The Beginning of The Journey

[ghostrecondude]

As the space cruiser touched the Korriban temple's landing pad, Rogoma could already feel the undeniable power of the so called force. He was sure it was real but didn't know a wamp rat's behind about it. All he wanted was to know about the Sith and their ways. He bade the pilot farewell as he touched down on the soft sand of the ancienct home of the Sith Lords. With nothing but the clothing on his skin and the credits in his pocket he started walking. He figured the first thing he should do was to ask someone where he could find the best place to find information on the Sith. Rogoma started getting stares from other people, trainees he presumed, and he felt incredibly awkward on his arrival on Korriban. Yet his determination and quest for knowledge blocked out his social acceptance standard at this point. He went up to what he thought looked like a decent person and asked

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find knowledge of your people? The Sith intrigue me very much so and I want to learn more about your dark ways."

 

[Xan]

Everywhere Xanthus looked, there seemed to be trainees practicing some form of dark art on Korriban. Not that this was an absolute surprise, per say, but it seemed that after the Empress completely annihilated Coruscant, more and more Acolytes and Apprentices went there for training. More than likely they were hoping that by simply training where such a massive rend in the Force was created, they might somehow absorb some of that potential power. 'Unfortunately, power in the Force is rarely gained through osmosis. Ah well, more is the power for those who train without false hopes.' It was at this moment that Xanthus became aware that someone was attempting to get his attention. What his sight told him, his ears reinforced in double. His sight told him that this was a newcomer to Korriban, for he wore no Sith trappings and did not posses a lightsaber as far as Xanthus could see. Beyond the newcomer's own words, the Sith Master also could hear whispers from other Acolytes, ones that almost made him chuckle. They had all stopped in their activities to stare and wonder at this trainee who approached a Sith Master and struck casual conversation, without even so much as a formality. However, Xanthus was not the type of Master to place much stock into formalities, so he answered Rogoma's question. "You have come to the right place, Sith Hopeful. This is Korriban, ancient home to the Sith and nexus of the Dark Side, as well as being a repository of a vast amount of Sith knowledge." Looking about, Xanthus shrugged and then continued. "Fortunately for you, I am also a font of Sith knowledge. Follow me about for a moment and I'll answer some questions for you while we get you...ah...accustomed to being on Korriban. By the way, I am Sith Master Xanthus, who are you?" Xanthus said as he turned to walk towards the interior of the Academy.

 

[ghostrecondude]

A Sith Lord?! He had just talked to a Sith Lord?! Rogoma didn't know if to bow or not so he just politely nodded his head in acknowledgement. After all that's what he was supposed to do right? "My lord, I am so sorry. I didn't recognize you were a master. Please forgive my informalities, I am Rogoma Wadika." He then followed Master Xanthus as he started walking towards the academy. It was magnificient, just by looking at the academy he could feel all the potential inside him, and all the academy's glory right before his very own eyes. The sayings were true, Korriban was as ancient as the galaxy itself it seemed. He wondered what ancient secrets awaited him as they grew closer and closer to the steps so many Sith had treaded on.

 

[Xan]

This time Xanthus truly did chuckle, a low sound that begun after Rogoma spoke and ended not a long time after. "Now now, there is no need for apologies. You are clearly new, and so would not have known my face. Actually, I'm glad that you don't know me, for if you did I would not be very effective at my duties." What 'duties' Xanthus was referring to he left unsaid, choosing instead to pass through the doors of the Academy and gesture lightly at the large expanse of the interior. Within larger and more open spaces, Acolytes trained in a variety of skills ranging from lightsaber combat to telekinesis, to more exotic skills such as energy manipulation and illusions. Within smaller closed off chambers, classes were being taught by Crusaders and perhaps a Master or two as well. And still in others beings meditated or practiced their arts in more solo fashions, perhaps even viewing the contents of lesser holocrons. "Now then, I could lecture you as we walk or you can ask me questions and I can answer them as you choose. Oh, but before we begin, it will make your time here much easier if you give off the aura of an Acolyte who knows his business and his power. Sith can sense weakness and lesser Sith would use your lack of training and knowledge against you to their gain if able."

 

[ghostrecondude]

Immediately Rogoma tried to muster his thoughts up as they started to walk through the Academy. He wasn't feeling fear per say but was rather feeling awed at actually being in the presence of a master and the great Sith Academy he had heard much about. When he first landed he thought he was going to be ignored and teased like his peers did on Mustafar a long time ago, sure he got a few stares and was whispered about but he expected that. He just hadn't expected the friendliness of the Sith in front of him. He seemed very willing to answer his questions but his friendliness was still something to be wary about, just in case he couldn't be trusted. "If I were to become an acolyte, what do you think the best combination of combat, meditation, and learning would be most effective in becoming stronger in the Dark Side?" He didn't know if the master would dismiss this question or chuckle again, but he waited dutifully for a reply.

 

[Xan]

Questions it would be then, it seemed. As another Sith passed, Xanthus reached out and stopped them in their tracks. Turning to mutter a few words in their direction, he gestured towards Rogoma and the Sith he was speaking to nodded, bowed lightly and walked away. "To answer your question, there is no true 'best' combination. In reality, it depends on what you aspire to become. Turn." The Sith Master turned a corner sharply that led down a hall that featured windows looking out into the Korriban sands, where ruins and massive pillars dominated the view. If one looked closely, they would be able to see the flashing lights of multicolored sabers flashing even outside of the Academy. "There are three classes of Sith and five ranks. The three classes are Sith Warrior, Sith Sorcerer, and Sith Assassin. Depending on which path you choose as your 'primary,' you will want to devote yourself more towards one aspect. If you want to be a Warrior, I would recommend more combat and less meditation. Sorcerers would require less combat and more meditation, both with equal amounts of learning. Assassins, on the other hand, would likely require equal amounts of the three, though perhaps with an emphasis on learning. Perhaps not the answer you were expecting or necessarily looking for, but I have found it to be truthful for the most part. Next question?"

 

[ghostrecondude]

The path of the Assassin sounded like it was made for him. With his honed skill and practice in acrobatics he would definitely fit the job he thought. He was feeling full of anticipation to join the Sith. He would have to prove to them he was worth it though and that might prove to be tough. And also he barely knew anything about the Sith and their ways. "Does one have to accomplish or acquire certain things before becoming an acolyte?"

 

[Xan]

Turning down one final corridor and walking down a longer hall without viewing capabilities to the outside, Xanthus finally stopped at a large door that seemed to be sealed by an unseen lock. Presenting his palm to said door, Xanthus pushed and added a small amount of his Force ability into the pressing of his palm against the doorway. It opened silently, and past the door was a dimly lit chamber filled with holobooks and holocrons, a small library of Sith knowledge. "Actually no, one does not. You merely need to possess an affinity for the Force and the Dark Side that surpasses the reach of a small child's. Aside from that, you must swear your loyalty to the Empire, Empress Andraste, and the Dark Lord Vereor. Then you will be given your training lightsaber and some more fitting clothing for a Sith Acolyte, your name will be entered into the databases so that the Empire will know to whom their respect and fear should be aimed, and your path will begin. Incidentally, welcome to one of the Chambers of Heresies. This is essentially a library containing basic knowledge of the Sith. Depending on your path choice, you might spend a little bit of time here and in spaces similar to this one, or you might spend a lot. On that note, do you have the slightest clue what you hope to become in your future?" Xanthus said as he fiddled with a terminal, causing images to flash in holo forms of Empress Andraste and Darth Vereor before the dim lighting resumed with the ending of the images. By the time he reached his question, Xanthus had already turned back to face Rogoma.

 

[ghostrecondude]

Rogoma's mouth was wide open in awe. This must be the biggest library he has ever seen! And all of it containing knowledge and power from the Sith! He had already known that he needed to have force ability, that was a no brainer. And of course he did, he just didn't know how to get a handle on it. As the vague images of the Empress herself popped up he couldn't help of thinking that he knew her somehow, but he had never seen her in his life. He quickly dismissed the thought though and answered the Master's question. "My main task on Korriban was to learn about the Sith and that's it. But now, I am very curious on becoming an acolyte of your ways. I do not have family, or any place to go. So this would be a great path on which my life would continue. Also, I was hoping to train as a Sith Assassin. Back on Mustafar I would train endlessly in acrobatics every day. It was something to take my anger out on. So that sounds like the path I must take Master."

 

[Xan]

For a moment, Xanthus almost chuckled at Rogoma's expression while the soon-to-be Acolyte stared at the Chamber of Heresies. The Master could not bring himself to reveal that this one was a basic Chamber and was actually rather small compared to quite a few of them. Ah well, such knowledge could come at another time, as this moment was reserved for another purpose and other types of revelations. "An Assassin? A worthy path to tread, but not easy and not for everyone. It takes more than acrobatics to become an Assassin, and many things beyond to excel at those arts. Do you have a mind that can map out a plan step by step to accomplish your goal, but that can also adapt and modify strategies on the turn of one second to another? Do you have a body that can be as a shadow when required, leaving light behind and venturing into the shadows, a paragon of stealth? Do you have the will to end another man's life for no other reason than because someone with power gave you the command to do so? Being an Assassin is about being subtle, a master of stealth, and a death-dealer to Darth Vereor's enemies. You will have to master techniques considered rare and difficult even to Sith Crusaders and Masters, such as the ability to hide your presence and self from your targets using only your will and the Force. The Assassin's path is not easy, nor is it forgiving of failure. One mistake is more fatal to an Assassin than to a Warrior or a Sorcerer, and that is why there are fewer Assassins, but also why we are more apt to gain attention from those higher. My point is that if you intend to be an Assassin, it will not be an easy task. Now then, are you sure that you desire to pursue that path?" Xanthus's eyes were fixed on the potential Acolyte in front of him while he spoke about the difficulty of being an Assassin. He wanted to make sure that he was being well understood, not because he wanted necessarily to deter a potential Assassin, but because being an Assassin was fatal to the unprepared and a part of being prepared was to hold that knowledge.

 

[ghostrecondude]

Rogoma hadn't realzied that being an Assassin would be much, much harder than he had anticipated. But then he thought back to the words of Darth Bane almost 4,000 years ago, "There are those with power, those with the strength and will to lead. And there are those who are meant to follow, those incapable of anything but servitude and a meager, worthless existence." Rogoma was definiteley not going to be following anybody, he has shown he wasn't worthless to many people and they regretted thinking he was in the end. An added bonus too was that Rogoma also studied the art of strategy and put himself in countless situations of different and challenging tactics, and suceeded most of the time. He wanted to be part of those few and proud, the assassins. Even if he had to give everything to be in it he would, but that didn't really matter anyways because he was a "galactic traveller" as he liked to call himself and had little to no possesions. And with a simple nod of his head and a smirk on his face he answered "I will choose to accept the path of an Assassin."

 

[Xan]

'You choose the path of an Assassin? This should prove to be interesting at the very least.' Xanthus thought to himself, though before he could respond, the Chamber door opened once more to reveal the Acolyte that Xanthus had stopped previously and spoken to briefly. The Acolyte walked hurriedly towards Xanthus and offered him something. It was a long, cylindrical-shaped object made of a lustrous seeming metal, with a hole on one end and a grip on the other. Even without knowledge of the Sith, Xanthus expected to have knowledge of the ancient weapon of every Force-user. Just to clear confusion about the actual specifications of this weapon, however, Xanthus spoke. "What perfect timing. This is a training lightsaber, and you will use it until you have learned basic lightsaber combat and are able to create your own out of materials that you choose. Though incredibly basic, it will serve you quite well for its intended purpose." Xanthus looked at the Acolyte who brought the weapon and nodded his dismissal. With a mixture of bowing towards Xanthus and staring at Rogoma, the Acolyte left the Chamber of Heresies. "Now then, if you would be so kind as to kneel, I will perform a minor ceremony of seeing you sworn to the Sith." Xanthus said, holding the weapon outwards and down away from his body while looking at Rogoma once more.

 

[ghostrecondude]

Rogoma couldn't believe this was hapening. Was he actually becoming a part of the Sith? Just one more barrier stood in his path of becoming one. Rogoma got down on one knee and lowered his head in front of Master Xanthos.

 

[Xan]

Flicking his finger, Xanthus activated the lightsaber. The column of light that emerged was a deep crimson, the color known throughout the Galaxy as that of the Sith. It was lightsabers such as this one that struck utter terror into the hearts of many men, but that was during a different era. Now this color was used to promote the will of the Empire, which the people looked to as the sole pillar of order in the Galaxy with the fall of the Alliance. Either way, it was always the Sith that used this color of lightsaber crystal and this was something that set them apart from the Jedi and other such factions of Force-wielders. "Your loyalty from this day forward will belong to Empress Andraste and to Darth Vereor, first and foremost. You will rise and fall by their commands, and if you become an Assassin you will kill by their word. This day will mark the beginning of the journey from your status as Sith Hopeful, where it will take you will be determined by your loyalty to the Empress and her Dark Lord and by your adherence to the Three Creeds of the Sith Order. The First, Baptism by Fire. Conflict culls the weak, hones the abilities of the intermediate, and allows the strong to excel. The Second, Empowerment through Passion. You must realize that emotion is the source of the power of the Sith, and that it is emotion that gives you strength and power through the Dark Side. Finally, the Third, the Code of the Sith. Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall set me free. Remember these things, bind yourself to their truth and you will become Sith." It was at this point that Xanthus would tap Rogoma on the shoulders once each with the training saber, which was set to a mode that would not be harmful even though its warmth would likely argue otherwise. "Now rise, Sith Acolyte. Never again will you have to kneel before another man, so long as you remain Sith and your power grows to become superior to all others." With that, Xanthus powered down the lightsaber and turned it in his hand so that the handle faced its new owner and the newest Sith Acolyte, Rogoma Wadika.

 

[ghostrecondude]

Rogoma got back up on his feet slowly and raised his head to look at the training saber in front of him. His first step, passion, which he already acquired through his travelling of different planets in knowledge of the Sith. But he realized he also needed a different kind of passion. A passion that surpassed normal human capabilities and into the spiritual realm. A passion that was founded in few of the Acolytes here on Korriban. No, he needed passion of the dark side like the Sith Masters. For in order to survive in this food chain of acolytes he needed to base his life and foundation on that principle. But it isn't the most important one, no for if you didn't have the others you would be dead! He also needed to work on strength at the present time. Strength of the mind, strength of the body, strength of the force, and strength of the will. It would be a long process before his rise to power and victory, but it would surely come someday. Back out of his thoughts, Rogoma carefully picked up the saber from his Master's hand and instantly started to slowly undulate it and balance it's weight all the while grinning at the thought of his endless potential in the force. He then put the saber to his side and asked, "Master, what do you suppose the best course of action would be for me to take as an assassin?"

 

[Xan]

'Ah, there's the expression that I was waiting for.' Rogoma's grin was nothing short of a window into what he was thinking, as even without using the Force to tell him as much, Xanthus was able to assume that the new Acolyte was thinking about the endless potential that he could wield in his new role. The expression was familiar, as most Sith wore it on their faces in their own ways at one point or another throughout their careers, and most typically wore it during the beginning thereof. As he recalled, even Xanthus had not been immune to the rush of excitement once he realized precisely how powerful he could become in the future. At Rogoma's question, Xanthus's signature chuckle returned, but as with last time it did not remain for long. Xanthus was simply amused by the question, though he had no desire to offend. "For once, your next move will be entirely yours to choose. You can attempt to go through the path of an Acolyte by yourself, clawing your way to power through classes hosted by various Crusaders and Masters, and by reading various holocrons and holobooks both here and wherever you can find them. Something that you must keep in mind however is that you are not a true Sith, not yet. Sith Acolytes are the equivalent to Dark Jedi, albeit given more privileges within the Empire. To become Crusader is to become True Sith, and something else that you must keep in mind is that you are racing other Acolytes for the title of Crusader. I say that to say this: while you attempt to find power wherever it may lie, others will be doing so as well and they will see you as competition. Other than going it alone however, I will give you another choice. You could attempt to find yourself a Master, a mentor to teach you on more personal terms about the Force and ways to improve your skills therein. As an Asssassin to be, you will desire to be trained by a Sith Assassin or an Executioner, a Master-level Assassin." Xanthus paused for a moment and appeared to give a matter a few seconds worth of thought before giving himself an almost imperceptible shrug. "As the Force would have it, I am a Sith Executioner who currently lacks an Apprentice and so I will make you an offer: if you desire, I will take you as my Sith Apprentice. Though before you consider yourself fortunate to receive such an offer from a Sith Master, I will warn you that my methods are not for those who particularly enjoy...tasks with higher rates of survivability."

 

[ghostrecondude]

As Rogoma was hearing the Master's last words he couldn't help but grin. "It would be an honor to serve such a mighty warrior and honorable Executioner. But I do have one question, what is the different between a Sith Executioner and a Sith Assassin?" Why must I ask so many questions, Rogoma thought. But after all the master did accept questions, for he of course knows that acolytes are very prying and question lots of things. And once more Rogoma looked up at the vast expanse of holo books and records and thought to himself, 'This is a going to be a great life'.

 

[Xan]

And just like that, Xanthus was now the Master of his fifth Apprentice, as with Rogoma's acceptance of his offer he had become the newest being to willingly sign on to Xanthus's teachings. Apparently the first lesson would be a return to the system of the Sith Order. "My apologies, I was not quite clear before. There are five ranks of Sith, in order being Hopeful, Acolyte, Crusader, Master, and Lord of the Sith. As something of a distinguishing formality, Crusaders and Masters are known not necessarily by their rank but by their specializations. A Sith Assassin is a Crusader-level Sith who has chosen the path of an assassin. A Sith Executioner, however, is a Master-level Sith Assassin. Sith Lords typically leave their specialization titles behind when they become Lords of the Sith to take on new titles, such as Darth." Xanthus began before walking towards the door of the Chamber of Heresies. When he reached the door, he reached out a hand and a small holocron made its way through the air into his palm. "Come now, Apprentice, our business within this Chamber is concluded for the moment. Don't worry, you will see this place and others similar to it several times throughout your Apprenticeship. For now, however, it is time for you to take the first steps in your new life. Entry into the Sith and Imperial records, a full medical and psychological evaluation, a few tests of your physical and mental status...things such as that. A few boring obstacles to pass before you can begin the 'fun parts' in earnest. By fun of course, I mean the test that I will give you to determine if you will be a worthy Apprentice. Survive that, and then the actual fun can begin." Xanthus said with something that resembled a smile but that did not quite reach it. "Oh yes, and before I forget: welcome to the Sith Order." With that, Xanthus walked out of the Chamber, hopefully with Rogoma following behind him once again.

(And that will end this thread with Ghost's next post...on to the next bit of fun!)

 

[ghostrecondude]

The ranks seemed simple enough to Rogoma and was glad that they weren't complicated. The medical records and physcial examinations were going to be boring he realized but he had no doubt in his mind that he could pass the tests and pass his Master's test, granted he didn't require to use a lot of the force. He wondered what his mom and dad would think of him. A Dark Jedi, the opposite of everything his parents wanted him to become. But they didn't own him and it was his own life ever since he chose to leave Mustafar. One day he would return and show them he had become a someone, someone they could put their trust and confidence in. But being part of the Order wasn't for their acceptance. In fact he was becoming a member of the Order to show them they were wrong, to show them that he would be the very thing he swore he wouldn't become. But he said that stupid oath before the accidents and fights happened. Oh how much he's changed from a perfect little angel, to part of the biggest and best wrecking force in the galaxy.

As Rogoma started to follow his new Master he thought he should question why a holocron was in his hands? He had just wanted to snatch it out of his grasp and horde the information, but that was very primitive thinking and he knew better. Rogoma just thought best to be quiet along the halls of the academy as they walked to who knows where.