With the Setting Sun

[Aeteran Ea'Tera]

The entirety of the ship was quiet except for the gentle humming of the hyperdrive as the YT1300 freighter sailed through the vast emptiness of space. The ship hurtled through the cosmos along the Perlemian trade route and the stars streaked by so quickly it illuminated the ship with a faint blue glow. Apart from the gentle humming of the hyperdrive Aeteran could only hear the sound of him breathing as he sat in quiet repose and introspection. Aeteran Ea’Tera was a tall and lean man who lay back in his seat and allowed his spindly, long fingers to lie folded neatly in his lap. Never before had Aeteran ventured this far away from his home, there not being much in his desire outside of the nearby-populated sectors of his homeworld. The blood of colonists ran in his veins, his ancestors having populated Corulag from the great world of Coruscant, now nothing more than a pile of rubble and ruin. Those great and brave men came forth years ago into the unknown, and now it seemed fated that Aeteran do the same.

For years he had done exactly what he was supposed to do, followed the path that was destined for him. He smiled politely whenever he met a new person, he underwent years of schooling in order to secure a decent job, and afterwards he participated in the legal system of the galaxy to the best he was able. Scruples and morals were never Aeteran’s strongpoint, and that is part of what led him on this current path to the distant world of Korriban, the homeworld of the Sith. For all the research he had done and everything he had learned about the mysterious order of force wielders could not compare to what was in store for him. There was no way that Aeteran could predict where this journey would lead him.

There were other individuals on the ship, but Aeteran would rather keep to himself than socialize with the others here. In all honesty Aeteran’s stomach was tied in knots and nerves kept him on edge and he tried to calm himself. Though it was always Aeteran’s policy to make friends where he could since one could never know when a contact would be beneficial in the future. He looked at four other humans, a Rodian, and a Quarren and noticed the expressions on their faces, the posturing of their bodies, and wondered what exactly were they thinking at this time, could they be thinking the same things as him? Were they other hopefuls bound for the dead and dark and dread world of the Sith? Or did they have some other business, living their life as once Aeteran had? Aeteran could not know, nor fathom to know, only to guess and infer the best he could, his abilities and powers of reading people were eclipsed by the nerves he felt in the pit of his stomach, as the coils of indecision and fear wrapped themselves around his beating heart.


The ship completed its journey without incident or any other notable event. Aeteran did not carry many possessions with him, simply the bare essentials in one container and a single vibroblade. It was one of the first things he ever bought himself after finishing his legal training. It was a simply thing, balanced for fencing but without any gaudiness other than the shine it boasted due to Aeteran keeping impeccable care of it. There was no shine now, since it was safely tucked away in its sheath. Aeteran was not sure if they would confiscate his possessions, or allow him to keep what remained of his previous life. Once Aeteran had been a wealthy man on Corulag, but had abandoned his assets as he began this new life. There was nothing holding Aeteran back as he was beginning this new journey.

The sun was just now setting over the dead and dying world as Aeteran stepped off the shuttle, his shoes clanking on the metallic ramp as he descended onto the dying world. Wind whipped the red sand of the world around in the stiff air and the sun cast shadows upon the spaceport where the ship had dropped him off. Making his way through the crowd Aeteran found where he was supposed to be, the entrance to the Sith Academy. It stood near the immense statutes of Sith Lords passed, and Aeteran was awestruck. Ever since he left Corulag he had heard a brief whisper at the back of his mind. It spoke to him, called to him, but was barely a perceptible feeling that disappeared as soon as he listened to it. Now here, on the dark world of the Sith, Aeteran could hear it, and it was insidiously sweet and was in a dread crescendo with ever step he took toward his future.


Checking into the Sith Academy was a fairly simply enough task, as their security procedures seemed much more primitive than the background checks that Aeteran’s firm had placed on him when he took his first job, however Aeteran could not believe it was as simple as it seemed. It would soon turn out that not everything on this world was not as it appeared. Contemplating to himself, Aeteran was nearly positive that the Sith had been evaluating him ever since he booked his passage to this system and had been watching ever since he took his first step on this world.

Sparse hallways, dim lighting, and an overall unfriendly demeanor seemed to follow Aeteran everywhere he went on this world. After having been assigned his room he made his way there for the night to wait what would inevitably happen the next day. Nothing decorated the sides of his room and his bed looked terribly uncomfortable as the acetic nature of the academy made its first impression. Aeteran laid down on the cot and wondered what would happen the next day, but for now all he could do was wait.

 

[Vexillar]

If the process to get into the Academy seemed easy that was because the bulk of the entrance came from behind the scenes work. Mind scans, background checks, and even seemingly harmless conversations. All things done without much going by the person in question. And then there was of course the fact that Korriban was relentless. Just because you got in...didn't mean you stayed.

In fact, the majority of imports didn't stay very long. And fewer actually lived to become something worthwhile.

Raith almost never stayed on Korriban long, however recently he had taken on more and more students. So he found himself stuck on his hellhole of a planet more often. It wasn't a complete waste. He almost never missed a shuttle carrying the newest Acolytes. He enjoyed sizing up the future of the Sith. Nobody caught his attention in the shipment, so he went about his business.

Later that night he walked the halls as he usually did, on his way to the top of the Academy, when he found a mind that was still very much active. He arched a brow and tilted his head. He recognized the person from the shipment. He opened the door to their room and motioned for the Acolyte to come. He wasn't entirely interested in the young man, but who knows. At the very least he would provide an interesting distraction for tonight, no?

Dressed in no shirt, because the Korriban night air felt wonderful actually, a pair of jeans and no sabers or footwear the Sith seemed anything but what he was. Eezeo accompanied him of course, the golden arachnid peered through the darkness with green photoreceptors at the Acolyte in his bed. Acolyte..." he paused for a moment. The Acolyte would feel a bit odd for a moment, like a small pressure was originating from inside his head, but as quickly as it came it left. Raith had pulled the Acolyte's name from his head. "Acolyte Aetaren, come with me." The Miraluka with the krayt dragon eye mask flashed a smile. His voice was anything but normal, but it was still very pleasing. He spoke for two people, his lips moved and his own gentle and tender voice spilled out, but so did another. The second voice was female, the accent was Dathomirian and it was heavy. Her ethereal voice echoed his own words, giving a kind of eerie vocal effect, yet one that wasn't entirely uninviting. It was as curious as the man himself portrayed himself to be. And it often drew people into him as quickly as the words he spoke did.

 

[Aeteran Ea'Tera]

Sleep never came easily and never stayed when Aeteran was nervous, and he had been dozing off to try and catch some sleep before the next day. For some reasons tonight his dreams were particularly dark and incoherent, making no sense and depriving him from the sleep he so desperately sought. Though his dreams brought nothing comforting or useful to him he also hoped that the morning would quickly come to bring on the new day. However this would not be the case, as the sun had set and with its passing darkness had begun to envelope the young acolyte.

Disturbed as his sleep was Aeteran did not notice, sense, or hear the Sith master enter the room until he spoke. Immediately Aeteran jerked awake and reached for the blaster he always kept at the side of his bed, just in case any of his former clients decided to pay him a visit. Reaching in the darkness for the blaster pistol Aeteran forgot that he did not bring it with him. Caution was the watchword and the motto that Aeteran lived by, and this was no different. It took a moment for Aeteran’s eyes to adjust to the dark, not having been particularly accustomed to working in dark environments but one thing he did notice immediately were the green eyes staring back at him in the darkness. It took a moment for Aeteran to realize that they were mechanical in nature, and belonged to that of an inorganic life form, a droid.

Quickly awakening and wiping his eyes Aeteran bolted up in bed to address the man who had come to see him as well as turning on the lights. What Aeteran saw surprised him slightly, seeing a half naked man waking him up was not the first thing he expected to see while on Korriban. Dressed in an evening robe Aeteran straightened up and looked the man in the eye. Pride, dignity, and first appearances were very important to the former business man and he had not had enough time to properly give a decent first impression, however dignity was something Aeteran had learned to wear even when his appearance was slight of professional. Folding his hands before him he took the motion of the Sith master and began to follow him. Remembering his professional manners he spoke in a calm and firm voice, barely belying his nerves. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Aeteran of the family Ea’Tera of Corulag. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance sir.” Aeteran noticed with curiosity the strange voice of this man, but he had a feeling he would have many questions during his time here and that this in turn would be answered as well.

 

[Vexillar]

He chuckled as the man fumbled to collect himself on short notice. He loved meeting new Acolytes. It was always a new experience. He is like a baby Kath Hound who has just woken up among a den of vipers... Erchitu voice chimed in, as always she spoke directly and only to her captor...Raith. She appeared in ethereal form, available only to his eyes, before him as they walked down the hall. Yes. It's almost cute. I wonder what will become of him in the coming days, weeks, and months. He thought back to the spirit in his mind. She had calmed down greatly in their time together. She still hated him, he could feel it, but that was not something he was concerned about.

"You may call me Raith, or V. Whichever suits your mood, though you will acknowledge that I am higher on the food chain than you. You being an Acylote, and I an Arcanist, or Sith Master who specializes in use of the Force." As if to emphasize that point electricity crackled around his right hand and wrist for a brief moment before fading. They walked outside the temple and he pointed up.

"I saw you dock here today. I could, and still do, sense your confusion, your unease about being here. If you can jump using the Force to get up to the top then I will answer any of your questions. Use the ledges on the mountain side to get up. As I know you won't be able to scale this place in a single leap."

He flashed a smile at the other male and with that he was gone, soaring through the sky in a powerful jump as the galaxy empowered his legs. He touched down on a flat surface of the top of the Academy and sat down.

Reaching out he touched the Acolyte's mind. Can you channel the Force? He spoke directly into the other's mind. When he communicated like this his unique voice was gone, all that remained was his own true voice.

 

[Aeteran Ea'Tera]

The young acolyte followed the enigmatic man through the twists and turns of the dark temple. The stones were cool, and the voice of the man was certainly a mystery to him, and he couldn’t help but be drawn in by that mystery and intrigue. Aeteran kept his mind focused on the words that this mysterious stranger. He was impressed by the display of energy that crackled and circled around his wrist, his first up close display of the shadowy powers of the force. With hands clasped in front of him and head bowed slightly the force-sensitive followed the master outside of the temple.

Hearing the words of the master and knowing that his confusion was quite evident caused Aeteran to suffer a bit of embarrassment. Aeteran could only look up as the Miralukan disappeared with a rush of the force that he caught a glimpse of. Truly this individual was a dangerous man, and Aeteran had better pay his proper respects. The mountainside looked intimidating to scale and Aeteran did not like to admit it, but he was truly afraid of heights. Raith startled Aeteran for the second time tonight when his voice permeated his skull. Aeteran had no idea how to respond back to the Sith master except by clearing his thoughts and thinking aloud to himself. “I have never before Master Raith, but I shall try.” and with that Aeteran went to work.

Having no idea what to do except put on foot forward at a time he attempted to climb the mountainside. His physical body wasn’t conditioned immediately for the task and it took him a few tries before sliding back down and falling to his feet. Soon his hands began to grow raw and his body tired. Raith had instructed him to channel the force, and that would be what Aeteran would have to do. Clearing his mind he reached out and attempted to reach a sense of clarity. Korriban’s winds gave him a slight chill on the cool evening, but he completely ignored it instead trying to focus out how to channel and control this mysterious force. It was the whisper that started back at Corulag and the feeling that he was unable to shake ever since landing on this Sith planet. Tantalizingly sweet the force murmured at the back of his skull, but Aeteran was unable quite to reach it or to grasp onto it, every time he tried it eluded him. Frustration welled up within the young acolyte and he was about to give up until the feeling of humiliation welled up inside of him. It was that coiling feeling that strangled his stomach and felt red hot on his cheeks at his inability to reach out to the force. Instead of rejecting it and pushing the feeling aside, Aeteran reached out from that place and felt it for the first time flowing through him. Now feeling this power running through him he reached out, and jumped.

Two seconds later Aeteran fell back down to the red sands having been unable to sustain this and instead feeling that power he only felt nothing. Perhaps Aeteran couldn’t channel the force, perhaps his journey to this forsaken and dead planet of the ancient and dread Sith would come to an end here. Stories of what happened to failed acolytes were whispered out of ear shot of any who would repeat them, but they were common knowledge of the abuse and cruelty the Sith showed to those who failed their tests and expectations. Perhaps he would last no longer than any of the containers or crates of goods that temporarily waylaid themselves on this world.
With thoughts of failure ringing throughout his head he tried once again to reach out but was unable to grasp the currents and tides of the force. He stared up at that impossible mountain face and saw his future slide down with his failure, and he could not allow that to pass. This was his journey, and he refused to allow it to end in its inception. Rage and anger welled up within Aeteran as those feelings of failure, inadequacy reminded him of the dull and mundane life he had lived before and he refused to return to that. Letting go of his dignity and his self-control for but a moment Aeteran reached out and felt that power again. It would not bend to his will, but it did course through him. Before he knew it the euphoria of the sickly sweet and provocative was lifting him up through those negative emotions and feelings of frustration, and helped lift him through the air.

Once he held onto that power, the force, he was able to scale the mountain when otherwise he would not have been able too. In no time he was at the top next to Raith, where he bent down upon one knee and spoke with a decent loss of breath fair to the physical exertion he just underwent. “I have never done that before Master Raith. I can feel the force now much more strongly then I once could.” Now that he had accessed this power for the first time he felt it flowing more strongly to him, and he had taken his first steps down the path of the force.

 

[Vexillar]

He pursed his lips as he watched the Acolyte struggled to get up the mountain. He found humor in the trial and error, and nostalgia in the hopeless. He didn't expect the man to cave to such defeat so easily. It was almost disappointing. Should he help the poor boy out? Or let him cave under the weight if negativity. It wouldn't be the first time an Acolyte was tasked with something they felt impossible and crumbled under it's weight. It certainly wouldn't be the last.

So no. No additional aid. He needed to know if this Acolyte could hack it here.

He remembered his first seemingly impossible task. When Nox told him he needed to run along a wall while avoiding knives. Knives thrown by him. A trained assassin. He still can't believe he survived that. But it was even worse when Nox tried to kill him. It wasn't a real fight, but Nox was just barely holding back. He still had the scar on his left cheek, a small one but a scar nonetheless, to remind him of the lessons from that day.

When the Acolyte finally reached the top Raith clapped slowly and chuckled. "Archaic, but passable. You're interesting, Acolyte. Not entirely, but good enough. So...a deal is a deal. Sit. Take in all that the Force has to offer here, drink deep of it's power and let your mind be clear. Ask your questions that they may be answered."

 

[Aeteran Ea'Tera]

Rising from his reverent genuflection Aeteran did bid as he was told and savored the currents of the force as well the feeling of success at completing the task. Simple though it was, it was the first step of many on his path and journey to the ranks of the Sith. Clearing his mind he asked what he had wanted to know since his arrival at the temple, and some other questions he had begun to develop on his way up. With the cool wind he let his questions out into the cool Korriban air.

“How do I learn to control this power? How is it that I can grow to learn and control it as you do? What are the limitations to the force?” History and accounts about the force were numerous, but the Aeteran was interested to learn from someone who had experience, rather than individuals who were long and dead and gone and were simply the ones who won the battles and had the opportunity to doctor to the truth. He had never experienced a power quite like this before, but he wanted to learn more, much more.

“Of the Sith, what are the core teachings? What must I learn in order to succeed here? Though anyone has access to the holonet and can see the news, what is the true state of affairs from the perspective of the Sith, what is it I must know as an acolyte about the current conflict? Aeteran questioned the Sith master, but Aeteran knew one of the first steps to getting answers and acquiring information was to ask questions. However he had a bad feeling that on this world, the wrong questions could get you killed.

 

[Vexillar]

"Sit."

The boy certainly was curious. He had plenty of questions and such things were...dangerous. Hell, almost unhealthy. He remembered a time when he was flowing with dangerous questions. Things his late master chided him for, reminding him not to overstep his bounds. Something this Acolyte would also need to learn it seemed. An inquisitive mind was a terrible thing to waste, yes on questions and concerns that went beyond your station.

"Control of the Force comes with time and practice. What you performed just now was crude in it's application, but panic, sadness, hopelessness, often. Fuel first time users to perform their acts. So it's not really a bad thing. Your control over the Force will deepen as you experience it's power. Though control is nothing without theology. It is your belief on the Force, how you perceive it, that grants you powers and abilities. It is why Sith and Jedi have different power sets."

He let that sink in for a moment. Raith believed in the Unifying Force. He didn't see things in black and white, rather, like his people, he celebrated Life and Death. Facts of life that just were. They existed to exist because they had to. As a result he could use a variety of powers and he couldn't use others. Simple things he just accepts as his own facts of life.

"Teachings of the Sith? That's a difficult one to answer. Not because I don't know, but because I personally find it to be narrow-minded. You have some who will fall on their blade for the teachings of Sith and others, like me, who take aspects of it. In your studies you'll find which side of the fence you fall on. And from there you will develop your own opinion on what it means to be Sith. And as for limitations of the Force....well it can do almost anything you set your mind to doing. The biggest killer of the Force is our own disbelief in ourselves. That being said, the Force isn't infallible. There are some creatures who can nullify the Force. Keep this in mind."

As an Arcanist, Raith made it his business to know what could stop the Force, as a Sith he made it his business to k ow how to weaken one's connection to the Force.

"The current state of affairs isn't far off from what you see on the news. The Jedi are on the run, and we are sniffing them out. Though there is talk of an attack soon. We are in control of most of the gslsxy, our main competitor, and sometimes ally, are the Hutts. That being said, as an Acolyte that's all you need to know. The Sith is a dangerous organization. Mind your station, do nor overstep. You wish to survive? Look. Open your eyes. Find connections where none seem to exist, but do not make false presumptions. Prove worth, and you will find yourself rewarded."

Of course some seemingly random attacks weren't random, there were small instances of fights that were organized by the Imperium and played our perfectly. But these were things that didn't fully matter. Things that distracted from the question at hand. What was the current state of affairs? They were winning.

"Oh...that does remind me, be wary of who you trust these days. There's a civil war going on. Wouldn't want you getting killed before your time..."

 

[Aeteran Ea'Tera]

Aeteran took his master’s command and sat on the hard, rocky outcrop. Instead of sitting in a traditional manner he sat down with his knees on the ground and his feet tucked neatly behind him. In keeping with his mannerisms he held two of his hands folded neatly in front of him. He hadn’t quite made up his mind on how he felt about this Sith master, rather he was waiting, observing, taking in all the information he could before he arrived at any conclusion. He listened intently to what Raith had to say and pondered about the subjects that he spoke on.

As he listened to Raith speak on the force Aeteran pondered its meaning. It was truly a strange thought to have that the force was fueled by emotion. For his entire life Aeteran had tried to control his emotions, keep them in check and not allow them to take over. That burst of outrage that he fueled his first experience with the force made Aeteran uncharacteristically uncomfortable, and this would be something Aeteran would have to work on. Allowing his emotions to fuel his power, whilst still keeping them under his control. Theology also didn’t hold a place in Aeteran’s life and that would be something he would have to develop as well. He wasn’t sure where he stood on this and would have to do his research in order to develop his philosophy. How Aeteran would perceive the force was yet to be determined.

Sith teachings were of great interest to the young acolyte, from everything he had read it seemed the Sith philosophy was much more suited to the former lawyers point of view. It was interesting to hear the view of the Sith master, that he did not strictly adhere to the teachings of the Sith and would go so far as to call them narrow minded. What aspects of the teachings did Raith take and which did he leave, Aeteran wondered. Hearing that the biggest obstacle was disbelief in one’s self was very interesting. Belief was not something Aeteran put much stock in, preferring rather to see what is and what isn’t, but perhaps it was time for the acolyte to change his ways of thinking.

Finding connections… now that would be a challenge indeed. The Sith were a new breed of dangerous people that Aeteran was not used to dealing with. They were crafty, manipulative, and had the power of the dark side of the force at their disposal. Even this man before him who was telling him these things could be a potential threat. He had swam with the firaxan sharks before, but this was a whole new ocean. Keeping his wits about him would be his best option to survive this strange new life he had decided to lead. Proving his worth, now that would be difficult too, considering he didn’t know where to begin.

Pondering and pondering Aeteran sat for but just a moment before he formulated his carefully worded reply. “If I must be wary of who I trust these days, can I trust you?”

 

[Vexillar]

A gentle beeping sound could be heard from down below. Raith moved to the edge and chuckled. In a few seconds the golden arachnid droid known as Eezeo had joined them, lifted by Raith's telekinetic ability. "Eezeo. Display file on Acolyte Aeteran Ea'Tera." The droid beeped acknowledgement and displayed some information from it's holoprojector. Raith skimmed the information idly and gave a gentle wave of his hand to signify he was done. The droid stopped the stream and began to beep angrily at Raith. "Yes yes. I'll remember to bring you next time. You weren't that far off..." He grumbled gently. The droid gave some odd binary version of a sigh, and went about his business.

The Arcanist turned to look at the Acolyte. "A lawyer, hm? Well, as a member of the political system surely you know what a trivial things 'trust' is. No..not trivial...fragile. One moment you can trust a man with your life, and the next he is claiming that life that you had trusted him with. Can you trust me? Yes. You can trust me to obtain power, you can trust me to teach you skill, you can trust me to fight with, not for, those who can fight for themselves. Because I don't babysit, I don't hold your hand, because at the end of the day the only person you can trust through and through is yourself. Can you trust me? Yes. That isn't the question you should be asking, Aeteran. Should you trust me? That is the question, and you need to find that answer out for yourself." He spoke lowly, and in some it may have seemed harsh, but he doubted that this man would see it that way. He seemed...reasonable.

And Raith liked that.

Reasonable was easy to work with, easy to get on your side, and easy to talk to. "I can sense some...discomfort, shall we call it, with some of the details involving the Sith. So allow me to present you with an assignment. Consider it extra credit. I want you to meditate on the darkness of Korriban twice a day. That's all. Do that and we'll have a discussion again soon. I'm sure you'll understand better how theology impacts our powers by the time we address it again."