Private Befriending The Puppet Master

[Lord Dvasius]

"I hear you." her voice held a tone of an older woman amused by the antics of someone far younger, "I'm going to return you to your body soon."

"Huh. Neat." he wasn't sure she'd be able to hear him either. He wondered if that was normal or if it said something about either or both or their ability and strength in the Force. Probably more her's. He only had as much power as a "half-breed" Force User could. He was strong in the Force, but not as strong as other members of his family. Most of his power came from his will. True power came from there more than anywhere else anyway, he knew and told himself to feel better about it. If Mariah of House Marr really could help him with his literal project maybe soon that would no longer matter or be true. Another limit to be removed, hopefully soon.

In this disembodied state he already felt stronger... or more connected to the Force, almost as powerful as he wanted to be, but he didn't understand how to use it in this world. Soon he would be going back, as Mariah reminded him. She was right about this experience. Just from feeling and experiencing this, he'd gained some understanding of how this ability worked. He felt how she disconnected, but didn't sever him from himself, all he had to do was the same. Like untying knots that tied him to his body, that form, butt his was only half and he didn't know how to make the separation permanent and he didn't know how to actually "transfer" his "essence" into another "vessel". Vessel seemed like such a creepy and weird way to describe a body.

Obviously he needed to learn those other two thirds of the ability before he could master this, but as she said this was a great start, a massive step, only two more massive steps. It wasn't like he'd fully mastered this step either yet. He still had yet to practice doing it himself, though they had plenty of time for that and immortality was worth the wait. He barely noticed since he guessed he'd always seen like this, but just not with his physical eyes, not visually, but when he looked at Mariah to answer her he saw what looked like an X-Ray of a person, except it wasn't bones he was seeing, but a soul or an aura. Strange and yet, not. He'd always felt this part of people, he even had a seemingly natural talent for it, despite impure weakness, muddying his blood and his ability to touch the Force. It was so strange to actually "see" it... or it should have been.

"Alright. I think I'm getting this. Okay, go ahead and put me back."

As she returned him to his body it felt like a hand was pushing him back or something gripped him backwards into his body again. When his spirit got close enough to it again it felt like the strings connecting him to his body reached out to the one's attached to his soul and retied them together. Suddenly it felt like something violently pulled/jerked him back as they joined back together, like a dream of falling.

Red eyes flashed open and the Sith breathed in a deep, sudden breath, like he'd just died and had his heart restarted again by a defibrillator. In a way that had happened, at least he imagined that's how that felt, it was as close as you can get though. Closer than sleep got you, as people even say sleep is as close as you can get to death while still being alive or a "free trial of death".

He continued to breathe hard and even felt slightly woozy, but not enough to throw up, as he came back fully to himself, consciously. "Ugh. I feel so dizzy right now.", Dvasius said, disgusted and as if he hadn't just seen and touched the other side... or did it touch him. Doesn't matter. Mariah, or her avatar, looked normal again, less glow-y, he noticed as he propped himself up to where he was sitting on the table with his legs dangling., looking tired and drained as if he was the one who performed the ritual. His hair dangled too, in front of his face, both looking sweaty and ragged. He imagined it too a lot out of her too. "That was weird... I think I saw your soul. Now that I'm back in here," he said with what sounded like disdain for his own body, "I miss the power I just touched. I want it back. We're gonna get it back... soon. Do you feel that kind of power all the time? Like godhood."

 

[Mariah of House Marr]

Lord Dvasius

As she went through the process, thoughts fluttered in her own mind. She was reminded of her son, his brutish tendencies. And couldn't help but wander if he would have seen this as one of his moments he loved, where lives hung in the balance. Or if he'd have just severed Dvasius from the strings that tied him down, just to feel his life part. Were she to do such a thing, it would be to steal his power for herself.

His reaction to being brought back was a reminder of just how badly she didn't want to die herself. She watched him, and relaxed herself. The ritual had taken it's own toll on her. If not a physical one, it was like preforming brain surgery. One screwup, and it was over. It was taxing on the mind. She sat down on a chair as he explained his side of the experience.

"You probably did." she admitted, understanding the appeal he clearly felt for what he'd just felt. While simultaneously knowing just how terrifying it could be when she had considered it before she'd made her Spirit Anchor. Tezi rubbed her neck and shoulders as she took in a breath and considered her answer, "Not exactly. I feel more than most, divided as I am, free. But my power and spirit are not as directly tied as yours are, on the positive, it means gaining power is arguably easier. It also means it's functionally impossible for anyone to strip the power from all of me at once. Things like force light, or sever force, for example. Would only harm the one body at a time. But," She provided a shrug, "It also means the transfer from one body to another is more purely spiritual, it will lack the broader connection to the force that you experienced. And yes, the two differ. In fact, there are many things akin to the force that can be achieved through other means. It's just usually an inferior product. Of course, if I do ever lose a body. Or when. I'll be able to do the same, feel the same. And there are ways to get there. But it's not a constant experience."

She smiled, "Godhood though, that's maybe a bit much. I'm immortal, more so than most who claim that. Perhaps more so even than Darth Vitiate. But to be called a god, well, I'm ascending. But I've not yet reached the heavens."

 

[Lord Dvasius]

"Hmm." he mumbled in understanding and contemplation of her agreeing what that likely was he saw. It was strange having "seen", not with organic or mechanical eyes, but sensing energy as energy. He supposed it wasn't seeing, but his human brain processed it in the same way as vision, like how one "sees" during a dream, but feeling too. It was like what he heard Miraluka's "sight" was like or other species like them. Jedi Force Sight was supposed to be the same. They're also supposed to be able to see someone's Force alignment, but even if he had too he wouldn't exactly recognize having only ever experienced it once with another Dark Sider. It just felt normal, like his own presence felt.

"But you are free. Every Sith wants that, it's in the last line of the Sith Code. You did it and you don't even seem really that... dark. I don't mean that in a bad way. You don't seem 'cruel', I guess, I mean. You didn't even kill me when you could have just now, even though you maybe should have. Instead you're teaching me like a favored apprentice. I don't get it, even though I understand we have a fair trade, a deal. It seems un-Sith to share such power. Do I remind you of yourself or something?"

He listened as she continued to explain how she used her power. Though not how he was planning on using it, it was clever and practical. She shouldn't be telling him that either, not that he was an enemy or would be, but a Sith should always be prepared for anyone to become a rival and Sith rivalries usually spiral into the death of one or the other party. Dvasius didn't really see that happening with them though, but not like he should if she was smart anyway and she definitely was as her explanation could tell if nothing else had. Suppose he could "trust" her enough to see what she would do with it, but not enough to get a hand bit off.

The way she used the immortal power she held was not how he planned on using it himself when he completed this training. He didn't see a need for multiple bodies at once. As long as he had a spare or several on hand and could manage to reach them instead of fall into the Void's abyss should he need or prefer to he'd be fine. Immortal nonetheless either way it was done. It was smart the way she did it though, but he imagined it divided her power as well or perhaps it didn't work that way. It was hard to understand, even when she explained. There was nothing simple about this power or how it could be used.

She didn't seem to understand what he meant about the power he felt and wanted to keep either. He felt the power in the room and all the power it connected to beyond and on into forever. All the power there was in the universe. Owning that, that was godhood. Endless power for endless destruction. However he would get it he would chase it forever if he could, hence asking for a body to be made with near eternal life itself. All true Sith craved that immortality as an end goal, but for him it was a means.

Gods are immortal, gods have infinite power, gods can do anything, survive anything, kill anything or anyone without effort, with a thought. No limits at all, all limits destroyed. Power over death and to be a god of death, that was his dream, his ambition. Or he believed it was. In truth Lord Dvasius never had an ambition of his own, one was always Forced on him by one who were made to guide him, teach him. The Jedi told him his purpose, one they'd forced on him like they'd stolen his birthright. It was always in his blood to be a Sith! His mother stole him back and destroyed that ambition, replacing it with a new one, one that would destroy him and everyone around him if possible.

The dreams of a Sith: power, revenge and death... over everything there is. Every Sith wants to be a god, the most powerful and there can only be one most powerful being in the universe and only one way to prove it. Death of all challengers and the whole universe was a challenge to overcome. It wants to kill you at all times and will try its hardest until it does. Unless you kill it first, defeat it first. To do that the first step was taking away its ability to destroy you and to learn to destroy it.

Anyone, but someone like Darth Vitiate would think that was a ridiculous and impossible thing to chase, to want. In reality he didn't know what he wanted, he had to be told and was told. His mother wanted that. She wanted to use him like Kreia used the exile, but to prove she could create a Sith better than her, the ultimate Sith and the most powerful Sith ever. And equally ridiculous and possibly impossible dream, but it seemed their family dreamed big. One limit they were certainly free of was their imagination.

Most people had a belief in what was possible and what could be attained, but they saw them as cowards and quitters. All a Sith's life was about an revolved around exerting their will on the universe to gain power and bend it to their will. to be limitless. If the power of the Force, its energy, was limitless so is what you can do with it with enough time an experience. You could master it all, destroy it all and rebuild if you wanted, in your image.

The first and only limit is your imagination and the Selden family had already broken it. Nothing else can stop an unbreakable will with endless determination and conviction. Lord Dvasius' mother had made him so. A Sith with no fear, full of pain and as hungry for revenge as Nihilus was for planets, if not more. Maybe other Sith didn't think much of him or that he and his dreams were common, but he would show them in the way he did things that he was different than any Sith before or after him, there would be no Sith after him.

Suppose he was like a few other Sith that he wouldn't stop until he was destroyed, but he had come close to death's gates before. Every time a new approach after every failure. He was angry, not stupid. "Never surrender, never make the same mistake twice" until you never fail at all. His goals were "childish" if anyone heard them, but no one had heard them as he wasn't dumb enough to plan a murder out loud, let alone trillions. Not to mention children couldn't kill like him. His Shadows feared and followed him for a reason. A Sith relentless and merciless with dreams to be a god. To many of them he already was.

"I didn't mean you were a god, but gods are immortal so it's a pretty big step in the right direction. At least you understand you should ascend. A true Sith craves no end to power until the entire universe bows at our feet." "...then di-i-i-i-i-es!" He kept the final comment to himself. He laughed at her mentioning the heavens like either of them were benevolent enough, "Ha-ha-ha! Neither of us are going to heaven, honey. Besides 'heaven' is for the weak and in this Galaxy requires giving up your will and becoming one with the universe's power, but not being able to use it, only to be used by people like us. Owned and dominated. No. No thanks. We are Sith. Power is enslaved to us and that will have no end."

The Sith got up from the table he was still on and walked to the navi-computer. He wondered if time passed differently in the states they'd been in: out of body and otherwise entranced in the Force. It seemed he was right. Similar to a dream more time had passed than it had felt like. They were about 70% of the way to the station where'd they'd pick up their science supplies. Nice.

"Do you think you can teach me some Sith science too? Alchemy, sorcery, lab stuff. Whatever." he sounded almost nervous asking, not sure if he should ask for more, since likely he'd have to give more, and feeling too much like a student in class asking a question to the teacher. He felt like the teacher's pet: Sith edition. "I want to branch out and do more than just a regular assassin can. That's a limit."

 

[Mariah of House Marr]

She grinned as he said she was free. That was true in a sense. She really was. She'd had broken the chains of mortality herself. In a way that, to her knowledge, had never truly been done before. Yes there were similarities, but hers was still it's own variant. The idea she wasn't that 'dark' did not surprise her. Because her ambitions did not obligate that. She realized she'd grown far more selfish than she was before being sith, but what was wrong with that? You have to. And to gain the power to not fear, to use your fear so you don't have to truly be afraid again, you have to accept that. She almost snorted as he finished though, but held just another grin, "Somewhat, actually. There do seem to be similarities. But that's not the only reason why. You want a pragmatic answer? Nearly every being in the galaxy has a use. The same is true of both of us, however superior or inferior one being is from another, or however different, they may have, to them, a use. You can provide resource, I can provide resource."

Mariah took in a breath looking up to the metal roof, "Look at it this way, let us say I teach it to you. Fully. You learn essence transfer as good as anyone before. So what?" she looked back down, somewhat amused, "It doesn't make you invincible. Just far far more difficult to kill. But there's been sith with that skill who have died before. This skill is a difficult one, one perhaps rarely known, but not one you can only learn from me. So I might as well get something out of it, right?"

His next comments she gave more serious consideration. She did nod though, she had taken a big step to being a god. And she was still growing. Perhaps she always would, she had an eternity to keep growing. "I was just speaking figuratively." she laughed in response to his statements on heaven, "I have no intention of dying, so I also have no intention of finding out one way or another. Besides, you never know, there could be a heaven just as good for people like us. But I don't plan to find out."

Time in such a realm could certainly vary drastically. Faster or slower. Mariah, however, had not had so much of a chance to enjoy that strange experience due to her focus on the work itself. She considered his next question to, "I could, when I have time. Though I'm sure you understand it may involve more things. More likely they will be of the favor type rather than broad resources I can just pay for. Usually knowledge things that a spy or assassin could gather, I don't care much whether you do it personally. Things I can use to progress my own studies and efforts mostly without having to expand my resources too broadly."

Lord Dvasius

 

[Lord Dvasius]

"Somewhat, actually. There do seem to be similarities. But that's not the only reason why. You want a pragmatic answer? Nearly every being in the galaxy has a use. The same is true of both of us, however superior or inferior one being is from another, or however different, they may have, to them, a use. You can provide resource, I can provide resource."

In amusement and actual respect Dvasius laughed at the response, less measured, but more cunning than she usually let on. Clearly Mariah was smarter than she pretended to be too and knew to hide it from most, that were too weak understand, "Hahaha! There's the Sith in you. Yes, a fair trade, with no ulterior motive from either side. Haha! We'll pretend that and promise not to kill each other either. Haha!" The other Sith adjusted his stance to put his hand on his hip in doubt, "Let's admit it if you had something to gain, that you actually wanted, you would have just killed me, and I would have haunted you to the grave. We are alike, you're Sith."

He laughed again at her next response, "It's so small to you. you even talk like a god, but don't worry. I won't fall down and worship you or anyone else. Dvasius leaned the other way on, the other hip, "Now we're talking as equals. No, it doesn't make me invincible. My will and what I do with it does. Sith scream their way back from the grave because their hate filled will won't let them die, even if they end up with a lesser effect and only haunt their tomb. True Sith never die. You don't make this so, but you know it and make it... Mmh... More possible. Hm?" He spoke the last word as if a question and held his hands together in front of his face in mock timidity, then dropped the sarcastic act.

​

His next comments she gave more serious consideration. She did nod though, she had taken a big step to being a god. And she was still growing. Perhaps she always would, she had an eternity to keep growing. "I was just speaking figuratively." she laughed in response to his statements on heaven, "I have no intention of dying, so I also have no intention of finding out one way or another. Besides, you never know, there could be a heaven just as good for people like us. But I don't plan to find out."

His tone became a little more aggravated than just toying recklessly with words in conversation, feeling his intelligence insulted, "Yes, I know. You're not the only cunning Sith in the room." He dropped his attitude to continue to listen for any sort of lesson, now he was beginning to think of her as a teacher, which was odd for a Lord, but suppose people continue to learn until they die. "Haa!", she kept saying things that were mildly irritating then had him laughing again right after, "You really do remind me of me, but someone else too. Someone I don't like, but you I do like. You're fun... funny, and a lot more bold than you first let on. Be careful. People I like tend not to survive long, though that's not my doing. The universe can be cruel. Yes?"

As much as that sounded like a threat it wasn't, a bit of oversharing maybe. Finally she said what it is she did want, not just things to fill a lab and some money to go with them both. Intel. "There it is. That's what you want. You want my intel. I'm not a mercenary anymore, but I do deal in fair trades. You want knowledge to grow your studies. So do I. You share I share. However much you hold back, I hold back. What you share is what you get back. Teacher's maybe, but there is no masters here. You give me nothing, I give you nothing! So don't play games and you get your knowledge, just give me mine. That's what I came for and I always get what's mine. Hope you can say the same by the end of this little deal and maybe that you can make another with the 'devil in the dark'."

It seemed the darkness around him grew darker, the shadows grew darker. Then they were lit again by the flash from the windows into the room as the ship finally exited hyperspace at the drop point for their supplies. They were already waiting. As soon as they docked it would all be on-loaded. "Ah, we're here. Finally. Now we can get started. What do you say to creating what Jedi would call a perversion of life and spit in the face of whatever gods made us while we make something better."


Mariah of House Marr

 

[Mariah of House Marr]

She chuckled to herself, and shrugged. "Like you said, we're not making it to heaven." she repeated, then shaking her head and smiling as he talked about worship of her. Then considered what he said, while she wasn't going to argue with him on what constituted a 'true sith', it didn't really matter. The point was the same. "It would seem so." she agreed again. It was true enough, she made it more possible for him. At the very least, she had rushed the process. He made her own process simply more convenient in furthering herself.

"Glad you find it endearing." she answered, clearly herself rather enjoying the situation, "Though I imagine most of those people haven't taken nearly the amount of precautions that I have. We'll just see if your aura of death can cause only one per person, or many?" Her answer remained casual, and almost entirely unthreatened. Tezi was meant to be this way. Where Mariah was, in many ways, still who Mariah had been, her entry into the sith. Tezi was Mariah's pride, her existence as sith. What, she supposed, personified Dvasius's perspective of a 'true sith'. It was still Mariah inside, the spirit of her. But she acted with each the way one may use a shield with one hand and a sword with another. Mariah was Soresu, while Tezi was something more prideful and aggressive. Perhaps Juyo, or Niman. She considered thinking on that while he answered.

"Well it does seem fair to both of us doesn't it. Though given the kinds of information we're both looking for, holding back would likely be quite obvious most of the time." And here they were, she smiled looking out the window "An excellent plan. There is infinity ahead."

Lord Dvasius