Private Clock Strikes Midnight

[Ishani Dinn]

It started out as little things. A momentary glimpse of something pale in the mirror; a whisper in the dark; a cold spot in an otherwise warm room. Symptoms of a haunting, or perhaps a probing presence, though she had no idea who it was, where it was coming from, or what it wanted.

Lying in bed one night, she confided in Arcturus every detail of these mysterious occurrences. She tried to laugh it off even as she told the tale, but it was clear she was a little frightened of what she didn’t understand. Stroking her arm soothingly, he was quiet for a while, then he suggested something she never would’ve guessed.

Maliphant. It’s Maliphant trying to contact you.

Ishani had no intention of interacting with Maliphant anymore, though he remained at least a background figure in her world. Arcturus had mentioned his master before, naming him as a potential obstacle. Someone who would stand in his way, should he try to turn his back on the Sith. Once she brought it up, however, Arcturus shook his head and assured her that wasn’t the case. Then before she knew it, he was urging her to answer the Sith’s call.

Reluctantly, she did—and was promptly summoned to Folende.

But why Folende? She supposed it made some sort of sense. It was here where she and Arcturus had once entertained dreams of ruling over a planet of their own. Here was where Ishani had created her first and only Sithspawn, and here was where she had felt most powerless, at the mercy of a pirate raiding party.

It was also currently unaffiliated with any galactic power—which was more than could be said for the likes of Korriban, now under the authority of the Ashlan Crusade.

Arriving in her personal vessel, the Vixen, she descended the ramp and walked among the fields. Night had fallen, and the stars were perfectly visible in a sky devoid of pollution, millions of gleaming gems sewn into the black cloths of heaven. A sudden chill swept the plain, tousling her hair and rippling her clothes. She crossed her arms over her chest for warmth, her eyes scanning the horizon.

Darth Empyrean​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"I'm not over there, Ishani.", Maliphant said from over her shoulder.​

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His gaze was where hers was - off in the distance, watching the hills for movement in the dark. There would be none, but the soft light from the sky showed all the detail they needed. When she would see Maliphant, she would see him without the black eyes he was known for - but now phrik orbs decorated with intricate swirls and lettering too small to read. The orbs looked everywhere and nowhere at once - but she could tell their focus was on her. The senation of being watched from somewhere unknown seemed to fall right in his stares wake.​

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"How have you faired since the Eternal collapsed?"​

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Ishani Dinn​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

The scent of lavender on the air gave away his presence even before Maliphant spoke. Between the smell and the manner in which he had chosen to contact her—with all the tricks and trappings of a haunting—Ishani shouldn’t have been surprised when he suddenly appeared out of nowhere, like a ghost or a vampire. But she gave a start at the sound of his voice all the same, resting a hand over her pounding heart as she whirled to face him.

She blinked, peering through the darkness. Something about his face looked different, though she couldn’t tell what. They’d met in person only a handful of times, and in none of them had she been brave enough to truly look him in the eye… Was it his eyes that had changed?…

He asked her a question which was really a simple how are you worded in a more erudite language. She was wary enough of him that she didn’t want to risk saying too much, and so she hesitated to answer. Maliphant likely didn’t really care about her life anyway, and only wanted to probe for information—unless he already knew plenty about her from his spies, and was just asking in order to seem polite. She still wasn’t sure why he had even summoned her.

“I’ve done just fine,” she replied at last, pretending she had spent all those precious seconds merely trying to calm down after he startled her. “Is there, uh, any particular reason why you… called me here?”

Darth Empyrean​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"There is.", he replied shortly.​

​

"I understand you are close with Arcturus Dinn - and he is my leading apprentice. It can often be beneficial to keep tabs on their progress if they are to be the inheritors of my will and knowledge."​

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"So I will ask questions, and you will answer them. In the end, so that I may offer you guidance - that would offer Arcturus guidance by proxy."​

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Ishani Dinn​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Ishani’s heart began to pound again as soon as he mentioned Arcturus’ name. Any attempts to control her outward expression and mannerisms were trampled underfoot by that racing organ. Her cheeks colored and a strange shine came into her eyes, almost as if she were embarrassed to hear Maliphant speak of her relationship with Arc. Perhaps she was to some extent.

“I guess you have a right to know, since you're the closest thing he has to a father,” she muttered, clasping her hands to stop their shaking. “That is how he says he sees you, at least.”

Did Arcturus want Maliphant to know that was how he viewed him? Force, she didn’t know. It couldn’t hurt though, could it? Unless Maliphant started fancying himself a doting grandfather, and wanted to spend time with the children. Oh dear...

"Since he has no living relatives, I try to at least stay on civil terms with his friends. You were his master, and he always spoke highly of you and was grateful for all that you did for him. I am grateful to you as well, though I was wondering—do you still technically own him, or is he free from slavery now?"

She was right about one thing: Maliphant wanted information. He also said something about offering her guidance, and thus guidance for Arc by proxy. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but she reserved judgment until she could see just what this “guidance” entailed.

“You may ask your questions,” she replied, having grown a little bit calmer, but still somewhat on edge.

Darth Empyrean​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"Was.", he repeated.​

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"I am his master - presently and actively. He is not a slave, nor has he been since I bought him during my tenure as the governor of Bastion. I do not own him, but he would do well to heed my guidance - as should you. Still, so long as you are important to him - you are under my protection. Both from others, should you require it, and from myself."​

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He narrowed his eyes as he glanced down to her -​

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"That means stop sweating."​

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His face relaxed again, and he adjusted to watch the horizon again as he spoke;​

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"What are your goals and aspirations, Ishani? What drives you?"​

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Ishani Dinn​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

She was gratified to know his servitude had ended—and Maliphant’s words emboldened her. Her shoulders, which had begun to hunch up by her ears, sank to a normal level, and her chin rose slightly.

"Darth Marcion. That's the title Arcturus was given when he was knighted. He's no longer an apprentice."

Perhaps Maliphant would be proud to hear the news. Or maybe he’d be annoyed that his apprentice had been knighted by someone else. Either way, now he knew.

He asked her what her dreams and aspirations were, and she answered candidly.

"I've been studying various Force healing techniques in hopes of becoming a healer. That's the plan, at least. I'm still an alchemist, too. I grow herbs and plants modified with the Force, and make and sell alchemized potions and perfumes. I suppose my main goal is to learn more and create more… and live my life, with Arcturus." She said the last few words rather pointedly, making it clear that she had an inkling of where all this was going, and wanted no part of Maliphant’s holy war or feud or whatever it was he had against the Jedi.

Darth Empyrean​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Maliphant seemed unphased by her declaration of Thesh's knighthood. Whether that meant he already knew or simply didn't care was left open to interpretation - but his comments on the matter would remain;​

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"A knight and a title do not make him any less my student nor my son.", he said with a slight squint.​

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"It is the first cancerous whiff of ego that'll see you both fall - if you let it fester. It is an infection until you are capable of backing it with your own strength, a lesson I taught him well. Fill his head with the idea he no longer needs to learn or grow - and the consequences will be as much upon you as him."​

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He cleared his throat and turned to face her now - fully in his stature.​

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"Yet that brings me to this next point - stagnation. Fear me for what you've heard, spurn me for my actions - but know that I seek nothing for Arcturus but the ability to protect what he so desires. In this regard, I need you to be able to defend yourself as well - herbs and plants, healing, alchemy - all these are powerful foundations, but they can only take you so far."​

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"Take it from me - I surpassed Rave Merill long ago, and find no equal in inorganic alchemy. Even with all that, I would be but a blip on the galactic playing field were it not for my other abilities. For that reason, I want to reinforce new aspects of the Force, of the Sith to you - as I once did. So that you are never to be challenged, so that you may live the life you so wish."​

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"Believe it or not, but if it is Arcturus's wish to live a life with you, then it is my wish for that as well - but as my leading apprentice, as my heir, you both will live in much greater danger than you could hope to be in."​

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Ishani Dinn​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Ishani stood with her arms crossed as Maliphant delivered a short lecture about ego and stagnation.

“Of course there will always be something new to learn,” she said. “But recognizing that your pupil is not in the same place where they started, that they’ve grown and prospered, is as important as encouraging them to keep going and do better.”

She sighed. It really wasn’t her place to be arguing with Maliphant about Arcturus. Let Arc take this matter up with him personally, if he really cared. Her words now referred mainly to herself.

“What exactly are you offering me? Training? Do you want to make me your apprentice, too?” She spread her arms in a shrugging gesture. “And what do you need heirs for? Do you not plan on living forever, prolonging your life by transferring your essence into a new clone body, like Carnifex and Sidious and Varanin and every other Sith Lord?”

She could have gone on, but a sudden nervousness overcame her. Maliphant’s final words about the danger they were in had resonated. Arcturus, she sometimes forgot, was still very much a Sith. More than that, the Curse of the Terentatek had quite literally turned him into a monster, requiring him to feed on Force Sensitives. Though he hid it from her for the most part, only indulging in his hunger when she wasn’t around, she knew what he did. She sensed the corruption growing in him, like a festering wound. If word got out… if he was seen cannibalizing the corpse of a fallen foe or ally… It would be seen as a crime against nature.

It was a crime against nature. She had been trying not to think of it that way, but sooner or later she would have to confront it. Probably on the end of a well-meaning Jedi’s lightsaber when she inevitably tried to protect Arc from retribution.

Darth Empyrean​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"I'll make sure to send him a congratulations card in the mail.", Maliphant offered bluntly and unemotionally. It was a sign the topic was done with.​

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"As far becoming my apprentice - No. You don't hold the qualities I look for, nor do I expect you to fit a mold you were not cast for."​

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"A thousand Sith have discovered how to live on beyond death - yet they do not stand before us as Gods today. Sidious, Valkorian, Andeddu. Why is that?", he asked simply.​

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"Because death is inevitable until the Force is dealt with. The longer you live the more chances you have to die - to be taken from this world. I may live a thousand years, but the day will likely come where I will no longer remain. What I pass on is important so that the chances of the next dying are lessened - and so on, until my goal is achieved."​

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"Ishani, what I'm offering you is a chance to provide for Arcturus what he needs - a full understanding of the Dark Side. Access to my records, teachings from the Sith, envelopment back into the Sith Order as it stands in the shadows. So that you can learn of what Arcturus has become, of what he will be - and that you are not left behind."​

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His metallic eyes moved to look at her fully once more.​

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"If you stagnate, or diverge from his path - you will be left behind. Or worse - should Jedi or the Force's slaves seek his death."​

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Ishani Dinn​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

"Ishani, what I'm offering you is a chance to provide for Arcturus what he needs - a full understanding of the Dark Side. Access to my records, teachings from the Sith, envelopment back into the Sith Order as it stands in the shadows. So that you can learn of what Arcturus has become, of what he will be - and that you are not left behind."

Left behind. Again.

She turned her head slightly away from Maliphant, trying to hide the pain and turmoil written all over her features. But it was like he could read her mind.

"If you stagnate, or diverge from his path - you will be left behind. Or worse - should Jedi or the Force's slaves seek his death."

It wouldn't matter how many sacrifices she made on his behalf, how many times she came to his defense. If she didn't follow his path, didn't become as much a monster as he was, at some point it would all break down. She shut her eyes, her brow furrowing as she hung her head, fighting to keep her composure.

Would it ever not feel this way—like she was being torn in two? No. Not unless she committed fully to one road or the other. Ride or die.

Maliphant was being remarkably generous with her. Sure, maybe it was just because she was sleeping with his son... or maybe it was because he still saw her as his student. Someone he carried some level of responsibility for, at least as far as her education went.

Heaving a sigh, she pretended to consider his offer for a moment or two (she didn't like to look easy), then shrugged. "Okay. Learning more never hurt anybody. As for this mission to destroy the Force, it sounds pretty daft. How would murdering spirituality itself defeat death?"

Darth Empyrean​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"It isn't about destroying the Force, Ishani.", he offered plainly.​

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"It is about deshackling it, tearing its reigns from those who control it. The Force is fundamental, it can not be destroyed - but it can be twisted, withdrawn, contained. The Force is fate, and so long as it controls destiny there will be war and famine in endless droves - again and again. To conquer the Force is to conquer all that is destiny - and the Galaxy can be twisted to our design."​

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He looked upon her now.​

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"You may see the Sith as evil, but our ruthlessness is mercy. Your ruthlessness shall be mercy - to yourself, to the Galaxy if need be, but brutality can save more lives than you could possibly imagine. Ruthlessness now can be mercy to Arcturus too, should you require it."​

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Ishani Dinn​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

“You sound like a Chaldean Mystic,” she muttered. “‘We rebuke the powerful.’ At least the Mystics had the good sense to sugarcoat it, claiming they suppressed the Force for the sake of a free and equal society, devoid of a magic-slinging elite class. But of course they only rebuked the powerful so they could have all the power for themselves, and became the very elites they sought to eliminate.

“Meanwhile you come in with a supervillain-tier speech about how the Sith are the only ones who should grasp the reins, and that’s supposed to seduce me to the Dark Side? Clearly you don’t know me very well.”

Of course, that was why he didn’t know how to properly tempt her (if that was indeed what he was going for in the first place). It was also why he had to rely on using Arcturus to get through to her—and so far it had worked like a charm.

"You may see the Sith as evil, but our ruthlessness is mercy. Your ruthlessness shall be mercy - to yourself, to the Galaxy if need be, but brutality can save more lives than you could possibly imagine. Ruthlessness now can be mercy to Arcturus too, should you require it."

Merely mentioning her lover’s name was enough to grab her attention. For a moment she looked exquisitely vulnerable, her brow furrowed and her eyes opened wide. Then those meadow-green eyes narrowed and her gaze turned as cold as chlorine ice.

“I make no promises nor vows to anyone except Arcturus, so stuff your ‘inheritance’ and your mission. You can either give me access to your knowledge and let me handle the rest, or you can get the hell out of my way.”

Darth Empyrean​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Maliphant simply sighed - glanced to her with a weathered look.​

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"I should not have expected you to understand anything beyond laymen morality. That is my mistake - to assume too much of you."​

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"If the only thing that motivates you is Arcturus, then let it be so - but do not speak to me as though you have any weight, Ishani. My polite demeanor, my pacifism in this matter - it is for Arcturus, not for you.", he stopped and turned to her once more, leaning down slightly to make their eyes level with one another.​

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"Make another demand of me, and I will end your life. I love Arcturus as a son, and he will hate me for your death - but I've lost much greater things than a son, and I've killed people far more important than you. Watch your tone and remember who you're speaking to.", he said through a low, venomous tone.​

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He stood and offered her no further threat - returning to the placid apathy of a man concerned little with the world.​

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"Much of my knowledge will mean little without understanding greater truths you are not capable of understanding yet. The secrets of the Force will always be secrets so long as you deny them - so let it be that I'll give you some of my knowledge. Enough to be useful."​

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Ishani Dinn​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Something about being threatened like this flipped a switch in Ishani’s brain. It didn’t matter how powerful he was. She suffered no bullies.

“Were you dropped on your head as an infant? Your entire reason for bringing me here was because you want to give us your ‘inheritance’. If you kill me and make Arc hate you, what happens to your legacy? You’d be shooting yourself in the dick because your pride was wounded by someone you barely know and, according to you, don’t even really consider important.”

Since he had deigned to lower himself to her level, she took the opportunity to face him head on.

“What makes you think I even need your knowledge? You offered it to me, I didn’t ask for it. If I’m incapable of understanding it, what the feth am I going to use it for anyway?”

She snorted contemptuously. “Blow it out your ass, Mal. You’re a washed-up has-been who can’t accept the fact he’s been replaced.”

With that, she turned to leave.

Darth Empyrean​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"So be it.", he said with a lazy shrug. Standing back to his full height, he'd turn and watch the horizon, making no effort to stop her.​

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Ishani Dinn​