The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by The Sable Count on May 29, 2019 13:27:02 GMT -8
Aderon smiled a bit at the statement about tomfoolery. So long as the order was disciplined, that was all that mattered. Messing about outside of serious matters was not something Aderon thought should go away. It was true, however, that the sort of horseplay he was referring to in his previous statement was not a present factor in the Dark Jedi. However, this brief expression was short-lived, as it receded back into the Count's typical face, betraying no emotion whatsoever.
Aderon quite enjoyed these duels of wordplay, perhaps even more so than those duels of a more physical nature. It was quite evident that the Fallen Empress would much prefer not to be in this meeting, and would ordinarily spend the time off in her chambers. However, it was also clear that she had some objective with this conversation, something she wanted from Aderon. Everything had a purpose, after all.
"Contempt or hostility? Empress, that is a severe misjudgment, let me assure you. I am well acquainted with the miasma known as betrayal, and I shall not bring it upon this order, so long as it does not bring it upon me."
Aderon began to asses the Empress' motives for bringing him here. It was surely not out of her desire for conversation, as she was well known for her lack of such a desire. The glimmer in her eye caught his attention somewhat, as being a typical sign of amusement. However, it did not explain her objectives in this meeting. However, it was quite likely she had some sort of use for him, a use that was currently beyond the scope of consideration. Still, he would have to be coy about it. One wrong move could earn his place on
"I do believe your words are earnest, although we both know time will be the ultimate judge of the truth of that statement..."
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 28, 2019 12:16:06 GMT -8
Aderon gently nodded his head, affirming her sentiment that a fresh start would be nice. Being far more used to the decorum surrounding these sorts of interactions, he would very much like a chance to regain his footing, having lost his proverbial balance in the conversation. The Count himself was in a similar situation as Mariah, seeing as he was used to dealing with people who were like him, and generally following the many fetters of the courtly procedure. Indeed, he would have to get used to not having that same sort of structure in place if he was to survive long in this faction.
Turning his attention to the question at hand, the young man had to stifle a sigh. He did not particularly like revealing his motivations, as that had seriously cost him, and he did not want to repeat mistakes that had previously served to be his undoing at the hands of an upstart commander. Even so, it was likely that Mariah did not intend to betray him, seeing as it was in her greatest self interest not to do so.
"I seek the truth of the darkness. I have been... deceived by the Jedi for most of my life, and I seek its applications. More specifically, how I can apply it to my... main profession. The Sith would not teach me it without expecting me to serve them exclusively in their own goals, and the Ren are violent fools. I believe your order does not have its own brand of tomfoolery, hence why I seek this knowledge from you."
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 28, 2019 10:55:05 GMT -8
Rising from his kneeled position, Aderon took note of what the Empress said. Evidently, she was not used to the courtly rituals that tended to follow positions such as the one she held. Having never met a leader who disregarded such formalities, he was caught somewhat unprepared for the second part of her response. Simply nodding his head an acknowledgment, he made a brief apology to the lady.
"Apologies, Empress."
Accepting her hand, the Count lithely shook her hand. He was, at this point, unsure to what degree the Empress followed courtly procedures and decorum, decided to play it safe with his greeting. Already, this meeting was highly irregular, given that there wasn't a court present, save for Lady Eris, who seemed content to stay back and allow Mariah to do the talking.
Although Mariah may have thought that her intense gaze made Aderon rather uncomfortable, he answered back with his own eyes, also carefully observing her. Her crimson against his blue, the two of them were furiously, yet silently, cross examining each other, as would be expected, given their two respective situations. The Count had spent a lifetime mastering the arts of the political battlefield, and this was no different from that. Mariah, on the other hand, was likely trying to get a read on his character, which was understandable and indeed, the intelligent thing to do.
"No need to apologize, your grace. I admit that I've been rather busy over the past week, getting integrated into the order, so the blame does not lie with you."
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 28, 2019 9:59:43 GMT -8
Aderon once again nodded his head in affirmation to Gavin's statement.
However, his next statement surprised him. Never having a goal was not something Aderon had ever experienced before. Everything was always done for some reason, with some sort of purpose behind it. Everything had a reason. Nobody ever did anything without reasoning behind it. He had been raised in a society that taught him to expect an ulterior motive without fail. And that statement had never let him down in the past.
"What do I seek? Knowledge, I suppose. Knowledge on how to control and harness these powers. There are... applications... that I have in mind for these sorts of things. A means to an end, if you will."
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 28, 2019 9:52:10 GMT -8
Ok, I am free for the evening if you want to get started on that. Seven
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 28, 2019 9:50:36 GMT -8
By this point, Aderon had learned the layout of the temple rather well had gotten accustomed to the darker architecture of the building rather well. Even though he, in many ways, would be something of an outsider to many of the Dark Jedi, he still made some effort to prevent a rift forming between himself and the other members of the order. The last thing he needed was to attract the ire of someone in power.
Which is why the odd note he had received from the Empress distinctly troubled him. When he had walked into the room, he immediately recognized that the rose was extremely out of place when compared to the other flowers, which all suited the brighter tones of the room nicely. The Fallen Empress was well known for being something of a social recluse, preferring her own company as opposed to the company of others. Thus, if something had drawn her out to out to speak with Aderon, it was clearly something out of the ordinary. Although, then again, she could likely be curious about the man. Doubtless, whispers had circled throughout the order surrounding his past, and it would not be unlike someone as inquisitive as the empress was to look into such whisperings.
The door to the throne room was opened by two sentinels who stood watch over the entrance to the important space, and Aderon stepped inside. A loud slam was heard behind him as the heavy doors were closed, not to be reopened until his meeting was concluded. The room itself was quite dizzying, due to the sheer height and strange architecture that made it up. The spiraling columns placed at somewhat random intervals made the room extremely visually confusing, with only one clearly defined focal point, that being the throne. Walking deeper into the room, his boots against the floor producing a staccato clicking that likely could have alerted anyone in the space of his arrival, he looked about for the woman who had sent him the message. And it did not take long for him to spot the red-haired empress. Next to her stood The Fallen's general, who wore on her back a large set of wings that seemed to not dominate her person, but instead draw attention to her.
Stepping forward, he made the standard gesture of kneeling while bowing his head forward when greeting someone of galactic importance who went by the title of "empress".
"Empress, Lady Eris. Greetings."
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 27, 2019 15:45:17 GMT -8
Ah, I see. I don't know you then, was wondering if you were someone else... still, we at the DJO would be happy to have you!
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 27, 2019 14:51:31 GMT -8
Hallo,
If I may, who did you write beforehand? I may know you?
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 26, 2019 11:22:15 GMT -8
"True enough, though Serenno has been overrun by my enemies, making it virtually impossible to train in peace on that world."
Aderon nodded his head in affirmation of Gavin's statement. It was likely that his goals of political domination did not align with the goals of the majority of the Dark Jedi. He was something of a special case in terms of what his goals were, as he had spent a lifetime in halls far different than these ones, engaging in jousts of words and policy as opposed to those of a more physical nature that likely were the norm around the temple.
"I am certain what you seek to achieve is very different from what I have set out for."
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 26, 2019 10:36:38 GMT -8
Aderon also retracted his gloved hand, still attempting to glean information from Gavin's stance. Evidently, he was very comfortable here, meaning he had likely been a part of the Order for quite some time.
"Well, in a nutshell, I believe I've... well, stumbled upon a truth I hadn't realized for some time. Suffice to say there are problems on my homeworld, which make it difficult for me to learn in peace there."
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 26, 2019 7:10:34 GMT -8
"Suffice to say that there is some interesting history behind it."
That was the understatement of the millennium. Although he was proud of his heritage, he would not reveal too much behind why he was here, only telling who he was. His history was colorful, and it was unlikely that others here shared quite the same background as him. Even so, the last thing he wanted to do was appear to be aloof, and pompous. He had joined this faction to learn. There was a time and place for pride and now was not it.
As he made his introduction, Aderon extended his hand to shake the other man's.
"Aderon Dooku, Count of Serenno."
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 26, 2019 6:19:21 GMT -8
Aderon had been briefly discussing galactic politics with one of the nearby Dark Jedi. Informing him on the current state of things, and generally making small talk on the direction the galaxy looked set to take. Following that small conversation, he turned to face the direction the voice was coming from, and was greeted by a shock of blonde hair, along with piercing blue eyes to match his own.
"You'd be right in your assessment."
Similar to what he would do when faced with a foreign ambassador, The Count silently began to analyze the man standing before him. At first glance, he would appear to be rather underwhelming. An initiate at best. However, his eyes told a different story. He had clearly seen many things and was likely decades older than Aderon. His presence in the Force was clouded, even more so than could be expected for someone of a grey order. No, there was something else at play here. Whoever this was, he clearly did not want to show his hand too soon. And neither did the Count.
"You would be...?"
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 26, 2019 6:00:31 GMT -8
Aderon peaked out of the shuttle, and caught sight of the Nexus, sitting totally unharmed on the hangar floor of this colossal vessel. Getting some temporary relief from this, he turned back to face The Fallen as he asked the all-important question. What his choice was.
Aderon considered his options. At this point, he had no faction left to turn to. The Galactic Alliance was destroyed, his kingdom on Serenno had all but collapsed, the Blackguard likely wanted him dead, and the First Order did as well. Simultaneously, though, Coruscant beckoned. He had heard tell of a new government forming, a new government forming under the tutelage of someone named Elizabeth. A government he may have had a place in. The idea of political power was always alluring to him, as it made the best use of his talents. His past betrayal and subsequent failure were not enough to deter him from pursuing his ideal of political power.
Yet, he didn't stand to learn anything should he accept the offer of governance on Coruscant. He had come across a power he had never truly realized existed until now, and it was something he would need to learn. Something he would need to master, lest it consume him, like what happened to the Sith. In addition, there were certain applications of this newfound force. Applications that could be far-reaching, and alter the very course of Aderon's life. Perhaps something that could aid in his mastery of the political battlefield. The opportunities were truly limitless, and he would prefer to learn about them from someone who had experience in controlling and harnessing them. And it certainly seemed this organization had the resources needed for it.
Aderon sighed. He had made his decision.
"I humbly accept this honor. I should very much like to learn how to harness this... newfound force."
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 25, 2019 16:54:08 GMT -8
Aderon, a new arrival to the base, spent the time taking in as much information about the structure that he could. From its dark, moody architecture and atmosphere to the layout of its many rooms, corridors, courtyards, and floors, he wanted to get well acquainted with the structure he would likely soon be calling home, with his induction into the order. He could tell that he was extremely out of place amongst the simplistic, efficient garb of the passers-by, dressed in an elegant black shoulder-cape with a gold chain fastener, breeches, tall boots, and a black formal vest with golden buttons. His chrome, polished lightsaber attached to his hip and a small golden pin with the sigil of House Dooku on it attached to his lapel.
Nodding at some of the people who walked by, a few stopped to ask him where he was from, why he was here. Typical questions to ask someone so clearly out of place who was within your home.
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 25, 2019 16:33:36 GMT -8
Sounds good.
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 25, 2019 16:03:20 GMT -8
Ok, sure, that would work.
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 25, 2019 15:36:11 GMT -8
Aderon was briefly distracted by the exploding vessel next to him, thanking his lucky stars that his Solar Sailor had been captured and brought aboard the Phaedra by the boarding party before the doomed cruiser had begun its final plunge. However, The Fallen's deep voice interrupted his inner monologue, and he turned to face the behemoth standing before him.
"Well, I suppose I should start from the start. I was facing betrayal and internal collapse from my top commanders, so I consolidated my forces on Serenno and prepared for a siege."
Gulch's betrayal and subsequent flight to Geonosis had surprised him, as he generally considered the Harch to be devoted to the cause of restoring the Confederacy to a position of power in the galaxy once again. While he and the arachnid had plenty of disputes, with the admiral being far more reckless and bold in his plans, while Adero adopted a mantra of conservatism and safety, hoping to build the roots for a great faction to spread across the stars, neither the count nor his aides thought Gulch capable of betraying both himself and the Galactic Alliance. The man who followed him, Drez, was less of a known quantity but had always been more loyal to Gulch than to the Count, likely resenting his family's role in the Clone Wars, making his betrayal far more predictable. Even so, it had completely destabilized the faction and had sent Dooku reeling back to his homeworld, and expecting an attack at any moment.
"An attack did come, but it was not in the form I expected. You see, my former allies had planted a virus in my droids' central computing network, meaning that when a signal was given, they would attack everyone but themselves. And that is exactly what happened. I found myself trapped within my capital city of Carannia. We were safe, and had enough food, water, and ammunition to outlast a prolonged siege, but the droids kept attacking, and found newer and newer methods of attack."
This had perhaps been the most interesting portion of the encounter. Dooku, while starting off steeped in the light side of the Force, slowly began to slip into the Dark as the situation increasingly worsened. Friends and compatriots died on the front lines every day, their forces had to constantly adapt in order to counter the ever-evolving strategies of the droids. In addition, his forces had been originally merely intended as, at most, riot police, making them significantly underequipped to fight against the standing army of droids. Eventually, something had to give, and it certainly did, in a grandiose fashion as well.
"At some point, one of the deactivated servant droids beneath the palace was infected with the virus, activated, and set off a nuclear bomb near the shield generator complex. Rendering our entire defense hopeless. I was captured and was put on a ship bound for Utapau. That's where you found me."
His capture had been noble, at the very least. For a time, he and his troops had withdrawn to the palace complex and fought a desperate defensive action against the hordes upon hordes of droids, but it was pointless. After the west wing of the palace overlooking the lakeside was destroyed by a falling Muunificent, aqua droids had swarmed over the courtyard and palace complex. Simultaneously, Hailfire Droids blasted multiple holes in the defensive walls surrounding the palace, reducing any defensibility the palace had. Though they fought to the last man, and Aderon did not stop swinging his lightsaber until he was completely surrounded by Droidekkas, the struggle had ultimately been in vain.
"I wouldn't say I am quite a Jedi anymore... no matter how much I wish it weren't the case, I cannot deny the fact that I am no longer what I once was. Yet, while in some ways it is regretful, I do not think I have felt this balanced, nor this powerful, in quite some time... truth be told, I likely would have been vaporized had I not called upon the Dark Side to free myself from that frightful cage..."
Truth be told, he almost regretted he had not done this sooner. While the light was a great ideal to hold oneself to, the reality was the galaxy did not favor idealists, as he had discovered. Fate was cruel, and an idea alone cannot carry one to victory. Perhaps this was the temptation the Jedi spoke of, only it was not a temptation, but a slow realization of the truth. One could either succumb to their knowledge of the truth and become fearful of it. This was the fate of the Sith. However, Aderon would not make the same mistake. The Fallen would likely have been able to sense these thoughts flowing through Aderon's head.
"Hmm... well, I would likely learn from the events of the past. Unfortunately, it cannot be undone, but I will be certain not to make the same mistake twice. And... this power. It would likely allow me to accomplish things I wouldn't have been able to before."
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 25, 2019 12:12:31 GMT -8
The Count's room was very different from the rest of the temple. Well appointed in a style that would not be out of place in the upper city of Coruscant, the room made extensive use of various symbols in order to give a personal touch of the room. Sconces were a running theme. As were simplified emblems of his Noble House. The window of the room overlooked the meditative canyon that cut through the land like a gash across flesh. The door of the room, manufactured by Securis, was able to resist blaster fire, making the room extremely well protected. The four pyramids on the floor of the room, when activated, would serve as emitters for four holographic beams, which would be amplified through the chandelier hanging from the center of the room. In addition, the table would retract into the floor, allowing for a full-use holographic station. However, Aderon, always a lover of luxury, has made it such that fresh flowers should be delivered to the room every day by droid for the flowerpot on the table.
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 25, 2019 11:10:41 GMT -8
Lowering his lightsaber, he turned around as he heard the arrival of several new droids. They immediately recognized their former prisoner and the hostile entities, opening fire on the three of them. Several lightsaber strikes and bow impacts later, the small group of droids lay in pieces on the floor, sparking and hissing. Aderon turned towards his newfound 'rescuers'.
"Well, it's not like I have a choice. Lead the way."
The greenlit, dark, and industrial corridors of the ship rocked violently as fighters swarmed over the surface of the craft. Several sections of the ship were already sealed off, due to extensive damage tearing into the superstructure and exposing rooms, corridors, and gun emplacements to open space. Aderon knew it was likely that the ship would not be much time before the ship became unable to support its own weight, and began tearing itself apart. He intended to be off the vessel before that happened.
Just then, a massive explosion tore through the ship from one of the gun emplacements. Nuclear fire enveloped a large portion of the ship, throwing it off balance. The rear of the vessel near-instantly imploded, with doors rushing to seal it off from the rest of the craft only torn off their destroyed rails into space. All throughout the ship, a lockdown had been engaged, with the power flickering off for the last time. Aderon was rocked heavily by the blast, and just barely managed to maintain his balance, immediately recognizing what had happened from a great deal of time spent aboard these types of vessels when he had been working to build a faction that used them as their primary frontline warship.
"We've got to move! NOW!"
It seemed as though one of the Phaedra's shots had caught one of the armories that held the high-density proton shells that the ship used, setting them all of simultaneously while within the ship. Fires blazed as the back of the ship began to physically tear off from the rest of the vessel, completely destroyed. The keel of the ship had been cut, and the disintegration would start soon. Explosions rattled the ship as a chain reaction of exploding munitions and fighters began tearing the vessel apart. Thankfully, they had been near the hangar when the catastrophe had started, so they wouldn't be cut off from their method of escape by the damage being wrought around them.
Not wasting any time, Aderon sheathed his lightsaber and began sprinting down the corridor that The Fallen had gestured to, assuming the two of them would be following him soon enough. Not that he would wait around and see; he was more concerned with preserving his life then with two people that he had just recently met. However, he knew that they would have the sense to heed his warning to leave before it was too late.
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The Sable Count
The Dark Jedi Order
You may think me evil. But I am not. I am efficient,
Posts: 344
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by The Sable Count on May 25, 2019 8:50:35 GMT -8
The Fallen. He had never heard of whoever this was before, which greatly surprised him, since any faction that could command a vessel the size of the one attacking them would have to be of considerable size. Still staying in his en garde, ready in case of an attack, he looked to his left and right, ensuring that there would be no droids nearby to hinder his movement.
"Where to begin... you see, these droids used to belong to me. But now they don't. Suffice to say I was betrayed."
Whoever this "Fallen" was, he was clearly well versed in the arts of the Force. Specifically, the Dark Side of the Force. However, even though Aderon's lightsaber may have been blue, both he, the demon, and the archer would have been able to sense the taint of darkness that had corrupted him. At one point, Aderon would have been a crusader for the light, but he had fallen increasingly off the path of the light. Similarly to his distant relative, Darth Tyrannus.
He could hear the distant clanking of battle droid feet as he stood poised against the two of them. Still, he did not budge, knowing full well that one wrong move would end with an arrow in his head and a lightsaber through his chest.
"And who am I? The Count of Serenno. Well, formerly, anyway. Now I suppose I am just The Count. And what I seek at the moment is a way off this ship."
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