Molded in Obsidian

[ToKola Bakari]

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In this moment, we become their destruction. -Cardinal Vi'dreya​

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There were few who served the Knight's Obsidian long enough to claim the title, Master. It was an honor that came with years of experience and wisdom, something not usually afforded to the hard chargers of The Confederacy. From the moment they are sworn in a Knight of the order dedicates themselves to the Intelligence, Security, and Innovation of The Confederacy. It had been well over a year since Cardinal had taken the title of Dominus Prime and in this time he had promoted only two soldiers to the rank of Master. Some had often been given the honor posthumously but it was a rare event indeed to see a living Knight promoted to Master.

This promotion was so sacred, so rare, that it was not undertaken in the halls of the Knightly order. Instead it was before the Vicelord, [member="Darth Metus"] that a Knight obtained the rank of Master. That was what brought the leading members of the Knight's Obsidian to the halls of the Viceroyalty on Geonosis. The main hall had been cleared of it's usual occupants and now only key members of The Confederacy stood in witness to this occasion. The lights were dim but still the banners of The Knight's Obsidian could be seen flowing from the highest levels of the room.

All together at least fifty members of the Knight's Obsidian had been assembled. They wore the traditional armor of their station, Strike Armor with several different hue's and shades to represent their respective squads and affiliations.

Cardinal stood before them, his blood red armor almost seeming to drown out all the others as the lights above danced over him.

Once it seemed everyone was in place, Cardinal began to speak. "Brothers and Sisters of The Knight's Obsidian, guides of The Confederacy, my lord." He spoke addressing the entire room, his near crimson eyes seemingly falling on every single person before finally they rested on [member="Darth Metus"]. He raised a hand in the air, curling it into a tight fist. "It is through the valiant service of our Knight's that The Confederacy enjoys such prosperity and security. Today we come together to honor one of our more seasoned Knight's. [member="Kurenai Yumi"]."

"Today Knight Yumi will take her final oath for The Confederacy, and rise to the rank of Master in our order." His deep voice thundered over the hall as he spoke.

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

If someone had asked her 5 years ago if she was going to stick with the CIS she'd have probably answered a straight flat 'no' without any hesitation, but as a wise person once said 'difficult to see, always in motion the future is'. How true such has been, because not even she would have suspected the events that would soon transpire.

Today was the day, the day she chose to leave her old life behind, no would there be MIA reports on herself followed by 20 years of hiding before coming out with a new name and identity. No longer would she need to constantly be just another grunt in the masses of soldiers that fight in the large galactic wars. Form here on out she would live her full life, to hell with what people would think about her actual identity, that would be a ford to cross once they reached it, one that would most likely come sooner rather then later.

For now though she focused on the coming ceremony, the feel of the atmosphere being more military then spiritual, differing from both the Jedi and Sith, a small aspect she rather liked from the Knights Obsidian. Like the other knights stationed in the chamber she to wore the iconic strike armor, this being the first time she had put on such an outfit, it was quite the new and strange feel but not uncomfortable, perhaps she'd wear it more often after this event, one that was just starting.

As [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] finished his short speech Kurenai took step in front of the small assembly, both her and the Dominus Prime being roughly of same height and stature. A small fact she always found a little amusing, even if there was no outwards appearance of it as she stood there, stoic as ever before the most notable members of the knightly order.

[member="Darth Metus"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Standing with the rest of the Knights Obsidian, Madalena remained silent as the ceremony began. She knew Knight Yumi slightly; Yumi had shown up to one of Madalena's training sessions, and had come on a mission that Madalena had led. She found it odd that a ceremony to appoint her to the rank of a Master Force User was taking place. While she hadn't checked at any point, the Sithling had always assumed that Yumi was already considered a Master.

Glowing emerald eyes looked at the proceedings. Madalena herself had never actually gone through any such ceremony. No one had ever announced her as an acolyte, a knight, a master. Nothing. It wasn't really strange; her beginnings had mostly included training in secret with her twin brother on Coruscant. By the time she'd arrived at the Confederacy, she was already advanced enough, and hadn't seen any reason to focus on a rank title when there was so much that she could do without it having any sort of effect on it.

But such things were symbolic. There were people to whom it mattered. She had no plans on ruining anything, even if to her, this was not important. Looking at Yumi, Madalena had a sense that this was important for the woman herself, and she offered a little smile and the nod of the head. Perhaps Madalena did not fully comprehend, but she would show her fellow Knight the respect she not only deserved, but had also earned through her work with the KO and the Confederacy.

Madalena was damned proud to work with someone like that.

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[member="Kurenai Yumi"] [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] [member="Darth Metus"]​

 

[Malok]

How long it had been…

As he stood before the Obsidian masses, Darth Metus could vividly recall a similar occasion from decades prior. Together, he and the first Knighthood stood within the hallowed walls of the Roon Sanctum. Obsidian brothers, banded together. Together, they recognized the toil and tenacity that he had put forth in their name. And as he walked before them to take his final oath - to become a Master of the Knights Obsidian - he could remember the feeling of butterflies in the pit of his stomach. For the infinitely younger Darth Metus, the day was the crowning achievement of years’ worth of effort. And now, today, he stood present to honor the tireless efforts of one of their own.

[member="Kurenai Yumi"].

Ever since he roused the Confederate ideals back to the Galactic stage, the enigmatic soldier had been upon nearly every battlefield. By blade and by blaster, she carried the cause of their nation boldly upon her shoulders. Now, as a member of the Knights Obsidian, her strength and experience had culminated in her ascension to Master of the Force. Now, all in their midst and beyond would know the budding Legend that was the onyx-haired woman. This day, in her honor, Darth Metus awaited at the head of their compatriots. And, like the Knighthood, he wore their iconic Strike Armor; sans the helm.

For now, his sulfuric gaze settled upon the Master. He spoke nothing yet, allowing his sibling to call to order the ceremony. And when the thunderous boom of his voice had finished reverberating throughout the Hall, Darth Metus briefly turned to the alabaster woman by his side. [member="Srina Talon"] stood beside the sable-skinned man per the norm, presenting herself both as his apprentice and as Exarch of the Confederacy. Resting within her hands was a box, hewn of the finest resinwood, and etched with the insignia of the Knighthood. The Sith took the box into his gloved hands and returned his full attention to the woman of the hour.

”Kurenai Yumi.”​

”Here we stand at the precipice of your accomplishments. Here we stand to give honor to the blood and years you have sacrificed in the name of the Confederacy. On behalf of the trillions you have served, it is my highest honor to thank you for your service.”​

His hands raised the lid of the box, revealing a serpentine bangle slumbering upon an onyx cloth. The token was hers - a symbol of her ascension.

”Accept this symbol of our gratitude and your place among the Masters. Set this bangle upon your flesh and speak your vow to the Knighthood.”​

[member="Cardinal Vi’dreya"] | [member="Kurenai Yumi"] | [member="Scherezade deWinter"] | [member="Srina Talon"]​

 

[Srina Talon]

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] began the formalities. The boom of his voice was a familiar bass, one that she had learned to know, and acknowledge. He was every bit the warrior that her Master was and when he spoke, no matter the arena, she listened closely. Kurenai Yumi stepped forward and the entirety of the congregation seemed to hold their breath.

Silver eyes remained empty, emotionless, and hollow. It wasn’t the event. It was simply who she was. Emotion was messy, distracting and bothersome to her duties as an Exarch. Srina had taken the lead from the attire of [member="Darth Metus"] and also donned the Obsidian Knight Strike armor. The only differences between their respective sets seemed to be the coloring. His was the typical burnished orange while the set she had donned held a purple hex pattern. Her hood was also down, respectfully, spilling lengths of ivory hair down her back.

The moonlit woman stood tall, despite her diminutive frame, and held a resin wood box. Even at the faintest of glances it could be seen that the craftsmanship had been designed to herald something special within. When it was time, she passed it to her Master and turned her gaze back toward [member="Kurenai Yumi"]. She had fought with the Knight Obsidian on more than one occasion. She was quick thinking and more than capable of dealing with difficult situations.

For that alone, plus experience in the field, Srina did not disagree with this ascension. It wasn’t often that they held official ceremonies for every commendation that passed through the Confederacy. To have the Vicelord present, to go through such lengths, clearly meant that this was deserving.

Darth Metus began to speak and she gave it her full focus as while remaining at attention. It would be hard to say whether or not she even breathed, beneath her armor, so still did she remain.

There were other faces in the crowd she knew of. Like [member="Scherezade deWinter"]. Would they also soon be rising stars? She couldn’t say for certainty. The lives that they led were dangerous, challenging, but it was for the betterment of the nation. For the Confederacy. For the protection of their people and the safety of those that took up residence within their borders. There was a reason they kept growing, expanding, and it had everything to do with people like Knight Yumi.

People willing to fight, sacrifice, and endure. People that never gave up.

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

Even if one could not see the physical faces of those around Kurenai could very well tell each black cladded warrior apart, their force signature, body frames and smell were all distinct and noticeable. In her mind such was further proof that the CIS was her now home, very little people having reached such a similar state of familiarity with the battle harden women. It made this following ceremony and coming 'speech' all that more important, she could only hope that such information would not come of as too controversial.

Staring back towards the front women's eye trailed over the small exchange between the Viclord and his second, the finely crafted wooden box being the center of attention. The authoritarian voice of Metus along with the revealed talisman, one that seemed to resonate with a strange aura, undoubtedly infused with the force, a symbol of power but a means to attain it at the same time. Silently Kurenai took hold of the intricate bangle, pulling down her sleeve, it's silver surface touching against her almost as pale skin.

Instantly she could feel some sort of new power running through her body, it was hard to explain but the feeling was one of strength, like her body was enhanced, even more so then she could already do with the force. The women's eyes continued to stare at the new item before diverting to the Viclord, herself standing in a military rigid potions, "I, Kurenai Yumi vow to uphold the ideals and laws of the Confederacy, I will not abuse my power and will continue to serve the nation and Viclord for as long as I can". "With this vow I accept the position of master, though I would also like to use this opportunity to tell the those gathered here something important about myself, something that you all should know now that I have been bestowed this rank, if the Viclord would allow it".

For the first time in forever Kurenai felt nervous, her next few words, if Metus allowed her to speak them would be a life changing event, not only for her, but for everyone that was remotely close to the new master, as a comrade, friend or family.

[member="Srina Talon"] [member="Darth Metus"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"] [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

It brought Cardinal a bit of pride to see one of his Knight's elevated to the rank of Master. As the entire ordeal showed it was certainly no small feat. Kurenai had proven herself a hundred times over and a hundred times again. Tested in battle and war she would go on to be a compelling warrior and leader among the Knights. As The Vicelord spoke, Cardinal took a step back, listening to the words he had seldom heard fall from his siblings mouth. To join the other Knight's who obtained the rank of Master was an honor, to have such declared so by The Vicelord himself was something just as sacred.

The tight, composed form that Kurenai maintained was a testament to her professionalism. She was something more than a simple soldier, she was a warrior tested and true. As she spoke her vow, Cardinal nodded approvingly. So it would be done soon, another Knight would join the ranks of Master. However, Cardinal's brow arched as the woman stated she wished to speak some piece. It was not unknown for some Master's to say a few words or even give a rather curt speech, but for Kurenai to reveal this was slightly shocking, she had never been one to give her words in such a setting. Yet, there was a time for everything.

Cardinal, who stood beside the Vicelord nodded his head before holding a hand out to the woman. "If you would speak, now is the time." He released her, free to speak to the others who were gathered.

[member="Kurenai Yumi"][member="Srina Talon"][member="Darth Metus"][member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Malok]

When the woman of the hour claimed her token, the lid of the box came to a solemn close. Her life prior to this moment had come to a conclusion - for now she had ascended to the mantle of something far greater. Darth Metus listened, in respectful silence, as the new Master uttered her vow to the Knighthood, to the Confederacy, and to her Vicelord. Upon hearing her words, the beginnings of a smile graced the Sith’s features and he offered her a light nod of approval.

At the conclusion, however, there was something that [member="Kurenai Yumi"] wished to share - and she was seeking his approval to continue. The moment reminded Darth Metus of when he first championed the cause of the Confederacy. When he first stood before the leaders of the three planets and revealed to them that he was a Sith - and that he would serve them. Those three souls gave the Sith an opportunity to bear his soul; and in doing so the Vicelord was born.

And now, the opportunity to do the same had come around.

”This is your moment, Master Yumi. Speak.”​

[member=”Cardinal Vi’dreya”] | [member="Srina Talon"] | [member="Scherezade deWinter"] | [member="Kurenai Yumi"]​

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

Kurenai stood silent as the two leading members of the assembly gave the go ahead for her to speak, this was the moment, no turning back now. Clenching her fists the women let out a small sigh before staring each member of the group in the eye showing her serious the next few words would be. "You all here know me as Kurenai Yumi, but such is not my real name... the women who stands before you is Abigale Ike, though not one that is related to the current royal family on Atrisia".

"My family is one that is distantly related from the royally of the plant, a family that has been hiding away in the shadows. such reasoning for such ebing that we, are not human". "I, Abigale Ike, am an Energy Vampire by birth, I was born roughly 886 years ago, on the date of 28BBY". She gave another sigh, taking a large breathe before continuing her long story.

"For the last few centuries I have been living my life in repeat, joining a military at age 20 serving for another 20 years before faking my death or vanishing only to reemerge 40 years later under a new name in a new place". "I fough for the Alliance during the Galatic Civil war, I fought with the Republic against the Vong Invasion, I fought yet again during the Imperial Sith war, I lived through the plague from 400 years ago, and so on".

"The clockwork rebellion, the netherworld events the One Sith Republic Conflict... all of it, during those time my hands amassing at least a million lives". "Though that did not last as just over 25 during a small hunting mission I myself wound up getting married". "As some of you may know this lead to my current biological children who serve in the Silver Jedi but it also so spurred me on to do my own part in the galaxy, you yourself Darth Metus inviting and hiring me as Mercenary".

"Even still I kept the truth from you this entire time, deep down myself still not willing to live a normal life, always there being a plan to leave sooner or later, but not anymore". "With this new title and vow I saw it only fit to share with you this information after all, come another 50 years and most of you will be old and retied, while myself remain looking as youthful as always, carrying on the fight for the confederacy".

Finishing her speech Kurenai gave a sudden deep bow, hanging her head low to those in attendance, "I hope such is not to much of a shock or betrayal of your trust in me". "If you see fit to remove my status and discharge me then so be it, I just needed to make sure you all knew what I really am if I was ever to achieve such rank and recognition among the knights and people".

[member="Darth Metus"] [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] [member="Srina Talon"][member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Malok]

The story which bubbled forth from the Master was not one that the Vicelord had expected. However, given the expression fixated upon the Energy Vampire’s face, he understood just how grave her secrets had been to her. From experience, the Sith could certainly relate to the reality that [member="Kurenai Yumi"] called home. He was reared and fought for Mandalore - a planet and culture which despised the Dark Side for many years. In those years, he had to hide who and what he was. He had to keep his practices behind hushed lips and closed doors. To them, he was simply Isley Verd, a clan father among many. But he knew. His apprentices knew. His master knew. He was Darth Metus.

He drew nearer to the woman who rendered a respectful bow. There would be no conclusion of service today, nor reprimands of any kind. Instead, Darth Metus reached out to place a hand upon the woman’s shoulder.

”What we stand for, Master Yumi, is freedom. The freedom for our people to choose their futures - but most importantly, the freedom to be who they are. You reside in a nation led by a Sith Lord, who stands alongside warriors of the Light on a regular basis. You serve a nation of diversity; and here, you will be accepted for who you are. I truly understand the weight you have carried on your shoulders, but know that it is a burden no longer.”

”You are Home Master Yumi. And we happily accept you and your centuries of experiences into our family.”

[member="Kurenai Yumi"] | [member="Scherezade deWinter"] | [member=”Cardinal Vi’dreya”] | [member="Srina Talon"]​