Prologue: Into the Past We Delve

[Asharad Graush]

Prakith
Prak City
Sith Sector
Five Years Ago,


A'sharad Graush.

Born to an ancient bloodline of Sith dating back to the Old Republic Era. Of course, he had limited knowledge of such. Even as a fourteen year old child, he wanted to change that.

Standing upon one of the much smaller plateaus within Prak City, it was a hidden location underneath his own home, pushed back a dozen or so metres into the mountain that the estate had been built on. He had found it two years ago when he had been twelve years old, having fled from his own studies of the Force so that he may actually employ it rather than study the methods and theories others long before him had written.

Even from a young age, even from when he was younger than twelve years old, he didn't want to live in the shadows of those greater than him.

Irritation and annoyance was easy to sense from him. A brief look that someone gave him could put him over the edge and trigger his power and rage. However minimal it was.

From those times he had grown however.

In his own eyes he was a young man.

A young Sith.

Having to climb down the side of the mountain that his home was built on, he swung himself from the overhanging rocks and rolled into the natural cavern.

His lightsabre hilt bounced on his leg. Glancing down to it, he had once again escaped from his studies.

The thing was about his cave was that, it was large. Large enough for a shuttle to land in. He had even discovered that it linked to the Sith Temple far below, but he hadn't found out where it would actually deposit him. It was also quite visible to any that had a ship that went past it. It served to only hide from those that were directly above him, which were his parents and attendants. Beyond that? Any passing ship could spot him, but none had stopped him yet.

A golden glow leapt from the silver and black hilt with a snap-hiss, and his arms ventured back and forth, slashing at invisible enemies as he went for minutes.

Even hours.

Below him and nearly one hundred yards underneath his home was a Hangar for the Temple that belonged to the One Sith on the planet. Built deep into the mountain, the natural fortification of the rock jammed scanners, hiding the Sith Temple from both scanners and prying eyes. Plenty of ships landed at the pad, and on occasion he had watched ships land and take off a few moments later. They had limited time on the pad A'sharad had discovered.

Some of them, he had even come to recognize. Especially the one that belonged to [member="Eldaah Aderyn"].

It was early morning, there was plenty of time to waste.

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="A'sharad Graush"]

She didn't know why her Master kept sending her to Prakith, but here she was again. Her new lightsaber hung at her belt, the mission clearly stated by the Sith lady she served. Go to the temple on Prakith and make nice with some of the acolytes and important VIPs there, and she had dutifully been coming back every so often to keep those contacts going. Her Master was quite clear that it was important to understand other people and other Force Users... for all the better to manipulate them in the Grand Game.

Eldaah had a natural talent for it, to be sneaky and manipulative. She was a born actress and she had been able to portray multiple personas depending on the subject she was talking to. Sweet and innocent... arrogant and cocky... mysterious and aloof... everything her Master told her to be, she did. She was even beginning to learn some of her Master's alchemy and sorcery skills, and had even based her lightsaber off the one she used. It was an older design, and she would need to build a better one once she reached the level of skill her master wanted... but for now, she walked the halls of the temple, greeting those she knew cheerfully.

 

[Asharad Graush]

[member="Eldaah Aderyn"]

A'sharad descended the mountain towards the Sith Temple below. His long strides through the mountain's cavern system, coupled with the scaling of the rocks, he eventually dropped down onto the landing pad.

Spotting the blonde woman, he strode into the Temple soon aftervher, catching stray looks and wary glances from many of the Sith on the landing pad. Of course, he wasn't stopped, if only for the naturally Dark Sided presence he projected.

It was odd, to be among them, but he paid them no mind. He just marched after Eldaah, until he was within a dozen or so feet of her and he called out.

"Lady Sith."

It was clear the interior was relatively empty. Much of the Sith at this stage in time were on the front lines, pushing the Galactic Republic and her allies back. Many of them would be fresh Acolytes, scholars perhaps, and a limited amount of Overseers.

Nothing too impressive.

"I've seen your ship land here plenty of times in the past," he said. The fourteen year old hybrid raising his arms to cross them over his chest as he looked the older woman up and down.

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="A'sharad Graush"]

"As a Sith apprentice, I am required to travel to wherever my Master sends me," she responded, turning to look at whoever had spoken to her. Well, he was certainly a tall boy and those golden eyes were rather unnerving. Someone was definitely getting ready to steep themselves in the dark side, but she had never seen this particular young man around the Sith temple before. "But I'm certainly no Sith Lady, that would be my Master. Can I help you..?"

She trailed off, waiting for the Force or the young man to provide his name. Oddly enough, her senses could not pick up the young man's thoughts. Interesting... natural immunity or had he been formally trained in the ways of the Force and the Dark Side already?

 

[Asharad Graush]

May as well be a slave.

That golden gaze watched her intently. Just from looking at her he could tell that she was much older than him. A'sharad wondered how long she had been a Sith. But he wasn't going to ask right now, that was a question for a later time likely.

Even at such a young age his eyes were intent on watching how she moved. He was taught to kill people, to notice their quirks, their tendencies. Which side they favoured, whatever. But even as he did that, he spoke.

"You can." He said a moment later to her inquiry as to helping him. With his mind's thoughts hidden from her, he didn't give her his name just yet. Instead, he made another query.

"Do you know much of the Ancient Sith Language?" When he spoke the question, his golden hues brightened, for only the briefest of moments. They were not eyes that had grown to be corrupted.. Rather, they were the eyes of his Father. A Dark Lord of the Sith, and a Sith Pureblood. His blood flowed through the Hybrid before [member="Eldaah Aderyn"] and was strong, even if it did not look like it in his appearance. "But what I need your help for," he started with.

"Is to get me to M'haeli."

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="Asharad Graush"]

"My Master has instructed me in the language yes," Eldaah replied, looking at the young man critically. He wanted her to fly him to a planet without her even knowing anything about him. He clearly didn't understand the nature of what Sith were like yet. Maybe he was new? At least he had the appearance to be an intimidating Sith, but her Master had been quite thorough in her education thus far. It was always the quiet ones, her Master said, that were always the ones who caused the most trouble... and Eldaah was quite quiet herself. Something her Master encouraged.

"Why would I help you go to this planet, M'haeli, kid?" she asked, her eyebrows quirked up. "What exactly do I get out of such an arrangement?"

 

[Asharad Graush]

A'sharad wasn't a complex kid. He was simple, incapable of being read mentally, but he really was simple. There was only one thing he wanted in the Galaxy, and that was to be remembered. Remembered as one of the greatest Sith in the Galaxy. Or, one of the worst. Apparently it mattered what side you were looking at it from. Either way, it required him to kill people, the way he saw it. Kill lots of people. Whether in the field of battle and be renowned for being a Sith Warrior, or for being the mastermind behind a nuclear bomb exploding in the middle of a city.

It didn't matter.

As long as he was famous.

Oh, and doing whatever he wanted worked too.

"...Kid." He repeated drily. But anyone knew beggars couldn't be choosers. He was a Sith Lord. Even at such a young age, there was without a doubt he had grown up richer than this woman. Not a Lord of the Sith in the Sith Order, but he was a Sith, and he was the Heir to his House, which made him a Sith Lord. Obviously, they weren't the same thing, but if one had entrance to the inner workings of his mind they would see that he didn't view them as different at all.

He let the slight slide all the same.

"Presumably, you'll get the same thing that I'll get. Lightsabre crystals."

Lots of people were interested in lightsabre crystals.

"The unique kind."

[member="Eldaah Aderyn"]

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

"Lightsaber crystals hmm?" she pondered aloud, weighing whether or not it would be a worthwhile trip. Her Master hadn't really gotten into the different types of lightsaber crystals yet, simply providing her with the red crystal needed for her current lightsaber. She suspected that would be a future lesson, as her Master valued knowledge and making sure her followers were well-educated in many aspects. Plus... whatever crystals she recovered on this little expedition could be useful later on.

"Fine, I'll take you to M'haeli," she responded, eyeing up and gauging how this new acolyte would handle himself. His body language spoke of an arrogance and superiority, even though she couldn't probe his mind or emotions for whatever reason. Not an uncommon trait in Sith anyways. She shrugged mentally as she turned on her heel and gestured for him to follow her to her ship.

 

[Asharad Graush]

There was a twitch from A'sharad as his head bounced upwards, sending black locks up and out of his eyes. But they settled in the same place as previously, but he didn't seem to notice.

Fine.

As if she were the only saving grace. As if she were doing him a favour.

Nonetheless, he followed towards her ship, silver and black lightsabre hilt bouncing off of his thigh as he walked with her towards her ship. A nice ship, he figured. But was it fast? He knew his Father would have known of his disappearance from the compound by now, but when he disappeared entirely from Prakith's System? Well that would likely bring an entirely new punishment that he had yet to experience in his still short life.

[member="Eldaah Aderyn"]