One of These Things

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: The Crown, Golbah City - Genosis
Tag: [member="Adron Malvern"]

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She didn’t belong in Golbah city… The constantly sideways glances as she strode through the streets were proof of that.

Shakti had been planetside for no more than 48 hours, and already this city had grown so irksome to her that she’d slipped her leash and was wandering free. The events following the destruction of the Dance or Die broadcasting station seemed like a lifetime ago, but that may have had to do with how irritated she’d been. The mercenary she was now “affectionately” referred to as Fruit Basket had been called away to deal with a debrief or another, and left her alone in the hospital he’d forced her into as soon as they’d landed… But for whatever reason, people always seemed to discount or completely disregard her heritage when it came to her health. What may have left a near human laid up in bed for a month was resolved for her in a manner of hours - just under 48 to be exact.

Her own clothing had been destroyed while the medical team on the transport that had taken her to Genosis attempted to reset the leg that had been crushed on the space station - and she did miss several of those pieces… Most especially she would miss the deep cowl hood that was a staple in her wardrobe. However, she’d managed to snag something that would suit while she made good on her escape from the city, and hopefully the planet. It left the shock of brilliant red hair atop her head visible, and her burnished golden skin shining dully in the mid-afternoon sun - none of which was something she’d normally be comfortable with. The piercing jade green eyes of hers were pinned firmly to the ground as she walked to not add an additional layer to the vibrancy of her appearance. She didn’t even want to think about what the brilliant white tattoos that started just below her eyes and traced along her skin to disappear into the collar of her top would be evoking, look wise.

Her hands rose unconsciously to tug the collar of the jacket she wore up just a touch higher. It would do nothing to disguise her discomfort or hide any of the aforementioned features, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. It felt like the eyes of every passerby were glued to her as her pace quickened, doing her best to exit the royal sector before she was either questioned or stopped. With that thought floating around her head, and her eyes pointedly glued to the street ahead of her, she completely missed the group of young people that were speaking to each other in an animated fashion as they strolled towards her. That is until she walked full speed into the centre of their group and slammed into one of the young men. The two of them were stopped dead in their tracks, the startled exclamation from the man suggesting he was both surprised and mightily displeased with having been bumped into.

Those ridiculously clear green eyes of hers shot upwards and landed squarely on his, and the sounds of protest died in his throat. He stood startled for a moment before seemingly to gauge to the level of unbridled rage in their depths and quickly sidestepping the woman and hurrying on his way. The whole group was oddly silent as they scurried along behind her, her shoulders tightening as she felt their gaze at her back. She tilted her head to the side just a touch, using the hardwon skills she’d honed over the years and tugging at that steady hum of energy she’d come to know as the Force, wrapping it around her head and suddenly able to hear the hushed mutterings from the group as though they stood beside her still.

“What a freak.”
“You’re telling me… She looked like she wanted to rip your heart out.”

The barest hint of a smirk played at the edges of her lips as she brought her eyes back down to her feet and began her strides once more. One of these things was not like the others - and that thing was her. She’d known it from the time she was small, and she knew it now. The Ferrirreo didn’t belong here, just as she didn’t belong anywhere else she’d ever been. Better to find herself a transport at one of the starports in the Hub and get herself off this planet as soon as possible.

 

[Adron Malvern]

Location: Geonosis {Golbah City}
Time: Late Evening
Tags: [member="Shakti Sweet"]

Azure eyes shattered the darkness that fell over Golbah City. The Exarch gazed down at the city below with a distant gaze, as if looking at something that laid underneath the surface. The Dark Side was coursing through him as vibrant as the blood flowing through his veins. His eyes slowly began to shift, the blue waters becoming swallowed by a sea of crystal like Amethyst. A hand came up to his neck, loosening and removing the tie that he'd had fastened around his neck. He wore a slate shimmersilk suit that almost seemed to shine under the moonlight. How long had he stood on the edge of this building, practically touching the skies? Hours. The Force had been screaming to him, commanding his hand this night. To what end? Who could tell.

As time flitted away the Exarch would find himself combing the streets of Golbah City. Some would turn and gaze at him curiously. Their surface thoughts touched his mind as they passed.

Is...that Exarch Malvern?

That can't be the Exarch…

Is he…?

The public eye was so amusing. Jaded and misinformed there were men who viewed him as a god and those who believed he was nothing more than an upjumped politician. Neither observation was true, but both brought a simple smile to his lips. His amethyst eyes flitted when he felt the touch of the Force. So subtle in its use, it was like a droplet of water against the face of a lake. When the Exarch's eyes rose he saw a woman with hair like fire. A trio of men passed by him and their thoughts were pulled from their minds and leveled his eyes against the woman.

He could feel the Darkness coming from the woman. It was as warm as it was cold, and came with promises of power. The wisps of the Force flowed from her evenly, with deliberate cues. So she had some control of her gift? Very interesting.

The Dark Side wrapped around Adron. A shroud that would hide his presence, his being, even his very appearance from the woman who walked before him. No reason he could not have a bit of fun with this. He approached her, seemingly bleeding into reality as his silkened voice spoke out plainly. “It's no simple thing to make a man cower from a simple look. You seem to be well versed in making people fear you, even more so you enjoy it.” His words would seem to begin in the woman's mind, slowly the sounds would appear to fall from his lips with only the most subtle of echoes in the back of her mind.

“Oh no…” He said with a sultry, allure filled tone. “It's more than fear. You wanted to kill him didn't you? You wanted to release your rage…” He said, showing an amused smile to the woman.

 

[Shakti Sweet]

Location: The Crown, Golbah City – Genosis
Tag: [member="Adron Malvern"]

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The sound of the hurried footsteps receding behind her was a comfort as the little firecracker continued on towards the Hub. It meant that the group was wise enough to keep their distance, and despite the fact that her weapons had been confiscated when they arrived in Golbah City, with assurances that they’d be returned once she was well enough, she was confident she could have rearranged a face or two with her fists before anyone managed to come to their aid. Things were always much simpler when it came to violence… No need to talk if you were wrist deep in someone’s chest.

The thought made her sigh softly as she continued on, almost instantly thinking of what she’d need to do to secure transport. That hint of a smirk that had curled the edges of her lips faded back to a serene blank slate as she dug her hands into her pockets and began the process of putting together a plan. She didn’t have any credits to her name – but it wouldn’t slow her down when it came to get on a transport… Whether it was a case of sneaking onto the ship, or slitting a few throats, she’d find a w- ‘it’s no simple thing to make a man cower from a simple look.’

Red locks flared as the woman spun on her heels, the hands that had been shoved unceremoniously into her pockets erupted from the fabric holsters to sit in loosely held fists at her sides. Those radiant green eyes locked almost immediately onto the far less frantic amethyst gaze of the tall stranger who had managed to sneak up on her. Her heart beat like a flutter of wings against the cage of her ribs as she squared herself to face the man, not bothering to shield the heat that lay in the depths of her eyes.

Much as the man from earlier in the week had spoken into her mind, whoever this was seemed to have the same talent – though this stranger in the suit was very different. His voice in her head was smooth, cultured, the accent flowing seamlessly from both his head and his lips. He wasn’t the rough and tumble sort, it seemed; no, this was one of those Imperial classy sorts… Ugh.

Her nose wrinkled a touch as the corner of her mouth twisted into a minute snarl. The beatific smile that played across his lips as he so adeptly picked up on the feelings she’d had regarding the group of men who had so rudely stumbled into her, made her all the less happy. Everyone around this place walked around like they knew everything, and it was started to grate on her in a way that would not be easily soothed. She lifted her right hand, extending to the man – her forefinger and thumb touched at the tips and then extended the remaining three fingers out as she inverted her hand. She wasn’t sure if the man spoke galactic sign, but if he did – he’d just been called an nerf herder.

 

[Adron Malvern]

When the woman turned to face Adron, there was some manner of amusement. Her body tensed as if prepared to fight and a small part of the Exarch was hoping she would attempt to strike him. She didn't, which in the end was something he was not surprised by. The rage within her was low and kept in line, regardless of it's purity. As her beautiful green eyes fixed themselves on her, he smiled back happily. She raised her hand and made a gesture paired with a less than warm expression. When she made the gesture, Adron had figured her for a mute. He said nothing for a moment, instead allowed his mind to ever so briefly touch hers. He could read the intent of the gesture from her mind and his eyes never lost their amused light. “Indeed.” He said, before chuckling softly at her unspoken words. “Still…”

His hand moved forward. It moved so slow yet to the woman before him it would be to her eyes in a flash. Her sight would dim and the streets surrounding them would slowly melt away. Such an unguarded mind, so precious, so open to the Exarch's will. As darkness surrounded the woman, pulling her from reality and settling her in a place of silence she would feel her senses assaulted by the void. Her mute voice would be the least of her holds. Her tongue would be wet but find no taste, not even those of her own mouth. Each finger would tap against the next, but she would never feel it. Her touch had been stripped from this world and taken. She was deaf to what surrounded her, only a cold silence washing over her. She was robbed of her senses and her body was as naked as the day she came into this world. Bare skin kissed the darkness and all she could do was stare into the shadows.

In this darkness, this void, a single light would shine. She could not move towards it or even hear the soft footsteps that echoed behind her. A group, a family, walked past the woman. Each of them showing laughter and happiness as they moved on. Moved on without her. Their features were blank, each face was smooth and without distinction. However to the woman they left behind, they were as clear as day. Her family. Slowly sound would spill into her ears and she would hear the laughter, the joy, the happiness that led them towards this light. Still she could not move or speak, or hope to be free of this vision. Another set of footsteps would echo behind her as she watched her family fade into the light. This time she would see the features, hear the voice.

The Raven haired man was outlined by darkness but very much visible to the woman. He looked to the path the family had taken before looking back to the woman. “Abandoned.” His voice said softly, before echoing out into the void.

“Forgotten.” This time the voice did not come from his lips, but they would call back from the void as the well dressed Exarch stepped past the woman. “Inhibited.” He said, turning back to the woman with a curious gaze. “Enchained.” The void said, in a Stern finalizing stone. She was chained, chained to memories of a past she would curse. Abandonment, slavery, poverty. This was what she was, what she knew. She was pathetic. Still, a hand was placed upon her bare shoulder. It was cold, chilling to the bone, however in the same turn it was welcoming and brought with it a calming wave. Some unseen drug that washed this hellish void away. The image of Adron that was before her bled away as well, yet the hand would remain. It was his hand, his power, surging through her in vicious waves. It threatened to overtake her, sweep her away. It did not.

He did not let it. He steadied her. The void continued to disappear and when Shakti came to her eyes would behold a beautiful sight. Golbah City was before her, the skies and moon her only equal as she stood over it. Her left foot was firmly fastened on a surface of concrete, while her right was hanging off the ledge she stood on.

The hand was no longer there to steady her.

“With one thought I could destroy you.” The Sith Lord said, his voice touched with honey as he spoke to her as though she were a Queen. “I could command your mind, walk you off of this edge, I could clutch your heart and squeeze until finally you collapsed under the pressure, or I could command every bone in your body to explode out shredding you to pieces as they did.” His hands grabbed her shoulders, pulling her from the ledge.

He leaned before her, arching a brow as he whispered into her ear. “You could have this power. To destroy someone anyway you wish anyone you wish.” He turned from her, allowing her to drink in all that had happened. Her mind was so pleasant, and even amusing to the Sith Lord. He had two apprentices already, but neither of them were like this woman. Neither of them could be made into a monster.

[member="Shakti Sweet"]

 

[Shakti Sweet]

[SIZE=11pt]Her eyes narrowed as he spoke, the recognition of her meaning only seeming to galvanize the man as that smooth voice of his continued on, this time with a hint of amusement. Oh yes – she would be glad to be off of this bougie planet and free of these ridiculous people. That was the last thing she could recall thinking as she felt for only an instant that familiar pressure of someone other than herself being inside her head. There was a slightly widening at the corners of her eyes before the Exarch took hold and all the fire, all that light, became dull, her face slackening and the fingers that curled as fists at her sides fell inert and loose.

Inside her mind there was only a moment of panic, that hot rage that was like a furnace that powered her existence flaring before it too became dull – like a warm breeze instead of a roaring flame. It was the only thing she could still feel, as all she was was washed clean. It was like being drowned in nothing… She had a sense of her surroundings, but none of herself. It was off-putting to say the least, as a sense of self was often all she had – though she couldn’t seem to make her mind find the energy to care. Set adrift in the nothing and apathy starting to take hold, she was distantly aware of the light that was forming in the distance.

Hearing that laughter though… That flame that she could feel so distantly flared to the point that the warm breeze became like the summer sun, beating in a place where her chest may have been, if she’d had one. There was no recognition of it inside her mind, but her body would show the signs of it – her breathing becoming tight and that burnished skin of hers taking on a bronzed hue in first her chest then her cheeks as that rage mounted. These smiling, laughing monsters, their faces blank but so clear in her mind none-the-less… Even with him gripping her mind as tightly as he did, she felt the urge to strike at those chuckling specters… She wanted to hurt them as badly as their mere presence pained her.

That rage only dulled a touch as they strode passed her and that laughter died away, the pale stranger entering her ‘view’ once more. His voice in her mind was like a balm and she balked at it. She did not want to let that rage be calmed – this is what she was, and she wasn’t about to let some man with a voice like a dagger wrapped in silk take it from her - though in truth she had little choice. The pressure of the hand on her shoulder, that same cold energy that she had felt once before caused a shudder to visibly run through her, though a body she was sudden aware of once more.

Her eyes shot open, instantly aware of the city that she’d been running through mere moments before, though now it was spread before her, gleaming distantly in the evening light. That same anchoring hand at her shoulder kept her steady as she caught her breath once more – instantly also aware of her rage. It felt comfortable and warm in her chest, and though she could hear him speaking, it was almost secondary to that returning heat. His voice was sweet and cloying, and she couldn’t ignore it, but it felt wonderful to have back what truly made her herself.

‘You could have this power. To destroy someone anyway you wish and anyone you wish.’ She could feel him there as well, still lingering in her mind – and she took a chance, assuming that he could hear her in the same way that the last person to flit around in her mind had. The ‘voice’ that returned to him, could he hear it, was painful. It was shattered and broken, like shards of glass raked across a chalk board. Those brilliant green eyes were unwavering, however, finding his as she spoke.

“Show me.”[/SIZE]

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

The man's lips spread into an accepting smile. He could feel the rage rushing from the woman and it fed his own power. He drank from it like a fine wine as he closed the distance between them. So she could use the Force to speak for herself. It was no easy feat. Was this woman untrained? Perhaps she had more control over the Force than the Exarch initially believed. Regardless she would have her uses, however there was much to be done before her training could begin. The man looked to her with that Charming smile, he was ever a demon wrapped in an Angel's visage. He looked to her curiously, almost as if considering her statement rather than accepting it outright. His hand rose and the Force would swarm to his palm. He held it over her heart as he said two very simple words. “Very well.” The force exploded in a shocking pulse. Her feet would be swept from under her as she flew off the rooftop. Her mind would become naught but darkness and shadows as she was pulled into oblivion.

When Shakti came to, she would feel as if the world around her had changed. She was no longer in the streets of Golbah City with a mind towards Exodus. No, the room she was in was small but we'll furnished. The bed was soft enough and it held all amenities a person could want for. Her clothes were different as well. What she had worn sat on a metallic desk in the corner of the room, neatly folded and washed. She had been washed as well, her hair had a scent to it and even her nails had been properly attended to. Adron could not tolerate a subpar woman in his service. She had to be bathed and attended to before he would even see to her. She was clad in a black blouse and trousers with a crimson wolf emblazoned on her shoulder, fair enough garb for a destroyer.

Now that she had been rejuvenated the Exarch looked to her quietly. He'd been considering her fate for the past few hours, since he had taken her from the city and brought her to the reaches of space.

It would not due for the woman to be shown his ways in the tower of the Viceroyatlty. Some of his ways were questionable even among those Sith who kept his faith. With a brief wave of his hand he released the chains on the woman's mind, allowing her to rise from her sleep, however deep it may have been. His black hair was smoothed back as those blue eyes looked to the woman. “You're on my ship.” He said, answering the question he was sure she had. The Exarch looked to her plainly. “You have two options. From here on your life is mine. It belongs to me. You will be a tool, a weapon for me to wield against my enemies. In return I will fulfill your dreams. Death will follow everywhere you go and your power will be feared. Your anger with become a sharpened sword to destroy those who dare to wrong you.”

“If that is not acceptable. Then I can kill you now and leave your body to space. No one will remember you and it will be as if you did not exist.” His tone was still silkened, as if he was speaking to a woman of interest or maybe even his beloved. However there was no chain on the darkness that flowed from him. She could feel it flooding into her, commanding her bloodlust to rise, expand. “You have some command of the Force but no more than what a child is capable of. Come, it's time to begin.” He made his way out of the room, the metallic door sliding into his host. He knew her answer, he could see it in her own heart as clear as her desires. The light from the hall burned into the room as Adron stepped out. On either side of the woman's door were a pair of metallic warriors, clad in black cloaks and armed with electrostaffs. The Magnaguard would follow behind the two, though loosely so not to crowd them.

“You have to learn to use the Dark Side of the Force proficiently. Which means you have to have full control of your emotions. Rage is a powerful tool and it will serve you well, however if you cannot control it then it will end up a double bladed sword.”

“Now. If you do have questions, now is the time.” He said, curtly as the turned down another hall. Adron was eager to see the woman to training. She would take a good deal of training to be truly crafted into a powerful sword, however if he was right then she would progress fast.

[member="Shakti Sweet"]

 

[Shakti Sweet]

[SIZE=11pt]Despite his curious gaze and seemingly harmless approach, the much shorter woman bristled when the Sith stepped in close to her. Those piercing green eyes shot from his own down to that hand that he slowly raised, unable to see anything, but feeling dully something very wrong in the centre of the palm that he leveled with her chest. He would feel, for only an instant, a question from her before he released all that power directly into her. Shakti had a moment to feel her feet go out from under her, only an instant to question if perhaps the challenge had been a poor plan before darkness swallowed her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Laughing… She could still hear them laughing…[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]A soundless gasp escaped the Ferrerrio’s lips as her eyes shot open, staring at a ceiling she did not recognize. This was not an uncommon experience for her - since there wasn’t really anywhere she had called home in her life, but this was the third time in nearly as many days that she didn’t recall how she’d ended up somewhere. That was less common for her. She quickly became aware of a number of other fun facts as the realization of where was dawned on her. She’d been bathed, undressed and redressed, her hair and even her nails tended to. She felt a creeping sense of discomfort mounting, but she quickly swallowed it down as her eyes found the stranger, cooly watching her as she roused from what she was beginning to suspect hadn’t been a natural sleep. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The redhead slowly sat up, dimly aware that the quality of the sheets under her were superior to anything she’d woken up in before. She carefully extracted herself from the bed, unable to feel any ache from whatever it was that had knocked her out. It was strange… Normally when she’d been knocked unconscious, there was at least some remnant soreness from a blow over the head - but there was nothing. Curious.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]As he began to speak she had eyes only for the Exarch, the green pools narrowing to slits as he proposed to her the choice she now had to make. So it was either submit or die? Well… Not a choice she was unfamiliar with. To herself, she simply thought ‘No choice.’ With the many difficult pills she’d been made to swallow in her life - at least this one seemed to come with an added bonus of possibly making her stronger. Sure, this strange man had rolled her mind like it was nothing, threatened her, kidnapped her… Done gods only knew what while she was unconscious - but if he was willing to train her to dole out death with the same ease that he seemed to carry out whatever sort of Force control he did? She could suffer through someone putting her in these odd clothes while she napped.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]As she thought on his offer she could feel something else, something in that constant flow of energy that she knew she could call on to aid with her hearing - something dark. Instead of flowing around her, it flowed into her, and that constant flame that she knew to be her rage flared dangerously. It caught her breath in her throat for a moment as that heat washed through her, feeling it expand to fill every inch of her that it could. It was not an unpleasant feeling, and one she had never balked at. As her eyes found his once more they were keen with it, those green depths glinting dangerously as he turned and exited the room. She stood there for a long moment, easing her breathing back to a normal pace before she strode out after him.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]She didn’t spare the two metal grabbed guards any mind as she hurried to catch up with the Exarch, falling in pace behind him as he described what she would need to do, how she would need to own and control her anger… Owning it was simple enough - but so often she let that amazing warmth control her, and that was going to take some work. It had her looking a tab thoughtful as they rounded another corner and he asked if she had any questions. Truly, she could think of only one.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“How?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt][member="Adron Malvern"][/SIZE]

 

[Adron Malvern]

The Exarch came to a stop. They stood behind a pair of Obsidian blast doors. When the woman's voice rang into the Exarch's mind he returned them with a confident smile. “Practice.” The door behind him would flash open. It led them into a training hall. A large atrium built into the center of the ship with pristine durasteel walls. The floor was made of a faux wood that shined as the man walked over it. Adron pulled his blazer off, tossing it t back to one of the Magnaguard who caught it promptly. Unfastening the button to his dress shirt, he looked to the woman intently. “First the body has to be prepared. If your body is weak your mind will shatter right beside it. The best way to improve the body is through a proper training routine.”

One of the Magnaguard strode over towards the Exarch, passing him for a nearby table that held some form of training weapon. The training sabers were pale imitations of lightsabers, that delivered a nasty shock to whoever was unfortunate enough to taste their sting. As the Magnaguard set it's blade down and plucked the two sabers from the table Adron watched him with an interested gaze. “Lightsaber combat is an art. It requires years of practice to Master even a single form. You don't have that long. Every day you will train for six hours with the blade until you can beat three of my guard.”

With menacing red optics, the Magnaguard made its way over to Shakti, tossing her the blade with a soulless gaze. “They're programmed to fight in the first form of lightsaber combat.” Adron said as he made his way over to a nearby bench. He sat down, his hawk like eyes gazing out over the training hall before him. He was interested to see how this woman fared against one of his guard. Likely this matching would be quick. Adron would not instruct this woman the way he did his other apprentices. No, in many ways she needed to be better than them. She needed to be more faithful, and above all she needed to be perfect. The Dark Lord was careful as he projected the Darkness within her, magnifying it. “Now. Show me your rage.” And with that the Droid advanced towards her with a mighty over-arching swipe of it's saber.

[member="Shakti Sweet"]

 

[Shakti Sweet]

The redhead allowed both brows to arch curiously as the Exarch turned to face her, watching with a keen gaze as the doors slid open behind him, revealing the training hall. The room seemed simple enough, spacious with high ceilings to allow for easy movement once inside. As he strode in, she followed, no change in her expression as he removed his blazer and tossed it to one of the matching guards at her back. As his gaze moved to the table with the training weapons, her own brilliant green eyes followed as well – she’d never used a practice weapon before…

Her back arched between her shoulder blades, right where the leather harness for her blades normally sat. The ryyk blades she preferred were like a second skin that was always present at her back, and their absence was something she’d been feeling ever since her injuries that led her to Golbah City in the first place. Close combat, violent, fast paced and bloody was what she knew – it’s what she had cultivated for herself to keep safe. There was nothing in her ‘training’ that allowed for distance or hesitation, not when a misstep could mean adding to the smattering of scars that already covered most of her body. Looking over the table as the former Imperial made his way over to a bench to take a seat, she frowned at the options. Finesse weapons… Not her specialty.

As the Magnaguard picked up the matching set of sabers from the table, a small wrinkle formed at the corner of her lips – but it was all she’d allow for complaint. Her hand rose smoothly as the practice blade was tossed her way, grabbing the hilt solidly in her palm and whipping it down to her side with a small flourish. It felt clunky and distant in her hand, but she knew exactly what it would mean if she didn’t sort that out for herself quickly. As the much larger form of the Magnaguard hefted the practice blade upwards, Shakti changed her stance, the hilt spinning in her hand as the blade shifted to be face downward along her forearm.

Her feet moved swiftly as she sidestepped from the overly telegraphed movements of the guard, lifting the blade up to parry the blow down to the side where she’d been only a moment before. Her eyes flashed brilliantly as she narrowed them a touch, feeling that coaxing from the seated man causing the anger to swell in her chest, filling her with that same warm, searing heat that she knew so well. A quick flick of her wrist and a step forward brought the woman in incredibly close as she brought the blade up, aiming to strike the length of it against the guards shoulder as it continued its downward swing.

 

[Adron Malvern]

Adron watched the duel with some interest. Every step the woman made was recorded to his mind and he continued to play on her emotions. As she dueled the mechanical warrior, brief flashes would course through her mind. Vicious memories, some fabricated by the Dark Lord and others pulled from the depths of her own mind. These flashed were minor distractions, however they served a different purpose. Through this she would learn to combat her opponents through all manner of emotional distractions. Each one only sufficing in forcing her mental state to a single point of unrivaled rage. It was rather amusing really. Still, the fight continued.

Shakti did well to dodge the Magnaguard's assault. Her form would need polishing but there was no mistaking the talent that laid within. However, it would not be enough when combating Adron's specialized guard. The Magnaguard's swing continued through, slapping the woman's own training blade. The two yellow blades let out a loud pop, similar to the clash of a set of lightsabers. The Magnaguard's wrist, which was set on a swivel, snapped back up almost instantly, allowing him to easily bat away the woman's assault. His mechanical strength was superior and his own movements were hellishly perfect.

It responded to her sweep by kicking forward. The metal foot would slam hard into the woman's midsection. The assualt would not end. Whether Shakti was taken off of her feet or not the Magnaguard would press the attack. It moved with blinding speed, the yellow training saber a blur as it slashed across the woman ruthlessly. The blade delivered extremely painful shocks, but they would dull soon, leaving red marks wherever it may fall. The Magnaguard would not relent, would not tire, and it would not stop. In the edge of the room Adron watched, his eyes set on the woman. What would she do now?


[member="Shakti Sweet"]

 

[Shakti Sweet]

She had not accounted for the hulking thing being fast. As she brought the blade up and it immediately shifted to glance the blow off its own practice blade, her eyes widened. She was taking a speedy step back when it leaned back and lifted the heavy booted foot, planting it squarely in her stomach before kicking forward, launching the woman easily off her feet. She kept a death grip on the practice saber, knowing full well that without it she was not going to have a good time, but she was sent sprawling across that beautifully polished faux wood floor. She tensed as she hit to avoid snapping her head back against the floor, but it meant that the impact on her back was immense and she could feel those bruises forming, even as the massive guard advanced on her, giving no quarter.

It was probably for the best that she couldn't swear, as she could think of several choice things she'd yell as she scrambled to get her legs back under her. The blade came down as she was just getting to her feet, slamming into the arm that held her own practice saber. The snap of the electric field that emitted from the blade as it hit flesh was loud in her ears, but the shock that rocketed through the arm nearly made her hand spasm at the blade fall. It was a unique pain and one that she committed to memory as she jumped back to avoid a second strike. As she slid free of the Magnaguard's range she was momentarily blinded; the world before her eyes faded as she found herself in a small earthen hut. The smell of dirt and unwashed flesh like a rancid sting in her nose. Outwardly she gasped, but she also froze.

The man who stood before her towered over her small frame and the cudgel he held was filthy. There was matted hair and blood that was caked along its length, and he brandished it like it was a weight he was comfortable hefting. When he spoke she couldn't hear his voice in her head, but she didn't need to - those words that left his lips were ones she could recite from memory. Worthless. Useless. A waste of his credits. She watched as he lifted the blunted shaft above his head, and as he brought it down the guard's practice saber came with it. It came down against her shoulder with a crack and another of those high pitched snaps. The shock sent her sprawling backward again, this time the practice blade going skittering across the floor. She was so ill prepared for this second blow that her head did indeed bounce off the floor. The snap from the blade was nothing compared to her head slamming into the faux wood. She was momentarily stunned, the hand the was missing the blade flexing as if to reach for it.

She was dimly aware of the room around her, that comforting heat in her chest that she knew to be her anger like some distance and dim flame as the guard advanced once more. With another of those heavy boots, it landed a solid blow to her side and sent her rolling once onto her stomach, her form convulsing as a much more solid pain radiated into her torso. The blow seemed to rally her, however, instantly recalling where she was and what she was required to do. On hands and knees, she speedily crawled to the practice saber that was just out of her reach, rolling quickly to avoid another booted assault and coming to rest in a crouch along the floor, her own blade swinging forward to keep the thing at range. She wasn't panting just yet... But everything hurt.

What followed was nearly two hours of sparring, should the Exarch allow it. The mute was fast on her feet, not quite as agile as the massive crimson monstrosity, but fast enough that she was able to avoid the majority of the blows she was dealt. Eventually, the bruises, though fading quickly, began to pile up - and the constant invasions into her mind, the constant interference with the steady anger to fuel her, she found herself faltering, sputtering out and on her back more often than her feet. One or two extremely firm blows about her head set her on the floor permanently. The thing just kept coming, and it was all she could do to protect her head as it did it's best to beat her senseless... And succeeded. One particularly firm blow to the side had her arms jerking down to protect her stomach and the practice blade came down on her face.

The pain was... Exceptional. It set her back to arching clear off the floor as the shock rocketed through her head and down her neck, her arms jerking at her sides and her entire body falling limp almost immediately after. She was still breathing, though it was ragged, and her grip on consciousness was perilous at best. She was only very dimly aware of what was coming - and as best she could tell it was going to be another blow from the Magnaguard.

 

[Adron Malvern]

The duel went on for the better part of a few hours. In this time, Adron had one of his protocol droids attend to him, bringing him a rather nice glass of whiskey and a datapad so he could see to some of his own duties. Though he seemed to be taking a minimal interest in her training, the man was offering far more attention than he let on. Every flare of anger, every vision that crossed over her, he watched it all as if he had been the woman who experienced it. His lips parted for the crystal glass, allowing a healthy sip of whisky to flow into his chest and provide that warm rush he enjoyed. The Exarch set the glass down before clearing his throat and standing. He pressed down his dress shirt before making his way to the woman, arms clasped behind his back. “Remember, the goal is to learn. You're not trying to beat it, you're trying to learn from it, then you will beat it.” The man explained as he crossed the training hall to the woman. The Magnaguard approached Shakti and brought it's saber down in a cruel cut aimed for her face once again.

A snap-hiss errupted as a violet hue covered the hall. Adron's blade flew out, meeting the path of the Magnaguard's saber and stopping it's assault. “Enough.” He commanded. Immediately the Droid stepped back, giving it's blade a quick flourish before deactivating it. Adron's own blade died, receding back into the hilt of his lightsaber. “Get up.” The man ordered, clipping his silver-hilted lightsaber back to his waist. The man kept his arms behind his back, walking over to the woman's saber. “Anger is not just a weapon, it's a tool. Close your eyes and focus on your anger.” The Sith held his hand out to the side, the hilt of the training saber flying to his hands.

“Your wounds heal naturally, but the pain remains. Focus only on your anger and pain becomes nothing more than another enemy to defeat.” Adron walked over to the woman, brushing the back of his hand against her cheek in an almost tender gesture. “Never forget. Pain is nothing to you.”

His hands wrapped around her throat and a loud clap erupted. The Force swallowed the woman whole as lightning sprang from Adron's hand. Purple streaks exploded out, directly into the woman's body in one painful embrace. He continued to release the charges, however his command over the Force also shielded her from it's most damaging effects. She would not die, her organs, her brain, and her heart would remain shielded, yet every inch of her body would be racked in pain. “Defeat it.” He commanded. “Force your anger to defeat it! Only then will it truly end.” His voice called out over the volley of shocks.

[member="Shakti Sweet"]

 

[Shakti Sweet]

She was dimly aware of the practice saber rocketing towards her face, unable to so much as flinch as she anticipated the collision with her face. As it came perilously close, there was a snap and sizzle as the Exarch parried the blow, and she felt the mass of the droid backing away. There was a moment where she relaxed into the floor, her eyes sliding closed as she took stock of the damage. Her face was already beginning to heal, but the ache was potent – and the many small burns over her arms were a sting that was like a buzz in the back of her mind. How anyone without her ability to heal would train with these, she didn’t know… Perhaps they were better at dodging.

Get up. She winced for a moment, her breathing still a little uneven, but her mind clearer from the long seconds lying on the ground. Her ears picked up on the soft click of her saber reattaching to his belt, and it caused her eyes to slide open. She carefully hauled herself to a seated position, still taking that careful stock of her injuries and aches. The Firrerreo would be fine… It would just take some time. She lifted herself to her feet and rotated her shoulders slowly as she eyed up this man who, as she considered it, hadn’t actually told her his name… It made her quirk one brow as she did her best not to smirk at the thought. It was unlikely he’d find it as humorous as she did.

The desire to smile died as his hand lifted, however, a slight narrowed of her eyes all the indication she provided that she even noticed that touch as the backs of his fingers trailed down across the tattoos on her cheek. There was something in her eyes as she regarded him curiously, a question that she was unable to voice – though it mattered little. That look was washed away effortlessly when the from Imperial’s hand closed around her throat, her own hands rising immediately to lock around his wrist as the first jolt of brilliant purple lightning shot across and through her skin.

Her lips parted, teeth bared as her eyes shuttered tightly – it was the perfect, silent pantomime of screaming. The nails are the tips of each of her fingers dug solidly into his flesh as she fought to pry his hand free, the muscles in her arms straining as she tried to pull herself away. Each shock of that vibrant purple light brought another silent scream as she scrambled to pry herself free.

Defeat it. She snapped her teeth together with an audible clack as she felt the third and then the fourth wave of lightning course through her. The pain was unlike anything she’d felt before – each shock felt like it was fire crawling under her skin, heat and searing light behind her eyes. The grip on his wrist lessened with each shock however, even this new pain something that she found she could adjust to with time. She still shuddered and bucked against the grip at her throat with each pulse, but the screaming had stopped, and there was a clarity that came with the pain over time. It was unreasonably unpleasant, and she would have rather almost anything else, but eventually, those piercing green eyes shot open, leveling on the Exarch, a fury there unlike what he’d been privy to previously.

It seemed that the redhead was angry. Again.

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

Silence fell.

The bursts of electricity ended when the woman's brilliant green eyes locked on Adron's own amethyst orbs. He smiled, almost approvingly, at the woman as his grip loosened around her throat. His arms had thin beads of blood leaking from them where the woman's nails had dug into him. His left hand pressed into his forearm, sliding from one end to the other. As his hand slid down the arm, a pristine blue light shined from under his grip. Each of the minor cuts were cleansed from his skin as if they had never been there. The Exarch gestured back to the protocol droids while never taking his eyes off the woman. “So much defiance.” He turned back to the Droid and took a cloth that hung over its shoulder, wiping the blood from his hands. “Remember ignore the pain, but never forget the power.” He warned her before tossing the cloth to the side.

“Well then. I guess you will make an assassin worthy of my service. Give me your arm girl.” He took her wrist into his hand, taking it in a tight grip. “If you will learn from me and do my killing, you'll bare my mark. This will help you focus the Dark Side into a more potent weapon.” Adron gestured to the serving droid and it held a blade out to the man. Adron reach over the woman's arm to take the knife and spoke softly. “As my assassin you will kill those I mark and bring destruction wherever I command. You will not question me and you will hold no one's life above my command.” The man's amethyst eyes were locked on the woman as he spoke.

“In return I will give you power and purpose, and the vengeance you seek.” The Exarh ran his blade over his wrist, allowing the blood to flow from it freely. The Force kept the pain at Bay and stopped the blood from pushing out of the vein. Instead it trickled down his arm in slow streaks. “My name is Adron Malvern, my title is Darth Malphas, and you are now my apprentice.” Adron's grip tightened and in the next moment the Dark Side wrapped around them both. The blood that leaked from his wrist moved with a purpose, pulling from his arm and wrapping itself around Shakti's forearm.

“Peace is a lie, there is only passion.” He repeated. The blood would burn the woman, like boiling water set to her skin it would continue to burn until the last of it had traveled from his arm to hers. The wound he had created on his wrist was slowly closing, as if being sutured shut by the unseen powers of The Force. On her wrist the blood would turn black and settle into her skin, moving and quaking like a servant until it finally rested and the burning feeling began to fade away. Adron released her arm and adjusted his collar before clearing his throat. The mark created a direct connection between the two, an improvised Force Bond that gave the Master overview of the student and allowed the student access to the Master's connection to the Dark Side.

The man made his way towards the door, his tone still touched with silk and silver. “I'm hungry. It's time to eat and there is still a great deal you need to know.”

[member="Shakti Sweet"]

 

[Shakti Sweet]

As the lightning stopped a gasp escaped the woman's lip, a tension that had been riding every muscle in her body left her in a rush and she was momentarily grateful for the grip in her throat for taking a touch of her weight so she didn't collapse to the floor again. Her breathing was a touch ragged as the Exarch retracted his hand, her own fingers moving to touch the spot on her neck where it had just been. The skin where his palm had touched was left unmarred, though the burns made an intricate pattern in the outline of his palm across her throat. She felt her stomach roil as the scent of her own burned flesh met her nostrils - something she hadn't smelled in many years. Somehow that stench never seemed to become any less horrific.

She took a small step back from the man as he healed himself of the minor cuts she'd caused, the small half-moon indents in his skill gone faster than even she could heal herself. It was a pretty neat trick, and she wondered if the power to do such things was something that also came along with this destructive power he promised. Her healing was already impressive in its own right, but with the power to focus it like that... Well. She wouldn't need to worry about much of anything if she could expend a bit of power and speed up the setting of bones or the mending of rent flesh.

The thoughts died as quickly as they'd come as Adron closed the distance between them once more, taking the wrist she had begun to lift at his order and holding it in a vice-like grip. She suppressed the urge to rip it away from him and instead set those green eyes on his own violet gaze, the anger naked there as he spoke. Only the sight of the blade running along his own skin caused her gaze to falter. Shakti's face did little to hide her confusion as she watched him open the wound on his arm, the fingers of the hand that was captured in his grasp flexing with an itch to slap the blade away. She wouldn't flinch, of course, but the levels of depravity this man was capable of were quickly becoming apparent to the redhead - and she was beginning to understand what it is exactly she had agreed to.

Darth Malphas... The name was seared into her mind just as clearly as the pain that rocketed its way through her arm. She watched as his blood coursed across her flesh and began to sink into her skin. It hurt, certainly, but she wasn't about to let that very potent lesson from earlier go to waste. She shuddered once as the burning began, but she stilled herself immediately, emerald eyes returning to his own as the pain continued. Her nostrils flared a touch as her breathing caught and shuddered, but she refused to try and wrench herself away and instead fueled every ounce of that pain into her gaze. The heat in her chest was a roaring blaze, but she kept herself rooted and left the searing pain wash over her in waves.

As the pain faded and he removed his grip from her wrist, she pulled her arm back slowly, eyes falling to the mark he'd left. She didn't feel different just yet, but she trusted that this man, Adron he'd said, was being honest when he said that it was a connection that he'd forged in her flesh. As he strode towards the exit, she didn't hesitate to follow him, but her focus was still on the mark he'd left, her thumb moving to gently run across the black lines that he'd drawn into her skin. Interesting indeed.

[member="Adron Malvern"]