| abstract
| - The Spine Mountain Chain spans thousands of kilometers of Dosha, forming a barrier before the vast polar deserts that cover the northernmost points of the continent. Tall evergreens flock the landscape around the foothills, thick with predators the sparsely population region is perilous not only to off-worlders, but also to the native Trandoshans whose cold-blooded bodies suffer in the inhospitable chill climate. Nearby is the village of Forak, former home of the Sith nobleman Drayson Honos, nestled at the foot of a tall peak, where, high above the houses rests the ruined temple of the New Sith Order, reduced to rubble under turbolaser barrage from the flagship of Lord Aldus Thel years prior. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Korolov => Thel The Lambda Shuttle 'Emissary' touches down in a narrow clearing in a small valley between two neighbouring hills several miles outside of Forak, its graceful white wings folding upward as landing struts find purchase and a sharp hiss of stablising pressure accompanies the lowering of the boarding ramp. Darth Venger slips his mask on, adjusting it slightly before raising the hood of his cloak over his head, concealing his face in dark shadows. The vocoder is switched in, "I suppose we all have our roles to play, Lord Thel." His gaze moves from the viewports to the base of the ramp, it had been years since he has been in this sector of space, the last time was that incident on Kashyyyk, his hands slip to the obi wrapped around his waist making sure that the pair of lightsabers were in their place. "The Empire demands service from us all." Thel smiles with a concurring nod, rising from the pilot's chair his eyes follow the motion of Korolov's hand to checking his weapons as he starts toward the ramp, heavy footfalls ringing lightly as he makes his way to the crisp green grass of the planet surface. "You anticipate trouble, Lord Venger?" he asks, gaze flicking to the man's weapons once more. "I am a warrior, trouble tends to find me." He pulls his robes around him, "The Trandoshans are a species that respect strength and direct applications of brutal violence, their lack of subtleness appeals to me in that sense." He makes his way down the hatch, the dry atmosphere of the plains. His dark eyes flick between the ruins of the wrecked sith temple, then to Honos's estate, "So Malign, this was where your ..empire crumbled." He smiles, having won the battle with his rival yet again. "A wise precaution." This place is steeped in the Dark Side of the Force, a near permeable haze the product of dark rituals performed at the mountain top readily harbours echos of Malign's rage, its boiling fury unleashed at the final defeat of his would be Empire. The air is crisp, cold and dry - sharp even and Thel's breath forms silvery clouds of condensation as he speaks. "You have a long history with the traitor?" Thel enquires, gesturing toward the village in the distance, thin wisps of smoke rising from chimneys against the evening sky. "The path to the temple ruins begins nearby the ruined estate. I have convened the tribal leaders there. A less than subtle reminder that they owe their freedom to the Empire." "Tyler Damion has always been a traitor, only for a little while did his power and ambition align with that of the Galactic Empire. He is the one who ushered in the Emperor's arrival, he tried to push me out, but I am a warrior, the Imperial Court is as deadly a battlefield as any planet in the galaxy, he was not prepared." There is anger in the Sith Lord's voice, "But this.." His hand sweeps to the wrecked temple, "is an abomination of the faith." He continues to walk, his stride strong and purposeful, though the military tempo of his footfalls is unavoidable. "You have a rare appreciation for the nature of court politics, Lord Venger." Thel remarks with a dry chuckle as he lifts his pace, allowing the Grand Inquisitor to proceed him by a step or two as they make their way toward the village. At their brisk pace, the journey lasts a mere thirty minutes beneath the dense canopy of trees, their trunks bare at humanoid height, branches only spanning outward ten or even fifteen feet above the forest floor. The tree line fails to thins on the approach, a worn track the only sign that it will soon be giving way until they are upon it - little here is modern, the streets cobble stone and houses built from local wood and hewn rock though generators provide power to homes and street lighting. A single path leads away to a large estate enclosed by a red bricked wall in a serious state of disrepair, black gate warped by intense heat and force hangs from its hinges, blaster burns still marking the ruined building beyond. It is deathly quiet. Darth Venger moves from the tree line, his right hand slipping to his side, though not quite grasping the metal cylinder concealed in the folds of the belt, "Death is replaced by life" He mutters, the jungle and teeming life in the background cluttering the force, "Though where are the villagers?" "That is an excellent question..." Thel replies, the uniform clad man stepping forward to survey the apparently empty village, neck craning to follow the rising plumes of smoke from currently burning, or recently extinguished fires. "...perhaps the clan leaders cleared them away? I chose the temple ruins also for their remoteness." Darth Venger strides across the village, reaching out to connect with the living force of the beings that normally inhabit this village, his eyes close as he concentrates. His focus is drawn to the source of the smoke, "I believe our answers will lie in that direction." Aldus maintains a few paces distance from Venger and the sith advances through the wide village street, eyes sweeping the stonework buildings as Venger extends his senses. When the Inquisitor speaks, Thel's head bobs in agreement, gaze following the robed warrior's gesture... "Then let us unravel this mystery..." Rounding a corner, the largest plume rises not unsurprisingly from a large meeting hall, its wooden doors stand closed. Thel's gloved hand wraps around the handle, and in that instant there is a premonition, a sensory alarm of imminent danger ringing through the Force. Darth Venger continues to walk cautiously through the city. The skills of a life long soldier instinctual in how he moves, observes, and interacts with his surroundings. As Thel reaches out to grab the door, "Stop!" The Sith Lord shouts, his danger senses tingling. What is as instinctive is that his right hand grasp, twists and frees the light saber from his belt. He doesn't ignite the blade however but reaches out with the force, sensing what lies on the other side of the door. Thel is a fraction too slow, or his fine muscle control too weak. His shoulder turns toward Korolov's shout and a sharp beep gives his eyes just enough time to widen as a fiery wave of concussive force blasts him from his feet. Wood splinters outward with a deafening explosion and as the nobleman's body crashes to the ground some ten meters away, the shrill shriek of blaster fire fills the air, red bolts lancing out from prepared positions as half a dozen Trandoshans spring an ambush. There is little that Darth Venger can do to save the noble man from the blast. He crouches to lessen the impact of the blast, shrapnel tearing at his robes but not the Impervium armor beneath, the crimson plates showing beneath the tears in the fabric. He rises, left hand drawing the second saber both igniting in shades of dark Red, the Sith revels in the call of battle, Anger and fear mingling in the air as the Trandoshan's attack. His saber moving back and forth as he deflects blaster bolts. "Kiiiiill theeem!!" A reptilian voice thick with bloodlust snarls over the blaster fire from a second floor window. Venger's dancing web of energy blades holding their fire at bay, two of the giant warriors emerge from their hiding places, rifles carried at the hip and snapping away with rapid, careless fire as they advance on the sith lord. Thel lies quite still on the ground, his cloak shredded on one side, frayed edges smoldering and face blackened by carbon. Not only has Darth Venger learned the form of Niman, he was also a master of Echani. He moves with a grace that belies his height and physique, almost dancing with the blades as he approaches the advancing Trandoshans. He slices out with the saber to the one on the left, spinning at the same time to take him out of the line of fire to the one on the right. A blaster bolt tears through his cloak as his focus changes from defense to offense, control being replaced by savage fury. The Trandoshan's body rends beneath the lightsaber's blade, a howl of pain delayed as the cold blooded creature lashes out with its blaster, wielding the weapon like a club and connecting only with air as Korolov shifts his angle of attack, blasterfire from the other striking the wounded trandoshan who slumps to the ground, hissing as its body twitches. Those in the buildings are forced from their hiding places, clambering through windows to pursue the dark lord, opening up new avenues of fire as others are closed off. Dropping his blaster, the remaining lizard-man in the street draws a heavy steel blade from his back and roars in bestial fury. "MY SON!" it snarls, charging head-long for Lord Venger. "YOU KILLED MY SON!" "You killed your son, when you raised weapons against the Galactic Empire!" He flicks his saber forward,striking at the Trandoshan's sword arm "But yes, channel your rage, Trandoshan!" He continues to dance among the blaster bolts landing in the street. "Give me your rage!" And the rage is free flowing, a deep well of hatred poured out as fury which lends strength and speed to the Trandoshian. Its torso twists, evading the aggressive slash, dropping its shoulder the three hundred pound creature's bulk slams into Korolov's chest, following up with frenzied, wild swings of its blade hacking and slashing with all its tremendous strength as blaster bolts scream by the dueling pair. The Sith Lord continues to dance with the Trandoshan. He moves with the impact from the creature slamming into him, the distance close enough to that he does not lose his footing but cannot avoid all of the swipes, the sword gouging a chunk out of his left vambrace. He steps back, raising his light saber to strike out at the Trandoshan's mass. Lightsabers know no resistance, and the blade cleaves armour, scale, flesh and bone with equal ease, carving a great gouge through one shoulder, limb hanging from the Trandoshan's side by a ragged tether of muscle, sinew and flesh, the sword clattering uselessly to the cobblestone street the beast is not yet done. With a howl of fury, it's massive claw seizes the Sith Lord's arm and hauls him in close, a murderous acceptance in its reptilian eyes as its snapping maw gnashes with terrible strength, lunging for Venger's throat. The Sith Lord is pulled in close, clawed fingers wrapping around his mechanical arm holding him like a vice. But the Sith is not without weapons even at this range. The eyes of his mask darken as a pair of ebon crystals slide down over the eye slits. A pair of lasers blast out at the Trando, firing at point blank range to a creatures head. At the same time, he presses both sabers into the creature's torso, activating both and sending red blades jetting through it's body. The unexpected blast from Korolov's visor gives the Trandoshan pause, eyes burning it snarls in pain head rearing back instinctively and as the lightsabers pierce its chest, the creature expires. Done for, the claw tightens, body tensing in its death spasms a moment before collapsing, blades slicing through the falling corpse. The remaining warriors hiss and snap, their guttural alien tongue filling the air as for a moment the volleys of blaster fire cease and they reassess their strategy. Then, they run. Darth Venger pushes the Trandoshan Corpse away from him. As the Trando's retreat he flicks off the sabers, stowing them once more on his belt, he turns towards Thel reaching out with the Force to see if he is still alive, the adrenaline from the battle still coursing through his veins, causing his normally dark brown irises to be flecked with glowing golden hue. "It would appear that the Trandoshan's had plans other than your own, Lord Thel." Thel manages a hoarse, gagging cough, his ruined glove and shredded sleeve revealing sinewy arms streaked with blood and dirt, flesh blisted by the blast. He rises up on his good arm, pushing himself over, the right hand side of his face likewise bloodied blistered, uniform in tatters and Order of Valak medal charred, a vast black scorch patterned on the blast-vest he wears beneath, its fibres torn and fused together, any protective value it might have lent is now ruined but he can likely thank it for saving his life. He coughs again, spitting out a mouthful of dirt and blood all in one. "It is my good fortune then..." his good hand rises to feel for the damage done to his countance. "...to have been stood beside the fiercest warrior of the Empire." Darth Venger kneels by the fallen Lord, slipping the mask off his face as the danger has passed at the moment, he holds a hand over the prone form, "It is your good fortune that you wore a blast vest." He remarks, with a sublime impersonation of a smile. "I am no doctor, your wounds are not life threatening, but the best course of action would be to call an evac shuttle, I fear that the negotiations will not go smoothly this day in any event." He reaches to his belt and pulls out a small short range communicator, signaling the shuttle to come to their location. "Perhaps the locals are not as thankful for Imperial liberation as we think." "No." Aldus' voice is thick with the coarse smoke he'd swallowed from the blast, but it is firm as iron. He looks across to the flames licking the meeting hall door in the wake of the blast, the wood smoldering in what might soon before a full fledged fire. "I will have /answers/, Inquisitor. And vengeance." he extends the good hand. "Help me up." Darth Venger arches a fine brow before reaching down and taking Thel's hand, lifting him up. He flicks the comlink open, "Belay that order." Before shutting it back off. Once Thel is up and stable, Korolov slips his mask back on, grasping a lightsaber, should there be any more surprises. Thel's rise is not without its difficulties, the lord grimaces as the tension across his shoulder reveals the results of blunt trauma the vest could not absorb, the adrenaline and endorphines surging through his body rendering his stance a little shakey, but he finds balance and stands under his own power. Eyes ablaze with a cold, roiling fury that seems to lend him strength he limps the first few paces toward one of the fallen Trandoshans, gait growing more stable with each stride. "No clan markings..." he notes, looking over their ruined bodies and pointing to the places he'd expect to find identifying features. "...outcasts?" a glance around. "Or assassins? Darth Venger eyes the battle scene,"Likely both." He continues to roll the cylinder around in his hand, the adrenaline still flowing through his veins, the call of battle is not so easily sated. His tone is both clipped and there is a slight iritation in his tone, "I do not think it is internal Trandoshan politics." He pushes one of the corpses over with a booted foot, examining the armor and weapons for clues. "Agreed." Thel replies with a stern resolution, his head lifts to the trail up the mountain, he gives his foot a sharp stamp, testing the heavier leg for stability and apparently satisfied with the results he issues a determined nod in the direction of the ruined temple. "I believe we will find our answer there." Venger draws a heavy blaster pistol from his belt, checking the safety before he looks towards the temple, "We should move quickly. The ones who fled will head that way and alert them to our presence." He waits for Thel, making sure he can continue before starting down the trail to the temple. Aldus steps toward a fallen Trandoshan blaster, the heavy rifle an uncomfortable weapon, he removes the charge pack, rendering it but a usable crutch on which to lean when the going is tough. "I defer to your wisdom in these matters, Lord Venger." a forced smile spreading across lips clearly unaccustomed to the gesture. "Lead the way." A moment's silence thereafter as the two start toward the trail is broken. "Thank you, Vassily. I would most assuredly be dead, but for your efforts. It is not something I will forget." Darth Venger tilts his head, his expression hidden behind the mask, "I serve the Empire, Aldus." He is not one for sentimentality. He begins to move through the jungle heading towards the temple as fast as Thel can safely move, "The jungle acts as a natural barrier to the force, it is hard to detect what lies ahead, he focuses on the mission at hand moving deftly along the trail, keeping his senses alert for anything out of the ordinary. "You do it well. The Emperor is fortunate to have a servant such as you." Aldus replies as he starts after the man. The journey is not swift - the trail has laid unused and untended since the days of the New Sith Order, the echos of the Darkside grow stronger as they climb, manifesting in shadows that play upon the mind to the uninitiated have made this site a place of great taboo and Thel's injuries do not help matters. In spite of these obstacles, they make good time and after an or so's climb, they near the temple ruins. The flicker of light within suggests open flames, rather than electrical lightning, the hiss and snaps of the Trandoshan tongue emanating from within, the passage forward partially collapsed but passable. At this close range, high above the forest the darkside is at its thickest, but the thrum of life is rich and concentrated, a dozen beings reside within, the Force resonating with their collective ambition, suspicion and fear. When the reach the clearing where the ruined temple rests, Darth Venger slows his pace, moving towards the temple entrance with the grace and skill of a predator, looking for guards or other obstables. He closes his eyes, sensing the beings inside, "Soon, they will feel true fear." He looks towards Thel, nodding slightly, "Ready?" He asks in a barely audible muffled tone. Thel nods, the nobleman's hand moving to the charge pack at his belt as he eyes the blaster used as a crutch. It falls to the ground with a loose clatter, discarded, the charge pack thereafter. An unorthodox strategy, to say the leash. "Stand ready, but stay your hand a moment." he bids. "I would know from whom this treachery came." Drawing himself up to his full height, the blisters, blood and dirt at that moment only serve to cut a dramatic figure as he ducks beneath a collapsed stone beam and ventures forward. "Sith can sense the deceitful heart?" Darth Venger slips into the passageway, blaster clasped in one hand, light saber in the other. He makes his way down the hallway, attention still focused on the life forms, letting Thel take the lead for the moment, at least till the blaster bolts start flying. Darth Venger follows Thel down the passageway responding to his question, "Some Can." The wrath the Nemesis unleashed on this place is evident in the collapsed passages. It takes several minutes to venture through before they reach the chamber from which the voices echo. A large circular cave that once might have formed an antechamber holds no fewer than twelve trandoshans, each a fine physical specimen in their own right, the dulled colours of their scales and multitudes of scars speak to age. As Thel emerges from the passage, pairs of eyes turn toward him, hissing and snapping giving way to Galactic Basic "Lord Thel..." the nearest of the Trandoshan elders speaks, Aldus' bloodied, blistered hand rises and the reptilian falls silent. "There is a traitor amongst you." Aldus declares, a basso rumble like a kosh of gravel wrapped in a silk bag. His good hand closing to a fist. As they reach the chamber, Venger stands back, acting as muscle for the time being. He holds the lightsaber and blaster, ready for the first sine of trouble. He glances among the elders gathered here, waiting for one of them to make the wrong move. "Whooo?" another of the clan leaders demands, his head snapping to his neighbors about the fires, the heat in the chamber has built to a sweltering degree and so these Trandoshans are rather more alert than those who'd awaited them in the village below. "That..." Thel replies with a note of steel in his voice, edged by cold fury. "...is irrelevant." his eyes scan the gathered aliens. "Not one of you discovered it, or you were complicit. Treachery and incompetence I will not tolerate." he takes a step back. "Venger." the Darkside gathers, the rage radiating from Thel permeates the heavy cloud, mingling with the fear and passions of the Trandoshans. It blends together in a heady cocktail of temptation and Aldus stretches out, his words steeped in the Force. "Kill them. Kill them all!" Darth Venger listens to Thel's speech, continuing to watch the Trandoshans. As Thel starts to seethe Rage, the Sith Lord's attention shifts back to Thel, something to explore later, but now he feels the dark side of the force rising in him. He can taste the siren call of violence and destruction and unleashes it, targeting the largest and strongest Trando in the room, he raises his right hand, reaching out and grasping his fist, lifting an invisible object as his muscles strain with rage. The Trandoshan is lifted off of it's feet, it's larynx and airways being crushed by an invisible power. "This is the fate of those who betray the Empire." In this place, where the Darkside is already so strong, the chains that bind all life together are receptive to every tug and twist. The act comes easy, the very fabric of reality seems to crave the violence that Venger unleashes and a surge of power floods through him. What began with only a single victim spreads to each and every Trandoshan in the chamber, their bodies rising from the ground, clawed feet kicking uselessly as they gasp and splutter, terror unfolding and flooding yet more raw strength into the sith lord. Darth Venger can feel the surge of the Darkside coursing through his veins. He had not felt this since Ord Trasi, he howls with rage as he doesn't resist the Darkness, letting it take him where it will. He continues to close his fist, savoring the pain and agony of the beings in this room as the life force slowly ebbs and flows from them. One by one the Trandoshans die. Their last, terrified gasps tinged with unspent fury, powerful forms collapsing into lifeless husks of meat, whatever life-force they once possessed crushed from their bodies as bones snap. Moments pass, the sickly sweet high of murder building to a crechendo until only one is left, a bright brilliant light in the Force, the last of the untainted life in this place of unremitting evil. "Venger!" Aldus' words cut through the haze like a knife. "Release him..." The Darkening whispers seductively in his ear, the voice of his wife whispers in her accented Nagai accent, "Feel the beat of their hearts, just a little pressure and it all stops." More death, that is the next step, one brief flex of a muscle and it is over. Slowly all but one ceases to move, held like spent puppets, limp in the air. He then hears Arissa in his head, "Kill him, master." The shadows swirl around him, the vengeful fist of the Emperor unleashing his fury on these traitors. He continues to resist as the final one nears death. He is not just a conduit for the dark side but he can bend it to his will, he breathes heavily as he lowers his hand back down, setting the Trandoshan back on the ground, moments from Death. He breaks the connection, dropping to his knees as he breathes heavily, hands resting on the ground, taking a moment to regain his senses. Thel gives Korolov his space, the last remaining Trandoshan alive falling to the floor in a crumpled heap, gasping and spluttering, its nerves frayed and lungs burning the scent of fear and death now thick on the air as it is in the Force. Aldus steps forward, looming above the sole survivor. "Your life belongs to me..." he hisses, voice thick with malice as he stoops forward over the writhing alien. "...your clan belongs me." an outstretched hand gestures to the lifeless corpses of the other elders. "Their clans belong to you. Their clans, belong to me." The Dark Side gives strength but it does not do that for free, something must be lost to be gained. Darth Venger rises, his chest still rising and falling as he holsters his weapon, pushing back the cowl of his cloak to cool down, the rage already ebbing. "It looks like the mission will be successful, a dictatorship always works better than an Oligarchy, easier to control." He eyes up the Trandoshan on the ground, still sensing his fear, this causes the Sith to smile. "You speak the truth, my fearsome friend." Thel replies, rising back to his full height, a sadistic curled to the edge of his lips. A boot finds the trembling Trandoshan at his feet, the light tap adequate to draw its attention from beneath its claw. "Kressk Bloodclaw." the noble addresses him. "Look upon Lord Venger and know that the story you will tell of your victory belongs, by rights, to him. Look upon the dead and know the price of treachery. Of defiance. Gather the clans and await my command." he steps away, eyes fixing Korolov, before flicking to the passage outward, starting toward it, a faint limp returned to his gait. "Your power exceeds even rumor, Lord Venger. I wonder at what marvels you might be capable of." Darth Venger watches the Trandoshan closely, knowing the the events of this night will linger with this being for the rest of it's existance. He does not say anything, letting Thel maintain his command of the being. He slips his hands to the small of his back as he peacefully strolls towards the exit of the temple, the irony of his state is not lost on him. Vassily Korolov walks out of the temple not nearly as vigorously as he entered it. "The New Sith Order were deluded into a false religion by Malign, but they were not completely wrong. The Dark Side of the Force does not tolerate weakness, it burns it away, leaving only strength. Nor am I the only mystery in this cave tonight, Lord Thel."
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