Sith Mind Games

[Taz]

​

Shadows covered the depths of the city's underbelly like a cool blanket. Underneath lay a skeleton of durasteel and duracreet. This was the depths of the planet city of Coruscant. Somewhere hear in the bowls of this dead world would be the next hopeful ally to the hybrid assassin.

Whispers of a new and unique acolyte had drifted throughout the Order. Virion wanted different, wanted something untainted by the civil war. Other then missions and assassinations, few things brought the half blooded Zabrak from his secrete place of training and rest. When he heard of this woman, this Sith Hag, he quickly made his way to the once capital world.

He lurked in the blanket of darkness. Tracking those who moved in it as well. Survivors, foolish remnants of a government or a populous long extinct from this world. The predator reached out with the force. The ocean of dead left behind only served to assist, his senses reaching far and wide. The assassin could feel the humanoid scurrying like a womp rat. Taking aim with his weapon , pulling the bow back to a full draw. The mag accelerator making the slightest hum in his ear.

A release of the cord would send the durasteel tipped projectile straight threw the man before he could have any idea his heart left his body with the shaft. But he was not here for him. He was here for the Hag. He continued on, leaping from building shell to collapsed ruin. The cloak of the force concealing him from sight.

 

[CaliforniaWinter]

The Underworld of Coruscant. Once the dwelling of many a thief, murderer, and slaves upon slaves, all of them unfortunate enough to find themselves destined to live out the rest of their pitiful days down below. And yet, after the Battle of Coruscant, the climatic onslaught that occurred all over the once great planet.....the Underworld still look similar to it's glory days.

The Black Hag smiled beneath her trademark cloak, happy with herself for noting there was little difference in the before and after here. The Sith Acolyte continued down the polluted streets which were wrought with death and misery, the smell of decaying corpses wafting out of nearby back alleys. It was here the Hag had lived out her more, shall we say, interesting days as a young criminal herself before discovering her innate gift of allowing the Dark Side of the Force to carry her to a higher calling. One that did not involve bribery and blackmail, but being manipulative and malevolent. The latter suited her quite nicely, even more so than the former.

She found the whole situation rather ironic, a sort of bittersweet nostalgia. But she was not here to reminisce on what was, but instead to prepare for what may be. Yes....that is why she was summoned down here, and not at the Sith Temple far up above. The one armed crone quickly shuffled along, preferring not to be tardy to her first lesson by a Sith Crusader. The first impression was always the most important you see.

"Where oh where could he be?" She thought, walking over a rotting corpse as she did so. The Dark Side was strong down here, courtesy of the many evil doings that had occurred here before and after the descisive battle. She stood still, closing her eyes, and concentrated on the remnants of those that once lived out their days here. The Force coiled itself around her like the chains she wore beneath her cloak, which actually felt refreshing to the Hag. After a moment of concentration, she exhaled, the Dark Side snaking it's way through the nearby decrepit ruins of once proud establishments, now nothing more than piles of durasteel and stone.

Wherever her new teacher was located, he was rather hard to find, an expert at masking his presence. The Black Hag figured it would be best he found her. If he was nearby, he might feel the surge in the Force, riddled with malice and hatred only those that a lived for a extended amount of time could achieve. Yes...he would feel it. They always did.

"I am ready for what may come."

 

[Taz]

The acolytes aura was unmistakable. It crept into the area like miasma, filling the assassin senses causing a tiny shiver. He did not fear the woman, nor would he have reason to. However the hairs standing on the back of his neck could not be avoided.

Virion stood in the shadows, watching the morbid creature lurk from the other size of what would of been an alleyway of some sort. She was at home here in the underworld. He thought it best to come to her here in such a place rather then the temple in what was left of the world above. With the war in full swing and the loss of the temple of Korriban, Virion was not quick to find himself inside one again.

"I am ready" ... "We'll see just how ready you are"

Still lurking in the shadows over the hag. The assassin drew the force to him. Focusing on the old mind of the twisted woman. His thoughts like a snake, slithering into the woman's mind. Slinking into her frontal thoughts. Here he would give her a simple suggestion, given her history it wouldn't be a thought she would resist.

"That man there, kill him with the force" his suggestion was subtle and open. Giving the witch freedom of will. He did not want to force her hand. Rather just a little nudge. It was part of the lesson he intended for her and what better way to learn then first hand experience he thought.

 

[CaliforniaWinter]

For a moment the Hag was stunned, not expecting the voice of her new teacher to appear within her mind. But little these days kept the decades old woman off her balance for long, and so she listened to the whispers of the mysterious Crusader.

"That man there, kill him with the Force." It was a simple task, perhaps too simple, but never the less something the Hag was sure she was capable of. Her wrinkled face turned swiftly, borderline supernatural, as her cold gaze fell upon her prey.

A lone man, covered in tattered rags and filth, the smell of rust and trash flowing from his body. Dried blood was caked on the side of his head, scars and scabs lining his arm. The foul man was crouched down over a large pile of trash, rummaging through it frantically. The Hag sneered in disgust as his rotten stench assaulted her senses. "What a wretched creature! Even the Underworld is no place for him!" She angrily thought.

Had the Sith chosen the Underworld because of her.....familiarity with the place? Or was this all some twisted coincidence? Either way, she did appreciate his choice of location, but she knew better than to disrespect her superiors.

The cloaked woman approached the hermit, her right hand outstretching to send ethereal tendrils of the Dark Side to coil around his chest. He was no doubt surprised and in immense pain as the unseen fingers of the Force slowly begin to tighten their grip on man. Slowly but surely bones began to pop and crack, pieces of his ribs jutting through his chest! Blood poured from the new openings in his body, splattering the ground in their crimnson hue.

The Black Hag smirked evilly, enjoying the fact that this man was experiencing the same pain she felt metaphorically and physically all the time. "Have a nice flight!" She exclaimed before tossing his hovering body across the square in which she stood. With a sickening crunch, the man's life force was no more.

She slowly spun on her heels, searching visually and with the Force for her mysterious new teacher. "What next?"

 

[Taz]

The old woman was impressive. Gruesome but impressive in her brutality and use of the force. So much so that it was surprising to him that such an old woman was only an acolyte in the order. He stood in the shadows, watching expressionless as the woman crush the poor fool like a Naboo grape and toss him away as if he was just the same.

The sack of flesh and shattered bones hitting the floor with a wet kind of spat sound. It was over before it could began. The man had no hope from the moment Virion pointed him out. But the attack was not the point. He was little more then a lab fat to test his force persuasion. To trick the hag's mind into doing his bidding. It was after all what she expressed an interest in. In controlling the minds of others, twisting them and manipulating them to her will. Just as he had done now.

"You have remarkable ability with the force. Yet even with your power I was able to place a suggestion in you're mind. The power of force persuasion is a key ability for hopeful Sith Sorcerers like yourself. With enough time and practice in can open into such abilities and domination. In fact I know of several sorcerers and arcanists that reply on the ability."

He spoke as he emerged from the cover of the shadows. Revealing himself to the old woman. The hybrid looked every bit the Sith. Armor covering his body, saber ready in his right hand. Something he felt was needed after seeing the woman's work. He continued out of the shadows and walked closer to the woman.
"Tell me acolyte, how does one go eighty years and not learn such arts as persuasion. How do you not advance to such levels as Master when it's obvious you enjoy the power of the dark side"

 

[CaliforniaWinter]

"You have remarkable ability with the Force. Yet even with your power I was able to place a suggestion in your mind." The Hag turned around quickly, her hand ready to summon the blades of energy she hid beneath her clothing, but sighed quietly once she realized it was her new teacher, Virion. She had heard only a bit about him, particularly that he was a rather reclusive fellow. To leave whatever sanctuary he called home and travel to Coruscant must have meant the Hag was worth something!
"The power of Force Persuasion is a key ability for hopeful Sith Sorcerers like yourself. With enough time and practice it can open into such abilities as domination. In fact, I know of several sorcerers and arcanists that rely on the ability."

A smile of satisfaction etched it's way upon the Hag's wrinkled and scarred face. So the Crusader would teach her what she wished to learn! There were a few moments here and there where she thought the Crusader would teach her a lesson in saber combat, something he wouldn't be able to teach properly to someone who had three lightsabers, one hand, and five chains for combat.

"Speaking of lightsabers....." She thought slyly as she noticed the Zabrak/Human hybrid had his saber grasply firmed in his head. Perhaps her little show had put the Sith on edge?

As the man began to walk closer, he spoke these words:
"Tell me Acolyte, how does one go eighty years and not learn such arts as persuasion? How do you not advance to such levels as Master when it's obvious you enjoy the power of the Dark Side?" She chuckled slightly, but even here in this abandoned plaza her laughter seem to echo off the walls. It was not a mocking laugh, but one of pure amusement. The Black Hag had been asked this question many times over the past decades.

"Unlike most Sith, I do not believe that rushing in head first in a bout of rage will solve all of our problems. You must remember, Sir Virion, that I am older than the Imperium itself. Much, much older......Back then I was taught a little differently." She strolled about the plaza, gazing at the ruined buildings and faint lights in the distant. Survivors no doubt.

"I have learned over time that good things come to those who wait. And so I have waited for over fifty years. Unfortunately, the Force has determined otherwise, and has forced my hand!" She turned swiftly, facing the Sith now, her cloak swooshing in the air as she did so. "Recently, I met a girl on Nar Shadaa, a Jedi Padawan, who said the Force had guided her to me! And yet as we fought, as all Sith and Jedi do, I felt a spark. A flicker of the anger within her!"

She began to walk towards Virion, a look of frustration written on her face. "I must consolidate my power, I must grow stronger in order to turn her against her Jedi brethren. And you, Master......you are the key to that."

Once she had approached the Crusader, she knelt on one knee and gazed up into his eyes. From this close, there was no doubt the Dark Side was heavily clouded around her, almost suffocating.

"Teach me all that you know, so I may better myself for the trials to come."

 

[Taz]

"Speaking of lightsabers", she commented. Drawing attention to the fact he would not be caught of guard by one who had been lost to the abyss for so long. He may have been naive to what experienced force users were capable of before. But those were times far gone. Virion could see the look on her shriveled face. She was sizing up his single saber. But she would be a fool if she believed she had what it took to take the assassin.

His question then answered at first with a laugh. It was almost like a cackle of pure madness. The Sith witch seemed to have already give in to the madness of Sith magic. But the laughter stopped as sudden as it started.

Her explanation made sense to the young man. The Sith of old were far more methodical then now. The former Emperor Darth Sidious was a perfect example of this. His planning behind the fall of the Jedi and the Republic was a chess game that took decades.

He continued to listen and watch as the old bag of bones became more animated. Fires burning in her eyes as her words breathed smoke. The old woman had found a reason to live, to fight, to become destroy. A Jedi. A young female, perhaps something in the stranger reminded the hag of her former self. Perhaps she could not stand to see the purity of that refection.

In any case the hag wanted no, needed his assistance. As she humbled herself before him and asked for his aid, to gain knowledge. The dark side flowing between the two could have now could of attracted a youngling padawan had they not been at the center of mass slaughter.
With an amused smile on his face he looked down on the old woman groveling on bending knee. "The mind is a simple fragile thing. Naturally weak to outside influences and trauma." he said at first. "Stand acolyte." he demanded before continuing.

He would wait for her to obey before continuing. "There are many ways to skin a bantha. So to speak. When is comes to the mind one can be more sly and subtle. Slipping past the defenses and planting seeds to grow and flourish into action. Or, you can charge like a Rancor and obliterate mind of the subject in the process", Lord Ryak's words echoing threw his mouth.

"I have had the good fortune of learning the are from a Lord and two different Masters. Trust my words acolyte when I tell you there is no one or right way. The force works as we control it. It is up to you the wielder how the ability is done"

 

[CaliforniaWinter]

This felt....strange. Kneeling, that was, not the Dark Side energy that had warped the young woman. The Black Hag hadn't knelt to anyone in decades, for she considered most of the new Sith to be impulsive children, lacking any form of grace or strategy. They simply charged in saber first, thinking that would suffice against a Jedi. Bah! Perhaps one day they would learn or die trying....​

"The mind is a simple fragile thing. Naturally weak to outside influences and trauma." That witch understood that first hand. Before she came a Sith, the Hag was but a Force aided vigilante right here in the filth of Underworld Coruscant. That is until she heard the whispers of the Sith, voices promising to help her rid the galaxy of such criminal scum. Little did she know she would end up here.​

Once she stood up, the Crusader resumed his lecture."There are many ways to skin a bantha. So to speak. When it comes to the mind one can be more sly and subtle. Slipping past the defenses and planting seeds to grow and flourish into action. Or, you can charge like a Rancor and obliterate mind of the subject in the process." While the old woman herself did not have the powers Force Persuasion granted, she still was able to lure her opponents into traps or submit to her will through simple manipulation. Yet Force Persuasion would undoubtedly come in handy.​

"I have had the good fortune of learning from a Lord and two different Masters. Trust my words Acolyte when I tell you there is no one or right way. The Force works as we control it. It is up to you the wielder how the ability is done." The Sith smirked to herself under her cowl. She was fortunate enough to have such an experienced teacher, and not some fool who was far last his prime. ​

"I would prefer the former rather than the latter, to be able to break my enemy's mind over time and watch as he bends to my will." She snickered to herself, her one visible eye constantly focused on the hybrid assassin in front of her. "So which method shall you teach me first, hmm?" It was obvious she was eager to absorb whatever knowledge he had to offer.​

 

[Taz]

"I would agree, after all what good is a slave if she is little more the a force controlled zombie". He wasn't referring to the hag directly but he wasn't about to clarify just in case she had the thought. Interesting as she was he had no intention of putting the old woman under the same spell he had seem to with acolyte Fox.

"Subtle it is then, now shell we find a not so willing volunteer", he said a bit jokingly. Taking the lead as he started to walk. The Assassin didn't have a direction, simply walking aimlessly down the ruin painted streets, of twisted metal and shattered glass. The Galtea native was no fan of city planets, especially not the underbelly of one.

It didn't take long however for the man to find was he was looking for. A small family, father, mother and little girl. Bothans all three of them, trying to hid from the two Sith behind an old run down shop. The Assassin could sense them, the father carried what seemed like a rifle perhaps a bowcaster. The mother a pistol perhaps, and the small girl had a blade. The fear emanating was palatable for Virion though he was not sure of his student.

Virion reached out to his student with telepathy. Something he was growing very fond of doing for reasons of stealth of misdirection. "Feel them, each of them armed to defend themselves from us. Try to force one to turn on the others. The love of family is a hard bond to break. A good test for you I believe". He cared little who the old woman picked though it would be telling of the acolyte who she decided. His own test was much more difficult, as he was expected to penetrate the mind of an adult Zeltron.

 

[CaliforniaWinter]

"I would agree, after all what good is a slave if she is little more the a force controlled zombie?" The Hag smiled to herself, glad to see that they shared the same ideals when it came to conquering the minds of others. It was not an easy task, for there were many in the galaxy who could defend themselves against the rare art of mental warfare. But even the strongest of Sith and Jedi could be slowly turned against their own with the right amount of time and patience. An akin Skywalker was perhaps the best example that this technique was capable of bringing any and everyone down to their knees.

"I agree. I want an ally in the heat of battle, not a pet." They continued to walk the barren streets of Coruscant's underbelly, vermin of all kinds scurrying to and fro. And those were just the survivors she was talking about.

She examined Virion's demeanor, his stance wary as they walked down the ruined streets. He wasn't at home here, that much was evident. The Hag could only wonder why, as she had grew up here and knew every nook and cranny like the back of her hand.

They stopped once they reached a ruined shop. The Hah was about to question why when she sensed them: three figures hiding in the rubble, Bothans apparently. A father, his wife, and his daughter, all three of them unlucky survivors who would meet their doom on this planet.

"Feel them, each of them armed to defend themselves from us. Try to force one to turn on the others. The love of family is a hard bond to break. A good test for you I believe." Her master worked his words into her mind, something she was beginning to get used to. She was used to being the broadcaster, not the receiver. If he wanted her to try this on a defenseless family....then he would get exactly what she wanted.

The witch breathed inward, focusing on the mind of the young girl. It would be an unpleasant surprise if the daughter managed to stab her parents to death. The Black Hag willed her mind to join with the girl's, to connect in a way only the Force could allow. With a little effort, and a final push, the Hah could feel the girl's emotions as if they were her own.

She was terrified. All she knew was ruin and decay, the stench of corpses left rotting in dark alleyways. The Bothan would be easy to break. With subtlety, the Hag whispered words into the girls mind, like whispering into one's ear. They would be faint at first, nothing more than a slight breeze. But as the Hag chanted "Kill them" repeatedly, the girl became frantic. In her eyes her parents were now monsters, creatures ready to feast on her flesh and leave her body for the rodents. The Bothan suddenly screamed loudly, her high pitched battle cry echoing off the nearby walls. The Hag formed all of her hate for the mother and father into one massive wave of Dark Side energy, and shot it forward towards the girl!

Quickly she turned around, the blade immediately becoming imbedded in her mothers neck, blood spurting from the know gaping hole. She stabbed repeatedly, the sounds of flesh sickening to her father. He called out to his little girl, the one he had raised from birth. But she was no longer there, her mind and body nothing but tools to the Hag. "He means to harm you! They all do. We must strike first...strike first....first..."
The girl grabbed her head in pain and confusion, the words making no sense but also making everything seem right. Yes. They were the real monsters, having a child on a planet as barren as Coruscant. Without warning she struck, grabbing the bowcaster forcibly from his grasp, a few misfired shots hitting a weakened girder in the building.

The father did not know what to do, that is until he gained advice from an outside source. "The Jedi have clouded her thoughts. They wish to bring you harm! You must defend yourself....." How could this be? The Jedi here, on Coruscant? It all made sense now!

The young Bothan continued to scurry franticly towards her father, who now had a deranged look on his face. He tackled the girl to the ground, wrestling the knife from her weak grip. With the knife out of the picture, her grabbed her face, and repeatedly slammed the girls head into the stone ground beneath them. In moments she was dead, the contents of her head splayed out for all to see. The Hag relinquished control of his mind, for the man was of no further use to her. As a child she had manipulated adults into giving her money, or killing others for money. This was child's play to her.

As his senses returned to normal, he glanced down to see his deceased daughter and wife, their bodies empty of all life. He began crying uncontrollably. What father would do such a thing? To watch his daughter slaughter his wife, and then for him to do the same to his own child? He was despicable!

The Sith focused her willpower on the weakened girder, and with a slight pull, the girder came completely lose. This caused the entire building to come tumbling down, another tomb among many down here in the underbelly.

After the dust had cleared, she turned to face Virion, searching his face for any reaction.

 

[Taz]

Virion stood, looking on as he watched his student work. He expected the task to come easy. She was an acolyte. Old perhaps but a learner none the less. He would not set her up for failure, or set the bar so high she would only be inches from reaching it. Every part of this experiment was meant to make the experience as pleasant as possible. All the more easy to win the old woman over. After all the Empire was at war, not only with outsiders but with itself.

The gore was so vivid and raw it reminded him of his former Mentor. Or the mental assault he was given by his mentor was more like it. Anger, fear, horror, sorrow. Death. It was over just as fast as it started. Blood and guts painted the old walls and stained the stone floor. To leave no loose ends the Hag switched her target and proceeded to kill him as well.

"Well done, I expected as much from one bound to the force for so long. You have a good grasp on the ability. Far more did I did just years ago. Don't expect it to come so easy with a Jedi however" He spoke as he looked to her. Amused with the show. "Crushing him with the girder was a nice touch. Perhaps over the top but nice", he would finish.

 

[CaliforniaWinter]

The Hag studied Virion's facial expressions as he witnessed the gruesome sight and the unexpected aftermath afterwards. The Sith had been alive for long enough to know how to tie up loose ends. If she would have left the father alive, he surely would have come after the two Force users with hate and revenge in his eyes. It was best to nip the whole incident in the bud.

"Well done, I expected as much from one bound to the Force for so long. You have a good grasp on the ability. Far more than I did just years ago. Don't expect it to come so easy with a Jedi however." The crone smiled to herself, rather pleased to see the Crusader was satisfied her work. While not extremely difficult, she had felt some resistance from the father, something she would to practice. She could not afford to lose precious seconds in the heat of battle because one if her adversaries had decided to "resist" her mental intrusions.

"Crushing him with the girder was a nice touch. Perhaps over the top, but nice." Virion was amused, that much was clear. Perhaps the girder was a bit much, but who said you couldn't have a little fun while training?

"Thank you, Virion." It was here that she bowed slightly. "I am also well aware of how difficult it will be to tame the mind of Valkyrius. But I believe with enough practice, she'll see the "light" in no time." She chuckled at how ironic the sentence was. "They always do...."

 

[Taz]

"They do at that", the old woman's play on words was not lost to the young Crusader. He was pleased not only in the woman's show but in his own ability to pass on knowledge to another. It wasn't so long ago he was much like her. Starving for any information at all to grow his abilities.

"Perhaps soon it will be you who shows me something, maybe even a new fallen Jedi pet", he chuckled once more. It was not that unlikely. The old woman showed great skill and strength in the dark side. If he was buying her time the galaxy would soon be her playground. For now however there was little more to show the one armed crone. A good thing for the Crusader as he despised having to set foot on the dead city planet.

"You've done well, perhaps something an old woman could of found on her own I suspect. In any case I think our time here is complete. I have a war to return to. So many enemies and so little time. I look forward to hearing from you again should you find yourself in need of more training." He looked around the dead underworld with a sneer of disgust. "Perhaps next time we stay my ship", he was of course speaking of the Dagger class corvette he confiscated from the shipyards on Mon Calimari.

The Crusader gave the old woman a respected bow from teacher to student. He then turned and walked from her. Fading into the shadow just as he had come to her only a short time ago. He truly was expecting to see her again. War was now here, and the old one armed beast of a woman would make for a worthy partner or perhaps second apprentice. Not as much as the Fox but still very useful indeed.