Switchface (Vega)

[Severen Morkonis]

Korriban, the place of the Sith. Many Dark Lords had been laid to rest within the catacombs of the planet, the Dark Lords who had made it all happen, had formed the Sith long, long before any of its current members were born, long before even some of the recent most powerful members had reigned above the darkness, above their darkness.

Korriban was a sacred place to those of the Sith, those of the dark side. No doubt even today some of the greatest members came once in a while, a pilgrimage to the founding fathers of the darkside. The valley of the Dark Lords stretched away, twisting and turning through a volcanic path, the mountains that towered above were the most barren. No grass, no plant life not even a insect crawled, nothing, simply a mound of dead, lifeless air, dead lifeless...air.

Before the mouth of the valley however was a clearing. Pillars of magnificent ornate stood in line leading towards the opening of the valley like a path, a funnel to syphon any one person into the valley, one or two pillars had actually fallen and on one of these fallen columns sat a figure in the setting sun rays, the only distinguishing mark was the crisp, frosty white hair that flew in the wind, channeled by the valley walls.

The figure was waiting, for a particular event or person it was not known, but it sat and watched the mouth of the valley before him, expecting something, or someone.

whatever it was... it was coming...

[Vega Van-Derveld]

And it came.

At first it was nothing but a figure, obscured by the harsh light of Korriban’s suns. It walked through the pillars, looking back and forth at the various tombs. All locked, it noted. All locked for centuries. There was little sense in investigating this graveyard anymore. It had been looted and pillaged time and time again, as hunters, Sith and Dark Jedi alike sought the mythical artifacts that supposedly lay beneath the earth.

It was all myth and fallacy, of course, this much the figure knew. Swords, masks, and all other manner of relics did not make a man powerful.

There was something quite decadent and indulgent about it all. In spite of having died himself, the figure had never been so revered as to have his own tomb, with its own legends and trinkets within, where adventurers would come and rake open in the hopes of somehow siphoning his years worth of work and training into their body through the butt of a sword .

Perhaps that was because it never died at all.

It became clearer, but Sieken didn’t need vision to know who the approaching figure was. The two shared a connection, an inexorable bond, whether they liked it or not. The figure in the distance was suddenly not so far away, it seemed, without his having ran or moved at all. He squinted against the light, in spite of being blind in one eye, and smiled a vicious smile.

Reunions were an interesting thing.

[Severen Morkonis]

' Those to think you were dead, were clearly fools...' Sieken started, a uncontrollible smile upon his face one of joy that his 'bond' had not died and one of filled delightful sarcasem. It was clear that between the two there was a bond, some of hatred some of companionship think it or not. Although rumours had circulated that the man, Vega Van-Dervled had been finally taken to his grave there was no way Kasstra would beleive such rubbish, a Dark Lord killed by a blaster?

Although wishing it was true at the time, there was little chance that this rumour, this farse was true but it seemed that most people at the time, including a very gullible Blade Ice settled the trust that the blonde man was finaly dead.

Sieken however did not.

The Dark Jedi Lord stood to meet the Sith Lord eye to eye though they stodd a good few feet apart, this was yet to get up front and personal, but not at this moment.

' The kids alright?...' Kasstra said, clearly a question of sarcasem it was hardly a question Sieken would pose at such a time with true asking.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

For a moment, the Lupine simply held eye contact with Sieken. Not a word was said. It was a tangible silence - the kind that hummed, the kind that you could cut with a knife. It was the sound of inevitability. Then, turning away from Sieken, he looked out directly into the sun, and the pillars framed against it. With languid nonchalance typical of his character, Vega spread his arms into the air above his head, stretching and easing them back down towards his sides.

“Quite something, isn’t it.”

It was a statement, not a question.

“What are you doing here, Sieken? I know you aren’t gullible enough to believe that you can find death and glory in these catacombs. Any fool could see that this is nothing more than a tourist attraction, a net to capture the rich and ignorant in.”

[Severen Morkonis]

' Well you know me , Vega, full of suprises' Sieken avoided the question for the moment, the beginings of a convosation was not one for explinations and it was quite clear that Kasstra was not about to let on just yet. The white haired man would enjoy himself for the moment.

Vega had changed in some way but so had Sieken. Time was such a strange thing, it could change and distort. It could age and it could bring peace or distruction, time was the god of all gods, it was the master of everything and it had taken the two in someway, different ways.

Sieken eyed his former master for a few moments and then dropped his gaze, this fiasco was not needed, the jokes, the sarcasem was getting in the way and he nor Vega were here to folly.

' Im here to catch up, Vega...to see the lay line as it were. We didnt exsactly leave on any terms at all...i just got up and left. Thought it was time to...say hello, as it were.' Sieken, this time, was being quite serious.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Arms now folded behind his back, Vega still hadn’t turn to regard Sieken. He nodded slightly, this much was visible.

“Tell me what you’ve been doing all this time.”

[Severen Morkonis]

' Hanging about, nothing to exciting. Avoiding you mostly if you must know but other than that i have been doing my own thing, been collecting bounties for money that sort of thing.' Sieken mused with a chunk of stone within his hand and then tossed it down by his boot. He sounded uninterested, as if the question posed no importance.

' I still had contacts back when i worked for Prent, i got by like that, on my old reputation...'

Standing strait again, Kasstra eyed Vega with a pericing gaze, one of interest.

' I tried...' He said shruging

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“It seems we have been occupying ourselves in similar fashions. I’m sure you’re aware, by now, of the alter-ego I adopted … Jacob Nives, the assassin.” Finally, he turned to look down at Sieken. A slight smile was tugging at his lips.

“But talent such as ours is wasted on collecting petty bounties and doing wet work for cowards, wouldn’t you agree, Sieken?”

[Severen Morkonis]

' Such as?' Kasstra said flatly.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“Don’t tell me you don’t want to get back into the old routine, Sieken. It’s far much more entertaining and productive, for that matter. Doesn’t the dark side call to you?” he ask, one hand rising, fist clenching as though he was savoring the intangible feeling of the Force.

[Severen Morkonis]

' No one said i was not missing being within the loop of the darkside, Vega but i cant exsactly trust you now can i? A man who guided me, supported me and then suddenly turned me into one of you.

You kidnapped me, used me like some item of control, locked me up in the attic for months like a settleing experiment, like a growing mold to analyse' Kasstra said gently, he would not be worked up by this.

He had grown up.

' You expect me, of all people, to trust one such as yourself in the darkside once more?...no'

Kasstra eyed his former master and then felt for his lightsaber which hung by his hip, the green lightsaber that Kasstra never let go from his sight. Touching the saber seductivly for a moment he decided against it, he was not here for revenge, not yet.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The Lupine nodded, accepting these points as true and fair.

“For all I may have done those things to you, Sieken, you are stronger for it. You stand before me a much wiser and more powerful man than the one that I gulled on Fascinataru. What doesn’t kill you, after all, can only make you stronger.”

[Severen Morkonis]

' Nice try Vega-poohs but i think i shall stick to what im doing now if its all the same to you. The prospect of being turned into a Lupine at your call really does not inspire me to join you once more...' Kasstra said turning away from the Blonde man but of course keeping an ear out for movement.

' You killed your imposter i take it?...'

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“He came to me, you know, on Fascinataru? He had the audacity to waltz up to the ‘stadt and claim it his own. Daiquiri and I sent him on his way, left him to his fantasies, but the time had come for my rebirth, so to speak. He needed to be disposed of.”

Vega smiled, a pleasant cheery smile.

“Don’t worry, Sieken. Soon enough you’ll warm to the idea of being my apprentice once again. It’s your destiny… it’s unavoidable.”

[Severen Morkonis]

' We are the same class here, Vega. We are both recognized as Lords, what makes you think i dont wish you to be my apprentice? Kasstra said rounding on Vega with a slight grin creasing his lips.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Vega sneered and shook his head.

“You gave yourself that title, believing you were deserving of it. I’ve had this useless title for years, Sieken. Years. Since you became a Sith. I am the stronger of us, there is no denying that. The only reason I’m not a Master is because Shadowtide didn’t want me to consider myself above her, and Kasajian was hell bent on destroying me.”

[Severen Morkonis]

' Kasajian is very much my patron and she recognizes me as a Lord so please dont swandle me off with the riff raff you speak off. I deserved the title even if it is useless which is more than what you gave me, it was left to Laren to give me the rank of Knight within the old Empire.'

He rounded on Vega, his cloak whipping slightly in the warm evening air. He was getting angry but he refused to try and slice the blonde man down, he refused to let him pull the emotion strings again.

' You held me back, you hated me progressing. You never trained me and then you abandoned me for this wretched Dark Jedi within the hand so how bare you say i am not worthy of the title.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“Kasajian speaks nothing but lies. Her words serve only to manipulate other to her false deities ways. She drugs her mindless followers with promises of power and god-hood, so much so that they become dependent on her to live. It’s a small wonder you’ve slipped through her fingers, Sieken. I guess you simply weren’t playing the game in an amusing enough fashion for her.”

As Vega spoke, he began to pace away towards the pillars, yet his voice remained consistent. It was virtually silent, so no matter how far he moved, he would be easy to hear.

“Don’t blame your lack of early progression on me, Sieken. Do you think Dara babied me? No, I was given one training session then expected to fend for myself. As for you… I brought you into the Empire, gave you a home and a chance for power, and you repay me by slandering me so? Think twice before you so quickly mark me as your malefactor. Everything I have ever done for you has only served to make you stronger.

Even now as your anger grows, as you feel a want for some ill-founded vengeance. It is I at whom you direct your anger, and whether you would admit it or not, it is this anger alone that gives you power. Without some figure to focus your hate upon, you are nothing more than a shell – a former Republic lackey with a sharp tongue and dark past. See past your petty grievances and pride for a moment, Sieken – see the truth.”

[Severen Morkonis]

' Everything you have done made me stronger you say? I repay you with the slader you deserve. Not only did you turn me into a mindless drone to serve your course, you turned me into a half breed of your kind, a Lupine, a freak!.

Do you remember also, you trying to throw me off a alpine cliff? you tried to kill me...yet you say everything was for my best interest, i doubt it highly...'

Sieken wipped his head from his eyes, evil, contept and a raged passions fuled in his soul, how he hated him

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“Doubt all you want, Sieken. It doesn’t change the truth.”

A small smile played on Vega’s lips as he turned from Sieken and began to walk further, directly towards one of the pillars. Oddly, he could feel darkness in the valley. Perhaps it was a simple trick of the mind, though, or perhaps the hatred ebbing from his former apprentice. Whatever the explanation, it radiated freely around him, and he reveled in it.

“It amuses me that, for all you vilify me for using you as I did, you don’t reproach yourself. You are a masochist at heart, Sieken. I think you like to be control and neglected. After all, you could have left, but you stayed."

[Severen Morkonis]

' Do the words 'Obei da, namora' mean anything to you Vega? Do those words click into place in your mind anywhere? How could i leave with the power you had over me with that chant, that sentance?' Kasstra left Vega to his wandering, Vega often spoke like this as if in thought, Sieken was used to it.

' I view you with contemn, Vega, and yet you make it out to be like you speak of me in a deriding way? you meant every word, you meant it all and you simply trying to draw me back within your grasp, why?'

Sieken took a few steps towards Vega a hand held out in question, the look of rage and ager knitted into his eyebrows still ever present.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“Would you rather I walked away now?”

He asked, turning to level his gaze directly with that of his former apprentice. The carefree veil had lifted somewhat, as he showed a more tenacious side of his nature, one that had gotten him through many a fight.

“Can you honestly say that there isn’t even a part of you that wonders what retaking your place at my side would allow you to become? If your answer is truly no, then I’ll go, but I warn you, Sieken – if this is your choice, the next time you hear from me, I shan’t be so accommodating. There are cogs and wheels already turning, changes being made, whose repercussions will herald in a new era for the Sith, for me… but not, I’m afraid, for anyone not allied to our causes. If you are not with us, then you are against us, and this makes you no better than a Jedi.”

[Severen Morkonis]

' What exsactly are you offering? Sieken said quietly.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“Why, limitless power of course!” Vega stated, as though it was the simplest question in the world to answer.

“And most likely a position of command within the Sith Order.”

[Severen Morkonis]

'The Sith Order, is this the faction we are talking about, Vega? You expect me to join forces with a cat woman? Vadar?'

Sieken chuckled quietly to himself before looking back to towards Vega for the answer.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Vega eyed the man before him incredulously for a moment, lips curling into a look of slight distaste.

“She is more powerful than you and I, Sieken, much more. Do not mock her.”

[Severen Morkonis]

' Finaly somone you recognize as being more stronger within the force as yourself, an achievement for you no less...'

Sieken peraded a pillar for a moment and touched ints engraving softly. Long ago followers of the Sith, its founders, its farthers, carved this stone, it was so amazing to think that he was looking at something, touching something that they had once did.

' Why me, why not that pathetic excuse for a Sith, Blade Ice?'

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“You just answered your own question, Sieken. Blade is delusional, convinced that he is unable to die and that somehow he is more powerful than I,” Vega replied with a smirk.

[Severen Morkonis]

' You did not answer my question, Vega' he said giving a smirk of his own ' Why me?'

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Shaking his head, Vega turned to another pillar.

“Why not you? Give me a reason why I shouldn’t choose you and perhaps then I’ll reconsider, hm?”

[Severen Morkonis]

' You make a sound point...' Kasstra said quietly. For a moment he had picked up Vega' most promonant feat, the personality of the vain. Why not him? Sieken to himself was of course extremely skilled, perhaps not of master status yet, but he was talented.

' Suppose i accept, Vega, what sort of relationship are we likely to have?' He asked this question lightly which gave Vega room to think, would it end up the same as it always did? one of them trying to kill the other?.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

He couldn’t help but laugh at what Sieken had said, and the implications it made. With a shrug of nonchalance, he turned back to face the man.

“That of Master and Apprentice.”

[Severen Morkonis]

' I guess i cannot refuse, can i?' Sieken walked towards Vega cautiously, he would role with it, but if this was a trick or a ploy, this time, one of them even if it be himself, would die.

' Lead on...'

[Vega Van-Derveld]

OOC: Continued here (http://sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=650410#post650410).