Private Friends In Dark Places

[Darth Strosius]

Odessen was an unfamiliar world.

It was out of the way from his usual points of interest, and from what little he knew of it there wasn't much to attract his interest. Until recently that is. The planet was clearly in tune with the Force and that was enough to warrant a visit now that he had the time. What he hoped to find, if even there was anything to find at all, was a mystery. Regardless there was only one way to find out.

His shuttle swept low and landed and nearby one of the planet's many caves, his own senses having led him to what felt like a potent gathering of the Force. Alisteri stepped out of his ship and onto the surface of the world and peered around at the forest surrounding the cave. It was oddly tranquil for a world with a nexus. His gaze then turned to the cave as he began to pace towards the entrance.

Darth Maliden

 

[Darth Maliden]

The caverns that had been his home for near sixty years sang in their own voice. They had their own strange harmony that vibrated and echoed through the system, a shimmer of song that moved and ebbed with the passing of the day. At sunrise, the pitch was low with purpose, rising as the heat of the morning grew in intensity. At sundown, the song was icy but clear, with clarity of sound that brought the tonal centre to a fulfilling conclusion.

For a man who had known only his own company, Maliden was attuned to the rise and fall of the serenity he knew. At times, his own connection to the Force, made stronger by natural manifestations off-world, could allow him to feel disturbances and disrupting powers at play. He had felt some of the great tidal shifts in the galactic battleground, swathes of potent imbalances pulsating every few years. It did not dissuade him.

Having grown alone in this place, he had found time to make it comfortable. A space to eat, a space to sleep, a space to meditate and practice his own living connection with the Force. The texts he had studied, cared for with such reverence, had been his only real guide. That and the acolytes that had served him. He did not know them. He had not seen them. His only knowledge of their being was the food and supplies they left each solstice, enough to keep his hermitage operational. He could eat a plain diet, something that allowed him to focus without distraction. He could drink plenty of water, found in ample supply within the cave system.

All of this made for an environment that gave way to the unadulterated study of the Force, without interruption. Without tampering or miscommunication with another, a Master could corrupt and give a lesser insight. It was his connection to the Force alone and his understanding of the Sith Code and teachings alone that gave him his strength.

The sun was at its zenith and the melody was hopeful, giving ochre tones and balmy notes. Maliden poured a little more water from his cantina into his rudimentary water bowl, hewn out of softwood nearby. He had walked the forest around the cave system he called home countless times, finding comfort in the small animals. The large central hold that was used as his main living space was filled with a small fire in the middle, a large metal pot building atop it, hanging from a series of wooden poles to form a rudimentary structure. He cut small slices of meat from a rabbit-like mammal, making sure to place some aside for storage lest it was a lean summer. He did this. He liked to prepare.

A note of tension disrupted his thoughts.

The acolytes were early this spring

He placed his hands in a large tub of spring water, cleaning them with a soap he had crafted. Once dried, he stood, his head uncovered and his simple flowing black robe, earthy and covered with dirt where had been foraging, and made his way to the entrance of the cave.

He neared the entrance and looked to see what they had left him this spring day.

A surprise.

The figure walked earnestly towards the cavemouth. Maliden stood. He had not seen a person outside of his visions and commune with the Force…since forever.

“Stay your ground and halt.”

His voice was thick with determination, bound tightly with Force essence. It was a powerful command.

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Something about the cave, well the planet in general but the cave in particular, felt off. It wasn't the first planet with a strong connection to the Force that he had ever been on but it felt different from what he was used to. It was oddly serene in comparison. Despite the nature of it, he felt unnerved by it nonetheless. His inner musings distracted him, hardly noticing that someone had emerged from the cave until the figure spoke.

His masked gaze landed on the other and he stopped in his tracks, his right hand shooting down to where his lightsaber sat on his belt. The individual before him felt powerful. That wasn't a good sign.

"Bold words for someone hiding in a cave."

Alisteri spoke in a guarded tone, standing straight and looking confident as if to try and make the other Force User back down first. "What are you doing here? Sith Lords usually don't spend time in caves." He regarded the other with suspicion and confusion.

Darth Maliden

 

[Darth Maliden]

He regarded the interloper with some caution. It was quite literally the first person he remembered speaking to. This individual was connected through the living Force, that he could feel keenly.

"I am not hiding. The Force knows exactly where I am. That is all that matters."

Maliden had no sabre to reach for; it was kept inside a ritual box where he trained with various droids to hone his duelling skills. Instead, he placed his hands by his side, a sign, he hoped, of passiveness, if not one of submission to this invader.

"I reside here. I have done so without disturbance for some six standard decades, though the days here pass differently to standard counting. Perhaps I am older."

He mused. He hadn't thought about it as he had never been asked about it. He thought to diffuse the situation.

"I am Maliden. Who are you?"

He bowed his head in what he thought might be an acceptable form of greeting to the stranger.

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

He raised an eyebrow at the response and shifted in his place, still gripping his weapon. There was no need to escalate the situation yet but it paid to be prepared. Between those blessed with the Force, conflict was all too common of am outcome.

The answers to his question only caused him more confusion. Perhaps meditation or something similar could make one lose their sense of time? This planet was strong in the Force, it may be more demanding to its residents as a result.

Korriban and Dromund Kaas were certainly not easy to live on at any rate. "I see..."

Alisteri reluctantly pulled his hand back from his belt and crossed his arms behind his back, returning the bow with a small one of his own. "I am Alisteri Haxim, Knight of the Sith."

He glanced back into the cave for a moment before his gaze returned to Maliden. "I've come here because of this world's strong connection to the Force. I assume you're well aware of that if you've been living here for so long?"

Darth Maliden

 

[Darth Maliden]

He read the stranger closely, taking in his every move. Alisteri shifted, making an awkward bow of his own in response to Maliden's overture. It would seem that conflict had been averted...for the moment.

"Alisteri Haxim, Knight of the Sith. It is good to know you. I am Maliden. I am a scholar and follower of the Sith. I must admit that as I have never known another world, therefore I cannot say of the presence found here. I know the Force is profound and bountiful of strength here."

He looked around, breathing in the fresh air, cool oxygen filling his lungs, accompanied by the fresh scent of pine. He took in the flowers and the far off lapping of the lake that hung near to his cavesystem.

"Have you come to commune? To pay your respects to the Nexus?"

He placed both hands out in front of him, both upturned with the face upwards, fingers closed, as if supplicating to the sky.

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

The cordial introduction was welcome surprise, certainly out of the ordinary and uncommon for Sith even if they were trying to impress or gain favor. Not that he was going to complain of course, he rather preferred the change of pace.

Alisteri glanced around at the wilderness as Malidan spoke and apparently basked in it for a moment. "Commune?" A very odd Sith indeed. He shifted in place and cocked his head to the side in response to the question. He half expected some sort of trap or ambush to spring up if he were to let his guard down too much.

Still, no reason to ruin the diplomacy just yet. Even it if may have been false. "Yes...I suppose commune is a good term. I am here to commune with the Nexus on this planet."

Darth Maliden

 

[Darth Maliden]

Maliden smiled, taking a step backwards into the mouth of the cavern opening.

"If you follow me inside, we can prepare to commune."

He walked intently with calm, his sandaled feet bound neatly under him. His gait was serene and steady, not stopping correctly to see if his new guest was with him. His voice echoed slightly in the caverns, the low ceilings illuminated by candles built into crevices in the walls.

He entered the main living space, various cushions and stools surrounding the large fire built into a hearth, quality stones containing the ashen floor that had seen thousands of fires. He motioned to the guest.

"Come. I can offer you some refreshment before we commune. I have good meat and water. We will also be able to show self-care and cleanse our faces and hands, a sign of our dedication to purity before the Force. Our individual relationship with the Force, through adherence to the Code, is all that matters when searching for answers."

He gestured to a soft cushion made of patterned cotton and velvet, combined in tight rows to form a durable yet soft.


Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

There was a pause before he went into the cave, a moment of checking his surroundings once more to ensure that there wasn't something waiting to stab him in the back. A force of habit.

Alisteri soon followed after the other figure, his boots and steady stride causing a slight echo as he walked deeper inside of the cavern. Almost like a reflection of his mere presence here the echo was a noticeable disturbance in comparison to the rest of the cave's ambience. His gaze shifted between the cave's occupant and the candles that allowed them sight in the darkness.

The sight of the living space caught him off guard, mainly by how surprisingly cozy it looked given that it was inside of a cave, but he didn't linger at the entrance for long. "I appreciate the offer but I'm refreshed enough, thank you."

He had his own prayer rituals that he performed of course, but cleansing oneself to be seen as pure was a new concept. Perhaps in his isolation this Maliden had gained some enlightenment that he himself lacked? He was eager to find out. The masked Sith strode over to the cushion and dusted himself off before sitting down.

"Tell me more of this dedication and relationship of yours. I don't believe I've heard of such practices before."

Darth Maliden

 

[Darth Maliden]

Maliden listened with intent, closing his eyes and breathing in the calm, cool air. He began to speak to the guest, quietly proposing questions to the esteemed Force user that now sat upon a cushion.

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.

What is passion if not the fervent need to express, to feel truly your desires? To act upon emotion. If there is no action, passion will yield no result.

But that is not the true meaning of the word. It has been manipulated, watered down, and made lesser."

He raised a hand gently, a small shimmer of air that was somehow thickened. Maliden looked with keen focus into it, his eyes somewhat changed.

"Passion is the willingness to suffer for what you love. That is quite a different take on teaching.

To take the banal and self-serving idea of ‘passionate wanting’ and to understand it to be an invitation to suffer for your love is characteristically different.

It becomes about service, rather than self-service. Do you see?"

His eyes looked through the shimmering smog, focussed upon Alisteri with intent.

What are you willing to suffer for? What is your passion?"

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

He listened intently as his host began to speak, narrowing his gaze at the shimmer in the air as it began to grow. Such a technique was foreign and unusual. Despite the strange shimmering Maliden's view on passion was one that he could sympathize with, not being too dissimilar to what he taught to his cult about the first part of the code.

Admittedly though his teachings were more focused on the lie of peace rather than the strength of passion.

"I know plenty about suffering and passion."

Alisteri's reply was harsh, defensive even. "My people and I have suffered much due to the whims of others. But our will to survive, our passion for the Sith has seen us through."

He inclined his head slightly as he spoke and nodded to the other Sith. "My passion is to see those that have abused their power and subjected their consequences onto my people and I dead. To right the injustice."

Darth Maliden

 

[Darth Maliden]

TAG Darth Strosius


Maliden listened with a genuine sense of consideration to the powerful guest. He wondered with a profound curiosity as to who he was but would not dare ask until necessary. He would continue to exchange ideas.

Injustice.

He posed the next question.

"Through Passion, I gain Strength."

“To withstand a great many exertions is to know real strength., as you have done. This is true of a great deal known to we Sith. The power to resist force”

He chuckled to himself.

“A careless choice of words, perhaps. We must never resist the will of the Force. Only those that channel it, and unwisely too."

He looked down at the small pot, held over a rudimentary heating cylinder.

"One cannot blame the water itself for its destructive or its regenerative powers. Water brings life, and houses lifeforms of all sizes. It feeds the forest and regenerates the soil.”

He breathed heavily.

“But…it can also destroy. Like a poisonous thought or a grudge held too tightly, it can drip, drip, drip, wearing away the very rock. It can carve out the very mountains, wash away the crops.”

He looked again with intensity at his guest.

“It can drown a man if he is not careful.”

He looked into the swirling air, watching as it almost mirrored the movements of a torrent.

“But it can also cause him to float to safety if he is careful. The Force is like this water. It can carry you if you do not fight it. But it can also destroy you. We do not blame the water itself for the flood, only the circumstances that bring it unbidden and untamed in its search to fulfil its natural inclination; the predisposition to move."

The water in the swirling image began to rise and fall, a typhoon of soundless movement, like the waves of distorted heat above the exhaust of a cruiser's engines.

"Water can adapt by moving in vital reaction. It cannot be hurt by a fist or held in one's hands. To be so gentle and yet so destructive? We Sith often focus on the purely destructive element but to what end? Will we not find rest eventually? Like the water, we must reflect that which we see without being impinged by it."

He flicked a hand, the swirling torrent in the vision dissipating and returning to a calm glacial quality.

"This is strength. To be so frozen as to pierce the heart of a wampa but within moments be used to quench the thirst of the needy or to wash the face of the dying. It can remove the most stubborn of stains and it can cool in the heat of the day. Apply a little heat, however, and..."

His hand flicked, and the small pot of water atop the heating element burst into life, steam pouring out of the closed lid as it rattled and whistled. Maliden chuckled to himself once again, clearly amused at his little display.

"Do you understand?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

The Knight shifted to a slightly more comfortable position as the next verse was spoken. This verse, that of strength, was one that all to often his peers focused on exclusively. Often to their own detriment, and the detriment of those that get in their way.

Using water as a metaphor was an interesting choice. One that fit rather well too.

He was well aware of the depths that one could slide into if the weren't careful, if their ambitions weren't tempered and instead allowed to flare and devour them whole. The Force was much like water in that respect. Like an ocean it was at times turbulent and rough and others gentle and welcoming. And yet one could drown in both conditions.

The images were fascinating to see and just as interesting as the Sith's words. Visions and philosophy went surprisingly well together apparently. He'd have to keep that in mind for future use himself.

The sudden noise from the pot caught him off guard but Alisteri wasn't too perturbed by it, his head merely snapping to look at the source of the noise. His gaze returned to Maliden and he nodded. "Yes. Strength is but a tool, used in many situations. The Force provides us with bountiful strength but in turn that strength can just as easily be turned against ourselves."

He gestured to the pot with a nod of his head. "Much like how water can be boiled and turned from a soothing fluid to a burning ingredient, it shifts and changes according to its own rules and laws. We must work with it if we are to channel it properly, lest we become lost amidst the sea of power that it provides." The Force was indeed a blessing and one that kept on giving, but it could be turned to a curse if one wasn't careful.

Darth Maliden

 

[Darth Maliden]

Maliden nodded along, happy to be talking to somebody who understood so acutely the nature of the Force. He had spent a lifetime without conversation, outside of the lessons where he communed with entities and ghosts that had converged with the Force itself. Most of those he'd spoken to had been aloof, Maliden never even knowing their names. He wondered if they even remembered their own names. Some he felt had become spectre for so long that they would not recall their own time before they absconded from their own corporeal form.

"Many wield the Force as it were like a weapon. They forget that they are the weapon, to be a conduit through which the Force moves."

He dipped a small metal bowl into the hot water, taking out some broth and proffering it to his guest. He placed it down, once again picking up another metal bowl and filling his own.

"Touch the bowl. Notice how the heat is transferred. Is it the water that is hot? Or the bowl? Or both? Does the water lose heat as it transfers to that which contains it?"

He thought about the next lesson.

"Through Strength I gain Power. The power to do what? What is power to you? Most think it is about controlling others, making them bend to your own whim.

I think that this is a selfish and limited understanding of the Code. Are we not called to achieve more? Do we think the Force so petty as to care about controlling the weak minds of those that do not subscribe to it? Does it not want all to adhere to its learnings? Or are we to gatekeep the majesty of the Force, denying the power of the Sith to those who have yet to come to understand it."

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Talking philosophy was a welcome departure from the typical conversations Alisteri held with other Sith, and those were all too rare anyway. It was nice to step back from discussing conflicts and politicking for a change. With any luck there wouldn't be a devolution into hostilities if he happened to disagree with his host on something, he'd hate to have such a nice chat end in bloodshed.

He doubted it would be a first for the Sith overall.

The masked Knight took the offered bowl and held it above his lap, looking down to examine the warm broth for a moment as he listened to the host continue. Some interesting questions indeed, reminiscent of the cyclical and cooperative nature that a Force Sensitive held with the Force itself. Particularly in relation to a nexus as well.

"Power is the next stage of strength. Power is will made manifest." It was a verse of the code that many Sith took literally and never bothered a second glance at. Far too many for his taste. "Even without being blessed with the ability to use the Force, it provides power to all who would look upon it and revere it as they should. The power to carry on, the power to strive and work through struggle, the power to persist and exist in such a turbulent galaxy as the one that we live in."

He and his people knew well enough of having to rely on faith and strength of arm alone. "It is a crime to stifle the knowledge of how to best harness the power that we are all granted. To blind and cripple a person from their rightful gift merely because they are not someone that is approved of or were not born within a certain border. We are all lesser beneath the Force, equal in our place."

Darth Maliden

 

[Darth Maliden]

He spoke with some added urgency, a distinct change of tone for the Sith Master. He was keen to press the severity of his intent, lest it be interpreted as anything other than certainty.

"If the Force, and thus our power and strength, are gifted to us, can it truly be taken? Can we take that which is given freely without condition, graciously administered to us by the power of the Force and our own congress with it?"

He mulled over the next point.

"What are your chains, friend? What are you seeking to break? Is your very congress with the Force signalling that you have already broken free? Or is the Force the means by which we are free of our bonds? What binds you so?"

He drank from his own bowl.

"I have been gifted many things in this life. The power of my convictions and the strength of mind to determine what I can give to the Force and what it can give in return. The Nexus portal that we sit upon has shown me so much."

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

"Perhaps taken is not right word, but misused and abused are certainly applicable. There are many who work against the will of the Force and seek to undermine it, not desiring to be beholden to any but themselves." That had been a common theme with many powerful Sith that he knew of, they either saw the Force as a tool or as a mountain to be conquered.

The Knight didn't answer the questions immediately, choosing to think on what he would or should reply for a few moments. They were good questions and he could answer them easily, but his relatively recent ascension from Acolyte to proper Sith had shifted his perspective somewhat.

"I have had many of my chains broken, the Force is the only reason I was freed from a life of slavery and it was the only thing that made me strong enough to survive the war and aftermath. Through it I have been freed from who I was and have become who I am now."

The journey from a slave to a Sith had been a long one. One that he had scraped and fought to move along with all that he could manage and muster, and one that he wouldn't have had any other way. He swirled the contents of his bowl again as he pondered on the chains he still had. Most of them were full of blood and life, unfortunately.

"Yet there are still many chains that bind me and the Sith. Many that I shall shatter myself in repayment for the blessings of the Force."

Darth Maliden

 

[Darth Maliden]

Maliden's smile grew. Here was somebody who understood what it was to commit to the Force, to commit to the Sith. He knew there would be others who did not share the wisdom and enlightenment present in such a warrior but they could see reason...perhaps.

"You give me strength, my friend. You have shown me great kindness by listening to me. I have not yet enjoyed the bounty that conversation can bring with many and I shall think on this one for some time."

He stood, leaving the bowl at his feet. Maliden stepped back.

"For your diligence to the Code and for your willingness to learn, I will show you something. What you will see I cannot say but the Force will speak to you."

He placed his hands open, two upturned palms facing the ceiling as Maliden breathed in. As he breathed out, an unnatural burst of air flooded the chamber from behind him, a melting frost blinding all those that looked upon it. Maliden's figure began to dissipate, the blurred edges of existence fraying and revealing unto the guest profound darkness, crushing and yet without feeling.

There was only darkness and silence...the sound of drops of water grew steadily louder...louder...louder.



Darth Strosius ​

 

[Darth Strosius]

"I have merely exchanged words with you, but I do admit kindness amongst our order is simply in a short supply." Cooperation more so than anything else, but that could be mended far easier than the lack of decent conversation. Alisteri regarded the other Sith with a slightly confused tilt of his head as he stood. "I don't know if that's necess-"

But his words soon died out as the burst of air stole his breath and made his vision blurry and fuzzy. It was like his mind itself was being submerged in some strange baptism, himself frozen as he tried to find some manner of focus to make sense of what was happening.

What he found, well heard, was the sound of water drops. A sound that grew and grew until it filled his ears and echoed like a tolling bell with each drop. For a moment he was lost in that, but he soon felt an even greater chill creep over his body. It pulled him back to some manner of coherence as he saw flashes of images in a rapid succession.

A sandblasted and wreck-filled canyon, a crowd of cloaked people, then a dark hallway with the only light being a distant red glow at the end. The flashes moved forward down the hall until his vision was encompassed by a deep red fog, soon giving way to walls of clawed and malformed hands tearing at the canyon from before.

With a gasp his bowl and its contents were hurled across the room as he suddenly reoriented himself, his hands digging into the cave floor as he caught his breath. "What was that?"

Darth Maliden

 

[Darth Maliden]

Maliden came to with a start, as if he could suddenly take a breath again, akin to being underwater without the necessary apparatus to survive in such a hostile environment. His senses were fogged but the distinct tang of raw Force energy pervaded, numbing everything.

He looked down at his guest, quite startled and shocked at the revelatory experience he had bestowed upon him.

‘I am attuned to the Nexus. It can speak to me if I am willing to listen to it. Sometimes, the voices call me Maliden. Other times, the Nexus calls me Keeper. I do not know if I am its guardian or whether it is mine but I do know I may channel it when it requires it of me’

He removed his masked hood, revealing his eyes, white and devoid of pupils. It wasn’t pure white but clouded milk, reflective like marble but dull and without animation.

‘It shows me what I need to survive and in return, I keep the pathway clear. She wanted to speak to you, the Nexus did.’

He replaced his hood, covering his blinded face.

‘What did she say?’

He quickly raised a lone finger on his waif-like body.

‘You need not reveal to me what She told you; perhaps I am not worthy of such burden’

Darth Strosius