Bengeel. A barren, dusty planet in the Mid Rim covered with sulfur pools, lifeless rivers and volcanoes. Home to the Kimogilla lizard, supposed kin to Tatooine's Krayt dragons and to numerous other dangerous beings, smaller in size but no less deadly. The lone figure grinned as he stepped off the shuttle in Arakesh's stronghold. Bracing himself against dying in a sandstorm his gaze swept north and in the near distance, storm clouds had gathered. A smile came to Varadun's face at the sight of it all and he continued forward. "Lord Varadun, you sure you going to be okay here?" He glanced back over his shoulder at the shuttle pilot and his face cringed smelling the reek of alcohol and sweat. "A little sand never hurt anyone now keep the ship here until I return." He stepped from the platform to the waiting vehicle compound.
"Its not the sand that concerns me." The young pilot sighed and remained where he was closing the door as he finished. "People go out there and never return." A whisper of wind caressed his face with a familiar edge. He tilted his head and reached out with the force, smiling at the feelings he found there. He turned back to the ship and gave a chuckle that was drowned out in the wind. The sithspawn warrior moved towards the one piloting the vehicle for him. "You will deliver the passenger and then leave. You will not remember where he went. Then you will count to ten and return to your garage." The mans eyes glazed momentarily, his jaw falling open. Checking through the vehicles, he found what he was looking for and eased the swoop from the garage. A quick examination told him it was in full working condition.
As they eased away from the shuttle port, the small shuttle exploded in a blast that carried on the wind and filled the air with the scent of burnt metal. The swoop bike continued on its heading in the direction of the growing storm. The swoop wound the way into the mountains as the storm covered the port and destroyed shuttle in the distance. Varadun remained very still until they came to a stop at the end of a path leading to an old base. The driver started spoke seeming nervous before the siths face shot back to look at him and he went off on the swoop not making a sound. The storm resounded more over head and Varadun entered the base. "I'm home." He whispered, before opening the door and entering.
The bunker looked old and derelict, half buried in sand. His hand ran along the wall of the structure. Thunder boomed across the area they were in and echoed in the hallway causing him to chuckle and shake his head softly. "I am here my master." The door slid silently closed. A warmth wrapped itself around him, holding him. Invisible fingers caressed his face and ran through his hair tussling it. The door sealed behind him, beeping once as the dim lights flickered to life in the tiny entrance way. Just on the edge of his hearing, he heard the storm die away. The service lift opened, its light brighter to the point he could feel the heat of it on his skin. Than he walked the length of the entrance hall as it sank deeper into the building's depths. He found one of the room through memory and the force.
The door opened to a hive of mechanical activity. Three sorts of droids went about their duties. Crystals for meditation and vision indicated the way he should go, but the scent he was now following went in a different direction. The smell of her perfume veered off to an audience chamber, he continued on towards the room though hearing the droids but not seeing them. "Identify yourself!" the metallic drone from a security droid as it stepped in his path. The sound was grating on his ears and he turned to face it. He pushed back his hood. A single braid of black hair from above his forehead to the the small of his back. Brown, yellow and cream markings on his face showing where if he had had fur it would be, Sash covered eyes and a crooked but sexy tight grin on his lips.
A tall figure loomed behind the droid, capturing his full attention. She stepped forward. Whatever the droid had been about to do ended abruptly in sparks as the newcomers hand moved behind the droid. The same hand reached for Varadun's and pulled his closer. Holding his against the wall of muscle that was her chest, his head dipped a little as he rose of tiptoes. Their lips met, then parted as their tongues caressed each other while they kissed. "Hello my Darkness." Her words whispered into his skull as the feeling her her power flexed across his mind. One of her hands held his head as they kissed, the other wrapped about his waist, pulling him closer. His arms snaked about her neck, as he answered his kiss with his own. "You have been away from me for quite some time." her voice was velvet-soft in his mind.
Their kiss ended. He nodded. "I am sorry my master." He whispered against her lips. "Don't let it happen again Varadun." She growled, pulling him into another kiss that swallowed his reply. "I missed you terribly." Varadun smiled at his lover as her fingers stroked his cheek tenderly. His arms and lips left hers, but he could still feel her presence wrapped about his like a second-skin, the after thought of her mouth on his made him tingle still. "I've installed some more security droids ... seems too many uninvited people run around in here." He entered the room behind him, he remained one step away and to his left."Yes, I had noticed the droids." He smiled, his gaze and senses sweeping over the room.
A well-beaten cloak was on the floor of one of Andiaas's four holding cells and he could smell it. The scent of blood, sweat and other fluids assailed Varadun's senses made caused his brow to knot. What had occurred in his absence he wondered briefly."Andiaas, have you been torturing people while I've been away?" he pointed to the cloak. "Not much," She sighed in disappointment, "More wishful thinking I guess." They stopped, he glanced at a small charging area thinking about something. He felt his unasked question. "Would you like to test it?" the words escaped her lips. Without waiting for his answer, she pushed him into the holding area. He glanced at the small control device and the electrical barriers charged into place, trapping him in a space barely a span wider than himself.
"I've got this fully working now." He felt her presence leave his, her warmth withdrawn. His lover placed her "Master" mask on, blanking her face and shutting herself off from her emotions. There would be no warmth or sympathy now until this test had ended. Varadun inhaled deeply to brace himself for what was to come and couldn't help but wonder if his question had been his own words, or a suggestion from the woman he loved. She held one hand towards the shimmering barrier. An act that Varadun mirrored. The barrier arced towards his palm, giving him small shocks and a burn. His expression remained blank. Glancing at the console, he heard a dial turning.
Electricity surged through his body, he screamed unprepared for it. Through the crackling he heard her whisper, clear as if stood behind him. "Withstand it my love.." he nodded and set his teeth. "Use your anger," She whispered. "Focus your hate." The dial clicked once more. He whimpered against the surging current, eyes letting loose streaks of blood red tears. Her own face blank now, more in control of the pain at seeing this done. "It is the time for a lesson in domination and manipulation.." Her voice a little louder now, commanding his full attention. "All people have a weakness.. a soft spot."
He watched her as he started to prowl back and forth in front of the electrical cage. She reminded him of a predator in full control of its pray.. playing with it. Was this how she used to be with her former apprentices? He'd heard her say she'd thought nothing of beating them to near death to attend their lessons. She'd also said it pained her to hurt him, was this her way of "teaching" him without being the one to inflict the pain herself? The thoughts went through his mind as he screamed feeling the anger boil up from his stomach and the pain radiate out. He wanted to fight through it for her.
"If you find the weakness in a person, you can easily conquer them." The dial clicked again. He staggered, gritting his teeth and steeling himself against the increased charge. "Yes my master." He could feel the intense pain and now he wanted to scream to let it all out and to have it resonate in the force. Even his force senses were getting blurry as it came down to it. They wavered under the heavier and stronger shocks. "Sometimes it will take weeks, months.. even years to find that weakness." His ears picked up every words as it was driven into his mind, the force letting her speak to him even with the crackling of the energy barrier.
She turned her full attention to him, his senses glazed a little. "But when you find it.. attack it. Bring your target to its knees! An example," The device clicked again. He whimpered, more red tears forming in his eyes to go down his cheeks. Varadun reached deep into the force to help him focus, reached into that endless pit of the darkside. "That Jedi. Heijiro." She spat out the name like it was a vile poison, her face grimacing almost audibly, "has a very apparent weakness." Varadun knew what it was he had smelled it on the man. He hadn't figured it out until later that day. "S.. Shen." Varadun nodded with the understanding of hindsight.
"Indeed." She smiled coldly her pleasure that he understood now evident in the small inflections of her tone, "took me mere minutes to find that one. Strangely my love.... It took you longer, guess you couldn't see that." She walked over to the console, her hand resting on the dial. "So it is highly ironic that his apprentice is his one great weakness." Andiaas dipped her gaze to the controls, "And my apprentice, you, are mine." She twisted her hand, two clicks. He jerked, reaching into the force more for a steady anchor and a way to block the pain. "Y...yes m.. master."
"So in this case, we would only need attack Shen, make Heijiro fear loosing his love and he would be weakened." A cold smile uncurled on her lips, "but there are other ways.." Her humor was even more evident at the sadistic pleasure she took from it. Varadun fought through the pain as a thought came to him and he spoke through gritted teeth. "W.. wouldn't.. couldn't that same tactic work.. on you master?" "Indeed my apprentice, hence the need of the pain you experience now." He swallowed, teeth chattering a little. "H.. how s.. so? My master."
"I need to know if you can withstand a lot. If not anything." Her hand stroked the console, "Or else I will keep you locked up in here with me, until you are as strong as I am." Two more clicks. A low groan echoed about the chamber as the power surged into Varadun. His fists clenched tighter and tighter, nails pressing into his palms as they drew blood. He began to tremble from the pain and almost felt his knees buckle.. "Manipulation in the way to domination.. befriending your target is also a solution. Make them feel safe around you." A memory uncurled in Andiaas's mind making her smile. "Then put them in a position where they would need your help."
Varadun's teeth bit into his lip, sinking into the flesh and breaking the skin. A thin line of blood trickled down his chin. Eyes leaking streams of tears and blood, he fought against the pain. -Click.. click.. click- He screamed dropping heavily to his knees. Chest heaving with the pain. Palms bleeding from eight little half-moon cuts where his nails dug in. His own teeth marks lining his bottom lip. "Yes!" Andiaas hissed, "You are strong my apprentice, my darkness.." He snarled at her, the heat of his breath blazing with every emotion in his body. He felt more of his rage swelling up and washing over him like a heated skin.
"Very good." Click. Sparks bathed the room. The energy fields holding the cage secure flickered and danced as the electrical surges reached danger levels. Tears fall down his cheeks freely as if he had eyes they would have rolled into the back of his skull. The darkness claimed him and he fell over. The soothing pain went away and he could feel fingers stroking, caressing his head, running though his hair. Tendrils of love through the force chased away all lingering pain and wounds. "Not bad at all," the words whispered on his forehead as lips press little kisses on his skin.
With a whimper, Varadun's head tilted up with bloody tears coming down his cheeks. The warmth presence wraps itself around him once more as tightly as the arms that hold him to her chest. Her lips seek his once more, tracing his bite marks with her tongue before gently kissing him. "It is over now my love." A smile, genuine warm and loving as his mouth claims hers for another kiss. She helped him to his feet, holding him to her as his legs tremble. "Let's make it easy this time.." The words echoed and confused him for a moment before he realized what he believed her intent was.
A glance at the control panel and the fields spring back into place, her arms around his body holding him close to her. Andiaas closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. The dial began to click quickly back to its maximum setting. Once more bathed in crackling sound, electricity surging round the room. But within Andiaas's arms, there was no pain. "You are strong master." He whispered against her jaw, pressing a little kiss there. CLICK! The power surges lashed out licking along his body. One by one the droids' circuits fried and pop around the room, the lights brighten ten fold to the point where he could feel them on his skin. His mouth widened into a broad smile.
"My anger towards Jedi and my passion for you make me withstand everything." Rising onto his toes, his arms sliding around her neck, he grinned. Her tongue licked his bottom lip before his teeth nipped lightly at it. His senses shoot open. Webs of lightning sparked and crackled through their depths. "Enough," he growled as the console shut off. "I love you Andiaas." Varadun sank down until his feet rested fully on the floor. He pressed his head to her chest and heard her heart beating as the rhythmic thumping pounded like the blood in his ears.
"And I you," She growled pulling him hard against her, one hand on his buttocks the other on his head. His mouth claimed hers. Sucking, licking and nibbling at her lips and tongue in a heated kiss that stole his breath and made him shake with passion. "Lesson over," Her hand caressing and stroking as she kissed his neck. "You're mine!"