Inevitable (Sasha)

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Cygnus Spaceworks takes pride in their line of heavily armed and armoured Lambda-class shuttles. Specially modified shuttles were known to be favored by the Emperor, Darth Vader and other high-ranking Imperials, including Tremayne. The shuttle that Je'gan Olra'en now piloted was standard issue for someone like him: almost factory standard for the Cygnus Lambda. Almost, of course. Factory standard had never worked for Inquisitors - though there had been something of an 'Inquisitorius standard'. In his heart of hearts, though, he treasured the vehicle...because Palpatine - may he rest in peace - had used something very similar.

Just about everything Je'gan did was in tribute to his Emperor.

The trifoil screamed through the atmosphere of Korriban as if driven by the burning in the soul of the man piloting it. He knew that his Emperor had come here many times; he had even been in orbit himself once, looking down on the crimson sphere with eyes other than the corporeal. To those eyes, it was gorgeous.

He didn't entertain any expectations, so even as he brought the shuttle in a wide arc over the Valley of the Dark Lords his hands were running scans seemingly of their own accord. He paused, though, just for a moment, to enjoy the power that radiated from the Valley below-

And was caught completely off-guard by a profound buzzing. With mounting shock, he stared at the sensor readouts.

A smile came to his face.

And he wheeled the shuttle to set down.

[Sasha Kovalev]

Funny, Sasha thought the world he had been raised on was a graveyard. Unforgiving, seemingly on the brink of extinction of human life except for the Imperial training facilities, it had not been a pleasant place to spend a good fifteen or so years of his life. Leaving there had been the best thing he had ever done. But that meant nothing now to the literal graveyard world of Korriban. Many years ago, after the death of his mother he had sought another place full of life, full of fresh air and hope. Full of promise of something better than simply joining the Empire as a foot soldier. He had considered it – had joined the academy for a year or so before leaving. Having never had a father figure to teach him the value of respecting authority, Sasha had not fit in well with the structured life of a soldier. And so he had left the life he had known and gone in pursuit of something more. In pursuit of an outlet for the anger and rage he felt at having been deserted by the man who had been half responsible for giving him life.

That pursuit had eventually led him to his Master, Lady Vader, a Sith Master he had faithfully served and learned from for many years now. He had taken his time away for a few years and devoted it to the study of the Dark Jedi, but had eventually returned to Korriban, to his Master, and to the order. It had been his destiny, for at the core, his values, his beliefs, his ways were those of the Sith. His master, a wise woman, had perhaps forseen this. His return had been expected. And during the months following his return he had spent many hours returning to his roots. Soaking in the ancient world of the Sith and all that was sacred about it.

Days were spent beneath the blood red sky, suffering against the brutal winds that swept through the canyons, and nights were spent listening to the howls of the Tuk'ata hounds and observing the seven moons in their orbit about the planet. And always, every moment, was spent remembering what it meant to follow the ways of the Sith, to soak in the power that the dark side could provide. Learning, always learning. For despite the knowledge he possessed, he wanted more. It was the lure of the dark side, perhaps, the hunger to always know more, to always feel more, to always know the feeling of the power it could provide. It was an addiction. An addiction that had enslaved and destroyed many a powerful Sith.

And on this day Sasha found himself many kilometers away from the main settlement. Although he tolerated the others, called them brothers and would not betray them so long as they were legitimate members of what was now called the Sith Order, he far preferred to only trust or associate himself with a select few. He was more of the thought that the Sith should work in pairs or smaller groups. This came from the acceptance of the fact that most Sith were greedy and self-serving. Most were only out for preservation and advancement of themselves. Should the Sith come to power once again, he did not believe it would continue in peace. He truly believed they would war against one another in a search for power. But perhaps the existence of the Order would quell those Sith instincts. Maybe.

Anger had radiated from him as he had walked through the canyons. They dwarfed him, for he had on this day descended down into one of them, into one of the valleys. And it was there that he was meditating, his hood drawn over his head when he felt an unfamiliar presence. For a moment he considered it and then rose to his feet to watch the shuttle as it descended from the blood red skies.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He knew - he could barely help it - that the dark side of the Force was strong here. The Valley and its contents had seen to that. As the shuttle touched ground, he sensed the presence of another. A strong other, more powerful than Je'gan himself. Nobody he knew - not an Inquisitor. A Dark Jedi? Perhaps.

But even as he thought that, his mind rejected it. The signature had a unique and indefinable quality to it, a quality that more than a little intimidated the Inquisitor. This man's presence felt like Palpatine's and Lord Vader's had.

Perhaps...

Je'gan's heart leapt in his chest; his passion subsided as he realized that, aside from that quality, this man's presence felt very little like that of the Emperor. Regret and a hint of fierce grief rebelled against his control. His mind shifted quickly to the other alternative.

So Korriban had Sith once more.

Je'gan had landed here for two reasons. The main one, of course, was that his sensors were picking up a facility of sorts, and he wanted to keep his distance until he was quite sure what was out there. The other, though, was that he had always wanted to see the Valley of the Dark Lords firsthand. Now that his attention was off piloting, he took a moment to contemplate the view. It didn't matter if he took that moment or not, at least not in terms of time: these Sith had to know that he was here, and whoever took actio there would be contact. Je'gan was like that.

The view exceeded expectations. Now that his attention was freed up, too, he was beginning to get a much clearer picture of the danger-matrix around him. The Valley with all its secrets, the presence of the Sith, and far off - where his sensors had detected that facility - there was the feel of even more danger than the closer presence represented.

Interesting. Very interesting.

A handful of minutes later, Inquisitor Olra'en stepped off the ramp of the shuttle. He paused to tap a selection of keys on a small forearm panel. The shuttle's maw hissed shut. Je'gan proceeded, walking unerringly towards the presence.

[Sasha Kovalev]

It was a law of physics, really, that if two forces moved from a fixed point toward one another, that eventually they would either collide or if their angles were only the slightest bit off, their timing that slightest bit different, they would cross in the night like two ships in the mist. Unless, of course, they each carried a beacon that called out to the other.

Sasha did not seek to hide or mask his presence. This was his home and he would not hide from anyone on his own territory. Anyone foolish, or perhaps in this case, wise enough to descend to the valleys would be greeted by the welcome wagon. And some would be welcomed, certainly. And others….others would likely regret the decision they had made. For the Sith, in all of their greed and self preservation would protect with their lives this land, this sacred ground. Would protect the Order that they served from those who would seek to destroy it. And Sasha, having returned recently from his time away, had a unique perspective. To have been away and to have returned, well, that made Sasha even more defensive of this Order, for having been away, he could understand and appreciate far better than the others what it meant to be a member of such a….’family’. As dysfunctional as it was. He knew what it was like to not have the Order. And never again would he be without it. Not if he had anything to say about it.

It still shadowed him, his hood. It cloaked him the way the dark side of the force did, draped about him protectively. Entombing him forever in its power. But from beneath the hood gazed eyes such an odd, brilliant color of blue that some considered them violet. These eyes were his mothers. But everything else about him, everything else about him was his father. A father he still, to this day, despised, despite never having known him. They studied the path ahead of him, though his eyes were not the sense he trusted the most as he sought the visitor. No, it was not his eyes, but the force.

And what he felt was of great interest to him. The presence did not feel to be one of opposition, yet this did not make him trust. Rather, it made him wary…and curious. Interested. They had very few visitors here, really, and most arrived with an arrogance that Sasha could barely tolerate. An attitude that grated upon his nerves. This presence did not speak of arrogance. At least, not the way the others did. It seemed to have a confidence to it, a settled sort of feeling that derives from a solid belief in one’s abilities. It was so vividly distinct from the others that he felt drawn to it. Wanted to know more about the one who possessed this ability.

As he closed the distance between them, the Sith knight drew back his hood. This was a gesture he reserved for few, and perhaps it spoke of an amicable greeting of sorts. At least, initially.

“I am assuming you speak basic….” This was his greeting. It was not unfriendly, though few would likely have welcomed people in such a fashion. His basic was slightly, though only slightly accented. It spoke perhaps of another world, of one who had maybe learned to speak it from one with a much heavier accent of an ancient world. His expression was serious, though this was nothing to be taken personally. Sasha’s expression was often serious, for his carefree years were behind him and there were few situations now that he approached entirely with a light heart.

His hand did not rest upon his saber, but rather to his side. Though it was ready, always ready should a confrontation arise. And while some things about the man might have changed over his thirteen years studying the dark side of the force, the one thing that had not changed at all was the fact that Sasha did not seek confrontation. If it came to him, so be it. But it was rare that unprovoked he would seek to destroy anything or anyone in his path.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I do indeed."

The Inquisitor's voice bore a clipped Coruscanti accent, and beneath it were traces of something...foreign. Francais was still spoken on Varunda IX, but the rest of the galaxy had barely heard of it. It had been a point of contention among the young and competitive Inquisitor trainees, where any difference from the norm was a weakness to be exploited. Je'gan himself didn't consider multilingualism a weakness per se: neither had his trainers and superiors. In the end, he had risen above the mindless bigots when they failed to adapt to the unpredictable life of an Inquisitor with sufficient...

...speed?

...effort?

...power?

All of the above was probably the closest to true. In any case, those who could not adapt had quickly died: by execution, by missions gone wrong, and sometimes by suicide. There was no middle road in the Inquisitors, in Je'gan's estimation: you excelled or you failed. Simple enough.

Right now, he was adapting. A true Sith - right before his eyes - when only days before he had felt the tremor that had accompanied the last of that religion on their passage from mortality: that was strange. On the other hand, Je'gan was quite routinely sizing up this man as if he were your average - hah! - Darksider. Not the power - he had the range of Sasha's power - but the subtleties of character in face, voice, appearance, motion...Inquisitors noticed these things. Their lives and the safety of the Empire depended on it.

Just now, of course, there was no Empire. Not without the Emperor.

"My name is Je'gan Olra'en."

For an Inquisitor, that was a well-known name in certain circles. Inquisitors kept to the shadows as a general rule. Anyone who knew anything real about them, though, would have heard Je'gan's name once or twice. He was no Tremayne...but he had a persona. He wasn't just a face in a crowd - soon forgotten - or a lightsabre being shoved through one's torso. He was the genuine article. Five foot eleven, a hundred an eighty pounds, sabre in the small of his back...it wasn't the most impressive picture ever.

Still, he'd always heard he had presence. Funny though it was, that was no asset in the any part of the Inquisitorius but the very highest, politically charged ranks. He'd had to learn how to turn it on and off for certain special considerations. Otherwise, he would have been useless.

[Sasha Kovalev]

There was something that might have seemed polished about this individual. Mayb it was the clipped accent, or maybe it was just the look Sasha was being given. Something about the visitor’s gaze seemed to not only be sizing Sasha up, but drinking in every detail about him. The Sith would have been lying to say that this did not make him feel the slightest bit uncomfortable – but then, that was likely one of the more valuable traits of an inquisitor, at times. Yet, Sasha did not shrink from where he stood.

He gazed back at Je’gan, his forehead perhaps wrinkling the slightest bit and his eyebrows narrowing in thought as the strangers name was mentioned. Having spent his early years in the presence of the empire, a few years on Coruscant, and then a few more years on Balmorra where his Uncle was an Admiral with the Empire, the name might actually have been familiar.

Not because Sasha had ever been in the presence of an Imperial Inquisitor. At least, not as one being inquired. Perhaps at a dinner party, though he often avoided those as much as was possible.

Sasha was polished for having come from a blue collar child hood. With a single mother it had been difficult to make ends meet. Sasha had worked early on to assist his mother with efforts to keep bills paid and a roof over their head and knew not only what it felt to work hard for a living, but to need to work hard to survive. This work ethic he had carried with him into the order. Into his training.

And while living with his uncle he had been introduced to a more formal lifestyle. One that Sasha did not feel he fit into. He tried. He made efforts. But at the core, he was an ale drinking kid who far preferred to sit around a table and play cards with a couple buddies than hob nob it with big wigs. So that the name was not entirely familiar should not have been taken as a slight. It was perhaps one of his flaws – that he had no interest in details such as those. That was something he could learn from this newcomer, though at the moment this was unknown to him.

He might have bristled slightly at the discomfort the man made him feel. For as a follower of the Sith, any sense of fear brought anger. And anger fueled the ability to bend the dark side to one’s will. It did not cause him to lose his temper, this anger, but it might have stiffened his posture the slightest bit – something an inquisitor would likely notice. Though nothing beyond this displayed any further unease than the initial feeling of being sized up.

“Sasha Kovalev.” He replied, returning the favor of exchanging names. Despite it having been a name he had gone by for years, it still felt somewhat foreign on his tongue. For he had gone for the past five years or so while living with his uncle by his given name at birth – Alexander Millard.

“Why have you come?” He asked, not unfriendly, though again, without a distinct tone of welcome. But this should not have been unexpected, not from a Sith standing upon such storied grounds.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Though Sasha tensed, with all that implied, Je'gan did not move noticeably. His danger-sense had never failed him, not in five years of controlling the Dark Side; he trusted his instincts. He knew that the Sith did not intend him immediate harm, or bear him any particular ill will. That much was simple enough to tell.

Anything beyond that...

"It was a place to come," he said neutrally, "that didn't require pacification. You'd be surprised how many people actually look up to an Inquisitor, want him to solve their problems. Even with the Emperor dead, they still think there's an Empire. They still think that my uniform means something.

"I also have my...enemies, though they are slightly fewer than they'd been before His Majesty died." He smiled, grimly but not without humour. The expression distorted his young features in odd ways. One got the impression that Je'gan was not used to smiling, even if he took to it well enough.

[Sasha Kovalev]

How could Sasha not smile at the last remark? It was a grin of sorts, perhaps somewhat impish in nature that slightly raised the corners of his mouth, tugging more to the right side than the left. And a spark of something might have made its way into eyes that had only, before this moment, gazed evenly, if not impassively at the Inquisitor.

So, that was what his uniform was for. Sasha had heard of them. Hadnt maybe he and his friends back home made fun of them at some point? Thought anyone who wasnt a foot soldier wasnt a real soldier of the Empire? Thought this well before his friends had actually chosen to join the Empire's ranks. Long before this interaction now. Thought all of this long before he'd actually left that bakcward planet and been exposed to the galaxy.

As the amusement faded from his features he gave a slight nod of understanding.

“Do you intended to stay here?” The Sith asked, the slightest of emphasis on one of the words. As if….as if one answer might dismiss the presence of the newcomer, maybe. Or maybe as if staying meant one reaction and leaving would mean another. This might have been more difficult to read, the intent behind the question.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan felt himself relax, just noticeably. His own smile evened out. He could, as a rule, tell when people - even Forcewielders - were deceiving him. This looked and felt genuine enough.

"If the spirits of the Valley don't mind my pitching a tent, then yes."

He took a reflexive look around at their surroundings. Obelisks of all descriptions lurked in the shadows of harsh rocks; a miasma of power and insanity could be felt in each and every one. He confessed himself truly impressed.

"How good are the neighbours? The living ones, that is." Just about every Inquisitor of a certain level of experience had heard tales about the guardians of the tombs. Je'gan was no exception. Skeletons with blades; alchemical monstrosities (which didn't, in Je'gan's book, count as living); spirits of acolytes and the shadows of the Dark Lords themselves. Stranger things, too, less definite. Any place steeped in the Dark Side...well, Je'gan had been on Vjun more than once. He knew just how strange that had been, and how pale Vjun's darkness was compared to the Valley. He also had a very realistic idea of his own abilities.

In other words, he had no intention of camping - and that was what gave his question its point. A wholly unexpected string of new doorways had opened up in the mind of Je'gan Olra'en, and he knew he was going to do his best to take the opportunity they presented. He had served with Sith Lords and never aspired to be one - he had never thought it possible to become like Palpatine and his executor. 'Sith' had been something he associated with those two, a descriptor for them and nobody else. That was as much shameful as enlightening.

Shameful, because he should have realized the possibility sooner. Enlightening, because those new doorways were opening themselves up like mad.

[Sasha Kovalev]

Pitch a tent, huh? Sasha could think of a million decisions far more intelligent than attempting to pitch a tent down in one of these valleys. One would never get a full night of sleep, what with the howls of the hounds, bats, rare dragon sighting and of course, the actual neighbors of the Order. And if those realities didn’t make one crazy, the blood red skies, the darkness, the feeling of the spirits most certainly would. No, one would need protection against the elements of Korriban, if only to give the body the rest it eventually needed to survive and keep the mind intact.

The question regarding the neighbors might have brought the faintest of expressions of amusement to Sasha’s normally serious countenance. The neighbors. If anything, he appreciated the man’s sense of humor.

“Somewhat unpredictable.” He answered honestly. He did not reveal that there was a fortress full of neighbors, brothers and sisters in an Order of the Sith. Even as a brother he could not always account for the decisions or behaviors of the others. The only steadfast rule was that there would not be fighting within the Order.

“Though you can always count on them to keep the riff raff out.” He added, referring to the Orders way of exterminating those who visited the planet and did not belong. There was something about the answers of this man that seemed honest enough. And despite the initial feeling of unease, Sasha had moved beyond.

“Perhaps you would be interested in meeting them?” The ‘neighbors’ did not execute strangers on the spot. At least, most of them didnt. The idea was to build an order of followers of the Sith, and to do this required admission to the ranks to those who served the Dark Side, to those who wished to access the power the force could provide.

And Sasha could sense it - could feel the presence of Je’gan in the force. The signature was there. Perhaps an introduction to the Order would entice this one to stay, for despite the fact that Sasha knew only the man’s name and little more, he already liked the guy far more than he liked several of the other members of the Order.

There was something grounded about this man. Something somewhat humble, yet not weak. And Sasha not only liked this about him, but respected it. Respected it far more than the outward, overwhelming arrogance of most who brought their swagger and attitude to a place that deserved far more respect than they often displayed.

A light wind blew, carrying with it the call of late afternoon approaching and the coming of the evening. It tugged at the somewhat longer locks of his dirty blond head of hair and he reached absently to brush them back from his eyes. It was time to return home.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

“I’d like that,” the Inquisitor said promptly. A hint of a smile still played about his face, a faint echo of the glee that was locked behind impenetrable mental shields. “They sound like my kind of people. If you don’t mind a slightly pointed question, Lord Kovalev, how many of them are there? I like to know something about my neighbours beforehand, you see. Who’s in charge, that sort of thing. You understand.”

[Sasha Kovalev]

He did not mind direct questions. In fact, he favored them over those that sought one answer while making it sound as if they sought something else. He expected that people would try to play him, for the galaxy, he had found, was like that. And while he had adjusted to this, his roots were hard to deny. He had grown up on a small, quiet planet, where most people were rather direct. And down at the core, it was what he preferred.

But as a Sith, as a knight of the Sith, he had encountered far too many who would frame their questions in a way that concealed their true purpose. And so while this question was direct, and while he had a good feeling about this individual, a part of him did not deny a suspicion that the question was asked for far more than just knowing a bit about the neighbors before meeting them.

“Yes,” He replied with a subtle nod, “I do understand.”

He gestured for the newcomer to walk with him. It was a few kilometers and would take some time, but that, as far as Sasha was concerned, would be a good thing. It would offer an opportunity to learn a bit more about the one he would be escorting into the halls of the Order.

He was willing to give a bit of an explanation about the ‘neighbors’, but would not give away too much information. For while they had now come out of hiding, come out of the shadows they had been forced to live under so as not to be sought out and destroyed by Palpatine, there was still a bit of secrecy. Afterall, they were still feeling things out, still working on strategies for their destruction of the rebellion and ultimate control of the galaxy. And now that the Emperor was gone, it was difficult to know who else would come out of the woodwork as opposition.

It was better to have an element of surprise.

“There is one who would be considered the leader, for it was she who brought all of us here, but ultimately we coexist through a common goal and are advised in our actions by a council of Elders.”

This was the basic explanation and did not reveal how, when, or where all of this had occurred. At one point their history would perhaps be made common knowledge to the Inquisitor, but for now it would not be revealed by the knight.

“And there are more neighbors than you would expect.” He added, a small smile of pride slipping into visibility.

“You were loyal to the Empire?” He asked, noting the dress of the visitor and changing the direction of the conversation back toward Je’gan.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I was loyal to the Emperor," he replied as he stepped over a large rock, "personally and unequivocally. The rest of the Galactic Empire was nothing more than an appendage to his will: something I could serve, but in the end it fails to hold my loyalty. I'm not obsessed with justice, nor with civilization. In fact, I don't have many obsessions, when you boil it all down. Not even with power."

The Inquisitor shrugged fluidly. "I'm strong enough, I suppose, and I do want to become stronger. I just don't see power as an end in and of itself. What I want-" He stopped and turned to look his guide in the face. "-what I want is to change the universe. This order of Sith wouldn't be able to help with that, would they? Now that the Emperor has fallen..."

It only made sense: Je'gan had heard - vaguely - of the Rule of Two: one Master, and one Apprentice. Palpatine and Vader had to be the reasons for this group of Sith to have kept so much to the shadows. Would that change? At first glance, the question was critical; with a little more thought, it ceased to be. If there would be action to be taken, Je'gan would have little trouble aligning himself with them.

And if their lives consisted of study and total seclusion, then perhaps changing that could become his goal. Perhaps. It was too early to make definite assumptions.

He felt, though, that since this group had been gathered fairly recently, not developed over centuries or millennia, there had to have been an impetus. In terms of a Darksider, that meant reward of some form or other.

"...suffice it to say," he finished, "that I want very much to become a Sith, milord."

[Sasha Kovalev]

Je’gans admission of loyalty to the Emperor had given Sasha a brief moment of pause. Loyalty to the Emperor would at one time have meant destruction of the Sith Order. Would have called for his head on a platter and there was no denying that he was wary of anyone who would have been considered a loyalist of the Emperor. But the explanation that followed sought to soothe such concerns.

Je’gan seemed level headed enough to realize that the Emperor was gone and that it was his goals that should live on – and that perhaps they would need to be continued under a different form of leadership. And what made the Inquisitor seem even more that he had a solid grip in reality was the suggestion that he did not have an obsession with power. Or with anything, really.

Too many Sith had been destroyed by their own obsessions. Destroyed by passion so deep and so powerful that it had consumed them. To recognize this and step away from it and redirect desires and passions into a tamed effort, well that seemed far more logical than allowing oneself to be consumed. To release passions and let them drive you, let them help you to access the force under a tempered form – that seemed to him a solid way to harness the power of the dark side.

”…What I want - what I want is to change the universe. This order of Sith wouldn't be able to help with that, would they? Now that the Emperor has fallen..."

He smiled openly at this. It was not mockery of Je’gan, nor was it amusement. It was delight in its purest form – a sincere smile.

“I don’t think it is beyond the realm of possibility.” He answered. He was not intending to be vague, but rather felt that a more thorough explanation would have far more effect within the halls of the Order and in the presence of those who had created and maintained the teachings of the Sith over these years of secrecy.

"...suffice it to say that I want very much to become a Sith, milord."

Sasha nodded in acceptance of the admission of this desire.

“Could it be that you already are one?” Sasha asked as they continued their journey. They were ascending the narrow path that led from the valley of the crater back up to the rim. From there the walk would be much easier and the ground a bit less treacherous.

“Your words of only moments ago suggested your strength and desire to increase that strength, I am assuming in the force, as your signature is present….?”

(ooc: PM me if you’re not ok with it, but Im going to assume Je’gan acknowledges this, if that’s alright, for the sake of moving it along)

Sasha waited for an acknowledgement of this before probing further.

“What is it that you use to harness the power the force provides?” He inquired, his question sounding less like a child asking why why why and more like a student of the Sith teachings. More as one who expected a particular answer, perhaps.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

OOC/ No problem.

IC/ His answer was both quick and certain, beginning even as the sloping ground chose to slip out from under his feet. He managed an "Imagine, if you will-" before his danger-sense kicked in and he dropped his train of thought for a point-blank immersion in the Force. He knelt instantly, sturdy trousers taking the edge of a sharp rock without visible damage; the skin remained unbroken. Rather than distract him from dealing with the shifting rocks, however, the pain fuelled him. His grasp of the Force, the small stretch of rocks - small enough that it did not include Kovalev - and of his own physical abilities combined in a single moment of unity under a grounded yet dictatorial will. The rocks stopped, and so did he; the Force rang with a clear note of power, felt rather than heard. He stood and began walking as though nothing had happened. If Sasha had blinked - unlikely - he probably would have missed all but the process of Je'gan getting back to his feet.

"I focus all my will, all my rage and sometimes hatred, behind my eyes. I get best results while doing a diaphragmatic exhalation. From there, I simply extend my focus - it's almost like reality has folded in on itself, like a the shell of a wah'l nut or a humanoid brain, but more so than either. It's like a crushed and slightly twisted ball of mirrors made of air - at least that's how it feels to my mind. That' my focus and my power. Then I just do what I need to do - I'm usually angry about something, or feeling bitter. Those emotions can be summoned at need; I wouldn't be much of a mentalist if I couldn't at least do that."

[Sasha Kovalev]

Yes. He did feel it. It was that familiar feeling of the force, surging and bending to the will of another. It was somewhat like breathing in a gust of adrenaline, for it was a reminder of what it felt like to employ the dark side, what it felt like to harness the power that it could provide. And as he had been keeping a close eye on his companion, less through his eyes and more through his senses, he could not have missed the fact that the control of the force was coming from the one who walked beside him.

He had been focused upon the rocks at his own feet and had seen those of the one beside him slip and then grip. This brought a slight smile of approval to his lips, to see one employ the force so casually and for such a practical purpose. It spoke of the force being a part of the Inquisitor, and that was promising.

And what with the explanation of the way the force was evoked, the way it was harnessed, well this spoke volumes, perhaps. Sasha sought idly for the truth to these words, though he knew with someone who was a mentalist it would be difficult to breach any barriers. Still, he found nothing that spoke outwardly of deceit, and indeed he had felt the surge of anger only moments ago.

“One of the basics in the way the Sith harness the force is the use of extreme emotions, the anger, the hatred you have just suggested.” Sasha responded, giving a glance toward Je’gan. “We are taught to believe that our power derives from allowing extreme passion to surface, whether those passions be of anger and hatred, or of love or concern. It matters less really what those feelings are of, and more that there is extremity to them. Through such emotions we can channel the power of the dark side.”

He smiled slightly. Though the emotions were not there on his lips, they might have surfaced slightly within his eyes- a gleam, perhaps, of approval.

“How did you learn to channel your emotions this way?” He asked, more out of curiosity at this point than anything further. He was not asking because such a thing was needed for acceptance. Rather, he was interested to know.

They were coming out of the valley now, the ground beneath their feet becoming a bit more even, though strewn with rocks and other smaller obstacles.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He snorted.

"That's the Dark Side, plain and simple. Ever heard of Tremayne? The Sovereign Protectors? The Emperor's Hands? One may use the Dark Side without being a Sith; one may learn it in the framework of the Empire, so long as one takes care not to become a threat. I was taught by Inquisitor Tremayne and certain other Imperial Adepts. At one point..."

He cut himself off, more because the experience was important to him than because it was to be kept secret. In the end, despite the relative loquaciousness to which Sasha's company had promted him, he was not entirely comfortable sharing everything about himself, and what he had been about to mention more or less defined who he was.

Instead, he continued to talk, choosing now to ask a question that he had been meaning to ask for a few moments now.

"What more is there to being a Sith?"

[Sasha Kovalev]

Yes, it was the dark side, plain and simple. Sasha could understand that reasoning. He had, afterall, taken the past five years to live with his uncle, a force adept, and serve under a master of the force who considered himself a dark jedi. Dark jedi was the blanket term for all non-Sith force users. It did not mean that they had ever actually been jedi. Only that they were force users who accessed the force through emotions – a channeling method considered to be of the dark side.

It did not surprise him that there were other adepts out there who feel into neither the category of Sith or of Dark Jedi. Afterall, not everyone felt a need to categorize themselves, or join….join the brotherhood. For truly that was the difference that Sasha felt.

It did not go unnoticed that the conversation had ended somewhat abruptly at one point, the topic moving from one thing to another. But Sasha did not pry. Clearly the Inquisitor had something that he did not wish to share at this point in time. And Sasha, being one who was among the brotherhood of the Order, but not a member of the Elder society, was well used to handling the fact that there were things in life that would, in due time, be told. Not everything had to be mentioned immediately. And he was patient enough to wait. Most of the time.

And so rather than pry, he chose to address the question asked of him.
“The answer to your question depends upon what information it is that you seek.” Sasha replied. He was not one who minded questions. In fact, he was enough of a student at heart that questions were rather an enjoyable aspect of life.
“If you are searching for the general answer, what more there is to being a Sith could be answered most simply by saying that you are a force sensitive who has been not only trained in the ways of the Dark Side, but you have been given the rights of the Sith. It means that you have been ordained and approved by your master as member of the Order. It means that you will be taught all the nuances of the Sith arts. It means your abilities will be honed. It means your strength in the force will be improved to the point of mastery. It means you owe an allegiance to your master and to the Order to which you belong. It means you are a part of a very selective brotherhood. And only through this brotherhood will you gain true mastery of the Dark Side of the force. Others can attempt it, but it is only through the teachings of the Sith that it will happen.”
He stopped for a moment at the top of the crater. At the edge of it as they were the wind was stronger. Sasha reach for his hood and pulled it over his head.

“If you are asking what it means to me, personally, you will likely find that my response would vary greatly from the others who have been given the right to call themselves a member of the Sith Order. Every one of us will have our own personal explanation of what more there is to being a Sith – though common among all of us, I believe, would be the theme of brotherhood. To be a Sith encompasses much, much more than an ability to master the Dark Side of the Force.”

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan stopped also, turning to face Sasha and feeling the hood of his field uniform plaster itself against the side of his face. "I would expect so," he said slowly. He made no comment on the Rule of Two: after all, different traditions...

"Still," the Inquisitor continued after a moment, "that has to be something of it." A ghost of a smile passed over his face. "Is there any kind of an...entrance examination in that regard?"

[Sasha Kovalev]

An entrance exam? Sasha raised an eyebrow only slightly at this question. There was an entrance exam of sorts, yes. And whether he knew it or not, whether he wanted it or not, Je’gan was already in the midst of it.

“We would not be all that selective if there was not.” He answered. It was a vague answer, perhaps, but it was exactly the sort of response that question deserved. Entry to the Order was not something one could study for. One either had the potential or they did not. The members of the Order either accepted the person or they did not.

At they rose of the crest of a smaller crater the structure of the Order came into view. It seemed to rise into the red skies in the distance, looming and perhaps exuding the power and the darkness of the beings within.

“Welcome to the neighborhood…” Sasha stated, a bit of a smirk raising the corners of his lips. It was not a smirk to suggest he found the one with him stupid – but rather the Order - the structure itself and the feeling that radiated from it - was rather imposing and perhaps even a bit surprising and intimidating to one who had maybe not expected such a thing to exist.

He had been staring ahead as he said this, pride within his eyes. But he turned now to Je'gan and gave a genuine smile.

"While the location may leave something to be desired," He began, referring to the fact that the entire planet seemed to be one crater after another beneath skies so red you couldnt help but feel anger and rage, "I believe you might find yourself quite at home here."

[Lady Vader]

As the two men made their way up the slope from the valley, a lone figure could be seen standing at the entrance to the large catacomb the Order had made their home in. Hewn from the black rock, the front of the temple was elaborate, reaching high into the red sky.

Yet through the doors of the catacomb, the halls were dark, made from black marbles, the floors laid with long rugs to match the color of the sky. Flickering torches led the way, as the Sith runes etched along the walls threatened to engulf you in their darkness.

The Order's home stretched for miles below the surface, where rooms of the members could be found, as well as large caverns for meetings and recreation. The second largest of these caverns had been transformed into a library to hold vast knowledeg and information on the Dark Side and the Sith, as well as any other information one might need to know about the galaxy.

The largest cavern was a unique spectacle. It was unlike the other caverns. It had a phospherecent moss that grew along it's walls, shedding a warm glow into the cavern. In the cavern a natural spring flowed through coming from a hole in the cavern that created a waterfall, allowing plant life to flourish. Small fish splashed in the large spring that spilled into a pool. Cave birds thrived among the trees, while the bats made homes among the stalagtites. Even small cave rodents scurried about, making homes in holes in the ground. It was the last thing you'd expect to find deep within the catacomb.

But all this the newcomer had not yet seen or even imagined. For he had yet to walk through the entrance to the catacomb. And in order to do that, he would have to meet LV first.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I believe you're right," Je'gan answered slowly. In truth, his attention was elsewhere: his danger-sense was narrowing its focus, distinguishing between the man beside him, the figure in the distant door, and the other, massed occupants of the building ahead. The refinement reached the point where he could definitively say that that figure - it seemed female to his perceptions - was more dangerous than Sasha, than anyone else present, and perhaps more than all the rest of them put together. An instant later, his more regular Force-based senses faded into effect, verifying that she was indeed very - very - strong: stronger than Tremayne and not much weaker than Darth Vader. This had to be the one of whom Sasha had spoken.

He made his choice in an instant. Though he appeared to walk beside Sasha, that was nothing more than an illusion: an imprint on reality of the images, sounds, sensations and Force perceptions that he wanted perceived. The real Inquisitor was several paces to the side, moving silently on boots designed for stealth, cloaked in an illusion of invisibility and silence. Even his Force signature was gone, and a copy of it placed within his illusory double. With luck - and with Je'gan's experience in illusion behind the trick - not even Sasha would notice.

[Sasha Kovalev]

The combination of several Sith skills - Blinding the Mind’s Eye to remove the force signature, cloaking and illusion – were powerful skills. They were confusing to those who did not expect them. And for those who were skilled enough in the area of mentalism and spectromancy, even the moment of delay it took to realize what the other force user was employing could be deadly.

If Sasha noticed, it was not revealed. In any case, he would have been a fool to reveal if he had noticed, for that would have taken away an element of surprise was it needed. He was not as skilled a mentalist as Je’Gan, for his natural skills seemed to lie in the areas of Aeromancy and Pyromancy. But he had made Mentalism a priority, for he had been taught the importance of it long, long ago when he had been nothing but an apprentice. And for those thirteen years it had taken to bring him to the point where he was today, he had worked to improve upon those abilities.

Awareness was not a skill known only to those who were followers of the dark side or the Sith teachings. Awareness was a necessity for anyone in the galaxy, sentient or non sentient alike. It was nice to have the abilities through the force to enhance this skill, and use it in situations where it was not only necessary, but rather helpful.

Rather, he continued to walk towards the catacombs of the Order. The presence of his master he had felt long before she had come into view. At times he wondered if she had a degree of Life Bind upon him, for she was often aware of his presence and his actions. He had never forgotten the time she had felt enough of a disturbance that she had managed to witness the event that had led to him removing his own hand by his own saber to prove to her his allegiance. He had been very young then, and it would have been possible for her to exert such a power over him.

As they approached the entranceway where the Master stood, Sasha fell back a few steps or so, but still within hearing distance. Whether this was in awareness of the trick or whether it was simply something he would have done in any case could not have been known by Je’gan. But in any case, he did it. Leaving Je’gan to approach the Master on his own – and whether he chose to try to deceive her or make himself visible was his choice.

On the one hand it showed ability and promise. It displayed a slyness and awareness of potential danger. On the other hand, it was deceit before having made her acquaintance.

“Allow me to introduce Lady Vader.” He stated before falling back another step or two. He gave a respectful nod towards his master and remained where he was, his arms falling to his side.

[Lady Vader]

LV nodded towards Sasha as he introduced the new arrival, and then turned her attention towards the unnamed man, or at least, towards his illusion. He was talented. Very much so. Not even Sasha had shown that he had noticed, though LV knew he had been diligently working on his mentalism abilites and was showing much improvment.

She regarded the illusion, speaking to it, "Welcome to Korriban..." Not missing a beat, her face remained facing the illusion, but her green cat-like eyes moved to the spot where the man actually stood, despite the void that was present on the actual spot he stood. "And to the home of the Sith Order."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

The eyes were the first part of Je'gan to become visible: hard, determined, and so close to black as to make no difference, they did not blink as the rest of him came into view. The illusory double faded as if by a gust of wind.

Illusion was a complicated art, one with which the Inquisitor had a great deal of experience. He knew from that same experience that his illusions - mental tricks, not the far more complicated use of true light and shadow - could fool almost anyone, even powerful wielders of the Force. That Lady Vader could discern his true location to such an extent...

She didn't just have power; she had mastery. Je'gan bowed low.

"My honour," he said.

[Lady Vader]

LV nodded her head in turn towards the new arrival, turning her body towards him.

"And may I ask who I have the pleasure of speaking with?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

A smile flitted across Je'gan's face.

"My name is Je'gan Olra'en. I was one of the Inquisitorius and a loyal servant of Palpatine. Now that he's dead, I've left my commission."

And all that that entailed...which, he supposed, was the reason for saying anything more than his name. Better to get this across right away: that despite his illusory tricks, he had nothing - well, not much at any rate - to hide. Certainly nothing that could foreseeably lead him to act against the Order.

[Lady Vader]

"A pleasure, Inquisitor Olra'en."

She tilted her head, still not inviting him into the mountain turned fortress. "And now perhaps you can inform me why you have come to Korriban?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I knew my master came here. It seemed a fitting place to mourn him."

[Lady Vader]

LV afforded the stranger what he'd said. However, her cautious nature of outsiders still had her prying. "And now that you know of our existance, and perhaps know what your Master would have done had he known about us, what now is your intention."

She was nothing if straight to the point.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I am going to become a Sith," the young man said evenly. "Ironic as it is, there's no better way to honour him."

[Lady Vader]

LV nodded her head slowly. "Very well. Then I assume you know something of the Sith and their teachings already?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"There was, and still is, a complex network of Darksiders woven into the fabric of the Empire. There are Forcewielders of all description, from Inquisitor Jedi-hunters like me to Dark Adept administrators to fallen Jedi used as guardians for certain...choice locations. They all hinged on Palpatine and, to a lesser extent, Vader. They were the centre of our universe, whether or not we admitted it.

"The Dark Adepts were taught more of the actual ways and history of the Sith than the Inquisitors were; we were focused on practical use of lightsabres and the Force. I know some of the ways of the Sith, enough to make me effective."

[Lady Vader]

LV smiled at Palpatine and Vader being the center of their universe.

Before she had taken the name of Vader, she was known simply as Sel'arra Daijo, a noble of Corellia, and had caught the eye of the late Emperor. She had been swept into his courts and even tought the ways of the Sith. However, a particular red-head had taken the Emperor's attention away from her, and she had silently slipped back to Corellia to continue her sith studies and start a group.

And now here she stood, on Korriban, a founder of The Sith Order.

But she did not feel it was time to reveal any of this to Je'gan. He would find out in time. And certainly if he spent much time with the Emperor, he may even have remembered seeing her in passing at the Imperial courst.

"It would seem, Inquisitor, that you may be a good fit for the Sith Order." She stepped aside, and gestured with a hand towards the massive doors behind her. The slowly lumbered open. "Joining us means you must have complete loyalty to this order. If not, then dire consequences will be met."

She remained standing there, the doors open, leading into the dark catacombs burried under the massive mountain nestled within the valley. "It is your choice whether you which to proceed forward."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I wouldn't have walked this far with Lord Kovalev if I didn't intend to enter into your organization."

That was true enough; if he had been intent on honouring Palpatine by fulfilling his wishes, he would have simply assaulted the place using the contacts he maintained throughout the Empire. That was not in the plan. Thus, it would not happen. Despite his history of accepting orders, Je'gan had as a trait that he saw the universe how it should be, and did his best to make it so. Right now, T this precise moment, that meant keeping this location from the Empire's remnants and entering the catacombs of the Sith.

So he did.

[Lady Vader]

LV stood silently by as Je'gan walked through the massive stone doors without another word. As he passed by, she felt the resolve and determination in him. Yes, he would fit in well in the Order.

She looked back at Sasha, who trailed behind Je'gan, and once both men had enetered into the catacombs, so also did she.

Behind them, the doors lumbered closed seemingly of their own accord.