Private Summons

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Jutrand
With: Darth Empyrean
Equipment: Lightsaber | Black Boots | Black Pants | Black Tunic​

A summons to the Palace didn't come very often.

Especially not to someone who'd only been on Jutrand a short period of time. That was all but unheard of. It was especially unusual for the Sith Emperor himself to send guards to request the presence of a young Sith Apprentice who had only just arrived on Jutrand. Zachariah was aware of that. He was aware that he was in a position very few had ever been in before, asked to meet the Sith Emperor for reasons he was yet uncertain of.

The young boy followed the guards towards the Palace. He hadn't been on Jutrand long, travelling on from Eliad alone whilst his Master returned back to Zaathru with the children. He had ventured on alone, with the hopes of finding himself in the galaxy at large and rediscovering exactly who Zachariah Conway was and exactly what Zachariah Conway liked. He knew it would be difficult, especially after everything he had been through.

It had been Arcturus Dinn whom had suggested Jutrand to the boy. There he could join other Sith in a similar position to him and could explore the galaxy as he wished in service of the Sith. Whilst Jutrand would be his school, Zaathru would always be his home and his place would be at the side of his Master in time. Once he'd gained a deeper understanding of the Force and began to rediscover himself, he had every intention of returning to the planet.

They were still walking.

A fair assumption that Zachariah made was that the Palace wuld be one of the bigger buildings on the planet. The Sith, as Zachariah was learning, had a habit of making everything bigger and better than the next person. Zachariah was assuming that the Emperor himself would have the biggest and baddest Palace as a sign of his raised status in the ranks of the Sith if nothing else. Provided the Emperor followed the stereotype, of course.

Walking didn't bother Zachariah, and honestly he was quite enjoying the walk. Everyone was fairly quiet around him and it was giving him time to think. He liked the peace and quiet at times. He liked thinking. He liked letting his mind just wander. Plus, the quiet reminded him of the peace he had when Brunas Drace had left him alone. Those were some of the better moments of his life, just being left alone by the man who used to beat and torture him.

He approached the Palace, and for the first time took pause. For the first time he began to wonder why he'd really been summoned to the Palace of the Sith Emperor. He didn't expect the Emperor to know he was, but clearly he did. He didn't expect the Emperor to take any interest in him, but clearly he had. The only answer Zachariah didn't have was why the Sith Emperor knew who he was and why the Sith Emperor was interested in him.

Zachariah took a deep breath, and entered the halls.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

The trip was long and quiet, the great masked Praetorians agents of the Dark Lord. They spoke little, but their presence was a terrible thing - Zachariah would notice how even Sith Lords looked away from them after their momentary curiosity was sated on who they were guiding. Titans of the battlefield, their reputation was a terrible thing off this world - he would have no doubt heard of their prowess. Standing before them was a gift, or a threat, given certain contexts.​

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For Zachariah it was hard to tell, they did not come with a message asking for his approach, but rather the simple command of the Emperor's word. In the very seat of his power there was no telling the Emperor 'no' without the consequences that could follow - but with no resistance, they moved into the halls of the great Pyramid with little fan fare. No trumpets to announce their arrival, not procession, not greeting. Fear spread in the wake of these men that guided him, and it would only subside when all others were gone.​

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They moved to the throne room, opening the doors and motioning him on without them - but inside felt something new. A disgusting, sickly feeling on the skin - like the mere energy of the room could pull blood from his veins, spill his guts, and leave him for dead. It was high ceiling, vaulted at the top, with pillars that fell away into magic illusions in the ceiling - making it appear as this throne only existed beneath the endless night of the galaxy. At the far end was a great and terrible red kyber throne, cut jagged and tortured to bleed dark side energies.​

​

Aboard it was something all the much worse. A corpse, cut in two by the harsh edge of a lightsaber. Blood stained red hair fell about his shoulders, metal eyes watched with perfect clarity as they twisted in their sockets to him. Grey skin showed that the rumors were true, the Emperor was no living man - but the will to survive even death. How could one conquer that which could not be killed?​

​

A terrifying feat, a terrifying being, who sat in his chair with a lazy expression.​

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"Zachariah Conway. Apprentice to Arcturus Dinn - My Son.", he said cold and drawn out.​

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"It is a great dishonor to visit my throne world without so much as a greeting. How am I to take that? Are you working against me?", he said, a brow seeming to crack as it arched in curiosity. His tone however, never seemed to sway from a monotonous curiosity, rather than a threat.​

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Zachariah Conway​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Jutrand
With: Darth Empyrean
Equipment: Lightsaber | Black Boots | Black Pants | Black Tunic​

Zachariah approached the throne.

The air felt cold, almost as if it was clinging to the young boy. He was sweating though, despite the feeling of chill present within the space. The room felt like it had closed in on him, despite it's high celings that apppeared to vanish into the night sky of the galaxy. Zachariah could only use one word to describe the room. Death. The entire room felt of death.

At the far end of the room was the seat of power that the young boy approached. Zachariah was smart enough not to get too close without permission. He didn't for a second doubt that the Sith Emperor would kill him in seconds. The throne itself was jagged, coloured red. Zachariah wasn't entirely sure what it was made out of but he didn't wish to get close to it.

Sat upon the throne was a horror Zachariah had never encounted. The body was seperated, charred by the harsh edge of a plasma weapon. His skin had a sickly grey hue to it, and in that moment Zachariah confirmed the man wasn't alive. The Sith Emperor was nothing but a corpse. The most powerful corpse in the galaxy, unable to die despite the fact he shouldn't be functional.

A truly terrifying figure, with a reputation that preceeded him.

If the air had a chill, the voice of the ruler was like ice. It was drawn out. The Emperor knew his name, knew his connection to Arcturus Dinn . There was a slight pause until Zachariah realised the following comment. Arcturus was the son of the Sith Emperor. The Sith Emperor, the myth himself was the man who had saved his mentor from slavery all those years ago.

Dropping to a knee, Zachariah bowed his head in respect. He'd come to learn through his time enslaved to Brunas Drace that the Sith commanded respect. If respect wasn't shown, the Sith weren't too happy. Zachariah had seen Brunas take the lives of people whom hadn't shown him what he believed to be adequate respect. Brunas had done it without a second thought.

What was the Sith Emperor likely to do?

Slowly, the corpse continued to talk. He raised valid points. Zachariah had arrived on his planet and had failed to show the proper respect. The cold, icy voice of the man continued to fill the room as he questioned the motives of the boy. He listened as the man tore him apart, questioned his alliegence. The scariest part however was that not once did he raise his voice. Not once was there a threat, the man's tone was more that of curiosity.

"My Lord. I should have paid my respects sooner, and for that I can only apologise. So please, accept my apologies, for they are genuine."

Zachariah kept his voice steady. Hopefully, the Sith Emperor wouldn't be able to tell how hard he was fighting to do so. He was scared on the inside, however his belief was that projecting confidence would go a long way for him. He kept his eyes on the floor whilst he waited for the grey corpse to make a judgement on if his apology was acceptable.

He had met Arcturus' father. And he was terrified.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"You are good to kneel, but is not necessary.", he said calmly.​

​

Slowly the Sith Emperor rose from his seat on the Kyber Throne, making his way down the set of stairs to the throne rooms floor - carpeted over a sleek obsidian floor. He stood tall, but far shorter than one might expect of a larger than life figure such as he. He was half the size of the once Carnifex, shorter perhaps even than the average height of the galaxy, but it made little difference in just how prevalent his form was. No matter their height, he was above them. He carried such a truth in his shoulders and his aura.​

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"As someone important to Arcturus, you are beyond my reproach. I would not have you dishonor yourself on my account - so long as you do not dishonor me.", he said with a surgical glance.​

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"Come - this room is far too large."​

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---​

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The walk from the throne room took them through the dark council chambers, then unto hallways filled with statues and symbols of wealth. Each in their own right could by cities, perhaps distant worlds. What lay in these halls was beyond signifigant, and only a small sign of the Emperor's great and growing wealth.​

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"Zachariah. Why have you come to my world? Do not lie to me, I can smell the hesitation."​

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Zachariah Conway​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Jutrand
With: Darth Empyrean
Equipment: Lightsaber | Black Boots | Black Pants | Black Tunic​

The first thing that stuck with Zachariah was the height of the Sith Emperor.

A man with a reputation as that of the Sith Emperor, Zachariah expected him to be taller. He did however carry himself like someone who towered over anyone in his presence. He carried himself with confidence, like he demanded respect. Zachariah certainly respected the man, both because he commanded it and for not allowing his short stature to limit him in any way.

Slowly, Zachariah got to his feet as the grey skinned man made his way down the steps. He listened as the man declared that the room was too large and he stood in front of the Sith Emperor for a few moments, before falling in behind as the man led the way from the throne room into the depths of the great pyramid that Empyrean called his home.

Following the Emperor, Zachariah was taken from the throne room deep into the Palace. They went through the Dark Council Chambers and even deeper. Zachariah took a moment to be shocked by the hallways, each boasting a collection of statues and relics and other symbols of wealth. It was a larger collection than anything he had ever seen before. It made the collection of his former Master look antsized in comparison

Zachariah listened as Darth Empyrean spoke.

"I was sent to your world by Arcturus, My Lord. He tasked me with furthering my knowledge in the Force, with finding myself as a person. He wished for me to learn more about myself that I wouldn't have been able to do without exploring the Galaxy."

He replied honestly. He had left Zaathru in order to further his knowledge in the Force, but he had also left Zaathru in order to rediscover Zachariah. He wished to know what Zachariah liked and disliked, not just what Brunas Drace had expected him to like and dislike. He wished to know what hobbies Zachariah had, not just what Brunas Drace had forced him to do.

"My Master believed a change of scenary would do me some good"

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"Interesting.", he said as they walked.​

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"There was once a time I had sent Arcturus on a journey not so dissimilar - but I never sent him to the home of the Sith. Tell me, Zachariah, do you believe there was a reason he sent you here instead of anywhere else in the galaxy?"​

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Zachariah Conway​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Jutrand
With: Darth Empyrean
Equipment: Lightsaber | Black Boots | Black Pants | Black Tunic​

Zachariah nodded as they walked.

He listened as Empyrean spoke about his mentor's past. He listened as Empyrean spoke about the journey that Arcturus was sent on a similar journey, but how Arcturus had never been sent to the home of the Sith unlike Zachariah. He listened as the Emperor of the Sith began to question any potential reasons that Arcturus sent him to Jutrand rather than anywhere else in the galaxy.

"My Lord, the home of the Sith is the center of power for the Empire. It is where the most powerful Sith congregate on a near daily basis. While he claims he sent me to learn from the Sith Academy, I have personal beliefs. I believe that Arcturus sent me here to study from some of the most powerful, to hone my skills so that when I return to him I have access to abilities I've never dreamed of"

The young boy had always been called greedy as a child. He'd also been called greedy by Brunas Drace, however for different reasons. For the first time in a while, he agreed. He wanted to study alongside the most powerful users of the darker sides of the Force, to learn from them and gain knowledge from them that Arcturus and Rhiannon wouldn't have been able to pass on.

"My own personal reasons for being here are growth, in both power and confidence"