Mad Sounds

[Jairus Starvald]

A long time ago Cerita Sarova had learned one singular, and often chance, fatal truth to the Galaxy at large. It was a truth that spread itself through the various entities that governed themselves as nations, it whirled around the people that inhabited the worlds and it could even stretch itself out towards the planets themselves that lingered in the universe.

This singular truth was that…

It could be easier described in a question, Certy. Sometimes it felt like only the two of them inhabited this gargantuan castle, his domain the forges, libraries and other places of ancestral knowledge… hers the wild life, the various little trinkets that were spread around the castle to make it more homely and alive in the face of sobriety and a slightly defeatist outlook towards the world.

What’s in a man?

It was the defined quotation of a bygone era, a truth that was radiating before the Darkside and the Lightside had become loopholes for Jedi to act like pricks while perching on their moral high ground and… Sith, heh. Well, let’s not even start talking about that piece of complicated parental-issues. The point was, you couldn’t single out one quality of a man and make it define that same man - with man referring to the sentient entity of any reasonable human being currently occupying the universe, more so than a gender form or even a speciest form.

Dissero was not a Sith.

He was not a Monster.

And neither was her Master a Saint, a clown or an Archivist, because that would be degrading towards the sheer complexion of his character. It would be an insult towards the various insights and guidance that his actions took during his entire life.

Much the same could be said about most people, though. Rave hadn’t been a genius cold alchemist, a motherly figure that gave out love with hesitation, a good friend and guide that had kept her straying too far away from the path of ambition, a butcher who had aided the destruction of billions - if not true direct action, then surely a more indirect acceptance.

No, she had been all of that, none of it, more and less.

So when Dissero wondered, pondered, argued with himself and kept doubting his own role in the universe… Cerita was fairly confident in all of the above, she wasn’t questioning any of it, because she knew the truth. A subjective truth, to be sure, but it was a truth that belonged to her and as such it was worth more than any fact printed in any matter of scroll hidden away in the cloak of the Sith.

Her hands dove into the fertile soil of her little garden, whispers of magicks whisping through the small corridors aligning to her private chamber and she created life.

Plants rooting up, flowers of untold beauty, fruits that were glory to the tastebuds and more… so much more.

Monster, scientist, conqueror or apprentice. Innocent soul lost in a puzzle of unimaginable complexity.

Future, past, the present… paths taken and those left behind.

A man is that what he makes of himself, of what he does and the reasons that keep him going even when the hardest moments in life try burying him down, or so the Gardener would muse to herself, whistling softly and experimenting with the threads of life itself.

 

[Dissero]

“We’ll only be gone for a few days. Amore will be here in a few hours to continue your training with telekinesis, Mahet is down in the armory. Would do you some good to go practice with him while you wait.”

Of course Verie Lacroix had since called Knight her rank for some time, but her training was far from finished. Dissero disliked leaving her, but her own studies strayed too far from those of Cerita. The two women were on very separate paths, even if they crossed from time to time. After saying goodbye he made his way down to the hangar where Cerita awaited him at the bottom of the ramp to the Magnum Opus.

With a sigh the Archivist took a moment to take in the image of the bulky ship, “I’ve really got to get a smaller ship for these trips…” he muttered to himself.

The Klepto was smaller but far be it from him to let Cerita anywhere near the Otherspace-capable ship. She wasn’t exactly a skilled pilot and the thing was far too valuable to trust in her hands. Most of it couldn’t be replaced if damaged, especially not the Charon blood collected from Kayri that ran the Otherdrive. It wasn’t here anyway, but hidden away until it would next be needed.

“So,” Dissero began as he took up the co-pilot seat in the bridge, “what planet have you chosen for our crystal hunt?”

 

[Jairus Starvald]

If Cerita had been an accomplished Mentalist Dissero probably would have received a headbutt for thinking those - quite frankly - heretical thoughts. She was a fine pilot, maybe not some famous one like the Merrill or anything like that, but at least she didn’t crash her ship every trip she was one!

Not like Sol or other relevant male members of the extended family.

“Mygeeto.” she quickly responded before [member="Dissero"] would think the silence was too strange, not that he wasn’t used to it by now.

He probably thought she was just inwardly directed and mused a lot. Which… wasn’t exactly wrong, but. Yeah.

“Pontite crystals. I read about them - rare, but worth the trouble. Especially with the Mandalorians losing the west of their territory. We will probably have to deal with some remnant Mandalorian troops, maybe some Primeval scavengers or worst-come-to-worst the InterGalactic Banking Clan searching to recover their sister planet.”

Which wasn’t all that likely. With the Primeval conquering Muunilinst and the Mandalorians terrorizing the world the Banking Clan probably had other things on their mind.

 

[Dissero]

"My-gee-to," Dissero repeated as he piloted the ship down through the gaping hangar doors and carefully out into fog-filled gorge.

"Huh," he said after a moment, "don't think I've ever been there. This should be fun." His lack of comment on her planned quarry meant one of two things: he was either very familiar with them or not familiar at all. She might guess or assume, but Cerita surely knew that guessing on anything where this man was concerned usually lead to poor results.

Up and up, slowly, they rose through the fog cover until breaching the expansive sea of mists to higher altitudes, breaking into atmo shortly after. The Alchemist fell into silence as they cleared the milky haze of Vassek's moon and shot out along its orbital path, winging for the stars. He tapped into the navigation systems, blue eyes hovering over the expansive galactic map, and paused to determine the best route to take.

A grunt. Mygeeto was spectacularly far - other end of the galaxy far.

A sigh, "Cera you're killing my fuel funds..." and keyed in their route: Corellian Trade Spine into the core with a switch over to the Hydian Way and finally off at Braxant Run. Funds had never really been an issue. Hell, they were going to be in the core, he'd make a pit stop at home on Kuat and maybe pick up a new ship, something a bit more fuel efficient. The Magnum Opus needed repairs anyway.

"Right, so, I'm going to make a call to Mahet. Wasn't intending to be away for more than a week. Looks like Verie will be getting more training time with Amore after all..."

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Cerita just smirked one of her smirks.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“It’s okay, boss. I am sure she will be able to find herself some entertainment while you are gone.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]It wasn’t that she was [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]trying[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] to kill his traveling funds or anything, that was just an added benefit of messing with her Master - he liked it, even if he would never admit it. But the honest truth was that Adegan shards: Those Pontite crystals, were fairly valuable and produced some [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]interesting[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] effects when used as a lightsaber crystal.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Not even mentioning the effects they could have when you were experimenting with them in other capacities. She had heard mention that the CIS, which was now called the Techno Union, utilized the Adegan crystals as some sort of stealth field.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]If [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]that[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] was possible… what [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]else[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] could be done with them?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]That was the kind of question a scientist had to ask herself every step of the way, if you asked Sarova. Otherwise life just gets fairly boring and who would want that?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px][member="Dissero"][/SIZE]

 

[Dissero]

Another grunt. Dissero itched at his beard, "Well we're looking at a month here, maybe more. Plenty of time to get the Aoelocrons into working order. Get you into shape," he glanced at her. Cerita had her unique skillset that was enough to make most padawans and apprentices envious, but she lacked in some of the more basic foundations he would have come to expect from her.

At some point he'd have to test her skills with a lightsaber. Even Amore could wield one well enough to protect herself despite the fact she never carried one normally. Mother had been most insistent of a broad, solid foundation.

"Let's get started."

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[SIZE=10.6667px]She lifted an eyebrow at that bold statement.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“Are you implying I am somehow [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]not[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] in shape, Master Dissero?” and somehow he would get the feeling she was not talking about her training or the Force anymore. He really should know better than to make blanket statements that could be turned against him… especially with her around, it was literally one of the [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]things[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] she did every time she got the chance.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Which didn’t mean that [member="Dissero"] wasn’t at least partially right. Her training was quite [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]unorthodox[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] to say the least.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Rave always had funny ideas when it came to training her. One day they would go over the Nightsister practices, the other day was fighting with swords followed by weeks of learning alchemy directly by assisting her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]If anything… life hadn’t been [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]boring[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] as her apprentice.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“Let’s go then. I still need to brush up on my sparring skills.”[/SIZE]

 

[Dissero]

"In some way," Dissero replied, "I am indeed."


"Two 'crons," they were back in the cargo hold, crates stacked up against the walls to clear space in the middle. He set Cerita up just as he had before and placed the two devices on the ground between himself and his Apprentice, "Force Push. Go."

He watched her prepare, noting the serious expression on her face, and waited as she drew up her inner will. There was no denying that Cerita was a powerful student, but somethings he believed she forgot just who exactly it was she was up against. He was a kind mentor, that much he knew, but the galaxy would never be so accommodating. The malice of those in power from star to star couldn't simply be overlooked.

Sometimes you really were fighting for your life.

Her first wave of Force Push she sent towards him came flying back at her without warning.

"It's not enough," he said to her, "again."

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Sometimes Dissero forgot who had been her Master previously. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Who had trained her and in what kind of environment she had to survive.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]The Lords of the Fringe hadn’t been a joke - Sith Lords, Rogue Masters, Pirate Kings and other outlaws forged together in the darkness that hid in the Unknown Regions… no, to say that Cerita Sarova was not aware of the true nature of the Galaxy was to ignore what her life was up until she started studying under Dissero.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Truth was that the [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]real[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] reason why she seemed so unconcerned and… [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]happy[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px], was that she realized soon in that world that in this Galaxy? Life was generally very short.To spent it brooding, hateful and full with poisonous dreams was to miss the entire [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]point[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] of living.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]She was prepared for the push back - action breeded reaction, but it was still a total shutta to handle, the force [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]forced[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] her to stumble back a few steps, but this did nothing to deter her from the action at hand.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Her arms swiped in the air - almost as if to grab hold of the air around her, before turning the energy back against the device a few meters in front of her, she was getting better at this: a few months back she would have needed to precious seconds to generate enough force to sent it against the device.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Now she could almost grab hold of enough power in nearly an instant.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px][member="Dissero"][/SIZE]

 

[Dissero]

He hadn't forgotten and for all the galaxy of people to have experienced such dark things he was the least likely to forget. Dissero was a paranoid man for legitimate reasons. He'd seen and done too many terrible things to ever put them from his mind.

A hand lashed out, the control of of his will carving a great slice through her latest attempt before it could reach the device.

"Again," came the command, "this is one shot Cerita, not a collective of power like the last one. This is the last line of defense for someone who doesn't have your abilities or skills. It might save someone's life, it might tip the scales of a battle, it might make the difference between achievement and failure."

This was not an exercise of making the galaxy's next great artifact. It was an exercise of Cerita tapping into her strongest stores of power on a whim.

"Don't waste the charge."

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Mad Sounds, indeed.[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] He didn’t have to [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]remind[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] her what they were doing here. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]She [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]knew[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] what they were doing here, she was [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]part[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] of what they were doing here and she would [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]show[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] him what that just meant. A frown branded itself on her forehead, her brows furrowing in utmost concentration and her nails dove deep into her own skin as she made fists of her hands.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Every force user had boundaries, deep hidden wells of energy that were left untapped, pockets of potential so to speak, but usually they stayed there… until there was a situation like Dissero had been talking about. A life or death situation that could only be resolved by breaking out [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]everything[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] there was and unleash it in one fell swoop.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Hard to do it outside of that. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]There were psychological barriers to [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]prevent[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] something like that from happening just like that, but once you got pumped, got [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]angry[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] there ain’t a lot of barriers that want to hold. Especially not with a furious green-skinned, sassy apprentice on the other side.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Her hand lashed out and her metaphorical sense clawed straight through the reserves she had, focusing it all intently on one singular target. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]The dead-center of her Master.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px][member="Dissero"][/SIZE]

 

[Dissero]

Focused, ready, Dissero maintained his stance in preparation for the surge of energy blasted towards him. He could sense the flood of emotion at its fore and it was this that he took in upon himself. Emotion had no place within an Aoelocron, not for the standard use of a simple Force Push, but would prove instrumental to other models.

His hands arched outwards, enveloping the blast with his own will, and funneled the radiated energy downwards into the devices at his feet. Within their housings the two crystals suddenly shone a brilliant white glow, pulsating as he fed the remains of her attack into them. By the time he finished his hands were raw and stripped of the outmost layer of flesh, releasing strange wisps of ether smoke.

Dissero released a slow, strained breath through his nose as he placed a gaze turned crimson upon his Apprentice.

The glow of the Aoelocrons subsided, winking into dormant state.

"Yes," he said, voice rasp as his eyes slowly faded back, "there it is. Exhilarating, isn't it?"

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[SIZE=10.6667px]There it was, satisfaction at a job done [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]right[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]The light of the Aoelocron proved that she had done a fine job, indeed, but that satisfaction evaporated at the sight of her Master’s hands. It was a sign of her [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]limited[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] knowledge to subjects that she did not have any experience in, tutaminis in this instance, she hadn’t known that there was some kind of risk factor for [member="Dissero"] himself.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Some might have grown even happier at seeing that even as an Apprentice she had been able to wound her vastly more powerful Master, but Cerita was a different beast. She might have been interested in experimenting, on finding out more and gathering knowledge, but purposefully hurting those she cared about? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]That brought her no satisfaction whatsoever.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Instead she hissed softly, shuffling closer to study his hands.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“Damnit, Di! Why did you push me that hard. Look at your hands now, ugh.” the young Alchemist sniffed the air a bit, could almost taste the burned flesh on her tongue.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“Rave taught me a little bit of healing, Nightsisters and the sort. May I?” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Of course she would ask, this was a thing she wouldn’t presume on.[/SIZE]

 

[Dissero]

"...my hands?"

The man blinked and turned his palms up, brow raising at the raw, bloody canvas of flesh. How had he missed that? Flexing his fingers slightly, watching the exposed sinew bead fresh blood, he wondered quietly at the lack of pain. He'd learned tutaminis from one of the galaxy's finest Masters and still he would come to learn again the consequences of its use. It was a tricky skill, hard to learn and harder to master, and he'd been well aware of the repercussions of its misuse.

But this had never happened before.

Expression blank he looked back to Cerita, faintly curious at her offer despite the fact that he seemed rather unconcerned. His only knowledge of healing was through the darkside and it would, without a doubt, turn the skin of his palms a deep, corrupted black. While his body bore the scars and corruption of his many years spent drowning in Darkside power it wasn't something he wished to haphazardly dive back into without need.

Dissero nodded in reply. Anything to give his Apprentice more practice ... not that he was extremely curious about watching a Nightsister healing method in person or anything....

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Cerita wasn’t exactly being rational right now, besides for all she knew he was currently in shock and just [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]couldn’t[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] feel anything at all and even if it was perfectly normal that [member="Dissero"] couldn’t currently feel anything - which it [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]definitely[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] wasn’t, what was she supposed to do?! [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Just leave her Master walking with hands that missed their upper skin?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Only a crazy sociopath would have been relaxed after witnessing such a thing. She shuffled a little bit closer again, her hands reaching out before thinking better of it, touching the flesh wasn’t necessary and could cause pain where there apparently wasn’t any right now. The green-skinned woman started humming softly - see most of the Nightsister’s arts had to do with [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]belief[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px], she did not think that it was actually necessary to hum, chant incantations or make gestures with her hand.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]But it helped center her focus and channel the energies in the way they needed to.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Above his hands her fingers hooked and angled into shapes, signifying the dance of the spirits, her lips murmured faster and faster - words morphing from one into another, too fast to grasp its meaning and [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]there[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Green ichor hanging from her fingers. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“This might hurt.” she whispered into his mind, while keeping up the incantations from her lips. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Then… the first drip of ichor fell on his skin.[/SIZE]

 

[Dissero]

"Haaaaaaaaaa!" Dissero hissed, wincing, and then smirked, "Just kidding."

Really, though, this was all very fascinating. His experience with the Nightsister magics was limited to what stores of information the archives held and the very few events witnessed of Rave using it. It was a strange, savage culture that had always been of interest to him but never at the fore-front of his list of priorities.

One day he'd make a trip out to Dathomir. Likely after tying the knot with Verie. Couldn't risk being claimed by another woman. Awkward.

"I didn't know you could do this," he remarked quietly to his student, watching as the ichor worked its magic - he still did not feel any pain, odd, "is it part of your biology or arcane?"

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

A deeper frown.

She wasn’t an expert, at least not like Rave was, but that should have hurt. Not that she wanted him to feel pain or anything, but it was at least fairly… weird that he didn’t seem to have any painful experiences from the green ichor or hell come to think about, her Master had been fairly stoic about the entire injury all together. First attributed to the shock, she wondered now if there was something else playing. Not that she was equipped to find out - maybe Raev could have, but she was far from her level of expertise, and probably never would be at the same level.

“Mhm?” Cerita murmured as she kept angling her fingers into the correct positions, slowly manipulating the ichor to run its course across his skinless… skin.

“The spirit ichor is… strange - definitely arcane in origin, it seems to have a lot of various properties that I cannot, yet, explain. From Rave’s lessons and research it’s clear that it can be used to do a lot of things - hell, it’s the basis for their entire magic system.”

Cerita couldn’t do 99% of what the Nightsisters could do, and the few little applications that she could do were heavily flawed in a lot of ways, but healing was something that Rave had been quite good at.

She had taught her as well as she could.

[member="Dissero"]

 

[Dissero]

Mm.

The man's expression fell somewhat at the mention of Rave, hands rolling into loose fists. The feeling of the spirit ichor was a strange one, similar to the sensation experienced when contacting something not quite of this realm. It was both fascinating and spooky at the same time. Flesh mending he gave a nod, "Thank you, Cerita, I can manage the rest on my own. Why don't you take a break, restore your energy. We're going to work on imbuing Plant Surge into the next 'cron."

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Cerita looked up and saw the mixture of feelings flashing over Dissero’s face. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Such a strange man. So much knowledge, power, a [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]Sith[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px], dark secrets… and yet so [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]human[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px], in a lot of ways. But he needed some privacy, something that she would not try to take from her Master, instead she simply nodded. One last look was afforded to his hands and her handiwork, some satisfaction made apparent that it was seemingly working, then she bowed. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“Of course, Master.” before retreating out of the room and leaving him with his thoughts.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]She would go straight to her little alcove in the ship. It didn’t have the UV lamp that gave her much relief during the periods that she couldn’t just… go outside and feel the sun on her skin, but at least she could sit down for a little bit. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Do some light reading. A few books were lying around, she stacked them into the corner and pulled one of them out again, crystallography and such.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px][member="Dissero"][/SIZE]

 

[Dissero]

Alone with his thoughts indeed.

If someone knew the depths of those thoughts they might not suggest anyone be left alone with them. Dissero was a haunted man in many ways and even he was not quite sure how he kept his head about him at times. He liked to believe it was the people he surrounded himself with that did it all. Family and friends were the greatest anchors known to man, sometimes it just took a while to see it.

An hour passed. Two, maybe. Time was arbitrary in hyperspace. The Archivist stood at the center of the chamber with a single Aoelocron hovering in the air before him, slowly rotating. It's own crystal was one of his crafting - perfect and pristine, the power to be imbued was something of Mastercraft quality. Deep in connected meditation, his mind began to pool and sift, compartmentalizing things away. Simplifying the process of thought, pruning extraneous notions and whims, chipping away the inconsequential until all that was left was one sordid sentiment.

Fear.

Though he was no Empath the man was irrevocably, intimately familiar with that one particular emotion. His work with studying the Ancient Dark Lords and crafting the Phobis Device had been tantamount to controlling what was otherwise a poison of the mind. The approach was similar to reading the Grand Sith Spellbook: you couldn't have regrets, you had to know and understand the consequences and be willing to face them.

It began as a subtle noxious sensation that permeated the air of the cargo hold and slowly crept outwards in an ever expanding sphere of influence. Spinning faster and beginning to glow a pale, putrid yellow, the aoelocron began to hum. As an unseen cloud, the power of Force Fear spilled along the halls of the ship and saturated the walls - overwhelming in its toxicity, oppressing in the pressure it exuded upon the mind. It swallowed them whole.

[member="Cerita Sarova"]