Necrotic Bolero

Lord Irason

Darth Slyfer argues with the Sith Leader. The Leader is not here in person, just a hologram. I've still not met him in person. He is said to be very powerful. Slyfer says, "He can be trusted! He was on shore leave, and chose to spend it helping his brother's Nakadia campaign... and when the Jedi Battlemaster attacked the hanger in which he was working, he did not hesitate to do what was necessary!"

The Leader says, "That is what concerns me. Obviously his dedication to the cause is not in question. However, his latent power is extraordinary. I felt it from the moment he came to the academy to begin his training. And even now, he has only begun to tap into the great well within him. What if Darth Gorthur corrupts him, as he did so many others? It will be hard enough to mount a campaign against Darth Gorthur now, but if Darth Irason joins him, together they could form a cult strong enough that it would take an entire army to bring them down."

Darth Faeora adds, "He is only an Acolyte. No one has granted him the title of Lord." Her mind is weak, and she cannot stop me from reading her finish the sentence, "because they're afraid of what he could become given the right liberties." No one else seems to notice me doing this. Perhaps my insight into people's minds is uncannily strong.

The Leader says, "Let's correct that shall we. Irason Skossh, I hereby declare you Lord Irason Skossh. I improperly called you Darth Irason. If you return Darth Gorthur to the Sith cause, or neutralize him so he cannot become a threat, then I shall call you that again but not be mistaken. And should you desire, I will grant you a position on this council. As I've said, the threat Darth Gorthur poses is a sensitive matter. If we make him an open enemy, the infighting will weaken us and allow the Jedi to gain many systems that we cannot afford to lose. So if you, a single infiltrator, can persuade him to return to us, or defeat him and anyone loyal to him, it will save us that headache. do you accept this task?"

"I do, Leader."

"Very Well. Do whatever is necessary to gain his trust. You even have permission to attack Sith civilians, soldiers, and strongholds. Entire planets hang in the balance, so this is a necessary sacrifice. Do not fail."

I arrive on Darth Gorthur's homeworld of Morkadia. He is the King of the 3 million inhabitants who live in 19 city-states. Each city-state has its own King, while he presides over all of them from his black tower at the pole. The tower is surrounded by an intricate web of facilities that serve many functions such as research, manufacturing, defense, and worship. The tower is taller than any skyscraper on Coruscant, and its foundations must go down hundreds of meters. It also has no lift system, only stairs and ladders. 

I reach the top to look on Darth Gorthur the first time. I tower over almost everyone I meet at 203 cm tall. He stands at 325 cm tall, not counting the points of his crown, which add another 20 or 30 cm. His cape is black with gold trim, and as he turns around, I see that what I thought was a crown is part of his anatomy. His body has natural armor, as black as the void of space. In addition to this, he wears thick metal plating painted matte black and trimmed in gold. His lidless eyes are deep purple, but his irises are black. He does have an eyeless helmet, and it's hard to tell where his body's shell armor stops and his plate armor begins. Under the few cracks visible where no armor, metal or otherwise, protects him, his skin is pale gray. He is thinly proportioned, with his shoulders barely broader than mine despite the massive height difference. 

In his hands, he holds a massive two handed mace. A thick black rod with a massive spiked end. Even for the weapon's size, the head is massive. At its core, I sense a great power... like he has infused the weapon's core with the power of the dark side. I assume the places of worship are devoted to him. I can also see why so many people would be corrupted by him.

He says, "The Sith Leader sent you here to bring me back didn't he?"

I nod, "He did. Lord Irason, at your service my Lord."

For the first time since I learned how to use the force to determine the power of others, I have sensed someone stronger than me. Much stronger... for now. I hope his ability to read thoughts is not comparable to mine. He is too strong for me to even guess what he's feeling... but I don't need to. The Hatred within him is so strong even Hese could pick up on it. If I slay him, perhaps she will realize I was right. It is obvious that I must slay him in order to complete my mission. No one this powerful would even consider returning to the Sith.

I state as much, "This endeavor seems like a waste of time however. You don't need them any more than I do."

His mouth is not visible, but from the look of his eyes, I think he's smiling, "You're smart... and powerful. I look forward to seeing what you can learn for me. Follow me. We have much to discuss."