Darkness within (open)

[Foxfire]

There is many words to discribe darkness from grim to heavenly. Yet the most feared or dreaded is that comes from within one's soul. Darkness so dark and cold that space it's self seems warm and bright. Still things are born and grow with in this self made darkness and soon another creature will be reborn in the same darkness, a noghri, Honog formerly Cho Wroth.

The mission he and a few fellow sith were on succeeded ... of sorts. The main nets of the hssiss was destroyed in the ensuing battle for life. Yet when the end was so near and all were being hurt in one way or another Honog did as he was commanded so many week ago since his coming back to the Sith order, to protect at all costs. He did just that with all his power bringing down many of the hssiss with him now sealed with in a tomb of his own making. Here now he layed in pain by the many slashings of claw and spines. What though hurt the most was the poisined bites he took from two of the older hssiss. One had sunk it's poisined fangs into his left arm and the other into his right leg. Poisin now followed through his veins.

It was not just some simple poisin, no it was dark force poisin, which was eating on his nerves and muscles. Soon if he did not get medical help his life so short that it was would be over. With folded legs and hands placed onto each other in his lap Honog waited. In his waiting he let the force flow through him and over him binding it's self into every part of his being. Only in this state did he find comfort from the pain and the poisin. Yet there was one place that burned as hot as the Korriban desert, and that was the singular spot that the jedi had tried to purge white in the force. Here was the battle raging with in Honog.

The sounds of his body in pain was the only thing he could hear. This was due to the fact that all his concentration and focus was there in this duel. Though sound of the outside world was being made by the creatures and some thing else. The sounds of blaster fire and thuddings of heavy fire power was heard, though muffled. Who or what was coming? Only the few of the mission's group knew anything of what had went on. They were the best of the chosen sith. Yet another was making it's way to find the lone sith, wheither he was dead or still alive.

The muffled sounds of hssiss dying by the unseen hand could have been the best comfort that the noghri could have had at the time. The dark side of the force was never that easy or forgiving to any weither they were loyal or not. Yet the force had an odd way of showing who your friends were and who were not.

[Foxfire]

The half hour after the sith resurfaced after their battle with the hssiss an unseen and unfelt being moved through the entrance of the tomb. Many were so busy trying to get help to the other sith and extract information from them that they missed a droid moving into and down the tomb's maw entrance. The droid was not some common worker but a battle droid a war droid to be precise. The droid had been following and shadowing Honog for quiet some time since they joined forces in joint intrests of common goals. .925WKD had been seen around the temple from a great time back, mostly in the shadows and seen hanging around the work shops awaiting the return of his Master a female sith who had helped him regain his prime directive. Now he was still following her wishes of protecting her intrests of letting nothing stand in her way or potenially interfere with her final goals.

.925 was a war droid which dealt heavy handed with any and all creatures and beings that it met. So on going down into the depths of the tomb and facing the hords of hssiss was nothing that he feared if he could feel fear. What was bothering his logic processors was the lack of intrest in the other sith this, Honog, which gave a great hand in their escape and the final slaughter of the hssiss nest site. Moving with all haste he retraced the path that these sith had taken. It was not hard foot prints and blood trails were the main clues to the direction they came from.

On getting down to the farthest tunnels the remaining hssiss were weakened but still alive and putting them out of their and his misery was first on .925's logic list of to do's. the whole sale slaughter of the hssiss was not that hard, blade and cannon made for quick work of the dragons. Though the ceiling and rock structure shook when a blast went off the effect of the hssiss trying to turn and run made for easier blade work. When the final hssiss fell the droid set to work moving the large rocks and boulders from his path.

An hour and a half later the path was finally cleared and .925 moved into the nest cavern. Scanning the room he only found the noghri alive mostly. The noghri's vitals were very low almost to the point of near death. Gently he lifted the noghri into his arms and made for the exit of the tomb. The way out was clear and quick for the droid was picking up the pace for his logic processors were telling him that medical treatment was in great need. The droids huge metalic feet hammered the ground as it's speed increased with the widing of the entrance. On getting to the entrance the war droid opened up to his full speed racing across the canyon floor and into the main causeway toward the temple. Rushing past other sith and making the younger sith jump out of the way for fear of being trampled by the massive droid. Rushing into the temple he made his way down to the medical labs were the medical droids and the doctors were.

His cirvos hissed and groaned as they cooled off. The droids checked Honog over and found his system was badly poisined and quickly put him into a healing tube and started processing and treating the poisin a best as they could. The doctors too went to work helping clearing the poisin but they often found they were being blocked and often attacked by Honog's force presence. On one of such times Honog's force tendrils lashed out smashing one of the doctors into the far wall. On this acount they left and let the droid take the beatings. Yet it was all that the doird and their fleshly doctors could do to keep up with the poisin that was eating Honog alive.

[Foxfire]

Honog's mind howled from with in the force from the pain, and the havoc, the poison was doing to his body. His connection was the only thing holding him in the now. Every second he drew upon the darkness the poison lessened, yet not with out a cost. His blue grey skin started to fade to a dule grey, along with the changes happening to this mind. He thought he had purged every bit of darkness except for the area within hims mind yet the poison and the connection showed him otherwise.

He could feel a better focus using the pain and the rage. It was coming easier to tap into the darkness. Even the primal pathways were opening up to him in a way he never thought, a Quiet Hunger. The tendrils of his force power were subsiding and drawing back to himself. Though the power level he had was growing in strength. Both the darkness and the primal power tapping were now far larger and he was having to focus more in keeping them contained. Surges and spikes would slam into a wall or a droid cracking or smashing as they went.

His muscles were groaning as well to the strain of the force. Battered and brused they were becoming as the force waves would hit himself in the spikings. No traing could ever had readied him for this. No battle would ever compare, nor enemy could do more damage than what the force was doing to his body.

As the hours passed the pain was still the same but Honog had stilled him mind to the point that it was not being a hinderance anymore. The force power was starting to top out that Honog's body could tap. The hold glass, items within the room, even the very walls of the healing labs were vibrating with Honog's darkness with in the force. Beekers twisted, water began to ripple and boil, papers smoldered or turned black as the minutes passed by. Doctors were even getting sick and had to leave once again. Wheither it was an illusion or real no one wanted to enter till either the noghri was cured or dead.

[Apillis]

((Sorry for taking a few days longer to post than I said I would. ))

Seldom does Hervor ever like to wander out of the archives, so much to organize--so much that needs to doing and expansion upon. Despite the longevity her kind possess, it daunted her just how much time and generations it would take for the archives of the Sith Temple to even come close to rivaling the archives of the Jedi Temple. And in a way it disappointed her knowing that day would never come. The very nature of the Sith with repeating cycle of destruction not just upon those they oppose but themselves as well. Philosophically and culturally, they will never be able to maintain a lasting sustainable society as the Jedi can cultivate.

In a way, she figured, from all her studies since she was a small girl a century ago, she understood the Jedi were structured for cultivation. Almost to the point of redundancy over the years of studying, the reality became all the more clear that the Jedi philosophically designed themselves as builders and stewards to aid in expanding and solidifying a society. While the Sith possess this ability, it seems never to be for the sake of making a better society, but rather a strong society with the specific intended goal of becoming a stronger society and culture in comparison to someone else's. Once that goal was put in place rather than expansion for their own betterment, but instead for the destruction of another--everything went downhill for the Sith, and they have since been dragged into a cycle of bringing about their own demise.

This is also reflected within its people, always engaging in a self-destructive cycle, while never stopping to analyze why, nor ever seeing they were destroying themselves. Though she could easily say the same for herself, she is not so ignorant as to not see just how much of what has been good in her life, she has brought ruin to--if not directly by her own hand than indirectly. Pulled down into the chasm and falling further into its depths until she stopped struggling, and merely dove headlong into it. Sucked into a cycle of destruction she never tried to stop, and continued to blindly let herself fall victim to it.

It is why when months ago when the Sith reformed and she joined them, for her Sith name--she kept her own. There was no point in attaining a Sith name in her eyes, for she had already been a victim to the same cycle of destruction for half a century that the Sith have indulged for millennia. There was no sense in being 'reborn' into something one already was, and the only division being not philosophy but simple formality.

In a way, the endless spiraling into darkness was becoming an old sight to her. Leading her to remain within the archives to further study, and help expand them. It was all becoming a sight of having seen it before, and knowing where that story is leading. Tales that have already long been told, but so many Sith either being ignorant to it, refusing to acknowledge it, or simply not caring any more falling into apathy. Perhaps Hervor was beginning to see herself fall victim to the latter.

With a bit of a curiosity striking her, she wandered the ruins--there she caught wind of a bit of a hullabaloo being stirred up. Nonchalantly she wandered to the source, where there seemed to be a noghri was causing some ruckus. This did not surprise Hervor in the least of ways, noghri are just shy of primates--often acting wildly and erratically. It would furthermore not surprise Hervor in the least if he did not know exactly why he was doing whatever it was he was doing. All she really knew was he was thrashing about and making a lot of irritating noise, not exactly doing much to dispel the idea of noghri being lesser lifeforms.

Then again, of course, that should be expected...

While some doctors must have scampered off in fright, Hervor did not. She was not even aware of what exactly was going on. To her sight all there was, was a noghri making a lot of fuss and noise over... something. Something physically painful from the seems of it. So she merely stood there and watched. Truth be told, she found it somewhat amusing, though one would find it difficult to tell by her stoic visage at the moment. Nonchalantly she crossed her arms under her chest, and stood there watching the noghri make all sorts of noise. The more he did, the more she found it difficult to care.

She had to wonder, though... What was the point of the creature holing itself up in here?

[Foxfire]

Pain started to rise again and so did Honog's outward reactions. Tendrils of force thrashed about, yet he felt some thing as one of the lesser ones brushed up against some ting powerful. Making his eyes open and letting the pain of light pour through them he saw the reason for the power a female sith. This sith though was not like the other usless bone bags he had the displeasure to meet. This one had depth of power with great knowledge. Her very presence in the room gave him direction of taking hold of the primal ways. Raining in his loose power bringing it closer he looked about and saw what he had done to this room. No wonder that no one nor nothing would have any dealing with him, a primal loose cannon of a beast.

Every wave of pain he would let it move from him but would circle it back and wash his body of the pain that the poison caused.

Speaking through the breather mask.......Forgive the mess I was not expecting company. I would get you a chair but the poison that is choking my body and force powers is not a forgiving thing. It is very hard to remove with out the machine I'm in. My mental knowledge is not trained to deal with it. I will continue on till it either kills me or leaves me. Some one of your power I would have like to known ealier on. Being this weakened I do not care for.

Honog could almost hear the chidding words of his hunting master as well as his Dark Jedi master, speaking as one......Your power is being wasted by your usless undirected use of power. Draw power when and where you need it.

Lowering his head he pulled the force power only to with in himself. He let the power flow through his veins and through every aspect of his being. Looking back up to her he wondered where she had been since the rebuilding of the temple.\

What have you found to do with in the Order? Mayby the removal of mymind from the pain will help.

[Apillis]

To say the least, Hervor was beginning to question why she remained there. She had little caring for this creature, and even less for the pain it was suffering. It was slightly amusing at first, but it got old exceedingly quickly. Her arms still crossed under her chest, she eventually decided to take her leave. So, she turned on a heel and begun to walk away.

It was then creature stopped wailing, and begun speaking to her. She paused after a step or two, and turned to face it once again. It spoke of its situation, a poison infecting him physically and metaphysically. But she held no response to its issues on the matter. It never told her what poisoned him, so there was nothing for her to really extrapolate upon for what maybe able to serve as as a panacea. Then again, she wondered even if she did know what could serve as a remedy for whatever poison is ailing it, would she care or be merciful enough to give it? Hervor was not exactly certain herself.

She stood there for a few seconds before at last deciding to answer its inquiry about what she does within the temple. She should she bother answering or just walk away and leave the creature to its pain and suffering. The latter sounded nicer until she reminded herself that may mean more of its god-awful wailing. So she chose to indulge the creature for a trice by answering its inquiry.

"I'm the archivist.", she stated flatly.

[Foxfire]

Honog's face twisted in pain as another spasum hit him yet silence was his responce. When heard that she was an archivast he had to know if she had history on the beasts that infected him.
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'In your searches have came across a beast known as the hssiss? It was the spawning of darkness that has put me here. Whatever knowledge will be welcomed and I would be indebted to your help.'
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He did have a life debt oath but the sith order has shown him that the oath of life was for the weak. Still Honog was willing to offer any thing to get out from this liquid and back into the air.

[Apillis]

A faint smile came to Hervor's face amused by the inquiry. Why? This creature appears to associate itself with the Sith yet asks such a strange question about the dark side dragons of the Sith. It only reaffirmed to her a reality that she begun to suspect more and more about the modern Sith of the era from Initiate to Lord. They all boast a great deal about knowledge and the iota they know, but relatively few actually pursue it. Truly, the only one she ever notices set foot into the archives with any frequency is the Overlord himself. Then again, she had to ask herself if one of the lower species such as the Noghri would ever bear the forethought in studying the creatures before ever challenging them? She supposed not, she should not expect it to possess that level reasoning, it was merely being slave to its nature--as all things are really, no matter the Sith's philosophy of breaking chains and bonds.

"Perhaps researching the creatures ahead of time would be more wise? Know your enemy as the tired cliche goes...", she stated with a flippant monotone, "The reality is there is no panacea for the hssiss poison. It is a thing born of the Force. In all my years of study the only ones I've known to survive it are only a handful in number. And they only did so through the Jedi healing trance."

But the faint amused smile on her visage became a little more grim, a little more sinister. The reasoning behind it were cloaked within the words she spoke next, "There are not many Sith who can distill the chaos wrought within their own mind--find the stillness in the darkness to utilize the Jedi healing trance. But there are other methods... trading life for life. Draining life from another is seldom enough to purge a poison such as the hssiss' I suspect. Unless you have steady supply readily available to you. But draining the entirety of another life--taking all of their being into yourself to counteract the poison... Maybe. Then again, in your current condition, what things are weak enough for you to devour through the Force whole? A Lord or Master would likely devour your being before you could attempt to consume theirs in your current disposition. Likely even the Knights for that matter... The beasts may not possess enough lifeforce for such a thing... and you may not want to risk another encounter with the hssiss... But... then again... the Initiates with their connection to the Force... well... Of course, the Overlord may not care for that plan of action.

"So, I suppose... you have to ask yourself. What are you willing to risk to sustain your own life?"

Hervor then turned her back on the creature, and begun walking away as she uttered, "And that is all I have for you...", with her back to him, she continued walking away. But then again, a Sith never turns their back to another Sith without being prepared for them to possibly make the attempt to stab it. Nevertheless, Hervor continued on her way to take her leave of the creature.

((Edit: Fix'd typos, likely more that have been missed.))

[Foxfire]

-Occ..typos are my life not a prob-
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Honog listened and heard all that she said taking in all things even the unsaid words of his lack of knowledge. A quiet hiss slipped through as he thought on what to do. His normal meditation would never come close to helping, yet one posiablilty was still open to him, a Rahtka tome. Psalms of Transendance was by far the hardest of the and most unstable of all the skills that he learned.
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Curling into a fetal position he started into the tome in his native noghrish. Allowing himself to open up to the pain, the emotions, workings of the poison and the flow of the force he let the force slowly at first flow gently. Each sucessive passage he opened further refining each position with in the force, clearer brighter until he was so near to the force that his being was humming. Everyone had thought that when you got so near it was engulfing silence that was heard within the force, they were wrong. Honog could hear and feel the force blowing through him like a very strong breeze, each pulse of the foce would swipe some of his darkened being leaving it gray. This continued on till his whole being became neutral in the force yet only then did the hard part was about to begin.
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Removing himself from the power and warmth was akin to peeling his flesh on an ice planet. Each step was filled with pain with in that pain laid Honog's darkness. It took twice as long for each Rahka passage. By the time he fully came round the room was empty again or he atleast thought so, his connection was still there but he was very tired. Sleep wanted him badly but he had to keep trying to purge the poison.
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'If only Renata herself took the time to search out the goings on we would not have gone in blind. So much for the Lady Sith.

[Apillis]

Hervor had only taken a few paces until she heard the creature's mutterings. Its words astounded her with the level of arrogance was within them, not arrogance in the sense of boastfulness--such as that bolsters of a Sith's pride in themselves. No, this was the sort of self-entitled arrogance that creates sniveling weak-willed warriors. Whiny mentality that erodes strength and regresses them into being akin to being spoiled children. Falling under the mistaken belief that they are owed anything along the path to power. No one is owed anything, especially knowledge and power--whatever is given is charity, no more than indulgence--as Sith one should be grateful whatever crumb one is tossed, otherwise one should expect to fight tooth and nail for whatever they grasp. Let the meek and meager whine for what they are not handed on silver-platter, so they may eventually die and be forgotten like the rest of the lowly masses that are beneath that which is called Sith.

Hervor paused in her steps, she then abruptly turned on her heels facing the creature once more. Those eyes of her eyes, blatantly tainted by the dark side as they were with whites of the eyes turned into a murky black with red irises, they narrowed in disgust at the creature, "Are you truly blaming a Darth for your predicament, noghri?", she said with a flippant tone.

"Are you truly Sith or are you just in this temple pretending to be?", she questioned with tone growing just a bit dark as a sneer formed on her upper lip, "You want to call yourself Sith? Then understand this. No one owes you a damned thing, noghri. Whatever has been handed to you is an indulgence--charity. Are you still an initiate? Still groveling at a master's feet to be given a kernel of knowledge in which to begin with? If not, then you should expect nothing--and you are owed nothing, especially from any Sith Lord. Even my words now granting you a bit of a reality check can be accounted for as a charity from me.

"As a Sith, when breaking the bonds and chains that bind you... you are free. But what does that mean, noghri? With freedom comes power, and power grants strength which in turn grants self-reliance. If you are unable to take care of yourself, if you are unable to grow in power on your own, if you ware unable to gain knowledge on your own--then what use are you? Not just to the Sith but to yourself--what use are you? You have none. No Darth, no Sith Lord owes you anything. When you challenged the hssiss, in the end the action was your choice--you challenged an enemy you knew nothing about--and so who do you have to blame for that? Yourself."

Hervor scoffed as she shook her head as she uttered with a sever tone, "If one only has excuses for their own inadequacies and ignorance, then they have no right to call themselves Sith."

[Foxfire]

Honog listened to the bitting words of truth and realized that he had been waiting for some thing that would have never been his, love, loyalty, an place where he belonged. Now saddled with a place and a people he felt cold and broken. Raising his head in the tank he called forth a minor bit of force to activate the tank's pumps. As it drained he tried to stand but his legs simply folded under him. The more it drained the greater the need to stand yet his muscles burned with fire from the poison.
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When the liquid was totally gone he tapped into the gray force via a rhatka renewal tome. His muscles grew in enough power to stand. A droid opened the tank. Stumbling out of the tank Honog tried to walk to the door.
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'Thanks for advice. Coming from some one who'll out live me five times over. I guess a traitor has no say. You war droid take me to the Temple of the Beast on Zoist. A beast should be with own kind. Thanks again for the knowledge, if I survive I'll repay your kind words.'
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Honog walked past her on his own power drawing power for each step. The poison was still there still eating on him but at a lesser rate. Stopping at the door Honog turned and spoke.
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'There's a archive in that run down temple if your interested it didn't have any thing on the hssiss but a few other creatue I've yet to see and places that sounded intresting I'll be at the building weither alive or dead so you'll find it easly. Just look for the smell of traitor.'
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Honog rubbed the scared mark upon his chest before leaving. This time though he sent word to any wanting darth as to his place of recovery or death. Ofcourse it depended on the Will of the Force wheither he would live or die, and yet he wouldn't go with out a fight.