He Who Wanders

[Vaulkhar]

The Planet of Pzob
Unknown Date
Unknown Time
From the Journal of Vaulkhar Zambrano

Spoiler

I'm not sure how long it has been since my departure from society. From the One Sith to the Silver Sanctum, I wandered endlessly with no path in mind. Today I still wander, both pathless and without worry for myself. I'm unsure of where I have ended up, as my ship is currently without power. My supplies of food remain in tact, as I've been rationing properly, and what this planet offers up in both flora and fauna are not horrible in terms of survival. I have not seen a Jedi or Sith in some time, as no one has targeted my life or attempted to arrest me for desertion.

Spoiler

I must ask myself though, where is it I go from here?

Vaulkhar gently places the small data pad in which he was utilizing for his journal down and slides it a few inches away from him. The young man raises his head and peers about, his blind gaze taking in the interior of his cold, empty ship. What was once active with the work of his personal droid as well as the whirring and buzzing of various machines, is now dead silent as the ship has finally ran out of fuel and energy. With nothing to keep it running, it has become nothing more than a glorified hut for the once-sith, now rogue.

He scoots back the chair he was sitting upon and straightens before turning about and moving towards the exit of his ship. Moving down the now always-open ramp, he steps downward into the humid, dark forest. It was night, of that he was sure. The creatures that once inhabited the small clearing he now called home no longer moved about, chirping and foraging for food. Now the forest remained silent, as if it were holding it's breath within the evening.

Vaulkhar peered about, looking for something to take his attention away from the lack of activity, but as per the many nights before this one, there was nothing. He pulled his gray robes around him and simply returned to the interior of his ship and sat once more, but this time upon the cold floor, where he began to meditate on the silence and the force alike.

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Now, I came here for a -completely- different reason, and yet I find you." Both the voice and the presence of the red cloaked man would suddenly be heard and felt as [member="Vaulkhar"] meditated. As ever, the Sith Lord loved his entrances, and as he stepped from the shadows of the boys ship Ferus was ever persistent not to disappoint. Though, unlike normal, he had his lightsaber in hand, thumb holding right over the ignition.

It had been some time sense this half breed had been heard of. Rumor had it he left for the Jedi of all things. Now that would be a disappointment. But a possibility. "Care to explain where you've been, Vaulkhar?"

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar's ear twitched lightly as both the force and physical presence of [member="Darth Ferus"] materialized within the shadows behind him. His muscles tighten but quickly relax as the Sith Lord moves out of the shadows and closer to the kneeling man. He stands slowly, hands stretched to the side as he turns. As Vaulkhar makes a complete turn, the gray robe's sleeves fall away to reveal both his flesh and cybernetic arm remain free, his lightsaber still hanging at his belt. A frown tugs at the corner of his lips, unsure of how to go about this current situation.

"I never would of thought I'd of ran into you, Lord Ferus, on a planet force knows where, after however long it has been."

After the small introduction, he simply lowers his left arm to his side while his right arm slowly maneuvers the lightsaber from it's place on his belt into the air, where he keeps it aloft with the force. For a moment, a brief tinge of worry flashes across the young man's empty gaze, one that nearly causes him to activate the saber. But instead he simply shrugs, further loosening his muscles.

"I've been here and there," he states softly. "I've been just about everywhere this powerless ship could take me. I'm not sure how long it's been or even what has gone on since my departure. I was captured by a Jedi of the Silver Sanctum and feigned interest in serving them for sometime. But when I had the opportunity to escape, I did. And since then I've been exploring."

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Here and there huh."

A smile formed on the lips of the Sith Lord as he lowered his blade, hooking it back in the folds of his tattered cloak and letting it disappear from view. Then, he let his arms spread wide, and let out a laugh. [member="Vaulkhar"] wasn't the only one who disappeared after all. For months the Sith wasn't a Sith, hiding as a normal non force user with a means he wasn't about to explain any time soon.

"It's good to see you healthy. Have you been working on those skills I showed you? And where is that sword I gave you?"

 

[Vaulkhar]

"I trained in form five for some time, but without any proper targets to practice on or with, I couldn't really increase it as I've done with Soresu. Training drills work more for defensive styles than offensive styles, after all."

Vaulkhar grins, raising an arm and awkwardly scratching at the back of his head. It upset him somewhat considering he did train in form five for a decent amount of time, it just didn't work the best considering his lone training. His eyes immediately wandered a few feet away from [member="Darth Ferus"], closer to the exit of the ship. The memory of him giving away the blade gifted to him came to mind and it caused him to chuckle softly.

"I gave the blade away after training an old friend of mine in how to both use it and kill both Sith and Jedi with it. But I trained in it enough to properly teach how to use it."

 

[Darth Ferus]

"It was a good blade, for beginners. So I don't fault you for passing it along. If you'd like another blade we can of course make one specifically for you, not just a random blade I happened to make long before I met you." The offer had more to it than most would initially think. Which he was quick to expand upon. "I could even teach you all that I know. I feel like it's more than just coincidence that we met here, and I have every intention on making sure it is more than just that."

The grin never faded as he waved a hand, turning to the exit ramp of the ship itself. "This planet's fate will be no different than that of Fresia. It's people will become mine, all used to make a basin that even Fresia will pale in comparison to. From there I will make my monsters to plague this galaxy. I shall make weapons that devour life and bring only ruin. Artifacts to bring eternal life and power to my fellow Sith. Yes, this is a speech, but I simply ask you to follow me once again."

[member="Vaulkhar"]

 

[Vaulkhar]

"There is a part of me that wants to feel bad for the inhabitants of this planet. But as I stop to consider it, I find I don't really care."

And with a shrug, Vaulkhar moved after [member="Darth Ferus"] towards the small exit ramp of his ship. It had been sometime since he'd last seen the master, and he was one of two men that actually managed to teach him anything of use. In order to find something for himself, it seemed at his young age following that of a seasoned, elder master was one way of doing so. And Ferus was that.

"A blade made specifically to my standards would be rather nice. Having both that and a lightsaber would not hurt my combat chances. But I must ask, would it be possible to get some form of lightsaber resistant metal for my arm guard?"

Vaulkhar nodded down towards his left arm, which was armored from the hand to the shoulder.

"I designed it after receiving the Sith Assassins armor from you and while it's done it's work, it can't stop a lightsaber and that's obviously a problem. As for the rest of your training, I'll gladly accept. I'm just not sure what it is you're going to teach me and whether, but I will accept nonetheless."

 

[Darth Ferus]

"There are a number of things that can stop a lightsaber, but they're all pretty heavy. I doubt you'd want your arm weighed down to an extreme. Perhaps something simple, like Songsteel. It wont last forever, but it can take glancing blows." Ferus did love crafting things, so that's where his mind went first. How to make a useful arm guard without upsetting the balance of the warrior. That couldn't be helped at this time however, so the Lord dropped the subject, walking on ahead. "I've come to scout this planet, and I suppose testing it's blood would help with what I have planned next. Come, help me find a true warrior on this planet. We can use them to make you a proper sword."

[member="Vaulkhar"]

 

[Vaulkhar]

"As long is it can keep being created, I'll gladly accept it. Most people don't expect a lightly armored warrior to use their arm as a means of blocking a lightsaber. Anything is better than the durasteel that makes up the arm guard now."

Vaulkhar shrugs and continues to move along with [member="Darth Ferus"]. Taking a moment to look down at the armor beneath his gray robes, which still consists of the Sith Assassin armor gifted to him in the past, he could not help himself as a grin tugged at his lips, creasing his features. Pulling the robes around himself once more, he stepped out of the ship after the Sith Lord.

"Let us do so, but I must ask; how exactly will finding a warriors blood aid in making the sword? Sith alchemy makes no sense to me as of now."

 

[Darth Ferus]

"That, my boy, is what I shall show you." He spoke to [member="Vaulkhar"] without once turning his head to look at the half breed. Instead, he was scanning ahead, looking for villages of the local Gamoreans. The piggies would do just fine. "Alchemy is the art of bending the very fabric of existence to the will of the user. Atoms are changed and forced to combine with others in ways that wouldn't happen naturally. With enough skill, an Alchemist could turn a simple bar of Durasteel into a compound so close to Bes'kar you could swear it was. With all the same effects, and resistances."

Both of the Sith's hands slipped behind his back, grasping one another as he walked with a straight back. He was oddly proper as he spoke. "But, all of this needs a medium. A basin is what a Sith uses to control existence. Only what is inside the basin can be manipulated. The blood? That is what powers the basin. It's waters are that of the sacrificed and some darker magic. Without blood, it won't work. Strong the blood, stronger the basin, stronger the things that can be made."

 

[Vaulkhar]

"Understood, my master."

Vaulkhar continues to follow behind [member="Darth Ferus"], hands down at his sides as they go. As he peers through the force and feels about him, he to comes to find the Gamorean people through his own force abilities. The humanoid-pig people have been employed as warriors and guardians in the past. The people are capable warriors, or at least that is assumed. Not nearly as skilled as those of the Mandalorians. But they'd likely do.

"I will be honest, most of this makes no sense to me. But I'm assuming I will eventually learn; and that's good enough for me. From what you've told me though, I'm going to guess we are going to murder these Gamoreans without mercy and use their blood within the basin to forge a sword. Would that be correct, my lord?"

 

[Darth Ferus]

"You will indeed learn, but we are not mindlessly slaughtering them. Fresh blood is important. And we only need one for a sword. So you're going to challenge their strongest to a fight, and I'll watch. Simple right?" And with that, the Sith Lord yelled out in the center of the Gamorian village they had entered. In Gamorian. Simply put it was a challenge to the strongest warrior in the village. Which was quickly met with angry snorts and what could clearly be heard as swears. Wasn't hard to think about what he said. A large bulky Gamorian stepped out with an axe in hand, slamming his chest with his free hand.

"This would be your target, remember, don't kill him." A quick point to [member="Vaulkhar"] set the pigs eyes right on him.

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar stepped forward towards the Gamorian, eyes immediately drifting upward at the large creature. He himself was not a big man, standing at a whopping 5'11 and weighing a total of 175 pounds; he was small. He liked to consider himself a quick warrior who thought on his feet, not so much as someone who'd go blow for blow with a stronger fighter. But this Gamorian was likely the opposite. Standing at an opposing 6'8, likely the tallest creature within the village, it stared down at Vaulkhar as if the man was a treat. He was nearly three times as thick as Vaulkhar and his body was composed of muscles under a thin layer of fat. To some, it would show weakness. But to the seasoned warrior, Vaulkhar recognized the threat immediately.

And thankfully, the small amount of intuition saved his life. The creature swung downward in a descending arc at where Vaulkhar stood on a split second before. The creature, though large, moved efficiently, giving the illusion of speed, when in reality it was simply using efficient movements. The axe itself embedded a solid six inches into the rocks and dirt where Vaulkhar was. And with a terrifying grunt and flexing of muscles, the Gamorian ripped the axe free and snarled at Vaulkhar. The young Sith's eyes widened at the brute showing of strength. He's seen such acts of power before from Sith Lords and Jedi Masters alike, but nothing as brutally awe-inspiring as the actions of a Gamorian through natural strength.

Shaking his head, Vaulkhar brought his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it. The vermilion saber immediately bathed the nearby environment and the young man in an angry orange glow as he prepared himself. The Gamorian charged forwards, once more raising his axe. This time Vaulkhar was ready. As the creature swung downward in a flurry, Vaulkhar dashed into the creature's guard with the aid of the force, his body speeding up past it's normal limits. Sliding beneath the creature's legs, his lightsaber easily slid through the creature's ankle, as if it were made of paper. Jumping to his feet, Vaulkhar leaped up onto the falling creature's back and implored the aid of the force once more. Pressing outward with his cybernetic arm, a wave of force energy slammed into the back of the creature's head, causing it to impact against the dirt and rocks below; effectively knocking it unconscious.

With a smirk, Vaulkhar deactivated his lightsaber and hopped down. His gaze met that of the [member="Darth Ferus"]' red eyes.

"He shall live. For now, my Lord."

Vaulkhar lowered his form into a slight bow before straightening once again.

 

[Darth Ferus]

The villagers had stepped out to watch the fight. Cheers of snorting and grunts filled the air as they encouraged their champion. This was a normal occurrence to them, save for it being Epicanthix instead of another clan. It all fell within their culture and laws, just as Ferus had made sure it would. Once the champion was knocked down, silence overtook the crowd. They lingered for just a moment longer, and left.

The champion was forfeit. What ever happened to him now they no longer cared about. He had shamed their clan with his loss. A smile formed on the Sith's lips as he nodded once to [member="Vaulkhar"] . Clean and efficient. With a small wave of his hand the Dark Lord lifted up the unconscious body, bringing it to float in the air behind him. "Take his axe. I'm sure we can make a proper sword out of it." Ferus would turn from both his apprentice and the village, making his way back to the ship the pair had left. For what came next, he didn't need the prying eyes of the locals to see.

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar nodded to [member="Darth Ferus"] as he turned away knelt down over the axe. Grabbing it with both hands, he lifted it with a light grunt. It was heavy. Not impossible to carry, but heavy enough to become uncomfortable after sometime if he was forced to carry it long term. Moving after Ferus, his gaze drifted back to the village momentarily. Not many of the pig-race remained outside and those that did, watched the two Sith as they wandered off. He couldn't help but frown as they watched his passing. These creatures were no more than savages, but in reality they had a culture; that challenge against their champion and the results which followed proved that.

Yet they would not likely survive the coming months. And once again, these sorts of things only bothered him momentarily. While it should not of bothered him at all, he would admit to himself, it didn't matter in the long run. His own survival and strengthening mattered more than savages on the planet of Pzob. And under the apprenticeship of Lord Ferus he'll do more than just grow and become stronger; he will also gain knowledge.

The two made their way back to the ship in which Vaulkhar was found within. As he left it, it was partially camouflaged by the foliage where he landed. It still remained open, as it did not have the power to close. Well, it did not have the power yet. As they stepped within Vaulkhar set the axe down on a table before leaning against it, awaiting further orders from his new master.

"What next, my lord?"

 

[Darth Ferus]

All the trip back the Sith had the champion floating behind both he and [member="Vaulkhar"] . It was a casual exertion of his power, one meant more to show off his own skill to his student. Show what could be done at the next level of power. Once in the ship however the champion was dropped with a loud thud, probably to keep him out cold, and Ferus moved to grab one of the chairs nearby.

"The blood runs a basin to give it power. The basin itself acts as a controller. Both parts are needed. So, we'll make a basin." The chair was set in the center of the room unceremoniously, and the Sith Lord stepped back. Red eyes looked over the simple metal object, studying. Both hands came up, and with an ear piercing screech the metal twisted and contorted. The noise didn't seem to affect Ferus, suggesting this wasn't the first time he had done this.

Eventually the noise stopped, and in the middle was a simple and oddly smooth basin. It stood upon a pedestal of solid metal, and rounded off rather deep bowl. Somehow he had made the metal fuse to the shape he wanted without seams. "And now, we use the man. Setting up a basin is easy, but it does take some time. Perhaps at one point I can finally create more portable basins. Simple medallions that allow an Alchemist to use their craft anywhere.." He trailed off as he thought back, but quickly shook his head. "Bring the Gamorean over here and set him so his throat is over the bowl. We'll begin with the ritual behind it."

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar watched the various shows of power, one after another, with a perked brow. He knew [member="Darth Ferus"] was powerful. He's seen his skills first hand in battle and during covert ops for the Sith Assassins. But this was something else entirely. He had never seen someone so perfectly shape any object through the powers of the force. He's seen people utilize what has already existed within nature. Such as the Jedi Master Jericho's control over ice when he and Vaulkhar fought sometime back. But that seemed menial in comparison to the shaping of a metal chair into a perfect basin.

Shaking his head and exiting his revere, Vaulkhar moved towards the Gamorrean and held out both his hands. Concentrating on the downed creature, he slowly raised both of his arms and began to lift him from the metal floor. He had extensive training in telekinesis and because of that fact alone, he managed to lift the creature and manipulate it's body as it floated towards the basin, as to make sure it was leaning over it; neck exposed to the ceremonial bowl. As a bead of sweat rolled down the young man's cheek, he couldn't stop himself from grunting as he finally released the pressure of the champion he had only recently defeated. The beast was massive, it weighed probably twice as much as him, and most likely was the heaviest single object he ever lifted in terms of people.

"He is in position, my lord. The ritual is ready, or at least I assume so."

Vaulkhar moved closer towards the basin and took up a position looking over it with his arms crossed over his chest.

 

[Darth Ferus]

"You don't have to keep calling me 'my lord' you know. If you think it would be good for appearances, feel free around others. But when it's just us and my other apprentices, don't bother." He didn't need a constant reminder that he was the teacher. He already knew that. And for some reason the title now annoyed him. Perhaps because of how often he had heard it, or perhaps because he didn't view [member="Vaulkhar"] as a lowly apprentice.

"There is at least one other, perhaps two. I try to take on three. After the last two failed and Ophidia rose, it seemed to be effective." And that was all there was on that subject. From the folds of his robe came a wicked looking knife. He spoke but his words couldn't be heard. Instead, they were felt. Around him the Force swelled. It was cold, empty, dark. Slowly the blade was dragged across the green flesh, letting the blood first drip, then pour into the bowl below.

The 'words' continued, causing the whole room of the ship to dim. The blade was tucked away, suspiciously devoid of blood, and the body was thrown back out of the ship, also devoid. In the bowl itself all the blood resided, glistening. And then the chant stopped. "Come over here, set your hands on the bowl."

 

[Vaulkhar]

"Yes, [member="Darth Ferus"]."

Saying his name, rather than title left an odd taste in his mouth. It was likely just a false name, similar to that of others taken when people take on the title of Lord or Darth. Then again, he never changed his own name when he became a Knight of the Sith, which was commonly when people took such titles on. But it mattered not. There were more important matters at hand and questions to be had. Such as who the other three apprentices were? Were they allies or enemies? What did they know of the lost apprentice returned to the master? Many questions to be asked.

Vaulkhar stepped forward and placed his hands on the basin. Those questions could wait. He began to focus upon the force, simply pulling it around him.

"When we finish this, I have questions to ask of you, if I may. But I'm rather interested in where this goes."

 

[Darth Ferus]

"You can ask any questions you like, don't feel as if you don't have that right. That's why you're my apprentice." With [member="Vaulkhar"] 's hands on the basin, he let the Force flow freely into it. It was a cold energy, as if it simply sucked the heat right from the air itself. "But for now, focus. The blood must be infused with the Dark. Channel it into the basin and into the blood, imbue it with both hate and anger. This basin will be as much a part of you as that blood was the champions by the time you are done." The Sith Lord kept his hands on the basin, but he did not do much else. It was up to Vaulkhar to complete the task.