To Be A King.

[Darth Ferus]

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Iridonia​

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Be'etena. The name of kings once when the Iridonians stood as an Empire, not clans. A time when both the Echani and Mandalorians feared the inevitable attack upon them, until the ancient empire turned on itself and killed one another. The name of Kings became nothing but a legend, a hope that one day the glorious army could return and it's people once again find honor through bloodshed.

That hope had been answered.

Darth Ferox, last of the Be'etena clan returned to the nomads to unite them all under his banner. To remake the armies of old. They and their traditions worked in his favor, allowing him to secure their loyalty after passing the test of the First. But to unite the rest, simple honor would not be enough. The Zabraks of the Galaxy needed a foe to rally against, and the aging Zabrak had just the foe in mind.

Within an ancient temple that once stood as a proving arena for young Zabraks stood Ferox, both hands clasped behind his back as his blue eyes gazed around the ruined building. Oh how he longed to restore it to it's former glory, and perhaps that would come sooner rather than later. For he called the one person he knew he could trust at helping him orchestrate the shadows.

[member="Darth Abyss"] .

 

[Darth Abyss]

Abyss had done his best to be nothing more than a shadow when he set foot on the homeworld of the zabraks. He wasn't to knowledgeable about the zabrak culture, but due to time he had spend with his acolyte brother Lykos he hsd learned that it was sacred to them, especially the parts that were related to their ancestors and elders. It wasn't entirely clear why [member="Darth Ferox"] had called for him, but if a zabrak sith lord invited a outsider into their holy grounds it had to be of upmost importance.

Still he could already figure that it involved the zabraks as a whole in some way. So secrecy was key, as he didn't meant to taint whatever Ferox had planned with the involvement of an outsider, a stranger to the people of Iridonia. As less he knew about the zabraks he understood that they weren't unlike the mandalorians in how they viewed outsiders.

Stepping out of the shadows, Abyss figure was revealed to Ferox, as the black assassin lifted the cloak that had hidden him from the eyes of iridonia. With a slight bow he greeted his fellow sith.

"Lord Ferox, you have called for my assistance?"

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Indeed I did, Lord Abyss." [member="Darth Abyss"] would receive a similar bow to what he had offered, a sign of respect and understanding between the two council members. A smile formed on the lips of the Zabrak as he motioned to the far temple wall. Upon it's ruined surface depictions of wars long ago fought and the legends of kings laid. "This, is my birthright. Those born of my blood have a connection to the Iridonian people in a way no other could. We were kings, Queens. Rulers of an empire long forgotten. My blood holds power locked away by my ancestors. Power I have to retrieve to unite my people under my banner."

He walked over to the wall, running his red hand over a particular depiction of some sort of monster. "But, to do so, to unite all people, will take more than just my bloodline. My family was forgotten, to even myself until recent years. To bring them back into the forefront, I need a cause." He turned to once again face the Black, his eyes flashing red in a show of his ancestors power. Fear would behold all who looked into his eyes, though easily overcome for a Sith Lord of the mind. "I need you to find the Graug, and bring them to this planet. They will become my cause. As families are taken for their slave pens, those loyal to me will rally to fend them off. The Nomads already pledged themselves, and once the city folk see the power of my army they too will flock. To defeat this foe, this ancient foe."

Not entirely ancient. The monster depicted in the image was a species long dead now, an ancient reason for the first uniting of the Zabrak people. What Ferox wanted to do was recreate this situation. Reunite his people against a common foe, under his banner. Who better than a species once lead by Vulcanus, a man he could not hate any more than he already did. To unite his people, and take his revenge upon those he hated. Two birds, one stone.

"Your involvement cannot be known. Nor can mine. When the Graug come, it must seem like their own idea. They will lay waste to this planet and it's cities, and like a shining knight my armies will wipe them out once and for all. And then, united, the Zabrak people will once more grow their Empire of blood and honor."

 

[Darth Abyss]

With slow steps Abyss followed [member="Darth Ferox"], and his hand wandered over the pictures on the walls exactly like that of the zabrak. Other than Ferox he had no personal connection to the history that lived in it, but he had a very close and personal connection to the past itself, and as his flesh touched the ancient stones he could hear it whisper, he felt glimpses of the power that once had rested here. It were only faded words, but they left no doubt that Ferox spoke the truth about his bloodline, the echoes of the past sounded like they were almost crying for the sith lord to bring back an age of power and dominance.

With a small grin he turned to the fellow sith lord, thinking about the plan that had just been proposed to him. It was a good one, well suited to his talents. Ferox was without a doubt a quite formidable warrior, and very probably a similar skilled leader, but Abyss was a lord of the shadows, only truly rivaled by Lykos and Ophidia. While they both were more adapted when it came to staying fully invisible, he had almost perfected his skills that were useful to manipulate others, he knew close to every trick that could be used to push and control the actions of others. Ferox had done good with choosing him for this job.

"A good plan, Lord Ferox. I am sure that together we can make it become reality."

He continued to let his hand dance over the cold stone, devouring more and more pieces of the zabrak history. The most important part was the manipulation of the Graug, a species that he didn't knew much about.

"Tell me more about the Graug. Tell me about their history, their philosophy. Their gods, their demons. Help me to get into their heads."

He wouldn't simply plan his next step based on what Ferox would tell him, not without a bit of own research. But to even discuss more details of the plan he had to get a hint of the bigger picture, see beyond the things a normal man could see.

 

[Darth Ferus]

"The Graug and their gods respect nothing but death. The destruction and enslavement of lesser species. Or, what they deem as lesser. The Lost Tribe will be your best bet. They're pirates and raiders, with no respect for anything but pleasing their gods. Convince them that the Zabrak are worthy sacrifices, and they'll come. Once the Iridonians have had enough, I can rally them to exterminate the Graug once and for all from this wretched galaxy." It would be quite clear the personal vendetta the Zabrak had against the hulking monstrosities of the Graug. He wanted nothing more than to exterminate them right at this moment, but he had to be patient. The time would come, and soon should [member="Darth Abyss"] succeed in his mission.

"If you have any other questions, ask them. But if you don't, I ask you to get started. I can only hold the Nomads attention for so long before they grow restless."

 

[Darth Abyss]

"We have to think about efficiency here Lord Ferox. If we throw a group of mindless fools at Iridonias defense, how far will they come before being blasted out of the air?".

He began to walk up and down, his hands clasped on his back while his mind was racing, piecing together fragments of ideas and informations into one coherent plan. What he was about to ask the future king of the zabrak would probably cost any other man his live, as it was both dangerous and insulting towards Ferox people.

"If we only have limited numbers to use in the attack, then we need targets on iridonia. They need to be important to your people, yet they can not have any noticeable defense. I would propose hospitals or other humanitarian points of interest, but the choice is up to you."

Ferox had to be a fool if he believed that there was another way of doing this. If he wanted his people to stand behind him, the graug had to hit the zabraks hard and merciless, instead of getting utterly obliterated as soon as they would appear above the surface. Sacrificing not only the innocent, but the weak and sick was an easy way to ensure that any zabrak on the planet would feel hate for the invaders, and that would give [member="Darth Ferox"] "heroic defense of his homeworld" the right impact.

 

[Darth Ferus]

Ferox gave [member="Darth Abyss"] a sidelong glance as he pondered the suggestion. This was why he had asked the Black to join him, for an outside set of eyes always saw truth where those on the inside could not. "You would be correct. Small yet important targets where worthy slaves could be taken would be efficient bait for the Graug, as well as the ability to slaughter those they did not feel would survive. I will get you a list of optimal locations and transmit them to you soon." The weak and sick, sacrificed for the greater good. How long before another more powerful group would strike at the heart of the Zabrak? War was everywhere, yet those in the city refused to see it. Soon, though, their eyes would be opened.

Once more the gaze of the red man returned to the wall, studying the remnants. Was this how his ancestors once rallied the clans? And perhaps that was why the Empire began to kill itself. If he were to commit to this path, secrecy was a must. It was a comforting thought that another of the Assassin Council was to handle such a delicate situation, for the King wasn't sure how well he could trust even his own acolytes to get it done.

 

[Darth Abyss]

"Then it shall be done at once."

Abyss nodded towards [member="Darth Ferox"], looking at the pictures on the wall for one last time. From here it was his part to play, and he had already figured out who would follow him on his mission. His shadow hand and his apprentice would both be called into service to make the idea of the red assassin become reality.

"I appreciate that you came to me for this, Lord Ferox. But do not forget that nothing in this galaxy is free. The day might come where the zabraks will have to play their part, and then King of iridonia, then you will have to remember who lifted you on your throne."

He had no imitated plans for the people of iridonia, but he had been gathering allies all around him for quite a while now. Sith and their private armies, fallen jedi and other groups like the black tie syndicate all had loyalties or alliances to the black assassin, and the day would come when they would all be called into service.

 

[Darth Ferus]

"We of the council will always assist one another when the need arises. There are no favors or threats between us, Famine. When the time comes, War will stand with you without hesitation." Ferox spoke rather calmly as he turned once again to face [member="Darth Abyss"] . He was still the newest of the Council, and perhaps still learning the ways of the Assassins. They were brothers and sisters, bound by an order that no outsider could understand. If it was within the power of one to help the other, they would.

Or, at least, War would. He assumed Conquest would as well, but Death. She was a different story.

"I eagerly await the first report of your progress. May the Force be with you, Darth Abyss."

 

[Darth Abyss]

"Make no mistake here, [member="Darth Ferox"]. We are allies, but my service starts and ends with the Sith Assassins. This matter is not one of our organisation, but a personal one. Other than war, there is neither loyalty nor honor in famine."

It was true both in the metaphorical and the actual sense. There was a reason why Ferox and Lykos had become war and conquest, why the two zarbak, a species for which honor had a lot if meaning, had been called into service for their respective aspects. There was also a reason why Ophidia and Abyss were death and famine.

"May the force be with you as well, Lord Ferox. Soon you will be free to lead your kind."

With that, the black assassin faded into the shadows once more, leaving the other sith alone with his words. They were not meant as a threat in any way, they simply served as reminder that putting real trust into Abyss loyalty would be a mistake that one could only do once.