Private Alive

[Darth Prazutis]

Location: Herevan Hold, Galidraan
Tags: Natasi Fortan

F O R T A N
"When you go home. Tell them of us and say 'For your tomorrow we gave our today'.".

"Natasi lived and died for the nation she loved. There is no greater end for an imperial than to sacrifice themselves for their nation. She will never be forgotten."
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Years Ago....

The day that Dosuun fell was that day that Natasi Fortan achieved immortality.

When the images played out across every viewscreen on the bridge of the Goliath II he stood and watched the detonation that carried the Grand Moff, the First Imperial Hero from their world and into legend. An entire life of hardship had been lived to prepare her for the singular moment when she made the decision to sacrifice her today, for their tomorrow. It was in those moments that she was no longer thinking of herself, she was willingly casting herself into oblivion to give them a chance, to give them time to make her sacrifice worth something. It was the day that she had achieved something a select few in galactic history ever had, immortality that was stronger than any power the force could bestow. To be remembered. When the Grand Moff, Founding Official, and Great Imperial Hero Natasi Fortan died her death sent shockwaves through all those loyal to the imperial philosophy. First Imperials, Sith-Imperials. Even in death she sent a powerful message to everyone. Loyalty, fidelity. Even someone in her position was expected to lay down her life when the nation she served called upon her one last time. It was unexpected.​

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In a world rife with war to see a face that didn't belong to the Sith Code or the Jedi Creed rise to prominence on the galactic stage. She became a political juggernaut with unrivaled influence in the First Order, and many believed that if she truly wished to reach for the wrungs of power, she could've wrested them away from Sieger Ren long ago. Yet that was not her way. A life dedicated to the state and to building something that could last until long after she had gone. It was perhaps in those final moments she might've been scared, she might've been concerned yet it was her overriding drive to ensure the world she built survive that drove her forward. A full month of mourning began in the entirety of the Sith Empire and the Emperor named her an Imperial Hero. A grand statue was built in her honor on her homeworld of Galidraan, they would celebrate her life, honor the beliefs she fought and died for and press on, they would endure. In the end that was what lived on. What she stood for lived on in all those First Imperials she touched.​

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It was the life of this woman that brought the Shadow Hand of the Sith Emperor, Supreme Commander of Sith-Imperial Forces to visit her statue every month with fresh roses handpicked from the gardens in the Imperial Palace. He would make the journey typically with Darth Carnifex and they would honor her together, or at times when they were called away they came separate. Natasi was never a sith or a believer in their code, but she was an imperial to her very core. When the One Sith Empire came crashing down and the First Order rose she was the one who met with House Zambrano and paved the way for the smooth annexation of Panatha, who worked policy to respect their sovereignty. If it weren't for her willingness to cooperate as an ally, things could've turned out quite differently. When the seas of chaos churned she gave the Zambrano Lords safe haven within the borders of the First Order, and refused all demands to hand them over by various galactic nations. While their beliefs certainly clashed at times she was always an ally of the family. In death they made sure that she would never be forgotten. They carved her name into the halls of Sith-Imperial history to make sure all knew what a true Imperial Hero looked like, the dedication that every one should aspire to.​

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In the aftermath he found himself on Galidraan before her grand statue when word came down from the Sith Emperor that the First Imperials would be welcomed with open arms into the Sith Empire. They would find a safe haven among their ranks, and they would protect them against the storm, they would go to war beside them and bring fire and death upon their enemies. The giant stared up at the stone edifice of the woman and placed his hand on the stone base, a debt repaid. "Consider our debt repaid. They owe it all to you." ​

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Present Day...

It had been many years since that day and the sleek hull of the Midnight II found itself crossing the Galidraani skyline once more. Only it didn't drop at its usual destination, the only place he came to when he landed here. It passed over the skyline heading towards Herevan Hold, the Seat of House Fortan. This ship carried the whirling hurricane, the event horizon of unbridled fury that was the Lord of Lies. Beneath the surface his essence burned like a star, a rumbling volcano saturated with the corruption of the great beyond. The ship cut across the skyline and dropped at the designated landing pad nearest to the estate, drawing eyes from the nearby villagers. The people of Herevan Village were an insular lot. They were tight knit and they cared for their own treating outsiders with a facade of courtesy while regarding them with suspicion and distate. When the stealth systems disengaged and the Nykkalt plated starship became visible, eyes were certainly upon it. When the ship landed only the giant stepped off. In terms of clothing he was clad in a black uniform of insulated Zeyd Cloth that covered his entire body from head to toe, every inch was covered with layers of black clothing even a pair of gloves were pulled over his hands. It was all the elegance expected of the Shadow Hand, he only uttered a single line to any attending security:​

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"Take me to her."​

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It was a fate that did not belong to her.​

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Natasi Fortan didn't belong in this world. She wasn't gifted with the power to wield the force in life and with everything he knew about the woman, she wouldn't have wanted this. She lived and died on her own terms after a life of servitude to the First Order. She gave them everything she had. No this was a soul that was forcibly ripped out of the Netherworld and cast back into the mortal plane against her wishes, a soul at rest that had been denied the peace of death and ripped back into the world of the living at the hands of someone who simply couldn't let go. If it were him? The Lord of Lies would've let her rest. Natasi played her part in the grand conflict, she lived her life and died on her own terms. It was a life and a death he could respect, he could at least affort her that. Yet she was here. He could feel her now. Whoever brought her back simply wouldn't understand.​

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The Natasi Fortan they lost wasn't the one they brought back. That one died in orbit over Dosuun. ​

 

[Natasi Fortan]

The Human Republica Droid, gifted to Natasi by one Lord Ardik, had the misfortune of answering the summons to the landing pad when the Lord of Death arrived. It didn't recognize Darth Prazutis by site, nor was its mistress expecting company as far as the droid was aware, but even a Human Republica Droid knew well enough that someone appearing at Herevan Hold and demanding to be taken to 'her' could only mean one woman: Natasi Fortan. The droid therefore, after a brief hesitation, reached for his comlink and reported that there was a visitor.

Luckily for the droid, Natasi was returning from a visit to Foxfield when the Lord of Death had touched down. She climbed out of the speeder driven by another of the droids, and when they emerged from the garage to see the ship in the distance, her pulse quickened, and her dark eyes narrowed slightly. A visitor, here? No one would know she was here, no one who wasn't already aware, and the ship looked unfamiliar. She hesitated; she shouldn't go rushing into things... but still, she was curious. She was alive and, for the first time in half a decade, able to indulge her human impulses.

She tucked the kerchief into her pocket as she followed the stone path down to the landing grounds. She almost didn't notice when another human replica droid fell into place behind her, flanking her with the other like a mismatched set of bookends. Bodyguards. She hated to tell them that anyone who knew she was here would likely make short work of the droids if they so desired. So she didn't.

The droid that had greeted Darth Prazutis was leading him up the path, so they met about a quarter of the way up the lawn. She stopped, positioned slightly higher on the hill. She couldn't see his face, but the size, the power that radiated so strongly off the figure in the Force was strong enough to make her feel a little ill. This could be one of only a very few individuals. She gazed down at the form — a feat only made possible due to her position on the hill -- silent and still save for the breeze that ruffled her pomegranate-colored coat. Her hat flapped, but remained in place thanks to her hairpin.

"Leave us," she told the droids. "Let the others know we'll have a guest for dinner." The droids hesitated, but Natasi knew their presence would make not a bit of difference if the gigantic visitor was ill-intentioned. "Go now." Her gaze didn't leave the shrouded face of the visitor as the droids trotted off. Natasi waved with a gloved hand towards the walkway that would lead to the river. "Shall we take a walk along the river, and you can tell me why you've come?"

 

[Darth Prazutis]

She was different.

Natasi Fortan stood on the elevated hill every bit the woman he remembered with the grace of a queen and the reserved nature befitting a Galidraani Lady, the same demeanor she made famous with her public life. Appearances were everything and Fortan was always dressed to perfection, she never allowed herself to slip. But there was something very different about her. It was as he had expected. When she made gesture towards the walkway the giant merely nodded and approached, it was when began to clear the hill that his gigantic stature and the sheer physical mismatch between them became apparent. Next to her the difference between size was so great it was almost comical. "What a surprise it was when word of your return to this world was whispered into my ear. I almost didn't believe it." Braxus said as the distance closed. He allowed her to take the lead in directing their path along the river.​

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"I had to verify your resurgence myself. It is good to see that they were true, Lady Fortan."​

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It was the truth. It was a welcome surprise to hear of her resurrection and an even greater one to hear that she had been named as Supreme Leader. It was a sentiment he and Darth Carnifex agreed on, when he gave his nephew the news. It seemed through a twist of fate would send Natasi on a journey that would lead her to greater heights than she ever dreamed of. Very few people earned a second chance in this life and while it wasn't what she might've thought, he was certain that she would capitalize on it. But she was in the dark at the price that was paid when one violated the natural way of life, and had their souls ripped out of the chaos. None understood such things like the Death Lord did, and he immediately would plant the seeds in the canals of her mental curiosity.​

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"So tell me. Supreme Leader. Have the voices started yet?"​

Natasi Fortan ​

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"Your concern is touching and awfully appreciated," said Natasi demurely as they began to walk along the pathway. "Whatever the reason, you are always welcome at Herevan Hold."

Natasi strolled along, still enjoying the newfound sensation of youth. She had been forty when she died, and her body had taken rather a beating over the years, having been supplemented with prosthetic legs. Several surgeries surrounding the bombing had left some of her joints arthritic. But that was all gone. She felt twenty again, and without any negative effects of her previous life. There was a spring to her step.

The Lord of Death's question threw Natasi off guard; she glanced sharply to him once more. "The — what?" she asked, a puzzled look coming over her face. Then, she said: "I'm afraid that while your congratulations are appreciated, they are also somewhat premature. There are formalities, I'm sure you understand, but my cousin has every intention of installing me as Supreme Leader. There really isn't another choice, frankly. But there are matters of ... packaging. The way I must be... presented to the people. You mustn't share that you've seen me."

She hesitated and glanced over at Darth Prazutis for a moment, then returned her attention to the path ahead. "There's also the added wrinkle that we had no means of succession in the event of the Supreme Leader's death. We never expected that Sieger Ren could die. Ridiculous, isn't it? I won't make that mistake. Not dying, of course. I feel that is inevitable, no matter what precautions are taken, though we'll see I suppose." She paused and knitted her fingers together in front of her as they continued along the path. "Just that there will be orderly succession. Luckily I have an heir and a spare, so that's one generation taken care of."

"But enough about the minutiae." A moment passed. "What did you mean about — voices?"

 

[Darth Prazutis]

"Yes of course." The Shadow Hand said when matters of packaging her return and her ascension were mentioned.

It had reminded him when his own people had deified him as a true God-King of All Epicanthix so long ago when he had transcended death itself. The return of Natasi Fortan to the galactic stage needed the right amount of spin, the right situation when it was presented to the people in the most effective way. "There are obstacles to your rise. But those who remain are meek by comparison. Plan accordingly and any obstacles can easily be swept aside. Your name carries power all it's own." The giant hid a smirk at her confusion regarding the mention of voices. It was exactly the unbalancing reaction that he was expecting out of her.

Sure enough it left her wanting more and she pressed for details.

"Succession is a concern both Sith and Imperial have faced in ages past. Our ancient empire during the time of Palpatine the Great faced a similar situation when he fell. A lack of succession brought the great empire crashing down. It is a problem the Sith Empire, that we have corrected."

When she asked he flashed a rare expression on his face, a grin that said he knew far more than he was letting on regarding the aformentioned voices.

"You have defied the laws of nature and returned from beyond the veil Natasi. No soul that does so remains the same through such an ordeal. You have been touched by the nether. When a soul returns the side effects are as far reaching and varying as the chaos itself. As I am sure you have noticed it has awakened a force sensitivity within you. You were blind to the true power of the force before." He looked towards her then.

"But you can see now. You can feel it can't you? The power at your fingertips?"

Natasi Fortan ​

 

[Natasi Fortan]

H E R E V A N

Tag: Darth Prazutis

Natasi didn't answer for a few moments, continuing to tread the path around Herevan. She felt naked, like her guest could easily see through her — not just her clothing but her flesh, into the soul of her. It was not a comforting thought, particularly for a Galidraani noblewoman for whom modesty was not so much a defining trait as an ingrained requirement. Her cheeks felt hot, and not just because of the incisiveness of Darth Prazutis ' line of questioning. She was used to being the smartest person in the room, the one with all the facts, the indispensable woman. But here she knew nothing; she was a total novice when it came to the Force and had tremendous difficulty understanding what had happened to her and how.

"I feel... something," she confirmed. She didn't know how much to say. There again, he seemed to know more about it than she did. What use would it be to deny it? And Kassandra Distorith had confirmed it for her. She trusted Kassandra implicitly and felt instinctively that if she had questions — if she felt she wanted to explore this affliction of Force Sensitivity and learn to harness its power — the Lordess would assist. She wondered if the Lord of Death was thinking along the same lines.

Sith generally made her uneasy. She had defected from the One Sith because of the inherent instability in Sith political structures. While Carnifex's version of the Sith Empire seemed to have that more or less on lock, Natasi doubted whether such a dampening could go on indefinitely. At some point, ambition and lust for power would get the better of someone, and then... disaster. Lady Kassandra was an exception, borne more of gratitude than any specific knowledge about her character. Ariel trusted her and that had to be enough for now. Prazutis and Carnifex, too, seemed to be of a special breed. Natasi's interactions with them had always been respectful, even when they had found themselves on opposite ends of an issue.

She realized that she had been silent again and smiled apologetically. "It feels like power, but I'm in no position to harness it. Not yet," she added enigmatically. "Being alive is enough of an adjustment to be getting on with. And before I decide how to use this... Force I have to decide if I will."

There was a rumbling sight somewhere in her psyche. Foolish girl, to consider turning your back on unlimited power. Weak! Stupid! Natasi smiled placidly at Prazutis. "You must think me mad not to jump at the chance. No?"