The Deed Is Done

[Darth Tagus]

Darth Tagus returned to Korriban.

He had been dispatched by his Emperor to make a sacrifice unlike any he had made previously and he had done it. He had been bound by loyalty to his Empire, his Emperor, the Dark Side and his own prior pledge.

The difference between now and when he had originally made the pledge was that he had grown to care for her beyond what he had thought possible. It had still not been enough in the end however - he had still found it within himself to kill her rather than disobey his Emperor and the will of the Dark Side of the Force.

His eyes were a bright and vibrant yellow as he strode towards the throne, the royal guards monitoring his every motion as he approached the Emperor. Falling to one knee in almost the exact same place as he had done previously, Tagus reached to his belt and carefully, slowly so as not to alarm the guards, placed two lightsabers down on the ground in front of him.

Reaching up he removed the leather necklace from around his neck, dropping it and it's two pure, green, kyber crystals on the ground between the sabers.

"The deed is done." he spoke quietly, "I have made the sacrifice."

He looked up from the dismantled sabers to look at his Emperor.

"What is your bidding, my Emperor?"

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn could feel it before the Sith Lord had even told him. The moment he entered the throne room, the Emperor could feel that he wasn't the same man who had left. There was a darkness that had deepened like a never ending abyss ready to swallow up any feelings or emotion. The deed had been done, there could be no doubt.

He watched the Sith Lord drop to his knee, bringing out a pair of sabers and the crystal necklace, and setting them on the ground.

The Emperor gazed down from his throne at the tools, evaluating what had been done. He didn't need to ask how he could know that it wasn't a lie because he could feel the death on the man.

You have done well, he commended. You have proven your loyalty to the Empire, he stated.

You have embraced the darkness. You have truly become a Sith Lord, he said. He knew the man wasn't far off any longer from claiming a position on the Dark Council, and Varyn wouldn't stand in his way or stop him. He was deserving.

But do not fail me again, he said brusquely. The darkness demanded he say it for if the Sith Lord committed such a crime again, there would be no alternate punishment.

What has the darkness shown you? he asked. The question was open ended, but he could sense that the man had changed because of the darkness. This was his opportunity to put it to words and embrace the extent of the change.

 

[Darth Tagus]

He didn't really need to prove that the deed was done but he had brought evidence anyway. The crystals however? He picked them back up and wrapped the necklace back around his neck. They were untainted crystals and they hurt, they ached in the Force, and he kept them like that. He wasn't going to bleed them either; he wanted to know that they were in pain from being hit by wave after wave of the Dark Side that came off of him.

He wanted to feel the pain he caused the crystals and know what that truly meant, what it truly reminded him of. But the Emperor was correct; he had embraced the Darkness in a way he had not done before. He hadn't been faltering in his commitment to the Dark Side before but now it was rooted within him with far greater strength.

"I understand, my Emperor." he agreed with a bowed head, "My path is clear of all obstacles now."

The way ahead was clear and it was Dark.

Tagus could not say he had a gift for seeing the future because, truthfully, he did not. What he could say with absolute certainty, however, was that he knew that his path was set and it led deeper into the darkness. He looked up at his Emperor.

"It has shown me my fate - I am to immerse myself deeper in the Dark Side and saturate myself with it. To plumb it's depths and bring it's secrets out for all to see and fear." he smiled ever so slightly, "It has shown me the folly of thinking that a Sith Lord can afford the luxury of a simple life, a life away from the Empire. There is only the Dark Side; there is only the Empire."

His smile dropped.

"Spintir shall be my next destination. The Force Nexus there still pollutes the area with the Light - I would see it brought to the truth of the Dark Side."

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

The Emperor thought about the man's path, and the actions he would take ahead. His decision was made, and the path was set if not entirely clear. He would give himself to the Dark Side to the end of his days. There was no turning back, and the Emperor considered his own role in the man's path through the darkness. He had given the order that set him on a path from which there was no turning back. He had sent even more to their deaths, and he had to hope it was all worth it.

The Sith Lord already seemed to have new plans from here, and Varyn nodded. Take another Sith Lord with you, and I'll join you, he said. Corrupting a nexus was not only a potentially valuable and difficult undertaking, but it also was a concept Varyn found fascinating. The Force had many secrets, and not the least of them was such places of power. Perhaps he could draw from it.

You will go far in the Empire, he said. Foresight was not his speciality either, but the Force told him that should the man survive his battles, he would grow to great power, perhaps even replacing Varyn one day. The Emperor could only hope that he wouldn't someday regret the monster he was creating.

 

[Darth Tagus]

Take another Sith Lord with him?

Well that sounded like a test to see if he could get along with other Sith Lords if ever there was one. After all, he was where he was today because he had gone on a mission with another Sith Lord and immediately turned around and stabbed him in the side when he wasn't prepared.

Probably didn't scream 'team player' anymore.

"Darth Inheris I think would be a fine choice." he reasoned with a small frown, "I haven't had much chance to get to know her and I know she was mainly involved in the political circles of the Imperial Republica. Getting involved in something as Dark as a nexus corruption would be beneficial to her I believe."

And the Emperor himself would be joining them?

"Another jaunt through the Light to bring it to the Darkness, my Emperor?" he joked lightly, referencing his earlier work with the Emperor in corrupting The First Blade, "We shall be authorities on the subject before long if we're not careful."

The vote of confidence was rather nice he would admit. Though there was something he would admit to himself and to the Emperor as well...

"Perhaps but I do believe I have learned things about myself." he nodded towards the throne, "It takes a certain kind of person to sit upon the throne and I am not that person. It takes a certain kind of person to enjoy combat for it's own sake and I am not that person. I do believe I will push down the path of knowledge before all others and arm the Empire with my discoveries."

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Yes, Varyn's interest in corrupting the Force was becoming more extensive, wasn't it? The First Blade was a far stretch from a nexus, though. A nexus held power the likes of which couldn't be found anywhere in the galaxy, and that meant it also held unparalleled danger. It would take a tremendous amount of power to break such a thing.

He thought about the Sith Lord's evaluation of himself, but didn't object to it. It's wise to know your weaknesses. Failure in that regard is a path to swift death, he said. Or the downfall of the Empire all over again. The question did leave Varyn wondering who might replace him or how long it would be until that happened. Assuming he survived the war.

I have no doubt you will push the Empire onward. And where do you see yourself in the Empire if not on the throne? he queried. The man no doubt still had aspirations for how to "push the Empire down the path of knowledge."

 

[Darth Tagus]

Ah well that was the question wasn't it?

Where did he see himself in the Empire? A fair question to ask someone who held a position of power within the Empire but seemed content not to actually do what most people would expect him to do. He supposed that some of the most dangerous men and women in the Empire were those who had no clear goal - those who were seemingly just existing.

When you had power but no clear goal you were a threat to everyone until proven otherwise.

"Dark Council."

A worthy goal.

"I seek to sit on the Dark Council - in charge of 'Philosophy' I believe the joke is." he declared with a small smirk, "I'm not quite sure what title that comes with though I'll admit."

Philosopher sounded dumb after all.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn nodded as Tagus said that he intended to take a position on the Dark Council. It made sense for his activities within the Empire, though Varyn had to admit the oddity of the timing coming on the heels of murdering another Sith Lord. But then, he'd paid his dues in that regard. Varyn had no intention of standing in his way if he made the move, but he also didn't intend to make it easier for him.

To this end, he said nothing about the plan, letting the Sith Lord make the most of the plan for himself. The Dark Council was something to be claimed, not given. Varyn hoped his other Sith Lords would begin to claim the spots soon as well, but that remained to be seen. Darth Inheris certainly had promise, and Parox was no longer available for a seat.

Time will tell, he thought to himself. He also wondered how long he would be around to see it or if and when one of his Sith Lords would come knocking on his door, especially with some of the plans Varyn had for the Empire. But that was the nature of the Sith, and why Varyn had never been a good Sith. A good Imperial, but a terrible Sith.

Time will tell, he repeated again in his mind.

Very well. We will see each other on Spintir,, he said with a tone of finality, but betrayed nothing. Unless Tagus required a further query, it would end their meeting. The Sith Lord would be allowed to keep what he wished of his proofs of the kill, and he knew they would ever remind him of the steep cost of the darkness.

 

[Darth Tagus]

There was only one last matter to attend to.

"My Emperor..."

He had risen from his kneeling position but he still bowed his head briefly when he addressed his superior. Raising his head again, he locked gazes with the other man for a moment. It wasn't meant as a challenge but it was meant to convey that what he was about to speak of was entirely serious.

"I would take the gauntlet with me when I leave here today."

The artifact that Parox had been after in the first place.

It had never been about the gauntlet for Tagus but the fact of the matter was that where Parox had failed to obtain the gauntlet by failing the test, Tagus had succeeded. Despite everything, he wanted to at least take it with him. In the end, he had proven himself worthy of the artifact.

If the Emperor saw it the same way then he would leave with the gauntlet today.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn stood on the throne and matched the gaze of his Sith Lord through the mask. He didn't take it as any offense, for the man had already seen more than appropriate deference in the conversation. The gauntlet was still the question though, and Varyn wasn't sure about letting him off that easily. While he had killed another Sith for the gauntlet, he had paid the price for his decision.

Very well, he said after a moment's consideration.

And just like that, it was over. The Sith would meet again on Spintir, and Varyn knew that the Empire had Tagus's complete loyalty. The gauntlet would be used for the service of the Empire, and that was what Varyn cared about the most.