Private Darkness Ascending

[Darragh Cearmada]

Soft blue light washed over Darragh's face, shifting and shimmering as it filtered through the bacta and glass of the tank. The Sith's brows were knitted together as amber eyes peered at the being behind the glass and suspended within the bacta bath. Adilya. The girl, barely into her teens and abandoned, or maybe exiled, by her people had collapsed as Darrah had guided the blind girl back to his ship. It was easy to see why now. In the dark and because of the silvery moonlight, it had been hard to tell what the girl's state truly was. Long shadows deepened shadows, and made everything appear pale. But looking Adilya now, her condition had not been mere illusions. Her skin was ghostly pale, sickly almost, and pulled taught against her bones. Darragh could clearly count the girl's number of ribs if he'd been so inclined.

How long had she lived in that cave before he'd come along? How long had she knelt there supplicating her Bogan? Such an ancient name for the Force. Ancient or not however, it had sustained her, and drew him to her. The Bogan had indeed made her strong. Now it was Darragh's turn to make her stronger, and wield her.

"My lord, she appears to be waking." The medical droid disturbed Darragh's thoughts.
"Good. Release her when she's ready. And have clean robes brought for her."
"Of course, my lord." The droid mimed the closest approximation it could to a bow before backing away, its metal feet scraping against stone floor. Moments later the liquid bacta began to bubble and drain from the tank, slowly emptying out until only the body of the girl remained. The glass door hissed, and swung open, spilling the remaining contents on the floor in a puddle.

Adilya Solveig

 

[Adilya Solveig]

Medbay


Darragh Cearmada
​

Darkness — The all too familiar landscape of her mind; that was not what filled her mind as her body float in the Bacta Chamber… visions of flames, destruction, and death filled her mind as her limp and lifeless body twitched — the droids working around the clock to ensure her vitality was restored, lest they face the wrath of Darragh. She could feel his presence in and out of lucidity… her body now reacting to him and awakening as the tank began to drain, her scared covered eyes opening in the fluid as her head steadily stayed facing him.

As the tank level emptied, her form crumpled with the bacta, the doors hissing and the Driods quickly moving in, covering her indecent form and lifting her up and towards the exam table. Tests after test, hyposyringes of assorted vitamins and supplements her body had gone without over the years… her teeth chattering and her form shivering as she spoke, her voice hoarse from the breathing tube that had just been removed from her throat not too long ago. “ Master — “ She spoke into the air, her head and eyes simply faced towards the ceiling of the room, knowing he would hear. “I —” In that moment a droid entered with her clothing, it helping her off the bed and assisting her with putting the clothing on.

Standing now, fully clothed in simple yet elegant dark robes, Adilya took the eye covering from the droid and simply tied it around her neck — only one being could see her in all shapes and forms, that one was Darragh. Taking a few steps towards her Master, Adi bowed her head reverently at him. “ You have given me much already and I so little… I must admit, it is hard for me to receive such luxurious care and attention…” Her head remained bowed the entire time she spoke, embarrassment on her form — her Master had expected to gain a bountiful harvest, but instead he’d received famine — Adilya was already mentally abusing herself for not having been stronger, regardless of how poor of her health had already been.

 

[Darragh Cearmada]

Adilya's body spilled from the bacta tank, collapsing into a huddled mass of skin and bone at the Sith's feet. Darragh looked down on the girl, his face a mask of cold calculation as he considered what best to do with the girl. For now, that was to allow the medical droids to provide her a warm blanket, and begin medical treatment.

Lain across the exam table, the droids milled about, not a single movement wasted. An easy feat for a droid, especially one who knew Darragh's preference for efficiency. Although the man gave the droids room to work, he stood nearby the table, arms behind his back and standing staunch still. Almost like a statue were it not for the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, or the rhythm of his heart within his chest.

A weapon. No, something else. Darragh had his weapons. Precise and efficient as a surgeons scalpel. Or others, pure power and brutality, like himself, which he could employ. Darragh did not have need of weapons. What Darragh needed was vision. And this girl, if their first meeting had been any indication, was truly gifted in sight.

"Master —" the weak croaking sound of a voice both seldom used and recently marred drew Darragh's attention. He watched as the girl, still weak, still feeble, sat up with the help of the droids, and donned clothes. Soft, warm, exuding an air of grace. Yet still perfectly fitting for a Sith. Devastatingly beautiful and terrifyingly elegant. Precisely the effect Darragh required of her, and why he'd chosen a wardrobe of similar clothing for her. Or at would require. In her sickly emaciated state, they effect was ruined, but Darragh was patient. She'd become his eyes in time.

Darragh watched as the girl tied the eye covering around her neck, leaving the pale-blue clouded orbs uncovered for him to see. Despite being dead and sightless, Darragh could not deny that there was something in those eyes. Not sadness, or joy. Not pain or life. Something else. He held them in his gaze until she dipped her head and his them away from him. "Nothing is without payment," Darragh asserted as he stepped towards the girl. Upon returning home his armor had been donned once more, and now the metal clicked as his boots touched the metal floor. "And yours will come with time and service. Luxury both comes and goes." Darragh looked down at the girl, the way she folded before him in shame. "Come with me," he commanded.

Out from the medical bay, past droids, men, women, all of whom watched them, watched Adilya carefully. None spoke, out of fear or implicit trust in their lord, it was impossible to know. Eventually though, the smattering of people disappeared entirely as they stepped into an elevator and began to ascend countless floors. When the doors hissed open again, they spilled out onto a roof, and Darragh walked right up to the edge.

"This Empire, these people, they are yours now. And you likewise belong to them."

Below, the endless expanse of Jutrand lay sprawling before them. A mausoleum of steel, of glass, of millions of beings, all plotting against each other. Though Adilya could not see it, there was no doubt in Darragh's mind that she could feel it. The countless pinpricks of darkness that crowded the planet's surface, all the way up to the clouds.

"They are a strong people. But they are a broken people. They are a short-sighted people. They squabble and kill each other, and it has always lead to our downfall. Strength matters little when poison rots us from the inside out." Darragh spoke with a grave tone as he looked out over the Empire that had given him everything. "But united, and granted vision, we can achieve greatness. We can give guidance to those who are lost, dictate to the fools who would only harm themselves and their families, raise up the able, no matter their status, and organize the defense of the whole, making the difficult choices where the weak can not." There was no doubt in his voice. No hesitation. "This is my belief. The ultimate goal I strive towards." Darragh turned and looked down at the girl. "I will now offer you a choice. It will likely be the last I ever give you. Go home. Go back to that sodden cave, and pray for another master and rot and die, or do what you will with the gift the Bogan has granted you. Or give yourself to me, my cause. Give your mind, your body, you soul, and become my Eyes. Share in my conviction to create an Empire not only capable of, but worthy of ruling this galaxy." Just as he had in the cave, Darragh offered his hand to Adilya once more. "Share in my conviction, and I will fight, and bleed and die for you just as I, or any of my followers would for each other. For our united Empire."

Adilya Solveig

 

[Adilya Solveig]

Medbay


Darragh Cearmada

​

Walking out of the room Adilya reached up to her eye covering, and slipped it on, a cold and calculating air about her as she did so— there was only one worthy of seeing her as she was — that was Darragh; all the rest she tolerated, in her mind they weren’t even worthy enough to share the same space let alone air. Coming outside now to a windy ledge Adi could see the collective pool of dark energy below her. Darragh spoke of the great power the Sith held, of the division that took that great power away — and then, he spoke of what he required of Adilya; he spoke truth — those that held the title of Sith held mostly to the rule of two, and all fought for power and control, non prevailed. For so long she had prayed to a faceless name — she hadn’t lost faith, nor had she wavered in her purpose, but now she had a choice — stay and become stronger or go back to her cave, to the silence that at times was too much to bear. Standing before Darragh, she knew, this was were she was meant to be, no longer in her domain… for this, was now hers through the spirit of adoption that her Lord, her Master had given to her — to be away from his presence now would be like amputating something deep within her, she couldn’t stand the thought. Her hand came up to gently brush the backside of his as she took a step forward.

Burdened with glorious purpose — this was her calling. Turning now to face Him, Adi took one step backwards, and then another as she teetered on the edge. Her breathing was deep and rhythmic — the air itself now becoming frigid as her hands came up, a sick and sinister grin curling into her lips as the words began to claw forth from her mouth like a beast emerging from a deep slumber. “Long has the darkness hidden me away… but in that long silence I received revelation, purpose and truth.” Her hands came up and began to untie the covering exposing her now darkened and distorted eyes, tears of blood slowly coming down her cheeks as a translucent Sith Rune of pure energy seemed to shimmer behind her, but she was far from a angel with a halo — she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing — a disturbance in the force felt, her voice altering as she tapped further into it. “Too long — too long have you wandered the darkness without a guide — too long have you been denied that which is yours, given and chosen to you by him….. but I am yours — I am the torch which bears light, meant only to be held by your hands, I am the dark flame that purifies and separates… I am truth seer…“ Kicking off her sandals, black smoke rose from her feet as devilish foot prints were left behind her. Now standing before him, her head tilted upwards and towards him — she whispered to him. “To be used by you would be better spent than a thousand lives… I will do all you ask and more my Master.”

 

[Darragh Cearmada]

There were many kinds of silence. The calm and peaceful kind that suffused the air as one drifted off to the sweet embrace of sleep. The heavy leaden silence of grief, broken only by the sobs of anguish. The anxious quiet before battle. And then there was silence that crackled like electricity. Silence so loud that it was deafening like thunder. This silence that filled the air as Darragh felt Adilya brush her hand against his was the latter.

The silence pressed down on them, crushing them beneath its weight. A silence that would have suffocated them if it could. A silence that could kill. But Adilya moved unrestrained, unfettered. Almost gliding over the duracrete she stepped back, and back until her heels hung over the edge and Darragh's hand fell to his side as he watched her.

Slow and perfectly horrifying, Adilya grinned. And though she spoke clearly Darragh was unsure almost unsure that the voice she spoke with was hers. So different from the meek girl who'd bowed before him just moments ago. Whether man or beast, possessed or of her own mind, Darragh saw only one thing as Adilya pulled down her eye covering and poured out scarlet tears. As she kicked off her sandal, left behind cinders and smoke. As the Force itself heralded her coming. Darragh saw the heart of darkness itself.

And it was then he understood his part. It was a universal law that all actions had a reaction. All things had their other parts. Adilya was one part, and he was another. If she was to be his, a tool to be used, broken, then he was to be the hand that not only employed her, but controlled, cared and maintained her. A responsibility of the highest order, as even tools required custodians.

None other could wield her, for who else among the many would wield her for their own good and not his own? She was his and his alone.

Despite the chill running down Darragh's spine as he looked upon that perfect visage of shadow, the faintest of smiles tugged at the corner of his lips. "I do believe, my dearest Adilya," Darragh said, the glow of the rune inscribed in the air behind the girl reflected across his face, glinting in his amber eyes, "that together we will herald a new age. Your training begins, Truth-Seer."

Adilya Solveig