The ride on the taxi speeder was short, but rather calming on the whole, the dry air of Korriban making a surprisingly decent breeze. Stepping out of the speeder and taking a lift down from the landing, Shar found himself in a small enclosed compound with several cages filled with ornery-looking beasts inside. They were hunched creatures, large frills of horns on the back of their plated skulls, narrow red eyes above a long-tusked maw and thick claws on their paws. One snapped at him as he passed, slavering madly.
Before he could make his exit and continue his trial, he was waylaid by a slightly rotund Sith with orange eyes and the stench of corpses around him. "A fresh young acolyte, come to view my experiments, hmm? I trust the sight of a messy operating table won't disturb you."
Shar glanced at the table, finding one of the creatures mid-dissection, belly split open and organs removed into bowls along the edge. "Not at all, milord. May I ask what you're doing?" It was disgusting, but hardly the worst he'd ever seen.
"Hm, understanding the mysteries of the Force requires that we seek answers everywhere, even inside of beasts themselves," the Sith lectured, levitating a large purple heart above his hand, "This used to be a tu'kata, the hound-like creatures infesting Korriban's tombs. On the surface, nothing special, but I alone can perceive that this creature is an expression of the Dark Side made manifest; pure aggression and energy in primal form."
The younger Sith glanced at the caged beasts, noting the similarity in the coloration of their eyes and those who drank too deep of the Dark Side. "Indeed, that is quite the theory," he hedged, stroking his chin in thought.
The older Sith frowned slightly, eyes flashing. "It is no mere theory, acolyte. The Force told me so…it speaks to me. The Force is alive, and it expresses its will in the physical world in forms such as the tu'kata."
"If it is as you say, then what does that make us?" Shar questioned, gesturing at himself.
The human threw out his arms grandly, unknowingly throwing the heart into the dirt behind him. "The Sith are the highest manifestations of the Force's will," he declared, before sighing, "I've dissected hundreds of the beasts, forging a direct connection to the Dark Side itself, nearly achieving unity…but at the foot of this grand frontier, I find myself thwarted. My most perfect specimen, a mutated tu'kata, escaped my grasp before I could analyze it."
The young warrior could see where the conversation was leading. "Then allow me to recover it, milord." He was already there to slay a beast, might as well get some practice in.
The Sith smiled slightly. "I hoped you would say that. Speak to my apprentice, Malora," he waved to a bored looking woman scanning a caged tu'kata, "She knows which tomb the beast ran off to. Find out where, assist my research, and you shall be rewarded."
"I'll do that at once," he nodded and made to leave, only to be stopped as the Sith held up a hand.
"You've found a great calling in assisting me," The human said softly, "I hope you appreciate that." And then turned back to the operating table.
…Okay. Shar stepped back among the pens and approached the apprentice, who rolled her eyes.
"Seeking Lord Renning's lost pet, are you?" She scoffed, "Don't waste your time, the fool's research is pointless."
The young warrior looked over his shoulder at Renning's back. "…You say such things openly," he demurred, "What gives you reason to do so?"
Malora scoffed again, leaning against an empty cage. "My master is insane, couldn't you tell by merely speaking to him? He wastes everyone's time while dissecting mindless beasts, crowing about how he's advancing science while spilling blood everywhere." Her eyes were alight with desire, "Tell you what; bring me the brain before delivering it to Lord Renning, and I'll make it worth your while."
Shar crossed his arms and leveled a steady stare at her. "And what could you offer me, Malora?"
She grinned, a cruel twist of her lips on an otherwise pretty face. "Were my Lord to be discredited, I would stand to take his place. And I would be quite motivated to part with a gift in appreciation for the one who helped me achieve that position…" Malora tilted her head and stepped into his space, tracing a finger over his muscular chest, "Or, perhaps you seek a more…immediate and substantial reward, instead? I've studied beasts for a long while, I'm quite familiar with…primality."
…Force, I hope that doesn't mean what I think it means. Outwardly, the Pureblood allowed a smile, catching her fingers in his own, "Perhaps one after the other, hm?" She arched an eyebrow at his audacity, "A reward for services rendered, yes…then a celebration of your impending ascension?" He kissed the back of her hand softly.
Her eyes traced his broad, muscular form, a much more sultry expression on her face. "Hmm…perhaps. I've long waited to finally…" she coughed into her hand and stepped back, "I'll think about it, acolyte. The beast fled to the tomb of Marka Ragnos; it'll be easier to spot, as it's larger than the others. Bring me the brain before Lord Renning, and you will be rewarded, I promise."
"I'll hold you to that," Shar replied, stepping back and leaving the pens. He'd walked out into the Valley proper, spotting a pack of roving, wild tu'kata and the tombs beyond, some dotted with tents and such structures, before realizing something. I forgot to ask directions…and also how I'm supposed to bring the brain back. I don't think carrying it in my hand or in a pouch would be good for keeping it untainted…and from staining my pack. Hmm. He drew his warblade and leapt at the nearest beast, driving his blade deep into its hide while avoiding the spines protecting it, and was somewhat disappointed when it collapsed and died.
The bony plates protecting their skulls were tough, but no match for his warblade, though their ferocity was dangerous. Letting the Force flow through him, even such wild beasts were no match, though good exercise.
After killing a few more packs, using a similar strategy as the with slugs; i.e. leap into the center, brain one, smash to disorient then kill, Shar descended deeper into the valley where he came across a squad of lightly armed and armored troopers, no more than a blaster pistol and vibroblade each. They seemed to be scanning rubble, though with oddly stiff movements. "Pardon me, trooper-"
As soon as they heard his voice, the troopers swung towards him with feral snarls, grabbing their weapons and charging. One took up a pistol and fired wildly, accidentally shooting another in the back and missing Shar completely, while the other was dealt with quickly, simply batting his wild swing aside and then opening his throat with a quick thrust. The Pureblood thrust out his hand and the last trooper was dragged towards him and held in the air. The human, despite being bound by the Force, still visibly struggled and gnashed at him without an ounce of reason in his eyes.
Shar shook his head and clenched his fist, snapping the trooper's neck and dropping the body. "Unfortunate and disturbing," he sighed, eyeing the tents and construction in and around the tombs, "Don't tell me the whole valley is like this?"
It was.
He cut down another berserk trooper, reflecting a shot back to another then picking the last up with the Force and slamming him into a rock wall head-first, before policing anything useful from their bodies. No large amounts of credits, but their blasters, blades and medpacks would be useful, and putting the insane Imperials down was at least a mercy. Inspecting a well-worn pistol, he heard a ragged yell and turned, spinning and shooting an armored trooper through the visor.
Shar looked around and realized he'd killed quite a few, that area of the valley now silent except for a wandering tu'kata feasting on a body…and a strange tinkling noise that tickled his ear. What is that? He wondered, following the noise as it grew louder, drowning out the crunch of sand under his boots. Walking up a small trail, he found himself near the top of a mesa, some sort of glittering light catching his attention from the ground.
Kneeling by it, he dug down into the sand and retrieved a holocron of all things, decorated simply and glowing with light purple energy. Touching it did not reveal the knowledge within, but his vision seemed to bend and warp for a second, and afterward he felt…stronger, but in a way he couldn't define.
Shrugging, Shar pocketed the empty holocron and continued towards the tomb, occasionally killing a pack of tu'kata and berserk troopers along the way.
The Force led him to a side-entrance of the tomb, one filled with a scattering of slugs. Killing a few, he followed the guiding of the Force and found himself at a hastily-dug cave, sensing that the beast he was looking for was inside, and sensing that the beast sensed him as well and wasn't coming out. Perhaps the mutation in the brain had made it more aware of danger…or perhaps it was hungry.
Stepping back to grab a freshly-slaughtered slug, Shar laid the dripping corpse out on a nearby crate and slipped into the shadows, waiting. It was only moments before the beast, larger than the others he'd seen as described, but also bearing larger tusks, spines as well as striped fur, emerged and began to feast.
The activation of his warblade gave his position away, and the tu'kata whirled toward him with a roar. He leapt at it, slicing through a tusk and scoring a glowing gash across one of its eyes, but it bucked and swiped, cutting through his shirt and knocking him back; though the armor served its purpose and saved him from injury.
Shar regathered himself and prepared to attack again when the beast inhaled deeply and released a deafening roar, pure force slamming into his body and sending him crashing into a crumbled pillar. Dazed, the Force screamed a warning and he threw his feet up, catching the lunging beast in the belly and rolled back, launching it away with a yelp as it slammed into an empty tomb. Before it could get back up, he channeled the Force and darted forward, impaling it through the belly on his warblade and dragged it up, ignoring the wild flailing as he cut it from stomach to sternum and sent charred guts spilling to the floor.
The tu'kata keened once more and fell still, eyes dimming. The young warrior sighed heavily and withdrew his warblade with a squelch, giving the beast a pat on the head. "A worthy opponent," he murmured, stabbing his blade into the ground before drawing on his power and channeling it through himself once more, his pain, bruises and worse fading away. "Now, how to get the brain…" He looked around and spied a box, the type that was made to keep rations and water from spoiling, luckily. Shoving some in his pack and scarfing down a couple, he dumped the rest on the floor of the tomb and hacked through the beast's neck, severing the head from the body and levitating it into the box.
Sealing it, he gave the body a searching look, before grabbing the tusk he'd hacked away at the beginning and bouncing it in his palm. "That roar it did…" he wondered aloud, "I wonder if I could do something similar…?" Nodding, he strapped the tusk across his back, lifted the box with the Force and made to exit, only to be stopped by more slugs coming down the corridor.
Shar set the box down and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Going on instinct, he channeled the Force into his lungs and let it build, rumbling in his lungs like an earthquake about to shake the earth, then opened his mouth and roared.
The tomb shook, a wave of force emerging from his mouth. The slugs were pulped immediately, bursting into viscera that was splattered across the walls.
He stumbled forward a step, his stomach gurgling, before a massive belch issued from his mouth. "…ow," Shar mumbled faintly, rubbing his throat and wincing. Note to self: powerful technique, needs to be refined. Downing some water and healing himself once more, the Pureblood continued into the valley and towards the main tomb, only pausing to quickly bury the box containing the head beneath the sand, marking the spot with a rock that he carved an X into.
Making for the tomb had him find even more troopers, joined by scouts and even an officer or two. How many are there? It is almost a battalion…how long have they been here? Shaking his head, he picked off a lookout with a precise shot from his looted blaster, then leapt into combat, combining it with a driving blow from his foot to shake their stances, dispatching each with a quick strike to the head and neck. There's no point in wasting my time on these, he thought, watching two berserk troopers bump into each other and then begin fighting. They've been reduced to animals.
Moving quickly through the area, he quietly picked off a few roving troopers where he could with a looted blaster before moving into melee, using his Force Roar at times to refine it. The first couple of times he held back and remained cautious of hurting his throat, but that only resulted in small pulses of wind that barely knocked the berserkers off-course. The next, he overpowered the technique and pulped three of them, but was spitting blood afterwards. Finally, close to the entrance, he found what looked to be an officer, about his size and with some decent boots, too…
He kneecapped one trooper before diving in, dispatching them before spinning into a low slash that hobbled the other two before he unleashed a roar. A wave of force plucked both of them from the ground and drove them into a wall, killing one. The officer stumbled to his feet, babbling incoherently and Shar dove forward, stabbing him through the heart. That seems to work the best, he nodded, trading boots with the deceased officer and turning to the entrance of the tomb properly.
The sun, having dipped as the day went on, was shining into the depths of the entrance, throwing the carved runes, statues and such into sharp relief, as well as illuminating the people loitering inside. Oddly enough, they didn't seem to be infected by whatever had driven the troopers mad, and the conversation they were carrying deemed them to be capable of reason.
As much as Shar would've preferred to simply ask them if he could pass on to his objective, he could practically smell the fear, desperation and rage wafting off of them. They wore uniforms of the Academy but carried no lightsabers, only vibroswords. It seemed some who failed the Overseers' tasks had survived or escaped their displeasure and were now hiding out in the Tomb of an Ancient Sith Lord, taking out their ire on all who were sent there.
He would give them no quarter, for they would not offer him the same.
Shar charged at the group, slashing one across the back then smiting a second across the chest, bringing his warblade up as the third threw a bolt of lightning his way, blocking it then darting in to drive his fist into her stomach; as she folded over, he slashed down across her neck and ended her.
Moving deeper into the Tomb, he found more failed acolytes scattered about with stolen supplies, though upon spotting him more than a few actually ran away, collapsing a pillar into the corridor to stop any pursuit. Perhaps an Overseer would say it was his duty to hunt down all the failures, those too weak to become Sith who ran from their fated deaths, but Shar wouldn't bother. They had escaped the Academy and were living, if in squalor, and if they were strong enough to survive on a world as desolate as Korriban, perhaps there was a strength there worth cultivating. Or, instead, by killing them all himself, he deprived a future acolyte of worthy opponents to test themselves against.
In either case, he would destroy all who would impugn his destiny, no more, no less.
A failed warrior charged him with a scream, but their leap was too long and poorly executed, so Shar merely had to sidestep and swipe, cutting the failure of a Sith in half. He grimaced slightly as he felt a slight tug upon blade meeting flesh; it meant that emitters could be damaged or failing. That wasn't a good sign for whatever beast he would be facing…after killing the failed acolytes in his way.
…
Deactivating his warblade, he stepped into the Tomb proper, taking note of a few scattered crates and bones. Some of the failed acolytes must've attempted to use the area as a home or a place to train their connection to the Force; whatever their intent, they'd failed once more and abandoned the area.
A large cracked coffin rested underneath the stern gazes of ancient stone statues, lit by a shaft of dying sunlight leaking through the roof and surrounded by cairns. Opposite of it was an enormous stone tablet on a dais flanked by torches, the bowls stacked with skulls and burning with an eldritch blue flame and no apparent fuel source.
The Dark Side of the Force swirled maliciously, whispers of murderous glee brushing his ears as Shar knelt before the tablet and sank into meditation, letting his breathing even out. A moment later, the tomb shook with an echoing roar as a massive beast dropped from the skylight, landing on the coffin and crumbling it further.
As he beheld the creature, the young warrior felt the cold chill of fear. "A terentatek…" He breathed, taking in its massive, bone plated head crested with large spikes, fanged maw with low tusks and a gnarled, primal form. It screeched furiously and charged towards him with speed belying its size.
Shar yelped and instinctively threw his hand out, throwing a wave of Force at the beast. It barely stumbled and he leapt out of the way, letting it crash into the tablet. He swung with his warblade but the edge nearly skittered off of its thick hide, the beast turning to him and attacking.
Right, lightsaber resistant skin, he recalled, trying to think as the terentatek swiped at him with frenzied speed. Even with the Force flowing through him, he could barely dodge its claws, multiple gashes opening on his arms and torso. There was a weakness, he shouted in pain as it clawed his leg, nearly driving him to the floor, what was it?! He gripped his blade and swung up, scoring a glowing gash across the beast's eye. It roared in pain and jumped up, smashing the ground with all its strength and weight and throwing Shar through the air.
Stars erupted in his vision joined with the sound of his bones cracking and the thundering of his heart in his ears. This can't it, he thought faintly, coughing, I can't have come here only to die…the weakness, what was it? He hacked, nearly choking on the air- That's it! Choke! The terentatek began to charge when he lifted his hand and squeezed, the beast stopping and clawing at its own neck with a bestial gurgle.
Shar grinned viciously and switched his grip, hurling his warblade like a spear to sink into the beasts' eye, racing forward to grab the hilt and lever it to the side, driving the terentatek to the floor. He stomped one foot into its maw and the other near his blade and pushed, forcing its mouth open as he breathed deep, drawing on his pain and rage and drinking deep of the Force.
He roared loud and long, unleashing a concussive wave straight down the terentatek's throat and into its belly, pulping its organs into a slurry and finally killing the beast for good.
The young warrior stood victorious on the beasts' head before his actions caught up with him and Shar tumbled to the ground, almost blacking out. The terentatek then slowly tilted over and fell next to him, maw open to spew blood and liquid offal, drenching the Pureblood.
Shar curled onto his side, coughing and hacking, warm liquid spattering from his lips as his organs rebelled against the abuse they'd been put through. Pain wracked his shuddering body, shattering his attempts to reach the Force and heal. His hand fumbled into his pouch, shakily withdrawing a medpac that slipped from his grasp and splashed into the puddle of blood. He clumsily brought his fist down on the latch and grabbed a kolto injector from within, ungracefully pulling the cover from the needle and jamming it into his neck.
Cool relief flooded through him and the young Sith sat up, shakily wiping blood and worse from his face. "…This is vile," he muttered, drawing on the Force to heal himself more completely, though the efforts of the day had left him drained and sore. Rising to his feet and nearly slipping, he reached over and wrenched his warblade from the terentatek's smoking eye socket, then grasped one of the tusks that had cracked as it fell and wrenched it free with a grunt of effort. It would make a fine trophy, or at least a good ivory inlay for a future lightsaber. He patted the beast on the skull plate, wishing he had the time, equipment and skill to render it down. "You were worthy prey. If I had a grenade or two, I'd blast you to pieces. Rest well."
And so Shar dragged himself from the tomb, using his warblade as a crutch. Some of the failed acolytes had emerged from their hiding spots to watch him go, awe and fear written on their faces. "He killed the beast…" they whispered, "Such strength…"
"We must kill him!" One clad in robes called, stepping forward with a manic gleam in his eyes, "With the beast dead, we can claim its power for our own and be accepted back into the Academy!"
Shar didn't know how they intended to 'claim the power' of the terentatek, but he doubted it would work. He stood straight and eyed the failed Sith evenly. "Do you think you can?" He asked softly.
The acolyte licked cracked lips, eyes darting about for support. The others remained silent. "Yes!" He sneered and thrust out his hands, bolts of lightning flowing from his fingertips.
Shar raised a hand and caught the energy as it crackled against him, once more meeting with his old friend Pain. Enduring it, his mind couldn't help but fall back to…earlier that day. Quite a lot has happened today, he wondered idly. How he'd jumped between Harkun and Kori, but his attention had been locked onto Luxia…and how in his surprise, he felt relief, surprise and even joy at seeing her once again after accepting that they may never meet again…
…And how the lightning had gone from being tortuous to being ticklish.
The young Sith remembered that feeling, that relief and joy…
And the Force technique battering against his skin instead began to sink in, like a breath of fresh air after emerging from under a lake.
He seized on that sensation and pulled.
Energy filled his body, like he had just awoken from a deep sleep or peaceful meditation, the weariness of the day fading. Screaming echoed in his ears and Shar's eyes snapped open to see that the lightning being thrown at him had changed; no longer was it a searing purple, but a strange and vision-tickling shade of orange.
The failed acolyte collapsed to his knees, panting in pain and fear. "M…mercy," he gasped, his veins dark and tainted, bold against pale, paper-like skin, "Mercy!"
Shar reached out and felt the Force swirling about him and the acolyte, gently grasping the energy and pulling it into himself. Orange lightning leapt from his hand, sinking into the acolyte and pulling the life from his body. "No," the Sith said simply, and the failed acolyte screamed once more before his empty robes collapsed to the ground in a pile of dust.
Renewed, he stood tall and trailed his gaze about the other failures. Not one could meet his eyes before shuffling away. Nodding, he left the silent tomb, retrieved the box with the tu'kata's preserved head and returned to Malora.
As she prepared her sabotage of the brain, he caught her gaze flickering to him often, blue eyes filled with question, caution…and desire. She could feel that his strength had increased greatly after his hours of fighting and killing in the valley, could sense the power radiating from the blood that emanated the Dark Side he was drenched in…though the stench was less than pleasant. "Here, this chemical will make it appear that Renning has been falsifying his research. A few whispers into the right ears and he'll be bereft…" She handed the head to him and paused, withdrawing her holocom. "Here, I'm arranging your credits now…and my address. Expect a call…tonight."
Shar gave her a small smile. "I look forward to celebrating your success…Lady Malora."
Malora tittered gently. "Oh yes, I do quite like the sound of that…now, hurry along before Renning suspects anything." She waved him off and watched him go, biting her lip as her eyes followed his form.
Renning's eyes lit up at the sight. "Ah yes, back at last! The size of this beast…I expect it wasn't too much trouble?" He asked, obviously distracted.
"It was a worthy foe, Lord Renning. My reward, if you please," Shar replied with a shallow bow.
"Yes, yes, take it and go with my thanks, I must continue my research." The rotund Sith waved him away and the Pureblood left after accepting the credits.
The ride back to the Academy was a nice break; although draining the life from the acolyte had physically refreshed him, the stress of the day had taken its toll on his mind. A nerf steak, a cold drink and a nap sounded just about heavenly.
He was approaching Tremel's office when Dolgis stepped around the corner with a smirk on his face and warblade in hand. "Well, well, if it isn't the errand boy," Dolgis sneered, nose curling at the scent wafting from him, "Remember me?"
Shar sighed, pinching the bridge of his. "Listen, Dolgis, I've had a trying day. I am not in the mood for whatever this is, so I will say this once: piss off."
The large human scoffed. "Aww, does the special little boy want his nap time?" His grip tightened on the hilt of his warblade. "Too bad. Have you noticed something? There's no one here…no witnesses. And no witnesses means no rules-"
Shar punched Dolgis in the throat, followed by a left cross to the jaw and a knee to balls before seizing the human by the ears and breaking his nose with a vicious headbutt. Keeping his grip on Dolgis, the Pureblood slammed him against the wall once, twice, then spun and hip-tossed him to the floor, following up with a kick that sent the human reeling back against the other side of the corridor. Dolgis looked up at him, clutching his bleeding nose, naked fear in his eyes. It only grew as Shar pulled the human towards him with the Force, making his enemy kneel before him.
"No…! No, wait! Wait, please!" Dolgis rasped, clutching Shar's arm, "Everything they've been saying about you…it's true! So strong…please, let me live! I won't bother you again, I swear it!"
The Pureblood squeezed his throat and watched the human squirm and beg for his life. Then, with a sigh, he dropped Dolgis to the floor. "Go," he said shortly, "Remember that I only spared your life because I have more important things to do."
"I will, I will!" The other acolyte scrambled to his feet and stumbled away, whimpering.
Shaking his head, Shar headed into Tremel's office and found the man pacing before his desk. "Ah, acolyte, you've returned. I…may have made a slight miscalculation," he sighed, leaning against his desk, "The Beast of Marka Ragnos was a source of great dark side energy…when it was slain, there was a tremor in the Force that could be felt all over Korriban. There is no doubt that Darth Baras felt it, and it is only a matter of time before he demands an audience from you."
Shar nodded, mentally sighing. "I see. What can you tell me about Darth Baras, Overseer?"
Tremel looked him in the eye and stood, folding his hands behind his back. "He's a serious man, though a master of deception. Everything he says and does is calculated, everything. He will attempt to trip you up, test your nature, get to the heart of who you are. Always take him seriously, always." He sighed and slumped minutely. "Luckily, he hasn't summoned you yet. I recommend you take the opportunity to rest and recuperate, acolyte. The day grows long and yet more trials remain…though I'm not sure I'll be the one giving them to you."
The young Sith bowed shortly. "Thank you, Overseer. I'll be in my room if I'm needed."
The Overseer nodded and dismissed him with a wave.
Shar returned to his room and dumped his blood-soaked clothes into a bin before hitting the refresher. A sonic shower was no real substitute for a real water shower, but the feeling of dried blood being cleaned from his body was refreshing nonetheless. After giving his warblade a clean and a tune-up, replacing some of the worn out emitters with fresh ones before polishing it, he ordered a steak from the cantina along with juice and quickly scarfed the food down before setting the volume of his holocom to high and lying down to rest.
It seemed like only a second later that a call rang near his head, making him jerk awake. Checking the time told him it was about three hours later, along with a single text message containing a room number and a code.
Stretching, Shar rose from his bed and stretched then dressed with clothes from his wardrobe, sheathing his warblade at his belt before slipping out into the Academy. Due to the late hour there were less acolytes out and about, though still a decent number of them were going about their business. Stepping into a lift, he rode it a few floors up, finding himself in a wide, mostly empty hallway. A few large doors were set into the walls and marked with numbers, so he followed them down the one he'd been told. Upon knocking, Malora's voice echoed from within, beckoning him to enter.
The room was much larger than his own and was rather richly decorated, with a large bed jutting from the far wall, with a wide desk and terminal in one corner, a tall wardrobe and a shelf filled with various bottles of alcohol in another. The walls were dotted with trophies, the heads of various beasts stuffed and preserved, with what looked like the skull of a krayt dragon mounted above the bed. The oddest thing about it all, though, was that it seemed to be very dusty and rather abandoned, all told.
Except for the newest and most important feature, Malora herself.
She sat on the edge of the bed with one leg crossing the other, having traded the tight yet functional clothes of earlier with a richly-made robe of some sort of silk. By the way it hung down from one of her shoulders and the sash wrapped multiple times about her middle, it had been tailored for someone much broader, though Shar wasn't complaining. His golden eyes drank in the sight of her long, pale legs and the tantalizing view of the swell and dip of her breasts, the curve of her clavicle and the grace of her throat, curtained by loose raven hair.
Malora swallowed a mouthful of wine and smacked her lips in satisfaction. "Oh, if it isn't my helpful acolyte come to my call," she nearly purred, waving an arm at the room and almost hitting a serving remote. "Behold my new quarters inherited from my fool of a master, the former Lord Renning. Quite well appointed, yes?"
"A grand sight, to be sure," Shar replied, running his gaze up and down her body once more, causing her to preen, "I must admit I thought it would be less dusty."
She rolled her eyes grandly. "Oh yes, it appears my former master is quite a bit more obsessed with beasts than I expected; apparently he hasn't used this room in months…in fact, he barely seemed bothered at all, being stripped of his rank." She sucked her teeth with a pout curling her full, red lips. "I wish he'd put up more of a struggle…when Renning was called into the Dark Council chambers and informed of his demotion, he merely called them all short-sighted fools and demanded they stop interrupting his research. He barely even said anything to me, the architect of his removal and just threw the key to this place at my head. I think he even sleeps in the pens with his subjects…at this point, I don't think it would be too much to assume he'll become part beast soon enough."
The Pureblood withdrew his warblade and leaned it against the wall. "It sounds like a bit of an anti-climax…perhaps I can remedy that for you…Lady Malora."
Malora giggled, the flush in her cheeks evidence of how much wine she'd partaken in. "Don't make promises you can't keep, acolyte Shar'Katok," she purred, beckoning him to her with a crooked finger, "I've been looking forward to this…celebration of ours, it wouldn't do to disappoint me…" Her hand slithered up to grasp the front of his shirt, pulling him down to mash their lips together.
Shar parted from her with a quiet smack, the taste of wine on his lips. He murmured, "Let's see if I can't exceed your expectations."
"Mm, so eager…" she hummed, pushing him back, "Before we begin, however, you still stink of blood." She gestured to a cubicle opposite of the bed. "Bathe yourself…slowly. Thoroughly."
He couldn't help but arch an eyebrow. "I showered earlier today," he pointed out.
"A sonic one, yes," Malora nodded, grinning as he understood the implication. "As I said, acolyte."
Shar waved the door open and began to strip, stepping out of his boots, pulling his shirt up over his head then dragging his trousers and underclothes down before folding them neatly and setting them aside. As he stepped into the cubicle and turned on the water, the newest Dark Lady of the Sith watched him with a hungering gaze as the liquid drenched his body.
Shar'Katok was quite the specimen to her; tall, with broad shoulders and a square jaw, frame thick with powerful muscles and decorated with minimal scars of hard training. He was one of the least 'alien' Sith Pureblood she had ever seen, with bold ruby skin and small ridges on his chest and back and even lesser ones on his face that only seemed to make his features more imposing when paired with his golden eyes. He had small bone ridges in place of eyebrows, but thick locks of ink-black hair that ended just above his shoulders, but not a follicle anywhere else.
She licked her lips as Shar faced her, drinking in the view of his muscular body as he washed himself slowly before her eyes locked on the appendage between his legs. It was of a decent size and still soft, so at least the night promised to be somewhat pleasurable on that front. Malora poured herself a bit more wine and gulped it down. "That's enough, acolyte," she ordered as he washed the soap from his hair.
Shar shut off the water and activated the sonic portion of the shower to dry himself off, stepping out of the cubicle to stand before her, completely clean and entirely naked.
Malora set her drink on the hovering remote table and brushed it aside, leaning back on her hands as she lifted a leg, the bottom of her robe slipping aside to bare the crux of her legs, revealing that she was wearing nothing underneath. "Kneel before a Dark Lady of the Sith," she commanded, cheeks dark with arousal as she slid a hand between her legs, fingers pressing down to part her glistening nether lips, "And…pay your respects."
He arched a ruby brow at her and knelt, inwardly thanking the previous owner of the room for having a carpet put in, but instead of diving straight in he gently grasped her foot and lifted it to his lips, softly kissing the top while his hands massaged the bottom. Fingers tracing silken skin then sinking into firm muscle, he pecked his way up her leg and to her knee then switched legs, Malora shuddering as his calloused hands tenderly gripped the flesh of her thighs and his breath brushed over her core.
He kissed her dripping sex and smiled at her moan, dragging his tongue up her lips to taste her nectar before delving in, mapping her velvet walls as his lips closed on the button at the top. She bucked and writhed under his ministrations, her fingers tangling in his black locks, tilting her head back with a cry as he slipped a pair of fingers inside. The combination of searching, probing digits and the skilled use of his tongue had Malora unconsciously clamping her thighs about his head and orgasming against his lips. Acting quickly, he shifted position, fingers finding a certain spot within to rub as he attacked the bud of her sex, her back arching as more of her juices spilled down his chin.
Panting, the Dark Lady blinked rapidly and looked down at Shar between her legs, gently petting her drenched sex with the beginnings of a satisfied smirk. Growling, she bade him to stand and summoned the server remote with a finger, emptying her wine glass in a few gulps before refilling it and handing it to the Pureblood. "Drink," she commanded, watching him do so.
Shar found the wine to be the color and viscosity of blood, rich and sweet with a pleasant burn that pooled in his stomach.
Malora stood and snatched the glass from his hand before attempting to shove him onto the bed. "Lay down!" She ordered, taking a deep breath as he lay on his back on the mattress, his arousal evident and standing proud before her. I won't let some acolyte think he has the better of me! She snarled mentally, straddling his legs and leaning towards his engorged member. "Be grateful I'm feeling generous, acolyte," she muttered, her hands wrapping around his sex. It was of a very good size and girth and even appeared to be naturally ridged in places.
Without much in the way of teasing, she dipped her head and kissed the tip of his cock once before parting her lips and beginning to suck. He sighed in satisfaction, but made no noise beyond that and she scowled inwardly, bobbing her head and taking his length deeper while her tongue played with the slight ridges and prominent veins. One hand curled around the base of his shaft while the other began to play with his sac, drawing a groan of pleasure from him and she redoubled her efforts to draw those noises from him more. Pausing, she lifted her head and licked her swollen lips, her blue eyes meeting his golden. Then, without breaking eye contact, she sank down on his cock…and continued, more of his ruby length disappearing between her lips and down her throat until her nose was buried at his base. Her hands grasped his testicles and began to massage as she sucked, tongue darting out to taste the base of his arousal before she began to hum.
Shar bucked and gasped, a burning coil in his belly growing tighter with every passing moment under her efforts. "Milady…!" He warned, stroking her sweaty locks. She hummed even harder and he felt his end coming, exhaling as he began to erupt. Contrary to his expectations, Malora kept him buried in her throat and drank down his seed without complaint, even withdrawing to take the last drops on her tongue to taste.
"Mm, quite the strong seed," she hummed appreciatively before swallowing and glancing down at his wilting cock. "I hope that's not the extent of your capabilities…acolyte?" She summoned the bottle of wine with a wave of her hand, drinking directly from the neck as a drop slipped from the corner of her lips, tracing a red line down the curve of her jaw, descending along her pale throat before disappearing into the swell of her cleavage.
He arched an eyebrow at her and smirked, drawing on the energy that connects and binds everything in the universe together, his erection regaining its strength and length, returning to full arousal. "Of course not, milady." As if one would be enough.
"Hmm, good," Malora hummed, setting the bottle aside and sliding up to straddle his thighs, his length pressing against her belly. "Now, to the main event…" Without further ado, she lifted herself up and lined his sex to hers before sinking down, practically purring as the ridges of his cock scraped pleasurably across her walls. Pinning him to the bed with her hands on his shoulders, she began to bounce herself on him, throaty moans escaping her lips to join with the clap of flesh.
Shar lay back and enjoyed the way her silken walls clenched him like a vice and the pleasurable friction as she rode him, watching as her robes finally slipped from her shoulders to reveal the entirety of her bouncing pale breasts. Each looked to fit neatly in his palms, capped with rosy pink nipple hardened with arousal.
"Enjoying…yourself…acolyte?" Malora moaned, her hips slamming his between each word.
"Of course, Milady," he groaned, only somewhat exaggerating.
"Good! Remember…this!" She leaned forward and increased her pace, her breasts dangling near his face, face flushed with effort and ecstasy, "You…helpless…under me! As it should be!"
He arched an eyebrow at her and followed her rhythm, waiting for the perfect moment to flex so that the tip of his cock was driven directly into the spot he'd found with his fingers. She gasped and began to shudder, his hands reaching up to grip her pillowy rear as he planted his feet and began to thrust up into her. The clap of flesh meeting flesh had become applause, joined by the chorus of their moaning and panting. The pace was eventually too much and Malora threw her head back and orgasmed, Shar following seconds later to paint her insides with his seed.
Gasping for breath and still shuddering in the aftershocks of pleasure still rippling through her body, she collapsed into his muscular ruby chest, their mingled sweat dripping down to soak into the blanket. Feeling his deflating cock slipping from her abused sex, Malora rolled off of him and onto the mattress, the air of her new room feeling rather cold.
"Well," she began, breathing heavily, "As far as celebrations go, this was…satisfactory." Malora shivered, opening her mouth to dismiss the acolyte when she felt him draw on the Force. She opened her eyes and saw his arousal return to full, throbbing vigor. Then she looked into his golden eyes and saw him smile.
"My dear," he growled with a grin, "Whatever makes you think we're done?" Then he rolled over on top of her and impaled her on his length.
Hours later, Shar carried an insensate Malora to her shower after pinning her to a wall and fucking her once more, his well of stamina near tapped out; especially after his first turn on top, where she'd sworn at him until he swallowed her curses and recriminations with his tongue, then pressed her ankles behind her ears and pounded the shape of her back into the mattress. He remembered her bewildered, outraged and somewhat relieved expression as he'd pulled out, only to flip her over and drive into her from behind, pinning her to the bed with his broad frame and setting a punishing pace that had her clutching the sheets and squealing into the pillow.
He propped her against the wall of the shower and turned it on, hot water drenching the both of them, somewhat rousing the lady from her daze. Shar pressed her to the wall, gazing into her glazed blue eyes with a gentle smile as he washed her hair then the rest of her body. She moaned tiredly as he lifted her leg and slid himself in one last time, cradling her against him as he rocked his hips and kissed her tenderly, her arms draped about his neck. From the outside, it almost looked like they were making love.
With a relieved sigh, he orgasmed inside her as she shuddered and moaned into his lips, eyes rolling up into her head as she passed out.
Cleaning up and drying them off, he carried her to the bed, dumping the thoroughly soiled sheets on the floor before laying her down. With a hand on her cheek, he gently stroked her back to consciousness. "Shall I take my leave, my dear?" He asked quietly.
She reached over and pulled him into the bed and on top of her like a heavy red blanket, humming in exhausted satisfaction before falling into sleep. Nuzzling her neck and making himself comfortable, it wasn't long before he joined her in the land of dreams.
…
Somewhere in sleep, Shar felt Malora awake through the bond their intimacy had formed, small and new though it was. She felt fatigued and confused, echoes of last night's efforts returning through the veil of rest. He knew the moment she recalled everything, a swiftly tamped down shiver of pleasure, followed swiftly by a jumbled mess of outrage, satisfaction, longing and the desire for vengeance. Her hand gently grasped his throat and he didn't need the bond to know that she was debating on whether or not to kill him in his sleep, for his temerity to not lay back and follow her demands like a pet.
Her desire to end his life swelled, hand tensing…then relaxed, her fingers reaching out to brush against his face and brow, lightly tugging his hair and tracing the lines of his cheek. He heard her sigh, her anger dissolving to be replaced by a sort of fond resignation and the emotional equivalent of a shrug. Her palm cupped his cheek, stroking gently, and he allowed himself to stir as though just waking up.
Shar groaned and stretched, his hand coming to rest on her waist and 'unconsciously' pulling her closer, his eyes fluttering open. "Good morning, my dear," he mumbled, his gold eyes meeting her blue.
"Good morning, Shar," Malora replied softly, her fingers brushing the pointed shell of his ear before leaning in and kissing him softly. He pressed back, their lips smacking as he ran a hand up her spine. She parted from him with a sigh. "You must take your leave soon, I have much work to do and your trials are far from over. I suspect I will be busy gathering my powerbase for some time, so this may not happen again in the near future…" She planted her hand on his chest, just over his heart and peered deeply into his eyes, "But when I call, you will come back to me…right?"
It was his turn to cup her face and press a kiss to her lips. "Of course, my dear," he murmured, stroking her cheek, "I will await our next meeting with bated breath."
"…You better," she hummed, lightly pushing him away, "Now go, acolyte. Leave me be."
Shar nodded. "As my Lady wishes," he replied, swiftly dressing and equipping himself with his warblade. As he made to open the door, however, he found his hand arrested with the Force and heard footfalls behind him. As he turned, Malora jumped against him, arms wrapping around his neck before she kissed him once more, his back falling against the door.
"You'd better survive," she growled, biting his lower lip and releasing, "Those I invite to my bed are few in number, you understand. I'd hate for the need to find another worthy blanket." Then she punched the switch and pushed him from her room, giving him a coy wave of her fingers before closing and locking the door in his face.
Chuckling to himself, Shar turned to leave and came face-to-face with Luxia's Overseer, a human named Harkun, who goggled at the Pureblood standing in the hall. "Overseer," the young Sith bowed slightly, before turning on his heel and walking away with a whistle.
Opening the door to his much smaller room, Shar was somewhat surprised to see Luxia herself sleeping on his bed, though the noise of his entrance made her sit up, blinking. "Oh, Shar," she yawned, stretching, and he took the opportunity to examine her new, lightly armored black robes, "Where've you been?" She sniffed the air, "You smell like sex."
He shrugged and set his warblade aside, lying down on his bed next to her, the Zeltron swiftly snuggling to his side to use his bicep as a pillow. "That's because I spent most of the night with a newly-ascended Dark Lady of the Sith who I helped to demote her Master so she could take his place," Shar answered flatly, "I figured a dozen orgasms might make her less-inclined to backstab us in the future."
She hummed tiredly. "Did you form the empathic bond like I taught you?"
"Indeed."
"Good," Luxia sighed, smacking her lips, "That should help."
He stroked her back through her robes, hearing her yawn in his ear again. "Why are you so tired?"
"I spent all night studying all the holocrons and datacrons I could find," she replied, "I've got quite a lot to catch up on, you know."
"You do, yes, but remember that rest is just as important as exercise," Shar warned, "And I ran into Harkun on the way here, so I'd say you have maybe an hour before he calls you for the next trial."
"Damn," she muttered, throwing an arm over his chest and snuggling in deeper, "I suppose that means you should shut up and let me sleep then, hm Mas-er, Shar?"
"I suppose so, my dear." He had just settled his head on the pillow when his holocom chimed loudly, drawing an irritated groan from Luxia. Sitting up, he opened the channel and found a miniature blue version of Tremel standing before him, bearing a serious mien. "Overseer, what is it?"
"Darth Baras wishes to meet with you immediately," the Overseer informed him tersely, "Proceed to his office at once…and be careful, acolyte."
"I will," Shar nodded and closed the call, standing from his bed and taking up his warblade again, "I'm off on another trial, and I'm sure the day will be dangerous for you as well. Be safe, Luxia, please."
"You too, Shar," the Zeltron returned, making herself comfortable on his bed while setting her holocom near her head.
Taking a deep breath, the young warrior steeled himself and set off to meet Darth Baras, Dark Lord of the Sith.
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A/N: Going to be a little honest, I forgot just how fast the SW and SI storylines go on Korriban. Show up, do a couple trials, sidequests, apprentice then leave. I've actually slowed the story down some to accommodate a less break-neck pace…among other things.
I had a bit of worry that Shar might be a little too powerful, but the speed with which he kills things are actually pretty game-accurate. I've also made it a habit of skipping past some of the more tedious parts of traveling and killing on the way, as it's really grindy and just doesn't gel well with the pace of the story. It still happens, I'm just summarizing. The aspect of looting weapons and armor will stick around, but only for a bit longer, I find it somewhat boring.
And you get to see more of what makes Shar special. Besides his skill, he's also developing new abilities that will come very much in handy later on…
I'm very glad to see all the responses, followers and favorites for this new story of mine! Truth be told, even if there was no response, I'd still write it, and I've been having a lot of fun doing it. I still get excited at the thought of writing more.
And that ending…I'll say it now, Shar's a bit of a flirt, and seduction will play a pretty big part in the story going forward. Not only is this true to the game itself, but also the Sith. Plus…I want to.
Not a long A/N this time, I don't particularly have much to say.
Big thanks as always to NSG, for being a sounding board, editor and all that good stuff. Check him out and tell him Sol sent you.
And a huge thanks to my patrons over on P atreon! Especially banchee789 and Storybored!
Hey, you, wanna read the next chapter? It's already up on my P atreon page, and the people in my discord channel get to read it early, too! Patrons first, then discord.
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Thanks for reviewing, following, favoriting, and simply reading the chapter.
Stay Awesome.
~Soleneus