Private Power

[Darth Solipsis]

Lake Natth, Ambria​

The boiling water rolled bubbles to the surface and thick steam that followed in their wake. The jagged rocks stuck out ominously like a ill omen or dreaded marker for those lost and damned. This was a place of the Dark Side of the Force, a place that called to those who dared approach here like a siren, luring unfortunate souls to their doom. The energy here crackled beneath the surface, contained with the bowels of the lake itself, along it's shore stood a silhouette of a man basking in it's unholy glow.

Draped in black robes and hood concealed over his face, the Elder stood in wait. Watching, waiting for some unknown purpose. His sulfuric eyes pierced the veil and watched the many colors of dark energy vibrate around him, the Force was his tool to see things no ordinary being could possibly dream of witnessing. This place was significant to the Sith Order as a whole, much history had transpired here over the millennia and it would continue to attract those of power for as long as it stood here on the Inner Rim world of Ambria.

"You've come." His voice bellowed and distorted, "Welcome to Lake Natth, young Sith. I have watched you and seen your actions, come closer." He motioned to the unseen form of another, the dark shade of night still cast over them as he gestured to the figure to stand beside him.

Alina Tremiru

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[Alina Tremiru]

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A voice from beyond. Calling her. At first, she had ignored it. When war came to Bastion, she ignored it. When her arms were lost, she ignored it. But now. Now she had her arms again. She was something.. More. Stronger. A chain had been broken for her. She wanted to become something powerful. She was becoming something powerful. And the power she was getting felt good. She wasn't as brazen as she had been before, when she first learned how to increase her strength and speed.

She wouldn't loose her hands again.

So she answered the call. The young Sith stepped up to the cloaked figure, her yellow eyes obvious under the black hood she had on. They glowed, unnaturally so.

"Who are you."

Darth Solipsis

 

[Darth Solipsis]

"I am the shiver that crawls down your spine." The Sith Master turned, casting his dreadful gaze onto the yellow eyed Sith, "I am the hunger that yearns for more, unquenchable in pursuit of what it desires. I am the Elder, I am Solipsis. Darth Solipsis."

His piercing yellow eyes matched that of the Sith acolyte before him, glowing in the backdrop of his overshadowed face hidden under his hood. The Elder turned his hands over revealing his wicked features and razor sharp talons for nails. His skin was pale and old, shaped unnaturally by techniques alchemical and other. He rose his right hand and pointed toward the chest of the woman

"Why have you come?"

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

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Eyes narrowed distrustfully at the small speech. Alina had never been the kind to appreciate the ominous threats Sith were known for, but this wasn't just another Sith. She could feel the power. It was like facing Vulcanus and his hoard of Graug. The danger she felt. So she kept quiet, listening. Focusing. This was the one who called to her, of that she had no doubt.

"You called for me. I want to know why." Her eyes stayed focused on Darth Solipsis . She felt danger, but she didn't feel fear. He would either kill her, or show something more. Either way, this was the only path forward.

 

[Darth Solipsis]

"Is that so?"

The Lord of the Sith motioned away, shifting his eyesight out toward the harsh lake before them. The dangerous waters spilled out over the shoreline leaving holes from which gaseous remains from the bubbles ate away at the soil. Small waves crashed against the earthen spires that stood tall out of the corrosive body of water. Despite the harsh environment the ecosystem was teeming with life all around them, any Force-sensitive could sense it scattered within their midst.

"You have great potential, your hatred, your anger, your ambition. You seek power and strength, you did not come to me to speak idly." The Sith Master rose his hand once more, pointing off in the direction of the tallest rock spire. "There is something special inside that rock, if you wish to claim it.. it is yours."

So it was that a small flicker in the Force rippled outward from inside the tallest rock spire. The path to it ridden with danger as it stood near the center of the lake, in order to reach it one would have to climb between the jagged rock sticking out from the water below. There would be several leaps of faith and very little room for error, whatever it was that was inside had captured the cryptic stranger's attention.

Alina Tremiru


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[Alina Tremiru]

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Her gaze stayed on Darth Solipsis for a moment longer, before following his gaze outward. Alina had never been able to sense the world around her. Her connection was too chaotic for it. Or was. Now, with the new power she has, she could feel the life. The pulse of blood in the veins of the living. She was still getting used to it, but it was still something truly amazing for her to feel.

"Claim it, huh.." It sounded like a trick. Absolutely like a trick. Didn't matter if she needed to do the hard work, there was something more to this than slippery slopes and terrible falls. Still, it sounded like a perfect chance to try something new. She was stronger. Faster. Alina was no longer human, so what better way to test what she could do?

She took off her cloak. Loose clothing would only get in the way. Then she took off. The Force, through Matukai, fueled her body. And the heightened durability of her Sangnir mutation made it easy for her to keep it channeled without fear of breaking her arms and legs. She seemed to have little problem with getting from stone to stone. Her fingers actually dug into the stone, giving her grip where she shouldn't. This was the sort of task that her training and skills were meant for.

 

[Darth Solipsis]

The Sith Master remained silent, he watched and waited to see what her next course of action would be, never one for idle chatter. A cold breeze blew by, his black cloak flowing in the wind as it carried with it a steamy mist from the lake. After taking off her cloak and leaping into action, Alina's form was followed by the sulfuric eyes of the Sith Lord. Leaping from rock to rock, fingers dug into the hard surface, she made easy work of the natural obstacle course before her.

The Elder snarled, his hand casually moving aside in a dismissive manner. This was not due to her progress, oh no. This was merely the next step in a mental test he had begun for her as the Force tethered to the very rock she grasped onto shattered at the base. Rock and debris blew out from below, skipping across the water making several splashes of the corrosive liquid rise upward.

His eyes continued to follow her as he readied for her next move, her next jump, and reached out again in the Force. The tall pillar of stone began to crumble slowly from the top down.

Alina Tremiru
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[Alina Tremiru]

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The crunch of stone below her caught her attention immediately. Her yellow eyes lowered, narrowing in suspicion on what just happened. Turned out she was more right than she'd like to have been. Darth Solipsis had indeed had a trap laid out. But why now? If there was something in the far tower he wanted, wouldn't it be better to trick her after she'd gotten it for him?

She couldn't dwell on it for long. Especially as she noticed the tower she was supposed to reach started to crumble on it's own. It clicked. A challenge, not a trap. A grin formed as she clambered to the top of the pillar she was on. A challenge meant a chance to see just how good she was. She shifted her weight on the falling pillar, making it fall towards the goal.

Save herself some time.

The splash of acidic liquid hit her bare arms as the pillar lowered near her target. Skin sizzled, but she didn't seem to notice. Or care. The pain was good. She could use it. When she got the closest she could she jumped. Already she could tell something was wrong, though. While this saved her time, she didn't think about how smooth the last pillar would be around the base.

The realization sunk in quick once her hands met smooth stone. She slipped, only slowing herself with the grasp of her fingers biting into the stone with their unnatural strength. Frustration grew, especially as she felt the spray of one of the waves reach her legs. She could heal quickly, but not without focus. Focus she didn't have time to spare.

So she climbed. Alina's eyes gazed upwards towards the crumbling tower, yellow eyes narrowed in focus. She swung her arms hard, burying her fist into the stone. Breaking it. Making her own hand holds until she reached the more rough part of the pillar. It wasn't as fast as before, but she had no intention of giving up just yet.

 

[Darth Solipsis]

She was doing well, a quick combination of wits and physical fortitude had led the young Sith into avoiding disaster. Safe from the dangers of the now nearly submerged pillar that had given her range. She forcibly climbed her way toward the prize as crumbling rock fell from it's peak downward. As more of the spire came apart, what appeared to be a clear crystal stuck out in plain sight attached to a larger crystalline base making up the interior of the spire.

The Elder smiled wickedly, a sinister grin spanning from ear to ear as his hands clasped together. Immediately, the sounds of crushing rock would hit the eardrums of the Sith Apprentice as three nearby pillars began to fall toward the spire that carried her and the prize she sought. The Sith Master chuckled under his breath as he watched for what she would do next.

The crystal atop the spire began to pulsate, glowing ominously in tune like a heartbeat. "Go on. It is yours."

Alina Tremiru


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[Alina Tremiru]

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The prize was close. The fact she could now see it brought quite the grin to her face. And then, danger. The sound of crumbling stone pulled her attention from the crystal. The final trap. Even if she got the crystal, her way back wouldn't exist. Though, there was something more chilling to this all. Darth Solipsis was so effortlessly affecting everything around her. That power was just the sort she'd grown up to fear.

But she wouldn't let that stop her now. Not when she was so close. She leapt to the top of the crystal formation, snatching the pulsing crystal before turning her attention to the falling pillars. She needed to get back, less she have no choice but death in the acidic waters below. So she jumped. Speed was her go to usually, but strength would work better here. So she forced herself off of the crystal formation, cracking it underfoot before landing on one of the falling pillars.

Then off that one to the next. Calm, calculated jumps. She could think faster now, making it even easier to plot where she'd go until she landed before the Sith Lord. There was no smile, no grimace. This was exciting, but he was pushing to kill her throughout an already dangerous task.

"What does this crystal do?"

 

[Darth Solipsis]

"Well done."

Darth Solipsis stood silently in study as the Apprentice stood before him with a calmness and lack of fear. Fear was one of many discernible factors that separated Dark Jedi from Sith, he was impressed that she indeed carried herself like a true Sith. Yet, this could be imitated as evident by the unsettling amount of so-called Sith that plagued the galaxy. To truly be Sith, to follow the code and embody the Dark Side of the Force, well that was what he sought to put to the test.

"A pontite crystal, one of the most powerful types of kyber crystal utilized by Jedi and Sith for their lightsabers. Many were left here long ago by accident during a struggle that took place here. The surrounding area has become a breeding ground for them over the millenia even plagued as it has been by the influence of the Dark Side of the Force." His eyes trailed off as he began to step away along the shore's edge gesturing Alina to follow.

"Tell me, what does it mean to be Sith?"

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

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A pontite crystal? Her gaze traveled down to the gem in her hand, studying it curiously. She had plans to make her own crystal, for her own lightsaber. But this? There was no reason not to use it. If she bled it properly, it'd be for a powerful blade. Stronger than a synthetic one for sure. She stepped after Darth Solipsis , her hands clasping behind her back. Then, the very question she'd been seeking an answer to for so, so long.

She kept her head high, yellow glowing eyes scanning the horizon.

"It is being in control. Many of those claiming to be Sith let themselves be slaves to their emotions. But a true Sith is in complete control. Only through that mastery can a Sith hope to break their chains."

 

[Darth Solipsis]

"You are not wrong, but that is not what it means to be Sith." The Elder slid his hands into his robes sleeves across from another, folding his arms as he walked with Alina along the harsh shore.

"Peace is a Lie, there is only Passion. Peace is stillness, apathy, and apathy is death. There is no mettle to test one's self. Nothing to mold one's own into something stronger, you become weak and complacent. Take a blade, heat along it's edge, hammer away, and shove it back into the icy cold waters. When you do this the blade becomes stronger each time, without adversity we degenerate and cannot evolve, it is the nature of all things."

He paused, halting his footsteps and turned away toward the corrosive waters. "Through Passion I gain Strength. Your emotions when controlled as you put it can be fire or fuel to empower you. Your hatred, your anger, your love can be the strongest of motivations and connect directly with your connection to the Force." His right hand fell from his sleeve and brushed to the side as if an invisible force was casually tossed aside.

"Through Strength I gain Power. Without the strength earned from hardship, adversity, pain.. you are nothing and hold the power to do exactly that.. nothing. Only by taking what you yearn can you achieve your destiny. Through Power I gain Victory. With control, with raw power, you become master of your own destiny, no longer a pawn in a great game. Through Victory my chains are Broken, the Force shall free me. Free at last, no longer bound to any but yourself."

The Elder turned his wretched glare to the Apprentice before him, his smoldering eyes fixated upon her own with a burning intensity. "To be a Sith is to claim dominion over one's self and be free of the trappings of fate. To follow the code and embrace what the order teaches, to strive with ambition and purpose, not blindly follow. The Sith Empire you serve is a mockery of what it means to be Sith, the Rule of Order is heresy. A Dark Lord and a Sith Empress, given rank by a fleeting Sith Lord who claims to be a deity. The same Sith Lord who once submitted to the Master of the One Sith after losing his own empire. Failure, failure is the legacy of this empire. There is no rising force, no new blood stronger, forged in fire to claim power and continue the cycle. You must obey for the good of the Order.. laughable really. So tell me.."

He pointed his talon of a nail, resting on his pointer finger, "..are you Sith or slave?"

Alina Tremiru​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

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Alina knew the code, but she'd never heard it dissected so thoroughly. Suddenly more made sense. Her conversation with the Worm Emperor had a similar meaning behind it. The chains the Rule of Order made. Their failure. Why there was so many groups of Sith coming to the galaxy all at once. Her eyes stayed on Darth Solipsis , not daring to look away from the Sith Lord as he explained so much she needed to know. Everything she had learned clicked into place.

"I am not bound by the rule of order, or any other of these Sith factions that have risen. I have no delusions to call myself a true Sith. I am not nearly powerful enough." And yet, the raw determination she had in her gaze had not faded in the slightest. "But I will not stop until I am."

 

[Darth Solipsis]

A dark grin crept across his face, a pleased look of acknowledgement. "Then you understand, good." The Elder opened his hand up and held it outward as if holding an invisible object within his palm. "I see futures in you. Potential. I summoned you here to test your resolve and offer you a chance to claim your destiny."

Solipsis paused for but a moment in study, allowing the gravity of his words sink in and observe their weight to her. "Become my apprentice, learn to master the Dark Side of the Force. Break your chains and stand as a true Sith, the path will be ridden with harsh challenges and cruel adversities but in the end you will be as I am or better... beware if you choose this path and fail me, I will end you. If you succeed than, well, you will take my life and succeed me. What say you?"

Alina Tremiru

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[Alina Tremiru]

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Sith killing Sith to prove themselves better was a tradition Alina did not like. The strongest could win without killing, and keep them around to keep the Sith as a whole strong. But the reason behind it, the reason Darth Solipsis gave, made far too much sense for her to ignore. Half measures cracked and broke steel. When she was the one with power, she might find a better way. But for now the young woman bowed her head.

"What is thy bidding, Master?"

 

[Darth Solipsis]

Solipsis sat his hand atop her shoulder with a wicked smile on his face, thoroughly pleased with her decision. "Good."

His attention shifted, glowing eyes moving along the water's edge as the acidic waves washed over. "There is a creature born of these foul waters, corrupted by the spirits of the dead and their wretched energies. They exist on many worlds that the Ancient Sith once inhabited, these Dark Side Dragons hunt in pairs and boast the ability to remain unseen by the naked eye, even hiding their signatures in the Force." Solipsis chuckled under his breath, "I want you to kill a Hssiss and bring it's hide to me on the planet of Ruusan. I will wait for you there."

Alina Tremiru

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[Alina Tremiru]

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"They exist here, too?" She cracked a wide grin. These sort of creatures sounded like a type of creature for her to practice with. She couldn't sense things with the Force, but she could, now, sense blood. It'd be far more useful to find hidden enemies by their blood. At least for those who had blood. Machines were going to be a whole other subject for her to deal with.

"I will return to you soon." Then she was off. It was a good chance to prove to Darth Solipsis just how strong she was. As she ran, she pulled out her datapad to look up some basic information. Environments. What brought their attention. Carnage. Death. There wasn't enough life on this world to truly make a scene of death for their attention, but they were around this lake. Somewhere.

When she was alone, she stopped. Sat. Waited. If she couldn't set a trap, she'd just become the bate.

 

[Darth Solipsis]

The Sith Master smirked with a grin of approval as the Apprentice abruptly left with a solemn vow of success and swift deliverance. His eyes drifted away as the Elder strode off into the misty horizon. He would leave the Sith acolyte for Ruusan and see what good she would make on her promise.

The scream of Solipsis's shuttle blanketed the area in ear piercing noise, clouds of dust and debris fluttered off in it's wake as it rushed to the clouds in an effort to kiss the sky. As it peered into the clouds it's form vanished, piercing the veil of the upper atmosphere on it's sojourn to Ruusan.

The time alone was quiet and uneventful for the acolyte as she sat in wait, hoping to draw in her prey as bait. The waves crashed along the shorelines and broken spires, steam clouded the area in a thick cloud as the air grew silent, all signs of life swept away. The water bubbled up, spewing forth it's corrosive contents, the air was thick with heat and nausea. A choking feeling of pressure slowly crept unto the area like a smothering weight.

Eyes could not see what was not there, yet the ears and the mind could tell another story. A voice, singular and gentle called out to Alina from the waters. It's sweet melody layered behind such honeyed words were sheer bliss upon the ears, the words she spoke were unintelligible but the intent was there. It was clear what she wanted Alina to do, this siren of the waters, this incorporeal angel. She wanted her to enter the lake, she called to her and beckoned for another to join her.

The thick miasma of the Dark Side was insufferable, even with a weak sensitivity to the Force itself one could feel the pressure built upon such a place. What would the acolyte do in such a situation? Who was this voice? What did she want with Alina?

Alina Tremiru


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[Alina Tremiru]

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A siren's call? Alina's gaze narrowed as the sound filled her ears. She knew all too well the dangers of these kinds of worlds. She turned her head, now glaring towards the source. A distraction. "I've no time for you." That was the only thing she said to the voice before recentering herself on the ground. It would be an easy thing for her to eventually fall prey to the unnatural tune, she knew that. Simply telling it to go away would do nothing in the long run.

So she reached out. All at once the Force deadened around her, severed by her will. A bubble, a shield. It came at it's own price, of course. No longer could she try to sense the blood of her quarry. But in turn, she could cut the creature off when it approached. Make the invisible visible as it entered her aura. Once more she went still, waiting. It wouldn't be long now.

Darth Solipsis