Malachor V: You Can't Always Get What You Want

[Velok the Younger]

The Trayus Academy had always been there -- so said some very, very old records. Old enough that even the nineteen-thousand-year-old Holocron of King Nakgru, recovered from Dromund Kaas, mentioned it with some familiarity. Old enough that Nakgru could tell her exactly where it was. That, and Velok had visited it, and Velok's holocron was in her care. One of them, anyway.

So when the Lethewalker arrived over Malachor V and visual sensors picked up nothing at the academy's location, Rave had some choice words.

The mystery resolved itself as the light frigate settled down on the nearby landing pad, and air warped in the manner of abandoned holography. Someone had installed modern stealth here. A few shots from the Lethewalker's ion cannons revealed the academy in all its glory.

"They say this was Savan's seat of power when she helped run the Empire. I don't doubt it's stripped to the bone, but let's see what we can see. And watch out for Mandos -- I hear they pulled a serious operation here not too long ago. There might be some left. Let's be good neighbours." She gestured at a nearby rift. "Abandoned temporary factory in there, Subach style -- I'd know it anywhere."

[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Rave Merrill"]

People sometimes ask me why I dislike Circe so much, I guess it’s a valid question that needs answering. I ain’t gonna write up a whole essay, augmented with quotes and arguments why my dislike is so prevalent . Because let’s be honest, people spent enough time on the plant-notplant-plant-notplant as is.

The gist can be seen on Malachor. She is -everywhere-, no matter where you go, no matter where you hide. She always has a presence somewhere, and I think that’s what bothers me. You can’t catch a break without being pollinated and have I mentioned that no matter how many times you break her stuff or kill her… she always comes back?

Pretty annoying pest problem if you ask me.

Anyway, I nodded towards Rave. Mandos ain’t a bad bunch, good folks in general. No reason why we should be pissing them off.

“Mhm, alright. Let’s go and watch out for weeds, I hear it’s pollinating season.”

 

[Caulder Dune]

@[member='Jared Ovmar'] | @[member='Rave Merrill']

Tyrin was skeptical of setting foot on any planet that had Savan's name attached to it. However, the previous history of Malachor V more than made up for it. Supposedly many Jedi had died here, in addition to being the site of a Sith academy. Both very positive traits in his book. This was the extent of his knowledge. Even the Telos Holocron lacked extensive information on some things, even if they were rather important to Sith history.

"Oh, yes. Pollination season. On a planet with no plant life." Tyrin sniggered. "Tell me more, Ovmar."

This brought up the question of how the planet had an atmosphere, but Tyrin didn't want to question it. If he thought too hard about it, the air would probably get sucked out of the planet without the suspension of disbelief to hold it there. Then they would all suffocate and die. The fate of all who thought about things too intensively in this galaxy. Hopefully there was just some kind of magical atmosphere generator tucked up in the mountainsides somewhere.

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Jared Ovmar"] [member="Darth Janus"]

Behind them, a binary load lifter trudged down to the black soil of Malachor, bearing a canister of industrial-strength herbicide and a sprayer. Just in case.

"Stay sharp. She likes surprises, traps. Above all, hates to lose anything. I'd wager this academy is rigged with cameras or explosives. Fortunately..."

A small troop of bomb squad droids passed them, entered the academy unopposed, and began sweeping the place for anything suspicious. Once the vaults were pronounced clear, Rave made her way there. "Empty, I guarantee it," she said over her shoulder as they descended to the deep vaults of the Trayus Academy. "Swept clean. But we have two things Savan doesn't have. One's enough of a work ethic to actually search this place in a thorough manner. Two is enough knowledge of where these things might be headed that we can find Force resonances, maybe even simple visions, that could clarify matters. I hope you two like meditation and treasure hunting."

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Rave Merrill"] [member="Darth Janus"]

Ain’t that the truth.

We took our time, strolling through the academy while the droids were doing their work and checked for bombs and the stuff while we were enjoying the scenery. With scenery, I meant… well I am not sure what I meant.

Because I am still speechless, how the hell can anyone live here? Don’t get me wrong, I lived in the understreets. I know what it’s like to live in the filth and dirt. But none of us had a choice in that matter.

Say one thing about Circe, say she has the tenacity of a prowling mice going for some cheese. Gets knocked on her ass, she will be up and trying to scamper off to the top in no time already.

If I knew the amount of money she spent on auctions, I would have been even more surprised to know where she had been living. This Academy ain’t no place for a supposed millionaire. Then again, I didn’t know how much money she spent on auctions, because that was information restricted to me.

So I just kept strolling on, until Rave said something about meditating and visions and treasure hunting.

“Think I can do that. Where do we begin?”

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Jared Ovmar"] [member="Darth Janus"] [member="Jacen Cavill"]

"Right here."

A large chamber, in the division which the Nakgru Holocron called the Trayus Core, was surmounted by spines which arched toward a central point. The place hummed with...memory.

"This is the place, Ovmar. I'm certain of it. This is where Traya died...and where Sion and Nihilus cut her off from the Force. It's enough of a nexus that I'd wager we can sit down, meditate, and catch an echo if we do it right. There's a Nightsister way-"

She knelt, pulled a totem from her robe, and began to sing under her breath, seeking to catch a glimpse of the past -- or more than a glimpse, if she could swing it.

 

[Caulder Dune]

@[member='Jared Ovmar'] | @[member='Rave Merrill']

If Tyrin were cognizant of the fact, he would have pointed out that this was not the Malachor V Darth Traya, Nihilus, and Sion had ever been on. That Malachor V had been destroyed in finality thousands upon thousands of years ago. This was merely a convincing replication that had been constructed some time in between the galaxy's last golden age and the Gulag Plague. Thankfully Tyrin was completely oblivious to this simple truth, and would not generate any snark about it.

Apparently Nightsisters meditated by singing songs. Not any songs worth listening to, he would wager. But if meditation was the name of the game, then he'd do so. He moved a comfortable distance away from Rave and Jared before sitting cross-legged on the ground. Even in retirement, Tyrin maintained some sort of meditation regiment. Kept his mind focused and his demeanor calm. Most of the time. Now the purpose of it all was a little more mystical. Hopefully he was still in touch with that sort of thing.

 

[Jacen Cavill]

[member="Rave Merrill"] | [member="Jared Ovmar"] | [member="Darth Janus"]

"Oh no, not more of your Nightsister ways.."

Cavill's words trailed off as he finally joined the others. Looking at Ovmar, he simply nodded, their true selves finally revealed fully. At Santhe's base they had met at first, and their business deal was fully in place. Disguises had been neaded to seal the public deal, but here in the shadows they could truly be who they were. Covered in his terentanek duster, he kept the hood down and Nihlus's mask safely in a pocket. Daesumnor was in his right hand as he casually strolled up right next to where Rave was kneeling and joined her. No words were needed, he simply started focusing on the Force and where they were.

If you're wondering why he ignored Janus, well it's simple. You don't screw a man out of an Empire and expect to be square.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

[member="Rave Merrill"] | [member="Jared Ovmar"] | [member="Darth Janus"] | [member="Jacen Cavill"]

"If I knew we were going to sing songs around the campfire, I would've brought my quetarra."

The individual known to many as Kaine Zambrano emerged into full view of the gathered others, a cloak of maroon covering a suit of black light combat armor, and his curved-hilt lightsaber strapped to his hip. Behind him trailed an individual cloaked in a shroud of dark blue, his gnarled hands grasping a small container meant for Lady Merrill, but other than holding it he did nothing nor said anything. He couldn't anyways, his tongue had been removed long ago, but back to the gathering of the Chaos All-Stars. Kaine would walk over to join the others, himself being familiar with each and every one of them due to certain interactions over the course of many years. He hadn't truly had the pleasure of making Cavill's acquaintance, he'd never really been around him when Voracitos had him on a leash, but he had heard of his duel with Shorn on Coruscant.

"To be all that honest, I did not expect these... pleasant... individuals to be the associates you were talking about."

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Jared Ovmar"] [member="Darth Janus"] [member="Jacen Cavill"] [member="Darth Vornskr"]

"Sith traditions wax and wane, Kryptus," she said with a heavy-lidded grin, still kneeling on the floor of the Trayus Academy. "The Nightsisters have never been purged by the Jedi. There are reasons for that. Now -- lend us your strength, see if you can see back with us. Back before this planet was pieced together, back before it was destroyed the second time, back to the time of Traya and her students: Revan, Sion, Nihilus. This place has changed, but it still reflects the ancient."

A wavering vision took shape around them, indistinct forms -- two slender and robed, one bulky and shirtless. One slender figure, a woman, bent and broke under the incorporeal onslaught of the other two.

"They stripped Traya of the Force," Rave said clinically, glancing over her shoulder as Kaine entered the Trayus Core. "So never let a Jedi say that only the Light Side can cut a man off. That's an art I mean to learn." She rose and turned, and the shadowy vision faded, but only partially. She hummed a stabilizing cantrip. Backed by the spectres of the ancient Dark Lords, she approached their visitor. "Lord Vornskr, welcome to Malachor Five."

A sword hung by her side, too long for her to use easily, a twin to the one she'd made for Kryptus. She drew Daesumnor's backup and offered it. "For the Belia Darzu holocron, then.'

 

[Darth Carnifex]

[member="Rave Merrill"] | [member="Jared Ovmar"] | [member="Darth Janus"] | [member="Jacen Cavill"]

Kaine curiously looked over the visions of the long dead Sith Lords intermingled among the Sith Lords of the living, his right eyebrow arching slightly as she approached. At the mention of the holocron, the Sith Lord motioned to the hunched creature behind him, who quickly approached to stand beside his master. The creature tapped a few panels built into the container, which promptly hissed open after the correct series of panels were pressed. The lid slid back to reveal the Holocron of Belia Darzu resting gently on a pillow of soft silk, pulsating with the knowledge locked away within. Kaine picked up the holocron with the Force, and let it rest in the palm of his right hand. "Use it well, Lady Merrill. May it's knowledge benefit you as it did me." He would hold it out for Rave to take, so long as she relinquished the Sith Sword in return.

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

The smile didn't quite reach her eyes as she exchanged the sword for the holocron. Her alchemist's senses verified its authenticity. "May that sword serve you well, Kaine. Some of my finest work, though I'm certain I can do more in time. But you know how I do business. Value for value, and I don't mind getting the short end of the stick if it gets me something I want. If you happen to come across anything else along these lines, you know I'll more than make it worth your while."

 

[Darth Carnifex]

[member="Rave Merrill"] | [member="Jared Ovmar"] | [member="Darth Janus"] | [member="Jacen Cavill"]

Kaine's fingers wrapped around the hilt of the blade as the transaction was complete, the holocron now passing from his hands to Rave's, another passage in the history of it's owners. Kaine lifted the blade so the tip was pointing straight up at the ceiling, his eyes analyzing the craftsmanship of the blade, and it's sharpness. "Truly, it is magnificent, a mastery of the ancient art of Alchemy." He whispered something sometime after those words were said, but his words were drowned out by the singing of the blade as he swung it at the air, letting the blade's weight carve a cleave at nothing as he tested it's swinging power. However; if one could read lips proficiently enough they could have picked up on what he had said, which was something along the lines of 'glorious'. He swung the blade again through the air, before he suddenly whirled around to face his speechless minion.

The blade cleaved through the air as Kaine descended upon his servant, the latter having hardly any time to react in fear or surprise as the tip of the blade found his face. Kaine brought the blade down right into the servant's jaw, easily carving through his face and neck before breaking out through the other side and pinning him on the stone floor. Blood quickly pooled around the dying servant's body, the sword leeching his life into the crystallized blister trap, his soul forever trapped within the accursed blade. Kaine yanked the sword free, letting the corpse flop to the ground awkwardly, and gently caressed the blade while breathing in deeply through his mouth. "Yes. Oh yes." Without a word, he turned away from the others and began to leave the scene as quickly as he came, enraptured with his new-found prize.

 

[Jacen Cavill]

Rave Merrill | Jared Ovmar | Darth Janus | [member="Darth Vornskr"]

Kryptus didn't utter a syllable as the exchange went down, instead he just stared in awe. Rave owed nothing to him, that much hew knew, but this was a true surprise. He thought Daesumnor was the only one of his kind, the amazing blade that was sheathed on his back at the moment. Yet, there he was staring at an exact replica of the sword that he had on his back. Whatever shock he held on his face, it quickly left as he let it pass. Rave would give her gifts to who she pleased, and when she pleased. Instead, he looked down at the ground and began focusing his darkness into what she was hoping to accomplish.

Though a plan was formulating to get that sword soon.

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Jacen Cavill"] [member="Darth Janus"] [member="Jared Ovmar"]
She caught Cavill's shift in mood, but only because she expected it after the sword trade. A reminder, if he needed it, that she always had more to offer. She sat and resumed chanting as Vornskr cackled his way out of the Trayus Academy. Nightsister arts differed from Sith traditions in practice, effect, and capacity. Student of both that she was, she held a unique perspective on this sort of focus ritual, but even dual Mastery could only gleam so much from the past. The secret of severing someone from the Force would not be found here in its fulness, despite all the other things she could learn from watching Nihilus, Sion and Traya in action.

Try as she might, this was not flow-walking.

And yet the Force whispered. She found her way to more recent history, to the occupants of this decade. Echoes and visions of Nemene Talith's torture, of Circe Savan's machinations-

Of Circe's new associates, and of her new face, and of her position with Subach again. In time she ceased the vision ritual with a grimace. "Some things turn even my stomach, useful as this is. If she's alive and running Subach again -- and I'm sure that was her -- she'll stop at nothing to get her revenge in time. I was a fool to spare her life. That said, this is an opportunity. When she comes for me, I'll acquire her." She rose as the ritual vision faded. "I'm sorry this was;t of more profit to us, gentlemen, but at least now we know the face of our enemy." She gestured at Cavill's sword. "And the necessary measures. Fething body-traders."