Fall From Grace ( Open to all )

[Darth Hauntruss]

Still enforcing the after campaign of the Sacking of Coruscant, Hauntruss had felt a presence she had not felt in a long time. [member="Ben Watts"], an old nemesis from the by-gone age of the Old Sith Empire. As she sat in her street transport taking her to the collection of Sith holding the legendary jedi figure a dark grin cracked across her lips. Perhaps she would not get her chance to speak to him but there were other ways to talk to those in tune with the force especially of the caliber of Grandmaster Watts.

She feel into the force, and as usual her darkness spread in meditation. Watts was like a great beacon of light in the void - although now some what tarnished and dimming. Something was wrong. In her meditation, Hauntruss curled her lips. Her voice, like that of a dark serpent slithered to the doorstep of the Jedi's mind. The aura was not menacing, nor threatening - it merely spoke. No spells or curses like the old times, when she crossed paths with the Master during her time as an apprentice to Emperor Moridin.

"You have missed much, old..friend." Hauntruss' voiced hissed in the ether of the Force. "A pleasant surprise for this old Sith indeed. No doubt you have had your wits tested by my dark brethren. Hiss, hiss, hiss."

"What brings you to the pits of darkness, friend." Hauntruss laughed, each time the word "friend" was uttered it carried a coarse and venomous cynicism.

 

[Krux Mullarus]

"Go home, Acolyte..."

For some reason, the tone of [member="Vengeance"]'s voice, coupled with the fact that a Sith Knight was ordering him to leave and stay out of "[member="Darth Vornskr"]'s" way made Mullarus feel a bit...uneasy. Sith normally were not ones to tell each other to leave.

Mullarus furrowed a brow, punching a few keys on the dashboard of Patriot, "Patriot...plot a course away. This sounds serious. Too serious for some...child of an acolyte"

Mullarus couldnt stand still being called an Acolyte. He had a lot of experience under his belt. He really felt ready to be called a Knight, but he knew that was up to his master. The biggest reason for his hate of the word cane after recent studies of his of the old Sith Empires, where most of the time, 'Acolytes' were Sith trainees still learning the most basic teachings of the Dark Side on Korriban. Meanwhile, most Sith of Mullarus' level with a Master to teach them personally were referred to as Apprentices. Of course, in these times a Sith Lord was a step under Darth, too, not the other way around.

Mullarus sighed, knowing his arrogance was showing with these thoughts.

There is a large gathering of Sith on the ex-Republic world of Amar, including acquaintances of yours called Dex Torture and Darth Azurea.

Mullarus managed a smile as he grabbed the joystick before him, "Excellent. Let's go."

 

[Ben Watts]

Now things were starting to get interesting. Kaine....that was a familiar name. Funnily enough he felt a weird sense of relief was over him. Not a sense of relief that was typical, no, it was more a sense of familiarity. Trying to explain himself to new blood, to someone who trusted Jedi somewhere in the negative numbers, would be a hard feat to accomplish. This Vrag person who stood before him, he was sure she would doubt Ben until the day he died, but some of the Sith he was familiar with.... he could explain it to them.

Interrogation, that was surely where she was taking him, but he simply shrugged his shoulders and followed suit. It would not be pleasant, he was sure of it, but he had been through worse. "I am afraid you are right, Vengeance, I am going to need a lot of it. It was such a pleasure to meet you." Ben offered his goodbye to the young Sith, but he hoped it was not the final goodbye, he could use any and all allies in these times.


A shudder washed over Ben as a voice entered into his mind. Another familiar voice but he took no solace in this one. For a moment he wondered if he should talk back, maybe leave a little drama for Darth Hauntress, but he decided against it. "If by wits tested you mean carted off for interrogation, then yes." Ben said back to her through the force. "I have come here for the same reason all men do. For power. Instead of power, though, I am being met with interrogation. To be expected, I suppose." Ah, yet another casual conversation, almost as if he wasn't being carted off for extensive questioning.


"I am not sure what information you intend to get from me," Ben said casually to Vrag as he followed her to her ship. "I have been absent from the Jedi for many years and I fear I have nothing useful to offer. Though, from the rumblings around the Galaxy, it seems you have the Galactic Republic well in hand."

[member="Vrag"]

[member="Darth Ferus"]

[member="Vengeance"]

[member="Darth Hauntruss"]

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

From the sky descended a Sicarius-class Stealth Yacht, it's nimble frame weaving in and out of the clogged air traffic that plagued the Coruscant skyline, even cutting across lines with utter impunity and perhaps even nearly causing a wreck. It's single organic occupant didn't care, his mind was now fixated with obsession and his heart burned hot in his chest. It's driver, the TA3 Tactical Droid often referred to as Ripper; also didn't care very much for the lives of those that had to swerve out of his way, but then again he also didn't care about what was making his Master so obsessed at the moment. His prime directives were piloting Darth Vornskr's starship, and torture... Lots of torture! And there was a distinct lack of torture that was putting his wires on edge, but he kept his vocabulator shut and concentrated on his piloting; which was nothing short of chaotic and noticeable.

"I see them, milord."

Indeed, in the distance there was the unmistakable sight of [member="Vrag"]'s vessel docking with the smaller ship that previously held the man claiming to be [member="Ben Watts"]. The Crestfallen continued on past them, it's shadow being cast across the metal hull like that of a predatory eagle. It would continue onward while the Hand made the transfer; banking around the towering skyscrapers before the ominous outline of the Sith-Imperial Judiciary Central Detention Center (commonly referred to as the Black Pyramid of Coruscant) could be seen outlined against the distant sun. Vornskr had already ascertained the destination of where they would take their new prisoner, and he prepared to meet them out on the landing pad when they finally made the transfer and landed.

Suffice to say he was quite anxious.

 

[Vrag]

"We do," she was curt as she lef him to the larger vessel, her eyes glued on his frame in case he tried anything remotely suggestive of resistance. She'd been hankering for a good fight for a while, and who better to cross blades with than a former Grand master of the Republic?

She'd dueled the current one once already, and fought the woman to the very brink of death before the Jedi had wriggled out of her grasp like a slippery fish and plummeted to the river below. She still awaited the day when she would get to rectify the unfortunate turn the events had taken on Iridonia and sever the woman's head from her shoulders.

Still, that was neither here nor there, and she had more important matters to attend to at the moment.

"I'd like you to meet Basilidies and Eucilides Philus," she continued as they entered the main deck. Even as they exchanged empty pleasantries that nobody believed even for a second, the pilot would begin steering their vessel towards the massive monument of darkness in the distance. [member="Darth Vornskr"]'s pyramid marred the skyline like a bloated obelisk to some forgotten god.

Except their god, such as he was, was very much real and extant. Dark Lord. Yun-Amon. Emperor.

A rose by any other name, Vrag chuckled to herself as she moved aside to make way for the Kiffar twins. While the two weren't half bad in battle, their true talents lay in the use of Psychometry. They had proven themselves over their years of service to the One Sith, most notably perhaps by extracting knowledge from the severed limbs of one particular traitor to their regime. The Hand could still recall the sound the arms had made when she'd sliced them off at the shoulders. Two clean slashes, two dull thuds. Oddly enough, she'd dismembered many foes before and after, but none remained so etched into her memory. Oh, well.

"They will make sure that you are in fact who you say you are. [member="Ben Watts"] has witnessed things that cannot be replicated. If they are present, they will find them. If not, I'll blow your brains all over that wall. Clear?"

 

[Ben Watts]

If he harbored any fear, he did not show it, but his curiosity surely peaked when the two twins entered the room. Well, this couldn't be good, and he knew then and there he was in for what would probably be a very unpleasant experience. But he stood with his arms at his side and he would face it head on as he always did, with a twisted smile that furled up at the corner of his lips.

For the first time he removed his hood and his face was seen to all. There was a youthful look in his eye despite his face betraying his age. Wrinkles were beginning to form above his brow and his eyes were baggy from the lack of sleep. His beard was unusually well kempt for a man who had not had access to basic hygiene for so long and his hair was cropped messy atop his head. Reaching up, he ran his hand through his hair, and it did as it was told and slicked back atop his head revealing a faintly receding hair line.

"Shall we get on with it, then?" Ben said stepping towards the twins and opening himself up to them. At this point in his life, the only thing he had where memories, and if they were going to rip them from him so be it. If they wanted the life of Ben Watts through his own eyes then they would have it. A slight chuckle left his lips as he thought about it, he doubted they would be prepared for the life he lived, not many were. They only knew of the Ben Watts from the stories but they knew little of the pain, the loss, the betrayal, and the defeats he had suffered.

[member="Vrag"]

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Vrag]

Basilides and Eucilides nodded first to each other, and then more deeply to the Hand who had come to stand in the corner of the room. Finally, they turned to [member="Ben Watts"], and nodded to him as well, because the Kiffar twins had been taught good manners, and because unlike many of their brethren, they did not derive much joy from causing harm to others. While psychometry wasn't inherently painful, it often dragged both the explorer and the owner of the memory through events that weren't necessarily pleasant.

Normal people oft experienced only a few such things during the course of their lives, but Jedi weren't common folk. Even if this man wasn't the former Grand master of the Jedi Order, he was a Jedi, and that alone would likely make the trip down memory lane one rocky ride.

Their nod, then, was the acquiescing of such, and a quiet reassurance that they would not strive to make it any more agonizing than it would be on its own.

With that, Basilides circled around the taller man and to coax the heavy cloak off his shoulders, folding it neatly before setting it down on a nearby seat. Eucilides, meanwhile, would roll up his sleeves to reveal the traditional tattoos of his people, expressive spirals winding up the length of his forearms before they disappeared under the black robe. His eyes would close as he slowly placed one hand on the Jedi's shoulder and the other on his forehead, mouth moving slightly in silent incantations to help him focus. His twin, in turn, would come to stand behind the man, placing his bony fingers in a circle around each temple, and then close his eyes as well.

Vrag hummed quietly in the corner, watching the scene with some curiosity even as she monitored the bigger picture out of the corner of her eye, her gaze darting to the info scrolling over her HUD every once in a while.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]​

 

[Ben Watts]

Ben closed his eyes as he awaited the inevitable and there was a certain silence that filled the air. For the people present, it was most likely not a pivotal moment for them, but for Ben it was huge. There were very few people who knew who he was, why he was, and how he had gotten that way. But as he cleared his mind and allowed them access he realized that these two people he had never met were about to know more about him than anyone.


At first he heard chanting and then it hit him quickly. It was as if his mind was being transported to somewhere completely different. It was almost serene for what felt like forever. Was it a second, was it an hour? Truly, it took no time at all, but for the three of them time was seemingly suspended as his thoughts and memories became clear. He was young, he was trailing behind his father, he could almost feel the wind that blew his fathers robe into the air.


Then he was older, his first lightsaber, he felt pride and accomplishment. He had looked forward to this day since he was a child. The scene shifted quickly to a dying Krahno, his Jedi Master, the shame Ben felt at his death was never ending. The look in his fathers eyes when he reported the death, how alone he felt without his closest friend.


Then there was Teferi, the little Jedi Master Ben had been so fond of, he was at the funeral as they honored him. Yet again he had been left alone, abandoned, there was no one who understood him. Quickly, everyone he had lost flashed before him, he saw all of their faces and his real world body twitched in fear. He did not want to face this, he wanted it to go away.

Coruscant burned, his friends were either dead or he had pushed them away. And then, it was over, and Ben was now on his knees and panting heavily. Anxiety, fear, anger, sadness, it filled his veins. He was completely lost to the world for a moment but he quickly gathered himself. He took a few deep breaths and then he stood again at full height. His moment of weakness over with now.

"Now there can be no disputing of who I am," He said casually to Vrag as he pulled his hood back over his face. "And now I ask you, I ask all of you, to forget about Ben Watts. I intend to start anew here with you. I wish to become no one." This last part was important to Ben. He wanted nothing more than to earn his place among their ranks without his past life holding him back. If they discovered who he was they might never trust him and a leader has to have the trust of his peers.

[member="Vrag"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"No one is more of my specialty, wouldn't you agree?" Once more the Shadow would step out, this time with both red eyes focused on [member="Vrag"] . He had been observing, just as he said he would, silently waiting for the best time to reenter the picture. And with what [member="Ben Watts"] had said, there was no better time. Slowly Ferus began to pace, his eyes switching between the Hand and the ex Grandmaster.

"I specialize with nobodies, making them effective and feared. [member="Darth Ophidia"] would be one of my greatest acomplishments in this manner. Look what she did to the republic in a single blow. If this man wishes to become no one, let me take him on. His identity is confirmed, and your job is done." Those burning red eyes settled upon Vrag again, empty. This was all about business, and his emotions had no part. If he could sculpt the Jedi Grandmaster into a perfect killing machine for the Sith, the fear the galaxy would feel.. Well. His eyes flashed with excitement at such a thought. There would be no one safe.