A/N: Hey everyone! A new chapter for all of your reading pleasures!
Reading your comments has been enlightening and it has some effect on my writing for this chapter. It's probably why I took longer than usual to finish this on top of real life getting in the way. However, I would like to address some issues that some of you have mentioned and I'll simply give you my reasons for tackling them.
Non-consensual sex:
For those who do not like it, I have to apologize. The Sith are the essence of evil, plain and simple. It would not be surprising for them to simply take what they want because they can. Strength is power. Thus, Aaric is not immune to the influence of the dark side. The sex with Malora was kinda-sorta consensual because it was an agreement between two consenting adults. I help you and you let me use your body as I wish. Of course, Aaric took more than his fair share of it and twisted Malora's body and mind to suit his own desires. The opportunity was there. As Aaric progresses in his adventures there will be occasional times where the opportunity will allow him to simply take what he gets and more. Fortunately for those of you not into non-con, most of the sex will be more or less consensual, with having some hardcore BDSM action. Aaric using his powers and seduction skills to obtain pussy. Will Aaric commit full-blown rape? Highly unlikely given the potential amount of pussy he can receive.
OP main character:
I agree that maybe Aaric is kinda too OP. However, I figured he has to because he's from "a great Sith bloodline". (Those who played the Sith Warrior story will know which side mission that line came from.) If so, how can he NOT KNOW the Sith code when confronted by Baras? It seems like a glaring plot point that had to be plugged somehow. Thus, Aaric of the Mecrosa Order was born. He was trained by the sect's foremost warriors and assassins in the Sith arts. This is why he can do most things normal acolytes can't. Vemrin is above average but still a normal acolyte who came in through the established route as dictated by the Empire.
Now this issue probably also stems from my writing style. I realise that many fights Aaric goes through has so far either been too short or cut out completely and simply going on to the aftermath. Thus, the lack of intensity and action. For that, I apologize and will try to improve upon this section of my writing. I intend for Aaric to be able to crush his enemies like stepping on ants, but at least still have to contend with surprises, unexpected complications and seemingly overwhelming odds. Stay tuned for more of that in this chapter and more!
"Rip off" by Anonymous by anonymous commenter:
Hellooooooooooo?! It's fanfiction! Of course I'm gonna lift stuff from it! The whole point of me writing this is to inject my own ideas to flesh out and give life to the game's skeletal plot while following the storyline! Would it not be more interesting if you could rebut Baras for being an ass or turn both Vette and Jaesa Willsaam into loving cumsluts without being forced to choose one or the other like the game does? The whole point of fanfiction is to allow readers and players of SWTOR to experience what could not be experienced normally in the game! If you don't like it then you truly have no idea what fanfiction is! UGH!
Anyways, please continue to provide me with likes and constructive comments and criticisms! I will take them into consideration and hope it will make me a better writer in the future! Until next time! Enjoy!
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The task was straightforward and simple: Enter the Tomb of Tulak Hord and gather one shard of ancient Sith inscriptions from each of the ruins, making it three in all. Of course, things did not always go smoothly... Unless you were Aaric, that is.
The tomb entrance was not far from the academy and once he entered, he was greeted by a company of soldiers and slaves. The commander in charge of them informed him that the slaves had rebelled and reprogrammed the mining droids to fight for them. Even worse, some of the Imperial troopers that were sent to guard them sympathized with their plight and joined them. Needless to say, the entire tomb had become a warzone.
Which was all well and good to Aaric. It would make it harder for the normal acolytes to fight through an army of slaves, troopers and droids. Less acolytes to compete with, not that they would have been able to challenge him anyhow. If he was lucky, maybe one of them would have gotten Vemrin. Though that probably would not be the case with respect to his persistence.
Once he made his way through the halls, cutting down any sentient being that had the audacity or stupidity to face him, he emerged from the underground pathways to be greeted by an expanse of ruins. From there, it was easy to pick off the hostile forces while the sounds of battle from other acolytes attempting to push through to their task distracted their attention.
After a couple of hours, Aaric already managed to collect all of the required shards while leaving devastation in his wake. As he was leaving the last sarcophagus, he passed by a connecting hallway to his right and halted in his tracks. He felt the dark energies emanating from there were saturated, malevolent and full of hate.
As he was pondering if it was worth the risk to try and sate his curiosity, he suddenly remembered the Imperial archaeologist that he passed by when he first entered Tulak Hord's tomb: Ephran Zell was his name. The weathered old man had told him that inside Tulak Hord's tomb was a room which contained an object that was created by the Sith lord himself. He called it the Red Engine and legend said that anyone who managed to unlock its secrets would gain Hord's power and knowledge.
Aaric sifted through the memories of his lessons back when he was still training with the Mecrosa Order. Tulak Hord was infamous as the Dark Lord of the Sith of the early empire. He commanded legions of soldiers and together with his mastery of the dark side and talent in lightsaber dueling, it made him nigh unstoppable on the battlefield.
Aaric felt giddy with the possibilities. If his encounter with Marka Ragnos told him anything, it meant that the way to the Red Engine would be through that dark hallway. If he could somehow activate the Red Engine and take Hord's knowledge for himself, it would be simply a matter of time before he could surpass Baras and become a Sith lord in his own right!
Making his decision, he stepped forward and entered the dark, blood red hallways.
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He arrived in an antechamber which was at least three times as large as Marka Ragnos'. At the front and sides of the chamber were what seemed to be solid stone walls which were each sealed off with a statue of a slave desperately pushing against them, as if holding back some evil horrors from within. At the center of the room lay a pyramid-shaped altar which had a larger inverted pyramid just meters above it hanging from the ceiling. It was clearly a sight to behold.
Cautiously, he stepped closer to inspect the altar. He could feel power swirling beneath it, just barely out of his reach. Thinking back to his encounter with Ragnos, Aaric let his force power flow out of him and recited the Sith code in its ancient language. Expecting something to happen, he stepped back. To his dismay, there was no reaction.
Aaric furrowed his brows and tried once again. Again, only silence greeted him. For the next few minutes, the acolyte attempted every permutation and combination of rituals he could think of from his past knowledge. Neither of them seemed to work, and it was making him extremely annoyed. Furthermore, it clearly did not help that the dark energies around the room were trying to dig into his mind in an attempt to drive him mad. The harsh whispers and taunts were beginning to take a toll on his patience.
