Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Rebellion The Ninn Kaggath | Rebellion of Ninn | WotS vs TSE




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S H O W S T O P P E R
NINN
RIFLE | VAMBRACES | LIGHTSABER | JETPACK
TO ENGAGE: Khamul Kryze Khamul Kryze
ALLIES: Rynn Vizsla Rynn Vizsla
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He went through with his attack to no avail. His downward slash was met with a quick sidestep, causing him to hit the ground. Jair scrambled back to his feet in an attack position. Another Crusader came behind him, his jetpack ignited, trying to get a good shot towards the Sith warrior. He fired round after round, but his bolts were met with crimson plasma and sent back to their sender. His armor took most of the damage, but when a stray blaster bolt his jetpack, he quickly turned into a ball of flame and smoke. Jair rushed to the aid of his injured brother, but as the body hit the ground he was already dead. Jair held his head in solemn but returned to a standing position.

"You do possess some skill. Unrefined, but there is potential."

Jair stood in silence. His eyes could not move from his fallen comrade. His brother-in-arms lay dead right in front of him. He couldn't be any more ashamed of himself for letting one of his own go into battle without warning them about the situation beforehand. All to save him because of his incompetence to hold a stance. The Sith warrior continued to talk into the air with Jair listening close behind.

"I could show you a path to greater strength. Together, we could return our people to our old power. We could make the Mandalorians feared across to the galaxy. We could crush the Imperials and bring honor back to our home. All you have to do is say yes."

An invitation? Behind his beskar helmet, Jair looked in confusion. He knew he spoke the truth of finding greater strength. The warrior already showed great mastery of fighting techniques, ones that the Mandalorians were incapable of teaching. But to join the path of the Sith? It was treason. He could not abandon the mission so easily. He wouldn't allow himself to fall. To fall to the Sith would be the betrayal of everything he held dear.

"I do not understand you, Sith. You say you fight for our people, yet side with the very people who have oppressed us." Jair explained to his opponent in response. He gripped his lightsaber, pointing the amethyst blade towards the warrior. "But to be straightforward, the answer is no. I will strike you down where you stand, Mandalorian or not."

The Sith warrior went for a strike for the legs, and with swift action, he deflected it with his own blade. Reacting to his motion, he quickly drew the blade back and dragged his lightsaber in front of him to slash at the enemy's torso.

He would not fall victim to the Sith's persuasive attitude.


 

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Objective 2

Engaging Jair Ordo Jair Ordo

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Khamul studied Jair Ordo Jair Ordo closely as he ran to his fallen comrade. He had to be honest, he admired the dedication his foe had for his fellow Mandalorian. There was something to be said for the camaraderie within the ranks of his people. It was something that Khamul hadn't experienced during his time among the Sith. That being said, Khamul still found himself scoffing at the action. Compassion was a sign of weakness. If his people were to return to their former glory, they would have to do away with such weakness.

Nevertheless, Khamul found himself intrigued by this Mandalorian. He was so quick to condemn the Sith, and yet he had clearly held some semblance of adherence to Jedi ideology. Filthy Jedi... of course they further poisoned the once mighty Mandalorian people. It was the only way Khamul could make sense of it all. And it only fueled the fires of hate for the Jedi even more. He knew that his people had suffered at the hands of the Sith, but at the end of the day, Khamul saw that as a symptom of the path that his people had chosen. His people were sick, and treating the symptoms wouldn't fix the problem...

He had to treat the disease itself.

"The Sith are merely a stepping stone; a tool for me to gather resources to help our people. You did not have to come to Ninn. None of our people had to die today. And yet, here you are, insisting on stifling my ability to save us. I want nothing but to bring our people into a new age of strength and security."

Upon hearing the answer of his opponent, Khamul let out a disappointed sigh. His swipe to the leg was quickly blocked, and was followed up by a slice to the chest. Khamul responded with a quick turn to the side, attempting to dodge the blow. The lightsaber ended up catching his vambrace, leaving a burn on the beskar. Khamul jumped a few paces back, the rage welling up inside of him, as if a levy that were about to burst. His attempts to reason with the man made him careless, a mistake he would not repeat.

The rage continued to swell within Khamul as he spoke.

"Fool. You short-sighted fool. Together we could destroy anyone who would oppose us. We could be the saviors of Mandalore."

He couldn't contain his rage anymore. The Dark Side was flowing endlessly through him, vibrating through every fiber of his body.

"I only want to restore our PEOPLE!"

With a sudden burst of power, he let out a ferocious push of Force energy toward the man, hoping to send him flying through the air. All of his anger was channeled through his free arm, loosing his rage in the direction of his opponent. Somewhere, deep inside of Khamul, his soul wept.

Why couldn't they see the truth...

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// Outer Rim Territories // Corporate Sector // Ninn System //
Engaging the Sith; Surviving the Assassin.
Objective: Sow the Seeds of Discord; Slaughter Sith; Claim Vengeance.
Equipment: See Signature Link.

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The envenomed blade never touched the skin at all. In truth, it never made it past the reinforced surface of the Cuissard. Thus, the potent effects that were woven into the artifice of the sword didn’t render themselves unto the supple flesh beneath. Rynn could’ve only imagined what horrors he’d be subjected to if that blade bit into his flesh - rather than the armoured plating protecting his thigh. Knowing the Sith, to which the Mandalorian assumed this shrouded assassin belonged too, the poison would’ve left him utterly crippled and incapable of fighting back. It seemed that those dark reflections of the Jedi relished a battle when their prey couldn’t fight back, as that eliminated the chances of them losing a fair fight. Such callous and dishonourable warriors.
As the blade was drawn from his Cuissard, the Rally Master watched the impossible unfold before his very eyes in the wake of the newly discharged repulsor blast. The assassin seemingly recognized the danger scant moments before the device erupted and contorted her body accordingly. There was less surface area that the burst of artificial gravity struck, meaning that it was unlikely that the woman would be thrown from her feet. A truth that played out before his eyes as the repulsor burst hit true and pushed the woman away from the Mandalorian - and closer towards the Sith Duelist. There was even a moment that looked as if the woman might’ve lost her balance, but that was soon swept aside as the powers of her mental acuity kept her upright.
This woman, whoever she might be, was not only a capable assassin but a competent Force wielder as well. If Rynn wasn’t a Mandalorian, let alone a Rally Master of the Death Watch, the man would’ve likely been dead already. His cooling corpse would’ve been just another body to carpet the surface of Ninn. Thankfully, the Fates were kind this day.
When the feminine assassin regained her footing, her twinned envenomed blades were held out before her - but she made no move to attack. Instead, the trio of fighters formed a rough triangle between themselves. Their eyes dancing between one or the other, doubtlessly waiting for one to make the first move. The Sith Duelist gave voice to their measured excitement as they stated that they were looking forward to this. Rynn was about to ask if the armoured figure saw their encounter in a vision and was eagerly anticipating seeing the outcome unfold before their very eyes. But, the Mandalorian bit his tongue. There was no point in asking about prophecy, as it was nothing more than a fickle mistress.
The future was ever-changing, and nothing ever good came from adhering to the maddened whispers of a prophet.
Just as the Rally Master brought both of his pistols to bear down upon the two Sith, the Duelist acted first. Through means unseen, the armoured figure unclasped their vambrace and catapulted it towards the Mandalorian. Rynn reacted accordingly by taking a step backwards and brought up his arm to shield himself from the improvised projectile. He could’ve just let the armoured bracer bounce off his armour, as the telekinetically thrown piece wouldn’t have inflicted much damage. His impact gel would’ve drank in the kinetic energy as the aqueous substance hardened. But, as the man was a Sith - who knew what could’ve happened if that eventuality came to pass? The armour could’ve been infused with dark magics and bound itself to the Mandalorian - possibly even sapping him of his strength or will to live.
With the catapulted vambrace striking Rynn’s own, the Rally Master watched as the Duelist threw himself at the Sith assassin. As dark magics invisibly coursed through the figure’s veins, the Sith leapt forward with his blades held close to his form - likely shielding himself whilst his flanks were exposed. The Rally Master couldn’t get a shot off, as his right arm was raised and the Pistol that was pointed as the Assassin didn’t have a chance in hell to strike the swift-moving Duelist. Instead, he could only watch as the armoured figure struck the planet’s surface and crouched low. The movement was fluid as the man’s momentum carried his body forward - allowing him to throw a sweeping kick towards the woman’s planted feet.
If the blow struck, she’d likely lose her balance… which would leave the Mandalorian with the high ground.
He had to act quickly. The Sith were momentarily focused on one-another, leaving him free to operate as he pleased. That was a dangerous play, and Rynn couldn’t help but grin maliciously. Like his brothers and sisters elsewhere on the planet’s surface, the Rally Master would capitalize on this newly presented advantage. His visor’s false-firelight danced before the man’s twinned retinae before chiming harmoniously as a target-lock was achieved. While his right vambrace was pointed to the heavens, a dozen miniature rockets were remotely triggered and protruded from their clustered housings. Their lights pulsed twice as they received the targeting telemetry from Rynn’s visor and were rapidly ejected as the magnetic accelerators activated and catapulted them towards their targets.
These nano-missiles, launched from a honeycombed apparatus, were known as whistling birds in the Mandalorian tongue. Their technology was once thought lost. But, as the Death Watch found themselves in possession of a databank - rife with technologies from before the dark ages - they started to make a resurgence in the modern era. What made these whistling birds deadly was they appeared to be nothing more than blaster bolts. But, the truth of their lethality lay beneath the miniaturized surface. Not only were they capable of chasing their targets with relative ease, but they were highly explosive, as each carried enough of a punch to blow a hole through a lightly armoured opponent.
As the Sith Duelist was the most heavily armoured of the two Sith, Rynn expected that the whistling birds would do little more than enrage the man. But, where the Sith Assassin was concerned? Who knew what would happen.


 
The Devil | Kavar Lok Kas'Oni

EQUIPMENT: Armor - X | Main-Hand Lightsaber - X | Off-Hand Lightsaber - X | Right Arm - X
OBJECTIVE 1: THE NINN KAGGATH
Primary RP Opponent: Telis Taharin
Secondary RP Opponent: Darth Solipsis Darth Solipsis
Overarching Opponents: TSE | Respective Allies
Overarching Allies: WotS | Respective Allies
NPC Allies: Sith Battle Chapter
Theme: Impure Spectrum
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The Devil blocked each piece of metallic debris with masterful footwork and tight deflections from his Soresu, gripping the hilt of his blade with both clawed - and armored - hands. Soon enough, the hallway where this bout began was filled with shrapnel and sheets of the decrepit structure. One piece of it even managed to sneak its way through a gap in the plating but found itself stuck in the fiber mesh under-armor of the suit. Despite this, a laugh resonated from under the Devil's helmet, a plume of blue embers exuding from the frontal grating.

And the impossibly formed smile of his skeletal visage continued to spread with each strike of this debris and each back step to keep the defensive up. Stretching until each end had nearly rounded his eye sockets to form a crescent moon shape. Of course, the Elder Sith would not be able to physically see this, but through the Force - gazing on his face with the imperceptible sight - was certainly possible for a man of this stature.


The Elder Sith charged with a flourish of crimson as Kascalion braced with a solid defensive line of his own crimson. It was a dazzling display of lights off the walls as the two advanced backward towards the hangar from which Kascalion came from. The fumes of his main-hand saber spread with each strike, filling the halls with noxious Dark Side gases that could potentially choke out any poor soul daring to interfere in the affairs of the Force. Each slash and swipe from this Djem So was a stroke of motivation and the Devil found it somewhat tricky to truly block and deflect every attempt at his life with the same level of

With angled blocks and pendulum deflections, the Devil attempted to work the man into a more open area. There were sure to be more Sith from the Empire in spite of the Devil's previous onslaught. What would happen to them had yet to be written in his Narrative, but they were still likely - certain - to die at the hands of the Sith masters. Certainly at the hands of this Solipsis who was obscenely strong in the Force. A brief examination of his blackthorn heart and the sickly aura of blackened ooze surrounding him and leaving a trail of despair with every step...well that was enough to bring a tinge of joy to the Devil's voided soul.

Yes, he was a truly worthy adversary to engage in combat with. A battle that, if time permitted, could have been endless as there was no discernible cap to this man's utter might in the Dark Side. This insignificant clash in the passage, of fundamental footwork and the most simple of attacks, was merely the pre-tasting of what was to come. And what glorious combat there was to come, indeed.

 


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Objective 3: ok i fight Devil
Tags: Kascalion Giedfield Kascalion Giedfield
Allies: WoTS
Enemies: TSE

The choking miasma spilled forth, wretched gas of the Dark Side following in the wake of the two combatants as they fought their way to the open hangar. Sparks and loosely cut wire danced around them as their sabers bounced from one another in a remarkable display of crimson lights. The impressive defense of the Devil kept the Elder at bay, their forms countering another in a deadlock.

His lips remained sealed, his breath under control, and eyes filled with determination as each swing of lightsaber came down with the intent to kill. It was frustrating how well controlled his opponent was at redirecting his blows and keeping up against the constant barrage levied against him. A worthy opponent indeed, it seemed that the battle had only just begun, he could feel his opponent's penumbral shadow in the Dark Side radiate with power. There was no telling what limits, if any this being had. It was this very power that drew him here to this fight, the very same power he sought to put to the test here and now.

From an outsider looking in, it would almost appear as if the two Sith Lords were enjoying the duel as they came into the open area. A strike bounced from the blade of his opponent as red sparks spontaneously erupted from his offhand's fingertips onto the crimson plasma of his own blade. Dancing along the course of the saber, red bolts of electricity traveled along the razor's edge as the lightsaber sprung forward within the grip of it's wielder. Solipsis shifted his stance, striking with a swift piercing blow of Form II: Makashi. His body struck swift with the power of the Force, yet there were limits to what his frail body could take. He pondered ever so briefly if this man, if you could call a walking embodiment of darkness that, would bring him to his limit?

The unlucky Sith belonging to the Empire would bear witness to this fight among titans, a group of hostiles moved in that could only assume to be of Sith Imperial origin. Immediately taking up positions they opened fire on the two Sith, unknowingly sealing their doom.


 
The Devil | Kavar Lok Kas'Oni

EQUIPMENT: Armor - X | Main-Hand Lightsaber - X | Off-Hand Lightsaber - X | Right Arm - X
OBJECTIVE 1: THE NINN KAGGATH
Primary RP Opponent: Telis Taharin
Secondary RP Opponent: Darth Solipsis Darth Solipsis
Overarching Opponents: TSE | Respective Allies
Overarching Allies: WotS | Respective Allies
NPC Allies: Sith Battle Chapter
Theme: Polemos
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The electric judgment of Sith erupted in a brilliant, atomic flash from the Elder Sith's fingers. In the span of a half-second, the light that came from the sudden application of the Force Power was...obtrusive yet glorious. A moment of white swiftly transitioning into a blood-red. Brilliant chaos that bounced off the walls and floor and ceilings before condensing down onto the blade of the Elder Sith. In that same instant, the man had shifted into a more appropriate stance for this duel of one versus one. Makashi, the duelist's stance - made famous by such legends as Darth Tyrannus, Cin Drallig, and Jerec. It was a surprising turn of events in the Narrative and one that saw the Elder Sith's crimson, sparkling blade find fair purchase behind the defensive line of the Devil. With the swift precision of Makashi, the edge carved through the black metal of his left gauntlet and sliced through the wiring of the deactivated communications device and flashlights.

The Devil laughed as he swung himself back from the assault, the smoldering scar on his gauntlet singing the praises of the Elder Sith's skills. He performed a flourish with his blade, the fumes of it spitting across the hangar floor in noxious clumps. With a clacking of his teeth, he quickly adopted a new stance to prepare for this new chapter in the bout, that of Niman - perhaps his single best stance outside of Jar'Kai, which itself could be utilized to some extent with Niman. While he was not masterful with the forms that made it up on their own individual levels, he was generally skilled with each - the benefit of living for as long as he had. Ironically, however - despite his actual near-mastery with Niman - because it provided a moderation of all previous forms, giving no advantages or drawbacks, it was often his most ignored, to his detriment.

Here, however, would be different. This man, this Solipsis - whose aura in the Dark Side was now utterly catastrophic in the hangar as it melded into the Devil's own - was too dangerous not to utilize it. He could sense that much.

In the silent seconds between the reignited clash of the titans, the severe grin of his skull creating a chasmic split between his jaws, both held together by a mere strand of corrupted bone. It was horrific and abyssal, coming from a place as far deep as the Netherworld itself. It was everything that was wrong with sound, let alone a laugh. It was a Devil's snicker and call, enhanced by the burning blue embers from the frontal grating of the helm. And it was perhaps what caused the suddenly appearing Sith Imperials - who had likely managed to break through the lines outside of his Battle Chapter as the chaos reigned supreme - to open fire just as the two Sith moved to re-engage.

Substituting his initial stance of offensive Niman to that of ranged defensive, the Devil's humor vanished in that instant and the smile dissipated back to its natural state on the skeletal visage. His planned route towards the Elder Sith was shifted just as quickly as his feet would carry him and he charged those Imperials with unholy wrath. The fuming crimson blade carved through their flesh and metal with vexed emotions, charred organs spilling onto the floor to create a disaster painting. Screams, orders, and general indiscernible yelling all emitted from these soldiers fell victim despite their unified skills, finding that each attempted blast to gun down the Devil was met only by deflection with lightsaber and reinforced armor. Loyal men and women to false idols that would soon rejoin as well once if they survived their own clashes with the Knights of the Warlords of the Sith.

He would only turn to re-engage his bout with the Elder Sith once he was certain that enough of these distractions had been dealt with and could be cleaned up by either a returning cadre of the Battle Chapter or one of the Warlords' Knights also occupying the vast hangar. He would do this by leaping towards the man through the air once their gazes met and they both acknowledged the resuming of their fight. And as he would fall with this leaping, he would swing down vertically, the fuming crimson blade aimed for the crown of the Elder Sith's head.

 

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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE

"Thank you for joining me, Darth Daiara Darth Daiara . I'm happy we could handle this face to face."

The cavernous training room stank of smoke and cleaning chemicals. The place had a deep chill, an aura of the Dark Side. Aradia would have trained here more than once.


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Ashin walked up to the central platform, which was large enough for a duel all by itself. Around the platform, steam hissed up from vents fed by alchemical furnaces elsewhere. She wore the sword Jentaral at her hip - her usual daily carry, not an explicit threat or invitation to violence.

"You made the cut to stand among the knights and masters who study in this...non-denominational academy of the Dark Side. You've grown since we met at Lake Krul. And you understand, I'm sure, that my friendship with your first teacher earned you no special consideration. You are here because you deserve it.

"Sadly," she added without the slightest indication of sadness, "other than you, how many of the Zambrano dynasty's loyalists have dared to apply, let alone succeeded? The answer is three, as it happens, none of them currently studying here. At the moment you are the sole representative of the Sith Empire in this academy.

"I'm no ethicist, Aradia, but I do find value in one principle: if an action is contemptible, I generally don't do it. I would submit that the Sith Empire is not good enough for you. Its principles and practices don't deserve your loyalty. Can we discuss?"




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Aradia stood at the edge of the room, not claiming the center of the platform with Ashin. She had no reason to mistrust the woman, even if the two empires did clash lightyears below their feet. The word friend wasn't easily given out by Kaalia, but when it was used, Aradia didn't easily forget it.

It was wise to know who might lend a hand in a world of deadly absolutes. Still, Aradia didn't approach the Sith Lord who had summoned her. The chill of the room reminded her of the secrets she held. She took in a deep breath and listened to the Ashin's address.

"I'm no ethicist, Aradia, but I do find value in one principle: if an action is contemptible, I generally don't do it. I would submit that the Sith Empire is not good enough for you. Its principles and practices don't deserve your loyalty. Can we discuss?"

Her rigid spine slowly released, her hands falling amicably at her side. "Usually it's the Jedi trying to convert me," she mused, no smile on her lips as she looked Ashin over.

A beat.

She tipped her chin and stepped onto the platform. "If I'm a loyalist though, the Empire is screwed." As Darth Pollix could contest... She grimaced and folded her arms around her front. "I'm just trying to keep the keep the Imperials back."

"It's the right thing to do."




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THE POMOJEMA
DEEP SPACE
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara

"Yes, I suppose it is," Ashin said. "I do have one more principle, you might say: punch up, not down. There's something deeply contemptible about the way the New Order and the Galactic Alliance have combined to crush the Sith Empire relentlessly. Not as contemptible as the Empire's many atrocities and cowardices and petty vanities, of course - but still. This war is no contest of equals. I appreciate an underdog. If not for the Empire's abject and irredeemable worthlessness I'd back it to the hilt."

She smiled thinly.

"I believe the Empire's leaders thought they were seizing the opportunity to punch down for once when they crossed us at Ninn. A planet where we, the Warlords, had just finished crushing our second consecutive New Order incursion. The Sith Empire is by no means the New Order's most committed and promising enemy.

"I won't say we're paragons of honor - but the Warlords have earned my loyalty and respect. I want that authenticity for the ones like you, the next generation doomed to die so the Zambrano cult can perpetrate its last few aimless, flailing genocides for sport."





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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


"Or--" Aradia countered, "The Empire was trying to shore up their territory to prevent the Imperials from cutting the it off at the neck."

She bit her own tongue and considered Ashin. Self-expression wasn't an easy trait for a once-was slave. The Academies certainly hadn't encouraged it either. It was one thing to open up and speak her mind, it was another to disagree with a superior.

Come to think of it, it was easier to duel a jedi than was it was to hold Ashin's gaze and elaborate further. But she did, speaking with slow intention as she explained her perspective.

"They will be back for Ziost. I haven't seen any sign of their resources showing strain, it's unnatural. They want that territory, and if they get it? The rest of the Empire falls dark. All of those worlds--

"Purged."


Her fingers tightened on her arms, her words flowing freer as passion entered her tone. "Ninn would stop that, wouldn't it? They could establish secure trade routes, move troops-- continue to fight back. Which you should want. Master, the more of us there are out there, the safer we are. They're not going to stop at the The Empire. Imagine, the full force of the Imperials and Jedi coming down on your little warlords-"

A short, pained laugh escaped her.

"There's no honor out there."


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THE POMOJEMA
DEEP SPACE

"What I should want, hmm? Understand, Aradia, there's no circumstance where I'd piss on the Sith Empire leadership if it was on fire. I hold contempt for the New Order as well, for their stupid waste and hypocrisy and most of all getting my wife killed, but the Sith Empire is who actually killed her. These are many of the same core people who served the One Sith - who turned a blind eye when their lords kidnapped and tortured Spencer. There was betrayal, both then and thirty years ago. It's all the same cadre, all the same faces, convincing the best and the brightest of each generation to waste themselves. Their best interests are not yours."

Ashin spread her hands in a disarming kind of way.

"But let's focus on what matters to you: defeating the New Imperial Order. Let's consider Ninn a microcosm of everything wrong with the Empire, and why I believe you'd find more success with us.

"The Empire
moved to take control of Ninn through economic talks - veiled pillaging to feed the war machine and the next great Zambrano palace.

"Meanwhile, our forces - the 'little Warlords,' as you put it -
defeated a major New Order incursion both groundside and in orbit. We beat them in two more engagements at Brosi just before that. I'll always remember taking and holding the Nihun Bridge as real Sith Lords drove back the Imperial Knights. In a couple of weeks, we've had more solid victories against the New Order than the Empire's past year. Why? Because the leaders you follow are clinging to their thrones for a little reprieve before they're average Sith again. And they will throw your life away for that reprieve."


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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​




"Meanwhile, our forces - the 'little Warlords,' as you put it"-- Aradia grimaced, shifting her weight onto her back leg. She opted to fall silent, half absorbed with facts she hadn't known and half enticed, yes, with the news the Imperials were being beaten back.

"...I dont care about the Empire," she finally stated, her voice nearly hushed. She might not be a loyalist now, but she had been raised as one-- schooled as one. She did not find it so easy to out right disown the entity that had once made up her whole world. "I know it's flawed. I know it'd sooner step on my back to keep ahead.

"I understand how this works."


She looked around them, then stepped forward again, confiding, "They don't have my loyalty anymore. But I don't see how that changes anything. Tell me, you've seen empires fall before. What will those nations do once they've won?"


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The Pomojema
Deep Space
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara

Ashin shook her head. "I don't know the future. I'm no prophet. I do have a good imagination. Here's what I picture."

Illusion wasn't her strong suit either. The rough galactic map that took form above them was a thing of static and sparks, controlled little webs of discharge like lightning flickering inside a thunderhead. The air grew heavy. It stank of ozone. The galaxy of lightning filled the gigantic chamber above their heads. The map took different configurations, territories marked in light and darkness and all the hues of lightning. The Warlords' territory was a sizzling red, for one.

"I imagine the New Order will overextend. Perhaps they'll clash with the Silver Jedi at Eshan or in the former Sith worlds. Perhaps those tensions will be the backdrop for wars against the Worm's faction on Korriban, or against the Warlords, or all of the above. You know far better than me that the New Order are uncompromising fascists just like most of their enemies. That forces them to push too long and too far, or risk crippling deflation once the war is ostensibly won. No matter how the next year or two shakes out, the New Order will struggle to justify its own existence. It'll lash out in hopes of rekindling old glories, but its long decline will already be in motion."

The map vanished, grounded out in the phrik walls.

"So I've joined the Warlords, not because I care about territory but because they're successfully chipping away at the New Order. The weaker and more fatigued our mutual enemies become, in any degree, the quicker their well-earned collapse."




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


It all made sense. Aradia couldn't deny that Ashin had a rather thought out prediction on the path the imperials were bleeding themselves down. She didn't care for news or politics, she was naively convinced that wars could be fought off battle plans alone. It made Ashin's rendition sound that much more plausible to her inexperienced mind.

Perhaps it wasn't wise to trust the woman who would stand on the other side of the field, but she was sure that if Ashin meant her harm it would have already been committed. This was a recruitment after all.

Aradia crossed her arms, her posture relaxing as she let out a heavy breath.

"And what happens to those that don't join-- that don't believe-- that get left behind when the Empire fails. They will be left more vulnerable than ever. They will retreat here. Maybe with others. When they come knocking on these doors, what will you do?" She questioned, her voice growing hushed at the implication.



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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


"Let's examine that future, then."

The last vestiges of the lightning map grounded out, leaving the air heavy and tense in the grand training room.

"I fully agree with you: the very loyal or stubborn will wait until the Empire's final moments to go elsewhere. If they show up at the Warlords' door and there's no personal vengeance necessary, I'm sure they can find a place and a power base with us. If they come here specifically, here to the Pomojema...well, my dear, that depends entirely on two things. Whether they can meet this academy's standards like you did, and whether they were complicit in my wife's torture and murder."

The temperature in the room dropped a dozen degrees or so. Ashin didn't notice.

"There is no place in this academy for a handful of serious old names. But the hundreds of talented Sith who will realize too late that being part of the Empire is worthless - them, I'll take with open arms."



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


A shudder rang over her spine, before a wash of the force warmed her against the sudden chill.

She had met the man that was now the emperor of her Empire. Once, at the very start of it all. She remembered the way his energy made her heart race. Heavy, dark, corrupted. He had flaunted his strength and worn it like armor. Standing before him had been a test of courage like no other for Aradia at the time.

Before the wars, before her death. Before the darkness that flowed through her like blood.

For a moment, just a sentence, she caught a wiff of that same something from Ashin. While so little of the conversation was about the woman's wife, Aradia's attention lingered on the words that had been spoken.

"...My master- .... Kaalia," she corrected, a slight grimace to her thin-pressed lips. "Once told me that I need to find my reason. That power just for power is ... destructive. That no one, not even you, could truly ascend and remain themselves without a purpose. ... I've started to see that now. In those above me. ... Those that have controlled it and those that are its slave."

Her thoughts flowed choppily. She looked up to Ashin and said them all the same, a sharpness to the gaze that tried to cut through the woman and dissect her where she stood.

"So what's yours?"


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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


"Kaalia Pavanos was entirely right. I'd imagine she was teaching you the core truth of the Sith tradition - something many emperors have kept hidden from their cannon fodder. When the Sith Code speaks of victory and breaking chains, it's talking about overcoming absolutely everything that stands between you and what you want most.

"You're aware, of course, that until recently my overriding goal was to resurrect my wife. I paid terrible prices for that. I broke every chain that mattered-" She tapped her heart and her temple. "-in here, and all the external ones too. Finding your truest purpose goes hand in hand with the power of commitment.

"I built this place as a tool to further my quest in all sorts of ways, direct and indirect. Now that I've succeeded, it serves another purpose. This academy, like no other, demands commitment to yourself. It demands you find your why and cut away all the nonsense - the ambitions and actions you've been taught you should pursue, the expectations. This place can help you clarify your goal and equip your mind to achieve it. And now that I've achieved mine, this place is helping me clarify what comes next."



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


It was strange to hear that Ashin didn't have a real answer. Aradia had often thought she felt so... lost because of her ranking. Maybe if she worked harder, achieved Knight for real, the hole in her chest would suddenly make sense. Her superiors always seemed to have their chit straight. She hadn't fathomed that a Sith Lord's life could be in just as much flux as her own.

...

That was better, she guessed, than learning of any number of undesirable plans.

"...I think you should care more about letting Ninn fall to the hands of the Empire than you've considered, then." Her words were careful, the girl aware of the chasm of steam on either side of her.

"See, I care about preservation, and I promise you-- losing front anywhere to them is bad for us all. I will help you, because your success is just as vital to me as the Empire's, but I am asking you to consider that just maybe ... your anger with the Empire leaves you vulnerable. Because unless you're confident in your Warlord's ability to outlast the united front of two nations-- You are resigning yourself to unpredictable loses.


"Hate them. Fine. But be smart about it-- use them. They're a source of power. You've manipulated Empires. I think we could figure something out."

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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


Ashin nodded slowly, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"In the spirit of intellectual honesty I agree that my hatred of the Sith Empire is a cognitive bias. Well done. That said, let's reexamine some of the assumptions behind your argument.

"I don't believe the Warlords of the Sith can stand alone against the full united strength of the New Order and the Alliance. Three points.

"First, they've given their all to this war for a long few years. Overreach and fatigue aren't certainties, but they're certainly possibilities.

"Second, I am far, far more invested in hurting the New Order than in the Warlords' triumph.

"Third, Ninn isn't the only strategic choke point right now. Important, yes - important enough that I understand why the Empire challenged us - but look here."

The lightning map sprang to life again, a crackling galaxy. Hues and brightness shifted as the New Order struck into the Empire's heart, straight for the Lords of the Sith, the Sith Eternal - the Worm's followers.

"I have prophets on the payroll, good ones. This is a probable next step. At one blow, the Empire loses almost two thirds of its territory. Does that make the potential loss of Ziost and Tiss'sharl less crippling? No - but these worlds and Ninn wouldn't be so crucial if the Empire hadn't allowed the Worm Emperor's followers to squat on Korriban unchallenged.

"But let's say the future rests on Ninn. The Empire's staggering might is arrayed against the Warlords - or so we anticipated. If Ninn is so crucial-"

The guillotine snapped shut on the map. All the Empire's territory west of Ziost went dark.

"-then why am I hearing reports that the Empire's presence at Ninn has slackened off drastically? Where did all the Dark Lords go?"

The lightning map grounded out again. Ashin relaxed.

"Here's what I think happened. The Empire's leadership thought this would be easy. When it became clear that we could stand up to them, they lost interest. And that tells me one absolutely crucial thing.

"They don't much care about Ninn's strategic position, regardless of whether they should. What they cared about was punching down: a short victorious war to bolster morale. To put on a fresh coat of paint. So that when the same handful of powerful people move to their next imperial project in a year or five, they'll still have their followers. They don't care about the Empire; they don't care about hurting the New Order; they're just shoring up transferable power bases. Choosing not to follow through at Ninn is the writing on the wall. The war is all but over. And by the time you finally get off the sinking ship, the Empire's leaders will already be on comfortable yachts.

"Yes, I hate. But I don't hate blindly."




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Aradia's shoulders slowly dropped, disheartened by the picture painted out across the air.

She felt horribly lost in that moment. It had always been Kaalia she had gone to for direction, back when the woman had resembled something closer to Ashin than a holoflick mother. Aradia shouldn't be having to wade through this alone-- Darth Avacyn was meant to be by her side, instructing her.

Protecting her.

As much as she believed Ashin wouldn't harm her for her allegiances she wasn't stupid. When chit hit the fan, the Sith Lord would put herself first. Just like the Empire. It wasn't a slight, it just was. Kaalia had once spoken to her about the factors that should define her loyalty, but Aradia hadn't expected to need to juggle that topic on her own so soon.

The fires well below their feet flared, sending waves of billowing steam between them. Her nostrils flared, failing to cap her anger.

"One time." she told the woman, tearing her gaze off the force-fueled map. "One call, one infiltration-- one whatever your Warlords need to pull ahead of those imperial imps. We'll go from there." Aradia shifted warily, unsure if it was the right decision but committing to it anyway.

"On one condition."


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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


Carefully, she said to herself. The commitment's made but this can still go sideways. Do nothing that could be misinterpreted as gloating. No wry humor, for one.

"I think I can guess. The price of you standing shoulder to shoulder with the Warlords is me fighting alongside the Empire. I sacrifice my pride for what I desire: another log on the pyre of a comprehensive revenge. And you, trapped on a sinking ship while the captain's yacht sails away - you, my dear, start building a much-needed raft. At least that's how our bargain looks from my end."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Unless I've guessed your price wrong?"



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Red cheeks and a sly grin answered for her, Ashin's guess bringing about a bout of embarrassment.

"Well that and... teach me how to do that map," she responded, breaking the moment with humor of her own.

"That isn't all I can offer, though." She hesitated, then continued, her smile melting away."The Imperials do not slow, but I- I think I found a way to weaken them. Permanently. It's just..." She rubbed at her face, text appearing under her eyelids in a disorienting haze. They whispered to her in foreign tones, tugging at her attention.

"Beyond me." She shook her head, hard, before refocusing back on the Sith Lord before her.

"I will give you what I've found. Help me execute it when I'm ready and I'll transcribe it all for you on paper. ...Or holopads. It's a raft. For both of us. ... I hope. "


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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


Picking up on humanity in general had never been Ashin's strong suit, but the shift in Aradia's demeanor set off a bell. It almost - almost - made her think possession.

"I think you'd better stop being cryptic about whatever ritual or vision or passenger is hiding in there. If it could bring pain to the New Order, let's hear it. There's nowhere better to actualize a little hell."

She permitted herself a flicker of sapient warmth. Aradia had earned it.

"As for the map, ask me again in a decade."




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Aradia grimaced.

"I'm not trying to be coy, I just can't-" Her attention left Ashin again, her eyes slipping left and right as it followed a series of intangible concepts pressing forward. They were insistent, demanding to be recognized, but they came in a form that sat at the end of her tongue.

"Find words for it. It showed itself to me, and now it won't shut up until I listen. I'm trying." She griped, snapping her hands back down. "But it's ancient. The more complicated symbols mean nothing to me-- pieces are missing."

She was driven into pacing as she tried.

"What I do know is it's some sort of spell. It's... dark. But affective. It stops healing. Whatever we do to their men on the field, they wouldn't be able to come back from it. It just needs something-- something I can't-"

The whispers grew harsh as they strove to be heard. Her fingers dug into her temples. Pain did little to clarify the concepts that drifted untranslated in her mind. It was maddening. She needed to complete this. Her distant gaze snapped back to Ashin, sharp.


"It's old. Maybe you'll know it."


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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


"'Stops healing'...well, it rings a very faint bell. Let's see what we can do. Come with me."

She took pride in the completeness of the Pomojema's resources. Among those resources were
Dreamscape headsets - open market, mass-produced. Within five minutes, she'd provided Aradia with one of them, as well as a qabbrat meditation chamber. As a student here, Aradia would have used the chambers before.

"Impose order on the flow of content if you can," Ashin said, examining the headset's video feed on a datapad. She stood near the door to give Aradia a good bit of space. "The meditation chamber will help with that. But it's more important to go along with whatever comes to you, wherever it takes you. All those ancient symbols you mentioned - let them come. You don't need to do anything other than experience what you've been experiencing. Me, I like to use these headsets to record visions and things I see by farsight, but they'll work perfectly well for your purposes. No need to fuss about how to get it all on paper or make a coherent picture of it. Just be."



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Aradia settled into the chamber, weight lifting preemptively off her chest as Ashin handed her the headset. She studied it for a moment, then slipped it on, relieved to have a solution.

This would have taken her months to fuss out on her own. Several, maddening months. She let out a slow breath, urging her thoughts to drift to a drawl so the whispers coul--

"Master?" Her eyes jolted open, the soft blue boring into Ashin across the way.

Silence hit the air. Her lips pursed, framing the careful set of words.

"You still haven't agreed to my condition."



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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara

"Oh, I assure you my forgetfulness is a matter of age, not some little trickery. Those aren't my kind of games. Yes, I agree with your condition. I'll fight alongside the Sith Empire against the New Order - once. Remember that I owe both of them significant pain."

The qabbrat room was spherical, with the meditation platform in the centre at the bottom. Ashin sat on the steps with her back to the door. The room offered nowhere else to sit, and her bad knee was, as ever, bothering her. She rubbed at it with one hand but kept her focus on the datapad. The video feed was starting to come through - Aradia's thoughts, her visions, whatever lurked inside her skull.

"Focus, dear."




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​



Ashin's words were more than enough reassurance. Aradia nodded once, the physical action used to mark the end of their chatter. Suddenly the thought of another invasion didn't seem so bleak. Vivid images of battle sparked across the screen with vibrant color, filled with emotion. Hope.

It was a hard emotion to clamp down, but she did. The images diminished, dissipating out into intentional darkness. Aradia let out a long breath and relaxed into the energies that made up the sphere.

The symbols flickered forward, jumbled and chaotic. She tried to straighten them out-- tried to pair each of them to images that expressed meaning she already knew. It only added to the noise, distracting from the true message trying to show itself to her. This made them speak louder. A subtle headache pinched in her temple, until Ashin's instructions bubbled back to her.

Just be.


She took in a final deep breath... and released.


The symbols came barreling forward. She treated them like an itch in a meditation session and let them exist. Soon, their fevered energies calmed. They drifted harmlessly across her eyelids, the text running through her from start to finish. Twice.

Goosebumps prickled across her skin as she felt them leave her, released into the force as they completed their task.


"...Please tell me you got that," she whispered, rubbing her arms as she pulled back to reality.



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING


With Darth Daiara Darth Daiara engrossed in her inner life, Ashin let her facade crack. Took off the mask, as it were, sitting there on the steps watching some girl burn out her life on hate. It spoke to regrets she'd rarely acknowledged.

Regrets, and also the clawing threat of despair. She'd fallen in with the Warlords, built this academy, organized the Aksifas, kept up appearances, reclaimed a flinty, formidable, properly Sith persona - all toward Spencer's resurrection. And now Spencer lived again. That left everything hollow.

Sacrifice it all for what you want most, she said to herself. So after all this, your life's mission accomplished with life still ahead - what do you want?

And why, after asking that for weeks, haven't you found the answer until now?

She looked away from the datapad feed and its blurring, warping Sith glyphs - a fascinating spell that failed to fascinate. She rested a hand on the cold dark steel of the doorframe, of this ship she'd made into perhaps the best dark side academy in operation. Scholars and teachers from the Sith, the Raskava, the Mecrosa, and half a dozen other traditions. High standards, high commitment. Real teaching with actual pedagogy. Skill. Will. Quality.

She put down the datapad - it was recording, and sending the footage to a backup drive - and focused on the girl. An interesting opponent and ally, to be sure...

...but above all, a student. Ashin's student. In a place that aimed to provide a far better education than Ashin had received half a century ago.

"It's secure," she said, getting up achily. "What you've found is a spell to make damage incurred by a willing Force-sensitive's death...slow to heal, and immune to Force healing. It's Krath. It's vicious. And you won't grasp it until you're a Master, but striving for it will help make you one."




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Aradia slid off her headset, her grin catching at Ashin's final set of words.

You won't grasp it until you're a Master.

But she was now, and forevermore, a Masterless apprentice. She shook her head, quickly dashing the set of lies she told from her thoughts. The headset was off, but it wasn't a risk worth taking. She needed this place. She needed Ashin's vow to make any of this work.

"So that's where you come in," she insisted, crawling up and onto her two feet. She pressed forward to Ashin, repeating. "You'll come. You'll help me do it. We will unleash this curse onto the imperials and together we'll watch them bleed. They're not gods." She held out the headset, her expression set in determination as she found her next path.

"I'm strong enough for this."

 
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Ashin Cardé Varanin

Couple bodies in the garden where the grass grows

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Ashin accepted the gear and set it aside with the datapad. She stood up in the doorway and looked down at this angry young woman - suicidally angry, perhaps.

"So be it," she said. "A test of the spell and a test of you. Just don't think I'll allow you to be the suicide bomber. You're a Pomojema student, and you represent a significant investment."

She stepped back into the hall, giving Aradia room to exit the Qabbrat chamber.

"The Warlords are planning to interfere with the New Order's conquest of Dorin. I've contacted the local dark side group, the Cult of Sion, which is certain to be in the crosshairs. I've agreed to evacuate their elders and initiates to the Pomojema in return for the services of their most fanatical marauders. It's the perfect opportunity to test the Krath sorcery and let you fill your side of the bargain - fighting alongside the Warlords."


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E T E R N A L - E M P R E S S
Moderator
Lady Ingrid L’lerim Ragal Terassi Vandiir
Eternal Empress of the Eternal Empire, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud
The Red Witch, The Night Queen, Lady Stuztala, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium, Archon of the Primyn Group
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Location: Halfway to the spaceport, Ninn
Objective II.: IN THE STORM OF DURASTEEL
Equipment: 2x Sigra vibroblade | 2x Striith vibrosword | The Soulsabers | Heilagr MK. I Assassin Armour | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | G1 OmniLink | The Last Gift || Empyrean gland
Writing with: Rynn Vizsla Rynn Vizsla | Romund Sro Romund Sro
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The next moments were infinitely slow and fast at the same time. They are slow as they survey each other. She suspected the two men also might be wondering who was capable of what. It was now a tactic and a game of patience; for it could also tell about someone when they would lose their patience. Who was the weak point around the three people? Ingrid knew herself perfectly that she could play this game for hours. But she had a feeling that this game wasn’t going to be that long now.

She was not wrong. It was the Sith man who first attacked, in the direction of Mandalorian, and then attacked Ingrid. The man moved quickly and smoothly. Normally, Ingrid would have just paid attention to her, but here she couldn't afford that luxury. The other man attacked them as well. She got to know the weapon, it wasn't the first time she'd seen anything like it. The red-haired woman pretty much knew what these weapons were like. That they are strong enough and have several variants, in terms of projectiles.

Although her armour looked like a weak light blood, fortunately she was much stronger; but nevertheless she did not want to test how much her armour resisted. The Sith arrived during the duel and attacked her legs. As the man tried to sweep the woman's legs with his feet, Ingrid jumped back with a somersault, accelerating her own movement with the Force to make sure she was successful. The bullets that targeted her flew exactly where the woman had been before.

However, they immediately changed the course and turned after it. For a few moments, she didn't care about the Sith man, because he too probably had a preoccupation with his own projectiles. And Ingrid headed for Mandalorian, running. She reached into the Force and tried to pull the man in her own direction with a strong telekinetic tug. If her deeds will succeed and they are close enough to each other, the woman will teleport behind the man before the moment of the impact. Hoping the bullets will hit her opponent.

Of course, if all this succeeds, she doesn’t want to show her back to the battlefield, but turns back in the direction of the two men as quickly as she can.

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That sense of superiority and strength of self shone through as his opponent spoke. He believed himself strong. No duty, no nation; only self, only Sith. Was there more than Sith? Was there more to the galaxy than channeling hate and power? There was order and disorder, at the very least; did order make them better than the heretics?

Xeykard roared, throwing his hands up. With all the Force he could muster he pushed back against the flames, forcing it to a stop. Enough pushing and the heat dispersed.

"I would never bow to a weakling like you!" Gathering his strength once more, he turned to one of the spaceport's few remaining ships. Through his ethereal grasp and power he took hold of the small freighter. A grunt of exertion escaped him, just as the metal hull groaned when he hoisted it up into the air. It floated higher and higher.

This was his strength. The raw telekinetic power bequeathed upon him. He roared again, then threw the ship at the armored Sith.
 

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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE

"Thank you for joining me, Darth Daiara Darth Daiara . I'm happy we could handle this face to face."

The cavernous training room stank of smoke and cleaning chemicals. The place had a deep chill, an aura of the Dark Side. Aradia would have trained here more than once.


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Ashin walked up to the central platform, which was large enough for a duel all by itself. Around the platform, steam hissed up from vents fed by alchemical furnaces elsewhere. She wore the sword Jentaral at her hip - her usual daily carry, not an explicit threat or invitation to violence.

"You made the cut to stand among the knights and masters who study in this...non-denominational academy of the Dark Side. You've grown since we met at Lake Krul. And you understand, I'm sure, that my friendship with your first teacher earned you no special consideration. You are here because you deserve it.

"Sadly," she added without the slightest indication of sadness, "other than you, how many of the Zambrano dynasty's loyalists have dared to apply, let alone succeeded? The answer is three, as it happens, none of them currently studying here. At the moment you are the sole representative of the Sith Empire in this academy.

"I'm no ethicist, Aradia, but I do find value in one principle: if an action is contemptible, I generally don't do it. I would submit that the Sith Empire is not good enough for you. Its principles and practices don't deserve your loyalty. Can we discuss?"




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Aradia stood at the edge of the room, not claiming the center of the platform with Ashin. She had no reason to mistrust the woman, even if the two empires did clash lightyears below their feet. The word friend wasn't easily given out by Kaalia, but when it was used, Aradia didn't easily forget it.

It was wise to know who might lend a hand in a world of deadly absolutes. Still, Aradia didn't approach the Sith Lord who had summoned her. The chill of the room reminded her of the secrets she held. She took in a deep breath and listened to the Ashin's address.

"I'm no ethicist, Aradia, but I do find value in one principle: if an action is contemptible, I generally don't do it. I would submit that the Sith Empire is not good enough for you. Its principles and practices don't deserve your loyalty. Can we discuss?"

Her rigid spine slowly released, her hands falling amicably at her side. "Usually it's the Jedi trying to convert me," she mused, no smile on her lips as she looked Ashin over.

A beat.

She tipped her chin and stepped onto the platform. "If I'm a loyalist though, the Empire is screwed." As Darth Pollix could contest... She grimaced and folded her arms around her front. "I'm just trying to keep the keep the Imperials back."

"It's the right thing to do."




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THE POMOJEMA
DEEP SPACE
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara

"Yes, I suppose it is," Ashin said. "I do have one more principle, you might say: punch up, not down. There's something deeply contemptible about the way the New Order and the Galactic Alliance have combined to crush the Sith Empire relentlessly. Not as contemptible as the Empire's many atrocities and cowardices and petty vanities, of course - but still. This war is no contest of equals. I appreciate an underdog. If not for the Empire's abject and irredeemable worthlessness I'd back it to the hilt."

She smiled thinly.

"I believe the Empire's leaders thought they were seizing the opportunity to punch down for once when they crossed us at Ninn. A planet where we, the Warlords, had just finished crushing our second consecutive New Order incursion. The Sith Empire is by no means the New Order's most committed and promising enemy.

"I won't say we're paragons of honor - but the Warlords have earned my loyalty and respect. I want that authenticity for the ones like you, the next generation doomed to die so the Zambrano cult can perpetrate its last few aimless, flailing genocides for sport."





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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


"Or--" Aradia countered, "The Empire was trying to shore up their territory to prevent the Imperials from cutting the it off at the neck."

She bit her own tongue and considered Ashin. Self-expression wasn't an easy trait for a once-was slave. The Academies certainly hadn't encouraged it either. It was one thing to open up and speak her mind, it was another to disagree with a superior.

Come to think of it, it was easier to duel a jedi than was it was to hold Ashin's gaze and elaborate further. But she did, speaking with slow intention as she explained her perspective.

"They will be back for Ziost. I haven't seen any sign of their resources showing strain, it's unnatural. They want that territory, and if they get it? The rest of the Empire falls dark. All of those worlds--

"Purged."


Her fingers tightened on her arms, her words flowing freer as passion entered her tone. "Ninn would stop that, wouldn't it? They could establish secure trade routes, move troops-- continue to fight back. Which you should want. Master, the more of us there are out there, the safer we are. They're not going to stop at the The Empire. Imagine, the full force of the Imperials and Jedi coming down on your little warlords-"

A short, pained laugh escaped her.

"There's no honor out there."


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THE POMOJEMA
DEEP SPACE

"What I should want, hmm? Understand, Aradia, there's no circumstance where I'd piss on the Sith Empire leadership if it was on fire. I hold contempt for the New Order as well, for their stupid waste and hypocrisy and most of all getting my wife killed, but the Sith Empire is who actually killed her. These are many of the same core people who served the One Sith - who turned a blind eye when their lords kidnapped and tortured Spencer. There was betrayal, both then and thirty years ago. It's all the same cadre, all the same faces, convincing the best and the brightest of each generation to waste themselves. Their best interests are not yours."

Ashin spread her hands in a disarming kind of way.

"But let's focus on what matters to you: defeating the New Imperial Order. Let's consider Ninn a microcosm of everything wrong with the Empire, and why I believe you'd find more success with us.

"The Empire
moved to take control of Ninn through economic talks - veiled pillaging to feed the war machine and the next great Zambrano palace.

"Meanwhile, our forces - the 'little Warlords,' as you put it -
defeated a major New Order incursion both groundside and in orbit. We beat them in two more engagements at Brosi just before that. I'll always remember taking and holding the Nihun Bridge as real Sith Lords drove back the Imperial Knights. In a couple of weeks, we've had more solid victories against the New Order than the Empire's past year. Why? Because the leaders you follow are clinging to their thrones for a little reprieve before they're average Sith again. And they will throw your life away for that reprieve."


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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​




"Meanwhile, our forces - the 'little Warlords,' as you put it"-- Aradia grimaced, shifting her weight onto her back leg. She opted to fall silent, half absorbed with facts she hadn't known and half enticed, yes, with the news the Imperials were being beaten back.

"...I dont care about the Empire," she finally stated, her voice nearly hushed. She might not be a loyalist now, but she had been raised as one-- schooled as one. She did not find it so easy to out right disown the entity that had once made up her whole world. "I know it's flawed. I know it'd sooner step on my back to keep ahead.

"I understand how this works."


She looked around them, then stepped forward again, confiding, "They don't have my loyalty anymore. But I don't see how that changes anything. Tell me, you've seen empires fall before. What will those nations do once they've won?"


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The Pomojema
Deep Space
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara

Ashin shook her head. "I don't know the future. I'm no prophet. I do have a good imagination. Here's what I picture."

Illusion wasn't her strong suit either. The rough galactic map that took form above them was a thing of static and sparks, controlled little webs of discharge like lightning flickering inside a thunderhead. The air grew heavy. It stank of ozone. The galaxy of lightning filled the gigantic chamber above their heads. The map took different configurations, territories marked in light and darkness and all the hues of lightning. The Warlords' territory was a sizzling red, for one.

"I imagine the New Order will overextend. Perhaps they'll clash with the Silver Jedi at Eshan or in the former Sith worlds. Perhaps those tensions will be the backdrop for wars against the Worm's faction on Korriban, or against the Warlords, or all of the above. You know far better than me that the New Order are uncompromising fascists just like most of their enemies. That forces them to push too long and too far, or risk crippling deflation once the war is ostensibly won. No matter how the next year or two shakes out, the New Order will struggle to justify its own existence. It'll lash out in hopes of rekindling old glories, but its long decline will already be in motion."

The map vanished, grounded out in the phrik walls.

"So I've joined the Warlords, not because I care about territory but because they're successfully chipping away at the New Order. The weaker and more fatigued our mutual enemies become, in any degree, the quicker their well-earned collapse."




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


It all made sense. Aradia couldn't deny that Ashin had a rather thought out prediction on the path the imperials were bleeding themselves down. She didn't care for news or politics, she was naively convinced that wars could be fought off battle plans alone. It made Ashin's rendition sound that much more plausible to her inexperienced mind.

Perhaps it wasn't wise to trust the woman who would stand on the other side of the field, but she was sure that if Ashin meant her harm it would have already been committed. This was a recruitment after all.

Aradia crossed her arms, her posture relaxing as she let out a heavy breath.

"And what happens to those that don't join-- that don't believe-- that get left behind when the Empire fails. They will be left more vulnerable than ever. They will retreat here. Maybe with others. When they come knocking on these doors, what will you do?" She questioned, her voice growing hushed at the implication.



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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


"Let's examine that future, then."

The last vestiges of the lightning map grounded out, leaving the air heavy and tense in the grand training room.

"I fully agree with you: the very loyal or stubborn will wait until the Empire's final moments to go elsewhere. If they show up at the Warlords' door and there's no personal vengeance necessary, I'm sure they can find a place and a power base with us. If they come here specifically, here to the Pomojema...well, my dear, that depends entirely on two things. Whether they can meet this academy's standards like you did, and whether they were complicit in my wife's torture and murder."

The temperature in the room dropped a dozen degrees or so. Ashin didn't notice.

"There is no place in this academy for a handful of serious old names. But the hundreds of talented Sith who will realize too late that being part of the Empire is worthless - them, I'll take with open arms."



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


A shudder rang over her spine, before a wash of the force warmed her against the sudden chill.

She had met the man that was now the emperor of her Empire. Once, at the very start of it all. She remembered the way his energy made her heart race. Heavy, dark, corrupted. He had flaunted his strength and worn it like armor. Standing before him had been a test of courage like no other for Aradia at the time.

Before the wars, before her death. Before the darkness that flowed through her like blood.

For a moment, just a sentence, she caught a wiff of that same something from Ashin. While so little of the conversation was about the woman's wife, Aradia's attention lingered on the words that had been spoken.

"...My master- .... Kaalia," she corrected, a slight grimace to her thin-pressed lips. "Once told me that I need to find my reason. That power just for power is ... destructive. That no one, not even you, could truly ascend and remain themselves without a purpose. ... I've started to see that now. In those above me. ... Those that have controlled it and those that are its slave."

Her thoughts flowed choppily. She looked up to Ashin and said them all the same, a sharpness to the gaze that tried to cut through the woman and dissect her where she stood.

"So what's yours?"


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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


"Kaalia Pavanos was entirely right. I'd imagine she was teaching you the core truth of the Sith tradition - something many emperors have kept hidden from their cannon fodder. When the Sith Code speaks of victory and breaking chains, it's talking about overcoming absolutely everything that stands between you and what you want most.

"You're aware, of course, that until recently my overriding goal was to resurrect my wife. I paid terrible prices for that. I broke every chain that mattered-" She tapped her heart and her temple. "-in here, and all the external ones too. Finding your truest purpose goes hand in hand with the power of commitment.

"I built this place as a tool to further my quest in all sorts of ways, direct and indirect. Now that I've succeeded, it serves another purpose. This academy, like no other, demands commitment to yourself. It demands you find your why and cut away all the nonsense - the ambitions and actions you've been taught you should pursue, the expectations. This place can help you clarify your goal and equip your mind to achieve it. And now that I've achieved mine, this place is helping me clarify what comes next."



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


It was strange to hear that Ashin didn't have a real answer. Aradia had often thought she felt so... lost because of her ranking. Maybe if she worked harder, achieved Knight for real, the hole in her chest would suddenly make sense. Her superiors always seemed to have their chit straight. She hadn't fathomed that a Sith Lord's life could be in just as much flux as her own.

...

That was better, she guessed, than learning of any number of undesirable plans.

"...I think you should care more about letting Ninn fall to the hands of the Empire than you've considered, then." Her words were careful, the girl aware of the chasm of steam on either side of her.

"See, I care about preservation, and I promise you-- losing front anywhere to them is bad for us all. I will help you, because your success is just as vital to me as the Empire's, but I am asking you to consider that just maybe ... your anger with the Empire leaves you vulnerable. Because unless you're confident in your Warlord's ability to outlast the united front of two nations-- You are resigning yourself to unpredictable loses.


"Hate them. Fine. But be smart about it-- use them. They're a source of power. You've manipulated Empires. I think we could figure something out."

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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


Ashin nodded slowly, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"In the spirit of intellectual honesty I agree that my hatred of the Sith Empire is a cognitive bias. Well done. That said, let's reexamine some of the assumptions behind your argument.

"I don't believe the Warlords of the Sith can stand alone against the full united strength of the New Order and the Alliance. Three points.

"First, they've given their all to this war for a long few years. Overreach and fatigue aren't certainties, but they're certainly possibilities.

"Second, I am far, far more invested in hurting the New Order than in the Warlords' triumph.

"Third, Ninn isn't the only strategic choke point right now. Important, yes - important enough that I understand why the Empire challenged us - but look here."

The lightning map sprang to life again, a crackling galaxy. Hues and brightness shifted as the New Order struck into the Empire's heart, straight for the Lords of the Sith, the Sith Eternal - the Worm's followers.

"I have prophets on the payroll, good ones. This is a probable next step. At one blow, the Empire loses almost two thirds of its territory. Does that make the potential loss of Ziost and Tiss'sharl less crippling? No - but these worlds and Ninn wouldn't be so crucial if the Empire hadn't allowed the Worm Emperor's followers to squat on Korriban unchallenged.

"But let's say the future rests on Ninn. The Empire's staggering might is arrayed against the Warlords - or so we anticipated. If Ninn is so crucial-"

The guillotine snapped shut on the map. All the Empire's territory west of Ziost went dark.

"-then why am I hearing reports that the Empire's presence at Ninn has slackened off drastically? Where did all the Dark Lords go?"

The lightning map grounded out again. Ashin relaxed.

"Here's what I think happened. The Empire's leadership thought this would be easy. When it became clear that we could stand up to them, they lost interest. And that tells me one absolutely crucial thing.

"They don't much care about Ninn's strategic position, regardless of whether they should. What they cared about was punching down: a short victorious war to bolster morale. To put on a fresh coat of paint. So that when the same handful of powerful people move to their next imperial project in a year or five, they'll still have their followers. They don't care about the Empire; they don't care about hurting the New Order; they're just shoring up transferable power bases. Choosing not to follow through at Ninn is the writing on the wall. The war is all but over. And by the time you finally get off the sinking ship, the Empire's leaders will already be on comfortable yachts.

"Yes, I hate. But I don't hate blindly."




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Aradia's shoulders slowly dropped, disheartened by the picture painted out across the air.

She felt horribly lost in that moment. It had always been Kaalia she had gone to for direction, back when the woman had resembled something closer to Ashin than a holoflick mother. Aradia shouldn't be having to wade through this alone-- Darth Avacyn was meant to be by her side, instructing her.

Protecting her.

As much as she believed Ashin wouldn't harm her for her allegiances she wasn't stupid. When chit hit the fan, the Sith Lord would put herself first. Just like the Empire. It wasn't a slight, it just was. Kaalia had once spoken to her about the factors that should define her loyalty, but Aradia hadn't expected to need to juggle that topic on her own so soon.

The fires well below their feet flared, sending waves of billowing steam between them. Her nostrils flared, failing to cap her anger.

"One time." she told the woman, tearing her gaze off the force-fueled map. "One call, one infiltration-- one whatever your Warlords need to pull ahead of those imperial imps. We'll go from there." Aradia shifted warily, unsure if it was the right decision but committing to it anyway.

"On one condition."


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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


Carefully, she said to herself. The commitment's made but this can still go sideways. Do nothing that could be misinterpreted as gloating. No wry humor, for one.

"I think I can guess. The price of you standing shoulder to shoulder with the Warlords is me fighting alongside the Empire. I sacrifice my pride for what I desire: another log on the pyre of a comprehensive revenge. And you, trapped on a sinking ship while the captain's yacht sails away - you, my dear, start building a much-needed raft. At least that's how our bargain looks from my end."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Unless I've guessed your price wrong?"



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Red cheeks and a sly grin answered for her, Ashin's guess bringing about a bout of embarrassment.

"Well that and... teach me how to do that map," she responded, breaking the moment with humor of her own.

"That isn't all I can offer, though." She hesitated, then continued, her smile melting away."The Imperials do not slow, but I- I think I found a way to weaken them. Permanently. It's just..." She rubbed at her face, text appearing under her eyelids in a disorienting haze. They whispered to her in foreign tones, tugging at her attention.

"Beyond me." She shook her head, hard, before refocusing back on the Sith Lord before her.

"I will give you what I've found. Help me execute it when I'm ready and I'll transcribe it all for you on paper. ...Or holopads. It's a raft. For both of us. ... I hope. "


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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


Picking up on humanity in general had never been Ashin's strong suit, but the shift in Aradia's demeanor set off a bell. It almost - almost - made her think possession.

"I think you'd better stop being cryptic about whatever ritual or vision or passenger is hiding in there. If it could bring pain to the New Order, let's hear it. There's nowhere better to actualize a little hell."

She permitted herself a flicker of sapient warmth. Aradia had earned it.

"As for the map, ask me again in a decade."




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Aradia grimaced.

"I'm not trying to be coy, I just can't-" Her attention left Ashin again, her eyes slipping left and right as it followed a series of intangible concepts pressing forward. They were insistent, demanding to be recognized, but they came in a form that sat at the end of her tongue.

"Find words for it. It showed itself to me, and now it won't shut up until I listen. I'm trying." She griped, snapping her hands back down. "But it's ancient. The more complicated symbols mean nothing to me-- pieces are missing."

She was driven into pacing as she tried.

"What I do know is it's some sort of spell. It's... dark. But affective. It stops healing. Whatever we do to their men on the field, they wouldn't be able to come back from it. It just needs something-- something I can't-"

The whispers grew harsh as they strove to be heard. Her fingers dug into her temples. Pain did little to clarify the concepts that drifted untranslated in her mind. It was maddening. She needed to complete this. Her distant gaze snapped back to Ashin, sharp.


"It's old. Maybe you'll know it."


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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


"'Stops healing'...well, it rings a very faint bell. Let's see what we can do. Come with me."

She took pride in the completeness of the Pomojema's resources. Among those resources were
Dreamscape headsets - open market, mass-produced. Within five minutes, she'd provided Aradia with one of them, as well as a qabbrat meditation chamber. As a student here, Aradia would have used the chambers before.

"Impose order on the flow of content if you can," Ashin said, examining the headset's video feed on a datapad. She stood near the door to give Aradia a good bit of space. "The meditation chamber will help with that. But it's more important to go along with whatever comes to you, wherever it takes you. All those ancient symbols you mentioned - let them come. You don't need to do anything other than experience what you've been experiencing. Me, I like to use these headsets to record visions and things I see by farsight, but they'll work perfectly well for your purposes. No need to fuss about how to get it all on paper or make a coherent picture of it. Just be."



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Aradia settled into the chamber, weight lifting preemptively off her chest as Ashin handed her the headset. She studied it for a moment, then slipped it on, relieved to have a solution.

This would have taken her months to fuss out on her own. Several, maddening months. She let out a slow breath, urging her thoughts to drift to a drawl so the whispers coul--

"Master?" Her eyes jolted open, the soft blue boring into Ashin across the way.

Silence hit the air. Her lips pursed, framing the careful set of words.

"You still haven't agreed to my condition."



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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara

"Oh, I assure you my forgetfulness is a matter of age, not some little trickery. Those aren't my kind of games. Yes, I agree with your condition. I'll fight alongside the Sith Empire against the New Order - once. Remember that I owe both of them significant pain."

The qabbrat room was spherical, with the meditation platform in the centre at the bottom. Ashin sat on the steps with her back to the door. The room offered nowhere else to sit, and her bad knee was, as ever, bothering her. She rubbed at it with one hand but kept her focus on the datapad. The video feed was starting to come through - Aradia's thoughts, her visions, whatever lurked inside her skull.

"Focus, dear."




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​



Ashin's words were more than enough reassurance. Aradia nodded once, the physical action used to mark the end of their chatter. Suddenly the thought of another invasion didn't seem so bleak. Vivid images of battle sparked across the screen with vibrant color, filled with emotion. Hope.

It was a hard emotion to clamp down, but she did. The images diminished, dissipating out into intentional darkness. Aradia let out a long breath and relaxed into the energies that made up the sphere.

The symbols flickered forward, jumbled and chaotic. She tried to straighten them out-- tried to pair each of them to images that expressed meaning she already knew. It only added to the noise, distracting from the true message trying to show itself to her. This made them speak louder. A subtle headache pinched in her temple, until Ashin's instructions bubbled back to her.

Just be.


She took in a final deep breath... and released.


The symbols came barreling forward. She treated them like an itch in a meditation session and let them exist. Soon, their fevered energies calmed. They drifted harmlessly across her eyelids, the text running through her from start to finish. Twice.

Goosebumps prickled across her skin as she felt them leave her, released into the force as they completed their task.


"...Please tell me you got that," she whispered, rubbing her arms as she pulled back to reality.



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING


With Darth Daiara Darth Daiara engrossed in her inner life, Ashin let her facade crack. Took off the mask, as it were, sitting there on the steps watching some girl burn out her life on hate. It spoke to regrets she'd rarely acknowledged.

Regrets, and also the clawing threat of despair. She'd fallen in with the Warlords, built this academy, organized the Aksifas, kept up appearances, reclaimed a flinty, formidable, properly Sith persona - all toward Spencer's resurrection. And now Spencer lived again. That left everything hollow.

Sacrifice it all for what you want most, she said to herself. So after all this, your life's mission accomplished with life still ahead - what do you want?

And why, after asking that for weeks, haven't you found the answer until now?

She looked away from the datapad feed and its blurring, warping Sith glyphs - a fascinating spell that failed to fascinate. She rested a hand on the cold dark steel of the doorframe, of this ship she'd made into perhaps the best dark side academy in operation. Scholars and teachers from the Sith, the Raskava, the Mecrosa, and half a dozen other traditions. High standards, high commitment. Real teaching with actual pedagogy. Skill. Will. Quality.

She put down the datapad - it was recording, and sending the footage to a backup drive - and focused on the girl. An interesting opponent and ally, to be sure...

...but above all, a student. Ashin's student. In a place that aimed to provide a far better education than Ashin had received half a century ago.

"It's secure," she said, getting up achily. "What you've found is a spell to make damage incurred by a willing Force-sensitive's death...slow to heal, and immune to Force healing. It's Krath. It's vicious. And you won't grasp it until you're a Master, but striving for it will help make you one."




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Aradia slid off her headset, her grin catching at Ashin's final set of words.

You won't grasp it until you're a Master.

But she was now, and forevermore, a Masterless apprentice. She shook her head, quickly dashing the set of lies she told from her thoughts. The headset was off, but it wasn't a risk worth taking. She needed this place. She needed Ashin's vow to make any of this work.

"So that's where you come in," she insisted, crawling up and onto her two feet. She pressed forward to Ashin, repeating. "You'll come. You'll help me do it. We will unleash this curse onto the imperials and together we'll watch them bleed. They're not gods." She held out the headset, her expression set in determination as she found her next path.

"I'm strong enough for this."


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Ashin accepted the gear and set it aside with the datapad. She stood up in the doorway and looked down at this angry young woman - suicidally angry, perhaps.

"So be it," she said. "A test of the spell and a test of you. Just don't think I'll allow you to be the suicide bomber. You're a Pomojema student, and you represent a significant investment."

She stepped back into the hall, giving Aradia room to exit the Qabbrat chamber.

"The Warlords are planning to interfere with the New Order's conquest of Dorin. I've contacted the local dark side group, the Cult of Sion, which is certain to be in the crosshairs. I've agreed to evacuate their elders and initiates to the Pomojema in return for the services of their most fanatical marauders. It's the perfect opportunity to test the Krath sorcery and let you fill your side of the bargain - fighting alongside the Warlords."



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"I'll be there," she vowed, the fresh air of the hall smartening her lungs. She rubbed her palms into her robes-- still a simple black with no accolades to speak of. The girl that had once been so eager to show off over the fire's of Ashin's lesson had wised up. She gave Ashin a tight, sober smile as she looked down the hall.

Her attention was already turning towards the archival system, where she was sure the final glyphs sat in pages of data she had already over looked. It would be easier to locate them now that had a proper form. While she didn't need to personally translate them any more, she wanted to.

It was a puzzle. One she itched to see resolved inside her own two hands.

She stepped away to prepare, only to pause. Her lips parted, a question caught on the intake of breath she held onto. "...Do you really think the Warlords aren't using you?" There was no challenge to the words as Aradia turned back to her. "You're formidable. Worth ... a hundred acolytes in any battle, at least. They need you. But... how long until they don't? How long until they leave you to dust, like the Empire's done to me."

 

Ashin Cardé Varanin

Couple bodies in the garden where the grass grows

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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE DARK SIDE ACADEMY
DEEP SPACE
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


"Let's examine that together. What do the Warlords actually get from me?

"First, aid against the New Order, which I would already give - because I owe the New Order some pain. And the Warlords are their only serious opposition that I don't have reason to hate.

"Second, access to this academy for their worthy, which I would already give.

"Third, access to my more specialized help - the occasional ritual. I don't mind doing it and often find it a valuable experience.

"In return, what do I get from the Warlords? First, access to a pool of students and teachers who often meet my standards.

"Second, the fellowship of peers and equals I can respect - Vora Kaar Vora Kaar , Darth Voyance Darth Voyance , Darth Immortuos and others. You'll come to learn that's a rare thing.

"But most importantly, they're tenacious and convenient allies against both the New Order and the Empire. That's rare too. I'd remind you that I owe the Empire's leadership caste significantly more vengeance than I owe the New Order. Few among the Warlords have as much reason to hurt the Empire as I do."

An idea struck. She handed Aradia the datapad and put on the headset. By long experience she called up entrenched memories in a precise way: learning the Empire had killed Spencer; rescuing her from the One Sith torturers; staggering through an asteroid at Roche as the Dark Council turned their dreadnought's guns on her position. Aradia would see it all on the little screen.

"Using me? My dear, there's almost nowhere I'd rather be."




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Stilicho Drumarch

Guest
S
Fire began to rise around them. Electrical no doubt, he thought. Those grenades had overloaded something with their shock wave. If one thing in this armoury went off the entire section of the ship would be torn open. No survivors would leave this room.

The bright florescent lights that flickered ominously went dark, and were immediately replaced by the low red of the emergency lights, which were almost blocked out by the bright flames getting higher with every passing minutes. Each passing of a mere 60 seconds might have felt like an hour to the combatants. The adrenaline moved their minds faster than their eyes. Apkari was still dazed by the grenade. His ears rang, drowning out the battle. Slowly his senses returned to him, and the shrill ringing was replaced with a bright beep, over and over... a noise he could focus on to regain himself, slightly faster it seemed with every pleasant beep.

Apkari, in his final moments, would hardly come to realize what was about to happen. If he came to control himself, the last few minutes of the battle would have taken his attention away from the explosive ordinance triggered by the Sith-Imperial blaster fire and grenades.
 
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Molly Armstrong

Guest
M
The beast was cocky. His force was powerful, but he wielded it like a child. Kuric saw clearly the freighter rising. He simply looked at it, a challenge of wills to the Barabel, to show him he accepted the challenge. As the freighter careened down to him, he grasped the side of its hull and with the force he rended the metal asunder. The freighter fell around him with an ear-piercing screech of metal grinding along metal.

Perhaps Xeykard would think his enemy had been crushed. Perhaps Not. It did not matter. Kuric ripped away more durasteel and climbed through to the top of the freighter's wrecked carcass.

"What next Lizard...? I have the high ground!" he jeered at the beast.

"Come and get some then."
 


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WE HATE
OUTER RIM | NINN | OBJ III
I HATE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW

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It was a poetic irony that she had been charged by her creator to become something the galaxy hadn’t seen before, and she continued to impair the sight of those that questioned what they were seeing about her.

The grin that came with the satisfaction of steel cutting through flesh and bone was malicious, practically salivating in delight at the pain that –– that...that was quickly vanquished. Incredible forgiveness triumphed where she expected only to find pain and terror.

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Shursia was confused, struck with a bewildering blow that came from the kind words and warmth that swelled from the hilt of the blade. The very sword that had been used to take the Jedi’s sight.


"Loske."
"Its okay."
"Because I still see you."

He used that name again, refusing to acknowledge the loss of the woman he was trying so desperately, so blindly, to reach.

She shrieked out in fury.

“No!” The Sith denied, hissing her defiance. Her body tightened, muscles clenching as though her sheer strength would reinforce the merit in her rejection. Steeling the gates within. “NO!” Came again as a pitched scream.

How was she supposed to prove her strength, how strong, how mighty, how novel she was if everyone refused to fight her. To just stand there and forgive. Why! Why did they all deny them the chance to flaunt and grow. Each one of them had used that horrible name. Every time Shursia heard it, the dagger in their innards twisted and sharpened.

"No you don't. You don't see. So you listen to me..liissstten to me." The words were hot, hissing "It's Shursia. We are only Shursia."

Hot breaths seared their way through her teeth, lips were drawn in a tight line while the ever-living skin that travelled over her torso whirled wildly, fuelled by her animosity.

With hopeless desperation, the will of Aaran travelled through the sword to the Sith and tried to imagine a possible past, a possible past with images, in a world where they shared something had happened. But memory failed. Of course it failed. It always did, now. Shursia’s memory was selective –– choosing only what would advance her. And the past that Aaran was trying to conjure? Didn’t fit in with her – their –new reality. The pale shadows he beckoned her with walked back into the gates of darkness.

They weren’t welcome here. Not in this mental Olympus. She was to be a god in this hollow corpse, no longer burdened by the weight of mortality. To attachment.


"You're always reaching out to others."
"Now its my turn."
"Take my hand. Throwing away the past won’t make you stronger. You're trying to pick at the scab until it becomes infected and numb. Convincing yourself its healed."
"That's the wonderful thing about being alive Loske. We heal from our wounds and become stronger for it. But you don’t have to be alone to do so. But you have to let it heal."

Shuddery breaths rolled through their lungs, tightening her throat and clenching a fist around their heart. Their face was inexpressive, listless while listening. As if trying to decide how to react.

How to kill him. Remove him from their reality.

Within, they scream and raged at one another. It took great caution for the balance they’d achieved not to favour the parasite at this moment. If it gave in now, the host would die further.

They felt pressure loosening from their chest, the stricture in their throat abating while a consensus was reached. So, instead of driving Arete through its owner, Shursia was overwhelmed with more momentum. The need to move on. Away. A low growl rippled through her lips, an animalistic sound travelling through a human face.

That growl rose in volume until she snapped out another scream. Her movements were quick; Whirling around to meet his generous hand a bellow of the Force that cackled and skittered with excited electricity. She'd throw him and Arete as far away from her as possible.

He could live for now. Only to tell others of what he'd seen before he could no longer.

To spread her name. Let them know.

And then...the next time..he'd die.

They all had to die. Every single memory related to the host –– once her history was destroyed, all the fondness associated, then they’d see. Legend might have whispered to some authors to write somewhere that the most beautiful angels made the cruellest demons. The memory Aaran gave her was so beautiful, so kind; everything she had been before being dragged to hell.

They’d all see how dead she was, and how magnificent their rebirth was.


ALLIES | TSE |
ENEMIES
| WOTS | Aaran Tafo Aaran Tafo | Closed


 
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Objective 3: ok i fight Devil
Tags: Kascalion Giedfield Kascalion Giedfield
Allies: WoTS
Enemies: TSE

The electrical charged, precision plotted thrust struck against the left-mounted gauntlet of the Devil with sparks following in the wake as it carved through the wiring. His opponent swiftly moved from his reach in a well-timed maneuver backward and countered with a flourish of his own against the Elder. Rebuked by the skillful strike of Kascalion Giedfield Kascalion Giedfield , the Sith Master's body twisted and turned in a swift spin as his lightsaber was brushed aside. Sheared and tattered scraps of charred robe fluttered in the air, the Elder corrected his footwork and scowled with a deep hiss.

Arm raised, blade at the ready, the fiery, sulfuric gaze of Darth Solipsis locked with the abyssal burning blue embers of the Devil in a silent, visual deadlock for but a brief second. His senses soared, the haunting snicker of the eldritch being was followed by the sounds of hastened footsteps and blasters readying. A last minute preternatural snap as the two closed in for another round of their bout and the Elder was off. His stance immediately beginning a transition into Form III: Soresu with each swing of his saber or blow deflected.

The Sith Master rushed in, redirecting blaster bolts back to sender, momentarily closed off from his prime opponent for the time being. The same opponent who charged their mutual foes with an unholy fury, devastating their ranks with furious bladework against their weak flesh as his saber tore through their armor like butter. With a savage strike of his own, Solipsis removed the head of trooper after closing the gap. His decapitated head rolling along the floor still adorned with a Sith Imperial helmet.

The Elder snapped to the next with a dark stare of contempt, his off hand reaching out through the Force like feelers as he telekinetically lifted him and squeezed. The armored trooper slowly was crushed by the very gear that was meant to save his life as his body began to collapse inward from the momentous power of the Force. The crackling of bones, the groaning of bending armor, and the faintly audible scream drowned out by the sounds of his suffering companions at the Devil's mercy filled the air. The Elder's hand closed fully into a fist, sealing the Sith Imperial's fate as a harsh crunch pierced his ears. With a wave of his hand the body was discarded, tossed aside like a broken ragdoll. A deserving end for one so blind as to follow false ideals.

Solipsis shifted his gaze as the last of the Imperials were brought to heel in their vicinity, eyes locking once more with the dreadful glare of Kascalion Giedfield Kascalion Giedfield in unspoken acknowledgement. They would resume their duel, his left foot slid back as his right hand rose adopting a Makashi stance once more as the powerful force of darkness rained down from above with a mighty leap. Instinctively, his saber deactivated and hands extended outward, sending the full might of the Force out in a mighty push or wave in an attempt to gain distance. There was no telling the depths of power one such as the Devil wielded, if it was not enough he would have to dip out of harm's way and continue up close. His aims were different, he aimed to continue this contest of wills through their mastery of the Force.

 
Handsome blindfolded hyper-religious whackjob

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Objective III: Shine Some Light.
Opposition: Loske Treicolt Loske Treicolt


Oh how his heart ached to hear Loske's voice in such pain. Modulated as it was by the parasite and sorcery that controlled her. But inside him, the faith still burned brightly. He could still feel it, the sour note of falsehood still rang in her voice. So actively she denied is. She pushed it down so deeply it was nearly impossible to see. But the more she actively tried to push it down, the more clearly the lie rang to him.

Loske was not dead. He knew this because he was still alive. Sending him back to tell others what had happened would only bring hope. It would only inspire the many other people who cared for her to come searching. This time perhaps in number as opposed to alone. His corpse however would have sent such a more powerful message. She could simply tear out his heart or snap his neck and ship his body back to Coruscant. Her new name carved into his chest.

But she did not. She might have told herself it was for a different reason. But Aaran knew differently. She was still fighting. Fighting on such a deep level that Loske might not even be aware of it. Him fighting back would give her the validation she needed. It would be an admission from Aaran that his friend was truly gone.

When the blast rocketed outwards. He finally struck. Determination welling up inside of him in order to blunt the blow. Not directly contesting it. For he was not looking to challenge her strength in the slightest. Merely looking to protect himself. His body was forced back against the rock, his hand was burned by the electrical infusion. But he was not sent flying away. Distantly he heard the clattering of Arete clattering against the rocks nearby. But it was a secondary concern. He could retrieve his partner later. Right now, his focus was solely on Loske.

Seeds were planted. The balance was shifted. What had previously been two sides working in relative harmony was now discordant and unbalanced. Tipped too far to the monster's side for his liking. So he was going to try and tip the scales into something he found fit better into his ideal reality. Lowering his other hand from the scarred mess that was his eyes. He forced his torn lids open. Calling upon his own Mirlukan ancestry. He allowed the Force to aid his natural shortcomings. Replacing his need for eyes to perceive the world around him.

Biology was a tricky thing. Just like machinery, the more complicated something way the more delicate it tended to be. But thankfully, he was quite familiar with the human body. Kiffar were not that different aside from one of two changes that many would consider cosmetic or simply biological quirks. And with the Force granting him supernatural perception. He could see where Kiffar ended and Parasite began. They were far more closely intertwined than he feared. But there was still some level of separation. They had not entirely merged into one complete being.

It was time for one last gamble. One last little shove to hopefully set the path for someone else to pull her out of the pit she found herself in. To drag her out of hell and back into the arms of those who loved her. "Loske." He called out. Again using that name, but this time aimed at intentionally enraging her. Because he could see it, their warring inside whenever her emotions spiked. "She's more than Shursia will ever be." Again and again, he would deny Shursia. Reject her existence. intentionally provoking the parasite and host to war against each other. Debate over how to punish him for his insolence.

And with that, he added his own voice to the argument between them. Hand reaching out. The Force surged from him, manifesting as gentle light that attempted to sink into oily substance that covered Loske's body while the pair were still raging against each other. Whatever the Parasite was, the more clinical and detached part of Aaran could appreciate that it was a marvel of bioengineering. But it was an artificially created creature. It was not born from Mother Nature and her designs that had been perfected since life first emerged in the universe. But instead by the flawed mind of man.

So it was, the Jedi art of Malacia would shine here. Not attacking, not damaging. Merely disrupting the parasite as it attempted to argue with its host again. Aaran was banking on the basic laws of biology here. The parasite had no brain of its own. It was bound by some biological limitations but did not find true intelligence until it found a host. So what would happen when all of its delicate cellular activities were disrupted? When for so long it had been the dominant half of the relationship, it would suddenly find itself tremendously weakened by Aaran's assault.
 

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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE

"Thank you for joining me, Darth Daiara Darth Daiara . I'm happy we could handle this face to face."

The cavernous training room stank of smoke and cleaning chemicals. The place had a deep chill, an aura of the Dark Side. Aradia would have trained here more than once.


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Ashin walked up to the central platform, which was large enough for a duel all by itself. Around the platform, steam hissed up from vents fed by alchemical furnaces elsewhere. She wore the sword Jentaral at her hip - her usual daily carry, not an explicit threat or invitation to violence.

"You made the cut to stand among the knights and masters who study in this...non-denominational academy of the Dark Side. You've grown since we met at Lake Krul. And you understand, I'm sure, that my friendship with your first teacher earned you no special consideration. You are here because you deserve it.

"Sadly," she added without the slightest indication of sadness, "other than you, how many of the Zambrano dynasty's loyalists have dared to apply, let alone succeeded? The answer is three, as it happens, none of them currently studying here. At the moment you are the sole representative of the Sith Empire in this academy.

"I'm no ethicist, Aradia, but I do find value in one principle: if an action is contemptible, I generally don't do it. I would submit that the Sith Empire is not good enough for you. Its principles and practices don't deserve your loyalty. Can we discuss?"




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Aradia stood at the edge of the room, not claiming the center of the platform with Ashin. She had no reason to mistrust the woman, even if the two empires did clash lightyears below their feet. The word friend wasn't easily given out by Kaalia, but when it was used, Aradia didn't easily forget it.

It was wise to know who might lend a hand in a world of deadly absolutes. Still, Aradia didn't approach the Sith Lord who had summoned her. The chill of the room reminded her of the secrets she held. She took in a deep breath and listened to the Ashin's address.

"I'm no ethicist, Aradia, but I do find value in one principle: if an action is contemptible, I generally don't do it. I would submit that the Sith Empire is not good enough for you. Its principles and practices don't deserve your loyalty. Can we discuss?"

Her rigid spine slowly released, her hands falling amicably at her side. "Usually it's the Jedi trying to convert me," she mused, no smile on her lips as she looked Ashin over.

A beat.

She tipped her chin and stepped onto the platform. "If I'm a loyalist though, the Empire is screwed." As Darth Pollix could contest... She grimaced and folded her arms around her front. "I'm just trying to keep the keep the Imperials back."

"It's the right thing to do."




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THE POMOJEMA
DEEP SPACE
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara

"Yes, I suppose it is," Ashin said. "I do have one more principle, you might say: punch up, not down. There's something deeply contemptible about the way the New Order and the Galactic Alliance have combined to crush the Sith Empire relentlessly. Not as contemptible as the Empire's many atrocities and cowardices and petty vanities, of course - but still. This war is no contest of equals. I appreciate an underdog. If not for the Empire's abject and irredeemable worthlessness I'd back it to the hilt."

She smiled thinly.

"I believe the Empire's leaders thought they were seizing the opportunity to punch down for once when they crossed us at Ninn. A planet where we, the Warlords, had just finished crushing our second consecutive New Order incursion. The Sith Empire is by no means the New Order's most committed and promising enemy.

"I won't say we're paragons of honor - but the Warlords have earned my loyalty and respect. I want that authenticity for the ones like you, the next generation doomed to die so the Zambrano cult can perpetrate its last few aimless, flailing genocides for sport."





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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


"Or--" Aradia countered, "The Empire was trying to shore up their territory to prevent the Imperials from cutting the it off at the neck."

She bit her own tongue and considered Ashin. Self-expression wasn't an easy trait for a once-was slave. The Academies certainly hadn't encouraged it either. It was one thing to open up and speak her mind, it was another to disagree with a superior.

Come to think of it, it was easier to duel a jedi than was it was to hold Ashin's gaze and elaborate further. But she did, speaking with slow intention as she explained her perspective.

"They will be back for Ziost. I haven't seen any sign of their resources showing strain, it's unnatural. They want that territory, and if they get it? The rest of the Empire falls dark. All of those worlds--

"Purged."


Her fingers tightened on her arms, her words flowing freer as passion entered her tone. "Ninn would stop that, wouldn't it? They could establish secure trade routes, move troops-- continue to fight back. Which you should want. Master, the more of us there are out there, the safer we are. They're not going to stop at the The Empire. Imagine, the full force of the Imperials and Jedi coming down on your little warlords-"

A short, pained laugh escaped her.

"There's no honor out there."


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THE POMOJEMA
DEEP SPACE

"What I should want, hmm? Understand, Aradia, there's no circumstance where I'd piss on the Sith Empire leadership if it was on fire. I hold contempt for the New Order as well, for their stupid waste and hypocrisy and most of all getting my wife killed, but the Sith Empire is who actually killed her. These are many of the same core people who served the One Sith - who turned a blind eye when their lords kidnapped and tortured Spencer. There was betrayal, both then and thirty years ago. It's all the same cadre, all the same faces, convincing the best and the brightest of each generation to waste themselves. Their best interests are not yours."

Ashin spread her hands in a disarming kind of way.

"But let's focus on what matters to you: defeating the New Imperial Order. Let's consider Ninn a microcosm of everything wrong with the Empire, and why I believe you'd find more success with us.

"The Empire
moved to take control of Ninn through economic talks - veiled pillaging to feed the war machine and the next great Zambrano palace.

"Meanwhile, our forces - the 'little Warlords,' as you put it -
defeated a major New Order incursion both groundside and in orbit. We beat them in two more engagements at Brosi just before that. I'll always remember taking and holding the Nihun Bridge as real Sith Lords drove back the Imperial Knights. In a couple of weeks, we've had more solid victories against the New Order than the Empire's past year. Why? Because the leaders you follow are clinging to their thrones for a little reprieve before they're average Sith again. And they will throw your life away for that reprieve."


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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​




"Meanwhile, our forces - the 'little Warlords,' as you put it"-- Aradia grimaced, shifting her weight onto her back leg. She opted to fall silent, half absorbed with facts she hadn't known and half enticed, yes, with the news the Imperials were being beaten back.

"...I dont care about the Empire," she finally stated, her voice nearly hushed. She might not be a loyalist now, but she had been raised as one-- schooled as one. She did not find it so easy to out right disown the entity that had once made up her whole world. "I know it's flawed. I know it'd sooner step on my back to keep ahead.

"I understand how this works."


She looked around them, then stepped forward again, confiding, "They don't have my loyalty anymore. But I don't see how that changes anything. Tell me, you've seen empires fall before. What will those nations do once they've won?"


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The Pomojema
Deep Space
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara

Ashin shook her head. "I don't know the future. I'm no prophet. I do have a good imagination. Here's what I picture."

Illusion wasn't her strong suit either. The rough galactic map that took form above them was a thing of static and sparks, controlled little webs of discharge like lightning flickering inside a thunderhead. The air grew heavy. It stank of ozone. The galaxy of lightning filled the gigantic chamber above their heads. The map took different configurations, territories marked in light and darkness and all the hues of lightning. The Warlords' territory was a sizzling red, for one.

"I imagine the New Order will overextend. Perhaps they'll clash with the Silver Jedi at Eshan or in the former Sith worlds. Perhaps those tensions will be the backdrop for wars against the Worm's faction on Korriban, or against the Warlords, or all of the above. You know far better than me that the New Order are uncompromising fascists just like most of their enemies. That forces them to push too long and too far, or risk crippling deflation once the war is ostensibly won. No matter how the next year or two shakes out, the New Order will struggle to justify its own existence. It'll lash out in hopes of rekindling old glories, but its long decline will already be in motion."

The map vanished, grounded out in the phrik walls.

"So I've joined the Warlords, not because I care about territory but because they're successfully chipping away at the New Order. The weaker and more fatigued our mutual enemies become, in any degree, the quicker their well-earned collapse."




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


It all made sense. Aradia couldn't deny that Ashin had a rather thought out prediction on the path the imperials were bleeding themselves down. She didn't care for news or politics, she was naively convinced that wars could be fought off battle plans alone. It made Ashin's rendition sound that much more plausible to her inexperienced mind.

Perhaps it wasn't wise to trust the woman who would stand on the other side of the field, but she was sure that if Ashin meant her harm it would have already been committed. This was a recruitment after all.

Aradia crossed her arms, her posture relaxing as she let out a heavy breath.

"And what happens to those that don't join-- that don't believe-- that get left behind when the Empire fails. They will be left more vulnerable than ever. They will retreat here. Maybe with others. When they come knocking on these doors, what will you do?" She questioned, her voice growing hushed at the implication.



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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


"Let's examine that future, then."

The last vestiges of the lightning map grounded out, leaving the air heavy and tense in the grand training room.

"I fully agree with you: the very loyal or stubborn will wait until the Empire's final moments to go elsewhere. If they show up at the Warlords' door and there's no personal vengeance necessary, I'm sure they can find a place and a power base with us. If they come here specifically, here to the Pomojema...well, my dear, that depends entirely on two things. Whether they can meet this academy's standards like you did, and whether they were complicit in my wife's torture and murder."

The temperature in the room dropped a dozen degrees or so. Ashin didn't notice.

"There is no place in this academy for a handful of serious old names. But the hundreds of talented Sith who will realize too late that being part of the Empire is worthless - them, I'll take with open arms."



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


A shudder rang over her spine, before a wash of the force warmed her against the sudden chill.

She had met the man that was now the emperor of her Empire. Once, at the very start of it all. She remembered the way his energy made her heart race. Heavy, dark, corrupted. He had flaunted his strength and worn it like armor. Standing before him had been a test of courage like no other for Aradia at the time.

Before the wars, before her death. Before the darkness that flowed through her like blood.

For a moment, just a sentence, she caught a wiff of that same something from Ashin. While so little of the conversation was about the woman's wife, Aradia's attention lingered on the words that had been spoken.

"...My master- .... Kaalia," she corrected, a slight grimace to her thin-pressed lips. "Once told me that I need to find my reason. That power just for power is ... destructive. That no one, not even you, could truly ascend and remain themselves without a purpose. ... I've started to see that now. In those above me. ... Those that have controlled it and those that are its slave."

Her thoughts flowed choppily. She looked up to Ashin and said them all the same, a sharpness to the gaze that tried to cut through the woman and dissect her where she stood.

"So what's yours?"


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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


"Kaalia Pavanos was entirely right. I'd imagine she was teaching you the core truth of the Sith tradition - something many emperors have kept hidden from their cannon fodder. When the Sith Code speaks of victory and breaking chains, it's talking about overcoming absolutely everything that stands between you and what you want most.

"You're aware, of course, that until recently my overriding goal was to resurrect my wife. I paid terrible prices for that. I broke every chain that mattered-" She tapped her heart and her temple. "-in here, and all the external ones too. Finding your truest purpose goes hand in hand with the power of commitment.

"I built this place as a tool to further my quest in all sorts of ways, direct and indirect. Now that I've succeeded, it serves another purpose. This academy, like no other, demands commitment to yourself. It demands you find your why and cut away all the nonsense - the ambitions and actions you've been taught you should pursue, the expectations. This place can help you clarify your goal and equip your mind to achieve it. And now that I've achieved mine, this place is helping me clarify what comes next."



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


It was strange to hear that Ashin didn't have a real answer. Aradia had often thought she felt so... lost because of her ranking. Maybe if she worked harder, achieved Knight for real, the hole in her chest would suddenly make sense. Her superiors always seemed to have their chit straight. She hadn't fathomed that a Sith Lord's life could be in just as much flux as her own.

...

That was better, she guessed, than learning of any number of undesirable plans.

"...I think you should care more about letting Ninn fall to the hands of the Empire than you've considered, then." Her words were careful, the girl aware of the chasm of steam on either side of her.

"See, I care about preservation, and I promise you-- losing front anywhere to them is bad for us all. I will help you, because your success is just as vital to me as the Empire's, but I am asking you to consider that just maybe ... your anger with the Empire leaves you vulnerable. Because unless you're confident in your Warlord's ability to outlast the united front of two nations-- You are resigning yourself to unpredictable loses.


"Hate them. Fine. But be smart about it-- use them. They're a source of power. You've manipulated Empires. I think we could figure something out."

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Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


Ashin nodded slowly, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"In the spirit of intellectual honesty I agree that my hatred of the Sith Empire is a cognitive bias. Well done. That said, let's reexamine some of the assumptions behind your argument.

"I don't believe the Warlords of the Sith can stand alone against the full united strength of the New Order and the Alliance. Three points.

"First, they've given their all to this war for a long few years. Overreach and fatigue aren't certainties, but they're certainly possibilities.

"Second, I am far, far more invested in hurting the New Order than in the Warlords' triumph.

"Third, Ninn isn't the only strategic choke point right now. Important, yes - important enough that I understand why the Empire challenged us - but look here."

The lightning map sprang to life again, a crackling galaxy. Hues and brightness shifted as the New Order struck into the Empire's heart, straight for the Lords of the Sith, the Sith Eternal - the Worm's followers.

"I have prophets on the payroll, good ones. This is a probable next step. At one blow, the Empire loses almost two thirds of its territory. Does that make the potential loss of Ziost and Tiss'sharl less crippling? No - but these worlds and Ninn wouldn't be so crucial if the Empire hadn't allowed the Worm Emperor's followers to squat on Korriban unchallenged.

"But let's say the future rests on Ninn. The Empire's staggering might is arrayed against the Warlords - or so we anticipated. If Ninn is so crucial-"

The guillotine snapped shut on the map. All the Empire's territory west of Ziost went dark.

"-then why am I hearing reports that the Empire's presence at Ninn has slackened off drastically? Where did all the Dark Lords go?"

The lightning map grounded out again. Ashin relaxed.

"Here's what I think happened. The Empire's leadership thought this would be easy. When it became clear that we could stand up to them, they lost interest. And that tells me one absolutely crucial thing.

"They don't much care about Ninn's strategic position, regardless of whether they should. What they cared about was punching down: a short victorious war to bolster morale. To put on a fresh coat of paint. So that when the same handful of powerful people move to their next imperial project in a year or five, they'll still have their followers. They don't care about the Empire; they don't care about hurting the New Order; they're just shoring up transferable power bases. Choosing not to follow through at Ninn is the writing on the wall. The war is all but over. And by the time you finally get off the sinking ship, the Empire's leaders will already be on comfortable yachts.

"Yes, I hate. But I don't hate blindly."




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Aradia's shoulders slowly dropped, disheartened by the picture painted out across the air.

She felt horribly lost in that moment. It had always been Kaalia she had gone to for direction, back when the woman had resembled something closer to Ashin than a holoflick mother. Aradia shouldn't be having to wade through this alone-- Darth Avacyn was meant to be by her side, instructing her.

Protecting her.

As much as she believed Ashin wouldn't harm her for her allegiances she wasn't stupid. When chit hit the fan, the Sith Lord would put herself first. Just like the Empire. It wasn't a slight, it just was. Kaalia had once spoken to her about the factors that should define her loyalty, but Aradia hadn't expected to need to juggle that topic on her own so soon.

The fires well below their feet flared, sending waves of billowing steam between them. Her nostrils flared, failing to cap her anger.

"One time." she told the woman, tearing her gaze off the force-fueled map. "One call, one infiltration-- one whatever your Warlords need to pull ahead of those imperial imps. We'll go from there." Aradia shifted warily, unsure if it was the right decision but committing to it anyway.

"On one condition."


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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


Carefully, she said to herself. The commitment's made but this can still go sideways. Do nothing that could be misinterpreted as gloating. No wry humor, for one.

"I think I can guess. The price of you standing shoulder to shoulder with the Warlords is me fighting alongside the Empire. I sacrifice my pride for what I desire: another log on the pyre of a comprehensive revenge. And you, trapped on a sinking ship while the captain's yacht sails away - you, my dear, start building a much-needed raft. At least that's how our bargain looks from my end."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Unless I've guessed your price wrong?"



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Red cheeks and a sly grin answered for her, Ashin's guess bringing about a bout of embarrassment.

"Well that and... teach me how to do that map," she responded, breaking the moment with humor of her own.

"That isn't all I can offer, though." She hesitated, then continued, her smile melting away."The Imperials do not slow, but I- I think I found a way to weaken them. Permanently. It's just..." She rubbed at her face, text appearing under her eyelids in a disorienting haze. They whispered to her in foreign tones, tugging at her attention.

"Beyond me." She shook her head, hard, before refocusing back on the Sith Lord before her.

"I will give you what I've found. Help me execute it when I'm ready and I'll transcribe it all for you on paper. ...Or holopads. It's a raft. For both of us. ... I hope. "


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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


Picking up on humanity in general had never been Ashin's strong suit, but the shift in Aradia's demeanor set off a bell. It almost - almost - made her think possession.

"I think you'd better stop being cryptic about whatever ritual or vision or passenger is hiding in there. If it could bring pain to the New Order, let's hear it. There's nowhere better to actualize a little hell."

She permitted herself a flicker of sapient warmth. Aradia had earned it.

"As for the map, ask me again in a decade."




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Aradia grimaced.

"I'm not trying to be coy, I just can't-" Her attention left Ashin again, her eyes slipping left and right as it followed a series of intangible concepts pressing forward. They were insistent, demanding to be recognized, but they came in a form that sat at the end of her tongue.

"Find words for it. It showed itself to me, and now it won't shut up until I listen. I'm trying." She griped, snapping her hands back down. "But it's ancient. The more complicated symbols mean nothing to me-- pieces are missing."

She was driven into pacing as she tried.

"What I do know is it's some sort of spell. It's... dark. But affective. It stops healing. Whatever we do to their men on the field, they wouldn't be able to come back from it. It just needs something-- something I can't-"

The whispers grew harsh as they strove to be heard. Her fingers dug into her temples. Pain did little to clarify the concepts that drifted untranslated in her mind. It was maddening. She needed to complete this. Her distant gaze snapped back to Ashin, sharp.


"It's old. Maybe you'll know it."


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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


"'Stops healing'...well, it rings a very faint bell. Let's see what we can do. Come with me."

She took pride in the completeness of the Pomojema's resources. Among those resources were
Dreamscape headsets - open market, mass-produced. Within five minutes, she'd provided Aradia with one of them, as well as a qabbrat meditation chamber. As a student here, Aradia would have used the chambers before.

"Impose order on the flow of content if you can," Ashin said, examining the headset's video feed on a datapad. She stood near the door to give Aradia a good bit of space. "The meditation chamber will help with that. But it's more important to go along with whatever comes to you, wherever it takes you. All those ancient symbols you mentioned - let them come. You don't need to do anything other than experience what you've been experiencing. Me, I like to use these headsets to record visions and things I see by farsight, but they'll work perfectly well for your purposes. No need to fuss about how to get it all on paper or make a coherent picture of it. Just be."



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Aradia settled into the chamber, weight lifting preemptively off her chest as Ashin handed her the headset. She studied it for a moment, then slipped it on, relieved to have a solution.

This would have taken her months to fuss out on her own. Several, maddening months. She let out a slow breath, urging her thoughts to drift to a drawl so the whispers coul--

"Master?" Her eyes jolted open, the soft blue boring into Ashin across the way.

Silence hit the air. Her lips pursed, framing the careful set of words.

"You still haven't agreed to my condition."



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THE POMOJEMA
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara

"Oh, I assure you my forgetfulness is a matter of age, not some little trickery. Those aren't my kind of games. Yes, I agree with your condition. I'll fight alongside the Sith Empire against the New Order - once. Remember that I owe both of them significant pain."

The qabbrat room was spherical, with the meditation platform in the centre at the bottom. Ashin sat on the steps with her back to the door. The room offered nowhere else to sit, and her bad knee was, as ever, bothering her. She rubbed at it with one hand but kept her focus on the datapad. The video feed was starting to come through - Aradia's thoughts, her visions, whatever lurked inside her skull.

"Focus, dear."




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​



Ashin's words were more than enough reassurance. Aradia nodded once, the physical action used to mark the end of their chatter. Suddenly the thought of another invasion didn't seem so bleak. Vivid images of battle sparked across the screen with vibrant color, filled with emotion. Hope.

It was a hard emotion to clamp down, but she did. The images diminished, dissipating out into intentional darkness. Aradia let out a long breath and relaxed into the energies that made up the sphere.

The symbols flickered forward, jumbled and chaotic. She tried to straighten them out-- tried to pair each of them to images that expressed meaning she already knew. It only added to the noise, distracting from the true message trying to show itself to her. This made them speak louder. A subtle headache pinched in her temple, until Ashin's instructions bubbled back to her.

Just be.


She took in a final deep breath... and released.


The symbols came barreling forward. She treated them like an itch in a meditation session and let them exist. Soon, their fevered energies calmed. They drifted harmlessly across her eyelids, the text running through her from start to finish. Twice.

Goosebumps prickled across her skin as she felt them leave her, released into the force as they completed their task.


"...Please tell me you got that," she whispered, rubbing her arms as she pulled back to reality.



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING


With Darth Daiara Darth Daiara engrossed in her inner life, Ashin let her facade crack. Took off the mask, as it were, sitting there on the steps watching some girl burn out her life on hate. It spoke to regrets she'd rarely acknowledged.

Regrets, and also the clawing threat of despair. She'd fallen in with the Warlords, built this academy, organized the Aksifas, kept up appearances, reclaimed a flinty, formidable, properly Sith persona - all toward Spencer's resurrection. And now Spencer lived again. That left everything hollow.

Sacrifice it all for what you want most, she said to herself. So after all this, your life's mission accomplished with life still ahead - what do you want?

And why, after asking that for weeks, haven't you found the answer until now?

She looked away from the datapad feed and its blurring, warping Sith glyphs - a fascinating spell that failed to fascinate. She rested a hand on the cold dark steel of the doorframe, of this ship she'd made into perhaps the best dark side academy in operation. Scholars and teachers from the Sith, the Raskava, the Mecrosa, and half a dozen other traditions. High standards, high commitment. Real teaching with actual pedagogy. Skill. Will. Quality.

She put down the datapad - it was recording, and sending the footage to a backup drive - and focused on the girl. An interesting opponent and ally, to be sure...

...but above all, a student. Ashin's student. In a place that aimed to provide a far better education than Ashin had received half a century ago.

"It's secure," she said, getting up achily. "What you've found is a spell to make damage incurred by a willing Force-sensitive's death...slow to heal, and immune to Force healing. It's Krath. It's vicious. And you won't grasp it until you're a Master, but striving for it will help make you one."




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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


Aradia slid off her headset, her grin catching at Ashin's final set of words.

You won't grasp it until you're a Master.

But she was now, and forevermore, a Masterless apprentice. She shook her head, quickly dashing the set of lies she told from her thoughts. The headset was off, but it wasn't a risk worth taking. She needed this place. She needed Ashin's vow to make any of this work.

"So that's where you come in," she insisted, crawling up and onto her two feet. She pressed forward to Ashin, repeating. "You'll come. You'll help me do it. We will unleash this curse onto the imperials and together we'll watch them bleed. They're not gods." She held out the headset, her expression set in determination as she found her next path.

"I'm strong enough for this."


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Ashin accepted the gear and set it aside with the datapad. She stood up in the doorway and looked down at this angry young woman - suicidally angry, perhaps.

"So be it," she said. "A test of the spell and a test of you. Just don't think I'll allow you to be the suicide bomber. You're a Pomojema student, and you represent a significant investment."

She stepped back into the hall, giving Aradia room to exit the Qabbrat chamber.

"The Warlords are planning to interfere with the New Order's conquest of Dorin. I've contacted the local dark side group, the Cult of Sion, which is certain to be in the crosshairs. I've agreed to evacuate their elders and initiates to the Pomojema in return for the services of their most fanatical marauders. It's the perfect opportunity to test the Krath sorcery and let you fill your side of the bargain - fighting alongside the Warlords."



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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE SITH ACADEMY OF HIGHER LEARNING
DEEP SPACE
Ashin Cardé Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin | Closed​


"I'll be there," she vowed, the fresh air of the hall smartening her lungs. She rubbed her palms into her robes-- still a simple black with no accolades to speak of. The girl that had once been so eager to show off over the fire's of Ashin's lesson had wised up. She gave Ashin a tight, sober smile as she looked down the hall.

Her attention was already turning towards the archival system, where she was sure the final glyphs sat in pages of data she had already over looked. It would be easier to locate them now that had a proper form. While she didn't need to personally translate them any more, she wanted to.

It was a puzzle. One she itched to see resolved inside her own two hands.

She stepped away to prepare, only to pause. Her lips parted, a question caught on the intake of breath she held onto. "...Do you really think the Warlords aren't using you?" There was no challenge to the words as Aradia turned back to her. "You're formidable. Worth ... a hundred acolytes in any battle, at least. They need you. But... how long until they don't? How long until they leave you to dust, like the Empire's done to me."


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THE POMOJEMA
MOBILE DARK SIDE ACADEMY
DEEP SPACE
Darth Daiara Darth Daiara


"Let's examine that together. What do the Warlords actually get from me?

"First, aid against the New Order, which I would already give - because I owe the New Order some pain. And the Warlords are their only serious opposition that I don't have reason to hate.

"Second, access to this academy for their worthy, which I would already give.

"Third, access to my more specialized help - the occasional ritual. I don't mind doing it and often find it a valuable experience.

"In return, what do I get from the Warlords? First, access to a pool of students and teachers who often meet my standards.

"Second, the fellowship of peers and equals I can respect - Vora Kaar Vora Kaar , Darth Voyance Darth Voyance , Darth Immortuos and others. You'll come to learn that's a rare thing.

"But most importantly, they're tenacious and convenient allies against both the New Order and the Empire. That's rare too. I'd remind you that I owe the Empire's leadership caste significantly more vengeance than I owe the New Order. Few among the Warlords have as much reason to hurt the Empire as I do."

An idea struck. She handed Aradia the datapad and put on the headset. By long experience she called up entrenched memories in a precise way: learning the Empire had killed Spencer; rescuing her from the One Sith torturers; staggering through an asteroid at Roche as the Dark Council turned their dreadnought's guns on her position. Aradia would see it all on the little screen.

"Using me? My dear, there's almost nowhere I'd rather be."





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Aradia's eye's followed the screen, engrossed with the images that flickered past. By the time it was over, she wanted more, for no other reason than new found curiosity over the patterns of the past.

Kaalia had said the Empire had once been about brotherhood, like the Warlord were now. What changed?

Why did it matter?

She didn't have those answers; all she had was the hole in her chest and this new path to fill it with. Her attention shifted to Ashin, her curiosity still brimming as she handed the device back over. "I see," she lied. Her lips parted with a new set of personal questions, but she stopped herself short.

She would have all of Dorin to ply for unwarranted chit chat. Perhaps more if she could preform the ritual without dying. A master level spell.

How much longer could she keep the facade going?

"...I have things to prepare," she excused, turning quickly for her studies. Not even a proper goodbye or gratitude, what imposter had time for that?

 

Darth Maleva

Guest
D


Soldiers dropped as her hands glided through the air. One, two, three. She counted the thuds as they fell, a sound which soothed her. It was an affirmation of her power, a testament of her strength. She inhaled deeply as their will came away from them, only to join her own. A small shiver ran down her spine at the addition. The chaotic free-for-all that raged around her was a beautiful symphony, the groans of pain and shouts of agony only charging the atmosphere further.

Goosebumps raised on the Lord's arms as a sensation all too familiar flashed through her mind. Instinctually, her neck snapped to the left. A monster sulked towards her, its ghastly form was likely shocking to anyone who hadn't seen one before. A small smirk flickered across Maleva's lips at the apparent challenge. How cute. The sorceress's hands moved once more. Ancient words rolled off her tongue in an eerie melody.

Her golden orbs seemed to grow a tad brighter as she wrestled with the spirit's power. It was strong, born from the nether with one goal. Yet she attempted to rise above, pulling the strings of its essence in an attempt to turn it against the one who had wrested it from its realm. She allowed her fury to meld with the beast, her will iron as she attempted to unravel the younger sorceress's magicks.
 

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