Joining a Cause

[Eldaah Aderyn]

She had made a choice, leaving the academy yet again to seek out a someone with actual power, influence. Word was a powerful Sith Lord was building a powerbase, gaining allies and forces, on the Outer Rim world of Ession. A quaint manufacturing world in the Corporate Sector, she had decided to travel there and see if she might apprentice to him.

The shuttle she had chartered dropped out of hyperspace, coordinates set for landing at the Lord's base. She wondered just who this [member="Darth Mephirium"] and whether he would accept her as his apprentice. She had shown ingenuity before, her lightsaber, the probe droids that floated near her, and her armor and helmet were proof she was quite resourceful and knowledgeable. Useful skills and powerful in the dark side, she just wondered if he would agree.

 

[Placeholder 04]

The flightmaster had informed him that a stranger had come to land just beyond the citadel.

Of course, he knew what that meant. The Sith were not something Mephirium advertised to his followers, but they were present. Men and women in the upper echelons of Ession's power structure knew of their presence, and understood why their lord required them to be so near. Armed escorts were generally sent to retrieve these visitors and bring them up to the top of the citadel so that they might speak with the Sith Lord in private.

Such was the case here. A small team of loyalist stormtroopers arrived at the pad to lead [member="First Daughter"] onto a small speeder bus, which then made its way to the Citadel. There she would be offloaded and led through the back entrance to the private elevators.

Mephirium awaited on the top floor. He sat patiently in his office, blue eyes shifting to watch Ession hustle and bustle below through the massive wall window. The door was open for the girl.

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="Darth Mephirium"]

"You've been quite busy, my Lord," she said after being ushered away from her ship to the Lord's citadel. It was an impressive structure, indicative of wealth ... but more importantly, power and sense. She had no desire to serve someone who had no common sense about defenses or location, and Ession was a prime location to build a power base in the Outer Rim. She remembered some Jedi Lords had tried to build something here, but they had died out after several battles with the Sith.

Once inside the office, she took a proper kneeling position as only befitted of respect to the man watching those below.

"Whispers among the acolytes say you're forming a powerful base to challenge the old guard of the One Sith," she continued.

 

[Placeholder 04]

Mephirium had been one of those Jedi Lords. Together with his brothers and sisters, he had struck out against the encroaching darkness. If the Republic had provided ample assistance, they might have survived. Unfortunately, the Republic had not.

Just another nudge to move him toward his true destiny, or however he justified it. It didn't matter these days. They had their statue, and Mephirium still held claim to Ession, however much that was worthy.

"I am going to slot the so-called Dark Lord and take his place, yes." He stated plainly as he pushed up from his feet. There was no shortage of young Sith declaring their loyalty as of late. It seemed he was the popular choice for the younger crowed. Funny how politics worked. "You're bold to come here on your own girl." He mumbled, his gaze shifting disinterestedly over the girl out toward Ession.

"I plan to establish order once again in the galaxy. To reestablish the Sith Empire, my father's work." He paused for a moment to look down at the stranger. "Care to join me?"

[member="First Daughter"]

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="Darth Mephirium"]

"It is why I sought you out, my Lord," she stated plainly. She could appreciate the straight-forwardness of his answer, made things so much easier than playing word games. Not that she didn't enjoy guile, she thrived on it actually, but there was something to be said about bluntness that just always got the point across.

"For a time, I have been looking for someone to show me the true power of the Dark Side," she continued. "The idiots that are currently leading the academy on Glee Anselm have no idea what it means to be truly Sith. The One Sith have grown complacent, arrogant in their success. A return to true power is needed, and I want to learn from the Sith who will usher in that return."

 

[Placeholder 04]

The girl was smart. She played to his ego. It would be a lie to say that Mephirium did not enjoy it.

He did, however, have some sense of caution. No spies had been sent as of yet, but an eager acolyte would make the perfect subject for such. Mephirium turned bodily towards her and held her under scrutiny; blue eyes narrowing as he observed her form. He reached out with tendrils through the force, probing the young woman, searching her intentions.

So far as he could tell, they were pure. That might prove to be a lie. He would have to see in due time.

"You're wiser than most, I'll give you that." Mephirium affirmed, turning on his heel to stride toward the back of the room. He wasted no time in punching a code into the terminal on his desk. Suddenly, the walls behind desk began to part. With a quiet whirring noise, a backroom was revealed.

"Inside. We will test your abilities."

[member="First Daughter"]

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="Darth Mephirium"]

"Knowledge has power, my Lord," she said. "Knowledge can grow a being, bring endless misery, sow discord, bind bridges. Knowledge is the gateway to much, and I have never been one to be foolish. It is so easy to watch other acolytes and pity them because they believe knowledge can be gained from teachers in class, like school children. True Sith seek out power and knowledge, and those who wield it."

Tests always be done, pushing a potential student to the breaking point ... see if they were indeed worthy of becoming an apprentice ... or if they should be left to rot in obscurity or literally. She had no intentions of failing, so she would follow the Sith Lord into the backroom of his office. She wondered just what sort of test the man had in mind.

 

[Placeholder 04]

The room was rather large, considering it took up the majority of the top floor. The only visible entrance was from Mephirium's private room - a fire hazard if there ever was one. The floors were forged of pure obsidian, the walls reflecting their matte black color pallet. Torches were lit with a simple wave of the Sith Lord's hand, and they served as the only source of light within the windowless room.

Cases of weapons from various different cultures lined the walls. From lightsaber staff to shock-whips, most everything folks could think of when the word exotic came to mind was present. Mephirium paid them no mind, opting to close the door behind the young woman the moment she stepped forward.

She had an intelligent philosophy. It was the same kind of mindset his master had fostered within himself. If you could not proceed where you currently were in life, then you needed to go off and find a path to ascension on your own.

"Your name girl."

[member="First Daughter"]

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="Darth Mephirium"]

"I am merely known as the First Daughter, my Lord," she answered, walking slowly forward to observe the room. It was quite grand, something to be respected as obsidian was hard to obtain in this sector of the galaxy ... or so she was told. The weapons showed a proclivity for collecting trophies and examples of the exotic. She had an inclination for the exotic herself, if the hand-guarded lightsaber on her belt attested.

"However, if mundane names are what you desire ... my progenitors named me Eldaah Aderyn," she said. "They're dead if you were wondering, but perhaps one such as yourself didn't need to ask."

 

[Placeholder 04]

Everyone had their titles and monikers. Force knew Mephirium was guilty of taking up false names to hide the real one. His rebranding as a Sith Lord was a rather recent event; he was still growing used to the name, though he had grown quite fond it. He appreciated the woman's honesty with her own name, though if she preferred the First Daughter, then it would be so.

"Well, mine are dead too, so we've something in common." Mephirium snickered, good humor lacing his words. He rarely opted for the grim and imposing approach. It was much easier to catch people off-guard if they thought of you as someone they could be comfortable around. He also found it to be far too much effort to keep up the facade of a man who wanted to watch the galaxy burn.

He wished to build. This force was simply a tool, something to be used in that grand equation. If he lacked it, he would still be attempting to do what he did now, albeit via a different medium.

"Tell me, First," Mephirium circled around the girl for a moment, eyes narrowed as he sized her up. "Your training. What does it encompass?"

[member="First Daughter"]

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="Darth Mephirium"]

"The mere basics, my Lord," she replied. "Supplemented, I admit, by the readings within the Sith Academy archives. I also have skills in the arts of infiltration and persuasion."

It was an honest assessment of her abilities to the Lord, a brief but useful summary for him to gauge what she knew and form the test accordingly. While he was displaying a sort of humor and easy nature now, she was not one to let her guard down around anyone. Call it a personal inclination, but she preferred to never take anything at face value.

 

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She was not unlike the others he had taken into tutelage. If she succeeded, the daughter would not be his sole student. He believed in having many disciples with many different disciplines. Keeping things varied gave him a larger pool to work with, and if one decided he or she was more ambitious than the others, then they might rise above them. It was a way to foster healthy competition, and to keep from putting all his eggs in one basket.

"Useful, though you'll need to expand your repertoire." Mephirium held out a hand toward the young woman. Tendrils of blue lightning stretched forth from his fingertips to envelope the young woman. It was nowhere near enough to cause any permanent damage, though the pain would be very real.

"Eldaah, lightning is one of the greatest ways of showing one's proficiency with the Dark Side of the force." Mephirium chided as the tendrils receded. "Can you control it?"

[member="First Daughter"]

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="Darth Mephirium"]

Being subjected to Force Lightning, even just a smidge of what the true power of the technique could be, was never fun. The academy teachers had all demonstrated the power on the acolytes, claiming the best way to learn the power was to be subjected to it. They wouldn't be able to produce anything too powerful, but they would know it.

She had been somewhat different than her fellow students, possibly because she had been sneaking out and using her powers in real world applications. That, and she always hid her true power from the fools. Keeping things in reserve had meant other acolytes left her alone as they feared what she would do to them after several incidents.

To the matter at hand, as the Lord spoke and asked if she could control lightning, she smiled behind her mask.

"I have a certain ... proclivity to the technique, my Lord," she stated, small sparks of blue-purple lightning dancing between her fingers. "I hid it well from the academy teachers once they subjected us to it. I didn't want them claiming credit to the Overseers for something they had little hand in."

 

[Placeholder 04]

She had some level of advancement then. Good. It was better to pick up a student who had initiative rather than be forced to carefully guide one along the path. Doing so was often a waste of the teacher's time, and such apprentices rarely rose to greatness. Eldaah had the potential for such, if she was careful about what choices she made. Clearly she put some thought into her decisions, considering she had made the decision to join him.

"Good," he mused, "You can adequately defend yourself then. I was worried that I would need to teach you all the basics." He flashed a warm smile and thrust a hand forward. A wall of telekinetic energy surged forth from his fingertips toward Eldaah. He wore the smile all the same.

"Show me." He held out a hand toward one of the casings. A polearm of pure beskar flew into his open hand. "Defend yourself."

[member="First Daughter"]

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="Darth Mephirium"]

Behind her mask, she gave a small smile as the Lord was glad she not some completely raw acolyte with nothing to back herself up with. Then his telekinetic attack came, and she knew the test had begun. She chose not to fight the blast of energy, going with the flow and being launched into the air. Even then, she used her control of the Force to right herself and skid along the floor, lightsaber flying to her hand as she stopped.

The Lord was armed with a polearm, metal unknown ... presumably something strong enough to take hits from a lightsaber. He would have superior reach over her, but polearms were ungainly weapons. Stabs with the tip and sweeping attacks with the blade ... blunt force if one decided to use the pole itself to bludgeon an opponent.

Red fire erupted from her lightsaber, but she would keep the true nature of the weapon secret for now. It wouldn't do to reveal all surprises now, not that she expected to win this fight. He was a Lord, she was merely an acolyte, but she would play this smart. Not a word would pass her lips now.

 

[Placeholder 04]

Polearms were not Mephirium's usual choice of weapon, but it was good to mix things up now and then. The weapon felt heavy in his hands, though he reckoned with a few swings he would grow used to the weight.

He strolled up toward the Daughter, tapping the tip of the polearm on the obsidian floors with each step. He waited until he drew close before he stuck. The polearm shifted about as he swung it downward to crash against the acolyte's right shoulder. Then, with lightning quickness, the aft end roe to cast her right in the midriff. The polearm would do little more than leave bruises if it struck flesh, but it would certainly hurt.

"Good recovery," Mephirium complimented as he allowed the force to take him. His passion for battle fueled him, but he did not allow such passions to be entirely unleashed. Doing so went against his fighting style, and he needed self-control for the moment. He did not wish to maim the girl.

[member="First Daughter"]

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="Darth Mephirium"]

She believed in a conservation of energy, and her movements would speak volumes about that belief. As the overhand swing came down at her, she sidestepped to the right ... but she wasn't fast enough to avoid the solid impact of the butt of the polearm from smacking her side. She stayed silent though, letting the pain fuel her as she brought her lightsaber across in a series of slashes, starting from the upper right down to the lower left.

Her brain had already analyzed that the polearm was not the greatest weapon for defense, given it's narrow nature and ungainly build. She would use that to her advantage ... and of course there was the surprises her lightsaber could do. And the Force, one could never forget to utilize the Force in a fight.

 

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The polearm was not Mephirium's usual choice of weapon, but he believed a challenge helped keep him on the edge. It seemed [member="First Daughter"] would provide that well enough. Her blade crashed against the beskar-weapon. It did not cut through, as the weapon was well tempered, but it did jar Mephirium's arms and shoulders. He did not move as quickly as he might have liked to block the crimson blade, but he managed to repel the blows all the same. He could not afford to be hit. The acolyte's blade was no training saber - it would carve him in two.

His defense would be broken quite soon if he did not make a move. His gaze remained centered on the acolyte - he would not show her where he intended to strike. Then, just as he blade seemingly broke through his sparse defense, Mephirium slipped forward. His leg outstretched to the acolyte's own, the full force of his body weight behind the kick.

The polearm was raised. He prepared to strike back.

[member="First Daughter"]

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="Darth Mephirium"]

(OOC: apologies for the delay, school and other stuff got in the way)

She was pleasantly surprised that she broke through his defenses, but that last only a few moments before the Lord's foot impacted against her chest and she was sent sliding back, her breathing restricted from the hit. She wouldn't have time to recover her breath completely, and moving was painful as she could feel bruises forming and possibly a broken rib, but she would persevere.

As the Lord moved to strike again, she retreated and took a defensive stance again. There was still so much more to observe and study about the Lord's style, his mannerisms and such, before she would attempt the offense again. That, and she was an acolyte and he a Lord. There was only so much she could do without any information gleaned of him.

 

[Placeholder 04]

(It's all good. I've been a bit slow about things myself.)

Mephirium allowed the daughter a moment's reprieve.

He lowered his polearm for a moment, blue eyes narrowing as he observed the woman. She had been trained to some extent before. The girl already had her own values, morals, ethics, desires - he could not mold her. That did not, however, mean he could not teach her. So long as he could assure her loyalty and make her a figure of some use for the empire, then she could find a place by his side.

His boots clapped against the obsidian beneath his feet as he circled the woman. She wasn't particularly strong physically, and that was alright. He had a feeling this one - the daughter as he'd decided to call her - could serve other purposes than simple violence. The Sith assassins would side with the Dark Lord; that much Mephirium knew.

In their place, the Inquisitorius would emerge. The daughter may serve a significant purpose there.

Satisfied, Mephirium reached out with ethereal hands to try and wrap around the acolyte's form. From there, he intended to throw her to the side into one of the room's walls. Not hard enough to break anything -- simply to establish dominance.

"Tell me about yourself, Eldaah Aderyn."

[member="First Daughter"]