Lacrimosa Dominae

[Rosa Gunn]

Coruscant.​

844 ABY​

Day After the Disappearances.​

Coruscant was burning.

By now, she should have been used to the sight. How many times had she seen it burn? How many times had she felt its occupants fear, anger and despair? Too many to count, but she’s never done it through these eyes. Never felt it with this heart. Beneath the golden mask, Layil smirked. In her chest the beast stirred, aching to end their suffering, to bring silence to their screams.

Odium had taught her something he never seemed to have himself. Restraint.

So now what? Now Layil’s handmaidens were gone. Now the One Sith were more concerned with their mad grab for lost territory. Now, more than ever, Layil was unimportant. So it was time to go. Time to leave, to escape the clutches of her captors. Without her permanent escort, the journey from the palace to the spaceport went smoother than expected. Layil simply walked through the chaos, around her the criminals of the underworld had crawled up from their dark holes, looting and attacking people. What was left of the One Sith Security force was overwhelmed, the fight became for survival, not for the protection of citizens.

She ducked as a frag grenade shot over her, disappearing into a shop front. Half a second later, the shop front exploded outwards, flames licked towards her. She lifted a hand to protect her face from shards of [SIZE=15.1999998092651px]super heated[/SIZE] glass and continued on. The fire retreated as quickly as it had come, leaving her cold.

Layil stopped watching the chaos around her as the spaceport drew near. Broken glass crunched underfoot and she stepped casually over wounded crying out for help. There was no help coming for them, not here. Not anymore. A bloodied hand curled about her ankle jerking the Weaver of Nightmares to a halt. She turned slowly to look down at its owner, a young woman eyes wide with terror, purple and yellow bruising colouring her face. “Please,” the voice was coarse, dried out and sore from screaming, “Please.” Lilac eyes glittered beneath a golden facade, uncertainty washed across a hidden face and she slowly knelt by the girl.

“What you seek,” she said softly, fingers brushing away her tears “I cannot give you.” She brought the girls hands together and put them to her chest and rose once more to move away. Again the finger reached out curling tightly about her ankle like and iron chain.

Snap-hiss.

The grip about her ankle released in a blur of red and a cacophony of screaming. She should have stopped there, she should have walked away, but the noise grated upon her ears. Another casual flick of the wrist and the red saber cut through flesh and bone. Layil would never remove the image from her mind of those terror filled eyes rolling away from where she stood, frozen in death.

*****

The crowd surged hopelessly forward, pressing against the barrier of soldier and security guards alike. The a great sea wall they stood firm against the waves of people desperately trying to escape. What had the sith done? What line had they crossed? Billions of people missing, they only wanted to run, to flee from this forsaken planet and back to the Republic, to the Fringe to wherever it was they had come. Layil stood unmoving in the chaos, head tilted as she assessed the situation. The options before her were limitless.

She might be without her handmaidens, but her face, albeit masked, still carried a little weight. Authority could get her past the wall. Her lips curled in disgust at the thought, that she had authority within the One Sith, among the people who had broken her. Her stomach twisted and she closed her eyes as a burning hatred rose with her chest. She could kill them all, the sea and the wall would fall eyes wide in terror and she could simply walk past them. She turned away from the unending battle, casting her eyes to smoke pillars that rose as high as the tallest skyscraper, awash in the orange glow of a city doomed.

She plucked a velvet bag from her belt, tipping a small amount of its contents into a gloved palm. For a moment, she admired the brown capsules, caught within them was life, life that needed a little encouragement to grow. She turned sharply towards the crowd, hand shooting out into the air above them, scattering the seeds among the chaos.

Lilac eyes slid closed as she reached out for the life sources, and encouraged them to bloom. Out of practice, her initial efforts were trampled and unseen, but a flurry of anger and a fresh surge of energy made roots that dug deep beneath the ferrocrete. It cracked and lifted, forcing people to look at their feet, making them pause in their panic. The cracks widened and people fell back, a hush washing over them. She could hear their heartbeats, feel the sudden rise of uncertainity tinged with fear of the unknown. Layil swept forward, eyes snapping open and hands lifting, with them rose great vines. Vines that curled around the fearful that tried to flee, punctured through armour and flesh to clear a path ahead of her.

Layil built her own wall, a wall of life. As she reached the troops, the hilt in her hand sprung to life, batting aside blaster fire, cleaving limbs and heads, carving across torsos. Layil bounded through them, over them, an acrobatic and all the while she dealt death, the wall of life grew thicker, higher. A stray fist snapped her head sidewards, she spun with the strike, lightsaber slicing through his hips, a palm shoved into his chest pushing the two halves apart.

Then all was still. The wall of vines had grown across the entrance to the spaceport, bodies of the unfortunate were caught in between. It would be a greater wall, a far more fear instilling warning than a wall of hated soldiers. The saber hilt slid back to her belt, and Layil move away from the muffled screams of terror in search of a carriage to take her away.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

“Papa?”

The voice of a child no older than seven, wafted out from the small freighter a slight tinge of worry in its tone. “Just a minute, angel, gotta get through security on this blasted thing.” Weathered hands moved slowly across the console on the side of the ship, hands that bore the old scars of a soldier. They moved with slow purpose, time had weathered the mans brain as much as his hands, he’d almost forgotten how to slice.

There was a shuffle of light footsteps and a soft thunk. He peered out the corner of his eye to find wide blue eyes watching him from the top of the landing ramp, golden locks framing her innocent face as she knelt their, head tilted slightly. “What’s taking so long papa?”

“Need to bypass this, almost….there. Got it!” He grinned and stepped back. “See, your old man’s still got--” he gasped as fire erupted in his chest, blood rushed in his ears as he looked down to see a red glow protruding from his chest. She was screaming, bright blue eyes filled with terror, frozen to the spot mouth agape.

“You’ve been most helpful.” the voice whispered in his ear. The blade vanished from his chest and he dropped to his knees. He needed to get up, needed to get to Alicia, but the thought simply brought the ground rushing up towards him. The last he felt was her small hands on his cheeks, and her showering him with teary kisses, crying and begging for him to get up.

Layil rose the landing ramp, shutting the scene out of her sight, but she felt it all the more. She staggered towards the cockpit, using the bulkheads for support. She unclipped the mask, setting it upon the console and began running through preflight checks. She couldn’t breath. Why couldn’t she breath? Trembling hands stirred the thrusters to life as she dropped into the pilots chair, guiding the freighter out of the port.

Someone sobbed, and it took a moment for her to realise the noise had come from her own lips. Pale fingers touched her lips and she closed her eyes. This wasn’t real, this wasn’t her emotion this was the childs. Blonde hair, blue eyes full of life, of innocence. She drew in a sharp breath, bringing her hand back down to the controls.

She didn’t kill her. The comm began chattering at her, she flicked it off. She could have killed her, but she didn’t. She pushed through the atmosphere and into the cold space. Would it have been kinder to kill her? A red streak flashed across her bow and she frowned slightly, eyes dropping to the sensors. She was being tailed, she increased speed and began startup for the hyperdrive as another warning shot flashed across the viewport. She checked her shields.

“What did you do, mother?”

Layil jumped, spinning in her chair. There was no one there. Layil was alone. She licked her lips, and entered coordinates to the hyperdrive. She did what she had to. Her own survival was more important.

“Is it?”

She was jerked in the seat as the warning shot ceased to be warnings, slamming into the stern, she yanked the controls, spinning the ship away, weaving through space. Eyes flicked to the hyperdrive. Almost there. Something shot in front of her, turning over and firing dead on. Layil dove.

“Why aren’t you answering me?”

Alarms screamed as a fire erupted in the back of the ship. She’d checked the shields hadn’t she?

“Mother!”

The hyperdrive was ready, Layil reached up, activating it. Something behind her exploded yet the stars still began to stretch. She relaxed as Coruscant vanished from her mind, as the little girl drifted out of her empathy field. She gulped in air, allowing her relief to wash over her in great sobs.

“You are better than this.”

“No, Allana. No I am not. Not anymore.”

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Charal
Edge of Wild Space
Two Standard Weeks later…

Pain was the first thing she felt, searing with each breath she took. She gasped and forced her eyes open, her head throbbed, her vision blurred and she closed her eyes again. The console above her head spat sparks that rained down upon her head. She couldn’t recall where she was, or how she got here, save for a brief flickering image of screaming alarms and a planets surface rushing to greet her. She’d crashed, it didn’t matter how or why, the fact that she knew she’d crashed was enough to make her move.

Layil opened her eyes again and swallowed down against the wave of nausea. She was face down over the controls, she moved her hands slowly and pushed herself upright, a feat made all the more difficult by the panel that had come to rest against her back. It slid away with a resonating clang that made her skull vibrate. Bringing a hand to her head to ease the pain she pulled it away finding it sticky with what she could only assume was blood. The viewport was dark, pale cracks lined its surface through which earth was slowly trickling through. She needed to move, needed to get out before the cockpit became her tomb.

She turned sharply and let out a cry of pain as she did, arm wrapping across her stomach, she counted, three cracked and at least two broken ribs. Drawing in a deep breath she closed her eyes for a heartbeat and dug deep into the force to minimise the pain she was feeling. Pushing herself slowly to her feet, she tried to ignore the sensation that made the room spin and began to clamber through the wreckage, dizziness threatening to bring her down with each step she made.

There was a little light though, here in this dark tomb, it filtered in through the broken bulkhead, a cool wind drifted overhead bringing with it the scent of burning fuel and scorched earth, but between the smells that promised her nothing but trouble above wafted the scent of pine trees. If she stopped for long enough she could hear birdsong between the groan of stressed metal.

Step by step she moved towards the light, pausing only twice to vomit bile that seared her throat and mouth. She was almost there when the floor slid beneath her feet and brought her crashing over a beam, that cut a deep gash across her back. Layil slid to the floor, winded and struggling for breath, she laid back staring at the darkness above her. A glitter of gold lit up in the corner of her eye.

Turning her head slowly, she found herself staring at a golden face...her face. Eyes empty, face void of expression. The mask seemed to whisper to her, the voices of a thousand damned souls cried out to her. She extended a hand, fingers curling about its slender form. It had blackened in place from a fire, several needles that protruded from its brow had snapped away. It was a reminder of what she was, it was a gift that allowed her anonymity in the face of those she killed. Yet it was a curse, that taunted her with all she had failed to be.

She should have left it there, should have let it rot away, but she couldn’t. Clutching the monstrosity tightly in her hand, like it was a comfort blanket, she climbed slowly to her feet and pushed onward and out into the open air.

The sunlight was blinding, standing in the mouth of the hole she paused, squinting till her eyes adjusted to the piercing light. Birds chattered in a mild panic overhead as she dropped the three foot to the ground below her, staggering sideways as she landed she dropped to her knees. Light headed and nauseous, she tipped forward and came to rest in the earth, allowing the pain of her injuries to take her into a blissful darkness

 

[Rosa Gunn]

"Mummy?"

The sun was warm on her face and it brought a faint smile to her lips. She could hear the cry of seagulls overhead and waves rolling over soft sand. She moved her fingers, digging them into the warm sand relishing in the moment.

"Mummy, you have to wake up." There was fear in her voice, fear that made Rosa's eyes snap open. She turned lilac orbs to her daughter. Skin turn to hazel by the sun, hair glittering raven Allana was every inch like her mother. Save for those eyes. Those bright blue eyes belonged to her father. A man murdered for one crime: being a good man. Allana was the child of Rosa Mazhar and Darron Wraith. Allana was an illusion, a force spirit snatched away from life before she's ever had a chance to breath, yet she was everything Rosa had imagined.

Save for the fear. She pushed herself upright sheilding her eyes from the sun. "What is it?" she asked, but Allana was no longer looking at her, she was looking past her, eyes full of terrified tears. Rosa wanted to turn her head, but she couldn't. Even as golden tendrils reached over her to touch the child that never was, she could do nothing. Nothing but watch in horror as Allana's life was torn away once again.

"Mum!"

A scream stuck in Rosa's throat as the girl tipped sideways onto the sand, her raven hair a stark contrast to the golden sand beneath it. She watched the light fade from her eyes, watched her sigh her final breath. Only then did the hold on her release. She lurched forward scooping the tiny form up in her arms sobbing as she did. "No no. Not again. Please."

"So weak."

Her own voice, but not. It echoed, haunted by the souls she'd consumed. Allana disintegrated in her arms, tunring to ash that spilled onto the sand and caught in a hard breeze. Rosa screamed again, shooting to her feet and whirling round. The sun was fading above her, disappearing behind great storm clouds.

Layil stood tall, pale face shrouded by raven hair. Her face, Rosa's face, supporting a smirk. The only difference between the two women were the glittering ruby eyes that fixed Rosa with a cold gaze.

"I will end you!"

Layil scoffed. "No, Rosa. Your time is done. Your weaknesses have done nothing but bring you misery. Your weaknesses have created me. Your alter ego." A throaty chuckle, that seemed to be by her ear raised hairs on Rosa's neck. "Perfect isn't it? The sweet, diplomat who's only goal in life was to protect and heal all wounds, be them physical or not has become me. A weaver of nightmares, consumer of souls. A dread lord."

Lightening cracked across the blackened sky above them as Layil took a step forward. "If you kill me, we both die." warned Rosa, but Layil simply smiled and continued her advance. Fear rose in Rosa's heart, fixing her way she was robbing her of any ability to retaliate.

"You're right of course. But I never intended to kill you. Only silence you and your pathetic existence."

Dark tendrils began to drift from Layils fingers, dropping to the beach and moving rapidly across the sand. Rosa found her ability to move, to act. Three spears of midnight black appeared around her and soared towards Layil, only to disintegrate before the reached her. The tendrils coiled about her feet and began snaking up her legs. She reached out to the nature around her her, encouraging it to grow. Trees began to grow down the beach, carving a line between the pair, but the tendrils snaked about her thighs and the trees withed and died before Layil, teetering over as she moved between them.

The coils snapped around her hips and reached out for her wrists, binding them to her body. Tighter and tighter they coiled about her, coiling around her arms and chest, tightening about her neck. Layil stood inches from her, head tilted admiring her prize for a moment. Pale fingers reached to caress her face.
"Im sorry. But this is the only way we will survive. Everything you are, everything you remember will bind you here. I will keep us alive."

The darkness shifted once more, moving up her face like liquid as Layil walked away. Leaving Rosa in darkness with nothing but memories.