First Reply [Sith] Depths of Korriban

[Nyxira Valis]

The fiery suns of Korriban hung low in the dusty sky, their crimson light bathing the jagged terrain in an eternal twilight. The winds howled across the barren expanse, carrying with them the whispers of the long-dead — ancient Sith Lords whose legacies still haunted this forsaken world. The air was thick with the oppressive weight of the Dark Side, a palpable force that seemed to seep into the bones of anyone who dared set foot here.

Through the haze of swirling sand, a sleek, black shuttle pierced the desolation, its angular design a stark contrast against the crumbling ruins and jagged cliffs. The craft descended gracefully, its dark hull gleaming faintly in the eerie red light. With a low, rumbling hiss, the landing ramp lowered, releasing a burst of cold, pressurized air into the arid landscape.

Darth Nythera emerged, her tall frame cutting an imposing silhouette against the ancient horizon. Her dark, flowing attire swayed with the wind, the faint glow of Sith runes across her collar and gauntlets pulsing as though they resonated with the power of this sacred place. She paused at the base of the ramp, her violet eyes scanning the desolate expanse with a mixture of reverence and purpose. The whispers of the Dark Side were louder here, clawing at her mind like forgotten memories, and she relished their haunting call.

Her boots crunched against the parched ground as she took her first steps, the faint tremor of power beneath the surface unmistakable to one as attuned as she. Here, in the shadows of ancient tombs, lay the secrets she had sought for decades. Her lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. "Korriban," she murmured, her voice a low, velvet hum. "It is good to be back."

She closed her eyes, reaching out with the Force, letting its currents guide her. Somewhere in this wasteland lay a tomb untouched by time, one hidden away from even the most determined seekers. A place where power slumbered, waiting for the right hands to awaken it.

She would not rest until it was found.

First Reply | Open to Sith​

 

[Kaen Alaron]

Tags: Nyxira Valis

Korriban. A world dripping in history going back for thousands of years. Almost everyone knew about Korriban; it was hard not to. The first homeworld of the Sith, the greatest conquerers the galaxy had ever seen. From one world, galaxy spanning empires had been born dozens of times over. To be here, on this world, was to walk in the footsteps of beings that the galaxy would never forget. Names that would ring eternal in the halls of worlds that had all fallen beneath the tread of those who once called Korriban their home.

For such a storied world, Kaen had never seen it himself. Born in the Deep Core and tutored under a Dark Jedi, the stories of Korriban had been an endearing desire to visit and explore, but his Master had detested the world. The man had despised the Sith and all that they were, and had done his best to keep Kaen from learning what he could. His corpse had been the final stepping stone to pave Kaen's path to Korriban.

His arrival to the world had been largely unnoticed. Too many events elsewhere had drawn the attention of the worlds stewards, and the run down shuttle Kaen had procured allowed him enough freedom to land on the desert choked world. He had come to the world desiring knowledge. He desired power and relics of times long past. All those things were possible on Korriban, but to find untouched sources of power was a rarity on this world. Thousands of generations of Sith had combed over the world before Kaen had ever been born, and to find something unknown was a cherished rarity.

He thought he had found it.

The tomb had no name. At least, it did not have a name that Kaen had been able to decipher. Half buried in the roiling dunes of Korriban, only a deep feeling, a dark pull from the Force had guided his hand to land his ship near the tomb. Something was in the tomb. Kaen did not know what it was, but he could feel it.

He wanted it.

While looking for the entrance, Kaen sensed the arrival of another being. The Dark Side writhed within the being which was no great surprise to Kaen. It was annoying, though, to have another explorer find the treasure Kaen had hoped to keep to himself. He turned to face the woman as she approached the tomb, his eyes narrowed, arms crossed, and waited to see who the competition might be.

 

[Nyxira Valis]

The winds howled around her as Nyxira approached, her dark cloak billowing behind her like the shadow of the storm she carried with her. Her violet eyes fell on the figure before the tomb, cold and unreadable, taking in his stance, his expression, the aura of power that radiated faintly from him. She assessed him with the precision of a blade poised to strike, her features betraying nothing of her thoughts or intentions.

She stopped a short distance away, the faint glow of her Sith runes shimmering like embers in the twilight. Her voice, when it came, was as calm and deliberate as the stillness before a storm, carrying the weight of authority that demanded attention.

"You stand before a tomb that has eluded countless generations," she began, her tone neither welcoming nor hostile, but edged with the kind of certainty that suggested she already knew more than she revealed. "Yet you linger, searching for something... without understanding what it is that lies within."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, just enough to suggest a flicker of curiosity beneath the cold façade. "What is it you seek?" she asked, the question laden with more weight than simple curiosity. Her posture remained composed, arms loosely by her sides, the faint hum of the Dark Side coiling around her presence like a living shadow.

She tilted her head ever so slightly, her gaze piercing, as though she could peel back the layers of his thoughts with the Force itself. "Power? Knowledge? Or something more?" Her lips curled into the faintest of smiles, an expression devoid of warmth yet steeped in a quiet confidence.

Her tone dropped to a velvet murmur, her voice low and deliberate. "Be careful with your answer. The secrets of this place are not so freely given... and only one of us holds the key."

She allowed her words to hang in the charged air, the storm above rumbling faintly as if in answer. Nyxira didn't move, didn't flinch, didn't betray an ounce of doubt or concern. She was the storm that had come to Korriban, and she would see who this man was — and whether he was an obstacle worth removing.

Kaen Alaron ​

 

[Kaen Alaron]

Location: Korriban
Tags: Nyxira Valis

"You ask for much but offer little in return," Kaen said, his voice grim as he inspected the new arrival. She was strong in the Dark Side. That was no surprise, few came to Korriban who did not have a right to be on the planet. It was hard to compare power between different individuals, but Kaen was under little illusion that he had an overwhelming advantage against this woman. A being of strength and domineering presence. Survival instinct might say he should run, but Kaen would not back down.

"To seek what is known is simple," Kaen said, weighing his words carefully, "it is a quantifiable factor, an understanding of what is without the risk of failure or loss. What is known offers power, what is unknown offers potential." Folding his hands across his chest, Kaen turned to look back at the tomb, though he kept his attention in the Force on the woman before him. He would not let his guard down yet. The storm brewing overhead was an interesting development; its whirling currents of power guided by the Dark Side.

Elemental abilities. Dangerous.

"I seek the potential of what lies within this tomb, the potential for power, knowledge and a deeper understanding of the Dark Side. What lies within could be anything or nothing, unlimited power or a faded memory. That discovery will be mine to know, mine to understand, and mine to exploit as I see fit."

He turned his gaze back to Nyxira, his yellow eyes cold. "You may hold the key, or you may not. What evidence do you have to prove you can unlock this tomb? Perhaps you hold no key and just seek to use me to open this tomb for you, and even if you did, what lies within might only be enough for one."

 

[Nyxira Valis]

Nyxira stood silent for a moment, her violet eyes unwavering as they bore into Kaen's. His words amused her, though no sign of this crossed her cold, controlled features. Her hands rested at her sides, deceptively still, though the storm above crackled with her latent power. When she finally moved, it was slow, deliberate — a single step closer, enough for the aura of the Dark Side around her to press against him like a suffocating shadow.

"You question my ability," she said, her voice low and smooth, carrying the weight of ancient authority. "You think I came here unprepared, drawn by mere instinct, like some Acolyte without purpse?" She tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into a faint, humorless smile.

Nyxira extended one hand toward the weathered stone of the tomb, her fingers curling gracefully as she whispered something in a language far older than Basic. The words were soft, and yet they reverberated with the undeniable weight of the Dark Side. As she spoke, her free hand made deliberate, intricate motions, tracing patterns through the air with an elegance that belied their complexity.

The ground beneath them began to hum, low and deep, resonating with the storm above. Slowly, faint crimson runes etched themselves into the air before her, glowing brighter with each word she uttered. The runes shifted, aligned, and then burned into the surface of the tomb, spreading like veins of fire across the weathered stone. The oppressive hum grew louder until, with a resounding crack, the hidden door to the tomb slid open, revealing an entrance shrouded in shadow.

Nyxira let her hand fall, the runes fading into nothingness as the storm quieted slightly. She turned to face Kaen fully now, her expression as calm and calculating as ever. "I hold the key," she said simply, her voice carrying a quiet authority that brooked no argument. "I do not need you to enter this tomb, nor to claim what lies within. But…"

Her eyes narrowed slightly, her tone shifting, laden with the faintest edge of challenge. "You are welcome to follow, if you dare. Knowledge and power are plentiful, yes — but not without their cost. Should you falter, the tomb will claim you as its own."

She stepped toward the entrance, the faint light of the tomb's interior casting shadows across her striking features. Without waiting for his response, she paused at the threshold, her voice drifting back to him like a whisper of the storm itself. "Do not mistake my invitation for kindness. Your fate within these walls is yours alone to decide."

And with that, Nyxira vanished into the darkness of the tomb, the ancient air inside swallowing her like a living thing.

Kaen Alaron ​

 

[Kaen Alaron]

Location: Korriban
Tags: Nyxira Valis

"What you are is irrelevant. I only care for your actions," Kaen said, his voice hardening as she took a step forward. He was prepared for a contest of wills; a battle between two Dark Side entities of wrath and power in the ancient traditions of their kind. It would not be a surprise to Kaen if she tried to strike him down the moment he left an opening. He would do the same. There was advantage to cooperation in certain circumstances, but for the Sith, opportunity was something that could not be ignored.

Kaen did not turn to look at the tomb as it opened. He extended his senses out around him, analyzing his surroundings and looking for any potential dangers to emerge from within the tomb. He sensed nothing approaching for now, but the creeping darkness from within the tomb inched its way up Kaen's spine, both alluring and repulsive in its feeling. The Dark Side was not for the feint of heart.

The runes she had used were unfamiliar to Kaen, though he was not a true Sorcerer of the Sith. Such a practice had been beyond his Masters ability to teach him, and while he sought to learn, it was a field he had a steep disadvantage in against this gifted user. If it came to a battle, he would have to be quick and brutal in his approach. To give her anything more than a split second to defend herself would likely spell Kaen's doom on this world.

"Your warning is unneeded," Kaen said, turning to follow her with his gaze as she approached. "Death is the only answer for weakness and failure among our kind."

Taking his eyes off her for the briefest of moments to look at the waiting entrance of the tomb, he nodded his head. "I shall enter the tomb of my own accord, not to assist you in what endeavors you may seek, but to further my own goals. Should we both survive this adventure, it will be by the will of Bogan alone."

With that said, Kaen turned, and descended into the tomb behind her.

 

[Nyxira Valis]

Nyxira moved through the dimly lit corridor of the tomb, her steps measured and deliberate, the faint echo of her boots against ancient stone underscoring the oppressive silence around them. The air was thick, stifling, and charged with an almost unbearable concentration of the Dark Side. Yet it was Kaen's words that truly gave her pause.

"Death is the only answer for weakness and failure among our kind."

She stopped abruptly, turning her head just enough for her glowing violet eyes to catch him in their razor-sharp gaze. A subtle smirk, faint and cutting, tugged at her lips as though she'd heard something unexpectedly intriguing.

"Now, that..." she said, her voice low and edged with amusement, "...that is the wisdom I rarely hear spoken aloud. Too many of our kind cling to power they do not deserve, enjoying their thrones of arrogance and comfort simply because no one dares to challenge them."

Or worse, because the systems in place protect them against such challenge.

She turned fully toward him now, her posture straight and regal, the storm within her violet gaze blazing with cold purpose. "That is why I am here. To unseat the unworthy. To tear away the façade of unchallenged rule and remind the galaxy that strength, true strength, must be proven — and tested — constantly."

Nyxira gestured toward the darkened depths of the tomb with a slow, deliberate motion, her voice growing quieter yet sharper, cutting through the silence like a blade. "The secrets buried here are part of that puzzle. Knowledge. Power. Weapons. The tools to challenge those who think themselves untouchable." Her tone turned colder, her words dripping with disdain.

She waited a beat, letting the weight of her words hang in the charged air between them. Then, with a faint smile, she turned on her heel and began walking deeper into the tomb, her voice trailing back to him like a lingering whisper.

"Come, then. Let us see if you are weak or worthy. The tomb will judge us both."

Kaen Alaron ​

 

[Kaen Alaron]

Location: Korriban
Tags: Nyxira Valis

It seemed they had found something resembling common ground. The stagnation of the current generation, the overtly supportive nature of the Sith in this modern age. Kaen had been given a gift in the form of his training beyond the main divisions of the Sith in modern times. His understanding came from his own learning; texts and artifacts detailing the ways of the past. That was part of his need to come to Korriban. He needed to find more connections with the past to help fuel his own future.

"Many of our kind would consider that a dangerous line of thought," Kaen said in reference to her thoughts on the current status quo. "Many of the 'Sith Elite' believe that they have earned their place and all beneath them should obey without hesitation." Kaen shook his head, glancing around the tomb as he made his way further in behind Nyxira.

Their footsteps echoed within the tomb, each step a drumming reverberation against the ancient walls. The silence was oppressive on his ears, the silence stretching into a seeming eternity. His ears began to ring after a while, the bodies natural reaction to the lack of exterior sound in most cases. When he spoke again, it was almost as much to break the silence as it was to voice his thoughts.

"If they are worthy of their thrones, then they would have nothing to fear from what you seek," Kaen said, his eyes searching every crack and crevice, every opening in the darkness of the tomb. "No matter the tools, the weapons or resources thrown against them, if they are True Sith then they will survive. It will be a chance for them to grow stronger, to become more than they already are. Survival of the fittest is more than just simple nature, it is Law."

Glancing down, Kaen saw the skeleton of an ancient being, a Pureblood Sith by the look of their skull structure. Perhaps the tomb would be a worthy test.

"The tomb is welcome to try..."

 

[Nyxira Valis]

Nyxira listened to Kaen's words, her expression remaining as unreadable as the shadows that danced across the walls of the ancient tomb. The silence between them, broken only by the echo of their steps and the faint hum of the Dark Side, seemed to stretch endlessly. Yet his thoughts intrigued her. They aligned, not perfectly, but enough to spark the faintest flicker of interest — a rare occurrence.

"You speak of survival as law," she said finally, her voice low and sharp, reverberating faintly against the oppressive silence of the tomb. She didn't look back at him as she walked, her violet eyes scanning the path ahead, her presence calm but unrelentingly commanding. "Too many of our kind have twisted that law into something grotesque. They do not thrive on challenge — they rot in their thrones, propped up by sycophants and illusions of power."

Her gaze flicked to the skeleton Kaen had observed, a Pureblood Sith long dead, their legacy buried here along with their remains. She paused momentarily, her expression unreadable as she studied it. "This one…" she murmured, almost to herself. "I wonder if they thought themselves untouchable, too. If they believed their power made them immortal."

She turned her head slightly, glancing back at him over her shoulder. "Perhaps they were wrong. Or perhaps they were simply the first to fall because they dared to reach too high."

Straightening, she resumed her measured pace deeper into the tomb, her tone darkening as she continued. "If the Sith are to be what they were always meant to be, there must be no room for stagnation, no tolerance for weakness hidden behind facades of strength. The galaxy does not bow to kings who do not bleed."

Stopping abruptly, she turned to Kaen, her piercing violet gaze locking onto his. "You're right. If they are worthy, they will survive. But I wonder…" Her lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile. "How strong they truly are." Turning back, she focused her senses and felt it — a tremor of danger, drawing closer and closer.

"Something is coming."

Kaen Alaron ​

 

[Kaen Alaron]

Location: Korriban
Tags: Nyxira Valis

"It is a difficult line to walk," Kaen said, his voice quiet as a presence began to draw closer to them. "The thrones some have built are ones of true merit and ability. They rule because they have claimed a mantle atop a mountain of blood and bone. There are so many though. So many Sith who believe the achievement of others is their's to benefit from as well. The Eternal Rule of the Kainate, the Eternalism of the Sith Emperor...all such permanent things that others tie themselves to."

Glancing at Nyxira's back, Kaen spoke the next words carefully. "What have they all done to earn their power."

Continuing on, Kaen nodded at her assessment of the skeleton. "Whatever their reasoning, they failed." With a small exertion of the Dark Side, Kaen sent the remains off through a hole in the tombs walls, plummeting into the darkness beyond. "Failure's are not remembered. Those who are not strong enough will be broken upon the anvil of change and their names lost to time."

This woman was interesting, Kaen mused. Her words entailed that she had lofty ambitions for the Sith. Ambitions that, from what Kaen could sense, were not without grounding in talent. The further they went into the tomb, the more powerful the lingering Dark Side presence was, but her power was still clear among it all. A beacon shining its obsidian light into the void around it, a unyielding strength that did not waver, did not yield in the face of everything else.

"I sense it as well," Kaen said, tilting his head to the side and cracking the joints in it. He flexed his fingers, his eyes focusing into the darkness. "It would seem the tomb wants to put our claims to the test."

 

[Nyxira Valis]

Nyxira slowed her steps as the oppressive weight of the tomb's atmosphere grew thicker, the Dark Side curling around them like a living thing. Kaen's words echoed in her mind, not because they were unexpected, but because they mirrored her own disdain for the hollow thrones and the weak who claimed them.

"What have they all done to earn their power?"
It was a question she had asked herself countless times.

"Far too little," she said softly, the faintest edge of contempt in her voice.

The oppressive silence of the tomb suddenly fractured, the still air disrupted by a wet, slithering sound that echoed through the darkness. Nyxira's head tilted slightly, her glowing eyes narrowing. "The tomb's first test," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

From the shadows, the K'lor'slugs emerged — writhing beasts of pure malice, their grotesque forms illuminated by the faint, crimson light of the tomb's runes. Their snarling mouths dripped with viscous ichor, their claws scraping against the stone with a grating sound that made the air feel heavier still.

The first lunged toward her, and Nyxira reacted instantly. Her hand snapped upward, fingers crackling with blue Force lightning that leapt from her fingertips with a sharp crack. The arc tore through the creature's body, the smell of burning flesh filling the air as it collapsed in a charred heap.

Another beast slithered toward her side, and her free hand moved in a sharp gesture, a second streak of lightning shooting forth. This time, as the energy surged, streaks of crimson wove through the blue bolts, their intensity amplifying the raw destruction. The creature exploded in a spray of seared flesh and blood.

"They're relentless," she remarked to Kaen, her tone calm as though the danger was inconsequential. Another K'lor'slug lunged toward her, and she gestured sharply, slamming it into the wall with the Force. "But not insurmountable."

Kaen Alaron ​

 

[Kaen Alaron]

Location: Korriban
Tags: Nyxira Valis

K'lor'slugs, what an interesting find. He had heard about the creatures. While not native to Korriban, they had infested the world to such an extent that it was easily mistaken that they were native. Their vicious nature and unwavering resolve on the attack certainly suggested the Dark Side infested world would be their home. They had been a creature used to test Sith acolytes in the distant past, and Kaen was sure they still served that role in some capacity.

"Fascinating," Kaen said, raising one hand and flicking his wrist to the side. One of the charging creatures arms jerked up and back, impaling itself in a single fluid motion. As the first of his foes died, Kaen ripped the clawed limb free from the corpse and sent it hurtling down the tombs corridor, tearing straight through one creature and impaling a second to the wall behind it.

The creatures were capable of burrowing, but this far down and within the tomb they likely would not have been able to do so. These slugs must have survived in the depths of the tomb for countless generations, an isolated colony likely consuming their own for survival. They would have been an interesting case study in any other circumstance, but the first of the creatures drawing near him ended that thought for now.

They were relentless in their assault. Nyxira cut through their mass with apparent ease, Sith Lightning charring and destroying all in its path. He noted the coloration put into the lightning as he ducked to the side of a descending claw, bringing his hand up to clutch the slugs throat. He snapped it in a single motion, using its body as a shield while he inspected the woman's abilities. The red glow was the same as the runes she had used to open the tomb, and the runes that lined the tomb walls itself. There was undoubtedly a connection between the two, and something that Nyxira was keeping from him.

"Relentless, but hardly what I would call a challenge," Kaen said infusing his hand with Dark Side energy and punching it straight through the body of a slug. He gripped its spine and snapped it in a single motion, the creatures screams dying in its fanged maw as Kaen ripped it from its body. He discarded the spine without a second glance, continuing to move forward into the horde of enemies.

 

[Nyxira Valis]

Nyxira moved through the onslaught with unrelenting precision, her glowing violet eyes tracking the K'lor'slugs as they lunged from the shadows. Each movement was deliberate, calculated — her hand snapping out to deliver another streak of crackling lightning that reduced one of the writhing beasts to a charred husk.

Kaen's words drifted to her amidst the chaos, his tone laced with grim confidence.

She allowed herself a faint, almost imperceptible smile as she turned slightly toward him, her hands momentarily at her sides as another beast lunged toward her. With a sharp gesture, she reached out through the Force, seizing the creature mid-leap. Its body writhed and contorted in the invisible grip, claws snapping helplessly before it collapsed in a heap, its spine audibly snapping as Nyxira crushed it with a flick of her wrist.

"You're correct," she said, her voice calm, unshaken by the carnage around them. "These creatures are not meant to test the strong — they are meant to cull the weak. They do not challenge us because we are not their prey."

She took a step forward, lightning crackling at her fingertips as another beast charged. The storm in her palm flared, blue streaked with crimson, and in an instant, the creature was obliterated. She continued without breaking stride, speaking as if the relentless onslaught were little more than an inconvenience.

"The true tests lie deeper within the tomb," she said, her tone low and cutting as her gaze flicked toward Kaen. "These beasts are but the first line of defense — crude, yes, but effective against the unworthy. Deeper within, we will face the true power of this place." She stopped for a moment, her senses extending outward, feeling the currents of the Dark Side pulsing through the tomb. Her voice dropped to a whisper, carrying an edge of anticipation.

Turning her attention back to the corridor ahead, she raised her hand again, a pulse of Force energy blasting the remains of a K'lor'slug into the walls. Without turning back to Kaen, she added, "I can already feel it."

Kaen Alaron ​

 

[Kaen Alaron]

Location: Korriban
Tags: Nyxira Valis

Kaen stepped over the dying body of a K'lor'slug, his armored boot crushing its skull in with a spray of blood and viscera. They creatures were continuing their attack, but their numbers were thinning. Kaen gripped another creature with the Force and ripped it in half, using the two parts of the dead slug to batter two of its kin into bloody pulp. This was a rather messy business Kaen thought as he wiped a fleck of blood from his cheek, seemingly unaware of the layers of blood that coated his clothing.

"The first test will be extinct at this rate," Kaen said, extending his hand and boiling the blood of several slugs, their excruciating screams echoing as he left them to flail and suffer. Beyond the death, the release of Dark Side energy that always came with the death of a living creature, Kaen could sense the call from deeper within the tomb. A lighthouse in the shadows, luring the two Sith further in to their destiny.

Or a grim, bloody and excruciating trap. The odds were roughly even in Kaen's mind.

"Power, knowledge and the thirst of for more," Kaen said, shielding his eyes as the blast of Force energy from Nyxira evaporated the remaining K'lor'slugs from their path. He would need to replace all of his clothing after this expedition. If he survived it. There was still the promise of that death after all.

"It is strong," Kaen agreed, "but will it be strong enough to fulfill your desires?"

 

[Nyxira Valis]

Nyxira continued forward, her steps calm and measured despite the chaos they left in their wake. The echoes of their destruction reverberated through the tomb, blending with the oppressive hum of the Dark Side that thickened with each step. She glanced at Kaen, her glowing violet eyes unreadable, though a faint smirk touched her lips at his question.

"It will be strong enough," she said, her voice carrying a quiet certainty that left no room for doubt. "This place was built to guard power, not hoard it. The tomb exists to challenge those who seek its secrets — those who are bold enough to claim what others fear to approach."

Her gaze flicked ahead as the corridor narrowed, the dim crimson light of the runes fading into darkness. "And I do not fear it," she murmured, almost to herself.

The air shifted abruptly as they pressed deeper into the tomb. The faint, residual glow of the runes extinguished entirely, plunging them into absolute darkness. The oppressive weight of the Dark Side grew unbearable, clinging to their skin, filling their lungs with each breath. The silence was deafening, broken only by the faint crackle of electricity still lingering on Nyxira's fingertips.

And then, they were not alone.

From the suffocating shadows, figures began to emerge — faint, ghostly apparitions of Sith spirits long dead, their forms half-formed and shifting, as though struggling to remain anchored in the present. Their presence carried a bitter chill, their whispers slicing through the oppressive silence like razors. The spirits' eyes glowed faintly, burning with malice and challenge.

Nyxira stopped, her violet eyes narrowing as she scanned the spectral figures encircling them. Their whispers grew louder, their voices overlapping, incomprehensible yet dripping with venom. She felt the weight of their hatred pressing against her mind, testing her will.

One spirit stepped forward, its form coalescing into something more solid. A tall, imposing figure clad in tattered Sith robes, its voice cutting through the cacophony like a blade. "You do not belong here," it hissed, its tone dripping with disdain. "Leave, or suffer the fate of all who dared to take from this place."

Nyxira straightened, her presence flaring like a storm in response to the challenge. Her lightning crackled in the air around her, casting brief, jagged flashes of light that illuminated the spectral forms. "I take what is mine. Power belongs to those strong enough to claim it — and you have no place left in this galaxy."

Her words were a declaration, cutting through the tomb's oppressive darkness with as much force as her power. The spirits stirred, their whispers turning into enraged howls as they began to converge.

How would they fight a spirit?

Kaen Alaron ​

 

[Kaen Alaron]

Location: Korriban
Tags: Nyxira Valis

Kaen watched Nyxira as she spoke, his eyes unblinking, focused and intent to catch every detail, every clue that the other Sith might give away. She was confident, that much was clear from all they had done and said. Beyond the confidence though was something else. A deep drive within her that pushed her forward. She had to find what was in this tomb. She needed to have the power deep within. They desire made her dangerous, but it also made her predictable.

Kaen could use that in time.

"Fear is a tool to be used, not endured," Kaen said to himself as he followed Nyxira, his eyes glancing around as the runic light in the tomb began to flicker and fade. The dark was all encompassing in its strength, but not frightening. Kaen took a sick comfort in the gnawing cold as it seeped into his bones, a reminder that he was alive in this moment.

He sensed the approach of the spirits before their sudden arrival. Coming to a stop, Kaen turned to watch the spirits as they circled them. He did not necessarily put his back to Nyxira; they were not truly allies in this endeavor, but he was sure even she could agree to a mutual defense as these specters began to circle in. As first the specter spoke, and then Nyxira, Kaen could not help but smile and nod his head in agreement at her words.

"I am Sith, the Power of the Dark Side is my ally and there is nowhere that is barred from me," Kaen said as the spirits began to converge towards them. Kaen began to chant, his words echoing in the darkness of the cave as he twisted his fingers. The words were filled with a deep resonance, each syllable a vibrating call of power incarnate as Kaen finished the incantation moments before the specters struck.

"Dwomutsiqsa!" Kaen roared, and an explosion of flame and smoke erupted before him. One of the specters lunged towards Kaen, only for a clawed hand to emerge from the smoke. The specter screamed its fury as a demon of smoke and wrath stepped from the pillar of flames, its glowing red eyes filled with a dark malevolence. The Smoke Demon ripped the specter forward, an after image of the undead creature fazing through the air as the Smoke Demon pushed forward with its prey.

Spinning on his heels, Kaen threw out his hand and projected a wall of Dark Side energy in the path of two more approaching specters. The spirits collided with the Dark Aura, hissing and wailing in pain as the Dark Side energy cascaded over the barrier between the living and the dead, bringing deeper agony to Kaen's enemies.

 

[Nyxira Valis]

Nyxira's eyes flicked briefly to Kaen as he chanted, his voice reverberating through the oppressive darkness. The smoke demon he conjured burst into being with a feral roar, its claws tearing into one of the spirits with vicious efficiency. The sight drew a faint smirk from Nyxira; his methods were crude, but effective. For now.

"Impressive," she said, her tone calm, almost amused, as the demon tore through its spectral prey. "But brute force will not be enough. These spirits are bound to this place by more than hatred. They are guardians, tethered to the will of this tomb."

As the spirits howled and converged, their attacks growing more relentless, Nyxira raised her hands, her fingers curling into intricate gestures as she began to chant in a low, resonant tone. Her words were ancient, older than the tomb itself, carried with a weight that seemed to pull the very air taut. Faint, glowing runes began to form in the space before her, pulsing in time with the storm of power she summoned.

The nearest spirit lunged at her, but she didn't flinch. Instead, a streak of crimson-tinged lightning erupted from her fingertips, weaving through the runes and striking the spirit with devastating precision. The lightning did not merely harm it — it disrupted its very essence, causing it to writhe and dissipate into a misty haze.

"These specters are bound by rituals," she said, her voice carrying over the chaos. "To fight them is to unravel the magic that sustains them."

Another spirit lunged toward her, but Nyxira gestured sharply, her rune-glowing hand forming a tight fist. The spirit froze mid-air, its form distorted and straining against her will. She spoke a single, cutting word in the same ancient tongue, and the spirit's essence imploded, scattering into nothingness.

She turned her attention to the remaining spirits, her violet eyes blazing. "You were bound here to guard secrets from those too weak to claim them. But I am no thief. I am your rightful heir."

Kaen Alaron ​

 

[Kaen Alaron]

Location: Korriban
Tags: Nyxira Valis

Summoning a demon from another plane of existence, and calling it 'brute force'? Kaen and Nyxira had two very different ideas about the concept. His hand shot out, lightning tearing itself from his fingers to strike at a specter that had gotten around his summoned beast. The specter screamed its fury and pain, but it did not relent. It came at Kaen again, and a second burst of lightning finally sent it running.

"I enjoy a history lesson as much as the next man, but would you like to get deal with the life ending creatures first?" Kaen shouted, stepping to the side of another spirit before channel a burst of Dark Side energy directly into its form. The burst of power seemed to overwhelm the creature, and it withered as its body began to burn from the inside out.

Nyxira seemed to agree with the thought. Her handling of the creatures was more refined than Kaen's own, though perhaps that could have been expected. She seemed to know more about this tomb and the sorcery that imbued both it and these creatures. Kaen knew he was unaware of many things, it was why he had come here to learn, but it was still a frustrating experience to play a supporting role to another person's story. He vowed he would discover more, and become more.

"Well, your majesty, as the heir of a decrepit tomb filled with the ungrateful subjects of your new kingdom, what do you suggest?"

 

[Nyxira Valis]

Nyxira cast a sidelong glance at Kaen, her smirk sharpening into something colder, more amused. The chaos of the spirits' relentless attacks swirled around them, yet she remained a calm center in the storm, her confidence unshaken. His frustration was palpable, his words edged with sarcasm, but she let them roll off her like rain against her cloak.

"Patience, Kaen," she said, her tone smooth and almost condescending. "If you want to claim the treasures of the past, you must first survive its guardians. Or perhaps you'd prefer to retreat and leave the task to me?"

She turned her attention back to the spirits, her voice shifting into the low, resonant cadence of another chant. The glowing runes around her flickered and reformed, expanding outward into intricate patterns that hung in the air like suspended fire. The nearest spirits hesitated, their forms writhing as though caught in an invisible net. Nyxira's eyes blazed as she raised both hands, commanding the runes to tighten around the spirits.

"These are not my subjects," she said, her voice carrying over the howls of the trapped spirits. "They are relics. Tools of power bound by those who came before us. And tools," she added, her smirk returning, "are meant to be broken."

She gestured sharply, and the runes flared, their crimson light burning through the spectral forms. The spirits screamed, their cries echoing through the tomb as their essence dissolved into the void. The oppressive air lightened slightly as the last of them disintegrated, leaving the chamber eerily quiet.

Nyxira lowered her hands, the runes fading as she turned back to Kaen, her smirk still firmly in place. "What I suggest," she said, her tone edged with amusement, "Is that you stop questioning my methods and start paying attention. This tomb isn't just a resting place for power. It's a proving ground."

Her violet eyes locked onto his, unblinking and piercing. "You came here to learn, didn't you? To grow stronger? Then take what you've seen, Kaen. Adapt. Evolve. Or remain a follower in someone else's shadow."

She turned and began to move deeper into the tomb, her steps calm and deliberate. "Come, then," she called over her shoulder. "If you're done playing with demons, there's far more to discover."

Kaen Alaron ​

 

[Kaen Alaron]

Location: Korriban
Tags: Nyxira Valis

Anger flared in Kaen as Nyxira floated the thought of retreat to him. A specter rushed him, but Kaen stopped it in its tracks with an outstretched hand. Claws of pure Dark Side energy formed around his fingers, puncturing into the mass of the specter. It did not have time to scream as Kaen bodily ripped it into pieces, its spectral remains drifting into oblivion in the darkness of the room. Kaen paused then, looking down at his hands, still gripped into claws.

Perhaps Kaen did use brute force too much.

"I have come this far," Kaen said, turning to look at Nyxira, "I will not turn back now." Casting his gaze from her, Kaen watched as the runes in the room flared, bright, oh so bright. Kaen was blinded, both visually and in the Force as the power that radiated from those ruins flooded the room. Kaen felt overwhelmed by the intensity, and by the time Kaen was able to recover and look about him for the next danger, the specters were gone, as was the dark oppressive air that had filled the room.

Kaen was silent, words stolen from the tip of his tongue as he turned his gaze towards Nyxira. A proving ground she said. Kaen brought his hands up, flexing his fingers as he felt his own power, comparing it to what he had seen, what he felt all around him. The power she held...it was a power Kaen could not wrap his head around at this time. Daunting and oppressive, unyielding in its intensity and focus.

He had to have it.

"I bend my knee to no one," Kaen said, turning his gaze to the smoke demon he had summoned. The creature glared at Kaen, its barely contained rage boiling over now that its targets had been stolen from it. It leapt at Kaen, but he was ready, and with a wave of his hand his banished the creature back to where it had come.

"I will take my share of what is to be had here."