He Who Wanders

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar nodded, beginning to focus further on the basin. His skill with the force has always been in honest combat. He learned telekinesis, to throw things at his opponent. He learned to enhance his speed and strength, for combat. He never bothered learning sorcery or alchemy, as while it had it's uses, his time was usually spent training his lightsaber forms or small repertoire of force abilities.

Taking a deep breath, Vaulkhar focused on the basin. He began to focus on the years of his life he lost without finding any answers to his problem. He focused on the empty void that was his future. He had yet to find a path for himself. A goal or a dream. And it infuriated him. He wanted to do something, he wanted to find something for himself that would give him reason to live beyond being the bastard son of a ruthless dictator. He wanted to prove to everyone he was more than a bastard, more than an accident without skill. Vaulkhar wanted to become a skilled duelist, a powerful Sith, and destroy those who imposed his desires.

Anger flew freely from the young man. He radiated it, giving off heat that was quickly sapped away by the mere presence of [member="Darth Ferus"]. As he thought of those that questioned him, those who looked down on him for his status as the son of Kaine Zambrano, and those who stood before him claiming he'd be nothing more than a bastard, hate spilled forth from him. Anger and hate burst from the young man's stature in waves he's never given off before. As he's never truly focused on what drove him, he could not stop himself. It was as if a dam had burst within him and flowing from his conscious was a torrent of hate and anger, directly into the bloody basin.

 

[Darth Ferus]

As [member="Vaulkhar"] 's hate flowed in, the blood began to boil. It bubbled and churned, letting off the thick scent of molten copper. As it churned it thickened and expanded, slowly rising all the way to the top of the bowl itself. It's color darkened, and the substance by the end didn't resemble blood in the slightest. What was there was a thick, almost mercury like substance. It swirled about between black and a deep red.

"Good, that should be enough. Get the axe now, and place it into the basin. Don't worry, the liquid is harmless unless it's owner wills otherwise. And you're the owner." It was stated matter of factly, mostly because the Sith wasn't really sure how else to explain it. Alchemy was a dark art that words could seldom explain, and only through seeing it could one understand. "Once in, we can begin with your blade. Making a Sith Sword is probably the easiest part of alchemy."

 

[Vaulkhar]

With a nod Vaulkhar turned his attention towards the axe and extended his reach through the force. His arm slowly pulled towards him as the axe drifted through the air to his waiting grasp. As his pale fingers wrapped around the hit, he grunted slightly as he released control of the object through the force, and instead focused on that of his strength. He nearly toppled over, but the negative emotions sweeping through him refused to drop the axe. Instead he turned towards the basin and slowly lowered it into the substance. Until that moment, he had not bothered to even look at it.

As he did so now, he was confused. Where there was once blood, now there was a grayish-silver substance that resembled the element of mercury. As he willed himself upon it, he understood he was indeed in charge of the liquid, but it was still a confusing situation. As he completely lowered the axe into the basin, he turned towards [member="Darth Ferus"].

"What is next, Lord Ferus?"

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Change it."

It was a simple statement, but a much harder than it sounded. So he pulled out the dagger again, setting it into the basin as well. "Put your hands back on the edge of the basin. There, you will be able to feel everything about the two items within. You will see their differences. You will simply understand. The basin can show you more than I can simply say." And that was it. [member="Vaulkhar"] would find his way through his experience on his own. Not that Ferus wouldn't answer any question he has, but it simply wasn't possible for him to help more than he already did.

 

[Vaulkhar]

A nod from Vaulkhar was followed by a frown as it creased his face. He knew absolutely nothing.

His two hands found their way to the edge of the basin, where he pressed his fingers against it once more. He focused, his rage momentarily subsiding so he could understand what it was he was looking for, answers to questions he didn't know how to ask. As the mercurial-like substance sat within the basin, surrounding the battleaxe he claimed from the fallen champion, he began to understand. At least partially at first.

The axe itself was of a primal, almost bestial make. While it was of durasteel, as most weapons are, it was more than that. The weapon was crafted by the beast he killed, honed upon the bones and flesh of it's enemies. The weapon was crafted for war and battle. It was used just for that. He could feel the mercurial substance moving about the axe at his command, seeming to take the weapon's mold, commit it to it's own memory, or more likely his own memory before shifting once again into a shapeless liquid. It reminded him of lava, but without the natural destructive elements. Taking a deep breath, he let his rage once more wash upon the basin. As the negative emotion bathed the substance within with his own force energies, the axe itself seemed to shake beneath the surface. The sound of metal beginning to fold could be heard, the screeching only slightly muffled underneath the surface.

Concentration was evident on Vaulkhar's face as sweat once more began to build up and run down his face. His empty gray gaze began to take on an angry orange color as the focus upon the dark side became even more evident than the straight. As he grit his teeth, blood would run freely from his lip as he bit down upon it. The axe was beginning to shift, but into what he was not yet sure. He could feel it beginning to take a similar shape to the blade Ferus once gave him, but he did not know what was next.

"How do I make the weapon capable of clashing with lightsabers as the old one was? I'm not sure what is next. It's changing, but is it only on the surface or also within?"

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Don't force the metal to change. The liquid will change the metal to liquid, to anything you want really. The dagger I placed in is a Sith Sword of a kind, study it. Commit it's structure to memory. That is the core of a Sith Sword. It's shape can be anything you want, but so long as you follow the structure of the dagger it will be a Sith Sword, and it will be a weapon capable of clashing with lightsabers."

There was much study and memorizing when it came to alchemy. It wasn't just a simple do it, but a skill that took years to hone without any subject matter to study. But with the dagger there, [member="Vaulkhar"] would be able to see and know what it was a Sith Sword was really made of. "Alchemy is science as much as it is magic. Remember this."

 

[Vaulkhar]

There was a moment of silence after [member="Darth Ferus"] spoke before it was broken with a grunt followed by a nod. Taking a deep breath, Vaulkhar focused once more on that of the basin. This time he released his hold on the shifting axe and instead focused on the Sith weapon within. It was certainly different than that of the axe. What it's original design was, he was not entirely sure. Nor did he honestly need to, but what it was now is what mattered. And that's what he focused on. Taking another deep breath, Vaulkhar began to study the dagger that was within the basin. The liquid within once more began to quiver and move around the item. Like the axe, it shifted around the dagger and took a mold of it's physical form, allowing Vaulkhar to commit it's feeling and shape to memory.

After doing so, it began to run along the dagger's surface, similar to a river running across a stone within it's path. It split and parted, running across the item while Vaulkhar's mind seemed to wrap around it. At least it did from within his conscious. He wasn't entirely sure how to describe the feeling of the weapon. It was cold. It felt similar to the after effects of using the Dark Side. As he focused further, a feeling of warmth began to emit from the dagger. It was not a natural warmth but instead it felt much like hate and anger bursting forth from the weapon's core. Committing the feeling of the makeup of the small Sith sword to his memory, the feeling of the dark side within and the exterior layer of cold and emptiness, Vaulkhar once more focused on that of the axe.

The axe this time, instead of screeching as if it were being forced into a different shape, it began to almost melt into the liquid. As the alien substance focused upon the misshapen axe and began to break it down, a smile came to the young Sith's face. His breathing was shaky and uneven, but his concentration held firm as the warmth of the negative emotion burned like a fire within him. The axe itself felt cold within the basin. It felt empty and without meaning, but soon it would once more have meaning. The weapon finally lost it shape as it seemed to melt away into the once-blood, now evil essence employed by Vaulkhar.

Taking another deep breath, Vaulkhar then envisioned the solidification of the liquid into a long blade, somewhat similar to what was first gifted to him. The liquid once more began to quiver as the dark side energies worked from within. Unsure of what was happening, he simply focused on the formation of a weapon, a simple long sword, double bladed, and with it's own, unique cross guard.

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Good, good. You can already see the blade itself forming. Reach into those waters, pull your weapon free of the bloody liquid, and lets see what it was you were able to create." There wasn't much else to be said at this point. The process was almost done, and he was eager to see what [member="Vaulkhar"] may have created on his first try.

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar continued his focus on the blade, the liquid slowly coming to a stop as he finishes his design. Reaching down into the liquid, Vaulkhar grasps onto the hilt of the blade and raises it from the dark energy. Holding it up, his empty gaze looks upon it with a nod. Peering upon it through the force, it leaked of the dark side. The energies surrounding it reminded him greatly of other Sith. It oozed the dark side in obsessive amounts. It was his creation though, so a smile came to his face as he took pride in his first creation.

Looking upon the sleek design, he couldn't help but smile. It was akin to his lightsaber, as it lacked a cross guard. It was a rather nice weapon, one he could see himself using. He turned to [member="Darth Ferus"] so he could see it.

"Well?"

Spoiler

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/8/88/SithSword.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20051118205018

 

[Darth Ferus]

"It's a simple, yet oddly elegant blade. Did you base it on yourself?" It was actually meant to be a compliment as Darth Ferus spoke, but he wasn't too sure [member="Vaulkhar"] would take it as such. But there was no time for words as the Sith Lord suddenly lurched forward, bringing to life the same lightsaber from before. He was unforgiving in his strike, aiming to bring down the halfbreed in a single, massive swing of his lightsaber. All to not only test the new sword, but on how much Vaulkhar may have rusted up. He doubted the second would prove anything though.

 

[Vaulkhar]

"I suppose, efficiency matters more tha-"

And halfway through that sentence, Vaulkhar was attacked. He wouldn't necessarily say he's gotten rusty, as the one thing he's trained seriously on for the past few months was Soresu. So as the lightsaber came forward to attack him, he brought the alchemized blade up and deflected it. As his hips turned and his arms rose to meet the blade, his added momentum dispersed the forward momentum of his master/attacker. He jumped back, putting space between [member="Darth Ferus"] and himself. Unsure of what to do from there, he once more took a defensive stance in that of Soresu.

"If this is a test, I understand. If not, this is gonna get awkward fast."

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Just a test. Can't have you knowing when I'm going to attack. Defeats the purpose, right?" There was a hint of playfulness on the Sith's tone, but to most it would still be rather threatening. Such was the life of a Sith, always the threat of constant death. "We'll be testing out that sword of yours for real soon enough. Keep it handy and close for when we return here, and for other confrontations. Understood?"

[member="Vaulkhar"]

 

[Vaulkhar]

"Yes Darth Ferus, your command is understood."

Vaulkhar lowers his head into a small bow before straightening once more. With the knowledge gained in Alchemy this day, it would be fully capable for him to replicate another weapon such as this, in times of emergency. If a basin was around, that is. But it likely wouldn't be too difficult considering one was already aboard his ship.

"Would it be alright if I kept this basin? That way I always had one within my ship?"

[member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Of course you can keep it. But remember you have to refill it now and then. Don't let it run dry." That was more of a serious threat than what the Sith had said before. Why it was wouldn't be clear, but the subject was quickly changed. "Lets get this ship up and running. I have a meeting on Tatooine I'd like for you to attend. While we are there however you will be silent and simply watch. Got it?"

[member="Vaulkhar"]

 

[Vaulkhar]

"Yes Darth Ferus, it will not run dry."

Hearing the actual threat within the Sith Lord's words, Vaulkhar lowered himself into a more serious bow this time around. In moments such as this, it was better to not aggravate or annoy a Sith further. Straightening once again, he kept his own gaze on that of the crimson eyes of Lord Ferus. After hearing his words he looked around momentarily and nodded. Moving towards the control panel upon the deck he began to pull on various levels and press various buttons, remaining silent. Eventually lights began to come on and energy began to run more freely through the vessel.

"This should get us to Tattooine but once there I'll have to refuel, I am on the last bit of fuel and it also appears the ship will need some basic repairs due to it not being used as of late."

Vaulkhar moved towards a room off to the side of the deck and clicked the panel upon the wall. The door slid open and within were two droids, one and astromech and the other a protocol droid. Kneeling beside the both of them he played around momentarily with the two of them before they both came back to life. Various beeps could immediately be heard from the astromech before it rolled out of the room, moving towards the controls. Jacking into said panel, the ship immediately came to life. The protocol droid on the other hand remained beside Vaulkhar after leaving the storage room.

"Greetings sir, it has been some time since our last activation, how are you?"

"I am fine, Kayle, help TL by cleaning up a little bit, would you? We're on our way to Tattooine."

"Yes my lord, I will begin right away."

And with that, the protocol droid turned and wandered off, returning a moment or so later with basic cleaning utensils, which were immediately put to use fixing up the deck. Returning to the side of [member="Darth Ferus"] he nodded. The ramp came up as they were closed off to the outside and the ship began to rise. The sound of a tree snapping and falling under the pressure of the ships steady rise could be heard as it flew upwards into the sky.

"The course has been set and we our on course to Tattooine. I will remain silent in attendance, Lord Ferus."