The Sith and his Apprentice

[Darth Arkanus]

Darson stood on the deck of the Chimaera looking towards a white dwarf star as a officer walked up behind him. "Uhm, sir It is time for you to invite them...." He nodded the officer off and looked away from the star moving towards the officer and sitting in the chair looking at the holo-comm as he turned it on.

Positioning his body he crossed his leg, his left leg irritating a little bit he looked directly into the holo-emmiter and waited for it to connect his eyes almost seeming to penetrate through the emitter to the other side as the line opened.

"Hello, don't be alarmed I am Grand Admiral Darson Rade, currently calling from the Chimaera and I would like to talk to the man called Vengeance, I have a message from my.... Lord, Darth Mephirium. He has told me to invite you to talk with me aboard the Chimaera. If you are willing I would be more then delighted to have you on board to talk with you about a offer we would like to propose, if you are willing."

Not waiting for a answer he sent the coordinates of the Chimaera and kept his eyes focused on the emitter as he continued with his speech in his head not moving his hands coming together and folding his fingers coming together.

"Here are the coordinates if you are willing to come, if not we understand that you are very important man, but we really do hope that you will consider coming to hear our offer. Believe me when I say, it's a offer of a lifetime and would benefit you greatly, but it's not the time to talk business."

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance sat in his quarters absently toying with a data pad. The events of Arkania playing over and over in his head. Not that they surprised him. It was only a matter of time before it happened. His thoughts were interrupted by the pilot.

"Sir......................we have received a message for you....................sounds important."

Vengeance stood and made his way to the cockpit and had the pilot play the message. Listening he smiled.

"Ok let's send a response and then change course."

Pausing a minute to give the pilot time Vengeance then replied.

"Grand Admiral Rade this is Vengeance." "We are a half day out from the provided coordinates and changing course."

Vengeance had the message sent and turned back towards the back of the ship as the pilot changed course. Hitting the intercom jsut outside of the cockpit Vengeance called his Apprentice.

"Anya met me in the armory in five."

[member="Darson Rade"] [member="Anya Loma"]

 

[Anya Malvern]

She sat mediating in her room, she was worried....worried and scared as she tried to tell herself over and over again that maybe it wasn't him...but it all lined up the amount of time her weird eating habits and changes

She, by [member="Vengeance"], had a child coming

She was rustled from the mediation she was in by his vouce, she stood and started quickly for the armory, now or never * hello sir...I...I've something to tell you * she sad and gulped* i am pregnant...and I've reason to believe...your the...the father

She said and bowed her head

[member="Darson Rade"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance looked at Anya for a moment and chuckled.

"It was bound to happen eventually............never have been exactly safe in regards to my urges."

Vengeance grabbed his obsidian saber and fighting blade clipping the saber to his belt and putting the blade in it's sheath on his back.

"We have received a message and are changing course." "The ship is the Chimeara." "We will be greeted by a Grand Admiral and possibly at least one Sith Lord."

Vengeance paused.

"So mind your manners, make no sudden movements, and speak only when spoken to directly." "These are immensely powerful people." "Gear up and get ready..........we will be meeting up with the Chimeara in a few hours."

[member="Anya Loma"] [member="Darson Rade"]

 

[Darth Arkanus]

As he got the responding message he nodded and stood up looking towards the window towards the star and sighed wistfully as he walked out the door and nodded to the bridge crew. He made his way to the lift and hit the button going down pulling down on his uniform to fix the wrinkles. He ran his hand through his hair breathing out before the lift hit his stop, getting out he made his way to the med-bay to take some painkillers for his leg. Coming out he made his way to his room to sleep and get himself prepared for the next day.

The Next Day
Standing on the bridge he heard a officer from the bridge crew call a new ship on sensors. "Hold fire and identify the ship." The man nodded and another one across the bridge began to scan the ship, "It's the ship we've been waiting for sir." He nodded and waved for them to open the hanger for them nodded as he turned on his heel and made his way to the lift that took him down a few floors. He got out and made his way to the hanger everyone he met saluting him as he passed and he gave a half nod making his way, half hiding his limp.

[member="Vengeance"]
[member="Anya Loma"]

 

[Kenrath]

A few hours later/the next day.

As the ship reached it's destination the pilot would transmit to the Chimeara for permission to land in. Vengeance made his way to the ramp waiting for the ship to touch down and for Anya to join him. He pulled his hood up of his face as the ramp lowered he stepped forward effectively surfing the ramp down his feet hitting hangar floor as the edge of the ramp did. Vengeance assumed [member="Anya Loma"] would be a step behind him but made no indication of confirming it.

While taking note of the people around him Vengeance strolled along until he reached his host.

"Admiral Rade I take it?" "I am Vengeance and this is my Apprentice Scarlet."

Vengeance stood waiting for the man to speak his posture was relaxed as if he strolled onto complete strangers ships on a daily basis. Truthfully he did but Vengeance had become a man devoid of fear a long time ago.

[member="Darson Rade"]

 

[Darth Arkanus]

He nodded towards the man and gave a slight bow towards his apprentice. He looked at the Sith in the eyes, he had given up fear of death a long time ago, ever since that fateful day... but he continued on returning his hands behind his back while clutching his hands together looking at the man.

"Admiral Rade it is, I hope you weren't expecting Darth Mephirium, he got called on other duties but left me to talk with you about business. If you don't mind my office is on the bridge, all the troops are aware of your presence so if your apprentice gets.... antsy at meetings she can always roam free, but be warned any restricted areas are going to remain that way unless you are with a escort or myself."

As he watched the two of them he turned on his heels in his normal manner and made his way for the door, not waiting for questions, and not waiting for a reply. He knew better then to keep them waiting so he made sure to get moving to the bridge as fast as he could, the soldiers around the ship saluting him again as the group walked through the ship and he receiving them with his half-nod of acknowledgment. He hid his limp in his left leg very well making sure not to show much weakness towards the both of them only every several steps slipping up.

[member="Vengeance"]
[member="Anya Loma"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance smiled under the hood at the man's words. The absence of Darth Mephirium was of no concern to him. He knew enough about Sith in general to know they did as they pleased. Vengeance gave nothing away as the Admiral finished speaking and turned to move away. He knew Anya would not be more than a few feet away from him anyway unless he told her otherwise.

So once the Admiral got a few steps ahead of him Vengeance followed always staying a few steps behind. He largely ignored the troops around him except for the occasional no more than five degree turn of his head to the left or right as they walked. Vengeance did notice the limp though.......even as much as one tried to hide it such things changed the way a person moved. It took the fluidity out of a person's step. Especially in a person of age.

[member="Darson Rade"] [member="Anya Loma"]

 

[Darth Arkanus]

He knew that there where going to be exterior motives to the man, but he also knew that he did too. Making his way to the lift he waited for the two to get in and hit the button going up. Standing still and holding his arms behind his back he waited for the doors to open looking blankly ahead. As the lift open he already had a foot out the door and began walking across the bridge to his office opening the door and making his way around the desk sitting down looking at the two of them.

"Please sit. I know I've made it painfully obvious but I've asked you here today to talk about a buisness plan, or opportunity as some would call it for you. My Lord, Darth Mephirium has met you before and has seen your skills and would like to ask you about a certain.... objective he thinks you both share."

He stared at the man looking directly in his eyes as he did so, no fear, no emotion. His hands had folded his hand mixing into a pile of fingers and flesh. His uniform was pristine and didn't have anything wrong with it, in preparation for this meeting. He knew that if this was to go well he was to put the utmost effort into this affair.

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance motioned for Anya to take the offered seat. Vengeance himself remained standing but did lower his hood and clasped his hands behind his back.

"I am curious Admiral.................you see to the best of may knowledge Darth Mephirium and I have never shared the same battlefield." "Unless of course you are referring to the little accidental encounter on Arkania." "In which case any Acolyte with little training could have accomplished the same things I did." "I am curious as to what you and your Master know about me." "I have been a virtual ghost since I fought the Jedi Grand Master on Contruum." "Even that was only witnessed by one other person a former Apprentice and son of Darth Vornskr."

Vengeance clasped his hands behind his back. Of course their was infinitely more to his story than that but odds are not very many people knew that. Even if they did it would be in the forums of rumors.

"At any rate I am sure you didn't bring me here to reminisce about past glory." "So what can I do for Darth Mephirium today?"

[member="Darson Rade"] [member="Anya Loma"]

 

[Anya Malvern]

She was surprised, he didn't seem the leads bit worried about it, just another thing he dismissed, she just nodded and listened

After that and they landed she walked out beside him, she stayed silent again listening, she bowed when she was introduced and followed, she gave on a small look around following beside [member="Vengeance"]


And when she was motioned to sit she sat down hands clasped on the table silent as ever, she knew the punishment for failing to listen, and took it with the best interest not to speak at all only listen

[member="Darson Rade"]

 

[Darth Arkanus]

He nodded as he listened to the man as he talked standing still he kept his eyes fixed on his as he talked listening to his words, nodding at some points but remaining still for most of it. After the man finished he nodded once more and cleared his head along with his throat looking back towards Vengeance.

"My Lord, even with his brief encounter has been able to feel your presence and know that what you showed him on Arkania was only a mere fraction of the power of what you hold inside you, now it's just the matter of what you use it for. See Darth Mephirium wants you and your Apprentice here to join him in his new empire, we have many force users and non-force users alike under our ranks and we would definitely appreciate having one with such skill along with us. But if you have any... problems with this I'm here to work out any deals you would like to make with our faction."

At this he glanced out the window at the star for a second before looking back at the man. He unfolded his hands and pulled down on his uniform fixing the wrinkles that were in it as he re-positioned himself to get more comfortable in his seat before refolding his hands. After this he let his eyes lock onto Vengeance again, his face keeping calm showing no emotion and his eyes no fear.

[member="Anya Loma"]
[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance chuckled.

"You didn't answer my question." "A dozen new........................"

Vengeance made a quotation marks gesture with his hands.

"....................Empires...................pop up every week." "Each one claiming to be better than the last." "To get right what the others got wrong." "Darth Mephirium is onyl the most recent to make that claim............and he won't be the last."

Vengeance paused glancing at Anya.

"I happen to remember catching something on the holonet a while back about some unpleasantness of Korriban." "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

Vengeance waved his hand as if he wasn't actually expecting an answer to that one.

"You see let me tell you what I know Admiral............since this is not my first time playing this little game." "Darth Mephirium as I image want's to be the biggest baddest Kath Hound on the block." "To accomplish this is needs allies and servants." "Since you are trying very hard to dance around the topic while trying to look like you are not dancing around the topic that tells me he wants me to fall in the servant category."

Vengeance paused leaning forward his palms on the table looking at the Admiral.

"So let me tell you the same thing I tell everyone else................even told the One Sith when they plucked me from my home." "I am nobodies servant." "You want something from me spit it out otherwise stop wasting my time."

Vengeance paused and took a breath.

"I happen to enjoy my exile..............you want me to give that up than you better come up with something better than the party line feed to brain dead Acolytes their first day at the Academy."

Vengeance stood back up straight and looked at the Admiral waiting.

[member="Darson Rade"] [member="Anya Loma"]

 

[Darth Arkanus]

He nodded listening to his concerns and making personal notes in his mind as he listened to the man. He shook his head softly when he said, "servant" it wasn't it at all and he wanted the man to see it.

"See, progress. We don't want you as a servant, not at all you don't have to be his lapdog and actually he encourages you to work alone, that's not what we want from this business. Darth Mephiriom just wants to unite the galaxy under one banner, and he is a very.... giving man. All he wants from this alliance is for you to help us with our empire, whether this means you helping with attacks or supplies. But this does not require you to do anything you don't want to, or if you want to do anything that he would... disapprove of it gives you that freeway too. All he wants is that when he calls for you, you will come to help, other then that you have your own business and we.... have ours."

[member="Vengeance"]
[member="Anya Loma"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance crossed his arms.

"Keep talking."

One could read between the lines an interpret the one banner comment as his banner. Which didn't surprise Vengeance in the least. However it seemed they were getting some where. After a minute an idea popped into his head.

"Tell me something Admiral.............a bit of a riddle if you will."

He glanced at Anya before continuing.

"What is a man's greatest weapon?"

It was a question that Vengeance had posed to many a person............Anya included. It was a question one could argue didn't have a universally accepted answer. However the answer each gave told a great deal about the person giving the answer.

[member="Darson Rade"] [member="Anya Loma"]

 

[Darth Arkanus]

He was about to speak when the man asked him the question, What is a man's greatest weapon? This was a hard question, what was a man's greatest weapon, it definitely didn't have a correct answer per say but he could feel that he was using it as a way to see into Darson. He looked down for a second, his body? His money? His weapons? He thought about it for a minute before he looked back up at the man. He unfolded his hands placing them on his desk as he did so looking at him.

"A man's greatest weapon is his mind. His mind controls his body and his thoughts, it tells him how to act, how to feel, how to live, how to die. It makes the choices for a man in a fraction of a second, without the mind there is no man. So the mind is the greatest weapon for men. If a man does not use his brain he succombs to the beast inside, breaking him and making him weak."

[member="Vengeance"]
[member="Anya Loma"]

 

[Kenrath]

Vengeance listened to the Admiral's answer. After a minute he smiled.

"What is the most dangerous thing to a man?" "What one thing can do the most harm?"

Vengeance waited to here the man's answer. This question however having a very specific answer but was no more or less difficult of a question than the one before.

[member="Darson Rade"]

 

[Darth Arkanus]

As soon as the words slipped out of the mans mouth a image flashed into his mind of red hair before he closed his eyes and looked away for a minute clearing his mind. This one didn't seem to be hard to find out but harder to put into words, he knew it but he didn't want to say it. He shook his head softly regaining his composure looking back at the man softly and nodded soft.

"Well, the most dangerous thing is.. love, it builds you when it's there making your stronger and stronger and makes your composure better and your thoughts clearer. But to your enemies their leverage and they will use them as so and they can be taken away just like that. When love is taken away it can harm a man more then any blaster or lighsaber ever could, it can and will break a mans spirit."

[member="Vengeance"]

 

[Kenrath]

"Secrets Admiral..............secrets do the most harm."

Vengeance paused.

"Not everyone falls in love........even those that do not all can be leveraged as a result of that love." "Secrets however.............everyone has secrets."

Vengeance paused again.

"You yourself are keeping many." "Your Master's purpose, the limp, the true nature of the interaction between Sith."

Vengeance smiled.

"I can guarantee you Darth Mephirium would be much more interested in what I do outside of the goals of his Empire than what I do inside of it." "You see such time could be used to undermine his efforts.............to ensure his goals are not reached." "Knowledge is power Admiral.................the one who knows more controls more."

Vengeance shook his head.

"I have known love Admiral love inspires, love drives you." "To be a better person, a stronger person not just for you but for them as well." "When it is taken from you it pushes you one of two ways................justice or revenge." "Secrets however can move mountains..........destroy builds, and topple Empires."

[member="Darson Rade"]

 

[Darth Arkanus]

He nodded listening to the man.

"True, too true some days I shall say but everyone has secrets, No? But what you do at length with those secrets is where the problem lies."

He took a brief pause and looked down, tapping his fingers softly before lifting his head back up.

"If there are no secrets then the world is an open book, and frankly I don't want to know what a Hutt did in bed last weekend do you? I don't think so but that is his secret no?"

He gave a pause again for emphasis to his point.

"I know you are talking about big secrets like what my Lord really wants and what he's doing in private but I can tell you honestly that all he wants is peace throughout the galaxy, he is not a man built for power but it has been thrust upon him, by his vengeance for his wife and kids, to give kids around this galaxy peace, weather by choice, or by force."

He slightly squinted his eyes looking at the man still.

"He cared for the people he loved but when they were taken from him he went down a path of justice that has led you and me here today sir, and if you don't like secrets, all I can tell you is look around you, secrets are everywhere. But if you want to help rule this galaxy and use your knowledge for power then join us, or sit in ignorance and take care of your own business, but we'll be here."

[member="Vengeance"]