Ask Toxic Draw

[Renfry]

Renfry could feel the ship scrape against the mountain as she continued blasting the troopers below. They'd gotten wise to the fact that being in the open wasn't a good idea, but the stony mountains offered little cover to the approaching troops.

Come on, come on, come on, she muttered, swinging the turret as far to the side as she could. Almost... there...

She heard him shout and a moment later the ship shifted perfectly. There was a moment's pause as the beam locked onto the ship and then she squeezed down on the triggers. One, two, three, four... boom. The vehicle shattered in a spectacular detonation.

Go, go, go! she shouted and felt the ship lurching quickly into the upper atmosphere.

She swung the guns around, looking for more targets but there were none and she took a deep breath. She climbed out of the gun pit and made her way back to the cockpit as they prepared to jump to hyperspace again, flopping down into the copilot seat.

She could sense he was rattled, but didn't say anything about it.

That could have gone much worse, she said. All things considered, even with a few scrapes and dings neither of them were dead.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

---​

They had to stop several times to refuel. The journey took several weeks, and it was agonizing to keep from opening the holocron. There was an obsessive nature in Emryc’s behavior. He spent an unhealthy amount of time with the holocron, even slept with it in his room and occasionally could be heard speaking to it. It had a hold of his mind and it caused a shift in his personality, making him even colder to approach than usual. He was suddenly closed off and withdrawn, spending an excessive amount of time in his own thoughts.

After a grueling journey, they had arrived on Moraband. Emryc knew there would be no greater site to finally open the holocron. He was silent the entire time as he parked the ship and walked down the ramp. He cradled the holocron as if it were his child, eyes fixed ahead. The silver orbs had more pronounced streaks of yellow in them, and even his skin had taken on a sickly pale hue. He was entirely oblivious to the impacts, simply focused on the holocron and its contents.

He didn’t engage Renfry in conversation, purposeful steps taking him towards a particular tomb. An icy chill fell around him and Renfry would see wisps of her breath as they arrived closer to the tomb. Emryc didn’t stray from the path, the holocron humming with life as he felt it pulse. Whispers echoed within his mind, and his heart began to pound.

This was the final stretch. This had been the moment he had wanted for so long, the moment so many Sith had lived and died to witness. The whispers echoed within his mind as he entered the tomb, descending directly past the main hall. He continued down till he came across a very old platform that once held the holocron. Emryc gently set it down before drawing in a breath and exhaling quietly.

“Renfry,” He said, tilting his head just slightly to not quite face her and his voice harsher than normal, “I don’t know if this will kill me. You stand here at your own risk,” It was more of a warning than he would have bothered giving anyone else. After giving her a moment to make her choice, he reached a hand out to open the holocron.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry had spent the last several weeks around Emryc and was quickly getting to know him better, and that meant she was quite aware of the shift that had taken place within him. He was even more distant than normal, obsessing over the holocron despite not opening it.

They walked over the sands of Moraband and she could feel it was so... potent. Despite the relative lack of life on this planet, the Dark Side was far stronger than anything she had experienced thus far. He was still silent and she could feel the intensity growing with each step.

The tomb itself felt massive with stone doors that had long ago been opened by Darth Sidious himself when the tomb was plundered. Bones were still scattered all over the outermost room despite the excavation that had taken place over the years.

They proceeded through the rooms, one of particular interest to her was a hallway that was far larger, longer, and more ornate. Like a trench running 10 feet high on either side, it opened above into a much larger room whose ceiling spread out above the pair. On the walls of the trench were hundreds of ornate totems stuck into small, circular alcoves.

In the final room, they found a large staircase with a massive skeleton of a creature at one side. Its head - or rather skull - appeared to have been caved in by a large boulder at the side of the room.

They ascended the stairs in silence and Renfry stood motionless as they stood at the small spot upon the tomb where the holocron belonged.

I've made my loyalties clear, she said stoically. There was no quips or laughing now. Even her reckless nature was subdued in this place. She could sense the darkness here. If Kravos's spirit was gone... something lingered here.

 

[Darth Kravos]

Only three beings had cracked the seal to the holocron since it had been shut away in the tomb of the Dark Lord all those years ago, and perhaps that was for the best. With the holocron once more on its pedestal, opening it would not be difficult for a student of the Dark Side.

The device began to twist and alter as it opened and a small, red memory crystal at its peak began to glow. A projection appeared that had been captured through historical recordings. An armor that once held the entire galaxy by its throat and forced it into submission.

Despite the fact that the holocron was merely a hint of a memory of the man he had once been, the mere presence that it projected betrayed the type of man he was in life. They would each be able to immediately sense that he was one who would waste none of his time with those who were unworthy, and each of their secrets would be laid bare in front of him.

And still there was silence. His head turned, looking to each of them in turn, his gaze enough to send chills down the spine of even the hardiest of Sith Lords.

You're not Adrietta. What did you do with her? he asked, his voice as cold and emotionless as any they would have heard before. There was no indication of why he asked or what he hoped to gain from the information. Even as a construct "designed to teach" it gave the impression that it had little interest in what either of them were after but rather its own interests.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Renfry’s words actually caused him to pause before he opened the holocron. He slowly turned his head to regard her. She spoke of loyalty to him, and he could hear the genuine tone of her voice. She was standing here by his side even at the face of destruction and death. She had said as much before, but it was the first time he was truly witnessing it. It was the longest he had ever looked at her, and no words were uttered. The eyes spoke volumes, but it was only the slightest little flicker. The cold ice slid right back, his head turning back to face ahead as he opened the holocron.

Emryc’s breath caught in his throat as the projection began to materialize. He had only read about that armor. He had only heard the stories. He had only seen the drawings. He had only read about the raw, unadulterated fear it struck across the galaxy. It had only lived in his imagination. He had idols of it. He had worshipped it. He had devoted his life to it. And now, it was before him.

Lord Kravos was before him.

He dropped to his knees, gazing up at the remnant of his god he prayed to every single day. He saw the chilling gaze, ice running down the length of his spine. The yellow gaze, even as a projection, tore right through him. He felt weaker than he ever had before, his limbs loose. He was trembling slightly in the sheer presence of such a force.

Kravos' voice boomed throughout the chamber, dust kicking up around them. He slowly rose to be on one knee, bowing respectfully. Emryc gazed into the yellow eyes, his arm crossed over the raised knee, “She was weak,” He said truthfully, “She was cast aside. She could not comprehend your guidance.”

 

[Darth Kravos]

Darth Kravos evaluated him in silence as he dropped to his knee and spoke of the weakness of Adrietta. There was no indication of whether he agreed or not with the assessment of the Sith before him.

Young, but strong. Confident in himself.

And you can? he asked. That was the logical extension of the boy's statement. There was obvious doubt. And yet Andraste was younger... but he's not Andraste. No one ever had been and no one ever would be. Even Sidious, for all the power Kravos had felt from him, lacked the intangible quality that his love had had.

His gaze was still locked on Emryc in the long moments of silence that followed. He bows. An interesting decision that he noted without comment. His eyes swept over to the woman, yet to speak, and noted her doing the same.

Get up, he said, addressing them both.

You wouldn't have opened this holocron if you didn't want something. What is it? he asked. Even as he asked it they would both feel the impression that there was a larger game afoot in which they had abruptly become pawns.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc couldn’t deny that standing felt strange after he had knelt in devotion to his idols for so long. He did as told, rising up to face Kravos. He heard the booming voice, and it was a question he had no hesitation in answering.

“I can,” He said simply, his personality slowly creeping back in. There was power in being in Kravos’ presence, and it was almost tangible despite him being a projection. Emryc had spent many years studying the man before him and his teachings. If there was anyone that could decode the holocron, it had to be him. Emryc didn’t project his confidence overtly, though he suspected that Kravos could see through it.

“Everything,” He said as he held Kravos’ gaze, “The darkest things, the twisted things, the path towards harnessing the galaxy….” He paused for a long moment, speaking softer this time, “....And the mistakes to avoid.”

 

[Darth Kravos]

We'll see, he thought to himself. Ambition, but with what substance? The trials of his tomb had been designed to test individuals to their limits. Past emperors had been undone by the trials. Sidious had succeeded, but this one... what had he done to prove his worth?

So you seek to become Dark Lord? he asked, but before Emryc would be able to answer he spoke again.

No. You don't, he said, eyes sweeping over to Renfry. She does. And you seek to be Emperor, he said, mouth twisting up in a smile that didn't seem to reach his eyes. Oh, this is familiar.

There was a low rumbling that might have been a laugh, growl, or anything in between, but he said nothing else on the matter.

You didn't conquer the challenges of my tomb, so why are you worthy to know the difference between the dark, twisted things that lead to power and those that lead to ruin? he asked. Despite demanding no reverence or bowing from those who came to him, he had no hesitation in forcing those who came to him to face the difficult questions. His holocron was intended to preserve the knowledge of the Dark Lords and those strong enough to take it, and he would yield it to no lesser individuals.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc simply stared as Kravos relayed his ambitions for him. In truth, he hadn’t given those paths any thought just yet. He wondered if it was simply Kravos testing him, planting ideas within his mind, “I seek knowledge,” Emryc said in response. Titles and glory paled in comparison to his thirst for knowledge. He surrounded himself with others that knew more than him about something and he was always hungry for wisdom.

He didn’t miss the sick amusement Kravos had from the Dark Lord and Emperor reference. Kravos had lived through Andraste’s ascension and his own, but what were the costs to them both? His next question was valid and Emryc did feel cheapened at not being able to truly face the trials.

“The trials were put in place to test devotion above all,” Emryc said quietly, “I have shown that devotion to you, Andraste and the other Sith Lords of old to walk the path you have paved before me. I punish myself when I stray from it and have been for years. I learn from it and stay the course,” Emryc gazed into Kravos’ eyes, “I wield the Force as Andraste envisioned - I bring it to heel and command it.”

There was no test of battles or puzzles, it was true, but Emryc had lived the life of devotion and faith each day, “I will not tell you if I am worthy, for you are wise enough to judge whether I am or not. However…. “ There was an almost cruel grin that began to appear on his face, “This Kal has not given his devotion and his humanity to Alais. I am still the master of my mind and soul. My faith decrees it.”

 

[Darth Kravos]

Kravos was silent. He listened and somehow his mind managed to penetrate that of both the individuals who stood before him. The young Sith was unafraid to meet Kravos's gaze directly, and he would see the cold, objective eyes that evaluated him as one might evaluate a starfighter. An object or tool whose function was all that mattered.

There was the faintest flicker as Emryc referenced wielding the Force as Andraste envisioned. A bold claim.

It wasn't until the final statements that there was a flicker of genuine anger from the Dark Lord. He had only allowed Andraste to use his true name, and even then she seldom did. This whelp, after reading of their history, thought he knew things. What could he possibly know? Even those who had known Andraste and Kravos best failed to grasp the twisted nature of their relationship until years later.

Valena disagrees, he said simply. His gaze was as if it pierced straight through Emryc for the first time since they'd met. And Kravos knew.

62.0 degrees by 149.0 degrees on Korriban there is a cave, he said.

Go there, take my holocron, face the thing you love and fear the most, he said cryptically, lips twisted up in a grin. He gave no explanation of what they would find there, but it would be Emryc's test.

His eyes turned to Renfry and settled on her for a moment. As with Emryc, he knew. He knew the path that awaited her and how twisted she would become if she followed it. Her path was his.

You poor child.

You've purged minds before. He will need you, he said to her. He also knew those words weren't words Emryc would enjoy hearing, but Kravos recalled traveling to Dathomir with Leviticus all those years ago and aiding him in subjecting the Nightsisters. He knew their culture if only a little and he could see the skill set this one possessed.

Summon me when you arrive, he said, and with that he was gone.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc’s jaw twitched just the slightest bit at the name. That insufferable spirit that pierced his mind on Dathomir still lingered. He had been doing his best to suppress it, but clearly it was obvious enough even for Kravos to pick up. Had she been the cause of it? Had she been the reason for his weakness? Had she been the reason that Asminys lingered on his mind more than he would have allowed otherwise? Was she the reason that he sometimes questioned his faith? Was she why desires he had locked away with purpose ventured into his thoughts far too easily?

He couldn’t help but glance at Renfry, a streak of rage coursing through him. This had been her doing. She had allowed Valena to pierce his mind, an insufferable Jedi’s presence living in his head like a disease. He had to fight back from striking Renfry, exhaling slowly as he looked back at Kravos. There was no masking anything around his god. Kravos simply reminded Emryc why he was who he was.

To add insult to injury, he was told that he would need Renfry. The idea of ever needing anyone made his blood boil. He visibly stiffened at the words, and his face was rigid. His eyes did nothing mask the anger that flared within.

“It will be done,” He said curtly as he stepped forth to grab the holocron after it had closed again. He said nothing to Renfry, turning around to go to the designated location.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry found the presence in front of her to be unnerving to say the least. Even as a simulation of the being he had once been, Renfry could sense just what kind of power he had had and the terror he had struck into the hearts of others. This was what she had pledged to be? The thought terrified her and excited her all at once.

Each time his eyes swept toward her, she felt exposed. As if everything - even those things she wanted to keep secret - were being shouted from the top of a mountain. And he could see the desire in her heart. The desire for the mantle that he had once held millennia ago, but he made no comment on it apart from its existence.

When he mentioned that Emryc would need her, she could feel the anger from Emryc. She knew he hated that, but it gave her... satisfaction. She wanted to be wanted, and she also faced the truth that she would probably never have that from Emryc. She could feel something in the Dark Lord's gaze, perhaps pity or familiarity.

But even so, Emryc's words to the Dark Lord were a reminder that she was nothing to him. It stung when it shouldn't have. He didn't even hate her. She was like a piece of lint or a bottlecap which invoked no emotional reaction at all: an object to be used or removed.

She pushed the thought aside, reminding herself - or telling herself - that the reason she did this wasn't just for him, it was because it would bring her to power as well. Such had already been proven true.

They walked to the ship in silence.

---​

The coordinates got them close to the cave, and the Force was an easy guide for the rest. On a world filled with darkness, this place stood out in a similar way to the tombs of the great Sith Lords. It was filled with darkness that, in its own way, seemed more intense than anything else.

There was no question that it was where Kravos had wanted them to come and Renfry disembarked from the ship to stand before it after only a few moments, closing her eyes to drink in the feeling. There was much power here, which would be ideal for the ritual if Kravos expected that of her. It was even more potent - and far darker - than Felucia had been.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc could feel the Force pulse here, and he remembered the words Kravos shared. He would need Renfry here, and it meant he would be at her mercy. He kept walking in silence, but he kept glancing over at her every now and then. After they arrived at the mouth of the cave, Emryc paused for a moment before turning to look at her.

“Renfry,” He said quietly, taking the time to look into her eyes. She had spent more time with him than anyone else had at this point. She had seen him through his weakness and the highs, and she had stuck by him through it. Emryc thought over his words, wondering if he had anything to say that she didn’t know already, “I can’t give you what you truly seek from me,” He said simply. He wasn’t ignorant - he had seen the way she looked at him sometimes, “I am who I am and I have made my sacrifices to get here,” He didn’t shift his gaze from hers, “This path you are choosing will only bring you more pain.”

Kravos had looked at her with a gaze that implied a tragic kinship. Emryc hadn’t missed it even through his own rage. He exhaled quietly, lowering his gaze before turning to look away again. Emryc began to walk again, entering the cave.

 

[Renfry]

She had grown accustomed to the idea that they were going to be traveling in silence. They each had their minds on the words of the Dark Lord and despite being dead for millennia he still managed to shake both of them with his words.

He said her name and she froze. It still felt odd whenever he used it, but it made her feel something else as well. She turned and looked at him and he was really looking at her, into her eyes. It was devoid of the anger he had harbored earlier and there was something else there she couldn't identify.

His words made her feel as though she'd been stabbed. He would be able to feel the impact of his words in the Force, but he probably didn't need to. She didn't know what to think. She didn't know how to process what he said or why she cared at all. She shouldn't have. She bit the inside of her lip hard enough to nearly draw blood.

And she knew what he said was true. She knew it, he knew it, Kravos knew it. Her path was one of power, but also pain, regret, and distortion. She didn't say anything and she was frozen in place for a moment as he began to walk again.

Wait, she said, not moving an inch. She looked at him, at his back until he turned.

I need to know. The truth... she said, bracing herself for the question and answer. Perhaps she was simply a masochist and sought only pain, but she needed to know the answer no matter how agonizingly painful it was going to be. Whatever the answer, no matter how bad, she needed to hear it.

...what do you see when you look at me?

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc hadn’t wanted this question, but he knew it was best to face it head on. For a moment, he walked in silence and entered the cave. He clutched the holocron in his hand, the artifact once again humming with a life of its own. Emryc slowed down his pace just slightly before he finally stopped, exhaling.

“A weapon,” He said simply, “I see a lethal weapon to unleash upon the galaxy. A weapon to execute my will,” Emryc slowly turned to face her again, the yellow hues in his eyes gleaming, “Does the answer satisfy you?”

For all his faults, Emryc was an honest man. There was nothing in his tone to suggest he wasn’t genuine. She still had a chance to walk away from it. He knew that purging his mind without her help would be near impossible, but he still gave her the answer owed. His face was blank after he asked his question, not moving again till they were finished speaking on the topic.

 

[Renfry]

Her heart was pounding as she awaited the answer, and it didn't stop as she heard his answer. It wasn't the answer she was hoping for, but it wasn't as bad as she had dreaded. Still, it did nothing to flood her with joy.

She was still after he spoke. She was quickly learning about him and even becoming more like him in ways. She knew that she would get the true answer to her question, and it was why she asked. She wanted to know precisely what he saw, and now she did. No more self-deceit. No more deluding herself.

One more cut. Eventually there'll be nothing left but scars. She knew it and yet here she stood. Better now than later.

She didn't answer his question, there was no point to it. Nothing she would say would change the facts, and she didn't think he would force her to answer.

She walked on, not away toward the ship, but into the cave, crossing the threshold and immediately feeling as though she was wrapped in a blanket of darkness. It might have normally felt stifling, but right now... its chill was precisely what she needed to calm the fire in her chest.

We should wake him up, she said, motioning to the holocron. Her eyes seemed a bit more distant as she looked at him, but no less determined.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc could feel the waves that coursed through Renfry, and he didn’t react to it. He couldn’t afford to. He remained silent, standing there until she broke the gaze first and shifted the focus back to the task at hand. Emryc didn’t offer any words like a person normally would at this juncture. He simply drew out the holocron and placed it on a marked pedestal.

He paused for a moment, wondering what nightmares would be unleashed upon him. He had a sick feeling at the pit of his stomach, sighing. He finally stepped forth and opened the holocron, preparing to face Kravos yet again.

Emryc didn’t look at Renfry, but he wondered what her role would be.

 

[Darth Kravos]

The holocron activated once again and the likeness of Darth Kravos appeared before them once again. His eyes swept over the cave, familiarity settling over his mind. He knew this place. He had come here with Evandrus and then again with Andraste all those millennia ago. He had studied Sith spirits during his life, and set up contingencies to protect himself and those he had cared for.

Good, he said, not needing to ask where they were or what had transpired.

His eyes turned to both of them, focusing in on those who would execute his will. After a moment they focused in on Emryc.

We're going to exorcise your mind and awaken the spirits of the ancient Sith, he said directly.

Tell me, do you fear possession by a Sith spirit? he asked. And now it would be incredibly clear what he had meant within his tomb. Emryc loved the Sith of old, but he feared his mind being taken and controlled by another. Here, as his test, he would be forced to face both. And somewhere along the way, Kravos was determined to get this "Valena" out of his mind. It was not fitting of any Sith and certainly not of one with aspirations and devotion.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc stared at Kravos for a moment, pondering how to answer the question. In the end, he went with honesty.

“Yes,” He said curtly, “I detest the thought of losing control of my own thoughts,” Emryc had sought out Kravos’ holocron because the fundamental teaching was around protection of the mind. However, he wasn’t in control even now with the Jedi’s spirit haunting his thoughts. It made him incredibly susceptible to others prodding his mind.

Everything that came next would be unpleasant, but he hadn’t expected the Kravos holocron journey to be a walk in the park. He gazed at Kravos, his displeasure simmering beneath the surface.

“I’m ready.”

 

[Darth Kravos]

At least he didn't bother lying about it. Kravos wouldn't have selected this as his trial if he were comfortable with it.

He turned to Renfry, his attention now fully on her.

Only a portion of the Spirits were destroyed with the death of Darth Sidious. I created a reservoir here that can be opened to revive them. Return them to this plane, he said, eyes glancing back toward Emryc. The revelation that the Spirits of the ancient Sith could be returned to this world would be no small thing to him.

He continued speaking a moment later.

You'll then perform your ritual to burn the Jedi from his mind, he said before turning back to Emryc.

And then you will confront a Sith spirit directly. You'll face it and overcome it, he said and then turned back to Renfry. And you will stabilize his mind, he said.

Any questions? he asked, looking back to Emryc. The holocron had a great deal of information about mental powers, and although Force of Will couldn't be learned in such a short period of time, if he needed information to aid him in resisting the Spirit, now was the time to ask or begin.