Not searching for the secret of eternal life...

[Darth Timoris]

She was surprised it took him sixteen minutes to find her in the shower - but then it was her turn to surprise him.

A half an hour later, they were on their speeder bikes. She led them towards the mountains. If local intelligence was correct, the strange, insular cult now lived deep in the range.
.
It was clear that evidence pointed to Andeddu's followers still being active; occasionally some of them even came into the small town they were leaving behind in need of supplies. It was also clear that the people in the mountain village regarded their mysterious neighbours with a combination of fear and loathing. Estimates of their numbers ranged from a few dozen to more than a thousand, though Melori suspected the truth was somewhere closer to the low end. Beyond that, everything else fell under the headings of wild speculation or illogical superstition.

Drawn by the unmistakable power of the Dark-side emanating fromtheir target, Melori began to guide them by to weaving in among the tall black peaks. As they travelled deeper into the range, she began to notice increased signs of recent seismic activity. Some of the mountains were over twenty kilometres tall but most were half that height, their tops blown off when the molten lava at their core erupted in a shower of smoke and fire.

It wasn't long before the small stronghold itself came into view, a towering structure built on the flat plain of a valley hidden deep within the heart of the range. A four-sided, flat-topped pyramid chiselled from black obsidian, the tall building was part fortress and part monument to a self-proclaimed god and was a small replica of Andeddu’s own fortress that they had been driven from by the One Sith.

Even after Andeddu’s betrayal and death, a small cult of devoted followers believed his spirit still existed. They had continued their loyal service, preparing themselves for the day their Master would return.

Those who lived in the temple now were described by everyone she spoke to as fanatics, and she suspected each would be willing to sacrifice his or her life to protect Andeddu's relics that they must have smuggled out of the fortress, leaving the Holocron behind.

Melori throttled back, the malevolent power emanating from the stronghold kept the deadly streams of lava at bay, but any other spot she chose to leave the speeders at would be at risk.

“So…up for a little gate-crashing?”

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance made the trip to her "Surprise" in mostly silence. He was curious as to what misdeeds she had in store. When the stronghold came into view he shook his head. More conquest in store for him it seemed.

When she asked him about gate crashing he laughed looking at her.

"Can you go a single day without killing anyone?"

He closed his eyes getting a feel of the power emanating from the place. It reminded him of Dagobah but the feeling was different. Dagobah was death and despair but this place was raw primal power.

He looked back at her opening his eyes again.

"What are you after?"


[member="Darth Timoris"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori looked at him, a smile playing on her lips.

"Most are not worthy and deserve to die...but their death must serve a purpose. As a servant of the Dark-side I revel in the vanquishing of my enemies. I draw power from their suffering, but I must balance this against greater gains. I recognise that killing for sadistic pleasure - killing without reason, need, or purpose - is the act of a fool."

"But as to what I seek? Knowledge? Practice? Many things. This place created me, and for a reason. Perhaps I'll find an answer there?"

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance smiled

"You sounded just like her just now." "You are more like Venefica than you probably want to admit."

His tone of voice made it clear he was not trying to insult her and actually meant it to be a bit of a compliment.

He chuckled shaking his head.

"Your deeds made you what you are Melori not where you are from."

He smiled.

"Well would you like to knock or shall I?"

He slowly made his way up towards the Stronghold looking at it.

[member="Darth Timoris"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori gave [member="Vengeance"] a quizzical look. She did not mind being compared to Darth Venefica at all – at least not the one she knew. The one that would frequent the history books would not be a flattering comparison. For victors write history and her rise to become a Sith Lord and a Voice – all her sterling work in Invasions and the like would be overlooked. Unwritten. Instead she was no doubt already spoken of as a traitor – so they had that in common.

“My deeds?” she mused out loud, continuing the train of thought. “What deeds? I’m sure already Sith Acolytes will be taught my name is to be abhorred. My efforts overlooked. My continued devotion to the Dark Lord conveniently ignored.” She snorted. “But he knows. And I know. And one day, those that look to use the offices of the One Sith for their personal gratification will have to face him. And they will be found wanting. Unworthy. And his vengeance will be mighty.” She looked at her companion, aware of the unintentional pun.

But the decision on how to enter was taken from them. There was a time for subtlety, and a time for strength. Through the Force, Melori could sense the chambers in the building explode in a flurry of activity as the cultists rallied to meet the unexpected intruders.

She glanced quickly around, taking stock of her surroundings. At that moment, the main door at the front of the fortress burst open and beings she assumed were cultists began to pour out – nearly two dozen in total, all armed with vibroblades.

Despite their numbers, Melori instantly realized they posed no real threat. Though they worshipped one of the ancient Sith, these were ordinary men and women. The Force did not flow through their veins; they were nothing but fodder. Their fury might be fuelled by the Dark-side energies emanating from the temple, but Melori and Vengeance could just as easily draw upon the same power, letting it build until they unleashed it against their foes.

A year or so earlier, she would have eagerly engaged them in physical combat, her body pumped full of adrenaline. Swept up in a mindless rage, she would have carved a bloody swath through their numbers, hacking and slashing at her helpless enemies. But she was no longer a slave to the primal bloodlust that used to overwhelm her. She was able to dispatch her enemies using the Force rather than relying solely on brute strength.

So she stepped away from Vengeance and the she stood perfectly still, allowing the swarming horde to close in on her as she gathered her strength. She called upon the power of the temple itself, feeding on it to bolster her own abilities as she created a deadly field around her body. It began as a tight circle, but quickly spread outward until it extended to a radius of five metres, with the Sith Lord at the centre. The air within the circumference of the field suddenly became darker, as if the light from the red sun above had been suddenly dimmed.

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance shook his head at [member="Darth Timoris"] with a smile.

"Acolytes learn what their Master's teach them." "Those worth worrying about are smart enough to seek the truth for themselves."

He chuckled looking at her his expression serious.

"It is not the Dark Lord's Vengeance anyone who tries to harm you should be worried about but mine."

He watched her step away as the Cultist swarmed out of the stronghold. Vengeance pulled his saber igniting it ready to cut down any who got within arms length. He paused as the clouds of darkness appeared. He smiled but shook his head.

"You are going to tire yourself out Melori." "Save your strength.......do you know what we will find once inside?" "You may need those tricks later."

His tone was a mix of serious and concern. Who knew how draining sorcery could be even at the lower levels and not even the force could guess what she was up to. He leaped out of the circle slashing down a cultist as the group started to swarm.

 

[Darth Timoris]

Cloaked in the shadowy gloom, Melori simply held her ground against the enemy assault. The front ranks of onrushing cultists shrieked in agony as they entered the field, their life essence violently sucked out of their bodies, aging them a thousand years in only a few seconds. Muscles and tendons atrophied instantaneously; their skin withered and shrank, pulling tight across their bones.

Eyes and tongues shrivelled, turning them into mummified husks before their desiccated flesh crumbled away, leaving only skeletal remains and a few strands of hair.

The effort of creating an aura of pure Dark-side energy would have quickly exhausted Melori. However, as her enemies fell she was able to draw their essence into herself, feeding on their energies to revitalize her fading strength and reinforcing the field in preparation for the next wave of victims.

The cultists continued to charge forward. Those in the middle ranks had seen the fate of their companions and tried desperately to stop. But the momentum of those behind swept them forward into the field to suffer the same agonizing death as those who had already fallen.

Only those at the rear of the crowd were able to see the danger and pull up in time to save themselves. Only a handful were able to save themselves. They stood at a safe distance, hovering on the edge of the deadly field with weapons raised, uncertain how to proceed – until they spied Vengeance and decided he was by far the better option to attack.

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance smiled as the few remaining cultists turned towards him. He lifted a hand motioning them forward.

"Come now class is in session boys and girls."

He waited until they were close holding his position his face a mask void of emotion or reaction. When the first got to him he impaled the more sod in the chest. Pulling his saber out he turned his blade pausing for a split second horizontal behind him before slashing out the second cultist's chest splitting wide open.

From that moment time seemed to both pass at the speed of light but move in slow motion at the same time. Vengeance was a choreographer and his dance was death. Up until the last cultist. Then Vengeance did something different something he had not done before. Instead of killing the man Vengeance simply cut of the man's hand and force pushed him back towards the building.

"Your existence is an affront to the Dark Lord's power." "Tell your Master Vengeance is coming and I am bringing death with me."

Vengeance watched as the lone man ran off tripping over himself to get away. He chuckled to the dead bodies around him.

"Class Dismissed."

[member="Darth Timoris"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori clapped. There was no sarcasm in her efforts. The sound echoed around as she smiled at him. She was initially trained as an assassin, and so appreciated the skill he'd executed.

"Am I death?" she asked with a mock pout. But her face returned to its usual impassive self almost immediately.

"They'll either be better prepared for us, or be planning their surrender. I presume you're banking on the latter but won't be too disappointed with the former?"

She'd missed working alongside someone. Too often, when attacking a plant in the name of the One Sith she worked alone. Or with a squad of Sitherhood troopers. But there was something more satisfying in fighting alongside a fellow Sith. Something she'd missed of late.

"It makes a change to hear someone reference the Dark Lord," she said, knowingly. "Instead of glorying in their own name. I like it." She gave him a wink before heading towards the structure. "I'm not expecting a welcome mat, so let's get home before curfew."

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance smiled.

"Yes you are death my love." "I figured you would like it considering the little display you gave."

He chuckled looking at the fortress.

"If their master is worth his or her weight in ability they knew we were coming the minute we got off the speeders." "If not then this is nothing more than a formality." "Either way I doubt sending that one back to his Master really effects the outcome any."

He shook his head.

"I told you when we first met Melori." "I care nothing for glory or power or position." "There are only two things in the galaxy I care about." "Avenging the death of my father and my love for you."

"The rest are just minor details in the cliff notes of a story most will never bother reading."

He waited until she was a few feet ahead of him before he spoke again.

"I have to admit as much as a hate watching you walk away I do enjoy the view."

He caught up with her giving her a sly wink. He was being cheeky and he knew it. Probably the worst possible time to be so but he didn't care.

[member="Darth Timoris"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori admired his pragmatic approach and concurred. If the head of the cult needed a minion to come and tell him they were there, he was not a worthy opponent. Not that the thought relaxed her. She was not foolish enough to lower her guard.

“I care for the Sith,” she said, quite abruptly, stopping in her tracks. “Personal wealth is of no consequence to me. It is merely a means to greater knowledge, which in turn can further the Sith cause. I need nor want a fancy palace or a planet to call my own. These are a fool’s trinkets. To ensure the end of the Jedi, that is my only wish. I do not expect to be alive when it happens – but to have played my part…that is my role in life.” Her voice was calm. Collected. Not the rantings of a mad woman – but the logical argument of someone who simply believed what she was saying.

“And I care for you, of course. It may be wrong but I cannot help it. And if you get excited by the view of my cloak from behind, you’d be ecstatic if I removed it.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek and a smack on the backside.

“Now…we have a fortress to storm.”

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance smiled shaking his head.

"You are so hot when you get all serious." "Though I hope to one day be able to convince you to add wife and mother to that list of roles in life."

He chuckled moving towards the fortress picking up the pace ready to get it over with so he could spend more time with her before he had to go back to the Academy and back to the never ending war. If only the whole thing with Venefica had not exploded then they would not have to travel half way around the galaxy just to spend time together. He wouldn't say anything else until they reached the fortress. His demeanor changing slightly to one of determination and cautionary awareness.

[member="Darth Timoris"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

As she took a few steps forward, she was pleased by his words – but was a little surprised that it suddenly got so serious, so quickly.

She cared for him. She loved him. She wanted them to be a couple forever. Marriage? Perhaps. But children?

There were a number of reasons why she was unsure as to this direction. Firstly it was a commitment. And not necessarily one that was congruent to being a Sith, or her chosen lifestyle. Maybe later in life…but that wasn’t exactly the Sith way either – retirement tended to be permanent in her line of work.

But this was not the time for such a debate, so she shot him a glance. One that said we’ll talk about this later.

No more cultists emerged from the small fortress, clearly a smaller imitation of the original, but Melori could sense more. The ones they had slain were no doubt the warriors, guardians – sent by the priests and attendants still huddled in the rooms and corridors of the temple.

The remaining enemies were potentially more dangerous: the priests of Andeddu had no doubt ascended to their positions because of their affinity for the Force. Their training was probably limited, and Melori knew no single one among them was powerful enough to stop them. Together, though, they might have the potential to overwhelm. However, she didn't intend to give them time to organize so they could attempt to unite their strength.

Moving quickly, Melori strode over to the main door. And she discovered it had been locked from the inside. Letting the Force flow through her, she crouched down to grip the handle with both hands. Bracing her
shoulders, she wrenched the door open, yanking it off its hinges and tossing it
aside.

She saw a sloping corridor that led deeper into the stronghold. Igniting her lightsaber, she moved with long, quick strides as she made his way unerringly through the labyrinthine halls, drawn by the power of something dark calling to her from the lower chambers.

The interior architecture reminded her of the Sith Academy on Korriban: ancient stone walls, heavy wooden doors, and narrow halls dimly lit by torches sputtering in sconces along the wall.

As she marched through the corridors, Melori sensed the occasional presence of one or two individuals on the other side of the doors she passed. Most simply cowered in their rooms, allowing them to continue on unhindered; they could sense their combined power, and they knew that interfering with their quest would only result in their pointless deaths. Every so often, however, a cultist whose devotion to Andeddu outweighed all sense of self-preservation would spring out to try to stop them.

Melori responded to each of these attacks with brutal efficiency. Some she sliced in two with a single swipe of her lightsaber; with others she used the Force to cleanly snap their necks, never even breaking stride. By the time they reached the central chamber of the stronghold, all pretence of resistance was gone. Anyone still left in the temple had retreated to the lowest chambers, fleeing their wrath.

Here at the heart of the temple, Andeddu's followers had built a shrine to their Master. Glow lamps in each corner illuminated the room with their eerie green light. The walls were covered with murals depicting images of the God-King unleashing his power against the armies of those who opposed him, and a stone statue lay in the centre, a likeness of the long-dead Sith Lord.

She glanced at [member="Vengeance"]. At once, a darkness pervaded the room and a wall noisily scraped open to reveal it was in fact a giant doorway. Thus sized for what lay beyond it. A terantatek. And Melori hated terentateks.

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance looked at the massive Terentatek guarding the door. He laughed before turning to look at Melori.

"Awww it's soo cute............can I keep it?"

He didn't wait to hear her answer knowing they had very little time. It would charge and it would not be any fun when that happened. Vengeance closed his eyes taking a deep breath. His lips began to move recalling the High Sith tongue he had learned for this particular ability. He focused pulling in the force building and storing power forming it into an invisible spear with his hands. He had never tried this on a target that could move. Though he reasoned if it did it would charge into them. He was not even sure it would work. He only knew he would try it and see how they fared.

It was a process that took a few moments but once it was ready Vengeance fired the Bolt of Hatred at the creature aiming center mass.

[member="Darth Timoris"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

She gave Vengeance a glance. “It does not come in the house, alright?” And she chuckled. This was the final test her Master had given her before she was made a Knight. To face her greatest fear. One of these great brutes.

But as she spoke, she was aware that Vengeance was reciting something in the old language. She was no sorcerer, her talents lay primarily in duelling, in stealth and subterfuge. In another life she might have made a decent assassin. One of her Acoolytes definitely would.

Instead she pulled her twin blades to bear. Her eyes morphed to a sulphuric yellow, the irises ringed crimson. She felt the force flow in her and waited to see what effect Vengeance’s attack would have before charging in herself.

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance watched as the creature roared the sudden spike in dark side energy attracting it's undivided attention. Not exactly what he was trying to do but then again it did make for a more open target. The bolt hit home but didn't doing nearly as much damage as he would have liked.

He turned towards Melori with a laugh.

"Oooops I think I pissed it off." "Well so much for that idea."

He turned looking seeing the creature's blood start to flow.

"Then again looks like it was not a total waste of time."

He smiled rotating his wrist his saber twirling around a few times waiting to see if the massive creature charged.

[member="Darth Timoris"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori rolled her eyes in mock admonishment. "If there's one thing worse than a vicious killing machine, it's a vicious killing machine that you've just annoyed royally."

And no sooner had she finished the words than it duly charged them. Poisonous claws and spikes were flailing in all directions as it came at them.

Melori moved to one side - together they presented a more focussed target. And given Vengeance was the one to aggravate it, she hoped it was focus on him and allow her to flank it.

"Keep it busy, honey," she said as she looked to manoeuvre behind it to attack from that direction.

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance laughed at [member="Darth Timoris"] with a grin.

"What so I have an abrasive personality..........it's part of my charm." "Besides I thought you liked that about me."

He snickered as it charge tapping into the force to make himself faster Vengeance leaped and rolled as the creature slashed. Jumping to his feet he slashed at the closest claw to sever it from it's owner. His actions were less of a distraction and more of a warrior felling................or attempting to fell a beast. Even if it did do both at once.

He kept moving tucking and rolling back in the same general area he had just been in hopes forcing it to constantly focus on a different spot would keep it too confused to do any real damage.

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori rolled her eyes in mock admonishment at his corny joke.

But she immediately focused on the task in hand. And she took nothing for granted. Drawing on the Force, she coaxed some stones loose from the roof. They slipped from the grasp of the mortar, shot downwards, and clipped the creature on the side of the head.

Sure now it was distracted away from her, she rushed in, holding her lightsaber at hip level, then flicking the blade upward when she reached the spot where she predicted the creature would rear back to.

The hide was as tough as she expected. But she broke through the tough hide and inflicted some damage. Of course it would now be aware of a new adversary – if it didn’t before – and so she would not be the decoy so her lover could press home his attack.

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance smirked as Melori pressed the attack. She was a daring one he would give her that. As soon as the creature turned Vengeance saw an opening he would not miss. He rushed forward using the force and leaped. Gripping the top of the beast's head with one hand he reversed his grip of his saber and thrust it deep into the back of the creature's head. It was attempted with one fluid movement or as fluid as it could be trying to ride a rampaging beast. From the outside it would look like a suicidal move. However it was far from. Rather than an extended fight before facing another possibly equally difficult task. Vengeance was trying to exploit a soft spot on the beast for a quick kill.


[member="Darth Timoris"]