Union of Evil

[Varyn Rask]

The Emperor seldom found time for himself, but his activities today he chalked up to "research and meditation." His near-obsessive interest in history and the Force often led him into the most ancient and under-explored areas of the temple on Korriban. Sculptures of Tuk'ata, ancient Red Sith, and the early Sith Lords were common among the many pillars and rooms of the temples.

It was here, at the heart of a temple on a world so dedicated to the darkness, that he often felt glimpses of powers that were difficult to fathom. But he never stopped his search.

His royal guards didn't walk with him on this venture, and few ever bothered him on the way. The Acolytes and Crusaders - those seldom times that they saw him at all - steered clear of his path. They didn't dare interrupt him, and he was glad for that. Too few moments were captured and belonged solely to him.

But today there was something different. From the moment Varyn had set out on his trip, there was something wrong. It was as if he weren't alone. He saw and heard no one, but he was a predator, and he knew what it felt like to be stalked. Who or what it was, he didn't know, and he certainly didn't count out that it may have been an assassin, but until it showed itself, the Emperor simply bided his time.

When will you show yourself? And to what purpose? Whatever it was, it was darkness. This was no Jedi traitor or even a Mandalorian. It gave off an aura of evil almost akin to Varyn's own. Fascinating, he thought, wondering if it was a manifestation of the temple itself, though he found it unlikely. @Orbit

 

[The Eternal (?)]

As the Emperor could sense the Eternal, it was the vice versa as well. Both of them were powerful and they were certainly the biggest apex on Korriban and it was hard not to notice each other. Not only that but there has always been a connection between the Eternal and the sitting Emperor/Empress. The mask never thought that someone reigned supreme over it but there was one person that could demand it's attention when they spoke and it was the Emperor. It all started back when the Empress Andraste first unleashed the Eternal fully out into the galaxy and letting it reign free instead of a weapon that was shackled by chains, the usual fate from Kings before. Since then the mask had a hard time deciphering on how to react when it came to others that took the throne, instead of personally respecting who the leader was, it more respected the position than anything else as it was a testament to their strength.

The creature was already on its way to meet the other predator on the planet, perfectly masking its signature to stalk who it sought out. It was quite easy for the Eternal, not because of the lack of security or the man's awareness but more that the Eternal had hundreds of years of practice, the shadows and darkness it's home and expertly traversing across it. It didn't take long for the Eternal to enter and as Varyn spent his time to conduct his "research and meditation" he would suddenly feel the air shift, it immediately dropping in degrees as his breath would turn visible and form small wispy clouds. If he glanced over he would find the windows begun to frost over as well, distorting the light that was allowed into the room and in turn manufacturing the shadows to enlarge and consume greater parts of the room. It was clear that the presence he felt before was now in the room in with him and with the distance now closed, there was a clear difference between them. Whatever it was it clearly didn't feel human, it was just as unnatural as the cold that entered the room and not only that but its signature seemed to twist and turn; appearing to battle with itself as it would pulsate and swallow the entire room.

As Varyn occupied one side of the room the Eternal occupied the other and it was evident, the shadows seeming to writhe where they were and move on their own as something else was in the darkness with them. When the Eternal finally stepped out to reveal himself he didn't leave their embrace, half of his body still masked by the darkness that was created by him, leaving his head and torso visible as were part of his legs. The Emperor would instantly be able to recognize what it was, the crimson eyes matching the color of blood and making his gaze lack any sign of emotion or empathy, The Eternal. The creatures' head twitched in different directions for a moment before it gazed at Varyn, clearly inspecting him for a few moments as its eyes slowly dismembered the man piece by piece attempting to figure him out. It slowly raised a hand and extended it out from the shadows and pointed a finger at him, "Yooouuu... arrreee nooot....." The creature's head twitched into a different direction, the inflection and tone of its voice becoming deeper and changing as it spoke the last word. "Drraaaasssst." It was like it was learning the basic language for the first time, each word painful to speak.

The Eternal had been in slumber for years and the last thing it remembered was a Drast holding the throne, the royal bloodline having held the seat of power for centuries. The creature didn't even need to stare at Varyn that long to discern that, already able to smell from the man's blood that there was no such royalty that flowed from his veins. "Whhoooo... arrrrreee" Another twitch into a different direction, this time his tone becoming high-pitched and almost screech like, "Yoooouuu?" The Eternal wanted answers, it clear everything had changed and it wanted to know by exactly how much.

 

[Varyn Rask]

For someone trained in the Force, the shift in the Force was impossible to miss, but even Varyn hadn't expected it to be quite so... potent. What he had at first suspected to be a powerful assassin was something else entirely. The Emperor had experienced the Force first hand - both as Light and Dark - and this "entity" had the same intangible qualities. It was shrouded in a shadow that obscured, and although he was on edge, Varyn was fascinated. This wasn't just any Sith, of that he was sure.

When the mask finally emerged from the clawed shadow, Varyn's stomach practically hit the floor. He recognized that mask all too well for what it was, and he couldn't decide whether to feel shocked, excited, or something in between. Was this a manfiestation of the Force? A Sith spirit? He knew the legend of the Eternal said that it never died, but he had always chalked that up to more myth than fact. Now he wasn't so sure.

When it spoke, the words were more like a hiss than a sentence. It spoke of the Drasts, but if Varyn's memory served, the Eternal hadn't been seen in nearly 500 years. Did it even know when it was?

No, I'm not, he said. Andraste has been gone for nearly 500 years, he said. Although the Drasts hadn't been off the throne that long, Andraste and her husbands were likely the Drasts he was familiar with.

Do you remember? he asked, though the question was intentionally open ended. Varyn was curious to learn anything this being knew of the early Sith council, and particularly Andraste, but he also hoped to stimulate some memories in the creature. Or perhaps it had no memories of what had happened, and it would fall to Varyn to fill in the blanks.

 

[The Eternal (?)]

When the man said that Andraste had been gone for five hundred years the air came still as did the little particles in the air as if matched the emotions of the Eternal itself. The mask didn't speak for a long time, just staring at Varyn blankly as he would be able to see different parts of it twitch. It was like it was frozen in place, unable to comprehend the information that the man just revealed. Out of nowhere, however, Varyn would start to feel pain, not from himself but it emanating from the Eternal as he finally regained control of himself and put his hands on top of his forehead. It wasn't physical pain but emotional, a certain type of agony that couldn't be achieved through physical pain. The Eternal almost started buckling at his knees, it making some sort of inhuman sound that could resemble suffering, Varyn able to see the creature start to dig its fingers into its head like it was trying to relieve the pressure that was building up. The Eternal had been just born and because of that reason, it was like a child, unable to hide its emotions openly as it hadn't learned to deal with these situations yet.

The Eternal randomly shot it's hand out in anger at one of the nearby pillars, taking a sizeable chunk of stone out as the shadows seemed to hiss and writhe in anger with him. The whispers around Varyn's head would intensify even though he still wouldn't be able to understand them, not talking to him but more talking amongst themselves in regaining control. After a few seconds, the Eternal snapped its gaze back toward the Emperor and seemed to regain control of itself once more. "Weee... Remember... Everyything" It twitched it's head again, "Weee maade it... With heerrr." The Eternal let out a humorless chuckle before slowly raising his hand and tapping its index finger against its temple, "Faaamilllyyy..." Multiple lines of Drast roamed inside the mask and it knew everything that they did, nothing was hidden from it.

But when the Eternal mentioned family it screeched in pain, clutching onto its head as it continued to twitch its head uncontrollably, the voices battling each other. It was like it was being punished for even mentioning the word or at least revealing the meaning behind it, the creature falling to the ground and unable to support itself. It tried to stay there on the ground and out wait the internal pain that was being inflicted with but it eventually dragged itself into back into the shadows and disappeared inside them. When the Eternal revealed itself once more it was completely different from when it entered the shadows, standing in a straighter posture almost regal, as it's gaze now seemed to hold a purpose as it gazed upon Varyn. Unlike before its head didn't twitch this time, it now appearing controlled by a single entity instead of multiple, clearly having forced itself to be in control. "What has... happened?" Its voice was concentrated, clearly holding the center stage of whatever landscape was inside the crimson eyes of the mask. It didn't want to know, it needed to know how the line was discontinued. The agony that permeated from it before was now at the forefront now but it was mixed with a wave of blazing anger that was barely being contained. It was clear whatever was inside the mask, it had a close tie with the Drast line and even though the mask was weak, the subject of the Drasts would need to be approached carefully.

 

[Varyn Rask]

Somehow the rest of the galaxy seemed far more distant, and Varyn nearly forgot where they were. Korriban, he thought, rooting himself back in the here and now rather than letting himself tumble through history and all that had once been. This was a piece of the past standing before him, but it felt like more of an animal than a human. A wounded animal that had been dumped here from an unknown time and place. A dangerous animal.

He could feel the agony bleeding off of the Eternal, feel the presence of others in the room even though it was empty, and feel an immaterial hand grasp his mind and his soul. It caused even him to take a step back, quashing the instinct to reach out to the Force to protect himself.

The whispers were all around him, and while Varyn couldn't understand them, he understood one thing: they communed with the monster down the path. Their language was the same, and he could feel the creature of darkness respond. It reared its proverbial head, and it took restraint for Varyn to push it down. But the Emperor couldn't suppress the fascination that had risen inside of him.

This thing had a profound connection to the Drasts. It called them "family" and referred to itself as "we." Was it truly a Drast? Or was it part Drast? That may have been the better term for it. There were many questions, and he knew he would receive no answers. He didn't need to: a symbol like the Eternal would be powerful to the Empire.

Still the Emperor was silent as it came to terms with the truth in the most violent manner possible. He wondered if it would simply destroy itself here and now in its agony, but it didn't. Or at least he didn't think it had? It shrunk back into the shadows, invisible among the twisting darkness. There were screeches that he couldn't tell if they were from the darkness or inside his own mind before the mask emerged again.

For a moment more he said nothing as he decided how to broach the topic. The Drast Dynasty ruled for 500 years, he said at first. The generations immediately after Andraste were good and just rulers, but in more recent days, the Drasts split the Empire, he said, thinking back to the way the civil war had ripped the galaxy - and the Empire - apart.

There was a civil war, and 3 Drast Emperors and Empresses in a row were killed without heirs, he said. He had taken the throne as a result. He let it process what was said, not moving on for a moment until he had formulated what he would say, and until he thought the mask was ready.

Drast blood doesn't flow in my veins, but I don't intend to set up a dynasty on blood. I want a dynasty that follows in Andraste's footsteps, he said. It was no secret, and he stood by his end goals.

 

[The Eternal (?)]

The Eternal stood there like a statue, the air fluctuating around it as it just listened to what Varyn was saying. He informed it that after Andraste the line continued strong, which it knew, the mask has been a part of it when Siris the Second held the crown. It was only recently that the family line had failed, the words a dagger to the heart of the current entity that was in control. Varyn told him of the three Drasts that had been killed one after the other and without children, a massive embarrassment to one of the strongest families that the galaxy had ever witnessed. The Eternal gave a sort of sneer as it whipped it's head in one direction, "Paathhetiic..." When the creature was forced into its slumber the Empire was going full steam ahead, nothing able to challenge and now when the mask returned it was told one of it's hardest achievements suffered and destroyed itself. It's hand closed into a fist and visibly shaking, the anger coming in waves and simply just trying to not destroy the walls and practically this whole temple.

When Varyn told the mask that he didn't intend to set up his dynasty on blood but instead follow in Andraste's footsteps it made the Eternal bark out a laugh, it turning into cackling that wasn't audibly pleasing like it was laughing for the first time ever and still trying to figure out how to make it. "Pleaasse... You can't be... thaaat naaivvee." The Eternal crouched down, cocking it's head slightly as it stared at the Emperor and spoke again, "Ifff yooou belieeve... it waasn't buuiilt on bloood then you haaavve noo idea whhaat yoou speeaak of." The Eternal let out another ugly bark of laughter before asking a rhetorical question, "Whhaat doo yoouu thiiinnnk weee we'rrre there foor?" While the mask was a powerful symbol of the Empire, it wasn't there to act as a mascot for the sitting Emperor/Empress and Alais certainly took advantage of having something like the Eternal. Alais certainly understood what she was doing when she created the first Empire and the sacrifices that would be made for it. She just knew how to cover her tracks well and manipulated the whole galaxy around her finger.

The creature then glanced to the shadows that had built up next to him, dipping his hand into them and lifting it up afterward, watching the shadows slither through his fingers like it was a snake before sliding down his arm and seeming to fuse into the Eternal. It didn't speak for a moment before gazing at Varyn once more and bluntly spoke, "Yoou wiill faaaill annnd bee foorgotten." It wasn't an insult just to stab at Varyn but more it's basic opinion and acting like he was just sharing it openly. The creature's head cocked quickly to the other side after, "Alaaaisss diiid noooot foollow affter... She waass thhhee onne who led." Varyn would be able to feel the anger that was blended in with it's words, almost snapping at him like he couldn't compare himself to something that great. If Varyn wanted to follow in Alais' path, he would need to find his own direction instead of following after her ghost. Nothing was ever the same and that was true when it came to the situation the Empire was in now. There wasn't time to act through peaceful means, The Eternal could see how far the Empire had fallen from when it had last seen it and it was time to correct its course.

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn listened to the creature, and felt the bite of the words. Despite the creature's insults, he refused to allow anger to get the better of him. He hadn't pulled the Empire back together by allowing himself to be baited in by petty insults, though there was something far more important and underlying that Varyn had to consider: this creature might well try to kill him here and now. He wondered what damage it might do if it were set loose on the Empire. His ever-paranoid senses were only increased tenfold at the appearance of a deadly enemy. Varyn's feet began to move in a counter-clockwise path around the room, circling like a predator, and unperturbed by whatever shadows might have been lurking there. As he approached they would flee at his mere presence: a testament to the invisible power he held but seldom displayed.

His eyes narrowed as he listened and debated for a moment if he should correct what the Eternal had evidently misunderstood. Yes. It was built on blood. And that blood nearly destroyed it. Simply having Drast blood doesn't make a leader. You were there because she was a powerful leader, he said, answering the creature's question and correcting it all at once. Never had Varyn claimed the first Empire wasn't built on a blood dynasty, but the Empire as it stood today would not be built on that. It would be built on the traditions of old. The traditions of the Sith: rule by the most capable, and if the Eternal suggested anything less, then it was more foolish than Varyn had ever anticipated.

As the Eternal continued on its hissing tirade, Varyn tilted his head to the side. Then I'll be forgotten, he said, evidently unconcerned by the idea. Sure, he wanted his name to be remembered, but that was far secondary to his true goals. He'd affected many of his changes behind an alias; name meant little.

Legacy is far more than a name, and you're not in a position to judge whether I'll succeed at my goals, he said. Even if the Eternal knew of Varyn's true goals, the extent of his knowledge of the state of the Empire was limited to what Varyn had told him.

The reality of a potential confrontation was on the horizon, and the more that rose, the more Varyn's resolve firmed. He had no need for theatrics or demonstrations of his power. Better to let your enemy underestimate you than show your hand too early. The Emperor could sense everything in the room, and that was enough for him. The Force flowed powerfully in this place, and it spoke to him, flowing like water over ever inch of his skin and bending at the most minuscule provocation to his command. In response, the creature deep down the dark path reared its head and made ready for war at the slightest provocation. It fed on death and chaos, and it was always ravenous.

Do what you must, but I'll have no dissension in my Empire. I've come too far for that, he said, his voice far colder and more menacing than it had been up until now. It was the creature's one chance to dispose of what it deemed to be an unworthy Emperor, and Varyn's gaze didn't waver from behind his own mask. If the creature sought to reset the course of the Empire, then it would do so with blood.

So the moment of choice came now: they would either join forces or one of them would walk out of this room in pieces. One of those outcomes was far more preferable as Varyn had always looked up to the Sith Lords of old, but Varyn hadn't even spared his own Sith Lords when they had harmed the Empire. If the Eternal wanted him to break free of the shadow of the Sith Lords of old, he would do just that. The Empire was more important than any of his heroes or even his own life.

 

[The Eternal (?)]

The Eternal remained there crouch, able to feel the tension in the air rise dramatically as the Emperor readied himself for combat. It tilted it's head and stared at Varyn curiously, almost like he couldn't understand the man's actions or the reason for them. Varyn told him he can do what he must and the single entity that was controlling the mask at that moment just shook his head, almost in disappointment as it could see that the Emperor didn't understand the Eternal's words. It couldn't blame him, it spoke too bluntly and it realized it was just something that the man would have to figure out himself in time. The Eternal shook his head once more as if shaking it clear of something before it started to twitch again uncontrollably as the rest of voices returned, the one before seeming to have purposely recall itself back into the mask to just spectate and see what would happen.

When it's head finally straightened out, the Eternal raised it's gaze back to Varyn before just waving his hand absentmindedly, "Puuut iiit awwaay... ifff weee wiiisshhheed tooo fiiighht theeenn weee... wouldnn't haaave spppooken to yooou firssst..." It was clear that his words had gotten under his skin and he could feel the power radiating from the emperor, it rivaling the Eternal's own as it would have to bide it's time if they were truly to become equal. The Eternal rose back to it's feet before offering both of it's arms toward Varyn, "leet usss not be ennemmieesss... Wee doo noot wiiishh fooor disseennsssioonn as well..." The mask and the Emperor were always supposed to work together, that was the point of the mask and what their relationship was. If they fought now it would be the first time in the history of the galaxy that they would have battled. There was a reason for why the Eternal came there and it wasn't so the two of them could bark at each other.

"The Empire issss preciousss tooo usss... Weee willll heeellp yooou... But we will require.... ouuuur seeaat." The Eternal could see the reaction that Varyn had when he first saw the mask so it guessed that he would know exactly what it was talking about. Much time has passed but the seat wouldn't have except maybe for name but even the Eternal knew the council wouldn't be abolished. It was talking about the Grand Executioner seat or just a Dark Council seat in general if it did change. The Eternal was the first one who had taken the seat when the Empire was first formed and was the first that gave the title it's fear when it happened. It had been vacant long enough from the Eternal and it was time that it went back to its rightful owner. "Bloood willll be split noo maatteer whhaaat annnd if yooou wiiishh to keep yooour.... hannds cleeaan... weee willl happilly do the deeeed insteeeaaad..." The Eternal was a weapon and it knew it was a weapon and it certainly didn't mind. The mask rather enjoyed its job and was quite proficient at it.

 

[Varyn Rask]

It wasn't clear if Varyn relaxed at all when the Eternal declared its intent not to fight. While he took that as a good sign, he'd only come this far through paranoia, and that wasn't going to change now. He considered the creature and where it would sit in the Order. It had a reputation as a fearsome killer, and he wondered if this indeed was the same creature from the stories. It had to be, for it displayed too many characteristics to be anything else. Was it perhaps not a person at all, but simply some sentient artifact or experiment of the ancient Sith Lords? Varyn didn't think time would ever actually tell him: a mystery of the Dark Side.

Reacquaint yourself with the Empire first - as a Sith Lord of course - and I'm sure your seat on the Council will not be far behind, he said, thinking about what it had said about caring about the Empire. He certainly hoped that was the case. They could use a force like the Eternal on their side.

The Jedi have returned, he said. Of course, the thought that this particular bearer of the mask was once a Jedi Master had never crossed his mind, and the revelation would have come as quite a shock to him.

Perhaps you'd care to spill their blood first, he said, cocking his head to the side. Unless you had another intention? he asked, interested to hear if the creature had any particular insights that it brought with it or perhaps a plan of its own already devised. He wondered further how long it had been around before revealing itself. He also had no delusions that it would stick around long enough to have a conversation or chat around it. @Orbit

 

[The Eternal (?)]

The Eternal gave a sort of annoyed grunt, knowing that Varyn would make them jump through the hoops before he could have his seat back. The creature made the seat and title it had but it knew that it couldn't act out, it was just birthed and rather weak in this state. When Varyn spoke of the Jedi returning the Eternal let out another bark of laughter, "Weee knooooww... weee caaan smeeellll theeemm..." It was true, their stench was pungent and disgusting, the mask now intimately familiar with it and able to sniff it out like a bloodhound. There were a lot of the things the mask had to do but it would never turn down a hunt for Jedi, it was it's favorite past-time.

The Eternal's gaze seemed distant, like it was already formulating plans inside the abyss that could be called its mind. It seemed to even forget where it was at it became deathly silent until Varyn spoke again and broke the visage it was making in its head. The Eternal just chuckled again at the Emperor's question before doing another slight bow and having it's head twist until almost an unnatural angle as it continued to stare at Varyn. "Yooouu wiilll knnnooww whheenn... yoouu seeee ouuurr wooorrk." Standing back to it's full height in a brisk motion, the Eternal then started to step backwards, once more submerging itself into the shadows as they reattached to it like a missing lover. The creature's body would disappear, leaving only it's two red eyes visible for Varyn before they eventually disappeared as well.

The Emperor would see the frost along the walls and glass slowly start to shrink and melt, the lights returning to their normal state as the natural shadows took their place and seemed to lose the mass they had when the Eternal was in the room. The temperature also returned to normal, confirming the Eternal had left the Emperor and let him have his privacy. The creature was already on the move, combing through Korriban and finding the nearest ship. It did not need any obstacles or deal with the local Imperials, the Eternal would find it's own people, ones that saw it's vision and also like him, have an iron will to see their goal through.