Home of a Legend

[Zing]

Orion sat alone, in a dark corner, drinking from a gray cup. Sweat dripped down from his wet hair, running down his cheeks and dripping off to the floor. The bar was hot, but was a reprieve from the lava-filled landscape outside. Mustafar was a planet of blistering heat, and a high death rate. The bar was small, only having six or eight tables, only four of which were filled. It was named the "Scorched Scar," which could be interpreted as an analogy for Mustafar in the galaxy. The barren planet was good for nothing but lava, mining, and evil lairs.

Orion had just come into the bar after wandering around on the rocky landscape for hours. He grumbled as he pulled the holopad out of his pocket, reading over the coordinates he had been supplied. "I don't understand. The coordinates I was supplied are completely wrong. It should be here!" He angrily tapped the holopad screen again before dropping it on the table with a thud. He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms.

Orion was seeking the fabled castle of none other than Darth Vader himself. What was he seeking? Well he wasn't sure himself. Knowledge. Ancient weapons. Wealth. Fame. He truly didn't know, but he knew that all of them could help to provide him with something. Purpose.

Orion looked around the bar at all the Mustafarian miners drinking and coming in at the end of their shifts. He had stumbled upon this mining colony while scouring the landscape and decided it was a better place then any to regroup and rethink what he was doing. The more the looked around to see the miners, the more he realized he himself stuck out. He was the only non-Mustafarian in the bar. Not only that, but he was in First Order territory, meaning Orion was not welcome, being a member of the Confederacy. His relationship with the Confederacy was strained as of late, but he still considered himself to be affiliated with them. However, striking out on his own was still much more alluring.

More and more of the bar-goers were letting their eyes rest on Orion, and he decided it was time he left, before the wrong set of eyes spotted him. He stood up, sliding the holopad back into his pocket, and replacing its' place on the table with a credit before walking back out. As he stepped out, he felt himself being hit with a wall of heat, groaning as he remembered why he had decided to take shelter in the first place.

He took a few steps out into the street, and decided to continue his search, hopefully without any more complications.

[member="Ella Nova"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Orion Trex"] |

Since the day that she had killed her master, Darth Ayra had struck out into the galaxy in pursuit of knowledge, freed from the shackles of her former apprenticeship as the new master. From Tund to Rhand to Yalara to Tython, she had discovered much about the dark side, collecting information, knowledge and legacies that could serve her disciple well after her death. Woven into the tapestry of the Sith'ari Darth Ayra wondered if Bane would have approved her work.

She liked to think that he would of if she cared about other's opinions.

Each star system that she visited tended to have a reason behind it. For example, she had excavated the tombs on Tund that had once belonged to the Sorcerers of Tund, and there she had discovered a library of books that had been kept hidden for centuries. There, she had transcribed the written texts of the Sorcerers to create her own tome that she had added to her growing collection of dark side paraphernalia that she kept hidden on board the Ayrix.

As she delved deeper into the mysteries of the dark side, going planet to planet in search of knowledge that would be useful to her, she felt that she had left each one richer for experience. It was on Mustafar then she decided to immerse herself deeper into the fabric of Bane's legacy through the discovery of a castle that held significance closer to her than say the Sorcerers of Tund who, albeit providing something useful in the form of their illusion techniques, were not on the same level as Darth Vader.

Darth Ayra did not know much about Vader. As far as she could tell they had not constructed a Sith Holocron to be left behind and passed onto to their next disciple. She did not even know what Vader's gender was. All that Ayra had was some very old reports dating back to the ancient Galactic Empire that spoke of Vader, and hints that indicated that Mustafar was of importance where they were concerned.

This was not the first time that Darth Ayra had come to this planet. She had met here once on a business meeting with a small industrial firms that she had considered investing into and buying stock during her seminal life on Chandrila. It seemed like a life time ago. In many respects it was a life time ago. But back then she hadn't known the significance that Mustafar might have held to the Order of the Sith Lords, the organisation that had started with Darth Bane and one that she had resurrected in complete secrecy.

Having recently finished some business at Erstwhile station, Darth Ayra had realised that it was possible to charter a course back to Humbarine that would take her through the Mustafar system. With reasons to go there, and excuses to be presented if she were ever asked why she had gone to Mustafar on that particular day, Darth Ayra had flown the Initium on course for the lava planet to stop by for fuel on the way home.

Landing her ship at one of the mining stations and meeting with the Mustafarian that was on duty that day, Darth Ayra left her ship behind whilst it was being re-fueled and begun to explore the facility. Beneath the cowl of her robe, Ayra walked along the balconies of the station, her eyes watching the searing heat of the lava as it flowed beneath and around her, the intense heat making her sweat beneath the dark robe that she wore.

She stopped at the edge of the balcony, looking over to see the same Mustafarian she had spoken briefly with upon arrival still standing at the landing pad that she had landed on, her eyes following his progress but her mind on something else. Reaching out with the dark side of the Force Darth Ayra opened herself up to it's energies and begun to feel the planet around her. She was not surprised to find that it was strong in the dark side. It was indication enough that Darth Vader had been here once. Perhaps he had called this place home.

But as she felt outwards with her feelings, Darth Ayra begun to delve deeper into what she was feeling as it was her feelings which told her that there was something to be found on Mustafar, as it had been when she had landed on Lehon a few years ago and found the Sith Holocron of Darth Revan. So far her feelings had never betrayed her, and she had learned to trust them.

 

[Zing]

Orion walked up a set of metallic stairs to the top of a large rock outcropping, overlooking the entire station. He figured from here, he might be able to catch sight of something, anything, of any real interest to him. By treading a fine line between the dark, and the light, Orion wasn't particularly attuned with either, though he had felt himself falling farther and farther to the dark. As the allure of the dark side grew, he felt himself growing more and more tempted to fall to it. Being on a planet that clearly was strong in the dark side, did not help his temptation.

His black cloak blew in the wind. Several small holes had been burned into it from ashes and small chunks of spewing lava. Several scorch marks marred his normally pristine armor, though the burn marks were quite close in color to the armor itself. Orion pulled his hood up over his head and placed his hands on a railing, peering out over the landscape. He could see several different groups of miners heading out, and what looked like some form of small outpost on the horizon. However, he still did not see the castle that had been described to him.

Orion sighed and looked down, somewhat defeated. Perhaps it was time to head back to the Confederacy and rejoin the fleet. Spending his time treasure hunting wasn't going to bring him anything anyway. He could make enough money working under the Confederacy to set off on his own in time. Maybe set up a business, or a criminal enterprise, or an entity that achieved both. He still didn't know what he was alive for, and being defeated once again in this endeavor was a strong reminder of it.

Perhaps I should throw myself from this platform. He thought to himself as he looked down at the sharp drop into a pit of lava. Would I be missed?

As he contemplated, a feeling in the air shifted. Something felt.....cold. And it was not just a slightly less hot wind blowing against him, he felt his whole body turn to ice. He stood up straight, and took his hands away from the railing. He gulped and turned to look towards the landing pad, which was not too far from him. He placed his hand to his cold chest and shivered slightly, taking a step forward. He knew the feeling well. He had felt it long ago when he was attacked on Orto Plutonia. "A Sith?" He questioned as he glared at the platform.

He pondered for a time, but the feeling was unmistakable, particularly in the heat. After a few short moments, his mind was made. He headed back down the stairs, out into the street, and paused. He closed his eyes, and tried to reach out into the force, trying to pinpoint exactly where the source of the chill was. It had moved, but he was not sure where.

[member="Ella Nova"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Orion Trex"] |

It was there. She could feel it. Somewhere in the north hemisphere, several hundred miles from the outpost that she was stood was the source of the dark side power that covered all of Mustafar. Even to a well trained Jedi the sensation would have been nauseating to what Darth Ayra could feel now, but she was not one of them anymore. Instead of that sickly feeling that the dark side could create in a proponent of the light side, Ayra felt empowered, and more powerful for it.

It was power in the dark side that she fed off. Much like a star in the sky, to which a sun burned so brightly and held everything around it in check, Darth Ayra was drawn to everything that could increase her power. But then there was something else beneath the memorising allure of the dark side. She could feel something else... No, it was more like someone else. Was it possible that another Force-user was planet side?

Lifting her hand up into the hot air, beyond the railing that hung over the balcony she stood on, Darth Ayra reached out. Through her powers she could feel the sizzling of the shield that hung over the outpost, preventing it from being submerged in lava and magma. In fact, her finger tips were only a few inches away from piercing the shield, which would undoubtedly result in very serious burns. The idea that she was inches away from such a horrific injury was intriguing to the Sith. To skim over the threshold of such danger only served to increase her power in the dark side.

Yet, it was not this that Darth Ayra was reaching out for. Besides the physical exertion of reaching out with her arm, Ayra felt out with the Force to the other that she could feel with her powers. As she felt out she could now sense where he was standing, feel his breathing, the beating of his heart, and the rolling of sweat that ran itself across his brow. It was then that Orion felt what appeared to be an invisible hand grasping his shoulder, as if to help him along to committing the suicide that plagued his thoughts, and with it, a way to find the one who had reached out to him.

 

[Zing]

Orion continued to search through the force, seeking the power that was emanating throughout the outpost. But as he searched, he felt a grasp on his shoulder. His whole body tensed up, his right hand instinctively grasping his lightsaber. The grip was chilling but also.....welcome, in a way. It had been so long since he had felt any real contact with anyone or anything. He took a deep breath, feeling thoughts entering his mind. Almost like...directions.

He listened intently, following the directions being placed in his mind. He walked forward, almost entranced, along the street. His grasp on his lightsaber weakened until he let go entirely, walking forward. As he walked, the feelings of despair returned to his mind. In a manner he felt as though he might have been being tricked, lured into some false sense of security. He tried to brush the thoughts away, but they kept swelling in his brain. Another cold shiver ran down his spine as he climbed up towards a balcony, which caused his walk to slow. He was growing close.

He walked slowly up the stairs, his hand dangling just above his lightsaber hilt as he cautiously crossed onto the top. He stood at the staircase and looked across the overlook, spotting a figure, standing at the railing, looking out at the landscape as he had. He let his hand rest on his lightsaber hilt again, and took several steps closer. This was the person the dark side energy had been radiating from. "Hello?"

[member="Ella Nova"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

[member="Orion Trex"]

Darth Ayra did not turn when he called out. Her gaze was set on the skyline, following the clouds of smoke the hung in the sky which blotted out the sun in an eerie and mesmeric hue of red that reminded her of the Initium's inner sanctum at the back of the cockpit where she could train, sit, meditate or work in between the journeys she took too and from Humbarine. Raising a defensive layer of invisible energy around herself, which would shield and protect her from attacks with the Force, Darth Ayra finally turned to look at the man from beneath the cowl of her robe. Locking eyes with the man she spoke with a low whisper, which over the streams of lava which flowed beneath them and the sounds of nearby Mustafarians working at the outpost should have made it impossible for her to be heard. Yet, it seemed like all sound save for hers have been pushed aside when she did speak.

"Hello. What brings you to Mustafar, Sith?"

 

[Zing]

[member="Ella Nova"]

The power emanating off of the Sith standing before him was overwhelming. Suffocating even. The air grew thicker, and the sweat began to pour off his brow even more. The cold feelings disappeared, and the feelings of fear dissipated as well. He no longer feared, especially when the word crossed the woman's lips. "I am no sith" Orion said, shuffling his feet slightly. "At least....not right now." His grip on his lightsaber handle weakened. "And I might be able to ask you the same thing. He paused, looking to her for a response, but not expecting one.

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Orion Trex"] |

"I came to this world because there is something here. Do you feel it too?"

 

[Zing]

[member="Ella Nova"]

Orion was somewhat taken aback. In all his dealings with Sith, they were not the type of people to just put out what they were doing on a silver platter. But there was still a vagueness to her answer. Yes, of course there was something here, but did she mean what Orion was seeking as well? He paused, clearing his throat and cocking his jaw. "If by something you mean Vader's Castle, then yes." He decided to take it a step further, figuring there wasn't much he could lose. "I've been searching for it ever since I arrived, but the coordinates I was provided are incredibly inaccurate."

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Orion Trex"] |

Nodding her head in solemn contemplation Darth Ayra lifted her chin slightly to get a better look at the man in front of her. He had openly declared his intentions, the reasons why he was there and had even implied that she might know where Vader's Castle was too. She didn't think that this was by accident, but rather the act of someone who had some knowledge in the ways of the dark side. Lifting her hands to the cowl of her robe Darth Ayra lowered her hood and took a step off the balcony that she had been standing on down to Orion's level. He towered over her which forced her to look up at him.

"I am searching for it too. Is it a co-incidence that we would be looking for the same thing, at the same time, do you think?"

 

[Zing]

[member="Ella Nova"]

Orion was impressed, in an odd sort of way, by how short the Sith was in comparison to himself. He always found himself looking up at people he encountered, but now he was looking down to her. She spoke to him, in a calm manner, speaking of coincidence and chance. He nodded and rubbed his chin. "I, for one, do not believe in coincidence or chance. I believe that all is as the force wills it." He paused and looked to her before continuing. "We were brought together for some specific purpose."

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Orion Trex"] |

The Force is strong with this one, Darth Ayra thought to herself. Taking a step closer to the stranger before her, Ayra considered the scenario. At this range she was certain that she could unleash a devastating flurry of Lightsaber strikes that would quickly end this man and allow her to go about her business without his interference. She was a follower of the dark side, not some simpleton Jedi who believed that the Force had a consciousness or will to bring two together such as this. Long ago she had surrendered to the power of the Force and had subsequently made it her property. There was no such thing as fate, she was constantly in control of what happened going forwards.

But as she had made the Force her property she had also been taught to trust her feelings and allow them to guide her decisions, her thoughts, her plans. They told her not to kill this man... at least not yet. Instead she felt the desire to use him. Breaking into a sudden smile, the Sith said: "My name is Ayra. What is yours?"

 

[Zing]

[member="Ella Nova"]

Orion tensed slightly as she drew closer, but relaxed again as she began to speak, showing no foul intentions. He allowed a smile to grow in response to hers, though it wasn't a full one. "My name is Orion Trex" he said, arm moving forward slightly, as if going for a shake before lowering it. He cleared his throat. "So, why do you seek the castle?"

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Orion Trex"] |

"I am a follower of the dark side. I have been to many worlds, places, buildings strong with the Force. This is another."

Lifting her eyebrow curiously towards Orion, Darth Ayra asked: "But you are not Sith. Why are do you seek the castle?"

 

[Zing]

[member="Ella Nova"]

Orion nodded. "You're right. I'm not a Sith." He took a step towards her, putting them merely a foot apart. "But I am seeking something far more powerful than any weapon or army." He paused, giving her a moment to think before he finished. "I seek knowledge."

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Orion Trex"] |

There it was. The raw ambition of the dark side. Darth Ayra knew it well. She still remembered what it was like to be the young, naive Chandrilian that Pandeima had found, seeking answers on what her abilities were and the sensations she had felt as she learned more about the ways of the dark side. Biting her lower lip for a moment, Darth Ayra lifted a hand to her hair and brushed a strand behind the back of her ear as she seductively asked Orion: "Shall we find the castle together?"

 

[Zing]

[member="Ella Nova"]

Orion's smile turned to a smirk as he tilted his head down slightly and shifted. He nodded, and stuck his hand out, actually intending to shake her's this time. "Yes, let's." For once, he didn't feel entirely alone. Of course he didn't trust the Sith, but in his mind, any company was better than his normal company, which was simply his wandering mind. All he hoped was that he wouldn't get a lightsaber in the back first time he turned around. "Know where we are heading?"

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Orion Trex"] |

Lowering her gaze to Orion's hand Darth Ayra almost laughed at his naivety. Through physical contact it was possible to draw upon the dark side and channel lightning through yourself into another, say, if they were holding hands with each other. But as she reached forward and shook his hand she did not feel the compulsion to do it. As they released hands a hot streak of air blew through them as a nearby gas deposit was momentarily exposed by the streams of lava that flowed underneath them. Lifting her elbow upwards Darth Ayra shielded her exposed face from the air. It was not hot enough to burn but was uncomfortable to her exposed skin.

When it died, she lowered her arm and said: "I was attempting to find it with the Force. I felt it, but this planet is powerful in the dark side, masking itself from my senses. Do you know where to look?"

 

[Zing]

[member="Ella Nova"]

Orion's grip was firm, not easing up any through the shake. As he let go, hot air blew towards them, which he simply blocked with his hood. He nodded as she mentioned the strong feeling of the dark side, looking off to the lava fields before them. "I had been supplied with coordinates from a past contact, whom clearly deceived me. The coordinates were inaccurate. Vastly so." He pondered for a moment. "There is a small First Order outpost to the west of here. Perhaps an important location such as Vader's Castle could be logged in its' databanks."

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Orion Trex"] |

It made sense to Darth Ayra that there was an outpost here that held ties to the First Order. This was, after all, their world. It also made sense to her that there was a possibility that the outpost held information about what she and Orion were searching for. Joined together through a common cause to find the castle, they now had a lead on where to go, and Darth Ayra was ready to follow. Gesturing her hand ahead of her, she said: "By all means take me to this outpost."