Change Of Heart

[Xornoth Sk'ar]

2100
Korriban temple

It had been several years since the fateful day on Korriban where the then Master Fond had left Xornoth broken and lost without direction. It was a cruel twist of fate where the younger Kaleesh had looked up to Serie for her skill and talent in the force and hoped to learn from her but alas that was not to be.

Fate did not abandon Xornoth for long and shortly afterward his path aligned with that of Sith Lord Evandrus and from there the Kaleesh would be brought back from the edge of nothing and thrust into power.

He would soon become a Sith Lord and the responsibilities that came with that would require him to bury old hatchets that could cause issues working with his fellow Sith. The Empress had offered mercy to Serie recently and Xornoth considered if the Empress could do so, then it would be something he could too.

Xornoth knew Serie would be at the temple at this time of the night and hoped to catch her roaming around in the hallways. He wasn't exactly sure what he would say, but that didn't exactly matter. They would need to work together in the future and how he got there wasn't important as much as actually reaching that destination.

@anzat17

 

[Serie Fond]

Serie walked the halls of the korriban temple a bit more cautiously than before. Where as once not so long ago she would have had nothing to worry about, today she was much more paranoid about any member of the Sith. No matter who it was anymore, she saw them as a threat to her life that she would eliminate at the drop of a hat. She had been attacked by members of the order more times than she could count and was sick and tired of it. She didn't let the frustration get to her however.

To look at her you would think she was as carefree as she always was, blissfully enjoying life. Inside however, she was a storm of emotions and feelings all battling for control. She wanted to trust them, but she couldn't anymore. Not after the two faced slut known as vex had tried to attack her in some sort of conjoined attack, bringing as many of her friends as she possibly could and ultimately she was the one who failed. Serie was still here, stronger than ever. And what's more, she now knew that no one could be trusted anymore.

When she saw the kaleesh she rolled her eyes. While he hadn't taken any action against her, he was still there, and it was rather obvious he was there as support for the little bitch. Based on her expression it would be rather obvious she wasn't very welcoming of him. She strolled down the hallway towards him unwavering however. No one intimidated her anymore. She had been through too much, seen way too much crap to be phased by anything anymore.

Hello Xor. What a pleasant surprise seeing you here.

 

[Xornoth Sk'ar]

Ah there she was, Master Fond herself in the flesh. The hallway wasn't large enough to contain her contempt for the Kaleesh it would seem as she laid eyes upon him properly. While he had seen her recently in the war masters kitchen, he had elected not to fight against either party although that might not matter to Serie.

Xor locked eyes with her but he could not escape noticing that she had changed her attire, now more revealing than the first time they had met all that time ago as a knight. Funny enough he had become what she had desired, the Kaleesh had gained strength and knowledge and power beyond what she had envisioned would be his fate and yet a small part of his old self, yearned for her acknowledgment.

"Serie... I have succeeded where you thought I would fail. You chose wrong on that day and that destroyed who I was and left a bitter, sad hulk behind to wither into nothing. That would have been the end of my story but I was reborn, I was saved by someone who saw who I could be and not what I was then."

Xornoth had been a bitter, angry knight who vowed to kill Serie Fond someday, the mother of all his sorrows stood in front of him as he spoke while they stood as equals. The briefest thought passed his mind of acting upon his old desire but was quickly buried owing to his renewed sense of purpose that he had recently taken on.

He would be a better Sith, one who admitted when he was wrong but also would never stop striving for what he sought and helping those others below him to find theirs. Serie was not the enemy, she had found a way for him to succeed, he just didn't realize it at the time.

"You taught me an important lesson that day Serie, one I shall never forget. Strength cannot be given but instead, it must be taken by those strong enough to take it. Well, I have taken this to heart and by the gods nothing will stop me from reaching the limits of my ambition now and I have you to thank for this."

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@anzat17

 

[Serie Fond]

Serie stood looking at him as they came to a stop on front of each other. Her head slowly turning to the side as she studied him. He was stronger now. She could see that quite plainly. While he had been a fledgling knight looking to earn her notice not long ago, now he was someone of perhaps even equal strength to her. But the seeds she had planted years ago, had sprouted, and despite the kaleesh having gained power and respect equal to her, she could see that small need for her approval. It was small, almost unnoticeable, but still it was there. If nothing else, she did know how to play the long game.

I see that. Perhaps I was too short sighted then. You have grown tremendously in strength, surpassing the other two Sith you fought that day by leaps and bounds. I would say you had good teachers..

She said, pausing to flash him a cute half smile. She was of course referring to her and Evandus having instructed him before in the past. But then she continued.

But you did this by yourself, and I'm proud of you Xor. You don't need to thank me, if anything, you flatter me just knowing I was your motivation to get stronger.

She said a but more seriously, her head dipping slightly as she looked at him. Was she really moving so slowly now that she was still only as strong as she was when she had met him? It didn't make sense to her in the slightest. She had trained, fought giant battles against numerous beings,defeated Jedi and Sith alike. And still she was stagnant. It seemed like No matter what she did, she just wouldn't move forward. She just couldn't wrap her head around it.

I suppose I should thank you for your neutrality the last time we saw each other, but you were still there. Not something I can particularly thank you for.

 

[Xornoth Sk'ar]

Xornoth's time in the empire had been one of personal struggle and triumph but to be acknowledged was his one true vice above all. To hear recognition coming from Master Fond, someone who at one point he had fought to apprentice under was not something that he could hide his elation for. He had worked hard to forge himself anew and his progress had turned into undeniable results as news of his actions spread far and wide throughout the empire.

"The incident in the kitchen was undesirable but is it not fortunate that you all were not seriously injured, let alone punished by the Empress? I cannot hold myself to condemn you for what you did to me all those years ago, perhaps I did not see why they were done but it has helped me in ways I could not fathom."

"For the briefest of windows perhaps we are truly equal but yet I must thank you for teaching me how to manipulate the mind with the force."

Stories of his manipulations had spread, although many would claim innocents were hurt in his wake, Xornoth stood true to the path.

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@anzat17

 

[Serie Fond]

Serie did her best to suppress a laugh. She didn't do very well however as a slight snicker escaped her lips. It wasn't about the last part he had said. Merely the first. She brought the back of her hand to her mouth as she stifled another giggle and narrowed her eyes at him.

The only fortunate ones were those who stood against me Xor. Had what happened, not happened, I can assure you, things should have turned out differently.

She then moved to address what else he had said, her tone becoming a bit more serious as did her expression. She considered how she had first taught him the ability that he had become almost famous for, probably as famous as her for her use of the ability. She paused for a moment as she considered their time together, how they had interacted, and what's more, how he slightest of manipulations had both benefited and hindered her.

Maybe one day you'll repay the favor? Aren't we both Sith trying to better the galaxy? If we're equals let's keep things equal. Why don't you show me something when you've got the time? Ibthink you owe me one.

She said, still not quite fully playing her hand. She knew Xor was still very intelligent, and she wouldn't get to understand him through shallow talks. No, the best way she would get to know him, would be sparring with him again. Propels true nature came out when they fought. No matter what, Sith or Jedi, their true colors shown through when they were in the midst of a fight. If you were a coward it would show, courageous, haughty, hesitant, they all shown through in combat. It was the best way in her opinion to get to know a person.

 

[Xornoth Sk'ar]

Serie was a Sith Master in her own right but Xornoth had been quite busy indeed and was taking great strides in developing his mental abilities. As the Sith war machine expanded, planets were falling at ever greater rates and their people fell under the jurisdiction of the Judgement to protect and punish.

"Yes, perhaps the next time we meet, you can see where I've grown?" he said matter of factly. Truth be told he didn't know how long that could be, Serie was quite the busy master herself and was seldom seen on Korriban and his schedule was always taking him from one planet to another.

"I've had a few opportunities to use it since we last trained, on Felucia for example I was able to break someone's mind before they could swing a weapon at me. I used the same basic techniques you gave me and refined them on my own, to breach and destroy his identity and leave him incapable of being a threat. With time I hope to be able to expand this to be able to affect multiple people at once, thanks to you."

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@anzat17