Fiirya'rdaiu'sabosen

## Fiirya'rdaiu'sabosen "Ardaius"

*"The Sith speak of chains that are broken through their use of the force... your masters promised you enlightenment through dedication to that very same power. I find myself wondering if anyone in this Galaxy has broken their material shackles, or if we are all merely prisoners of the Force's will."*

- Ardaius to Jedi Padawan Tahrai Evan

**Fiirya’rdaiu’sabosen**, known more commonly by his core name **Ardaius,** was a Sith servant of the Dark Council and a Chiss-Imperial agent for both the Chiss Ascendancy and reconstituted Sith Empire. Born as a shadow child to the influential Sabosen family on Csilla, Ardaius spent his early life immersed in the highest quality educational resources he could acquire, eventually visiting the Expeditionary Library and learning of the Force. Realizing he was force-sensitive and at risk of social outcast as a result, Ardaius panicked, experiencing his first emotional outburst accompanied by an expulsion of pent up Force energy within him. His sister, Fiirya‘vyora’sabosen, would send him on a shuttle to Dromund Kaas in hopes that he would learn how to control his abilities and, more importantly, to save him from the consequences of his force-sensitivity within the Ascendancy. Upon being sent to Korriban, Ardaius became the apprentice of Sith Lord Qwenn Gallia, working closely with her in the Korriban Chapter of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge alongside Darth Hâskath and his apprentice Sinya Freykaa, with whom he would become very close. Gallia and Hâskath would send their apprentices on various joint missions to seek evidence in search of the legendary lightsaber of Exar Kun, which they desired for the purposes of gaining further repute.

On a specific mission to Dromund Kaas, Ardaius and Sinya would stumble upon the Order of Revan and join their ranks. This time away from the Academy acted as the final proponent to their becoming romantically involved. Gallia grew jealous of Ardaius' attatchment to Sinya, and, having already killed Hâskath, would assassinate Sinya before Ardaius' eyes under the guise of a 'trial of sacrifice'. As a result, upon her discovery of the famed lightsaber's location, Ardaius killed Gallia and buried her research in hopes of destroying her legacy and to avenge his first love. Without a clear direction, Ardaius would contact his sister and work as a Chiss Informant within the Empire, simultaneously orchestrating events at the Empire's behest as an Imperial Agent. Upon Revan's return, Ardaius distanced himself from the now radical Revanites, beginning to associate more closely with the Dark Council in hopes of making ties that would allow him the influence and opportunity to pursue his own goals in the future.

In his personal time, Ardaius meditated under the guidance of the Shade of Korriban and discovered an incredibly powerful force anomaly that had taken root in a young Togruta girl, Sashaari Kyr. He travelled to Shili to investigate her situation, only to find that she had destroyed her village and everyone in it. Ardaius took Sashaari in as his own and trained her in the ways of the Force until she was 14, at which point, fearing the power within her and its connections to emotion, she ran away to join the Jedi Order. By the time of the Eternal Alliance, Ardaius had become one of the Dark Council's most valued confidential assets.

## Biography

### A Son of the Ascendancy

In the year 3661 B.B.Y, a Chiss child was born on the capital world of Csilla by the name of Fiirya’rdaiu’sabosen. The powerful Sabosen family, which had held responsibility for matters of society across the Ascendancy for generations (and would continue to do so), took great strides to be prepared for any situation, including the entire destruction of their family line. This mindset was common amongst the ruling families and Chiss politics as a whole, being a pragmatic and logical people who were not afraid to assume the worst was always a possibility. So, in case a theoretical event of this nature was to occur, one child born to every ruling Aristocra would be secluded from the public eye at birth, becoming a ‘shadow child’. Fiirya’rdaiu’sabosen was one of these children, and he took a fair deal of pride in it.

The benefit to being left out of the public limelight of your politically influential family is that you have access to the opportunities which being of high status can offer, without being bogged down by the societal requirements of your own family and the family which you might otherwise be assigned to once coming of age. Additionally, as a shadow child, you would also be serving your family as what is essentially a designated survivor. Ardaius took advantage of his situation, spending his time learning everything he could, not only concerning the Sabosen focus on judicial and educational matters, but also the functions of the other ruling families and how they served the perfectly functioning machine that was the Chiss Ascendancy.

Because of his rather rare position, Ardaius, upon reaching the age of 8, would find that he had learned all he could from his tutors and the resources he had at home, and so was escorted by his sister Fiirya‘vyora’sabosen (Avyora) to the Expeditionary Library, where all Chiss knowledge was held. It was there that he would learn of the origins of his people, the justifications for their physiology and psychology, and most interestingly to Ardaius, of a group known as “force-sensitives”. He read further into the texts concerning the worlds beyond the Ascendancy, and how a treaty was signed between the Chiss and a militaristic regiment known as the Sith Empire to keep Csilla and other Ascendancy worlds independent from the Sith, the Jedi, and their strange powers. But the force sensitives were not only from beyond the Ascendancy... in some cases, Chiss would be born with these powers… but to Ardaius’ dismay, these Chiss were looked down upon, as if they were afflicted with an untreatable disease, and were relegated from society. This news would not affect most Chiss in the slightest, however, it did Ardaius, because he now understood that *he* was force sensitive, and after many years of keeping powers to himself out of a lack of understanding and fear of his xenophobic community, he had finally learned that said fear was justified.

In that moment of realization, previously alien thoughts of panic ran through Ardaius’ head; those of facing a life without his people in exile for something he had no control over, hurting someone he cared for without his intention, or shaming his family with his ‘illness’. All of this came bubbling over and formed into the first emotional outburst he had ever experienced, and with that outburst, came the Force. The library shook and trembled violently, and cracks formed near Ardaius’ feet, datapads lifting off of shelves and hovering around him. Ardaius was terrified, and then he collapsed. Noticing the peculiar anxiety attack her brother had just experienced, Avyora ran to him, noticing the datapad concerning the Force he had just been reading still projecting an array of information. Avyora, well regarded for her decisiveness and acuity, gathered what information she could on the situation and devised a plan, hustling her physically exhausted sibling out of the library and back to their family’s estate.

A new range of emotions had been opened to Ardaius through the trauma he had endured, his mind now open to the Force, and Avyora recognized this. He would no longer be able to keep his abilities in check on his own, and therefore needed someone to train him regarding how to harness the power he possessed, but that person could never be found within the Ascendancy. Avyora knew that separating a Chiss from his people was the worst fate one could suffer, but due to their ties with the Sith Empire, a promising solution presented itself. The following morning, a transport shuttle docked in the Csaplar's spaceport to collect supplies and Chiss soldiers to deliver into the services of the Empire. Avyora arranged for her brother to board with them. With that, Ardaius’ life as one of the Sabosen ended, and the beginnings of his new life lay in wait on the planet of Dromund Kaas.

### Darth Seclusia

When Ardaius disembarked the Imperial Shuttle, he quickly made it apparent to a group of nearby Sith agents that he was gifted in the force, and asked (in Basic, which he had learned from his tutor and was commonly taught since the alliance between the Ascendancy and the Empire had begun) that they bring him to the academy his sister had informed him of.  The strange, sprawling city of Kaas was alien to Ardaius, as he had only been exposed to the architectures of other civilizations through the screens of his datapads. No building compared to the Imperial Citadel, buttressed by enormous steel beams that lifted the structure far above the already impressive skyline. Just above the tower was perhaps the biggest starship Ardaius had ever seen - the dreadnought cast a looming shadow over the city, a constant reminder of the power of the Sith. Ardaius was utterly awestruck. He was a long way from Csilla, and although the thought of not returning to his home upset him, the opportunities within the academy excited him more. A Pureblood Sith Overseer by the name of Jenderriphan would recognize Ardaius’ abilities and take on the young Chiss as well as a group of other young hopefuls to be trained. Jenderriphan's focus was predominantly on combat training, something Ardaius had never excelled in, but his new master made sure he had no choice but to keep up, for the way of the Sith offered few alternatives. Over the next 9 years, Ardaius would train himself and be trained in the ways of the Sith, learning how to effectively defend himself with an electroblade thanks to the rigorous drills of his Overseer, and how to master the abilities gifted to him by the Force through regaining control over his emotions, harnessing and channeling them to benefit him as opposed to acting as a detriment to his progress. Despite the great strides he had taken to better himself as a warrior, Ardaius’ true dedication never faltered, for his desire to accumulate knowledge far outweighed any aspiration to gain power. Whenever he could, he would delve into the educational resources present at the academy, furthering his knowledge of the Sith and pursuing a particular interest in Holocrons. When he reached 16, Ardaius was deemed ready by Jenderriphan to complete his training at the hands of a greater Sith… or die in the process of initiation. So, he traveled to Korriban.

To many, the planet of Korriban would be considered a desolate place, but Ardaius appreciated the rolling sands of the desert, the ancient Sith structures from ages long past, and how it beautifully complimented the simplistic, modern beauty of the new Sith Pyramid. As the ramp of their transport descended on a landing pad in front of the academy, Ardaius took a moment to look around at the faces of his fellow acolytes as they headed towards the temple, a few of whom he had trained alongside for years. They were all excited, although some tried to mask it beneath a thin veneer of cool-headed confidence. Ardaius was truly happy to have finally reached the homeworld of the Sith, and was eager to become a- “Acolytes!” Ardaius looked up to the top of the stairs from whence the voice had called to them, and saw what he assumed was a female Sith higher-up, flanked by an Overseer and a Warrior. The woman was Mirialan, with olive skin and ash-grey eyes. Her jet black hair fell far beneath her shoulders, and a geometric tattoo,  a staple of her people and symbol of her achievements, ran across her nose and cheeks in a diamond pattern. She was beautiful, and her stern expression and tone demanded respect. Ardaius could feel a controlled power radiating just behind her eyes, accompanied by a calculating mind. “I am Lord Gallia. I’m sure you’ve been fully briefed on what to expect in your trials to achieve a place by the side of a Sith Master. Well, ignore all that you have been told, for I am the Master you seek, and I do not acknowledge such simple and mundane rights of passage. You will serve me to prove yourselves, and I have only one task for each of you to complete: locate the hidden tomb of Darth Seclusia, and return with your findings. Whoever accomplishes this shall be my apprentice.” Ardaius watched as the group dispersed, and he was left alone at the foot of the stairs. Gallia turned to face the Overseer and began whispering to him in hushed tones, then, turned around in surprise to see Ardaius walking past her and into the temple. “Where are you going, acolyte?” she asked. To this, Ardaius simply responded: “While I admire my fellow initiates’ confidence in charging straight into long-abandoned tombs, I’d prefer to do a bit of research first.”

Ardaius quickly located a terminal in the commons of the temple and cross-referenced as many files as he could relating to ‘tombs’ and ‘Darth Seclusia’, only to find no such records coincided or matched. Ajunta Pall, Tulak Hord, Naga Sadow, Marka Ragnos… yet no Seclusia. It was as if the Sith Lord didn’t exist. In Ardaius’ mind, the lack of information and selection of an obscure topic such as this “Seclusia” was intentional, to try their skill. Starting at square one, he first compiled a dossier on each of the major Sith eras on Korriban, seeing if any records held mention of a tomb constructed for a less popular Dark Lord of the Sith. Naturally, there were thousands of such occurrences, burials were not uncommon, and amongst the Sith, they were very much unregulated. Searching directly for Seclusia’s place of burial would take far more time than he had, and although she might have been irrelevant in the popular history of the Sith, she had to have accomplished something deserving of merit, otherwise Gallia would not desire to find her tomb. Perhaps she gained the favor of the Order by serving beneath one of the greater Sith? His search would begin in what remained of the Valley of the Dark Lords.

### To Follow in the Footsteps of Revan

The Sith Academy had stood as a symbol of the Order for thousands of years, but upon Darth Malgus’ recapture of Korriban, a new temple was constructed upon the ruins of the old one. Ardaius decided it would be most wise to follow Revan’s path on Korriban after traveling to the planet in search of a device left behind by the Infinite Empire, as he had been recorded to have entered each of the Sith tombs and discovered their secrets. Ardaius began by descending into the lowest levels of the Academy using an old blueprint he dug up during his research. He passed through several training rooms and sanctums, coming across the bodies of unfortunate Sith who had tried to prevent Revan’s departure from the planet centuries prior. Ardaius could feel the pain left behind in the Academy from the centuries of torture that had taken place within its walls, and the overwhelming fear students had felt at failing to meet the momentous task of becoming an apprentice to a Sith Master.

Ardaius traveled the circuitous route leading out of the old temple, making note of his gratefulness that the new temple had a far more direct route to the tombs of the ancient Sith. Eventually, he arrived in the famed Valley of the Sleeping Kings and found it exceeded all of his expectations. Bearing witness to the Sith Mausoleums from the ground instilled in him a sense of foreboding which far outweighed that he felt during his aerial entry, and the daunting sentinels which stood watch over the Vale humbled him in their presence. He had studied the Sith for half of his life, yet only in this moment did he feel that he truly understood the significance of their power. Ardaius was so completely involved in his own thoughts that he almost missed a bizarre detail of his scenery; the Valley was devoid of life save for a couple of his fellow acolytes. From what he had read, archeological research teams and other acolytes attempting to complete tasks of their own should have been flooding the area, however no one else was to be seen. Maybe this was Gallia’s doing, and if that were true, he had to be doing something right.

Since Ardaius made sure only to follow Revan’s direct paths through each Sith Tomb, and not the areas which had been discovered by archeologists of the Sith in more recent years (taking special care to circumvent a massive Sithspawn Terentatek around Ragnos’ sanctum), both the tomb of Ajunta Pall and Marka Ragnos did not take long to traverse and were largely unthreatening to Ardaius save a few tuk’ata, shyrack, and k’lor’slug which he was able to defeat. He spent a few hours in each tomb, observing all that he could of the art and inscriptions present, and making sure to scan whatever details of the inner sanctum’s walls that had not been worn away by the passing of time. Naga Sadow’s Tomb, on the other hand, took a great deal longer to explore, mainly because of its size and the intricate puzzles and challenges which once sealed separate areas of the tomb off, each one having been overcome by Revan himself.  Ardaius passed multiple areas which he found particular interest in, including a long-dilapidated puzzle comprised of three pillars, a couple of terentatek skeletons, and a room which seemed to have a floor made completely of a frozen acid, a single corpse lying upon it in the garb of a Sith Academy Master. The sanctum of Sadow’s tomb not only contained a slew of information for Ardaius to delve into, but also an artifact which he could only assume was the husk of a Rakatan Star Map, one of the few which Revan had used to locate the Star Forge and defeat Darth Malak over 300 years prior.

### Mechanical Machinations

The final tomb to be searched through was that of the famed Sith warrior-lord Tulak Hord. After a relatively uneventful yet enjoyable day of ruin-searching, Ardaius was caught off guard to find what looked like recently placed signs at the entrance to the tomb, reading: ‘Unfit for Lifeforms’. Next to the sign was the severed head of a Sith Battle Droid who must have been sent to the tomb in order to clear it of threats… obviously, its efforts had proved unsuccessful. Ardaius entered the tomb and made his way through the hidden passages which led to the old sanctum, eventually being greeted with a large, open passageway before a massive stone staircase. Cracks in the ceiling allowed for beams of sunlight to illuminate the room just enough for Ardaius to see that it now served a different purpose than its builders intended, for it was a graveyard of antiquated droids. Some of the luckier robots remained intact, albeit without functionality,  standing limp like cold and undying centurions guarding whatever lay ahead… most were merely strewn across the ground,  fragments of metal exoskeleton and machine. Then he felt it; a crawling sensation on his spine, a shadow creeping in from behind, rising towards the ceiling and covering the walls before swiftly converging upon him. All of a sudden, he was surrounded by darkness, and when light did come into play, the room he had seen before him faded in lieu of entirely different views. A slight haze seemed to obscure his vision, the images it obscured shifting and contorting, forming glimpses of landscapes and buildings all moving too quickly for him to make out. Each was accompanied by words being spoken by a chorus of voices which grew increasingly louder, each one fighting to overcome the last, as if they were vying for his attention. Then one scene came into view and lingered for a time; a tall and imposing temple on a tropical province, the coastline behind it being bombarded by the waves of a powerful storm… from there, Ardaius felt himself fall into a long stretch of blackness, at the end of which was a small cell containing a robed, bruised man lying on its floor. As Ardaius approached, he was able to make out the man’s features. He seemed to be middle-aged, bearded, with long and unkempt brown hair. He raised his head to look into Ardaius’ eyes, and they pierced his very soul. From the onslaught of voices emerged one more prominent than all the others, surrounding the cell and speaking in harsh, metallic tones. “*In the end, you belong to neither the light nor the darkness. You will forever stand alone.*” As quickly as he arrived, Ardaius was thrust away from the cell, flung into the dark void which had engulfed him. There he drifted in silence for a moment, before a quiet whisper touched his ear: “*Apathy is Death.*”

With a jolt, Ardaius awoke to find he had passed out on the floor of the temple, and unfortunately, one of the droids he had thought inactive had decided it was time to strike. Ardaius was still dazed from the vision he had experienced, and so was unprepared when the 400-pound metallic mass came charging at him. Luckily, his savior arrived in the form of a crimson lightsaber, which swung out from the shadows behind him and cut the droid down before promptly returning to its master’s hand. Before Ardaius could thank her, a tattooed twi’lek with brilliant blue eyes pinned him to the ground with her boot, her blade mere inches from his throat. “Enjoy the daydream, slugbait?” Still bewildered by the events that had unfolded, Ardaius took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding. “So far the slugs haven’t expressed any distaste for my daydreams, although I must have done something to rightly piss off that droid. Thank you, by the way.” The Twi’lek was caught aback by his gratitude and candor. Based on her expression alone, Ardaius could tell she had been deprived of such traits for a very long time. “The droids aren’t what should scare you, meathead. Concern yourself with the person responsible for their activation, and more pressingly, the fact that I’m about to kill you for trying to take what’s mine.” Ardaius was visibly confused. “I most definitely would have noticed you had you been one of the acolytes Master Gallia sent out in search of Seclusia.” He replied, looking her up and down. “You have a striking presence.” The Twi’lek could only smirk at this remark. “Attempts at flattery as poor as that won’t get you far on Korriban” she said, sheathing her blade and extending her hand to pull him up. “Luckily, Gallia sent me too, so you get the privilege of living for another day, Vrei.” Ardaius accepted her hand, and almost as soon as his feet touched the stone floor, the Twi’lek had begun her descent into the depths of the inner-sanctum.

“Can I at least learn the name of my savior?” Ardaius asked, his voice echoing off of the walls and carrying into the tomb’s high ceilings. “Sinya”, the Twi’lek replied, so concentrated on her assignment that she had forgotten he was present. “And yours?” Ardaius enlightened her to his name within the Ascendancy as well as its variant for use in the core worlds, both of which she expressed a degree of dissatisfaction with. “Those names are far too elegant for a man who can be so easily beaten. Vrei suits you better.” Ardaius was initially unsure how to respond, but his curiosity overcame all else. “Vrei?” he asked. “It means ‘fortunate’ in my tongue, which is fitting, as without your luck you would surely be dead.”

Able to let her guard down due to Ardaius’ reasonable temperament, something uncommon in most Sith she had encountered, Sinya expounded on her purpose in the temple. According to Gallia, a previous Headmaster of the Sith Academy, Jorak Uln, was slain in Hord’s tomb by Revan. In Uln’s possession was a personal datapad that held valuable information to Gallia and Sinya’s master Hâskath, both of whom worked in the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge. Much to Ardaius’ dismay, she knew nothing of Seclusia. The two agreed to help one another navigate the temple in search of achieving their respective goals.

Before long, the young Sith arrived at their destination. Ardaius began searching inscriptions on the walls for any mention of Seclusia, taking note of various pieces of art and ancient statues that were littered around the sarcophagus itself. As a secondary measure, he would use a portable scanner he attained from the temple library to take scans for later inspection. Sinya was completely uninterested in the artifacts within the tomb, however, running over to a dusty skeleton that Ardaius assumed had once been Jorak Uln. “Any luck?” Ardaius asked as she rummaged through the instructor’s tattered uniform. He watched as her expression changed from one of eagerness to disappointment. “It’s not here…” she replied solemnly.

Suddenly, a sadistic laughter burst forth from the antechamber of the inner-sanctum, followed by a ghostly, nasally voice: “*Oh, don’t look so sad alien girl, you’re spoiling my mood! You both displayed such delicious vigor on your journey here...  I look forward to testing the poor excuses for Sith my pathetic apprentice has sent to destroy me!”* From the shadows emerged the translucent form of what Ardaius knew to be Uln himself, his appearance resembling that of an animal which had been deprived of sunlight since its birth. The phantom energy that now composed his being did not compliment his waxy complexion. “*Now, let’s see what you’re made of!*”

Uln slowly raised his hand, maniacally giggling as the decrepit shells of droids began to coalesce before him, their heads and torsos forming the body of a metalloid monstrosity from which their limbs spread forth as legs. A lethal centipede now stood between the exposed Sith and the exit to the tomb. Sinya ignited her lightsaber, and Ardaius drew his vibroblade (before promptly dropping it in lieu of making the most of his force abilities). “This will prove exciting” he said, smiling at Sinya who appeared utterly overwhelmed. As the amalgam creature began to scurry towards them animated by Uln’s will, Ardaius scanned its crude design for mechanical weaknesses to exploit, which he spotted by the makeshift ligaments of its legs. While he used the force to fend off their attacker and directed Sinya’s attention to the centipede’s weakpoints, she hastily rendered it immobile by slicing away at its feet, which greatly angered Jorak’s apparition. “*You think this constitutes a victory? Wrong, as always! Now, embrace your deserved punishment!*”

The ground began to tremble and stone dust fell from the ceiling. Ardaius looked up and witnessed enormous cracks forming around the sanctum’s skylight. The ghostly form of Uln, now putting all of the energy he could muster into an incredible feat of destructive power, faded from sight, leaving the route of escape open to the Sith. Together, they ran from a terrifying surge of force lightning that chased them from the tomb’s depths and back onto the surface, Jorak’s cackles echoing around them as, with a spectral rasp, Revan’s path was shut forever.

Panting with exhaustion, they both fell on their backs next to one another where they remained for a moment in relative silence… before Ardaius, partly out of relief to be alive and also due to the absurdity of their experience, began to laugh. “Did I miss something?” Sinya asked, clearly confused. “No, you were definitely present.” Ardaius responded. “I’d spent my day fighting off a few animals and staring at walls, and then suddenly you show up and I'm engaged in battle with ghost-robots. It’s just a rather sudden change of pace.” Sinya joined him in laughter. “You can’t give me all the credit, they decided we were easy targets because you thought a Sith tomb was a *superb* place to take a nap.” Ardaius stood, returning the helping hand she had lent him when they first met. “You’re a very dangerous person, Apprentice Sinya.” He said, grinning once again. “You’d do best to remember it, Vrei” she replied with a hint of affection before concern washed over her face as she registered that her mission had been a failure. “I hope you find this Seclusia, and that our paths cross again.” With that, she turned back to the Academy.

### A Blade Without its Master

Ardaius returned to the Academy with his findings and entered the commons, now running the massive amount of information he had gathered in the Valley of the Dark Lords through the Sith archive. Despite all of his efforts, nothing could be found concerning Seclusia. She was a ghost, at least within the records of the Empire, which led Ardaius to two conclusions. Either she was erased from history at the behest of a more powerful Sith, or she accomplished absolutely nothing of significance on Korriban. But if that was the case, then how could Gallia know of her? For what reason would she be buried amongst the greatest of the Sith? Perhaps that was, in fact, the solution... she never was. Just as Ardaius turned to bring Gallia his findings, he was startled to see that she already stood in waiting directly behind him. “Seclusia has yet to be buried, for she also has yet to be born. I am Seclusia, or I intend to be, and this place of knowledge is where I would choose to rest.” Gallia said, the slightest smile growing on her face. “Well done, my apprentice.”

Gallia led her new student through the vast halls of the Academy and up several tall staircases until eventually arriving at an elevator that seemed absurdly large given its location. Hundreds of questions ran through Ardaius’ mind as they ascended floors he didn’t even know existed. Not wanting to be disrespectful, he held his tongue, but couldn’t resist the odd nervous glance or two in the direction of his master. “You’re wondering why I engineered such a peculiar task for you to complete, am I correct?” Gallia asked with so much certainly he wasn’t sure it was actually a question. He nodded. “My mentor and I devised it together. To put it simply, Ardaius, there is work that needs to be done, and I require someone of sufficient intelligence and discretion to complete it. I have never had much interest in adopting a protegé, however, I can no longer keep up with the assignments designated to me by my superiors in the Dark Council while simultaneously pursuing my own goals. Through you, I will be able to do both, and in return, I shall make you a competent Sith. There, all caught up to speed?” Ardaius, still understandably intimidated by the Sith Lord, nodded once again. “Seems perfectly logical… master.”

As the doors of the elevator opened, Ardaius was greeted by an undeniably incredible space: tall, ornate walls constructed much like the tombs he had just returned from, although far better maintained, supported a ceiling that was completely covered by a stunning mural depicting a battle of epic proportions. He would have been able to appreciate it if not for the piercing wails of a woman coming from the adjacent room. “The fact that you have the impudence to return to me empty-handed,  the sheer *gall* of you!” a tall, imposing Pureblood yelled, each sentence punctuated by a sharp blast of cyan energy that shot forth from his fingertips. “I know it to be a task even a hound could complete; you were to fetch a menial artifact for me, and you failed. You truly are the most nauseating, pathetic, repugnant alien-filth I have ever had the displeasure of laying my eyes on.” As he and Gallia turned the corner, Ardaius was horrified to discover that the subject of the man’s abuse was non-other than Sinya Freykaa, whose body lay splayed out across the floor. Gallia clearly sensed his desire to intervene, shooting him a discreet glare in order to dissuade any action on his part. “Jorak Uln’s personal datapad is hardly menial, my Lord. I am almost certain that his time in service to Exar Kun would have proven a valuable resource. Unfortunately, I made a mistake in my interpretation of the relevant research.  Revan removed the datapad from Uln’s possession, so it is lost to us. You are punishing your apprentice for my failure.” the Sith seemed unfazed by this new information, choosing to dismiss Gallia’s words and hone in on Ardaius. “Who is this, Qwenn? Another researcher from Dromund Kaas?” He said with a devilish smirk. “This is Ardaius, my new apprentice.” She replied. “Ardaius, allow me to introduce you to my old master, Darth Hâskath, leader of the Korriban Chapter of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge. We work at his discretion.” Ardaius barely registered the conversation of his masters, finding it impossible to look away from Sinya’s singed and scarred body. She was all but motionless. Almost without realizing it, he approached her and tried to help her up, only to be aggressively shoved away. Although she tried to hide it beneath her rage, tears welled in her eyes. She was in terrible pain.

“Chiss!” Ardaius turned to discover the menacing figure of Darth Hâskath towering above him, his bright red eyes staring down at him with disdain. “I thought your people were pragmatic, logical, and above such petty displays of compassion. Not only that but you presume to call yourself a wielder of the dark side. ” Without warning, he then slapped Ardaius across the face, an attack the young apprentice made no effort to avoid. “Get up. I might not be able to choose who Qwenn takes as her apprentice, but in my presence, you will at least act the part of a legitimate Sith.” Ardaius rose to meet Hâskath’s eyes, staring back into them not with the fear that the Pureblood expected, but with curiosity. “I won’t show such disrespect again, my Lord. I overstepped my bounds.” To this, Hâskath scoffed, smirking once again. “Honestly, Qwenn, I expected someone far more formidable than this to be your first apprentice. I’m disappointed. All the same, I trust your judgment. If you think Sinya needs an incompetent weakling to accompany her on her next mission, I’m sure you have your reasons. Perhaps he’ll make decent blaster-bait?” Sinya finally mustered the energy to lift herself up, and the Sith Lord beckoned her to follow him out of the room. “Fill him in on our mission.” The Twi’lek’s eyes met Ardaius’ once more as Gallia bowed in acknowledgment of Hâskath’s command, then she disappeared behind a mechanized door. Ardaius expected further punishment from Gallia, or perhaps a simple reprimand, but she said nothing, instead electing to lead Ardaius to a massive table littered with artifacts and research in the center of the room they had entered from. “As you may have gathered, the artifact I require your help to discover is the legendary lightsaber of Exar Kun. I know from the profile sent by Overseer Jenderriphan that you were an avid student of galactic history, so it should come as no surprise that Hâskath desires a chance to wield it. *I* desire a chance to wield it.” In her last declaration, Ardaius detected a hint of fervor. “Here is everything we have on Kun’s blade. Jorak Uln was the last connection to the Dark Lord I could find on Korriban, and it is another trail that has run cold.” Gallia then activated a hologram device built into the center console of the table. It opened a complex map of the Galaxy that she manipulated with ease. “This is the Onderon system,” she said, zooming in on a specific quadrant of the map and enlarging it. “It is home not only to many a dense and expansive jungle but of whispers concerning a visit from Exar Kun long before he was a prevalent figure in galactic history. It is my belief that the city of Iziz could very well have been his first destination after leaving the Jedi Order to pursue a greater power… our power. Tomorrow, you shall accompany Sinya to Onderon and begin your search immediately. I understand the two of you have already had a chance to work together.” Although he was not aware of it, some part of him must have revealed his fascination with Hâskath’s apprentice, as Gallia grinned in reaction to his expression. “I assume that is acceptable to you?” She asked. “As you command, my master” he replied calmly. “I must ask, of all the lost artifacts of the Sith, why does this one in particular intrigue you?” For a moment, Gallia did not respond, staring off into the vastness of the holographic space before her as if she was searching for it even then. “Because a blade without its master is a terrible waste.”