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[Darth Raze]

The last time he was all the way out here, he had been barely past his teens. It was also where Renfry had teleported with him for the first time and he had puked his guts out on the roof of an enemy base. The memory felt like centuries ago, with both of them entirely different people now. The Dark Lord hadn’t told anyone else of this location save for Veles. So far only he and Renfry knew about it. It was a test of sorts to see if the Sith Lord could be trusted. Out of everyone in the order, this one piqued Raze’s curiosity.

As Dark Lord, he was now tasked with evaluating the Order’s leadership, and that meant looking into the Sith Lords and Councilors. While the present Council wasn’t remarkable, they certainly did their jobs efficiently. The Sith Lords had more variety. He only recently heard that Asminys had emerged again, and he remained largely irrelevant. Raze's own apprentice Tiamat had done wonders with the hypergates, but otherwise failed to expand the Sith in any meaningful way thus far. And then there was Veles, who was an enigma of sorts. He dabbled in the arcane which was a unique trait. However, from reports he had received so far, he was rather soft by Raze’s standards. Being soft had been Caelestis’ greatest weakness, and it ultimately resulted with his death. Perhaps the same exact fate awaited Veles - dying because he was too sentimental. Raze thought of his own actions, how he butchered the very man that the other half of him had loved so deeply and the man that helped Emryc become more human. Raze performed his duty in the end, slaying the Firrerreo in cold blood. These days he considered himself a dying breed of Sith.

He was adorned in his dark armor, gazing out towards a facility in the distance. It looked abandoned this time, but he doubted it was the only one on the planet. Raze had asked Veles to arrive at a specific location a respectable distance away from that facility, and he brought his usual custom made speeder bike to use to get around. He asked Veles to bring a transport as well once he arrived. Raze looked down at a datapad, sorting through all his notes from the last time he had visited this facility.

@vamp

 

[Veles]

<< Darth Raze has sent you a message (1) >>​

His eyes snapped from the holofilm as his datapad buzzed, and Veles had to do a double take when he saw the notification. "What--"

<< Darth Raze has sent you a message (2) >>​

"Oh no," he murmured. Had he done it? Had he finally overstepped? Maybe he shouldn't have been running around so much. Perhaps Raze had found out about the mind-boggling amount of pilots that somehow perished while flying Veles. A million different scenarios raced through his head, and he looked around his room, heart pounding, as though the Dark Lord of the Sith was going to slide open the door of his closet and step outside from amongst the robes, lightsaber ignited.

Before he even opened the message, Veles rose from where he'd been laying all day and stumbled to his desk, legs still locked in from the sedentary position. Throwing himself into the chair, his fingers flew as he typed.

"I, Darth Veles, do declare this to be my last will and testament..."

---

Maybe he had been a little nervous, but after opening the notification and seeing coordinates to a world he'd never heard of that wasn't on any maps, he'd figured that this would either be something big or just the day he died. Regardless, he would present himself because he was no coward, and he'd die standing like a man. Raze had been cryptic with his instructions, so all the Sith Lord knew was that he was to meet the Dark Lord a distance away from the facility and to bring his own transportation, which he obliged.

The wind tore at his cloak as though it would rip it off as Veles too, tore through the landscape, frigid winds beating at his exposed skin. This was an interesting planet, cold and misty, dotted with rock formations and with two absolutely massive ice caps on each pole. It seemed as though it were approaching an ice age, and he could feel the dark side pulsing surprisingly strongly here. His curiosity had been perked long ago, and now he actually found himself getting somewhat excited about whatever was going to happen.

Hands gripping the handles of the FC 35 Razorfin, he approached the meeting spot and saw the figure of Darth Raze having just parked. It only took him a few seconds to reach him at the breakneck speeds he was going, and Veles threw the swoop into a drift as he braked, floating over the ground to a stop a few meters away from the Dark Lord. His eyes settled first on the man, and then his bike, which was the same exact model, but modified.

"Dark Lord Raze," he greeted, stepping off the swoop and bowing. "It is an honor." He almost said "Nice ride," but he enjoyed having a head attached to his shoulders.

His mind clear and calm, he stepped away from the speeder and toward the Dark Lord so that they were facing each other at a comfortable distance. Veles was not wearing his mask, mostly because it was rather impractical and impersonal, but of course Darth Raze was. Eye contact was impossible, but he suspected the man still had his own way of making it known exactly who he's glaring at.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

Raze heard the speeder bike long before he saw it, his focus on the datapad. He didn’t look up as Veles arrived and greeted him, swiping through his notes. For all intents and purposes it would appear as if the Dark Lord hadn’t heard him.

“It is custom fitted,” The modulated voice said a few seconds later, betraying that he had easily picked up on what Veles was thinking so strongly and almost uttered aloud. The Sith Lord specialized in mental utilizations of the Force, his own mind an almost impenetrable fortress after years of study and focus in that area. These days, he hardly used a saber. The crimson visor slowly turned to face the Sith Lord at last as if he were appraising a work of art at a museum. While Emryc had a different Force aura about him, Raze’s was always consistent. It was an oppressive darkness and a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature around them. It was almost unbearable for anyone affiliated with the Light, but it was near intoxicating for anyone that gave themselves to the Dark Side and embraced it fully.

“Veles. The friendly neighborhood Sith Lord,” Raze remarked sarcastically as he gazed towards the facility ahead of them, “We are in the presence of a curiosity very unique in the galaxy,” He explained quietly, “The Empress and I discovered this place many years ago when I tracked the Holocron of Darth Kravos. The facility housed operatives that were under the impression that Emperor Palpatine was still alive. Inside were formulas and notes from Kravos and other collected works from Drastian times. We were forced to vacate the premises back then, and traversing back here seemed all but impossible for years due to asteroid collisions and debris. However, now we have another chance to seek out the old formulas.”

Raze paused for a moment, keeping his gaze ahead, “I believe the facility is empty now, which means there is only a low chance of the information still being there,” He turned to look at Veles, “What do you know about the ancient Sith alchemy rituals? The Empress tells me you have dabbled in a similar line of magick.”

@vamp

 

[Veles]

Of course he could read minds. Veles had dismissed the hunch he had, but it seemed he was right in the end. He knew how unreasonably powerful the dark side could make you. More notably, Raze was the first person that he met--aside from the Empress--who was completely unreadable. Even with her, he had been able to use context clues and body language. With Raze, it was like trying to read the emotions of a brick wall. Likewise, his presence was intoxicating, but Veles loved it. The stifling aura seemed to pool around the Dark Lord, and the sorcerer found that he felt emboldened by it, as though it were fueling him as well. It felt like standing next to a walking dark side nexus.

"Friendly" would not be the word Veles would use to describe himself, but he supposed when compared to Raze, he was like a kitten, scary Dathomiri magick and rituals aside. He'd massacred entire villages, sure, but that certainly paled in comparison to the evil deeds of the Dark Lord. He said nothing in response, because he preferred to stay silent than say something stupid, which apparently made him a minority among most Sith.

A curious place indeed, he mused, eyes set on the facility out front that he could barely see through all the mist. Veles had a feeling its seclusion had been on purpose. Hearing of the presence of the Holocron of Darth Kravos, caused him to raise his eyebrows for a moment, realizing the reason he'd felt the dark side from so far away. The phrase "formulas and notes" was equally exciting to him, because it was rare that one got the chance to see the notes of the original Sith leaders.

At least the facility was empty, though he idly wondered where it had been evacuated to. If the operatives had not joined the new Empire, where would they have gone? Maybe they would stumble upon an abomination that tore them all to shreds. The thought was not horrific to him as it would have been to many, because Veles had been reading about the legends of Sith abominations and seeing one in person to him was like going to the zoo to stare in awe at the lion enclosure--except just a little bit more hands-on.

"I specialize in sorcery," he agreed. "Since mastering the basics, I have been studying the more complex of dark arts, from the biological molding of living beings to various potions with differing effects. I showed the Empress a ritual to transfer limbs from one being to another a few weeks ago." He was not bragging, but merely listing his experience. He knew that Raze wanted to see if his expertise would be worth anything today, but judging by the summons, the Dark Lord had likely already made that decision. It did make Veles wonder what Andruil had told Raze about him, though.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

Raze visibly perked up at the mention of molding living beings, and he nodded, “This facility housed prisoners for experiments. There was something about the formula that called for live samples, but none survived the trial. There was a missing piece in the formula that they couldn’t solve. I have…” He paused for a moment, “A theory. I have some pieces of it, but may need your knowledge to complete the puzzle."

Clearly the Dark Lord was pleased by the Sith Lord’s answer. Regardless of whether or not he was the soft type to coddle people and be the nice Sith Lord, as long as Veles proved instrumental in advancing the Sith, Raze would overlook things. He hopped on his speeder, jutting his chin towards Veles to do the same. He couldn’t help but grin beneath the helmet at the base model version of his heavily customized bike.

Without warning, Raze revved up the engines and shot off. Right away it was clear that multiple additional thrusters were added to his bike to give it a ridiculous boost. He was a blur of motions, disappearing in the blink of an eye and leaving behind a trail of dust. Raze didn’t stop till he was much closer to the base, parking before walking towards the entrance. Unlike before, the main gates were wide open and ajar.

Right away, he noticed that the durasteel gates were barely held together, torn to shreds by something large and powerful. Slivers of it hung together in tatters, gingerly swaying in the wind. Raze walked closer, spotting a black, tarry residue along some of the damage.

“What is this?” He asked sternly, signaling for Veles to inspect it as soon as he arrived on his very inferior bike. Raze couldn’t sense any life beyond the gates in the facility, a complete shift from how he and Renfry had to sneak in last time because of the abundance of guards.

@vamp

 

[Veles]

It definitely sounded interesting, and Veles was eager to help the Dark Lord out. It was nice to be working with someone who knew what they were doing. Even if he was a total show-off. Veles had no doubt that Raze did his very best to always ensure that he could ride his speeder on missions just to leave his companion in the dust and shock them by how fast he was going. Veles had expected it, seeing the heavily altered variant, and even still had not realized that any speeder could reach those speeds. Was that safe? Should he be riding behind the Dark Lord to catch him if he hit a pebble?

He revved the thrusters once, twice, and then tore off after the other Sith. The speeder moved slower than his, but definitely was still very fast. He scorched the already dying grass under him, the wind again whipping at his face. He reached the entrance about half a minute after Raze, and noted the blow-open gate later than he did. Dismounting from the speeder, he walked over to the wreckage and put a hand on it, gathering the Force to himself and--

Something big. Something massive and dark. Flashes flicked through his memory, the very location fighting against him to keep its secrets. He saw bits and pieces of a creature tearing them open, covered in blood, and then fleeing. Then he saw it come back and go inside, and nothing more. He opened his eyes, heart pounding, staring down into the darkness.

"A big creature broke out," he declared. "Unfortunately, it went back in."

This at least ensured that the scientists had not gone anywhere. They were dead, yes, but the records should still be there if the creature hadn't eaten them.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

Raze’s helmet sharply turned to regard Veles when he touched the gate and made an assessment, “Psychometry?” He asked curiously, albeit slightly alarmed in private. Or was it a different form of magick? Psychometry was perhaps the most dangerous trick anyone around him could possess. Hannibal Grayza had been a practitioner, and Raze barely skirted by without the Jedi Councilor learning the truth about his identity until his death. Nevertheless, it was certainly a skill Raze didn’t possess, and that alone made Veles infinitely more valuable in his eyes.

The Dark Lord gazed ahead at the facility, thinking about the different kinds of creatures they could meet. All of his knowledge on alchemy and ancient beasts crafted through it was academic. He had never seen it up close. Without a word, Raze began to move past the broken gates, stepping through the path that led towards the lab.

Already there were signs of distress and a struggle. There were multiple overturned speeders and evidence of lots of blasterfire. All of it appeared to have occurred years ago, and every now and then he could make out a skeleton in old fashioned First Order uniform.

“I sense it,” He said curtly, pausing a few feet away from the entrance. He had been searching for life in the Force, but this thing wasn’t entirely alive, not in the conventional sense. Instead, it had a signature in the Force. It teemed with dark energy, and it rivaled Raze’s very own. The Dark Lord felt an unnatural pull towards it, as if they were drawing closer to a nexus. Veles would feel the same, an almost hypnotic call.

Disembodied whispers began to echo, but only Veles would hear them. With the Kravos mental barriers, Raze was immune to it. The Dark Lord kept walking inside, Veles hearing half sentences in ancient Sith echoing deep inside the corners of his psyche. There was a feeling of dread, as if chilled fingers ran up along the length of their spine, brushing along every vertebrae. There was a distinct stench that filled the air as they stepped into the facility, the two sith thrown into pitch darkness.

“This place has many levels, most of which are underground,” Raze explained quietly. He could sense that presence, but it was impossible to pinpoint it. It could be standing directly across from them or it could be half a mile below.

Calling upon his skills within magick, Raze drew an orb of green hue to illuminate his surroundings. There were shredded papers and scratched datapads everywhere, desks overturned and similar scenes of carnage. Along the walls were long, deep rake marks.

As they kept venturing in, Raze began to finally understand why the operative he and Renfry had met all those years ago was so willing to trade the holocron in exchange for a way off the planet…

@vamp

 

[Veles]

"One of the most useful skills I have ever learned, however basic," he nodded. Perhaps it had been his interest in history that spurred him to begin practicing psychometry from the moment he was able to. When he was a kid, he'd put his hand on the family heirlooms in their house and try to view their history, but only could see black and would pass out immediately. Over time, bits and pieces started to filter through, and once he began properly studying sorcery, it all fell together. But it was strange for him to see this little. The beast was definitely altering the Force to prevent him from seeing things. It was as though it was scrambling every mention of itself.

He could sense it too, the presence deepening more and more as they approached the doors. And as he approached the darkness, he began to hear the smallest traces of whispers echoing around his head. They grew louder and louder until he could recognize them as being in ancient Sith, and though he did not hear much, it raised the hairs on the back of his neck. It was terrifying, and as he thought about that, he felt himself become giddy with excitement. Veles was absolutely weird--he looked forward to things like this, because seeing the power of the dark side in action, seeing eldritch creatures work their dark arts right in front of him, was exciting to him. Every piece of information he ever absorbed, he went back to revisit later, researching things about it. There was so much to learn from this place.

"...kill...take...mantle..."

Whispering secrets about the power he could have, and urging him to take action, the voices were unrelenting, but though he could hear them, that didn't mean he had to listen to them. He had no interest in something that stupid, and although he was a sorcerer who dedicated his whole life around the arcane and unbelievable, he was very pragmatic and rational. It was part of the scientific method, and had been engrained into his brain already. The voices of some ancient Sith telling him to do something stupid would only amuse him.

"...not good...outsider...fake..."

Veles ducked inside, casting green light from his hand as well, branching out over the room and analyzing the various scratches and marks on one side as Raze analyzed the other. He put his hands on one of them and tried to read it, surprised that this time it came easier to him.

"The beast tore through here, and burst out through a line of soldiers armed to the teeth attempting to prevent it from fleeing," he spoke, his voice echoing through the room, his eyes closed as he took the information in. "It has two massive horns and a mouth full of teeth like knives. It's... it's enormous. And it can feel through the F--"

The building rumbled, and an earth-shattering roar echoed from deep within the building, as if it were taunting them. Veles raised himself to his feet and made his way to Raze's side, already gathering the Force to himself, clearing his mind and shielding it and letting it pool within himself, letting the tension inspire anxiety to fuel his power.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

Raze stared vacantly at Veles for a moment, “It is not a learned skill,” He explained flatly, “You were born with it. You will never be able to teach it to anyone,” He said as he ventured deeper inside the facility again. Those that possessed skills in psychometry were highly regarded and exceptionally rare. There was no way to ever learn anything remotely close to it. The Jedi only had Hannibal Grayza, but now he was dead.

“I sense conflict in you,” The Dark Lord said sternly, “Does it speak?” He asked curiously, reading the subtle turmoil going on inside the Sith Lord’s mind. He couldn’t read active thoughts without diving into his head, and he had no intention of doing that. However, even on the surface the tidal waves could be felt shortly before Veles abruptly subdued them. Clearly whatever was speaking to him didn’t succeed in swaying the Sith Lord.

Raze listened as Veles described the beast and what it did. He saw more evidence of physical damage left behind by something massive, larger than a bantha. He paused for a moment, turning to regard Veles, “I do not wish to destroy it,” He admitted, “I wish to command it and to make more,” This was not a run of the mill mission where they showed up to kill some enemies. This needed more practiced hands to manipulate, and that was precisely why he had enlisted Veles.

“I want to study it,” He continued to speak as they ventured further in, “That the beast still lives is a testament to the formula’s success, but only if it can be commanded”

The entire facility rumbled from the roar, dust and debris falling from the ceiling. Raze didn’t budge, glancing around himself. Veles didn’t know Raze was half Sephi, but the exceptional hearing clued the Dark Lord in slightly a bit more on the creature’s location.

“It’s roughly three levels below us,” Raze said quietly. Veles would feel Raze actively masking himself in the Force, “It picks up our energy like a blood scent,” He explained as he spotted some stairs and began to quietly take them down.

As they went down a level, Raze could hear it more clearly now. The Dark Lord paused again, “It’s…surveying its surroundings. Attempting to pinpoint us….thinking of alternate routes to take us by surprise,” He spoke almost in a whisper, but the hints of what sounded like excitement bled into his tone, “Is it telling you which way to proceed to throw us off? Does it echo its own thoughts or only parrot old testaments?” Raze stood in silence, quietly listening for every little movement.

@vamp

 

[Veles]

"Interesting," he murmured. Mentions of psychometry in general had been censured or outright destroyed by the Jedi Order long ago in fears that the emotions associated with traumatic memories can lead one down the path of the dark side, so Veles had not been able to read about it. All he knew was through practicing it.

"Yes," he nodded. "It speaks." There was no doubt that the creature was intelligent--perhaps far more intelligent than most mortals. Luckily for the Sith, they were both anything but ordinary.

"...no match...cower...tear..."

Veles was pleased by the proposition to make it kneel rather than kill it outright, because there was much to be learned from the creature and the abomination-making process. He pulled a thick veil over his presence, concealing himself in the shifts and crevices within the Force, moving through the dark currents like a shadow. Raze was able to pinpoint its position, which was remarkable because the creature's presence was so overwhelming that it seemed as though it were everywhere at once, and zeroing in on a location was not possible--unless one had exceptionally sharp ears. Wordlessly, Veles followed.

They emerged into a staircase and its blast doors had been smashed open, bent and molded into mere hunks of metal. The staircase itself was a mess of uniformed skeletons and the black stains of rotting corpses that had been pooled in one spot and solidified by time. There was no one to clean up around here, and the dark splashes against the walls and the claw marks were a stark reminder of the abomination's ferocity.

"...good...approach your doom..."

"It has the intelligence of an apex predator," he explained, his voice hushed. "It is capable of reading into one's deepest fears, doubts, and insecurities to use them against them." They descended and every time its cry echoed through the facility, it sounded louder and louder. So, too, did the whispers grow louder, until they were deafening bellows.

"REJOICE, FOR YOUR DESTINY AWAITS."

"Subduing it requires a significant of willpower," he added. If there was one person in the Galaxy well-suited to have a battle of wills against an eldritch abomination, Veles supposed it was Raze. Just the man's ability to protect his mind behind a labyrinth was a good indicator of his power. "It's difficult, but possible. Let's do it."

They emerged onto the abomination's level, where the stench of death still hung thick like humidity in the air. The green light etched a ghastly image, long shadows stretching from shattered skulls and a floor littered with human parts that had been kept horrifyingly well-preserved. So this was how the creature fed.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

Raze listened as Veles listed out how it used its manipulation techniques. It was curious that the attempts weren’t working on the Sith Lord. Either he had no insecurities, or he had embraced them and accepted them a long time ago. Both were equally admirable in the Dark Lord’s eyes. Raze could smell the stench already. At least for a brief moment Veles was spared the stench if he walked close to the Dark Lord. Despite having such an imposing appearance, the man always wore expensive cologne with an earthy musk. It was a hilarious improvement to the otherwise fetid nature of their surroundings.

“You will need to be bait,” Raze declared firmly. The creature was more or less blind to the Dark Lord because it couldn’t feed on his thoughts, and that meant he had a slight advantage and element of surprise. The stench got worse as they descended, and he could see the limbs littering the ground.

“Use Sight,” Raze whispered quietly, extinguishing the green light in his palm. He let Veles go ahead, taking a lateral path to approach the creature.

Without warning, there was another thunderous roar, the beast looming into view. It towered well above them both, composed of many limbs and faces of humanoids that were once 'test subjects'. The creature’s jaws opened at impossible angles, unhinging unnaturally as it let out a high pitched shriek that almost incapacitated Raze right there. The half Sephi reached up and manually activated the aural dampeners in his helmet, feeling slightly dazed from the noise.

The two Sith Lords had two very different battles. The creature lurched towards Veles with its many arms the same time Raze actively penetrated its mind. He was suddenly in the plane of the Force, seeing a thousand different angry faces. There were whispers in ancient Sith, many of the faces focused away from him, likely distracted by Veles.

The Dark Lord waded through a thick, tar-like liquid that represented the quagmire of magick and alchemy. It was a complex utilization of the Force, the entire world difficult to navigate. Raze gritted his teeth and forced his way through, moving slowly towards the faces and the monsters in this realm.

“What governs you?!”

A few of the monsters looked over and Raze could hear cackling all around him. The whispers grew louder.

“Ssssssilllly little boyyyy,” The spirits whispered only to him in unison, “You are lossssst. Find your way back before you are trapped..forever..”

@vamp

 

[Veles]

Bait? Veles was almost okay with the idea, until he extinguished the light and reached out through the Force, the waves like a sonar that told him where everything was. With the new perception of his surroundings, he could suddenly see the creature, and it was much closer than he'd thought. Its earth-shattering roar heralded its arrival, and Veles swung into action, the Force wrapping around his feet and sending him running as fast as his legs could carry him. It wheezed, a sound like nails on a chalkboard, the sound bouncing off the walls of the massive chamber they were in, which was likely its den.

"DON'TTRUSTHIMDON'TTRUSTHIMDON'T--"

It beat against the walls of his mind, trying to wear him down, but Raze's presence ensured the distraction was well worth it. Veles did indeed have insecurities, but he had overcome them, and while others shied away from the darkness, afraid that they will change, he had embraced it, and all the powers it gave him.

"Mere bait," it echoed through his mind, a million voices speaking just off-sync. "It is all you are to him. It is all you are to the leaders of your beloved Empire."

He ducked under broken light panels and did his best not to slip over the sludge-like liquid, sweat beading on his forehead. He could keep this going for a while longer, but he sure hoped Raze was making some progress.

Veles could see it in his mind's eye, the Force showing him all he needed to see of his surroundings. The abomination followed him like a centipede, the faces on its body shifting, their expressions constantly changing. Arms plopped heavily down, coming up stained black, only to be thrown back down as the creature carried itself, its movements surprisingly fluid.

"Instead of running, you should be fighting, Sith Lord. Or are you too afraid of letting him see how weak you are?"

It tried to plant the seeds of doubt within his mind, a trick he himself had used against Jedi, and Veles repelled the thoughts. He would not let it provoke him, because they couldn't afford to fight it. They needed to take it in alive and to study it. Considering its power, they would definitely find out something interesting, if they lived that long.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

Raze kept moving forth through the bog, unfazed by the faces that mocked him. In fact, he came to a pause and grinned at them.

“Make me leave,” He stated curtly. He continued pushing forward. By now, a lot of the creature’s focus was on Raze. It feared being governed and the Dark Lord could practically smell the fear. It only inspired him to keep pushing.

“Make me leave,” He commanded again, taunting the beast. The closer he got to the edge of the quagmire, the angrier the creature got. By now, its attention was fully on Raze. In the physical realm, it was up to Veles to ensure the beast didn’t lash at the Dark Lord in that realm. Doing so would break the mental thread and get them right back to square one. From Veles’ standpoint, he would see the abomination shifting focus, growling and beginning to crawl towards Raze with murderous intent.

In the plane of the Force, the creature was enraged, most of the faces turning towards him. Raze stood his ground as the beast lurched at him, all of the different limbs and faces coming at him at once. However, the creature was walking right into a trap.

In the plane of the Force, the Kravos mental defenses acted like a protective shield. As the beast lunged at Raze in the quagmire, it hit that field head on. There was an unnatural shrill cry, one that would echo in the physical realm as well. Veles would see the abomination suddenly dropping to the ground and writhing in agony.

“STASIS!” Raze called out through the Force to Veles. The beast needed to be physically contained for the Dark Lord to have it under control. From there, he pushed past the quagmire which could no longer hold him. He crossed the distance to slam the beast down, willing it mentally to obey. He and Veles would have to work perfectly in sync to subdue the abomination.


@vamp

 

[Veles]

He lead the beast around in circles through the massive chambers, running like a man possessed. So far, he had been doing a good job in keeping it distracted, even though this felt more like a holonet horror film than a mission with the Dark Lord of the Sith. Then again, perhaps the overlap there was much larger than Veles had thought.

"You continue to run...but t...il...nd...out."

He could sense it slowing down, shifting focus away from him. He turned and saw it had come to a stop, instead growling and making all sorts of hellish noises, its sights now set on Raze. It began to crawl slowly, clearly struggling to fight him on the psychic plane. Before he could move, it dropped to the ground and began writhing in pain. He got Raze's message loud and clear, and the Sith Lord, finally able to stand still and concentrate, drew on the raw energy around him, the electric air tinged with the dark side. He gripped the beast through the Force, froze its body starting from the tip until the end, the stasis quick and unyielding.

His arms forward, he could physically feel the Force coursing out of his body, could feel as his tendons strained and his wrists stung with pain. Veles gritted his teeth, a feeling in his chest as though he'd been punched. It was a large abomination, with many moving pieces, and keeping it frozen took a massive amount of power, focus, and concentration--it was good Veles had come along.

Of course, his mind wasn't on anything like that. His mind wasn't on anything, truth be told, as it had gone blank to allow him to more closely focus on the task at hand. He could feel as the Force flowed around the creature's exterior, as the abomination beat back, its limbs frozen and struggling to break free.

It wouldn't take Raze long to fully subdue the beast, but now was better than never. They were running on a tight schedule because, while they were mortals and tired, the abomination was not and had no such difficulties. He had no idea what was happening within their minds, and it was interesting for Veles to focus on the exterior for once.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

The creature could only scream in the physical plane, and it was almost enough to completely shatter Raze’s focus. However, the Dark Lord kept pressing in the Force, grasping the beast to forcefully subdue it. While the defenses protected him to a degree, it would still inflict psychic wounds. The beast tore through some layers, Raze growling in pain as his visage shifted from the haunted one of Raze to Emryc and then back again.

The beast thrashed and struggled, but with Veles subduing it as well it wasn’t long before it finally collapsed. Raze lingered there for a moment, feeling a thread forming between himself and the beast. A few seconds passed by before the half Sephi finally returned to the physical realm. Sweat lined his entire body and exhaustion clearly manifested in how he carried himself. Without a word, he took a few shaky steps before dropping down to a knee. The efforts had been draining, but the beast was now subdued and growling softly.

Raze exhaled before he finally rose to his feet again, walking over towards the Sith Lord. He slowly turned his visor to regard Veles, giving him a curt nod before returning to the beast. It was perhaps the closest anyone would get to Raze displaying a sense of gratitude to them.

“One of my theories,” He said quietly as he reached over a gloved hand to brush over the slimy beast, “Is that we have to imbue our own DNA into the alchemy. That may help create a symbiotic link, an artificial bond of sorts, to command these things.”

Raze drew his hand away, turning to regard Veles, “What can you learn about this creature? How was it made and where did its creators fail?”

@vamp

 

[Veles]

It almost felt strange when the abomination stopped trying to writhe around and instead lay there in a heap, its body rising and falling as it inhaled and exhaled, subdued and defeated, yet unharmed physically. He could feel its newfound docility, and he could sense the way that Raze had managed to demolish its ego. The creature was now no more than a pawn, one with immense physical strength and psychological power. A valuable asset.

Raze nodded to him, a small gesture that he supposed the Dark Lord didn't usually offer anyone. He certainly didn't seem like the type who'd need help from anyone ever, so it was likely very rare that he had to thank someone. Veles had found that it seemed communication was difficult for some powerful Sith, as if the beast that consumed them had somehow unlearned every ounce of good manners from their body. He grinned to himself as he approached Raze and the abomination, his eyes scanning its body, the light once more erupting from his palm like a flashlight casting a glow so that he could more clearly see its features.

"There's always psychometry as a means of studying its history," he noted. "Though that would not be enough. We need to seek out either the source of knowledge on creating abominations or I could perform tests on it, though that may take a few hours." He was impartial to the actual method that Raze preferred, and was willing to try any number of ways--he was excited about actually doing it. Of course, he had no idea that Raze had come into possession of Kravos' holocron, though he had heard some things about information on abominations being one of the ancient Sith's teachings.

Veles knelt down, his palm hovering over one of the creature's foreheads, a few of its open eyes blinking and lazily glancing at him. It was uncanny to see an actual abomination, to be in the presence of a creature of the darkness that was essentially a slap in the face of nature. These were beasts that would have never existed if not for the fallen Jedi who had the wretched creativity necessary to come up with and execute the idea. He could sense its power oozing off the abomination like an aura. It reminded him of being up close with a rancor, that feeling in the pit of your chest when you're face to face with a predator who could tear you to shreds in the blink of an eye and yet wasn't doing it.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

Raze eyed the Sith Lord quietly. He was silently weighing the pros and cons of demanding that the other man perform psychometry. On one hand it would tell them virtually everything they needed to know, but on the other, it could potentially kill Veles. The abomination had the memories and the agony of every single humanoid that was fused into it. Even as a Sith Lord, psychometry was a devastatingly powerful trick with equally devastating repercussions.

“You do not know of the power you possess,” The Dark Lord stated curtly. It wasn’t surprising, namely because it was incredibly rare. The only reason he knew anything about it was from raiding Jedi temples and being exceptionally studious about history and ancient texts, “Use psychometry only sparingly and for inanimate objects until you begin to master it.”

While useful of a skill, no one would be able to help Veles with it. Raze’s knowledge was academic at best, but he had a suspicion even that was far beyond what the Sith Lord knew. All in all, the Dark Lord decided Veles was more useful alive than dead and opted not to encourage the suicidal move for quicker information.

Raze turned to regard the beast, pausing for a moment as he once again drew into the plane of the Force. He raised a hand and waved it, “Sleep.”

The beast would follow the command, drooping to the ground and toppling over. These things never actually slept, but it was in a subconscious state where every part of it was subdued. It would remain like that until Raze commanded otherwise.

“The labs are upstairs,” Raze said simply, turning to lead the way. Several flights of stairs would lead them to the lab area where the Kravos holocron was housed. Once again, Raze summoned an orb to illuminate their path. Like in the levels below, there were papers and datapads strewn all around. Piecing together any kind of information was going to be difficult.

“We need a clue… a sense of direction,” He spoke quietly, looking around for a moment. He knew this was where the operatives working on ancient technologies and holocrons were. Raze opened a drawer and found notes and some ID badges. He took out one of the IDs with elevated access and handed it to Veles, cautious about completely handing it over before he spoke next.

“Use psychometry on this to identify where it leads. Focus on what you hear, any side conversations, any planning, any background noise. It may take you a few tries and may exhaust you, but it will give us what we need.”

@vamp

 

[Veles]

Veles couldn't help but notice how robotic Raze seemed sometimes. He thought of the accounts of Darth Vader, and his modulated voice and cold, methodical speech. Maybe it was just something that those who have completely surrendered to the dark side have, or maybe it was a coping mechanism to avoid feeling things. Instead of saying anything, he just waited for a response as the Dark Lord sized him up.

"Information about psychometry isn't easily available," he noted. Veles debated telling Raze how he actually was pretty good at it, lack of academic knowledge aside. There were things he'd learned to do by himself, and his methodical and scientific approach to they mystical had helped him develop a surprisingly fleshed-out grasp of the art. He didn't say any of that, instead shrugging. Raze put the beast to sleep and the Sith Lord rose.

He followed Raze as he began heading toward the labs, also scanning the shattered datapads and torn-apart books and journals littering every square inch of the floor that wasn't covered by corpses. They entered an office, and Raze shuffled through the drawers for a little bit before pulling out an ID badge. Veles hadn't thought any were still around, but it seemed some people walked around without their badges. He had no idea how someone didn't get locked out of rooms like that, but maybe the abomination had put it there for safekeeping.

Veles noted the Lord's caution handing him the badge and he bit his lip to keep from the shit-eating grin of someone who knew something the other didn't. Raze would see soon enough. So the Sith Lord grabbed the badge and closed his eyes, Force shifting around him. It was dark at first, as it always was, but slowly the memories trickled in, the scenes fading in.

"It's too dangerous, Stev."

"What? Are you serious? This is the most promising thing we've worked on since our deployment here! Just imagine the potential!"

"Are you insane? Do you know how much death we're bringing into the Galaxy?"

"If it is our enemies that die, good." The two voices were a bit muffled, as though he were listening from inside the drawer. Then, the scene shifted and he was walking around the facility, the halls bustling with activity and actually clean. Scientists milled around, stormtroopers occasionally patrolling, and other more mysterious characters just slinking about. The badge was scanned against a door and he watched as the person stepped into a room with a massive vat of bacta in the center. Within, a deformed creature not unlike the abomination, but this one still growing.

"How is our favorite patient doing?"

"Spectacular. The rate of its growth has exceeded our expectations. Come next week, it'll be ready--and it was all thanks to that holocron."

Veles could feel the pride that surged in the man's gut while hearing that, could sense the tension he still had regarding the project's safe completion. This was risky stuff he was messing with, and he knew that. Still, the rewards far outweighed the possible and unlikely consequences.

The image flickered for a brief moment and then he was barreling down the halls, screaming and blaster-fire echoing from every direction. He was tugged into a room, the door locked behind. The same scientist from earlier was sitting there, a blaster pistol in his hand.

"I knew it was too risky," he practically yelled out, waving the blaster around. "I knew there was no fucking around with nature. I told you that the alpha we've got is too weak, but who's gonna listen to the intern??"

There was shock and anxiety carved deep into the man's chest as he ruffled around in his labcoat and pulled out a datapad. He turned it toward the other scientist. "Look, there's a way out. Not a lot of people know about it. But we need to hurry up before it breaches stage two containment."

"No," he shook his head, slapping the blaster against the table. "I can't sleep at night, Stev. I dream of that thing and it whispers horrible things to me. It's in my head, man. It's in my head and I can't get it out. Every time I'm close to it, it's like it's pulling me in. I can't."

"Yvis, you can! Just come with m--" The plasma slammed into his head and the protagonist watched as the body slumped onto the table, pistol clattering out of the man's hand. For a brief moment, there was a hint of doubt, and then the blaster was in his hands.

Veles opened his eyes. How long had it been? Had he just been standing there for a few minutes? He turned toward Raze, mostly to see if he had moved. "They tried to create an abomination, but the Force user they employed to control the abomination was too weak. They learned to make them from the Kravos holocron."

He stashed the ID badge in his pocket in case they'd need it later and felt around to see if he could sense the holocron's presence. If he couldn't lead the way, Raze probably could.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

As someone that had to quite literally observe and study others to mimic external emotions to have a career as a politician, the slight shift and bristling from Veles was not unnoticed. Raze knew the Sith Lord was irritated by suggestions that he didn’t master psychometry, but he did admit there were no resources on it. He thought back to Hannibal Grayza, the only actually focused user of it. That was because his specialty in the Force was empathy and healing, both of which he paired with his inherent abilities that were more of a curse than a gift. There was very little control with psychometry, and even Hannibal didn’t begin to have command of it until he was a councilor.

Raze stood in silence as the Sith Lord touched the ID badge and instantly fell back into the past. From Raze's standpoint, the Lord was completely vulnerable and detached from reality, and he would have absolutely no control of it. He couldn’t control what memories washed over him, he couldn’t control when he came out of it or how much of it overwhelmed him. Raze observed him quietly, watching the way his jaw or fingers twitched the slightest bit. Veles would fully be immersed, sitting in the passenger seat as the flood of memories and sensations overcame him.

Seconds passed, and Raze watched the Sith Lord twitching slightly. His eyes began to roll to the back of his head, and he could begin to tell these were the beginnings of a seizure. All without the man ever realizing what was happening. Without warning, Raze’s hand abruptly snapped up to grasp the Sith Lord’s upper arm, harshly tugging him forth to quite literally yank him out of the trance. When Veles opened his eyes, he would be a few inches away from the Dark Lord, gazing up at the crimson visor. Raze’s hand was still firmly gripped around his bicep.

“Sparingly,” Raze repeated quietly, gazing at the Sith Lord’s eyes for a moment before finally releasing him. He spun on his heel and began to lead the way towards the inner chamber where he had found the Kravos holocron, “Perhaps if I find you pleasing, I may lend you some ancient texts I have on psychometry,” He said after a moment, hints of what sounded suspiciously like amusement bleeding into his tone.

When they arrived at the new area, Veles would see a clinical room that was entirely empty save for one platform at the very center, “That is where I discovered the Kravos holocron,” Raze stated, finally revealing that he had obtained it, “The holocron provided details on alchemy, but it was missing components that allows for strict control of the abominations. The abominations in the past were mindless creatures that destroyed anything in its path."

Last time, Raze couldn’t search around this room because they made a quick escape. This time he walked around to search every drawer and stash of notes in the areas directly outside of the holocron chamebr. After a while he found a journal that logged all the trials. Raze read through it, handing another to Veles to read through as well, “I will share with you what I have learned from the holocron. I believe if you supply your blood into the creation and withstand the melding process, you may be able to create them and gain their obedience.”

@vamp

 

[Veles]

For a second, he thought the Dark Lord of the Sith was trying to kiss him. Then, he looked around and back at the man, rising to his feet, his head pounding and body a little tired.

"Pleasing?" he asked, grinning as he followed Raze. He was pleasing. He was one of the most pleasing people he'd ever met. Veles followed, pretending like he hadn't just had a seizure. Aside from the migraine and weariness, he was fine. He could recover.

They stepped into a new room, and as the Sith Lord looked around, he couldn't help but wonder if Raze was about to administer first-aid on him after the seizure. Then, the Dark Lord spoke and he nodded. Of course. That made sense.

And of course Raze was in possession of the Kravos holocron. Who else? Veles had seen first-hand what things went on in this facility, so visiting it even when it was still working didn't sound fun. His heart fluttered as he heard what Raze said next.

"I appreciate it, my Lord." Finally, he found something new to learn. He'd ran out of books and the next shipment hadn't arrived on time because of some pirate activity. The holocron would have been perfect regardless. He'd never actually seen one in person. He grabbed the notebook and rifled through it.

"That does make sense," he agreed. "Like the Nightsisters' blood bond." Raze had thought it out well. The only thing left was to gather as much information as possible, try to piece together what they could from the holocron, and then actually try an experiment. So not a lot.

"How did this place look when you last came here?" he asked, rifling through books. Maybe there was something to gather from that too. "Did you feel a dark presence?"

@Sreeya