Ask Desolate But Alive

[Darth Tempest]

.

While she certainly wasn’t enjoying herself, Tempest had long-since grown accustomed to the oppressive heat of Korriban. As an Acolyte, she had split her time between Dromund Kaas and their desert homeworld - training within the Academy grounds, or conducting missions that took her deep into the hellish landscape. It felt like a lifetime had passed, but she could vividly recall the fuel with Caelian that cost her arm, as well as the adventures with Varyn - only a few miles from where she stood. They were fond memories, but ones that the Dark Lord refused to dwell on for very long. She was here to do more than just reminisce.

Fortunately, the iconic mask she wore helped to hide any displeasure etched across Tempest’s expression. Instead, the Dark Lord continued to march across the sandy terrain - dwarfed by the monolithic statues and ruined structures on either side of her. There was rumor that a tribe of Purebloods had taken residence nearby, abandoning the Valley of the Dark Lords and Palaces that had once buzzed with activity.

Neither did Tempest arrive on the planet alone. She had contacted another member of the Order to accompany her on the search - selected for both their heritage and rising status amongst the remaining Sith. Reclaiming Korriban wasn’t a viable goal anytime soon - but rallying the support of its native tribes might’ve been possible. Enlisting one of their own would be helpful in that regard.

As she reached the edge of a sheer ridge, Tempest took a moment to pause - waiting for Cyutadakyr to arrive. She could feel the presence of life further down into the valley, a flicker amongst the endless expanses of desolation. Whatever they were to find, it was close.

 

[Nevizkas]

Some part of the Pureblood felt relief to be back home, the familiar warmth and darkness that helped shape her into the being she had come to be. There was another part of her that hated what it represented, while only one of a few planets her species called home, its connection to the order had been complicated. Millennia ago the purebloods had been as numerous as there are stars in the sky with clans and classes in a hierarchal order that made sense.

Over time empires had come and gone, leaving fewer and fewer of her kind to make do with the resources they could find. Each time they held hope that they could once more flourish in the wake of a dying empire, only to be disappointed by their freedoms being ripped away by the more powerful Sith.

But power respected power and such was the way of life. Cyutadakyr for her part was on her own path and it didn't matter what or who stood in her way, they would all bow or die eventually. That or she would join her ancestors and her journey would end almost as soon as it had begun.

Cyu knew the dark nexus on Korriban well, but the familiarity of the Dark Lord's presence was still something newish to her. Welcoming all the same, the pureblood approached quietly to stand off to the side with a proud smile before dipping her head.

"My lord."

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

How far Korriban had fallen.

Millennia ago, Korriban and its twin had been the cradle of Sith civilization and culture - home to their people through their Golden Age. It was here that the Exiles had first transformed themselves into the Sith Order. Where Andraste had slain Adas. Where their Order and predecessors had ruled supreme for thousands upon thousands of years. For time immemorial, it had been the crown jewel of Empires without count.

But now? The Red Sith had scattered into the sand - a shadow of their former glory and prestige. Malicia was dead and Raze had abandoned the planet where he had once been King-consort, leaving the few tribes that remained to be consumed by their own infighting and rivalry. Even if another King had risen to claim the crown, there was little chance the man possessed the strength necessary to bring the planet under singular and purposeful rule.

Perhaps, there was an opportunity for that to change.

Tempest felt the presence that joined her along the ridge long before Cyu came into view. Her visor only tilted back when the Pureblood bowed before her, offering a small nod of acknowledgement in return. “Not quite the homecoming you were expecting?” She asked, her voice heavily modulated and distorted by the mask she wore.

The Dark Lord turned her gaze ahead, taking in a breath of the hot and dry air. “There have been sighting of Pureblood warparties moving across the desert. Fighting each other, from the looks of it.” She said. Only then did she properly glance back to look at Cyu. “What do you know of the planets current state? Of your own tribe?”

 

[Nevizkas]

Standing proudly over the dusty sand dunes, the pureblood seemingly enjoying the arid air filling her lungs as she listened. The not-so-subtle jab bore through her thin veneer of tolerance, resulting in a quick-witted response to be returned. "Nor you, I expect, my lord." Since the withdrawal of both the Sith Order and the Imperials, it didn't take long for the more traditional practices to return among the purebloods.

"From what I have heard, warbands arrive every day from all the various worlds where Sith reside. Each seeks to prove themselves and their leaders the most powerful amongst the rest. Few, if any, tribes would refuse to contest, lest they be subjugated by the others without fighting first. The planet itself is largely empty, with the empire gone. Some natural resources, and of course many powerful artifacts, or at least the ones that have not yet been looted."

Cyu squatted down for a moment and reached out to take a handful of sand, watching as the particles slipped through her fingers before looking back to her lord. "My tribe is not the greatest, nor is it the least. Their strongest warrior, the last I know, is called Maerkor and he has won many fights. Why do you ask?"

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Tempest kept her arms folded against the small of her back, listening to everything that Cyutadakyr had to say. Despite the changes that had washed across the Sith Worlds, the situation on Korriban.. Largely didn’t surprise her.

For generations, the Pureblood tribes had been their worst enemy. Warbands ripped through each other and bathed the deserts in the blood of thousands - consistently thinning their own ranks and sowing further rivalry between their people. So long as they were left to their own devices, the Purebloods would never unite behind a singular ruler. Never again would they reach the full potential their species was capable of.

“Because I believe it is time for Maerkor to be replaced.” She glanced back to Cyu. “Assuming you have the ability.”

With that, Tempest began to slowly descend the ridge - gesturing for the Pureblood to follow close behind. Whatever reaction the woman had to the Dark Lord's intentions, they would need to be made while they kept moving through the blistering heat.

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

The words of the Dark Lord lingered in the air, their meaning not lost upon the pureblood. On the one hand, there was an ounce of pride at the thought of finally having an opportunity to put that bastard Maerkor in his place given their last encounter. But at the same time, a small wound in said pride as Tempest spoke into the world, her potential doubts about Cyu being ready to do so.

Their departure along the sandy dunes shortly after was in silence for some time. The path was one that she had crossed a thousand times before, every rock, tree, and perhaps even the multitude of grains of sand was familiar to her in some way. It was quite surreal to be finally heading home after being gone for so long, she wasn't even entirely sure how the tribe would react.

Naturally, she had only passed on stories of her victories, carefully avoiding anything else but the Sith exile from the empire was not something that she could possibly hide. A deeply cut shame may have eroded some of their trust in her, and perhaps they might even doubt themselves whether she would even be as formidable as she once claimed. Even still, as they walked the sandy path her mind turned to her family.

Hours passed and they were still some time from reaching her village as far as Cyu could tell. Pausing in the sand, Tempest would certainly be able to discern the faint outline in the distance that had caught the pureblood's attention. Dropping down below the line of sight of a dune, she looked toward her companion as the metaphorical gears of a plan forming were clearly visible on her face.

"A raiding party, parallel to this path and heading to my village. I don't think they saw us yet, did you catch how many?" If the group was a scouting group, Cyu would feel more comfortable taking them on herself, but if it was a fully-fledged war party then she'd insist that they try to get ahead of them to warn the others. Either way, it looked like things were about to get spicy, really quickly.

@Altaris

Roll: 18/20

 

[Darth Tempest]

Tempest wasn’t exactly conversational as they approached the Pureblood village. She kept her gaze fixed upon the horizon - sweeping the barren landscape of Korriban through the HUD of her helmet. With every step through the sands, the Dark Lord drank in the power of the Nexus that thrummed at the heart of the planet, fueling and amplifying her strength above normal means. It was exquisite and addictive, and it only drove her desire to bring the planet back within Sith control in the long run.

The Dark Lord had - indeed - picked up on the outline in the distance. She felt the pulse of Life that echoed across the fields of desolate. She felt the emotions and anger that pumped through young men and women. She felt the strength of the Kissai that accompanied them.

“Dozens,” She said simply. Unlike the Champion, Temmpest didn’t crouch or attempt to hide herself beneath the dunes. She stood at their peak - cloak billowing with the gust of desert air. The Force began to gather all around her, roaring like a tidal wave and carefully contained within her fingertips. She was perhaps the most powerful Force User on the planet, and began to call upon every ounce of her strength.

“Get up,” She said without looking back. “They will not reach the village.”

Lifting her hands into the air, Cyu would feel the the presence of the Force shift dramatically. The Force billowed forth and forced the very elements into subservience, bringing the wind to swirl violently around the raiding party. The sands of the desert rose from the barren sea with each gust, completely encapsulating dozens of Pureblood in the endless torrent. Many of them would choke and suffocate with every gasping breath, forced to inhale mouthfuls of sand and dust. Their skin would shear and go raw with each gale. Any attempt to escape would get them nowhere, as Tempest carefully manipulated the storm to follow them.

It was ruthless and completely without warning. The bulk of them would collapse before Cyu even made it down the ridge, but the Dark Lord beckoned her all the same. “Kill what remains of them.”

 

[Nevizkas]

Returning to her feet, there was a powerful surge of the force twisting and drawing near. The hazy horizon billowed with sand and fine particles as the Sith Lord flexed her might across the landscape, shaping the environment into a noxious tomb for the encroaching party. There did not have to be a second thing spoken, as Cyutadakyr lept forward into a sprint toward her foes. The group may have been decimated by the surprise attack, but they couldn't risk the strongest surviving to wreak havoc another day.

With a thunderous war cry, the pureblood pressed into the group with ferocious zeal. Dazed by the powerful attack, they stood no chance as she sliced across torso, thigh and throat. Of the handful that had not succumbed to Tempest's dreadful machinations, none but one remained breathing.

The mighty warrior Matun knelt before her, with wounds plenty. A failing strength was all that stopped him from reaching out and attempting to destroy Cyutadakyr, who in turn watched and mocked his weakness. Circling like a vulture, feasting upon his suffering, there was yet but one trophy she had in mind.

Returned to Tempest with blood and sand are strewn across her face, the prized head of a warrior clutched in her hand revealed the pureblood success. "They are gone, my lord." She focused on controlling her breath as she spoke confidently. Not all warbands would be so easily broken, some may even have force users of their own. But for now, they had claimed victory and saved her village in the immediate term.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Tempest didn’t need to survey the wasteland to know that every member of the raiding party was dead. Their essence within the Force been smothered beneath the unforgiving sands of Korriban, leaving only a void where so many embers had once burned bright. The Dark Lord felt no sympathy for those slain. Their deaths would serve a far greater purpose, and gave their otherwise insignificant lives a sense of meaning in the very end.

As she approached, Tempest allowed her gaze to fall upon Cyu - observing the Pureblood silently. She didn’t miss the head of the war and leader that Cyu was clutching, and took a long moment to consider the next steps.

The silence drug on - filled only by the screech of carrion birds circling overhead. The Dark Lord took in a breath before lifting her gaze back to Cyu. “Then I have given you all the tools necessary to succeed.” She said plainly.

The death of the war and presented an opportunity that Tempest hadn’t considered prior to that point. It was more beneficial for Cyu to continue alone - under the lie that she alone had ambushed and slaughtered the group. It would feed her own reputation on Korriban and the illusion of power she projected. It had the potential to properly unite her own clan behind her, and move to conquer others in turn.

Or she would fail - and Tempest would look to another to unify Korriban beneath her banner once more.

“Do not squander it.” She said, before promptly turning on a heel to leave. There was not a single additional word exchanged, as Tempest prepared to depart from the planet entirely.

/Exit Thread

 

[Nevizkas]

It might have been an illusion to project that she had slaughtered an entire war band by herself, but the feat itself was almost with her power, and the bloodied head of its leader would be enough to tide her over in the meantime.

With a nod to the Dark Lord, the pureblood had no intention of wasting this most precious gift. Wrapping the head in cloth, it was time to face her past. The remaining journey was short and uneventful, and while she considered the potential contention that the others might offer, her thoughts lay with reuniting with her parents after all the years had gone by.

All that stood between Cyu and taking control over her tribe's war band was the mighty warrior Maerkor, a six-foot tall pile of muscle and talented fighter. He was another she hadn't seen since leaving Korriban behind, although she didn't expect that he had gotten any smarter, and if anything the additional blows to his head would have done the reverse.

The staring was the worst part, pairs of beady eyes issued judgement and Cyutadakyr could do nothing if she wanted to succeed. Intense fury beamed under the surface as a small gathering grew around her, while she made it closer and closer still to the village centre. Murmurs and discontent were apparent and yet none would speak it, a symptom of the weak, she surmised. There was only one pair of eyes she sought out, and he was nowhere to be seen. Worse, many warriors she had expected to see were absent also.

At last, she could go no further and thus turned to face her family, the tribe and what was left of the war band itself. A smaller warrior, force sensitive like herself, stepped forward and tore a hole through the fabric of her heart. With some trepidation, he began solemnly. "Welcome home, Cyutadakyr, but I wish it was under better circumstances." The sudden downward shift in his face made it hard to conceal the bad news that would follow.

"Many members of the tribe were butchered by roaming war bands not long after the empire left, I'm sorry to say, but your mother was among them." The heavy, sinking feeling struck through the champions' heart, turning her face into a twisted medley of sorrow and rage. "Your father was in no shape to get revenge, and so Maerkor offered to do in his place. In the bloody fighting, Maerkor fell, alongside many of our warriors, failing to avenge your mother. We await their swift return. Every hand is needed to defend, even yours, or all is lost."

It was certainly a strange twist of fate, a cruel lesson that would be imparted. The tribe that forsook at her most vulnerable, now on the edge of succumbing to oblivion without her. She'd kill them all in a heart beat for what they had put her though, the insatiable hunger burning through her chest only held back by the terror of losing one's parent. If it was safety that they wanted, that was something that she had brought.

Throwing the bloodied head down onto the ground, all those around bore witness to the feat. Alarii, chief of the war band and slayer of Maerkor now lay at their feet. Gasps spread out across the crowd as members realised what had just unfolded, but Cyu would give them no reprieve to plot and plan. "My mother and Maerkor, our warriors, have been revenged. I have done this for you. I will do this for you." Her voice grew louder and bolder as she spoke.

"By blood spilt and by strength, I claim the war band as mine and will protect this tribe with my life." There was an absolute tension in the air, no-one doubted her and yet there was no cause for celebration. Many deceased warriors may have contested her claim, but they had failed, they had died. Those that remained were simultaneously amazed at the sudden reversal of fortune and equally afraid of ending up like Alarii if they spoke up against her. It was clear that she'd have to earn their loyalty and trust before that would change.

The first man smiled, though only just. "Then it is settled."

@Altaris

/End Thread