The Culling

[Zef Halo]

UNKNOWN LOCATION
THE GALAXY

Lord Fa had summoned Vitor enigmatically with a short message that only had some odd coordinates along with a haiku demanding Avendahl's presence at that location at that time. The latter's shuttle floated casually in space awaiting the 'host's arrival. It had been an hour or so since his shuttle had exited hyperspace in the middle of some backwater planet that he had no knowledge of.

The young banker awaited the arrival of Lord Fa patiently in his quarters aboard the shuttle while the droid pilot kept tabs on the sensors for any vessels arriving in the immediate area. Question, after question, after question flooded Vitor's mind as he wondered what were Lord Fa's schemes. What were his plans ? What did he seek to achieve ? So many questions, yet no answers to satisfy them. The only way of finding out was to be here as Fa had ordered.

​

[member="Tai Fa"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

​

He remembered the stories spun to him at the evening's light.

A world, no more than a moonlet, drifting gently around a gas giant of enormous proportions. The system it was in unknown, the sector squared away in one of the many darkened corners of the Galaxy. It was an unremarkable world, all things considered. But there were people there. They lived in the jungles and worshiped smoke and ash and dark gods in the night.

One day, his teachers had told him. How those before them had visited this world.

Maybe five decades ago or maybe ten. Maybe it was two centuries or perhaps this was all before the Gulag Plague even came around. But they visited the world. The Sith and spun the darker minds of these people, made the religion theirs.

And the Sith were hailed as gods.

Each generation the Sith would return, then. To cull the herd. To test them and in turn test themselves.

Lord Fa had gone through these trials when he was still a young, young Thirriken. Now- Maleagant spoke of this Vitor. A young lad, a pup in his infancy, just taking the first steps towards Sithness. And Tai was left wondering if there was more to the lad than any of them assumed. Perhaps not, but one could not find out without taking the trial, could they?

A shuttle, its engines running dark and exhaust filtered so its thrust was untraceable, exited hyperspace.

It drifted lazily for a moment, before a signal was sent to Vitor's shuttle. A tightbeam connecting directly to the ship.

The message was simple. It said that Vitor should dock with the newly arrived shuttle, so business could be discussed.

[member="Vitor Avendahl"]

 

[Zef Halo]

The sound of depressurizing and the sliding of doors signaled Vitor's arrival on Lord Fa's shuttle. He stepped forward into the empty corridor and followed the signs to where the crew lounge slash meeting space was. Within his mind, he dabbled still on what the reasoning behind this mysterious rendezvous was. Whatever the reason was, Vitor hoped it would be productive or enlightening. The young banker was not a fan of meetings that produced no results.

After turning left and right a couple of times and almost getting lost at an intersection, he finally laid his eyes upon the crew lounge and the very short figure of the one who had summoned him here. Vitor halted a few feet before the Thirriken and respectfully bowed his head.

"Lord Fa. I have answered your summons." He decided to keep his questions for later when Fa, himself, had given him the opportunity to ask.

​

[member="Tai Fa"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vitor Avendahl"]

Lord Fa studied Vitor for a brief moment.

This was a risk. In the sense that they would go into battle together and he needed the full measure of a man prior to that. To have someone beside him in battle needed trust. Not the trust of a friend or even associate, the trust that a man could handle himself in a fight without being a burden.

Was this young lad a burden or an asset?

"Tradition, Honor.​

These are the things that matter.​

Welcome, friend Vitor."​

​

"You have no Master.​

Today you show me your strength.​

Tradition demands."​

​

"Blood spilled in anger, fury."​

​

He raised himself from his chair, jumped up the table and down the table to land in front of the young lad. An appraising, calculating look entered his gaze.

"Are you ready for this then?"​

 

[Zef Halo]

Lord Fa's appraising look at Vitor reminded him of the businessmen who contemplated mergers and acquisitions during his time as an investment banker on Etti IV. They'd see beyond what was written, they were able to see the actual value of a firm they wished to acquire. Something Vitor could admit was not the best at. Fa, on the other hand, seemed like he was quite expert in.

When the Thirriken opened his mouth to speak, Avendahl was at first taken aback at the way he spoke. The poetic way of expressing one's self was certainly something he did not expect from Lord Fa. Nonetheless, his words were not as enigmatic and Vitor could make sense out of them. At least, to an extent. He was summoned to prove his worth. To who and to what end ? He did not know but years after years being the one of lesser status among his peers and feeling incapable had brewed within him a nearly zealous ambition to become better than his peers. This challenge stirred the spirit within him.

"I am, Lord Fa." Vitor said as much, curtly nodding to the athletic Thirriken. Although his voice was kept as neutral as possible, there was a note hinting of fervor. Avendahl's head turned to the small viewport to the side where a planet slowly turned around its own orbit. "It is there, I assume, we will be off to, my Lord ?"

[member="Tai Fa"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vitor Avendahl"]

Lord Fa followed Vitor's gaze out to the viewport and to the moonlet orbiting.

His eyes went dreamy for a moment, almost as if he was remembering some far-along memories and missing them intensely. This clearly could not be the case, of course. Because the Thirriken was a noble creature, Tai did not revel in slaughter and killing as some of the baser Sith did in his company.

But just for a brief moment there was just a hint of hunger.

"The answer is yes.​

Has no name, none important.​

But there you will find..."​

​

"Exactly what you seek now."​

​

"I will guide you, yes."​

​

Silence then.

He gestured with his wing for Vitor to follow.

Almost immediately the shuttle started to descend downwards.

 

[Zef Halo]

What he seeks now ?

It made Vitor ask himself that question. What was it that he sought now ? Was Lord Fa able to decipher Vitor's deepest wants before Vitor himself was able to ? Or was it a form of speech. The Thirriken Sith was an enigma, his way of speaking only supported that more. When Fa gestured for the former miner to follow him, he immediately did so and so did the ship rock as its engines came back to life. Their destination - the unknown planet below.

Avendahl would remain silent for the rest of their voyage to the surface and only when they entered atmosphere, he felt like breaking the veil of quiet that had lingered between them.

"Will I find what I seek here, Lord Fa ?" Vitor decided to bring that topic into the conversation. He wondered if Lord Fa was able to give him some more hints although considering the latter's secrecy, Vitor doubted he would receive anything more than just another mysterious haiku that would bring up more questions within the former banker's mind.

[member="Tai Fa"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vitor Avendahl"]

Perhaps it was one or the other, perhaps it was both or neither.

In truth you could never truly know when dealing with Lord Fa. Unless you actually managed to find your way in his sphere of trust, from which he would be far more accommodating and straight-forward in his speech. Sadly Vitor did not belong in that sphere yet, perhaps he never would.

Only time could truly tell.

"Perhaps, friend Vitor.​

Or perhaps it will find you.​

Only time will tell."​

It took another ten minutes for them to land on the surface of the planet. The shuttle landed within a clearing of a wide forest, but it would leave again once the Thirriken and the humanoid found themselves on the ground.

"No easy way back.​

We can only move forward.
Let us press on, yes?"

The Lord Fa strutted through the grass and into the shadows of the forest itself, leaving the clearing behind them. Briefly he wondered if it wouldn't be more fun to simply not explain anything to Vitor.

To just see how the young lad would do without any warning.

But that wasn't the efficient choice. If he wished for Vitor to become a strong associate, then he needed some information to handle himself.

"The Sith worshippers.
They populate this small world.
It is tradition."

"To pit yourself against them."

"To cull their large herd.
They believe that if they win...
They will ascend high."

"Will you join me then?"

 

[Zef Halo]

Lord Fa's puzzling replies continued until the shuttle had reached the surface. It was only then when the two of them had left the vessel and emerged into a wild clearing next to a thick forest when the Thirriken began speaking once again. This time, he was much more comprehensive.

The young businessman followed him through the forest and appreciated the fact that he had dressed with clothes that allowed more evasive maneuvers if the need came to be. And Vitor was almost sure as hell that the need would come to be after Fa explained to him, more or less, what was done on this planet. Avendahl felt his heart start beating faster but he forced to keep his cool.

"Lead the way, Lord Fa." Vitor replied to the Sith forcing confidence in his voice.

He would prove his worth.

No matter what the cost.

[member="Tai Fa"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vitor Avendahl"]

Death would come to them all, eventually.

This was something that Lord Fa had no illusions about.

Maybe it would be natural - his life lengthened by his connection to the Force or perhaps it would be a violent death. Either or, he never had the obsession with eternal life as some of his brothers and sisters Sith had. What was the point? Life was interesting, dynamical and exciting exactly because it was finite.

Because every thing you did had a risk attached to it.

Take that risk away. Make everything just a mechanized movement on a game board. And life lost all that was exciting about it. Nothing would be tense anymore.

"Ready your weapon." Lord Fa briefly warned as his senses picked up sounds from far away. A Thirriken could hear much better than a human, an advantage in this situation.

Even now five-syllables.

Like the beginning of a Haiku.

 

[Zef Halo]

Their trek through the thick forest continued uneventfully and in silence. Neither Lord Fa had anything to say neither did Vitor feel the immediate need to ask any more questions. There was no point in doing so and it would more like be counter-productive. Avendahl's whole focus was completely on what laid ahead. While he had learned in time that he had greater awareness of his surrounding thanks to the Force, Vitor was not able to feel anything immediate. It was more his paranoia and obvious expectation of something to dangerous to happen that made his heart beat faster.

Vitor only had to keep his wits about him and not freeze. Like he had on Yutan.

As always the standard blaster pistol he carried with himself almost always was in a holster on his right hip. Yet, it was not there that his hand went to when Lord Fa issued the warning. Vitor's hand landed on the cylindrical hilt that was located in the inner pocket of his space leather jacket. Taking it out, Avendahl's focus grew sharper and his battle to not succumb to fear grew tougher.

This truly was a the beginning of a culling.

Was he too weak ?

[member="Tai Fa"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vitor Avendahl"]

Where Avendahl brought out his lightsaber, something else appeared from the folds of Lord Fa's robe.

How something like that could have hidden inside of it was a mystery. One easily resolved if they were aware of the Echani Molecular Compression technique and knew that Tai had quite the experienced engineer from Eshan himself, but Vitor, at least, did not know the latter fact. So a mystery it would stay, at least for the moment. The mystique only enlarged the situation the acolyte found himself in.

In the distance he'd now be able to make out yelling.

Primal screams, ritualistic fanfare and war rituals. The stamping of many feet across the planes of the forest. It felt like a small earthquake making its way from the distance towards them.

Quite the show indeed.

For Lord Fa it was no longer impressive: he had been through this once before, in Vitor's shoes and his mortality did no longer concern himself. Today, the Thirriken would either die or once again conclude that he was still capable of being a Sith.

The alchemized edge of his long blade scratched against the bark of a passing tree. It sizzled in response as acid bit into it.

"Pretty weapon, friend.​

I approve of tradition.​

Lots actually."​

​

"Let's see if you can use it."​

​

Now they could see the face of their enemies.

Tribal markings blending them into the forest, they were using crude weaponry. But even the dullest edge could still whack you over the head and leave you mentally incapable, if it was done hard enough, or kill you directly. It were not their individual expertise that was the issue, it was the sheer size of that mob and how they would have to deal with it.

How Vitor would have to deal with it, if he wished to survive.

Lord Fa squawked in appreciation, before inclining his beak in a token form of respect towards that rolling mob.

"Please ready yourself."​

 

[Zef Halo]

Vitor could not pay heed at Lord Fa's complimentary words directed at the lightsaber hilt that he held in his hands now. Not when the ground was shaken by the approaching horde of primitive men and women ready to die only to prove their strength. When they finally emerged from the thicket, he could see their faces fairly well. Brutal, fierce and with no fear of death. The markings across their faces and bodies were possibly there to strike fear into the enemies. It was a dreadful sight. A sight Vitor would not forget.

He was able to escape the shackles of fear to see the weapon that Lord Fa wielded. Where had he gotten that weapon from, Vitor had no idea. Perhaps the Force ? He was not sure nor could he think about it much now. Not with the savages that were hellbent on tearing him to pieces. Avendahl, regretfully, realized his thumb trembled as he activated the lightsaber blade. Still struck by dread from the charging horde that he almost cut his forehead when activating the blade.

Fear could do as much. Yet, there was something stronger than fear.

Instinct.

It overcame everything. You could've been a saint all your life, a spoiled kid eternally, a crybaby, faint at the sight of blood and anything like these but when instinct kicked in, the primal within one took over. No matter how frozen one was at the thought that they might go forth and kill someone just as was the case with Vitor who was about to murder a being for the first time, the chains were unbound, the shackles broken.

The young man stepped besides Lord Fa and venomously stabbed forward at the closest primitive man. The screams of the savage as he lunged into the maws of death brought a sinister joy within him. The joy one gets when he punishes those that try to hurt him.

The joy of justice.

[member="Tai Fa"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vitor Avendahl"]

Lord Fa breathed in and gently out.

For a moment time stood still. The Thirriken could see everything in such clear-cut precise detail that it almost hurt his mind. It was so clear what he had to do, not just right in this instant, but in every other moment that had come before and would still come. Almost like the universe had opened itself to him for a brief moment, to reveal all that there was to know... only for it to be taken away within the next second.

He was already flying.

His little feet having pushed himself off the floor and towards the danger and the rolling mass of bodies charging towards them. Tai was flying, he was pushing himself off one tree to the other and then his long blade pierced itself through the first neck it found. It had been like the incarnation of one of their vengeful spirits, too fast to see by eye, careening through the forest before a blur flew right into the middle of them.

Blood was everywhere.

It felt good.

Yet, at the edge of his awareness, as his little body moved from one target to the other, he sensed the danger Vitor was in.

"Move. Mobility. Do not linger. Use the surroundings to your advantage. Their numbers will be the death of you."

There was no time for haikus, for careful contemplation. Now was the time of action and Lord Fa acted, as he moved through the dance of death, felling one opponent by the other.

Death by a thousand cuts.

 

[Zef Halo]

The drawbacks in drowning in your instincts was that you simply lived to survive. There was a complete lack of vision or perception of the outside world beyond one's own clinging to life. In such occasions and in the situations he was in, eventually Vitor was going to be doomed. The Force, though, worked in mysterious ways. Avendahl's will to survive strengthened his subconscious connection to the Force, time seemed to slow down for him and the enemy's movements became heavy and lethargic. He felt lightweight as he slashed the upcoming waves of savages like dolls, his clothes and face painted in blood.

Nonetheless, Vitor was still not able to see the wider picture as he was pushed back and back. Not until Lord Fa's voice came through like an echo through the Force that finally brought him to the actual reality. He was slowly but very successfully becoming enclosed from all sides with enemies. Suddenly accepting the epiphany that Lord Fa's words brought him, Vitor's eyes frantically searched for the thinner gap. As if his feet were standing on fire, the young businessman dashed to one side attempting to escape the horde that was trying to outflank them.

Through it all, he managed to see Lord Fa in the midst of it all. Fast like lightning, leaving behind only a white trail, his oddly shaped sword made quick work of the enemy. Even in combat, Lord Fa was gracious and artistic as in his speech. Unfortunately, Vitor did not have all the time in the world to remain fascinated as he tried to escape the clutch of the bloodthirsty primitive population that wanted to rip him into pieces. Aided by the Force, that was in no way under his conscious control, his footwork was quicker, his movement more fluid.

His tolerance for pain greater. He came to that conclusion when he saw that the sleeve on his jacket was missing and a long gash was painting his own forearm with blood. Was it the Force or adrenaline or a mix of both ? Either ways, this pain ignorance would not last too long.

Abruptly he stopped after running through thick bushes and away from the encircling wave of barbarians. Vitor had stopped because his foot had almost slipped into the gaping maw that opened up in front of him.

Dead end.

Those same two words were through the Force projected like a dire scream.

[member="Tai Fa"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vitor Avendahl"]

To see the greater picture was difficult, yet, necessary for survival.

Especially when you were up against a horde of superior numbers. Lord Fa saw them break, before they actually did and he saw what he had to do to make it so. As they began their pursuit of Vitor -- to push him off the cliff and to his death -- did the Thirriken call upon the Force in a way he had not done before. It strengthened him, made him faster and more durable, in this very instant he could probably have taken a blaster bolt to the gut and walk it off. But that wasn't his goal here, there were no blaster bolts to tank.

All there was were fleeing or pursuing enemies and his would-be Apprentice... in danger.

The very instinct that drove every single Sith in the history of the Galaxy whispered to him as he flew. As his wings fluttered and readjusted trajectories, as his feet pushed itself off the bark of a tree to gain more momentum.

It whispered: he's weak, stupid. There is no future for him with us. Let him die. No... Kill him yourself.

But Lord Fa knew the danger in that sort of thought, knew where it stemmed from and the Thirriken had always refused himself to become a mere tool of the Darkside, an expression of its collective will. No. That would never be his path. The very next moment the Sith Knight careened into the mass of bodies aimed at Vitor and the canyon, now he was no longer grace.

Now he was power.

One slice and three fell, this repeated and the screams did not reach his ears.

Moments passed or it might have been hours, but the screams fell down as they left the immediate surroundings and fled.

"All beings must die... eventually, Avendahl." Lord Fa heard himself say, as he walked up and next to the boy. He perched near the canyon. Watching what was beneath their feet. "But with intellect, we can postpone it. With caution and reflection."

He looked up to Vitor.

"By paying heed to our surroundings. Do you understand?"

 

[Zef Halo]

The end was nigh.

Not for Vitor, fortunately.

The white flash that left gruesome death behind it had saved the young businessman from either falling to his death or being hacked to pieces from the encroaching horde. Lord Fa had efficiently disposed of a large amount of savages and his killing spree had them disperse and flee. That left the Thirriken calmly walking through the thicket next to Avendahl. Lord Fa calmly lectured him on why Vitor was going to done for at this moment. Before he could frantically wonder if he had passed, Avendahl felt the captivating feeling of the Force and adrenaline leave him and the gashing wound on his left forearm sounded the alarms within him.

"Yes...Master." He uttered through grinded teeth but kept standing strong, keeping his posture straight. Deactivating his lightsaber and withholding the pain, he asked. "What comes next ?"

Vitor's thoughts were clouded with vengeance at those that tried to kill him and almost succeeded. Even more, he felt shamed that he had gotten himself in such a position with no escape. It stirred a pot full of anger that wanted to be unleashed.

[member="Tai Fa"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Vitor Avendahl"]

"That depends."

Avendahl had passed.

In the way that matter, anyway.

Otherwise he wouldn't have been alive to ask further questions of him, otherwise he would have either let him be killed or executed himself at the end of it. The young lad had potential. It wasn't a potential in the Force, where he was simply passable or even his intellect, which remained to be seen if they could form something from it.

No, this time around it was his willingness to listen, that had saved him from a gruesome death at his hands.

"Often, the Master breaks the Apprentice. Completely. To be shaped according to his specifications." Lord Fa calmly explained, almost as if they were simply speaking of the weather. "To ensure that the tool they are sharpening listens and obeys at every moment."

He wondered what he'd feel, besides the thirst for vengeance.

"Or you decide now that my word is law from here on out and that will be that."

Nice weather, red blossoming over the sky like blood marring an endless sea.

"You decide."

 

[Zef Halo]

Ignoring the pain, he listened to probably one of the most important talks in his life. It was at this moment that two paths, both clouded in mystery, had opened up before him. Vitor did not require the Force to see that. Certainly, like most men in the galaxy, he did not like the fact of being a servant. Especially since he was, more or less, one throughout his whole life up till now when he had started these schemes with Corondex Arms. He had falsely beloved that he had the crown on his head already.

He did not.

A man must fall to stand up again. He knew that from personal experience. Had he not been a servant, barely crawling on the ground to get pieces of coin to be able to help his family have some food on the table, then he would've not surpassed all those that had been silver spoon fed their entire life. Right now, the situation did not seem any different. The offer on the table was as best as he could get. Once again he had to bow down his head, both figuratively and literally. Vitor had passed the test and he knew that a big change was bound in the future for him.

"Your word is law, Lord Fa." Avendahl heard himself say in a silent yet dedicated tone.

Someday, again, Vitor Avendahl will be his own master.

Until then, he only had to listen and survive.

[member="Tai Fa"]​