Something Wicked This Way Comes... [Dark Magus]

[Matt the Radar Tech]

THE DARK MAGUS​

Outer Rim.​

Location unknown.​

​

​

The Ruin, Darth Excidium's personal craft, emerged from hyperspace with a flash of light. The hyperdrive had had trouble with the more recent jumps, as the Sith Lord had Fee-Too use the ships computer systems to navigate possible locations for a specific object. So far there had been a dozen, give or take, and each time the droid assured its master that they were closer to discovering the prize. Still, seated in the main lounge of the transport, Excidium was beginning to grow impatient. It didn't happen often, certainly not during his more time-consuming endeavors; but for some reason, chasing a potential ghost item had caused the Sith Lord to question the time spent, versus what he could be doing instead in his laboratory. Still, if Darth Wyyrlok had considered it a vested interest, and had recorded as much knowledge and information about a potential location as he had, then Excidium was willing to give it more time...

On the floor, legs crossed, Excidium held a palm-sized holocron above his palm, the information source floating, as he examined some files pertaining to the current Dark Magus objective. The other members of the small order were nearby, all but forgotten, as the Sith Lord pored over the data. The small image of the deceased Sith Lord, Darth Wyyrlok, spoke to Excidium, exchanging tidbits and hints, estimates and possible guesses... it was all quite unhelpful, really, trying to calculate the location of a drifting vessel in space.

<"I am sorry to report, master,"> Came the droid's voice over the comm. Ever polite. <"I have done my best, calculating vast quantities of events in local space that could affect that we are searching for. I have performed numerous data cycles pertaining to particle saturation, electromagnetic shifts, coronal mass ejections of nearby stars, as well as possible space distortions, black hole events, cosmic anomalies and possible hyperspace collisions... and even I am sorry to admit I am at a loss.">

Excidium deactivated the holocron, putting it back within his robes. Standing slowly, the Sith Lord's green eyes blazed, his gloved fists clenched, as he showed a rare display of emotion across his features. Turning from the other Magus, Excidium stalked toward the cockpit, intent on berating the useless droid, despite knowing Fee-Too had likely put in a lot of effort to the task. The Sith Lord never liked relying on technology, not unless absolutely necessary; and the rage he felt at knowing the droid had the best chance of locating the vessel in the region of space they were currently in was all the more infuria--

A small, barely felt ripple in the Force.

Pausing mid-stride, Excidium narrowed his eyes, inclining his head. Again, the faint sensation reached through the Force, brushing the Sith Lord's mind. Turning, Excidium faced the rear of the ship, as he called out.

"Turn us around, droid... I sense something behind our position."

The Ruin turned immediately, as the pilot droid performed a fine maneuver. Turning to face the other Magus members, Excidium smiled.

"Prepare. We will be arriving at our prize shortly. We should expect anything."

Walking to the cockpit, the Sith Lord hunched over the pilot chair. He scanned the space beyond, not having much luck visually due to the darkness without, but instead sending waves of the Force into the void... he was waiting, seeing if something would push back, sending a direction to him. And suddenly it happened, again just as soft and quiet as before, but certainly a trace of Force presence.

"That way, Fee-Too," Excidium said, pointing to a distant flicker that appeared as a distant star. "That's it."

"On our way, master, please hold on."

The Ruin lurched forward, engines roaring silently, as the transport made for the derelict Sith starship before them, ancient and many centuries old, it was told to hold great secrets...

[member="Olrunn Darr"] | [member="Xevek Rakama"] | [member="Darth Aegis"] | [member="Farah"] | [member="Darth Aion"]​

 

[Darth Aion]

Darkness. Enveloping, blanketing and devoid of feeling or life.

How long had he known it? How long had it gripped him? He could not tell, could not say and could not express from within his trance. Or rather a semblance of a trance consumed by the darkness that enveloped his consciousness permeating every part of his being; even those areas that one might think still lingered in the light he bathed in so long ago. The man who lay within the chamber cared not for the outside world, for the approaching ship and it's essences aboard or even the time that had passed. Stillness gripping him, he cared only for one detail he carried little to no answer for.

The extinction of the Jedi.

Unable to stretch his feelings, cocooned in the darkness by his own will, the millennia old being lay still and waited. Even as his senses were assaulted by the presence of fresh Force energy, he held to himself like a mutating creature within it's evolution sack. He may not have been changing, altering himself in ways that others may have, but his mind pored over the possibilities involving an individual addressing his ship. He could not remember how long he had been under, nor how long he had been acting of his own accord. What he could tell, within his fundamental prison, was that the attendant droid he had designed was now absent; and whoever was about to find him would likely be unhindered in discovering his pseud-sleep.

Drawing into himself once more, brushing away the approaching energies, the ancient being evened his breathing. Time passed, muscles and tissues responded to the process of revitalization, but his eyes did not open; nor his mouth. His limbs remained lax at his sides, the confinement of the pod he lay in more than enough to deter him from making any irrational moves. Only one reality remained true, regardless of who came or who lived or died, he would soon be brought back into the galaxy and set loose upon those Jedi who still remained; a desire that permeated his trance like a pulsing beacon to those capable of finding it. The pulsing darkness was a beacon, though one interpreted how the receiver pleased; it neither carried like a typical pulse nor did it beg for the assistance of others.

Soon the others would arrive and their purpose would be revealed.

Vandals and pirates would find a swift death.

Spoiler

Olrunn Darr

Spoiler

| Xevek Rakama | Darth Aegis | Farah | Darth Aion

 

[Olrunn Darr]

[SIZE=10.5pt]"...the process of self-transformation through an antinomian initiatory structure, [/SIZE]​

[SIZE=10.5pt]Black meaning the hidden wisdom, power of darkness, [/SIZE]​

[SIZE=10.5pt]dreams and staging the reality you wish [/SIZE]​

[SIZE=10.5pt]and Sith Magic being the process to ascend, [/SIZE]​

become immortal in spirit.” ​

​

[SIZE=10.5pt]The steel blue eyes of the acolyte glided through the words in a relaxed, swift fashion. The tome sitting pliantly on her lap, its ancient and delicate frame open to her, allowing her to explore the particulars written about the subject of her study by lords and ladies now long gone. One would think that with as much reading as she did, she was bound to forget, misinterpret or confuse the many sources. Yet she had made it a point to categorize each of the books, holocrons, scrolls and archives that met her during her studying times. Her learning had even over-passed the true intention of the sources, she had not only learn from their content but also to differentiate their writers. The Sith that truly held the knowledge she sought and the self-proclaimed sorcerers who seemed universally unable to tap into the intrigues of the Dark-side despite fantasizing constantly about becoming powerful psychopaths. She was fortunate enough that these particular tome was not a writing of such tedious nature.[/SIZE]

However, not even she had endless patience. In the last hours she had began to question herself more frequently how long did they had left until finding the adrift ship they sought. Normally, she would have immediately called such an endeavor a waste of time, finding one ship lost to space. Yet Olrunn had developed a particular kind of trust towards her Master, and did not object given he himself was so determined on their task. So she had simply taken a seat closest to the members of the Magus she felt most comfortable among, and made productive use of her time to continue her reading. Occasionally her eyes would break the perimeter of the pages to drift over the Magus gathered here today, attentive to any change or news.

Just as she felt her waning patience start to slip away from her grasp, she shared in that tickling, warning feeling of the Force that had stirred her Master's attention. Her gaze now set on him as she awaited for the confirmation of her suspicions, hoping they were truly about to reach their destination. She welcomed the affirmative of her Master with a small smile and a nod, carefully closing the book and standing up to return it to its resting place, before returning to stand in her previous spot, alongside [member="Xevek Rakama"].

[member="Darth Excidium"] [member="Darth Aegis"] [member="Darth Aion"]​

 

[Farah]

Somewhere towards the back of The Ruin, an Acolyte stood conversing with a hologram. Though darkly clad in the basic garb of a Lesser Magus, her stance and stern expression in this moment did not speak of her rank within the small collection of Sith sorcerers. Right now, her mind was elsewhere.

“Send me the scans, then.” The hologram—a tall man with tan skin and dark hair, dressed as a doctor—nodded and typed something in on his end. “Where are you, anyway?” He seemed to try and peer at her surroundings, voice coming through slightly modulated.

She ignored his question as her datapad buzzed. A tap brought it out of rest mode, a few more taps and the radiology scans were projected in front of her. She examined them with a discerning eye, rotating one with a swipe of her finger. “There.” She pinched her thumb and forefinger on one spot, zooming in on a particular area of the heart. “Cardiac tumor on the aortic valve.” The man grimaced. “I was afraid of that. Dissection or valve replacement?”

Something tickled her gut, a vague feeling that lasted for a few moments before ebbing away. Her hand reflexively rested against her stomach. Perhaps it was hunger or indigestion? She’d been trained to ignore most signs of appetite and exhaustion through grueling surgeries that often took hours upon hours.

Her lips twisted in thought, rotating through the 3D scan of the heart once again. “Use your judgement.” The hologram sighed and nodded, jotting something down on his own datapad. He looked as if he were about to say something when she cut in. “Take Mahoud with you.” The man’s brows crinkled. “Mahoud? But he’s only in his second year.”

“He’s good. I’d like him to get the exposure.” Then she cut the transmission. Contrary to what one might expect from a Sith, Farah spent a good portion of her time working at a civilian hospital on Coruscant. Mostly without bad intentions.

She felt good there probably because she had some semblance of power. Her acerbic mannerisms didn’t win her many friends but her skill as a surgeon was respected. Here, though? She felt awkward among the Sith with their tomes and ancient magic.

Making her way back to where the other Magus were seated, she ran a hand through her hair. “Sorry about that. Did I miss anything important?”

This wasn’t the first time she’d slipped away for a consult.

[member="Darth Excidium"] [member="Darth Aion"] [member="Olrunn Darr"]

 

[Darth Aegis]

It was a tingling sensation. A tingling that crawled over and through his skin, like a serpent lurking on a body. It was a familiar feeling, due to the training his force senses have gone through and naturally advancement. The small tremor in the force, like a ripple in a pond, could be felt by Aegis. He'd sit quietly in a corner of The Ruin watching the other Sith speak as well as move around.

Typically, Aegis was wary in situations where a high concentration of fellow Sith was present. For him, this almost always involved someone dying. However, he felt comfortable where he was with the other Sith. For a while, he'd watch Darth Excidium and he'd see that he too felt the ripple in the force.

@Farah @Olrunn Darr [member="Darth Aion"] [member="Darth Excidium"]

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

The Force was perhaps one of the few things that Xevek had ever considered truly beautiful, something that he could fully appreciate with a sense of reverence he reserved for no other person and no other thing. It was unique in being held a top the hierarchy within his mind and, as such, it was often the world he chose to stare into. Physical sight was boring, mundane and ugly in his thoughts. As vibrant and as colourful as the physical world may be at times, he ultimately saw it as an ugly and befouled thing, a lens he was forced to stare through rather than one that he preferred to stare through. As such, the Iridonian often found himself burning away times of waiting by descending into meditation, by twisting and forcing his gaze to be wrenched away from his eyes and instead set the burden upon his mind's eye.

As such, as The Ruin carved through the nothingness of space after leaving hyperspace, Xevek was sat silently off to one side. Between his mask and the thick robes that fell around his form, it would be hard for the signs of life to be identified within him - his robes serving to disguise the steady rise and fall of his chest - unless someone was sat next to him and capable of hearing the rhythmic sounds of deep breathing. With his head bowed, the leering visage of his mask directed at the ground, and his single eye shut, he stared not at the darkness behind his own eyelid but at the tapestry of the Force. Woven into everything, the strands of the Force resonated in a silence struggle, holding within them the tales of the past and the whispers of the future, the chaotic rumblings of power sending the metaphorical tapestry into a dance not unlike a sea under the influence of a great storm. A bottomless sea of potential stretched out around him, broken by islands formed by the Presences of others within the Force and their direct influence upon it - conscious and subconscious.

It was due to his meditation and focus - his resolute ignoring of the material world around him apart from a subconscious recognition of the cocktail of scents that danced around him, carried upon the same medium as the sound of hearts, that allowed him to draw a rough sketch of what was happening - that Xevek was capable of seeing what the Sith Lords felt. Without the experience that they possessed, he knew not what it represented nor what it might mean, but he saw the ripple that reached out through the Force none the less. Beneath his mask, a subconscious grin of anticipation stretched at dry lips as a sense of expectation sparked within his hearts, fueled by the twists of Darkness that hummed with a sense of victory over the Light.

His introspection was broken by a single voice piercing above the background noise of the gathered members of the Dark Magus. Flinching in annoyance as embers of rage danced within him for a moment, Xevek muffled his emotions - freezing fire into ice in preparation to feast upon its energy later - as his single amber eye flickered open. Staring through the gloom of his mask, Xevek found his gaze locked on the durasteel flooring beneath his feet, an underwhelming sight after he had been staring at the glory of the Force. Still, despite the words of [member="Darth Excidium"] warning them to prepare, Xevek chose to do nothing but remain in his position as if carved into the pose by stonemasons.

It was the strengthening of a recognised scent that finally prodded him to raise his head to stare at [member="Olrunn Darr"] as she settled into her seat beside him. Why she had chosen to link herself to him, Xevek did not know nor could he fathom an explanation. However, he did not express his curiosity in any fashion, instead simple bowing his head slightly in a silent greeting as his gaze lingered on Olrunn for perhaps a few seconds too long. After staring into the Force as he had, remnants of it still danced before the foulness of reality and, as such, the shifting Presence of Olrunn was set overtop striking features. Together, the two visions served to created a sight of oxymoron grace - one naturally ugly and and the other naturally beautiful from the nature of the medium they were set within and yet together they served to form something all the more alluring.

​Shaking such thoughts from his mind, focusing instead on what would be coming, preparing for the Hunt before him, his voice was growled out from behind his mask, gruff in the quiet air as the ship lurched beneath his feet, as he addressed the one that had newly rejoined them. However, despite addressing [member="Farah"] with his words, he never once looked towards her, instead staring blankly ahead. No emotion tainted his words, his tone as stoic as ice. "I do believe that we have found what our Arch-Magus seeks. We have been told to prepare."


[member="Darth Aegis"] | [member="Darth Aion"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

The ship moved ever closer to the mysterious sensation in the Force, the passengers of the Ruin closing the distance. In the cockpit, Excidium guided the droid that piloted, the Sith Lord’s bright green eyes half-closed as he did so. After some time, the ship sensors picked up on a low powered ship, in a state of almost suspended animation, giving off very little in mechanical or electromagnetic presence. If not for the low source of dark side power, it may have been missed completely. Nonetheless, the ships soon faced one another, floating in space amid the vast array of stars...

"Shall I begin docking procedures, master?" Fee-Too asked, Two mechanical hands poised over controls.

"Begin pressurising and interior scans," Excidium said as he turned and began walking back into the main area beyond. "If need be, filter oxygen from this ship into the other... we do not need to be suffocated or depressurised today."

As the droid began the process, running some scans and reporting on life signs within, as well as other anomalies, the Sith Lord approached the Magus present.

"The ship is of Sith origin, though that doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous to Sith," Excidium cleared his throat, as he clasped his hands at the small of his back. "The droid has picked up numerous life forms inside, so we can expect some resistance to our presence... unless they’re happy to see us, which is possible. Still, after such a long time, we should assume those inside are powerful, if only having remained alive this long."

Moving toward the docking hatch, Excidium kept speaking with the assumption the Magus followed.

"Once the two ships have pressurised and balanced atmosphere we will board," the Sith Lord, smirked as he looked back to the Magus. "Look for anything potentially useful, as we head for the bridge. Be mindful of traps, creatures, anything really. But most of all, don’t die... it’s a hassle to replace you all."

After several moments, Fee-Too gave the word, and the docking hatches opened, connecting the two ships.

"Shall we?"

 

[Darth Aion]

Silence slowly dwindled away. The echoing void escaping the drifting corpse of a vessel.

It took no longer than a few moments of the other ships docking procedures for the ancient vessel to stir to life. Not externally, the lights and very essence of the vessel dead to the beholder, but in it's bowels where secrets long left unseen and untouched lurked within. As the sith lay in his pod, the growing commotion outside becoming more apparent, he could feel a plethora of beings begin to move about the ship; as if their purpose had been called upon them and jolted them from their slumber.

If slumber was what it had been.

No sooner had they begun to stir, than did the collective of beings begin to shuffle their way through the vessels halls and holds in search of would be intruders. No light permeated the exterior and, eerily, no light save the emergency tracks lit the entirety of it's interior. Any who entered would be met with the realization that whatever hid within the darkness gripping the ancient vessel would have the upper hand in the minutes, even hours, to come. The part most twisted for the sith that lay half dormant in his pod was that even he did not know the entirety of what awaited those who would seek out his vessel; or even those who would board it unprepared.

A low growl, a high pitched screech and even the sounds of metal scraping against metal filled the hollow husk of a ship. Even while the sith could see the replica droids forming up around his pod, in defense of his particular chamber adjacent the bridge, he could feel the beasts, men and women who had slowly been driven mad by their endeavor to find something pertaining to him. Or perhaps the meaning behind his very presence in their galaxy. The beasts did not concern him, tethered in their own way to him as he closed his eyes and focused upon their locations. Rather it was the depraved that now called the vessel home that were his immediate frustration.

How had they found his vessel? When had they arrived? How long had they been trapped inside it's desolate hull?

They were all questions he would not find means to ask as he was now.

Instead he would wait.

Spoiler

[member="Olrunn Darr"] | [member="Xevek Rakama"] | [member="Darth Aegis"] | [member="Farah"] | [member="Darth Excidium"]

 

[Olrunn Darr]

The Gurlanin's eyes remained locked into the space ahead of her, knowing the Zabrak was observing her again. Normally, she would have found such an action incredibly bothersome. Predators were the ones to watch, they did not feel comfortable being looked at. She was no exception to the rule. However, she had grown accustomed to the analytic gaze of Xevek, pieced it up as a part of his nature and, ultimately, he held as much trust as could be gained from Olrunn.

As she felt the presence of the pink-skinned acolyte walking back towards them, she had to refrain from emitting a low growl. She did not forget easily, and it was not too long ago since the young woman walked away from Lord Excidium and her on a fight. A fight they had to turn tail in, a fight in which she should have been expected to aid. A guttural sound of distaste, akin to a half-formed growl, escaped her lips. The sounds was too low for any to notice, except maybe the Zabrak who was standing next to her.

She was about to answer her question but her hunting partner beat her to it. Her steel blue eyes glided towards the bone mask covering the Xevek's face, a silent signal of her attention as he spoke. Her view was parted from him when her Master came forth, explaining to them what he could of the obstacles they would face today.

Once Fee-Too was done with the preparations and the two Sith vessels were properly connected, Olrunn began the incursion into the derelict ship alongside the other Magus. She had found her place in an area that kept her relatively close to both [member="Darth Excidium"] and [member="Xevek Rakama"] as they started to penetrate the ancient darkness of the ship. Darkness was not a problem for her, she was used to it. Yet that did not change the fact that it did provide a beneficial cover to their enemies.

[member="Farah"] [member="Darth Aion"] [member="Darth Aegis"]

 

[Farah]

Farah was not the most dutiful sort of apprentice. She was not the most subordinate, not the best listener and often distracted by her own personal projects. Her loyalty was also…questionable. In short, she was self-absorbed.

Surgeons often were that way. She was good at what she did, what she’d chosen to do. Her passions lay in medicine and science, something that could easily translate into a talent for alchemy but the occult hadn’t exactly grasped her interest yet.

Her gaze slid over to Olrunn, one of Excidium’s other apprentices. The huntress had been training under the Sith Lord before Farah had arrived, but for what length of time she did not know. The Gurlanin’s distaste for her had been apparent ever since the Sith had descended on Ossus and Farah had broken away from their group. The Zeltron had elected to stick to their initial goal of procuring a rare sort of bacteria instead of aiding her allies.

Olrunn had every right to dislike her. She was the steadfast, loyal sort. A good combatant. Farah didn’t know much about her, really. Nor did she know much about the other apprentice sitting in silence. Certainly a good breeding ground for competition!

The masked one answered her, deep voice void of emotion.

“Finally.” She rolled her shoulders, working the tension from them.

Their Master arrived to inform them that the docking had completed and their task was to begin. Among the Lesser Magus, Farah and the Acolytes drifted further into the eerily silent ship. Lids fluttering closed as she walked, the Zeltron extended her senses deeper into the ship in an attempt to pick up the signs of life Excidium had mentioned.


[member="Olrunn Darr"] [member="Darth Aion"] [member="Darth Excidium"] [member="Xevek Rakama"] [member="Darth Aegis"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

The confines of the ancient ship were perplexing. Intricately made, unlike so many mass produced craft nowadays, and showing clear care in each detail. Yet, as was usually the case with aged things, cracks and imperfections had begun to appear. Still, Excidium couldn't deny there was a morbid beauty to the ship the Magus now walked within. It was a large craft, as evident by the size when viewing it from the Ruin, yet the corridors were long, with many doors seemingly leading to other areas and decks. The search for what the group needed could prove to be time-consuming, not to mention the sudden flashes of awareness passing through the craft, as though the ship itself had stirred from slumber an ancient host of beings - and much to the Sith Lord's annoyance, he couldn't quite pinpoint specific locations, whether due to the sheer number of things present, or the Dark Side twisting those within to be unrecognizable, or both.

The telltale sounds of droids activating and moving echoed down the corridor, causing Excidium to glance in the direction he supposed was the bridge.

"According to Darth Wyyrlok's holocron, there are tomes and information here telling of events thousands of years prior," The Arch-Magus muttered, his lightsaber in hand, finger on the activation pad as he began walking. "He implied there was potential for ancient war machines locations, with their storage recorded after wars, but which have been lost since. If we can find these, we are one step closer to increasing the power of the Magus."

A screech sounded from a distance, animal and feral, that caused the Sith Lord to sneer. He could hear the sounds of distant footfalls, as a number of beings began to rapidly approach. Excidium activated his lightsaber, the red blade thrumming to life with a deep snap-hiss. Trying to look through the gloom and darkness, and finding his eyes were having trouble adapting to the poor interior lighting, Excidium had to call on the Force to enhance his senses; and as a result, his vision altered, seeing beyond physical objects and through hull plating... and the group of shuffling, deformed humanoids rushing down a parallel corridor.

"Twisted mutants approach," Excidium said simply, sighing. It would delay information gathering. "Form a line. Let none break it."

Stepping forward, the Sith Lord assumed a Niman stance, holding his lightsaber low in two-hands to one side, as he prepared...

[member="Olrunn Darr"] | [member="Xevek Rakama"] | [member="Darth Aegis"] | [member="Farah"] | [member="Darth Aion"]​