The dark cloud

[Xam Feldek]

Xam opened the great, massive doors of the hall. He felt a cold breeze on his face when entering the hall, it seemed it was colder here than outside. He kept his black-red cloack on and kept his arms folded in his sleeves. His head was drowned by the shadows under his hood.

He stepped forward, passing every 2 metres a gigantic pillar at both sides of him. He had heard of The Sith Order and wanted to join now.

He stopped where he thought it was the middle of the hall, he also knew that this place was full of other people who were hiding in the shadows..

"Hello, my name is Xam Feldek. I want to join The Sith Order."

He said with a cold, deep voice and he looked around in search for a member whom would ask him some questions..

[SashaKovalev]

The knight had been standing in the shadows. And it was there that he remained.

Darkness shadowed him, and this he was content with.

"What do you know of this order that you wish so badly to join?" He asked, his voice echoing in the nearly empty chamber.

With skills tightly honed, he reached out with the force, to get a general feeling for this one as he waited on the answer.

[Xam Feldek]

Xam knew his vision was very bad in this dark environnement so he trusted on his ears to lead him to the place the sound came but .. it came from everywhere due to the echoe..

"I want to use the dark side to praise this Empire and I've heard of the greatness of it from many mouths.. I also want to be teached in the Dark Arts.."

[SashaKovalev]

He considered these words, and still chose not to reveal himself.

Ther ewere many things that Lady Vader, his master had taught him, and slwoly, patience was becoming one of them.

He leaned back against the cold stone wall and crossed his arms over his chest, his lightsaber in hand, but not ignited.

"Words of greatness matter little if they are spoken from the mouths of fools." He stated, his voice still echoing. A simple trick of the force.

"Why would you seek the sith Order to be taught the ways of the darkside, why not the others that are out there? What do we offer that intrigues you so much?"

[Xam Feldek]

Xam thought for a second and had a simple answer fot this questoin.

"It is the Darkside which intruiges me, I want to learn how to use it and I want to learn this here. This Order is the one I chose, I have travelled for many years since I was a little child. Everyone I knew talked about it and I decided to come."

[SashaKovalev]

Sasha finally stepped forward. Today he wore the dark robes, the hood pulled over his head. Violet eyes stared out at the newcomer for a moment before the youg knight pulled the hood to reveal his features.

They were serious, as they were most of the time, and he held his lightsaber, unignited, in his left hand, an artificial limb he had received after severing his own hand to prove his loyalty to the order - to the Sith Order.

He might have appeared young, for he was, but he was much older in experience. He had worked hard to be where he was today, and to underestimate him would be a grave mistake.

His expression was not unfriendly, and briefly, a faint welcoming expression appeared on his face.

"Why dont you have a seat..." He suggested, and with the force, a chair at the long table before them moved, inviting the newcomer to take a seat.

Sasha did not sit just yet, but paced slowly on the other side of the table.

"Do you have family?" He asked. The question seemed somewhat unrelated, but would tie in with the few things he still had yet to say.

[Xam Feldek]

Xam saw the chair flying towards him and he sat down, Sasha was still standing.. This would give Xam an inferior position but he didn't care.

"Family? Well yes I have family, if you can call ashes family.."

Xam didn't want to think about it, yet..

"My father sacrified his life to save me and my sister and he also tried to save my mother but she died too.. Killed.."

Xam had no expression on his face but if Sasha would look in his eyes, he would see the pictures reflecting in it like a movie..

[SashaKovalev]

A few moments later, after hearing the tale, Sasha took a seat across from Xam.

He set his lightsaber on the table, and his hands came to rest upon it.

He reached out, gently, with the force, searching for the answrs about this man that he sought. The rest, he found in the man's eyes.

"Im sorry you've lost your family." He stated sincerely. There were no pretenses now as he spoke.

"I asked only because the Sith Order [I] is [I] just that. We're a family here and we look out for one another." He explained.

"Loyalty is expected at all times, and faltering from that could be...fatal."

He held on to his saber, and leaned back in the chair, folder his arms over his chest in a relaxed gesture.

"Is that something you would be comfortable with? If not, you would be wise to head out the same door you came in."

[Xam Feldek]

Xam didn't have to think about this question.. He had lost his family, he wouldn't loose this one neither.

"Of course I would be truely loyal.. I understand that you all care after each other, I would give my life to save a comrade or the Order."

Xam thought about his parents, why didn't he die and his parents live..

[SashaKovalev]

The young knight nodded, satisfied with the answer. It felt sincere enough. And if it wasnt, the man was making a grave mistake requesting to come within the palace walls.

"You should understand that you will not be a prisoner here. You are free to come and go as you wish."

He stood from his seat and gestured for Xam to follow him. As they began walking toward the back of the room, a set of doors seemed to appear out of nowhere. Sasha smiled at the magic of the castle. This was something he hadnt understood at first, but had now come to love.

"Know only that if you choose to leave the order, it would be in your best interests to go only with the bidding of the elders."

Seeing that Xam understood this, Sasha smiled slightly.

"Welcome to the order." He offered as the doors shut solidly behind them. They began walking down a stone corridor, dimly lit by candles.

"I'll show you to the 2nd floor. Its where most of the apprentices have rooms."

As they walked Sasha pointed out various hallways of importance - hallways that would lead to the dining hall, the training grounds, and other places of interest.

"By the way, I'm Sasha." He said, finally introducing himself. His lightsaber he continued to carry, but only because the weight of it in his hand had become such second nature he thought nothing of it.

"And I'll let the elders know that you are here. Masters are not being assigned, as the order has gone the way of group training sessions, but if you prefer the more classic route, you have only to make that request, and if a master is able, he or she will take you on."

"Do you have any questions?" He asked, knowing that when he had first come here, he had had more than a few.

[Xam Feldek]

Xam followed every movement Sasha made in the corner of his eyes and looking to the places he showed him.

"Thank you Sasha."

He thought about the words he had heard.. Group training? Xam had hoped to be trained with a master, only him and the master..

"Can't I assign a master?"

[SashaKovalev]

Sasha shook his head slowly.

" You cannot assign a master." He began in explanation.

He could feel the confusion in Xam. The idea of group training did not appeal, and this, he understood all too well. Sasha had refused to take the route of group training, and had gone with a single master.

He had first trained under Lord Dyzm, and now, under lady Vader. It was with Lady Vader that he had found the sort of relationship he had always imagined. He admired her, and had learned much from her.

He looked to Xam, studying him for a moment.

"You can request that a master take you on. To make this request, you should go to the discussion chamber and ask that a master take you on."

He sighed softly.

"Most of the masters are quite busy as we've had many new recruits. But you never know, the life of a Sith isnt always the....longest life. and perhaps there will be an opening here or there."

As they reached the 2nd floor hallway, Sasha pointed down to the end of the corridor.

"My room is down there, at the end of the hall on the right, and my door is almost always open. Feel free to come by with questions, or concerns with training." He offered.

Later, he would speak with Lady Vader. He had not yet taken on an apprentice, but knew that eventually it would be expected of him. Perhaps, if over time he found there to be the right connection, he would offer to take this one on.

"Now, brother...lets find you a room." He knew that there was one open on the ocean side at the other end of the hallway, and two open on the garden side.

He smiled slightly.

"You have a choice of garden view or ocean view."

[Xam Feldek]

Xam thought about what he would do, group training wasn't really what he had in mind.. He would see later.

"Ehm, I prefer a garden vue, if the garden is nice of course."

He smiled and then looked around, this place was gigantic but in very good state. It was perfect.

[SashaKovalev]

Something lit of briefly in his eyes, then was gone.

"The gardens are quite nice." He assured the apprentice.

"Be warned, though, not to walk in them at night. There is a dragon of the gardens, and he does not take intrusions to what he considers his grounds lightly."

Sasha led the way down the hall, towards his room, stopping about halfway. And then he pushed open a heavy oak door on the left to reveal a rather spacious, and at the moment, well lit room. This room got the morning sun, though it would still be sun drenched in the afternoon as well.

He stepped inside, welcoming Xam to follow him. He walked over to the window and looked out for a moment.

"You'll have a good view of all that goes on...." He said, turning back to the newest brother of the order.

"Make yourself at home...if you get restless, there is a library in the far west wing, and the training grounds are often a good place to meet others, or practice skills."

He paused, as if, for a moment, assessing Xam.

"Have you received any training before....?" He asked, as he finally attached his lightsaber to his belt.

[Xam Feldek]

Xam stepped into the room, it was nice and the garden was very nice too. He sat on his bed testing the matress.

"I have no real experience with the force but I can fight with this."

Xam took the lightsabre from his belt, it had a metallic and black hilt, Xam got this lightsabre from his father before he died..
He handed 'Bloodstorm' over to Sasha..

"This is my lightsabre, I call it Bloodstorm."

[SashaKovalev]

Sasha listened to the answer, his violet eyes flickering to the lightsaber as Xam held it out to him. He took it for a moment, looking to the hilt of it as he spoke.

"It is no matter that you have no experience with the force. You will learn, in time."

He handed Bloodstorm back to the apprentice without igniting it.

"Did your father teach you to fight with a lightsaber, or have you taught yourself?" He asked.

He could feel lightly the emotions of Xam as they spoke of things relating to his family.

[Xam Feldek]

"I learned it by myself.. My father was dead so he couldn't teach me."

Xam's ironie was not really appealing in this situation but it made the pain smaller...

[SashaKovalev]

He nodded and stepped away from the window.

"It is good that you are able to teach yourself these things. Those same skills will be helpful when practicing the things your master, or the others teach you."

He looked to Xam and finally smiled. It was a relaxed expession that made him look less stern, and more his age.

"I should go. I have a few things I need to take care of before I leave for a short trip this afternoon. But if you need anything, dont hesitate to ask. I'll be right down the hallway...." This offer was made as a brother to a brother.

"The last door on the right."

With this, he made his way to the door.

"Welcome to the order."