Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Marethyu, Priapus, Mike God of Lore, Old man of the mountain
The Celestial Inquisitor
Chapter 05: Final Trial
– Sarik –
100cp granted, 100cp total.
"Master, Ffon is inside. He seems to be getting frustrated that he can't work out how to open the Tomb," Kory reports with a deep bow as I approach. Vette glances to the side, looking at Kory, before she turns back to face me.
"Hey, are you doing okay? You look kinda rough," Vette asks, and I pause as I give her a dark look. "M-master."
She bows as well, but not nearly as deeply as I just nod.
"I am fine, far better than Ffon is going to be. Kory, I want you to go in and deliver Harkun's message, but don't warn Ffon about the Deshade," I order, getting a nod from Kory. Despite her not being a slave (yet), she fell into serving far faster than Vette. "Vette, you're with me. There's an ancient Sith assassin in this tomb, and he's going to be angry when he wakes up."
"It's never simple, is it? Er, master," Vette corrects, making me nod.
"Life rarely is. Kory, before you go to Ffon, come here," I order, making her approach. Pulling her in, her eyes widen briefly before she leans into the rough kiss. Vette looks away awkwardly as I cop a feel of Kory's ass before I let go. "I want you to touch Ffon, even if it is just a brief brush of your hands. After you do that, return to me."
"Yes, master," Kory agrees with another bow. "I won't fail you."
I believe her pledge of loyalty, but I can taste her fear and anxiety. She fears Ffon, who is stronger than her, and she fears the consequences of failing me.
"Don't worry. We have a bond now, and I'll be following along with your progress. If things go south, you don't need to defeat Ffon. Just buy time for us to join you," I explain. "If you fail, I will have to punish you, but you are mine now, Kory. Nobody is going to take you from me."
Kory smiles slightly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Despite the promise of punishment if she fails, she is reassured that I'll be watching. She's thrown her lot in with me now; there's no going back.
Nodding for her to leave, I watch her head into the tomb as I mentally focus on the bond I made between us. I see through her eyes and hear what she hears.
"Vette, Kory may be my newest slave, but she is still a Sith Acolyte. When she is around, act like you should if any other Sith was around," I say, reminding her that her safety rests on my success.
"Got it. Do you think you can trust her?" Vette asks, making me smile grimly.
"She's a Sith," I reply simply, making her nod in agreement. Pausing for a moment, I look at her, making her look slightly nervous. "Remove your top."
Vette freezes at my order, looking around with a frown.
"I- don't we need to stay focused?" Vette asks, her hesitation clear. For just a moment, I almost electrocute her before I stop. Despite her hesitation, she hasn't refused yet, and it is a legitimate question. "S-surely you can wait until we're done here, I'm sure Kory-"
"Vette," I say, my voice silencing her for a moment. "I don't mind you questioning my orders if you believe they are foolish, and getting distracted by pleasure in this situation would be foolish. That's not what I want. Remove your top, now."
She hesitates again, but a spark of green lightning from my fingers makes her take a deep breath as she pulls her plain top over her head. I won't deny that my eyes go to her azure body as she strips with a fair amount of reluctance.
She's still wearing her bra, and she pauses after placing her top on a rock, looking at me with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. My eyes flicker to her bra, one eyebrow raised before she lets out a sigh and reaches back, unclipping it and letting it fall.
For a moment, I get a good view of the large light-blue breasts with dark blue nipples, topless from the waist up except for the slave collar, and then she moves. Placing it on the rock, her arm covers her breasts as she looks at me with frustration.
"Well? Stop gawking and tell me what am I doing this for?" Vette asks, before her body seizes up as I activate the shock collar on the lowest setting. The lowest setting is still enough to make her let out a small scream.
"Lose the attitude, arms by your side," I order, approaching as she glowers at me. "I didn't order you to strip for my entertainment, but do not forget that you are my slave. If I want to look at your body, that is my right."
Vette doesn't look thrilled, but her arms go to her side despite that. I cannot have Vette disobeying or disrespecting me in front of any other Sith. I need to get her out of the habit quickly. With all the attention on me, rivals will circle around me like vultures, looking for any weakness.
My hand reaches up, cupping her breasts as I rub my thumb against her nipple, giving her the tiniest shock as she jolts.
"Don't push your luck, Vette. Any other Sith would have had you tortured until you begged for mercy or death by now. You belong to me, all of you," I warn, my hand sliding down her toned stomach and slipping into her trousers and panties. She freezes up at my touch, a long finger dragging along her slit before I pull my hand back. "Turn around. I need access to your back, I'm going to place a precautionary measure on you to keep you safer. This Deshade is far more dangerous than any Tuk'ata."
My tone is clipped and annoyed, which seems to get the message across as she turns and places her hands on the rock. She doesn't quite believe me, but she also doesn't want to defy me and test me anymore. If she'd just obeyed me from the start, we'd be done by now, and I wouldn't have touched or shocked her.
Pulling out the [Griffon Quill Pen, I get to work as I start writing the Rune of Ownership onto Vette's back. She didn't need to remove her bra for this, to be honest, as I'm writing it on her lower back, but I want to make the power dynamic here very clear.
She belongs to me, and she will learn to obey me.
The Rune will allow me to keep a mental track of her location while also alerting me to any desire or hostility sent her way. In time, I'll add the Caryll Rune of Corruption to her as well, but I need to experiment more before I can replicate that. Now is not the time, and this certainly isn't the place for it.
"Stop moving; you're making this take longer than it needs to," I order bluntly, annoyed by her fidgeting, which does come to a halt. Finishing the rune, I feel it take effect with a small smile on my lips as I step back.
Vette turns around again, trying to look over her shoulder.
"What is that?" Vette asks, trying to peer down at it with some difficulty.
"A rune of ownership, designed to help keep my belongings safe," I explain, and I can see the anger at the fact that she's been branded. "Stop that. You were already mine; the rune changes nothing while keeping you safe from danger. You aren't Force-sensitive; you lack our combat precognition."
"Doesn't mean I have to be happy that I've got a mark of ownership on my body," Vette finally says. "May I put my top back on, master?"
I make a show of looking down at her bare breasts, the large blue bosom on full display as she keeps her hands down. She gives me an unamused look, but the brief shock seems to have reminded her that I am not going to let her disobey or disrespect me. I can't help but notice that her nipples are slightly hard, but I don't comment on it.
"For now," I say, watching her dress. As we did this, I've been keeping my eye on Kory as she speaks with Ffon. Ffon is not exactly grateful, but he's easily convinced that she was sent by Harkun.
I pause as I feel Kory's pain, Ffon shocking her for taking so long. He's going to suffer for that. Nobody else gets to punish my pets. He does make a mistake, however, as he backhands her. Kory plays the role of the beaten servant, head bowed and posture submissive… but I can sense her hatred. For a moment, Ffon exposes his back to her, and she considers running him through. She might just pull it off, clouded to his senses by my touch. Instead, she holds back as I sense her satisfaction while she excuses herself, slipping away. She doesn't know my plan, but she knows that she is helping doom Ffon as I gesture for Vette to follow me.
"I did it, Master. He struck me; was that enough?" Kory asks as we meet up, and I smile proudly.
"It was. You did very well, Kory. Ffon is already doomed, and by Harkun's hand, no less," I say with a satisfied smirk. With the Lore of Plagues, recreating the force-dampening illness that Harkun inflicted on me was not hard, and then I passed it on to Kory while making it spread by touch.
With a touch of my own, I cure the illness that is slumbering in Kory. It doesn't trigger until you try to use the Force, a little adjustment from me. Ffon is opening the Deshade's tomb as we speak, and it's going to be hungry.
Force users are just food to a creature like that; it's what made them so favoured by Sith Lords who could keep them under control. Ffon is going to seem like a buffet to the monster.
Kory smiles darkly at that, reminding me that however she acts, there is a Sith under the fear and sweetness. She's my tool, and I intend to hone her into a deadly one.
"Thank you, master. I only wish Harkun could see his favourite pet die," Kory agrees with a bubbly smile.
"Oh, Harkun's time is coming. Kory, remove your top," I order, and unlike Vette, Kory doesn't hesitate to disrobe for me. Vette's breasts are slightly bigger, but Kory's are still extremely nice and very perky as I gesture for her to turn around. Repeating the Rune on her back, she can feel the Force entering her, my power entering her body just like I already have entered her mind. Unlike Vette, she welcomes it. "This is a Rune of Ownership, which will help keep my prized belongings safe. You are mine now, Kory. Zash has agreed. Once we finish this, you'll be assigned to me. Your fate lies in my hands. Serve me well, and you will thrive under me."
Vette responded with annoyance when I called her mine, but Kory responds with pleasure and relief.
"Thank you, Master," Kory says, bowing deeply, which makes her breasts do some interesting things. She notices my eyes wandering, and as she rises back up, she exaggerates the movement to make them jiggle more for me.
She goes to speak before the Temple shakes from Ffon opening the prison, and I grin. Step one, complete.
Giving them orders, Kory dresses, and Vette pulls out her blaster as we prepare. Ffon is in for a surprise, and so is the Deshade if it follows what my studies told me about Deshades. Knowledge is power, and the Sith Academy has a lot of tomes and datacrons for those who care for the academics.
[A Bottle of Veritaserum] - 100cp, 0cp remaining
An infinitely refilling bottle of truth serum which forces the drinker to answer any questions put to them truthfully.
Well, I won't say no to that. If nothing else, I can empty it into different containers and sell it to Imperial Intelligence. Besides, I'm sure being able to force people to speak the truth will be useful going forward.
But for now, I calmly wait as my Rachni Worker spots Ffon heading into the prison. It scurries in after him, and I sense the coward's fear. He thought he'd just stroll in and grab a map, but instead, he got an angry Deshade assassin.
He tries to hide his fear behind bluster as he demands the location of the map, but the Deshade cares not. It served a far greater Sith, and the blubbering of Ffon is seen for what it is.
As they argue, my Rachni makes their move. They are a surprisingly technologically adept species, skittering forward in the shadows as they sabotage the prison. The stasis falls, and I can sense the dread from Ffon as the creature lunges forward.
Ffon made several massive mistakes today, but shocking Kory was one of the bigger ones. He'd activated the disease in his body, and as he tries to blast the Deshade with lightning, he barely manages a few sparkles as it descends upon him.
Ffon, Harkun's favourite, dies with his blade still halfway sheathed. He didn't even manage to start to fight back, his flesh torn into by the Deshade assassin as it enjoys its first meal in a long time.
His screams make Vette jump, but again, it is pleasure and pride I feel from Kory. I am the architect of Ffon's fate, but she was the agent.
"Take in your victory, Kory. Ffon was stronger and more powerful, but you led him to his demise. This will be the first victory of many as long as you remember your place under me," I say, whispering into her ear as she bites her lip.
"If we didn't have a Deshade to fight, I'd be under you right now," Kory replies, pushing her ass back towards my crotch. "Ffon liked to drag out our fights to get an excuse to hurt me more. It sounds like the Deshade likes dragging things out as well."
The wicked smile on her lips makes me chuckle as I give her a spank.
"The Deshade doesn't see this as a fight. It was just too hungry to wait until Ffon died to start its meal," I explain with a grin, which she returns. "I hope it enjoys its free meal because it won't relish what is about to happen."
Ffon's flesh is tainted meat, and the Deshade is eating it so very hungrily. I wait until it finishes eating before I down a couple of Warpstone Tokens to stave off my own illness and gesture for them to follow me into the chamber. The almost entirely naked, very muscular humanoid creature rises to its full height as it turns to us. Its skin is grey, and it has strange red markings and ancient Sith runes across its body. His face is monstrous, with glowing red eyes, unlike any species I've seen. Finally, a wide mouth filled with sharp teeth that are dripping with Ffon's blood. So this is a Deshade?
"Fate is cruel to me, little one. But not as cruel as it is to you. You have made a terrible mistake coming here," the Deshade says in Ancient Sith. The dialect is strange, given that he's been sealed in here for a thousand years, but I know enough Sith to work out the meaning. I make a note to have Kory learn Sith later, as she and Vette look utterly lost. "I am Khem Val, servant of Tulak Hord, the Lord of Hate, Master of the Gathering Darkness, Dark Lord of the Sith. You will regret awakening me, for I hunger, and I shall devour you."
"I think not, Khem Val. You're a relic of the past, and I am the future. Tulak Hord has been dead for a thousand years while you have rotted away in here," I counter, drawing my blade as Kory does the same.
"Together, Tulak Hord and I devoured our enemies at the battles of Yn and Chabosh; we brought the Droumund system to its knees. I have awaited his return, but if he is truly dead, then I will hunt his enemies and their descendants to the last," Khem growls, his voice guttural and angry as he steps forward. "You do not even have a lightsaber. Have they sent a child to fight me?"
"An acolyte, and you're just the tool I'll be using to get the map your master hid away in this tomb. I'm not here to fight you; you're just a stepping stone in my way," I say with a confident look.
"At the battle of Yn, I devoured over a thousand Jedi; masters and padawans alike became my meals, and an acolyte seeks to command me?" Khem growls, hulking body at the ready as I smile.
"You're a powerful tool, Khem, but not a smart one. Did you enjoy the meal I sent you?" I ask, and I can see the realisation on Khem's monstrous face. He feels weak, but he thinks that it is just his hunger. My disease courses through his body, so willingly devoured by the gluttonous fool.
"Coward!" Khem roars, charging forward as I dash to meet him. His lunge is sluggish, the massive ancient Sith blade slashing over my head as I duck under his swing and slash my vibroblade across his chest.
Vette doesn't hesitate either, firing several blaster rounds into the Deshade's incredibly thick hide. My blade leaves a mark but fails to actually cut into his skin. Kory bides her time, watching as I clash with the Deshade.
I was never going to try and beat Tulak Hord's personal assassin in single combat, no matter how weakened. I know a suicidal task when I see one. As Khem tries to stab down at me, Kory makes her move and pushes him off-balance with the Force.
Khem is resistant, but it's enough to knock him slightly off-balance and at this distance, that's all I need. In the moment of weakness Kory created for me, I slash into Khem several times, my blade lashing out at him. Striking the same spot, I finally carve into his thick hide enough to make him roar in anger, and I'm barely able to dodge back in time to avoid his attempt to bisect me.
Even as I fight the creature, playing defensive to let the plague work its way through his body, my mind is split. Harkun was ordered not to leave his room like a disobedient child, and that means I can act.
In my room, a statue that looks exactly like me starts to move. Despite being made of stone, it is quick and nimble, my [Hashashin Training] letting me sneak through the Academy towards his office, cloaked in a robe that conceals its stony visage.
Distracted by his call, he doesn't notice as I cast a Lore of Plagues spell through the statue. My Mark of Tzeentch allows me to focus my mind so easily, handling the battle and the statue at once with no lapse in concentration.
Harkun is already injured; his punishment for sending me into a forbidden tomb has left him with countless wounds that haven't been healed yet. No doubt that was a deliberate act on the Dark Council's part, but that gives me something to work with as I will those wounds to fester and weep. Weeping Wounds will make his life agony, and how could I have been involved when I am so far away from the Academy?
Warp Lightning strikes Khem at the same time, lashing out at his wounds as he roars in pain and fury, the power of the Warp coursing through his form. He may be resistant to regular force powers, but no Deshade has seen anything like what I can do.
Vette's shots have left blaster marks across his body, which would have killed a lesser creature ten times over. Kory has become quite the opportunist, lurking in the shadows and striking when Khem cannot respond. If he goes for one of the others, I just Skitterleap them away, and he can't disengage from me without taking more damage than even he can risk.
Slicing his stomach open, I laugh as a piece of a statue crashes into Khem. Kory is fun.
Khem falls to one knee, and before he can react, I stab him in the arm. The moment his grip lessens, Kory rips his blade away, and my blade is at his throat before he can rise.
"Defeated. Defeated!" Khem rumbles, rage and shame flooding the air. "Why did you not come for me, Tulak? Why have you allowed your servant to be reduced to this instead of fighting by your side?"
"You don't need to die here. Tulak is gone; you remain. Tell me how to find the map," I order, and Khem pauses.
"Fine, little one. In my great weakness, and through your trickery, you have defeated me, so I must serve you- this is the law that binds me," Khem finally says, rising to his full height. "But make no mistake. You are not my master. The great Tulak Hord did not need such cowardice to best me."
I smile grimly. As I said, knowledge is power.
"In time, when you are at your full strength again, we will fight once more, and I will best you again. Then, you will acknowledge me as your master," I say, making Khem growl. "But for now, I am merely an Acolyte, and I have too great ambitions to die here, even if it means cheating."
Feat Achieved: Gain the service of Khem Val (100cp), 100cp total.
[Mental Shields] - 100cp, 0cp remaining
You form mental shields over your mind, making it hard for magic to penetrate your thoughts and mind unless you allow it to do so. For an extra 100 CP, you also get the "Mental Swords", countering attempts at intrusion by poking their minds using "useless" data/memory when it appears that your guard is down.
I'll never say no to having a way to protect my mind. I do lock in the Mental Swords, so I can send my next 100cp toward it. Anyone who tries to meddle with my mind will pay for it.
Finding the map is not difficult with Khem's guidance, and Khem will serve as a good deterrent. I will make sure to spread the word that he was once Tulak Hord's assassin because having him follow me will be a status symbol.
Our return to the academy draws some eyes, and the hulking Deshade following behind me definitely causes some whispers. Despite his rage, Khem Val is a simple creature. When it comes time for him to challenge me, it won't be through backstabbing or any other treachery.
No, he'll walk up to me and demand we fight again. If I refuse, he'll attack anyway. I need to get strong enough to beat him fairly or to ward off his challenge, but I don't need to fear him.
Arriving at the office, I smile seeing Harkun missing.
"You found another pet?" Zash asks, leaning against Harkun's desk with a smile as I reach into my chest and pull out the small device that has the map data. "Wonderful. Now, I'm sure Harkun would love to be here for this… but it seems the Dark Council was harsher on him than they thought, or perhaps Harkun was just weaker than expected because he needed to be rushed to the medbay."
"What a tragedy," I say, making her laugh knowingly.
"Quite. Never mind that; Harkun was doomed to insignificance long before you arrived here. But you? You are meant for far greater things, aren't you, my apprentice?" Zash says proudly. "From this day forth, you are an acolyte no longer. As such, it wouldn't do for you to keep using that training vibroblade, would it?"
As she speaks, she stands up and pulls out a small silver cylinder.
"This is the lightsaber that I used as an apprentice. It served me well, as it will now serve you. Perhaps one day, it will serve your own apprentice," Zash says, handing it over as I activate it with a wide grin, seeing the thin red beam of light.
The hum is unmistakable, and it feels so damn right to have my hands on my own lightsaber.
"Thank you, master," I say with a slight bow. She just smiles slightly before turning to the side.
"Kory, you failed to pass the trials, but that doesn't mean I am done with you. You are a gift to my new apprentice. You will serve him in whatever capacity he desires, am I clear?" Zash orders, and Kory obediently nods her head with a bow. "Now, I originally planned to take you to Dromund Kaas, but fate has other plans for you."
"Is this related to the Emperor's interest in me?" I ask, making her smile.
"In this case, it is the Dark Council that you have the attention of. Are you aware that you do not appear through the Force?" Zash asks, making me nod.
"I suspected. One of the abilities I've unlocked shields me from divination," I admit, getting an impressed look.
"The Dark Council wishes to learn just how far this new cloaking technique can go. Specifically, they want to see if it can deceive the senses of the Jedi masters," Zash explains. "I'm afraid that you've become a tool for the war against the Republic, my apprentice."
"Aren't we all? The truce was never going to last," I reply, making her laugh.
"Very true. It is the Dark Council's hope that this ability of yours will allow you to strike several blows to the Republic under the radar, weakening them for the inevitable resurgence of the conflict," Zash explains, and I can see the logic.
Some Jedi Masters are far too good at sensing us, both in visions and just by our presence. To a Jedi, I would appear to be not force-sensitive at all.
"So, what does the Dark Council wish of me?" I ask. The Jedi once drove my species to the brink of extinction, into the Outer Rim. I have no love lost for them or the Republic.
"We wish for you to strike a blow, to test how they react to your moves," a deep male voice says, making me turn. The imposing armoured figure is almost as tall as Khem and is built similarly. Entirely clad in black and red armour, his face is hidden by a metallic mask but I don't need to see his face to know who is approaching.
Darth Marr, Head of the Sphere of Defense of the Empire. She wasn't kidding that I have the Dark Council's attention if he is here for me. He's one of the strongest and most respected Sith in the Empire, practically radiating power.
"If that is the will of the council, I will see it done," I say, knowing that there is a time and a place for the usual blustering of the Sith. My Skaven memories say I should throw my slaves at him and run for the hills if he so much as looks at me funny. "Who do you want me to target?"
This is a good chance to make a name for myself to the upper echelon of the Sith Empire.
"That is for you to decide, Sarik," Marr says, making me blink. "We have had Imperial Intelligence create a series of dossiers on targets that would harm the Republic. You will choose one and tell nobody outside of your… team the target. Something you have done has given Kory a similar, though weaker, cloaking. You will strike without telling us who you are going after, to preserve the sanctity of this test. If you are caught, we will claim you are a rogue acolyte who escaped the academy."
"And if it succeeds?" I ask. I'm not surprised, and don't mind the blunt way he is speaking. Honestly, I'm somewhat honoured to meet him.
"Then you will be our weapon and bleed the Republic dry," Marr says, handing over a datapad. "Even I do not know who the Keeper chose, but we understand that you are barely an Apprentice and Imperial Intelligence can provide you with some covert aid. We will be watching, Sarik. The Emperor's eyes are upon you."
Without a goodbye, he turns and walks away, leaving me with a new ambition. One day, I want to feel as powerful as him, to make a room just freeze as I enter. Even the way he walks just radiates power.
"Don't take it personally. Darth Marr has little time for anyone," Zash explains.
"I didn't. So that's what a member of the Dark Council feels like?" I ask, making her laugh.
"Oh, Marr is special, even amongst the Council. Aside from perhaps Darth Jadus and Darth Malgus, few compare to him," Zash admits. "Now, we have decided that for the time being, I shall remain on Korriban. You will be working from here, and I am still your master and we have much work to do, both in unlocking the secrets of your new powers and training you in the traditional Sith arts. I've also procured you a ship to allow you to travel on your little mission. Do not tell me who you are going for; if you require my aid, be vague on the details."
"Of course, master. I look forward to learning from you," I say, making her smile. I'm being honest as well; she's very good at what she does.
"And I, you, apprentice. You never stop learning, and anyone who thinks they have mastered anything is a fool, likely soon to be a dead fool," Lord Zash says with a smile. "Now, I've arranged for you to get some better accommodations as well. I can't have my apprentice slumming it with the acolytes, and your little entourage is growing rapidly. Darth Atroxa was willing to allow me to claim a small section of the school for our operations."
Lord Zash is already proving useful. Her knowledge and connections will be extremely useful going forward. She gives us directions to a part of the Academy that I've never personally been to, apparently we have the entire wing to ourselves.
"Much appreciated, Lord Zash," I reply.
"Yes, yes. Now, we could sit here and inflate our egos all day, but I think we both have work to do, don't we?" Zash asks, rising and heading to the door before she pauses. "Harkun is currently in the medical bay; why don't you go and give him the good news?"
With her piece said, she slips away, and Kory beams at me.
"Congratulations, Master. Perhaps we should celebrate your promotion tonight?" Kory asks, her lust clear.
"Perhaps, but we have a stop to make first. Vette, take Khem to our new room. Kory and I need to go and see our beloved teacher," I say, making Vette nod.
"Yeah, I really don't need to be here for this," Vette mumbles. "Just me and you big guy, huh?"
"Were you not the property of my owner, I would eat you and spit out the bones," Khem replies. "Twi'lek flesh is a delicacy."
"I got 'Twi'lek' and nothing else. This is going to be fun," Vette sighs, and that's probably for the best. She shouldn't run into trouble with a fucking Deshade following her.
Heading to the hospital, I smile as I let myself in and spot Harkun on one of the beds. His wounds are festering, his breathing heavy, and as he turns to me, I can feel his hatred.
He goes to speak, but I hold up my hand. As I do, I use the force to hold his jaw closed just to add insult to injury.
"You'll be pleased to know that I succeeded. I am now Lord Zash's apprentice," I say, a smile on my face. "Kory is my servant; of course, she already was before you tried to send her to aid your pet failure."
His remaining eye widens at that, hatred radiating from him.
"I have outgrown you, but the truth is… you taught me a lot, Overseer," I say, letting go of his jaw as he stares at me in utter befuddlement.
"What are you babbling about? This- this isn't over; you jumped up slave-" Harkun tries, but I smile.
"Yes, it is. As I said, you taught me a lot. There are always going to be people who try to keep me down, to suppress my rise to power. Whether through jealousy, fear or sheer spite. You taught me how to work around them and how to outsmart them. I won't say I'll never forget you, as I almost certainly will, but when I am a Lord of the Sith, know that your teachings helped me along the way, just a little," I explain, seeing the fury and confusion on his face. "After all, I found this new power of mine thanks to your attempts to see me dead. For that, it's only fitting that I give you a gift, a piece of that power."
With a smile, I reach into my chest and pull out the gnawed-on, decapitated head of Ffon, tossing it onto the bed, where it lands in his lap.
"Your precious Ffon, and the result of your meddling. Goodbye, Overseer. I doubt we will ever see each other again," I say, turning and walking away.
He shouts and curses after me, but he is beneath me.
"Master… Ffon's head, you did something to it, didn't you?" Kory whispers, making me grin and wink at her. Harkun is beneath me, but no sane Sith would leave an enemy at their back. Ffon's head is utterly normal; no matter how much they test it, it's just a decapitated head that was used as a Deshade's chew toy. My statue smiles in my old room before it returns to being perfectly blank-faced.
She giggles, her malicious glee apparent through our bond.
Feat Achieved: Become a Sith Apprentice, 100cp, Kill Overseer Harkun (extremely slowly and painfully), 100cp. 200cp granted. 100cp was spent on upgrading [Mental Shields]. 100cp remaining.
[Towards Zero] - 100cp, 0cp remaining.
Protagonists and do-gooders are all too predictable, they will beat the snot out of their enemies, but they only kill as a last resort. Forever letting their enemies heal and try again later on. Enough with such nonsense! You know better than to allow your foes to challenge your might again and again. For that, you have learned a particularly vicious way of defeating others, geared so that even if you don't kill them, you permanently cripple them, with them losing powers, limbs, or even their very own potential. They will learn the hard way to not mess with you.
Oh, you think you're funny? As I walk, I can think of ways to upgrade the poison he had Kory inflict on me to permanently sever his connection with the Force, though it would only work on someone I've beaten. Ah, well, he's already dead.
I actually messaged Lord Zash to make sure this wouldn't step on Darth Atroxa's toes. Lord Zash just made a comment about having Harkun's body preserved so she could study the effects of the Lore of Plagues.
Moving into the far nicer master bedroom, with a large, comfy bed, I stretch out on it for a moment as Kory makes herself useful by gathering my things from my old room. Opening the datapad, I look over it with a frown.
I have a lot of choices on my target, but there are a few that stand out to me.
Jedi Master Shaak Ti, even if I'm hesitant to take on a Jedi Master so early. She is playing diplomat at the moment, on a Planet called Voss. Imperial Intelligence believes that she is trying to sway the Voss into siding with the Republic.
Then there's another Jedi, Aayla Secura. She's on Taris, allegedly to help with the reconstruction efforts, but Intelligence believes she has a larger mission there. The last Jedi in my final selection is a Padawan, Jaesa Willsaam. She is rumoured to have a very irritating ability to see and effortlessly determine the true nature of other people. Apparently, she's casually identified a dozen spies already, who had covered their tracks perfectly.
Next, an Alderaan Princess named Leia. Alderaan is caught up in a brutal civil war after the assassination of their former Crown Prince. It seems to be mostly between House Organa, the Republic-backed family, and House Thul, which is supported by the Empire. Technically, neither side is fighting on the planet, but whichever family wins, their backer will gain Alderaan as an ally, so realistically, both sides have a presence there. Leia is the heiress of the Organa family and, evidently, a very good leader who has swayed several houses to fight for Organa.
Then, another royal. Queen Amidala of Naboo. Naboo is independent, but its location is in the dead centre of a lot of important trade routes. Unfortunately, Naboo is currently in talks to join the Republic, and Queen Amidala is leading those talks. Imperial Intelligence believes that taking her hostage or replacing her with a double could kill those efforts and lead to an Imperial Occupation of Naboo without us breaking that little peace treaty.
There are a few more, such as a Senator named Mon Mothma, who is doing 'good' work in preventing several planets from breaking ties with the Republic and an 'independent' rebel leader named Hera Syndulla, striking blows at the Empire as a rogue agent with the Republic's backing.
The list has dozens more, but at first glance, these are the ones that stand out to me. I don't want to make a safe choice because this is my chance to become a legend in the Empire. The better I do, the more I will benefit and the more support I'll get for future attacks.
War is coming, and I intend to be on the winning side.
— Quest Section — VOTING CONCLUDED
Who should Sarik use as his test run?
Master Shaak Ti (Very Difficult)
Jedi Knight Aayla Secura
Princess Leia Organa
Queen Amidala
Senator Mon Mothma
Hera Syndulla
Jaesa Willsaam
Author's Note: Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff. Just because this is SWTOR doesn't mean I can't blatantly steal from eras. Sorry for the chapter drought, I got dragged back into Monster Hunter World and I have discovered the power of the Lance.
Written: 11/10/2024
I am entirely motivated by praise and interaction, so leave a review, and I'll probably write faster. I do read every review/comment, because it gives me the happy brain chemicals and motivates me to write more. My body is a machine that turns positive reviews into new chapters.
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The Advance Chapters
Diamond: The Celestial Escalation, Ch03, The Sorcerer's Legacy Ch10, The Unbound Ch02, The Unbound Ch01, The Occult Ch09
Plat: The Blessed Ch08, The Warlord Ch15, The Celestial Escalation Ch02, The Tamer Ch15, The Celestial Escalation Ch01
Gold: The Vampire Ch12, The Supervillain Ch30, Guide to Freedom Ch14
Basic: The Operative Ch07, The Warlock Ch07
Quest: The Celestial Inquisitor Ch06-10
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