The Covenant Takes Flight

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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

"It'd be just like Velok to help us, and use us at the same time." Iara spun her lightsabre in her hand, unlit, and kept Alu close. As they approached the frost-covered door, Alu began to shiver. A handful of Sith opened the door; their leader was a pink-skinned woman in dark fatigues. There was something about her, something off. Iara found herself sneering. "Melae Chann."

"Ia'raklayne. Long time."

"We're here looking for someone; then we'll be on our way."

Melae's weird pink eyes flicked to Alu. "Is that Lyn's?" Iara said nothing. "You need a better poker face, Iara. Lyn-Char Beorht's child will be a good addition to our roster. And you, Iara, will join the Sith again or you will die." Sith fanned out, surrounding them. Melae looked to Arice. "I don't know you," she said, "but are you one of us?"
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Balsa »

“If we can rally the students, they can certainly prove useful,” Asemir said. “While I doubt that any of the students siding with Valkner or any of the lower instructors pose a serious threat to me, they can distract me or injure me or otherwise foul my chances of defeating Valkner. It would be prudent to have someone or some ones screen me from any chaff Valkner may throw at me. If you can raise support from the students, or even some of the staff, I believe I’ll be able to take on Valkner.”

Asemir crossed his arms as he considered his strategy. “What do you suggest? When the time is right, should I simply make a proclamation that I will be challenging Valkner? Or is there something more subtle, or perhaps something more ritualistic?”
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by SmokeMare »

Arice raised an eyebrow, and chuckled, "One of you? No... I'm not one of you, and none of you are one of me. We're here on business, I suggest you allow us to complete our business here as quickly and efficiently as possible - then allow us to leave. Alu is not here to join the Sith Academy, nor is Iara going to be rejoining your ranks. We need to speak to a person known as 'Rave' take us to her immediately."

Pure darkside was pouring off Arice, his Vankyr imbued cells were twinging at the prospect of bloodshed, it drawing Arice deeper into the darkside... He waited for the strangers response, knowing that despite appearances he genuinely wasn't calling anyones bluff - at the same time he was concerned that killing students would not help their mission here.
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

"I'm not sure format matters at all," said Atreyu. "But since you ask, there's a Sith tradition called a Kaggath that might apply. Basically, one Sith challenges another, to the death. Challenger sets the arena. Mobilizing power bases, supporters, that's all allowed. It's very, very old - nobody really cares about it, and certainly not Valkner. The one thing that might add some significance to your challenge is that, if I remember right, the loser's name and legacy can be stricken from all remembrance. Which, come to think of it, would be therapeutic for more than a few here."



"Rave?" said Melae Chann. She folded her arms. "I teach a Rave in one of my classes, yes." Her face was unnaturally smooth, expressionless. Whatever she was, she wasn't the Zeltron she more or less looked like. She wasn't even truly humanoid, and Iara had never truly been able to determine what Melae Chann was. Iara took a half-step forward.

"We will see Rave, Chann."

And though she couldn't see emotion in the alien woman's face, she sensed it, half through the Force and half by intuition. Chann couldn't back down, but Arice's aura was giving her pause. If given a reason...

"We are here on Torkan's authorization."

The pink woman blinked. "Torkan, you say. Very well." She turned on her heel and stalked back into the Academy - her associates, other low trainers and high students, followed. Iara looked at Arice, momentarily nonplussed, then shrugged.

"Apparently we have to find Rave on our own...I can probably use some Theran Listener techniques for that, but it'll take a while. Do you sense that, Arice? Everyone's on edge...and I feel weaker somehow. Just a little. It took me this long to figure it out. What could that be?"
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by SmokeMare »

Arice stretched out with his feelings, he could sense it too. He looked at Iara grimly, "It's fear, fear and misery... Disgust, wretchedness, self-loathing... I doubt this is right for even a Sith Academy. I suspect whatever is causing the aura of pain that hangs in the very essence of this place is partly why 'Torkan' has sent us here... Damn Velok! I can't get a grasp of him, just when I think I have him nailed down - he goes and... Hmmm, maybe we should see the administrator of this place and ask if he knows where we might find Rave?"
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

"Yeah, I think it's fairly clear that Velok has set us up." They wandered through the halls. "Excuse me - can you tell me where to find the headmaster?"

The Sith hesitated. "You're kidding, right? Joking about that crap is..." He shook his head and hurried away. Iara grimaced and turned to Arice.

"This is an issue. But...hang on." She frowned. "There's more to this aura. I feel...drained, Arice. I think something or someone is taking a tiny bit of power from everyone here." She pointed at the ceiling. "It's subtle, but... I'm starting to put pieces together, and I don't like it. I think we'll find our headmaster up there. I'd rather not go anywhere near that, not while we've got Alu with us. You can if you like, and I can search for Rave with my Theran techniques, and maybe that way we can speed things up?"
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Balsa »

"Kaggath?" Asemir echoed. He'd never heard of the term. Then again, he wasn't really a Sith and knew relatively little of the culture. "Mobilizing power bases and all that? It sounds like a way to allow Valkner to prepare. Granted, it'd give me more time to prepare, but I suspect he'd have the greater advantage." He shook his head. "Neg, I'd prefer to strike hard and strike fast. What's the earliest you believe would be prudent for me to make my challenge? How long would you need to secure some support?"
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

"I have connections. I'm..." He grimaced and pitched his voice a little lower. "I'm Centrality, so I can call in a couple of people from that. I'm a CCO, and there are at least two others here. And I was a member of a group called the Paladin Order - a few of us are here now. So we're talking an hour for acceptable support, a day or two for more substantial levels of it. I can give you six blades inside an hour - enough to keep his followers occupied. And if that doesn't work I have...the potential to distract." His gut twisted.
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by SmokeMare »

Arice nodded and watched Iara vanish down the corridor with Alu. He walked up to the forboding door and pushed it so it swung gently open, he stepped through into the office, and looked at the Anari behind the desk. As he did an image flashed across his mind, that of Iara's Lekku being severed...

He shook his head, horrified and stepped forwards, "I came to ask you where I might find 'Rave' but... You are the one who sliced off Iara Clane Beorht's Lekku!"
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Balsa »

"One day to secure additional support would suffice," Asemir replied. "Any longer and we risk Valkner finding out our plan. Plus, I can use the remainder of today to scout out a suitable location for our duel." He gave the CCO operative a hard looking, committing his face to memory. "Where and when should we meet again? How will I contact you?"
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

"I'm an alchemist. I make things. Here." Atreyu fished a tiny talisman out of his pocket. "I have a matching one. It's based on the Nightsister blood trail, with some quantum - you know what, it works. Just press the button and I'll find you. Twenty-four hours. I can get you some people in twenty-four hours, and who knows. I might even be able to get word off-world without him picking anything up. I'll be careful."

The assassin-alchemist ducked out and was gone.



The Anzati behind the desk looked up with an expression of mild consternation blended with homicidal rage. "What in the name of all that is holy are you doing in here? And who, exactly, are you?"
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by SmokeMare »

Arice smiled, "I'm here with Iara Beorht, on the authority of a Sith called Torkan. We need to find Rave... " He looked for a sign of emotion at the mention of Iara, he thought he saw it too, a faint glimmer perhaps?

"My name is Arice Quinn, now are you going to answer my question about Iara, and point in the direction of this Sith called Rave?"
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

"I don't answer to Torkan, and he has no authority here. Enough pull to get you and the traitor through orbital security, and just exactly that amount." The Anzati rose. "Arice Quinn is a name I know, though I thought you were older. So I am presented with options. I daresay the Sith Empire's diplomats would love to hear of yet another Jedi marching in where he has no mandate or authority. That sort of thing is useful, and Iara Beorht already has a reputation for such breaches of protocol. That is my first option, Arice Quinn." The big Anzati circled the desk and looked down at Arice from close range. He had a few inches on the Zabrak, and the weight of centuries. "My second option is to kill you. It's not often that someone feels the right to talk to me like you do, Arice. But I like this office, and the last time I killed someone here the renovations took weeks. There were bone splinters under the tiles.

"Neither option bodes well for you. It's lucky, then, that I have a third option. The child Rave is a problem. She is...frustratingly elusive. She's taken to living in the ventilation system. Root her out, get rid of her, and you can leave unmolested."
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by SmokeMare »

Arice chuckled, smirking at Vaulkner, "Listen... I'm not afraid of you, so don't try and intimidate me. I aren't here to cause trouble though, if you think Rave is hiding out in the ventilation system and you want me to flush her out - I'll do it... " He felt something sinister about this individual, simply speaking to him left a sour taste in his mouth. Part of Arice wanted to kill him, or to show just a tiny bit of Vankyr ability, just to unnerve him - but it would serve no greater purpose than his satisfying his own whims, as ever he put his objectives ahead of his personal feelings.

He turned his back on the desk and stormed out. Force-jumping into the ventilation system and starting to explore immediately, once he was out of the room.
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by SmokeMare »

Inside the vents system whispers of conversation could be heard from all over the Academy. Arice was able to walk with a small crouch, following where the force led him. Occasionally he'd peer through a grill and see students training, or arguing, or just milling about. It was a little alarming - in many ways this place was indistinguishable from the Jedi Academies. There was something wrong though, something that seemed to be draining the life out of everyone here.

He kept his mind focused on this 'Rave' first and foremost, but also was mindful of the drain on the facility... Occasionally he'd pass ducts or vents that seemed to have a stronger effect of draining than others... If he couldn't find Rave, then maybe he could find whatever was sucking the life out of these poor students.
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

Arice found both at once, as it happened.

Rave sat in meditation in a chamber deep below the bulk of the Sith Academy, in the very foundations. She sat before a large machine, all metal and crystal, adorned with Sith runes. It was unquestionably the source of the drain, and Rave - a pale, dark-haired twelve or thirteen-year-old girl - was just as obviously fighting the drain. Why she'd chosen to sit here where it was strongest was not immediately in evidence. She looked tired and ill, but when she stood to face Arice her eyes burned with a cold light. Whatever this machine had taken from her, she had taken something from it in return. "You're not Valkner, here to maintain his machine. You're...something else. Something cold and hard. Not as old as him, not as strong as him, but older and stronger than you look. Why are you here?" She spoke in the voice of a thirteen-year-old, but her cadence and diction were those of an older woman, an adult.
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by SmokeMare »

Arice raised an eyebrow, "I might ask you the same question... But I'm assuming you're Rave?" He eyed the machine up and down, then looked at her again, "I'm here to find you as it happens, for a friend, Iara Beorht, Alu is sick... And it seems Torkan thinks you can help?"

He looked back at the machine, "This is what's draining everyone here... What is it?"
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

"Iara Beorht, that's a name I know. Torkan - I know of Torkan. I just don't understand why you're looking for me, or why you think I can help." The little girl's gaze turned back to the machine. "I'm a thirteen-year-old who happens to be inconvenient. That's all I am. Sirena chose me as her Second Apprentice, but basically she just wanted a tractable kid with some potential, and I happened to be younger and stronger than most students here. Ashin Varanin was too independent for her...taste. Now that Sirena's in exile, I'm inconvenient. He's got the mess guarded, you know. I did a bit of hunting outside, well, tried to. My friends snuck me food for a while, but they got caught. You know what a tuk'ata is?"

"I've killed some."

"Then you might know they can hibernate for eons, living on the Force. I'm out of food, so I'm trying something similar. This thing drains life and Force energy. I'm stealing some of it back. It's new, brought from his palace on Telos."

A new voice echoed from around a concrete partition in the foundation. "I've tried everything to break that thing." A pale, tired, sunken-eyed young man came into view. "So this is where you've run off to, Rave. Turns out not even your friends can track you down. I have some vitamins and a couple of energy bars, but I came to take a crack at this machine again. Who's your friend?"

"Agent of Torkan. Keeps talking about someone named Alu being sick; says I can help somehow."

"I'm Darth Atreyu. So Torkan finally saw the light, did he?"
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Balsa »

A day's worth of time wasn't a whole lot to prepare, so Asemir had to forgo his usual preparations. He was tempted to seed traps in the arena, but decided against it because he'd never have the time to do an adequate job without being discovered. Instead, he spent his hours wandering the Academy grounds, scouting for a suitable area to fight Valkner.

Two potential locations drew him. The Academy interior was tempting, with its long hallways and various rooms offering numerous opportunities for ambushes and deception. He could draw Valkner into a side hall and disappear if he wished only to reappear behind the Headmaster or within his flank. But, as he explored the nooks and crannies, he realized this would be a terrible idea. Regardless of how thorough he was, he always discovered some hidden passageway that he had overlooked. Even if he had months or years to wander the depths of the Academy, he'd not know the depths well enough. Valkner, with his years and years of experience would easily have him at a disadvantage. No, the Academy itself was out.

That left the Academy parade grounds. The landscape was flat dirt covered in snow with no obstructions. There was no chance to gain cover or utilize deception. The ground itself was frozen solid and pounded to the consistency of solid rock. While Asemir would have preferred some cover to protect against snipers, he decided that Valkner's need to personally defeat him would likely prevent any assistance.

So, deciding that the grounds were the best location, Asemir spent the rest of his time thoroughly examining his chosen arena and reading up on Valkner and Azanti physiology and anatomy.
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by SmokeMare »

Arice raised an eyebrow, "If there's one piece of advice I can give you about Torkan it's 'trust him', but only in so far as 'trust him' not to tell you everything, including everything he knows and his motives. I'm not sure his motives are malicious - but I would always assume he knows more than he lets on."

Darth Atreyu smirked at this, "Sounds like you have a lot of dealings with him?" Arice frowned, "Certainly more than I'm inclined to... Hmmm, this machine you say - this is what is causing the field drain around here?" Darth Atreyu nodded, "Yes, we've been trying to break it for some time... Valkner, is an Anzati... he feeds off what this machine drains... And he..."

An image flashed across Quinn's mind, of the more nefarious actions of Valkner... Did it come from Darth Atreyu? Or elsewhere, either way he knew what the devil had been up to... Something else, no images, just a sense, a sense to tiny it would be likely to be dismissed by anyone else... Somebody was here to kill Valkner, he suspected Valkner was oblivious to it, because from his actions, there were probably a lot of people who wanted to kill him here... And the sense was so vague and hidden... But he and Iara had turned up at the time Torkan wanted them to turn up... Coincidence? Probably not knowing Velok.

Arice sighed and thought for a moment, "I don't think you should break this thing... It could have devastating effects on the people it's linked into... I don't know how it works, a combination of tech and Sith Magic perhaps? Although... Hmmm... Do you want me to have a look at this thing and see if I can fathom it out?"

Darth Atreyu chuckled, "Well you'd be welcome to try, except there's a force-field which we... Ahhh... You've disabled it..." Arice smiled, "I'm pretty good with machines... Let me give this thing a look over..."

Atreyu and Rave watched in awe as Arice began dismantling the machine, setting panels aside but leaving them connected. It wasn't long before he was buried waist deep in a mass of wires and controls, lying on his back tinkering. His voice echoed from the bowels of the machine, "Ahh... Yes, Hmmm.... Hmmm, this looks like... Ahhh... That's it.... Hmmm, just like a Graviton Mining Rig control unit but with hmmm... I wonder..."

His head popped back out, "I daren't shut it down, it could have unpredictable results on the people it's drawing off because of the feedback uncertainty."

Rave and Atreyu screwed their faces up, "Hmmmph! That was a waste of time then..." Arice smirked, "Not necessarily, he's some biological sample to identify himself as the reciever and exclude him from the draining process. He doesn't get drained and all the energy and life-force drained, gets fed back to him... The modulation circuit looks exactly like that on a BXP7-599-XR1 Graviton Mining Rig. Which means, if I carefully disable some safety circuits, cross a few wires and alter the wave amplitude of the signal field stabilizer... I should be able to reverse the flow."

Rave and Atreyu looked blankly at him, "Could you repeat that in basic?" Arice sighed, "Right, now it's setup to drain from everyone except him and feed the energy to him. If I reverse the flow, it will start draining from just him, and feeding to everyone EXCEPT him... I think someone is here to kill him, I think Torkan planned our arrival to coincide with this... Whoever is going to challenge him will have a much easier time if his life-force and energy is being gradually drained... And when he's gone... Well the machine will proably just stop working."

Rave and Atreyu were grinning at this, Atreyu looked Quinn in the eye, "Will it work?" Arice shrugged, "Definately... But it won't be like flicking a switch, it will slowly to drain the populace and feed him less and less, then gradually it will start draining off him and feeding the rest of the people in the field. I don't know the machine so I don't know how long it will take to take effect."

Atreyu smirked, "Do it..."

In a flash Arice's head was under the machine, buried in wires, whistling to himself while he modified the circuitry. After a bit of humming, head scratching and grunting he emerged, "It's done..."
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Balsa »

Even though he had only truly slept for a handful of hours, meditation and calming techniques had rejuvenated Asemir’s mind and body. And while he was still acclimating to the silence and peace afforded by a noticeable lack of Sera, he still considered those several hours restful. Asemir woke in the morning at dawn, as was his custom, and he went through his usual morning ritual: calisthenics, meditations, and the like. He ate a meal, something found in the food preparation unit in his chambers that resembled smoked meats and pastries, and then went over the plan.

He would challenge Valkner, though he hadn’t yet decided how he would do so. His first step would be to contact Atreyu using that strange device the CCO operative had given him. The Forgotten had no idea how it worked (Shyd or Granth would likely know), but he had learned long ago that sometimes it was better not to ask why and to simply follow the instructions. Atreyu’s intelligence indicated that Asemir, as the challenger, had the right to choose the venue of the fight, so after Valkner accepted his challenge, it was just the simple matter of killing the Headmaster.

It had occurred to him that Valkner might refuse his challenge. It was a very small possibility, one that would likely paint the Azanti as a coward, but it could happen. Asemir shrugged as he picked up the small device from a coffee table. If Valkner did indeed refuse to fight him, the plan was still intact: Asemir would kill him.

He pressed the switch and waited for Atreyu.
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

"Well, that's half the battle," said Darth Atreyu, eyeing the guts of a machine half electronic and half alchemical. "Valkner is still one of the Sith Empire's most powerful Masters, but now he'll have to face his challenger with only his own strength. Yes, there's a challenger - a man named Asemir Lor'kora. Rave, I need your help on this; and you, sir, if you can help, will deserve our thanks. Valkner has supporters in the lower teachers and in the senior students. I'm trying to think ahead - I know they won't interfere with Asemir's fight; Valkner's pride won't allow it. But they might make a victory hollow by murdering some of the competition, or controlling key groups like the youngest children - the ones your age, Rave. If I were them, and blessed with their lack of conscience, I would be capturing and holding the children. Which means there's fighting to be done, and it has to be at the same time as-"

He blinked, and fished in his pocket. "That's the signal," he said, holding up a tiny quantum link transmitter. "Asemir is ready to meet with me. Will you come with me to his chambers?"
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by SmokeMare »

Arice shrugged, one way or another he always ended up fighting someone or something, he didn't seem to be able to go anywhere without crossing blades with someone... He chuckled at how he at least seemed to generally evade the principle villain, he'd fought and defeated the centuries old cyborg Sith, Perem Thoje, the Vankyr Maris Eterna and a string of other side kicks, and second in commands, stretching back to his time on Coruscant before the purge and Dathomir...

He sighed, "I'll fight... I can't promise anything, but I'm hoping this 'machine' will have started to effect a significant drain on... Valkner? By the time this Asemir meets him... Hmmm, I suspect the effects would be more dramatic if he'd held off the meeting for at least a few hours, but then I suppose once Valkner sensed it - he might have returned here to either destroy the machine or reconfigure it..."

Atreyu rolled her eyes at him, "We're wasting time - you've done what you can, now lets go!"

Arice nodded towards them and unbuckled his twin Shotan lightsabres, "Lead on! You lead the way!"

Atreyu and Rave darted down a tunnel, and Arice sprinted after them... Then stopped, baffled - they'd vanished... He looked around, they were staggering slightly, looking confused, running towards him. Atreyo looked at him distrustingly, "How did you ge..." He cut her off, "Just keep moving, we'll talk later - which way now?"

He allowed them to take the leave then tried to follow slowly, they were running, but he seemed to see them moving almost in slow motion... The Vankyr effect? He didn't feel tired either, and he felt like he could move so fast they wouldn't even see him if he needed to. It became a precariuous game following them, trying to test his Vankyr ability but gradually, speed was worthless without control, and could be as likely to get him killed as save his life if he ran into a stray blade...
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

The Sith Lord, the girl and the Vankyr had to travel much less obtrusively through the actual Academy, once they ascended above the foundation passages. Rave was still wanted, after all, and drawing attention to Asemir made no sense either. Rave walked down the middle of the hall, enveloped by a hooded cloak. Confidence and anonymity. She was running this like an intelligence operative, and once more Atreyu was reminded that she had the memories of her clone donor, the woman who had possessed her: Sira Ves.

Nobody spotted her, and nobody bothered them. The easiness of it made him nervous, but if all really was going well, how else was it supposed to appear?

He knocked twice and ducked into Asemir's quarters with Rave and Arice. "Asemir Lor'kora, meet Arice Quinn of the Jedi Order, and Rave. I found them reworking the mechanism that Valkner uses to drain small amounts of energy from everyone in the Academy. Arice has reversed the flow, but I expect Valkner will notice that rather soon and break the connection - he's good. This will take him down to, well, the level of a normal, really strong Master. So it's good news," he said, deadpan. "They know you're to challenge Valkner. Arice, I've verified that there are going to be children - twelve, thirteen years old - kept as hostages by Valkner's associates. Rave, infiltrate. Arice, you're the hammer and she's the anvil, just as soon as Asemir begins his fight. Even if you fail, Asemir, I may be able to get those children out."
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Balsa »

Asemir didn’t think it was necessary to mention that he had killed children in the past, so instead he simply nodded a greeting to Arice and Rave. “Your help is appreciated,” he said and turned towards Atreyu. “Getting the children out is commendable, but the focus still needs to remain on Valkner. Without removing him, future people will always be at risk. Given that we’re as ready as we can be, how do I go about making the challenge? I somehow doubt barging into Valkner’s office is the most prudent course of action.”
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

"Yes, well, if Valkner decides he needs a snack, where do you think he'll turn? An Anzati can become phenomenally powerful by consuming the life essence of even one Force-user. He's been rationing himself, drinking only a few here and there, but if he wants some unknown kind of supercharge, a snack pack of defenseless, promising young Sith is exactly what you don't want him picking up on the way to your fight." Atreyu bared his teeth. "Just in case this wasn't bleak enough already. All right - your challenge. You're right - barging into his office and challenging him is a bad, bad idea. For one thing, the room is laced with circuitry similar to neuronic whips. He takes his safety rather seriously.

"I can deliver the challenge. I'm a junior teacher here; I have enough prestige to be safe, at least as much as anyone. Of course, I'm not a teacher with this face." He removed his outer clothing and turned it inside-out, changing the outfit entirely. The reverse was darker and richer, and resembled the uniform of a Central Command Operative in some ways. He unrolled a piece of memory metal and slapped it over his face; it became a golden mask that covered him down to the nose and cheeks. "This is the Darth Atreyu the Academy knows. Now, you also have the option of letting me draw him out, then challenging him when he's in a public place. Adds drama, difficult to plan."
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Balsa »

“You’re right about removing his ‘battery’ sources,” Asemir conceded. He peered at Atreyu’s mask, noting how it clung to his face perfectly. It reminded him of his own Specter armor. “I personally would prefer a direct approach, that you might deliver my challenge. It’d be unexpected, I suspect, and that might catch him off guard. Plus, if you portray me as an arrogant and reckless challenger, he might underestimate my abilities. It might even guarantee that he takes on my challenge. He might find it entertaining.”
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by SmokeMare »

Arice listened and sighed, "I'll help Atreyu get the children out - and I need to find Iara and Alu... But, I know this isn't my fight, but I think I have an idea of what Valkner has been up to - I don't want to know the gory details, I get the picture... Look, I really don't want to get involved directly, it could jeopardise Jedi, Sith relationships at a critical time - but if he manages to over-power you, I'll be ready to step in and take him on."

It was a bold move, and he hoped Asemir wouldn't need his blade - politically it was dangerous, plus he still wasn't accustomed to his Vankyr abilities... But Valkner couldn't be allowed to continue what he was doing, that took first priority.
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Balsa »

Asemir nodded but smiled. His grin came from one who is utterly sure of his abilities because of decades of experience and expertise, one who knows he is the best at what he does. "I won't fail," he said.
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

Darth Atreyu, mask firmly in place, walked the Academy halls, ascending ever higher through galleries and up grandiose marble stairs. He ignored others and was ignored in turn. Though a junior teacher, he was known as a capable Sith Assassin, unpredictable and vengeful. He had also let slip bits of the truth about his past: specifically, his involvement in the Tremondak incident. Nobody crosses a Sith who convinces people to become suicide bombers. Nobody.

Coming to Lord Valkner's office, he knocked. The door hissed open. The Anzati sat behind his desk.

"Lord Valkner."

"Darth Atreyu. Come in." Valkner indicated a chair across from him. Atreyu sat, and Valkner's outstretched hand made a fist. Restraints looped out and clamped shut, sealing his wrists and shins to the chair. His heart raced; he filled his muscles with the Force and slammed his will against the restraints, but to no avail. Valkner folded his arms. "You thought I wouldn't learn you were helping the girl called Rave?"

Lines of light stood out across the ceiling and walls, and the energy of neuronic whips poured into Atreyu's body. He gritted his teeth against a scream, relying on the Jedi discipline he'd learned from Mor before they both returned to the Dark Side. He redirected it, drawing a measure of power from his own agony - the effort took all he had. Valkner stood and deactivated the neuronic projector. Atreyu sagged against the restraints, and Valkner circled the desk. He felt the mask part company from his face. "Ahhh - so that's what you look like, Darion Twin'Vo. Yes, yes, I know who you are. A decent ruse, but in the end, you're just...children...with delusions of grandeur." A finger trailed along his cheekbone.

"A few points to ponder, Valkner. One: I'm twenty-two, a little older than you're used to."

"I'm prepared to make an exception."

"Two: Asemir Lor'kora sent me with a challenge."

Valkner went very still. "Did he now."

"Three: leaving an alchemist time to examine your restraints is an exercise in stupid." The chair shattered as he stood.

"Four: nobody touches the mask." It snapped back to his face from Valkner's hand. He took a shaking step forward and met the Anzati face-to-face. "Now, you could crush me, but you need your strength. You could drink my soup, but there's always the chance I'll cut you in the process. Lor'kora has a reputation in certain circles. The man faced Sivter blade-to-blade. And that, right there, was uncertainty. How long has it been since you had a real challenger? I mean, before Mordavo." He turned around and made for the door. "Get ready."
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Balsa »

Less than forty-eight hours ago, he had found himself in the frigid winds of Ziost, approaching the Sith Academy and learning of Rolf Valkner for the first time. Now, Asemir found himself standing on the parade grounds, the gusts of ice and snow swirling around him as he waited to meet Valkner in person. Atreyu had told him not too long ago that he had made the challenge and the Headmaster had accepted. He even added that the Azanti had appeared taken aback by Asemir’s boldness. The Forgotten decided to take that as a positive sign, that this plan had taken Valkner by surprise.

He was dressed in some Sith robes, the ebony black cloth bellowing in the wind. Beneath that, his Specter armor clung to him, providing protection from the elements and any other violent threat he might face. He had left his head bare, relishing the refreshing bite of the weather, but he would don the mask and hood of his armor when the fighting started. While dueling Valkner bare-faced would be more personal, Asemir was far too practical to do that.

In addition to his standard armaments of songblade and a slug-throwing carbine, Asemir had strapped a lightsaber to his waist. While the weapon was not his primary preference, having a backup was always a good idea. As inelegant as it was, the carbine was something he had found particularly useful against Force users because its erratic fire pattern was not something most Force users were accustomed to defending against. The songblade, while not as flashy as a lighsaber, was just as deadly, if not more so. The Night Terror had fought against Sivter and Arksis Nan, surviving both and giving as good as it got. It had even resisted Necroban’s corruption. Asemir trusted his blade more than he trusted most other beings he had met.

He heard them before he saw them. Their murmurs and voices carried in the winds, and preceded them. Movement from the Academy caught his eye, and Asemir saw throngs of students and teachers alike emerging from the temple depths. He even spotted a handful of servants and slaves. The onlookers gathered around the parade ground, circling the arena, and the Forgotten sensed waves of anticipation, fear, and excitement emanating from them in waves.

The crowds waited, chatting amongst themselves and no doubt placing wagers on the combatants. Time passed as Asemir waited for Valkner himself, and after a quarter hour, the Headmaster finally appeared. His supporters appeared first, senior students and senior teachers. They arrived in their Sith robes and regalia, and the crowds parted to give these beings the best positions from which to watch the duel.

After several moments, Valkner strode onto the parade ground. The Azanti carried himself proudly, his head held high and confident. The students and teachers alike cheered, sending a roar through the air. (Asemir guessed the show was less of support and more of fear.) Valkner turned, waving and bowing to his students and underlings, and the roars of approval grew. Pedophile or not, Asemir had to give the man credit: he knew how to work a crowd.

The Azanti finally stepped up to the Ingr’Nysk, and any sense of delight or grace or pleasure had vanished from his face. Pure anger and hate bled from his voice when he spoke. “Asemir Lor’kora. You dare challenge me?”

“I do,” Asemir nodded. He raised his voice, so that the gathered students and teachers could hear. “I, Asemir Lor’kora, Fist of the Holy Emperor, challenge you Sith Lord Rolf Valkner over your perversions and atrocities against the citizens of the Sith Empire. Do you accept my challenge?”
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

The Anzati wore combat fatigues, a breastplate, and a threadbare cloak; he carried only a simple lightsabre. He gestured, and the hard-packed ground buckled. From deep below the ground, boulders rose up and stacked themselves into a rough semblance of a throne. Frozen dirt shivered away, leaving the boulders pale and clean. The Anzati sat back on the cold stones, legs crossed.

"I don't accept challenges from just anyone, Fist of the Holy Emperor. Who are you? What have you done? For that matter, which Emperor? And which fist, the left or the right?" Laughter rose in the crowd, spurred by fear. "Tell me of your credentials. Present yourself properly. I suppose I should go first." He leaned forward and clasped his hands, elbows resting on his knees, a man deep in the throes of interesting conversation. "My name is Rolf Valkner. I am not a young Anzati; even our youngest are eons old by your reckoning. My mother was called Simma Cobaul, the Frost Witch - the Oldest. I was a disciple of the Taurannik Codex; I trained in the drifting moon trees of the Gunninga Gap. I learned the Way of the Dark from the Sorcerers of Rhand. I learned the Sith way from Darth Kren. I am a Dark Lord of the Sith. Those who defied me are buried beneath this very parade ground, trodden on by a thousand boots. I understand you have been associated with one called Velok."

"How could he know that?" murmured Iara to a helpful girl named Jessamin Traverts.

Valkner continued. "You should know that I defeated him. Now tell us, Lor'kora...who are you to challenge me?"
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Balsa »

Asemir didn't flinch at Valkner's jab at his title. It was, after all, a seldom-used title, a honorific bestowed upon Null Prime for its efforts in rooting out corruption throughout the Empire. So, he decided just to ignore that part of Valkner's question. "Your credentials and history and teachers and life sound quite interesting, Valkner. However, I do not know who they are or the importance you place on them. They are meaningless. I suspect, were I to recount my own tales of valor and the lineage under which I was trained, you too would not appreciate their significance."

"As such, I will not bore you with those details." The Forgotten saw annoyance flash in the Azanti's eyes. It was true, Valkner likely would not care how he was trained or whom he had trained under. In fact, if anything, it would give the Azanti an advantage of knowing his foe. "Suffice to say, I fought the late Sivter, blade-to-blade, and survived. I defeated the Dark Lord Arksis Nan in bladed combat. Those are the only two credentials you should need to know, and the only two I suspect you would appreciate." The crowd had quieted when Asemir had mentioned Sivter and Arksis Nan's names. Everyone knew their significance and knew that surviving an encounter with them was no mean feat.

"But it matters not who I am to challenge you," Asemir continued, "but that I do. Your kind, your vile and twisted perversions are a blight on this galaxy and I mean to remove that blight. You prey on the weak, on the innocent, on those who cannot defend themselves. And you would assume that to be power." He shook his head, but his eyes flared ruby. "Your kind, Valkner, are the lowest of low. Even condemned mass murderers would not want to be associated with molesters like you.

"Are you satisfied with my answer?" Asemir crossed his arms across his chest. "I see theatrics, Valkner, I hear words. You recite your lineage as if it should intimidate me. It does not. Prove your words with action. Prove to --" and he took in the audience with a sweep of his arms --"them that you are more than the pathetic child molester that you are."
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

Valkner stood from the rock throne in a convulsive jerk. He removed his cloak and threw it aside. "Very well. Let's get this over with. As more than one child here can testify, my time is precious."

He held his arms straight out to the sides, hands gathered into fists. Behind him, the throne's component boulders levitated and separated into two distinct groups. They rotated in midair, grinding harshly against each other; then he whipped his fists together before him, and the two groups of boulders whipped around him in semicircular paths. They impacted each other with a sound like a mountain eating a shotgun. Chunks of shattered rock fell or ricocheted everywhere, but most of the rock remained suspended in midair, testament to the kind of telekinesis that could move starships. Valkner's bunched fists splayed open. The rubble exploded out from the levitating cluster, a blast of sharp-edged rock that tore into the frozen ground beneath. Stray rocks bounced into the crowd, but that was neither here nor there. He called back errant rocks and sent them at Asemir in a more or less constant stream, a barrage.

He was burning power fast, but anything to keep Asemir at range. If he truly had fought Sivter and Arksis Nan-

Carbine slugs ripped out of the rock storm. One flattened against the breastplate, leaving a dent as it fell away. The impact rocked the big Anzati back on his heels, and floating rocks trembled in midflight. He'd known as soon as he saw the carbine that most of trispzest was out the window. Hovering in midair intimidated like nothing else, but it also meant trusting the speed of his telekinesis against the speed of a bullet and a military man's trigger finger. Once more he stretched out his hand, and replaced the rock storm with a potent command. Mind control was his forte, after all, and a simple suggestion would do for most people, no matter how strong of will. This one took some emphasis.

Yield.
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Balsa »

The word punched into Asemir’s mind like a freight train against a stranded vehicle, and with the force of a thousand-year storm. He recognized that command, that tone of voice and power of suggestion. It carried the same authority as the voices of his Temple teachers and masters, a voice used to stop a raging ur’keeri in its tracks and forced it into submission. It was a power command, designed to burrow into the deepest recesses of the victim’s mind and strangle all hints of free will.

Valkner knew this as well, and had undoubtedly expected his mind control to end the duel swiftly and decisively. But, Asemir’s mind did not crumble and disintegrate as the car being destroyed by the train would have. Instead, the train, more like a tidal wave of charging swordsmen broke upon the shield wall that was Asemir’s mental barriers.

Surprised that his assault had only staggered the Forgotten, Valkner muttered another command word, and then another. Anger and rage fueled his attacks, and they slammed into the mental shields with the force of a Star Destroyer executing a Base Delta Zero command. The barrage drove the Forgotten back, and he staggered to his knees. Almost. Not quite. Not really at all.

Asemir, his ears ringing, straightened up and grinned. It was a grim smile, almost laughing but not from mirth. His eyes glowed brightly. “Impressive,” he said, spitting blood onto the snow-packed grounds. “But not good enough. You learn some things when you’ve lived all your life fighting off a Force creature trying to possess your soul.”

It was true. Ever since Sera had manifested herself, Asemir had been faced with a hourly battle to keep her from controlling him. He had learned through trial and error and instruction by the greatest mentalists in the Temple how to ward his mind against her mental barrages. And while Valkner’s technique may have been superior to Sera, he only had a few moments to try to overcome the decades of cognitive armor Asemir had donned. Given some more time and a more controlled environment, he’d certainly be able to overwhelm Asemir’s defenses. But here, in an active duel? Doubtful.

And Asemir saw that moment of uncertainty in the Azanti’s eyes. It warmed his heart. He relished that look, when a predator knew he was undone, when he was no longer the apex of the food chain.

The Forgotten wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “Let’s make this a personal fight, shall we?” he said as he fired his carbine one-handed at the floating Sith. His right hand had already unsheathed his songblade, and even as his weapon vomited a storm of metal, Asemir charged forward to meet Valkner head on.
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

A Force shield could only stop so much, and that sort of mental construct conserved momentum. To eliminate momentum - that would be master work, and Valkner didn't have the time or the focus to spare, not while hovering. The carbine fire hammered his shield, ricocheting into the crowd or punching through to kiss his armor and knock him back through the air. Even with reduced momentum, a slug took his left ear off at the roots. He shut down the relevant nerves with a thought and closed the distance to Asemir, judging that the Forgotten would cease fire at close range - or, if he didn't, that it could become a matter of fencing with the gun. A dangerous tactic, that.

He opted to give Asemir no option. One foot touched the ground and he shoved up into Asemir's guard with a wide two-handed cut from a low side guard. The Forgotten blocked one-handed, at an awkward angle; Valkner spun the blade by torquing his right fist above his left, brought the lightsabre down on the songblade, then slipped it up and triggered the dual-phase emitter. The blade doubled in length, spearing through the carbine's barrel. He drew back lest Asemir press the momentary advantage - a double-length lightsabre blade was more trouble than it was worth - and keyed his lightsabre back to standard length. Asemir continued the assault, and Valkner set his feet. He worked from a high guard, generating powerful falling cuts to the head and sides. He had the size advantage on the Forgotten, and so long as Asemir stayed to a hack-and-slash game, Valkner was confident he could hold his own for the time being, even against Night Terror's momentum. That songblade didn't look designed for finesse work, and even if the Forgotten tried that approach, a sabre's nearly massless blade would allow Valkner to compensate.

He began to chant as he fought, a mess of broken syllables in languages never designed for human vocal chords. The invocation ended with a roar as he expended much of his power in a single focused emanation.

"...tsaiwinokka hoyakut!"

All around the parade ground, within the crowd and on the bare field of combat, the earth buckled at certain spots. Hands - some rotten, some skeletal - pushed up, followed by heads. Then torsos and legs. Every dead student and teacher buried nearby, including many killed by Valkner himself, rose insensate from the earth and shambled towards Asemir.
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Balsa »

Well, this is new, Asemir mused to himself as the ground erupted in a horde of undead bodies. Skeletons and gaunt bodies mummified by the frozen tundra burst through the ground and shambled towards him. Unlike in numerous horror movies, these animated corpses did not moan or groan because their respiratory systems had long sense frozen or rotted away. Instead, they reached out with brown-grey arms and bony fingers, intent on throttling the life out of their target.

The Forgotten concentrated the Force and an explosion of telekinesis burst the zombies closest to him in a cloud of rotted flesh. Those abominations not vaporized were knocked backwards, off their feet, and the wave of Force energy also threw Valkner several meters back.

It gave Asemir a few precious seconds to regroup and to reset his technique. He switched from his aggressive dueling stance to something more fluid that would allow him to fend off attacks from all sides. Taking hold of his songblade in his right hand, Asemir thumbed the switch on his captured lightsaber, and the ruby beam flickered to life.

Valkner threw himself back at the Forgotten, using the chaos of the undead horde to his advantage. Instead of trying to exploit any openings in the Azanti’s guard, Asemir focused entirely on his defense. His lightsaber met Valkner’s blade, the two energy beams sizzling as they connected, but only briefly as Asemir twisted away. His intent was to expend just enough energy to keep Valkner at bay while he tried to then the reanimated corpses. While they were slow and cumbersome, they threatened to overwhelm him with their numbers. The songblade hummed and sang as Asemir twirled it expertly to slice through torsos, limbs, and heads.

Relying on speed and agility to turn all of the Sith Lord’s attacks into glancing blows, Asemir felt Valkner adapt to his defenses by pressing greater power into his attacks and trying to crush Asemir’s blade barrier beneath the strength of his blows. The finesse of the thousand-year-old Azanti was remarkable, and the Forgotten knew it was only a matter of time before he would make a mistake.

And so he changed his attack dynamic again. He parried an overhand blow with his lightsaber and instead of pushing back against Valkner’s blade, he simply let the weapon drop from his grasp. The big Azanti overextended but Asemir’s songblade was out of position to exploit the opening. Instead, he delivered a hammer punch to Valkner’s back that dented the Sith Lord’s breastplate and sent him sprawling forward. The Azanti twisted away before Asemir could split his head in half, but that wasn’t the Forgotten’s intention.

A mutter of words whispered from Asemir’s mouth, an incantation he had learned from the Shadow Temple but seldom used. The air around him crackled and the amulet gifted to him by Velok that was wrapped around his wrist glowed a dull blue. Had Asemir had hair, the hair would have stood up on end as the air filled with static electricity, and in just a moment more, hideous bolts of blue and white seared from the ground and sky to spear the undead creatures in holy lightning. The Force lightning fried the abominations, roasting their bodies and turning them into chunks of burned flesh. Most of them vaporized under the electrical discharges, while the rest simply lay smoldering on the parade ground as charred lumps of carbon.

Valkner, sensing what was to happen, had erected a Force shield, absorbing most of the lightning storm’s fury. Arcs of incandescent blue sparked around him as the electrical bolts grounded around him, and while his shield protected him from the brunt of the attack, his cloak and armor smoldered under the intense energies, and he was driven to his knees.

But, as the storm subsided, he rose. “Fancy tricks,” he snarled, blade relit.

Slightly drained from the show of Force, Asemir forced his breathing to remain steady, intending to show no weakness. “Fancy tricks that work,” he said with a grim smile. Most of the zombies were down, and the few that remained would fall quickly as collateral damage. He brought up his songblade and beckoned to Valkner.

Amidst the field of roasted corpses, the two met again once more, blade to blade.
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Balsa »

The duel between Asemir and Valkner was a holovid fight choreographer’s dream. The two combatants danced, attacked, parried, and dodged with utter perfection. Valkner’s hulking form struck with finesse and grace, an odd mix of brutal strength and precise, elaborate footwork. Asemir countered with agility and economy of motion, focusing solely on defense and searching for an opening in the millennium-old Azanti’s technique.

The fight was intimate, with both resorting to their skills as master swordsman. Neither Sith resorted to fancy displays of the Force, each having chosen to conserve his concentration and power in order to survive the other’s attacks. Valkner had experience and wisdom on his side, while Asemir had passion and raw talent. It was an even match, and the spectators loved it.

The gathered students and instructors gasped in awe and roared in approval as the two danced, but the combatants exchanged no jests or words. Neither was there any grunt or roar of exertion. Only the hum of songblade and saber and the bellows of masterfully applied Dun Moch, as each tried to find a crack in the other’s mental barriers, and finding none.

As Asemir danced back from an overhand blow intended to crush his skull, he lashed out with a quick but weak slash at his opponent’s side. Valkner brought his lightsaber down easily to block the songblade, and even used his momentum to drive a roundhouse kick at the Forgotten’s head, all to the gathered crowd’s delight.

The kick was swift, born from the Force, but the Force also telegraphed the attack. Asemir twisted away from the Azanti’s foot, feeling the leather glance from his cheek. His momentum carried him back, and he posted off the ground with a free hand before landing easily in a defensive stance.

Valkner gave him no chance to recover, and drove home his advantage, raining blow after blow against the Forgotten’s defenses. However, even beneath the murderous barrage, Asemir grinned. He was giving ground fast but his weak feint had told him everything. Throughout the fight he had catalogued Valkner’s technique and style, hiding his intentions by constantly giving ground, and now he knew the Sith Master was flush with confidence.

Within moments, Asemir found the opening he had been seeking. He deflected a particularly nasty thrust and turned in towards Valkner. He found himself inside the Azanti’s guard but because of the nuance of his grip, he could not exploit the advantage with his blade. Instead, he struck with his foot.

The Forgotten’s kick connected with Valkner’s shin, and what it lacked in style, it more than made up for in effectiveness. Asemir’s personal fighting style, a subset of Pul’yr Kil’sar, emphasized empowering blows with the Force, with bone-shattering results. While the metal shin guard protecting Valkner’s leg did not shatter from the strike, it failed to completely absorb the kinetic energy, which transferred through the guard and into the tibia. The bone fractured with a meaty crack.

Asemir caught the brief glimpse of pain registering on Valkner’s face before the Sith Master pummeled him backwards with a Force jab. Asemir staggered, and the Azanti took a step forward, having already deadened the nerves shooting agony through his leg.

But as Valkner placed weight on his injured leg, it became quite evident that the Force could only do so much. While the pain from the fracture was subdued, the tibia was no longer capable of supporting weight. The ends of the shattered bone scraped together as they sheared, shooting hot flares of agony through Valkner’s spine. More importantly, though, the loss of balanced caused him to stumble.

It was all the opening a masterfully trained Ghost needed. Asemir charged forward and the Night Terror sang its song of death. Valkner’s lightsaber came up in a desperate attempt to turn away Night Terror’s sapphire edge. Triumph briefly flickered in his eyes as he deflected the blade, but that triumph disappeared as shock flooded his face.

Asemir had anticipated Valkner’s response, knowing the Azanti would not let a simple slash end his life. Instead, when he felt the now-familiar tremor as Night Terror’s forte met Valkner’s lightsaber, he changed the nuance of his grip, and let the songblade fold beneath Valkner’s guard. The blade hummed once as it sliced upwards, and Valkner’s disembodied hand fell to the frozen snow-packed ground.

The Forgotten didn’t give the Azanti any chance to respond. He kicked the man to the ground – more of a shove than a kick – and planted a foot on Valkner’s neck. Night Terror tipped his chin back.

“As cliché as it is, do you have any last words, Master Valkner?” Asemir filled his foe’s title with utter contempt. His voice was just loud enough that the crowds could hear, and the words carried no elation, just a coldness that matched the frigid winds of Ziost.

“Only one,” Valkner returned with venom. “Yield!”

Asemir blinked incredulously, thinking that Valkner had been foolish enough to make another attempt at dominating his mind. It wasn’t until a split second later, when his sar’kera shrieked a warning, that he realized who were the Azanti’s targets.

Strong arms grabbed his shoulders, pinning Asemir’s arms to his sides, but the Forgotten flexed his shoulders, his strength amplified by his armor, and drove his right elbow into the chest of the new attacker. He felt ribs and cartilage fold under the blow, and he spun, taking the man’s head off with the razored edge of his hand.

A half dozen instructors and students, thralls to Valkner’s mind control, charged him. Two ignited lightsabers, and Asemir designated them as the biggest threats. His Specter armor flowed over his face, and he braced himself for their attack.

It wasn’t until the brainwashed interlopers lay dying on the ground that Asemir looked again for Valkner. He cursed silently and ordered his armor’s AI to replay the last three minutes. The Azanti, a master of illusions, had used the chaos of the fight and called the elements to his aid, using the snow and mist to screen his escape.

Asemir looked around. Valkner was nowhere to be seen, and the fact that the Azanti had not attacked him along with his mind controlled slaves confirmed to Asemir that the former Headmaster had chosen to flee. That meant his powerbase was broken because no self-respecting Sith would continue to follow such a coward.

The Forgotten stepped to where Valkner’s hand and lightsaber lay in the reddened snow. He snatched the hand and blade, and holding them aloft, turned towards the crowds. There was an unearthly silence. Some had their lightsabers ignited, unsure of what was to come next.

“Your Headmaster is dead or gone,” Asemir said, his face now bare again and his red eyes flashing. “A new headmaster will be appointed. Until that time, return to your lessons and your classes. Continue to train new Sith for the Empire, but remember the follies of Valkner. Should you stray from the righteous path of the Sith, know that you will be punished. Redeem this place with your actions, actions that will glorify the Empire. That is all. You are dismissed.”

It wasn’t much of a speech, but it would have to do. Asemir watched as the crowd slowly dispersed. Some glared at him but when he returned their stares, they turned away. None wanted to challenge the man that had killed the most powerful Sith on the planet. Not yet anyways.

As the last spectator disappeared into the academy, the Forgotten sighed. With this business concluded, he wasn’t sure what to do exactly. Well, he would add Valkner’s lightsaber to his ever growing collection. The Azanti’s hand? He hadn’t yet decided.

Asemir looked around at the red-soaked snows of the dueling ground. Ice and snow had already begun to bury the dead. He shrugged and headed towards the academy. It’d probably be best to send a message to Velok, he thought.

And Ashin Varanin.
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Re: The Covenant Takes Flight

Post by Beorht »

None Whatsoever sat around a table, in person or by hologram. Velok, Feak Motal, Sarastro, Delana. The core. The people who controlled a good chunk of the Sith Empire, from behind the scenes.

They had a guest.

"I've consulted with others, of course. Many of their suggestions were...predictable in their simplicity. I suspect yours might interest me." To Velok's eyes, Rashael Koss looked and talked like a businessman. Koss had been a scholar before his fall, and it showed. Even his black tunic and pants were utilitarian. No glossy armor or harsh uniform for this Dark Lord. A man of practicality. "I assume none of you will take the position? I admit, people like you would find it rather...constricting. There are benefits, naturally."

"Naturally," Velok rumbled. The catheter in his side itched fiercely under the robes. "Sarastro might do it."

"Sarastro won't," said Sarastro flatly. "Presiding over a world is quite enough stress for him at the moment."

"Varanin, possibly," said Feak.

"I prefer Ashin Varanin exactly where she is, thank you," the Dark Lord said.

Delana Saan cleared her throat. "Tzinesce might do it."

Koss nodded slowly. "Zar Tzinesce? He's no friend of...well, anyone. I'll take that under advisement. Of course, Asemir Lor'kora is a strong contender after beating Valkner, and some of the other Lords have presented interesting names." Koss placed a holoprojector on the table, and a flurry of data appeared. "Now, we were examining..."
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