Gaining the Tools

[Darth Eclipse]

Gyu walked through the mist in the valley of the Sith. Which one? he asked himself silently. He had no weapon but the Force as he continued on into the mist. Am I looking for someone or- Gyu stopped as a shadow passed by. He reached out with the Force. I feel nothing. Perhaps I'm not strong enough? Then he felt the presence of a concince, but it immediately left.

Suddenly he dodged to the left, a shadow flying over him. The darkside flowed through him as he stood. He looked where the shadow had gone and he saw the glow of two red eyes. Tuk'ata! Gyu swore. I had hoped to avoid them. But perhaps I can get one of my own. Gyu smiled. It wouldn't be easy, but why not.

"Why do you fight?" Gyu asked in Sith. "I am the Sith apprentice. Your master won't need you any longer."

"I have no master," the Tuk'ata replied. "I am my own. But I have grown bored, and you are the first entertainment in a long time." He circled Gyu, keeping within pouncing distance.

"Ah, but what if I could promise daily entertainment if you let me live?" Gyu offered, ever wary of the darkside. "Join me, and you can have all the entertainment you want."

"What are the conditions of this offer?" the Tuk'ata replied. "Sith always have their prices, you more, from what you have said."

"You are quiet intelligent for being a Tuk'ata," Gyu said, facing the Tuk'ata.

"Is that how you talk to everyone that has the power to kill you?" it replied. "I have watched you Sith over the centuries, and I have learned to become smarter. Now, to the point, Sith Apprentice, or I will have my entertainment."

"The conditions are that you do as I say and become my servant," Gyu said. "You protect me, kill for me, and any other task worthy of your skill. You will listen to me and me only, but you shall not be a slave." Gyu paused. "As for what I will give to you, I can use my alchemy to make you stronger and smarter. You'll have all the entertainment you want."

"Very well," it replied. The Tuk'ata walked out of the mist and lay before Gyu, never taking his glowing eyes off him.

[Darth Eclipse]

So it has begun,, Gyu thought as he looked upon his new disciple. "So you accept," he said. "First, I need to find a Holocron."

"What of our terms?" it asked. "Besides, I feel it necessary to know my employer's name. Mine is Blight."

"We shall get to that later, we are short on time," Gyu explained. A pyramidal building loomed above them as they walked farther. It just seemed to come out of nowhere.

"Is this the place?" Blight asked.

"I don't know where we're going, but it's filled with darkside energy so it's a place," Gyu replied. The searched the outside for hours when he said,"Forget this."

The darkside flowed through Gyu as he held his hand up, palm facing the wall. His face showed a look of pain, but after a moment there was a deep rumbling and part of the wall began moving outward. Soon there was an opening in which they could enter.

"How did you know?" Blight asked.

"It was the only place with little density," Gyu said. Good thing it was the right place or I could of killed myself. "I have no weapon but the darkside, if it gets dangerous your first priority is to keep us alive." And with that they traveled into the dark unknown.

[Darth Eclipse]

Gyu crouched in the dark, his eyes closed as he probed the path in front of him. They had evaded several traps, killed many beasts, and found hidden passages. He and Blight had been searching for hours, and it had been at least an hour since the last trick.

"Anything?" Blight asked in a bored voice. "Are we close?"

"Yes, this will be the last trap," Gyu said. He took a stone from his pocket and threw it. Nothing. "It seems we have no choice," he began. "This trap is only activated when a force user passes through. From my probing it seems there's a cavern below, which means it probably goes down. Then-" Gyu paused. "Then there's some mass thats not quite a solid.

"A liquid or plasma?" Blight piped in.

"Exactly," Gyu replied. Why didn't I think of that? "This is something I have to do alone, so I want you to wait here."

"I swore to protect you." Blight said with a scowl. "A Tuk'ata never-"

"You also swore to follow orders," Gyu countered, anger covering his face. "Look, there's a lot of stuff I need to do get done, so just wait here. Thats an order." Without another word Gyu walked farther into the tunnel. There was a crack and the ground in front of him began to slant down. He looked behind him. The ground was going up.

[Darth Eclipse]

Gyu floated twenty feet above the lava. Well, whoever own's this tomb must have something they want hidden, he thought as he scanned the room. The floor had dumped him in and went back into place. The reason he hadn't fallen before was because the first half had a catch.

Ah! There was a door at the other end. Gyu started to speed toward it when there was a crack. As he moved he looked down. The lava was rising realy fast. Fear took hold, slowing him. The lava slowed down. He stopped. The lava stopped. Interesting.

Gyu was halfway to the door. The lava was halfway up. Man, I gotta get one of these. He flew closer and began to feel the heat. He started to use the Force to shield himself from the heat. Gyu began heading upwards as well, but the heat was getting to his head. He reached the roof and stopped. The lava kept coming. I will not die!

The lava reached the door and some poured through. After a moment, there was a deep grinding noise. The lava was falling. Gyu dared not move as it fell down. Ha! He expected an intruder to continue on and die, so it drained after filling part of the tunnel, he thought. Or it's a test to see if I'm worthy.

Once the lava was at the bottom, Gyu continued on. The lava didn't move. He landed in the tunnel, which was extremely cold. The corridor went about five feet and stoped. At it's end was a Sith gliph.

"What goes up?" Gyu read. "Must go down?" The Sith language barley left his mouth when he fell.

[Darth Eclipse]

Gyu tumbled out of a tunnel. He was instantly aware, rolling to his feet. Then, he jumped to the left. Something flew by on his right. Lights flickered on.Gyu tried to use the Force to help his eyes ajust. Two Vornskrs stood before him, yet not not.

"Sith alchemy," Gyu cursed," can't live with it, can't live without it." But he had little time for thoughts. These Vornskrs seemed to have been tamed to guard the door at the other end of the room, he thought. A flash of metal caught his eye. Haha!

Gyu had used several swords in his life, and tinkered with lightsabers many times. This would be no different. Gyu dashed toward the vornskrs, both who were happy to attack. The hilt flew from the corner of the room and into Gyu's hand, igniting. He cut one's tail off and kicked the other as he jumped over them. He made it to the door, which wouldn't open.

"Why?" Gyu said alowed. "Such a waste of time. No matter." Obviously the idea is to taint an intruder as they get farther. Gyu turned to the animals. One lifted into the air, and Gyu through his lightsaber. The air began to crackle with the darkside, the tomb adding to his power. The other raced toward him, it's hunger for the Force over powering it's little reason.

The other vornskr fell to the ground, dead. Gyu called the saber back to his hand. The other vornskr was lifed up, and a convienent jagged shard of glass was lifted. They both flew to the door. Blood soaked the door, and it crumbled to dust.

"Good, good," a voice said. "Now go claim your prize Darth Eclipse. Your desciple awaits you on the other side of the the burial chamber wall."

"Master," Gyu said, bowing before Ragnos. "Why Eclipse?"

"Because like the Eclipse you will wait for your moment and bring the Sith to their rightful place. It was once said, 'Seize the day, and you have the day. But wait for the right day to seize, and you will seize entire lifetimes."

[Darth Eclipse]

Eclipse? Gyu thought. Yes, the name fits. Eclipse walked into the next room. It held a tomb and many riches. But that meant notheing to him. He looked around. There.

A small pyramidal object flowed through the air to his hands. "At last I have one" he said. "I'll use it on the way, I have much to do." He clipped his saber to his belt. After finding the thinest wall, he used the Force to push it out. Eclipse folowed, and stepped out into the vapors of the valley.

The wall slid back into place as he said,"Blight come here. It's time to fullfil my part of the bargin so that you may better serve me." Blight came out of the mist.

"Sir?"

"I will need time, but I shall use my alchemy to make you better. First lets get this open as we travel. We must get to my home as quickly as possible if I am to have the time to use my alchemy," Eclipse said. He held the holocron and tried to open it. Horns sounded in the distance.

"Never mind, we have no time." He put the holocron into a pouch in his belt. They headed back to Eclipse's village, running with all haste. The war had begun.

OoC:Terrible post.

[Darth Eclipse]

Horns resonated across the valley. Swords were unsheathed, insults hurled; the battle was in the air. Few blasters were unholdstered. The Sith preferred to draw blood.

Without warning, the two armies charged. The sound of clanking armor could be heard, followed by the class of steel. It had begun.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eclipse rode bareback on Blight, giving up his pride for the sake of speed. “Stop at the top of that valley,” he commanded Blight. I will take leadership, whether they’ve already won or not, Eclipse thought.

They stopped at the hill. The scene that lay before them was of carnage so great that it could have made any other species weep. But not the Sith. “It seems the Red’s were no match for us, though it seems there have been more casualties than expected,” Eclipse said. “Blight, bring me to the man in the fancy helm.

The army parted as Eclipse and Blight walked through. Eclipse heard several shouts of treason. Pathetic fools, Eclipse thought. They have no idea what’s happening. Treason? Hah, in a few moments I will be their king.

Eclipse and his disciple halted in front of the current tribe leader. “Where have you been Gyu? How dare you come back? You are a deserter, and shall be punished so,” Koi said with a calm shout. “I will hear your excuse before we kill you.”

[Darth Eclipse]

"I was in the valley," Eclipse said. " And I won't be the one dieing. And Gyu is no more. I am Darth Eclipse."

"Oh?" Koi questioned. He reached for his blade. "Who's going to die?"

"You knew this day would come," Eclipse replied.

Koi nodded to some Kissai, who began to chant. The ground shook and a circular space of ground began to rise. The stopped fifteen feet in the air.

"Are you ready?" Koi asked with a sneer. His sword was now in his hand.

"I was born ready, brother," Eclipse seathed back. His lightsaber floated from his belt to his hand. The red blade flickered into existance.

"I see you have a lightsaber. Now matter." Koi charged Eclipse. Their blades connected in a shower of sparks. The fight for leadership had begun.

[Darth Eclipse]

OoC: I'm turning this into two post cause it's long. Though I probrably should of put more in the first.

IC:

Ragged breaths cut through the icy silence. Both combatants were tired and wounded. He’s obviously better with a blade, Eclipse thought.

Koi charged Eclipse once again. The darkside flowing through him, Eclipse threw his lightsaber. His brother blocked it without a thought, the saber careening of to the left.

Eclipse rolled to the side as Koi’s blade came for his head. His saber flew to his hand and ignited, blocking the sith sword aimed at his neck.

“Enough!” Eclipse brought his left hand back and then thrust it forward. Koi flew back five feet. Ruddy armor, Eclipse thought as he deactivated his lightsaber and hung it at his belt.

[Darth Eclipse]

Eclipse began to chant as he stood. He looked across to Koi and realized that his brother wasn’t as tired as him.

But that began to change as more and more of the darkside flowed through Eclipse. His ‘spell’ was almost complete, but he knew Koi would not be inclined to let him finish.

There was a giant crack as part of the rocky arena separated form the rest. A storm brewed around them as Eclipse began the last line. The air crackled with darkside energy, though the two weren’t strong enough to cause this. No doubt a fight has broken out between people loyal to me and Koi, Eclipse thought.

The huge rock his brother had lifted began to spin. Eclipse said the last word as it rushed toward him. Koi cursed as he felt the enchantment leave his armor, but Eclipse heard nothing as he focused on the boulder hurdling toward him. He pushed out with both hands, breaking up the rock.

At this rate every powerful Force user in the galaxy will have their eyes fixed toward here, Eclipse thought. I better hurry up and finish this so I can unite the Sith. I want to impress my Master if he comes or be able to destroy a bunch of Jedi.

Eclipse brought up his hand, lifting his distracted brother in the air. He quickly clenched his fist, but only Koi’s right arm shriveled. What? Eclipse thought. He must have another charm or something. Eclipse held his hands out, palms up, and began to slowly lift them up. His face showed the strain of his task.

The ground under their feet began to crumble. Yes, it’s working! he thought. And then he saw Koi. His arm was in the same position as Eclipse’s, but then he stopped and drew his sword. He slashed down-ward, and the arena was sliced in half. Suddenly Eclipse was falling. He called his lightsaber to his hand. What was that? He made a nice, clean cut. That’s not possible for him. Something must be helping him. There was a wicked laugh from above, drawling his attention. Koi was falling toward him, sword in hand.

[Darth Eclipse]

Eclipse jumped up to meet Koi's blade. Fool, he still think's I took his armor's enchantment off, he thought. Eclipses saber was blocked. They clashed a few times as they fell. And then it happened.

Eclipse jumped from a rock straight for Koi. Koi did likewise. Koi rose his blade to block Eclipse's saber as it came for his neck. And then the saber cut straight through the sword and Koi.

Eclipse slowed his desent and landed, useing the Force to shield himself from the debris. "Hah, you never were smart Koi," he said as his brother's corpse hit the ground. Then the smoke began to clear.

[Darth Eclipse]

Eclipse stood on a fairly large boulder. His tribe stood before him, and several lay dead on the ground. So they were fighting, he thought.

"My brother was a great Sith," Eclipse began," but in the end he forgot what a Sith is." He held up his brother's broken sword. "He forgot a Sith does whatever it takes to win."

Eclipse tossed the sword in the dirt. "The time has come for us to act. The Sith Empire shall be revived!" The were some murmurs. "I am not a tribal leader. I am a Sith Lord. We have returned, and now you will bow down or be destroyed."

They know I can't kill them, but they also know I am not the master, he thought. People began to bow. Once everyone bowed Eclipse continued. "Now that I have your loyalty, I want a pair of men to travel to each tribe and tell them the Sith Lords have returned. Those that decide to live are to meet at our vity and begin the cunstructon of weapon's and ships."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eclipse sat crosslegged on the floor of a dark room. Blight lay before him. And then Eclipse began to chant. Blight began to grow bigger and his claws sharper. He seemed to become perfect in every way. Except one. And only Eclipse knew which one.

[Darth Eclipse]

Eclpse'meditated' in his room. It had been a week since he had taken leadership. The holocron was very inlightining, talking of many ways the darkside can be used. One of which he was trying now.

The Gatekeeper had talked of how when large amounts of darkside energy is used it can cause tremors in the Force. Eclipse was trying an improvised version of this. He was trying to cause small tremors in the darkside, hoping his unknown Master would become curious.

Eclipse sighed as he got up. He had work to do."Ranic, report."

"A few more men have joined, but I'm afraid without your Master, the true Dark Lord, many are ignoring you," Ranic replied. "But weapon's are plentiful. We're having trouble with the starships, sir. We're unsure of the galaxy's recent technology."

"Then salvage parts from shipwreks and get some transmitter's going. Then use them to lure ships with false cries for help.," Eclipse comanded. "Now how are the speeder's coming?"

"Fine sir, we've managed to recreate our own versions of the ones we salvaged with our planet's metal's."

"Good, I need one for a journey," Eclipse said. "I'll be gone for a couple of day's, and you have your order's. If anything major comes up, have Blight contact me." He shouldered a pack. "And if I return to things not as I have specified, you'll find yourself on a funeral pyre."

"Yes my lord," Ranic replied. "I'll take you to the speeder's."

[Darth Eclipse]

Rocky ground spead by as Eclipse rode an improvised speeder. I'm almost there, he thought. Only a few more- He didn't finish the thought as he left from the speeder.

A huge hand swated the speeder away. The speeder flipped and skidded to a stop. Eclipse looked at his attacker. If Sith could pale, he would have. He ran straight for the speeder, quickening his pace with the Force. But it was for naught.

A giant hand knocked him to the ground. Eclipse ignited his lightsaber as he dodged another swipe. He then faced the every Sith's nightmare. A Terentatek. They have awakened, Eclipse thought. This is both good and bad. Eclipse grinned.

[Darth Eclipse]

Eclipse faced the beast before him. Ok, he's resistant to the Force. He wants to eat me. And my only mode of transportation is in pieces.

The Terentatek charged and Eclipse dodged to the side, slicing into it's leg. He rolled back to his feet, only to find that his saber hadn't cut through it's thick hide. Come on Eclipse, think! Your saber isn't strong enough to cut it, and it's resistant to the Force. This is nothing compared to what you will face later.

And then he had it. Eclipse dashed away from the monster and toward his speeder. The sith spawn gave chase. Eclipse stopped behind the speeder and deactivated his lightsaber, hanging it at his belt. The Terentatek raged closer as he began to lift the speeder from the ground with the Force.

The Terentatek was nearly on Eclipse when he sent the speeder flying at it. Without waiting to see what happened, he ran as a crash resonated across the dry plains. The beast roared, but Eclipse was to far away now, and only an hour left until his destination.

[Darth Eclipse]

After traveling for an hour Eclipse made it to the Valley of Golg. tombs and pyramids littered the landscape. At last I'm here, he thought. Now to get to Dathka Graush.

After wandering for fifteen minutes, he finally found the one he was looking for. Eclipse took his saber from his belt, preparing for a battle he knew was coming. Come on, come on, where are you? And then they came, like a swarm of bees. Eclipse smiled, and then charged them.

[Darth Eclipse]

Eclipse knew charging into the fray was suicide, but he did so anyways. The first of the zombies had no weapon, so he ignited his saber and hit it hard on the neck hoping it would knock it's head off. One came from behind, and Eclipse swung his saber back with one hand, blocking a blaster bolt and sending it careening into a wall.

Zombie after zombie fell, but Eclipses saber was not strong enough to behead all of them. He had to fight the fallen again, and after an hour his strength was almost gone. This is why I should of gone into sith magic, he thought. Just got to keep them from bitting me.

[Jax]

The spirit of Daktha Graush was meditating, or the closest thing the ghost of an old Sith King can get to meditating, when it felt the presence of a powerful young man approaching him on a speeder. "Curious," it said aloud, its call echoing through the mediation chamber it was in. "Let us see how he handles my pet," it said, calling out to a Terentatek. The beast answered the Sith Spirit's call, and knocked the boy from his speeder.

Graush's spirit watched with amusement while the two began to fight, the Terentatek briefly holding the obvious upper hand before the boy, in a moment of genius threw his speeder into the torso of the giant beast. In the wake of the explosion that ensued, Graush felt the life force of the Teretatek flicker and die out. "Not bad, not bad." Graush's apparition said, "But let us see, how he handles a more even fight," and as it said this, it breathed life into a squadron of the undead soldiers that had been buried with him, sending them out the temple doors to greet their visitor.

The spirit watched with growing respect for the boy, as he managed to kill off zombie after zombie and was more than holding his own against them. "Very well, nothing else left to do but make myself known to the boy," it said, and it reached out and opened the two huge main doors in the front of the temple. Light shone in through the door and rose all the way up to the feet of the throne that Graush's spirit was "sitting" in, leaving the spirit shrouded in darkness. It reached out and took back the life from his soldiers leaving to fall back to the ground, dead carcasses once more. Once it had done this, it let out a whisper that seemed to be amplified by the dark energy around it, saying simply, "Enter."

[Darth Eclipse]

Eclipse deactivated his lightsaber, shirt drenched in sweat. The Zombies had gone lifeless as soon as a door on the other side of the room had opened. And so I meet one of the
ancient Sith Kings he thought, facial tentacles twitching with anxiety. Hopefully he will over look my youth.

"King Graush, I bid thee hello," Eclipse said, kneeling. "I am Darth Eclipse, king of the Sith. I have traveled far across are ravaged world to better my knowledge of alchemy." Once I learn from him, the Jedi will feel the Revenge of the Sith.

OoC: A bit short, but I'm in a hurry.

[Darth Eclipse]

"What makes you think you are worthy of this information?" Graush asked. "Granted, you fought my zombies, and you're obviously a weak swordsman, but what of your other skills. Are you a magician or an alchemist?"

"I am an alchemist," Eclipse replied, "One of the best." A rat squeaked in the corner.

"Perhaps. Let me see this power," Graush spoke with a knowing smile. "Take the rat for instance. It's fast, it has big strong teeth, and fairly sharp claws. But, it is small, and has a thin hide."

Eclipse said nothing. He reached out to the Force and the air crackled with energy. He began to chant in a harsh tongue and the rat twitched. And then it grew to the size of a house cat. It's claw became talons, and skin leather.

"Good, I guess it runs in the family," Graush said. "Fine you have convinced me. But a little bird told me of your problem. Can't find the Master, can you? Bane was wise to make the rule. I happen to know of your Master! I shall pay him a visit. Meditate while I'm gone." And then he faded away.

Family? Could it be? Eclipse thought, That could explain some things. But I better do what he says, it is never wise to disobey the teacher.