Hark! Hear Here the Heretical Hymns

[Darth Ophidia]

"The Holocron of Heresies."

Darth Ophidia ran a knuckle across her chin, just where a faded scar left the barest shift in colour on her ashen face. The Kissai disguise crumbled away from her form like flimsiplast curling away under the heat of an invisible flame.

"An agent of Sularis is waiting for me there, ready to hand over the artefact." "We must be swift."

She waved her left hand, sending the droid to put down the recording device in his hands and get the engines of the Phasma running. The mouse apprentice by the droid's feet lingered. Akito Koushou looked up at her master and lifted the mask from her face.

"And yet, you linger, my master." "Do you expect it to be a trap."

The Rattataki turned her look down to the Nezumi, a smile growing on her previously still lips.

"Not from Sularis, no. He is too much of a coward." "Yet there is trepidation in the Force."

She started walking after Darling, Akito jogging beside her to keep up. "Trependashon, my Lord?"

"A sense of apprehension of impending danger." "Something is brewing on Ambria, behind a veil I have yet to pierce."

Darth Ophidia did not feel the fear, no, she felt it like a tremor in the Force. It was much like walking against the stream of a stream that wished her not to find its source. This made her all the more curious to find it.

No matter what this danger was, she would have her holocron.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

The Phasma left orbit of Muunilist and shot off into Hyperspace, taking the Braxant Run to the Hydian Way, then bee-lining through the neutral territory. It was not her first time stopping on Ambria, nor the first time she had been to Lake Nath. It had been part of many of her little pilgrimages for the Sith, and she had to admit that there were few places more subtly fitting to conduct a business transaction these days.

The Galactic Alliance and their Jedi dogs controlled most of the core, the Sith Empire held the Tingel Arm and the Stygian Caldera, rising like a glorious thunderstorm in the distance. The Inner Rim, and the eastern core worlds were a mess of squabbling factions, most of which had less than half a right to rule over any hunk of rock. They were proof of the shattered state the Galactic Republic had left their territories in. At least she had seen fit to burn the One Sith before the Alliance came to the deep core.

Darth Ophidia leaned back in her chair and picked up the tea cup from its tray. The fragrance surged up her nose and tickled her olfactory organs before she put the rim to her lips and tipped the phrik so she could consume its contents.

It was delectable.

She closed her eyes and retracted herself into the deep cold place where she could sense things far beyond herself. The hot tea in her hand remained her anchor to the world, letting her stay alert of her surroundings while she peered beyond the veils she had previously pierced.

What was it that eluded her this time?

 

[Darth Ophidia]

The hours rushed past, now and then, the Pale would fade back and drink some of her tea, then slip back into the visions. She saw planets shift hands and heard whispers from times and places of old, some of which she had visited, others she had not. She saw the temple on Krayiss buried in sand, and the Sith Empire trying to capture it, she saw the zatitsis trying to demolish it, and how deeply he failed. She saw her own first meeting with the Guardian Court, and she was pulled away.

Reach​

This vision, what was it? It was Coruscant. Bodies in tanks, a face she knew - A face of Voss. Her hands were covered in an Emperor's blood as she and Carnifex stood over a broken corpse, soul shattered. Empire shattered, she knew it. She had poisoned it. Fire spread and consumed all. Soon the kingslayers would have thrones of their own. Face the master The fool, challenging her on Kashyyyk. He had read the signs all wrong. He did not know what he saw and like the uxibeast he charged his own shadow. My dagger before dishonour. Ah, the child, so precious to her, but dead now, dead among shadows and ash, restful among the restless. Csen'ai Another rising in his place. And three; three daggers in the sand. Their shadows cast over a river of blood.


The dead walk, Reach! Beware their cunning.

Her eyes shot open as the ship lurched. Akito had almost reached out to wake the master, but now looked at her with pause.

"Ambria, I can feel it." "The darkness of Lake Nath, the Holocron" She looked at the Nezumi and put away the phrik cup. "Yes master, we have are landing in mere minutes." "Excellent."

 

[Darth Ophidia]

The Phasma glided down to the surface under the cover of its cloaking and landed in the empty landscape near Lake Nath.

"Akito, Darling, ship duty." She picked up her helmet and straddled her speeder. "I want her ready to fly out of here as soon as I return."

Ophidia put her helmet on and revved the speeder.

Akito looked up at the big droid and the droid looked down at the Nezumi before bending down and picking her up gently, then turned to walk back into the ship. The Nezumi climbed up along the droid's arm, watching her master leave in a cloud of dust.

The speeder cast up a trail behind her as it accelerated. Quicker, quicker, quicker it went, the wind rushing past the Rattataki's skin, tugging at her clothes, beating against her chest. Riding this vehicle was always an exhilarating experience. She pushed it to the limits, just as it once pushed her senses. Now, master and machine were in symbiosis. She weaved between the rolling hills and occasional cluster of organic growths. There were no people to see-

Left

She flattened herself against the speeder as a bolt of plasma scorched through the air overhead. A net burst through the sand in front of and behind her as the ambush was sprung. Guns lined the hills.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Ophidia brought the speeder around in a full circle, the tail of it whipping out behind her as she inspected the opposition. Dust whipped up behind her in a growing cloud, and the Sith Lord closed her eyes. Reaching out with the Force, she could see them, each and every one. She could sense their minds, their fears, and that some of their weapons were not even loaded. It was a good scare-tactic, but not enough for the Queen of Shadows.

"Halt, or we will fire! We want your money, not your life, but if you move a muscle, we won't think twice"

The clouds dispersed in a sudden gust of wind, and Darth Ophidia was nowhere to be seen.

A hail of shots were fired into the valley, turning the sandy road into a field of glass shrapnel and scorched sand, but no blood was shed. "There!" A voice spoke as he pointed to a foot-print in the sand. Though, while the footprint was on the opposite slope, his was the head that suddenly jerked to the side with an audible crack. The one next to him turned sharply, but halted as a blade suddenly pierced his throat and sprayed red on the sand. The one thereafter, got his weapon in line and shot. The bolt swayed past, and then the weapon buckled in his hands, slamming into his face, once, twice, breaking the jaw.

The two next got themselves aligned and aimed for the rifle, but their weapons suddenly jerked to the side before the previous one's rifle came down as a bludgeon on one, the other found a cut on the back of his knee and fell over in the sand. Shots from the opposite side hailed over the ridge, blasting sand into plumes. Something invisible fell next to him and he drew his knife then stabbed for it. However, his arm seized, then suddenly cracked at the elbow. He screamed in pain before finding his throat closed.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

The breath was quick in the Pale Assassin's mouth as she wiped off the dagger and dropped the guns. The hail of blasterfire slowed down, with a few strays clipping the top at the end. Clearly, they wanted to conserve their ammunition rather than waste it in a futile attempt at glassing the sandy ridge. Darth Ophidia stood up slowly and stepped over the top of the ridge. Her feet were careful to touch stone, yet she was quick about traversing it. In her hands, she held two grenades, pilfered from the bodies of the robbers she had just slain.

A double click and they leapt out of her hands, becoming suddenly visible as they tumbled over the ridge. A thunderous boom and two plumes of smoke rose from the points of impact, followed by cries of pain and deathly groans. She climbed onto her speeder and dropped the cloak of shadows as the engine sparked to life. Casting a single glance to the smoke plumes, she saw one of them crawling over the top, bloodied, bleeding out.

She kicked the speeder into gear and shot off in a cloud of dust. It was not much longer until she found herself at the shores of lake Nath. Following the coastline, Darth ophidia arrived at the place of meeting. She stopped the swoop some distance away and walked the rest of the way.

She looked uphased, despite the blood on her sleeves and sand on her dark robes. Her hands were clasped behind her back, the hood concealing part of her face.

"You must be Mr. Sulari's agent." "I am here for the artefact. As agreed upon purchase."

One of her hands slipped out from behind her back, holding a holopad with proof of purchase.

[member="Ella Nova"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

OOC: Carrying on this thread for the Holocron now.

The transaction from there-on was silent As soon as the Agent saw the credit transfer completing, she handed over the Holocron. No nods, no shaking of hands, no more words, they simply turned and walked each their merry way. Darth Ophidia put the holocron in a container designed to keep its presence in the Force shrouded from peering eyes. She then placed it inside a box on her speederbike, armoured to take on blasters and slugs.

[SIZE=9pt]Climbing on the back of her speederbike, she took a different path back to the ship. This time, she was not disturbed. As she stepped on board, Ophidia removed her helmet.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Set coordinates for Krayiss Two.[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]She set the helmet down and ran a gloved hand over the crown of her head, a sigh escaping her lips. Her droid and her apprentice were quick to get the ship off ground and into orbit. From there, it shot off into hyperspace.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]As the ship launched, Ophidia secluded herself to her own chambers and opened the containers keeping the holocron. Her eyes set on the infamous engraving: In Umbris Potestas Est - In darkness there is power. It was truth. Her eyes closed as she felt the Holocron in her hands.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Something was wrong. It was not com- It was complete, but there was a disturbance in its core.[/SIZE]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[SIZE=9pt]The Phasma shot through hyperspace, travelling across half the galaxy. During that time, the Pale rested. She had exerted herself on Ambria, and she needed to be alert when speaking to Andeddu the first time. She knew all too well how wiley the masters of the ancient Sith could be. This was also one of the reasons she was taking him to Krayiss.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]It would be familiar to her and strong in the dark side of the Force. She would have access to the great fountains of knowledge within, and had the chance of secluding herself from others to prevent any shenanigans. - Well, minimise the risk thereof, at least. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Furthermore, the Brethren Court would be impressed with what she brought back. She had little concern for their praise, but the channels it opened in terms of access to the repositories of wisdom most certainly did. Nor was it just a matter of her access, but of showing that the Sith Empire were dedicated to restoring greatness to the Stygian Caldera. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]As such, the Holocron of Heresies, as it nestled in her hands, was a brick in the future she built for the Sith and their Empire.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Master, we are about to revert from hyperspace above Krayiss Two and initiate landing cycle.[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Darth Ophidia’s eyes opened slowly, the burning embers of her irises stared into the wall as she nodded and dismissed the Nezumi acolyte with a wave of her hand. It was not a rude dismissal, but one of efficiency. [/SIZE]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[SIZE=9pt]After they landed, the Pale carried the Holocron in her hands as she stepped towards the Obelisk. She gave her sacrifice of blood at the pit, then stepped up to the black stone spire. She flared out her left hand and reached out with the Force while her voice croaked the incantation.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Taka zeech ma toka duuwaj”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]The sand shook, then parted. Tentacles withdrew from where the door appeared, and the Pale Assassin made her way down into Tsakwia iw Wtsia. Sand made way to black stone and gold as she claimed her place on the central square. The Guardian Court made their appearance, staring down at her with their hollow eyes. Ophidia lifted the Holocron of Heresies.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Help me undo what the Jedi have done. Let me bring forth the secrets of the Sith.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]The highest of the judges stroked one of his face tendrils with a bejewelled hand, then bowed. The Court bowed in turn, and their bodies turned to smoke. An electric tension ran through the room as Ophidia closed her eyes and held her left hand over the Holocron, fingers curling like talons.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Naga Sadow. Sith Emperor of time immemorial.” “ Come. Cast off the shackles of light.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]A flash of electricity arced between her fingers and the holocron. A roar of energy traveleld through the room. A second flash, this one red and arcing from the floor itself. An ambient chant filled the room as light darkened. Another red flash of lightning arced through the room as her fingers closed into a cone right over the Holocron’s peak. The capstone turned and the holocron glowed ominously. Her fingers splayed as she forced a last surge of energy into the Holocron.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“He who challenged death!”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]The room lit in arcs of red lightning and the visage of Naga Sadow burst out of the Holocron. He reached for the formerly invisible chains that shackled his knowledge and tore them asunder. As the spectral energies dissipated and Naga flexed his fingers. Ophidia smiled. Her fist suddenly closed. [/SIZE]The guardian’s eyes opened wide as the holocron shut, sucking Sadow’s form back into its centre. It was restored, and it was hers.

End thread.​