The Second Golden Age of the Sith [Pregame Roleplay]

[Kaymeera]

"Make peace with the Force now. For this, is your final hour." -General Grievous

Vykan Zendra

The Umbaran frowned slightly. He had found some amusement in the four-armed alien's earlier dry and continuous monologue. It was growing tiresome, however, and it was slowly dawning on the Umbaran that he might just be conversing with nothing more than a sentient born and bred, just there, in the wild. A being bound by blood-thirst, wilderness' competitiveness and an ever-nagging paranoia coupled with an instinct for survival. Useful in certain situations, but well out of frame here.

Indeed, both the Umbaran and the Codru-Ji may have been predators, but the prey were leagues apart.

"Very well, Raiko of the wild", he sneered, ignoring Raiko's query, "You still haven't answered my question".

[Fredricus]

Raiko

"I did... let's say Tatooine to please you"

"You haven't answered mine"

[TheGreatJabu]

Antos Mereck

The man holds his ground, unflinching (and unblinking) through Gaimon's reaction. He keeps waiting to lunge back to avoid the blow that he expects to be coming soon.

Gaimon

Still watching the soldier: "You don't strike me as someone who makes many mistakes. -ksssssk- We'll call this one an 'experiment'. Hsssst-hssst-hssst" The final noises sound like a damaged servo hiccuping but may be recognized for the chuckle it is.

Antos turns to look at Gaimon - a glimmer of surprise and relief escapes to his face. A Sith willing to stay his blade? He even seems to find my situation humorous. The muscles of his stomach unwind themselves, and Mereck's emotions shift to one he hadn't expected to feel at this place - admiration. He's not just some furious, saber-swinging Dark Jedi; he's a man. I like this one. He replies with a tone that is still deferential, but confident. "Yes, sir. You could say that my hypothesis was proven quite wrong today." Antos is interrupted from speaking further by the chime of the turbolift as the doors begin to swing open. As always, he pauses to allow the others to exit the turbolift first. He'd already been reckless enough for one day.

[Nowhere Girl]

Salina Jax


Watching the mini-drama unfold before her, Salina notes with undisguised interest Gaimon's reaction, finding herself admiring the way in which he maintained self-control and managed to save face (at least the face he still had to save) all in one carefully chosen response. There's something to that one, she decides.

When the turbolift arrives at its destination, she exits slowly, turning to regard Antos again, and abruptly decides to linger for a few moments longer. He had, after all, also managed to capture some of her interest.

"You're bold," she tells him in her customary soft, quiet, unhurried tone. "I like that." She pauses momentarily, almost as though she's said all she means to say, then asks as an afterthought, "What is it that a man like yourself does with his time?"

[Rafe]

Gaimon - Archive, Basement 1

Gaimon wryly nods to both the woman and trooper before stepping from the lift. I've exhausted my social stamina, I think.

Into the wide, open Instruction Hall of the first sublevel the pale man strides, glancing left and right at the all-to-familiar surroundings. Choosing to avoid the main hall, he walks left into the Alchemy Lab.

Moving from the rough white and grey of the main areas, he finds himself in a room dimly lit by wall units. Adding to the variant atmosphere are the various chemicals, alchemicals and strange apparatuses, some of which are luminous in soft crimson and cerulean. It's warmer here than in the other areas of the academy. Gaimon always felt as though the room was an otherworldly place and while his skills and interests lay elsewhere, he enjoyed its alien smells and sights.

On the far side of the lab led was the Archives, where datavaults sat like brooding, glowing storage lockers and empty terminals beckoned the curious. Holorecorders and -emitters sat on desks near the terminals. Thick bundles of cabling ran across the ceilings, snaking through the room and beyond.

Gaimon saw two already within. Danza and... Drupada was it? he thought. Regardless, he recognized them. They seemed to be in conversation, so Gaimon chose a distant terminal and triggered the databank login.

He began to search through the 'vaults, scanning items of note, looking for something to prompt his interest. His mind had something specific in mind, but he was content to peruse as if waiting for that thing to object to his avoidance.

[TheGreatJabu]

Antos Mereck - Instruction Hall, Basement 1

Once the others had exited the lift, Antos followed suit and stepped out. The movement felt good - he hadn't realized how tense his muscles had been when standing in the lift. There was little time to enjoy the bloodflow, however, as he was addressed by the woman who had been observing his conversation very intently.

Salina Jax


"You're bold," she tells him in her customary soft, quiet, unhurried tone. "I like that." She pauses momentarily, almost as though she's said all she means to say, then asks as an afterthought, "What is it that a man like yourself does with his time?"

Antos never knew how to react to the approval of a Sith acolyte. His knee-jerk reaction was always to take their words with a whole block of salt, foregoing the single 'grain' entirely. This Gaimon may not have matched Mereck's expectations of how a Dark Jedi behaves, but that's not to say this woman wouldn't.

"I do my job, ma'm. Since I've been transferred here, though, it's unclear what that job might be. I've yet to find the individual I'm to report to - I've been told that he's intentionally an elusive fellow. Considers it a test; some kind of 'hunt'. No surprise coming from a Rodian." Antos begins glancing around the area as he continues. His hands raise to rest on his hips as he looks about casually. "Not a big place, though, and everyone develops a pattern sooner or later. Once I've spoken to enough guards, figured out what times he goes to what places, I'll get him."

Once he finishes scanning the area for guards to question, he looks back at the Sith woman. His stance becomes formal once again, and his arms lock behind his back. "And what does an acolyte such as yourself do with her time, beyond 'gather Intel', ma'm?"

[Cazziuz]

Kraygor

Kraygor had started this day like any other. A couple of pushups to keep his arms from losing their strenght, a short bath and a standard meal at the mess. They had been given a day off, so he decided to relax abit and maybe even get to know some of the other students. It's not like he had had much of a chance for socializing since he arrived at the academy. Unfortunantly, it seemed that a few of the other students were agitated by the lack of something to do this day. As he sat in the mess, he heard the sounds of lightsabers being activated from further down the corridor. Their soft humming easily reaching his ears. Moving to a table so that he could see what was happening, he continued with his meal.
The creepy guy and the blind chick shouldn't be fighting so recklessly. They could hurt one another gravely, something that our bosses wouldn't like too much...

The fight was over in a few seconds, barely enough time for Kraygor to identify the different powers being used.
Quite a few of the students in the mess had also noticed the fight, and Kraygor where but on of many faces looking at the ones involved as the group dispersed. Shaking his head, Kraygor finished his meal and stood, seeking to ask the creepy guy why he spared the chick's life.

The Umbaran might not have noticed it, but severel students had left as he walked into the room. The only people left where the Umbaran, the one who said he was 'of the wild' and Kraygor himself. He listened carefully to what they said as he left the mess, not wanting to intrude upon their conversation.

Jeeze, I'd better get a couple of friends around here, and fast too! he thought as he headed towards the turbo elevator.
Maybe someone would be interested in training force powers with me?He pressed the controls that would call the turbolift down to this level and continued to speculate.

((Sorry for the long post, but had a bit of catchingup to do))

[LongVin]

Renato Benso

Leaving the lift Renato heads to the right and to the archives his home away from home. Strolling through the aisles of the archives he casaully browses the collection of work, relaxing in the domain of knowledge. He keeps his eyes open for any fellow acoyltes who may be present. It is always good to know what they others are studying.


OOC: Anyone in the archives?

[Kaymeera]

"Naked? What do you mean, naked?! -C3P0

Vykan Zendra

The Umbaran was getting impatient, his right index finger was tapping the table.

"As anyone, anyone, in this Academy can tell you, my name is Zendra, the best duelist of our tier. Now, I don't care if you don't want to divulge how you came to be here but I'm getting quite tired with this. I get the impression you're not here for idle chatter, so what do you want, Raiko?"

His voice got increasingly louder as he spoke that last sentence, then quieted down slowly.

[lawful_evil]

Jesara - Medical Facility : Basement 3

Jesara watches the doctors do their thing and then finally lower the woman into the bacta tank. Awh, nothing fun.

After they dip her in, the blind woman seems to zone out. Maybe they medicated her.... The doctor checks she is stable and then leaves. Once she is alone with the patient, Jesara goes over and accesses her medical records.

Interesting. She isn't one of those humans after all. Miraluka? Hm.. they all look alike. She pauses in her examination of the records to go over and peer into the tank with her big Mon Calamari eyes. Huh? I wonder what the difference is. All the parts I can see look human enough.

[Nowhere Girl]

Salina Jax
- Basement 1, by the turbolift

She pauses, as though considering the question, although her body language is virtually nonexistent -- always very still, is Salina. "Knowledge is a kind of power, in its own fashion perhaps as great as the ability to wield the Force."

Another long pause.

"Mostly, I study, and I train," she says, answering the question finally.

Then her eyes flicker up to meet his, locking gazes with him, once again boring into him with that intense, penetrating stare. "What do you think it means to be free?"

[TheGreatJabu]

Antos Mereck - Instruction Hall near turbolift, Basement 1

Antos recoils a small amount. Between his raised eyebrows and bewildered eyes, he bears the look of a person who has just been swatted in the face with a dirty sock; not hurt or irritated - just surprised, uncomfortable, and somewhat confused. "...Excuse me, ma'm? I'm...not sure you're asking the right person. Perhaps one of those students with their noses stuck in a datapad would be more appropriate. Philosophy isn't exactly one of my strongest subjects, ma'm."

Mereck is genuinely perplexed by the question, and after a moment his curiosity manages to get the better of him once again. It'll be the death of him one day. "Why even ask me, ma'm?"

[Fredricus]

Raiko

Raiko grinned at the impatient Zendra

"You've been most usefull" he smiled before returning in to the shadows.

Most usefull... he thought as he walked the corridors.

[Cazziuz]

Kraygor - outside the turbolift in basement 2.

Kraygor noticed the rising voices in the room he just left, and he'd probably taken the stairs if the turbolift hadn't arrived at that very moment.

Whew. Never thought I'd actually like to avoid a fight.
He stepped into the turbolift and pushed the buttons that would take him to basement 1.

[Faithdreamer]

Hana - Kraygor's Turbolift

There was a faint scent crowding the turbolift - water lilies. It was the cleaner he used on those glossy purple robes almost as soft as his pale skin. Ghost white hair lounged on either shoulder in artful contrast. “Hey."
Strange how they kept forgetting he was there.

[Nowhere Girl]

Salina Jax
- Basement 1, by the turbolift

A small, almost imperceptible shrug. "A fresh perspective."

She looks away, staring down the hallway, her expression turning slightly distant.

"'The Force shall free me.' That's the last line of the Code," she says slowly, softly.

"If freedom is the goal, then knowing the meaning of freedom must certainly be important. Don't you think so?"

[ShadowyFigure]

Danza Maran - Lightsaber Training Ground -

Walking off Danza quickly changes his mind. His meditation could come later but there was something he wished to improve. His skill with the lightsaber was, well clumsy and if Danza were to get anywhere towards his goal he wished to improve. That and... He wanted a reason to go in the bacta tank and it was in the droid instructor he would find this.

Walking in Danza presses a button on a nearby console to request training then sits in the middle of the training ground. Lightsaber in hand ready for combat.

[Cazziuz]

Kraygor - Basement 2, by the turbolift.

A bit startled, Kraygor replies "hey".
He takes a good look at the man in front of him, then asks "have I met you before? You seem familiar".
Kraygor is a young human man. He is average height for a human, and he has short dark hair. He is well built, not very muscular, but clearly not weak either. His eyes are as dark as his skin, and his clothes are not the robes supplied to all students, but casual clothes made for comfort. His lightsaber hangs at his left hip and he has two datapad pouches hanging in his belt. He moves gracefully and the moment he recovers from the surprise he starts smiling.

[Kaymeera]

"Senators, fellow delegates, in response to this direct threat to the Republic, mesa propose, that the Senate give immediately Emergency Powers to the Supreme Chancellor" -Jar Jar Binks, hammering the final nail on his own coffin.

Vykan Zendra - The common room

Zendra's fingers immediately stopped drumming, as he frowned at Raiko's words. He watched as the four-armed alien progressed back into the shadows and left the room.

Thoroughly confused, the Umbaran remained seated, wondering where the Mandalorian woman had gone.

[Faithdreamer]

Hana – Kraygor’s Turbolift

“Nope. Going up?” Wrapped in his clothes Hana had a hard time blending in. Even a busy droid could understand why it was easy for him to stand out when he pulled his hood down. There was the Heterochromia iridis, one overcast gray eye and an eerily innocent brown one. Hana wasn’t exactly an albino but Hoth’s icy tundra had a close match. He looked as old as a sixteen year-old mostly because he was sixteen years old. More importantly, he looked more girly than girls did. Everyone knew looks could be deceiving. Or else they were just what they looked like.
Kraygor, smirk or smile.

[Raven T.]

Drupada Taipo Basement 1, Archives

Drupada decided that education was the call for the rest of the day and began looking at various holovids, focusing on old saber techniques and how the masters of the past fought. He needed something that would go with his dexterity and intelligence. Several styles jumped out at him, but none were sufficient to meet his needs. The old ways are going out the door; as I mentioned to the others. The new guard must take hold...and perhaps that means that the old styles of combat must also be put aside in this instance. I have the opportunity to create a new order, one that has the rational thinking of the Jedi and the unfettered strength of the Sith. This order will eclipse both groups and fight for the common man...we will not practice deceit or false pacifism. No, this new order will be greater than anything the galaxy has ever seen. It will instill stability and more permanent government than this New Republic could ever offer.

Yes...it will.

[EvilWalks]

Beskreiga Ordo - The Commons and briefly, her own little world

As the mandalorian worked on her blaster carbine, she listened and occasionally looked up, to observe the sith students. To understand the early years of the mind that had defeated her...of the minds that taught her...of the minds who would undouptably use her services and manipulate her into doing her bidding after her training with those minds where over.

In recent years, the Mandalorians had suffered a string of defeats...but none of them, except maybe the ending battle of the Wars, had effected her quite like the loss her clanship, The Jagi, had endured at the hands of the Sith. Nothing had quite been as gained or revealed from such a loss...nothing like that defeat.

She had learned that the Sith, the people her Clans had cursed since the time of Mandalore the Indomitable, where yet again, alive in the Galaxy...They where almost mandalorian in their survival tenacity...perhaps even more so, since they had defeated the Jagi when it was at it's best.

When the Mandalorians and her brought the fight to boarding party, they found their blasters of little use...even the sharpshooting of her Uncle Jeedo's advanced sniping system had only a 30% kill ratio...which was far different from his average of 80%. Some blaster bolts where even deflected back at them, and they had lost Habuk to his own twin blaster's fire, and Jhula had found herself stunned by only the virtue of her thick and heavy armor.

Things got only worse when they descended into melee. The Sith troops wielded swords that sundered all but the strongest of durasteel alloy blades...and their leader, a Dark Jedi, used a crimson blade to sunder all but the few made of Mandalorian Iron, Phrik or Cortosis. Beskreiga herself, had found herself forced to fight with nothing but her combat gloves and wits, but even then the Dark Knight was more then a match for her.

Perhaps it was at this time, that the Dark Jedi had seen something in her...or perhaps he had always known from the moment that their ship had exited their leap jump from lightspeed and ambushed the Sith vessel. Or perhaps, it was just his usual tactic to toy with his prey, even as they fought in futile effort...whatever it was, he had defeated her the same, even at one point, disabling his red lightsaber,and drawing a smaller blade, as if to welcome Beskreiga into fighting closer...which she did, and payed for it with the scar that went across her left cheek, as well as small hole in the weak points of her armor, which the Sith had spotted or sensed, and manipulated her effortlessly into making an opening which he exploited...something she also payed for, with a scar that went across her lower ribs and torso area.

Even as she was bleeding, demoralized, and all other fighting had been subdued with the other commandos forced into surrender, the Sith still encouraged her...goading her...feeding her frustration and anger....manipulating her into continue fighting...as to if to see, how far she could and would go, even after all was lost...and go she had. She could feel the burst of aggression and adrenaline that surged through her muscles...the second wind fueled by negative emotion...she could feel the Dark Side of the force, compelling her to attack the man. To kill the man in a storm of hatred. To drain the life from his body with her hands.

She also had learned of the power of the dark side, for she enraged fists and strikes finally opened up the Dark Jedi's defenses, and she got a single strike in. A punch, directly to the Dark Jedi's windpipe, which crushed it.

The Dark Jedi promptly ended his experiment, by force slamming Beskreiga against the walls and into unconsciousness, and when the young mandalorian had come to, he was talking with her Uncle Jeedo who was also her clanship's representative. The subject where terms of surrender, which were simple. Don't attack the Sith, don't let anyone else know of their return, and finally...the trade of Beskreiga for all of their lives.

Before that moment in time, Beskreiga had never wondered why things always seemed to be easier for her to do, then other mandalorians of comparable experience and training. Her shots with a blaster or the Jagi's turrets where always timed and well aimed, and they almost always went exactly where she wanted them to. Her sparing combat in the battle ring, had always been beyond intuitive, and it was if she had the ability to read her opponent's thoughts or have glimpses of the near future that allowed her to time her attacks perfectly to unbalance her opponent or catch them off guard. For young woman of barely 17 years then, she was stronger, faster and more durable then her peers, all reasons which made her a favored daughter of Clan Ordo. She had never questioned it, never pondered the reasons behind her natural abilities...never at any time before the fight with the Dark Jedi, who now stood there, explaining to her closest living relative, that she had a power like the Jedi, or the Sith. That she, could use the force to the same degree as the Dark Jedi who had so easily defeated an entire clan of Mandalorian warriors.

It was then that her mind began working...formulating a rather short sighted, but highly driven plan. The Sith wanted her. They wanted to train her. And she would accept.

The reasoning behind it had seemed so simple at the time...but she had been in the throes of defeat and hatred. Her choice had been one of anger and revenge against the Sith, for their humiliating defeat...but as she had left her clanship in the Sith transport, her mandalorian code returned, and she recalled a mantra of war. Never hate your enemies...it only breeds bias of judgment, which in a battle will kill you. She needed another reason to be where she was...to do what she had to do. Some rock of insight to which she could hold on to and avoid being sucked up into the storm of Sith culture so she could preserve her mandalorian ways...

...perhaps one day, it would come to her.


Beskreiga collapsed the stock of her carbine, closed the paneling, and rechecked the sights one last time, before holstering the compact blaster. Just as she reached for her cup of Caff again though, she looked up and scanned the room, and found the Umbaran duelist, Vykan Zendra, walking towards. "Sithsblood." She muttered under her breath as she looked around for a place to make a tactical retreat to...but the room had suddenly gotten rather full as more students returned from their morning meditations.

There would be no running this time. No avoiding it. Mr. Cloak-of-Feathers would have to just be faced and dealt with...hopefully, not with her blaster or sword though...she had just cleaned those. Clearing her throat and stiffling a sigh, she decided to greet him, so the entire conversation would not be on his terms at least. "Zendra...come back from the depths early I see. What's wrong...forget your fusion torch and debilitating fear of the dark? Or do you need someone to stand behind when blind witches start flinging bolts of energy from their fingers?"

[Kaymeera]

"Are you An angel? I'm just kidding. That's the worst line I've ever used. Hope some poor kid doesn't start using it." - Atton Rand

Vykan Zendra

Vykan watches as the Mandalorian woman approached. He smiles at her address, slowly taking off his goggles and laying them on the table, revealing black pupils which, as they were exposed to the light, shrunk rapidly to a relatively imperceptible size. He blinks once or twice during the process, his eyes slowly adjusting before turning back up to her. Looking her directly in the eyes, he replied, talking slowly, his voice deep.

"Claws out today, as always, I see. I suppose you think I've earned it for one reason or the other. To answer your question, it's more of the latter. That hurt me a fair bit more than it should have."

He runs his finger along the burn mark on his right arm once more before He turning away, collecting something from the inside of his robes and laying it on the table.

"Nevertheless, the day was mine. I live to triumph again."

The blindfold, still knotted as it were on the Miraluka's head, though visibly torn from the side, where Zendra had ripped it off, lay on the table. He stares at it for a moment, before turning back to the Mandalorian.

"We haven't been acquainted, still."

[TheGreatJabu]

Antos Mereck - Instruction Hall by the turbolift, Basement 1

Antos continues to pay attention, but on the inside he is gradually ceasing to listen. So she's on about the Force. They always are.

Salina Jax


"If freedom is the goal, then knowing the meaning of freedom must certainly be important. Don't you think so?"

Once the woman has finished, Mereck replies respectfully (and dryly). "Ma'm, the rank-and-file aren't indoctrinated with this Sith Code. The troops have their own reasons for joining; 'ideals' are generally quite low on that list. For the men and women like myself who don't feel the Force, the Sith are just a means to an ends."

Antos hated to leave a job undone, however. He felt that his reply wasn't actually answering the question he had been posed. What the hell. Let her pull your strings one more time. "Since you asked, though..." He glances down at the ground blankly for a few moments as he gathers his thoughts. When he has comes up with his response, he smirks sardonically at himself for a moment. By the time he looks back up to reply to the woman, his expression is hard as a rock and cold as steel.

"A word like 'freedom' gets thrown around all the time as one of those feel-good concepts. Strange how people never seem to appreciate it when they have it, but once it's gone they decry its loss. Almost as if it doesn't matter until it no longer exists. Truth is, ma'm, that's why I see freedom as a void. A non-entity defined only by its opposite. Freedom exists merely as a degree of measuring the lack of constraint, the lack of control. Amazing how the more 'free' a person is, the more they tend to impose on the freedoms of others. Every single person in the galaxy is scrambling to gratify their own wants and needs with little regard for those around them. It's why conflicts happen. There's another term that describes such a condition. Entropy. The less order you have, the more things break down. A certain degree of 'freedom' needs to exist to prevent stagnation, but it shouldn't be allowed to run rampant. Ultimately, there must be control."

His speech was very smooth and deliberate until the very last line. His tone, volume, or inflection did not change, but there was a tangible difference in the intensity with which he spoke. His appearance yields no clues, as during his reply his posture began to adopt the same cold, precise bearing that adorned his face. "There's your fresh perspective, ma'm." he adds flatly.

[LongVin]

Renato Benso - Archives

Continuing to prowl the archives he finally finds another soul also searching the archives for knowledge. Approaching Drupado he announces his presence "It is good to see another seeker of knowledge here. Too often have our fellows neglected the teachings of the past." Renato smirks as he finishes the line.

Though he could tell that Drupado was not a true seeker of knowledge. He seemed to be wholly concerned with only matters of the blade and not the thousands of scholarly articles which were contained within the walls of the archive.

[Raven T.]

Drupada Taipo

"Knowledge is power." Drupada spoke harshly only because he was being disturbed. "I sense you do not approve of the subject matter I have chosen, but it is important to shore up what you DON'T know. I have already steeped myself in galactic history, lore, and tactics...now I have been searching for a way to better myself physically." Turning off the recorder, he glares some at Renato. "But I have finished looking into this. There is obviously something on your mind; spill it."

[Nowhere Girl]

Salina Jax
- Basement 1, by the turbolift

A small smile.

"I thought philosophy wasn't one of your stronger subjects," Salina replies, still in her customary even tone. "It seems you had an answer in you after all."

Apparently satisfied, she abruptly turns to begin walking down the hall, never bothering to wave or offer any kind of verbal farewell.

Spoiler

Show

(I'm stopping here to leave Antos the option of either trying to stop Salina or just let her wander off, as left to her own devices, she's definitely going to do the latter. Once I know his reaction, I can make my next post. )

[Cazziuz]

Kraygor - Basement 2, at the turbolift

Kraygor blinked, his smile fading as if he didn't understand the question.
Then he realized what Hana had said, and his friendly smile returned.
"I'm not sure. Since we got the day off I wanted to make some acquaintances among the students".
He extends his right hand saying "the name's Kraygor".
I hope this guy isn't like the creepy violent one. That guy would probably chop my hand off, then demand I pay him a few hundred credits for the experience Kraygor thought, barely maintaining his smile as he extended his hand.

[LongVin]

Renato Benso

Renato shrugs. "I guess what you say is truth. It is best to be well rounded."

He takes a seat, "I always have many things on my mind. But for now, I believe it is necessary as you put it to shore up our weaknesses. Would you care to put these new techniques to a test in the duelling chamber? A friendly competition to improve our mutual skill against those who devote themselves completely to the arts of single combat and know nothing of intellectual pursuits."

[Raven T.]

Drupada Taipo

What is it with everyone and their desire to fight with me today? What is this; beat on the old man to feel better about yourself day? "I suppose, if you are that desperate to fight someone, I can oblige you. We fight until one of us surrenders.

"Much can be learned through combat, as well." This time, he was taking a page from the Echani. Maybe he should have indulged the Kel Dor, but some things can be put off for another day. The true measure of a person is what they display on the battlefield, not what they say.