Ask League of Assassins

[Vander]

Per my OP template, thread is death enabled​

Vander had put out a request for assistance to the others in the Sith Order, and imagine his surprise when it was the newly-christened Sith Master he had met on Korriban who had responded with interest.

It was either great fortune or a curse that it had attracted the attention of a Master. It would make everything just a touch more... precarious. An already precarious mission on top of that.

Vander had set down the Maverick on one of the massive plateau islands of the planet Recopia. Honestly, Vander had never even heard of the planet until now, but one of his contacts had found and dug up information about where the elusive Seyugi Dervishes might be found.

It was with great reluctance that the Dervishes had accepted a meeting with the Sith, and Vander had no doubt that they would be subjected to some form of tests while they were here. He also was sure that if they weren't careful, they would be killed.

Fortunately, the Dervishes - as selfish as they were - weren't quite as power crazed as many other Dark Side sects. That would work to the Sith advantage when it was all said and done.

Vander - or Corax as the other Sith and now the Dervishes - would know him, had disembarked his ship and waited for the other Sith to arrive. His lightsabers hung from his belt as they always did, and he looked out at the fortress and over the side at the acidic pools below. He understood why people didn't come here to visit.

Already, he could feel himself being watched. That animal instinct within him that had been trained up by years of hunting and being hunted knew that the Dervishes already knew he was here. He felt very... exposed. He hated it. There was far too much risk and trust involved in an arrival like this and it grated against his being profoundly.

So he tried to distract his mind with a game, using the Force and his eyes to try to spot the observers as he waited. It's a game for now, it might not be later, he thought to himself.

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

For a planet in the Core Worlds, there was very little information about Recopia. It has sulfuric oceans, with toxic clouds flowing over them. There were also few settlements in the world, which didn’t help it being known for the rest of the Galaxy. Who would want to visit it? Only crazy people.

However, it was also the home of an enclave of Seyugi Dervish. Caerllion had heard about them. They were assassins and adepts of the Dark Side of the Force. The possibility of having them join forces with the Sith was very appealing. It had been enough for the Annfyn to accept the request of assistance from Corvax.

Caerllion remembers the man from that party in Korriban. The Annfyn also made a search about him, finding that he had worked with Azar in other missions. He seemed to be competent to have survived them, which made the Princeling satisfied. He didn’t want to deal with an imbecile while dealing with a bunch of Assassins.

He landed his ship next to where Corvax had landed his own. When he left the vessel, Caerllion immediately felt that he was being watched. It was obvious, they were going to deal with trained assassins. They would be aware of their presence even before they saw them. He used the Force to try to locate their presence. The Annfyn didn’t want to be surprised.

The Annfyn walked slowly, stopping next to Corvax. The Champion probably noticed that they were being watched too. “The crevice in that rock formation. There is one of them here.” he said, his voice muffled by the breather mask that covered his mouth and nose. “Hello, Champion Corvax. I believe that we can proceed with the meeting.”

@Phoenix

 

[Vander]

Vander just stood around, and although everything told him he should be ducking for cover, he knew it wasn't likely to do any good. When he finally couldn't stand it anymore and his compulsions got the better of him, he decided to go back inside his ship to wait until he saw his partner's ship approach.

He knew he wasn't safe inside of the ship, but he felt less exposed. He felt safer because he was safer... if only marginally. Was any Sith ever really safe?

When the master's ship approached, Vander disembarked once again.

Keep the ship locked down and on standby if things get hot, Bart, he said.

Of course, Champion, the droid said, always one for the formalities. The two had literally lived together for almost as long as Vander could remember, but he was still "Champion" or previously "Acolyte." Typical Bart.

Yeah, they've been keeping eyes on since I landed, he said. Vander was always wary of a new Sith who was an unknown entity. He knew that Master Cyfnos had been around for a long time in the Order, and there was something to be said for that, but he was left with a lot of unknowns and... uncertainty about how strung up he was on protocol.

Master Cyfnos, are you of the... diplomatic variety? he decided to just ask directly. Vander had forcibly learned how to keep an eye out for Sith manipulations, but he wasn't exactly a smooth talker. He tended to prefer not to say 5 words if 3 would do, which meant he wasn't the worst at diplomacy, but his strengths tended to lay elsewhere. Strengths they would likely need to recruit assassins, and... well, frankly, he didn't expect the Dervishes were big on talking either.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

As he had expected, the Champion had noticed that the assassins were already watching them. It showed that he was perceptive of his surroundings, which was good. The Annfyn didn’t want to deal with an inattentive Sith, especially when they were going to talk with individuals that were so dangerous like the Seyugi Dervish.

Another point that pleased Caerllion was the fact that Corvax showed respect to his position, not calling him by his first name. He approved it. The two Sith never worked together before, having no sense of companionship for them to use an informal language. If he came to trust the other man at the end of this mission, perhaps the Annfyn would be more open.

Only time would tell.

“Yes, I had dealt with diplomatic missions in the past.” and not only related to the Sith Order, but also as part of the nobility of his homeworld. However, he never had to talk with a cult of assassins. Even more with a group as dangerous as the Seyugi Dervish were. He was thankful for leaving his ship prepared for the escape in case of everything going to hell.

“Do you know who their leader is? It would help me make a plan.” Caerllion said, his eyes never leaving the fortress. In a matter of fact, the Annfyn doubted that the Dervishes would want to talk that much. They would need to be fast in winning them to their side or there would be a fight.

@Phoenix

 

[Vander]

Vander knew that he had a distressingly small amount of information about the Dervishes, and that wasn't for lack of trying. The group was extremely secretive on par with the Sith Order when it had been concealed in shadows. He wondered if that wasn't where they should still be.

The information on them and their power structure is... all but impossible to track down, he said.

Someone had to have given permission for our parley, but they are very inclined toward working alone, he said. He had no doubt that this would be an alliance rather than a subjugation, but at the end of the day, the fingers in the pie were all they needed because from there that influence could grow.

Vander started walking toward the fortress, and he gazed at it in all of its glory. Sure, the planet was covered in toxic fumes and acid, but in the clear islands it wasn't terrible. The fortress itself was actually kind of beautiful in its own way.

That was when he finally actually publicly saw the first of them. On a rafter above and looking down at the pair, the being wore the characteristic red with a pistol in hand though pointed at no one in particular. They - maybe a she - made no attempt to communicate with them, simply watching from behind that hood and mask as they advanced inside.

Warm greeting, he muttered to himself. He was beginning to wonder if they were just going to be attacked as a means of conversation, but again, no one seemed to strike out. Even so, Vander actively fought the urge to get twitchy the further into "enemy" territory they got.

Likewise, the doors to the castle opened... seemingly all on their own. A few droids meandered around the fortress, cleaning and performing various duties, but no one seemed to... confront or greet the two. Perhaps it was a test to see how they would respond, but none of the droids seemed to pay the pair any attention at all.

All very cryptic, he said.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

”Then we don’t know anything useful and I’ll need to improvise.” Caerllion hated improvising. It left things open to failure, or with results that were subpar to what could have been achieved if a proper plan was made. At least they knew how the Dervish liked to operate. He could work with that.

“Perhaps offering a partnership can be the best course of action. They are free to do what they please, but they would be our allies when necessary.” he explained, while following Corvax toward the fortress. It was an impressive and intimidating building. The toxic sea below it increased the intensity of the scene.

Caerllion also saw the figure looking at them. The Annfyn paid close attention to the weapon at their hands, prepared to create a shield around himself at the sight of the first suspicious movement. With his keen hearing, he was able to hear Corvax’s muttering. “Be careful with your sarcasm, Champion. You don’t know how acute their hearing is. Or if these rocks don’t have hidden microphones.”

When they were in front of the fortress, the doors opened. There were some droids moving around, but they seemed to be the cleaning type. “Perhaps we should announce our intentions before entering? Or is it a test of courage? It could also be a trap. We have three possibilities.” Caerllion said, deep thought. “I think that you should be the one to decide what to do. The mission is yours, after all. I’m only here to help with diplomacy talks and with my power.”

And the failure would also be of Corvax if everything went wrong.

@Phoenix

 

[Vander]

Maybe Vander had found his nickname for the master: Stiffnos. He seemed rather stiff about this, and coming from Vander, that was saying something. Of course, Vander kept this to himself as he pressed onward. These nicknames: Limerick, Acotwit, Greybeard, Stiffnos, and more were not for... "public" consumption. They were simply in large part because of how much trouble the assassin had always had with names.

Of course, he said, pausing for just a moment before adding. But I'm not wrong, he said with almost a hint of humor. He had built a career on being "not wrong." It was arguably more important than being right.

He walked through the open door and his eyes whipped around the area, taking in every crack and crevice, searching it out not for beauty but for threat and clue. Vander's mind worked not so differently from these assassins, he guessed, and so he asked himself what he would have wanted.

The answer was simple: they simply wanted to see what the pair of Sith would do. The fact that Stiffnos had heard what he said spoke to the man's incredible hearing. It also meant that Vander could talk at little more than a whisper and be heard by his partner.

They wanna know what we're going to do. How else to do recon in your own home? he whispered, flicking his eyes back toward the other Sith, raising his eyebrows and nodding.

These are people who value cunning, speed, and stealth, he thought to himself. Their entire belief system is about search and destroy: the art of assassination. So... that's it? he reasoned.

I think... we have to find whoever we're looking for in here, he said. Now, that being said, the question he didn't have an answer to was whether they would be hunted in the process.

Just... stay alert, he said, stiffening slightly at the thought.

He started moving forward, a large staircase split up ahead of them, passing to the right and left. Was there a difference? Who knew? It was quite difficult to say, but the decision would have to be made.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

”I never said that.” Caerllion gave the man a small smile. Indeed, it wasn’t the warmest greeting that he had received, but it wasn't the coldest either. Compared to what the rebels of Atravis did when he and the other Acolytes were approaching, having a Dervish assassin simply staring at him could be considered an invitation for a tea party.

The Annfyn followed Corvax through the door. Like the Champion, he also paid close attention to his surroundings. Not only were his eyes attentive to his surroundings, but he was also with his keen hearing prepared to hear the faintest sound of footsteps. He would watch carefully every alcove that they passed by.

He studied Corvax’s words, before nodding in agreement. “Makes sense. We show them that we aren’t here to attack them, only that we want to talk.” the Annfyn said, while they passed near a crevice in the wall. Caerllion was pretty sure that he saw a pair of eyes watching them through a hole there.

Needing to go in a game of hide and seek in the middle of a den of assassins didn’t please Caerllion. However, he had learned the importance of needing to please your hosts, even if they were very eccentric. “You don’t need to ask twice.” he whispered back to the man, while looking at another crevice and this time he really saw a pair of eyes watching them.

“You probably noticed it already, but they are watching us.” Caerllion said to Corvax, right in the moment that they had arrived at the split in the staircase. “I believe that we should remain together. It would be stupid if we went in different ways in a place that is completely strange to us.”

@Phoenix

 

[Vander]

Agreed, Vander said as Stiffnos mentioned staying together. He reached out to the Force, letting the subtle breeze of this place direct his attention. It shifted and flowed differently here, and he guessed that was because although they were no Sith, the Dervishes used the Force in their own way. They were deadly enemies and in many ways not unlike the Matukai.

He could almost sense the way the subtle currents floated toward them as they pursued the pair from the proverbial shadows.

Ultimately, Vander looked up to the staircase. He would never admit this aloud but he had no great idea for which to choose so he played a quick round of eenie-meenie-miney-moe before settling on the left stairway.

No one has to know that's how you decided, he told himself, making the path up the stairs with gentle footsteps before making it to the top and clicking the button for the door to spring open.

He was half-expecting a hanging axe to come swinging down and chop him in the face so he stood to the side of the door, but nothing seemed to... happen.

What he did notice was that as soon as he came into the next room it looked like... some sort of obstacle-type of room. A pair of pillars were off to one side of the room with about a three foot space between them.

"Above" the pillars was a balcony on which stood the same mysterious figure from earlier, standing silently and watching. To the far side of the room was a door that Vander tried only to find it locked. When he looked back up again, the figure was gone.

It looks too high to just flat jump, he said, looking up. But maybe a jump plus one of us boosting the other up? he said.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Rather than simply leaving Corvax to do all the work, Caerllion also was trying to decipher which path they should follow. His keen hearing didn’t identify any different sound. It was as if all the inhabitants had gone stiff, waiting for the two Sith to decide what they were going next.

Since his hearing wasn’t going to help, Caerllion decided to use the Force. Before coming here, the Annfyn had read that the Dervishes were trained in the Dark Side. It was a logical conclusion to think that there would be a trace left around by them and it would be enough for him to feel.

Once he focused with the Force, Caerllion was able to feel a faint presence of the Dark Side pointing toward the left stairway. It was also present in the right one, but it was so weak that the Annfyn could barely feel it. Apparently, Corvax had come to the same conclusion, because he also chose the same stairway.

The Annfyn was completely oblivious to the fact that the human did it through a eenie-meenie-miney-moe.

They climbed the stairway, with Corvax opening a door to another room. This one had a balcony where the same figure from early was watching them. Caerllion moved his head to look at the pillars and when he turned back to the balcony, the figure disappeared. He wasn’t surprised.

Caerllion thought about Corvax’s plan, before nodding in agreement. “I think that you are right. This seems to be some type of team exercise. I saw something similar being made between a Master and an Apprentice several years ago.” the Annfyn explained, before looking at the pillar. Sith could be backstabbing most of the time, but they had some understanding of the importance of teamwork, especially when the number two was used. “Who will go first?”

@Phoenix

 

[Vander]

Vander could never be fully at rest with any other Sith nearby, but the majority of his attention was still on this mysterious being who came and went. He wondered about her: and he was fairly sure it was a "her" after having observed her again. She was as unflinching as he would have expected. She simply watched and made no interference. She didn't interfere or stop them nor did she help them.

Was she watching them? Testing them? Wearing them out? Was there something more to this or was he overthinking it?

And then there was the other Sith. He had yet to decide how exactly Stiffnos functioned as a Sith. He claimed to have experience with diplomacy and clearly he had recently been promoted within the Order. Was he a slasher? He didn't seem the assassin type, which led Vander to guess perhaps he was a manipulator or a sorcerer. Or a bit of both... he found the two seemed to often overlap.

I'll boost you up, he said. If the Master didn't care, then it would make sense, right? A master was going to be more equipped to deal with whatever was up there, although... at this point, Vander couldn't sense anything. The mysterious assassin seemed to be gone now.

You ready? he asked. You jump and I'll boost you, he said, waiting for Stiffnos's confirmation, and true to his word, he would do just that.

When the Sith Master leapt upward with the Force, Vander pulled the Force into himself and thrust it outward, pushing Stiffnos up further as he jumped so that he would be able to catch the ledge and hoist himself over.

Vander would follow a moment later, leaping up though Stiffnos would have to yank him up with the Force lest he just fall back down and land on the ground below.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion turned to look at Vander, surprised that he had the courage to propose that the Master should be the one to jump first. He didn’t consider it an offense, because the Annfyn had left the decision open. Instead, he considered it as an act of bravery. Perhaps he was going to like that Champion.

“Alright, I’ll go.” Caerllion said, walking some steps until he was in position for it. It was strange for him to trust another Sith with his own life. Well, it had happened before, but they were people that he knew. Now he was going to trust a complete stranger. Perhaps he was exaggerating when he thought that it was a deadly situation, the Annfyn could still save himself if the other man failed to help him with the Force.

However, the thought of needing to trust an unknown Sith was still unnerving.

Gathering the Force around himself, Caerllion jumped. Corvax fulfilled his part and used his own power to increase the Master’s jump, allowing the Annfyn to reach the ledge. He proceeded to hoist himself up, finally able to see the balcony close. In the wall in front of him there was a large wooden door.

It explains how the person from early left.

The Annfyn turned to look at the human and waited for him to jump. When Corvax did it, Caerllion used the Force to pull the human, allowing him to reach the balcony. Once they were standing side by side, the Master gestured to the door. “We need to proceed through it.” he approached and tried to open it. “It’s locked.”

@Phoenix

 

[Vander]

Vander followed suit, glad that there didn't seem to be a trap waiting for Stiffnos up above. Likewise, he was glad that he got pulled up although he was fully prepared to land gracefully back on the ground if things didn't work out. Vander had trusted too much before and it had nearly gotten him killed.

He stared at the large door on the other side, locked up tight with no... no visible keyhole or keypad?

That's weird, right? he said, motioning to the nothing that was the door front.

I assume they would prefer that we not cut through their fancy door, he said. There was a definite easiness to just taking a lightsaber to it.

Maybe there's a hidden panel or... his head tilted to the side. ...a Force-lock? The Dervishes were notorious for mostly using abilities that were bodily enhancements, but... the Force still connected them all. Maybe there was something hidden that could be sensed and unlocked.

Do you sense anything? he asked.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

”Indeed.” Caerllion said, his hands running through the surface of the door. There were several carvings, symbols that the Champion couldn’t understand. They formed a path toward two large ones, located in parallel in the middle of the door. Once again the number two seemed to appear.

“Yes, cutting it down would not make us more appealing to them. This door seems to be pretty old and I believe that there is some importance for their rituals.” he said, while still trying to see if there was something in these symbols that could explain what they should do to open it.

When Corvax mentioned a Force-lock, an idea formed in the Annfyn’s mind. “No, but do you see these symbols?” he pointed to the ones in the middle of the door. “I think that it can really unlock with the Force, but it needs the two of us.” he placed his hand over the one on the left and waited for the Champion to do the same in the one on the right.

“The last test required us to work together to get there, this can be a continuation of that. If it’s a Force-lock that works with two people, we need to attune our powers so they will open it together.” Caerllion closed his eyes, focusing on his hand and the symbol that it was touching. Corvax would need to do the same.

@Phoenix

 

[Vander]

Vander's eyes narrowed in confusion. Stiffnos wasn't wrong about it seeming like some sort of two-person puzzle, but that was... Sith thinking, wasn't it? That didn't make sense. The Dervishes relied on themselves rather than anyone else.

Why would they make a two-person puzzle? he asked, musing aloud. At this point he wasn't sure he cared anymore whether the Dervishes heard him. They were already watching, and there was no point in pretending they weren't.

I think it's a trap, he said. Besides, the other Dervish made it through on her own, he said.

The weirdest part, though, was that... the door actually opened. No one said anything, Vander hadn't touched anything, and maybe that was what made it the creepiest.

He couldn't quite stop his eyes from narrowing, pointing at the door with a finger.

That's weird, right? he asked. He was pretty sure at this point that it was just a matter of the Dervishes wanting to subvert expectations. Vander did the same thing often: keep his enemies - and even allies - off balance.

On the other side of the door, it was revealed that the woman was there. At the far end of a large, expansive room with windows behind her, just... sitting. It wasn't quite a throne but... well, actually it kind of was. He didn't really fancy the dervishes for the "throne" type, but it turned out he was wrong...

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

”I’m not sure, but it looks exactly like one.” while the symbolism of the number two was a concept important for the Sith, Caerllion wasn’t sure if the Dervishes shared that part of their philosophy. It worked for them to reach the balcony and the door in front of them was exactly a two-person puzzle that someone could see in ancient Sith buildings.

Another explanation could be that there was the hand of the Sith in the construction of this fortress, but he wasn’t sure.

When the door opened without Corvax doing anything, Caerllion immediately stepped back. “Very weird.” the Annfyn frowned, still staring at the door. Nothing had happened, but he was still suspicious that there could be some type of secret trap waiting for them as soon as they crossed the door.

The two crossed the door, arriving in a large room. Seated in a chair at the end of it was the woman that they saw in the balcony moments ago. It seemed to be some type of throne and her presence imposed respect. Caerllion turned to Corvax. “If she is the leader, we need to be very careful now.”

The Annfyn would carefully approach the woman, gesturing for Corvax to do the same. He had no idea of how the protocol was when talking with the Dervishes, so he decided to go with the one that he uses with nobility. First, he bowed slightly in respect to the woman, next he would wait for her to speak, since it was the owner of the place that should initiate the conversation with visitors.

@Phoenix

 

[Vander]

Yeah... Vander agreed when Stiffnos agreed it was weird. It could have been an endless cycle of the two of them agreeing about it to be honest. Vander... didn't like it.

Agreed, he said. Yes, if this was the leader then he also had no doubt she was dangerous. You didn't lead a cult of Dark Side trained assassins without being able to throw hands. In the case of the Dervishes it was literally throwing hands.

They moved into the room together, and Vander just... kept looking around. The icy breeze of this place tickled his flesh, and he knew that it was the flow of the Dark Side. Their "host" was practically pulsating with the power, though it felt far different from a Sith Lord like Arcanos. It was... more physical.

Well, well. Seems you two managed to make it through the fortress, the person said, their voice garbled by the mask they wore over their face.

You've got... they checked the chrono on their arm ...one minute, they said. Vander didn't know what happened after one minute, but he was sure it would be... contentious. In fact, he could almost feel imminent conflict just wafting through the air.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

While he waited for the Dervish to start talking, Caerllion paid attention to his surroundings. Every crevice in that room could hide one assassin, or perhaps several of them. The Annfyn was sure that if a conflict happened, they would be at a severe disadvantage.

He wanted to avoid it at any cost.

However, what was more concerning was the fact that the Dark Side flowed from the person in the throne. It was stronger, not so much like Azar’s presence, but still surpassed the Annfyn and his companion. If they were overwhelmed physically, he was sure that their Force abilities weren’t going to be enough.

When the person talked, Caerllion fought the urge to not roll his eyes. Of course they were going to be one of these types. Why couldn't they simply talk like a normal diplomatic mission? Yes, they were dark siders, but they could still engage in civilized conversations. It wasn’t very difficult.

“I’m Sith Master Caerllion of Cyfnos and this is Champion Corax. We came here to propose an alliance between the Seyugi Dervish and our Order. We believe that it’ll benefit the two of us.” and his time was gone. The Annfyn hoped that this introduction would be enough to catch their attention and save their heads.

@Phoenix

 

[Vander]

Vander could almost see the woman looking at her chrono again. Stiffnos was quick to respond to the questions at hand, and he was thankful for that, though the Dervish seemed... still uncertain about whether she was going to hear them out.

And how would allying with you help us? We have no interests in being slaves to the Sith. I know all about you and who your people are, she said. It was clear that far less than being concerned about having kill people or anything else, they were worried about their own freedom. A fiercely independent assassin sect.

Vander could see the other assassins around the room now, not quite bothering to hide. Their red cloaks made it difficult for them to blend into the shadows. But then... they weren't really trying to blend in.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

’Nice.’ Caerllion thought. At least what he said had convinced the Dervish to hear more of what he had to say. He had been concerned when she was looking at the clock. He was sure that she was only expecting their time to end, hoping to attack and kill them as soon as that happened.

He would not expect anything less from assassins.

When the Dervish finished talking, Caerllion opened his mouth to give her an answer. “We don’t want you to be your slaves. We would never do that with the great Seyugi Dervish.” if he had a fleet and an entire army waiting outside, the Annfyn would have tried to do it. “We only want to make an alliance, where the two of us will be equals and share the same benefits as partners.”

“I’ll leave Champion Corax to explain what this alliance will entail. After all, it was his idea to propose the alliance to you.” as soon as he said it, all the eyes in the room turned to look at the human. Caerllion had no idea of what alliance they were going to offer to them, because his mission partner didn’t inform that detail.

So, nothing more fair than having him explain that part.

Besides, if the Dervish refused, it would be the Champion’s fault.

@Phoenix