NationStates Jolt Archive

Outer Rim Territories
Horuset System
Korriban - Valley of the Dark Lords
Darkness Rising...

The ancient home of the Sith was a dusty and forsaken place. Shades of brown and red dotted the landscape as great pillars of a once mighty empire lied crumbling to the ground. It was a place of mystery and horror, one that drawn the interest of numerous Jedi and Sith over the years, but none could tame its wild powers and echoes. Now, however, it was as quiet as it may have been in many centuries.

There was a spaceport nearby and a few ships were docked there, but the planet's surface was nigh silent. Overhead, in the upper atmosphere, a great storm had begun to rage. A storm born in the Force, some would call it, but then almost anything that happened on Korriban was attributed to the Force. It crackled and lit up the dark sky, but it posed no threat to the inhabitants down below.

They were all dead. Their lifeless bodies lay in the sands of darkness, not wounded or injured in anyway, but simply devoid of life. Dead to the Force. Some had come to investigate the ruins, others to pillage the treasures that were long rumored to hide here, and still others for little reason at all. There forty or so dead bodies, staring blankly at the storm above from their backs. All those who were wise enough had blasters of some kind attached to their belt, but a few had the key identifier of a higher class of fighter: a lightsaber. Among the dead there were about eight or nine Jedi who had succumbed to their deaths. But the lifeless bodies of the Jedi and explorers were not the only ones present on Korriban. There were hundreds of vicious looking dragons that had slumped to the ground in the Valley of the Dark Lords. Hssiss, they were, and whether attracted by the Jedi, the Force Storm, or something else entirely, they had gathered from near and far amongst the valley floor and died as suddenly and mysteriously as everything else.

Korriban was quiet. One life remained living. At the far end of the Valley, where the tombs ran out, the academy faded away, and the bodies just began piling up sat a cloaked individual, so calm and composed that nothing about his perverse surroundings disturbed him. Rather so deep in a trance, he did not notice his surroundings, the dead and devoid. The cloak he wore shrouded his head and even the bitter winds spitting sand in his face did not cause any concern or notice. Cross-legged he sat, lightsabers tucked away on his belt and body hidden to view, nothing giving away his true nature. He was a shadow (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b360/DMG2005/Shadow.jpg). However, one versed in the Force could not help but notice the aura he carried about him. He amplified the Force, caused it to radiate from within.

Why he had come to Korriban was as much a mystery as to how all the lifeless bodies had been rendered lifeless. There was a reason, but he could not remember anything. It might have been the Storm that had drawn him, enabling him to hide away his extra-normal Force signature for the time being. Or maybe it was the great presence of the Force that resided on the planet that he was attracted to, that he fed on. All was shrouded in mystery, but there was a plan for him... a path somewhere in the Force.

Horuset, the sun of Korriban, was fading beyond the horizon's edge. The last glimmers of light were failing. A shadow cast over the Valley of the Dark Lords. And Darkness was Rising...



[OOC: PLEASE READ. This is mainly a character intro thread. If something interesting comes along that combines this into another thread/story, I don't expect it to stay here long. But anyway, this is my new character for FT Star Wars. I know that with SW sometimes the use of planets gets a little chaotic because different people claim them and they are at different points in the galaxy's history. If Korriban is one of those for you, you can either ignore the slight discrepancy or consider it some other planet with a major dark side history. I don't intend to stay on Korriban long, so it won't be a big deal.

Just a little info on him first: there isn't much background on him (OOCly or that he knows of ICly), but suffice to say he is somehow versed in the Force and lightsaber combat; he remembers little to nothing about anything prior; there is a large mystery about him of which I do not wish to reveal much, so all I will say is that he is not ordinary and he is a "weapon". As to his power level... well, somehow he just took out forty-plus people including eight or nine Jedi, so somehow he is powerful. However, without saying much, if a person of the right nature and charisma approached him, he wouldn't be inclined to fight, and in fact would probably follow along (i.e. he isn't going to fight the characters that come to him and they could beat him... now).

Anyway, I don't want to say much else, but I do have a semi-plan for him (becoming a major character). If you want to talk, I'm on AIM and MSN as shown by the symbols under my name. OOC Thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=556722)]

Hold for post...

Horuset System

A long ways from Home, if there can be such a thing...

The storm roil above was mostly ignored save for a minimal tap into its energy well. Just enough to keep it from getting out of control. The one who had done this had come to this remote world too late to keep what had played out here from happening. Her jouney now was one of investigation. Even when the lesson and the learning wasn't pleasant, learning had always been something she enjoyed.

She wasn't entirely human, though she looked it, and the bright shadow (http://www.atddm.com/bsw1.jpg) next to her made no pretense.

Shael was tall and slender, her skin a rich bronze hue, with the formfitting body suitsuit she wore a shade or two darker. Her eyes glowed with a eldrich light though they were as dark as cinnamon spiced cocoa. A silk smooth fall of mahogany hair cascaded down nearly to her waist.

Though they had walked no short distance, she was not concerned. Shael Cyn 'Noh Vinn (http://www.atddm.com/Shael.jpg) was the peak of physical perfection - she'd been bred to be that way, and she'd always enjoyed physical exercise.

Her companion, and defender, simply never tired.

The discovery of the dead did not bring either much pause, though each received at least a minimal examination, and the remains of each Jedi were subjected to a very thorough exam. Both with small devices of technological origin, and various aspects of the Force were brought into use and the data collected stored away in small memory crystals, and Shael’s highly trained, nearly eidetic memory. While her countenance showed little inwardly she was troubled. Saddened at such unnatural, precipitate ends.. While neither Jedi or Sith, she was well trained in the use of the Force. She had to be, or her abilities would have made her too dangerous to let live - shed been bred to be that way.

The discovery of a race she had no previous knowledge of should have been a pleasure, and it was -but it was mitigated at her gentle sorrow for at their deaths. They too received careful examination and cataloging, noting that they were in some ways very distantly related to the some of the Draconic derived species she already knew of..

They had both been aware of the sole survivor, cloaked hooded and currently delving deep in the security of his Gifts, from the moment they had arrived in the Horuset System. But Shael had determined that she was not going to attempt any interaction with him until they were face to face.

Now as darkness, both physical and metaphysical rose she waved her Shadow away and moved to sit across from him, her body mirroring his. Slowly she shifted, changed, letting the outer realities fall away, sliding effortlessly into the vastness, the utter joy that was the Force…and light leaked from her formfitting suit. Gently she reached out, careful or so she hoped, to not startle him.

Do you need help? The mind voice was soft and welcoming. Shael made the offer with out reservation ,without push or demand..

The small, metallic speck was almost invisible against the roiling energies in the atmosphere. Its once glistening outer shell was covered in the dust and debris of space. Barely discernable on its oval-shaped dome was an unfamiliar emblem (http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y90/DominionofRS/gdi.gif) with words in a strange dialect that read,

"Dominion Cryostasis Tube #4517-Gamma
DANGER! Hazardous biological specimen inside; do not open under any circumstances
Subject #5192: Possesses psionic-like abilities referred to as 'The Force'
Convicted as a general hazard and social undesirable, Stardate 446672.3 Dominion Galactic Calendar
Sentence: Cryofreeze and immediate jettison into deep space
Personal effects are located in attached storage container
If found, please destroy or contact the nearest Dominion outpost for disposal

It entered the planet's orbit abut three weeks ago, and had been slowly pulled into the planet's atmosphere. Now it was approaching final descent, and flames engulfed the pod as it fell. The dust burned off and it once again glistened before turning red hot and the outer protective layers began melting. Inaudible over the roar, a male voice intoned,

"Primary power source damaged. Estimated time before failure...2 minutes. Stasis fields failing, reanimation imminent."

It repeated over and over to no avail as the fireball finally smacked int othe ground with an explosion that drowned out the storm. Dirt and bodies flew in all directions and a pillar of dust flew fifty feet into the air.The pod was now blackened and charred, but still the voice continued,

"WARNING! Reanimation now in progress! All Dominion citizens evacuate and contact the Civil Authority. Dangerous prisoner now in the process of reanimation."

With a hiss, the dome split in half, sliding into the walls of the pod. A figure emerged, completely naked. He was about 5'11" and muscularly built. His brown hair was cut short to accomodate his stay in the pod. He scrutinized this world through piercing gray eyes before noticing the storm and jumping back, startled as the doors hissed closed. Studying the warning, he chuckled before moving to the rectangular end of the pod. He inspected a hatch, noticing a shattered retinal scanner. Fortunately, it was damaged on reentry and he opened the hatch, revealing his clothes and a few belongings that the Dominion sent with him rather than deal with.

He was fortunate in that respect; Mandalorian armor was hard to come by and he owned the only set in that galaxy. He quickly donned some underclothes, then the form-fitting comfort layer of the armor before he started suiting up. The whole process took a few minutes, but he felt safer in his dust-colored shell (http://www.freewebs.com/achilles01/canderous.JPG).

He continued searching, dismayed that much of his possessions had burned and were now a charred mass in the bin. Sifting through the remains of his blasters, padds, and other clothing, he finally found a charred metal cylinder. Nervously picking it up, he inspected it before pushing the ignitor. He was rewarded with a shaft of blue light, and quickly extinguished the lightsaber, clipping it to his belt. He then attempted to activate the computer interface in his helmet and, finding it still operational, sealed the armor and activated the air filters.

Still drowsy from his decades of stasis, he sat down on the pod and surveyed his surroundings. The planet was empty, cold and dead, with the corpses strewn about enhancing the scene.

"I'm not alive," he thought aloud, "I have died and this is the eternal perdition awaiting me..."

He sensed the Force all round him, however, and as his panic at being stranded in this hell mounted he desperately sent a mental plea,

Is anybody out there? Is anyone alive?...

Is anybody out there? Is anyone alive?...

A part of Shael pulled from her waitingness and the query was greeted with a joyous peal of mental laughter "Of course...and I don't think you are that far from me. Shadow says your descent was both rocky and spectacular. Are you injured?" Her mental voice was crisply clear and carefully modulated so as to not overwhelm other minds.

It was completely within Shael’s nature to offer help before anything else. She trusted her Shadow to protect her - not that she was not formidably equipped to do that herself though.

She searched over the newcomer with highly trained gifts, seeking an answer to her question, to be better prepared to help him. Her voice was shocked when next she spoke - she had not delved in any way ino his mind, that woulds be an invasion of privacy, but his body revealed easily enough to surface skans that he had been trapped in cyrofreeze.

"Oh my! Your body is still half under the influence of cyro drugs, and that is dangerous. Who did that to you?"

He would have to come to her though, she would not leave the one she sensed had the most to do with the deaths littered about.

He grinned with relief, tears wellling in his eyes,

I...I...it's so good to hear another's voice after so long! I thought that I was dead! I was unconscious for my descent so I couldn't begin to tell you how it felt. As far as I know I am unharmed, though I can't say the same for most of my possessions. As for who froze me, that would be the Dominion. They're an oppressive, elitist power in control of an entire galaxy. I was sensitive to the Force and therefore deemed an undesirable. They froze on Stardate 446672.3 DGC (OOC: ten years ago). Everything since then has been...unclear...I sense your position, I'll come to you. Walking will help me regain my senses.

He tested his shaky legs, the cryofreeze having kept them in the same shape they were in when he was sealed in. There little to no atrophy in the toned muscles. He began half walking, half shambling toward her. If he was stuck on this planet, he now knew that he would not be alone. Whoever this kindhearted person was, he was in her debt.

Everything since then has been...unclear...I sense your position, I'll come to you. Walking will help me regain my senses.

"I've never heard of the Dominion, but they certainly don't control my home galaxy. And just being sensitive to the Force isn't a crime there." Shael replied gently as she patiently waited to see if there would be any reply to her presence by the cloaked figure.

"You wouldn't happen to recognise the draconic species that have fallen dead among the humanoid corpses, would you?" She asked of the newly arrived one as her Shadow reported that he was approaching though the now litteral 'valley of death'.

OOC: Quick question for DMG: What era does this take place in? Old Repubic era? Clone War era? Galactic Empire era?

Be thankful you haven't. They are highly xenophobic. I stumbled upon them by mistake and it has been...a traumatic experience. Their government is verging on civil war an outsiders are either eyed with suspiscion or imprisoned like me depending on the sector of space. That place wasn't my home anyway. Truth be told, I no longer recall where my home is...It's a nice place as I remember. It had trees and rocks and beautiful lakes...

The drugs were still partially in effect and he was rambling as he made his way toward her. He tried to regain some of his coherence and shook his head to clear away the cobwebs,

I'm sorry, how rude of me. I never introduced myself. My name is Kash Raxon, and I am most grateful for your company.

He caught sight of her and quickened his pace slightly, stumbling as he did so. Finding his manners he also removed the helmet and clipped it to his belt. Finally reaching her, he sank to the earth out of exhaustion and drowsiness. Forcing a weak smile, he said,

"I sincerely hope I'm not imagining this, because ten years of isolation or not, you're the most welcome sight I've beheld in a long, long time! It figurres I'd be physically drained and drugged when I see my first person in a decade..."

( hollowed out core of Korriban- Meditation Chamber of Hatred )

"Someone walks on my planet, they bring with them weapons and ideals. My Apprentice... welcome our guests "

The voice echoed throughout Vortoxes head as he continued his 1 hundred year meditation within his masters Anceint Meditation Chamber made within the very core of Korriban. Its completely blackened halls where as a testiment to the very soul of the person who meditiated within it. The sound of a constantly shifting core rummbled always without ceasing. Then it would seem that tourches came to life within the chamber lighting up the main room where Vortox was sitting cross legged in the center of the room atop of three layer pedistal. Surrounding him where souls of fallen Sith and jedi alike captured in crystalline statues.

Vortox suddenly began to move; dust that had settled and caked upon his body cracked and broke away like an outer shell. His bones cracked and crunched as they started moving and stood up. His face was pale and skinny, his eyes black with darkness. His cloths where ridged and stiffened by years of stale air. As Vortox stood up completely for the first time in 77 years. he Commanded the force into a burst of air which exploded around him removing the rest of the caked dust, and made his clothing flow once again.

Vortox held his hand s out in opposite directions and his Bloodforged Lightsabers came to him withlightnig quick speed. Closing his eyes he could make out a few living force signitures, and they where close by. Vortox smiled and walked to the door and used a technique which allowed him to teleport to the surface.

Once on the surface he force jumped to a standing pillar and scanned the horizon and felt around for the minds of the visitors.

" One..two... Three...And a fourth one That I cant seem to keep a lock on." Vortox thought to himself.

[OOC: Sorry all that I haven't responded yet. I was waiting on responses to a couple of TG alerts that I sent and didn't want to post until I heard back. I have now either heard back or expect I won't, so I'm ready to move on with the story. Unfortunately, the forums and NS have been acting up for me recently, so I couldn't post still, but now I think all is good.

@Hobbeebia: You can post now - good timing, it seems like you have.

@Roma V: I hadn't really planned an era for this - kind of just like the NS era. I guess you could consider it any era - any particular reason that it is necessary to know?

By the way, I severely dislike OOC posts in an IC thread (with the exception of if they are attached to a legit IC post), so I'm kind of breaking with my own form here, but this will be the first and last OOC post here. If you need to know anything, feel free to contact me elsewhere. And if we need it, I'll create an OOC thread. Expect an IC post coming soon.]

Do you need help?
Do you need help?

Help?

Do you need help?
Help...? Help...? Help? Help? Help? Help? Help? Help? Help. Help. Help. Help!

Help!

The word echoed through his mind uncontrollably, bouncing from one lobe to the next and always filling his present thought. It had disturbed him - the voice. It had broken invaded his mind and broken his meditation, but it was not hostile or rough, but rather gentle, calm, and inviting. It wanted to know whether or not he needed help. It was ironic, considering the present state of things about him, but irony was not a thought he had.

Had she greeted him with hostility or with angst, her fate would've been different. It would've been like the foolish Jedi that had confronted him. Master Kinto, Master Bondar, Master Vanis, Master Shaela, Master Kianu, Apprentice Aniya, Apprentice Miken, Padawan Firth, Padawan Divanus. They had felt what he was - what his aura presented him to be - and without a word spoken, they confronted him on this, the homeworld of the Sith. And they had paid for it, paid dearly with their lives.

From beneath his hooded cloak, shrouding his face in nothingness and letting equally nothing of his features be known, he opened his eyes to the darkening world. He did not see the dimming light, the dusty valley, or the corpses of the slain. He saw shades of blue and red, mixes evoking purple, dark blacks and vibrant whites. Unlike others, he saw the Lifeforce. He saw the Force. His reality, his vision, his interpretation of the world was all informed by the way the Force stirred about something or someone. Only his own shade, could he not see. Though the sky was covered in storms of electricity, a blue light filled his eyes.

"Shael Cyn 'Noh Vinn," he communicated via the mind's voice, "This planet does not welcome you. Why is it you have come to Korriban?"

Another being approached, and though still as he remained, he could sense Kash Raxon's fading aura. Only hours had passed since he had arrived and already three more beings had appeared on the surface of the forsaken planet. It had been many long months - or was it years? - since had had communicated in such a way with another being. And despite his condition, not all of his humanity had been caged or washed away.

Beneath the cloak he was still more and less a man. Beneath the cloak there was flesh and blood and lightsabers and armor. But what of the armor? Long ago it had been fitted around his torso and since then none have ever seen it - never has it been removed. It has figuratively and metaphysically molded to his body. It was there to protect him from others and protect others from him. It contained him and did so much more.


[OOC: Because my character is a mystery, I'm going to be slipping little hints in the description for you to know (OOCly - even if it is cryptic) or things that your character may be able to pick up. Obviously, your characters may not notice or realize these things, it is up to you to decide. At least for this post, I'll list a couple here, but I may just leave it for you to figure out in the future.

The blue text is what Shael said, but it is echoing in his mind as it is written. The italicized text is his own private thoughts, while italicized text with quotes is mental conversation with others. It would seem he is beginning to realize what she meant, but obviously he does not express that in his communication to her. Why?

How does he know the names of all the Jedi if they didn't speak to him? Or for that matter how does he know Shael's name? What did they feel about him? Has he lost sense of time? What condition has caged him? (I didn't miswrite "more or less" as "more and less").

This planet does not welcome you is a reference to both the dark nature of Korriban and Vortox's presence.]

OOC: I ask because if I include characters, races, or planets that existed only in certain periods or something in my RP i'd have to know. Like I could say I have a Jedi on the run from Vader's forces who are exterminating the Jedi across the galaxy. But if its not that time period, it wouldn't make sense.

"My name is Kash Raxon, and I am most grateful for your company. I sincerely hope I'm not imagining this, because ten years of isolation or not, you're the most welcome sight I've beheld in a long, long time! It figurres I'd be physically drained and drugged when I see my first person in a decade..."

"Be welcome Kash Raxon. I am Shael Cyn 'Noh Vinn" She retruned the introduction. "Then I would not wish to meet this Dominion" Shael continued as she lifted a hand to brush back a stray lock of hair, her smile to Kash accompanied by a faint blush across her cheeks. "Yes your home sounds beautiful, but every planet has its own beauty. And I am no illusion."

To some what she did next might have been rude, or presumptuous, but for her it was as unconsciously natural as breathing. Kash's body needed healing and so she reached out, realigning, revitalising his damaged cells. The drugs and toxins in his body were transformed, on the molecular level, into substances that would benefit his biological system.

The shadow-that-wasn't grumbled low in its throat, and she looked up, but from where she sat could not see the cause of it's warning. Though Shael could sense the new presence clearly. It made no effort to hide. And she stood, dusting the seat of her bodysuit as she did.

Looking in the direction from which the malevolent presence approached she warned "I think we are about to have more company." Her voice was calm, though the magnitude of the Force signature that announced the newcomer's allegences clearly was significant. It wore it as arrogantly as a courtesan wore jewlery. That contrasting image brought a small cats smile to Shael's lips.

Hers however was deceptive, as hidden as her weapons. For indeed the closest thing she carried on her to a physical weapon was the small mono edged scalpel in her sample collections kit. And her Force signature seemed almost non existant, seeming to scarcely create the barest ripple, but then again that is as she had been created to do. And she stood neutral between Light and Dark, able to use both as needed.

But her mind was entirely her own, unreadable both on surface and in core, save what she projected out or allowed others in to see. Though she never doubted that enough sheer brute power could overwheml her defenses, she had not yet met one that powerful. And while her teachers had doubted she ever would, Shael prefered to reserve judgement.

Shael waited for the one from the core of Korriban to arrive. However this new facet did not break the majoirty of her from waiting for her original question to be answered.

Then it was.

Shael Cyn 'Noh Vinn. This planet does not welcome you. Why is it you have come to Korriban?"

Serene eyes, carrying a wisdom far older than any would expect from her apparent age, blinked in his mind's eye and filled with merry laughter. "I came because I was needed."

Kash flinched a little at first, but then allowed her to revive him. He felt his body returning to its almost perfect attunement from the day that he was frozen. With a renewed vigor he regained his feet, standing tall at a full six feet in his armor's combat boots.

"Thank you, for everything," he said with a warm smile; then, "Yes, now that I'm at 100% I sense it too. It's an old aura, a powerful one. And it does not feel welcoming."

He donned his helmet and began passively sensing outward, trying to detect this new presence. He now felt the two other lifeforms that were on the planet aside from himself, Shael and her shadow. Ten years ago, he was quite formidable with the Force, a defender of honor and justice through and through. Now that he was free once more, his touch with the living Force needed to be reestablished.

Allowing his mind to be cleared, he slowly became one with the Force. He all too clearly now sensed the death and stench of evil surrounding the planet. These feelings chilled him; he had not felt the Dark Side for many years even prior to his 'sentencing'. Coming back into focus, he looked to Shael,

"You are clearly more powerful than you appear to be. It takes someone of considerable caliber to heal me the way you did. I have no doubt you can defend yourself, but I fear that I, being a simple knight errant may be a bit outgunned."

I came because I was needed.

In his mind, he responded quickly, though calmly. "We are all needed. The Force has plans for us all - I have felt them. YOU came become you chose."

He was the way he was because of the way he was discovered to be: different. In almost all folds of recognizable distinction, there was something different about him. While others saw reality, he perceived the Force. Where others walked, he glided. Where others died, he survived. One of the oddest distinctions about him, one of the paradoxes that inhabited his being, was the way his aura appeared. Simply, it did not. He had no force signature. It's not that he was hiding it or manipulating it to appear other than it was - it simply did not exist. The oddest part was that while he could not be felt in the Force, he amplified it, causing it to radiate from within. It is a paradox completely indescribable and almost entirely incomprehensible. Somehow, he existed no differently than any other ordinary being in the Force and yet he literally radiated with the Force. Only those highly attuned to the Force would even notice that he was no ordinary being, but even then his aura was impossible to pin down. It was as people perceived it to be. If they felt he was strong, then his aura appeared strong. If they felt he was dark, then it was dark. But many simply sensed nothing at all - he was a Shadow.

"We have time. Tell me why you felt needed here. Tell me how. Tell me when. Why is it that you travel with the Force?"

He sensed strength about her, wisdom and compassion even. They were hallmarks of her aura. She could perhaps defend herself against the Dark Side's presence on Korriban... for now. None, in the end, would survive if they stayed here too long. Either they would be corrupted or die. A simple difference really, though some would say there is no difference at all. The powers that resided here were ancient and the planet itself was unique in that he saw it had an aura about it. Some planets were dark areas of shady business and lethal dealings, but Korriban had always been different. It literally was the embodiment of the Dark Side's corruption. If Shael and Kash were able to defeat the warrior sent from below, still they would not be safe, for none were safe on Korriban. The corpses new that lesson well.

But then what of he? Was he corruptible or may was he already corrupted? A little of everything was true about him. He had killed hundreds, maybe a thousand by now, he could not remember, though he did feel them. Was it enough to make him a being of the Dark Side? Even if it was a fate he could not escape?

He felt a surge of emotion despite the calm state of the environment; a desire to consume. But an imperceptible surge of electricity coursing through his chest caused him to refocus and the feeling dissipated.

"What is it you seek? I have seen this road's end and it is doom."

"You are clearly more powerful than you appear to be. It takes someone of considerable caliber to heal me the way you did. I have no doubt you can defend yourself, but I fear that I, being a simple knight errant may be a bit outgunned."

She answered Kash with a small shake of her head, speaking aloud "In some ways I would guess that I am more powerful than you, but in others I am certain that I far, far less. And the one that comes..." She shuddered for though she lived in the lands between the Light and the Dark, such virulance as that tore at her painfully.

To the other alone...

We are all needed. The Force has plans for us all - I have felt them. YOU came become you chose."

"Yes I chose to come. Freely. I could have ignored the summons, but that is not who I am." Actualy she was not completely sure she could have ignored it, but now was not the time to examine her self doubts

"We have time. Tell me why you felt needed here. Tell me how. Tell me when. Why is it that you travel with the Force?"

"Why am I needed? I am not exactly certain, but it is what I am... A Waystar, a bonfire atop a hill to guide and guard, to light a Way for those who Seek. How can I not travel with the Force, it is as much a part of me as I am of it." Shael seemed to shrug helplessly. She was as she had been created to be.

"What is it you seek? I have seen this road's end and it is doom."

"All people have a Doom, some small some large. You are the most perfect of gems, a diamond and a mirror, lens and a focus. Not only reflecting but amplifying. And I think you are looking for some one worthy." She, physcially,held up a hand but there was no demand behind her continued words, just a request that he listen and consider. " I am not saying that you are not a great power in your own right, for you are. Or are not your own person, for again you are. But you need your ... power source, the Light...or the Dark" She hoped he could not choose to stay with what approached. Shael hopoed he would agree to leave with her.

And Kash too. She would not leave him to face the Darkness alone.

Yes I chose to come. Freely. I could have ignored the summons, but that is not who I am.

"Could you have... could you have really?" It was obvious by the tone and inflection whether it was questioning the sincerity of the statement or genuine curiosity, whether it was doubt or amazement. "There are many, I know, who cannot." The statement was true of himself more than any. The Force held his fate and a long path he would journey no matter his decision; he had his master and his commands, to deny them was futile.

Why am I needed? I am not exactly certain, but it is what I am... How can I not travel with the Force, it is as much a part of me as I am of it.

"You and I are much the same. We follow the forces that draw us, whatever they may be and this who we are." There was a distinct lack of judgment in his tone, like somehow the words meant even more to him than she could possibly know. "There are ways. And that is where our similarity ends. Did you know though, that one can be deaf to the Force. Blind to it and it blind to you. Dead even. There are even ways for you to be dead to it, though it is not dead to you." Again, there were words and ideas much deeper than those that were expressed, meanings that one could not understand unless previously experienced. In a way, he was living proof of the validity of his statement. Whether or not the others could feel it remained to be seen.

All people have a Doom

"All people have a Doom. However, some people's doom we can choose."

And I think you are looking for some one worthy.

"I am looking... but not for someone worthy." He paused for a moment mid-thought and then decided to amend his statement. "You have said I am a great power and that I look for someone worthy, by which you mean someone of great power. I would agree... I am on a mission. I am search of many people of great power." He said nothing more of the matter, leaving the ominous words lingering in their conjoined minds. His mission had brought him to the desolate planet they now inhabited, though whether it was for the desolation he in turn brought upon it or as a stepping-stone to greater things was yet to be revealed. Perhaps she was part of his Master's plan.

But you need your ... power source, the Light...or the Dark

"And which do you believe it to be... the Light... or the Dark?" Without waiting for a response, for the response didn't really matter to him, he rose from his seated, meditating position. He wondered, too, what background she adhered to and what her implication was in the statement about "his need" and not hers. Still in contact with her mind, he voiced, "I think it your time to leave. Now is the time to make your choice. What doom it will bring will come full circle in time."

Tag

Vortox smiled at the comment of the planets not wanting him there. It was a solemn testament to what he had done to the planet as its was. Feeding off its energies, sapping its very essence for himself. The conversations of the persons on the planet where becoming far more cryptic for his liking. Vortox preferred to simply speak straight forward, without misunderstanding or misinterpretations.

Vortox descended from his perch atop of the pillar Though he could sense two lives, one simply didn't feel right it was different. It was not a wound or an explosion of power, but a simple point of Force energies concentrated to one place or point.

Vortox walked slowly to the others not making any sudden movement as to not startle anyone, though he knew they all knew of his presence. Vortox then spoke...

" Why have you come to my masters home?"

Vortox then walked within sight view of the people in the area.

Shael listened to his replies and accepting that he had his own truths, strove to understand his deeper meanings.

"I think it your time to leave. Now is the time to make your choice. What doom it will bring will come full circle in time."

Taking but a heart beat she dove into the Force, seeking ahead. Found it, saw it, savored the flavors of joy and pain, loss and hope and returned, setting it aside. Never would she speak to any of what she had seen, for in the end...

"There is ...NO FATE. The future's not set. There's no fate but what we make ourselves."

And she, as ever placed, herself in the hands of the Force. Not as some would maintain - now and in the future- as some sort of blind and foolish pawn, but with opened eyed acceptance of what may come, cognizant of the risks.

"My choice is made. I am still needed. I will stay."

"You need me" She caught and held his eyes for a moment, then turned about as the one from the core spoke questioning their presence.

" Why have you come to my masters home?"


As she turned, her hand had gone to Kash Raxon's shoulder, a gentle clasp but it also conveyed a wordless message to be calm, but ready. Though she knew he needed no warning, she also did not want him to think she was not fully aware of his presence. She would not allow either of them to come to hurt if she could prevent such.

Her Shadow moved in to a more advantageous position with soundless, flowing movements. It's own shadow changing mutating into it's own aspect of readiness, it's instincts to protect fully aroused.

Kash nodded slightly, acknowledging this new person in their midst,

"I cannot speak for my newfound friends, but I had little choice in the matter. Surely you witnessed my...entrance, as it were."

With that he turned, facing the newcomer. His voice was a sea of calm as he fully regained his cognition,

"You seem to know a bit more than we do about this world. So please, enlighten us; you master's home, you say?"

It was invisible through his armor, but every muscle had steadily tensed up. He was ready for anything at this point. He'd sensed the stranger coming, and was glad he not overtly hostile. In fact, he may be of use to garner some information about where he was. One thing was certain, however: him crashing here was no accident, nor was his lightsaber surviving when all of his other possessions had burned.

"My choice is made. I am still needed. I will stay."
"You need me."

For the first time since they met, she spoke verbally rather than in his mind. It was a sign of emphasis. Of course it was not true: he didn't need her. He would certainly use the tools presented to him just as he was in turn used as a tool... a very blunt tool. But that didn't mean she was indispensable.

"That may be true..." He said nothing more between their minds. Fate was what it was. Her decision would bring ruin upon the world, one way or another.

"Why have you come to my masters home?"

He didn't respond in kind - for he couldn't - but instead spoke directly to Vortox's mind. "For the same reason you have come to its surface, Vortox. I was bid to do one's will. I have brought Death to these lands. I was drawn here by their presence," though he did not indicate who, he may have meant the fallen corpses. "Soon I will move on for this is not my final destination. My mission does not end here... not yet."

This encounter with the assortment of characters brought to mind a difficult twist of fate. Some amongst them were his enemy, some were the enemy of his enemy, and some would be his ally for the moment. Was the enemy of his enemy his friend? Not when his enemy's enemy was also his friend nor when his enemy was at the moment his ally, though in the end is inevitable enemy. How people aligned themselves mattered for the moment, but not in the end. In the end, the reckoning would come.

Vortox pondered on his words. Why had he come? Why had he killed those people? Whos command was he following? These questions needed answers, but as to how they where to be answered needed to to be just as careful as the answers themselves. Vortox replied the same way he received

" Whos commands do you follow? And where else do you seek to roam? Where does you mission end?

Vortox also kept a watchful eye on the others around him through the use of Force perception. The girl was good at keeping her mind shielded and the man was still to out of his head to read any worth while items.

Then his master spoke to him

" My Apprentice, follow this one. do as he commands, and learn from him"

Vortox snarred at his masters command, but later conceded and obeyed. Vortox sent another message..

" It would appear that I will acommpany you on your quest. Weather you accept me or not I will be with you for now.

"Whos commands do you follow? And where else do you seek to roam? Where does you mission end?"

"Mine will is bound to the Dark Lord," he replied with no more specificity than before. I seek nowhere... the Force draws me where. Nor is it where my mission ends, but when. When it is completed. Where is but a function of time.

This Sith was a curious one, no doubt instructed by his master to gather what information he could. He could not fault him for it, but rather he would give little useful for in the end he was as much an enemy as the lady.

"It would appear that I will accompany you on your quest. Weather you accept me or not I will be with you for now."

"It is not I you should be worried about, but she. I follow her and she may not take kindly to your... kind."

After a moment of mental silence, he chimed in again to Vortox's mind with a prophetic statement. "Know though that should you follow, you will feel strength and weakness... you will become strong and weak."

Without turning to face her again, he spoke into Shael's mind, reconnecting the mental link that had bee dropped for Vortox's communication. "His fate is yours. Now, though, we leave." Without another word, he set off across the Valley. Not stepping around the dead bodies or even stepping it all, though he did not appear to come off the ground, his body seemed to float instead of walk. It stayed even and steady as he moved, never dipping as one does normally when walking. However, his cloak obscured any view of his feet to tell for sure what dark magic occurred beneath.

"His fate is yours. Now, though, we leave."

Shael looked at the Sith for a long moment, considering wether to start the changes to the future now...or later. Time was infintely flexible in it's own immoveable way. Then she turned and caught up with the one she had come for.

"Come. If you have the courage." That she said aloud, having no interest in contacting the Sith's mind. There was no challenge in her voice just a matter of factness that shouted louder than any scream of her utter indifference to his presence or absense. She had not come because of him, and when the time was right would not stay her hand.

Her compassion was not as would be understood by humans.

To Kash she gave a companionable look and a nod of her head. She didn't think he'd want to be stranded on this planet.

Her strides as she walked quietly at the cloaked onesside were long but comfortable ones, and the Shadow kept close to her, paying the others no apparent mind.

"This man you will follow is not one to be taken lightly. Patience my apprentice....patience will prove a most effective tool in this quest. Live, eat and fight beside him. His mind is a stronghold, but even the mightest stronghold wil fail with time and subtle attacks that chip away at is walls, like sand to stone."

Vortox looked at the man who wore the mandalorian armor and spoke:

" Stay your defenses young one... I am not your enemy, not yet anywhays."

He then turned from his place and started to walk off into the cloud of dust that seemed to form as Vortox walked. After a moment the dust cloud was gone as was Vortox.

Vortox had no thought, no emotion on the situation. Vortox savored every moment around these people. For his greatest weapon was not his sabers forged of blood but his very presence. He was a wound, like his master now. The Force was like light and his body a black hole. He feed on it, thrived on it. And those who stayed around him long enough would soon want to follow him. But for now Vortox simply followed as his master instructed.

And so the four walked though that valley of the shadow of death and further still till they came to a place that shimmered and shivvered oddly, like heatwaves at the edge of a desert. Shael waved one hand casually and that tremblor in the air vanished to reveal a small shuttle. It was a plain work horse of a craft that took them quickly into orbit to rendevous with the ship that waited there.

The Sith did not realise that his kind created her as much as the Jedi did. She was a product of both, but in the end needed neither. Her tao was her own, though she did not own it.

"Tell the ship were it must take us" She spoke to the cloaked one as they left the shuttle. The ship was large and powerful, well armed and armored. It would have held a hundred in spacious luxury but was empty of biological life save for the four of them. The Shadow, unneeded now, vanished.

"Tell the ship what you wish in the way of habitat and if it is possible, that is what you shall have."

She needed some time alone, she could feel the strain she was under trembling finely along her nerves and muscles. With a nod to the group but not further words she turned on her heel and left taking the most direct route to the baths that occupied a large space next to a well equipped dojo. Soaking in hot water was more than just a past time, it was a nearly spiritual necessity.

Shael knew she should have been more polite but she couldn't find it in her. The summons that brought her here had been too demanding, andf she was too alone, and far less certain than she projected.

When Shael waved her hand and made the ship appear before the eclectic group, he was surprised to see its size. Normally, individuals would travel in ships for... individuals. This woman was quite different. Her ship was large, able to carry a small army, and yet there were none aboard save those that had just entered. Could it be entirely automated? What of its defenses though... such a ship would draw attention, though maybe not attacks due to its size. How, though, she even came upon a ship of this size was interesting in and of itself. She was either exceedingly rich, which was probably doubtful, she had powerful friends, which he hoped, or she had taken it forcefully from its prior owners. All would be revealed in time.

"Tell the ship were it must take us."

She had spoken quickly and confidently upon entering. It was interesting that she had so readily given him her aid, but this was even more trusting. Giving control over the ship... her ship. Perhaps control was too strong a word, but destination was a form of control and a very useful one if it had been his intention to steal it or capture her. He could very well lead them into an ambush. Something odd was at works here. Either she trusted him implicitly because she was naive or followed a vision of her own or all was not as it seemed. Or both... he thought as she began to speak again.

"Tell the ship what you wish in the way of habitat and if it is possible, that is what you shall have."

Still caught up in his thoughts, he was without time to respond before she promptly and quickly left him there to give his commands to the ship. However, there was a slight problem. He didn't know if she expected him to give the computer a verbal command - which he couldn't - or enter the data himself, but that was beside the point. The habitat was largely meaningless to him. He had spent days on the roughest environments, Korriban being one of the more pleasant of those, and material comforts were needless. A spartan metal room would do fine, though of what he could see, that could be slightly difficult considering the luxurious appearance of the ship. It was almost more likely to find a stateroom on a private yacht then an empty room of metal. It mattered little though, he would fine a room later.

No, what really mattered was the destination. That is what always mattered. And for that, he needed her. A few moments after she had briskly left for another part of the ship, he turned smoothly, leaving the other two men where they were, and followed after her. In such a confined area, her signature was easy to detect, though he noted that it seemed troubled and weakening. That too was inevitable.

Having glided through her ship and appearing outside the room she occupied, he reconnected their mental link. It would have been of no difficulty to do the same from where he had previously stood, but there was something about being near the one to which you spoke that made him feel... civil. It wasn't invading the enemy's mind, it was talking.

"My lady, I have reached a problem." He paused letting her become aware of his presence and wish to speak. "You said, 'Tell the ship were it must take us,' but I cannot." Again he paused. "It is not I who knows our destination... but rather you.

"You were taught. You became strong. Your masters were strong. I seek them..."

OOC: This just fits (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmb69MdeJBc)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You were taught. You became strong. Your masters were strong. I seek them..."

"Do you really, my lord?" Her mind voice was gentle and held a hint of laughter, but too a sense that she was laughing at herself, not at him or his request.

The door slid silently open framing Shael in the room's pitiless white light.

The bronze hued bodysuit no longer encased and hid her form. The shower she had just finished had peeled the protective gel that the suit held away; leaving nothing to the imagination...In shape and grace her form was perfect, gently feminine.

But already...

There are two forms of scar tissue, the thick, nearly inflexible, dead white striated sort that locks joints in twisted immobility. Then there is the pink tan, nearly translucent, scar skin, pliable to a small degree but so terribly fragile - so that the flexing of a joint or any firm touch breaks it open to ooze clear serum and shockingly bright beads of fresh blood.

Below her unblemished face and the slender but strong column of her neck there was not a centimeter of her body that was not covered in scar tissue, softly pink beige and torn at every joint and fold seeping, weeping.

And the pain the gel helped suppress jangled along her nerves, a constant, old and uncomforting nonfriend. She was too weary to hold it at bay as she normally did.

"This is only part of the price for even the slightest ... less than perfection." She had almost chosen the word failure but that would have been incorrect. Failure would have brought death. Her mind voice carried no emotion, save - and perhaps it could have been imagined - the faintest haunt of sardonic overtone. She had been their prize student, the culmination of generations of effort, and she had not been spared in the slightest.

Shael turned away, and moved slowly towards a soaking pool sized for a single person, weaving past other, larger swirls of steaming waters, leaving a trail of bloody foot prints. A trail that vanished almost instantly, as all but invisible nanite swarms consumed the contamination.

Tossing the blood stained towel she held into a reclaimation bin - even using towels of the softest, smoothest of fabrics and weilding it with careful hands had torn the scar tissue....

The pool she stepped into with an almost inaudible moan of relief was a soft jade green, and held a faintly astringent, medicinal scent in the wisps of steam. "Please, come in, make yourself comfortable." She hoped he would, for she found she enjoyed sparing with him, but buried deep the hope that it might become more, conversation rather than the dance of enigmatic avoidance.

"And why do you seek them?" She wanted to hear his reasoning.

Though Shael bid the door dividing them open, it did little more but remove a barrier of entry from his way. His eyesight being as it was, he saw the nature of the room and its contents fine without the open door. It was one of the benefits of his rare vision - though he saw the wall to be there and neutral in nature, he also saw right through it to the shower, the tub, and the lady that now walked naked. That, however, was one of the drawbacks. Though he saw beauty often, it was not in the way most other beings in the galaxy would see beauty. He was unable to see the feminine grace of Shael's perfectly naked form. He saw her 'form' but it was only that - a shape. There was little pleasing about it to him.

However, blood, its nature in the Force being quite strong, was something he could see, especially when left behind as tracks on the floor. Though he did find it peculiar that it kept disappearing without any trace a moment after it formed.

"This is only part of the price for even the slightest ... less than perfection."

He did not know what she meant by it, but the blood falling freely from her was no doubt related. For someone with normal sight, the blood and its source would require something of an explanation, and seeing as his sight was still his own secret, she no doubt attempted to explain it subtly. The price of failure paid to her masters, no doubt, he thought as it must've related to his first comment and her response - the thread continued the whole way through. However, if that was the case, she was more of a complicated character than he had realized. Surely no simple Jedi would have inflicted the wounds she had suffered, but her aura was not like Vortox's. What is she then?

"Please, come in, make yourself comfortable."

As he continued to think about her background and present state, he nodded silently and glided into the room. Having not spoken in such a manner in a long time, he was not sure whether it was simply pleasantries - an offer to be turned down - but he felt that she was sincere in her request. Her nakedness, though meaningless to him, seemed to hold little reservation in her mind either. Upon entering, he heard the distinct popping sound of a person entering a small pool of water and then smelled a slightly stomach turning odor wafting from the liquid's direction. It was like bacta, he recalled, but not quite so.

"And why do you seek them?"

He paused momentarily, taken aback by her response. It was not rude, her voice in his mind was soft and calm, nor was it odd. It was, however, the first question she had asked him since asking if he needed help upon first encounter. She was curious, he could tell, and that was only fair considering of what he had just informed her.

"I have told you," he responded. "Your masters taught you and you became strong, thus your masters were strong. It is my mission... give to me by my master-" He stopped, his muscles become rigid momentarily. Before continuing, he took a deep, long breath, which was odd considering he wasn't speaking orally, but rather mentally. He didn't, however, expand on his previous thought. It was possible, - he had before to many of fallen souls - but not prudent at present time.

Speaking less than cryptically, he continued. "Perhaps in time it will be revealed. You believe in the Will of the Force, I think, as do I. It has willed me to find them, thus I shall find them. Now, though, I think we all have our reasons. I have mine. I sense you carry pain inflicted by them, maybe it is time to confront them. Kash, for his own part, may wish to learn from the strong. And Vortox... well, is nature, opposing mine and yet mirroring it in many ways, is that of a wound. He is a wound in the Force and thus has an insatiable appetite for life's end. He like all, must feed to live, but he feeds on Death.

"Once the stars welcome us though, I would like to know of them... of you."

Part of her hungered to know, to know more of him, to see deeper within, past the shadow of cloak and hardness beneath, past the armoring and to the being within, but innate courtesy held her back, though perhaps for the most fleeting second he might have felt, but equally might have imagined, the gentlest feel of supple hands cradling his face, phantom warmth against his skin. How long it had been since he has felt a free flowing breeze or the wash of soothing waters against his bare skin? And what does his face look like when touched by the first rays of a springtime sun after a long gray winter...

And had he felt her deeply hidden fear when he spoke of returning to those who had taught her? Fear for him, not them.

She looked at his stance as he put himself at ease in the outer precincts of her sanctuary, the powerful flowing movements that, though obscured by the fall of his cloak, never the less spoke of some one seemingly comfortable within themselves.

The ship sent forth a small flow- metal robotic, one that would shape itself when sat upon, to the comfort of the user.

Maybe some day he would trust enough, she would not pry. Shael knew that such would have to be earned

The hitch in his mental voice had her inner ears quivering ever so slightly wondering what his master had done to him, what he had forbidden him, her nameless one, to expound on. How has he been stunted, and chained?

"He is a wound in the Force and thus has an insatiable appetite for life's end. He like all, must feed to live, but he feeds on Death."

She nodded at that knowing he spoke the truth of the matter where that one was concerned. "But here he may starve, for though Death is natural not intrinsically evil, Vortox is evil and rejoices in it. That is what makes him my…diametric.”

”Once the stars welcome us though, I would like to know of them... of you”

As you wish my lord." She replied without hesitation. His wish was her command.

“Take us to Hali” Shael said aloud, speaking to the ship.

“As you command” the ship responded, in a neutrally pleasant voice. The ship was used to flying itself. Shael had been trained in pilot’s skills but seldom chose to.

As the ship directed itself to the destination given, she lay back in the healing waters and looked over at him. “I will answer your questions as best I can, but let me ask one first, please. Your name, or that which you would prefer to be called” If he chose not to answer it would not change her regard of him, she would still answer as freely and fully as she was able. But she knew he would know that.

Though the ship presented him with an opportunity to sit, he preferred not. His muscles were tight from his half-day long meditation and yearned to stretch, to be free. While she reclined in her bathing solution, he stood stoically against the wall. Her ship, at least the small area of it he had seen, seemed highly sterile, something very different from his normal settings. Even the dust that they had been sure to track onboard from the planet's dusty surface was gone before their footprints were even made. The nature of it was slightly unsettling, but then he felt a soft and reassuring touch against his face then washed away his mildest reservations. It was warm against his skin, but all too fleeting...

In its place, coldness replaced warmth and fear replaced reassurance. What it represented, he could not know, but it was undoubtedly emanating from Shael. What does she fear? Is it I... or maybe something I said. Or maybe her masters - in some way or another, we all fear our masters."

"But here he may starve, for though Death is natural not intrinsically evil, Vortox is evil and rejoices in it. That is what makes him my…diametric.”

"More than you know, he shall starve..." he replied quickly. It was his nature, his eminence of the Force, that was unique and powerful and that would prevent that wound in the Force from expanding and consuming in his presence. Shael might have seen her self as Vortox's antipode, but he was in truth a much better match in many ways. For there was always balance in the Force and in this manner he was this Sith's opposition. In other ways, they both sought many of the same ends, at least their masters' demanded that they did, but went about them in differing ways according to their nature and abilities. It was neither his wish nor his will to prevent the man from feeding, but it was his undeniable nature; yet if Vortox found himself unfed and wished to deal with Shael's masters in other manners, he would not stand in the way. His mission did not require that he be the one to complete it, just that it be completed.

"So if he is evil and you are his antithesis, that would make you what... good?" In such a chaotic galaxy, 'goodness' was almost a joke and something few could ever claim. The Jedi and their naive sense of self-righteousness were among them, but then Shael and her masters did not seem like the Jedi type.

"As you wish my lord." It was ironic that her statement caught him off guard. After all, much of the galaxy that knew of him or at least of his wake, feared 'His Lordship.' But the word 'Lord' really only had one meaning for him and that was reserved for the Dark Lord himself. The one true lord.

Nonetheless, the ship was off the forsaken planet and into the stars for a planet unknown. As they left, the echoes and spirits that were permanently chained to the planet reached out for those that departed their embrace and clung helplessly before the ship left the area and the planet's surface was clouded by the dark storm of the heavens. It was always an empty feeling for him when he left a planet, especially one as rich as Korriban, for in the vacuum of space the Force was a lonely existence. No longer was the great resonance of the caverns below communicating with him as only he and his few companions lived with the Force.

“I will answer your questions as best I can, but let me ask one first, please. Your name, or that which you would prefer to be called”

He paused. Paused for a long while. The stood in silence, staring at each other as Shael awaited his response. "I... I... I-I do not know." In all honesty, he could not say what his name was. It, like much of his past and even much of his ongoing present, was a mystery to him. Any memories of the time before existing in his present state were locked deep away if they even remained at all. The only thing he could remember was his servitude to the Lord of Darkness and much of his time spent that way was also a blur. He would do things, time would past, and thinking back he could not remember much of it. Like his recent trip to Korriban when he had slaughtered all who he had seen - he remembered little. "I have been called a shadow and nothing more..." He was nameless...

Not wishing to dwell on the matter long, for his chest was becoming irritated beneath the cloak's veil, he took her up on her offer to ask questions. Though it was hard to figure out where to begin, knowing little as he did. What he really wanted to know about was who she was and to get at it, her past was a useful key. "I am afraid I know too little to even ask. I would just... like to know about you. For example: how were you raised in the Force?" His question, though narrowed to her own experience, was an attempt to learn about the larger picture, like asking Vortox about his experience to learn of the Sith or Kash's to learn of the Jedi.

"So if he is evil and you are his antithesis, that would make you what... good?"

Her mind voice was gently thoughtful, and obviously she was willing to question herself even under the observation of an outsider "Good?" She seemed to taste the flavor of the concept "But what is 'good'? Many say that it all depends on context, and perception, that there are no absolutes. I...I can only say that I take no delight in harming others, that I have no desire to rule over others, clutching power greedy hands. I wish to heal, to make whole, but not through the forcing of My vision, my wishes upon others. I seek Balance, but I'd prefer to see the side of joy than that of sorrow." but her mind voice said she well knew of sorrow, both in the personal and the wider view.

I... I... I-I do not know."

The bleakness of that statement caught her breath, hammered it away, for all she had so often been all but nothing, she had always had a name. oh universe and I was wrought to... her mind blanked that out fiercely not allowing herself to look at that aspect of her being ..such pain..to search for it, seek it ...oh am I damned?

"I have been called a shadow and nothing more..."

Now the eyes came to the mind's sight again but now they held a fierce light and her mind voice was swift and sure and ...protective? "Oh you are Far more than any mere 'shadow', and far, far from nothing! I name you Lucifer." Shael found herself standing, though part of her desperately wished for more time in the soothing properties of the pool. Another autonomoton brought forth fresh towels as well as a clean and prepared body suit. Daubing her body dry and wincing at the fresh tears the drying brought she then pulled it on, a sad smile lighting her lips.

"how were you raised in the Force?"

Protected once again, she moved though the arch way that led to the dojo. This room was a well of calm, but was in no way bland or sterile. Woods of verious types had been cunningly worked into pleasing patterns and junctioned with stone, metals mingled with warm hued yarns woven into mats that lay within meditation alcoves or formed subtle pieces of arts adorning the walls. Weapons of every style and culture filled wall mounted racks. This room soothed in it's own unique way, and yet was filled with vibrant living energy. To one sensitive this was one of the places that Shael truly lived.

"Come, move with me. She began with the simplest of katas, her moves as fluid as water, her mind's voice meditative once again.Will he move with me, mirroring me, or his own pattern? Shael wondered.

"I was told I was born of the Force, of the Force -that for generations they had brought male and female together, searching for the perfect combination. But before my mother could be partnered she became pregnant with me, somehow."

"She died when I was born, a raving mad woman." Her moves were flowing ever faster though more complex maneuvers, still powerful, still utterly graceful and unhampered but he could feel within the disciplined web of her mind the beginning traces of the pain that the movement brought her. "Or so I was informed"

Vortox came walking from behind the two as they spoke. He wasn't trying to hide his presence nor was he trying to spy. But Vortox wanted to know more about this person he was attached to, who this Shadow was in hismost exposed state.

He observed as the woman moved around into different stances. Vortox was familiar with different Enchanti styles and tiers, so watching her was some what of a kind reminder of what he has already learned. But Vortox spoke up...

" I am not as evil as you may think. "

Vortox turned away and walked back to his quarters where he simple sat back down and continued to meditate. His Bloodforged lightsabers sitting on the hard metal floor beside him.


OOC: sorry so short...will remove after next post.

Shael had been aware of Vortox's presence but had been ignoring it. Her conversation with Lucifer had been private. Vortox's presence had in no way bothered her, and what he might have thought of her abused body made no difference to her.

Shael was what she had been molded and formed to be, and the many chains she had freed herself of - shackels no longer but acknowledged as to the effect thay had had on her. She windered if Vortox would ever think of trying to win free and change. Some how she doubted that.

He left unanswered by her.

Kash had proceeded to his quarters, passively 'scanning' and sensing the people he would be sharing a ship with. He had removed his armor and left it in his room, keeping the boots and comfortable underlayer of the armor on. It passed as clothing, not that it mattered seeing as it was all he had. He also allowed himself to leave the lightsaber on the belt of the armor; if these Sith onboard wanted him dead, he most likely would be.

He allowed himself to wander aimlessly throughout the ship, confined only by the few places the computer would not allow him and obviously not intruding in other guests' quarters. He was admiring the structure of the vessel, ascending into a pseudo-meditative state, when suddenly an agonizing mental pain brought him to his knees. Clutching his head, he was no longer aboard the starship, but was in a street within a massive city.

It's towering silver spires reached beyond the cloudline and the streets were lined with trees. There was only pedestrian traffic, with shuttlecraft and aircars cruising high above. There were shops and vendors hawking their wares, delicious native fruits and the typical tastefully neutral clothing indigenous to...where was he again?

He was walking casually, nervous despite the friendly atmosphere. He stopped to examine one of the kiosks selling fruit, realizing that he was quite hungry. He looked up to ask the vendor how much, when he saw that the man was examining a data padd, something everyone on this planet possessed. It kept them informed of news and happenings throughout the...yes, that's it! The Dominion Galaxy! He was in the Dominion! But where was that?

The vendor lowered the padd and informed Kash of the price. Instinctively Kash looked to the padd and saw that it was the laundry list of criminals and fugitives that the Civil Authority, Dominion planetary police, were looking for. When he looked back up the man had turned pale and ran. Kash tried to stop him, to gently impede his progress. The Force sent the man stumbling and he fell, scraping his chin on the sidewalk.

He didn't get up, he just yelled, "Police! Police! Help! Sound the alarm!"

There was no stopping all of them. Citizens all scarmbled to the CA callboxes located at intervals. Shortly after, a dull klaxon sounded, with a computer voice intoning for all citizens to clear the street. Kash tried getting lost in the throng of people, but was brought down by a sudden, intense pain in the small of his back. He tripped, but wasn't trampled. The exodus was orderly, calm, as if these people were used to, or at least trained to respond properly to situations like these.

Kash rolled over, tingling agony rippling through his joints. It took all his focus to move, with the Force doing most of the moving for him. He looked up and was staring into the dark blue armor of a Civil Authority officer, who was holding one of their Modular Lawgiver Units, currently outfitted with a stun baton. In a deft motion, the facelss enforcer folded the baton under the barrel, which was levelled squarely between Kash's eyes. The blue glow of the pulse generator radiated from the rear of the barrel.

"One move, freak, and you're nothing more than a smoldering memory on the sidewalk," there was no mercy in his voice, no compassion. They knew who, or as they would say, what he was and therefore their duty was clear. He was to be taken alive, if convenient.

Kash could have fended him off with great ease, however, the people were fewer now, and his clear view of the street showed columns of blue armor running steadily toward him as the sound of repulsorcraft and sirens were heard overhead. He was surrounded, and the moment he sent any given group sailing, the cruisers above would open fire. There was no way out and no doubt that these officers were professionals. The amount of force they responded with and the varied range at which it was brought to bear made it impossible to take them all out at once.

Kash put his hands on his head and rose to his knees. Immediately, an officer moved in from behind, jamming a stun baton between his shoulder blades. Searing hot pain inundated his body as electricity arced over him. His vision became blurry, then faded to blinding white before cascading into the serenity of unconsciousness. All the while he heard himself screaming.

Kash snapped out of it, now sprawled on the deck and sweating profusely, noting with some shock and as he regained composure amusement at the nanites making the sweat disappear seemingly like magic. He knew very much about nanites, as they were the main method of medical treatment-and torture-in the Dominion. Shakily, he got to his feet and began walking back to his quarters.

They must have had a greater impact on me than I originally percieved...

"But what is 'good'? Many say that it all depends on context, and perception, that there are no absolutes.

"Others would say that there is no good. That there is no context or relativity and even those you see as evil do not themselves consider their actions or existence good, but rather what it is... a simple existence. That is, after all, the extent of us - an existence."

"Oh you are Far more than any mere 'shadow', and far, far from nothing! I name you Lucifer."

"Far more indeed, but then it is also quite apt," he said in truth as he contemplated is own statement that he was a shadow. He was living flesh and blood by any account and it could even be said that he was more alive than anyone considering the Living Force's current through him. But then he was his master's shadow, controllable but untamable, disappearing into the darkness and striking at the light. "Then you may call me Lucifer." It was not his name and it would not be his name as far as he was concerned, but he would respond to whatever someone called him.

"Come, move with me.

As she bid him move and did the same herself, he followed in her footsteps, tracing each move just slightly aside and behind her. He was large and stiff in appearance, even with draping cloaks obscuring his structure, and when he moved it seemed like a tree was bending from its trunk. Nonetheless, despite any appearance of inability or lack of agility, he moved as one with her.

"I was told I was born of the Force, of the Force -that for generations they had brought male and female together, searching for the perfect combination. But before my mother could be partnered she became pregnant with me, somehow."

"Then the Force has a strong will for you... a purpose beyond most. You did not simply come into existence, you were brought into existence. It is written in tomes and lore that the Force brings forth one of its own conceiving when it has a will to be done. I pray for you that you find that purpose before the Force be done...

Cryptic as ever, he spoke in tones that revealed little and sentences that helped even less, but he spoke the truth unabashedly. And beneath his words there was another truth that spoke to his own identity, waiting to be unraveled and freed.

"Vortox claims he is less evil than you may think, what do you think?"

And it pleased her to know that no, he was not mirroring her, but patterning with her. And yes she would call him Lucifer, until he found the name that was his. The koans inherent in it suited him, perhaps more than he was aware of.

"Then the Force has a strong will for you... a purpose beyond most. You did not simply come into existence, you were brought into existence. It is written in tomes and lore that the Force brings forth one of its own conceiving when it has a will to be done. I pray for you that you find that purpose before the Force be done..."

She replied with perfect serenity "I am a Handmaiden, I serve willingly."

"Vortox claims he is less evil than you may think, what do you think?"

"It is said by some that hate has a reason for everything, but love is unreasonable. He believes he has a sound reason for everything he does, and that is almost certainly so from his point of view. He himself may be no more intrinsically evil than that wall hanging, but I dub his acts harmfull. I know what he had in his chambers, one could feel the ..cries, if you will, of the trapped souls. Evil exists as surely as Good does. Vortox walks the Black path." Her voice went even more meditative "Though the fact that he recognises that he might be considered evil...there may be hope for him, redemption.."

Before she could speak further the ship advised her, as did her own awareness of the state of things aboard her ship, that Kash had collapsed.

"Excuse me. Kash is in need of aide" Shael broke off in mid kata, the flowing movements stilling as she scolded herself - she should have been a better hostess, and seen him to the med bay. She should have known that the chemicals used in long term Suspend did not release their hold on the body easily and he was her guest. Quickly she moved though the ship heading to where the Dominion Jedi was.

"Excuse me. Kash is in need of aide."

He did not respond until she had vanished around a corner, but rather stood silent and still. He and many more - many, many more. All of us.

There would be little to do on their voyage until they arrived at the homeworld of Shael's former masters. Preparation was needless - something he just did not do - though perhaps he would ready something to say when he arrived. He wasn't one for words, even non-verbal ones, but he felt this occasion might deserve a short speech before he dispatched with the powerful Jedi. Meditation was more of something to pass the time than anything else; he wasn't contemplating some deep meaning or readying his mind for battle... just waiting... and waiting.

For the moment though, he would available himself of the opportunity to access the ship's computers. He wasn't a technical person, not in this sense, but if perhaps answers could be gleaned from perusing the files, he would at least try. So he walked to the nearest console and attempted to access the data held within. No doubt Shael or at least the onboard computer system was much more adept in the technological world, but then what he learned would be what she allowed and nothing more.

Vortox slowed his breathing while he meditated in his quarters. He, like the mysterious person on the ship, didn't meditate to reflect on a deeprer meaning in life, he even didn't ready his mind for battle, but instead emptied his mind to obtain a Serene state. Something that would give him clarity in all issues. As he forced his mind the lights in the room slowly dimmed and flickered on and off. Objects in the room started to shake in their places.

As he kept his mind focused sweat started to beed upon his forhead and roll down his face. His sabers, responding to his mental state started to erupt on and off in short burstsas they took to the air and hovered around his body. As the seconds turned to minutes in his mind a single drop of sweat fell from his head. As the drop fell, vortox gave a single sign and opened his eyes and watched the drop fall to the ground, but before it could even reach to floor Vortox grabbed his sabers and cut the drop into 4 peices. As he finished cutting his sweat drop he relaxed his mind and let things return to normal in his room. as he placed his sabers down the drops of sweat finally hit the ground.