Where the Darkness is at Home (ask to join)

[Darth Abyss]

Malachor V - West of the Tainted City

Abyss sat on a container, looking over the small workforce that had come together here today. The other three free Cities of Malachor basically build themselves, satisfying a demand for them that had been created when the Floating Market rose above the sky of the dead planet. He had picked this place due to the large entrance into the cave network of Malachor that he had discovered some weeks earlier, seeing the opportunity that it offered as soon as he stumbled over it. In the following weeks he had done his best to spread the word about his plans for this place, so some would maybe come to join him in his efforts.

In front of the entrance a handful of containers of durasteel and other standard material was waiting, not nearly enough to build a full city, but enough to set the base for it. One could not force a city to rise, as a city wasn't made by the structures that marked it, but by the people that came to live their.

Malachor was slowly becoming a new hub for crime, but Abyss was more than just common criminal, he had goals that reached further than just the next paycheck. A lord of the sith in his prime, he had always done his best to ensure the survival of his order, and this city would be a vital part of it. Build and dedicated under the watchful eyes of the fate that the darkness had planned for all of them, it would stand the test of time against the forces of light hidden deep below the surface, even if every sith temple and tomb, any witch circle, any place even slightly aligned to the darkness would burn down.

The main workforces was composed out of slaves, roughly 1500 men and women, one half twi'leks brought from the market above, the other half humans and near humans swept from the streets of Nar Shaddaa by Abyss trademark brainwashing. They would build what he, and the other would plan out, and once their work was done, they would be used for something even less ethical. But at first, they would have to venture down into the cave, and find the right place to set the first stone.

[member="Akio Diachi"] [member="Tai Fa"]

 

[Akio Diachi]

His red eyes stared out with a cold, hard gaze, like cold rubies from behind the mask of his armor ((Armor 2 in sig)). He could still see her loving face despite the time that had passed since her last words. He could remember her suffering, feeling her slipping away as he tried his hardest to keep her alive. He hadn't been strong enough to save her. Her last words still echoed in his ears,

"Why cry... for a soul... set free?.... Miss me a little....." she'd smiled weakly, with what little strength she had left. Her hand caressed his face, worn and wear, and covered in sweat from the fever, "But not too long."

Without her, he had gone back to the only thing he knew: killing. He was good at what he did, he had been trained by an academy of now lost assassins since birth to do the unthinkable in a heartbeat. To go where others could not, to fight where they couldn't, and to do what had to be done. Now it was time for him to pay that forward, to restart that. With plans for a new academy tucked under his arm the Chiss sat perched on some boxes of building supplies waiting, watching. He had no desire to mingle or meet any of these other beings. At one point he would have been among them talking and enjoying their presence. But now, there was nothing left to enjoy.

He descended from his vantage point motioning to a handful of the nearby slaves, "You, come with me. We have work to do."

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Akio Diachi"] | [member="Darth Abyss"]

Lord Fa had little use for slavery.

To him it seemed inefficient, troublesome and quite damaging to anyone's reputation if they were found out. Which, of course, was a big if, but a possibility regardless.

No, if the Thirriken could help it, he did not concern himself with slavery, but there were other ways to get work done. For example good and sturdy labor droids, who did the work of ten sentients without needing food, breaks and did not complain every two minutes. Droids, that was the future.

It helped that they were cheap to produce as well.

A call from mutual contacts suggested that a certain Sith needed assistance with his efforts on Malachor. It would need to be done carefully and cautiously, but there was profit to be had and that was mostly what mattered to Lord Fa.

An unmarked freighter landed on one of the landings pads.

Out of it stepped Vnut of Garnib. Who looked around and noted the dirt and mud and filth with something of sadness, but Lord Fa had other, more pressing issues to attend right now.

So he sent a representative.

 

[Darth Abyss]

Slaves had many advantage over droids, but Abyss was happy that there were now both to work on this project. It this was a simple construction job, then there would've been no need to bring flesh to do the work, but Abyss had for greater plans than just building a few houses for people to live in. A city that would be shrouded by darkness could not be guarded by turbolasers and automated defenses, no it would be secured by the power of the dark side itself.

Dropping from the container he was sitting on, Abyss snapped with his right hand, and only a few seconds later a part of the slaves look at him in unity. The Children of Korriban were brainwashed to an extend where there was almost nothing of their mind left, besides the parts needed to do the jobs that the Sith lord gave to them. The Twi'leks from the market were more reluctantly, but they knew what happened to those that showed resistance.

"Time to go."

In a relaxed pace the sith lord walked inside the cave, the slaves behind him carrying containers and tools needed for his plans. Most of them would walk deeper inside the cave, searching for a part of it that had enough room to hold a city, under the command of his most skilled planners and begin the groundwork, including a small, makeshift powerplant and a network attached to it. Abyss himself didn't concerned himself with such petty things.

With a handful of slaves behind him he stopped after a few meters of cave, and decided that this part would be as good as any other for the first line of defense. Closing his eyes to directly transfer his commands through the force, he began to set his plan in motion. The slaves started their work, carving in six runes in a hexagon into the cold stone. Fear would be the first wall that his enemies would have to break if they marched against his city.

[member="Tai Fa"] [member="Akio Diachi"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Darth Abyss"] | [member="Akio Diachi"]

The Embrace.

They were calling it right now.

That did not mean much to Vnut, but apparently it was just a working title. A concept of a plan still in the middle of construction and very likely to be shifted in the end-stages. That was just as well, because that name was a touch silly. What were they embracing, the Balinaka wondered to himself as he waited patiently for the second and third freighter to arrive behind him.

Out came two dozen droids.

Out came resources necessary for the construction of the site itself. The foundations only, of course, you couldn't truly build a city just like that. You could only guide it into becoming one, because it were the people who truly made it into something. Not that Vnut expected there to be much trouble for it.

With the expulsion of the Silver Jedi Order from Sith Space, its population was slowly growing again with the return of those who had fled the Silver Jedi and their ways.

A dozen more droids came out and that was that.

Thirty-six droids for now, capable of heavy labor and long hours without maintenance. They would be the ones doing most of the heavy lifting and setting up of the settlement.

 

[Akio Diachi]

Destiny. It was the word he had been living since Dryzl died. He had tried to fight it, and it had only led him once more to where had begun. These slaves, it was their destiny to work under him, to make the rise of his people once more. The Shenshi had died with a blast, their temple leveled as collateral damage to the actions of the Primeval on Dantoowine. When he had discovered it, the Akio had felt mixed emotions, the type he could not quite place.

"Your serious about this?" Asked a familiar voice.

Akio didn't even have to look. He knew Kuroi, his long time rival and one of the few other survivors of the Shenshi had fallen in line with him. The man was Akio's equal in some ways, in others he was his superior such as strength and stature. But the Chiss would always have the Force over him--and more brilliance.

"I am always serious about everything," the Chiss said not breaking his stride, "You know this."

"I do not know you at all anymore, I never knew you, no one did," Kuroi said with a slight sneer. "Do not deceive yourself, or anyone else for that matter."

Akio halted suddenly turning to face the Umbarian, "Are you just going to distract me or are you here for a purpose?"

Kuroi gave a cold smile, "I have vested stake in this, I too am a survivor. If you are rekindling our old ways, I have something to say about it."

Akio's eyebrow flickered, "Go on."

"I have my own disciples," Kuroi said showing his palms in a sweeping gesture, "My own clan you could call them. If we are going by power and precedence here, then I think I would have more of a say in this than you, don't you agree?"

[member="Tai Fa"] [member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

The runes began to take form, the intent of them clearly visible to anyone knowledgeable in this part of sith alchemy. A field of fear that would slowly drain anyone walking through it. While it wouldn't stop anyone on its own, it would work to demoralize any approaching forces entering into the city that was being build here, shrouding them in the darkness that was about to awake on Malachor once more. But there was another vital part to finalize the runes, and that was were the slaves came into play. Or rather their blood.

On Abyss mental command six slaves stepped forward, each of them standing on one of the runes in the ground. From his back the sith reached for a knife, and made its way to the slaves, while whisperings words in the ancient language, channeling his intent into the darkness. Carved in stone by hands, but carved into the force by blood and darkness, that was the nature of sith runes. With a quick strike he killed the first slave, the mans blood slowly dripping down on the symbols on the ground. He continued to do this with the other five slaves, until each of the runes was buried under blood. For a last time he repeated the incantation, when the runes began to glow in a bright red for a moment before dying down. They would need a source of energy, a nexus to drain from if he wanted them to stay and serve there forever.

At the same time the rest of his slaves had finished the connect the various generators scavenged from the ships that crashed due to Malachors gravity into one makeshift powerplant. Not enough for a city, but certainly enough to build up on it in the future.

[member="Akio Diachi"] [member="Tai Fa"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Darth Abyss"] | [member="Akio Diachi"]

The droids went to work almost immediately.

Vnut on the other hand went to work the area, find out what was happening, what the plans were and how they were going to be realized until conclusion. From the beginning it was made clear that Lord Fa would not publicly attach his name to this endeavor, not with slavery in the mix and not with the Darkside so prominently being used into the mix.

But that didn't stop him from finding other channels through which to help his fellow Sith in their goals. The Thirriken had often found that being supportive of their endeavors -- as long as they were not too destructive -- could only be beneficial for the whole.

It never hurt to have a favor from their associate Sith.

Besides, it was good money this deal, of course it would be paid in strictly non-currency commodities like nova crystals and aurodium bars to ensure that it could not be tracked.

"Where is your overseer?" Vnut asked politely to one of the slaves laboring. He wasn't asking for the Sith Lord himself, one Abyss, but for the lowly employees that exacted his will and dealt with the bureaucracy of the moment. It would be through them that this endeavor would succeed.

The slave only pointed, fast as if he was afraid to be struck, towards one of the make-shift buildings nearby.

Vnut nodded his thanks and went over. To pay tribute and see what the situation was like.

 

[Akio Diachi]

"Your hear to stop me then," the way Akio said it was that tone between a question and a statement.

He shifted his body a fraction of a degree away from Kuroi. To most beings it was imperceptible, but to the two classical warriors who had trained together it was a clear message: If you want to fight me, I am more than ready, I see through your guise. It was hidden and unnoticable, the way assassins were supposed to be. The way Akio had raised to be.

"You think too highly of yourself," Kuroi said with a shrill laugh, "I am here to take over. You don't deserve to lead this, I do."

"Last time I checked, I was the one who graduated from the clan with Master's Honors," Akio said, the slight not so veiled.

"Last time I checked you didn't want anything to do with the clan, you said you were not a killer," Kuroi batted back.

"I was wrong. I realize now how inescapable destiny is, a mistake I will not make again."

"And if you do?" Kuroi asked pointedly.

Akio was getting tired of this back and forth. He knew Kuroi loved these sort of mind games where he could get into a person's head, annoy them and slowly wear them down until victory was so much easier to take. The Umbarian had used it often at the academy--sometimes on Akio himself--when he knew that he could not win any other way. The Chiss' gloved hand snapped out, pressing a trio of throwing quills against Kuroi's throat. The Force had made him fast, too fast for even this one to react.

"Either join me, get out of the way, or die, I care not," he hissed angrily. "Make up your mind."

Kuroi's lips slowly twisted into an amused smile. He clapped his hands together a moment later disciple of his dressed clearly in the dark robes of their order came from the shadows.

"We are at your disposal then, Akio-san," Kuroi said, "Place us where you wish and we will resurrect the old order."

Akio hesitated for a second before retracting the quills, "Would you be willing to train when the building is built? Without masters and clansmen to teach, it will still just be a building, not a Dojo."


[member="Darth Abyss"] [member="Tai Fa"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

The first line of defense stood, but there was more to do. His men and the others could handle building a city, but when it came to magic defenses he probably had to do that on his own. With a press on his comm he called for another group he had hired for this city, something that would add up well with the sith spells he placed upon it.

"Abyss, the witches or whatever are on their way. Also I am bored."

Abyss chuckled lightly over the message that his AI Glory sent as an answer, while waiting for the new arrivals. At the same time the slaves were lead outside the cave again to transport another resources. A few minutes they returned, lead by a group of wild looking nightsisters, at least a hundred small trees as well as soil.

Slowly the slaves began to dug up holes in the ground, one for each tree. It wasn't a real Forest, more like a wall of trees that guarded the entrance. But to live on Malachor these trees would need more than just soil. That was were the witches came in. When the last tree was rooted into the earth, the began to sing, a strange, ethereal song that clearly held the power of the force within. At the same time Abyss slaves drew another set of runes in the center of the forest. The song would give the spell direction, but sith magic would fuel it with power.

[member="Tai Fa"] [member="Akio Diachi"]