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