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Post by Alkor Centaris on May 19, 2015 18:34:50 GMT -8
Around Alkor, the world trembled.
Touched by the extreme darkness of a well-versed Sith lord, Alkor remembered similar tendrils of darkness. This strange spurring of his resevoirs to open the flood gates, the maelstrom of chaos that burned within the pit kf his soul churning and sloshing about... this was Battle Meditation.
One of the more accursed and invasive force powers, Alkor could hardly complain as the hatred in his body magnified all at once. Heat circulated through his body and slammed against the flood gates, yearning for freedom. Intense rage radiated off him in droves.
Hardened, his gaze found the Jedi barreling through the world at mind blowing speed.
As he began his banking maneuver, Alkor reached through the Force and seized at the man's ankle. With a quick, callous, and backward motion of his right hand, the Jen'jidai sought to send the Zabrak sprawling flat on his face before he could escape.
He struck off toward Rutil at a walking pace, intent on conserving his energy for the confrontation proper.
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Post by Sakri on May 20, 2015 13:43:29 GMT -8
She could feel the dark tendrils of energy wrapping themselves around her, the effects of the Sith's Battle Meditation taking hold. There wasn't any throttle-pushing for her, but that was understandable: she wasn't involved in any of the prospective combat at the moment and couldn't really be considered worth the effort. That was fine by her. She wasn't looking to engage the Jedi anyway. She was just after following her agenda, and while she was carrying multiple weapons, she was not looking to rumble with a seasoned warrior this day.
"Retrieve the item," Alkor had said. A simple enough objective, in theory. But the item in question was located somewhere at the bottom of the ocean, which made her next course of action quite obvious. Focusing the Force around her once more, she leapt from the boat on which she stood, heading for the open bongo submarine.
Jumping from boats seemed to be becoming a habit for her today.
She landed squarely in the cockpit, looking around at the controls. They didn't seem too difficult, and it wouldn't take her long to be able to pilot it to her objective. She glanced over at Alkor, watching as the Jedi changed course for some reason, her eyes catching upon two figures floating beneath the dock she was next to. She sighed, knowing a moment's regret, before focusing once more on the controls before her.
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Darth Andor
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Post by Darth Andor on May 20, 2015 19:28:54 GMT -8
Andor's battle meditation allowed the Sith Lord to keep tabs on all the activity on the island, but his focus was of course mainly on Rutil, Alkor and the villagers that began to swarm the building on which the he perched. He continued to manipulate the strings, pushing Alkor and the villagers to the max, while simultaneously grinding Rutil to a halt, making things as bad as possible for the outnumbered Jedi.*
*Suddenly, the Jedi began to minutely slow in speed. Andor sensed his direction change in preparation to jump onto the adjacent building. Quickly, his mind prodded those belonging to the six security officers, positioned strategically at the base of the building. Immediately, sensing Andor's unvoiced call, the six males broke into action, their movements fueled with Andor's mediation and the powers of the darkside. The three males in the most physical shape began to directly scale the wall, their rifles slung across their shoulders as their fingers and toes stuck into the small cracks and holes of the crumbling, aged two story brick-building. The other three took the fire-escape ladder, scaling it like a natural-born climbers with the speed of a young monkey.*
*Alkor reached out with the Force, attempting to trip the Jedi as he jumped from the ground to the first building, and Andor could sense the Jedi's attention split, using a precious second to redirect his energies to repelling the basic telekinetic pull. That second was all Andor needed. The three men scaling the wall hopped swiftly over the ledge of the roof as the first one to scale the ladder reached the top. Their rifles unslung from their shoulders and the safeties could be heard as they were switched off. The four soldiers (with the fifth and sixth not far behind on the ladder) positioned themselves in a horizontal line between Andor and the incoming Jedi, who was just now leaping from the first building to the one in which the Sith Lord had made his perch.
"Open Fire!" Andor's voice roared through their heads from his mediation and the four soldiers opened fire on Rutil as his boots hit the ground, his blue lightsaber igniting to do battle. To most, the snap-hiss of a lightsaber would deter an opponent from battle. But with Andor's hate and rage fueling his allies through battle mediation, they did not back down as they longed for the Jedi's blood: human manifestations of Andor's evil heart.*
*The first few bolts flew inaccurately past the Jedi, giving the Zabrak a chance to let loose an ample-sized Force push at the meditating Sith Lord, but to no avail. The center-most soldier dove to his left, intercepting the telekinetic attack, catching the brunt of it in his chest. The force of the push sent the soldier sprawling to the ground about five feet backwards. His body crashed into the small wall that border the edges of the roof, knocking the breath from his body but also preventing him from flying off the side and to the ground below. He lay stunned on the roof, but would not be for long, as Andor's battle meditation fueled his endurance and strength. Within a few seconds, the Jedi would find him getting back to his feet and taking aim once again. By now, the other three soldiers had readjusted their aim, red blaster bolts shooting at rapid fire with deadly precision, aimed for the Jedi's chest and head. The two remaining soldiers now swung from the top of the ladder, positioning themselves slightly to the left of the Jedi, as they too began to open fire on the Jedi. Three soldiers stood directly ahead of Rutil (providing a somewhat shield for Andor) as the other two were positioned at his ten-o-clock and eleven-o-clock.*
*Meanwhile, down below, the villagers crowded around the small, rusted ladder as they began to climb, one by one, to the roof to do battle. Two stepped forward as they began to attempt to scale the wall as they had previously seen the soldiers do. Only time would tell if they would succeed....
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The Shepherd
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Post by The Shepherd on May 25, 2015 16:18:04 GMT -8
Rutil, undeterred by the rising ranks, took slow steps forward. Each step put him that little bit closer to the Sith Lord, just that small amount more likely to redirect a blaster bolt right into the abomination's chest cavity.
It was all the old Jedi could do. Rutil had mastered the defensive art of Form III decades ago, and - as he had all his other skills - practiced it regularly even in his old age. Given his display on the rooftop, however, he knew it was only this dedication to his training that was saving him. Bolts that ordinarily have sailed harmlessly past the Zabrak came all too close to hitting their mark. Each bolt reflected by his royal blue lightsaber only barely met its mark, sending the blaster shot careening in some random direction to fizzle out. The untrained observer would hardly notice a difference, of course, but the Zabrak - and quite possibly his enemy on the other side of the roof - knew that what Rutil was doing looked closer to desperation than years of disciplined study.
But Rutil was left no other option. More people were making their way up to the roof, fully willing to throw themselves into the path of a blaster bolt if it meant protecting their cowardly master just a little bit longer. All the Zabrak warrior needed was one - just one attack to break through the slowly-growing wall of people - and the spell would be lifted; battle meditation was only as good as the user's concentration, and an immediate threat to his person would force the Sith Lord to break his hold over the people.
Chaos would, of course, ensue. But Rutil could work with chaos.
Digging deep for focus, Rutil inched ever closer to the Sith, almost bearing down on the small group of small-town cops. When the next three shots in the hail were fired, Rutil exploded with the Force, breaking through the drudgery of his foe's meditation to send three blaster bolts flying right towards the meditative monstrosity.
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Post by Sakri on Jun 16, 2015 22:49:22 GMT -8
Luckily for her, the Jedi seemed to be too preoccupied to take notice of her or Alkor. She was perfectly okay with that: it gave her the time to make sense of the controls and carry on with her original plan on this world. At the push of a button, the canopy closed, and the bongo reversed away from the dock. Past that, it was easy.
She stretched out her senses as the submarine traveled downward, sifting through the currents of both the water and the Force, searching for the darkness sure to be emanating from the Holocron which was the object of everyone's search. She could feel the ripples of power, the unnatural shadows roiling off the object, but the nature of it was making it hard to pinpoint. The fact that the lake floor was not exactly smooth terrain was not aiding matters.
Still, though, she was fully confident that the Holocron would reveal itself to her soon enough. The external lights of the bongo flickered on, illuminating the ever increasing darkness of the underwater depths as she continued downward in her search..
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Darth Andor
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Post by Darth Andor on Jul 5, 2015 18:20:19 GMT -8
Andor's eyes snapped wide open, the effects of the Battle Meditation dissipating into the air in the blink of an eye. His body blurred as he leapt to his feet, and jumped from the building, falling gracefully to the ground below. His knees bent upon impact and he broke off into a dead sprint, shooting straight for the dock.*
*During his battle meditation, Andor had kept an eye on Sakri, knowing she was the one tasked with retrieving the holocron, and now, he sensed she was close. He needed to get to her, and to that holocron! His eyes scanned the dock, looking for a new vessel since Sakri had taken his own bongo-submarine. They rested on the small speedboat that she and Alkor had disembarked.... That would have to do. It couldn't go underwater, but it definitely had the speed to catch up to her.*
*His legs tensed and pushed his body off the ground as Andor propelled himself forward with the Force, leaping across the dock in a single bound. As he flew through the air, he felt the sea-spray across his face and the salt water clinging to his dry lips. His black cloak flapped frantically behind him, his shadow passing gracefully and silently across the ground beneath him.*
*He landed in the driver's seat and without hesitation, fell into the seat, his hands immediately grasping the wheel and throwing the engine into reverse. It roared to life as it jerked backwards. Turning the boat so that the nose faced the open sea in the direction that Sakri had departed, he thew the boat into maximum speed, pushing the throttle as far as it would go. He reached out with his mind and immediately located the woman's aura.*
*The speedboat raced across the waves, leaving a wake behind the Sith Lord, his eyes peeled, searching for his new target.
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Post by Magus Serendor on Oct 19, 2015 10:49:13 GMT -8
Magus stretched out his muscles in anticipation for the coming lesson from his master. What the young man lacked in knowledge of the force, he made up for with his strength and agility. His master always pushed him to strive for a more balanced approach. It made sense, but Magus always found himself far more eager to practice his saber skills than to memorize some ancient Jedi or Sith philosophies. He knew they had their place in the hands of an experienced force user, but he sometimes failed to see the practicality. It was an issue that had brought about no small amount of arguing between Magus and Asemi. The master felt it important embrace others' philosophies so that one could try see what is wrong or right about them, apprentice saw no need to such a waste of time.
"Apprentice Serendor, you and I have much to discuss," Master Asemi said as he approached his apprentice.
"You know I hate it when you use that name, Master" Memories of the neighborhood kids taunting Magus over his last name flashed through his head. The master's next words were lost on the young man. His emotions were swirling around him as he turned from his master. Asemi placed a hand on Magus' shoulder.
"Magus, there is nothing more that you can learn from me. It is time that you decide, once and for all, your true allegiance. Will you be like the Sith and challenge me in hopes of proving your dominance? Maybe you will choose the way of the Jedi and see me as an ally and member of an overall hierarchy. I hope that you see me as an equal, as a true Gray Jedi would."
Magus drew his saber and spun it in his hands several times before turning it on. He paused to catch his Master's reaction. Asemi took in a deep breath as he drew his own saber. The blue and red sabers contrasted one another quick nicely as they clashed together in a rain of sparks.
"Put away your weapon, fool. I have no reason to kill you. That would be a waste of a valuable asset. However, you are not my equal. Put away the saber and accept my rule or show me that you are superior. The choice is yours."
Asemi raised his free hand and force pushed his former apprentice. Magus used the momentum to throw himself into a backflip. He snarled as he lunged forward at the Gray Jedi. The two exchanged blows for what felt like hours, neither combatant able to gain the upper hand. Asemi's breaths grew more shallow as the fight continued. Magus blocked another attack as he built up a reserve of force energy. He used the force to double his speed as he slipped to one side of his former master and drove his saber into the Gray Jedi's side. Asemi gasped in surprise as he looked down at the saber.
"You should have accepted your place as my lesser."
Magus turned off his saber and knelt down next to his former master. He placed his fingers over Asemi's eyelids and closed his eyes. The young Dark Jedi picked up the blue saber and placed it on his belt. He rose with a renewed sense of purpose. The wind picked up as Magus used the force to lift the body. He placed his former master's body in the small fishing boat that they used for fishing the lake. The boat alone wasn't enough for the young man. He also piled several logs into the boat before setting it onto the lake. Asemi had always preferred the water to land and Magus wanted to see to it that he was put to rest in a way that was honoring. He lit a branch and used the force to float it out to the boat. Within minutes, the entire boat was ablaze. It would draw more attention than Magus wanted, but it seemed the appropriate thing to do.
"You were a good master, Asemi," Magus said as he hung his head.
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Post by Magus Serendor on Oct 20, 2015 17:55:35 GMT -8
Master Asemi floated the small orb into Magus' hand. He motioned for the apprentice to look into the sphere's depths. A small image appeared and began moving. Magus could hear the words as the figure spoke. It talked of an ancient Sith Lord and explained his views on the force and how to control it. The apprentice looked questioningly to his master before tossing him the orb. Asemi caught the orb with the force and sent another to Magus. This one displayed a lone Jedi talking about the tenets of the Jedi Order.
"These are the prevailing theories on the force, tell me your thoughts on them," Master Asemi pulled the orb out of his apprentice's hands.
"Fools, all of them. The Sith arrogant, overly aggressive, and wasteful. Jedi are too afraid to embrace the true power of the force. Surely there is a better view." The young apprentice felt disgusted at his Master for showing either order such respect.
Magus awoke drenched in sweat. His latest of several dreams, or visions of the past, was too much for him. He had seen his arguments with his former Master. His remorse for killing the man lessened as he remembered dozens more arguments. That fool should have accepted my terms, he thought to himself as he sat up. He wandered out onto the lake shore and gazed out over the lake. Everything was deathly quiet with the master dead and gone. It helped the young man accept his actions as necessary.
"You should have accepted my terms, old friend," Magus whispered as he sat down.
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Post by Bedrovelse Hevn on Oct 22, 2015 4:39:48 GMT -8
Coils of smoke old man? How easy can this be?
Hevn's speeder whipped another zigzag through the trees and ripped out across the plains. Up and down a few hills the smoke grew larger before he darted into the trees another time. They were much thicker and too dense to continue. Dismounting, Bedrovelse sends his speeder back to the ship on autopilot. It would await his beckoning.
Turning his gaze up he sees his proximity, and pulls the force to himself. Tighter and tighter he wove it around, building a cocoon around him to block the senses of any and all. Force Stealth. Bedrovelse slips from sight, and the force as he strides into the trees. He takes off at a run. Light shined through the horizon of trunks at last to reveal a lake. A burning boat floating despairingly in the center, a lone figure staring out at it. Bedrovelse sheds his Stealth to reach out into the force. His target was missing. His aura had been flourishing only moments ago and now silence. Perhaps battle had awoken the man's power only to find it was not enough.
Hevn's black robes billow with the wind. The scent of fire reaches his nostrils at last. Hevn rounds the lake toward the figure.
Sensing him in greater depth with the closer proximity, Hevn found the unexpected. This man was not lost in mourning or thought, but a meditation.
Hevn observes the man snapping to as the sound of his boots approach. Hevn stands fairly tall for a humanoid. Pale skin and white hair accompany a pair of pale sapphire eyes. His black robes reflected a darker and finer make than the younger mans, dyed with norris root and made from spider silk. His broadness of thigh, arm, shoulder, and most noticeably jaw may hint at his cybernetic refinements and the layers of armor beneath the synthskin. His left hand is armored in a gauntlet of sith alchemy make. Fingers extending into sharp claw like blades, and the bottom of each finger tip embedded with crystals blood red. In his right hand his signature lightsaber hilt. The scaly neck of a krayt dragon, wrapped in leather from one's hide, ending in the jaws of a dragon. His voice is cold and soft, with a slight mechanical chime.
"I came here to dispatch of the Grey, to find him floating in the lake ablaze. Am I to understand that you took his life?"
Wondering if this were not a ploy, or the master's grieving apprentice Bedrovelse began to feel out into the force. Expanding his awareness and senses to find them relatively alone. No formidable darkness to match his own, and yet there it was. In the man before him. The spark of darkness.
"Has the superior learned his place?"
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Post by Magus Serendor on Oct 23, 2015 8:39:18 GMT -8
Magus dipped into the plethora of teachings that his master had revealed to him. Despite his numerous disagreements with Asemi, he was still thankful that his former master had been willing to show him teachings that opposed that of the Gray Jedi. In their need for control, the foolish Jedi are unwilling to even discuss the philosophies of the dark side, Magus thought as the Jedi tenets ran through his head. Yet the Sith have their faults as well, he heard his master's words echo through his mind. On that much, they agreed. A Sith would have been all too quick to kill his master, yet Magus' own master had fared no better. The young Dark Jedi found himself searching for some clue on how his master would have felt about his decision. He quickly realized that it was not his former master's opinion that he looked for, but rather an opinion. With his master dead, there was nobody to discuss things with. The Jedi would exile or jail him for even discussing the teachings of the Sith and the Sith would attempt to kill him if he tried to discuss Gray Jedi or Jedi teachings with them. Is there no place for an academic discussion among those that use the force?
The Dark Jedi felt tendrils darkness growing near. He reached out with the force, but could find no presence to account for its appearance. His thoughts went immediately to the smoldering boat on the lake, but instead he feels an unknown presence and hears the sound of boots crunching on the ground. He instinctively reached for his lightsaber, but the newcomer's appearance told him it was not such a good idea.
"The Gray is," Magus paused as he glanced out at the lake, "dead."
The young Dark Jedi wondered what his master had done to attract such an opponent. This newcomer was wrapped in the dark side, but not like the few Sith that Magus had met in his life. Where they had given off a feeling of wildness, this man seemed as though he were in control.
"His rightful place would have been as an asset to me, but he refused to see himself as an equal of anyone that was not a Gray Jedi."
Which you are certainly not, but what are you? Magus unsure if he was asking the internal question of himself or the man in front of him.
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Post by Bedrovelse Hevn on Oct 24, 2015 4:19:27 GMT -8
Bedrovelse considers the man carefully, seizing him up as his eyes drop from toe, and rise to head. Hevn mirrors the glance toward the lake before returning his attention to his counterpart once more.
"An intellectual? Rare."
Though the gauntlet upon his hand was far more weapon than armor, Hevn clips the lightsaber in his hand to his belt. The man did not draw on him, but perhaps that was because he had already drawn himself. He eyes the man carefully for motions of aggression. Approaching slowly, squaring up to him.
The Gray had trained someone? This came as news to him. His target was not supposed to be accompanied by any such accomplice to his knowledge. An interesting predicament to find the master dead, and yet this one was not a Sith, such as were their ways traditionally.
"With one action you have forsaken three paths. Neither shade of Jedi condone aggression against their hierarchy. A Sith would not think twice about eliminating a threat to their power, even to use as an asset or for service in any form. You're a different shade. One I color myself as well. Dark Jedi."
Bedrovelse kept a gap of roughly ten feet between them before stopping. A scowl had enveloped his face as soon as he spat the name of his dearest enemies, for whom his hatred was eternal and his aura thundered quietly beneath his calm and relaxed exterior.
"I wonder. What did Barradius Asemi teach you of my kind?"
Hevn spoke the word fondly as the contortion of his face broke for one of intrigue and questioning.
"To defeat him is no small task. Your blade work must be precise and fierce to tumble a man of Soresu."
It was not an empty compliment. Bedrovelse wielded the gauntlet specifically to counter Asemi's style of fighting. A titanic defensive opponent, Bedrovelse had intended to use the power of the dark side to overwhelm and kill the man. Bedrovelse made every effort to know his enemies and use their weaknesses to cripple him, that his balanced and broad knowledge base may be used as a weapon in every situation. A calculated and vicious opponent, Hevn measured that this man was of a different breed. One akin to himself, Alkor, and Kali.
Hevn frowned as he gripped his weapon again. It faded into a cold stare.
"I came for his knowledge. He would not allow me access given my shade, even with a peaceful approach. He needed to die. His stubborn stance was a stagnant approach even to his own beliefs. It was time to show him that equality is weighed in strength. It matters not what path you choose when your opponent's power rivals your own."
Hevn extends the clawed hand toward Magus.
" I am Bedrovelse Hevn, a Jen'jidai. It would be helpful of you to show me Asemi's logs. I would see his research and promising student put to actual use."
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Post by Magus Serendor on Oct 24, 2015 6:51:34 GMT -8
Magus nodded at the man's comment about intellectuals. The Jedi would surely disagree with such an assessment, but how could those who restrict discussion of altering views be considered truly intellectual. He relaxed slightly when the man clipped his saber to his belt. A smile crept onto Magus' face at the mention of his forsaking the three paths which he considered false.
His mind wandered at the mention of the Dark Jedi. Master Asemi had been rather tight-lipped about the group. The memory flooded back to him. The Gray Jedi's face tensed when Magus asked about the Dark Jedi. "They're nothing, really," Asemi had replied. "They can't surely be nothing," the young apprentice had said. "All I can really say is that they are not Jedi, nor Sith, and certainly not Gray. Their kind can be among the most dangerous. Like the Gray, they are not afraid of either side of the force. Unlike the Gray, they often have their own sense of justice." Magus remembered that it was the first time he had seen his master show any sign of true fear.
Magus moved to answer the question, but thought it better to gather his thoughts and respond in a way that wouldn't insult the clearly more powerful man. He searched his memories for more on the Dark Jedi, but found the results lacking. Barradius had managed to dodge question after question over the years. It hadn't struck him as strange until now. The young man realized that this stranger knew his master's first name. That piqued his interest even more. Only those who had interacted with him on more than one occasion were privy to that information. The compliment on his defeat of Asemi was lost on him, not knowing of Hevn's skill with the lightsaber saw to that.
"Is it Master Hevn or Dark Lord Hevn? Or is there another title that would be appropriate? I'm afraid that Barradius taught me very little of the Dark Jedi. In his mind, they were more dangerous than Sith or Jedi and incompatible with the Grays. He often dodged the questions I brought to him. There was always a fear emanating from him when he spoke of the Dark Jedi."
Magus paused for a moment as he thought about his former master's security protocols. He nodded to himself before speaking.
"You'll need me if you want access to his knowledge. How I gained his trust, I know not, but he was obsessive about protecting his accumulation of knowledge. I'll show you what I can for now, but the rest is encoded and it will take me time to decode all of it. Something tells me that we can both be of use to one another."
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Post by Bedrovelse Hevn on Oct 25, 2015 4:23:21 GMT -8
Hevn closes his clawed hand into a fist. His right hand rising from his hilt to tighten it down against the wrist. Afterwards he drops them into a relaxed hang at his sides. Thought stirs within Bedrovelse for long moments before responding.
"In this I agree."
A fine thing to have found this one. He would have only reaped half the reward had his approach been more rash. A great thing gift Reign had given him in taking Hevn as an apprentice. Honing the wildest of Sith assassins into a single patient, deadly, and composed edge. Choosing the right moment was key to victory. There was great wisdom in those teachings which gave Bedrovelse a more careful approach to strangers.
From that had bred a certain ring of allies he could trust, when these strangers proved helpful contacts. Could this be one of the fold?
"I knew Asemi before he was worthy to teach Shii-Cho. I put Ossus to my boot because the Jedi had hidden a tome of Lord Sidious. One concerning his Sith Mask. Changing the face by the will of the force. The secret of how he stole the very senate out from under the Galactic Republic! Such things must be researched and understood to keep the balance of the force and ensure it never happen again. Barradius's brother, Auron decided to become a dark jedi. Barradius became furious and challenged him, unaware that his brother had already been practicing the dark side. Barradius wasn't ready for any of the new powerful abilities his brother had achieved. I was satisfied with his beating. My associates saw fit to fry him with lightning until he was within an inch of his life. Mercy always comes with a message, or a price. I imagine afterward he either continued training with the jedi or exiled himself to learn alone. Smart, but so very prideful."
Hevn folds his arms then finishing the story, pausing in thought at how to answer his first question.
'Where to begin? Master, Darth, Governor, King, General. Some of the most prestigious accolades a man could posses. These meant little to the Hevn of now as they did to the Hevn of past. His self entitlement and pride made his ego swell massively.'
"I have held many titles. I will not bore you with them nor subject you to them. You are a free man on Naboo."
Now those things held now power to him. It was in the self that power was discovered. Mastery of the force, the body, the mind, and the spirit.
"I would ask of you your name, and then the conditions by which I acquire your assistance."
He spoke calm and cool. Mild by the standards of Bedrovelse Hevn.
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Post by Vice-Chancellor Darma on Oct 25, 2015 19:14:51 GMT -8
Elsewhere...
Darma's airspeeder drifted lazily over the picturesque landscape. He spotted a nice place to land on a large island just off the mainland coast, which consisted of some scenic cliffs divided by a misty waterfall. Bringing the speeder down, a little roughly, he climbs out and reaches back in for a canteen and an a hammock. He then wonders around aimlessly until he finds a good place to set up the hammock. Their he set's it up, and rolls in, closing his eyes and just enjoying the sound of distant water crashing and rolling, as the sound of the falls and nearer surf drifts to him from the sea.
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Post by Magus Serendor on Oct 25, 2015 22:46:35 GMT -8
Magus listened as Hevn spoke about Asemi. He began to see his former master in a different light. What others secrets had the man kept from him and would it be possible to learn of these things from his vast database. The young Dark Jedi shook his head. Asemi was no more, no longer would his secrets be important. Not in the sense that he had been thinking. "Secrets can do more than give you power over their owners," Barradius has once said.
Hevn's answer drew Magus even deeper into his thoughts. Had this man held back his title to keep the knowledge, and thus power, from Magus? The last sentence implied one of two things: If Magus left the planet, it would be as an underling or a prisoner or perhaps it implied both. This stranger suddenly seemed much more dangerous than before. Magus was left wondering what would have happened had he been foolish enough to draw his saber against the man. His former master had often praised him on his ability to keep a cool head. He snapped back to the present as Hevn asked him the question.
"My name is Magus," The younger man said.
He paused as he looked out at the smoldering boat on the lake. In some strange way he felt as though he could be betraying his master. He wanted to follow that theory to its endpoint, but there was no time to do so. It was unwise to leave a man waiting, especially when one has no way of knowing what that man is capable of.
"Asemi had a treasure trove of knowledge at his fingertips, but he was always afraid that others would try to steal his information. I can grant you access to his database. There is, of course, a price. There is always price. Mine is not so high. As you have said yourself, the mantle of Dark Jedi fits me well. Bring me into the fold and Asemi's knowledge is yours."
Magus pushed down his fear as he looked to Hevn for a response. The possibilities ran through his mind. Would this man see reason or foolishness? Would he reward the bold request or see it as a fledgling's attempt to control.
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Post by Bedrovelse Hevn on Oct 27, 2015 15:54:56 GMT -8
Hevn found himself frowning in thought and concentration. Given that Magus had requested an accord be made, he judged it safe to approach the man more closely. Hevn strode another five steps forward, keeping them about two arm lengths apart.
A price indeed there always was. One that Hevn was usually ready to pay, but this time Magus offered to pay it for him. An offer of servitude as well as Asemi's logs. This wasn't just a win win, but a win and win harder. It made Bedrovelse wonder though, if Magus knew what he was asking, and from who. In the future would Magus look upon this moment in savoring or regret?
"Well, Magus, to accept your terms, I must be assured we both understand them clearly. Have you become free of your master..."
Hevn gestures a hand toward the lake.
"To take another?"
Hevn's quizzical look continues.
"Are you asking to study our philosophy? Or to be forged into a Dark Jedi? Many of us were, or still are, dark ones who find power not in losing oneself to emotion, but controlling it. Measuring it. Tempering it. Wielding it as necessary to be strong, instead of depending on it. It keeps the corrupting and addictive nature of the dark side at cliff's edge, where the mind can fight for sanity against the deadly pull of the darkness."
Bedrovelse takes a deep breath, closing his eyes, bowing his head slightly. Feeling Magus with the force. Sensing him. Weighing his potential. Opening his eyes again he stares at Magus with his icy gaze.
"I sense that it is knowledge you seek. The truth of the force. This is a passion I share. You would find my path one of strength, instead of restrictive tolerance. You would make a strong ally. Strong apprentice. My style would suit you. Hunger and curiosity have grown in the fear, and doubt in the dark side Asemi has tried to sow. I think you see now that your master tried to blind you."
As Bedrovelse makes eye contact he could sense a shadow of Magus's thoughts. The faintest of feelings come to realization.
"I believe we both know, it is Barradius who has betrayed you. The terms are agreeable, Magus. However, I would know precisely what your expectations of me are, so I may express mine in return to you."
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Post by Magus Serendor on Oct 29, 2015 20:32:09 GMT -8
Magus fought back a bit of fear as Hevn stepped toward him. He knew well that if the Dark Jedi desired he could easily dispatch the younger. Yet there was no reason for the man to talk if his purpose was to kill.
As Hevn spoke, Magus found himself wondering why he was so quick to want another master. Have I been brainwashed into needing a master? he asked himself. It only took a moment of introspection for him to realize that he was poorly skilled relative to many force users throughout the galaxy. A master would give him access to knowledge of all sorts, which was what he wanted more than anything else at the moment. He found himself nodding along as Hevn spoke of studying the Dark Jedi philosophy and nodding even more emphatically when he spoke of being forged into a Dark Jedi. His own thoughts on the force were not so dissimilar to what Hevn was saying.
"It may seem strange to seek a master so soon after throwing off the burden of my first master, but it seems the best approach for one such as I."
The younger Dark Jedi recruit paused for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. He had considered that Asemi had pushed his own agenda in his teachings, but his own feelings for the man had helped to blind him.
"As you have said, it is Barradius who blinded me. It wasn't that having a master was a negative, it was that he as my master was the issue. As such, my expectations will be skewed. Asemi cared about his own expectations of me, not my expectations of him. That having been said, my expectations so far are to find an asset or multiple assets that will allow me to learn and grow in knowledge and through that knowledge, gain power. How that will relate to the future, I know not. Perhaps I will find that your group of Dark Jedi is indeed something akin to a family. I will gain much in my learning and you will gain a powerful ally."
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Post by Bedrovelse Hevn on Oct 31, 2015 4:34:46 GMT -8
It was unnecessary and insulting to sniff the air, but fear hung like the stale cling of smoke to his senses. Perhaps this Magus was genuine after all. He would be tried and tested.
Hevn squares up to him. So very near that he could glare into the dark of Magus eyes. Sincerity was there, yet he did not see the fear that he could smell. Control. A necessary attribute if he is to walk the path chosen. Bedrovelse nods his head.
"You have a deal."
Bedrovelse removes a remote beacon for his ship, signally it to approach the lake.
"You are an initiate of the Dark Jedi. The first task I appoint you is to bring me to the records of Barradius Asemi. A gray jedi of whom I believe you were once familiar."
Hevn takes ten or so paces away from Magus to give him time to breathe. Scanning the horizon this location appeared to be fairly remote.
"Who else knows about this location? If you have things you desire to bring with you, they must be collected now."
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Post by Magus Serendor on Oct 31, 2015 14:38:39 GMT -8
The tension within Magus melted away as Hevn agreed to the deal. He felt himself stand a little taller mention of being an initiate of the Dark Jedi. This Hevn seemed much more interested in cultivating an ally than just having a student memorize archives, holocrons, and files.
"The majority of his records are here," Magus pointed at his head. "The man was so afraid that others would steal his secrets, he destroyed many of his own files after I memorized them. Everything else can be retrieved with relative ease. I'll gather my things and secure that which is worth bringing."
The young Dark Jedi paused as he considered how many people had knowledge of the location. He made mental pictures of everyone that had visited and did his best to recall how often they had done so.
"Including merchants and a local or two, there are no more than a dozen that know of this place. Only one or two of them would ever be a bother and they haven't visited in years. Shall I set the self-destruct mechanism after I gather my things?"
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Post by Bedrovelse Hevn on Nov 5, 2015 5:05:36 GMT -8
Bedrovelse finishes his surveillance and turns back to face Magus. His cold eyes find the younger man again.
Secrets get people killed, and Hevn was the sort to kill for secrets.
"Heed a warning. There are only two masters and both of us tend to punish liars by peeling the mind apart. See what else a liar's hiding. I do not accuse you, but that must be clear."
Striding toward the man now that he had made his tense rebuttal to memorizing records.
"It is well for them, for there is no need to be silenced."
Getting closer Bedrovelse peers closer into the heart of the initiate.
"I wonder. If a man is missing, and so are his things, perhaps he has left. If a man is gone, and his panic room is ashes, perhaps an investigation. It could be yours as well. The man is ashes. I leave your will be its own, initiate. I will wait here. The ship has almost arrived."
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