The Holocron of Heresies [Closed]

[Darth Ayra]

The Holocron of Heresies​

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| [member="Darth Veles"] |

The insatiable thirst for power was a constant motivation. Coupled with ambition, there isn't anything one would do in order to seize the ancient knowledge hidden across the galaxy. Secrets, ready to be taken by those were the strong, away from the weak and undeserving. This was the natural way of things. Darth Vupua walked the streets of Avalonia in light clothing. Under the disguise of Avedia Lacroix, the Sith Lord fitted, wearing the most stylish and fashionable clothing available on the world. She care not for the material wealth that she possessed with thanks to her late master, Darth Ayra. It was only a means to an end.

It had been a standard two months since she had met with Darth Veles, the Mon Calamari who she had exposed as a Sith Lord. The exposition was small, saved only for herself. She saw no use in blowing Veles' cover to the First Order. If anything, the discovery that there was another Sith Lord, who understood the ways of the dark side as well as he did, was a sign of things to come. Vupua did not believe in coincidence. Some might have described their chance meeting as such, but Vupua knew the ways of the Force, and so it had been their destiny that they had met. Power was theirs to take if they were only brave enough to grab hold of it.

Despite being safeguarded by the fact that if Veles betrayed her, she would, in turn, betray him, Vupua was no fool. Veles was a powerful Sith Lord, that much she had confirmed during the first hours they had met. So, she had chosen a public location for them to meet at. In the middle of plaza, Vupua lowered herself to sit on the ledge of a fountain and leaned her hands back on the marble top, basking in the sunlight of Dosuun's star. She wore shades to protect her eyes. With nothing but the rumble of the public around her, and flow of water from the fountain she sat beside, the Sith Lord attuned her senses with the dark side, and waited for the Sith to show himself to her.

 

[Darth Veles]

Darth Vupua was no ordinary dark Jedi like so many others who claimed to be Sith – following Bane’s doctrine, the young woman held infinitely more value in the Mon Cal’s large amber eyes, for she understood. Darth Veles had met the woman a few times, forming a brittle alliance with his fellow Banite. It carried many risks and dangers, but the payoff was too great to allow paranoia ruin such a chance at knowledge and power. After all, who else had the right to seize the pyramid-shaped archives of forbidden secrets if not staunch traditionalists, true Sith and devoted followers of the old way, beings who craved strength and wisdom? Sith collectivism deserved to be crushed and robbed of their power – and were there any better candidates at doing so than the Banite duo? While breaking the traditional roles of master and apprentice, both craved something known to the other, making the relationship work.

Face hidden behind a bunch of beautiful pristine white flowers, elegant suit equally white, Veles walked through Avalonia, one of the most beautiful jewels of the First Order. Nobody paid him any mind – all the anonymous masses spotted was a fairly uninteresting, ordinary human carrying flowers. He attracted no attention in place where a non-human would undoubtedly raise many questions. None even considered the human appearance was a mere guise tailored by the Force at Veles’ command. Indeed; for this date, he had opted to draw no more attention than necessary, especially given Vupua’s identity. Two Sith lords seen plotting together equalled poisonous rumours and the Mon Cal had no need of that with the Ren always ready to act and eliminate perceived threats. If Vupua truly carried sensitive information she was to share with him, he certainly did not want the Supreme Leader's agents to catch wind of it.

“There you are, friend! You look wonderful today!” came from behind Vupua, soon followed by the blonde man’s appearance alongside the white banquet offered to her. Veles’ human skin smiled nonchalantly, but the emotion was completely absent in his azure hued eyes that displayed cold ambition and hunger for power. Despite the graceful appearance that was completely void of any trace in the Force, clean-shaven with sharp features, his eyes spoke a different story, one of passionate flames ready to enthral those who stared into them for too long.

“I must say you have picked a great place for our date.” Stated the apparition in a voice that definitely did not belong to the amphibious Sith lord.

He remained standing, chest rising up and down, a stray flock of hair occasionally disturbed by the wind.

“What have you discovered? Tell me the wonderful news!”


[member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

Vupua averted her attention away from a contingent of stormtroopers as they had passed by to the Human man that had introduced himself to her. Any other individual would have been deceived by the power of Veles' illusion. But not her. Rising up to her feet, Vupua greeted Veles with a warm smile: "Hey." She then leaned into the man, leaning her body into his in a deep embrace, kissing him deeply on the spot. If they were to be playing the part of a couple dating, so that their meeting went unnoticed under the ever watchful eye of the Order of Ren, then she would play her part well.

As Vupua kissed Veles, she subtly slipped her hand into the front pocket of her clothes, and activated her device. If an agent of Ren was listening in to their conversation through some technological means, then that device would find it impossible to break past the jamming signal that Vupua had now erected between the pair. A construction of Chandrila DataTech, and invented by her late Master, Vupua had inherited the device for her own machinations. Finishing her kiss with Veles, Vupua locked hands with the handsome Human and turned to walk down the streets of Avalonia.

"I have discovered the location of a Sith Holocron," Vupua said, keeping her voice low enough to stop passing civilians from hearing her, but in a way that was not suspicious. To the naked eye, it would seem the couple were taking a walk through the streets of Avalonia, enjoying the architecture of the First Order's capital city. To walk in the open was a superior method of disguise. "My contacts have told me that the Holocron is hidden away on a planet called Tatooine, in the Arkanis sector."

 

[Darth Veles]

Walking through the totalitarian, faceless city allowed for little anonymity. Even walls had ears, every civilian passing by a potential rat eager to report anything out of the ordinary. Fortunately, the Sith couple played their roles very well, easily blending into Avalonia’s grey normality standards; an Imperial himself, the Sith assassin had no trouble with fitting his own cog into the ruthless machine that ran the First Order. Veles’ pace matched Vupua’s, further reinforcing the image of a couple. The typical hobble often seen on his person was completely gone, replaced by flawless elegance and grace nobles on Avalonia proudly wore as a badge.

Once no spying eyes and ears paid any attention to them and Vupua used this moment to reveal the purpose behind their meeting, Veles’ sudden surge of excitement excitement became palpable in the Force despite his expression remaining stone cold – the promise of a holocron lured him in, he wasn’t one to reject such a worthy prize. He realized Vupua could easily exploit the trait and lead him into a trap – but why use primitive treachery to get rid of him when doing so meant losing so much knowledge stored inside the large head of his? The fact she obviously wanted her amphibious ally to partake in the hunt indicated Vupua took their alliance seriously. Or perhaps she needed his abilities, in which case he needed to watch himself.

“Amazing,” gasped Veles, voice betraying his true feelings and cracking the indifferent mask, “Another step to bring us closer to achieving our dream.”

Their dreams differed, yet were not mutually exclusive.

Veles’ mind immediately started grinding over the holocron’s contents, imagining the faithless rituals and powers waiting to be unlocked. What secrets awaited him this time? Completely blinded by desire and hunger for information, he fell silent for a while, weaving sinister plots and considering various angles should he discover certain powers he craved. Always a Sith, a creature constantly fighting for survival and adapting to effectively face any and all dangers, he soon conquered this suicidal obsession and returned back to reality, driven by his natural thirst for power, tempered by caution and his personal mantra. The human created by Veles’ mastery over the tricky powers of bending light and shadows turned his head towards Avedia, smiling sweetly with the grin of a predator lulling its prey.

“Since we don’t need our affair to become a public matter, I’ll ready my ship, darling. Take what you need and meet me at the main spaceport, docking bay 78C.”

Your Deathbed was a fine, discreet tool equipped with stealth technology – and for these reasons, the Sith lord favoured his personal transport over other, better armed and armoured methods. Tatooine would never see them coming.



[member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

"I will meet you there tonight," Vupua said, laughing at a joke that Veles had never even spoken. The couple walked through the city of Avalonia for another hour, maintaining their facade, until it was time to part ways. When they did, Darth Vupua returned to the Initium and changed out of her clothes, donning the signature jet black robes of her Order. Her hand brushed against the pommel of her Lightsaber, reassuring her that it was ready to dissect her enemies if she was confronted. Knights of Ren, Darth Veles, Jedi... It did not matter to the Sith Lord who her enemy was.

Darth Vupua would show no mercy.

Arsix bleeped at his Master. Lowering her gaze to the astromech, Darth Vupua said: "I'm leaving it up to you now, Arsix. Make sure that you do not fail me." Arsix bleeped an affirmative. Departing the ship, Vupua made her way to the location of the Your Deathbed to meet with Veles, knowing that she had prepared a contingency plan if the Sith Lord decided to betray her on Tatooine. Perhaps Veles would consider their partnership ended the moment Darth Vupua revealed the Holocron of Heresies to him, seeing no need for the pair to share it's secrets or continue working together now that she had served a purpose. If Vupua was betrayed, at least the Initium would follow suit to take it away from the barren, bleak landscape of Tatooine into relative safety.

 

[Darth Veles]

Dismissed into cosmic particles, Veles’ human cloak fell apart the moment his will no longer required its service. Before Vupua’s arrival, the now revealed Mon Cal hid Darth Zash’s holocron in the safest of locations and spent the remaining time by silently wishing to meet his old master again, leaning against the ship’s rear and contemplating his options should the necessity of giving her a good death be denied to him. While just another item on his infinitely long list of things to correct, the task held no less importance than any other. Quite the opposite – it equalled freeing himself, proving his undeniable right to wield the mantle of the Dark lord and marking the start of his journey to purify his beloved order. Without it, he felt incomplete, as if he had skipped a step, yet could not waste the numerous opportunities to claim power and knowledge.

With a dark presence growing near came Vupua’s black-clad arrival. Veles’ big head slowly turned to face her, unspoken questions glinting in his eyes, but not a single word left his mouth. In complete silence, the master assassin boarded his trusty vessel alongside his treacherous companion. Once Your Deathbed abandoned its shelter and slipped into the night’s concealing canvas, nobody would find it until its master desired so. Similarly to daggers slipping into one’s back, it cut through the atmosphere and left Avalonia’s fiercely guarded orbit, a mere shimmering light blue dot painted by its engines before those too vanished into the cold infinity of space. And the two were off, leaving the First Order’s capital behind for an overheated sandbox of a planet.

“Tell me about the holocron we seek,” inquired Veles slyly as he entered Tatooine’s coordinates into the navigation computer, one eye swivelling towards the Sith hussy and observing her, “I want to know everything – its creator, contents, owner, whereabouts.”


[member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

As Darth Vupua made her way to the Your Deathbed, she contemplated on the intricacies of her relationship with the Mon Calamari she was about to meet with. When she had murdered Darth Ayra, and seized the mantle of Sith Master away from her, Vupua had felt herself anointed as the new Dark Lord of the Sith. But had this been a lie? She recalled her duel with Darth Vornskr, the Sith Lord she had tried to apprehend with the goal of redeeming him to the light side of the Force. It had been an effort in futility, to save the Galactic Republic from the machinations and constant invasions of the One Sith. She had been soundly beaten by the Sith Lord, and that had been her first taste of the dark side.

When Darth Ayra had found her, she had felt that the power between her Sith Master and Darth Vornskr was different. Whilst her Sith Master was strong in the dark side, possessing knowledge and wisdom that had enlightened Vupua, she always remember what had happened to her at the hands of Vornskr. He was far stronger, and more powerful, than Darth Ayra ever had been. If she was the Dark Lord of the Sith, then what did that make Vornskr? It slowly dawned to her that Ayra had not been the Dark Lord of the Sith. For all her power, and strength, she had not seized the mantle herself away from the strong. She had died, leaving in place a stronger, more powerful successor that inherited the teachings of Darth Bane, but Darth Vupua was not a true Sith Master.

This contemplation mixed and intertwined itself with Darth Veles. He too followed the teachings of Darth Bane. He possessed knowledge and abilities that Vupua did not. Yet, neither of them were strong enough to chain the other into the Master-Apprentice dichotomy. She possessed knowledge and power that Veles did not have. Whilst neither were Master or Apprentice to another, they were a symbiosis of the Rule of Two. They both followed what Darth Bane taught, and had understanding of the dark side to revolutionize their Order in there being only two. They would have to kill each other one day, and take an Apprentice, but until that time, they would work together to destroy the likes of Darth Vornskr, so that the mantle of Dark Lord would only be possessed by the strongest, wisest and most powerful.

Lowering the cowl of her robe, Vupua entered the ship and lowered the bag she had carried on her shoulder to the ground. It held all the items she would need for the excursion to Tatooine: food, water, fresh clothes. She wouldn't trust Veles to provide these things himself. Joining her partner, Vupua turned to watch Avalonia as Your Deathbed took off. In a matter of minutes, they found themselves on the thrum of hyperspace, course set for Tatooine.

"I confess that I do not know much about the holocron in question," replied Vupua. Folding her arms into her sleeve, the Sith Lord clasped her left hand along the pommel of the Saberstaff tucked beneath her right sleeve. Concealed by both the long, dark fabric of her robe and the dark side, Vupua would always keep the weapon close in the company of this man. "My contacts tell me that a Jedi named Corvus Raaf lives on Tatooine, and is suspected of holding a Sith Holocron. These people are often in touch with Jedi and Sith, as they deal with Force aligned paraphernalia, so it could be a trap. But I sensed that there was something to be had from this excursion, if not the holocron, then the death of a vulnerable Jedi Master would suffice. I trust you have no qualms in killing the Jedi, if we encounter them?"

 

[Darth Veles]

Veles’ body noticeably winced when his favourite Jedi’s name was voiced. Many fond memories of Corvus flashed before his eyes, body temporarily frozen as he furiously searched for the right response to Vupua’s jab. Despite Darth Veles’ immense desire to test his strength against that of the Jedi Grandmaster, he did not want to kill her. As a Jedi, she was undoubtedly his enemy, at least ideologically, yet he had never been on the wrong side of Corvus’ purple lightsaber. A strange, unspoken agreement built upon honour and mutual respect demanded Veles to spare the violet-eyed woman’s life and vice versa. In a way, Veles loved the woman with a child-like admiration. As such, words faced trouble when forming inside his mind, let alone rolling off his tongue. And then – calmness! Putting on a disarming smile, the amphibious assassin told his associate the truth, if only to hear what she had to say to that.

“Grandmaster Raaf is a good friend of mine,” Veles announced firmly and turned around, eyes careful to study Vupua’s reaction, “I know her too well to believe she hides the holocron in her home. In fact – encountering the woman is extremely unlikely given her… talents. Hmm… no. We won’t find her.”

Despite the swift dismissal, one short thought considered it a possibility. Still, there was absolutely nothing to gain from her death. While many self-proclaimed Sith glorified murder and hunted it as art, Veles was a far more pragmatic creature. Focused solely on the holocron and the precious information stolen inside, he did not bother pursuing the thought any further.

His smile turned into a knowing smirk that silently mocked the female Sith.

“I think you don’t give the Jedi Grandmaster enough credit, Vupua. Have you ever heard about her accomplishments by any chance?” he demanded, voice confident and never losing that commanding undertone poking out.

Once the blue and white whirlwind around their ship spat them out, there was absolutely no question about their correct arrival. A ball sprinkled with sand and dust, Tatooine. Harsh in climate and murderous in wilderness, many thought the idea of living there insane. Such minds needed to pay Korriban a visit.



[member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

"No. I have not," Vupua lied. Of course she knew Corvus Raaf. She had even fought alongside the Jedi Grandmaster on Balmorra. It had been the same day that she had met Vaulkhar. She remembered watching Corvus disappear over the ledge of the platform that she had been fighting Darth Vornskr on. Feelings- emotions she had not felt for years- bubbled up to the surface. Unlike before, when she had caved into them, Darth Vupua embraced the pain, suffering and sadness of watching a woman she had revered as a Jedi Knight die before her very eyes.

"May I?" Vupua leaned forward, seeking Veles permission to access Your Deathbed's navigational computer. When the amphibian Sith Lord gave his approval, she accessed the computer and input the coordinates she had been given by her contacts. Below, on the sands of Tatooine, Darth Vupua felt the power of the dark side. She had never come out to this side of the Outer Rim Territories before, only knowing about Tatooine after long study of the different criminal organizations and activities she had learned about as a Jedi Knight. Had Ella Nova known that this power was here, she surely would have tried to destroy it.

But Darth Vupua, the woman who had killed the Jedi Knight, was here to take it.

 

[Darth Veles]

There was no question whether the amphibious Darth believed his companion or not. His silence became a clear enough answer. The entire galaxy knew Corvus Raaf, often through much exaggerated tales detailing the Jedi master’s heroics. Vupua’s answer raised a question if she replied to Veles’ mockery with one of her own or purposely refused to share the truth – in which case the Mon Calamari simply needed to uncover why. Was it due to Vupua’s irrational hatred for the Jedi order, thus admitting she knew about Corvus equalled shame? Veles burning glare haunted her for a bit longer than her answer lasted, his distrust further underlined by the short lived silence between them.

“Of course.” Veles replied with a nod and allowed Vupua to input what she needed. With the data accepted, Your Deathbed had a new destination, sparing the two a long, torturous trip through endless sand dunes in search of the holocron. Once the stealth vessel’s cloaking systems activated, not a single being in the galaxy had enough power to stop the Sith duo from landing. The yellow, dusty balls grew in side until it enveloped the ship. Sand furiously scattered in all directions once the stealth transport thudded down and finally stood still, hidden in the middle of nowhere. Veles strolled down the ramp before it even touched Tatooine’s ground, heavy black cloak fluttering in his wake.

Without offering an explanation, the Sith assassin shut his eyes closed and turned into a motionless statue for a minute before one hand rose up and lowered the dark hood deeper into his face. Every little bit of protection helped against Tatooine’s suns. That, and his training on Korriban also worked wonders in arid environments, giving the Mon Calamari exactly what he needed to survive. Indeed; he acted fairly indifferent to the sudden change in temperature and humidity. His pace still possessed this purposeful, almost angry addition to it, one radiating confidence and unwillingness to back down, truthfully hinting at the Mon Cal’s stubborn streak. When hollow, metallic footsteps stopped emitting beneath Veles’ boots, replaced by the sound of crunching sand, he spun around to face Vupua.

“I don’t feel anything yet,” he informed dryly, expression void, “Are you certain this is the right place, Vupua?”

She’d have to lead - walk first – they both knew that and Veles internally laughed at the idea of a someone letting a Sith assassin in their back.

Both arms disappeared under the pitch black robe that contained Force knows what.



[member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

Darth Vupua considered her amphibian partner with a mixture of anger and disgust as he dared question the power that she felt. Kissing her teeth, the woman turned her gaze to the building in the horizon. Corvus Raaf's home was surrounded by acres of land. It held no visible protections, such as guards or other forms of security. To Vupua's eyes and advanced senses, the place seemed to be... deserted. "Raaf's naviety has been exposed, it seems. Did she truly believe this place wouldn't be discovered?" Vupua murmured, her anger and disgust at Veles' for not feeling the Holocron of Heresies nearby averted to the fact that the Jedi Grandmaster presented no real challenge for the duo to surmount.

Just like a Jedi, she thought to herself. Hopping forward, Darth Vupua slid down the sand dune that the pair had been standing on down to the surface below. Dust swirled around the Sith Lord's robes as she made her way down the hill, forcing her to lift an arm to protect her exposed face, less she inhale the sand she was kicking up with her boots. As she landed, Darth Vupua allowed the Force to flow through her. It cooled her bodies temperature, less she given into dehydration from the two suns that hung over her, assaulting her with their intense heat.

She turned, waiting for Veles to join her. Nearby, dispensers that collected moisture in the air and ground continued to work.

 

[Darth Veles]

Veles surfed down the mound after Vupua, though his caution and readiness to plant a lightsaber in her back soon dissipated once the land fell into his gaze. It appeared to be completely ordinary, another anonymous moisture farm to dot Tatooine’s barren landscape. This uninteresting image certainly fit Corvus’ modesty, reminding Veles how plain and monk-esque she always looked. A true Jedi, that one. Perhaps not the most powerful of Jedi, but the amphibious Darth never judged people by their strength alone – and thinking about Corvus conjured a mental image powerful enough to tug on the Sith lord’s heartstrings, eliciting a nostalgic longing for her, how he craved the woman’s conviction. He scanned the property with his cybernetic eye, a way to justify to himself why his legs stopped carrying him forward as he fought an internal battle. Intruding into Corvus’ privacy felt wrong, even though logic bluntly told him it could hide more artifacts.

No – he refused to believe it. The Jedi Grandmaster he knew would never take such dangerous items to her home. This had to be a trap, one set by someone else. Picking up steady pace, he soon caught up with the Sith woman, not sparing her a single look at her as he walked past and continued forth, bionic eye’s attention drifting towards the sand-covered ground and scanning it for mines, alarm triggers, anything. To further ensure no hidden devices recorded his heinous action, a blinding flash of light erupted from the webbed palm and momentarily raped any potential spectators. Marching on, Veles started to rapidly slow down until his body stood still after one last step, resting in front of the structure’s entrance. Hesitation seeped into his mind again with more memories of his favourite Jedi.

He knocked. For all his assassin training and natural inclination to not being seen, Veles’ cybernetic knuckles tapped on the door, producing a sound loud enough to resonate inside.



[member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

[OOC: Not everyday you get to pick up a Sith Holocron so I thought I'd revive this and hopefully we can finish it.]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

Vupua gave Veles a look of disgust as he politely knocked on the door. She felt the respect and admiration that he had for Corvus Raaf. It was a nostalgic feeling that she had once shared for the Jedi Grandmaster. But as Ella Nova had sunk deeper into the enigma of the dark side to create the woman that she was today, Vupua felt no such feelings now. The last memory that she had of Corvus Raaf was seeing her fall over the balcony of the Balmorra Arms Factory during her duel with @Darth Vornskr. As she recalled the event, Vupua remembered how she had lost to Vornskr also.

Feeling her hate grow for the man at the precipice of a great discovery, Vupua lifted her hand and used the Force to break open the doors home. Unsheathing the twin-bladed Saberstaff from her left arm, the Sith Lord ignited the blades and walked forward confidently into the home of the M.I.A. Jedi Master to take what rightfully belonged to her.

 

[Darth Veles]

[SIZE=10pt]First came a sudden surge of hatred from behind, then a loud crash announced Corvus’ home accepted visitors from now on. Darth Veles’ expression remained stone cold, as if oblivious to the brutal, uncaring case of forcing the door open. A gaping hole stood in front of the Sith duo now, revealing every and all bits of intimacy and secrets lying beneath, which he found both inviting and disturbing. Just like before, the natural lust for knowledge, this terrible thirst begged to be quenched, giving direct orders to march in and seize anything of value. Unlike the Mon Cal though, his female colleague seized the opportunity first and fluidly sank into the Jedi Grandmaster’s home, disappearing within and carrying a long lightsaber hilt in hand, possibly foreseeing trouble. So much for subtlety – the Sith lord immediately thought of the many alarms and security devices they must have triggered.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Gently padding inside on soft and careful steps, taking in the initial sight and mentally mapping the place, the Sith lord hid both arms beneath the dark layer of his heavy cloak and scoured the initial area. Instead of opting to go after the obvious, his focus was directed on discovering information usable against the Jedi and Sith alike. Confidently marching down the stairs, entering the first door to happen in his sight, he walked into the master bedroom. No more attention than necessary was devoted to going through the wardrobe after a brief search revealed no hidden compartments behind the clothing stashed inside. After a brief scan with the bionic eye replacement, Darth Veles abandoned the bedroom, going to the suite right next to it. Another bedroom, likely a guest room. Not interesting through the Force, exactly the same through the enhanced sight. [/SIZE]



[SIZE=10pt][member="Avedia Lacroix"][/SIZE]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

Walking through the halls of Corvus Raaf's home, Vupua was assaulted by vivid memories of her childhood. She remembered tending to the gardens of the Jedi Temple on Tython as part of the Agricultural Corps. She remembered having intimate conversations with other children that had grown up to become Jedi Knights like her. Pausing by a vase on top of a small wooden table, Vupua clutched the side of the table as she remembered receiving the news of each of their deaths. Reflected on the vase in the light of one of Tatooine's twin stars, Vupua saw her eyes glow malevolently with the dark side of the Force, and for a moment, just a split, single moment, she experienced doubt.

Hearing the hum of her Saberstaff brought Vupua out of it. Looking around to see if Veles had been watching her, the Sith Lord pushed on with the exploration of the home. Feeling out with the Force, Vupua determined that the only threat that existed in this place was the Mon Calamari Sith Lord who had come with her. Thumbing the ignition button of her Saberstaff, the twin-blades retracted back inside the pommel of her weapon, leaving only the sound of Veles' rummaging upstairs and the outside noise of a brewing sandstorm.

As she felt out with the Force, Vupua felt it. It had been the same feeling that she had felt the moment she had landed on Tatooine. Feeling the dark side telling her that there was something to be discovered here, Vupua's gaze turned away from the vase and up to the ceiling above. Climbing the flight of stairs up to the hallway above, Vupua begun to edge her way closer to the holocron that she sought.

 

[Darth Veles]

[SIZE=10pt]Most rooms hid nothing of interest. Old mementos of the shattered Republic, holo-pictures of Corvus and Taeli. That did not surprise Darth Veles very much. Before Vupua made her way up, he had finished the search through the ordinary rooms and now moved to the last one. A treasury of sorts – and the locked door spelled the same, just as a strong presence coming from the other side. One long, strong cut, and the door no longer had the will to deny him the way forward. With the path opened, long and powerful strides brought him inside. The very first glance revealed this to be Corvus’ working place – lightsabers in various states of development, notes scattered around the desk, tools and devices neatly sorted out and hanging from the walls, machines and devices designed to help their owners with various tasks. No holocron in sight, but the Force did not lie. It was present, just invisible to the naked eye, cloaked beneath a powerful illusion most likely. Not even the bionic eye revealed its location.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Raising his hands , Darth Veles unleashed a branching stream of red energy, letting it lick every nook and cranny. When the spell finally hit the holocron, his entire focus poured into breaking the illusion, draining it of energy. The more he tried delving into the dark side’s currents, the more strength it cost. Another trick. Relentless in his pursuit, the Sith lord gave it more and more energy, feeling as if the darkness within him was being stolen, which manifested in a strange, painful sensation of loss. Nevertheless, quitting halfway would render his efforts completely wasted. In an explosion of purple energy that sent him to his knees, the holocron finally decided to make an appearance. Right there, in front of the man. Darth Veles laughed. Weakened, yet wearing the grin of a victor. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Isn’t it beautiful?”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] muttered the Sith lord before tearing his gaze away and cautiously studying the holocron’s surroundings, paranoid thoughts running amok in his large head, [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]“Would you like the honour of being the first to gaze into its secrets?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]His poisonous smile dared her to take the chance.[/SIZE]



[SIZE=10pt][member="Avedia Lacroix"][/SIZE]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

Vupua studied the ruby red fist sized pyramid that hovered before Veles with an air of contempt. She had not wanted the Mon Calamari to discover the Holocron first, aware that this might all be some convoluted plan to use her in order to find the Holocron and take it for himself. The invitation that followed might have then served to keep her off guard. Averting her gaze from the Holocron of Heresies to Veles, Vupua said: "Two there must be. No more, no less. We should study the contents together, so that we may both become stronger and more powerful. In this way, we avoid one of us becoming weaker than the other. To covet power from one another would only entice a challenge that I sense neither of us are ready to make yet. Whilst our conflict is inevitable as it is axiomatic, let us enter it with the knowledge of this holocron, to ensure that the victor won because they were stronger than the other, rather than through clever cunning or deception."

 

[Darth Veles]

[SIZE=10pt]Another difference between the two Banites. Strength was undoubtedly important and the Mon Cal Sith fully intended to surpass every other fool to wear the Sith name in that aspect, but cunning and deception were the most powerful of weapons in his arsenal, possibly deadlier than even the strongest of powers. Even the Sith of old knew that. Many have risen thanks to the stealthy claws of treachery under the guise of night. If a weaker apprentice killed their master prematurely though, it signed a failure of both – the master for not foreseeing such event, the apprentice due to not learning enough before slaying their teacher. As such, Darth Veles would use strength and cunning alike to have his way, be it in a duel against Vupua or another endeavour. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Heh. As you wish.”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] Darth Veles let out a chuckle and approached the holocron, eyes swivelling Vupua’s way and giving her a mistrustful glare before finally reaching out with his will and letting it summon the holocron’s immortal guardian. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The small pyramid shaped object produced a subtle red glow, enough to highlight various runes and faithless words adorning its surface, but Darth Veles purposely went no further than that, too cautious to fully dive into whatever awaited inside. If Vupua insisted to do this with him, then he’d require the same – waiting for her to pour her will into the device as well to wake the ancient Sith residing within.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Join me,”[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] demanded the Sith lord sternly, [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]“We will contact the gatekeeper together.”[/SIZE]


[member="Avedia Lacroix"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Veles"] |

Walking forwards, Darth Vupua joined the side of Darth Veles and lifted her left hand towards the pyramid that floated before them. Summoning her powers, Vupua poured her will into the Holocron of Heresies, intertwining her own with Veles' to summon forth the gatekeeper of Darth Andeddu's great holocron. The room seemed to dim, as if the twin stars outside could not penetrate the veil of darkness that overtook the room. In one moment, all that Corvus Raaf had stood for- the tranquility of her home, and the peace that it had provided- was shattered by the two Dark Lords of the Sith as their thirst for knowledge shattered what the great Jedi Grandmaster had once built.

Shining between them both, an eerie crimson light washed over the pair as the capstone inside the Holocron of Heresies created the projection of Andeddu himself. The ancient Dark Lord of the Sith looked between the pair with contempt as his secrets were being assaulted by beings he considered lesser than himself. "Who dares to awaken me?" Darth Andeddu said.