Private Make A Sith Outta You

[Darth Malevolum]

Location: Yavin IV, Sith Training Ground.

Malevolum was growing tired at the rate of which she lost apprentices. It wasn't so much as they were dying, rather that the broke far too easily. She had gone through two in rather quick succession. It was for this reason that she had this course constructed. Given the four braziers that burned within the room, the room was starting to get uncomfortably warm. This room had housed many an acolyte in times past, the blood stained stones that laid about made it fairly obvious. It had taken her time and effort to construct this course, the aim being to find an apprentice with a degree of mettle, as she had no room for weaklings in her line of work; which annoyed her all the more when she received so few applicants.

Looking at the sole recruit she had drawn the attention of, she scowled, studying the Sith woman from her to toe, and was seemingly unimpressed. She was too thin, not to mention short. The only use Mal could think of for her was to use her as a counter weight for her gym, but looks could be deceiving; Darth Void had proven that. She crossed her arms, the lower portion of her face still concealed by the metal plate she had fixed to her chin. "I certainly hope you are tougher than you look, or you might not survive this course. State your name, and tell me why you deserve to stand here and waste my time. Speak clearly, or not at all. I'm not your mother, so don't expect me to feel sympathy if you feel scared." The cybernetics in her eyes gave a faint glow, as she looked the Sith directly in the eyes, wary for a surprise attack from the little whelp. When the acolyte was done, Mal would motion towards the door behind them, an old iron frame door with glass giving a hint of the first room; there were two massive stone pillars that stood in the room, but there seemed to be no other way to proceed. "You will proceed into that room and continue through the course. If you stop for whatever reason, you fail. If you reach a point where you can not continue, I suggest you try harder, because I will not come in there to fish you out. I'd wish you good luck, but if you rely on luck to get through this, then I have no use for you. Begin." With that, Mal gestured towards the gate with her hand, as a bolt of lightning fired from her palm and tore the gates open, allowing the acolyte to proceed as normal. Please don't be a disappointment. She thought, her eyes switching to infrared vision as she moved to the secured observation room. She was going to be livid if this woman failed the course, especially after all this work.

Serixibis

 

[Serixibis]

.

Ready, Player One.


​

The Acolyte arrives in a manner fitting of one of low birth and little station, summoned as she was to the gauntlet now laid before her. She was a small thing, that much is true. Possessed of a wiry, whipcord strength and the signature lack of fat that points to a life of little luxury and lean times. Her arms were bare, the trainee opting to arrive in a thin black tunic and matching pants comprised of some sort of heavy cloth, almost gauze like in it's texture.

The flesh beneath was somewhat more impressive, a hundred scars crawl across her arms, a litany of violence etched into her like an offering to one dour god of bloodshed and war or another. Each step she took on her approach to the woman who would be her Mistress was measured, the careful balance of a lifelong fighter visible in her stride as she positions herself before Darth Malevolum. For a moment their eyes meet, and the Pureblood searches for something. Her brow furrows and her eyes narrow but not for long, the smaller woman bowing at the waist before dropping forward into a kneeling position, head bowed in submission.

"...State your name, and tell me why you deserve to stand here and waste my time. Speak clearly, or not at all."​

Curious that the Mistress wished for such an explanation. Serixibis was used to the stern and self-sure instructors of the Academy. They brooked no insult and demanded no explanation. If you ever thought you had to explain yourself to them you were likely already dead. All the same...

"Serixibis Abil-Kesk, Honored Mistress. Daughter of the Tulak, survivor of the Academy on Korriban. And now I will be your Apprentice."
​

She was a bold one, to be sure. Her intonation suggesting that this was not a question but a fact. A thing that had already come to pass...should she prove herself and emerge from the gauntlet unscathed. After her introduction the Acolyte rises, dusting off the legs of her pants and whipping a pair of heavy gloves from her pack. The rugged coverings are pulled over either hand as she makes for the door Malevolum had opened, a brief nod of approval for the dramatic way in which it was done. Stepping through the still smoking doorway and around the steaming hunk of slag that had once been the gate Serixibis takes a deep, steady breath and readies herself for whatever challenges await beyond. She had drawn blood, slain beasts and men, and felt sure that whatever horrors this Sith could conjure they could be dealt with.


....Or so she hoped.




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[Darth Malevolum]

At least she was respectful. She had that going for her. Mal listened to what the woman had to say, and was apperciative that she didn't spend twenty minutes listing off famous relatives or how she wanted to be the next Emperor; they had far too many of those already. Perhaps this one wouldn't be a disappointment after all. Her choice in attire was intresting as well, but Mal could only guess the poor acolyte didn't have the funds to procure a set of armor. If she passed, the Darth would have to fix that. She was going to tell the acolyte to get up off the floor, expecting the woman to start groveling at the lords feet, but she had enough self respect to do that on her own; she could think for herself as well? Excellent.

With the test set to begin, Serixibis would find the pillars that she had noticed before. Now within the confines of the room, she would find at the roof of the room was a square cut into the roof, which sat roughly thirty feet above the Sith. The stone pillars to her sides had the faint traces of hand grooves etched into it, as the paths seemed to spiral up to the top of the room. there seemed to be nowhere else to go but up. It would seem a simple test, but just to make it intresting, Mal had put special care into giving the test a personal touch. From the observation room, she watched with intrest as the Sith would encounter the first obstacle Mal had arranged. As it turned out, those hand grooves weren't what they appeared. Several vibro blades protruded from the grooves, and began to follow a set path along the route. Serixibis would have to traverse up the pillars and avoid impaling herself upon the sharpened blades. Mal was curious how the woman would solve this dilemma, as she watched on with intrest. She looked back to the guest she had brought into the room, looking to her for any input she might offer. "You have any impressions this far? She almost reminds me of you, there's that hint of attitude in her step." Mal chuckled, wondering what DuCray would say.

Serixibis
Darth Void

 

[Darth Void]

Shadow of Doubt

The hooded looming figure stepped forward from the shadows behind Malevolum, steps quiet and steady with fresh beskar steel added to the plating of her legs and arms, the waist sash barely brushing at the heels of the boots. The Darth's main dark armor remained lightweight as it should be for a Marauder. Stepping beside Malevolum, Void reached up and pressed a button beneath the jawline of the durasteel mask she wore. With a hiss, the plating slid up revealing storm grey eyes and a stoic expression on the pale face. The secure room allowed for Void to observe without allowing for Mal's new acolyte to see her face.

Watching the scrawny looking acolyte, the first thing that came to mind was that she was a pureblood Sith. Her eyes barely narrowed in recognition as she recalled encountering many purebloods whose radical ways ended up becoming literally their demise at Voids hands during her own training days. If anything, this acolyte may be more trouble than she was worth. As first witness to the pride of their ancestry, Void tended to wave off the notion of one race being better than others. It was always a matter of drive, determination, and training. Should this acolyte step out of line, Void was more than certain Malevolum would handle this. But she wouldn't sit by the sidelines and watch either.

"She's a Sith Pureblood." it was a simple statement. Her jaw clenched slightly as she watched from the observation deck, folding her armored arms over her chest, she let a twitch of a smirk and her scarred eyebrow cocked as she gave Mal a glance sideways "She also didn't have someone distracting her." she teased, recalling their time in the testing facility. Working with Mal had been nothing short of eventful since then. "But she is a Sith Pureblood..." she said the words evenly as though throwing caution to the wind for Mal to listen to her that this would be private discussion at another time.

Darth Malevolum
Serixibis

 

[Serixibis]

.​

Takeshi's Castle (But it kills you.)​

​

​

Well, that's certainly something. The Acolyte stopped short upon entering the warm chamber, a low whistle coming from her lips as she surveys the task ahead of her. The height alone was impressive, but scaling cliffs was a necessity back on Korriban considering it's rocky and treacherous terrain. She's even had ~something~ trying to kill her while she was doing from time to lively time but this? This was a whole new flavor of difficult.​

​

The pillars would not be difficult to scale even on a bad day, the hand holds seeing to that readily enough but the knives, that would be the tricky part. The fact that they were Vibro-blades only compounded the difficulty, any contact with the cutting edge would open her, even if it was brief. Serixibis's eyes narrowed, tongue gliding over her black lips as her teeth click together in mild agitation. It was similar to what she expected, in fairness. A lord of the Sith is nothing if not creative.​

​

With a quiet huff the small woman paces, first to the left, then to the right. Far from diving at the problem she seems content to simply watch the blades for several long minutes in silence, her hands clasped together and pressed against the small of her muscled back as she circles the two pillars. They were a decent distance apart, but it was not impossible to jump from one to the other...and that would be necessary, she reasoned. The blades seemed to follow a regular order in their procession up the column but at several, but alternate intervals their speed increased, making it impossible to stay on that pillar but at the same time the speed on the opposite pillar slowed down.​

​

After that discovery, it was a simple matter of ascending the pillars and switching to the opposing pillar at the ideal time. After making a final check of the timing of the blades the Acolyte begins to climb, shimmying in a circle around the pillar while counting aloud to herself. Her pace is that of a seasoned climber, and her small stature and modest weight certainly helps the nimble figure climb up...and up....​

​

"7...6...5...4...3...2...HUP!"
​

Her arms leave the pillar as she leaps off the left pillar and sails through the air to the right, hands impacting first against the stonework and gripping into the masonry as she counts anew, the black leather boots on her feet scrabbling a moment before finding purchase as she continues to climb, the process repeating fourteen seconds later as she transfers back to the original pillar near the very top! By now she seems to be in a sort of rhythm and the last few meters to the top come quickly, the Acolyte hopping to the top of the stone column as the blades lash out just behind her, forcing her to hold herself aloft with her arms in a sort of awkward push up on the top as her feet kick away from the slicing blades.​

​

Once the knives retract she takes a moment to collect herself and catch her breath, sitting cross legged on the top of the pillar she stares up at the opening not far above her and counts anew, her eyes looking down and then up as the seconds go by and she stands, ready to spring...​

​

"7...6...5...4...3...2...1...HUP!"
​

And she's off, the Pureblood stepping off the pillar at the same instant the blades extend near the top, the heel of her boot landing atop the knife and acting as a springboard as she puts her weight down and then springs it upward. In truth, it was art. The slender Acolyte turns in the air with the grace one would expect from a world class dancer on the floor, executing a spin as she manages to clear the gap in the ceiling....almost.​

​

What poise Serixibis had was robbed from her as she impacts against the stone with a grunt of pain, hands and arms hanging onto the ledge with her feet dangling as she goes from gracefully sailing to clawing herself up and onto the second floor of this gauntlet.. No style points today, it seems.​

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Darth Malevolum
Darth Void​

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​

 

[Darth Malevolum]

DuCray was in a proper mood for tormenting, which Mal took full advantage of; as one would expect in such a relationship. "Do I detect a tone of jealously?" Mal mused, watching in interest as the acolyte seemed to be studying the trial before her. She could only assume Void might feel a tad conflicted about having another woman on the field "Oh please, we both know how easily distracted you are. I think I'll look rather good in red to be honest." She teased, before looking back to Void, and winking. She was going to enjoy teasing the marauder, she knew all the buttons to press to make her squirm; and oh did she love it. "I'm jesting dear. Please, don't be looking for reasons to kill the poor thing right now." The Pureblood comment didn't get past Mal, though she was curious as to why Void felt so strongly about that being worth mentioning.

Turning her attention to the screen, she smirked as Serixibis found her way up the pillars, timing the blades, moving up with delicate timing to ensure she didn't cut herself into bloody ribbons. "Excellent." She replied, watching as the woman threw herself onto a blade, using it as a spring board to sail into the opening; only to smack against the roof instead. Well, she certainly got points for effort. Sadly, the next trial would not be so easy. "Do you think she will make it past the next room? I took your suggestions into account. My only concern is that her strength will be insufficient."

As the pureblood entered the second level, she would find a massive stone monolith before her. The room was rather small. Perhaps twelve feet in height, and twenty feet in length. The stone had to be at least ten feet in height, and possibly two tons in weight. It seemed to sit over an opening from what a first glance could tell, but another glance about the room, would reveal small openings in the ceilings, though their purpose seemed to be unknown. After ensuring she was no longer near the entrance, Mal reached out, flipping a lever in the process, as the second test would begin. The hole in the floor that the Sith had used to enter would seal up behind her, and the faint smell of gas began to become noticeable; causing her skin to go numb and her eyes to sting.

Unknown to the Pureblood, it was merely knockout gas, but after several moments of exposure Serixibis would being to notice sensations of dizziness and weakness. The test was to resist the poison, and focus through it to escape. It would be an important lesson to learn, and if the woman was a true Sith, this trial wouldn't be too much of a trouble. She was fortunate that the Darth had used knockout gas, but Dioxis wasn't worth the cost, and the deaths were....less than pleasant. "I still think I should have used the Cyanogon, but that melts through the walls. Not to mention lack of ventilation to air it out." Mal was eager to see how this woman's resolve was. Could she withstand it? Or would she be broken.

Darth Void Serixibis

 

[Serixibis]

​

. Did I leave the gas on...?​

​

​

Serixibis huffs in mild exasperation as she clambers up the opening and into the second room, barely managing to get her feet clear of the opening before it seals shut in dramatic fashion! The dust settles and the Acolyte along with it, sat on her rump with her back pressed against the looming stone...idol? Obelisk? It was definately something important, that much was clear. Why else would it be placed so prominently in the center of the room, and right in the path of her exit to boot!​

​

And the gold, the silver! Serixibis's vision swam, blinded by the radiant idol before her! It reminded her of home, in a way. Of the mystic langour of the temples of Korriban, all blackened stone and swirling incense. The acrid stench of herbs meant to twist the mind reminded her of this...Gas?!​

​

The Acolyte's trip ends almost abruptly as it began, her mind clicking back into focus as she takes a quick sniff and picks up on the toxin slowly easing her toward unconsciousness. She was feeling it already, the delirium, the wiggling, oily lenses closing across her vision. There was no way out, either. This was not designed to be escaped, but endured.​

​

With a final, slow breath the Acolyte eases herself down into a seated position on the stone floor. Legs cross beneath her as she settles down and with a shrug of her shoulders tugs the tunic off from over her head! The heavy fabric is twisted twice and wound expertly around her face, acting as a heavy (If improvised!) mask as her eyes close and the warrior does her best to slow her breathing. If she is bothered by her now shirtless state, she does an admirable job of not showing it as her hands come to rest atop either knee, chest rising and falling very slowly in time with her meager breaths.​

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Darth Malevolum
Darth Void

​

 

[Darth Void]

Being prodded of the possibility of being jealous, only then did Void smirk still watching the monitors before she huffed "Hardly." to her partner. At the mention of being distracted again and the thought of Mal looking good in red finally caught her attention. Void unfolded her arms and finally looked at Mal with her eyebrows raised with the unspoken words 'oh yeah?' just barely on her tongue before Mal winked. Clearly teasing her, Void rolled her eyes and shook her head returning her gaze back to the monitors.

"Not yet anyway." she muttered under her breath as she studied the Pureblood. Clearly the young acolyte wasn't stupid as she took a moment to calculate how she was to get past the first gauntlet. With an unimpressed look on her face, Void wordlessly watched as she narrowly just made it to the second level. Mal was certainly creative in this series of testing. Void's was grueling, punishing, and severely cruel to all possible limits and extremes that her own Master created and no one survived but Void from a group of 4. At the end they were forced to murder one another until only one stood at the end.

Curiously, Void watched as the second level of testing began. The poison was deadly as a fume, but Void knew first hand how it felt to be injected with it before her trials. "You all are already dead." the words of her former master echoed in her mind after the syringe was plunged into their necks. Inhalation was just as effective and dangerous within such a time frame.

"Droids..." Void mentioned before turning her head to Mal. "Purebloods tend to have a naturally higher rate of force sensitivity above humans when trained right to wield. Battle droids are unpredictable however. And are unable to be sensed." She wondered if Mal incorporated any into the test to see how the Pureblood would match up against a physical power after being so weakened from the fumes. Especially droids that had no particular pattern.

Darth Malevolum
Serixibis

 

[Darth Malevolum]

She struck a nerve in the woman, which brought a small chuckle out of the Darth. She had resisted the initial urge to embrace her love, but after her teasing, she could resist no long. She moved closer towards Void, sliding past her and wrapping her arms around her the woman's waist, embracing her from behind as she continued to watch. "I don't recall you having to go on any missions in the near future, so why do you look so tense?" Mal inquired, leaning her head against Void's shoulder. DuCray was typically more talkative in times like this. She clearly had something on her mind, though Mal was willing to ignore it and focus on her apprentice. Watching the woman remove her tunic and secure it around her face, Mal hummed at what she was doing. It was a novel strategy, but it depended on several things. Most of all self esteem and command of the force; perhaps this girl felt she could handle it.

"I half expected her to try and move the obstacle, but it seems that she is trying outlast the effect. Not my first choice, but I admire her spirit." Mal mused, grinning as Void inquired about the droids. "The thought crossed my mind. I got ideas from our first date if I'm being honest." She snickered, as she made a small gesture with her hand, releasing another lever and introducing several droids into the gas filled room as the back wall slide away. The gas would thankfully stop being flowed into the room, but a detachment of theee combat droids moved to engage the Sith. Lancer war droids are fast mobile strike units, in open areas they were dangerous as a Nexu. They would still be a threat inside the confines of the room, especially with a Sith that was being effected by gas, but Mal had to expect her apprentice to stay strong even when the enemy played dirty. She had the grenade launcher replaced with a stun net however, as she didnt want to have to repair the room for severe damages. As the three droids moved in, their small camera lenses began to filter through visions, trying to acquire the target within the gas cloud. They would fan out. One staying in the center of the room, as the other two took to moving ahead, their aim centering towards the sole heat mass they had located.

Serixibis would have few precious moments to act, and time was of the essence. Thankfully these droids didn't fare well against saber strikes or direct electrical attacks, so a first strike would favor her. Mal would merely watch what she would do, and if the girl succeeded, the sounds of a fan would emanate from the large column that sat in the room, letting her catch her breath for a moment. The wall that had slide away to reveal the droids also held the next trial. long stark white corridor awaited the apprentice; as well as the trap Mal had laid in store for her. The reddish glow of a ray shield indicated the path was blocked initially, but it would soon fade and allow her to proceed; assuming she had survived the ordeal.


Serixibis Darth Void

 

[Serixibis]

. Three's a crowd.​

Serixibis heard the Droids before they entered, her head tilting to one side as the walkers lumber into the room on lithe iron feet. She was not familiar with the model but the buzzing rail guns mounted on the center of their bipedal forms really told her everything she needed to know about their purpose. It seemed her Mistress-to-be had grown tired of waiting for her to die, or this test was just designed to see how fast an Acolyte could be turned to slag on the floor...either way, it would have to fail.

With her resolve seemingly undeterred by the gas and it's lingering fumes the Acolyte stands, erupting into motion with all the potential of a coiled spring as she streaks toward the obelisk in the center of the chamber! A shrug of her shoulders allows the heavy tunic to fall back down to it's proper (if a bit loose!) position across her chest as she tucks her right shoulder in and dives into a forward roll. The first two shots from the Droids going wide as her transversal changes abruptly, the Acolyte shifting into a springing leap upward toward the obelisk! Impacting against the stone surface she uses the edges of the pillar to guide herself around and toward the top, putting as much stone as possible between herself and the droids...for now.

As the pack of Droids circle around to engage her the Acolyte turns and leaps off the central obelisk, sailing through the air once again and landing boots first...right ontop of the first droid around the corner! She smacks hard against the housing of the combat unit, both hands taking hold of the control cables sprouting from it's back and using them as improvised joysticks designed to turn the front of the unit toward it's brothers! Thankfully the maneuver resolves in her favor, the smooth metal of the walker interposed between herself and the two combat units as their twin rail guns shred into the core of the third.

Riding the now hulked chassis of the lancer down to the floor Serixibis breaks into a dead run, directly toward the remaining two Lancer droids! Their rail guns buzz with power as they recharge, but these units were made to pick at targets from some range and their tracking software could only do so much this close, and the Acolyte was fast. By the time they were ready to fire again she was between them, the two walkers scrambling to re-acquire their target and destroy it.

Finally, the Acolyte reaches the point between both Droids. Her boots slam against the rough stonework a final time before she springs upward, the force flows around her then, crude, unrefined, untrained but potent. It moves in a wave ahead of her, like the bowshock ahead of a starship as she reaches with a heavy hand to either Droid and blinds them...not to herself, but to each other! In a flash of ionizing air both walkers acquire their target as it passes between them, weapons discharging in lance of white light that streak across and impact squarely into either unit! For a moment the Acolyte is nowhere to be seen, even the Darth's cybernetic perception blinded by the energy released in the discharge of the weapon...

But there! Landing with little grace between the falling droids is Serixibis, stumbling slightly on unsteady feet as she struggles to fully clear her head from the gas and the exertion caused by dealing with these things. The force continues to move around her, even after her little trick is complete. From the Darth's perspective she is either drawing on it to sustain herself in some way, or is simply unwilling to release it until this matter is concluded as she began her journey down the clean white corridor.

Darth Malevolum
Darth Void




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[Darth Malevolum]

As the droids began to move in on their target, Mal was amused to see the Apprentice to be move, using the Obelisk as a tool, maneuvering above her opponent before striking. Smart, but risky. It seemed to pay off in the end; though Mal wasn't exactly a fan of the woman's current attire. Fashion sense or not, the acolyte certainly knew her strengths and put them to good use; though Mal could only wonder where the strength was coming from.

When the first droid was brought low, the Darth was curious how the woman would deal with the other two, expecting a series of blaster fire to incapacitate her long enough for a rail gun shot to kill her, but she would be proven incorrect here. Mal continued to watch, seeing as how the Acolyte managed to outmaneuver and defeat her opponents. As the smoke settled in the room, and a victorious Serixibis would proceed into the stark white hall, a small grin stretched across Mal's features. Upon the first three steps into the hall, the Pureblood would trigger the encounter. "Remember what I said about our first date?" Mal questioned, as the ray shielding would kick back up behind Serixibis, the walls on each side slid back to reveal what looked like speakers; they were anything but that. The larger version of these guns had nearly killed Mal when it gave her a brain hemorrhage, she could only imagine the hell it would inflict upon the Sith.

An immense 'woosh' would slam into the acolyte, as several miniature sonic cannons unloaded into her, slamming her on both sides with concussive forces that would splinter her ear drums; and eventually cause internal bleeding. She had two options as far as Mal could see. Destroy the cannons and risk dying before she could accomplish that, or rush to the end of the hallway, and hope that the exit there would be the end of her trial. They were linked to motion, firing off their load the moment something passed by, and continuing to fire until their sequence was over. "If she makes it through that, I might need HK to patch her up." Mal commented, ideally watching what was about to unfold, and curious how the Pureblood would respond to it. 'Tap into that pain, let it feed you, if not, it will be the end of you.' Mal thought, thinking back to her ordeal, and the sensation of her flesh as it burned. The rage she tapped into kept her alive that day, if anything, this would be a kind lesson to teach the young acolyte; assuming she survived it.

Darth Void Serixibis

 

[Serixibis]

. Ｅｌｅｃｔｒｉｃ　Ａｇｏｎｙ
​

A snarl of triumph hissed from the Acolyte's lips as she slipped into the plain white hallway, hands raised to fuss with the tunic around her chest and pull it back into some kind of order as she completed her trials...or so she thought. The Darth's observing her could feel the force churning around her, a distant hum like a thousand maggots boiling in a pot of bile suggesting that the Acolyte may not even be aware of her connection in the present sense, or had become so used to immersing herself in the Dark Side that there was no distinction made between channeling it actively and allowing it to fill her until she is gorged on it.

..But this was perhaps to be expected, as Darth Void had pointed out several times, she was of pure blood. A spawn of that benighted species seemingly destined to bring misery and suffering to the galaxy as a whole. And speaking of misery...

The threshold was crossed and Serixibis paused, the red energy field springing to life behind her as she completed her first step into the hallway and for her time seems to slow. There's a dull clicking in the back of her head, for some reason. Followed by an itch behind her eyes as her ears twitch once...twice...three times. There was something in the air that she could feel, a dull pulse that almost sounded like...

"BWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMB!"​

The audio assault begins without further warning, the cannons primed and activated as soon as she takes a second step forward and assaulting her with a wall of sound that almost immediately causes most of the soft tissue in her body to suffer some degree of damage. The Acolyte stumbles, but to her credit has enough presence of mind left to make an attempt at escaping the invisible agony now coursing through her. Each step is hell, her stride faltering almost immediately as the air is forced from her lungs. Her breath comes then in gargled, heaving rasps as she dashes blindly forward. Blood trails from her nose in a steady stream, her eyes weep red, her ears....shatter, for lack of a better word. The sound ceases to have definition but instead takes on the form of a constant low rattle as her eardrums rupture within her head.

Serixibis's world turns gray, the periphery of her vision swimming before slowly drifting to shades of black as agony-induced unconsciousness begins to seize her, shock setting in moments later as she tilts forward and falls into a undignified heap just in front of the final door, twitching slightly as the noise subsides and she soaks in her own blood...

Darth Malevolum​

 

[Darth Void]

The moment Mal slipped her arms around Void's waist, she unknowingly pulled the Marauder out of her own memories. "I don't recall you having to go on any missions in the near future, so why do you look so tense?" she heard her lover question. DuCray exhaled slowly as she felt the shorter womans head lean on her shoulder. Her own ramrod figure relaxed a bit at the touch as she exhaled slowly "Just remembering my own trials..." she finally responded with a her voice low. "My master didn't intend on any of us surviving. Especially me." it was a small peek into her own past that she revealed to Mal. Storm grey eyes never left the monitors as she observed Serixibis "Spirits are meant to break." she responded plainly.

A curious grin appeared on her face when Mal had mentioned their not so ideal first date. She barely held back a chuckle of her own when the droids appeared. The Sith continued to watch Serixibis deal with the droids next. She was fast which made up for her strength considerably. Void's eyes narrowed as she watched her movements, tactfully noting the decisions she made. The acolyte would still need quite a bit of work regardless of how fast she could be.

"Remember what I said about our first date?" Void turned her head questionably to see her grin before returning her attention to the monitors to witness the cannons. "How romantic." remarked the Sith amused and at the same time impressed how Mal utilized the canons. At the mention of using HK to heal this acolyte made something inside Void stir in a bitter way "We didn't have HK at our trials." her words were laced with sternness she never used towards Mal "And neither will she." her word was final in that matter as she watched the pureblood drag her bloodied body through. There was no remorse in Void's features as the acolyte stumbled, watching as she struggled to finally drop at the doorway. "Looks like your little pet is still alive." she said unimpressed still.

Darth Malevolum
Serixibis

 

[Darth Malevolum]

Listening to what the woman had to say, Mal only nodded, her hold tightening on Void, as she could only fathom what she might have gone through. "Right. I'm sorry." She replied, her lips pressing against the back of Void's neck, before looking back to the screen. Unlike DuCray, it had been Mal's jedi master that was brutal to her, and even then the trials were nothing compared to what Void might have had to experienced. "They can be mended in time, just like torn muscles or shattered bones." Mal added, her hands giving Void's sides a slight squeeze, trying to get some of that tension out of her system.

She chuckled as Void's comment, having found a bit of irony at reusing the cannon idea from her last training practice, only to find that the acolyte also was susceptible to the sonic attacks. Mal knew well enough how intense the pain could be, if not for Void it would have killed her, but the Acolyte lacked any real training to protect herself. Poor child. Void's comment drew the attention of Mal, as she looked to the woman and loosened her hold. "What? DuCray, she's only a child!" She asked, a tad taken aback at the tone she had received from the woman. What had gotten into her? It felt like more than some relived memories at this point, though she doubted the Darth would divulge such information here and now.

As the woman continued on, the sound waves still tearing into her, Mal thought that the Pureblood might make it, only to watch as the woman crumpled to the ground, bleeding; likely to die if Mal didn't shut the cannons off soon. She sighed, releasing her hold on Void, as she moved to shut the cannons off. Technically the Acolyte failed her test, but she certainly had promise. Shaking her head, Mal looked towards Void, then back to the screen of the acolyte bleeding out.It seemed fruitless to let someone with promise perish like this, even if it went against what Mal had stated earlier. No, she wouldn't be pressured into this. She had made her choice.

Even if DuCray would be mad at her.

"We will talk about this later." She said, her tone indicating she was upset, but she wasn't going to get into this here. She had an apprentice to stabilize. Moving towards the exit for the observation room, Mal would give one last look to Void, a frown encompassing her features before she would leave. "I'll be right back." Leaving her lover behind, Mal focused on getting to Serixibis as quickly as she could, her hand going to the wireless com in her jaw plate. "I need a medical team dispatched to testing chamber five immediately." Taking the lift, Mal would arrive at the purebloods' location, with a medical team in short order. Under the Darth's supervision, the acolyte would be worked on. Though her health was in poor condition, she seemed to be stable by the time she was sent to the medical lab, leaving an irritated Mal to contemplate what to do about her partner, and how much of a headache she was in for when she got back.


Darth Void Serixibis

 

[Darth Void]

DuCray relaxed considerably when she felt her lovers hands tighten in comfort after receiving the sweet kiss to her neck. The woman had this way of being able to keep her demons at bay without realizing it. And with their strengthened bond, DuCray felt the weight of the galaxy lessen somewhat.

That was until she incredulously disagreed with her decision to not allow HK interfere with the healing process of the acolyte. The Sith was quite set in her ways, just as her own cruel Master Feron was when he decided to take her under his tutelage from the inquisitor overseer, taking note of her promise as a powerful marauder. "What? DuCray, she's only a child!" Mal's voice clearly laced with shock at DuCray's ability to be a cruel Master if she were to ever take an apprentice. It's why she never did. "So. Were. We." she replied evenly as Mal loosened her hold.

Mal's decision was made, she chose the failed acolyte. Void didn't move an inch from her position as she listened to her footsteps echo away towards the doorway only to stop. Void turned her head to look over her shoulder "We will talk about this later." Void in turn remained silent as the door hissed shut. Swallowing hard, the Sith turned back to look at the monitor and reached forward to on the control panel to allow the monitor to zoom in. She saw the girl was still breathing. She'll live. Thought Void.

"Hey what are you doing up?" admonished a soft voice concerned from behind a younger 23 year old DuCray who had ripped off her oxygen mask and stumbled out of her bed in the medical bay, her black training tunic tattered in various places with blood still smeared all over her. It was impossible to distinguish if it was her own or that of the other apprentice she had just murdered earlier. "The overseer strictly said bedrest!" the woman scolded as she raced over to the Sith who had staggered to a counter nearby. The blonde gently lifted the other Sith's arm and looped it over her own shoulder leading her back to the bed. "Sera I need to go." the Sith managed to rasp out. "Not in this state! Not like this. You nearly died!" the blonde raised her voice at her as she forcefully laid her down. Taking DuCray's hand, she kissed it as unshed tears formed in the blue eyes of the blonde gazing down at her. She was already a knight but the trials continued on a monthly basis between missions. The former Jedi Consular had already was taken by the bloodied Sith in her medical wing. DuCray looked up at her with dark eyes and said "I'm not done yet. Sera I am not a child. Don't treat me like one." Sera merely nodded once as she quickly wiped a tear that just escaped from her left eye. "I know what the overseer did... they are going to turn you into a marauder DuCray. You know what that means? You will be in the front lines. Always."

"Then I guess I'll need you to patch me up." remarked the battered Sith easing the tension quickly as Sera laughed at the insane predicament of becoming part of the Sith's essential team.

The memory played like an old movie in her mind and Void let out a soft sigh before tapping on her com in her ear "HK?"

"Yes, Lord Void. How may I be of assistance?" responded the droid from the other end. "Did you finish the task?"

"Yes my lord. The data will be ready at your ship. Can I provide you with anything else?" The Sith stared at the monitor as the medical team began to move towards the pureblood. She pinched the bridge of her nose with her other hand "Please come and oversee the medical team for Mal's new apprentice."

"At once my lord." The darth lowered her hand and folded her arms over her chest. Within several minutes the droid approached from behind Malevolum as the medical team assembled around the form of Serixibis. "Lady Malevolum." the droid announced "Lord Void sent me for assistance. May I proceed to begin treating the patient?" The droid would await for Mal to respond before beginning his assessment on the pureblood in the medical lab.

Mal was sure to still be upset with Void but perhaps this would ease their disagreement somewhat.

Darth Malevolum
Serixibis