2008-01-22 - Sith Meeting

:This room is dark, lit only by a few dim strips of floor lighting and by the ambient glow of space. And against the star field, in a black chair, sits a small, dark, hooded shape.
:Vaal Hirah emerges from the corridors leading to the hangar deck, and there in the entryway he draws to a halt. A hand is sent out to his side; warning to any followers, and he sniffs. "Master."
:The bald man moves in step behind the human which has taught whatever little he knows about the force and truths of the universe. The hood on his own robes is drawn back behind his shoulders. His hands meet together behind the dark robes sleeves. Gean halts behind Vaal Hirah his mentor and friend.
:"The Force is with you, my young apprentice," murmurs a low, soft, oily voice from the chair. "Lord Orin. And this would be -your- apprentice ... the young one. He hides his feelings behind a shroud of fear, but this does not conceal his true nature. Come."
:Bowing his head to the seated Adept, Orin turns to nod to Gean, a welcome perhaps, or a gesture to step forward. He himself does this a moment later, striding forth and sinking to one knee before his own Master.
:"My apprentice has served me well, Master. He has grown strong in the Force and his powers are developing well. He is ready to receive your instruction."
:As it has served him well in the past Gean Haddron follows his masters lead. The pilot moves forward also dipping his lith frame down onto a knee. His eyes look to the shaded and cloak figure only a moment before lowering. His tongue holds any speech.
:The figure in the chair laughs softly. "His skills are advancing tolerably well, Lord Orin. But I sense that he requires a more advanced regimen of training than he presently receives."
:A silent gesture, and a black, leather-bound book floats quietly out of the shadows toward Gean. 
:"Liber Vetamarsi," murmurs the dark figure. "The book of Vetamar, Lord of the Sith. This volume is strong in the power of the Dark Side of the Force. Take it."
:Orin watches the book float by, curiosity and perhaps even a hint of envy sparkling in his emerald eyes. But he says nothing, and merely sniffs as he looks on.
:The robes sleeves break before the kneeling Gean. A fair skinned hand extends up and out for the book, and his fingers soon clasp over it. The book is drawn back to him, his eyes focusing past the dim lighting onto it. His opposite hand is also brought to it's cover and his fingers trail down it. "Thank you." The words escape in a whisper; only the silence within the room allowing it to be heard. His eyes keep on the gift, the force, the darkside, the exact same feelings Gean held, emitted to him from it.
:"The Liber Vetamarsi will teach you the secret arts that frustrate the laser swords of the Jedi Knights."
:The dark figure beckons once again, and a long, slim syringe floats toward Orin. "And you, Lord Orin--you have grown powerful. You have unleashed your passion, and your power rages through you. You will not fall to the Jedi Knights. But now the time has come for you to encompass their undoing by subtle means. You will become the subtle needle that strikes from the shadows. Take this in preparation for that day. It contains the blood of the ancient Lords of the Sith ... shed by the Jedi. But let this needle penetrate your flesh, and their essence will infuse you. Guard these gifts jealously, my young apprentices. As long as you hold them, your very dreams belong to me. And I shall complete your training ..."
:His gloved hand reaches up to take careful hold of the syringe, and Orin inspects the gift with great interest. Twisting this way and that coagulation comes and goes swiftly within the glass, and the Sith Knight nods as he stows it gently within his robes.
:"Thank you, Master," he replies as his head bows anew.
:Gean's bald head nods gently, the mere title of the Jedi Knights had caused a twist of anger within. He knew their arrogance well, it had cost him much. His hands keep to the book, it is brought close to him. His brown eyes lift to settle onto the cloaked figure, his own silence continues.
:The seated master murmurs, "And now that I have given you such gifts, my young apprentices, you will tell me everything that you have learned about our enemies ... the Jedi Knights."
:Nodding to this, Orin clears his throat and steals a glance towards Gean before he replies.
:"They have become dogged," he says then, "in their pursuit of us, Master. Some obsession drives them on; most uncharacteristic of the Order as I remember them. Tuil Lindo has twice now chased down my apprentice -- I shall let Gean retell that story -- and their padawans keep finding ways to turn up on Tatooine and the like. Most alarming, and perhaps revealing of all... Mina Vairde finally tracked me down in this very system. Despite her training, I could feel the animosity in her; she was spoiling for a fight, Master. I could almost taste the malice in her as my troops beat her down. I do not know why she has such sudden focus upon me and my destruction, but I think -that- is the reason for the Jedi's increased activity."
:Orin sniffs then, and pauses before adding: "Something has happened to her, Master. I do not know what, but her emotions are boiling behind her gaze."
:That--that papery sound in the darkness, like crinkling leather--is the seated master smiling, the skin turning up at the corners of his mouth.
:"I have also encountered Mina Vairde, she has also used her knowledge of the force chase me down and nearly killing me." Gean's own words hold a calm, soft, and deep tone. Gean's eyes hold on the being seated before them, "Only what I know of the darkside saved my life from her, they would have had my wounds end me." His voice holds a hint of frustration, a buildup of his true feelings for the Order. "Tuil is skilled with his lightsaber, without it he is useless. That is his biggest weakness, he would have followed me to the deepest parts of the unknown regions to get it back. They all have a weakness master, they blind themselves to but one aspect of the force." Gean finishes and his head lowers once more.
:"They will pay the price for their myopic vision," murmurs the dark one from his dark throne. "Their evil is no longer needed in this universe; their reign is at an end. All that remains is to destroy them. But not all of the Jedi are fools; the ancient master Yoda is very powerful, and less foolish than the others. What of his activities?"
:"Of Yoda, I know nothing Master," answers Orin, looking to the Supreme Adept of the Sith. "He has not been seen outside their Retreat for weeks now.. though his stealth is legendary, of course. The Black Empire do not mention him.. and I am not close enough yet in Nash Dragen's confidence to expect him to reveal anything to me. Indeed... they have more and more surprises..."
:"They will be very resourceful," murmurs the dark lord. "We have not yet tasted their full power, my young apprentice. They seek to lure us into a false sense of security ... but we will not allow them to do so. Nor will we allow their master to play us like pawns."
:"So Mina Vairde has lost control of her fear, and has succumbed to her rage. Perhaps it is time that we press her ... and then launch a checkmating assault."
:Gean keeps his gaze downwards. His form unmoving now behind the dark robe, he remains to himself as he obviously knows less then Orin.
:But not by a great amount, perhaps, for Orin seems as curious as Gean does. He sniffs and meets his Master's gaze. "I shall do whatever you ask, my Master. But how should I press her? What lever will move her from her precious Light?"
:"I have sensed that her dedication to her padawan is her weakness. Separate the padawan from the master. Rend their bond. Hurt the child ... and you drive the 'mother' to madness."
:The old man sneers. "That is why women seldom achieve true mastery of the Force. The concentration it requires forces them to subsume their maternal instincts, well and good; and then they seek surrogates, which limits them."
:Gean shifts his eyes upwards to take the sight of Orin in. He looks onto him and a nod is given before he looks back to the seated figure.
:"The padawan is already ruled by her emotions," muses Orin then, his gaze misting as he seems to recall the girl in question. "Even if she denies it to herself. It is a wonder she has not been brought to heel by their Masters, for her every action is questionable. Though.. I sense she would never succumb to me... regardless of the provocation. I fear you would have better luck than I in severing the bond with Mina Vairde."
:"Also, Master... Vairde is a fearsome opponent. I escaped her wrath because she does yet cling to her doctrines... and subdued her only through use of my troops. I should not like to face her when her chains are broken. You once told me only to get into battles I know for sure that I can win..."
:Gean eyes close gently as he listens to the voices around him. His mind focuses on the darkness around him, the power which came with it, and he wanted it. "What of a weapon? Tuil's was one formed from a Jedi, and not proper. What of the creation of my own with the darkside?" Gean asks, the words seemingly to slip from his mouth. His eyes reopen on Orin and his gaze holds there.
:And while Orin's eyes glare slightly as they look to Gean, the Sith Knight does nod. "Yes, Master... my quest for new crystals has been unsuccessful. If any were ever on Byss, they are no longer."
:"Byss is nothing to us," murmurs the Dark Lord. "It seems the Jedi have abandoned it. It is no matter, my young apprentices. Many suitable worlds contain crystals of sufficient strength to channel the blade of a lightsaber. But according to the ancient traditions of the Sith, we must not take the oft-trodden path but must seek the esoteric. We seek our weapons elsewhere, in the dark places of the galaxy."
:The seated one smiles a cold smile. "You will go to Kraikynn."
:Gean nods at that his eyes moving back downwards, he remembered that planet. To retieve what he sought, return there he must.
:Nodding also, Orin sniffs anew. "We shall find them, Master, and bring them to you. I... in the meantime, I still hold the saber I claimed from Petrus Sabbatius..."
:"Let me see it," murmurs the dark master.
:Producing a silver cylinder from his robes, Orin sets it floating through the air to his master.
:Vaal Hirah gives his Petrus's Lightsaber to Palpatine.
:Gean looks up to Palpatine and his gaze holds with curiosity.
:"A beautiful weapon," Palpatine murmurs. "Petrus Sabbatius ... before he went mad, he was quite the engineer. But the Jedi forced him into madness, and he became an unchecked force of nature."
:The dark one lifts the lightsaber and raises it in one hand. There is a hiss and a crackle, and a red blade flickers into being, humming in the darkness.
:Watching the Adept, Orin smiles grimly. "If only he could have been stopped before his rampages. What should I do with it, Master? I confess I have counted it as a trophy..."
:Gean watches as the red blade is snapped forth. His eyes hold onto it, the face of the dark one somewhat better seen with it's glow. Gean simply watches his form still kneeling before the Supreme Adept.
:The adept raises the weapon, shedding a red glow over the dark room. "It is a dangerous weapon," he says. "He died with it. His hatred imbues it. I shall put it away for safekeeping, my young apprentice ... but you have done well to return it to me. Now tell me. When you handle it, does your psychometric gift cause you great pain? Or have you become tempered against such trifles?"
:"Not pain, Master," says the Knight in a low voice, his eyes clouding with anger, "not pain, but hate. I feel the echoes of his rages, but... I spent long years battling against such things. I was overwhelmed by them when I first fought him, but my experiences and your training have helped me use my gifts, not fear them as I once did."
:"Your hate has made you powerful. The Jedi seek to suppress the truth and choke their true feelings. But it is only in the naked truth--in accepting the unacceptable which is true, rather than seeking refuge in a noble lie--that we can discover true power. Your new mission, Lord Orin, is to discover the secrets of the Jedi as people--not as Jedi, but as sentients. Where do their families live? Are they in love? What do they fear? We shall test their lies and break them.
:Gean looks back onto Orin as the Adept gives the order, his eyes are soon back on the weapon and the Adept wielding it.
:Orin bows his head in acknowledgement, and declares to the Sith Master: "It shall be done, my Master. I shall guide my apprentice to the crystals, and once his weapon is completed I shall send him back to you for instruction. Vaal Hirah must still die, and die he shall, once this is done."
:He raises his head to meet the Adept's gaze; hidden as it may be by the cowl. "Then, I will break the Jedi."
:"You no longer question, my young apprentice. You are learning." 
:The adept deactivates the lightsaber with a hiss, and the red glow that lit his eyes is gone. "Lord Orin, you are my Knight."
:Gean's gaze carries between the two, truth is what he searched for, what he thirsted for. Justice as he knew would soon follow it. Gean continued to keep his thoughts and feelings inward, and his eyes alert.
 
:And the Knight rises to his feet, a further bow of his head ere he takes his leave of his Master and his Apprentice both. "I shall await you in the Hangar bay, when the Master is finished with you, Gean."
:Orin turns and strides from the room.
:Gean nods to the declared Knight, his eyes moving back for the figure. "What is needed of me my master?" His question comes and his gaze holds sternly on the hooded being.
:"I shall train you in the ways of combat," murmurs the old master. "It is inevitable that you will face the Jedi. Constantly their evil lord turns them about, trains them upon us, and seeks to uncover our designs to save the galaxy from their domination. But hold their eye--blind that eye--and I can work to frustrate their plan in secrecy."
:"My abilities are not limited to that of hand to hand, or a lightsaber to lightsaber battle. I have others, I am unique in the cockpit of a ship. I have skill there long before my discovery of the force. I could aid much with it." Gean says holding his gaze still onto the Adept as if a targeting system onboard a snubfighter.
:"Yes, I know," the old man replies. "Your talents will be put to good use, my young apprentice. You will fly before this is done."
:"I look forward to it master." Gean voices back softly. "Perhaps a ship is needed? Something faster and tougher then whatever the Jedi can get their hands onto?" Gean's gaze is staring now and the question comes with confidence.
:"Find the vessel and I will buy it. Or you could seek the X39," the old man says with a harsh laugh.
:Gean nods to that. "On my return I will have a vessel named." Gean says keeping his tone. "I will find something suited to rival those with any skill in a fighter within the Jedi Order." Gean shifts his weight on his knee, though the heavy robes hide most of his movements. "Shall my training with you begin after the crystals are found?"
:Palpatine says, "You will need a saber of your own in order to survive training with me."
:Gean nods, "It will be done then, is that all my master?"
:There is a soft hiss as a door opens unbidden. "You have done well," murmurs the ancient one. "As I have foreseen. There is a great part for you to play in the war to come."
:Gean nods lightly and rises from the his kneeling position. "Thank you master, it all will be done as you have forescene." A light bow of his head to the Adept and Gean turns and walks to meet Orin in the hanger.
Category:January 2008 RP Logs