07-22-2016, 11:09 AM
The roars and chants of the crowds gradually changed as they walked through passageways and ascended elevators, muting and changing direction at first until, finally, from their concealed position on the battlement tower overlooking the square, it howled loudly. Not enough to hamper conversation, but enough to make its power felt.
And Malik felt something stir inside him, a hunger, a craving. The roaring of the crowds. Whether in adulation or anger, that raw power roiled below, chaotic and pure, waited, seethed, craved domination and control and channeling. Just like the Force. Exactly like the Force, that energy that he and Ascendancy controlled every day through sheer power of will.
And he hungered to dominate it, to feel the adulation himself. He ached for it, craved it. To reach out and touch that power, just a sliver, just a thread; to seize it and wrestle it into submission, to channel and focus it, to accomplish whatever his will. And he felt envy for the man before him, envy to his core. But that was the Sith way, the Rule of Two. One to embody the power in all its glory; the other to covet it. But oh, the power, it called to him, sang to him. In all his studies, in all his planning, in everything he had done, his interactions with others, manipulations of them, this was one thing he somehow had missed, had not factored in, hadn't imagine for himself. This power begging to be harnessed and broken, bent to his will and ridden. It was a taste he savored even if it was not his yet.
Marcus got possession of himself in seconds and smiled at Ascendancy's question. What had been an exercise before, a possibility calculated from a backwards projection, was now an opportunity. It was bold, daring even. And very dangerous. It would change the landscape in unpredictable ways, if done. And yet....and yet the potential...
He smiled cooly. "You called yourself The Ascendancy. You said there were none like you. You were the first and the oldest."
He looked out at where the crowds were. "These people crave order. They want the world to make sense. You have given that to them already in this empire you've created. Even those who hate or fear you or others....like us, they all hunger for order."
He stepped forward, allowing himself to show the fervor he felt in what he was about to say. "Embrace your power over them. It is but one single step more than you have already taken. You have governed them for decades. You are the embodiment of the empire, you personally."
Fire now, passion. "Be a GOD to them. Give them something more to believe in, someone to believe in. Someone real."
He waved his hands airily at the sky, embodying all the foolish supernatural childishness that even now so many people trusted in, some man in the sky. "Not this. This isn't power. Show them power, real power. Show them God-on-Earth- not in words, but in fact. Those who love you will adore you. Those who hate you will fear you. Those who aren't sure how they feel will be swept along by the crowds. It's no accident that rulers have been worshiped for millenia. The Pharoahs, the Caesars, the Emperors of Japan and China."
He paused, to make his point clear. "But you can be what they never could. You can be real, you can show that you are their protector."
He paused, then thought to add. "It might even be prudent mention that in your wisdom, you have already taken steps to deal with any rogue power users who threaten your people. Domovoi. Vellas' little group. Your people will not be sheep for people like Andlain."
It was out. Dangerous. So very dangerous. But the people were 90% there already. Primed. Enemies would show themselves, more than ever. But people hadn't changed just because they had technology. The human psyche and its hungers and passions hadn't suddenly morphed. People were not any smarter or more in control then before. People were drawn to strength, to power, to order. And if they had followed Ascendancy before, when it was not known what he was, when it was just his charisma and organizational ability, then what about now? When he could demonstrate his sheer might and power; when he could prove his ability to defend and shepherd his people. Of all peoples, the ones here, at the heart of the CCD, were primed to follow. First Putin and then Ascendancy. They were already ready.
This was merely the next step.
And Malik felt something stir inside him, a hunger, a craving. The roaring of the crowds. Whether in adulation or anger, that raw power roiled below, chaotic and pure, waited, seethed, craved domination and control and channeling. Just like the Force. Exactly like the Force, that energy that he and Ascendancy controlled every day through sheer power of will.
And he hungered to dominate it, to feel the adulation himself. He ached for it, craved it. To reach out and touch that power, just a sliver, just a thread; to seize it and wrestle it into submission, to channel and focus it, to accomplish whatever his will. And he felt envy for the man before him, envy to his core. But that was the Sith way, the Rule of Two. One to embody the power in all its glory; the other to covet it. But oh, the power, it called to him, sang to him. In all his studies, in all his planning, in everything he had done, his interactions with others, manipulations of them, this was one thing he somehow had missed, had not factored in, hadn't imagine for himself. This power begging to be harnessed and broken, bent to his will and ridden. It was a taste he savored even if it was not his yet.
Marcus got possession of himself in seconds and smiled at Ascendancy's question. What had been an exercise before, a possibility calculated from a backwards projection, was now an opportunity. It was bold, daring even. And very dangerous. It would change the landscape in unpredictable ways, if done. And yet....and yet the potential...
He smiled cooly. "You called yourself The Ascendancy. You said there were none like you. You were the first and the oldest."
He looked out at where the crowds were. "These people crave order. They want the world to make sense. You have given that to them already in this empire you've created. Even those who hate or fear you or others....like us, they all hunger for order."
He stepped forward, allowing himself to show the fervor he felt in what he was about to say. "Embrace your power over them. It is but one single step more than you have already taken. You have governed them for decades. You are the embodiment of the empire, you personally."
Fire now, passion. "Be a GOD to them. Give them something more to believe in, someone to believe in. Someone real."
He waved his hands airily at the sky, embodying all the foolish supernatural childishness that even now so many people trusted in, some man in the sky. "Not this. This isn't power. Show them power, real power. Show them God-on-Earth- not in words, but in fact. Those who love you will adore you. Those who hate you will fear you. Those who aren't sure how they feel will be swept along by the crowds. It's no accident that rulers have been worshiped for millenia. The Pharoahs, the Caesars, the Emperors of Japan and China."
He paused, to make his point clear. "But you can be what they never could. You can be real, you can show that you are their protector."
He paused, then thought to add. "It might even be prudent mention that in your wisdom, you have already taken steps to deal with any rogue power users who threaten your people. Domovoi. Vellas' little group. Your people will not be sheep for people like Andlain."
It was out. Dangerous. So very dangerous. But the people were 90% there already. Primed. Enemies would show themselves, more than ever. But people hadn't changed just because they had technology. The human psyche and its hungers and passions hadn't suddenly morphed. People were not any smarter or more in control then before. People were drawn to strength, to power, to order. And if they had followed Ascendancy before, when it was not known what he was, when it was just his charisma and organizational ability, then what about now? When he could demonstrate his sheer might and power; when he could prove his ability to defend and shepherd his people. Of all peoples, the ones here, at the heart of the CCD, were primed to follow. First Putin and then Ascendancy. They were already ready.
This was merely the next step.