Ask Korriban The Price of Knowledge

[Arla]

Per my new OP template, thread is death enabled. I'll likely close the thread after one person joins.​

Arla had set her sights on her next goal, and it was not a simple one. She had grown up as a Nightsister and learned a great deal about Nightsister magick. She was well on her way to mastering it, but that was neither a skill set she was willing to pass on broadly to the rest of the Sith nor enough for her to truly become a proficient Arcanist in her mind.

With that in mind, she had set about taking the steps she needed in order to learn Sith magic. To be quite honest, she wasn't a huge fan. Sure, it had its uses and - one could argue - was even more deadly than Nightsister magick, but it was so... discordant with nature. It was so at odds with so much of what she had learned and so... brutal. Brutish even.

But she was determined to learn it, and in doing so, she would be able to pass that information on to others.

The first step was to learn ur-Kittât. Really learn it. She'd traveled to Korriban as part of her advanced studies and embedded herself with a group of native Red Sith where she was surrounded night and day with the language.

But she wasn't just dead weight. She was expected to perform and contribute, and thus had been sent out to solve one of the tribe's problems. Namely a Killik problem. In the wake of the Korriban invasion, not even the more isolated tribes had been free from attack, and rumor had it that somewhere in these canyons and tombs, a group of Killiks and Joiners were still hidden.

 

[Asher]

Asher had retired to the depths of Mustafar for the past several months now. Attempting to absorb the knowledge of Darth Venator. It felt as if he had hardly scratched the surface of what the Dark Lord had to offer. The fallen Jedi augmented would augment that "training" with lessons from his Master's Grimoire.

It was this training that brought the human to the nearly barren world of Korriban. The learn from the origins of Sith magic. But the human was having limited success. Asher needed something to aid him in building trust and a measure of respect with the tribes.

It was for this reason he agreed to assist a Nightsister of all people in ridding the tribes of a rumored nest of Killik. Having having missed out on the planet's defense during the invasion, as well as the defense of Mustafar's. Of which he was a little more ashamed. He was not only eager to gain knowledge, but fix the ledger of his service to his Master and her Masters.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla had traveled to teh agreed upon meeting place with the other Sith, and spotted him as he approached. He wasn't anyone she knew or had worked with before, and she found herself wondering how he had found himself in contact with the Sith tribe. She supposed in the end it didn't really matter, they were both here to do a job, and it wasn't a pleasant one.

Due to the greater heat on Korriban, she had opted for lighter-weight robes than she normally wore, and their journey would begin as the sun was going down, providing them some relief from the heat of the day. A small pack filled mostly with water was on her back, but she had not brought along any of her weapons. She was pushing herself to become a better practitioner of sign casting, and there was no better way than the deep end of the pool. Besides, she still had her own backups if all went awry.

She pushed herself off the boulder that she had been sitting on and made her way over to the approaching Champion.

Are you Asher? she asked. Arla, she said, jutting a thumb in her own direction. It was just the sort of curt introduction that was quite typical of her.

Had the pleasure of fighting Killiks and Joiners yet? she asked, though there was a distinct lack of "pleasure" involved. Her experience on Thyferra - while she had survived - was harrowing at best.

@Taz

 

[Asher]

Asher moved diligently to the agreed location where the two Sith would meet. Eye toward the horizon as he watched the the red sun slowly fade into the mountains around them. He still managed to find beauty in the darkest of places. It was at that moment that he noticed the Nightsister waiting for him. Like her, he did not recognize the woman. But then, he really didn't know many others from the order.

For his part he was trying out light armor, rather than the traditional robes. After nearly being choked to death by the cloak of said robes. He had left the helmet behind, but carried with him his weapons and utility belt as always. Since Vex's gift was giving to him it had never been far from his reach.

Asher closed to within a sabers reach of the woman as she rose from her seat. "Yes, an..." he tried to ask but was quickly told, "Arla?...Nice...to..." Again trying to get a word in. As the last women he had worked with were Vex and Vahliri, the former Jedi was not used to someone so direct and right to the point.

There was a awkward pause as it seemed she finally allowed him to answer. "Oh..? I haven't, no. Vex required my saber elsewhere when the bug incursion revealed themselves." He finally answered, "And you?"

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla didn't even seem to notice that she had blazed through the conversation at top speed and that he had almost been left in the dust in the process.

Vex? Haven't met her, she said, though the name did sound familiar to her. There were, after all, many Sith Masters, but Arla at least tried to keep up on who was who to an extent. She took it that he must have been her apprentice or something comparable.

Yeah, I was at Thyferra, she said. That was... something else. I didn't run into many of the Joined there, though, she said. The Killik sleeper agents were perhaps the greatest part of the Killik threat to be feared.

Well, we'll have our work cut out for us, she said, almost a little too chipper in how she sounded about it. The truth was that she was eager to try out some of her new techniques, and that was perhaps not the smartest thing in the world, but... well, she was her mother's daughter. Impulsivity could be a problem.

She started heading along down the canyon into the crevices where the Killiks had been said to retreat, but Arla didn't necessarily trust that intel. For all they knew, the people who gathered it were Joined.

It wasn't until several hundred yards in that she paused, pointing toward the ground. Tracks. A mix of humanoid and... not humanoid, she said.

@Taz

 

[Asher]

Without missing a beat the woman continued, blasting through the "conversation" a speed seemingly akin to that of a pod racer. If Asher had the time to even dwell on it, he might think was raised as the runt of the litter in a large family. Where one might have to be quick and to the point if one expected to be heard at all. It would have been amusing, if he was not struggling to keep up.

"I'm not surprised." He quipped. These days his Master did not venture far from her prison fortress on Belsavis. A place he was also forced to call home for many years. Though not for some months now, he was done being a prisoner.

"Interesting." Getting a word in about her mention of the action of Thyferra, another Sith world he'd not had the pleasure of seeing. Yet. "You don't seem that worried about the challenge." He offered. She was hard to read for Asher. Her words, while rather short and sweet, felt of caution. Yet her every step seemed to throw that very caution to the wind.

Arla seemed eager to push the pace then, and Asher had no issue letting her. He was not simply along for the ride, rather he was watching her, and the world around them. Taking mental note of both. Asher didn't know this new enemy well, but he knew tactics. Canyons and alleyways were perfect spots for ambushes. Something the Sith knew and used well in the early days of the war.

They continued the travel, hundreds of yards it seemed. Until Arla paused, and pointed out the tracks for him. Wanting to preserve them for later study. Asher took a knee next to the a set of the non-human tracks and took a few pics with his smartpad.

"I count....nine...maybe." He said, trying to make sense of all the prints. Admittedly, tracking was not his best skill and he could and was likely a little off.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla thought about what he said about her not seeming worried. She probably should have been more cautious, but somehow after the arcane horrors that she had faced, physical enemies just didn't seem quite as intimidating anymore. Or maybe she was just being overconfident.

Well, guess I'm eager to test some new things out. And to get back to working on my ur-Kittât, she said. It had been a bit of a slog to learn, but practice made perfect, and after a week being fully immersed in it, she was already beginning to get comfortable with it... kind of.

She crouched next to him as he looked at the tracks, taking a closer look as well. She had plenty of experience tracking, but this was a bit different than tracking an animal.

Close to it, at least, she agreed. It was hard to tell exact numbers, but this may not have even been all of them, either.

Let's hope we find them before they find us, she said. It wasn't even like they could kill the creatures one at a time by stealth. They shared a mind, and if one died, the others would know. They would need sheer power to bring their targets down, and that was... dangerous.

She got up and started pressing on, moving up against one of the walls of the canyon and following it through rather than staying in the open where she was easier to spot.

So what do you do? Fighter? Diplomat? Arcanist? Assassin? she asked.

@Taz

 

[Asher]

"Your what ?" He immediately asked. He could have sword Arla just said practice un-kitty, and while he was aware the Nightsisters did use some varying levels of sacrificing in their magic. He was pretty sure killing a tiny kitty was just ears playing tricks on him.

As Arla knelt down beside him, he glanced over. He didn't know what to expect but he did not expect her same lack of assurance. Or perhaps he was just surprised she didn't use a spell or the force to aid her. Venator was a wealth of knowledge, one he still had so much to learn from, but how often would he have the chance to team up with a Nightsister and learn from her as well.

The passing thought moved on, and he returned his attention to the tracks. Then looked around as Arla gave voice to what they were both concerned about. Asher understood the idea of a hive mind, but had yet to experience it in a fight. Stealth would not matter after first contact, he knew that much. They could scout and nest and comeback with a sizable force perhaps...

Then as quick as her tongue, Arla rose and was on the move again. He got to his feet then and closed in behind her as she started to hug the wall of the canyon a little more. He understood the wisdom in it. But felt off in her leading. Perhaps because his experiences with other women in the order, they were more than willing to allow him to be the canary.

Asher was quickly becoming amused by Arla's direct approach. Famously oblivious to quips and clues of the opposite sex. The Dathomiry woman was not one to toy around. Either in mission or in conversation it seemed. "Assassin." He answered quickly enough. "My Master and I had a goal in mind, but...." he scoffed before finishing. "And you, a sorceress? I don't see any weapons." He said as his eyes could not help but fall from her shoulders down her back and toward perhaps his favorite curve of the humanoid form.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

ur-Kittât, she repeated. It's the natural tongue of the native Sith. I've been learning it because it's a required component to learning Sith magic, she said, and suddenly her nerd side was starting to spill over.

There's some speculation that the Primal Spirits may have created the language... or maybe they were just conditioned to respond to it, she said, looking back at him and realizing he probably didn't care.

Uh... anyway, I've been spending my time with a Sith Tribe, she said as she continued to press on.

An assassin. The Nightsisters had Shadow Killers and thought Arla did not fall within that rank technically, she had spent a small amount of time in training with them and further with the Anzati on Anzat when she had met the Duke.

Yes, I suppose I gave myself away talking about the Spirits and magic, she said. No, I'm not carrying any weapons. The Shadow is my weapon, and if need be, I can conjure a sword, she said. Hopefully, she wouldn't need it. If she did, then she'd done something wrong. But the Shadow was more powerful than any blade, and those Sith who truly invested in honing it grew to be more powerful than anyone else.

She held her up her hand in front of her, a small spark of green floating over her hand for a moment out of reassurance to herself more than anything.

You cut off from talking about you and your master, she said, once gain opting for directness with her curiosity than anything else. If he opted not to answer, she wouldn't push but she also wasn't going to not ask.

@Taz

 

[Asher]

Asher suddenly felt very embarrassed as the young woman explained the meaning of the word. Suddenly realizing that in his novice use of Korriban Magics, he was not just learning random words of power, but the tongues of another people. The realization made him feel very foolish.

He listened intently then as she continued, and gave a half smile as the explained the theory. "The best way to learn a language is immersion" He offered in agreement. Attempting to let her feel more comfortable with her nerddom as well encourage her to continue.

He smirked then, as Arla confirmed her path in the order, or more likely in life, to him. "I would expect nothing less from a child of Dathomir." He said, likely sounding a little more judgmental in his tone then intending. "It's said that your people are born into pools of dark side energy, is that true?" He was genuinely curious. Though not sure why the question suddenly entered his mind.

He did take notice though, of the sudden green glow. Walking behind her, he could not see the simple spark. Only hoped that he had not unwittingly insulted her somehow. There was no doubt in his mind who the stronger force user was between them, and he was not in any hurry to confirm that.

"Hm..oh?" He said, thinking a moment before continuing. "Master Vex is the Warden of the Order. After taking control of the fortress on Belsavis, she freed me. She asked for nothing, but offered me an opportunity. In return I gave her my unyielding loyalty. She had planned to one day take the thrown of Empress, and I would be her Inquisitor. Her right hand." He poured before taking a deep breath and sighing in apparent frustration."I remain loyal still, but much has changed."

Asher would look down then at the ebony hilt he continued to carry. The simple gesture of empowerment Vex had giving him after years of imprisonment. Suddenly, he longed for the tireless power hunger witch he remembered. Needing to change the topic, he looked ahead.

"There", he said pointing. "More tracks."

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

If he had intended the comment as an insult, Arla didn't seem to be bothered by it. Our entire planet is permeated by the energy of the Spirit world, she said in response to his question. So, I suppose, depending on how you look at it, that could be true, she said.

Arla glanced back when Asher mentioned that she was the Warden of the Order, head tilting slightly to the side for a moment.

Darth Trelain is Imperial Warden. And Darth Anaris before that, she said, not picking up on the difference in terminology he was using, but considering it to be a dangerous near-claim to make. Granted, it was once again, not her business. As it had not been her business when Wodan had told her he wanted to assassinate Darth Raze.

She wasn't going to give him advice about how to run his career in the Sith, so she pressed on, nodding as he pointed to the tracks, but slowing her pace.

Look, they... they head into that cave, she said, motioning toward a large cave, its mouth gaping open and large enough to easily cover their dozen or so enemies.

She flexed her fingers, knuckles cracking slightly as she focused on the Shadow. She let her mind sink into the Spirit world, calling on the powers of the Chiroptix, it's ur-spirit infusing her mind and body as she listened. She could hear the heartbeats, the skittering, the movements. She could make out the layout of the tunnel for a distance and nodded to herself.

Two guards stationed about twenty meters in, she said. I can't tell how many further down, she said.

Ready? she asked, moving her fingers through a series of motions that were entirely unnecessary in order to prepare her hands for Sign Casting.

@Taz

 

[Asher]

Fortunately for Asher, the young woman did not seem upset by the question. To which he was pleasantly surprised. His years as a prison of the Sith had had the adverse effect of making him a bit socially awkward more often then he was even aware usually. In any case he took her answer in stride, cocked his head in thought and answered simply. "Hmm, I guess so."

Asher scoffed then at the mention of Darth Anaris, Empress of the Sith. Then quickly corrected himself in order to appear simply absent minded, a feat not entirely unbelievable in his case. "Of course, you're correct. Trelain does hold the seat of warden. My mistake." He corrected. He needed to be more careful these days. Vex was gone, for lack of a better way of thinking. His alleys were nill at this point and opening opposing an Empress was likely not going to win him any friends in the Order.

Quickly returning to the task at hand, having pointed out the tracks. Arla's more keen eye followed the to a cave not far from where they stood. Asher stayed by Arla's side then, feeling the dark side shift. Flowing from around the Nightsister worked her magic towards the cave.

As Arla soon gave her size-up of the tunnel head. The assassin took the hilt of his lightsaber in one hand and and a throwing blade in the other. "Ready," he replied.

 

[Arla]

Arla didn't miss his scoffing sound at the mention of Anaris. The woman certainly wasn't Arla's Mother, but she wasn't an Eternal either. She was... simply passable. The Empire wasn't falling apart, but it wasn't excelling either.

Better hope I'm not an Inquisitor, she said. Their reputations weren't known, and if she were one, he would have been under a heap of investigation for a comment like that. Maybe even worse depending on who the Inquisitor was and how the ISB was feeling about it.

I'll take right, she said as he confirmed he was ready, heading down the tunnel and toward the first of the guard outposts.

Hit them fast and hard. Time won't be on our side, she said as she pressed on, rounding the corner and spotting the two humanoid guards. True to her word, she moved against the one on the right.

Her fingers twisted up into a sign and a flick of green sparked between her extended pointer and pinkie fingers before it erupted outward, slamming into the man's body and pinning him back against the wall, flowing freely until she could begin to smell the crisp scent of burned flesh.

@Taz

 

[Asher]

Asher mused a moment at Arla's comment. Remembering his interview with a Peacekeeper of the ISB. What was his name again @Raith Tarkin , and suddenly scoffed again. While the true nature and ability of the Inquisitors was not known. They were the bogeyman of the Empire, and highly speculated on. The faction was in deep part of Vex's and Asher's plan so he did know something, if only the ripples of their abilities within the order.

"Only time will tell." He finally replied. Knowing well enough that if she were one. It would not be this hour she would choose to repeat it. It would be much later, and when she would have the greater advantage and authority.

There would be time for those thoughts later. Asher would return his focus to the task at hand. Arla called her target. "Understood." the human confirming as he started to hug the left wall. Letting the shadows of the tunnel cast over him.

As the Arla started to cast, and shoot what looked like a tiny bolt from her finger. Asher tossed the throwing blade at the human guard on the left. As his partner on the right what being pinned to the wall the other man would turn his head instinctively to check his companion. Never seeing the blade as it nearly severed his head from his shoulders, before returning to the Sith assassin's hand.

Asher did not pause. Instead continuing his quiet but quick pace. While they could not hear and alarm being triggered. The dark side told the two Sith, their enemy were aware, and coming.

Soon another guard approached, this time a red skilled Sith Pureblood. Built like a Huttball grand champion and wielding a forged short sword of local origin. Behind him, the chittering of insect legs on rocky ground. "I have him" Asher called, and activated his red blade to burst from the shadows.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla was relentless in her attack, watching the other man fall under her partner's thrown knife, Arla pressed on. As he selected a Red Sith for his target, Arla moved past, but her mind lingered for just a moment. She wondered at why a Red Sith was here, and why the Tribe hadn't told her. Was there something more going on here?

The moment's distraction nearly proved fatal for the young Nightsister. One of the Joined swung around the corner, stun baton in hand, and whipped the weapon around in a rapid swing.

The blow caught her in the left shoulder, the impact immediately shooting pain through her entire arm before the stun part of "stun baton" caught up with her. Electricity surged through her muscles and nerves, overflowing them as she cried out in pain and slammed into the wall on the other side.

Kriff! she swore loudly as she narrowly ducked a follow up swing and launched herself bodily into the other man. She wasn't weak, but she also was far, far smaller than the man she was fighting.

She let the strength of the rancor flow through her, its ur-spirit infuse her muscles to shove the man backward and off his feet with far more force than someone her size could naturally generate.

And just like that, things had gotten messy.

@Taz