Private The Devil's Den [Vera]

[Darth Carnifex]

The Crestfallen emerged from hyperspace, a sleek black shadow against the endless void. Ahead loomed a mighty warfleet, dozens upon dozens of star destroyers with many multitudes of lesser ships spread between them. At the fleet's center was the Malsheem, a massive spherical space station larger than any other in the galaxy. It was like a world onto itself, inhabited by millions of devotees, and completely self-sufficient. Within were boundless storehouses of food and material, enough to maintain the population indefinitely. It was possible that those living inside could withstand the death of the galaxy, if need be.

A squadron of fights moved to flank the Crestfallen as it neared, guiding the shuttle until it reached an open hangar bay at the base of a pyramidal structure jutting out from Malsheem's northern pole. Awaiting the shuttle's arrival were several companies of Blackblade Guardsmen, arranged in parade formation across the hangar deck. They watched in silence as the shuttle descended and came to a rest, the boarding ramp lowering before the Dark Lord of the Sith emerged. All of the Blackblade immediately fell to one knee in supplication, bowing their heads in reverence to their Lord and Master.

Behind the Dark Lord was the inert form of Vera Noble, carried aloft on a hover-stretcher while she still slumbered. As the Dark Lord passed, rows of Blackblade to rise to their feet in unison, all standing by the time the Dark Lord passed from the hangar and into the station proper. Darth Carnifex would have Vera transferred to a small private room, which had been furnished like a bedroom, and placed gently upon the bed. A new set of clothes had been set aside for her, dark gray military-esque apparel, along with a tray of cracker-like food. Then she would be left alone, to awake on her own volition, though she would be monitored all the while.

Carnifex, by contrast, would retire to an adjourning office. There were things He was required to do while awaiting for Vera to awaken, but He made it known that any change in Vera's condition was to be immediately relayed to Him. A pair of black-robed guards would stand outside of Vera's room, silently vigilant.

Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

The Malsheem

​

Tag: Darth Carnifex

Slowly, Vera's eyes fluttered open but what should have been her bedroom at home, was now replaced by a chamber that felt cold and dangerous. There was no motherly humming coming from the living room or kitchen, no hug or good morning from her father. She felt more alone than she ever had before, despite being surrounded by millions of people.

Looking around, Vera spotted the fresh set of clothes but had no desire to put them on. They were dark and nasty, like the walls and the people who lived here. The only thing she touched was the crackers, so she at least didn't have to feel hungry in what she considered to be a cell.

"Mommy and daddy will come for me," Vera said as she approached the door and knocked on it. She felt people standing outside, so she decided to approach them. Still scared, the little brave Noble was trying her best to keep things together. All she wanted was to be as strong as her parents.

"You should let me go."

It wasn't a vision she saw, but Vera knew what her parents would do to these people if they found her here. She had seen and felt it a few times before. They weren't going to let anybody hurt her.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

For a few moments there was silence, neither of the guards budging an inch even when the young captive knocked and spoke to them through the locked door. But then, the lock disengaged, and the door slid open and disappeared into the wall partition. Standing in the doorway was the man of her nightmares, that towering shadow that had stolen her away from the loving embrace of her mother and father, who so effortlessly took a life without even a second thought.

"Of course they will," Darth Carnifex replied, taking a step into the room. "I told you before that when all is said and done, you will be returned to my son and his wife." This was the first time the Dark Lord was overt about the relationship between Himself and Vera's parents. He did not believe that they had ever told Vera about her connection to Him, an assumption substantiated by her initial reaction to them being family.

The door closed behind the Dark Lord after He passed through, leaving the two of them alone. "I am disappointed that Kahlil never told you about your grandfather, but not surprised. Your father long abandoned his family to chase after other pursuits. When you were born, he did not even share this revelation with me, his own father. For awhile, I did not endeavor to interfere with his affairs, but after I heard more about you, my grandchild, and your growing power. I had to see for myself."

Carnifex knelt down on one knee, to bring Himself closer to Vera's height; though He still towered. "The name they gave you was Vera Noble, but to me you are Vera Zambrano."

Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

The Malsheem

​

Tag: Darth Carnifex

Once more, Vera took a step in retreat, this time as the door opened and Carnifex appeared in front of her. Both his physical and Force presence made the young Noble shiver and forced her body to tighten itself up, almost as if she was afraid to be attacked despite his assurance that he'd do her no harm. Vera had seen far too much about him in her visions and dreams. She knew he had hurt her parents; she knew that he had always been a threat to their family.

"I do know you. Mommy and Daddy told me after I saw you," she said with a shaky voice. "But you are not family," she said again, making it clear that her earlier statement had not been ignorance, but an intentional choice of words. Mom and dad were family — they loved her, protected her, and wouldn't ever do anything to hurt her in any way.

He was not family.

"The name they gave you was Vera Noble, but to me you are Vera Zambrano."​

Her lips started to tremble and she shook her head more defiantly than before, "You're wrong!" she screamed at the Dark Lord, as tears formed in her eyes. "I'm not helping you! Let me go!" she continued but deep down, she already knew that she wasn't going to see her parents anytime soon.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Then you know that I am not one to be trifled with, Vera."

Her wailing and refutation might have grated on another Zambrano's nerves, but the Dark Lord was patient; and He was careful. He'd not taken all of this time to meticulously plan Vera's abduction just to throw it away now, and young Vera would ultimately bend to His will one way or another. Honeyed words and promises were the preferred method to achieving this, and if Vera knew what was best for her and her mother and father, then she would do what He asked.

If not?

It was better left unthought.

"You aught to know that you'll be my guest here indefinitely, Vera, your wailing will avail you nothing. You'll find no sympathetic ears to your predicament in this place, all are aligned with me. You have many cousins living here with me, Vera, and many uncles and aunts. I can show them to you, if you will behave." The lines on the Dark Lord's face grew momentarily darker. "Or I can leave you in this room, alone, until I again have need of you. Do not act the infant with me, I know that you are smarter than you profess."

She was not only His granddaughter, and thus gifted with His blood, but also Kahlil and Valery's daughter. For all of their shortcomings, the Dark Lord recognized that His wayward son and his wife were clever, intelligent, resourceful, and above all tenacious and driven. Undoubtedly, these were qualities they readily imparted to their firstborn; the one whom the Dark Lord coveted and had gone to great lengths to steal away.

"Do you understand me, Vera?"

Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

The Malsheem

​

Tag: Darth Carnifex

"I don't want to see them," Vera said defiantly again, with a pout on her face. She was acting like a child, but it would be clear enough that she was serious. There was only a handful of people she considered family — mom, dad, her siblings, and even some others like Amani and Alicio. Carnifex's words were filled with venom, and she knew that true family would never seek to hurt another.

He was not family, and neither were these cousins.

"I'll stay here but you're not gonna be happy when mommy and daddy get here." She didn't care that he'd set her free if she helped him. Mom and dad were never going to wait for it. They'd come to rescue her, and others would too. All she needed to do was wait and stay as calm as she possibly could.

But there was one question she had on her mind, and she was reminded of it when she turned around to return to the bed she had woken up in. Slowly, she turned back and looked at Carnifex.

"Why are you taking me here?"

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"More's the pity, that you would so eagerly forsake family." He rose to His feet, understanding that at this moment she would stubbornly refute any attempts at mollifying her or getting her to do anything she thought went against her interest. It didn't matter, the Dark Lord was a patient man, and He could afford to allow things to ruminate until they were ready to be acted upon. She would find no succor from her parents here, in His armored station, especially as the craft was moving through the outer reaches of the galaxy far beyond the blind grasp of the Alliance and their Jedi lapdogs.

"Your father knows where I have brought you, and so does your mother. They know that so long as you remain here, you will never be reunited with them again. This station, in which you are my honored guest, is a mobile fortress. It moves through hyperspace, it cannot be stopped, and your parents know this. Kahlil knows it most of all, for he once resided in these halls." Carnifex gestured to the room around them, the one that Vera found herself in after waking. "This was his room, I left whatever items he abandoned where they were. You may do with them as you please."

The dresser and wardrobe contained many items that Kahlil had left when He'd escaped, which would include any journals he kept. Carnifex turned away towards the door, but stopped before leaving. "I leave you to your thoughts, Vera, but know I will be back. Do not expect to escape." Then He left, the door slipping shut behind Him and locking once again.

And Vera was alone.

Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

The Malsheem

​

Tag: Darth Carnifex

While being called family had hurt, the idea that she was on a fortress she couldn't ever escape seemed a lot more painful. Her parents were her heroes, and if even they couldn't just come in here and get her out, nobody else could. She'd be here until Carnifex honored his word and released her, or until a rescue attempt was made whenever she wasn't on this station. Either way, it was going to take far too long for her.

She already missed her mom and dad so much.

"Okay..." is all she managed to mutter now, and while Carnifex left, Vera returned to the bed and found her father's journals and items in a few drawers. She placed one on her lap and let her hand gently brush over it. Even though there was a darker taint to them, she could feel her father through those objects.

It was comforting.

But with their connection to the young hybrid, Vera's mind unintentionally opened up to the Force. Flashes of the past flooded her mind, showing her the darker days of her father's life. From his fall to having to leave behind Valery so he could rid himself of the alchemical mark. It was overwhelming. Vera began to tremble, her breathing grew heavier, and when she finally snapped out of it, she threw the journal off her lap and onto the ground.

The last thing she had seen was her mother crashing on New Cov, and her father going after her.

"I want to go home..." she cried, and slowly but surely, she came to the realization that it might be unavoidable to help this man who had introduced himself as family.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Several days passed, with Vera's only social interaction being the brief appearances of her gaolers bringing her trays of food at a predictable schedule. They only spoke a single word each time, a gruff and unkind 'eat' before they closed the door behind them. The Dark Lord did not check in on Vera during this period, but it was obviously that He was monitoring her. Her every action was meticulously catalogued, the room designed to track her movements and her vital signs at any given moment.

It was after this period of isolation that the door opened at an unusual time, one not in the gaolers schedule. The individual that entered was different as well, far less rough than the guards outside. It was a woman too, older than Vera by a decade and a half, but still youthful looking. She was dressed in a sharp teal military doublet, a rank badge pinned over her left breast. Epaulets covered both of her shoulders, tassels ending in Sith symbols dangling from their edges.

"The Eternal Father bids thee to join Him in the garden, Lady Vera. He wishes to relay that your attendance is compulsory." There would be no arguing with these people, they were unflinching in their devotion to Vera's grandfather in a manner that Vera had not yet encountered in other people yet. Still, this young woman would extend her hand for Vera to take if she wished, otherwise the lady would walk with her hands clasped behind her back. The two guards shadowed them, keeping some distance but still visible in Vera's peripheral vision.

The hall beyond her room was sparsely decorated, constructed out of a cold and unfeeling gray metal. Illumination strips had been installed into the walls at regular intervals, bathing the corridors in a harsh sterile light. Much of the journey consisted of this environment, the only deviation being turns and junctions leading to similar corridors that continued almost endlessly. The monotony of her surroundings was almost fatiguing, the lack of identifiable scenery sapping at her concentration.

Until, suddenly, it all melted away. The corridor she was being led down suddenly widened and disappeared completely, a massive room larger than any she had ever been in stretched out before her. Not only that, but it was lush with foliage, a veritable jungle amidst a labyrinth of steel. The sound of running water could be heard, a waterfall crashing down into a large pool could be seen in the distance. Near the water's edge, but still elevated some distance above it, was a large pagoda. It was here that Vera was led, where she would again meet her grandfather; the one they called the Butcher King.

He had His back to her, His hands resting against the wooden frame of the pagoda as He looked down at the pool below. The sounds of children laughing and hollering could be heard emanating from below, several children around or older than Vera's age playing haphazardly in the shallow water. Some, older children mostly, were further out in the deeper end, swimming amidst jutting rocks and the passive fish that had been allowed to live within its waters.

Carnifex turned slightly towards Vera, His dark eyes finding hers with that same withering gaze she'd known the night she had been taken.

"Welcome, little Vera. I'm pleased you could join me. Come, and look down below, tell me what you see."

Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

The Malsheem

​

Tag: Darth Carnifex

After hearing the door open, Vera rubbed her eyes and sat up on her bed. She already knew someone was coming before they announced herself, so by the time she entered the room, Vera was up on her feet and waiting for her. The woman seemed and felt different to her already — not nearly as dark as her grandfather, but still dangerous in her own way. In her devotion to someone as evil as Carnifex.

"Okay..." is all she muttered in response, her tone defeated as she followed after the woman. She didn't take the offered hand either, even though her mother told her to whenever she was going somewhere dangerous. This was an exception for Vera, so she didn't resist, but she wasn't making it too easy either.

The hallways around her that made her feel so cold and trapped soon widened into a large, open space. The smell of the wind blowing through actual trees, grass, and plants reached her nose, and she felt a sense of relief. Even just a few days on this station made her feel like she hadn't felt the sun in years, but now that anxiety washed away.

Until she spotted him.

For a moment, Vera hesitated, but she knew that resisting this was futile. She took a deep breath instead, puffed out her chest a little, and walked over to listen to what he had to say. "I see other girls and boys," Vera told him, her eyes fixated on the kids. A part of her wanted to go down there and play with them. They were having fun, and she had been locked up alone in her room for several days.

But still, it felt wrong to her.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Family, Vera. It exists beyond those of your immediate surroundings, beyond your mother and father. Aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. Even brothers and sisters, Vera." What neither Vera or Kahlil knew was that Vera had more than the three siblings just recently born to Valery Noble, for Kahlil's mother yet lived and given birth to other children, and those in turn had begot their own when they became adults. Kahlil never knew his mother, they'd be separated shortly after his birth.

It was the nature of those relegated to concubine status, their children were taken from them and instructed in the way of the Dark Side to become Sith. Only the wives of the Eternal Father were allowed to keep their children, raising them as they normally would. Perhaps it was no surprise that these children of the wives were far more loyal and dedicated to the Dark Side than those of the concubines, but if the Dark Lord knew He either didn't care or was purposefully allowing it to continue.

The Dark Lord watched Vera, could see the yearning that tugged at her childish heart. She had been deprived, starved of interaction, as had been intentionally done. Now here she was, confronted with something she desperately desired in this foreign, alien place.

Childlike companionship.

"You may go to them, Vera, and play. You are not a prisoner, you are a guest, and you will be returned to your parents in due time. I do not intent to harm or deceive you, I only wish to introduce my grandchild to her family."

Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

The Malsheem

​

Tag: Darth Carnifex

Even now, Vera struggled to accept that the people around her were family. The bonds she had with true family were so strong, that something like this just didn't feel anything like it. But after days of being isolated without a word from her parents, she was starting to feel like she was going crazy. She wasn't used to not getting lots of attention, hugs, and playtime.

She really misses all of it. She misses her parents.

"Okay..." she said again, unable to talk or ramble like she usually would. Her eyes then shifted away from the Dark Lord and down to the kids who were playing. They didn't look or feel nearly as bad as her grandfather, and none of them had ever shown up in her visions either.

Maybe they were okay?

Slowly but surely, Vera made her way down but she still approached cautiously and kept some distance. They were busy playing, so they weren't quick to pick up on her presence, and for the first time in her life, she felt shy about introducing herself. But when she noticed the right time, she finally did step forward.

"Hello. I'm Vera," she said softly.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Carnifex watched Vera depart, His eyes tracking her as she approached the water. At first, the other children did not take notice, but when the first few began to move towards her so too did a few of the older children. They appraised her with many colored eyes, although green was predominant among them. Their skin were various tones of olive, some were darker or light than the others. All except a very small few sported rich black hair, but Vera would easily notice that some had the same silver hair as her father.

A young girl stepped forth, only a few years Vera's senior. She was noticeably athletic, faint muscle beginning to show on her arms and stomach. She smiled warmly, although there was something ominously predatory behind it, and greeted Vera with a fist-over-heart salute. "Hi Vera! My name is Cyn. All the adults are busy, so we get to have the oasis all to ourselves. Come join us, the water's great!" The way she spoke still retained the childlike qualities that Vera herself possessed, but there was something different about it. These children are all so disciplined, orderly, like their lives have been highly regimented. The younger ones were more outwardly rowdy even at a glance, but the older children all had a serious look about them.

The Dark Lord continued to watch Vera from above, but was aware of the cloaked figure approaching from behind. They came to stand next to the towering Tyrant, a hood drawn up over their features. Tufts of errant silver hair peeked out from the corners, and two yellow eyes pierced the gloom. "All is assembled, Father," Kaahlil spoke. It was the same voice as Vera's own father, the intonations almost perfectly identical. But where Kahlil Noble 's voice was warm and kind, Kaahlil's voice was harsh and bitter; always on the verge of breaking from raw emotion.

"Good," replied the Dark Lord, "We make landfall on Aing-Tii within a few days. All must go perfectly, if Vera Noble is to open the way."

Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

The Malsheem

​

Tag: Darth Carnifex

"Okay..." Vera muttered, still unusually shy now that she was meeting people who she felt so conflicted about. They looked like other kids she would normally meet at the park, but she hadn't forgotten about where she was either. This place felt so cold and so dark to the young Noble, even now that she was surrounded by others around her own age.

But unlike before, she didn't want to leave and be alone in her room anymore.

So Vera stepped forward and joined the other kids in the water, so she could play. For a while, she'd be rather reserved, and kinda just watched and did her own thing. But as time went on, she opened up a little more and found herself distracted in the joy of messing around in the water.

Little did she know that Carnifex was still watching, and with a guest whose appearance closely resembled her father. She was finally in her own little world again, but soon enough, she'd play a much darker role in his plans.