The Edge Of Darkness [Cavill / Eclipsion]

[Stephanie Swail]

Korriban
The Outer Rim​

There was really only one place Asterion could go to in this, the lowest point in his recent years. That place was the only planet he had called home; Korriban.

From being on the verge of discovering the endless reach of The Sith Order under his Master...Ha! Master!... Lady Kyros, it suddenly had gone dark. Too dark. She had taken him to Teth with the strongest of the Sith Order and then disappeared without warning.

Not even that brute Thyrian had told him where she had gone or why.

What was the point of a Knight without a Queen to serve? There was no clear direction anymore, and it had reduced Asterion to becoming something of a vagrant. Seeking for answers in the galaxy had only led to him being entangled with witches working in dark magic and young, immature Jedi with no knowledge of their own place in the grand scheme of things.

No, Asterion was once more alone with only his anger and resentment for company. If he ever found Lady Kyros again, he would make it clear that no-one chews him up the way she did and simply spits him out once she was done.

He had tamed an inner rage inside to serve her and the essence she stood for, and for what? Nothing.

What was the point of seeking culture and education in the Sith teachings when they were not being put to use. How had Asterion come to the edge of darkness so easily and so soon? There was a void before him tempting him in; he had no loves, no ties, no motive. Who would miss him?

He certainly wouldn't.

There was only one choice left; seek redemption. But that was something he didn't want to reduce himself to do. Not now, not yet.

Sitting on a crumbling statue half-buried in the orange sand before the Valley of the Dark Lords, Asterion let the breeze kick up his cowl and tease his pores with that refreshing, warm sensation. His heavy stubble whispered quietly beneath his fingers as he toyed with his jaw and his dark, empty eyes stared upwards towards the galaxy he had once believed would soon fear his name.

He was lucky if anyone knew it at all now.


[member="Jacen Cavill"] [member="Lord Eclipsion"]

 

[Jacen Cavill]

[member="Asterion"] | [member="Lord Eclipsion"]​

Korriban​

Planet Surface Near Ancient Temples....​

​

Sand moved and reformed under the man's heavy footfalls, his trail long and winding against the sands of the desert world. Terentenak hide that formed his black duster moved with the wind as he continued his march, his dark locks joining with his garments in swaying with the air pressure. The wind howled in his ears, and the sun pressed down on him, though he didn't feel the heat. A simple message was all that was on his mind as he walked past another relic of the past, a reminder of the failures of the Sith long before him. It's contents were simple, the handwriting as simple as they come. Her messages were always direct, and he respected her for it. What she offered him in return was money, power, and an eventual reckoning for the galaxy. All three were things no one else had been able to deliver on, except for her. So the Sith Lord pressed on as he made the long trek from his ship towards his targets, one was close. The other was near, though he didn't know the reasoning for them to both be on Korriban. Such motives meant little to him, he instead re-read the simple script before putting it back in his jacket.

Kryptus,​

​

I want you to capture or kill Asterion, he's a known One Sith supporter and we need to either thin their numbers or add to ours. Another guest will be there as well, it's up to you to use your discretion on what to do.​

​

R. Merrill​

Always more Force-users, never relics. The thought wasn't bitter, he didn't have time for those things. It was merely a fact, his skills were best suited at acquiring live assets. Leave it to the lesser beings like [member="Darth Janus"] to go relic hunting. Jacen Cavill's skill set was absolutely tailor built for apprehending or killing opposition, though it had been a miracle he had lived long enough to show it. Daesumnor reflected all light that hit it, and through the Force he could feel his blades hunger growing. The long lightsaber hilt on his belt was mainly for show unless he needed another weapon, the same went for his Echani-Graphite weapons. His bracers protected him from Force lightning, and the Gauntlet of Moridin allowed him to fire blasts of stored telekinetic power. Elco Kressh's rebuilt gauntlet protected him against surprise killing blows, and his duster protected him from most Force powers. All of it mattered little for a man who could crush stone with his hands and become a blur of speed. Cavill didn't need all his weapons and soul prisons, he could simply survive what many couldn't.

He was everything Vader wished he was, and then some.

A distant memory came to mind as he finally saw the lone figure he had been feeling through the Force. Cavill could remember being left for dead on Korriban nearly seven years prior, and nearly dying when his father had left him to be eaten by the monsters. Jacen had returned the favor after being Mastered in the darkside, burning his father's head off with deadly sight. It had been fitting to squash the man who had treated him like vermin his whole life, but it also brought back old emotions. He could remember being powerless and fearful, both terrible feelings that he quickly destroyed as he let his rage take over. All those selfish feelings and his own righteous belief in his own power let him shift the axis of the universe to himself, and his blue eyes turned Sithly red and yellow within an instant. Dark power seeped through his veins and into his muscle fibers as he pulled the living Force around him like [member="Spencer Jacobs"] showed him to so long ago. Darkness mixed in as the aura of power closed around him, protecting him from anything.

Darth Kryptus was fully formed, and he calmly walked to the top of the hill above Asterion. The Force made his words much louder than they would have been normally, darkness changing his voice tone and inflection along the way. "Lord Asterion, your presence has been requested. Either agree and come peacefully, or be brought forcefully." Daesumnor was unsheathed from it's resting spot on his shoulder in but a second. The cool silver blade was quite a creation, and he even took a moment to marvel at it before continuing. "Or you can resist too much and I'll just tell the one I follow that I captured you forever in her greatest creation." There was no tone of laughter or anger to his words, not even bravado shaded his syllables. There was just the cool confidence of the darkside, and Kryptus stared the other Sith down.

His move, would they fight or cooperate?

 

[Stephanie Swail]

He was so engrossed in staring up and the blood-red / orange sky, losing himself in following the small ships he could see in the upper atmosphere, that he failed to detect the presence behind him. And even if he had, it was a free planet after all. No-one would be hunting for him.

Or so he thought.

The eerily enhanced voice boomed down the Valley to him, a synthetic quality to it and coming across as more artificial than human. A number of factors irked him immediately. Lord? Since when was Asterion ever referred to a Lord? Yes he as a Knight, but only his name had been used to call him; never labelled a Lord. There was a nice ring to it however.

Secondly, who would request his presence now? Unless...was Lady Kyros calling for him once more? The fact she couldn't even find him herself annoyed him, but didn't surprise him. But the final joke was this mystery being having the gall to now threaten him, laying down a "do or die" choice, without any formal introduction. How rude.

Remaining seated, Asterion simply leaned over and turned his head around to see the dark figure stood above him on the sandy hill, further away than initially thought. The glint of a bladed weapon was evident in his hand.

...HER greatest creation?

Kyra.

But who was this above him? Another brute; a mindless heavy. Great.

"You tell HER if she wants me, she comes here herself, not to hide behind another faceless grunt. No offense." Asterion shouted.

His first thought was to turn his back again...but he had learnt never turn your back on one you know nothing about, and so he held his gaze on the figure, his cloak flapping in the cool air above.


[member="Jacen Cavill"] [member="Lord Eclipsion"]

 

[Jacen Cavill]

[member="Asterion"]'s bravado almost made the Sith Lord chuckle, but Kryptus was far from a jovial man. Instead, hard lines formed in his face as he took the man's answer at face value. Obviously he doesn't realize who has sent me, but he thinks he knows. Confusion was often a trait he enjoyed seeing in those he was capturing, but not in one that he wasn't really supposed to kill. Rave had specifically told him to not terminate the man below him, but she understood how chaotic things did get at times. He had been given a long leash with which to accomplish his means, but he did understand when to try a different avenue at first. The Sith Knight's comment about him being a grunt did irk him a bit, for the man didn't fully comprehend who he was talking to. If that fool only knew I ran the largest weapons company in the galaxy, and was a Count of Serenno. Hubris was something he didn't run for, he merely accepted the pride he had in himself. The insult burned him, and only made his rage burn more.

So Kryptus simply said nothing, instead he was a man of action.

Knee's bent slightly before he leapt high into the air, up and over the man sitting far below him. Darkside energy carried his jump much further than any man, or creature could possibly conceive of trying. Finding his bearings in the air, his senses wrapped around the aura he had brought up around himself. The energy shield was tethered to his thoughts, and his focus shifted to slowing himself down. It was a fairly easy trick for a man with his abilities, but it did look impressive to deny gravity it's hold on you. Slowly descending to the ground, his grip tightened on Daesumnor. Now only about ten meters away from the seated man, he allowed his descent to end as his feet touched down on Korriban soil once more. The orange sky above only highlighted his dark, corrupted eyes as they peered mercilessly at his target.

"I'm not a grunt, I'm the destroyer of the Republic Senate. I'm the former Emperor's Champion, and I do work to bring about something the galaxy hasn't seen since Lady Desmius led the Empire: true darkness. I'm offering you one last chance to come peacefully, or I'm going to drag you back to my partner broken and bloody. So make up your mind before I do it for you."

Rage was clearly lacing his words, and his muscles were growing tense in anticipation for putting the other Sith down like the dog he was acting like.

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Asterion had seen men with power bring down fighters from the sky with just their mind, break bones with a nod of the head and move buildings at the flick of a wrist. However much all that grand display was impressive, it was what one could do physically that he admired, and this stranger certainly had a power that could control such a display.

He stood gently as the figure was carried down to him by the Force, like a feather travelling on an invisible wind, but with a smooth and planned path straight down before him. Impressive.

Most impressive.

As was the gleaming blade he held in his hand.

But still, Asterion wasn't up for all this grand trickery. He'd seen it all before and it had got him back to where he started. Alone.

"Yeah, ok, so you're working for someone who's got you on a leash, I get it. I'm impressed with your ability, really...but don't come here and threaten me. I'm not in the mood."

He was about to turn away, when he thought for a moment, turning to look back at the robed figure.

"And if you try anything, I'll embed that blade through your face in a second."

This time he didn't turn away, only offering nothing but his hands in faux surrender.

"Looks like you're going back empty handed pal."

He was done, with this brute and the galaxy as a whole. What was the point of all this anymore.


[member="Jacen Cavill"]

 

[Jacen Cavill]

[member="Asterion"]'s words did nothing to phase Kryptus, he had long heard these insults before. His irrational side wanted him to rush forward, the unleash his world destroying rage on him. That darker side of him imagined every way possible to maim, torture, and muder the man before him. A small smile crossed his face, though his eyes indicated his displeasure. Only the small sounds of him breathing could be heard for but a moment as he just sat there. Those same eyes narrowed as he contemplated what to do next with the man before him, as his rage was only growing the longer he sat still. One thought did persist in his mind, you will pay for this. It was a simple message, but it became the one message he kept repeating to himself. It soon took on it's own rythm and he steped forward a bit more. Cavill took a quick look over as the message became like the beat of a war drum to him, and eventually he smiled further as he stared at Asterion.

He didn't look at him like a man though. He contemplated him like a predator would his prey.

"You do realize you don't have a choice in this right? You can threaten all you want." Cavill took another step forward as his expression grew serious. Dark tendrils of power extended as his will wrapped around one of the columns nearby. It's ancient surface creaked a little as he covered it in the darkness that consumed his soul. Rage powered his reach, and his will hardened around it in a second.

"You just had to open your mouth, so for that you can die."

In an instant the column accelerated to the speed of a bullet as it was ripped from the ground, it's instant flight taking it right towards Asterion.

 

[Stephanie Swail]

He could feel the dark rage within this figure - for a moment it was almost like he was looking into the future at what he could have become under the teachings of Lady Kyros. Maybe she was calling him to continue his progression, but why send someone of this immense power? And just who was he?

His senses prickled - the threat of a strike was evident, and it struck Asterion that he may be totally wrong about just WHO this masked being was and what his intentions were. The figure stepped forward. Asterion's body tensed and his muscles contorted, ready to launch him at this brute. The smooth lightsaber hilt hung at his side, ready.

And who did he think he was, laying down the rules for Asterion to follow? He always had a choice and no-one or nothing would change that. And those synthetic threats drawling from his mouth needed to be silenced, and he would learn to respect -

The column hit him and knocked him back in a whirlwind of debris and dust kicked up from the sandy ground below. It went silent as his body crunched into the floor and skidded along a bed of rock and dirt. There was certainly some damage after that dirty hit, and Asterion coughed in his disorientated recovery, tasting blood which he hoped was from the jolt of the hit and nothing serious.

Why do these freaks always look for ME?

Pushing up with his knees, slightly wobbly and sore, feeling like his body had been actually broken, Asterion snarled with the rage spreading inside him. The hit had been a cleverly hidden one, partly his own fault for not reaching out to his surroundings and too busy thinking and not acting; the failings of what he had been taught before.

Standing amid the settling debris and swirling dust, the figure still stood up ahead. Now it seemed Asterion was going to face another choice; to die in the place he was given life, or accompany the stranger. With an invite like he just provided, death seemed the better option.

Springing to life and ignoring the pain, Asterion bounded up over the broken column and strode towards his attacker, omitting the use of the Force with his lust for physical attack. His finger reached out, stabbing violently at the figure.

"That hit was free, but you have no idea what it's going to cost you now pal."

He enhanced his speed with the Force and ran at the figure with the intention of shoulder barging him with a firm hand grasped around his windpipe to take him down hard.


[member="Jacen Cavill"]

 

[Jacen Cavill]

Cavill's little telekinetic assault had been successful, and he couldn't help but relish in the feeling of triumph. Dominating over others was the true feeling he always strove for, it was what pushed him to become what he had made himself. All those years of being pushed around in the military and by his domineering father, and the nobility who had never respected him. That fear had drove him into becoming who he was, along with the fear of the true monster that he was. Years had gone by, and it had taken him a long time to understand that he was the monster all along. Once he had realized that he and Kryptus were one and the same, and not some ethereal voice in his head. Everything had changed, and that acceptance had allowed him to truly access his power.

Something [member="Asterion"] would soon realize.

Kryptus paced in a semi-circle around the area where the other Sith had landed, and red eyes narrowed as the man stood up. "Well done, glad to see you aren't as pathetic as I originally thought." Rave had spoken highly of the man, but any time an opponent could stand Kryptus had to watch his anger. A burning sensation began to travel up his spine as his eyes narrowed. He's injured, and he's still trying to come and fight some more? What a fool. Jacen's condescending thought barely had time to register as he felt the darkness quake and shift within moments. The Knight's power was growing as he tapped into his rage, and Cavill didn't pay his words any attention as the man's emotions rippled through the Force.

Force amplified speed allowed the Knight to close the distance within seconds, his speed was impressive. It was nothing next to the speed with which the Sith Lord was graced, but Kryptus was nonetheless impressed. Asterion got within striking distance, but the Sith didn't move Daesumnor. This mission was about recruiting an individual, not permanently trapping his soul. So Kryptus didn't stab him, impale him, maim him, or any of those fun things that darksiders dreamed of doing on a daily basis. Instead, he merely planted his feet and let the darkness bind him to the ground. So that when the hand wrapped around his throat he didn't move.

Not one inch.

That burning rage slid up his spine and into his skull. The burning sensation built, and his optic nerves began to burn, that sensation only growing stronger. What was yellow and red started turning bright red as the energy built up deep inside him. Making direct eye contact, he let his free hand reach up in a blur of motion. "You should have just left me alone when you had the chance boy." Cavill's grip was like a vice as he gripped Asterion's neck and held tight. "Say goodbye to your head."

Deadly sight burst from his eyes at point blank range.

 

[Stephanie Swail]

The second Asterion roared with rage to take down the Sith assailant before him, it was like hitting a concrete wall made of sponge. It didn't hurt as he grasped the warrior's throat, but his body carried on with momentum to be violently jolted back by the fact his attack didn't have any effect at all, and the warrior was stood before him rooted to the ground, which was trembling beneath their bootss.

Asterion felt a deep pit of worry open up inside him at the power this one had shown and he didn't lessen his grip being so close to his proximity. Inches from his face and fighting with a pressure to move the man, the demonic eyes started to boil a fiery red, turning his sockets into small blinding pockets of energy that was something he had never seen before.

His face could do nothing but show the worry he was feeling, and it turned to shock as the warriors hand flashed up to grasp his own throat; a stalemate, but one that Asterion was surely about to lose. He wanted to fight back with words, but the grip was too tight and he strained his head back as much as he could, and then the warning came that signalled Asterion had to move or die.

Death wasn't a bad option, but he didn't want to be killed in such a way that he didn't necessarily understand. Not today.

As the warriors promise of death came and his eyes seemed to spit, Asterion grimaced and twisted his head violently sideways. He pushed down on the warriors hand with a scream to encourage his muscles to work for him, and the energy blasted out a moment later. It seemed to last mere seconds but in that time he felt the right side of his head singed with a sensation of burning heat and ice-cold needles bearing into his skin unlike nothing he had experienced before.

This was a powerful being, more powerful than Asterion and all he could do was submit to save his own life.

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT!!!!" His voice boomed over the blast emitted inches from his face as the pain bore into him, his hand instantly tightening over the warriors' throat in a reflex action.

It felt like the dark energy was searing away his flesh and his cry of anger and pain seemed to fall on deaf ears.


[member="Jacen Cavill"]

 

[Jacen Cavill]

[member="Asterion"]

Smoke flooded from the sides of his eyes as the energy hit Asterion right in the face, leveled down energy of course. It would have been pointless to vaporize his head, but he could have had he chosen to do so. All Kryptus needed to do was wait it out, and let the man finish his screams of pain. When he finally begged for mercy, Jacen obliged him. Releasing his grip on the man's neck, the deadly sight powered down and he had to blink a few times as he backed away from the man. Sheathing Daesumor back over his shoulder, he pulled the hood off of his head and removed Nihlus's mask from his face. Revealing his own sharp features and shoulder length black locks.

A smile crossed his face, but those evil eyes still started at Asterion.

"Now that you've finally seen some reason. Will you actually listen? I wasn't sent to kill you, I was sent to recruit you by a woman named Rave Merrill." Kryptus walked over to one of the nearest stones and sat down, while adjusting his duster. Durasteel armor plates moved under his coat, and his Iron Skin armorweave was visible between the segmented plates. His gauntlets were visible past the sleeves of his coat, especially when he crossed his arms over his chest.

"We wish to recruit you to our secret order, and quite frankly your spirit is just what we are looking for."

 

[Stephanie Swail]

As the grip was released from Asterion's neck, he pushed backwards and immediately pulled off a glove and raised his hand to his tender face, but thankfully everything was intact; flesh, hair, ear. He didn't dare want to think how sore it looked, but if it was anything like the seering pain he felt, it would be a while before the burn subsided.

Why was it those submitting to the Dark Side of the Force always had to hit first and reason later?

Watching this armour clad warrior sit as if nothing had gone on between them, an hospitable air of calm swept over them, as if the crackling fire inside had been immediately extinguished. And so he spoke of a secret order and recruitment. To be honest this was the last think Asterion needed to be dragged into after his previous experience.

Flexing his body beneath the dark armour and cowl he wore, armour plates dirty and scratched underneath, Asterion stood and shook his head quickly.

"Look, I am part of an Order already. Or so I thought. I don't know anymore."

This was no time to get sentimental.

"I was roughed up once before, trained and then cast aside and it's going to happen all over again. What's so secret about this "order", and just who the hell do you work for?"

Asterion cast his eyes over the impressive armour and appearance of the man before him; something he at one point believed he could have become with the Sith Order.

"And why have you come for me? You look more than enough to compensate what I could bring to the table."

He was annoyed at himself for making his self-pity so evident, but also for the way [member="Kära Vi'dreya"] had made him; lonely, broken and devoid of the dark fire that once burned inside him.


[member="Jacen Cavill"]

 

[Jacen Cavill]

[member="Asterion"]

Jacen sat there, and he just listened. There had been a time where he had been that angsty, even if he regretted it. Only when another's life had been on the line had he truly let go of all that emotion and tapped into the darkest parts of himself. It was why his eyes were a sickly red and yellow color and the tan hew had left his skin. Darkside corruption was what was taking over, and his addiction to Sith poison was only taking over. So whatever side of him that would have related to the Sith Knight before him was long gone, and with that empathy gone all he could do was one thing.

He yawned, and looked generally disinterested.

"Look kid," he said to a man only a few years younger than himself. "That kind of an attitude is hardly befitting of a darksider, you need to get over whatever happened to you before. That is so unbecoming of a person who is valued by the one who gives me my orders. So please drop this emotional crap, or I will snap your neck like a twig." It wasn't a statement full of bravado, it was him being as blunt and honest as he could be in a situation like this.

"I work for a woman named Rave Merrill, and we are all hiding in plain sight by using our corporate aliases. If you enjoy hunting Jedi and procuring more power, we are the Order for you. You won't have a direct Master, but we will collaboratively teach you and make you more than what you are. The choice is yours."

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Asterion listened. He reminded the Knight of that brute [member="Thyrian Ashborn"] - a brute; a savage; a walking attitude problem. But yet, there was something he liked about this one.

He only felt more anger at himself and those before him when his sentiment was pointed out and the direct attitude this warrior had was befitting of one who embodied the Dark Side and all it stood for.

Walking slowly forward, parallel to where the energy-emitting man was sat, Asterion looked up at the pale moon above and thought for a second.

There is a destiny out there for you to seize. Get out of this pathetic mood and become the Sith you were born to be.

Kara Vi'dreya will wait until you meet again one day...and then you can show her greatest mistake in letting you go.

He nodded and turned to the warrior.

"When this is all over, I'll be the one snapping your neck. But until then...I will follow. But not before I know your name..."

A small half-smile cracked as he felt a little ember re-ignite back inside his soul.


[member="Jacen Cavill"]

 

[Jacen Cavill]

[member="Asterion"]

"That's a little better attitude, I can handle that." Jacen said nothing else as he stood up, and motioned for Asterion to follow them. Walking up the hill they had come up together on, he began to push a few buttons on his wrist. The commands were instantly sent via his communicator to the ship in orbit that he needed. A vessel would soon be on it's way, so they only had a few more moments to kill before they would be leaving Korriban. Cavill took one last good look around as the wind whipped his long, black locks around. So much has changed since I was first here. Memories flashed of him battling for his life, of him near death and being beaten at the Sith Temple on this world. The Empire had been strong then, and all had been right with the galaxy.

Now he was strong, and the Empire was gone.

"We need to wait here, a shuttle will be arriving soon to take us to the Tion Cluster. We will take my personal Tulak Horde Star Destroyer there, and you will need to come up with a legitimate alias for when we are in public. If not, you will be living and working in the shadows exclusively."

Just as the words left his lips, a shuttle began it's descent to them.

 

[Stephanie Swail]

He followed the warrior upwards, a little dent in his pride but nothing that wouldn't be forgotten. However, he swore that next time someone wanted his attention, it was his lot in life to never be presented with a peaceful interruption. He had studied the darkness for years so it was only natural the darkness would continue to follow him.

Cresting the hill, his battle scarred and dusty armour nothing short of uninspiring for one who was a Knight, Asterion patiently stood and observed the planet once more before leaving it again for a future unknown as he had only a year or so ago, maybe even less, it had been a whirlwind time with the Sith Order and it had crumbled away beneath him.

As he spoke, Asterion flicked his eyes upwards waiting for the appearance of his ship as he thought out loud.

"I don't get it. An alias? What is this, dual personalities? Mythical superheroes of the galaxy? I am me, that's it. I don't have the patience to pretend to be someone I'm not when I could simply be me."

He brought his head back down to face him.

"And you've still not answered MY question. Who are you in this wider secret clan?"


[member="Jacen Cavill"]

 

[Jacen Cavill]

"No, we are not mythical superheroes of the galaxy." He spun at that, the Knight had clearly annoyed him at this point. "We just can't show who we really are, and our other names bear much more clout with the general public." Crossing the distance, he looked down at the man using his height and weight to his advantage. Tensions flared, and for a moment Jacen thought of going back on his word and snapping his neck. The wind whipping at his ears, and the sound of a shuttle approaching were more than enough to snap him back to reality. So he backed away and headed towards the coordinates where the shuttle would be landing in a few moments for them. I'll try and knock some sense into his head while I have the time, or just not kill him until Rave gives me permission.

"There are other ways to manipulate the galaxy to bend to your will. We are attacking business, and manipulating economies to do what we want. If the people already love us, what we do to get the power in the cover of shadows will never be know. Just because we live and breath the darkness in the pursuit of total power, doesn't mean everyone has to know there isn't anything we wouldn't do for power." Looking away from [member="Asterion"], he stared up at the sky for a moment as he reviewed the plan. He's not getting it just yet, I'll need back up on this one. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the communicator and dialed in the frequency he was about to access. Bending down, he put it on the ground as it dialed out.

"My part in this is simple, I am the enforcer who hunts down Jedi. My hunting weakens them, breaks their resolve so they don't pay attention to our movements. It allows us to make deals most governments wouldn't make in peace. I'm causing the conflict that allows us to get by with what we shouldn't be allowed. I'm not the brains of this operation, for this I'll defer to the one I listen to."

Kryptus pointed to the comm on the ground as a small image of [member="Rave Merrill"] appeared.

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Asterion"]

"Mister Asterion, I'm sure my associate has introduced me. I suspect you have little interest in what he may have shared with you; by all accounts, you're not the sort of Sith who enjoys playing shell games and making backroom deals. Unfortunately, it seems as if most Sith are too in love with the shadows to accomplish just about anything; I'm sure you can relate.

"As I said, I'm assuming that Lord Kryptus has told you we work through corporations, and our goals are profit and security. Those methods and goals likely don't appeal to you, and we're not trying to recruit you into a position that would be such a poor fit. We're trying to recruit you to do what you do best, and earn what I think you want to earn. Knowledge and training and experience that will enhance your specific personal skillset. Work for us when we call, and we'll see to it that you become a full Sith Master in your own way and on your own terms. You may be called upon to wear a mask if a given target is especially close to our territory, but nobody would expect a double life from you if you didn't wish it.

"What are your thoughts, Mister Asterion?"

 

[Stephanie Swail]

It seems the warrior had a shorter temper than Asterion, and he couldn't help smirk a little. He may have the wider knowledge of the Dark Side to use as a mighty weapon, but it seemed words were the best tool to chink the armour of this one.

Up above, the engines of his shuttle above could be heard, and Asterion stopped on the hill looking over the Valley as the warrior spoke once more and set down his comm. Asterion could do nothing but lean on his knee with his arm and watch as an image crackled into view against the sandy backdrop of the planet, the engines getting closer gradually.

The woman in view, partly hidden by some dramatic play of light on her part, spoke. She didn't move as she did but her voice was very calm and very matter of fact in laying down her cards. As he listed and watched, Asterion kept looking now and then at the brute above him, locking eyes every now and then, but nothing else showing on their faces.

"What are your thoughts, Mister Asterion?"

The silky sound of his name captured his attention once more into looking at the comm, not sure if he could be seen or not, but that didn't bother him.

"Firstly I'm not a 'Mister', nor Knight, Lord or...boy, or anything else. You just call me Asterion. Got it...Lord?" Eyes flicked up to the warrior for a second.

"Second. You're right about business, that's not my style. I don't do well in a boardroom or negotiations of that calibre, so if that's not the answer you want then leave me be. But if you speak true then I want to meet you face to face. JUST you, not with your lapdog here on my back trying to burn my damn face off with his anger issues."

Asterion rose as the ship was upon them nearly.

"I was burnt once by the Sith and it will be something that I WILL be taking my vengeance on to those responsible, but if you speak true and can release my full potential with the guarantee of anything I require to help that-" he stopped and nodded gently, "- then I could be the greatest asset you could ever ask for."

He looked up to the one known as Kryptus and gave a mock nod of the head with a smile.

"Thanks for the introduction. Lord."



[member="Rave Merrill"] [member="Jacen Cavill"]