Event Horizon

[Hol Horse]

​

Sal stood atop the Great Pyramid of Yavin IV, staring off into the horizon.

Standing here, he could not help but contemplate the past few months. He had slaved away tirelessly in his lab, studying data and pulling out old research on the sole obsession of his psyche: the galactic center. In many ways, it's existence and unifying presence was perhaps an analogy to the Dark Side of the force itself. Without it, the galaxy would drift apart and fade away, along with all sentient life within it. The never ending maw of destruction that lay at the heart of their combined civilization was both the cornerstone and uncaring devourer of their reality. Perhaps that is why Sal had devoted so much time towards it in his scientific studies throughout the galaxy, looking where others did not. Other Sith, like so many of the new 'Darth's' that were being newly minted, were false prophets- content to rest upon antiquated knowledge and the ancient teachings of long dead sith lords.

They were blinded by their contentment, something that Sal could not stand. He was a sorcerer, a scientist, a visionary. Where other sith preferred to travel the galaxy to learn ancient or exotic rituals or secrets, he sought to create his own, to pave new roads instead of treading ones of old. He was a creator, one who embraced the duality of his existence as both maker and destroyer- for, in truth, they were one in the same. Such was the Dark Side of the force. It was to this end, that his research had finally brought him here, the ancient and glorious dark temple of Yavin IV. His field of study, the relation of the Force itself to the fabric of reality, was based on his thesis of the 'Three Pillars' as he called it in his journals. Space, Life, Time- all three were connected both through each other in a trinity, but within the confines of the force itself, the unifying singularity within which this trinity operated. They were his key, the way to open a door to what lay beyond this fake reality of his. Tonight, he would take his first step towards enlightenment, the beginning of a journey through mind, soul, and essence itself.

Tonight, he would create perfection through destruction.

The albino Devaronian watched as the sun continued to set. Yavin IV was powerful in the ancient dark side of the force, a testament to the strength and agony imposed by sith lords of centuries before. It was here that he would draw upon their lingering suffering and malaise to achieve his breakthrough, yet, he was not alone in this final pursuit.

Sal had called upon his fellow sith, those whom he had previously known and those who he had been referred to, to help him in this endeavor. He would required a deep meditation to achieve the mental clarity and attunement to the dark side to channel his power into this new spell he wished to unveil. Such a process, while simple, was unpredictable, especially when given the chaotic nature of both the source of his connection to the dark side, as well as the lingering suffering clouding the Sith Temple. While he doubted anything might happen, it would help to keep some colleagues handy in case his trance might go awry.

The sorcerer closed his eyes as the red sky grew darker, it was nearly time. For once in a very long time, he felt sane again, his normal flamboyance having subsided in the face of total and complete concentration, the beginning of a very long trance, and an even longer night.

Still, he was expecting company. The only question was who would answer his call?


OOC: This thread is open to any sith or legion members interested in more of a mystical dark side experience. While I won't spoil some of the surprises I have in store, I will say that if you like fighting off hordes of forgotten spirits/monsters/etc. then this is definitely up your alley. The journey that the contributing sith go through will explore the spiritual aspects of the dark side and, by the end of the night, may leave them stronger than they were at the start.

 

[Caramon]

Valik Setari stood behind his astromech droid M5 as they were entering the atmosphere of Yavin IV. The Sith had felt a tremor in the Force, something summoning him to this place. The Sanguine slowly made its descent onto the planets surface not far from the Temple. With a hiss the ramp lowered, Valik looked back at the droid.

"Wait for my return."

The Sith did not wait for an answer. He walked down the ramp, a slight breeze rustling his night black robes. He could feel the Darkiside of the Force flowing through him. It was ever present in this place. Valik could feel the presence of another, a dark forboding tremor. He had felt it when he was summoned to this planet. Valik began to make his way towards the temple, noticing there wasnt much life near the temple. He could feel the immense power from all of the Sith that had resided here before him.

His shadow was long, the amber hue of the setting sun hitting the side of the Temple as Valik walked up to the immense doors. The carvings upon the doors were ornate and looked as if they were there since the dawn of time. He stood stoically in front of the doors, waiting for his host to make his presence known.

 

[Hol Horse]

Sal kept his eyes closed as he felt a new presence slowly begin to approach him, answering his wordless call from the confines of the ancient temple.

He could hear their cries even now, the entire populations of enslaved planets that were culled here in this temple of past gods. It was beautiful, a symphony unlike anything he had ever heard before. Their voices were like whispers, preaching warnings of the terrors that lay in the true depths of the dark side, as well as the horrific deaths they had suffered. They were worms to him, pests, insects, creatures of the earth that crawled about with little to no vision of the true nature of all things. They were like the jedi, the mandolorians, and yes, even some of the sith. It was only after years of studying, devoting himself to scientific research and the absolute devotion to practicing the dark side of the force, that Sal finally could claim to be a master of the Dark Side and reached a level wherein he could attempt to create a spell all his own. It was here, in this hallowed place of forgotten empires and dead marauders, that he would use the power of the past to create the might of the future. Yet, he could not do this alone.

What drives a man who seeks strength yet knows he can never truly be strongest? To seek knowledge yet know that he is a fool? To be the most skilled yet confess his idiocy? It is a darker creature than simple rage, hatred, or fear- it is something more primordial and utterly indifferent to such sentient emotions. It harkens back to a time before time itself, a place present in the absense of existence, where in the void of nonexistence a singular speck of consciousness and life molded all things. It was the natural chaotic state of reality, of the universe, of the Dark Side of the Force. It was the fire that fueled his very essence even now, and it was the beacon that he fully unleashed from his forced mask to beckon those who would answer its call to come to him at Yavin IV. An ominous yet powerful pulse of Dark Side energy that sang a song of fear and awe, that was surely what called this newcomer to meet him here.

As the doors to the apex of the pyramid opened, the red light of the setting sun seeped into the dark center of the chamber, beating upon the back of his labcoat as he stood there on the sacraficial alter where so many had been killed before. He could feel the energy from the newcomer, taste his rage, experience his contempt for all things. He would do, he would do nicely. Slowly, Sal turned his head, looking over his shoulder and gazing with glassy eyes at the newcomer. A eager yet mildly creepy grin appeared on his face, "My my, has my prince come to save me?" he chuckled before squinting and noticing who it was that had come.

Sonuvabitch.

"Yoooooooo! You're that guy from that party! Ayyy, how's it going my homeslice of cheese?" Sal said, his mind snapping back out of its borderline psychotic state as he recognized the face of Valik. Sal hadn't seen the sith since their encounter aboard Darth Reign's ship, their meeting now surely must have been a good omen. The sorcerer stumbled down from the stone alter and hobbled over to where the zabrak stood, "Come in, come in, I'm glad you could make it. Tonight is a very special night, you and I are soon going to be doing some rather abominable deeds. It's best to do so over a cup of warm tea" the gaunt Devaronian said as he grabbed the small kettlepot he had brought up the massive pyramid with him, pouring himself a cup and one for Valik.

"I will get straight to the point then. Tonight, you and I are going to travel back in time- well, sort of, I should say. Minor details here and there, I'm sure you understand- science shit"

 

[Kyber Krystal]

A new shuttle had touched down on the planet of Yavin 4. Nothing remarkable, simple in design. It's purpose meant for transport and nothing else. It was simple, direct and to the point. Exactly like the passenger that it carried. Jax Merrik, former son of the Mandalorian House Ordo, stepped out of the shuttle. He took a deep breath, breathing in the sheer power of the planet. The Darkness was strong here. Jax couldn't quite put his finger on the source, but its power was undeniable and unbelievable.

Days before, after a lengthy day of training, Jax had received a vision while he slept. A dark, foreboding voice beckoning him to this planet, with promises of power in store. He didn't exactly believe it was as simple as coming to the planet. All power came at a price. Everything came at a price. Nothing and no one gave anything away for free. Power and status had to be earned. Such was the way of the Sith, and the way the galaxy functioned.

He scanned the surrounding area with his cybernetic eye, seeing if there were any imminent threats. He hated his cybernetic implant, as it constantly reminded him of the humiliation he faced at the hands of his former clan, however he wasn't dumb enough to ignore its capabilities. Nothing seemed to be within the vicinity. That was almost worrying. It was quiet. Too quiet. However, he felt a presence further into the jungle. That is where he would head.

He turned around to the Imperial Private that had flown the shuttle to Yavin 4. He was a respectable soldier, serving well and wanting to please his superiors. Perhaps a bit of a kiss-ass, but useful nonetheless. "I will return shortly. Wait for me here. There are no threats around so you should be fine. If I prove incorrect, you should be able to handle it." With that message of uncertainty, Jax departed the shuttle. He took with him only simple Sith Robes with simple armour plating, along with his lightsaber. He began to march towards a humongous pyramid about half a kilometre away.

As he approached the main doors, he noticed the temple gates already stood ajar. Someone was inside already. But that didn't matter, Jax wanted to know what was inside. He wanted to know if his vision had any merit. If this was the key to attaining more power, who was he to say no?

He entered the building, and approached two other figures already standing in the main chamber. There appeared to be a stone altar in the middle of the room, and the undeniable smell of... herbal tea? He certainly was intrigued and also very confused. "Excuse me, Gentlemen... Am I interrupting something?". Jax announced himself, making his presence known. He was hoping there would be less meaningless chatter and he could figure out who these two were and get down to business. That might not be the case. Too many beings were known to meaninglessly chatter on and on and on...

@Ravendark

 

[Caramon]

Valik stood stoically at the entrance of the temple as the man turned around. He noticed right away he had met him before on Darth Reign's yaght. Valiks face never changed as the Sith spoke to him of times past. As the pale white man made his way over, Valik could feel the presence of another. He did not know who it was, but his senses were on edge. His adrenaline rushing through his veins, the darkside permeating throughout this place and through the Zabrak. Sal finally reached him and he finally started to get to the point of this whole reason for summoning them.

"I will get straight to the point then. Tonight, you and I are going to travel back in time- well, sort of, I should say. Minor details here and there, I'm sure you understand- science shit"

A slight grin etched its way upon the Sith's face. Tonight would be a test of his abilities, but also he knew that he would gain knowledge and also power. Finally Valik eyed the man who he had sensed earlier. His presence was unknown to him, but he was a Sith no doubt. The fear that eminated from within this man was unremarkable. Valik tilted his head slightly, keeping his eyes upon the newcomer. They were both Sith, but there was no honor among thieves as they say. This would be a night to remember indeed.

 

[Hol Horse]

"Good. Good, I'm glad you have joined us brother. The coming night will be a dark one" Sal said, slowly sipping on his cup of green tea. The Devaronian closed his eyes in thought, he felt so old these days, like a crippled old man slowly walking himself into an early grave. It was the price for power, soon he would become one with the Dark Side of the force, shedding his mortal body to blossom into the next phase of evolution. Until that day came however, the force-reliant sorcerer would keep walking towards that grave with a smile on his face. The white sith spoke as he considered his next words carefully, trying to think of a way to simplify decades of research into a few sentences.

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me."

Sal began with the creed every Sith lived by. It was a parable that had been ingrained into his very being the day he had found the grimoire of sith sorcery so many years ago. The Devaronian paused, inhaling the powerful scent of the dark side present in the apex chamber of the temple. He was familiar with his own aura, darkness within him that gave him strength in mind and body. The two sith now with him were strong in their own right, all marauders were after all, yet the swirl of darkness and hatred that communed between them both was different than his. "What does it mean to be free?" Sal asked, his voice growing deeper as he spoke and reflected on the reason he had called his colleauges here. "The temple we stand in was the product of the enslaved, a testament to the power of ancient sith lords. The weak are worms, feeding off of a host of awesome power, they are the parasites of our very existence. The stripped freedom of the slaves who built this place centuries ago serve as a reminder to this, the ultimate fate of those who serve no purpose in this world, the unworthy, the scum, the weak" Sal started opening his eyes, slowly but surely lowering a mask he was all to comfortable to speak in.

"More than can be counted have been killed atop this stone altar, purging us of the unworthy. Yet, their sprits, the millions, linger here" sal reminded the two sith, inhaling deeply as a eerie grin appeared on his face. Oh, how he wished he could show them all, the folly of their existence, the true power of fully giving in to the dark side, of seeing the truth. "We commune with dark lords from their crypts, we seek exocit sects to learn acnient rituals, we sith rely on the ancients to harness their power and secrets. They are fools, blind by their belief in the power of the old instead of becoming strong in their own right. They do not understand. They do not understand the true meaning of the sith, that only through destruction can we create, to ascend to a higher existence than the foolish wars that our order are dragged into by the rats of this life" Sal said, his yellow gaze narrowing as he clutched his tea cup tightly. The feature's on the Devaronian's face grew tight and hard, with a piercing gaze that would burl deep into the faces of the other two sith who had answered his call.

Yes, they would do nicely, they were worthy to see the truth, to achieve enlightenment.

"Tonight, we will cull the weak and bind them to our will. Through the lingering spirits that taint this holy place, we shall purge the unclean souls and claim their essence, the remnants of their freedom, taking their might as our birthright as the strong, as the sith" Sal revealed, though his words were as cryptic as they were unhelpful. He knew this. The Devaronian's grip on the teapot tightened until the plaster cup cracked into pieces, blood oozed out of his pale hands onto the stone floor, yet he did not care, for such wounds were nothing like the ones that the dark side would permit them to unleash upon their foes. "You have answered my call, you see the truth that walks behind the rows. You see that strength is our birthright, our duty, our life. For this, you have my respect. We shall be the Unholy Trinity in unified trance as we transport our minds and essences to a time long since passed, only there will we find the answers that we seek, the power that we deserve"

"Through the pure sins of the past, we shall create new powers the likes of which this pathetic galaxy has never seen..."

"Now, will you join me in this journey?" Sal finished, his yellow eyes looking the two over like a cat watching prey. It was time for them to agree on the pact, or leave in ignorance as so many other sith resigned themselves to.

 

[Kyber Krystal]

Jax stood in a solemn silence, taking everything in. His face was stone, not moving. He ignored the other Sith that was eyeing him up and down, focusing on the hobbling hermit that stood before him. The words were intriguing, but nothing he hadn't heard before. Instructors in the Sith Academy spoke in similar ways with similar platforms.

Jax was intrigued, he had to admit. But he was not about to dive into it with no knowledge. A vision summoned him to this world, yes, but besides that he had no information. On who this hermit sorcerer was and who this other Sith was. Certainly it was interesting. The promises of more power. He was Sith through and through and his loyalty to the Empire was unshakable, but he was always a bit wary of the fanatics within the Empire. The people who zealously worshipped the Dark Side of the Force. As the man spoke, as he shattered his teacup, Jax was only more convinced that this was yet another fanatic. Fanatics were often powerful and useful, their passions letting them reach great depths of power, but they were often unstable and self-serving.

"Your words are interesting, Sorcerer. However, I must ask the price of such a ritual. What exactly do you gain from our participation? Why could you not do this yourself?

 

[Caramon]

As the pale white Sith turned to walk towards the center of the room, he could feel the power emanating throughout this place. Valik had spent many hours in study, learning about the past and of the old sith. The one truth that he knew was that if you don't know your past, you are doomed to repeat it. The next words spoken in this room were to come from the half man/half machine.

"Your words are interesting, Sorcerer. However, I must ask the price of such a ritual. What exactly do you gain from our participation? Why could you not do this yourself."

Valik knew that the newcomer made a valid point. All three of the men in this room were Sith after all, and all Sith are after power, no matter who they have to kill to get it. The Zabrak clad in his night black robes walked at an angle, somewhat towards the center yet keeping his distance from the hobbling Sorcerer that was leading this mission of sorts. His hands always at his sides, next to his twin lightsabers. Valik knew that a man that was comfortable with his surroundings was as good as dead, it was the one that was always paranoid that would survive. His nerves were on edge, his emotion was high, the darkside coursing through his veins like a drug.

Valik spoke in a deep foreboding tone. "To add to his point, you obviously need us for this ritual, and you peak our interest of power. Why has no one attempted this before you. Why now?"

 

[Hol Horse]

Sal's hunched form stepped slowly away from the two sith as they asked their questions. They were fair to have their suspicions, it was not like the normally seclusive sorcerer to make his research public knowledge after all, especially considering the rather flamboyantly annoying persona he wore like a mask in public. The pale, gaunt, skeletal figure trepidaitously placed the teacup and saucer back down on the altar as he considered the reservations the two marauders had. They were sith, each hungered for power, and each would kill or annihilate any obstacle to get it. That was the purpose of a sith'ari's life.

The sorcerer's hands still dripped with blood as he turned to face the two again. His yellow eyes with bags under them and a half sleeping gaze that lazily swiveled between the two men, with a yellow toothed smile slowly appearing once again. "Ahhhh yes, a price. There is always a price for communing with the dark and undesirables who linger upon this plane of existence. Perhaps though, this price may be the greatest of all, for, in time, you will surely fade away like I" the gaunt sorcerer said, unphazed by the aura of power that the two sith now seemed to try and project upon him. He had seen darker, more twisted, foul things to fear such subtle tones, he had no more fear to give out anymore. "I have studied since I was a boy the magik of the Dark Side of the force. It is the true path to a new world, the way to true power I am sure. Yet, the years have been unkind to me. For all my mastery of controlling the Force, my body has withered away at an accelerated rate as compensation for my power, rendering me a husk of my former physical self. In time, this shell will rot, my flesh falling from my bones and my skin evaporating into dust- leaving me something different, one with the dark side" Sal stated, knowing the effects of due fanatacism to the dark side and its detrimental side-effects upon one's body. The Dark Side was to suffer, in time that suffering would render him and all other sith no longer human.

"If you join me in this Black Mass tonight, I can guarantee that you too will one day shed your mortal coils and become one with the Force. Though, I can assure you my friends, the utter agony and misery you will experience will surely test your faith, there are some forms of suffering that cannot be so easily dismissed by the self-mantra of our order" Sal quipped, he had dealt with the long nights of pain, the feeling of dying in his rotting body night after night. It was hell, it was pain, it was the dark side of the force, it had made him stronger than he ver thought possible. True, the fate of all sith was to one day let the Dark Side consume them, to let it overtake their very fiber and being, reliquishing their simplicities in exchange for unlimited power, yet to commune with the death was a special and distinctly potent avenue to accelerating that process. If the three survived this night they would be... different.

Still, there was a rather glaring issue that the sorcerer had not yet addressed. One that he was very acutely aware of, "Since I was a boy, I was fascinated by our galaxy. The stars in the sky, what might lay beyond, and above all, the black hole at the center of our civilization" Sal started, closing his eyes now as he let his mind wander freely to a long since passed time, "Such utter beauty and perfection, the clearest example of the true purpose of the Dark Side of the Force. Something that will inevitably consume all things, intrinsically keeps our world from falling apart. Through an inevitable maw of destruction, uncaring and indifferent to the struggles around it, it is the vehicle that allows us to be. It's strength is unparalelled, its purpose single-minded, the destruction it shall cause millenia from now undeniable- yet, without it, we cannot be" the sorcerer reflected. He had been studying in the Deep Core for years now, probing the fringes of that black abyss, looking for the answer to its might, wishing to understand its connection to the force.

"We are not the first to attempt this ritual, Sith Lords of old surely felt the power in this place and sought to take it for their own selves. Yet, they did not posess the thing which I have now..." the gaunt figure said, a wry grin appearing on his face as his eyes opened, a hunger and ambition alight in them like an unstoppable fire. "GLORIOUS SCIENCE!!!!" he roared suddenly, raising his arms and unleashing a torrential storm of lightning form his fingertips up into the ceiling of the sacraficial room. Rubble falled from the ceiling onto the ground, Sal cackled with glee madly, "FOR IT IS THROUGH THE MARRIAGE OF BOTH THE FORCE AND SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE THAT WE SHALL ACHIEVE- UNLLLLIIIIIIIMIIIIITEEEEED POOOOOOWWWEEEEEEERRRRRR~" the sorcerer yelled with great fury, unleashing the oft suppressed dark side within him as a storm of energy more powerful than any normal marauder's lightning crackled into the stone ceiling above. Finally, once the mad scientist had gotten the urge to show his love for GLORIOUS SCIENCE out of his system, the skeletal figure lowered his arms and reassumed his more subdued and gaunt persona.

Of course, this roundabout answer didn't exactly answer the question in the first place. Realizing this, the sith sighed, holding up a hand in front of him with three fingers extended. "In metaphysics, as I argue in my research, there are Three 'Pillars' of existence: space, life, and time. The three are unwaveringly connected to one another, forming a trinity that compromise the fabric of our reality through which all variables operate. The Sith of old, when attempting to mentall project their essences backwards in time, only accounted for one of these forces, Time, and such were driven mad. Their pride was their doom, their foolish and naivety in their magic as their sole source of knowledge being their undoing" Sal stated, getting to the meat and potatos of his lifelong research, "But... If there were three such sith, unified in trance, each playing some part in this trinity, it would be possible to replicate the events of a bygone era- albeit not literally, for true time travel is impossible. Yet, such an attempt has never been accomplished before, and not even I truly can know what will happen when we enter trance as one. I am a scientist, I may offer a hypothesis, but until we attempt this experiment the outcome will never truly be known" the sorcerer stated, revealing the true reason eh had called his newfound colleauges here, "This is not a burden one can carry alone, it is only through the power of Three that we can accomplish this feat. To this end, I have called you here. The prodigal children come home to inherit their destiny"

Sal grinned, the time was near, his life's work would soon begin to show fruition, he could feel it.

 

[Kyber Krystal]

Jax once gain stood there with a solemn expression, once again never moving his face. He appeared solemn, disinterested. Showing interest was an easy way for people to attempt to manipulate you. Jax had found throughout his experience among the Sith that appearing disinterested was often a great tool. People tried to impress you, make you more interested. The more they want to impress you, the more people will do whatever you wish.

The prospect of unlimited power through the Dark Side was a captivating ideal, but Jax had to admit that he did have a few reservations. As much as he had abandoned the Mandalorians in name, but in spirit some of his upbringing still affected him. Living among House Ordo, Jax was taught to be wary of the Force. Although he had tried to put that behind him, he still had his reservations. So, admittedly, the idea of losing his body and becoming one with the Force was a weird idea.

This hermit was... an odd specimen. He was obviously obsessed with this idea, this research that he had conducted. Plenty of research was conducted among the Ordos, and nothing was implemented without a rigorous testing period. Jax was never really interested in hard tech, he was mostly interested in software and slicing, so he never really was a part of the testing process. The idea of being a test subject was a bit disconcerting.

Jax did not exactly trust this fanatic. He had encountered and worked with Inquisition members in the past, who held many dark side zealots within their ranks, and they were quite useful and efficient. However, this man seemed to be verging on mental instability. He wondered exactly how the Zabrak was processing everything. However, Jax decided that this was another chance to prove his loyalty to the Sith and to the Dark Side. To cast off his Mandalorian superstitions and commit himself to Sith ideals.

"How do we begin?" Jax said simply, in absolute contrast to the huge speech the sorcerer had just made. "As long as my body does not entirely decompose in the process, I will participate. I expect a favour in return, as clearly you need me more than I need you..."

 

[Caramon]

Valik had never dealt with a Sith Sorcerer before this point. He was a Marauder, all his teachings were about combat, brute force. Both classes were very dedicated to the Sith, yet were almost complete opposites. Valik thought about it for a moment, and there was no way he was going to pass up this opportunity. As he watched the almost skeletal Sith proclaim his vision, his passion to the two other Sith in the room, he could feel the passion in his voice. This is something he had obviously done extensive research on.

Valik knew that he did not need to say anything, what he felt, Jax had already said. Valik stood stoically, waiting for the Sorcerer to respond.

 

[Hol Horse]

Sal didn't need an imaginary college diploma to tell that the two sith were distrustful of him, it was only natural for them to. The gaunt Devaronian eyed them both, first with a suspicious look of his own as he had rather confidently expected them to blindly say 'yes' at the chance for artificially increased connection to the dark side of the force. Unfortunately for him, it seemed that the two marauders did in fact possess some semblance of intellect and were more demanding of evidence and side-effects than the sorcerer first thought. "Oh phooey, you two are no fun" the pale alien pouted, his shoulders hunching over as his body went slack for a few moments. His mental instability had receded somewhat, thanks in part to the green tea calming him a tad, and once more he had resumed his role as Saladin D'vant.

It seemed that it would take more than some half-assed craze dramblings and green tea to impress the duo. "Nope, nope, nope. You're body will not wither away instantaneously in theory. Yet, in time, perhaps at an increased rate, you will begin to lose that bit of yourself that binds you to this mortal form until you are no longer you" the scientist stated. Admittedly, not even he was overwhelmingly certain about what would happen to them once the ritual started, or what would become of them once they completed it. He had used the basic communion rituals of Korriban as a template for this experiment, but there was no telling what would ultimately happen. His science was absolute, his equations concrete- yet this was the part, the science of the self, the hardest kind of study, that would determine the final outcome of this attempt.

Sal admittedly wasn't keen on the idea of owing the cyborg a favor this little shindig, yet the marauder was right. Only he and the zabrak had answered his call, and although they would never get such an offer as this again, the human could still leave on a whim if he wished. The Devaronian could only shrug in resignation before stating, "I, Saladin D'vant, first of my name, humble sorcerer to the dark lords, do solemnly swear on the honor of the ancient sith of centuries past, to answer the call to aid whensoever... erm, this robo-human and zabrak demand it" the scientist said, holding up one arm as if to say a pledge while holding the other behind his back.

The accord was thus struck, and not a moment too soon, for the night was nearly upon them.

Sal motioned for the two fellow sith to follow him, eventually stopping in front of the sacraficial alter on one side while the two stood on the other. Atop the center of the altar lay a black goblet studded with numerous small rubies. The strange, ornate, metal cup sat there silently yet ominously as Sal stared down on it. Suddenly, the sorcerer pulled out a knife and slid it quickly against his open palm, creating a gash from which a steady flow of blood oozed outwards. This red essence dripped from the Devaronian's already bloody hand, gently falling down his fingers into the cup below, filling it up 1/3 of the way. After this was done, Sal handed the knife to the cyborg, motioning for him to do the same and fill up the goblet with another 1/3 of his blood, as well as the zabrak. Finally, when this was done, the sorcerer telekinetically stirred the blood in the cup while speaking aloud, "Gods of blood, darkness and flesh, hear our call. Accept our offering, the blood of the sith'ari, as penance for our trespasses as we now delve into the abyss of eternal darkness, unbreaking and forever strong. Witness us as we carry on your legacy..." the Devaronian hissed before firing a steady flow of blue sith lightning at the surface of the goblet. The red blood quickly began to boil, turning from a bright red into a brackish black substance, no longer resembling anything even remotely coming from a human.

Silently, Sal poured the black liquid from this cup into three smaller ones, giving one each to the sith and pouring one for himself. Each with their own drink, Sal at last raised a toast, "For the sith" he bluntly stated before tilting his head back and downing the drink.

Immediately as the three finished downing their drinks, they would begin to feel a burning sensation within their throats. After this, their heads would begin to pound like a horrible migrane was consuming their minds. Their bodies would ache, their muscles all screaming in unision like they were on fire almost. Sal groaned with ecstasy as the pain rippled through his frame, he moaned with the pleasure it gave him, it was surely better than the joys of the flesh that any simple woman could give. The pain he felt was elation, the definition of suffering through the dark side. As pain wracked the three men's bodies, causing them to go into seizure-like states of perpetual mental and physical suffering, their world would begin to grow dark all around them. Soon, they would feel as though they were falling into a never ending void of darkness, down, down, down they fell, the dark side consuming them inside and out as they pushed into perhaps one of the deepest states of trance ever attempted by a sith in this era. The sensation was incomprehensible. Faster and faster they would seemingly fall through the dark air until, finally, just as it seemed they would hit the invisible bottom, a bright light enveloped their world.

As the light began to fade, a new scene appeared.

----------

[[I would like your next post to be at least 5 paragraphs. Each paragraph is to describe one 'level' of your character's mind, the first paragraph being the first layer, the one where his consciousness lays. The second paragraph will detail the residence of his memories and his knowledge, of everything he remembers and knows. The third paragraph will describe the layer of his fears and goals. The fourth paragraph will detail the layout of your character's subconscious; where his motives and the like that drive his reside, this will be seen as his own personal 'maze', the one that holds all of his deepest memories and secrets, as well as the foundations of his connection to the Dark Side [anger, fear, etc.]. Be as descriptive with each layer as you like, they can be layed out however you wish. The final paragraph will be the outermost-layer that happens after the light fades and you are returned to the group once again.

Good luck.]]

 

[Kyber Krystal]

Jax felt an odd combination of smug glee and spiteful anger. Being owed a favour, especially among the Sith, was definitely a cause for enjoyment. Being owed any sort of debt could be the key between a future triumph or defeat. As unstable as the sorcerer seemed, he might be a valuable asset in the future. However, his sense of joy at the pledge of a favour was severely undercut by being called "robo-human". His cybernetic eye was an incredible burden for Jax to carry. Yes, it was capable and Yes, it was certainly helpful, but it represented the shame he felt being humiliated and exiled from his clan. A parting gift from his father. Why kill your "disgrace" of a son when you could gouge his eye out and then, while unconscious due to the pain, fit him with a cybernetic implant in place of an eye socket? Jax's fist clenched as the sorcerer turned his back. He looked at the Zabrak, and motioned for him to accompany them. The Zabrak had said nothing so far... A quality Jax found admirable.

Jax walked up to the altar, watching the sorcerer as he worked whatever his research had entailed. He ignored the majority of the speech, merely standing in attendance. However, his attention was definitely caught at the drawing of blood. He was a warrior that dealt with blasters and lightsabers, while blood was a bit foreign at this point it wasn't unwelcome. What was unwelcome was when the sorcerer handed him the blade, expecting him to slice into his skin using the exact same blade. Jax still didn't entirely trust the sorcerer, and was not about to have the albino's blood mix with his own. Before cutting in, as the sorcerer was lost in trance and ritual, Jax ignited his lightsaber and ran the knife along its blade. He hoped that by doing this, he would be able to kill any of the sorcerer's blood cells and prevent them from entering his system. Then, Jax followed suit. Slicing and letting his blood drip into the goblet. He then handed the blade to the Zabrak. Jax wondered exactly how the silent Sith was taking everything in.

Once the liquid was prepared, Jax took the small cup, and drank his fill, reasoning that the lightning would more than likely kill any of the blatant blood cells in the concoction.

Jax began to feel searing pain overtake his throat. At first, it was no more than the burning one felt when downing aged scotch. However, this burning escalated and escalated. The burning moved throughout his body, spreading like blood throughout his veins. It eventually led to the point where nearly his entire body felt like it was burning. His nerve endings scorched as Jax yelled out. He fell to his knees, throwing the cup to the side in a complete muscle spasm. He looked up, through the pain, feeling only murderous intent towards the sorcerer. However, as he looked up, the face of the sorcerer was replaced by the face of a demented, horrific spectre. In terror, Jax turned towards the Zabrak, who looked no different. The two had been replaced with two dark, demented entities. Jax, for the first time in quite some time, felt terrified. The sheer pain, the unexpected attack, the combination led to a total shutdown. As Jax felt he was about to pass out due to the pain, the entities moved towards him, until they eventually swallowed him entirely.

Jax felt the floor drop out from underneath. He felt the world totally drop away. No wind, no stimulus, just the sensation of falling. It was almost blissful, a world where he temporarily escaped the fire in his veins and just flew through the world. Jax closed his eyes and simply enjoyed himself for a brief second. He had escaped the dreadful pain and just... existed. However, that bliss would not last. A white light quickly enveloped his being, as he landed with a sharp "thud". No pain, just a thud.

----------

Jax regained a sense of consciousness, as he opened his eyes slowly. Initially, he felt blinded by light, even though there way none. He quickly found that he had been in a fetal position, and quickly stood to a more dignified pose. He blinked, both eyes feeling blurry... his normal eye had returned, no longer being cybernetic. He was amazed and also... suspicious. He looked around at his surroundings. Many buildings that were oddly featureless, however numerous. The were structured and ordered in an oddly familiar way... Of course. It was where he grew up. The surroundings of his old stomping grounds on Mandalore. With House Ordo. Where he battled, where he played, where he... was exiled. But he couldn't help but wonder why everything was so bland... Everything was tinted purple and the skies were completely black, yet everything was completely lit up. Jax couldn't just remain still, he needed to investigate further. He decided to go back to one of the only places he really felt comfortable back home: The Archives. A place of learning and workshops, where Jax learned about technology, where to slice, and... where he first discovered what exactly the Force was. A gift now, a disgrace earlier. It was as good a place as any.

Jax finally made it to the library, which suspiciously had the only door that he encountered yet. He opened the door, entering one of the featureless, purple buildings. The library was just as Jax remembered, as the featureless purple landscape evolved into the stacks of books and knowledge that Jax had grown up with. Boundless, full of resources. Although Jax held distain for the Mandalorians now he did love the academic resources of House Ordo. He took a second to walk around the stacks, examining everything he used to see on a daily basis. He found himself once again, inexplicably drawn to the section on the Force. It was here that Jax had first taken out a tome on the Force, and what exactly it was. This was where Jax fully discovered himself. Except he noticed that every book in the library was unmarked. He picked up a tome and began to read, flipping through numerous pages that were written in... incomprehensible text.

"Jaxxy..." A voice cried out from behind one of the stacks. It was familiar, all too familiar. Jax's head snapped towards the voice, as he saw a figure quickly dash away. He threw the book to the side, tossing it to the ground as he ran. Behind him, as the book hit the ground, he heard a cacophony of loud noises and voices. But Jax had no time to investigate, he needed to follow the figure. He chased and chased, through the stacks, as the library suddenly began to melt around him. Once again, Jax entered the purple and black void that made up the outer surroundings. As he ran, he saw numerous sights and numerous futures... Standing atop the top of the Sith, crushing the Mandalorians from the galaxy, his goals and aspirations for the future. But all those were second nature to chasing down this figure. Eventually, after much chasing, running through stacks and stacks, he eventually chased the figure into a corner. The figure looked female, younger than him... Eventually, he could absolutely place the voice. It was sweet, and unapologetic. His little sister. The only one who seemed upset as Jax was exiled from the Clan. "Ariana..." Jax said as he slowly approached the hunched over girl. She had the same short brown hair that she had when Jax was sent away. "Why did you leave me, Jaxxy...?" The figure turned around... It was his little sister, but her pupils were completely white and glossed over. Numerous dark figures began to converge on Jax, each demanding why he had to leave. "I didn't leave, I was forced to leave, Ariana, please!" Eventually, the voices became too loud and the figures too numerous. Jax was forced to run... abandoning his sister yet again.

As he turned and ran, he noticed his surroundings had become increasingly dilapidated. Everything seemed to have melted as the screaming became louder and louder. Jax felt an odd mix of emotions. He felt fearful and angry, all the reasons why he hated the Mandalorians came rising back to the surface of his psyche. He felt the same pain he felt as he was brutally beaten by his father in front of the entire clan, and the same pain he felt when his father gouged his eye out. He continued to run through a maze like structure. Voices and images from across his life flashed in front of him as he ran. His first datapad hack, the first time using the force, Ariana's face, the Sith Academy, everything flashed in front of him. It was sensory overload. Jax felt utterly overwhelmed. Eventually, he stopped running through the maze. Everything stopped. The world began to melt around him as Jax stopped to catch his breath. He felt broken down. Humiliated... Just then, a large manifestation of energy began to form in front of him. Jax's sense came alive as what could only be described as a manifestation of the Dark Side came to be in front of him. It was nothing, not physical form, yet omnipresent and looming. It was utterly superior to Jax, as if it was able to swallow him entirely.

"YOU ARE BEATEN... YOU ARE BROKEN... YOU ARE READY..." The same voice that beckoned Jax to Yavin 4 in the first place.

The manifestation covered Jax and swallowed him whole. The same sensation of falling overtook him yet again, however this time was much shorter. Eventually, he landed with another thud. As he regained himself, he once found himself with the group. It appeared that he was really the first to come to. His surroundings were still blurry, he was unsure if he was back in the temple. However, up close he could see perfectly fine. He blinked a few times, and was saddened to find that once again, he had his cybernetic implant in place of his eye. Even with that, it couldn't see perfectly. It needed time to recalibrate. He saw the Zabrak, unsure if he was conscious or not. Same with... the sorcerer. What in the Force had he done, what was this ritual?! Jax, forcing himself to stand through the pain, stumbled over to the sorcerer. He was fueled by righteous pain and hate, the pure essence of the Dark Side. He drew his lightsaber, igniting it and holding it to the sorcerer's neck.

"What... the hell... was that?!" Jax yelled at the Albino Sorcerer, still painting and out of breath from his experiences. "What was that?! Tell me or I promise you I will destroy you!"

@Ravendark @Caramon

 

[Caramon]

Valik watched as the Sorcerer slid the knife across his palm, revealing the meat that lay underneath the skin. Blood immediately began to flow from the wound as he held it over the large goblet, he handed the knife to the Sith standing across from him. The smell of burnt ozone filled his nostrils as the man ignited his lightsaber, sliding the sides of the blade across the beam of energy, in an attempt to sterilize the weapon. Jax repeated the same process that the Sorcerer had performed moments before. Valik reached across and grasped the knife. He felt somewhat disgusted, seeing the blood on the edge of the blade, and taking a page out ouf Jax's book, he repeated the same process in order to sterilize the blade. Valik stretched his hand, tightening the skin making it easier to cut. With a slow, drawn out slice, the skin on his palm opened up as the red liquid started to flow from the wound he had just created. The Zabrak placed the knife back onto the table as he let the goblet fill to the top before wrapping a garment around his hand in order to stop the bleeding.

The archaic ceremony the Sorcerer performed was really a sight. Valik squinted his eyes a bit as the lightning arced from his fingertips and enveloped the blood filled goblet. The red blood quickly turning black from the power that had traced through the blood. Sal grabbd three glasses and equally poured the force embued liquid into each cup. Valik grasped his with both hands, brought it to his lips, eyeing the two other Sith and watching them begin to drink before he opened his mouth and let the blackened blood flow into his mouth and down his throat. He squinted his eyes, somewhat from the taste, but also from the burning sensation he was receiving from the drink. As the Marauder finished his drink, he dropped the glass. He grasped his throat out of reflex, the then started to look at his arms, clenching his teeth in pain. The spasms were uncontrollable, his fingers unresponsive, his limbs stuck outstretched. 'What is happening to me' Valik thought.

A large phantom hand started to come out of the ground heading towards the Zabrak. Valik turned to run, but the floor was pullin him in closer to the hand with every second. The tile floor started to give way to blackness, the hand grasped firmly upon his legs, pulling him down into the void. Valik grabbed the edge with both hands, holding on. His fingers started to break as he was using all of his strength but to no avail. He was eventually pulled into the void. The pressure around his legs ceased as he fell. He held out his hands and legs, his eyes squinting against the wind as he fell in total blackness. Valik hit the ground hard, bouncing up and coming back down to the surface once again. Valik grunted in pain as he stood. His hands were fine, his robes were gone, all of his possesions were gone. He looked upon the Jedi temple at Tython. 'How is this possible, this is destroyed' Valik thought. Jedi walked about the place, paying him no attention. They greeted each other with bows of respect to one another. A ship came out of nowhere to land on a nearby platform. Walking down the loading ramp was someone that Valik had not seen in a long time. The Jedi master that had discovered him so many years ago on his home planet of Iridonia. Valik's younger, former self followed behind. How foolish he was, how nieve he was at that age.

It seemed as if he was being sucked into time and space as the lights streaked around him, stopping suddenly showing Valik his many hours of training to once again be sucked into the void once more. Missions and faces flashed before his eyes as his body hung in limbo flying through whatever this was. Finally stopping to see his friend beheaded once more. This was a vital point in Valik's past. It was the moment where he had forsaken the Jedi and sought out to become what he became. The floor once more disintegrating underneath him, the sensation of falling once again enveloping him.

Suddenly he stopped at the Sith temple where the Emperor resided. As he walked through the humongous doors, something was different. He looked at the seat of power and blinked uncontrollably for a few seconds. In the seat where the Emperor had once sat in his throne of power, was now a new figure. Valik saw himself, older and more powerful sitting atop the throne. 'Is this a sight of things to come?' Valik thought. But his mind was cut off as he saw another faceless Sith come up from behind. Without a notice, a red saber blade was run through older Valik's heart. The figure retracted his blade as the Zabraks head slumped. The nameless figure tossed the lifeless body of old Valik to the side and took the throne for his own. Valik screamed in anger, yet no sound was heard. He looked to the guard to his left and tried to give a command, yet no response was given. And yet again, the floor began to fall away into darkness.

He was stopped at the Jedi temply on Dantooine, standing face to face with the man that had beheaded his friend so many years ago. The anger that Valik felt, fueled his power. He could feel the Darkside flow through his body with ease. The more he looked upon the face of this man, the more anger he felt towards him, the more power he felt. His hand instinctively went to his side like it had done so many times before, yet there was no saber. The Sith lunged forwards but the apparition of the Jedi waverd in the wind and then dissipated. Valik stood, breathing loudly, his eyes burning red as he thought of the man, knowing that if had really met him, he would have cut him down without thinking twice. Valik started to walk forward only to come into contact with the table that was previously where the three had started the ritual. He looked around as the surroundings transformed into the Sith temple. He wondered if this was real, or if he was still in a trance. He looked down and his robes and saber were once again with him. He pulled both sabers off of thier clips on his belt and ignited both bladed. His red and black face was engulfed in red light as he held his sabers up towards the Sorcere.

"What the hell was that..."
@Ravendark @Kyber Krystal

 

[Hol Horse]

OOC: I'm genuinely impressed with the level of depth you two went in your posts, hopefully this sort of dark side experience might open the door for other similar character development and fleshing out. You both have my respect.

As the light dimmed, Sal began to see what his new world now looked like. He was now standing at the entrance to an ancient yet massive black castle. The building looked enormous, built atop a cliff that jutted out into the black and briney sea. Interested, albeit confused, the Devaronian walked forwards across the lowered drawbridge, the mighty oak doors at its end swinging open outwards as he approached. A barrage of sight and sound blasted against the sith as he entered the castle, arriving in a foyer of sorts where blurred figures seemed to rush about going about their buisness. No one seemed to see him, and he in turn could not see them, despite this, he still clearly heard what they were conversing about and managed to piece together that a great Royal Ball was currently going on. Not thinking of his fellow sith, the sorcerer smiled with glee, eavesdropping on the various indiscernable actors who were unaware of his existence. Ohhhh yes, this was good fun.

As the sorcerer sauntered up the grand staircase to the ballroom, his skin began to change, as well as his overall image. His pale gaunt skin darkened to a deeply tanned olive, his yellow eyes subsiding into a calm blue, his black hair recceeding to his ears from its normal length. He seemed to stand up straighter, his body filling out and appearing more as a strapping young man than a sickly and thin alien. By the time he had stepped into the ballroom, he looked almost unrecognizable in comparison to his normal self. It appeared as though the theme of the party was that of a masquerade, one in which the faces of the attendees changed and morphed whenever he looked away. It was a dervish of a party, with wild dancing, gluttonous feasting and drinking, passionate kissing, and music so loud that none tried to yell over it. The sorcerer slid effortlessly into the fray, dancing and two stepping his way through the pandemonium as the night widdled on, he could see the masks of his family, his teachers on korriban, and even the two sith whom he had met that night. All were in attendance to the greatest party in the galaxy.

Yet, after a while, things got boring.

The neverending waltzes, the faces of the same masks, the disinterest with flesh or food, it all got so... lackluster. The olive skinned Devaronian stepped into dance with an actress who seemed to play the part of his mother, her unmoving smile plastered upon her mask. "Isn't this good fun?" the masked woman queried, speaking in a voice identical to his own. As Sal two-stepped, he frowned, deciding that, at the end of the day, he liked his own face a lot better with his voice than his mother's. "That's my line you whore" his hissed as he pulled out his lightsaber and bisected the masked woman from shoulder to hip in one stroke of his blade. Yet, the most peculiar thing happened then: no one seemed to care that he had just murdered the decapitated woman. Instead, the feasting and dancing continued, perhaps doubled now if such was possible. For some reason, the sith felt even more enraged to be ignored so, lashing out in a killing spree that seemed to attract no attention, the patrons of the ball forgetting his existence all of a sudden it seemed. In a roar, the sorcerer unleashed a torrent of lightning that vaporized the masked actors, eventually growing in power and size until the entire ballroom seemed to become enveloped in energy. At last, the world seemed to crack and fall apart, as if a baseball had been thrown through a glass window and the shards were now falling to reveal a white canvas of infinity.

He wandered aimlessly through the white infinity that stretched in every direction. It was a maze, one that was as incomprehensible as Sal. All the sith could do was keep going forwards, alone. His now-yellow eyes blinked, looking for any other figures or scenes that might have provided some sort of clue about this place but, still, there was nothing but infinity. Unsure of what to do, he closed his eyes, the black abyss staring back at him similar to the voidlike gaze of the reaper. He was the master, there was no maze here, he would bend this world and shape it to his will. All he needed to do, was breathe. As he thought to himself, he could hear whispers, voices. They were not evil, yet neither light, they simply were. The more the man tried to let his mind slip away, the more he felt his body start to fade away, as if it were gently unraveling. The white void was becoming one with him, and he with it. Secrets began to bubble up to the surface, his determination to fix this broken world residing deep within his being. He could her their voices, his own voices, whispering their secrets and motivations into him now that he was alone in the blackness of his own mind. He could no longer feel his body now, he could not open his eyes, he only saw black. Still, the whispers continued, starting softly, before growing more excited rushed, allied by new whispers that spoke their sweet nothings into his very being. Black and white, light and dark, mind and soul, they fused into one as he felt his very being be contorted and stretched, becoming one with infinity itself. Time, Life, Space they were all one now, he had become them, he had achieved enlightenment almost. Closer and closer, a bright light in the dark approached him-or was it a bright dark in the light, its presence spurring a chorus of whisperers to speak faster and more hurriedly. Closer and closer the light came, so close that Sal could reach out and touch it. The voices continued, the light came closer, Sal felt his mind slipping away and unraveling as the last strands of his physical being molded into what lay beyond reality..

Suddenly, all was still....




The sorcerer's eyes snapped open last as he lay on the grounds of the temple, staring up at the dark ceiling above him. He heard words, his mind was still blurry. He knew that he had passed through the gauntlet, he could feel it in his core. On a more practial level, it only took one glance at his now-fine hand to tell that they were not were they were any longer. The realization of this feat dawned slowly on the scientist, but, as the reality of what he had done now hit him, a crazed smile erupted onto his face, "Yeeeehahahaha!" he screeched with glee. His theorum had worked, the Three Pillars method was a viable technique of trinity meditation. The still woozy sith got up to his feet and looked around in awe, though, his elation was cut short by the lightsaber now being pointed at his neck by the robo-human and the zabrak. Despite the prospect of death looming large, the sorcerer retained his smile, "Ooooooooh, I wouldn't do that if I were yooooooouu, if any of us die now of all times then we'll all be done for" he said before holding up his right hand to show the two sith.

The wound on his hands from crushing the teacup were gone, as was the gash from slicing his hand with the knife. Indeed, the two marauder's cuts would likewise be gone. "We've done it, hahaha, we've done it!" he cheered, still as ecstatic as ever, "We have descended into a unified trance, one that is perhaps deeper than any before it. The three of us are now one, descending through our deepest layers of ourself into the very essences of our being. Like building a sturdy sword, one must strike the anvil when it is red hot" the sorcerer said, explaining what had just happened to them and where they now were. He raised his arms out to his side, "Look around friends, we aren't just striking the anvil, we have become it" he stated with perhaps a somewhat skewed analogy. Indeed, while they were still in the apex chamber of the sith temple on Yavin IV, the room had changed. The hieroglyphics and ancient murals on the wall were now all painted with vivid color, banners hung from the sides of the room, torches lit the place with flickering red light, and a freshly sacraficed human corpse was splayed on the stone alter behind them. They had mentally traveled back in time.

Sal stretched out his hand in front of him, sending out a telekinetic blast at the great stone doors of the temple causing them to burst outwards open. Red light poured into the antechamber. Silently, the sith listened as the sounds of cheers from outside could be heard. His heart beating a mile a minute as his research continued to come together, the sorcerer walked forwards to stand in the doorway of the temple. Hundreds of feet below him, miles upon miles of Massai slaves yelled in the tongue of the Old Sith, stopping whatever it was they were doing and bowing on their knees at seeing the three sith appear in the red moonlight. Fire, iron, and construction was sprawled about as far as the eye could see as the Massai slaves continued to work on finishing their construction of Yavin IV.

They had done it.

 

[Kyber Krystal]

Jax was absolutely dumbfounded as the albino raised his hand, revealing that all the wounds he had recently suffered were completely gone. He disengaged his lightsaber and re-clipped it to his belt, stepping away from the sorcerer. He quickly held up his left hand, inspecting it and finding no evidence of any mark, let alone a wound. What in the Force had they done? And just what was that vision that he had experienced. The cloud of dark energy, what could it had been? It almost didn't matter, those were concerns for another day.

The temple surroundings came back into focus, and Jax took everything in. The temple was more vibrant, the writing on the walls were more bold and legible. It was Sith. Jax couldn't read the Sith language, but he recognized a few of the symbols from his time in the academy. The colour of the walls were no longer the muted grey, more of a vibrant grey, like the material was completely new. Suddenly, an atrocious smell overtook his senses. He turned around, seeing a freshly slain human corpse, and had to suppress a gag. It was mutilated and bloody, not killed with any lightsaber or blaster.

"Fine, sorcerer, I will trust you for now... You did not say anything about you being broken in half killing either myself or my Zabrak friend here. Call me Robo-Human again and I will break you. Are we clear?" He did not await a response, he simply stormed towards the door.

As he walked, he saw the stone door forced open through the Force, making his exit from the temple all the more triumphant. He was the first to exit the Temple, stopping as soon as he exited. He was stunned. Thousands of slaves, working on monuments and structures that had all been there when he had arrived on the moon. He watched as the slaves bowed down before the three of them, and momentarily felt elated. He felt powerful. He turned towards the sorcerer. "So what is your plan here. What happens now?"

 

[Caramon]

Valik’s sole focus when he had come to was upon the sorcerer. It was like he had tunnel vision, focusing his anger towards the one person that had put him in this predicament. As the sorcerer stood to his feet, raising his hands to show his now healed skin, Valik’s eyes squinted not knowing what was going on. He pulled his twin crimson blades back, flipped a switch and both blades retracted into their hilts. The Sith clipped the hilts back onto their resting place upon his belt, raising his hand and inspecting it. The wrapping he had used was gone, there was no marks upon the red and black skin of his palm. What was this magic.

All of a sudden the surroundings started to make themselves known. He could hear the crackle of fire, smell a putrid odor filling his nostrils. He looked down at the table to see a being lying on the table that had once been bare when the three arrived. Coverd in blood and wounds, the mouth was open as if in an endless scream of death. The hall which had once been cloaked in shadow and dust, know glowed bright with firelight, the antechamber they resided in looked as if it had just been built. The banners that hung on the wall, the carvings in the stone walls.

The Sorcerer thrust his hand forward and the large double doors on the opposite side of the room swung open, making a loud bang as they hit the walls from the force of the blast. Valik looked back at the door, hearing all of the voices singing in unity. The Zabrak followed the human as he made his way towards the doorway.

As Valik stepped out into the night sky, he noticed all of the statues and other forms of worship being constructed by the slaves of this planet. The Slaves reveled in the power of the Three that stood atop the masses of people. Valik felt the Darkside of the Force permeate throughout this place, flowing through his body. He did not know what was going on, waiting to hear what the Sorcerer had to say to Jax's question.

 

[Hol Horse]

Sal grinned as he walked out last of the three sith. The two marauders were abraisive and moody, something he had been fully expecting along with a fetish for the color black. Fortunately, the albino Devaronian knew he was to f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s to cover up his pretty face with something so dreary, thus his beaming smile was the first thing to greet the worshiping onlookers as the three sith posed intimidatingly. The sorcerer, the zabrak, and the robo-friend, they were an unusual trio brought together for an unwavering lust for power and dominance. The gaunt sith did not at first answer the human's question, instead holding up his arms in triumph as he took in the moment. This was power, this was what it was like to be a demigod- and oh man, was it good. The Massai slaves continued to bow down from all directions, dropping their work and prostrating instantly at the sight of the dark knights now standing at the apex of Yavin IV.

The Ancient Sith Empire was at its height in this recreated illusion, their collective consciousness ha been transported backwards in time centuries into the past. Here, the sith reigned supreme, their reach unquestionable, the power of the dark lords and the marauders being absolute. The sorcerer could feel it in the air, the fear and anxiety that the three warrior's very presence caused the thousands below. With one word, they could kill the rats and replace them just as quickly with fresh slaves. Monuments were being constructed, parts of the temple complex were being worked on, slave masters drove the weak at a breakneck pace until their feeble frames finally gave out from exhaustion. This was what it meant to live by the rule of the strong, and as far as these ants were concerned, there were none currently stronger than them.

"Now, you shall be judged by the many. By the few. By the one. By the legion" a voice said, followed by an echo of what sounded like many voices speaking in tandem, "Judged. Many. Few. One. Legion".

Sal frowned, suddenly feeling a chill go down his spine. There was something... off, about the voice that had spoken. Although the masses of slaves and slave masters continued to bow and worship the three of them, the voice that had spoken now seemed to be crystal clear, speaking on a higher level than the jumbled mass of voices coming from below. Perhaps more unsettling though was the overwhelming and unadulterated ripple in the dark side of the force that radiated from all around. The scientist's eye twiched a bit as he felt the power of the dark side grow stronger, and stronger, finally becoming far more powerful and potent than the three sith combined. The presence was utterly unsettling and inhuman in its purity with the dark side of the force. As the voice continued to speak, so did the chorus of varied voices who followed. "You dare invite us into this false reality? Our spirits once stood amongst these souls who now stand before you, only to be killed by the millions. Now you seek to strip our spirits and purge us for your own devices? You sith never seem to learn. This place will surely be your grave" the voice boomed from all directions, followed by, "False. Souls. Purge. Sith. Grave" in a mixed chorus.

As the voice spoke, the artificially created world began to change once more. The ground, the sky above, and even the buildings suddenly became pitch black, sprouting unsettling smiling sets of teeth and blinking red eyes, as the voice spoke again, so too would these mouths which covered every surface both physical and abstract. Sal frowned now, "Oh yeeeeaaaaaaaaah, I forgot about that bit. I probably should've mentioned that the spirits of Yavin IV will probably try and invade our combined trance and kill us in our most vulnerable state. My bad guys, but hey, at least we got this far, am I right?" he said before laughing ecstatically again at his mistake(?) in forgetting to tell the two marauders that tidbit of information as well. "Correct mortal. You're actions in creating this world mentally are an affront to our home, your existence cannot be tolerated. You shall be purged and join us, join the millions, the Legion" the voice said again as a black figure rose out of the ground next to the trio of sith, "Mortal. Affront. Existence. Purged. Legion" the echoes spoke from all mouths. The dark figure, Legion Incarnate, lurched forwards, seemingly about to strike. The slaves below seemed to transform in the blink of an eye into similarly black and identical looking figures as their leader, marching forwards up the stairs to begin their attack when, suddenly, the sorcerer spoke again.

"Whoa, whoa whoa, hold up. Is that anyway to treat your rightful masters? Are we not sith? Did we not subjugate you in life as we now do in death? I mean, come ooooooon pal, you gotta give us some kind of fighting chance hear. It is our right as the strong after all to wield your power in both life and death, which is why we're here to purge you" the sorcerer said, pointing at the Legion Incarnate. The dark figure's smile's seemed to frown in contemplation, realizing that its continued existence was both a result of and resulted in the sith now in front of him. Somewhat begrudgingly, the creature spoke, "Go on..." for once the echoes not speaking after him. This was the opening that the scientist had been waiting for nearly 8 years to exploit, "I propose a bet, seeing as how we are at an impass. If we three can survive until the sun rises, your power and presence is forfeit, absorbed by us three to use as we may please in our quest for strength. If you win, well, uhhhh, you can torment our spirits for all eternity. Sound good babe?"

"Deal. You got 5 minutes before we resume our attack, I suggest you use it wisely" the Legion spoke alone again, leering at the trio who now were running a gauntlet not just for power, but for their souls. The Dark Side sure was a double edged sword, wasn't it?

 

[Kyber Krystal]

Jax was absolutely overwhelmed and frustrated by everything that was happening. After what he had experienced in that hellscape, the new invading entity was not nearly as shocking. Jax was a bit nervous, as the presence felt eerily similar to that presence that claimed he had been broken. Jax did not make any sudden movements, so as not to betray any sense of fear or trepidation. But judging from the power that emanated from the entities... His attempts at hiding these feelings were perhaps in vain.

As the nurmerous slaves transformed into yet more of the demented, dark entities that had appeared alongside the preverse image of his sister, Jax immediately reached for his lightsaber again. He did not ignite it yet, merely taking the chance to size up the situation. As it stood, the three were utterly surrounded, outnumbered, and Jax didn't even feel he could really trust his two companions, certainly not the sorcerer. At least the Zabrak, up to this point, had been of one mind with Jax, more or less following his lead. While Jax enjoyed being a dominant presence, he realized that under this crazy circumstance of the imaginary trance world, he really had no real control.

And then the sorcerer did the first rational act yet. He struck a deal. That didn't make him trustworthy, but it showed he wasn't completely mental... 5 Minutes. They had 5 Minutes.

He grabbed the arms of both the sorcerer and the Zabrak, dragging them back towards the temple. After making it inside, Jax used the Force to slam the temple doors shut. He turned to the sorcerer. "You are a piece of work, you know that?! You lied to us, and proven that as of late you're completely useless... Who the hell says 'babe' to an malevolent spirit!?" Jax said in complete frustration. Jax decided he needed to take charge. These were no mere soldiers, but maybe he had a chance to put his war training that he received with the Mandalorians to the test. Usually, he hated talking too much. But at this point, he felt as if he was issuing orders. Something he was more than comfortable doing.

"We have about four more minutes until that kriffing horde outside barges in. We're safer using the Temple as a stronghold than we would be out in the open. The doors are a choke-point, which will keep them from overwhelming us, but we aren't going to be able to hold out forever just fighting them here."

He turned back to the sorcerer. "How well do you know this temple? Are there any advantages deep within that we can exploit?" Jax then turned to the Zabrak. "You carry yourself with confidence, friend. Hopefully that avails you in battle... how long until sun-up?"

 

[Caramon]

As the crowd chanted in unison at the three Sith that stood above them, Valik began to feel a cold shiver run down his spine. Something was wrong, something was amiss but he could not place it. Valik turned around the same time as his other companions to see the dark figure spring out of the ground. The Zabrak felt as if all of the hate in the universe was channeled through this being, the Sith could feel the power emanating from the being. The Sorcerer spoke to the being, Valik clenching his teeth together in anger. ‘Is this all a joke to him, what is he thinking’ Valik thought to himself.

Jax grabbed Valik by the arm and they were dragged inside of the temple, the doors to the balcony slamming shut behind them. The fury and rage that permeated through the Zabrak blinded him to the conversation as Jax spoke toe the Sorcerer, only catching the last part about what the three can exploit in the temple. Then Jax turned his attention to Valik.

“You carry yourself with confidence, friend. Hopefully that avails you in battle…How long until sun up.”

“Thank you for your concern but do not question my ability. I will hold my own”

The Zabrak removed his night black cloak, all it was at this point was a hindrance, he needed the maneuverability. Valik lowered both hands and placed them upon the twin lightsaber hilts that hung loosely upon his blet, his thumbs resting upon the switches. He looked around, knowing time was running out.