Stray From The Path[OS]

[Sifa Tirel]

Sith Temple; Coruscant​

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She supposed that this was it.​

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Coruscant had always been an important world, even Sifa knew that. Her people, the Nagai, didn't come from this galaxy, they came from Firefist, a satellite galaxy, yet even they knew about Coruscant. Of course Sifa didn't gain that knowledge first hand, she'd only been home once on a trip with Master Arketh. Coruscant, Coruscant was something else. It was a legend, a jewel, something that mot people thought of as something beautiful and sanctimonious.​

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To her though, it just seemed like another planet. She had spent most of her life within the walls of the Jedi Order, tucked away within the Jedi Agricorps and put away to study and train. That had been a conscious decision, something that she had had to do for herself, to make the galaxy a better place. Now she wanted to do put that studying to good use, she wanted to help, she wanted to do what she knew she could do best.​

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The little Nagi frowned slightly as a man in a dark robe walked passed her, one of his shoulders ramming into her.​

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A growl escaped her lips as the man moved passed her, no apology, not even an acknowledgment. Sifa scowled, her eyes darkening slightly as the man moved up the stairs and into the Temple proper. Her hands tightened at her sides, her fingers curling into fists. Her head jerked to the side, her hair shifting slightly as she began to stalk after the man.​

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There was something in the air, a dread that she couldn't quite place, a feeling of needles pressing into her skin.​

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Sifa disregarded it, ignored it, but she remembered it. It was the feeling of the darkside pushing onto her, the press of the force reaching and stretching its grip around her. She remembered the lessons of her Masters, the things they had told her about the Sith and what she should avoid at all costs.​

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It was time to ignore them.​

 

[Nyxie]

A new face would meet the world with the landing of a single Imperial-made shuttle. The woman aboard, an alien in every respect, had her own ship—an old, restored Baudo-Class freighter—but due to complications and perhaps good judgement left it behind in the orbiting starport. As the single shuttle descended among the crimson-lit ambiance, it became clear the true scope of the galactic struggles which had taken place on Coruscant time after time throughout the millennia. The very atmosphere made her sick to her stomach, though she knew she had come for power and prowess. The shuttle landed on a far-off pad atop the highest levels of the city-world, and from its gloomy depth emerged a pale-blue-skinned woman of long, silver hair and glistening white fangs.

The power of the Dark Side saturated every foot of ground around Maherei, teeming, biting at the back of her neck and the tips of her tails. All around her were bright lights and glistening spires, a testament to the persistence of a world not a decade before she'd have known as the secondary hub of Mnenchei government; truly the species that helped raise it were creatures worthy of recognition. As she walked its streets and walkways, the young Mnenchei let the Force take hold, fate leading her path. She knew not what she sought, only that it had to be found, and it could only be found there at the heart of One Sith space.

Her heart had lead her to a Sith temple erected on the ashes of old, where once a Jedi temple might have stood; they did so enjoy spiting the Jedi. It was a grand structure, to the credit of the Sith's eye for greatness and perfection. Maherei would have easily gotten lost if not for keeping to its main halls. When the path came to a narrowing, she did all she knew she could, following a less grand corridor which had ended with a stairway—unbeknownst to her, out of the main temple itself. A figure came by from the opposite direction and drew closer with each step. The figure gave her a quick glance from under their blackened hood, as if saying with their fiery eyes "step aside, or else." Maherei was no small young woman, however, standing almost seven feet tall, and much to the surprise of the robed figure, she did not part for them. Instead, they had struck her with a light thud and been bumped aside by their own momentum against the Mnenchei's tall, poised body. A smile painted her face, revealing even more of her frightening, long saberteeth.

"You are excused. I'm sure you'll do well to watch your way. Good day."

The words pierced like daggers at their ego through their demeanor. Perhaps all the One Sith were rude, she pondered, but were they all fools? The prey that followed suit is what truly struck her interest.

 

[Shaddi]

At the top of the stairs sat a robed figure surrounded by three Tuk'ata hounds, the hounds standing at 120 cm and thick muscled bodies, one though was a head taller than the others. In the figures hands was a datapad of an ancient text copied form the book the figure itself owned. Nothing of the figure could be seen besides the very lowest of it's face, a smooth chin moving up a defined jawline ending in what might be the end of a blindfold covering the figures upper face.
The figure that had so rudely bumped into [member="Sifa Tirel"] & [member="Maherei"] however bowed before the figure who seemed to flick it's wrist and tussle the figure a little. "Being rude to future acolytes doesn't give a good first impression... acolyte." The words were calm to begin with but when the figure said the others rank it was like venom had been poured into the voice so thickly it made an obvious shiver run down the others spine.
With a dismissive wave of the other the first Robed figure stood and gestured to the two newcomers to come closer. Pulling his hood back T'zanith gave them a friendly but small smile, a blindfold covering his eyes and strands of white hair billowing in the gentle wind that lazily attempted to tug on the clothes of those outside. "Welcome to the sith Temple, are you prospective acolytes to the sith order?" He said as he stood straight one of the two smaller Tuk'ata growling a little at them but with a simple click of T'zanith's tongue it stopped and sat down next to him. He saw through the force and though they looked like they were dancing on the precipice of the dark side, they weren't full acolytes.

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance popped up from behind but a few feet to the right of [member="Darth Erebos"] with a warm chuckle .

"Right because Sith are really known for being warm and fuzzy." "The first person I ran into when I got here tried to cut my head off and set me on fire." "A little shoulder bump is a walk in the park."

He kept walking towards the two newest arrivals with a smirk looking at [member="Sifa Tirel"] for a moment before speaking.

"I am curious though as to why you didn't lash out at the upstart like the other new arrival did?"

He turned to look at [member="Maherei"] the other new arrival.

"And why you would openly challenge the actions of a complete stranger you know nothing about." "Are you so powerful you believe yourself invincible?"


Vengeance looked at them both waiting for an answer. He was curious as to what the answer would be. There really was no correct or incorrect answer. Vengeance knew enough to know that people changed over time. It would not surprise him at all in the future to find the quiet one lashing out and the aggressive one tempering a response.

 

[Sifa Tirel]

[member="Vengeance"] | [member="Darth Erebos"] | [member="Maherei"]

Her eyes narrowed.

She could have lashed out, but only a fool fought without knowledge. Sifa was trained, but she wasn't a warrior, not like most Sith. Her skills lay in other areas, and she had to utilize them. It would have been stupid to lash out, idiotic even. She had planned to make her way into the temple, wander through the halls until she found someone worthwhile to speak to, someone that she could negotiate with. She would have to settle for these two.

"Lashing out would have been foolish." Sifa said calmly, her voice a bare rasp that seemed to cling to the air. "I knew nothing about him, his strengths, or why he was in such a hurry."

For all she knew the man had been a Sith Lord, though he doubted that such a man would simply walk away after someone bumped into them.

It was simply a matter of knowing who your enemy was, of knowing who you were facing. Sifa was smart enough to know that simply striking, or even threatening without thought could get a person killed. She was among wolves, and she had to be careful with them. "He could have killed me before I landed my first blow."

 

[Nyxie]

Maherei turned towards the sounds of a voice—to her surprise, not of the apparent acolyte she had just crossed paths with but another, more important figure. On instinct, she gave a quaint bow at his words of welcoming, just polite enough to show respect but subtle as to not portray her as submissive or soft. An answer to his question was almost ready to roll off of her tongue before another more contrasted figure approached with questions of his own for her and the girl she had been inspecting. Her mood lightened and vindictive smile faded.

"Was it not he that challenged me and the unknown when this stranger—this acolyte—refused to walk aside me? Were he anything else, I would be humbled by his strength and enlightened to my limits. But I imagine Sith Lords cannot be cast aside like mere dolls as he was."

The conversation was very telling, and by their comments and responses she learned a lot about the characters of each new person. All at once, she had seen the cordial, the stern and the subservient sides of the One Sith. She imagined her answer might be less than excitingly received, though if nothing else, every fight—every defeat—was a learning experience and a way to refine oneself. Pride exuded her, but did not rule her.

She turned back to the former and his hounds.

"And yes, sir, I just arrived on Coruscant in the hour. I was told I could find a Master here, to advance my training, and learn more about the history of the Sith."

[member="Darth Erebos"] — [member="Vengeance"] — [member="Sifa Tirel"]​

 

[Shaddi]

"Well [member="Vengeance"], Dilsya here is warm and fuzzy and if I remember correctly wasn't that Lord Sebastion that did that? or did my former master tell me wrong." T'zanith said with a humorous toned reply to Vengeance. He took a few steps forwards to be at his fellow knights side and when he heard [member="Sifa Tirel"]'s response he placed his hand at his chin. 'A tempered response with a hint of cunning... interesting.' He thought as he looked her over in the force and then noticed as the Female of his Tuk'ata walked lazily up to her and sniffed her before moving to the other would be acolyte. This one seemed to piqued the females interest but then the Tuk'ata walked back to her master and sat down next to him.
When [member="Maherei"] answered he could immediately see that she was the confrontational type but what she said afterwards piqued his interest. "Tell me then, what is it you look for in both master and what you wish to learn?" He said before he also gestured to Sifa with a gesture that would tell her to feel free to answer this question as well.
He had been looking for an apprentice of his own and after reading through the rule of two era of the sith he had found a new fondness for their training methods, two apprentices that would have to overcome one another. It would fuel them to grow even faster and it would also force them to learn cunning and ambition.

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance smiled at [member="Sifa Tirel"] her answer a rather good one.

"Very smart approach and one becoming increasingly common these days." "Though typically I like to push the buttons of my opponents." "It has an interesting way of pissing them off and making them reckless."

He then turned to [member="Maherei"] with a chuckle.

"Was it a challenge?" "Or simply an Acolyte deep in though over a recent lesson who just simply is not paying attention?" "You are aggressive but that is not always a bad thing."

He looked at both of them with a smile.

"So this is the future of the Sith." "A scholar and a would be warrior." "Not bad." "Several Knights and Lords are still taking Apprentices." "My name is Vengeance...............Knight Vengeance if you want to be formal." "Should either or you wish to discuss the possibility of learning what I have to teach come find me." "If not I shall see you on the battle field."

Vengeance turned heading towards [member="Darth Erebos"] as he asked them about their desired path. He stopped beside the man his back to the newcomers.

"Told you about that did he." "No matter it was good practice even if an unintended one."

He glanced back at the new comers before looking back at his friend.

"I got dibs on the scholar."

Vengeance slipped away the entire exchange between the two Knights loud enough to have been heard by both newcomers.

 

[Sifa Tirel]

[member="Vengeance"] | [member="Darth Erebos"] | [member="Maherei"]

Scholar? Fitting enough she supposed. Most of her time within the AgriCorps had been spent on study and research. She knew well enough how to fight, but she doubted that she was a match for anyone here, even this other apprentice. Yet in her area of expertise she was unmatched. Her lips thinned as she considered that, her eyes wandering towards the other apprentice before slowly moving back towards the Sith Temple, and the two Knights.

She didn't know of either of them, neither by reputation or by name.

That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, there were few Sith she actively knew the name of, having been hidden away for the past decade or so of war.

"Thank you." Sifa answered politely as one of the Sith began to wander away, a smile tugging at her lips.

This would be easier then she thought. Her back stiffened, and her eyes wandered towards the Sith Temple ahead. She wanted to explore, to see, to find, and to speak with others. She was sure there was more to be found, more to be discovered. What she needed most of all, however, was a place for her experiments. That was why she had run after all, and it simply wouldn't due to be denied that.

Without a second more of hesitation Sifa set off into the temple proper.

 

[Nyxie]

Maherei meditated on the thought, so to speak, for a few short moments before giving [member="Darth Erebos"] and answer.

"I am unsure, though I trust in the Force to make my path clear and my endeavors glorious. If that master is either of you, I will do as fate commands."

She turned to [member="Vengeance"], unsure of what to say in response as she could have been either the scholar or 'would-be' warrior.

"Pardon my free speech but I believe you mistake aggression with inspection. Were I seeking a fight, I'd have started one. The actions and nuances of a person speak a great deal of their worth." She paused. "I shall consider your offer, you have my gratitude." The Mnenchei bowed.

There wasn't much other dialogue Maherei could share with the two knights. For the most part, she had kept her past and upbringing as an elite of her society a guarded secret. The signature Ri'essi hilt by her side and the gold and electrum was a certificate of her training and prowess. She had wondered what kind of a first impression their small exchange of words left on Erebos and Vengeance. It seemed unlikely their either could yet accurately read the true nature of her mentality, as she was never known to be an aggressor but did not stand down when adversity reared itself, nor was she any less a warrior than scholar or vice verse. The balance was what she was taught... the balance was all she knew. The young woman's next words were skimmed from the top of her mind.

"Though I am strong with a blade, my knowledge of the utilization of the Force is limited. Would either of you happen to be a sorcerer, alchemist or inquisitor by chance?"

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[member="Sifa Tirel"]​

 

[The Hound]

It made it uneasy, not being by Isolda's side. The farther away he got from her the less control he had over a situation that could be the failure that would destroy the very fabric of what it was. Instead it had been sent here by its keeper, left to prowl the halls of the new Sith Temple on Coruscant. A heavy head turned to look at the bustling skyline overhead. Hollow, black eyes narrowed and it exhaled through its flat nose. The lesser hounds hid in the shadows, crawling, stalking, always watching. A thousand pictures, sounds, and feelings ran through its mind at any given moment. What they all meant it could only guess and make decisions on those bits of information.

It could feel a shift in the Force. As if the Force was attempting to regain balance on its own. The Hound rather liked the Dark though.

 

[Shaddi]

T'zanith's face turned a little into a mixture of confusion and near irritation. "And Since when did the sith call dibs?" He replied to [member="Vengeance"] as he walked passed him and headed into the temple. His Tuk'ata moved behind Vengance for a few steps before they turned to sit in the shade of one of the large statues adorning the stairs to the temple. "Were are my manners My name Is Darth Erebos, and to answer your question." He then said introducing himself and gesturing towards [member="Maherei"]. "I am learning the arts of Alchemy and Sorcery myself, it is a very hard art to learn and your understanding of the force must have reached a near knights level to even attempt it." He explained to Maherei before he gave [member="Sifa Tirel"] a small bow as she wondered into the temple herself. 'And then there was one.' He thought as he looked towards Maherei and smiled a little and gestured for her to follow him. "If you wish to become my apprentice I will tell you that I follow some of the rule of two sith's mentality, you will be taught both the physical and by extension martial as well as the mystical, the force and the sorcerer arts." He said as he headed to his Tuk'ata, he could see one of the hounds that had entered the temple, and subsiquently the reason he had stayed on the outside while they were there. The largest [member="The Hound"] of them had simply felt a bit unnatural and though T'zanith was an aspiring alchemist he was still not used to seeing sith spawn the way he did.
Sitting down against the statue, one of the Tuk'ata seemed weary of Maherei while the female stopped in front of her, The smaller two stood at around 1.1 m tall while the largest stood at 1.3 m tall. "What do you think I See when I look at you?" He then said as he took off his blindfolds and made his two pitch black orbs stare at the woman before him. The first of his tests were beginning