Cauldron of Evil: In the Clutches of the Unknown

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: In the darkness of her study at The Sith Empire, Sith Master Dara Shadowtide Rayial sat quietly and alone with her thoughts in her quarters. The smoke from the single burning candle lingered in the air as the dim light shone in from just outside. An orange flicker illuminated her face as she sat emotionless, shadows dancing on the wall eerily. A slight chill was in the air, however that was how she preferred it to be. It gave her a sense of true evil and brought her closer to the darkness which continued to consume her.

As she rose from her highback chair at the long ebony desk, her fingertips glided along a holopad with a preset message ready to transmit. It would be a day to remember.. so much could happen, so many things yet unforeseen. However, she had only one person in mind to accompany her on this journey.. someone she knew would enjoy such a challenge.. her long time apprentice, Sith Lord Vega Van Derveld. An evil smile played upon her lips as she depressed the small red button. She knew he would be along shortly so they could depart within the hour.

Last minute preparations were already underway for their trip and she walked to the comms desk to alert the droids onboard her ship that she and a passenger would be there soon. The familiar sensation of the burning on her hand seared into the still of the room as she glanced down to see the mysterious <a href=http://darkholocron.clanpages.com/Dara/DaraHandSymbol.jpg>black symbol</a> once again. It had almost become a soothing pain, a reminder of what she had become.. and of things yet to come. Taking a deep breath she collected the last of her belongings and made her way to her ship, the Resilience in docking bay 21-A to await Vega's arrival ::

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The message had arrived at Vega's quarters whilst he was resting, recovering from a spar he had just engaged in. Though weary, he got to his feet hastily and scooped up the datapad which had received the message; scanning over it with a quick glance. He grinned slightly and placed the small slab down - this would certainly be an interesting day.

An array of weapons would no doubt be needed, hence Seraphim and Tarot found themselves clipped to his belt alongside two slim bladed daggers, each hungry for delve into the flesh of the Jedi. He pulled on his coat and glanced out of the window squinting as the sun light flared in his eyes.

"What could Master Dara have in store for this journey," he pondered in silence to himself. Vega stepped out of the door into the hallway, now fully attired his usual garb - still wearing a dark grin on his face. The Sith Lord quick work of the journey from the HQ to where Dara had stated he was to meet her, eager to begin the venture.

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: Dara arrived just before her long time loyal apprentice and walked up the ramp to stow her gear in the ship. Taking a quick survey of the command cabin, she noted that the droids had prepared the flight plan and made the last of the routine systems checks before takeoff. As she headed back down the ramp to look for Vega, she sensed his force signature and then saw him round the corner.

The Sith Master smiled as she saw him approach. A feeling of pride always overcame her as she saw Sith Lord Vega Van Derveld. His stride was confident and the way he carried himself signified that he was ready for anything in the galaxy. Her apprentice always put forth his best efforts in all that he undertook, and his achievements were the direct result of his unwavering dedication to both her and the Sith Empire.

The Sith Lord had grown much in the Dark Side under her training and she was looking forward to this latest adventure to test his ever advancing skills. Folding her arms in front of her and giving him a casual visual inspection, she gave an evil grin as he walked to stand directly before her ::

"Greetings, my apprentice. Are you ready to leave? I trust I am not taking you away from any pressing matters.."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

"What would be so pressing that I would pass up the chance of causing some havoc? Especially with you, Master."

He returned her evil grin in the form of a serpentine smile. He folded his arms over his chest, then gestured one up into the air at his Masters ship.

"Where shall we be heading this fine day, Master? I'm most eager to leave and get the anarchy started," he laughed.

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: Dara smiled at Vega, pleased that he was looking forward to their impromptu trip ::

"There is a planet I have wanted to visit since I heard about it from my father long ago. It is the planet Arkania in the colonies region. The planet is covered with tundra and diamond mines where miners extract melon-sized gems from the planet's crust. I have also heard that there is a hoard of Adegan crystals that were traded for the diamonds stashed somewhere on the planet as well.

There's also an old Jedi training outpost in the wilderness that we could investigate and I have heard tales of a cyber-enhanced native species called the Yaka. They are reputed to be highly intelligent and skilled warriors, although there is something about their sense of humor which intrigues me. I thought it would be a nice change of pace for us to go wreak some havoc there. What do you say?"

[Vega Van-Derveld]

"Ah. Jewels, cyborgs and Jedi. What more could a man ask for!"

Vega smiled somewhat. He would certainly enjoy tearing up a Jedi training center, even if it had long since been abandoned. As for the cyborgs, not doubt their minds would be easy to play with, meaning the journey would be quite humorous. He turned and looked once more at his Master's ship - it was an impressive piece of machinery, and was one with many stories hidden within it's walls.

"Let us make haste then. There are people waiting to be slaughtered, places waiting to be demolished!"

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: Dara smiled and laughed lightly. It had been too long since she had been able to spend some time with her long time apprentice. This trip would definitely prove interesting ::

"I most certainly agree. After you then, my apprentice."

:: She followed Vega up the ramp and motioned for him to take a seat in the co-pilot's chair. The Sith Master was used to navigating the ship by herself but it did at least provide an opportunity for them to chat while en route. Dara performed the last of the onboard diagnostics before raising the ramp and firing up the engines. The low hum began to rise in pitch as the engines reached their peak energy levels before lift off.

Guiding the ship smoothly up into the sky, Dara took the ship into orbit and then out into deep space where she flipped the switch to engage hyperspeed. With a gentle lurch, the Corellian vessel made its way into hyperspace as the stars became streaks of light. Turning to Vega, she smiled once again ::

"We can go to the main room and get something to eat if you would like to. It would give us a chance to catch up. I would certainly like to hear how things have been going for you, Vega."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

On sitting in the co-pilots chair, Vega smiled slightly. His eyes were held on the starscape before him; the celestial display was one which he always enjoyed watching - it was never the same, a new flurry each time. As Dara spoke, he snapped out of the little trance and turned to look at her.

"That would be most excellent, Master," he said with a soft nod.

The Lupine Sith rose up from the chair and allowed for Dara to lead the way to where they were headed, also very eager to catch up on the recent news in his Masters life.

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: Dara led Vega to the main room. The ship was not overly extravagant nor did it even boast of anything related to the Sith. Perhaps this is why Dara preferred to travel in it. Not only did it provide for a less intrusive mode of transportation, but it also afforded her with ample hidden storage compartments, which had been known to come in handy from time to time. Making their way down the short hallway, she took a sharp right turn and then indicated for Vega to take a seat across from her in the booth. As the two Sith sat down, a droid quickly arrived to take their orders ::

"I'll have a glass of white wine and the seafood pasta dish. And what would you like, my apprentice?"

:: She smiled over at him ::