He stood with a grunt, swaying before he caught his balance.​

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Raising his hands, he began to form something he had done on Hoth to Cedric Grayson. A Force Storm began to form between his fingers, growing in indulating strength that threw dust and rocks away from him in droves; as power reeked itself across the landscape. He would not suffer an insult like that again.​

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Judas of Vahl │ Aspect of Passion​

 

[Aspect of Passion]

The Hand of the King walked where the Monster of Vahl lie, his steps heavy through rubble. A few Sith who had found themselves unknowingly in the line of fire moved from the path of destruction, while the hefty iron 'club' trailed behind him. A harsh metal on concrete scratching echo'ed between the buildings as he closed the distance - and the moment he was in range, the blade swung in a quick and violent overhead arc directly at the man who lay before him.

Even during his swing, he made no noise, no inclination of effort. Even his lips failed to quiver.

The Worm Emperor however, glanced over Maliphant as he glided towards him - though there was no movement in his masks to imply such. Instead he wafted forward more akin to being on a cloud than taking steps, pausing only when he was a few meters away from the bruised Sith Lord before him. It was the most common voice that spoke first;

"Sweet child, have I hurt you so much that you turn to such moves already?", the Worm Emperor asked with an upwards inflection.

"Desperate?", another asked.

"Need help?"

The Worm seemed to sneer for a moment before a black cloaked hand rose from beneath the robes - pointed at the point of power between Maliphant's hands. Faster than Maliphant could build his power, the Worm Emperor took it - dragging it into his own form with minimal effort. The winds of power shifted and then ceased, until nothing stood between them but empty air.

"Is there anything else?", the voices offered, overlapping in a cacophony.

Judas of Vahl │ Darth Empyrean