Surprise

[Asharad Graush]

Krayiss II.
[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Days ago the Ancient One had dropped out of Hyperspace over the planet of Krayiss II in the Stygian Caldera. While the Sith Order and their respective Lords that were slowly, if not finally banding together to begin meeting and discussing the future of the Sith as a whole, A'sharad worked on discovering the secrets of Krayiss II. Buried, its single, black spire that shot up into the sky, a testament to the power that held it up for so many millenia.

The Sith Lord Epicant-Hybrid was disembarking from his Infiltrator. His first time planetside.

It felt... Lacking, in truth.

Hardly any life in the immediate area.

"Report, Captain," the High Marshal said as the Sith Trooper came up alongside him.

"Surveillance systems in position, My Lord. Analyst teams suspect that structural integrity of the Obelisk will remain consistent when we enter the library-temple."

"Have we located other entrances?"

"Yes - former ones, anyway. All seem to be blocked now."

"Curious. Continue your digging, I want to know the moment we've made an entrance."

"Yes, My Lord," the Captain said, dropping both hands to his side and bowing before hurrying off, likely distributing orders through the comm system in his helmet.

Twisting his head to the side, A'sharad spotted the same darkly clad figure that had been with him on the observation deck of his ship. "So you've come," he said in his neutral voice, devoid of emotion for the most part. There was a grunt in way of an answer. His companion had reached the point of grunting out answers. He'd grow out of it, eventually, he imagined. "Be alert down below. The Force is strangely dormant below the surface of the planet."

There was a nod for an answer, and then the figure was gone.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Asharad Graush"]

The history of his people had always been something rather enigmatic. Even Vrak, born on Athiss and a part of the last surviving Pureblood civilization int he galaxy only knew the broad strokes. They were aware of Naga Sadow, Ludo Kressh, the dozens others who were famed throughout their species. They even had histories of Vitiate and his Empire, but they still lacked so much.

None of the scrolls and archives they had held any nuance. They told the what, not the why or the how.

It was a frustration for him and the others, though his family had tried their best. Some of the Holocrons they had told the stories quite well, how Ragnos had fallen, How Vitiate has summoned his Empire from the depths of nothing, even how Tulak Horde had raged across the Caldera. Yet there were still pieces missing, important things that would have benefited them a great deal. The largest sliver of this was of course Vitiate, at least for Vrak.

Vitiate was an enigma, a question that had not yet been answered.

The most powerful Sith to Ever live, and no one knew how he had done it. He had attained some great power on his homeworld, but no book, no scroll, no holocron told of what that was. Perhaps it would always be a mystery, but Vrak hoped that it would not be so.

No matter what was uncovered, no matter what was found, The Pureblood knew there would be something of value. His ancestors held many secrets, some of which were enough to destroy entire star systems.

Whatever was found, it would be worth it.

 

[Asharad Graush]

Even the people of Tantorus, numbering largely in the millions, akin more like to Ancient Korriban with multiple warring tribes and factions that had once been united under one Sith King, until he too, had disappeared similarly to the Sith King Adas. Before the One Sith had came they were violent, aggressive, fighting amongst each other, until the aforementioned Sith brought peace to the planet, at least enough to gather forces from them to bolster their ranks.

That was in the early years of the Eternal War before contact was once again broken off.

In that time the House of Graush had risen to power ahead of the other prominent names on the planet. Darth Acarus had led them through the company Tantorian Industries, and even then, whispers, some knowledge of the ancient Vitiate had been passed down over the generations until it reached A'sharad's ears.

It had driven him to do the most obnoxious thing he could think of.

Tantorian Industries had been renamed Vitiate. And on this day, that was where many of the Sith Troopers, or rather, Sith Warriors garbed in classic armours and blaster rifles, some with lightsabres, others with the traditional lanvarok strapped to their backs stood guard at the entrance that was being dug.

Dozens, likely over a hundred as Lord Graush watched over it all.

"My Lord, we have breached what we believe is to be the first chamber."

He turned crisply on his heel. "Send in a team, we'll follow behind them." Even the Captain himself was a lowly Sith Knight, much of their presences overshadowed by the Epicant-Hybrid's own. Only Arsaud and Arvengis, cousins from his father's side came close, and neither of them were present on this day.

"Team moving in now."

Just underneath the obelisk, A'sharad could see a group of darkly armoured figures moving into a dug out hole, with machinery of course.

"Clear so far, My Lord," one of the sergeants from the scout team said.

"Contact us as soon as you're in touching distance of the mining droids."

A confirming grunt, and then silence.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Asharad Graush"]

Vrak frowned for a moment. "Makes one wonder."

The galaxy went through cycles, it was fair to size. There was a time when Jedi and their ilk ruled the Galaxy. When Galactic Governemnts stood for good, peace, and Order. When everyone wanted to work together for solidarity and the well being of all. Yet this tipped the wheel, and eventually things came back around. The Sith or some other autocratic government rose and came to power, and the people were once again oppressed. It happened over and over again in the histories.

Would it happen again?

Would this library tell of this cycle again and again. There was so much they didn't know. Even the beliefs of his people, the faith they had once carried before the arrival of the Fallen. The Darkside had always been central to their being, but what was it before the Fallen?

A religion? A way of life?

They didn't know.

Thousands of years had passed since the Great Hyperpsace War, and even then the teachings of Naga Sadow and even Ragnos had been corrupted by the touch of Humanity and a dozen other species. Everything that Vrak knew, everything that his people know was in some ways twisted. He hoped that this would allow them to see, would allow them to gain some as of yet unseen insight. History was a powerful thing, for those who did not acknowledge it were doomed to repeat it.

 

[Asharad Graush]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

"Room secured."

"Clear."

"Clear."

Multiple voices came over the commline as the descendants of the infamous Graush Sorcerors descended into the tunnel that was created. The deeper he went, the stronger the presence of the Dark Side was, almost as if it had been stored beneath the obelisk, and when the oversized drill had made its progress, it had released that pent up energy.

It washed over him, like a cooling stream. It was reinvigorating, not that he was tired before, but in the way that he felt even stronger than he had moments ago.

"We've made it inside," A'sharad said as he spotted the drill off to the side. "Spread out. Find sign of any life, or anything of note." A hand raised up and pushed the hood he bore off of his head and rolled his shoulders back as he headed off deeper into the structure almost instantly. Shadowing him was that same black figure as before.

"Stay close to me, brother, there is something afoot here."

There was an imperceptible nod from the shadowy figure, on account of the billowy, oversized cloak he bore. All he saw were the orange-ish orbs that illuminated the interior of the hood, occasionally being cast into darkness whenever the slightly smaller figure blinked. On the edge of his senses, he could feel something, reaching out to him, calling for his attention. They both grunted in response, surprise, likely. A'sharad sent a look over his shoulder that was akin to; Let's go, and then they were off.

Lefts, rights, moving down hallways. It was expansive, more akin to a maze than actual library.

We'll have to find a way to go deeper. The library must be located further below. The Spire must've been where the Kissai remained.

All the while the call go stronger, reaching out to all things that were within miles of the Obelisk. All it would take was a certain level of understanding to realize it sought them out, wanted to learn who and what they were. Unfamiliarity. It needed to learn.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Asharad Graush"]

The force offered a great many surprises. Vrak, in his fifty years of life, had often found that it was impossible to predict just what was going to happen at any one point when a great amount of the force was actually involved. There was just too much unpredictability.

The Jedi liked to think that the Force was naturally inclined to good, that it sought to improve the lives of the people in the galaxy. They thought that Sith were a corruption of this aspect, that they used the force for their own evil gain or that the Darkside was some sort of 'split' from the original source of power. This assumption was of course incorrect, and it was something that Vrak had known since he'd been a small child. The darkside was to Purebloods like blood was to humans.

They needed it, they were born with it in them, and it sustained in a way.

The Darkside of the force was to a Pureblood one of the most important things.

Of course there were some of his species that were born without the gift, the touch that allowed them true power. These were mostly outcasts however, a child born without the darkside was often tossed away, left to die in the wilds.

That was their society, how their culture worked. It was something that had always happened as long as he could remember. Yet that was a part of their history that was missing. Had they always had the force? Had it always been this way? Or had it been a gift from some unseen god or being? They didn't know.

Perhaps even with this discovery they would not.

 

[Asharad Graush]

Outside the tunnel system, night had fallen. A'sharad and his companion had gone deeper into the now underground structure. It was a mystery as to whether or not they merely ignored the comm pings, or if they were unable to receive them from how deep they were. The call of the Dark Side was much too powerful, though it was different, not tainted, but rather twisted, perverted by the touch of a sentient hand. Twas the reason why the duo of House Graush sought out the source.

The encampment of House Graush outside had gone silent, the guards over the last few weeks remained vigilant, but if one of their own, akin to [member="Vrak Nashar"] had strode past, they wouldn't have taken another like, for he, like them, was a Pureblood as most, if not all in the ranks of the Graush Powerbase were. They came from Tantorus, and A'sharad followed in his father's footsteps. He'd bring the name Graush back to the history books.

Or die in the attempt.

We're close.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Asharad Graush"]

Vrak didn't seem all that concerned with those around him, in fact he seemed to ignore them for the most part.

Perhaps it was confidence, perhaps it was foolishness. With someone like him it was often difficult to tell in the first place. Sith always held a certain amount of brashness, and it was fair to say that Vrak was no exception. He didn't care about whomever was running this operation, nor did he care for their intentions. He was here for his own purposes, and as he wandered through the camp no one even gave him a second glance. A part of him was heartened by the other Purebloods.

The Council had always known there were others, a few had been spotted the One Sith, others had popped up every now and again, yet such numbers were unknown.

Perhaps in time they would join The Empire, but for now Vrak wasn't here was a recruiter.

He was here to learn of his history.

 

[Asharad Graush]

When [member="Vrak Nashar"] drew closer to the Obelisk and thus the tunneled entrance into the library-temple, he would feel the draw of the Dark Side that didn't feel organic. It whispered, calling to him, but it was no sentient being calling, at least it didn't feel like one. It would've felt almost like raw energy, focused, incapable of being focused into one position, instead, underground, it would've felt as if it sounded from every direction.

"Just up ahead," A'sharad said as he saw a flicker of fabric in front of him. He slowed to a stop, raising his arm to signal the halt silently. Freezing in position, he frowned. On the edge of his senses there had been something, but it was gone, further away, seemingly down the path that the shadow had gone down.

"Hang back," he said. "Shadow me."

He went ahead, reaching out into the Force, until he found himself rushing forwards into a chamber lined with indiscernible statues in a humanoid shape. Most had fallen into ruin, those ones were closer to the archway that he just passed through, others were headless, arm-less, some even had their own protruding from their bodies as if they were meant to be holding something, but the object appeared to be missing. A'sharad slowed his pace.

Within the room the calling power was much stronger than before.

When he looked ahead of him, to the front of the room, he saw the immense throne at the end of the room, though he felt surrounded, the Dark Side thunderous, as if it were roaring in his ears.

​

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Asharad Graush"]

Vrak moved closer now

He could sense it, the thrum of the darkside. It was like a beating heart all on its own. The noise seemed to reverberate for him, clashing over and over again within his ears. The cord that played seemed to move through him, a distinct sort of power flowing through. He smiled slightly as he continued on his path. Most still seemed to ignore him.

They either saw him as just another Pureblood, or by his stature they knew to avoid him.

The Sith Lord wandered forward through the excavated caverns, his gaze flickering between different fictures marked by ancient writings. He recognized most of the symbols of course, their language had not changed much over the last few thousand years. Athiss in particularly had remained stagnant on that from, and the very language he'd learned growing up was inscribed here upon the walls. He read a few of the broken columns and half torn walls before moving on.

With every step he took it seemed the darkside grew stronger.

His fingers slowly unfurled, his expression grew softer.

Power seemed to wash over him like a wave, an almost relaxing torrent of energy that flowed freely through the Pureblood like a conduit.

 

[Asharad Graush]

He kept any amazement out of his voice, in fact, he didn't even speak as he took in the sights. Beyond the statues, there were riches, aurodium plates, bars, pieces of jewelries and coins that hadn't seen the light of day for centuries, millenia even. Yet, those didn't interest him, he sought something greater.

And then all that noise in the Force deadened, to be focused into one specific location, and that was ahead of him on the throne.

A figure was there, though the Epicant-Hybrid could hardly see them as he drew closer.

The figure appeared to be armoured, and then they appeared to be near naked, female, male, indiscernible and then back again. A'sharad blinked in fascination, though it was more akin to surprise. Multiple images appeared in that singular figure upon the throne, the mountains of riches reaching up to the very first step of the throne.

"You have come for the knowledge of the Kissai."​

​

The voice boomed, though it had multiple levels to its sound. It was as if a hundred voices were speaking at once.

​

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Asharad Graush"]

Vrak now stood only a bit behind Asharad himself, cloaked within the darkness of the tomb and robed within the force. He was far from undetectable, though with the spectacle unfolding in front of them he doubted that anyone would notice him.

His lips thinned behind his mask.

The voice seemed to boom throughout the hall, reverberating and bouncing over and over again. The echo reached not only into his ears, but seemingly into his skull. It reached into his very being and seemed to sound within his mind. Vrak couldn't help but let his lips thin, concentration pulling through him as he tried to focus on what was before him, his eyes closing for half a moment as he attempted to focus upon the changing forms on the statue.

He said nothing of course, preferring to instead watch in silence.

His gaze drifted from the figure upon the throne to the one standing before it.

Vrak made no move to strike, but he had no intention to allow the secrets of his people fall into human hands. Not unless they proves their worth.

 

[Asharad Graush]

A'sharad could feel the unfamiliar presence somewhere behind him, but elsewhere in the room he could also feel his other companion some place hidden in the dark shadows of the throne room that appeared to have have fallen into ruin centuries ago. There was a 'huh' at the statement, and A'sharad turned his head, rotating from side to side as he spotted different figures appearing from seemingly out of nowhere.

Apparitions.

It's true.

His lips tightened as he remained silent.

Even [member="Vrak Nashar"] was entrapped in the room with the Epicant-Hybrid. Graush himself remained silent as he took in his surroundings. All the ghosts had differing images, some more than others the closer to the throne they were, but all, excluding the one on the throne appeared to be transparent, as if they weren't truly there, but were a figment of their imaginations.

The force ghosts appeared to settle on figures that were hooded, armoured, even some in the rags of slaves, though they all seemed to hold the hard, dense bone structure of Purebloods.

A'sharad took it all in.

"The both of you seek the greatness of these halls."​

​

"To learn of... Your pasts."​

​

"Perhaps, why the Sith do not reign supreme in the Galaxy? Or, why it has taken so long for them to return."​

​

It was clear the ghost was ranting.

"Or something even greater."​

​

The apparition settled on a single form, a Pureblood, draped in robes of varying colours, golds and diamonds shining off of him, almost blindingly in the candlelit room.

"The Sith Emperor," A'sharad said. "The only mystery that matters for the Sith."