Family (Vengeance)

[Vaulkhar]

It had been sometime since Vaulkhar had seen his former master, a man he now considered family. Since the invasion of Contruum, Vaulkhar had pushed himself away from the One Sith. Not as a means of breaking away or turning traitor, but more so to simply find himself as a person. As odd as it would sound, he was still a young man. A man who was trained to kill in the name of an emperor he had yet to meet, or even see for that matter. All he did know were those who acted for him. And to be fair, they were not the greatest of people, of that he was sure. But it was always confusing to him. Where those like Vornskr and Vrag existed, men and women who'd slaughter and destroy simply for the laughs, men and women like Vengeance and his significant other existed. Two people who fought for their empire, but lived for one another.

The confusion brought on by such oddities within the One Sith was what forced Vaulkhar away into self-exile. And it was this very same confusion that brought him back to Coruscant to meet with his former master. The message he sent was clear and to the point, to be brought to Vengeance through the means of a courier. With the recent skirmish, the rebuilding of Coruscant and the training of new acolytes had become top priority to the One Sith, so finding an area to meet Vengeance was rather difficult, especially since everything going on made privacy nonexistant. But eventually Vaulkhar found his way to his former place of residence; a rather cheap apartment that was now entirely abandoned. Likely after the bombing and destruction of the nearby area.

So here he waited, sitting comfortably upon the roof, legs dangling over the edge. His blind gaze scanned the horizon, watching the speeders race by and the exhaust of the ever-burning factories that dotted the landscape float upwards into the heavens.

"Ahh Coruscant... home at last."

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance chuckled when he read the message from his former Apprentice. He was not sure what the deal with the random location was but he shrugged it off content to let Vaulkhar have his own secrets. It was a short trip to apartment with him taking a moment to reflect on recent actions and developments.

When he got to the place he chuckled seeing [member="Vaulkhar"] perched up on the roof.

"You know most people like to greet guests in their home not on top of it."

He force leaped up onto the roof taking a seat beside the fellow Knight. it was a nice few.

"So what's on your mind my friend?"

 

[Vaulkhar]

When [member="Vengeance"] came into view of the young man, Vaulkhar's force-sensitive gaze was drawn to him. The man did not really flare with force energy, as he likely did his best to mask it, but it was difficult to forget the aura of the man who trained you and took you in as family. So finding him, even within a sea of rubble like this sector of Coruscant, was rather easy. As he'd land beside him and speak, Vaulkhar would respond shortly after.

"Not really my home anymore. Place is abandoned, it just allowed for a bit of privacy that Coruscant can no longer afford with the recent actions of the Galactic Republic."

Though his response was quick, the question caught him off guard. Much like himself, Vengeance was somewhat curious, though he was much better at controlling it than the young man. To be fair, there was a lot on his mind. The recent battles fought, his self-exile he recently put on himself to aid him in his personal growth, and of course the fact his father was an insane psychopath bent on destroying the universe one planet at a time. But all of that wasn't necessarily important, at least for now. What was important was what he witnessed on Contruum. His mentor went toe-to-toe with Corvus Raaf, the grandmaster of the Jedi order. He managed to do what so many others could not; survive. And all the while, the two shared quite a conversation. One that greatly confused Vaulkhar. To say the least, that is.

"What was it that happened on Contruum? Between you and Corvus, I mean."

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance chuckled.

"How much of it did you hear?"

It was a legitimate question as it gave him an idea of what and where to start to answer the man's question. Not only that it also gave a better idea of why Vaulkhar wanted to know. Secrets were a powerful thing and not very many knew that him and Corvus were linked much less how they were linked.

He looked out at the landscape around the apartment reflecting on his conversation with Corvus that day.

[member="Vaulkhar"]

 

[Vaulkhar]

"Not much, to be honest."

Vaulkhar laid back, staring up at the dirty and clouded sky in contemplation. The only thing he really heard was the only thing that likely mattered in that conversation. The two were related somehow. And that also confused him. One a Jedi Grandmaster, the other a Knight of the Sith. What were the odds? Shaking his head lightly from the contemplation, Vaulkhar would turn his attention back to Vengeance, though he would remain in his relaxed position.

"I heard that you two are related somehow. How exactly?"

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance chuckled.

"Actually we are not related." "Not officially anyway." "Remember back to what i taught you about how you can unbalance your opponent simply by a carefully placed comment?"

He paused.

"How much do you know about recent events among the One Sith?"

Vengeance was not intentionally drawing out answering the question but he did need to know how much [member="Vaulkhar"] knew about the politics of the One Sith in his answer.

 

[Vaulkhar]

This was likely the one thing Vaulkhar cared less about than his messed up father. Politics. Whatever the heck was going on higher up in the food chain of the One Sith, he didn't know. What he did know was that grunts like him were sent off to war along wither higher ups such as his father and the likes of Vrag, for the specific purpose of winning an ongoing war that really didn't need to be fought at this point in time. But it was the way of the Sith to feed off of emotion, and what better way to force emotion than to slaughter millions of innocents and enslave those one could not kill? That's right. Nothing.

"To be honest with you, I know nothing in terms of the politics. And yes, I do remember what you taught me."

With the mention of the politics, a dark cloud began to form within the mind of the young man. It was not the way of [member="Vengeance"] to mention something like this without a reason. So that raised the question: what was going on with the One Sith?

"What is happening that involves politics?"

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance took a deep breath before he began.

"One of the first things I did as Acolyte was sign up for a mission to Dagobah." "A gloriously dark and gloomy place to visit." "It was a mission to retrieve a special type of saber crystal form a cave there." "It was for a woman known as Darth Timoris a staunch follower of the Rule of Two." "Over seeing the trip was a Sith Lord by the name of Venefica." "If you have ever met her you know her." "She wears armor made of the bones of the creatures she has killed."

He paused with a smirk.

"All you need to know about that trip is that when I first saw Timoris it was love at first sight."

He sighed.

"Anyway Venefica always had a very...............shall we say combative view of things that very much differed from the other Lords." "Eventually it would seem she was declared a traitor for it." "By her own doing as I have been told." "Being her apprentice Timoris was given a choice." "Turn on Venefica and openly condemn her Master or forfeit title and position."

He paused.

"She refused to betray her master and as a result declared a traitor herself."


Vengeance got quiet for a moment.

[member="Vaulkhar"]

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar tilted his head slightly and considered the words just spoken by his former master. He had heard many things of the Sith known as Venefica. She was powerful and ruthless; and as far as Sith went, she was a prime example. He also heard of her being branded a traitor, as well as some of her followers who refused to turn away from the Cult she actively participated in. All in all, he had minor knowledge in the subject, but was also lacking knowledge. Which prior to this moment, really did not matter in the slightest to Vaulkhar.

"What are your thoughts on this?"

It seemed, more likely than not, that [member="Vengeance"] was either heartbroken or very confused. Or both. Both could always work. Vaulkhar knew the man had a significant other, he spoke of her a little bit in the past, but nothing beyond admitting she existed, and that was all.

"Is this woman the same woman you are with now?"

The question was an innocent one. One that was merely meant to further explain this entire situation to Vaulkhar.

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance sighed.

"Venefica while not my Master and never gave me any formal instruction had a very big influence on who and what I am today." "She apparently betrayed her own apprentice for personal gain as well as everyone else who looked up to her as a mentor." "It is a prime example of the Sith way."

He glanced at [member="Vaulkhar"] before turning back.

"It would seem however her followers were not given a chance to pick a side but had it picked form them." "Anyway we got a little off topic."

He paused.

"Timoris is the love of my life and our relationship is progressing nicely despite being branded a traitor." "It is a risk continuing our relationship but a risk I take gladly for the woman I love."

He chuckled looking at Vaulkhar.

"What I tell you next does not leave this roof Vaulkhar." "Do not make an enemy out of me to further any lust for power and position."

He took a moment to let it sink in before he continued.

"Darth Timoris was born Melori Raaf................as in the younger sister of Corvus Raaf."

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His gaze seemed to simply move away from that of [member="Vengeance"] and instead once more focused on the horizon and the never ending flow of traffic that was a constant factor on the planet of Coruscant. There was so much he was just told that he never would of expected to hear or be accused of that he was hurt, confused, and even a little happy to hear. All that came out was just a laugh. The laugh lasted nearly a minute, but it was enough to get his point across to Vengeance. Or so he hoped.

"We're family, Vengeance. Even if you don't see it that way."

The young man returned his empty gaze to that of his former-master and shook his head.

"You are a man who took me in as his apprentice and taught me what I needed to survive in the One Sith. Whether you choose to believe it or not, my loyalty is not to the One Sith or the Emperor. I wouldn't even consider myself a Sith at this point anymore. I stay here for you, for my apprentice, and for my half brother. For those I consider family. What you've shared with me today remains between the two of us, and you better believe I'll face the harshest, most cruel death imaginable to keep this our secret. You are family and I will never turn my back on family."

Vaulkhar turned away once more and chuckled.

"Lust for power? That would involve ambition. Which I have none of."

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance chuckled.

"On Contruum Corvus was thrown by being called sister." "To be honest we spent more time talking about Melori than we did anything else." "Plus a little exchange of theory and philosophy." "It was more of an awkward family reunion than it was a duel."

He smiled.

"There is a third Raaf sister, a Sith Lord turned Jedi Master." "She was Melori's first Master before Venefica." "Until recently I didn't know the name of the third sister."

He paused before continuing.

"Family is more important than anything to me." "Whether she wants to admit it or not, whether she chooses to feel that way or not Corvus Raaf is family." "We discussed my opinion that family transcends philosophy, it is more important than the bonds of light and dark."

He chuckled.

"Yes we sparred briefly but we didn't fight." "I can't kill her Vaulkhar I simply don't have the desire." "Any other Jedi at Contruum would have been slaughtered on sight." "But no apparently the force decided to play a little joke that day and put me face to face with one of only two Jedi in the whole of the Galaxy that are the exception."


[member="Vaulkhar"]

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar nodded at his words, glad to see he shared similar views in terms of family and the like.

"Well, I'm glad you two did not end up facing off to the death. That would of been catastrophic, as I likely would of died alongside you."

He would once more laugh, even though the joke was a rather dark one. Learning about the family [member="Vengeance"] had made Vaulkhar happy. He was glad to see the woman his former master loved offered him so much happiness, even giving him more than she likely intended. Brought genuine joy to the young man's heart.

"What will you do about the other sister?"

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance shook his head.

"Nothing." "I only learned about her by chance during a charity event." "I have no intention of seeking her out."

He chuckled.

"Yeah I know a Sith participating in charity events." "I doubt Corvus and I will ever run into each other again much less on purpose." "Jedi and Sith have more in common with each other than they will ever admit." "Chief among them is a prejudicial view of the other." "As long as I am Sith I will not be welcome at her table." "The Jedi would never allow me to seek revenge against my father's murderer and Melori despite the label placed on her is adamant about remaining loyal to the Dark Lord."

He shook his head for a moment before speaking again.

"How much do you know about Jedi saber technique and tactics?"

[member="Vaulkhar"]

 

[Vaulkhar]

"Absolutely nothing; beyond of course their preference to Soresu, due to it's defensive capabilities. And of course Niman, which is literally worthless."

Vaulkhar was not surprised by the words shared to him by his former-master. He would never expect the likes of the Jedi Grandmaster to accept him at her table, as he said. The fact the two shared a philosophical conversation was a rather entertaining thought. But it was one that left a lot to consider. His follow up question pushed that all aside. He knew next to nothing on Jedi technique and tactics. Defense was key and diplomacy was important. That was it though."

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

He shook his head.

"Chosen forms are no different than what you would find among Sith." "When properly applied no form is worthless." "Each just focuses on a different style of combat." "Believe it or not Corvus taught my something on Contruum." "As you know sparring is basically just instruction with practical application."

He paused.

"Specifically in terms of defense in the forum of three rings." "Corvus' has a defense that even I can't penetrate." "She was kind enough to teach me the bare bones of it's theory to me before we parted ways." "I thought maybe you would be willing to help me not only learn it but find an exploitable weakness."


[member="Vaulkhar"]

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar nodded his head at the offer. He never really shared it before, but the young man desired to learn a more defensive form. He was a capable killing machine due to his tutelage in forms based entirely around combat. But aside from consistently throwing blows and thinking on his feet, he didn't have much of a defense. Which of course, was never a good thing. Especially when it came to fighting for one's life.

"I am more than willing to do so, but I have a question for you."

He took a deep breath and then asked.

"I need to better learn to defend myself. Are you capable of imparting knowledge in the art of Soresu to me?"

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance chuckled.

"Never really learned Soresu." "Makashi in itself provides enough defense to work with." "If I am correct in my understand of what Corvus showed me learning Soresu is not needed." "Nor is really knowledge of any of the seven traditional forms it seems."

He smiled.

"From what she told me with proper application of each ring you can block, parry, or deflect just about anything that can be with a saber."

He paused.

"I suppose if you really want to learn it I can find somebody that uses it to teach you."


[member="Vaulkhar"]

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar shook his head.

"You needn't worry. If these rings, partnered with Makashi will be a defensive enough style of combat that I wouldn't have to even know Soresu, this'll be good enough. Besides, this'll likely require my full attention anyways."

And as they always say, with another day brings more experience. Finding someone to teach him Soresu would not be difficult, especially within the One Sith, and beyond it. His traveling has brought him near and far, and there are many within the galaxy that could likely teach him.

"I suppose we should begin now."

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance shook his head.

"I am leaving for Dagobah tomorrow." "Taking two Acolytes there................you are more than welcome to tag along." "Having an extra friendly sword is never a bad thing to have on that planet."

He chuckled a minute before he continued.

"I will let you know when I have some time to devote to a proper run down of it." "I am thinking of hosting it in more neutral territory." "Practicing Jedi techniques in the heart of Sith territory could create complications."

He stood looking out before turning back to [member="Vaulkhar"] with a smile before jumping down from the roof.

"It was good catching up." "Try not to disappear again or stay gone for so long."