Shrouded in mystery

[Darth Lucid]

His face didn't show an inch through his cloak and that’s the way it was suppose to be. He did not hide his dark intentions from even the common man; it was his point to gain some unwanted attention from the galaxies policemen the famed Empire. Even so attention from the lesser-known rebels would suit him just fine.

It was clear to all the common men in this tavern that this was not a man to be messing with. From the moment he entered the lower city bar of curuscant his power was shown loud and clear. A bouncer walked up to him and told him his type wasn't welcome here.

Lucid with a wave of his hand and some quite word that couldn't be heard from the patrons as more then whispering sounds. As the bouncer walked away a dagger in a gloved hand came out from the cloak splitting the man along his spine from tailbone to the ball of the spine right below the neck. The carcass laid on the ground as the man approached the bar and only a whisper was heard as the bartender moved and grabbed the man a drink with out a thought.

[Zereth Lancer]

"What a waste of life." The man next to Lucid mumbled. He was dressed in dark robes and a hood that shadowed his face. Only the bottom half of his face was visible and the rest was lost in the shadow. "Its darksiders like you that give us a bad name," Zereth continued and then paused to sip his drink, "You go around slaughtering everything thing in sight, and for what? For material things like wealth and weapons, or to strike fear into the hearts of others; this only lasts for so long and then they forget, or maybe you do it to gain power, yet someone truly powerful wouldn't need to strike down worthless people just to promote themselves. All the aggression of the world will only get you so far. It is those that think that gain the true ultimate power of intelligence; a weapon as sharp as any sword and far more persuasive." He downed the remaining contents of his cup and motioned for a refill. The bartender finished with Lucid’s drink and then refilled Zereth’s cup with Corellian Ale, “And you could at least pay for the mess.”

[Darth Lucid]

A slight laugh came from the cloak although it was barely heard. Lucid was thinking to himself for but a moment about the fact that a supposed sith was giving him a lecture on killing. How needles killing was and though only an image popped into his head. Lucid thought the man before him was nothing more then a sheep. A raspy voice that sounded as old as time itself finally spoke.

"You barely heard a sound not even the thud of the carcass on the ground. Even though you heard nothing you still believe what your eyes are telling you is true."

A true sith to Lucid would know how to use all of his senses and see through the mask. The mask Lucid had used to instill fear in the common folk. It was used to cause hysteria and make the people flee for safety or to the nearest out post of Imperial troops. Lucid focused hard then, before Zereth's eyes the carcass disappeared into a mist and the bouncer could be seen making his normal rounds through bar and no one paying him any heed like normal. Yet the bouncer didn't realize that lucid had cast him into shadows so none in the bar could see him except as a carcass on the floor.

"So do not mock my intelligence for I am far greater then you. You are the first I have seen come from where ever sith hide these days. Tell me are the sith through hiding and cowering now and willing to show there faces in a galaxy they rightfully own?"

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth watched the childish trick with mild amusement. Nothing more then a parlor trick, he told himself, He obviously misjudges me if he thinks such a thing would effect me. Zereth was an illusionist, the greatest the sith order had offer. He'd trained under many and his skill was great. Lucid's little trick paled in comparison to some of the illusions Zereth had conjured up. He turned around against to face Lucid and smiled, "Nice trick, did you learn that from your grandma?" He traded insult with insult. If the man was going to insult his people then he would insult the man directly. "I can only speak for myself and not for my fellow sith. The sith may hide, but they do not cower, and only a fool would dare insult them so. If not for the intelligence that I possess, and you clearly lack, I might be moved to attack you right here, right now, but I do not suffer from foolishness, as you." The insults where flying now.

Zereth outstretched his hand, closed in a fist, till it was between him and Lucid. He slowly opened his fingers and inside stood a miniature version of Zereth. It looked up at Lucid and stuck its tongue out and blew a raspberry in Lucid's direction before disappearing in a puff of blue smoke. It was childish, for sure. But far more impressive then the simple trick that Lucid had conjured up. It was a seamless illusion, without a single jagged edge or undefined surface. Even sound had accompanied it in perfect synchronization. He was capable of far greater things, but such a display would be lost on one such as the man before him

[Darth Lucid]

"I have no grandma never did never will."

Lucid knew the statement was meant as an insult but the insult didn't affect an enigma like him. He was a man if you could call him that born of no man or woman. He was old soul that had seen many lifetimes and lived as many different people through them.


"As for your faction of sith they cower away from the universe. Afraid the Jedi will pop up and extinguish them. Maybe there afraid of the inquisition who obliterated the Jedi and afraid they will do the same to the sith. No matter the reasoning behind there hiding it is indeed out of fear."

Lucid then eyes the man before him for just a second as both of his gloved hands came forward in fists. Lucid opened the first and in the palm was an exact replica of himself. Then he opened the other and in that hand was a replica of zareth. The clone of Zareth did exactly as it had done a moment early but to the mini clone of Lucid. The mini clone of Lucid reacted with violent volley of force lighting at the mini clone of Zareth frying it dead as both images then vanished from his palms.

"Cloning is a simple parlor trick as well all it takes is a simple moment to study someone and make an exact copy. You got anything better then a miniature of yourself to prove you’re not as incompetent as I’m starting to think you are? Anything at all that can beat a lord of the sith as myself?"

[Y'roth Helghast]

The man set his drink down and dropped more than enough for the tab as his friends and he prepared to leave. Obviously they had come to the wrong bar tonight. What dren luck to be drinking your sorrows away with three good pals and then to find out that not one but two ugly force adepts had reared their ugly heads in public. Not only that, but they talked big and loud. At least, loud enough for the wide public to hear. Hadn't they all died or something? Once all four of the men were outside, they slapped each other on the shoulders and gave their farewells. They did so quietly, the close encounter with the third kind giving them all a bit of a jolt.

Regardless, once Jhered felt secure enough, several blocks away, he broke into a run. It wasn't long before he found what he sought. In a cold sweat, he approached two stormtroopers who seemed to be conversing with each other over a lady that had just passed by.

"Yeah, she had one fine-"

"Uh... Excuse me, officer?"

"Huh? What do you want, citizen?"

"Well uh... there are two men in Rico's, a couple'o blocks that'r way. And... and..."

The two stormtroopers looked at each other for a moment, pondering the mental disposition of the man. The poor guy looked like he had seen a ghost and almost been hit by a speeder at the same time.

"Out with it, citizen. If there's an emergency, say so."

"And... they claimed... to be Sith."

One of the soldiers cursed under his breath for a few moments as the other merely stared at the man through his helmet. What a day? Two adepts!? And they claimed to be Sith?! Those were the bad ones, right? Dren dren dren. And he didn't even have to bother with believing the citizen or not. The guy was scared out of his mind, that much was obvious, either way, the soldier didn't feel compelled to deal with it himself. Adepts were that blasted Inquisitoriate's business anyways. Let him do what he was paid to do and let them do the same, right? He ignored the civilian, allowing his partner to handle him while he drew out a commlink.

=======

"Sir, we've got a report in a low grade sector 8-G33K1L, Sir"

Y'roth's hand clenched slowly into a fist as he brought himself to the situation. As commander of Project Nightmare, sleep was no luxury and it was to be appreciated whenever possible. Unfortunately, when training had ended, it seemed inevitable that actual situations would eventually arise once sleep seemed a possibility.

"Summarize IMP."

The small sphere floated around and then to the side of Y'roth slowly before his wall console came to life. The given sector appeared on a three dimensional plane and it centered in on a specific building, Rico's Last Resort.

"Two alleged and proclaimed Sith adepts are said to be within the indicated building. The report was given approximately one minute and seventeen seconds ago. As protocol dictates, I've already sent a small detachment of Inquisitoriate units to lock the sector down, accompanied by another detachment of droids and Seekers. Given three to four minutes and the perimeter will be established and all exits will be secured."

A red line formed around the sector and all other possible exits, sewers, ventilation shafts, and maintenance routes to name some, were covered in red as well.

"Throw the Seekers and droids at them, record everything that occurs. The sector is expendable, get the media feeds ready. Inquisitor Valten will be pleased once this is over, its been some time since those last two adepts we handled."

IMP understood all that the Major had implied and began to comply with his orders at the speed of light. Red alarms flashed throughout the Nightmare Complex, warning all of Project Nightmare to standy by in full battle gear for deployment. Y'roth was already donning the second layer of the CMC-400 gear.

As he prepared himself for the mission ahead, he took the barest attention to attempt to determine the reasoning of the force adepts. Sith even. These couldn't belong to the Sith Historical Order. They couldn't be that mentally defficient? The situation had been clearly explained that if they made themselves publicly apparent, they would be given no quarter. The concept of mercy had not even entered Y'roth's mind, he fully intended to uphold the given policy of the Inquisitoriate. What if they weren't of the Historical Order though? More darkside adepts seemed to be appearing from nowhere. With the death of the Emperor and Lord Vader, it appeared that a gap had been left to be filled. How unfortunate for those destined to fill that gap for Project Nightmare had been designed to refute such an existance.

[Zereth Lancer]

The image of his death brought a smile to his face. "Yes, very nice. Why didn't I think of that?" Zereth said as he leaned against the bar and scratched his chin. He was puzzled as to what would impress the man the most. It was obvious he had misjudged the man as well, although he wouldn't readily admit it. He felt a sort of satisfaction in finding an equal opponent. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the difficult illusion at hand.

The front door opened and Zereth stepped in, or rather the illusion of him. The illusion's footsteps could he heard as it walked over to Lucid and prodded him with a solid finger. The integration of Illusions with Telekinesis allowed one to give the illusion the illusion of a solid body.

[Darth Lucid]

"Very Nice!"

Lucid commented on the illusion poking him. Lucid looked it over trying to scrutinize some portion of it but it seemed almost flawless. Then again all Illusions had some form of usually the more powerful you where in the force the less noticeable such flaws where. Lucid conceded though to this illusion for if there was a flaw it was unnoticeable.

An alarm went off in lucid's head then he felt them coming who ever they where. Who ever it was wasn't coming with good intensions. Lucid looked to the front door then back to the Bartender.

"Is there any other ways out of here?"

The Bar tendered nodded and stated the roof and Back doors and also the fire escape for the apartments above the Bar. Lucid nodded his thanks to the Bartender.

"I would love to stay and Play but a storm is coming I can feel it. This won't be a safe place for sith lord like myself in a minute or two. I would suggest you get out of here as well?"

[Y'roth Helghast]

Four soldiers in black Inquisitoriate uniforms and standard security gear entered the bar before Zereth got to answer that question. One held up an Inquisitoriate Marker to the bartender who was quick to point to the very men he had just given the best escape routes to. No one denied the Inquisitoriate, at least to its' face. Another one of the soldiers stepped forward as the others leveled their riot control rifles at the two men.

"Force adepts, you are to be quarantined and questioned by the Imperial Inquisitoriate. Comply or be neutralized. Before you answer, let me make it known that the sector is locked down, you will not succeed at an attempted escape. Cooperating could result in a quick release providing you supply all that is requested of you. Any hostility will mean an immediate execution order, I repeat, an immediate execution order."

The soldier was done reciting the general message that was to be delivered to any threat level adepts and he was honestly soaking his underarmor with sweat by now. The Inquisitoriate's forces were conditioned but even assumed threat level adepts were enough to give any normal man a nightmare. The foundation keeping him standing there with only so much fear amounted was that the report had come in that the area was indeed locked down and droids and seekers were just waiting for the adepts to not comply. They were blocks away though and closing, that was long enough to blow up these unfortunate soldier's brains or whatever the adepts were capable of. And someone on the comm had mentioned Project Nightmare. This soldier wasn't the only one who was wondering which one was more disturbing, the dark adepts or their own black ops death squad, Project Nightmare.