Ask First Steps

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar remained purposely silent when she asked about an antidote, only smiling unhelpfully as a response. He wasn’t even remotely surprised when she started gagging from the smell, though he remained entirely unfazed. He patiently watched as she gagged a few times, eventually starting to chuckle.

“Better out than in, I suppose,” He said with a grin as he pointed towards a nearby bucket to dispose of any unwanted items. She could vomit to her heart’s content there. Azar hummed to himself as he took the scalpel and finished the incisions while she puked her guts out.

“Come here once you are finished,” He said, handing her a few clean rags to clean herself off, “The poison in its current state is not lethal to humanoids, so we must alter some components of it. This is what I can normally do with alchemy, but something you will need to learn,” Over the next few hours, Azar walked her through the chemical compositions of serums and enzymes that reacted to humanoids. She would have to take notes and study the formulas. Eventually he presented a liquid with basic alkalinity, “Lean into the Force and will this to turn into the compositions we just studied. You need to change the variables that will transform it into something that reacts to humanoids,” It was a very tricky use of the Force, but this was a basic lesson in alchemy in Azar’s specialty. If she did it correctly, it would turn the liquid blue and leave her almost entirely depleted of her Force reserves.

He eyed her curiously, studying her in silence. Again there was no condescending or reproachful look, just the stability of his presence and the encouragement for her to succeed.

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

With her holding her breath, she thought she was in control, but it son turned out that she wasn't. With the tearing eyes and the slightly red head, it was only a matters of a few focused seconds before she gagged again, and, after Azar showed her the bucket, raced over.

There wasn't much that still came out, but there was still something, which surprised her. The worst was that it all left a bitter taste in her mouth that kept grossing her out, but her nose soon adjusted to the terrible smell, especially after Azar was done with the retrieval of the important liquid.

Freyja felt mildly embarrassed about her body's extreme reaction, mostly because she wasn't used to it, but apperently, alchemy could be terribly disgusting. Whether it was his pureblood nose or a matter of habits, Freyja was impressed by how the stench didn't bother him at all any more, but she mused whether repeatedly smelling such terrible things would bluntly kill some sensory cells.

Freyja wasn't necessarily a patient person, but Azar's lecture was literally enticing by the exciting nature of the subject - the science and processes behind it were complicated, but logical, and Freyja was amazed by the fact that you could alter the substances in a way that they'd affect humanoids in the most deadly way.

She listened intently and nodded along, her brain quickly taking it all in while she scribbled various notes in her phone. Remembering wasn't the problem, she thought, and she was relatively skilled with the Force, but as she focused on the liquid, she kept having troubles with concentrating and so she simply messed up a few variables so that the liquid was suddenly rather greenish and under the severe, sudden headache, Freyja just solidly passed out. She was only out for a few moments, but as her eyes flattered open, she was incredible dizzy, disoriented and didn't even know whether she had made it. Confused, she glanced up at Azar.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

By the time she came around again, she would hear Azar cursing now and then as he tried to make social media work. He had actually left her passed out on the floor where she dropped, entirely unconcerned.

“No!” He hissed as he accidentally ‘liked’ a picture of someone from ages ago and revealed himself as a stalker. Azar haphazardly tried to change it, but ended up changing the react to love, his two digits working against him on the EZPhone screen. In the end, he hurled the thing across the room and pouted.

“Oh you’re awake,” He said as he awkwardly caught his apprentice staring at him, “Hm yes, you failed spectacularly,” Azar said almost cheerfully as he held up the green liquid that looked like something she would puke out, “But this is a learning lesson. This is not quite humanoid, but what species would this impact in particular?” He quizzed her, seeing if she actually paid attention while he rambled earlier.

If she got the correct answer, he would present her with a candybar. His other students loved candy, so he figured it would please her the same. It was 50/50 on whether it contained an Azar Special.

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

The first thing Freyja heard was Azar cursing before the memories came floating back in - right, the liquid...just thinking about it almost made her gag again, but it was good that only a slight trace of it still lingered in the air. She sat up and looked around before she got up and staggered in her master's direction.

She found him on his phone, the familiar double tap drawing another hiss from the pureblood. "Uhm", she announced herself awkwardly, but the phone already came flying. She stopped it with her foot as it almost slid past her and picked it up, which however, almost made her fall over again.

The case was clear - Master Kressh had involuntarily distributed some likes, and, spotting the date, she immediately removed the reacts with a few quick taps and swipes before she handed it back with a smirk. "Here. You're fine. All traces are gone", she told him with a hint of pride bleeding into her voice - if she sucked at alchemy, she could at least show off her social media skills.

"You know, I bet there's a two digits mode", she extended her hand again, if he'd hand back the phone, she'd quickly browse through the settings. She knew they had plenty of customization options for various species, so she was certain there was a special aid for fewer digits, too.

Inevitably, the conversation would wander back to her alchemy fail and she sheepishly scratched her chin, mentally rummaging through the masses of information he had given her before she was certain she knew the answer. "Reptilians...isn't it? I'm pretty sure I know exactly where I went down the wrong path", she sighed. Twisting the force's will like that had been an exhausting task, but she now knew that due to her impatiens, she had messed up a certain step that then led to a few follow up mistakes.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar’s mood improved instantly when he realized she removed the likes. He giddily took his EZPhone back, marveling at the two digit features now. He happily scrolled through the EZPhone before remembering he was in the middle of teaching a lesson, “Correct,” He said, smiling as she gave her answer. The green meant the poison would be especially effective against reptiles. He put aside the candybar he was going to give her, giving her a different one instead.

“Alchemy is tricky business,” Azar said as he nibbled on his own chocolate bar, “But it can take out entire cities and civilizations silently and swiftly. Can do far more damage than an army of saber-wielding Sith ever could,” He said with a cruel smirk. He knew because he had done similar things multiple times without anyone ever knowing it was him.

Azar took a seat and eyed her quietly, “Tell me of your people,” He said, deciding he wanted to know more about her and her background beyond the basics.

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

Freyja was once again confused by how chill she was even after she had fucked up the poison. He in fact, seemed more pleased with his new feature and the possibilities it entailed than he was concerned about scolding her or whatsoever- until he even cheerfully agreed with her.

Phew. So she had at least mananged to identify her mistake. Maybe she wasn't a natural disaster at alchemy. The subtle smirk on her lips widened as she saw him happy, but as he placed down the candy bar and handed her a different one, she couldn't help but raise a brow as she slowly took it and turned it in her hands.

"Are you...conditioning me?", she blurted out, seeing the resemblance to puppy training like her mom had always done it with their hounds. "I'm sorry...I mean...thank you". She was somewhat suspicious as he handed given her the first bar, and she sucked at handling praise in general, so she sheepishly grinned at him.

As he shared some more insights on the power of alchemy, her eyes widened ever so slightly. It was fascinating...even without knowing whether she'd manage it, she was grateful for the opportunity to learn under such a skilled alchemist, so as he took a seat, she sat down across from him and cleared her throat before she slowly opened the bar.

She sniffed at it carefully, inconspicuously though, before she took a small bite. It tastes great...she couldn't deny that and it had been ages since she had last tried chocolate, so as it melt in her mouth, she had to suppress a little moan. "Hm?", her eyes immediately flicked back to him, his question catching her off guard a little.

"I...oh", she eagerly swallowed the bite in her mouth and leaned back, her mood relatively cheerful thanks to the chocolate. "I grew up in a relatively small tribe of hunters and warriors...It got extinct the day my old master decided to show up and kill them. They were fierce, feisty...and stubborn. I guess this still applies to me, but I'm not attached to those memories anymore", she shrugged, answering rather bluntly. It wasnthe truth and she didn't mind sharing it, but she was wondering whether her homeworld was generally of interest to him. "Where did you grow up? Korriban?".

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar chuckled when she asked if he was conditioning her. He was, but not with this, “You puked up bile so I figured you could use a snack,” He said with a grin.

“Why aren’t you attached to the memories?” Azar asked, ignoring her question at first. It was odd for someone to have their entire village wiped and not feel an attachment or sense of vengeance. Acting against her old Master would mean nothing if she didn’t despise his actions, “Did you want your village to be destroyed?” Azar asked with a quirked brow, taking another bite of chocolate.

It was clear he wasn’t going to let her do a sudden topic change. They would explore the topic of her past, her village, her background all before she could turn the narrative on him. He wasn’t swayed so easily.

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

While he was right about her potentially needing some chocolate, she simply wasn't prepared for the kind gesture and so she awkwardly snacked it away as their conversation continued. She was a little surprised about how he didn't give her an answer as well this time but instead pressed further for an elaboration on her side.

"Of course not...I hate my old Master for everything. He's just a terrible person. While he never really taught me a lot, through pain and torture he did at least ensure that I wouldn't stay attached to where I grew up", she held Azar's gaze for a moment, before she struggled to find the right words and faced the ground.

"One day I want to give him what he deserves...but I know I can neither bring my parents and siblings nor anyone else from my tribe back. Also, I need to get stronger first". That was a truth she had learned to accept. Thinking back to that time made her angry...furious even, and while she was passionate in her anger, there wasn't much left for her past in general. She simply knew she wouldn't ever get it back.

Perhaps she was more attached than she had first thought though, so he had a point. Maybe she wouldn't care about her village and her master anymore if she wasn't invested at all anymore. Maybe that spark was just continuing to grow though...

She glanced back up, absent-mindedly fumbling with the chocolate wrapper as an result of his still non-existent answer. She was curious about his background, too, so this one sided exchange was slightly frustrated for her, especially as she didn't want her mind to dwell on this bastard any more. "So, Korriban?".

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

There it was. The pent up rage. All the same, he was impressed she recognized the futility of dwelling on the past. Her anger towards her former master remained, and it would serve as fuel to help her rise through the ranks. Azar only smirked as she went back to the question of Korriban. She was an astute individual, and doubtless she was collecting as much information as possible for her own purposes. Fortunately, Azar had little he cared to hide.

“I was born and raised there, yes,” He said as he motioned for her to join him at the alchemy table again, “I was born into nobility. I immigrated to the outside galaxy when I was 19,” He explained, “My people are notorious for lots of in-fighting and warring. I suppose it’s a bit similar to yours,” Azar suggested.

As he spoke, he drew out more of the poison, bringing out that mixture from earlier again, “Attempt this one more time. I am certain you will get it right,” Azar said as he set the beaker down.

"What do you wish to learn from me, apprentice?" He asked calmly. He had an idea of what he would teach, but he wanted her perspective.

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

After he had stirred up some more details about her past, Freyja was slightly shifting in her seat, a hint of nervousity displayed by the way she chewed on the inside of her cheeks. Not that she had anything to hide...but the way she had miscalculated her own thoughts surprised her, and a pang of rage was still surfacing.

Her hands slowly clenched into fists and she exhaled slowly as the conversation did finally change. Good. She would have spiraled, and she was in no mood to let that out. She was here to learn...so she forced her mind to focus. Her mouth slowly flapped open as he explained where he had come from and pointed out the similarities.

Her Sephi lineage touched upon nobility, but she had never cared about that, yet he came from a warrior lineage piqued her interest a lot. "And you left because you wanted to discover who you really were?", she mused out aloud, remembering how he had told her how he had strayed from his path for a moment after having been born into this all.

"Sorry...I know, I can be nosey", she bit her lip, still being used to not being allowed to ask any questions, so she excused herself out of reflex and cleared her throat, forcing her mind to focus. "Sure", she followed obediently, taking a moment to go through her notes and memories before she grabbed the vial and concentrated.

Knowing where she had gone wrong before made it easier, yet she soon learned that her reserves were still somewhat depleted and so her head began hurting rather quickly. Bending the Force like this was nothing she had ever done before, and while she always viewed herself as rather capable with force attacks, this brought her close to unconsciousness again.

"I can't...", she struggled hard, her mind spinning and constantly threatening to wander off, but she held on...while she was severely focused, she picked up his question. "I want to learn how to utilize that...fire inside me...uuuh". It was straining and cumbersome work, yet she continued.

"I want to learn how to...how" she redacted her mistake carefully, and twisted the substance enough to turn it faintly light blue. She set the vial down with trembling hands, she wondered whether the color meant it was only slightly poisonous, but she saw at least a hint of blue before once again, her world was coated in pitch black darkness.

Thud. The acolyte, unfortunately, wouldn't continue answering the question. But Azar surely had an idea about how alchemy was still on that list, too.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

“I left because I was exiled,” Azar answered truthfully, “Why I was exiled is a story for another time,” He said with a playful wink. The Pureblood wasn’t afraid to talk about himself. As a dying race, he could appreciate the importance of talking about his culture. Much of the galaxy considered his kind extinct. It remained to be seen whether it was best left that way.

He watched her struggle through her efforts, noticing the liquid slowly turning blue, “Yes, keep going!” Azar encouraged, knowing this was pushing her past her limits. Before he could suggest for her to stop, she fell with a thud again. This time, she was out for a long time, having had her reserves thoroughly depleted.

She would wake up in a bed this time in a crew room that was designated to her on his ship. She would also realize they were flying again, having been out cold for hours. If Freyja wandered down the corridor, she would find Azar seated on a couch in the common area eagerly munching on popcorn while watching reality HoloTV.

“Oh, you’re awake,” Azar said, offering a smile, “You did succeed this time,” He said, using the Force to float over a dagger towards her. She would notice the blade had an eerie glow to it, “You weren’t awake for the interesting part this time, but I used alchemy to bind the poison to that blade. It’s yours to keep. It will instantly paralyze any extremity it cuts on humanoids and slay most beasts with some time,” He said.

Azar didn’t have an oppressive vibe about him, so if she pleased she could sit down next to him. He was intently focused on a show about a male being presented with several significant other options. Each week one of those candidates would be eliminated. Azar had his favorite pairing, but he was deeply concerned because the last ‘date’ didn’t go so well.

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

"Exiled even?", this part was new, and she was about to ask why, when he already stated he'd tell her another time. So he was allowed to keep things interesting?! Well...she figured it was fair enough. He was her master...but it still left her curious. She couldn't dwell on it anyway as the alchemy attempt drew all of her focus, until she was out cold again.

As she woke she once again realized that it had been his encouragement that had pushed her past her limits. It left a subtle smile on her lips as she forced herself to sit up, her head was once again spinning and her vision slightly blurry. She had to sit for a few moments before she groggily pushed herself up and started walking, only now realizing that she was in crew quarters and they were flying.

Rubbing her temples, she followed the sound of the HoloTV until she stopped in the doorway. "I...did?". Even if it was a question, it was making her quite proud and she reached for the daggers hilt with widened, amazed eyes as it eerily glistened in the light. "Ohh that's incredible! I- ...thank you so much", she was about to reach for the blade, but figured that was a really bad idea, so she quickly placed it onto the rack next to her for now, knowing she'd store it safely after a little chat.

"I'm...sad I missed it, to be honest. That's amazing work, like how does this work? That's something I absolutely want to lear-ooooh no no no! Not her!", she suddenly blurted out, grumbling over the red-head that pressed a kiss onto the man's cheek right as her eyes had darted over. "She's insufferable! I can't believe he still hasn't booted her", she rolled her eyes, frustrated as she plopped down next to him, arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Sorry! I meant...it would be an honor if you could show me next time...I'll try not to...pass out again", she threw him an almost apologizing grin before she leaned back, allowing herself to relax for a moment while she directed her attention onto the show. "Wait a sec- do you watch this every week?!", she was a huge fan of trash TV - to a certwin extent! She'd never fully admit it, but it was oddly amusing every now and then.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

“I know!” Azar said with a huff, also glaring at the redhead. However, he paused then to look at Freyja as if for the first time, “Yes I watch it every week!” He said excitedly, “I think he should end up with Navya,” He said solemnly. Navya was the twi’lek candidate that was dramatic, beautiful, but bold. She wasn’t afraid to say what was on her mind.

He offered the bowl of popcorn to her to share as he intently watched the show, “He is such an idiot,” Azar said, “The guy last season was a dreamboat, but this one..I don’t think I like him,” Azar said. He was a sucker for reality TV dating shows and the ridiculous personalities they all had, “This is all real, right? Not just actors? It’s so convincing,” He mused, “I wonder if I can get on this show!”

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

And so the bickering began. While she was absolutely pleased about learning that he watched that as well, he was wrong nometheless. The Cathar chick was the right call this season. "Nooo! It has always been Anyara...she's just as pretentious as he sometimes is, they also clicked very well. She's a Diva, but he digs that rizz", throwing her lingo at him unfiltered.

"Uhhh you're so right! This one can't even flirt well...always gives me slimey vibes", she fake shivered before she chuckled along, happily popping kernels into her mouth. Then, however, they started an almost philosophical conversation about the amount of reality in the reality holo-show and thus her face was immediately serious again.

Thanks to Social Media, she obviously had all the insights! "It's real! Those people are really that ridiculous...it is sometimes a little exaggerated due to the producers' cutting and they'll be given promts or questions they have to ask, but it's mostly organic", she explained, gaze transfixed on the show that was approaching the elimination again.

"Ohh...you could! I mean, why not?! I can boost your social media in no time I bet! 200k followers can be won quickly", she excitedly suggested, the idea actually thrilling him. She wasn't sure how Purebloods would be received, but she knew they only admitted participants that were already somewhat known.

"You got the ass-", FUCK, WHAT ARE YOU DOING GIRL, "-sets! I see star qualities for sure!". Nice save. She once again realized that now that she was so comfortable, some things just slipped and she had to remind herself that she wasn't gossiping with other acos...

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

“Eww Anyara is awful,” Azar said with a grimace, “Her voice feels like nails digging through my skull,” He shuddered. However, since he didn’t like the bachelor, Azar could agree with the two being a match. He mused in silence as Freyja told him she could boost his views, “What do followers do? Can I use them to bring me potion supplies?” He asked curiously, genuinely wanting to know the benefits of social media followers. Over 200k followers to do all his bidding sounded like a fantastic addition to his powerbase.

Azar quirked a brow at her near slip up. He may have been socially clueless on a lot of jargon, but he wasn’t going to miss that, “Why thank you,” He said, “I do a lot of squats. I can teach you my techniques to improve your…what do they call it? Pancake bottom?” Azar said with a grin. His booty was definitely a prized feature even if he didn’t quite understand the ‘cake’ terminology just yet.

“So what’s your story? What do you like to eat? Do you have a boyfriend? Or girlfriend? Who are your friends?” Azar asked rapidly, munching on some popcorn. He wanted to get to actually know her. It was up in the air which of her questions he answered, but he expected her to answer all of his.

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

Freyja found her annoying, too, but that didn't keep her from rooting for the match with the Bachelor. The Cathar's voice hurt her sensitive ears, but awful and awful kinda matched. "They'd be great together...he can't resist those claws anyway", she popped some popcorn into her mouth, smirking.

"Followers?!", that, though, almost make her choke on the corn. Giving how he had handled his phone, she wasn't too surprised, but how did you explain that to someone who apperently didn't have that much social media presence? "They are nothing...physical. I mean they are actual people...unless you want to purchase bots - but they're just virtually following you...liking your stuff, leaving comments, sharing your stuff so that you can reach even more...you'd probably have to generate some social media presence before they'd admit you!".

She scooted over, suddenly having an idea. "Look. This is my page. I've got quite a follower base because I'm doing minor cooperations every now and then...see this here", she swiped down a little, "that's a dress a fellow acolyte made me. It's quite pretty...so it got me some likes and another cooperation with a different brand. He got quite some followers too because they saw my post and liked his work, so it's a win win", she smirked proudly as she showed him her like count.

"Promotions are always effective...but we could find out together what the people would like to see you doing!", she enthusiastically offered, the idea thrilling her. However, the smirk was wiped away when he deciphered her slip up. Her pale cheeks turned bright red and she bit her tongue. Oh boy.

Well, at least he took it positively and so a moment later, she broke into a chuckle. "Pancake?", she almost wheezed, still finding it amazing that he also had this fully easy-going, chill side. "I'm...sure I should focus on alchemy first, but I might come back to that later", she giggled, before he suddenly threw more questions at her.

"I...okay that's a lot. Nothing beats Deucalian stew! Or medium rare Nerf filets, not gonna lie", the question about the boyfriend/girlfriend situation made her brush a little again, but she tried to smirk it off. "No, I'm not seeing anyone right now...not interested in anything like a relationship either and my circle is rather big". Freyja knew many people and she was chill with a lot of acos.

"Are you still ba-", once again, something unfiltered was almost blurted out, but she switched into a "-seeing Karys?". She found him quite interesting, too, and she was just as curious about her master as he was about her. "Did you have another acolyte before him by the way?". She wasn't entirely sure about how old Azar was, but she did find it admirable that one aco of him had already successfully graduated. "And what's your favorite Holo-show?".

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar’s face scrunched up a bit, “If I have to do what the followers want me to do, it’s the followers that have the power then,” He said, shaking his head, “Nah, I don’t think that’s for me,” He decided. Azar liked being the one in control at all times, and if he had to adapt himself to social trends, he wanted no part in it.

The description about the food drew out a smile, “I love stews,” He said, “Perhaps I’ll have you make me Deucalian stew one day,” He pondered aloud.

The question about Karys didn’t bother him, though Azar did clarify, “He is my boyfriend,” He explained, “In our culture polyamory is often practiced within the royal families,” Azar added in case of a follow up question about Azar and any other lovers, “Karys was my first acolyte,” He said, his mind briefly drifting back to the tumultuous times of training him while attempting to keep their relationship on hold, “And my favorite show is Genuine World,” He grinned.

The rest of the journey was pleasantly uneventful. Azar would entertain any question she had and vice versa. To her surprise, he didn’t take them back to Umbara, but to Ajan Kloss. It was the site of a very important battle and one that saw several future Sith Lords find their start. Darth Raze, Darth Andruil, Darth Malacia, Darth Asminys had all led an attack on the Grandmaster of the Jedi back when they had been acolytes or Champions.

The ship touched down and the ramp lowered. Azar would lead towards the site of the old temple and Freyja would begin to feel the Force in a very unique way. There was some light, but it was tortured and twisted as if by force. It was almost oppressive, a wound left in the Force from the assault.

“This was once the place of a great battle when the entity that went onto become Darth Raze led an assault on the Jedi temple,” Azar explained as they started walking towards the temple, “He was an acolyte then, and yet leading champions and Sith Masters with him,” He said with a smirk, “Their efforts destroyed the temple and the Grandmaster at the time. This was an example of opportunistic efforts that transcend ranks and expectations of what an acolyte should be. Anyone is capable of making impact. Anyone."

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

"Fair, although you can set the tone once you've got your base". She totally understood his point though. She only posted what she wanted, but every now and then she checked what worked well and posted more of that. It wasn't for everyone. She was very selective about what she showed as well - for her followers, she was just a teen, not an acolyte, obviously. Even if some stuff like this glowing dagger would have been incredible stuff to post, she knew she could never do such a thing.

"I'd love to make you stew some day! Getting the right ingredients is tough, but there's nothing better if you make it right", she was thrilled about the idea to allow him catch an actual glimpse of that cultural part or her past. He then answered her cascade of questions, clearly not ashamed to share this all, but some parts were somewhat thought-provoking.

The polyarmorous part made sense after what she had witnessed at the party, but for her, it was somewhat hard to imagine still. She was rather closed off with such emotions, how could you allow multiple people at once be that close with you? She knew he was a passionate man, and his culture intrigued her a lot..."I love that show!", she was sure, they'd get to chat much more later, for now she decided not to dig any further there though.

The rest of their journey was pleasant- they kept on chatting while they had some other trash holo-reality-shows running in the back. Freyja soon realized that they were not headed back to the Academy and while it surprised her a lot, she was excited about where they were going next.

-

After they had landed, she followed behind her master, feeling rather well after their relaxing journey with her reserves full again. Still, she found the power with which this place vibrated...odd. It was twisted, yet unlike anything she had sensed before and it made her frown a little.

She curiously took this whole place in, even if the oppressing nature of the Force slightly unsettled her. "That is...impressive", she remarked rather quietly, his words echoing through her mind for a moment. She understood why he chose to tell her this all. Freyja had always felt like she was far from being in a position to achieve anything by herself just yet, but what he outlined proved that rank didn't even matter. She stopped in her tracks, her gaze shifting onto her Master. "Why did they follow him?", maybe he had some more insights...she wondered whether it was simply how he had taken initiative.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

“Because he asked them to follow,” Azar said simply, giving her a smile, “Do you know how often it is that people look for direction and guidance? And how few the instances are of someone, anyone, simply stepping up and outlining a path to walk? Perhaps Raze had no idea how this would pan out, perhaps he expected to die…and he did it anyway,” He said as they arrived towards the temple, “This was an opportunity to strike at the Grandmaster. Raze was prepared to put his life on the line to strike a decisive blow to the Jedi,” He turned to regard her, “Would you not also follow him?”

Azar knew he would. The rush and anticipation of such an attack, knowing the strike was happening while most Jedi were tied up elsewhere, the potential of having his name laced with legend if it succeeded. And so it happened - every single one of those Sith went onto become the finest Sith Lords in the galaxy.

“The Dark Side is interwoven with passion,” Azar said as he walked up the steps of the temple, “Passion, as I said, has many forms. But passion also sets a sense of direction. Sith like Raze and Tempest have passion in their beliefs and directions. This allows them to build a vision for others to follow.”

The temple hummed with life in a tortured way. Freyja would feel the haunting remnants of memories of dying padawans and younglings. Raze had cut them down without mercy, and that left a permanent imprint in these halls.

“Whatever path you choose must be one you commit to and never waver,” Azar explained, “Regardless of how many may attempt to sway you from it.”

There was a pulse in the Force as they arrived in the inner sanctums of the temple. It was a wound in the Force, one the Jedi tried to heal. Azar turned to regard Freyja, “We will be corrupting this nexus,” He explained, “In order to advance as a Sith and leave behind the Deucalian warrior, you must fully embrace the Dark Side of the Force.”

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

Freyja kept on following, the twisted, somehow, however, indecisive force raging around bothering her. It was an odd, fuzzy sensation that left her mind somewhat unfocused, at least until Azar's intoxicating story of power, determination and passion captivated her completely.

"So we have to cave our own paths...take fate in our hands without blindly waiting for the right person to follow?", she concluded quietly, however intensely pondering on his story and meeting his gaze. Freyja's life had taken a huge turn back then and she had been looking for direction ever since, yet Azar had given her a true purpose.

She knew that his guiding still mattered and that he was helping her progress so that she could assert herself in this galaxy the way she wanted to. It seemed like Raze had been passionate in his decisions back then, and it seemed like success had followed exactly that, but had he won because he had taken the initiatives our others had followed him? Could you rely on anyone else but yourself and the dark side?

It was incredibly thought-provoking and inspiring and even as they continued, she kept pondering on the story. The way the Force felt her made her grimace, yet the glimpsesmof darkness that vibrated in this place were almost addictive. She followed him up the stairs and solenmly met his gaze again as he told her not to waver.

"I will not waver", she fiercely repeated. It was not a promise to him, but rather to herself. He was right. She needed to leave her past behind and open up to the dark side to strengthen her connection and its influence. She had heard its whispers before...she found those tortured remnants of the past that lingered here thrilling and she knew she could draw from all of that if she let it, if he taught her how though...

"Help me embrace it...I...I sense this death all around. The agony...the panic...the despair...and the passion on the other side. How do I let it in? It's been whispering to me for so long", the dark side was always around...outside, but there was also a part of it already deep inside her. She had felt it before...and yet it always felt like she couldn't fully embrace it.

As they entered the sanctum, her gaze wandered down to the broken, shattered floor and she squatted down to touch the dust above. Decaying bones...debris...it was almost hypnotizing. She could literally hear the twisted, tormented screams. The pulse within the Force shook her midst and she was left feeling a little dazed, before she fiercely locked eyes with Azar and got back up.

@Sreeya