UNKNOWN SPACE: Near the Tinkle Arm.
Imperious was staring down at the red glowing planet, from the cockpit of a small dark gray shuttle.
To his left, a young tall and thin man, with short black hair and dark brown eyes stood also admiring the view. He broke the silence. "What do you think we will find down on the planet master?" The young man asked curiously.
"SILENCE APPRENTICE! I am trying to get a sense of the source of this planets energies." Imperious demanded loudly and followed it up with an explanation, in a surprisingly squishy voice.
"I sense a nexus of dark force energy in that direction, master." The apprentice replied in an offhanded manner and pointed to a location a bit to the south of the planets more orange colored acquiter.
"SO DO I! APPRENTICE" Imperious retorted in irritation, while simultaneously accelerating the ship. It annoyed him greatly, that his apprentice had become increasingly good at pointing everything out for him and had gotten too fond of it as well.
They landed right outside of a large gate to what looked to be an entrance to a temple inside a red mountain. The gate itself was decorated with symbols from the ancient sith society. Huge wooden looking ships of old, lay half borrowed in the sand and scattered on the rock formation in the mountainous terrain. Both of them began to walk towards the temple doors.
After walking no more than a few minutes, both of them suddenly became acutely alert, as they sensed moment in the ground around them. Something rose from underneath the rocks and sand dunes. They quickly turned. It looked like some kind of infested version of the sith species, it roared and sprang at them and lashing out with it's claws, but was cut off by two glowing red blades. It made a primal cry, before it was cut to pieces.
The Apprentice could sense life awaking all around the place and soon after cries could be heard all over the place. "We got company."
The next second a horde of mutated sith rose up all around them. Seven of the creatures sprang at them, and with the force, the Apprentice grabbed them in the air, while his master killed them with force lightning.
"Back to the ship!" Imperious ordered in desperation, again in a very squishy and fragile voice.
"I highly suggest we venture inside, instead." The Apprentice shouted as the ship itself was quickly engulfed, the second after he uttered his words. He could sense where every living thing was and he knew they would be overwhelmed if tried to go back, despite the ship being very close by.
Imperious thought about yelling at him for forgetting his place, but under the circumstances following him seems to be the only viable solution.
The Apprentice used the force to blow open the gate to the temple and entered with his master following right behind.
Imperious used the force to close the gate, but they were a lot harder to move back then he had thought, as if the force itself lay as a thick dampening layer, upon the planet. But his apprentice seemed to have no such problem, as he simply closed the doors with no visible effort on his part.
However, even with gate closed, they could still hear the pounding followed by slashing on the metal door.
They continued deeper into the temple itself. The entrance hall looked ancient, and as they traversed it they noticed the remaining of clothing and armor from ancient sith warriors, all of which had been killed by poisonous traps. "Remind alert, one misstep and that would be it." Imperious firmly stated.
"With the force... I see everything." The Apprentice muttered calmly. Slow but sure, he walked past the remains with no harm befalling him.
Irritated, Imperious wisely followed his apprentice's exact footsteps so if his pupil should make a misstep, he at least would be unharmed.
They walked through corridor after corridor, until they came to a huge stone door. "Master, I believe there is something of value on the other side of this door."
"So do I." Imperious replied firmly, as the pupil began telepathically opening the door.
What they found to both of their amazements, was a combination of temple and laboratory with hieroglyphic writings all over the large room and thousands of ingredients placed in bottles next to fossilized creatures.
"I firmly believe this to be a place were they experimented with mutations. Such a fascinating place." The Apprentice uttered in a dry, but wondrous tone. "And since we lost the previous war, the old sith empire didn't have the resources to attempt an investigation, nor a rescue and it fell into disuse." He continued his fervour.
"Like your bloodline is worthy of saying we, child of slaves." Imperious harshly reminded him.
If the words had struck a nerve, it didn't show, as the former slave began to search the chamber high and low for other secrets that could add to his personal research.
Imperious meanwhile, studied the hieroglyphs on the altar, which looked to be explaining the purpose of the vast collections of, primarily empty, glass bottles.
The apprentice, suddenly stopped looking around and stood motionless for a moment, before he used the force to open up the ceiling above them.
Imperious was about to shout at him for trying to burrow them both alive, when he noticed a large arena like room with seating above them to all sides.
The pupil force jumped above to investigate the upper areas of the strange chamber.
Imperious decided to follow, but at first, his force connection seemed to fail him in propel him upwards. After a second try however, he did managed to jump high enough to reach the second floor.
Aside from the many seats, there was also a podium with a tall majestic looking chair. And a strange looking mask was laying on a half circle formed desk in front of the chair.
"This must have been where the dark lord of that time, watched as his subordinates showed their latest achievements in creations of alchemy and dark powers." The apprentice said, as he clearly picture the event, as it would have happened a millennium ago.
Imperious barely noticed his pupil talking, as without much self awareness, the mask was quickly succeeding in drawing him towards it. Like a magnet to metal. In a hypnotic like trance, he lay his hand on the mask. "AaaaHHhh!" He heard himself scream, as red lightning engulfed him in an unbearable burning pain, in which he felt his lifeforce being drawn out of him and into the now red glowing mask.
The Apprentice watched in wild fascination, as the mask seemed to drain the essence of his master.
"HELP ME!" Imperious screamed, as he fought for his life against the endless barrage of twisted darkside energy.
"No... You are of no use to me anymore." The Apprentice answered coldly, as a sinister smile appeared on his lips. "You are so weak, my master, and this room alone can teach me far more than you ever could." He crackled manically.
"APPRENTICE! PSIRON! HELP!" He screamed in agony, before feeling his life force being ripped apart and momentarily resembled in a world of total darkness. The horror, that now was his entire life.
Imperious felt sick after experiencing the traumatizing vision. While no physical injury had befallen him, he had to stop his sudden urge to vomit.
"I live only because the mask's energy is linked to me..." Drenas explained in a weak voice. She made a small pause to gather her strength, before continue to utter. "Psiron... somehow, figured out the way the mask functioned. He used the mask, to make me a slave of his will. A conduit to extent his control to the entire planet."
"So the mask was used to mutate everyone on this planet." Imperious realized as he tried to regain his composure without losing consciousness.
"Yes... And as you can see, it works on humans as well." Dranas nodded and added to the confirmation.
"And this is the extent of your knowledge I take it. Nothing related to his recent activities or whereabouts?" Imperious asked, half 3pleading3, half demanding.
"I do not know where he wanderers." Dranas sadly informed, and changed the subject to what she really wanted to talk about. "Now that you know my past... end my life. What knowledge I possess, is already yours." She pleaded in a low voice.
"No!" Imperious firmly stated in an icy voice. "You need to be studied first. before I will let you leave this contorted body of yours."
"But you promised!" She cried tear-less in frustration, as her eyes was dried up and barely functional.
Imperious simply ignored her plea, as he produced a commlink from his pocket. He pressed a button that sent a signal to his people on the dreadnought to dispatch a drop-ship to pick him up... But before he could even finish sending the distress signal, he felt an insane disturbance in the force. He turned around as something jumped up from the lab beneath. Purple dark lightning flashing, bursting forward in his direction. He instantly put his hands up in front of his face to catch the lighting... The target however, was the now screaming human mutant, who fell dead to the ground with the smell of burned flesh.
"Well done Lord Imperious, this has been very entertaining... You have earned the knowledge of my existence." Lanyzz laughed, while she clapped at the whole event. With one arm bit off, both of her lekku missing and an intense bleeding from numerous wounds, which no humanoid could survive, she stood in front of him. "I believe this body have a few minutes left to converse in." She said in an unusually chipper voice.
Imperious just looked at the abomination that was his now dead apprentice, with both frustration and an intense rage. "Psiron! For attacking the empire and killing my subordination! I demand your immediate surrender, in the name of the emperor! Turn yourself over or face the wrath of the combined might of the imperial military!"
"An you destroyed my transmitter, that's rude too." Lanizz mocked in a sarcastic tone. "And I seriously doubt you will have much luck convincing the dark council to lend you their armies against lowly me. Especially because none of you know where I am." She crackled with a twisted smile, her face beginning to lose color from the extreme loss of blood, which was literally running out.
Imperious deeply desired to vanquish this lawless adversary, who had possessed what was left of his apprentice. But he restrained himself from attacking, as he knew he was dealing with an enemy who clearly was outside of his current understanding. Instead he made a question as calmly as he could muster. "How are you able to control my acolyte in this way?" he asked, not willing to give away more intel than he had to.
"Practice... and the use of ancient sith artifacts. To put it mildly." Lanizz replied casually, then added for emphasis. "One does not simply control the mind of another, not from across the galaxy."
Deciding that gaining intel was his best course of action, Imperious began asking a series of questions. "What is it you want? Power, wealth or is this all just a game to you?!"
"Power... yes, but not in the sense of what your Emperor wants, or your dark council for that matter. A game... more an experiment at the moment, but that could easily change." Lanizz replied wageley, only giving hints, instead of explanations. "Now it's my turn to ask, can you make sense of my dead slave's memories? Do you... now remember me?" She asked, with a facial expression showing immens anticipating.
Imperious debated if he should lie, but there was not much to lie about. "I remember your name and I have seen you in this temple."
Lanizz looked pleased as she spoke. "Very good, you seem to have the willpower to make out pictures and small events. Unfortunately, my old master's view of the world is cynical and narrow. I doubt you will learn much of me through her memories, that aren't distorted or colored in some way or another." She told the second part in a disheartening tone.
Imperious notice that this Psiron seemed to like conversations and it was only a matter of time before the body of his apprentice collapsed from blood loss, so he utilized the time he had to continue his questioning. "Why did you kill your master, if she was already yours to command?"
"There was nothing more I could learn from her and she had worn out her usefulness. She was weak and stupid... and I have always wanted to see her die." Lanizz unraveled with a grin.
Imperious had no problem understanding why, an apprentice would desire the death of his master. Among many sith this was almost considered a tradition, a right of passage, not openly condoned, but respected.
Lanizz suddenly collapsed on the cold dusty floor with blood and other inner fluids flowing out of her. "Looks like time is running out. I most say, this has been an interesting development Darth Imperious." The still living corpse uttered weakly as her neck mussels lost control and her head fell, dangling on her left shoulder in a grotesque display. "As a reward, take the black mask, It serves me no longer. Keep it a secret... and it may serve you better than I." She now lay motionless in a pool of her own blood. With no force presence radiating from her anymore...
For a moment Imperious thought it might be better to destroy the mask, than keep it, but he sensed it was inactive and mostly harmless in this state. And the knowledge and power such a device possessed, was tempting to say the least, to say nothing of the potential loss the destruction of an ancient sith artefact could mean for the future of the empire.
In the end, he gave in. With his left hand, he grabbed it and held it up in front of his eyes for a better inspection. The mask was cold yet felt as it could become glowing hot at any moment just by giving it a slight jolt of the darkside. It was thin, but it did have some weight to it. He placed it in his inner pocket and took out his comm unit, to call for an extraction.
An hour later, a team of engineers had drilled a tunnel down to the room where Lanizz was laying brutalized on the ground and Imperious was standing by a wall translating some of the text. Lanizz's body was placed on a gurney and he and his former apprentice was escorted to a shuttle waiting for them before taking off.
Imperious was silent the rest of the day, only giving orders when it was absolutely necessary.
In his private chambers on board the Empire's Vengeance, he turned the finely etched mask around in his hands as he thought back on the events on the red planet. "I need a new apprentice, but who is left of my subjects who would be suitable?" But fatigue was setting in and he decided to turn in for the night, hoping no more disturbances would befall him.
Upon their return to the capital, Lanizz's body would undergo the ritual mummification ceremony and be placed on the tomb floor of his office. Here she, like so many other worthy servants before her, would lie waiting, for the day her master might be in need of her services again.
