Private The Hunt Begins

[Kai'lyn]

Darth Reign

The freighter landed roughly on Eos, the wild, untamed world that mirrored the dark feeling Kai'lyn had sensed at the academy—the same power tied to a Sith familiar in the service of the Firrerreo . Sofiel 's command echoed: "Follow the feeling." Hidden in the shadows of the smugglers' ship, Kai'lyn had waited silently, slipping out unnoticed into the thick wilderness.

The air was damp with the scent of wet earth, and the towering trees dripped with rain, their moss-covered roots twisting like veins. Alien sounds echoed through the underbrush, and vines hung like curtains, swaying gently in the wind. Kai'lyn stepped deeper into the primal heart of the forest, where the dark presence pulsed faintly beneath the surface. Driven by hunger to claim the dark power, he ventured further, feeling the untamed energy of the wilds.

 

[Darth Reign]

While his forces secured the droid factory and set about preparing the planet for their use, Darth Reign, Diarch and Lord of the Diarchy, felt a pull to the one forest on this blasted lava planet.
There was a whisper from the Dark Side, and in his experience, the Sith Lord had learned to listen.

Setting his shuttle down in a clearing, The Dark Lord pressed onward towards the center of the damp forest. The whispers of power pulling him onward. To combat the heat, he had left the heavy outer robe on the shuttle, traversing in his inner robes, gold accents shimmering in the red light of Eos’ sun. He had left his apprentices to oversee the operations at the droid factory, trusting his daughters to see his vision through.

Kai'lyn

 

[Kai'lyn]

Darth Reign

Kai'lyn prowled into the wilderness, his sweat-soaked uniform clinging to his body as he silently stalked toward the strange, elusive feeling that had drawn him here. His standard academy uniform was damp with the effort, the leggings and undershirt sticking to his skin. Suddenly, he froze, spotting a small encampment ahead. Crouching low, he slunk into the underbrush, his eyes narrowing as he watched the scene unfold in the strange camp, hidden and ready to observe.

Kai'lyn crouched low, his breath shallow as he observed the Sith encampment. In the center was a small, caged creature—clearly part of a dark ritual. Around it, alchemical symbols were carved into the dirt, glowing faintly with the ominous power of Sith magic. The Sith in charge was chanting, focusing on the creature as he prepared to twist its form with dark side energy. Kai'lyn's eyes narrowed. This was his chance.

He crept closer, his heart pounding, and with a swift, calculated strike, he plunged his blade into the Sith's back.


Kai'lyn stood over the fallen Sith, his chest heaving as gasps escaped the man's lips. With a predator's swiftness, he raised his blade, feeling the cold metal dripping with blood, before he drove it down into the flesh of the man's neck. The sound of tearing flesh echoed in the air as electricity crackled from the Sith's hand—his last desperate attempt to fight back. But Kai'lyn was a storm, dodging the lightning with an instinct that felt almost supernatural.


He plunged the blade deeper, creating ragged wounds that gushed crimson, the warm metallic scent filling his nostrils. Each thrust was savage, ripping through sinew and muscle, as blood poured forth, pooling around them like a dark halo. The Sith's desperate thrashing faded, lifelessness closing in, and Kai'lyn felt the weight of victory settle upon him, heavy yet exhilarating. The struggle was mercifully brief—a transformation from a living foe into a silent, still corpse.

Stepping over the body Kai'lyn moved to complete the ritual. He didn't know the full process, but his instincts guided him. He mimicked the gestures he had seen, his hands moving through the air as he channeled his limited understanding of the dark side.

The creature writhed in the cage, caught between its original form and the alchemical transformation. The ritual was nearly complete, and Kai'lyn had to act fast. He focused, feeling the dark power flow through him, and poured his will into the creature, claiming it as his familiar.

 

[Darth Reign]

The Dark Lord had felt a shift in the force before he entered the encampment. Knowing something potentially dangerous lay ahead, he waited, hiding his presence in the force, stalking around the outside edge of the camp site. What he saw had surprised him, he was not aware of any Sith on Eos, other than the Lords he had brought with him. Regardless, Reign watched the ritual take place, catching the movement of a third player as they approached. Unbeknownst to the sorcerer at the center of the camp.

What happened next was a showcase in brutality, and perhaps a distinct lack of control. The young torgruta had completely decimated the sorcerer. Taking him by surprise. Darth Reign was impressed by the young one's ability to surprise the older sith, as well as his ability to dodge the feeble attempt at defense the victim had attempted.

Watching him approach the ritual site, Reign was curious, the child was no older than his youngest daughter, but was stepping straight up to continue what had been interrupted. As the ritual continued, the Dark Lord was genuinely caught by surprise, the acolyte (for he had to be) had finished the occult sorcery.

Stepping forward into the clearing, Reign dropped the veil he had thrown over his presence and announced loudly "That is quite the prize you have claimed. But be wary, creatures born of the Dark Side can be unpredictable at best"

Kai'lyn

 

[Kai'lyn]

Darth Reign

Kai'lyn's heart raced as he completed the ritual, feeling the dark energy settle within the creature he had just claimed. The satisfaction of his brutal victory still coursed through him, but when Darth Reign revealed his presence, Kai'lyn's instincts sharpened. His body tensed at the sudden, overwhelming power of the Dark Lord's presence, yet he kept his expression controlled. Eyes narrowing, he studied Reign.

Kai'lyn, inexperienced but bold, stepped forward cautiously. "Unpredictable maybe," he responded, voice low but steady. "But now it's mine." His mind raced, preparing for what might come next.

Kai'lyn held out his hand, eyes locked on Darth Reign as a swirling miasma began to seep from the cage. The creature inside turned into a black, shadowy substance, phasing effortlessly through the bars. Inky black wisps snaked and coiled up Kai'lyn's outstretched hand, wrapping around him like living smoke. The dark mist settled on his shoulder, manifesting into the form of a small creature with the body of a sleek cat and the face of an owl, glowing red eyes gleaming—its form was as if it had been born from the very shadows themselves.

He regarded the man wearable as he raised a blood soaked hand and lapped at the rusty red covering it cleaning his hand of the substance, his twitched at the edges as his montrals were keenly attuned to the man before him. He let out a low glowering sort of animalistic growl as if the kill was his and his alone perhaps ready to defend what ever he desired form it be the corpse it's self or quite possibly what ever items of value the man had once had. He seemed like a small predator warily eyeing Reign as if determining weather or not he would need to defend his would be trophies from the kill.

 

[Darth Reign]

Darth Reign relished the surprise he was able to make the acolyte feel. The torgruta had done well to clamp down on his feelings, but the minute tensions in his body gave him away.

Responding to the young man the Dark Lord smiled softly “And it is yours to keep, I’m not here to take anything from you. But be mindful my young friend. Your thoughts betray you. Are you fully prepared for what could come next?”

As the creature transformed, Reign studied it, the shadowy form something he would need to report to his brother, it would be something his fellow Diarch would be interested in.

As the acolyte let out a low growl, the Dark Lord couldn’t help but smirk, an intimidation tactic. Basic but effective, had fear not been his ally. He stepped forward arms outstretched, lightsaber dangling on his hip. Speaking again he said “you are welcome to try it, but I’m not some sorcerer caught unawares. I’m interested in why you are here. Walk with me, let’s talk.”

Kai'lyn

 

[Kai'lyn]

The small griffon-like creature glowered at the man, its beady red eyes glowing with malice.

Kai'lyn calmly flipped his blade, sliding it back onto his belt. Without breaking eye contact, he reached down and drew the fallen Sith's weapon, running his fingers over the hilt before clipping it beside his own. His gaze never left the strange figure before him.

"I followed the feeling," he stated, his voice steady but cautious. "The bird woman told me to find the source of darkness, make it mine. Everything in your galaxy has a price."

Darth Reign

​

 

[Darth Reign]

Darth Reign clasped his hands behind his back, affecting the same tone he took when teaching his children, they were after all his acolytes just as the one here was. “You were drawn to the familiar ritual? Chasing the power. Tell me, why are you chasing power? Solely because the ‘bird woman’ told you too?”

The Dark Lord began studying the torgruta. He had a thirst for power and a vast potential, but he seemed unrefined. Reign wanted to be sure the boy could be turned away from the self serving teachings of the Sith.

“You are right, everything has a price, even power. Are you prepared to pay it?”

Kai'lyn

 

[Kai'lyn]

“You were drawn to the familiar ritual? Chasing the power. Tell me, why are you chasing power? Solely because the ‘bird woman’ told you too?”

Warily, Kai'lyn watched the man, his gaze sharp and unblinking, the kind of attention reserved for facing a predator that could easily strike if he looked away. He hissed his reply, "Yes."

Without pause, he brought his opposing bloodstained hand to his mouth, licking it clean like a wild nexu grooming itself.

"The bird lady told me the same," he growled, his voice rough and broken. "I told her I have nothing of value. She said I have everything to barter—mind, body, soul. But I had to earn it. Find the darkness. Make it mine. Only then would I begin clawing my way to the top."

Though Kai'lyn mimicked words easily enough, there was an unpolished edge to his speech, as though he struggled with grammar or proper sentence structure. His words felt primal, rough—more wild beast than humanoid. Yet behind that raw exterior, his sharp intellect gleamed in his watchful eyes. He came across as someone who knew just enough to survive, but there was a deeper intelligence lurking beneath, always learning, always adapting, even if his manner remained untamed and rough.

Darth Reign

 

[Darth Reign]

The Dark Lord nodded while the young man spoke. The philosophy was typical to the Sith, find the power, claim it for yourself, and let no others encroach upon you. It was not a philosophy Reign shared, however, until the Diarchy was able to claim students for their own, they would need to be able to convince others to come to their way of thinking. This Acolyte, while young and feral seeming, if he could be swayed, would be a first step.

"You echo a sentiment shared by many of the Sith, but not all, my young friend. What if I told you, there was another path to power? One where you don't have to be looking over your shoulder at all times?" Reign knew the young man would think first of the Jedi, but that was to be expected. Anything other than the self serving pursuit of power was anathema to most Sith.

The Sith couldn't help but note the more animalistic tendencies the youth had, he affected the speech patterns he had heard, but there was something raw about it. Reign would need to try and peel back these layers to truly understand the person across from him.

It was his eyes however, that gave Reign hope that the acolyte could be turned to his way of thinking. A fierce intelligence could be seen there, absorbing everything the Diarch said, looking for a way out should violence come, and calculating how to survive.

"You need not claw and scratch your way to the top, least not alone. There is much I could teach you, much you need to learn."

Kai'lyn

 

[Kai'lyn]

Darth Reign


"I don't understand... 'Sith,'" Kai'lyn stated simply, his voice low and rough, like a stone turned over in a dark cave. The word felt foreign on his tongue, as if it carried a weight he hadn't fully grasped yet. He knew the Sith were powerful, ambitious beings, often cruel in their intent, but their motivations were elusive to him—shrouded in an enigma as tangled as the forest that surrounded them.

They moved through the dense, ancient woods of Eos, where thick mist clung to the undergrowth, veiling the trees like ghosts from a forgotten age. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and decaying foliage. Shadows twisted and shifted between the trees, their black trunks scarred with deep, claw-like marks from predators long gone. Strange glowing fungi lined the forest floor, casting a dim, eerie light that flickered like dying stars.

Kai'lyn padded cautiously behind the man, trailing more than two arm-lengths away. He was slow and deliberate, his bare feet barely making a sound on the mossy ground, every step careful not to disturb the forest floor. His eyes darted between the trees, watching the man ahead with a wariness born from years of captivity. His muscles tensed as if expecting a trap, while his mind searched for any sign of trickery in the man's actions.

"Teach... for what reason?" Kai'lyn's voice was quiet but edged with suspicion. His question hung in the air like the ever-present mist, as if he didn't truly expect an answer—at least not a truthful one. He couldn't understand why this man would offer knowledge freely. In his experience, power was not given; it was taken. What did this stranger want from him?

The wind stirred the treetops, causing the leaves to rustle. Somewhere in the distance, an alien bird shrieked—a sound that was both haunting and wild. Kai'lyn's fingers flexed slightly as he waited, ready to react at a moment's notice.

 

[Darth Reign]

As they walked through the forest, Reign again affected the voice of a teacher saying, "The Sith, are one half of the problem in the Galaxy. You may not understand them yet, you were on the path to join them. While I am what you would consider a Sith, I am not like the others you may have come to know. My followers and I subscribe to a different path"

Darth Reign continued walking, aware of the distance the acolyte had put between them, he was still tense, as if he suspected an attack. What had happened in his past to make him this way? The Dark Lord wondered, or was it a byproduct of studying to become a Sith? Worried about betrayal and deceit. He looked over his shoulder back at the young man and said "You can relax, I am not going to harm you, and if I was, I would not need to rely on some trick or trap to do so. There would be no honor in that"

Turning his back again, as they neared the edge of the forest and Reign's shuttle he clued the child in on his purpose here. "I want to teach you because I have power, and if I share my power with you, we both become more powerful. You because you learn what I have to show you, and me, because I will have added you to those that I may count upon." he stopped in view of his ship, turning around fully. "Your first lesson, and the most important, is that true power comes from strength shared, the Order that the Diarchy upholds stems from power shared among us all. The Code of the Diarchy is such: Through Control, We bring order. Through Order, we build bonds. Through Bonds, We achieve strength. Through Strength, We claim Dominion. Through Dominion, we bring lasting peace. Heed this lesson well child, as the power of many, is always greater than the power of one."

Kai'lyn

 

[Kai'lyn]

Darth Reign

Kai'lyn prowled after him, his movements slow and deliberately careful as he listened to the words spoken. Some of the language was foreign to him, but he caught the meaning through context, piecing it together like fragments of a puzzle. It sounded like the figure wanted something in exchange for knowledge—help for power. The idea intrigued him. Questions of value arose in his mind. Everything had worth, and many things could be traded again and again, but where did the cycle stop? That was harder to determine.

He remained silent for a time, mulling over the meaning of the exchange, the weight of the unspoken bargains lurking between the lines.

Finally, he broke his silence, his voice low but curious.

"Why do you want power?"

 

[Darth Reign]

Reign couldn’t help but smile. The acolyte was inquisitive. That was good, and the Dark Lord was happy to oblige. It was a new concept to most beings however as well.

Answering the young man he said “I do not want power for powers sake my friend, I only seek power for what it affords me. The ability to shape and guide the galaxy. This galaxy is in chaos, and I believe that only we can bring it to true order. And in that order we will find peace. Peace for generations to come. So I do not want power for myself, I seek power for my children and their children, power for you, and your family for generations to come. So that I may ensure the galaxy can be free of this chaos”

Kai'lyn

 

[Kai'lyn]

Darth Reign
"And yet, power corrupts, does it not?" Kai'lyn asked simply, his tone neutral, though his gaze sharp. He seemed to follow along well enough, but his mind worked behind those words, turning over the idea like a puzzle piece. There was a dark undercurrent, an almost sickening taint he had come to associate with the Sith—a twistedness that clung to them like a shadow. He didn't see it in others who wielded great power, like the Jedi or others sensitive to the Force. Why, then, did the Sith seem different? Was it the power itself, or something deeper?

He pondered the nature of that corruption. Power, by its very nature, demanded more. It fed on desire, on ambition, twisting those who sought it. But was the power to blame? Or was it the hearts of those who wielded it, vulnerable to the darker whispers it invited?

He studied his surroundings, the eerie silence that crept in after his question. It was a question that lingered on the edge of philosophy—a challenge to the motivations of those who sought dominance.

"Is it the power that corrupts, or the one who seeks it?" His voice softened, thoughtful. "You desire power, but do you fear what it might do to you?"

 

[Darth Reign]

Darth Reign had to ponder the question. Power did corrupt, more so in the Sith than any other, but the question is valid. It was what set Reign apart from the other Sith as well he believe.

He did choose honesty with the acolyte. “Power for the purpose of power corrupts. Most Sith pursue power to hoard it, to be ‘powerful’. To remain pure, those with power or pursuing power must gain power for a purpose, a purpose greater than just one’s self. That is what keeps the Jedi grounded, they serve a calling higher than themselves. But seek to do away with what makes a person, a person. The Sith on the other hand, are corrupted as they seek power for selfish means, to sow chaos and destruction, to dominate and abuse. Not us, we seek power for the betterment of all, to provide a strong guiding hand. I will be honest, the fear of ultimate power weighs on my mind, but that is why I share my power freely, so to not be corrupted by the selfishness of the Sith.”

Reign let the words sink in. This was the crux of his father’s philosophy. To embrace the dark side, to be a Sith but not for the purpose of power alone, but to embrace what the power of the dark side can accomplish when used in concert with others.

Kai'lyn

 

[Kai'lyn]

Darth Reign

Those were certainly a lot of words. Kai'lyn remained silent, his attention focused, absorbing each one as the man spoke. It was a lot to take in—more than he had expected. He let the silence linger for a moment after the man's voice trailed off, sorting through the layers of meaning behind what was said.

Finally, he asked, his voice quiet but direct, "Then... you are not Sith?"

The question was simple, but it carried a weight of curiosity, trying to grasp the identity of the man before him. He wasn't familiar with all the titles or labels, but this one—this 'Sith'—held a certain darkness he thought he understood. Yet the man's words seemed to dance around that notion, challenging what Kai'lyn had assumed. What, then, was he?

 

[Darth Reign]

The question took him by surprise. He had always considered himself a Sith. His father was a Sith, as was his brother. But he was something more, something new.

Smiling broadly he answered “I was raised by a Sith, but perhaps to be more than the Sith the galaxy knows at large. A ‘New Sith’ you might say.”

It was a strange thought, but he did follow the other tenets of the Dark Side, just not the infighting and self serving nature of the Sith of Old.

Kai'lyn

 

[Kai'lyn]

Darth Reign
"So... a Sith that picks and chooses what parts of being Sith they want, hmm?" Kai'lyn questioned lightly, his tone subtle skepticism. He wanted to ensure he was following along, piecing together the man's intentions. He had heard the Sith Doctrine before, understood its sharp edges and demands. Yet, this man's words danced around them, dressed in pretty phrases that felt similar but... off.

Hearing the word "might" caught his attention. It signaled a lack of uncertainty, a weakness. Kai'lyn could sense the hesitation, the indecision lingering behind the man's otherwise polished rhetoric. Did he even know what he wanted to be? Ambition seemed to be there—some goal flickered behind his eyes—but the process, the path he spoke of, felt... uncertain. Wishy-washy.

Kai'lyn's suspicion grew, his belief solidifying that this man, for all his talk, was unsure of his own identity. It was something the young Sith apprentice was beginning to recognize, something he himself fought against—a hunger for direction, for clarity in the dark maze of ambition.

 

[Darth Reign]

Reign could feel his anger rising, who was this CHILD to question him, his motivations, his Determination. Losing the smile Reign said “A Sith who can recognize the failures of the order and evolve to do away with the pettiness and infighting that the selfish nature of the order instills. The Sith have failed because they could not see past their own desire. To truly control the universe one needs more than simple power”

Reign had set in motion more than the acolyte could yet understand, but if given the chance, he would show him. Perhaps bring him to see what it meant to be part of something greater, not just out for himself.

Regaining his cordial demeanor the Dark Lord said “Enough of the banter, let me show you what we have set out to accomplish. You will be given a purpose, and be a part of something greater than yourself.” eyeing the nearly feral child he added “you must be hungry, come, we will feed you”

Kai'lyn