Chapter II: Birth of A Sith
A Delta-6 Starfighter drifted slowly into the planet's upper atmosphere. In the apprentice's haste to escape, Risanda found she'd left her master's starfighter behind. It took a bit of work, but she reprogrammed the little astromech droid to serve her loyally and happily.
"Bring us down here… I have someone I need to meet." Risanda's voice was calm, but firm. A few high pitched beeps from the droid were its response as the fighter shifted into landing vectors.
Space gave way to sky as the Starfighter slowly descended onto the quiet little world. It was the kind of place far too unimportant to make it onto most "official" maps. The people lived in small communities, rarely venturing beyond their home village. Farmers appeared to make up most of the population and the most advanced tech you could hope to find was the occasional blaster rifle scavenged from a wrecked starship or traded for some "all natural" foods that the core-world types seemed to enjoy.
It was the pinnacle of irony that such a place was the abode of a once great and powerful Sith lord.
"This place is as good as any, thank you B6." The droid beeped in a tone she could only infer was 'happy'. A smile formed upon the Zabrak's features as the cockpit unlocked and the glass "roof" slid back.
She leapt from her ship onto the soft ground below, taking in the fresh air of the planet. The crisp taste of Autumn filled the sky. A gentle breeze blew through the rolling hills and down into the scenic valley below. The sun was beginning its slow descent down below the mountains, yet this world still had a couple of hours' worth of light left within it. She slid her cowl back over her head, yet didn't bring the mask up above her lips; she wanted to savor the open air, after all.
…
The trail leading up towards her master's lair was fairly inconspicuous. It could only be called a "trail" thanks to the few small markers and icons left by the various human inhabitants of this world. They seemed to denote a certain religious significance to the path, but upon Risanda's first visit to this place, she only fell upon her master's lair by pure chance…
…of course, she learned quickly that there was rarely any "chance" when dealing with the force. There was a certain chaos to the galaxy, events all seemingly unrelated to one another yet all linked intrinsically to the force. She'd learn to see, to think, and to understand things through the view of the Sith. What others called "chaos" or "anarchy", what others saw as the various machinations of unrelated groups coming into contact with one another, the Sith saw the will of the force being enacted; a kind of "self-evolution" forcing a stagnant galaxy to change itself.
As she continued upward, three figures in the distance caught her eye. They were wrapped in dark robes and had wildly differing body types and height. Of particular note, was a small figure clutching at the pants leg of a taller one. Risanda blinked as she realized that the smallest figure was just a mere child.
"Excuse me," She spoke up, causing the three to turn slowly. "Is everything alright?"
They were human as far as she could tell. The oldest of their trio being an elderly man with a wispy beard and the youngest being a small boy that appeared at least six years of age and half asleep. The third figure, the boy's apparent mother, stepped forward.
While they didn't speak, Risanda soon took note of what caused them to stop. A wagon lay broken down in front of them, the pack animal killed by what looked like wounds from a predatory animal. On the cart was a collection of food and various stone tablets with different words written upon them, a rather confusing and archaic language.
"Unable to deliver offerings, hm?" She had learned from her master that a few nearby villages seemed to worship him as some legendary 'Watcher in The Mountain'.
He rarely encouraged this worship and offerings of food were all but useless to him…yet for whatever reason he kept them under some small amount of protection. Apparently rodents and vicious animals kept far away from the farms he deemed to be under his gaze. She hadn't yet questioned him on the issue, but it certainly seemed odd compared to the previous tales of Sith lords randomly slaughtering civilians for "fun".
"Well…" She sighed, her hand extended and her brow furrowed, the cart was beginning its ascent up the mountain. The wheels spun of their own accord, without need for animal or help. The eyes of the robed figures went wide as they watched what seemed like a miracle before them. "You may not understand me… but I will see that these offerings reach him. It's getting dark, now, so you should all return to your homes."
A quiet whisper went up, in a language that she didn't properly understand. Yet she could assume from the awed tone that they were grateful, that was good enough for her. Turning her attention away from the hooded figures, she would continue her ascent, though with the added load of the cart slowing her down.
…
It took her a full hour to reach the cave, yet when she found herself standing once more before the trigonal carvings, an ode to the great temples of the Sith on Korriban, she knew she was home once more. She left the cart outside of the entrance and with no hesitance, she entered the darkness.
The cave was relatively simple. Her master had no need or ability to construct additional rooms. Yet in its simplicity it contained a certain charm to it. She passed through carvings upon carvings, written in the language of the ancient Sith. When the hallway finally gave way to a little light, the cave opened into a massive 'cathedral'. Statues with their heads bent downwards adorned large pillars of stone. The room stretched up far enough that the ceiling would be hidden behind blackness. At the end of the long walkway, a gigantic statue of an alien figure with arms outstretched held an ever-burning fire on either hand. This was the only source of light in the room… and directly below that statue, overlooking the entire "temple", the inspiration for that figure sat slumped in his throne. Wires were jutting out from the man's body in all directions, being fed into the statue above him. Directly in front of his throne was a small, raised basin filled with an unknown liquid. It faintly glowed a bright blue color, perhaps making it the only thing possible to SEE the Sith Lord in this dark temple.
"The Jedi is dead, master." Risanda spoke quietly, lowering her cowl and bending her knee reverently before the stairs leading up to the man's throne. She went to her belt, withdrawing the deceased Master Orion's lightsaber.
"I know," his voice was soft, quiet even. It was not the voice of a man who would usually command armies of loyal and zealous servants, certainly an odd trait for a Sith to have… yet there was something about the way he spoke the granted him a strange kind of authority. No matter how quiet it was, the words almost seemed to slither into a person's head, as though he were quietly sharing secrets with them. It created a kind of 'personal' feeling to what he said… and that only served to remind others that such a powerful being was now focusing on them.
"I was watching the battle take place… you fought with rage tempered by cunning… a deadly combination and one I haven't seen in centuries. The style of a true Sith." She smirked a bit, the compliment sending a wave of joy through her.
She watched as her master stood from his throne, his red skin stained and pale by years in the darkness and his cloak, elegant and fine as it once was, brimming with dust that slithered off of him with each step he took. His face was mostly hidden, but there was no denying the thin smile upon his lips. Perhaps most odd, was the trail of wires jutting from his back. They followed him as though they were a cape, when in reality they were one of the few things allowing him to live on in a physical state.
"You've turned your passion into a weapon… your rage from the impotent writhing of a base animal towards a higher purpose… you have ambition, strength greater than before… yet tell me, apprentice… do you have knowledge?" He stopped in front of her, she turned her head up to stare at him directly in the eyes, to assert that she was his apprentice yet not bound and ensnared by his will. The smile on the Sith's lips grew larger. "…Tell me, apprentice, what are the sole absolute truths of this galaxy?"
Risanda closed her eyes and took a breath. Her master had never spoken the words to her, yet each day under his tutelage, a new phrase seemed to burn into her mind. She would have no idea where it came from or why she would suddenly know such a thing… yet she could only attribute it to the will of the force.
"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The force will set me free."
When she reopened her eyes, she found saw electricity dancing around her. It zapped at her skin, ran across her fingers, yet it would cause no pain.
"You've learned our ways, Risanda… and are worthy of our mantle. While a thousand fools have claimed to be Sith, you have earned your status. I recognize you as true Sith, and may my blessing stand as evidence for all to know your status." She clenched her fist, feeling the power of the dark side coursing through her body. She grinned all the while. "You will be an instrument of change in the galaxy. A blade to bring an end to the corrupt and failing Republic and its Jedi defenders. You will free the strong from their restraints and cut down the weak fools who've bound them… and through these things, we will both have our revenge!"
She stood at last, standing level with the ancient Sith Lord. "Our revenge? I believe I will be the one doing the killing." She teased, a sly wink being given towards the man.
"You are correct, but must you really torture a 'poor old man' such as me?" He chuckled, placing a surprisingly strong hand on her shoulder. "I would wish for nothing more than for us to stand together, two warriors of equal strength, fighting a glorious battle for the galaxy… yet I'm old, crippled and confined to mirror observation." His voice grew strained, the sheer impact of his disability not lost on him.
"You've taught me well… given me strength and a kind of power I would've never thought myself capable of. We may not ever battle alongside each other, but your strength will help lead me to victory." She placed her own hand on the man's shoulder, a surprising move… yet he grew cold at her touch.
"Do not let your compassion become a weakness, apprentice. Until you have the power to make it otherwise, it can always be used against you." He turned, slowly climbing the stairs to his throne.
"Bring the lightsaber to the Galactic Confederacy…" He began, his voice stern and showing a hint of strength it didn't seem to have previously. "Their resources will be a great boon to our cause. Use them at your own discretion and know that I will be watching. Once they know you've killed Jedi… they will accept you into their ranks."
Risanda bowed her head. "Before I go, a family brought offerings up to you. What should I do with them?"
She heard what sounded like a sigh from her Master. "Do what you wish with it. They're merely harming themselves by tossing these worthless 'offerings' on my door."
Risanda considered for a moment. "If they aggravate you, may I ask why you protect them?" She heard another sigh.
"It's not your place to question my motives, apprentice. Know only that I've seen these people defeat a seasoned Mandalorian warband. They fought with ruthlessness worthy of Sith themselves! Their strength earned them respect and if I see fit to reward them, that is my choice!" She winced a little as he suddenly raised his voice. For whatever reason, it seemed as though her question hit a nerve.
"I… apologize, master. I was not attempting to… question your choices." She folded her hands behind her back, preparing to be reprimanded… instead, she was met with a third sigh from her master.
"No… no… question everything regardless of the thoughts of others… just be prepared to defend yourself and your will with strength. Do not shy away from imposing your will if you have the strength to do so… you may leave." His voice grew strained once again, as good an indicator as anything that they were not to speak further.
Risanda would not delay, she turned from her master and left…
…
When she exited the cave once more, the sun was bleeding its last ounce of fury before the cold of the night came to envelop the land. A great valley stretched out below her, a river ran through it and beside it was a small town. Tiny figures in the distance were returning to their homes after a long day's work. Her skin felt warm underneath the last of the sun's rays. Breathing slowly, she turned to the offering cart beside the cave's open maw. Focusing on it, she grasped it roughly with the power of the force behind her. Levitating it into the air, she brought it lower and lower down the hill, to the village below.
They would be rewarded for their strength, she decided. They should not struggle to provide "offerings" that weren't needed.