HRLD/Master Melan Pyr/DH-Eos (RBKugel@gnn.com) 2/96

An electrically sounded gong reverberates along the walls of the Great Hall. Grand Master Paladin stands. The members drop to their knees, while the Dark Council bow their heads. The Grand Master Exits through the chamber door behind his High Seat.

Next, the members of the Dark Council stand in unison, and proceed through the exits to the left and right, with only the Master at Arms, Master Maehl remaining within the Great Hall.

The gong sounds again, as Master Maehl watches the membership stand and file out the exits, leaving only the handful of applicants kneeling in the rear of the Hall.

The MAA motions for them to rise and follow. The Master and the applicants continue through the corridors, and enter a large room so dark, almost nothing can be seen. The applicants can only faintly glimpse the shapes of hoods, black against black, here and there as lit from the hall behind them.

As they enter, the large door slides shut towards the center in six parts, and locks with a resounding boom, causing each of the applicants some nervousness.

Out of the dark, Master Maehl approaches the first applicant, and pulls him toward the room's center. He presses a plasteel pole, two meters in length, into the applicant's hand, and backs away into the darkness.

The room is still, then suddenly, a snap-hiss and unholy hum with its eery light slice through both the silence and the darkness. Standing before the applicant is a Dark Jedi in full Sith regalia, whose face is hidden behind a crimson shallern. The Dark Jedi slowly sweeps the glowing red blade of the lightsaber through the air as he approaches the applicant.

The Applicant, with no other weapon, lifts in defense, the pole he'd been handed. The Sith approaches slowly and swipes at the pole. A small rod of plasteel, glowing orange on it's severed end rattles across the floor.

The horrified applicant continues to point the pole at the approaching menace. Once again, a hum, a slice and a rattle, and the pole is shorter. Again and again this happens, until the heated stump almost burns the applicants hand.

Those who fall to their knees are cut down on their knees, but those, like this applicant, who bravely throw what's left of their pole aside and accept their fate, live to see the Sith's glowing blade retract into the darkness.

The relieved applicant, now feeling he has only just returned to his body, is drawn to an area of the room lit by purple flood lights. He sees what he believes is one of his fellow applicants, laid out upon a slab of marble. Out of the darkness the Master at Arms appears again, this time placing a long, strangely designed dagger in his palm.

He hears a voice in his head, and he knows what he is expected to do. He approaches his fellow applicant, knife in hand. Should he refuse to kill the helpless one before him, he himself would lose his life, of that he was sure.

He knew that any goodness with which he entered this Hall this night would be extinguished in the Darkness with the act he was about to commit. He steeled himself within and raised the blade. He could see its shine reflected in his comrades pleading eyes. Then, in one powerful thrust, he plunged the dagger's blade into the chest of the sacrifice so hard that he felt the tip of the dagger break against the marble beneath. Oddly, no sound nor wail was heard, as the room fell back into inky blackness.

From the opposite corner of the room, a large transparent urn was lit by white light from the floor. The Urn stood upon a metallic base 1.5 meters high. The urn itself was a narrow cylinder at least two meters in height. It seemed to be filled with a frothing red liquid that spattered against the container and ran in sheets along its sides.

Krath Priest Pendragon appeared from the darkness into the light around the container. With a sweep of his hand, the pedestal upon which the urn sat, opened, revealing a softly lit cabinet and a black chalice stored within. The red substance from the urn began to drip into the cup. When it was about a quarter filled, the Krath Priest removed the chalice and handed it to the initiate.

"This is the Lifeblood of the Dark Brotherhood of the Jedi. Each of us has contributed in his or her turn, to the life in this nectar. Drink of this, and all of us shall be a part of you, forever."

The Krath Priest handed the initiate the chalice, and he drank it down. It was more than blood... it seared his throat, and burned as fire in his stomach. The Force that boiled within each drop of it coursed through his body. His head swooned, but he somehow managed to keep to his feet.

The Priest pulled a knife from his robes and drew its razor tip down along the left forearm of the initiate, pulling it through the Secret Order tatoos, and bathing them in blood. The Priest held the chalice beneath the bleeding arm, and caught the flow into the cup. He then returned the black chalice to its cabinet.

The initiate's blood in the chalice rose in large droplets back into the urn above it. When the cup was clean, the door to the cabinet slid shut and the area returned to darkness.

The initiate felt the Priest run his hand along the wound he'd made, and sensed that somehow, the gash had been closed.

At the head of the room, red lights fell upon the figure of the High Priest of the Krath, Satel Keto in the body of Master Melan Pyr. His sickly green eyes glowed like back lit emeralds. He was clothed in the raiment of the Krath, with its broad ornate collar behind his hooded head.

"Approach young apprentice!" he demanded in a terrifying voice that seemed to come from every wall. The apprentice walked towards the High Priest, and as if two mighty hands fell upon his shoulders, he was forced to his knees.

"You come to us seeking fellowship. You come seeking knowledge only we can impart to you. You have demonstrated the worth of your soul this eve. You have shown courage and ruthlessness, and you have drunk from the Lifeblood of the Brotherhood."

"Now! Swear you to serve your Masters!"

"I do swear, Master"

"Swear you to give your life forever to the Dark Side"

"I so swear, My Master"

"Swear to stand forever and ever with your brothers and sisters of Darkness!"

"I swear it, Master"

"Rise initiate!"

The initiate rose and placed his forehead under the High Priest's hand. The Force slammed into his brain and knocked him to his back.

Recovering, he stood again in total darkness, yet now somehow, he saw more clearly in it. The glimmer of Force sensitivity within him seemed to allow him to see things his own eyes could not discern.

He felt the presence of Protector Caesar, the Assistant Herald, place the white robe of an Apprentice upon his shoulders, and then felt him walk away.

Suddenly, within a spotlight from above, stood the awesome image of the Grand Master of the Brotherhood, clothed in black from head to toe. The apprentice fell once more to his knees and instinctually held up his left arm. The sleeve of this robe fell, and he could see that the wound from the knife, as well as the tatoos he had earned as a member of the Secret Order of the Emperor, had completely disappeared.

The Grand Master lifted his hands and Force Storm coursed from the tips of his fingers to the apprentice's arm, branding the first shimmering green tattoo he will receive as a Dark Brotherhood member.

The Dark Council members all appeared behind the Grand Master.

"Apprentice, repeat these words", demanded Deputy Grand Master Havok...

"I am the Heart of Darkness. I know no fear." he replied.

Then Head Master Ronin, in a booming voice uttered...

And so the Apprentice repeated.

Then Master Pyr, now master of his own body added...

And the Apprentice recited word for word.

Master Maehl, Master at Arms then followed...

And the Apprentice replied in kind.

Finally, Adept Crona, Chancellor of the Brotherhood concluded...

And so swore the Apprentice.

The Rite of Initiation was over for him. Other applicants would follow in his footsteps, men and women, facing the same ordeal, each alone.

He was carried from the room to a chamber where he would be allowed to recover from his ordeal. When he awoke, he would awaken as a Member of the Dark Brotherhood of the Jedi.

The Dark side has it's reputation as a hard and cruel master, but as the leader of Tau and a Dark Jedi Knight I have some things to say about that. I have led an awful life until I found the ways of the dark side. How may of you have been poor? Living on the streets of Mos Eisley, having bounty hunters on your back, all because you stole a loaf of bread from a shop that Jabba owned. It was worth the risk, because the thirst and hunger could kill. Stealing a small blaster I held up a moisture farm, taking almost 5 gallons of water. I ran into some tusken raiders, and was attacked and almost killed. That is when the visions started. I saw an old man who had lightning in his fingers and a man with a black cloak and helmet. Then I saw a giant battle station. I didn't realize until much later that I saw the Emperor and Darth Vader, following the progress of the death star. An old man found me who was named Obi-Wan, he said he knew what caused my visions. I became a Jedi Knight under his training and then secretly practiced the dark side. I was not ready but I engaged the master in a duel he chopped off one of my arms and damaged my leg. I crawled away in defeat and promised my self I would get back at Obi-Wan Kenobi. I made it to a hospital where I gave away 4 and a half off my 5 gallons of water. They gave me a body suit in which I could move like a normal man. As I walked out of the hospital I felt more confident than ever before. I reached out and grabbed a man by the neck and took all off his money and a stolen blaster rifle, which I returned to a storm trooper base. I started using the force to get my money, food and water. I would levitiate food off of someones plate or pull a glass of water with the force. Robbery is a lot easier with the force on your side. I returned to Obi-Wan's hut, but he was gone. I reached out with the force and found his presence, and one of another force user in the area. I wondered who it was. With my hope to destroy Obi-Wan gone, I decided to goto the Imperial Acadamy. I learned how to fly a fighter and I tried using the force in the cockpit. It helped me aim and destroy my enemies. As my final test, I was to be put into real combat around a small moon. When I got there I realized it was the death star. I was sent off after a rebel ship that had stolen a prisnor. I got blown out of my cockpit from one of the turrets on the modified Correllian Transport. I was injured, but I used the force and was found by a Tyderian Shuttle. I lived and was inducted into the Imperial navy. I had left the death star for the Devastator, about 12 hours before it was destroyed by the rebel scum. I worked my way through the ranks until I became a general. Then I joined the Emperor's Hammer Elite Strike Force. I soon became a Flight Leader in Psi squadron but was moved to Tau, where I became the commander, a Brigader General. As I right this, I am a Dark Jedi Knight in the Dark Brotherhood. I encourage all Tau members who read this to join the DB and go through the Shadow Acadamy.

Respectfully Submitted, Dark Jedi Knight Thi Barton

CMDR-FN/BG Gunner/Tau-1/IDS Lichor V, MoT

"That will be all my Brothers" said Master Pyr as the members of the Krath finished their ceremony. The spirit of Keto had left him and he was himself again.

Griffin

It has been years since that incident, and I still remember the hospital, and getting the new "glass" eye. I also remember my vow to find the man that betrayed me and kill him. Now it is time to fulfill my vow. A friend in the ISB has found the man and told me that he is soon to visit Aurora. I wish to challenge him."