Ask Ziost Halls of the Ancient

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn appreciated that the Master didn't waste any time in getting right to business. If they were here to kill intruders, best to just do it and be done. She blasted the door open, and Varyn charged in through the opening. His second saber ignited in his other hand as the first came up to deflect a shot into the wall.

She pulled one of the bandits into the incoming line of fire, and Varyn made a dash for the other one. His saber swept around and caught another shot before his second blade swept upward. His blade passed through her hip, belly, and into the middle of her chest before it stopped. She fell backward, barely able to gasp out her breath as she died...

And then Varyn saw the small circle in her hand. The grenade rolled away from her dying grip and Varyn flung himself back, using the Force to shield him if ever so slightly. It detonated and tore up everything in the room, shrapnel flew everywhere and Varyn was thrown from his feet as shrapnel slammed into his armor, finding the bits where plates or armorweave didn't cover. He could feel the warm trickle of blood down his arms and the stinging pain of hot metal, but he pushed himself across the floor anyway only to realize that the bandits were all dead... at least these ones.

You alive? he groaned, ears still ringing horribly as he pushed himself over try to roll more onto his back. This, of course, shot terrible pain all through his bruised and cut-up back.

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The thug realized he was shooting his buddy before he could even stop himself, stunned by the sudden turn of events and even more when Tiamat pulled him to her. Knowing Varyn had the third one, her vibroblade buzzed loudly as she ran it up through the sternum of the large male, but before she could revel in the satisfaction of taking his life, there was an instinctual warning and then an explosion. The shrapnel flew everywhere in the room, no place could offer them cover, and though the dead thug took a brunt of the damage, Tiamat was caught by pieces that flew through him, or around him.

She didn't even realize she was laying face up on the ground, starring at the stone ceiling as she listened to the ringing in her ears. It took some might to push the shredded corpse off her so she could sit up at least, pain ripped through her side as she moved even slightly. The woman let out a long string of curses when she heard Varyn ask if she were alive. "Fucking right, yes." she gasped, pushing herself to prop herself up on her good side before slowly coming to a sitting position. There was a stinging sensation that seemed to ripple through her body as she put pressure on the wound.

"Varyn?" she groaned, slowly pushing herself up, "Varyn, I'm going to tear these fuckers apart." she growled, brow narrowing in agitation as she used her physical pain as fuel to continue her survival. The darkness revealed her presence as she ripped the vibroblade out from the deceased and looked around to see where Varyn was laying. "C'mon, Rest will come later."

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

With great effort, Varyn pushed himself back to his feet and made sure his sabers were in hand or on hip before he moved any further. Even in his nearly-concussed state, Varyn could hear the shift in her tone of voice and the way the Force flowed around them both. There was an acidic taste to it, a malice that betrayed that darkness within her.

And yet, he didn't pull back. Not this time. Not anymore. I'll join you, he said. Her anger was infectious, the malice that she felt seemed to bleed over into him, permeating every one of the wounds he had just taken and pushing him onward. He wanted blood to match his own... no, to surpass his own.

We kill everyone we find, he said simply, then they would go back and have the knowledge of the Sith Warmaster. He pressed on, anger now driving him more than reason because everything hurt. His body, his mind, his soul all screamed for a release of some sort and that release would come in the form of death and vengeance.

He made his way down another loop of stairs before coming out into a much larger chasm. Perhaps it would have been beautiful but Varyn barely saw it. There was something behind him, driving him forward toward his goal as if the spilling of the looters' blood would supply him with everything he needed. He couldn't wait.

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He was able to get to his feet which was a good sign, but with the proximity of the blast, she knew better than to doubt both of them were barely unscathed. However, like any of her enemies, if they were going try and kill her, they’d better be successful.

Now hell was to be paid.

Tiamat could understand the inconvenience and annoyance the Warmaster Spirit must have suffered through with this bunch. Down another spiral of stairs they descended and back into a large chasm, etched stone surrounded them, but they were not here for sight seeing and ahead they could see the glow of illuminators beam from the doors of the adjacent hall where they had set up living spaces and storage for the loot. They all seemed relatively unaware of the explosion that occurred as loud laughter echoed from one end of the chamber to another.

She grasped the vibroblade tightly and walked forward, picking the nearest arched door way and entering it. A lanky looking humanoid looked up to see the red headed woman walk in, seemingly out of no where. Having been drinking, he took a double take, but realizing she was armed, he jumped to his feet. Despite calling attention to himself, his delayed reaction was only an inconvenience for himself. Tiamat grasped the handle of a double handled metal vase as she passed a decorative pedestal, swinging it at him. There was a loud clank sound as it made contact with the hunched over humanoid, he yelped in pain and shock before a gurgling came from somewhere as she beheaded, and de-shouldered him. Blood pooled around her feet, the woman unfazed but she certainly caught the attention of the rest of the looters for herself and Varyn.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn watched as she turned the head of one of the thieves inside out with her improvised weapon and he didn't even blink. He could almost recall the person he had been when he'd been so bothered by the deaths of the Sith troopers and Resistance fighters on Dantooine but now seeing death just felt like it washed over him.

He would have darted forward without hesitation but in his current condition it was more of a determined walk forward as his sabers lit to life.

Sith! It's a Sith! he heard from one of the men further back.

Show you what we do to Sith! another said. This one must have been one of the Acolyte rejects but nonetheless his red saber snapped to life in his hands. Varyn could immediately tell he hadn't gotten far in his training and mostly used the saber to simply scare people off. His use was clunky and poor and the drinks he'd been having were showing as well.

For Varyn's part, he didn't actually angle straight for the Sith-reject, he moved over toward the closest of the pirate-thieves. A blaster bolt streaked past him followed by another and another. Whoever that guy was - the first guy who had spoken - was really determined to kill a Sith today.

 

[Darth Tiamat]

There was the sudden realization they were under attack by Sith, which confused Tiamat given they were on a Sith occupied world, but she wouldn't process too deeply the naivety in the room. Three decided they could easily overwhelm the woman, and started firing their blasters at her, eager to take her out quickly. They must have not suspected she was a greater threat because she didn't have a lightsaber like her partner.

The bolts would strike an invisible barrier, only glowing violet slightly when the blaster fire made contact, they pressed on and Tiamat gritted her teeth as she stepped forward to meet them within meters, seeing the concern on their faces, anger rising as they only tried to fire faster. Tiamat released a blast from behind her defense, hitting them with a blast that did more than just push them back. It was almost as though they were hit with something more corrosive, the darkness fed off their energy as they struggled to stand up. Their hurried motions were sloppy, and Tiamat activated the vibroblade into the nearest thug's gut, leaving him withering in agonizing pain as the other two got back to their feet.

They were hesitant to press on with their attack, now holding up their blaster in more of defiance and fear, but would be saved by another, one of the former acolytes who attempted to shove the Sith Master from the side. Tiamat stumbled back and there was the distinct clinking of a grenade rolling along the stone toward her, only to be ricocheted with the Force back to the two who decided to attempt to flee. Nearly reaching a door to have them repaint it with their innards.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn watched as Tiamat went to work with lethal efficiency, and he joined in as his sabers flicked through the air in a blur, batting blaster bolts away and returning one into the thief who had shot it. It wasn't a killing deflection, but Varyn moved in with three large steps, right-most saber sweeping along the ground where the man was trying to crawl away, and cleanly severing his neck.

There was another detonation that Varyn was dangerously close to again, but he didn't stop. The ex-Acolyte seemed to have taken to the Sith Master, and Varyn used the opportunity to lunge at him from behind. His right blade was outstretched in a thrust to the back, which the guy surprisingly parried away only for Varyn's other saber to sweep in on its heels and slash across the belly.

It was a grotesque display of his innards before Varyn's blade swept up again to end his life. An eerie quiet seemed to descend on the room as Varyn looked around to those they had killed. He didn't sense anyone else and he just kind of... slumped to the floor as the adrenaline ran its course.

Kriff, he muttered with a groan, reaching for his medkit to try to bandage up the wounds he had from earlier. There wasn't much to go around, but it was something, and he offered some of the contents to Tiamat as he began stripping away bits of his own armor including his helmet.

You hit too? he asked, wincing as he peeled away one of the pieces that had become pasted onto him with blood.

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Her vibroblade hummed beside her as she paused to see if anyone dared to defy death that had been granted. There was a slow drip of blood in the silence, and Tiamat cautiously checked around the darkened corners despite unable to sense anyone else that was with them. She turned to Varyn who slumped to the floor, cursing under his breath to what the woman recognized as fatigue as it quickly settled in for the champion. She deactivated the vibroblade and sat down next to Varyn as he fumbled with his medkit; the woman watched in silence, her breathing still heavy as she slowly quelled the hunger that seemed for now, satisfied with their work.

Though, that would come with beginning to feel everything as she reached over for a bacta patch offered by Varyn, "A nasty hole here." she whispered, exposing the side of abdomen as she bunched the fabric under her arm to better place the patch. The clothing pulled against her skin, she could tell it had been soaked in her own blood as she watched it ooze some more and slapped on the patch. It was painful enough to force the woman to inhale sharply, groaning to the waves of pain that pounded all the way into her skull. She looked around, spotting a few crates and got up, albeit slowly, as she searched for anything that would aid them.

There was certainly a lot of liquor as she pulled out a bottle that had such a high proof, it probably could kill a nerf. Digging a little more, she found a few unopened bottles of liquor and what looked to be like a dated medpack; dusty, beat up, but inside, everything was still sealed and she brought it over for them to use. "Here..." she said, wincing as she knelt down, catching his gaze briefly and noting he was not too bad looking. She was uncertain what she expected under the helmet, but out of the recently surprises, this one was good. "Its nice to get a face to the name...." she grinned, but her own pain kept her from holding it.

Tiamat helped him with the bandages on the wounds he couldn't reach, she could feel her own fatigue coming, but was not ready to surrender to it yet.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn was tired. The reality of that was hitting him all the harder as he sat there, but their job still wasn't done. With his luck, the Sith spirit was still going to try to kill them or something dumb. But he had summoned them here, right? Varyn could only hope that it was a good sign of sincerity.

He glanced over to see her belly exposed and the blood that was oozing from it. So she wasn't doing all that much better than he was. It was another reminder that these Sith Masters were just... people. They felt pain and bled just like anyone else.

She accepted his offered gear and he went back to his own work.

Oh, hm, yeah, he said as she mentioned putting a face to the name. I find armor's useful in the field, he said. He understood why many Jedi and Sith chose not to wear it, but he'd been blown up, shot, and knocked around too many times to not be able to see its use. But maybe it was time to stop using it as a crutch. Maybe he needed to step his game up.

Thanks, he said as she helped him with some of the shrapnel marks on his back. Guess I'll probably need a med droid after this to pick it all out, he said with a wince. It stung and his whole back felt like it was on fire, but he was alive, which was more than could be said for the bandits.

His eyes glanced over and fell on the dead in a moment of sonder. How do you think they ended up down here of all places? A bunch of pirates and a failed acolyte? he asked. He didn't really expect her to have an answer, but it was a weird question to think about nonetheless.

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He suggested the possibility of needing a med droid to finish the rest and Tiamat nodded in agreement, "Some pieces are small and deep..." she said, dropping one fragment with a clink on the stone ground beside her before cleaning the area as best as she could with limited supplies. He seemed to ponder in deep thought as he made his observations about the pirates and the acolyte.

It was a good question, she wondered herself for the moment why would someone want to stick around a place where they were constantly reminded of their failures. "Perhaps this was how the acolyte sought his revenge." she shrugged. She could probably place credits on the fact he probably thought he was the smartest in the academy, but too much of a coward to prove his worth. However, it could have been for any number of reasons, maybe he just sought wealth, or perhaps the acolyte was seeking the knowledge from the spirit also, taking one piece at a time until there was nothing left. A thorn in the spirit's side and limited in his reach.

Tiamat sat in silence with Varyn, refocusing her thoughts as they still had to return to the sith spirit. As simple as it seemed, she still felt cautious about their return and what would be revealed. The red head rose to her feet, outstretching a hand to help Varyn to his feet, "Let's get back."

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Maybe, Varyn agreed. It was feasible enough, but it wasn't something worth worrying about now, he supposed. That guy was dead and Varyn wasn't... for now. He needed to focus on himself and not take on the weight of the dead.

Yeah, he said, taking the offered hand and pushing himself to his feet before heading back toward the stairs they had descended. The ascent went without issue, and they emerged into the same room with the spirit after only a few minutes, but something was different now. It was almost as if the spirit had grown in power or... something had stirred since they left.

Very good, my servants, he congratulated them. I feel whole again and you two... perhaps you've proven your worth, he said, though the "perhaps" didn't exactly make Varyn overflow with confidence.

Only time may yet tell, but I will allow you to take something from my armory. Not for you, but for the Empire. That you will carry on my legacy and memory to reform this galaxy, he said. It seemed... a bit ominous, but Varyn didn't seem to sense deceit. Would he even be able to tell if there were deceit in someone so powerful? He didn't know.

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Quietly she followed behind Varyn, still cautious of anyone they could have missed or for the twist and they would be ambushed. However, none of it came and they were quickly back in the hall where they had first encountered the Sith spirit. The air felt different and Tiamat would feel it as Varyn did when they stood in front of the spirit. It was as though there was more power or had awaken something else. An odd sensation, but she would not get time to investigate as the spirit spoke, inquiring he felt whole again and had some confidence in the two live sith before him...maybe.

As reward, the two were offered something from his armory and would be able to pick what best fit them as they carried on the task of revitalizing the Empire in Darth Andren's name. Tiamat found it curious to the Spirit's generosity and wondered what would happen if he thought they failed in this task while holding his belongings.

Regardless the woman gave a bow of respect and noticed a new door that had opened and she walked over, looking at the different artifacts inside from armor to tools, and tomes. She eventually stood still, gaze resting on a saber hilt before grasping it. She was surprised to how light it felt, having expected it to be heavier as she rotated her wrist before snapping the blade to life. The red hue of the saber filled the room as she listened to the corrupted kyber crystal, a small smile pulling at the corner of her lip as it seemed she was reunited with an old friend.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn looked over the contents of Andren's hidden vault and immediately knew. The helmet that lay on a pedestal in the center of the room seemed to call to him. He lay his finger momentarily across the Sith runes that were inscribed into the helmet's faceplate.

The moment his fingers brushed against them, he seemed to know what they meant despite not speaking or reading a word of it. "In power" ran down one side of the mask and up the other were the words "is order." Seven letters each in a deep red hue that almost seemed to glow. He knew that this was why he had been brought here, for this singular message that could have been just for him.

He took a deep breath and picked up the mask, hefting its weight in his hands and knowing he was taking on a mantle that had practically been crafted for him.

He smiled faintly as he looked down at it, and felt a feeling of power course through him as he strapped the helmet to his belt.

I don't think it was an accident we were brought here, he said as he turned to leave. No, it wasn't an accident at all.

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The saber's beam retracted into the hilt and Tiamat turned to watch as Varyn found his way into the armory. He seemed to know what exactly he needed to find, whatever it was called him quickly and he didn't hesitate as he picked up a mask from its pedestal. She watched in silence and curiosity as he stood in his own thoughts, possibly feeling similar as she when she picked up the saber. Satisfied, he clipped it to his belt, confirming their calling was not by accident.

Agreeing, Tiamat nodded, "I think it is very clear why we were brought here." she said leading the way out of the armory, "And I don't think neither of us are the type to disappoint as to what our purpose lies beyond here." Tiamat spoke softly, but Varyn would still hear her as they walked back through the tomb, the spirit no longer visible, but they could certainly feel his presence in the Force. The woman clipped the hilt back to her belt, finding she had felt incomplete for too long without such weapon at her side.

She was uncertain what the future held for either of them, though she was certain their paths to sustain and grow the Empire would be different as they strive for the same goal. Long live the Empire.

/End Thread

@Phoenix