The Darkness Within

[liamkrupej]

There was almost complete silence in the great hall as the figure cloaked in black approached the altar steadily. He was striding with arrogant disregard for the dozens of Zeishon Sha priests and priestesses, who watched him from behind the corners of the room, peering out from behind the magnificent pillars which held up the roof. Their eyes were filled with loathing and contempt.

Standing at the top of the stairs which led to the altar, was the High Priestess. She wore an elegant white dress which tickled the stone floor as she stood. Her hair was as white as the silk- And flowed just the same, down her back. Grey eyes stared out as the figure in black approached.

Nobody breathed as the cloaked stranger finally drew to a halt at the feet of the stairs. For a moment, neither the stranger nor the High Priestess spoke. But then, the deep voice of a human man escaped the hood.

" Where is he?" He spoke quietly, barely more than a whisper. But everybody in the room heard it.

" Whom do you speak of?" The priestess asked, her face a mask of cold politeness.

" Do not play games with me, priestess. If you do not give him up, I shall kill you and every single pitiful disciple within these walls."

A tremour ran up the spine of every Zeishon Sha follower in the room. All eyes were wide as they stared at the cloaked man. His stance, his walk, the depth of thought in every syllable he spoke- those things told them he was a force user. But he was no jedi.

" I am afraid I cannot give anybody up, if I do not know who they are." The High Priestess' voice was considerably shriller, yet it had a defiant tone in it.

There was utter silence from the man. Then, he lifted his hand. The High Priestess' eyes bulged wide as her hands flew to her throat. She felt as if a noose had been tightened around her windpipe.

"Please....I know...I know....Nothing..."

Two brave priests in white robes flew from the corners of the room, brandishing long metallic poles...But with a gesture from the Dark jedi's other hand, they were sent hurtling back. With a shrill cry, three of the younger priestesses came from the other side, bounding towards him with athletic gusto...But the cloaked man waved his hand and all three stumbled, before falling to their knees and clutching their heads in agony.

" I know he was here, Priestess. Do not lie to me. I shall give you one last chance...Where is Kynan Skar?"

There was another moment of spluttering as the priestess desperately tried to catch her breath. It seemed for a moment as if she was about to submit to death rather than to the Dark Jedi. But then, the defiance in her eyes died out, to be replaced by the dim light of submission.

" He...He was here...But no longer..."

" Where is he now?" The man's voice became a growl.

" I...I do not know..."

The man snarled and the pressure around the priestess' neck intensified. Her arms flailed desperately.

" Please...Please don't...."

"Tell me!"

" He went...He went to find the....The old Jedi academy...In the Wastes..."

The man lowered his arm and the High Priestess collapsed to the ground, gulping in air as fast as she could.

"You will take me there. Now." He stood aside and gestured to the grand doorway, at the distant side of the hall.

She looked up with desperate eyes, but did not move. Lifting his hand again, the Dark Jedi gestured viciously and she was tugged off of her feet, crashing down the stairs. Fumbling she tried to get up, and he grabbed her by her silk collar, pushing her in the direction of the doors.

"Go." He hissed, and she began to walk, bruised and battered, but with a shred of defiance still in her gaze. Just then, there was a vicious cry and five priests with metal poles hurled from a side door, blazing a trail towards the Dark Jedi and their High Priestess.

But the cloaked man had no time for heros. As the lead one leapt at his back, he spun around and, with a crimson flash, his lightsaber leapt into life, cutting the priest into two pieces. The second priest was close behind his companion, and he fell to a powerful decapitating swing. The third one drew to a halt as he saw his comrades fall, his eyes widening with fear...But the Dark jedi stepped over their bodies and cut him down as well.

The last two fell into an Echani fighting posture, but the cloaked man lifted his hand, feeling the wrath of the dark side tingle in his fingertips, and showered a storm of lightning down upon them. Writhing in agony, their organs sizzling in their torsos, all of them collapsed. And none rose ever again.

Turning back, the Dark Jedi saw teh High Priestess, staring at him with unconcealed hatred. But he did not care.

" Go now." He growled, and with that, they left the Zeishon Sha temple.

The Dark Jedi never looked back as he stepped out of the door and back into daylight. His mind was completely focused on his quarry- Kynan Skar. Kynan Skar. He grimaced. That bastard would rue the day he met him. The one who was to be his downfall. The Dark Jedi who goes by the name of Abu terra.

[danthien]

Rajjdan Trillvan left the starport, eager to find this Kynan Skar. Following a tip that he had last been seen at a Zeishon Sha temple. Traveling through the city as discreetly as possible, suppressing his presence in the Force, as the planet was full of Force-sensitives that could sense the Darkness in him if he let them. Slipping into the Temple, hiding in the rafters of the main hall, he came across a curious sight, a lone hooded man instilling fear into the priests and priestesses. Quietly, he watched as he approached the high priestess and asked a question.

"Where is he?"

The voice was a whisper, but it carried through the room. Rajjdan wasn't surprised, he could sense that the Dark Side was strong in him. Feeling the tenseness of the situation, he decided to wait until whatever was to happen would pass, hopefully the High Priestess would still be alive afterwords to interrogate. Rajjdan watched as the woman did not seem to know who the hooded man was talking about. Rajjdan watched, slightly bored as the man began to Force Choke her. Then he asked another question, that rose Rajjdan out of his boredom.

"I know he was here, Priestess. Do not lie to me. I shall give you one last chance...Where is Kynan Skar?"

Rajjdan's eye's widened, for that was the man he sought. For some reason they sought the same man. Why, I was the only one given the bounty, I was personally requested by that Hutt. Thought Rajjdan as he watched. He could feel the waves passing through the Force as he asked the question, whatever his reason, it was very personal, not at all business.

He observed as the Priestess submitted to the hooded man and told him that he was probably at the old Jedi academy. That can't be right, thought Rajjdan, The Jedi only came here as a refuge from the war, they only meant to be here temporarily, after they left these Jedi-haters would have destroyed all traces of the Jedi. Rajjdan surmised that if this temple really did still stand, then there must be something keeping them from destroying it.

After watching him lead the woman away, he observed the way he cut down the heroic yet foolish warriors with his lightsaber and fry some more with Force Lightning. So he is a Dark Jedi. Thought Rajjdan as he watched the man leave the temple with the High Priestess. Moving back along the rafters, he slipped out a window and began following the Fallen Jedi, taking even more care to hide himself. The man was determined to find Skar, and with a very personal reason apparently. Rajjdan figured that if he followed him, he'd find Skar soon enough, and with even less work involved than expected.

[Rugs]

Ever since joining the Sith, Nieraan had found himself popping up on worlds he'd never expected to visit. First there was Korriban, for the act of joining the Sith in the first place. Once he'd made the decision to seek the Sith out, it hadn't been a stretch at all to know that he'd have to journey to the barren desert world, but still, even a few months ago, Nieraan never saw himself there, and at the Sith Temple of all places. Then there was Dxun, when Silas Isao took him out nearly immediately after his arrival tot he Sith Temple on a hunt. After that, there was Vendaxa. Then there was his first mission to Vjun, with Drace. Nieraan had done a lot of traveling, especially for someone who'd spent the vast majority of his life on two planets.

While he'd been wary at first of potentially throwing his freedom away in coming in under the Sith's tent, the young Firrerreo had warmed up to the order. Not only did the many powerful beings within the Temple's halls provide ample opportunity for him to learn and grow stronger, but the assignments he was sent out on were the sort that he'd grown to become quite good at back when he was running with the gangs on the streets of Metellos.

Assassinations. Tracking individuals of interest. Tests of his own ability where he could work on his own or, at the very least, with one other person. These were the things Nieraan liked to do, and it was just such an assignment that brought him here to Yanibar, home of the Zeison Sha.

It wasn't an official assignment per se, but rather one of Nieraan's own choosing that he'd been allowed to do. See, there had been a year in between the time Nieraan left Metellos and when he joined the Order, and in that year Nieraan floated around the Galaxy, doing the occasional odd-job, much as he'd done on Metellos. And in that year, he'd heard of a mercenary or bounty-hunter type man by the name of Rajjdan Trillvan. Supposedly, he was good at what he did, but that didn't interest Nieraan as much as it might have others; a great number of people in that line of work were good at what they did, much like himself. What did catch his attention was that, supposedly the man was a Force sensitive, and near his age.

Ever since he heard that, Nieraan had the urge to meet this Rajjdan, and test himself against him to see who was superior. And now that he was a part of the Sith, all that it took was the potential of another new recruit, and he'd been allowed to seek the man out. Nieraan didn't care if Rajjdan joined one way or the other, but he would find the man.

Rajjdan's trail led to Yannibar, and do a Zeison Sha temple, no less. Nieraan was sure his prey thought himself safe, moving about with his Force presence suppressed, but he wasn't the only one that could do that. Nieraan's presence was drawn in on itself, making him harder to detect, and as such, he'd been trailing his quarry.

For the time being, he waited outside the grand temple, waiting for Rajjdan to come back out. He was dressed as he always was, and his hood was down, letting his shaggy shoulder-length blue-streaked black hair fall around his shoulders. He was far enough away from the Temple to remain fairly well concealed, but his line of sight was clear. Of course, that meant anyone that he could see would be able to see him, and so he made sure to keep himself buried within the brush and trees.

A man stormed out, with some woman in tow. Nieraan knew this one wasn't his target, but there was something about him that was interesting. Were he not set on another goal, he might have followed from afar, but he couldn't do that now.

A moment later, he saw Rajjdan slipping out of a window, and smirked to himself. There he is. Of course, unknown to Nieraan, Rajjdan was following the man with the woman, and as Nieraan fell in to stalk his quarry, so too did he stalk Abu.

[liamkrupej]

Abu Terra reached the ship, a deep space freighter which he had stolen from Nar Shadaa, without any trouble. The High Priestess walked reluctantly by his side, but she did not make any attempt to escape. He had her, for now. But when he glanced at her, he could see the defiance in her eyes, and the way that she held her chin high. That would have to be stamped out of her.

Boarding the ship, Terra silently lead the Priestess into the cargo bay. She entered it slowly, her eyes wary as they darted over her surroundings.

" Now, Priestess, you shall tell me the location of this Academy."

She looked at him, her eyes a curious mixture of suppressed fear and obvious loathing. " It is in the Wastes, several thousand miles from here. "

" Do you know the co-ordinates?"

She gave a stiff nod, her skin pale. She looked as though she was about to be sick.

" Enter them." He handed her a data pad, and she entered the co-ordinates on it, her fingers shaking as she did so, before handing it back. The Dark Jedi looked at them, before looking back up at her.

" I thought the Jedi only used this world as a refuge from the Sith, millennia ago. I have never heard of them building an academy upon it."

She nodded slowly, her eyes still fearful. " We never speak of it. It is as a secret known only by our order, and guarded carefully."

Terra's brilliant blue eyes were cold as stone as they stared into hers, attempting to divine whether or not she spoke the truth. It had a rather intimidating affect.

But the Priestess continued in a steady manner. " The Jedi Academy was built here under absolute secrecy, as a refuge from the Sith who preyed upon them. Here, on Yanibar, they taught and trained Jedi-many were refugees from the havoc the Sith had caused throughout the Galaxy. It was a haven, hidden away in the wilderness, where the manipulation of the force first became prominent on our world."

Terra nodded gruffly. " I was aware of the Jedi settlers. But I thought that they forsook Jedi teachings?"

The Priestess nodded. " They did. Most of them. But the Jedi of this planet lived and taught here for quite some time before they became the Zeison Sha. An academy WAS constructed, and the walls still remain."

Abu grimaced, and there was a trace of threat in his voice. " But why did the Zeishon Sha not destroy the academy? You have no love of the Jedi." If she was lying....

She stared back at him, that defiant look still in her eyes. " We did. We destroyed all Jedi holocrons and any remnant of their teachings, and left the place abandoned. But centuries later, another came to the Temple. He was no Jedi, but was of those who had hunted the Jedi all those years ago- a Sith."

Terra's eyes widened. " A Sith came here?"

She nodded. " And students came to him. Disciples. The old Jedi Academy became a school of darkness."

It was all beginning to make sense. That was why Skar had come to this remote planet. He sought lost Sith teachings from all those millennia ago. " What happened to the Sith who resided there?"

The High Priestess shrugged." I am unsure. When the Sith came here, we sensed the presence of the dark side, and heard tales of them. But few ventured near the old academy. All I know is that they left, a long time ago. Those who have tried to pillage the temple have fallen victim to...Demons."

Abu observed her coldly. " Demons."

She nodded darkly. " So the stories say. They say the spirits of dead Sith and their minions roam the halls- it is known as a place of darkness and death. None go near it, even if they do not know the cause of such evil. If you close your eyes and listen for it, you can sense it- like a dark cloud on the edge of thought."

The Dark Jedi knew she spoke the truth. He could see it in her eyes. With a gruff nod he turned and began to leave.

"Wait..."

He looked back, his eyes still cold.

" I beg of you, let me go now. I have told you all you require." Her words were pleading, yet her voice was still defiant. She had spirit.

Abu did not answer immediately, but he turned back and approached her, until his face was only inches from hers.

" I do not yet know if you are manipulating me. Perhaps Skar has you under his influence, and you are leading me into a trap. He has employed such tactics before. If he this is the case, then I will need you at hand- for if you have lied to me in any way, you shall be the first victim my lightsaber claims."

Her face paled somewhat and she took a step back.

But Terra continued, his voice a little less threatening. " But know this- If you have spoken the truth, then I shall release you unharmed. I swear it to you."

The Priestess's eyes narrowed, and her lips quivered as she opened her mouth, forcing her courage. " You swear it? What good is the oath of a monster? It is worth nothing!"

Abu Terra became deathly still. " Monster? You call me a monster?" His expression was unreadable. " Perhaps, I am a monster. I have murdered, I have raped, and I have killed not only men- but women and children as well..." He paused, his eyes fixed on hers, " But I do not lie, priestess. Know that."

And with that he swept around, heading out of the cargo bay, the doors sliding shut and locking with a gesture form his hand.

He was so close now.

[danthien]

Rajjdan moved swiftly along the rooftops, following the scent of the man's hate. As the man boarded his ship Rajjdan quickly approached the ship, found, and entered an auxiliary hatch. He timed his entrance into the hatch with the opening of the main door so that no security system would alert the man of his entrance.

Once inside Rajjdan quickly made his way to the cargo area, using his keen Force senses to avoid Abu as he arrived there first. Sensing that Abu was coming to the cargo area as well, two thoughts swept through his mind, Does he sense me? Was the cargo area a good idea? Putting these thoughts aside, he quickly hid himself behind some crates and put all of his focus into hiding his presence.

He listened in as Abu questioned the woman about the temple, interested as he had been curious about that himself. He was mildly surprised by the term the woman used, demons. Interesting, maybe I'll also acquire some good Force knowledge at this place.

After Terra promised to let her go if she had told the truth, Rajjdan thought for a moment about how unlikely that was. Listening to the woman start to cry silently in despair, Rajjdan settled in for the ride.

[Rugs]

Nieraan slinked through the streets, keeping pace with Rajjdan as he in turn chased after Abu and the Priestess. It was an easy thing for him to move quickly and quietly through the narrow alleyways and to keep an eye on the bounty hunter that was bounding around on the roofs; back on Metellos, he had to be good at it and things like it if he didn't want to fail his assignments. Failure angered his mother--the fallen Jedi that trained him the ways of the Dark Side, among other things--and when she was angry, he often ended up in a world of pain.

Eventually, though, he was forced to climb up the side of one of the buildings and up onto a rooftop if he wanted to keep moving. When he reached the top and sat there for a moment, perched on the roof's edge like a gargoyle, he looked out after his quarry and saw him down below, moving toward a ship. Nieraan scowled, thinking that Rajjdan was trying to get off world. He leapt down from the roof, using the Force to cushion his landing and sprinted after him.

When Nieraan came to the ship, he moved around the outside, looking for a way in. The door Rajjdan used to enter the ship was quite closed, but thankfully, Abu had been kind enough to leave the entrance he came through open. Nieraan sneaked in, moving with all of the silent grace of shadow slipping amongst the shadows.

Abu's rage rang clear and loud in Nieraan's senses, and Nieraan's slinking led him to the cargo bay. He paused behind the entrance that Abu went through, silenced his breathing and pulled his presence ever more in on itself. There's no way for me to get in there through this door without being seen, he mused. He was vaguely aware of the conversation going on between Abu and the Priestess, but he didn't care. Rajjdan was the one he was after, not this strange man. But Rajjdan was on this ship, and if Abu was in the cargo bay, it would be safe to assume the bounty hunter would be lurking nearby as well.

Nieraan looked around, and spotted a staircase that lead up and into the cargo bay. He stalked up each step carefully on silent feet and followed the stairs to wherever the lead. They came out into the cargo bay, as he'd expected, to a utility walkway that over everyone's head, from one side of the room to the other.

Excellent, he thought with a smirk, crouching down to move silently across the metal walkway. From here, he could see and hear Abu as he continued to pry for information from the Priest woman. More importantly, he could see the top of some silver hair that he could only presume belonged to Rajjdan. Found you again, he crooned within his head as he absentmindedly touched one of his lightsabers. Rajjdan's hiding spot was a good one; were Nieraan on the ground, he wouldn't have been able to see the bounty hunter, but his position was elevated, and his line of sight better.

For now though, Nieraan remained crouched down low, hiding himself. The time to make himself known would come, but now wasn't it. In the mean time, he'd just wait to see how things unfolded. As the conversation between Abu and the priest came to a close and the other man left, leaving the doors of the cargo bay to close behind him, Nieraan came to the conclusion that whatever situation he'd wandered into would involve a ride of some sort.

Fair enough, then, he thought as he carefully shifted his position from a crouch to sitting easily with his back against the wall at the opposite end of the walkway from where he'd come in. Might as well get comfortable.

[liamkrupej]

Abu Terra entered the command bridge of the stolen freighter ship in a determined mood. Every step he took was deliberate and precise as he struggled with his self-control: His excitement was overwhelming. Skar was here. He could almost taste it. Finally, it was time!

Moving to the main control conn, he enters the co-ordinates of the so-called hidden Jedi Academy into the ship's navicomputer, and then goes to initiate the laungh sequence....But then his senses go wild. Swivelling around, his eyes fly to the secuirty monitor which shows a view of the area surrounding the ship- an area now thrumming with the movement of dozens of armed security personal, the occasional blur of the white robes of the Zeishon Sha darting among them.

Cursing, Terra's hands fly to the ship's security command panel, activating the automated turrets. Looking back at the monitor, he waits for his turret to open fire, hopefully devastating their numbers. He waits...And he waits....And he waits...Eventually, he realises that the turret is just not going to work. With an irritated growl, he watches as a squad of armed men and three Zeison Sha preists hurl towards the ship's boarding ramp, moving in the determined way that Terra has come to recognise in experienced warriors.

He doesn't have time to close the ramp before they board, but he does so as they enter, sealing them in. His hand moving to his lightsaber, he unclips it from his belt.

If they wanted a fight, then he would give them one.

[danthien]

While hiding in the cargo hold, avoiding the woman as she wandered around, Rajjdan sensed strong emotions from outside. Focusing, he began to interpret the feelings of the people approaching. He could feel their desire for revenge and justice. He concentrated, pushing his hearing to the max, and focusing it outside to hear their cries.

"We have to save the priestess!"

"Kill the Bastard!"

"That Monster!"

"Get your weapons ready!"

"Careful, don't destroy the ship, the priestess is on it!"

Rajjdan's focus broke when he felt the boarding hatch close, sealing a couple of the warriors inside. Hm, he's going to fight them, fools. They don't stand a chance. Noticing that the Priestess had sat down for a moment, Rajjdan quickly opened a nearby panel and attached his data-pad. Running a diagnostic, he found there was a controlling error in the turrets, they had never had their safeties taken off. There was a command in the system for the turrets to fire but they were unable to. Shaking his head, he ran a program removing the safeties, causing the warriors outside to be mowed down. Lucky ones. Rajjdan thought, considering how the ones inside will probably get their asses fried with lightning.

With the turrets out of the way, Rajjdan requested destination information, acquiring the co-ordinates and seeing exactly where on the planet this temple was. Bringing up a planetary map, he saw that the area in question was covered with a perpetual black thunder storm. Seems appropriate. He thought to himself before running a subroutine to wipe any trace of his interaction and resuming his hiding from the Priestess, who got up and walked to the far side when she heard the turrets start to tear her people up.

[Rugs]

Nieraan might have laughed if he didn't have the need to remain silent. There were others, gathered around the ship. Angry people. Angry Force sensitive people. Probably some Zeison Sha from that temple, he thought to himself, back to try to get their Priestess from the clutches of the evil man that took them. The corners of his mouth turned up in a dark smile. How noble of them.

Were he not in a situation where he had to keep himself hidden for as long as possible, Nieraan might have jumped down to fight some of the Zeison Sha. He was always looking for ways to test himself, among other things, and the Zeison Sha would certainly provide a rich challenge. While he couldn't confess to know much about their order, he'd been given some information on them before coming to Yanibar.

Supposedly, they were renowned for their skill with telekinesis, and with that, the use of their odd discblades. It would certainly be different than any foe Nieraan had ever fought before, but alas, the need for stealth prevented it. So instead, he leaned his head back against the wall behind him and relaxed, waiting for the ship to take off and take them to wherever that long-forgotten Jedi Temple sat.

Perhaps he'd even be able to find something of interest there, once he'd confronted Rajjdan.

[liamkrupej]

The first one came around the corner, a soldier with a blaster outstretched before him. Abu splayed a hand, and the man hurtled back, crumpling against the thick metal wall as his spine snapped.

A second rounded the corner, but the Dark jedi was closer now. Grabbing the blaster arm, he twisted, sending the weapon crashing to the ground. The soldier's eyes widened as he saw a fist hurtle towards his face...And then it connected, and he bounced back, landing on top of his fallen comrade. Neither moved.

Terra turned the corner, holding up his hand as his lightsaber shot from his belt and into it...Just as he sensed something flying towards his neck. Running on pure instinct, he ducked, as a disk-shaped blade cut through the air where his neck had just been. Close one.

Rising, he fixed his eyes on the Zeishon Sha warrior before him, activating his lightsaber. With an angry hiss, it flashed into life. He was about to leap forward and sever the man in two, when he noticed his expression. He was concentrating. Very hard...Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, and he was frowning with focus. Hold on...

Terra's senses went crazy as he felt something hurl towards his back, spinning around, he swung his lightsaber around as fast as he could, tearing through the rebounding discblade which had now almost taken his life twice. The Dark Jedi heard the priest curse as his weapon fell to the ground in two smoking pieces.

But Abu had had enough. Closing his eyes, he let his passions explode within him, all his anger and resentment boiling over, the Dark Side awakened in his heart. He spun and bounded, clearing the eight metre distance with one leap, landing directly in front of the priest. The man's eyes widened, but the fallen Jedi was too quick. The crimson saber cut him in half.

Another two priests entered the corridor from the direction of the boarding ramp, discblades ready in their hands. Abu gave them no time. Bounding again, he decapitated them both with two sweeping blows. Their corpses fell to the ground like a pair of potato sacks.

Standing over them, he de-activated his lightsaber. Fools. They should have stayed at the temple. This wasn't their business. Sweeping around, he headed back to the command bridge, trying to remember the number of people he'd killed.

He had lost count.

[danthien]

Rajjdan was amused as he sensed each warrior fall in turn to Terra's anger.

Nothing's going to slow him down. He thought to himself. Since we're both after the same person, maybe we can work together.

Some time after the ship entered flight, he stood up, ignoring the surprised reaction from the Priestess. He walked to the cargo door, no longer hiding his presence as he opened the door with the Force. Before the Priestess could do more than stare at him, he closed the door back. Making sure to keep his mind clear of hostile intent, he walked to the bridge. Hoping the Dark Jedi would not be too upset about his stowaway.

I hope he's able to interpret my intent. I don't care what he wants with this Skar, I just want to collect his head for the bounty

As the door to the bridge opened, he smiled and said,

"Hello, I think we may be able to help each other."

[Rugs]

The sounds of death and destruction echoed through the freighter's cold, metallic halls as Abu tore through those that came to try to save their priestess. Nieraan's smirk never left his face as he sat there, using the Force to observe the battle that he could not with his naked eyes. Ah, it was an amusing thing, the way the Zeison Sha's courage and anger gave way fear and desperation as their numbers were thinned. The hints of outright panic started to surface toward the end, but by then it was already too late. The last warrior fell, and the ship was silent once more.

Noble idiots, he thought, just like the Jedi they're descended from. I guess some things never change. A pity, that.

His stomach shifted a few minutes later as the freighter lifted off of the ground, taking them away to parts unknown. Well, he was committed now. They'd be hundreds, if not thousands of feet in the air, and moving fast enough to shorten a journey that might cross half the planet into a few hours; there wouldn't be any way to get off this ship now, even if he'd wanted to. Of course, that meant Rajjdan, who was still down below him in the cargo bay, was stuck as well, with no chance of escape. It was as good a time as any to make himself known to the bounty hunter.

But Rajjdan suddenly moved, and headed toward the door. At the same time, he let his presence expand out, to where it was easily identifiable. "Well, well," Nieraan muttered under his breath. "Making your move, are you?"

Nieraan jumped easily to his feet and then down to the floor of the cargo bay below. With the need for hiding gone, he didn't care about the loud clong that rang out when his feet hit the metal floor, nor did he make any more efforts to hide his considerable strength. He flexed his fingers as the Force flowed freely through him again. The Priestess spun about, surprise echoing across the cool features of her face.

"Hello there," Nieraan said smugly as he walked to the door. "I'm sure you won't be forgetting this day for a long time, eh?" The door slid open with a hiss, but Nieraan paused, turning to look back at the woman with a dark grin. "Tell me, when was the last time so many of your people died in one day?" The Firrerreo turned on his heel and left before she could answer, his chuckles covered by the sound of the door as it closed once more behind him.

It wasn't hard to guess that Rajjdan's presence was moving toward Abu's, on what Nieraan assumed was the bridge or cockpit. He followed easily, knowing that he had all the time in the world, for all intents and purposes. He ran a hand through his shaggy man of blue and black hair, contemplating how he'd handle confronting Rajjdan. Officially, he was here to see if the man would be interested in joining the Sith, so it would probably be best to start with that.

He picked up his pace as he walked, and caught up in time to hear Rajjdan's offer to Abu. The smirk that sat on his face grew. It would have to be now or never.

"Rajjdan Trillvan," he said, striding out onto the bridge. "I've been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time. I have an offer from you. An offer you would be wise to accept." He glanced at Abu, and nodded his head in acknowledgement. "And it's one that can be extended to you as well, I suppose." Then his yellow eyes returned to meet Rajjdan's silver-blue ones levelly, even though the bounty hunter was nearly half a foot taller than Nieraan was.

Nieraan's smile could only be called malicious as sparks of lightning crackled around his hands. It was a favorite technique of his, and a not-so-subtle show of power. "Tell me, what do you know about the Sith?" Of course, he was hoping Rajjdan refused. Then he might get to have some fun.

[liamkrupej]

Abu ignored the stench of charred flesh as he steadily made his way back to the bridge, the adrenaline of his most recent battle still pumping through his veins. Reaching the command console, he quickly glanced over the security console, to check what the fools outside the ship were up to...And saw a mass of corpses, many ripped in half by blaster fire. Frowning, he catched a flash out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he seen three flashing words on the console's screen:

SAFE MODE DE-ACTIVATED

Ah. Safe mode. He didn't think of that. But if he didn't, who had? Muttering to himself, he assumed it must have been an autmoated procedure performed by the ship's computer or something. Putting it out of his mind, he turned back to the comm panel and initiated the launch sequence.

Abu waited for the freighter's engines to kick into life with a growl...Instead, they stuttered into action with a very low meow. Cursing the third-rate vessel, he watched as the automated piloting system powered the ship off of the ground and hurled it into the air. The walls shook and rattled as the impulse engines carried it further into the sky, heading South. The sensors bleeped, alerting the Dark Jedi to two vessels also lifting off and pursuing them- but at a distance. He smirked. They wouldn't dare open fire while their precious High Priestess was aboard. They were probably just being assigned to follow them and see where they were going.

Just then, he sensed a presence behind him. It was as if, one moment, nothing was there, and then the nexta powerful sensation filled the air. Spinning around, Abu's lightsaber flew off of his belt and back into his hand...It still felt warm.

Before him stood a tall male with long white hair and black clothing. He appeared human- yet there was something about that suggested other wise- Abu couldn't place it. But now that he focused all of his sense upon the man, he could feel power within him, a similar kind of power to his own. Terra didn't know what his intentions were, but he wasn't taking any chances. Standing in a readied posture, the older Dark Jedi held his lightsaber by his side, ready to activate it and leap into action, if the situation called for it.

The white-haired man smiled. " Hello, I think we may be able to help each other."

He didn't seem threatening, but Abu didn't care. He didn't take well to being deceived, and the fact that a powerful force user could sneak aboard his ship without him detecting it infuriated him. Just as he was about to open his mouth and question the man, another voice spoke:

"Rajjdan Trillvan. I've been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time. I have an offer for you. An offer you would be wise to accept." Another male, this time a lot younger seemingly, with shaggy black hair strode onto the bridge in a confident manner.

Abu was stunned. Another one? How hadn't he sensed either of them? Obviously they were both force users...Such things were obvious for him to tell, as he looked at them. And they seemed to know each other. Letting out a low growl, the older Dark jedi let his lightsaber flash into life, hissing with glee as it was released from its prison of energy cells and focusing crystals.

The latest arrival continued to speak, and Abu caught the word "Sith". Instantly, all his senses went insane. Sith. That word held a taboo for him- for decades he had been taught by the Jedi, who had told him many stories about the ancient sorcerers of elder days. Were these men, or man and boy, Sith assassins? Is that why he could not sense their presence? He had heard of, and knew, many techniqeus to help disguise his presence in the Force, but never as fully as they had.

Silently, he watched the two strangers, his lightsaber humming eagerly at his side.

[danthien]

Rajjdan merely turned his head slightly in Neiraan's direction when the man spoke, have sensed him reveal himself shortly after he did. Rajjdan had a few bounties on himself from various underground mob bosses. He figured the man was just like him, hunting a bounty through stealth until the man mentioned the word "Sith".

Rajjdan glanced back at Abu when he ignited his lightsaber before looking back at Neiraan. Suddenly this was a very bad and very tense situation. He surmised that Terra was not going to take kindly to stowaways, much less force-user stowaways, and judging by how his anger flared when Neiraan mentioned the word "Sith" Abu was thinking that both of them were Sith, and did not like it. Remaining calm, and seeing the man behind him as a potential obstacle to a potentially fruitful partnership with Terra, Rajjdan chose his words carefully, hoping to keep Abu's dislike towards Rajj to a minimum.

"I only know that the Sith are evil Force-Users who are obsessed with power and conquering the galaxy. And that using the Dark Side too much can cause hideous disfigurements in the User."

(que picture of palpatine ;D )


Rajjdan turned back to Abu for a moment to ask a question.

"Quick question, why do you want Kynan Skar dead? I need him dead for a bounty I have on him, but you seem to have a personal vendetta."

Rajj slowly moved away from Neiraan, into a position where he could keep an eye on both Abu and Neiraan. He was ready to use both his lightsabers in a heartbeat.

[Rugs]

Nieraan laughed. Laughed at Abu's sudden drawing of his lightsaber, and laughed even moreso at Rajjdan's reaction. He might have expected as much from the tall bounty hunter, but Abu's jumpiness was surprising. Especially for one who'd just spent his time slaughtering people. There was a wary tension that filled the room, radiating from both of the Dark Jedi. Nieraan loved it.

He waited for Rajjdan to finish speaking, and through it he was able to gleam that, seemingly, both Rajjdan and Abu were after some Skar fellow. Nieraan couldn't say the name was a familiar one, nor did he care. He might look into it more once current things were settled, though.

"How cute," Nieraan crooned, smirking at Rajjdan. If he thought the Dark Side led to ugly, he clearly hadn't seen some of the women at the Temple. Especially that Adara woman. "Did your mother tell you that much before she tucked you into bed every night, to shelter you from life in the real world?" He snorted roughly, shaking his head. "Don't fool yourself, Rajjdan, I can feel the Dark Side in you just as much as I could in any Sith back in the Temple. If you deny that you're already within its grasp, then you're doing nothing but fooling yourself. Are you that soft?" This was the last thing he'd thought that he would be doing: working to convince an already obviously-Dark Jedi of the Dark Side. It was odd, to say the least, and something Nieraan normally wouldn't have cared enough to do. But he had to make some effort before starting something, if for no other reasons than to say he had once he returned to Korriban.

"Anyway, Rajjdan, my offer should be clear enough," once more, sparks of electricity danced around Nieraan's hands and wrists, more intensely than they had before. A certain hardness came into his eyes, though it was laced with an eagerness to act. The lightning faded, and Nieraan took both of his sabers in each hand; he held them with an easy familiarity, and they remained unlit. "Should you refuse, I'll just have to deal with you the hard way. And I can assure you that things will be much smoother for you if you we don't have to come to that.

"As for you," he continued, shifting his attention to Abu, "my offer is the same, though unlike our tall friend here, I wasn't following you specifically, so your options are less... binding. Tell, me are you always so fast to wave your lightsaber about like some frightened child?" Nieraan grinned wryly. "Or do we just get special treatment?

"And what's a man like you doing heading out to an old temple, and an old temple left by the Jedi, at that? Who are you, for that matter?"

[liamkrupej]

Terra ignored the tall man's question as the apparent Sith spoke over him. He gazed coldly as the dark haired one, who barely looked the age of a man, taunted the other, and then attempted the same on him . But the seasoned Dark Jedi was an experienced combatant, and he knew that exchanging insults was the pursuit of fools who were overconfident and arrogant.

And arrogance gets you killed- he knew that only too well.

His expression not changing as the boy addressed him, Abu seized him up for a moment before answering. " My name is of no consequence to you, child, and I suggest you keep your tongue trapped firmly behind your teeth before one of us kills you..." Turning away from the Sith, as if he were a naughty child who he had just disiplined and now dismissed, he looks back at Rajjdan, " I don't know who you are, but if you wish to pursue a bounty on Skar then know this- it will be my lightsaber that ends that mongrel's life. After I have spoken the words that I must speak, and broken him for all to see, I will kill him. Then, you may have his head. I have no business with a corpse."

The Dark jedi's lightsaber still hissed softly, as if it was desperate to leap at its master's enemies.

[danthien]

At Neiraan's snide comment about Rajjdan's mother, an anger and hate almost as deep as Abu's hate towards Skar surged through Rajj. The Dark Side flowed through him, turning his Grey-blue eyes a deep yellow, like those of the strongest Sith. His entire body cackled with electricity, and to the two Force-sensitives in the room, he appeared to have a pitch-black aura. His face, which would make even normal Hapans jealous, became like a demon, both terrible and beautiful to behold as his words dripped with a malice that would surely surprise even this cocky young Sith.

"If you are wise and wish to keep your limbs attached, you will do well to never mention my mother in such a way again!"

After Abu spoke, saying that Rajjdan could have the corpse as long as Abu killed the man, Rajjdan forced himself to calm down with visible effort, closing his yellow eyes and tensing his whole body. He drew all of the anger that the arrogant man had incited and forced it into the pocket of his mind that his Dark Side powers drew upon, adding some potent hate to fuel his powers at a later time.

Opening his once again normal eyes, his face its normal beauty, he turned to Abu, saying,

"That's fine with me, you can kill him all you want, as long as I get his head afterwords to bring to that Hutt. I'll even help you to expedite the process. Like when I turned the safeties off on your turrets"

Rajjdan firmly tried to ignore Neiraan, while his mind raced with the reason Neiraan was here.

I've been showing off too much, the Sith are aware of me. That means the Jedi might be too. Now both sides are going to try to either recruit me or kill me. And neither side fits with my philosophy. But damn it, it looks like I'm going to have to pick a side to survive. That or try to kill everyone who comes my way.

[Rugs]

The smirk on Nieraan's face only grew when Abu studied him, and then spoke. Nieraan wasn't stupid. He knew how he must have been coming across to the other two. There he was, on some other man's ship, making threats and slinging insults. And, if one went by his face, he couldn't have been older than nineteen or twenty, and was easily the youngest of the men that stood on the bridge. But appearances where deceiving; Nieraan was one year older than thirty, though he aged very slowly, as a Firrerreo. Younger than Abu, perhaps, but he was fairly sure that he had more years than Rajjdan.

And his prodding and pushing? While, yes, they were certainly a true facet of Nieraan's personality, as was his cockiness, they served a purpose here, as they did whenever Nieraan met someone. Their purpose was to draw reactions, of course, and in turn, those reactions could be studied by Nieraan's mind, which was quicker than most might expect. He'd done it at the Sith Temple, when he met Silas, and nearly got himself killed; though by the time things got to that point, he was spiting the older Sith in return for an insult. Still, even then, it'd provided valuable information in learning that one, Silas was not one to be crossed, and two, the older Firrerreo was powerful, and in that way, he gained Nieraan's respect and subordinance.

But what would his pushing yield here?

Abu's response was more or less expected, and along the lines of what Nieraan had heard more times than he cared to count. Surely, the older man thought as Nieraan hoped he did: that Nieraan was some arrogant punk, barely out of teens, that was speaking far above his level. He did so love surprising people. Of course, Nieraan's attitude was backed up by capability. He was strong, and the other two would find that out, one way or another. Nieraan would step much more carefully if he didn't have skill to back up his words.

"I'd love to see either one of you try," he said, still with that steady air of easy self-assurance that he'd had so far. "You might prove a good challenge, but this one..." He motioned to Rajjdan, right before the tall man started to speak.

Rajjdan's reaction, though... Rajjdan's reaction nearly made Nieraan laugh.

It wasn't hard to feel the rage rising within the tall man. His presence in teh Force grew dark and wild as he glared at Nieraan, but Nieraan wasn't even close to backing down. Nieraan let his own presence flow out and strengthen, giving a hint of the hatred and rage that had been forged into him during almost 15-years of incredibly abrasive training from his mother, who'd been a fallen Jedi. For once, he held back, forgoing the little shows of power that Rajjdan was putting on instead, and only met the man's eyes levelly. Their auras in the Force pressed against each other, as if battling for dominance, and then the bounty hunter spoke.

"If you are wise and wish to keep your limbs attached, you will do well to never mention my mother in such a way again!"

Bingo. In doing his little tests on others, Nieraan always made a point to look for weak points or sore spots. He hadn't even been meaning to with his comment about the bounty hunter's mother, but there it was. And judging by his reaction, it was a very sore spot indeed. Nieraan grinned toothily at Rajjdan.

"And if you wish to keep your life, you wouldn't make threats to those who are your superior. Of course, if you think you're capable of something," Nieraan shrugged and spread his hands for a moment. "You're welcome to try. Until then, I'd advise you to keep that little temper of yours on a leash. It might get you hurt.

"And I do believe you never answered my offer. You really don't want to wear out my patience, Trillvan." Nieraan smirked as he met Rajjdan's eyes, as if daring him to try something. "Then again, perhaps you're too soft for us, if all it takes to get under your skin is a simple insult..."

Oh yes, Rajjdan Trillvan would be the source of a great deal of entertainment.

[liamkrupej]

At first Abu had been wary of the two younger men.

He had been startled by the fact that he could not sense their presence- wherever they had learned to hide their powers like that, it was a useful ability. But now, as they engaged in this childish game of posturing and empty threats, the older man cursed the arrogance and recklessness of youth. This child seemed to think he came in the name of the Sith- But Abu knew the Sith as masters of the force, who held power beyond all imagination. He had never met one of their order, nor did he ever expect to. But here, before him, stood a child who threw around the word as if it was some fashionable phrase.

Nevertheless, Abu was not a fool. As the two postured against each other, he could sense the dark side run strong in both...They were powerful indeed. He doubted they were yet quite as strong as he was, but they were young. And perhaps they would be useful. He had chased Kynan Skar from one end of the galaxy to the other, and every time he had been evaded our outnumbered...Perhaps, these young men could be of use. Perhaps.

De-activating his lightsaber, but still holding it at his side, the older man sighed. " Gentlemen, please. Restrain yourselves. Power play is all well enough, but please, let us not fight each other." He looks at Nieraan. " It would seem that this...Rajjdan?...And I have a common enemy. That would make us temporary allies. Now, you have a choice here- whatever you believe of your abilities, together we would destroy you. So please, do not continue on this foolish course of action. We are headed to kill the one named as Kynan Skar who, because of your immature behaviour, has probably sensed your presence on this planet. You may either work with us, or fall before us. The choice is yours."

[danthien]

Rajjdan shook his head, wondering what the Sith were thinking if this man was supposed to invite him to their order. When he spoke to Neiraan, it was in a calm, professional manner.

"Firrerreon, for your sake, listen to the man. And yes I know what you are, and that you are probably older than me. But before that, you should really reconsider the way you invite people to your order. A true salesman would already have given me a mile long list of perks for joining, of which I would believe two or three, but you've given me nothing but insults and jibes. If you wish for me to join your order, which I doubt you personally desire, you should present yourself in a more friendly manner, after all, we still don't even know your name."

Then Rajjdan turned to Abu, and keeping with his calm demeanor, he spoke.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, I'm Rajjdan Trillvan. I'm sorry for sneaking aboard your ship, but I needed to as you seemed most likely to find Skar, especially after you kidnapped the very person I wished to interrogate."

Rajjdan hooked his thumb towards the cargo area.

"I am in fact the one who turned the safeties off on your turrets, allowing them to mow down the warriors outside, so I have already been helping you a bit. Now, do you have a general plan for when we arrive at the Temple?"