Public Ambitions Prepared [Sith]

[Darth Strosius]

Against his better judgement, a smug grin crossed his face for a moment at that. Even if he wasn't the main reason for Alina's return to the Sith, he still considered it a win. The more Sith the better in his mind. "Glad to hear it." Her question made him pause and he turned from looking at her to instead gaze deeper into the fortress, stilling his mind and seeking for any signs to follow.

"It's heavy here. Difficult to find anything among the various powers and the presence of so much raw emotion. Give me a moment." It was almost overwhelming, the sheer rage built into the fortress, but he didn't mention that part. "Higher up, that's where I feel something."

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alvarex Zambrano]

Cordelia quietly approached Valen and arrived beside him. "Quite the relic, this place, isn't it?" Amidst the scaffolding and hover cranes that dotted Vader's Fortress. "Forgive me for the intrusion, you may call me Cordelia." Her voice was almost soothing in the way a warm breeze was cast on a chilly day. She kept her peace and awaited the response from the Sith beside her. Allowing the sounds of Mustafar to occupy the silence that - by chance, befell them. "The history here is as long as it is storied, but perhaps a most ideal place for Sith to gather and network once more."

Meanwhile, Rex departed Darth Wallgof and moved to speak with Darth Manius moving across Vader's Fortress with ease. As often as he had been there to inspect the progress of the Fortress. He knew its build well, "well met." He began, hands behind his back as he approached the next Sith.

His brothers meanwhile continued their patrols. "Imagine how those who linger about their loyalties?"

"Loyalty is only as good when it's yours, but far too often it changes," Xathrael remarked, "those who once swore their oaths to our father now swear to Rurik Fel."

Ansgar remained silent happy to be a listening ear for his brother.

"Take those who serve the Worm."

"They serve as a means to an end, perhaps more, perhaps less - but it is of no consequence to our own agendas," interjected Ansgar who while happy to listen to his brother. Knew where to press the line, "at any rate, I do not believe that we need to patrol the plains any further. Or at the very least, if any should wish - they know where to go."

Xathrael sighed and agreed.

Ansgar led the pair back toward the fortress.

Darth Nito | Darth Carnifex | Darth Xyrah | Alina Tremiru | Detritus Ren | Taresa Kae | Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax | Darth Strosius
​

 

[Venn Kolis]

Xzinn Dronnol Darth Nito Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax Darth Strosius

AMBITIONS PREPARED​

Fire flew in gouts of light from his fists as Venn moved through his form. His movements were rhythmic and fluid, each attack gliding into the next. The apprentice had no foe before him, but his eyes burned with concentration. Those eyes gazed through the past, at a Prodigy wielding a glaive of iron. They saw a towering monster of roots and teeth. They saw an apprentice his same age, who bent a mist of blood to his will.

Spinning as he bowed his head low, Venn stood tall to leap into the air, his foot snapping in a kick that sent a fireball shooting across the river of lava before him. Panting with exertion, he gazed across the wide expanse of the burning river, and saw the little mote of fire he'd conjured grow smaller and smaller in the distance. Here on the banks of this river, the heat was hellish. Orange flames danced across the ash-gray skin of his chest and back, the impurities on his body igniting solely from the proximity to the river. But he did not burn.

High above him towered Fortress Vader, at the top of the sheer cliff that stood at his back. A magma flow trailed sluggishly down the cliff wall to the river here. Letting out a long breath, Venn turned to pull on a shirt of black armorweave, matching his pants and boots. Next came a breastplate and mask of alchemized steel, each glowing with fiery script. As he finally threw on a hooded cloak, he gestured to his living clothes rack. "Get over to the wall."

The Korsehv Drone moved obediently to the cliff face. It had been sitting still holding Venn's raiment for over an hour while the apprentice had trained. Having the beast follow him around constantly had been unnerving at first, but he'd grown used to it now. It was good practice with his ring. Seizing the iron handles protruding from the Drone's shoulders, Venn planted his boots in the footholds welded to the beast's lower spine. "Alright then. Climb."

He wasn't prepared for the sheer speed with which the Korsehv obeyed. Leaping into the air, the Korsehv nearly knocked Venn loose from its back as its six clawed arms dug into the black rock. It began to spider its way up the sheer wall at a breakneck pace, as Venn regained his footing. He could feel the Korsehv's relief to be active again after an hour of waiting, as a grim excitement flooding into his mind from his ring.

His mount crested the top of the cliff, and Venn hopped to the onyx dirt in time to see a familiar form approaching the Fortress. He raised a hand in greeting, and called out as his thrall moved to stand behind him. "Well met! I saw you leading a class at my master's conference. Dronnol, wasn't it?"

For the sake of propriety, he phrased the question as if there was any doubt who Dronnol was; as if Venn hadn't carefully researched all he could about every attendant of the recent summit on Sith philosophy. No need to start off on the wrong foot with a rising talent.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Then higher up is where we'll go. I'll follow your lead, on all this." Alina shrugged nonchalantly. Alisteri was one of the few Sith she actually trusted. Though, what did it mean to trust a Sith? And more, what did it mean to have to search through raw emotion? Must be the presence of the other Sith. She frowned, slipped her hands behind her head. And just walked along, glancing over the building.

"Hope it's something good.."

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Ahriman]

VALEN ​

---

Location: Mustafar, Vaders Fortress.
Wearing: Acolyte Apparel // Sith Lightsaber.
Tags: Alvarex Zambrano // Darth Strosius // Alina Tremiru // Darth Manius // @Saryn Fitz-Kierke // Detritus Ren // Darth Carnifex // Taresa Kae // Darth Wallgof // Darth Nito // Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax

---

The sound of footsteps accompanied the growing presence of another, leading Valen to turn slightly and look expectantly at the woman who had approached him. "That this castle still remains here defies belief" Valen responded despite his appreciation of the fortress, "One would think it's quite predictable a place for the Sith to congregate, in the eyes of those who would oppose us" he elaborated, his tone growing darker at the notion of their numerous enemies present in the Galaxy today.

"But yes, it is impressive. An example of what was, and what could be" Valen spoke once again as the pair of them walked through the castle corridors. Darth Vader was a figure of legend to those who considered themselves the Sith of today. Not all approved of the ancient Sith Lord's myths and tales from centuries ago, yet the fact remained that his very title and name were still relevant so many years after Vaders defeat.

"How many times have the Jedi sought to destroy this place, I wonder" Valen mused thoughtfully as his eyes scoured the walls of the black labyrinth; "What plans do you think the new Order of the Sith will have for it, going forward?". He couldn't personally see himself residing in such a place. Thus far, Valen had grown accustomed to staying on the move, keeping his whereabouts unpredictable and ensuring that he could be mobile at a moment's notice.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri nodded and glanced around for some sort of staircase with which to actually ascend. "Now we just have to get up there..." He muttered under his breath as he began walking towards what he assumed to be the vague area a staircase would be. It took a few minutes but eventually he did lead the way to a staircase leading up, still following the faint trail that he could sense.

"This place is confusing, so many different feelings. I can barely find myself amidst it all. Its different from other ruins, they're usually all just drenched in suffering and pride." For once he was relieved that Alina couldn't sense anything in the Force like he could. "What do you know of Darth Vader Alina?"

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

A look of concern was all Alina had as she followed Alisteri in their quest to search for stairs, of all things. Was there no map? At least Ali let her know why it was so confusing here, not that it made sense to the Sangnir unable to feel the Force. "Not much, honestly. Just another dead Sith Lord with a large temple named after him that everyone fawns over like it's a holy grail. Why?"

Darth Strosius

 

[Spindle]

TAG: Darth Nito

"Are you offering instruction?" The creeping vibration of a chuckle reverberated in the Weaver's chest.

"You really are keen on assigning answers to your own questions, aren't you?" The dissonant lilt of her voice rose and fell with each phrase. Perception was reality, it seemed. The witchling turned sith was no stranger to misinterpretation, to the assumption of malevolence. "Believe it or not, my purpose here did not originate with your lot. Nor does it end with this delightful little diversion."

She moved to slip past the larger Darth with a gangling grace, guard remaining up all the same. "Leave fate to the ones with the thread, dear."

 

[Darth Strosius]

"He wasn't just another Sith Alina. He and his master reigned over almost the entire galaxy as we know it!" Alisteri waved his hand as he spoke, as if gesturing widely to a map that only he could see. "Darth Vader was the sword of their empire and he helped to nearly bring an end to the Jedi Order, could you even imagine it?" The thought caused a smirk to form under his mask. "The Jedi scrambling and hiding like vermin, the galaxy united under the rule of a Sith, it was almost perfect. It didn't work out of course, the exact details are still fuzzy to me, but this fortress serves as an inspiration to us all!"

It was a bright time in history, and one that ended far too quickly in his mind. The mere thought of a role reversal of the Jedi and Sith a tantalizing one though. "It's almost too good to be true right?"

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Oh, he was a Sith acolytes would fan over. .. Like Alisteri was doing. She raised a brow, clearly judging him as he fawned over that which was dead. "Clearly he did great at that." Given their current predicaments and the hiding they had to do, she didn't even bother to hide her sarcasm. "He's someone to learn from, sure. But he failed. He's not a god to idolize. Just another failure to learn from."

Darth Strosius

 

[Xzinn Dronnol]

The Falleen acolyte could sense a pair of presences coming in his direction, approaching from what he believed to be the bottom of a cliff that dropped off precipitously a short distance away. One he felt was probably Sith. He'd felt the presence before, but could not quite place where or when in the moment. The other was clearly not; it seemed more like a beast than anything else. They did not seem to be hostile, at any rate, and in fact probably were not even moving toward him specifically. Xzinn tensed momentarily, but did not immediately stop walking.

When the pair crested the lip of the cliff and approached him, however, he did come to a halt. Now he recognized the Sith whose presence he'd thought so familiar. Not by his face, of course; the man before him was cloaked and armored, covered from head to toe. The mask, however, he'd seen before. This was Venn Kolis, Darth Maliphant's own apprentice. Xzinn did not know a great deal about the man, but to hold such a privileged position meant that there was clearly something special about him. This was a man that Xzinn would do well to respect, and to learn from.

Xzinn briefly eyed the hulking, six-armed monstrosity that had brought Venn up the face of the cliff behind them. This thing was clearly strong, but was it a threat? Not right now, it would seem. Indeed, at the moment it appeared content to stand at its master's side, waiting for a command.

"Yes, Xzinn Dronnol," he replied with a slight smile and a nod as he turned his eyes back to Venn. "And you're Venn Kolis, right? Lord Maliphant's apprentice. I don't think we've ever really been introduced." The Falleen gestured toward the towering fortress. "I see you've also been drawn in by this place, like the rest of us."

Alvarex Zambrano | Darth Strosius | Alina Tremiru | Darth Manius | Darth Xyrah | Detritus Ren | Darth Carnifex | Taresa Kae | Darth Wallgof | Darth Nito | Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax | Valen | Spindle | Venn Kolis | Others possibly

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri waved off her sarcasm with a hand gesture. "Exactly! So close to success, the perfect subject to learn about and from. That is why I'm here." Finally they reached the next level via the stairs, one which only offered more paths for them to take. Trusting his instincts and allowing the Force to guide him, he moved forward and took one of the central paths. "This way, there's something I have to see first."

The masked Acolyte didn't wait for Alina and trekked on until he reached a large open room, characterized a long catwalk stretching over a seemingly bottomless pit with a closed gate at the other end. What Alisteri sought however lay in the center wall of the room, that being the large window that overlooked the planet below. "Marvelous."

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Something he had to see first? Alina raised a brow, but followed after him none the less. Ah. That's what it was. A view. For a moment, she smiled. It was, for all intents and purposes, a terrible view. Lava spewing everywhere, reminding just how terrible the world actually was for people to live on. Perfect for a Sith. For one who chose the edgier side of things. It reminded her of her own home. Surrounded by the dark clouds of Dromund Kaas. Forever in the dark.

Typical Sith things. And, she liked it.

Until she saw something she didn't like. Her lips thinned to a frown as she stepped away from Alisteri. "Enjoy your hunt for whatever secrets this place might still have. I have.. Business to attend to. We'll catch up later."

Darth Strosius

 

[Venn Kolis]

Xzinn Dronnol Darth Nito Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax Darth Strosius Alina Tremiru

AMBITIONS PREPARED​

Venn chuckled a bit at Xzinn's remark. "Actually, I've always wanted to make pilgrimage here. Mustafar's flame is truly inspiring. Sadly, this planet lies a great distance from my home in the Eastern Systems. When I heard the Twice-Emperor was planning an excursion with his retinue, I made the time. These systems are less than friendly to our people, but with the Two That Were One here, there's a certain feeling of security."

Inviting Xzinn to join him with a small wave of his hand, Venn began a leisurely stroll towards the famous black keep. The Korsehv behind him followed dutifully. It walked upright, turning its head in tiny movements to search for danger. It seemed to pay Xzinn no mind.

"Speaking frankly, I worry for the safety of our people in the Southeastern Systems- in this age, the name of the Sith is not enough to ward off our enemies. Only the greatest of our masters inspire the fear that we all ought to emanate. Fanatic Mandalorians, Silver Jedi, Imperial traitors, bloodthirsty Crusaders... I see oppression on every side." He turned to pointedly glance at Xzinn as he added, "When the maalraas start circling, it helps to gather what friends you can. Those on their own tend to die."

Gazing up at the imposing door of the fortress, Venn tried to imagine just two Sith ruling the entire galaxy all on their own. Even in an age where the Jedi had been hunted near to extinction, it seemed an impossible task. Even robbed of its favorite dogs, Destiny was too formidable an enemy to be conquered by only two wills. Little wonder the empire Vader had fought for stood unbroken for only 20 years or so.

No. With countless armies poised to strike at the still-rebuilding Sith, there was no time for division, no point in politics and shadow games... at least, not amongst fellow Sith. "That's why I'm here, Xzinn. Not to gauge rivals or leverage power. To gather friends. Tell me, why are you here?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

The view occupied his mind and attention for a good few moments before Alina's voice snapped him back to reality. "Huh?" Alisteri glanced at her and cocked his head to the side slightly to show his confusion. "You have other business...on Mustafar. In an ancient Sith's castle. Surrounded by plotting and scheming Sith." Admittedly it wasn't an impossibility but something about her excuse just seemed off.

"Well you have good luck with that I suppose, see you later."

He wasn't about to be disrupted from his search just to follow after her, he had a pull to investigate still. The masked Acolyte finally turned away from the window and headed forward to the only other exit in the room. The gate was wide open and it called him to enter. He would not keep it waiting for too long.

Alina Tremiru

 

[Anthysius Soraysom-Calimondra]

Mustafar
Tag: (Open for interaction)

A young man strode through the collapsing ruins of the lava world. Inside the ruins, centuries-old protective architecture patched up occasionally every decade or so kept out most of the heat and noise from the lava outside. Along the darkened, barely lit hallways, non-descript rubble was scattered into piles; cabling, concrete, metal sheets and scaffolding. Forming heaps of no description and shapes of no pattern.

The young man's thoughts were much the same, scattered and reaching in a hundred directions. Silently, his retainer followed close behind, never breaking stride but always keeping a constant distance from him.

Why was he here?

The artifacts. The artifacts are here. There's got to be more.

The Force had led him to a trinket in the bowels of another run-down mining facility. A Blackguard Lightsaber, almost pummeled into a flat plate, yet still emanating the power of the Force. Even better was an intact mask of sorts. He did not recognise it, but its presence boded well for the presence of other artifacts on this world, including one that was his by right.

The droning rush of sublight engines broke his reverie. Across the lava chasm from the ruin he was in, a working landing platform played host to the other Sith that arrived after him.

"Lord Anthysius. We should meet the others."

The others. Other Sith. Other high-ranking Sith of the Empire that had taken as much as it had given to Anthysius. He sighed aloud. The Artifacts, if any remained, were his real goal here. The Sith Empire was, for better or worse, a dead end. As a political entity, it had been eclipsed and ignored for years. As a cultural beacon, the Maw was doing more to spread the Bogan. Of course, they too were beginning to meet their own resistance.

The frustration boiled over and Anthysius closed his eyes, controlling his rage and directing it at thoughts of his enemies, his real enemies: the other nobles of the Empire. Safely ensconsed in the Galactic north, not a single one lifted a finger to assist his family (not even the brood of Calimondras). They had been content to sit and wait and feast on the remains of his family's holdings. Of course, he probably would have done the same had their situation been reversed.

He opened his eyes and gestured back the way they came.

"Lead the way, Argus."

They began the trek back to the platform. With luck, he might run into some of them without having to run into all of them at once.

 

[Xzinn Dronnol]

Xzinn nodded silently at Venn's words. There was a certain sense of security to be had from the presence of the Dark Lord and his seemingly endless menagerie of family and followers. There was seldom any true safety for the Sith, even during the time of their empire. Infighting, factionalism, backstabbing, all of it had eaten away at the stability of the Sith for as long as there had been Sith. Now there was even less, with every force in the galaxy seemingly determined to root them out and destroy them one by one. One of the great ironies of their existence now was that to be among other Sith was frequently to be more secure, particularly the more powerful of them. There was little concern in Xzinn's mind that the Jedi or anyone else would come after this clandestine meeting on this ball of molten rock, particularly not with Carnifex present.

Of course, being too close could also be hazardous for one's health. Still, for now at least they were not in danger.

The Falleen fell into step beside Venn, matching his pace as the two continued on their way toward the fortress proper. He arched a brow at his fellow apprentice's words, but otherwise did not react as he spoke. For a Sith, the man seemed surprisingly forthright. It was refreshing, if somewhat unusual.

"My sense is that friendship has always been hard to come by among the Sith," Xzinn said at length, a wry smile forming on his lips. "A luxury at best, a fatal mistake at worst. At least that's what we were taught." As he thought about it, he realized he hadn't really had friends since childhood. The pits and gangs of Nar Shaddaa made friendship tenuous at best, and his entrance into the world of the Sith hadn't improved matters. It was a sad reality, he supposed, even if he didn't feel particularly sad about it at the moment. "If all we're capable of is instability, fracturing, and betrayal, even in times of crisis when we need unity of purpose, then maybe we deserve whatever destiny has in store for us."

The acolyte fell silent for a moment, as if considering his words. "I guess I'm here at least partially for the same reason you are. Lord Maliphant saw fit to introduce me to certain truths, but otherwise I've trained and worked and learned mostly in the shadows. Keeping my head down, cultivating my strength. I might be known by some, but few have paid much attention to me." This last line he spoke with a hint of bitterness. "But I can't stay in obscurity forever, not if I wish to achieve what I believe I should. I need friends, allies, relationships with others. I had hoped this might provide an opportunity."

Xzinn turned his eyes upward at the spires of Vader's fortress. "The other reason I'm here is for what's in this place. Not artifacts, either. I'm sure you can feel the power lingering here. The darkness. I want to commune with it, learn from it. Physical strength will only take me so far, after all."

He shot a curious glance at Venn. "Did you have any specific targets, so to speak? Or were you just hoping for the best coming here?"


Alvarex Zambrano | Darth Strosius | Alina Tremiru | Darth Manius | Darth Xyrah | Detritus Ren | Darth Carnifex | Taresa Kae | Darth Wallgof | Darth Nito | Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax | Valen | Spindle | Venn Kolis | Others possibly