Sith Temple

The communal chamber of the temple, where most Apprentice training sessions were held, was cast in an eerie glow from the dim glow panels adorning the high roof. In the center sat a lone form, the Sith Master meditating as he waited for those he had summoned to arrive.

In fact, Vance had sent a pupil away a matter of minutes prior, with strict instructions to inform a select few Apprentice of his need to speak with them. It concerned a mission, of sorts, that would test both their ability, and their loyalty...

Opening his eyes, the Sith Master let out a slow breath. He sent out his senses, searching the temple beyond, seeking out the presence of those concerned.

They would arrive shortly...

A short distance away, Ithron was practicing his sabre technique against a small spherical hover-droid. The unit was programmed to steadily increase in speed until it successfully hit its opponent, at which point it would remain constant for a number of minutes before increasing in speed again. Currently, the unit was operating near its maximum speed.

As the apprentice and the droid circled one another the air seemed filled with laser bolts and sabre strikes. To the edge of this battle, a boy of no more than fifteen years ran up.

"Apprentice Ithron?" said the boy, addressing the older Sith by his rank.

"What is it?" snapped Ithron, momentarily losing his concentration. The droid took advantage of his lapse and fired. Ithron felt a searing pain in his leg and lunged for the droid. It dodged, hovering a few metres away, taunting him.

"Master Jas has requested your presence in the Communal Chamber, Sir."

Ithron paused, knowing that the word requested had a specific meaning in this place. Ignoring the boy, he turned his attention back to the droid. Reaching out with the Force, he toggled the on/off switch on its underside.

Hours of battling is completely unnecessary when one knows how to manipulate one's opponent in the correct way, mused Ithron. There's probably a lesson there....

"Very well." The Apprentice replied. The boy bowed to Ithron, and ran off. Not having seen the boy before, Ithron wondered what purpose he served in the Order and how he had come to be here. Making sure his lightsabre was strapped to his side, Ithron pulled his black robe over himself and set off for the temple.

When did I start to wear the clichéd black? He thought as he walked. After the duel with Mira? Because it's what my Master does?

Smiling, he continued into the temple. Soon, he reached the Communal Chamber. Looking in, he saw Master Jas in the centre of the room. Ithron stepped inside and bowed.

Weeks ago, Ithron would have said "You requested my presence, Master?" or something equally as pointless. The Master knew that he had requested Ithron's presence. He also knew that Ithron was here. What he didn't need was small-talk...

"Are you certain of it's origins?" asked the hooded and cloaked figure into the holounit. The man he was speaking too, had the rank cylinder of a commander on his uniform, which consisted of such garb that one would think either mercenary or bounty hunter of some kind. That was not too far off the mark, but what this person ran was a legitimate organization with legal ties to many planets.

"Yes, milord." stated the man simply. Just talking to the hooded figure, his employer, was bad enough. He didn't want to waste any time of small talk, nor was the employer, a user of the dark side of the force, in the mood right now for small talk. An item that he had been seeking for some time had apparently come up, and he would not be happy if it was just another false sighting.

"Very well. Retrieve the item with utmost caution to protect it from harm. I do not care what you do to it's current protectors. Once you have retrieved the item, contact me again on this frequency. And commander....Do not fail me again." warned the hooded figure as he pointed a single pale finger at the man, who visibly wilted backwards, before bowing and severing the communications link.

Sighning inwardly, the figure threw off his cloak and hood, revealing the features of Darth Necros underneath, the sith knight who was known to some at the temple as having employed lackeys to do his dirty work for him. Some thought him lazy and weak for relying on underlings to do his work for him, but others recognized it as a simple layer of security to keep his identity a secret from those who didn't need to know about him and his works.

The door to the room knocked. Necros looked over at it, and reached out with the force slightly, wondering who would be disturbing him. He found the mind of a young apprentice. Using a slight gesture of the force to key the door open, he let the little boy in.

"Speak. Why do you disturb me?" asked Necros in a slightly cold voice, letting a little threat enter his voice. While he would never strike down a fellow sith, he did not appreciate being disturbed without a good reason, or really, for any reason at all, espically not after dealing with fringe scum like that commander.

"Sorry master Necros. I am searching for some apprentices that Master Jas has requested an audience with." stammered the boy as he looked fearfully towards the foreboding knight.

"There are none here. I suggest you search elsewhere." he sneered before turning his back to the little boy, a clear sign of dismissal. Ever since an encounter on an asteriod and other failures and backfires, Necros had learned of his own limits, and the taste of those limits had left his emotions bitter, reflecting upon the way he treated others here at the academy, espically apprentices, now. The only ones who he showed any sign of respect or admiration towards anymore were the masters or a few select other knights.

As the little kid fled the room, Necros turned back to stare at the door.

This would not do. While it was the dark side to be angry, this much anger clouded his thoughts and emotions. He recalled a force technique often used by dark siders to dispell unwanted emotions.

He went through that routine now, letting the force flow through him, gathering up his anger and hate, then channeling it out of his body. He growled and snarled as the emotions flowed out of him, and manifested it self in several ways. A glass of water sitting on a table nearby broke into shards, as the entire temple shook slightly.

Moments later, it was over. Feeling much better, mood wise and thinking wise, Necros decided to go on a little walk. Now that he could accomplish it, he needed to get some thinking done.

The room was dark, and its sole occupent wished it that way. This place was her domain, her refuge, her little kingdom on Xa Fel. In this place, what she wanted was done, what she needed was hers. Or so she wished.

In actuality, she was simply one among many apprentices. True, she was more advanced than many, but she wasn't at the top of the food chain yet. And that was just the apprentices. It didn't take into account Knights like Necros and Masters like Vance Jas.

As she sat in the dark, eyes closed, meditating, she thought back on her most recent mission. She had done well, she thought, not only accomplishing what she was sent to do, but also bringing back with her the new apprentice, Galaphile. She had sensed his power there on Telos and set him on the trail to find the hidden planet. It hadn't taken long for him to follow the same route she did back to Xa Fel.

Despite the recruitment and the accomplishments, accolades were few and far between. It did not seem to be the way of the Sith to improve the self-esteem of their Apprentices. Oh, well. This apprentice needed no confidence other than that which she gave herself.

Now she was resting - a much deserved rest, she thought. After all, she had only returned from Telos a few days previous. Immediately afterward she was required to debrief the Masters on her actions and the situation, as well as putting the new information about the planet into the archives.

But her rest was cut short. The door opened, and one of the younger apprentices - a boy, really, and little more than a messanger - said, "Apprentice Mira? Master Jas requests your presence in the Communal Chamber."

It took restraint for Mira not to simply hurl an object at him for disturbing her. She sighed. If Master Jas had requested her presence, she had better not keep him waiting. Those that did usually didn't live very long. So instead of hurting the runner, she simply said, "Thank you," and rose to do her Master's bidding.

The Apprentices arrived.

Ithron, as usual, was as prompt as he could be, and this pleased Vance; it did well to be able to show one's ability to react quickly, even in such a small manner as when being merely summoned.

Mira, though also one to remain the strived, was only closely behind the former. She had proven her ability amid the Aprentices, to be sure, but one could never seek to gain too much at once, lest one be overwhelmed.

None the less, as each presented him, or herself, in arrival, so to did Vance nod and motion for them to be seated. There was really quite little required in the way of formalities, it was simply expected that when a Master called an Apprentice, that one paid attention.

For a moment the Sith Master said nothing, his attention having shifted somewhat to encompass the temple beyond his immediate meeting chamber. Above, it felt as though one of the Sith was undergoing mental preparation, and the temple was vibrated slightly in response to the emotion purged. The being responsible was known to Vance, especially following the display of presence, and the Sith Master decided he would seek out the Sith Knight and speak with him...

But once he had concluded with the Apprentices.

"Apprentices, I have called you here to speak with you of matters I wish to have completed," Vance started, his voice clearing from lack of recent use, following his hours long meditations, as he spoke. "You both continue to prove yourselves as able, even adept, students of the Dark Side. However, despite your individual power, the differences you have from one another has caused a rift, of sorts, to begin forming. Needless to say, in order to instil that relationship of brotherhood, you will be working together on a mission I have deemed appropriate for you both..."

Looking to Ithron, Vance narrowed his eyes. He had sensed the growing darkness in the young man, the gnawing at his presence, and it had begun to affect the Apprentice. While it remained that the Sith embraced the dark, so to was it that a Sith should know the limits of how wilfully one gave himself over to the forces at his command.

"While you may not be completely comfortable with one another, you will be required to place your resentment to one side, in order to complete my commands," The Sith Master continued, glancing to Mira. "It has come to my attention that an object of some importance as recently been discovered. What I want from you, is for the two of you to travel to Korriban; once there you will seek out this item for me, and return it as soon as you are able."

The young woman seemed reluctant, as of late. She seemed to almost be tip-toeing around the other Apprentice, or at least emanating a feeling of caution; and if this remained the case, then an eventual confrontation to quell ill feeling toward the other would be a possibility... and right now, with the Sith numbers beginning to draw thin, the Sith Master required each of his Apprentices to be loyal and dedicated to the Sith Order's ideals.

Internal bickering led to rivalry, and while this was acceptable within the Order, so to was there potential for far greater forms of hatred and in-house conflict... the same conflict that could end a Sith Order's era, if history was an indication.

"There is no discussion," Vance said, his voice final. "This is simply how I wish it to be. You will work together, and you will succeed in this mission... return to me when you have done so. The fact I have told you nothing of the prize that you seek, can be considered a portion of a test for the both of you."

Smiling, the Sith Master closed his eyes and began to focus his thoughts.

"Dismissed."

You both continue to prove yourselves as able, even adept, students of the Dark Side. However, despite your individual power, the differences you have from one another has caused a rift, of sorts, to begin forming. Needless to say, in order to instil that relationship of brotherhood, you will be working together on a mission I have deemed appropriate for you both...

The Master looked at Ithron, seeming to see through him to the very depths of his soul. Ithron would hold most gazes - but not this one. He looked down as respectfully as he could. The Master continued.

What I want from you, is for the two of you to travel to Korriban; once there you will seek out this item for me, and return it as soon as you are able.

This is simply how I wish it to be. You will work together, and you will succeed in this mission... return to me when you have done so. The fact I have told you nothing of the prize that you seek, can be considered a portion of a test for the both of you.

Dismissed.

"Master." Ithron bowed and turning, walked out of the chamber. It was evident that this was part of some design of their Master's, but it was equally as evident that they would have to make do with the information that they had been given.

Ithron sighed, letting his mind wander. He thought back to the duel - over a month ago now - between himself and the apprentice Mira. He had won the duel, but at what cost? He had entered the duel as someone who knew the Dark Side and had left as someone who had understood it. It had meant putting aside all his inhibitions and giving himself over to the Dark Side in the most extreme way.

But that didn't seem to be enough for the Dark Side - it wanted more...

The night after the duel, the nightmares had started. In the dream, Ithron would find himself in a duel with a nameless enemy who was dressed in black. WIthin moments, Ithron would find himself overpowered. Terror would fill him in the dream and he would run. Clutching his lightsabre, he would run for his life through the featureless dream-world. The end was always the same. The nameless opponent caught him, threw him into a corner and sliced open his chest. As Ithron gasped for breath in the dream, his enemy would let his cloak fall to the floor revealing his true form - shadow and darkness. Ithron would see that his killer had no form and no shape other than blackness and shadow. As the dream ended, Ithron would find himself consumed by shadow, in mortal fear.

Then he would wake up and, feeling ashamed of his cowardice in the dream, continue to train harder, day after day. Mira left for a mission and still, Ithron trained. As his own power grew, it seemed that the darkness in his nightmare became more powerful. What it meant, he didn't know. What he did know was that it was starting to knaw at his day to day activities, cloud his mind with needless anger and fear.

He had considered speaking to one of the Masters, but had decided not to - what if all Sith had to deal with this? He would deal with it himself.

Mira said something to him, breaking his train of thought. Shaking his head to clear his mind, he turned to her.

"What was that?"

"Yes, Master," Mira added. She hated it that Ithron seemed to beat her to everything - he had arrived first, he had answered first... Well, maybe hate wasn't exactly the right word. Annoyed was more like it. Despite the other apprentice's actions, and despite his obsession with anger and darkness, Mira couldn't exactly be said to hate him. She was annoyed at his antics, and fearful of his corruption. But she didn't hate him any more than she hated herself. Much less than she hated the Jedi.

That's an interesting thought. It was the first time she had actually even allowed that idea into her head. To hate the Jedi. What exactly does that mean? That I hate their ideas, their inaction? Certainly not the people; many of them are, or were, my friends. Master Horn, for one.

But now was not the time for these sorts of thoughts. Mira put them on the back burner of her mind, where she could readily access them when she had nothing else to do. Most likely sometime when Ithron was annoying her.

As she rose, she bowed once more to Master Jas. Other thoughts continued to run through her head as she left the room. Why, if this artifact is so important, does he want me to go after it? Is it a test of my abilities? Or does its location call for something I specialize in? No, couldn't be that. If it is so important, why does Master Jas not go himself? Or is this simply a way for the Master to force Ithron and I to work together?

As usual, none of these questions had any answers. Ever since her duel with Ithron, she had been plagued by questions that had no reasonable answer. At times the number even surpassed the number of questions that had run through her mind as a Jedi. These questions were of a different sort, though. Darker, perhaps.

She took a deep breath and realized that Ithron walked beside her still. She glanced over at him. Such a simple action, yet even a look brought with it an oppressive feeling. The darkness that consumed him spilled over into her soul, blotting out more of the light that was left.

That was another interesting thought. Mira had not yet been completely consumed by the Dark Side. In fact, were the truth told, she desired it that way. She had seen what the Dark Side could do to those who surrendered themselves fully to it, and she wanted no part of that. It literally rotted the flesh, and it still sickened her.

No doubt at some point on her journey she would reach that point where the darkness was all that was left, but it was not yet. She did not know it, but this moment was the most dangerous point for her. She still treaded close to the line, perhaps waiting for something to show her that the Jedi would take an active role in the galaxy, yet it would take very little to force her to abandon all trust in their ways. This was the point at which every Sith stood. This was Revan and Malak outside the Dantooine ruins before the discovery of the Star Forge. This was Anakin Skywalker facing Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar. This was Luke Skywalker, dueling his father on Bespin. This was Darth Vader, watching his son being killed by Emperor Palpatine. This was Mira, now standing ready to journey to Korriban to seek an unknown artifact. As the old saying went, There is nothing new under the sun.

But none of this was known to Mira. She simply embraced the teachings of the Sith in the ways she knew. The rest, she assumed, would simply come with time.

Ithron still walked with her, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Well, she thought, if I have to work with the man, I might as well break the ice. "So, any ideas what Master Jas wants?" she asked.

Ithron shook his head, which Mira at first assumed to be a negative response, but the "What?" that followed it belied her first assumption. She repeated herself, already a bit exasperated at him. He should have been paying attention. "I said, do you have any ideas about what it is that Master Jas is sending us after?"

I said, do you have any ideas about what it is that Master Jas is sending us after?

"I don't." Ithron replied simply. "But I'm sure you can sense what's going on in the galaxy at the moment..."

His voice trailed off. While Ithron's power in the force was greater than hers, both of them knew that Mira had more knowledge of Sith lore and events in the galaxy than he did - not least because of the missions she had taken part in. Here on Xa Fel, he was sheltered from most of galactic politics; only rumour and whispers penetrated the clouds. Several weeks ago now, Ithron had sensed a tremor in the Force around the Jedi and he knew something had happened, but he knew no more than that. This mission would be the first time Ithron had been off Xa Fel as a Sith Apprentice.

Ithron knew very little about the history of the Order, and Korriban to him was nothing but a name. He told Mira this, and she explained some of its history. He sensed that Mira wasn't telling him everything that she knew, but he had no way of knowing if this was indeed the case.

Still, at least we're working together..., he thought. Recently, he had sensed that Mira was becoming more apprehensive towards him - there didn't appear to be any true dislike, and for that, Ithron was glad. The Sith didn't have friends, but Mira was the closest thing to one that Ithron had - and he had developed a respect for her skills that was belied by the way that the two treated each other. Even so, as the Darkness grew, he could sense their relationship changing into one of fear and mistrust.

As the two walked towards the Sith hanger by unspoken consensus, they talked. Mira explained that Korriban was the ancient home of the Sith. As she spoke, Ithron saw the planet in his mind's eye. The whole place was teeming with Dark Side energy, a resource, waiting to be tapped...

If the answer to defeating the darkness that was consuming him was anywhere, it was on Korriban.

"I don't." Ithron replied simply. "But I'm sure you can sense what's going on in the galaxy at the moment..."

"Of course," replied Mira. It wasn't so much that she could sense it as she had heard about it in the previous weeks when she was on Telos. And she still had a connection with some of the Jedi and could feel some of what was going on. "The Jedi have disbanded. Well, not entirely. They've dissolved as a cohesive unit. I felt this coming over a year ago, before I left the Order. It's not news to me."

Ithron, changing the subject, asked her what she knew of Korriban. Apparently he had not studied the ancient planet of Sith lore, nor had he ever been there. Mira had done both, and when she was there she barely escaped alive. Certain things could only be discovered by being there, so she kept much of the information to herself. But she did enlighten him on those things that were a matter of record.

"Well, Korriban is thought to be the home of the Sith species," she replied. "Apparently the Sith stole the name from the race. Later, a fallen Jedi - I forget his name - fled to the planet and established what would later become the Sith Empire. That Empire, like all others in the past, fell, and the planet was forgotten for over a thousand years.

"It was resettled by the surviving Dark Jedi after the Exar Kun War, but the Sith Academy there was wiped out by the Jedi Revan. Still, many Sith tombs are on its surface, their wonders awaiting any treasure hunters that can get past their traps.

"Several Sith Empires have risen since that time, and many of them had an Academy or some sort of learning center based on Korriban. But for the most part, the ruins of the original academy are unchanged. It is even said that Darth Sidious visited there on several occasions, but even he was unable to overcome the ghosts of the Sith that still reside in the tombs."

She broke off, looking at Ithron. His face was clouded, confused, even...eager. She reached deeper, subtly probing his mind, looking through his mind. She felt the power of Korriban, the Dark energy waiting to be tapped. She felt his excitement and his desire to solve the mystery of the darkness inside him.

"Ithron," she said. He glanced her way, and she held his gaze. "You may find answers on Korriban, but don't trust them. The planet is dangerous to all who set foot on its surface, and especially so to those who can touch the Force. The Dark Side is strong there; perhaps too strong to even allow clarity of thought. I know."

She left it at that, walking in silence for a time. His response, when it came, was unexpected.

The Jedi have disbanded. Well, not entirely. They've dissolved as a cohesive unit. I felt this coming over a year ago, before I left the Order. It's not news to me.

At this, Ithron started, despite the carefree way that Mira had dropped the news into conversation. It was certainly news to him.

The Jedi have disbanded? This is the best news the Sith have ever heard...

His mind raced, and he glanced sidelong at Mira to see if she had hoped to disorient him with that last piece of news but she continued to speak, telling Ithron about the history of the Sith and the planet Korriban. He wondered how she knew all of this.

Ithron, You may find answers on Korriban, but don't trust them. The planet is dangerous to all who set foot on its surface, and especially so to those who can touch the Force. The Dark Side is strong there; perhaps too strong to even allow clarity of thought. I know.

Ithron nodded slowly, holding Mira's gaze. There was no indication of his thoughts in his eyes, and the two Apprentices walked on. Allowing his mind to wander, he could sense Mira close by; her Force signature light and quick. A short distance away, he could sense Master Jas; his force signature slow and powerful, like the heartbeat of mountain. Reaching out into the galaxy, Ithron sensed the births and deaths that constantly changed the Force and kept it dynamic.

The size of creation humbled him, and in a rare moment of introspection and humility, Ithron looked down and muttered "You're right... The Dark Side is stronger than any one of us..."

Mira held his gaze, looking as if she was going to speak. She didn't.