Private Welcome To The Jungle

[Darth Solipsis]

The Demon Moon, Dxun
Onderon, Japrael System​

Dxun. A moon covered in jungle, infused with the Dark Side of the Force and scoured by ferocious predators. This world was significant to the Sith as much as it was for any Mandalorian or Onderonian who laid claim to it's rich history. Here lies the Tomb of Freedom Nadd, ancient Dark Lord of the Sith and monarch of Onderon. The ancient body of the long dead lord had been moved here by the Jedi Order where he was buried in a structure made of Mandalorian Iron, Beskar. The dark energies from this unholy place, the events that occurred within in later history, and the surrounding battlefields from the Mandalorian Wars echoed out across the jungles. The Dark Side twisted the life of this already hostile world, it's influence was everywhere.

Darth Solipsis, Sith Master and secret Voice of the Maw, could think of no better place to train his newfound apprentice. The jungles were cruel, the atmosphere thick with the taint of the Dark Side, and the ever encroaching threat of being stalked by the jungle predators made it the perfect atmosphere to empower his already formidable student. The Sith Master leaned against a large boulder, his walking stick in hand tapping against the ground.

The Elder had set a small beckon for Nox, a signal to light the way in the vast swath of endless greenery. He pondered if even his presence was discernible from that of the radiating energies of the Demon Moon itself. Such powerful smokescreen could be used in the future for other endeavors, his eyes drifted off to his shuttle. It sat in a clearing, nestled against the tree line with just enough space for the Imperialis's landing.

A thick mist rolled into the area, the darksider watched as small birds of prey circled overhead, waiting for something to make their jobs easier. Ironic, for one such as him to be considered prey when all he knew was of being the predator.

Pillio was just the beginning, they would begin the real training this day. Nox would learn the lessons of a true Sith.


Beltran Rarr

 

[Beltran Rarr]

"Take us in, Dot." Beltran told his Astromech as the Imperialis came out of hyperspace.

More often than not, Beltran left the details of flying up to the little droid. It was true that he was a trained pilot, but he'd never taken to flying and aerial combat felt so...impersonal to him. Whenever possible, he preferred to spend his trips on board the refurbished pleasure Yacht training, or tinkering in his workshop. On this occasion, the former had taken up far more time than the latter.

He was here to meet his so-called mentor, Darth Darth Solipsis , for another round of training. Once the ship landed, Beltran would adopt his own dark persona, the inscrutable warrior called Nox Intempesta.

Leaving the small cockpit, Beltran went to his private armory. Keying in the code, the doors opened and he stepped inside. Hanging from various racks were several suits of armor and literally hundreds of weapons. Some, Beltran had collected in his travels, but most were prototypes that he had built or had sent from his arms company, Obsidian Star, on Denon. Beltran very much liked having as much choice as possible when it came to mission loadouts.

He felt the Imperialis shudder a little as Dot took it into the Demon Moon's atmosphere. She knew what to look for and Beltran doubted that the little droid would have any trouble finding the beacon that he was sure Darth Solipsis had left for him.

Stripping out of his Paladin Company BDU's, Beltran dawned a similarly crafted set of blank fatigues. He then proceeded to attach the matte black durasteel plates to the various mounting brackets. When that was done, he donned his ballistic vest followed by his weapons rig. For his primary side-arm, Beltran choose his customary Keres Hand Cannon, loaded with Sith Killer Ammunition.

Since he preferred to draw from the thigh, that weapon would rest in a drop holster on his right side. For his back-up side-arm, Beltran chose a 10mm Pulse Pistol and inserted that in a chest holster attached to his rig. While not as powerful as his Hand-Cannon, the pistol was exceptionally durable and still had quite a bit of stopping power.

Next he walked over to a stand where a dark black cloak hung. As he donned the Shroud of Shadows, he felt the odd sensation of the fabric's unnatural heaviness. It had been designed by the ancient Sith Emperor, Sheev Palpatine for use by his personal agents. It was resistant to lightsaber attacks and it allowed him to dampen his presence in the Force to near non-existent levels.

Finally, Beltran went to the wall nearest to him and took his father's lightsaber from where it hung and clipped it to his belt. He glanced to a nearby table where his father's holocron sat next to a worn and battle damaged mask that had once belonged to a distant ancestor of his.

"I know you wouldn't approve," He said out loud to his forebears. "But this is a necessary sacrifice. I must walk the line because there are few who can. I must flirt with evil, because there are even fewer who can do so and not be lost."

Leaving the artifacts untouched, Beltran continued with the rest of his preparations.

***

Some time later, the Imperialis would come to land in a small clearing a few short kilometers away from the beacon Darth Solipsis had left. Lord Nox descended the boarding ramp alone, his face all but covered by the hood of his cloak. The Ranger that he had been was left on board the ship, like so much of his equipment. There was no room for Beltran Rarr on this moon of death. Only Lord Nox could hope to face what Solipsis had in store and survive...

Darth Solipsis

 

[Darth Solipsis]

The wind nipped at his face and tugged against his hood, yet he remained still in his position against the boulder. Tapping away at the ground, the Elder waited as the air cleared from the landing of the Imperialis, the winds from it's landing all but halting as it pressed against the moist earth of the large forest clearing. His walking stick slowly was set aside as the loading ramp came down, he rose up from his solitude and shifted his gaze onto the form of Lord Nox as he descended onto the Demon Moon. The Sith Master adjusted his arms and rested his hands within the sleeves of his robes, he was dressed in the same fashion as on Pillio, black robes covering his form and a strange medallion around his neck. Obviously of Sith origin from it's design.

"Welcome to the Demon Moon, my disciple."

The Sith Master chuckled to himself and cast a stern glare where Beltran kept his sidearm, "Your weapons. You need not bring them, they cannot help you for what is to come... not for what I have in store for us." His eyes shifted away, his sight casting along the deep jungle toward an unknown source of his interest. His old, decrepit, taloned hand stretched out to his right side as if he was feeling along the surface of something not-quite-there. Solipsis basked in the energies of the world, the Dark Side was strong here, powerful and barely tapped into. Unlike the holy graveyard world of Korriban, Dxun remained as it had been for millenia, a raw tempest of Dark Side energy left to saturate. There were no academies here, no foundations of Imperial Glory, no empire of Sith to spoil it's history.

"Can you feel it? The Dark Side of the Force radiates from the very ground you tread on, it is a reservoir of untapped power ready to be harnessed. The beasts of this world bask in it's energies, predators rule this domain, as it should be. Eat or be eaten."

Darth Solipsis shot Beltran a firm look as his eyes glowed in the shadow of the jungle, "Today we will learn how much of a predator you truly are."


Beltran Rarr

 

[Beltran Rarr]

"Eat or be eaten."

Nox regarded @Solipsis from underneath his hooded cloak. That truly was the way of the universe, wasn't it? It was a universal truth, regardless of what the Jedi wanted to believe or hope for. Predators would always come for the prey, and if one wanted to stop them, one had to become the predator. At Solipsis' words concerning Nox's weapons, he shrugged.

"They aren't for the test," He responded simply, making no move to disarm himself. "They're for you, if you decide that I've failed. Or if I decide that you have nothing more of value to teach me."

It was a blunt, but honest answer. Nox wasn't a liar. On Pillio, the world that had given birth to the being known as Nox Intemptesta, he had told his would-be mentor the truth. He would learn what Solipsis had to teach, and then he would kill the Sith. Then Nox would take his power and destroy the Sith once and for all, while Solipsis rotted in an unmarked grave on some unknown world.

Forgotten for all time.

Solipsis believed that he would turn Nox, and Nox expected the powerful Sith to give it his best effort. But all would end up as Nox wanted it. He would not break.

"Today we will learn how much of a predator you truly are."

"Yes," Nox replied. "We will."

 

[Darth Solipsis]

​

The Sith Master gave off a faint laugh, truthfully he had not expected such a blunt and honest answer. It was refreshing to say the least. "I admire your mindset, but you are mistaken if you believe you will slay me using such crude instruments." His half-hearted smile vanished, replaced with a cold scowl as his upper lip curled, "The Dark Side of the Force has many abilities, as Palpatine the Great claimed, some considered to be... unnatural."

He moved away from the boulder, his hand outstretched as his walking stick flew into his grasp by extension of his will. "You may kill me, but you will not destroy me. Not yet." The Elder trailed off into the thick brush of jungle, moving aside obstacles either with his walking stick or by wave of his hand through the power of the Force.

The fluttering of small birds of prey, the eeriy hiss of insects, and the ruffling of bushes around them were obvious signs of life. Likely hostile, knowing the details of the world. The Elder paused for a brief moment and scanned around them, "Ah, we are already being hunted. Our predator follows, I can feeeel it through the Force. Close your eyes, search your feelings. You know it to be true."

A massive gust blew over the treetops, a large beast fluttered overhead unaware of their presence. "That was a Drexl, not the beast that is stalking us but one I intend to track down. I'm going to show you the power a true Sith commands.. we will each tame one and ride for the Tomb of the Dark Lord Freedon Nadd."



Beltran Rarr

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Nox considered his mentor for a moment. It was true that Darth Solipsis was a powerful Sith and certainly a being that had learned to handle such banal weapons like hand-cannons in his career. That being said, Nox smelled the first scents of opportunity at the elder man's overconfidence. Good, He thought to himself. Let him bask in the rays of his perceived magnificence. It will make my task that much easier.

He would offer no response to Solipsis' monologue about the power of the Dark Side. It really didn't require one. Instead, he regarded the man stoically until the Sith got down to business. Nox followed Solipsis through the brush, his breath slow and his mind calm. Through the Force, he could feel the signature of dozens of lifeforms. They shone like beacons through the pervading darkness that colored the Force on this world.

"Ah, we are already being hunted. Our predator follows, I can feeeel it through the Force. Close your eyes, search your feelings. You know it to be true."

"I do," Nox replied in agreement. He could feel it, moving in places unseen, keeping to shadows and underbrush. It hungered for more than just their flesh. It wanted to taste their fear and pain as it killed them. A slow smile moved over the Lorrdian's lips. How mistaken it would be when it finally made its move, only to find that it had singled out perhaps the two most dangerous creatures on this small moon of death.

As the Drexl moved overhead, Nox spared the flying beast only a small glance. What piqued his interest more than the beast itself, was the power that Solipsis alluded to. To take control of a beast such as that. That would be a useful ability to possess indeed.

"Yes, Lord Solipsis. I look forward to learning this."

And more than that, he looked forward to finding out what the tomb of Freedon Nadd held.

Darth Solipsis

 

[Darth Solipsis]

​

"Good."

He nodded, pleased with his apprentice's response. On Pillio, Nox had proven his worth to his mentor and shown he was a prime fit worthy on becoming his apprentice. Today, they would put this to the test, but first they would need to deal with the troubling irritant stalking them from the shadow.

The Sith Master pressed onward, his hand waving aside the thick brush, stepped over fallen trunks, and passed under the shadow of an unending canopy cast down from the trees above. Jungle vines hung loose, clear signs of unchecked growth were everywhere as was red flags for nearby predators of enormous size.

His senses soared, the flutter of life clouding around them in a maelstrom of colors. He paused, the brush shook and split before the duo. A group of yellow-green bloated beasts passed them by with moans of haste, cannoks, galactic vermin. The Elder shifted his head, tilting it ever so slightly as he touched upon what followed in the Force, "Ah."

The Elder stepped aside, wrapping his presence in the Force, shrouding himself in Force Stealth to hide his signature and looked upon his apprentice with a wicked smile. The brush wall tore open, a Dxunian Stalker, the infamous Gharzr leapt into the fray where the Elder once stood and paced about with a predatory glare at Beltran Rarr . The scaled mix between jungle cat and reptilian lowered itself with it's piercing eyes at the ready as it prepared to pounce.

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Nox met the predatory gaze of the stalker coolly. As the feline shaped reptile darted back and forth, the shrouded Lorrdian simply stood his ground. A slow, dark and primal, growl began to emit from the man's lips. It would grow in intensity, amplified by Nox's inherent abilities in the Force until all other sound was drowned out.

The Gharzr continued to pace back and forth, agitated by this unexpected reaction from it's supposed prey. It spread it's own lips, showing it's powerful and razor sharp teeth. Then it let out a roar of it's own, only to find that the sound it emitted was nothing compared to that coming from it's adversary. It then tried to stare Nox down, falsely lunching at the man a few times, trying to get him to flinch.

The predator's twin tails flicked back and forth in frustration and confusion. This was not how it expected this encounter to go. Now all of it's instinctual perceptions about it's place relative to Nox's on the food chain were thrown into doubt, for even it could sense the power that emanated behind the Lorrdian's growl.

"You will submit!"

Nox said suddenly, his growl replaced by a powerful voice, amplified by the Force. The cat-reptoid blinked and snapped it's jaws once more, before letting out a small groan and then lying down on the ground in submission. Nox didn't bother to look to Darth Solipsis . Whether or not this was the intention the elder Sith had for this encounter was immaterial to him. He was here for a purpose, to learn the secrets of the ancient Sith Freedon Nadd. He had little interest in fighting with cat-lizards.

Nox strode forward toward the beast, moving confidently and with purpose-as if he was completely at home on this moon of death.

"Good," He praised the Gharzr. "You know power when you see it." Reaching forward, Nox brushed a gloved hand over the face of the beast that merely moments before would have been more than content to devour both the humanoid interlopers. "You will take us through the jungle. You will show us to a place where we will find Drexl."

Nox didn't expect the predator to understand his words, so he sent images of what he was looking for directly into the being's mind. Nox could tell that the experience was uncomfortable for the beast, and that knowledge satisfied him. After a moment, the predator stood and began to stalk toward the edge of the clearing. It stopped just short of disappearing into the brush and looked back at them, as if asking them to follow.

"Come, Lord Solipsis." Nox said, his voice returning it's normal, soft tone. "She will show us where to find your flying creatures."

 

[Darth Solipsis]

​

There was a sad hint of disappointment on the Elder's face for but a moment, it was swept away with a sense of amusement and surprise quickly. "Ah, you have furthered your understanding of the ability since Pillio. This is good." Nox's mastery of the creature was exactly the progress the Elder wanted to see. Even such a small act as setting up the confrontation of Beltran Rarr and the Dxunian Stalker was of a testing sort, a gauge to his abilities since he'd last seen the apprentice. It was the nature of the Sith to continually test one another and be tested in turn, to be tempered in the fires of trivilation.

"Good. Lead the way, and I shall follow."

The Elder trailed the apprentice and his newfound pet as they entered the thick brush. The Sith Master casually waved his hand at any stray brush with the Force as he followed the duo deeper into the lion's den. The jungle was harsh and the air thick, vines spread out along the tree tops and a thin mist hovered over the growth covered jungle terrain.

"Deeper, is your companion sure of where it is going?" The Sith Lord smiled wickedly, he tapped along the ground with his walking stick as if poking at it's substance. His mind stretched forth, radiating power over the creature with an unspoken command over it's mind. Deeper. Farther. It has been such a subtle nudge, one that required no prolong contact mentally. How he loved creatures of weak will.

The Sith Master gazed onward, his eyes settling upon a large round clearing. It was covered in a blanket of darkness and mist, the trees completely submerging the area in utter blackness. "Go on."


Beltran Rarr

 

[Beltran Rarr]

"Deeper, is your companion sure of where it is going?"

Darth Solipsis tipped his hand with that question, intentionally so Nox assumed. He hadn't felt the elder Sith touch the creature's mind, but that didn't mean anything. Nox knew he was still very much the novice when it came to the Dark Side, and mind control especially. That Solipsis could touch the creature without alerting him was a given.

"I'm sure it thinks so," Nox replied wryly. He could have spent more energy attempting to put the creature back on its original path, but he was curious. He wanted to know where Solipsis was leading them. Somewhere dangerous? That was surely a given. Somewhere useful? Given what Nox had been able to glean of his mentor's personality, that too seemed likely.

The two would walk in silence as the stalker led them deeper into the jungle. Nox moved with practiced ease through the brush, not bothering to use the Force to clear his path. To him, using such powers in such mundane ways was a waste. Over use of the Force could become a crutch if the practitioner wasn't careful, and then what happened when your enemy brought a bunch of Ysalmiri to the fight? As a Captain in the Antarian Rangers, he'd seen more than one Jedi fall when they suddenly couldn't call upon the Force anymore. He'd even used the tactic once or twice against the Sith, with devastating effectiveness.

He continued on quietly, keeping his senses and feelings open for some sign of the trap that he was sure was about to come...

 

[Darth Solipsis]

​

It seemed his apprentice had caught on to his manipulations, the clear but veiled tip of the hat all but acknowledged. Good. He snickered under his breath and halted his probing of the ground with his walking stick. His eyes rose up from the earth filled with fire, hate, and sinister intent. The Elder remained silent, he studied the Lorrdian and followed as the two traversed onward quietly. Through the brush, the muck, and the harsh jungle landscape they pressed forward, stalker as their guide. The Sith Master narrowed his eyes and reached out with his hand, he opened his mouth in longing, basking in the dark energies around them.

"We approach a place of most importance."

The farther they traveled the darker it became, the thicker the brush, the deeper into overgrown jungle long twisted by the Dark Side of the Force. As they moved on, the Elder stopped and pointed off with his walking aid in the direction of several large objects covered in moss and jungle growth. "Mandalorian, left behind on the battlefield after millenia, wreckage from the Mandalorian Wars." He scanned the area, gazing upon each piece of wreckage littering the area, broken down and hollow. The debris had long since abandoned any shape of craft or warzone, now they mere merely markers blending into the vast greenery around them. The legacy of the Mandalorian Wars shrunk with each passing era, now very little remained.

"The Mandalorians as you know are fierce warriors, their crusades of eons past nearly brought the Republic to it's knees. The scattered clans unified not far from here under Mandalore the Preserver, slowly building their strength again, training, using the jungle as their teacher."

Darth Solipsis exhaled softly, his hand gesturing out into the expanse. "Sit amongst the cold metal, the empty vessels of shadow, the long abandoned husks of war and close your eyes."

"Reach out."

"Tell me what you see."



Beltran Rarr

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Nox stalked forward, moving gracefully through the overgrown brush that covered much of the ruined Mandalorian War Droids. He could feel the ferocity of the long dead crusaders through the Force, even after all these millennia. There was a kind of purity to their battle lust that when compared to those Mandalorians he'd encountered in the present, seemed to make the latter feel wanting. While the Mandalorian culture had persisted through multiple attempts at genocide, their unity of purpose had never quite made it back to what it had been on this world.

Nox found a small area, between a pair of ruined droids and sat down cross-legged. He closed his eyes and opened himself deeper to the Force. He kept his mind free of preconceptions and doubt, allowing it to wander down the path that the Force set for him. In his mind's eye, he saw these early Mandalorians as they moved through the jungles like the Gharzr cats did. He saw the weak perish from disease and predators and he saw the strong grow and thrive under the harsh conditions.

He could feel the pain of growth, and even through the millennia it served to sate his own hunger.

"I feel pain," He spoke out to his mentor. "And determination and discipline and dedication. I feel the willingness to grow, evolve or die. It is a sense that few in the galaxy can honestly say they understand."

Nox considered himself one of those who could honestly say they understood the path. To those who practiced with the Light, the Dark was heralded as anathema, evil. But that wasn't the truth of it. It could be those things, but it didn't have to be. Darkness could be used for good, anger and fear could drive change and evolution just as easily as it could destruction. It wasn't an easy line to walk, but nothing truly worth doing had ever been easy, had it?

Darth Solipsis