Peace is a lie

[Mid Samekh]

Ziost/Pureblood village​

9:09 local time​

Mid was up first, wide awake and well rested. The storm had finally cleared and the Logos managed to land closer. After getting suited up he woke Kalanda up with a light-hearted "Sleep well?" and led the way back to his ship where they could help themselves to some breakfast. After that it was time to get to work.

The storm was past so now they could actually function like living beings without freezing up constantly. The villagers didn't like the idea of having a ship parked a stone's throw away but Mid didn't care. The sun still needed to break into the air, but it was light enough for them to see good enough around the camp. The villagers went about their usual business. Training, readying for a hunt, working on clothing, all simple things from a simple life. Sometimes Mid wished he could go back...though these were merely weak thoughts from a homesick Pureblood. He pushed the thoughts aside as he led the way. "Now remember, don't be rash and don't speak out of turn. One misstep and it might be our heads." he softly warned Kalanda, no longer needing to yell over the storm like the previous day.

In the tent of the chief the old Pureblood was waiting for them. "Well met, kinsman." he said with a small smile, though Mid could tell there was something behind that smile. "Are you ready for your task, Sith?" he asked them, though the way he said it sounded odd. "What is this task?" Mid asked simply. "Have a seat." the Chief said and gestured to the space in front of him on the other side of the fire.

@Algarus

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda awoke to an unusual situation, as she briefly forgot she had shared a bed with Mid. She initially was startled by the discovery, before remembering the reason for such an oddity, as she rose, surprised she hadn't developed frostbite during the night. He asked if she slept well, which she answered with a short nod. She clearly wasn't a morning person, swerving her feet off the side of the bed, her hands dug into her eyes to try and strip the fatigue from her body. She listened to Mid's words, understanding that they were here for only one thing, the chief and his underlings were just a means to an end. "I understand." She replied, before rising and stretching out her back. The bed wasn't the best, but unlike the bunks on the shuttles, this didn't destroy her spinal cord. After taking a moment to redress, she was ready for another bout of insufferable Sith nonsense. Mid wasn't what she expected from a soon to be Sith Lord. It wasn't the kindness or soft tone of which he spoke to her that puzzled her, but rather his lack of disdain, or the absence of belittling her worth that perplexed her. It wasn't a weakness like the jedi used it as, but perhaps...leniency? She wasn't sure what to think of it as.

As the pair were escorted into the chief's tent once more she looked to Mid as he was greeted by the chief, unsurprisingly her presence seemed to be ignored. She scowled as the chief refused to state what their task was, demanding they take a seat, which Kalanda would do only if Mid did so in kind. She wasn't going to submit unless her superior did as well; after all, she didn't want to make a bad impression before one such as him.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

Mid eyed the chief before finally relenting. He took his helmet off as he sat down and crossed his legs as he settled on the ground. He waited for Kalanda to have a seat as well before looking at the chief. "Enough games, what's the task?" he asked flatly. The smile faded from the chief as his golden eyes burned through the two of them. It was clear he wasn't a pushover. None of them were, they were Purebloods. Warriors from birth. They were dangerous. "Do not be curt with me child. I do not want your presence here any longer than you want to be here, either." he fired back coldly. Mid sighed and waited for him to explain.

"Do you remember where you came from? What you went through as a rite of passage?" he asked Mid, purposefully ignoring Kalanda. He had no reason to give her the light of day in his eyes. "Of course. We all do. It's impossible to forget the first time your blade tastes flesh." Mid explained calmly, going with the chief's motions. "I am glad to see you have not forgotten where you came from." he said to Mid. though the Crusader ignored the comment. He refused to be drawn out by the chief. "'Peace is a lie'. That is what we teach our young. War is in our blood." he started to explain, eyeing Kalanda as if to send a type of message. Mid kept an eye on the both of them. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to keep her from lashing out. The chief was testing them...and he didn't hide the fact that he cared little for the Acolyte.

"True. We are warriors. It's been our way for millennia." Mid said in agreement with a nod. "What does that have to do with this?" he continued. "As warriors we must conquer. To the west of here is another village with ground fit for farms, closer to good hunting grounds. We want that ground." the chief explained casually. It took a second but Mid quickly realized what he wanted. His upper lip twitched as his eyes grew cold. He was infuriated. "You want me...to kill my own people?" he asked coldly. Kill them, then bring the head and sword of their chief as proof." the chief elaborated. "Korriban. Is. Lost. My people...your people, are either enslaved or dead. We might be an endangered species. And you want us to kill our own?" he asked the man, as if he was pleading. Mid didn't want to do it, it was clear. On any other day, sure. He was a Pureblood, that was what he was born to do. But not now.

"No. Just you. I have little faith in humans." the chief clarified calmly. He finally looked to Kalanda again. "Well, girl? Have you ever killed something other than a conversation before?" the chief asked her. Mid's hand gently squeezed her shoulder to keep her from attacking, though he did nothing to silence her...

@Algarus

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda watched the two Sith go back and forth with one another, but there were many things she didn't understand. Rites of passage, warrior's heritage; things she was not told of during her time in the academy. At first she thought the task, while bloody, would be simple. Kill a tribe of Sith? That wasn't too much to ask for. They were just people after all. Then she learned that Mid wasn't being asked to do it, but rather her. Her eyes widened, more so out of surprise rather than fear, as she glanced to Mid for confirmation. It sounded rather dire, especially from Mid's objection to the trial given to him, were his people really that decimated by war? It made sense after all, war had not been kind to the Sith race. Then the chief had to throw an insult her way, which brought a reaction out of the woman. She had endured his insults for too long, and if not for Mid's hand, she might have thrown herself onto the chief in a frenzy, wanting to show her just how she could and would kill his people. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

"I've killed more than you, sitting on your ass ordering your peons around." She snarled, her teeth clenched as she wanted nothing more than to be set upon the red skinned asshat. "I have nothing to prove to you. Nothing." She spat, her eyes baring into the chief. A small part of her knew she had just shot the whole negotiation that was being held. She let herself be pulled back by Mid, as she glanced towards him, still fuming from the chief's insults. "But if he asks, than I will do it. Because he is stronger than I." It probably wouldn't do much to help things, in fact she might have just destroyed whatever plans Mid had created, but she didn't see it prudent to sit here and be insulted like she was some undeserving peasant. She was Sith damn it, and she was going to be treated as such. She expected to have blows reigned down on her, perhaps Mid would step aside and let her be beaten to a pulp, or perhaps the chieftain would call for their deaths because of her folly. Still, she didn't regret what she had done, only what it might have done for her superiors plans, and how she might suffer due to it.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

The outburst from Kalanda made Mid's eyes go wide. As she shouted at the chief, he slowly turned his head to look at her. His hand also came up to grab her by the throat and pull her out of the tent...but the chief simply sat with a smug grin on his face. He wasn't angry. Not in the least. If anything, he was amused.

After Kalanda was done, there was a silence thick enough to cut through hanging in the air. Mid was ready to dislocate her shoulder, maybe even snap her neck, but the chief simply sat there with a raised eyebrow. Finally he started to snicker, then it grew into a chuckle until finally him and his men were laughing heartily. Mid sat in place, not sure how to react. Purebloods were a volatile lot, both on Korriban and everywhere else in the galaxy. There were two ways something could go with Purebloods in a situation. Either very good or very bad.

This time it seemed as if it was going good.

"Well, the girl has a backbone after all!" he called out happily. Mid stared in astonishment at him then at Kalanda. "And here I thought she was as spineless as the rest of her species!" the chief went on, his laughter dying down. "I doubt that you have even killed a fraction as many beings as I have, little one...but you have spirit." he continued, then looked at Mid. "Kill the village, bring me the chief's head and sword. If you return before then, you will not get out alive. Now go." he ordered them coldly. Taking it as their queue to leave Mid slid his helmet on and pulled Kalanda along as he left the tent.

Outside Mid quietly led the way to the ship with Varpa beside him. When he got on board he suddenly spun around, wrapped a hand around Kalanda's neck and slammed her into a wall...probably a foot off the ground with one hand. "You can be very lucky that you won that coin toss, girl." he practically growled into her ear. "You could have caused both our deaths in there." he continued, his fingers slowly closing down around her neck to crush her throat. "Thank the Force you got off as easily as you did." he finished, then let go to let her drop to the ground.

With that he turned and left for the bridge, leaving her to regain her breath in the bowels of his ship. On the bridge he worked with his crew to scan the area and quickly find the village the chief was talking about. "Take us closer, a mile or two from there. Then we'll walk." he instructed, then left to go cool off in his quarters.

@Algarus

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Perhaps by some act of a higher power, neither of them were dead. Though, she was frankly concerned that Mid would correct that as his grip became harder. She felt a bit of relief as the chief burst out in laughter, seemingly amused by her outburst. Good, laughing was a good sign right? She winced as Mid's fingers dug into her shoulder, he clearly was not happy with her choices. She decided against testing her luck a second time, mostly because Mid was making it rather clear he was debating on killing her.

As she was drug out of the tent, she was very much unnerved by Mid's silence, but she didn't dare speak as she could almost sense he was furious with her. She thought that perhaps she had avoided his fury, but then he laid hands on her, and she knew that she most certainly had not. She gasped for air as her pinned her to the wall, his hand squeezing around his throat, as for a moment she felt he was going to end her then and there. Only to release her, as she fell to the floor, grabbing her throat, looking up with a great deal of concern as he left her behind. She lingered in her place for a moment, realizing she had escaped death twice today. After a few moments, she would rejoin him on the bridge, not daring to utter a word. She had tried her luck twice today, no need to try it a third time.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

Mid was in his quarters walking up and down while Varpa eyed him curiously with his glowing red eyes. After a few minutes and some cold water over his face he was a lot more cooled of. He decided to head for the bridge once more and left his quarters.

On the bridge he met up with Kalanda once more. His golden eyes looked her over before settling on the viewport in front of them. After a few seconds of silence he spoke up. "You'll find me to be a lot more forgiving than other Sith." he started, then looked at her again. "But don't mistake that for weakness or tolerance for incompetence. Is that clear?" he asked her sternly. His crew were stiff as planks behind their controls, not daring to slip up or look around. The Logos carried them off and after a few minutes they arrived at their destination. Mid checked his gear a few times then waited on her by the exit ramp. "You all set?" he asked her. If she were ready, he would open the ramp and lead the way.

"We have a ways to go. Make sure to keep your presence in the force masked. Your suit will also serve as camouflage in the snow, so keep a low profile." he instructed as they walked. He then started to chuckle. "In truth, I think you'll have an easier time with that than me." he commented. Being as tall as he was wasn't exactly stealthy.

As they got closer, Mid gestured for her to keep low. A hundred meters or so in front of them was the village. It was small, probably smaller than the other one. It also seemed like the hunters have just returned and have settled in. They were all present and their guard was down. Perfect. "Alright, you stay here and wait for my word. Your commlink is working, right?" he asked and instructed, turning his on. Noticing she didn't even have a commlink or anything he handed her one. He also drew a pistol, spun it around to hold by the barrel and handed it to her as well. "Hold onto those. And wait for my word. On my mark, we move in as close as we can and bring about as much havoc as we can." he explained, then sneaked away around the village. He kept his scent down wind and used the falling snow and light wind to shelter himself. Likewise he kept his signature hidden. He was a ghost by all accounts.

A few minutes later a voice would perk up on Kalanda's commlink. "Ready?"

@Algarus

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda was deep in her thoughts, wondering what was to become of her now that she had earned the ire of her superior. That brief outburst she had been subject to brought back memories of her time in foster care, except this time the one over her held the power now. This had an unintended consequence on the young acolyte however, but that was for Mid to discover in his own right. When Mid did finally make himself known on the bridge of the ship, her gaze fell upon him, watching him as if knowing what he might do next might spare her the fate of dying; she nearly flinched out of hesitation, expecting to be struck across the face. Yet he did neither, casting a glance towards her, before staring out into space. He began to speak to her, warning her not to take advantage of his levity, nor question his commitment to the Sith code, which she was more than willing to overlook for the time being. "I understand, my lord." She responded with a rather dead ringing tone, Mid was...unusual compared to the others she had encountered, but his show of 'affection' showed her he was not to be trifled with. She spent much of their traveling time deep in thought, thinking back to the conversation she had with a padawan several weeks ago, and of the light and dark. She certainly held no love for the jedi, but he had mentioned that showing mercy was not a weakness, but a strength. At the time she found it laughable, but...perhaps it wasn't entirely a lost point of contention. So long as she did as he commanded, she wouldn't be subject to his wraith again, she wouldn't have to experience the sensation of being helpless. Her hand slowly rose up to touch the slowly healing cut across her cheek, reminding her of just how fragile she truly was in this moment; and she hated it.

As their vessel neared the mission site, she moved to begin disembarking the ship, knowing all too well that their current objective was not something Mid was exactly excited to do. He made a comment about her hiding herself, both physically and through the force, which she attempted to do with a fair bit of success. Subtle uses of the force were still hard for her to muster, but she felt she was getting better at it, though the results suggested otherwise. "I'll do my best, my lord." She commented, though it would be evident to Mid that she feared him in some manner or another. Whatever sort of defiance she carried within her had been shaken by his presence, in one way or another, he wouldn't need to be concerned with her having an outburst in the future. As the ramp dropped down, once again giving exposure to the cold, Kalanda mentally cursed to herself on not fighting harder for better equipment; still, at least it wasn't as cold as the previous day. She would do as Mid told her to, staying low, not even speaking as they moved closer to the target. It seemed their foes were not prepared to be attacked, which bode well for them. Mid gave her a run down, asking if she had a comlink, which...she did not have. He then drew a blaster, which brought a brief moment of panic to her mind, before being silenced as he handed it to her. "I will do that my lord." She stuttered, feeling the cold start to cascade over her frail form. She kept in her position, keeping low to the ground as she was told. When Mid's voice came through on her comlink, she responded with the same monotone voice she had developed since boarding the ship. "I'm ready my lord."

She was perhaps a mix of terrified, and angry at not only him, but herself. That would serve her well in the carnage to come, as she drew the blaster, ready to share her pain with those before her.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

"Alright, move in. Watch your line of fire." he quietly instructed, then moved in. The village was oblivious about his presence...though it seemed they were becoming increasingly aware of Kalanda's presence. Her botched attempt at masking her presence had given her away. She might as well be standing upright with a technicolor dream coat, waving her arms around. And Mid almost immediately picked this up.

He sneaked into the camp, killing off a few with his knife ever so quietly, but from the chatter between the living Purebloods and the direction they were moving he realized she was walking into an ambush. He also spotted the chief who was getting ready to rally his warriors, but they wouldn't get as far.

The chief raised his sword high into the air, but before he could do his battle cry a shot rang through the air right into his back. He fell to the ground with a grunt, much to his men's surprise. More shots quickly followed as Mid opened up with his blaster, emptying it into several warriors before they could react. Chaos erupted as the women and children tried to hide or run, but even they were not spared. Mid quickly holstered his pistol and drew his lightsaber, using his Lanvarok as well to take out 5 more Purebloods. Kalanda would also have joined in with the 'fight' with a clear view of who was who...as well as a wide open view of Mid with a clear shot, which might be tempting to the girl.

@Algarus

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda had given them away. She could tell almost instantly as the activity in the village slowed to a crawl within several moments.
Soon, she heard screams begin to pour from the village, as warriors began to shout, mothers and their children began to flee. It was then that Kalanda struck, drawing her lightsaber and leveling a blaster she rushed into the action, firing and slashing at any who came across her. A female pureblood came out of the corner of her vision, tackling her to the ground, as her weapons clattered to the ground. A struggle ensued as the two fought over control for the blaster, but Kalanda proved to be too strong, as she grabbed the woman's head with the force and slammed it against a rock, staggering her long enough for the acolyte to finish the woman off with the reacquired blaster. As she rose up, she found a young pureblood girl across from her, she couldn't have been older than six, just staring at the corpse of her mother. Kalanda leveled her pistol towards the child, who hardly paid the woman any mind, only slowly walking towards her unmoving mother's body.

Kalanda felt her arm grow heavy, her finger unable to be forced to pull the trigger, as the screams and flames that began to billow up around began to remind her of home, of Coruscant. Kalanda looked about, trying to find something else to kill, anything else than the ignorant child kneeling before her, but all she found were more corpses. Mid had finished killing the last of his targets, she could feel him moving towards her now. She couldn't let him see her hesitate. She didn't want to get hurt again. She hadn't even realized she had pulled the trigger, but as the 'thump' of the blaster hit her palm, and the 'thud' of the child was heard, she realized she had done the deed. She couldn't take in the carnage, there was nothing to be proud about here. She only stared down at the body of the child before her, not feeling sadness, nor anger. Only disgust at the act of killing, and what her own fear had driven her to do. She looked to the blaster in a look of despair, angry at it, trying to put the blame for the slaughter on the weapon to spare herself from the sense of wrongness that was crawling in her skull. She let the weapon fall to the ground, as she gripped her forehead, coming to terms with what she had just done. She had killed before, that wasn't the issue...but a child? A defenseless child? Mid would have seen her display by now, she knew she was done.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

They didn't stand a chance. Between Kalanda and Mid they fell before they had a chance to put up a fight. Mid was a machine, slaughtering not only the men, but the women and the children too. It was sickening...not just to Kalanda, but to him as well. The fact that these were his people made it even harder.

Soon enough the carnage died down and he quickly found Kalanda staring down a kid with a blaster raised to its back. Mid wanted to stop her from pulling the trigger, but what good will that do? If he spared the child, she would be thrown into the academy to either grow strong or die. But at the same time he was compelled to bring the child with them back to the fleet. It was his duty as a soldier...but there was also something more to it. The fact that he also killed so many innocents without reason also wasn't lost to him.

The shot went off and the child joined her mother. Mid found himself standing over Kalanda, lightsaber in hand, his white armour stained with dark red. He could feel the pain she was in. But he wasn't angry. He extinguished his lightsaber and put it away, then he knelt down beside her. He wrapped an arm around her and gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "You have every right to feel the way you do. There's no honour in this. Nothing to be proud of..." he started with a gentle voice, like a preacher to a troubled soul or a father to a child. There wasn't a hint of anger. "Stay strong, child. We're almost out of this." he said gently. He wouldn't blame her if she started crying.

He then stood up again and walked over to the chief who was still alive...barely. Mid force-pulled the chief's sword into his left hand, and without hesitation he removed the dying Pureblood's head from his shoulders. With the sword in one hand and the head in the other he led the way back onto his ship. He was dead quiet, but it wasn't because he was angry. Well, not towards Kalanda at any rate.

@Algarus

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda almost jumped as Mid put his hand on her, but calmed as she took in his words. She felt something warm moving down her face, and realized that it was the blood from the dead mother. She felt her stomach turn, as she shed tears for the victims of her unjust attack. She was angry, so unbelievably anger. She wanted to march back to that village and drive a tent pole right through the bastard that sent them here's head. She didn't move from her spot as Mid strode to finish off the chieftain, she only kept her gaze fixated on the child, trying to find some semblance of sense to take from this encounter. But there wasn't one, even Mid had agreed with her on that front. But she would do as he advised her to do, she would stay strong. This wouldn't last forever.

Eventually she would pull herself away from the sight, the image would be burned into her mind for the rest of her life, but as the pair marched back to the ship, it was as quiet as the smoldering village the pair left behind. She didn't look back to the village as it burned to the ground, nor did she take a memento to remember it by. She didn't need one. The sooner they left this place behind the better. She wasn't mad at Mid for having brought her along, nor was she angry at the people she had just killed, if anything she was angry at herself for not being able to do anything about it.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Mid Samekh]

On the ship Mid put away the 'items' in his quarters and sealed himself off in his room. He stripped his armour and helped himself to a shower while his crew flew the ship back to the village. He hated the chief, he hated the Purebloods, he hated everything about this place. Slaughter of heretics or a war with another clan was one thing, this was entirely another. It was cruel and sick. And he would remember this day.

After the shower he cleaned his armour. He knew Kalanda was having trouble with this, and while it was evil it was good. Emotion was a powerful tool and she had a lot of it, but he was a firm believer of not letting it take over one's being. He could teach her, most certainly. Perhaps in time he will. But now having a loose cannon might be useful. Something was wrong about all of this. He suspected that something would be off once they got back. But they had to restrain themselves and make sure they didn't blunder into a trap.

But he was patient. He knew time would tell what they were walking into...

/End Thread

@Algarus