Knowledge in the Dust - The Battlegrounds - Forums

The Rebel Faction » Forums » Role Playing » The Battlegrounds » Knowledge in the Dust

1 6:45am 04/03/11

Dark Side Nobody

The world of Tund was a ruined planet, shattered by a mad man some decades earlier when he’d used an electromagnetic torpedo to ruin the world’s ecosystem and exterminate a good portion of its life. More so, there was something that lingered here that had drawn the lone vessel into orbit. The ship was metallic in coloration and built in a design that seemed as if someone had tried to build a smaller Star Destroyer. It was a very old design, though it was admittedly heavily refurbished with modern technology and systems to make it state of the art. Every part had been secretly manufactured at a hidden shipyard, but sadly that shipyard was lost. It had gone up with the command structure of the previous owners.

Geist Diavolo sat in the command chair while he looked at the wasteland of a planet. He’d stolen this ship, the only damn good thing the Union had provided him in the end. To think he had fled Sith training in hopes of finding more knowledge elsewhere. Admittedly he’d learned some from that blind man, Tir Esias, but it wasn’t enough. The force was one thing, but Diavolo hungered for more esoteric knowledge. Sorcery and alchemy were far more amusing and alluring to him than the simpler functions of the force. He wanted to create things that the galaxy had never seen. To do that he needed knowledge that only more specialized practitioners could gather.

“It seems that everything is as my agents have confirmed,” A metallic voice stated from behind the seat.

Diavolo turned his chair around to face the black clad pale cyborg that stood before him. Diavolo tilted his head up some so that the black lenses of his mask met the red photoreceptors of Trachta. Of all the individuals to survive the Union’s implosion, Diavolo had never imagined he would have partnered with this man. Trachta had survived every organization he’d been a member of, at least that is what rumors said.

“I’m still interested to know why you’re so willing to work with me. I can feel your loathing for what I am,” Diavolo noted with cold amusement.

“My personal feelings are meaningless here. All I care about is my own survival. You were the most likely individual to keep me alive and see my usefulness. So yes, I hate your force talents implicitly, but I’m more interested in success,” Trachta replied in the usual cold cybernetic voice he spoke with.

Diavolo admittedly had to appreciate such a sentiment. The former head of the Imperial Security Bureau was professional if nothing else. Deeper though was ambition and a hunger for power. The Union had only dug its claws into Trachta after he’d played his hand in the Empire’s politics before retreating into the shadows. When everything came crashing down and the Union went into infighting over power, Trachta fled again. This time though he had turned to Diavolo and located a prototype ship the Union had been developing. Using the chaos of the power struggle, Trachta had assisted Diavolo in getting the ship crewed with men bribed by them. After that it had been a simple matter of boarding the ship and running off with it. They had just managed to get away before the Forge self-destructed, an apparent last hurrah for Union Chairman Estro Sabrino.

Since then, the Umbral Fiend had been their home as Diavolo began his search. He had admittedly also put out feelers to find the Sith again. His desire was to reconnect with the order whose philosophy he adhered to more despite his search for such knowledge.

“Still, I don’t like being this close to Cree’ar space. I suppose we’re just fortunate the Reavers completely ignored Tund. I hear a lot of the local mystics ran off with the Taj whom they were loyal to,” Diavolo noted as he finally stood up to walk towards the viewport.

“This world is of no strategic importance anymore, save to Jedi and other force users. Tund is otherwise a useless wastelands with the locals staying in their survival shelters,” Trachta noted as he moved to walk along beside Diavolo.

“I see you’ve lost none of your skill at information gathering despite our lack of resources. It would seem our partnership was a wise choice afterall,” Diavolo said as he stood before the viewport now to look more closely at Tund.

“Information is always out there. One simply needs to know where to look and who to pay,” Trachta replied casually as he looked out at the ruined world as well.

“Still, with what knowledge I find, your reward should be worthwhile if you remain loyal to me. Don’t think I’ll let you scamper away like you did to the Empire and Union,” Diavolo said coldly.

“Spare me your bravado, Diavolo. Simply prove to me your worth this effort and I assure you I won’t disappear. I’m not one of the simpering mercenaries who are afraid of you,” Trachta shot back without a second thought.

“Hah, you’re a brave man for someone who skulks about in the shadows so much. I suppose that why I even bothered to give you a chance,” Diavolo replied with a chuckle and shook his head. He knew to step carefully with Trachta considering what he’d managed to do.

“The Sorcerers likely left much behind, probably traps as well. I suggest we let the men go first. Let them find the traps for us to disable,” Trachta advised as he started to address the real issue now.

“Perhaps, I would still prefer we were down there to see this through. I also don’t want those fools destroying anything that might be of value to me,” Diavolo said as he gripped the railing in front of the viewport.

“Very well, I’ll see to it that a shuttle is prepared for us. Other than that, all preparations are complete. We can begin landing at the temple shortly. We’re going to rely on environment suits for down there until we get inside. The world is as deadly as it looks,” Trachta said as he rattled off the details for the upcoming operation.

“Good, call me when its all set. And set the landing operations in motion. I’ll be in my chambers,” Diavolo said before turning and starting to walk away. He exited the bridge, looking back long enough to see the cyborg watching him before the doors closed.

Geist Diavolo

2 6:35am 07/03/11

Dark Side Nobody

"Rokur Gepta."

"What?" Diavolo asked as he snapped out of his meditative trance.

He turned his head to find Trachta standing in the doorway of his personal chambers. The cyborg's red photoreceptors glowed in the dim light of the chamber. Diavolo looked away rapidly as he grabbed his mask and put it back on his face, cursing as he did so.

"You're here because of Rokur Gepta. I was digging up the files on the planet's history. Before the BDE took this world and the Centrality, one of its rulers was a Sorcerer of Tund," Trachta noted calmly.

"What did you see?" Diavolo asked coldly now as he stood to face Trachta.

"Nothing worth noting. You're asking a man whose only alive due to cybernetics about physical features?" Trachta asked, spreading his gloved hands slightly.

"You know I've killed most people who've seen my face," Diavolo said darkly.

"You're welcome to kill me, but then the money will dry up and your precious source of information will be gone as well," Trachta replied with what could only be amusement.

"Don't toy with me, cyborg. I can still kill you," Diavolo shot back angrily.

"I suggest you focus on your goal and worry less about trival things like your face. The men are ready and shuttles are prepped. I have one along with suits prepared for us as well. I've also refocused our landing on the palace of Rokur Gepta," Trachta said as he rattled off that information.

"Its still standing? I'd think the locals would have torn it down," Diavolo said in surprise.

"I imagine they would have if everyone, even the new Sorcerers of Tund, hadn't been terrified of his legend. There is also the fact that no one has ever come back out of the palace who went in," Trachta replied.

"Interesting, a good suggestion. Let's depart then, I desire to see what wonders wait for us," Diavolo said as he grabbed his blades and slid them into their holsters and walked out past Trachta.

"Or what horrors," Trachta commented to himself as he looked around Diavolo's chamber once more before turning to follow.

The shuttles were all lined up at the moment though several were already starting to take off as Diavolo and Trachta arrived in the launch bay. They stepped into a side bay to pull on the environment suits they'd need for the ruined world. Soon enough they were aboard their shuttle and moving through the turbulance of Tund's atmosphere. The approach was violent but thankfully successful as they moved towards a mountain atop which sat a sinister looking tower. As the shuttle touched down amongst the others there, there was evidence of others groups who had come to try to rob the palace before. Trachta walked over to a ruined ship and examined the wreckage in curiosity while the mercenaries set up breaching equipment.

Diavolo walked past them to the door and put his hand to it, reaching out with the force. He felt a deep, cold flow of power. The dark side was very strong here and more so he sensed something else. Before he could identify it though the presence seemed to fade. All that was left was the cold flow of the dark side. Without another word, Diavolo stepped back and signaled to his men to begin the breaching. With the spark of laser cutters, the breaking started. Diavolo watched, the tinted lenses of his mask protecting his eyes from the flares of light for the breaching. Trachta walked over to watch as well, his photoreceptors adjusting themselves.

"I imagine we should still send the men in first. Rokur Gepta was a nasty individual. There will be many traps. Better to let others set them off," Trachta said quietly with the private comm channel he had set up between him and Diavolo.

"I'm going to have to agree. There is something here. Something I want. I can feel it calling out to me. Let the cannon fodder serve their purpose. I would rather leave this place alive," Diavolo replied as he looked over at Trachta.

The cyborg simply nodded in response and looked back towards the cutting. They would be through soon enough and then the real trouble was going to begin. He was not liking this part, there was no information on the insides of this palace. Gepta had slaughtered those who had built it to keep the secrets for himself.

Geist Diavolo

3 7:30am 09/03/11

Dark Side Nobody

The wind howled across the mountain atop which the palace of Rokur Gepta sat. The breaching team had finally finished cutting through the massive stone doors, slicing through whatever was barring it. With some effort, the various mercenaries stepped forward to push the huge gates open. As they finally pushed them open the wind began to pick up to violent speeds. Several men who had been standing guard at the cliff edges fell with sudden surprised yells from how fast the wind speed had changed.

"This isn't natural!" Trachta shouted, trying to be heard over the howling of the wind.

"Get inside!" Diavolo shouted back as he dragged the cyborg towards the doors.

Trachta didn't need to be told twice as they ran for the massive doors. The various mercenaries got the message as well all running in as well. Soon enough they were inside and everyone was pushing at the huge stone doors to slam them back shut against the violent wind. With a final effort they closed the doors, many panting from the effort as they stood in a chamber barely lit by windows high above.

"Someone turn on their glow lamps," Trachta barked over the comm commandingly.

There was some movement and then several lamps came on as the mercenaries did as told. The group looked around some now, realizing not everyone had made it inside. Others likely had fled into the shuttles. Diavolo tapped his comm unit as he tried to radio the ships.

"Shuttles, do you read?"

Static hissed back in response, though some could almost swear there was a wordless whisper behind the static.

"Umbral Fiend, do you read?"

More static, more probably imagined whispers.

"The storm is interfering with our comm channels. We may have to wait for it to relent," Trachta noted after observing that and listening.

As the lights were aimed around the chamber, most of them soon enough settled on a large statue of a man in an imperious looking pose, his head clad in bandages. At the base of the huge states seemed to be a plate with an inscription on it though they were too far away to read it. While they counted that, Trachta counted what men had managed to make it in with them. It looked to be about forty which left the other half likely outside or swept to their deaths.

"Well, I don't think we're going to be leaving anytime soon. Shall we look for whatever it is you think Gepta stashed away in this place?" Trachta asked as he looked back over at Diavolo.

"Indeed, I can feel it, its here somewhere. Its practically calling to me but at the same time..." Diavolo walked down the stairs to where the statue stood. He looked down at the plate to read the inscription scrawled in elegant basic.

You who enter without pardon
Know the eyes of Gepta are upon you
Seek not relief, nor respite
For your death awaits you here

"Pleasant, it would seem Gepta didn't like trespassers. Who would have thought?" Trachta said sarcastically.

"Your assumptions of this place were correct. But we must press on. The dark side gathers here. Gepta built this place to funnel it. I fear this storm may actually be generated on purpose, to drive us inside," Diavolo said after switching to their private channel.

"Don't tell the men then, we'll use them to sniff out the traps while we seek precisely whatever is calling out to you. Let us hope this is worth the sacrifice," Trachta said gruffly before turning to issue orders.

The mercenaries were forming up into squads now to start looking around the chamber before the finally found another vast doorway. This one slid open without a hint of resistance to reveal wide stairs that descended downwards. When examined closely it was clear these stairs descended down into the moutain, likely into the true lair of Rokur Gepta.

The descent down into the stairs was more unnerving by the fact that the more they descended, the lighter it grew. The wall mounted lights all seemed to be coming to life. More so there was the low thrum of what had to be a power generator. It was unnerving, listening to the abandoned facility coming back to life. Diavolo could also feel the flow of the force here even more, its was like a pulse. It called out to him more and more, knowing this was something deeper than mere paranoia. He had to find whatever it was the Rokur Gepta had left behind. To find that which no one else had ever dared tried or managed to retrieve. His ambitions demanded that he try to do such a thing.

Geist Diavolo

4 6:42am 28/11/11

Dark Side Nobody

"This place is well preserved for something so abandoned," Trachta said to Diavolo as the pair continued their descent into the depths of the mountain.

"It was Gepta's personal sanctuary. I imagine its been maintained by droids and probably has supplies to last decades," Diavolo replied as he continued to reach out to the dark thrumming of the force.

"Well, it most definitely has done so. Look at the dust. It seems the Taj and his pet sorcerers never dared to try to come here. Then again the Taj never really cared about this sort of this, yes? Too busy trying to achieve mechanical ascension and so on until now those Reaper things are left to run wild," Trachta noted with a tone of disdain. Being a former Imperial, he had little love for the Black Dragon Empire or its various vassal states.

"Heh, is that a bit of former patriotism I hear coming out of you?" Diavolo asked with amusement.

That earned what could likely have been a withering glare from the cyborg if he had more expressive eyes. But the emotions flowing off of him were enough to tell Diavolo not to press that particular subject. Trachta had been at the height of his power with the Empire and now he was down to this, scrabbling around in the empty sanctuary of a long dead mad man.

"Point taken, still we should move on. I fear that things are about to get a lot more interesting now that the facility is coming online," Diavolo said as he signals his men to move on.

The mercenaries advanced ahead as ordered as they entered into another grand hall. At the center of it was what appeared to be an impressive holographic map of the Centrality while it was under the rule of Rokur Gepta. As the group moved in, Trachta approached the console and began typing in commands to it while plugging in a datapad. He was most interested in what data could be retrieved considering Gepta was known to be a pack rat who secreted away many valuable items during his reign of terror. Admittedly Diavolo had to approve of this as he was more focused on the strange pulses of force energy and the feeling of being watched.

"Sir, shall we begin recon into the various corridors down here?" One of the mercenary commanders asked as he looked over at the pair.

"Yes, but tread lightly. We don't know what's down here," Diavolo replied calmly as he closed his eyes and reached out more to the darkness.

He could feel the pulse of it, the cold hunger of the dark side was at its core as it seemed to draw in the misery of this world. More so though was the sensation of all those deaths that stained the world as a place of darkness. Rampant slaughter committed by a mad man for no reason save to try to wipe out the Sorcerers. But it seemed that effort would fail for the teachings would live on now if he could find them.

Geist Diavolo

5 5:47pm 29/11/11

Dark Side Nobody

Geist Diavolo knelt before the massive holographic projection as he let his mind slip away into the force. He was following the pulsing flow of dark side energy that was being drawn in from Tund as he finally started to grasp what it was that Rokur Gepta had done to this world.

There is so much death here, the pain and misery of slaughtered people combined with the butchering of an entire sect of force users. Yet the fools never bothered to see it, to feel the slauther and fear that now saturates this world. He has created another Korriban yet too many were blind to see it, even those so called Sorcerers who served the Taj...

Diavolo opened his eyes to look around the chamber again. The only constant noise seemed to be from Trachta who was apparently stripping every last piece of valuable information out of the computer system here. It only made sense considering the man's main field of skill was espionage and security. He made an excellent partner despite his powerful hatred for force users which Diavolo could never fully grasp. There was something in Trachta's history that had caused it as not even indoctrination could never create such a pure burning hatred that surprisingly acted as a shield for the cyborg's mind.

He loathes force users, yet he works with one now. He hates everything about me and still he moves to assist me. A strange man. A dangerous man. I will have to be careful with him for he's survived through many ordeals, more so than anything I've yet to encounter. But I sense this place shall become an ordeal...

The chamber seemed to shudder in response and then there was a strangled scream that came over their comm channels. Diavolo sighed some as he knew the true dangers were finally being discovered or awoken. It was hard to say considering what someone skilled in Sith sorcery and alchemy was capable of creating. Rokur Gepta was a font of dark side knowledge that many had forgotten and it seemed even the Sith had failed to recover. So caught up in the own views and agendas that they had all forgotten about Rokur Gepta.

"It would seem they've started finding the traps," Trachta said as he finally broke the silence even while he continued to pour over datafiles and download the information. Diavolo noted Trachta had opened his black tunic enough to pull out an data cable from his torso to plug into the system meaning he was likely fully focused upon the data extraction.

He's probably downloading anything valuable into his internal storage. Clever. I shall have to see to it that he makes it out of this alive now, which seems to be what he intended.

"Yes, and it seems this place is aware of us now. Its been waking up gradually but now its aware enough about us to be a problem," Diavolo said as he pulled his mind away from the flow of the dark side. He could feel another tremble in the force as he'd said that.

"What do you mean by aware?" Trachta asked as he looked towards Diavolo finally. His hand moving to disengage his data cables for his datapad and cybernetics.

"I mean there is something alive here, at least in the most loose of terms. It seems Gepta may have installed something more than merely an automated defense. I fear he's used his knowledge to leave something vile behind to mind his citadel while he was away," Diavolo said as he starts to walk around the circular chamber.

"That would be correct, intruder," answered a voice seeming to come from all around them.

Diavolo stopped in his tracks as he tensed slightly. Trachta looked around the chamber even as he produced the blaster pistol from his hip holster as if it had always been in his hand this whole time. The both exchange a look as the stars and mapping of the hologram in the center of the chamber started to coalesce into a face.

"You are not the master. You do not bear his aura. Nor do you have his permission to be here," spoke the voice again as the face moved to eerily speak in time with the words.

"Your master is dead. He has been for many decades. I claim this sanctum as the new Sorcerer of Tund," Diavolo said in an authoritative tone.

"If the master is dead, he shall be reborn. Long have I waited to be awakened by visitors. Now I have the material necessary to give him life again," said the face as it regarded Diavolo directly.

"Reborn? And just who or what are you?" Trachta demanded now as he watched the exchange.

"I am Guardian. Tasked with keeping and protecting my master's secrets and wealth. You are not of use to me, too much metal and not enough flesh. You may leave as a gift for providing me with ample flesh to sculpt into a new body for the master," Guardian said as it regarded Trachta with its stary eyes.

"My, how generous," Trachta said snidely as he looked over towards Diavolo.

"The force user will be particularly useful. His flesh will be most desired. The others are more for spare parts. Thus why I butcher them while you will remain intact," Guardian said as several hidden panels around the room slid open to reveal large statues. "Leave, cyborg. Do not shun the generosity being shown you."

The ten revealed statues all seem to shiver and start to move with the sound of stone grinding against stone. Trachta backed away from those close to him with his pistol up and pointed at them.

"Diavolo, do something about this. I'm not in the mood to have to abandon all our work because of some tomb guard," Trachta said as he fired off his pistol into the face of one of the statues.

Diavolo frowned and moved his hand to his side, pulling free a vibrosword which hummed to life his grip triggered it. He then moved towards one of the statues and stabbed at it only to find the stone resist. He leaps back out of the grip of the statue was he processed that. Trachta had pulled forth another pistol now, firing both into the face of another statue until the stone started to melt and the golem came to a grinding halt.

"Damn, these things are reinforced. We need to move!" Trachta shouts as he ran for an open doorway. "Diavolo! Now!"

Diavolo didn't need to be told twice as he followed his partner in crime further into the depths of this increasingly terrible place. They were only beginning their fight for survival.

Geist Diavolo

6 6:50pm 19/12/11

Dark Side Nobody

The palace of Rokur Gepta was a death trap. That much had always been certain even before they had descended down to the dead and ruined world. Trachta had tried to dig up any bit of information he could but Rokur Gepta had been very thorough in protecting his secrets, likely having used the palace's very own defenses to slaughter those that had been used to build it. Now they could see just how truly vast the power of a Sorcerer of Tund could be when many of the mercenaries could be seen being dragged away screaming by animated statues.

I've been such a fool, how could I not have expected such things when the Sorcerers were known for the more esoteric practices. None of the saber swinging nonsense of the Sith or Jedi but true seekers of knowledge in the force and its secrets. Gepta was a fool to wipe out the order considering what they were capable of, but I suppose his greed was too much. An entire order of force users wiped out by one with a lust for power. It makes me wonder if the dark side is really so useful when it destroys so much...

Diavolo ran as he thought that, keeping pace with Trachta as the pair of them went even deeper into the palace. It would seem the structure was far larger than believed from how deep down they seemed to be. Sadly the pulsing of dark side energy was growing stronger as they moved closer and closer to it. All of this was an act it seemed to drive them closer to whatever nexus of dark side energy Rokur Gepta had built down here so very long ago.

"It would seem that Gepta was a lot more prepared for intruders than we had thought possible," Trachta said as the pair turned down another corrider.

"He built this place for his own needs. Now I think that final need is playing out with us. All those men are being taken alive for a reason, Trachta. That thing is making preparations and I fear its some sort of force construct rather than merely a computer system," Diavolo replied as he looked back behind them.

Doorways were closing or worse entire wall sections were shifting and readjusting themselves. This place was indeed a true labyrinth to those who were uninvited. Looking back ahead he could see that they were being guided down another hallway into yet another circular chamber. As they entered and tried to run to the other side the doorway sealed shut as it seemingly became just another part of the walls. Behind them the other doorway seemed to have vanished in a similar manner which left them stranded in this chamber. There was a bit of dark laughter now as an image appeared before them of a man in robes Diavolo and Trachta had both seen in history files. The figure with a face wrapped in cloth was that of Rokur Gepta, the last true Sorcerer of Tund.

"Ah! What do we have here? My salvation perhaps? A force sensitive and his cybernetic crony, how absolutely amusing. It would seem that fate has finally smiled upon me after having waited for so very long. For decades I have waited for the opportunity to finally step forth into life again, to hope some fool would finally follow my myth and seek the knowledge I hold in my possession. Finally that moment is here," Gepta said darkly with a laugh.

"That's rather lively for a mere interactive hologram," Trachta noted darkly as he watched the image of Gepta address them.

"Its likely attached to whatever might be holding his essence here... I can feel him. He's here at least in spirit. He must had set this up ages ago during his personal quest for power," Diavolo said as he examined the chamber thoroughly.

"Oh bravo, you are a clever one. Most people would just try to disbelieve that, unable to comprehend that machines and devices can be built to utilize the force when the correct principles are applied. After all, I destroyed this world with those very principles. Admittedly this last device was a gamble but it seems my slaughter of all of Tund was indeed sufficient to power it. I had worried for so very long since I dared never actually test it for fear of it failing. But then I died and found myself here, locked away in storage to wait patiently. Now I shall return and this galaxy shall know to fear me!" Gepta proclaimed in dark glee as he spread his arms wide.

"My, his ego is just as the history files suggested. He even fits the psych profile a few put together from reading of his actions and methods," Trachta said casually as he looked on at the image of Gepta.

"Silence, servant. Your superiors are talking," Gepta said darkly as he waved his hand at Trachta.

Trachta gave a strangled metallic howl of pain as he dropped to his knees. Diavolo watched in dark fascination and surprise that Gepta could do that but then he'd understood why. They were standing are the heart of the dark nexus. This chamber was the beating heart of the compound where all the dark side energy was being drawn into and likely sustaining Gepta's spirit. That same power could be turned by a being who knew how to into a means of attack. However he froze and Gepta's laughter faultered as they both heard the distinctive clink and buzzing whine of an activated thermal detonator. It would seem Trachta had been much more prepared for trouble than originally thought.

"What do you think you are doing, fool! Put that away this instant or I shall obliterate you!" Gepta ordered angrily and loudly now.

"No," Trachta said quietly but with the sort of hatred Diavolo would have only expected from the likes of a Sith Lord.

Trachta stood slowly but firmly with his finger clenched upon the trigger at the moment.

"No more games, no more force tricks. The funny thing about important devices is they tend to be fragile. I imagine this chamber is an important device, isn't it? Your recepticle perhaps? After all, you only chose to manifest here. All this time we were hounded by Guardian, not you. That must mean something since your reputation was terrifying and you knew it. You can't leave it, can you?" Trachta said darkly as he started to walk forward.

"I imagine you didn't think someone would bring a high grade explosive with them, yes? But then again you don't know me so that was an understandable miscalculation. I knew I was likely going into a place of great danger, so I came prepared. Honestly I thought Diavolo was going to try something but it seems it was more you," Tratche said casually as he went to the center of the room.

"How dare you! I will make you into a living example of my terror! I shall warp you into a screaming mad man! Do not take one step further!" Gepta snarled but surprisingly did not try to lash out as if afraid Trachta would let go of the safety trigger and let the device detonate.

"Silence, this game is over. You are powerless so long as I hold this within here. If I was wrong you would have already killed me," Trachta said with a grim chuckle as he looks towards Diavolo.

Diavolo could only watch in fascination still as the mere cyborg now seemingly held the spirit of Rokur Gepta at his mercy. Looking around he could understand why. Despite its solid design, the chamber was covered in arcane glyphs and markings all part of a ritual of Sith magic likely to keep Gepta's spirit here to wait patiently for his return to true life. Any significant damage to the room would likely disperse Gepta forever. But there had to be a focal point and now that he was looking for it he could see it. At the heart of the chamber in the floor was a crystal.

Without a second thought, Diavolo walked over to the center of the chamber and pulled out a knife. He worked over the shouted protests of Gepta who seemed to fearful to strike for the blade might then slip and damage his phylactery that bound his essence here. As it came free, Diavolo held it in his hand and admired it. It truly was a work of art and it pained him to drop it on the floor and promptly smash it under the heal of his boot quite violently, summoning up the powers of the dark side to strengthen the blow. The crystal shattered and Rokur Gepta screamed.

The room resounded with a vast echoing howl as the megalomaniac began to fall apart quite literally. His image was seemingly dissolving as he begged, pleaded for a means to survive. Diavolo just shook his head and instead stood at the heart of the nexus of dark side energy. He seized upon it as Gepta struggled to even hold himself together and in that final moment he seized the mind of the Sorcerer of Tund and tore it asunder. Gepta's wratih gave a final scream of agony as Diavolo seized his knowledge while discarding the personality and thoughts to protect his own mind.

As that finally ended, Diavolo reached out with the force again pulled. The entire chamber seemed to rumble as he killed the flow of dark side energy here. He hated to do it but knew he could leave nothing behind that could be used against him. Rokur Getpa's secrets were his now and more so the vast wealth of knowledge of the Sorcerers of Tund. As Diavolo reviewed Gepta's knowledge he could only be amused to find Gepta himself had still been a novice who in his greed had destroyed so much. Thankfully there was a wealth of lore and data left behind here that he would soon enough begin to sort through.

"Is it done?" Trachta asked while still holding on rather firmly to his thermal detonator.

"It is, he is dead and his knowledge is mine. We will need to signal the ship to begin dispatching shuttle to start sorting and loading. After that... prepare explosives to destroy this place. I am now the last Sorcerer of Tund and I deem that it is time the order began again elsewhere. We shall demolish this place and make way to Serenno. There is another vault of force knowledge there that has been forgotten. Also... I believe it will suit us nicely as a new base of operations," Diavolo said thoughtfully as the chamber doors opened to release them.

They still had much to examine here but they now at least had a new destination and purpose. First he would pillage all of the knowledge of the Sorcerers of Tund to immerse himself in their force knowledge. So many had forgotten these strange arts but he would find a means to bring them back. The time of the old ways was over, but old knowledge still carried with it great value even now. It would be the foundation of a new order and a new purpose.

"Come, Trachta, let us see what the vaults hold. Guardian will no longer trouble us. Its power source is no longer working and thus will fade away. So much to do," Diavolo said as they began to move to ascend back up to where they could get a signal out to their ship for reinforcements.

Geist Diavolo

7 5:22am 27/12/11

Dark Side Nobody

Peace is a lie. Passion is a lie. There is only the Force. This is a truth I have stumbled upon during my journey through life. To devote yourself to a specific side of the force is to become a slave to that side. To be truly unbound in your quest for knowledge you must accept that the Force is more than merely Light and Darkness, Creation and Destruction, Peace and Passion, Order and Chaos. To bind the Force in such black and white terms is to ignore its true wonder and power. The Jedi and Sith willfully blind themselves to the true beauty of the Force by embracing their singular set of ideals and practices.

To become a seeker of knowledge and power in the Force is to step beyond the sides of the Force. You must learn to appreciate the supposed sides of the Force and meld them together. Passion is a source or power, but fleeting. Peace is another source as well but at times inappropriate for more destructive uses of the Force. Both can be utilized as a means to an end which is an attainment of personal power and understanding. Many will argue that this path is flawed, that it is weak for you to not immerse yourself fully in one 'side' of the Force.

This is another lie perpetuated by every incarnation of Jedi and Sith to date for all they see at times are absolutes. Now there are those who transcend this even as they adhere to their philosophy. They are to be commended for daring to step out of the comfort zones of their individual faiths to try to see beyond them. But time and time again history has shown Force users acting like the broken pendulum of a clock. They shall swing to one side until life presents a challenge beyond them and their hold stutters to swing their pendulum into the opposite spectrum of the Force. Light to Dark. Dark to Light.

To achieve true understanding is to embrace the ideal of a true pendulum, perfectly balanced and constantly swinging between Light and Dark, Passion and Peace. To embrace this is to embrace your very nature as a living being of the Force, to accept that you are not defined solely by one side or the other. To wield both sides of the Force in equal measure rather than allow yourself to be consumed entirely by Light or Darkness. To do so is to hold onto your true individuality, to step beyond the pressures of adherence to outdated and outmoded philosophies of wielding the Force. - Excerpt from the first chapter of Esoteric Mysteries, penned by Geist Diavolo

-----

To call what Rokur Gepta had stashed away in his palace a treasure trove had been an understatement. It would seem the vile Croak force adept had proven to be quite the hoarder of force knowledge at least when concerned with the Sorcerers of Tund. He had every work they had produced, apparently having secured them before and after the slaughter of them all. More so were holocrons created by the Sorcerers to ensure their teachings were passed one. One in particular though had surprised Diavolo when he had come across it. That holocron had turned out to be several millenia old, likely dating back to one of the more grim periods of galactic history.

"It's strange to think that the Sorcerer's held such wealth of knowledge yet they were always left alone to a degree even by Emperor Palpatine," Diavolo noted curiously as he examined the holocron curiously. He felt strangely drawn to this eldest one, surprised to see the Sorcerers had managed to preserve it so very well.

"I'm assuming that this was then worth the loss of all those men?" Trachta asked in a bit of a dark tone.

"Indeed, it was unfortunate to lose them but then again they are merely mercenaries. Even now I can feel the joy of their comrades at the fact their own pay will be larger with fewer men to split it up," Diavolo noted coldly as looked towards the cyborg.

"The question remains, was this worth the trouble? Is there anything here we can make a profit on," Trachta said as he started going over the inventories.

"Plenty. Gepta had quite a large sum of personal wealth stored here besides all of the Sorcerers' Force knowledge. I'm assuming you found more from his maps you downloaded?" Diavolo asked with curious tone. He knew full well about them and the locations now after having torn Gepta's spirit apart for all its knowledge. He wouldn't have been able to do it if Gepta hadn't been so dependent on the mechanisms here to sustain him.

"And you are still you? No unwanted passengers?" Trachta asked as he continued to regard Diavolo with his photoreceptors.

"Yes, I am still Geist Diavolo. Gepta was not trained in the seizure of a body by willpower. He just wanted me for genetic sampling and adjustments to his new body. But that is done. Come, I have a holocron I want to study back aboard the ship. Let them men loot this place and then set the explosives. Rokur Gepta's legacy ends today."