Dynasty of Evil

[Valerian]

Prakith.

Few in the galaxy were aware of its existence and fewer still had been there, for it lay in Deep Core, a volatile region of space clustered heavily with stars and other unique space anomalies that made navigation nearly impossible. And yet, Prakith was like a natural beacon in the Force if one listened to the galactic noise closely enough. The planet's surface was mountainous and only a few scattered cities were proof that life even existed there. But Valerian was not interested in life.

There was a reason the planet was strong in the Force. It was a natural home to kyberite—the base mineral in which kyber crystals grew. Kyber crystals, which were necessary to the construction of a Jedi's lightsaber, and also for focusing the immense powers of the dark side of the Force. It was there that Valerian went in search of two things: allies, supporters in his goal to vanquish the remnants of the Jedi Order, and a location from which to base his operations. Prakith's wealth of kyber crystals and its location, in a region of space hard to reach, made it the ideal locale for both of his goals.

He set his ship down in a mountainous ravine some miles outside of Prak City: the planet's small capital. It was here that hte Force ran strongest. Valerian suspected that the crystals he was looking for lay within cavern systems that wound throughout the mountains. He just needed to locate them. But there was also something... more... A dark miasma of energy coursed over the area. Was this one of the allies he was searching for? A potential rival? A foe? He intended to find out.

And he intended to win.

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

Prakith was a wasteland. Speckled with derelict, wayward cities and villages, and devoid of any native fauna or flora. Winding mountains sprawled across it surface, and numerous asteroids or spacial anomalies plagued the system. To say the planet was dismal would be an understatement. The fact that people lived on its surface was a surprise to Leviticus, but then again— he had seen worse. Exiles had settled and resided upon worlds far bleaker, and far more deadly, than Prakith. But he wasn’t here to judge the world for its life, nor for its beauty. Instead, a great power lurked beneath the surface of the planet— kyberite. Through such crystals, not only could elaborate sabers be fashioned for any force user, but the dark side could be harnessed to the point of immeasurable power.

Like on Ilum, worlds could be ravaged. Cities wiped off the map. Fleets of ships or planetary armies annihilated in the blink of an eye. With the potential of kyber crystals on his side, Leviticus could, at last, bring an end to the Jedi Order, and revive the Exiles once more— or tear them down. Ultimately, he cared little for both sides. Not because he was some emotional light sider, but because he detested the shocking stupidity some Exiles once upheld, as well as the wars that the Jedi had wrought. If anything, the two factions deserved destruction. But, for now, he would need the Exiles if he ever wanted to first stamp out the Order— he would need whatever his hands could get on, which is exactly why he had come to Prakith.

He had landed not far from the capital, Prak City, in hopes of interrogating the locals for the whereabouts of any kyberite. However, as he exited out from his ship, letting his armored boots carve into the sand, he felt a similarly dark presence. Something that burned with a rage and temper akin to his own. Was it a growing blister of the dark side, gnawing at the kyberite deep below the planet surface? Or was it another Exile, seeking out the prized crystals? Whatever it was, Leviticus knew he had to find out soon. If the Jedi Order were to stumble onto the planet, or a lesser Exile claims the world for themselves, then everything would be for naught. But, at the same time, there came an opportunity if another Exile had come— a potential ally.

As much as Leviticus despised some of the other Exiles scattered across the galaxy, he hated the Jedi far more. All Exiles did. It was among the one reason that they had ripped one another apart for power or ambition. Through the common threat of the Order, perhaps they could once again unite into an unstoppable force. But first, he would have to ensure this strange presence was no foe. And if they were? Then Leviticus supposed the day would end with just one less Exile preying on the galaxy.

---​

Wandering the maze of canyons and ravines etched into the surface, Leviticus approached the dark aura. He gazed out from the shadow of a faded boulder. It wasn’t until the stranger drew closer that he emerged into the clearing, phrik-encased saber-pike in hand. Voice cracked and low, he beckoned to the other masked man. “What brings you to Prakith, Exile? Here to admire the view?”

 

[Valerian]

There was a time—distant and beyond the realm of memories though it may have been—when Valerian would have reacted with calm. Answered. Kept the newcomer talking while he sized him up. But that was before Ilum. Before the fall. Now, his call to the Force was like a shout, and his lightsaber was in hand. Flamelike blades, which sounded more like the crackling of a broken chainsaw than the calm hum of a traditional lightsaber, burst violently into existence.

Val pointed the fiery tip of the weapon at the newcomer. The one that called him "exile." "Who are you?" The question was simple, unoffensive, and yet made more threatening by the mechanical edge Val's mask gave his voice. "The Darkness builds in you as well. Did you also answer this planet's call? Or was it my call that echoed out to you through the Dark currents of the Force?"

Val tried to focus. Tried to sense out the newcomer's intent. There was once a time when it was easy to quiet his mind and focus on the subtleties in the Force. But that time was gone too. Now, all he could feel was hatred, fear, and aggressive impulses. Fear, in particular, was winning out at the moment. Was this newcomer a Jedi come to finish him off—one of those vile, repugnant light siders? Was he an exile looking to kill off a potential rival for Prakith's wealth? Or was he some other danger. Val was about ready to leap and find out.

But... He could be an ally, the Dark Jedi thought. One strong enough to help me put my ambitions into motion.

That quieted his fear enough to allow him to maintain his composure, though not enough to get him to lower his blade. "Answer me!"

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

Leviticus drove his spear into the depths of the ground. Straightforward, clean, precise— like planting a flag, he was, in a way, claiming this world for his own. It didn’t matter if the other man had arrived first. It didn’t matter if he even lived in this desolate wasteland, wandering its entanglement of canyons for reasons yet known. This planet was rightfully his, and for the future of the Exiles. He wouldn’t allow it to be squandered by some stubborn or sluggish dark sider, just waiting for the Jedi Order to come along and squash them like a bug. If the Exiles wanted Prakith, they would have to do it together— and without flaw. And who could say that the man before him has what it takes?

You do not truly understand someone, until you fight them. So, the moment he planted his pike into the ground, Leviticus seized his lightsaber from his waist and aimed it toward the masked stranger. He ignited it, letting the blade explode forth in all its crimson glory. While not as fiery or impassioned as the other man’s, it still hissed and seethed with a thirst for blood. This was the same blade Leviticus had used to cut down dozens of other Jedi Knights— those who had grown too cocky or too vain for their own good. Although the Jedi were not the only one's victim to his saber. No, not at all.

“How about you take off that mask and show me who you are first?” He demanded, flourishing his blade. The phrik handle danced along his fingertips, swirling around through the dusty air. “Or, we can have at it.” He stretched his legs out, right foot forward, and set himself into a defensive position. He hadn’t fought a proper foe for weeks now, so he hoped now might do him some good.

 

[Valerian]

Valerian had no intention of removing his mask for this stranger. He doubted he would have done so (willingly) for an ally. The mask was part of him. Part of his new identity. To surrender it would be tantamount to bowing to this red-saber-wielding nobody. So, rather than answer with words, he stalked forward, spinning his blade in hand as he did. The blade crackled and popped; the smell of burning ozone followed its arc.

When he was close enough—well within range of the other exile—he lunged, lashing out with the flaming weapon in his hand. Rather than aiming for the other exile's head or chest, where he could easily be blocked, Val aimed for the other Dark Jedi's openings: namely, the one near his knees. The exile would likely find a way to block, but he would be forced to change up his stance, which would allow Val to probe for a more definite opening.

All the while, over the crackling of lightsaber clashes, he said, "Why are you here? What does someone like you want with this barren dustball?"

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

The man was fast. Very fast. But Leviticus had fought with Exiles with similar speed, and he knew just how to react. Recoiling his right foot back, he twirled his lightsaber with anticipation, even as the other man’s screamed and hissed through the air. While he couldn’t gauge his opponent’s reaction, and thus any potential attack, he wasn’t afraid— and neither was he surprised when the Exile slashed his blade toward his leg. Striking for his head or chest would have a fool’s move, but this man was no fool. Leviticus grinned, glad to know he wasn’t fighting more cannon fodder or some second-rate duelist. He would make a worthy foe.

As he retracted his leg from its exposed advance, Leviticus pulled his rear leg further back. While the positioning was simple, and cost him only a fragment of his attention, it would prove vital in maintaining his balance. Even the smallest of details could tip the battle in his favor. So, in the midst of changing his defensive stance, he would angle his blade downward, clashing with the other. Another crack and hiss echoed between them, and again, Leviticus smiled.

“Don’t play stupid with me— you’re better than that.” He said, pushing his blade upward as their sabers remained locked together. “I think we’re both here for the same reason— kyber.”

 

[Valerian]

Val allowed his opponent to control the direction of their blade clash momentarily. Until he could feel the heat of their lightsabers ghosting across the face—the crimson glow illuminated his sunken eyes beneath. "The kybers," he snarled, breaking free of the black lock by giving his foe's blade a sharp shove upward. "Are mine."

His blade was like a whip, cracking downward in an arc meant to cut at his opponent's waist. He was impressed by the other man's skill. He was strong, confident; he had good technique and finesse. Were all exiles this strong? Or just... Perhaps he shouldn't kill this one. Perhaps this one was more useful to him alive. "What would someone like you do with them anyways?"

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

There it was— the selfish, the stubborn side of any Exile. Then again, what else could Leviticus expect? Some subservient force-wielding slave, just begging for a master? Though as much as he relished in the idea, it was beyond realistic. All Exiles were inherently self-centered. Even Leviticus had known himself to get carried away through pride and anger. For example: now. So, he couldn’t blame the other man for desperately clinging to the kyberite that lay deep beneath the planet surface. Who wouldn’t?

As his opponent pushed off from the lock and raised his blade high to strike, Leviticus leaped into action— literally. His feet flickered backward, and he pulled his upper body back, narrowly dodging the downward arc of his lightsaber. Still, he could feel it singe his robes, and leave a thin mark along the edge of his armored chest. However, he barely flinched. Instead, he remained in constant, perpetual motion. One moment he pulled back to evade the blade, and the next moment he was reeling back. Lightsaber pointed straightforward and parallel to the ground, Levi would jab it toward the man’s now unguarded right shoulder.

“What else would I bloody do with kyber crystals?” He hissed as he moved, still making sure he was never caught off guard himself. “Destroy the Jedi Order, of course!”

 

[Valerian]

Val was taken momentarily aback at the quick maneuver and barely pivoted to the side to avoid the full effect of the other exile's jab. Instead of being stabbed through his shoulder, the blade bit through cloth and skin along the exterior of his arm. The pain was excruciating and the anger that resulted from it was white hot. Conversely, the dark side building within him was as cold as the winds of Hoth.

Yet, in that moment, Val knew he was beaten. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Alone? Never." He continued to bite back the rage festering within him. "But together" He shut down his lightsaber "we might have a chance. And with others, a better chance still."

The pain in his shoulder was crescendoing. Val tried his best to hide his wince, but it was for nought. He covered his wound with his free, black-gloved hand. Biting back his pride, he added, "I offer you my sword and will not stand in your way of acquiring the kyber. In return... teach me what you know of the darkness and allow me a part in your plan to destroy the Jedi Order."

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

Leviticus flourished his blade— another surprising turn of events. The man was conceding, and not far into the battle. Whether that was a testament to his weakness, or to Levi’s own predominant skill, he had little idea, but he wasn’t going to push, nor stick around, to find out. In times like these, where the Exiles were only meager specks in a galaxy beset against them, he knew he needed allies, and he needed them fast. And while he wasn’t the sociable type, let alone one to train others— he couldn’t pass up this opportunity. It wasn’t always that trained Exiles willingly offered up their services, especially to someone as… undisciplined …as himself.

Sure, he may have trained heavily alongside the Order, but he was no potential Warlord. He didn’t want to lead armies, rule kingdoms or planets. He didn’t want to deal with the idea of someone slitting his throat in the middle of the night, or the constant quibbles and quarrels of lesser men. However, for this Exile, he would make an exception. He had proven himself to be a competent opponent, and thus a nice potential addition to Levi’s growing list of contacts and allies. After all, the more, the merrier.

“Alright,” he answered after a long silence, deactivating his blade and fastening it back onto his waist. “Just don’t lag behind, okay? There’s nothing more I hate than waiting.” A pause. “Well, that, and small talk.” Suddenly, he raised his hand toward the metal pike still lodged in the sand. With a single flick of a finger, he pulled it toward him, letting it carve through the ground and kick dust up into the air. In an instant, it slid back into his grip before he ripped it out of the sand. “So, let’s get going.” Using the pike now as a glorified staff, Leviticus trudged past the other man and into the looming ravine.

 

[Valerian]

Val clipped his lightsaber back to the black sash on his waist and grudgingly trudged behind the other man. He was not fond of being subservient, but he recognized the necessity. He was undisciplined. A beast without control. He could never hope to destroy an actual opponent if he did not learn to master his abilities. This man had the skillset needed to teach him to do what needed to be done. For now, that was enough to swallow his wounded pride.

So, he did not keep the other exile waiting. Ignoring the pain in his arm, he flourished his robes and followed after him. The Force was everywhere in the mountains around them; perhaps it was the residual energy of the kybers resting beneath the planet's surface. Or perhaps it was the planet himself. Val was not knowledgeable in such things.

The one thing both men seemed to agree upon was that they hated small talk. Neither said anything and both were happily content with it. That changed, however, when Val spotted the mouth of a cave nestled along a ridge higher along the mountain under which they were traveling. There was a drawing from the maw in the Force. Perhaps the other man sensed it too. "There," he said, gesturing towards the dark maw. "Up there."

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

His eyes followed after the other man’s, and he recognized the opening carved into the side of the mountain. Though he saw not only the dark shadows within, but felt the impalpable presence of the force weighing heavy on him as well as the planet as a whole. There was without a doubt the existence of kyber crystals here, but the real question was where, and if there was enough. For the vague schemes and distant plans Leviticus had floating around his head, he knew he was going to need as much kyber as he could get. Infinite energy resources and destructive superweapons aren’t just built by themselves, after all!

Climbing up into to the mouth of the cave, using his glorified staff as support and the force as his balance, Levi readied himself what laid within. His right hand hovered over his saber, while his other hand rippled with the force. While he surely expected and hoped for the discovery of crystals, he understood the potential of a trap. Who was to say that the Order had carefully engineered a trap on this seemingly desolate world, intent on luring in remaining Exiles and purging them from the galaxy? Perhaps it was only his paranoia talking, but Leviticus had to be sure.

So, as he stood on the verge, he motioned the other man to enter. “Ladies first,” he mocked.

 

[Valerian]

Val ignored the other man's insults. Stepping ahead of the other exile, he ripped his lightsaber from its resting place and ignited it again in a burst of flamelike energy. The crimson energy of his lightsaber's fiery plasma blade made for a reasonable makeshift flashlight. The mouth of the cave was devoid of crystals, but Val remained undeterred. He could sense something... calling to him. Deep below the surface. So he simply said, "Deeper," and continued into the cave.

The passages had clearly never been traveled before. They were narrow and un-penetrated by the mining equipment the Jedi Order would have used to excavate the cave had it known there were a wealth of kyber crystals below. Jagged rock formations blocked several passageways; Val dealt with the ones he could through use of his lightsaber, sheering entire formations away in single strokes as he went. Then frustration set in.

Thrusting out a black-gloved hand, Val projected an anger-imbued Force blast at the rocky obstructions. Dust and rock burst into the air, but Val's mask kept him from inhaling any of it. When the debris cleared, a path deeper into the mountain was clear and open. He gestured with his hand towards the new path and, sarcastically, repeated the other man's early assertion: "Ladies first."

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

As the other Exile activated his blade, illuminating the deep cavern in red light, Leviticus likewise followed suit. Knocking his elongated saber staff into the stone floor, he ignited its edge with a flicker of its crimson blade. While unnecessary, given that the other man already provided enough light to survey the hollow opening, Levi didn’t like the idea of relying on another. For years, he had remained independent, self-reliant. He was a strong, dark sider and he don’t need no man. Or woman. Whatever the hell lurked beneath that broken, robotic mask. For now, though, he’d just continue to assume him as a disfigured man with a taste for the macabre. Kind of like most Exiles, remarkably.

The deeper the pair went, the greater the pull of the force. Leviticus could feel it approaching. They were bound to stumble across the kyber he had been searching so long for. No obstacle could stop him, no pile of rocks would halt his advance. The kyber crystals were destined for him, and for the Exiles. However, as they went, the cavern seemed to fight against them. Narrow openings, broken rock, and serrated boulders slowed their progress. Even with the help of the other man’s flaming saber, it would take ages to get to the kyber. But neither was willing to wait, so if rocks refused to part via blade, then they would just move the rocks entirely.

Leviticus watched as the other Exile unleashed a wave of the force, forcing the rock and debris to shoot out from their path. Dust and soot kicked up into the air, and Levi flinched into the cloud and covered his mouth with his hand. He coughed into it as the man mocked him with his own words, and grunting, he waved his left hand dismissively. The remaining dust enveloping him suddenly parted out from his way, instead choosing to crowd over the Exile. If they were going to be petty, then Levi would too. Two can play at that game, he thought, before marching past the man and into the depths of the cave.

Not far inside, and a dozen meters out, he recognized a small shimmer. A light in the darkness— a kyber crystal. He rushed over at the revelation, weaving past jagged stalagmites and pillars of stone. He stabbed his saber pike into the ground again, this time using the force to plan it into position. Then, he crouched low and fastened his gaze onto the minuscule crystal. "It's here, it's really here.” While there was only one, there simply had to be more elsewhere. Deeper into the cavern, perhaps, or hidden beneath the rock. Fueled by his curiosity, he ignited his own cross guard blade and cleaved into the stone. Carefully, he chiseled the crystal right off.

Holding it in between two fingers, he smirked, then stuffed it into a pocket within his armored cloak. He rose up, still pulled forward through the force, and drifted farther into the cave. It was then that he saw it.

 

[Valerian]

Val heard it before he saw it. Then the crimson light of his lightsaber caught the glimmer in the darkness. Soon, the noise filled the narrow cavern like a roaring wind. The Force guarded its treasures, Val decided, and this was prove of it. Walking a little ahead of his "companion," Val was careful not to step on any loose rock. He used his lightsaber as a guide, paying careful attention to the floor of the cave, until he reached it. A gap in the ground, leading into an abyss.

In the fire of his lightsaber, the underground ocean looked as black as the deepest pits of Hell. Water churned and smashed against some unseen surface far below. Val raised his lightsaber high above his head and looked up. The cavern was massive. Easily large enough to fit a ship, perhaps two. But the light of his saber wasn't enough to see the other side. He lowered his weapon. The Force still hummed here. Were the crystals beneath this ocean of ink? Or were they somewhere on the other side? Another cavern, perhaps?

He did not know, so he turned to the other Exile; his mask shielded his expression from the other man. He pointed his weapon at the abyss and said, "The crystals are there, somewhere; but this ocean tests us and the cavern is massive. How do we get across?"

The question had layers. Val genuinely couldn't cross the chamber and its ocean on his own. But he also lacked the refined power of the other man. He wanted to see just how far this man's problem-solving skills went and how developed his powers were. It was the nature of the dark side to continually test its adherents. Now, he sought to see if he put his faith in the right man.

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

The dark sea below them lapped against the cavern. Impossible to discern and clearly impassable by any other means than a miracle, their journey through the cave system seemed to end here. Except, they didn’t need a miracle. Both had the force coursing through their fingertips. So, why not use it? Now, with an idea in mind, Leviticus stabbed his saber staff into the stone. With his hand, he shook it make sure it was rigid in place, before raising both of his arms. He closed his eyes. His breath slowed, and he shifted his attention outside the boundaries of his mind. Through the force, he felt the small cavern around him— as well as the floor.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to fissure and crack. His jaw tightened as he began to think back to his days as a Jedi Knight, back to when he had fought in their endless war. Memories of his old friends, now dead, flashed into his mind. Then came the anger, and through the anger, he felt the dark side consume him. Every moment, he let it build up inside him, and released it into his surroundings; into the rock. He continued this for a solid minute, breaking the ground beneath him apart. Then, he whispered, “You better hold onto something.” And the moment he wrapped his hand tight around his saber staff was the moment the floor finally gave way.

The ridge slid down the abyss, picking up speed before crashing into the underground ocean. Water exploded outward, drenching just about everything around him. Fortunately, the pair had landed into a rather shallow end of the sea, and the former ridge at their feet had balanced itself out against the ocean floor. Still, Leviticus was intent on reaching actual land in this subterranean sea, and lowering his hand to the ground, he focused on their makeshift island. Again, he fed onto the dark side, and pulled the island toward dry land. Once it anchored into the ground, he rose back to his full height. Blood trickled out from his nose, but he quickly wiped it away with his gloved hand.

“Let’s go,” he huffed, trying to hide his exhaustion. The act of moving such a weight, and over the span of that time, had pushed him to the edge. But he knew the other Exile was testing him, and if he wanted to prove himself, he figured that would do the trick. That, and he wanted the crystals. Now. “The kyber… it calls…”

 

[Valerian]

Val was in awe of the power this exile demonstrated in the Force. The dark ocean, he had thought, was the insurmountable odd that they would not be able to overcome, yet with seemingly little effort at all, this dark Force user had managed to cut them loose and direct them across the churning abyss with naught but his mind. Sure, the Force adept's nose was bleeding. But the strain of what he had done would have killed another man. Val was certain of it.

I must convince him to teach me his power, the covetous Dark Jedi thought to himself.

The masked Dark Jedi lit his lightsaber again, casting its crimson glow along the narrow ground his companion had guided them towards—and the other man was right. He could feel something pulsating beneath the earth. Something living, yet unmoving, and of the primal energies of the Force. Was this what kyber crystals, in cluster, felt like up close? He was beginning to see why so many, including the Jedi Order, coveted them so—and guarded them well.

He paid no heed to the other's fatigue, moving carefully through the narrow passageway towards their inevitable destination. Less and less, Val's mind was on the crystals themselves and on the man who wanted them. On his power. On the potential their partnership could yield. He had come to Prakith in search of allies to destroy the last of the Jedi. Now, he was certain he had found one; and not just any one. The one to lead them to greatness.

Up ahead, the tunnel twisted and momentarily became more narrow, necessitating the Dark Jedi to deactivate his lightsaber and squeeze through before reigniting it on the other side. A much larger cavern awaited them there. And in that cavern were the crystals they sought after desperately. The cavern reminded him of the larger ones on Ilum, with crystals growing in a variety of sizes an formations along veins in the ceiling, walls, and floor. They pulsated with heat under the probing of his mind. There was no doubt they were kyber crystals. "They are here, just as you said they would be." Then he added, "Doubtless, there are more. Prakith's mountains are covered with these caverns."

Then, after a moment, "So, what now?" He considered his own question a moment, then knelt, stabbing his lightsaber into the ground before him as a knight would to his liege. "My sword is yours, as is my service." His reasons were self-serving—the other exile would know this—but, for now, this arrangement would do.

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

Kyber crystals. A seemingly endless supply of them. Every wedge and fragment protruding out from the cavern walls and ceiling was a wellspring of power, of light. It illuminated the sprawling subterranean den in its clear, watery glow, like thin spires of ice. Leviticus approached the spectrum of crystals, and he reached out his gloved hand toward its glow. Then, for a brief moment, as he blinked toward the crystal, he felt his eyes glaze over. Then, there was a flash of white. A memory crawling out from the deepest part of his mind.

Cold. It was cold. Wrapped in auburn robes, his pale fingers clung to the edges. Flakes of snow mottled his eyelashes, and before him, he saw an icy cavern. He shuddered, and gazed down to his feet to recognize that he was no longer Leviticus, but his former self. Just a young boy, a Jedi youngling on the cusp of the rank of Padawan, and then to Knighthood. He had come to this strange cavern, tucked deep under the mountains of Ilum, in search of something. In search for his own kyber to craft his first lightsaber. Deep down, he screamed. Don’t— don’t take the crystal. But he couldn’t control himself, he couldn’t change the past. What was done was done. Because he watched as his wiry hands reached out, and seized the crystal. And that was the end.

His eyes opened. He bit down on his lip, hard, and he tasted blood. What the Jedi had done to him was unjustifiable, unforgivable. By compelling him to take hold of the kyber, the Jedi then forced him to craft his lightsaber, a blade that would bring about only further destruction. It was a weapon that embodied his hate for the Jedi. And now, as he looked onto the kyber crystals checkered throughout the shadowy cavern, he saw another way to embody his hate. A weapon so wrathful, so merciless, that it would wipe the Jedi clean from the galaxy. A weapon that would bring about an end to all war.

Leviticus turned away from the object of his retribution and down to the other Exile. His lightsaber speared into the stone and head bowed low, he offered up his sword, his service, his life. He had not expected the man to so easily submit to his authority, as Levi himself cared little for it, but seeing the man defer to him brought a sense of newfound potential. With another pair of hands at his side, he was really one step closer to success. The Jedi would be stamped out, and justice will have been served. What he had sought out for so long will end, and he will finish what he started.

“Rise, Exile,” he said, smirking down at him. He always did like a man on his knees, it seemed. “I don’t even know who you are, and you offer yourself up so freely to me? Come, now, tell me your name, and let us finish this.”

@Malon

 

[Valerian]

"I am called Valerian," Val replied and rose, peeling off his mask to reveal a human face—badly scared and deformed on one half and semi-normal on the other. More scars from Ilum. He was filled with a sense of something he had not felt in a long time. Belonging. Purpose. Both senses were twisted in a way only the dark side could, but he recognized them nonetheless. With this man, he could better learn to command the dark side of the Force. With this man, the Jedi Order would be extinguished. He could practically taste it.

The Force, in that moment, gave him an unusual moment of clarity. He sensed the other man's hatred as well. His hatred for the Jedi. So, he thought, they shared more in common than just the color of their lightsabers and a penchant for darkness. Suddenly, Val found himself wanting to know more about the man. Why was he out to kill the Jedi too? What did they do to him? And why did he feel that their reasoning for hating the Jedi was... connected somehow? Since his turn to the dark side, Val had not felt this much of a magnetic pull to another person. And it made him scared. He withdrew immediately back within himself and put his mask back on his face.

He would deal with these confusing feelings later, when he could think about them alone. For now, his concern needed to be about his Master's designs, and what the future had in store for the both of them. "And your name? I don't think I ever got it from you..."

@Deviant

 

[Leviticus]

Leviticus watched as the other man peeled off his mask, and stared coldly at the scars adorned across his face. He was not disgusted by the marks, and neither did he loathe in his unexpected appearance. Rather, he was disgusted by how the man must have received them. He loathed the hidden reasons on to why he had been tormented so, because he already had a hint as to why: the Jedi. Who else? The Order had left an endless tide of victims in the wake of their war. This man, Valerian, wouldn’t have been with the Exiles had it been their fault. In truth, he must have suffered at the hands of the Jedi, and it was in that thought that irked Leviticus the most.

“I am sorry, Valerian,” he whispered, low. He was never one to express compassion, nor sympathy, but this man understood the horrors that came with the war and with the Jedi. The pair were two sides of the same coin. And strangely, Levi felt a pull to the other man. Although they had fought in the canyons aboveground and clearly held their own divergent ideals, the two were still understanding of each other. In the end, Leviticus was right. No matter how wayward or mismatched the Exiles were, they all were victims to the Jedi Order. In their mutual hatred for them, perhaps they could be united under one banner once again, as Valerian proved in that very moment.

“My name is unimportant, it is only my skill and my purpose that you should worry yourself about,” he answered, arms crossed. “But you can call me Leviticus. Or Levi, for short.” He smiled as his mind drifted back to his surroundings. “Now, how the hell are we going to get out of here again?”

@Malon