A weapon for the hand: Return of the sun.

[Slayn Cloak]

Continued from here (http://www.swforums.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11806)


Slayn was asleep on a light freighter, it was headed for Vjun. He was lost in dreams, ones he has for some time wished to suppress. His thoughts dwelled on his father, and new apprentice Aevenon. It was strange how he had come into being and further more how Jehova new to come and help them.

His Eyes suddenly glazed open and he realized the ship had landed, Jehova had called him over the ships P.A. They had landed and Slayn was told to leave. He left Aevenon asleep in that same room and said nothing to Jehova.

Upon exiting the ship he saw for the first time, Vjun and Bast Castle. The planet seemed to cry to him, it was weary of life entirely, this voice he heard was close to death. There seemed to be no life on the planet, save for those in the castle. The air burned his lungs and if he were weaker, he would assuredly fall. As he approached the gates the castle became clearer, it too was beaten and in that resembled this place called Vjun. He was little more than a meter from the gate when it began to rain. Slayn’s first thought was that perhaps this planet still indeed lived, but that thought was cut viciously short; His skin began to burn and itch. ” Even that which grants life is meant to take it away on this cursed land.” He could now see why this planet was strategically perfect for a holding, nothing could live long outside of the castle held by the hand.
Slayn closed his eyes and pushed the water away, if in fact this rain could be called water. He expanded a field with the force around his body, the falling liquid hit this unseen force and was repelled by it. Slayn was now at the castle’s gate, he felt a presence, but one he was not acquainted to. Slayn raised a hand and extended the field into the gate several times causing a loud crashing clamor to raise thru the bellows of castle Bast. Everyone their was now alerted to his presence, if they didn’t already sense him. He spoke in the mind of the life form which he had felt, and perceived to be close. The young Cloak’s words where stern, but soft and understood diplomatically.

” I come to join my fathers side here in Bast castle, and as a member of The Black Hand. I ask you now to see me, and to do as you must.”

[Evil Hobgoblin]

The gates of Bast opened a crack- long enough to admit a short, odd-looking figure through- then closed again. They made no further move.

The figure stood there.

There was a moment of awkward silence during which questions would have undoubtedly been raised in Slayn's mind, questions such as who this being was and what he was there for.

All those questions were banished by the creature's next statement.

"So?"

[Slayn Cloak]

This being in front of Slayn wasn't at all what he expected, It was queer and seemed to be teasing him. It's only statement was a question, and at that not one that bore much meaning. Slayn spoke much like he did before, in the mind of this creature...

His words seeped into this things mind, like water through boards of wood, they came stern, but not threatening.

" So, I would muse that you are the gatekeeper, and I wish to enter."

[Jeseth Cloak]

There was someone else who was wandering the surface of Vjun, still a far distance from the two Dark Jedi who were now about to engage each other in battle. Such battles had become ceremonial... and none entered The Fold without first suffering through such tribulations. Jeseth had not... at least not in the traditional sense of the word. Rane, Delirion, and himself - all three of them had slaved away on this planet, surviving even when the atmospheric shield was not yet operational and safely tucking away a pocket of air around Bast Castle. They had no such luxuries as breathable oxygen. Strange that he was the only one left.

He approached Slayn and the other - was it Hob - Yes, he recognized Hob's impressions on the Force, though he sensed them only vaguely. Jeseth's mind wandered to other matters: he was dying. The Force no longer obeyed him. Bacta no longer regenerated his cells to health. They had burned themselves out from the constant re-animation they suffered through each time he subjected them to treatment. His eyes were dotted with specks of green, and his veins almost seemed to burst forth from his flesh, which was pallid and fragile. By the time he neared Slayn it was clearly visible why he had gone into seclusion. Hob had not seen him in many weeks.

The Dark Jedi said nothing, and kept his hands close to his light saber. He suffered from paranoia, and no longer did he even trust his own brethren. It was no secret that Hob lusted for power, and in such a weakened state Jeseth could not hope to ever challenge him. How ironic if he were to be killed by Hob, who had twice saved him from oblivion.

"Did you bring it?"

[Evil Hobgoblin]

A half smile touched Hob's face. To see Jeseth in such a state was amusing- so many people still feared and revered his name, but the truth was a mere shadow of the legend.

His words were apparently to the younger Cloak, who was his son by all accounts.

It was curious. Jeseth had been powerful in his day, and there was potential in his offspring as well.

"You wish to be a member of the Hand?" Hob asked, ignoring Jeseth's question. "Why would you wish to become a member of this group of forsaken?"

[Slayn Cloak]

A shadow had appeared in the distance of Slayn's mind. It was familiar but dead, it was his father Jeseth Cloak. Upon his approach, Slayn began to feels his mind, Jeseth was weary and in poor health, he was week, had no power, but this was only a shadow of the truth.

It was fitting for the house of shadows to hide so many secrets, and now there was another. Jeseth hadn't lost any power, indeed he was still as powerful, but had lost touch. He had simply forgotten, in all his apathy, what was the key to his power.

At present, Slayn spoke to his father but not in the common tounge, this would have been an insult. His words poured into Jeseth's mind, it gave him a taste of the power his son had attained. " Father, I have returned, for you, with your cure. I will defeat all opponents to reclaim my spot by your side; your power will be reclaimed by your iron fist... In full force."

A small grin came to the face of the younger Cloak, and was shortly matched by his father. Slayn spoke again in the force itself and all who where listening to the great power could here.

"Silence gate keeper, your propaganda holds no presence here. If you have chosen to be forsaken than so be it, but today my father will be reborn. If I must fight you, than that is your choice... and loss. Still, be mindful when Jeseth speaks, such disrespect is undeserved in a place of great honor."

His words weren't course, but stern, they were meant nobly and hence forth were interpreted as such.

[Jeseth Cloak]

Jeseth stepped closer to Slayn. He was for the first time in a long while excited. He smiled slightly and spoke, "Show me this cure, my son."

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob's eyebrows merely lifted, but when he spoke his voice was stern and heavy with authority. "I do not consider you in a position to issue such commands to me here and now, youngling whelp. Should you do so again, Jeseth will have to find his cure elsewhere because I will have killed you."

The Dark Dwarf slid his eyes over to Jeseth. "Indeed, he is arrogant, this son of yours, to dictate the actions of a full member of the group he wishes to join."

Hob withdrew from inside his cloak a wooden cane, which he began to lean on. "Should I, as Gatekeeper, decide to act with disrespect to another member in front of a supplicant, such is my business."

With the finish of that statement, Hob pushed back his sleeves and spread his arms wide. "You have made bold statements, boy, but know this: all who would be a member of the Black Hand must plead their case at the Chamber of Gathering- inside Bast's gates. If you are truly as strong as your words, then I challenge you."

There was a sudden stillness. No cloud moved, nor breeze blew; as though nature itself were straining to catch Hob's next words.

"Come pass the gates," Hob intoned. "Come, and pass the Gatekeeper."

[Slayn Cloak]

This was a problem, This gatekeeper. Slayn reached out to his father's mind and spoke once more. " Father, if I'm to defeat this insolent being, then I must not deplete my resources. I can give you a taste of your cure, but can't compleat the process."

There was a small reptile scurrying across the corridor. Slayn lifted his hand to it, and beckoned it closer through the force. It floated closer until it paused in air, some few centimeters from his outstretched hand. The younger Cloak closed his eyes and took a breath; The skin of this animal seemed to peel, muscle tissue and flesh turned and molted. A dark matter began to drip, steam away from the vessel and gather in mid air. Finally there was noting left of the creature, save for bones and those too, gave themselves to the inky substance. This translucent matter swooned over and around Slayn's hand. It was as smoke, yet had the consistency of ink, it seemed to fluctuate from tangibility to nothingness. Slayn moved his hand and opened his eyes, the matter began to float upward and take shape; It formed a raven and dove toward Jeseth. It slammed into his chest, was absorbed into Jeseth's body; This caught his father by surprise, and Jeseth might in fact have though he was being attacked, if not for slayn's imprinting. The dead glaze left his eyes and some color returned to Jeseths skin, this wasn't much at all and was in fact temporary. It would take Slayn's own life energy to cure his father, this would leave Slayn incapacitated for a short period of time- He would be no match for anyone.

Jeseth had spent time engineering Slayn, imprinting things into his memory. The loyalty to his father, and Trace Sha, his master. The knowledge of battle techniques and subterfuge. He had gone as far as giving him human bones in place of hollow ambrellion bones, stripped him of his wings, and changing the physiology of his brain to better control the force and escape the manipulation of illusions. His hair and eye color however where defects in coding, and where one of many- the very things witch changed Slayn from a tool, and drone into a life- a son.

He turned to face hob, and spoke in the gatekeepers mind. " I am also a keeper, I am Slayn cloak and hold the shadows dear. If I must face you to join my father, then I apologies for what I must do."

[Evil Hobgoblin]

"Apologize not for embracing your destiny," Hob intoned. He brought his cane around in front of him and gripped it in both hands. Hob whipped around with a sudden spin that flared his robe out about him, and when the spin had finished, the cane was no longer in view.

In it's place was a lightsaber with a dark red blade.

"Embrace your fate, you must," he finished.

[Slayn Cloak]

" So be it... "

Slayn held his hand out to the side calling Eternity to hand; The double saber lifted from his belt, and sailed to his right hand. Slayn ignited the blades while they rest in his grasp. The black blades came to life shining their whit after glow. The young cloak then took a defensive position and awaited movement from the gate keeper.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob let loose a deep slow breath, then leapt high into the air. His jump arc took him right behind Slayn, where he unleashed a hard double-foot kick on the younger Cloak's back. Hob then caught himself by planting his hands on the ground, the one resting over top his ignited lightsaber.

With another flex, Hob leapt backwards into the air into a jumping downward strike at Slayn's back that would end things quickly.

[Slayn Cloak]

Slayn turned his torso and upper body sending Eternity into the dwarves abdomen, He pushed the gate keeper back through the force following the cut- sending hob into a wall a meter or so back.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

As Slayn stabbed upward with Eternity, a blue aura appeared around Hob. The the lightsaber sent the dwarf sprawling and the subsequent attack did send him into the castle wall, there was no damage visible to either the dwarf or his clothing.

"You see what a true Master of the Force can do?" he asked, calmly walking forward. "No mere lightsaber will stop a God."

Hob stretched a bit, shaking off the attack. "Now, come. We will continue."

Thrusting one hand forward, Hob let loose a telekinetic shove that sent Slayn tumbling backwards, then he charged forward, swinging his lightsaber in wide, horizontal slashes.

[Slayn Cloak]

Slayn spun Eternity around in the manner one would a staff, this sent both sides of the saber in to the single blade of hob's model. A brilliant display of lights was unleashed with every clash of Eternity against the opposing saber. Darkness began to flow around them in the manner of fog rolling over great plains, it gathered into spheres surrounding the dueling dark jedi. Once several dark spheres where created it stopped as abruptly as it began. The pair shuffled back and forth, the tenebrious matter moving about them, while Slayn forced his thoughts in to the dwarves mind.

" A god... A fool... In either case you are what you think, but I however am unimpressed."

[Evil Hobgoblin]

"And what need have I of impressing you?" Hob called out over the hum of their lightsabers. "You are the supplicant, not I!"

Hob made a short lunge at Slayn's midsection, but stopped short, turning his original attack into a feint. He then spun, turning his thrust into a horizontal swing that knocked Slayn's blade out of position, then used the moment from the deflection to make a second cut at Slayn's exposed side.

[Slayn Cloak]

Slayn forced the reversed side of his double saber upward, clashing into hob's strike. A hiss of light was born and heat amounted in the area. Hob began to overpower Slayn, The dark spheres of matter seemed to throb as they circled around the pair. Slayn spun Eternity clockwise moving the reverse side of the double saber away from hob's blade, but slicing the gate keepers stomach with the forward end of it, he hopped half a meter backward and pulled at hob's intestine through the force expelling a fraction of it from his body.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

(ooc) Since lightsabers cauterize the cuts they make, my intestine wouldn't be exposed. I would just be burned, badly.

(ic)

It had been a sharp cut, and the holes in Hob's robes showed. But he was a hardy breed, and though this was his first lightsaber cut, it would not bring him down.

Abruptly, Hob's entire body flung itself forward. Slayn's Force pull had been twisted by the Hobgoblin. Instead of injuring Hob further, he instead pulled the dwarf through the air for a fast attack at high speed. Hob once again slashed at Slayn's side with the killing red fire of his lightsaber as he sped forward.

[Slayn Cloak]

The young Cloak watched the blade come upon him, he set Eternity to action yet again, the dark blade giving a horrible hiss once struck against the red blade of Hob's weapon.
At that instant Slayn forced one of the tenebrious spheres to explode into a spear. It came from behind Hob at a diagonal; The dark rob was sent through hobs back, missing all internal organs, but tearing flesh and muscle tissue upon it's passage. Slayn had grown weary and his control hadn't been exact.
After quickly stepping back, and moving Eternity into a defensive hold, the Cloak dispelled the shadow, allowing Hob's wounds to gape and bleed freely.

[Evil Hobgoblin]

Hob stood stock still for a moment, frozen by the injury.

It had been some time since he'd been injured by something with the potential to bring his physical form low. It was good, he noted to himself, that he'd had such a reminder.

However, the question now lay in what action to take. This child had dared to strike out and harm him. Punishment would have to follow, but in what form could Hob inflict agony on the Force user that had hurt him?

Slayn began to choke. Something was compressing his throat and windpipe beyond his ability to stop it. That something continued, but when it had Slayn weak and distracted by his lack of function, it changed. Slayn's limbs began to pull themselves in separate directions, and at the same time a telekinetic force applied itself to his front and back.

And to top that off, Slayn's body hovered in the air as he was stretched and squeezed.

Then, Slayn's immobile body began flinging itself around with reckless abandon, nausea coming from the sudden turns and spins and pain and injury coming from where Slayn hit the ground, or Bast Castle's walls.

Wham!

With one final strike, Hob sent Slayn face first into the steps of Bast, sending him into a dazed stupor.

Then Hob fell to one knee. One of his hands went to the hole in his chest and came away wet with blood. He needed time now to recuperate.

Bast's doors opened and Hob's body flung itself inside them, disappearing from sight. Even though Hob held the physical victory, Slayn had a kind of moral one. Nothing now stood between Slayn and the Hall of Sorrows.

[Slayn Cloak]

Slayn's eyes never closed but all he could see was darkness, a small spot of light appeared and broadened into his field of vision. He rolled over to his knees and spat blood onto the floor, just before collapsing back down.

He called the darkness that had been used in the fight and set into sentry before his final strike, and his fall. The darkness came slowly but certainly, it came as a child to parent and entered his body, revitalizing him, but not completely, Slayn required much more life energy then he had summoned. The desolate surface of the planet couldn't sustain him, but he had gathered enough to move again.

Slayn suddenly realized how familiar bast was to him. It was uncanny but he knew every stretch and yard. He looked about for his father but Jeseth was nowhere to be found. Slayn gave a quick look around to see nothing but the walls and the gates.

He rose from his seat on the steps of Bast Castle, he walked through the open doors and it wasn't long before he entered the hall of sorrows. It was a large hall, empty as far as Slayn could tell for it was obscured of light, save for some few candles that burned. Slayn could sense the presence of some number of people, but couldn't discern how many or who. He could make out the silhouette of great chairs all equal in size and he finally began to speak. He sent his will into the minds of any in the area, just as he had done outside the gate.

" I have entered the hall, and survived your guardian, now I ask that you weight me, and make your decision."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"You are younger than you appear."

A woman walked around from behind the tall back of the central chair, and studied the intruder. "You are talking using the Force..I feel the buzz outside my mind." She stepped closer, drawing her loose robes around her body, as if to block out a chill.

"Who are you?"

[Slayn Cloak]

Slayn held his position, looking stern, somewhat reminiscent of a statue. De'ville felt a familiar presence from the boy, and her statement was all to true. Slayn spoke to her again in the same manner, but directed to her, and not al in the area.

"I am Slayn Cloak, and I have passed your gates. My time has come; I wish to join the hand..."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"A Cloak, you say?" She stepped up to him and made a tight circle around him, her dark blue cloak brushing him lightly as she passed. Finally coming around to face him, she looked into his eyes. "You feel like your mother...I can sense her about you." She eyed him once more.

"But you are Jeseth's son, and that is more prevelant, I see." Lilaena stepped back away from the telepath, and took a moment to check the mental blocks she had up. "Stay out of my head and we'll get along."

She narrowed her eyes at him. As she had no control over that area of the Force, she was very touchy and easily offended when it came to power over the mind, or speaking in the Force. "As for the Hand..." De'Ville paused, and looked over his shoulder.

[Slayn Cloak]

Something stirred inside of Slayn at the mention of his mother. He would've hidden it if in different company, but these were unlike the foolish Sith, and not as meddlesome as the selfless Jedi.

" My.. mother, what know you of her?"

His words were sincere in Lilaena's mind, Slayn was as a child that never knew a parent; Speaking to some old Acquaintance years after death.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She looked up into his eyes once more, and sighed. "Little to nothing. Fire Hazzard was a hot-headed Jedi if I ever saw one." Her own mother's heart was moved by his question, although she was glad there was no one around to witness her weakness.

De'Ville moved back, and sat at the long table, gesturing to Slayn to sit as well. "She loved your father, Jeseth, that much I do know. I caught them both, back when Cloak was just an apprentice at the Sith Order. Somehow she had snuck right into the Palace, under all of our noses. She left under duress, and Cloak was severely reprimanded."

She looked at Slayn. "I did not approve of relationships with Jedi. I still do not." Her heart twinged, but she steeled it. "The Order had many problems with that, even amongst its highest members. Fire was thrown out on her ear, and lucky to be alive. I would have killed her then, but something stayed my hand."

De'Ville shrugged, "Anyway, Cloak and Hazzard had a falling out of some kind. I know it was serious, though...serious enough to end in her death."

[Slayn Cloak]

Slayn sat at Lilaena's request. He sighed slightly at her comment, in a nonchalant manner.

"I'm sure she deserved it."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She looked at him carefully, and then looked away, aware that she was staring at him too much. "The Hand has accepted you into the Fold. As such, you will have free reign of Bast, and whatever else you may happen to find on Vjun. Which is, nothing." She smiled a little at that.

De'Ville got to her feet, drawing her cloak in around her again, as if she had gotten chilled. "Make yourself at home, child of whispers. If you need assistance with anything, I will be around."

With that she began to walk slowly from the room.

[Slayn Cloak]

Slayn stood up and watched Lilaena leave the room. Once she was gone, and he could no longer hear her footsteps he listened to the sounds of the castle, and sat in one of the large chairs... This was his new home, but what of his father, and his master Trace?