Aspiration Preceding the Cataclysm (Invite Only)
Posts: 347
  • Posted On: Jun 2 2007 12:20pm
Sometime ago on Bonadan…

Ishara had been on her knees as she remained at the feet of Allysha. She felt the dark energies that had lain hidden for so many years, surface and consume her soul like an oncoming storm.

Salazar was barely clinging on to life as the four Nightsisters who emerged has thrust their lightsabers into his body. He gasped for air and struggles to get back to his feet as his body began to shake.

“Ishara?” It took every ounce of strength Salazar had to even call out her name. “Come back Ishara before it’s too late. Natalya can help you.”

Allysha let out a shrill laugh. “You are such a fool! She is the daughter of a Nightsister Shadow Sorceress. She has always been meant to be with us.” A dark smile then came across her face as she helped Ishara to her feet. “Perhaps my sister needs to hear more about her mother and how you murdered her?”

Ishara’s head slowly turned toward Salazar as an eerie expression overtook her face. Allysha then placed her own lightsaber in Ishara’s hand. “Kill him my sister.”

Ishara activated the blade as its glow illuminated the darkness of the hangar. She stepped toward Salazar who was still gasping for air.

Allysha shouted. “Do it my sister!”

Salazar, who was already struggling for life, mumbled something under his breath that only Ishara could hear as he smirked. “Don’t let the darkness consume you Ishara.”

Ishara hesitated for a moment. She looked back at Allysha and the rest of the Nightsisters who were standing around her. Ishara then felt something she had never had before… a belonging. She spun around and as the blue blade swung through the air, she struck at Salazar’s throat which severed his head and killed him instantly.

Ishara momentarily looked at what she had just done until she then felt the emotion of it which was not what she expected. She felt pleasure; extreme and unending pleasure.

Allysha approached Ishara from behind and slowly took the lightsaber form her hands. “Come with us my sister. We shall bring you home where you belong.”

Ishara looked into Allysha’s eyes. “Yes… my sister.”



****




Present day…

Lexia…


Ishara had awakened early and was already staring out into the distance as the calls of Rancors began to fill the morning air along with the rolling thunder if a nearby storm. She had just spent another evening where she barely had gotten any sleep and had been standing on her balcony for several hours. It seemed the only rest she had ever gotten was when she would meditate.

For several nights she had been sensing a presence. It seemed eerily familiar, but she could not ascertain who or what it was. This time seemed different which made Ishara more restless than usual.

Ishara had left her chambers and emerged out into the courtyard of the Lexian Temple of the Nightsisters where a light rain had started to fall from the dark sky. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Lupercus who seemed to be deep in thought.

Ishara slowly approached Lupercus and stood beside him. She stood silently before she broke the silence. “Forgive me my Shadow Lord.”

Lupercus simply nodded as if permitting her to speak.

Ishara stared out at the trees which were blowing as the increasing wind of the oncoming storm pushed them as she spoke. “I sensed it again. Someone is looking for me.”

Ishara crossed her arms and looked up into Lupercus' eyes. "I think it is an acquaintance from my past."

Ishara sighed. "I think it is Natalya Vinda."
Posts: 218
  • Posted On: Aug 23 2007 2:57am
Four Days earlier...



Bonadan...







"You don't understand"

"No, you're quite right I don't understand!"

Natalya stared at her father and sighed heavily, as her father continued...

"I'm sorry, Natalya, but if you think I'm going to let you run off after some nutcase you befriended in some dodgy bar somewhere, you're severly mistaken!"

"Ishara is a friend, you do know what that means right? or have you been so alone for so long you've forgotton what it feels like to have any?" Nat snapped back angrily, causing Vinda's face to stiffen..

"That was unnecessary" He Replied coldly...

Natalya took a seat beside the old man and spoke again, her tone reassuring...

"Dad, I'll be fine, I understand you're worried, but I have to find out whats happened to her, I have to know, do you at least understand that?"

Vinda's face darkened, and he peered out at her from underneath a heavy frown as he talked... "No I don't...you call this ...girl a friend but you hardly know each other?, where is she from? whats her second name? who are her parents?"

Natalya's response was swift...

"You're wrong. I do know her, a lot more than you realise"

Natalya rose as she spoke, her voice becoming almost a whisper...

"You weren't there on Brion, what happened brought us together..."

She turned to face her father directly...

"I now know it was no accident either, our paths were meant to cross"

Vinda rolled his eyes skywards...

"In the name of Vader! spare me the Jedi rubbish...."

It was Natalya's turn to stiffen...

Vinda realised he had said too much and backtracked a little...


"Look, I just don't want you in harms way, or have you already forgotton what happened to Salazar..."

Nat shook her head...

"No, thats just it I need to find out what happened"


"What happened?" The old man repeated...

Vinda's voice grew louder as he spoke... "What happened, was that Salazar reaped what he sowed, I'm sorry I know you liked him Natalya, though Vader knows why, but I don't want you to end up like he did..."

"That won't happen" Nat replied firmly.

Vinda's eyebrows raised as he looked up at her...

"You are so sure?" The old man leaned back into his chair as he spoke "I don't doubt your abilities Natalya, I have seen you train, but Salazar was an experienced Jedi, you have barely started your training, and even he wasn't able to handle whoever it was who attacked him..."

Natalya's face soured a little, she knew her father had a point...

"I can handle myself"

"So I've noticed" He replied, with a look of total disapproval...

"I don't want you to go, and thats that" He added, in an attempt to end the discussion...

Natalya remained standing however, and then crossed her arms defiantly. After a while the old man looked up at her again and sighed heavily as he scrutinized her...

"You'll go anyway won't you" He said eventually, realising that any attempt to disuade her, was not going to work...

Natalya simply smiled...

"You know I will"

He sighed once more as he spoke, "Fine!"

He muttered something incomprehensible underneath his breath as he threw his hands up in the air, and relented...

"Ok, Fine! Have it your way, but if you must insist on this pointless endeavour, then I must insist on some precautions, because if I can't damn well control you, then I'll bloody well make sure I can do what I can to ensure your safety..."

A confused expression slid across Natalya's face as she asked "Precautions? what kind of precautions?"

"Someone goes with you" Vinda said without missing a beat...

Nat's frown grew deeper... "Who?"

A quiet voice from behind , startled her...

"Me"

Nat turned around to see Achinta Vega standing behind her, she had been completely unaware he had entered the room, she found this both disconcerting, and mildly impressive...

The white haired bodyguard smiled faintly as their eyes met...

Nat turned back to her father..."This isn't what I had in mind..." She began, but the old man cut her off...

"Tough. you want to go through with this , thats fine, but Achinta goes with you, no debate"

It was now Natalya's turn to see her father wasn't going to be moved, and with a sigh, she reluctantly accepted...

As she gathered her things and began to leave, her father called after her...

"Do you even know where you're going?"

Nat paused in mid-step to consider this...

"The force will guide me"

"Like it guided Salazar, and your Mother?" Came Vinda's sharp reposte...

Nat turned around to face her father from across the room as she smiled, and simply replied...


"Yes"







* * *





The Present...


Geosynchronus Orbit above Lexia - Onboard 'The Oni' (Mark II)




Natalya opened her eyes to find Achinta's studying hers...

"You are sure this is the place?" He asked, his expression one of mild puzzlement...

"Yes..." She replied, her voice still distant...

"How?" He asked...

"How what?" Nat responded, turning her full attention to the towering man before her...

"How did you know this planet was here...it doesn't show up on any charts, and what makes you so sure she is down there?"

Nat smiled slightly...

"I just know..." She said, before looking up at the bodyguard...

Achinta seemed to reflect upon this for a moment before answering...

"The force?" He ventured, and Natalya nodded...

"We have a connection Achinta, I can't explain it, I don't think I ever could, I just know she's there"


She watched as the bodyguard shifted his gaze to the sensor readings of the planet below...

"Well, its does appear to have a wealth of life readings..." His gaze shifted to the planet below as he continued... "So somethings down there..." He said turning back to face the young woman with a smile.

"What will you do once you have found her?" He asked as he tweaked the sensor suite's controls

A frown crept across Natalya's brow as she considered the question...

"I don't know..." She replied finally, and meaning it...

The bodyguard fell silent for a moment as if digesting her words...

"whats it like?" He asked, causing Natalya to turn her attention back to him with a look of puzzlement all of her own... "The Force" He clarified "what's it like?"

Natalya seemed thrown by the question, and replied with one herself...

"Why do you ask?"

The android's gaze met hers as he spoke...

"because it is something I shall never know"

The bodyguards words seemed hang in the air, and Natalya nodded, understanding...

"Like a connection to everything, everyone..." She answered eventually...

The android frowned, but nodded slowly, appearing to elect to keep his thoughts to himself...

"Theres a break in the storm , the weather system's disappating...we have a window" He said abruptly, changing the conversation...


Natalya nodded in acknowledgement...


"You sure you want to do this?" Achinta replied...

Natalya looked out at the planet before her, and found herself reminded of how both Ishara and her had looked down upon Brion, and all that had occurred there...It all seemed like it had happened yesterday...


"Take us down" She replied firmly, and Achinta obliged...

With a sharp lurch the craft began its descent to the surface...
Posts: 939
  • Posted On: Aug 30 2007 8:33am
Something strange had been troubling him over the course of the last few days, and the fact he could not place it wrought about an angry self loathing and disgust within him. He could ascertain that in some way it involved him, but knew it wasn't about him.

And that stung the Sith's implacable ego even worse.

As he had awoke in the bed he now shared with the woman who was not his wife Lupercus sensed a deep unease within her, and again he was stung at the realisation that it had nothing to do with him.

Surely of all the things this sithling could be worrying about, having an affair with one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy or rather someone who was married to one of its most vicious Sith Queens, would be quite high on her list...

But it wasn't.

He rose not long after these muttered ponderings as his first sense of disconcertion rose to the fore. Something unknown but entirely familiar was in orbit above the planet. His constant use of battle meditation for his fleets and troops had long expanded that range and scale of Lupercus' abilities, such was the result of puppeteering millions of souls, and as a result he was able to focus upon a ship as it began to enter the outer reaches of the planets atmosphere.

Still, he could not dwell upon his thoughts as droids and aides constantly accosted him, seeking to implement the power he had long sinced centralised in his control over his Imperial fiefdom. From things as trivial as spending increases, through to the long term deification of Lupercus equal and occasionally above the distant and diffident Emperor, everything required the Siths attention.

Of course there were lulls, but these usually preceded another massive influx of desperates requiring his attention, or in some cases simply his presence.

It was pathetic to the Hapan that such a constant and prolonged use of the mind meld over the Empire's citizens had made them dependant on it, but he also knew it was necessary.

Still, as each lull came and went, Lupercus allowed himself to be drawn back to the distant twinkling in his senses that had first drawn his attention.

And during this one as he reached his conciousness further and further out that Ishara had approached, almost unnoticed.

“Forgive me my Shadow Lord.”

Lupercus nodded, showing acquiesence to her presence and also to break his distracted star gazing.

Without watching her he could sense her mind searching out similiar to what he had been doing. While he eyes stared out at the distant storm her mind, disconnected from the external stimulae, continued in a less trivial direction. “I sensed it again. Someone is looking for me.”

In his periferal vision he could see her arms crossed now as she stared at his unblinking eyes. "I think it is an acquaintance from my past."

A sigh interspaced her last words from her next. "I think it is Natalya Vinda."

Vinda...

His eyes narrowed immediately as his mind rushed about in seething disgust. It was Seth Vinda that had dragged the nation he should have ruled from the isolation of Dakkon's reforms and into the greater galaxy once more. It was Seth Vinda who had long before begun trading and supplying the Hapan military with anciliary equipment and spread even greater wealth throughout the kingdoms. It was Seth Vinda who had, at least in Lupercus' greedy and biased mind, saved Dakkon from his own ineptitude.

Fucking Seth Vinda!

An involuntary growl of hatred escaped Lupercus' mouth as his lips stretched spitefully across his teeth.

And perhaps now I shall be able to return the favour... But I must know more.

"Ay, she is coming for you."

Now he did turn to look down on the womans face.

"Why would the only daughter of the galaxy's greatest businessman be looking for you?"
Posts: 347
  • Posted On: Sep 10 2007 8:47pm
Ishara briefly looked up as she hesitated before answering. “She was my… friend.” She used the word loosely as the term now had little meaning to the path she had chosen. “We met on Bonadan and where I was later found by my sisters.” Ishara then had an annoyed look come over her face. “There was a Jedi there as well; the one I killed. I think he might have persuaded her to follow that path.”

Ishara turned and pulled Lupercus down to her and kissed him. She then looked deeply into his eyes. “Perhaps she has come here to join our order?” Ishara looked over her shoulder as she saw a ship slowly landing in the distance. “And if she hasn’t, I should hope she can be persuaded to do so.”

After releasing her embrace, Ishara headed toward the doorway. “I will take some of my sisters and go to where the vessel landed. I will then present her to you my Shadow Lord.” Ishara left through the doorway and headed down to the courtyard where she signaled a handful of Nightsisters to accompany her to the ship that had now landed.

Ishara stood at the center of a group of six Nightsisters with her arms crossed as she watched the ramp slowly come down. Signaling her fellow sisters to remain where they were, Ishara walked cautiously toward the ramp as Natalya approached her.

Natalya had given a brief smile as she was happy to see Ishara alive and well. Ishara felt the urge to return the smile, but controlled herself as her hands rested upon her hips. She spoke low so only Natalya could hear her words.

“I cannot tell you how dangerous it was for you to come here Nat. This is no place for a lightsider.”

So many thought s flashed through her mind as she looked upon her old friend. She was loyal to the sisterhood, but also wanted to ensure no harm fell upon Natalya.

With a deep sigh, she continued as she glared up through her dark eyes and noticed Natalya was not alone. “Not only did you come here Nat, but you brought slave to our world as well.” Ishara realized she could not sense the other being as she continued to stare up at him. “You brought a droid?”

Ishara realized her sisters were anxious to what was being said so she leaned in towards Natalya. “If you value your life, you will do exactly as I say.” She reached down and grabbed Nat’s hand and began to lead her away from the ship. “This initiate has heard the call of our sisterhood and has come to us. She will become our sister and embrace her destiny.” As Ishara led Natalya passed the other sisters, she glanced back. “The droid is forfeit.” The five Nightsisters ignited their lightsabers and began to walk toward the ship.

Ishara had quickly led Natalya into the woods and far from where they could be seen. She spun around and angrily pointed at Natalya. “You only way to remain alive is to become one of us and be sincere about it. These people will cut you down within a second of doubting your intentions!”

Ishara looked back in the direction of Natalya’s ship. “I hope your android realizes he can be rebuilt and succumbs to his attackers.”

As she stopped pacing, Ishara began to slowly lead Natalya toward the temple. “My Shadow Lord Lupercus is waiting for me to bring you to him. He is my master, my lover, and I cannot deny what he wishes.” Ishara placed her hand on Natalya’s shoulder. “You must kneel before him and vow you will follow our ways. If he doubts you, you will be tortured and I cannot interfere.”

As Ishara finished, her other sisters approached from behind. There would be no turning back now as the temple neared closer. Ishara could sense Lupercus was becoming anxious of meeting Nat and she could only hope she embraced the ways of the sisterhood…

…for her sake.