Change In The Steeple

[The Confessor]

[fancybox2]

ILUM
1100 Hours
@EmilyHuene ; @Nefieslab [/fancybox2]

Finally she was seeing results. The planet Ilum had recently fallen under Imperial control. And not a moment to lose. The Imperial Republica was failing. They were leaderless. They were scattered. They were questioning their loyalties. The people in the Core planets were on the verge of turning to the Old Empire as their leader claimed their territories now belonged to him. Eriana Fox had her own agendas to attend to.

On the cold frozen planet of Ilum, Eriana had funded an expedition to rid any Jedi off the icy caverns and to build a facility within the catacombs. The winding paths of the cave were a perfect place to build and raise a place where Eriana could preach her Word. Here, she would build a Sacellum, a church of the Sith. On Iktotch, she'd received a vision that she must share her wisdom with the Sith, both of the Imperial Republica and the Old Empire alike. Only together would they be able to snuff out the spark of Light that had begun to grow in the Outer Rims.

She'd first gone to Dathormir, hoping it's Dark side connection would be enough to support her cause. But the place was too hostile and unpredictable. Her next thought was Tython, but another of her kind had already started his own mission pack there. So Eriana looked to Ilum. As she read the reports that came back to her, she knew more and more that this was the perfect place. And when she set her own two feet on the cold system she knew the Dark side was stronger than ever.

Deep, deep within the core of the planet a travesty happened. Some five centuries ago a crystal was ignited in power and fury, and burned every Force user on the planet. Jedi, and Sith alike -though at the time they called themselves exiles- perished in that fire. Now they were tortured souls doomed to echo the halls of Eriana's church, crying and screaming their last burning thoughts for all eternity. Yes. This was the perfect place.

It had been a month since the expedition and now construction crews were working to make a facility large enough to house both church and state. She would welcome all people to her Sacellum, so long as they understood the Word. The Dark side was not a tool as her brethren claimed to use it. The Force gave them this power and they, as Force users, should praise that power. United with true spiritual belief was the only way to bring peace and security to the galaxy once again.

Looking over the large temple currently filled with scaffolds, Eriana put her hands on her hips and took a breath of satisfaction. Although she couldn't exactly see the space in front of her, she could feel it growing like a child in the womb. This was her baby. And every day it got bigger and bigger. Here she felt safe. Here she would not expect someone to come and challenge her for her ideologies. She was dressed in her usual Sith Marauder armor though hers was tailored to look more like a domineering warrior. It was even more effident with her Electro whip on her hip.

Also on her hips, were her two curved lightsabers that would emit red beams when ignited. The elegance of them spoke volumes about the kind of person Eriana was. They were perfectly identical, meaning they were expensive and not put together with random scraps lying around. The handles even, being curved, gave her a more noble and prodigious sort of vibe to her. It was even apparent in her posture as she never slouched or slacked, though that could have been the corset.

The door behind her would open blowing her long, black trench coat around her. Eriana was used to the cold, but the place didn't have heating yet so the sooner the door closed behind the intruder the better. Eriana would turn and cross her arms behind her back, scanning this individual within her Force sight. Her grey eyes looked on blankly through her long black hair.

"Welcome," she would say to the person. "I am The Confessor. Have you come to seek guidance?"

 

[Darth Tagus]

What a place.

Illum truly did live up to it's reputation.

This... sanctuary? He wasn't sure if it lived up to it's reputation yet. He had seen it from the outside and it was impressive enough but the true test would be in the test of it's head. There was no point in discussing any of the worthless peons who may or may not work here or even the building itself.

In a place like this, in a movement such as this, the only thing that mattered was the conviction and the authority commanded by it's leader and only once he had tested said leader would Zeven be able to say if this whole trip had been worthwhile...? Or a bitter disappointment.

As he approached, Zeven held his hands out to his sides even though he knew that she wouldn't actually be able to see and appreciate the gesture. He let his presence in the Force extend outward so that he would likely stick out like a sore thumb to someone like Eriana Fox.

"Confessor!" he greeted her with a bow of his head, "I have, indeed, come to confess!"

He drew his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it in his right hand.

"I confess myself... disappointed." he declared bluntly, "You are a Sith Crusader and you give yourself such grand titles... but what are you really? Who are you really? You're directionless. This? All of this?! It's a distraction to hide from the truth that you need to accept."

Zeven pointed to her with his lightsaber.

"You are on the wrong side of history."

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

The person in front of Eriana seemed...confrontational. That bothered Eriana. Here was a place of peace, of unity. And yet this man seemed like he wished to fight. Typical of a Sith. Challenging everyone and every thing. Eriana groaned as she felt the man igniting his one saber. His words disagreed with that he said, until he said he confessed that he was disappointed. This man, who she did not know by name, was now accusing her of giving herself titles? And even worse, that she had no purpose.

She could sense his saber pointing at her, and in that moment Eriana would cross her own arms and lift her sabers from either hip into her hands and lower them from the clip. Slowly, she uncrossed her arms and rested her thumbs over the ignition switches. She would not rush into a fight until the last possible moment. But that didn't mean she'd leave herself defenseless either.

"And who are you, nameless one? To come into my chapel and accuse me of being lost? The Darkness is my ally. I was born in it. I thrived in it. The Force gives me purpose greater than what you can comprehend. Through it, I have grown and become this rank of Crusader. Who are you to claim you know better?"

 

[Darth Tagus]

Sliding into a dueling stance, Zeven was under no illusions as to how he stacked up to Eriana in terms of raw power with the Force. He knew that she was more powerful than him and while this might not be the case forever, it was the case right now and that was exactly what happened to matter right now.

If this was to turn into an actual fight.

"I can accuse you of being lost because I am not - I know who and what I am far better than you can claim to know the same. Even now you claim that the Darkness is your ally, you claim that the Force gives you a purpose."

He presented his blade to Eriana in a classic makashi dueling position, right side presented to her, knees bent, elbow bent and lightsaber angled diagonally up from roughly his hip height, the tip angled towards her.

"You fail to realize that the Force isn't something to be heeded, it is something to be used." he declared bluntly, "It is alive and because it is alive it exists for the truly strong to dominate and control it. You do not ask it for guidance... you demand it answer you when you call upon it for it's power!"

He nodded to his blade.

"If you do not believe me... if you believe your will equal to my own... your TRUTH equal to my own? Cross blades with me. Feel my emotions in the Force as we duel, feel my convictions in the way that only combatants truly can." he smirked faintly, "Or abandon your ideals as clearly you are unwilling to fight for them."

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

The nerve of this young soul. He claimed he was not lost? That he had mastery of the Force? The nerve! The gall! The impudence! Anger swelled up inside Eriana and she had to clench her jaw tightly so she wouldn't let that rage blind her. Anger was a Sith's ally, but the Dark side was greater. Eriana readied herself to fight him with her own Florentine style, the greater method of combat. Two sabers were clearly better than one.

"The Force does not obey mortal lives!" she'd shout at him. Maybe a little of that anger would need to come out after all. "You and I exist in this world because the Dark side demanded it be so. To command such a power is inviting treason and blasphemy into your pathetic life. The Dark side will turn against you! It was see you burn in Hell fire. And I will be your shepherd."

The man was challenging her, and she would rise to his call. Only then would they truly know the other's convictions and beliefs. And when Eriana was done with him she'd have him bow before her and kiss her boots for thinking he was better than the mystical powers. She wouldn't punish him, or hate him, for his beliefs were only narrow-minded, and not some sin his meek mind could not understand. The fact would be to beg forgiveness.

Eriana rushed for him. Her body pushed through its normal limits by the way of the Force. He would keep up with her of course, but any mere mortal would be blindsided by her sudden flash step. Her beams arced with wide beams, meaning to cut him through to the core. If he died here and now then there would be no reason to mourn him for he was just another fool who was in over his head. She would fight him, disarm him, and punish him with Lightning. Then she would kiss his forehead and forgive him, and lead him to salvation.

 

[Darth Tagus]

She still did not understand he now saw.

Still she believed that the Force was something to be obeyed, something that held sway over the lives of everyone. But that was not what being a Sith was all about. Being a Sith was about breaking the chains that held you back and she seemed to have taken the Force, something that was used to break chains by Sith, and fashioned it into chains for herself. The best thing he could say about it was that she had at least gotten angry and was ready to use that anger.

Even if it was still misdirected so far.

"The Force is a tool and a weapon to be used to break chains." he reasoned back to her, shaking his head, "You do not use it, do not wield it, as a Sith! You use the Force to restrict yourself. Break free from your restrictions and your morals - break free and become a true Sith!"

With his lightsaber already at the ready, Zeven met her attack with his prepared defense. When she attacked with one blade, he would parry or block - already moving to avoid a swing from her second blade. He could not match her in the number of swings per second but he didn't need to.

"You have all these rules and laws and you think they give you strength..." he scowled, "They do not. The only way you can gain strength is by taking it by any means necessary! You fight however you can because honor is a lie! You use whatever you can because EVERYTHING is a tool to be used! Because when you're a Sith?"

He launched a Force push at her to drive her back as the doors to the building opened again - this time to admit the allies that he had brought along with him.

"There is nothing that matters; save for victory."

@EmilyHuene
@KinkyPrawn @Sabrina

 

[Hask Jen]

The doors to the building swung open. He stood in the doorway, his black-robed body casting a shadow across the floor. His robes flapped around him as the cold wind blew past him into the building

Hask's eyes met the Republica sith and a grin formed behind his helmet's visor. With a quick flick of the wrist he was holding his lightsabre next to him, pressing it's button and summoning the unstable yellow blade forth in a fiery spectacle.

"THE FORCE SHALL SET ME FREE!" his voice boomed through the room. He took a few steps forward into the building and spoke up to the Mirialan. "You called, my friend?" he said cheerfully to Zeven, not taking his eyes off the lady in front of him.

@EmilyHuene @Nefieslab @Sabrina


theme

 

[Sabrina K]

She was dressed in her armour, and her lightsaber unlit in her hand. She walked in behind her friend, or should she say meat shield Hask. She came to help out another Acolyte, Zeven the man who killed most of his family, though she had forgiven him. After all he did not kill his sweet little sister, who she given a teddy to recently.

As they entered, she saw them already fighting. She ignited her blade, the crimson red blade came out with a satisfying buzz noise. She then stepped to the side her meat shield, and looked at them. She better put her weapon down, or she going to get it. She thought to herself, as she got ready to attack.

@Nefieslab @KinkyPrawn @EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

As their weapons clashed Zeven would quote the Sith code to her: break the chains. He claimed she was chaining herself. But no! No he didn't understand. The Force helped them break the chains. It should be celebrated for that power. Why could he not see that beauty? The anger inside her swelled up, ignoring the training she set upon herself to restrain that emotion. It fueled her. It gave her the speed to bring her enemy down. She was so focused on Zeven that she didn't even see the other two Sith coming to assist him.

"The Force gives me strength!" she screamed. "I command that power, but it is because It lets me. I do not abuse it! I do not claim hold to it! I do not own it! The Force cannot be tamed!"

Each strike of her weapon gave her more fuel. More power. More anger. But she was becoming predictable. She may be his better in terms of speed and raw power, but her focus was losing its concentration. It gave him the chance to send a Force push into her chest and knock her back some. Eriana landed on her back, but instinct kicked in and she rolled over her shoulder and got back up to one knee. Her blades she carefully kept at her sides so she wouldn't accidentally nick or maim herself.

When she "looked" back up, she saw there were now three flames in her sight. The first was the one she'd been fighting, the others were standing at the door. Eriana grimaced and scowled, growling to herself that she could be so stupid. Of course this Acolyte would come with backup. She stood, trying to reclaim some of her dignity; her breath shuddered as she exhaled.

"What is this?" she would ask them steadily. "Do you want this temple for yourself? There are no riches here. The Force has ruined this planet with pain and agony. Its walls scream with the victims of the dead. There is no reward for your Emperor. There is no reward for you. Leave this system."

But what Eriana was neglecting to realize, was that they weren't there for the Kyber crystals. These three Sith had joined together in a shared knowledge, a shared plan, for something greater. Something that could be an asset to the Old Empire. For you see, there was a much more valuable prize on Ilum. They were there for her....

@Nefieslab ​

 

[Darth Tagus]

"Excellent entrance Hask, Sabrina." he told them with a hint of a smirk, "Points for style."

Zeven held his arms open wide as his allies arrived, gesturing to them with both his free hand and his lightsaber. He didn't need to be as on guard as before because he knew that between the three of them, they had the woman beaten in terms of raw power and combined skill as well.

She was a great asset however.

"The reward is in the act of taking, not just in the spoils themselves." he told her as he pointed to her with his lightsaber, "You can either throw down your lightsabers and submit to being brought back to the True Empire or..."

He nodded to his allies.

"My allies and I shall break your bones and drag you there instead. Make your decision before we hasten to make the decision for you."

@EmilyHuene
@KinkyPrawn @Sabrina

 

[The Confessor]

So there it was. The choice. Fight, or surrender. Eriana gripped her sabers tighter. She wouldn't be able to use them again if she surrendered. And she would spend her life in prison. That...that could not happen.

"I will not spend the rest of my life in a jail cell. I am a Sith Crusader. I am a Speaker of the Force. A believer in the Force. I will not be thrown away to rot away from the world."

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask took a small step forward and spoke up.
"Listen to me, we can help you. You are...misguided...we can help. If you surrender now then at least there will be some small reassurance of just treatment. But if you keep resisting, things will end badly. I am begging you, as a fellow sith...a brother in the dark side and a fellow warrior, to come back with us." practically pleading with the lady in a last attempt at a peaceful alternative before things went completely south.


"There is no need for violence..." he finished, taking an aggressive stance and holding his lightsabre in front of him, ready for anything.

@Sabrina @EmilyHuene @Nefieslab

 

[The Confessor]

One of the others would speak to her again. Offering her safety. That she was misguided. If she surrendered she'd be treated properly. But the words of the Sith were just words. And she did not trust them. But what was the alternative? If she tried to fight then she could get hurt. She knew that behind her there were exists, paths out of the caverns. But, the Sith would follow. Could she ensure her safety?

It didn't sit right with her. The risk was too great. And truthfully, she was afraid of living her life missing a limb, a leg or an arm. And that was assuming one of them didn't change their minds and just kill her there and then. Could she trust these other Sith? Her brethren? It was...too hard to fight it. Her hands began to tremble. There had to be a reason this was happening. This was her church, was it not? This was HER home. She was doing this for the Force. Right? So why was it betraying her?

No. It was giving her a path. Their faction was dying. The Imperial Republica was leaderless, and they were failing. She'd made this church in hopes it would unite the Sith into one being. Maybe....maybe this was best. Eriana bowed her head, unable to keep it raised any longer. She lifted her thumbs from her saber hilts and the red beams died out. She lowered her arms, dangling them at her sides.

 

[Darth Tagus]

"Seems you have a way with words Hask."

Leaving it at that, Zeven began to march across the distance between them until he was only a few feet from Eriana. Using the Force, he called her lightsabers to him. If she did not resist they would attach themselves to his belt behind his back so as to be out of her line of sight and direct usage.

"Crusader Fox." he addressed her formally, holding out his free hand towards her, "It is time to go. It is time you came back with us to the one, True, empire."

His lightsaber was still out and ignited but he would extinguish it if she took his hand. If she decided not to take his hand then he would need it most likely.

@EmilyHuene
@KinkyPrawn @Sabrina

 

[The Confessor]

As the hand reached for her sabers she felt the Force calling them away from her. She felt like it was ripping a piece of her soul from her. She let them go, but her hands gently extended for a moment as if she was hesitantly going to grab them. But then she let her arms dangle again. She didn't have the strength. Tears dropped from her eyes making her cheeks wet. The future scared her. She was glad at least, that they hadn't tried to cuff her. Not that she would fight back, but being restrained...the idea was too frightening and embarrassing. She'd worked for five years in the prison system; she couldn't imagine the shame she'd feel being treated like one of them.

Zeven would hold his hand out to her now, telling her it was time to go. Eriana weakly raised her hand and set it in his. She felt like she was betraying her faith. Leaving her church and her ideals behind. But this was what the Force wanted of her. She would find a new leader and thus a new faction. It would be her new life. Until not only the Sith, but the universe as well was whole once more. She let him guide her to the door and into the cold region of Ilum to wherever this new life was waiting for her....

~END THREAD~
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