The Devil You Know

[Sinistra]

It had been awhile since the Sith Lord and her apprentice had managed to be in the same place at the same time.

Projects, training, missions, and intrigues took their toll, but communications had rarely ceased between the pair. Now that she had been tied to Ruusan for the foreseeable future, Sinistra decided it would be more beneficial to bring Kevros to the Valley of the Jedi, to let him drink in the power of the nexus.

His training could progress here but she was certain that he had not been idle in the months since they were last on Garqi. Instead, what she wanted to discuss with him here was more cerebral than another combat form or offensive power. If he was ever to take her place as a Sith Lord, he would need to be more than a fighter. Sinistra may fall to his blade one day but only if he could out maneuver his master so that she could not see his betrayal coming.

It was a strange notion, to train someone to kill you so they might claim your power for themselves. She had demonstrated a willingness already to risk insanity to drag him out of a crumbling library in the midst of a battle, and she wondered if that debt would hinder him.

There was nothing to do but wait and see.

She waited on the ramparts of the garrison, overlooking the barren floor of the Valley. Nothing grew here, nothing could survive the weight of the death and destruction wrought in this place. The winds through the rocky canyon fluttered the banners, and blew the brown strands of her hair away from her golden eyes.

Exposure to the nexus round the clock was taking a toll and she had resorted to wearing the alchemy mask which suppressed her connection to the force in order to vainly save some of her looks. Not that it would matter as time marching onward would eventually accomplish the same task.

She sipped a caf, the cup growing cold in her hand as she stared and waited for [member="Kevros Kovani"] to arrive.

 

[Orion Darkstar]

Ruusan had been a pleasant world once. The wars that transpired in the past had scarred the planet, even now it still felt wounded. History had shown little mercy to the mid-rim planet and likewise it was no surprise to him.

Destruction was a term that Kevros rarely used in the moments before victory. His time in the galaxy taught him that beauty, no matter how pure, eventually died out. It was a sad truth and even as he stepped onto the rocky terrain to meet his master, he knew the same beauty that Ruusan once had, at least in this very valley was no more.

Silent and slowly, he walked to the steps on the east wall of the garrison and ascended. As he reached the top the glimmer of orange and red from the sun set revealed his attire. The dark cloak he was given by his reckless father, continued to persist as one of his main trademarks, sporting the Kovani crest down the sides. At his shoulder rested a tiny pin, golden like his mask in the shape of a 'M.' Since the rest of his body was covered, the only truly noticeable feature was his golden mask. Not to hide his identity, put purely out of respect for his own achievements as a child.

The constant breeze lifted his long hair at his neck and as soon as it lifted it returned to its placid nature. He hadn't seen Sinistra in quite a while and even though that meant little advancement in the arts of combat he felt stronger. He trained while on his ventures something she had yet to witness was his newly formed power of the darkside.

Kevros knew that wasn't why he was summoned, no, this was something else. He could feel the force surging through the airways around him like a torrent of yearning. An echo slightly caught him off guard and as soon as it came it dissipated. Turning to face the valley he stepped beside his master. His emerald eyes scanned the floor for signs of life, but nothing, not even in the distance did a shade of hope find him. Desolate, completely and utterly dead; death was the only thing that transpired here.

The roaring sensation of power, however twisted and uncommon, sparked something deep within him. Even in such a wasteland of absolute desolation he found power in its place. His eyes lifted to the canyon walls, chiseled like blocks, soon to break away. He imagined what it must of looked like. Grinning under his mask he turned his head in Sinistra direction and immediately knew, she too had garnered some victory here. Small or large the way she gazed out into the crevice of death made him even more inclined to ask, but he knew better.

Turning back to the canyon he continued to imagine the valley before its end. Kevros looked deeper into the canyon confirming his one thought.

The pure beauty of the place died a long time ago...

[member="Sinistra"]

 

[Sinistra]

"Nearly two thousand years ago, Bane gave Kaan the means to destroy the Jedi and finally end the war between us and them. It was not the weapon Kaan believed it to be. Bane outplayed him, took out all his rivals and his enemies in one moment. The Sith destroyed themselves and thousands of years of knowledge and history were gone with the end of the Brotherhood. We have clawed our way back from that destruction, but Ruusan will forever bear the scars of our hubris."

She turned to look at Kevros, the setting sun glinting off his golden mask. This was the first time he would see her face, to know her unaltered voice, given no amplification nor distortion from her vocoder.

"A Sith is more than strength in combat or power. You must be cunning. Resourceful. You cannot ever fall victim to the belief that besting someone in combat proves you to be the better fighter. You will have to learn to read the details, the things that would normally pass unnoticed on your periphery. You have to learn to out think your opponent."

She turned to him, her hand setting the caf on the outer wall before crossing her arms, leaning on the same wall.

"You play games, Kevros? Dejarik, sabacc, pazaak? Anything that forces you to strategize and read a situation and your opponent?"

[member="Kevros Kovani"]

 

[Orion Darkstar]

((OOC: On phone, sorry for the typos and mistakes, if any..))

She began with the real story behind such a land of waste. The history was simply that, history, there was no sense in telling him, but she hadn't known. Sinistra hadn't known that Kevros remembered the story, not because of studies or arbitrary happenstances. Instead the voice of his father slid into his mind, reaching for him with his tales of power and wit. Kevros was no stranger to what happened here. Out of respect he continued to listen, shifting his gaze to Sinistra as she spoke. Tilting his head to the side he reached for the clip on the back of his head, his right hand gripping his mask as he revealed his young pale face. His long black hair was finally free as it weaved in the daunting whispers of Ruusans constant wind. Placing the mask down on the fortress wall he took a deep breath.

Sinistra needed to know he wasn't as clueless as he may have seemed.

"Yes, the thought bomb, isn't that what caused it? I only know this thanks to my father, he told the same story to me when I was younger. Of course he himself wasn't capable of reaching the force, but his admiration of such a feat by Lord Bane made him all the wiser. You see, master, there are things in this world that can be stripped away from us, but as time goes on our mistakes make a brighter future for those following in our footsteps."

Kevros never talked much, but when he did it was almost natural, a talent with words.

He paused and watched as Sinistra revealed her true self. Kevros blinked for a moment and then smiled. He knew her identity was of utmost importance, for her to show him was a statement in itself. They each had grown considerably through the force bond that manifested long ago. Since the library he owed her his life, but that wasn't in his nature. Being saved made him weaker, the images of the horrific things he saw in the library on Lujo stuck with him. Even still he fought on ward as Sinistra informed him.

Fighting with saber and the force wasn't the only means of winning a fight, something more cunning and devised could just as easily wound their enemies. Kevros was no stranger to the wisdom in which Sinistra possessed and as such remained a mystery, at least to him. He had rarely came across others with a desire to learn and use it to their advantage. Sinistra wasn't here to teach him new tricks, no, stimulation of the mind was her game.

"Games..."

Kevros stared at her for only a moment, the real game was long ways away, but as he stared into her golden pools of determination and confidence, he knew that he got the message across. The game between master and apprentice was a dangerous one, however, Kevros had much to learn before seizing his rightful place. He wanted to stand where she stood, only that would take more than just a cold stare to do.

"I've played some Dejarik, wookiees tend to go for the kill when I play them. Sabacc was a game that really spoke to me, the probability and strategy to it was always fun. Plus it taught me a invaluable lesson, it taught me to lie even when the odds are in my favor. As far as Pazaak, I may have dabbled in it. When it comes to games it's about your opponents rhythm, you have to disrupt that rhythm force them to change their patterns of execution, and strike when they didn't see it coming..." Kevros' voice changed to a relaxing gentle tone, he was comfortable and lately, work, was a stressful environment.

Looking down at his mask the last bit of the sun slid behind the edge of the most distant canyon top. The dark purple light glistened off the curved ends of his Kovani faceplate. Placing his hands on the wall he gripped the edges, stone scraping his already scared palms. He continued to examine the mask and looked back at Sinistra.

"Master." He paused. "Do you play any games?"

It was a dangerous question in itself, of course she played games, her enemies forced her to. Sinistra had turned her wisdom into a fruitful power and did so with ease. Kevros had the wits, he just needed more guidance. To topple those false lords above him he would need her, and she no matter how disturbing, would eventually need him.

[member="Sinistra"]

 

[Sinistra]

"Perhaps. There are lessons in the history, nonetheless. Kaan believed he and his followers could withstand the power of the ritual. Bane knew it would kill everyone. Those who help you are not necessarily a friend, and those who hinder you are not necessarily your enemies. You must question the bigger picture, always. What do they stand to gain and lose? What do you stand to gain and lose?"

There was a smile widening beneath the strands of brown hair, blowing across her face.

"Sith are particularly blind to the downfalls of pride. Be sure that your arrogance never clouds you from seeing the bigger picture and questioning everyone's motives. Even mine."

Taking a deep breath, she stood up and turned to walk the ramparts, the patrols on duty stepping aside as the Sith passed them.

"Games, why I play the grand game itself, Kevros. I am a spymaster. I play for life and death. Business, politics, power, and greed are the boards, and you have to know how to navigate them or the game ends for you. There is only 1 chance, and we pay the ante with our lives. Brutes cannot understand subtlety or manipulation. They bludgeon what they cannot understand. But what they fail to realize is that you need not take them out yourself. You can manipulate them into doing themselves in."

[member="Kevros Kovani"]

 

[Orion Darkstar]

He had known for too long that Sinistra was no pawn. Like most pieces on the game board of life, she was one of the most important. Her daily activities as she previously stated were already a dangerous enough. The Sith had a code and whether or not some liked it or not it kept them resolute. The main thing he was surprised about were her words.

Kevros had formed a true bond with her, he never stopped to consider that Sinistra was just another close enemy. Sure, he knew that one day he would attain her place, but starting the game of lies and deception so soon, seemed counter productive to his progress. Maybe life at its core was simply that; lies and deceiving. Etching your way to the top with or without honor. Savagery came to mind when he thought of such things. Toppling empires with manipulation alone seemed a concept he hadn't considered.

Refusal, also came to mind. Kevros was inclined to his own perception of how knowledge could be used to gain an upper hand. Discarding it away for later he nodded towards Sinistra. His jaw line defining as he clenched his teeth before speaking.

"Master, if I may interject. What do you stand to gain by training me? Teaching the ways of the darkside is no easy task, of that i'm sure, however, I fail to see your gain. The Sith while preserved, have many weaknesses, at least the way I see it. We are rich in power, but take it away all at the same time..."

Kevros paused, his lush green eyes searching for his masters expression.

"How can an order survive if those taught aren't strong enough to lead in your place. Forgive me if I've spoken out of place, just a thought, Master." His voice held passion and truth.

[member="Sinistra"]

 

[Sinistra]

She stopped to look at him a moment, which was wonderfully expressive in its own way. Beneath the mask, he had never seen the looks that would cross her face, the arch of her left eyebrow in careful consideration of something he would say or a viewpoint expressed. No, until this moment she had been a veiled enigma but now she could have doubled for a mysteriously ambiguous painting. There was no telling what the look meant, unless the Lord wished to express it herself.

"You are right. What I gain from you is assistance and power."

Her real voice was hard but rich, almost lush even as it purred from her. She was not shouting, just speaking low for him to hear and understand.

"I have never lied to you, I have given freely of my knowledge and my resources. In exchange, I teach you to be the kind of Sith that understands the true nature of our order. The one who can understand the weaknesses of the Sith, my weaknesses, and your own in order to cull me when the time comes and rule. If I cannot attain the power I seek, then it is only fitting that you cut me down. If I have fallen from the path, you must strike me out for the betterment of the whole. And should you prove unworthy of the things I have given you, I will do the same."

Her eyebrows knitted together as she considered him carefully.

"Why do you think I pulled you out of the library on Lujo?"

[member="Kevros Kovani"]

 

[Orion Darkstar]

The thought crossed his mind a few times, only now, it seemed so simple. The fact that his assistance was a useful tool of hers, reassured him of his future progression to the connection of the darkside. It was surprising for him to hear Sinistra refer to him as power. He knew that her teachings would manifest in their own way and if that meant powerful, he was all for it. Kevros could feel it now, the strength of a heavy energy barring down on him. The Force Nexus nearby was imbuing him, breaking him free from the shackles of weakness. The tingling feeling in his body made him avert his attention back to the decrepit, barren floor below.

"The Library..."

Kevros' voice fell deep, his eyes sinking into a pool of nothingness. It still haunted him, the sounds of the rushing water gripping at his very being. His face grew stale as he looked to Sinistra. The blinking images of himself dragged away by the depths of the unrelenting ocean. Shaking, he finally snapped back into reality, his face gaining color. The pits of his stomach loosened as he answered her.

"Pulling me out of that Library was your way of continuing my growth, your power as you put it, reflected in me. Until one day I will no longer need you. I should have been better prepared for the Dark Jedi's antics and for that I am unworthy."

Kevros looked straight into her eyes, his bottom lip dropping before he said it.

"The things I saw, I couldn't tell if they were real or fake. I can sometimes still feel it, the emptiness of the deep, blue sea."

Kevros began to sweat just thinking about it. He never fought against such forceful power before, besides Sinistra. It was unfortunate that for his first real mission he was up against greater odds than they were worth. In fact, even with his power, even he knew he was at death's door. Without Sinistra's perfect timing he would have been dead.

[member="Sinistra"]