Past Lives

[Darth Pyrrhus]

The Sith Lord walked among rubble and the remnants of chaos. A great battle had taken place, one that had caused a great shift in the political landscape of the galaxy. One might think that he found pleasure in seeing the ruins of the former Republic world, yet instead his ominous surroundings whispered to him a soft warning. This was no time to grow complacent, The fruits of arrogance carried with them a most potent poison. Where one enemy fell another rose. Where faith in one defender was lost, people would rally to another. There would never be victory, and there would never be an end to the fighting. This was what it meant to be Sith, to live in a constant state of conflict. Peace was indeed a lie.

The stench of death had been removed with the corpses, yet the scent of smoke rising from the ashes and fires still burning felt forever present. The Dark Side had taken a liking to this place, satisfied with the countless sacrifices Contruum had offered. Darth Pyrrhus had offered a good portion of them himself. And now he had returned. This time, however, not clad in the living armour of the Vong, but instead in the more traditional robes of the Sith. While he had not come expecting battle, he was always prepared for war. To think he was any more exposed now than he otherwise would have been was a mistake he partly hoped someone would make. His purpose here today was simple. Here, within the ruins of war, he would see his apprentice once more. Until then, the only company he kept was that of his loyal amphistaff, that coiled itself around his right arm, underneath the sleeve of his robe.

It had been long since he had last seen his apprentice. It was high time they caught up. Pyrrhus was curious to learn of his apprentice's progress. There had been whispers, but he would see the truth for himself. The absence of the master, however, was not to be viewed as abandonment. Instead it was yet another test. Sith found strength in their individuality, even when they formed strategic unions such as the One Sith was. To be Sith was to know suffering, and to walk that road alone. Always having his master by his side to protect him would breed nothing but weakness. Mullarus had been equipped with the tools to survive. Since then, it had been up to Mullarus to prove whether he had the willpower to survive. Naturally, the Togruta Lord had more than reunion and idle chatter on his mind. Every moment with him was a test, in one shape or form. Mullarus would find himself reminded of this, had he forgotten.

Pyrrhus had been keeping himself busy since last as well. He had seized control over the Karazak Slavers Cooperative and ensured that it established itself across the galaxy, restoring the company to its former glory. Soon, he would take it beyond even that. However, his mind had not only been on business. The pursuit of credits for credits sake alone was worthless. It was but a means to an end, and Pyrrhus' end was power. It was this slightly secretive quest for power that had Pyrrhus send his agents to the corners of the galaxy, and even investigating some locations himself. It had occupied most of his time. Whether it was because he had found what he sought, or because the drums of war had summoned him, the Togruta was very much back and visible on the One Sith's frontlines. Contruum and Balmorra had fallen, and he had been there for both. If he wasn't mistaken, so had Mullarus. War had brought them back together.

[member="Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Mullarus had returned to the surface of Contruum, scarred by war and painted with blood, just as he had been. He stood by the War Memorial, staring down at the dirt and dust covered grass. Banners of red and black flew high around the landscape.

There it was. That familiar feeling of dread when [member="Darth Pyrrhus"] has set foot on the planet's surface. Dread for the world, but Mullarus felt no fear for his master. Not anymore. It was the same feeling he felt on Amar, when gathering Amaran slaves with [member="Darth Azurea"]. The two had both felt it then, so there was not a doubt in Mullarus' mind that Pyrrhus were here on Contruum once again, just as he said he would be.

Contruum was just the beginning of Mullarus' ascension. It had begun the building process to constructing Mullarus into a true Sith, who would be ready for whatever challenged himself and the Empire. Balmorra, as well as his brief imprisonment at the hands of the Republic, had also helped build him. Contruum would hold a special place in Mullarus' heart, though. It was the first time he had ever faced off against a real Jedi Knight. He remembered her face, but not her name. He felt he and his partner who had fought her did a fine job of fending her off, so Mullarus felt that battle a victory. It was the Padawan on Balmorra who battled with the mysterious lightsaber technique called Vaapad that angered him and motivated him to grow even more powerful. The next time he would find her, whose face and name he had not forgotten, he would be the victor.

As for today, Mullarus stood beside the War Memorial, waiting for his master, who no doubt knew where he was already. Contruum served as his reminder that peace was fleeting, and the only true way toward it was through war.

The war that would bring them back together.

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Pyrrhus' drew nearer to the location of his apprentice. He had indeed felt him. There would be no escaping his notice here, although he was certain Mullarus wasn't trying to. This meeting had been arranged, after all. Upon seeing the mountain, with the shapes of Sith Lords familiar to him carved into it, he knew he was close. A moment longer, and the Togruta emerged from the ashes of a once proud world to come into view of his apprentice.

"Mullarus" he said by way of greeting. "It has been a while." it had indeed. Yet the Togruta was not the type for idle chatter. More than how he felt, he wanted to learn what he had accomplished, what he had discovered. "I'm pleased to hear you've been keeping busy. Your name has popped up now and again" when he came closer, he lowered his voice to a more natural talking volume. "What have you to report?" which was his way of saying 'what's new?'

Meanwhile, another observed the duo. For now, it clung to the shadows, not revealing itself, remaining hidden. Its time would come. Soon™

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

A crooked smile crept onto Mullarus' lips as the all-too-familiar togruta man emerged into view. His every step was a disturbance in the Force, fed of the Dark side. It was disgusting, but that was just how [member="Darth Pyrrhus"] rolled, and it had made him a formidable Lord of the Sith.

"Lord Pyrrhus. It certainly had been." Upon the Lord mentioning he had heard his name pop up now and again, Mullarus became intrigued. "Has it? Hm. I did not think I would be one to gain a reputation so soon.

"To report? Well, I take it you mean by way of my training. Master, I have been thriving. I have never been so close to the Dark side before. It's thanks to Sith like yourself and your previous apprentice, Darth Azurea - whom I have been working with a lot recently - that I have come so far. Azurea is a fine Sith, and I feel i've learned almost as much from her as I have you. I am truely grateful for what i've learned from you, Master." he said, sincerely.

Mullarus stepped away from the War Memorial he stood beside and looked up at it. "I feel that marching upon this world, Contruum, with the Sith has been my proudest accomplishment. I am honored to have taken a part in cutting the Republic in half."

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Pyrrhus kept a smile from sneaking up on him. It appeared that his apprentice had not forgotten his manners. Formalities had its values. Primarily, to him, the absence of them showed signs of disrespect, even a challenge. Those had to be dealt with appropriately, but today was not a day for that. "You assume it is a good thing" he said, leaving his tone ridden of any signs that would give away his intent. Was he teasing him, or upset? His primary source had been Azurea, and she had only had positive things to report from his apprentice's progress.

"Good. Though don't grow content. You may feel more powerful than you have ever been before, but it is still but a fraction of your true potential. Too much self-gratification and you grow content. Do not lose your drive to push forwards, unless all you strive to become is exactly what you are now." he hadn't expected to start lecturing so soon, but at this point it was slowly become instinctive to him. With others he might scoff or dismiss them when their views did not align with his own. With Mullarus, however, he would always seek to impart his own earned knowledge to further aid in his progression. He could sense that Mullarus had a bright future with the One Sith. He would hate to see him squander the opportunity.

It was more of a warning than a lecture, as he wasn't faulting Mullarus for anything he had said. It was simply something to be aware of. "Excellent. Darth Azurea is growing into a fine Sith. You both gain much from working together." or so he thought, based on what he had heard. They did make a formidable team, something it would be foolish for them not to take advantage of.

Pyrrhus took a moment to gaze at the monument and reflect over their victory here on Contruum. The Dark Side had claimed this world, and the scent of battle had not yet left the surface. The smell of victory. May the world never see itself ridden of it, he thought. "Contruum was a magnificent victory. It marks the end of one enemy. I am proud to know you were here to deliver such a crippling blow." though similarly to his training, here complacency was also a threat. "You will know more battles like this. See to it that you are prepared to face them when they arrive." he simply said, as he once more turned to look upon Mullarus.

"Why are you Sith?" he had asked him that once before. Had his opinions on the matter changed? Since last time, he had tasted both power and victory. Was that enough? "What is your goal?" what was next for Mullarus?

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

He had a point. Many good points. As always to Mullarus, [member="Darth Pyrrhus"] always had something else to say and more guidance to give. Save for his apparent lust for destruction, Mullarus feels he could not have been given a finer teacher. It was a beautiful thing to him, really, how low the two of them had started out. Pyrrhus was only a Sith Knight at the time he had first met Mullarus and the other two acolytes on Coruscant, where Mullarus had proven himself the most capable of becoming the soon-to-be Sith Lord's apprentice. And now, looking back, Mullarus could feel how much he had grown and learned since his training under the togruta had begun. Even now, Mullarus was humbled by knowing that he still had much to learn, no matter how much he thought he knew.

"Why are you Sith?"

He thought back to that day when his master had asked him the very same question. He could hardly even remember what he had said then. Something about continuing his family's legacy? Looking back, it wasn't such a good answer. Even Pyrrhus himself expressed his disapproval of it. Yet here he stood, years later, staring at the very man who now called him apprentice. "Hm..." Mullarus had to think for a moment. He certainly didn't give much of a damn about continuing his family's legacy anymore. That, for the most part, was another lie drilled into his head from his grandfather. From his time with Pyrrhus, he had less of a care for that and more for his own purpose: The Empire, and himself.

"I was born with this gift. The Force. It took me about twelve years to discover it, and a traumatic event to reveal itself to me. Truth be told, I...never did want to be a Sith. I looked up to the Imperial Navy, the one that my parents used to be a part of, as an aspiration. When they...died, I was hardly given a choice in being trained as one of the Dark side like my grandfather. It was...his decision. Looking back today, I couldn't have asked for a better gift. I am proud to be what I am now. I am a Sith now because I want to be one of the many Sith who fight under this Empire's banner and to keep it from being burnt down as the Republic slowly is. I love our Empire, and I will die serving it."

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Pyrrhus smirked. This time he was more pleased with the answer given by his apprentice than he had been last time. "You are right, it is a gift." the Togruta replied with a slow nod. "It is your birthright to rise to power as a Sith. All you have to do now is reach out and claim it. I am pleased to hear you no longer fight for others, or another man's honour - but for yourself. For the Sith cause" Mullarus was a proper soldier. Whether he would become one of many or stand out and make a name for himself remained to be seen. Pyrrhus had a feeling it would be the latter. But this was a destiny the man had to seize for himself. All Pyrrhus could do was encourage him and offer guidance where he could. The rest Mullarus would have to learn on his own. However, he was certain that if he gave himself to the Dark Side completely, it would show him the way.

"You are Sith" Pyrrhus said, though leaving the sentence unfinished. There was a long pause. "Although... You do have unfinished business" as he said that, suddenly there presence of another became clear. A challenger. He might not recognize her at first, but it was someone who's path he had crossed once before. Back at the Academy of Coruscant she had been one of his two rivals. She had been beaten and the Bith had been killed. Mullarus had been the last man standing, and become the apprentice of Darth Pyrrhus. Now she was back for revenge.

Mullarus had spared her on that day. Yet she had been left severely injured. She had nearly lost her arm; at the end only a few tendons of muscle and flesh had kept it attached. She had been thoroughly beaten, the first of the three to fall. Her career as a Sith Acolyte had ended on that day, she had never properly recovered. Perhaps she would in time, though so many surpassed her while she lay injured. That was until Pyrrhus took her in. He saw a purpose for her, but it was not to become his apprentice. It was to become a beast of the Dark Side.

She looked upon him with hatred in her eyes. Her hair was blonde now, her eyes a strange purple. Her neck was clearly metallic in its shape, as was the arm he had nearly taken from her. Though it was hidden beneath dark Sith robes, large parts of her waist was covered in metal as well. She had been re-shaped. Despite an athletic, feminine figure, she was a brute. Though she had not gone through the same training as Mullarus, her power had been elevated above her previous state. This came at the cost of her own sanity. There was little of the girl left. Now there was only pain, suffering and a burning hot hatred. It was part of her new design, to always know suffering. She learned every aspect of suffering so she could better inflict it upon others. Now, her target was Mullarus.

Pyrrhus took a few steps back, as if about to fade away into shadows. "A Sith is always on his guard. A Sith is always ready to overcome obstacles before him. You say you are Sith. Show me it is true... Your final test" he would be forged through the fires of combat. Should he succeed here, his days as a mere apprentice was over. Should he fail, he would likely die. Though he would let Mullarus do the fighting on his own, he was tempted to include a final lesson within his final test. Perhaps it was time to teach him Makashi.

The beast charged.

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzVBqBosf5w[/youtube]​

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Mullarus' smile faded. The woman did not look physically familiar, but he remembered that aura. That same aura he felt the day he first stood before [member="Darth Pyrrhus"] alongside the Bith, now a pile of ashes, and...her. The one he spared. Back then, he had told himself she were useful. He considered taking her in as a servant to him after having her wounds treated that he had given her to prove to the togruta that he was the most worthy of becoming his apprentice. Instead, Pyrrhus insisted she be taken away. Mullarus always assumed she had simply perished of the severe scars he had given her, but...never had he imagined this.

She was hardly even a woman anymore. Oh, Mullarus could not have imagined a more fine final test. Mullarus' hand immediately grasped the hilt of his lightsaber. "Oh my goodness..." was all he could say when the beast's violet gaze pierced him like a sword.

"Your final test"

It came at him like a freight train. Mullarus did not even wear his signature armor for protection. He was not expecting a fight. He really should have known, as the apprentice of Darth Pyrrhus. There was never a dull day. Right here on Contruum, where Mullarus had made his name known to the One Sith as one of it's war heroes, where he had faced his first Jedi in battle, and where the Republic's demise had finally begun, Mullarus would take one final life on the war-scarred world to begin the ending of his ascension.

The violet blades of his crossguard lightsaber ignited and he quickly leaped over the beast, once a woman. Landing behind it, Mullarus reached out with Force Grip and went to grab it by it's leg and hurl it away from the Memorial to a more wide-open field. This battle would be fought on Mullarus' favorite battleground: Wide open space with plenty of room for a large, claymore-like lightsaber to be swung with all of his Dark side might.