#1 Sthenophobia

[Apple]

Summoning. Rooms of malevolent intentions and disaffected malcontent. All Sith ever knew were these inclinations as the dark side drove them closer to their destinies. Some of the Sith were meant to die, some meant to rule, and others meant to serve. The difference between these distinctions is not power, but ambition. Often times, it was not the strongest that prevailed, but the one most willing to assert his strength. Cleaving through your enemies is not a function of strength, but willpower.

Determining. He who have been summoned here. Let it be known your intention and do not stray from your destiny, for it is what you carve out yourself.

Fearing. Do'Rak, a Korun, a warrior, and a Sith. He has arrived to a room as black and inspiring as his vanguard armor. One could lose themselves in the dark and foreboding cavern that is the inner reaches of the Sith Temple on Ziost. The walls and floors built with a stone unnaturally black, and every where the eye can grasp is a strange marking meant to inspire fear and power. Do'Rak was an acolyte and all that stood between him and his seemingly alone position was a lightsaber and his will to be. A powerful, albeit strange force had summoned him here for reasons he had been almost aware of. In the coming months to this moment, Do'Rak was plagued with visions of a lonesome room with a figure of power closing in upon him. The intentions were indeed malevolent, but one such acolyte was not the target, merely enemies in a vague notion. Do'Rak sat upon the ground, gathering his rage as he awaited in the middle of these ominous halls, never really knowing why.

Strength always finds a way.

 

[Dmitri]

Geist Weiss was in a hurry. He had come to Ziost in order to collect a few more Sith to accompany the 11th Fleet to Yag'Dhul. Most of the Sith had been loaded onto the orbiting Star Destroyer, but there were a few stragglers. While Lospheria Fi was preoccupied with organizing that assignment, Geist took the time to take a detour on the planet. He summoned Do'Rak to one of the training room so he could have a meeting with Do'Rak.

Geist knew Do'Rak from one of his allies. The boy had been key -unintentionally- in uncovering an illegal pit-fight orchestrated by corrupt imperial soldiers who were pitting captured street urchins to the death for profit in Hutt Space. The plot had been uncovered and the criminals punished. Do'Rak had been brought into the Sith where an incompetent officer accidentally deleted Do'Rak and a few other acolytes' data. Do'Rak killed the officer for his incompetence, drawing the attention of one of Geist's agents, who had been investigating the incompetent officer. It had brought the young man to Geist's attention and so he had assigned Do'Rak a test to tackle the Lords of Malicious. Originally he had considered sending Crusader Vhalanestilliegan Crewellunstestry, but took a chance and decided to send Do'Rak instead. To his delight, Do'Rak had succeeded.

Geist entered the room to find Do'Rak already there. Pressed for time, Geist skipped his usual pleasantries and went straight to business. "Report."

 

[Apple]

Do'Rak's eyes snapped open to the sound of a very quick command. The voice ordering his vocal confirmation of action came from a man he had not expected to find. The idea he had held was that he was summoned to the room to be murdered, not approached by a dark lord of the Sith. Darth Somnus, a man Do'Rak could hardly say he knew, but the name rung through his mind like a lone voice in the darker recesses of infinitum. Moving quickly, the dark skinned boy switched from his seated position to a bow in respect for his superior.

"Darth Somnus," Do'Rak called out slowly with a contemplative tone. "I am at your command. Do'Rak of the temple of Ziost."

Do'Rak was very much eager, a feeling, no a scent of anticipation was wetting his brow. He had no clue why this rare figure before him would wish his company in a room the acolyte suspected was not visited by anyone, given the emptiness. However, the acolyte knew his training was coming to a head, that he had achieved what was part of his upbringing in his twisted family known as the Sith.

"My enemies are dead. The Lords of the Malicious are dead. Those that have faced me thus far are for all intensive purposes... dead. Have I earned something for myself, my lord? A chance to claim more honor? Or perhaps a swift death?"

The words grew sour in Do'Rak's mouth and as he decided to show his acceptance for all possible outcomes, his head bowed lower to an invisible guillotine, and his hand was mere inches away from his lightsaber. There was no Sith in the room willing to accept death while his lightsaber was still near.

 

[Dmitri]

Geist couldn't help but chuckle. "You need not fear death from me."

The Sith Lord evaluated Do'Rak. The boy had done well in completing his assignment. He showed potential. Dealing with the Lords of Malicious had broken him past the first tier. It was a test of sorts, to see if the boy was ready to enter the perils of the galaxy. The results from his mission indicated he was.

"Indeed," answered Geist. "A reward is necessary. You'll be given a special assignment. Soon, the 11th Fleet will be attacking Yag'Dhul. During the battle, you will be sent to a Givin laboratory where there is a special experimental computer I need obtained. I want it obtained before it can be destroyed during the battle. On the voyage to Yag'Dhul, I will give you a lesson personally to train you, to make sure you are up to the task."

 

[Apple]

Do'Rak smiled a small, rare smirk. "I assure you, I will acquire the experimental computer and nothing will stand in my way. Should I fail, may my death be never mourned."

Do'Rak had never been to Yag'Dhul, and had never heard a thing about the planet in his 23 years of living. This triggered that small human feeling of fear of the unknown, but that was not what he was looking towards. Darth Somnus desired a task done, from an acolyte none the less. It was either a suicide mission that Do'Rak woul no doubt need to be stronger for or a trap. Usually, it was toss up because both options were more frequent dilemmas than what the young acolyte would be having to eat in the morning. The promise of training however also thoroughly tickled that willful Korun's adrenal glands. Strength was his addiction, and he was sure to never quit.

"Who... or what should I expect as my opposition? Let it be known, my master, that there is no Force I deem worth of my life and as such, my question is merely one of... formality. Your task will be done."

Do'Rak nodded his head in a bemused fashion and then moved his gaze from the shoes of his patron to the face, those amber corrupted eyes searching for a challenge. He sought a chance to prove his strength with a smile.

 

[Dmitri]

Geist could sense the uncertainty bubbling in the boy. Not from weakness, but from the unknown. It was obvious the boy had never heard of Yag'Dhul before. Not everyone did.

"If you're lucky, little opposition," admitted the Sith Lord. "The laboratory is from one of their academies. Most likely you'll face local security. There's a couple graduate projects being done for the military, the computer one of them, so there is a possibility you might run into a few soldiers. However, with an invasion looming over their heads, it is unlikely they'll have many soldiers to spare on a university."

 

[Apple]

A slight bit of disappointment came to Do'Rak's face as he frowned at the thought of little opposition, "Very well, when are we to be leaving?"

There was an interesting thought that came to Do'Rak's head at that moment, something he never stopped to consider. There was mention as to why Do'Rak was specifically chose for the mission and for training. Interestingly enough, he could also almost... sense something in the future. There was a cloud above the head of Darth Somnus, and the Korun felt uneasy. He could hardly ascertain what was going to happen to his new teacher, and he knew he had little of a hand in it. Perhaps his teacher was or was going to be more important than he could guess.

"Also, if I might ask, will there be anything to kill on the ride there?"

 

[Dmitri]

Disappointment radiated from the boy. He wasn't too good at hiding his emotions. He was hoping for a bigger challenge. Do'Rak had done very well with the Lords of Malicious, but Geist wasn't about to put the acolyte in extreme danger. No, the invasion would allow the university to be mostly unguarded. The supercomputer was needed during the invasion, not afterwards, so that Geist could keep its acquisition under the radar. Acolytes' missions tended to not garner as much attention as much as a crusader or master would should they take on the assignment.

Geist motioned to the door. "We leave now." As Geist began to walk away, he added, "Let us hope we do not have to kill anything on the way. If we do, then there will be problems we would best avoid."

OOC: Your post will probably conclude this thread. We can resume aboard the diplomatic barge Administrator in a thread in The Story, taking place ICly during the voyage from Ziost to Yag'Dhul. Originally I was going to have the training take place in this thread, but as things went, thought it would better serve during the journey. Once you post, I'll create the training thread in The Story and link you to it.

 

[Apple]

Do'Rak bowed his head back down in acceptance of his patron's wishes. Putting his hand to the ground in assistance of stability, the Korun stood back up, tall and proud with a sense of intimidating, nigh overwhelming strength. The distinctive red tattoos displayed his commitment to the Sith Order. His hollowing eyes of yellow taint showed his commitment to the dark side. The chance to earn this prestige and become more powerful weighed lightly on the acolyte's back.

"I am at your command... my master." A feeling of destruction and dark purpose began to permeate the room as Do'Rak was ready to continue on towards his destiny, carving it out for himself.

Strength always finds a way.