Remenissions

[Krux Mullarus]

[Youtube] https://youtu.be/dchOBArzefw[/youtube]


The Sith Knight stood at an observation deck aboard The Paladin, watching Dagobah below slowly rotate on its axis. Hands behind his back, he could feel the planet breathe in the Force like any sentient breathes in air. Dagobah certainly was a different world.

You're hesitating

The sudden voice in the back of his mind made him jump slightly. A scowl formed on his face. You aren't waiting a day for the sake of your legion of apprentices and soldiers. You're afraid to confront me.

Mullarus exhaled, fists clenched behind his back. "Fear is for those who do not know their enemy. I know mine all too wel."

Then what are you waiting for?

"They aren't ready."

This isn't about them, boy. Come alone. I will hurt them if you bring them along. Forget training and face your destiny like a man.

"A real man? I'm sorry, a real man isn't selfish. Real men don't have their own children murdered for-"

For my sake? My sake? Stupid boy, you don't realize by now that it was for you? Why would I give a damn if you became Sith or not? I sensed the potential within you and I brought it out for you! Don't act like i'm the bad guy here.

Mullarus scowled, still seemingly talking to himself on the observation deck. His apprentices could probably feel the rage building within their master from across the ship. "You...murdered my family, Jekyll, you demon. I'll kill you. You deserve no honor or mercy for what you've done to me!"

The voice in his head paused, chuckling softly and deeply. Just like your father. The galaxy revolves around you. We all just live in it.

In a fit of rage, Mullarus grit his teeth and lifted a nearby table with the Force and hurled it across the deck with a scream of anger. As it crashed against the far window, putting a small crack in it, he exhaled, realizing that he really wasn't alone.

"...You aren't training?"

[member="Illaudata Renovare"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Curiosity had brought her to [member="Knight Mullarus"] on the bridge. Fortuna had nothing other than a name, a face, and a weapon to know her new master by, and she felt that wouldn't be enough. If she was to be a good student, she should know who is teaching her, right? So she made her way to the observation platform, weaponless. She had toyed with the notion of bringing her sear, but that seemed like a waste and a possible insult to be so heavily armed. She wasn't sure of the customs, and the last thing she wanted to do was step on toes.

Unfortunately, she had chosen a rather poor time to visit. As the door opened, a desk hit one of the windows, cracking it. The girl swallowed hard, slowly stepping back. The man that had seemed so well tempered was lashing out in age, who knew how dangerous this had become? As she stepped out he spoke, catching her. Why don't I know any swear words again?

"I figured it would be best to get to know the man I'm learning under. If this is a bad time though, I can leave." Calm and collected, or at least she hoped. Fortuna was pretty nervous about getting beaten for a third time this day.

 

[Krux Mullarus]

The sudden fear in the girl reeked like a fresh corpse. Fortuna, whom he had given the name because she showed a power she possessed that could help boost her up to be one of the greatest Sith in the Empire, so full of promise, was such a frail, fearful woman. Such a blank slate had so much potential to be worked and forged, but only a master smith could do it.

He exhaled, holding back the anger for another time. There would come a moment within the next few days when it would be okay to unleash all of the pent-up hatred within the Knight's body. What Mullarus needed now was to relax. The sudden appearance of Fortuna was somewhat comforting, he only had to make it known to her that he had everything under control. The burning sensation Fortuna would feel that was the intense anger in his heart would slowly die out, and the angry glare on his face would fade away within a few moments. It took years for Mullarus to master such self-control. "No. I'm alright. I wasn't expecting you, Fortuna." He held out a hand, as if beckoning her closer to him.

This particular observation deck was empty. It was getting late galactic-time wise, so most of The Paladin's crew were retiring to their barracks. The late night shift was beginning, and on this deck they were on, they were alone. Mullarus would never let himself lose control in front of the troops and officers that worked for him. The galaxy around them was completely still, the only part seeming to move ever so slightly being Dagobah, which The Paladin still orbited over. "What's the problem? Can't sleep?" Oddly enough, that was exactly what brought the Knight here.

[member="Illaudata Renovare"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Wide eyed, she'd only watch and feel as [member="Knight Mullarus"] began to control his hate and anger. Even as her shaking hand stilled, she could tell how much he had mastered his emotions and how far she still had to go. How was she to keep up with a Sith like this? The thoughts were quickly pushed from her mind as he beckoned her closer. Like a dog to her masters whistle she came, trying to play the part of the good student, or so she hoped.

Though, when he asked her of her sleeping habits, she couldn't help but raise a brow. That wasn't a formal question, more of a personal one. A friendly one. Not master to student, but just two normal people, if they could be called that. Slowly she shook her head, a smile on her lips. After getting beat by both this Ferus man and her now fellow acolyte, normal was refreshing.

"You could say that. I don't remember a lot, but how to eat, talk, even defend myself a little, I do. But sleep? It's as if I had gone without sleep for so long I forgot how long before I forgot everything else." Unknowingly, she was right. But she did continue to smile, her odd eyes glancing over to him. "Is it your grandfather that's keeping you up?"

 

[Krux Mullarus]

The more he spoke to her, the more interesting she became to him. How mysterious was she? It drove Mullarus nuts. She kept him wanting to know more.

Spoiler

Even more to Mullarus' relief, she seemed to relax a bit, too. Her smile made that apparent. Then she asked about Jekyll and he had to do his best not to suddenly look stressed again. He sighed and nodded, "Yeah...it is." He made his way over to another empty table, one he didn't throw in a fit of rage, and sat down. "I really do need to sleep. Or at least relax. Sorry if it doesn't look like i'm giving much of a good example. Being Sith is...a bit more...professional." He says, and yet, he doesn't even believe himself. There have been many days where he just felt like a normal guy in a big galaxy despite being the apprentice of one of the Empire's most renowned Sith Lords.

"So...what brings you, Fortuna? I'll answer any question you throw at me. That's what i'm here for." he said, turning his head to her and trying to give her a relaxed smile. What came out looked more like a 'Help me I am stressed' smile.

[member="Illaudata Renovare"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Is it? From what I've read, most Sith didn't care about appearances. There was little professionalism, just a lot of murder. Some were a bit more calm then others, but at the end of the day they all had that desire to just give in to temptation and make their foes suffer." Sith 101, or something. The boom she had pi ked out was an ancient one from the days of old, where the Sith were still just a species. The strong survived and did what they liked while the weak suffered. Probably not the best place to start.

She'd have continued if not for his smile though. It was a clear sign of not wanting to chat about philosophy, and more of wanting some kind of relaxation. Or something. Similar to her inability to sleep despite how tired she was, she wasn't good at helping others to relax. Fortuna sat across him none the less, but her eyes turned to the swamp planet below, unfocused. "Well.. I just wanted to get to know you better. If I'm going to learn for you, I guess I just wanna know what example I should be following and the like. I'm not really sure how to word this.."

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Mullarus shot her a look, "You sure know an awful lot for a girl who remembers so little. You're correct, being Sith is to be free. It is about the freedom to choose what you wish to do with the power you learned to control. I... He sighed, laying his head back, "I guess i'm just too uptight about it. I never relax. I treat it like a job most of the time and never like I should be. I apologize."

When she admitted to simply wanting to get to know him better, he suddenly had flashbacks of a certain the owe woman who constantly told Mullarus that she wanted to know more about him, as if he was some sort of addiction to her that she couldn't get enough of. Mullarus blinked, trying to push that out of his mind. "Well, like I said, i'll try to be a positive example for you and Abelain. I'm sorry you had to see...what just happened" He frowned. It really did feel embarrassing that she saw that.

[member="Fortuna"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"What is positive though? The dark side is all anger, hate. Destruction. It's all negative. Through it you gain strength though, right? So why is it you try to be professional when no one else does?" Fortuna was trying her best to sound respectful, and maybe she was. But her eyes trailed away from [member="Knight Mullarus"] as she looked out to space. Her master was not the normal Sith, that much she had gathered. So part of her wondered how many other Sith might be like him? Or were they all butchers? She had so many questions, but for now she'd wait for him to answer the first.

 

[Krux Mullarus]

That question made Mullarus think for a second. She had a point. Why did he try so hard to be different than the rest? The murderers? The liars? Why did Mullarus act benevolent when he was expected by the entire galaxy to be just as evil?

He sighed, staring up at the space above, "Because.. I guess i'm still human. I haven't forgotten what morality is, and I haven't let my power corrupt me. The Sith Code offers its followers the freedom of choice, like I said. Being a vicious, malevolent animal doesn't go against its teachings, and neither does humility and honor. In fact, it makes the enemies of the Sith think when they see Sith like me. It makes them wonder, 'Are all Sith really as bad as we once thought?'" He turned his head toward her, "Whichever path you choose to take, Fortuna, I won't let affect how you grow as a student. You want to bring violence and destruction to the galaxy? Fine. You won'the be the first, or the last. The choice is yours."

[member="Fortuna"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Well. I don't want to be a being of destruction or what not. The Code enforces evolution, change. But the Smith haven't, have they? They kill, destroy, burn, no matter how many times its proven not to work. So what if we offer freedom in a different way? Honor could work, and its our duty as Sith to explore all optioms, right?" These were all guesses and assumptions, but she couldn't feel more right. [member="Knight Mullarus"] wood find her eyes on him once again, wide with wonder. Could they change the Sith from the inside?

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Mullarus couldn't help but smile. She reminded him of himself as an Acolyte. Of course, he never did change that much. "That's a tall order that would likely get us branded as traitors, or just weak. To change the way the entire One Sith Order worked with morality is like trying to make the Jedi Order start committing genocide against the Republic. They have spent thousands upon thousands of years like they are, just as we have. Two people alone couldn't change the entire status quo of an Order that's existed for so long."

Mullarus still couldn't help but notice how much Fortuna knew about the Sith Code. He hadn't instructed her on it, yet, but she also claims to remember little. He continued to wonder who she was before he found her on Dagobah.

[member="Fortuna"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Two people have constantly changed the path of the Sith for generations. And I doubt we're alone with these ideas. If we could change the Sith, imagine the opportunities. New ways to teach, new ways to exist. Our people would support us, not fear us." She would have continued, if she hadn't noticed how much she had rambled. "I know its all just talk though. No one will just change, right?"

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Mullarus shrugged, standing up and beginning to pace around, his mantled sith cloak trailing him. "It's...ambitious of you to reach for such desires. Hold on to that. There are many in the galaxy who love one such as yourself and I to hold such great ambitions. It's good to be goal-oriented. But like I said...the Sith are not made up of just two fanatics anymore. We're an Empire again for the first time in thousands of years. Who knows? Maybe one day, we will become powerful enough to change the One Sith into our own image. If that day ever came, I would certainly try. But it would not be met without opposition. That is why we have lived the way we do for as long as we have. If we allow those who follow our Code the freedom they already have, people live more freely and happily. We shouldn't force anyone to be something they don't want to be. That is how rebellions happen."

[member="Fortuna"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Well. Isn't mindlessly killing people a way to get a bunch of rebellion and all that? I think." A frown formed on her lips as she thought about it. [member="Knight Mullarus"] was right though. Forcing a change would only make a war. It would certainly be something she would need to think about, but not at this time. Another thing was bugging her. "When I came in, you were angry. Lashing out. But you controlled it. Can you show me how to do that? When I fought Abe I couldn't, and I don't want to loose control anymore."