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[Darth Nihil]

Korriban​

She could feel their fear, the fanatical excitement she had sensed earlier tinged with dreadful apprehension now that they were actually here. They were just acolytes, the two Sith that followed her. But they were acolytes who had been unlucky enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. It was just their misfortune that she had heard the voice so soon after after finding their little cult, and that they were the ones their elders had so eagerly sent to "assist" her on this mission.

The Band of the Black Hand, that was what they called themselves, worshipers of the Eternal, followers of someone who hadn't existed for centuries now. She had hoped to use them, to turn them into something that could be used in service of the Empire. But that was before she had heard the voices, before she had seen what should not exist. She had come to Korriban to find the truth, to see for herself. She did not believe, not yet at least.

The voice had told her to seek him out. Here. Now. She hadn't brought the acolytes along because she already believed the voice to be who it claimed to be. They were her contingency plan. If it was true, then it was their blood that would be spilled. And if it was just another pretender then she could use their help to deal with whoever it was she had heard. for it would take someone powerful to seek her out as they had.

She came to a stop before the tomb, finding the doors where she had been shown they would be. She could sense something within, something ancient, something powerful, something with a purpose. "Is this it? It seems so plain. Would the great lord's ma..would it not be somewhere more grand?" Revere it as they did, they were taught not to speak its name. But in his excitement the large Bothan said more than he should have. They could not sense it, whatever it was that waited inside. But she had no doubts, this was the right place, she could feel it now.

"Come." The single word was all the response the gave them as she entered through the threshold of the opened doors. She had come here not believing the words that had sought her out from across the Galaxy. But now, cracks of doubt were begining to emerge as she followed the trail leading to the voice. Maybe, just maybe, she was begining to believe.

@Orbit

 

[The Eternal (?)]

The trio stepped forward and passed into the creature's domain, the air instantly becoming frigid and letting their breaths become visible. This was a different type of cold, it wasn't natural, it was forced there and actively seemed to act out against any heat that it came into contact with. The massive tomb doors started to close behind them once they passed, the natural light emitted from the opening now disappearing inch by inch as it let the shadows return and claim what was theirs and locking them inside. If they had any second thoughts; it was too late, they were now deemed to whatever fate they would find inside. While they continued, one of the acolytes obvious observation still rang true, no carvings or statues that littered their path forward to highlight whatever was rested here. This was no place of worship, this was something else and they would find the exact purpose soon enough. Wherever they glanced around they would feel as if entities were watching in the darkness, whispering amongst themselves in hushed tones that could barely contain the excitement. Whenever the acolytes looked away they would feel the presences descend closer upon them, enough to cause the type of chills that ran down someone's spine. They were spectators of old times past and they didn't want to miss a single piece of this.

When they reached of the tunnel they walked down the chill would become worse, sinking past their clothes and traveling all the way to the bone to start and freeze their core. Jagged formations lined the walls of the room, each razor sharp and covered in ice after having spent so many years in a tomb that housed the source of corruption. All the rocks pointed in one direction and they aimed into the center of the room, a pathway leading up to as it was just a stone rectangular box sitting upon a foundation of rock. It was clearly big enough for a body but there were no distinguishing marks, no carvings or words, it was as if it was just made to be forgotten and the contents it held. If the group turned around to peer where they entered from they would just find a wall of impenetrable, appearing so thick that even light couldn't possibly break it apart. If Kaye or the two acolytes wanted to turn around now, they wouldn't like what they would find in the dark.

Kaye would suddenly feel something seem to crawl in the back of her mind, it slithering around in her mind like a snake and forming a connection deeper with the mask. There was nothing she could do to stop it, she was in the mask's home and there was nothing you could hide from it. Kaye would then hear hushed whispers specifically for her, at first they were unable to be deciphered but each passing second they grew in strength and unison until she could hear it echo across her mind, "Feeeeed..... Uuuussssss..." It was one and simple order and no way to misinterpret it as she would see why. She would suddenly hear the two acolytes she brought behind start to struggle and if she turned around she would find out why. The two started to gag before grasping at their chests, clawing at their chests really, like they were trying to tear out whatever was inside them and eating them apart. "What is... happening?" One of them asked weakly and out of breath but Kaye would start to see their veins start to turn black, spreading from their chest and traveling along with their necks and to their faces. It would become clear exactly what the mask wanted to be fed.

One of them full down like dead weight, unable to support himself anymore and gasping for air while the other just fell to his knees, appearing shocked at Kaye that she wasn't infected. In fact, the room was practically intolerable to stand in, the Dark Side pulsated uncontrollably from the stone coffin, it could be tasted in the air and Kaye would certainly feel an exhilarating rush from it. But it was overwhelming as well and the two acolytes before her were clearly experiencing, their bodies starting to reject certain parts of itself as one of them threw up blood onto the ground. The mask protected her from its effects for now but with a meal so close and right there, it was already growing impatient as it had been in slumber for long enough.

 

[Darth Nihil]

The cold inside the tomb should have bothered her, but she was drawn to the sarcophagus that she knew lay at the end of the path the Force was driving her down. The dark side sang around her, within her, and the discomforts of the body were forgotten as she walked purposefully, almost in a trance. It was only when she heard the voice within her head and the shrieks of terror from the two acolytes that she took notice of what was happening around her. They had made it all the way into the heart of the tombs, each step pushing away her doubts and uncertainties, making her more sure of what she needed to do.

By the time they could see the sarcophagus, she was overcome with a sense of certainty that left her exhilarated. She had almost forgotten about the acolytes, was about to walk towards the voice that had rang within her head once more, but now she knew their purpose.

"What is... happening?" Kaye turned around to face the Bothan as he gasped for breath and somehow managed to get the words out with difficulty, begining to claw at his chest as the black veins started to spread across his body.

"What must."

She stepped up to the Bothan, his partner having fallen to the floor, dead or unconscious she did know, did not care. In that moment she was free of fear, free of doubts, free of uncertainty. She was free. She raised a hand and the Bothan came flying to her, his neck slipping into her grip. He didn't struggled as she dragged him to the sarcophagus. She slid the heavy stone lid off, her purpose giving her strength she had never known, and probably never would once her task was done.

As she lifted the Bothan to bring his face above the open coffin, the Bothan saw what lay within, and what little struggle was left in him evaporated. His eyes were locked on the body that lay within, staring unblinkingly at the mask adorned face. There, presented with the source of his fanaticism, he forgot the pain and terror for a moment. And even as a fervent glaze covered his eyes and a smile as true as any sprang across his lips, Kaye's hand rose to his throat and sliced across with the knife she held.

"Ma...ster." The gurgled word escaped his lips as the life bled out of him, red essence flowing down into the sarcophagus. Kaye let the body fall away, absentmindedly letting it drop by the side of the sarcophagus. She stepped back in preparation for what was to come, dropping to a knee and waiting. Waiting for him to rise, waiting to serve, waiting for the return.

@Orbit

 

[The Eternal (?)]

The Eternal witnessed the scene unfold with anticipation, his hunger knew no bounds and this was the first time that it would be truly sated in a span of centuries. Kaye listened and proceeded with efficiency, the Bothan unable to put up a resistance as he wouldn't even know how to process what reality was as the poison flowed through him. Within moments she stepped up to the sarcophagus, the acolyte still in her hand as she pushed off the lid and revealed who was finally speaking to her. It was certainly the mask, a man clearly donning it but appearing lifeless, his chest not even rising and falling. The black ooze that had formed along the walls before when Valentine entered was no longer there but inside the coffin with him, it appearing to fuse with the man's body as some of his limbs disappeared under it. They would also be able to see that his eyes were dim, just appearing black instead of the typical crimson it usually held.

Even with the two hovering over the body, it didn't react to them, just waiting there for the ritual to begin. The Bothan gazed upon the mask and the body as if it was the finest treasure that could ever be discovered but the feeling wasn't mutual. The mask just saw him as a meal and it was nothing more than that. It took only a second before the blade was slid across the Bothan's throat and opened it up, the red liquid being drained into the coffin freely and over the Eternal's body. The blood stayed puddled on top of the mask but after a few seconds, the blood started to seep into it itself before fully being absorbed. After that, nothing happened for a few moments, no voices, no sounds of movement inside the sarcophagus, nothing. It was like it didn't work at first but suddenly everything changed, the air became thicker and harder to breathe, the temperature began to dip below into the negative; the Dark Side now that emanated from the tomb acting out of control and wild with Kaye able to sense different emotions inside her start to flare up uncontrollably as it tugged at her anger, hatred, pain, despair, everything that fueled the Sith.

Inside the coffin, geysers of the black ooze erupted from the Eternal's mouth and eyes, it pouring in on itself and filling up the entire coffin. It only took a handful of seconds until the Eternal was totally submerged in the liquid, disappearing under it and seeming to disappear forever. The ooze continued to fill until it reached the brim of the coffin and became perfectly still, not letting it spill over the sides and giving the appearance that the top was a flat surface. It remained that way for a while until out of nowhere, a black hand erupted from the coffin, particles, and glops of the ooze flying out and onto the floor. The hand came back down with a slam on the edge of the coffin as his fingers dug into the stone, cracks splintering down the middle of it from the impact. Steam rose from the hand while some of the fingers twitched and dug deeper into the stone. Kaye would be able to hear the voices impact her head like a hammer, "Agaaainnn..." It was a group of voices and the hunger that was laced within their words would be tangible to the woman.

The Eternal was still weak, it was in the middle of the process of rebuilding itself and it required the extra energy that only a live specimen such as a Jedi or Sith could provide. The remaining acolyte glanced at Kaye and the coffin, seeing the hand that was now emerging from it. Ever so slowly the man started to crawl to Kaye, believing himself as serving the ultimate purpose in the grand scheme. He had a painful but grand smile on his face as he crawled closer to Kaye, that pretty much all he was able to do. The acolyte didn't raise his gaze to the coffin as if it was blasphemous to do so and witness what was happening. He lifted his hands up to Kaye in a pleading nature, "I... offer myself... willingly..."

 

[Darth Nihil]

Kaye waited as the blood vanished, absorbed so efficiently by the mask that had she not spilled the blood herself she would have never known that any had even escaped the Bothan's body. As the ooze appeared from the open coffin, she watched in silent fascination. The mask had convinced her that everything the voice had said had been true, after so many years the Eternal was going to rise once more. There were no doubts now, just an eagerness to see what would happen next, a willingness to serve, and an even greater curiosity regarding the identity of the man behind the mask. Surely the figure hadn't laid there for all these years since the mask was discarded. Could they?

But she had to hold off on her questions, knowing in some part of her mind that there was a pretty good chance that she might never get the answers to those questions. For now there was a task to be done. The mask was obviously not satiated by the lone sacrifice, the single word that rang in her voice made that clear. She was about to turn to locate the second acolyte's body when she spotted him crawling towards her. Still on a knee, she smiled at the man, an approving smile. This one was stronger than his companion had been. Maybe his essence would serve the Eternal better than the Bothan.

"We all live to serve." Kaye echoed the words that the leader of the Band of the Black Hand had uttered on hearing her request. It obviously carried some weight for them as the man let out a relieved sigh, even as she caught him with the Force and began lifting his body. Holding hid body upright, she gestured with a finger and the Force sliced through his neck, opening him up much as his friend had been. The blood did not pour out as it normally would have from such an injury. Rather is floated out of his neck, almost as if he were floating in the vacuum of space. It drifted around him, dancing aimlessly, this way and that, before it began ever so lazily drifting towards the hand. It knew it's purpose, and answered the call that summoned it.

"Rise," She said softly as the blood began vanishing once more, "my master."

@Orbit

 

[The Eternal (?)]

The man didn't resist as Kaye lifted him up, bringing him closer to the sarcophagus that housed nightmares of the galaxy. The hand didn't move at all, it's fingers still digging into the stone as it waited for them to get closer. When she brought the offering forward and used to force to slit the man's throat like she did last time, the Eternal didn't wait. The moment before blood was spilled the hand shot forward as the man was pulled toward it by the force as well, the fingers grasping onto his clothes before pulling the man inside the coffin and inside with the Eternal. The acolyte would continue to flail around inside the coffin, his legs frequently kicking out of the ooze as did his arms before he would be pulled back in. Kaye would be able to hear the man scream before it quickly became gurgles, the rest of his body finally becoming submerged under the black liquid as it became deathly quiet.

Because of the acolyte, Kaye would be able to see that much of the black ooze had been spilled out, spread out over the ground and steps that led up to the coffin. It remained impassive for a few seconds but if she paid attention she could see it was starting to move, it slowly making its way back toward the mask. When Kaye spoke the words the liquid in the coffin started to bubble once more for a moment before something burst out from the liquid in the coffin, it starting to form a solid figure as it built itself from the ooze. Like a baby birthed from the womb, the Eternal wailed uncontrollably, it's pitch and tone changing each passing second as his voice would become deep and reverberate around the room and then switch to a type of squealing that would pierce someone's ears. It slowly pulled itself out of the coffin, falling over the side as it used its hands to pull the rest of its body out of the liquid. Kaye would be able to see the Eternal's head start to twitch uncontrollably as it did this and turn in different directions, not even able to focus on her as it continued and intensified his scream. While the woman wouldn't be able to see it; the mask was establishing a hierarchy in its mind, each voice battling it out the moment they were birthed to establish their control over each other.

The Eternal's feet was finally pulled free from the coffin, falling to the ground with a thud as he pulled them in towards him and rested on his knees. He supported himself with his hands, the twitching having stopped and his head finally just staring at the ground and its hands. He didn't move and speak, it breathing unevenly as it sat there and didn't even notice or have care that Kaye was there. She would be able to witness that the black liquid on the ground started to crawl back towards the Eternal, slipping underneath his clothes and fusing back into him. Wisps of black shadows and steam rose from his body, the black clothes on his body clearly made from the liquid that had filled the coffin.

The Eternal slowly rose from the ground, sticking one foot underneath him as he pushed off of it, "Weee..." He rose to his full height, extending his hands out in front of him like he couldn't believe they were actually real, "Haaavee... Reeetuurrrnnneed." Suddenly the eyes of the mask now filled in, becoming a crimson red that glowed as the other scars along his face became the same color as well, now fully awoken. The air became drenched in the Dark Side and almost suffocating to even Kaye, it radiating out of the Eternal uncontrollably. It was done, he was finally awoken after so long, after biding his time as the galaxy passed it by and continued without his presence. For too long it had continued without fear and retribution and now the Eternal would make sure its presence was never forgotten again.

 

[Darth Nihil]

Kaye looked on with fascination as the Eternal slowly emerged from the black goo, pulling himself free step by step. She was witnessing something historic, and despite the terror she ought to feel, having seen what had happened to the acolytes, she couldn't feel anything but the unadulterated rush from adrenaline coursing through her. As he pulled himself free of the coffin and landed with a thud on the floor, some part of Kaye finally gave heed to the thoughts of self-preservation that had been beaten into her over the course of her training. She sprang to her feet and took a step back, avoid the droplets of the black goo that dripped from the figure's body, splattering to the ground she had been moments before, evaporating into black mist with a sharp hiss.

As the figure finally got to his feet, Kaye took in the majesty before her. The Mask, the way the Force warped around him, the pure terror radiating from his very being, there was no denying it now. The Eternal had returned.

Catching herself, she genuflected herself once more and bowed her head, averting the eternal's eyes. She did not know if she was in any danger, but his very presence was suffocating and she would be lying if she denying fearing for her life on some level. The very air seemed to be weighing down around the Eternal, pressing her down into the very ground. Had she already not been on a knee she would have surely brought down by the presence. But despite all that, she smiled. A deep, pure smile. One born of excited anticipation.

"What is thy bidding, my master."

@Orbit

 

[The Eternal (?)]

The Eternal didn't even notice that Kaye was there, instead more jubilated that it was alive and actually standing on two legs. It couldn't stop staring at itself, inspecting different ligaments that been formed by the black ooze that had erupted from the mask itself. The Eternal was finally free, it was physical, no longer trapped in the confines of its own mind. With all the voices and no host, it became quite crowded inside the mask and it was stretching it's legs out for the first time. When Kaye spoke, The Eternal's head instantly snapped towards her, the woman able to feel the pressure of a thousand eyes that seemed to look down upon her. She would hear whispers ravage across her mind, heatedly debating amongst each other and even though she wouldn't be able to understand it, it wasn't hard to think what they were discussing.

Dropping his hands and solely focusing on Kaye, the Eternal started to take the steps down from the sarcophagus to her. With each step came a heavy thud that echoed around the cavern, some of the black liquid dripping off from his legs and hissing on the stone. The Eternal eventually stood right in front of her, Kaye able to see his feet right in front of her eyes. She would already start to feel the force drain from her and towards the Eternal, not even purposely doing it but just naturally drawing on the force to feed on. The Eternal brought itself down to Kaye's level, extending its hand out as its index finger would be placed on her chin and tilting her head to look at its crimson eyes. When their gazes met, however, it's hand quickly and forcefully grabbed her face, squeezing her cheeks together as it tilted her face back and forth like it was inspecting a prize. But the voices Kaye heard intensified before he let go of her face and stood up, letting out a quiet snarl as it almost seemed disappointed in its decision.

The Eternal flicked a hand up in the direction of the ceiling, indicating that Kaye was allowed to stand and she would feel the invisible restraints that forced her to submit start to loosen. It turned around before walking back up the steps and toward the sarcophagus, the Eternal placing both of its hand on the edge as it dipped its fingers into the black ooze still remaining in it. "Whaaat... haaass. happpeennd... siiinnccee weee... sleeeppt?" Kaye had revered the Eternal and that's what drew its attention to her in the first place so it assumed she knew the date it had first disappeared until now. There was something already wrong, it could feel it in the force and in the air, it was off balance and it made the mask wonder what had exactly transpired. The Eternal turned around to face back towards Kaye, "Sppeeaakk..." It needed answers first before it decided to make any decisions that would be rash.

 

[Darth Nihil]

Kaye rose as the pressure dissipated around her, suppressing any and all emotions that threatened to bubble out of her. Having witnessed what had happened to the acolytes, she had been convinced that a similar fate waited for her when the Eternal had grabbed her. But for now it seemed like he had decided against such a course of action. For now he wanted answers, and she was smart enough to know that making him wait for the answers would do her no good.

Rising to her feet, her eyes not leaving the Eternal as she did so, she gathered her thoughts before speaking. "Centuries have passed my Lord, and much has changed." She paused for a moment before continuing, trying to measure how much to tell him, unable to deny that part of her worried that hearing something he did not like might result in the death of the messenger. "The Jedi have returned from hiding, allying themselves with rebels who oppose the Empire and would overthrow the Sith. They tried to take advantage of a recent schism within the Empire, Sith fighting Sith. The Drast line lost power because of the schism, replaced by the new Dark Lord."

She didn't say more, letting the Eternal digest what she had said. She watched him, what little she could through the mask, and waited for his reaction. A part of her even waiting to die. But it had to be done, the return of the Jedi might be what brought about the return of the Eternal, the Force balancing the light with a darkness to match. If she died to bring about that change then so be it, it was a price she was willing to pay. Specially now that she had felt his power, with every passing second she was convinced that the Empire needed him. The Sith needed him.

@Orbit

 

[The Eternal (?)]

The Eternal just stared at the woman, continuing to inform them as she described that the Jedi have returned and that the Sith had been warring with themselves. They already knew the Jedi had returned, one of them thankfully deciding to become the host of the mask and a constant source to feed on and become living. When Kaye mentioned that the Drast line had lost power, she would be able to feel the air become even chillier, enough to pierce through her skin and go straight through to her heart and freeze it in place. It was clear it was a correlation with the creature's anger as she would also be able to sense it bubbling beneath the surface of the mask. But as quickly as it came, it passed as it was whipped away as the Eternal just simply didn't believe her and wanted to rather see the standing Emperor itself to confirm her words.

But even as the seconds passed and the Eternal breathed in the air, it could already tell that she was somewhat telling the truth. Something was missing and it could immediately sense it. After Siris had worn the mask, the future wearers of it continued to be Drasts and it let the Eternal almost form links with other Drasts, able to identify them easily if they are in close proximity as it was the other way around as well, Drasts able to feel a freezing cold in their heart that would signify the mask was close. Kaye had filled him in enough, now the Dark Lord wanting to just meet the current leader of the mending Empire and finding its role. The Eternal started to step down the stairs, speaking in broken English, "Weee.... haavvveee... wooorrrkk.... tooo.... dooo..." It walked past Kaye without glancing at her, expecting her to follow behind it.

"Reeeaaaadddyy... yoouuu... accooollyytteess... IIIIIII.... neeeeedd... mooorreee..." The Eternal would speak to the Emperor but then it had more pressing matters to deal with. There were other creatures that populated the world like the Eternal but their mind was broken instead, making them mindless creatures that sought bloodshed and brutality. The Eternal could be the controlling voice that hones in their mind and turn them from ravenousness packs and into an actual army. The Eternal finally stopped where the sunlight was clashing with the shadows as if this was the end of its journey for now. It brought its gaze over to Kaye before nodding towards the deserts of Korriban, "Goooo..." When she would leave the embrace of the tomb the doors would slowly start to shift and close behind her, the Eternal standing in the same spot as it's crimson eyes glowed in the darkness until the doors shut and locked them in.

 

[Darth Nihil]

Kaye wasn't sure if she had really felt the chill down her spine when she had mentioned the fall of the Drasts, so quickly had it come and passed that she could have very well just imagined it. But she dare not risk angering the Eternal by lingering, so she continued filling him in. She waited for him to respond, falling in behind him as he declared there was work to be done before sweeping out of the chamber.

As they came to a stop at the threshold of the tomb, Kaye met the Eternal's gaze with a determined look on her face. She had a job to do, and there was no time to be wasted. "It will be done my lord!" With that she stepped out of the tomb and began walking back towards her ship, already figuring out her next course of action. There were places to be visited, favors to be called in. She stopped for a moment near her ship's lowered ramp, glancing back at the now closed door of the tomb, the Eternal once more locked in within it's depths. Only now he was a living, breathing man. There was a smile on her face as she walked up the ramp, one of pure anticipation. The Eternal had returned. Things would never be the safe again.

@Orbit