The Founder: Part 1

[Soeht]

After events on Ossus lead to Daella acquiring Darth Krayt's supposed holocron, she quickly made her way to Coruscant along with the rest of the Sith troops that attacked the Jedi Temple. She had tricked a Jedi in order to obtain the holocron without a fight - her justification coldly being that it saved time and allowed for the Jedi to be defeated via a quicker, more subversive manner.

Just the other Voices of the Dark Lord as well as the Eye were invited to watch as Daella attempted to delve into its secrets. This provided extra security for the holocron itself as less hands touching it would result in fewer chances for it to be stolen or destroyed.

Deep within the new Imperial Palace, Daella placed the pyramidal holocron on a pedestal with a bandaged wrapped right hand. Etched into the base of the holocron's frame, the words "In umbris potestas est" reflected just enough light to appear shine through the dim shadows of the chamber.

Wasting no time after setting down the holcron, Daella activated it. A second passed without a reaction. Then, it began to glow a bright, blood red. All on Coruscant would feel tremendous tremors in the Force. The tip of the holocron emitted a bright, orange light. It felt as if something that had not been touched in ages had just been released.

As she watched the holocron activate, Daella kept a steady gaze on it. No longer wearing the tan robe she sported on Ossus, Daella was adorned in a simple, dark brown, leather tunic.

After several seconds, the beams of a hologram projected from the holocron. Just above it, the blue figure of a hooded man with spiked spaulders appeared.The robe draped over his body with a gap at the chest just wide enough to notice a metal breastplate. The lack of Vonduun Skerr Kyrric was obvious to any observer.

The figure pulled back its holographic hood, though. Daella perked a brow for but a moment at it. Now, the figure revealed itself to have the appearance of Darth Krayt - unmasked with the left eye having a different texture to it.

The gatekeeper took several moments to observe Daella before asking, "Who are you?"

 

[Soeht]

After being asked for her identity, Daella simply stared at the gatekeeper for several seconds. History lessons of the Sith Lord ran through her mind. Much of what Krayt had done was lost to the Dark Age and Gulag Plague.

Yet, all of the One Sith were familiar with the legends of their origins - true or not. Darth Krayt was still revered by many Sith. Daella merely gave the gatekeeper the same stoic stare that she normally gave anyone else.

"Darth Junra," replied Daella as she stood before the holocron.

 

[Soeht]

"Sith?" questioned the gatekeeper. Its voice seemed to be very much like Darth Krayt's, yet Daella and nearly everyone else in the galaxy would have no idea of what it was beyond holotapes that survived the centuries.

"You hardly look like one," commented the gatekeeper. True, Daella hardly seemed to be a Sith of Krayt's time. Instead of red skin and tattoos sprawling all over her body, Daella still had a somewhat healthy looking tone with no cosmetic body modifications. She did not even bear the typical sign of dark side corruption - fiery, bloodshot eyes. The gatekeeper only saw her cold, azure gaze.

Several seconds of silence ensued.

Before waiting too long though, the gatekeeper asked, "Though, you certainly aren't Jedi. Who do you serve?"

 

[Soeht]

"The Dark Lord of the Sith," replied Daella without moving.

"We call ourselves the One Sith," she then claimed.

Behind Daella was an emblem of the old Empire that Darth Krayt once ruled. Several Sith also surrounded the holocron and gave ominous presences and appearances. Yet, none had the appearance of the One Sith that Darth Krayt knew. There were the occasional pure blood Sith that survived the ages, yet none garnered the tattoos.

"Our roots go back to Darth Krayt," added Daella.

 

[Soeht]

At that moment, the gatekeeper let loose a short cackle. It was hilarious to the gatekeeper how ones that hardly looked like his lieutenants several hundred years ago claimed to be descendants of that same order.

"You are One Sith?!" questioned the gatekeeper, "You are none of the sort from my eyes."

Then, the gatekeeper took a glance around the room.

"Yet there is no denying the rest of you are Sith," continued the gatekeeper, "At least of the weak, outdated kind."

The gatekeeper failed the mention the irony of his words. Years ago, Darth Krayt sought the advice of Sith holocrons of ancient Dark Lords. Those that could help Darth Krayt achieve a perpetual life carefully guarded their secrets. They viewed the Sith of their time as abominations for their own reason. To them, Darth Krayt was a heretic - an abomination to the ancient Sith.

Now, the gatekeeper echoed their words to the new generation.

 

[Darth Veles]

After the One Sith had managed to take what rightfully belonged to them thanks to [member="Daella Apparine"]'s impressive display of wit and treachery, Darth Veles, one of His Voices, found himself on Coruscant, being invited to witness His student unveil the secrets of Krayt's holocron. The promise of learning something lured him in, and soon he found himself in the Imperial palace, a tribute to the One Sith and an architectural miracle. Its grand walls and interior almost brought a tear into the amphibian's eye; it gave him hope of the Sith truly ruling the galaxy one day, the day that marked beginning of the new golden age for the galaxy, one of security and prosperity.

Not having changed his apparel, the Mon Cal strode through the grand halls in his Imperial armor, carrying the large helmet under the arm. Heavy, black colored cloak waved behind him as he increased the pace upon seeing the right door. The Dark Side radiated from within, so powerful, so beautiful. How easily it could twist, change anything at the core mercilessly and once and for all. There lied its beauty and power...

The young Voice of the Dark Lord entered the chamber, his large amber eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness. The cybernetic orb remained fixed at the projection while the healthy eye glanced at Lady Junra. Turning his head and offering her a silent nod, not knowing if she noticed that but being pratically certain she could feel his presence, the Mon Calamari then remained motionless, hiding the free arm under the cloak and glaring at the holographic display of aman who had attempted to exterminate his species.

Many have said Veles shouldn't have joined the One Sith because of that particular incident, to which he always pointed out that Darth Krayt was dead, the One Sith's been reborn and most likely held no grudge against any species and last and most important, Veles considered himself a Sith and an Imperial, his race meant nothing to him. The Mon Calamari was by no means a speciesist; he simply never promoted any race above another and favouring the Mon Calamari for being one would be great weakness.

 

[J3C0]

Mierin stood to Daella's flank, her eyes staring at the figure before her. The scowl on her face deepened as the guardian began to speak, he did not trust them, he did not agree with them, he mocked them. The Sith Purebloods scowl deepened with every word that Krayt spoke. She had had the greatest respect for the man, but she did not enjoy being mocked, and she certainly did not enjoy her Master being mocked. The Dark Lord of the Sith was not someone to be questioned, was not someone to be mocked.

Part of her wanted to destroy the Holocron, but she knew that would be utterly foolish.

Her eyes darted over Krayts form, and then over to Daella. She did not want to speak. She of course was one of the Ancient Sith that had been turned to by Krayt so long ago. Not one of the people, but it had been her kind that had rejected Krayt. Now she stood before him, seeking the things that he knew. There was an irony to that.

“We were set upon our path by Darth Nihl.” Mierin finally stated.

This was true. Darth Nihl was the Dark Lord who had put their plans in motion. He had not been the one to raise the Dark Lord that reigned them now, that had been his successor. However Nihl had been the one that set their conquest of the galaxy in motion. It had been he who ordered the infiltration of the Jedi and other factions, and it had been he who set them on their path to victory.

He was also a man that Krayt's gatekeeper. would recognize.
[member="Daella Apparine"]

 

[Soeht]

Daella refrained from speaking after [member="Darth Mierin"] answered the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper looked to Mierin and said, “So, I have failed.”

Even at the time that Darth Krayt had created this holocron, he still had the desire to live forever. The fact that Darth Nihl was mentioned to have lead the One Sith meant that he never achieved his goal of immortality.

“Darth Nihl was among the most loyal,” continued the gatekeeper as he glanced at [member="Darth Veles"], “Yet it seems that my traditions died just as easily as those from the Sith of old.”

Looking back at Daella and Mierin, the gatekeeper told them, “Pity you do not mark yourselves. It gave us a level of unity never reached before.”

 

[J3C0]

Mierin paused for a moment. For a moment she simply stared at the gatekeeper, her eyes shifted slightly to Daella, focusing on her for a moment before stepping forward, beyond the smaller woman. The Sith Lord stared up at the massive hologram that stood before her, yellow eyes flickering slightly as she reached up towards the heavy cloth robes covering her. She pulled on the metal clasps that pinned the robes in place, unfastening them piece by piece.

“Our Mark was hidden out of necessity.” Mierin stated as she stripped the robes from her top. The black silk fell away, revealing massive sprawling black tendrils beneath crimson skin. She turned her back towards the hologram, revealing the massive sprawling Dark mark that spread across her entire back and shifted over towards her front.

“The Mark grows and covers us, consumes us as our knowledge grows.” The mark seemed to flow beneath her skin, flaring slightly outward from the mark of the One Sith Empire. “The marking has not died. Simply evolved.”

Mierin explained to the gatekeeper, covering herself once again and clasping the robe back up to clothe herself once again. She then turned to face the hologram, her face remaining impassive as she looked the echo of Darth Krayt in the eyes.

 

[Soeht]

After the gatekeeper commented on the lack of a mark, Daella looked to [member="Darth Mierin"] before the pureblood stepped forward. Daella watched as Mierin revealed the Mark of Darkness that was beneath her robes with pure stoicism.

While she would have if she could, Daella was unable to show the gatekeeper her own Mark due to her right hand healing.

After Mierin gave her demonstration, Daella expanded on what her comrade said by telling the gatekeeper, “We dispersed into the galaxy in small numbers, masking ourselves, hiding amidst the enemy.”

Bringing her left hand to her chest, Daella said, “We infiltrated governments on every planet.”

Lowering her hand, Daella then said, “Together or alone, we slipped onto worlds and struck from the shadows.”

“We were invisible. We were patient,” she claimed, “Now, we have reemerged and the Republic has been unable to put us down as we stand in the open.”

 

[Soeht]

“That sounds like something Darth Nihl would do,” replied the gatekeeper, not knowing how close to the truth his statement was.

“I remember the day Order 66 was given,” continued the gatekeeper, “The Republic died that day. The Yuuzhan Vong made sure it never returned to its full glory.”

At that moment, the gatekeeper knew that the political environment in which it was created was no more. The Alliance and Fel Empire Remnants were fighting against Darth Krayt’s Empire. The gatekeeper assumed that if he had failed, then it would have been the Fel Empire or Galactic Alliance that would be in power.

Yet the news that the Republic had been recreated changed everything. His assumptions were no longer valid.

“It seems that all did not occur as I had foreseen,” said the gatekeeper.

“What is the condition of the One Sith now?” asked the gatekeeper.

 

[Soeht]

“War,” curtly replied Daella.

There had been a lull in major battles recently. Yet, Daella and the rest of the One Sith could feel the tension rising. The Jedi and Republic frantically tried to defend against small attacks in the farthest corners of their galaxy while also obtaining as much intelligence as they could about the Sith’s weird movements.

There was one thing of note in the One Sith’s emergence, though.

“We took Coruscant from the Republic in our first battle,” claimed Daella, “Now we’re aiming for the Republic’s throat.”

Finally, the first mention of the current Dark Lord came from Daella’s mouth as she told the gatekeeper, “Our Lord has given us and the galaxy the path forward. The Republic will fall as it tears itself apart - how well we can exploit our advantages decides just how long that takes.”

The Dark Lord was an integral part of the One Sith - even when Darth Krayt had ruled. Just like it was in 138 ABY, the Dark Lord’s presence could be felt by Sith throughout the entire galaxy. It gave many a sense of joy just to know him.

It was a cult of personality that rivaled what Darth Krayt had ever created.

 

[Soeht]

“Coruscant in your hands?” questioned the gatekeeper.

It seemed now that the One Sith he was speaking to were not exactly weak pretenders. The act of prying Coruscant from its owner was an extreme feat simply due to the few times it had happened in the galaxy millennia of years.

For a moment, it looked as if the gatekeeper was still processing the information just presented to him.

“A war between the Sith and Republic.” said the gatekeeper, “History repeats.”

Yet in all of this conversation, the gatekeeper noticed that this was the first time that the Dark Lord was mentioned. Despite being an immensely important role for the One Sith, the gatekeeper wondered exactly how important he could be if it took this long for his subjects to mention his existence to the holocron of the order’s founder.

“Tell me of my successor,” asked the gatekeeper, “He has a name?”

The gatekeeper wondered just who exactly lead the new One Sith and how or why they acted the way that they did. A stoic girl with hardly the appearance of a Sith, a pureblood Sith, and a Mon Calamari. Things did not seem to add up.

 

[Soeht]

“We only know him as the One True Dark Lord of the Sith,” replied Daella.

No one knew of the Dark Lord’s true identity or his origins. There were no aliases or nicknames. His age was completely unknown. None could make an educated guess on whether or not he was old enough to know Krayt, or if he was much younger.

“He came from Voss,” continued Daella, “A planet at the edge of the galaxy.”

Even in today’s age, few knew of Voss and its mystics. To both the Sith and Jedi, Voss Mystics were an alien culture. It seemed to be “gray,” yet it was simply that they followed a completely different standard of morals compared to the rest of the galaxy.

“He has a grand vision for the galaxy,” said Daella as her voice began to pick up in intensity. She stepped forward and clenched her left hand.

“To destroy all borders that exist now,” she told the gatekeeper, “To unite the galaxy as one. To cast aside the parasites that have fed off the success of others. To raise society to its true peak.”

Finishing her little speech, Daella then said, “To bring order to this age of chaos! One in the hands of an immortal, visionary leader!”

 

[Darth Veles]

The Mon Calamari Sith remained standing near the wall, not interupting the conversation of the two Sith with the holocron. It was the very opposite of his classes where he talked and talked, trying to explain new powers to his students and teaching them. In this room, he was but a student again, he listened to what the others said, learning more information. And there certainly was much to learn, starting with the holocron's opinion on the One Sith. The projection's "disappointment" was perfectly understandable; the fact the One Sith still fought their war against the hated Jedi meant Krayt's plan had failed, which could be said about every long-term plan of the Sith so far. The only one who had gotten close to achieving the dream of every Sith was Darth Sidious, in Veles' opinion the greatest Sith who ever lived. Not only because of his vast power and deception; the man, publicly known as Palpatine in his time, understood how the galaxy worked and masterfully used it to his advantage. By orchestrating the Clone Wars while appearing as a kind old man forced to make hard decisions, he became a popular figure and granted the galaxy what it wanted. Peace, order, prosperity while his Jedi enemies were believed to be terrorists by the public. And the Republic became the First Galactic Empire; only to crumble with the death of its creator. The Sith were so close to ruling the galaxy forever... if not for Skywalker. A true Sith should never turn their back to a fallen Jedi, for they can fall to the Light Side again.

As he watched [member="Darth Mierin"] take off a layer of her robes to reveal her Mark, Veles absent-mindedly touched his own tattoo, gifted to him by Lady Isolda. Her kiss of Darkness had grown larger over time, covering much of the amphibian's shoulder now. The one thing that connected them all, much more subtle than having the entire body tattooed red and black. Another proof the Sith envolved, despite many clinging to the ancient traditions that were nothing more but a burden now. His own Master may have beed a traditionalist, but Veles considered himself to be one of the progressive Sith who believed the Order had to do what Palpatine had done so long ago; adapt to the galaxy.

When [member="Daella Apparine"] spoke His vision, Veles could feel the fire in his heart burning with greater intensity again. Unlike many Sith, the Mon Calamari fully supported and believed in the Dark Lord's vision, becoming a devotee of His noble, purifying fire, burning for the good of the galaxy. Before His apprentice finished her speech, the amphibious Sith found himself feeling incredible pride of being a member of the One Sith.

The joy quickly died as he remembered the Silver Jedi have chosen Voss as their base. A mere coincidence, or something more? They had to be taken care of to be prevented from discovering something about the Dark Lord. Veles' lips twisted into a smile and he thought of Maya. Whether the Silver Jedi realized it or not, they were about to be poisoned from within... soon. With Maya's lover about to discover what kind of people hid behind the words of peace and diplomacy, the poison might signify big changes in the leadership of the rogue Jedi Order and possibly cause the group to slowly fall apart.

 

[Soeht]

Immediately after Daella gave her little speech, the gatekeeper sneered.

“Once,” began the gatekeeper, “I thought to bring peace and order to the galaxy through the existing governments - to align the worlds to the rule of the One Sith.”

For those that knew of Darth Krayt, that was what they normally thought his vision was. The man had taken over the Fel Empire because he saw that it was unable to live up to his idea of order in the galaxy. Daella apparently followed such a vision, and some such as Veles did as well.

Continuing, the gatekeeper declared, “That cannot work. The galaxy must experience the pain of death and the rapture of rebirth as I have.”

Such statements were that of the resurrected Darth Krayt. Instead of simply uniting the galaxy in order to quell the chaos within it, this new Krayt believed that everything had to be torn down for the new era to begin.

“Darth Nihl believed in this fully,” claimed the gatekeeper, “I wonder what your Master’s vision truly is.”

 

[Soeht]

Just as the gatekeeper denied that the current vision of the One Sith would work, Daella’s eyes grew wide. The founder of the One Sith told Daella that she was wrong about the goal of the goal Sith, essentially. [member="Darth Veles"] and apparently Daella followed the idea of complete order in the galaxy. [member="Darth Mierin"] followed the Dark Lord’s orders to her fullest.

Yet now the gatekeeper suggested that the Vision that Daella claimed might not be true. This was especially possible because of the suggestion that Darth Nihl believed in the idea of tearing down the galaxy to recreate it.

While it does have the goal of bettering the galaxy in a manner, the idea of “killing” the galaxy and “resurrecting” it was not compatible with the plan of establishing everlasting order.

Daella furrowed her brows in a glare at the holocron. Her eyes glowed fiery orange.

“How can that ever benefit the galaxy?” questioned Daella, “Who are you to presume that my Master discarded your destructive ideals for the true purpose of the One Sith?”

 

[Soeht]

The gatekeeper gazed into Daella’s eyes as she had her verbal outburst. He understood that it was possible for Darth Nihl to abandon his final goal the moment after Darth Krayt died, or that a successor not knowing Darth Krayt himself decided that bringing the galaxy to order was a better goal.

“It is out of the forge of fire and death -- of chaos and anger -- that one will be reborn,” said the gatekeeper, “No longer on the edge of light and dark, but wrapped in the shadows of the galaxy.”

“I see now, though,” continued the gatekeeper, “You have great potential as a Sith.”

Panning his head around the room to see the others gathered, such as [member="Darth Veles"] and [member="Darth Mierin"], the gatekeeper added, “Most of you should have the ability to experience such enlightenment as I have and reach your full potential as well.”

Turning back to Daella, the gatekeeper told her, “But after what you said, I assume you acquired this holocron for some purpose other than knowing the truth that I found after death.”

 

[Soeht]

“Yes,” answered Daella, “Even if Darth Krayt is the founder of the One Sith, until I hear My Lord speak of the same ‘truth’ as you do, I only have interest in things of a much more practical nature.”

After saying that, Daella’s face began to relax back to the smooth, stoic gaze she gave. Her eyes returned to their natural icy blue. She straightened her stance and raised her head and chin.

“Our war with the Republic is reaching its climax,” claimed Daella, “It will crumble on its own - unable to unite under one vision. Its leaders go mad as more rush to our cause every day. They’ve begun to persecute their own kind in fear of more chaos in their ranks - not knowing that it’s the source of their strife.”

“Yet,” added Daella, “Many will die if the war drags out. While I understand that lives must be spent for the betterment of the galaxy, I understand when we are simply wasting resources when we can reach the conclusion of this war even faster.”

Telling the gatekeeper the purpose of why the Sith took his holocron, Daella told him, “To that end, we seek the ancient power - through the Force and technology - that you used to bring the Jedi and rest of the galaxy to its knees.”

 

[Soeht]

“There is yet a chance to enlighten you, young girl,” immediately replied the gatekeeper.

“Nothing of flesh and blood lasts,” he continued, “Not even Darth Krayt. Not even your Master. But power is eternal.”

The gatekeeper said, “What I will give you now will show you the true nature of your Master.”

A compartment in the holocron opened. The gatekeeper then said, “Before my rebirth, I never considered building such a thing. Too hard to hide. A Sith before the One Sith’s rise to power had used a device like it - the rest of the galaxy abhorred its existence. After, I saw its true purpose. I wonder if it was ever built. You might know if you saw it.”

From the compartment, a little port protruded from it. The gatekeeper informed Daella, “Bring a datapad. The specifications for this weapon will be uploaded.”

With squinted eyes, the gatekeeper said, “I wonder what will become of this.”