Eternal Sorrow (Continued, open)

[Zereth Lancer]

Continued from here (http://www.sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?threadid=38557)
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The front doors of the Sith Palace blew open and Zereth Lancer walked in. His red eyes where still afire from the anger that still coursed through him. Over his was carried the lifeless body of Jezreal Darkshard, Sith Knight. Only hours ago the young sith had been attacked and killed, but not before she had killed almost a hundred of her attackers, the rest dispatched quickly by Zereth. He had felt something had been wrong when Jezreal had disapeard and the note he found had led him to tatooine.

But he had been too late. Jezreal had died just as he reached the building in which she fought. He didn't pause for to weep or mourn. He had simply taken her body, stolen a cargo ship and had arrived back at the sith palace. He walked down the main hall of the palace, passing many sith of every rank as he went. They all stopped to watch the tall, dark knight carring the body over his shoulder. He kept walking until he was outside in the area behind the palace. He walked down the gravel path until he reached stone structure. This was the crypt where the high members of the order where entombed. Although, typicaly, only masters and lords where intombed here but Zereth felt that Jezreal deserved to be in there.

Used his free hand to open the the heavy double doors that led into the crypt. He went down several flights of stairs until he reached the hub of the building. There was a raised rectangle stone slab that sat in the middle of the round room. Three hallways led off the room, one on each wall other then the one that held the stairway.

Zereth layed the body down on the large granite stone and looked up at the crypt master, the one the was incharge of preparing the bodies and keeping the crypt in order. The Crypt master looked down his nose at the body and then at Zereth "Name and rank" He asked in a stuffy voice. "Jezreal Darkshard, Knight" Zereth replied. "Knight?" The master started "Knights are not allowed buriel here except under special curcumstanses." Zereth gave the man a glare that could have burned through solid ice. "She will be entombed." His voice was as cold as his glare was hot.

The crypt master waved his assistants over with a huff all of them started to examine the body of the late Jezreal and then left again to get the neccesary supplies needed to preserve the body.

Noise behind Zereth caused him to turn. Several Sith members were making their way down the stairs to the hub.

[Jorshal Vuntana]

Jorshal slowly stepped down the stairs, followed by Nadja Storm and several Sith guards. The guards held between them a body wrapped in black cloth. As his eyes set on the Sith crypt he found Zereth Lancer standing there witha look upon his face as distrought as Jorshal's. The words choked in his throat and nothing but crackled air left his mouth.

There was a reason Jezreal's body lie on the granite slab. It was the same reason behind any body lying in the tomb. Jezreal had died. He cursed himself for not having known earlier; for having wrapped himself up in his own affairs too deep to acknowledge anyone except himself.

"Jez- Jezreal too?" He studdered and quicked his pace to the slab. He was only a few years younger than the Sith Knight that lie before him. They had trained together on a number of occasions, he considered her a friend. He looked back at the black clothed body between the guards. "Southstar too..." it was all he could get out and he placed his hand over his mouth.

"He was killed by two Jedi. I witnessed it and-" Nadja said and brushed a tear from her eye. "There was nothing I could do... I got his body, but-" She bit her lip and wiped a second tear.

Jorshal wanted to lament the death of his master to Zereth, but he wouldn't wrap himself up in his own problems again. He didn't know much about Zereth and Jezreal's relationship but he knew enough to know that they were close. He watched as the guards set the body on a slab of granite parallel to Jezreal's. "Zereth... I'm sorry."

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth did his best to hide the immense pain and sorrow from his face but it still showed. The glow of his eyes had dimminished almost completely, leaving only black irises with a very faint red tint. His eyes where a link to his soul, revealing what he felt at all times.

"How could such strong sith as Southstar...' He paused, paining himself to utter a name "...And Jezreal." He looked from one of the bodies to the other. "I would seem our enemies have increased their offensive against us. In my heart I would like to return in kind but that would only put our already small order into immediate danger and in the path of a full extermination." He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh "The Empire pay dearly for this. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But eventualy I will get them for this." He rested his gaze of Southstar's corpse, "Perhaps I may find a way to avenge Southstar as well."

[Sasha Kovalev]

Word traveled quickly through the Order. Those who were on the planet would likely not delay for long in coming to pay their respects to the fallen. It was a blow, certainly, to lose two of them so closely together, and more, it was difficult to lose two with such considerable talent.

It wasn’t the number of Sith in the Order that Sasha concerned himself with. It was the potential of those who were there. The quality of the members. For a hundred Sith meant nothing if they had little talent to bend the dark side to their will. To lose two with power, with the potential for more power, that was devastating. And Sasha had come along in the ranks for some time, when he had been there, alongside Southstar. To see one fall of his time…well, that struck home, perhaps.

He was silent in his approach and did not offer useless words of consolation. He was there to pay his respects, and if needed to provide guidance or support or whatever was necessary to any of the apprentices. His head bent for a moment as he considered the deaths of fellow Sith. And then he released a quiet sigh, raised his head and his gaze might have met those of the others that were there.

Violet eyes carried a somewhat stern expression to them, for this was not news that was pleasing in any sort of way.

[Jorshal Vuntana]

"Mark my words, Southstar will be avenged. I plan on beginning the moment I leave this room." Truth be told, he had already fantasized about the deaths of the Jedi that killed his master, but nothing was official.

He glanced at the stone stairway as Sasha entered the crypt. He didn't doubt that the whole order would be there soon. He covered his mouth and rubbed his chin. Two knights dead within apparently hours of each other. It was too hard for him to fathom.

"Your revenge will be sweet. Our revenge." Nadja said as she stood next to him.

Next to himself, nobody was as close to Southstar as Nadja and for Jorshal, he felt that she might be the one other one who felt his pain. He glanced at her and then back at the bodies. In the back of his mind he could see why Southstar fell for her and he was beginning to do so as well. however, the only he could love at the moment was revenge.

[Sasha Kovalev]

He hadnt seen the woman before, but she and Jorshal seemed to be familiar with one another. And besides, he had been away for some time. It was certainly possible that some of the members would be knew to him. Or maybe she wasn’t a member of the Order at all. It didn’t matter, for if she was here with Jorshal then clearly she was one who was trusted.

Although, maybe a part of Sasha disliked her immediately for that very reason. Assumed maybe they were intimate, had been intimate, or would be at one point. And it only reminded him of his own relationship that had gone wrong. He should have known that woman would be a bad idea from the start when as an apprentice he had been taken by a beauty by the name of Mu. She'd turned on him in the blink of an eye, flirting one moment, considerate and kind, and torturing him and betraying him the next. When later he'd fallen in love for real, for the first time, his fiancée cheating on him had left him with a sour taste in his mouth over relationships and it wasn’t likely he was going to go falling in love any time soon, if ever again.

At least, not that he planned on.

But then, love wasn’t really one of those things you planned, was it?

In any case, something about her didn’t settle all that well with the Knight. He wasn’t rude and didn’t treat her any differently than anyone else. At least, not with any intentions to do so. But maybe, just maybe a slight sneer of annoyance might have danced over his expression at her call for revenge. Her and Jorshal’s shared revenge.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth watched Sasha out of the corner of his eye. he had never really had the opportunity to get to know Sasha but it seemed the Knight had known one of the two of the deceased enough to pay his respect, but then again, did you really have to know someone to respect their part in life?

He turned back to Jorshal, "If you ever need help with your revenge, don't hesitate to ask me. I am willing to follow you to the ends of the galaxy to avenge those that have fallen."

[Sasha Kovalev]

Respect of life? From a Sith? Well, that was a novel concept, perhaps. For often it seemed the only lives the Sith respected were their own, so out for power and glory most of them were. Perhaps there was a possibility the Order truly would survive once the Sith rose to power in the galaxy once again. Maybe they had learned from mistakes made by those in the past.

Sasha considered this concept with the mention of Zereth’s offer to follow Jorshal to the ends of the galaxy if needed to assist in the avenging of deaths. The only person Sasha would follow to the ends of the galaxy was Lady Vader. She was his master and would always be, no matter what rank he might achieve, no matter what strength he might gain, or what power he might attain. He was ambitious, but not so much so that it was likely he would ever seek to destroy his master and take her place. Besides, she had taken him in and taught him so much of what he now knew. He had been brought up in the ways of the Sith the respect his master, to respect the Order and all that it sought to do, to respect his brothers and sisters of the Sith.

And while he respected them, he would not blindly follow any of them but his master. But out of respect for Southstar and out of respect for the Order, he was willing to do his part in seeking revenge. And now he offered as much.

“You have my assistance as well, should you wish it.” He stated, looking to Jorshal initially, for really it was Southstar he had known. And then he turned to Zereth, for he had heard the Elder’s promise of revenge as he had descended into the tomb.

“I extend the same offer to you as well.”

For some revenge was personal. For some it only mattered that it occurred. In any case, as a faithful servant of the Order, he was willing to do whatever would help to further their existence and increase their strength and power in the galaxy.

[Zereth Lancer]

Sorsha offering suprised Zereth. The knight has always seemed more uptight and uncarring to Zereth, it seems he was wrong or something had changed. He could care less, he wanted person revenge but he was willing to act with others to achieve it.

"Until then" He turned to Jorshal nodded his head in a short bow "Jorshal," He did the same to Sasha "Sasha." He turned and on heel and strode towards the stairs and then up and out of the crypt and back to the palace.

[Sasha Kovalev]

Anyone who thought him uptight or uncaring did not know him well. During his first eight years with the Order he had been very much involved in the order. He was always working with new apprentices, roaming the halls with them, helping them to settle into the life of hiding they had been forced to live at the time. He had offered advice, had even taken on several apprentices as a knight. One of them had betrayed them all by leaking information. Another had died in battle. And the other…well, she was out there in the galaxy somewhere, still struggling with personal issues that stood in the way of her training. He had suggested she take some time and return when she was prepared.

And then he had followed his own advice, leaving for the next five years to learn from a Dark Jedi. In this time he had been in love and been betrayed.

So if one thought him uptight, it was likely because he was not prone to giving out his trust as he once had. He had been betrayed enough now to be a bit more cautious. And perhaps this gave him an air of indifference to the others.

In any case, he was entirely dedicated to Lady Vader and to the Order.

He nodded as Zereth took his leave and then turned once more to the body of the fallen knight, Southstar. He released another quiet sigh before turning back to Southstar’s apprentice.

“When the time is right you will have your revenge.” He stated, his words as much a promise as they could be.

“In the meantime, is there anything that you need?” He offered. If not he would return to his chambers to meditate for a while on the loss of his brother in the Order. If something was needed, well, he would do what he could to assist.

[Jorshal Vuntana]

With everbody offering their assistance in his revenge, Jorshal questioned whether or not they believed he could achieve revenge. Inside he was insulted, but he kept a straight face. "Thanks, but I can handle it myself."

He glanced at the bodies then back at the rest of the order as they spoke amongst themselves. He wanted to say something that might prove himself to them, but if Southstar taught him one thing it was that actions spoke louder than words.

"You'll get your moment, and knighthood." Nadja said quietly to him and touched his back. "I have faith in you."

Jorshal mumbled a thanks and was glad that he had her to depend on.

[Sasha Kovalev]

"Thanks, but I can handle it myself."

The knight’s response was to simply nod his head in acceptance. So be it. Not knowing this apprentice all that well it was impossible for him to have known that an offer of assistance would be taken the wrong way. And there was nothing outward to indicated anything. Sasha maybe felt a bit of anger in the force, but this was nothing knew when surrounded by Sith. And more, anger was an expected reaction to this particular situation.

He could not have known to rectify the situation.

As he turned to leave, he could hear a lowered voice assuring the apprentice, though the words were not distinct. Something about it might have rubbed Sasha the wrong way, but everything about the woman in the room seemed to do so. He might have cast a subtle glance back toward the two, violet eyes hooded by knit eyebrows, but that was all before he ascended from the tomb.