Private Dark Matter

[Lina Ovmar]

Lina's hand closed gently around the bottle he pushed towards her. Slow deliberate movements seemed fine, it was the faster more subconscious moves that left her settled in two places. She lifted her gaze to Darth Strosius , his suggestion causing an eyebrow to raise.

The theatrics of his “death” had taken more than just physical issues, it seemed like he'd lost some of his fire. A low chuckle passed her lips and she shook her head. Biting back a comment. She was in no position to bait him into a rise, regardless of how fun it was.

“Are you offering your assistance, Lord Strosius?” She asked with a sly smile, the bottle turning slowly as she watched him.

 

[Darth Strosius]

"I'd think of it more as an exchange of favors, if it makes you feel more comfortable to do so." Generosity and especially charity were all too rare among the Sith to be considered genuine. All offers came with a hidden price, a deal that only one party fully knew and that both could break at any time. Such was the way of things. With Lady Ovmar however they did have something mutually of interest given their somewhat shared issues, for once it would be an equal exchange.

"If you're willing to return my ashes to me then I have no qualms about seeing what I can contribute to mending your own condition. It seems not unlike my own, albeit from a different angle." Darth Strosius had unintentionally anchored His soul into His body, resulting in the predicament He struggled with now, whereas it seemed as though Lady Ovmar's physical and spiritual selves were out of synchronization. One of them was too connected and the other was too disconnected. How fitting.

He doubted that she'd be keen on replicating the process that had bound His soul to His physical form however and He had no intention of performing it on another living being anyway. An alternate solution would be needed but He did have some ideas already. "Between the two of us, knowledge and laboratories combined, we should be more than capable of fixing your...state of being."

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Lina studied him as if hoping the mask he wore would give a hint as to the face beneath it, searching it like it might display the micro expressions she was so used to reading on other people to get an inkling of their intentions. The only thing she had ever trusted him to be was volatile and capable of drawing the ire and eyes of those higher in power so that she may move unnoticed, a ploy that had only worked until the kaggath. He had no care for her, yet he was offering assistance in exchange for something she would have given freely.

Her eyes trailed from his face to the strange wings that framed him, flowing like ribbon caught in a breeze. They were darkly beautiful, yet they gave away too much, reacting to things around him where he would normally be utterly unreadable.

"What if I don't want to fix it?" she said, her eyes finally drifting back down to the expressionless mask. "Being in two places at once could be useful if controlled properly." Her fingers drummed lightly on the bottle, the gentle noise permeating the brief quiet between them, and her sly smile didn't falter.

"I have a counteroffer. I return your ashes and your original mask, and you help me understand the limits of my new form and train with me."

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

The question made His wings twitch, a stuttering flutter as Darth Strosius cocked His head to the side as though a better angle would somehow aid His understanding. "You-why wouldn't you-" He would have taken the chance to fix Himself in a heartbeat. To undo all of the Sithspawning progress over the years and be whole again, to peel off the wings which had set into His soul, to be rid of His eternal youth due to His Sangnir. To be able to recognize the man staring back at Him in the mirror for once.

He coughed and rolled His shoulder, hiding the outburst as a clearing of His throat while He reigned His composure back in to something usable. "Yes well, I suppose I could see the advantages." If it could be controlled properly, as she had said. That was the crucial term there, if. It was an ability that Darth Strosius Himself knew so little of, but then again He supposed Lady Ovmar was still adjusting to it as well.

Although He did think that she would be the greater partner in terms of understanding her new condition, if anything that would be more of a boon for His own benefit in their deal. It almost seemed rigged in His favor the way she laid it out. Suspicious, but not at all impossible. "Deal." Risk were necessary in their line of work, a fact He knew all to well. This one was too opportunistic to pass up, risk or no. "Now, Corva Yag you said had a lab of yours somewhere on it? It wouldn't take us long to arrive there, unless you'd prefer to take your leave and regroup later on."

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

There it was, the flutter of emotion. Try as he might to conceal his outburst with a cough those wings would forever give him away. It reminded her a little of the lekku of a twi'lek. She'd always know when her mother was about to blow even when her face was impassive.

Lina moved to lift the bottle, only to be reminded of her own predicament as yet again her soul moved but her hand did not. A moment of focus, and she managed to lift it and take another drink as he agreee to her deal. She gave a small nod, setting the bottle down and sliding it towards him with a gentle nudge in the force.

"Probably better that we head straight there, the last time we parted ways after making a deal, you let a Malum beat you." The corners of her mouth twitched. She just couldn't resist laying bait.

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Strosius accepted the bottle and swirled it around before moving to take a sip from it, tilting the tip back into His mask before setting it back down just as quickly. The rather sudden, almost slamming motion, being due to her little jab of course. "Let him beat me?" He scoffed, sliding the bottle back to Lady Ovmar in a huff.

"As though I'd ever let the brat best me. Unfortunately I underestimated him. It won't happen again." The masked man sat back in His chair with a sigh before tapping on the side of His mask. :"This is Darth Strosius to bridge. Alter our course, we're making a pit stop by Corva Yag.": After a short pause He let His hand drop back onto the table as He regarded the other Sith again. "A few hours and we'll be there. Do you think you can stay in one piece that long? I do have a laboratory onboard we could make use of until then if need be."

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Lina arched an eyebrow. Underestimated was putting it lightly. Malum may have been young and privileged, but money only got you so far among Sith. He was the youngest Dark Councillor, standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Darth Arcanix and the Empress's Hound. These things alone should raise a red flag, not to mention that the two of them had shared a master. Ophidia had been notorious in her time; her mother had been quite the fan.

"That underestimation cost you a little more than your current condition. I know our beloved Corpse Emperor would have gladly held your head on a spike, so how is it you are still breathing?" She wasn't interested as much in the physical as she was in what deal had been cut that allowed him to still be roaming free within the Blackwall.

She waved a hand, intending to be dismissive of his concern, but her movements were echoed by her shadow, and she sighed. "No harm in starting early, I suppose."

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

His "wings" twitched in indignation at her response, the masked man sucking in a breath through what sounded like clenched teeth. Darth Strosius grumbled some sort of curse under His next breath, looking away from Lady Ovmar as He idly drummed His fingers on the table between them. "The corpse's...wife appeared on Alvaria with an offer of pardon. So long as I refocused my efforts on the enemies of the Sith." He scoffed and shook His head. "Quite a shame that she and her husband fit that mold isn't it? She'll realize her error in time I suspect, right after its far too late."

He cocked His head to the side at the wave, looking between the echo and her limb with what must have been a raised eyebrow. Thankfully Lady Ovmar did relent to some preliminary work during their travel. A wise decision indeed, the more they knew of her condition the better. "Excellent, let us get to work then." He fitted the induction port back onto His mask as He stood from His seat, pausing to glance back at His guest. He seemed to be considering something before offering her his arm.

"Shall we?" With her still recovering and her condition far from treated, assisting her to the laboratory might be a necessity. If only to expedite their progress there.

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Alvaria? It would seem her estimation of Malum had been correct; if Stroius's recovery was on Alvaria, then it was under Malum's watchful eye. His bleeding heart would be the death of him. "I always found her to be the more reasonable one. It's a pity, really, that she shares friendship and love with monsters." Her expression darkened briefly, her thoughts drifting momentarily to her ex-father-in-law. "We might have been friends in a different life."

A blink, and the wistful thoughts vanished, her focus shifting once more to her host, gaze dropping momentarily to the extended arm before a small smile spread across her lips. Pushing herself to her feet, she accepted it gladly, trying not to focus on the sensation of her stomach bottoming out, like she'd gone over a hill too fast.

She let him lead. "The greatest enemy the Sith face will forever be themselves. We are selfish; our end goals tend to only serve ourselves or the lucky few we might hold dear, and we are not above murdering our own if it means achieving that goal. There hasn't been an Empire or Order of Sith that hasn't collapsed because of its inability to work together for a prolonged period. We're solitary animals, playing at being in a pack." She tilted her head. "And the Corpse put us in a cage."

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

"Spare no pity for the wicked, Lady Ovmar, else you'll be pitiful for the rest of your days." Lady Srina had ample opportunity to save herswlf from the justice that would be wrought upon the powers that be, and even some chance to ssve her husband from the same fate. She hadn't however. Simply another supporter of the status quo. Another head to be cleaved off before the Sith Order could be free of its chains. Her chance to be anything more had long since past, her fate sealed the moment that she spared Darth Strosius.

He allowed His guest to lean on Him as she wished, setting off at a relaxed pace as she spoke. The masked man couldn't help but let out an amused hum at her remark, offering a nod in agreement as they left His quarters behind. "You know how prideful those who sit on thrones and call themselves Sith can be. Perhaps as much as I, if not more so." He could only imagine having been related, even just by marriage, to any of the powers-that-be. It was a wonder that Lady Ovmar hadn't thrown herself off of a bridge.

"The corpse thinks he can do as he pleases and organize the Sith as he wishes simply because he brought the Kainate to heel." Darth Strosius scoffed. "As though the submission of one group of cowards and their wretched leaders matters. In time I predict the Eternalists will tear down the Blackwall themselves just to escape the Order from devouring them, but unfortunately that time isn't coming as soon as I'd like." Not yet at least, not until He had lit a fire within the wider Sith to spur them into committing the deed. If that was even possible by this point given how subdued the status quo was.

"Speaking of which, you wouldn't happen to know any weaknesses of the Malsheem would you? Exposed thermal exhaust ports or anything of the sort?"

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Lina let out a derisive snort. "You cannot bring Carnifex to heel," she replied. The sound of his name in her mouth was enough to bring a burning anger rising in her chest. "He bends the knee because, for the moment, it suits him. He benefits from it just as much as Empyrean does. There is something else between them, I'm certain of it, but I wasn't able to discern what before he pulled the wool from Darth Garoul 's eyes and had me exiled."

She fell quite for a moment, her feet unsteady as anger seemed to make it harder for her two halves to stay together. Her fingers tightened on Darth Strosius ' arm, pulling them to a stop. Pain pulled at her chest as she drew in a steadying breath, her hand moved to it, the shadow of her soul trailing behind each movement. She pushed all thoughts of her daughter and her ex-husband from her mind. That was a topic that tore her apart internally enough without her current predicament.

When the pain subsided, she gave Strosius a small nod, and they began their steady walk to his labs. "You truly think that He would be so arrogant as to leave such important information within my reach? Carnifex isn't a fool. You don't give a snake free rein. But, if I were to make an educated guess, I would say if you want to take the Malsheem down, it would need to be from within."

 

[Darth Strosius]

"He bends the knee because he has gotten everything he could want with none of the responsibilities. It's as simple as that. He is secure, unchallenged by any power struggles that may occur as his position in the Sith Order isn't one of official nature such as the corpse's or one of the Dark Council. Why bother reaching for the throne when he already has all that he wants?" That was precisely why their struggle against the Kainate was essential. They had insulated themselves from Sith affairs and set themselves apart so that they wouldn't be bothered by internal strife.

Were it not for Darth Strosius and His order then He had no doubt that the Zambranos could easily coast from emperor to emperor and Sith state to Sith state as they pleased, careless of the fate of the current Sith Order or the next. Unfortunately for them, He would not allow them to have such peace. Such security and ease. The Order of Wonosa would harass the Kainate until it was put down as it should have been years ago, until the Sith were finally rid of their torment and stain.

The masked man paused as Lady Ovmar recoiled and clutched at herself, pulling at Him to signal Him to do so whilst she recomposed herself. In more sense than one. He remained silent as she did so, allowing her to collect herself without any comment on His part. Only once she nodded and began to speak again, steady on her own feet once more, did He resume His stride. "His kind are nothing but arrogant fools, Lady Ovmar." That there was no clear weakness that she knew of was disappointing but not too surprising. Victory was never so simple after all.

"So, Corva Yag, outside of Sith space is a good spot for any base of operations away from prying eyes but is there anything more to it? Anything to expect when we make our arrival?"

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

If only that were true. If only it were so simple. Lina knew better than to allow her own hatred and pride to dismiss Carnifex as a fool. Fools did not sit with the power at their feet as he did. Whatever happened within the Blackwall, whatever happened to the longevity of this Sith Order, Carnifex and his ilk would survive and be a power source with the next one, and the next one. His was an endless power, so long as he was still breathing. His bloodline may have been enormous, but none of his descendants bore the same calibre of mind as he did. If he were dead, his legacy would crumble.

And he knew it. Why else would he remain after so many years?

The topic shift was welcome, though learning that Corva Yag was outside of Sith space was less of a welcome surprise. "It wasn't. It was my base within Sith space." She swore softly under her breath. There was a logistical nightmare waiting for her; she knew it. "The lab itself is beneath my home, it's where I travelled from..." she trailed off. There had been a tear there, one that she had left open for study, with the planeshift, it was possible that things may have spilt from the Void.

She chose her next words carefully. "I have been experimenting and studying the Nether and the Void for some time. It served to have an access point there open at all times. That tear might have moved with the planeshift...or the shift may have pissed off everything on the other side, and we're walking into a fight."

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

"Ah." Darth Strosius let out a chuckle at her curse, unable to resist the urge to do so. It was little wonder that Lady Ovmar had found herself cast adrift beyond realspace, everything she had been anchored to and familiar with had been moved it seemed. It was rather hard to return to port when the port itself had moved after all. "Well, on the bright side you won't have to worry about any Sith interference for some time I suppose. The Blackwall has expanded to cover many of our old systems and holdings but our border hasn't quite caught up with it yet."

The warning of some potential mishaps or creatures spilling out from an apparent access point within her laboratory made Him briefly pause, although He was quick to resume the path forward as He nodded. "Right. So there may have been some leakage from this 'tear' of yours in one form or another. I see." The masked man cleared His throat and cast a sideline glance back at His guest. "And for those of us who are less knowledgeable in such affairs, if there did happen to be some...things that have crept out of this tear what might we be able to expect from them if we have to face off against them?"

Darth Strosius Himself should have been more than capable of dealing with whatever might be awaiting them on Corva Yag, and the Harbinger of course did have some forces at hand to assist with clearing out the laboratory if need be, but He'd rather not risk any lives for this little detour. If necessary they could host Lady Ovmar a bit longer until she was more recovered and capable of aiding Him against any such creatures but that was far from ideal as well. His facilities may not even be able to provide the proper care that she'd need to begin with, let alone the idea of having to keep her occupied during her stay sounded somewhat dreadful.

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

"Sith don't tend to take notice of wallflowers." She was the watcher in the shadows, the observer. That didn't mean to say she couldn't hold her own on the centre stage should she find herself on it, but she had always preferred to skirt around the edge. It didn't matter if she set up her base on Jutrand; no one would pay her any mind. Even Carnifex would dismiss her now. "Well, I suppose it means I can clear out the current governors without consequence and make my stamp a little more permanent."

Lina frowned in thought. Any other time, she might have teased him for his lack of knowledge in such things. The Nether was not a common tool; most feared it, or lacked the imagination to use it to its full potential. "That depends on several things, for example, if the planeshift moved the Nether and not the tear or if the magick barrier has held. I normally reinforce it every couple of weeks, so I'm not hopeful on that front." She blew a sigh out of her nose. "Best case scenario, there are a handful of harmless lost souls. Worst case, we're fighting a host of dead Sith Lords with unfinished business. There will be Shadow Walkers, regardless, like the ones I summoned earlier, only...worse."

Realisation was slowly dawning on her that if it was the worst case, then neither of them was in the best condition for such a fight. "I have failsafes, blister traps, and soul snares, but..." her eyes trailed back to his "wings" then to his face "I don't think either of us should go near them."

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

"You know I don't know if I've ever had that fortune myself." It seemed as though He was always noticed, much to His chagrin, when it came to social gatherings and the like. Not necessarily addressed of course but always seen. Darth Strosius nodded at the prospect of Lady Ovmar dispatching whatever governor may be left on Corva Yag, an easy enough affair for a world so isolated at the moment. Once Sith space moved to reclaim it then that world would at least be a simple and swift inclusion.

What He didn't at all like the sound of by contrast was that of the potential leaks from the barriers. Lost souls, those Shadow Walker things whatever they were, and especially deceased Sith trying to claw their way back to life for one reason or another, none of those sounded like simple foes. Certainly not ones that His soldiers could handle at least. Not even He knew of precisely what such threats could entail, He'd have to rely on His own capabilities and those of His guest rather than strategy it seemed.

"I'm sorry, you have what snares?" His "wings" twitched at their silent mention, seeming to shrivel briefly in surprise at the thought. He made a mental note to never fiddle with any of this "Nether" business as she did. "So we're facing off against some 'ghosts' of some variety it would seem. And with us potentially at risk of falling prey to your measures of containing them. How dreary." He may have to summon some of His Sith to aid in the task at hand if it proved too untenable. "Let us hope that nothing too dangerous slipped free of your tear then, shall we?"

Finally the pair arrived before a secure door, its control panel unlocked easily enough as He typed in a short code into it. The door slid open to reveal a clinical yet arcane space, one occupied in the center by an engraved stone oubliette and surrounded by various workstations and pieces of equipment. Some scientific and others alchemical, segmented into clear divisions between practical methods and Sith sorcery. He moved to one of the chairs scattered around the room and gestured towards it with a nod. "Have a seat Lady Ovmar, we have some work to do."

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

"Soul snares," she repeated, without skipping a beat, noting the way his ethereal wings seemed to recoil. She couldn't blame him; they were as awful as they sounded, but when your greatest enemy tended to return from the dead, it was vital to study such things, no matter how perverse. She didn't expand further; she was already placing a great deal of trust in him as it was. Her vulnerable state didn't give her much choice, but she would keep what she could close to her chest. You never knew when it might come in handy.

Lina's gaze swept the room as the door slid open, taking in the array of tools and varying workstations, none of which were surprising. But the large stone casket in the centre? Her eyes fixed on it, running through her mind and recalling various stories and information she had read over the years regarding oubliettes.

When Strosius offered the chair, she unhooked her arm from his and moved towards it, drawn by curiosity, unaware that while she had moved, her spirit had not. "Beautiful," she breathed softly, fingers tracing the etchings. "Do you use it often?" Her eyes slid back to him, widening at the sight of the shimmering shadow clinging to his arm. The gravity of her situation suddenly weighed upon her; curiosity and interest vanished from her face, replaced with fear.

Not because her soul was outside of her body, no, that she seemed to be fine with. It was the fact that not only had she not felt herself separate from it this time, but that He was holding it. If he wanted to kill her, he was in a prime position to do so. And she would be virtually powerless.

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Strosius felt her move away from Him the moment that she did so, but the corner of His eye caught no such movement. He spared a glance to the side to regard the shade that was still leaning against Him with a cock of His head. Lady Ovmar's echo was heedless of her body's intent it seemed. While she approached His oubliette and examined it, even going so far as to speak of it, the shade meanwhile simply clung to Him as she had been doing just a moment before.

A fact which she seemed to realize herself when she looked back at Him, His masked gaze slowly drifting up to meet her own as she fell silent. The masked man was very still indeed at the moment. Seemingly having frozen mid-stride once her soul and body became disjoined, afraid to disturb the echo at His side. One of His tendrils twitched and it as well as two of its peers ever so slightly seemed to stretch towards the shade, their wicked points glinting in their dim glow.

And then He stepped back, pulling Himself away from her soul and rather rudely wiping His arm off on His robes as though it was something contagious. Darth Strosius let out a breath that He hadn't quite realized He had been holding before very slowly stepping around the shade and moving towards the Oubliette Himself. "Not as often these days as I used to." He was content to simply ignore her lingering soul for now, turning His back on it completely and willing His "wings" to recede.

"Before we were driven from Formos it was my main method of attempting to commune with the Force, as well as a cauldron which I made use of to modify myself with alchemical processes." He traced a gloved finger along its rim, the inscriptions seeming to ignite with a crimson glow in the wake of the digit. "Now though it is simply the only place I feel whole anymore. Soon it will come to serve its purpose as my cauldron and connection once again, but for now it simply an ornament."

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

The silence between them seemed to stretch for an age. Lina watched the ethereal wings subtly reach for her, and her grip on the stone tightened. Relief flooded her when he stepped back sharply, brushing his arm and stepping round carefully to approach the casket with her. She swallowed, forcing her heart out of her throat and trying to regain a modicum of her composure as his attention settled instead on the Oubilette.

Dark tendrils of shimmering shadow snaked from her fingers, coiling around the echo at different points and pulling it back to her. It was crude, but it worked. She felt the fear in her chest ease a little as echo and body became one again, turning her attention back to Strosius. Her mind was racing. Why hadn't he killed her? She had already told him where his ashes were; he didn't need her to retrieve them, and he had on more than one occasion made his contempt for her crystal clear.

Was he simply a man of his word, intent on fulfilling their deal? Or had he simply lost some of the impulsive fire he'd had before? She was studying him, unfazed by the crimson glow that the inscriptions emitted at his touch. His mask made him impossible to read.

"Not that it's any of my business, but do you truly feel it necessary to alter yourself any more than you already have?"

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

The masked man grew still at the question, His gloved fingers briefly digging into the grooves of the Oubliette as He took a breath. "It is the only necessary route." His "wings" grew shriveled yet pointed as He looked back at Lady Ovmar over His shoulder, His visor glinting with the crimson glow of the carvings beneath His fingers. "This may be difficult for you to understand, but allow me to paint you a perspective. My perspective." He turned on His heel, robes flowing briefly with the stiff motion.

"Imagine, if you will, that you aren't...blessed with the gifts of the Force. More than some but less than others, others that loom over you in positions of prestige alongside their gifts of power. Enough power to rend starships from orbit, to wield legions of the undead bound to their will, to explore realms beyond our sight and reach normally." Darth Strosius withdrew His hand from the Oubliette to instead hang at His side, fingers tense and half-clenched into odd positions. Upon closer inspection one may notice a tremble to His digits, one only held at bay by their tension.

"Now, with these people all around you that are blessed with gifts far more potent and greater than what you could ever dream of achieving, what are you to do when they misuse their gifts? When they prove themselves to be deceivers, betrayers, tyrants that care only for themselves?" He suddenly looked off to the side and made a slight gesture with one of His arms. "Of course you would say something akin to, 'well you ally others stronger than you to face them clearly.' For that would be the easiest option wouldn't it?"

His masked gaze snapped back to Lady Ovmar as His trembling hand slammed onto the Oubliette once more. "But there is no aid to be found amongst those stronger than you! No, no there is only a fellowship of corruption or the fear of those lesser than the corrupted. No one is willing to aid you. No one is willing to stand with you against foes that all agree must be cleansed! Not your master, not your fellow apprentice, no one. So what options are you left with!? As the lone dam against the tide?"

With a shove He threw off the Oubliette's lid, the stone echoing in the chamber as it slid onto the floor to reveal a series of needles and tubes within its vessel. It looked more like a torture device than anything medical or ritual, with ports for induction and insertion scattered across its entire structure. "You grow. You make yourself stronger. No matter how much it strains you, no matter how much it hurts or costs to do so. You grow. Until you can finally challenge those that have wronged you."

He inhaled and straightened up, rolling His shoulders as though to relieve the tension that had settled into them. "So unless you're willing to take a detour and slit the throats of the corpse, his wife, Raaf, and those wretched Zambrano Dyarchs, then I must continue to alter myself."

Lina Ovmar