Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 30

Thread: Crossroads (Jinsala)

  1. #1

    Sith Crossroads (Jinsala)

    "What do you mean we were attacked?"

    On the view screen Dackler Prown shifted uneasily, as if unsure of how to answer. Ezra looked back from his place behind his desk with jaded eyes, his finger slowly rapping on the counter top to punctuate the amount of time passing between the question and the answer.

    "Several warehouses and processing plants were raided. The entire operation was quick, and no unnecessary loss of life was reported. They broke in, took enough foodstuffs to feed an army, and disappeared back into the sky. But..."

    "Spit it out, Minister."

    "We have reason to believe the invaders may have been Imperials. They did not wear traditional uniforms or armor, but they were clearly military and well trained. Star Destroyers were spotted just outside of orbit. I don't think the Alliance would ever be so bold as to make a move like this, and these were no pirates or terrorists. The Reavers wear telltale masks and the Sons of Coruscant are not so well organized."

    "And they may return, Minister. Suppress this from the galactic news as best you can. For now. I do not want anyone else thinking we are weak, and if we need to we may be able to spin this into our benefit."

    "Yes, Lord Na'chtion."

    The screen winked off, leaving only a dark screen that reflected back his own face. For several minutes he remained sitting, thinking, pushing between stratagems to find the best reaction to this unwanted news. Tanaab has always been a weak planet. An agricultural gem with little natural defenses or a standing army. It relied on the Republic and later Imperial navy to protect it, and since their succession from the galaxy they have had little luck in raising the forces to protect it and instead relied on the cold war to protect their interests. One side would not dare stand against them for fear of driving them to the other side, even though that was a place they never wanted to go.

    Someone had called their bluff, and he would be required to reply in kind.

    A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. A glance to his handwritten schedule reminded him that it was Acolyte Jinsala, who had been called up for "Private tutoring". Another lie in the spreading web that was the Sith Order, and the school used to protect their identities. An existence now called into question, and threatened with destruction. The river had been blocked, and they would be forced to divert elsewhere.

    "Come in."

  2. #2
    She had managed to settle in, but her temper still got the best of her on occasion. The gift of the strange creature from Ezra kept her centered to some extent, constricting around her leg or mid section depending where the serpent was twined at the time. But she had already been marked as someone out of reach for the boys who wanted her. And someone no one wanted to be near, but the girls who envied the attention the boys paid her.

    Ezra had been training her under the guise of private tutor to the trouble kid, and she had played it up on occasion when there was need. But in truth, her temper was more in control now than it had been for most of her life. He had explained to her what and who she was, and she had never been more at peace within her own existence in a long time. And while she saw more in Ezra than the Master and tutor he was, she knew to keep her thoughts off the subject when near him. He wanted nothing to do with her in that capacity. So she would never allow herself to be chided for her childish feelings.

    As the knock was answered, she stepped in and closed the door. She wore the training tunic and breeches that all the students wore, her cloak fastened around her neck but brushed over both her shoulders to trail down her back just under the braid of crimson that was plaited down her back. "Master Ezra," she acknowledged him as she moved towards his desk and nodded with respect.
    Last edited by Jinsala Wayani; Mar 7th, 2018 at 05:53:07 AM. Reason: spelling

  3. #3
    "Ah, yes. Student Wayani" With the lukewarmest of smiles, a sight rarely found upon his face, and hands clasped upon the desktop, he watched patiently until she closed the door. When that latch clicked into place he liked to imagine that he could hear the seams pressurizing against the frame; creating a sound proof room once again.

    "May I remind you, Acolyte, that while I appreciate your enthusiasm to our cause, when in the public you are to refer to me as Chancellor. We can never be too careful. Our independent force academy attracts the many eyes of the galaxy. Some rightfully watch and wait for a new coming of the Sith, so that they may burn us to ash once again, while others may look to exploit, or dare I say even attempt to sway us to their cause. To many more we are but a stumbling block in their grand schemes and ambitions. We must be ever vigilant in safeguarding our true nature, lest we become provoked before our time is ready."

    Motioning to the seat before the desk he rose from his own and moved to the holovid screen that sat on the wall just behind his desk. After several minutes of tweaking with the controls and finding the correct image, he pulled up a map of the planet. Rotating the green and blue sphere around he brought it far from where Pandath and the Academy sat. Tapping the screen once more caused a few crisp aurebesh names to rise from the topography. The names had little meaning to him, or to her.

    "These are farm collectives. All part of the great agricultural machine that feeds this planet and produces it's wealth through trade. They were all attacked a week ago, and pending a lengthy investigation by our friends in the government, they tell me that the Empire was likely to blame. This... is exactly the provocation we are not yet prepared for. We cannot fight the Empire, nor can we risk appearing weak lest we attract more enemies."

    Returning to his chair once more, and with hands steepled against his chin, he ask a question of his Acolyte, and her answer may weigh more upon her future than she realized.

    "Pop quiz: What course of action should we, the Sith Order, take?"

  4. #4
    As she was reprimanded for her slip of salutation, she nodded. "Yes, Chancellor. I'll remember."

    Moving to the offered, chair, Jins took a seat and watched as the screen was queued up. As he spoke of the attack of the farms, she frowned. Innocent lives being destroyed as markers upset her. Suddenly he was asking her opinion and the fiery red head was momentarily at a loss for words. But it was a serious question and he wanted her answer.

    "I would say action would be best. You are right that weakness would be something you... we can't risk." She frowned a moment and rose up from her chair. She turned around and set her hands on the seat back as she pondered a moment. "The question I have is, did the Empire actually do this, or was it meant to look like them? I mean, if the Empire and Republic are both dependent on the students here, then sabotaging the food supply seems a bad move. If they didn't do it, then who did and will the Empire come to our aide? If it was the Empire, is there a chance the Republic would come to our aide?" She wasn't sure if it was the right answer, but with a few too many variables still out there, a true answer wasn't something she could commit to.

    "Either way, once we find out who did it, I think it may be worth going to the source and making the Sith presence known if we are strong enough to do so. With enough numbers, in a few strategic places, to make a big bang at the right time, we could let them think we can be a problem to them anytime we are crossed." She wasn't sure if it was right or not, but that is what she'd do.

  5. #5
    Silence owned the room for several moments as Ezra weighed her answer. The silence was finally broken by the snap of his fingers, and from within her clothing the viper released it's hold and came slithering out on to the desktop to wrap around Ezra's extended hand.

    "Unfortunately we can never know for sure who was responsible unless one of the parties take responsibility. However, the evidence strongly points to the Empire. It was a blitzkrieg strategy like they are famous for, with incredibly precision and organization. I hardly think anyone else was capable of such a feat. It was also their ships and their weapons used. The only missing piece of evidence was a telltale Stormtrooper or an actual Imperial Insignia. The Minister will be making inquiries of the political arena, but I doubt he will accomplish much. Indeed, action would seem the best recourse. However, we are too few to make reveal ourselves just yet. If we strike back publicly then it is only a matter of time before a naval fleet positions itself above us and glasses the castle from orbit. We lose before we ever began."

    The serpent continued to slither around his hand, rotating between fingers and around his wrist. Never ceasing to move.

    "So what course of action do we have left? Well, we very well could strike out against local dissidents to drive home that we are not defenseless, or we could even get revenge by devastating an Imperial colony. They would never know it was us, here on Tanaab, but it may just yet strike fear into their hearts to keep an eye out for a new enemy. That's a paranoia we can capitalize on, and that could buy us more time to grow. It is unfortunate that we would not be able to participate in that strike. Our identities could never risk being revealed. Not yet.

    We would need a disposable army then, would we not?"

  6. #6
    Jins nodded as he spoke. It did, indeed appear to be the Empire. When he spoke of retaliation and a disposable army, she nodded. "If not disposable, at least separate from us and the school."

    Thinking for a moment, she watched the serpent on his arm. Slowly a smile began to form. "Aren't there groups who despise the Empire? Radical groups even here who are just looking for a reason to cause the Empire some pain?" She ceased her pacing and moved up beside the desk. "Why don't we let them do the job. I'm sure you have a network with which to pass information. Let it leak out that the Imperial town or city closest to the strike zone had been responsible for giving that knowledge up." She watched his reaction as he spoke. "Their rage will be enough to spurn them to take revenge. Wouldn't it? The Academy could make an announcement that they don't condone the violence, which would be extra layer of protection here as well. Someone else sheds blood but by your hand of guidance, it will be the right blood. And if those who attack are killed as well," the young Sith apprentice smiles as she shrugged. "At least it won't be ours... Right?"

    It sounded good to her, like playing chess. Ezra would move the pieces. In time, such a revelation that it had been his doing all along would go a long way in creating a power base for The Order.

  7. #7
    "The Empire has many enemies, yes. History has shown that they much prefer to raise walls than build bridges. However, most of them are not capable of striking out against the Empire, and if they can there will be little they can do to hide from the retribution. I doubt many would take the burden of fighting a shadow war for us, and we have little to offer in compensation that could not be traced back to us. A decent tactic, for sure, and one that we may employ at some junction, but not just yet. It is good for us to stay open minded, to think ahead, to anticipate and have many possibilities for recourse prepared. In fact, we already have an army. Would you like to see it?"

    Perhaps it was a bit self servicing to pet his ego so, but then again there was not a single thing in the entire galaxy that Ezra loved like he did his children. Sith Alchemy was the rare joy in his otherwise mundane academic life. The splicing together of bits of this and that to create something entirely new, and giving it form and life with the force. There was no joy like that found in the fevered act of creation. All that work, to create something so beautiful. It was not as if he was going to pass up the opportunity to show it off to those he trusted with the sight.

  8. #8
    Jins listened to Ezra and smiled. It made sense and she was glad her idea hadn't merely been dismissed out of hand, but explained why it wasn't a feasible choice.

    But as he mentioned having an army, she couldn't hide the smile on her face. "An army... you have one?" She took a step forward as her eyes widened in almost feral curiosity. "I would like that very much," she answered at his invitation to see them. "I would like that, very much." A hand rose to brush a crimson strand behind her ear. She had thought her life would be in a vastly different place at this time in her life. The idea, in hindsight, that she was a Force user with such a powerful Master, hiding out under a façade as he learned to master her own skills at a prep school, and about to see an army that her own mentor was so proud of, his demeanor, which never seemed to change, actually had... it all added up to a place that clicked in her. This was where she was supposed to be.

  9. #9
    "Right this way."

    Those chosen few that could be counted among the secret ranks of the Sith Order were made increasingly aware of the many secret passages that weaved many paths through the castle, it's outlying structures, and the catacombs below. It would come as no surprise to anyone when the bookshelf at the back of his study swung aside to reveal a small turbolift. It easily fit a single person, and usually Ezra was it's only passenger as he ferried himself to and from his laboratory. With Jinsala in tow, and like Sianna before her, Ezra was forced to cram into the body of the lift; a thing that triggered his aversion to physically touching others but he accepted the discomfort as a necessity.

    The trip felt like it took some time, traveling downward. It passed the catacombs level and continued further. Passing through not one but two layers of the ysalamir barrier. Their identity must be masked at all costs, and the darkside was like blood in the waters to the sharks of the Jedi and Empire. Passing through the barriers was like stepping through a static field. One moment he was fully connected to the force, and then for a moment it was gone. It was a horrible emptiness to lose that connection; but there was also a freedom to be disconnected from so important a thing. Even if just for a moment before his extra senses become flooding back in.

    The door finally opened and the quintessential sterile laboratory stretched out in front of them. Beakers and equipment arrayed neatly on tables. Doors split the lab to the left and the right, but straight ahead was a massive viewport; curved for optimal viewing but all that could be seen was the blast doors that sealed off it's opposite side. There was a weight to the room, and there should be, so deep underground. There was also a pervasive moisture; a dankness and smell like the den of an animal. Leading the way to the window, Ezra pressed the large switch beside it and the blast doors peeled open to reveal only darkness.

    No, not just darkness. The light of the lab behind them was reflected in many sets of eyes looking back from far below in the darkness. Flipping a second switch lights came in beyond, revealing a natural cave. It was moist, the humidity visible in the air. There were strange plants and organic constructs, and littered among them was dozens of small creatures unlike anything found in the galaxy. They had long bodies, short powerful limbs, and from every surface spikes rose from the leathery carapace. Their mouths were holes filled with teeth and from them dripped viscous liquid. Insect-like wings fell from their bodies, looking horribly out of place on such an obviously grounded creature.

    The light brought more. From tunnels in the walls and floor they emerged until the room was bristling with the creatures.

    "These are... my children. Sithspawn, created with the force, with Sith Alchemy. From the essence of many they were sewn together into a new being. From the mighty Boma a hunter's strong body, from the Acklay a strong carapace, and from the Hssiss Darkside Dragons a powerful toxin and scales. Dozens more filled in the holes. Modern technology would struggle to create such a being, but with the darkside of the force a creature like this can be twisted into form through great struggle and pain. The Jedi are afraid to change or create life with the force, and they are weaker for it. There are no limitations to what Alchemy can create."

  10. #10
    Jinsala nodded to his invitation and followed obediently. As they entered the lift, she realized her hands were precariously close to places on his body she probably shouldn't be. Not realizing how aversion being touched, she lifted one hand to rest on his chest and the other she folded against her back, trapping it against the turbo wall. "Sorry," she muttered as the door closed.

    Having never been separated from the Force before, the loss of it actually made her cry out like a wounded animal. Her hand reflexively clutched a handful of his top. The other clenched into a fist for lack of something to grab. It was like feeling death, but still being alive. The sensation left her heart racing and her breathing shallow. But a couple heartbeats later it was back and she felt the color rise on her cheeks for her reaction. Had she been able to, she would have backed off, run, anything... But instead she simply released his shirt just as the lift deposited then their destination.

    Swiftly she took several steps away from him, her voice stammering an apology. "I'm sorry, Mas... Sir," she caught herself. "I wasn't prepared. I'll do better going back up." Then she swiftly added, "I can go up after you... If you want...I meant..."

    She but her lip again and growled at how weak and pathetic she must seem to him right now. A small flair of her aura pulled before she caught and reined it in. She then took a deep breath and followed him to the portal.

    While many would have stepped back in horror and shock, Jins stepped forward. "You... made ... these?" The admiration and are was as plain now as her embarrassment and humiliation had been moments before.

    She lifted a hand to the barrier between her and then and shook her head. "Ezra.... They are amazing!" So excited she didn't realize she'd said his name. She turned her head to look at him as he looked at his children. "Can they procreate or are they sterile and only made here in the labs?"

  11. #11
    "An excellent question."

    Was Ezra immediate reply, his face beaming with satisfaction at her asking such a relevant question. It proved all the more that he was right to rescue her from that backwater planet and sponsor her in the Academy.

    "No. They cannot procreate. They lack reproduction organs completely. Their purpose is not to breed, or sustain their own numbers. They simply exist to rip and tear; to destroy all before them. I experimented with reproduction to increase their numbers, however they become too distracted with it and their populations exploded out of control and they exhausted all resources quickly. In short, it was unsustainable. In this form they are singularly focused."

    Repressing the button caused the blast doors to slide shut again with an ominous thud. Turning around he headed through one of the adjoining doorways and into a laboratory. This one had several circular, enclosed operating theaters. Each was left dark, the observation windows shrouded to hide whatever lurked inside. From several the rumblings of life could be felt in the force, along with the sensations of pain and terror. It was a dull, ruddy thread woven through the background tapestry of the force in this place; made all the more aware by the lack of distraction from the world beyond the ysalamir barrier.

    Stepping up to one of the theaters the windows were opened and inside could be see a mass of flesh that seemed without meaning or purpose. There were exposed organs and blood dripped from mangled limbs; twisted and deformed like some animal had been turned inside out, twisted about, and then inverted back. It was impossible to tell what it had once been, but one could almost see the shape it was becoming. Something similar to the brood of Sithspawn seen just moments before, but bigger. There was no life in the room. Whatever it was, or had been, was gone.

    "In a combat situation the ability to reinforce one's troops is a necessity. Entire wars are lost prematurely when supply lines are destroyed. I desire something more self-sustaining. To accomplish this I have become devising a brood mothers, like a Queen Ant it would birth new drones to reinforce the brood. As you can see it is not quite complete yet. I like to figure out the shape I desire before I shape a living specimen. When it is finished, as I currently envision, it will be capable of producing unceasing broodlings with only a supply of biomass to feed it. The biomass will be collected by the brood as it rips and tears it way through an enemy. Any living tissue will suffice.

    There are other obstacles, of course. Will the Sithspawn I have be capable of ferrying back the biomass once it's dead, or will I need to create a new Sithspawn with the sole purpose of collection dead biomass for the Queen. Also, will the Queen be capable of directly ingesting biomass in any form or will it have to be transformed into something more palatable. I'm considering another Sithspawn form that accomplishes this, with some sort of acidic excretion that can break down the proteins in the body into something more resembling soup. Yes, that is a good idea. I will explore that later. For now, finishing the Queen is my focus. The shape is proving difficult. Birthing canals, multiple stomachs, deciding between placentas or eggs. So many variables."

  12. #12
    It didn't pass Jins notice that her mentor actually beamed at her. Having never seen his face light up like that, she actually blushed a moment and looked away back into the pen below.

    As he spoke of their inability to procreate, she listened intently and nodded. "Probably for the best," she agreed. "I can imagine the inability to manage them. Short life spans, deadly damage is probably the bets course."

    As he shut the portal and turned away, she glanced up and moved to follow him. As the feeling of pain and terror and life and death assailed her Force senses, she actually gasped once more. Though different from the complete absence of the Force she felt on the lift, this was almost a bombardment of it. It took barely a heartbeat to compose herself this time. She was getting better at it. She came up to the opened theatre and raised her hands to the separating barrier and tilted her head as if in touching the window, she could actually hear what was happening inside. Her right hand lifted and lightly drew on the glass as she tried to outline the various parts of it.... "Head... limbs... torso?..." Her words were soft, almost muffled as if she were trying to actually puzzle out what had once been in the room.

    Ezra's speech of making a Brood Mother was not lost on Jins, despite the look that made it seem she was ignoring him. As he finished talking about the complications, troubles and choices he had been thru and still had ahead of him, she spoke back at him. She didn't turn, but she continued to trace on the window. This time, she was tracing something more concrete, not trying to figure out the abstract.

    "A brood mother would be an interesting idea if a whole city or planet was something you were trying to conquer. Regardless of form, there is no way any infant she breeds would be ready for combat for some time. Even if you can get it down to a week, your campaign would likely be over by then." She slowly moved to the other enclosures. One to another she went, her hand rising each time to try and sense what was occurring inside. Some she felt pain in, others, merely the feeling of life. But it was almost abstract in the feeling. Most times she could tell if it was a being, animal or plant that was giving off the life signature. But this time, every time, she only felt life. "How long would you need her to reproduce? Perhaps she would only need to be programmed, and created, to provide a focal point for the other creatures. Her 'births' would be additional sustenance for the soldiers spreading out around her."

    She turned to look at him. "If you made it so the fighters couldn't venture but a given distance from the Mother, you could centralize your attacks. Keep them from ambling off further and further. if she makes sustenance from whatever is fed to her, basically her 'excretion' then it also keeps them close." She wasn't sure how he would react to her completely changing his idea, so she also started to think along his lines as well. "And if you do want her to breed, I would consider placentas. It allows for sooner maturation. Eggs have their own length of time to mature as well as what's inside them. But perhaps there is also something in between. Something soft and mailable that doesn't need to be in egg form. But would be similar to the composition, nutrition and protection of an actual inner placenta. It would allow for the birth of something with a short gestation to be set apart from her without her needing to carry it. It would allow for quicker, more swift laying, so to speak. If you use internal placentas inside the creature, you may limit the amount of creatures she can create in a given time because of space issues."

    She watched his reaction this time. It had made sense in her head... both ideas. But the question was, would he see it that way? Or would he see someone trying to usurp him and claim to know better?

  13. #13
    "There are no bad ideas. Not at this stage. However, what I want and what I can create are two very different realities. In order to achieve a desirable aspects I have to locate the corresponding trait in an existing species and vivisect it from them. The brood in the other room are all created from pre-existing alpha predators. With sufficient bio-mass Sith Alchemy could, in theory, be used to create sithspawn from scratch, but I am far from that level of control. I am not Exar Kun. I lack infinite resources and time. My limitations are supplemented with modern medical technology, with the force being the stabilizer and fusion between the various parts."

    Ezra neglected to mention just how little he was formally trained in Sith Alchemy. The sudden and unforeseen fall of the original Sith Order on Korriban had left many of the Order stranded without resources, and then his own master Baralai Lotus disappeared into the ether, only to reappear from time to time. Almost as if taunting Ezra. He had continued his studies without Baralai. He even returned to the Sith Temple alone to reclaim his master's journals and tomes of knowledge, and in doing so defeated the horrible beast that lurked there; waiting for the Sith to return. Ezra was more or less self taught at this point, and he very much doubted that he would ever bridge the gap to a truly great Alchemist without a venerated Sith Master to show him the way.

    Within his sphere of knowledge he was already one of the most venerated Sith that still lived. The rest were dead or lost.

    "In the end, the perimeters of the Brood Mother's existence all hinge on her purpose. Our purpose. Will the brood conquer and devour an entire planet, or just a population center? What would the gain be other than massive death? If unleashed would they become an uncontrollable wave that consumes the entire galaxy? It is difficult to say. Without a proper test against I cannot even be sure if the brood is capable of defeating even a single defense force, much less an entire city or planet. They could have a fatal flaw that I have overlooked."

  14. #14
    Jins listened to her Master. It was obvious he had great plans, but it was in materials and skill that he was falling behind. When he spoke of sufficient biomass and power being able to create whatever he wanted, something occurred to her. "Why does it have to be the brood? We are learning of viruses that can be slipped covertly into a computer system, like a small creature, and made to do everything from manipulate it, to shutting it down. Why not think along that line? Something small, bug or insect like. There are plenty of creatures with deadly venoms that would be easier to cross as small animals or insects. Creation and procreation to maturity would take a fraction of the time, more could be easily transported, and lifespans would be much easier to manipulate."

    She set her hand on the view window and her fingers moved as she spoke as if, subconsciously, she was reaching in to stroke the nightmare behind the barrier. Did it surprise him that this revelation of his sparked her curiosity... Made her heart race at possibilities... Or even intrigued her like nothing else in her life has?

    Her voice was thoughtful as she tilted her head slight as if trying to hear something no one else could. "You could transport so many more of them. Control them much easier. And if you gave them hive minds and mentality, as long as you controlled where the queen was, they wouldn't stray far. So no worries of offworld breeding and population control."

    Her final sentence was almost whispered and full of awe. "They'd be perfect..."

  15. #15
    Perfect. That was a bold statement to make of anything. There were very few things in the galaxy that could even boast of perfection, and none that could actually live up to the claim. Perfection was an impossibility. It was a never ending goal to strive for, to motivate you to greater and greater achievements. Ezra did not believe perfection existed or could exist, but he would never let that stop him from trying. Defend your limitations and you own them.

    "Effective, perhaps, but a plague would hardly instill fear of the Sith and the Darkside. There is more to the sithspawn than just killing. They send a message, they instill fear. A plague is something people run from. A swarm of monsters tearing apart everything in their path creates terror. A plague will not protect us should our enemies arrive at our door. The brood will. They will destroy everything in front of them. The greatest Sith Alchemist to ever live created massive warriors of pure strength. Warriors nearly unstoppable, but ultimately defeated by the ravages of time. A reproducing sithspawn, on the other hand, will live on forever. They only need the right direction to complete them."

    Stepping away from the surgery room he walked to a particular desk in a laboratory filled with desks, counters, and work stations that were indistinguishable from this one. Activating the console he brought up a hologram. It displayed several known species from throughout the galaxy; a large snake, a reptilian alpha predator, and the common human. Lines drew them together to reveal a prototype creature; a large creature with the tail of a snake, the upper body of a human, and the entire thing covered in scales. It's snake head complete with fangs. It had a clearly feminine figure.

    "Another approach I have considered is creating a commander, for lack of a better term. A sithspawn that can control and direct the brood when I am not present to control it. Something more valuable, stronger, and more capable. They would be harder to produce and would require considerable skill and time, but in the end they should have the ability to control the brood. The brood will not wander too far, they will gather resources as dictated, and protect the queen. It will understand my orders and wage the war the way I wish it. With it, we will not even have to involve ourselves. Maintaining the secrecy of our existence is paramount, or we will be destroyed before we can even begin."

  16. #16
    Fear... not panic.

    That's what Ezra was going for. Suddenly Jins felt silly for even recommending the bugs. "You're right. They would swat at bugs, but they would bow to the brood." She half murmured it in realization. She turned as he walked away and a moment later, followed.

    As the computer pulled up the specs, her fingers reached out to scroll the screen down to the various varieties of DNA he had chose from and would choose from. "She's beautiful, Ezra..." Her mind tried to grasp everything the computer was noting such as weaknesses and strengths of each species as well as compatibility. "Perhaps I should ask Instructor Cohen if I can change my major to molecular biology. I have no idea if I have an aptitude for the sciences," she turned to face with a mischievous grin, "But it would help, would it not?" She was unsure if biology or genetic engineering would be better. But one way or another, she wanted to see her Master succeed in this endeavor. The idea that a brood of Sith Spawn would be at her mentor's beck and call actually thrilled her like nothing had in her past.

    It never occurred to her that it wasn't a healthy thing in most people's eyes. In her own mind, it was like having a desire you didn't know you had, brought to your attention. And suddenly you craved it. She didn't realize her desire was leaking. Desire to succeed in this with Ezra, desire to succeed as a Sith in her own right, and even a desire for Ezra, himself. The last was a feeling deep enough and slight enough that she wasn't even aware it was mixed in with the others.

  17. #17
    "There is no such thing as wrong knowledge. Every thing is beneficial. Even incorrect information, with it's faults identified, can provide valuable information. When I was still a child I mastered what little Tatooine had to offer. I studied abroad, beneath many tutors, scholars, and scientists. Some were not worth the time I spent with them, but I still learned much. However, no teacher has been as paramount as failure. My introduction to Sith Alchemy was brief and fleeting, lasting not even a solar years before the original Sith Temple on Korriban was overrun and the Sith Order routed and nearly destroyed. I taught myself from there. Twisting and mangling corpses, and each time I failed. But I learned. Even the brood has failures. Perfection is a goal we seldom accomplish, and yet we strive all the same. No doubt the brood will fail one day and we will learn and adapt."

    "Our only true enemy is time. The time needed to progress, and the limited time each of us have in this galaxy. That, however, can be manipulated. Our own bodies are just as much templates waiting for change as any of these other components I use. They can be made better. Perfected. Perhaps even time can be defeated. We won't know until we try. I have many thoughts on the subject, but it is hardly the time to explore that path. Someday. When we have established our power base and we no longer have the need to cower and scrape. Then perhaps we will shed these forms and ascend to something better."

  18. #18
    She hadn't truly given a thought to learning from those who seemed to know less than her. But in his speech, Jin realized that she had learned from others whether she realized it or not.

    When he spoke of living longer and perhaps even shedding this form, she smiled. "If you have done all this," she motioned to the brood, "in your life so far, I can wholly believe you'll accomplish twice as much in the time to come." She nodded and looked back at the creatures. Was it strange that she actually wasn't repulsed by them? Once more her hand reached up to lightly caress the barrier between her and them. Without looking back at her mentor, she asked with an almost unhealthy glee, "So what do we do now?"

    While her question was mainly about the pursuit of his goals, she was also referring to her training. Dropping her hand, she straightened a little more and looked at him. "What do I need to do now?" If she remained down here assisting him and never returned to the mundane classes above, she would be content. But she knew that wasn't possible either.

  19. #19
    "As always, we bide our time. We grow stronger every day, even if only in the smallest of increments. It is still strength gained. So we work on ourselves. It will never be said that the Sith rested on their laurels and retired themselves to legend. Come, let us pursue a more immediate goal. I want to show you my meditation chamber."

    Taking the lead once again Ezra lead the acolyte through the lab; away from the thrumming machine and smell of disinfectant and surgical steel. Away from the heat and moisture of the animal enclosure. Deeper into the underground, as if the catacombs had no end. Every corridor passed stretched into the distance, and the marriage of old stonework and new durasteel was clearly visible. The old foundation taken and built upon. Repaired, reinforced. A new interpretation of the form. So was the legacy of the Sith; doomed to repeat cycles of life and death as each chapter rose and fell, only for the next to built upon it's ashes.

    Ezra was not satisfied with the cycle. He would create an Empire that would stand forever. Eternal and forever strong.

    Meditation was not often popular among the Sith, and Ezra was no exception. He could see the value of forced isolation, and perhaps a focusing of oneself was important for some individuals. He was, however, always at ease. Always calm and in control. Meditation held no value that he could not find in a moment of respite anywhere. His chamber was something else. Referring to it as his meditation chamber was a bit of a misnomer. It was simply an easier term for others to grasp. Truly it was more of a focusing or amplification chamber. A means of recharging rather than a focusing of internal fortitude. The design was not wholly his own, and borrowed heavily from the typical meditation chamber design. A rounded chamber meant to focus the energies of the force on to the occupant kneeling at the center.

    "Are you familiar with the Shard?" Ezra asked, as the door to the chamber slid open to reveal a seemingly mundane and empty space.

  20. #20
    Jins nodded. "I can work on myself." She was certain it was going to happen. And she also had no doubt that 'resting on their laurels' wasn't something that would be used in reference the Sith as long as her Lord and she were around.

    As he asked, she felt her eyes widen in curiosity. "Meditation chamber?" She had come across the reference of one on a tome she had found buried in the back of the Archives. So her curiosity became piqued enough that following him was more important than remaining to commune with the creatures beneath them in captivity.

    Her hands reached out now and again to caress the walls. The old stone was cool and damp, the new durasteel supports were cold and dry. She followed her mentor thru the labyrinth. Given time, she could find her way out. But in a panic, she wasn't so sure. That thought made her concentrate even more.

    When he asked about the Shard, she bit her lip in thought a moment, then shook her head. "No, Master... I haven't." She stepped into the empty space and looked around, expecting him to keep going into the next room. "But I will make it a point to study about it, Sir." She didn't like not knowing something he wished to discuss. But she was discovering that there was little, to next to nothing, about the Sith that she truly knew.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •