Post by Nicholas Braeden on Aug 18, 2021 18:27:45 GMT -8
Approximately twenty minutes after departing from the Sith Star Destroyer, the landing craft carrying both the brother and sister of House Braeden landed two clicks from the coast of the largest lake of lava on the planet. As the engines went to stand by, the brother stood and looked out the main viewpoint, taking in the sight before him. Sticking out of the lava and pointing straight up into the red sky was the stern section of the large star destroyer. It looks impossibly old and majestic, almost as if the gods themselves had placed the ship there by hand. The Sith looked at the pilot, his eyes flicking to and from him and the large derelict in front of them. There could be no mistake here. The Sith had spent every credit House Braeden had on this venture and if it turned out to be a false lead, then House Braeden would be facing its end of days. The pilot turned to the now standing Sith and nodded.
"Sir, we just ran the recognition software. We've found it. This is the Braeden Slayer."
The Sith allowed a smirk to tug at the corner of his lips as he relished in the news. So this trip would not be in vain after all. He then turned his attention back to his sister, the Jedi that would accompany him to discover the Head. She sat in the far corner of the cockpit, her crystal blue eyes watching the Sith carefully. Despite being family and almost twins, the two could never trust each other. The brother devoted his life to the Dark Side of the Force and horde knowledge to gain power. The Sister, on the other hand, spent her time helping others and 'defending justice'. The brother rolled his eyes at the idea and refocused upon the sight before them all. The Braeden Slayer cracked in half before falling in its final battle, the bow perhaps somewhere else on the planet's surface. But their objective laid not in the bow of the ship. Tales passed down over history stated that Lord Braeden made his final stand on the bridge of the ship while his command staff fled for their lives. The fools, all of them! Maybe if the men and women had not been cowards on that day, Lord Braeden would have survived and the House would have not fallen in such disrepair. Bah! A thought for another time, the Sith thought to himself as he glanced over at the holodisplay of the stern section. The bridge or command deck seemed to be largely intact but most of the ship's hull was burnt upon harsh reentry. The Sith could tell looters had their way with the stern. Most if not all of the weapons, generators, and other useful equipment that survived the crash had been picked clean. A shame but not at all unexpected. The Sith spun on the spot to address the soldiers that came with them to the planet's surface.
"Now the fun begins. We need inside of that ship, more importantly, the bridge. Pilot, take us directly to one of the intact stern docking hangers and make a landing. Soldiers, I want-"
"Have you lost your entire mind, brother? You want to go inside that derelict? It's barely holding together as it is!"
Annoyance showed on the Sith's face as his sister stood and protested his idea. The Audacity of a Jedi to question the logic of a Sith! His right hand twitched as it nearly reached for the worn hilt of his lightsaber that hanged from his belt. However, he controlled himself and when his eyes fell upon his sister once more, he saw her watching him intensely. She had saw the hand twitch and those crystal blue eyes of her became more focused than he had ever seen them. Would she have struck first if he grabbed his saber? He would have doubted it before but seeing those eyes of hers now focused him to rethink his strategy moving forward. The Sith let out a slow breath and smiled once more at his younger sister.
"Steady yourself, Jedi. This entire mission has been dangerous from the very beginning, yet you were perfectly fine with tagging along! We need to get to the bridge and our only way to that goal is to dock in one of the stern hanger bays. Or do you have a better idea? Do you suggest with swim though the lava instead?"
The Jedi didn't flinch from the verbal jab from her brother. She watched him with cold eyes as she approached the viewpoint of the cockpit and looked up at the Slayer for herself. Even in its state of disrepair, it was still an impressive sight. Less than twenty-five percent of the Sovereign class star destroyer had survived the impact and yet, it was still massive. She did not want to agree with her brother but finding a docking port on the stern was a safer idea than what she could come up with. A faint sneer appeared on her face as she turned and went back to her seat. As she sat, she flicked her right wrist toward the Sith.
"Try not to get us killed, okay? It would be a shame if the last two members of house Braden die due to one of your hairbrained ideas. Let's get this over with."
"Agreed. Helm! Located a stern docking port and take us in. I can't wait to get started."
The Sith returned to his seat with a lighthearted smirk upon his lips as the landing craft lifted from the ground and plotted a course to the Slayer. As the thrusters carried the craft toward its destination, the Sith thought ahead to what needed to be done. If they could find any piece of his DNA upon the bridge, he could take it back to Taris, to their family estate, and begin the process of growing a fresh body for their Lord. The process was not unheard of, yet it was highly dangerous. Bringing back a soul that had been dead for such a long time? It posed several threats to the person being brought back and to those around them. However, this had to be done. Doing nothing was far more dangerous than whatever threat posed by a returned Lord Braeden. If their house were to fall, then the Sith would have nothing left in this galaxy, other than his Jedi of a sister. The thought of having only her around brought an annoyed expression to his features. No, this had to work. No going back now. As the craft found a docking bay and began to make contact, the Sith stood from his seat and checked his gear.
"It's time. Guard the entrance while the Jedi and I proceed to the bridge. Let's get a move on."
The Jedi said nothing as she stood and waited for the ship to dock. Her eyes were focused, as if she was waiting for an event sometime in the future. The Sith glanced at her then rolled his acid yellow eyes. Soon, the ship docked, and the boarding ramp was lowered, allowing the pair to disembark. With the star destroyer in such a ruined state, it took nearly 40 minutes to navigate the abandoned and decrepit hallways. The two had to double back and find a new path forward more than once. When they finally reached the bridge, the Jedi stopped in her tracks, her hand hovering near the jewel hilt of her lightsaber. The Sith noticed she stopped and began to turn to her, but as he turned, he suddenly felt what she felt. There was anger before them, great and terrible anger. The Jedi glanced over at her brother as he too moved his hand close to the saber on his belt.
"We shouldn't be doing this. We are playing with powers beyond our comprehension. There is no doubt in my mind that we have found Braeden himself, but his spirit is not a restful one."
The Sith glanced back to his sister as she spoke, then looked ahead to the doors before him. He hated himself for this, but she was right. He could feel the anger, the hatred, the very essence of Lord Braeden. He shook his head. No, they could not back down now. He would not be akin to those cowards to left Braeden to die all those years ago. The Sith reached deep within the core of his being and extended both hands out toward the door. The energies of Boga rushed forward after traveling along his forearms and erupting from his hands. The metal door suddenly crumpled and gave way as the Force struck it like a blunt object. As the weakened door crashed and slid across the floor, the Sith stepped upon the bridge first. The Jedi watched him closely but did not move from where she stood. That 'bad feeling' only got worse as soon as the door was taken down. Her brother, on the other hand, would not wait to claim his prize. He waltzed upon the bridge but suddenly froze half away. He was ten meters from the door when he looked ahead and saw an impossible sight. Before him was the remains of one Lord Braeden. The corpse was burnt beyond recognition but the Sith looked pass the body and to what was lying neatly on the floor, almost as if it was waiting for someone to come collect it.
A Sith Rune Blade.
The blade had deep red sith runes running along the center of it, leading directly up to its tip. Physically, it appeared to be just another hand crafted weapon, however, the Sith could feel the taint upon it. There was something there, a pulsing throughout the Force. He slowly approached it, his eyes never leaving the blade itself. The Sith stopped just a meter from the weapon, the weight of its aura nearly overpowering. He paused for a few moments before deciding on his next move. Reaching out with his left hand, he pulled at the blade's hilt with the Force. The blade rattled for just a moment before lifting from the ground and landing in his palm. The Jedi yelled in protest, her voice echoing back through the long and dead hallways.
"What are you DOING?! Put that thing back down!"
"No, sister. This is what we came for. We don't need his DNA when we have his soul! I know you can sense it to. As he died, he must have forced his own soul into the runes of his blade. Let's get-"
The Slayer suddenly shifted. The bridge rumbled, almost sending the two of them crashing to the ground. The Sith looked around with careful eyes then contacted his team via comlink.
="Status report! What just happened?!"
="Sir, the stern is starting to sink! I can't explain why but our software detected a shift in gravity. We need to get out of here, stat!"=
The Sith used the blade to tear off a section of his cloak, then proceeded to wrap the weapon. He had to hide the runes. If they were stopped by galactic authorities and searched, that blade would be taken from them. The Jedi began to protest but the Sith would not listen to any of it. They got their prize now it was time to leave this burning world behind. Taris and House Braeden awaited. He quickly walked pass her and ignored her continued protests to leave the blade behind. She soon began to follow him and then stopped trying to convince him one she realized he would not be moved. The pair returned to the landing craft faster as they used the force to propel themselves through the old corridors. Once aboard, the vessel launched from the stern section of the destroyer just in time. The lava outside seemed to roar as the ship shuddered and sank, disappearing into the lake. As the ship rose to orbit, the Sith looked at the covered Blade and smiled to himself. House Braeden would return afterall.
"Sir, we just ran the recognition software. We've found it. This is the Braeden Slayer."
The Sith allowed a smirk to tug at the corner of his lips as he relished in the news. So this trip would not be in vain after all. He then turned his attention back to his sister, the Jedi that would accompany him to discover the Head. She sat in the far corner of the cockpit, her crystal blue eyes watching the Sith carefully. Despite being family and almost twins, the two could never trust each other. The brother devoted his life to the Dark Side of the Force and horde knowledge to gain power. The Sister, on the other hand, spent her time helping others and 'defending justice'. The brother rolled his eyes at the idea and refocused upon the sight before them all. The Braeden Slayer cracked in half before falling in its final battle, the bow perhaps somewhere else on the planet's surface. But their objective laid not in the bow of the ship. Tales passed down over history stated that Lord Braeden made his final stand on the bridge of the ship while his command staff fled for their lives. The fools, all of them! Maybe if the men and women had not been cowards on that day, Lord Braeden would have survived and the House would have not fallen in such disrepair. Bah! A thought for another time, the Sith thought to himself as he glanced over at the holodisplay of the stern section. The bridge or command deck seemed to be largely intact but most of the ship's hull was burnt upon harsh reentry. The Sith could tell looters had their way with the stern. Most if not all of the weapons, generators, and other useful equipment that survived the crash had been picked clean. A shame but not at all unexpected. The Sith spun on the spot to address the soldiers that came with them to the planet's surface.
"Now the fun begins. We need inside of that ship, more importantly, the bridge. Pilot, take us directly to one of the intact stern docking hangers and make a landing. Soldiers, I want-"
"Have you lost your entire mind, brother? You want to go inside that derelict? It's barely holding together as it is!"
Annoyance showed on the Sith's face as his sister stood and protested his idea. The Audacity of a Jedi to question the logic of a Sith! His right hand twitched as it nearly reached for the worn hilt of his lightsaber that hanged from his belt. However, he controlled himself and when his eyes fell upon his sister once more, he saw her watching him intensely. She had saw the hand twitch and those crystal blue eyes of her became more focused than he had ever seen them. Would she have struck first if he grabbed his saber? He would have doubted it before but seeing those eyes of hers now focused him to rethink his strategy moving forward. The Sith let out a slow breath and smiled once more at his younger sister.
"Steady yourself, Jedi. This entire mission has been dangerous from the very beginning, yet you were perfectly fine with tagging along! We need to get to the bridge and our only way to that goal is to dock in one of the stern hanger bays. Or do you have a better idea? Do you suggest with swim though the lava instead?"
The Jedi didn't flinch from the verbal jab from her brother. She watched him with cold eyes as she approached the viewpoint of the cockpit and looked up at the Slayer for herself. Even in its state of disrepair, it was still an impressive sight. Less than twenty-five percent of the Sovereign class star destroyer had survived the impact and yet, it was still massive. She did not want to agree with her brother but finding a docking port on the stern was a safer idea than what she could come up with. A faint sneer appeared on her face as she turned and went back to her seat. As she sat, she flicked her right wrist toward the Sith.
"Try not to get us killed, okay? It would be a shame if the last two members of house Braden die due to one of your hairbrained ideas. Let's get this over with."
"Agreed. Helm! Located a stern docking port and take us in. I can't wait to get started."
The Sith returned to his seat with a lighthearted smirk upon his lips as the landing craft lifted from the ground and plotted a course to the Slayer. As the thrusters carried the craft toward its destination, the Sith thought ahead to what needed to be done. If they could find any piece of his DNA upon the bridge, he could take it back to Taris, to their family estate, and begin the process of growing a fresh body for their Lord. The process was not unheard of, yet it was highly dangerous. Bringing back a soul that had been dead for such a long time? It posed several threats to the person being brought back and to those around them. However, this had to be done. Doing nothing was far more dangerous than whatever threat posed by a returned Lord Braeden. If their house were to fall, then the Sith would have nothing left in this galaxy, other than his Jedi of a sister. The thought of having only her around brought an annoyed expression to his features. No, this had to work. No going back now. As the craft found a docking bay and began to make contact, the Sith stood from his seat and checked his gear.
"It's time. Guard the entrance while the Jedi and I proceed to the bridge. Let's get a move on."
The Jedi said nothing as she stood and waited for the ship to dock. Her eyes were focused, as if she was waiting for an event sometime in the future. The Sith glanced at her then rolled his acid yellow eyes. Soon, the ship docked, and the boarding ramp was lowered, allowing the pair to disembark. With the star destroyer in such a ruined state, it took nearly 40 minutes to navigate the abandoned and decrepit hallways. The two had to double back and find a new path forward more than once. When they finally reached the bridge, the Jedi stopped in her tracks, her hand hovering near the jewel hilt of her lightsaber. The Sith noticed she stopped and began to turn to her, but as he turned, he suddenly felt what she felt. There was anger before them, great and terrible anger. The Jedi glanced over at her brother as he too moved his hand close to the saber on his belt.
"We shouldn't be doing this. We are playing with powers beyond our comprehension. There is no doubt in my mind that we have found Braeden himself, but his spirit is not a restful one."
The Sith glanced back to his sister as she spoke, then looked ahead to the doors before him. He hated himself for this, but she was right. He could feel the anger, the hatred, the very essence of Lord Braeden. He shook his head. No, they could not back down now. He would not be akin to those cowards to left Braeden to die all those years ago. The Sith reached deep within the core of his being and extended both hands out toward the door. The energies of Boga rushed forward after traveling along his forearms and erupting from his hands. The metal door suddenly crumpled and gave way as the Force struck it like a blunt object. As the weakened door crashed and slid across the floor, the Sith stepped upon the bridge first. The Jedi watched him closely but did not move from where she stood. That 'bad feeling' only got worse as soon as the door was taken down. Her brother, on the other hand, would not wait to claim his prize. He waltzed upon the bridge but suddenly froze half away. He was ten meters from the door when he looked ahead and saw an impossible sight. Before him was the remains of one Lord Braeden. The corpse was burnt beyond recognition but the Sith looked pass the body and to what was lying neatly on the floor, almost as if it was waiting for someone to come collect it.
A Sith Rune Blade.
The blade had deep red sith runes running along the center of it, leading directly up to its tip. Physically, it appeared to be just another hand crafted weapon, however, the Sith could feel the taint upon it. There was something there, a pulsing throughout the Force. He slowly approached it, his eyes never leaving the blade itself. The Sith stopped just a meter from the weapon, the weight of its aura nearly overpowering. He paused for a few moments before deciding on his next move. Reaching out with his left hand, he pulled at the blade's hilt with the Force. The blade rattled for just a moment before lifting from the ground and landing in his palm. The Jedi yelled in protest, her voice echoing back through the long and dead hallways.
"What are you DOING?! Put that thing back down!"
"No, sister. This is what we came for. We don't need his DNA when we have his soul! I know you can sense it to. As he died, he must have forced his own soul into the runes of his blade. Let's get-"
The Slayer suddenly shifted. The bridge rumbled, almost sending the two of them crashing to the ground. The Sith looked around with careful eyes then contacted his team via comlink.
="Status report! What just happened?!"
="Sir, the stern is starting to sink! I can't explain why but our software detected a shift in gravity. We need to get out of here, stat!"=
The Sith used the blade to tear off a section of his cloak, then proceeded to wrap the weapon. He had to hide the runes. If they were stopped by galactic authorities and searched, that blade would be taken from them. The Jedi began to protest but the Sith would not listen to any of it. They got their prize now it was time to leave this burning world behind. Taris and House Braeden awaited. He quickly walked pass her and ignored her continued protests to leave the blade behind. She soon began to follow him and then stopped trying to convince him one she realized he would not be moved. The pair returned to the landing craft faster as they used the force to propel themselves through the old corridors. Once aboard, the vessel launched from the stern section of the destroyer just in time. The lava outside seemed to roar as the ship shuddered and sank, disappearing into the lake. As the ship rose to orbit, the Sith looked at the covered Blade and smiled to himself. House Braeden would return afterall.
