Sticks and Stones [open]

The removal of the rubble was not as hard as the recognizing of parts and pieces of the old temple that he had once protected. Cho slowly and confidently flowed his attuned Rakata Style of Force flow through his body giving him inhuman strength and with the telekinesis he had developed moving two ton boulders was as easy as and Titan beetle dragging a corpse's skull to it's hole.

As others worked Cho could tell that many were scared and damaged in the force. Force eddies and maws of destruction with no purpose other than to kill or await to get killed. Once again he wished he could talk again to his former master, but now was not the time. On lifting a 20 foot section of column that weighed nearly three tons, a lesser student of the Dark Will lost his control dropping a stone of only 20 lbs. The stone smashed to close to Cho. Fully flooding his body with his style of power, Cho shifted the weight of the column and moved it to graze the stone which tumbled over a small ledge to come to rest near a yellow twi'lek.

Cho slammed the column beside the nu-be. Still letting the dark side flow Cho slowly stalked over to the rodian. The air grew thick and although being near the top the world began to shrink and the light began to turn blood red and the singular sound of a heart beat and the smell of blood began to fill the air. Cho uttered only two words.

OFF.......NOW!!!

The rodian turn and nearly lept off of the mound of rubble. Cho's realization of nearly killing a weaker one nearly snapped him back. But it was the voice of his former master speaking to him saying.....

What? You going soft........(tisk...tisk) that is not like you. You killed many for lesser things. Why now? You finding some one who will be like you. What of that one, there....look she has nearly the same up bring as me. Why not see if she sees the world as you do?

Cho turned to see the ghostly form of Reylin his twi'lek master. Bowing his head, Cho had wanted to tell her that he would later, but the Dark Will's flow was directing him to the yellow twi'lek. Bowing once again, he made his way down from the mound. As he went he could see a flaw in their removal of rock soon the mound would shift and many would get killed in the ensuing land slide. Cho tried to tell the heads of the areas but they would not listen. Cho saw why the need for him going down now. He rushed. Bouncing off rock both on the ground and in the air getting to the ground. Landing near the yellow twi'lek he asked her to follow him to an area that was not being worked and safe of the pending land slide.

Cho took a position so that when it happened they could get, by 'Telekinesis', as many as they could save. He then introduce him self as 'The hidden blade of the Sith', not knowing how this new one would take the removal from the main area of work.

Korriban was a good place for people like the Sith. Dry, arid, infused with countless millenia of Dark Side traditions, the red planet was a veritable haven for those who sought refuge from the Light, from the Jedi; those who claimed to be servants of Light could not long abide the influence of the place, unless they were truly attuned with the ways of good. And even if such a one showed up, they'd have more to deal with than some nebulous planetary Force presense, anyway.

The Sith were coming back, were building themselves a grand Temple to their new destiny. Led by the surprisingly young new Dark Lord, Iniquitous, many had gathered there and were lending their strength to the construction efforts. Everyone, from the greenest youth to the oldest Master.

And among those Masters was a youngish-looking Miraluka, not actually young at all; his fiftieth birthday was in fact just months off, yet he acted as if he were twenty or even thirty years younger than he was. People called him Shard because he told them too, and he did that because others had called him Shard since he was young; besides that, how many people went around with a name like Shard, anyway? Not that one would forget him anyway, since he was a distinctly unforgettable person.

At the moment he was shifting rocks with the younger ones, making use of the Art of the Small to conceal his true power. He was also using the plain strength of his back and his arms, as opposed to the telekinesis some others made use of; he knew better than most how disastrous it could be to become too reliant on the Force, and had never made the mistake of neglecting his body for the sake of a deeper understanding.

Sensing a disturbance he looked up, noting that Noghri fellow dashing down and plucking a young Twi'lek girl away from the rubble. "Hmm," he muttered, glancing around again; not many others had noticed the event, and were continuing to shift the dusty rock. Suddenly the mass creaked, and shifted alarmingly; it was going to fall! Many of the workers backed away, fearful of being crushed, and rightfully so. It was quite the pile, after all.

Not Shard, though. Who was he to fear a mere mound of earth? Dropping his concealment he raised a hand and stepped back, as the rubble began its downward shift. As it crumbled it gained speed and power, also growing louder, until it was a landslide all its own; still, the Miraluka did not move, simply standing with his hand out, the dull light of the sun reflecting off his large, deeply tinted glasses. When it seemed all was lost and he would be buried beneath tons of rubble, he cocked his head to the side and held his arm out farther; the latent Force power in the area was abruptly sucked away as he gathered it all in, then it exploded outward as he flung out against the rushing debris with his mind.

It did not slow down, it did not clatter; it simply stopped. Nary a quiver was in evidence as the Miraluka stood there, as calm and still as the bedrock beneath his feet. The immense pillar Cho had been manipulating lifted itself up and floated over, landing with a thud in the space between Shard and the rubble, to serve as a dam of sorts until others could come and deal with it proplerly. Others who, hopefully, would be more knowledgable in the ways of earth and rock.

With the pillar in place, Shard slowly released his hold on the rest of the rubble, and with a groan it settled back into place. "Next time, have some engineers around," he told the others as he turned and walked back up the slope. "I might not be around to do anything." As he ambled up to the top of the slope he drew himself back in; he had allowed his full aura to escape while containing the landslide, and those observing would have gotten a sense of who and what he actually was.

He reached the top, in control of himself once again, and glanced at Wroth and Looma. "Good save, Wroth," he commented with a slight grin. "Though I was around, so there never was any danger." His eyeless gaze settled on the yellow Twi'lek, and his grin widened. "Don't think I recognize you... what's your name, girl?" Looma would certainly know who Shard was; everyone knew Shard, he made sure of it (deliberately or otherwise).

Looma had been about to move another stone, her hand outstretched ready to use the Force to aid her, when she felt her lekku twitching and knowing that if she hadn't been hairless, all her hairs would be sticking up as well. There was a sudden explosion of the dark side of the Force that was unmistakable. Normally the Twi'lek would have relished this power, drawing on it herself, as she had done with the power inherent in the temple ruins and the planet itself. But, no, this was something more malevolent and surrounding one being.

She forced her control away from the stone she was about to place and reached out with tendrils of the Force, trying to get a better understanding. At the same time she searched with the Force, she looked with her eyes. She found the source just in time to see him slam into a column of the temple and berate the Rodian she had just seem fumble a piece of rock a few minutes ago. Her eyes grew wide as she listened to the berating he received from the Nogrhi, the one she had seen upon her arrival to Korriban who had approached the Dark Lord and later given his allegiance.

Not understanding why a being could be so harsh, even a servant of the dark side of the Force, to an initiate who was still learning. Even she understood that one couldn't readily learn by being yelled at. Though she disregarded most of the teachings from the Jedi Temple, she did agree with some of their methods of teaching. If this was how the teachers and masters here at the new Sith Order were going to train their students, Looma wanted the first ship off this rock.

When she saw him moving back away from the Rodian, back down the mound of rock, she finally breathed again, shaking herself from her still position. Looma turned back to her task, again, grasping through the Force to the next stone that needed to be laid. She was about to let go of the stone when she was interrupted, nearly losing her concentration and letting go of the rock as the Rodian had earlier, by the Noghri's shouting. This time, he was yelling about something being unstable and no longer did she feel the rage of earlier coming through the Force Glancing quickly around herself, she felt a sense of unease as well. And without a second thought, belatedly hoping she was not about to receive a verbal pep talk like her fellow initiate, she followed the shorter being. Soon after, a small landslide came down, lots of rubble coming to rest where Looma had been standing just moments before.

Stunned, she didn't notice him pulling others out of the way, she didn't notice until he spoke to her. The yellow Twi'lek nodded numbly at his words, the "hidden blade of the Sith." This Sith who had just been assaulting another initiate, had actually saved her. Hidden wouldn't have been her word of choice. More like... confusing. She obviously had a lot more to learn.

Coming back to her full senses then, Looma felt a small itch at the back of her mind, as if something that was nearby, had vanished. She shook the thought away, trying to form some sort of thank you for the rescue to the Noghri, when a tall figure came up to the two of them, speaking to the Noghri. Looma wasn't sure of his name, but there was something familiar about his presence, whether merely physical or just through the Force. Thinking it was something of a personal conversation, since this man seemed to know the Noghri by name, she slowly took a few steps backward, thinking to get back to work on the Temple.

That is, until she felt the gaze of the man on her. Looma looked up and found him grinning at her. She herself felt uncomfortable at the look he was giving her. Quickly, though, she thought of Cal, then took a deep breath, calming herself with the Force. With a firm set of her jaw, she replied simply with, "Looma."

Cho still felt uneasy around others, may be it had to do with the five years he spent alone. Cho trusting in others would still take time. Nodding to Shard, Cho tried to relax only to have his predatory habits of flexing his claws go unchecked. Many often thought that he was confusing, but it was the unsure ness of his being and his hereditary nature. Some of the weaker ones had under their breath called him 'The mad one', or 'the beast of the sith'. These did not faze him. What did faze him was what this young twi'lek was doing, nothing, and what was more her feelings in the force was friendly, almost thankful. He could not handle such things for he was shown none in his life. His former master Reylin did not show him this emotion.

(inwordly) What do I do now? Smile? Move on? NO...I must show that I'm friendly too.

So Cho tried to smile as he had seen others smile, but unfortunately for Cho his smile would make even a Rancor hesitate.

(to looma)My name is Cho Wroth, sorry if I am bother.

Waiting to hear the twi'lek's response, Cho's instincts in the force was telling him that another predator was watching them from near by. He turned and stretched out this senses and quickly found what it was. A young Tuk'ata about two years old was trying to dig it's way free of a near by hole made by criss-crossed columns. Cho turned back, bowed to the two and made his way over to the trapped beast. As he neared the beast, Cho let his force flow over him and the beast giving the beast healing and calming. Getting down on all four's, Cho crawled over to the hole. As he got closer he started to mimic the Tuk'ata. He stopped and turned his head to see if the other's were watching.

Their he goes again, the mad one of the sith. He'll soon need to be put down like a mad dog.

The words, the words rang in his head, but from where was the source. He followed the source and found it disturbing. The tuk'ata it was from the animal. Cho responded by raising the his power and in the same way that the tuk'ata spoke Cho said, 'your life is in my hand Will you honor a life debt with me?' The tuk'aka just grunted and affirmative. Cho began removing the rubble and releasing the tuk'ata from it previous tomb.

The instant the the hole was large enough the animal bolted and ran up and over the cliffs to tombs unknown. Cho snorted. Tricked, maybe but one would not know until all was over. Turning he went back to the other two. This time Cho, still with his Tuk'ata force presence on, walked over with a more assured emotional state.

Beasts.

Trying to change the subject, Cho asked Looma if she would need help with the rubble on this side. The animistic side of Cho was still wanting to ravage and savage, but from what Cho had seen from the Tuk'ata not all powerful beasts acted that way, and maybe it was time for him to change as well.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Looma," Shard replied graciously, kissing her hand and bowing elaborately. The old-fashioned gesture gave the situation more gravity than perhaps it deserved, and anyone else would have bungled it, made it a farce or a lecherous joke; the Miraluka, though, pulled it off quite well, and clearly conveyed that it really was a pleasure while perfectly maintaining the dignity of an introduction. Not only that, but an honor.

"I, myself," he went on, straightening, "am Charlill Sylvorr, of late a wandering pirate but now an Initiate just like most others here." He smiled, and it was an easy smile, not strained or false in the least; it was easy to imagine his eyes glittering warmly behind his glasses, for his whole face moved with the curve of his lips appropriately. "But do call me Shard, my full name is too much of a formality," and he chuckled as if at some delicious joke.

He turned, and regarded Wroth as the Noghri dug a mangy Tuk'ata beast out from beneath some fallen pillars. He frowned in concentration as he watched the events unfold; Wroth had begun imitating the Tuk'ata, crawling on all fours, though the wave of calm light he extended was contradictory. "Strange," he said, as if to himself, "that one such as him would know anything of the Light. Stranger still that he would expend it on mere beasts like that."

From what Shard had seen recently, few of the gathered ones understood precisely what they were leaving, or had left, in abandoning the Jedi. Particularly the young ones, so caught up in Iniquitous' grand words and gestures; in their eagerness to shed the trappings of the Jedi they made themselves less than they were, less than they perhaps could be. The Noghri, it seemed, had not forgotten the Light, and the Miraluka suspected he would be the better for it.

"Relax, comrade," Shard admonished as Wroth came back to them with his mouth still in a snarl and his claws still extended. "We are not beasts here, not openly anyway." He regarded Looma again, taking in the Twi'lek's yellow skin and purple eyes, her aura of potential power that still could go either way. "Tell me, Miss Looma," he went on after a moment, "why are you here?

"Why have you elected to side against the Jedi? Was it the Dark Lord's words, his promises of power? Or was it some insult done to you by the Jedi in the past?" He could tell, from looking at her, that she was one of those taken from Bakura, from the Agricorps facility there; doubtless she felt abandoned by them and wanted vengeance. Or something equally silly. Nevertheless he wanted to hear it in her own words; depending on what she said was the enormity of the mistake Shard would have to correct.

Far too many, deemed unfit by the Jedi, harbored resentment against them. They could not understand that the Jedi had their rules and traditions for a reason; the Force was a demanding mistress, a harsh benefactor, which could easily consume a person instead of serving or working with them. Not everyone in tune with it were worthy of comprehending its mysteries, some the rigorous Jedi training was designed to detect and weed out. It left a great many promising youngsters full of hate, with no way of properly releasing that hate. And there were proper and improper ways of releasing hate.

Blind agression, directed by others for their own goals, was not a proper way of doing it. Not for one so young. And that had been the way of the Sith in the past; to gather students, twist and malign them against the Jedi, and then turn them on those eternal adversaries. Master fought student hundreds, if not thousands, of times over; the outcome, regardless of who died, was always the same. Presumably Iniquitous had some way, some secret, of breaking this cycle and releasing the Sith into some more useful form, but Shard had yet to see it.

(((Hope it's not confusing!)))



Though she had pulled the Force around her with the arrival of the Miraluka man, her violet eyes still widened slightly as he took her hand and... kissed it. She was quite stunned and, again, speechless. Looma knew there wasn't anything romantic behind the gesture; that would have been obvious through his Force signature. Plus, her heart belonged with another.

Still, though, it was a shock, especially for a Twi'lek who had barely escaped a life of slavery. She simply nodded when he introduced himself, the name Shard now sounding familiar, though his real name did not, something she had heard among the other builders from time to time. A name mostly mentioned with a small degree of respect. Looma was glad for a moment of reprise from his gaze when she felt the eyes of the Noghri on her and turned to focus on him, taking her eyes away from Shard.

The Sith Noghri that Looma had pegged as "the confusing blade of the Sith" seemed still unsettled. She wasn't sure if it was the arrival of this other figure--Shard. Or perhaps he was still unsettled by his saving of her or because of his yelling at the Rodian. For whatever reason, Looma felt distinct distress coming from the Nogrhi's Force aura, and her lekku twitched nervously at their tips.

Then, the Nogrhi turned to her with a grin, well, he was showing all of his teeth, and the yellow Twi'lek was pretty sure he wasn't trying to eat her, so yes, a grin. She nodded at him, again, stating her name after he gave his own. Looma smiled at who she now knew as Cho Wroth and shook her head. "No, no bother..." You just saved my life... While she was trying to think of something better to add on to her flat statement, the Noghri was gone again, trotting down the small mountain where the building was going on. So confusing...

Looma hadn't seen where the Noghri had gone, her thoughts had turned inward, still trying to figure out the events of the last few minutes. First, hearing Cho yelling at the poor Rodian. Then in a twist, being rescued from a rock slide by the same Sith. And now this Shard fellow who was acting more like a kindly old grandfather or what she would imagine one to be instead of as what the rumors she had heard about him. A strange afternoon to say the least. If only she could find Cal after the workday and tell him about it. Absently, a smile traced her yellow features.

The presence of Cho back to their small group brought her back to the forefront. Something about how he felt through the Force bothered her. It was not unlike when he had chastised that young Rodian. But this time it was more complex than simple rage. When he asked if she needed any help, she merely shook her head, hoping he would go away. Looma would do fine on her own with telekinesis; she had been before the Noghri had come up. Plus, she wasn't sure she wanted to work side-by-side with a being who would rip her apart on a whim or change in countenance.

She turned back to Shard then, hearing him speak, ask a question, a very heady question. Something Looma had thought she knew the answer to. Originally, she had chosen to go along with the dark Jedi on Bakura because she was sick of her existence there, wiling away the days doing hard labor. Yes, she had wanted revenge on the Jedi who had given up on her. The Jedi who were blind to her potential and would force her to do what they wanted, not letting her be free. Free to train how she wanted to. Because of her spirit she was sent away, a youngling forever, never to become a full Jedi in the Order.

Looma had already unofficially pledged herself to Darth Iniquitous's new Order before even hearing him speak. Back on Bakura, the dark Jedi Gabriella had given a speech to all the captives there in the meeting hall. At her words, and the words of the other, Zarene, she and Cal had both decided that they were better off joining up with the Brotherhood of the Sith. There they could expand their powers and be free of chains. There they could be together. The words of the Dark Lord had only served to cement her resolve to train herself in the ways of the dark side, to become what the Jedi would never had allowed her to be.

All those reasons were all and good, but when Looma really thought about it, really got to the heart of the matter, she was here for only one reason. Something more primal than to show the Jedi their mistake, to have the freedom to do what she wanted, learn what she wanted. For the first time since being taken from her home on Ryloth, she felt like she belonged.

She looked Shard in the face, where his eyes would have been. "I am here because this is where I am meant to be."

(OCC-using future posts in 'Hall of Trials' to influence this post)


Cho Wroth listened to the two talk about various things. As he was going to comment the world started to slow and grow fuzzy. then he heard a voice, his own but with more power and age. It spoke to him of new ideas and thoughts and ways to use the force, both living and the dead.

Cho pondered on the new thoughts and found them so easy to understand. The voice then spoke of a hall, a training room that he himself would influence with the three area of the force. His thoughts started to a line and the confusion that he formerly felt was no more. The world of the force was now opened up to him.

If they wanted a mad man of the Sith they will have to break them selves upon his now focused and renewed mind set. The world refocused and he found him self kneeling on the ground drained from the experience. Weak and tired he felt so to grow stronger he absorbed the 'dying force' to renew his strength. The outward sign of his use of this force ability Cho's muscles swelled and his veins pulsed with a visible light.

New and reborn. Power with out restraint. Rage with out hate. Revenge with out regrets. Life with out dying.
And death to renew the living.

Cho's presence in the force swelled. So as he arose his whole being was changed. It was as if Cho's force presence was the rubble of the temple removed and rebuilt into and aged and more powerful form.

Looking to the twitchy Looma, Cho reasoned that his changing persona would unnerve her and stretch out in the force and sent a calming field of force will to all that would be watching. He then bowed his head started to remove the rubble near by.

"Ahh," Shard said as Looma answered. "An interesting answer... but one that could apply to most of us gathered here." He gestured out at the work going on around them, the rubble being cleared. "Most of these people had no purpose, no direction, yet Iniquitous and his disciples have gathered them, gathered us, here to serve a greater cause." He tilted his head to look down at her. "But you know that already."

He was about to go on when something else happened, coming from that Noghri. "What's he saying now," the Miraluka muttered, looking over at the collapsed alien. "Death to renew the living?" He shook his head and made a contemptuous noise. "You shouldn't listen to that one, Miss Looma... he spent too much time under a rock somewhere and went mad. Claims to know of the Rakata, who have been all but extinct for centuries."

There was something strange about the Noghri, though. Sometimes, Shard thought he could percieve something else in his aura, some foreign element in the Force. He sometimes thought to ask the fellow about it directly, but frankly didn't care for the headache he was likely to get trying to decipher the explanation. It couldn't be denied that Wroth was effective in his own way, yet for whatever reason Shard simply couldn't take him seriously.

"Anyway, enough of lunatics." He turned his back on Cho and walked a few steps off, away from the work going on, subtly inviting Looma to follow along. He stopped at the edge of a narrow canyon, where scraggly half-dead weeds struggled for existence in the parched landscape of Korriban. "Have you any comprehension of what it means, what it truly means, to command the Force, Miss Looma?" he asked of the young Twi'lek.

"It is no easy thing, no quick road," the Miraluka went on, appearing to gaze off into the dusty horizon. "The Force... it can be kind, benevolent, but just as often it can be cruel and harsh, manipulative in the extreme. Some say it has a will of its own, and all life is bound to serve its whims, its endless attempts at perfect balance." He faced Looma again. "All life, girl; you, me, Wroth... even Iniquitous, with all his vision and ambition.

"But I reject that notion." Imperceptibly he straightened, his form becoming subtly harder and more commanding. "The Force is a pathway and a tool, but not for everyone. Some who can utilize its aspects are unfit to do so, their hearts untrue or their intents unclear. In that, the Jedi are both right and wrong; their training, their ways, are not for the unfit or the unworthy, and as you saw for yourself they are not averse to weeding out those who fall short.

"In their arrogance, however, they make their fatal mistake. They think themselves competant enough, clear enough of vision, to judge who is and is not worth of the Force! Those senile old men and women shut up in their chamber, passing judgement on a galaxy they've never seen for themselves!" For a moment, his anger was genuine, and terrible in its depth; he, too, had some personal reason to hate the Jedi, it seemed.

In the next second he made a visible effort to control himself, and smiled apologetically at Looma. "Their arrogance is astounding, but for all their fallacies there is some good, some right, in their ways," he said in a softer tone. "Do not forget that, Miss Looma. Do not forget, in your quest for power, and perhaps vengeance, that there is more than one view, one side, to the Force. Think of it, perhaps, as a river, broad and clean; there are many paths to reach it, room to spare for many people and ways to drink from it."

He patted her gently on the shoulder, and went back to continue with the work effort.

She merely nodded at Shard's words; she did indeed know all that already. Looma was on Korriban for a new life, to serve a new cause. However, she wasn't sure she agreed that everyone gathered around her felt they were also 'meant to be' here among the Sith. The Twi'lek was pretty sure there were at least a few who had come only to satisfy curiosity, if her first day at the Temple ruins had been any indication. Others had come because of lust of power. Her and the others from Bakura had come with the promise of a better future. But she did believe it was more than that, for her. Looma did believe she was meant to be here right now, that she had a purpose in this new Sith Order. What that was, though, she didn't rightly know.

Looma would have taken the Miraluka's advice about the Noghri, if she hadn't already decided on that course for herself. There was something unstable about Cho Wroth, and she couldn't pinpoint it directly. But she felt that it had to do something with his presence in the Force or with the way he used it. Glad when he moved off to continue working on building the new Temple, she followed after Shard, despite an overwhelming urge to continue work herself. However, there was an even greater curiosity growing within her to hear what this powerful being had to say.

Finally feeling calm again, she stared off into the rugged landscape as he talked, not feeling the need to look directly at his face, a face without eyes. That fact that he was Miraluka didn't make her uncomfortable. No, she was fine with all species. It was more that Looma felt that he could still bore into her soul while looking at her with his unseeing eyes. And so she was content to stare off into the distance, vaguely hearing the construction behind her, as he spoke.

He asked a question of her, but then went on with putting words to his thoughts on the matter. Looma hadn't been sure whether he wanted her to answer or not, but in fear of interrupting him, she remained silent, thinking on the words in her own mind. When she was younger and more naive, she would have probably answered yes, she knew how to wholly command the Force. Her arrogance was probably part of the reason she never advanced at the Temple on Coruscant. The yellow Twi'lek had thought she had held all the answers. But now, no. She knew now that she was far from being an expert in the Force. If one took away her telekinesis, she was but a beginner.

Nodding almost imperceptively at his words of the balance of the Force, Looma had to agree. She knew that the Force could be cruel sometimes, but also sometimes benevolent. It was all in how you used it and for what use. Which is why she furrowed her brows when he mentioned that some thought that the Force was a sentient being of itself. Yes, she knew it was made up of the lives of all sentient beings in the galaxy, but it didn't have its own fate to control. Sith, even Jedi, used the Force to act out their own whims; it wasn't the other way around. Who would be so stupid to believe that they were servants of the Force, when the Force was actually their servant?

Looma smiled a little, when he said that he disagree with the notion that the Force demanded service of its users, wanting to keep the galaxy in balance. She knew there had to be somewhat of a balance, but she also knew that the Force wasn't the one controlling it, not wholly.

But then her eyes clouded over, her facial features hardening, when he mentioned the Jedi. Yes, she knew all too well the Jedi's sense of duty to cull those unfit to serve with the Force from the herd. Looma felt that everyone who was given the gift of being able to use the Force should be able to. Who were the Jedi to judge who were unfit and who were? Just because they had some antiquated silly rules to follow. Rules they probably didn't even remember the original meaning of anymore.

Her own anger grew, just as she felt his own rage in the Force, standing beside her. She had been keeping a check on her grasp of the Force, wanting to be able to concentrate on his words, but now she couldn't help herself. Looma hated how the Jedi had discarded her as unworthy, feeling she was too headstrong, arrogant and a host of other adjectives they had thrown at her. Ironic, since many of those Jedi displayed some of the same attributes, in the Twi'lek's opinion.

It was very hard for her then to quell her feelings as Shard turned to her. Obviously he had a better hold on his own emotions than she had. Breathing in deep and letting it go, she pushed out her anger before focusing on him again, trying not to stare too much. She nodded silently at his final words.

He walked away then, but she remained standing where she was instead of going back to the building effort. Looma had quite a few things to think about, foremost trying to find some good in the ways of the Jedi, which, in her present state, she felt were nonexistent. She did agree that the Force was absolutely not one-sided. However, believing that the Jedi were not completely wrong in their teachings... that would take a lot of effort.

(( i recommend this playlist.... it has always helped me when writing sith or jedi. www.playlist.com/playlist/18107128075)


After a slight Boom in the atmosphere, The small form of a blockade runner seemed to slowly veer towards the valley where the construction was taking place. The small ship steered straight and true till it slowed its descent finally coming to a stop and hovering in an area in the south of the valley. However, the Engines were creating a violent racket and probably Rumbling over the noise from the reconstruction efforts. Unfortunate as it was for those close by to have to listen to it, it would have been more unfortunate to ignore the presence of the ship. Only a mere ten minutes later, the ramp would descend, and down it would walk several of the most endearing men in the galaxy, men who had returned from a mission. A mission that had been headed by one of the Sith lords. However, more importantly, down that same ramp would walk that exact sith lord.... and as powerful as he was, he would do so quietly without expecting anyone to bother him.


The canyon was warm, and after a few minor statements of approval and congratulations, the group who'd set forth on the blockade runner dispersed among the valley to go help, all except one very large, and rather muscular man. His disheveled hair slowly moving with the wind, his arms crossed as his gaze looked down upon the valley and onto the rubble. The efforts were going well, and this man kept a straight face, even though on the inside he was smiling up a storm.


Walking to the ledge of the cliff his ship now rested on, he lowered himself to his knee and inhaled the dark dust and ravage wasteland that Korriban was in all its glory. His hands dropped to the dirt, and clenched it tightly, finally loosing his hand and letting the reddish brown terra flow through his fingers. He smiled, and finally he was ready to approach the reconstruction site. His dark robed form slowly moved down the hill, zig zagging his way down the mound till finally he was on the valley floor. He wondered if anyone had noticed, though it wouldn't matter.. small talk was something quite trivial to him at this point. Being Eurachis, Dark lord of the Sith meant he didn't have to deal with the small initiates if he chose not to. Not that he didn't want to talk.... it just wasn't pressing if he didn't. He in no way felt obliged to speak.


Eurachis moved slowly parting dust around him like typhoon as he walked towards a small group..... that apparently had survived a landslide.... there was a curious looking fellow bellowing what he thought was the truth and the correct philosophy of the force at an unfortunate twilek initiate. He narrowed his eyes at a green creature that was behind them... he was what resembled a Nhogri. Quite a peculiar species indeed.

Having no knowledge other than what he'd heard being said as he walked towards them with the intent to continue past them, he decided to not mention that the man speaking to the twilek had a clouded view... one in dire need of refinement.


"Heh...." was all he said.

Even as Eurachis' ship touched down, Shard felt his presence. Few people had that much power, power to rival or even surpass his own; it could only be one of Iniquitous' personal students. Most likely the one named Eurachis. The man's power was a challenge, but not one the Miraluka felt was appropriate to accept. Not so soon, anyway.

I must not let that one see me, he thought, drawing a veil of illusions about himself. It is not time for him and I. The powerful Miraluka became weak, withdrawn, menial; his fine clothing became stained, tattered, brown beneath a red haze of Korriban's dust. The dark glasses melted away to become faded brown eyes, withered and servile. All this happened in an instant, before Eurachis could draw nigh.

Most importantly, though, that sense of spiralling madness and power vanished completely, as if it had never been. If the powerful Sith had detected Shard's aversion of the potentially lethal landslide, he might wonder where the person had gone to afterward; certainly it wouldn't be that stooped old slave shuffling away from Looma.

Scared eyes in a weathered face looked up as Eurachis went by, and the withered man drew in on himself. "Worshipful Master," he whispered in a broken, quavery voice as he bowed and scraped. Of the insane Miraluka there was no trace at all; whoever Eurachis thought he had seen discussing the Force had, perhaps, walked away behind some rock.

((OOC: Obviously I don't want Shard and Eurachis confronting each other just yet, and I'd like to keep it that way.))

As Looma finally turned back a few moments later to follow Shard back to the construction zone, she felt a strong presence in the Force. Something she could feel without being completely open to its grasp. That could only mean one thing; someone strong, very strong, was nearby. As she walked, she glanced around herself, but didn't see anyone. At least, no one that stood out from the rest, not yet.

But then she saw a figure coming towards her, a very large, imposing figure. His walk didn't seem too purposeful, though, and so the yellow Twi'lek continued on her way to get back to building the new Temple, something she hoped she wouldn't be reprimanded for neglecting by one of the higher ups.

With the distance between them now, Looma didn't feel the presence of Shard change drastically, almost disappearing from view and from the Force itself. Plus, now her focus was mainly on returning to the site and also briefly on the figure who was heading in her general direction.

She heard the figure mumble something as he went by her, and she wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or meant to say something to her. Shrugging, Looma focused on a stone with the Force, lifting up her hand to aid the movement as it levitated upwards, moved with her telekinesis.

Eurachis smiled for a brief moment as he saw a stone picked up with the force. He followed the trails that carried the stone back to its user and caught a glint of approval in his eye, and his rather boring presumptuous look dissipated. He turned slowly on his heel and walked in the direction of the group. As he Galloped closer and closer, the women seemed to pause and the rocks she'd been moving ceased to matter. Furthermore, the group seemed slightly on edge, but there was nothing he could do about that...or perhaps there was.

He pulled a large tan hand out from under his cloak and extended it forwards in Looma's direction. He smiled brightly and his eyes had a boyish tease about them. He quickly dropped the aura of uneasyness he carried about him, and attempted to let soft humor-filled words carry his message of 'relax' across to her and the rest.

"Sorry, i couldn't help notice you were using the force to do manual labor. If I do say so myself, and I do,.... thats actually quite funny. I must admit, i detest work, manual labor especially, so congratulations on finding something to do as a future past time when I break stuff in the temple. Because I assure you... I will, and it's good to know that we have people who can do their work, and yet not have to move a muscle....how wonderful. You are now or full time rebuilder.... congrats." He shook her hand vigorously, and laughed.

"Wow.. that was rather stale wasn't it...Don't answer that. The answer is yes. I am kidding of course, you aren't our builder, though you'd make a cute one..." He paused and narrowed his eyes in a slightly confusing way. "Sorry, but I must ask, who are you?"

His smile vanished and his face was replaced with a curious yet cautious look. He hadn't really gotten to know many of the students at the new academy, reason being laziness. But he figured with the occasional funny or interesting student, he should at least have a chat. He could suffice their questions with cloudy yet, blunt answers and the he could watch them squirm to try and figure them out. The student and the master served each other. The student made the master laugh, and the master made the student think..... sounds like a giving relationship, at least to Eurachis it did.

"So, out with it my dear, you now have my attention."