Chase the Shadow - Part II [Aria Vale, Maxine Avril]

[Darth Imperia]

Darth Imperia did not have an unhealthy obsession with Aria Vale, former Knight of the Silver Order and Jedi Shadow. It certainly wasn't strange, after all, to consider someone who you had spoken to a grand total of one time a friend. And it was completely normal to, after meeting said person, use your former Mistress's vast network of contacts and expansive resources to keep an eye on your 'friend's' movements. And it was absolutely, one-hundred-percent typical to feel like this person that you'd spoken to exactly once was one of the relatively few sentient beings in the Galaxy who could be considered your peer.

Of course, Darth Imperia had tracked Aria to Khar Shian for more than a friendly chat and a chance to catch up - she'd taken on an Apprentice, and as much as Imperia hated to admit it, she couldn't train the girl by herself - lightsaber combat and Sith Sorcery were easy, trivial, but the Knight saw in her student a creature that worked best unseen and unheard, striking from the shadows.

Darth Imperia was many things. Subtle, however, was not one of them. But Aria? Aria Vale was trained as a Silver Shadow, one of the spies and assassins of the Silver Order - and what with her recent liberation from the trappings of Jedi dogma, she made a perfect candidate to assist in training Imperia's Apprentice. Plus, Imperia liked chatting with her. Loneliness was a mind-killer, and her encounter with Aria was one of the few moments in her life she hadn't felt utterly alone.

~~~

Imperia's ship, the Jen'Midwan, landed in a grove on Khar Shian - one of the few habitable areas of the planet, and near enough to Vitium's domain that it didn't surprise the Sith Knight to detect Aria's presence nearby. Was it disappointing? Mildly, but only because Imperia hated trees almost as much as she hated plains and valleys. Why couldn't more people brood in cities?

The Knight strolled casually down the ship's ramp, dressed in the simple black robes common among the Sith and with a trio of lightsabers hanging from her belt. It had crossed her mind that she appeared quite different than the last time she'd spoken to Aria - raven hair, healthy skin, and eyes of steel grey all stood in sharp contrast to the deathly, ghoulish appearance she'd possessed not too long ago. But even if she looked entirely different, there was no mistaking her aura in the Force - dark and twisted, brimming with rage and lust and every other passion imaginable, all held beneath a facade of incredible calmness and placidity, not unlike an ocean.

"Aria," began Imperia, her voice confident, clear, and...Corellian? As radically new and different as her face was. "It's been far too long."

---

[member="Aria Vale"]
[member="Maxine Avril"]

 

[NightSister]

Aria Vale did frequently reminisce about her meeting with Darth Imperia, introduced to her simply as the apprentice of Darth Vitium - for that was all she had been that day. Not only because the encounter had ultimately been her trigger for seeking out Vitium - abandoning the Jedi - but because, all things considered, the Acolyte had actually been rather good company. That said, beyond remembering the day on Korriban every now and again, Aria had really been too otherwise occupied to keep tabs on the Sith in the making. It wasn't really her style, anyway.

Nevertheless, while her departure from the Jedi hadn't caused her to suddenly adapt every trait indicative of a Sith, it had affected the personality she displayed outwardly. She was less tense, for one thing. Less on edge, now that the mask she'd spent so long trying to keep from slipping had been cast aside. More honest, too. Blunt and upfront, occasionally in a hostile way, too. And of course, her approach to alignment had changed completely. Aria hadn't disliked Sith simply for being Sith for a very long time now, but now she didn't even have to dislike them on behalf of the Order. Her regard of the Jedi, too, had gone from a revered ideal to a code to be sneered at. Of course, that didn't mean she was a Sith. But it was part of her new policy not to lie to herself: Aria was slowly going from a neutral, Jedi-free ground to what was, indeed, the Dark Side of the Force.

~​

​

As was only to be expected of her, Aria did, from time to time, need a while to herself. She found the few meadows on Khar Shian that weren't totally frozen over to be the best setting for such times - she still had a starship to habit for when it got cold, but it was, technically, stolen property of the Order's, and thus not best occupied when it wasn't necessary. And so for now, she simply sat, fingers playing with the grass they rested on as she contemplated her life.

Then the rumble of an engine signaled an incomer, and her gaze followed the sound to see a ship descending as a landing ramp lowered. A woman exited just as the ship touched down - and Aria frowned. She didn't look at all familiar to her, and yet, like an itch she couldn't quite locate, Aria had the feeling she knew her from somewhere. But where? For just a moment, Aria concentrated on the girl's Force-signature. Darksided, quite obviously. Roundabout at her level in the Force. A pack of Tuk'ata in a Sith tomb. Oh!

"Hi," she said after a brief pause, a hint of amusement playing on her features. "D'you have a name yet?"

[member="Darth Imperia"] | [member="Maxine Avril"]​

 

[Darth Morrow]

Maxine leaned on the wall by the edge of the ramp, still inside the ship of course and likely out of view. Quietly she pawed over the considerations fluttering about her mind. Of course Mala had dragged her around as to be expected, but she failed to remember how much Maxine disliked others obviously. Why would she want to socialize if it was unnecessary, and it was to be assume Imperia withheld the training bit of information just as much as she hid everything else since they met.

The woman remained against the wall, her expression displaying her clear distrust for the situation at present, if Imperia was to be distrusted, why trust a friend of hers. Personally there was nothing about the other outside to cause visible concern, thought Maxine and her paranoia were working overtime, thinking of everything that could be rather than what was. It was quite likely that the woman was a member of the Sith, to be friends with Imperia she was likely at least a knight or higher, and well, to be friends with Imperia she had to be as terrible as the she was. This all in her mind, was a very, very adequate reason for distrust.

And so, there wasn't much to be done from her point, simply remain in the shadows unless she were told to come out or until they were to leave.

-x-

[member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Darth Imperia"]

 

[Darth Imperia]

"Darth Imperia." Imperia was neither able nor inclined to hide the pride in her voice when she uttered the name. Achieving a Darth title had been her crowning achievement, quite literally, and her induction into Sithhood proper. Why shouldn't she be proud of it? "I've become a Knight, and I've even acquired an Apprentice of my own - in fact, she's the reason I'm here - I'd like your help with her. But we can discuss that after we catch up." Imperia paused and looked down at her one organic hand, then frowned ever so slightly. She'd chipped a nail at some point, probably sparring with her Apprentice. Speaking of Maxine, Imperia sent the girl a short, wordless telepathic message - an impulse of feeling that left the recipient with the same feeling as a child who'd just been told to report to the principal's office.

"What of you? Last I heard, you'd finally abandoned the Jedi and went your own way - congratulations on that, by the way. You have the potential to be so much more than another cog in their machine." Such as a Sith, for example, but Imperia didn't voice that last part. Aria would come to her destiny on her own, in her own time - the last thing she needed after just abandoning the Jedi was someone else telling her who and what, exactly, she needed to be.

---

[member="Maxine Avril"]
[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

"Huh." So she'd been Knighted. Well, that was small wonder. The woman - Imperia - was remarkably suited to the ways of the Sith. "It suits you, I guess."

An Apprentice? How interesting. Back on Voss with the Jedi, Aria had known she'd eventually be expected to take on a Padawan, but had wanted to round out her skillset a bit first. That had gone...rather badly. Now, she supposed that if she so desired, she could full well find and train someone in the ways of the Force, but that seemed a bit far-fetched. Even had Aria been in the state to play the part of a mentor, she was mostly indifferent to the idea. Not to mention, she was yet to get the hang of cryokinesis.

But Imperia had an Apprentice now, evidently. And wanted Aria to help train her. That was rather flattering, actually. She wasn't certain what she could help with - she could do plenty as a Force-user, after all, but she'd hardly used the Dark Side at all - but fine, if Imperia thought she could help, she'd do what she could. The Sith wasn't stupid.

"How did you - oh, right, Silara told you." Aria grinned. That didn't happen often, these days. "I've got you to thank for that, in a way. Thank you." And she did, in fact, mean thank. Aria really was genuinely grateful for the part, however small, Imperia had played in bringing Aria away from the Jedi.

"So, how've you been? And - um - what happened to your face?"

[member="Maxine Avril"] | [member="Darth Imperia"]​

 

[Darth Morrow]

The message or rather feeling that is, that would pass over Maxine was a bit strange, in fact it caused her great discomfort. What did it mean? This feeling of guilt, like she had done something wrong. Not like she would know what being called to a school office felt like, she was a child taught at home. But because of this feeling was the reason Maxine remained hidden, it passing through her mind as more a hint of danger than a summoning message. If anything she had moved a bit more into the ship.

In the shadows this girl still considered everything about, and then walked into the ship, moving towards the torture chamber then sitting by the wall there again. Every once in awhile she shot a look back inside of the room though for the most part remained still and stiff, expecting people to ruin her silence at any moment. That was the one thing she missed most, the quiet of home, being alone and in silence whenever she had wanted before, now her world filled with the sound of ship engines, fighting, and just talking in general, all things that Maxine despised.

-x-

[member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Darth Imperia"]

 

[Darth Imperia]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Darth Imperia mentally sighed at the utter failure of her Apprentice to understand even the most basic of telepathic messages, but she wasn't entirely surprised. Disappointing her Master seemed to be Maxine's hobby. The idea of turning the girl into a Sithspawn grew more appealing by the minute - at this rate, transforming into an alchemically tainted mutant bound to Imperia's will might actually make Maxine more useful to the Sith. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Imperia, however, pushed the petty, vengeful thoughts to the back of her mind. She was [/SIZE]supposed[SIZE=10.5pt] to be having a pleasant time, not plotting further abuses against her distressingly inept apprentice.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]"Oh, this?" Imperia smiled playfully, gesturing to her face with a hand of black metal. "I simply decided it was time for a new look," lied the young Sith smoothly, without a hint of hesitation. She understood that you were supposed to be honest with your friends, but, baby steps. She was new to the whole 'friendship' thing, anyway. Besides, Aria didn't need to know that Imperia had been thoroughly bested in a duel - that information in no way helped her. The fact that keeping it a secret helped soothe the Sith's ego was completely incidental. "And dear, there's no need to thank me for anything. You chose the path you now walk, on your on - I just nudged you in the right direction."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]---[/SIZE]

[member="Maxine Avril"]
[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

Aria had to laugh. A new look? She'd always thought that meant piercing your lip or wearing flashy hats, but maybe with Sith it was more extreme. Then again, next to the Jedi ways she was familiar with, everything looked extreme. Well, to her it was highly amusing. She'd always been easily amused.

"It did take a while," Aria said once her laughter had died down. "Feth, it took ages, didn't it?" She'd lasted just under five years as a Jedi. She'd questioned her path for...perhaps a year? It felt like so much longer. At some point it had started taking actual, conscious effort - of the mental sort perhaps, but no less draining - to keep to her path, but it was much harder to notice when you lay under the weight.

"Well, thanks for the 'nudge' all the same." Another slight chuckle, and then Aria rose, hoisting herself onto a tree-stump that slightly lessened the feeling of being towered over. Sitting on the ground while talking to somebody standing up had that effect.

"So, what's the deal with your apprentice?" Aria glanced at the ship instinctively. "Is she here - uh, on the ship? What do you want me to help with?"

[member="Darth Imperia"] | [member="Maxine Avril"]​

 

[Darth Imperia]

"She's on the ship now, yes - I'll call her in a moment. What I really need help with is her combat training. While I've had quite a bit of combat experience since our little run in on Korriban, recent events have shown me that, well...I'm not nearly as skilled as I thought I was." Despite Imperia's best efforts to hide it, her voice was tinged with shame and rage after she began thinking on whatever the 'recent events' entailed. It didn't take an empath to realize that it was probably best not to ask. "And I was wondering, Aria, if you could show my apprentice - and myself - a thing or two that you've learned. You have experience that far outpaces mine, after all. And I don't expect you to do so simply out of the kindness of your heart, don't worry - I can show you a thing or two in return. I'm quite certain that the Jedi never taught you how to use the Dark Side, after all." Imperia's expression softened once more - she'd noticed it before, but it was hard to stay angry when she talked to Aria. That probably should've been worrying to a Sith, but the Knight found that she didn't mind all that much, for whatever reason.

After finishing her rather long-winded explanation, Darth Imperia turned on her right heel and gently tapped the hull of her ship with her metallic fingers. Shen then called out in a loud, clear, and mildly contemptuous voice, "Apprentice. Quit your sulking for one moment, please, and get out here."

---

[member="Aria Vale"]
[member="Maxine Avril"]

 

[Darth Morrow]

It took quite a few minutes before the steps could be heard through the ship, slow paced and purposely drawn out.

"I was not sulking." Were the only words ushered from her at the moment, being soaked in hatred as per usual. Maxine's dark eyes rested on Aria for a second or two, before she looked to Imperia. "Was it really necessary to stop here." Her tone was very condescending, like she suspected something was up, a reason for Imperia to bring her here of all places.

In the back of her mind Maxine pondered over how Imperia had treated her so far, noting how she spoke to Aria and comparing and contrasting the way she acted. Her eyes were tired, and her long hair was pulled back very messily.

-x-

[member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Darth Imperia"]

 

[NightSister]

Combat. Well, fair enough. Wait - no, that was a fair assumption. Wasn't it? Her eyebrows raised ever so slightly, but the flattery tided her over enough not to question how Imperia knew of her combat experience - and the offer being given in return. Learn to use the Dark Side. Perhaps it ought to sound more ominous than it did; Aria really didn't think of herself as a Darksider or even aspiring to be one, after all. Instead, it intrigued her. More than she'd have expected. And in a way it appealed to her, too. Strangely.

Aria gave a nod and a small noise of agreement, then got to her feet as Imperia called her apprentice. She wasn't totally sure what to expect - as abnormal as the Sith methods of training were to her, she knew them to be effective - but the girl that paced down the landing ramp loftily was not it. Imperia herself, she remembered, had been civil and completely likeable last they'd met; her Acolyte, instead, radiated scorn even in her dishevelled appearance. Her posture straightened instinctively, and she regarded the brunette with an uncharacteristically cold gaze.

"This is your apprentice?"

[member="Maxine Avril"] | [member="Darth Imperia"]​

 

[Darth Imperia]

Darth Imperia had been having such a nice time. A chat always cheered her up, and a chat with Aria, doubly so.

But, of course, Maxine had to ruin that. Just once, Imperia would've appreciated a bit of tact from her Apprentice, a bit of politeness. She'd offered to elevate the pathetic wretch beyond whatever incredibly meaningless life she'd led before, offered to teach her the ancient sorceries of the Sith, to make her into a force to be feared and worshiped by the countless masses. And what had Imperia asked for in return? Nothing much. Respect, obedience. She put the girl through nothing that she herself couldn't have bared at that age.

So when Maxine smarted off at her Mistress so casually, so readily, the twisted little beast that lived in Imperia's head roared to life. It demanded obedience, but more importantly, it demanded retribution. It demanded that Maxine be reminded of just who was in charge in this situation.

Imperia was all too happy to indulge in her darker urges that day. Her right hand rose, cold steel digits curling into a clawed shape.

An iron vice of Dark Side power, invisible to the naked eye, wrapped itself around Maxine's throat, should she be unable to counter the power effectively.

And then Imperia squeezed, slowly and deliberately.

"She'll not be my apprentice for much longer, unless she learns to show some fething respect." The calm facade had dropped, from both the Knight's features and her voice. Her expression was animal, filled with fury, her speech more like the snarling of a wolf than any sound a human might make.

---

[member="Aria Vale"]
[member="Maxine Avril"]

 

[Darth Morrow]

The girls face contorted to fear, never having experienced anything like this terrible force having such ability to rip her life away. She began to claw at were the hold would be, yet nothing was in the way as she scratched her throat. "L-Let m-me go!" Are the only words she could muster as she struggled, having no way of going against this power. Her eyes were full of terror, uncontrolled fear as the hatred from the last few days melted away, now only the concern for her life present. She kicked her feet for the first few moments before the oxygen deprivation began to weaken most of her limbs.

"I-I'm sorry. . .I-I'm so sorry. . . " The way she said this, only said because it was her only option, there was no real weight behind them, only weakened, strained words. She hoped it would be enough, for how Imperia was acting these could be her final moments if she hadn't responded properly.

-x-

[member="Darth Imperia"] | [member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

If Aria was being completely honest, it gave her quite some satisfaction to watch as Imperia instantly and unforgivingly disciplined her apprentice. Not enjoyment as such - more a sense that it was what the girl deserved after her complete failure to meet standards of any sort, and that it was simply right that she be reminded of her place. That such disrespect had been directed towards Aria herself didn't help, of course. As it was, a faintly appeased look was on her face, a tiny, suppressed smile just about joining it.

Hmm, how intriguing. Even Aria could tell that Imperia wouldn't let sentiment stop her from punishing her apprentice as was fit, and yet the girl's apology was so obviously insincere it was laughable. Perhaps it was a sign of the arrogance that was so commonly tied to the Sith, but in this case, the apprentice had no reason to be in any way arrogant, and every reason to muster up some humility. How odd.

Moments ago, Aria'd had a lesson to teach. Now, it seemed she had two. How fun.

"Alright, let her be. It'll be hard enough to teach her combat as it is." Aria almost smirked as she turned to the apprentice and took a few steps towards her, ready to begin as soon as Imperia released her grip.

"Let's see what you can do, then." Ooh, how to begin? Under normal circumstances, she'd have started out with easy moves - especially with such a weakling as this one - but that would defeat the point. "So, let's imagine your Mistress has sent you to deal with an enemy of hers, and by some ridiculous stroke of luck you catch your target without a saber. What do you do?"

She'd give the girl three seconds. Three seconds was an ample amount of time. If she hadn't made her move by that point, Aria would deploy her signature move - a swift roundhouse kick to her front. The move could be spotted a mile off, but in truth, she doubted it would make much difference.

[member="Darth Imperia"] | [member="Maxine Avril"]​

 

[Darth Morrow]

Imperia would drop the girl, leaving her to land against the ground harshly on her hands and knees while gasping for unrestrained air. It was wonderful, breathing in slow breaths and allowing cold, clean oxygen into her lungs, that is, until she was kicked. Closing in on the ground fully the girl curled up on herself, gasping and straining for any of the calming air she had just taken in though it was all drained right from her, forcibly removed from her lungs. It could be said the girl was terrible at taking a hit, extremely weak and well, pathetic, but even that was an understatement.

"Eh- Ee-" Maxine struggled valiantly though couldn't regain her breath, she simply lied there, trying desperately to form words with what she could, the pain clouding out her thoughts and the inability to take in oxygen making it impossible to expend any of something right now as meaningless as speech. One hand clenched to her chest, the other to her side, the girl on the ground truly was pathetic.

All that could come to her mind was why. Why had Maxine said yes that day, why had she agreed to do this, and why hadn't she said no like every other time. The truth was she didn't know. She could have lived a peaceful life as a quiet barmaid, had a simple and boring life like many others. She could be reading books, drinking away her anxiety, but no, she was here, and this was all too real.

-x-

[member="Darth Imperia"] | [member="Aria Vale"]

 

[Darth Imperia]

Imperia watched the girl drop. She watched the girl breathe. And then, she watched Aria kick the kark out of her, leaving her curled up in a ball on the ground, gasping for air. Were she in a better mood, she might've shown a bit of compassion for the poor girl on the ground. But, alas, it wasn't to be.

"Get up," was her blunt reply to Maxine's attempt to form words. "I kept fighting after my arm was blown to shreds, after my face was half-melted by an explosion. If you can't summon up the anger to get up and fight back, then summon up the fear to retreat. Don't just lay there, because in actual combat, all that does is give your enemy an easy kill." Imperia's voice was harsh and unforgiving, but not necessarily angry - simply strict. Without missing a beat, she then turned her attention to Aria and spoke once more, arms folded behind her back. "If she doesn't make an effort to get up in ten seconds, start breaking bones, if you like."

It may have sounded harsh, but compared to what Vitium did to Imperia, Imperia's training of her own apprentice was fairly mild - not that she expected Maxine to understand that.

---

[member="Maxine Avril"]
[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

Perhaps surprisingly, Aria didn't feel particularly pleased at seeing her attack hit home. Beyond the fleeting thought of haven't lost your touch, then, it was less satisfying than it was simply frustrating. Something such as a roundhouse kick certainly wasn't fun to receive, but she'd made it so easy to dodge, even by simply darting away if she lacked the skill to use Aria's attack against her, that it was quite hard to pity the girl's weakness.

Imperia's instruction barely came as a surprise. Aria didn't know enough about the Sith Knight to be able to say with certainty that it was her style, but she did know it was Darth Vitium's, so it was still a reasonable leap. She gave a small nod. Ten...nine...eight...had this girl never had a physical confrontation in her life?...six...five...the few times Aria had broken bones in a duel, she'd been up against people more or less her combative equals...three...two..one...oh, what the hell.

Almost casually, she took another step to the apprentice lying on the ground, and her heel found the girl's elbow. Easiest place to start. Then, slowly, she leaned her weight on her, letting the pressure intensify bit by bit. Might as well give her a bit of a chance. She'd have perhaps another ten seconds before an audible crack would coincide with a great deal of pain.

[member="Maxine Avril"] | [member="Darth Imperia"]​