Aftermath (Open)

[Arsalis Kyrr]

Arsalis Kyrr sat uneasily in a small tapcafe on the Outer Rim world Yaga Minor. Lazily, he took another sip of his Corellian Ale - a hometown favorite of his, though it brought little comfort now. With the events that had transpired so recently...

Again, the visions flashed through his head: teenagers and young adults, male and female alike, all of them college students, sprawled lifeless on the floor, jagged spikes still filling holes in some of their bodies, while others had remained prisoner to the durasteel band that had crushed their bodies against the wall. Some were missing limbs, others had been melted to a glob of goo clinging to a charred skeletal frame.

It wasn't that bad... just a few useless teenagers. They weren't important.

The voice spoke in his head again - he had been hearing it constantly since that day. It was an evil voice, one that sent chills of hatred through Arsalis's body - the voice of Xoriix Dvron, the very man who had caused this destruction, the man who had been Arsalis's best friend almost since birth. He had killed the students senselessly and needlessly, dropping them like stones and laughing at the horrible ways in which he had killed them. Arsalis himself had been unable to stop the man, and was nearly killed for trying. If he hadn't done what he had... the entire civilian population of the galaxy could be in danger. They still were, for that matter. But at least the danger level was minimized now.

Arsalis, quit being such a pity party. You would have done the same thing if I hadn't done it first. You are just like me, in every way...

Arsalis banged his mug against the counter, spilling Corellian Ale all over himself.

"SHUT UP! I'm not like you! I'll never be like you!"

In order to end Xoriix's reign of violence, Arsalis had been forced to resort to a very dangerous and widely unpracticed form of alchemy. In the last few moments of his battle with Xoriix, he had used a hastily-drawn transmutation array, drawn with his own blood, to trap Xoriix inside the only nearby prison - his own body. Now, he and Xoriix shared the same space, each soul randomly taking dominance to control the body, even causing the body to morph into a new form belonging to that person's soul. When they were in agreeance, Arsalis assumed, the souls would be able to trade positions on command. However, as long as Xoriix remained the way he was, Arsalis had no expectations of the two ever reaching agreeance. Otherwise, the body-switching was random and unpredictable, not to mention uncontrollable.

You are more like me than you know, Arsalis. We grew up together. I know you. You and I... We are exactly alike.

"I said SHUT UP, Xoriix! I am not like you! I'm not a murderer!"

As the people in the tapcafe began to stare and shake their heads at his random outbursts, Arsalis seemed to shrink into his seat, taking another sip of his Corellian Ale. He needed help, needed to find an expert. Unfortunately, he had no clue where to look. Right now, though, simply having someone to talk to would be nice.

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai watched this man argue with himself as he sipped his drink. His eye drifted over the room, watching their reactions. He felt no Force presence from this man, but he was curious to know what was going on. There was something in his mind, something torturing him, it was apparent in his body language.

Baralai stood and strolled over to the man, taking a seat in the chair opposite him. Baralai was smart enough to not display his abilities in the Force, for that had landed him in serious trouble last time. He had no desire to do it again. He looked over the man, looking him up and down, taking a deep breath. He wasn't sure how to talk to him. He took a piece of paper from his jacket and feverishly wrote on it. There, in scribbled writing, on the paper were these words.

Baralai Lotus, care if I sit here?

Baralai smirked, it was a little late to ask that question, but he thought he would in any case. He looked the man over, brushing his hair from his face and displaying his eyepatch. The emerald snake devouring its own tail. He sat silently in the chair, awaiting the boys response. His anger was strong, perhaps strong enough to serve the Order. Baralai would have to find out for himself.

[Arsalis Kyrr]

It was several minutes before Arsalis even noticed that someone was now sharing his seat - he was far too busy struggling with the person sharing his body for that.

"Can I help you?"

Just as the words left his mouth, he noticed the slip of paper laying on the tabletop. Suspiciously, he picked it up, reading the note to himself.

Baralai Lotus, care if I sit here?

He forced himself to chuckle. "Of course you may. Not like I have any choice who sits with me anymore anyway."

He laid the slip of paper back on the counter and took another sip of his Ale, his expression once again becoming sullen and grave.

"Right now you're speaking to Arsalis Kyrr; I'm an alchemist - though a different sort than the more commonly-known Sith Alchemists I've heard so much about. In a few moments, however, it may not be me you're speaking to anymore. Just a warning."

He took another sip of his Ale - the glass was emptying fast. He would need more soon.

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai listened to what he had to say. When he said commonly-known Sith Alchemists Baralai lurched forward. He was laughing, though no sound came out. Having no tongue did that to a person. But it was apparent he was laughing. His shoulders shook slightly and he sat up, taking a deep breath and pulling another piece of paper from his coat.

He started writing, this response a little longer than the other.

Commonly-known? Last I knew of, I was the only one. As for you, are you truly an alchemist, or do you pretend to wield the power of God?

Baralai slid the paper forward and motioned to the waitress that he wanted a drink. He wrote down what he wanted and she ran off to get it. He looked back at Arsalis, this boy was troubled. Baralai smirked, he didn't care about his troubles, just enjoying the show of the sulking boy before him. So fragile, breakable under the right pressure. Like so many other pathetic sinners, wasting their lives away, sitting idly by. He pulled another piece of paper and scribbled on it again.

You sin boy. You sit by and sulk while the world passes you by. If you were a true alchemist, you would harness your power, not let it sit stagnant.

He ran a hand through his hair and the waitress arrived with his drink. He took a soft sip from the edges, letting it run over his lips. The alcohol still burned his tongue, but it wasn't too noticeable anymore. Not much pain was these days.

[Arsalis Kyrr]

Arsalis read the two new notes that had been given him.

"Well known in the history books, my friend. Exar Kun, for one, made Sith Alchemy quite famous in the study of other types of alchemy. As for harnessing my power, it is the fact that I did so - and the fact that my "best friend" did so - that has placed me in my current position."

He took another sip of the ale and noticed his glass was empty. As the waitress returned with Baralai's drink, he ordered a fresh glass.

"It is alchemy, my friend, that has done this to me, and yet, it is alchemy that has saved many innocents in the galaxy. Unfortunately, in my doing so, I altered the structure of my body, and so have lost much of my power. It will return with more use, but at the moment I am somewhat limited in what I can do."

Extracting a pen from one of his pockets, he picked a flower from a small bouque on their table. Very meticulously, he began drawing a tiny symbol on the stim of the flower. When he finished, he laid the flower on the table, placing one hand to either side of it.

Suddenly, a bright light emerged from the symbol on the flower, then spread to cover the entirety of the object. As the transmutation continued, the light spread to cover a larger area of the table. When the light faded, it revealed not a single flower, but an entire wreath of roses, albeit very small - only large enough to be worn around an average human neck.

"As you can see, my abilities have been reduced significantly. There was once a time when I could produce life-sized lawn structures from a single flower like that one. Unfortunately," he gestured toward the wreath, "this is all I can manage now."

Belatedly, he came to a realization of what the other had said.

"Wait - YOU are a Sith Alchemist?!?" His eyes lit up with sudden excitement. "I thought Sith Alchemy died out with the death of Exar Kun! You must show me some of what this Sith Alchemy can really do!"

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai listened to him talk of Exar Kun, a hack. His time had passed, it was the time of Baralai now. Baralai saw the rose change and as he did he looked around, hoping no one had noticed the transmutation that had taken place. No one seemed to have any interest, they were all drunken in any case.

Baralai looked at him, propping his eyebrow up. Was the boy trying to impress him? He simply started writing again.

You have seen nothing boy. And as for anything that it has done, I see nothing.

Baralai took another sip from his drink, feeling the slight burn. He glanced up at Arsalis, the boy was underpowered, unexperienced. He knew nothing of what it was to be an Alchemist. He knew of the alchemic magic, but not of the alchemic science and its power of the force. He did mere parlor tricks, what Baralai could do were works of power. They were changes of nature, adding to the imperfect chain of life. This boy knew nothing.

He caught the boys random outburst and lurched forward to silence him. It was fools like him that would get them into a brush with the Inquisitoriate. He did not need to be spreading the word of a Sith being in the bar. Baralai quickly grabbed the boy by the arm and dragged him out of the bar. His footsteps hastened, trying to get away from the crowd of people. He pulled Arsalis behind him, until they were a good distance from the public.

He pulled another piece of paper from his pocket and wrote heavily on it, an angry expression on his face.

Are you trying to get us killed?! Keep your mouth silent! They are hunting people like me these days, and I have no intention of going back there.

He pushed the note toward him and sat on the wall, taking a deep breath and pulling a cigarette from his coat. He silently lit it up and took a drag, the red light softly illuminating the alley they were in. They would have to stay out of the eye of the public for a while, lay low and out of the way.

[Arsalis Kyrr]

Arsalis brushed his long red hair from his face.

"Forgive me, I am normally not prone to such outbursts. In my study of Alchemy, I was always told that Sith Alchemists are extinct. At any rate, I don't think anyone in there was paying any attention to us."

He pulled himself up to the wall next to Baralai, lowering his voice in case there was anyone nearby.

"So, about this Sith Alchemy... how does it differ from normal alchemy? I'm afraid my proffessors were reluctant to teach about it, afraid their students would try to use it."

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai took another drag from his ciggarette, knocking ash from it. He was trying to calm himself, if the Inquisitoriate found him again, it would surely spell death. He looked over to the boy, not giving and emotion on his face. He wrote down on another slip of paper.

I have no desire to teach that which need not be known by children. You practice the magic, I practice the science. We are not extinct however.

Baralai took another drag and exhaled, watching the smoke spiral up into the evening. He ran his free hand through his hair. There was no need to reveal the secrets of the Sith to this child, he was practicing a different type of Alchemy altogether. The weaker side, the force was always stronger. If he had to prove that later, he would. Baralai thought of what he could do with the child. . .what he could do to him.

[Xoriix Dvron]

When Arsalis finished reading the note, he folded it, placing his hand back to his side. A light gust of wind swept the area, but it died out as quickly as it had begun.

"And what makes you think I'm a child?"

The alchemist's voice was different now - deeper, etched with mallice and hunger.

"Arsalis is weak, this is true. He doesn't know the joys of destroying a weakling's life, of grasping that which makes one powerful. I, however, have found the truth, and it is me to whom you speak now."

When Baralai looked back toward the alchemist, Arsalis was, indeed, no where to be seen. In his place sat a much taller man, with silver hair nearly to his waist, where it continued in a long silver tail. On top of his head, human ears were replaced by that of a fox. Green eyes were now brown, and kind eyes were now evil.

"You may call me Xoriix Dvron. I am also an alchemist, though my studies vary significantly from those of my weaker counterpart - though I have also been quite unable to dabble in your area of research."

Reaching up, he brushed a few strands of silver hair from his face.

"I assure you, I am most delighted to meet someone such as yourself."

[Baralai Lotus]

Baralai looked over at Xoriix, who now took the place of Arsalis. This new form seemed dark, and didn't reflect the child beforehand. Baralai smirked and listened as he spoke. Unable to dabble in his area of alchemy, then he was not a true alchemist. He smirked and wrote on a piece of paper once again.

Only those chosen can dabble in my alchemy. Although I am curious, how is it that you are here?

Baralai lit up another cigarette, taking a small puff and exhaling, letting the smoke spiral up to the air. He flicked the ashes away, tugging at the band on his eyepatch slightly, letting his hair fall into his face. No matter how hard Baralai racked his mind, he couldn't quite tell how this new man appeared.

[Xoriix Dvron]

Xoriix's face twisted into a smirk as he read the note, matching that on Baralai's deformed face.

"It was quite recently, actually, that this development came into play. Arsalis and I, you see, were once two separate people - best friends, actually, until an unfortunate split of ideals drove us apart. Arsalis and I were both enrolled at the Galactic College of Alchemic Science, a little-known school in the outer rim. I began my study of combat alchemy, taking into hand the power that alchemy offered me. Arsalis, on the other hand, followed the weaker paths of life alchemy, learning techniques of healing and sowing primitive life - he was able to create plants, but nothing more advanced than that. He also learned how to combine two life forms into one - the process often used in the making of Chimeras."

He tossed his head back, throwing aside a few more stray hairs that had fallen onto his face.

"In my classes, my professors stressed the Law of Equivalent Exchange, stating that, in order to gain something, something equal must be lost. Of course, this means that, to gain power, others must suffer equivalently to your gain. A few weeks ago, I decided to take things into my own hands. I wanted more - I needed more." He shrugged. "It was only a few teenagers - no one important. If Arsalis had understood the Law of Equivalent Exchange, he would have agreed." He sighed. "He tried to stop me, and so we fought. Of course, as I said, he's a weakling. He couldn't stop me, so he used his life alchemy to combine our bodies, hoping it would either kill us both or silence me. Unfortunately, alchemy works a bit differently than we expect sometimes.

"Our bodies were forged together, that much went as expected. However, the forging ended a bit differently. Our personalities were crammed into the same body, but Arsalis's molecules didn't change. He thought he had eliminated me." He let out one sharp laugh. "I don't die so easily.

"The nature of Alchemy is the re-arrangement of particles in the atom, of atoms in the molecule, and of molecules in the object. We start by disassembling the object to its basic form - protons, neutrons, and electrons. Then we combine the same particles in different ways - reshaping the particles in the air to extend an existing object, sometimes even transforming one element into another. From what I understand, based on my research prior to the incident, our bodies now randomly undergo transmutation, often in response to the emotions we feel. When one of us is overly excited, we are sometimes able to take control - as was the case in this incident. Conversely, when the dominant personality is tired, afraid, or injured, control is often lost to the other.

"The reshaping of the molecules in our bodies has caused us both to lose a degree of our alchemic ability - we have to relearn how to control the atoms inside our bodies before we can control those outside of them. At the same time, we now share a knowledge base, to some degree. Thus, we can both access a limited amount of the abilities of the other."

He shifted his position, crossing one leg on the other.

"During my time at the university, I did some private study on Sith alchemy. The concept was very appealing to me; unfortunately there were very few references available to me on the subject, and none of these references would offer any insight on the workings of Sith alchemy. My professors also refused to teach about it.

"Personally, I would very much like to learn - to become one of the "Chosen" of whom you speak. However, as long as I have this growth to deal with, I'm afraid I won't very well be able to actively learn. He's not much for the whole 'darkness' thing. Me, I don't believe in good and evil. If it makes me stronger, it's good for me. If it doesn't, it's worthless. Anyway, even if I did manage to get away from Arsalis's interference, I doubt any Sith lord would be interested in training someone who is so... unstable. Not that anyone would want to teach me, anyway."

He looked at the cigarette in Baralai's hand.

"You don't happen to have another of those, do you? It's been a while since I've been able to get my hands on one..."