Private Returning A Book To The Library

[Darth Imperius]

Korriban | Sith Academy | Archives
Tenebrum

The tall figure of Imperius moved around the gallery on the first level of the Academy, the gaze calmly taking in what he saw as it looked around. It was different. It was always different. Korriban was the ancient birthplace of the Sith and its most sacred world, nothing would ever be able to challenge that status. But that status was a memory, history, an attempt to anchor the past into the presence. And it had never worked. The Valley of the Dark Lords was probably one of the most raided, razed and scourged places in this Galaxy. He himself was here the first time to raid it, even destroying a wing of it in the process. Almost forgotten.

Now the King of Korriban, a most pretentious of titles while fondling the openly declared enemies of the Sith, has rebuilt it once more and turned it again into a beacon of Sith teaching and philosophy. Acolytes roamed its halls, acolytes openly wielding lightsabers and even calling themselves Sith already. It was a disaster. They barely could lift a stick or shoot a blaster and were already part of the Order to many. It was fascinating how rise followed fall, how greatness was followed by decadence, on and on so that the cycle could repeat itself. The Force was conflict afterall.

His steps slowly brought him around the gallery, to his left he could stare into the main hall where acolytes and overseers rushed around, sat in meditation or stood in small groups to converse. To his left were doors to lead into different wings, dormitories, training halls, armories and so on. Ahead was the entrance to the archives. He chose the way ahead. He had seen the Sith archives of old, the Jedi library and many more. What came ahead was a shadow of boths former glory. Nevertheless his figure moved and scanned what treasures might be buried in such public place.

 

[Tenebrum]

TAG: Darth Imperius
Location: Sith Academy, Korriban

Some things, at least, had not changed from one galaxy to another. Sure, the architecture itself was a bit different - not so ancient as the halls to which Tenebrum had become accustomed, but the atmosphere and the black-robed exotic array of species prowling the dusty corridors brought Tenebrum back years. It was not an altogether pleasant feeling; he had not left those Sith on the best of terms. But, to put a positive spin on things, it was a chance for a fresh start.

Still, as Tenebrum paced down yet another spartan corridor, hoping to learn the layout of the Academy, he had to admit that he missed seeing the familiar faces. Fresh-faced acolytes and seasoned Sith Lords alike stalked past Tenebrum without so much as acknowledging his presence. That was to be expected, of course; he had not yet had a chance to show his quality. But in these strangely familiar halls, he was truly a nobody once more.

The blue light falling across the metal floor in front of Tenebrum might as well have been a beam of light into his own gloomy thoughts. Roused from his musings, he raised his head to find that he had completed his loop and returned to the great gallery at the heart of the Sith Academy. Turning, he found himself in front of a great library lined with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of holobooks and filled with Sith working away at study tables. It was a contrast that never failed to provoke some slight amusement in Tenebrum; the sight of sinisterly robed and hooded figures bent diligently over a book stood so at odds with the common citizen's view of Sith perpetually cackling and spitting lightning everywhere.

But Tenebrum would not have become so entranced with the Sith if that was all that they were. No indeed, many of the Sith he had known in his time had been some of the most erudite and well-read beings he had ever met in his storied scholarly career. Doubtless the same would be true here.

Tenebrum allowed himself to be diverted by his exploratory mission. There would be time enough for that, but the new layout of the Sith Academy was not the most pressing novelty on the Caamasi scholar's mind. However Tenebrum had emerged into this strange new world, there could be no doubt that much was significantly different than the galaxy from whence he had come. He might have been stricken enough to learn that there were major wars and historical figures of whom he had never heard, but entire ancient civilizations now existed that he had never once studied or encountered in all his career. Even if ancient civilizations did not seem to profoundly affect even the modern-day Sith Order (and, in his experience, they did shockingly often), professional pride dictated that he remedy this ignorance immediately.

Moving into the library, Tenebrum scanned the room for the most secluded alcove. It wouldn't do for one of his peers to stumble across him reading basic information about some new species and do their best to undermine his scholarly credibility to his instructors. Finding a desk in the corner of the room, he sat with his back to the wall and connected his datapad to the library net, pulling up records on a civilization of whom he had heard passing mention called the Zeffo.

Minutes passed by, perhaps hours for all Tenebrum knew. All chagrin at his ignorance had been forgotten as soon as he had opened the Archive repository on Zeffo civilization and had begun reading. It was a pure kind of joy he derived from his research, a purity that he now realized he had not enjoyed for many years now. It was the kind of thing that brought youthful exuberance back to his old mind and renewed a kind of optimism in his jaded spirit, as when he had taken his first class on the Rakata Infinite Empire or the Gree. It was the kind of thing only an old archaeologist could dream of: a brand new civilization to discover, decrypt, and decipher.

A figure turned the corner of the nearby shelf, strolling on bare meters from Tenebrum, and he barely managed to refrain from blanching. A towering mass of muscles and armor was this newcomer who had so lightly padded into view that Tenebrum had neither seen nor heard his approach. Or perhaps he had been too absorbed in his research to notice.

Either way, Tenebrum covertly watched the Sith with equal misgiving and curiosity. At first, paranoia spilled into his gut. Had his inward expression of pure scholarly delight been so great that the Sith had mistaken it for light side energy and promptly dispatched an Inquisitor? But quickly, he dismissed this thought as the irrational impulse it had been. No, if this Sith suspected him to be a Jedi, he would already have Tenebrum on a ground and a massive boot firmly planted on his windpipe.

But as Tenebrum got a better look at the Sith, a new wave of curiosity washed over him. This was no average Sith warrior or inquisitor, if the obsidian armor and shimmering greatsword were not proof enough. Tenebrum had made sure to study the names and faces of all the most senior-ranking Sith . . . or at least all those Sith who were most likely to make an appearance at the Academy. There was no doubt: this was Darth Imperius, one of the titans of the Sith Order. Although he had expected to encounter these great names striding through the great hall on their way to see the headmaster or other important personages currently instructing at the Academy, Tenebrum would never have expected to find someone like Darth Imperium here in the Academy library.

He was almost tempted to put this question directly to the Dark Lord. It was undoubtedly what the Tenebrum of a few years ago would have done: unafraid as he had been of speaking freely with Dark Lords even as an acolyte. But that brazen confidence had grown to arrogance, and just one moment of speaking freely had nearly led to his demise. This time around, he would be more cautious.

So Tenebrum said nothing as Darth Imperius drew near. Simply watched, as discreetly as he could, and waited.

 

[Darth Imperius]

Korriban | Sith Academy | Archives
Tenebrum

The gauntlet moved over the labels on the shelf, it appeared almost prosaic, certainly unnecessary as the figure surely could read the labels without difficulties. But as someone who was not driven by pride, Imperius could find and show genuine passion for certain things, especially knowledge, even if it was curated by the worst incarnation of the Sith so far. His black eyes calmly looked at what was in front of him, blinking, briefly reading before moving on. Most of the scriptures and texts he had read, many eras ago, some he deemed worthless to even place in a library, others he thought required greater attention. A philosophy needs books and discourse, it needs to be challenged, or it is worthless.

He turned his attention from the shelf to a nearby working station, he had felt the looks placed upon him. Was it an acolyte? It looked a bit too old for one, but then again, this Order followed neither standards for quality nor quantity and the bare minimum for them was be able to not to trip while walking. The furred one though looked like he was neither a mongrel nor a prodigy, yet stared with some intent, maybe awe, maybe surprise. Imperius was not charmed or felt any validation from it, but nevertheless was curious.

"Did the Academy lower its standards so it may recruit the elder? What are you studying?" His voice was a judgement cast, it was calm but in measured pace, it was dark, gravelly and contained a wrath that was primordial in its essence.

His massive form took slow steps towards the acolyte or whatever it was, his black eyes unblinking, the sickly pale skin exposed around it with its cracks and blue veins. Darth Imperius was not only tainted by the Dark side, his entire being was corrupted by it, slowly torn apart and his biological being decaying.