Library Lamentations

[Crux Vosk]

Darkness........heat.......noise.......behind closed eyes lids, the violet eyes of the Devaronian darted. The core worlds had never been a preference, but their abundance of text and literature often proved difficult to stay away from. In this moment though, his mind was bent on the force. Meditation had long become apart of his daily routine, and more importantly meditation under some form of physical duress. Presently Crux sat inside a sauna box on the city planet of Coruscant. An opportunity had risen for him to have access to a library in-between missions for the empire. It had been a small choice to jump to the planet and take it.


His mind reached out into the force, exercising it just as he did his own body. With each exertion into the abyss his body reacted akin to the effort. Beaded sweat poured from his face into the mess of tangled beard, muscles flexed, and joints popped. Purpose? There was little purpose beyond the act of control over the power that had been bestowed upon him. Barriers formed and broke, he looked into the past of the very seat he sat on, who had been there before him, drops of sweat where pulled off him as though lifted with invisible hands, each use of the force being done on its own, unable to hold the concentration of them all at once.


Even still, he could feel the familiar frustration of not being able to do more. He had seen acts by other sith, the amazing things they could do with the force by executing their own will on it. Yet how, how could they....was it merely through practice, was it through study, or where they born more powerful than he. His mind drifting to a singular object, he could feel his breathing coming out heavier. His lightsaber lifted from in front of him, floating to the same height as his eyes. The vertebrate in his back popped one by one as he neared his limit, the sweat running down his face faster......and then a red light illuminated him in the darkened room as two blades erupted from the metal casing. A large hand reached out, gripping the middle of the blade......and the light was out.


Within Sith occupied space there was little need for his armor. It lay safely tucked away on the medical freighter he often called home. His B unit astromech droid keeping an eye on it. Dressed in merely black robes, lightsaber bouncing openly on his hip, Crux waded through the crowds towards where he knew the library to be. Having never been a fan of flying, even in his youth, he enjoyed the walk. His ears listening to the idle chatter around him, his senses reaching out to feel the intentions of others. Always he was on the lookout. If he hadn’t of been he may have missed it. A small spark, barely a feeling. It caused him to stop as he walked in the crowded way, a human running into his back only to be ignored.


He had long sense devoted himself to the knowledge of the dark side, and while many saw it only as a tool, Crux had never been able to wipe away the thought that it was more than that. This feeling of another nearby, the only one nearby left an odd twinge in his psyche as thought it was someone he was meant to see. Sighing deeply, he felt the inner conflict of doing what he wanted, or following a feeling that could be nothing, and yet the ways of the force were mysterious.


A small restaurant lay nearly unoccupied near where he had the feeling of another force adept. Changing his direction he made his way to the small outdoor seating. The feeling was already gone, and he questioned if it had ever been there at all, yet all the same he was convinced to see the inkling through. Ordering from a droid he sat and watched the passerby’s from the outside rather than the inner race. Drawing his own looks as his piercing violet eyes scanned the crowd, he drank the water the droid had returned with. There were only a few other patrons though Crux as he normally did stood out. Over 6 feet tall, and weighing close to 150kg, he was big for a Devaronian. Add his blood red skin, and 6 inch horns curling up to the sky, and it became even more to remain hidden. Yet the force had never seemed to tell him to hide, and now it was time to see if the voice was real, or if he’d broken his fast for no reason.

@Olympia Argead

 

[Olympia Argead]

Olympia sighed, another long day sat in this dusty old library. Almost four years away from the toil and sweat of the life of the Sith seemed to be a little to much when it comes to keeping both your mind and body up to date with her piers. Her body was slowly beginning to regain the flexibility and strength it had before she fell pregnant with Alexander, though she regained her trim figure soon after the birth, she never worked the muscles as she had before. Nothing was as good for physical well being as Sith training it seemed. She shook her arm out to the side, hours of light-saber practice combined to the constant flicking of pages both real and holo made its muscles ache. Her back was also a bit tender but she suspected that was from Alexander jumping all over her that morning before she left.

The young boy was being cared for by a friend whilst Olympia sore to her training, the money she had saved up before as well as that, Alexander's fathers family had given her after his passing had kept her relatively content in her little two bedroom apartment on Courscant, but now it was time to earn a little more and the next door neighbour turned friend gave her the opportunity. The women had two children of her own so Alex had someone to play with. Plus the threat of Olympia's Sith power kept the neighbour in line when it came to discipline and to many sweets before bedtime.

Courscant was filled with all manner of people and all manner of Force Users, being the center of a Galactic Sith Empire had that effect, it was not rare to feel the presence of another on the planet, especially when it came to a center of knowledge like this one. Today though had been a quiet day for fellow Sith company, there had been a young boy earlier in the day but that was it. Only the curator was around and he had only a smig of power to call his own. It was early afternoon when the edges of her mind felt the pull of another force user, it was distant at the furthest reach of her mental sight but he/she was there. Bored of the text she was reading on 'Sith Houses', Olympia decided that she needed to stretch her aching muscles as well as see what this presence was about. Closing the Holo-book with a few quick button pushes, she pulled the cartridge from her personal holo-screen and placed it back in the returns section of the library before making her exit.

Giving a nod and smile to the curator as she left, Olympia broke out into the afternoon sunlight of Courscant, she raised her hand to help with the glare as her eyes adjusted. Turning to her right she began making her way towards the force being. Her single blased saber was hidden within her dress, not one to flaunt her weapons in public or private, her shoulder length light brown hair hung in loose curls across her shoulders, the wind catching a few stray hairs blowing them in a number of different directions.

Rounding the corner she got a full view of the force being, she was right on his sex, he was male, but a Devaronian is not what she expected, it was rare for Non-Humans, even Sith to be so bold in the Core, in the Homelands yes, but not here. He was getting dirty looks from half of those who walked past, with the other half's eyes full of fear for the red skinned man flaunted his badge of office, his saber, with little to no thought it seemed.

Intrigued to say the least Olympia chose to approach the alien, firstly to see what he was doing here in the Capital and secondly to see if there was any information she could get out of him about the state of affairs away from Courscant. "Rare to see a Devaronian, in the Core, let alone one sat so openly on the Capital." She said with a cheeky grin on her face.

@Crux Vosk

 

[Crux Vosk]

He sat for just a little while contemplating the pull he had had to come to this place. Looking at the distance he could just see the crowning of the library that had promised him mental training. Taking another drink of the water, he could practically taste the metal in it. It tastes like the core worlds. Returning to gaze at the crowd he could see and feel the looks he received. The closer one got to the center of the galaxy the less friendly individuals seemed to get, if you weren’t human at least.


Yet still, a vornskr does not care for the opinions of ysalamiri......he hunts them. So this gave him little pause. Even as patrons seemed to move away from him, leaving him more isolated and obvious his eyes never showed a true shining of notice. Closing his eyes, he plunged his view into comforting darkness. Allowing his other senses take over he took stock once again of his surroundings, and then he could feel.....her.......yes it was a her, coming near him. The fact his intuition had been correct was comforting, and he allowed a feeling of pleasure at this.


Opening his eyes a rather petit women stood in front of him. His eyes looked into her own blues, he noticed the smirk, her posture, and he could feel the force moving around her, raw. Her comments caused the smallest of smirks to cross his lips. “I wasn’t built for hiding.” He would say initially. “Besides.....how could I resist such hospitality.” At his own joke he’d wave one massive hand around, clearly showing the lack of anyone in his near vicinity. “What Of you? Rare to approach such an alien stranger, is it not?”


Why the force had chosen to have the two proceed with a chance encounter he could not tell. It was not his place to question the force as of yet, no not until he could garner greater strength too.......and even at that thought his mind was transported back to the academy just for a moment. A scar on his back twinged, a hard lesson he hadn’t learned when he first expounded in his beliefs of the force.


A wave of his hand sent the chair across from him scooting a couple inches allowing the human to sit if she so desired. Choice was an essential with the dark side. If the encounter was but a moment, or an eternity......at this moment he was allowing the darkside to show why the two had come together on this day.

 

[Olympia Argead]

Olympia continues to grin at the large alien sat so brazenly in the middle of the capital, she was surprised that no security had been called to move him along, perhaps the threat of the deadly plasma blade at his hip gave either the patrons or the security themselves pause for thought. She wondered if she revealed herself to also be Sith would the ask her to have him removed from the premises.

"This planet is large enough to even hide someone like you." She replied shortly, no real offense was meant by the comment, but all appearances must be kept up and their were always eyes looking at you. She smiled at the creature again when he moved the chair with the force, he was cocky, flash, probably still newfound to his power over the force. He was a different one that was for sure, perhaps a little arrogant about how awkwardly he stood out in the crowd, or ignorant of the real disdain for creatures not of the Human variety.

Olympia herself did not have to much of a xenophobic attitude, everyone had their uses in the galaxy and she had often in the passed had to use Alien's in her plans or schemes for her late master. Some of that inbuilt, we are better than you attitude was still there, she would not kid herself there. And the thought of any interspecies relationship repulsed her.

Taking the chair with her left hand she pulled it out a little further and then took her seat, she was pushed back away from the table, to allow her to move in any direction quickly if the alien decided that he was not here to play nice. Crossing her legs, she placed her hands on her knees. "Well someone has to check to make sure your not causing any trouble and with her little stick there waving about most people tend to stay away. Lets just say I am a little braver than the average person around here."

 

[Crux Vosk]

What had been a slightest of smirks became a genuine smile at the human. Braver than most......of that he couldn’t be certain when it came to true tests of ones insides, but in the social sector, she clearly spoke the truth. Her comments of making sure he wasn’t causing trouble also was amusing to him. Not because he thought himself above or so much more powerful than those around, but because of the true benign happenstance of his being here.


“I think you humans look for the trouble. Assuming it doesn’t look like you of course.” He’d take another drink of water as the droid returned, putting down a large selection of meats and cheeses. Pushing it towards the middle He’d obviously be willing to share if she was so inclined, if she did not then it would go unnoticed. Taking a bite from a rare piece of meet his violet eyes would still be staring into her blue ones. It was a look of intensity and searching. He was fairly confident she was a force adept. Her lack of acknowledgment to his own use of the force, the causal way she mentioned things, those were not the words of someone unfamiliar.


“If I were to cause mayhem, what sort do you think I’d be akin to? And how would you stop me?” His voice was full of gravel, yet not unkind. He could feel curiosity still within himself, and the whispers of another power had left him. He felt as though he was where he was supposed to be in this moment. The library had stood longer than he had breathed, it would be there when this moment finished.


Removing his cloak he allowed himself to get more comfortable. Underneath his black robes, he wore a simple black sleeveless tunic, direct contrast to his bright red skin. The light breeze moved the tangle of beard. Across his arms where darker crimson scars, a thousand lessons, only a few truly learned. His skin was still hot from the sauna, now taking in the rays of sunlight. The reminder of his earlier training felt with each movement.

“Have you studied our ways long?” He would ask after her own acknowledgment of how she’d keep him from chasing trouble. He felt there was no need to caveat with words of the force or sith. If this was a person he was meant to meet, she would catch upon his meaning without verbal explanation.

 

[Olympia Argead]

She was surprised when the food appeared, not because of the selection on offer, or because that the alien pushed it towards her in a gesture of comradery, but that he had indeed been served. Perhaps the fear of the blade at this waist was doing more than she initially suspected. It was rare to see any alien in the upper levels of Courscant let alone one acting with authority, the saber at his waist made him slightly better in the eyes of the public than an alien without it and perhaps it was that which got him served. Though she doubted that the food was either the best or if a little spittle had not found its way into the food.

Due to this potential outcome and the fact she was not hungry, she declined the alien's offer raising her hand slightly to wave off the gesture. "Men are a rule onto themselves when it comes to causing mayhem." She replied. "Though an alien man who is also a Sith, adds two further logs to the fire." She intertwined her fingers on her lap again as she watched the creature. He was intent on keeping his eyes locked with hers, if it was a power play or a sexual advance neither would get him very far here. Although she was out of practice and perhaps a little flabby around the middle at the moment she could more than hold her own in a fight. There was also the added fact that any nearby security would assist if he did try something.

"I have been with the Sith since I was twelve, though I have been out of the fray over the past few years dealing with personal matters. And yourself Mr?"

 

[Crux Vosk]

“Vossk”. Crux would say simply at the semblance of a request for a name. Pulling the plate back he took another bite. It had barely been cooked, and yet that served him just as well, his preference still being met. Though never the glutton, it was difficult to upset him as long as the dish was edible and provided a modicum of nutrition. “Alien......”. His voice he’d for the first time just the smallest hint of venom, though clearly not directed at the girl so much as the connotation behind it.


“From how I sit you are the alien....”. He would say shrugging lightly. “A species who claims others foreign when they themselves move to others homes. Still, you are my sister in the sith. So I don’t hold you to that assumption, unless proven you belong there.” Taking another bite he’d break her eye contact for the first time, looking back into the crowd. There was little interest there, humans and droids pandering to the masters of corporation. “Free men” he saw but slaves. Even here where such a word was held highly in the negative.


“I was fostered by the sith when I was 7. Academy shortly after, and with them I have remained.” Turning back he’d look back at the female making the same intense stare. He had heard of Sith being capable of nearly reading minds, depicting intention before it was even formed, yet these powers were far form his fingertips at this point in his training. A push and pull where one thing, but gaining such power and control of another sentient form was something else. Now was not the time to try, and as he had said, simply her allegiance to the same force meant she was an ally.....at least until she wasn’t.


“Personal matters........they are the only matters I have had for many years. Interesting to see one leave them to return.” It was true, since his inception into the academy he had known little else outside training, battle, and the advancement of what he served. The incident on Korriban and then subsequently the less than glorious mission on Nal Hutta still fresh in his mind, and injuries scoured on his body. “And for the record....women have a tendency to mayhem in a way a man may never achieve.” A quick jest back at her original comment.

 

[Olympia Argead]

My matters have matures and allowed me time to return to the bosom of the Sith, and perhaps at the right time with all that has recently happened both externally and internally. She replied, she gave the creature a veiled smile at the comment about women causing further mayhem then men. She was tempted to get into a war of words with Vossk about which sex was the better, which caused more mayhem, but thought better of it there was nothing to gain from that conversation apart from a good exercise of her vocal cords. So Sith Vossk, what brings you to the capital of our fair empire?

It would be one of two things she suspected, either a way to advance himself, be it martial or mental. Perhaps visiting one of the many archives spread across the planet, or one of the blade masters. The latter was that he was hear to better the interests of another party, perhaps a master or a Lord he owed allegiance too.

 

[Crux Vosk]

Considering her cryptic words, he decided it was an avenue not worth going down. If it was something she wanted to expound in, then she would have. She’s been fairly open as it was, and he was still unclear on the greater purpose of their meeting. Though, he mused, maybe that was the purpose....to plant seeds for the a future encounter. The galaxy was large in distance, and yet the force found a way to make it feel so small. How many brothers has he seen merely once, only to find them again in conflict. Perhaps it was the same with this female......or perhaps just a lesson in patience.


“Opportunity......”. Crux would say initially, taking the last bite from the plate before him. Downing the rest of the water he woulda ave at the droid to come and clear up the table. It was perhaps unknowingly lucky the extent of service was droid given, or his service would have been lacking.


“I received an invitation to study in the main library.” He’d point to the looming structure some ways away. “Mostly medical references, but some sith histories that one cannot find in the outer rim where The force sees fit to normally place me.” He’d been given the opportunity for two reasons. The medical portion had the most truth to it. His training in his youth, and the additional years of training after the academy had offered him a decent education nearing a doctor. That had been the angle he’d seen fit to use to achieve the invitation. The sith lore and history was secondary, and the more bountiful proposal he’d offered himself.


“It’ll be a short venture. A couple days at most, and then I’m back to the outer rim. My ship will be fueled and waiting as soon as My task is completed. Do you make it to the outer rim much?”

 

[Olympia Argead]

A little, I was out there a fair amount before the war began. Korriban, Dromund Kass, Rhen Var, I been to most of the larger Imperial worlds and a fair few of the smaller ones in my earlier years with the Sith. She replied towards the giant red alien. Most of my recent time has been spent in the core however. Olympia was feeling a little thirsty, so when the droid rolled over to clear Vosk's plate and empty glass she raised her hand in the droids direction. I would appreciate some wine, red preferred. My friend here is paying, so just place it on his bill. She finished giving the alien a warm smile and a wink as the droid confirmed the order and rolled back into the small restaurant.

Not missing a beat she returned to the conversation. You do not take me as the kind of man to study medical texts. She said implying to the scars along his arms. Unless you are planning to use the knowledge for infernal means?

 

[Crux Vosk]

Watching the girl order alcohol on his dime brought about the smallest huff of amusement. She was a bold one, but then wasn’t that something they’d tried to instill in all of them. Be bold, passionate, take what was yours and use those around you to get there. It was merely one of the lessons that had been drilled into them a thousand times.


“Humans tend to allow appearances to dictate their impressions. Falls inline with the xenophobia of the capital as previously discussed.” Crux would say simply. He hadn’t bothered to order anything else, and before he had even finished speaking the droid was back and depositing her order in front of her. Perhaps service really was better for humans in this area. “Nothing so occult in the research of medicine for this venture.” He’d watch her as she sipped her wine, or as she merely watched him.


“My ship is a medical freighter named The Dark Cure, besides being on the lines of the war machine, I heal as many wounds as I cause. A passion from my youth, that’s grown with me.” He would further explain, his arms outstretching and coming back together to illustrate the growth. He’d lean back and snap his fingers causing the droid to return. He’d pass it several credits, ending the open tab Incase her thirst proved to equal her pluck. He’d take one more strong look at her, even as his eyes bore into hers, he’d reach out with that familiar feeling. The 6th sense of all true sith, and wonder if this meeting had been what he was here for, or if he was chasing whispers of echos.


His eyes would once again drift to the library in the distance. It was nearly time to leave the matters of conversation to the gossiping flock that had been staring at them for sometime. An odd pairing to be sure, he didn’t need the force to capture what was probably being thought. The bias of core worlders was simple enough to figure out. He’d gone quite as the musing over took his thoughts, for a moment transported away from their conversation.

 

[Olympia Argead]

The wine, was ok, she had better but also worse on Courscant, it was easier to find better further out in the galaxy. Being the center of the galaxy was good some things, but import prices were not one of those. She hoped one day to perhaps produce her own, that would be a dream. She let all these thoughts drift through her mind, as she hid her face behind the glass as she drunk. "You say that us 'Humans' allow appearances to dictate their impression of people, then call your ship 'The Dark Cure'. Implying something beyond just a simple Medical Frigate?" She spoke lowering the glass from her face, Olympia paused for a moment letting her comments sink in before continuing. "Isn't having such a name forcing others to have such an opinion before they have met you. Or taken stock of your appearance or nature?"

Placing her glass down on the table she looked him up and down again, swapping her legs over placing the left on top of the right. "You cannot blame someone for 'taking a holo, by its thumbnail' if you actively promote a misleading thumbnail yourself, Mr Vosk." She picked up her glass to give him time to take in everything she said. He had looked over her shoulder a few times in the direction of the library, she had recently visited and the apparent reason for his visit, a few times now. Gesturing to it she smirked, "If I am now keeping you Mr Vosk, please take your leave." She finished by gesturing in the buildings direction.

 

[Crux Vosk]

“If that’s the only way In Which you view the worlds, then I don’t think your opinion can change much.” Crux would say standing to his full height. Patting his robes, he would ensure all of his equipment was still on him. Looking down on the still seated human he would give a simple smile. “It’s up to us after all, to decide to place that judgment in the first place. Some do more than others, and others only do it to some.” Pulling the good up his horns still stood tall. The act didn’t so much as make him less nondescript as point out he was even more alien.


“Alas, our time is concluded, I very much wish to read the texts I am offered. It was very pleasant to meet you sister. I hope we meet again, though I hope it is much further out than this.” Giving her a deep bow he would once again make eye contact “May the dark side be with you, and may you use it for your aims.” Standing straight back, he would push in his chair and make his way back into the crowd. If she cared to watch he would stand out for sometime, both from dress but all the birth individuals gave.


The force was a mysterious entity, Crux would consider as he made is way to the library and then inside. He’d pass off the clearance he’d received and set himself up in a private study. As he lined the books and holos on the table he’d wonder if what was meant to happen had, but then thought there was no other way that it could have. Regardless, he now knew a sith in the core. It would be of benefit or harm eventually, only time would allow him clarity.