Don't You Love Me?

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene stalked down bleak metal halls illuminated by florescent lighting, her raven black hair glimmering slightly and her purple gold lined dress fluttering by the sheer force of the wind she herself produced.

The Queen was on a mission, a book clutched to her breast and a fierceness to her steps. She wandered through the halls for a few minutes, her hair flipping from side to side and her stride somehow speaking of anger. Most of the men and women who passed her in the halls gave her a wide birth, they knew by now not to cross her, they were not slaves of course, but they knew very well who they had sworn themselves to, and what she could do when she was upset.

She turned down the hall, heading towards the bottom of the ship, to where the slaves were kept.

The ten SV-303 frigates that Nemene had purchased from Jared had been converted into slave ships. Each of them had been painted a sheer matte black, no symbols or flags painted on the side to identify them. Even their codes registered as nothing. The ships were by all accounts non-existant, slaver ships had to be.

Now however one of the ships had been converted to suite an entirely different purpose.

Nemene stalked down the final hall of the ship, turning into what was once the Cargo bay and letting the massive set of blast doors slide open. Inside was darkness, no light and no noise except the rattling of chains. As the Queen stepped inside light flickered into being, and a single figure tied to the middle of the floor was revealed.

“Wake up.” Nemene called to her sister. “I have something for you.”

 

[Louise]

Evelynn could not wake up, for she was not asleep.

With her head drooped down and staring at the floor the decrepit mute flinched as her sister called out. Mind conflicted with body, as excitement swelled within the creature's meagre chest. Her Goddess had a treat for her. Or was it a trick? A punishment for some inane reason backed by the motive of 'because I can.'

Like a frightened animal she tried to shy away from the blinding lights, having spent so much time in the darkness of this room. The more time Evelynn seemed to stay underneath the crushing heel of Nemene the more of her humanity seemed to slip out. A creature. A toy. A pet. Not a Queen, a sister, no longer a woman.

Of course when out in the galaxy the mute was dressed up and paraded around shrouded by a facade, nobody knew any different, nobody knew that something was terribly wrong. Perfection, by Nemene.

The body that conflicted, that craved spoke for her. Ignoring whatever the raven-haired beauty had planned for her, basic necessity stepped in. Eyes staring at the floor Evelynn dared to speak.

Thirsty. Hungry. Please.

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene stepped towards her pet, walking to only a few paces before her.

“That will come later.” Nemene said almost as if she was making a promise. For what she had in mind of course Evelynn would neat to eat, she needed to be strong, for a little while at least.

Clutching the book to her chest Nemene walked over to Evelynn. Her eyes looking down at the creature she had once called her sister. There was a plan for Evelynn, something to make her better, something to make her...useful. The frown on Nemene's face softened slightly, her eyes growing a hint more concerned, and her steps becoming softer. She squatted down before her sister, and cupped her chin beneath her right hand.

“I have something for you, Sister.” She called her Sister, an important note. “Something you will like.”

That would intrigue her enough to forget about food, or Nemene thought so at least.

 

[Louise]

Later.

If you're good.

The woman whimpered slightly as the prospect of later. Being chained up in the dark had disoriented her, she didn't know how much time had passed, she could scarcely remember when she last ate. At least upon the vessel there was no more rotting animal flesh to pick at like a twisted carrion. Although, at this stage perhaps she wouldn't have turned down a bite of decomposing corallus snake.

Evelynn looked up, hollow defeated eyes looking into glorious orange and finding themselves enraptured. Looking into Nemene's eyes was like a religious experience for puppet of a woman, reinforcing all the notions, the commands that had been placed within.

The word sister was like nectar to her ears, that she would consider her so highly....

What...is...it...Goddess?

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene smiled, letting her arms drop away from the book. It fell from her arms directly onto the floor before Evelynn. The words written on the heading of the book were in the words of the ancient Sith language, translated they would read simply “Book of the Sith”.

The text was famous among powerful Sith Lords, it was a compilation of hundreds of Sith writings on countless subjects all compiled and commented on by perhaps the greatest Sith Lord the galaxy had ever seen, Palpatine himself. Nemene ran a finger across the binding of the book and then the header, smiling at her sister with an almost child like glee in her eyes.

“Knowledge.” Evelynn had always loved reading, always loved learning. It was who she was, what she was. Had her sister changed? Well of course, but she doubted she had changed that much.

The intent here was quite simple, to make Evelynn useful, to ensure that she would not only be powerful, but be powerful without the help of anyone...or anything. Nemene's puppet had to be strong, or else she would be useless.

And she could not abide by the useless.

 

[Louise]

The book dropped to the floor with a harsh thud, causing the creature to flinch again as particles of dust flew out from those ancient pages. She needed no translation. In her time of illness Evelynn had absorbed unholy amounts of knowledge in search of a cure for her illness.

The Book of the Sith was no laughing matter. It was a tome of absolute power. In the wrong hands it could have been devastating, but in the right hands...well, in the right hands it was still devastating but a more delicious kind of breed.

The chains that connected her bound hands to the anchor point in the floor rattled slightly as she pulled against them.

Naturally the book stirred excitement within her, eyes widening slightly at the prospect of all of this knowledge at her fingertips. Staring at the book, and then back up at Nemene, the Puppet Queen gave the woman a look that asked for permission. Permission for what I'm not even sure.

Bleak granite orbs swivelled down towards the book, and those possibilities blossomed. She could have strength again. She could even take back...

Why?

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene reacted near instantaneously, she had felt the slight hint of rebellion, the slight spark of self confidence, and she knew that it had to be squashed before anything else could be done. Before Evelynn could say any further Words Nemene moved.

Her leg jumped up into the air, extending and her heel coming down on the back of Evelynn's head. She forced the girls face directly into the front of the book, mushing the skin and bones against hard bound leather and crushing her against the knowledge that she so dearly wanted. This was Nemene's pet, this was Nemene's book, and her pet would use the book for her, and only for her, nothing else.

“To make you useful.” Nemene said as she pressed her sister further against the floor.

It was important to remind Evelynn who was in charge.

“Your beasts are pathetic.” Her tone was cruel “I need something more substantial, more powerful. I need you to be useful.”

She hoped that her words stung the girl as much as the heel on the back of her head. “I need you to learn Sorcery.”

 

[Louise]

She had tried to repress the though before it had surged but evidently it was too late.

Nemene snapped up, foot coming down to push her face down into the book, rubbing her face into that ancient tome that taunted and tempted her. Of course the creature didn't resist, letting her sister's heel have free reign upon the back of her head. She shouldn't have had such thoughts, not against her Goddess. No. No.

The woman's words stung, replacing the physical pain that she was denied.

She wasn't useful? Hurt surfaced within the mute, as Nemene dug up and fed old deep-seated fears regarding being useless. Pathetic. Beast Mastery was her skill, it was the one thing that Evelynn could say with confidence that she was good at, no, more than good, great, fantastic, at the apex.

But that didn't matter, she wasn't useful.

Weak. Pathetic. Useless.

Then came the mention of Sorcery. Nemene needed her to learn Sorcery. Needed, not commanded. It clashed with her state of despair and hopelessness that the woman found herself in. The Silent Sister's face twisted into a mask of anguish.

I can't! I'm s-sorry! I can't! I'm n-not strong enough!

 

[Lira Dajenn]

“You are as strong as I say you are!” Her voice was very nearly shrill with anger. Rage welled up inside her and she seemed to overflow with it. Purple lines once again raced on her skin, crisscrossing and forming intricate patterns within her flesh. She pushed Evelynn further down into the book, as if she could somehow force the girl to absorb the knowledge through her skin.

Nemene wanted this, she needed this, and she would get it.

“You do as I say. You learn what I want you to learn.” Her words were creeping into Evelynn skull, not quite commands, but powerful suggestions. “Sorcery will be your new trick. It will be what allows you to survive, the reason I will let your survive.”

Nemene's heel released some of the pressure from Evelynns skull, giving the girl a slight hint of leeway. She didn't want to kill Evelynn after all, she had a plan for her, one that would increase her own strength in the end.

And that was all that mattered.

 

[Louise]

I'm fairly certain that Evelynn is not going to merge with the ancient tome, has hard as you try. Although the woman was certain that if her sister pushed down on the back of her head anymore then her skull might have cracked.

With her face forced down she couldn't see that Nemene drawing in that new-found power of hers, using it to power the influence of her suggestions. There would be no doubt, Evelynn would be learning Sorcery. Whether it was successful or not was yet to be seen. For as impressive as the Silent Sister was in the Force there were questions in the matter of confidence and will.

Which was extremely lacking.

The suggestions clashed with her despair, and battle erupted within the woman's head. Things like, I can't clashed with notions like I will. She was nothing more than a dog, and suddenly sitting and rolling over wasn't good enough, it was time to learn how to play dead and fetch. Conflict raged on and the confusion that this produced actively caused Evelynn to whimper.

W-what if I c-c-can't?!

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene scowled at the pitiful little dog underneath her heel. The words can't and won't were to different things entirely. Evelynn now no longer resisted the idea of learning, but she resisted the thought that she could learn, which was actually worse. The Queen felt her anger spike, knowing full well that Evelynn could feel her unbridled and nearly uncontrolled rage. The purple lines flowed over her skin, and a glow began to envelop her eyes again. “Do you not want to do this for me?”

Her voice was in stark opposition to her emotions. Where she herself was filled with rage and hatred, her voice almost had a slight hint of sadness, as if she was a mother disappointed in a child.

She shifted her heel, removing it from Evelynns head and placing her toes beneath her chin. With almost surgical precision she lifted Evelynn's eyes to meet her own.

“Do you not love me enough to learn?” Despite the lines of purple rage and the slight glow that encircled her skin, Nemene sounded genuine, her voice steady and nearly breaking, her tone calm and absolute stone. She was completely serious, and she knew what the bond would do with this inflection and these words. She knew that Evelynn would not resist.

She knew she would get what she wanted.

 

[Louise]

Do you not want to do this for me?

That was a bomb dropped upon an already tattered mind. The creature screwed up her face. The resistance that lurked within her started to bend and bow, overwhelmed by the simple question. Finally the heel was shifted, at the very least giving the poor woman relief.

Unfortunately her head was tilted, and her gaze found itself snared by Nemene's own. The Silent Sister never had a chance. Granite eyes glazed over, lost in a sea of purple and wonder. As if the frail woman had been drugged, her head lolled from side-to-side as Nemene posed her second question.

N-n-no, Goddess...

Her question had visibly upset the poor thing. How could her Mistress, her everything, her Goddess question her love? Tears-welled up in those lost orbs. Clearly she hadn't been good enough. This would have to be remedied of course.

You're my everything! P-please forgive me! Let me l-learn for you!

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene's anger visible melted away.

The purple lines that had been growing across her skin faded quickly, the violet glow within her eyes faded, and every muscle in her body seemed to relax as soon as Evelynn agreed to learn Sorcery. A smile grew on her face, and her toes seemed to curl slightly as Evelynn began to nod in agreement with her.

This would be perfect.

Slowly her foot drifted away from Evelynn's chin, landing back on the ground with a silent click. She looked down at the book, and then flipped its pages open to the first actual detailed bit of writing, all in the Sith language of course. Nemene tilted her head and looked at the pages, then waved her hand.

There was a clatter of chains as Evelynn's chains fell from the floor, all those except the ones around her throat.

“Learn your first spell. Show me, and then you may eat.” Everyone could do with a bit of encouragement, especially Evelynn. She had a tendency to lose sight of things.

And that wouldn't do.
[member="Evelynn"]

 

[Louise]

With her Goddess visibly pleased and somewhat sedated now that that her twisted little sister was singing all the right songs Evelynn herself could relax somewhat.

Had she not been snared once more by a state of religious fervour then the mute might have objected to pages skipped by her sister. This was a collection of writing from some of the greatest Sith minds, even the foreword wasn't worth missing. She would likely flit back to those pages at another opportunity. Not now however, she had to learn. Learn for her Goddess, learn for the right to eat, learn for love and devotion.

That last notion would have made Evelynn cringe were she in her right stage of mind.

Remaining upon her knees the puppet's eyes began to flurry across the pages. In a sense of knowledge of course, the mute was in fact a very smart woman, however in the realms of common sense she would falter at the first hurdle every single time. An isolated childhood and tortured teens, not the best for creating ladies of sound mind.

The bare bones of Sorcery were laid out in front of her.

Rituals. Recitation. Artifacts. Hand gestures?

Interesting. That was something she didn't know. Even in the clutches of crippling mind control you can still learn something new. The cargo bay became lost. She began to dig, dig into herself, the negative emotion that boiled beneath the surface of worship. The humiliation, the torment, the hatred. It was there. Inside. Dredging it up Evelynn could feel those very emotions pouring through her veins like a thick sickening slurry. Biting down upon those dry and cracked lips it took a gathering of what focus and strength she had left in the tank to pour those dark energies into her hands.

Veins began to protrude from the famished girl's hands and arms, black and spidering. If truth were to be told, it was no spell. It was about manipulating the energies, taking negative emotion and turning it into power. According to the tome the manifestation of power was different depending upon the Sith, what would hers manifest as?

Mist.

Red mist the exact colour of bloodshed was created by those weaving fingertips. Funny that. Evelynn's red mist. As if her judgement wasn't already clouded.

A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead as all of her focus was poured into maintaining this display of energy. It wasn't technically a spell. It was a manifestation but it was something.

Better than nothing.

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene stayed in the slave hold, she had to in order to ensure that her pet did was she was told. There was no way she could have Evelynn fake this, no that wouldn't be right at all. Evelynn had to do this the correct way, or else she would not be receiving food, drink, or anything else that she needed.

What Nemene had not anticipated of course was the amount of time this endeavor took.

Even learning a simple uncomplicated spell, or manifestation took hours, something that the Queen was entirely unprepared for. As Evelynn read page after page and finally began to learn the ways of Sorcery Nemene found herself pacing. She moved about the slave hold again and again, looking at this, staring at that. At one point she hung herself upside down from some of the chains, boredom crawling across her skin, only intensifying with each moment that passed.

Then she saw it.

The mist floating between Evelynns fingers. Like a bat, Nemene dropped from the chains in the rafters of the slave hold, blood rushing back from her head into her body. She took a single wobbly step forward, then appeared before Evelynn, eyes intent on the mist.

“See?” Nemene said her grin spreading. “Evelynn can be a good little pet when she wants to.”

Demeaning, but true.

 

[Louise]

The impatient Nemene had been far from Evelynn's mind while she studied. For the best results the woman needed as much concentration as possible and observing the pacing brunette would have only served to fluster the poor creature. You can't rush sorcery, well you can but at the risk of everything.

Body. Mind. Life.

Even though it was a mere display this first foray into sorcery was draining the mute of whatever energy she had left. The hands that weaved and twisted those dark threads of the Force began to tremble, her breaths fast becoming swift and ragged, meagre chest rising and falling in tandem with her soft panting, her skin growing slick with sweat.

The moment that Nemene spoke her concentration was broken and the haze slowly dissipated. Like the lowly wretch that she was the girl nodded timidly, head stooped low making her appeared to be some malnourished hunched creature.

Yes. Evelynn can be good. Yes. Anything for Goddess.

Without saying a single telepathic word the blonde looked up to her sister, eyes full of hunger along with a hint of expectation. She had been good! And food had been promised, after all!

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene smiled, bending down to pet Evelynn on the top of her head. Yes, she was good, and she had learned.

She supposed it was time to bring her end of the bargain, after all she did not want to seem a cruel Goddess. No, Nemene was kind, but only when kindness was deserved. Slowly she straightened herself, her eyes never leaving Evelynn as her back became stiff as a board. She smiled, and then snapped her fingers.

The sound was almost deafening in the emptiness of the slave hold, and it seemed to bounce around over and over again, echoing repeatedly until it was finally drowned out by the noise of the blast doors opening.

A pair of slaves walked into the hold, each holding a large silver tray absolute filled to the brim with food and drink. They walked into the hold as though they were more than familiar with the place, eying its chains with a sort of caution, as if they were afraid of once again feeling steel around their neck. The two servants placed the trays directly in between Evelynn and Nemene. It was not quite a banquet, but on the trays was enough food to feed three or four people, nevermind Evelynn.

With a look of disdain Nemene dismissed the two servants, she was still rather unhappy about losing most of her slaves on Rattatak.

“Now pet, you make sure to eat it all. I need you strong.” The smile on her face told of mischief.

 

[Louise]

The snap of the fingers, another reason for the wretched creature to flinch. It didn't make much sense why, if Nemene had decided to suddenly hit her then she wouldn't have felt it. There was no pain. For the best actually. It was quite a surprise that Evelynn had managed to utilise the bare bones of Sith Magic without drawing upon physical pain, a promising sign if she were to be useful for Nemene.

And she had to be useful.

When the blast doors opened the mute lifted her head somewhat, almost drooling in the anticipation of being fed. Her hunger had long since left her feeling hollow and her thirst had rendered her mouth and throat a harsh desert. The tray was set down, anticipation building up to this point.

There was so much, and when the woman's eyes widened the realisation came that it was too much.

Yet her Goddess had insisted. Eat it all. Her hand, still trembling with those thick black veins receding reached out for the cup, a drink, that first. Water had never tasted sweeter with the girl greedily gulping the crystal clear liquid down. Then began the feast. It wasn't an incredibly masculine platter of food one had to concede. Fruits, vegetables, pastas, fish, pulses.

Like a true glutton the creature feasted, not caring for manners or dignity. The juices from the ripe produce trickled down the girl's chin as hands moved swiftly to satisfy a deprived stomach. Given no cutlery Evelynn ate with her hands, like an animal, fine for fruits and vegetables, a different story for pasta and fish. It was a macabre display, and about as lady-like as a Gamorrean performing a strip-tease.

Upon making it a fourth of the way through the feast the woman finally slowed, her personal hunger and thirst having now been sated. She couldn't stop. Literally. Arms moved for the needs of Nemene, disregarding the fact that the Silent Sister's withered stomach was now full. More. More. More. The woman who felt that she could not eat another bite would take some more, even somehow going beyond the sensation of bursting.

When the woman was finally finished she was truly a grotesque sight to behold. Stomach painfully bloated and distended, making the skeletal girl appear as if she were suffering from malnutrition. Exhausted and the very definition of uncomfortable Evelynn looked up at her Goddess, those pained eyes still seeking approval.

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene watched happily as her pet ate, that happiness however quickly turned to a slight amount of disgust as she stuffed herself. That disgust however quickly turned to curiosity. It seemed that even Orders that she had not intended to go through held strongly for Evelynn, binding her completely to do as Nemene ordered.

She cocked her head, and with interest watched as Evelynn stuffed her face continuously until she looked about ready to sick up.

Finally when Evelynn finished the massive meal Nemene stared at her, from a medical point of view she knew that this sort of thing was actually very bad. Evelynn would likely throw up most of the meal as the shock of nutrients to her system proved to be too much. The Queen pursed her lips slightly, watching as Evelynn took deep heavy breaths, seemingly unable to lift her own chest.

“What a good little pet, to manage to finish all her food.” The tone of her voice was placating, not truly praising, seemingly only spoken to relieve any stress that Evelynn might be feeling.

It was best to let her rest now. She would need time to sick up the food, time to rest her stomach and the straight on her body. Nemene waited for a moment, saying nothing until she finally bent down and petted Evelynn's head.

With that she simply stood, and left the hold, clearly intending on returning later.

 

[Louise]

She had been good. A good pet. There was no feeling more satisfying than being a good pet. Deep beneath the surface of control Evelynn withered, internally she screamed for her own lost dignity as if it could have broken through. As if she could have resisted. Had free-will been upon her own side then the mute would have thrown herself out of the airlock to spare herself from any more of this humiliating madness.

But such was not the case. Evelynn was a good little pet. Like a cat she pushed her head into the hand of her Goddess as if the touch of Talith would bless her, as if it were special.

Then she was gone.

The unfortunate creature was left to her own heavy discomfort, laying upon her side the mute massaged her swollen stomach in attempt to provide relief. She could feel it, it didn't hurt but she could feel her body protesting to the ridiculous quantity of food that had been eaten. Heart felt clogged. Mouth watering.

It came flooding up in a partially digested mess, chunks of goodness knows what hurling forth from the woman's mouth like a waterfall. She was no stranger to vomit, but overindulgence was never usually a symptom. Left upon her hands and knees the woman remained, heaving, coughing, hacking and spitting. Who knew how much of her stomach's contents departed in her sickness.

Horror dawned upon her face. She had thrown up her treat like an ungrateful wretch. If her Goddess had seen such a display...no, it didn't bear thinking about. Would she ever get fed again? With no clothes upon her back to mop up her mess with Evelynn resorted to clutching her knees to her chest, shivering, every-so-often shaking her head as if she could deny vomit.

Would she have to resort to licking it up?

Then she saw the book. Yes. Yes. She'd left the book. Nemene wanted her to learn, and she would learn for Nemene. Yes. The chain that bound her throat to the floor rattled as the wretched thing crawled over to the ancient tome, and with what meagre light she had been left Evelynn began to read, and learn...

...for her Goddess.