Private A Pale Tongue

[Yuria Braay]

​

Detention Centre, Federal District, Coruscant
The muted grey of the durasteel ceiling greeted Yuria as it always did every morning, contrasting so sharply with deep blues and azure oceans she dreamt about. She surpressed those memories as quickly as she could, memories of home only ever brought despair to her current reality. She sat up on her prison bed, rubbing her eyes for a minute as she prepared for another day of the monotony that was the rest of her life. She had lost count how long it had been since the Sith had imprisoned her here.

As she stood up and stretched she noted that her room was still dark. That wasn't exactly out of the norm and she often woke up before reveille. She meandered over to the door, perhaps today the guards would be nice enough and let her go to the galley early, she prefered to eat her meals alone and breakfast got especially busy.

She reached out for the door buzzer but to her surprise there was nothing there, no panel, not even the wall. She reached out again and was greeted by yet more empty space. She had made the same trip from her bed to her door everyday for the past hundred days and every single time she walked it it had been exactly five steps. She took a step forward, expecting to walk into the cell door. Nothing. She took another, then two and still she was greeted by empty space. Confusion mounted as she looked around for any clues to her conundrum but struggled to see in the pitch black. Had her cell always been this dark? Was this even her cell?

She felt the synthetic muscles in her neck tighten as panic start to set in. It was only made worse when she realized she couldn't remember yesterday evening. She started creeping back towards her bed, arms stretched out trying to feel for anything.

That's when she heard something stir in the dark. Someone or something was in here with her. She tried to muster up the courage to challenge it, to ask who was there, demand to know where she was. All her vocoder could manage was a whimper.

Darth Nexion

 

[Darth Nexion]

To say Nexion was annoyed would be an understatement. Despite technically being Sith, he didn't exactly have much of a standing among other Sith. While that was fine day to day, it did make doing certain things on Sith controlled planets difficult. One of those being access to the prisons, and more importantly: the prisoners. Still, there is always a way and after several killings, manipulating promotions, mind tricks and the like, Nexion finally managed to set up a place underneath a detention centre in the Federal District of Corusant. As such, it didn't take long before he began to look for a test subject.

Now, Nexion made it known that his thing was the very niche and difficult ability of necromancy, which he'd spent decades studying and perfecting. But even still, he felt he hadn't reached it's limits. So, he returned to it's roots in Sith Alchemy and struck gold. He became intrigued with the unique ability of Mechu Deru Vitae, the ability to transform the flesh of living beings into metal and machinery. He wondered if such an ability may allow him to expand his current proficiency. So, for testing purposes he had started with animals and gained a basic understanding. Now, he went straight to humans. But, who to choose. Why, who better than those in prison?

So, he searched the prisoner logs until he found one that interested him the most, a human female who was already subject to cybernetic implants, rather extensively as well. He felt she was the perfect candidate, especially since he thought she'd make a unique case for a technovirus, one he was considering making some... personal alterations to. Still, after dark, he had her sedated and moved to his little underground laboratory for experimentation. He hadn't felt like this in some time, learning things through live testing; always a rush.

Regardless, here he now was, seeing her wake up in the dark room he placed her in, watching her through the (currently) one way mirror. Yes, she'd make quite the interesting subject. He pressed a button on his desk connecting to an intercom in her room.

"Prisoner 223442, am I correct?"

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Yuria Braay

 

[Yuria Braay]

​

Detention Centre, Federal District, Coruscant
She froze as she heard her prisoner number read out to her over the intercom, the disembodied voice made it hard for her to know where to face. After a minute of silence she steeled her resolve and answered.

"Yes." Her voice came across came and collected. "I am 223442."

She continued wandering in the dark, under her breath she cursed the guards who had replaced her Mod III eyes with a far more basic model, a model which pertinent to her current situation, did not have low light vision. Eventually she felt her hip bump into a low wall. As she felt for it with her hands she realized she had made her way back to her bed and she quietly let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't quite sure why, she was still trapped in this strange room.

Lowering herself close to the floor and leaning against the bedframe she felt more of her confidence return. "Where the hell am I? What happened to my cell?"

Darth Nexion

 

[Darth Nexion]

"Ah, well, before I get to that, this whole thing feels a tad too formal for me. So, I'll just–."

In his office, Nexion hit another switch that caused the lights to activate inside the cell, too bright for someone to immediately adjust from pitch darkness. He then deactivated the one way mirror, revealing himself to his test subject. While he normally wore ragged clothes and robes, he was oddly wearing a smart black shirt and tie with a green vest on top. He wore smart pants, but also had combat boots on. He also had his white hair tied into a ponytail with two strands to the sides of his head.

Even disregarding the odd attire, something about him seemed to be... off. He was as pale as a corpse, with vivid green eyes and a seemingly normal smile that most certainly had ill intent behind it. Ironic that he thought the conditions were too formal considering what he was wearing.

"That's better. Now, as for your questions: first, you are still in prison. However, we're quite a ways below it, in a hidden... maybe illegal, personal lab of mine. As for why you're here, well, I'm here to offer a, you could say, mutual agreement. There's some experiments I'd like to run, and you are my lovely volunteer."

His voice sounded alive, but it lacked warmth entirely. When he spoke, it was condescending, making no attempt to hide it. Yet, despite it's hidden cold, there was a chilling sense of passion in the words. It was a tone of voice that most certainly shouldn't exist.

"In exchange, I will set you free. Free to run about the galaxy as you please... mostly. So, how does that sound? Ready to be of use? I mean, based on the records I have of you, it's not like you haven't been of use to others before in the same way. Think of it as... a nostalgia trip, only I make it much more intense."

His smile seemed to stretch from ear to ear, but almost seemed to try and go further still.

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Yuria Braay

 

[Yuria Braay]

​

Detention Centre, Federal District, Coruscant
As the room was bathed in light the cybernetic pupils in her eyes began to flutter as they adjusted to the light. She began blinking rapidly as her eyes automatically took control. The room was certainly not her cell, that much was clear now. It war bigger with the bed located centrally rather than tucked up against the wall. She found herself staring at her reflection in a large mirror, a reflection that was soon replaced by a man standing on the other side.

As she studied the man the expression in her eyes shifted from confusion to revulsion. It was little details about him that set off alarm bells in her mind. The clothes, his skin, the smile. As he described Yuria as a volunteer she felt every single hair on the back of her neck stand up.

As he he fluttered about with the words experimentation and nostalgia Yuria found herself clutching her arms. Flashes of her childhood appeared in her mind, the doctors, the operating table. She felt sick to her stomach. The offer of freedom went ignored.

"Please. I didn't volunteer for anything." she pleaded. "I just want to go back to my cell."

Darth Nexion

 

[Darth Nexion]

"Yes, well, unfortunately not everyone gets what they want. You, for example, aren't really in a position to refuse my requests. So, I invite you to really think about your options here and hope you make the right choice."

He wandered about his office, but kept his eyes on the prisoner in front of him. Unblinking and unflinching he stared, awaiting her realisation of her situation.

"Not only that, but I have another panel of switches here. Now, this one allows me to do all sorts to that room your in to make your stay far less comfortable. Electified walls and floors, and considering you're on a metal bed... not the best. I can gas the room with a unique nerve toxin, causes both paralysis and pain. I can make the room feel like it's colder than Hoth or hotter than Mustafar lava. Even something simple, like an ion pulse to really damage those cybernetics of yours."

He sat down, feet resting on his desk as his fingers traced the panel of switches. Tauntingly, he moved a switch halfway, just shy of activating, before stopping. He smiled at her, like that of a parent watching a child throw a tantrum when asked to do something.

"Now, I'll say again. You're my volunteer for my experiments. Comply and you get to leave this planet in freedom, and with some improvements. Refuse, and I put an end to you here. Before you say, 'I'm in prison, I have nothing else to live for', well... while that may be true, that still doesn't mean you want to die. Does it?"

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Yuria Braay

 

[Yuria Braay]

​

Detention Centre, Federal District, Coruscant
Her focus remained fixed on her captor despite every urge telling her to avert her eyes from the unholy creature. As he unveiled the room's control panel and described the host of torture at his fingertips Yuria climbed up onto the bed. She was fully aware of how little it would protect her, the actions driven by pure instinct.

"You're an animal..." she spoke with a growl. Fear had given way to frustration and Yuria was lashing out at the only thing ahead of her.

Her eyes watched as his finger played with the switch, she wasn't sure what it did but it was probably quite unpleasant.

"Fine, I volunteer." she admitted. She was no illusion that this man was her savior but as of now he held the power and she needed to buy time. Even as she 'volunteered' eyes darted around the cell looking for something, anything that could be of use to an escape. All the while she got herself into a low crouch, a coiled spring ready to leap out.

Darth Nexion

 

[Darth Nexion]

The pale man laughed at her words, amused at both her demeanor and her words.

"Hehe, calling me an animal? Between the two of us, who's the one in a cage, poised in such a manner to catch her prey? Know this, my dear, in here you aren't a prisoner and this is not a cell. Think of it more as a zoo cage. Yes, I think that's most appropriate."

He used the force and pulled a holotablet to his hands, turning it on and pulling up information. He then telekinetically moved it to a small section of the wall which retracted and allowed him to move it inside.

"This tablet currently displays the specifications of the implants you had installed upon your imprisonment. Tell me, even though you were clearly more capable once you possessed cybernetics, you surely still experienced limitations even with them."

He leaned in towards the glass, his eyes glowing a bright green.

"Tell me what you felt limited by. While I may be your... keeper, for the time being, I'm not ungenerous and this experiment will benefit you by the end. One way or another at least."

_________________________________________________________________

Yuria Braay

 

[Yuria Braay]

​

Detention Centre, Federal District, Coruscant
She stepped off the bed and scampered to one of the rooms vents as Nexion continued to speak. The vent was small, but she might just be small enough to squeeze through. If she detached one of her arms she could reduce her size even further. Of course there was still the matter of the vent's cover, durasteel bars that only a rodent could squeeze through.

Her cybernetic arms gripped the bars and she begun to pull. Every muscle in her body strained, muscle that had been built up through long hours spent in the prison gymnasium, the only form of entertainment she had. The bars began to groan under the force and for second it felt like she was getting close. It was a fool's errand and her arms soon gave in. She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow and wiped it against her white and orange jumpsuit.

She turned her attention to the holotablet that floated towards her. Every single cybernetic implant was logged from here eyeballs to her fingers. She studied the screen, not even she was privy to how much they had replaced.

She looked back up at Nexion a look of fury in her eyes. Information was power and right now he had all of it on her.

"What I am limited by." she echoed.

"Weapons. So I could rip you in half and leave this forsaken prison." her answer purely motivated by anger directed at her captor.

Darth Nexion

 

[Darth Nexion]

The Sith smirked at the subject's attempt to escape. It was amusing, watching her try and get out like a caged animal that thought it was being clever. Fortunately, he was prepared enough to make a cell that could keep her in for as long as he needed.

His laugh grew as she expressed her desire to kill him, and it made him all the more looking forward to seeing this project through.

"Weapons, huh? Well, I certainly think I can help with that. As for killing me, once we're done, you're welcome to try. But until then, best behave, little beast."

He stood up, moving his desk aside with the force and approached the window until he was basically right against it.

"What do you know of the force, little beast? Trick question. In the context of what I plan for you, you know nothing. You should feel honoured, it's not everyday simple beasts get such an education. Especially not from me, never been much of a teacher."

He brought another data pad out and slid it through the gap. It had information on ancient Sith history that Nexion had spent a fair amount of time collecting.

"There's an ability known as Mechu Deru, allowing for the ability to understand and interact with machines through the force. However, an Ancient Sith learned how to change organic material into cybernetics: Mechu Deru Vitae. That, is what I'm here to give you. More advanced cybernetics that will allow you to live your life in a way you never thought possible."

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Yuria Braay

 

[Yuria Braay]

​

Detention Centre, Federal District, Coruscant
His voice, his laugh, his face continued to fill Yuria with nothing but rage and contempt. The fear had almost completely disappeared. Almost. The next datapad came through and she picked it up, the text was sprinkled with alien runes and symbols. Her augmented brain parsed the information, comparing it to what she knew of the Sith which was frankly very little. Yuria was a corpo and a spy, not a mystic.

"Ancient Sith learned how to change organic material into cybernetics: Mechu Deru Vitae. That, is what I'm here to give you."

Yuria froze. The fear began to seep back into her skin, fear of losing what little she had left. "You think I wanted to be like this?! A robotic freak?!" she took a few steps back. Organic material into cybernetics, by her own metrics she was already far too much machine than human. She felt her breathing quicken.

She went back to the vent and started pulling at it again, this time fueled by fear and panic. She swore under her breath as she tried to break the grate loose, to do anything to get away from this monster.

Darth Nexion

 

[Darth Nexion]

"Hmm, you know, I think you're being a little too harsh on yourself. Believe me, I've met freaks, I'm probably one of them. You certainly seem to act like I am."

He sighed, his tone sounding saddened though there was not a hint of the real emotion he seemed to attempt to portray. He shrugged and turned away, not worried in the slightest at her trying to escape.

"Oh well, that certainly is a shame. Well, if that's how you feel... Though, one last thing: despite cybernetics attaching to the nervous system to simulate the original part of the body, you can tell it's not, can't you. Even before I showed you that tablet that displayed all your implants, you could feel there was many things wrong in your body, couldn't you?"

He didn't wait for a response, whether he was right or not. He placed a hand to his heart and, for the first time, seemed completely honest with not a hint of hidden intent.

"Which is what brings me to another piece of information I was going to tell you once you accepted was that the sequence changes organic material to cybernetics, without removing that sense of self. At least, the strain of it I have in possession. Picture it, you having the benefits of cybernetic implants while, at the same time, feeling; no being whole once again. You would be part metal, but it will feel like yourself again. Is that not something you would want?"

He turned to her, his expression one of curiosity. Underneath, he knew he'd go through with things no matter what she said or did, it would just be easier (and funnier in hindsight) if she agreed from her own desires.
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Yuria Braay

 

[Yuria Braay]

​

Detention Centre, Federal District, Coruscant
No matter how hard she pulled the grate would not come free. She made another desperate search around the cell for another crawl space, anything that might be a way out. As the Sith continued to try and pour honeyed words in her ears it only continued to scare her. She remembered the tales her father use to tell her of Jedi, baby snatchers and villains. If only he could've seen a Sith, especially one like this.

"I may not have feeling in my hands... but my shoulders, my chest, my head. There is still skin and flesh and unlike what you offer the feeling I feel there is real."

She walked up to the metal bed and smashed her left hand against the frame. Sparks flew and she smashed again and again. Placing her arm on the floor and pinning it with a metal foot she yanked the hand free rom the arm, tossing it aside. She stood back at her full height and marveled at her mangled arm. She had turned her arm into a giant spike wrapped in exposed wiring. It was by no means an efficient weapon but it was all she had to make do with.

"I've not spoken to many Sith but from what I've gathered, to trust Sith is to forfeit your life."

She would go down fighting, or at the very least try. She had no real idea what this man could do.

Darth Nexion

 

[Darth Nexion]

Nexion slumped, disappointed she didn't give in, but that was soon discarded with a smile. A strong will, this one had. All the better. He watched as she tore her hand loose from her arm, leaving a makeshift but impractical weapon. Creative and resourceful. Wilful enough to be willing to damage herself. Perfect. He sighed a content sigh, watching the sight.

"I'm not going to get through to you with words, am I, little beast? Alright then, I'll play."

He held his arm to the side, a latch releasing and causing the wall between them to retract into the ground. There was no wall between them. No barrier to protect one from the other. Even with this, Nexion placed his hands in his pockets, nodding behind him.

"The door's right there. If you can kill me, the door opens. But before you begin, know this: To trust Sith is not to forfeit life. No, to trust Sith is to reach the lowest point in life and rebuild yourself into a greater version."

With that, he stood, his condescinding smile and posture just taunting for her to try and kill him. From her records, she wasn't bad in a fight. However, she had been in a prison for a time, had only basic implants, and now was down a hand if only to have a minor electrical weapon. He wasn't facing another Jedi, no; to him, this was akin to playing with a pet or a child. Playing along until you exhaust them.

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Yuria Braay

 

[Yuria Braay]

​

Detention Centre, Federal District, Coruscant
Her eyes became fixated on the door behind her. Freedom, not just from her captor but from prison. For the first time in a long time she allowed herself to think of home, the blue seas. It was only for a moment, there was still the Sith to deal with. She had seen the holovids, not just the doctored propaganda of the press corps but raw footage from the frontline. If what she had seen was true she didn't stand a chance.

In spite of all that she could not help but feel hope. She was of Kuati stock, the shipbuilders of the core. That surely had to count for something, especially when dealing with outsider mongrels like this. There was determination in her eyes, a hint of overconfidence.

She did not wait for him to finish speaking and she moved with astonishing speed, lining up her charge with both the Sith and the door. Should she fail in her attack then she could make a break for the door. She thrusted her spiked arm right at the throat of the Sith, hoping to take him out in a single strike.

Darth Nexion

 

[Darth Nexion]

Nexion tilted his head as she charged at him, impressed at her speed despite the circumstances. He let her arm slam straight to his throat, but merely smiled.

"Oh, come now. Those wires barley carry more than a minor charge; little more than a tingle. As for those spikes from the scrap of an arm you gave yourself... you need to work on your aim."

He grabbed her wrist, pulling from his throat as the spikes are pulled from the sides of his neck. However, blood didn't run from the wound. No. Instead, green mist leaked from them, flowing to the floor and beginning to cover it in a thin veil of green smoke. He smiled before using his other hand and giving a push back with the force, sending her far back into the wall at the back of her cell.

"Come on, try again. Surely if your desire to get out of here and away from me gives you the strength to do it. Maybe strength isn't the issue. No, see, despite having your records, I don't know much about you in terms of personality; mindset. So, please correct me if I'm wrong, could it be you're afraid to kill? You'll have to let me know. I can read people, but it's not an infallible gift. Maybe you really do simply lack the ability to kill me rather than the will to kill."

He looked down at his test subject, like one would an animal from the zoo.

"Come on, little beast."

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Yuria Braay

 

[Yuria Braay]

​

Detention Centre, Federal District, Coruscant
She watched in horror as her attack was met with little more than a smile. Crude or not the arm was more than enough to kill an ordinary man. The mist that flowed from his wounds was not enough to remind Yuria she was not dealing with an ordinary man. As he pulled her arm from his throat her free hand curled into a fist and she punched at his arm over and over to no avail.

Then she felt a push, gentle at first as if she had been hit by a gust of wind. Suddenly she was flying backwards and hit the back wall of her cell with a thud. Pain shot through her back as she tried to stand up and was forced to use her remaining functioning hand to keep herself propped up.

All the while he continued to mock her.

"Afraid?" she laughed audibly before it turned into a cough. "I was a child when I killed my first man. The blaster bolt bored through his chest and out the other side and he dropped like a sack of shit to the floor."

The pain began to subside and she gripped the wall.

"I lied, killed and stole to get to where I was. I'll lie, kill and steal again to get back." As the words left her mouth she launched herself again at her assailant, this time the spiked arm aimed to plunge itself deep into the man's heart.

Darth Nexion

 

[Darth Nexion]

Nexion couldn't deny, she was fast. While he could use the force to enhance himself, he didn't do that unless he felt in real danger. Still, as a result, he was certainly slower than her in such a quick burst. He looked down as her arm struck true, straiht through his heart with no resistance.

Well, almost found it's mark. Rather than the heart, it struck him right through the centre of his chest, tearing through the fabric of his shirt. She was fast, but the line was predictable.

"You are fast, even with those trash cybernetics. How much faster would you be if you had your original ones?"

He smirks, leaning in to look her eye to eye.

"You know, if you did hit my heart, you'd have killed me here and now. Impressive. Unfortunately for you, your movements are far too easy to read. You noticed that trash arm went through so easily right? I've been struck there once before and it's what allowed me to grow to the heights I've reached now."

He grabbed her arm while it remained his chest before pushing her back with the force again, only this time he also used the force to pull her arm from the shoulder. After it was gone, he pulled the arm from his chest, not a speck of blood on it as a hole is seen straight through him, the tissue inside cauterised.

"Want to keep playing, little beast? Or, do you finally want to roll over and behave?"

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Yuria Braay

 

[Yuria Braay]

​

Detention Centre, Federal District, Coruscant
A glimmer of hope as her strike struck true again that dashed away as she was met with more mockery. She had not felt the warm squelch of flesh that she expected but fabric and empty air. As her eyes met with the Sith's she felt the fear and terror take over again.

"What the hell even are you..."

Before her question could be answered the Sith grabbed her arm and Yuria could do nothing but watch helplessly. The arm had been attached to her crudely by her jailers, screwed to the anchor point to stop other inmates from stealing it. It had worked and pure tensile strength had kept her arms and legs in their place. It now had come back to bite her. She felt the force pulsate through her arm, all the way up into her shoulder which was still flesh and bone. It was agony and she could feel the muscle tearing from the joint.

She screamed as the pain became unbearable before the metallic arm finally gave in and snapped free. She crumpled to the floor clutching her shoulder, whimpering like a wounded animal. Her shoulder turned a shade of blue and yellow as the muscle tear bruised. When the Sith asked if she was willing to behave she curled up into a ball, one last instinctual action to try and protect herself.

Darth Nexion

 

[Darth Nexion]

He walked over to her, standing tall under the light. His face shadowed, showing only his green eyes and wide toothed grin.

"What am I? Well, little beast, that is the question you have to ask yourself. I'm plenty of things, but the most important one for you is that I'm the person who decides what happens to you. I can see in your eyes, even if you hate what you've become, hate what's been done to you... you don't want death. In truth, nobody does. Not really. So, let me be clear: I can kill you easily, little beast. The only reason I haven't yet is because I find you persistence; your entire existence amusing. But understand, I don't have to kill you to dispose of you. No, no, I could force my experiment to turn out poorly, leaving you worse off than when you came into this prison."

He pulled her close with the force, forcing her body to raise to his height.

"I could tear off the rest of your cybernetics and let the prisoners at you, I doubt you have many friends here. There are countless other ways I could deal with you, understand that. So, you either behave yourself and you get to leave this prison, this planet... get far away from me, and have the power and capabilities to live any life you choose. Or, you can leave your fate to me, and I assure you I have all the time in the world... and I will ensure you do too so you can enjoy what I do as well."

He grabbed her by the throat before tossing her back to the floor, looming over her.

"So tell me, little beast, what's your answer. Be sure to speak up now, I want to hear your answer clear as day."

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Yuria Braay