Jedi Temple

[Cain]

In the past few weeks the air over Coruscant had grown still. The darkness that enshrouded the world like a thick black cocoon had thinned considerably and the city lights once more were visible from the bridge of The Tempest. Without a word Cain rose for his seat and made his way to his shuttle, flanked by his five Elite Guards. None of the officers on board dare speak more then two words to the Dark Lord or even look in his direction. There was a very real danger to them all when Cain was not in the best of moods.

When Cain's shuttle touched down outside of the Jedi Temple there was no one left there to greet him. Cain slowly made his way down the ramp, he was not an overly imposing man by any stretch of the imagination. His long dark hair whipped with the wind that swirled around the old temple as he craned his neck upwards and regarded the structure with dead yellow eyes. Cain's teeth clenched together, a low inaudible snarl escaped his lips as he marched up the temple's grand steps one by one. Upon reaching the summit he paused, turning his head ever so slightly towards one of the Elite's at his left.

"Korriban?" Cain asked softly, the word lingering for a long moment with the howl of the wind as the Elite struggled to come up with a suitable response. He could only shake his head. Cain's gaze fell to the ground before turning forwards again, clenching his fists, "Indeed..."

"The Empire is ready, my lord. Just give us the command," the Elite to Cain's right chimed in.

Cain nodded slowly, "Very well. You know what to do."

"Sir!" The Elites responded in unison with a quick bow before three of them gathered their weapons and hurried back to the shuttle. The two remaining Elites stepped up to either side of Cain.

"Kairys... Statsu... you two stay with me," Cain said as he moved into the temple.

"Of course, my lord," the Elite on the right responded as they both followed him inside.

[Crazy O]

Lady Nachta was standing in the middle of the council chamber looking at apparently the Senate Building out the window. This was not the case however. Lady Nachta was looking at her mind projecting Kitana in front of her in the room. "What do you want me to say, that I am sorry, that I should have consulted you before bettering our self? I don't hold you to such standards." Lady Nachta said. She was vary animated when she talked, waving her hands about. Lady Nachta turned away from the window and the mental projection of Kitana.

Kitana reappeared in front of her. "Don't turn your back on me, we equal partners her. I just wanted to know. Did you create the armor to insure I could never be rid of the Darkside." Kitana said with her hands on her hip. The projection was dressed in her casual civilian clothing she preferred to wear.

Lady Nachta looked at her and pointed. "You and I both know that is an impossibility even if you did not have to sustain the armor and yourself with others. You can no more get rid of the Darkness as you can the Light. That is why neither of us are going anywhere. The armor was built soly to insure we survive; especially in the chaotic road the galaxy is going down." Nachta said as she turned another direction away from the projection. "Anyway, why do you care, I am the one sustaining it. You just hide out in our head just like when any of the dirty work needs to be done." Nachta said.

Kitana on again reappeared in front of Nachta. "And you enjoy it just as much as I enjoy partying with my friends." Kitana said as the image faded from Nachta's mind and only Kitana's voice remained. "You do realize how crazy we must look. Talking to our self in such a manor." The voice in Nachta's head added.

Nachta did not speak this time but simple sat down in her old chair when she ran the Jedi Order. "Yes, but for some reason it is easier to communicate that way. As long as we do not do it when others are around we should be fine." She projected the thoughts to her alter ego. The voice inside her head agreed and said that the Emperor had returned. The voice of Kitana went silent and allowed Nachta to deal with the Dark Lord. The two of them shared many of the same views and both were products of the Darkside of the Force. Lady Nachta just remained in the seat, her armor deployed with the exception of her mask. She thought about what was happening in the galaxy. She really did not care what happen to the Empire as long as it did not threaten her and Kitana was more concerned about the people that were suffering under its rule to worry about an invasion by the Mandalorians. However both wondered what orders Lord Cain would assign Lady Nachta. No doubt it would be an unpleasant one.

[Sir Lord Ash]

<sub>A shadowy figure stalked around the edge of the temple, watching the shuttle carrying the Sith lord Cain. Aku could also sense a second Sith inside the temple. When he felt a slight fluctuation in the force, he ascended the stairs, heading for the top at a fast pace. He didn't try to hold back his force presence, but didn't force it out either. He arrived just as Cain.

Dark Lord Cain, I presume?

Aku's voice was silky smooth, and polite. His hair was waiving around, somewhat hiding his yellow eyes. His hand twitched as he measured up the man. He didn't look imposing, and he assumed most of his strength hid in his force abilities. Aku didn't try to lock his mind from the probe he knew would come. There was no need to.</sub>

[/sub]

[Cain]

The air within the room of a thousand fountains was stale. A foreboding stillness pervaded the entire temple accompanied by the feeling of eyes shrouded in the darkness, silently watching. The fountain water had long since dried up leaving only grooves and depressions as ghostly indications of where it had once flowed. Cain positioned himself underneath where the room's grand waterfall once crashed down and sat down. His two Elite's stood to either side of him, both removing their helmets. To his left was a woman with long jet black hair and tired brown eyes. To Cain's right was a man with a shaved head and similar brown eyes. Each of them had an almost mindless stare, standing guard as Cain began his meditations.

"Dark Lord Cain, I presume?" Came a gentle voice from a long haired man entering the room. None of them, neither Cain nor his guards so much as flinched at first. The twin Elites were then suddenly jolted as if awakened from a deep slumber, their eyes each glazing over and changing to a sickly yellow hue.

"Who wants to know?" The male Elite on the right, Statsu said, producing a pair of heavy blasters from either hip, "I don't recall anyone making an appointment..."

[Sir Lord Ash]

Aku stepped further into the temple, sensing the change between the guards Cain had with him. One produced two heavy blasters, which didn't even come close to what its intended purpos may have been, which Aku presumed was to intimidate him. When he was at a lesser distance from a meditating Cain, Aku halted his walk.

You best keep your weapons stowed, young one, less they turn out to hurt you more than me. Lord Cain, I am well aware of the insidents on Korriban and Nar Shadaa, caused both caused by the Mandalorians. I wish to strengthen your Empire, and eliminate the Mandalorians, and the pessimistic Federation, and whats left of the Jedi.

[/color]

Aku assumed there would be some test to see his power, which would annoy him greatly. He knew a number of dangerous force techniques, and was a master combattent. His sword, which hung on his right hip, was altered with sith alchemy, and was his favorite toy. His eyes shifted from yellow to cold blue, and remained at that color, a sign of the years his body went through alterations. He waited to see if there was a reaction from Cain, or just his bodyguards.

My name is Aku Hikari, a test subject of sorts, by a old sith cult that was wiped out nearly 50 years ago. I trained under sith more than 20 years ago, and wiped them out 10 years ago, when they proved useless to me. Throughout the last 10 years, I slaughered countless. I sense another Sith Lord here, perhaps your second, My Lord?[/center][/color][/b]

[Cain]

In unison Statsu and Kairys both gave Aku the same condescending smirk, "You think yourself to be someone special?" Statsu asked.

"You must to have come to a place like this so haphazardly," Kairys added, removing a pair of lightsabers from her belt and holding the two hilts at her side, "But... you are all the same..."

"All muscle. No mind," Statsu said, seeming to finish his sister's sentence for her. An almost imperceptibly thin veil of the Force surrounded Cain and his Elite's as the two moved forward, coming between Aku and the still silent and motionless Cain.

"If you want to lend your strength to the Empire, go to Korriban. This is no playground," Kairys chided, fully expecting her words would get a rise out of Aku. He didn't seem the type to take instruction, especially not from those he assumed were inferior.

[Sir Lord Ash]

Aku didn't flinch, nor take his eyes off of Cain as the guards protecting Cain moved in to attack Aku. Only then did his eyes move. He picked up the small detail in their movement, faults and strengths they had. When they stopped between him and Cain, his eyes lit back to a cool golden color.

Korriban. The sith there have been whiped out by a nuclear strike, caused by the Mandalorians, who are striking Alderaan, or so I sense.

[/color]

Aku wanted to attack these two guards with the force, causing them to become very ill, or perhaps melt them with his vision, but he didn't.

I remain loyal only to my Master, and you two aren't that person.[/color]

Aku gave no reaction to what the guards were trying to do. He would take his orders from Cain only. His eyes narrowed as he waited for Cain to finally speek.[/center]

[Cain]

Both Elite's chuckled at Aku's comments. He really hadn't the slightest idea what was going on here, "For one so perceptive to events across the galaxy, you perceive surprisingly little of what is before your own eyes," Kairys stated plainly. "We are the Lord of the Sith. Surely a man of your supposed strength would have 'sensed' that by now."

"We do not care where the Mandalorians are bringing their war," Statsu said, staring unflinchingly at Aku, "Their war is not our problem. Our concerns are for our own war. If you want to be a part of it then I suggest you head for Korriban."

[Sir Lord Ash]

Oh, I know you I am in the presence of, which is the exact reason while I am here. You keep telling me you want me to go to Korriban. My guess, you are either trying to lead me on a while goose chase, or Korriban is your staging planet against the targets you deem necessary, and im just another body to throw away.

[/color]

Aku assumed he was getting close to what they wanted him to do. He wouldn't be led around on a ghost hunt: he would rather take the fight to the Jedi on their haven if things went horrible here. His eyes narrowed, pupils hardly visible due to them being so thin.

Lord Cain, I have a question: have you been leading me along with these two? I came here for training, not to be cannon fodder for your army.[/color]

Aku felt foolish now, but it didn't show on his face. Something didn't fit right here anymore, so maybe Cain was leading him to thing something while he did something else.[/center]

[Cain]

"You wish to be trained?" Statsu echoed back to Aku, "What is it that you think we can teach you?"

"Surely you are powerful enough to take on the Federation and their Jedi already, or you would not have entered this temple so brazenly," Kairys added. Finally then Cain rose to his feet, his eyelids peeling back to reveal the same eyes as the two Elite on either side of him.

"Or is it that you're just too stupid to know when you should be afraid?" Cain asked in a low raspy voice.

[Sir Lord Ash]

Aku gently let his eyes slide between the trio of people before him. He was being tested to see if he was cannon fodder, or something more than that. He was cannon fodder long enough, or so he thought.

I am not strong enough to take on the Jedi at my current strength. Though my body is powerful, by force powers lack. You could call me stupid for coming here, but the Jedi are weak, and the weak deserved to be crushed before the sith.

[/b]

Just like he said, Aku was a strong warrior, but lacked in the skills of the force, he knew few force techniques, and nothing would save him in Cain chose to attack with the force. This Sith held ultimate power with the force.

Strings of the force pulled everywhere on Aku, and a small voice in his head told him to run, but he wouldn't. Aku's dominant voice told him to stay here and wait out this game.[/center]

[Zilfer]

A ship had been cleared to land on Coruscant, both of its occupants stared out the window of the ship as it descended through the dark skies of Coruscant. It was raining on the outside, and it looked almost like a living hell here. The two occupants seemed unbothered by this fact however. The ship continued its slow descend finally coming to a stop before the Jedi temple, and as the ramp lowered for the two occupants lightning crackled in the air and it seemed that the storm was picking up.

"So this is the famous Jedi temple then? Hmpf." said the much larger Taung. He crossed his arms as he strode forward into the rain. His current companion didn't seem to be one to talk much so he didn't stand around waiting for the blank, emotional stare of an Umbaran. Bulgender was the first one to bridge the rain and came into the entrance of the Temple. Bulgender could feel the tinglings of the force for sure, something was indeed within the temple.

Kyrite was soon behind, his eyes adjusting to the darkness of the temple rather well. Outwardly he showed no emotions, only a state of awareness. The usual cold composure of an Umbaran. "He's further in." stated Kyrite simply as he continued forward, he expected that their presence was already known.

[Cain]

Cain's right and left hands stepped back allowing the Dark Lord to move forward and stand before Aku. Though Cain appeared young his skin had a paleness that one would expect of a person on the verge of death. His eyes seemed tired as he sized up the man who stood before him.

"Perhaps there is a place that can be found for the three of you," Cain said, his eyes glancing up over Aku's shoulder toward the entrance to the room of a thousand fountains as Kyrite and Bulgender made their entrance, "I may not be able to train you myself, but I know of a teacher who is qualified. You will find him training on Empress Teta. His name is Ryuu Sartori... he was a student of mine. Just tell him the Emperor sent you."

[Sir Lord Ash]

Aku could Sense something was not right with Cain. Death loomed over this man, but Aku made no comment on this, and ignored the two newcombers walking up behind him. Aku's mind swepted over the two people as Cain mentioned them as well, and gave them directions.

Find Ryuu Sartori on Empress Teta, who would then train them. If this was what Cain wanted, Aku would fallow his directions. He bowed to the Emperor, a subtle thing of a small tilt of the head and body.

If that is your command, My Lord.

Aku turned around, walking to thw duo who were walking up. He stopped before them so he could talk.

We will take a ship I have, a Normandy by the name of Mist. If you wish, take your own ship, if you have one. I will wait for a few minutes, long enough for you to finish what you have to do, and if your not on it, you catch your own ride.

Aku left the two quickly, marking his dominance by his first words. These were the newest, even newer than he was, of the sith, so he had to play his dominance. If they wanted otherwise, they could fight him.

Mist was a stolen Black knight Normandy Yacht, civilian style. There were no markings on it, save for two small Black Knight Insigneas. These would be removed when he officially made it his. It was waiting at the very bottom of the Temple steps, hidden in the shadows of three large towers. After waiting an appropriate amount of time, then lifted off to go to Empress Teta.

[Zilfer]

Bulgender nodded towards Cain as they approached. He quickly scanned the room for a moment and then turned curtly on his heal. He had gotten his glimpse of Cain. He knew little about the man but he didn't need to if he had gained the respect of an Empire and with it enemies. Bulgender judged a man by the power of his hand, and how many enemies he had. From what he had heard Cain was a good example of a man highly revered.

Kyrite was much more formal however. He bowed to Cain, and actually responded to his command. "As you wish Lord Cain." said Kyrite before coming up. His voice sounded emotionless, without tone. His turned and nodded towards Aku who had asked them if they wanted a ride. "I will ride with you."

"Why not, I'll ride with you as well." said Bulgender as they proceeded to follow Aku. Nothing more was said for the duration of their walk....