Black Stone Citadel

"Bureaucracy is beneath the Sith...you should be involved in more important things..."

The familiar voice was deep, filled with rumbling bass, yet at the same time crisp; years of military involvement gave men such voices. The voice came from the back right corner of the room- the area that Mercedes had her back to. Spinning to find the owner of the voice with a hopeful smile, she would soon realize that the man was not who she had expected. This man she saw was tall and lean, clad in black robes that had tattered ends. His hair was as black as his robes, and flowed to his shoulders as an obsidian sea. Half of his face was hidden by a bone mempo which guarded his expression, though it revealed his eyes. His eyes were all she needed to see.

They were Ice blue, filled with a chilling predatory nature, yet deceptively friendly. She knew those eyes, though they belonged to a man unlike this one- they belonged to a beast of a man, the Lord of Chaos, who was a titan in both physique and the force. She probed the man with the force, discerning his aura yet he was but a mere fraction of the power that her old master was. When Nexus walked upon Byss he could be felt, yet this man seemed to blend in with the malicious aura of the planet- all but invisible until focused on. All logic said that this man was not Nexus, and yet those were his eyes, and that was his voice. The man remained silent and still, watching her with those eyes of his, awaiting her reaction.

A few hours ago

Home at last. The Dark Lord emerged from the tunnel and into a dimly lit hall with obsidian walls lined with mysterious etchings and glyphs of languages no longer spoken. The air was stagnant here, smelling of musk and old incense; no one had been here in a long time. He knew this place- it was the oldest part of the castle, and the only one to survive the wars- this was his temple. The tunnels in which he had just ventured were known only to him; it was the only way to enter the castle discretely. He looked around, drinking in the familiar site of the room. Built deep within Byss, the temple was a massive area which contained his ancient library, forge, laboratory, meditation chambers and alter, all connected by a massive antechamber which Nexus had just entered. The antechamber was a cavernous pentagonal room with walls of black stone, which lead to a great domed ceiling. Running pale fingers over the glyphs, he closed his eyes, allowing his mind to open to the room around him. The dark side filled him, as did memories of this place. Walking over to the obelisk which lay in the center of the room, black, just like the walls around it, this device hummed with the darkside- built directly upon a nexus of the force, tainted by the Dark Lord's black magic- he brushed his fingers over the cool black surface, as he did with the wall, though this time he spoke out.

"It has been a long time..."

With that, he turned towards the portal that barred this temple from the rest of the castle. The pair of great black metal doors with depictions of battle and death was impressive to behold. He did not push it open- he knew that it would not open with a push, instead, he reached out to the door with the force and impressed himself upon it- only one being could open this door, and the man was he. The doors swung open on invisible hinges and the man pressed through, entering the sub-basement passageways of his castle. No one roamed these passages- the lowest levels of the castle were the sanctuary of the Dark Lord- few ever saw this place. His footsteps never made a sound.

He began to make his way through the castle, using ancient passages that were not wandered for many years- he knew this castle, he had designed it and helped build it; it was easy for him to slip past the guards and workers unnoticed. He made his way through the castle, moving to the upper levels. These areas were newer and much harder to navigate without being noticed, yet with the assistance of the force, Nexus passed through unnoticed. Finally he arrived at the door of Mercedes' office- he entered, as silent as death itself, moving past his apprentice as a shade while her eyes were shut. He settled himself in the corner of the room and waited.

Then Mercedes stirred and began working, and Nexus watched without a word- no sound could be heard from the area, not even his breath- while he did not take pleasure in the ways of stealth and the force, he was far from a stranger to it and implemented it here. He would not make himself known until the time was right. That time came after she called for food. She leaned back and began to ponder- Nexus could sense it, pride, yet shame at the same time. She was pondering her role; she had been guided off the path with his absence, and he would ensure that she returned to it.

Her composure impressed him. Most would question the nature of the current, but Mercedes had not; few were able to do what she did, and even fewer could do it without a single sign of unbalance. Perhaps he had made it too much of a habit to delve in the unnatural- especially the fields of unnatural that could unsettle most force users.

The Dark Lord did not miss a beat. He stepped forward, making his way towards the desk where his apprentice had situated her self. He brushed the polished wood with his fingers- he was often found brushing objects these days, to remind him what was real and what was a side effect of his weakened state.

Yes, weakened state, for he was weak. A spirit, broken into fragments and scattered to the wind- the man in front of Mercedes was but a shade of the master she knew, and but an insect in the shadow of what Nexus could be at full strength. He scanned the room with his eyes, before returning them to Mercedes. His were cold, calculating and knowing, while hers were filled with emotion- compassion- something that he tried to drive out of her soul. She had come to close to Nexus in her years, so close that she held little promise to surpass him as a sith.

That was what made his return so necessary. A legacy needed to be born. Fortunately there was hope- the child who Mercedes bore. Lux. She would be the one to take the mantle from him. But Mercedes would remain, while she was not the greatest of sith, she did have useful traits- she managed to hold Byss in a state of peace during his absence, and she would continue to do so.

He spoke from behind his mask, yet his voice could not have been more clear.

"Politics and Diplomacy play no role in the greater picture. There is no politics, nor war; there is only the force."

He paused for a moment, bringing his eyes down to the desk which his hands touched. At that brief moment she could see his weakness; she could feel his weariness. But then it was gone, and the Dark Lord seemed as strong as ever.

"Where is my sword- where is Reaver?"

Reaver, it was another piece to the puzzle that was Nexus. A bit of the Dark Lord's essence was within the ancient sith sword- it was said that the most fierce part of him lay trapped within the metallic confines, giving any and all who wielded the weapon the ferocity of the Lord of Chaos. It was a piece of the puzzle that could not be forgotten.

The Dark Lord's nostrils flared in irritation- he had grown unaccustomed to being spoken back to. The long military sequence of military campaigns had him grow accustomed to orders being followed without hindrance, but Mercedes Asari was not a soldier in his army, she was a sith, and sith were not sheep. There was also truth to her words, yet the Dark Lord did not take well to being lectured- even so, he remained silent; his words would not be wasted on such topics.

Her second topic, however, piqued his interest, causing him to look up from the wooden desk and at his apprentice. Jud'dayus- a name he had not heard in many years. It was a name that reminded him of a different time, as a different man. The one who thought back to these days was not Nexus, but instead one of his greatest vessels, Malakaii- the body that Mercedes knew. Malakaii and Jud'dayus had interactions during the man's exile on Tattooine- interactions that had not ended in the best of notes.

Intriguing- why would Jud'dayus come to Byss? Nexus had heard tell of the man having some association with Tanith and the Empire of Edeja- what could Mercedes have done to ensure their return.



The Dark Lord's eyes flashed dangerously in a moment of rage. He rose to his feet, towering over his apprentice. While this vessel was not as impressive in size as its predecessor, it was still a formidable being, and with the Dark Lord's eyes, it seemed that much more unsettling. Nexus spoke out in words, not laced with the heat anger, but an eerie chill of severity.

"You will tell me because I am your lord and if you have forgotten that I will not hesitate to remind you."

There was a moment where Mercedes could taste the vile presence of Chaos, the force that made brought her master to a dark chapter in his life- a chapter in which she suffered dearly at his hands. It was for but a moment, but a moment was all it took to drag old skeletons from the closet.

Cunning, the trait of a sith. Nexus took a step back, granting her a reprieve from his overbearing authority. Some men would believe they over stepped their power, but not Nexus. He took her apology in silence, and walked around her desk. He rested both hands on the table and leaned against it, the wood creaked lightly against his weight- it would cry against the weight of the Dark Lords soul, however upon the weight of it's vessel it merely whispered.

"You should know by now that I am not held by mortal boundaries Mercedes..."

He lowered himself into one of the chairs in which a guest would sit; should a guard enter the room nothing would appear out of the ordinary- to the naked eye Mercedes held the dominance in the high chair behind her great table, but the dominance of a sith did not need visual aids- there was one person that controlled the room, and he was seated in the guest chair.

"Know this, my apprentice; I am far older than people know, and I shall grow older still. As to how, I will not tell you. The less you know the better."

Reaching across the table, he gripped a decanter of rum, a traditional decoration in Byss offices, along with a small crystal glass. Pulling both in front of him he began to pour- there was a shake in his hand as he poured; it was subtle but trained eyes could see it.
Mercedes could probably figure the nature of Nexus' existence, but he would never let her know the toll of his immortality and what it took upon vessels. Palpatine learned that toll far too late and the Lord of Chaos refused to share his fate.

"Jud'dayus will not take well to the betrayal. He is not one to be trifled with. What do you intend to do to curb his wroth?"

As he finished pouring, he set the decanter aside and took a sip from the cup. The amber fluid brought some color to his pale cheeks, causing him to close his eyes and exhale in relaxation.

"A noble gesture..."

The Dark Lord looked at the contents of his glass before draining it and refilling it. Then he looked back at Mercedes.

"But you forgot one of the first lessons I taught you...Know your enemy. The fact that you would allow the man to enter the citadel without knowing the first thing about him is foolish. Fortunately I know him and will tell you how to deal with him."

He reaches for the decanter, filling his cup, as well as a second one, which he slid to Mercedes.

"Jud'dayus is an old man, and a wise man. He is a hermit and does not value relationships. What he does value is power, which there is no lack of in my library. He is a hermit but also a powerful sith- I doubt there is anything you can offer to dissuade him. He lacks mortal desires such as wealth and flesh, all he wants is knowledge..."

He watched Mercedes with those chilling eyes, then spoke out in a tone that thawed the ice that his eyes had laid before his voice.

"You will grant him access to the archives- I shall allow him to enter it for a brief period. He may prove valuable in the future...Do you know when he is due?"

The Dark Lord fell silent as Hank entered the room. He watched the man as he shuffled awkwardly and forced himself to remain in his seat. The man's behavior disgusted him; it was as though he was a pet, shuffling too and fro while his betters went about with their business. Nexus managed to remain silent until the man left; the moment the door closed behind Hank, Nexus let out a sneer.

"This behavior disgusts me. You know that it is better to be feared than loved yet you refuse to heed my words. When the enemy is at your doorstep we will see what their motherly love for you earns..."

He fell silent for a moment, looking away in irritation as Mercedes made her plea. He fought the urge to snarl at this behavior. He disappeared for a few years and suddenly everyone was all for peace and love- but they would learn the err of their ways soon enough. He waved a dismissive hand in the air as Mercedes finished.

"You can have Byss- I don't care, so long as my soldiers have shelter and food I don't care what you do with the planet..."

He wanted to tell her how her actions disappointed him; he wanted to lecture and scream and rant and rave, but he suppressed the emotions, feeding on them instead in silence. He looked to the window, watching the outside world that had grown so peaceful. He visualized how it would look if it was on fire, which brought him some degree of comfort. Without looking away from the window, he spoke to Mercedes.

"Where are your children?"

A twitch- subtle to most but not to Nexus. She had grown comfortable in her position of authority- she hated being challenged. Had things been different Nexus might have asserted dominance, however physical power was beneath him- he cared only to retrieve his artifacts and pass his lessons onto a student. When Mercedes finished talking, Nexus stood from his chair.

"Show me to your daughter- I wish to see her progress..."

While both of the children held great potential, it was Lux that intrigued Nexus the most- she was all that a sith should be and more. Cold, calculating, cunning- even as a child she knew how to have her way, and with her mother's genes, Nexus was certain that as an adult getting what she wanted would be that much easier. She intrigued the Dark Lord and that was hard to do.

The doors to her chambers unlatched, and slowly began to part.
The room was spotless and modern, with a wall of high windows, and high vaulted ceiling. In the middle stood the silhouette of a thin young girl against the light streaming in from outside.
She didn't move to receive her guests.

The pungent smell of death gave her game away, and the young girl could feel the woman's discomfort.
She could also feel the man's chaotic energies.

She looked down to study the scene at her feet.
On her right was a glistening red man. On her left was his skin.
Slowly, her head turned to meet them.

"Mother." Her voice was soft, but not gentle. "Lord Nexus. I do believe it has been a while."