Private Groving Minds

[Darth Strosius]

A small hum, a noise that was made in agreement but sounded more exasperated than anything else. It was the only response that He could make about the predicament as the Neti was wise enough to move on to another topic rather swiftly. The mere reminder made His skin crawl and His tendrils pulse with what could best be described as some sort of phantom pain. An ache that shouldn't exist but was present all the same.

Darth Strosius inclined His head at the offer of assistance, seemingly somewhat surprised. "The offer is tempting I must admit." The nexus on Alvaria was the only reason that He was able to recover as relatively swiftly as He had been able to before now, supplementing His natural regeneration with an empowered healing method that He wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. Korriban was a world far more drenched in the Dark Side than Alvaria, any one of its nexi could provide enough power to reforge Himself.

But power alone wasn't the issue.

"Before any healing can truly begin I will need to recover or recreate as many of my lost parts as possible however. I can fill the voids with the Force but that would only result in a lengthy process of adjusting on my part and more time spent bedridden is unacceptable. The more of myself that I can reclaim the less I will need to substitute." His ashes had been scattered farther than He had ever thought possible, but at least He did have some to experiment with so that He could better understand His condition. "I would be willing to accept what aid you can offer, perhaps there is another method that is beyond my current understanding."

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Her eyes widened as the man actually sounded agreeable. It was a relief to know that he could in fact collaborate with others outside his direct belief system. Darth Strosius had always been less aggressive toward her than he tended to be toward many others, based on reports she'd heard from others. However, the neti was finally noting an even more amiable shift in his demeanor. Discussion of science and sorcery appeared to be safe topics on which to further build a foundation of alliance.

"Well..." she began slowly "Which method would yield the best results for an acceptable degree of effort? Recover or rebuild?"

The neti refilled her teacup, gaze never straying from his masked faced as she awaited his answer.

 

[Darth Strosius]

The masked man clicked His tongue at the question and sat back in His seat, resting His chin on His fist as He made a wave towards her with the other hand. "That would be the question at hand indeed. Recovery isn't as complicated of a process and should be more...natural. However I have come to suspect that I will need some rebuilding done regardless and as such I have been gearing my most recent efforts of study and procurement towards that option rather than the former."

Darth Strosius shifted in His seat slightly, the tendrils that exuded from His robes seeming all the more prominent as He nodded towards them. "You see, I have come to realize that one of the reasons for my current predicament is that my...essence could not be fully contained within my physical being at the time of my demise. These strands aren't just seeking their lost parts, they are roots that have grown beyond their pot as it were. Even with my body fully reconstituted and restored as it was these "leaks" will remain to some extent."

It was a rather odd situation really. To be at once far less and weaker than He was before the Kaggath but also to be far more in the same manner. A result of His own drawing of power from His flock, their connection having not severed with His demise but instead cemented Him into something more than He was before. That was a fact that He had no intentions of divulging in full however, not to Lady Madrona and certainly not to His followers. Bogan only knew what they would do if they knew that they could permanently increase His power by their devoted self-sacrifices. He shuddered at the thought.

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Stillness fell over the neti as Darth Strosius began to speak of process- her mind was spinning already with possibility but she gave no indication other than her intense stare. That was, until the man used an analogy so well crafted for her specifically that she suddenly became downright animated.

The rustle of leaves and vines, a gentle slithering hiss of plant matter trailing across itself, filled cool air of the mountainous greenhouse. A'Mia leaned over the table and her torso elongated subtly so her entire form craned closer to the seated man. Her tea was set down absently and her hands raised before him, as if to hover atop an aura about him. Despite her clear burst of enthusiasm, she was not so presumptuous as to breech his personal bubble, but the intent was there.

"Now that is such a clear way to frame it..."

Her tone grew hushed but more singsong, as if the curiosity and enthusiasm about having a new puzzle to solve had shifted her into a more abstract mindset.

"If your physical form is the pot- well then the rest of you constitutes the plant. I can think of a handful of excellent ways to augment and expand a living vessel. This analogy also begs the question, how best to nourish the metaphysical aspects of you? Oh, what a delightful blend of interlocking problems that need solving!"

As quickly as she'd leaned and loomed, the arboreal woman withdrew back to her more "normal" looking seated form and she began typing furiously on her data pad as she rattled off her initial theory.

"If we could acquire a suitable number of Force users, or even those with a stronger Force signature, to be contained and enriched via a nexus... Yes, like fattening livestock before slaughter- then those of us practiced in sorcery might combine our efforts, multiplying the effects of that gathered energy so that you could feed upon it."

Her sentences were half formed, and surely the notes she typed at a breakneck speed were more coherent, but she continued on as Alisteri's simple likening of himself to a root bound plant continued to inspire innovation.

"That is just the matter of metaphysical nourishment though- how to rebuild the vessel? And encourage further growth, to maintain the benefits of adaptation... A donor perhaps? A... clone."

Large eyes snapped back up to her guest, as if suddenly remembering he was there, technically engaged in this conversation with her.

" Darth Malum of House Marr contained you for a time, yes? By which method did he ensure your general return? Did he keep samples of your flesh or were you left to regenerate without grafting or other such methods of rehabilitation?"

The question was oddly intense, as if it were a missing integer in a delicate mathematical equation.

 

[Darth Strosius]

An eyebrow quirked up beneath His mask at the Neti's encroachment, leaning back in His own seat slightly and eyeing her with what must have been a look of confusion. She seemed rather excited all of a sudden and He wasn't quite sure why. Evidently He had managed to strike a chord of inspiration within her, so much so that she was quick to return to her note taking despite the brief hovering closeness. Darth Strosius opened His mouth to respond but she continued quickly, catching Him somewhat off-guard.

Amidst the flurry of theory there was one remark that did catch His attention, one that seemed far more likely and less costly than acquiring several Force Sensitive individuals for some grand process. A clone. Project Inductii rang fresh in His mind, the creation of sleeper agents and soldiers with which He'd have a direct connection to via a relatively simple alchemical process during their gestation. He needed cloning equipment regardless for the project to succeed, but what if He went further?

He had no intention of attempting to replicate Himself of course, not even with Inductii. His own biological makeup was skewed and modified so extensively that to decode it and mass produce it would be quite the hassle, not to mention exceedingly disturbing, that the thought hadn't really crossed His mind. Lady Madrona raised a very good point however. He was missing pieces of Himself, what if He could simply just make more? How fascinating of a concept.

"Hm?" Darth Strosius was pulled from His own silent musings by the question, meeting the expectant look on His host's face with a slow blink before He realized what she was asking. "Ah, right. Well, he was more focused on preserving me physically and keeping my body alive more so than anything else. It wasn't expected that I would die during the duel, but complications occurred of course. He mostly left my regeneration in the hands of my own body and bacta, but he did supply me with blood from himself and from some of his associates so that I could restore myself much faster."

For all intents and purposes His body had been in something of a coma for a few days until His spirit was reunited with it, awakening Him once more and restoring Him to life. Albeit in something of a broken shell. "My condition was unexpected and somewhat unknown to the both of us and I was in no position to properly diagnose myself then as I have by now. As such only recently have I been able to engage in efforts and theories on how best to mend my metaphysical condition."

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Though she was not adept at reading a room from the social or emotional perspective, A'Mia did have a knack for peering into the minds of others- their inner workings and how their thoughts moved along neurological pathways. Though physically rooting herself made that process far more clear and concrete, even without snaking mycelium tendrils the neti was able to register when particular thoughts caught hold of someone.

She stopped typing, as suddenly as she'd started, and shoved the datapad to the side once more to fix her wide eyes back upon him. A'Mia seemed to be formulating her next words very carefully. In truth, she felt so certain that she could help him achieve a breakthrough but knew that pushing for too much scientific leeway too soon was only going to drive the fickle, prickly man away.

"I did not mean to imply a lack of effort on the part of your... brother in arms. Rather, I was attempting to determine if he has yet viable samples from when you were in the initial healing process."

The neti opened long fingered hands in a sweeping gesture as if to say "oh well" and continued on.

"It would seem not. However, I see a path forward you might still find agreeable and initial inquiry into the process would require very little initial investment of time or energy on your part- in the grand scheme of things that is."

She was unused to brokering deals, ill practiced at such maneuvering and frankly, too earnest with intense curiosity to maintain any kind of guile for long when discussing such intriguing matters.

"Plants are well versed in the art of cloning. It is much simpler process for them, to be sure, but the ability is impressive. There are even some invertebrates that possess a similar, stunning capability to grow anew from just small fragments. Though you are far more complex an organism than any I am referencing, with the use of sorcery, alchemy, and rigorous scientific method, I do feel certain we could craft you a new biological vessel- or patch the old one, if that is preferred."

Her mind was already whirling with charts and grafts, the image of an advanced hyperbaric chamber that might also double as a sort of personalized greenhouse for the vessel she was dreaming up. Before she lost herself in those visions of grandeur though, A'Mia honed back in on the man before her.

"The most straight forward way for you to contribute to this process would be to provide a limb."

The line was delivered with no attempt to soften the ask, she was direct and her mind was busy calculating the various factors she'd need to control for. It was said with all the emotion of a neighbor asking to borrow a cup of sugar for a recipe. In truth, she laid bare her request with the kind of cold practicality that one organism familiar with regeneration would use upon another.

"A limb and allowing me to take full biometric readings of your current form down in my lab. Barring that, whatever you are willing to give that even approximately resembles the data I might glean from those two things will have to be suitable."

 

[Darth Strosius]

Beneath His mask, an eyebrow quirked up in confusion at the mention of 'samples' from His recovery. While He could see why they would be useful for the current topic of discussion, there had been no need to take any such samples then. He was in enough pieces as it was already. Darth Strosius briefly considered such other pieces for a moment as the Neti continued, seemingly leading into some arrangement to acquire what samples would be needed to better understand His condition and how to best mend it.

His ashes were an aspect that He hadn't put much thought into over the course of their conversation up until now despite how relevant they were. They were His missing parts after all, the ones that made Him less than whole by being separate and scattered. Not that being whole again would solve the tendril issue of course but still. If Lady Madrona wanted to assist in patching His old form then they were no doubt an essential ingredient even if new tissue could be made and substituted, and a valuable ingredient for crafting a new vessel as well.

A new vessel.

The thought made something in Him stir, something that He hadn't felt since the dream that encompassed His two halves merging into one form once more. It was foreign to be sure, an inkling that was not at all of His own mind, and yet it felt so natural. So compelling and right, at least in this regard. In this instance when the idea of a completely new body was laid out before Him something within the back of His mind had latched hold of it. Filling His thoughts both subconscious and those at the forefront with the blissfully complicated prospect.

A new form that was unbound by the limitations that He was born with, free from the restraints and scars that He had made for Himself just to channel the Force beyond what His body had ever been supposed to. Free from the face of a slave of Kessel. The idea was infectious more so than tantalizing, it had seized His full attention for a long moment until the Neti's request finally broke through and registered in His mind. "I-what?" Darth Strosius was grateful that she continued, if only to confirm that He hadn't misheard her the first time.

Neither the relinquishing of a limb nor the scan sounded particularly ideal and especially not pleasant. The limb would regrow of course, that in and of itself wasn't the issue. Rather the idea of leaving it behind to be picked at and studied seemed oddly personal and invasive. The scan on the other hand would no doubt involve having to remove at least a few layers of His robes in order to get an accurate reading and revealing His body was too terrifying to contemplate. Some horrors were best left unseen. He already had to bear the sight Himself, He'd rather not have it examined by another.

Instantly He tensed and seemed about to lambaste His host for even making such requests, a keen enough eye could spot the telltale movement of His head tilting so that He could fix her with a hidden stare as He did so, but no words left Him. He hesitated. The compulsion pulsed in His mind, whispering not with words but with concepts and sensations just as it had done with the enrapturing new form idea. This could very well be the perfect opportunity.

His cult could never see this side of Him, this scarred and imperfect creature that sat beneath the robes and bindings that they knew as their leader, but Lady Madrona was different. She was on Korriban, far away from any of His followers and would have no need to tell anyone of what she saw as a result of the scan or the limb once it was removed and declothed. He would never be able to pull off such feats by Himself. It was a simple fact but one that He had always struggled to accept.

There always had to be involvement from outside parties, whether they be simple test subjects or apparent peers in this sole example. The Neti could see what He truly was and very likely wouldn't tell a single soul about it. That thought brought the barest hint of relief to His tense form, enough that instead of denial He said something far more clinical and restrained. "Embalming fluid." The two words hung in the air as He seemed to hesitate again before continuing.

"Sangnir tissue enters a period of rapid decay following its separation from its larger whole, it usually starts within a few minutes. Mine decays within a single minute unless treated and stored properly." Even His blood had to be stored in alchemized tanks so that it didn't simply evaporate into thin air after it was extracted from Him. That was what made His ashes so special to begin with, they shouldn't exist at all. "I'd recommend a compound of embalming fluid and bacta, the bacta should encourage tissue regrowth and briefly delay the decay period when not submerged in the embalming fluid. That's the only way you could store a limb of mine for any real length of time. The scan will be a relatively simple matter by comparison I'm sure."

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

The woman suddenly went very still in that uncanny way she had, vibrantly and verdantly alive yet devoid of any telltale signs of respiration or subtle body movements. She watched and she listened. The silence was deafening for a time, in that tense interval between alarmed, half formed question and whatever might come next.

A'Mia watched the Weave ripple and shake about him, in the way it often did around powerful Force users experiencing strong emotions. Despite her unique and almost miraculous ability to witness such metaphysical phenomena with her eyes, the neti lacked a personal depth of understanding about the ways and wiles of more sentimental creatures than herself.

Curiosity pulled her toward him faintly in the interim between her observation. Her lean wasn't so dramatic as before, but her eyes were wider and brighter, searching as if they could see the lines of his face despite the almost ever present mask. Then he spoke and it was as if a spell was broken.

Relief.

A rare sensation for the neti, blooming up within her trunk and tingling at the tips of her fingers.

He had not rejected her summarily.

Darth Strosius was considering working with her, allowing her to explore a vision and even aid in the process.

A'Mia nodded slowly, reaching for the datapad once more. Her movements held a new reverence, as if perhaps she was already sinking into a state of ritual focus. Though they were likely far from close to taking any actionable steps right in that moment, the neti hazarded a step in that direction.

"Excellent feedback," she spoke slowly, taking notes at a much more natural pace, "And I had already started formulating some kind of hyperbaric chamber- we can speak more on combining such properties with an appropriate tank. I've no shortage of bacta now and I'm certain I could formulate embalming fluid, but arrangements will need to be made for the specialized propagation method I have in mind."

"The scan is very simple," she began, then paused as memories of Revna Marr laid upon her specialized table came to mind unbidden.

Not so long ago, that treasured daughter of Wonosa and companion to her Master had accepted her aid. It had been a learning experience and a challenge for both Sith women. A'Mia had many peculiarities and perhaps a few glaring flaws, but failing to learn from lessons of the past was not amongst her weaknesses.

The neti recalled how vulnerable Revna had been in those moments. Brave and powerful too, but vulnerable all the same. She'd given herself over to A'Mia's care and the neti was not known for her bedside manner. If the Sith Shadow was truly going to successfully render aid to a more powerful, and certainly more volatile Sith Lord, she would need to be at her best.

"So simple, in fact, why don't we endeavor to do that tomorrow? I can have sustenance provided to you in the meantime, and private quarters can be arranged at a place of your liking- the Palace if you wish, or perhaps Kor'ethyr would be more comfortable, in one of the spare Professor suites?"

A lesson from Elmindra Xitaar came to mind, and a very faint smile found A'Mia's face even as she mused silently how much Alisteri would rankle at the mere mention of the First Lord. The Faleen had instructed her not to be hasty when vying for a preferred outcome, she'd cautioned A'Mia from so doggedly pursuing her curiosity and instead had been training her to let conversations and emotions breathe a bit between key talking points.

"If you come for the scan in the morning, I'll be able to draft up some of what has been forming in my mind’s eye, I can show you the improvements to my laboratory and greenhouse. Then we can determine a timeline for collecting that limb, whether we have the resources to proceed at once, or if you need some time to prepare before we take that step."

She leaned back and politely folded her hands in her lap, eyes wandering to the table between them in a rare show of deference as she concluded quietly.

"Is that agreeable?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

"So long as you can preserve the limb, you'll have all the material you need for your...propagation method." Truthfully He had no doubt that she could indeed figure out how to multiply His biological material and make something useful from it, her experience with unorthodox methods of doing so would more than likely expedite the initial experimenting needed to do so. Sangnir tissue was unique and His was even more so, the method that she had in mind may need to be modified considerably.

As long as she didn't ask Him for any more spare parts then time and dedication would conquer the issue of course. The scan should help dismiss some vague notions or plans that would work for most other species. Hopefully. Darth Strosius wasn't quite certain what the scan would and wouldn't show, no doubt some of the finer details of His form would be glossed over or unseen entirely by machinery. The Force and technology so rarely worked with one another without proper integration being included in the machinery itself after all.

He blinked in surprise at the offer of room and board, idly wondering for a moment if the sustenance she offered was tailored to His more vampiric sensibilities, but quickly shook His head and waved off the offered areas. He was never one for Palace's and the academy's unusual structuring would no doubt leave Him lost if He were to go for a stroll during the night. "I appreciate the offer Lady Madrona and I am more than willing to stay and continue this work in the morning, but I have all that I require on the shuttle I came in on already. I will simply rest there until the morning."

Darth Strosius doubted that there would be any resting on His part, sleep eluded Him all too often as it was in more familiar environments. Korriban with its constant and delightfully incessant presence would no doubt hinder any plans for a quiet and slumbering night for Him. Not that He minded of course, being so close to a nexus was rather novel. "It won't be me that needs the time to prepare for the task to come, you'll be the one needing to preserve my limb and ensure that my scan gives some usable data." He responded with a hint of mirth, as though finding it somewhat amusing that she thought He would need some time to mourn the loss of a limb.

Were it not for the rapid decay He'd have already ignited His lightsaber and severed one of the appendages right then and there just to save on time. He'd sacrificed far more for far less in the past, at least this would be for a constructive purpose. Typically He only used blood or small samples of His flesh for experiments, an entire limb was unnecessary for most of His work. "You can give me a proper tour of your laboratory then I suppose, is there anything else you wanted to discuss for the moment?"

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Her eyes rose again as he reiterated agreement and the need for her to be sure she was ready for the task to come. A'Mia seemed to be studying his features once more, as if her very eyes were capable of the same thing she sought to use a bioscan unit for. Alisteri's unusually polite tone was not lost on her, though rather than considering it a mark of success she instead took it as an opportunity she mustn't squander.

His initial agreement to her terms was only the first step in what promised to be a complicated equation or tantalizing riddle she must work her way through. The acknowledgement of Darth Strosius and apparent mutual respect building between them was balanced on a scalpel's edge, she knew. A'Mia needed to get to work at once.

"You're quite right of course," she finally spoke after a thoughtful silence hung between them for a time.

"I have much to do."

Standing abruptly after scooping up both datapads, the neti had a far away expression. Her singleminded focus was palpable, as waves of darkness subtly seemed to roil around her and a supernatural breeze carried the scent of petrichor throughout the greenhouse.

"Tomorrow then- I'll inform you the moment I'm ready."

Without further ado she moved away with eerie grace, her robes moving about her as if she was floating a few inches off the floor.

​

Hyperfixation was a mild term for the kind of state the neti scientist sometimes entered when she was faced with such a unique or exciting challenge. A'Mia wasted no time getting to her laboratory and calling upon all the many, impressive resources at her spindly fingertips.

She did not sleep that night, nor even rest. Thankfully her botanical lineage did not suffer from such deprivation nearly as quickly as many other species did, and her work went unhindered.

Several vats of her own proprietary blend embalming fluid, the augmentation of one large hyperbaric chamber, and a digital mountain of notes later, the neti finally took stock of her surroundings.

Nearly 16 hours had elapsed.

"Oops," she said absently to herself.

The summons for Alisteri came just as they had before, her voice on a breeze that hadn't been stirring before hand and a subtle shifting in whatever touches of the natural world were visible to the Sith Lord at that moment.

Follow the signs and I will lead you.
​

Though her influence on Korriban and in the Weave there was not so impressive as the King's, A'Mia held significant sway over the energies nearest Kor'ethyr Academy where she'd spent years laying down roots, metaphysical and otherwise. It wouldn't take Alisteri long to find his way to the somewhat familiar greenhouses and the new, improved laboratory adjacent to them.

The blast doors opened when he was still a few dozen feet away and the neti greeted him with a somewhat frenetic wave of her many hands. A'Mia's form was unusually loose and much more arboreal looking than usual, as if her work had utterly distracted any sense of social etiquette. Her normal attempt to appear more human-like whilst in the company of others had been abandoned in favor of function.

"Welcome, welcome! Much progress has been made. Would you prefer to have the biometric reading first, or see what I've set up?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

The instant that the Neti tore her gaze from the datapad and towards Him once more He idly winced at how intense of a stare it was, wishing that she would look back at her notes. Typically Lady Madrona didn't seem all that imposing, especially not while simply looking at Him, however something about her focus given the topic at hand was unsettling.

The silence between them stretched on for a few more moments than He would have liked but thankfully she broke it and concluded their meeting in almost the same breath as she got out of her seat. "I shall await your summons." As Lady Madrona took her leave Darth Strosius slipped out of His seat in kind and began the unusual task of simply finding His way back to His ship.

Once He was well away from any prying eyes His composure would slip somewhat, gloved hands clenching and unclenching as they trembled at the thought of what was to come. A momentary bout of nerves that He was quick to stifle but one that was nevertheless indicative of His masked features as He nearly tore a hole through His lip whilst sucking in a breath through clenched fangs. He should have just offered to send her the data she needed from one of His own operations later on.

That would have been far easier, unfortunate that He didn't think of it at the time.

-

"Unfortunate" was the sentiment which had been rolling around in His mind all night and even now clung to His heavy steps as He made His way through the halls of the academy once more. Surprisingly enough Darth Strosius had actually managed to drift into unconsciousness, more than once even, but any rest that He had gained while doing so had all but evaporated by the time He steeled Himself and stepped beyond the blast doors which He had been so kindly directed to.

The sight of Lady Madrona even less humanoid than usual made Him pause mid-stride and regard the wave with a cock of His head. "I see you've gotten...comfortable?" He assumed that this was a more natural state given how busy she seemed to be, or at the very least a more efficient one. He bristled at the question, made all the more visible as the normally loose and barely visible wisps from His robes stood on end at the mention of the scan, and quickly responded.

"I'll have a look at your setup first, it seems as though you've been hard at work on it. I'd hate to bypass such effort." Anything to delay the inevitable sounded like a fine idea to Him. Darth Strosius crossed His arms behind His back as His masked gaze briefly swept over the various machinery that adorned the laboratory, settling on the vats for a moment before returning to Lady Madrona herself.

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

In contrast to A'Mia's relative comfort with her surroundings and the task at hand, Alisteri's discomfort was palpable. Even to the often socially obtuse neti, his tension was obvious. His comments about her form gave her pause though and she regarded herself before shrinking down.

A'Mia was soon shorter and more compact than Darth Strosius had yet seen her, shorter even than him for once. She gazed up and looked him over for a long silent moment, eyes once more tracing both physical and metaphysical details. She knew he was not akin to Revna Marr when it came to reassurance, could reliably deduce that in fact any kind of physical comfort offered by the neti might in fact have the opposite intended effect.

However, she couldn't suppress the wave of curiosity that overcame her about that boundary as of yet unbroached. A'Mia stepped near to him and turned, coaxing a slender hand through the crook of his arm and stepping as a dancer would deeper into her laboratory— a space partially built from duracrete and transparasteel, while the rest was carved into the very rock of Korriban. If they were to work together on such a personal project, the neti reasoned that they'd each need to grow more comfortable sharing space with one another.

"Your acknowledgment is most welcome, Alisteri, but time will tell if my labor is worth your accolades."

Her tone was bright as ever, but the thrill in her voice was unusually genuine as she continued on. It was rare for the woman to be so animated with true emotion.

"The creation of embalming fluid was simple enough, I'm sure there's more than I need but redundancy is key with something like this. That's also why preservation of and propagation from an entire limb is so ideal— we are safeguarded from error so long as the primary sample remains healthy."

A'Mia's steps were graceful but heavier than her short stature might suggest, as if all of her impressive foliage had been compressed down to make her humanoid shape as sturdy as ironwood.

"As to the propagation method itself? I believe my prototype shows promise, and if the first few tests bear fruit, I'll create more chambers for higher yield."

They turned a corner, past walls of test tubes, canisters of various neatly labeled chemicals, as well as rows upon rows of medical and botanical instruments. Set against a rocky wall, with blinking monitors and control panels lining the backdrop of the larger room, lay a large barometric chamber that had been heavily augmented to fit the neti's schemes.

"The first of what I hope to be many chambers! It has been sealed so that it can be pressurized for both submersion of biomass in the early stages of growth, and then drained to be repressurized for a high oxygen chamber to encourage continued growth."

She drew them closer, while conversely her touch on his arm grew more faint should he wish to break away.

"You see there and there I also have access points. A much more advanced glove-box, if you're at all familiar, to keep the environment free from outside contamination while also providing me opportunity to make edits or more thoroughly track progress during growth stages."

The neti chattered on happily, her enthusiasm self evident. Soon though, a belated sense of social etiquette made her pause to see if he had thoughts or questions.

"This of course is all preliminary work, and there will be additions! Do you have feedback though, upon first inspection?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

The Neti's compartmentalizing of her physical form was a process that He, respectfully, looked away from until it was complete. That she wound up being shorter than usual was an odd choice but He wasn't one to judge on such matters. It would be rather improper after all. Darth Strosius did fix her with a subtle glance as she approached, a look of caution and perhaps even suspicion no doubt hidden behind His visor. One that would have surely grown into surprise when her arm looped through one of His own.

As Lady Madrona moved deeper into the lab, the masked man was briefly tensed and unmoving for a few moments before He allowed Himself to be pulled along. He wasn't quite certain as to why she thought that He needed some more direct leading around the area but He chose to bite His tongue and to quit His incessant glancing at where their arms were joined for now. Hums of affirmation and acknowledgement served as His response to her remarks, as well as a slight nod when she mentioned the redundancy factor.

To call it key was an understatement, His physical remnants could be so very fickle and fragile in spite of their origin from His robust form. The rapid decomposition was only one potential mishap they could fall victim to and the others were just as inconvenient as that could be. At least Lady Madrona had taken His words and warning to heart in that regard it seemed, provided that her propagation method was as promising as she had hoped. Neither of them were fully certain how His unique biochemistry would respond to any such method, but they would shortly find out.

The rows of instruments and containers that comprised the wall space around them soon gave way to a more open room with one particular focal point held amongst the other panels and displays. The chamber itself was a good bit larger than He had initially assumed it to be but if her methods did indeed involve the growing of new tissue then He supposed that having more space for it to contain its products wasn't at all a downside. "A sort of dual yet continuing system then." That would definitely save the effort and expense of having two separate chambers for propagation and growth.

Darth Strosius surveyed the chamber with a few tilts of His head, seemingly unwilling to be the one to break their current physical attachment. He didn't want to be perceived as rude. Between the glove-box and the pressurization system it seemed as though maintenance and inspection of the chamber's contents would be a simple affair, manipulation of its contents could prove very necessary under several circumstances. As well as general study He supposed, although that thought was swiftly pushed to the wayside of His mind as the concept of parts of Him being studied made His stomach churn somewhat.

He clicked His tongue at the question and after a few moments of thought He did respond. "Everything seems to be in order from what I can discern. At least in principle, how it works in practice remains to be seen." Project Vicar had been His only real dalliance in such things thus far and that had been very minor in comparison. It had required no small amount of careful manipulation as well, but that concern seemed to be accounted for already. "I suppose the main question I have at the moment would be what your plans are for after a desirable growth stage has been achieved?"

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Nodding sagely, A'Mia agreed silently that time indeed would have to tell if her methods were sound. Though it was clear she felt a great deal of confidence in her abilities and what she'd already accomplished.

"A question I'd need to answer in tandem with you, don't you think? It will be your body after all. My proprietary work here is of course key, however I would not presume to dictate all of the outcomes— there will also be variables for mutation that might occur despite either of our designs."

Relinquishing her hold upon his arm, she glided a few steps further and pressed one long-fingered hand to the control panel of the machine. Entering a code and murmuring something in a voice like a hundred windswept leaves.

The chamber's window went opaque and there was the unmistakable sound of many bolts sliding into place. As those security systems engaged, there was also an u mistakable hum of new energy being channeled through the chamber. A'Mia turned to regard him as she continued.

"Were I in your shoes, I'd have a great deal of scrutiny for the safe keeping of extant disembodied limbs and particularly of clones. So allow me to reassure you that this is just the first layer of defense. Very soon this laboratory will be locked down entirely and additional security protocols put into place."

She paused to eye him, perhaps attempting to read his body language as such information was delivered. Almost certainly the neti was eager to begin in earnest but she remained present, aware that Darth Strosius was already showing an incredible amount of trust between two Sith.

"I'll be the only scientist on this project, other than yourself— whatever secrets are unearthed in this process, however much of your inner workings I become privy to, they will be safe with me."

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Strosius let out a hum at her response, the notion of mutation being a concern that He hadn't quite considered yet. There was no telling just what could be expected of His body under such conditions of course. Plenty of trial and error would be involved, as it was with any of His projects. "Sourced from my body yes, but I must say that I find myself rather detached from my non-essential parts given that they can be replaced easily enough." The loss of a pound of flesh or even a whole limb was of little concern, they would all grow back regardless.

When the Neti had stepped away He almost subconsciously rolled His shoulder while she was busy with the control panel, an entirely unintended move that He hid with a shrug. He wasn't quite certain why that reaction had happened but He simply filed it away for later pondering and chose to simply chalk it up to the unexpected contact for now. He was quite detached from His physical self in more ways than one after all, not that A'Mia or anyone else needed to know that.

"Security is always a necessity with such fragile projects." Darth Strosius, despite His even tone, did visibly seem to relax somewhat at the little display and reassurance of the secrecy and security of His limb and its potential products. He'd rather not have some weakness that even He wasn't aware of used against Him in the future. That was what He would tell the Neti if she asked at least. In reality He was of the mind that the fewer people that knew or could even see anything about His body the better.

Having A'Mia able to observe and fiddle with one of His limbs was almost too much exposure as it was, let alone any unwanted interlopers. "Your professional courtesy is most appreciated Lady Madrona." There was a pause and suddenly tension returned to His form once more, one of His gloved hands briefly curling into a fist reflexively before forcibly reopening just as quickly. "I...suppose we have the biometric reading to do now...yes?"

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

A'Mia listened and nodded in the appropriate places, she even offered a small curtsy at the appreciation for her professional standards. From one scientist to another, it was an appreciated gesture.

However, when conversation turned to their next steps and Alisteri's tone took a decidedly tense turn, the woman eyed him once more. It was strange, the sudden staccato of reluctant words from a man that so often exuded stubborn levels of self assuredness.

That dichotomy still baffled her and she silently wondered if she would ever understand those more emotionally influenced than herself.

Well, she thought, What better opportunity than this to peer at his inner workings?

"Correct, right this way."

A'Mia led them just a little way further and they soon reached a room with a large, state of the art looking biometric scanner. It was the type one could step into, hold one's arms out to the side and spend a few minutes holding still while readings were taken. It was a far sight better than some of the cramped older models that required someone to lay down in a claustrophobic tube for half an hour or more.

A'Mia smiled absently and gestured at the device.

"Once you're devoid of anything that might inhibit scanning, just stand with feet shoulder width apart with your arms held out to the side. I'll hop behind the control panel and take a few additional readings, in addition to the standard ones. Then we'll get your arm settled into the new chamber and you can be on your way."

She stood there, unblinking, watching and waiting for a few more moments than was probably comfortable. Then all at once she seemed to realize that he might in fact want privacy before receiving the scan.

"Oh! I'll just… You call to me when you're ready, I'll wait just around the corner."

And with that she drifted away.