A/N: Hey everyone! A new chapter for all of your reading pleasures!
Reading your comments has been enlightening and it has some effect on my writing for this chapter. It's probably why I took longer than usual to finish this on top of real life getting in the way. However, I would like to address some issues that some of you have mentioned and I'll simply give you my reasons for tackling them.
Non-consensual sex:
For those who do not like it, I have to apologize. The Sith are the essence of evil, plain and simple. It would not be surprising for them to simply take what they want because they can. Strength is power. Thus, Aaric is not immune to the influence of the dark side. The sex with Malora was kinda-sorta consensual because it was an agreement between two consenting adults. I help you and you let me use your body as I wish. Of course, Aaric took more than his fair share of it and twisted Malora's body and mind to suit his own desires. The opportunity was there. As Aaric progresses in his adventures there will be occasional times where the opportunity will allow him to simply take what he gets and more. Fortunately for those of you not into non-con, most of the sex will be more or less consensual, with having some hardcore BDSM action. Aaric using his powers and seduction skills to obtain pussy. Will Aaric commit full-blown rape? Highly unlikely given the potential amount of pussy he can receive.
OP main character:
I agree that maybe Aaric is kinda too OP. However, I figured he has to because he's from "a great Sith bloodline". (Those who played the Sith Warrior story will know which side mission that line came from.) If so, how can he NOT KNOW the Sith code when confronted by Baras? It seems like a glaring plot point that had to be plugged somehow. Thus, Aaric of the Mecrosa Order was born. He was trained by the sect's foremost warriors and assassins in the Sith arts. This is why he can do most things normal acolytes can't. Vemrin is above average but still a normal acolyte who came in through the established route as dictated by the Empire.
Now this issue probably also stems from my writing style. I realise that many fights Aaric goes through has so far either been too short or cut out completely and simply going on to the aftermath. Thus, the lack of intensity and action. For that, I apologize and will try to improve upon this section of my writing. I intend for Aaric to be able to crush his enemies like stepping on ants, but at least still have to contend with surprises, unexpected complications and seemingly overwhelming odds. Stay tuned for more of that in this chapter and more!
"Rip off" by Anonymous by anonymous commenter:
Hellooooooooooo?! It's fanfiction! Of course I'm gonna lift stuff from it! The whole point of me writing this is to inject my own ideas to flesh out and give life to the game's skeletal plot while following the storyline! Would it not be more interesting if you could rebut Baras for being an ass or turn both Vette and Jaesa Willsaam into loving cumsluts without being forced to choose one or the other like the game does? The whole point of fanfiction is to allow readers and players of SWTOR to experience what could not be experienced normally in the game! If you don't like it then you truly have no idea what fanfiction is! UGH!
Anyways, please continue to provide me with likes and constructive comments and criticisms! I will take them into consideration and hope it will make me a better writer in the future! Until next time! Enjoy!
The task was straightforward and simple: Enter the Tomb of Tulak Hord and gather one shard of ancient Sith inscriptions from each of the ruins, making it three in all. Of course, things did not always go smoothly… Unless you were Aaric, that is.
The tomb entrance was not far from the academy and once he entered, he was greeted by a company of soldiers and slaves. The commander in charge of them informed him that the slaves had rebelled and reprogrammed the mining droids to fight for them. Even worse, some of the Imperial troopers that were sent to guard them sympathized with their plight and joined them. Needless to say, the entire tomb had become a warzone.
Which was all well and good to Aaric. It would make it harder for the normal acolytes to fight through an army of slaves, troopers and droids. Less acolytes to compete with, not that they would have been able to challenge him anyhow. If he was lucky, maybe one of them would have gotten Vemrin. Though that probably would not be the case with respect to his persistence.
Once he made his way through the halls, cutting down any sentient being that had the audacity or stupidity to face him, he emerged from the underground pathways to be greeted by an expanse of ruins. From there, it was easy to pick off the hostile forces while the sounds of battle from other acolytes attempting to push through to their task distracted their attention.
After a couple of hours, Aaric already managed to collect all of the required shards while leaving devastation in his wake. As he was leaving the last sarcophagus, he passed by a connecting hallway to his right and halted in his tracks. He felt the dark energies emanating from there were saturated, malevolent and full of hate.
As he was pondering if it was worth the risk to try and sate his curiosity, he suddenly remembered the Imperial archaeologist that he passed by when he first entered Tulak Hord's tomb: Ephran Zell was his name. The weathered old man had told him that inside Tulak Hord's tomb was a room which contained an object that was created by the Sith lord himself. He called it the Red Engine and legend said that anyone who managed to unlock its secrets would gain Hord's power and knowledge.
Aaric sifted through the memories of his lessons back when he was still training with the Mecrosa Order. Tulak Hord was infamous as the Dark Lord of the Sith of the early empire. He commanded legions of soldiers and together with his mastery of the dark side and talent in lightsaber dueling, it made him nigh unstoppable on the battlefield.
Aaric felt giddy with the possibilities. If his encounter with Marka Ragnos told him anything, it meant that the way to the Red Engine would be through that dark hallway. If he could somehow activate the Red Engine and take Hord's knowledge for himself, it would be simply a matter of time before he could surpass Baras and become a Sith lord in his own right!
Making his decision, he stepped forward and entered the dark, blood red hallways.
He arrived in an antechamber which was at least three times as large as Marka Ragnos'. At the front and sides of the chamber were what seemed to be solid stone walls which were each sealed off with a statue of a slave desperately pushing against them, as if holding back some evil horrors from within. At the center of the room lay a pyramid-shaped altar which had a larger inverted pyramid just meters above it hanging from the ceiling. It was clearly a sight to behold.
Cautiously, he stepped closer to inspect the altar. He could feel power swirling beneath it, just barely out of his reach. Thinking back to his encounter with Ragnos, Aaric let his force power flow out of him and recited the Sith code in its ancient language. Expecting something to happen, he stepped back. To his dismay, there was no reaction.
Aaric furrowed his brows and tried once again. Again, only silence greeted him. For the next few minutes, the acolyte attempted every permutation and combination of rituals he could think of from his past knowledge. Neither of them seemed to work, and it was making him extremely annoyed. Furthermore, it clearly did not help that the dark energies around the room were trying to dig into his mind in an attempt to drive him mad. The harsh whispers and taunts were beginning to take a toll on his patience.
You are weak… lose control… give in to the dark side! They whispered. Tulak Hord will never suffer the likes of you! Die. Die. Die!
Letting out a growl of frustration Aaric let out a burst of his power and saturated his immediate area with his presence, temporarily blocking out the invading energies. He would not have long, though. If he lingered more than he should, Baras would assume his death and Vemrin would come out victorious in the end.
"I have no time for this." Aaric spat as he concentrated his negative emotions into a single point. "Tulak Hord! Your secrets shall be mine!"
The acolyte threw out his hands and unleashed a salvo of pure violet force lightning at the altar before him in hopes of destroying its shell and revealing its secrets. Things took a turn for the worse however, as the centerpiece simply absorbed the lightning and redirected it to the inverted pyramid above it like a conduit and coalesced into a ball of pure ebergy. Meanwhile, the entire hall tremored as bits of rubble and dust fell from the ceiling.
In a split second, the lightning shot itself towards the right and struck the stone wall and statue, causing it to crumble with a deafening crash. Unearthly shrieks emanated from the depths within and large, worm-like silhouettes started to climb out: Giant K'lorslugs. Aaric immediately went on the defensive as they attempted to swarm all over him.
True to his preferred form, the acolyte danced around the serpentine creatures and cut them down with his warblade as they lunged and leapt at him in an attempt to latch their fangs onto their force-rich prey. Aaric's senses warned him of an impending attack and he ducked as a ball of vile green liquid flew overhead. He turned his head to follow the trajectory of the offending projectile and he cringed in disgust as it splattered onto a piece of rock and began to melt.
Wonderful… venom-spitting K'lorslugs. Just what I needed! Aaric seethed. The spitting slugs were definitely cramping his style. He had to silence them first.
With a burst of force power to his legs, he dodged the slower and smaller non-spitting slugs. The Sith powered his way through even as the acid-balls were thrown ever closer to his body. At the last few feet, he skidded his way past them and sliced them in half. The foul mix of blood and acid sprayed from their bodies as they crumpled lifelessly to the floor and the remaining slugs were quickly dispatched.
Panting lightly, Aaric was about to sheath his blade when the chamber rumbled once more. The orb of lightning once again shot out to the left and broke down the wall and statue; making way for even more shrieks of hunger. Aaric cursed his luck as thrice as many sluglings and spitters poured out to devour him.
The acolyte could no longer keep dodging as the K'lorslug wave seemed to barrel upon him. He learnt that the hard way as one slugling managed to latch on to the bracers of his sword arm as he was sidestepping from another and bit hard. Aaric winced as the armor dented but luckily did not give way.
Having had enough, he sliced the gnawing slug and tore its upper half away. Summoning as much might as he could, Aaric brought his hands up in a jackhammer position and struck the ground as hard as he could, releasing the built-up force behind his fists. The force of the impact cracked the solid stone ground, resulting in a shockwave that blasted everything away from him within a forty-foot radius.
Aaric panted from the exertion, but pulled himself forward. Some slugs who were too close were killed instantly, but others were simply stunned. He dispatched the rest as hastily as he could, but it seemed the Red Engine had other plans.
The orb sparked once more and this time the rest of the force lighting was thrown forwards onto the last statue. Just like the others, it crumbled to the ground revealing not just more K'lorslugs but a gigantic fifty-foot tall mother of all K'lorslugs: A Bloodqueen.
As the torrential flood of slimy spines and gnashing teeth tore their way to him, Aaric knew this time that one blade would not be enough for him to have even a chance of surviving. He closed his eyes in concentration as he centered himself with the force.
I didn't want to use this so soon… but it seems I have no choice. Please forgive me, Lady Mireya for I shall spill blood of the unworthy with this noble weapon. Extending his free hand outwards, he let his trusty and precious lightfoil fly into his open palm and he ignited it with the familiar snap-hiss as the blood-red plasma blade erupted from the hilt.
The K'lorslugs surrounded him from all sides and leapt at him with gnashing mandibles. Aaric's body went into overdrive as he pumped his already enhanced body full with the force. Red blurs followed by bleeding or cauterized carcasses fell around him, but each time he cut one down, three or four more took its place. The situation was getting worse by the minute as he frantically dodged incoming acid projectiles at the same time. Unusually, the bloodqueen held back from attacking as if sensing the sith's imminent doom.
Soon enough, one k'lorslug slipped through his defenses and clamped itself onto Aaric's leg causing him to wince as his greaves started to crumple due to the force of its bite. That momentary distraction was enough for the next one to do the same to the other leg. Aaric struggled against them but to no avail as the centipede like creatures started to dogpile him while attempting to take a bite on any and every part of his body. In a matter of seconds, he was lost under a hill of slugs. And all he could see was darkness.
Age: 7
Palace Mecetti
"You see him, my son? That is the head of the Mecetti Household. He is one of the most powerful men in the Tapani Sector. Most importantly, he is also your father."
"Then why does he not talk to you, mother? Why does he not care for you? Why does he not care for me?"
"It is... Complex dear Aaric. One you won't understand until you're older. For now, continue with your studies. We shall talk about this some other time."
"I hate him. I hate him for treating you this way. I hate it that he does not see me at all. I hate him, I HATE HIM!"
Hate.
Suddenly, the hill of slugs rumbled violently for a second then exploded in a shower of innards as a second force wave with ten times the power than the first blasted most of them away. Aaric looked up and one could have seen the hint of gold in his irises. His aura became darker and more sinister and even the mindless K'lorslugs felt it as they began to withdraw.
All of you will not leave here. Powered by the dark side, lightning began to form all around his body and began radiating, randomly striking parts of the antechamber around him. With a inhuman roar, he unleashed a lightning storm that engulfed the entire area. The slugs were caught inside the storm and were electrocuted until they were burnt to crisp.
For a full half a minute, Aaric kept up the barrage of lightning until every slug within the vicinity was dead, save for the still-smoking bloodqueen. It shrieked in anger at the carnage the humam caused as its young and eggs were all destroyed by the storm. Noticing The advancing acolyte, she attempted to finish him off once and for all with a swipe of her claw but Aaric simply leaned away and cut off the limb with a swing of his Lightfoil. The bloodqueen howled in pain but still tried again with the other, which also met the same fate.
Finally, Aaric decided to put it out of its misery. He lined up both the Lightfoil and warblade, force leapt into the air and struck both weapons down as he fell towards the ground, gutting the gigantic creature through the middle. The bloodqueen was dead before both halves hit the ground, save for its final death spasms.
With the object of his hate lifeless, Aaric felt the dark side leave his body and he fell to his knees, panting heavily and sweating profusely. A sparking and popping noise forced him to stand as he readied himself for another wave, but nothing came.
Instead the upturned pyramid, charged by The Sith's lightning storm shot the concentrated energy downwards and destroying the shell of the altar beneath it, revealing the one and only untouched tablet of Tulak Hord glowing with black and purplish flames
Ignoring the muscle aches and burns for just a moment, Aaric limped his way to his hard won prize. He reached out to it cautiously, and just as the flames licked his hand the essence in its entirety shot towards him and engulfed him in it. Aaric instinctively stepped backwards and patted himself down in an attempt to put out the fire, then realized he wasn't being burnt. In fact, he felt revitalized in a manner not unlike when Ragnos blessed him. At the same time, he could somehow feel tomes-full of knowledge being injected into his brain.
Thrusts, strikes, parries, ripostes, advanced maneuvers; Aaric thought he had studied them all, especially since Makashi was his chosen and mastered form. But it seemed much of the knowledge that made Tulak Hord the foremost duelist of his time were kept secret within the inscriptions. It became apparent to him that much of current Makashi techiques which were recorded and taught were simply observations and educated guesses made by others overtime.
But now, all of that knowledge was processed and deeply embedded in his genetic code. Everything was now instinct to him. He felt incredible and more so than ever before. With his newly aqcuired information, he surmised he could come up with new tactics to beat the more 'modern' forms which attempted to cover the current pseudo-makashi's style. He was now in essence a disciple and follower of both Ragnos and Hord. He grinned evilly as he lifted the ancient inscription from its dusty altar and turned around one Last time.
By the time he left, he almost swore he saw the silhouette of Hord hovering above the altar.
Aaric strode into Baras' chambers with a dash of blood and a smirk on his face. Apparently Klemrall and a couple of other acolytes hoped to ambush him as he walked through the corridors. Before Klemrall could even utter a word, they were cut down mercilessly.
Baras stood straighter as he saw the promising Sith approach and hand him the tablet shards wordlessly with a triumphant grin. While Vemrin turned away, audibly cursing and scowling.
"The prodigal supplicant returns. And with all the shards from Tulak Hord's tomb. Superb." Baras nodded in satisfaction then turned to his rival. "It seems your hopes have been dashed, Vemrin."
"Humph, Appearances can be deceptive." Vemrin scoffed, folding his arms and failing horribly to keep a nonchalant expression.
"Excuse Vemrin, supplicant. He expected you to fall flat on your face." The Sith Lord patronised.
"Oh don't mind him, Lord Baras." Aaric waved his hand casually, "The look on his face as His world crumbles around him is very satisfying indeed."
Vemrin spun and growled at him. "Why you...!"
"Perhaps so, acolyte." Baras interjected, taking their attention off each other for the moment. "With this task complete, it seems both of you are now on the precipice of becoming Sith! The tension is great between you two... A great source of emotion to feed upon. I wonder what will happen when it boils over… However, only one of you will be given the chance to claim a special lightsaber and stand at my side as my personal apprentice!" Both acolytes stepped forward, with chests puffed up and heads held high. "At first, I thought it would be you, Vemrin. But I have changed my mind."
Vemrin took a subconscious step back in shock. The young upstart bested him! How? Why? The questions running through his mind were shunted aside, though by his grievously hurt pride. "What?! I've done everything you've asked! Better than any of the others! The honor should be mine!"
"Today Aaric is every bit your equal, Vemrin. But the force is stronger with him. Much, much stronger... There is a special power sleeping within him. It was a simple decision." Baras explained, though it did not stop Vemrin's growing anger. "Now, wait at my antechamber to recieve further orders. This instant!"
Hearing the sharp tone of his voice meant there would be no room for argument, lest he face certain death. Still seething, he gave one last dangerous look at his rival before stomping off.
When he was out of earshot, Baras addressed his chosen acolyte. "Now I hope you can fathom how fortunate you are to be singled out, Aaric Trirum. If you can complete this next task and become my full-fledged apprentice... The galaxy will bend before you!"
Aaric smirked. If anything, Baras was gleeful to have a powerful apprentice by his side to do his bidding, not because he was happy for him in itself. Still, Aaric had to play the part of the subservient acolyte. He bowed and said, "Your honor me my lord. I will serve you to the best of my ability."
"Good. The lightsaber you seek is old and powerful." Baras explained "It is hidden inside the tomb of Naga Sadow, where few Sith have ever set foot. Almost no one knows how to find the secret entrance, but there is a Twi'lek in the holding pens who was caught trying to break in there a while ago. I hear she is quite willful. Bend her to your will then make her show you to the entrance to the forbidden cave."
Aaric recalled the humorous, blue-skinned Twi'lek. Somehow, there was something about her that interested him, but didn't have the chance to ponder further. "It will be done, Lord Baras."
"Other acolytes will be sent to the tomb to complete their own trials. Academy laws are waived there, so they will try to murder " he warned. This test will determine if you can finally ascend to become true Sith! So bolster yourself, for stepping into Naga Sadow's tomb is to breathe in death itself."
BZZZT! "Ouch! Give it a rest will ya?!" Aaric heard as he entered the prison cells.
"I'm just squeezing every drop of satisfaction I can get from you, little bird." Knash replied snarkily, before noticing Aaric's presence. "Ah, as if on cue. Look who's back! Heard you're going to Darth Baras' new apprentice. Hrmph, Good job if you can get it. I heard you'll be taking this little thing off my hands. She's a pain in the neck."
"Ha! Who's a pain in the neck?" Vette cocked a brow and folded her arms, while pointing at the offending device. "I'm the one wearing the shock collar."
The irony in the statement caused Aaric to cover his mouth as sneakily as possible while he chuckled wryly at the prison warden's humiliation, while Knash's face twitched in annoyance by her smartass remark. It seemed this alien would definitely be an Interesting one to be with.
"Hrmph. Consider it a going-away present, Twi'lek." Knash said, failing his attempt at nonchalance. "Seems you might be useful for something after all. This bruiser here is gonna take you to the tomb where we caught you."
Instead of turning fearful, she simply grinned foxily. "None you can figure out how to activate the statues in the cavern huh? You got some kind of super secret Sith business in that secret chamber, do you?" she turned towards Aaric.
Inside, the acolyte was already quite impressed. While others would have become a quivering spineless mess from the torture she recieved, she still managed to stand tall and snark on it like it was nothing. That meant either she had a significantly more steadfast will than others... or she was too used to this kind of treatment. Either way, her antics provided some good entertainment and he decided to reward her with a little civility. She earned that, at least. "As a matter of fact, yes. And I would appreciate the help." He said, if a little patronizingly.
Vette whistled. "Wow, someone just talked nice to me for once!"
"Don't bother being pleasant, acolyte." Knash snapped. "Here, take this shock collar controller. I'll set it to a higher level. Use it enough, and she'll show you the back door to her mother's house."
"Just showing me her own back door will be more than enough." Aaric muttered while eyeing her slim and petite body. Something which was not lost on the young Twi'lek and made her shiver a little; in fear or excitement, she couldn't tell.
"Umm, okay." she replied, not knowing how to react to his statement, "I suppose I can play tomb tour guide. Alot of work went into cracking that nut, but I did it once, I can probably do it again. So we're clear? i'm officially on strike when it comes to domestic duties."
"I can guarantee you, a servant maid is the last thing I need." Aaric chuckled once again at her attempts at dry humor. "You could help me bust a couple of nuts though..."
Again, Vette was stumped trying to come up with an reply. Everyone she came across within the empire always seemed to want to torture or yell at her, but coming on to her like that? "Ahhh, um. Okay, well maybe things are looking up for me. As if they could get any worse."
Once the necessary paperwork was done, Knash unlocked the cell and released the twi'lek.
"Lead the way," she quipped "I'll show you the unlocking points throughout the tomb then open the secret door for you."
The two of them left the cells and made their way towards the academy entrance. Vette followed quietly, but kept looking around and observing the entire place like a curious Vine kitten.
"So, you're the guy who tortured those poor souls way back when right?" Vette quipped, "You know my name. What's yours?"
"You will learn my name once you have earned the privilege of doing so, little bird. Perhaps once this errand is done." Aaric replied, not breaking his stride.
"Well, for starters. My name is Vette. Not 'little bird', buddy." The Twi'lek admonished, "C'mon, what's yours?"
Aaric halted abruptly and spun round, almost causing Vette to bump into his chiseled pecs. "You will address me as 'my lord' until I see fit to tell you my name. Understood?"
"Okay, okay!" Vette raised her hands in surrender. "Don't be so pushy."
They continued their walk down the hallways. Aaric was silent, but Vette continued making comments and muttering to herself. The acolyte guessed that if he was enjoy the little bird's witty tongue, he would have to tolerate her incessant remarks.
"As far as place of higher learning go, this has got to be the scariest." Vette quipped.
"The whole planet is literally filled with the dark side and monuments to long dead Sith Lords. What did you expect the empire to build? A shrine to flying rainbow Banthas?" Aaric deadpanned.
"Ha! I would pay to see that!" she laughed, while her handler raised a brow at her. "What? Beats being electrocuted by baldy mcbald face. Just felt like cooperating with you is gonna be the better choice. The least I could do is enjoy it while it lasts."
"Is it now?" Aaric halted again, and smirking while an idea ran through his mind. "You will cooperate? Do anything I say?
"Well, except kill myself or do something suicidal of course." Vette replied. "I'll do anything if it could get me away from getting caged up again. Its boring!"
"All right then. Let's try something. Stick your tongue out." He ordered.
"What?" Vette was taken aback at the queer instruction.
"I said, stick your tongue out." Aaric repeated more firmly this time.
"Uhh... Okay?" She said confusedly, "Howth thith?
Aaric took a look at her long, pink tongue. "Good. Bend forward, squeeze your arms together in front of you as much as you can. Oh and close your eyes."
"Okayth." She complied.
The acolyte was smirked to himself. She seemed genuinely willing to follow his instructions. Her arms in front of her pressed and pushed up her modest B-cup breasts, making them bulge. Her face had a cute expression and her mouth looked so tantalizing he almost wanted to plunge his meat stick straight into her gullet and start pumping her throat then and there.
He stopped himself from giving in to the temptation though. He already sated much of his lust with Malora, so he would take his time with this one. This alien girl seemed special, and he was going to slowly turn her into a tool for his own perverse use. He wondered if he Darth Baras would allow him to keep her. "Okay that's good enough. Lets go."
"Huh? That's it? What was that all about?!" She quipped.
"Just testing your ability to follow instructions, little bird." Aaric replied, feeling giddy at the possibilities for her.
"But why do all that? You could have made me do something else." Vette huffed.
"Because I believe you have better talents than imitating the sounds of a Kowakian monkey lizard."
Vette stared at him, then gave up trying to figure him out. "You are so weird..." She mumbled.
Similar to Tulak Hord, Naga Sadow's tomb was not far from the academy as well. With his enhanced dueling skills, it took little effort to dispatch the many Sith hopefuls that attempted to strike him down whether they ambushed him or faced him head on. Vette usually hid somewhere out of sight while he did his 'Sithy stuff' as she called it. Strangely though, she did not seem to mind the trail of death that followed him. Sometimes she would cringe at how they died, but she was not horrified or disgusted at the least. Something which seemed to intrigue him a little.
"So what were you doing before Korriban, exactly?" Aaric questioned while they made their way to find the last switch.
The question took Vette by surprise. Ever since she stepped foot on the sand-blasted planet, nobody asked or even cared about what she did before. "Well I am, or was, a treasure hunter."
"Treasure hunter, you say?"
"Yeah. My team and I were given a job offer to grab some Sith artifact here. You wouldn't believe the number of zeroes on the reward! But, you know as well as I do how that turned out…"
"And your team?"
"Most probably gotten off planet by now. Not sure if I'll ever see them again."
"Perhaps."
Vette quirked a brow but didn't respond, so she shuffled that into the back of her mind for later. Soon, they reached a large hall surrounded by more slave statues.
"Oh hey…We're here! Last stop." Vette chirped. "The secret entrance is in here, just give me a minute to get my bearings…"
Aaric patiently waited in the middle of the chamber. As Vette did her thing, he could feel a trickle of killing intent permeating the room and directing it straight at him. He smirked. It didn't take a genius to figure out who was doing it. As the intent became stronger, Aaric readied himself to surprise his ambusher.
"Got it!" Vette called out, "It's right… WATCH OUT!"
Like a flash of lightning Aaric spun and delivered vicious roundhouse kick to his would-be attacker's face. Said attacker's head snapped to the side and he spun in mid-air before hitting the floor like a sack of bones. He recovered quickly though, revealing himself to be the one and only Vemrin. Aaric though, was nonplussed.
"Urgh… damn that hurt!" Vemrin groaned as he pushed himself off the ground and got into his fighting stance. "Take your time, slave. Just have the entrance uncovered by the time I finish killing your new master."
"Can't say I'm surprised to see you, Vemrin." Aaric sneered. "You're remarkably predictable. Even without Vette's warning, I already knew you were here. Your stench of fear wafts this place like rot."
"Shut up!" Vemrin snapped, drawing his warblade. "My passions run deeper than yours. I am the true essence of what it is to be Sith! My legacy has suffered long enough. After today, you will be forgotten. It ends here and now!"
Aaric simply rolled his eyes and crossed his arms nonchalantly. Which angered Vemrin even more, like he wasn't taking him seriously! The nerve! "Coming here was a fatal mistake, Vemrin. Baras would have given you a second chance to serve him and the empire. Instead, you've wasted that chance on getting revenge! Pitiful, really. Tremel was right, people like you deserve to be washed out!"
"Try saying that after I cut off your head! RAAGHHH!" Vemrin leapt, closing the distance between them in a single bound and striking overhead intent on slicing his nemesis down the middle. Aaric blocked it easily, though he was impressed by the strength and ferocity of Vemrin's attack, then pushed back with even greater force. Vemrin stumbled a little but managed to hold his ground.
It was Aaric's turn now. Leveraging on his newfound knowledge from Tulak Hord, he switched to his now purely refined one-handed Makashi form. Short and sharp thrusts and slices rained down on Vemrin as he attempted to parry them all to no avail. His defensive sweeps and blocks looking exaggerated and overdone compared to Aaric's precise maneuvers.
Vemrin tried to take control of the fight. He ignored the pain of a slash to his arm and thrust into Aaric's chest. It was met with air however, and was quickly parried and succeeded by a sidestep and slash to his abdomen. Vemrin quickly distanced himself, clutching his stomach as burnt flesh seeped into his nostrils.
"Your skill is competent, but predictable." Aaric commented. "Against lesser foes, you would make a fine warrior on the battlefield. You would best serve Baras being one of his good little soldiers."
"Don't patronize me!" Vemrin growled.
"Come over here and make me then." Aaric taunted.
Vemrin's rage boiled and he charged, locking blades. He tried to push Aaric back, but his opponent stood his ground effortlessly. He noticed that Aaric was still using his blade one-handed, to hold him back. The failed acolyte gritted his teeth in frustration. Why was Aaric so strong? What did Aaric have that he did not?!
"Strength and skill only brings you so far, Vemrin. It's knowing how and when to use the force that makes the difference between us." Aaric explained. Before he could register what that meant, Aaric's free hand thrust forward. He was slammed by an invisible force and flung into the adjacent wall.
Baras' apprentice-to-be did not deign to explain. Even without Tulak Hord's knowledge, it was obvious that the lack of kinetic energy was the most glaring weakness of Makashi. Typical run-of-the-mill Sith would then look to the acrobatic Ataru or the more aggressive Shien and Djem-so to channel their hatred into continuous combos to storm through their opponent's defenses. The Mecrosa Order however, emphasized on eliminating the weaknesses in one's chosen form. Thus, Aaric fervently trained himself to strengthen his physical body to near inhuman levels to the point where he could block heavy-handed strikes one-handed.
"You are weak! A failure!" Aaric walked over to the downed acolyte and spat on him. "Come to think of it, you are better off scraping the mud of Baras' boots! I should leave you here to wallow in your humiliation. There's no point in staining my hands with the blood of the unworthy. Goodbye, failure."
Giving him a last scathing look, Aaric turned his back and walked away. It was not long until he heard heavy breathing behind him. Curious, he turned back only to witness Vemrin getting back up. Black veins riddled his facial features and his eyes had turned a dirty yellow.
Aaric could feel the rage rolling off him and smirked. "Much better."
The enraged Vemrin let out inhuman roar that echoed throughout the chamber. With a burst of unprecedented speed, Aaric was suddenly beset by an unrelenting barrage of slashes and pummels. Only Aaric's masterful skills managed to keep him from being overwhelmed. Vemrin leapt and somersaulted in the air, bringing down a powerful slash intent on slicing his enemy's head in half. Aaric brought his own blade up in a horizontal block. Their blades clashed.
In a split second, the strength of both men became too much to bear. The warblades faltered and splintered at the contact point. Vemrin's top half of his blade flung forwards and past Aaric's face. Following through his motions, the other half still in his hand swung down and contacted Aaric's cuirass.
The blow made Aaric stumble in surprise. He looked down and saw a gash straight down the middle of his chest piece. It was not deep enough to break his skin, however. Hot liquid rolled down his cheek, which Aaric wiped off and glanced at it before throwing away his now useless blade.
Vemrin smirked as he did the same. "Heh! It seems you're not so invincible after all. This power… "
"Is useless without knowing how to use it." Aaric interrupted. "Tis' but a scratch caused by pure dumb luck. And a brute like you will never be able to utilize it to its fullest potential."
"Like you would know!"
"Because I do know, Vemrin." Aaric hissed. "I trained from childhood to become what I am now. Years of dedication to the Sith arts before Tremel discovered me! What you have is but a sliver of what the Dark Lords of the Sith can fully utilize. This duel has wasted enough of my time. Go back to Baras and beg for your life like the trash you are! You may still be able to serve him yet in another capacity."
"Our duel isn't over yet!" Vemrin charged, his fist pulled back ready to pound his enemy into submission.
Aaric was ready for him, however, and the Mecrosa heir shifted his body into position. Legs shoulder-width apart, left foot a step in front, master arm extended while the palm of the other hand rested on the forearm of the first: An Echani battle stance modified to suit Aaric's style.
Vemrin swung and overextended, Aaric parried and delivered his own vicious hook to his nemesis' jaw. Ignoring the pain, the failed acolyte tried to side kick, but was blocked by Aaric's forearm. Another hook, and Aaric dodged. A jab-cross. Aaric blocked the jab, blocked the straight then slapped it away followed by a backfist to Vemrin's face, sending him back-first onto the floor.
Anger and frustration overwhelmed Vemrin completely. Noting Aaric's close proximity, he jumped back on his feet and lunged. "I WILL NOT FAIL HERE!" he cried.
The sudden movement caught Aaric by surprise and he felt himself lift off the ground as Vemrin tackled him and slammed him onto the stone wall. Aaric was slightly winded, but was still in control. Vemrin stepped back and threw a haymaker. Aaric evaded, the fist blasting away a good chunk of rubble. He ducked under another straight, which formed a small crater behind him and stuck itself into the wall.
Aaric retaliated, throwing his elbow up and knocking away Vemrin's offending arm then bringing it down in a savage elbow strike to his sternum. Vemrin stumbled back, bent over and clutching his heart. Before he could recover, Aaric was already upon him. He leapt into the air and delivered a force-enhanced triple kick to Vemrin's already battered chest.
Vemrin crashed onto the floor in a battered and bloody heap, while Aaric stood seemingly unwinded at all.
"Fool. You already lost when I stepped foot on this planet." Aaric muttered and raised his hand. Pure violet lightning burst forth from his fingertips and struck the downed Vemrin. What felt like thousands of blunt needles entering and exiting his body at the same time erupted from Vemrin's pain receptors. He screams of rage morphed into cries of agony. But Aaric did not let up, he had to put Vemrin in his place. Vemrin was to know Aaric Etherall Tritum was lord and master now!
"Stop! I think that's enough!" A feminine cry cut through the air as he felt a sharp tug on his thrusted arm. He didn't know why, but he stopped anyway. His turned his steel gaze onto the little blue Twi'lek beside him which made her elicit an 'Eep!' and hide her face behind the very arm she was tugging. "Umm… well I think you've charged him up enough. He can't resist anymore."
Aaric blinked as he tried to process what she said. Did she just make a pun about his force lightning? No matter how bad it sounded to him, he realized his need to torture Vemrin almost let his anger take control. Vette didn't need to know, however. He schooled his features and addressed her. "Why, I believe you're right Vette. Now be a good little bird and wait here."
The apprentice-to-be walked up to the smoking Vemrin. He could sense that he was still alive. Seconds later, he was proven right when hacking coughs erupted from Vemrin as he struggled to push himself up. Seeing the victorious Aaric looking down at him snidely. He realized his hopeless position and dipped his head in submission.
"Becoming Baras' apprentice was my destiny. Did I come this far and overcome such adversity, only to be proven unworthy?" Vemrin muttered. "I… refuse to live a lesser life! Finish me, for I will not accept mercy."
"If that is what you want, then so be it." Aaric replied. A snap-hiss echoed across the halls and a blood red plasma blade swung downwards onto Vemrin's. He was dead before his body hit the floor once and for all.
"What a waste…" Aaric whispered as he deactivated his lightfoil.
"Wow! Nice work." Vette whistled. Gazing curiously at Vemrin's corpse. "Too bad he chose to die though."
"He asked for it." He remarked. "But at least I managed to impress you. Now let's get on with this."
"Sure! The secret entrance is right here." The bubbly Twi'lek skipped to the back of a statue. An audible click was heard, followed by the ground shivering as the wall next to the statue opened up to reveal the hidden tomb. Vette stood next to the entrance with hands on her hips and a triumphant smile. "Uh… You're welcome?"
Aaric was most impressed. It seemed this treasure hunter turned slave girl was more resourceful and cunning than he thought. Yes, she would definitely be part of his entourage now. He walked up to her and gave her beaming smile. "You have been most helpful. Thank you, Vette."
For a second, Vette's smile was replaced by a blush and a coy look of genuine appreciation. Something which didn't go unnoticed. "It's nice to be acknowledged. Thanks."
"Stay with me, and I'm sure I can acknowledge more of what you have to offer, little bird." He stepped closer to the Twi'lek and pulled her body abruptly onto his, eliciting another squeak from her. A hand snaked around her waist, while the other found itself caressing and squeezing her ample buttcheek.
"H-h-hey! Don't t-touch the merchandise!" She stuttered and feebly attempted to push the Sith acolyte away.
"I'm sure you'll be my merchandise once this is all over." He purred softly in her ear. "I'm sure we can work something out once this is done."
"W-well, I-I-If you say so…" She whispered, her blush turning her cheeks more purple than he could ever imagine. "C-could you let me go now?"
"All right… for now." Aaric relented, enjoying the reactions Vette was giving. He gave her one last surprise in the form of a playful slap across her ass cheek before letting her go. The spank caused her body to visibly tremble in surprise as the mix of pleasure and pain from the spanking. Directing a weak glare at Aaric's back, she followed her current master further into the tomb.
The chamber seemed grand in comparison to the previous tombs Aaric visited. Statues of stone warriors graced the path towards the end of the room, culminating in a flight of steps that led to an elaborate coffin.
"This place… feels creepier than others I've been to." Vette remarked.
"Don't worry your pretty little arse, Vette. I'll make sure it won't get a scratch." Aaric quipped.
"Wonder if you care about me or just my butt…" Vette sniped.
Upon reaching the top, Aaric took a good look at the coffin just in case there were traps physical or otherwise. When he was satisfied, he called upon the force and slid the stone slab off the top and let it fall to the ground with a heavy thud. Peering inside, he gazed upon the skeletal remains of Naga Sadow and his signature battle armor. Beside it lay Aaric's prize: A straight and stocky lightsaber with a brown leather handle.
Aaric smirked. I This was almost too easy. /I He lifted the lightsaber into the air and pulled it into his open palm. A sharp I snap-hiss /I followed and a bright crimson plasma blade, a stark contrast to the blood red blade of his lightfoil, erupted from its hilt.
Giving his new weapon a few testing swings and flourishes, he frowned at its weight and construction.
It seemed Naga Sadow was more of a brawler than a fencer. The length was a tad too long and heavy, and its center of gravity leaned towards the hilt as if to support heavy swings and chopping motions. Moves that suited a Shien practitioner more than a Makashi one. Aaric decided that he would call upon his Order's artisans at a more convenient time to modify the hilt to suit his preferred fighting style. He deactivated the lightsaber and clipped it to his belt.
Aaric turned to leave. He made it as far as the stairs before stopped dead in his tracks, Vette following suit. An unusual whispering echoed throughout the room. Expanding his senses, he traced the origins of the sound and found himself back at the coffin. A dark purple pool of mist suddenly started filling it up and enveloping Sadow's corpse followed by a bright flash lit the skull's eye sockets. The mist shot into the air and formed a cloud, startling Vette and causing her to fall onto her butt. The cloud then split into smaller wisps of smoke and dived to encompass some of the stone warrior statues.
Aaric cursed himself. Of course, there would be a trap even he could not sense. Just how cavalier could he have been to be so blind?!
The duo stared in morbid curiosity as the sickly wisps were absorbed by the statues. Cracks appeared all around their surfaces until they began breaking and falling apart like shells, revealing black faceless humanoids fully equipped with Sith blades of their own and ready to fight. Aaric counted only three, but with a small army of statues contained within he surmised they could turn into undead soldiers anytime. There was only one exit, they would had to fight their way out.
Time to see if you're up to my expectations, little bird. A foxy grin tugged on his lips.
"Okay… Damn. Now what?" Vette inquired nervously as she watched the black figures slowly advancing towards them with blades at the ready.
"Time to see what you're made of." Aaric declared, and pulled out a pair of familiar shiny objects from behind his back.
"Hey!" Vette cried running forward and grabbing the pair of objects from his hands. "Those are my blaster pistols! Where did you get those? You had them all along? Where did you hide them? You weren't even wearing a backpack!"
"Sorry. Trade Secret." Aaric smirked, giving the blue Twi'lek a playful wink which only made her huff I response. "You and I are going to destroy those minions down there and get the heck out of here."
Vette stared at him quizzically. "You aren't afraid I'm just gonna shoot you in the back?"
"You won't." He stated confidently.
"And why not?" She quirked a brow.
"Because right now, I'm your only chance of staying alive. Kill me, and those little black men will be all over you in a second. You could shoot me after we're through dealing with them, but even so you wouldn't take the chance because you've seen what I can do. I can kill you in a blink of an eye. That would be an awful waste, wouldn't it? A young nubile girl like you can serve me better alive than dead."
Upon seeing her frown, he offered, "Let's make a deal. Give me covering fire while I engage them. Don't worry about hitting me accidentally because you know I'm better than that. We can get out of here together, and I'll make sure you'll never see the inside of those durasteel cages ever again. Do we have terms?"
Vette contemplated his words. After observing his performance till now, she was fully convinced that he had a demigod's stamina. Even after his fight with Vemrin he was only slightly winded. Her current handler was right, there was no point in trying to shoot him in the back and escaping. Where would she go? There was no where else she could procure a starship save breaking and entering an Imperial starport. If she had to be honest with herself, being let out to follow him was the most interesting and entertaining thing she had ever experienced since being locked up. She would kill to not be caged again!
"We have terms… I guess." Vette sighed and offered her hand. "I got a bad feeling about this."
Aaric had other ideas though. He grabbed her hand then pulled her onto his body once again and kissing her deeply on the lips, while his hands groped her ass and breast through her clothes. Vette squealed in surprise and could not stop herself from letting out a moan as a pleasurable sensation emanated from the places where his hands were on. Just as quickly, he let her go and Vette was almost disappointed by the lack of touch. Almost.
"W-w-what… y-you can't just do that!" A furious blush erupted from her cheeks once again.
"Well, I just did. The agreement is settled." Aaric smirked triumphantly, unclasping both saber and foil and igniting them simultaneously. "Now, let's get out of here."