Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Merciless Maelstrom

Onderon634.jpg
Location: Dxun​
It had been a few weeks since his last visit to Dxun, Ballen-Ist had only been there a few times. Once while recovering a holocron, the other when he had left his apprentice to survive for a month on the demon moon. The ion engines of the sentinel class shuttle that the Sith sat within shone brightly against Dxun's surface, as the craft began its descent below the atmosphere. While his apprentice recovered on Alabash, Ballen-Ist had decided to journey back to the moon, having sensed the increase of dark power that had taken place. Dxun was home to many Sith tombs which were focal points for dark energy, resulting in the creation of dark side nexuses that corrupted everything it encompassed.

Having explored Freedon Nadd's tomb long ago, the Pureblood was able to locate the site once again, taking note of a new structure not too far away. The shuttle eventually touched down, nearby what appeared to be an academy of sorts. The large boarding ramp lowered to the muddy surface of the jungle clearing, as Ballen-Ist stepped out along with two IG-100 MagnaGuards. They stayed close together as the trio made their approach, coming to a halt at the bottom of the expansive stairway. Surely someone would have noticed his arrival by now.

[member="Tersen Merrick"]
 
Now that the Academy was finished, and Dxun under the control of Tersen. The Sith enjoyed a moment of meditation in his chambers. Though he didn't tell his follower that joined him on his Illum quest, Tersen has big plans for the Onderon system. Being so close to Freedon Nadd's tomb invigorated the sith, he frequented the tomb most days. Still in search of anything that could be of use to him. Today was not one of those days, today was one of those days Tersen sent Jaryn Starkiller into the tomb, on some trial. Though both were just Acolytes, Tersen kind of took lead for the pair.​
Being roused from his meditative state, sensing something come close, a force user. Not sure if the user was a Jedi looking to purge them from Dxun, or possible a young darksider looking for training. Tersen rose and started to slowly walk towards the elevator, to get to the second floor of the Academy. As he continued towards the entrance of the Academy, he could more effectively sense the force user. It was seeped in the darkside, but it was not someone looking for training. With this knowledge Tersen prepared for the worst but didn't want to be to aggressive, having his saber ready but not activated was good enough for the Sith. Finally reaching the steps to the Academy, he could see a dark cloaked figure with two droids at the bottom of the steps looking up towards the Academy.​
[member="Ballen-Ist"]​
 
A few minutes passed while Ballen-Ist examined the large building, which he deduced was some sort of Sith temple. Perhaps even a training ground, for he could feel a growing power within the structures confines. Now far too curious to hold himself back, the Pureblood began to ascend the stairs that led up to the entrance, the pair of MagnaGuards that escorted him to his left and right. The trio had nearly arrived at the top of the stairway, when [member="Tersen Merrick"] appeared. It was difficult to tell whether there were others with the man or not given the dark side nexus nearby, and so the Knight figured he was alone for the time being. Knowing that Tersen would probably be somewhat territorial about his intrusion, Ballen-Ist came to a stop halfway to his destination, glaring at the man from beneath the T-visor helmet he wore.

The MagnaGuards ceased their approach too, slamming the ends of their electrostaves upon the stone as they became stationary. "Very interesting, I have no idea how I missed this," the Sith's modulated voice spoke, as his helmeted head turn slightly, further examining what he could see of the academy. There was something strange about the one before Ballen-Ist, and it was almost too obvious as he sharpened his force senses upon Tersen. It felt as if the man's presence was embroidered into time itself, an extreme of a similar sensation the Pureblood had sensed in another. "Who are you?" He simply questioned, his attention now fully dedicated to Tersen.
 
"I am Tersen Merrick, and who might you be and why have you come here?"
He didn't let down his guard quiet yet, still unsure why this man was here, and why the man was encroaching on Tersen's building. Tersen felt a bit more threatened by the droids be here as well, since his only back up was in Freedon Nadd's tomb at this time. Tersen started to think of ways he could maybe get out of this if it were to turn to a fight, it was three on one, so Tersen's hope was to get to the elevator before things got bad if they were to go south. Yet there was something strange about the man, an almost familiar feeling. Something Tersen hadn't sense in a long time. Not since his days back in the Empire, which to Tersen wasn't that long ago, but it still felt like an eternity. It was strange, it made Tersen lower his guard just a bit, but still not enough to be caught flat footed if need be​
[member="Ballen-Ist"]​
 
The mysterious [member="Tersen Merrick"] had spoken, and didn't sound to be far off from the Pureblood's own age. The Knight knew that looks could be deceiving, and judging by the mans demeanor, he was no fresh Acolyte. "I am Ballen-Ist, a Sith much like yourself," he spoke, rolling his eyes beneath the helmet he wore. While he cared little for name exchanging, the Sith was ever eager to find out more about this Tersen Merrick. The force was surely used as a tool for ones own gain, but Ballen-Ist knew that it was a lot more omnipresent than others were willing to admit. Some things were just too ridiculous in this life to be called coincidence.

"As for my presence here, I would say that the force works in mysterious ways. What is this place?" The Pureblood questioned further, still far too curious for his own good. His own defenses were hardly on edge, for the two MagnaGuards by his side were ready for combat, their red eyes glowing brightly. They strictly followed Ballen's orders, and would not act out unless hostility was apparent in the immediate area. Even then, he could just as easily call them back. Though the company he had attained was a means to an end, he could not help but enjoy it.
 
"This is what I consider home now, seeing how most Sith of this age are content with hiding in the shadows. Which I am not, I prefer the more direct approach, much like what was home for me, a time of war."
Though divulging a bit more than he wanted to about himself, Tersen felt this visitor knew what he was talking about. It was almost like a slice of home came back to him right this second. The memories coming back to him all at once his service on Balmorra, his service on Illum during the Malgus crisis. It was weird that these memories were coming back at this time, but yet he didn't fight it.​
"You speak like a group I haven't seen in what would now be a long time, though to me feels like yesterday still. It is strange though I am only human, you seem like you are familiar with things I know as well."
Tersen was taken aback with this, the words the man used were things Tersen hadn't heard from Sith of this age. Also with the droids with him he seemed ready for a fight but at ease talking to Tersen. From what Tersen learned on Korriban, most Sith of this age were more bent on in fighting not really working together unless it was some goal they all agreed on, yet this one wasn't like them.​
[member="Ballen-Ist"]​
 
Perhaps [member="Tersen Merrick"] was from another age, it would not be the first time the Pureblood had heard of something like this. Upon consulting the holocron of Tulak Hord, the Knight had actually gained a bit of insight into suspended animation technology, though whether or not Tersen utilized such a method was unknown to him. Perhaps he was simply old, for Ballen-Ist had grown up in a time of war too. The galaxy was more or less at peace for the moment, with certain organizations and movements clashing here and there. The Sith Order had gone underground, a notion Ballen-Ist believed to be utterly meaningless. While Tersen spoke of 'hiding in the shadows' as a bad thing, the Knight knew better than that.

It was even worse for him considering his species, no one would ever truly trust a Sith Pureblood. Though Ballen-Ist only had a few hand-picked allies, sometimes he could just no deny the dark sides call. "There isn't much war anymore, after the One Sith Empire's fall. Still plenty of bloodshed and acts of war, though," the Sith paused, reminiscing briefly before listening to what Tersen had to say. It piqued the Pureblood's curiosity even further, prompting him to call out, "Dari j'us driuni Ansi Tsis?" It was worth a shot, maybe he would recognize the language.
 
Though he didn't know any of the actual Sith language, Tersen recognized it as the language of the purebloods. Shocked that one was still around, though now it was running though Tersen mind could this Pure blood, be from his time. Though it was possible it was more than unlikely. It was time for Tersen to throw in a name drop and if the Sith here knew anything about him, it would be more than coincidence.​
"I can say I recognize that is the language of the Pure Bloods, though I do no speak it myself. I remember them, though the only one I know really is Darth Serevin."
Not wanting to give out details that he was on Illum during the Malgus crisis, though not part of the strike team that took down Darth Serevin, he still knew that he was a Pureblood, and a powerful one at that. If this Sith recognized the name it would be something to maybe bring up since it would be more likely then this Sith was like Tersen, one out of time so to speak.​
[member="Ballen-Ist"]​
 
[member="Tersen Merrick"] was right, the language that had been spoken was High Sith, a dialect once used in Pureblood society by those of upper status. While the name that Tersen spoke of did not strike Ballen-Ist as familiar, it only compelled him further into believing that this person was ancient. "There is a planet of Sith somewhere, though Purebloods are still fairly rare," the Knight spoke, trying to remember which planet the species had somehow relocated to.

He himself had grown up within the surface of Korriban, few tribes having secretly taken up home within cavernous areas over the millennia. The Old Republics genocide of his race still had its effects, though to a far less extent in this era. "Are you going to invite me in," the Sith continued, still fascinated by the large academy. It must have been constructed quickly, for it wasn't too long ago that Ballen-Ist had been in the area. "I would like to know more about this place, and your origins." He requested rather straightforwardly, beginning to march up the steps with the MagnaGuard duo in tow.
 
"Please do come in, I request your droids stay out here, but if they need to come with I will allow it, also with being straight with each other, my colleague is inside the tomb right now, so if he shows up don't be alarmed."
The hint of Darth Severin wasn't received but still knowing that pure bloods were still around gave Tersen some ease as the Empire he knew was full of them, mostly in the higher echelons of the Sith order, and those that weren't normally were picked as the higher lords apprentices. Putting his saber back on his belt as he turned to walk back into the temple. The temple was built in the style of the old Empire that was from thousands of years ago and rose up after the Great Hyperspace war. Most of the design had come from Tersen's memory of the temples built during that period, so it wasn't perfect but still close enough for Tersen to feel at home. Hopefully this Sith that was a guest would find it interesting to learn about Tersen's past much like [member="Jaryn Starkiller"] did. It felt weird to Tersen to be this person of interest to some of the Sith of this age, as he wasn't more than just another Acolyte back in his time.​
[member="Ballen-Ist"]​
 
"Very well," the Pureblood replied, craning his neck to look at the MagnaGuards before motioning towards the academy entrance. They passed [member="Tersen Merrick"] and stood guard on both sides of the archway, becoming stationary with their electrostaves held high. It was better to have them nearby, for his own sake and the droids. Ballen-Ist had only brought two MagnaGuards with him, if they were to stand around in the open it would seem rather suspicious to anything territorial enough. Hopefully, Tersen's colleague wouldn't attack them. Having climbed the rest of the staircase as well, the armored Pureblood came to a stop as to allow Tersen to lead the way.

The temple corridors were expansive, and resembled some designs Ballen-Ist had seen during his trials on Korriban. "Very old fashioned. This is your home? Surely, there must be another purpose for such a specifically placed structure." The Knight commented, thinking about what the man had said about his colleague. Perhaps this was some sort of cult devoted to Freedon Nadd, if so they would be disappointed for little was left in the tombs. However, they were vast and deceptive, there was always a chance something had been overlooked.
 
"You could say this is my home of sorts. Though I would hope it would become more than that."
Still feeling a bit of unease with this New Sith, Tersen didn't want to divulge everything of his plans. Though it was just him and one other now, hopefully more would be called to this place to help grow the new empire that Tersen believed in. Also with more that he hoped to show up, he could lead them to Onderon, and take back what was historically Sith run. Though he had no real connection to Freedon Nadd, being close to a tomb of a great Sith lord was a wise choice to start up his Academy. Tersen also figured the tomb had been picked clean by now, it was centuries if not millennia since Freedon Nadd's death, so he was sure Sith have visited it and taken anything of value. However Tersen was more intrigued on why this Sith was brought here by the force, though he knew the force worked in mysterious ways, there had to be more to this story than his guest was letting on.​
[member="Ballen-Ist"]​
 
"A site of preservation, perhaps?" Ballen-Ist guessed, feeling the slight unease in [member="Tersen Merrick"]. The man probably did not want to reveal anything to a stranger who had strolled onto their territory, and that was understandable. The Pureblood did not really care how he felt though, especially since he really had no nefarious intentions in mind. While he knew treachery and deceit were great tools, he knew when and when not to utilize them, and honestly preferred using them against Jedi more than anyone else. Ballen-Ist had arrived for a reason, and he needed Tersen Merrick for some purpose. If he really were from another time, perhaps he possessed ancient knowledge that could aid him in certain endeavors. "I once assisted another Pureblood in recovering Freedon Nadd's holocron.

Unfortunately, that acquaintance has disappeared, and I can only assume that relic has been claimed by another. Hopefully he does not discover the holocron chamber, for whatever was in there could have killed me easily," the Knight admitted unashamedly, knowing full well how lucky he had been against the Orbalisks. Having traveled through the corridors and passed the training rooms and dorms, the duo had come to the area that led to the next level of the academy. After he was done admiring the statue, Ballen-Ist turned to Tersen once more, questioning him. "Have you ever heard of The Maelstrom?"
 
"Why do you ask?"
Tersen wondered why his visitor was bring this up. This was the prison that the Emperor used to hold Revan. Though that facility was a well kept secret, how this Sith knew about it was something of shock to Tersen. He didn't want to let on how much he knew of the station but, from the way the visiting Sith looked at him, it was already a failure. It seemed this person was well educated in the history of Vitiate's Empire. It was going to be hard for Tersen to play dumb, so he might as well just answer the question that his visitor was going to ask him.​
"Well though I am curious why you ask, I am familiar with the place. Though I never went there myself I heard it was built, for what purpose I do not know, I wasn't privy to that information."
[member="Ballen-Ist"]​
 
Even though he was confused and hesitant, [member="Tersen Merrick"] had unintentionally confirmed the Pureblood's suspicions. The Maelstrom was a vast and mysterious nebula, one that Ballen-Ist dared not journey into without a relatively reliable plan. The dark side had called to the Knight twice for some reason, luring him first to the huge expanse of green charged space dust, and now to Dxun. The Sith had assumed that there was something lurking within The Maelstrom, but he had no proof other than the dark aura he had felt calling to him some time ago. "We could change that," Ballen-Ist began, knowing that he had to bring this acolyte wherever it was they would be going.

The Pureblood could only imagine what Tersen was talking about, but he assumed that it would be some sort of space station judging by how 'it was built', or maybe even an ancient starship of some kind. "The dark side has called me, and I intend to answer. I believe you are the key to doing so." Ballen-Ist concluded, still somewhat unsure as to how Tersen was supposed to help him. While he had never been to this mysterious location within the nebula himself, it was possible that the force could guide them the rest of the way, especially with the acolyte's link to the past.
 
"Well I'm not sure how I can help. Like I said I never been there, I just know the Emperor built it for a reason, also of which I do not know of. So I can do what I can."
Tersen was even more puzzled now as force seemed to be compelling this Sith to bring Tersen to a place he knew nothing about, besides it was built for a purpose only the Emperor knew. This request to venture to a place only the Emperor knew about, as well as a few others made Tersen uneasy. Though he knew the Emperor was long dead, his desire to not betray the Emperor, made him hesitant. For a moment he thought this might be a challenge, to test his loyalty to the Emperor, and to keep the secrets of which the Station was built for. Though Tersen knew more than he let on about the area, he didn't want to be disloyal to the Empire.​
[member="Ballen-Ist"]​
 
So, [member="Tersen Merrick"] did know something about the Maelstrom and what lurked within. As far as the Pureblood could tell, the acolyte didn't know a lot more than he did himself, but any bit of information was valuable at this point. A battle-station? Starship? Abomination of the dark side? The possibilities were not endless, but Ballen-Ist had a few more guesses, something he really did not like. The Sith needed to know, and he intended to capitalize on whatever it was when he found out.

"Through intense and lengthy meditation sessions, I believe I've narrowed down a general location. The same way I noticed the subtle shift here on Dxun, with your appearance. Perhaps you are not intricately familiar with this thing, rather connected to it through time itself." Ballen-Ist concluded, his gaze focusing in suspicion upon Tersen beneath the helmet upon his head. This man was still a mysterious to the Knight, but he could tell that there was something off about him.
 
"Yes you could say I am connected to it via time. I was alive when it was built, and you could say I am new to this time. I blame the Rakata since I had some of their tech malfunction and was sent here, while in hyperspace."

Tersen knew hiding everything wasn't going to be easy, so he figured to tell a little bit about himself to the visitor. Again not wanting to betray Vitiate, or the Empire, he would only tell his visitor that he was from the same time period, and thus was a member of the Empire back then. As well as how he got here. That damn tech he picked up on his mission was the fault of all of this, and the Knight could tell Tersen had a grudge with it when he spoke of it. He missed it time greatly, and this could be seen as well with the style of his Academy, and his armor since he didn't change it to fit the new tech in the world. Also the way he talked about the past could be seen as admiration and wanting the Sith to come out of the shadows again. Tersen wasn't afraid to hide what he was thinking, and anyone nearby with any sense of the force could sense it. What he did hide greatly was the secrets of the Maelstrom Station.

[member="Ballen-Ist"]​
 
Rakata? Ballen-Ist had never heard of this term before, and it truly piqued his interest. However, what intrigued him even more was the fact that he had been right in assuming [member="Tersen Merrick"]'s peculiar situation in this time period. The Sith had heard similar stories; ships that entered hyperspace never to be seen again. Perhaps this acolyte was the result of such a phenomena, which made him even more valuable and vital to the Knight's plan. "I sense your loyalty to the Sith, it is commendable. As I'm sure you know times have changed greatly, and the Sith Order of now has gone into hiding after being defeated," Ballen-Ist explained, not sure how up to date Tersen was on the recent happenings on the galaxy. "You would have liked The One Sith better," he added, a hint of distaste in his voice.

While the Pureblood's own methods did not align with Tersen's, he could not care less, considering the galaxy was on high alert for Sith activity and involvement. If they wanted to paint a big red bulls-eye on their own planet, Ballen-Ist would not stop them. "With your knowledge of ancient hyperlanes, we may be able to successfully journey into the correct region of the Maelstrom. Your friend can accompany us too, if you so desire." The Knight concluded, not wanting to elaborate on his own goal yet. The acolyte before him seemed somewhat defensive, and so the Pureblood played it calmly and cautiously.
 

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