Someone's time has come.....

[Laran Katern]

Emptiness. The depths of the universe was filled with it. This chamber was full of it. Some would say the hearts of the Sith was full of it as well. And that would be true to a point. Sith didn't have many friends and with good reason. They would be the first to plant the knife in your back when you weren't looking. Laran was prepared to make sure that would never happen.

There were however a select few that one could count on. Apprentices, for the most part, were to be counted among those. Laran had sent a message to his apprentice Sieken instructing him to meet him in the room at 2100 hours. It was now 2130. Laran decided that he had kept his apprentice waiting long enough.

It was a test of patience. Winners of battles were the ones who were patient enough to allow their enemies to make the first move. That was a lesson that Laran had tried to teach Sieken, and now he woudl emphasize it with this test. If his apprentice was still there when Laran showed up, he would have passed. And waiting in that room was not something that was easy. No, far from it.

The chamber was dimly lit, the light from torches flickering against the walls, a cool breeze flowing through. Shadows were being cast at impossible angles, eerily reaching out as if trying to smother you with their dark emptiness. No, it wouldn't be an easy task being that room alone for an extended period of time. Laran decided that it had been long enough. He rose from his seat, and began to make his way towards the room.

[Sieken Kasstra]

Sieken was his common sercastic self as if he had not a care in the world, it was if nothing had changed while he was away briefly on a small journey climbing the peaks of Malatonia and finding a old friend....another story for another time mabey.

The council room was a reminder of his home has he found the memo on his bed and it would be nice to see it once again, Meeting Master Laran however would be another fact everytime i saw see him, he tries to kill me, well.... a true sith he was and true loyalty shall i pledge him and the empire.

I steped in causiously, waiting for my master to attack me from many angels with his illusions of darkness and shadows, wits about me and sercasem to its hight i stepd it trying to add a hint of confidence on my steps. And there he was.....my master..and he didnt attack me?.

'I have come at your most .... I looked up and he was not there....i looked around and did not see the dark character hairs standing on end...where was he?

[Laran Katern]

The path least travelled. It was a far cry from the path of least resistance, which was also the path that most people took. This wasn't the case for the Sith Knight. He'd proved that on many occasions. He was the only Sith that had the courage to stand up and challenge the council, while all the others wallowed in their self pity. Apparently he was the only one with courage, the only one with heart. That's what set him apart from the others. In the mind of the Sith Knight, that made him far better, and far more dangerous then any of the other so called Sith. Laran was going to be sure that the same didn't happen to his apprentice. He was going to make sure that he didn't have the mind of a drone, but had the ability to make their own decisions, take the initiative. And that was the point of this meeting today. Today was the dawn of a new era for Sieken.

It only took Laran but a few short minutes to reach his destination - the chamber in the depths of the Empire. The door to the chamber, large and heavy and made from some sort of wood from some God forsaken world. It was the same with all the chambers Laran chose for his apprentices. The doors had a proud history, one far richer then the present could offer. Laran wanted to use them as a reminder of the glorius past of the Sith and how they'd fallen from grace. He'd hoped it would stir the hearts of the Sith, bring them together, and unite to destroy the Jedi or anyone else that dared to step into their past. He also hoped his apprentices had the eyes to see that for themselves.

The door openes slowly, and creaked loudly as it swung open on it's hinges. As if taking some cue, the shadows in the room immediately disappeared, seemingly cowering in fear to the newcomer as he entered the room.

The figure in the center of the room, Sieken, turned to face his master, who entered the room not with his cocky attitude, but with one much different - one that was far more dangerous. Sith were normally dark figures, their robes hiding their figures, disguising their faces. Not this time. Laran was clad only a tight black tunic which featured his tight and chisled muscles. There was nothing special about his pants, save for his belt. On it there was no saber, or any other visible weapons. Those features though weren't what made this different. It was the look on his face, and more importantly, it was the look in his eyes. There was an unmistakable evil dwelling within them. One never before seen with him. Something was definately up.

"So, you're still here. I'm surprised. I did not think you had the heart to still be here. Congrats, you just saved your own life."

[Sieken Kasstra]

The shadows flooded from the very room i stood, fleeing into cracks and holes dug into the brick from ageing, i knew who had just arrived, spinning around so fast that i nearly over shot and turned another 90 degrees, i saw my loyal Master enter the room quietly.

As quick as a cat i quickly uncliped my saber and ignighted it, the green shining the room up and reaveling the remainding shdows that scurried away.

' If were about to fight once again sir, i wish not to, but if i have to i will...'i said my face shwowing as much confidence as possible.

[Laran Katern]

"Put that damn thing away. This is nor the time nor the place. This time around, there are far more important issues at hand."

Laran took a few more steps into the room, approaching cautiously. The look on his apprentice's face said it all. Although he tried hard not to show it, there was fear in his eyes, and Laran could easily detect it. He still had more work to do with him, but this would be a start.

"Hold out your hand."

[Sieken Kasstra]

The saber was quickly put away with his masters will more his own, Sieken stood there a second waiting as long as possible before haveing to extend his hand to the dark creature as though scared, but not scared enough, it was a very stange feeling whenever master Katern was around or close by.

' W...what are you going to do to me? he said but the will of his master overstruck Sieken and his hand was slowly extended.

TTT

[Laran Katern]

"You're voice, it quivers. Does the fear overtake you so much that you expel it with every breath? Is your soul so overridden with it, that you no longer know anything else? These are not the ways of the Sith my apprentice. Now give me your hand."

Laran reached out, taking Sieken's hand in his own. He turned it over so that his palm was facing up. It had a rough texture, his skin callused from the many battles that he'd been through. The Sith Knight studied it hard, looking at each of the lines and creases. The from out of no where, Laran produced a long knife, it's blade shimmering in the light cast about by the torches. With one swift motion, the knife cut deeply into the palm of his apprentice, the blood only taking milliseconds before beginning to flow freely from the wound.

"Let the fear run from the wound. Expulsion of the weak, replaced with the strong."

The torches cackled in the background, the only noise in the room, apart from Sieken's breathing which had become somewhat laboured.

"This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time. And as such, we need to make the most of it, and strike hard and fast."

The knife twirled around dangerously in the hand of the Sith Knight. No danger to himself, mind you. He was a master with this sort of weapon. The danger was very real though, but only to Sieken.

"The future is now."

But Laran didn't give him any time to prepare for what was coming. And the look in Sieken's face indicted as much.

Laran plunged the knife deep into the chest of his apprentice. Blood spurted out, oozing more and more with each beat of his heart.

Yet to Laran's surprise, Sieken did not cry out in pain. His face bore no look of pain or suffereing, but quite the opposite. It was the unmistakable look of bliss.

Good, he does show promise. It is about time.

Laran leaned in close to his apprentice, only centimeters away from his ear. Then with a soft, but sinister whisper, the Sith Knight spoke once more.

"Only after disaster can we be resurrected."

He then pulled the knife free from the ribcage of his apprentice. Sieken feel to his knees, his hands covering the wound as if trying to keep the blood from leaving his body.

"Now my apprentice. Rise up and be resurrected. The ashes of the old have fallen. Rise up as and take your place among the Knights of the Empire."

[Sieken Kasstra]

Siekens slumped to the floor, blood quickly trickerling from the wide open wound from the chest of he new Knight. His face showed only but a small tingle of a smile.

His robes and hands coated in red blood, the floor slowly turning into a sutible puddel, the red stuff slwoly weaving in and out of the crooves in the ground making several rivers.

Sieken looked down with a wide grin apon his face craderling wound before looking up bearing the pain nd leeting his hands fall to the side. A sercastic and sick grin swept across his face.

' My loyalty knows its home sir...this day has come as a honr to seve such a vast empire...' he said bowing his head.

[Lord Dagger]

A slow clapping came from behind one of the pillars as the Sith Lord stepped round from where he had watched the promotion.

"Congratulations my young friend...congratulations to the newest Knight of the Sith Empire, may your deeds bring you and the Empire glory,"

DarkStar turned to Laran and bowed as was his custom.

[Eve Siren]

"Good to have you on our side, Kasstra."

Eve muttered, but loud enough for the new Knight to hear. The old Sith Knight nodded, then just remained silent, for others to congratulate him.

[Lana Westbrooke]

"Congrats. It was well deserved, my friend..."

[Darth Snack]

Congrats, Sieken.

[Vega Van Derveld]

"Congratulations, Knight Kasstra," Vega said with a smile.