Secret of Eclipse

[Via Dolorosa]

Location: Eclipse (Aboard Shuttle)​

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The two most successful ways to obtain knowledge of locked away secrets is either by greasing the greedy paws of others or conducting a favour in return for what you desire. For Darth Venefica, neither way was her way. If she wanted something, she simply just took it and that was that. As was the case as to why she was aboard a shuttle heading toward the surface of Eclipse, a planet steeped in unlocked mysteries.​

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She had 'accidentally' stumbled upon something quite fascinating in terms of what Eclipse was hiding away. A cave filled with crystals. At the time of her discovery, she was unsure f this was truth or blatant rumours but regardless she had worked through the channels speaking with the treasure hunters and salvage teams who had explored the surface of Eclipse, most claiming nothing was there while a few had mentioned these caves, under contract by the Sith Order.​

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Eclipse, with it's type II air, was pretty much untapped and free of poachers. The space station that hovered around the planet in space, protected by a few warships, discouraged anyone from attempting to visit Eclipse without the expressed permission of the Sith Order. Only the exploration team had been allowed to the surface. Hence the rumour or truth of the crystal caves.​

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Aboard the shuttle with her, also wearing breathing masks and small oxygen tanks on their backs like the Sith Lady, was a small force of Sisterhood Troopers who were there to lend defense to the caves when they reached them. If these caves existed at all. She had a map of the location but it was no easy task getting there. ​

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The surrounding area where the cave was situated was blanketed by high cliff sides, rocky terrain, and almost nearly impassable mountains. In summary, there was no place to land that didn't require hiking numerous miles and a few days of camping under the stars.​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Location: Eclipse, 20 miles East of the Cave​

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The shuttle's pilot circled the area for an hour trying to discover a more appropriate landing area to drop off both his passengers and cargo. In the end, and after some discussion with Darth Venefica and the shuttle's co-pilot, it was agreed upon that there was only one realistic place to set down. The Sith Lady had hoped they could have found a more closer landing to the cave, but there wasn't really any available. So hiking and camping it was. ​

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All the cargo, which included spare masks, oxygen tanks, medical supplies, food and drink, and various electronic and camping equipment, was offloaded from the shuttle by both pilots and Sisterhood Troopers. Once everything was unloaded, checked and double-checked, they went to work setting up the base camp that would act like a staging area if more equipment, troops, and supplies where needed. The shuttle, along with the two pilots and three Sisterhood Troopers, would remain at the camp to guard it and to play middle man between the Space Station and Darth Venefica's exploration team.​

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With the set-up complete, Darth Venefica and the designated leader of the Sisterhood Troopers for this mission, stood inside the command tent looking through the maps and the visual layout of the area on a holovid screen. Only twenty (20) miles stood between them and the cave, but the terrain was harsh and if any manner of fauna, mainly predator types, existed on this planet, it was unknown to everyone. Eclipse was just not a planet that drew much interest. So in order to reach the cave, they would have to stage their hiking in five mile increments. Time consuming yes, but necessary.​

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"We leave at first light," Darth Venefica said to the company leader as she shut down all the equipment. "Get some sleep. The first five miles are going to take it's toll on us."​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The morning light came quicker than she would have wished for. Despite spending some time meditating the night before and getting at least eight hours of sleep, she felt unrested. Perhaps, she thought, it was due to the anticipation of the expedition. She had to be honest with herself, she was more than just a little eager to find this cave that had potential crystals in them or at least put to rest the rumours that it even existed. ​

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Exiting her personal tent, she saw that the troopers where all in formation, the gear stored in brown looking satchels on their backs. Since Eclipse possesses an air that is not breathable by most species, hence the masks and tanks, she had to resort to taking a shot of supplements that for the duration would serve as their food source during the trek. She loathed both the pilots and the Sisterhood Troopers that would remain behind since they could actually eat real food inside the shuttle, since it possessed air they could breathe without wearing the cumbersome masks and tanks. With breakfast completed, it was time to move out.​

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Mile Marker 1-5​

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The first five miles would be the easiest. Most of the terrain was easy to walk upon with very few obstacles in their way, still at times they had to seek ways around them. The landscape, barren for the most part, only had a few rocky clusters jutted out from the surface but posed no setbacks just minor delays. Under orders from the Sith Lady, an agreement she made with the science team aboard the space station, one of the troopers was taking holovids and snapping holopics of the surrounding area, and at times collecting samples from the soil and rocks themselves. She was unsure what the boys and girls in white lab coats hoped they would discover down here, but an agreement was an agreement.​

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"M'lady," one of the Sisterhood Troopers that had been assigned as the team's surveyor spoke up. "We are reaching the five mile marker according to the datapad readouts."​

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Raising her hand up, she stopped the advancing team. Darth Venefica looked around the area, seeing nothing but two things. The first was a small river that dotted the landscape moving east and west. The other was a massive rock formation that they would need to scale across that sat on the opposite side of the river. The rock formation was the start of the hard terrain they would be forced to scuttle. The river would take no time at all to cross, however, it was this rock formation that would slow them down. By her assessment, it would take most of the morning and afternoon to climb over it before they can continue onward.​

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"We will make camp here," she said. Turning to the company leader she added, "Notify base camp that we are setting up here for the night."​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The following morning, shots were given out and fresh tanks swapped out for the old ones. The temporary campsite was taken down quickly, while the gear was checked and accounted for; then properly and securely stored back in the brown satchels. The only gear that was left out was what would be required to scale up the rock formation. ​

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Darth Venefica and the company leader went over the holomap of the next stage of the expedition. Other than this rocky mountain-type formation, there appeared to be some small canyons in which they could walk through; but even those appeared to have some issues. Mainly, the visibility. The sides that danced along the canyon would block out most of the natural light, meaning torches would be needed. ​

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Tucking the device into her own personal hip satchel, the Dagobah Sith led her team to the river's edge.​

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Mile Marker 5-10​

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The water in the river, after one of the Sisterhood Troopers tested it, was no deeper than knee high. However, the water was unnaturally cold. Luckily, there was an absence of a current allowing the team to move across quickly to avoid the coldness of the water becoming an obstacle to overcome. Cold, like heat, could wreck havoc on one's mental fortitude. Also, with the depth of the water being low, the equipment and gear stored in the satchels and those in hand were spared the tragedy of getting wet. ​

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Once everyone was across and on the same side, two of the troopers donned the climbing gear, taking precautions to keep their tank and masks safely secure on their faces and backs respectively. Now fully decked out, they began to climb skyward, using the sharp metal spikes on their gloves and boots to create holds on the rock. Unlike those that would be following them next, they didn't have the luxury of using the rope and pulley system; for them it was all about free-form climbing.​

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Darth Venefica and the others watched with a mixture of amusement and awe as the two girls climbed the scaly mountain. A couple of times, it looked as though one of the girls would fall, but to her credit she kept her wits about her and her fear in check; moving up with renewed fortitude. Finally the duo reached the top, quickly setting up the rope and pulley system; ensuring that it was secured properly. One of the girl's fed the rope through the pulley and then let it slide down to the others waiting below.​

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One after another, the group eventually joined the two climbers at the top; with Darth Venefica being the last to arrive. Once more, the equipment was stored away and they carefully maneuvered across the top avoiding the jagged rocky teeth and the cracks and crevices that littered the landscape. Several times the team needed to stop and rest, to catch their breath, or splash water over their heads. It wasn't hot, just exhausting. ​

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After several hours passed and many hard, back breaking miles crossed, they finally reached the path that led down into the canyons. By then they were already starting to lose daylight. Unsure of what, if anything, awaited them in the canyons, it was decided they would make camp at the mouth of the canyon and make the hike through it in the morning.​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The planet was suppose to be void of life, minus the plants and few patches of grasslands that dotted the landscape, yet all through the night Darth Venefica kept catching flashes through the Force. If not by the reactions of the troops, she would have easily discarded the sensations. From the corner of her eye she saw troops clutch their blaster handles tight, swiveling their heads from side to side; hoping to spy something or someone lurking in the canyon shadows. ​

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The sentries were now grouped in threes to watch over the sleeping camp. The Sith Lady wasn't leaving anything to chance, because if something was out there then they, as a group, would see the threat put down.​

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Mile Marker 10 -15​

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The ensuing morning was riddled with confusion and small amount of fear; all from the troops naturally. The last sentries had disappeared, not just disappeared but vanished without a trace. Darth Venefica ordered the surrounding area to be scoured for signs of them. A body, a weapon, or anything to show that something, or someone, had taken her girls. Two hours had been lost seeking out any evidence; and in the end nothing. They were simply gone.​

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The Sith Lady led her rattled and spooked troops through the paths, while her anger rose slightly as she kept hearing the words "phantoms", "spirits", and "mist walkers" from the lips of her troops. They were frightened and she would allow them to hold onto it, the more scared they were the more she could siphon off them when and if they came across whatever took the three troops. ​

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Twisting and turning, the canyon path led the group into the belly of the mountain clusters. The absent of light, coupled by the fears from the grisly discovery from the morning, put the troops further on edge. Darth Venefica, suffering enough of their child-like stories, was about to turn around and chide them when she was a helmet laying in the path; covered in blood and housing the top part of a head inside.​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

"Fan out....and watch each other's backs," she hissed.​

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For two hours in the morning they searched for bodies or any signs and found nothing; and yet here was a head just lying in their path. Darth Venefica never believed in coincidences, so the head lying in amidst the pebbles and stones was a sign; left for them to find. Her senses stretched out around the area, trying to pick up something that was similar to what she was feeling; and found it.​

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Her lightsaber flew into her left hand, the blue metallic blade following seconds later. For a Sith, she was heavily patient. Unlike those that held the label of Sith, she never charged headstrong into battle. She was methodical, selecting caution over risk. Stalking through the path, alone, while her troops where on their own search she allowed the Force to guide her to her target.​

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One moment it was there, then it was gone; and finally it was back again. What was she dealing with? Only those with the Force could pull parlour tricks like that, and from brief glimpses she had received; this was something primal and not sentient. A new species? A creature that evolved somehow? Whatever it was, her expedition team was not equipped scientifically to deal with such discoveries.​

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From behind blaster shots echoed of the canyon walls followed by screams; then utter silence. They were being hunted. Picked off one by one at this thing's convenience; and this she could not allow. ​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Two more troops had died before she found herself standing before some kind of abomination. Her black and red-flecked eyes stared at the beast, who possessed four arms with razor claws on each paw and stood upright, showing no fear of it. Whatever this creature was, it would die today for it was standing between her and her objective. Normally, she would have wished to capture the beast and have it studied; but let others hunt the beast down and claim the discovery for themselves.​

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With a whisper of the activation word for the Bone of the Undead, she rose from the grave on of the two dead troops that laid broken on the rocks. The beast swung it's head trying to understand what was happening. With a haunting smile, Darth Venefica merely pointed to the beast and the Undead attacked it with renewed passion; and revenge to avenge it's death. Darth Venefica, too, charged toward the beast.​

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Much to her surprise, the beast was agile and fast; but not as fast and agile as she was. The beast caught the Undead in two of it's arms, after it had some of its flesh ripped and torn by the chattering teeth of the Undead Sisterhood trooper, and ripped it in half; discarding the two halves like ruined fruit. The blade of the Dagobah Sith came down with blurring speed, severing one of the arms of the creature; and as she rolled away she swung her blade up to remove the other one, leaving it with only two on it's right side.​

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As the beast raged in pain, it swung it's crippled body toward her. At that exact moment, she once again spoke the activation word and raised the second dead trooper; who lept to it's feet then onto the back of the creature. The monster swung it's body trying to shake the Undead, as it continued to bite and claw the top part of the creature's back and neck. Darth Venefica shot her right hand out, releasing a torrent of Sith Lightening into the beast. The beast was still shaking violently from the effects of the Darkside ability when her blade drove into it's chest; impaling both beast and Undead on her blade. She felt the death of the beast through the Force.​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The bodies of the dead three troopers, along with the lone head, were buried and a small prayer from the lips of Darth Venefica asking for the Goddess of Vahl to watch over them were spoken. Later that night back at camp, the troopers spoke of memories from their fallen sisters; while Darth Venefica sat there among them joining in their loss. The Dagobah Sith Lady didn't hold mercy or forgiveness in her heart, nor did she ever care about lives lost under her watch; but these troopers had died for her cause, her purpose for being here. So, like the troopers, she honoured them.​

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Mile Marker 15 -20​

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They were on the last leg of their expedition, the walking part at least, and moral was high. Though they buried comrades yesterday, the sight of those that saw Darth Veneifca killing the creature was passed around the camp; giving them confidence that they were safe, in part, under her watchful eye. The camp, like previous days, was broken down and everything stored properly. Then they were off to find this cave.​

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The entire day was uneventful, which everyone in the remaining party including the Sith Lady, was grateful for. Their numbers had decreased since they left the main camp site, but they were closer to discovering the cave. Behind her, she could hear the troops joking and laughing with one another which pleased her. Hardened troops, regardless of how tough they were made, needed balance in their lives. ​

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Just as the sun was showing signs of going down, they discovered the cave at last. After twenty (20) miles of walking, camping, poorly sleeping, and one nasty creature to deal with they finally made it. Darth Venefica, with hands on hips, could feel the Darkside of the Force blaring from the cave's entrance. Now it was time to unlock the secret of Eclipse.​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The main chamber of the crystal cave was illuminated by black and purple lights; which were radiating off the thousands of crystal formations that were housed here. This was the secret of Eclipse, crystals untouched and unseen by anyone; ever. Darth Venefica ordered the troops to stand guard, while she carefully examined the formations. They were crystals that seemed to be touched by the Darkside; which was a rare occurrence. Very few crystals chose to align themselves with one aspect of the Force, especially the Darkside.​

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She gently plucked a crystal from it's home, examining the beautiful design on them. She hoped that the journey was worth it, for she had no idea what these crystals could do. They could be useless or they could be invaluable.​

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With a satchel, with deep storage capabilities, in her possession she began to pluck several crystals; taking great care not to damage them. She had discovered, through error, that they were fragile and delicate. Perhaps it was a flaw in the crystals themselves, or she was just being careless; however she believed it was the former.​

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The satchel filled, each crystal carefully wrapped in a duraplas, she looked around the cave one last time. There was so much potential that could come from these crystals, once she discovered their positive and negative properties, but nobody would ever know about them except her and the handful of troops still with her. ​

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The final two troopers emerged from the cave, fulfilling the orders given to them. They looked at the Sith Lady, who in turn looked at the cave. ​

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"Blow it!"​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Location: Warship; flying in space (unknown location)​

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For nearly two months, hidden away in seclusion, Darth Venefica worked on and studied the crystal in great detail. She had more than enough of the crystals to work with, and several meaningless lightsabers she had collected over the years at her disposal. Through her studies, she unlocked the mysteries behind the crystal.​

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The crystal was rare that it only worked for the species of Vahla, which luckily she was. To any other species it would be useless to them; which was completely fine with her. To her, any other species was inferior to Vahla; and this crystal was testimony that the Force agreed with her.​

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Another quality she discovered was that when placed into a lightsaber, it could enhance the wielder's Darkside abilites by 25%. This was useful, since she relied heavily on the Darkside; hence her allegiance to it and her birthright as a Vahla. She also discovered that it allowed the user to be immune to mental attacks.​

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However, unlike everything about this galaxy, there were also downsides to the crystal. For one, she already knew, was how fragile they were to handle. A special casing would be needed to house it securely in the hilt of a lightsaber to protect it from breaking and being jarred through while in motion. Also, the crystal enhanced the Force signature to the pointe that any attempts to mask their alignment, signature, or the ability to use the Force was nearly impossible.​

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Darth Venefica learned that removing the crystal from a hilt would cause it to lose it's properties, and again die. She was unsure why this event occurred, but if she ever wanted to switch out the crystal then she would need to go through the whole process of aligning another one to her.​

 

[Grima Volitu]

Zarrah sat comfortably in her chair on a balcony staring at the waterfall before her. She found the rainbow of colours in the water soothing. At her advanced age alot of things were becoming soothing for her. The warm sun beating down her face. The gentle cool breeze whipping across her face. Even the mug of some ale was making her stomach feel soothing. Even with all the soothing she was experiencing - relief had trumped it all.

Darth Venefica had left on some sort of quest or soul searching mission and had not been heard from in over four months. Others were beginning to talk that something had happened to her. That she had died. Been captured by the One Sith. Maybe abandoned the Covenant of the Black Rose. Her position on the Black Rose Council had been saved. Zarrah noticed that this unique woman had garnished respect from the others. Zarrah herself respected the Sith Lady.

When Zarrah had heard just like everyone else that she was returning home at last - Zarrah was eager to greet her. Zarrah along with others had heard the brief message that took two days to encrypt. She had found something out there. Zarrah didn't know what something was but if it meant that much to Darth Venefica then it meant something to the Torguta Witch. Plus in her transmission Darth Venefica had mentioned her by name. The two Sith were slowly forming a bond of trust for on another.

"What did you find out there," Zarrah asked outloud to herself. She took another sip from her mug and raised it toward the sky saluting Darth Venefica. "Safe journey home."

[member="Darth Venefica"]

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja knew many of the Sisterhood as that - Sisters. She was currently back to her old role - space nomad. She could not commit to the Sisterhood the way they deserved and the One Sith had treated her so shoddily that she could no longer stomach to be in the same room as them.

She remained committed to the Dark Lord - something she mused was more than many of the so-called One Sith were - but the call of Vahl was strong. And she wondered how the One Sith's Ember worked. She'd been repeatedly denied access to it, which irked her as she was pure-blood and was even born with red hair - as opposed to those that died it in an effort to pretend they had. Maja knew many of them before their locks suddenly took on a copper tone!

But her frustration in their duplicity was how you could remain loyal to the Dark Lord above all others when you believed in the Goddess? Blasphemers or liars? Take your pick she thought. Both most likely.

So she travelled to meet Darth Venefica. Their friendship pre-dated the Sisterhood. They were both Vahla and Maja had even undertaken a sacrificial killing to demonstrate her loyalty and worthiness. Done ahead of a meeting with the self-appointed High Priestess that once again never happened as the woman chose not to turn up...again.

But she had bonded with the Dagobah woman and now answered a call to assist. Not because she was Venefica. Not because she was a Sister. But because she was Vahla.

[member="Darth Zarrah"] | [member="Darth Venefica"]

 

[Darth Veles]

For one reason or another, the Sith Lady did not notice as another sentient slipped behind her back when she studied the crystals. One of Venefica’s officers aboard the warship, a new face that had yet to earn her trust and respect. His action pointed towards the fact he cared for neither – unholstering his sidearm soundlessly, the officer trained the barrel of his gun on the Sith Lady’s head. Was this the woman’s punishment for blowing up the cave? Or a more personal vendetta from one of the Dark Jedi she had wronged? Whatever the case, the Vahla would not see this one coming…

“Lady Venefica! I have something for you!” he announced with a grin, in a voice unknown to her as the illusion made out of light and sound fell apart, the gun materializing into a steaming cup of tea while the officer changed into one particular Mon Calamari Sith. As the last bit of the man’s uniform vanished, replaced by the traditional Sith garb, Avreet took step closer, offering the cup to the black-haired woman. The Sith Assassin was a sneaky being, once again proving his abilities as an infiltrator, slipping onto the Sith Lady’s ship unnoticed and undetected. A very bold action carrying great risks combined with a test of his own abilities. Only he truly knew how and why, but his words hinted towards the answer.

“Please, do not alarmed, I am not here to silence your voice,” he stated patiently, “Nor do I wish to reveal the nature of your research to the higher circles.”

His eyes shifted towards the curious crystal in front of the woman. Despite his obvious interest in the small object, Veles was not there to discuss the item. The amber stare turned back towards the woman, burning holes into her eyes, intending to uncover the secrets hidden inside the safe chest of the Vahla’s mind.

“May we talk about you and my apprentice, my lady?” he asked, eyes never leaving her even as he paced over to the side, standing by the cold metal wall. He felt positive there was something between Kendrix and this woman – and he intended to find the exact nature of it. After all, Veles was known for not being a fan of the crazier Sith, just as Venefica was known to be one of the crazier Sith – and the rebellious apprentice stood somewhere in between, her role unknown to the Mon Cal still.

[member="Darth Venefica"] [member="Darth Zarrah"] [member="Darth Zilti"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Darth Venefica found herself startled by the voice behind her. She had been so locked up lately working on these crystals that she had let her guard down; which she came to understand was foolish on her part since the One Sith was hunting her religiously. Before her very eyes she watched Lord Veles materialize from the illusion of an officer aboard her warship. Had this been anyone but him, she could have found herself in a fight she was unprepared for; or worse, dead.​

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"How did you....where did you...."​

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The lack of sleep the past few months and being caught unawares jumbled her mind; making any attempts to speak difficult. Veles and herself never really saw eye to eye on many things; even though he was in the Black Rose. The two high ranking Sith did have one thing in common; the loss of love for the One Sith. Veles had left of his free will and nobody cared. She left and the whole One Sith Empire was out looking for her. Yet the two where in the process of trying to find common ground. Veles wanted to see the One Sith burn; Darth Venefica just wanted to forget about them.​

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"Thank you," she finally said taking the mug of steaming tea.​

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She noticed him looking at the crystals and he noticed that she noticed him. The crystals, she discovered, would not work for him for a couple of reasons. The first was obvious, he wasn't a Vahla. The second reason was that it would hamper his ability to use Force Stealth; something the sneaky assassin prided himself on. But when he spoke of his apprentice, Kendrix, she was taken back.​

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"We have just came out of hyperdrive mi'lady. Your shuttle is ready and waiting for you," a disembodied voice crackled over the com system.​

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Darth Venefica placed the crystals in a secured cache and motioned Lord Veles to walk with her. She was curious why he was asking her about Kendrix, did he assume she was trying to steal his Apprentice from her? She had no plans to steal her or anyone's Apprentice. Did something happen to Kendrix? Surely she would have felt a tremor in the Force due to their bond; right?​

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"Yes....we can talk about your Apprentice," she said boarding the transport shuttle.​

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"Tell me Lord Veles....what has my sister done?"​

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Darth Venefica could see the shock in his one good eye. He didn't know? Was he suppose to know? The entire trip down to the planet of Kesh was one of silence. The shuttle landed and they were free to disembark. ​

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"You didn't know," she inquired of him.​

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"Appears I have a welcoming party. We will continue this discussion"​

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[member="Darth Veles"] / [member="Darth Zilti"] / [member="Darth Zarrah"]​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The Grand Lady, matriarch of the Black Rose, stood on a balcony with her hands firmly placed on the railing. The sight of 'seeing' the return of Darth Venefica brought a smile to her lips. The past several months her dreams had been haunted by the prospect of losing one of her daughters to the galaxy; and during that those past months she felt powerless to do anything but weep. She had advised the woman not to go alone, despite she had brought a constituency of troops with her. Like most of the galaxy, her ears had caught the sound of the One Sith voice casting the Sith Lady into the role of traitor.​

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During the sessions of the Black Rose Council, that were still held in the absence of Darth Venefica, she had with a grieving heart denied the repeated requests for any of them to go out and bring either information of Darth Venefica's fate or the woman herself back home. The One Sith had also declared that any government that gave support to the traitor risked grave consequences. Some of her daughters had allowed fear to seep into their hearts; and rather than stand tall and vigilant left the Black Rose to stand with the One Sith. Only two of her daughters, Darth Timoris and Darth Zilti, who left the Black Rose had also left the One Sith from what her spies had briefed her on. The Grand Lady, like those that stayed in the Black Rose, held no ill feelings toward the two girls. They understood, each and everyone of them.​

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The left hand of the Grand Lady rose over her head, waving with enthusiasm, when her 'eyes' locked with those of Darth Venefica. Today was a day of rejoicing. A feast and celebrations were in order. The Grand Lady found she was eager to hear about all that transpired over the past few months.​

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"Notify the kitchen staff to begin preparations for a grand feast," the angelic voice of the Grand Lady said.​

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"Then send word to Darth Venefica that I request her presence," she added before turning and entering the Temple of the Black Rose.​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

"Have you heard? Darth Venefica has returned," one of the Sisterhood troops said to fellow trooper.​

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"I was wondering what all the commotion was about. I just got off duty and didn't have time to go see what it was all about," the other said.​

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"Some of us thought she might be. Well you know. Dead."​

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"Dead? Not hardly."​

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The off duty trooper began swapping out her traditional armour for her everyday clothes. Sitting on her bunk bed, she began to polish her armour. With the arrival of the Sith Lady, she knew that an inspection would come. She had served with the woman on a couple of missions and she knew how the Sith Lady felt about shoddy appearances. ​

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"I was with her when the One Sith took Fresia. Have you ever seen her in action?"​

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"Honestly. No," she answered running a hand through her short-cropped blonde hair.​

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"Let me tell you, sister. She is a predator on the battle field. It would take more than a few disgruntled Sith to kill her."​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The Vahla Dark Jedi was in the middle of a training session, practicing her ability to move objects with her mind. CJ knew how to use telekinesis, but she was far from mastering it. Practice makes perfect! Her Master was gone, handling some personal business that didn't require the presence of her Apprentice. CJ was a good Apprentice, she followed orders and never questioned them. However, she was a bit curious as to what her Master was up to. Still, the last order she was given by the blonde-haired woman was to practice, practice, and practice.

Several objects floated about the room, dancing and jigging like objects on an invisible string being manipulated by some higher power. With her back to the objects, she had to rely on the Force to be her eyes for this little lesson. Trust the Force and not your eyes! Master Timoris had installed into CJ that eyes, no matter how perfect and beautiful they were, would betray you. The things you see may not be exactly as they appear through your eyes. Trust them, if you must, but hold that truth at arm's length.

With the hour of the lesson drawing to a close, CJ began to return the objects back to their original places when the door to the training room slid apart. CJ, sensing the lack of the Force in her guest, opened her eyes to see one of the Grand Lady's personal troops standing there. CJ always found the troops to be alittle bizarre and somewhat disturbing. They never spoke, because they had no tongues to speak with, and they seemed to have this aura around them as if they were ready to go all frenzy like and start killing. CJ had never met the Grand Lady personally, but from what she heard of their leader, these troops didn't quite seem to be the proper fit.

"Yes?"

The non-speaking guard handing her a small piece of paper. CJ opened it up and read the brief message on it. Darth Venefica has returned! So there was going to be a banquet in her honour. Well CJ needed to get cleaned up, which meant she had no time to waste dilly-dallying around.

"Tell them I'll be there," CJ said to the guard.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Tion Dr'iol had little dealings with the Covenant of the Black Rose. The company, Taobh Dorcha Industries, had built some toys for them to use, but other than that he knew little of them. He did, in fact, know Darth Venefica who was the current owner of the company he watched over as the CEO. He had received word from her that she was going to be gone for some time, and that if anything the Black Rose needed he was instructed by her to see they received it. That was nearly four months ago.

He stared at the message on his computer terminal, which basically was an invitation for him to attend a banquet in honouring the return of his boss. So she wasn't dead, which he found to be a relief. He didn't trust Force magicians as a rule, but the Sith Lady had some how convinced him that she was worthy of the exception; even giving him his current position in her company.

"Mizz Wirlon," he said into the communication speaker on his desk.

"Yes Mr. Dr'iol?"

"Have a shuttle prepared and ready to leave within the hour."

"Aye sir."

He knew this banquet was an honourary feast, but his pride of showing his boss how far the company had come was eating away at him. He reached into a drawer grabbing a data disk, then gently inserted it into the computer terminal. He began downloading all the information pertaining to the projects that had been completed, what projects where still ongoing, and most importantly how much the company had profited in the past months.

 

[Grima Volitu]

Zarrah was excited that her friend had returned. Even with all the joy she was feeling she didn't run out to meet her yet. There where plenty already looking to swarm the Sith and bombard her with all sorts of questions. Zarrah would pick her time and wisely use it then to have discussions away from the eyes and ears of others. Time and patience was on their side.

With the kitchen staff on high alert to prepare a fine meal for the great feast at the request of the Grand Lady - Darth Zarrah found herself wandering into their domain. She had no cooking skills worthy enough to mention or honestly any idea how she could help with the prepping. Zarrah just walked around the overly sized kitchen observing the staff at work. The organization behind their methods was astounding. When a member of the staff completed one task they moved onto another without stopping to take a break.

"Relax. All of you," Zarrah said trying to ease their eagerness to succeed. "Take deep breaths and relax. Nobody is going to be punished if you stop and take a break. You are hired help. Not slaves."

 

[Zaria]

Zaria has just returned from a trip no more than three days ago and here she was standing in front of another requisition droid. She had been given another assignment from the Black Rose Council and a list of supplies and items she would need for the trip. Most of the what was on that list the droid was given up freely with no protests. It was the ship the droid was being stubborn about.​

​

"Look you bucket of rusty and refurbished parts. The Council officially chose this ship for my assignment!"​

​

The droid in an automated voice replied, "There is to be no outgoing vessels today by order of the Black Rose Council."​

​

"What in the kark are you babbling on about no outgoing vessels!"​

​

Her orders where clear and to the pointe. She needed to gather the mission supplies and set out for the Vivenda Sector to check out a few planets on her list. Zaria never questioned orders but she was wondering what was out there that piqued the interest of the Black Rose Council. Of course with this droid being uncooperative - she would never get on with her mission.​

​

"The return of Darth Venefica has spurned a banquet to honour her arrival."​

​

"Wait. Wait. Wait. Did you just say Darth Venefica is back," Zaria asked raising her both her eyebrows.​

​

"Correct."​

​

Well that changes everything. No wonder all outbound flights were being grounded. Zaria was one of the few that believed the woman was dead - and felt relieved that she was wrong. Zaria was eager to talk to this woman. ​